Last time we turned our sights to the stars, it was in pursuit of the deep sky jewel boxes that are globular clusters. While through lenses and mirrors these conglomerations of stars are beautiful, when looked upon by the unaided eye, they appear solely as dots of light, indistinguishable from closer stars and planets. As the winter months approach and the cold drains the distortion from the skies, a familiar open cluster rises to the East.
It’s that time of year for anything and everything pumpkin! Be it pumpkin bread or pumpkin pie, pumpkin is the fall flavor to savor. While pumpkin muffins, breads, and pies are easy to find, pumpkin cookies are rare. So here is an easy recipe to make your own sweet and savory spiced pumpkin cookies.
Frank Moses, a former black-ops agent, is placed on a death list when he is classified as RED (Retired Extremely Dangerous). Bruce Willis portrays Frank Moses and he lives a simple life as a retired citizen, doing activities that any retired person would do (namely call young women and live off of government pension checks). This lifestyle is great until a death squad arrives at his front door, guns blazing. Fortunately for him, he survives and is able to reassemble his old black-ops team that features fellow retirees portrayed by Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich, and Helen Mirren. Simply put, RED is about Frank Moses attempting to get his life back to normal and win the heart of Sarah Ross, a government pension telephone assistant.
Looking for a culinary treat from another continent? Look no further than Ali Baba Grill at 109 Rubey Drive in Golden. Serving up a variety of fine Lebanese and Persian foods, Ali Baba Grill offers something an entirely unique cuisine to the Golden area. Founded in 2000 by Fiyahd Aoutabachi and Mahmoud Dukmak, the restaurant has received multiple awards for best Mediterranean and Middle Eastern food in Golden, and has become known as a destination for fine dining. Natives of Syria and Lebanon, Aoutabachi and Dukmak have brought their love for good food and hospitality to Golden in order to serve a blend of authentic flavors from their homeland.
A few albums do not age well. Boston, by Boston, on the other hand, has gotten nothing but better in the 34 years since it debuted. Unlike other bands such as Journey, who recently received a huge boost in sales due to popular media using their songs, Boston appears to have remained somewhere in the lead, despite having only been in a few games and shows. So why does this album stand out? For one, each song on the album carries itself and can stand alone.
The internet is a fascinating thing. With the rise of quick virtual communication, collaborative efforts have become the norm as people from every part of the global society now have the ability to work together. This momentum was captured by the enterprising creators of the web-comics Dinosaur Comics (Ryan North) and Wondermark (David Malki!) for a new anthology of short stories titled Machine of Death: A collection of stories about people who know how they will die.
The Dogfish Head Brewery’s motto is “off-centered ales for off-centered people.” They might want to add “darn good” as well, because Dogfish Head Brewery makes a variety of many amazing brews. The 60 Minute IPA, their most popular brew, employs a novel brewing process called “continuous hopping,” where hops are gradually added over the course of an hour-long boil, rather than the more conventional two or three hop additions. Dogfish Head cannot keep up with demand for its flagship IPA, nor do they want to. Founder Sam Calagione said, “We are not interested in turning into the ‘60 Minute Brewing Company,’” instead choosing to focus on their other world-class beers.
There are a lot of music-collective groups bouncing around Colorado these days (so many, in fact, it’s hard to keep track of them all). In my opinion, creating a culture that fosters cooperation and collaboration truly speaks volumes about the local music community. Case-in-point: Act So Big Forest Compilation Vol. 1: TRITON. A broad range of acts from all-over the Front Range constitute the 20 bands featured on the compilation curated by Jonathan Alonzo (who is a member of at least 5 groups on the ASBF label).
Bombs have hit the shelves! Hurry up and save your ears by picking up an Incubus album. Lead by vocalist Brandon Boyd, Incubus has had multi-platinum success. DJ Kilmore, who runs the turn table, gives Incubus their unique, alternative, funky rock style, while drummer Jose Pasillas, lead guitarist Mike Einziger, and bassist Alex Katunich all add important elements to that unique sound. The band has been together since 1991 and launched six studio albums. A great feature to Incubus’ style is that each album is different from the other and Incubus transforms their style periodically. Incubus’s newest album is a greatest hits album called Monuments and Melodies.
For the final week of October I have four haunted houses to tell you about. The first haunt on my list is Primitive Fear. This leads you through the catacombs of an ancient monastery where no holy men are left. Only creepy creatures and booby traps that will have your hair standing on edge.