I Heard It Through The Grapevine

HAPPY NATIONAL RAISIN DAY!!!! Did you know that today we celebrate this most delicious treat. Put them in your cereal, in bread, in cookies, in oatmeal..put them in anything! So to celebrate, here is a recipe!

Caramelized Pears with Rum Raisin Mascarpone
Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence, 2007
Show: Tyler's Ultimate
Episode:Osso Buco Pot Roast
Caramelized Pears with Rum Raisin Mascarpone
1 cup golden raisins, packed tightly
1/2 cup rum
4 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
4 Bosc pears

Rum-raisin mascarpone:
1 pint mascarpone
4 amaretto cookies, crumbled

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Begin by soaking the raisins. Pour hot water over raisins and add rum. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside while you prepare the rest of the dish - let rest for at least 45 minutes

Split pears down the middle retaining stem and skin. Using a melon-baller, remove the cores. Add brown sugar and butter to a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just melted. Add lemon juice and pears, cut side down, to pan then baste with melted butter and sugar. Pop into the oven for 15 to 17 minutes until pears are tender. When done remove from oven and baste once more.

For the rum raisin mascarpone:
Whisk mascarpone cream gently to loosen it up. Strain raisins and gently fold into the cream. Serve pears on a plate topped with a scoop of mascarpone cream and drizzle with pear pan juices. Top with crumbled amaretto cookies.


Okay, so take a single farmer who is looking for love and put him on tv. Sound like a good reality show idea to you? Well the CW will be premiering Farmer Wants A Wife tonight. Be there or be square...dancing.

The Shines

I'm not a salsa dancer, so when I saw some people at the gym practicing a dance, Dean told me they were doing the shines. I thought it sounded like a disease but Dean assured me it was a type of Salsa dancing.

"Doc, I think I've got the shines"

I've always been grossed out by bed bugs and growing up as a little tyke I never really understood the phrase, "Don't let the bedbugs bite". Well now you never have to worry about the bed bugs biting ever again.

Has anyone ever been to Governors Island? I really want to go. There is currently a $500 million plan to transform the island into a premiere destination for cyclists, nature lovers, large-scale music concerts (huh) and rock climbing. One of these things is not like the other, one of these things just doesn't belong.



Gee, I'm totally obsessed with Errol Morris. I have been watching this show he did called First Person and it is unbelievable. You have to watch it!!

Lost is coming back on Thursday and I can't wait! Also, the second season of This American Life begins on Showtime.

Simma down now.

I recently had the good fortune of being on the set of this foreign news program and by accident, I pushed the wrong button while this woman was reporting the "wetter". Sorry Marlena.

Harold and Kumar Meet Ice-T

So I did it, I went to see Harold and Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay with Jon and Justine and it was pretty funny. While waiting for the earlier show to get out, Jon spotted Ice-T and his wife coming out of the theater. I saw them but had no idea who they were. We didn't believe Jon at first but a second, more reliable source confirmed. After scrambling to get the best seats, we were booted out by the cleaning crew who were late cleaning. After everything was picked up we were let back into the theater and the fun began. It was raunchy, it was vulgar, and there were some parents who brought their 7 or 9 year old sons and daughters to see it. Crazy!

Here's one Sea World trick I wouldn't want to witness.

Big NYU news today, NYU Tuition will top 50k Next Year...

S.O.P. (Standard Operating Procedure)

Errol Morris is a master documentary filmmaker. His new film, Standard Operating Procedure is an examination of the incidents of abuse and torture of suspected terrorists at the hands of U.S. forces at the Abu Ghraib prison. As disturbing as it may be, I strongly encourage you to see this film. This film makes us ask ourselves, "Does a photo really tell us the entire story?" This is explored in this film as we learn that there was more to the photos the media fed us and analyzed with no real knowledge of what was going on. Morris gets amazing interviews with the men and women who appeared in these photos and proves once again to be an investigative filmmaker.



Blade is going to jail. I don't know what he was thinking.

"I am an idealistic, naive, passionate, truth-seeking, spiritually motivated artist, unschooled in the science of law and finance," Snipes said.

