Kwotebel (quotable)

Like Hulk Hogan, I Am A Real American

2009-07-06T17:54:00.003-04:00

I won't pretend to know why Palin quit now but one thing I know is she won't start complaining about unfair treatment because as she told us in response to comments from Hillary Clinton about the way the press demeans women:

PALIN: When I hear a statement like that coming from a woman candidate with any kind of perceived whine about that excess criticism or you know maybe a sharper microscope put on her, I think, “Man that doesn’t do us any good — women in politics, women in general wanting to progress this country.” I don’t think it bodes well for her, a statement like that. Because, again, fair or unfair, it is there, I think that’s reality, and I think it’s a given. I think people can just accept that she is going to be under the sharper microscope. So be it. I mean, work harder, prove yourself to an even greater degree that you’re capable, that you’re going to be the best candidate, and that of course is what she wants us to believe at this point.

As for her future on the national stage, some keep insisting that her "Real America" bonafides are being underestimated, yet as David Weigel notes at the Washington Independent:

"Famously, the county in North Carolina that Sarah Palin pegged as an outpost of “real America” went for Barack Obama over John McCain, by 18 points.
By every metric, Palin is one of the less popular Republican politicians on the national stage: her ticket even carried less of the vote in Alaska (59.4 percent) than the Bush/Cheney ticket carred in 2004 (61.1 percent). And yet mainstream pundits insists that she represents more of the country than the people who won the 2008 election. It’s quite extraordinary."

Time Flies

2009-06-30T20:46:00.006-04:00

June has been productive in every regard except blogging. Some "highlights" from the past few weeks:

Plenty of eating, obviously. Recently made baked tostones and felt they compared favorably to the standard fried version. Recipe here. Other food experiments were not as successful, especially my cheddar garlic biscuits. Am planning to make homemade carnitas the coming long weekend. As a renowned Empanadero, I have this notion of using some of the carnitas to make "Cuban Sandwich Empanadas." Check in for a blog post next week to see the results.
Restaurants this month included: the Times Sq. Sake Bar, Hagi; neighborhood faves Olea (Ft. Greene), and Tacos Matamoros - accompanied by Kwotebel loyalist traB and his family (Sunset Park); Park Slope's Blue Ribbon Sushi (a splurge but worth every penny, particularly the fresh mackerel sashimi), as well as the wing platter at 200 5th; some homemade tofu and glass noodles at Seoul Garden in Koreatown; and drinks at Lillies in Union Sq., and Fort Greene's No. 7.
In other eating news, stuffed my face at the Big Apple BBQ Block Party. The Big Apple BBQ features top pit masters from across the country. A friend of Sachiko's inadvertently purchased two "Fast Passes" each of which is worth $100 and allows the bearer to use the express ordering aisles. We took one off her hands and invited Stan and his kids to share in the bounty. My favorites were the homemade smoked sausages from Jim and Nick's B-B-Q, and the baby back ribs from Baker's Ribs. As you can see from the fully punched out Fast Pass, no little piggies survived.
Caught the Cirque du Soleil show, Kooza, before it packed up for the summer. My first Cirque experience and a real treat.
Had freakin' awesome seats to the the thrilling Cotto/Clottey fight at Madison Sq. Garden. As usual, the seats were courtesy of the one and only Kurt Emhoff. Thanks Kurtis!!! Cotto was not dominant but gutted out a tough and impressive win in front a supportive and star studded crowd.
Became an Apple fan boy. Despite a back injury several days earlier that made standing in place for more than 10 minutes extremely painful, I stood in line for two and a half hours to get the newest iphone 3gs the day it was released. I've been a Blackberry man for the last few years and though I was completely happy with my phones (first the pearl, then the curve), being out of contract and itching for a new toy, I sort of lost my mind. It was inevitable I guess. Completely satisfied so far.

That's What I Call Hustling ...

2009-06-29T15:03:00.002-04:00

Several years ago when I briefly considered moving to Chicago I would periodically browse the real estate listings of a couple of online real estate brokers to get a sense of neighborhoods, property styles, and prices. One site in particular, Dream Town, seemed to have the best combination of listings and easy to use interface so I created an account in order to fully use their site. I go back to Dream Town periodically to get a sense of how Chicago real estate is faring post bubble (not very well). A couple days after my last visit I received an email from a broker at Dream Town. Based on my search criteria he suggested several listings I might be interested in as well as a couple of upcoming open houses. I was impressed. It was the kind of followup that seems obvious, particularly in a commission based industry, but I haven't experienced it before. I actually wrote the guy back to let him know that I wasn't in the market.

Tilt Shifting Fun

2009-06-08T21:32:00.009-04:00

Tiltshiftmaker is a website that simplifies and streamlines the process of creating a tilt shift image. Tilt shifting is a photographic process where parts of an image are intentionally blurred creating the illusion of miniaturization. With tiltshiftmaker all you have to do is simply select the photo you wish to tilt shift, upload it, and adjust the sliders until you get the result you're looking for. Pretty nifty!

Here's a before and after of a photo I took in Prague (enlarge for full effect):

Here's a before and after of a picture I took on a beach in northern California; the effect is more subtle but pretty interesting I think:

Click for a gallery of images.

3-1

2009-06-01T22:07:00.014-04:00

On Sunday May 31, Sachiko and I battled the husband and wife team of Dave and Carol in Battle Onion. Though it was awfully tough staying in and cooking on such a beautiful day, as reigning champs we had a title to defend.

Unlike previous battles, we entered Battle Onion calm and unstressed. Though Sachiko and I prevailed in Battle Egg, our overly complex dishes had us worried and stressed before and during that competition. As a result, in the heat of battle, several missteps were made. For Battle Onion we stuck with interesting but less technical dishes. Dishes that we hoped would win on flavor, creativity, and presentation, as opposed to difficulty.

We started with the perfect appetizer, a panko crusted, pork and seaweed negimaki. Served on a Shiso leaf, this derivation of beef negimaki was crispy and tasty. Most judges liked the negimaki more than they liked the accompanying sauce; Tonkatsu with mustard and crushed sesame. Despite mixed reviews for the sauce, this dish was a great first course for us.

Our second dish was a creamy leek and brie soup served with a garnish of fried leeks. Once again, we scored on flavor and presentation. Being lactose intolerant, I stay away from creamy soups, however, a box of lactaid pills allowed me to dive in without fear. A heavy hand with the salt cost us a few points but wasn't enough to temper the judges mostly positive reactions.

Our third dish an Italian styled prosciutto wrapped stuffed onion. We filled the onions with a mixture of mushroom, cubed prosciutto, onion, garlic, Parmesan, and breadcrumbs. Accompanying the onions was a homemade basil tomato sauce. Our opponents also served a stuffed onion, theirs with a creamy and spicy filling in a Vidalia onion. This dish received a wide range of scores. We worked on this dish in the weeks leading up to battle tweaking the recipe and perfecting our technique and were happy with the results, the comments of a couple of the judges notwithstanding.

For desert we served a savory pumpkin and caramelized onion muffin with toasted pumpkin seeds and a homemade mascarpone and maple frosting. Since the muffin was more savory than sweet, the addition of the frosting proved to be critical. Although this dish turned out well, our opponents really nailed their desert and thus beat our score on this course.

We beat Dave and Carol by a score of 327 to 321. It's gratifying to win, however, going into this battle Sachiko and I had decided that if we won, we'd forfeit our next turn. We needed a break. As fun as the competition is, it is also a ton of work, expensive, and preparing for each battle consumes big chunks of precious weekend time. Fortunately, the judges and other participants all agreed that a break was in order; summer everyone realized, was not the time to spend indoors cooking. The next battle - Battle Chicken - will be held in late September. Until then, Sachiko and I look forward to cooking for ourselves and enjoying a summer free of battle.

Photos and descriptions of our competitor's dishes are posted on the Iron Chef Brooklyn Blog.

Coolness

2009-05-27T11:03:00.000-04:00

Make music with this

To All Aliens Watching Us, Hi!

2009-05-19T14:28:00.002-04:00

Time lapse video of the night sky. Cool!

Galactic Center of Milky Way Rises over Texas Star Party from William Castleman on Vimeo.

Time For Some Answers Mr. President

2009-05-14T19:23:00.000-04:00

I have a lot of faith in the long term strategies of our President but that doesn't mean my tolerance for short term BS is unlimited.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

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Moral Kombat

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With The Money We Saved on Dinner ...

2009-05-10T14:01:00.000-04:00

Isn't Stuart Little cute? You know what's not cute, real mice joining you for dinner at a restaurant. Not cute at all.

After enjoying the new Star Trek movie on Friday, we headed to dinner at Spice on 4th Ave and 10th Street in the Village. Unfortunately we got more than Thai Fusion. Instead of turning on the air conditioning, the workers at Spice opened two street-side doors. That is how, I suspect, our furry little germ bucket got close enough to pay us a visit.

Out of the corner of my eye I spotted him; Stuart Little's ugly cousin calmly walking along the top edge of the banquette where Sachiko sat. He was about 4 feet away when I told her as calmly as I could something along the lines of "get up right now and come to me." My tone apparently conveyed the proper sense of urgency because she was up and several feet away from the rodent in a flash. Though it seemed clear to us that the mouse came from outside and not the kitchen, it was hard to shake the disgust that was rising within us; we had already eaten most of our meal. Management was profusely sorry and tone deaf-ly offered us desert (as if we'd touch it), but after a few minutes to collect ourselves, we quietly left. A bottle of seltzer water and a walk down Broadway helped soothe our stomachs but did little to ease the assault taking place in our minds. You can't help but deal with the fact that as disgusting as that was, that and worse must go on all the time unseen.

