Ain't No Use in Tryng

As in, ain't no use trying to keep this blog from falling into neglect.

Ah...okay. I'll try. Maybe tomorrow. Until then, enjoy this little ditty by Trampled by Turtles.

"Ain't No Use in Trying"

Trampled by Turtles

Well I got years of livin'
By and how I choose
Ain't never been a gambler
'Cause I's always bound to lose
My buddies, they drink liquor
Sometimes I'll go along
I got a girl who don't like that at all

[CHORUS:]
Well, you know I wouldn't fight
If these guys wouldn't shove me
Now I can't go home
'Cause my baby, she don't love me
There ain't no use in tryin' anymore

Well, last week or so
I woke up in a cell
Don't know how I got there
But my head, it hurt like hell
The guard already knew my name
Before I came inside
I got a girl who don't like that at all

[CHORUS:]
Well, you know I wouldn't fight
If these guys wouldn't shove me
Now I can't go home
'Cause my baby, she don't love me
There ain't no use in tryin' anymore

Well, I guess some guy downtown
Come pushin' me around
So I let one loose and left that fella'
Lyin' on the ground
I got a girl who don't like that at all.

[CHORUS:]
Well, you know I wouldn't fight
If these guys wouldn't shove me
Now I can't go home
'Cause my baby, she don't love me
There ain't no use in tryin' anymore
No, there ain't no use in tryin' anymore
There ain't no use in tryin' anymore. 

The Campbell Apartment

Usually, I take time today to give thanks to all the blog and Twitter weirdos that I follow or who follow me. But I'm not in a list-y mood, so consider yourself thanked. Whomever you are.

I will give some specific thanks to my Gia and our friends who took me out for a raucous time in NYC this past Saturday for my birthday (which was actually this past Sunday). We had a blast!

For a change of pace, we decided to start out the day in and around Grand Central Terminal. Had drinks and oysters at the Oyster Bar (duh!), then found a joint called The Campbell Apartment which has an entrance into Grand Central on Vanderbilt.  The name is a bit of a misnomer. The spot was actually the huge office space of John W. Campbell, a mega-rich financier from back in the day. Here's a shot which shows off the high ceilings, opulence and the giant safe that Campbell kept in the fireplace (to show off his wealth):

Source

The place was massive, and ornately decorated. And the drink menu was fantastic. I had two cocktails there. A bourbon drink with fennel and candied ginger called a Kentucky Ginger, and an odd mixture called The Port of New York. Dark rum, port wine and chilled espresso. Normally it wouldn't be close to my thing, but I was intrigued. And it was fantastic! 

Source: my phone

You can even see the dead remains of my Kentucky Ginger in the background and someone's Prohibition Punch (in the large snifter) in the background. All were tasty as all heck.

The rest of the day progressed lovingly along this booze path. I believe* I was out until the wee hours with one of the crew chasing after live music down in the Village, but it all got a bit fuzzy after dinner at our friends' apartment. Fuzzy in a good way though.

Wonderful day and evening out in the city. Who could ask for anything more? 

*Just kidding. I remember everything. Almost.

David Lo Pan

I'm normally against posting parody videos of already tiresome pop culture crap like Gangnam Style. But I have to make an exception for this one. Lo Pan Style. Strictly due to my love/obsession with Big Trouble in Little China. A film I just watched the other day for the umpteenth time.

It even includes a cameo by the man himself. David Lo Pan aka James Hong. Still kicking it into his 80's. For a little bit of blog serendipity, our favorite Marsh Mama included a quote from Mr. Hong's Blade Runner character, Hannibal Chew, over at her joint today. Kinda cool, eh?

For anyone who is a fan of BTiLC, you are gonna love this. Lots of fun references.

Everyone else can simply move along.

Indeed!

Asleep in the Wood

A short film by Joe York and the Southern Foodways Alliance about statesman and bourbon distiller Julian Van Winkle.


Asleep in the Wood from Southern Foodways on Vimeo.

Imagine a 23-year business plan. Amazing.

