Saturday, September 25, 2004

Sports Night

You know when you never watch a show regularly how the second time you see it, you see the same episode as the first time you watched it?

I had only seen Sports Night once before borrowing the DVD. The second episode I watched was the episode I've seen before. How odd.

Friday, September 24, 2004

Sniffling

I am congested
Hope I am not starting to
Come down with something

Wednesday, September 22, 2004

Strange Dreams

Last night I had a strange dream. Normally I don't remember my dreams but this one was trippy.

For some reason in the dream (lost in context), I was outdoors at a park or the beach and a seagull targeted me for poop.

Then, as I was heading home, fairly upset about having been shat on (the bird hit me on the right arm), a pigeon nailed me in the back of the head. Obviously, I was even more distraught.

Any ideas?

Monday, September 20, 2004

1991

Just browsing through my music collection and I have two conclusions:

Either 1991 was one of the best years ever in pop music, or the music we hear in our early teens ends up being our favorite music forever.

Consider the following albums, all released in 1991:

Pearl Jam - Ten
Nirvana - Nevermind
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Blood Sugar Sex Magik
Metallica - Metallica (The "Black" Album)
U2 - Achtung Baby
Soundgarden - Badmotorfinger
Guns N Roses - Use Your Illusion 1 & 2
REM - Out of Time
Tom Petty - Into the Great Wide Open
Van Halen - For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge
Michael Jackson - Dangerous


Saturday, September 18, 2004

Firefox

Get the Firefox browser and then you can subscribe to the Kitchen Fresh Blog using the RSS subscription function. Then you can see my newest ramblings and cultural insights automatically show up in your bookmarks folder!!!

(If you're that excited about this blog, then we need to have a talk.)

Trading Spouses

This is a new show on FOX but I'm sure it was a spoof on Chapelle's Show first. Episode 12, as I recall... I sure hope Dave Chapelle he gets some sort of royalties for inspiring the ideas, or at least a co-creator credit.

Bad Guys Have Beards

I didn't say that -- it was in the New York Times! Since I'm watching the Red Sox vs. the Yankees today, does that mean the Sawx are the bad guys? Just another reason why the short-haired clean shaven Yankees are the good guys. Why is that? Didn't you hear? Everything in the New York Times is true.

By the way, this is the second time in about a month that I've read an article in the Fashion section of the New York Times. The first was about how thongs are going out of style (darn!).

NFL Week 2

Last Week/Season: 5-9-2

Hopefully I'll do better this week. Can I do any worse? I won't be picking the divisions like I expected originally. Live with it.

Redskins (-3) GIANTS *I think the Giants are pretty bad.*
Jets (-3) CHARGERS *Dangerous game for the Jets*
Broncos (-3) JAGUARS *Wasn't sure how to pick this one*
Steelers (+4) RAVENS *Ditto above*
LIONS (-3) Texans *Houston lost to San Diego!*
TITANS (-1) Colts *Yes, I think Indy starts 0-2*
PACKERS (-8.5) Bears *Seems like a big spread*
SAINTS (-7) 49ers *Who's the 49ers QB?*
FALCONS (-2.5) Rams *Rams on the decline*
CHIEFS (-6) Panthers *No Davis makes this pretty certain*
Seahawks (-3) BUCCANEERS *Bucs on the decline*
COWBOYS (-4.5) Browns *Vinny out guns Garcia this week*
CARDINALS (+8) Patriots *8 points is a lot! NE always wins close ones*
RAIDERS (3.5) Bills *Wasn't sure how to pick this one*
BENGALS (-5) Dolphins *Unless Palmer throws a ton of INTs*
Vikings (+3) EAGLES *The Eagles are overrated*

Thursday, September 16, 2004

Who's the man?

I typed that into Google hoping to find an answer but the first link I got was for a movie with that title.

If we're talking Jeopardy, then the man is Ken Jennings. He really is quite good at the whole Jeopardy thing. But I wonder what his employer thinks about all this. Hasn't he taken a few too many days off of work?

Not to mention, do you think his amazing ability at Jeopardy affects the show’s ability to recruit new contestants? If I wanted to be on the show, I'd sure make sure that I waited for him to lose before trying out.

Money

It's become apparent that the US Treasury is trying to trick foreigners with our money.

Let's see... we have three different kind of $20 bills, two types of $10's and $5's, then what will eventually be 51 different types of quarters in circulation. Then, don't forget the three $1 options (one bill and two coins, an obscure coin which looks exactly like a quarter and another which nobody believes is legitimate currency). So now what? How about two new nickels to add to the one we already have! Sounds like a good plan!

May I please have some Euros?

The Ramones

Sad news as Johnny Ramone passed away last night.

When I first heard about it, I thought, "Wow, it's sad that all those brothers died so recently." Then I read the entire article and found out that they weren't related, and I felt a bit stupid.

Later in the day, I mentioned this fact to a friend of mine. This friend didn't know they were not related or that he had died. I said, "I had always assumed they were brothers too!" So I felt better. Until the friend reminded me that "assume makes an ass out of you and me."

I feel like I should have seen that one coming.

Wednesday, September 15, 2004

I Feel Like...

...tearing my hair out!

Everyone around me is starting to use the phrase, "I feel like..." to start their sentences. It's sort of like the new "like."

In the words of Charlie Brown, "Good Grief!"

Hurricane Coverage

Watching CNN, they stuck their morning anchor, Bill Hemmer in the middle of the hurricane. No doubt that the rest of the news channels are doing the same thing.

Do we really need a news person in the middle of the storm for us to believe how bad it is? I've always found this to be amusing. What is the reporter going to say? "Well, Sean, we've been out here in the middle of the storm, and it's really not that bad!" Or perhaps the other extreme, "Damn! It really IS raining here!!! I never thought the wind would be like this!"

Come on! Poor Dan Rather was out in the middle of one of the other hurricanes this year. He's 73! He's interviewed Saddam Hussein! Now he's stuck in a wind and rain storm? At this point shouldn't he be able to just do the cushy stuff?