With the money we didn't spend on dinner we decided to treat ourselves to some of the highfalutin drinks served at Pegu Lounge. They were what the doctor ordered; tasty, soul southing, and mind numbing. We felt so much better after our drinks that I didn't feel bad about paying $13 a cocktail - a sentiment that I will likely never feel or utter again. Pegu is located at 77 Houston St. near W. Broadway.

Funny Headlines

2009-05-07T14:53:00.002-04:00

2 and 1

2009-05-01T12:40:00.008-04:00

I know you've all been waiting with bated breath to find out how we fared in Battle Egg. The 'we' being Sachiko and I, Sachiko subbing in for my original partner Cybele who couldn't participate due to family illness. Battle Egg being our first defense of the Iron Chef Brooklyn title we earned by winning Battle Pork. Well I won't torture you anymore, because for one, I don't approve of torture, and secondly, if I go on and on and on without getting to the point, how many of you will even be around to find out that WE WON!!!!

In an unprecedented moment in Iron Chef Brooklyn history, the judges scored the battle a tie but with neither team particularly interested in a 'scramble off' or a rematch, we decided to let the battle be decided on the strength of each team's best dish; the highest scoring dish of the day would decide the winner. And the winner was our cilantro infused egg, chorizo, and cheese empanada. Our competitors, Sam and Beth served up some tasty fare and we felt fortunate to win, especially considering that our ambition on a couple of dishes was not matched by execution.

We started with a spicy egg salad (featuring Japanese mayo and mustard, chives, and pecans), topped by a homemade mango chutney with macadamia nuts, which was served on a cocktail cracker that we covered with a piece of Canadian bacon. I'm not an egg salad fan but I thought this tasted pretty good, the judges, however, were not all that impressed.

Our second dish was the most challenging, Ponzu ginger steak with poached eggs. The steak was marinated in ponzu, ginger, and honey, and was topped by a green salad of asparagus, green beans, and chives that had been dressed with a citrus vinaigrette. The key to this dish was the poached egg which was to rest on top, unfortunately, cooking six poached eggs at once proved tricky and our eggs were over cooked. What should have been a home run for us turned out to be a scoring also ran.

Thankfully we hit all the right notes with our empanadas. They were accompanied by a spicy pico de gallo, and a cool and creamy avocado sauce. The recipe for these has been posted on the Iron Chef Brooklyn Website.

Our desert was another dish where ambition and execution clashed. We made orange and mixed berry Sabayon, with amaretto cookies. These came out wonderful in trial runs at home but under the pressure of battle we let our eggs overcook slightly resulting in a less pleasing dish.

Despite the hiccups, we pulled out the victory. Our reward? Besides fame amongst the foodie community of Brooklyn, we get to defend our title later this month in Battle Onion. Stay tuned!

I'm On The Left

2009-04-30T15:36:00.004-04:00

Sachiko and I unwound at Excellence Playa Mujeres in Mexico last week. EPM is an all suite, adults only, step up from your average all inclusive sort of place. We sunned, ate, and drank plenty - and returned swine flu free! For those not on Facebook you can see more photos here.

PC Bullshit

2009-04-30T15:27:00.002-04:00

Personally I'd rather head down to the Flea Market

Umm, Yeah ... More Food

2009-03-23T17:06:00.006-04:00

Friday night was wing night at Big D's. I rarely deep fry so I was happy to catch an episode of Good Eats a while back where Alton Brown demonstrated his steamed-then-baked wing technique. It's the best alternative I've found for producing crispy baked wings without filling the entire house with smoke. I've used this technique several times and have adjusted cooking times and temperatures for my oven; I usually need 5-10 minutes more cooking time than the recipe calls for. For sauce, I went traditional - Franks hot sauce, butter, and garlic. Cannot go wrong with that!

On Saturday I competed in my second round of Iron Chef Brooklyn. With battle partner Cybele, we challenged reigning champs Jeff and Danielle in Battle Pork. As you might recall, Cybele and I fought valiantly but lost in our first battle - Battle Cheddar. Wizened and better prepared, we took our amateur cooking chops to new heights and sliced and diced our way to victory!

Cybele and I each prepared two dishes. Cybele started us off with a Cordon Bleu Tartlette. Her second dish (served third), was a traditional German sauerkraut with three types of pork sausages. For my first dish (served second), I prepared a Chinese style Mapo Tofu with mini pork meatballs. This dish packs a lot of heat so I served it with rice and a dry Asian beer.

My second dish (served fourth) was desert: candied and spiced Berkshire bacon, dipped in white chocolate, served over a coffee liqueur infused dark chocolate sauce, and garnished with maple glazed walnuts. A mouthful in words and real life!

Our competitors served a series of incredibly tasty sandwiches including a Banh Mi, a Cuban sandwich, and a BLT. Though each was delicious, the judges stated that our creativity and presentation pushed us over the top. For images and detailed descriptions of all of the dishes check out the the Iron Chef Brooklyn blog.

Though I stuffed my face with Jeff and Danielle's sandwiches during the battle, I was ready for another good meal later that night. Sachiko and I both had the urge for Italian so we headed to Smith Street in Carroll Gardens. I had a couple of places in mind but figured (rightly so), that once on Smith Street we'd have plenty of choices to consider. Savoia's dimly lit interior and menu that featured pastas as well as Neapolitan crust style pizzas won our business that night. We shared a decadent meat lasagna, and a mushroom pizza, and washed it down with a pricier than average (for Big D), but supremely tasty bottle of Italian red wine. Dinner for two, with the wine accounting for more than half the bill, came to $81 before tip. Savoia is located at 277 Smith Street in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn.

But wait, there's more. Brunch at Jane Sunday morning. See their menu here. You can't go wrong with any of it.

Get out there and eat, people!

Ha

2009-03-19T15:54:00.005-04:00

I Hear It, You?

2009-02-26T23:35:00.000-05:00

Created by Train Horn

All I Do Is Eat (Home Cookin' Edition)

2009-02-21T21:11:00.010-05:00

Lest my stories of dining out give the wrong impression, I wanted to make sure that it was clear that most of my eating these days occurs at home. The occasional dining out splurge is balanced by weeks of meals at home. Here are a couple of successful recent home cooked meals.

I have tried in the past to successfully replicate Jamaican styled ox tails and I finally "nailed" it. I combined a couple of recipes I found online to give it "that" taste - in this case the key ingredients were thyme, ginger, soy sauce, a jalapeno (couldn't find scotch bonnet), and all spice (in addition to things like garlic, onion, pepper, scallion, tomato, carrots, and beef stock). After browning the ox tails, I added the stock and vegetables and started the slow process of reducing it all.

Four hours and a can of broad beans later and we're home. I served this with coco rice and peas and was a happy camper.

Inspired by the deep dish pizza stories of a friend, we decided to make some of our own this past weekend. Ours were thin crust (we let our dough rise for two hours) and cooked in cast iron cookware. The first was a vegetable pie featuring mushroom, jalapeno, tomato, garlic, onion, fresh mozzarella, and fresh grated Parmesan. The cast iron skillet I used for this pie is about 15" across so the crust was a little thinner than originally planned.

We cooked the second pie in a cast iron enamel dutch oven that has a diameter of about 12" so the crust came out slightly thicker than the first pie. This was our meat pie but aside from substituting pepperoni for mushroom and omitting the jalapenos, the toppings were otherwise the same. The cast iron cookware we used contributed to great crisp crusts on both pies. Though my sauce came out sweeter than I had planned, there were no complaints and nary a slice remaining when all was said and done.

All I Do Is Eat (But You Already Knew That)

2009-02-17T10:49:00.007-05:00

I also saw a play!

Friday night at the Bam Harvey Theater we saw the Sam Mendes (American Beauty) directed production of Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale. Great cast, great direction, and utterly enjoyable. Also a great value at $35 a seat.

A brisk walk after the show led us to the always reliable and stylish Clinton Hill Latin restaurant, Luz. We shared the empanadas - I've been told that my baked turkey empanadas are just as good :-) - and ceviche appetizers, and the roasted pork and rotisserie chicken entrees. The pork was tasty but a touch dry, however, everything else was spot on and delicious. The only let down in my meal was the beer I ordered, a Kasteel Cru. A French beer brewed using champagne yeast for a fine, crisp lager with a sparkling finish. Not much flavor or sparkle if you ask me, however, considering this bottle often sells for $10-$12 in Manhattan restaurants, the $7 I paid was a bargain. Dinner as described above with two drinks (including the Cru) came to $62 before tip. Luz is located at 177 Vanderbilt between Myrtle and Willoughby.

Saturday we headed to Petite Crevette for dinner. This French inspired seafood restaurant is highly regarded and BYOB - a real bonus during these dark economic times. We brought an inexpensive unoaked New Zealand Chardonnay - kind of got what we paid for on that one. Petite Crevette doesn't normally take reservations so we were surprised when asked if we had one. Reservations, we learned, are accepted/required on holidays and special occasions. Fortunately, and I mean damn fortunately, there was an empty table when we arrived and we were immediately seated. Within minutes a swell of would be diners, all like us, unaware of the special occasion reservation rule, crowded the door of this tiny bistro. Though the full menu appeared to be available, we were directed to the price fix menu ($49), an acceptable trade off for having snagged the last free table we'd see for the next hour and a half or so. For the appetizer course we chose the crab cake, and the tomato and fresh mozzarella salad. For our entrees we choose the Bouillabaisse, and the roasted Cod. For desert we chose the apple tart, and the poached pear. The owner and chef is quite the character and because his tiny kitchen is in the tiny front dining room where we sat, you could say his "colorful" personality was the final ingredient in our meal. Not a bad bite all night. Dinner for two came to $98 before tip. Petite Crevette is located at 144 Hicks Street on the corner of Union Street in Carrol Gardens, Brooklyn. Cash only.