I'm sure I've mentioned it before, but the 23yr Family Reserve from Pappy Van Winkle is hands-down the best whiskey I've ever had. Gia found a bottle of it for me 2 years ago (it's not easy to find), and I took my time with enjoying it. Only two other humans were allowed to enjoy a glass of the heaven that the bottle contained within. Not because I'm averse to sharing. I'm not. Nothing makes me happier than sharing a bottle I love with a person I love almost as much. It's just that this was a gift for me. A rare gift at that.

I think I'm going to do a little whiskey hunting over the weekend. Try to find some of the younger Pappy Van Winkle bourbons. There are some people out there who believe that 23 years is far too long a time to age a bourbon. That 8-10 years is ideal. Julian Van Winkle mentions this in the video up there, joking that the only people who say that are those who've never tried to age it that long. But I am interested in tasting both the 10 and 15 year varieties.

I'll let you know how I fare.

Overheard

A semi-true story.

At the cat ranch in the living room while flipping through the cable channels, we came across a "reality" show called Doomsday Preppers. These are folks who are convinced that a financial or environmental cataclysmic event will happen soon, so they are preparing by building bunkers, hoarding canned/jarred food and bottled water. Stuff like that. This one couple said they work 6-8 hours a day on fortifying their stronghold. And they take personal defense courses. And cooking courses. And time at the shooting range. I have no idea when they actually sleep.  That's when this conversation ensued:

Me (sheepishly): I think, ya know, if I had tons and tons of disposable cash and didn't have to work for a living...I might, ya know, do something like this.

She (incredulously): Do something like what? Build a fallout shelter? Prepare for the apocalypse? Why? Do you think it's gonna happen soon.

Me: No, not really.

She: So why would you do it?

Me: Well, if I had all that time and money on my hands I think I would be bored. I'd need a hobby. That seems like a decent one.

She: Really?

Me: Yeah, you know...just in case.

She: A hobby, eh? Why wouldn't you just go do some work for a charity or something? If you had all that time and money on your hands, I mean.

Me: Oh, man...full-tiime charity work? That's sounds exhausting.

I'm a jackass, apparently.

Thai Ginger Beef Stir Fry

Trying out some new things in the kitchen here at the cat ranch. This one was super easy and healthy to boot. Came out spicy and aromatic and tangy. Just the way we like it. Used mostly this recipe here, but I jazzed it a bit. As I do. Check it:

Thai Ginger Beef Stir Fry

Ingredients

• 1 lb thinly sliced sirloin cut into bite-sized strips
• 1/3 cup beef broth
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1 tbsp garlic chili sauce
• 2 tsp corn starch
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 tbsp grated fresh ginger
• 1 cup chopped broccoli florets
• 1 cup julienned string beans
• 4 green onions - bias-sliced in 1 inch lengths
• 1 tbsp cooking oil
• Non-stick cooking spray
• 2 cups cooked jasmine rice

 - In a bowl mix the broth, soy sauce, fish sauce, lime, garlic chili sauce, corn starch, sugar and grated ginger. Set aside.

 - Lightly coat a skillet or wok with the cooking spray and then pre-heat over medium high heat. Add the broccoli, string beans and green onions. Toss and cook for 4-5 minutes until the onions have gotten a bit crispy and the veggies are nice and tender. Remove veggies from skillet and set aside.

 - Return the skillet to the burner (medium-high heat) and add the cooking oil. Add the beef strips and stir-fry until cooked/browned. Give the liquid mixture you set aside a bit earlier a quick mix and then add to the skillet. Toss until all the beef is coated and the sauce begins to bubble and thicken.  Add the cooked veggies you had set aside and make sure everything is coated with the sauce and heat through.

 - Serve over jasmine rice.

From beginning to end, this took me about 15 minutes. Sooooo simple. Sooooo tasty. And did I mention kinda healthy?  We tend to use a bit more citrus and maybe a bit more heat in our recipes, so feel free to only use the juice of 1/2 a lime or reduce the amount of garlic chili sauce.  And we like a lot of fresh ginger, so we used quite a bit more than the original recipe stated. But a recipe is just a basic guideline. Fly your freak flag and adjust it accordingly.

Bon appetit!

