I Wish I Had More Hands

I've never been a fan of Starbucks - standing on long lines, using their jargon (tall/grande/venti), and paying $5 for a cup of overrated coffee is not my idea of fun. I recently received a Starbucks $50 Gift Card and thought it would be nice to have a Barnes & Noble date to research our vacation to Costa Rica. I ordered a medium white chocolate mocha (I refuse to use their jargon), small caramel frappachino, and a vanilla buttercream cupcake. Total: $9.64. I present my gift card and they tell me that they don't accept gift cards because "they only serve Starbucks coffee". Huh? In the immortal words of Rick James (from the Chappelle Show): I wish I had more hands....I'd give Starbucks two thumbs down. The worst part of the whole day was that I found out that July is considered the rainy season in Costa Rica - back to the drawing board.

Top 5 Albums from Beginning to End

After a lot of thought (and debate), I came up with my Top 5 Albums I Can Listen to from Beginning to End. Here they are:

1) Legend - The Best Of Bob Marley And The Wailers:maybe I cheated a little bit by picking a greatest hits album. How can you really go wrong with this album? Every song is a hit, I actually know all of the words to each song, and it always relaxes me and puts a smile on my face. It might also be the most universal album (heard and revered throughout every culture).

2) Supernatural - Carlos Santana:this might be the only album that I actually bought twice (someone "borrowed" my first copy). The album has something for everyone (Latin jazz, R&B, rock, spanish rock) and a diverse group of featured artists (Dave Matthews, Rob Thomas, Lauren Hill, Wyclef, Mana, Eric Clapton).

3) Evolution of Robin Thicke - Robin Thicke:this may be considered too new to be on a Top 5 list, but its my list. When it first came out, I played it on repeat on my iPod. Its the perfect CD to play when you have dinner guests over, trying to set the mood, or listen to in the office.

4) Voodoo - D'angelo:this might be my "sleeper" pick. How did this album not get more acclaim? It epitimizes soulful and funky. His first album was great, but this sophomore effort completely beat it out - who said that sequels can't be better than the original (Godfather II, Terminator 2, Karate Kid II)?

5) The Christmas Song - Nat King Cole:this was my sentimental pick. Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without this album. I grew up on it and refuse to get anyone else's Christmas album. It is an essential must have and I will admit that if my iPod plays a Nat King Cole song in July, I will most likely not skip it.

Brooklyn Brewery Black Chocolate Stout

I try, emphasis on try, not to fall victim to all of the Facebook quizzes and viral "25 Things About Me". The LivingSocial application is the latest rage - you rank your top 5 everything: favorite albums, TV shows, sports teams, and you can go on for eternity. Recently, they had a Top 5 Beers which I had to think long and hard about. I credit my appreciation of beer to the unlikeliest of souces: my college friend Dave (AKA Davo). Although I never drank beer in college (I transitioned from Bacardi Limon to Southern Comfort to Vodka), it wasn't until Davo introduced us to Belgian beers, that I ever even considered beer. He discovered it while doing the "Beer of the Month Club" (he also put us onto to different cheeses when he did the "Cheese of the Month Club" - cranberry chevre, anyone?). Once we got a taste, coupled with the much higher alcohol content (8.5%-10.5%; regular beer is 4%), we never turned back. WARNING: taking a case of Duvel camping with you is not advisable (amongst the casualties the next morning: someone's charred blanket, toilet paper doused with lighter fluid and thrown into the fire, and all memories of the night before).

Davo also introduced us to Brooklyn Brewery seasonal beers and I go on a yearly hunt to find and stock up on Black Chocolate Stout. This year, I found a deli in the East Village which keeps them well stocked and $14 per 6-pack. The Black Chocolate Stout is only available in the winter and is a treat if you are able to find it. If you pour it into a glass, it looks like very dark coffee and tastes like the Spanish soft drink Malta with some added punch. Weighing in at a whopping 10% alcohol, its surprisingly easy to drink and has notes of chocolate and coffee. Its perfect by itself and with a rich dessert (cheesecake).

Fantasy Baseball for Dummies

I've been playing Fantasy Baseball since the 1993-1994 season - when my team consisted of Darren Daulton, Mike Stanley (who seemed to hit a HR every game), John Kruk, Jeff Bagwell, Carlos Baerga, Jack McDowell (22 Wins), Phil Plantier, and Chuck Carr (58 Stolen Bases). In my virgin season, I had my greatest free agent pickup: I discovered Pedro Martinez as a lowly middle reliever on the Dodgers.

