Rajbot

My New Food Blog: roodonfood.wordpress.com

2012-02-11T13:10:00.000-05:00

For anyone who stops by - I've started a new food related blog: http://roodonfood.wordpress.com

Thanks very much.
Rajbot

Current Favorite TV Shows

2012-01-15T13:10:00.000-05:00

Right now my favorite dramas are Breaking Bad, the Big C and Dexter. A few odd things about them:

1) In all three, the main character is hiding something from loved ones, family, or work.
2) Two of of three cancer is involved (Breaking Bad, Big C)
3) Two out of three involve breaking the law (Breaking Bad, Dexter)
4) Two out of three involve murder at times (Breaking Bad, Dexter)
5) Two out of three use dark humor to great effect. (Breaking Bad, Dexter)

Writer's Drink of the Day: Hot Chocolate Espresso

2012-01-13T18:38:00.001-05:00

My version is made with almond milk (rice, soy, hazelnut or regular milk also work well. I'm a little scared to try it using coconut milk though).

Ingredients:
Hot cocoa packet
1 cup milk
1.5 tablespoons espresso

Add milk and cocoa to pot. Heat on stovetop on medium heat. Stir until fully combined. On a separate burner heat your espresso in your espressomaker. When done combine with hot chocolate. Stir in. Pour in your glass.

Please be patient. Don't drink it immediately or you will burn your mouth. (Unless you plan to write something anguished). Once cooled, enjoy.

Ma's Tip of the Day

2012-01-13T18:26:00.001-05:00

Ma's Tip of the Day: Put bay leaves in your rice containers and in your pantry. It's a natural repellent against regular household bugs. Clearly insects don't appreciate a good scent when they smell one. Their loss.

Strange Food Combos/Food Hacks: Bhelpuri + Tuna

2012-01-09T19:30:00.000-05:00

        +

One of my favorite food hacks is: Bhelpuri + Tuna.

All You Need Is:
-A cup of bhelpuri mix (I like Surati)
-A can of tuna
-A handful of chopped onions
-Tamarind Chutney to taste
-Yogurt (optional) to taste
-Chili Powder to taste

(Combine everything in a bowl and enjoy).

The salty, soft texture of the tuna contrasts nicely with the sweetness of tamarind chutney and the crunch of bhelmix. Throw in some onions and you have a great snack.

(Reason for Creation: No chickpeas in the pantry, so improvisation).

Images Sources:

http://bombaybazaarstore.com/images/products/2725.jpg
http://howmanycaloriesshouldieatadayinfo.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/tuna-207x300.jpg

Food I'm No Longer Scared to Make: Chicken Paprikash

2012-01-06T17:36:00.001-05:00

One of my resolutions this year is to work new entrees and spices into the repetoire.

The 1st New Dish for the New Year: Chicken Paprikash. - I first heard the name via Master Chef back in the summer. Honestly I was interested because the name is appealing. I'd never used Paprika much other than with home fries on occasion so to have it as the lead spice was outside of my Indian food-centric comfort zone.

In learning that it uses cream heavily, I was sold. Clearly this is not for someone searching for healthy but most likely searching for delicious.

Here is the nice simple recipe I followed:
http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/chicken_paprikash/

The big substitution I made was to use heavy cream rather than sour cream. The final result was actually quite good. The sauce is rich and creamy with a beautiful beige-red color. The smokiness of the paprika really comes through. It's worth noting that I bought a decent one called Pride of Szegeo. The chicken paprikash was delicious though next time boneless chicken will be used. (It makes it easier to mix in sauce). For the second helping the next day I picked up some egg noodles (which were conveniently on sale for $0.99!).

Score one for Team Hungary. I now understand why it's the official spice of that country.
I'd score this a 5 out of 5 on the Raj Food scale (ROOD).

Running (Achievment Unlocked)

2012-01-06T14:39:00.000-05:00

"Maybe a 10k or half-marathon?" he asked himself sheepishly.

