The Congress of Bad Latin: Ludux

Lost: All of them

2012-01-21T23:14:00.001-05:00

Are any of these people worth it? Are we all this messed up? Are people this selfish?

Lost: Michael

2012-01-21T21:20:00.001-05:00

I know Michael is just trying to get his son. I don't have a frame of reference, I'm not a farther, but man he is annoying.

More and more wouldn't communicating with everyone have made everything on the island easier.

Hey we found a hatch!
Hey we found a plane!
Hey I'm a recovering druggie!

They have my son and told me you have yo come with me!

Michael is killing me.

2012-01-18T22:12:00.001-05:00

Faucet Aerator

2012-01-14T01:45:00.001-05:00

I went to ace hardware to get a new aerator because my stupid pur water filter cracked and the new models won't attach... Stupid pur filters.

I go with faucet pictures in my phone and the employee gave me 5 aerators to try. None of them fit. They have a chart at Ace hardware with 12 different sized aerators. But Ace only had five types. You're a hardware store for fracks sakes!!

Anyway I call over an employee.

ME- any other aerators.
ACE- we carry the popular models.
ME- what's the chart mean.
ACE- those are the main aerator in the US.
ME- why don't you carry all of the aerators on the chart.
ACE- well no one needs those other sizes.
ME- well I do.
ACE- sorry dude.

2012-01-07T20:04:00.001-05:00

The message flashed as I read about our floundering economy. Focus. But I can't help but obsesses, when it comes to anything her. I manage eleven seconds of ignorance before I dive in. "Hi" Thats it. A night of no contact and all I get is "Hi." fuck that I'm not answering. Oh wait sweet she's typing another message. "I can't really chat I have a meeting.". For fucks sakes then don't logon. Banging on my keyboard I often wonder if my coworkers hear my frustration.

End of 2011

2011-12-31T23:34:00.001-05:00

It's been a shit year. I'm glad it's fucking over.

This year I got my salary cut by $10k. My boss dressed me down and it hurt. I see my coworkers for who they are.
I over spent like mad and have had to cut back drastically.
Sleeping has been impossible without chemically or alcohol-icily help.
I think I'm getting hemorrhoids.
I sprained my left shoulder and couldn't move it for 6 weeks. I could move it if I took enough pain medicine for an elephant.
I nearly broke my favorite person.
At the end of the year i developed some weird cough that has made cigars a no no and a bit undesirable .

Did anything good happen?
I'm cooking more.
I know that I like simpler food vs fancy.
My niece calls me Uncle CapSwell.
Is that it... Fuck...

The year is about to end. Thank the fucking maker!

Jazz

2011-12-27T21:48:00.001-05:00

I still don't get why I like jazz. I've been listening to Charles Mingus "ah um." my level of enjoying this album ranks up there with REM's "Reckoning"

I've tries to expose my friend to jazz and I dot think I know how to do it. I want everyone to enjoy.

Ah Um has some great tracks. Girlfriend of My Dreams is my favorite track. It's what I hear when I day dream about the one that got away. I. But it's more it makes me excited when I drive. I feel better when I hear it. It gives me hope and reminds me of the joie de vivre that exsists.

We Bought a Zoo

2011-12-27T17:23:00.001-05:00

I went into this ready to hate. But it was like all Cameron Crowe movies way too much heart that it wins you over. This is the first time Scarlett johansen didn't annoy. The actress who plays Jason bourses daughter is great. I could do without all love stories.

Christmas Memories

2011-12-25T08:18:00.001-05:00

I often ask myself how did my dad do it? One Xmas he got me my favorite gift of all times British commando army men. There weren't many a hand full but I loved them. How did my dad know that I loved army men specifically the British commando!!! Truly a Xmas miracle.

Airing of Grievances

2011-12-23T21:38:00.001-05:00

I hate that Gobstoppers are now chewy.

Top Chef makes me crazy.

When will shower technology be digital so I can get precise water temperatures

IMAX is too expensive

Why don't planners put in more turn lanes?

Amazon's one click option

Putting people in circles

Stink bugs

My Niece thinks my belly is a trampoline

I can't wear the same outfit everyday

Politics of all stripes

All other drivers

Review: Young Adults

2011-12-17T14:07:00.001-05:00

Too dark for normal people. Just right if you feel like everything is going to shit. So clearly for this reviewer he loved it.

My life is shitty so this movie hit a note with me. All I'll say is this movies was brutally real, hilarious, uncomfortable like when someone asks me as an Asian if I eat with chopsticks. Life is tough; sometimes when you're in the shit you handle it gracefully other times you make it worse.

Living in the past, reliving your past will be your destruction!

2011-12-15T22:50:00.001-05:00

Now is the winter of our discontent
Made glorious summer by this son of York;
And all the clouds that low'r'd upon our house
In the deep bosom of the ocean buried.
Richard The Third Act 1, scene 1, 1–4

2011-12-14T21:48:00.001-05:00

How do I break out of this frakking gravity well of shit??

2011-12-13T21:09:00.001-05:00

I'm not going to be the person I'm expected to be anymore.

2011-12-12T20:01:00.000-05:00

Im feeling like the dark George Bailey running around and everything is different and wrong.

I keep trying to tact back to the good side but it doesn't work.

I hate being lost during the holidays.

In search of Filipino food

2011-12-01T05:40:00.001-05:00

Manny Pacquio ate here! That's a 3 star Michelin endorsement if I ever heard it. Over Turkeyday holiday our auntie wanted to eat at a Filipino restaurant. Now that I have been to a few I know this. I'm not a fan. Not of the food, I can always eat home made Filipino grub. I'm not a fan of the restaurants. They aren't restaurants they are extended dining rooms/ living rooms. It's like you are eating at your Aunts and you plant yourself in front of the big screen. I never feel like I'm at restaurant which makes the experience too casual. I don't want a Filipino Flingers but can't it be more bistro. Sharpen up your dining room and let the focus be the food.

Thankful

2011-11-24T23:17:00.001-05:00

Moms persistence
Gracie's "look uncle Walter"
My Barbour jacket
Pete's 2.0
Paul's baguettes
Twitter as breaking news
Steny Hoyer
Constantly growing list of geeky gamer chicks
Bernardo's fortitude
Gabe's inquisitivity
Patagonia's philosophy
Chinese food delivery
a better understanding of self
Brodys sense of adventure
Honeycrisps
Gerry's inclusiveness
Woodberry kitchen
Chances to see the world
Audiobooks

Blowing My Brains Out

2011-11-01T16:50:00.000-04:00

I feel like i have major boogies. I have blown my nose so hard that I think parts of my brain have come out. Digging doesnt help. Plus when I do it when I drive people can watch which is gross. I have tried to use my saline wash and now my nose is just salty. I need a nose picking device maybe with a gel tip that is pliable but can really pick.

Three Musketeers

2011-10-23T20:31:00.001-04:00

I cringe when I see a Three Musketeers movie. I love the book. I love the flair, gallantry, reckless abandon, brotherhood and love of women from the original series. If you didn't know The Three Musketeers original was a newspaper serial or it came our weekly. Also you have to understand that during that time period noblemen and those looking to move up in the world had to be able to fence and had to win favor through heroics. You had to kick ass.

This movie had all the elements of the book. The right characters, basic plot, etc. my main concern was the spirit of the original work which is dare devilish awesomeness.

I cringed at the beginning. I have the book memorized and well the movie started off differently. This took awhile for me to get past.

However, the movie is fun. Great swordplay. Great fencing. It's fun. One thing they missed was that Athos fought left handed.

If you want an accurate recounting of the book this isn't for you. If Dumas was alive today he would appreciate the reimagination via this new movie.

50/50 cancers impact

2011-10-15T16:26:00.001-04:00

The movie was well done. A guy with cancer and him dealing with it. Anna Hendricks and Joseph Gordon Levitt were excellent and Seth Rogen was surprising. Bryce Dallas Howard was also very good.

