Brunch at Whitlow's on Wilson

In an effort to expand the influence of platinumdom in our local community Kaylin and I have started what we hope to be a long standing tradition in the greater platinum community: the process by which we hold others up to metaphorical standards that they don't know about. Sounds pretentious, because it is. Look we're just keeping it... well, you know.

So we hit up brunch at Whitlow's and it was sweet.

Kaylin Wainwright's take:
Ambience: Gold. We were seated outside so that made all the difference in the world. The interior is dingy and perfect for their late night cover bands, but for brunch I was happy we had the opportunity of sunshine. In regards to the other patrons: there were hung-over, slovenly types (so Lincoln fit in) and cute yuppies (so I fit in).
Service: Platinum. The hostess did lead Lincoln astray with her assertion that the biscuits and gravy were rated a 9, but she was friendly and prompt. Likewise the server was nice without being annoying, prompt without rushing us, and attractive without being slutty.
Food: Silver. I ordered the eggs florentine which was good, but failed to rock my face off. The homefries were quite good, however. Lincoln was disappointed with his biscuits and gravy, in part because the hostess was suggestive about their platinum potential. He noted that they needed more salt and pepper. I pointed to the salt and pepper on the table. Also, the bacon was overcooked. The mimosas were not platinum, but I would be interested to try their bloody marys.
Company: Aluminum. Just kidding, Lincoln, the company was platinum.
Overall brunch at Whitlow's is not platinum, but I'd be willing to try it again (particularly because of affordability) and see if their other dishes are better.

Lincoln McLain's take:

Prologue:
After not eating much and spending most of the morning propped up in bed watching football I got the delightful ring from one do-gooder on her way back from church. "Wanna get brunch."
I respond with "affirmative" and slip into my robo-trousers before performing morning-bear-yawn-calisthenics. A morning ritual of sorts ever man does that gets seldom mentioned in today’s biased media.
We walk together to Food St. (i.e. Wilson) and begin the long menu shopping process. Being of the poor persuasion I find it easier to look like I am a snob who is discussed with the content of the menu rather than the prices presented. This doesn't ever get far though as my stomach reminds me that it is on the boarder of cannibalism, less it gets satisfied soon.
Whitlow's was the first we saw so Whitlow's was where we ate.

Durelogue: (just made that word up)
Said waitress did say the biscuits and gravy was a 9. and those biscuits and gravy were no such 9!!! With out deceptive comment I would give them a 7. They did separate out the gravy from the biscuits, so you could pour the gravy over the biscuits (G.D. I am getting pretty hungry right about now). This sounds nice but it really didn't have the greatest effect. I am more of a soaked in gravy kind of guy. That's really where I see myself in life. Deceptive comment included I give them a 6.51.
Secondarily, said bacon was too crispy. This usually isn't a problem less the fact that when it is poor quality bacon to begin with it looses all it's pizzazz after being over cooked. The bacon was a disappointment.
Needless to say I kept my composure and managed to pull a buzz out of the mimosa, as was pointed out to me by my faithful companion. Cheers!
Service was nice and I did like eating outside.

Epilogue:
All and all, I give Whitlow's a sub-platinum rating. Though, I do not appose the idea of eating there again. Platinum is big. It's not easy to get. Come on Whitlow's, wow me!

And We Have A Winner!

Long time no see, Platinum-lovers. I apologize for the hiatus, but we here at KeepinItPlatinum believe in quality over quantity, much like our friends.



Well, for the contest I posted a week ago, we didn't have a super number of entries, but there was quality in each idea. In the end, big kudos go to S-Rod for identify ESPN's actual database of songs used when players come up to bat. Of particular interest was the number of players who had either no music or a different song everytime they went to bat. Unfortunately, none of the suggestions made me get that tingley feeling that amazing players get when they know they're about to dominate. For that reason, I've come up with my own list of several songs, all of which would be mood specific. I'm definitely interested in comments. Therefore, in line with my communitarian beliefs, we are ALL winners! Enjoy!



