No, Seriously. The Blog Moved to WordPress.

Visit me here now.

Visit The New Home on WordPress

Here's the link to the new site.

I'm Moving!

No, not out of NYC. Well, not yet at least.

But from Blogger to WordPress.

I'll post the new link soon. Just trying to migrate the old stuff over....

This Picture Says So Much

I don't even remember where I found this picture. Or who these people are. But it wasn't staged. I recall seeing it in the sports section of some website. And apparently I enjoyed it so much that I saved it. Yes, I saved it onto the hard drive of a computer that I had at an old job. And when I left that job I sent it to myself at a personal email account. I found that email and it was dated August 22, 2003. Yes, you may begin judging me now.

Wayback Machine: Belle & Sebastian Review

Another review from ye olde college days. This one's Belle & Sebastian's If You're Feeling Sinister. Damn. I just realized I wrote this almost 10 years ago to the day! Yikes. Click on the image above to read.

Anniversary Dinner

Last night we celebrated our 4-year wedding anniversary (even though it was really on Thursday), with an evening in The West Village.

We started out with drinks at Turks & Frogs Wine Bar (323 W. 11th St.).

We then headed to Wallse (344 W. 11th) for dinner.

I started with the sweet pea soup with pineapple mint and shrimp. I followed it up with the roast squab with mushroom risotto. For dessert, we shared the apple walnut strudel with vanilla ice cream.

And kudos to whomever was controlling the music at Wallse as I heard songs from Death Cab, Feist, Aimee Mann and Fiona Apple during our dinner.

The Instant Cover

What's with the recent pop culture phenomenon of songs being covered right away (if not simultaneously when the originals were released)?

First there was the barrage of Gnarls Barkley "Crazy" covers from artists like Ray Lamontagne, Nelly Furtado, and The Kooks.

Then there was indie rocker Ted Leo's cover of Kelly Clarkson's "Since U Been Gone", which he brilliantly mashed-up with the Yeah Yeah Yeah's "Maps."

More recently, faux-amateur Marie Digby (pictured above) covered Rihanna's "Umbrella". And Mandy Moore's trying to get in on the action with her cover.

Where's the line between paying homage or taking an artistic spin on an original vs ripping someone off?

I Just Need A Moment Alone

I saw a segment on Good Morning America about this guy and it um, almost made me cry.

I Told Y'all He Was No Good

Damn, it's hard being so right all the time. Just kidding.

But really, I did blog about Isiah Thomas's incompetency and unprofessionalism back in December 2006.

Now, we're seeing yet another ugly side thanks to the sexual harassment trial that is taking place.

Some of the gems that have come out include:

• Isiah believing that it's not as bad for a black man to call a woman a "bitch" as it is for a white man to do so
• Isiah always trying to hug (and being warned NOT to hug) the woman accusing him of sexual harrasment
• Isiah repeatedly using the B-word to refer to the plaintiff

Meanwhile, Mike Lupica of The NY Post wrote a great piece about how the Knicks' actions are defenseless.

Three Times The Lameness

Just as Peter denied Christ three times, I denied the opportunity to listen to good music three times this week.

Okay, so the Biblical comparison is a bit much but the perfect conditions were in place. The stars were in alignment for me to enjoy these shows. Note that they were: 1) Free; 2) Close to my office. So damn close I would have to go out of my way to avoid them; 3) Early shows that started around 5:30pm.

Monday had The Old 97's and The Hold Steady. Tuesday had Victoria Williams and M. Ward (I did catch a brief bit of Victoria Williams singing "Sweet Relief" as I made my way to the subway station). And Wednesday brought Nick Lowe. Here's a link to the site that brought this free series of concerts. And here's a link to a review of The Old 97's show on Brooklynvegan.

So why the lameness on my part? Oh, just working long hours at the office. Being tired. Wanting to go home and have dinner. Wanting to rest.

What am I, 80?

But seriously. Damn you, responsibility and to hell with your buddies productivity and efficiency. You bastards made me want to go home since it was a "school night".

New York Mag Article

Good article by Kurt Andersen in last week's New York Magazine titled "Who's Your Daddy Now?" about the GOP's transformation from the stern dad to "bad" dad. One of my favorite excerpts is below:

"In fact, if the Democrats don’t blow it, 2008 could be the election that finishes off the pro-GOP salience of the tough-daddy-soft-mommy paradigm. Because the Republicans are being rapidly rebranded as a party of men who exemplify the least attractive, most pathetic aspects of the gender—they are the stubborn, arrogant, lazy, incompetent (Iraq, Katrina), hypocritical, crude, nasty fathers, Homer Simpson crossed with Tony Soprano, the kind of men who snarl and posture as old-fashioned patresfamilias but don’t come through when and where it counts. The GOP is becoming the deadbeat-daddy party."

Booklyn In The Fall

Today the weather was near picture perfect and autumn like with temps in the high 60's. We took a nice walk up Atlantic Ave. and made our way to the 2nd Annual Brooklyn Book Festival. Located at Brooklyn Borough Hall and Plaza, there were tons of booksellers and publishers selling their wares at their booths. There was also a cool non-profit called Booklyn promoting artist books as an art form and educational resource. In addition, there were all day readings and discussions throughout different nearby sites.

We only stayed a short while but sat on the steps of Brooklyn Borough Hall and listened to some spoken word poetry from young poets of the organization Urban Word.

