6/28/12

Welcome to MUSIC JUSTICE—Manhattan Murder Mystery

Hello dear readers,

Maybe you've noticed—many of the posts on this blog, particularly those by a particular, hyperlink-happy blogger, have little to nothing to do with food, focusing rather on the fashionable attire of the day. I recently asked Ben about this apparently ego-bloating habit of his, and he pointed out that much of our interest with food and food justice revolves around its creation, manufacture, development, etc. and that, naturally, fashion is subject to these mechanisms as well—ultimately, the production of food and the production of clothing are kind of the same thing.

While this may be a little bit farther afield, it seems to me that music is in a not-unrelated situation. Local musicians increasingly require local, grassroots support to create their work. More and more bands are signing with local labels, having community members hand-craft their art, crowdsourcing their funding, and obviously, playing at local houses, bars, clubs, and related venues. Music rises through the community in which it's born, and for this reason it is important and relevant to our cause.*

So this is post number one of what should be a recurring column, highlighting releases by local musicians. By local, I primarily mean Los Angeles, and even what might be termed NELA, an area which, by my definition, includes something like Eagle Rock, Highland Park, Los Feliz, and perennial musical hotbeds Silver Lake and Echo Park. "Local" will probably expand to include my own hometown of Portland, Ore., where the music grows on the coniferous trees and everyone's a DJ. Who knows, it may even expand to include music from the hometowns of some of our other residents. . . But probably not.

Up first, Los Angeles drunk-punk underdogs MANHATTAN MURDER MYSTERY!


A little backstory on how I discovered this fantastic group: I'm the current station manager at Occidental's radio station, KOXY. It's a pretty sweet gig, no bid deal. Anyway, I went into the office this summer to find an unusually large stack of what I assumed would be more of the terrible CDs we receive on a weekly basis, made by bands with enough pocket cash to skirt the quality-screening process of the record industry. One package, however, caught my eye. It included a cover letter from a guy named Mateo, in which he explained that, despite knowing nothing about business, having heard that the record industry was failing, and having terrible social skills, he had spontaneously started up a record label—"The World's Greatest Record Label In The World"—based on his faith in two bands. One of these was Manhattan Murder Mystery.

With an endorsement like that, I felt I had to at least give this crappy-looking CD-R (Who uses Chicago anymore?) a chance. I'm so glad I did: MMM are fronted by a shlubby, down-on-his-luck, lonely, lonely man who goes by the name of Matthew Teardrop, and who has probably lived a harder life than you. They make drunkenly tragic, rootsy punk rock in the vein of The Replacements, or, more recently, Titus Andronuicus, but they tinge it with hints of the ever-trendy post-punk of Joy Division and Gang Of Four. Teardrop's lyrics operate from a base of complete destitution—a characteristic line opens the title track of their recent record, Women House: "I was waiting for the bus to come/But the late-night bus never comes." Opener "Stadium Way" details the self-worth-destroying agony of applying endlessly for jobs, only to wait endlessly by the phone. "Arlington Cemetery," the record's quietest moment, chronicles the decline into dementia and death of a pair of grandparents over a lone strummed guitar and cooing from the band's all-female rhythm section, coming to the undying conclusion that death is coming for all of us, and it won't be long till you're buried next to the grandma who couldn't even remember you towards the end. Things are bleak down at the Women House.



It's fittingly self-deprecating that MMM named themselves after a Woody Allen movie—the pathos of Teardrop's songs can frequently come off as, well, pathetic. But if you're able to get onto his level, they're just the songs of a sad-sack dude who drinks too much cheap beer and plays the guitar to kill the time, and anyone who claims an inability to relate at least to some degree is lying. "Sancho", the most affecting song on the album, repeats various iterations on a single theme over harmonica and righteously palm-muted guitars: "I hope you save some thoughts for me/Years from now when you can't see/Oh, you used to lie in bed with me/Now I don't lie in bed with anybody." The loneliness and contempt conveyed by these four lines is played up by the mournful slide guitar that floats up between verses, and is hammered home over the course of the song's six minutes. Driven in by Teardrop's hoarse moan, the sentiment of the song catches the same way its simple melody does.

