Beautiful Yummy Sicilian Pizza

Glamour Shot Pizza 2, originally uploaded by approachingchaos.

Over the weekend I ended up going to the L&B Spumoni Gardens in Brooklyn and while waiting for drinks I took a few photos of the delicious pizza in the setting sun. Just looking at that shot makes my mouth water, the pizza was good, especially the dough.
Pizza is probably at the top of my favorite foods, I don't know how my sister lived for five years above a famous Pizza Place and didn't have the urge to eat pizza every single night. My down fall will be pizza and potatoes. I'm hungry.

P.S. I don't usually eat pizza with knife and fork.

Niiiiiiiiiiiiiice

Bob Dole rips into Scott McClellan:

Dole assures McClellan that he won't read the book -- "because if all these awful things were happening, and perhaps some may have been, you should have spoken up publicly like a man, or quit your cushy, high profile job"

"That would have taken integrity and courage but then you would have had credibility and your complaints could have been aired objectively," Dole concludes. "You’re a hot ticket now but don’t you, deep down, feel like a total ingrate?"

The other passages from the e-mail Dole sent Mclellan are priceless. Read the whole thing.

Forksplit Writes Good

Finally, I crawl into bed, congratulating myself on what a good girl I am these days. And, not counting the booze, pot, pills, and porn, I really am. For me, anyway.

Read the whole awesome post on the joyous of unemployment, smoking way too much pot, and being faithful to your boy.

I loved this paragraph too:

After watching several spelunkers get disemboweled, we'll hit a bar where he'll spend the better part of the evening making fun of girls who look like American Apparel-bots. This continues until he makes me go talk to one for him. Usually, I'm too drunk to say no. This isn't to say that it's an easy social interaction for me seeing as my eyes aren't dead; I don't speak in a monotone drawl; and I actually get excited about things. And don't pretend not to be excited.

Stuck in my head

Two Headed Boy by Neutral Milk Hotel has been stuck in my head for the last few days. My friend Sam gave me In the Aeroplane Over the Sea about three years ago, but only now did I get around to really listening to it. I love it and it's frusterating that it took me so long to listen to good music. That always happens to me, waiting too long for good things.
Here's Jeff Mangum singing and messing up:

Two New, Very Different Blogs

One blog, River on Mirror features hot girls while linking music.
The other one Watts Up With That? a blog about climate and temperature by a former meteorologist.

Blogger Block

I've been meaning to write some things. But due to taking a long Memorial Day vacation - I still think I'm in the holiday mode. Current events and little life observations haven't been capturing my interest. Life seems nothing more than a quick succession of busy nothings. I am finishing the book The Jewish Mystique and loving it. The whole chapter about Jews and Blacks is fascinating and on the money. So I guess this is a way to say I got nothing, for now. Next week might be a whole new ball game. Stay tuned.
Here's a sexy photo of Vanessa Paradis:


Sorry Casca, I couldn't find any photos with her showing her boobs.

Scott McClellan, Total Hack

I was very happy McClellan left, he was inept in his job. He was a horrible press secretary. Now he comes out with a book, bashing Bush and his administration. It's an act that is equivalent to kicking a man when his down. I don't know how much truth there is to this book, but that's low class.

On Anger

Sometimes you don't know how much anger and frustration you have about someone or something until someone asks your opinion on the matter. Turns out I can unleash some anger, wow.

Random Pet Peeve

I hate when reviewers or anyone else uses the word "stunning" to describe a book. I have never been stunned by a book. It's annoying and pretentious, but I'm repeating my self.

In related news Malcolm Gladwell is coming out with a new book. Here's a description.

Disgraceful

New York Times ran a hit piece implicating elderly Jewish people who don't want to vote for Obama as....racist.

Post Humous Sluger dissects the piece of crap reporting.

I really don't understand how any Jewish person can vote for Obama.

via ace

For Baseball Fans & Postive Thinkers

Peter has a pretty good description of last night's Yankees game. I admire his silver-line approach to looking at world. I'm trying to adopt some of it myself.