Later we meandered by the different booths and although we didn't purchase anything, we saw lots of books that interested us. They included:

The Brooklyn Cyclones: Hardball Dreams and the New Coney Island

by Ben Osborne

Job Hopper: The Checkered Career of a Down-Market Dilletante

by Ayun Halliday

What We Believe but Cannot Prove: Today's Leading Thinkers on Science in the Age of Certainty

by John Brockman

The Ten Minute Activist: Easy Ways to Take Back the Planet

by The Mission Collective

Hip: The History

by John Leland

No Touch Monkey!: And Other Travel Lessons Learned Too Late

by Ayun Halliday

Everybody Hurts: An Essential Guide to Emo Culture

by Trevor Kelley and Leslie Simon

Eat This!: 1,001 Things to Eat Before You Diet

by Ian Jackman

Sweet Jesus, I Hate Bill O'Reilly

by Joseph Minton Amann and Tom Breuer

Afterwards we walked down Montague Street and grabbed a bite to eat at Chipotle (which was a longtime staple of our diet in Chicago) before browsing the shops. Eventually we arrived at the Brooklyn Heights Promenade where we enjoyed the Fall weather and view of Manhattan.

Unlucky Irish

Okay, maybe it's more than not being lucky as we witnessed another embarassing Notre Dame football loss - this time to the previously equally hapless Michigan Wolverines. I say previous since now we alone hold the dubious distinction of being #1 in Sucking.

We headed to Astoria, Queens to watch the game with friends. Afterwards, we gave up on the long line at the Bohemian Hall and Beer Garden and instead opted to drown our sorrows and empty stomachs at Neptune Diner where we had a spirited and nerdy conversation trying to recall the "codenames" of G.I. Joe characters. [Gulp.] Did I just write that out loud?

Where Was I?

On Monday night, I led a work outing to Shea Stadium to see the Mets beat the Braves 3-2.

On Thursday night, I headed up to Midtown to see a friend who was visiting from out of town. We grabbed dinner and drinks at nearby St. Andrews Pub.

Last night, we had some Indian food at Amin here in Park Slope and then did some browsing at the Barnes and Noble on 7th before getting some hot chocolate at Cocoa Bar.

More Pick-Up Artist

I continue to be entertained, fascinated and disgusted by VH-1's The Pick-Up Artist.

Quick recap for those unfamiliar with the show - it's basically a "reality" show competition where "lovable losers" without any "game" learn how to pick up women in bars in hopes of becoming a "master pick-up artist."

That's actually a nice way of putting it. And I am surprised by the seemingly favorable review in The Times. I am equally amazed that any of the so-called "seduction techniques" work but apparently its success and others were documented in Neil Strauss's The Game.

In the VH-1 show, Mystery is the lead pick-up artist instructor along with his "wingmen" J-Dog and Matador. First of all, the only mystery taking place is how this guys gets any women. He looks absolutely ridiculous, like Criss Angel's taller older brother.

And, of course, his wingmen have douchebag fratty names like "J-Dog" and "Matador".

Secondly, he creates unnecessary acronyms and terms for basic words and phrases as if to legitimize the science of his seduction techniques. For example,

Gambit - Conversation Starter

IOI (Indicator of Interest) - Nonverbal Signs that Woman is Attracted to You

Bounce - Change Locations

He also teaches cheesy lines to open a "set" with like: "Hey girls, I've got a really important question for you. Do you floss before of after you brush?" And there are the "gambits" like stupid magic tricks to get women to talk to them.

Now I'm all for teaching these guys self-esteem and confidence but more often than not it seems like he's just teaching them lines and games to "trick" women into giving them their number or making out with them or worse. It's certainly offensive in its objectification of women as if the only way for these guys (or any for that matter) can "score" is if the women are: 1)mentally impaired by heavy alcohol; 2) falling for tricks, techniques and gambits.

Now I realize much of the scenarios they put these guys through is for the sake of entertaining television but more than anything these guys need to develop self-esteem and social skills in real (see sober) settings and not just booze-infused nightclubs. Plus, these aren't the types of guys who should be trying to compete with the meatheads, fratboys and guidos (like the Roxbury Boys below) in a meat-market-like scenario.

Lastly, there's a funny YouTube clip of comedians poking fun at the whole Mystery Pick-Up Artist methodology here.

Of course, all of this being said I will still tune-in on Monday to see if Joe D. or Kosmo win it all.

Damn you VH-1. Damn you.

Separated At Birth? VH-1's "Pick Up Artist" and Chicago Public Access TV's "Svengoolie"

NYC and You Versus Me

Before I offer up my theory of NYC as a city of endless competition, let me say that there are at least 5 things that I really like about our fair city:
1)Career Opportunities
2)Ethnic Diversity
3)Cultural and Entertainment Offerings
4)No smoking in bars
5)No tax on clothes under $110

And now on to the theory....I was thinking about this on our subway ride home from the Union Square Trader Joe's. A Trader Joe's which, mind you, we arrived at when it opened at 9am on a Sunday morning and a Trader Joe's which had a long line at the door prior to it opening.

Here's my observation (and it's not necessarily an innovative breakthrough but one that becomes more lucid the longer I live here) - one of the main contributors of stress living in this city is the sheer quantity of our inhabitants within the small geographic confines of our 5 boroughs. But because there's so many of us wanting the same things, life here often becomes a series of competitions.

So, we fight each other for seats on the subway, to get a reservation at the latest "buzz" restaurant, to get a promotion at work, to get our kids into the right schools, OR simply to get your foot in the friggin' door at Trader Joe's. It's a series of battles we fight every day from the miniscule to the significant.

Some people thrive on this but I don't. As E.B. White said in his essay Here is New York: "New Yorkers temperamentally do not crave comfort and convenience--if they did they would live elsewhere."

And yet more and more I find myself craving just that! Imagine that. Comfort and convenience! Hmm, we might have to move out of NYC after all.

Book That Sounds Interesting

The Warhol Economy: How Fashion, Art, and Music Drive New York City

By Elizabeth Currid

Description from Amazon.com:

Which is more important to New York City's economy, the gleaming corporate office--or the grungy rock club that launches the best new bands? If you said "office," think again. In The Warhol Economy, Elizabeth Currid argues that creative industries like fashion, art, and music drive the economy of New York as much as--if not more than--finance, real estate, and law. And these creative industries are fueled by the social life that whirls around the clubs, galleries, music venues, and fashion shows where creative people meet, network, exchange ideas, pass judgments, and set the trends that shape popular culture.

