From: owner-alloy-digest@smoe.org (alloy-digest) To: alloy-digest@smoe.org Subject: alloy-digest V3 #240 Reply-To: alloy@smoe.org Sender: owner-alloy-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-alloy-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk X-To-Unsubscribe: Send mail to "alloy-digest-request@smoe.org" X-To-Unsubscribe: with "unsubscribe" as the body. alloy-digest Thursday, September 10 1998 Volume 03 : Number 240 Today's Subjects: ----------------- Alloy: lurker seeks cioppino... ["Jennie Bolton" ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 09 Sep 1998 12:11:47 -0700 From: "Jennie Bolton" Subject: Alloy: lurker seeks cioppino... Howdy, alloyed folks! My first post to the list, have been enjoying the comraderie here. I guess I should introduce myself, but I'm going to make it short. So here goes: I live in Seattle, and work as a research chemist for NOAA Fisheries. My work right now is mostly data management, database design, and web site design for disseminating chemical contaminant data over the 'Net. I have a passion for parrots, and am Vice-Chair of the Pionus Breeders Association (check out the URL below). Pionus are a genus of small parrots from South America, distinguished by their large eyes and a triangle of red feathers on the underside of their tails. Check out the profile of the dusky Pionus to see a photo of my pride and joy, Ayacucho. I also run Sputnik Central!, a fan page about the wonderful film and stage work of actor Kevin Spacey. Been a Dolby fan since the early days, but never saw him live, I suppose most of us have that regret though. Only just found this list in June. I guess I'm kinda surprised that there aren't as many science geeks (like me) as I expected (I can hang with artsy types, though ;-) ). Since I am doing web site design, I am really excited by what TMDR is doing now, and I am thinking of some very cool things I can use Beatnik for in my sites, for playing parrot noises to visitors of my Pionus site, or seals and whales to people who visit a marine mammal site I'm designing now at work. If I get some cool sounds incorporated, I'll send you folks the URL. :-) Question for you folks: I'm going to be in the Bay Area for a couple of days, I'm leaving Thursday evening. I know its short notice, but I was wondering if any of you on the list have been there more recently than I, or if you live there, you could recommend a restaurant where I could get a good bowl of cioppino? You only live once, usually I'm a veggie, but San Fran is the best place in the world for cioppino, so how could I go and not indulge? Thanks! Jen (:^ ____________________________________________________ Jennie Bolton, Research Chemist Northwest Fisheries Science Center · Vice-Chair, Pionus Breeders Association ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 9 Sep 1998 18:13:39 EDT From: RThurF@aol.com Subject: Re: Alloy: lurker seeks cioppino... In a message dated 9/9/98 3:14:52 PM Eastern Daylight Time, Jen wrote: << I know its short notice, but I was wondering if any of you on the list have been there more recently than I, or if you live there, you could recommend a restaurant where I could get a good bowl of cioppino? You only live once, usually I'm a veggie, but San Fran is the best place in the world for cioppino, so how could I go and not indulge? >> Hi Jen, it's nice to meet you :) !! I have never been to San Francisco so i'm sorry I can't help you find a restaurant. I have never heard of cioppino before!! What is it? Breeding little parrots must be fun. I love birds! Do Pionus parrots eat paintings and destroy coffee makers, and/or talk, like African Greys? Robin T ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 09 Sep 1998 16:47:18 -0700 From: "Jennie Bolton" Subject: Alloy: Re: lurker seeks cioppino... >Hi Jen, it's nice to meet you :) !! Thanks! I feel like I kind of know you all already! Makes it easier to finally introduce myself. >I have never been to San Francisco so i'm sorry I can't help you find a >restaurant. I have never heard of cioppino before!! What is it? >Breeding little parrots must be fun. I love birds! Do Pionus parrots eat >paintings and destroy coffee makers, and/or talk, like African Greys? You should try cioppino if you get a chance. Basically, it's a northern Italian seafood chowder. It usually has clams, mussels, shrimp or prawns all in the shell, chunks of whitefish, and sometimes chunks of crab or lobster, all floating in a creamy tomato broth with lots of oregano. You dish out the shellfish and fish chunks and then soak up the wonderful broth with bits of crusty Italian bread. I had it in this restaurant in Little Italy when I visited SF many years ago, and have since heard that I was in the best place in the world to try this dish. Mmm, it was