Courtesy of LK's future mispucha
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Free Taco Tuesday
Q: What's 35 minutes of my time worth?
A. $1.04 (shhh...don't tell my boss)
If you haven't already done so, take a break and grab your free Taco Bell today from 2-5. Mom and I just went to the one in Walpole - I got the crunchy, she opted for the soft. Diversity: it's what makes our family work. Sure the line was wrapped around the parking lot but I definitely haven't seen that many happy Sharon High faces since I walked through the Common during Hemp Fest 97. Kudos to you, Taco Bell, for curing my mid-day blues.
A. $1.04 (shhh...don't tell my boss)
If you haven't already done so, take a break and grab your free Taco Bell today from 2-5. Mom and I just went to the one in Walpole - I got the crunchy, she opted for the soft. Diversity: it's what makes our family work. Sure the line was wrapped around the parking lot but I definitely haven't seen that many happy Sharon High faces since I walked through the Common during Hemp Fest 97. Kudos to you, Taco Bell, for curing my mid-day blues.
Monday, October 29, 2007
Sox in the City
The series was a run-away from the start, and my liver and sleep habits are grateful that the Sox managed to sweep Colorado in four straight games. I hardly ever go out on a "school night" but there was something about Mama T's text message that caught my attention. "It's not everyday that the Sox become the World Series champs", Mama T implored. As I watch every Sox game with the impression that they're going to blow it (until they prove otherwise), I fired up the Crossfire and headed into Town.
The main catch to watching the game with Mama T is the fact that she lives in Kenmore Square, home of shinanigan-loving underage students. We ended up at Copperfields, which incidentally enough was teaming with patrons who almost looked old enough to date. People were overwhelmingly polite - they were simply there to watch a baseball game. I gave a sigh of relief knowing that there would be no drunken brawls on my watch.
To be clear here, I went into Kenmore knowing full well that there would be a heavy police presence. Rather than add to the problem, I decided ahead of time that I would spend the night on Mama T's futon so I could enjoy the game responsibly. Despite the fact that both of us attended UMass-Amherst, we have never participated in a riot nor did we want to start now. After the Sox clinched it 4-3 we barreled towards here place, where we were intercepted by cops decked out in full riot gear.
There are a lot of things that the Boston Police could've done last night to prevent law-abiding citizens from getting completely frustrated. They could've posted which streets were going to be blocked off on their website or kept the T open later so people could take the T directly from Fenway to Kenmore without passing through Commonwealth Ave on foot. They could've had uniformed officers directing pedestrians through side streets or simply shut down bars in Kenmore Square for the game (like they do in Andrew Square for St. Patrick's Day)
Of course none of that actually happened.
The main problem for us was the fact that the police blockades barred us from getting to Mama T's house on Comm Ave. If we had known this ahead of time we definitely would've made alternate plans. I understand that the Boston Police were under orders to prevent riots like the ones in '04 and I'm grateful that a violent one didn't break out but let's be realistic here: some of us actually work for a living and simply want to get a good night's sleep.
Since I tend to get annoyed with stupidity rather quickly (when an officer explained that we couldn't go home because they didn't want last night to turn out like '04 I politely reminded them that the only reason that night was violent was because they shot someone in the eye with a rubber bullet) I let Mama T do all the talking. After pleading for almost a half hour she finally found a police lieutenant to take pity on us. To ensure that our intentions were honest, he literally escorted us to the front door.
Despite the post-game frustration, there was truly no better place to watch the Sox clinch the title than Kenmore. However, if the Red Sox are going to continue to dominate major league baseball, the Boston Police had better have more coherent plans for controlling celebrations without making us all feel like criminals. In all fairness, Boston isn't quite used to winning the World Series. One can only hope that the kinks between the BPD and reality will be worked out by the Sox win it again in '08!
The main catch to watching the game with Mama T is the fact that she lives in Kenmore Square, home of shinanigan-loving underage students. We ended up at Copperfields, which incidentally enough was teaming with patrons who almost looked old enough to date. People were overwhelmingly polite - they were simply there to watch a baseball game. I gave a sigh of relief knowing that there would be no drunken brawls on my watch.
