Blog

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Some less frivalous Sites of the Day are two interesting articles I read yesterday:

– A good piece on national healthcare from the New Yorker. The essay gives a few anecdotal stories, which really prove nothing, but after reading made me at least 100% in favor of national dental care. I’d pay extra taxes for that.

– The New York Times on Science and Religion. If you ask a devout Christian or an athiest, had He wanted to, could God have made the world and the creatures on it without leaving a signature?

They each will disagree for opposite reasons. They can say that He did or that he didn’t, respectively, but if they don’t agree that He could have, then they are not reasonable people and not worth bothering with. Meaning, in an unprovable argument, a rational person must at least concede the possibility of being wrong.

For the record, I believe in the Flying Spaghetti Monster.

I’m a big fan of one-time hobbies: canning, teeth whitening, taxidermy. One day last week, I decided to make pesto. It started out with a thriving basil plant. Despite my black thumb, it had grown into a bush, overlooking the hotties shopping on Prince Street.
I gathered the other ingredients–pine nuts, olive oil, garlic–and a recipe from Cook’s Illustrated. After roasting the pine nuts, I dumped the whole mess into my food processor (came free with the blender I bought specifically to make tempting, cool drinks), and that looked good enough to be Pic of the Day (see above).
After I chopped it fine, as you might do to a frog or irritating small child, I became all Martha Stewart-ish and froze the pesto in an ice cube tray. Now, for a quick meal, I add a cube to a small jar of plain tomato sauce (Ingredients: tomato puree.) and I end up with some gourmet tasting shit that doesn’t make feel like I am still in college (Go Lions). Roast a piece of chicken and add a cube for that last five minutes of cooking and you’ve got a meal that could get you out of most types of trouble with the gf. Most. I also plan to add a few cubes to a jar of sauce over some slow-cooked meatballs for the first NFL game with snow. Yummy. Related Links: Cook’s Illustrated — I log on as Dan. Thanks, yuppy! I kid. Plus, now that I make pesto, it might be a bit of the pot calling the kettle materialistic. Martha Stewart on basil and pesto. She really does mention the ice cube trays. And for no reason, check out the randon hotty at Pesto.com

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Site of the Day: Old folks.

I finally got out to Coney Island to see the Brooklyn Cyclones. Highly recommend. When I went, it was a beautiful evening with a cool breeze coming off the water and across the outfield, but I think the weather is always like that at the beach.

Minor league games are a spectacle. If you combine that with the teeming hodge-podge of humanity that is Coney Island, you get some of the best people watching in the world. Sitting next to us were a half-dozen season ticket holders from the neighborhood. Everytime the Cyclones had a man at bat with another on base, this group of friends rubbed their hands together to warm them up. Then, seemingly without any cue, the would unleash a staccato of synchronized claps. The gang sits behind the ‘Clones dugout and are a must-see if you attend a game.

Also on parade, just like the games in Altoona, were some interesting varieties of hair. Last note, the Cyclones are a farm team for the Mets, so I even got to see a sea gull poop on a Yankees cap.

Thanks to Alex and Scott for the tickets.

Relates Links:
– http://www.brooklyncyclones.com
– My trip to see the Altoona Curve. My pics were really low quality back in ’02. And I was long-winded.

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Site of the Day: From Scott, Taquitos.net— Reviews of more than 2000 snack foods.

When I am busy and short of material, I troll Yahoo’s Most Popular photos. Today they were filled with Columbian super models and baby panda pictures, but I chose this one to share with you. (AP Photo/Robert Mincer)

I have quite a few single women friends and few single men friends (I cultured this sort of arrangement for years). Ladies, I think one of you should snap up the owner of this field.

Related Links:
– Yahoo’s Most Emailed Photos
– The National Grange
– Match.com

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Site of the Day: Pictures by a guy who loves gum and blondes: www.gumblondes.com.

So my girlfriend is out of town for a long time. Her biggest concern is not that I will cheat, rather, that I will go feral. She was right to be concerned, because it has already begun. On Monday, Erik and I made mojitos, watched the Steelers, and played six hours of “God of War” on the PS2.

So she’s been gone three days and I’ve re-established unhealthy friend time, unhealthy mid-week drinking, an unhealthy football obsession, and a really unhealthy video game addiction. This has lead to blurry eyes and a sore head, but I feel great. However, if she is gone too much longer, I’m going to end up blissfully dead and unemployed.

I have frozen a good amount of mint, so I can make mojitos at a moments notice. Do stop by.