Motivated by last week's successful Jamaican style ox tail stew, we decided to try our hands at jerk chicken. We marinated our chicken overnight and were actually concerned that it might be too hot as a result. Wrong! Though flavorful in its own right, our chicken was as jerked as George Bush is scholarly. The jalapeños we used in lieu of scotch bonnets had no fire. None. I knew jalapeños weren't as hot as scotch bonnets, but I didn't realize how much milder they are; scotch bonnets are 15-40 times hotter than the average jalapeño. Oh well, dinner was still tasty. We finished with some incomparable Teuscher Champaign Truffles and a bottle of Lindemans Framboise.

We decided to finish the long weekend on a strong note so we headed into the city for what I was told - by someone who knows! - is the top Ramen Noodle in town, Ippudo. Unfortunately, the place was packed. Despite the temptation of the rarely sighted Yebisu beer, having not eaten since breakfast we couldn't justify the hour wait so we headed to the nearby Menkui Tei. We ordered the Tonkotsu Ramen and a miso based pork ramen, the Mabo Tofu, and washed it down with a 33.8 oz Asahi (which came with a spicy shrimp appetizer for a budget pleasing $12!!!). Filling, delicious, and the perfect way to finish a weekend full of great eats. Dinner came to $37 before tip. Menkui Tei is located at 63 Cooper Sq., between 7th St. and Astor. Cash only.

Iron Chef Brookyn - The Blog

2009-02-12T11:52:00.003-05:00

As you may remember I participated in an Iron Chef Battle a couple of months ago - Battle Cheddar. Since then I've judged a couple more battles, Battle Cereal, and this past weekend, Battle Pasta. The host, and until this past weekend, reigning champ, has set up a blog chronicling the battles thus far. It's still under development but I can see it becoming a good resource - several of us will be adding our recipes to the site. This is timely stuff because my battle partner Cybele and I will be battling the new champs on March 21 in Battle Pork. Who can resist pork?

Buy And Hold? Not So Much

2009-02-11T12:26:00.005-05:00

This snapshot shows the Dow's performance over the last 10 years or so (roughly the amount of time since my graduation from law school). Without even adjusting for inflation, the Dow is netting a big fat 0% return over that period. I don't think many people "buy and hold" these days but I remember when that was considered good advice. Or maybe it still is? I don't have much invested but what I have was saved by pure luck. Early last year I rolled over an old employer 401K into a new IRA but neglected to complete the instructions indicating how I wanted the rolled over funds allocated. Absent instruction, the funds were placed in a money market account. I forgot all about it until the current crisis started to really snowball. When I finally checked on my account, imagine my surprise to find out that instead of losing most of my money during the last year, I'm up a killer (in this market) 1%. Me, your new financial genius.

What Don't You Fuckin' Understand?

2009-02-06T10:22:00.002-05:00

The remix. If you have no idea what this is about, check here.

Where's Urkel?

2009-02-03T10:00:00.001-05:00

He probably told them he was busy ...

My (Foreign Policy) Man Crush Finally Shows Some Leg

2009-01-23T14:25:00.003-05:00

Gregory Djerejian, author of the Belgravia Dispatch, has stopped playing hard to get long enough to pen another gem of a piece on foreign policy; in this case, his foreign policy prescriptions for the Obama Administration. It's a lengthy piece (10 pages when cut and pasted into MS Word - Tahoma size 10 - so you may want to print it), but worth the time and effort to read and digest.

On effectively resuscitating the Middle East peace process:

What is nonetheless clear, however, as much as some would like to wish it away, is that the Arab-Israeli conflict acts as a toxin materially hampering forward progress in the wider region—while radicalizing tens of thousands, such as Mohamed Atta, to take one prominent example. Meantime the outgoing Bush Administration’s obsession (born of insecurity) to follow ‘ABC’ (“Anything But [Bill] Clinton”, e.g. no robust peace-making), isolate Arafat, forsake more of an ‘honest-broker’ role—while simultaneously airily obsessing about ‘free’ elections—all helped usher in Hamas’ rise to greater power in Palestine, with such radicalization further fanned by the war in Iraq.

On why the "good" war in Afghanistan should be re-evaluated:

Here’s why it’s not such a no-brainer to march tens of thousands of reinforcements into the wilds of Afghanistan ... Why? First off, it’s a losing battle. The presence of foreign troops (like it or not, they are widely viewed as occupiers) only serves to further radicalize local Afghans (have the experiences of the Soviets, and before them, the British—thought us nothing?). Second, al-Qaeda is mostly scattered in parts Pakistan, rather than portions of Afghanistan where Marines are operating. And, even if not, or they move too freely back and forth, query: what was it about the 9/11 hijackers, say, that made it so critical that they’d enjoyed a safe-haven in Afghanistan? Was this safe haven needed to allow some of the hijackers to attend flight school in Florida, say, as former UK diplomat Rory Stewart has quipped? Can one only learn the finer usages of box-cutters—or more ambitious chemical and biological schemes for that matter—in far-away Afghanistan (to the contrary, one might argue it’s much harder in such parts, rather than in more advanced societies with easier access to the relevant technologies etc.)?

The full article can be found here.

I Always Feel Like Somebody's Watching Me

2009-01-21T14:33:00.004-05:00

Satellite pic of the inauguration. Dem is people, not ants. Click here for larger version.

Sneak Preview

2009-01-21T12:38:00.000-05:00

The new Wii Fit Ad:

Vote Or Just Browse

2009-01-06T13:58:00.002-05:00

The 2008 weblog awards are now being voted for. If you have a favorite and want to show love, now's the time. If you're looking for new blogs, the list of nominees is a great resource. Check it out.

Daunting

2009-01-06T11:54:00.001-05:00

I'm Rooting For Ya!

2008-12-31T09:56:00.004-05:00

I have been remiss in finalizing my list of goals for 2009. How are you all doing on yours?

The big ones for me this year are:

Fluency in Spanish - It's so overdue!
Expanding my business - I made this year's goal for my business before the real estate bubble burst, I'm hoping an uptick is around the corner ...
Elevating my cooking game - I talk a big game but I have miles to go
Staying fully employed - A good one for us all I think

Of last years goals, I'm proudest of the fact that I've been "tobacco" free for a whole year. :-) It was a lot easier to do than I imagined.

Have an awesome and safe time tonight. I'm rooting for all of you to do big things in the coming year.

The Take All Guns Away From White People Program

2008-12-23T10:39:00.004-05:00

Andrew Sullivan is asking folks to vote for the year's "best" examples of various types of political discourse. For example, you can vote for the Hewitt Award:

The Hewitt Award - named after the absurd partisan fanatic, Hugh Hewitt, is given for the most egregious attempts to label Barack Obama as un-American, alien, treasonous, and far out of the mainstream of American life and politics.

One of the nominees for the Hewitt Award is Steven Calabresi, Law Professor at the Northwestern School of Law, who published this in the Wall Street Journal:

"If Mr. Obama wins we could possibly see any or all of the following: a federal constitutional right to welfare; a federal constitutional mandate of affirmative action wherever there are racial disparities, without regard to proof of discriminatory intent; a right for government-financed abortions through the third trimester of pregnancy; the abolition of capital punishment and the mass freeing of criminal defendants; ruinous shareholder suits against corporate officers and directors; and approval of huge punitive damage awards, like those imposed against tobacco companies, against many legitimate businesses such as those selling fattening food,"

Another award being voted on is the Malkin Award:

The Malkin Award - named after blogger, Michelle Malkin - is for shrill, hyperbolic, divisive and intemperate right-wing rhetoric. Ann Coulter is ineligible - to give others a chance.

In contention for the Malkin Award is Michael Barone, a political commentator and regular contributor to US News & World Report, and Fox News. His gem of an entry below:

"The liberal media attacked Sarah Palin because she did not abort her Down syndrome baby. They wanted her to kill that child ... I'm talking about my media colleagues with whom I've worked for 35 years,"

Vote and reminisce. And because parody and satire do it best, after voting, re-watch this gem:

Get the latest news satire and funny videos at 236.com.

One Day Batteries Will Rule The World

2008-12-23T09:55:00.004-05:00

This weatherproof, solar powered battery charger by Energizer is so logical it's a wonder it's even being built. Perfect for camping and sunny locales. If you live in Seattle, you can juice it up the old fashion way. Not sure when these will be available.

Virtual Calling Card - Cool!

2008-12-17T15:03:00.004-05:00

Needing to call a friend in Paris but not having a land line, I figured I'd buy a calling card and dial them that way. A little googling, however, led me to a much cooler and easier solution. Instead of buying a calling card at my corner bodega, an Acapulco perhaps, and going through the hassle of dialing an 800 number, entering a long PIN, then placing the call, I found a calling service called Rebtel that operates by converting long distance numbers into local numbers. The idea is that with a local number you'll be able to dial from your mobile phone (or any phone for that matter) without getting socked with huge long distance fees.

It works like this. Once you create an account at Rebtel, you enter the foreign number you wish to call - which can be a landline or mobile number - and give it a name, "friend in Paris, for example. Rebtel then supplies you with a local number, in my case, a "646" area code, that is linked behind the scenes to the foreign number you provided. Once the local number is created for you, you add a few bucks to your account with Rebtel - I added $10 - and you can start making calls. There are no long pin numbers or 800 numbers to dial, and there are no connection fees or monthly service fees; just dial the local number and you are connected to your party abroad at extremely low rates. A 32 minute call to France cost me $.31 - about a penny a minute. As soon as you complete a call your account page on their website is updated to show the length of the call and the amount deducted from your balance.