Some critics were upset with the movie because they said it was making fun of cancer. I thought the opposite. It was a movie about cancer and it hit on all the topics associated with a possibly fatal disease especially crazy family, friends and lovers.

When my dad had cancer. It was all surreal to me. There is a scene when JGL hears he has cancer and everything drowns out. That hit home.
I remember the doctor saying my dads cancer had metastasized. I knew what it meant but I still had to ask the doctor and my mom what it meant. Why would I ask my mom when she was hearing her husband was going to die. What an asshole only thinking about myself. I should have focused on mom and dad. This movie covers some of these aspect of cancer.

This movie was tough. It did make me realize/finally accept that when my dad was sick I was not the best son. And for the 11 years since I have not let myself forget it. I remember ignoring the prognosis and coming up from work telling him it will be okay. But it wasn't he was dying and I was too busy "working" to address it. I hate myself for that. I should have spent more time with him. Every once and awhile I'd help but most of the work was done by my brothers and my mom.

I know I can't relive the past. I shouldn't dwell but I regret not saying and doing more. This movie brought all that out.

Pumped Up Kicks

2011-10-15T07:10:00.001-04:00

I was listening to this song. Dark chasing trendoids because if those awesome trainers you pumped up for more lift and snuggier fit. How bizzaro to write a shoe song and all those jerks that owned them.

I wish a cool southern alt country rock band would write a song about the J. Crew barn jacket from my college days. I don't want it to be as dark as the foster the people song. Maybe more about losing love and getting drunk. The barn jacket was the coolest of cool jackets. I hate to say it but I know people were jealous of it and thusly me when I was in it. Ha ha ha ha. Anywho...I guess right now it would have to be kings of Leon to write and perform it because uncle tupelo will never come back together.

The song could touch on concepts like placing the jacket around someone you love, finding them with someone else; wearing said jacket when you weee sad; finally getting fall down drunk as you wear your jacket. Brilliant!

This is better then cup cakes and cooler!

2011-10-15T06:43:00.001-04:00

WaPo Lifestyle blog talks about hand pies and how great they are. These palm sized desserts are a backlash to cup cakes and cost more.

Imagine a pie that fits nicely in your hand. Flaky buttery pastry filled with some sweet fruity filling dusted with sugar. Sounds great right!

I want one. Oh wait I can get this delectable treat from McDonalds or if I want the superior version, fried pie. I can go to bojangles. Ha ha ha ha.

While I sit hear craving about...
Hand pies. Cupcakes. Cookies. I think about the fad treats and the cupcake proliferation.

The problem with the cup cake overdose and the predictable what's next backlash is not the hipster pretension of picking the next cool treat. The problem is that most desserts makers can't bake well. Passing off bad cupcakes by adding seasonal flavors is a common practice. You just have to recognize that the product is still subpar. That's the problem.

A hand pie for $5 man that's a rip off. $5 gourmet cookies that taste like tollhouse rip off.

Just bake it well. No more "grandma's" secret recipe bull shit. Make it awesome surprise with something new and worthy!

My Crazy Neice

2011-10-11T18:29:00.001-04:00

Hipster in the Coffee Shop

2011-10-09T14:30:00.001-04:00

On a date trying to impress, no deodorant, talked about 200 people showing for OccupyDC and 100000 people signing up for the new iPhone and how democracy is dead, said steve jobs could have been President, talked about how walking is betterment then biking which is better then mass transit ala the bus, he had a Tom selleck mustache and kept rolling his eyes at everything.

Netflix Voyager Review

2011-10-09T14:23:00.001-04:00

I've spent the past few weeks rewatching Star Trek Voyager all seven seasons. Wow. Great show. Janeway was a tough aggressive Captain. The Delta Quadrant was a scary dark place. I think I enjoyed this show more than TNG because it wasn't so high brow and holier then thou. This crew made mistakes. The bent rules as far they can go. They crossed the line and had to come back.

The problem came on getting the home. The Lt. Barclay episodes were tough to swallow. Bringing him back once works. Twice is okay. But multiple times... Should have just found a way to transwarp his ass to the ship.

They introduced the temporal directive and had a lot of 20th century pop culture episodes. One episode had Sarah Silverman in 1998 LA and it reminded me of the Save the Whales Star Trek movie both in a good and bad way.

Anyway Voyager was good. It is worth a rewatch.

Spro Sunday

2011-10-09T13:53:00.001-04:00

I'm sitting at Spro Hamden watching the customers come and go. Coffee has always been a part of everyday life in America. For meetings, for drop byes, to get laid it is a tool for everything you do.

I used to drink my dad's coffee it was always creamy and sweet. That's how I learned to drink coffee. Now it's black. Well not all the time the burnt coffee at work has to be drowned in half and half and sweetner.

This place is packed. People off the street, couples spending time, business people talking about the ABCs and me. Coffee is the tool that greases societal wheels and for me it is the tool for observation. Coffee is like the spice melange from Dune. Without coffee the universe would stop.

Bazinga

2011-10-06T22:12:00.001-04:00

Fuck! Fuck! I have no idea what's happening anymore. None. Utterly lost.

...and I feel fine.

2011-10-02T00:16:00.001-04:00

Cost are going up on basic necessities.

There in unrest in every corner of the world, revolution is in the air, starvation is growing, we have eliminated the middle class and we focus on male impotency over curing real diseases.

The middle east is falling apart. Every country is on the verge of financial collapse. Balance of security has evaporated.

Is there any hope?

My optimism is gone.

Cost

2011-10-01T21:51:00.001-04:00

Everything is too Expensive. Haircuts, chipotle, a baguette, fucking gasoline. Now my debt card wants to charge me $5 a month!!!! I hope pay pal, google wallet or my iPhone can work as my debt card.

Sweet and Sour

2011-09-28T12:55:00.000-04:00

So Sweet and Sour Chicken is a million times better then Sweet and Sour Pork. Pork is always too tough. The chicken is moister.

My brother was always a fan of the pork an recently when going for bad chinese i have been ordering the Sweet and Sour Pork and it jsut inst good. I do not think I can remeber having good sweet and sour pork. i thnk the chunks would have to be massive so you could keep it moist.

And no this is not a post about "real" chinese food. I'm an American, I like my chinese sweet and soured, tso'd with a good egg roll. By the way if you like cripsy beek then you are an American Chinese food fan and who doesnt like crispy beef!!

Anyway i have also been a dipper of sauce mosit of my life. Last week I drowned my food and by Zeus it was a million times better.

Wow Im really going to clog the old 4 chamber pump soon. Adios

Everlong - Foo Fighters Cover - Hayley Legg

2011-08-30T22:56:00.000-04:00

Emma Russack Killing Moon

2011-08-30T22:28:00.000-04:00

5.9

2011-08-26T12:05:00.000-04:00

First, the quake freaked me out, working in the Capitol and shaking like that one assumes the worst, a car bomb, a plane crashing into us etc. I have accepted the fact that my buildings could blow up and I could die. Then the quake hit and it always makes you think about life.

I was in the bathroom during the quake. I wasnt pooping. I was peeing. I remember everything shaking in mid stream I klooked around and thoguht to myslef. "Fucking great an earthquake." Then the building shock violently, I started to freak out, the shaking stopped I finished and went to check on my officemates. People were streaming out of the buiilding and some were freaking out.

When I was 11 I was on a 24 hour flight to the Philippines. Somewhere over the Pacific I had to go to the bathroom #2. As I sat, the Fasten Seat Belt Light came on, the steward got on the overhead speakers, return to your seats. I was still pooping and I had to finish. Next thing I know I was boucning all over the place but nothing came up!!! Needless to say I got pushed around the Northwest Airlines bathroom but I was all fine.

Im prone to bouncing around when I am in bathrooms. That sucks.

Don't you forget about me

2011-08-08T23:58:00.000-04:00

dinner party?