Listen to Manhattan Murder Mystery here, and check them out live at their reportedly excellent and frequent live shows at the Satellite, where they've been known to hit the stage with upwards of six guitarists. Long live rock and roll.


-Gabriel

*Also, let's be real, I just want an excuse to bloat my own ego, as well.

6/27/12

High Horse JUSTICE: Google loves Made-In-USA; Michelle Obama does not


Have you heard of this Michelle Obama lady?!?  She's married to Barack Obama, the president of the United States.  Nice catch, Michelle!  FJ HOUSE should probably endorse Michelle Obama, because she is a FOOD JUSTICE ICON.    She supports healthy food in schools, eliminating food deserts, and ending childhood obesity.  Me too!

Michelle is also a Democratic Fashion Icon.  She shops at thrift stores, publicly wears dresses twice, and wears brands that the average American can afford, like J. Crew and Ann Taylor.  People really seem to like her...


...but not Elizabeth Cline.  Cline has been making waves in the practical-fashion blogosphere with The Good Closet, a blog dedicated to affordable, practical, and ethically-made fashion: it's like ACL for moms (fashion blogger joke!).  Cline sees fast-fashion stores like H&M and Forever 21 as a big problem, and similarly mass-produced, similarly foreign-manufactured brands like J. Crew aren't much better.  The American habit of purchasing artificially inexpensive clothes -- even ones as stylish as J. Crew's -- is a problem, and a very wealthy woman who could afford to wear ethical, domestic labels but instead chooses to buy cheap-chic brands doesn't help.

For that reason, Cline calls out Michelle Obama in a recent article in the Huffington Post. Where the heck is Huffington?  Who knows?  Either way, the article presents a very eloquent and evocative argument from Ms. Cline that presents a side of this Michelle Obama character that most people don't really think about.  Is democracy really about compromising with the lowest common denominator?  Are cheap clothes JUST clothes?  Is cheap food JUST food?  What is JUSTICE?  Lots to think about.  Read the article and sound off!


If Michelle Obama isn't an American hero, than who is?  How about Google?  Here at FJ HOUSE we use Ask Jeeves, but apparently everyone likes Google.  Somehow they've ended up with a lot of money, and they spend a lot of it making other things, like home entertainment systems.  Recently they've decided to put out a wireless home media player.  This wouldn't really be news, but the cool thing is that they're MANUFACTURING THEM IN AMERICA!  Read all about it in this article here!  When I heard this it literally brought tears to my eyes.  If there's any industry with almost exclusively bad manufacturing practices -- and an industry that we've become completely dependent on -- it's electronics.  It's so discouraging to read about companies with great public images, like Apple, and learn that they're treating their workers abominably.  For the first time, this seems to be a step in the right direction; Google is putting out a well-made, ethical product, and it looks good.  Is this the beginning of a bright new future?  Is Google less evil than Apple?  Will Facebook start opening up factories in Detroit?  The future is technology, and it's not only bright, but American!


Elizabeth Cline's book, Overdressed: The Shockingly High Price of Cheap Fashion, just came out; buy it in your local bookstore (not on Amazon!) today, and check out her blog, The Good Closet, in the meantime.  I don't know when Google's product comes out, or what it even does, but keep your ears open if you're into that sort of thing.

In other first lady news, FJ HOUSE loves post-ironic icon Lana Del Rey's new video for her hit, National Anthem! 

Farmer's Market Rocovery Program

Great News!

The lovely people at Food Forward just anounced the luanch of a Farmer's Market Recovery Program! This is awesome news for FOOD JUSTICE lovers, recent grads, and hungry people. Why? Food Justice lovers should be excited because not only do programs like this reduce food waste and increase healthy food access but such inventive programs also are serving as models for futre expansion beyond the Santa Monica, Studio City, and Atwater Village markets. Recent graduates will love it because they are hiring a part time coordinator to do this great work, look for details in their blog post. Hungry people should love it because of the high quaility and local food that will be coming their way; all recovered food will be distributed within a seven mile radius of the market.