Granted it was on a treadmill with 0% incline at a slow pace, but I ran my first 10k. It was a long time coming but it feels like I've broken through a wall. Hopefully 2012 will bring other positive running related developments.

Season Finales / Summer Programming

2011-06-08T22:35:00.000-04:00

The Middle and Modern Family both recently aired their season finales. 30 Rock aired a month or so back. All three are great shows. However, this leaves a certain entertainment void. The good news though is that there are less excuses not to write.

The bad news is that I plan to watch several of the summer replacement shows including Master Chef and that Jamie Oliver show. The moral of the story is that I will watch any show involving food.

Bachelorette Update

2011-06-08T21:27:00.000-04:00

I'm going to go out and say this Bentley fellow is not a great guy. There. I said it.

Jimmy Kimmel Interview with Bachelorette Lady

When I see ABC's the Bachelor or Bachelorette

2011-06-05T16:52:00.000-04:00

I swear I begin to ovulate.

On the plus side there is a characters who refuses to take off a mask in hopes that the Bachelorette can see the real him. In keeping up with the tradition of theme music (scary music for Miss Hell), they've given the Mask his own Phantom of the Opera-esque theme.

Nominee for Quote of the Year: ABC's Expedition Impossible.

2011-06-05T16:49:00.000-04:00

It appears to be a travel adventure show. In one frequently aired clip a contestant says "We in the Sahara, yo!" So you can see why this should be quote of the year?

Adventures in Running: Governor's Island 10k

2011-06-02T21:33:00.000-04:00

I absolutely love Governor's Island in New York Harbor. I've been 4 or 5 times for festivals, riding bikes and to just hang out. They offer free ferries from Brooklyn and Manhattan during the on season.

I just read that they are holding a Northface sponsored 10k called Get Outside on the island on June 26th, 2011. The problem? That's in only 24 days. At most I've done around 4 miles. Due to slacking for the last month or so I've back down to 3 miles or so. Is this enough time to train up to 6.2? It's cutting it close but it sounds like a fun opportunity with great scenery. One advantage: the terrain is pretty flat.

My strategy will be as follows:
I'll run alternating days.
1) 1st week: 3.5-4.5 mile runs.
2) 2nd week: 4-5 mile runs
3) 3rd week: 5-6.2 mile runs
4) I'll give myself off a couple days before the run itself.

Wish me luck dearest reader. I will reward myself with something tasty to be determined.

Signs That I'm a Middle Age Women Secretly #5: You too Oprah?

2011-05-29T16:40:00.000-04:00

The last Oprah Show on regular television aired a few days ago. Needless to say hearts were broken across the USA. Though not a regular viewer, I always enjoyed the makeover shows for some reason. Also the celebrity interviews were often fun. Celebrities like Chris Rock weighed to her. During one of the send-off programs Jamie Foxx mentioned that many men are fans of Oprah. I was extremely happy to hear someone else admit this.This for me was the single best part of the sendoff.

While her fluctuating weight brought joy and materials to comedians, most people begrudge her respect. Careers like that don't happen often.Starting OWN is an ambitious undertaking especially since she herself will not star in a show but she has hordes of followers for support. Can a presidential run be far behind?

Heathers

2011-05-29T14:51:00.000-04:00

After strong recommendations I just saw a movie from the late 80s called Heathers. (Spoiler)

Plot: Veronica (Winona Ryder) wants to become one of the popular girls (the 3 most popular girls in school are all named Heather). She begins to find their snobbishness off-putting and jokingly wishes them dead in her journal. She begins dating J.D (Christian Slater), the school rebel and together they fake the suicides of multiple people (to cover up murders they commit).

Side note: there apparently will be a remake soon.

What it taught me:

Never trust Christian Slater. No matter how many bags of corn nuts and slushies he buys you, he's simply bad news.

Winona's character writes while wearing an awesome monocle. Some fashions deserve to take off. This is clearly one of them.

