Looking Back and Ahead

In retrospect, it was a good year.

Chicago to NYC.

Lakeview to Park Slope.

My wife getting a good job.

My wife getting accepted into an Ivy-League grad school program.

Trips to Portland, Aruba, Chicago, Baltimore, Montreal, and Raleigh.

Saying goodbye to a childhood home in NJ and saying hello to my parents' new home in NC.

Getting to know NYC.

Mets, Yankees, Knicks, Rangers, Cyclones games. Colbert Show taping. Belle & Sebastian and Death Cab concerts.

Finishing my graduate degree program.

Moving to NYC for one industry but ending the year in a totally different one.

Having friends and family visit us in Park Slope.

Having good friends and family.

Here's to a good 2007 for everyone.....

Christmas in Carolina

Christmas means empanadas and other treats (pictured at left). Oh yes, and it also means family, of course.

We went down to Raleigh, NC to see my family. It was a good time - saw the folks and their new house and my sis, bro-in-law and three nephews. Also, my brothers arrived for the festivities.

Christmas Eve and Day were a blur with seeing family, eating, drinking, more eating, playing with the kids, and then eating again.

While we were down there we got to see my parents' new house which is quite nice and comfortable. Also, we went to the North Carolina Museum of Art, went shopping, saw the Carolina Hurricanes defeat the Florida Panthers, and had a nice dinner at Bonefish Grill, which apparently is a chain restaurant.

We returned to NYC and have been bumming around the last few days trying to enjoy the last remnants of holiday vacation!

Lazy Sunday

Still the best!

dick in a box (better quality)

Because it's taken them this long to come up with something almost as funny as "Lazy Sunday."

Al di La and Xmas Gifts

Last night we decided to have our own xmas celebration by going to Al di La. We waited outside in a line for about 10 minutes before it opened and shortly after opening its doors, the place was packed!

Al di La is consistenly known as one of the best restaurants in the city and it did not disappoint. We both started off with salads but the showstoppers were the main courses - homemade gnocchi that melts in your mouth and braised pork shank served osso buco style.

Afterwards, we watched A Charlie Brown Christmas on DVD and exchanged gifts since we will be out of town for the holiday. I got lots of good stuff including tickets to a Nets/Knicks game! Now I can cheer on the Nets AND heckle the Knicks and Isiah Thomas at the same game.

Paul McCartney & Wings_Wonderful Christmas Time

Thanks for the award, Time

Okay, it's old news by now but gimme a break, I'm just catching up on blogging.

So, Time Magazine's Person of the Year, apparently, is us. All of us. And yes, to be sure, it was quite a year for user-generated content. Many of us had never heard of MySpace or YouTube until this year. And don't forget about the bloggers.

There's something about this award that doesn't seem right. An old media outfit like Time ought to be selecting someone influential in world affairs, politics, business, or pop culture - instead of emphasizing the fact that the very media it's based its business on is increasingly becoming controlled by end users like us.

So, Time, I am here to give you my own award. It's called the "Media Title Most Rapidly Declining in Relevance" Award. Congratulations! It's you!

Melt

On Thursday night, we went to Melt for dinner. We've been there a few times and it doesn't disappoint. Between the cool, modern decor, good service and quality food, Melt is an underappreciated restaurant in the Park Slope area. It's popularity is only hindered by the fact that it's on a side street (Bergen) as opposed to being located directly on 5th Ave.

We started off with the gambas al ajillo and mango crab salad then moved to the entrees - braised boneless beef short ribs for my wife and the Long Island Duck for me. Good stuff!

Time for Isiah to Go

In any other job, in any other industry - this guy would have been fired a long time ago. The fact that he hasn't speaks volumes about the incompetence of Knicks owner James Dolan. Isiah has failed at everything since leaving the court - from the CBA to the Raptors and Pacers organizations and now the Knicks. He's assembled bad players, fired good coaches, and now instigates fights. On top of that, he does it all with a cocky smirk and smiles his disturbing smile during press conferences. Hmm, come to think of it, Isiah reminds me of President Bush. Both are incompetent yet continue to keep their jobs!

Mike Lupica of the NY Daily News had a great summation of the state of affairs:


Thomas at centerof withering Garden
Isiah Thomas has made Madison Square Garden cheap, everywhere except in ticket prices, everywhere except the money he has spent on a team that can't win games, only fights. Go find somebody lately who has done this much to run the place into the ground.
Thomas got away with another one yesterday, got off without a suspension for his role in Saturday night's wrestling show at the Garden, got off with a fine that James Dolan will pay for him, the way he has paid for Stephon Marbury and the rest of the players on a 9-17 team. What does Thomas care? It's not his money. What does Dolan care? It's not his, either, unless you think he's the Dolan who built Cablevision.
The Knicks couldn't come close to beating the Denver Nuggets in a basketball game on Saturday night. But with the help of NBA Commissioner David Stern, the Knicks sure gave the Nuggets a good beating yesterday, as Stern got his punishments so wrong you don't know where to start. Well, start here: The guy who runs the league couldn't even identify the guilty parties, or who started the thing.
Now the Nuggets might lose their whole season because they lose Carmelo Anthony for 15 games, the biggest suspension Stern handed out yesterday. But no matter how much Isiah Thomas loses, how many games he loses and how much money he wastes and how much the Garden loses in prestige and all the old ideas about it because of him, he just keeps going.
I am standing in front of the Garden on Sunday morning, in front of the famous marquee on Seventh Ave., and remembering what it was like back in the '90s, when it would only say "Michael Jordan Tonight" on that marquee and this was the only place in town you wanted to be. You know when that will happen with Isiah Thomas in charge of basketball at the Garden? Never.
Now, in the aftermath of a fight that everybody but the commissioner of the NBA seems to know Thomas instigated, you wonder what type of further embarrassment it will take for Dolan to tell the guy to go back to Chicago or Indiana, go anywhere and get himself good and lost.
Somehow Thomas smiles through it all as he slips another punch, whether it is the kind of punches being thrown around between the Knicks and Nuggets or a sexual harassment suit against him and Dolan and the Garden. He is as slippery as we've ever had in a job like his in New York. Maybe he smiles the way he does, through all the boos and catcalls, because he has his hooks into a dream sucker like Dolan.
The late great Bill Veeck once said that the definition of a hustler is a guy who beats you out of bus fare and makes you feel as if he did you a favor. That is Thomas, and that is his relationship with Dolan.
Thomas has run through money, and players, for three years. Once again his customers left the building on the dead run Saturday night. And when it was over, there was the sight of Dolan's team president and coach not just smiling in the aftermath of an event Dolan himself called "ugly" and "deeply regrettable" yesterday, he was laughing.
So Carmelo Anthony gets 15 games for being dumb enough to slug the scrub Thomas sent into the game to start the trouble. Denver's J.R. Smith gets the same suspension - 10 games - that the Knicks' Nate Robinson got, even though it was Robinson who did the most to make the incident more dangerous and more stupid than it ever should have been.
Thomas? He gets nothing from Stern, not even a real reprimand. Absolutely wonderful. The other coach, George Karl, is supposed to be the one we blame because he wanted to leave the gym with a big win.
"[The incident] was directed by Isiah," Karl, 10 times the basketball coach Thomas is, said yesterday, speaking more honestly about Saturday night than the commissioner. "His actions after the game were despicable."
Stern did go as far as saying he was annoyed with Thomas for trying to blame the Nuggets for what happened. Really? He couldn't have been too annoyed, because he turned around and did everything possible to knock the Nuggets right out of the ring. Stern must be awfully proud of what the Garden has become on Dolan's watch, and Thomas' watch.
The best part of all this, the most wonderful part of all, is Thomas talking about class yesterday as he defended himself. "Show some class," that's what he said he was telling Anthony.
He knows as much about class, what kind of class the Garden used to have, as he does about putting together a winning basketball team. When he is gone, both the Knicks and the Garden will be better off without him. That's it and that's all. Originally published on December 19, 2006

