Thursday, December 11, 2008

Robocop

I read today that production has started on a remake of the neopunk classic Robocop. http://www.firstshowing.net/2008/06/10/robocop-remake-confirmed-first-marketing-banner/ I normally hate re-makes, but with Darren Aronofsky at the helm it has hope. In my opinion the five worst movie remakes in order are:

1) Psycho- Not Vince Vaughn or Gus Van Zants best work, sadly it may have been Anne Heches though.

2) Planet of the Apes- Mark Walbergh is awful.

3) King Kong- Jack Black was good in high fidelity and school of rock, but this was terrible.

4) Charlie and the Chocolate Factory- Johnny Depp reminded me of a pedophile in this one.

5) Godzilla- See #3 but substitute Matthew Broderick for Jack Black Godzilla sucks.

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

Floyd $$$ Mayweather

I have to preface this by stating that I am an avid boxing fan, but I found Floyd Mayweather's foray into the WWE a disgrace, Floyd not only disgraced boxing, but disgraced himself and his legacy. Floyd is unquestionably the best boxer in the world, he is an all time great, winning titles at six weight classes. He made over 45 million dollars last year for boxing and defeating Oscar DeLahoys and Ricky Hatton, at 30 years old in the prime of his boxing career he could achieve anything in the sport, there are big matches he could have against Miguel Cotto, Shane Mosley, or a number of other fighters that would be lucrative and great for the sport that helped take him from Floyd Pretty Boy to Floyd $$$ Mayweather. Instead Floyd has turned his back on boxing and instead focusing his attention on wrestling. I understand that large amounts of money like the 20 million Floyd reportedly received for wrestlemania can make a man do strange things, but the best boxer in the world wasting his prime by fighting a scripted match at wrestlemania against a 7 ft man that could in any other arena except the "sport" of wrestling swat him like a fly is tragic. Floyd obviously sees a world outside of boxing, and he is trying to make himself a crossover star, like Ali and DeLahoya, but both of those men gained that stardom through boxing, not through cheap publicity stunts. Floyd has a gift he is an artist in the ring blessed with all the physical attributes a great boxer could hope for, yet he runs from the sport that made him. Imagine if Picasso had decided he didn't want to paint because someone offered him a few more dollars to be a stonemason, the world would have lost some of its most wonderful art,. Floyd is that good of a boxer he is Picasso in the ring. I know now with the paychecks and endorsements rolling in boxing is probably a complete afterthought to $$$ Mayweather, but it is safe to assume one day when he takes a sstep back adn hears boxing historians ask what could have been had he really focused on boxing he will realize there is more to life than money.

Monday, March 24, 2008

Some Economics Links

JP Morgan buys Bear Stearns for $2/share. This is fantastic news. One, JP Morgan picked up Bear’s financial obligations, so they believe they can be met, and we don’t get a default that really could trigger a broader financial panic. Two, there’s no government bailout, at least not in this case. Bear fucked up, and they’re paying for it. This is is how financial markets are supposed to work: If you take on too much risk, or evaluate risk incorrectly, you may get burned, and Bear did.
The Buck Stops Where?: If you want to be a pessimist, the way that the Fed is cheapening the dollar is the best argument that our immediate economic future is dim. We’ve seen scattered reports in the last two weeks that the recession is already abating and that economic growth should resume in the next quarter, so why is the Fed still pushing interest rates down? This would be a good time for President Bush to step in and show the sort of economic leadership he showed earlier in his tenure when he pushed for lower marginal tax rates, elimination of the dividend tax (albeit temporarily), and freer trade. The editorial argues that the Bush administration has tacitly approved of Bernanke’s rate cuts, and if that’s true, it’s a huge mistake. A weak dollar will drive investment funds out of the country at a time when we need more coming in to help ease the credit crunch. This is one example where the equity markets have it wrong. The Fed needs to start bumping rates back up, and sooner rather than later.