The implications of Currid's argument are far-reaching, and not just for New York. Urban policymakers, she suggests, have not only seriously underestimated the importance of the cultural economy, but they have failed to recognize that it depends on a vibrant creative social scene. They haven't understood, in other words, the social, cultural, and economic mix that Currid calls the Warhol economy.

With vivid first-person reporting about New York's creative scene, Currid takes the reader into the city spaces where the social and economic lives of creativity merge. The book has fascinating original interviews with many of New York's important creative figures, including fashion designers Zac Posen and Diane von Furstenberg, artists Ryan McGinness and Futura, and members of the band Clap Your Hands Say Yeah.

The economics of art and culture in New York and other cities has been greatly misunderstood and underrated. The Warhol Economy explains how the cultural economy works-and why it is vital to all great cities.

WTF? From Lollapalooza to ESPN Pitchman

Did anyone else see the Kelly Rowland/50 Cent/Perry Farrell theme to ESPN's College Football Game Night?

First of all, it was a bad cover of Satellite Party's "Only Love, Let's Celebrate." Secondly, it was a bad idea to combine these three. Lastly, wasn't Perry once a alt-rock god? Now, he's a cheesy segment (a la Pussycat Dolls for the NBA) for a sporting event?

Food.Drink.Talk.

It's been a busy week hence the slowdown in postings.

Thursday night I met up with a friend at Union Hall to grab a beer and exchange mix cd's.

Friday night my wife and I met up with friends at Blue Ribbon Bar in the West Village where my wife proclaimed the manchego cheese and honey appetizer to be "The Best Thing Ever". Later we passed on newcomer Bar Fry due to its lack of liquor license though made a mental note that we might want to return there. Eventually we made our way to Garage where we had some live jazz with our libations and food.

Yesterday, we ran errands in the Slope and finally checked out Lemongrass Grill on 7th Avenue where the Noodle Mao with chicken did us right. We then watched Notre Dame proceed to display an inept offense against Penn State.

Wayback Machine: The College Newspaper Archives

I dusted off the old scanner and decided to upload this old CD review I did back in college for Stereolab's Dots & Loops.

Double-click on the image above to enlarge and read the review.

Fuzzy Balls

Tennis balls, that is.

So one night I wear a "hipster" hat and the next I put on my "corporate" hat.

Last night I got a chance to go to The U.S. Open at Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing, Queens.

I'm not a huge tennis fan but it was a pretty cool experience being there for the first time. My company has a corporate suite so I got a chance to watch the matches in style.

The weather was great and after seeing Maria Sharapova polish off Casey Dellacqua in a mere 51 minutes, it was on to the marathon match between James Blake and Fabrice Santoro. It went 5 sets and the two went back and forth like two pugilists who couldn't deliver a knock-out punch to finish off their opponent. Finally, Blake triumphed with a 6-4 win in the final set to take it all. The crowd appreciated the gutsy performance by both athletes and showered them with applause when it was all over.

Colin Farrell, ex-NYC mayor David Dinkins and Monica Seles were all in attendance and shown on the big screen.

After the 3 hour and 25 minute match, the crowd dispersed around 12:30am and I took the 7 train back to Manhattan. I ended up back in Park Slope around 2am. It was a long night but a pretty entertaining one.

Hipsters Unite

Not wholly unlike the Kent-to-Superman transformation, last night I stepped into my proverbial phonebooth (a.k.a. my apartment) to change from "corporate sell-out" to "faux-hipster".

Rushing from Manhattan to Park Slope and back to Manhattan then to Williamsburg was a bit ridiculous but somehow I got to Mugs Alehouse in time to meet one of my best friends from college who recently returned from holiday in Italy and recently relocated back to NYC.

We then made our way to McCarren Park Pool for the Grizzly Bear/Broken Social Scene/Feist show. It's a great venue - wide open spaces, a pierogie booth from the folks at Warsaw and the standard Brooklyn Brewery booths.

This was actually the first time that I hung out in Williamsburg at night and it definitely felt like the epicenter of indie hipsterdom, which can be a good or bad thing depending on your perspective. If terrorists wanted to destroy all the indie-listening, thrift shop-wearing, art school-going kids all in one shot (just like in Gremlins when they gathered all the Gremlins in a movie theater to destroy them), they could take dead aim at McCarren Park Pool.

Nevertheless, I enjoyed catching up with my friend and hearing Broken Social Scene perform some of their hits like Superconnected and Major Label Debut.

The crowd loved Ms. Feist and she did not disappoint, delivering most of her popular songs from The Reminder. I didn't bring a camera but found the pic above on Brooklynvegan.com who got the pic from Kyle Dean Reinford.

Also on Brooklynvegan, someone posted Feist's setlist:
When I Was A Young Girl
So Sorry
My Moon My Man
The Limit To Your Love
I Feel It All
In My Hands (Tony Scherr cover)
Leisure Suite (4 track demo version)
Brandy Alexander
Phantoms
Past in Present
The Water
Mushaboom
1234
Intuition
Sea Lion Woman
Let It Die

The weather was perfect - cool and comfortable - and it was a nice way to cap the summer. Feist ended the show by wishing us "a nice autumn".

100 Things I've Done

While trying to come up with my list of "100 Things To Do Before I Die", I thought it would be interesting to create a list of "100 Things I've Done".

They range from the simple to the extravagant, the everyday to the uncommon, and the trivial to the significant. But going through this exercise showed me that I've BOTH experienced life AND also have much more to do.

