Ants in My Pants
Friday, May 28, 2004
NY Food:
I've got a beach friend in town this week. "Beach friend" being the all-inclusive term for people I've met while on Thong Nai Pan Noi in Thailand. One of the good things about being in NY, when I'm not on the beach, is that at least people from around the world to sometimes come through here. And it's fun to take them around the city, showing the sights, riding the subways, etc. For me of course a highlight is being able to take them out to eat at various restaurants. I've eaten out every night this week, which has left me very full but very happily full. This friend, call her Anouk, is a vegetarian, which somewhat limits me, in that there are certain meat dishes in NY I love introducing people to. So she's missing out on that. And because of that, she can't have any pudding either.... Anyways, a brief list of places (or plates) that I like to bring people out for:
1) Nathan's Franks and French Fries, out in Coney Island. Don't do this immediately before riding the Cyclone roller coaster though...could get messy. If people don't get to Coney Island, a street dog is okay if they can also get a knish. With mustard.
2) Corner Bistro in the W. Village for a Bistro Burger and cheap beers, can't really improve on it. Afterwards maybe Magnolia Bakery for a cupcake. Yeah, that's the ticket.
3) E. Village - personally I think Kai Kai on Ave A at 8th St. is great, cheap, quick, Thai food. Not a formal dining experience, but hey, hits the spot. All those Indian restaurants on 6th Street, which folks in the know are convinced are connected by one long kitchen! For drinks I like E. 4th Street Bar, one friend, call him Andy, and I got very drunk there one night and the staff was very good at buybacks and generally amusing us (of course, after throwing a frisbee in dark Washington Square Park, everything was amusing anyways). Although the more I walk around that neighborhood, the more places I find that appeal to me.
4) Chinatown - Dim sum brunch. Soup dumplings at Shanghai Joe's. Vietnamese food at Nha Trang. If meeting for dinner at Nha Trang or anywhere else near there, meet for drinks at Fiorini's bar first; for some reason I find the mix of clientele there very interesting. My sister and I recently went to a Indonesian/Malaysian hole-in-the-wall that was killer bee. I think it may have been called something like "Indonesia/Malasyia Restaurant." Literally. Sugeno and I have gone for drinks a couple times at a dark basement bar called Double Happiness, a few blocks north of Canal on Mott. We end up drunk, leaving phone messages for friends we haven't talked to in too long.
5) Lobster - I once had an out-of-town guest in, call her Jo, and we able to drive out to Montauk, Long Island, one day. As it is one of my favorite places in the world, it was fun to show her the Lighthouse, the Harbor, the beach, etc. And when you're in Montauk, you have to have steamed clams and lobster. MMmmm. Corn on the cob, french fries, cole slaw, beer, are all nice sides. But the key is the lobster. And the clams. Oh, and maybe ice cream or a chocolate covered frozen banana at Johns for dessert. Yeah.
Tuesday, May 25, 2004
KHAN!! KHAN!! KHAN!!
Nah, not a movie review (although...Wrath of Khan is a great flick). Just something I'd been thinking more and more about in these modern times: when I was in college, taking a seminar about Alexander the Great, Professor Szegedy-Maszak taught us about the tragic cycle of Koros-Hubris-Ate-Nemesis, the eventual downfall. And the last couple years I've really felt like that's the direction that George W. Bush is taking this country: from a good situation, to pushing his arrogance too far, and eventually America will end up suffering greatly for it. If the idea intrigues you, do a Google search, you'll even find other people's websites who apparently feel the same way, for instance this one: http://www.lewrockwell.com/wallace/wallace102.html. It was written in March 2003, and while I don't completely agree with the guy, it's a good little read. Then just think of how much further down the road Bush has taken us since then. Really, it's morally imperative the guy should be voted out; sadly, November might not even be soon enough.