Hall & Oates - Jingle Bell Rock

Gearing Up for the Holidays

Yesterday, we finally checked out the lit-up arch at Grand Army Plaza. Dope on The Slope has some good pics of it here.

Also, we went to the Park Slope Ale House for the first time. The ambience was pretty good as far as pubs go, jalapeno poppers and onion rings were satisfactory but bad '70's rock over the speakers dampened an otherwise good experience.

Mallory ruins Alex's Princeton Interview

Classic Scene from Family Ties

Burnout

Just catching up on my issues of New York magazine and read a great article about burnout.

I had never blogged about a job that I recently left (and won't go into details here) but after reading this article, I'm even more certain that it was burnout.

Some highlights from the article:

In 1981, Maslach, now vice-provost at the University of California, Berkeley, famously co-developed a detailed survey, known as the Maslach Burnout Inventory, to measure the syndrome. Her theory is that any one of the following six problems can fry us to a crisp: working too much; working in an unjust environment; working with little social support; working with little agency or control; working in the service of values we loathe; working for insufficient reward (whether the currency is money, prestige, or positive feedback).

AND

Perhaps the most surprising aspect of Maslach’s research is that burnout isn’t necessarily a result of overwork. It can be, certainly. Michael Leiter, a lovely Canadian fellow and frequent collaborator of Maslach’s, has elegantly called burnout a “crisis in self-efficacy,” which to me suggests that head-banging feeling of struggling mightily for too little or (worse) nothing in return.

AND

And Farber often calls burnout “the gap between expectation and reward,” which may have the most relevance to New Yorkers. This has always been a city of inflated expectations. People with more modest aims for themselves seem less prone to disillusionment.

TSVTL - Version 2.0

Yes, TSVTL stands for The Slope Via The Lake. And now we've (and by we, I mean me) enabled comments. We'll see what you have to say for yourself.

BEST MUSIC OF 2006

Is it too early to do this list? Maybe. Maybe not. This is not definitive and not necessarily in order of best to worst or worst to best. But here are some of the songs from 2006 that made an impact on me (as well as on my wallet thanks to iTunes).

1. "Lloyd I'm Ready to Be Heartbroken" - Camera Obscura (pictured above)
2. "The Greatest" - Cat Power
3. "Rise Up With Fists!!" - Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins
4. "Whisper Pitch" - Stereolab
5. "Think Long" - Mates of State
6. "In the Future When All's Well" - Morrissey
7. "Cheated Hearts" - Yeah Yeah Yeahs
8. "Another Sunny Day" - Belle and Sebastian
9. "It's a Hit" - We Are Scientists
10. "Throw It All Away" - Zero 7
11. "Promiscuous" - Nelly Furtado and Timbaland
12. "Liar" - Built to Spill
13. "All of My Days" - Alexi Murdoch
14. "Hearbeats" - Jose Gonzalez
15. "The Eraser" - Thom Yorke
16. "Crazy" - Gnarls Barkley
17. "Wolf Like Me" - TV On The Radio
18. "Incinerate" - Sonic Youth
19. "Young Folks" - Peter Bjorn and John
20. "Pittsburgh" - The Lemonheads
21. "Burning" - The Whitest Boy Alive
22. "Smile" - Lily Allen
23. "You Made It" - DJ Shadow and Chris James
24. "Phantom Limb" - The Shins
25. "Everybody" - Basement Jaxx
26. "Put Your Records On" - Corinne Bailey Rae
27. "Star Witness" - Neko Case
28. "Publish My Love" - Rogue Wave
29. "Stars Above Us" - Saint Etienne
30. "Ageless Beauty" - Stars
31. "Sweatshop" - Brazilian Girls
32. "Swimmers" - Broken Social Scene (this came out in 2005 but I listened to it a billion times this year)

Exploring Brooklyn

Since the temps warmed up today we decided to get some sun and explore BK a little more, walking down the Atlantic Ave. (full of antique stores, shops and restaurants) and once again going through Boerum Hill and Cobble Hill, visiting the main drags of Smith Street and Court Street. Lots of cool stores, bars, and restaurants and we came across a branch of the hip travel store Flight 001.

We also found a large movie theater and Barnes and Noble around Atlantic and Court St. that we had not known about before. Good to know for future movie watching needs.

We ended the excursion with lunch at Franny's, which was recently voted as one of the best pizza places in NYC by Time Out New York. It's good but not great and certainly not cheap. Maybe we're spoiled by the stuffed pizza in Chicago but we don't think it holds a candle to Chicago's Art of Pizza or My Pie.

