Gimme Gimme More...

I have to say...the song is growing on me. Big time. Actually I heard all of Britney's new album is the bomb.

Good for her. Glad she's back. Even if she was the worst singer out of the group of girls (xtina, jessica, etc) at least she's got the best dance jams.

May have to make a whole shower songs album with nothing but Britney songs.

No worries, I'll get working on that for you guys.

And I'll even drop the soap ;)



Speaking of "taking one for the team", how funny is it that A-rod was offered a contract by the Toledo Mud Hens?

That's fucking great...although apparently they have a MVP third baseman already...perhaps that guy can play for the Yanks! Joey G get on that buddy.

I'm ok with Girardi as manager and not Mattingly. Why? Well Girardi has already been on the front line as a manager and proved to be a hard noser manager much like he was a hard nosed player. Mattingly would have been a shill (or plant if you will) for the team. Meaning that he would have been the whipping boy for Steinbrenner when the team struggled and didn't win the WS again. And the fans would have eventually turned on Mattingly because he too couldn't "motivate" this team to get into shape. I think if the youth movement is truly on (and lord knows everyone who knows me knows I've been calling for that for a longggg time), Girardi is the kinda of guy who will whip players into shape. Just look what he did with that Marlins team with young guns like Dontrelle and Miguel Cabrera. It should be interesting times up in the BX...especially since the Sox are still the favorite to win again next year.

Anyway, I'm in a musical kinda mood tonight and came across some cool clips on YouTube of a young pianist named David Sides.



Apparently I must be the last person to have discovered him, as many of his clips have over 500,000 views on YouTube already. That and he just released a CD of his songs available on MySpace thanks to his popularity!

This guy is legit. I'm a big fan of the ivory keys and he plays it just as well as anyone. He doesn't even read the sheet music...he just plays. Melodies and backgrounds and all. You gotta love that.

His new CD includes the following tracks:
01. Ciara – Like A Boy : Piano Cover By David Sides
02. Chris Brown – Say Goodbye : Piano Cover By David Sides
03. Akon – Don’t Matter : Piano Cover By David Sides
04. T-Pain – Buy You A Drink : Piano Cover By David Sides
05. Ne-Yo – Because Of You : Piano Cover By David Sides
06. Rihanna – Umbrella : Piano Cover By David Sides
07. Bone Thug – I Try : Piano Cover By David Sides
08. Mario – How Do I Breathe : Piano Cover By David Sides
09. Omarion – Ice Box : Piano Cover By David Sides
10. Robin Thicke – Lost Without You : Piano Cover By David Sides
11. Sean Paul – We Be Burnin' : Piano Cover By David Sides
12. Marques Houston – Circle : Piano Cover By David Sides
13. Fat Joe – Make It Rain : Piano Cover By David Sides
14. Musiq Soulchild – Buddy : Piano Cover By David Sides
15. Coldplay – Clocks : Piano Cover By David Sides
16. Coldplay – The Scientist : Piano Cover By David Sides
17. Bonus Track - Nickelback - Far Away
18. Bonus Track - Justin Timberlake - What Goes Around

Now if you've been living under a rock like I apparently have and haven't seen his work, here are some of my favs:

What Goes Around by J.T.


Far Away by Nickleback


Umbrella by Rhianna (off the hook!)


The Scientist by Coldplay


We Be Burning by Sean Paul


Clocks by Coldplay


Good shit. I definitely would see him in concert. Awesome stuff Mr. Sides keep up the good work.

Anyway...I'm off to bed, got a big day of shooting clays tomorrow complete with a 5:30am wake up call. That and it's a busy weekend on tap in WPMB land, including yours truly attempting to run a small leg of the NYC marathon with Rich (let's see how long I can last!)

Until next time America.

Move Bitch, Get out the way

Today's post is dedicated to all of those assholes who get in the way.

Like the guy who was arrested a few years back for blocking traffic on the sidewalk.

The pedestrian in question, Matthew Jones, "was charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest -- by flailing his arms-- on June 12, 2004. Police said other people "had to walk around" him, and he wouldn't move when asked." He is currently appealing his arrest.

Well I'm glad he went to the slammer. Had he followed the proper rules of pedestrian engagement and wasn't a douchebag maybe he would have avoided getting a plunger stuck up his ass.

Next up is this fat ass who got in the way of a sixty-nine:



Good job 55. Fuckin fat ass. All I wanted was a picture of a 6-9 and you ruined it. Don't you know there's only two people in a sixty-nine...unless you're in a Utah porn or something (btw, someone got to my blog recently by searching for Utah porn. Not sure why Utah porn is so special. Maybe it's because of all the mormons. hmm...)

Another guy who needs to go the fuck home is this guy:



"The protest was not without its superfans. Joaquin Ferreira, 54, of Brooklyn, arrived decked out in a Yankees hat and jacket. A fan for 10 years, he said, “I’m here to support Joe Torre. If Joe leaves, the Yankees will go to hell.”