To be clear here, I went into Kenmore knowing full well that there would be a heavy police presence. Rather than add to the problem, I decided ahead of time that I would spend the night on Mama T's futon so I could enjoy the game responsibly. Despite the fact that both of us attended UMass-Amherst, we have never participated in a riot nor did we want to start now. After the Sox clinched it 4-3 we barreled towards here place, where we were intercepted by cops decked out in full riot gear.
There are a lot of things that the Boston Police could've done last night to prevent law-abiding citizens from getting completely frustrated. They could've posted which streets were going to be blocked off on their website or kept the T open later so people could take the T directly from Fenway to Kenmore without passing through Commonwealth Ave on foot. They could've had uniformed officers directing pedestrians through side streets or simply shut down bars in Kenmore Square for the game (like they do in Andrew Square for St. Patrick's Day)
Of course none of that actually happened.
The main problem for us was the fact that the police blockades barred us from getting to Mama T's house on Comm Ave. If we had known this ahead of time we definitely would've made alternate plans. I understand that the Boston Police were under orders to prevent riots like the ones in '04 and I'm grateful that a violent one didn't break out but let's be realistic here: some of us actually work for a living and simply want to get a good night's sleep.
Since I tend to get annoyed with stupidity rather quickly (when an officer explained that we couldn't go home because they didn't want last night to turn out like '04 I politely reminded them that the only reason that night was violent was because they shot someone in the eye with a rubber bullet) I let Mama T do all the talking. After pleading for almost a half hour she finally found a police lieutenant to take pity on us. To ensure that our intentions were honest, he literally escorted us to the front door.
Despite the post-game frustration, there was truly no better place to watch the Sox clinch the title than Kenmore. However, if the Red Sox are going to continue to dominate major league baseball, the Boston Police had better have more coherent plans for controlling celebrations without making us all feel like criminals. In all fairness, Boston isn't quite used to winning the World Series. One can only hope that the kinks between the BPD and reality will be worked out by the Sox win it again in '08!
Friday, October 26, 2007
Out of all of the crappy articles that MSN produces to keep their content "fresh", I think that this has got to be one of the worst. It tears into the fact that many of our fellow Americans think that it's less expensive to eat out then simply go to the supermarket, especially when they factor in their "hourly" rate. Apparently we're so obsessed with work that we make it known loud and clear to our families that when we pause to prepare and enjoy a meal that we are in fact on the clock. Nothing like rubbing in how busy and important you are to make your kids feel like overhead I suppose.
I had the pleasure of waiting tables in college. When it was slow, I used to like to watch the chefs prepare and cook the meals. I did learn a lot about cooking, including how horrifying the ingredients are that go into your restaurant food. As Paula Dean put it to Oprah "darling, I'm your chef, not your doctor". Aside from eating a plain garden salad, there isn't a single meal that you can order at any of the one million restaurants that dot the American landscape that is even remotely healthy for you - trust me. Even things that seem innocent are likely loaded with butter, cream, or oil.
Aside from walking off my shifts feeling ill from the smell of the fry-o-later, I learned that there are very few meals that you can get a restaurant that you can't cook for yourself. If you're a good shopper and spend 15 minutes a week planning out your weekly menu and shopping list, I guarantee that you eat better, spend less money, and appreciate your meals a lot more. The key here is planning and doing your best to stick with it. It's not easy, especially if you don't generally roll through your front door until 7 o'clock at night, but in the end it's at least worth a shot.
So try it for a bit, see if you like it. If not, you can always go back to your take-out ways. Should cooking become habit, you'll save beaucoup bucks (the average meal mark-up is 40%), feel healthier, AND have enough cash saved up to get your friend pahkcah02 a bottle of scotch as a show of gratitude. Better start DVRing the Food Network, dear readers.
I had the pleasure of waiting tables in college. When it was slow, I used to like to watch the chefs prepare and cook the meals. I did learn a lot about cooking, including how horrifying the ingredients are that go into your restaurant food. As Paula Dean put it to Oprah "darling, I'm your chef, not your doctor". Aside from eating a plain garden salad, there isn't a single meal that you can order at any of the one million restaurants that dot the American landscape that is even remotely healthy for you - trust me. Even things that seem innocent are likely loaded with butter, cream, or oil.
