Sunday, January 31, 2010

January 31, 2010



New Book by one of the best, Don DeLillo.
Have to get it.



Great Interview in WSJ.



Alice by Pogo. Here is a great Remix site.

Pogo is an emerging electronic music artist in Perth, Western Australia. He is known for his work recording small sounds from a single film or scene and sequencing them to form a new piece of music.

His most notable track, Alice, a composition of sounds from the Disney film ‘Alice In Wonderland’, was received with much success gaining over 4 million views on YouTube as of December 2009. Pogo has since produced tracks utilizing sounds from films like ‘Mary Poppins’, ‘Harry Potter’, ‘The Sword In The Stone’, ‘Hook’, ‘Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory’, and ‘Up’.



Bought Tax software at Best Buy, and with it you get a free DVD
up to $20. Saw Casino Royale and liked it, so follow-up
is in order.

Friday, January 29, 2010

January 29, 2010



Birthday week for me coincides with NYC Winter Restaurant week. Went to Smith and Wollensky today. The Surf and Turf was as good as ever.

Was there with three friends last night. I had mentioned Restaurant Week at work and then the next thing, it had to be done. It was great. The waiter gives us the regular menu, talks up an $89 special Cabernet and completely ignores the existence of Restaurant Week even with our obvious reaction to the Wine List. Finally, I ask for the Restaurant Week menu and magically,the special Wine List with $40 bottles appears. Hilarious. Wound up knocking down three bottles.



New book, a re-gift from my brother. Here's reviews
from Slate and NYT.



Same thing, duplicate gift turned over to me.



Richard Dawkins has a good article
on Dog Evolution.

Sunday, January 24, 2010

January 24, 2010



Football and lots of Chicken in the fridge. Therefore,
Chicken Burritos and White Chili.

The recipe for the White Chili :
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 cup chicken broth
1Red Pepper
1 large can white kidney beans (cannellini), undrained
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon cumin
2 teaspoons Chili Powder
1 teaspoon cayenne
Heat oil and saute chicken and onion 4 to 5 minutes.
Remove chicken and cover to keep warm.
Add garlic to pan and cook 2 minutes or until onions begin to brown.
Stir in spices and broth and simmer on low heat for 30 minutes.
Stir in cooked chicken and beans.
Simmer until tender. Serve garnished with Monterey Jack cheese.



I rooted for them even though I'm a Giants fan.
One thing I'm glad about is: I don't have to hear
that J E T S Jets - Jets - Jets Cheer for a while.



Real good read. His stage work was impressive.
Turned down Maggio in From Here to Eternity
to do a Tennessee Williams role. Also, played in Rhinoceros
with Zero Mostel.



The Bing Crosby book is full of good stuff like:

"The mordent—a fast wavering from one note to another and back, a fleeting undulation that suggests a mournful cry—was a vestige of the Byzantine influence that dominated European music in the Middle Ages. That influence vanished from most of Europe but endured in the plaintive folk music of Scotland and Ireland, owing to their economic and geographical isolation from the modernizing impact of the Reformation and Renaissance. A 1950s edition of Chambers's Encyclopaedia defines the mordent as a "certain oscillation or catch in the voice as it comes to rest momentarily upon a sustained sound" and goes on to qualify it as a basic attribute of "crooning." Among young Celtic singers of the twenty-first century, the mordent-heavy approach is known as sean nós, or old style, but it was new to Americans in the 1920s, when Dennis Harrigan's great-grandson pinned the mordent to popular music like a red rose."

Saturday, January 23, 2010

January 23, 2010



I still have to get Barry Ritholtz' Bailout Nation.
His Big Picture Blog is required daily reading.
I prefer this cover. His site compared covers with the following:



Library run resulted in two more books in
the queue. The recent near- collapse of the US economy
is something we all need to educate ourselves about.



Also saw this, cites a great quote about R.E. Lee at Appomattox from U.S Grant's memoir: "I felt like anything rather than rejoicing at the downfall of a foe who had fought so long and valiantly, and had suffered so much for a cause, though that cause was, I believe, one of the worst for which a people ever fought, and one for which there was the least excuse."

Author Interview is interesting.



Just got it, looks good, a big book.



I know this will be worth the time.



Swan song last night was must-see TV. This link won't last long.
Guy went out with a lot of class.



RIP Jean Simmons. I love this song. She was excellent
in Spartacus.

Friday, January 22, 2010

January 22, 2010

"
Had to wake up early today and then kill time after finishing
my chore. On the Net, this was the best of my Stumbling:
Moscow's Stray Dogs. A little poking around found the longer article.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

January 19, 2010



As predicted, Davros is history. Wild show last night.
Fire-ax to chest, wrist cut with saw and we are just getting
started. Also, an incredible beat-down of Jack Bauer by a P.O.
played by Domenick Lombardozzi,who was previously in
The Wire as Det. Thomas 'Herc' Hauk.



The NYT in late December had an article about
Academic Studies of The Dude. Since I never saw it, and I
like Bridges ,Goodman and Coen Brothers fims, I decided
to give it a try.