The local number that has been created for you does not expire unless you delete it from your account or it becomes inactive for a lengthy period of time; if you call the number with any frequency (once a month?), it becomes, in essence, a permanent number. Call quality is excellent and calls are placed instantly. With bargain rates to countries across the world, this strikes me as a killer retooling of an old idea; the calling card made virtual and better.

Highly recommended.

So Fresh And So Clean

2008-12-03T21:16:00.004-05:00

You know, if you can't afford the yellow and purple Hyperdunks all cash, you shouldn't get them!!!!! Layaway, now offered by Foot Locker. Sigh.

Skillz, He Has Them

2008-12-03T10:15:00.001-05:00

Run Fat Boy Run

2008-11-27T11:22:00.016-05:00

12 years ago today I ran in my first Turkey Trot in Buffalo, NY. The Buffalo - Niagara Turkey Trot is an 8k race down Delaware Ave ending in downtown Buffalo. Though I've lost most of my cold weather cred over the years I figured it was time for another go - so here we go:

The oldest continuously run road race in North America; this year was the 113th running.

A pre-race pose - no smiling, I'm in race mode. Cold weather running required compression pants, two dry fit tops, gloves, hat, and a fleece vest. I think the crosses on the wall were giving me that ethereal glow :-)

A quick stop at the loo before the run

Raring to go

And we're off - note that the clock already shows 4:11 (more on that below).

Through the Delaware Ave s-turns

Fast forward a bit. Getting close to the end now. Buffalo City Hall - one of Buffalo's (many) architectural gems.

Crossing the finish line - if you got sick from the handheld camera action in the movie Cloverfield, you might want to skip this.

How'd I do? Unfortunately, and I mean infuriatingly, my race chip did not register my time. Major bummer. Each runner is given a chip which is supposed to automatically register your time starting when you cross the start line and ending when you cross the finish line. A website posts the results automatically but for some reason my name isn't posted. I wasn't wearing a watch to time myself so I have to approximate. My starting time as noted above was 4:11, and my finishing time (barely visible in the video) was 48:30 resulting in an approximate net time of 44:19. Per mapmyrun.com, my average pace was 8:29/mile, my average speed was 7.07 mph, and I burned 784 calories. Not enough to offset the damage I'm about to do to the Thanksgiving Feast my mom has prepared but it should cover the first half hour or so!

Happy Thanksgiving All!

Weekends; All I Do Is Eat

2008-11-23T19:34:00.004-05:00

I also saw two movies :-)

Friday: Two pints into our Friday night and wanting a burger, we chose Rare over Keens. Both make great burgers and are similarly priced but Rare won out for variety. Rare's burger menu features between 7-10 burgers. From the Classic burger for a very reasonable $9, to the luxurious Kobe burger for $22, to every variety in between including the Mexican, a Bison burger, a Chicken burger, and the Murray's cheese of the month burger, I've tried most and have always been satisfied. A shared order of shoe string fries and we left pretty happy. The biggest drawback to Rare is its pedestrian, bottle only, beer offering. I chose a Newcastle. Rare is located in the Shelburne Hotel at 37th and Lex. Keens, located on 36th Street between 5th and 6th, is also highly recommended.

Saturday: I've been lucky a few times to eat at great restaurants where friends worked or cooked. Friends of the house really are treated better. From off menu dishes to free and off priced offerings, the experience usually is gut busting and utterly enjoyable. So it was Saturday night at Hibino, a Japanese restaurant in Cobble Hill that a Japanese friend advised me was where the Japanese ate in Brooklyn. With her as my guide and inside connection, we enjoyed the unique offerings of the house. Hibino is known for its Obanzai, Kyoto style Japanese tapas that change daily. Saturday night's offerings included Soy Marinated Grilled Pork Spare Rib, Rice Croquette with Salmon and Shiso Leaf served with QP Mayo, Simmered Atsuage (Fried Thick Tofu) and Nanohana Broccoli Rabe, and Grilled Zucchini served with Special Miso Sauce. These tasty dishes cost a mere $4 each. Depending on how late you dine, some or all of these might be sold out - being insiders, however, a full set was saved for us. Un-ordered but welcomed by us was Beef Kakuni, a slow braised beef entree marinated in soy broth with Daikon and Scallion. Though we were both pretty full, the food kept coming, next a crispy oyster roll followed by pressed Spanish Mackerel sushi. Hibini's Sake list is apparently quite good - we let the chef guide us and did not have any problems polishing off the off-menu bottle he chose for us. Our bill wasn't really reflective of everything we enjoyed that night but because the Obanzai are so reasonably priced (and not that small), I think a very satisfying meal for two with liquor could be had for $75 or so, tip included. Hibino is located on Henry Street between Atlantic and Pacific streets. Go, enjoy!

Sunday: Trab's review on my mind and finding myself in Fort Greene Sunday morning, I happily snagged a pre-rush brunch table at Olea. I make a decent brunch at home most weekends but I don't make homemade chocolate croissants, perfectly warm and gooey, which is what we started with Sunday - Olea 1, Big D 0. For my main I chose the aptly named Green eggs and lamb, cilantro infused eggs served with lamb sausage, mixed green salad, home fries, and warm pita triangles. From omelets to french toast, I can't imagine not enjoying any of the dozen or so offerings in this rustic and charming gem. Brunch for two came to $35 including tip and was worth every penny.

Basic Rules

2008-11-21T15:11:00.003-05:00

I'm often asked for advice on buying computers. This was a recent response by me to such a request and it sums up my philosophy pretty succinctly (applicable for most folks who don't have special computing needs):

Basic rules.

Computers are "disposable." By limiting yourself to $500-$600, you can replace them every three years or so and get a new much better one each time (as opposed to spending $1500 and realizing it's outdated in a year or two).

With laptops, bigger is usually cheaper. 15 inch is cheaper than 14 inch which are cheaper than 13 inch. I'd shoot for a 15 incher to get the best deal unless you'll be travelling a lot and need more portability.

Stick to Intel Pentium processors (vs AMD). There's an entry level Intel processor called "Celeron" but avoid that. It's old and slow.

In the Pentium hierarchy, the one to shoot for is "Core 2 Duo" - don't be confused by the "Dual Core" which is one step below the Core 2 Duo. The speed will range from 2ghz to 2.5 ghz. As long as its a Core 2 Duo, you can go for the cheapest one (ie, the slowest ghz).

You should have at least 2 gigs of ram, and 250 gig hard drive.

I personally would upgrade to N speed wireless. Most cheap laptops come with G speed wireless cards but since you live in a multi story house the N will give you much better performance. This is about a $30-$50 upgrade. Well worth it. To use the wireless in your laptop you'll need a wireless router. N routers are now on sale for between $50 and $75. The router is a one time purchase that should last you through your next several computers.

All other specs are pretty much irrelevant (meaning the minimum ones are fine).

Iron Chef Brooklyn - Battle Cheddar

2008-11-17T10:08:00.013-05:00

Vaporware is a term used to describe software or technology that has been announced or rumored, but which does not actually exist, or which skeptics doubt could deliver what is promised even if it existed. My cooking has been something like vaporware; rumored to exist but with few eye - or taste bud - witnesses.

These doubts are perhaps what prompted me to accept a challenge to participate in a game of Iron Chef with some friends in Brooklyn. A few weeks ago I was asked to be a judge in the first battle - Battle Shrimp - and a fun time was had by all. When asked to participate more directly as a competitor I figured it was time lift the veil and put myself to the test. My partner in this battle was Cybele, a writer, and kitchen wizard who I once represented in a real estate transaction. Our competitors were Sherri and Becky, winners of Battle Shrimp. The preselected theme of this battle was Cheddar cheese (not ideal for someone lactose intolerant like me, but no one promised war would be easy). Since the battle takes place in an apartment with only one kitchen both teams cannot cook simultaneously. Our competitors spent one hour of their two hour time limit prepping and planning. My team followed but used our entire two hour allotment to prep, cook, and serve our dishes. Once we finished serving and cleaning, the second team used their final hour to complete and serve their dishes. Like the television show, dishes are judged on presentation, originality, and taste with a maximum score of 20 points per dish. The non-cooking team takes notes on the comments made by the judges, but cannot comment or judge.

Each team had the option of preparing three or four dishes, we chose to make three. There is a budget though its probably more of a guideline than an absolute limitation. After sharing ideas Cybele and I realized our dishes would have an international flare so we made "internationalism" our theme.

Our first dish was Käsespätzle with Buttermilk-dressed Salad - what I describe as a German take on mac and cheese (and a new favorite of mine):

Our second dish was a Cheddar Apple "Danish" with Powdered Confectioners Sugar (though more like a desert, cooking logistics led us to serve this second, a decision which baffled the judges but which they told us also worked to our favor - more on that in a bit)(btw, this photo does the dish no justice):

Our final dish was Papas Rellenas with a Black Bean Salsa and Cheddar Jalapeño Sauce. The papas were filled with a Panchetta and Shitake mushroom. The judges told us that ending with this dish served us well (with all modesty I must report that this dish was judged the day's best):

Despite the success of our dishes, we lost to Becky and Sherri by one tenth of a point!! The closest battle in Iron Chef Brooklyn history (and hard to imagine how it could ever be closer). Truthfully, as the photos that follow will attest, Cybele and I were surprised to have mounted such a close challenge. Becky and Sherri are no joke!

Their first dish was a New York State Cheddar-Bacon-Chive Soufflé - that's right, a soufflé!!!

Their second dish, a Welsh Rarebit made with Irish Cheddar and Stout. I didn't know what a Rarebit was but it was good!