good! So I'd like to look for a repeat of this happy experience. :-) I'm not quite breeding parrots myself yet. I'm hoping to set up my pair of dusky Pionus in an aviary and let them give it a go next spring. This year was the first year that my male, Ayacucho, has acted like he might be interested in reproduction, if ya know what I mean. He was only just 3 in July, which is just about the age when Pionus raised in captivity start showing interest. I might have to wait a few more years while he and the hen, Aziza (4 years old), figure out all the relevant aspects ;-). These birds live 30 years or more, so they have plenty of time. Some Pionus do like to chew, but they certainly aren't as bad as macaws or cockatoos, who have a habit of turning people's furniture into a collection of toothpicks. A lot of people who live in apartments like Pionus because they are very quiet compared to many other parrots, they can entertain themselves during the day, and they are very beautiful. Duskies, for instance, the species I keep, have head markings that make them resemble Peregrine falcons; the rest of their bodies have feathers that are wine-colored, chocolate, emerald green, and intense violet blue. Pionus don't have a reputation as being great talkers, though some do speak. I hear they have kind of a raspy voice; neither of mine talk. I do have 3 African greys, from two subspecies. They do talk. My Congo is named Kianga (Swahili for "sunshine") and she's really my baby. I got her when she was 7 weeks old, she looked like a little dinosaur, I handfed and weaned her. She's now 7 1/2 years old, and she will probably outlive me. African greys are different from any other of the talking parrots. Most parrots really are just great mimics, and can begin talking when they are just a few months old. Greys seem to do something more, and they start out making babbling sounds much like human babies; then they really begin speaking at about a year old. They also seem to be able to pick up on how humans use speech, and our speech patterns, to an extent you don't see in other parrots. My greys will leave particular words out of phrases they have learned, or substitute words; strangely enough, the words they drop are usually adjectives or adverbs, and they sometimes substitute one noun for another. The point is that they make a new phrase that you haven't taught them, that makes sense gramatically. It's an amazing thing. I don't think they always know what they are saying, but it's odd that they seem to "sense" human grammar. Well! I guess when I come out of lurking, I really come out of lurking! ;-) More about cioppino and parrots than you probably ever wanted to know..... Jen (:^ ____________________________________________________ Jennie Bolton, Research Chemist Northwest Fisheries Science Center · Vice-Chair, Pionus Breeders Association ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 9 Sep 1998 21:47:47 EDT From: RThurF@aol.com Subject: Re: Alloy: cioppino & parrots In a message dated 9/9/98 7:50:50 PM Eastern Daylight Time, Jen writes: << Well! I guess when I come out of lurking, I really come out of lurking! ;-) More about cioppino and parrots than you probably ever wanted to know..... >> Hmm, you weren't here for my letter on the history and evolution of the violin family of instruments through the centuries, were you? :) I now want to have cioppino... you make it sound like the most luscious substance on earth. Hmm. I have an acquaintance from northern Italy. I wonder if she cooks?! I visited your page, Jen, & your bird is a sweetie!! We looked after my friend's young Congo Grey for about a year, and he was a wonderful, intelligent bird. He demanded constant attention (literally demanded it!), when we weren't doing what he thought we should be doing he would scream at the tops of his little lungs. He would sit & glower at me when I tried to practice playing my bass, make swipes at the bow, and say 'stop it' over & over again - it always made me laugh! I was so amazed by his vocal ability, and his use of correct grammar when making up his own sentences to criticize us with. I even taught him to hum tunes & he eventually began making up his own. We used to hum together every night while I did the dishes :) During his stay with us he managed to eat the corners off of several of Dave's paintings, chew through the back of my leather jacket, throw the glass coffee-maker pot into the electric fry pan (he wasn't injured, but both appliances were destroyed!) and gnaw huge fist- sized holes in three of our walls, not to mention teasing the ferrets whenever they were within range... "here kittykittykitty", menacingly... and then trying to pummel them with his beak when they came near! He also relentlessly stalked our friend John whenever he came