2011-08-08T00:17:00.000-04:00

This weekend A&P were in town from La La Land so needless to say there was going to be food. What i enjoy and have angst over is the lack of order. It is more like food is being made and as soon as it is served the dish is attacked. There really isn't any holding back. Plates are handed out utensils engaged and bam. I appreciate the fact that in the dining enthusiasm everyone gets a good share.

Over the weekend...a nice french chicken, 4 tasty baguettes, salad Provençal ala vallar, artichoke crab dip, frites, wings, chocolate and white chocolate chip cookies, ribs, sirloin, brisket, mac and cheese and rice. Rhyme or reason is over rated a true taste of America is better. Also, a quick pan sauce rules by the way. Deglaze with wine, onions and garlic and some rosemary. fucking amazing.

It is clear that the only room that matters is the kitchen.

Friends with Benefits

2011-08-04T22:21:00.000-04:00

Friends with Benefits was a much better movie then the No Strings Attached movie. Timberlake and Kunis are better actors and they seem like real characters. Kutcher and Portman are distant.

Plot: Two people meet, think they can have friend sex...yada, yada, yada...it doesn't work out. Guy unknowingly insults girl, their parents point out that they lost out on their one true love.... blah blah blah... Meg Ryan/Katherine Heigel/ John Cusak ending.

Kunis is spot on in playing the fun awesome too cool girl. She is the type A girl who is not so anal and is not being over analyzed by friends. Thats what won me over and the "Are you pooping?" line.

Justin is good as well. I see him and think he'll suck but frankly he is a good comedic actor..look at SNL..look at Social Network. the dude is good.

I guess Im to hopeful. I guess I want the best for everyone. Love conquers all.

Captain America

2011-08-03T16:28:00.000-04:00

My favorite comic book hero has come to life on the big screen.

I like Captian America because he was not just a patriot who fought to right the wrongs. He had a sense of purpose and his convictions were not bound to political ideology but to a higher sense of duty. This movie captured Cap's essence. He was a man dedicated to fighting the nazis and the evil they brought to the world.

I thought the movie was well passed and high good levels of excitement. I thought the characters were starting to develop well but enough with the love stories?!? The movie missed on the "Why we Fight spirit" of our country during WWII. They showed the men signng up but it was much more powerful.

I did think the fights scenes were a bit weak. Captain American was a super soldier, a world class gymanst, the greatest tactician and he weilded a shield that could level anybody. He maximazed human potential. I think the fight scenes should have had Cap just pounding Hydra and chucking his shield around demolishing people.

The Howling Commandos showed up but they were Nick Fury's dudes whatever, I liked em. I really enjoyed the Bucky barnes character and you can already see the set up for the Winter Soldier, that would be awesome.

How did this compare to other superhero movies? On par with them all. Assemble them already into the Avengers and lets see the some Avengers!

2011-07-26T20:33:00.001-04:00

Sometimes I can fuck things up. That's actually what I'm best at.

I'm the master of fucking up!!

Zugzwang

2011-07-19T17:16:00.000-04:00

My dad used the word zugzwang alot. It was always when we were playing chess. He'd look at the board and pronounce, "Zugzwang! Zugzwang!" I guess that was his way of shit talking. Zugzwang means putting oneself into a situation with limited moves that damages a player. Inevitably I would be caught in some chess action where I'd lose a rook or my queen and my dad would laugh mercilessly.

Zugzwang, it's a great word!

Thoughts on "Stories I Only Tell My Friends" by Rob Lowe

2011-07-03T23:37:00.000-04:00

Sam Seaborne from the West Wing is a TV character I understand a preppy wonky guy trying to do whats right an occasionally stepping in it. I downloaded Rob Lowe's book because of Sam.

Rob Lowe's autobiography came out in April and it has been sitting in my Kindle app for a few months. I started reading it yesterday and never stopped. I knew Lowe would have some humdingers but he also has some whoppers. His writing style is direct and he takes you on the ups and downs of everyday life, that includes living in Malibu; having the Sheens and Penns as childhood friends and being a struggling actor. There were sex stories of course but one story that stood out was his role on the "Outsiders." The endless audition process, the camaraderie of the movie set. bleeding for your craft and the disappointment. The writing is direct, self deprecating and funny and you share his journey. The ups and downs, the competition amongst Hollywood's young elites and his desire to do the best he can all the time.

It is a tale of fitting in, working your arse off to get what you want and understanding that no matter what even if you are a movie star and have your dream job it, life, can all be unfair, a valuable lesson for us all to remember.

Obviously I am a West Wing Fan and seeing his passions for acting, politics and advocacy coming together in Sam Seaborne make me believe in fate.

The comments I made most to myself as a I read were "No Way" and "That's Awesome." The book did make me want to his movies.

In the end like all songs, movies, TV shows, blogs and tweets this was a love story between Rob and his wife.

A great read and some great stories.

Observations

2011-06-27T22:03:00.000-04:00

1. The Install guy and their cable headquarter flunkies never talk and they never get your service order right. They never have the new HD/DVR box in the van. That's why cable companies suck.

2. Don't own a service oriented businesses if you are not friendly. You can ruin family fun time at 31 flavors with your anger.

3. If you take a long lunch do not rub it in coworker's faces.

4. This is more of a future one... Eventually, the cute corner eatery turns into Chipotle.

5. A double order of lechon (roast pig) is not a good way to spend a sunday.

6. New England does not change. Ever. You wonder why real preppy families where the same clothes go anywhere North of Amherst and look around. You wonder why classic rock does not go away go to New England.

7. I got rid of the piles of book on my night stand and replaced it with an iPhone overloaded with eBooks that I still have not read.

8. Out of sight out of mind will make you lose friends.

9. I think going sans deodorant is the only way to go but man I stink.

10. Just dance, just sing karaoke no one cares.

11. When my niece jumps up and down and yells for me to hold her I melt a little. But if mommy is around be ready to be ignored and that's okay.

13. Camping should involve: a lodge, a fireplace, and current hit movies streamed to a 46 inch flat screen. If you find yourselves in the woods, you have done something wrong.

14. The Cure as background music for romantic comedy movies is weird.

15. If you hear me say, "There is this thing called (blank)" then you need to read more.

16. Movies are better before noon.

17. Wardrobe: one thing should clash everything else should be in order.

18. Some Aveda products should not be applied to your Washington Monument

19. Flying Business class for work is a curse and it makes you buy unreasonable tickets. Use your miles.

20. Always order the small. You do not need anything more. If you want more drink water.

21. Put everything you are going to pack on your bed. Look at it. Take half of each pile away and thats what you should pack.

Continental

2011-06-22T23:16:00.000-04:00

I find my deodorant runs out after twelve hours, so if I am late at work or going out after I am smelling more and more....continental.

I feel like I am smelling more manly. I like the robustness. I think men should reclaim that smell.

I don't need to smell like Fiji, not to mention it is a bitch to clean my undershirts.

I want to announce my embrace of the al to manly continental musk!

Washed and Folded and Washed Again: A CapSwell Tale

2011-06-18T10:23:00.000-04:00

The past three weeks I have worked off of a weeks worth of under garments. As most of you know the wash and fold laundromat that I frequented shuttered trapping my clothes and my good patagonia. Distraught, devastated and demoralized I was trying to make do with my limited boxers. Hand washing them mostly so that I was had clean clothes because heaven forbid Im in a car accident and I dont have fresh ones on. Hand washing is unbelievably annoying and I have no idea how the lady folk deal with unmentionable washing. Anyway, I saw the manager of the shuttered store. He said we tried to call you but you didnt leave a number and everything unclaimed was thrown out. I asked if he had the email of the owner and he did. he wrote it down and I reached out to him. I pleaded for my LL Bean tote with my gear. No answer. No responses. Three weeks and nothing.