Credit: http://tinyurl.com/3px3w5z

The late 80s were the tail end of an era when all the popular characters in school movies ere well to do and had blonde hair. All the rebels, outsiders had brown or other color hair. This era also marked the ending of the mullet and shoulder pad periods.

Boozin' and Cruisin'

2011-04-21T20:35:00.000-04:00

I have my first cruise under my belt courtesy of Royal Carribean. The occasion was to celebrate our parents' 40th wedding anniversary. When my brother initially suggested the idea I really wasn't interested because it didn't make sense for the whole family to go. After all it wasn't our anniversary to celebrate. In speaking with Ma though you could tell she was excited about a "family trip." My brother made all the necessary arrangements. It was basically a 5 day 4 night cruise from Ft Lauderdale to Cozumel Mexico and back. The route took us through the Carribean Sea near the Yucatan and down to Cozumel.

After checkin the first thing we did was have lunch and of course pina coladas. Our rooms were decent size (picture a studio apartment), and we had a small deck with direct views of the sea. The first night we did a lot of exploring. Our ship, the Navigator of the Seas had a rock climbing wall, golf course, various bars, gym, pool, whirlpool, and restaurants among other things. From top to bottom it was 14 floors. The food itself was not terribly impressive in the restaurant though the service and restaurant interior were great. There was also the option of a buffet. Many of the chefs/cooks onboard are Indian so we learned that whenever possible grab the Indian food. It's worth noting that the staff is very international. There were over 1300 crew members looking after the 3300 or so guests. Amongst the crew there were large numbers of Filipinos, Indians, Romanians, and Peruvians among others (crew was from over 60 countries).

One amenity we took advantage of was the whirlpool which can easily fit 20 people. Also the gym and jogging track provided a foil to any exercise related excuses. I shocked my brother after indicating that tanning is not high on my priorities. That said, I did lay out for maybe a total of an hour or so. Truthfully I avoided laying out for fear of falling asleep and waking up burnt. One surprisingly fun activity is shuffleboard. I'd only seen it on the Love Boat. When you have a competitive group though it gets intense. Blood was likely drawn. I nearly broke a sweat.

With our parents we caught several shows Royal Carribean puts on including an impressive "ice dancin" program as well as stand-up comedian. Many of the crew members are also the stage talent. For example, the person explaning how to exit the ship in the event of an emergency was one of the ice skaters. Being family friendly and all, all of the shows were a little on the cheesy, Disney-esque side (though there are more adult themed shows later at night).

When we arrived in Cozumel we took a taxi to a nearby beach resort. The beach was very well-maintained. We sunned and several in our party played in the water. (Later on our Father did end up feeling itchy all over, and sunburnt - apparently this happens to many people visiting Cozumel). We actually spent roughly 4 hours there at the private beach. My prediction that our best meal would be in Mexico did not come true. There was a really terrible buffet at the resort- actually the worst Mexican I've had. The highlight was stopping at the coconut stand to have fresh coconut.

Overall we enjoyed the trip. Most imporantly, Ma and Baba enjoyed their anniversary. Ma hadn't smilled and laughed like that in years. The Royal Carribean staff were all generally very happy, and attentive people. I would definitely consider doing this trip again as long as it's no longer than 4 nights or so.

JFK Runway 5K Completed!

2011-04-12T17:51:00.000-04:00

Late last year I was looking for unique 5k opportunities in the New York Area. Via Active.com I came across the JFK Runway 5k. A 5k on a busy airport runway? This sounded fantastic. So I kept up and registered a month or so prior.

I woke up at 5:30am for the run - as I don't have a car, I utilized New York's various public transportation methods. First: the R to Atlantic Avenue. From Atlantic Avenue I switched to the LIRR and took it 3 stops to Jamaica Station. From there I walked to the Aitrain and took it exactly one stop to Federal Circle where a free bus that circles the perimeter dropped us off at building 14 for check-in. (Including a wait for the first and second train, the ride took an hour and 10 minutes. Not bad. The return was nearly half that since we didn't have to wait for anything). I walked in at 7:23 - 7 minutes before check-in began.