over... even though John never did anything to make the bird hate him. I still miss this bird sometimes... we got along very well (apart from the time he suddenly tried to take my eye out while giving me a kiss...) He did remind me of a dinosaur, especially his feet & his golden eyes. Robin T ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 9 Sep 1998 21:07:58 -0400 From: "Beth Meyer" Subject: RE: Alloy: lurker seeks cioppino... Hi, folks; Well, I wanted to add some words of welcome to Jen. Thanks for joining us and letting us start to get to know you! I just had to add a few notes... >Been a Dolby fan since the early days, but never saw him live, I suppose >most of us have that regret though. Only just found this list in June. I >guess I'm kinda surprised that there aren't as many science geeks (like me) >as I expected (I can hang with artsy types, though ;-) ). Actually, the science geeks have been a little quiet lately, but they're around. You will probably hear soon from Dr. Mary Brown, aka Europa -- geneticist extraordinaire, Bay area resident, expert on all things Dolby, and all-around lovely human being. I suspect that almost-a-doctor Barbara Cohen, who is studies the chemistry of the cosmos in Arizona (as I recall), is feeling the pressures of grad school or similarly indisposed. And if you joined in June, you must already know that I have a brand new Ph.D., specifically in engineering psychology -- I study how people learn and perform tasks. When I'm not taking phone calls for 12 hours a day in Iowa, that is. (Still recovering from that experience!) Plus there's Dr. Lem Bingley, editor of a major Ziff-Davis computing magazine in the U.K. -- though I'm inclined to think that having a successful journalistic career makes one decidedly less geeky. And of course, if computer experts or sound engineers are a subset of "science geeks," then the list expands dramatically to include the whole Colorado contingent, Slarv, Paul Baily, and too many more to count. The interesting thing that I've noticed here is that most of the "science geeks," at least the ones who aren't strictly computer people, are female. One could look at the composition of Alloy and conclude that Thomas' music has a special appeal for female scientists, male technophiles, and artists of both genders. Not sure what that means, though. >Question for you folks: I'm going to be in the Bay Area for a couple of >days, I'm leaving Thursday evening. I know its short notice, but I was Actually, I think our largest Alloy contingent is in the Bay Area. You could even visit Headspace while you're there (hey, you're a customer, right?). It may be too short notice to arrange a visit, but I'm sure you could get some tips if any of them are keeping up with the Alloy mail at the moment. Have a great trip in any case! Cheers, Beth Beth Meyer bethmeyer@mindspring.com ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 10 Sep 1998 00:46:28 EDT From: CJMark@aol.com Subject: Re: Alloy: lurker seeks cioppino... Hey Jennie.. Welcome to Alloy.. And special greetings for you.. since I'm a former Seattlite myself! Sorry you never had the chance to see TMDR live.. I was fortunate enough to see him in Vancouver, B.C. before I moved from Seattle. You're enjoyment of whales et al should interest Ellipse.. who is a dolphin expert.. She'll undoubtedly have a question or two for you.. And regarding San Fran.. well.. I'm not so sure of a great restaurant there.. though I'm sure there are many... I'm in LA.. but are you sure the best cioppino is found in San Fran?? I just thought that you might be able to find a decent bowl somewhere near Genova, Italy.. Once again.. welcome!! Ciao for now.. Mark ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 9 Sep 1998 21:54:47 -0700 (Pacific Daylight Time) From: Brian Clayton Subject: Re: Alloy: lurker seeks cioppino... > Howdy, alloyed folks! Howdy, Jennie! Welcome aboard! > Question for you folks: I'm going to be in the Bay Area for a couple of > days, I'm leaving Thursday evening. I know its short notice, but I was > wondering if any of you on the list have been there more recently than I, or > if you live there, you could recommend a restaurant where I could get a good > bowl of cioppino? You only live once, usually I'm a veggie, but San Fran is > the best place in the world for cioppino, so how could I go and not indulge? > Thanks! Well, as I am probably the only Alloid who qualifies as "living here", I thought I'd reply; however, I don't know off-hand who serves the best cioppino in the City. I'm willing to bet, however, it's somewhere in North Beach. I'll see what I can scope out for you in the Italian fish dish department, and get back to you shortly. :) BC ------------------------------ End of alloy-digest V3 #240 ***************************