Happy Halloween!

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



Priceless

Pedestrian Rage

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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'

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..

I'm taking today off, okay?

The Spontaneous Traveler

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

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

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

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

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.

Turning Emotional Crap Into Emotional Creativity

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

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.