Third was Grafton Cheddar Truffled Cheeseburgers on Brioche with Green-Chile Mac and Cheese. Are you getting the picture yet? Sherri and Becky's dishes were mutli-faceted, well thought out, and looked and tasted great.

Finally, for desert, they served Carmar Cheddar Profiteroles served with an Apple Cider Reduction.

Despite all the hard work, it was a fun day for everyone. Great food, plenty of drink, and the judge's contemporaneous comments, read after the battle is finished, provide loads of laughs. Since Cybele and I lost we'll be judges in the third battle, date and secret ingredient to be determined. Until then I think I'll be taking a hiatus from Cheddar - I've had my quota for 2008.

Reach Out And Touch ...

2008-11-12T13:26:00.003-05:00

I saw photographer Richard Renaldi's work highlighted on Andrew Sullivan's blog. In this project, he asked strangers to pose while "touching." Some people apparently felt more comfortable with this than others. I love it. On his site you can find other standout work.

A Young Rakim Movin' The Crowd

2008-11-12T13:17:00.001-05:00

Posted Without Comment

2008-11-11T12:35:00.002-05:00

Thank You!

2008-11-11T10:24:00.003-05:00

Honor those who serve, past and present. In my family:

Abby Iñesta (Army) - RIP
Alfonso Iñesta (Coast Guard)
Maria Moreno (Coast Guard)
Dennis Brioso (Navy)
Makiko Brioso (Army)

Life And Times

2008-11-09T11:16:00.001-05:00

Long weekend, here's what I did:

Thursday: Despite the raves it's earned, I've never been willing to stand in line for a Shake Shack burger, however, I was walking by Madison Sq. Park with a friend Thursday evening when we both noticed the line was only about 5 people long! Holla. Like many before me I'll confirm, that's a tasty burger (which I washed down with a Shack Shack Ale - meh). It was warm enough to eat outside which was nice except for the fact that there's a slight rodent problem in Madison Sq. Park. After a couple rounds at Taj in the Flatiron District we headed to West 8th and McDougal to the subterranean, cave themed club - Club Love - where wouldn't you know it but the Tortured Soul boys just happened to be playing. I haven't been out that late on a week night in a while. Fun.
Friday: I headed to Carroll Gardens Friday night to try the much raved about brick oven pizza and calzone destination, Lucali. I knew waits here were long but unlike any other restaurant I can think of, they take your number when adding you to the wait list allowing you to entertain yourself elsewhere until your table is ready. We walked to the Brooklyn Social on Smith Street. The Social is located in a space formerly occupied by a members only social club and tries hard to retain an old school flare. From the jukebox to the barkeep, everything intentionally evoked an earlier era. I didn't find it particularly appealing but they did have Six Points Hop Obama on tap which was enough to keep us happy until Lucali called. It's a testament to a restaurant that hour long waits can be deemed worth it. So it was for Lucali. The charming dining room was dimly lit and casually romantic. The menu consists of two items, pizza and calzones. A dozen or so toppings are available for each. We had basil, portobello mushroom and onions on our pizza, pepperoni and peppers in our calzone. As delicious as it all was, particularly the calzone which was the best I've ever had, it was simply too much food for two. I can't recommend this place highly enough. Cash only and BYOB. (Corner of Carroll and Henry)
Saturday: Thanks to the generosity of my boy Kurt Emhoff ~~a good friend~~, I found myself ringside for the Roy Jones/Joe Calzaghe fight at Madison Sq. Garden Saturday night. (Crappy camera phone shot but great seats!!!) Calzaghe, a resident of Wales, was supported by thousands of fans who had flown in for the fight. Their energy was incredible. Aside from the roar of the Calzaghe fans the highlight of the night might have been running into an apparently drunk Danny Devito near the restroom and overhearing a British fan exclaiming "oh my god, I knew he was short but I didn't think he was that short!"

And Turn Your Phones Off Too

2008-11-05T13:39:00.002-05:00

Hail To The Chief

2008-11-05T07:47:00.000-05:00

A Sober Look Back At The Campaign

2008-11-04T11:13:00.005-05:00

Syke!!! Here are some campaign photoshops from Fark.

Respect Your Elders, Even The Painfully Slow Ones

2008-11-04T06:36:00.003-05:00

Got to my polling place - conveniently located across the street from my house - at 5:59 in the hopes of avoiding a long wait. I was 10th in line. My hopes of a quick in and out, however, were rapidly dashed. The seniors running my polling place were a bit disorganized, probrecitos. The simple task of looking up names in the district book took frustratingly long, a committee of elders seemingly needed to confer on each name. The grumbling of discontent grew in tandem with the length of the line behind me. About thirty minutes after arriving, civic duty complete, I walked out (skipped?) past a line of about 100, many looking at me with a hint of envy and chagrin.

For The Win!!!

2008-11-03T17:35:00.002-05:00

Cell Division + 1

2008-10-30T16:15:00.004-04:00

RIP. Though referred in the media as a "two headed boy", these boys - given the single name "Kiron" by their parents - are in fact Siamese Twins. For such a strange sight, this is a remarkably peaceful photo.

All Election All The Time

2008-10-26T15:19:00.004-04:00

Check on your voting registration status here.
Right wing blogs are convinced Joe Biden embarrassed himself in this interview. Some argue Biden is a gaffe prone fool hardly more qualified than Palin to be Vice President. I think he showed remarkable restraint in the face of blatant gotcha journalism.
Self hating, all of them
This kid cracks me up:

Main Street & God's Country

2008-10-23T16:45:00.005-04:00

The right deserves the backlash it's receiving for trying to claim the mantle of real America; of decency, honor, and patriotism. As if party affiliation and zip code are reliable indicators of one's values or character. This type of demagoguery has been a productive election season tool for the right for many decades but times have changed and it's clear the returns are diminishing. The Daily show exploits the BS of it all in this clip about Main Street, Wasila, Alaska.

It Has Begun

2008-10-14T09:54:00.004-04:00

This is a screen shot from inside the game "Burnout Paradise." If you play games like these, you'll notice plenty of sponsored ads from snack and drink companies in the form of billboards, vending machines, stadium signs, etc. Contemporaneous real time advertising, however, is a whole new ball game (possible only when your console is connected to the internet - which for most people is always). When reading about this a couple of years ago the idea was to advertise new and upcoming movies, music, and games. There was also talk about location specific advertising; perhaps a timely billboard ad from your local Dominos Pizza franchise, for example. Considering the fact that adults, young and not so young, make up such a large part of the gaming community, I guess political ads are a logical extension of the idea though it's hard to imagine anybody other than Barack having the cash for such niche advertising.

I'm Stunned

2008-10-12T23:21:00.002-04:00

As much as I've rejected the right's flimsy attempts to link Obama to domestic terrorism, I have to admit, this link to the Weather Underground is hard to ignore.

Puns, I Like Them

2008-10-10T12:08:00.006-04:00

This porta potty in midtown caught my eye - perhaps it jogged my thoughts on our economy. In any event, I thought the name of the company was brilliant. Only so many (tasteful) ways to make a company in the poo business stand out.

A Few Things

2008-10-07T00:05:00.002-04:00

It's been a while so here goes:

Did you know that the economic crisis is the fault of Niggers and Spics (capitalized out of respect)? Me neither. Sure, we all know these groups are often the root of problems that face America, whether it be overly exposed underwear or the loss of gardening jobs for White men, but in matters involving Wall Street, it's an American tradition to blame the Jews. Nonetheless several prominent voices are now telling us that a substantial portion of the blame for our current economic malaise can in fact, be laid on the backs, ashy or wet - take your preference - of the Niggers and Spics. They call it the diversity recession and instead placing blame on (a) the wall street geniuses who got richer than most of us can even imagine pedaling spectacularly risky financial products such as credit debt-swaps and derivatives, (b) the wall street financed lobbying firms that convinced (bribed?) ratings agencies and Fannie and Freddie to lower their risk criteria, or (c) simple old fashioned greed by an industry where folks named Leon and Jose have enough power to misplace your mail but not much more than that, instead of all that, our economy is imploding because the government made banks start loaning to Niggers and Spics. I love when complicated things are simplified for me. Speaking of simple, did you know?:
... whites (non-minorities) received 72.5% of subprime mortgages. Blacks got 16.2% of subprime mortgages, which isn’t all that different from the 12.4% of the general population that blacks comprise. The Hispanics about ... 6.2% of subprime mortgages, significantly less than their 14.8% of the general population
I suspect the liberal media for these unhelpful facts.

Bloomberg wants to do an end run around the term limits law by having the city council revoke the voter mandated law. Lot's of big players in the New York power scene are all for it: we're doomed without his vast financial expertise, say the the Wall Street titans who got us into this mess ...

This article attempts to justify the practice of churches blessing pets but I still think it's stupid. I'd like to bring my Xbox 360 in for a blessing, as I've discussed in the past, the shit's got the devil in it.
I just lost my fantasy football game by .03 points. I'm bringing my laptop to church dammit.
Some say Track Palin, the recently deployed to Iraq son of Sarah, chose the Army when faced with jail time for a drug offense. I don't know if this is true, but I wanted to experience the fun of saying misleading shit to taint the character of a political candidate. Here's a picture of Sarah "Barracuda" Palin with her other son, Branch. I feel bad for the Palin kids not being exploited by their mom in this election, they must feel so unloved.

Bible Spice

2008-10-03T16:57:00.003-04:00

Just Say No, Seriously

2008-09-26T13:42:00.002-04:00

Amy Winehouse, like a ~~fine wine~~ rotting corpse, aged four years

Embrace It Obama!

