Bay 2 Breakers 2009

This video is a little late but check it out anyway!

Rule #43

"Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, A, B, Start"-- There are some cool secret you have to be nerdy  enough to know. 

Rule #42

Learn how to cook for yourself  once in a while. It's cheap and healthy. And you know what they say about a man who knows his way around the kitchen, right?

Los Angeles Lakers 2009 NBA Champions

Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers have closed the series in Orlando, FL. The Game 5 victory over the Orlando Magic (99-86) secured the 15th franchise championship for the Lakers. This is Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher's fourth championship run with the Lakers. Bryant was awarded Finals MVP honors in his first NBA Finals victory without Shaquille O'Neil.

Congratulations to the Lakers and the Laker fans around the world! I'm taking the long way home! See you at the parade!

TV/TV

You heard it first here! This rising indie/pop/rock band will be hitting the national spotlight in the next few months as they play the Warped Tour this summer. TV/TV is the real thing, the complete package-- great performers, talented musicians and song writers as well as all-around good guys. After a short practice run of their new tunes last night at Lit Lounge they were seen making their rounds thanking their loyal fans/friends. The band will be immortalized in video game history as their track will be featured on EA Sport's NHL '09. Listen out for them or check their tracks out online.


CALL IT LOVE




GOOD COP, BAD COP
*listen for the shout out to Tompkins Square Park!

Another Hit from SuperNews..

This is awesome. Right on point.

1 More Game!

I miss this feeling. After last year, LA needs this more than ever. Let's go Lake Show. Let's bring the 'ship back home!

Mika - Relax, Take It Easy

This little Euro Dance hit goes out to "80s Horror Girl"... you know who you are! Haha! Instant hand-clapper.


Enjoy

Top Ten Signs It's Summer (and you need a job)

I remember the summers in elementary school. I stayed up late to watch Conan, woke up at noon, had raspberry popsicles all day, watched MTV all day, taught myself to make quesadillas and grilled cheese and rollerbladed everywhere. Not much has changed since then.

Here are the Top 10 signs summer has arrived and you need to get a job. Now, I'm not one to judge. I have only been able to observe these signs because I, myself, have too much time on my hands.

So here they are:

1. You get more than 8 hours of sleep

2. You talk to the TV like they can hear you (during newscasts, movies, etc)

3. Unavoidable naps after lunch

4. Multiple showers a day

5. You look up every concert in town for the next month

6. Your alarm is your friends text that they've sent from work during their mid-morning break

7. Leaving the apartment for lunch is more about getting fresh air then hunger

8. You average 1.5 status updates on Facebook per day

9. You memorize every line to "She's All That" (1999)

10. You can name 3 Billy May's endorsed products

Rule #41

Bob Costas is a Sports Journalist, everyone else is just a commentator.

Bing!

Microsoft has launched a search engine that combats the over-saturation of the internet by magically producing more refined searches. Admittedly, the site has proven effective in the few searches I've conducting on it. Even with a user-friendly interface and advanced search technology, in terms of competition with Google, it's as effective as shooting a pebble at a bullet train. But good try Microsoft.

Gruppo Lunch Specials on Ave B

Have you ever experienced a series of events or situations that are so coincidental and bizarre they place you under a spell of utter disbelief?

Today I woke up and immediately decided I wanted a pizza with artichoke on it. I was craving a quality pizza, not your average slice. I still don't know why. Although I live a short walk away from Artichoke on 14th St. I was completely against waiting in line there. It's too creamy for my tastes and in my opinion, grossly overrated. As if no one has had good artichoke dip with toasted bread before? But that's a story for another post.

I remembered walking by a dimly lit pizza place on Ave. B the evening before, so I decided to head in that direction. I finally found the pizza place. They are currently running lunch specials and happy hour deals that are hard to beat.

- 2 slices and a pint of beer for $5
- A sandwich and salad for $9
- A 16" pie and a pitcher of Yeungling for $18

These are quality pizzas with premium ingredients. Thin crust pies are less filling than the typical slice but these were absolutely delicious. (and I hesitate to use superlatives for anything!) Tangy freshly made marinara over a thin, yet soft, crust and topped with globs of fresh mozzarella. I took the deal for 2 slices (a pepperoni and spinach/artichoke).