Friday, March 7, 2008

Soul (less) Food

I was approached by a colleague yesterday about a soul food delivery business one of her friends was starting. As my colleague divulged the details I was skeptical about the whole structure of her friends business, sure they made up fancy menus, but the food she made was not cooked to order, but cooked the night before to ensure timely delivery. As a favor to my colleague I decided to order one of the meals, I went with the turkey meatloaf, the least offensive choice on the menu and standard soul food fare. The problems started from there, no one answered the phone at this woman's house/restaurant last night I was hoping to get more order for lunch, I did not even get to place the order until 12:30. I don't like late lunches but I had point to much effort in at this point to quit without my meatloaf. The food came about a half an hour ago, I paid ($ for the meatloaf and cabbage, I thought that seemed high but figured at least the portions would be large. My food arrived on a paper plate covered with plastic wrap, I mean could they not at least spring for Styrofoam containers , especially with the nine bucks I paid. I was immediately disappointed with the paltry portions, a small slice of meatloaf that was bone dry and what looked like an ice cream scoop of cabbage, my request for hot sauce was also rebuffed when I talked to the restaurant. I am all for trying new places and people doing something different in the food world, but this was an example of someone with an idea, but no preparation behind it, thou roughly disappointing meal.

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Peak Oil

With oil prices seeming to settle in around $100 a barrel - an alarming number, but not all that surprising when you consider the dollar’s weakness - perhaps it’s time for some contrarian thinking on the arrival of the so-called “Peak Oil” state.
The World Has Plenty of Oil.” Mr. Saleri’s conclusion:
Sufficient liquid crude supplies do exist to sustain production rates at or near 100 million barrels per day almost to the end of this century.
His strongest point, beyond the straight recitation of statistics on what we know is in the ground and how much we actually consume, is that high oil prices will tend to create incentives for alternatives, both alternative fuel/energy sources, but also alternative extraction techniques. Oil that was not profitable to extract at $50 a barrel may be quite profitable at $100 barrel, and if oil prices remain high, previously untapped sources of oil will come on line. (A 2005 study by the RAND corporation said that a “surface retorting complex” for extracting oil from shale “is unlikely to be profitable unless real crude oilprices are at least $70 to $95 per barrel (2005 dollars).”)
All in all it’s a rather different message than what you might read in your daily fishwrap or what you’ll hear from any environmental group. Oil will run out eventually, but it’s not likely to happen in our lifetimes

Monday, March 3, 2008

Baltimore Inner Harbor Trip/ Eats

The gf and I took a trip to Baltimore on Saturday, having not been in a while I was interested in Baltmores development as a major metropolitan area. Our obvious starting out point was the aquarium, a bit touristy yes, but definitely the most solid value outside an orioles game in the area. We got the 4-D experience package which included our standard aquarium and a 4-D show the show was definitely the filet of the trip it was educational and fun, albeit too brief. The aquarium offers solid to above average shark exhibits, and some interesting fish and snakes overall I rate the aquarium and 8.0 out of 10, the lack of hammerheads brought it down a point. Next we went on a readers reccomendation to the Wharf Rat, according to their website the Wharf Rat is a brewery that offers standard British pub fare, I had my heart set on a sheppards pie, but it wasnt offered, nor was bangers and mash. In fact the only traditional pub item was the fish in chips. I settled on the shrimp salad wrap, the salad was bland no seasoning, and a complete lack of depth of flavor. Hillary went with the Veggie Burger her standard choice, she also said it was below average and im not sure but I dont think you find veg burgers at Traditional British Pubs either. There was an abundance of restaurant choices, a lot of them chains ie. California pizza kitchen, the cheescake factory, Ruth Chris, all the usual suspects, I wanted to do something non turisty though perhaps next time we will try Little Italy. The area overall has developed dramatically, with a great overall ambiance, with an emphasis on the arts. I would reccomend Baltimore as a day trip, or even maybe a weekend trip in the summer, I cant say it offers enough value to garner a full vacation right now but its on its way.

Friday, February 29, 2008

I eat weird foreign food: Head cheese


The eyeless hog's head staring at me would probably have been enough to send most Americans running back toward the door. I bit my tongue and avoided any Lord of the Flies references since most of the staff at this particular restaurant seemed to speak perfect English. This was not the sort of place where you receive menus, pick and choose your meal, and select a wine. Essentially, you sit down, they bring you out food, and then they charge you. The only paper involved is your cash. No bills, no menus. We were immediately brought a mezzo of wine and our own plates of prosciutto. Our table was then brought two plates, one with a thick slice of salami (house cured, like all the other meats) and the other was a slice of head cheese. Head cheese is not a cheese but rather the olive loaf of meats. It is prepared by boiling a pig's head after all of the organs have been removed. The meat (among other things) is then removed and put into a mold and left to cool till it becomes gelatinous.
I must say, it is as appetizing in its appearance as its preparation makes it sound. My friend who is studying in Italy insisted that I try it and I agreed to, but I implored him to not tell me what it was or what was in it. I had one bite and could not do anymore. I was bombarded with 3 different textures: gel-like, chewy, and whatever word best describes the texture of cartilage. The taste was a bit off, not quite ham but ham-esque. But the clear offender here was the texture. My friend, who is usually quite adventurous when it comes to food (he had ordered tongue the night before) had to spit his bite back out on to his plate. I would only recommend head cheese to people who have a high tolerance (perhaps if you enjoy ham hocks or pigs feet?) or as a dare.