Not involved in Food Forward? Register your backyard tree to be picked or sign up as a volunteer at their website http://foodforward.org/ 

6/24/12

Quick Notes JUSTICE, 6/24/12: Christmas in June Week



Merry Christmas in June!  It's six months from Christmas, and FOOD JUSTICE HOUSE is commemorating this special time of year with a very special week dedicated to all of the holiday cheer that we've never gotten to share.  We're all in different parts of the country for the winter holiday season, and Christmas in June is a great opportunity to share our favorite traditions and treats.  Join in the fun! What is your favorite thing about Christmas?  What is your favorite thing about June?  Sound off!

QUICK NOTES:
  • Menswear JUSTICE: Full Pitti report isn't in yet (though ACL did a great profile on Topo Design's showing) but the preview to Mark McNairy's latest Woolrich Woolen Mills collection is out, and it looks like his best yet. 
  • We can't afford it, but we're excited about LA Times The Taste, a cross-city food event happening this September 1st through 3rd. 
  • Some mean neighbors of ours sniped a vintage Lodge pot from right under our noses at a garage sale.  Who does that?  We were talking about buying it, and they just took it!  I thought Highland Park was supposed to have good neighborhood values...this would never happen in Minnesota, where we have #VALUES!
  • I had a nectarine and it was gross!
  

6/18/12

Olive Oil Justice > Almond Justice

If I've learned anything from the '12 Eurocup it's that southern Europeans are not to be trusted. 

DIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It has long been a sneaking suspicion of mine that our friends to the east are some slippery fish, but until now I've been willing to put up with their trickery/mischievousness. I say until now because I recently learned these sly dogs have been routinely adulterating the virginity of their olive oil exports.

The majority of olive oil imported from Europe is contaminated by dyes and other cheaper oils. There is also little to no regulation of the labeling on the bottles1. Essentially we are getting a product disguised as the real deal with words like "extra virgin" and "Italian"


If you are concerned about getting real olive oil your best bet is buying California. Despite our laid back chill Cali vibes us Californians take FOOD JUSTICE seriously and anything designated extra virgin should be considered so.

^Do you think this should be Gabe's new tat? If so like our page on facebook!


#Russiarobbed
#Stevebuscemi
#Samaras
#croatia>italy

6/17/12

We went on a fast! plus 6/17/12, Family Fun Week

We went on a fast this weekend.

It was fun!  It was less difficult and politically motivated than this one:


Yerba Mate Lover and I didn't eat anything for three days.  We started on Thursday night and didn't eat until Sunday at noon.  The first day was fine: we made it to dinner without much thought, and successfully resisted temptation at our neighborhood potluck.

The second day was very difficult.  We biked to a Grimes concert and nearly died.  We made it through the day and went to bed in bad moods.

The third morning was awful.  Neither of us could move, and we blacked out every time we stood up.

At noon, we drank a smoothie made from honey, limes, oranges, cayenne, and chipotle peppers.  It tasted pretty good, but it probably wasn't! 


#NOM!

After that we ate progressively large snacks, leading up to a simple and healthy dinner.  Neither of us have thrown up...yet!

A lot of people have asked us...did fasting change your life?  Well, I don't know, it's a bit difficult to say.  It's only been a few hours since I've returned to the world of eating.  Here are our principal observations:

Eating takes up a lot of time.  We felt like we had a lot more time this weekend; we had so many hours freed up that we usually spend procuring, preparing, eating, and cleaning up after food.  This sounds great, but it's sort of lame because we were too tired and nutrient deficient to do anything fun!  All we could do was lie around.

Grimes likes eating too!
We eat way too much too quickly.  Though eating nothing for three days is excessive and unpleasant, it did make us realize that you really don't need to eat three big meals a day.  We played sports, jammed out to cool tunes, and watched TV without dying from starvation.  We also realized that we typically don't really appreciate what we eat; instead of slowly digesting and thinking about the flavors and substances that are going into our bodies, we just shovel it in in greater quantities than we actually need to survive.  Fasting has definitely made me appreciate food itself more I think.  We have been committing FOOD INJUSTICE everyday of our lives...but no longer!  From now on, I think both of us will think about how amazing the act of eating is every time we commit it.