The race benefited the local rotary club which provides scholarships and as such there were high school age kids who did the bag check etc. It was nice to see this pocket of a community in a part of New York I seldom make it out to. After checkin it was a short bus ride to the airport runway. The temperature was perfect for running (in the high 40s to early 50s). The run started right at 9am. We were grouped by estimate mile averages. We moved up to 9 minute. I did want to beat my result from a previous 5k.

And then we were off. The runway felt so long that you couldn't see the end at first. The first mile was hardest but the most exciting. Running on adrenaline the first mile I did in 9:45. As we got further on the runway you could see the lighting the planes use to guide them on the ground. As we looped around to head back a stomach cramp kept threatening to manifest but never quite did. Hitting mile two I was still making good time at around 20:45 minutes. As we made the final stretch you veer left at the giant X light (not clear what the purpose was - probably to tell the pilot the plane is going the wrong way?). At this point I turned around for a moment. Seeing all the people running all along the runway was an awesome site.There was a security vehicle. You could hear the CB from inside mentioning what runways planes could land on.
Periodically we'd see planes take off from nearby runways providing a dramatic backdrop.
I overpaced myself and ran on an empty stomach which wasn't my smartest idea. Still I achieved my two goals, which were to beat my time from my the last 5k several years ago and to not be the last person to finish. (Previously, I did around 35 or 36 minutes. This one I did 10:15 pace / 31:50). Certainly not something to brag about but an improvement for me. In total there were just over 600 runners.
At the end of it we got bagels, bananas, juice and water. On a silly note, in another bag there were flyers for a golf tournament, a free gym pass and for some strange reason, a fly swatter.

The JFK run reflected a small community because people seemed to know each other. And yet their was the type of diversity you see around the New York area. A small contingent was even raising money for the recent quake in Japan. I would definitely do this run again.

RIP Ronnie James Dio

2010-05-16T17:14:00.000-04:00

Dio passed away this morning. I didn't know his music well. He was a little guy but his vocals could burn down an entire house. Also anyone who decides to fill Ozzy's vocal shoes deserves your respect. Please hold up goat horns of sadness up today.
Link to story

Heaven and Hell Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wpxryrdwqyw

No Running Today

2010-05-15T17:38:00.002-04:00

I'm excused for not running today as I walked to Grand Army Plaza (in front of Prospect Park) and back for the farmer's market (4.5 miles roughly). This post in no way implies a sense of guilt.

World Cup Freakout

2010-05-11T20:36:00.000-04:00

A soccer bar called Black Horse Pub opened a couple blocks from my house. With the World Cup coming up on June 11th, this is both a good thing and a bad thing.

As always I'll be rooting for the underdog teams, so that includes Slovenia, USA, Ghana and Cameroon among others.

A Moment of Silence for Leslie Buck

2010-05-01T19:53:00.000-04:00

Credit: CNN
If you've ever been to New York and gotten a cup of coffee, odds are you've received it in one of those "We Are Happy To Serve You" cups. Leslie Buck, the cup's designer just passed away at 87. A moment of silence please for Mr. Buck please followed by a large coffee light and sweet.

Sad or Awesome: Aardvark's Suggested Topics

2010-04-24T17:50:00.001-04:00

I signed into Aardvark in order to update topics I may be able to answer questions about. Upon signin Aardvark suggested I might know about jingoism. Hahah it knows me so well. America Frick Yeah!

Rajbot

2010-04-24T17:48:00.002-04:00

Rajbot is spending far too much time on adding to his netflix queue and far too little time on ScriptFrenzy. Back to the grind shortly though.

Coffee!

2010-04-22T17:22:00.000-04:00

I was up late last night thinking about you (maybe because of you) and I'm I'm sorry I talked to you that way. You've been with me through good times and bad times. I can't quit you baby.

Coffee!

2010-04-21T20:00:00.001-04:00

Why do you treat me this way? You energize me. You excite me and then make me crash.