Here it goes (in no particular order of importance):

1. Was interviewed on CLTV (Chicagoland Television) while attending a pink-slip party.
2. Donated money to a meaningful cause.
3. Walked across the Brooklyn Bridge.
4. Saw the Pope in person at the Vatican.
5. Attended Lollapalooza '94 at Randalls Island when The Smashing Pumpkins and The Beastie Boys headlined.
6. Flew first-class.
7. Earned a bachelor's degree in English.
8. Lived in Chicago for nearly eight years.
9. Rode in a classic Rolls-Royce.
10. Had my wisdom teeth removed.
11. Shopped at the Mall of America.
12. Shot hoops with a City of Chicago sanitation worker.
13. Learned (and subsequently forgot) how to speak Ukrainian.
14. Learned (and subsequently forgot) how to speak Spanish.
15. Became an uncle.
16. Became a godfather.
17. Spoke words about a loved one at his funeral.
18. Gave toasts as a groomsman.
19. Was a groomsman 6 times but never a best man.
20. Got a fake tattoo.
21. Hiked up Mt. Snowdon, the tallest peak in Great Britain.
22. Stayed up all night in Hamburg, Germany.
23. Ran a now defunct "Guys' Weekend" among college friends.
24. Drove backwards down a road in Wessington Springs, SD.
25. Drove along the Pacific Coast Highway.
26. Sold items on Craigslist.
27. Got a fake tattoo.
28. Heard the U.S. Poet Laureate speak.
29. Spent college summers working at a law firm.
30. Commuted for different jobs via train, plane and automobile.
31. Attended a synchronized swimming competition.
32. Witnessed Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire battle it out at Wrigley Field.
33. Participated in a charity 5K Run/Walk (yeah, I walked).
34. Had a fake ID from Arizona. Had a fake ID from Florida.
35. Attended a wedding that traveled down the Willamette.
36. Played in a couple "Bookstore Basketball" tournament games.
37. Lived with roommates. Lived by myself.
38. Won a prize (an autographed Bloc Party album courtesy of Time Out Chicago).
39. Been to many a tailgater.
40. Participated in a snowball fight.
41. Spoke in front of large audiences.
42. Earned a Master's Degree.
43. Went to my high school prom.
44. Gambled in Vegas.
45. Fought with a landlord.
46. Was a political cartoonist in college.
47. Taught inner-city high school kids in Chicago through a volunteer program.
48. Attended the NBA Finals, the NCAA tournament, and regular season MLB, NHL, NBA, MLS, MiLB games
49. Had a pint at the Guinness factory in Dublin.
50. Been pulled over 3x for speeding but never got a ticket.
51. Volunteered at a soup kitchen in SoHo.
52. Was a deejay on the campus radio station.
53. Had a long-distance relationship.
54. Drove across the Golden Gate Bridge.
55. Worked for a dot-com.
56. Got laid off from a dot-com.
57. Lived in 7 apartments including a high-rise, a mid-rise and a brownstone.
58. Watched the sun set in Aruba.
59. Went backstage at a Depeche Mode concert.
60. Watched some b-ball at the W. 4th Street Courts in West Village.
61. Drank a "forty".
62. Fell in love.
63. Proposed in Central Park.
64. Got married in Oak Park, IL.
65. Backpacked through Europe with friends.
66. Saw Big Ben, Abbey Road, Buckingham Palace, The Eiffel Tower, The Berlin Wall, The Vatican, etc.
67. Had a "non-speaking" part as a Roman Soldier in my grade school's rendition of "The Stations of the Cross".
68. Had a company fly me out for an interview.
69. Was high school valedictorian.
70. Was high school student body president.
71. Was an audience member at The Colbert Report, The Conan O'Brien Show, TalkBack Live on CNN, and The Jenny Jones Show.
72. Sent flowers to my mother.
73. Said goodbye to the home I grew up in.
74. Participated in a cooking class, skated at Rockefeller Center, and bowled at Chelsea Piers for different corporate outings.
75. Went to a movie by myself.
76. Went to a concert by myself.
77. Ate frogs legs, escargot, caviar and foie gras (though not all in the same meal).
78. Have been through 104 cities in 12 countries.
79. Visited the Washington Monument, The Lincoln Memorial, The National Gallery, and The White House.
80. Had meals at Jean Georges, WD-50, Charlie Trotters, Georges at the Cove and L'Auberge.
81. Talked to one of my favorite artists (the band Ida) at Schubas in Chicago (I was drunk).
82. Volunteered at a hospital in Elizabeth, NJ. Volunteered at an elementary school and a food pantry in Chicago, IL.
83. Reviewed CDs and Concerts for the campus newspaper.
84. Wrote a poem about a girl.
85. Had a different girl write something about me (it wasn't favorable).
86. Seen many concerts from arenas to small venues, including R.E.M., U2, Beck, Oasis, Pavement, The Sundays, Matthew Sweet, The Lemonheads, Aimee Mann, Death Cab for Cutie, Elliott Smith, Ida, The New Pornographers, Belle and Sebastian, Badly Drawn Boy, Depeche Mode, etc.
87. Have laughed with friends at The Second City, The Improv Olympic, and Zanies.
88. Have seen the Louvre, The National Gallery (London), The Tate, The Art Institute of Chicago, The Guggenheim, The Museum of Natural History, The Met, Musee d' Orsay, SF Moma, etc.
89. Watched plays at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater.
90. Worked for a global financial services firm.
91. Worked for a cable television network.
92. Worked on product placements for different television programs.
93. Have seen some celebrities throughout NYC.
94. Have visited Belgium, Amsterdam, England, Ireland, Wales, Scotland, Italy, France, The Czech Republic, Germany, Austria, and of course, Canada.
95. Blew off studying for an exam to go to a concert.
96. Performed many a skit at various corporate outings and retreats.
97. Earned a few "senior superlatives" in high school.
98. Stepped onto the field at Notre Dame Stadium.
99. Lived in NYC and realized that there's more life to be lived.
100. Started a blog.