Cheesesteak tour

Our bloggers will be ranking the areas best cheesesteaks next week, any ideas for places are appreciated will will rank the top 5. Were trying to keep it somewhat local, philly, and the immediate south jersy area.

I hate Dane Cook

I just dont understand why people think Dane Cook is funny, I mean he just runs around and is energetic and stuff but is that funny, I dont know I need more from a comic, perhaps some half decent material or funny jokes. His movies are also terrible and honestly uncomfortable to watch. I really dislike everything about I mean he just talks about regular stuff and not even in a funny way. I hate Dane Cook.

Thursday, February 28, 2008

Mount Rapmore

Standard blog stuff here, but I figured we should get it out of the way. If there was a Mount Rushmore style monument for rappers who would be on it,& Heres my list and why.

Tupac- He's the Abe Lincoln of the list without question the most influential and important rapper ever. Hes a mortal lock and really not up for debate.

Dr.Dre- After Pac the list is really a free for all I like Dre because 1) NWA 2) He ushered in the whole era of gansta rap. Plus he introduced the world to Snoop and Eminem.

Eminem- Probably my most debatable obviously em is gifted with a sic flow, he didnt have the impact or importance of the first two rappers on the list, but his talent is undeniable. If he has one more great record and produces a couple of more great tracks hes a lock, but tenatively Ill put him on for the time being.

Russell Simmons- the last choice was the hardest, Ill talk about who I excluded first. Notorious B.I.G Biggie was great but I dont think he did enough one great album and one solid album dont warrant a spot among the greats for me. Most will argue that if I have pac I have to have biggie, I just dont see it that way. I will add the caviat that if biggie's life hadnt been cut short he had the talent to be on the list. My next exclusion was Jay- Z to me I just never got it with him, being the richest and most corporate rapper doesnt make you the best, some may disagree but I just cant shake the thought of em murdering him on renegade. To me Jay came along at the right time with the right gimmick to make an impact, but hes not one of the all time greats. I went with Russell Simmons the man meant more to rap then everyone else on my list combined, he completely changed the game, shining the spotlight on artists like Rakim, Run DMC, LL Cool J, Beastie Boys and so many more, I relize he cant rhyme a lick, but its unfathomable to have a list of important figures in rap and not have Mr. Def Jam on it.

Link

This is a funny article from our friend Rob Neyer over at espn http://insider.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?name=neyer_rob

Wilford Lawrence's Birthday

Today is Wilford Lawrences (Pat Bateman) 25th birthday, so happ birthday from everyone of your colleagues at the Aspot. Wilford will be making an appearance at Wegmans in Moorestown between 5 and 7 p.m. et.

Sick And Tired

Am I the only person anymore who takes pride in the way in which I speak? Subject verb agreement seems to be virtually nonexistent. Has America forgotten simple Language Arts? I was at a local shopping establishment yesterday picking up some last minute items for an upcoming trip. The destination, South Beach, but I should not digress. I was paying for some suspenders, and a calfskin belt at the register. As I reached into the inside of my topcoat to retrieve my American Express, I heard something that will forever change me. It came like a freight train straight to my ears, my face got red, and I instantly began to perspire. I heard the voice of a woman, most likely in her late 30's, say, "He don't like his shirts all stiff." My defense mechanisms went into full swing, and after dropping my AMex on the counter, I turned with utter disgust and scowled at the woman. I was speechless, part of me wanted to exit as fast as humanly possible as to not breathe the same air as this woman, but another part of me was compelled to teach a crash course in 2nd grade Language Arts. Nonetheless, I paid for my goods and swiftly exited. My disgust began to swell, and cause me extreme discomfort. What makes this woman think that it is acceptable to blurt out phrases that do not make sense. Doesn't is a contraction of does not and should be used only with a singular subject. Don't is a contraction of do not and should be used only with a plural subject. The exception to this rule appears in the case of the first person and second person pronouns I and you. With these pronouns, the contraction don't should be used. Not only was her sentence structure incorrect, but whoever she was buying shirts for is dead wrong as well. He must be a liberal Democrat that probably likes his shirts flimsy. As you all know I am a starch Republican, and prefer shirts with some "heft" and a heavy thread count. What say you?