Wait a minute...Superfan? 10 years?? Are you fucking kidding me?!? So let's see...hmm...10 years ago was 1997. Oh WAIT, that was ONE year AFTER the Yankees won the World Series. OH so that qualifies him as a superfan??? That Bandwagon jumping muthafucka? Un real. So he's been a fan just as long as Joe Torre has been a manager with the team. Nice. Good intelligent writing AM New York. Oh and look, the person who wrote the article is a Newsday writer. The pinaccle of sports journalism. What a joke. Calling him a super fan is like calling boobsinjuriesanddrpepper.blogspot.com/ funny. (LK- there you go, I took a shot at her. Third in the voting for funniest blog my ass.)

Another person who needs to get out of the way is this asshole that had a sign that said "Cowboys Bound 4 Superbowl".



Good job genius. Hope some Patriot fans shoved that up your ass after the game. Moron. Why don't you wait until we've actually made the playoffs before declaring a trip to the Superbowl. Oh, wait...you must be a "superfan" too like the douche above. Let me guess, you started being a Cowboys fan in '93? And no true fan goes to the game with a sign that calls out the network that's calling the game. Fuck face.

Oh and btw...why that girl was announcing to the world that she's a Homo Sexual is beyond me. I mean she's cute and all and some chick would be lucky to have her as a partner. But seriously, honey, saying you're a homo sexual with a big sign is probably not the best way to get on TV.

No doubt about it...the Yankees Suck

I haven't busted out the shirt yet, but I'm very tempted to:



Good job coming through in the clutch yet again. Way to manufacture those runs guys. No need to attempt to steal a base or bunt someone other. Nah, just hit into double plays all night. That'll light up the scoreboard for sure.

Oh and to all the assholes who said to start Wang over Mussina even though Mussina is a grizzled veteran who is accustomed to playoff baseball - nicely done. Pricks. No one ever asks for my advice on the Yanks, but they should. I've been following the team for 25 years. Youth wins. Small ball wins. I'd rather try with the likes of young players like Andy Phillips and Bubba Crosby then lose with over the hill veterans like Gary Sheffield and Tony Clark. Lot of good those assholes did in 04.

It's time for change. Let the youth play. Even if you have to absorb a few losing seasons, i'd rather do that than watch "the highest paid team in baseball" fail to deliver time and time again.

BTW big props to the talented folks over at Boston Dirt Dogs (http://www.bostondirtdogs.com) for their humorous twist on the Yankees saga:





Good luck to the Sox dealing with the upstart Indians...hopefully they'll prove to be a better opponent than the 04 Cardinals. Maybe Borowski can channel some inner Ricky Vaughn and start blowing away the Sox.

Chokesada at it again

Good job Posada way to strike out after being up 3-0 with the bases loaded and 1 out. Way to put the ball in play. Good work.

Keep hitting .400 during the regular season, you'll always be Chokesada in the postseason to me!


As usual, Posada looks lost during the playoffs

I hate Jewish holidays

Seriously...all you do is eat. And eat. And eat.

I mean I was doing well on my quasi, not really a diet but trying to watch what I eat type of deal. I even felt like I may have dropped a pound or two in the past few days. But kiss that goodbye. That kugel, brisket and turkey I devoured last week? Still trying to work that off. Ribs, bbq chicken, burgers and hot dogs? I'll be feeling that for a while too. Of course the numerous beers I consumed over the weekend didn't help matters much either.

In fact on Sunday I was so bloated I was mistaken for this blimp that was hovering above my neighborhood.


I mean if people thought Britney was fat at the VMA's last week they obviously haven't seen me in a half shirt recently. Nor would you probably want to for that matter. But regardless the sight isn't pretty.

Anyway I know people on occassion visit my blog to get some good food ideas so I guess I should stop bitching about the negative aspects of food (the weight gain) and start talking about the glorious fried goodness I tend to devour on a daily basis (or as Laurie Kendrick so eloquently called me: a Carbohydrate Munching Bastard!).

So I've decided that every Monday I'll have a new feature entitled: "What I ate Last Week". I won't recap every item in its painstakingly caloric detail, but I'll just offer some highlights of things I enjoyed and stuff you shouldn't probably eat yourself...lest you want to look more like Rosie O'Donnell than Kate Moss. But if you are the dieting type, then maybe you can "eat vicariously" through me. Which doesn't sound all that appealing when you think about it...but you get the point.

Anyway, without further adieu...

Item #1: Chicken Parm Hero - Bella Napoli


As I've mentioned countless times before, Chicken Parm is my all time favorite. And very few make it as good as Bella Napoli. The seeded roll gave this week's version a nice added crunch! And to those who complain about the "service" it's a fuckin pizzeria for christ's sake...you're not supposed to have friendly service. (Btw LK - let's make sure we hit 'em up when you finally make your long awaited visit to the NYC)

Item #2: Grilled cheese (gruyere) with carmelized onions on toasted rye.


