June 22, 2013

Bad Monkey by Carl Hiaasen was in the library so I picked it up. Seven day limit, I'll finish it today.



My Father's Day gifts included a $25 Barnes and Noble Gift Card. Scaramouche by Rafael Sabatini was purchased even though it is in the public domain.



Time Gettysburg was picked up for the upcoming 150th Anniversary. Caught a break when they only charged me $9.95.



Bought Four CDs. They were all on sale. Nilsson and Astral Weeks are fantastic.



LIC Flea is a smaller version of Smorgasburg. The food is really good. Got some sandwiches to go from the Butcher Block, excellent stuff.



The moon enters its full phase at 7:32 a.m. ET Sunday, only about a half-hour after it passes the point in its orbit nearest to Earth, which is known as perigee. As a result, this full moon will look about 14 percent wider and 30 percent brighter than it does at the farthest point in its orbit.

January 22, 2011

Watched the new version of Clash of the Titans (2010), prefer the Clash of the Titans (1981.) New version has a cameo by Bubo the mechanical owl who is replaced in the plot by Io played by Gemma Arterton. The male lead played by Sam Worthington looked familiar and later realized he was the lead in Avatar. Medusa, played in part by Natalia Vodianova, is spectacular.




Watched Zombieland and it was a lot of fun. Much better than expected.
Best line:
Little Rock: So do you have any regrets?
Bill Murray: Garfield, maybe.




On tonight, Turner Classic Movies, 6:00 p.m.: Scaramouche .

Rafael Sabatini : on his headstone his wife had written, "He was born with a gift of laughter and a sense that the world was mad", the first line of Scaramouche. This is the whole movie on Youtube, incredible. Make-up by William Tuttle , of Twilight Zone fame, the first make-up artist to receive an Oscar. Great acting by Mel Ferrer, not related to Jose or Miguel.



Championship Football coming up tomorrow, so BBQ Pulled Pork and Chili. The Pulled Pork will be East Carolina vinegar sauce and a separate pot with the leftover Guinness BBQ Sauce. Recipes below:

Chili:
1 1/2 pounds Top Round Sirloin
cut into ½ inch cubes
1 Pound Chuck Chop
1 cup flour
1 Tablespoon Black pepper
2 Tablespoons Virgin Olive Oil
10 Mushrooms
1 Green Pepper
1 Red Pepper
1 Large Onion
1 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce
1 tsp. Cumin
3 tsp. Chili Powder
1 tsp. Cayenne Pepper
2 tsp. Cocoa
7 cloves garlic
1 cup beef broth
1 cup Dark Beer
2 Bay Leaves
1 ½ tsp. Tabasco Sauce
2 tsp. Lime Juice
1 28 oz Marinara Sauce
2 (16 oz.) cans Red Pinto Beans
1 8 oz Tomato Sauce
1 16 oz Diced Tomatoes

Cut Beef into small cubes. Put cubes in Gallon Storage bag
with flour, pepper. Mix well to cover cubes completely.
Add cubes to hot oil and saute for six to seven minutes.
In a large pot add the chopped garlic, onion , mushrooms and peppers until soft. Add Sauce, broth, wine, Beer. Add cooked Beef cubes, Chuck Chop, bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cover , cook until all is tender, about two hours. Serve with Dark Beer.

East Carolina Sauce
Ingredients:
1 c Vinegar
2 tb Brown sugar
2 tb Red pepper flakes
1 ts Cayenne
1 ts Black pepper
1 ts Salt
1/2 c Water (optional)

Serious Eats Guinness BBQ Sauce :

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 1 15oz can tomato sauce
• 8 oz stout beer
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

July 10, 2009

Scaramouche, a great classic, was on Turner Classic Movies
this week. IMDB says Stewart Granger was the second best fencer
in Hollywood. The best ? Basil Rathbone. Janet Leigh is excellent
in this one as is Eleanor Parker.


Béatrice de Géa for The New York Times

NYT Blog When Brooklyn Brewed the World.



War of the Worlds 2005, saw this on DVD, worth watching for
Special Effects. Love dem horns.



Al Pacino's Looking for Richard was on Cable tonight.
Always interesting, does a nice take on Richard's oration to his Army.

What shall I say more than I have inferr'd? Remember whom you are to cope withal; A sort of vagabonds, rascals, and runaways, A scum of Bretons, and base lackey peasants, Whom their o'er-cloyed country vomits forth To desperate ventures and assured destruction. You sleeping safe, they bring to you unrest; You having lands, and blest with beauteous wives, They would restrain the one, distain the other. And who doth lead them but a paltry fellow, Long kept in Bretagne at our mother's cost? A milk-sop, one that never in his life Felt so much cold as over shoes in snow? Let's whip these stragglers o'er the seas again; Lash hence these overweening rags of France, These famish'd beggars, weary of their lives; Who, but for dreaming on this fond exploit, For want of means, poor rats, had hang'd themselves: If we be conquer'd, let men conquer us, And not these bastard Bretons; whom our fathers Have in their own land beaten, bobb'd, and thump'd, And in record, left them the heirs of shame. Shall these enjoy our lands? lie with our wives? Ravish our daughters?



Ian McKellen is my favorite Richard.