Triumph

I went to Triumph Brewing Company http://www.triumphbrewing.com/indexfl6.html, the one on 2nd and Chestnut last night for a birthday dinner. Chris Beyer a friend of the blog has recommended Triumph on several occasions, I was skeptical though because I don't normally appreciate the pretentiousness of most brewerey/restaurants . My experience at triumph was wonderful though, the first thing I noticed was the 5 to 7 happy hour with $3 pints and $5 mixed drinks great value for any old city watering hole. We started with Hummus, pretty solid average, warm pitas and Hummus that was flavorful without being overbearing. I had the Triumph burger for my main, a delicious burger, rivaled only by Standard Taps. The patty was clearly fresh. I also appreciate the way the burger was cooked I ordered it medium rare and it came medium rare, there was a pinkish hue that medium rare meat should have so many places now are to afraid to cook the burgers to order and do everything medium well and well, I mean its already dead you dont have to cook the meat until its gray. I had a few pints of the Amber Ale it was nutty without being heavy I enjoyed it. I also heard good things about their german beer that has an 11% alchohol content I usually find beers with that high and alchohol content to be too heavy but this beer looked light, I will definitely try it on my next trip. There was also live music, pretty average college band stuff but the first group did an above average cover of Mazzy Stars underated classic fase in to you. I definitely reccomend Triumph for a nice afterwork meal and an above average happy hour.

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Heath Ledger

No long post here..just a random point...As we all know, the unfortunate and untimely death of a hollywood "actor" Heath Ledger has headlined the most recent of entertainment broadcasts. God rest his soul, but the aussie will be remembered more for his overdose, then his acting ability...my big issue with his fame is simple: put any straight man into a homosexual and controversial role..and we have a great performance..How can respectable critics be truthful regarding Heath Ledgers portrayal of backwoods queer, and not face the wrath of the liberal media? I have nothing against the homosexual way of life...a less convential appetite for life if you ask me.. Heath ledgers credentials include "Ten things i hate about you"...a popular and predictable teenage movie where the main character is paid to take out a shy and socially defiable girl, to gain access into her younger sister. Grade F. He also had leading roles in "a knights tale" and "the order"...both less then stellar.....Heath (RIP) had a breakout role, in "Monsters Ball", where he portrayed a police officer who saw the truth behind racism and was torn by his own family values...The only worthy scene is where he is giving the local working girlr her comeuppance. Once again, not even a nomination by the academy. So why the fallout...why the overemotional media?.....Because he played gay on film...he was "the first of his kind"..."heroic and inspirational"...Were ya? There is such a double-standard in american media. John Rocker blasted blacks and gays and he is still crucified.. An apology was not enough...but Heath Ledger overdoses on drugs...let me repeat that..overdoses on drugs, a role model for young, impressionable teenager uses drugs, and he is still remembered and missed publicly. Mish Mish