Until this morning, this was the reply to my pleadings, "I think your bag is at our store in Mt. Pleasant." Au contraire mon frere. i had been to your sister store and searched in the bags of washed and foldeds and my bag was no wear (like the pun) to be found. I went over this morning at 830am. I went back and searched the room of finished products and right up front was my bag. Two weeks ago it was not there. Weird. Maybe Im in the twilight zone....or Bizarro CapSwell land. ...blah blah blah.. all I can say is...

Yippeeee!!!

I'm Loving It.

2011-06-03T22:16:00.000-04:00

I actually ordered Chinese food, but it never showed. "We tried to call you but you didn't answer." What a crock of shit. I was sitting there watching Bones and there was no chirping from my phone. I was starving and angry so I was going to make a bad decision which led me to McDonald's.

Have you ever seen a McDonald's shift absolutely blow their service. I did. There were 13 people waiting for food. As I waited a woman came back to the counter three times because the kept giving her the wrong food. She wanted a crispy chicken no lettuce. She got three grilled chicken sandwiches. A woman called over the manager to complain that her shake was too thick and tasted to sweet. The Manager did not speak english. This one counter person kept forgetting to give people drink cups and she gave a customer half a blizzard. It was scary bad.

The Arch's had a guy Skyping with a lover. They were sharing a McDonald's meal over the tubes. They guy kissed the screen after the meal.

I saw two college girls put away a meal that was down right impressive. Big macs and 20 piece mcnuggets.

Some ethopians, some spaniards, and me.

I hate eating alone.

Korea

2011-05-21T23:25:00.000-04:00

I love Korea: the culture, the history, the women and yes the toilets.

Before we go down under let's talk Korean food. I did not fall in love with it and that bummed me out. i wanted to love all food Korean but found myself desiring some bugolgi and rice. I was overwhelmed by Korean food, all the sides/condiments, all the various kim chees and fishy soups with everything and as I think on the two Korean BBQ meals honestly I got meat poisoning. I guess I'm too much of meat and rice kind of a guy. i do like that hot chili paste that you mix in with the rice. yummers.

Korea has a lot of US influences and it feels homier than all the other Asian cities I have been to which made me feel at ease. People get upset by the spread of US influences. i don't. i like it. If for one second you think that a Burger King will ruin a country's cuisine well you are fooling yourself. Look, it's like all cultures. You might grow up on the Golden Arches but as you become older you crave the food of your parents you seek authenticism and boom there is an explosion of roots cuisine.
Also, there is a Paris Baguette on every block and they really don't serve french baked goods. My life for a real baguette!

I went to the DMZ and I was honest to God scared. the tension between the two sides is palpable. They told us the story of the Axe incident. It is horrifying. I don't want to retell that story because it is upsetting and barbaric. The Korean War was always the "Lost War" but I can say the repercussions are very real and the balance is fragile. Imagine if all the Canadians hated and wanted to overtake us and at the helm was a crazy lunatic who has nuclear weapons, an army 4 times as big and is friends with everyone who hates you.

I love the toilets. I like the wash function. I feel cleaner and refreshed after. Plus it cuts down on tree killing. I can do without the seat warmer. How does the spray hit the right spot?

I know why Browser blogs about cute Asian woman, because they are spectacular.

Editing My Life

2011-05-02T23:02:00.000-04:00

I have been editing my life. I've gone through my clothes and right now I have 5 trash bags full of clothes that are going to Good Will. A lot of business clothes and some t-shirts, I hope these t-shirts become retro in 20 years. That would be hilarious. In the Good Will pile is a light blue Team Zissou shirt and a striped rugby. May they bring hipsterness and happiness to another person.

I also found about 6 polos that are totally rad and I cant wait to bust them out for the spring. I have three four pairs of the Patagonia shorts that I love.

I also have a ton of businesses shoes that have piled up under my bed and also a huge dust bunny. Im talking the kind of bunny where Tim from the Holy Grail would be like, "Look at the bones man!" It looks like at the beginning of each year I buy a lace up and a slip on pair of dress shoes. Weird.

Editing my life is always fun. I also have boxes and boxes and boxes of emptiness. Don't know why I keep them but I do. I guess deep down I'm waiting to put together the perfect loot box for Gerry.

I have been working on attracting the opposite sex. I have been flashing smiles and some cuties in the halls but so far no reciprication. This morning as I parked my car, I was climbing out when I spotted the cute blonde. I smiled at her and nothing. She's attractive so I kept looking as she walked on by. Suddenly she turned back and caught me staring. I smiled and nothing.

Finally, the books and DVD's, frankly, they got to go. I want to digitize everything and am looking to see how to do it. i guess I have to do each movie individually but I am also looking for a service. Oh, also, why the frak do I have a shit ton of cooking books when I make steak and ....mmmm... i guess thats it.

2011-04-22T18:42:00.000-04:00

The rain pelts my driver side window. It's reassuring, the constant drumming that adds rhythm to my driving. A rhythm that propels my car. A rhythm that stops my car. A rhythm that builds as traffic pile sup around me. It is a rhythm that needs to stop. I roll down the window and the rain covers the inside of my door. It splatters and spreads, splatters and spreads, soon little bubbles of water come together and pools. I look over and wipe it away. i wipe it away.

jambas al ajillo

2011-04-19T15:53:00.000-04:00

I remember when it came to the table.

It was a small clay bowl littered with plump, pink shrimp, slivers of of roasted garlic, red peppers, all in a golden shimmering olive oil. It had that great roasting garlic-olive oil smell which frankly should be the base for all cooking.

And that first bite...damn...you could taste the sweetness of the roasted garlic transported by the silkiness of the olive oil, finished with the tail end kiss of the red pepper. It hit every taste bud. Yes it is that good.

Then it happens. you grab a crusty chewy piece of bread and tear off a bit. You dunk the chewy bread into the olive oil. You watch as it coats the bread and pop it into your mouth. Such sweet joy!

To this day this is one dish that I get excited for. I will hoarde bread in anticipation. i will center the dish right in front of me. i will scoop the roasted garlic ont my bread to eat. I will wipe the container dry from endless swipes of bread.

Dumb Luck

2011-04-17T17:24:00.000-04:00

I spent forty dollars gambling at my nephews baseball fundraiser.

I won $80.

I has to take my winnings and bought $40 in raffle tickets.

I wish this would translate into megamillions luck.

DC Restaurant Review: Medium Rare CP

2011-04-03T22:30:00.000-04:00

This is my first blush at Medium Rare in Cleveland Park.

I'll be honest I have been craving steak frites since I started reading Medium Rare's menu last week. The first free time I had to go to this newly opened establishment was during Sunday Brunch.

What did I eat?
Bloody Mary, Mixed Green Salad, Bread and Salted Butter, Sliced Steak with a mushroom sauce, Frites and Hot Fudge Sundae.

Time of Day?
130ish, It seemed like right after the brunch run.

Where I sat?
At the bar by myself.

Thoughts on Food:
Bloody Mary: It was spicy, a bit lite on the alcohol. It did the job but I like to be bowled over by my bloody. I'm not talking about drinking Everclear. What I want is spicy, fiery tomato juice, horse radish I can see, clouds of Worcestershire and a pickled veggie.

Mixed Green Salad: It had grape tomatoes and was dressed with a light oil and vinegar. It was fresh, lite and geared me up to eat.

Bread: I love bread and butter. This bread was great, crusty outside, chewy inside with a nice butter with sea salt sprinkled on the top. This is the kind of bread that should be served at every dinner. Perfect.

Steak: because it was brunch, I added a pouched egg. The steak was covered in a mushroom sauce. The sauce was creamy, earthy and bread worthy. The steak was pink, tender and scarfable. Frankly, I could have had 30 slices but it came with 10. Thankfully, the sauce didn't overpower. The Pouched egg described as the perfect egg was a bit over done. I like my pouched to run when I break into it and this was like a yogging. It's a soft J.

Frites: Crispy, thin, and aggressively salted. On a scale of one to ten. One being Ore Ida baked and ten being Les Halles. They were a seven. I think if they were slightly thicker they would be good.