1. Best double entrendre song for a baseball after it just got hit and something we don't need to describe



2. Best song with a chorus that you just cannot resist cheering out loud



3. Best song for after there's been a rain delay



4. Song that you will inevitably hear at any St. Louis sporting event



5. Newest best alternative to The Final Countdown





And here is my choice. It's a song that not many people would recognize, but would still be my choice. If you know me, you'll understand why this song would be my choice, despite violating several of the rules that I laid out in the contest. Sorry everyone. National political parties don't have to be consistent, why should I? (HT Scot)

The Nuances of Platinum DJing

I'm back from the midwest after a long, relaxing, and rather outmazing weekend that ended with my purchase of a rather platinum fedora hat. Before I go on, I'd like to take a moment to share my new title: Vice President to the Facilitator of Social Activity and Spontaneous Order.

I liked the direction that Raph's previous post was going, and it reminded me of a similar conversation we'd had on the nuances of platinum DJing. As any host/DJ would know, the atmosphere and ambience of a party is critical to its success. Music selection is the impetus of that achievement.

To begin, know your audience. Put your audience's tastes before your own in music, and you'll have a better time--everyone will. While having a core music playlist on hand is essential and easy to replay at future parties, it is also important to customize that list so that each event has a subtle but individual musical flavor. Also, customize it to the event you're staging--this goes hand in hand with your audience's preferences--for example, retro '80s may or may not be platinum for a wine and cheese party, but again, that depends on your audience.

Secondly, go with something everyone knows. This usually spans from classic rock to '90s, and even some intermittent recent songs (avoid those overplayed). This is the base of your music list, and it's extremely adaptable to any one individual's musical taste. People bond when they sings songs together, even if they don't care for the song. And TIP: well-known songs can break the ice for you single folks out there.

Also--it's important to pick songs that are generally "up-beat"--meaning, even if everyone knows the wishy-washy love song you're considering playing, you won't want to compile your entire music list with this particular tempo or attitude, which brings me to another finer point...

Shuffle the genres and the ages: if you just played Kanye's "Stronger," you should go with something disconnected next like Journey's "Small Town Girl." And never repeat songs unless it's strongly requested: you should have a music list long enough for the planned length of the party, with room for error. Arbitrary music lists are useful in keeping the crowd interested in the playlist instead of lulled into one music niche, no matter how up-beat it is.

Finally, if you insist on implanting your own tastes, do so with caution, and very sparsely into the list. If that song, or any that may have made the list, changes the general positive mood be sure to change that song as soon as possible. I'm sure there's something going on at a psychological level here, but parties with good vibes from great music last longer, or at least give a lasting impression that you know how to host a platinum party.

A boy's dream...

When I was a boy, my father would take me to Cardinal's baseball games. To this day, those few trips to a baseball stadium have made me a lifelong fan of baseball and the Cardinals. Happily, because I have a midwestern temperment and am always interested in seeing other baseball teams, regardless of their talent level or the city in which they inhabit. Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce you to the Washington Nationals. Last night, I was able to attend my first(of many) Nationals baseball game(with pretty nice seats) courtesy of the generosity of a friend of a friend. The game was a lot of fun despite absurd prices for food, mainly due to the good company and decent baseball(don't even ask me to describe Dodger's third baseman's abysmal fielding). Overall, a very nice experience.

But this got me thinking. Whenever I go to random events like a sporting event or concert, I always end up pondering random questions. Last night's question was "If I was a major/minor league playerWhat would I have as my intro music when I walked up to home plate for my at bat?"

The initial response I have to this is always that I would want to play the raunchiest rap song I could think of, just for my pure amusement. See examples here and here. Thinking about it, I realized that this is too short sided. All should get enjoyment from the song I choose, especially if my goal is to "Keep It Platinum."

Add to this the songs that Lincoln just mentioned for intro music at political events and you understand the importance of such musical choices. McCain did have it way over on the Democrats, especially for using the theme song to Rudy as his intro music.

So I put to you readers in the form of a contest. What would be a good song for that walk up to the plate or being introduced in a game or event?

Some parameters:

- It's got to be something memorable - usually something with a good hook(not many of us get to stand up on stage for a three minute introduction/crowd warm up).

- It's got to appeal to a wide variety of people at said event. This means that the music that does well in Hawaii may not work so well in the Bronx. Feel free to specify in your recommendations.

- It needs to get you AND the audience pumped for the event at hand, whatever it may be.

Those that enter and are selected as finalists will receive exactly one bagel + cream cheese from me via the bagel place across the street from my office. The winner will be invited to a special viewing of Arrested Development at a point to be determined. Also, they will from then on only be referred to as the Hermano.

Let the games begin!

music in the campaigns

Republicans:
Van Hagar
Rudy Soundtrack

Democrats:
Sharyl Crow

I just slipped and fell and landed in a pile of not-platinum...