Afternoon Delight

Yesterday afternoon, we finally checked out Hunan Delight on the corner of Union/6th in Park Slope. The restaurant recently underwent a makeover and looks great and the prices for the lunch specials could not be beaten.

I got the chicken lo mein with egg drop soup and fried rice while my wife got the chicken with garlic sauce, wonton soup and white rice. Her meal was not what she expected but the chicken lo mein did deliver and both soups were good. Also we had an egg roll and vegetable roll, respectively to start things off and they were pretty good too. Best of all was the price - a whopping $13.50 plus tax and tip. Not a bad deal at all.

Night out in BoCoCa

Last night we met up with a friend and grabbed some Thai food at Joya on Court Street (between Warren and Wyckoff) in Cobble Hill. The place was packed but food good and prices cheap. We had the Pad Thai and Pad See Yue and started off with the tiger shrimp rolls.

Afterwards we headed to Boerum Hill for some drinks at The Brooklyn Inn - great atmospehere, good jukebox but limited seating.

Run DMC- Christmas In Hollis

Nothing says Christmas like RUN DMC. Happy Holidays!

Thanksgiving Edition

Happy Thanksgiving!

Yesterday we kicked off the long holiday weekend with some snacks at SouthwestNY, then caught an afternoon flick - Stranger Than Fiction, which did an admirable job of putting a twist on the classic "live life to the fullest" theme.

Afterwards, we finally checked out Century 21 Department Store, which we had heard much about.

Badly Drawn Boy - You Were Right

Brunch on Smith Street

Yesterday, we finally checked out restaurant row on Smith Street in Cobble Hill, Brookyn. We had brunch at Cafe Luluc. The prices were reasonable and food good though not extraordinary. My wife had the quiche while I had the eggs benedict. Coffee was decent, service solid and ambience good overall. We'll have to make a return to Smith Street for dinner sometime and maybe check out The Grocery.

Holidays Around The Corner

Nothing says "white" Christmas like some of the seasonal drinks at Starbucks or the recent releases of holiday tunes from people like Sarah McLachlan, Aimee Mann and Sufjan Stevens.

And though I do mock the yuppiness of it all, hey I can't deny that I enjoy the Peppermint Mocha drink or holiday interpretations by musicians whose typically angst-ridden work I've enjoyed over the years.

Yes, I've become that which I despise. I'll be wearing my handmade reindeer sweater, sipping my latte, and enjoying the soothing sounds of adult contemporary music over the speakers. Happy Holidays!

Lilly Allen - Smile

Ridiculous Celeb Sighting

Oh, no. Actually, it was Ludacris.

The Celeb: Ludacris

Where Sighted: Tao Restaurant (58th/Madison)

The Scenario: Saying goodbye to co-workers after having dinner at Tao and waiting for cabs outside - we then saw Ludacris and crew exit the restaurant, have his photo taken a couple times and then head to their limo

My Thoughts: Man, why is Ludacris going to Tao? Couldn't he go somewhere cooler?

Weekend in Montreal

So, of course, I forgot the battery to my digital camera on our trip to Montreal this past weekend (the pic to the left is from the Official Tourism site of Montreal).

But that didn't stop us from having a good time. After a short one-hour flight from NYC, we arrived in Montreal and set out to explore the city via a Coach Canada three-hour tour of the city. Yes, start singing the theme to Gilligan's Island ("three-hour tour, a three-hour tour..."). As touristy as it was, it was a great way to see the city. Montreal is a very clean, beautiful city with a mix of modernity and cultural heritage. And it certainly felt like we were far from NYC as everyone spoke French and all the signs were in French. We saw lots of sites (mostly short stops) on the tour, including:

-Centreville (or midtown)
-Chinatown
-Bonsecours Market Building (City Hall)
-Biodome
-Olympic Park
-University of Montreal
-St. Joseph's Basilica
-Notre Dame Cathedral
-Botanical Garden
-Old Montreal
-McGill University
-Mount Royal Park (designed by same architect who designed Central Park and Prospect Park!)

The architecture was amazing and our tour bus driver explained how they have universal healthcare and affordable education for its residents. That must explain why I didn't see many homeless people and why the streets were clean - just a better quality of life. Or perhaps that is too simple an answer and maybe I just didn't see the underside of Montreal.

Later that night, we went to a cool, trendy restaurant called Cube for dinner. Located in Old Montreal which (as its name implies) is full of cobblestone streets and charming old buildings, the neighborhood is now full of restaurants and art galleries and feels very European. We had been given a gift certificate to Cube and so indulged a bit with the tasting menu, which included:

-Cold zucchini soup
-Foie gras and cold pea soup
-Salmon and lobster risotto
-Beef filet/pork
-Cheese Plate
-Coffe/Caramel Cream
-Banana creme brulee/white chocolate sorbet and cake

All in all, a delicious meal within a very cool atmosphere. And because it's so cold in Montreal, much of the downtown area is connected with underground passageways, which we used to get to Old Montreal. It was surprising to see how quiet, clean and new the passageways were compared to NYC!

On Saturday, we took advantage of the underground city since it was raining all day and hit some of the different malls and shopping opportunites that Montreal offers, including a stop at Roots. Later that night, we went back to Old Montreal for dinner at Gargote. We had the escargot, my wife had the filet mignon and I had the duck, while topping it off with some creme brulee.

We definitely liked Montreal though would go back when it is warmer!

Goals and Goals

Yesterday, we walked over to 4th Ave. in Park Slope to watch some of the NYC marathon. Much like the Chicago marathon, it was pretty fun to see people come out and line the street to cheer the runners (and wheelchair racers) on.

Later on, we went to Madison Square Garden to see the Rangers take on the Buffalo Sabres. I have to say it was the most lively crowd I had been around at a sporting event! It was fun to see them score a few goals as the crowd sings a "Goal" song afterwards, but we left after two periods when they were up 3-2 to get back home and relax before the work week.

Of course, once we got home, I turned on the t.v. and it turns out that the Sabres came from behind to win 4-3 in O.T. Guess we left at a good time.

The Cardigans I Need Some Fine Wine

East Village Brunch

Yesterday, we headed into the East Village to have brunch with my aunt and cousin who were visiting from Texas (and visiting my cousin who lives in the East Village).

We went to a place called 7A Cafe and it was pretty good.