Related Sites:
– Bacardi’s Mojito Recipe
– “God of War” review. Best. Game. Ever.
– A pic of me completely feral

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Site of the Day: Paper Mag’s What to do Today (in NYC)

Daughter of dear friends, Todd and Lisy. Mom, baby, and pop are doing fine. None are sleeping all that much.

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Sites of the Day:

– Via TMN, an octopus attacking a shark. A dream for this bio geek.

– Toy cars crashed into toy trees

– Best sidewalk chalk guy

– The whole nine yards controversy

– Diddy, please stop. Please.

– Soon to die in a dumb fashion like that grizzly guy, the man who built his own rocket belt

– Philadelphia is the new Brooklyn. Both suck equally in my book, but at least Philly as Yuengling and Tasty Kake.

– The Japanese even have cooler doors than us

Get back to work, slacker.

Things that sort of rhyme with “Broken Flowers”:
– Wasted hours
– Prolonged dours
– Whiskey sours

Things that don’t rhyme with “Broken Flowers”:
– Entertaining

Ok, that’s all a little harsh and the film did have some killer moments (most involving nudity.) But it is Murray’s vehicle, and he and Jarmusch have made their reps on projecting sad superciliousness: Murray with his eyes, Jarmusch with is endless uncomfortable silences. If they are going to keep projecting that they don’t want to be anyone’s friend, I am content to grant their wish.

Also, the subtext of how a young rake becomes a deplorable, lacivious old man, well…being pale with a thinning scalp, I don’t like films about balding or skin cancer either.

Or maybe I liked it. A lot.

Related Links:
– “Broken Flowers” at IMDB
– NY Times review by someone who still thinks he can be friends with Bill and Jim
– Erik and my evening with Bill Murray

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Site of the Day: I’m currently learning how to cut the deck with one hand and how to spin pens. Why don’t you also learn some useless skills?

As I type this, I am listening to “Eternal Flame” by the Bangles re-rendered on the pan flute. I am on hold and also unhappy. For $9.95, last November, I bought one month of access to the audio for NFL games, via Real.com. I like sports on the radio (despite Myron “Aren’t I annoying?” Cope), so this was a nice way to experience a few Steelers games without going to a bar, much to the relief of my liver which at the end the season is as bruised as Steve McNair. I was a satisfied customer.

The song has changed to “Tonight, I Celebrate My Love for You.” I am even less happy. After such a good experience last year with the Real.com NFL Field Pass, I was not terribly upset when they automatically charged my credit card a few days ago to continue my subscription. I was not going to pay for preseason games, though, so I went online to unsubscribe.

Unsubscribing is not easy. There is no web form. The only way to cancel automatic charges is to call a number that is hidden deep in the customer support page, behind a cancellation feedback form. Until now. Anyone who Googles, “unsubscribe NFL Field Pass at Real.com” will find this page and the number, 1-866-715-5911. And then they can call, too, and listen to “Send in the Clowns” while being on hold forever.

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Site of the Day: Direct TV’s NFL Sunday Ticket

On my way home last night, I made a mass purchase at the drugstore, buying various necessary sundries. The drugstore always provides me with new and almost interesting impulse buys: tongue scrapers, beard trimmers, a Swiffer, shoe polish, pommade. This time it was Crest White Stripes.

The woman demostrating the product in the instructions already has pristine white teeth and perfectly painted red lips.Applying the first slimy strip, I thought I would soon be as toothy as her.

My first impression? They are not practical. They are hard to put on. They make you drool. And you are supposed to wear them for an hour every day, broken down into two thirty minute stints, which doesn’t seem sustainable. I’ll give the final verdict in 14 days.

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Site of the Day: From Bex, a wonderful beer ad.

Last night, I put my name in the hat for The Moth, and unlike the last time I had entered, I got picked to compete in the storytelling competition. I told a condensed version of the Hungarian Letter and the afterward the judges put me in first place. My lead was shortlived…Ok, I’d like to not be a small and bitter person, but that’s what I am. I hate losing.

“Show me a good loser, and I’ll show you a loser.”
– Vince Lombardi

“Show me a good loser and I’ll kick…huh..uh..I guess another Guinness is fine, thanks.”
– Sean T. Conrad

Rather than be base and take out my frustration with a bat on the damn Russian judge who gave me an 8, I punished my liver instead. Andy, former Moth winner, consoled.

End rant.

Related Links
– The Moth
– The Hungarian Letter Story
– Andy Christie
– Previous Moth Posts

Some more shots of the great light in the bar:

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Site of the Day: From Andy, http://www.bonsaikitten.com