Thanks universe! Real nice of you! I didn't spit in your water bowl. Why did you have to go and let this bit of embarrassment happen? For those of you who don't know me, I do tend to shame my own expectations on a regular basis, but that aside this was unnecessary.

So the team and I were putting some good ideating to use in one of the small conference rooms (i.e. the old intern's room, one for my dead hommies) and we were bashfully taking a moment or two from time to time to shoot hoops on one of those stick-um basketball hoops that most offices have as corny give-aways. Yes we have quite a few, and yes I am getting quite good at miniature basketball. Bring it! When all of a sudden there came a shinny demon, and she said!! "Could you guys keep it down in here, every time you throw that basketball it echoes through our office..." she was, of course, referring to my bosses office. With our tail between our legs we all of course blamed Jen, who had no part in the basketball shenanigans.

Not-platinum successfully avoided. With a lie? Yes. But mean platinum was maintained...

Be it platinum or not-platinum, I leave it up to you.

Mr Rogers' moment... Platinum or not?

So I was packing up to leave today and I brought along my aforementioned new shoes.  Then it dawned on me... 

I sat myself down to switched out of those burdensome work-loafers and slipped myself into some trendy street kicks as some awesome techno music came on in the background.  Best thing is I left my loafers in a drawer at work.  Here's to you neighbor!! 

I'm really excited to be here...

Is that platinum?

self-confessed less than platinum

I wrote about this event on Craig's List...
kind of embarrassing...
check it out...

http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/mis/811514221.html

Last but not least...

I'd like to cap off the weekend and finally make my debut on Keepin' It Platinum. Unlike Licoln and Raph, I currently bear no official title--add that to the list of not platinum things.

You may have heard in the news recently that the debate over lowering the drinking age from 21 to 18 has once again been stirred up. And this time, it's not the usual collegiate opinion writers with no new material on the subject. Instead, more than 100 university and college leaders have signed the Amethyst Initiative petition to lawmakers to reconsider the legal drinking age--and it's about time. Not even a petition of 10,000 college students would carry as much weight or gain as much media attention as the current list of petitioners.

College-age young adults who drink realize two things: 1) the law is still relatively new because their parents had the right to drink beer at 18, and 2) 18 year olds (and younger) in nearly all other countries can to do so legally. Will the real "land of the free" please stand up? Kudos to college leaders who voiced their concern: they realized that government isn't better at preventing adults from making potentially stupid or irresponsible choices, like binge drinking. Now there's just millions of responsible and irresponsible "criminals" attending colleges and universities nationwide.

I propose that the states take the initiative to decentralize government control by lowering their drinking ages--no more federal funding for highways. Even if you increase state-level sin tax on alcohol by small percent (just think of Nevada!), states could potentially recover the portion lost from federal funds. Also, the cost to enforce MIPs would fall, and that money could be reallocated to a more useful purpose: enforcing DUI offenses. If that fails and the highways deteriorate, at least kids won't be out on the highways driving drunk. In the meantime, MADD should be thankful for the recent surge in gas prices.

Yet another illusion of platinumdom...

What about the esteemed "thought-to-be good act of less than platinum" that turns out to be more like plastic.  It's like fools platinum.  I feel what your laying down my brother from another post.  And I feel like it needs to be drawn out a little.  

The thought-to-be-good act of less than platinum ....

is an honest card someone plays in a social situation: usually small group.  Most times the person in subject (call him subject A) is completely oblivious to their act of less-than-platinum.  They force themselves onto conversation without taking into consideration the finer details of social cues and awkward interaction.  It's just tough, because you know they don't even know that everything they do drives the social herd bonkers.  They just slide on through it.  

example:

I experienced an individual portraying these characteristics with some zeal.  After politely pointing out that his belligerent approach to social interaction was less than constructive (at this point it is appropriate to point out that I am the Deputy to the Director of Constructive Feedback, or something close)  he had the audacity to enlighten me on his supposed norms of human behavior and how he didn't give a flying fudgesickle what other people thought about him and he wasn't going to let anyone tell him what to do or how to be.  

Basically, my point is to pose a question to the greater platinum community. How do you deal with people who don't recognize they are not acting with platinum?  How do we stay platinum around plastic when the plastic thinks it's platinum?

oh yea and we invented a word this weekend: "outmazing"   

use it wisely...