According to my Yahoo Sports trophy case, I've been in a Fantasy Baseball drought - the last time I won First Place was 2004 (I finished in Second Place in 2006). Being a post-draft optimist, I believe this is going to be my year. I refined my draft strategy from last year: load up on offense (I didn't pick a pitcher until the 7th round where I had to pull the trigger on Chad Billingsley), pick a catcher near the end (last year I drafted Bengie Molina who lead all catchers with 95 RBIs - this year I landed Jorge Posada), and wait on relief pitchers (the position is too unpredictable and you can always pick one up on the waiver wire). Here is how my team looks:

C: Jorge Posada
1B: Justin Morneau
2B: Dan Uggla (who I officially have a man crush on)
3B: David Wright
SS: Stephen Drew
OF: Carlos Beltran
OF: Jacoby Ellsbury
OF: Torii Hunter
Util: Carlos Pena
BN: Mark Reynolds

SP: Chad Billingsley
SP: James Shields
RP: Brian Fuentes (K-Rod had 62 SVs with the Angels)
RP: BJ Ryan
P: Ricky Nelasco
P: Derek Lowe
P: Zack Greinke
BN: Randy Johnson
BN: Scott Baker
BN: Troy Percival
BN: Kevin Gregg

My only fault in the draft - although I'm a Yankees fan, I'll be forced to root for David Wright / Carlos Beltran (on the lowly Mets) and Jacoby Ellsbury (on the much hated Boston Red Sox). My biggest sleeper prediction: Cameron Maybin on the Florida Marlins (he'll be good for 40+ SBs).

Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell

I just finished Malcolm Gladwell's latest book Outliers: The Story of Successand it's his best one so far (I wasn't overly impressed by The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference or Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking). The book analyzes why some people succeed and how success is more than just intelligence and hard work. It discusses the similarities of Bill Gates and The Beatles, explains why the majority of professional hockey players were born in January, why Asians exceed in Math, the difference between "practical intelligence" vs "analytical intelligence", and the 10,000 Hour Rule (to become an expert at something, you have to do it for 10,000 hours). The book seemed to digress at the midpoint (I don't know why he dedicated 47 pages to the "Ethnic Theory of Place Crashes"), but it tied everything together at the end by applying the theories of success to the author's family history.

Bizarre Foods (London Edition)

Before heading out to London, I DVR'd every show on the Travel Channel about London: Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations, Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern, and Samantha Brown's Great Weekends for travel tips, ideas, and food suggestions. London isn't considered a food mecca, but here is a sampling of the things that I ate:

• Potted Rabbit on Toast with Jam (@ Rules Restaurant): Potted rabbit looks like grey meaty tuna fish. Its served with a thin layer of yellow fat on the bottom and you're supposed to spread it over toast and add jam. It was surprisingly good and took my "odd food virginity" away.
• Venison / Pigeon / Rabbit / Guinea Pie (@ Rules Restaurant): Who would have thought that a pie with four different meats would taste so good? The meat had a beef appearance with a white meat in the middle. The delicious pie crust and brown gravy really complimented the meal.
  
• Black Pudding: Black pudding is sausage made with pig blood. I had it as part of the "traditional British breakfast" which consists of eggs, back bacon, (two thumbs down) , sausage, hash browns, beans, and a tomato. Maybe I didn't have "proper" black pudding, but I wasn't much of a fan (it seemed bland and dry).
  
• Haggis (@ Boisdale of Bishopsgate): Haggis is minced sheep pluck (sheep heart, lungs, & liver) mixed with spices, onions, and oatmeal. Although it sounds a bit unappetizing, I couldn't believe how great it was - it was like a spicy moist meatloaf. I had it with a shot of Johnnie Walker on top and wished I hadn't - the alcohol overpowered it and dulled the spices.
  

London for Dummies

I recently came back from a business trip to London and had a great time. I flew the red eye on Friday to recover from the jet lag and to have a whole weekend to explore. I saw the majority of the sites (Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, London Eye, Tower Bridge, etc) and partook in all of the traditional fare: fish and chips with a few warm pints at a pub in Wimbledon, "high tea" (late afternoon tea with scones, clotted cream, and jam), and riding the tunnel (its not for those with claustrophobia or anyone taller than 6'2''). Here are a few casual observations:

• Everyone goes out - it was a common sight to see 3 generations eating together (grandparents / parents / grandchildren) and couples going out with their kids in strollers.
  
• They are having the same banking and bailout issues that we are having (its amazing how intertwined our economies are and how universal greed is).
  
• There are no garbage cans (due to the threat of terrorism), but the city is surprisingly clean.
• Their bacon (called back bacon) is thick, fatty, salty, and not cripsy (I was a much bigger fan of the sausage which had a lot of taste).
  
• Every bathroom has two doors before you can get in (supposedly this is done for health code reasons).

The Curious Case of Revolutionary Road

I just saw Revolutionary Road and can't believe that it wasn't amongst the nominations for movie of the year. The movie follows a young married couple (Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet) with 2 kids living the "American Dream" in the suburbs. Neither one of them is happy: DiCaprio hates his mundane office job, Winslet is a housewife who gave up her dream of becoming an actress, and they both feel the "hopeless emptiness" of the life that they created. One day, his wife suggests escaping the rat race by selling their car/house and moving to Paris. She was going to become the breadwinner by getting a lucrative secretarial position while her husband was free to find his passion. They tell their neighbors and co-workers of their plans and set forth planning their escape.

So what made the film great besides the powerful acting performances and subtle nuances between characters? I found it completely thought provoking - why do we toil with jobs that we are unhappy with? Why do we give up on our dreams when our circumstances change? Is the "American Dream" a complacent delusion? Why do so many marriages lead to unhappiness? Does your life end when you have children? The funny thing is that the voice of sanity in the movie comes from the most unlikely source: an "insane" person.