His lawyers said he was no threat to society, and offered three dozen letters from family members, friends and even fellow actors Woody Harrelson and Denzel Washington attesting to his compassion, intelligence and value as a mentor. They called four character witnesses Thursday, including television's Judge Joe Brown, who incited applause from the gallery by suggesting Snipes was no different than "mega-corporate entities" that legally avoid taxes.

Leave it to Judge Joe Brown to incite applause. And does this mean there isn't going to be a Too Wong Foo II?

Crazy Bee clouds in Florida, WATCH OUT!!!

Hope you have a great weekend!!!

Darjeeling

So I may have said this before on this blog, but Wes Anderson is on my top ten list of favorite directors which includes such masters as David Lynch, Jean-Pierre Jeunet, The Coen Brothers, Errol Morris, etc...

I have been watching Wes Anderson's The Darjeeling Limited on my train rides to and from the city and finished it this morning. It's a great film and just like all of Wes's other films, beautiful to watch and a great soundtrack. There is so much color and so many patterns in these films they are so amazingly crafted. If you haven't seen his other films I encourage you to add them to your list of must see flicks.

And when I run out of things to do on the train, maybe I could try this:



It's about time Atlantic City tries to start cleaning up their lounge act. The casinos are going to ban smoking. What are all the smoking gambling addicts to do? They'll have to go outside and take a break from throwing their money into slot machines. I'm glad they are putting a smoking ban into effect although it's going to take them years to get the stench out of the carpets and the walls.

The Tribeca film festival kicked off yesterday morning with the help of Governor Paterson, who announced, "For the record, my favorite movie of all time is Showgirls". I looked through the listing of films and there are some really great looking ones.

It's A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood, A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood, Won't You Be Mine?

Nothing starts my day off better than a warmth in the air and an article about a blind man capturing an intruder in his home.

Kieta, 49, who is legally blind, said he was the Kentucky high school wrestling champ for the 145-pound division in 1976. He used his skills and other self-defense tactics learned from his father to subdue the intruder. “I had him pinned in the laundry room and just kept pummeling,” Kieta said, describing the pounding he gave the 25-year-old arrested by police. Kieta punched, kicked and grappled until the suspect became disoriented. Kieta said he grabbed him by the belt and dragged him into the kitchen. Kieta then found a kitchen knife and held it at the man’s throat.Kieta fumbled to dial 911 with his other hand.

Rumor has it that Kieta will star beside Bruce Willis in the next installment of Die Hard.

Have you heard about this artist who tied a dog to a stick and let him starve to death. This is art? I think not.

And it turns out, the ninja burglary case is now closed. Shucks! What is Devang going to talk about now?

Earth Day 2008

Happy Earth Day! I hope you take a moment today to plant a tree or turn off some lights.

Oooo..bionic eyes.

Passover began this past weekend and I had a really great time with my family and friends. Passover is definitely one of my favorite holidays. Now, what should I eat for lunch..hmm....

I missed the appearance by President Bush on Deal or No Deal and I enjoyed the brief article in the NYT today about Politicians as Comics on Pop Television. Thanks to YouTube we can relive the magic that took place on Deal or No Deal.



Short post today but I promise some more juicy posts later this week.

Now We Doing

I walked into "the cheatery" this morning to get some breakfast and had to snap a photo of the sign above. I'm glad to see that now they doing chopped salads. You would think with all the money they make from over charging students, they could afford to put another word into the sign. Geez.

So this weekend is Passover and I am really looking forward to it. I'm going to have to try to get my paper done tonight so that I can enjoy the weekend and not think about this paper.

I had no idea Martha Stewart had a blog! You have to check it out and see her recent photos from the Bahamas.

Have you seen the trailer for Harmony Korine's new film, Mister Lonely? It looks incredible. I can't wait to see this one.

Only Harmony Korine (writer of KIDS, auteur of GUMMO, JULIEN DONKEY-BOY) could weave Michael Jackson, Marilyn Monroe, her daughter Shirley Temple and flying nuns into a hypnotically funny and truly poignant tale of the instability behind fanaticism and the redemption we can hope to find in one another. The film follows a lonely Michael Jackson impersonator (Diego Luna) who is invited by a beautiful Marilyn Monroe (Samantha Morton) to a commune full of other impersonators including the Queen of England, Madonna, Sammy Davis Junior and James Dean, in the Scottish Highlands. In a parallel story line, the incomparable Werner Herzog plays a Latin American priest who learns his missionary of nuns can literally fly.