So that Yankee game I mentioned in my last post? The worst game I ever experienced. I knew it was over before the Yankees even had a chance to bat and, if I were watching at home, I would've turned off the game and done something productive with my time. Instead I sat there in the cold and watched the entire thing. But since I'm a positive guy, here are my personal highlights from the game:
1) The return of A-Rod. He provided the only offense with a two run blast to the Orioles' bullpen.
2) Jason Giambi hitting a broken bat double to left and a single up the middle.
3) Mariano Rivera came in to pitch the 9th just because he needed some work. It's a joy to watch that man throw a baseball.
4) After Latroy Hawkins threw at Luke Scott, the benches cleared and bullpens emptied. I've never seen a baseball brawl before in person, although there was no brawling -- just a lot of milling around the infield. Then just before it ended and everyone walked back, a very tardy Hideki Matsui emerged from the dugout and trotted out to join in the bloodbath.
5) Mike Bloomberg was booed when the stadium cam showed he was also there at the game.

It's weird to be a (fair weather) Red Sox fan and find myself rooting for the Yankees (my second team). Weird stuff people, weird stuff.

So no love for Bloomberg? New Yorkers are not big on hypocrites I guess.

I Heart Steyn

I love how Mark Steyn shows up these ass-clowns for what they are - liars and idiots.

(Funny) Quote of the Day

"Maybe it's like Illinois taxing bribes paid to legislators."
- Gib on the proposed Harvard tax

(Dumbest) Quote of the Day

“It’s like Florida taxing oranges.” - Richard J. Doherty, president of the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, explaining why taxing such a strong institution as Harvard would not be good.

The problem with his analogy, as James D. Miller, the author of this article, points is that Florida does in fact tax the orange growing industry. Taxes are never good thing for a business, but that is not a good enough excuse for schools like Harvard to get away with not paying taxes.

via Insty

How My Friends See Me

I'm having dinner and I'm not feeling well, so I reach out for an individual wrapped dose of Tylenol. As I'm tearing the package my friend remarks, "For moment there I thought you were getting a condom out."
The sad thing is, this is quite typical. You know there are many more interesting parts to my personality than just thinking up dirty double entendres and sexual puns.

Quote of the Day

And so far the best that any Democratic presidential candidate has been able to manage with Iraq is to make what I think of as the high school sex promise: I will pull out in time, honest dear.

- P.J. O'Rourke from Catos Letter

via Insty

Not So Random Thought

Nothing kills a joke faster than an explanation of the joke and why it's funny. I really need to apply this rule to my life.

Even When They Lose They Kinda of Win

If Manny Ramirez is crazy he is my kind of crazy. Last night as I lay half-dead on the couch watching the local news, Manny's awesomeness made me actually realize that the sweet embrace of death that I was feeling at the time might be premature. He catches the ball on the run, high fives a fan, and still has time to throw the ball to get a player out. Insane. Even though the Red Sox actually lost to the Orioles, it's still pretty sweet silver lining.

Another Article About Why New Yorkers Are Superior

Awesome.

I'm a bit sick today and hence the grumpy mood. It seems that every time I read a column about New York or new yorkers it's always how different they are from other places, how superior they are to those other, non-New York Americans. Seriously, sometimes I just want to say, "get over yourselves." And I say that as someone who plans to live in New York in the near future and loves being there a whole lot.
I know plenty of people who don't fit a word of what this author describes. It's a special place, I can acknowledge that, but stop with the navel gazing.

But I think it's also possible that New Yorkers just appear smarter, because they make less separation between private and public life. That is, they act on the street as they do in private. In the United States today, public behavior is ruled by a kind of compulsory cheer that people probably picked up from television and advertising and that coats their transactions in a smooth, shiny glaze, making them seem empty-headed. New Yorkers have not yet gotten the knack of this. That may be because so many of them grew up outside the United States, and also because they live so much of their lives in public, eating their lunches in parks, riding to work in subways. It's hard to keep up the smiley face for that many hours a day.

I'm going back to bed.

Awkward Sixth Grade Memories Brought To You By Doritos!

Some four thousand people mobbed the lawn of Buenos Aires’ Planetarium on Thursday night for an unofficial event billed as Que Vuelvan los Lentos, or the Return of the Slow Dance.....
....the crowd swayed, danced and kissed to syrupy hits such as “We did it all for love,” and “Everything I Do, I Do it For You.” Teens, tweens, adults, and too-cool-for-school 20-somethings all got into the slow-jam groove.