Meals were about $10.95 and included entree plus coffee/tea and a choice from a variety of cocktails. I had coffee, a mimosa and the salmon eggs benedict with home fries.

Afterwards, we headed to SoHo for a little shopping but then I got quickly annoyed with the crowds on B'way so made our way back to the more relaxed and quiet atmosphere of The Slope.

Charm City

So, last weekend we made our way to Baltimore, MD (apparently known as "charm city") for the Notre Dame/Navy game. We took Amtrak for the first time and it was a pleasant experience - clean train, lots of legroom, and nice views of the autumn colors as we passed through NJ, Pennsylvania and Delaware. Of course, the price for a one-way ticket was a little steep - about $90 per person.

We had never been to Baltimore before and it was pretty nice - from the Inner Harbor to the Capitol City Brewing Company (where we grabbed lunch with our friends) to Ravens Stadium for the game. Though the game was fine (and ND ended up winning), there were moments when we realized why we typically don't go to these things - like loud, obnoxious fans making inane and offensive comments (and those were the ND fans!).

But we did get a chance to see our friends, who live in a nice area called Silver Spring, MD, grab dinner in Bethesda and play a competitive game of Balderdash. The next morning, we took Greyhound back to NYC - a little different experience - not as nice, but a lot cheaper and we got back fine.

Flatbush Farm

Got home fairly early tonight so we finally checked out Flatbush Farm. It wasn't very busy - especially since it was a chilly Tuesday night but ambiance was good and all in all we enjoyed our meals. My wife had the risotto and I had the roasted chicken while washing it down with a glass of wine and Sixpoints Brownstone, respectively. We topped things off with an apple crumb cake. A nice treat to break up the work week.

Irish Luck and Consolation in Booze

Broken record time - another long week. We're living the rat race lifestyle right now with both of us working a lot (and classes for me too).

So Friday night we unwound at Union Hall in Park Slope - love the flat bread and mini-burgers there and washed it down with some Brooklyn Lager. Also, I finally tried the jukebox there and played these selections:

-"Police and Thieves" - The Clash
-"Sing Me Spanish Techno" - New Pornographers
-"Monster Hospital" - Metric
-"Helicopter" - Bloc Party
-"Another Sunny Day" - Belle and Sebastian

Yesterday, we grabbed some hot chocolate at Cocoa Bar and I did my usual Saturday morning media binging of internet, PS2 gaming, catching up on magazines and TiVo'ed programming. Later we watched the Irish pull out an incredible win at the last minute against UCLA.

Damn You, Midtown

It was another long work week (ironic given that we had Columbus Day off) but between work and my midterm exam on Thursday, I was beat.

I met up with my wife after the exam and since we were both still in Manhattan, ended up grabbing a drink and bite to eat at Chelsea Grill.

The glass of Stella tasted good but burger was nothing extraordinary nor was the meatloaf that my wife got. Add to that the noise level and few obnoxious businessmen, and once again we were wondering why we fell into the trap of eating at overpriced, mediocre midtown joints. Damn convenience!

More Music I'm Considering

Whitest Boy Alive Dreams

Badly Drawn Boy Born in the U.K.

Portastatic Be Still Please

Tunes

Tunes I'm listening to:

Lemonheads Pittsburgh
Peter, Bjorn and John Young Folks

Artists whose tunes I might download in the future:

Beck
Emily Haines
The Decemberists
Badly Drawn Boy

A Tale of Two Shows

I had never seen the British version of The Office before and didn't catch on to the American one until recently, but can see why it recently won an Emmy for Best Comedy and can't get enough of watching the DVDs of Season 2, which we received from Netflix the other day.

No other show captures the intentional and unintentional humor that we can all relate to like The Office. Here's hoping it stays funny and doesn't jump the shark.

Meanwhile, how much longer will I stick with Lost? After an intriguing first few minutes where we see the "others" dressed like everyday people living in suburban looking development on the island as the plane crashes, we proceed to learn nothing in the remainder of the episode. Once again, no questions answered, more questions raised, and lots of frustration.

Long Weekend in The Slope

Another long work week came to an end on Friday night and we relaxed with some dinner at Bogota (5th Ave.).

We hadn't been there since we first moved here - and our dinner reminded us why. It wasn't bad, per se, but wasn't anything to write home about.

The ambience, the watermelon mojitos and plantain chips are great but the main event - my wife got the fish tacos and I got the special pork chops - were bland and not the highest of quality.

We'd definitely go back for snacks and drinks but with so many good places to eat in the Slope, our money is better spent elsewhere.

On Saturday, I media-binged - catching up on Web surfing, DVR recorded programs and some PS2 gaming. Afterwards, took a nice walk around the neighborhood - taking in the greenmarket at Grand Army Plaza and riding the trolley around Prospect Park.

Mediocre Italian Food, Thy Name is Serafina

We really like living in Park Slope, Brooklyn. It's midtown Manhattan that we hate.

Yet, we somehow eat at midtown restaurants from time to time due to location and convenience after work and on Thursday night we ate at Serafina Broadway, located at 55th/Broadway.

The food was okay but certainly not above average - my wife had the linguine and I had the gnocchi. But like many restaurants in the area, the food was subpar and overpriced and Serafina could not decided whether it wants to be a restaurant or a club (music was way too loud). Add in the businesspeople and tourists and it's a really good time. I know, we should know better than to eat dinner in midtown but again, sometimes convenience plays a role. Maybe we should learn our lesson and stay away next time.....

Dateline NBC

This is a trainwreck. I watched "Dateline: To Catch a Predator" the other night for the first time. It's crazy - from the pervs that they catch to the exploitative nature of the show. Unreal.

Reason #1,237,654 to Hate FOX News

They labeled Mark Foley as a Democrat. See pic!

He's a Republican.

Unbelievable.

Celeb Sighting

The Celeb: Bob Costas
Why He's Famous: Currently hosts NFL on NBC; was a sportscaster for many years; hosted Later with Bob Costas on NBC.
Where/When I saw him: Last Thursday night, in front of Time Warner Building (near Columbus Circle)
Thought I had when I saw him: Man, he is short.

Fun with Logos

You too can create your own customized interface for Google. Saw this Google font generator in Pogue's Posts in NY Times.