I have a feeling the summer movies this year are going to be great. There isn't much out there at the moment, but The Visitor is currently playing in theaters and I strongly encourage you to go see it while you can!

Have a great weekend!

Then She Found Me

Last night I went to a screening of Then She Found Me, the new film starring and directed by Helen Hunt. The film is jam-packed with familiar faces from Bette Midler to Colin Firth to Salman Rushdie. The film is based on the book by Elinor Lipman. Bette Midler is great in this film and Helen Hunt plays a much different kind of role in this film. No tornadoes here folks although there is a very odd Colin Firth screaming fit. And Matthew Broderick's character was just unbearable. I felt like he was told to act like a shy teenager and his character was not believable to me. After the film, one of my favorite critics on NPR, David Edelstein interviewed one of the producers of the film.

I've never been on a cruise, but if I did go, I would want a park modeled after Central Park. Looks like I'm in luck!

NJ Transit loves to piss their customers off. I mean, they really do. They are doing some sort of work on the platform that our train pulls into in the morning and they have many sections blocked off. When everyone piles out of the train, it is one congested mess and usually the escalators are off so it takes a really long time for people to get into a single file line to get up the escalators. Today, two trains were getting off at the same time. So it was twice as congested and a complete mess. Now, because Amtrak owns the rails, NJ Transit blames everything on them. "Uh, sorry folks we have a red light ahead and we'll be stuck here for a little while because the AMTRAK trains have to pull in first." I think it's time to invent the NJ Air Tram. Let's start building in the air. I recently got some space in Second Life for our office. We have our own sky box in the air. It's time NJ Transit steps it up.

In other news, I'm sad to say that Martha Stewarts dog, Paw Paw, passed away. Paw Paw appeared in numerous episodes of Martha's television show and in many magazines. We'll miss you, Paw Paw.

This is just disturbing.

Remember Jurassic Park? Well you may not remember it this well:



Enjoy the weather today! Taking you back to the 70's.

The Biggest Loser

One day I mentioned on this blog that I was on a mission to lose some more weight. I haven't said anything about it since and that's because I never really started trying. I have been steadily working out at the gym but going to Whole Foods at lunchtime has been my downfall. So starting today, I will be eating healthy and we'll see how much weight I can drop.

It's amazing to see how some people are using YouTube these days? I'm talking about people like Tricia Walsh-Smith, who posted this video on YouTube:



So the Pope has arrived in the US and he will be coming to NYC soon. Are you going to go see him in the popemobile?

I'm still trying to get used to my new computer glasses. They make me feel a bit woozy. Is this normal?

French Spidey

It looks like the french spider-man is at it again! This time he scaled a building in Hong Kong.

Robert was in Hong Kong to publicise his book "With Bare Hands," which looks at some of his climbing successes, including the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Sydney Opera House and many of the world tallest skyscrapers.He has declared his guerrilla climbing activity his "philosophy." On his website he boasts that he has made it to the top of 70 buildings and monuments around the world in his 12-year career. Last year, he was deported from China for illegally conquering its tallest building, only to have Chinese officials invite him back in November to legitimately climb a mountain in the center of the country as a tourism attraction.


We may think it looks easy to be a news reporter, but it's harder than you think. Take a look:



So yesterday I went to pick up my pair of computer glasses. I'm wearing them right now as I write this and am trying to get used to them. I'm hoping they help my eyes relax as I look at the computer screen. I was going to post a photo of me wearing them but I couldn't get a shot I was pleased with so you're going to have to use your imagination.

Have you seen this story about the Giants of the North, a Brazilian soccer team made up of people affected by dwarfism?



(Insert Snow White joke here)

J. Edgar Hoover may be the man behind the recent tape found of Marilyn Monroe engaging in sexual activity.

Since it was sold for $1.5 million to a wealthy New York businessman a month ago everybody knows of the film’s existence, but the new owner firmly stated that he'ill keep the footage secret out of respect for Monroe.


I'd like to meet the guy that bought this tape for 1.5 million. Happy Birthday, Mr. Presssident.

Grab Your Nubrella

It's supposed to rain today so you might actually want to go out and buy a Nubrella! This ridiculous looking hands free device will keep you dry as you walk around the city sidewalks bumping into people and looking like you are trapped in a bubble. The photos above made me laugh.