Monday, September 13, 2004

Taxi Front Seat

Ever notice how the front seat (shotgun seat) of a taxi is a non-conversational position? In a group of 3-4 people the person sitting in the front has been placed in the penalty box. First, they're required to twist around in order to participate in any conversation with the rest of the group. Usually, there's a plastic partition, making it practically impossible. Most cab drivers hate it when someone sits up front, and they are forced to move some of their junk out of the way. The only benefit to the position is when the cab driver gets completely lost this person can get everyone back on track.

Sunday, September 12, 2004

Going out

Ever notice if you go out with a big group, you need people to fill certain roles?

For example, every group needs a:

Idea Man/Woman
This is the person who says, "Why don't we go to..."

Let's Go Guy/Girl

The other crucial component to going out in a group, this person mobilizes the group. "It's time to go to..." This person can be the same as the Idea Man, but not necessarily. Typically this role is filled by a tall or at least very recognizable person. It may be their role later in the night to mobilize the group again.

Then, there are some less essential roles:

Whatever You're Doing Dude/Dudette

Fairly obvious -- "Where are you going?" "Whatever you're doing." This person is the right hand man to Let's Go Guy. If a group has multiple "Whatever You're Doing Dudes" it's beneficial since the group mobilizes much more quickly.

Meet You There Chick/Guy
There's always some person who "will meet you there." Usually a woman, this person doesn't always make it to the final destination. But they'll say they will. Also known as, "Call Me When You Get There Chick/Guy."

Gotta Go To The ATM Man/Woman
Inevitably, one person will not have enough money before the plan set forth by Idea Guy/Girl is put in motion.

Camera Guy/Girl

Someone is bound to have a camera and will try to capture embarrassing moments.

Finally, there's:

Tagalong
The person nobody wants around but nobody had the heart to tell them.

Saturday, September 11, 2004

A Superman Moment

Yes, I'm actually comparing myself to the Man of Steel.

Sitting in the library, I'm hearing some high pitched noise of unknown origin. It might be from a computer but it's really whirring loudly. No matter the source, I feel like Superman when Lex Luthor tries to contact him in Superman IV with that high pitched sound only Superman and the dogs can hear. The noise is driving me batty.

I could have likened it to a dog around a dog whistle but I thought it sounded cooler if it was called a "Superman" moment.

9/11

All I have to say is that I still get a lump in my throat when I think about it or see any tv footage from that day. Poor people.

NFL Week 1

Week 1 Picks (home team in caps)

DOLPHINS (+3) vs Titans
EAGLES (-9) vs Giants
JETS (-4.5) vs Bengals
STEELERS (-4) vs Raiders
Buccaneers (+2) vs REDSKINS
Ravens (+3) vs BROWNS
JAGUARS (-3) vs Bills
Lions (+3) vs BEARS
Seahawks (-3) vs SAINTS
RAMS (-11) vs Cardinals
TEXANS (-4.5) vs Chargers
VIKINGS (-4.5) vs Cowboys
Falcons (-3.5) vs 49ERS
Chiefs (+3) vs BRONCOS
PANTHERS (-3) vs Packers

Thursday, September 09, 2004

Hurricanes

Wow. Three hurricanes in the span of almost a month in Florida! I can't remember anything like that. Makes me wonder if we really do need the "life saving" capabilities of Weatherbug.

Also, makes me think that calling the University of Miami teams the "Hurricanes" isn't such a good idea. Sure, it's a cool name, and implies destruction without annoying any specific ethnic groups (tomahawk chop, anyone?), but also sort of makes light of some sort of potentially horrible event. That's why I think all sports teams should be named after articles of clothing, like the New York Knickerbockers.

Wednesday, September 08, 2004

Maybe I'm just immature...

But reading this statement gave me a chuckle:

"Travis is the starting running back," Mularkey said. "If he needs a blow, Willis is there in the wings and, hopefully, there's not a dropoff in level of play."

The full story:
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=1877627

Stop raining!

I was supposed to go to the Yankees game today.

The tickets were from a rainout versus the Angels. It turns out they played the whole game, but because of extensive delays we got free tickets to a future game. I picked this one.

Then yesterday, MLB and the Yankees announced that they would play a single admission doubleheader! Two games for the price of one! Super!

Except... As any junior meteorologist might know, Hurricane Frances was in Florida on Sunday. These storms move up the coast and take, maybe 3 days to get around the NY area? Perfect timing. Maybe it would have been wise to consult the weather forecast and put the games on Tuesday (when it was completely clear). Now it's pouring rain here, and likely I will miss a Yankees game AGAIN because of rain. To boot, I get to miss TWO games, despite the fact that I was only planning on going to one.

First NFL Pick

Guaranteed:

Patriots are 3 point favorites over Indy. They're hosting Indy and it's the opener. Pats beat the spread and the Colts. Manning can't solve the Bellichek scheme.

More picks to come Saturday, including the standings.

Texans for Truth

Just starting to realize that part of the reason why so many of my posts reflect on politics is because politics is so amusing to me.

Case in point: "Texans for Truth" have started posting ads questioning the President's military service record. Sound familiar? I love it.

Fortunately, the ridiculousness that is the Texans for Truth has been overshadowed by even greater absurdity - the notion Dick Cheney presented that we would be more vulnerable to terrorists under John Kerry. That we would revert to "pre-9/11 conditions" if we eleceted Kerry. Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't Cheney part of the "pre-9/11 conditions" as both Secretary of Defense under Bush 41 and also as VP under Bush 43? So is his point we can either vote for someone who will bring us back to "pre-9/11 conditions" or someone who helped to establish those "pre-9/11 conditions" in the first place??

I think I have used the term "9/11" more in this post than in any other post on this blog.

Nuts 4 Nuts

Speaking of funny things, I just rememebered something I saw the other day.

I was walking down the street and this guy who works the Nuts 4 Nuts cart was holding something in his hand while his friend was doing some sort of sewing motion on it. In fact, the Nuts 4 Nuts guy was holding a pigeon. I didn't want to know what his friend was doing. Rest assured, I will not be eating from Nuts 4 Nuts any time soon.

The KFB

The Kitchen Fresh Blog isn't generating the sort of hit count that I'd expected. Now it's sliding in the google search charts too. This leads to a theory:

A) It's not that entertaining.