UPDATE: THE ANTI-BOTTLED WATER CRUSADE

It struck me that I spent some time posting about how I changed my perspective on bottled water due to increased awareness thanks to the extended media coverage on this issue BUT I haven't followed up with how it's changed my behavior.

It's been about a month and I'm happy to say we no longer buy bottled water in bulk (or at all, really). We switched to one of those Brita water pitchers for our home use and have not missed the bottled water at all.

At work, meanwhile, I now use a Nalgene bottle for drinking water at my desk.

Hopefully we can keep it up and continue reducing our impact on the environment (and on our wallets).

Good Quote, Okay Book

I just read No One Cares What You Had for Lunch: 100 Ideas for Your Blog by Margaret Mason. My wife borrowed it from the Brooklyn Public Library.

Yes, I am guilty of pulling the "here's what I ate today" move (see my last post about Sushi at Jpan) but I think I mix it up a bit more than that and part of the reason behind posting where we eat is for me to simply remember what we did as opposed to trying to fill a content void. Hmm, maybe I should re-think that.

Well, anyway, she did have some good ideas that inspired me for future postings. And she did have an inspirational quote that I will post here:

"Start saying yes. The more you experience, the more you have to write about."

Jamiroquai - Runaway

Music I Want To Download

1. I Lost Him Moonshine Sessions
2. Lazy Eye The Silversun Pickups
3. While the Cold Winter Waiting Trentmoeller
4. Challengers (album) The New Pornographers
5. Starz in their Eyes Just Jack

Things To Do

Great article in The Times about making "life lists" that my wife sent to me.

I'm a big fan of lists. Heck I'll make lists of lists.

I'm working on a "Things to Do in NYC" list right now. But what about a life list? Those are some big questions. Not sure what's on mine just yet. What's on yours?

Watching The Classics: Indiana Jones

This weekend we watched both Raiders of The Lost Ark and Temple of Doom.

I actually liked Raiders for its inventiveness, cinematic style and sense of humor. But how come it took the Nazis forever to see that Indy was digging up the Ark while the rest of them were working?

Unfortunately, I can't say that I liked Temple of Doom, though it did have its moments (like the mine car chase). For the most part, I was annoyed by Kate Capshaw as the damsel in distress and didn't get into the whole cult/child slavery plot.

And whatever happened to Jonathan Ke Quan? This kid was huge in '85, starring in Temple of Doom AND The Goonies?

Sushi on 5th Ave.

On Friday, we made our way to 5th/2nd in Park Slope and took in the lunch special at Jpan Sushi.

The food was good, not great, but you did get quite a bit for your money (for NYC). For $8, I got the chicken teriyaki lunch box which also came with shumai, miso soup, salad, a california roll and side of rice. My wife got the sushi roll special which came with a miso soup, salad and two rolls - the shrimp tempura roll and the eel and avocado roll.

The place has a nice vibe, including an outdoor patio in the back.

We'll probably still stick with Oshima for our sushi needs since it's closer to us but it was good to try a new restaurant.

Movie I Want To See

It's called King of Kong.

Here's a description I found online:

Spelling bee kids had Spellbound. The crossword crazies had Wordplay. Now, let the video game fanatics have their documentary! The King of Kong is a nostalgic look back at the early days of video games – when a yellow circle that ate dots was considered revolutionary – and the obsession some folks developed in beating the high scores (for most of us, that was on the machine at a local 7/11 – the subjects of this thoroughly amusing doc, it’s the Guinness Book of World Records).

Back in the 80s, Billy Mitchell set the all-time record high score for Donkey Kong (where the now omnipresent ‘Mario’ made his debut). The score remained unchallenged for more than 20 years, until, in 2006 a man named Steve Weibe broke the record. Director Seth Gordon manages to capture the personalities (Mitchell comes across as arrogant and cocksure; Weibe as a lovable loser who finally found victory) perfectly and crafts an addictive, entertaining jaunt down memory lane. Even if a name like QBert means nothing to you, and you don’t get the reference of a bouncing pretzel, you’ll still have a good time watching this story of social underdogs finding their own road to becoming champions.

Who's Pissing Me Off This Week

1. Germs. Damn you, cold.

2. The terrible abuse suffered in dogfighting, and underwhelming public outcry in comparison to violence against women.

3. Evil Corporations that try to control their Wikipedia entries. Thank God there's Wiki scanner.

4. BP. Although they said they would halt plans to dump waste in Lake Michigan, F you! You shouldn't be polluting the environment in the first place.

Cool Objects I Covet

Kudos to my friend K-Dubs for sending me this link of a USB drive made to look like an old cassette tape. Ah, mixtape you are all growns-up.

Old Friends, Sweet Chimay and That Pesky Cold

Last Friday I met up with an old friend at Sala One Nine in Union Square where we shared stories, though hers are usually more colorful - like crashing network upfront parties...

On Tuesday I met up with an old friend from a dot-com experience in 2000! We had drinks at Vol de Nuit in West Village where I must say, I had way more Chimays than I had planned. Nevertheless it was good catching up with her and sharing similar sensibilities.

Wednesday, I started feeling a cold coming on and now it's in full swing. Aargh.

Interpol - Rest My Chemistry

Good Articles in The Times

Melena Ryzik's piece on the "wheatpacking district", er, I mean Union Square.

Kim Severson's article on eating locally.

And props to my brother for directing me to Zoe Wolff's description of Park Slope's own A.C. Newman (New Pornographers) tying the knot with his girlfriend and celebrating at Union Hall.

Books I'm Interested In

What's The Matter With Kansas?: How Conservatives Won the Heart of America
Thomas Frank
Delves into why people vote against their own self-interest and put the Republicans in office.

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life
Barbara Kingsolver
Chronicles a year trying to eat nothing but home grown food, and if not that, locally grown food.

