Evan Almighty

Clamato

2010-01-08T08:29:00.005-05:00

I was perusing the drink section at a local eatery and I continue to be amazed at how many drinks they carry. Probably over 200 kinds of beverages. Today I came across one in the v8 section called Clamato. Probably not the best name for a drink since it sounds like an STD but appropriate I guess because it contains clam broth. Many of you tomato based beverage fans are probably thinking to yourselves, "Evan's never seen Clamato before?" Apparently, it's been around for awhile:

Clamato (a portmanteau of "clam" and "tomato") is a trademark of the Mott's company which denotes a drink made primarily of reconstituted tomato juice concentrate. It is flavored with spices and clam broth, and contains monosodium glutamate.[1] It is also referred to colloquially as "clamato juice." Clamato was produced in its current form beginning in 1966 by the Duffy-Mott company in Hamlin, New York, by two employees who wanted to create a Manhattan clam chowder style cocktail by combining tomato juice and clam broth with spices."

Thanks Wikipedia! You have also given me today's Evan Almighty WORD OF THE DAY!!! The usage of today's word first appeared in Lewis Carroll's book Through the Looking-Glass (1871), in which Humpty Dumpty explains to Alice the coinage of the unusual words in Jabberwocky.

Today's word is: Portmanteau! So use it in a sentence and spread the Portmanteau love. Portmanteau is a word or morpheme whose form and meaning are derived from a blending of two or more distinct forms (as smog from smoke and fog). Hmm..I guess Knork would be a Portmanteau.

I'm still waiting to get into a Cash Cab.

Another reason why you shouldn't put a deer in the backseat of your car. Period.

Uh oh, trouble in the NY Times Cafeteria...staffers got sick...the culprit is rumored to be the pasta salad and has been taken into custody. for questioning. Let's listen in:

Detective: So, what kind of crap were you trying to pull here, salad boy.
Pasta Salad: N.n.nnnothing officer. I was just going about my business, I got dressed and then was put out at the bar.
Detective: Don't give me that crap, I want answers. (bangs fist down and some pasta spills out onto the floor). Pick yourself up.
Pasta Detective: Olive to give you some answers but I didn't do anything.
Detective: That's it, I didn't want to have to do this but I've got no other choice. (Officer goes to the closet and pulls out a huge fork. )

Fade to black.

That's all I've got today. Hope you have a great weekend!

**THIS JUST IN..THERE ARE ALSO CLAMATO CHIPS!

Evan Almighty, Now in 3-D

2010-01-07T08:21:00.002-05:00

With the 3D craze back in full swing, I thought it was only appropriate to make today's post in 3-D. So put on your glasses because otherwise you'll be missing out. The history of 3-D is pretty interesting, dating back to the 1950s and now there is all this talk about 3-D televisions and television channels. I'm curious to see if this works. I remember many years ago the networks tried doing some 3-D things and NBC even did a whole lineup in 3-D.

So, how about a scene from the Matrix Reloaded in 3-D?

Do you know what time it is? (cue you--NO, WHAT TIME IS IT?) So glad you asked, it's time to play the game that is sweeping the nation by storm. It's time to play, The 100 Games Cupcake Game! Can you guess which game is represented on each cupcake? Winner gets nothing. Good luck.

Well, it looks like Justine's prayers have been answered. I present to you, the kitchen of the future...uture...uture...

As you have noticed, this entire post is not in 3-D. It was a gimmick to get you excited and to read it. Oh well. Hope you have a great day.

Just So You Are Aware

2010-01-06T08:31:00.002-05:00

Tomorrow is "I'm Not Going To Take It Anymore Day"!!! How great is that?

In crab news, a crab that looks like a strawberry? Whaaaa?

I know what you're thinking. Here he goes again with his crazy links. Well, you're right and you're wrong. I'd like to take a moment to mention that the creator of the Pez head recently passed away, may he rest in pez. His obituary recently appeared in the NY Times and it got me thinking about that candy dispenser we all know and love which took me to Wikipedia (of course):

Pez was first marketed as a compressed peppermint sweet or candy in Vienna, Austria. It was invented in 1927 in Vienna by a confectioner named Eduard Haas III. Haas invented peppermints using family owned baking powders, and decided to serve the mints in small, hand-size containers. He manufactured a small tin to hold the mints, similar to the modern Altoids tins. The first Pez mint dispensers, known as "regulars," were similar in shape to a cigarette lighter, and dispensed an adult breath mint marketed as an alternative to smoking. They were invented by Oscar Uxa. Haas Food Manufacturing Corporation of Vienna, Austria, was the first to sell Pez products.

World War II slowed marketing and production. In 1945, manufacturers devised and promoted the Pez Box Regular. In 1952 Eduard Haas introduced his product to the United States, and Curtis Allina headed Pez's U.S. business. In 1955, the Pez company placed heads on the dispensers and marketed them for children. Santa Claus and Mickey Mouse were among the first character dispensers. Since 1950, over 1500 different Pez dispensers, including the original character dispensers have been created.

I'm glad to hear that Sam Mendes is taking on the next James Bond film. It should be very interesting to see what he does with it.

Bowling is going to save the economy and the world. Strike! X

Who doesn't love a titanium hip/airport detector story?

Tuesdays With Evan

2010-01-05T08:25:00.002-05:00

It's Tuesday, another step in the direction of the weekend. There were a number of things I was going to discuss today but I really don't remember them. I thought about them before the heat went out last night and once that happened, well, I climbed into bed. This will have been the third night over the past week my apartment has been cold. Fun, right? The real estate agent suggested I get a space heater to which I wanted to reply, "you want to sell this place, you better convince the landlord to get this fixed, pal". Enough of this, let's get to some fun stuff.

Newark Mayor Cory Booker responded to a woman's tweet about her father's needing help to shovel his driveway. Yes, the mayor showed up and helped shovel. Aw, how nice. Two days later, the father received a bill from the mayor's office*

So who wants to participate in this year's No Pants Subway Ride? If you do, here are the details. Nothing says fun like wearing no pants in the cold and sitting on a dirty subway seat.

I'm sick and tired of the Harry Potter movies but the new Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows trailer has surfaced.

*just kidding

It's Never Easy

2010-01-04T08:25:00.005-05:00

It's never easy going back to something you had a break from. Whether it's riding your bike, driving manual, or work. Sure you can jump right back into things easily but the buildup, the anticipation, just knowing that you have to go back is the difficult part. I'm not complaining by any means. I had the most wonderful winter break and while we always wish it was longer, there are a few long weekends coming up that we can look forward to. So, to all of you who are back at work or school this morning, just know that we are all in this together. We are all sitting at our desks getting back into the swing of things. :-)

I'm glad I wasn't stuck at EWR last night, it looked like a nightmare. Thousands of people stranded because some idiot went through the wrong side of a checkpoint exit. Hope the people waiting don't see the guy otherwise I have a feeling there might be harsh words exchanged. And fists thrown, can't forget about the fists.

Have you seen the American Express commercial with the smiley faces made out of everyday objects? Well if not, here it is:

Over the break I went out to lunch after seeing the Kandinsky exhibit at the Guggenheim and came across the papertowel dispenser. I snapped the photo at the top of this blog. A perfect face.

It's been cold, really cold and what better weather than this to take a dip in the ocean with the Polar Bear Club? uhhh, no thanks.

I'm sure you have heard about the full body scanners that they are going to start installing in airports (Newark Liberty Airport will be first) that will show everything and I mean everything. Expect more "Is that a banana in your pocket or are you happy to see me" jokes at the security checkpoint.

I'd like you to watch this infomercial. It cracks me up. With Loud N'Clear you can spy in on your neighbors and listen to everything they are saying. With Loud N' Clear, you can be sexist and think that "he" must have a good job and not "she".

The Frog Princess, The Princess and the Frog, The Princess Frog...oh whatver

2010-01-02T23:12:00.002-05:00

I know, I know. You are wondering why I haven't been posting lately. Well I decided I needed some time off from blogging and have been enjoying my vacation immensely. I have had an opportunity to go to the movies and relax, like today for example, I went to see the Kandinsky exhibit at the Guggenheim Museum and then, since Sherlock Holmes was sold out, saw The Princess and the Frog in the city. See, having time off is fun. I am grateful to have had this time off, much needed time to refuel and ring in the New Year. I would like to wish all of you a happy and healthy 2010. The new decade is upon us and let's make the best of it. That's all for now. I hope you made some resolutions which you will stick to. I know I've got mine. Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

It's not slime, it's mucus.

At The Movies

2009-12-26T22:09:00.004-05:00

I hope you are having a wonderful holiday weekend with your friends and family. I am really enjoying my break and have been relaxing and discovered this new movie theater in Hoboken. It's new, there are lounges and the staff is over-the-top friendly. While it's somewhat of a walk for me to get there, it's well worth the stroll through town. This weekend I saw Avatar and It's Complicated. There are still many films I want to see and will hopefully get to them during the week.

I have also been using my time to work on some other projects I had to put on the back burner.

Speaking of which, it was just another saturday afternoon at the local high school soccer field:

How did you get back there??? I don't want to tell you.

For those of you who didn't receive coal for Christmas, I hope you received some fun gifts. This time of the year isn't just about the gifts though...it's about spending time with friends and family...right?

Proof

2009-12-25T23:38:00.002-05:00

The X-Rated Gift Basket

2009-12-23T08:18:00.004-05:00

Every year, an x-rated gift basket is sent to our office from an alumnus and it cracks me up. The basket arrived yesterday and although I was out of the office, I got a laugh from the email that was sent out telling us that a gift basket had arrived but it was x-rated.

So this is really awkward, I don't know how to make this transition so I'm just going to do it. I have always been a huge fan of the muppets and Sesame Street. I just found out Sesame Street's Olivia has passed away. I think my first exposure to death came from watching Sesame Street when Mr. Hooper died.

And now, I leave you with this trailer for the remake of a classic film. What a shame.

Happy Holidays to you and a happy and healthy New Year!

The Perfect Birthday Meal

2009-12-22T13:35:00.003-05:00

29 and Feeling Fine

2009-12-21T16:14:00.003-05:00

I love birthdays, what better way to celebrate growing older than with good friends, a candle, and delicious food. I had an amazing birthday this year and it is always followed by more holidays and time off from work, who could ask for anything more? On top of it all, there was a snow storm which blanketed the bustling city in a layer of white powder.

I was going to take a few days off from blogging but wanted to post a few things for your viewing enjoyment:

Like, Extreme Kids Playhouses.

This site reminded me of a site I had posted on here awhile back, one that is too good not to post again! Here it is. Take a look at how the kids are dressed and positioned. Hilarious.

He asked them to turn the lights down because they were too hot. Then he asked for some Air Conditioning and a glass of water. She laughed. He fainted.

Dude Passes Out During Interview - Watch more Funny Videos

In case you weren't chilly enough today, let's talk a look to see what the Polar Bear Club is up to.

Try Not To Bragg

2009-12-18T08:13:00.002-05:00

I am always intrigued when I come across a new type of beverage. Sometimes it's the label, sometimes the name, or sometimes it's a combination of the two. Last night, I stopped off to get some Mandarin oranges after the gym and found a drink made of Apple Cider vinegar and honey.

Apple Cider Vinegar has been highly regarded throughout history. In 400 B.C. Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine, used it for its amazing natural detox cleansing, healing, and energizing qualities. Hippocrates prescribed Apple Cider Vinegar mixed with honey for its health properties. Now you can enjoy Bragg Organic Apple Cider Vinegar & Honey in a convenient refreshing drink.

Who knew? I figured I would try it and try it I did. I was done after one sip. I don't care how healthy this is for you, drinking vinegar is not something I ever want to do again.

Now of course, as I'm sure you can imagine, I am intrigued by this Bragg family. You can read all about them here.

They even have monthly affirmations on their site:

""The world is my playground, because of my love for all things harmonious."

And then there is this:

Have a great weekend! The next time I see you, I'll be 29.

Almost There

2009-12-17T08:28:00.004-05:00

Two days left before I have a mini birthday break and then one day back in the office and then some more days off. Best part is, I got my presentation out of the way last night so now the fun begins.

Have you seen the new Iron Man 2 Trailer? Looks great. Robert Downey Jr. is just great and I'm curious to see how this new Sherlock Holmes flick is.

I agree with this survey 110%...Office temperatures affect our productivity.

I leave you with this...so good:

It's Wednesday, but I'm writing this on Tuesday night..ooooo...ahhhh

2009-12-16T07:03:00.002-05:00

That's right, tomorrow I will be in full presentation mode, awaiting my chance to stand in front of a group of classmates and talk about something I don't really care about, Gambling.

So why not take a look at some off videos that sort of have something to do with Casinos and gambling...sort of:

Live Reporter Slaps Dumb Drunkard - Watch more Funny Videos

Casino from Paul Zwicker on Vimeo.

It's Almost Here

2009-12-15T08:18:00.003-05:00

My final presentation is almost here and I will be oh so happy when it is over. In the meantime, let's read about an Octopus and the coconut. Sounds like a good children's story. Better get on that.

While working on my Presentation last night I put on the last few minutes of this Acapella/Glee/Idol show, The Sing Off. The Acapella was really good and I'm a fan of Ben Folds who is a judge on the show. It's nice to see Acapella in the limelight.

Okay, we knew this was coming. A Japanese store is selling customized robots. Want a robot version of your girlfriend, how about your deceased Aunt Betty? Check it out.

And now I leave you with another episode of Improv Everywhere...