We realized how much eating directs our days and decisions.  While biking back on Saturday night, our friend invited us over to her new house.  We were very tired and near the point of death and both wanted to go home.  But we realized that the only reason we wanted to go home was because we wanted to do what we usually did when we were hungry and tired: eat.  If we weren't eating, there was nothing our house offered that our friend's didn't.  She had couches and water: what else could we want?  We realized that many of our decisions were based around eating.  We wake up early to eat a big breakfast; we run home in the afternoon to grab a quick lunch; we block out hours of every evening to prepare for dinner.  We even forgo other activities so that we'll get to the good food faster than our housemates.  For better or for worse, food is one of the main center-points of our day.  That's crazy!  Who would have thought that something so insignificant was so important?

A lot of people are asking us: what foods did you miss the most?


Well, for me, I found myself craving bread, meat, and beer.  I don't even like beer!  I don't know why those foods were so appealing to me, but they were.  Yerba Mate Lover craved deli sandwiches and beer.  So weird!  Basically the same foods!  I wonder if there's something about them...maybe there's a sandwich and beer lobby that's secretly controlling our lives.  Hmmm....

 Now that Fast Week is over, it's time for something wholesome and nice: Family Fun Week!  Board games every night!  My family never played games with me, so this will be a new experience for me.


 Happy Father's Day everyone!
 

6/13/12

Tea of the week: Harmutty Estate Assam (SFTGFOP)


Ben: Well Sylvia, it's been awhile, but I think it's time for another tea of the week.

Sylvia: Oh, I think you're right Ben.  We've had so many interesting teas in the past month, it seems such a shame that we aren't sharing them with the rest of the world.

Ben: You've got that right.  Which one should we profile?

Sylvia: How about the Harmutty Esate Assam?

Ben: You mean, The Breakfast Tea of My Dreams?

Sylvia: That's right; the SFTGTBT.

Ben: Don't you mean SFTGFOP?

Sylvia: No, I mean SFTGTBT: Super Far Too Good To Be True.

Ben: You've got that right!  This Harmutty Estate Assam is absolutely incredible.  I've been looking for something this strong for ages; a malty heaviness on par with Tao of Tea's Malty Assam, paired with the hearty flavor of a good Nonaipara.

Sylvia: Well, I wouldn't go that far.  It doesn't have quite the complexity and unique cocoa overtones of a Nonaipara...

Ben: Okay, okay, but it's definitely much more flavorful than Tao's Assam.  It's forceful, and oh so rich.
Sylvia: I'd call it a simplified Baihao Yinzhen.



Ben: Interesting.  Simplified, then multiplied by 1,000.

Sylvia: Compacted into a heavy-weight punch.

Ben: Speaking of boxing, I heard NDK's been spending time with Manny Pacquiao...

Sylvia: He's certainly been in the Philippines for awhile.  I hope he's taking good pictures with that camera he took along with him, otherwise we'd be snapping shots of these absolutely beautiful leaves.

Ben: The ad shot from Chado will have to do.  What a shame.

Sylvia: Let's talk about Harmutty Estate itself though.  I know that I know nothing about it.

Ben: I wish I could help you out here, Syl, but I've got nothing.

Sylvia: Hmmm.  Well, I'm sure they're FOOD JUST.

Ben: One can only hope.

Sylvia: So how would you rate this one overall?

Ben: What can I say?  It's not subtle, it's not intricate, it's not thought-provoking.  But who wants all of that in the morning?  This is far-and-away the strongest, maltiest, most flavorful breakfast tea I've had in ages.  I can't think of anything better to get me started on my charge through the daily grind.
 
Sylvia: Well said.  I'm usually a bit sluggish in the morning, but this Assam has me wide awake like I haven't been in years.  I can really feel the heartiness in my bones.  I'm buzzing all over.  I almost feel like I could fly.

 Ben: Don't be ridiculous.


Pick up a bag of Harmutty Estate Assam at any the Chado Tea Room in Pasadena.  These guys are good; the staff knows their tea and are super helpful, and at $3 an ounce, you aren't going to get a better bang for you buck.  We'll be back next week with even more incredible breakfast teas!

6/11/12

Wood JUSTICE: Reclaimed Wood Furniture on Craigslist


Sometimes you get some cool stuff out of the black hole of the Los Angeles Craigslist.  While looking for a coffee table this weekend, FOOD JUSTICE HOUSE came across this awesome post hidden somewhere between the 13th identical Ikea end-table and a STR8-bro solicitation.  We don't know anything about John or his wood reclamation business, but we do know that he makes rugged furniture from high-quality reused lumber in his Pomona workshop.  Things like this make the entire afternoon we wasted on Craigslist almost worth it.