The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals
Michael Pollan
From The Washington Post: The omnivore's dilemma is twofold: what we choose to eat ("What should we have for dinner?" he asks in the opening sentence of his book) and how we let that food be produced. His book is an eater's manifesto, and he touches on a vast array of subjects, from food fads and taboos to our avoidance of not only our food's animality, but also our own.

I Heart NYC; Revisited.

My better half is in Chicago visiting friends this week, so I took the opportunity to take in some NYC experiences on my own.

Since I'm not sure how long we'll be here (see post re: 5 Stages of NYC Living), I'm making a list of NYC things I want to do and doing my best to cross them off the list. (Am I also checking it twice? Who am I? Santa Claus?) Also, since we're on a budget these days, I'm looking to do some fun things on the cheap.

Fortunately, the company that I work for enables me to visit any museum for free. All I need to do is show some identification. After conferring with my wife on which museums she wouldn't mind that I went to without her, I settled on The Guggenheim.

The weather was perfect today and I hopped on the Q train to Union Square and transferred to a 6 train to head to the Upper East Side and join the horde of international tourists. The Guggenheim isn't as expansive as the Met but I did enjoy some of the artwork, like Kandinsky's Blue Mountain pictured below:

I also enjoyed Kandinsky's Composition No. 8:

And another favorite was Picasso's Mandolin and Guitar.

Afterwards, I checked out the gift shop where I really liked this print of an old New Yorker cover from the '70's.

Having concluded my early morning visit to the Guggenheim, I headed south and took in the sites of the Upper East Side, like the UES'ers boarding a bus to go to The Hamptons.

Eventually, I took a train downtown and made my way to The West Village. I stopped by the W. 4th Street Courts (aka "The Cage") to watch some hoops. Lucky for me, turns out that Kenny Graham's W. 4th Street Tournament games were taking place. I watched about half of the women's game and all of the men's game, pressed against the fence alongside a mix of tourists and locals. It was pretty fun and a real NYC experience.

Hungry from walking around and standing during the entire length of the b-ball games, I grabbed a slice from Bleecker Street Pizza and returned to BK.

Later that night, I met up with a friend whose cousin owns a boutique in Park Slope. He was watching the store for her and when he closed up, we went across the street to Bar 4 (7th Ave/15th St) where I was happy to hear a My Bloody Valentine song played by the deejay. And we found out they have Guitar Hero nights every Wednesday. Bonus.

Nerd Alert

Is it wrong for me to be excited about Guitar Hero III?

Didn't Activision just come out with the 80's version of this game?

Why am I looking forward to the true sequel to Guitar Hero II?

The gameplay stays the same but the songs change and that's where they make their money. I'm the chump willing to shell out $50 a game just for the opportunity to "play" new songs. It's comparable to the Madden series for EA Sports. Essentially the same gameplay every year, but different rosters. What a business model!

Anyway, here are some of the songs on Guitar Hero III that I am looking forward to:
-"Cherub Rock" by Smashing Pumpkins
-"Cult of Personality" by Living Colour
-"Even Flow" by Pearl Jam
-"My Name is Jonas" by Weezer
-"Reptilia" by The Strokes
-"Sabotage" by Beastie Boys
-"Suck My Kiss" by Red Hot Chili Peppers
-"Welcome to the Jungle" by Guns n Roses

Protect Yo Digits

Yesterday I received a voicemail from the fraud department of a certain "premium" brand credit card that I use.

Curious I first Googled the number to make sure it was legit and then dialed it. After validating my info, I was informed that someone tried using my CC# but I had the actual plastic card!

Apparently whomever this thief is, he/she tried to put about $1400 or so on it at a Target store in the Bronx. The charge did not go through but it made me wonder - How did they get my number? Who was this criminal? And what kind of idiot tries to buy $1400 worth of goods w/o having the actual card in their possession? Did they just roll up to the cashier with a piece of paper and the cc# on it? So shady.

HOT/NOT HOT

HOT:

The anti-bottled water movement.

NOT HOT:

The douchebag known as Mystery, star of VH-1's Pick Up Artist.

Blasphemous? Perhaps.

We hit a lull in our Netflix queue so decided to start renting some "classic" films, many of which I am somewhat ashamed (but not really) to say I have never seen.

First up is Spielberg's E.T., which we watched last night.

Maybe this is blasphemous, but I didn't love the film. In fact, I didn't even like it. It's tough to watch this kids film from the '80s with the sensibilities of a jaded 30-something in 2007.

Here are my gripes (in no particular order):
-How stupid is the mom in this film? And reckless? She just leaves her kids home alone?
-How the hell does E.T. and the kid get psychically linked? E.T. starts boozing on beer and the kid feels it? That was weird.
-What's with the blatant product placements? Reeses Pieces, Coke and Coors?
-Why do the scientists bust into the home unannounced and wearing space suits? Why not knock? They broke into the home like zombies in a horror film.
-How do these loser scientists NOT stop the kids from taking E.T. and stealing the van? Where's the security here?

NEXT UP IN OUR SELF-IMPOSED "CLASSIC" FILM VIEWING: The Godfather.

Saturday in The Slope

Yesterday was a Stage 5 Day, where it was good to be a New Yorker again. The weather was perfect - cool, sunny, and not humid at all. We started out walking through the Grand Army Plaza Greenmarket and then dropping off a book at The Brooklyn Public Library (where amazingly after over a year and a half, those front steps are finally open to the public!).

We then made our way to the Prospect Park Zoo as the company I work for was participating in a "Corporate Weekend", meaning that employees and guests get to attend the zoo for free. We immediately went to visit the star of the show, the red panda.

Afterwards, we checked out the rest of the zoo and particularly liked the meerkat, porcupine, and California sea lions, pictured below.

We then walked through Prospect Park and made our way to 5th Ave. where we sat outside at Willie's Dawgs, indulging in a couple Frankies (hot dogs with carmelized onions and bacon).