Though it seemed to be an impromptu event motivated by the love of soft hits from the 80’s and 90’s, sources say that the event was really a marketing stunt staged by a giant snack food company.

I loved (okay still love) "Everything I Do, I Do it For You" and I was constantly listening to "Lady in Red" when I was in sixth grade.
BTW I haven't stopped slow dancing, I've just upgraded the music I listen too, no more Boys II Men.

For The Person Who Has Everything

An ice ball machine maker. Of course it's from Japan! The country that specializes in the coolest shit you will never need.

Related: How to make clear ice. For that person who has way too much time on their hands or has severe OCD. I think I'm in love with the whole Instructables website.

My Biggest Packing Dilemma

I've been traveling quite a bit lately and the hardest thing I find is packing shoes. I never know what shoes to wear. Here's some practical advice:

Of course, you can't bundle wrap shoes, the bulkiest item.

"Never take more than two pairs of shoes," Dyment says. "In lots of business situations these days, you can buy shoes that are quite dressy looking and yet their internal construction is more like a high-quality running shoe."

For women, Dyment suggests limiting shoes to a pair of low heels and a pair of dressy strappy sandals. In cold-weather climates, he recommends boots with low heels in place of sandals.

The guy runs this website. I'll need to check it out more often, I'm horrible at packing. My mother on the other hand is spectacular at it.

A F*^*ing Poncho!

I remember when I thought these were cool. Not so much anymore.

Only In Suburbia

This morning going to work, I ran into a small traffic jam caused by a turkey crossing the road. The turkey was quite stupid and kept coming up to the cars that were stopped in order to let her reach the other side. I didn't stick around to see if it made it to the other side. It was a cute little reminder I don't live in the city.

I haven't even read the article yet....

and already the title made want to gag a little.

My Five Dads
What Scarlett Johansson has learned from Tom Waits, Bill Murray, Woody Allen, Bob Dylan, and Barack Obama.

Man, her real dad must feel shitty. I mean, listing Woody Allen as one of your "fathers?" Just a bit gross.
I don't know if I'll be able to actually read the article where the author, I'm sure, figuratively attempts to go down on Scarlet through his writing. Can't wait.

Evidence I Was Adopted

As of late, my mother has developed a penchant for hanging photographs all around our house. Although I'm a fan of a photograph or two, my sister and I both tend to dislike the gazillion photos our family home is now covered in. So while in the process of house cleaning, I mentioned to my mother how it wouldn't be that bad if the photos were somewhat in similar frames, like maybe sticking to one color of frame at least in one room. My mother's reply was that she doesn't like frames that are the same, that it's boring, she prefers the mismatched look. Did I mention that my sister and I are in half of these photos and for some reason my mother has the knack of picking the photos of ourselves that we absolutely hate? Ya, so the whole not matching goes against my very mild form of OCD, not only do I look horrible in the photos but adding to horridness is the bright silver frame my photo is encased right next to a plastic frame of my grandmother. Maybe it's something that comes with age, bad taste that is, I'll have to see and find out.

AHHHHHHHH!

I don't know how to organize my life. I really just want to throw everything I own away. On the other hand, I want to keep everything I own. Striking a balance between the two, not as easy as it looks. Dilemma.

Love song of sorts about Odessa (Ukraine)

I loved this song as a kid, it's from a Russian film about WWII called "Two Soldiers" (I think). I don't really understand half the words to this song, but I love it nonetheless. I used to sing the refrain a whole lot. Check it out, quite catchy.

The 75 Skills Every Man Should Master

It wouldn't be half bad if women knew some of these things too. I liked some things more than others.
Here are some of my favorites:

7. Cook meat somewhere other than the grill.
Buy The Way to Cook, by Julia Child. Try roasting. Braising. Broiling. Slow-cooking. Pan searing. Think ragouts, fricassees, stews. All of this will force you to understand the functionality of different cuts. In the end, grilling will be a choice rather than a chore, and your Weber will become a tool rather than a piece of weekend entertainment.


23. Be loyal. You will fail at it. You have already. A man who does not know loyalty, from both ends, does not know men. Loyalty is not a matter of give-and-take: He did me a favor, therefore I owe him one. No. No. No. It is the recognition of a bond, the honoring of a shared history, the reemergence of the vows we make in the tight times. It doesn't mean complete agreement or invisible blood ties. It is a currency of selflessness, given without expectation and capable of the most stellar return.