A co-worker got me hooked on 'wichcraft which is an artisan type sandwich shop at the Equinox gym on Park & 33rd (they also have free standing "stands" in Bryant Park). The sandwiches are very tasty and the smoothies are top-notch. Only problem is it's a little pricey so make sure it's not an everyday indulgence. But you do get good bang for your buck...and the sandwich combinations are quite palette pleasing.

So those are the two "highlights" for now. Hopefully this week will be a very "low carb" week for me so I can decompress from the carb fest that was this past weekend. But I'll try to eat one or two tasty morsels for y'all that'll leave you drooling on your keyboard.

Oh and good job by the Yanks last night...as I've said countless times, there's no shock factor for the Red Sox when it comes to Rivera anymore. I'm shocked he didn't blow the save. Seriously. I know he's one of the best closers of all time but when you're facing a team for the 100th time there's no secret. No surprises. I just hope that situation doesn't arise again in the postseason (like it did in 05)...because Ortiz isn't popping out to Jeter in October.

Let the "War" Begin



So this weekend is Yankees vs Red Sox. While I'm trying to not play too much into the importance of the series for the Yanks playoff hopes, my Boston friends have fired the first shot in the war.

Good ole 'Thos' knows for years how I was complaining Posada never came through in the clutch. Things seem to turn around last May when he got his bell rung by Mark Texeira on a collision at home plate...but postseason wise he hasn't been the most clutch of players.

Realizing this and seeing how popular he is as a player, Boston fans have taken the insult to a higher level (as usual) with their latest t-shirt:



This of course isn't the only disparaging shirt Sawx fans have resorted to recently.



Yankees fans, even for all their crassness at times haven't been able to respond with crude shirts of their own. Why? Well those types of shirts are banned at Yankee Stadium. Yep, for those who forgot they passed that "decency act" at baseball games, so no more insulting tshirts or signs could be brought into the stadium. Nothing like stripping the one thing born and bred new yorkers have ingrained in them from childbirth - the insult.


Shirts like these are now banned in Yankee Stadium

So Yankees have mostly answered with their "Got Rings?" line of shirts touting the overwhelming number of championships the Yankees have won compared to their Boston foes.



Regardless, the series this weekend will be a war. A bloodbath. The Sox haven't won the AL East since 1995, with the Yankees finishing in first every single year since then. While the Sox have a nice 5 game lead over the Yanks, Sox fans won't rest assured until they win a few more from the Yankees. A Yankees sweep would be a heartbreaking ordeal for Sox fans this weekend, even though they still would be a few games above the Yanks in first.

Anyway, more importantly today is the big Cannoli eating competition down in Little Italy.

Those who know me know I'm a cannoli addict. It's my single most favorite dessert of all time. I could eat them by the dozens. While I'm far off from competing at the lighting speed as the IFOCE eaters do...I'll be keeping my eye open for the results.

My boy Crazy Legs is vying for the title (I saw him "warming" up on the news this am, eating 3 cannolis in 45 seconds). The world record is 26 cannolis in 6 minutes, which is shared by Cookie Jarvis (2005) and Tim "Eater X" Janus (2006).



Good luck to all the competitors today...the next round of milk is on me!

Still ringing...

So its 1:45pm and my ears are still ringing. Somebody make it stop!!!

This wasn't the first time my ears were left ringing (in a bad way) after a Yankee game. As you'll remember back on April 30th, when I spoke about those "children" (i.e. heathens) who got into a screaming match above and below me

So far today I've thought someone called my name, twice (neither time it was for me), I've heard the phone ring a few times (wasn't ringing) and I think I even heard someone whisper "Rosebud" (I haven't seen Citizen Kane in over a decade). So needless to say my ears are still way out of tune.

The only salvation I've had today was a nice plate of chicken parm from Bella Napoli.



You don't get much better than Bella Napoli as far as chicken parm is concerned (i haven't gotten around to my story on the best chicken parm in the city yet...i will soon though. promise!). You can either get a chicken parm hero or a plate matched with ziti or salad. I opted for the salad today since I can't afford to be sleeping on my keyboard this afternoon. The salad with nice and fresh, with big beefy tomatoes and fresh cucumbers, despite the fact that I splashed balsamic vinegar all over my desk. Definitely worth a visit for a nice lunch (and reasonable too - under $7 for the combo) or quiet dinner if you're over in the midtown area. They make some mean pizza too, as evidenced by the lines that are out the door on a daily basis.


If you donta go to the bella napoli i'm gonna send the vito afta your assa. Capice?

Btw...just looked up Capice (pronounced ka-pea-shh) in the Urban Dictionary:

Capice: "Asking for agreement, understanding, belief. Answered with itself. Often used in italian mafia-type settings to emphasize understanding."

Example:
Frank: "If you dont shutup, im going to bust your frickin head open with a baseball bat, capice?!"