Middle School Monday

2009-12-14T07:00:00.002-05:00

The circus, ahhhh the circus. Friday night, after a 20 something year hiatus, I returned to the Big Apple Circus. It was a magical evening, as I could immediately recognize the smells and sights that I used to love as a kid. The music, Grandma, things that have remained the same and things that were different all collided and it was an overwhelming sensation. As a kid I remember my grandma taking us to see the Big Apple Circus every year. I distinctly remember many things about this experience and one of the things that I remembered were the metal bleachers they used to have, which have now morphed into comfortable chairs. Turns out my dad lost his favorite hat to those bleachers which is most likely why I remember them. When I spoke with him on the phone over the weekend I told him I had found his hat. In addition to a twirling horse, trapeze, the wheel of death, not-so-swift audience members, a new ringmaster, the worst act came about halfway into the show. It looked like a proposal, it smelled like a proposal, IT WAS A PROPOSAL. Nothing more romantic than proposing to the woman you love in the same spot where the twirling horse shat a few minutes earlier. Okay, not really but you get the point. I had a chance to hear what some of the kids in the audience were saying when this proposal was taking place.

"Mom, who is this clown?"

"He's short, why would she want to marry him"

"She'd be much better off with the ringmaster...oh, I get it RING-master...*giggle* *burp*"

"Dad, if he's a contortionist, when is he going to start stuffing himself into that tiny box?"

All in all, I had a really good time at the circus and I'm looking forward to going back again and re-implementing the tradition.

With my birthday and the holidays coming up I thought it might be fun to open up my Middle School yearbook and share with you a few of the comments from my then classmates. Sounds like a blast, doesn't it? Let's see, how about something from 1994:

(unfortunately this comment is nameless)

"Dear Evan,
Hope your summer is as fun as this year was, which wasn't too fun. But anyway have a good summer, see you next year"

"Hey Evan What's up your a really bright kid. I notice that you get all good grades. I know your in only one of my classes. I'm not in all smart classes like you are. Your probably going to get an A in Mrs. Leavens class. PS. Lets go Devils. Your friend Rob"

and now we fast forward to 1995:

"Hey Evan,
You've got the coolest hair in the world. I wish I was you! Well, I don't really know you that well, so next year we have to become close! Have a kick asssummer! See ya in high school! Michelle

Well, we've come to the end of today's post. I'd like to point out that there was no use of any videos or links. So for those of you who are always complaining about this, you can't complain today.

:-)

It's Freezing Friday

2009-12-11T08:27:00.005-05:00

Despite my defrosting ears, I am great. It's Friday and tonight, tonight I am going to experience something I have not experienced since I was a wee lad. Tonight, I will be back at Grandma's house, under the big tent, at the Big Apple Circus. As a kid, my grandmother used to take us to see the Big Apple Circus every year and I loved it. So you can imagine how excited I am to go again, 20 or so years later.

When your kid won't stop crying, why not try the 'ole climb in the crib trick?

Want to piss off people in class? Why not try doing what this kid does and see what happens.

Student Brings Typewriter To Class - Watch more Funny Videos

I have said that I have no real interest in seeing Avatar, the new flick by King of the World, James Cameron, but the reports coming out about the film are great. People are saying it far exceeds any expectations and that it may be considered for an Oscar. Will all this hype make me go see it? Perhaps.

Facebook implemented its privacy changes, so if you haven't done so, make sure you aren't sharing yourself with the world.

Have a great weekend!

Ponzhu Scheme

2009-12-10T08:50:00.002-05:00

If you know me, I'm always drumming up ideas so you probably weren't surprised that I bought a bunch of Zhu Zhu Pets when I found them. For those who don't know about what is being hailed as this year's "Tickle Me Elmo". Here's a commercial for these things. If you ask me, it's silly, but I sort of want to recreate a scene from one of my favorite holiday films, Jingle All The Way. Go ahead, laugh. I want a Turboman doll. Who told you you could eat my cookies?

Anywayy...

So this guy notices food missing from the fridge, sets up a camera, and here's what he sees. I don't buy it.

Check this out, horse and buggy DUI...

And now, with all this Zhu Zhu frenzy, I will leave you with a hamster riding the subway.

If only it were a little colder...

2009-12-09T08:28:00.003-05:00

We would be having a lot of snow here in NYC!! But no, it's just pouring rain, wind in your face and soaking wet pants. An umbrella does no good in this weather. You need a body umbrella. Speaking of umbrellas, I decided to see what sort of umbrella/windy/rainy footage I could find and here are some favorites:

Now these are my favorite stories. A woman dines with a cardboard cutout. Priceless.

Short post today, sorry, many marshmallows for TOASTING.

First Snow

2009-12-08T08:30:00.003-05:00

When it snows, I always feel a kind of joy that is hard to explain. The excitement is in the beauty of snow but also in the unknown, meaning we're never quite sure how much it's going to snow. Sure the weathermen and women tell us one thing, but they are not always right and there's always hope that there will be so much snow that we will not be able to leave our dwellings. This video from the first snow fall in Philadelphia, captures the beauty, stillness and any other emotions I feel when it snows. Watch it once, watch it twice, it's like a perfectly crafted snowflake.

The First Snow, Canon 7D from Reid Carrescia on Vimeo.

Think your apartment is tiny? Well, check out this 210 sq. ft. apartment.

A happy belated birthday to Mr. Walt Disney, and what better way to celebrate than with some fun facts!

I love a good lip-sync video...and so I enjoyed this one:

Country Toddler Lip-Syncs Perfectly - Watch more Funny Videos

Winter is here and if you're in NYC and like me, you want to take advantage of all there is in this wonderful city. Thanks to Time Out NY, we have a list of 101 things to do in NYC this winter. Ready....set....GO!

Have a great day!

Good Pain

2009-12-07T08:27:00.004-05:00

I'm feeling good pain this morning after a much needed training session yesterday. It was the first time I had to do push-ups while balancing on medicine balls. I don't want it to appear as though I am complaining, but to put it in Muppet terms, my arms are feeling like that Marvin Suds and the Muppephone skit, "ow, ow ow". Enough of that.

Did you have a nice weekend? Wacky weather. It was freezing in NYC and we had our first taste of snow. Decorations went up, the sidewalks of NYC are crowded with tourists and shoppers, and the holiday party season has begun. I went to my first party on Saturday night, where we had to bring an ornament for the tree. So in typical Evan fashion, I made my own and brought a one-of-a-kind Tiger Woods ornament:

Party was fun and the snow added an extra special touch.

I need to sell my Zhu Zhu's and luckily, I didn't get any of the brown ones.

This is pretty cool, captured video of the vine seeds soaring through the forest.

And now, it's time for...FUN WITH GLYCERIN!

Enjoy your day. Evan Almighty, signing off.

Still Posting After All These Years....OHHHHH, Still Posting.

2009-12-04T08:29:00.002-05:00

It's hard to believe that I started this blog almost two years ago. January 5, 2007 was my first post on Evan Almighty, it was short but it started this journey of daily blogging. Some people don't understand why I do this and I don't care that they don't understand because I'm not doing it for them. I'm doing this for me, myself and I. Sure you get some entertainment from it, laughing at my stupid jokes and observations. But I enjoy doing this. Okay, time to transition into something more fun.

Like this, a man dressed up as an elf told the mall Santa he had dynamite.

Nothing feels better than getting your car washed. Whether you do it by hand or go through a machine, a sparkling clean car is so nice. Well, as long as you stay dry...:

Hoses Gone Wild.

The overweight flight debate continues. Should obese people pay for two seats? You may have seen this new photo.

I was waiting for the subway yesterday and had the pleasure of listening to a subway performer I have never ever seen before. And he was really good! He was singing opera along to an orchestral recording and people were loving it and he was making a lot of money too. Thanks to YouTube, I was able to find some video of him:

Maybe I can get him to sing us a special song for Evan Almighty.

Honey, the Robinsons are at it again:

Hope you have a great weekend!

65 Degrees and the countdown begins

2009-12-03T08:08:00.006-05:00

Okay, today is December 3, 2009 and it is currently 65 Degrees in NYC. That means I left the house without a jacket which may come as a surprise to many of you. I enjoyed my walk to work this morning and for the second day in a row, walked right by Mario Batali. Today he was with his kids hailing a cab. Once he dropped his kids off at school I imagine him going to the market and cooking up a big breakfast. Then he calls me and invites me over to try this new omelet he's come up with. Gwyneth Paltrow is there as well and then the three of us hop into a convertible and cruise around the city.

December 3rd...that means that in 17 days I will be turning 29. 28 was a great year but I know that 29 will be great as well. Check this out:

Twenty-nine is:

* The number of days February has in leap years.
* The number of letters in the Turkish,[1] Finnish, Swedish,[2] Faroese,[3] and Norwegian[4] alphabets.
* The designation of Interstate 29, a U. S. freeway that runs from Missouri to North Dakota.
* In the name of the town Twentynine Palms, California, also the name of the adjoining Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, affectionately referred to by Marines as "Twentynine Stumps".[5]
* The number of suras in the Qur'an that begin with muqatta'at
* The highest possible score in a hand of Cribbage.
* The highest possible score in a hand of Khanhoo.
* An album by Ryan Adams.[6]
* The track the Chattanooga Choo Choo leaves in the Glenn Miller song.
* 29th Regiment of Foot, a former regiment in the British Army.
* The retired jersey number of Rod Carew
* The Olympiad number of the 2008 Summer Olympics
* The number of the French department Finistère
* The amount of attributes existing according to The Strokes in You Only Live Once.
* The retired S.L. Benfica shirt number in memory of Miklos Feher.
* The number every woman in the "wrong age" claims to be. According to "The Nanny".
* The number of CMS Baseball Star John "Zach" "Jay-Z" England
* The number "Weird Al" Yankovic uses frequently as an inside joke.
* The number of Knuts in one Sickle in the fictional currency in the Harry Potter novels.

See, it's going to be a very good year. Weird Al uses it as an inside joke? I mean, come on.

How cool is this? A bowling alley discovered in a building in Queens.

Have you read up on how facebook's new privacy changes will affect you?

This just made me laugh. I don't know why.

Bloggers, get something for free? Well be sure to let us know.

Well according to these folks, we could actually get a wintry mix today. Hope you enjoy the weather, Skippy.

A Heircut

2009-12-02T08:32:00.003-05:00

I went to get my hair cut at a new place last night. I felt like I was cheating on the place I have been going to for the past year but the new place is in Hoboken and saves me a trip, not to mention they are open until midnight two nights a week in case I ever need to trimming in the middle of the night. In addition to a complimentary clean-up followup (in about three weeks) I got a hot towel wrapped around my face while the conditioner worked it's magic, a brief and somewhat weak shoulder massage and a cut. The first thing I was offered when I walked in was a beverage and yes, they did have alcoholic beverages. I know, I know. At first I told them I didn't want the towel but they had to talk me into it. I just wanted a haircut.

After a long shampoo and condition, I was brought back to the chair and the woman cutting my hair told me that the woman who washed it was just raving about my hair and how she got sentimental because it reminded her of her dad's curly hair. She said this woman has never been so emotional over anyone else's hair. Perhaps this is just a line they use with everyone but I found it highly amusing.

The tipping at these places is always sort of awkward and I'm never sure what the correct protocol is. You can be sure that as I was getting my hair cut I was looking at customers in the mirror's reflection to see what they did with the tips. There are two types of tippers. Some of us like to take the small envelopes, write the name on it and then discretely slip in the tip and leave it at the front desk. Others make a big show about the tip, folding it so small and then slipping it to them on the way out or even while they are cutting the next person's hair. I'm an envelope kind of tipper. Adds some suspense. It's like a little present.

Like gummy bears? Well then, here's something for you. It's the world's largest gummy bear.

Here's how you will feel when you get a large gummy bear.

We all love to eat and go out to try new restaurants. Here's a list of secrets your waiter will never tell you.

Thanks to LEC and Cait for providing us with this incredible blog of awful library books. I have a few favorites. What are yours?

I've got another treat for you this morning...it's a bird? nah..a plane? nah..Superman The Musical? YESSSS.

All You Need Is A Belter and a Dream

2009-12-01T08:32:00.002-05:00

Okay so all I need are a few lead roles in Broadway productions and then I can have a Christmas album and sing at Birdland. Shouldn't be too difficult right?

Time to get your thrill on Vinegar Hill...it looks cool. I might have to check it out.

Neil Young was on his way to meet someone at the Wrecking Ball...

Don't worry, it was just a stunt for a movie being filmed in NYC. No one was harmed.

This is just horrible but I think it's interesting from a journalism perspective.

I heard on the news the other night that a woman saw an image of Jesus on her iron and it did indeed look like Jesus when they showed the photos. I came across this odd site that had some other Jesus sightings. You can see them here.

Now you can turn alcohol into a powder which means, well, Vodka pills.

And now, your cute kitty moment of the day:

Have a good one.

It's The Holiday Season...

2009-11-30T10:31:00.004-05:00

I had a really nice Thanksgiving break and hope you did as well. I got off the elevator with some co-workers this morning and came up with a new line. They asked me where I was for Thanksgiving, I said New Jersey, they made a sour face and then I said, "the only place where the turkey talks back to you". They laughed. I laughed. Feel free to use that one.

I'd like to briefly talk about two products this morning: Hippie Chips and Zhu Zhu Pets. So I was in CVS last night just browsing when I came across these Zhu Zhu hamsters. I had read about these toys and how hard they are to find and saw a couple piling them into their cart. So I went home, looked them up and quickly went back to CVS and bought the rest of them. So now I am in possession of a bunch of these hamsters. Go figure.

Perhaps you have seen these new baked chips in stores, Hippie Chips? Baked, because hippies like their chips baked, I guess? I just thought I would mention it.

I'd like to go back to talking about Thanksgiving again. I really enjoyed being with the family this Thanksgiving and it's always like pulling teeth trying to get people to say what they are thankful for, and no, I wasn't only thankful for the pumpkin pie. Good food, good times. I'm ready to enjoy the holiday season.

And what better way to kickoff the holiday season than with ELF YOURSELF!! That's right. It's back. And better than ever.

Clips and Quips Vault

2009-11-27T20:26:00.002-05:00

One of my all time favorite segments from our Clips and Quips days was The Family Guy piece. Spending a day at Family Guy headquarters in CA was surreal. Many of you have seen this already, but for those who haven't enjoy. And for those who have, enjoy it again.