Skyline Chili

So, apparently, there is this chain of chili take-out restaurants based in Ohio called Skyline Chili. I've never visited one nor tried their product. But there seems to be some kind of deep love bordering on obsession for those chili aficionados who feel that their chili is the best chili out there. Again...I've got no opinion on that. Having never had it.

But I had a a "copy cat" recipe (see examples here or here) for Skyline chili passed on to me over the weekend, and I decided to give it a try. It's a meat-heavy based chili. Not a lot in there in terms of vegetables, so it's very different from my own chili recipe. But it's a real interesting chili. I think that it can be used more as a sauce or a topping, but it tasted pretty damned good in the bowl itself as well. It's also a really easy recipe that is requires very little prep work, and it cooks up much faster than other chili's I've made in the past. So here goes:

Copycat Skyline Chili

Ingredients

• 2 lbs lean ground beef - I used 93/7
• 1 large yellow onion - diced
• 2 cans (15 oz) tomato sauce - I used Hunts
• 1 cup beef broth
• 2 cloves garlic - crushed and diced fine
• 3 tbsp chili powder
• 1 pinch (about 1/2 tsp) cinnamon powder
• 1 pinch red cayenne pepper powder
• Salt and pepper to taste - you won't need much salt
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 tbsp white vinegar

 - Add the ground beef and diced onion to a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat until the meat is browned. Drain off excess liquid and add the brown mixture to a stock pot.

 - Add the rest of the ingredients (tomato sauce, broth, garlic, chili powder, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, salt, pepper, Worcestershire and vinegar) and bring to a quick boil.  Reduce heat to low and saute uncovered for an hour and a half.

That's it. Easy peasy you know the drill.  It really couldn't be easier. We served it over some rice with some shredded sharp cheddar cheese, tortilla chips and some home-made guacamole. The cinnamon, vinegar and Worcestershire lent it a truly unique flavor. I've never tasted a chili that tasted quite like this.

I don't think it quite surpassed my own personal chili recipe, but it was damned tasty. And Gia loved it, and that's what matters the most.

Cheers!

Day 10a: The Siege is Over

The Zombie Apocalypse is over!

We have power!

And heat!

Just in time for the next storm that is hitting tonight. Keep your fingers crossed, peeps.

Day 10: Brought to you by the letter C

I came this close yesterday.

Not as in "this close to getting my power back." I have no idea when that is going to happen. I'm beginning to suspect that the crews out working are now planning on how they are going to restore power to those who are going to lose it with tonight's Nor'easter (big winter storm) rather than hooking up those of us who are still in the dark. What's a few extra days or a week, right?

No, it's "I came this close to losing it yesterday", and all over something stupid. Wanted a little warm food in me last night so I ordered some takeout from a local Greek diner that we love. Here's a little something about how the phone conversation went with the woman who took my order:

She: Greek Diner, can I help you?
Me: Yes, please. I'd like to order some takeout.
She: What do you want? 

Enough with the fucking pleasantries, eh? At this point I noted a bit of a, hmm...how should I put this...cunty tone to her voice. I've been to this place dozens of time and she didn't sound familiar to me. Maybe they were just real busy. I don't know. I trudged on.

Me: OK, I'd like to start with a pint of your chicken, lemon soup.
She: Sir <long, loud sigh>, we only have one size for soups. 16 ounces. Is that what you want?
Me: Um, sure.

I have to say, I was flummoxed at this point. I know they only serve one size of soup. A pint. Or 16 oz, if you want to break it down. Did she not know that 16 oz equals a pint? Was she just being super cunty? And then the "Is that what you want?" at the end there. Yeah, that's what I want because that's what I fucking ordered before you began to give me a weights and measures lesson. My head was spinning a bit here.

OK, I know you aren't interested in the particulars of what else I ordered, so let's let's skip to the end of the call, shall we?

She: OK, what name should I put it under?
Me: Mike...

At this point, I should say that I never use my last name when placing takeout orders. Why? Because frankly it's a little odd and usually requires some clarification or explanation. So I usually just say "Mike C." leaving my first initial of my last name because Mike is a really fucking common name. But this bitch cut me off or spoke over me as I was saying that.