Sundae: It seemed like a quart of vanilla was scooped into this dish. It was covered in fudge that was chocolatey without being too sweet. Wet nuts of the walnut variety so they were salty and sweet. There were Crunch Candy Bar balls, awesome. Whip cream and rainbow sprinkles. It was excessive and glorious but name a time when a sundae isn't glorious.

The Bad:
This did not happen to me but I did over hear the manager asking why some tables didn't get their salads. The frites were aggressively salted. I also heard dinner has been jam packed. i think at full service this place would be a zoo.

Overall I was happy, a bit too happy. I don't know if that was all the build up or all the french comedies I have been watching. The food was spot on. I would eat here over and over and over again based on this one experience. Also, Chef came out and said I had to finish my sundae but he did it in that crazy french accent. Great addition to CP and for $20 bucks for steak frites you cannot go wrong.

Unfamiliar Fishes

2011-04-03T00:30:00.000-04:00

I want to get rid of all of my books.

I want to give them to a library and have everything in a readable format on my iPhone. I want to throw out my sagging book shelves and have everything on my phone. Reading on my iPhone has been fun and easy and my bedside table is no longer a tittering pile of hardbacks. Tittering is a bit of an exaggeration but you get my drift.

Sorry, I just finished Unfamiliar Fishes by Sarah Vowell and it a history of Hawaii discovered via plate lunch. Plate lunch is everything that is good in this world. It is a blending of cultures on one harmonious plate.

Sarah Vowell gives you a well researched subjugation of the Hawaiian people at the hands of Americans. It shows the draw of Hawaii, clash of cultures, it shows the power of Alfred Thayer Mahan's classic work that dictates US foreign policy and Hawaii's vital role in our national security, and it shows us that money drives decisions. Reading passages about how the annexation/statehood party set up voting eligibility standards that left off asians and only the most educated persons is heart breaking. Reading about the overthrow of a peaceful kingdom was uneasy. Understanding the brutality of Hawaiian civil war and how cliffs in Oahu were sites of battles were soldiers were pushed to their deaths makes me yearn for people who want peace and an end to violence.

Knowing this destroys my slice of paradise. It's no longer the land of surf and perfect beaches, shave ice, mini-plate lunch and Korean BBQ joints next to strip clubs. It's now a chain of islands that shows the worse of humanity. We killed all the native Americans, we decimated the native Hawaiians what's left?? Power and governing should be about what is best for the people. Hawaii has changed. Everything changes, sometimes for the worst but humans are adaptable and we change for the best. This book make me want to go back to see the other side of Hawaii. Maybe this is why I l ike history and useums, we have to understand where we come form if we are to evolve and push forward.

The book is great read and you will really appreciate the islands when you go.

What Ive Been Doing Wrong

2011-03-28T20:21:00.002-04:00

I have stopped doing. HBR said companies fail when people stop doing and waiting and indecision. It doesnt matter if it is a small step or a big step you have to keep doing. Fucking mental sunrise.

2011-03-24T22:04:00.001-04:00

"Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising every time we fail."

Shit Happens

2011-03-12T14:41:00.000-05:00

Shit happens but for me it seems that I step in it no matter what i do. More and more I feel like I am living in a shit storm and i can't find my way out.

Fuck.

Ash Wednesday Sin

2011-03-09T21:45:00.000-05:00

It is Ash Wednesday and I ate a hanger steak with a bernaise sauce and some creamed spinach and fries. I'm going to hell.

The meal made me think of the best steak from all of these damn steak house chains. Honestly, i think I prefer my rib eye with rice but thats not the point of this post. this is a judgement on Charlie Palmer's.

So we started with some oysters six for $18. They were okay, savory oysters, varied sizes and not as meaty as I expected. They served it with an apple mignonette and these thin crackers. Eating the oyster on the crackers was bland and boring. The mignonette was nice, subtler then the more aggressive french version but seasonal and fresh tasting.

I really wanted a steak frites tonight so I got the hanger steak with bernaise. I like my onglet pounded out and thin. this was thick and reminded me of tenderloin. That was a bit disappointing. You tell me its onlget and i see tenderloin so i feel cheated. But the steak was juicy, and tender and it tasted good. I tried to recall the big steak chains equivalent and I think Charlie Palmer might be my favorite steak.

The fries were not crispy. So that was disappointing, and the chipotle aioli is clearly stolen from Spike Mendelsohn's burger joint and frankly Spike does it better. Why give me soggy fries? Let them crisp and then refry them at a higher temperature so they are pillowy and crispy. No you gave me soggy fries. Disappointing thats why every steak place should serve a nice steaming bowl of white rice. I think a bowl of rice, with some hanger steak and bernaise might be a bit much. Maybe that would be better as a sushi roll? Wow the fries were so disappointing that I actually thought of a new side dish, a steak bernaise roll.

The spinach...creamed with bread crumbs. Tasty, but nothing past your normal steak house fair. i do think creamed spinach should be basic. I have seen places try and jazz it up with bacon or garlic chunks which makes the spinach the back drop when it should be front and center.

Desert...I had a chocolate peanut terrine which can be summed up as snicker's pie. That's a good thing people. However, as I enjoyed my snickers pie I thought about how little work Charlie palmers puts into dessert. The dessert was good but I was not wowed. I want the wow and I got a dessert that I can find at Cheesecake Factory. Tasty yes, rich yes, no wow factor.

Coffee...don't get me started. There is no good coffee. you can spend 40 dollars on a steak for cheese and cracker sake's make a good cup of coffee. hire a starbuck barista and make some good coffee.

I like Charlie Palmers, in a night there I can see a bunch of coworkers, a bunch of elected officials and have a tasty steak. just don't get the fries and stick with a steak house dessert like cheesecake.

2011-03-09T16:42:00.000-05:00

This is not the scene I dreamed of. Like much else nowadays I leave it feeling stupid, like a man who lost his way long ago but presses on along a road that may lead nowhere.
–J. M. Coetzee, Waiting for the Barbarians

Don’t ever tell anybody anything. If you do, you start missing everybody.
–J. D. Salinger,

I think about the hands I have held, the places I've seen, the vast lands whose dirt is caked on the bottom of my shoes. The world has changed me.
~ Amelia (2009)

The Catcher in the Rye

The End

2011-03-08T22:39:00.001-05:00

This is the end, my only friend the end.

The Quest for the Holy Baguette

2011-03-05T10:05:00.000-05:00

I have been questing for a real baguette in the city and I don't think it exists. It doesn't. A real french baguette is a myth because in my head I have idealized a crusty, yard long, airy, chewy, warm baguette. i do blame Jay for this. There was one glorious fleeting moment at the old Les Halles. We were smoking cigars, enjoying either some Onglet or Duck confit. During our dinner service our waiter brought out fresh form the oven some of their bread. It was crusty, warm and chewy and that awesome french salty butter. It was heaven. It was at that moment I realized that bread and butter is a gift from God.

Man, I just depressed myself. Damn.

Someone Has the Case of the Mondays.

2011-03-01T08:23:00.000-05:00

The elevator door opens and out strides our hero.

He is not your typical hero. Suit a bit big, shirt a bit tight, a really square Brooks Brothers tie and the weapon of choice the blackberry.

Click, click, click, click. click. click, click.

"That'll show them." He thought.

He continues down the hall and as he enters his office he looks down and his balckberry.

"Fuck."

He looks down and the damn winky emoticon stares back at him.

"Winky face. Damn it. Leave me alone." He mutters.

"Well Good Morning to you to." Morgan smiles.

As he points at his BB. "Sorry. No Ticket." He says back in his best Indiana Jones smile.

"God, you are weird." Morgan's eyes roll.

"If your eyes roll back any further maybe they will see the emptiness that is your cranium." The Finger comes out as he walks past.