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-26T08:52:00.001-05:00

Taking a few days off

2009-11-25T12:36:00.001-05:00

Okay, I'm going to be a turkey for the next few days and take some time off from blogging. I want to wish you and your families a very Happy Thanksgiving. Boaz made another Thanksgiving short this year which I wanted to share with you.

A Thanksgiving Story from Boaz Frankel on Vimeo.

I am especially thankful this Thanksgiving and I hope you will take a moment to reflect upon the things you are most thankful for this year.

The Lonesome Sax Player

2009-11-24T08:25:00.002-05:00

There was a man playing sax on the corner of Washington Square Park this morning and unlike many of the sax players who can usually be found uptown, this guy was good. He was really good. And as he laid down a track to the scene in which I was a part, I took note of everything happening around me and envisioned myself in a movie scene. Am I an extra in this great movie? Perhaps. It was a nice start to my morning.

Everyone is filled with Thanksgiving joy so why not bring it down a notch and see if you can count the number of turkeys in this ad:

I'd love to jet away somewhere for the weekend but I will most likely stick around and keep a low profile. Although Travelzoo likes to tempt us all.

You might not find Harrison Ford inside, but perhaps you've always wondered what it's like to fly on Air Force One. Here are some interior shots you might enjoy.

Hey, all you swine flu vaccine recipients, read this.

Here's a Thanksgiving story and recipes from NPR.

Many of you have asked me if I will be going to see the Tim Burton exhibit at MOMA and the answer is, yes, I will be going. If you haven't seen the MOMA Tim Burton animation, check it out here.

The Most Wonderful Week

2009-11-23T08:48:00.002-05:00

I am so happy right now. A great weekend, a short week and then the official kick off to the holiday season. That means, holiday songs 24/7 on the radio, snow, birthdays, Christmas trees, lights..oh my!

Introducing....Motoman!

For those of us who clean our ears out with Q-Tips, you might want to read this.

I saw Wes Anderson this past weekend and being a fan of his work it was exciting to see him. He was wearing a green suit which I believe is the same one he was wearing in this interview with Charlie Rose:

I have not yet seen The Fantastic Mr. Fox but am very much looking forward to seeing it soon.

My mom's birthday was yesterday and my parents were in the city so I had the chance to see them which was really nice. The weather was so beautiful that walking around the city was the perfect thing to do this weekend. So now that Thanksgiving is coming up I want all of you to tell me what you are thankful for. And while you think about that, let's kickoff Thanksgiving week with this:

Happyyyy Friday

2009-11-20T09:57:00.003-05:00

It's a beautiful day today and the forecast is looking good for this weekend. I don't have much for you today.

Jude is irked by NYU students and throws oranges??

Don't worry ladies, she will never go away for good. She'll always be around.

If this doesn't prevent you from getting popcorn the next time you go to a movie, I don't know what will.

I hope you have a great weekend. I'm looking forward to fun in the city with friends and family and hopefully will not be hooked up to a polygraph machine.

Sad Panda Revealed

2009-11-19T08:32:00.002-05:00

I want to open up with this video which, reveals the mystery of the Sad Panda...

The world famous Radio City Rockettes are starting to do all their usual promotional stunts to promote the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. Kicking at the top of the empire state building with King Kong and this morning, riding the Nostalgia Train, a 1930's era IND Nostalgia Train that will leave the Chambers Street E platform at about 10 a.m. and end up at the Rockefeller Center station.

Don't you just love fast food stories? Like this one. Here's my favorite line:

"He also allegedly put the vegetables from the burger in his mouth and rubbed the bun on his body."

Ever wonder what you should do with all those extra Styrofoam peanuts? How about doing this?

Tim Burton's exhibit opens this weekend at MOMA and yes, I will go at some point to see the show. When I was working at Columbia Pictures, one of my best memories was the Big Fish Premiere after party. It was the most amazing thing I have ever seen. I only wish I had pictures of it. They recreated the town, had circus and sideshow performers, and the most incredible displays of food and candy you have ever seen. It really felt like you were in a Tim Burton film and of course, Tim was there along with the entire cast.

Hope you have a great day!

On A New York City Corner

2009-11-18T08:21:00.002-05:00

I was standing on the corner of fifth ave and 9th street this morning thinking about an idea for a new book. Hopefully you won't take it. There are some great New York City corner scenes. A mixture of people and actions and colors that all work together to make a picture perfect photograph, each and every corner unique in its own way. Perhaps I will start taking photos of street corners and people waiting to cross the street, hailing a cab, looking at their watch while waiting for a girlfriend or boyfriend, tossing trash into a can, or just looking up at the sky.

There is a gross video circulating the Internet and believe it or not, I decided not to post it here. Mostly because if you watch it, you might never eat sushi again. It shows Chinese diners eating a fish that is still alive. That's all I'm saying about that.

Want to be semi-famous...well, not famous at all really. Then try out for Under The Arch!

Noise is all around us. In the city that never sleeps, noise is constant and it's one of the things that I don't miss when I escape to the country, to the quiet. Noise isn't healthy and believe it or not, guys like Benjamin Sachwald go out and measure noise. He says, "Studies show exposure to noise can lead to certain health problems like high blood pressure, stress, anxiety.”

Reminds me of this film Noise with Tim Robbins:

And now, I present to you... How To Make A Baby:

How to Make a Baby from Cassidy Curtis on Vimeo.

What Are Other People Reading?

2009-11-17T08:10:00.003-05:00

It's Tuesday and I've decided to start a new feature on this blog called....What Are Other People Reading? I am going to start to write down what people are reading on the subway, bus and PATH and then give you a report. This will give us some idea of what's popular but maybe also even introduce us to a book we wouldn't have read otherwise. I'm not too happy with today's book, but it was the only cover I could see. So what are other people reading today? THE TIME TRAVELER'S WIFE. I know Adam liked it, so why not take it for a spin?

Here's one woman you might not want to invite to your wedding:

The Wedding Crasher - Watch more Funny Videos

And the Oxford Dictionary's Word of the Year goes to...*drumroll please** "UNFRIEND" Now, please use it in a sentence.

Who's excited about the Leonid Meteor Shower? Whenever I hear about Meteor Showers I remember being in Vermont, the family taking a blanket outside and laying in the Orchard watching the sky. There is indeed something magical about the Vermont sky at night, especially during a meteor shower. The peak was this morning.

Monday Music

2009-11-16T08:29:00.003-05:00

I'm opening today's blog entry with a video, sent in by Pam, of an amazing music machine. I could watch this all day long. Looks like this machine will soon find it's way to The Smithsonian. Check it out.

Did you see the Water Main break on Bleeker last night?

Gotta love this article in the NY Times about words that can be said on television shows these days. Here's the opening line:

On many nights this fall, it has been possible to tune in to broadcast network television during prime time and hear a character call someone else a “douche.”

All you superheroes out there, you are in luck!

I saw A Christmas Carol in Imax 3-D yesterday and they showed the 3D trailer for Alice in Wonderland. Here's a new poster:

I have always enjoyed A Christmas Carol and Bill Murray's comedic version, Scrooged, and while I haven't seen it but have to bring it into this rant, Ghosts of Girlfriends Past...I sort of hope they don't make another version of A Christmas Carol. There are good ones out there and why not come up with a new Christmas classic? I enjoyed this one, the animation is very similar to The Polar Express which will most likely be brought back into Imax theaters once Thanksgiving has passed and Jim Carrey makes an excellent Scrooge. Some of the scenes in which the characters fly are a lot of fun especially since you really feel like you are flying with them.

Monday is here. Time to party hardy.

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas...

2009-11-13T08:37:00.004-05:00

That's right, those are cupcake cars. I just happened to come upon this photo and naturally became curious. I made my way to the Neiman Marcus site and saw that anyone, for a mere $25,000 can own a cupcake car. Check this out:

Put on your matching hat, slip under the muffin top of your Cupcake Car, and let the world figure itself out for awhile. Get (or give) the sheer, joyful chaos of a gift that is mind-blowing, triple-dog-dare, double-infinity forever cool. Make the kids or grandkids literally squeal with joy. Bring it to work and buzz the breakroom. Crash parades! Putter about the ‘hood. Ever had a crowd of kids chasing after you just for the crazy gleeful heck of it? (No worries, the top speed is a comfy-safe 7 mph.) What’s it made of? A 24-volt electric motor, a heavy-duty battery, sheet metal, wire, fabric, wood…and mad genius. Launched at Burning ManSM as a cooperative art car project, the Cupcake Car sprang from the fevered mind of Bay Area artist Lisa Pongrace and her less-rules-more-laughs posse of artists and techno geeks. Yours will be tricked out with your favorite topping, so start thinking flavors.

Call 1.877.9NM.GIFT for details.

Now, I'm just curious how many people have actually ordered this item. I'm just wondering where people take these besides a parade and to tease fat kids around the neighborhood. Honey, hop in, we're taking a ride to Montauk in good 'ole red velvet.

Still obsessed over these cupcake cars, I looked on YouTube and of course, found footage.

Maybe everyone knows about these and that they are actually sold at Neiman Marcus. I wonder if they have any on display. And what else is this store selling>??? How about an aircraft for two? Romantic. Check their Christmas Book to find out.

Here's a reason you might not want to bring a Beaver into a television studio. Urine for a surprise.

We've heard of these sneezing cases before where someone can't stop sneezing. Well now it's Lauren Johnson. 12,000 times a day. I can't even ima..a...achoo.

Does someone see a theme today? Well, now you will.

I wonder what Brent has to say about today's blog, Brent?

Morning Routine

2009-11-12T08:37:00.002-05:00

I've been contemplating for some time now switching up my workout routine and doing it in the morning rather than at night a few hours after I get home from work. This would mean I would have to start forcing myself out of bed earlier but in the long run, it will be worth it. Why do you care? Well, you probably don't but if I put my new plan out there, I'm more likely to stick to it. And with that, let's get this party started.

Thoughts about the new NY license plate?

Um, yeah I'll go see this film.

Time to pick a destination and book a flight. Do it!

Have a great Thursday..

You've Got To Be Kittying Me

2009-11-10T23:46:00.004-05:00

For those of you keeping score, this is post number 888.

There are cat lovers and then there are crazy cat lovers. Would you feed your cat with chopsticks? Well this woman did and it's making me want sushi.
(Courtesy of Dolce Designs)

And what's the deal with kittens and wigs? Check this site out.

Today is Veteran's Day so please take a moment to hug a Vet today and explain to your bratty kids the difference between a Veteran, a Veterinarian, and a Vegetarian. Thank you.

If you've been walking by NYU lately you'll notice an art exhibition set up on Washington Place called Journey. The installation will be hosted by Emma Thompson, Sam Roddick, Helen Bamber OBE, and other members of the Journey team.

This is for all of you coffee drinkers.

I like ping pong, but something tells me I wouldn't want to play against this guy:

With the heavy emphasis on cats today, I'd like to leave you with this:

The Mountain Man

2009-11-10T10:10:00.004-05:00

Last night, I had the pleasure of going to see Ray Lamontagne live at the Beacon Theater. It was an extremely mellow show but awesome. His voice is very soothing even though it reminds me of someone playing a washboard. I don't know why. The few moments during the show when Ray spoke to us, his words were muffled and he was frequently interrupted by some woman who thought it was cute to shout out "I love you" at which point he veered off from whatever story he was telling us about Elvis Costello and Lyle Lovett and had some banter about how you could put anything in front of this woman and she would love it. Carrot Cake? I looove carrot cake. He has one of those voices that they should really put on a sound machine. I could have easily fallen asleep at the concert last night, but luckily the Gladiator-esque decor prevented me from resting my eyes. It was a great evening and I have to start going to more concerts. One of the most interesting moments last night was when he played "You Are The Best Thing". But he played it the way he originally wrote it and not the way it was performed on the album. It was very different, style wise and beat wise. The man has the voice of a mountain and he seems like a cool guy which doesn't hurt.

Here's one film I most likely will not be seeing.

Porsche is suing Crocs..funny because I heard Mario Batali was jetting around in his orange Porsche this morning.

Ces't tout!

Birthday Post

2009-11-09T08:33:00.004-05:00

I really enjoy birthdays and would like to take this opportunity to wish LE a very happy birthday! May the celebration continue far into November.

Did you have a good weekend? Do anything fun? See any good movies? It was such a beautiful day yesterday here in NYC and today is going to be amazing as well.

Don't have room for a garden, why not try a window farm?

Short post today, but it's a good day and so we deserve a treat. Here's the opening to Arnold's Carnival in Rio. Might not want to watch this one at work but save it for home. There are some scantily clad women but it's hilarious. Oh Governor.

Mailbag Friday

2009-11-06T08:54:00.003-05:00

Yes, it's that time again, time to go through some of the millions of letters that flood my mailbox and while it's hard to choose which ones to answer, I've selected a few. So let's take a look at our fans writing in. The first letter comes from Carl Ridgeon of Blue Ridge, Arkansas.

Carl writes:

Dear EvanAlmighty,

You have a huge following here in Blue Ridge and this is really more of a submission than a question, but was wondering if you had seen this article in our paper? I scanned in part of it for you and am including it below. Thanks for entertaining us on a daily basis.

Our next real question comes from Stacy Went in San Francisco, CA. Stacy writes:

Dear Evan,

Greetings from San Fran! Not sure if you remember me but we rode the Trolley together and I was the one who basically fell off just before we got to the Fisherman's Wharf. Do you remember me? I wanted to know what you did for Halloween!

Thanks,
Stacy

Thanks for writing in Stacy, and no, I don't remember you. Halloween was a lot of fun, probably one of the best I can remember. Here are some highlights from the fun I had.

One more question before I need to jet...this one is international! Hans Leland from Sweden (hey that rhymes) says:

Evan,
The Swedes love you! You rock. I am coming to New York City and want to know what sort of things you would recommend I do. I want see Times Square and other attractions but was wondering if there's some off the beaten track attraction I need to see.