B-1) I don't have enough friends.
B-2) I don't have enough friends reading the blog.

Or maybe it's all three. I think B-1 is invalid, but the problem is I don't want to subject my buddies to my complaining (leading to B-2). So I have to work on "A" and increase the entertainment value to this thing.

Plan A
I will be funnier

Plan B
I will force funnier things to happen to me

Yankees Phone Line

I'm on hold with the Yankees ticket office. I really like the Yankees but I'm half awake right now and all I want to know is if my game tickets are good for today's scheduled doubleheader (and it's pouring rain right now).

While on hold, instead of playing dopey music, the Yankees play Yankees radio highlights. Do I really need to hear this? Ugh. It's like propaganda. Some of these are Bubba Crosby highlights! Bubba Crosby! Give me a break. Bring back the lame elevator music.

Monday, September 06, 2004

Fantasy Football

I'm awful at Fantasy Football, however it's a great procrastination device.

Here is my team. In parentheses is the number of players at each position that we are starting.

QB (1) Marc Bulger, Byron Leftwich
RB (2) Rudi Johnson, Stephen Davis, Curtis Martin, Eddie George
WR (3) Darrell Jackson, Plaxico Burress, Donald Driver, Drew Bennett
TE (1) Anthony Becht
K (1) Olindo Mare
DEF (1) Buffalo, Denver

I think this team is okay but I'm not in love with it.

Saturday, September 04, 2004

US Open


View from Ashe Stadium at the US Open

Read the sign


Seriously...

Stupid things

One stupid thing I did and one stupid thing someone else did.

Mine: I tipped a cab driver $1.20 on a $14 ride. Just because I was a little tipsy doesn't excuse it.

Someone else's: Kevin Brown broke his hand punching a wall. Hey KB! The Yankees need you. I NEED YOU. You're on my fantasy team that's barely holding on to first place (just like the Yankees). I WANT TO WIN. Guess what? When you punch a wall, the wall usually wins.

Thursday, September 02, 2004

Selling out

I just sold out and signed up for Google AdSense.

I hope I can make a few pennies (literally, it will be a few pennies) from this program.

It should be interesting, seeing as my site will probably get a ton of ads for the Republicans, the RNC and the Red Sox.

Yep. It's slow tonight.

Kobe

Well, the prosecution dropped the case against Kobe Bryant so looks like he gets to walk away with just a little blemish. The funny thing is that because he was accused of an assault, he had to admit to adultery. If he had kept a lid on it, he wouldn't have even had to admit adultery since the prosecution would have never been able to meet the burden of proof.

This sort of reminds me of Ray Lewis's murder trial where he took a plea to testify against his friends, who, despite his testimony, walked away free, while he had to pay some fine.

RNC 4

Okay... the Republicans are showing a cheesy video about W during this convention coverage. Did the Democrats do something like this and I just missed it? Ugh. This stuff is awful.

Addendum to Zell Miller comments in Post #3. This link is fairly intersting, trying to compare Miller "then" and "now". What's weird about it is how Zell Miller is shown condemning President Bush, but it's President Bush I, not Bush II.

Back on Tuesday, Arnold said, "...one of my movies was called "True Lies." It's what the Democrats should have called their convention." What does that mean? Didn't he mean that they should have called their convention "Lies"? Were the Democrats telling lies that were true? That doesn't even make sense. I hope Arnold keeps dropping his catch phrases and movie puns into his speeches. It makes him amusing, even if the puns don't make sense.

On a lighter note, wouldn't it be great if a candidate at one of these conventions said,

"Mr. Chairman, delegates, guests, I have no intention of running for President of the United States. You all have said a lot of nice things about me all week, but I've decided that the job just isn't worth it. The pay isn't hot, and even though there are great security benefits, I think I'd rather be at home watching a ballgame."

Fall TV

I am so desperate to find things to blog that I will post the tv shows I plan on following this season. In addition, I will tease my first annual football picks by saying that my intention is to be more accurate than those "experts" despite using the same methods (guessing).

So here goes:

M-Thurs 11pm - The Daily Show
Tues 8:30pm - Scrubs
Wed 8pm - Smallville
Thurs 9pm - The Apprentice
Sun 10:30am - Meet the Press
Sun 8pm - The Simpsons

I've already missed the first episode of Scrubs. Damn! I wonder if it'll be re-run sometime soon. I think I'm all Law & Order'd out...

sold

Some guy sold 4000 shares of my blog two weeks ago. But who's buying? At $19 a share? I wouldn't pay three cents to read this thing and I hate pennies.

You know it's slow when you start linking to your own old posts...

RNC 3

That Senator Zell Miller is sure an angry fellow. If I were John Kerry, after the election, I think the first place I would go in Washington DC is to Zell Miller's office where I would immediately beat the piss out of him. It's probably appropriate win or lose. Just a good, solid, old-fashioned brow-beating.

The DNC speeches are available as "Audiobooks" on iTunes. As far as I can tell, the RNC speeches are not currently available, but since the speeches were produced by CSPAN, I can only imagine they will be there too.

Here's a question for you: Who screwed up more in August? John Kerry, The Yankees or the USA Men's Basketball team? Feel free to discuss.

Wednesday, September 01, 2004

What time is it?

I have to be somewhere at 9am. When I woke up this morning, I looked over at the clock and said, "Crap! 8:30!" So I hopped out of bed with that little "oh no, I'll be completely late" rush of energy and looked over at the clock.

8:03.

Sunday, August 29, 2004

AdSense

Can these ramblings actually earn me money?

Can my 2 hits per week actually mean anything?

Should I sell out?

RNC 2

Just a thought here... With the Republicans in town, it seems that one of the most sensitive issues is the Iraq War. But if Kerry becomes President, it's not a given that we would be out of Iraq. While I suppose for many, that's better than the alternative, I wonder what happens if Kerry wins it and we still have soldiers in Iraq a few years from now.

Saturday, August 28, 2004

RNC (First of many RNC Posts)

Yay! The RNC is coming to New York City! Just two days away from starting. Looks like they've already begun to round up the riff-raff.