The Brunch

2011-02-27T22:06:00.000-05:00

The drinks flowed as soon as we sat down. What did the cocktails have that we diners needed?

It was the ability to kill the pain of our sorrows: the lost jobs, the unrequited love, the pain of the unknown. We didn't discuss any of this, instead we talked about pork.

Pork became everything. It was my lost of who I am, it was her unfulfillment, it was his future.

I gobbled up the candied bacon, the deep fried chicharrons and the smoked country bacon because it was all I had left. All that I had left. It was a sad consciousness. i don't want to admit that I am scared shitless, so i grab harder at what i was.

The clanking of the flatware snaps me back.

"Dude it's just brunch!"

Or is it?

2011-02-17T23:49:00.000-05:00

The toll road was empty.

A quiet empty. Me, my car and an empty toll road.

I was alone with my thoughts.

Bad thoughts. What if on this lonely road I disappeared.

My imagination bombarded my emotions.

Alone on the road. I couldn't shake my unease.

Hollywood Formula

2011-02-14T22:52:00.000-05:00

Wilson Brother + current SNL cast Member = funny.

Apatow Alum + comedic/eccentric actor = hilarious.

Office Coworker + SNL alum = hit or miss.

Wilson Brothers + others + Wes Anderson = hipster favorite.

Can I Just Say...

2011-02-12T20:53:00.001-05:00

Go Fuck Yourself.

Tonights Going to Be A Good Night

2011-02-06T22:44:00.000-05:00

Smoked my way through the first half of the Big Game. Smoked a God's of Fire Carlito. It was a great smooth smoke, winked at sweet, some spice, a bit passed my price range but it was the Bowl. Finished with two pieces of Pete's Apizza.

It has been awhile since I didn't go to a party but the Signatures DC was very welcoming and felt like I was in a friends living room that you could smoke in. Dave had his IPad and he had an app that ran Tweets like a slideshow so we could watch the game and see live tweets.

The best ad was VW Passat. I love that the kid wants to be Darth Vader. Vader!! This ad made me want to have a kid just so he can be Vader and I can tell him about the Force.

Second best ad, none, VW Passat was one through ten.

The worst ad was Doritos finger sucking. Please God in Heaven do not show that ad every again. If Don Draper saw this ad he would piss on it, fire everyone and make Peggy write a slinky sexy ad that include bourbon.

The Second worst was Groupon. Selling out Tibet for Groupon was gross. I groaned at first because I thought it was a non-profit add but then it got worse.

Thor, Captain America...damn bring on the Avengers! They need to skip ahead and go to Marvel's Civil War,

New World Order

2011-02-04T08:21:00.000-05:00

My brother called my last few posts cryptic. I disagreed with him but as I thought about it my last few posts have been outside themselves.

A chunk of my world has been turned upside down and when that happens a normal person find themselves re-evaluating. The direction I wanted to go professional has been disrupted and getting back on that path hasn't been easy. No other offices are hiring and I might need an advanced degree. I could go corporate but there is no money.

I was talking with a former co-worker. He said, "That sucks. But there are no jobs. No one is hiring. Stay put."

I had dinner with a friend who is looking to come back and I had to tell them. No one is hiring.

So the world has turned and left me here. people have moved in-land and Oingo Boingo has been playing out the party.

Volkswagen Commercial: The Force

2011-02-03T22:34:00.000-05:00

2011-01-30T20:29:00.002-05:00

The world has turned and left me here.

King's Speech

2011-01-28T14:00:00.000-05:00

This movie totally ruled.

The stammering prince was painful, like Curb, heroic like Rudy, and best buddy like Bottle Rockt.

Amazing.

Goodbye Goodbye

2011-01-27T08:26:00.000-05:00

End of Line

2011-01-21T00:38:00.000-05:00

I balance all, brought all to mind, the years to come seemed waste of breath, a waste of breath the years behind, in balance with this life, this death.

-Yeats

I remember the light ocean breezes and the crisp winter days and the low tide afternoons. But now it all seemed behind us. The change wasn't in the beach or the rocks or the waves it was in the people. And it was a change we couldn't control. People went away and came back changed. Some got married, some moved inland and some searched for new spots.

Is This the End of our Hero, CapSwell?

2011-01-15T00:27:00.000-05:00

Before him were the legendary Three Warriors of Ludux.

Weaponless, CapSwell instantly knew why someone should fear the three warriors. Not only did they carry the biggest axes and swords, and bows but they carried with them hope, pride and strength that glows from the cores.

CapSwell's mouth goes dry and before he can gulp down his fear, the three warriors are on top of him. hope's sword comes arcing down on top of our hero, and CapSwell rolls barely getting out of the way. Strength grabs CapSwell and throws him across the field. CapSwell thuds into the dirt and turns to see Pride has his bow pulled taut with two arrows aimed right at him...

I think I'm done for.

The News

2011-01-12T21:53:00.000-05:00

When did Alyssa Milano's Twitter feed become my main news source. Her feed hits on relevant topics and has a nice charitable bent. Seriously over the past month I have been checking my twitter feed and as soon as something happens she is right on top of it. Alyssa Milano should start her own news network but have her own brand of editorial.

If I am looking for news I look to see what she has tweeted before anyone else. Maybe this is just a manifestation of my childhood crush...that crazy talk. I'd like to see Alyssa Milano take over network news. She could tweet all day long and then at news hour do the news. Thats a great way to build the internet age evening newscaster.

When I analyze her tweets, I think it is her three word editorialization with link the the news that pulls me in. I have been looking to see if anyone else has the same level of commitment to the news.

Thanks Alyssa Milano and follow her on twitter.

2010 A Year in Review

2010-12-28T22:33:00.000-05:00

What happened to me this year?

Well I got hit by a drunk driver. He totaled my Land Rover and the head on collision sent me to Shock Trauma. At Shock Trauma I proceeded to puke on everything as they wheeled me in. I remember peeing a ton. I remember that after my CAT Scan, the doctor saying that there was nothing wrong with me. My left forearm was bashed and my mouth still gets dry late at night when I see on coming traffic but whatever. My life didn't flash before my eyes, as much as me yelling, "Oh Shit, Oh Shit, Oh Shit...Fuuuuuccckkkk!"

We lost the House. I cannot stand the fact that we lost. But we did we cant communicate. This however has also made some future realities all to real. First, we are going to be kicked off the appropriations committee. Sucks. This committee is like making it the Final Four, it is like dinner at the French Laundry, it is big time. Poof! All gone.

Family Vacations Disney World and Hawaii. Disney World is the happiest place on planet earth. No scoffing. It is. It is built to make you happy, everyone works to make you happy. The nieces and nephews loved it but so did I. Its not like one show blew me away, it was the fact that everyone was so nice and they wanted you to enjoy it. Hawaii what can be said that hasn't been said already. Hawaii is home. Being their with family feels right. I also got the darkest i have been in years and that made me supremely happy. Hawaii has everything I love. The only thing i dislike about Hawaii is that damn saddle road. I thought i was going to puke.

I like raw oysters but I dont eat them that often until this year. Thanks to Woodberry Kitchen. I must have eaten hundreds of raw oysters...Choptanks, old Salts you name it I slurpeed it. I put touches of cocktail sauce and in some cases a nice minoette.

Love eludes me.

2010-12-22T22:17:00.001-05:00

I killed it! Everything I touch gets ruined.

Whats My Name Again?

2010-12-16T19:07:00.000-05:00

Protocol Officer: Is that your real name? Please Advise.
Me: Yes
PO: Wow
Me: Fuck You!

2010-12-15T18:58:00.000-05:00

I see all this potential, and I see squandering. God damn it, an entire generation pumping gas, waiting tables; slaves with white collars. Advertising has us chasing cars and clothes, working jobs we hate so we can buy shit we don't need. We're the middle children of history, man. No purpose or place. We have no Great War. No Great Depression. Our Great War's a spiritual war... our Great Depression is our lives. We've all been raised on television to believe that one day we'd all be millionaires, and movie gods, and rock stars. But we won't. And we're slowly learning that fact. And we're very, very pissed off.

