February 26, 2013

"Life is too short for a half-rack." -Mike Mills

February 23, 2013

Will be watching the Knicks rather than Oscars but should see Daniel Day Lewis pick up the Best Actor and Argo as Best Picture. I have the DVD of There will be Blood but still haven't watched it.



Minnesota Fats is an answer in today's NYT Crossword clued as "One who was very successful with numbered balls." The answer has been used previously five times with the most difficult clue being "Pool pro Rudolf Wanderone Jr." Brings back memories of The Hustler and George C. Scott screaming "You owe me Money." Tried finding the video but have to settle for a Scene by Scene breakdown of the ending.



I have an addiction to Cheez Doodles or Cheetos. I know it and I only eat them at Thanksgiving or Christmas where our tradition is to put out plenty of snacks while food is cooking. In tomorrow's NYT Magazine my craving is explained: Vanishing Caloric Density. The article is The Extraordinary Science of Addictive Junk Food by Michael Moss.

Re: Cheetos. “This,” Witherly said, “is one of the most marvelously constructed foods on the planet, in terms of pure pleasure.” He ticked off a dozen attributes of the Cheetos that make the brain say more. But the one he focused on most was the puff’s uncanny ability to melt in the mouth. “It’s called vanishing caloric density,” Witherly said. “If something melts down quickly, your brain thinks that there’s no calories in it . . . you can just keep eating it forever.”



Guacamole at Rosa Mexicano.




Flight of Beers and Ales at Heartland Brewery.

February 18, 2013

Happy President's Day !



It has been a while since I read any Fiction. The River Swimmer by Jim Harrison will be the next in line.



'Wichcraft has a nice sandwich:slow roasted cured pork shoulder, pepper relish & fontina on grilled country bread $9.87. Well, it is tasty but for almost ten bucks it is extremely light on the meat. Had a great Tomato soup with the Sandwich. Brought me back to my childhood where Soup and Sandwich were Lunch standards.

February 17, 2013

Just finished Point Blank and now I have to see the movie. Amazon had it for $6.99.



Added this one with a key Lee Marvin performance but it still didn't give me free shipping.



Argo, which I have wanted to see put me over the top for free shipping.

February 16, 2013

Bought a new car and all the new features are dazzling. SiriusXM is fantastic, I'm loving the Jazz station. Bluetooth phone features on the steering wheel are great. Good thing I'm a bit of a Techhead, the salesman couldn't get the Bluetooth up and running, so I did.



Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers' A La Mode is a revelation.



Another book on Alan Turing: Turing: Pioneer of the Information Age by B. Jack Copeland. Last year was the 100th anniversary of Turing's birth.



Just received the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition. Ms. Upton is quite beautiful. I always used to love the outraged letters cancelling the subscription after the edition. Now, SI allows you to opt out. I think they enjoy the outrage. I will have to check out the I-Pad extras.



A Biography: Lee Marvin Point Blank by Dwayne Epstein.

February 13, 2013

A lot of people recommended The Sessions, just came out on DVD.



Skyfall looked interesting. DVD time.

February 12, 2013

From 1865, the years of strain show.

February 9, 2013

A friend recommended: The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America by Erik Larson.



Newsweek's Richard III mash-up.



Nemo wasn't that bad in NYC.



Sun is out and snow is melting. I guess about 10 inches in Queens.



Icicles in the Sun.

February 5, 2013

In today's NYT Crossword: Two Years before the Mast by Richard Henry Dana, Jr. Just downloaded it from Project Gutenberg to my Nook and I-Pad. My Classics Illustrated Comic Book readings gave me an incredible exposure to many great works. I remember going to the Library to get the real thing after reading The Count of Monte Cristo Comic Book.



Another Download, saving 0ver 50% by going Digital: Jammed Up: Bad Cops, Police Misconduct, and the New York City Police Department by Robert J. Kane,Michael D. White.



GQ has an interesting interview of Harold Ramis. I had read of his feud with Bill Murray before, puzzling. Best line from the interview:

You've spent some time with the Dalai Lama. What's he like?

He's cool. He's jolly. The funny thing is that when I first met him, the Tibetans were all familiar with Groundhog Day, but they didn't understand the Dalai Lama speech in Caddyshack. They're like, "The Dalai Lama does not play golf." I said, "I know, I know. But if he did…"

The Speech:
Carl Spackler: So I jump ship in Hong Kong and make my way over to Tibet, and I get on as a looper at a course over in the Himalayas. A looper, you know, a caddy, a looper, a jock. So, I tell them I'm a pro jock, and who do you think they give me? The Dalai Lama, himself. Twelfth son of the Lama. The flowing robes, the grace, bald... striking. So, I'm on the first tee with him. I give him the driver. He hauls off and whacks one -- big hitter, the Lama -- long, into a ten-thousand foot crevice, right at the base of this glacier. And do you know what the Lama says? Gunga galunga...gunga -- gunga galunga. So we finish the eighteenth and he's gonna stiff me. And I say, "Hey, Lama, hey, how about a little something, you know, for the effort, you know." And he says, "Oh, uh, there won't be any money, but when you die, on your deathbed, you will receive total consiousness." So I got that goin' for me, which is nice.

February 3, 2013

In my travels, Southport Correctional Facility. New York's only "Super-Max" jail.



My local supermarket had a great Super Bowl special. A shirt, two great glasses and a ton of extras with a four foot hero.



I usually get Atomic wings, but a Planet wings opened nearby. They are pretty good.



The Wings are smaller but they are quite tasty.



I'll be rooting for the Ravens. East Coast and all that plus the Poe thing. Hope the Niners are saying Nevermore.

February 2, 2013

I'm not into the Super Bowl this year, but I will have Chili, Wings, Pizza and a Four Foot Hero that includes a ton of extras. Will be eating leftovers all week.



This book: Far From The Tree: Parents, Children, and the search for Identity by Andrew Solomon got good reviews and looks interesting.



Early spring according to Phil and Staten island Chuck.