Along the same angle, but a bit less mysterious, is Elysian Park's Blake Avenue.  It's not cheap, but it's beautiful stuff.  This sort of thing makes me excited about actually having a job someday.




"Something often missing in the discussion of environmentally responsible furniture is the principle of longevity.  Here at Blake Avenue we love making the most out of the natural resources the earth provides.  We not only celebrate the natural beauty of reclaimed and recycled materials, but also seek to create designs that are both timeless and structurally fit to last a lifetime."
Well said.

John makes furniture in Pomona; if you're interested in his products you can make an inquiry through his Craigslist postBlake Avenue is located at 3010 N Coolidge Ave., just west of the LA River and south of the 2.  Prices are in the thousands, so be prepared to make a life-long investment. 

-Ben "The Best" Tuthill

6/10/12

QUICK NOTES JUSTICE: 6/10/12, Fast Week


Bill Murray Week was a huge success, concluding in a trip to see Moonrise Kingdom, which was a true delight.  But, as Phil Connors learned in Groundhog Day, we can't go on living the same experience over and over; it's time to move on.  This week is Fast Week, dedicated to speed, efficiency, and quick results.  It will culminate in a three-day fast in which we will purge ourselves of all toxins and unhealthy vibes.  This will be fun!

  • The Hammer Museum's Made in L.A. exhibit is putting on events all summer throughout Los Angeles.  Get in free on Thursdays, or with any made-in-L.A. purchase from American Apparel.  We're all itching to try out their new U.S.-made canvas shoes; look for a review soon.
  • I had a plum for the first time.  Have you heard of this fruit?
  • Our passion fruit vine has finally started flowering!  Unfortunately, NDK has our camera and is currently sailing around the Philippines, but here is a picture of what it looks like:  
 

6/9/12

What America Spends On Groceries


Not surprisingly, we talk a lot about food prices at FOOD JUSTICE HOUSE.  Over the past year we've found that good food is accessible, but not necessarily affordable.  One of our biggest ongoing debates is about milk: we want to hold our dairy producers to a high standard, but we also know that good producers charge a lot of money.  If we want to buy good milk, we have to drink less of it; otherwise we're going to go broke.  I reconcile this in my mind by thinking of milk as a luxury: good milk requires a lot of resources to produce, and should cost more as a result.  On our budget, we can't afford to drink a lot of a luxury; we have to cut back.  That's okay: we should be drinking less milk.  Three cups of milk a day isn't sustainable or, for that matter, especially healthy.  The price reflects the environmental cost, and encourages us to consume consciously and sustainably.


As amazing as FOOD JUSTICE HOUSE is, NPR's recent article about the changing cost of food reveals that the average American does pretty much the opposite.  NPR compared food costs and consumption in 1982 and 2012, and their findings are worrisome.  Foods like meat, dairy, and tropical fruit -- products that require massive amounts of land, labor, and transportation -- have decreased in price, while foods that can be produced locally and domestically -- peppers and bread -- have gone up.  Also upsetting is the 10% increase in the consumption of processed foods and sweets.  As exciting and hopeful as the organic movement is, its clear that it doesn't reflect the overall trend in American consumer habits.  As a country, we're buying more of the most environmentally harmful products for less money.   

To me, FOOD JUSTICE isn't about more variety at more affordable rates.  It's about making ethical  and healthy decisions within one's means.  Sometimes what's ethical needs to cost more, and we need to consume less of it as a result.  NPR's article reveals that we're doing just the opposite.  If America is going to change its food consumption habits, the market needs to change, and prices need to reflect costs.  We can help by purchasing ethical products with prices that reflect the resources that went into their production, and limiting our consumption when those prices become too high.  FOOD JUSTICE isn't just about access; it's about consumer responsibility.

FOOD JUSTICE HOUSE endorses Straus Family Creamery, Organic Valley, and Organic Pastures.  Depending on availability, you can get all of them at Figueroa Produce, or your local organic market.  If you know any other California dairies with legitimately ethical and organic practices, let us know.