Love that Broken Social Scene

Been listening to Broken Social Scene's "Swimmers" song a lot lately. There's a million members to this Canadian indie rock supergroup, including those pictured to the right (Amy Millan of Stars, Emily Haines of Metric, and Feist).

Slope Dining

It was a long week, so we unwound on Friday night with a nice meal at Rose Water (6th/Union). We've been there about 4 times and it has been consistently good (quality, service, atmosphere) although we did have some annoying diners next to us who were on their cell phones!

I had a foie gras special to start that was served with cranberries and peanut brittle. I'm not even exactly sure what I ate but it was good and tasted fresh. Maybe because it is Greenmarket Restaurant Week! As for my entree, I had a roasted chicken served with fresh veggies (lima beans, carrots, etc.) and washed it down with a Brooklyn Pilsner.

Yesterday, meanwhile, we finally made our way to Belleville (5th ave/5th st.), a brasserie where we grabbed some brunch. I had the eggs benedict (served with salad and home fries) and a cup of coffee. It was good, not great, but we'll definitely be interested in coming back to check out their dinner and try the steak frites and escargot.

Identity Theft - Darrel

I HATE THIS COMMERCIAL.

Commercial Annoying Me Now

You know the one - it's got scenes of Audrey Hepburn from Funny Face combined with AC/DC's "Back in Black" and is used to sell The Gap's new line of black pants.

Damn it's annoying - and on so many levels.

Danny Miller from the Huffington Post agrees....

Apparently, you can go home again....

On Labor Day weekend we made our way back to Chicago - for the first time since we left to move to NYC.

Our initial re-introduction to the city was a little disorienting - not remembering where everything was, the quiet and cleanliness of the "El" compared to the NYC subway, the feeling of spaciousness and cleanliness in downtown Chicago.

After dropping off our bags at our friends' place, we immediately headed south to walk around our old neighborhood, Lakeview. The familiarity began to return and of course, we played the game of what restaurants/shops are still around? Which ones are gone? Was one of our local favorites Ecce Cafe closed? There was no "closed for remodeling" sign posted. Unbelievable! Then the shady sports video store was now replaced by an Argot Tea chain. And there was an American Apparel and a new mediterranean place in the neighborhood.

We kept walking south and ended up at My Pie for some deep dish pizza. Later on, we did some more browsing/shopping at the stores on Armitage and ended the evening with friends and dinner at Cafe Babareeba.

The next day, we had breakfast with friends at S&G and spent some time by the Lake (one of the things we miss the most). Then we made our way to the Ravenswood Tap for some drinks in the afternoon. We then visited some friends who just had twins and bought a home in Wicker Park. Wicker Park was once the "developing" neighborhood seemed so gentrified and yuppie compared to some of the hoods in NYC. We couldn't believe how much space our friends had! So much room in Chicago compared to the real estate in NYC. Later that night, it was time for more deep dish pizza - this time from The Art of Pizza and a couple friends over to watch the ND/Georgia Tech game.

The next day we met up with another couple who also just had a baby (is there a trend here?). Afterwards we hung out in Evanston and later that evening spent some time grilling with friends and competing in a game of Trivial Pursuit: Pop Culture edition.

After spending a few days in Chicago, it felt like we were living there again and there was a part of me that did not want to leave. In fact, it was weird being at Midway airport and realizing we were in Chicago but on our way home. Wasn't Chicago home?

But, after spending a couple days back in NYC, I realized I like living in NYC too. After all, you can't compare 7 months to 7 years. Both cities have their pros and cons but it's nice to know you can go home again.

Where We've Been

Last weekend we spent some time walking around SoHo - mostly the shops on B'way and checked out stores like Uniqlo and Pearl River Mart.

We eventually made our way down to Chinatown which I found to be surprisingly packed full of people - so packed it was difficult to make one's way down the sidewalk.

We ended up eating lunch at Shanghai Cuisine (on Bayard/Mulberry) - not the greatest of meals but not the worst. We had pork dumplings and chicken with cashews. Next time we'll have to pick a specific place to go to and see the best that Chinatown has to offer.

The week prior we met up with a friend at Metro Cafe and Wine Bar in Union Square to catch up with a friend and in the middle of that week we finally tried Hanabi on 7th Avenue in Park Slope. We tried the scallops wrapped in bacon and a selection of sushi rolls. It was good and the restaurant had good ambiance. It's definitely a place we will check out again.

In early September, I had a couple friends visiting from out of town. I hung out with one of them at a great place called Ditch Plains (Bedford/Downing) in West Village? where I had a tasty burger and fries. Later that week, a bunch of us hung out at The Boxcar Lounge for some drinks in the East Village.

That weekend, I had another friend in town and he and his girlfriend came over to watch the ND/Penn St. game. It was a good time. It's too bad ND lost last weekend to Michigan and all but dashed the championship dream. Let's hope they can rebound tonight against Michigan State.

Reality TV RoundUp

Some observations on the shows that have occupied my time recently:

1. Was there anything gay-er than Mike "Boogie" Malin crying in the confessional room after his buddy Dr. Will got voted out of Big Brother All-Stars?
2. Did anyone else think that Billy (the heavy metal Latin dude) was crazy when he told Survivor host Jeff Probst that he found love on the island (with a woman on the "white" team whom he barely had any contact with)?
3. Anyone else interested in seeing how well the "rednecks" do in Amazing Race 10?
4. Anyone else pissed that Project Runway ran re-runs this past week?

Now, I've got to make room for Lost, 24, and The Office on the DVR too.....

Anniversary Dinner

The blogging output has been reduced to a trickle as Fall descends upon me and the demands of work, school, life, and of course, the new Fall TV lineup occupy my time. However, we did get a chance to celebrate our three-year wedding anniversary the other day with dinner at Jean Georges (Columbus Circle/West 6oth).

We've been to other exceptional dining establishments like Georges at the Cove (La Jolla, CA) and Charlie Trotter's (Chicago, IL) and Jean Georges is right up there (if not better) in terms of service, quality, presentation and overall experience.