The Red Chapel

2010-12-09T18:19:00.000-05:00

McRib

2010-12-06T22:01:00.000-05:00

I had a McRib for dinner and I was a bit disappointed. It was too saucy, too oniony and all I tasted was BBQ sauce. I am a bit sad. My it really frost my cookies!

I had the experience locked and loaded but the McRib failed me. I don't think I tasted any pork. I was waiting for a smoky spam taste and got nothing. There was no cake to my icing. Why did I waste my McDonald meal?

Seriously if you are going to make a pork sandwich just do a pulled pork sandwich, slow cook it, butter and toast the bun and BAM you got yourself a awesome pork sandwich.

My Vacation Continues...

2010-12-04T11:57:00.000-05:00

I tried a lite form of Yoga/Tai Chi during my Very Gonzales/Escalante Hawaiian Vacation. It was fun but the made us do a massage line...gross.

So I told myself that that intro would be a launch pad for Bikram Yoga.

So I should up for the 900am class with three other beginners. Sweet! I wouldn't look like a complete asshole. I got a mat, a towel, by big still made in Fiji water and got ready in the locker room.

105 degrees and 56% humidity. The perfect Bikram environment. The room smells. Everyone looks fit and there are two dudes peacocking.

This was not easy. Its like hiking switchback in August. It's like going out on a stormy day and the line up is a couple of hundred hards out and the surf is pounding. I felt like I was body surfing Sandy's and I got drilled face first into the sand and my feet flipped over my head. I think they call that camel pose or something.

Im a big guy and what is the deal with grabbing my feet. i got my bear stomach to lose before I can pull that off better.

I do feel like every vertebrae has been cracked and i feel relaxed. In the end I kind of liked it a lot.

I will go again and it is a million times better than the gym.

Hawaii in Pictures

2010-11-30T23:09:00.000-05:00

I Love Hawaii

2010-11-30T22:59:00.000-05:00

These are my observations of Hawaii. I stole this idea from my Bro.

I think I am a Big Island kind of guy.

Radio stations on the big island played: Steel Pulse, Bob Marley, Alpha Blondy and Weezer in a row.

Saddle Road is stupid and should be re-engineered to be better.... how about just safe.

Mauna Kea rules!

I get cranky without food.

Zip Z's lesson last a life time. At Orange Grove I don't need the large. I just need Saw Dust, powdery graham crackers, topping and some peanut butter cup bits and a bit of ice cream.

Anytime you can sail and snorkel is a good day.

Why don't I live there?

The best thing to do is to find the farthest destination from shore, swim there and see how much further you can go.

Sea Turtles rule!

When someone is drowning in the ocean yell "Help!" If you don't you'll get "Howzit bra" while the dude in the boat gives you the shaka.

Get a waterproof pouch for your iPhone 4, if it tears use tape to keep it together. Life is better blogging from the open ocean.

Sunset Beach is gorgeous.

How can anyone choose a place to eat there is too much good food. All I can say is 65 years of sarap to the bones.

The Seed ruined shave ice.

It might seem maddening, but Tita Mina makes vacations fun and she is constantly driving us to do things.

Establish Vacation goals: Mine were get as dark as possible and go to Patagonia in Hawaii.

I hate the feel of a sea urchin sucking itself to my hand.

Hawaiian Sun vs Aloha Maid

Spicy Garlic Shrimp is serious

I just need the beach, really the beach, some cool tunes, and a book and I am in heaven.

A rash guard is necessary

A smoothie is better with alcohol.

The Big Island Cookie Biscotti are the best.

Direct to Kona is the only option, never packed and you can have a row to yourself.

Bring Pringles

Slightly fried Ahi, over veggies and mashed sweet potato in a butter sauce is simply awesome.

2010-11-29T15:27:00.002-05:00

Vacation

2010-11-19T21:22:00.000-05:00

I went to the beach and swam in the ocean. I saw three turtles. I swam my work stress away. From there I went to the pool and had a Blue Hawaii and went back and forth between the pool and hot tub. I had some spam musubi, kalbi ribs and a coke for lunch and then smoked a cigar, Partagas #4, looking at the ocean. First day was a huge success. I have started on my bass tan and my face and legs are starting to tan.

I have been listening to the local radio and it is mainly Hawaiian reggae. I have heard some Alpha Blondy and Steel Pulse.

Aloha State

2010-11-17T16:34:00.000-05:00

I'm not packed.

I leave at 630am.

I am going to pack light.

Let's see if I really do it.

I am not ready.

Call of Duty: Black Ops TV Commercial: "There's A Soldier In All Of Us"

2010-11-11T23:55:00.000-05:00

The Drink Network

2010-11-11T23:44:00.000-05:00

A few nights ago my friend Pete was in town and we went out to dinner at Central. It was an awesome meal complete with oysters, pork belly, fried chicken and a chocolate mousse with these crunchies. This is not a food review.

I was actually just rechecking my bill on-line and I saw what I spent on drinks versus food and I was shocked. i shouldn't be but I was. When I go out I usually have one drink and thats about it, at Central it was a couple glasses of wine and some pre dinner drinks and all that was more expensive then my meal.

I have always loved food from a young age. I learned food from watching cooking shows on PBS at a way to young age. I am talking about Julia Childs, Yan Can Cook and that show where the followed European Master Chefs and they cooked a meal. But all those shows really helped me to understand fine cuisine and how things are supposed to be done and exposed me to all sorts of food from around the world.

If I am going to restaurants like Central spend this much on drinks why can't the there be a Drink Network dedicated to fine drinks, spirits, wines and coffee to help expose me to fine drinking and what it is all about. You are probably asking yourself dude you an adult and you have spent time drinking why do you need a network to educate you just go to happy hour.

My response is this: no your time sneaking liquor from your parents, hanging out at 7-11 and playing "Hey Mister" or using your fake in the shady parts of town does not make you a drink expert. Happy Hour drinking buckets of Corona and watching Mad Men does not make you an expert.

I think we would all enjoy shows about guys exploring drinks from around the world; or an Iron Chef/Bartender type show; or how about a celebrity bartender. Anyway you cut it Food Network has helped push people' palates forward. It is time for the Drink Network to arise and help us understand.

Election Exhaustion

2010-11-03T22:14:00.000-04:00

Elections have a lot of relationship reflections. Was it me? What could I have done differently? She always liked me in green, I should have worn more green. And more like a relationship, when the day comes to the vote, it is like when a relationship ends or continues. You have thought about it. You have weighed out the options: I like less spending but I cant support Aqua Buddha.

Election day comes, and your girlfriends says, "We have to talk." or worse they just start crying. You say, "What's wrong." They reply, "Us!"

Shit it's over and I am tired. That's election day.

We Democrats got thrashed in this election. My boss did fine at 64%. But it sucks seeing friends go down. It sucks seeing everything we have struggled to make better halted.

Elliptical Race

2010-10-27T18:09:00.000-04:00

I look over and the leg are pumping furiously. I look down at my legs and I think am I keeping up?

What do I tap into to get my iberico ham size legs moving? Election frustration, the thought of losing my job. Every two years I can lose my job and this year more then others I feel threatened. That works.

The pace quickens, and he matches, ok I just have to sustain myself and outlast him. My mind drifts to friends on the Hill who will soon be jobless and I think anyone of these people should have my job. They deserve it more.

Keep pushing. Why the frack did my iPod switch to old REM, this isn't exercise music.

Thank the lord he is slowing down.

I look forward and i see myself as I am an overweight, lonely guy.

I look at the guy next to me and say why can't I be more like him. I was racing the guy next to me on the elliptical and I think I lost. Crap.

Spam Too Much

2010-10-23T23:11:00.000-04:00

My old hotmail account is spamming the crap out of people.