Tony: "Capice"

Haha...awesome...gotta love the Urban Dictionary! Wonder if I can use Capice as a Scrabble word someday??? Hmm...I can imagine the conversation would go something like this:

Capice (on the board)

Opponent: Capice? That's not a word!

Me: Capice is a fuckin word you fuckin asshole. Now that's 27 points with the Triple Word Score. Put it in the fuckin books. Capice?! (brandishing my baseball bat, pocket knife and molotov cocktail).

Opponent: Ok...ok...it's a word.

"Bat" Man

Last night sitting in the bleachers at the Yankees game I was sitting in front of this older couple, probably in their 50s. They looked like they just got off the bus from Woodstock, with their long white hair and shoddy clothing. However they seemed nice and they were definitely avid Yankee fans. The lady however was cheering for everything. She even cheered loudly when the corporate sponsor for umbrella day was acknowledged before the game. Who cheers for the corporate sponsor??? But the worst part was her whistle. She emitted this ultra-high pitched whistle that I think most dogs would cover their ears listening too. It was deafening. I'm still hearing some of the feedback in my ear. She whistled and clapped for everything. Mussina threw a ball? "Come on Mooooseeee let's get it back" followed by loud claps and her shreiking whistle. Wil Nieves struck out again? Whistle, clap, whistle. "Get em next time Willie!"

I mean don't get me wrong, I'm all for cheering at games. But jesus christ lady...be aware of people sitting in front of you when you're whistling. And there's really no need to whistle for a foul ball. Honestly. If Mussina's pitch count was 66 by the 5th inning, her whistle count was in the 100's. Eventually I became deaf enough in my right ear that it stopped fazing me. But 2 or 3 people actually moved their seats because of her loud cheering. Thankfully I left in the 7th inning to avoid any further damage to my ear drums. What's that? Huh? Sorry thought someone was calling my name.

Anyway, sorry to vent about that...I think that's just my ear speaking out in frustration. Although it could have been worse. I could have been this guy (click for larger image):



I think the funniest part of the picture is how he's the only one not defending himself from the bat. People a few seats over have their hands raised or are covering themselves. The people on the left side look like they're watching a horror film and are screaming. But this guy just took the bat on the chin. According to the caption he suffered a broken rib...but not sure how he didn't break his jaw. Then again he's wearing an Ireland shirt, so I'm sure he's used to getting hit in the face. (I'll take Irish stereotypes for $200 please).

Ooooh...what's that, someone just said there's donuts in the conference room. I'm so there. Be back with more later...


Mmmm....donuts

Post blog note: hmm...so turns out I'm just hearing things...no donuts. damn...that lady really fucked my ear up!

Furthering the Rivalry

When you think Yankees and Red Sox you think rivalry.

Intense rivalry.

Rivals on the field.

Rivals in the stands.

Rivals in ice cream?

On my trip to Boston this weekend to historic Fenway, which I've actually come to appreciate more in my "older years", I noticed an ice cream stand outside of the stadium. Walking towards it I expected it to be no other than Dippin Dots, the self proclaimed "ice cream of the future" that is served at Yankee Stadium (which you'll remember I spoke about a few weeks ago after trying them for the first time). But lo and behold it wasn't Dippin Dots but something called Itti Bitz.


"Little Bitz of Ice Cream Fun"

What kind of fuckin name is Itti Bitz??? Can you imagine a child asking his mother for Itti Bitz???? Hell no. Asking for some Dots is much cooler! Just see for yourself:

"Yo ma...get me some Itti Bitz"

"Yo ma...get me some Dippin Dots"

Case closed.

So while Fenway by and large has better concessions than Yankee stadium (if you haven't been, they've done tons to improve their concessions in the past few years while Yankee stadium has some of the worst concessions in the league. Average wait time for a beer in Fenway is about 2 minutes. Average wait time in Yankees Stadium about 30 mins. Trust me on that one.) a point in the rivalry does go to the Yankees for better ice cream concession. A small victory for Yanks fans to hang their hats on considering we don't have much else going for us these days!

In other news, Bridget forwarded me this viral video Bud Light produced called the "Swear Jar". Pretty funny...employees have to donate a $1 for every swear word they say in the work place, which gets pooled to buy cases of Bud Light.



Something to implement in your own workplace perhaps???

He's the Man!

No...not talking about A-Rod who hit the game winning HR last night in the 9th inning to beat the Red Sox (long after I had turned the TV off in disgust).

Nor am I talking about Vladimir Putin, who is doing his best to touch off "Cold War II". (and frankly we could use another cold war...I'm longing for the return of the USA vs Russia arcade game!)


Perhaps a new cold war can spark the return of the USA vs Russia arcade hockey game!

No...I'm talking about the (cue Michael Buffer voice) New, International Hot Dog Eating Champion of the World....Joey "The Tsunami" Chestnut!


Ladies & Gentlemen, your new hot dog eating champion!