-Hans

Hans, I have always wanted to go to Sweden and I hope to make it there soon. This is a tough question. There are so many great things to do in NYC, broadway show, television tapings, Central Park, the museums, buildings, so much! But, if you have a chance, I highly recommend checking this out:

Hope you have a great weekend!

The air horn sounds, and my day begins

2009-11-05T08:44:00.004-05:00

It's Thursday, and that means the weekend is almost here. Stores have already switched over to holiday mode and it's only a matter of time before the sweet pine can be smelled on the NYC sidewalks, one of my favorite smells especially when mixed with freshly fallen snow. Despite the days I have to battle the streets to get to work, I love winter in NYC. The holidays, the lights, the color, the crisp air, spending time with friends and family, sitting inside and staring out at the snow. I'm looking forward to it. But first, I guess we have to make it through Thanksgiving. I don't really have anything to talk about this morning as you most likely already observed. So here are some newsworthy links to start your day off with. I also have not edited anything typed here because my editor will be looking it over later.

It's only a bear. The bare necessities of life will come to you.

This guy's obviously been watching too many movies.

A man shows up to his own funeral, no really.

7-Eleven is now getting into the wine business but my question is, wine slurpee?

Even Michelle Obama is an Iron Chef fan!

You can even control a car with an iPhone...I'm impressed.

In case you missed the 2009 ING NYC Marathon, here's a recap:

2009 NYC Marathon Timelapse from mdkmc on Vimeo.

Dirty Laundry

2009-11-03T22:01:00.005-05:00

Can I tell you a brief story about my laundry experience last night? Well, I guess you don't really have a choice here although you could just click on the x at the top and close out of this page. I have never had the luxury of dropping off my laundry-- having someone else wash and fold it for me and then just being able to pick it up. Since I moved to Hoboken almost a year ago, I have been bringing my laundry to the same place. It's sort of out of the way but I like the guy so I've stayed loyal. The other night, I ran into my neighbors who mentioned that they drop their laundry off a few doors down at this small laundromat aptly named, Garden Laundry (it's on Garden Street). I figured I would give this new place a shot. I was excited to pick up my laundry last night but something was wrong. Very wrong. First, they bring out my laundry in the wrong laundry bag. It's a green tattered looking thing.

"Are you sure", the woman says to me when I told her that the bag wasn't mine.

Like I didn't remember what kind of bag I had. I looked in and saw my shirt on top. I walked around the counter and found my real bag inside of which were also my clothes, but it was all labeled wrong. Upon pulling out my clothes from the wrong bag I noticed that my clothes had been mixed in with some other guy's clothes. So while I worked to sort out my clothes from this other guy's, the woman called the woman who took my clothes in the night before. She explained that she must have been distracted because her boyfriend was there. This led to a conversation, much of which I couldn't understand about how this only happened two times before and how she screwed up my laundry. Now I know where Seinfeld gets his material.

Despite the mishap, I was pleased with the job they did on my clothes. They smelled good and were folded perfectly. In fact, they were folded better than the other place which folds too many times and wrinkles everything.

Brilliant move by the Academy to choose Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin as a host team for the Oscars!

If you take away anything from reading this blog today, I hope it's this: Don't ever flip a judge the bird because you will go to jail.

Battling the flu? How about some home remedies?

Here's what happens when you strap a camera onto the front bumper of a Ferrari and stroll through the streets of Paris. So Cool.

C'ÉTAIT UN RENDEZ-VOUS - short film by Claude Lelouch (ORIGINAL HQ) from Vahe A on Vimeo.

I forgot to mention that I made a trip to Costco when I was home the other weekend and I had to get a gigantic box of cereal which was way up out of arms reach. Here's what happened next:

Nanowrimo

2009-11-03T08:22:00.002-05:00

It completely escaped me that this month is National Novel Writing Month. It's not too late to start your novel. Head over to the official site and sign up!

I never like getting sentimental on this blog, but I was thinking this morning about how lucky I really am. Sure I'll win a raffle here or there but life is good, no not good, great. And that, my friends, is about all the sentiment you are getting from me today.

A recent conversation got me thinking about car rides to Vermont as a kid. We spent most friday nights hopping in the car and heading up to Vermont. I was always tired after school and would be able to sleep in the back while my parents sat up front listening to the radio, tapes and then cds, talking and singing. I have such a clear memory of them singing along to certain songs and cds and harmonizing. Upon hearing a Tracy Chapman song in the car the other night, I pictured myself listening to my parents singing from the back seat, except this time, I found myself in the drivers seat, singing along and harmonizing just as they used to do. It was a special moment for me and... shoot, I'm getting all sentimental again.

Hear-ye Hear-ye, Cocoa Krispies will protect you from the Swine Flu!

Have a great day :-)

I Love A Parade

2009-11-02T08:26:00.004-05:00

What is it that makes us love parades? The music? the floats? the happiness? There are many aspects of a parade that can leave us cheering, waving our non-existent batons in the air. Seventy-Six trombones did not lead the NYC Halloween Parade, a glorious sight this year, down Sixth Ave in the rain. I hadn't been to the parade since college and it was a great time. Securing a spot on sixth ave was pretty easy and the costumes were most enjoyable. Thriller was big this year as was The Wizard of Oz. I was, however, disappointed that there were no tipsy Ewoks.

Friday night, a bunch of us went up North to exit 18 off the NY State Thruway to the Headless Horseman Tours. According to them, they are America's #1 haunted attraction, and I'll believe it. They have quite a production going on. Just make sure you don't loose anything on the hayride and thanks to Levon Helm Studois. (spelling mistake is on purpose, but you had to be there.)

I hope you had a great Halloween and now I guess, the countdown to Thanksgiving has begun.

Adam, I'd like to hear your thoughts about this.

Oh, hey kid. Can you make some calls for us? - love Barack.

Neil Simon's Brighton Beach Memoirs, waved goodbye already. Only open a week, the show was forced to close due to low ticket sales.

Last night I went to my first test/research screening for a movie. It was very cool because we got to see a rough cut of the film and then give our opinions after by filling out a long questionnaire and talking with the producers. There were things I really liked about this film but some of the plotlines just didn't work for me. And that's why they have these screenings. So they can get honest feedback and fix it the best they can. The cast was great and I can definitely see this film making it's way to Sundance. It'll be interesting to see what happens to it.

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-31T14:49:00.001-04:00

Hope you have a happy and safe Halloween! Thanks to elly for telling me about this clip!

Priceless

Pedestrian Rage

2009-10-29T08:18:00.002-04:00

I witnessed pedestrian rage this morning. Some people like watching people fight, but it usually leaves me with a feeling of uneasiness. A guy in a suit that wasn't a perfect fit, was crossing the street when a car made a right and cut him off. He banged his fist on the trunk and continued walking. It wasn't until the guy caught up with the Beemer who was dropping off his wife that the fight ensued. The cops got involved and there was much confrontation. On top of this, commuters were being bombarded by annoying volunteers reminding us to vote for so and so and what's her name.

I love the politicians who stand right by the steps to the PATH with an extended hand. First of all, am I going to shake your hand when you've been shaking hands with people all morning? I don't think so. Second, I'm trying to get to work and it's nice to see you in person but I don't know you and I don't trust you. Want my vote? How about you break up that fight over there.

This just in, I'm listening to Ray Charles' Genius Loves Company...it's so good.

In Letterman news, a female staff writer who worked on the show when they were at NBC is now speaking out about the sexually charged work atmosphere. I won't comment on anything here but I'll just say that I will not argue against her although I do feel she is trying to use this to get attention because after all, that's what writers, heck, all of us want right?

Did you have breakfast? If so, you might not want to see the world's scariest foods.

Get excited!!

Post 878

2009-10-28T08:32:00.002-04:00

Even though I don't have HBO, for some reason I get a few HBO movie channels and they will rerun the new Curb Your Enthusiasm. So last night, having come home from a fun get together with my favorite boss, I sat down and watched two episodes which had me cracking up. I'm glad to see the show is still on top of its game and able to provide a much needed laugh.

First the balloon boy and now this, a meteorite hoax.

Curbed is an excellent site for anyone remotely interested in real estate. Well I was happy to see a post with some of the most hideous apartments for sale.

Have no fear, the edible bacon fat candle is here.

This is a pretty amazing story and one which gives me an idea. (lightbulb turns on)

With all the hoaxes in the news I'm not sure what to believe any more. This shark story however, freaks me out.

Okay, this is just bizarre.

Hope you have a moment to play out in the rain today. Stomp in some puddles and swing around some street lamp posts. What a glorious feeling, I'm happy again.

Aspirin

2009-10-27T08:22:00.003-04:00

I only wish I could convey how I have been feeling lately but this isn't the place nor the time. Instead, I'd like to talk about aspirin for a second. It'll make your aches and pains go away but it will also start a dead car battery. Why not use it to get out a stain?

Clothing Stains:
How To Remove Sweat Stains With Aspirin

Just what exactly were these pilots doing on their laptops?

Washington Square Park is currently undergoing phase two of it's facelift, and they uncovered a tombstone!

Here's a tip, if you are working in a haunted house, don't frighten any cops.

Last night I went to the opening of the new Tonnie's Minis in Harlem. It's a great space and the event was a lot of fun. Not to mention, the cake that was designed for the opening was the star attraction. Very cool.

Ilulissat icebergs from icescapes on Vimeo.

Credit Card Crazy

2009-10-26T08:34:00.004-04:00

I heard on the news this morning that for the first time, the use of Debit Cards has exceeded that of credit cards. This was followed by a conversation about how credit card companies are going to screw us even more with new fees. For example, if you are someone who pays your bill in full each month, companies are starting to issue annual fees because they aren't making money from any interest you would be gaining otherwise. That's messed up. The other thing that was mentioned is that people who don't hit a certain spending amount each month will also be charged a fee. If they think they are going to get away with this, well, they probably will.

Did you have a good weekend? I did, despite feeling like I have been fighting something. Probably should have gone to the doctor but I figured sleep and a lot of tea and vitamin C would help and it has.

I used to get my previous car oil changed at Jiffy Lube. As I pulled my car into the garage I always thought about the car going into the open area in the floor. Well, I guess it does happen.

Short post this morning. And we're off....

Batman Cakes

2009-10-23T08:45:00.003-04:00

First of all, HAPPY FRIDAY! So, every now and then I like to see how people are coming to this blog. I am able to see what people put into Google to pull this site up and I was surprised to learn that numerous people have been searching for "batman cakes" and are being brought to this site. If you are looking for a batman cake and living in NYC, please email us at evanlucasblog@gmail.com. One of our readers is actually a very talented cake designer and we can put you in touch with her. So all you batman cake searchers, you were brought here for a reason.

First swine flu and now the Mumps in Brooklyn.

For anyone interested in filmmaking, I hope you've been following the phenomenon that is Paranormal Activity. It's amazing what is happening with this film.

Check out these photos. How cool!

Ice Ice Baby

Winning

2009-10-22T08:09:00.002-04:00

This past year I have been winning numerous things. Perhaps it's just because I've been entering more contests and raffles? I've won numerous theater tickets, a cruise (scam), almost won a Vespa, and now the Paula Deen madlibs. Go ahead and laugh, I came across this thing she was doing on her site and I decided to enter. Well, I won. I'm Evan Lucas for those of you who may not have known. And I guess my Madlibs is going to be put up on her twitter and facebook sites. Maybe I'll get a prize. We all like to win. It's a great feeling. So I encourage you to start entering more contests. What have you got to lose?

We've all been to Ikea. But have you seen this blog that showcases the different "Ikea Hacks"

Looking for a new favorite website? Why not check out 50 Kick-Ass Websites. I had no idea there was a site that will tell you what books to read based on previous reads. I wonder if this thing really works. If the suggestions they make are valid. Let me know.

The Gilfeather Turnip

2009-10-21T08:27:00.005-04:00

Upon hearing the name, Gilfeather Turnip one conjures up images of a dainty turnip, perhaps beautiful, with a feather-like stem being pulled from the earth. This however, is far from reality. The Gilfeather is probably the ugliest turnip I have seen. Awful color, oddly shaped, it could easily be mistaken for a rock, which is appropriate because they are difficult to cut. So where did this turnip come from? Well where all good things come from of course, Vermont.

The local turnip is apparently—its history is somewhat mysterious -- the
descendent of a sweet, white German turnip. It became part of Wardsboro
history when John Gilfeather started growing them on his hillside farm in the
early 1900s. He developed a unique product, probably through hybridization.
He planted many rows of turnips and sold them by the cartload in Brattleboro,
Northampton, and other markets, but he kept the seeds to himself. He cut off
the tops and bottoms of his turnips so that no one else could reproduce them.

Over the years Gilfeather turnips have found their way into countless stews,
sauces, and soups. They are often boiled and mashed in with the potatoes, and
according to Wales Read, some people like to cut them into thin slices and eat
them raw. Local Brit Shine noted that deer also appreciate a good turnip, and
Carol Backus, present owner of Gilfeather Farm, has found deer eating not only
the green tops but the roots of her turnips as well.

Despite praise from Greg Parks, the Gilfeather turnip’s humble origin and
lowly status may overshadow its fame as a gourmet delicacy. Beatrice Read
recalled that on the family farm they raised them by the bushel, ground them
up, and fed them to the cows. “It made the milk taste a little funny,” she said,
“but you got used to it.”

There is even an annual Gilfeather Turnip festival which I might have to attend one year just because.

If you are wondering what this turnip tastes like, I'll tell you. It's sweet. Shocking right? Create a stew with this and your house guests won't stop talking about it. It's surprisingly very good. Of course, if it weren't for my parents I wouldn't have known about this turnip. Thanks mom and dad.

Driving in NY State? Better not be caught on your cell phone.