Friday, May 21, 2004
The Annoying Thing Is,
It's really frustrating that so much of my energy of late has been focused on politics. I don't even like politics! I know my friend Hitch things that politics should be fun, and perhaps they should be, but lately it's just plain aggravating. I guess it goes to show that when something is going okay, you don't pay it much mind. But when the Situation Normal become All Fucked Up...well, I guess that's when the hackles get raised. Speaking of hackles, apparently I'm not the only one who thinks the whole current Administration evokes the image of Animal Farm: in the name of improving things for all, they're actually only improving things for themselves, while the rest of the country, and indeed the world, suffers. And people wonder why I'm happier back on my calm little beach in Thailand....
Right, anyways, a couple of links of note:
Strip Club Owners Goal: Show Bush - hey, it's all about freedoms, innit? Yeah baby!
Speaking of Bush, Something Is Fishy: sad that political policy triumphs over science. Read the guy's resignation letter, really sums things up well.
I am Greenpeace, I Speak for the Trees: Jeez, the gov't was desperate enough to try to use a law that hadn't been used in over 100 years, in order to stifle activism.
Thursday, May 20, 2004
Why I give Bush a Failing grade:
Let's check out the report card:
"English" - Well, we all know about how he mangles the English language. And clearly he doesn't do his reading assignments.
"Math" - Ahem. The, er, large deficit. Need I say more?
"Science" - His faith-based views are failing Americans. Stem-cell research? At-risk mothers? Nah, a bunch of single-cell pre-humans are more important to him.
"Social Studies" - Hey, the guy only left the U.S. twice before he was "elected" President. And his war on Iraq and his dissing of our allies show how little he cares about History. Although I suppose that also could be related to his failing grade in "Plays Well With Others"
Friday, May 14, 2004
No, no, no, not John Secada!
They're here. Are we under attack? What's going to happen? Some people like them. Some people eat them. And they do like a good barbecue. They're not mean, but they may be dangerous to your kids (if your kids are stupid), or your pets (if your pets are hogs). They may prune your trees a bit, but your plants should survive. They like to play the numbers, and go to the races. But basically, they're just pursuing the American Dream.
Welcome back kids, have a nice summer!
Thursday, May 13, 2004
Various reasons I could do a good job in politics, but, ultimately, I'm unelectable:
Good - I have a real college degree. And I believe in the value of a good education.
Good - I wouldn't let my religious views interfere with my politics.
Good - If I wanted to ask the American people for $25 billion, it would be to IMPROVE international relations.
Good - Unlike the sitting "president", I actually LIKE to travel outside the country.
Good - I don't keep any skeletons in my closet.
Unelectable - I have smoked marijuana, but don't think it's ultimately more harmful than alcohol. This country could save SO much money if weed was decriminalized and regulated.
Good - I'm not in any industry's pocket.
Good - Being firmly middle-class, I'd be a man of the people, but unelectable - it's hard to buy an election without a LOT of money.
Sunday, May 09, 2004
The Compleat Exorcist, the Abridged Version:
Enacted by a pair of bunnies
...some folk must have a lot of free time...
Friday, May 07, 2004
Sam's Index:
Number of pounds gained by Morgan Spurlock, Director of "Supersize Me", in 30 days of eating a purely McDonald's diet: 25
Number of Americans estimated to be pre-diabetic (blood sugar high enough to dramatically increase their risk of getting diabetes): 41 million
Percentage of US children that are overweight, according to the US government: 15
Number of species placed on Endangered List since 1973: 1200
Number of species listed per year during Clinton Era (average): 65
Number of species listed per year during Bush Sr. Era (average): 59
Number of species in total during Bush Jr. Era : 31
Auction price for Picasso's "Boy With a Pipe": $104 million
Price put on Coalition Authority Paul Bremer's head, by Osama bin Laden, in pounds of gold: 22 (current value about $137,000)
Age that Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen will turn on June 13, 2004: 18
Age that Juliet will turn, in a fortnight and a few days, in Romeo and Juliet: 14
Number of unintended pregnancies, per year, in the US, that could be prevented with easier access to emergency contraceptives: approx. 1.5 million
Number of animals found in a suburban apartment near Milwaukee, fed with roadkill: about 200
Number of animals turned into roadkill each day, in the U.S.: 1 million
Thursday, May 06, 2004
Tuesday, May 04, 2004
But Have They Found Ray Walston's Pad Yet?