Chestnut shattered Kobayashi's record over the weekend by eating an amazing 59 1/2 hot dogs in 12 minutes in a "warm up" for the Nathan's 4th of July Hot Dog Eating Contest! Read the news article here: http://origin.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_6048231.

Chestnut, who is one of my favorite competitive eaters due to him being the Krystal eating Champion of the world (Krystal is similar to White Castle), bettered Kobayashi's record by a whopping 6 hot dogs! Watching Chestnut compete against Kobayashi last year at Coney Island was special, because no one's even come close to beating Kobayashi in recent memory. Chestnut lost to Kobayashi by a hot dog and a half last year so there was hope that he could dethrone Kobayashi this year at Coney Island. In fact the only "person" who has beaten Kobayashi in a hot dog eating contest was actually an animal, a brown bear to be exact, who destroyed Kobayashi on that TV show Man vs Animal on FOX a few years back (click the link to play video from that contest)


The only competitor to beat Kobayashi in Hot Dog eating was a bear

But Chestnut is now the new "king of the hot dog" and watching him and Kobayashi go toe-to-toe (or mouth to mouth) on July 4th for the title should be awesome.


This year you can guarantee Kobayashi will be signaling Chestnut is the man!

Juice ain't worth no two dollars!

So getting breakfast this morning at Chicken Deli on 33rd btw Park & Madison (good for a cheap breakfast if you're in the hood), a young male grabbed a bottle of juice - one of those V-8 Fusion drink things - and proceeded to hand the cashier a dollar bill.

The cashier responded: "$1.79"

The youth: "$1.79???"

The cashier: "$1.79"

The youth reluctantly pulled another dollar out of his pocket: "God dam...juice ain't worth no two dollars"


Is V-8's V-Fusion worth two dollars?

I tried not to laugh but you know what - the kid is right. A 10 ounce drink used to be a buck. But not anymore...and definitely not in midtown. But I feel for you son, I agree that juice ain't worth no two dollars.

And while we're talking about price gouging...do an experiment and see how much your local deli charges you for Vitamin Water. Up in East Harlem, I can get a 20 oz bottle (regular size) for $1.50. At our little newsstand in my building on Park & 33rd, I can get Vitamin Water for $2. But go to any food place, deli, etc, and you're paying $2.50-$3.00 for it. Ridiculous. Maybe next time I should complain and say "Vitamin Water ain't worth no three dollar"!

Anyway, thank you to the Yankees for actually showing up last night. Although they still have this problem with the whole manufacturing runs thing. Runners on 1st and 2nd with no one out, and they don't score a run in the inning. That's the kind of shit that's prevented them from winning championships these past few seasons. Although for the first time ever I actually gave Jorge Posada a standing ovation. Yep (all my friends probably just had a heart attack upon hearing that). I've long thought Posada was a bit overrated, mainly because despite being one of the best catchers in baseball, he's consistantly failed to be clutch when they needed him, especially in the postseason. Anyway, I gave him an ovation when he tried to lay down a bunt for a hit. I couldn't believe it. A bunt. I turned to the guys behind us and said where was that when they played the Red Sox in 04 in Game 6 when Schilling had his ankle hanging from his leg by sutures. Makes sense right?

Anyway it was like fight night at the stadium last night. Every two seconds someone was being thrown out. Probably cause half the stadium was Red Sox fans and the Yankee fans are getting desperate for wins at this point. Although almost every fight involved a girl. I guess that shouldn't surprise me though because when you have a group of drunk girls in Red Sox jerseys sitting next to a group of drunk girls in Yankees jerseys...well you can only guess the conversation won't be where they happen to get their manicures from.

The one thing that kept me "cool" last night were Dippin Dots. You know, the self proclaimed "Ice Cream of the Future". Although they've been saying that for the last 10 years now so maybe it's time for a new slogan! Anyway, I had never had them before, but Bridget picked me up some chocolate dots on her way back from getting a beer. And you know what, they weren't half bad.


Dippin Dots - The Ice Cream of the Future

The dots just melt in your mouth and they have a crunchy but soft texture to them. Definitely a tasty treat. Although Bridget nearly ate my whole dish of them. So I had to bust out the Napoleon Dynamite on her. "Gosh, get off my dots. Get your own dots. Gosh." But pretty good stuff if you ever need a sweet treat sometime!

If 50 is the new 40…

So as they say these days, 50 is the new 40 (largely thanks to advances in “wrinkle cream” cosmetics, botox shots and plastic surgeries galore). Also it is commonly said that 40 is the new 30, due to 40 year olds being more active and looking younger these days (which is largely thanks to the recent explosion of 40 year old “hot” female stars, like Madonna, Teri Hatcher, etc. Read this article for more details)

Drilling down even further, it’s been also widely said that 30 is the new 20. In that case, happy 20th birthday to me! I’ve been waiting sooooo long to turn 20. I mean thank god I can finally put those dreaded teenage years behind me and sound much more “adult-like”. People take you so much more seriously when you say you’re “20 something” rather than being a “teenager”.