2008-09-23T23:15:00.002-04:00

It's Not Lying, It's Fine Print

2008-09-19T23:54:00.003-04:00

This product doesn't quite measure up to its advertising:

Modern Art Blows

2008-09-19T23:36:00.003-04:00

This is an actual police sketch of a suspect in a kidnapping. The absurdity of this sketch overshadows some other crazy facts about this case. Namely, the 300 pound victim who said he was kidnapped by a 5' 5" assailant.

Don't Be So Gullible

2008-09-19T13:08:00.003-04:00

This may look like your run of the mill, politician with kid photo-op, but I know a terrorist kid hug when I see one. After gaining his trust, Obama schooled him the art of the terrorist fist bump. Young man, when you see a brother on the street, give him the fist bump, praise Allah, and say down with whitey!

As Always, Dead On

2008-09-15T22:58:00.002-04:00

I'm Qualified, Trust Me

2008-09-11T21:44:00.006-04:00

In the early days of my temp career, the types of projects I worked on did not require that I interview. A resume was often sufficient to convey my qualifications for the typically mundane work being offered.

Modest though I am, I think it was pretty self evident that I could, oh, say, READ.

Over time, more scrutiny was applied; some jobs required phone interviews, some involved brief face to face interviews. At this point in my career, I tend to apply for projects that require a degree of experience and interviewing with 2-3 people is common. The "no-interview" jobs are out still out there, I've fortunately moved past them. I don't blame companies for wanting to know more about me, my qualifications, my demeanor and personality, how I present myself, and so on. On the one hand, I'm only a temp, fireable at will, given limited access to the firm's property and information - a tiny investment in the big scheme of things, but in these companies defense, an un-vetted temp attorney such as myself could wind up being a drain on time and resources and heaven forbid I abscond with company paper clips and post it notes.

If it's prudent to perform due diligence before hiring a meager temp employee such as myself, don't WE THE PEOPLE have the right to ask a few questions of our vice presidential candidates??? Even the semi-literate Bush and his secretive Vice President answered a few questions when they ran for office. The media isn't fair, the McCain camp explains (over and over). Deal with it and prove your critics wrong.

I'm not worried though, eventually, spontaneous sentences will have to be formed ...

My Empire

2008-09-09T22:05:00.002-04:00

Brilliant

2008-09-09T00:14:00.003-04:00

The common household outlet made 50% better.

Life Is Short, Have An Affair

2008-09-06T12:32:00.005-04:00

I saw a commercial for Ashley Madison in the wee hours one night and thought maybe I misinterpreted the service. It appeared to be offering married men a discreet dating service. As you can tell by their tag line above, that's exactly what they meant. For those interested in learning more but who don't want to leave evidence of visiting the site on their computer, click on the screen capture below. Not that I'm encouraging anything.

Politicians Say The Darndest Things

2008-09-04T12:46:00.002-04:00

Here is a video of the Rove comments (and others) as presented on the Daily Show. Chuckles galore.

All Rove Needed Was A Good Editor

2008-09-03T23:32:00.005-04:00

A month ago while speculating about who Obama might choose as his running mate, Karl Rove offered the following prophetic words on what Obama's selection of Governor Tim Kaine would mean. As we all know Obama chose Biden but Rove's work should not go to waste. Let's see what happens when we substitute McCain for Obama, Palin for Warner, she for he, and Alaska for Virginia. OMG, I can't believe it but I agree 100% with Karl Rove. Never thought I'd say that (to make this easier I've edited Rove's statement for you):

"With all due respect, again, to Governor ~~Kaine~~Palin, [s]he's been a governor for three years. [s]He's been able, but undistinguished. I don't think people could really name a big, important thing that [s]he's done. [s]He was mayor of the 10[0]5th-largest city in America. And, again, with all due respect to ~~Richmond, Virginia~~Wasilla, Alaska, it's smaller than Chula Vista, California, Aurora, Colorado, Mesa or Gilbert, Arizona, North Las Vegas, or Henderson, Nevada. It's not a big town. If he were to pick Governor ~~Kaine~~Palin, it would be an intensely political choice, where he's said, 'You know what? I'm really not first and foremost concerned with, is this person capable of being president of the United States? What I'm concerned about is, can [s]he bring me the ~~electoral~~ votes of ~~the state of Virginia, the 13 electoral votes in Virginia~~the easily manipulated?'"

Well said Rovie.

Thanks, Andrew

2008-09-03T23:23:00.004-04:00

I'm too lazy to live blog Palin's speech so here's Andrew Sullivan's take (start at the bottom):

11.10 pm. Reality television has become our politics.

11.06 pm. Both Huckabee and Palin have used the t-word. Of course, they are not criminally liable, as Bush is.

11.05 pm. Every time the camera pans to McCain's mother, she seems mortified. I don't really blame her. Can you imagine what she was thinking as a tiny special needs baby is passed from person to person for the cable news.

11.03 pm. However admirable it is to be a mayor, is it really necessary to drip contempt for people who work as community organizers? It seems to me that Palin doesn't quite have the stature to be putting down someone who has won millions of people's votes. This is a much more partisan speech than I was expecting.

11.00 pm Styrofoam pillars; and self-designed seals. And her lip curls.

10.58 pm. Now it's about big government - which Republicans have exploded in size. But no one can notice the actual record of the GOP in growing government and increasing debt. That would be too much accountability.

10.56 pm. Obama wants to reduce American power and prevent energy production. The mockery of Obama from Palin is striking. I don't recall anyone mocking McCain at the DNC.

10.53 pm. Drill, baby, drill! I may be just revealing that I'm out of touch, but I don't see why laying pipelines is now a core rallying cry of American conservatism.

10.50 pm. I have to say that the affect is of someone running for high school president.

10.49 pm. Piper is poking Trig in the eye!

10.48 pm. Ethics reform is her first policy proposal.

10.47 pm. She has this weird tick of scrunching up her face to make a forceful point. Kinda Tracy Flicky.

10.44 pm. Palin echoes Giuliani's attack on "cosmopolitan" elites. All the buzzwords are there. Elite. Elite. Elite. This is a culture war speech - and she is becoming a symbol of red America. This is what they have to do top win: divide and polarize again. We are half way through, by the way, and we have not heard a single policy proposal. But we have heard contempt for someone who works as a community organizer in the South Side of Chicago.

10.40 pm. We've just seen a picture of a seven year old cradling and stroking the hair of a Down Syndrome infant. This, apparently, is relevant to deciding who should be the next vice-president of the United States.

10.39 pm. I'm just slack-jawed that, so far, the entire speech has been basically about her family. She seems as if she just won a reality show and is introducing her folks. And they have passed the baby now to four different people - including another child. Slack-jawed.

The View ...

2008-09-03T22:05:00.003-04:00

Is not bad. From Sunset Park, BK

Photo by Barry Yanowitz

Less Fire! Less Fire!

2008-09-01T19:05:00.005-04:00

The Jerk chicken was hot, but not too hot. It was only when I tried the scotch bonnet hot sauce that I realized I was out of my league. Fortunately, a savvy water vendor had set up next to the Jerk Chicken vendor and two bottles of water later my heart rate had returned to normal.

My burnt taste buds notwithstanding, the West Indian Day Parade was a lot of fun this year. Great weather, great food, and a lot of booty shakin. The only thing missing was beer. I remember when I first moved to NY and lived on the parade route, there was nothing better than a cold Red Stripe with my curry goat. These days booze is verboten from parades. Oh well.

It wasn't all fun and games; I was working. Most of you don't know this but among my many talents, I'm also a filmmaker. For all my loyal fans, I present below the world premiere of Less Fire! Less Fire!

Sexy And Deadly

2008-08-25T21:29:00.003-04:00

The young women of the Israeli Army as photographed by Rachel Papo.

I LOL'D

2008-08-19T22:08:00.008-04:00

Over at Fark today folks brought out their best examples of FAIL:

Demand is Kicking Supply's Ass

2008-08-19T00:25:00.005-04:00

Many of you know that I'm pretty fond of Trader Joe's. They're much cheaper than Whole Foods and offer lots of products that are made without the harmful processed ingredients that lurk in so many national brands. Not everyone loves them though and some of the criticisms I hear are definitely warranted; namely low inventory and long checkout lines. With only one location serving the entire city I find the only way to avoid these hassles is to go during off peak hours. Sometimes peak hours are the only time you can make it which is how I found myself in crunchy hell tonight. The 25 minute check out lines and empty shelves throughout the store made it feel like Florida before a hurricane - dude, storm's coming, load up on those unprocessed high fiber oats! A Brooklyn location will be opening soon but I have a feeling the lines will be just as bad. Scenes from the carnage below:

It Sucks Redux?

2008-08-17T16:28:00.004-04:00

Riding around Sunday I found myself passing by the Brooklyn Flea and decided to give it a second look. As some of you may remember, my first impression was pretty bad, but with no hangover to slow me down and only low expectations I found the second visit a lot more enjoyable. The selection of vendors and food merchants seemed more interesting; plenty of reasonably priced clothing and art, and tempting food from Blue Marble ice cream and vendors from the Red Hook Ball Fields. Just as important as the seemingly improved merchandise mix, the energy and vibe felt better. The mix of people seemed less contrived, more representative of the neighborhood, new and old, than when I first went. Overall it was a nice experience, a pleasant way to spend time on a nice Sunday afternoon. It would certainly be a great way to work up an appetite before hitting the Fort Greene restaurant scene.

Exxon Will Probably Take Credit ...

2008-08-13T00:25:00.006-04:00

Seeing the air quality in Beijing really brings home how lucky we are to have mostly clean, smog free air. The right loves to mock environmentalism and dismiss concern about the environment as some sort of irrational touchy feely nonsense. Yet if it wasn't for the efforts of hippies and environmentalists pushing for low emission vehicles, lead free gas, caps on coal plant emissions, and expanded public transportation, among other things, our air wouldn't be so different from the poisonous brew that clouds Beijing.