She: Sir <another long, loud sigh>, Mike is a very common name and we get a lot of those in there. Could you at least give me the first initial of your last name and we'll use that. Okay?

Sounds fair written out like that, but it was her exasperated tone and the fact that she spoke right over me as I was just doing just that. She could have just said "Last initial?" if she was busy and I would have taken it better. But this is the point where I almost lost it. I was literally seeing a red fog in the darkness. People have been so kind and generous throughout this period after the storm. Running into a See You Next Tuesday like this took me by surprise. And pissed me off.

Maybe a second passed before I gave her that initial. It seemed like a lot longer as I weighed my options of what particular I was going to start throwing her way. But, in the end, my better angels won out and I moved on with my life. I didn't even see her at the diner when I picked my food up. Someone else rang me up, someone who I recognized. I had a quick look around to see if I could pick her out, but I just saw the usual suspects.

But I came this close to ending the call with this:

Me: Initial? Howabout C. For CUNT!

Like I said...better angels and what not.

Day 9: A Cold Election Day

Took a little drive around my town last night. Seems that everyone except my block and the next block over has power back.

I'm beginning to feel a little picked on over here. I'm not sure what the problem is. There are no downed trees or power lines in the area. Yesterday I heard a guy say that he wasn't supposed to get power back for two weeks but he bought some pizzas for a crew of LIPA workers and they asked him where he lived. He had power back a few hours later.

Now I don't know that guy from Adam, but just hearing stories like that chaps my ass. I want to believe that one neighborhood isn't valued over any other when it comes to restoring heat and power. Or that the job can be "bought" by a few pizzas. Especially on a day like today when ideals are so important to so many people.

I half-hardheartedly joked that I wouldn't be voting this year. Not happy with either guy, frankly. But that was all smoke and bluster. I planned on voting all along. Simply because there is one candidate who, I believe, will say anything to get elected even when he contradicts...um...himself. Over and over and over and over again. Well, both guys do it. But there is a difference between a liar and BOLD-FACED FUCKING LIAR, at least in my opinion.

I'm sure there are some folk who will read that last paragraph and they will be absolutely sure which guy I'm talking about. I'm sure there are others who will be absolutely sure that it's the other guy I'm talking about. I'll leave that up to you. Along with your vote.

Me? I'd be just as happy voting for whichever dude turns my power and heat back on at this point.

Day 8: Hope and Despair

Lost power last Monday in the afternoon, so I consider this to be Day 8 without power and heat.

Had a fraction of Hope last night as I was coming back from picking up some Chinese food. I was waiting at a light to cross a major road near where we live when I noticed a whole fleet of power company trucks in the parking lot of the motel across the street. And sure enough, the power kicked on for that motel and then headed north all along the west side of the harbor that we live on.

So I rushed home, embracing the warmth of street lights in our neighborhood for the first time since the storm. As I turned to make my way across the bridge, my heart sank. That's where the power stopped. I live on the east side of the harbor and we are still in a black hole. Turns out it was only the barest minimum corridor of power that ran along the other side of the water. The rest of the town behind that corridor still looks like a war zone. Downed trees and lines everywhere. We actually fared much better with the trees on our side of the water. But still no power.

So I'm back here...with my good friend Despair.

Oh, I know. So many people have it worse than me. I have hot water and occasional access to the Internet (thanks to an extension cord from a neighbor and his generator). But I'm still bumming, man.

This shit needs to end.

Day 6: I am now a zombie

Day 6 without power. Well mostly kinda. My neighbor kindly ran an extension cord over from his generator. He runs it for 3-4 hours at a time and then off for 3-4 hours. So while he runs it, we have limited power. Right now I've got the cable modem, wireless router and laptop plugged in. Voila! Internets here at home for the first time since Monday! Hooray!

Seems that LIPA is promising that 95% of those who lost power will have it restored by Monday evening. I'm not buying it. And even if that does happen, I'll probably be one of the 5% who still must wait. We are on the butt end of the world here on the north shore and last year we were among the last to get power back after Hurricane Irene. 

But I have hot water and intermittent borrowed power. So life ain't all bad. 