Aside from walking off my shifts feeling ill from the smell of the fry-o-later, I learned that there are very few meals that you can get a restaurant that you can't cook for yourself. If you're a good shopper and spend 15 minutes a week planning out your weekly menu and shopping list, I guarantee that you eat better, spend less money, and appreciate your meals a lot more. The key here is planning and doing your best to stick with it. It's not easy, especially if you don't generally roll through your front door until 7 o'clock at night, but in the end it's at least worth a shot.
So try it for a bit, see if you like it. If not, you can always go back to your take-out ways. Should cooking become habit, you'll save beaucoup bucks (the average meal mark-up is 40%), feel healthier, AND have enough cash saved up to get your friend pahkcah02 a bottle of scotch as a show of gratitude. Better start DVRing the Food Network, dear readers.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
It's Social. Demented and Sad, But Social
Like many of you superstars who became of age in the 90's, most of us chipped our social networking teeth on AOL instant messenger (aka: AIM). Unfortunately IMing your roomate that was 5 feet away wasn't nearly dorky or impersonal enough, so we spawned bastard step-children like Friendster and Myspace. I recently moved on to Facebook where I am completely overwhelmed by the updates from everyone I've ever met. Dan is peforming voodoo for the Red Sox? Harry met Sally using Friend Finder? Am I seriously expected to give a shit?
Because I obviously have way too much free time, I stumbled upon twitter.com today which allows users to update their friends on their life via SMS messaging. Every mundane activity you perform (eg: waited in line at Dunkin Donuts for 7 minutes, got a large extra extra) can be documented and broadcasted to everyone you hold near and dear. I suppose it gives a new meaning to the word "alibi".
Subconsciously, most of us are micro-managing our friends via these constant bullentins. Without them personally telling me, I know when my friends have gotten promoted, bought new homes, landed jobs, and aced an exam. To be honest, it completely sucks. Sure I'm happy for everyone's accomplishments but what happened to picking up the phone (or at minimum, an email) to let your friends know of your proud achievement? Even if you're a person who steers clear of the limelight, a happy, live reaction to something positive is warranted every once in a while.
Social networking is a powerful tool but these constant generic updates are a little much. Updates: use 'em, don't abuse 'em and for goodness sake, let me know personally if you have something exciting to share. I work out of my bedroom and completely get off on knowing that my friend's professional and personal lives are way more exciting than mine. As far as keeping me in the loop next time you make a DD run, please don't update blast me unless you're kind enough to grab me a medium, milk no sugar.
Because I obviously have way too much free time, I stumbled upon twitter.com today which allows users to update their friends on their life via SMS messaging. Every mundane activity you perform (eg: waited in line at Dunkin Donuts for 7 minutes, got a large extra extra) can be documented and broadcasted to everyone you hold near and dear. I suppose it gives a new meaning to the word "alibi".
Subconsciously, most of us are micro-managing our friends via these constant bullentins. Without them personally telling me, I know when my friends have gotten promoted, bought new homes, landed jobs, and aced an exam. To be honest, it completely sucks. Sure I'm happy for everyone's accomplishments but what happened to picking up the phone (or at minimum, an email) to let your friends know of your proud achievement? Even if you're a person who steers clear of the limelight, a happy, live reaction to something positive is warranted every once in a while.
Social networking is a powerful tool but these constant generic updates are a little much. Updates: use 'em, don't abuse 'em and for goodness sake, let me know personally if you have something exciting to share. I work out of my bedroom and completely get off on knowing that my friend's professional and personal lives are way more exciting than mine. As far as keeping me in the loop next time you make a DD run, please don't update blast me unless you're kind enough to grab me a medium, milk no sugar.
Monday, October 22, 2007
Restaurant Review: Flat Bread Company
Restaurant: Flat Bread Company
Location: Amesbury, MA; Portland, ME; North Conway, NH; Portsmouth, NH; Canton, VT; Bedford, MA; Paia Maui, HI
Website: www.flatbreadcompany.com
Grade: B+
My friend Reppin and his girlfriend recently moved from New York City to Portland, ME (obviously for a graduate program, not the free birth control). Seeing as food is more of a lifestyle than a hobby in the greater 212 area code, I knew I could depend on Reppin to pick out a restaurant that served food "almost as good as they have in New York" (heaven forbid a New Yorker admit that something outside the City actually tastes decent). We decided on the Flat Break Company located 138 Congress Street in Portsmouth (NH).