Photo In Search Of A Caption

2008-08-12T23:20:00.003-04:00

From Neatorama:

I Can't Read But I Can Do The Superman

2008-08-12T11:58:00.006-04:00

According to Forbes, Buffalo is one of America's fastest dying cities. Perhaps the high school graduation rate has something to do with it. From the Buffalo News:

Buffalo Public Schools’ reform effort took a hit Monday when state data showed the city’s already alarming high school graduation rate dropped last year by 5 percentage points, to 46 percent.

What a disaster. To be a high school dropout in a place with a job market like Buffalo is just a horrific thought. The cost of living may be low but salaries are even lower. For qualified folks, places like Wal Mart and Fridays are the good options. Even call centers, one of the big industries in Buffalo, can be picky. The sad part is that there is plentiful cheap education in the area. The local community colleges are cheap for state residents and you can be something less than a scholar and still graduate.

One by product of Buffalo's affordability and educational resources is that a lot of folks drawn to the area for the colleges have ended up staying over the last decade. Pockets of artists, hipsters, recent grads and young professionals have revived city neighborhoods. Unlike my youth, there are pockets of nightlight in Buffalo now. These new residents have taken advantage of the low cost of living, the architectural gems that remain from Buffalo's grander past, the natural resources, and have settled down. They may not have tons of money but still enjoy a rich quality of life. Too bad so many locals are missing out.

I Think I'm Done (for now)

2008-08-07T23:16:00.004-04:00

After publishing briosolaw a couple of weeks ago, I've spent quite a few hours tweaking it; rewriting text, finding new stock photography, and redesigning certain graphics. With time the flaws of what looks and sounds good one day tends to be revealed. As digital media, web sites benefit from an ease of revision that you don't find in traditional media. Colors, shapes, placement of items can all be changed with a few clicks of the mouse. That same ease can be a bit of curse though because cycling through so many options can take deceptively long. Often ideas take several iterations before they look as you imagined. And when you're an amateur like myself, getting things to look like you imagined is no small feat. Another factor that has to be accounted for and that is only revealed after you "finish" is the fact that websites display differently on different browsers (explorer, firefox, safari), and on different monitors. Skilled designers have tools to make sites look consistent; I have to wing it. In connection with the new site I've developed new letterhead and mailing labels; the development of one led naturally to the development of the others. I feel pretty good about it all; no longer a kid in this business, it was time to look the part. I'm sure the clients will be rolling in any day now ...

Still Bitter That Sean Connery Gave Us The Red October

2008-07-30T22:22:00.008-04:00

Last week I represented a couple in the sale of their coop - a sale that came 12 months after the first prospective buyer was presented to the board. This wasn't a case of a prestigious coop rejecting marginal applicants, nor was it a case of a mediocre apartment languishing in a declining market. Nope, my clients saw two highly qualified buyers rejected by the board because they ignored the golden rule of their building, only Russians need apply. The 100 unit building on Shore Terrace Road in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn is dominated by Russians and you better believe it's going to stay that way. Your buyers may be doctors, but they are unqualified to live here. And tell Clint Eastwood to give us back Firefox while you're at it

The first applicants rejected by the board, a successful Asian couple, were openly insulted at their interview, literally called liars by board members who did not believe their financial statements. Anyone can fake tax returns, believe us, we know. The second rejected applicant, a Ph.D, was tripped up because board members refused to accept proof of assets she owned abroad (she was from Italy). Facing the prospect of finding another buyer only to have him rejected a few months later, and stretched to their financial limits and worn down by the emotional strain of it all, my clients waived the red, white, and blue flag (of Russia) and conceded defeat. They hired a Russian broker recommended by a board member, a broker who happened to have just the right type of client in the market for just such a unit ...

I agreed to represent the sellers after their original lawyer quit. Quitting on your clients is kind of a big no no but I'm not sure that I blame him; he had already endured two rejected applicants and apparently the prospect of a third go round was more than he could take. He walked away without having gotten paid a penny for his troubles. This isn't the first time I've been involved in a situation where a coop seller finds himself prisoner to an arbitrary board. It's one of the deals you make with the devil when you buy a coop; living in a coop is usually fine, but selling can be a bitch. There are virtually no easy ways to deal with difficult boards. Boards don't have to reveal why they've rejected a buyer, and except for a sign in the interview room that says no ____________________ allowed (fill in the blank), it's just about impossible to challenge a board's actions. Absent the motivation that comes from a convincing threat to sue (breach of fiduciary duty, interference with contract), you have no choice but to find buyers your board will approve, no matter how unreasonable the requirement may be or how long it may take.

I Don't Believe ...

2008-07-28T15:45:00.002-04:00

they were Drunk:

Drunk black guy #1: That's when I started cooking with weed. The Jamaicans told me you can cook with it.
Drunk black guy #2: Yeah?
Drunk black guy #1: I made chicken soup with that shit. I had soupy chicken weed. I was high as fuck.
Drunk black guy #2: Yeah?
Drunk black woman: You ever had weed fishcakes? Weed fishcakes. I make that shit.
Drunk black guy #2: Fishcakes?
Drunk black woman: And pork fried weed.
Drunk black guy #1: I want to come to your parties. You creative.

--4 Train Overheard by: Unrelenting Monkey

I'm Cheap, And A Drunk

2008-07-21T01:05:00.007-04:00

Check out my new website. I probably should have hired a "pro" for a few hundred bucks but I'm cheap and besides, that money is better spent on booze so I did it myself. My total cost was $5, the cost of five stock photos from Big Stock Photo, the cheapest royalty free stock photo site I could find. A few late nights putting it all together and voila - I can literally feel the money rolling in. At a minimum, if googled by some old high school rival, the ruse that I am a successful lawyer will be slightly more believeable. In the unlikely event anyone is interested in the fine details, I created the site using Dreamweaver, edited and/or created the photo and graphic assets with Photoshop, hosted the site through Yahoo Small Business, and ftp'd the files with FileZilla.

I Use It Only For Self Defense

2008-07-13T00:36:00.007-04:00

My climb towards geek blackbelt-dom continues. Last night I figured out how to use my Blackberry Pearl as a tethered modem to browse the web on my laptop. I achieved speeds of 175kbps, which is halfway between dial up and low speed broadband (truthfully, however, media rich sites seem to load significantly slower than with my broadband connection. I think the blackberry's internal capacity to move data through its USB port is limited). Why is this useful? Since I have an unlimited data plan with my cell provider, I now have an easy, effective, and cost free way to get online even when I'm somewhere without an internet connection; my mom's apartment in Buffalo, for example. The only requirement is a good cell signal. Pretty cool huh? If you have a pearl, use this link for instructions. And yes, this post was written and posted through my Pearl's connection. Holla.

More Like An Extra

2008-07-10T01:06:00.007-04:00

I was recently invited to participate in Borough President Marty Markowitz's Lighten Up Brooklyn campaign. Imagining that some minor celebrity status might result from this act of public service - perhaps a few lines in the print campaign describing my inspirational fight against Doritos - I said sure. Sadly, there was room for only one star in the campaign, Soprano's actor and Brooklyn native, Joseph Gannascoli. Despite the presence of several reporters and photographers at the kick off event, these are the only photos of me that seem to have made the internets. I stood on stage in sweltering heat for this???? I'll be walking around Prospect Park at 10am this Sunday with Marty and other fat folks if anybody is interested.

The Da Vinci Code II, The Secret of Mona Lisa's Ass

2008-07-09T23:01:00.003-04:00

More street art interpretations can be found here

Family

2008-07-07T23:05:00.004-04:00

My brother and I were a touch anxious on the eve of visits from our mom, as well as uncle and aunt from Texas, for the 4th of July weekend. The thought of entertaining family, particularly mom, can be stressful. They arrived on separate flights Wednesday morning and along with their brother (my uncle), a Queens resident I only see when my mom is in town, they spent their first morning touring their old Bushwick Brooklyn neighborhood. Not content to merely pass through the old neighborhood, my mother somehow convinced the current resident of their old tenement (we're going back to 1958 here), to let them in to see how the place had changed - determination apparently, can move mountains and deadbolt locks. A family dinner later that night featured visits from yet another aunt and uncle, residents of the Poconos (my mom has 9 siblings), and thus the mini family reunion was on.

The plan for Thursday was to meet for lunch in the city, I made a reservation for us at Chimichurri Grill. Sadly, and for reasons other than my salivating taste buds, things took a turn for the hard to believe. My Texas uncle, Bo (seriously), called to inform us that my aunt had suffered a medical problem relating to her Multiple Sclerosis. A series of doctor calls and referrals later, and my aunt had been admitted to Mount Sinai Hospital. The issue was not so much that she was in severe distress but rather that treatment for outbreaks of the type she was experiencing needed to be administered immediately. Wanting to give my aunt and uncle room to breathe while they dealt with the turn of events, my brother, mother, and I had dinner that night in Brooklyn with a long lost cousin, my mom's nephew, who I had happened to run into by chance only weeks earlier.

On Friday, the 4th of July, we headed uptown to Mount Sinai. We gathered in my aunt's private room (she apparently has great coverage), and made the best of the situation. This is not how any of us expected to celebrate the 4th but we Puerto Ricans know how to survive in adversity, it's true. As the room filled up with Queens Uncle, Poconos Aunt and Uncle, Long Lost Cousin, my mom, brother and I, we decided to move the gathering to one of the interior courtyards of the hospital. While the sisters shared some quality time, the men scavenged the neighborhood for food and coffee. Despite the circumstances, we had a great time chatting and eating, taking over that courtyard like we owned the freakin' place.