25. Drive an eightpenny nail into a treated two-by-four without thinking about it.
Use a contractor's hammer. Swing hard and loose, like a tennis serve

31. Make a bed.

32. Describe a glass of wine in one sentence without using the terms nutty, fruity, oaky, finish, or kick.

34. Dress a wound. First, stop the bleeding. Apply pressure using a gauze pad. Stay with the pressure. If you can't stop the bleeding, forget the next step, just get to a hospital. Once the bleeding stops, clean the wound. Use water or saline solution; a little soap is good, too. If you can't get the wound clean, then forget the next step, just get to a hospital. Finally, dress the wound. For a laceration, push the edges together and apply a butterfly bandage. For avulsions, where the skin is punctured and pulled back like a trapdoor, push the skin back and use a butterfly. Slather the area in antibacterial ointment. Cover the wound with a gauze pad taped into place. Change that dressing every 12 hours, checking carefully for signs of infection. Better yet, get to a hospital.

40. Speak to an eight-year-old so he will hear. Use his first name. Don't use baby talk. Don't crank up your energy to match his. Ask questions and wait for answers. Follow up. Don't pretend to be interested in Webkinz or Power Rangers or whatever. He's as bored with that shit as you are. Concentrate instead on seeing the child as a person of his own.

41. Speak to a waiter so he will hear.

47. Recite one poem from memory.

52. Step into a job no one wants to do.

53. Sometimes, kick some ass.

54. Break up a fight. Work in pairs if possible. Don't get between people initially. Use the back of the collar, pull and urge the person downward. If you can't get him down, work for distance.

56. Create a play-list in which ten seemingly random songs provide a secret message to one person.

63. Deliver a eulogy. Take the job seriously. It matters. Speak first to the family, then to the outside world. Write it down. Avoid similes. Don't read poetry. Be funny.

68. Find his way out of the woods if lost. Note your landmarks -- mountains, power lines, the sound of a highway. Look for the sun: It sits in the south; it moves west. Gauge your direction every few minutes. If you're completely stuck, look for a small creek and follow it downstream. Water flows toward larger bodies of water, where people live.

73. Caress a woman's neck.

Mighty girl has seven for women.

1. Entertain unexpected company. Invest in a cheeseboard, and then keep a big jar in your cupboard filled with bags of dried apricots and cranberries, almonds, hazelnuts, and a few bars of exceptional chocolate....

Now, in three minutes, you can dump out some fruit and nuts, chop up a chocolate bar, and arrange it all to maximum effect on the cheeseboard. If you have decent cheese in the fridge, it’s a bonus. Pow! You’re Martha Stewart.

2. Comfort someone in mourning. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” And then as much silence as you can muster.

What is it with NY Politicians?

Are they hornier than most? Or just stupid enough to get caught and admit it? Ick.

Electing McCain Based On Poker

Rachel Lucas asked her readers if they have changed their minds about voting for McCain based on the fact that Obama is the Democrats' nominee. Many said yes. I'm one of those people who decided long ago to vote for McCain, although I can't say I'm happy about it. I'm one of those "holding my nose while pulling the lever for McCain" people. Rachel also links to a blog post by Army of Dog explaining the reasoning of voting for McCain based on poker.

“How in the name of all things holy does this relate to politics and John McCain?” you ask. Simple, voting for McCain is about odds. When we decide what to do in the upcoming election we face a similar choice to that of a poker player. Our hand is not made, we don’t have a known quantity. What we do have are choices that have different potential consequences. We can stay home and not vote at all. The Democrat will be elected and our only real hope is to minimize the damage they can do in four years by using our minority in both houses of Congress. Given the lack of Republican political power that seems like a very bad option with very long odds to me. Given what I know about the penchant Republicans have for “getting along,” it looks even worse. Or we can vote for McCain and hope that his election buys us enough time to develop the next true leader of the conservative movement. This strategy has the added benefit of creating a crisis within the Democratic Party. Having a supposed dream slate of candidates and still managing to lose a Presidential election that was all but in the bag would have devastating consequences on the party from the top down. This is the electoral equivalent of firing back over the top and forcing your opponent to make the hard decision. You may not have a hand you like, but the other guy has shown weakness and if you win, he will have a very hard time recovering both psychologically and in terms of the game.