The decor is typical North Country, complete with futons peppered with "Legalize Marijuana" leaflets and exposed wooden beams. I immediately wondered which charity a portion of the proceeds from my meal would be funding. The rustic look is completed with solid-looking wood tables and a large brick-oven stove in the middle of the dining room.
Naturally, all of the ingredients served at Flat Bread are either organic or free-range, which is a nice touch. We decided on a large Community Pizza (caramelized onions, mushrooms, roasted tomato sauce, cheese, herbs) and a small Punctuated Equalibrium (kalamata olives, rosemary, red onions, oven roasted peppers, goat cheese, mozzarella, garlic cheese, herbs). Both pizzas were complimented with a wonderful, smoky taste courtesy of being baked in a brick-oven. Seeing as my only brick-oven experience has been with Bertucci's and Upper Crust, I was pleasantly surprised by how wonderful and non-commercial everything tasted.
As far as service goes, the Flat Bread got everything right. Crushed red pepper was already on the table (I generally have to ask for it more than once) and the waiter brought a second round of Diet Cokes without being prompted. Also, nobody seemed to mind the fact that the three of us sat around for almost two hours catching up. I seriously wish that the closest location wasn't 45 minutes away.
Flat Bread Company has multiple locations throughout northern New England. According to their website Flat Bread hasn't announced any plans to move in on the Boston area, though there is a location in Bedford for those of you who work/live between the Pike and 495. The location in Portsmouth offered metered street parking or (if you're feeling like a high roller) you can park in the city garage for $1.50 on a weekend afternoon.
Location: Amesbury, MA; Portland, ME; North Conway, NH; Portsmouth, NH; Canton, VT; Bedford, MA; Paia Maui, HI
Website: www.flatbreadcompany.com
Grade: B+
My friend Reppin and his girlfriend recently moved from New York City to Portland, ME (obviously for a graduate program, not the free birth control). Seeing as food is more of a lifestyle than a hobby in the greater 212 area code, I knew I could depend on Reppin to pick out a restaurant that served food "almost as good as they have in New York" (heaven forbid a New Yorker admit that something outside the City actually tastes decent). We decided on the Flat Break Company located 138 Congress Street in Portsmouth (NH).
The decor is typical North Country, complete with futons peppered with "Legalize Marijuana" leaflets and exposed wooden beams. I immediately wondered which charity a portion of the proceeds from my meal would be funding. The rustic look is completed with solid-looking wood tables and a large brick-oven stove in the middle of the dining room.
Naturally, all of the ingredients served at Flat Bread are either organic or free-range, which is a nice touch. We decided on a large Community Pizza (caramelized onions, mushrooms, roasted tomato sauce, cheese, herbs) and a small Punctuated Equalibrium (kalamata olives, rosemary, red onions, oven roasted peppers, goat cheese, mozzarella, garlic cheese, herbs). Both pizzas were complimented with a wonderful, smoky taste courtesy of being baked in a brick-oven. Seeing as my only brick-oven experience has been with Bertucci's and Upper Crust, I was pleasantly surprised by how wonderful and non-commercial everything tasted.
As far as service goes, the Flat Bread got everything right. Crushed red pepper was already on the table (I generally have to ask for it more than once) and the waiter brought a second round of Diet Cokes without being prompted. Also, nobody seemed to mind the fact that the three of us sat around for almost two hours catching up. I seriously wish that the closest location wasn't 45 minutes away.
Flat Bread Company has multiple locations throughout northern New England. According to their website Flat Bread hasn't announced any plans to move in on the Boston area, though there is a location in Bedford for those of you who work/live between the Pike and 495. The location in Portsmouth offered metered street parking or (if you're feeling like a high roller) you can park in the city garage for $1.50 on a weekend afternoon.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Grab a Pen, I'm Giving Advice
This week MSN's "Gut Check America" is dedicated to the Middle Class Squeeze or Why the Whiney Brat Pack Generation Can't Get Everything They Want. I understand that stagnant incomes and rising home prices force a lot of us to make tough financial decisions. However, I think complaining that this generation has it worse than our parents is a bit of a stretch.