For Saturday, Queens uncle had planned a big dinner at his place. It would only work, however, if Uncle Bo could convince the doctors at Mount Sinai to let my aunt self administer the last two cycles of her treatment. While we awaited word, the family reassembled at the hospital. Food and drink in the courtyard was once again had. Once we knew permission to leave that evening had been granted, the bulk of us went to Queens to help with preparations for the feast. Later that evening, and despite the complete lack of alcohol - only my brother Dennis and I drink - the dinner was a smashing success, ending at 2am only because folks were flying out early that morning.

Despite the fact that most of the holiday weekend was spent in a hospital, I had a really great time. We caught up, ate, teased each other, played Dominos, ate some more, survived, and laughed a lot. We didn't dine at any great restaurants, shop at any fine stores, or experience any great arts, yet somehow we parted with huge smiles on our faces. Much like that two bedroom apartment in Bushwick shared by my mom and her 9 siblings, it was a weekend, tough though it may have seemed, that I will gladly revisit in my memory years from now. La lucha, it binds us.

You Sir, Make A Mockery of Discretion

2008-07-07T22:33:00.005-04:00

I took this photo at the Starbucks near my job. WTF? Besides the impressive number of cards, (judging from the holographic emblems, I count 18), the audacity of displaying them so. Maybe he's in default on all of them and no longer cares about keeping them private? Lucky for him my camera phone zoom sucks.

I See What You Did There

2008-07-02T23:59:00.005-04:00

Courtesy of Media Matters:

In response to a NY Times report of declining market share for Fox News, Fox decided to attack the reporters of the story by Uncle Festering them. On the left actual photos of the reporters in question, on the right screenshots of the images Fox used.

Ha

2008-06-30T12:09:00.002-04:00

Yellow And Blue in BK

2008-06-29T19:18:00.003-04:00

I hitched a ride with my brother down to the new Ikea on Sunday. Been to one Ikea, been to them all. I'm a decade or so past buying Ikea furniture but for things like mirrors and kitchen items I feel they have bargains. On the way out I stopped in the restroom and noticed that the urinals were all "waterfree." First time I've seen one. A couple of years ago I posted a story about organized labor's attempts to derail the usage of these - they require less plumbing which means fewer people on the gravy train. I hope more businesses resist the pressure. This is such a smart way to conserve water and reduce waste. For a place like Ikea with daily foot traffic in the thousands, the impact will be significant.

GEEEEEEEEEK, c'est moi

2008-06-26T17:40:00.007-04:00

I recently set up a home network between my new laptop, my old laptop, and my XBOX 360. All Microsoft/Windows products, all functioning well. Go figure! My old laptop is called "Play" on my network and it's located out of sight in my bedroom. Play is the machine I use to, ahem, acquire and store movies and music. Play is also physically connected to all of my accessories; my laser printer, my scanner, and my photo printer. My new laptop, a spritely 14" model I scored for a reasonable $650 is called "Work." It's in the living room and connects to the internet wirelessly. I always new that with a network I'd be able for example, to send a document from Work to the printer attached to Play without having to physically connect Work to the printer. This is all basic networking but never having had more than one pc at a time, I hadn't actually ever done it. The XBOX is where things get interesting. The XBOX is essentially the third pc in my network. Since the XBOX is attached to my flat screen and my audio system, this makes the XBOX the perfect media pc; all of my media, video, music, and photos can now be streamed through the XBOX onto my flatscreen tv and home theater audio system without having to burn anything onto disk or plug in any cables. This synergy is why I love tech. It may betray my status as a techie to be so excited about such fairly old school networking fun but I can't help it. Besides, never has getting downloaded porn onto the tv been easier.

A Lot Of Scarves Were Sacrificed For This

2008-06-23T20:28:00.004-04:00

Louis Benz, take this

Classics Photographs in Lego

2008-06-09T00:18:00.004-04:00

Check out the rest here. Interesting that they all seem to revolve around war and violent moments. Still cool though.

God's Country?

2008-06-03T20:22:00.005-04:00

A picture of the sun setting on Mars as photographed by Nasa's Phoenix lander.

If You Want Impressionism Go To The Louvre

2008-05-29T21:33:00.004-04:00

Taking advantage of my time off I headed to the Brooklyn Museum for the Takashi Murakami exhibit. Murakami is a Japanese pop artist whose commercial success is in the vein of Keith Haring and Andy Warhol (in my untrained opinion).

Murakami's fame grew exponentially after his work with Louis Vuitton. I never could understand why all the fake Louis bags on Canal were so colorful. I used to think, wow, they're not even trying to make them look real anymore. Little did I know! (the connection between artist and brand is so pervasive that a mini Louis store is contained within the exhibit). More recently Murakami created the cover art for Kanye West's album, Graduation.

The exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum covers rooms on the 4th and 5th floors. I recommend starting on the 5th floor. The exhibit features paintings, sculptures, mass produced toys, and huge multi panel murals. The vibrancy and colors of his works, not to mention their abstract, even trippy, patterns, suited me well. Ending with his large murals on the fourth floor capped off a great experience. Less enjoyable were the steep prices for his merchandise in the Museum store including t-shirts selling for $42. Hmmm, I wonder if I can find those shirts on Canal ...

The exhibit costs $10 and runs through June 13th.

Japanese in Blackface Just Don't Cut It

2008-05-27T02:08:00.003-04:00

This video of Japanese recreating We Are the World is funny (the Japanese Cyndi Lauper is quite good)... until you see the original. I was surprised at how moving it was after all these years.

The Japanese

The real deal

Ain't No Half Stepping

2008-05-22T22:06:00.002-04:00

Sometimes a brother just has to bust a move. I applaud you Best Buy sales guy.

http://view.break.com/506192 - Watch more free videos

We Don't Know Jack (But Let's Keep Trying)

2008-05-21T00:37:00.010-04:00

Carl Sagan explains the scientific method in The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark. What separates science from other systems of knowledge is that scientific theories are created, tested, and more often than not, proven wrong or incomplete; these failures a stepping stone to the next level of understanding. Nothing in science is sacred; the very process advances human knowledge.

The Naked Earth series on the National Geographic channel provides a great example of the scientific method at work. This documentary series focuses on the formation and evolution of our planet. While scientists have been able to piece together strong theories about how the planets formed, flaws in prevailing theories are common and time often finds new explanations replacing prior knowledge. What science teaches me is that there will always be unexplainable mysteries but the pursuit of answers - from primitive times to the slightly less primitive times of today - is a quintessentially human endeavor.

The mysteries of our existence, the planet, the sun, space itself, and our inability to know exactly how it all happened lead some to silence inquiry in favor of faith. Thankfully faith hasn't been enough for everybody.

This Henry David Thoreau poem featured in the MTA's Poetry in Motion series may have been intended as a rebuke of science (perhaps someone familiar with his work can inform us), but to me its no rebuke, just an affirmation of the mysteries of life. We'll never know the answers to everything but as long as we remember that, let's keep trying:

Men say they know many things;
But lo! They have taken wings,--
The arts and the sciences,
And a thousand appliances;
The wind that blows
Is all that anybody knows.

96

2008-05-11T23:05:00.003-04:00

Degrees in Ft. Lauderdale today. Sitting in the pool helps.
Introduced the family to the world of torrentz. Only because we're in a recession.
It's great being around my niece and nephew. They're probably the only people who can get me to do the vocal parts on Rock Band.
Happy Mother's Day all. If the scene plays out for you like it does in my family, they spend the day in the kitchen. Maybe it would be better if we showed appreciation on a daily basis than focusing on the day the marketers tell us to.
Go to sleep people, you've got work tomorrow.

And The Beat Goes On

2008-05-06T20:43:00.002-04:00

Tomorrow marks the end of my run at Foot Locker. I started six months ago filling in for an attorney on sick leave. Sadly she never returned, passing away from lymphoma at the age of 42. Her desk was across from mine and watching her colleagues pack her possessions the day she passed, including pictures of her two preschool children, was gut wrenching. After a lengthy grieving period, they began interviewing for the position. I lost out out to a very experienced lawyer, downsized from the now bankrupt Linens N Things, and who happened to have worked with the department boss decades earlier at a different company. Retail is a very small community I've learned. I enjoyed working in house (for the first time) and with really decent people who seem honestly sad to see me leave - my six month tenure having merited a farewell luncheon this afternoon - and I'll miss it. It's tough leaving a job you like because the next one might suck. Onward I go but I have a feeling my next gig won't include any discounted kicks. Damn.

Holy Frijole

2008-05-05T21:23:00.007-04:00

Standing outside Grimaldi's Pizza Friday night I heard the following conversation:

20 something guy: So Monday is Cinco De Mayo
20 something girl: Yeah, what is that about anyway?
20 something guy: I think there was a battle and the Mexicans all got massacred, except five of them.
20 something girl: Oh
20 something guy: And then I think the final five Mexicans got massacred too.

Marketing apparently has it's limits. Next year we'll discuss the origins of St. Patrick's Day: the day Leprechauns ate all the potatoes in Ireland.

In other news, this penthouse in the Clocktower building in Dumbo recently sold for over $7,000,000.00. I partied there (like a freakin' rock star!) twice. A friend was the personal assistant to the owner and would house sit periodically. We would visit on those occasions. Probably the first and only time Philly blunts were cracked in that place. We were not worthy.

In music news, saw the Verve last Monday in the Garden. Wasn't familiar with their music but couldn't turn down a free ticket (think music to listen to while shrooming - so I've been told). Also been enjoying Cut Copy (think '80s new wave) and Estelle (think Lauryn Hill).