They did not give us a menu to take home but here's the rundown as best as we can recall - we opted for the classic seven-course "tasting menu":

• Opened with plate of sashimi in jalapeno puree, crab spring roll and potato soup
• Course #1 - Caviar lined around eggshell - with vodka infused partially scrambled egg inside the eggshell (I'm not doing it justice with this description but it was good)
• Course #2 - Scallops with braised cauliflower
• Course #3 - Garlic soup with frogs legs on the side (encouraged us to use fingers when eating frogs legs, then brought out a bowl for us to wash our hands)
• Course #4 - Fish in butter sauce
• Course #5 - Lobster on some type of crostini in tomato broth and sugar peas
• Course #6 - Squab with candied lemon, potato cake with foie gras, onion puree, and curry cinnamon sauce
• Course #7 - We chose from 4 "themed" desserts and selected "Fig" - 4 interpretations of fig including - 1)Fig Tart; 2)Open faced fig ravioli with cantaloupe; 3)Grilled figs with sangria sorbet; 4)Fig tempura
• Bonus Dessert for our Anniversary - Blueberry tart and fresh mint ice cream with chocolate cookie crumble - "Happy Anniversary" written on marzipan
• Even more bonus desserts - homemade marshallows (vanilla, grapefruit and coffee flavors), candied fruit, macaroons, and chocolate

All in all, one of the best meals we've had and we've got the credit card debt to prove it.

It's Been Too Long...

since I last posted. Things have been busy with work, school, and our recent trip to Chicago. I will have to do some catching up but in the meantime, we were watching the re-air of the 2006 MTV Awards tonight and besides the fact that I can't tell the difference between the following bands (AFI, Panic! At the Disco, Fall Out Boy, All American Rejects, etc.), my wife and I were wondering where the heck we were when Jared Leto transformed into a goth looking musical artist? Didn't this guy used to date Cameron Diaz?

In fact, I remember seeing a video on MTV and thinking to myself "Man, this dude looks like Jared Leto." I guess it was him after all. But that MTV Awards show is a train wreck with one bad musical performance after another whether its "alternative" bands who look like they just had a shopping spree at Hot Topic or rappers thanking God for blessing them with lyrical skills or humility (or as my wife commented, "Nothing says humble like having gold teeth"). They even give an award for Best Ringtone. Oh, youth of America....

Books I Am Interested In Buying, Borrowing or Stealing (Okay, Maybe Not Stealing)

The Long Tail: Why The Future of Business Is Selling Less of More by Chris Anderson

The Marketing Gurus: Lessons from the Best Marketing Books of All Time by Chris Murray

Fast Company's Greatest Hits: Ten Years of the Most Innovative Ideas in Business by Jim Collins

The Subway Chronicles: Scenes from Life in New York edited by Jacquelin Cangro

Smart Words

So I am trying to dispose of magazine articles that I ripped out for one reason or another (either some nugget of wisdom I think I will refer to at a later point or something that I think is well put) and came across a blurb from writer Barbara Ehrenreich from the March 2006 issue of Fast Company.

She writes:
There is a profound discounting of experience going on that we're going to have to reexamine if we're going to keep up with the rest of the world. During my research for Bait and Switch, I was told again and again that the basis of hiring is not your skills or experience, but how likable you are. The rationale is that you have to be a 'team player' and conform, in great detail, down to the shape of your lapel pin. In what kind of team does everyone have to be the same?

There seems to be a growing culture of incompetence where who knows whom and who likes whom weigh more than getting the job done. This is the kind of thinking that got us Michael D. Brown heading up FEMA. Even more perverse is the constant culling out of the high achievers. If you get a raise, it's like having a bullseye painted on your back. You are just an expense, and a bigger expense, so let's get rid of you.

How will American business face the challenge of the rising economies of China and India? Those nations are emphasizing skill and a proven track record. We are not going to survive in a globalized economy if our business culture is so self-indulgently involved in preserving an internal comfort level. What did you hire me for? To keep you company in the office?

Songs I'm Into

yet not necessarily downloaded from iTunes since they don't have everything in their inventory!

Scanners Lowlife

Sonic Youth Incinerate

Basement Jaxx Everybody

Lily Allen LDN

Brazilian Girls Last Call

Nerd, uh, I mean Celeb Sighting

Saw MTV News correspondent Gideon Yago around 50th/Bway yesterday.....

Ida on YouTube

Another example of why YouTube is awesome - found this clip of one of my favorite bands - Ida.

Saturday in the Borough

Yesterday we entertained a couple of friends in town for a wedding. They visited us in the Slope and we took them to Rose Water for a tasty brunch. Afterwards, we walked around 5th Ave. for a bit before succumbing to the heat and humidity and indulging in some Italian ices from Uncle Louie G's.

Later that night, I met up with some friends in Brooklyn Heights for some sushi at Iron Chef House (no relation to the show, I am pretty sure).

Then I headed back to Park Slope to have some drinks with my wife and a friend visiting from Ireland. Took him to new "it" bar Union Hall, Patio Lounge, and Lighthouse Tavern.

Good Ole Boy

I was catching up on my Daily Show's and Colbert Report's that had gotten backed up on the DVR and saw the story about Senator George Allen who used a racial epithet while on the campaign trail.

Just goes to show you there are still lots of redneck racists out there and lots of them have positions of power!

How Did I Miss This One?

Oh yeah, I don't read The Onion as much as I used to but every once in a while I still do, and damn it's still funny.

Check out this faux-article about U.S. trendsetters "going on strike."

Minor League Baseball = Major League Fun

So we capped off our day in Coney Island with a little Minor League Baseball action between the Brooklyn Cyclones and the Batavia Muckdogs.

First of all, there's no better value for sports entertainment than taking in a Cyclones game. There's not a single bad seat in the stadium as it's all one level. Secondly, the $14 ticket is nothing compared to the prices we paid for the Yankees and Mets games that we went to this earlier this year. Next, you receive a free promo giveaway (Modells/Cyclones bag - albeit a crappy one) and a complementary Cyclones Program upon entering the stadium. Also, the variety of food options is great - ranging from burgers to Nathan's hot dogs to Italian sausages and even Asian dumplings. Lastly, the vibe of the park is unparalleled as you can see the ocean, the beach, and the Cyclone in the background.

But the star of the entire show is the small town feel of it all - NYC style, of course. Last night was Italian Heritage Night so they celebrated it in a number of ways including offering ravioli/garlic bread for $5. They also gathered adults/kids onto the playing field in an attempt to form a number of tarantellas - traditional Italian dances. If that's not all, there was even a tasty meatball judging contest taking place.