Coffee!: I Love the Taste of Coffee

2010-04-21T18:53:00.001-04:00

...after a shower. I associate it with college. After the end of the week more often than not, I'd take a long shower at the dorm, then walk to the Golden Roast for coffee. I guess it was my ritual of washing away any negative/bad energy from the week in favor of cleansing, followed by alertness. I'm drinking a cup of coffee now after a shower and it feels just like that.

Having a Bad Day / In a Bad Mood?: Songs to Make You Feel Better/Feel Good

2010-04-20T15:09:00.000-04:00

Listen to this classic song by the Queers and attempt to not feel good. The brevity makes it that much more powerful.
"See You Later Fuckface"

Saddest Face Featured in Shockwave Plugin Crash (Chrome) Ever

2010-04-20T14:51:00.000-04:00

New Apple iPhone Pictures

2010-04-20T12:21:00.000-04:00

Don't tell anybody. Here is a link to the new Apple iPhone. I found it at Coyote Ugly. Enjoy.

http://tinyurl.com/8o3lbt

I for one am very impressed. They really embrace the past while celebrating the new.

"Dragon" edges out "Kick-Ass" at box office

2010-04-18T20:45:00.000-04:00

Ass-kicking and a dragon movie released in one week?(It's a dork thing). That headline made me smile. That is all.

Credit: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE63F00020100418

Foods of Our Time Update / Followup 2: Seven Rivers

2010-04-17T20:28:00.000-04:00

Quick followup: I tried the buffet at Seven Rivers ($6.99) with my brother. Just as the previous visit, the establishment was exceedingly clean. During our visit, they had rice, tandoori chicken, daal chicken, kala chana, begun aloo and a very spicy.....pasta. The daal chicken had a fair amount of heat so be weary if you can't handle spice. I was disappointed with the veg selection but the other foods were delicious. The pasta was an oddity. It was made with Indian spices and was probably the spiciest item. The nice thing however is that the manager who came out to greet (very nice guy) told us that everyday they'll feature different items. I'll definitely be back to give it another go - especially have that amazing kopi torkari (cabbage curry).

On a side note, I took a few sweets to go. I had one type which I'd never seen before called the Habshew (Habshi) Halwa. It's made with wheat and milk solids. It was wonderful. In fact I loved the other sweets from Seven Rivers as well. They're a great introduction to Indian sweets because they're not nearly as sweet as most places. Highly recommended.

Rajbot Rating: 9/10

Alec Baldwin on Studio 360

2010-04-17T19:06:00.000-04:00

Alec Baldwin recently did a guest stint on PRI's Studio 360. His guests included Laura Linney.
He did a great job with the interview and he somehow managed to avoid discussing his Schweddy Balls the entire time. Then again, maybe those off color topics are only discussed on NPR.

http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/nprs-delicious-dish-schweddy-balls/2846/

Subho Naba Barsha: Happy Belated Bengali New Year

2010-04-17T17:01:00.000-04:00

More on Bengali New Year. I have so much to learn about my own culture. For those keeping track at home this is the year 1417 on Bangla Calendar.
Links About the New Year:
http://www.thestatesman.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=324815:subho-naba-barsha-&catid=46:voices&from_page=search

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pohela_Boishakh

http://www.hindu-blog.com/2009/03/naba-barsha-2009-or-poila-baisakh.html

Finance, My Friend: Chapter 3 - Complete Idiot's Guide to Personal Finance

2010-04-16T15:50:00.001-04:00

In Chapter 3 The Complete Idiot's Guide gets into the different types of banks/credit institutions and the types of bank accounts available to the average joe. Below are the takeaways.
Chapter 3: Taking a Look at Your Bank Accounts
Shop around in choosing your checking and savings accounts. Always know how much money you have in your account.
Checking Accounts:
-Does this bank require a minimum balance?
-What is the fee if I bounce a check?
-If I deposit a check when will my money become available?
-Is there a monthly fee just to have an account? You should be able to start an account with no monthly fee.
Savings Accounts:
-Does the account offer simple or compound interest? If compounded, is it daily, monthly etc?
-Is my account federally insured?