6/3/12

Quick Notes JUSTICE: 6/3/12, Bill Murray Week


Introducing FOOD JUSTICE summer theme weeks; each week for the next three months will be dedicated to a new theme.  Sometimes that theme will be FOOD, sometimes JUSTICE, sometimes something completely irrelevant.  We're kicking things off with Bill Murray Week; everyday we'll be screening a film starring or prominently featuring Bill Murray, recently called "the most singular presence in America cinema" by The New Yorker's Anthony Lane.  We'll be starting off tonight with the Sophia Coppola classic Lost in Translation.  Watch along at home, or swing by the FOOD JUSTICE HOUSE and join in the fun of this exciting celebration of one of Hollywood's greatest talents.

Quick notes:
  • Trader Joe's put locks on all of their Northeast LA dumpsters.  Racist, anti-tomato, and now anti-fregan.  MAKE JOE'S PAY for making FJH pay for eggs.
  • Father's Day is on the 17th; check out the online men's-goods store Owen & Fred if you're still looking for a good, made-in-the-USA gift (check out the cool, all-metal dustpan).  Get a free $10 gift card with any purchase over $50 using the code THANKYOUWELLSPENT (thank you, Well Spent). 
  • FJH endorses OKC for NBA Champions. 
  • I had a cherry for the first time; it tasted very good.            
-Ben "The Best" Tuthill

6/2/12

WHO IS FOOD JUSTICE 2.5?

Summer 2012 is here, and FOOD JUSTICE, LA is back in action!  FOOD JUSTICE 2.0 have gone their separate ways, but that doesn't mean FOOD JUSTICE HOUSE is empty.  We've realized here at FOOD JUSTICE HOUSE that the FOOD JUSTICE blogosphere doesn't really know who we are.  In light of that,  we've decided to do a quick bio of all of the current residents.  Let's meet the brave young people who make up FOOD JUSTICE 2.5:
  
Yerba Mate Lover is an up-and-coming biologist/surfer with an interest in plants, bugs, and California sunshine.  When he's not volunteering at the Huntington Hospital or milking snails, all he wants to do host some #chilltimes at the FJH.  I wish all pre-med students were cool guys like Yerba.  Fun Fact: Yerba Mate Lover saved the youngest-ever Tanzanian parliamentarian from a gorilla when trekking through the Rwandan jungle.  They remain close friends to this day.

NDK is a chill bro from Boston who likes cold bronsons, fresh vegetables, and sports.  He's captain of the Frisbee Team and president of Well Fed, the Occidental cooking club.  When he gets back from hiking through the jungles of South Asia, he's going to be working with various community organizing and social-justice advocacy groups to bring the cause of FOOD JUSTICE to all of LA.  But don't worry, ladies, he's not just a nice, Mr. Perfect: NDK was arrested last fall for breaking into a bank with a group of anti-Fed anarchists.  #occupymyheart.  Fun Fact: NDK has contributed his vocal talents to Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron, and has cameo appearances in Jersey Girl, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, and Finding Forrester.

Zoë Butler is the president of FEAST, the Occidental College gardening club.  She's an art major, but she spends most of her time raising chickens and playing with worms.  She recently bought a snow-cone machine, and plans to pioneer the genre of FOOD JUST shaved ice.  She's researching food clusters this summer and babysitting her nephew.  What a cool kid.  Fun Fact: Zoë is from Texas.

Noodle Boy Gabriel Mathews is a FJ HOUSE pledge resident who thinks he's cool, but he's not he is.  He was in Russia for the past semester, but he's back in LA to spend his summer studying commas or something aporia in the works of Brett Easton Ellis David Foster Wallace.  He doesn't have a job, he doesn't know anything knows a little bit about FOOD JUSTICE, and he's not even good okay at cooking noodles.  I wish he didn't live here  I'm glad he lives here.  Fun Fact: There is nothing Some things are fun about Noodle Boy Gabriel.

Little is known about Ben "The Best" Tuthill.  I bet he's a cool guy...

The next few months are going to be great.  Be on the lookout for great posts about tasty recipes, hip restaurants, cool farms, and fine tea.  They're going to make movies of this summer.  Get ready.  FOOD JUSTICE is here to stay.