Ooooh...the gas lines. I HAVE to tell you about the gas lines. They are insane. Absolutely insane. A whisper is heard about a gas station promising to open soon and lines form instantly. I've never seen anything like it. A half-mile long isn't out of the question. That's what I saw this morning.

I lucked out and found a gas station on Thursday and filled up. That was right before the crazy lines began forming. But it also leaves me not wanting to drive anywhere because I don't want to waste the gas. So it's just me here at the cat ranch with the kitties. Not sure if I mentioned it, but Gia went down to visit her family in SC and missed the storm. She was supposed to fly back a few days ago, but we changed her flight. No sense coming home to no power or heat. She is due back on Wednesday now. Hopefully we will be in better shape by then.

Hopefully.

Thanks for all the kind words and sympathies.

Lucky

In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, I'm mostly feeling lucky.

We escaped the storm with no damage to home or cars. The storm surge was a huge concern. It was supposed to be anywhere from 8-12 feet above normal at high tide on Monday night. And 12 feet would have meant about 2 feet of water in our living room. So that would have sucked. But he storm moved faster than anticipated and the storm surge was about half of what was feared. So the water wound up a few feet short of reaching our door, but it was touch and go there for a little while. We got lucky.

As close as I am to the water on the north shore here on Long Island, my mother is just as close on the south shore. About 10 feet above sea level, just like we are. The water from the Great South Bay reached the end of her block in one direction and the next street over right behind her was completely flooded because of the creek and marina there. Again, it was touch and go for a while. She got lucky.

Mom got power back on Wednesday afternoon. I'm still without power and internet, so I headed out to her place. Today was the first time I've seen news coverage since Monday afternoon. Lots and lots and lots of folks weren't as lucky as we were. Huge trees down all over. Power lines down. Homes and cars wrecked. Forget abut the shoreline. It will probably never be the same. I've heard tell of new inlets across Fire Island and some of the other barrier beaches here. And if you had a home on one of those islands? Not so lucky.

I hope this post finds you safe and sound if you were affected by this bitch of a storm. I hope you have power and heat and all of your loved ones around you. I hope you were one of the lucky ones.

Pre-debate fodder: Drone Attacks

I suggested in an earlier post that I was going to stay out of the political arena this Autumn. I'm going to, against my better judgement, go against my own suggestion to point y'all toward an interesting blog post on the current Administration's use of remote-piloted aircraft or drones in attacks on terrorist targets.

It's a topic that doesn't get brought up often enough, in my opinion. It probably won't be a major player in the foreign policy debate tonight either. Mostly because the men in power or the men aspiring to be in power don't want it to be discussed in a national debate. And that, of course, doesn't mean that it shouldn't be.

This hypothetical question brought up for President Obama by the author of the piece is a gem:

To President Obama: Your administration has not just employed targeted killing; it has made the case for targeted killing to the rest of the world. What would you tell the leader of another country who wants to make use not only of technology pioneered by America but also of legal arguments pioneered by America? Do those arguments only count for America, or do they count also for Russia, China, and well, North Korea and Hezbollah?

The question isn't if we have the technology or the ability to make such attacks, it is rather one of whether we have the right to do so or not? And what happens when our enemies develop the same technology of their own? We are the only nation to use nuclear weapons against another nation in wartime. And we have been lionized in other parts of the world for our current stance against developing nuclear programs in nations that don't see eye-to-eye with us on their use or the threat of their use. Will these drone attacks continue or even escalate? Or will they eventually go the way of the atomic bomb? A weapon of war that should be more of a threat than something that is used on a weekly or daily basis?

I don't have a good answer for any of those questions right now. But I'd sure be interested in hearing the President and Governor Romney's thoughts on their use. This Silent War, however, will most likely go unmentioned tonight. Which is exactly what each candidate would prefer. But it's something to think about as they hammer away at each other on the rest of the foreign policy topic.

Evil Night Together

Keeping with the October horror theme. Well, not really horror. More of a pulp-fiction, film noir-ish kinda thing. Ah, who the hell cares. It's good, okay? Jill Tracy from 1999's "Diabolical Streak".