This is going to be a disaster. Hopefully writing the dissenting portion of this post in small text will prevent John Ashcroft and the Justice Department from arresting me.


Blog Shares

Hmm. My blog is worth $0.20 per share and I don't own any of the shares. I don't understand finance. Now I have to try and figure out the fictional blog stock market? The strange thing is, a second link says the kitchen fresh blog is worth $19 per share. Exactly when do I see a piece of the action? That's all I want to know.

The View from the New Place


The 'net is up and running. Let the good times roll!!!

Thursday, August 26, 2004

Neglect

My new place doesn't have internet yet. So the blog is neglected. Go figure. I'm guessing next Monday at the earliest for the next true update...

Sunday, August 22, 2004

FSN

Hey Fox Sports Net! Are you kidding me? Why are you ripping off so many ESPN shows? First, you steal Max Kellerman from ESPN and then put him on a show that is identical to ESPN's Around the Horn. Now, you have Summer Sanders hosting "The Sports List" which appears to be identical to ESPN's Top 25 Shows. And to boot, it's a LIST show! Aren't there enough of those already??

Give me a break!

Saturday, August 21, 2004

100

Well, the Kitchen Fresh Blog has served up one hundred posts.

For anyone keeping score, it's dropped down to 7th on a google search. Will it drop faster than google's stock?

Friday, August 20, 2004

Moving

Got to move again
Packing is a total pain
I have so much crap

Thursday, August 19, 2004

Good, Bad, Ugly

Good: The Nike "you're faster than you think" commercials.

Bad: The Benefactor. This looks awful. I sort of like Mark Cuban too.

Ugly: My performances in Madden recently. First half - 19 yds passing, 2 INTs.

Monday, August 16, 2004

Madden vs. Blog

It appears that the more and more I play Madden NFL 2005 for PS2, the less and less I write posts for this blog.

Hmm.

Saturday, August 14, 2004

Olympics

I won't be watching much of the Olympics, but of course, I'll be rooting for the good ol' USA. The other day, I realized that rooting for the USA is like rooting for the Yankees. Do the Yankees have more resources than the other baseball teams? Do they win often because they can spend more? You bet. So does the United States!

Therefore, since rooting for the Yankees in baseball is like rooting for USA in the Olympics, then it is actually unamerican to not root for the Yankees (especially if you're for the Reds or Red Sox!!)

So root for the Yankees. Otherwise you're rooting against America.

Stupid hippies.

Thursday, August 12, 2004

GMail 2

A brief conversation with a link to a Bill Simmons ESPN Page 2 article and a reference to studying produced the following links on GMail:

Gospel Light
God's Word for a Kid's World! Tools for Sunday School Teachers
www.gospellight.com

ChildrensMinistry.com
Tons of free tips, ideas, and resources for Children's Ministry.
www.childrensministry.com


Exploring Easter
The story, message and meaning of Easter, then and now
www.explorefaith.org

I guess that's why it's still Beta.

YANKEES!!!

Monday, August 09, 2004

NFL

Nothing like the first NFL "game" of the season (tonight's exhibition Hall of Fame game) and the impending release of Madden 2005 (Aug 12) to start all the football talk this week.

Too bad NFL coverage boils down to the world's worst hype machine. The NFL is really similar to politics. Too many pundits/experts/analysts and too much time before the main events. Too much exaggeration. Too much of people using yelling as a method of trying to get their point across.

The season doesn't start for a month. Let's calm down a little bit. At least let's wait for the preseason injuries to happen before Sportscenter declares things like, "the NFC East will be the most competitive division in football" (clearly wrong, it's either the NFC South or the AFC North, depending on your definition of competitive).

Sunday, August 08, 2004

Context-Based ads

I noticed that the top of the blog has context based ads, sort of like google or gmail.

Because of some recent haiku about the Yankees/Sox games a few weeks back and a posting about the Sox, it seems that this blog generates blogspot ads at the top including a link to "Red Sox Blogs."

Now, I need to clear this up. There's already a link to the Yankees' website on the sidebar but that doesn't seem to do it. As far as I know, the only way to do this is by making a post that clearly states that I LIKE THE YANKEES. THE NEW YORK YANKEES. THIS BLOG IS BEING WRITTEN BY A YANKEES FAN. BIGGEST PAYROLL IN BASEBALL AND PROUD OF IT. 26 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS. IT IS HIGH, IT IS FAR, IT IS GONE. THEEEEEEEE YANKEES WIN! THEEEEEEEE YANKEES WIN!

Let's see how this works...

Saturday, August 07, 2004

Swollen

The worst thing about having a swollen mouth is all these darn commercials for food. I could really go for some nachos or pizza right about now, but I can't chew.

Friday, August 06, 2004

Teeth

Wisdom teeth out soon
I hope it does not hurt much
I do not like pain

Thursday, August 05, 2004

8

is the most White Castle burgers I can eat in one sitting. That's 8 too many.

Somehow in the last two nights I've rode Metro North for free. They just didn't check any tickets.

Wednesday, August 04, 2004

One More

One more post to complete a set of three for the morning.

At the seventh inning stretch of every Yankee game they play "God Bless America" in honor of troops serving in the military.

As the music is played, the lyrics are posted on the jumbo screen.

"Thru the night with a light from above"

We can't write out the word as "through"? I felt like I was reading a teenager's IM conversation. What scares me is the implication that the fans would more likely sing the correct word if it's "thru" instead of "through" (th-ruff?).

Blogman: gtg. cya l8r.

Gmail

Gmail is google's email service and it places ads based on the context of your messages. So, for example, if you get an email about an ipod gadget (I know, it seems like a stretch) then the ads on the right might say "Cheap iPods" or "Free iTunes."

Every once in a while, the ads are way off. Case in point.

My recent emails subject "at least he's not a knick" referring to the probable Antoine Walker trade to Atlanta and also another article from the NY Times where I complain about Jamal Crawford going to the Knicks. In the end, the conversation spanned 3 emails and about 4 sentences.

Here are the links I got:
Afraid of the truth
Noam Chomsky meet-up day
Noam Chomsky

At least we see why gmail is still in "beta." I think someone ought to check the code on the ad-bot.