Received this as a Birthday present, the 3 disc collection
includes the two other Falcon films: Satan Met A Lady with
Bette Davis and the 1931 Maltese Falcon starring Ricardo
Cortez as Sam Spade and Bebe Daniels as Ruth Wonderly.



Currently on TWC Free Movies on Demand from
Turner Classic Movies. A John Sturges classic.
Only today learned that the screenplay was co-written
by James Clavell who was himself a prisoner of war in
Changi prison in Singapore.

Monday, January 18, 2010

January 18, 2010



Man, 24 Season 8 got off to a great start.
Anil Kapoor of Slumdog Millionaire is
terrific. Also, liked the new villain Davros played by
Doug Hutchinson, based on past experience, I don't think
Davros will make it to the end. Mykelti Williamson
(Bubba - Forest Gump) ,who plays the new head of CTU,
is good at playing schemers.



Time for BBQ and Beer. I prefer Shiner Bock, but they
won't license to sell in New York. Hill Country Barbecue Market
has about the best brisket I have ever eaten.

Sunday, January 17, 2010

January 17, 2010



Picked this one up. Author Interview.
You got to love a book with lines like this
one: "Artie was five-eight and slim but he had
balls the size of a pregnant Mack Truck..."



Read about this one, it should be good.



On order from the Queens Library.
They send you an e-mail when it is ready.



24 starts tonight. The only show I watch.
NY is the setting but it was mostly filmed
elsewhere.



Lots of football. Games have been unwatchable.
My team The Giants aren't in it, but Chili Dogs are
on the menu. I have , in the past, bought ready made
Chili but I wasn't impressed. Also, the sodium levels
were astronomical. Here's a quick recipe:

1/2 pound Ground Chuck
1 can Red Kidney Beans
1 can Diced Tomatoes
1/2 Jar Spaghetti Sauce
1 tsp Cayenne
1 tsp Cumin
2 tsp Chili powder
2 tsp Cocoa
1 Red Pepper
1 onion
3 cloves Garlic
9 mushrooms
1/2 cup Brandy
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tsp Lea and Perrins Worcestershire Sauce.

Saturday, January 16, 2010

January 16, 2010



Some B-Ball tonight. Grammar School
Alumni game. Won't play much, but I expect
to be the oldest player on the Court.

Today, my CYO team was down by
five starting the fourth quarter. We switched
to Man-to-man defense and outscored the other
team 24-12 for the remainder.
Sweet !



$50 Gift Certificate will be used this Monday at
Hill Country Barbecue Market.
It won't last long.
The menu has some interesting new inexpensive combos.


Smith and Wollensky is the Restaurant Week destination.
Surf and Turf was too good last year not to do again. They
also include a special wine list. A classic NY Steak House.

Friday, January 15, 2010

January 15, 2010



On TCM last night. I always watch it.



The book is The Bridge OVER the River Kwai.



Maj. Warden: I belong to a rather rum group called Force 316. Our headquarters is up in the botanical gardens.
Commander Shears: Protecting rare plants from the enemy?

Rum as British slang can mean good or strange.

Monday, January 11, 2010

January 11, 2010



Directed by Akira Kurosawa. Starring Takashi Shimura.
He was the leader of the Seven Samurai in Kurosawa's
Shichinin no samurai (1954.) He was also in Godzilla
as Dr. Kyohei Yamane.



Terrific movie. Thought-provoking and uplifting.
An eternal theme - Why is life worth living?

Saturday, January 9, 2010

January 9, 2010



Of course, I took the tree to my local
Mulchfest.



A couple of months ago, I saw In Like Flint. It
wasn't bad. This was on today and it was fun. Eco-terrorism
and world domination. Lee J. Cobb too.

James Coburn was in two of my favorite movies: The Magnificent
Seven
and The Great Escape. IMDB.com indicates that Coburn
and Steve McQueen were pallbearers at Bruce Lee's funeral.

Thursday, January 7, 2010

January 7, 2010



Man, hadn't been to an IHOP in ages. Still good.
Even qualified for the Senior discount which begins at age 55.
They were supposed to open one up in Times Square but it
fell through.

Saturday, January 2, 2010

January 2, 2010



I generally do not make resolutions, but I will attempt
to do so this year:
1. Lose 10 pounds
2. Try to save some money
3. Appreciate , appreciate, appreciate



Kids used to leave pictures they made on paper.
Now they do them on MS Paint.



My most unusual tree decoration.



Winter Restaurant week is coming. The NYC site
does not have the participating restaurants yet, but
here is a List from about.com.



The BBQ Restaurants include Blue Smoke and Wildwood.
Will also visit Hill Country with a $50 Gift Card. The Gift Card will
go fast.



A climber on Dee's wall.



From an old post, Cliff Diver at Rosa Mexicano Union Square.



Received a $25 Borders gift card. Got this
and a 1/2 price Dilbert Desk calendar. New widget
is added above right.