Dig.

Evil Night Together 

Jill Tracy

I'll hold your hand while they drag the river
I'll cuddle you in the undertow
I'll keep my hand on your trigger finger
I'll take you down where the train tracks go

Let's wile away the hours
Let's spend an evil night together

We'll drink a toast in the torture chamber
And you'll go down on a bed of nails
We'll rendezvous in cold blood
I'll tie you up to the third rail

Let's wile away the hours
Let's spend an evil night together

Who's gonna make you a hero
Who's gonna blow you away
Who's gonna make you a hero
Hold it right there

It's a multiple down in solitary
And you'll uncover the evidence
Shanghaied by a fishnet stocking
I'll hold you close while they dust for prints

Let's wile away the hours
Let's spend an evil night together

No need for cake or flowers
Let's spend an evil night together

Quick Flick Reviews - Vol I

This is probably what I'm going to be about for the rest of the month. It's October and that means horror flicks for me. I've been trying and I will be attempting to watch at least one horror flick each night for the rest of the month. So you don't have to. Or something like that. And every few days, I'll entertain you with the results in the form of a quick, one-paragraph review. That should be fun, right? Anyway...

_______________________________________________________

Insidious (2010) - I've had this bad boy on my Netflix Instant queue for a long while now. A bunch of people had recommended it to me as well, but I just hadn't had the urge to sit down and watch it for a long time. I'm glad I finally did. This was a taut, well-made and unique thriller that was a bit different than your run-of-the-mill demonic possession story. In fact, it wasn't a demonic possession story at all. Er, not really. Had more to do with a child who has the ability to astral project and what happens when he gets "lost" in that astral world. Some neat references to Neil Gaiman's "The Sandman" in there, for us comic-book geeks. I'd love to see a sequel or companion film that shows the events of the film from the boy's perspective in the astral world.  
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

The Grey (2011) - Only by the broadest of definitions can this one be called a horror flick. It's really more of an action film with some horror elements. Survivors of a plane crash in the Arctic are pursued by a pack of hungry and cunning wolves. Yeah...that would be pretty horrible. To be honest, I only watched this because the trailer was hilarious. Liam Neeson seemingly fighting off a pack of wolves with his hands. How could I pass up that kind of fun? But it was actually a much more interesting film than I thought it was gonna be. And while it wasn't a classic horror film, it had enough horrifying and gory moments to keep my attention. Not really great, but not nearly as awful as it could have been.
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

The Innkeepers (2011) - Writer/director Ti West's follow-up to 2009's very interesting The House of the Devil. West seems to be a fan of the slow-burn, low-action horror films of the 1970's. Because that's exactly what these two films reminded me of. This one has two hotel clerks working the last weekend of business of a historic and haunted inn in Connecticut trying to capture evidence of paranormal activity for a website that one of them has started. Trying to cash in on the fad, so to speak. One of them gets a bit more than they bargained for as shit starts to get real. Or does it? I'm a big fan of movies like this that end up on an ambiguous note. Like I said, not a lot happens (although there are probably too many silly jump scares) but it's a fun ride nonetheless.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Apollo 18 (2011) - Everyone knows that there were only 17 Apollo missions. What this film pre-supposes is, maybe there wasn't. As in there was an 18th. And, using the found-footage gimmick, this film shows why that 18th mission was initially kept a secret and why we haven't been back to the moon ever since. It should have been a fun little horror flick that preyed up all kinds of lunar conspiracy theories, but it really just fell flat on it's man-in-the-moon face. I think it was the found-footage gimmick that really bothered me. I'm getting kinda tired of it, to be honest. This one might have worked better straight-up. We'll never know.
Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

Update: Two quick pumpkin ale reviews for you as well. On Monday night, I tried two more pumpkin ales at a beer joint in Smithtown called The Tap and Barrel. Excellent craft beer bar with 52 awesome beers on tap. The first was New Holland's Ichabod Ale. Coming in at 5.5% ABV, it didn't have too much of a kick. Not nearly as much as some imperials out there, but enough that you could taste the alcohol. Lots of pumpkin pie spice nose and flavor, but not so much that it didn't taste like an actual beer, ya know? Definitely one that I would want to drink again. The other was Heavy Seas' The Great Pumpkin. I dug this one too, but it was very different from the Ichabod. Sweeter and much more carbonated, it was a great one and done brew. A little higher in alcohol content at 8.0% ABV as well. Not my favorite pumpkin ale, but not a bad entry into the fray either.