Bill maher is satan

Sleepless in New Jersey

I tossed and turned last Sunday night, which for me is very unusual. I tend to sleep like a corpse.
There were a few factors in this. For one, the excitement of moving consumed my thoughts, however my mind stubbornly resisting my efforts to sleep, as I tried to shove my legs into a comfortable position adjust my pillows and relax. For another, I was suffering from an awful Subway experience..... how they can legally provide such sub-par dining and food is beyond comprehension.. My stomach was a mess.
But I think the biggest factor was the truly strange TV program I viewed earlier Sunday night. It’s called “Dexter.”
I’ve heard little about this show, which apparently has been on the premium cable Showtime for a couple of years. Star Michael C. Hall, so good in the HBO series “Six Feet Under,” plays a serial killer who works as a police blood splatter specialist. "Best thing on TV", some critics were saying, but I didn’t get Showtime, so the claims were up for interpretation.
Certainly not the kind of show that ordinarily makes its way onto network TV, land of brainless game shows, Pussycat Doll tryouts, Skinny and crunchy Flava Flav, and the infamous "celebrity rehab". Best wishes to my pal Daniel Baldwin. But the writer’s strike has made the networks desperate for programming, and suddenly, here was the first season of “Dexter” on CBS, of all places.
I decided to watch some of it, of course, and it was entertaining. Hall walks around with a sociopathic grin, marveling at the depravities of some guy who drains the blood from his victims and carves them up with surgical precision. We know, because we see the carved bodies, right there, reassembled like Tyrannosaurus bones.
Emotionally detached, Dexter goes through the motions of a strange dating relationship with a damaged woman, content as long as she doesn’t need anything more than his occasional physical presence. When she forces herself into a clumsy attempted seduction to seal the deal, he’s petrified. This is the last thing he wants.
I actually watch the hero of the show immobilizing, murdering and dismembering his victims! Granted, they’re killers themselves — his late foster father, aware of the boy’s … proclivities after discovering the bones of neighborhood pets, found a way to channel his impulses in this direction — but it’s still pretty astounding. I remember when CBS was the network that hung on forever with shows like “Matlock" and "Everybody loves Raymond" content with a geriatric audience. Andy Griffith never dismembered anybody.
Anyway, it was entertaining, and I'd recommend this show to most people if they are to catch it on a whim as i did. But the juxtaposition of CBS and “Dexter” must have tripped a mental wire, because I was plagued with weird fever dreams, and a cold, glazing sweat. I felt like I slept about two hours.

I eat weird foreign food: Pate di fegatini


First off, I am vehemently opposed to the eatting of organs/glands in almost all cases. I believe that dining on such animal parts is only acceptable as part of some sort of act of respect for the animal, like a Native American using every part of the buffalo. Though it is mostly due to the food's appearance that I feel this way, the texture and sometimes the taste are also offensive to me for the most part. I know that there is a gastronomic undercurrent nudging some restaurants towards dishes like sweetbreads, but I am most certainly not on board. My palette has managed to find an exception however, in Pate di fegatini. Pate di fegatini is a staple of Tuscan antipasti. Every meal I had at a restaurant during my time in Italy began with a plate of prosciutto, bruschetta, and this delicious appetizer. Pate di fegatini is a patte made from chicken livers, onion, celery, and marsala (in its simplest form), served on top of a crostini. It has the texture of traditional patte, not overly smooth but still so much that the crostini is a neccessary counterpoint. It is not quite as gamey in flavour as goose liver patte, but there is still a prominent smokiness to it. I recommend it to anyone who would like to try (or has already enjoyed) goose liver patte or foie gras. I found that when the crostini was buttered prior to grilling, the dish was significantly improved. It is an excellent starter dish, even for the uninitiated.
Cheers.

Fort Washington Eats

I had a business lunch at carrabas today. I don't usually frequent midpriced Itailian chains, but the restaurant selection was not my choice. I ordered the chicken marsala banking on it being a safe choice that any decent italian restaurant could manage. I was dead wrong it was terrible the chicken was dry to the point that it was like rubber, and the sauce seemed to be loaded with salt, now I am a big prponentof salt and pepper as they are the forgotten seasonings it seems like, but this was overkill. I couldnt stomach more than three bites of it, I let the waitress know of my displeasure, she apologized but didnt take it off the bill. No matter though, because I took it off her tip. If in the Fort Washington area looking for a fast adequate business lunch head to Carombola a quaint BYOB that offers standard Italian fare done right.

Link

http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/phillygossip/Rob_Guarino_writing_weather-mystery_novel.html

Blogs

There will be three regular bloggers on the site, Alex DiTullio, Wilford Lawrence and Jeff Bell. We will discuss various topics food, sports, movies, trips, and even mix in some current events. Also, we will note our live appearances for our regular readers.

Dunkin Donuts finally produces a solid sammie

On the reccomendation of one of our readers, I went and checked out one of the new flatbread sandwiches from Dunkin Donuts. I was apprehensive, even with the strong endorsements the Dunkin Donuts Breakfast Sandwich no matter what variety is the worst sandwich around. The problems with their breakfast sanwich are fundemental, fake processed chesse the cardinal mistake in sandwich making, also if you opt for the croissant its alwys overcooked and stale. So when I orded the turkey flatbread melt I was pleasantly suprised, the cheese tated like real cheddar melted perfectly into the moist turkey and crisp flavorful bacon. It was also great value at just over four dollars for the sandwich and a fresh brewed iced tea. I also noted they had personal pizzas now on the menu, I will make a point to try one next, I admire Dunkin Donuts for taking a step up and overall give the sandwich a solid 7 out of 10.