I've seen this slip up before...but it's still funny to me. I know, my sense of humor is warped.

Can I take a moment to apologize. I have not been spending the time I used to to write these posts. It's been a hectic month but I plan on getting back into the groove. How Evan Got His Groove Back.

Century 21

2009-10-20T08:32:00.006-04:00

Every day, I get a call from the realtor at Century 21, James, telling me that he and his partner whose name I cannot recall at the moment will be showing my apartment. I used to take out a mouse trap when the apartment was shown out of annoyance but now I find myself trying to straighten up the place which basically means throwing the heap of clothes from my floor to my bed and then at night, the reverse. So far, these are the most aggressive realtors and the landlord has gone through quite a few. Perhaps it has something to do with the building.

I did a lot of thinking last night and this morning. It was a night of brainstorming. Putting everything into perspective and visualizing next steps. They say creative visualization works, yes? We'll see.

Leave it to the Post to come up with this headline. That actress washed that stage manager right out of her hair.

NYU student gets food stamps and more will follow.

(skip to 4:53)

Alas, poor Yorick.

2009-10-19T08:24:00.004-04:00

Friday night, after a sushi dinner which did not look like our current president's face, I had the pleasure of seeing Hamlet on Broadway starring the oh-so-British Jude Law. While I was disappointed Jude didn't break into his Shania chicken salad story, I was pleasantly surprised by his Hamlet and the overall production. Clocking in at over 3 hours, I did become sleepy during some points but was quickly awakened when the guy in front of me leaned back to put his arm around his girlfriend. Yes, there wasn't much leg room, but the play's the thing. It was a great evening and added something new to my Broadway portfolio.

This weekend also brought me to see the new Spike Jonze work, Where The Wild Things Are. I was so excited for this film, ever since I saw the trailer that was so amazingly edited. And that's the problem. That trailer was too good. I was really disappointed with this film on many levels. I will say that Jim Henson's Creature Shop is to be applauded for amazing, amazing costumes. Other than that, this movie did not do it for me. I felt that Spike Jonze used this movie as an outlet for his own familial issues which is fine, but during the whole movie I don't think I felt good once. I found the monsters to be annoying and not at all interesting. Yes, Max's imaginary world mimicked his real life but who cares? This story goes nowhere and I could not wait for Max to return home. Maybe I was too tired when I saw this film and I'll give it a second chance when it arrives on DVD. In the meantime, I will continue to cherish the book and recommend you do the same.

Pop The Damn Balloon and Drop The Story

2009-10-16T08:22:00.003-04:00

I am sick and tired of all this balloon boy stuff. There are more important things going on around the world and all people are talking about is the boy, the balloon, the hoax, Ballon, Ballon. The media should take a giant pin and pop this balloon once and for all. And now let's switch topics completely. Happy Friday! Now that the temperature has cooled down to the 30's, it's time to take out the coats and turn on the heat.

Have you seen this video? It's pretty amazing. I've never seen anything like this before.

Good news Amazon fans, Amazon now has same day delivery in NYC!

I'd like to end today having a little talk about the Penny Loafer. I was sitting on the PATH this morning in and out of resting mode when, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a glimmer of light. It was a penny, a penny from a man's penny loafer. It got me thinking about whether or not people still put pennies in there and about the history of the penny loafer.

The penny loafer originated in the 1930s when loafers of several varieties were fashionable as men's and women's shoes. Somewhat unbelievably, this fashion started with the Spaulding company when they produced shoes styled after those of Norwegian dairy farmers that had appeared in an article in Esquire Magazine. However, it wasn't until a few years later that the penny entered the equation.

In trying to add his own unique stamp to the popular loafer, John Bass began producing loafers he called Weejuns that had a strap across the top of the shoe for style purposes, as a loafer is traditionally defined by having no buckles or laces. This strap had a split design that was supposed to look like a pair of lips. This opening in the strap was soon used as a way to add a decorative touch to the usually simple loafer and small objects, such as pennies, were often placed there. A stylistic embellishment that had once been peculiar to Bass's shoes became synonymous with an entire fashion.

When pay-phones were still ubiquitous and hadn't yet been raised to a quarter, the penny loafer was often the source of funds for an emergency phone call home, especially for school-age children or teens on dates.

Penny loafers have been unique since their inception in that they have moved between both form and casual fashion and men's and women's fashion. Acceptable for both genders and viable with everything from a suit to jeans and even shorts, penny loafers have long made a smooth transition from work to play. The unique style of the vamp of the shoe that gives them their name has even been transplanted onto a high-heeled (and therefor non-loafer) version for women.

I have never owned a pair of penny loafers and I remember my dad saying they weren't supportive enough for my "foot type".

Boy in Balloon and snow in CT

2009-10-15T18:54:00.004-04:00

This post is coming late in the day due to a busy and exciting day. Some balloon boy and Connecticut snow are making the news at this hour and I'm listening to the wind and rain tap at the window. I come up with ideas and things I want to discuss on this blog but everything I had thought of earlier today has now escaped me.

I heard some lady raving about these mouse paintings in the elevator and decided to try to find it last night. I did. And this is the link.

This guy blows Mavis Beacon out of the water:

Bye Bye Birdie

2009-10-14T08:28:00.002-04:00

When people ask me if I miss performing, I admit that I do, but that I don't miss the memorizing lines and the stage anxiety that even the most seasoned performers still deal with on a nightly basis. Freshman year of high school got me hooked after landing the role of Conrad Birdie in Bye Bye Birdie. It was a role I really wanted, and I was up against some tough competition, including many seniors who didn't talk to me after the casting had been done. The whole HS auditioning and casting experience was fun but also very awkward. The cast list would go up, there would always be a certain time and word would spread very quickly. "Did you see who got this part?" and "I saw Patty crying in the bathroom" could be heard down the hallways. Why do I bring all this up? Because I went to see Bye Bye Birdie on Broadway last night. Familiar faces filled the stage but the talent, the talent forgot to show up. Honestly, this is probably one of the least talented Broadway performances I have ever seen. John Stamos and Gina Gershon are so weak, at one point I forgot I was seeing a show on broadway. I've seen high school leads better than these two. Bill Irwin stood out in this cast with his comedic interpretation of Mr. Macafee. In many shows they will make older people play kids but in this show they used kids, a lot of kids. Conrad Birdie was pretty good but lacked a certain stage presence perhaps because he's a little 20 something year old.

I leave you with these:

There's a Storm A Comin'

2009-10-13T08:19:00.002-04:00

No time to write anything substantial today but I do hope you had an excellent weekend. My extended weekend was really great.

Here's the news story of the day, and it took place in Morristown, NJ.

This weekend confirmed that I am most happy around certain people. There are people in our lives that really make everything so much better. I am most grateful. :-)

Oh Come on..

2009-10-12T23:19:00.001-04:00

I'm taking today off, okay?

The Spontaneous Traveler

2009-10-09T08:20:00.002-04:00

I'm going to give you an elevator pitch for a new show. And this building is 150 stories so the elevator takes awhile to get to the top. Here's the premise: every week the host, who works a full-time 9-5 job, 5 days a week receives a note with a new destination on Friday morning. His or her flight is scheduled for Friday night so he/she must go home and pack and then travels to a place he/she has never been. Our host has the weekend to explore and we follow along. It's called, The Spontaneous Traveler. We've seen enough of these wild man shows, dropping from a helicopter into the wilderness, drinking urine and eating live toads. This is simple, informational and something I almost did yesterday and will definitely do in the near future.

All you Super Mario fans out there, there's a new one for Wii.

By now you've heard about this Australian Gong Show incident involving Harry Connick Jr.

The Seltzer Man has gotten his fizz back.

I used to be fascinated with Dr. Z and was even him for Halloween one year although no one knew who I was. Well, Dr. Zizmor, I'll let you have the last word today and start the weekend on a great note.

Whistle While You Work

2009-10-08T09:29:00.004-04:00

I noticed that I have been whistling while I work recently. That and playing a lot of music in the office, especially when my office mate is away. We can all very easily get stressed out at the office and it has been suggested to me that I start working on my breathing. It's important to be able to master the art of breathing especially under stressful circumstances. Won't you join me by following Dr. Weil's three breathing techniques? We can all feel better together. This is my personal favorite:

I found this to be quite funny. It's fly art!

Short post today. But you're most likely getting this emailed to you at 8:00pm tonight so you have better things to do than read this post.

The Farmers Market

2009-10-07T08:31:00.003-04:00

Being that I am somewhat a child of New England and also the GARDEN STATE, and the son of parents who are into gardening and produce, I have grown up loving the farmers market. Perhaps my love of supermarkets also stems (ha) from this. I love picking my own fruit and am sad to say it looks as though I won't be able to make it apple picking this year. So the next best thing is going to a farmers market and getting the apples. When I was an undergrad wandering around the Big Apple, I could be found frequenting the Union Square Market as it was a mere 40 steps from my dorm. How could I resist the fresh kale and pressed cider that awaited me. Okay, I never bought Kale but this is stream of conscience writing okay? Hoboken, in addition to a costume dog parade and a garlic festival, has a farmers market on Tuesdays. While it's a bit small, the produce is excellent and there is a nice variety of vendors to choose from. There was even a pickle guy. Heyoo! At a farmers market, the merchants are usually very much into their products and proud of their produce. They will tell you all about the fresh ingredients, the special type of soil their potatoes are grown in or the name of the goat that gave the milk which made the cheese. Their is a vibrancy at farmers markets, and I just love em.

This is appropriate, it's the Truck Garden Bed!

And now, I leave you with a special segment... Graphic Scenes of an Elephant Birth (said with British accent please)

Letterman Apology

2009-10-06T08:28:00.003-04:00

I was hoping to get to bed earlier than I did last night, but I was determined to work on project Tapenade and I did. While I usually work in a quiet place I decided to turn on Letterman to see if he was going to say anything and he did. Not to mention Steve Martin was on and I wouldn't miss a Dave/Steve interaction, especially right now. For the first half of the show I was mesmorized. It's a Dave we have never seen before, his whole being exposed. Gone are the days of confined and hidden Dave. He's out there now. It's very upsetting though. Watching him apologize to his staff and to his wife. Like he said, "he has a lot of work to do." I'm sure the staff over there are being bombarded by the press and it can't be fun.

Ba dum...da dum...da da da da da....

I usually will post robot stories on here because let's face it, who doesn't enjoy hearing about a new robot...especially when the robot can sing. Watch out!

Our friends at Improv Everywhere were at it again, this time, walking their invisible dogs around Brooklyn. Take a look.

Looks like I missed this year's NYC Medieval Festival. And judging from video from last year, it's quite the spectacle.

Of Mice and Men.

I'll let Seth Green have the last word:

A Sad Sight

2009-10-05T08:34:00.003-04:00

I missed a photo opportunity this morning. As I was walking to work I glanced over and saw the infamous time keeper, John Votta, locked out of the area where he usually stands, one hand reaching up touching the lock. It was sad to see him evicted from his area. Where will he stand now? Time will only tell.

There was a man on the train this morning standing in front of me and sleeping. So when I got up to get off, I had to tap him after two unsuccessful vocal "Excuse me's".
This got me to wondering if people can really fall asleep while standing up. Let's see what this guy says.

Yes, we know cows and horses can stand, but, "when a human tries to sleep standing up, he or she generally fails within a few minutes. Sleep involves a general relaxation of the muscles, including those responsible for keeping a person standing upright. Because the would-be sleeper's mind has largely shut down, it is not providing all of the subtle and not-so-subtle adjustments which keep standing humans in balance. In essence, once the brain, joints and muscles stop working to keep a person upright, it's time to meet the floor."

For now, I'm going to stick to sleeping while sitting or lying down.

And now for Raccoon news, a gang of raccoons attacked a woman in Florida. They were not armed. And just an FYI, a group of raccoons is called a nursery or gaze.

I leave you with something so good. The Sesame Street Pitch. I was crazy about Sesame Street and the Muppets as a child and I still am today. My favorite big bird chair still sits in my parent's basement and at a very early age I would go around singing the Sesame Street and Muppet Show songs.

Does this creep you out? It creeps me out.

2009-10-04T11:48:00.000-04:00

Turning Emotional Crap Into Emotional Creativity

2009-10-02T08:16:00.002-04:00

I did some thinking on my commute to work this morning after a night of some emotional crap, a bunch of things coming together along with drinks only makes things worse. And so, I sat down and turned the emotional crap into emotional creative. I'm coining this phrase. It is no wonder why some of the best ideas, most heartfelt songs and other creative masterpieces are derived from artists feeling intense emotions. We are but walking emoticons in a world full of emotions. I'll admit I've never been the best at expressing how I'm feeling. But I'm getting better at that everyday and nothing feels better than sitting down and creating something for someone else. So that's what I did. And I think it came out pretty well. Does it change things? No, not really. So take any emotional crap that you may be carrying around with you today and turn it into something else, something you are proud of.

This sort of ties into this whole Letterman fiasco. I missed the show but my former boss, in a way, turned his emotional crap into emotional creativity on the show last night. Letterman said that he has been the victim of an extortion attempt over charges of sexual affairs with staff members, claims that he said were true. Dave is a genius when it comes to serious matters although I'm sure the audience didn't see this coming and probably thought he may have been setting them up for a punchline. Actually, this is more like Dave just laying the emotional crap on the table for everyone.

"There's no business like show business. No business I know."

Clowns In Space

2009-10-01T08:33:00.002-04:00

Sorry in advance for the brief post but there's lots to do and not enough time to do it. SothispostistobereadfastlikethatMicroMachinesGuy. Wow, it's annoying to read without any spaces.

So, they put the first clown in space.

Forget about obesity and Diabetes, kids who eat a lot of candy turn into violent adults? Officer, she hit me with that jawbreaker.

That's all. Oh, and this. Awhile back I mentioned the Sesame Street Mad Men parody. It's been posted. Here 'tis.