Terms introduced to be explained in futures chapters:
Money Market Accounts
Certificate of Deposits

The chapter also gives a few tips like:
-Only use your own banks tellers
-Use the cashback option at grocery stores and drug stores
-When using another banks ATM be sure to withdraw the max since you'll have to pay the same ATM fee regardless of what you withdraw.

RIP: Peter Steele of Type O Negative

2010-04-15T18:36:00.000-04:00

Peter Steele of Brooklyn-based Type O Negative died of heart failure yesterday of heart failure (Only Age 48). I was never a huge fan but I respected them and they were a band that gained popularity during my youth. RIP. One of the deepest and unique voices in metal.

Here is a great cover they did of Black Sabbath's classic track NIB:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DiWwLH9F1z0

Finance, My Friend: Chapter 2 - Complete Idiot's Guide to Personal Finance

2010-04-15T18:15:00.002-04:00

Momentum is picking up nicely. Chapter 2 is complete. Below are the takeaways for this Chapter.
Chapter 2: You're Out Here - Now What Are You Gonna Do?

1) This is a short chapter. Basically the purpose to explain that things are a bit scary at first out of college but you'll slowly figure it out.
2) It previews a few concepts such as 401ks
3) Chapter 2 features a 25 question quiz in order to get a sense for your current finance knowledge. (My result: 21/25 or you have a solid basis but can use some fine tuning).

Sad or Awesome: I'm Still A Redneck

2010-04-14T20:47:00.002-04:00

At age 32, I'm still an Indian redneck. I got Megadeth's Angry Again in my head. Which led me to youtube to listen to that song. Then of course I had to listen to other thrashterpieces of my youth. Pantera in particular meant a lot to me. This was always a great gym song to hear. Try to feel down after listening to this.

Finance, My Friend: Chapter 1 - Complete Idiot's Guide to Personal Finance

2010-04-13T19:55:00.000-04:00

I finally stopped procrastinated and picked up my edition of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Personal Finance In Your 20s and 30s. As promised here are the takeaways for Chapter 1.

Chapter 1: The Stuff They Didn't Teach You in College

1) Kids are taught little to nothing about personal finance in school. This lack of knowledge remains through college unless you happened to have studied business/economics. The good news is that slowly pushes are being made to bring financial knowledge to school curriculum.
2) Friends and family don't generally discuss personal finance. Specifics like how much you or your friends make aren't as important as discussing 401ks etc.
3) Personal Finance isn't hard to understand and is well worth your time - you're investing in your own stable future!
4) It doesn't matter how little you make, everyone can save a little something. Something is always better than nothing.

Awesome or Disgusting? KFC Double Down

2010-04-13T00:08:00.000-04:00

Oh my goodness.

KFC bucks the trend of fast food moving in a healthier direction by introducing the Doubledown. Two pieces of fried chicken with a filling of cheese, bacon. Who has time for bread anyways?

I have to admit, at some point when I'm having thoughts of hurting myself I will stealaway for a Doubledown combo meal. Perhaps Alka Seltzer should be included as part of the combo?

Awesome or Disgusting: Alka Seltzer Cold

2010-04-12T17:05:00.000-04:00

Man I have to admit, I really like the word effervescent. In fact, the Alka Seltzer ads describing it as effervescent was my first exposure to that word. Like watching a Guiness settle, Alka Setlzer is really fun to watch. Also it's very tasty. I wonder if I'm alone on this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfzZpQXZIUY&feature=related

In Your Face East New York

2010-04-12T14:17:00.000-04:00

New York Magazine recently ranked most livable NYC neighborhoods and Park Slope came in #1!