2 Shows

I just recently saw two shows on television that really perplex me.

Cold Pizza on ESPN2 has to be the strangest show ever. Who's watching this thing? It's some weird hybrid of all different types of morning shows and the E! channel. But it seems to me that anyone wanting a "typical" morning show would watch Today, anyone who wants sports would watch Sportscenter and anyone who wants wisecracking disc jockeys would listen to the radio. Then there's also the "real" news and business crowds. Is this supposed to target women? Aside from WNBA fans, I don't think any women can even find ESPN2 on the dial (just like I can't find Lifetime or Oxygen).

Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn (Comedy Central) is also bizarre. Hmm. Let's watch comedians discuss politics! Oh, did I mention that the comedians are not funny and relatively uninformed? It's like Bill Maher light (and he's a dope too). Colin Quinn was good in Jerry Seinfeld's movie Comedian but I think his career peaked out as salty characters on SNL.

Tuesday, August 03, 2004

Random

If you have a half-brother, is his wife your half-sister-in-law? Also if your father has a half-brother is that man's son your half-cousin? Same question for step siblings.

I was at the Yankee game today (sadly, they got creamed) and they wouldn't let men with small bags enter, but women with huge purses had no problem. Why can't a guy with a little bag call it a purse? I'm not advocating guys to be carrying purses, but why can't a guy have a purse? It's a guy's purse. What's the problem? (I'm certain that if a big enough guy tried to bring his "purse" into the stadium there would be no problem)

Sunday, August 01, 2004

Thursday, July 29, 2004

Newport Ninjas

Two weeks ago, I found myself in Newport RI visiting for the Tall Ships festival and also the Black Ships Festival. One of my college pals came along with me to explore the town.

The Black Ships Festival caught our eye because of this listing we found on the internet:

Ninja Demonstration 2:30PM
R.I. Ninjutsu Center will demonstrate this secretive form of martial arts that has lasted more than 900 years.

Ninjas! Real, living, breathing ninjas! In NEW ENGLAND, no less! We arrived in Newport at 2pm with plenty of time to see the ninjas use their ninja magic and silent stalking skills.

Upon arrival at the festival we noticed that the only Japanese people at the park were serving sushi. This foreshadowed the remainder of the day. There were no ninjas to be found. Around 3pm, an akido group came out. We thought that could be cool until six white guys with swords arrived. One looked like Ron Jeremy, another looked like a real-life version of the Simpsons' Comic Book Guy. They twirled their swords around a little and demonstrated (for about 15 mins) the samurai suicide ritual. We left, unimpressed, and ninja-less.

Clubbing in NYC

Against my better judgment, I'm going to try and tell this story on my blog. My friend, Data, the other major participant in the events suggested that it would make for good blog material, especially considering that it was a "genuine NYC clubbing experience."

I'll use initials and nicknames so that people can be mildly incriminated. I just found out that Data has his own blog where he posts stories that other people write. You don't have permission to use this one! Write it yourself! You were there!

So here goes. I want to complete this before Friday so that I don't have to tell the story in haiku.

It was a cool July Saturday evening. I had just come from a dinner in Brooklyn where I lost five [hundred] dollars playing poker, and I really hate to lose. Not only that, I lost my money by about the third hand. We were playing in a huge group of 12 people, I hadn't played in a while, and my results were poor. Data informed me that another friend of ours, TK, had a group of people out in downtown Manhattan and we should join them.

After trying to find the right bar, we found the location in SoHo, a club whose exterior showed a different name than the club name (that means it's really cool). There was a hostess outside, with two huge guys and one smaller guy wearing a beret and blazer. We approached the door and were informed that the club was "only accepting reservations" at the moment. In case you're new to the NYC club scene, "reservations" is a code word for saying that they are discriminating against men. Except that they can't say discrminiate, so instead it's "reservations."

So we didn't have a reservation. Neither did our friend, TK. We gave his name but we just received a blank look in return. We then found out TK's group hadn't arrived yet. Data suggested we recruit a group of women to help us enter the club, then meet the others inside once they arrived. After a rock/paper/scissors game, it was determined that he would have to recruit. It was the only thing I would win all night.

(As a side note, Data kept protesting, "I can't talk to these women, I have a girlfriend." To which I responded, "You at least have success with women. My lack of success in the girlfriend department is a clear indicator as to why you should talk to these women.")

Two women rode up in a cab. It was probably about 1am or so at this point. Data approached them and told a brief version of our story: we had to meet our friends inside and if they helped us in, we could buy them drinks. The women agreed, but first we had to wait for their friends. Seemed reasonable enough.

At about the same time, two events happened:

1) TK's crew arrived. This was a coed group of about 7 men and 5 women. Data knew more of them than I did, but still, I knew 3-4 people in the group.

2) Four more women arrived to join the two who Data had spoken with and made the agreement.

So in sum, there were 9 men (Data, me, and 7 from the TK group) and 11 women (5 from the TK group and 6 that Data recruited). Not a bad ratio, assuming we are gunning for a 1:1 type situation.

The hostess let in the 11 women and counted them. Then the guys started filtering in. After 6 guys got in, she said, "That's good enough, I can't let anyone else in." Three guys were on the wrong side of the line, including me, Data and one other guy, "Bachelor #3."

Someone in our party (looked like Lex Luthor) asked me, "Are you part of our group?" to which I responded, "Of course." Then after trying to negotiate with the hostess a little, he leaned in to tell her something. I presumed, he was suggesting that she let us in for a financial transaction. But she only let in bachelor #3. Then she told me and Data that we still had to wait. Of course, the question was, "Wait for what?"

Time passed. Many women entered the joint, some left, and some mixed groups entered. Data and I tried to get in a few more times, attaching ourselves to other groups of women in exchange for offers of drinks. After a while, I had to wonder why this particular place was so good. I've never tried that hard to enter any place before, so this was just frustrating.

Probably around an hour later, three of the members of the group stopped outside to see if they could try again to convince the hostess to let us in. One member stepped outside and chatted with us for a bit. But it was no use.

After a few of our failed attempts, Data said to me, "Are you going to blog this?" I responded, "No."