I wasn't around 30 years ago, but from what I've read in history books and old magazines, the world was a lot different than it is today. A lot of the stuff that we take for granted, such as dishwashers, air conditioning, and microwave ovens were luxuries owned only by the very well-to-do. Calling someone "long distance" was a special event. Color TV's were a steep investment; cable and the Internet hadn't even been invented yet.
In terms of how primitive our parents grew up, our generation has it pretty good. So why do we feel so "squeezed"? Are housing prices really to blame?
I'm no economist (on the contrary, I barely scraped by with a C in micro and macro) but I'm pretty sick of people hemming and hawing about how tough things are. Compared to the rest of the nation, Boston has always been an expensive place to live and surely this recent housing boom didn't help. But taking out a risky interest only loan for a house that you can't afford? Are you serious? And now you expect me to listen to your sob story and for our government to bail you out?
As as whole we are paying for luxuries that are so ingrained into our culture that we now feel as if they are basic necessities. A seperate bedroom for every child? A necessity (personally, I believe that giving each kid their own bedroom breeds self-centered behavior but I'll blog about that at a later date)! These days it seems like every housing ad I read advertises "master bedroom suites", "hardwood floors throughout", and "industrial kitchens with granite countertops". Since when did stainless steel appliances become the minimum standard for homes? No wonder why we are so house poor.
I have always been a strong believer in social programs to help those who are seriously struggling to make it in this state. People who have been dealt a lousy hand and use assistance to better their lives have always been heroes of mine. However, people that have degrees and make decent salaries but are living way beyond their means and then bitch about it do not get my sympathy.
If you have the cash to finance that type of lifestyle then good for you. However, if you categorize yourself as "middle class" (as 90% of Americans do) then the sense of entitlement needs to end. As many of us were taught as children, you can't always get what you want so we had better learn to make do with what we've got. It's about time that people take full responsibility for their financial decisions in lieu of a government bailout. After all, with our expensive health insurance premiums, at least we have our health, right?
I wasn't around 30 years ago, but from what I've read in history books and old magazines, the world was a lot different than it is today. A lot of the stuff that we take for granted, such as dishwashers, air conditioning, and microwave ovens were luxuries owned only by the very well-to-do. Calling someone "long distance" was a special event. Color TV's were a steep investment; cable and the Internet hadn't even been invented yet.
In terms of how primitive our parents grew up, our generation has it pretty good. So why do we feel so "squeezed"? Are housing prices really to blame?
I'm no economist (on the contrary, I barely scraped by with a C in micro and macro) but I'm pretty sick of people hemming and hawing about how tough things are. Compared to the rest of the nation, Boston has always been an expensive place to live and surely this recent housing boom didn't help. But taking out a risky interest only loan for a house that you can't afford? Are you serious? And now you expect me to listen to your sob story and for our government to bail you out?
As as whole we are paying for luxuries that are so ingrained into our culture that we now feel as if they are basic necessities. A seperate bedroom for every child? A necessity (personally, I believe that giving each kid their own bedroom breeds self-centered behavior but I'll blog about that at a later date)! These days it seems like every housing ad I read advertises "master bedroom suites", "hardwood floors throughout", and "industrial kitchens with granite countertops". Since when did stainless steel appliances become the minimum standard for homes? No wonder why we are so house poor.
I have always been a strong believer in social programs to help those who are seriously struggling to make it in this state. People who have been dealt a lousy hand and use assistance to better their lives have always been heroes of mine. However, people that have degrees and make decent salaries but are living way beyond their means and then bitch about it do not get my sympathy.
If you have the cash to finance that type of lifestyle then good for you. However, if you categorize yourself as "middle class" (as 90% of Americans do) then the sense of entitlement needs to end. As many of us were taught as children, you can't always get what you want so we had better learn to make do with what we've got. It's about time that people take full responsibility for their financial decisions in lieu of a government bailout. After all, with our expensive health insurance premiums, at least we have our health, right?
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