To celebrate my “20th birthday” this past weekend we went where any responsible “20 year old” would go: Charlie Brown’s Steakhouse. Being that it’s also my mother’s birthday (yes, I was born on the same day as my mother. And please no more jokes about “that’s the best present she’s ever gotten” or “wow, what a birthday present for her”) we made a group decision to go out to eat. Instead of picking anything in Brooklyn or going to a “chain” like Cheesesteak Factory or Olive Garden, we decided to take a trip out to Staten Island to eat at the good ole’ family fun destination of Charlie Brown’s. I personally had voted for Burger King so I could get a crown, but I was overruled.


That bitch stole my Burger King crown

Before you make fun, let me just tell you there’s no knockin the Charlie Brown’s. The fun atmosphere, good food, and fair prices make it the ideal location to celebrate a birthday, as evidenced by the “Happy Birthday to You” songs that seemed to be sung every 5 minutes by the staff (of course we got ours too...but we didn't get a balloon so I was disappointed about that). But fun atmosphere aside, for a family of 5 to eat dinner, which included appetizer, salad bar, steaks all around (filet mignon’s, porterhouses, prime rib, sirloin and shrimp, etc), two hulking pieces of dessert (including the world’s biggest piece of carrot cake) and 2 rounds of drinks, the total bill was $150 bucks. That’s it. $150. That would have cost like $500 in the city. Our first round of drinks, which included 2 beers, a martini and a jagerbomb only cost $20. That’s like highway robbery right there. They even advertise a margarita night, with $1.50 margs. They also advertised a new “Carlito’s Taco Salad” for just $9.99. Which prompted me to say “Say hello to my lil’ salad”. Although I guess you had to be there to appreciate it. It’s much funnier after a few beers – trust me. But all in all, if I had a car or lived on S.I. or in N.J, Charlie Brown’s seems like the place to be!

The other highlight of the weekend was going to Tea & Sympathy with Juliana and Bridget. Tea & Sympathy is located in the “Little Britain” area of NYC, down on Greenwich Avenue. If you’re not familiar, some of the stores, along with Virgin Atlantic want to rename this area of the West Village “Little Britain”. Albeit there are only a few British shops such as Tea & Sympathy and A Salt & Battery on this one block stretch, so it’ll be interesting to see how that pans out.

Since we had to wait over 30 minutes for a table at Tea & Sympathy, I was starving so decided to get some Fish & Chips at A Salt & Battery. I was especially after craving them after devouring Fish & Chips in London last week (plus I was curious to see what all the hype was about, after seeing Bobby Flay challenge them and lose on one of his Bobby Flay Throwdowns. I got a small order to go with a coke and the total price was over $10. Pretty hefty but there’s not too many places to get authentic Fish & Chips in the city so you’re definitely paying a premium. The fish was deep fried and crispy and the fish was tender. Although it definitely paled in comparison to the authentic British version. The “chips” or fries weren’t that good and we threw half of them out. On a scale of 1 to 10, I’d rate them a 6.5 (with the fish getting a 7/8 and the chips getting a 4/5). The one cool thing was all of the beers they had available to drink, including several British favorites such as Kronenburg, Old Speckled Hen, Boddington's and Carlsburg. So that's a bonus. But overall, definitely disappointing as a package though and if I wasn’t starving I probably would’ve been more disappointed.


Even if the fish & chips were "so-so", A Salt & Battery had quite the beer selection

Anyway, it whet my appetite for some tea, scones and tea sandwiches at Tea & Sympathy. After the wait we were crammed into a small area that neither of us could really fit into. I mean I was practically sitting on both Bridget’s and Juliana’s laps at the same time. Plus my ass was practically on top of the table behind me. Definitely not the place to be if you’re over 200 pounds. Especially since their seating capacity is only 23 seats and they use every square inch of their dining area. Plus everything is so delicate, so if you’re clumsy please stay away. The food was ok, although it may have been more enjoyable had the space not been so confined. The scones were delicate and tasty and the claddaugh cream and jam were a good compliment. The tea sandwiches were good too, although a little disappointing compared to the afternoon tea was had at the Ritz Carlton in London. The dessert was good as well, but the pieces of cake were huge and rich and definitely put us over the top as far as fullness is concerned. Overall, I'd give it a 7 out of 10. If they gave you more room to eat the experience would've been a lot more enjoyable.


Tea at "Tea & Sympathy" couldn't hold a candle compared to tea at the Ritz Carlton

The other food related highlight of the weekend was seeing a Captain Softee truck. Yes, Captain Softee. Not Mister Softee (as Juliana wittingly said, perhaps he was promoted from Mister to Captain). Anyway I would have taken a picture of the truck but I was told that “I’ve beaten the whole Mr. Softee thing to death on this blog already” – which I begrudgingly admitted too. Although I wonder if the ice cream at “the captain’s” tastes superior? I guess I’ll need to find out someday.