I Love This Friggin' Granola Bar

I first tried it at LaGuardia Airport - at one of those mini-gourmet food shops they have by the gates. The brand is called Kind and the flavor is Fruit & Nut Delight.

First of all, it simply tastes good. It's moist, flavorful and has the right combination of fruits/nuts. Secondly, it's good for you. It's all-natural, handmade in Australia, and a good source of fiber.

Best of all, 5% of the proceeds go to OneVoice, a non-profit that promotes co-existence in the Middle East.

Checkout the site for PeaceWorks Foundation, the "not-only-for-profit" company behind this product.

As for where to purchase these snacks in BK, so far I have seen them in Union Market in Park Slope and Chop Chop on Smith Street.

And yes, my transformation into a granola-eating, tree-hugging Park Sloper is now complete. Now if I could only reconcile that with my daytime corporate persona....

Jargon Watch

But wait, I'm into recycling, hybrid cars (at least the concept of), and low-energy lightbulbs....

Ecosexual n. A person who's into hybrid cars, low-energy lightbulbs, and recycling. Now that environmentalism is hot, ecosexuals are getting increasingly fashionable.

Interns, Tapas and Relief from the Heat

On Thursday night I joined some co-workers in The East Village at Sala for a summer intern happy hour.

Unfortunately, I did not have an intern report to me this summer. But it was nice getting to know some of my co-workers a little better outside of the workplace and to meet a few people that I hadn't met before. Plus, you can't go wrong with tapas and sangrias. And it was actually comfortably cool outside that night.

For more on Sala, see the New York magazine review here.

The Five Stages of Living In NYC

I couldn't come up with seven, so here goes the five I thought of on my subway ride....

STAGE ONE: AWE
This is it. The Big Apple. The City That Never Sleeps. No more Second-City complex. You've got unlimited choices and unlimited potential.

It's during this stage that you're a little, well, in awe. You carry the Not For Tourists Guide around with you to figure out how to get around town. You watch your fellow straphangers a little closer to make sure no one looks shady or will steal your wallet. You're on sensory overload with all the people, restaurants, stores, bars, museums, sporting events, activities, etc. but you're enjoying taking it all in.

STAGE TWO: INDOCTRINATION
You're settling into life as a New Yorker. You may have stopped doing touristy things and instead have settled on a few neighborhoods to hang out in or maybe even limit yourself to the three-block radius around your apartment. You swear by NY 1, curse Duane Reade, avoid midtown at all costs and even begin to develop that smug sense of New York superiority (deserved or not) because you live among artists, writers, entertainers and powerful people. Because you can get bagels, bialys, samosas, sushi, foie gras, and a slice of pizza all on the same block. Because your subway ride to work is a venerable microcosm of the world. Because now you get the local references on Sex And the City. Because you're at the center of it all. You begin to wonder why you never lived here before and pity those poor bastards stuck elsewhere who will never experience this lifestyle.

It's also during this stage that you develop an unhealthy and warped perspective on money. When $100+ dinner for two is considered "not bad", $2000+ a month for a rental apartment is considered a "deal", and when you realize that despite the fact that you make good money it is never enough here and certainly insufficient to ever buy a home in this town. You're jaded, consumed with real estate, and aware of the constant presence (or absence) of money in this town. Nevertheless, you remain steadfast. You're officially a New Yorker.

STAGE THREE: BACKLASH (REBELLION)
This stage typically occurs during the months of July or August when the city quite literally smells like human excrement, when you're forced to pack into a subway car with people who don't share your same sense of hygiene, and when some facet of our city's infrastructure fails us (see ConEd's blackouts, the recent steam pipe explosion, the even more recent mass transit disruption due to rain, etc.). This phase may also be triggered by some random-ass event that could only happen in NYC, like the Yankee player who crashed his plane into an apartment building, which though not tied to terrorism, still reminded us of the constant underlying belief that we collectively share as New Yorkers: terrorists will strike this city again.

It is also during this stage that the characters you once found charming for their "New York-ness" are now simply just "assholes". You also realize that it is ridiculous how much you are paying for rent, how little space you have, and how "not normal" your lifestyle is. You realize how the "standards" for NYC apartments and landlords are so much lower than what's reasonably expected and are thus willing to put up with poor service and treatment because after all, it's New York and after all, it could be worse.

You recognize that it's not necessarily healthy for your ears to be exposed to the deafeningly screeching sounds made by subway cars while simulatenously your i-Pod blares to drown out the omnipresent subway preachers and panhandlers. Nor can it be healthy for you to inhale the stagnant, pollution-filled, humid air. Nor can it be good for the soul to not be near green grass or a clean body of water.

During this stage, it's best to avoid visiting other big cities like Chicago, San Francisco or Seattle - all of which seem to exhibit healthier lifestyles, more affordable housing, and an enviable quality of life - so as to not drive yourself completely crazy.

STAGE FOUR: ACCEPTANCE
The honeymoon now over, you begin to recognize that New York may not be the place you settle down in permanently. But you knew that all along, didn't you? This was the deal you struck. The trade-off you agreed to. You didn't come here to save money. You certainly didn't come here for the fresh air. You didn't come here to escape a rat race. You came here to experience this city, to pursue opportunities, to not have regrets. You remind yourself why you came here and how it never was supposed to be long-term.

STAGE FIVE: RENEWAL
This stage often coincides with spring (just in time for the release of Cadbury Creme Eggs) or perhaps fall (just in time for Back-to-School season). You begin to recognize that you might just leave NYC in a couple years and start looking at things with fresh eyes, as if it will be one of the last times you see those landmarks, hop on that 2 train, laugh with those friends. You realize that there is much more to see and do. More of New York to be experienced. More goals to be reached. More opportunities to be had. More memories to be created. Maybe you ought to make the most of this time in New York. To steal from The Lucksmiths, maybe you'll look back and remember this as The Chapter in Your Life entitled 'New York'.