Skip to 1:00 on the video and check out how ridiculous this thing looks.


Want to store 500,000 songs on your mp3 device? If so, check it out!

Oooh...sounds deep.

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!!

Put A Little Spring in Your Step

It's going to be warm out today and I think I'm going to start posting some recipes weekly. Today's recipe is Shrimp and Coconut Rolls! I hope you will make them with me so that we can compare results. If you have any recipes you'd like me to post on the blog, please send them to me!

Last night, my sister, Elissa and I went to see a special screening of the film Noise, written and directed by Henry Bean. The film was at Sundance in 2007 and Boaz and I didn't make it to the screening. The film is being released in a limited number of theaters in New York. I enjoyed the film but there were some aspects of it that felt out of place and unnatural. Tim Robbins and all of the supporting actors are wonderful and there are many moments in the film that are really funny and well crafted. The idea of a man who can't take the noise in NYC so he goes out and gets revenge as "The Rectifier" is brilliant and is based on some things Henry Bean did in real life because he couldn't take the city noise. As crazy as Time Robbins' character was in the movie, I can't help but relate to him. Much of the noise in New York drives me crazy too.

For those of you who don't watch Lost, you must start watching! It is one of the best shows I have ever seen and it just keeps on getting better. I've been watching the 4th season on my ipod on the train and I'm on the edge of my seat. It's that good.

Underwater Reservation for Two

Did you see that the first few pages of the "W" script have been leaked? Click here to read them.

I'm tired of people talking loudly on their cell phones on the train and I only wish that this guy could ride with me. Wouldn't that be nice? The ipod comes in handy when I get stuck next to a loud talker.

I love eating out! Trying new restaurants is something I really enjoy and I only wish I could go to eat at Ithaa...it looks incredible.



I tried finding out the prices on the menu but of course they aren't listed because I'm sure it's very pricey. Also, the dress is smart, so dress smart if you go. Here are some photos:





And now, for those of you who watched Romper Room, a blast from the past. I think they should bring this show back. I don't know, maybe this is my calling.

Giamatti Sighting!

I haven't had a really good celebrity sighting in awhile but that changed today. I saw Paul Giamatti, yes John Adams himself, walking down Broadway on the phone. He was walking close to the wall and no one seemed to recognize him. That's all!

Ipod Touch!

So yesterday I reported that Elissa bought me the ipod nano video for an anniversary present. Well, last night we were at the mall and stopped into the Apple store. I previously thought I wanted the Ipod Touch and when I held it in my hands, I knew it was meant to be. So the ipod nano will be going back to Apple and thanks to Elissa, I now possess the ipod touch. It's really cool!

I thought this was a complete joke when I heard about it but it turns out it's not. Wow, they are now taking zombie movies to a whole new level. If you are looking for a great zombie movie, check out FIDO. I saw it at Sundance and it's well written, funny, and campy.

By now you have heard that Oliver Stone (NYU Alumnus) is working on his next feature film about George Bush. Josh Brolin will portray George, Elizabeth Banks will be Laura, Thandie Newton will play Condoleeza Rice, and Ioan Gruffudd is in talks to play Tony Blair. Now this should be interesting.

President George W. Bush is a foul-mouthed, reformed drunk obsessed with baseball, Saddam Hussein and a conflicted relationship with his dad. Or at least that's how he's portrayed in the script for Oliver Stone's upcoming feature "W."

And while we're on the subject of films, There Will Be Blood is released on DVD today and I highly recommend it if you haven't seen it.

Boaz sent me this link which I found to be most interesting. I still think David Letterman is funny though. Heck, I've told the same jokes two days in a row. Well, sort of.

The Visitor

Tom McCarthy is a talented writer, director, and actor. His first film, The Station Agent is on my list of favorites and his new film, The Visitor is yet another incredible film. (For those fans of HBO's The Wire, you may know Mr. McCarthy as Scott Templeton)

Last night, I went to a screening of The Visitor hosted by Rolling Stone film critic Peter Travers and followed by a Q&A with Tom McCarthy and two of the actors, Richard Jenkins and Danai Gurira. The film played at Sundance this year and when it gets to a theater near you, make sure you see it. The performances in this film shine and the film has so much heart, so much feeling and emotion. I really liked it. You may know Richard Jenkins from his role as the father in Six Feet Under. He gives such a strong and very real performance in this film and carries the film. He is a versatile actor, having the ability to do comedy and drama very very well. One of my favorite comedic performances of his is in the great comedy, Flirting With Disaster, where he plays a gay agent from the FBI & Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms. If you haven't seen this film, add it to your Netflix Queue.