Data then asked, "If our friend, VS was here, he'd be able to get in." This was true. VS would have gotten in, I think.

Now, ninety minutes after we had arrived and tried to get in, I asked the hostess why she couldn't just let me and Data in. The crux of my point was that I know their "policy" and that was fine with me, but I just wanted to socialize with the rest of my group (now inside). She said, "That [Lex Luthor-looking] guy told me that you two weren't part of the party."

I still have scratches on my chin from when my jaw hit the pavement. Running through my head was the thought, That SOB stabbed us in the back! I pulled the knife out of my back as the Wolverine berzerker rage built up in my head. Not part of the group?! Data had recruited those women (whom without, Luthor would have never entered in the first place!) and now we were standing around desperately trying to get into this scummy bar/club.

As the steam emerged from my ears, I looked at Data and asked him what he wanted to do. Frankly, at this point in time, the story is very hazy in my mind. According to Data's account of the events, my eyes turned bloodshot. I don't believe him. I uttered a number of expletives over the course of the conversation and several revenge scenarios (all unrealistic) cruised through my mind. I thought I could take out the skinny guy with the beret (what was his job?) but the two big guys could crush me with a pinky. I wanted to throw something through the window, but figured I wouldn't be able to run away. Several other possibilities rushed through my mind, but most of them are not fit for the blog.

So does this post have a happy ending? (It was certainly a long and frustrating night.) Did we ever get into the club? Did Data or I ever get the chance to ask Luthor why he stabbed us in the back? Did any of our friends come out to find us?

No, no, no and no.

Data and I went home. It was about 2:45am and pretty much at this point, women weren't heading out to any more clubs, it was mostly drunk guys, so we didn't have a prayer of getting in. We never saw Luthor the rest of the evening and our friends had just assumed we left after not getting in the first time. That's pretty much the end of the story and that's the end of the longest post to date on the Kitchen Fresh Blog.

I am not an angry person, and in the end, only two things really bug me. The first is just missing out on the opportunity to hang out with some friends, and the second is being stabbed in the back by that bald and skinny jack@$$. Hopefully the rules of karma dictate that he will soon learn the harsh pain of betrayal.

END

More aquarium action


Random aquarium shot. Some of these photos actually seem like I'm underwater, if not for the reflections off the glass... Look. It was the last frickin' trip I took with the camera and I like the photos. Sue me.

Monday, July 26, 2004

Bill Clinton... So Smooth...

Damn.

I like to think that I can hear both sides of an issue, that I don't accept everything I hear. But earlier tonight Bill Clinton was talking and he could have said pretty much anything ("You don't need oxygen to breathe", "I invented the light bulb") and I would have believed him. Why? Why? He is just a great showman, I guess. No wonder I was able to believe him when he said (paraphrased), "I had a sexual encounter in the Oval Office with an intern. How about those Bosnians?"

Also, I found it somewhat amusing that a Democrat was against a proposed reduction in police officers. Aren't the Republicans the anti-crime party (whereas the Democrats are the pro-crime party)?

"Strength and wisdom are not conflicting values..." Good line, good job to whoever wrote that one.

Shove It

I'll probably vote for Kerry in the election in November.

In my opinion, the Republicans have a better PR machine than the Democrats (ironic because the media is so "liberal"). So we'll see how the convention (starting today) turns out. In the meantime it appears that Teresa Heinz Kerry told a reporter to "shove it", and of course, this has generated a lot of buzz.

***begin rant***
I don't really see what the big deal is here. After all, didn't Dick Cheney tell a Senator to have sex with himself?
***begin sarcasm***
Frankly, I think that if Mrs. Kerry wants to tell someone to "shove it", it makes her seem more human. When the Vice President told his colleague off, just because it wasn't an example of professionalism, it didn't matter. He seemed more down to earth and that's what counts. When I get frustrated and want to tell someone off, I just do it. He's just like me. Mrs. Kerry has sure earned points in my book. If only Laura Bush would do that -- then she wouldn't seem like such a right-wing-family-values robot. (I swear, I think she's a robot!)
***end sarcasm***
***end rant***

Sunday, July 25, 2004

Not to be a rude, but....

Last early AM anecdote:

The other day I was in a buffet line and someone cut in front and said, "Not to be rude, but I'm just going to take some whipped cream."

That didn't make it any less rude.

Pretty funny phrase, huh? In other words,

"Not to be X (but I will be regardless of what you think, whether you care or not, and it's very obvious that I'm aware of my deviant behavior)."

Common uses: Not to be a pain, not to be a jerk, not to be rude...

Second Time Around

I can't sleep. Here is another intersting observation:


I used to believe that two rules were true when watching TV and movies.

1) While turning on the TV and flipping to a show that you hardly watch, the first and second times you ever see the show, you see the same episode.

-- I don't know why this is true but it happens a lot! I think I always see the same six episodes of "Friends," for example.

2) The second time you see a bad movie, it is actually much better.

-- I thought this was because of the "law of lowered expectations" but my brother brought up a great exception to this rule: Batman & Robin

Baseball Fights

Baseball fights are the best of all the pro sports fights.

First off, in the NFL there are hardly ever fights. The players collide with each other on every play and are wearing a ton of pads. NFL fights are lame because the players are essentially fighting on every play, shoving each other back and forth. Then if a TRUE fight ensues, they're swinging but with all the padding on.

The NHL has official fights. The fights are part of the game. Official = lame.

In the NBA, which has grown more and more physical, there are often punches thrown and benches cleared, but the problem is there's only 12 guys per team. Since the bench can't leave under the threat of suspension, that means most NBA fights are five on five. Sure, we get the occasional Jeff Van Gundy hanging on Alonzo Mourning's leg type stuff, or PJ Brown throwing Charlie Ward to the ground but these fights aren't as good as baseball fights because...

In Major League Baseball, some 50+ players and coaches get involved in the skirmishes. Usually these are started by a beanball (just like yesterday's fight between the Red Sox and Yankees). As the batter or pitcher makes some heated comments or tries to stare down the other, the players from both dugouts inch out towards the action, like two rival gangs. The benches clear, and all hell breaks loose. A big pile in the middle of the field, made bigger by the two bullpens clearing out and reenfcrcements for each team charge into the melee, like the USA on D-Day into France. Then, the players actually fight. Punches with intent are thrown. Grappling ensues. The umpires, along with a few coaches try to separate things, but they are usually overmatched by the large pile of millionaires.