As I sat at the bar scarfing down lunch I realized I didn't even know the name of hidden gem I had just discovered. I grabbed a nearby menu that read, "Gruppo". The name immediately rang a bell and then I suddenly remembered that a friend had suggested this restaurant to me almost two years ago. I realized it had been years since I spoke to her. I ordered another round of slices. I wondered if I should let her know I finally stumbled upon the pizza place. (When you're grabbing lunch at the bar solo you have ample time to fiddle with your Blackberry and contemplate these things). I decided against it and told the kind man behind the bar I would be back tomorrow.

Interesting enough, out of the blue, an hour later I got a message on Facebook from the same person who suggested the pizza joint from earlier in the day. Weeird huh? *Cue Twilight Zone music!

That being said... Seriously check out Gruppo Pizza on Avenue B between 11th and 12th. Great Pizza and generous recession specials.

Alternative Summer Reading List

I've been seriously neglecting my posts recently but my long-time childhood friends have stepped up their blog game in a real way. Check these guys out. They update regularly. For some funny clips and the latest on sports and pop-culture:

The "Don't Hate/Love Gazette"

The Douglas Daily


Also a notable new blog... Ever wonder what its like to bike from Mexico to Canada? I do. A friend of mine (against all conventional wisdom and common sense) has recently embarked on the journey of a lifetime as he tries to conquer the Great Divide Bike Trail that runs North and South across Middle America from Mexico to Canada. He is currently over 20 days into his journey. About half way through his trek which requires biking 60 miles per day. He's had a handful of brushes with death and met some characters along the way. Check it out.

Godspeed Clem! Make it back to NYC

ChemClem

Rule #40

There is always some one listening with a more interesting job. Usually they are the ones who don't need to talk about it.

The Rabbit Club

These days it seems like speakeasies and clandestine drinking spots are sprouting out like unsightly neck hairs. A quality drink menu with finely crafted cocktails however are becoming harder to come by. It's like the word "mixologist" can justify charging 13 dollars for any decently garnished mixed drink with bitters. I guess the term "mixology" is falling into the wrong hands.

The Rabbit Club is an exception. Right across the street on Mamoun's Falafel on Macdougal St in NYC is a quiet little sleeve that boasts one of the most rare beer selections in the city. The dimly lit bar is a tight squeeze between the seats and the friendly dog that often roams the premise. The men behind the bar are often sociable and willing to help you choose a beer that suits your preferences.

This is great place for a date-- A couple of drinks before getting the night started. The tunes are pretty sweet and did I mention the velvet wall paper? Any self-proclaimed beer enthusiast should check this place out. Try the Radenbach if its on tap. Its a unique Flemish Red Ale that has a great sour and tart bite to it.

Summer Libation Series: The Pimm's Cup

This drink is courtesy of my brothers who have been relentlessly plugging its hip variation, the Square Cup (w/ Square 1 Cucumber Vodka) . Although the Square Cup is available exclusively on the menu at Varnish (Downtown LA), I had it for the first time at Alembic on Haight St. (San Francisco).

For a cool summer cocktail with a hint of cucumber, serve these easy drinks at you're next summer outing and watch their eyes light up in amazement.

Fill a tall 12 oz glass with ice and add 1 1/4 oz. Pimm's #1 and 3 oz lemonade.
Then top off with 7up.
Garnish with cucumber.

*I like to muddle a few slices of cucumber at the bottom for extra flavor.

Rule #39

Spontaneously buy a round of drinks for your friends at least once in your life.

BzaThoughts: College

Rare occasions warrant a post that I consider personal. If you've read carefully through the years then you could infer about as much about my personal life as I care to share. But graduating college is a unique time for most of us to reflect on. What makes this time particularly different from all other "milestone" achievements in our lives is that we've all taken such different paths and had unique experiences down the nebulous road to adulthood. And although graduating college isn't necessarily a prerequisite to maturity, it certainly is a push in the right direction. (I think of it as analogous to standing at the edge of a train platform or a balcony high above ground, and then having some one grab your shoulders from behind to scare you). There are also those of us who have taken the scenic route to adulthood-- the more of experiential learners-- and those who might never choose to take the "college" route at all. So, for today I'll make an exception and not so much share with you about myself as express my sincere gratitude for the past four improbable and fortunate years I've spent in college.