My Dream Job

What's your dream job? Really....think about it. My dream job would involve travel, eating new exotic foods, and experiencing new things. I must admit that I'm a bit envious of Anthony Bourdain from the Travel Channel. Anthony Bourdain is many things - he's a chef, best selling author (Kitchen Confidential),foodie, and host of the show Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations.He travels the world and local hosts navigate him through the culture, cuisine, and new experiences (snowboarding on sand in Namibia, wiping out on an ATV in New Zealand, etc.). Who wouldn't want a permanent vacation to Tuscany, Brazil, Greek Islands, and Spain?

Slumdog Millionaire

New York Magazinecame out with a clever cover showing Bernie Madoff as Heath Ledger's Joker from The Dark Knight. The article discusses Madoff's "slumdog" beginnings, his constant resentment of the upperclass, his facial ticks, avoidance of anything with curves ("he drank out of square drinking glasses, stored his pencils in square holders, tossed his trash into square cans"), and his ultimate demise. My question - since Madoff orchestrated the largest financial scam ever ($50B), will the Ponzi Scheme be renamed the Madoff Scheme?

Reality Show Hell

I've been a fan of reality shows since MTV first aired The Real World. It was an original idea: take strangers from "formulated" different backgrounds, put them in a house, and film their ups and downs. Next came Survivor - again, another original concept: take strangers, have them compete for a reward/immunity, and contestants get voted off in a drama filled elimination process.

VH-1, which used to be a music video channel, has abandoned that concept and went "all in" with reality shows (they should rebrand themselves as RS-1 "Reality Shows One"). They evolved the reality genre into "celebreality" by using "past their prime" celebrities. Flavor of Love and Rock of Love were entertaining in the beginning, but became too redundant. The problem came with the many sequels (do we really need a 3rd Real World set in New York City or a Rock of Love Bus), the many spinoffs (I Love New York, Real Chance of Love), people not acting "real" by trying to get their own shows or further their acting/singing/modeling careers, and the trashiness. It'll be interesting to see what the genre will evolve into next.

Happy Friday the 13th

(I was inspired to do a blurb on Friday the 13th after the woman crossing the street behind me, tripped, fell, and almost got run over by a bus this morning.)

Friday the 13th has long been known as a superstitious unlucky day. On Friday, October 13, 1307 , King Philip IV ordered the secret arrest of all Knights of the Templar in France (they were later tortured and executed). The Knights of the Templar protected Christian pilgrims during the Crusades and grew powerful in wealth and politics.

There are countless other origins on Fridays and the number 13. Many negative Biblical events occurred on a Friday (Adam biting into the apple, the Great Flood, Crucifixion, etc), the stock market crashed on a Friday (Black Friday), and it was known as Execution Day in Pagan Rome and Britain (Hangman's Day) In numerology, twelve is considered the number of completeness: 12 months, 12 zodiac signs, 12 hours on a clock, 12 Apostles, etc. A Norse myth, thought to derive from the Last Supper, believes that thirteen people seated at a table will result in the death of one of the diners. If you have thirteen letters in your name, you will have the devil's luck: Jack The Ripper, Charles Manson, Theodore Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer, and Albert Desalvo (the funny thing is that I have 13 letters in my name - great!). Many buildings do not have a 13th floor and many cities do not have a 13th Street or Avenue. There are 13 menstrual cycles in a year (13 X 28 days = 364 days) which would add validity to the theory. =)

What does this all mean? Nothing is real unless you believe it to be. Clutch your rabbit's feet, throw salt over your shoulder, and make sure those horseshoes are facing down.

Disturbia

I received the image on the left from my co-worker earlier in the day - its been circulating around the internet as a picture of Rihanna after the alleged assault. Its actually a fraud and a "Photoshopped" version of the picture on the right. Its a sad state of affairs when someone decides to circulate a fake picture on such a sensitive situation.

To the Victor go the Spoils

There are 247 members in the NFL Hall of Fame and not one of them is a punter. The punter is the least glorious position on the team - they don't score, they don't get physical, and they are statistically the most likely to turn the ball over per touch. No one grows up wanting to be a NFL punter (as far as I know). Offense wins games, defense wins championships, and punting simply gives the ball back to the other team (in other words: quitting).

There is an important business lesson in all of this: if you don't produce, you can't get rewarded. I learned this my first year out of college - businesses always reward/protect their profit centers and sacrifice their cost centers (support staff, HR, IT, etc). You can't win the game, if you're not scoring points.

It May Be Time....

The best Super Bowl commercial was CareerBuilders.com - It May Be Time. It cleverly outlines the rules to know when you need a new job:

1) You hate going to work everyday
2) Your co-workers don't respect you ("Hey Dummy!")
3) You always wish you were somewhere else
4) You cry constantly
5) You daydream of punching small animals in the face ("Oh dear!")
6) You sit next to the inappropriate guy who clips his toenails

It left off a few other reasons (being taken for granted, don't respect your boss), but nailed everyone's feelings when you hear that alarm clock go off in the morning.