Why The New York Times Should Hire Me and The Invention of Lying

2009-09-30T08:30:00.003-04:00

Every day we hear about the newspapers and publishing industry struggling to stay above water. Subscriptions are down and companies need to find new ways to engage readers. So I came up with an idea for the New York Times this morning while walking to work because that's what I do in the morning. I think. About life, about the people in my life, about ideas, dreams, the future, you name it, I think about it. So this morning I decided that the New York Times should start marketing specifically to people with dogs. That's right. Here's why. It starts as early as when people go to pick up a puppy from a pet store. A majority of the time, these puppies are playing and rolling around in shredded newspaper. The New York Times should use this in their marketing plan. Let's fast forward a few years. The puppy is all grown up, likes to fetch the newspaper! So having a subscription is a great way to train your dog. Next and last is the blue bag. The New York Times is delivered in this blue bag which then gets used by dog owners to pick up excrement. Okay, I'm done. Did I make my point? I'm not sure. New York Times and Dog Owners just seem to go together very nicely.

Last night I had the pleasure of going to see the new Ricky Gervais film, The Invention of Lying. Yes he stars in it, but he also co-wrote and directed. The man is a machine. You can really tell that he wrote the script because it's very much his humor. Throw in a plethora of familiar faces (all you Ricky Gervais Show fans will be happy to know that Stephen Merchant makes a brief appearance). I went into this film wondering if I was going to be presented with something fresh, something new, and I was. Ricky Gervais is genius although at times the "everyone saying what they really think" gag grows old until the film is brought to the next level and the plot is able to move forward. I felt as though the film plateaus as some point and then regains momentum and continues on. Jennifer Garner's dimples can do no wrong and behind it all, there is a message. Love conquers all and funny short overweight men have a shot.

Watching this film left me craving a trip to a quaint small New Englad town and my question was answered in the press notes, it was filmed in Lowell, Massachusetts, 25 miles north of Boston.

That's all for now. Busy day ahead.

Are You Going To Answer That?

2009-09-29T08:18:00.002-04:00

We've heard numerous stories of cell phones interrupting Broadway shows, the actors stopping and making light of it or getting angry and then the show continuing. Well by now many of you have seen this clip from the new show starring Hugh Jackman and Daniel Craig, A Steady Rain.

The audience laughs but even I feel somewhat uncomfortable watching this. I'd also like to know if this person was just filming or they started filming because the cell phone was going off. Bootlegged Broadway.

If you live in New York City or any other walkable city, you really have to watch where you walk. There are bad drivers out there. I've noticed that cars in Hoboken have a tendency to ignore stop signs and also any yield to pedestrian signs. And so, on my way to my personal training session last night, I was crossing the street and a guy in his Benz sees me waiting to cross, he has a stop sign and so I start crossing and he doesn't stop at all. He just drives by slowly. So I banged my fist on his car. It gave him a jolt, but it was a well deserved jolt. Jerk.

Here's some great news. A new study shows that the health of people with jobs is declining. I'm tired of these studies. Your health is declining if you have a job, your health is declining if you don't have a job, don't drink coffee, drink it, alcohol makes you live longer...

Coconuts are in style.

Here's a great Vermont/MOMA story.

For those who enjoy trying new things in Final Cut Pro and other editing programs, I highly recommend fooling around with green screen, split screen and trying to stage a light saber fight. No, I have not done this. But here are some people who have spent a little too much time doing this.

I leave you with this, which I find to be tres tres cool. I mean, nothing says cool like a 12 foot Zoetrope.

Temperley London Circus Zoetrope from LEGS on Vimeo.

Octobrrrrrr

2009-09-28T08:09:00.000-04:00

I hope you had a great weekend. I did. I had a lot of fun on Saturday in the city, exploring new places, laughing, brainstorming, it doesn't get much better than that. It was chilly on Saturday, a sure sign that fall has arrived. The leaf peepers will soon be on their way North to see the changing leaves. Ahh, I just love it.

Let me start with this video...

I saw a couple yesterday in Hoboken that just made me sick. Really. She was wearing a football jersey and he a black shirt and jeans. I was standing behind them as we waited to cross the street and they were standing in front of me, out in the street. They look to their right and see a parked car starting to back up so that it can pull out. Now, if I saw someone backing up I would move my girlfriend out of the way and back up onto the sidewalk. Not this guy. This guy just stands there with his arm around his girlfriend and tries yelling at the guy in the car. "Hey, hey, don't you see us standing here?". A lot of good his screams did with the car windows up. The driver had no idea. Then the light changes and we are walking. He whispers in her ear and curses about something. Then the following takes place:

He:Your friend Karen said I was hot.
She: *fake laughs* oh yeah, Karen said that?
He: Yeah *runs fingers through hair*
She: Wow, that's a compliment. She doesn't say that to anyone.
He: (smiles, proud of himself)

Unfortunately there wasn't a place for me to barf because I just might have. There are some really great and interesting people in Hoboken, but then there are these people. And these people are the people who give Hoboken a bad name. I wonder where their conversation veered next? Let me take a shot at this...

He: You know, I'm not nearly as hot as you, bebe.
She: *fake laugh* uh yuh, I know you're not. So do they call these jerseys because they are from our state?
He: I think so, man you look great in that Giants jersey.
She: I look even better without it.
He: yeah, I bet (hand moves to her right cheek)

Okay, okay. That's enough of that. You get the point.

I just realized I left my cell phone charger at home. Don't you hate that?

New SNL cast member, Jenny Slate mistakingly droppped the F Bomb the other night.

Blame it on the m.mm.mm.mmm.mmm.mailbag

2009-09-25T08:14:00.004-04:00

Since it's Friday and because 3 Chords and the Truth reminded me that I have a mailbox which needed to be checked, (Whoops. I completely forgot about it) I chose a couple of questions from the bag and let's see what people are wondering.

The first one comes from Randy Crazhman in Phoenix, Arizona. Don't know if Randy is a man or woman but let's see what he/she has to say:

Dear Evan Almighty,

I'm a longtime reader of your blog and was wondering what your morning routine is like. Are you an egg or cereal man?

Randy

Thanks for the question, Randy. I love eggs and cereal but I'll have to say I'm a cereal man during the week and an egg man on the weekends. As for my morning routine, well...

My next question comes from Margaritte Wilson in Dorset, Vermont. Thanks for writing Margaritte!

Hi Evan,

I've seen you mention Vermont often on this blog and I recently saw you said something about Mad Tom Orchard. I just went picking there yesterday and was curious what kind of apples you like?

Cheers,
Margaritte

Great question! One of my favorite apple varieties are Honey Crisp which I believe are currently being picked. However, this apple takes the cake.

Okay, one more. This question comes from Brad Ronsoni from Tampa, Florida. Brad writes:

Hey,
You know what? No one cares about your life stories and your links and your NYC experiences. What I want to know is about the stuff you keep on saying you'd like to write but can't because people read this. Suck it up and lay it out there. What? You like some girl? You're stressed at work? Big deal. We all have these issues. So stop telling me about your personal trainer moving to Thailand and give me the real stuff

Brad

Oh Brad, what am I going to do with you? It's not that simple. If you email me directly I might be able to share with you but until then I'm just going to avoid the issue and change the subject using this:

Keep plucking those chickens, Brad.

And that's today's mailbag. Nothing too exciting unfortunately. Which brings us to another Friday. I read an article about the precautions gyms are taking to prevent Swine Flu and when I got to my gym last night I didn't see any sign that they were doing anything. I notice most people don't wipe off the machines and when my trainer pointed to one person doing it I told him that he must have paid her to do it in front of me. I'm sure he's glad he's moving to Thailand.

I have a question for you. Just who is this MIKA character? I recently heard his music and saw that he has a new CD out so I decided to do some investigating and found some of his performances online. Like this one:

I then went to Wikipedia to read about this guy and noticed people have been editing his entry with some interesting info. Gotta love Wikipedia.

I hope you have a great weekend!

Super Charged Man In Suit

2009-09-24T08:28:00.002-04:00

I started my morning off behind a man in a suit and a solar paneled backpack walking super fast. It looked as though the solar pack was charging him up and making him go. It made me laugh.

Speaking of making me laugh, here's something to get us all going this morning:

Last night was my first night of class and it went pretty well. There are only 12 classes so I have a feeling it's going to go by very quickly. Most of the people in the class are in an MBA program and I guess they all have these name plates and the desks have a slot in the front where you can stand them up. An easy way for professors to call on people and, I guess, learn names. I'm thinking about getting a "Hello My Name Is _______" sticker to wear to class. The subject is interesting although I'm not looking forward to the presentation. Presentations scare me and so I usually try to make them as creative and funny as possible because that's the way I cope. Gone are the days of feeling special because the teacher learned your name first.

I don't know about this one, Honda. Looks sort of uncomfortable to me.

I'll let Enrique have the last word..

Older People Say The Darndest Things

2009-09-23T08:34:00.002-04:00

Howdy! Why is it that I still feel a little nervous my first day of class. There's no reason to be nervous, Evan. And yet, I am. Who will be in the class, will the teacher be good, how much work will we have? The questions linger in the back of my mind. Luckily, it's only an hour and a half. If you're interested, I'll give you a brief summary tomorrow, a review of the first class, Entertainment and Globalization.

Since I was a kid I was always fascinated with Pee-Wee Herman. His show was brilliant and his movies are classics. There is no other comedian quite like him. Well Pee-Wee is back and he was on this new Jay Leno Show. He's a somewhat older Pee-Wee but his facial expressions alone are enough to make me laugh. He's doing a live show in Los Angeles and I hear they are working on a new movie. I know you are but what am I?

Last night there was an event in conjunction with an art show at our University Gallery. The show is Early Aboriginal Paintings from Papunya. While exiting the show, an older woman came over and said how much she enjoyed the show and that so and so was very knowledgeable and then she said something that was unexpected. In fact, I can't even remember the exact wording. But she used the word "penises" and "beautiful" in the same sentence. I think I must have done a double take before excusing myself. You had to be there.

This is random, but here are 13 techniques to cure the hiccups.

The crazy Yes Men are at it again and the New York Post isn't amused. Did anyone get the faux cover?

I'll let Ernie Anastos have the last word today:

Where Can You Find Real Fun? CT!

2009-09-22T08:10:00.004-04:00

As you may have noticed, state commissions on culture and tourism have been launching advertising and marketing campaigns to get us to go to these places and spend money. Vermont plastered the walls and floors at the Hoboken PATH station and I've been staring at this one poster for Connecticut on the PATH trains. It shows a little girl holding up a lobster claw and smiling devilishly while her family eats lobster in the background. The copy reads, "Real Fun is Closer Than You Think" and then says something about Connecticut. My first thought was, that's fun? My second thought is, this girl just ripped of the poor lobster's claw and my third thought is, I know how close Connecticut is. Perhaps I'm just being picky, but if I wanted to get people from Hoboken to Connecticut my approach would be much different. It would involve a scantily clad woman and/or man, some sort of alcoholic beverage, and jetskis.

I've been getting these 1010 Wins news alerts to my phone and I must say they come in handy, especially when it comes to transportation. But today I got one that has to do with terrorist attacks on stadiums, entertainment complexes and hotels. Freaking me out.

That's all I've got today.

The Censor Inside

2009-09-21T08:00:00.001-04:00

I think I've mentioned before that some of my posts that seem to get a greater response are the more personal ones. Things about me, what I'm thinking, my thoughts on life, love and the pursuit of happiness. And yet, while this blog affords me the opportunity to write freely, my inner censor is always on. "Nope, can't say that Evan, so and so is reading this" or "Are you sure you want to say that?". Wouldn't it be great if you could have hidden blog posts that only certain people could read. Like hidden lemon juice messages written on paper with a toothpick and revealed under either a light bulb or candle.

It's amazing to think that I am coming up on 900 posts. That means a lot of useless links, jokes, witty remarks, thoughts, vacations, a breakup, birthdays, celebrations, hope and dreams, and much more have been shared with all of you. Censored, of course.

This morning, I took my usual path to work and on this one street, I always see someone famous. This morning, my serene walk down said street was no longer serene. Two can collectors, on opposite sides of the street were collecting cans and one was screaming at the other one. I tried to comprehend what all the screaming was about as the construction workers stared on. I figured the one guy was angry at the other one for taking "his" cans. I kept walking and then looked to my left, John Leguizamo was standing on the steps of his apartment watching the two men. His wife and kids were coming out behind him, ready for school. You could tell he was trying to listen and see what all the yelling was about. I smiled and then continued on my way.

Leave it up to Time Magazine to put together a Top Ten Newscaster Bloopers for their website.

Hey all you iPhone users, please do me a favor and download Pen and Teller's iphone app. It's awesome!!!

Sometimes, things look cool when you speed them up...

The Fourth of July in San Francisco from Delrious on Vimeo.

And now a message from Riba the Robotic Assistance Bear:

Memories

2009-09-19T00:01:00.002-04:00

Boaz posted this compilation of clips from Clips and Quips. I miss the days of holding the camera and trying to keep as steady as possible. We had such a blast doing this show.

Clips & Quips from Boaz Frankel on Vimeo.

Love at First Read

2009-09-18T08:19:00.004-04:00

How many of us believe in love at first sight? We have seen it time and again in song, book and movie. A character falls immediately in love at first sight of another. Researchers say love at first sight might be genetic. But then again, that research was done on fruit flies. So now you are asking yourself, where is Evan possibly going with this. Here's where I'm going. And let me propose this question. Is it possible to fall in love with someone through the written word? That is, can someone be so moved by a writer's hand that a connection and feeling of love is created? I wonder if any blogger or author has fallen in love with one of his/her readers. Okay, I know what you are thinking now...and no, I don't believe there are women out there reading my blog and falling for me. And if there are....call me.