Anyway, it was a good "20th birthday" weekend for me. My favorite present was from my lovely girlfriend Bridget, who bought me a trip to Dallas to see my beloved Cowboys play the Patriots in October. Thanks Bridge! Although maybe this time Romo will hold onto the ball.

Speaking of sports…if the Yankees don’t come out with a “do or die” attitude tonight against the Red Sox I’m gonna be pissed off. I mean, 2 or 3 losses against the Sox can pretty much bury the season. Even though it’s “only May”, mentally its tough to come back being 14 games down. I know its been done before but this team needs to take at least 2 out of 3 from Boston this week, especially with Anaheim coming to town, a team they never beat. So I’ll be there tonight…don’t disappoint me Jankees!

Terrible call...just terrible

So last night I was at the Yankees game with Bridget, Paul and Juliana (thanks to Juliana for getting corporate seats for last night’s game that were only 13 rows off the field allowing me to scalp my meager bleacher seats). In typical Yankees fashion they failed to score any runs with runners in scoring position, leaving the bases loaded once and leaving 6 runners in scoring position for the game. Just one hit in that situation would have yielded at least one run – but clutch this team is not.

Anyway, they actually got a decent pitching performance from their rookie starter Matt DeSalvo, who went 7 strong innings, only giving up 1 run on 3 hits (2 of which came in the first inning). Nursing a 2-1 lead in the 8th, Kyle Farnsworth came on to pitch. With two outs, Jose Vidro hit a cheap ground ball up the middle just past the reach of Jeter. Willie Bloomquist came on as a pinch runner for Vidro. What happened next will go down as one of the worst calls in major league history – and I was there to witness it first hand.

Bloomquist tried to steal second. Posada’s throw was on line and Robinson Cano applied the tag in plenty of time to tag out the stealing Bloomquist. However the umpire called him safe.

Safe.

Take a look at this picture.



How many feet was he out by? Three? Four? And he was called safe.

You can view the video recap of the game to see the replays

Granted the game is played at full speed, but still, it was plainly obvious to everyone in the stadium that he was out by a mile. Even using the cardinal rule of “the ball beating the player” would have been excuse enough to call him out. But come on dude that wasn’t a hard one to make. It wasn’t even close to being a “bang bang” play. The umpire, Gerry Davis, flat out blew the call. Mr. Davis will now go down in infamy as making one of the worst umpiring calls in recent memory. Right there along with the infamous Don Denkinger call in game 6 of the 1985 World Series between the Cardinals and the Royals that ultimately cost the Cardinals the game and the series.



There’s also a famous portrait out there that shows an ump making a safe call at first when the player was out by a few feet. It wasn’t a Normal Rockwell, but something similar. Despite searching this “wealth of information” we call the “internet”, alas I can’t find shit on it. But I used to have the damn picture so I know it exists. Maybe I’ll have to dig it up tonight at my parent’s house.

Anyway, back to the game. Much to my surprise, Don Mattingly, who was filling in as manager due to a suspended Joe Torre, didn’t come out to argue the call. Cano hopped away thinking he made the tag but didn’t raise a fuss. The call was that bad it was shocking. But the Yankees lack any fire and passion this season so they didn’t argue the call. If I were them I’d be hopping mad. I’d scream in the umps face. Make him throw me out. But nope, they went along with their “gentlemanly play”. If that was Paul O’Neill out there he would’ve argued until they carried him off with police escorts. Same with Billy Martin or Lou Pinella. But nope…this team has a much passion as a quilting night at a senior citizens home.


You know damn well Zimmer would’ve protested the call last night, helmet and all

Granted, the call was completely terrible, but you got to score more runs than 2, especially with the offense the Yankees have.

But the game will be remembered for the bad call. Even if it’s “only May” and the call was not made in a crucial playoff or World Series game thus it may not get the attention it deserves. But it should. Because it should go down as one of the worst baseball calls of all time.

Thankfully for my own sanity I had the salvation of a Starbucks Iced Cinnamon Dolce Latte this morning to put me in a better mood. That, along with an Apple Fritter, made my morning much cheerier thanks to the impending sugar rush that came along with the meal. Oh Iced Cinnamon Dolce Latte with Whipped Cream, how do I love thee, let me count the ways!

Tap That Ass!

So as discussed on this blog before, I run into some interesting characters on my way to the subway in the am through the EHP (East Harlem Projects). This am was no different as I passed by a group of young men and women (probably in their early 20’s) hanging out outside one of the public schools on 102nd and 2nd. As I’m walking past I hear one of the male youths tell the group:

“Yo, yo, check this. Last night I bent that bitch over and pow – I tapped that ass”. The young man made a slapping motion with his hand to emphasize his point.