In addition, you can usually do all the great lip reading before the fight begins - "F--- You!" a player shouts, throwing aside his bat and helmet, just wanting fisticuffs. Baseball fights... nothing else like them.

Saturday, July 24, 2004

Continuing...

Continuing with the sports theme of the last few days... (have I read too much of the Sports Guy recently?)

ESPN.com reports that 'Toine wants to come to the Knicks!

Well, the Kitchen Fresh Blog reports that Knick fans don't want him! If he couldn't handle the pressure in Boston, he's going to hate it in New York.

To the Red Sox players

(In particular, Johnny Damon, Pedro Martinez, Kevin Millar and Manny Ramirez)


Look. Your desire to showcase individuality in hairstyles is kind of cool (in a "stick it to the man" sort of way) but we are in the year 2004. I'm no fashion guru, but let me introduce you to a device that man has developed with the amazing power to trim hair (see photo). In these trying times, some people, if you can believe it, make a living just cutting hair, and individuals are willing to pay upwards of $100 to have their hair(s) cut by these "barbers" or "hair stylists."

At the very least, invest $30-40 dollars in one of these things (we like to call them "clippers") and get your hair cut say, every six weeks. You might not win the wild card, or even the AL East this year, but at least when your contract ends, you may get the chance to sign with the Yankees. (Steinbrenner doesn't like the long, flowing locks.)


Links

I'm trying very hard to add hyperlinks to everything but it's just not going to happen. Waaaay too much effort. If I remember to link interesting stuff, I will, otherwise the tens of you reading this will just have to suffer.

Why I love the FAN

The sports leader!

Reason #4032 - A caller just suggested that the Mets would be better off if they traded for Miguel Cairo and Tony Clark. They would only have to give up Mike Piazza.

Friday, July 23, 2004

5.1 IP, 10 H, 7 ER, 3K, 2 BB

Before the game, I
Did not think I'd see the Yanks
Beat up on Schilling

Schilling

Tonight the Yanks play
In Boston versus the Sox
Curt Schilling will pitch

I do not like him
Since he won MVP in
The World Series

It is hard to watch
When he shuts down the Yankees
Hope they win tonight

Sliding door - my nemesis!

My room has a door
You have to slide it open
It slipped off the rails

It is now open
And I can not fit it back
On track to close it

In honor of the Democratic Convention

Maybe if they count
All the November votes cast
Bush won't be in charge.

Thank you Boston, Mass
For hosting the convention
Glad that it's not here.

Thursday, July 22, 2004

It's time for...


another random jellyfish photo!!!

Yes, three of the last ten posts have been jellyfish photos.

Tuesday, July 20, 2004

Vegetables

While I'm on the subject of PETA, am I the only one who thinks one day scientists are going to make a terrifying Twilight Zone discovery and find out that plants are consious and have feelings? After all, they are alive and they have DNA. Maybe they just communicate in ways we can't understand. After all, birds and whales can communicate.

Well, if that's the case, I wanted to just apologize to the romaine lettuce I ate the other day. We didn't know. We just didn't konw...

KFC

When I see the headline, KFC supplier accused of animal cruelty, I think to myself, "Oh, is that cruelty in addition to slaughtering the animals?"

I guess the point has been lost on me.

Monday, July 19, 2004

CenterStage

I just saw a promo for the YES Network's show CenterStage where host Michael Kay interviews himself.

It was both impressive and scary at the same time. Cool to see special effects used to make someone interview himself. Scary since one Michael Kay is scary enough. Two? *shudder*

Sunday, July 18, 2004

A Note to Ben Affleck

Mr. Affleck,

Before I begin, please accept my condolances regarding the abrupt conclusion to your relationship with Ms. Jennifer Lopez (J-Lo).

I am writing because I just recently viewed The Sum of All Fears and was very disappointed. The first film I ever saw of yours was Good Will Hunting and I enjoyed your portrayal of Chuckie Sullivan. Since then, you've made a number of movies, and I must admit to having seen about seven or eight of them. After having seen these films, I must implore you, throw in the towel.

Look, you don't have to throw in the towel for good. But you may want to consider taking a nice, long break. At the very least, don't ever take over a project that Harrison Ford started. When Hollywood comes calling with The Fugitive 2 or Indiana Jones 4, don't answer the phone.

In your defense, the Sum of All Fears as a bad movie isn't all your fault. Morgan Freeman also turns in a surprisingly weak performance, and the script is stale. On the other hand, your recent cinematic ventures (with the exception of Daredevil) haven't been received too well. These include: Jersey Girl, Paycheck, Changing Lanes and of course, Gigli. No longer is "Matt Damon's pal" being attached to your name, it is now instead, "J-Lo's ex" and "crummy films."

Previous films of yours have remained enjoyable. Boiler Room is supposed to be quite good, and Kevin Smith noted that "You were the bomb in Phantoms!" Perhaps I'll check those out some day. But for now, I think it is in your best interest to stop making films.

Saturday, July 17, 2004

Kobe Bryant

I've never been a big Kobe Bryant fan.

He's the talk of the town on Sportscenter these days, and I just saw an interview between Jim Gray and Kobe.

A few questions I've had:

1) In the interview, Kobe said about Shaq's departure, "This is a business." No offense to Kobe, I wonder when that phrase entered sports interview cliches. "One game at a time. We'll give it our best. This team knows how to win. This is a business."

2) When did Jim Gray become to Kobe Bryant & the Lakers what Ahmad Rashad was to Jordan's Bulls? Pretty impressive for a guy who was seemingly blackballed after interrogating Pete Rose in 1999 at the World Series.

3) Watching the interview, it just seemed so forced. For whatever reason, I just didn't feel like Kobe was telling the truth.

I guess I won't be called for jury duty in Colorado.