Unlike poker players, however, the one option we don’t have is folding. At the table, you can simply leave the hand and survive long enough to try again later. It’s more often than not the best choice in the circumstances I’ve described, but unfortunately electoral politics has no muck. One of the candidates left in this race will be the next President. The only play we have left is to back the best odds, and right now John McCain, like it or not, is the best of a bad field.

I’m actually a rather cautious poker player by nature, but I’ve played enough to know that when you’ve run out of other options, aggression is usually the best strategy. So I say we not only back the man who may betray us at any turn, I say we do it with gusto.

McCain '08 it is! (I'm trying.)

Just like that...

I have a new insult "soyfucker."

Question of the Day

How long is a jiffy?
I just asked that one of my co-workers and looked at the watch. Obviously I'm starting to lose my mind.

Happy Birthday Israel!

You don't look a day over 50! Many more returns!
Gawd I miss that country.

Jealous Guy

Just because. It's one of my favorite songs of all time. In a strange way it makes me think of my Father. I discovered the song a little bit after his death, and it just sounded so true. It's such a beautiful and unconventional love song.

50 Greatest Commercials of All Time From Nerve

Mostly from SNL, includes some classics.

History Nerd

This made me giggle really hard today. I wouldn't say that I'm a real history nerd, because I'm really hazy on a lot of it, but sometimes I get it. I just found the shirt funny. Impeach Van Buren! Hazzuh!



shirt can be found at Torso Pants

Fun TIme Sucks

I like discovering websites like this. The blog's tagline is "painfully polite and hilariously hostile writing the word over," it documents and makes fun of passive aggressive notes. They even have their own flickr stream. It's mildly amusing way to avoid work from time to time, it's fun to see what pisses of other people.

I thought this was pretty funny. I liked the smiley face at the end.

Sam Harris Explaining The Conundrum Of Civil Society Reacting to Islam

I can't believe this appeared at the Huffington Post.

"....There is an uncanny irony here that many have noticed. The position of the Muslim community in the face of all provocations seems to be: Islam is a religion of peace, and if you say that it isn't, we will kill you. Of course, the truth is often more nuanced, but this is about as nuanced as it ever gets: Islam is a religion of peace, and if you say that it isn't, we peaceful Muslims cannot be held responsible for what our less peaceful brothers and sisters do. When they burn your embassies or kidnap and slaughter your journalists, know that we will hold you primarily responsible and will spend the bulk of our energies criticizing you for 'racism' and 'Islamophobia.'"

"....The connection between the doctrine of Islam and Islamist violence is simply not open to dispute. It's not that critics of religion like myself speculate that such a connection might exist: the point is that Islamists themselves acknowledge and demonstrate this connection at every opportunity and to deny it is to retreat within a fantasy world of political correctness and religious apology. Many western scholars, like the much admired Karen Armstrong, appear to live in just such a place. All of their talk about how benign Islam 'really' is, and about how the problem of fundamentalism exists in all religions, only obfuscates what may be the most pressing issue of our time: Islam, as it is currently understood and practiced by vast numbers of the world's Muslims, is antithetical to civil society."

via Miss Kelly

On Finances & Dreams

What does this say about me?
I realized that today I dreamt (isn't this a weird past tense, I never know if I'm spelling in correctly) about an older faceless man explaining the intricacies of public health insurance coverage and the consequences of tax overrides. Somewhere in that conversation I remember the phrase "entitlement" and "eleven years as aerobics instructor." I don't know what it all means and how my mind came up with this - but it felt rather odd not dreaming about rainbows and unicorns. Maybe it's because a neighboring city is about to vote on a tax override and a lot of people are against it, it's kind of nice to be in Massachusetts and see people protest against higher taxes.

Definition of "Adult"

I always wondered why throughout my childhood my heroes for the most part were men. Why into my adulthood I tend to prefer the company of men to women. And why my close friends who are women are into far more interesting things than bitching about their boyfriends (or lack off) and how they need to lose that extra 2 lbs. So it was nice to see a far more eloquent person actually explain why "real men" tend to be the ideal for men and women.