I have shut it down twice but it still is "partly active" just in case I want to come back. The answer to that is no I don't want your email service. I tried calling them, emailing them and got no where.

I hate Microsoft.

What happened to the delete my account function.

Sorry for the spam.

I would go ahead and delete me.

The Lone Cupcake

2010-10-15T19:21:00.000-04:00

There is a few mysteries left in this world. Yetis are real. Our moon landing was a sound stage in Tunisian. One mystery that still perplexes me is the lone cupcake theory.

You buy a dozen awesome treats and one will always be left or worse some one cuts it in half. To be the lone cupcake must be insulting, what, because I am a milk chocolate birthday cupcake no one wants me. It is shameful that people do not finish food. What about all those starving kids in Africa, don't they want the cupcake.

But why does this happen? Growing up my mom always told me to not eat the last serving. But if an awesome rib is sitting there tempting me then I should have at it, but I don't. Her magical words prevent me. Is the mystery just a social moray that we cannot get past. Seriously go into your kitchen or break room and watch people struggle over the last treat. The open the lid, the look at the box, they look around, they might even sniff it but they still don't eat it. Maybe way back when a King or a priest told his subject to not eat the last serving because they will go to Hell.

Maybe we save the last treat for a departed loved one.

I dont know the answer. this subject deserves more study.

But I tell you there is a fraking cupcake just sitting downstairs in my kitchen and I am never going to eat it because I was told not to when I was 5.

Movie Review: Social Network

2010-10-02T18:21:00.000-04:00

Did you all know that Albert Einstein's Theory of Relativity came about because of a high school crush that never materialized. He was so devastated as a teenager that he dedicated his life to coming up with something huge to impress a girl.

Her name was Greta von Helsing. She showed great science promise and ol' Alby loved her. Greta of course thought Albert was nice, had moments of brilliant but he was no Max Strudel, the dashing Bavarian who won all the science prizes even besting Alby in a number of science fairs.

Our young genius new he had to come up with something huge to win Greta's heart, e=mc2.

Cheese and crackers why is everything about love?!?!!

Social Network is not about the true story behind Facebook. It is a movie that builds off of geek day dreams of how to win the heart of any girl.

Dreaming: Monday Sept. 27 200am

2010-09-27T18:06:00.000-04:00

I smell burning in my dream and someone, i think a coworker is telling me to put out the fire. I search for a little bit and come upon a toaster oven and I pull the burning item from it. Dream Dictionary says, I am eager to deal with an anxious situation. That is everyday its called work.

At the same time that I am dreaming I hear my front door bell ring. I go down to look and nothing is there. Again at 400am I hear the doorbell ringing. Again, nothing.

The Best of This Week

2010-09-25T00:39:00.000-04:00

Watching Colbert testify before a Congressional committee made me laugh and cringe. He was funny and maybe a little humor is what we need to move this issue forward. For Christ Sakes nothing else seems to be working.

I have been to three fund raisers this week. I like the veggie platters and I tend to eat the red pepper slices. They are sharp and crunchy.

I got a new work blackberry. It is sleek.

The return of How I Met Your Mother, High 6!

Views from a Sign Wave

2010-09-25T00:06:00.001-04:00

There are many campaign tools and a sign wave is a good way of reaching a ton of voters. The candidate and his supporters stand around an intersection and wave to passersby.

The most disheartening reaction is getting flipped off. Last week, this incredibly old man gave my the finger. I mean we made eye contact, he gave me the finger and moved it up and down as he drove by and looked back in his rearview mirror as he departed the intersection. When you work for a candidate you cannot respond in kind as I would have done if I was by myself. you have to smile shake it off and say, "Thank You."

One of the funniest things to watch are people just getting down, grooving to the beat. I saw this one guy fully blasting his tunes and he was moving, if he could have twirled in his seat I think he would have. He was definitely moving his legs because when he did the car shook a little. This dude was looking around but not making eye contact, he was just into his music.

Most people just speed by talking on their phones. Who are you talking to at 930am on a Saturday?

Review: Orchid in Winter Park, Florida

2010-09-08T23:12:00.000-04:00

Thai food is always fun and to have it in Winter Park was interesting. Everything in Winter Park closes by 6:00pm, so the whole street was close to empty.

The Orchid was voted in Orlando Magazine as a perennial favorite and I understand why. The Thai Iced Coffee was a yard's worth of sweet, creamy goodness. The fresh roll, was fresh and light but in one of the rolls the shrimp was missing. It came with a plum sauce which was bit heavy.

We also had a beef dish that was more like jerky with a sticky rice. The sticky rice was tasty it just was at odds with a crispy beef with a sweet and vinegary sauce.

We also had some dish with nuts and limes an all sorts of craziness that you ate with leaves. Interesting and it would have been a great date appetizer. We left after the appetizers to head out for a party. i wish we could have stayed because I think it would have been a great meal.

Review: Dinner at Disney World's Cinderella's Castle

2010-09-08T23:00:00.000-04:00

The Magic Kingdom really transports you to a different world where you immediately become a kid and the only emotion you feel is happiness. Cinderella's Castle is the center of Disney, getting your picture with Cinderella is cool and you walk up and have a great view of Magic Kingdom. I just wish the food transported me to a happy place.

The rolls were generic dinner rolls that you can get in any super market. This is supposed to be a special meal try to bake your own bread. The butter, honestly tasted fine I just expected mouse ear shaped butter. A great meal always comes down to the little the things and early on the meal was too ordinary.

Second, I had a cheese plate with no explanation of the cheeses. It was a goat cheese, a creamy brie, and a hard cheddar. The cheddar was paired with raisons, the brie had a candied ginger and the goat cheese was in a ball. Overall, the cheeses were fine but I like the experience of being told about the cheeses and why the accompaniments are on the plate.

My entree was duck confit with a mushroom bread pudding poached egg and a hollandaise. The hollandaise broke and was too eggy, the poached egg was hard boiled, the bread pudding was way too dry and the confit was over cooked dry and not flavorful. It failed in all aspects of the meal.

The meal ended with creme caramel that was too eggy as well. The only thing that made the food good was knowing I could run over to Main Street and get another bag of cotton candy.

I know dinner at the Castle is about the characters but you shell out good money and after stacks of fried dough and cotton candy a nice meal would have been a treat.

The worst part is that when you think about the customer service in the Magic Kingdom it is the gold standard. Every company should take a tour to deal with customers the right way. Service was impeccable and the Princess staying in character was fun. The food at the Princess' castle was not fit for Prince's and Princess. It was fit for a troll.

Waiting for Faucet

2010-08-25T23:32:00.000-04:00

I find myself standing in front of my sink, hands under the faucet waiting and waiting. Waiting for the water to come pouring out, but it doesn't. I twist my hand. I wave my hand. I stare harder and no water.

Wait, there are hot and cold water handles?!!?

What the fuck what kind of arcane, medieval, third world hole do I live in.

Yes, I find myself at any place, restaurant, theater or friends home waving my hand around like an idiot waiting for the faucet to work.

Oasis - She's Electric

2010-08-24T17:42:00.000-04:00

Oasis

2010-08-24T17:41:00.000-04:00

Yes they still rule. I was messing around with my playlist and i genuised one for "So Lonely" by the Police and "She's Electric" by Oasis came up. I haven't heard this song in forever and it just flat out rocked.

I have listened to this song about 34 times since.

Scott Pilgrim vs. Stallone

2010-08-20T01:27:00.000-04:00

Why did Stallone beat Scott Pilgrim?

Stallone's movie was an 80's action movie, big explosions and people dying bloody deaths and you go back for the girl.

Pilgrim was a slacker hero fighting for the girl he loves.

Maybe most people relate to Stallone...Most people have huge muscles, can kill a person with their bare hands and fight injustice wherever it rises.

Who relates to Scott Pilgrim? No one relates to pining over someone or having to deal with exes.

The Scott Pilgrim movie was too geeky for people.