Then there was the music in the stadium - cheesy songs like Starship's "We Built This City", C&C Music Factory's "Everybody Dance Now" and yes, Haddaway's "What Is Love?". But everything from the local car dealership's ads ("We deliver/We deliver") to the Cyclones' interpretation of the Beastie Boys' "No Sleep til Brooklyn" (they created a parody called "Baseball in Brooklyn") contained a bit of unintentional comedy that was both amusing and yet somehow endearing. Throw in the local flavor of parkgoers - the Knights of Columbus guy who botched up his speech during an on-the-field ceremony and "Louie" who, when prompted to guess the prize amount of the NY Lottery, responded with: "I'd say between 30 and 40 clams" and you cannot make this stuff up.

Brooklyn Cyclones Baseball - it's a good time!

A Day at Coney Island

We spent the entire day at Coney Island yesterday. The weather was pretty perfect which was nice especially considering the fact that we've had unbearably hot and humid weather the last few weeks.

Took the Q train down and our first stop was the New York Aquarium. Besides the bit of overcrowding, it was an otherwise enjoyable experience with our favorites being the walruses, sea otters, jellyfish and shark tank.

Afterwards, we took in the boardwalk and made our way to Astroland for some skee ball action. Then we headed to Nathan's for some hot dogs and fries. We spent a little more time moseying on the boardwalk until it was time to go to KeySpan Park for the Brooklyn Cyclones/Batavia Muckdogs game (an experience deserving of its own posting).....

Passing on Kevin Nealon

Friday night provided a much needed end to the week....

I met up with my wife at the Snug Bar (around 50th/9th) and then proceeded to Empanada Mama for dinner. We then headed up to the Upper West Side for a little browsing in Urban Outfitters and Barnes and Noble. We walked by the movie theater and didn't see anything good playing so headed back south where we passed the hotel that we stayed at last year when we first thought about moving here. What a difference a year makes.

We almost got sucked into going to a stand-up comedy club but decided that the 10pm start time and two-drink minimum were not enough for us to shell out $20 a piece to see Kevin Nealon, so we hopped on the subway and went home.

Nerdy is the new Cool

I saw this diagram on Gothamist and thought it was interesting.

It accounts for every instance of the phrase "is the new" from various sources in 2005.

Most suprising to me is not that "Park Slope is the new West Village" or that "Quiet is the new loud" since the Kings of Convenience taught us that already but apparently "brown is the new white" and "white is the new orange."

So Where Do You Stand?

My subscription to New York Magazine continues to be a worthwhile investment as it consistently provides interesting and thought-provoking articles.

The most recent issue features a great piece by Chris Smith about Bruce Ratner's plans for the Atlantic Yards.

I was never sure where I stood on the issue, having just recently moved to the area and have been a bit fatigued by the story being covered every week in local papers like The Park Slope Paper and The Park Slope Courier.

However, Chris Smith did a nice job of summarizing the issues, showing both sides, and ultimately persuading me that when it comes to Atlantic Yards, the cons DO OUTWEIGH the pros.

Read the article and decide for yourself!

What A Wonderful World

It's an old story by now but have to comment on Mel Gibson's recent arrest and anti-semitic tirade....ironic how the most self-righteous ones end up being the biggest hypocrites and sinners of them all (also see George W. Bush, Rush Limbaugh, Bill O' Reilly, etc.). I was glad to see this guy exposed for what he is - a no talent, wack-job, anti-Semite.

In other recent news, a tip of the hat (a nod to Stephen Colbert) to the Brits for foiling the terrorist plot and a wag of the finger (another Colbert reference) to U.S. Homeland Security for once again displaying behavior that is completely reactive as opposed to being proactive. First of all, it's time to focus on what these psycho extremists plan on doing next instead of the illogical and irrational banning of everyday items that we know don't contain dangerous gels or liquids. I saw another site that pointed out that airport security was pouring out these liquids into a mesh garbage can. If it was so dangerous, why would they do that in the middle of a busy airport terminal and why would they pour it into a mesh container? Obviously it doesn't pose any serious threat and we are left with a ridiculous exercise that must have the terrorists laughing.

Showing 'Em Da Slope

We had some friends visiting us from Ireland yesterday (with their kids in tow) so got a chance to show them where we live - headed down 7th Ave. for a little shopping and then some brunch at the kid-friendly Two Boots.

Followed it up with a walk through Prospect Park and a visit to the Prospect Park Zoo.

Afterwards, the ladies stayed at home while the men headed to Brooklyn Industries for a little souvenir shopping and some Brooklyn Lager at hipster hangout Union Hall.

Finally, we ended the evening with a tasty dinner at Nana and some ices (and an egg cream for me) from Uncle Louie G's.

Stupid Hot and Indie Rock

You may have noticed that the postings were few and far between this week. Maybe because it was STUPID HOT all week.

How else to describe high temps and humidity that made it feel as if it were over 100 degrees?

On the plus side, I did get to meet indie rock aficionado and taste-maker Nic Harcourt of KCRW fame the other day.

Settling Back In

What a week it's been. It doesn't even feel like we were away on vacation as this felt like the longest week ever. I long for the humidity free days on the beach and gambling in the evenings (as pictured on the right from our recent vacation).

Spent lots of time with a friend who's moving back to Denver, CO for a temporary stint. Sad to see another friend leave NYC when in many ways I feel like I just got here....

Earlier in the week, we checked out Via Emilia in Union Square for a simple but tasty Italian dinner. On Friday, headed to Long Island City, Queens for a friend's party and Saturday we were back in the Union Square area having drinks with friends at Pete's Tavern, which apparently is the tavern O. Henry made famous. Afterwards, we went to see Little Miss Sunshine. I thought it was alright but did not enjoy it as much as everyone else seemed to.

Today, we mostly hid from the heat, although we could not escape from the heat trapped in our apartment. Damn old brownstone. We did make it out to dinner at Blue Ribbon in Park Slope, where we finally saw local celebs Paul Bettany and Jennifer Connelly (and their kid) dining out. It's about time! We've only been here 6 months and hadn't seen them until today.

Now we just have to beat the damn heat this week. Ugh....Bring on autumn.

Sunset in Aruba

I took this photo just a few days ago while we were in Aruba....

No wonder they boast the highest repeat visitor rate in the Caribbean....