Yup...more bullets

Because the Yankees have been crushing my soul lately. OK, it's not that bad. But it does seem like they have been playing until the wee hours of the morning every day, so I just haven't had much energy for entertaining the masses here on the Dude. So more bullets. Deal with it.

• Had dinner at this joint on Friday night. A burger spot specializing in an all-organic menu. I had The Ruby, a wild boar burger topped with pastrami, blackened maple bacon, havarti, fried bread & butter pickles, smoked apple onions and horseradish mayo. I added a fried egg, because that's how I do. It was a heavenly mess. Choked it down with a Wolaver's Organic Pumpkin Ale. Wish I had a Barburger a bit closer to home, because I can definitely see a return trip in my near future.
• Speaking of pumpkin ales, Friday was my first foray into those particular waters this year. Besides the Wolaver's, I also had a Dogfish Head Punkin and a UFO Pumpkin from Harpoon Brewery. All courtesy of a certain water-logged buddy of mine. Each one was just as delicious as the next. Oooh, and I also tried a sip of Gia's Woodchuck Pumpkin Cider. That was really tasty too. We have a pub about 5 towns over that has over 30 different pumpkin beers on tap. We may need to hit that soon as the season for this brand of ale is nearing a close.
• There are two shows on right now that are just off-the-charts good. Homeland on Showtime and Sons of Anarchy on FX. The first is only in it's second season, while Sons is in it's fifth season, I believe. Both have ratcheted up the craziness to the point where it gets uncomfortable to watch them sometimes. But in a good way. If you aren't doing so already, you should check them out.
• October is officially horror movie month for me, and I have to admit that I'm woefully behind. I think I've only watched two horror films all month long. Insidious (which was excellent) and The Bleeding House (which I re-watched with Gia who hadn't seen it).  I have been catching up with past seasons of True Blood on HBO that I've missed in the past, but that's more like campy, non-scary horror. I need some of the good stuff...so if you have any suggestions for me on Netflix or other streaming services, please leave a comment below. 
• My laptop is acting up a bit as it's a few years old now. May be time for a new one soon. That's okay. I consider them to be temporary technology anyway. I don't go top-of-the line with my laptops. I get all the functionality I need out of a basic machine. As long as I can crunch numbers in Excel and dick around a bit on the internet, I'm fine. Plus there is always the possibility of me dropping it, so I'd rather not spend too much just in case that does happen. Exciting update, eh?
• The Yankees. Ugh...
• Biggest problem with watching all the MLB playoffs that I've been watching is having to sit through all those awful commercials that are replayed incessantly. There is this one Ford commercial in particular that uses a hook from a Train song called "Drive By". I hate it with every fiber of my being. The ad men from Ford and/or the members of Train better hope they never run into me in a dark alley. I'm not saying murder would happen, but I'm not NOT saying it either.

And that's all I got right now. Until next time, mes amis. 

Fucking Bullets

I've started and deleted about 5 posts in the past few days. Just couldn't work up the energy to give y'all the insightful and humorous content that you are all accustomed to. Ahem. So instead, you get bullets. Sexy, sexy bullets. Here we go!

