xtine.net

I spent some time updating this site so now blog archives by month are visible to the right side of entries (source on Github). Currently the site is powered by gunicorn via a reverse proxy to nginx under virtualenv on ubuntu-server linux. Deployment is simple as I do a git pull and then restart gunicorn for changes to take effect. However since gunicorn is running as a background daemon process, in laziness I've grepped for gunicorn along with the port number I am running the site on, kill -9 the PID, and then run the daemon process again. Instead of going through Bash history each time I wanted to deploy, I finally wrote a Bash script for this process:

#!/bin/bash
kill `pgrep -f "gunicorn.*8000"`
python manage.py run_gunicorn -b 127.0.0.1:1337 --daemon

First line searches process list for all instances of gunicorn running under port 8000, then passes it to a kill command (-9 not necessary). The second line starts gunicorn server daemon process to start the django site. Simple and effective.

Ever since I've discovered the Gin Fizz, I've been trying to find bars in Los Angeles that will do the vintage cocktail justice. These are the bars I've tasted them so far:

• Oldfield's Liquor Room - written as a vintage menu item on a mirrored wall, but not in the regular menu for bar customers. Bartenders take care in mixing the drink, using freshly cracked egg whites and giving it a good time to shake. It ends up as a perfectly poured drink with plenty of froth and minimal carbonation but enough smoothie like taste to cover up the taste of gin.
• The Varnish - I haven't tried the regular Gin Fizz, but I've asked for the infamous Ramos gin fizz on one occassion. The waiter actually took delight in my order request, also to the delight of the bartender that mixed the drink. They warned me that it would take about 10~15 minutes to prepare, which is the standard and usual prep time. The pour did overflow, and I honestly felt that the balance and taste could have been better. However I have a feeling that it is not requested very often. I may have to visit and order the drink again, or perhaps just a regular Gin Fizz to give a proper review.
• Red Car Bar at Cole's - I enjoyed the Gin Fizz here very much. I had actually ordered the drink during a busy time on a Saturday night, but I had scoped out the right bartender to ask. He seemed to take my order very seriously and cracked fresh egg whites to concoct a smoothie like Gin Fizz for me to taste. My friend actually asked a different bartender for the drink since she was so impressed by my order but was denied, claiming that they don't crack eggs on busy nights. Proves that sometimes you have to ask the right person for the right service.
• Seven Grand - Usually known for their whiskey collection, Seven Grand actually takes pride in vintage cocktails. A search online may reveal that they can mix up a Ramos Gin Fizz. One Sunday night I ended up here wondering if they could make the drink. Unfortunately they were missing the orange flower water, but they were more than happy to make a regular Gin Fizz. I'll have to come again to try the Gin Fizz again (and also a Ramos) beacuse it was underwhelming. Sunday is an off night however, and the proper tender either wasn't on site or feeling up to snuff. Either way, I don't mind finding another excuse to visit this fine establishment!