So there’s really not a lot of mystery about what everyone agrees a “real” man is. We all know “real” men are:

Mentally, emotionally, and intellectually strong, even if not physically (crippled and elderly men can still be “real” men). Hardworking, honorable, honest, dutiful, protective of family and country. Brave, courageous, rational, reasonable, kindhearted, and respectful. Knowledgeable about how to survive in rough times and how to solve problems. And so on.

She wonders why all those things should not apply to all adults, not just men. This is what Rachel concludes:

You know what I think? I think women have utterly FAILED each other. It has almost nothing to do with men, at all. Men have this shit worked out, they have a code by which they judge each other, and it’s a good code for the most part. There’s no mystery among men about how to behave in order to be taken seriously and have a life you can look back on when you’re old and feel pride.

What do women do? We sit around and we either bitch about men or we bitch about other women. Men don’t do what we want them to do, and other women are competition for all those men we don’t even want because they don’t obey us, so we’re never happy.

What we don’t do, or at least I don’t see it very often and believe me, I’ve looked, is establish our own code for judging others based on qualities that really matter, like men have.

Read the whole thing. Seriously.

Super Hot

I know some ladies...who would totally be into this. Nothing like a huge bank account to make girl's panties wet.

What under your kilt?

So I've posted before about my love of kilts.

So I was delighted to see this list of compiled answers to the age old question.
Top 15 favorite responses to women who ask "the question":

15) A lady doesn't ask and a gentleman doesn't tell!
14) If you want to get down on your knees, I'll show you!
13) As you can see.. my socks and shoes/boots!
12) The usual.
11) Well, well, well.. you must be the bad girl in your family!
10) I'll bet you didn't know that I wear a kilt.. just to meet women like you.
9) What do you think? Buy me a pint and maybe I'll let you check for yourself!
8) Well, I don't want to brag.. but this may be a turning point in your life!
7) Nothing is worn.. everything is in perfect working order!
6) Only my wife knows.
5) If I tell you, you're gonna want to see for yourself, just like the last dozen girls!
4) Of course it's true! But, if you want to check, you'll have to show me yours first!
3) If your hands aren't too cold, you can reach up under there and check for yourself!
2) How bad do you want to know?
1) Good girls don't ask.. but bad girls find out for themselves!

Top 10 favorite responses to men who ask, "the question":

10) Haggis!!!
9) It's called REGIMENTAL, dude. Google it.
8) Just what God gave me!
7) Usually the ladies ask that question.. what team are you on anyhow?
6) I usually get up and wear whatever I wore the night before.
5) Your wife's/mother's lipstick.
4) If you were man enough to wear a kilt, what would you wear under it?
3) If you try to check for yourself, expect to wake up in the hospital!
2) Same as you, only BIGGER!
1) Freedom!!! (You really should try it for yourself)!

via

Manhole Fires!

Fires in Harvard Square!

via Samtron

Finally! True Equality!

I knew there would be a such a product before long! I remember David Sedaris writing about the male equivalent in his story(see the Youtube clip) and wondering if there will be an equivalent for women. Now my worries can be assuaged with P-Mate. Get yours now!




via Esther at Jewlicious

Paul Condell Is Awesome

Speaking about the oxymoron of Saudi Arabian Human Rights Commission and as usual he touches on European cowardice in the face of Islamafascism.

"My freedom is more important than your faith."
Amen.

Heh

via Insty:

Before you declare a recession, as many economic pundits have, shouldn't the economy, well, actually recess a bit—if only for a quarter?

I did a stupid thing yesterday and actually shared the above opinion during a staff meeting. Big mistake. Work and politics really shouldn't mix. Seriously. Driving into work it was like the NPR personalities were all sad that the economy actually grew.

Men & Hair

It seems men have a special relationship with their hair. I don't know why but most (straight) men could give a rats ass about their appearance, only to be very concerned about how a lock of hair looks out of place. My best (gay) guy friend was super concerned with his hair - to the point of getting very upset if my hand came anywhere near his head. My past boyfriends (some straight, some gay - i kid, they were all gay, okay, I kid again) were also preoccupied with hair and how it looked. I mean a stained t-shirt is okay, but rumpled hair is out of the question.
What is the deep mystery with hair?