Or maybe you will stay after all. Wait, I just remembered that rent check. Fuck it, I'm out of here in two years.

Summer in NYC: How Do I Hate Thee, Let Me Count The Ways

This morning I woke up to a torrential downpour in Park Slope. I needed to make it to work as I had a 9:00 am meeting. I decided to go early so I could prepare. I left my apartment at 7:00 am and headed to the subway station only to find out that the 2/3 trains weren't running. Okay, what to do? After an unsuccessful attempt to get a cab, I finally called Arecibo and took the car service into Manhattan.

Traffic was ridiculous and what should have taken 30 minutes or less ended up taking an hour. Even then, traffic was crawling and I eventually got out of the car and walked six blocks to get to the office. Some of my co-workers walked to work - one from Union Square, one from Grand Central, one from the Upper East Side. Others took cabs. Some didn't make it in at all.

It's amazing how some rain crippled the mass transit system. NY Times covers the story here.

UPDATE: More coverage on the chaos, the commuter frustration and the Brooklyn tornado?! from the Times here. And, uh, does anyone else notice that this extreme weather is due to the friggin' climate crisis????

It's Official. I am Lame.

FACT: Last night, A Camp (the side project of Nina Persson of The Cardigans) performed at Union Hall.



FACT: I had purchased two tickets to this sold out show way in advance.



FACT: I can walk to Union Hall in about 10 minutes.



FACT: Instead of going to see them perform in a cool setting close to home, I proceeded to lay on the couch and get sucked into trainwreck television like: Age of Love, Fat March, The Pick-Up Artist, and Man Band.



FACT: I am officially old and lame.



For those interested in how the show went and how those who are young and hip live, Brooklyn Vegan posted this blurb and pics from Trent's Flickr.

It's Getting Hot in Here

It's beyond redonk in terms of the heat and humidity in this town. Tomorrow is supposed to be even worse with temps in the 100s!

As I descended into the stinky, humid, and appallingly uncomfortable abyss of the subway station, I'm pretty sure I muttered under my breath (to myself): "This city is f#cking bullsh&t!"

I then also decided that Chicago winters are worse than NYC winters (that wind goes right through those thermals!) but that NYC summers are way worse than Chicago's (thanks to the funky smells, the quantity of people and the unbearable subway stations).

Sunday in Coney

Tonight we went to our second Cyclones game of the summer.

Thankfully the weather cooperated with us and it was actually pleasant and comfortable out. Also, we lucked out with not having any annoying people sitting in the rows in front of us and behind us.

We got there fairly early and picked up the Marty Markowitz Bobblehead. The game was fun and we saw some good plays (including a few homeruns) and by the time we took off, the Cyclones led the Aberdeen Ironbirds by a score of 9-3 in the 6th inning. They ended up winning 12-6.

Summer Butt Kickin'

First we watched Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) kick some serious butt in The Bourne Ultimatum at the Court Street theater in Brooklyn Heights.

It was a great action film and even better than the first two in the series. Almost as fun as watching the non-stop action in exotic locales was the packed theater for the 11am matinee. Let's just say it was one of those typical "participatory" New York City moviegoing crowds. Whenever Bourne triumphed after an intense fight scene, there was applause and hollering in the theater which added to the fun of seeing it with a big audience.

Next, we got our butts kicked by the sweltering NYC heat. We made it down to Boerum Hill and Smith Street where we took refuge at an Irish bar called Ceol. I had a pint of Smithwicks and a California Wrap as we watched a little Man U on the telly, er, I mean television.

Bar + It Game = Potential Fun

It's hot as hell today but we were in the Boerum Hill area and walked down Smith Street. We walked by a bar called Camp and noticed that on August 28th they are hosting a Guitar Hero Tournament. Nerdy? Yes. Intriguing? Also yes.

Chocolate Rain

I saw this on Best Week Ever. Weird!

Love Me Some Samosas

We've been watching some episodes of Food Trip with Todd English on the local PBS affiliate and saw him cover the various interpretations of "dumplings" and "flat breads" of the world.

So, it was only a matter of time before we gave in and went to Amin in Park Slope to indulge in some samosas, chicken tikka masala, and naan.

Save Money, Save the World

The groundswell of support for the anti-bottled water movement is taking hold.

Here's a recent Op-Ed piece in the Times laying out their argument "in praise of tap water"...

And here's another interesting story on the topic from the folks at Alternet.

Ben Folds' cover of Such Great Heights

James - Say Something

And Then London Called...

On Monday night I met up with a friend in the West Village at a bar called Vol de Nuit (W. 4th and Ave. of the Americas).

It's a Belgian Beer lounge so naturally we had some Chimay and some pommes frites.

It was good to see her one last time before she moves to London.

BB8: Jameka is a Moron

She cannot distinguish between destiny and random chance.

So Sick of Subway Preachers

After a hard day at work and having faced the ordeal that is the humid deathtrap otherwise known as the NYC subway platform in late July, the last thing you want is to have someone preach to you about Jesus.

This woman seemed normal enough and was pretty well dressed. So it was not unusual that she actually grabbed our attention when at the Atlantic Avenue stop on the 3 train, she got on and announced: "Excuse me ladies and gentlemen."

What is this, I wondered? She went on: "I just want to remind you...." Where is she going with this, I thought? "....that Jesus died for our sins." Oh boy, here we go. That's when the iPod volume gets kicked up a few notches higher.

I don't know about her god but my god has some commandments and one of them is "Thou Shalt Not Annoy." I'm so sick of people on the subway exhibiting this antisocial behavior and telling us what to believe. What about the Jews and Muslims on the train who don't believe in Jesus? Not to mention it's just plain rude! Please shut up from now on.