Just before I moved to New York my long-time trainer and friend, who was a native New Yorker, passed on some valuable advice. He told me that "New York City is a place where something is happening every minute of everyday. Anyone can pretend to be important and busy with something, but choosing what you make yourself busy with will be the toughest part." I immediately thought he was referring to drugs or getting involved with the wrong crowd. I remembered what he told me and have began to see that he meant so much more by it than I once perceived.

I used to believe this was a city where people came to change, whether they liked it or not, and whether it was for better or worse. For the most part this has been true for the close friends I've kept during my time here. After all, I've certainly changed. The people around me have changed too. We sometimes felt a little smarter, a little more hopeful or determined. At other times we were tempered by harsh realities and realized that we were neither of the above. But those times taught us the most about each other and the type of friends and people we actually are.

By no means is this idea "New York-centric". I think anyone between the ages of 18 and 25 regardless of geographic location is going to change in some way or another. At least they should hope they do . But all too often we use the idea of this inevitable tendency towards developing our "self identities" and try to force ourselves (desperately,) unnaturally into something far from it. Consequently those people forget those around them. College has taught me one important lesson, perhaps the only important lesson or Rule of the Game that matters at this age.

"self-discovery" is overrated.

As I've been surrounded by people with such diverse backgrounds and stories and perspectives, if all I learned in college was about myself then I would have considered this time wasted. Learning people and how to appreciate them for the things that make them honest, humble and sincere is a lesson I will carry far beyond my time in this city and this part of my life.

The process of finding one's "self" is inherently selfish and frankly a naive concept. Because you can't see who you are by yourself- without knowing who and what you are not. I'm not talking about the way people dress or the music in their iPods or what they order to drink at the bar... or even if they are at the bar at all! I'm referring to the kindness, tolerance and consideration that all too often escapes us as we struggle to "find" ourselves in college.

As my days in New York City are numbered, I am fortunate to have spent time surrounded by people who have understood these indispensable tenets too. And as I look forward to what I hope will be a promising start to my post-graduate career in Washington DC, I remember the advice a great man gave me who made his career in the nation's capitol:

"Think hard. Choose wisely. Feel deeply. Build positive relationships with the people around you. And never stop thinking of the future"

Whenever I have to move or leave a place for a long time I make sure to remind people that "I never forget a friend" and that I mean it in all sincerity. I say this because, as I've elaborated earlier, people change-- and that's okay. But as long as those people and you (because I consider the followers of my blog my friends) know that, then we can bypass the social norm of "growing apart". We'll pick up right where we left off and share stories, have a drink or share a meal. But until then...

Thanks everyone.

Who The...?

I'm a huge Anthony Bourdain fan. Tony and I go way back (See Rule #1). Occasionally, when I get the chance to watch something other than a two-minute pod on Current TV or an ever-inspiring Billy May's sales pitch, I try to catch the latest episode of his show on the Travel Channel.

But it seems another globetrotting culinary journalist has made his way onto TTC in recent months. His name is Andrew Zimmerman. And he eats weird food. That about sums up his show in 10 words. The first time I tuned in I was curious to see where he could go with this show and how he would distinguish himself from Bourdain. Needless to say I was very disappointed... I'll even go as far to say I was annoyed and at some points offended! He spends a majority of the time on screen qualifying himself as "Mr. Adventure" by eating anything put in front of him. Next he'll explain just how disgusting a dish is before wincing like a toddler eating broccoli. All this while the poor guy who makes a living by preparing this delicacy and preserving his culture stares and smiles while Zimmerman tells America how "bizarre" this food is.

It seems I'm not the only one who feels this way and upon further reading I found that Food Network's Tyler Florence called Zimmerman out for the same reasons. Zimmerman gets paid to go to the middle of nowhere to eat weird stuff. Other than exaggerate how odd any dish may be, he has nothing interesting or meaningful to say about it. On the contrary you have Tony Bourdain who travels and may come across some equally exotic dishes but rather than picking at it and making childish faces he will respect it, describe it and move on.

On that note, I'll keep this rant to a minimum and stop here. And in the way of my favorite Travel Channel star I'll gracefully move on.. I wish I could tell Zimmerman to keep doing what he does best and hope that he stays on the air but I have no clue what it is, exactly that he does. So I guess I'll just give him a virtual pat on the back and hope that the next animal genitalia he consumes is tastier than the previous.

Rule #38

It's simple math. 24>23.