Writing, as we know, can be powerful. It can evoke feelings and this is what started me thinking about this whole love at first or second or third read. I was also thinking about this in terms of online dating. Some Joe Schmo from Kansas could write a brilliant profile on a dating site about himself and the match he is looking for. Will he get more emails from women than a guy who isn't a decent writer? Probably. But don't be fooled. Disappointment might be lurking around the corner. Falling in love with someone and their words can be dangerous. Because if and when things progress to the next level, like a phone call or in-person meeting, there is opportunity for a huge let down. Am I making any sense? Who knows. That's my thought for today.

I leave with you with this..have a great weekend.

Comedy Central's Next Move

2009-09-17T08:24:00.002-04:00

Last night I attended the taping of a pilot for an original new game show at Crash Mansion. I knew very little about the show going in and was curious to see what the creators and writers had come up with. I left very impressed. The writing is smart, clever and funny and the game concept is original and a lot of fun. Comedy Central would be silly not to pick this show up. It's just the sort of programming that they need right now. Not to mention it's a new and different venue for them to expose their comics to a wide audience. There was a wide age spectrum last night and looking around and listening to people talk, everyone was interested in the game and found it entertaining. This show would greatly appeal to Comedy Central's target market. I'm looking forward to seeing what happens and hope that the show moves on to the next level, because it's time for a funny and smart gameshow that doesn't rely on briefcases, hot models (well, maybe) and fist bumping.

We've all seen Ernie Anastos but did you HEAR him? This clip has now moved into my top ten news bloopers. Watch it before it's taken down!

Cloudy with a chance of meatballs....

Have you always wanted to drive a Peugeot? Well check out this new electric shape-shifting car.

It's really feeling like fall now so its appropriate to end with this video:

Suddenly, last summer from Leonardo Dalessandri on Vimeo.

So much to say, so much to say...not really

2009-09-16T08:41:00.002-04:00

I don't really have anything spectacular to write about this morning EXCEPT I am really looking forward to the taping tonight. My buddy Adam has been working on a very exciting project and it'll be my first time seeing all of his hard work and brilliant writing come to life on set. (Adam, is that good enough or do you need me to go on some more about your place on the genius meter??) Also, tonight is going to be a reunion of sorts. That's right. Someone I haven't seen or spoken with since college will be there and while I'm looking forward to this reunion, it might be sort of awkward. More on that tomorrow.

An NYU alumna is suing because she claims NYU used a drawing she did of a cougar for the bobcat logo on their materials. Which made me wonder, what's the difference between a cougar and a bobcat?

SIZE: Cougars average between 75 and 150 lbs, while bobcats average between 15 and 30 lbs. However, an exceptionally large male bobcat can be close in size to a small female cougar.

COLOR: Cougars are mainly one color (a tawny gold); bobcats are spotted or striped. One exception: cougar cubs are spotted (for camouflage).

TAIL: The most pronounced difference between the 2 species is their tail shape. Cougar tails are very long, at least half as long as their body length. Bobcats are named for their short "bobbed" tails, which are only a few inches long.

EARS: Cougars have rounded, wide-set ears. Bobcats have a very distinct tuft of hair on top of each ear which makes the ear look pointed.

FUR: Bobcats have a ruff of fur on their cheeks, while cougars have short fur all over.

And there you have it. That's all I've got for today...well, except for this classic news clip:

Obama and Clinton

2009-09-14T23:54:00.003-04:00

Dear NJ PATH,

I am writing to find out why you do not inspect the cars to make sure each one has proper air ventilation/circulation? Is it really that difficult? And if for some reason the air flow isn't working, put a sign on the window so on a day like today, when train service is slow and there are a lot of people pressing against the door to get in, we can be assured that there is a nicely ventilated car waiting for us. This was not the case this morning. And to top it off, the guy next to me, who must have been narcoleptic immediately fell asleep and his head was just about on my shoulder. Not cool, not cool at all. You know there is a problem with the air flow on a car when the doors open at a stop and cool, fresh smelling air comes rushing in.

Yours,
Evan

Yesterday, there was a lot of excitement around campus because Obama and Clinton decided to have lunch at Il Mulino on West 3rd street. Streets were blocked off, students stood on their toes hoping to catch a glimpse of the president, and security was tight, of course. I'm just glad one article reported what they ate:

“We had fish, pasta and salad,” Mr. Clinton said as he turned to leave, smiling and waving at a few reporters on the sidewalk. “It was very healthy. Even I was healthy.”

A good family friend of ours was interviewed for Style.com. Michael started The Journal and it is amazing to see how far the magazine has come. Be sure to check out The Journal website for upcoming events and news. And while you're at it, why not buy a subscription?

I was sad to see Roger Federer defeated by Juan Martin del Potro in the US Open Final but Federer will go down in tennis history with this shot. I could watch this all day long.

I'd like to end with the following advertisement, courtesy of YesButNoButYes:

Please let this week be better than the last.

2009-09-14T08:28:00.004-04:00

Last week was not the best week. I found out that my wonderful advisor had passed away and then this weekend, found out that a friend of my parents had died unexpectedly. News, that you never want to hear. So I spent a lot of time this weekend reading and reflecting and although I hate to admit it, celebrating. Celebrating life and also Italian heritage! I'd like to thank the Hoboken Italian Festival: Feast of the Madonna dei Martiri for providing me with much needed entertainment this past weekend. It's great to see that such a small and intimate festival can pack such a big punch. The celebrations concluded last night with a wonderful display of fireworks and a concert on the Hudson.

Let me switch over to an entirely new topic. I consider myself to be someone that pays attention to what's going around them. I'm that way when it comes to driving, walking, you name it. So I noticed something this morning on the PATH. A woman who color coordinates her blackberry sleeve with her clothing. The only reason I noticed this was because the first time I saw her she was wearing a pink outfit and had this pink blackberry. I thought maybe she just liked pink. Fine. Well today, she gets on with a blue dress and the same color blue sleeve for her blackberry. I guess I've been out of the fashion loop, but this apparently is something women do. They try to dress like their electronic devices or vice versa.

For all of you tennis fans, you probably witnessed a furious Serena Williams who apparently shouted "If I could, I'd take this ******* ball and shove it down your ******* throat" to the line judge. She has been fined $10,000 and I'm wondering what kind of sponsorships she'll be offered.

Then there was this whole Kanye West incident which I missed but heard about this morning. Blame it on the Cognac, Kanye. Blame it on the a-a-a-a-alcohol.

September 11th

2009-09-11T08:42:00.004-04:00

In addition to it being my grandparents' anniversary today, today marks another anniversary of the attacks of September 11th. Everyone has there story about that awful morning, the scenes of which currently play back in my mind.

A moment of silence for all of those who lost someone in these attacks.

And now for some other news...

The NYC Cricket Hunt is taking place today so grab your cell phone and start looking for crickets.

Yesterday, many well known faces could be seen at Lincoln Center for a memorial service honoring the late, Walter Cronkite.

Alec Baldwin picking his teeth at the US OPEN is making headlines...but why?

Uh oh, what does this mean for that Wizard of Oz celebration???

Architecture At Night

2009-09-10T08:32:00.005-04:00

There is nothing I enjoy more than seeing architecture under beautifully lit light at night. Oh, that rhymes very niiicely. On my way home last night I couldn't help but stop and snap a few photos of the Washington Square Arch. Even more interesting are the little vignettes that take place underneath the arch. 3 people were sitting on the lights listening to music and meditating while on the other side, a double bass player laid down a beat.

Speaking of beats, Steve Jobs made the announcement yesterday about the new generation of ipods, now with video recording.

What's with Facebook? It's been acting so buggy lately and no one has said anything to us. Don't you think the FB people should let us know that people are taking over the system? I've heard that spammers have hacked into peoples Yahoo email accounts through facebook. I've got nothing else to say about this.

Do it Rockapella. Do you like A Capella? Well if so, you might like this bizarre performance. I have a name for this but I'm hesitant to, well, what the heck...Spermacapella.

All you Idol fans now have a fourth judge...Ellen Degeneres. Makes perfect sense and no doubt will boost ratings. Fans of the show had mixed reactions but I'm sure Ellen will just add another comedic layer to the show.

And in cellphone radiation news...

Hope you have a great day!

The Hoff Video Timeline

2009-09-09T08:30:00.001-04:00

I don't get peoples fascination with David Hasselhoff. Sure he's been the butt of jokes for many years and we know how much the Germans love him, but I've been trying to figure out the appeal. I guess Knight Rider and Baywatch had something to do with it. People came to know the man and his red suit very well. We've witnessed David under the influence with a cheeseburger, have laughed at his video for Hooked on a Feeling and the man continues to perform. So I decided to put together a video timeline so that you can get to know the man, the myth, the legend.

It all began with this show about a man and his talking car, Knight Rider:

Kids, get out of the water, there's a shark! And who could forget David in Baywatch as he patrolled the waters with Pamela Anderson.

Then we were introduced to this wacky music video of "Hooked on a Feeling"

Then we better understood what he was hooked on when this video hit the web:

And now he continues to dazzle millions of Americans during the week on this America's Got Talent program. This next video just makes me laugh.

And there you "hoff" it. The Hoff Video Timeline. Hope that made your day that much better.

Back To School

2009-09-08T08:35:00.002-04:00

I'll be honest, I'm not in much of a blogging mood this morning so I apologize. Remember the first day of school? I have clear memories of the first day of grade school. All the kids would line up outside with their parents. Flashes would be blinding as parents made sure to capture the moment. I usually got dressed up and sported a tie for my first day (what was that about???) and then the bell would ring and the lines would march inside to the classrooms where we would get acquainted with the teachers and look around the room for any new students. Ah the first day of school. Trapper keepers, new backpacks, packed lunches, fruit snacks. Here's something you probably didn't need to know. I used to give my fruit snacks to girls who I liked in class. That was my trademark. Because, nothing says "I like you" like a bag of fruit snacks. Perhaps I should go back to the fruit snack approach?

Teachers enjoy grumbling about going back to school, even after their months off. And today, they will meet their new classes. Smiling faces eager to learn and cause trouble.

By the way, this is probably the most brilliant back to school commercial. Kids hate it though.

Looks like I missed this year's tugboat race and competition on the Hudson.

Looking to spend some cheddar on a beach house? Why not make every weekend, a weekend at Bernie's?

I was determined to go see a broadway show this past weekend and so I tried my luck and won a rush ticket to Shrek: The Musical. Some people think that there is no such thing as too close at a Broadway show...well, I was too close. Sort of uncomfortably close. The actors are right in front of you and at times, stared me down. "Am I smiling? what does my face look like? Does it look like I'm having a good time" I thought to myself. I tried to look like I was having the time of my life after Shrek first eyed me during his opening number. The musical numbers were fun and the songs catchy, the costumes and puppetry make the show but most of the dialogue and jokes seem to be taken directly from the movie. It's a great show for the kids and adults forced to go will enjoy it too.

Ogre and out.

LDW

2009-09-04T08:34:00.002-04:00

It's hard to believe Labor Day Weekend has arrived. This holiday represents the end of Summer, the beginning of school, and most importantly to some, it means no more white. We've all heard someone say it, "You can't wear white after Labor Day." But I never really thought about it or knew why. So I did a quick search and came up with this blurb:

As with many customs and etiquette dictums, it's difficult to pin down the reason behind the prohibition against white after Labor Day. We searched on variations of "wear white after Labor Day" and sifted through the Etiquette and Fashion categories in the Yahoo! Directory. We managed to turn up a bit of information on the fashion dictate.

Originally, the rule was more along the lines of "Only wear white shoes between Memorial Day and Labor Day." Furthermore, it mainly applied to white pumps or dress shoes. White tennis shoes and off-white boots seem exempt, as are any shoes worn by a winter bride. "Winter white" clothing (e.g., cream-colored wool) is acceptable between Labor Day and Memorial Day too.

The only logical reasoning we could find cited temperature. Image consultant Nancy Penn suggests that because white reflects light and heat, wearing white would make you cooler in winter, and thus should be avoided. But others suggest the rule stems from a class issue. Acting Director of the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology Valerie Steele notes that in the late 19th century and the 1950s, more people were entering the middle classes. These nouveau-riche folks were often unaware of the standards of high society, so they were given specific codified rules to follow in order to fit in.

I'm wondering how many people actually follow this fashion tip. And upon further research it appears as though it is okay to wear white after Labor Day.

I say wear white whenever the heck you want to.

Looks like Swine Flu Fashion has hit the runway.

It looks like Sony's Walkman is making a comeback!

Some ball boys will do anything to retrieve a ball:

Trying to stop drinking soda? I think I found something that just might help you out. Gross.

Our Current Stamp Situation

2009-09-03T08:05:00.000-04:00

I have a problem with the current stamp situation. In the past, stamps were clearly labeled with an amount so we knew the difference between say a 42 cent and 2 cent stamp. Before they introduced the Forever Stamp, they had these tan stamps with a flag on them and NO amount. I was looking for a stamp to mail a letter and realized that I had a bunch of these stamps with no amount on them. Well, that's odd. These aren't the forever stamps...at least I don't think they are. Then how much are these worth? At this point Google would have been the obvious choice but I wanted to see if anyone else knew the answer to this question. So I asked around the office. One person said they had them too and that they just put two of these mysterious stamps on a letter to be safe. Another coworker had no clue and was in a bad mood. A third coworker actually knew that there was a year hidden on the stamps and sure enough there was. In Highlights fashion, it was hidden in the flag pole on the stamp, "2007". What kind of crap is this? How much are these stamps worth. I went ahead and put two of these stamps on my envelope and sent it on its merry way. I found out the answer to my question thanks to the USPS website. 41 Cents for all of those who are curious and have these stamps in your drawer. Here's a thought. If we go back to the old stamp system, can we clearly label the stamp value as we have in the past? Thanks.

I love it when people I know decide to start a blog. Heather just started hers the other day and voila, Chicken Monday was hatched.

Japan's first lady is making many claims, like she knew Tom Cruise in a former incarnation – when he was Japanese – and is now looking forward to making a Hollywood movie with him. When asked what movie, she replied "A remake of The Butcher's Wife".