The group started laughing and hollering and I turned my head towards them as I walked by and laughed. The guy who was telling the animated story then says:

“Yo – even the white dude knows what I’m talking about. Kapow”. Followed by more laughs. I just shook my head and laughed and kept walking as he kept telling the rest of the story. (For the record I ain’t know nothin’ bout no ass tappin!)

I guess its just one of those things where it’s funnier when you hear it first hand, but nonetheless I got a nice laugh out of it. Unfortunately its been about the only thing I could laugh about today since it looks like a tornado hit my desk this morning. That and I have a small novel to work through in the way of an 18 page RFP from one of our prospective advertisers. Seriously, 18 pages for a request for proposal! It’s not like we’re talking about bidding for the Olympics here! (although only those in the media/advertising space will understand what I’m talking about).

Anyway I’m disappointed no Vinny Goombats sightings at the Rangers game last night. Although my “friend” was probably too busy banging Jason Kidd’s ex-wife while the team was in Toronto last night. Actually I’m gonna go out on a limb and almost guarantee that’s where he was last night. Scumbag.

On a happier note, I’m glad the Yankees decided to score some runs for a change last night. Although it figures that Hughes pulls his hamstring in the 7th in the middle of a no-hitter. I have a feeling its gonna be that kind of season for the Yanks pitching staff. So Mr. Torre, Mr. Cashman – if you’re reading – I’m a lefty. I can hit high 70s on the radar gun. And I throw strikes. No movement. Just straight “fat” pitches smack down the middle. I mean if Chase Wright can be a major leaguer, why can’t I!

Nice time remind me to bring ear plugs

Hope everyone had a good weekend. Mine was fun filled, despite the Yanks blowing chunks against the Sox. Although I did go to Saturday’s game which was won by the Yanks, 3-1. Bridget and I went to the game and I swear at least half the stadium was Red Sox fans. There were red shirts everywhere. Despite the game being entertaining (and the Yanks finally winning for once) our experience was sort of soured by the two young females sitting behind us. Young as in the under 10 year old young. Young as in their voices still hit shrieking levels that are as ear-splitting to humans as dog whistles are to dogs. For four hours we were subjected to “Let’s go Yankees, let’s go!” and “Derek Jeter” chants and screams. Which became incessancy annoying and louder as the game wore on, especially since they got into a shouting match with the two young boys in front of us (Red Sox fans). Their voices were so piercing that Bridget and I nearly swore off having girls should we ever decide to populate the world someday.

I mean the parent should’ve stepped in and told the girls to quiet a little. There was no reason to scream “Let’s go Yankees” between innings. I mean as if our holding our ears weren’t an indication of how loud they were screaming. I mean it’s great to bring your kids to a game and all, but like a crying baby during a movie, sometimes as a parent in that situation you just need to shut your child up! Now I can see why people bring earphones to the game! Could you imagine how loud their screams would’ve been had I been using the “Listen Up” device??

I think they should enact a rule similar to ejecting people for being drunk and belligerent. If your child shrieks to the point where other peoples ears start to bleed, they and their parents should be ejected from the game. Or forced to watch the game in a rubber, sound proof room where they can yell and scream as loud as they want. Maybe something to keep in mind for the new stadium?

Anyway, Saturday was a lonnggg day of drinking but kudos to the crew (you know who you are) for hanging in till 2am! And happy bday once again to Bridget! Our trip to White Castle at 3am definitely helped soak up the alcohol we consumed and we’re happy to report we have another Chicken Ring fan in the way of Bridget! Congrats and welcome to the club!


The Chicken Ring Club has another member!

For those “not in the club”, I’m telling you, if you haven’t tried them…do it. The White Castle chicken rings are much better than those Chicken Fries things at the BK! Plus you get like 20 of them in a sack for only $6. Can’t beat that!

One of the funnier repeated sayings of the weekend was from the new ESPN commercial featuring Jorge Posada and David Ortiz. If you haven’t seen it, it’s hysterical. The premise is Ortiz is caught by the Red Sox mascot, Wally, wearing a Yankees hat.



I love the line by Ortiz: “No Wally, No. It’s not what you think.” Good stuff. Pretty funny, especially if you’re in tune with the whole Red Sox vs Yankees rivalry. If not, then you probably won’t be as amused by it.

Anyway, it’s back to work to tend to more SPAM business. That and I need to work on a Gore-Tex proposal. Although every time I think of Gore-Tex I think of that Seinfeld episode where George is wearing the Gore-Tex jacket and knocks over everything in the wine store. In my opinion it’s one of the best episodes of Seinfeld ever. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dinner_Party_(Seinfeld_episode)

Although it’s more famously known for being the episode about two other things: the debate on chocolate vs cinnamon babka and the infamous “Look to the Cookie” line where Jerry relates racial equality to a black and white cookie.



Although looking back at the clip maybe Michael Richards (Kramer) should have said that line instead of Jerry? That could have saved him some trouble recently. Hey-oh.