There is a scene in the movie in which Richard Jenkin's character, Walter, attends a conference at NYU. The entire scene was shot in The Kimmel Center for Student Life, and that was a fun surprise.

Here's the trailer and there's even a brief shot of the infamous Kimmel stairs in this trailer:



Tonight, my sister and I are going to see Cry-Baby on Broadway. I never saw the John Waters' film on which this is based, but hopefully it will be fun.

I don't know what we would do without Robin Williams. It seems as though at many events he is there to do standup when there is some sort of delay.

An Open Letter to New Jersey Transit

Dear NJ Transit,

I am writing to you today seeking answers about why, during the morning rush, my train was a car short? You know that this train is always packed so why would you send along a train that would force many people to be uncomfortable? Because you can. That's the answer I would give. You can do this, you can make us commuters uncomfotable because heck, what other option do we have? You monopolize the rails and I think it's time for a change. I think that every time the train is a car short, we should get to ride free. You must learn that simply making an announcement apologizing for the fact that the train is short one car does not make us feel better. In fact, people are so used to hearing this apology that now we just all laugh because it's predictable. It's a joke. We are laughing at you. I am writing on behalf of all of those aboard the train this morning, begging you to make sure there are enough train cars during the morning rush. It's a simple request. Thank You.

Our sources tell us that a new muppet movie is in the works! Let's hope it's good.

Tonight is the first NY Film critic series in NJ. We'll be watching The Visitor and there will be guests there as well! A review will be posted tomorrow!

April Fools!~

It's April 1st, April Fools Day, a day when kids all around the country are sticking tacks on chairs, giving out gum that tastes like pepper, quickly shoving a whoopee cushion on their classmate's chair. It's a great day, and if you are a Gmail user, you will see the fun they are having today!

I try to be a nice guy. I try to be friendly, courteous and to smile, but I've learned from working in NYC how to be mean, aggressive, unfriendly... Why am I bringing this up? Some days I rush to make a five twenty train. Its not easy and I usually make it just in time to snag a seat for my hour ride. Last night, I reached the front car to find that all the seats had been filled except for a few middle seats in the three seaters. Those are the worst. I came upon one of the awkward four seaters, two two-seaters facing each other but with no leg room in between. There was a woman sitting there and as I sat down she looked up and the following dialogue took place:

Her: I'm saving this seat for someone.
Me: Well there aren't any other seats and your friend can sit right here (I gestured to the seat next to me) I'm sorry.

Her: a look of disgust.

Me: looking pleased with myself.



The guy, her friend, did show up and I recognized them. They along with a bunch of others usually take over the front car like a bunch of gang members. Opening beer bottles with a nook in the ceiling. Laughing, talking loudly, cavorting. Well only two of them were on the train last night and I wasn't going to let them bully me out of a seat. Thanks for toughening me up NYC. And lady, if I see you again, I'll be sure to choose the seat next to you, even if there are other seats open.

Once I sat down and stayed there, I put on my ipod and listened to the new cd by She and Him. Boaz introduced me to them after seeing them perform at SXSW. I thought he only liked them because it was Zooey Deschanel but they are really good and she is great.

The She & Him story begins when in 2006 , renowned one man band M. Ward, recorded a duet with a girl named Zooey Deschanel. A delightful recording session, the experience lead to a dialogue between the two about collaborating further. This, in turn, led to Deschanel admitting to secretly making dozens and dozens of home demos and hoarding them like acorns for the winter. Sick and tired of being stingy and secretive about music, Deschanel realized that if songs were acorns then this was indeed her wintertime: she sent the recordings to Ward and these demos became the basis for their first record, entitled Volume One.

I highly recommend checking out their album, Volume One.

And, if you are feeling the need to watch an old episode of Fantasy Island, check out Hulu! You'll find a bunch of television and movies to watch there.