I think one of my favorite on-going news stories of 2004 has been the Mars rovers. I know that $875 million is a lot of money, and I realize that money could be well spent on many things down here, but I do think that sometimes it IS important that we acquire knowledge for knowledge's sake. (Maybe it's because I grew up reading science fiction, nothing like a little Heinlein or Asimov "hero of the galaxy" to get a nerd kid like me revved up to think of what's out there.) And the stuff these rovers are coming back with...amazing really, the photos alone are worth it, even beyond the science data they're coming back with. How many opportunities have we had to see views that have never been seen before? In this era? Nothing like these pictures has ever existed before. That's pretty damn cool. And then, plus, the science. Real evidence of liquid water on Mars. Mineral analysis. Atmospheric measurements. Neat-o. With a capital o. Neat-O! Check out NASA's webpage for the rovers at: http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/home/index.html
Monday, May 03, 2004
Put a little starch in that
My forehead is wrinkling; does anyone else feels like there's some irony in the following situation: This hijacked guy in Iraq who just escaped (way to go!) is a farmer, and he had some debts, so his solution to paying back those debts was to go work in Iraq as a subcontractor truck driver to Halliburton. I can't quite articulate what I'm getting at, but it has something to do with foreign policy (horribly, disastrously misguided, if well-intentioned) and domestic policy (like Bush's service record, arguably even present at all).
Some meadows are best left untouched
Not an environmental post at all. Man, last night's Sopranos was a good reminder of why sometimes, no matter how cute they are, you shouldn't date a Mafia princess. The warped logic of that girl, arguing with her boyfriend, made me cringe. My advice to the boy: run. Blow the scene. Now. Far away. Heads are gonna roll....
Saturday, May 01, 2004
I'll take that media rare:
The Ayes Have It - And Uma's got a great pair of 'em. Eyes, that is. Kill Bil Vol. 2 was a damn fine movie. I only saw Vol. 1 on DVD, and I really liked it, but it was nice to see Vol. 2 in a full theatre in NYC last weekend. You can see how much Tarantino really loves Westerns and kung-fu flicks. Some of his nods are humorous, some just plain puppy-love. If I were Joe Bob, I'd say "10 bodies, 1 gallon of blood, zero exposed breasts (but oh those eyes), 1 excellent sword fight...2 thumbs up, check it out."
I Like Mine Hard-Boiled - My brother's been egging me on to read those old Raymond Chandler books for years, so this year I've been going for it. And you know, Phillip Marlowe is one cool character. I think so far my favorite has been The Big Sleep, which is the first of the series, but the others I've read are great too; perfect combination of mystery, dry humor, philosophical contemplation.
Reality Bites - really. Reality TV shows bite. The concept of watching a bunch of dullards trying to nail their 15 minutes of fame got real old after, oh, say, the first or second season of The Real World. The only reality show I watched at all this year was American's Next Top Model, and that's only because it was a dozen beautiful girls striking pose after pose for weeks on end, and who wouldn't want to watch that? (well, and I was rooting for the somewhat geeky looking one at the beginning and she lasted til the last episode, what a cutie!) I suppose the reality craze really struck gold here with Survivor, but when that first aired, I was just returning from my round-the-world trip. Why on earth would I want to watch a bunch of agro boneheads run around a tropical island in Malaysia? I had just been to islands in Malaysia, Thailand, Fiji, Australia, etc. Living my own life, my own adventures; honestly, without cameras, without prizes, without pre-determined co-habitors. My 2 weeks sailing on the Sulawesi with Steve, Jody and Sharon were a blast, totally unexpected, how could a TV show beat that? ...anyways, back to TV: if anyone has Bravo, they've been showing Keen Eddie, about the American policeman working for Scotland Yard. It's quite refreshing, it's well paced, funny, good acting.