Ben and Jerry have done it again. For the month of September they have changed the name of one of Chubby Hubby to Hubby Hubby in celebration of the legalization of gay marriage in its home state of Vermont. When asked about this decision, one Vermonter said, "If they had asked me, I would have suggested a rainbow sherbert".

While we're on the topic of ice cream, how about a look at some of the most bizarre flavors?

I got to see a Penny Farthing bike in Canada but here's something new. An electric Penny-Farthing bike.

Bloomberg's jet hit had bird trouble on the way to Ted Kennedy's funeral.

Take it away Indian Beatles:

Change

2009-09-02T08:24:00.004-04:00

Any change, even a change for the better, is always accompanied by drawbacks and discomforts. - Arnold Bennett

We all face change on a daily basis. The seasons, your favorite lunch special, heck even the change in your pocket. There are those of us who take change well and those of us who have a hard time with it at first. There are those people who order the same menu item at a restaurant every time. Why? Because we enjoy it and like it and if that's the case, why order something else? Change is inevitable. Buildings come up and are torn down, hearts are broken and relationships ended, and we face changes at work, too.

I was taught growing up that change is good and then my mom would go and order her usual dish at our favorite restaurant. But I knew my parents weren't referring to that sort of change. I'll admit that I'm not crazy about it. But what helps me get through it is believing that everything happens for a reason. The people we meet, the places we go, the things we do, everything.

ah, okay. I'll do it:

An offer you can't refuse

2009-09-01T05:00:00.005-04:00

Sometimes I question whether to continue this blog. Yesterday was one of those days. I can see how after awhile, you've said a lot of what you have to say and you want to move on. After all, I write daily just to keep myself writing. I don't want to fool you. I do not have legions of fans waiting to read my every word, checking for constant updates and juicy gossip squeezed from celebrity pulp. No. It's basically my mom and her friends, the occasional person who searches for "cashew fruit on vacation" via Google, and Kenny the homeless man from Broadway and 10th. Thanks for reading. Let's switch subjects now.

For centuries, salesmen and saleswomen..er salespersons, I guess, try to get us to buy goods with a pitch. But here's something I don't get; the month end extravaganzabonanza. Haven't we been dealing with salespersons long enough to know that the "better hurry up before the month ends to lock in your savings" will reappear most likely at the end of EVERY month? I went in today thinking, and being told, I was getting the best rate, that they were going to take care of me...but I knew what was going to happen in the end. I knew they were going to try to use the fact that yesterday was August 31st, the last day of the promotion. Sign up now, or lose out. Mind you, it's not like they were going to give me a car to sign up. I had to laugh after the hullaballoo and fuss they made about giving me a great discounted deal. It wasn't any better than if I had walked in off of the street. And so it goes. The next time I walk into any place where a salesperson is trying to sell me something, I'm going to say, "you're going to have to make me a better offer because it's the end of the month and if you can't offer me what I want before month's end, I'm walking away."

Gosh, I'm just a ramblin' man today. Blah blah blah..

Isn't that right, Indian Elvis?

I'm going to start a new section on this blog called "Evan and Pregnant Women" and let this be the first one! My adventures with pregnant women continued this morning as I offered my seat to a woman. We had one of those exchanges that usually come at the end of a date with the bill...oh no, I insist, no I want..but you paid last..no let me...a bu..no, yes... . I should have stood up and forced her to sit but she was pretty adamant about standing. Mind you, no one else was offering their seat, and upon noticing this, the guy standing, reading the paper by the door, was shaking his head and using every nonverbal cue possible to show his anger. Of course, when I got up at my stop I turned back and saw the woman take my seat. Lesson learned.

A Dream

2009-08-30T23:12:00.003-04:00

I hope you had a wonderful weekend! I'm going to start off with the most random question but it came to mind this weekend and if you want to know why, you're going to have to ask me. Would you go to a dentist who had bad teeth? Or a dermatologist with bad skin?

Most of my day yesterday felt like a dream. I stumbled out of bed at 4:21am, 39 minutes before my alarm would awaken me to that Verizon whistling tune. You know the one. I was hoping a shower would wake me up but I can't even remember the shower at this point. I made my way through the deserted streets of Hoboken. A young shoeless woman in her bar wear sat in front of the bakery on a bench, but she was not waiting for a bus. Late night, I'm guessing. There weren't too many people waiting for the 5:30 PATH...me, a security guard on his way home from his shift, and a guy in spandex with his bicycle. When I exited the PATH station at 9th street, a woman in a skin tight sequined dress was being held up by two men with slick hair and accents. I continued to walk down 9th in silence. My torso, a gold spark in the early morn. Made a left down 5th and a right down 10th. Parents were waiting for my arrival. My shift had begun. Six hours, a cop knocking on a motor-home,and two Mario Batali sightings later, my shift was over.

A few things I'd like to mention. I can't tell you how many residents came over to complain about the street parking situation. "If only the NYPD knew about this, they wouldn't stand for it either." To which I would reply "Hey, I'll go get the two NYPD who are standing up by the dorm entrance for you, okay?" This would follow with silence. Don't test me when I'm moving in Freshmen.

One of the more interesting things about move-in day are the familial interactions. Seeing the way different families deal with this important day; the departure, the sadness, the joy, the fear, the questions, the dreams, the new friendships...all of these ingredients are stirred together. Some mothers cry, others jump for joy. And if I had some of the parents I saw today for my parents, I'd probably be jumping for joy too.

And so now, students are back. No more line-free lunches, hello teachers' dirty looks.

Who said being a reporter was easy? Check out this hoe-down:

And in Ebook news...

In honey bee news, the electromagnetic waves emitted by cell phone towers seem to pose a threat to honey bees.

I've mentioned giving up my seat to pregnant women on the PATH at least 3 times a week. Well it turns out, Lynn Harris wrote a piece about pregnant women having trouble finding a seat on the subway.

Hope you have a great day...

2009-08-29T18:20:00.001-04:00

Instead of parking tickets, hoboken parking officials are now leaving stale bread.

I'd Like To Solve The Puzzle...

2009-08-28T21:09:00.001-04:00

This clip says it all.

Have You Seen My Umbrella?

2009-08-28T08:22:00.002-04:00

My umbrella has gone missing. Well, one of them. Standing at about a foot and a half long with a black hooked handle, slightly worn. If you see it please let me know. I had a somewhat pleasant stroll to work in the rain this morning. Luckily it wasn't a NYC downpour, just a light drizzle. I'm glad the weekend is almost here, although I will be up early on Sunday to help move anxious freshmen into their dorm. The screaming, the fighting, the crying siblings and mothers, the asking for directions and to watch their car, the frustration, the heat, the rain, the dry erase boards, snacks, drinks, clothes, musty posters and trunks filled, school supplies, the crates and mini-refrigerators. These will all await me when I arrive at around 5:45am...what was I thinking?

I got an email and a voicemail from Jessica yesterday who works at Club H Fitness. I contacted them because I wanted to take a tour of their facilities but more so, to find out what their membership fees are. Now when a place will not give you the fees over the phone, a red flag goes up. Too expensive. Jessica mentioned that they do not give the fees out over the phone and that I should come in and meet with her. "better get in soon because a lot of people are taking advantage of the promotion." was another line. I will go in and listen to their presentation and in addition to trying to pry my wallet from my packet they most likely will try to sell me a timeshare. I'm guessing they won't be able to offer me a membership at the price I want but I am looking forward to meeting Jessica.

Well, so much for the KFC secret recipe. We know the secret now. Hey, since when did KFC start selling brownies? Speaking of which...

Jason Biggs is in the news! That's right, your favorite American Pie actor was apparently attacked by an ape. See, James Pattinson isn't the only one who has difficulty with attacking fans.

The Seat Filler

2009-08-27T08:31:00.006-04:00

For those of you who don't know, all of the big award shows (Academy Awards, Tonys, etc...) hire "extras" to be seat fillers so when a star gets up to go to the bathroom, you never see empty seats in the camera shots. I have been offered the opportunity to be a seat filler on a few occasions when I was in college but wasn't able to do it either time. I'd love to do it one day, although I really do it on a daily basis.

I have started to notice that there are a lot of pregnant women in Hoboken. Why have I noticed this? Well because just about every other day I give up my seat to a pregnant lady. I have a radar now and I immediately get up and give them a seat. Only once did a woman say no and after we went back and forth she was adamant about standing. So in a way, I am a seat filler. Although I'm saving a seat for two.

And now, the wheelchair from the future....

Oh yeah, because this makes so much sense (cents).

If you are a comedian, of course you are going to use your Mother-in-law in your jokes. It's a given. Well this Mother-in-law isn't going to take it any more. She's suing.

I've heard of a cat lover, but this guy takes it one step further:

I never thought someone would actually write an article about the best way to swat a mosquito, and I was wrong.

According to Jim Brasseur, a fluid dynamics professor at Penn State University, the best approach is to clap or slap from both sides — rather than a swat from one side only.

Thanks Jim. How many hours of research did it take to come up with this?

A NJ man shot his parrot because the bird annoyed the man as he watched a NASCAR race.

Authorities advised the father and his son that if another family pet — a Labrador Retriever — annoys anybody they should call police or the animal control office, reports said.

When asked what he was going to do with the cage he replied, set up a track inside and race my micro machines.

That's budee budee budee..all folks.

It Could Happen To You

2009-08-26T08:35:00.002-04:00

I felt like watching this video this morning and so, I am sharing it once again with you:

Do you like to play the Lotto? If so, this is the lucky store where you should pick your next numbers. They have had two jackpots in 8 weeks.

Remember my post about the mall? Well it looks like a pilot crashed landed in the parking lot. Luckily, no one was seriously injured.

Erin, this is for you..I know you won't click on my links unless I explain what they are linking to, so, BABY ANIMALS.

Tired of making breakfast for company. Well, this may just be the solution. The automatic pancake machine will make 200 pancakes per hour. Hope your guests are hungry.

Eeeeeverybody Muuust Turn Riiight....at the liiiiight.

In Salmon news, Salmon have returned to Paris. They left the city after watching The Little Mermaid in 1989. (Can you believe the movie is from '89??) Les Poissons, les poissons, how I love les poissons!

All for now. Busy week.

I'd Rather Be Bitten By A Vampire

2009-08-25T08:26:00.004-04:00

Aside from being infamous for its deer, Canadian geese, overpopulation, Psychic fairs and a mention in Seinfeld, Parsippany, NJ doesn't have much going for itself. Growing up there, there was no town, no place for kids to go hang out and meet other kids. Whoever planned the town planned it for corporations and stores and didn't think about the children. I'm sure many of you will say, "But Evan, Parsippany was recently voted one of the best places to live" and to that I say, "yes, that's because there are a lot of jobs in Parsippany, thanks to the massive number of corporations (thanks Pfizer) and stores. Let me get back to why I bring Parsippany up in today's post. And in order to do that, let's play a little game of "Would You Rather."

Would you rather attend the Official Twilight Convention in Parsippany or be bitten by a vampire?

I chose the latter. That's right, the Official Twilight Convention is going to take place in Parsippany, NJ. And wait until you see what's in store. Here's a link to the site.

A sinfully sensational event giving fans the super-rare opportunity to personally meet stars of TWILIGHT including KELLAN LUTZ, ASHLEY GREENE, KIOWA GORDON & CHASKE SPENCER! That's right: guests will appear and be escorted around the room to meet each and every person in attendance! This is going to be awesome! And with fellow fans from around the world you'll enjoy a delicious sumptuous Breakfast as well!

Not interested? Well how about the Saturday Night Vampire Ball:

Fans from around the globe congregate in their finest vampire wear to raise the roof! Prizes for best costume and best dancers!

Here's the perfect way to meet and mingle with fellow fans and also you'll get to personally meet some of our Twilight guests who will be attending the party. A DJ is set, and this party is fine for all ages. Our celebrity guests so far include ASHLEY GREENE, KELLAN LUTZ, KIOWA GORDON & CHASKE SPENCER! This event is included on a complimentary basis for GOLD WEEKEND PATRONS. We had a FEW extra tickets that were available for those who are not Gold Patrons.

What!? No James Patterson...er...Robert Pattinson? Sigh.

I know many people who will read this post and want to go to this thing. I'm staying far away.

Apparently, yesterday was National Go-Topless Day. I had no idea, and apologize. I'm usually so good at keeping me readers abreast of such holidays.

Julie Powell has inspired a whole bunch of new food bloggers, like this guy who is going to try a slice of pizza from every NYC pizza joint.

And now I leave you with a treat. Christopher Nolan's next film...Inception

Delilah! Where Are You?

2009-08-24T08:30:00.004-04:00

I still have not heard back from Delilah...she must have her name on Google Alert right? Perhaps she is busy traveling the world this summer bringing food and water to those in need and soothing them with her voice. "Evan's feeling down so let's cheer him up" she'd say and then play "Build Me Up Buttercup".

I hope you had a great weekend. I finally got around to seeing 500 Days of Summer this weekend and I am still thinking about it. First of all, it has a killer soundtrack (yes, I just used the word "killer") and it's a story about love that we can all relate to in one way or another. It's very clever too, and there are some brilliant scenes. I was a little disappointed with the dialogue at the end but I'm not getting into that because I really liked the movie.

Annie Leibovitz is currently facing a financial crisis. She not only risks losing her photo archives, which The New York Times estimates could be worth 50 million dollars, but also her house in the trendy Greenwich Village district of Manhattan and a second home outside the city.

Here's a way to avoid flying commercial airlines and saving some money.

Still planning on taking that last minute vacation before the summer is over? Well why not check out some of the world's weirdest hotels.

Short post today!

Special Addition

2009-08-21T15:54:00.003-04:00

This is just to ridiculous not to post. Sometimes when a girl gives you her business card and says to call, she's just being polite. Well Demitri has taken it too far. Take a listen here.