• Been killing it in the kitchen recently. My new favorite marinade for steak, pork or chicken is a green curry paste rub that I put together using Thai Kitchen Green Curry Paste, the juice of a couple of limes and some salt and pepper. Made some steaks with it last week and it was honestly about the best steak I've ever had. Served it with some grilled asparagus in an olive oil vinaigrette. Delicious! Grilling up some pork chops with it tonight. I'll let ya know how it turns out.
• Speaking of steaks, I'm one of those folks that doesn't cook them often enough to know exactly when to take them off the grill. Gia's sister, a fantastic chef, gave me the best ever advice for a perfectly cooked slightly-below medium steak. Three and a half minutes on each side over medium high heat/flame. Then seven minutes on a cool plate covered with foil. Came out exactly how I wanted it to come out. Finally!
• I've been digging a couple of older blues musicians lately, but I haven't found any great Youtube videos to share with y'all in this space for these gentlemen. Bill Homans aka Watermelon Slim and Charlie Musselwhite. Watermelon Slim plays some harmonica and slide guitar. Upside down lefty slide guitar, to be more accurate. He's a Vietnam Vet and long-time truck driver who got back into the recording game late in the 90's after a 26+ year layoff. And Musselwhite is a harmonica player, singer and band leader. Dan Ackroyd's character from The Blues Brothers was supposedly modeled after him. Check 'em both out if you get a chance. Good stuff.
• The Yankees have been both a pain in the ass and a delight in the past few weeks. Sure, they blew a tremendous 10-game lead over the Orioles late this year, but they've also been finding ways to win exactly when they need to win over the past few weeks. It's been a roller coaster ride, but it's been a damned fun one at that.
• The first Presidential Debate is on tonight, and I don't give a crap about it at all. In fact they should dispense with the word "debate" altogether. Not sure if I've ever seen a real debate between candidates. These things are more about focus-group approved talking points than an actual discussion. Just once I'd like to see a debate where the participants are thoughtful and actually answer the questions from the moderators and/or honestly address the comments from their opponents. Meh.
• Lies, damn lies and statistics. Speaking of political debates, let's keep track of who lies more often tonight, shall we? Both sides are fairly adept at it. But they would argue that they aren't lying. That they are using these cherry-picked half-truths to illuminate their points and agendas. Whatever, dudes. I'll let Factcheck.org clue me into the real deal tomorrow at some point. I'd say that we could make a drinking game out of it. A shot for every half-truth told by one of the candidates. I just don't think I have the tolerance for that kind of consumption.
• There is a cool craft beer and oyster festival (Malt and Mollusks) going on out east this weekend, and we are going to head out there on Saturday if the weather holds out. Which isn't a given. It's been raining pretty constantly for the past 3-4 days now. Right now, Friday looks to be the gem of the next few days. Sunny and low 70's. Maybe the beer and oyster gods can do us a solid and move that nice weather to the following day. I sure would appreciate it.
• I know that television spoilers in this day and age are just something that we have to deal with. But the number of spoilers that popped on Facebook (I'm told) and Twitter last week after that episode of Sons of Anarchy bordered on the ridiculous. We record everything and generally watch it the following night. This may be the same as shouting into the abyss, but c'mon folks....give it at least 48 hours before you start spouting off spoilers into the social media circus. Especially when it's something huge. Thank you.

That's all I got.  Have a great Hump Day!

New York City

This new video for the late Joey Ramone's "New York City" is pretty damned amazing. Thousands of stop-motion shots merged together for a great little tribute to the man and the city that he loved so much. Featuring dozens of famous and not-so-famous New Yorkers in classic leather jackets all over different neighborhoods of the city. You should check it out. It's great. And check out JoeyRamone.com for the full story on the video.

But my favorite thing about the video? The guy up there in the screenshot and appearing at the 2:56 mark looks freakishly like a certain Verdant Dude that you all know. His name is Ed Stasium and he is a record producer who worked with The Ramones. We really don't look that much alike if you see other pictures of him. His hairline has receded much more than mine and he is about 20 years older than me, but in that video? Yup...dude looks like the Dude. And I'm okay with that.

Rock on, kids!

ZOMBIE BEES!!!

This story started as as kinda cool. I mean in a "parasite that is endangering honeybees which in turn will endanger crops" kinda way.  Which is not cool at all, by the way. Not cool at all.

Then it goes on to describe the way that the parasitic flies injects eggs into the bee's abdomen. The eggs turn into maggots. The maggots eat the bees...FROM INSIDE OF THEIR BODIES!!! After the host dies, the maggots enter a pupa stage and later emerge as adult flies. I just want to vomit.

This has a fucking horror story plot written all over it. I'm officially horrified.

Source: I dunno...some Swedish website