New York State of Mind

While in Aruba, we had some nice dinners at restaurants like Pago Pago and Ruinas Del Mar. By Aruban standards, the meals were quite good and a tad on the pricey side (over $100 a meal for the two of us). But coming from NYC, we didn't view these prices to be bad at all. Then we realized the effect living in NYC is having on us! It's skewing our perspective on the cost of things, the quality of things, etc.

We realized what an aberration life in New York is from most people's living situations. Where else do people pay over $2,000 a month for tiny apartments (and by the way, that only gets you a studio in Manhattan - hence, part of the reason we are living in Brooklyn - we need livable space!). At the same time, we are used to paying ridiculous amounts for cocktails and dinners here too so $100 dinners aren't terribly expensive to us. As cliched as it sounds, there is nothing like living in New York....and with that comes both the good and the bad.

This revelation reminded me of a recent New York Magazine article I read about happiness written by Jennifer Senior. There were some interesting points made, such as the following excerpts from the piece:

Like most New Yorkers I know, I can’t imagine living in most other places in the world. My troubles would surely be aggravated, rather than solved, by relocating to Branson. But reading the literature of happiness studies, I can’t help but wonder whether we aren’t all in the grip of some strange false consciousness. From the point of view of the happiness literature, New Yorkers seem to have been mysteriously seduced into a way of life that conspires, in almost every way, against the most basic level of contentment.

And this:

Which is where the subtle thesis of Barry Schwartz’s The Paradox of Choice comes in. He argues, with terrible persuasiveness, that a superabundance of options is not a blessing but a certain recipe for madness. Nowhere do people have more choices than in New York. “New Yorkers should probably be the most unhappy people on the planet,” says Schwartz, a psychology professor at Swarthmore. “On every block, there’s a lifetime’s worth of opportunities. And if I’m right, either they won’t be able to choose or they will choose, and they’ll be convinced they chose badly.”

Economists have a term for those who seek out the best options in life. They call them maximizers. And maximizers, in practically every study one can find, are far more miserable than people who are willing to make do (economists call these people satisficers). “My suspicion,” says Schwartz, “is that all this choice creates maximizers.” If that’s the case, New York doesn’t just attract ambitious neurotics; it creates them. It also creates desires for things we don’t need—which, not coincidentally, is the business of Madison Avenue—and, as a corollary, pointless regrets, turning us all into a city of counterfactual historians, men and women who obsessively imagine different and better outcomes for ourselves.

Awkward Straight Guy Talk

Aruba Observation #2:

While my wife and I were at the beach, it was interesting to see a single straight guy try to strike up a conversation with another single straight guy in the water (without coming off gay). Single Straight Guy #1 (known as SSG #1) carried a football into the water and somehow started playing catch with Single Straight Guy #2 (known as SSG #2, whom I'm pretty sure had a wife somewhere).

It was sort of funny to hear the awkward small talk made between two straight guys in the water: things like "When did you arrive?", "Have you been downtown much?", "Ever go windsurfing?" They were straight to be sure, but the awkward banter (and fact that they were shirtless in the water while tossing a football to each other) seemed amusing to us in an ironic way.

Is Aruba Caught in an 80's/90's Time Warp?

We loved our time in Aruba. Couldn't get enough of it....but what's with the 80's/90's music? I don't think I heard one contemporary tune while we were there.

From the sounds of an island band covering Journey's "Open Arms" to the tunes played in Champions Sports Bar (like B-52's "Love Shack", Black Box's "Strike It Up", En Vogue's "What A Man", and Wrexx n Effect's "Rumpshaker"), we felt like we were caught up in a music time warp, although it did add to the fun of the place.

Now I can go back and be a 21st century indie rocker and listen to the new Thom Yorke album on iTunes...

Worst. Airline. Ever.

Before we headed to Aruba for sand, sun and fun, we had a less than enjoyable experience at JFK courtesy of American Airlines. We were all packed up, got to JFK early in time for our scheduled 11:45 am flight, and got into line to check in, excited about our getaway. The line was lengthy but we remained patient, knowing that it would be just a matter of hours before we were sipping pina coladas.

However, once we got to the front desk we were asked by the attendant if we knew that the flight was delayed. "No", we responded. Down but not out, we asked: "For how long?" She replied, "It's scheduled for 6pm." Are you kidding me??? 6 hours later?! Who could believe that our vacation would be spent for an additional 6 hours in the airport? No reason was given either. Actually, we received the lame reason of "equipment change" or something to that effect.

We weren't alone. Many other couples and families received the bad news that their hard-earned dollars and time off from work would be taken away from them from American Airlines for this so-called "equipment change". It certainly wasn't weather-related and they didn't pretend it was. Most likely, just poor management on the part of American, overbooking flights and not having enough supply to meet the demand they created.

For our inconvenience, we were graciously (sarcasm here) given $10 meal vouchers each! Whoa, can't spend the $20 fast enough, can we? It was like adding insult to injury. Is that how much American Airlines thinks our time is worth? We essentially lost a day due to their ineptitude and there was very little empathy shown.

Despite the bad news, we tried not to let it get to us or ruin our moods, so we read magazines, listened to our iPods, had a snack and drinks at the airport bar/restaurant, and damn, I even broke down and bought a Swatch watch. Hey, you get bored at the airport after several hours. But we all resigned ourselves to the fact that the plane was leaving at 6pm and we would be on our way.

Then came the announcement: The flight was now scheduled to take off at 7:30! And we had to go to another terminal, which meant that we had to go through security yet again! People we're absolutely pissed off. And justifiably so. Furthermore, it didn't help matters that the desk clerk showed little compassion. One guy yelled: "This is horseshit!" Finally, it took her forever to start giving out more $10 meal vouchers but it was too little too late (with an emphasis on too little).

The airlines have no incentive to treat their customers well and when problems do arise, they do not address them with any immediacy, concern or commensurate value to the time and money that consumers lose as a result of their fuck-ups. American Airlines demonstrated their severe lack of customer service by their inefficiencies and missteps.

As the weary travelers finally made it to Aruba at 1:00 am (instead of the scheduled 4:55 pm arrival time), we had the bittersweet knowledge that we could've been enjoying our vacations several hours earlier had it not been for the mismanagement and ineptitude of American Airlines.