More Random Jellyfish


Monterey Bay Aquarium

Friday, July 16, 2004

Friday in Boston

Saw a homeless guy
He was bragging that the SOX
Would get Big Unit

Thursday, July 15, 2004

Thoughts

Is it weird that when I'm eating alone I think, "What's the longest one-syllable word in English?"

My answer was - squeeze. Unless "schmucks" is a real word.
Answer from the internet: Screeched. 9 letters. Is that one syllable or two? Screech-ed?

Wednesday, July 14, 2004

It's about time...

I'm now a menace with a digital camera...



Random Jellyfish Photo. From the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

Tuesday, July 13, 2004

Beef

Why I still pretty much don't eat beef.

"U.S. Department of Agriculture investigators said the USDA was not testing adult cattle that died on the farm and had failed to test hundreds of cattle condemned due to possible central nervous system disorder -- a symptom of mad cow disease and many other diseases."

Full story from cnn.com

Can we get some testing please? I JUST WANT TO EAT A BURGER WITHOUT GOING NUTS.

Mood?

Am I in a bad mood? It suddenly strikes me that my most recent four or five posts are all somewhat negative in tone.

Must... contain... rage... and... think... of... puppies...

Political Blogs

Since it's an election year, I've been tempted to say quite a bit about politics on this blog. But instead, I will focus on the two major Presidential candidates and their respective blogs. It will be a sort of "blog review."

First, I'll start with the Kerry blog. Hey look! They invite comments. It would be great if the Bush people hired writers to put obnoxious comments on the Kerry blog.

The Bush people were smarter with their blog. No comments allowed. So no wiseguys like me can post snide remarks. Probably a good strategy if they don't want to crash their web site.

Neither of these "blogs" reads like the blogs I've seen elsewhere. I thought blogs were supposed to contain personal anecdotes about dopey and inconsequential things that happen in our lives. For example, "Last night my roommate was just sitting with the lights out at 3am in the living room. It reminded me of a serial killer."

These blogs read like a list of press releases, not really a "log." Couldn't they give it another name, like LOPeRs? List of PrEss ReleaseS? I'd rather see a bunch of goofy stories like, "Today Dick Cheney bumped his head and it was a riot" or "Last night, we crank called Howard Dean." Where are those "blogs?"

I was surprised to find out those blogs are not on Ralph Nader's website.

On a side note, a typo revealed to me that www.whitehouse.org is actually a humor site.

Monday, July 12, 2004

All-Star Game

Baseball's All-Star game is tomorrow night, and they have to make one rule change -- both teams should implement the DH no matter what home field!

Nobody wants to see Mark Mulder or Roger Clemens bat tomorrow, and as the night progresses the pitchers will never come to bat because of all the changes. On top of all this, then an additional player can be inserted as DH and get a little bit of chance to hit. After all, those interested in the game to begin with (which is a small portion) just want to see the hitters hit and the pitchers pitch.

EZ Pass

When valet parking our car, my friend wanted to take out the EZ Pass device for fear that it would be stolen. But let's think about this -- EZ Pass is a horrible item to steal. What does it do? Save you a few bucks on tolls? First you have to be driving! Then secondly, since you've used EZ Pass, everyone knows where you are!!

Restuarant Ideas

Two restaurants I'd open for the hell of it:

Holy Crepe! A crepe place where menu items would include a bunch of puns - like the "Holy Crepe" which would actually have a hole in it. Or "Fudge" and "Sugar" as add-ons. There are more puns that can come from this...

A Peking Duck Fast Food chain. This would be the Asian equivalent of Taco Bell. Now all I need is a way to make Peking Duck cheaply and quickly. Perhaps I could just use some substitute mystery meat. Other menu items could include stuff like the popular pork bun or some sort of deep fried egg roll.

Cable TV Ranking Shows

There is nothing I dislike more than those cable tv ranking shows. What a cheap way to string along old footage, supposed experts and celebrities who normally would never agree to appear on the channel. Networks that do this include (but are not limited to) E!, VH1, MTV, Comedy Central and ESPN! ESPN has a ranking show!!

In particular, the "experts" that they have giving commentary on the various topics (which range from Top 10 Moments of the 1980's to Top 300 Big Toes of 35 year-old Golfers) are hardly experts! Usually they're washed up or B-list celebrities who just happened to be filming nearby!

Strange. This rant is much better in my mind and seems more like a bunch of complaining when I re-read it.

I declare I don't care no more...

Haven't posted for a few days... Could it be... burnout?

Friday, July 09, 2004

Ode to Friday

Friday in New York
Weather here is terrific
No more posts today

Thursday, July 08, 2004

50

This is the 50th post to this blog.

And for the first time in the span of this blog, I cannot find a wisecrack or social observation that deserves this honor.

Instead, consider: At the grocery store in the "6 items or less" express lane, is a dozen bagels one item or twelve?

Tuesday, July 06, 2004

New TV Show Idea

We need to have a television show that is a scripted program, but is a reality show. How would this work? Think pro wrestling + reality TV. The actors would all be versions of reality TV archetypes and they would be put on a show with some absurd premise. Then the writers could script (a la wrestling) predetermined outcomes, fights and conflicts. Alligiances could change at any moment. This so-called reality show would be great. People watch wrestling and know it's fake. They'll watch this too. We could call it... "Faux reality tv." or maybe "Unreality TV."

This wouldn't be like that show "Joe Schmo" either. That show is much more like an elaborate "Candid Camera." This "reality show" would have 100% actors.

Monday, July 05, 2004

Salad

What makes a salad a salad?

Is it lettuce? Then explain chicken salad, egg salad and tuna salad.

Is it mayonaise or lettuce? Then explain fruit salad.

Is it a mixture of chopped items? What about pasta salad?

So as it seems to me, a "salad" can be any mixture of random bite sized food items.

Saturday, July 03, 2004

Wedding Blog

My friend is getting married and he asked, "Are you going to put this on your blog?"

I said, "Probably not."

So instead, I leave you with this thought: Do you think a seafood restaurant located near an aquarium would be a successful business?

Thursday, July 01, 2004

West Coast Blog

Heading to SF until July 7th. Will try to post a few times from out there. Fortunately half my readership will be in SF with me!