No neighborhood is the butt of more stroller jokes or the recipient of more anti-gentrification scorn. But any way you slice it, Park Slope is the very definition of a well-rounded neighborhood. Of the dozen categories we tallied, it falls just slightly below average in two: affordability (the average two-bedroom rental is $2,275) and diversity. In all other areas, it’s somewhere between above grade and superlative: It’s blessed with excellent public schools, low crime, vast stretches of green space, scores of restaurants and bars, a diverse retail sector, and a population of more artists and creatives than even its reputation for comfortable bohemianism might suggest (more, in fact, than younger, trendier Williamsburg). It might not be everyone’s idea of a perfect neighborhood, but statistically speaking (by a hair), there’s nowhere better.
http://nymag.com/realestate/neighborhoods/2010/65374/index1.html

As someone who has lived exclusively in this neighborhood since moving to New York almost 8 years ago I can readily agree. Rent is a bit pricey but many benefits outweight. Now if we could only get a good cheap Indian food place to open up.....

Sad or Awesome: Conan O'Brien Moving To TBS

2010-04-12T13:42:00.000-04:00

Per the Washington Post:

NEW YORK -- Late-night mainstay Conan O'Brien is headed to TBS to resume his comedic duties with a talk show expected to debut in November, the network says.

The program will air Mondays through Thursdays at 11 p.m. Eastern, shifting TBS' "Lopez Tonight," starring George Lopez, to midnight.

Fox was most often mentioned as the frontrunner to bring Conan onboard. Apparently affiliates weren't too excited to have him as their lead in though - their loss though. My initital reaction of the move to TBS was immediate sadness, followed by sullenness, then followed up by being gobsmacked. When I had cable I associated TBS with broadcasting only old sitcoms and Braves games. However, this isn't your grandma's TBS apparently. TBS now syndicates some top shows in the 18-49 demographic and features some original content.

Riding a wave of strong sitcoms and movies, TBS ranked as ad-supported cable’s #1 network in primetime delivery of adults 18-34 (599,000) for March. TBS garnered eight of ad-supported cable’s Top 10 movie telecasts for the month of March among adults 18-34, with a March 7 telecast of Old School taking the top spot. TBS boasted four of ad-supported cable’s Top 5 sitcoms for the quarter among adults 18-49, with Tyler Perry’s Meet the Browns leading a pack that also includesThe Office, Friends and Seinfeld.

Now without reservation, I can call this awesome!

Dear Readers

2010-04-11T14:55:00.000-04:00

If you notice any prolonged periods without fresh posts it is fine to assume that I am just reading Reddit. Thanks for your time.

-Mgmt

Followup: Seven Rivers

2010-04-11T14:40:00.000-04:00

And now a quick followup to yesterday's post about Seven Rivers. The cabbage curry was great. It melts in your mouth. And just as with Bengali cooking, it's chopped up very finely. (You can buy individual items at set prices. For example, the small size I bought was $3). The fellow behind the counter was kind enough to suggest trying before buying because the cook had made it a bit spicier than normal.

New York Awesome: Seven Rivers Indian Restaurant / I Love Getting Food To Go

2010-04-10T20:07:00.001-04:00

On our way to our mainstay, the legendary cabbie fav, Punjabi Deli, we spied a new a new fast food style restaurant/buffet on East Houston (Almost directly across the street) called Seven Rivers Indian Restaurant. It's more a fast food joint but the space was super clean and bright. The sweets looked extremely fresh- in particular the badam barfi caught my eye for next time. It's worth noting that Seven also offers non-veg options.This time around we got Gobi Pakoras (Fried/battered cauliflower pieces 5/$2). These were breaded in a delicious chickpea based flour. Despite being fried there was no trace of oil or greasiness. We also bought some Cabbage Curry which I'm very excited but am waiting till dinner time (more on this in a followup)

My companion and I always remarked how funny it is that there are 4 of our favorite restaurants (reviews forthcoming) all one East 1st street (hopefully we'll be adding Seven Rivers to this list as well):
Aussie Tuck Shop
Punjabi Deli
Himalaya Cafe
Tai Thai

Approved: Best Use of Patrick Stewart's Time. Ever

2010-03-31T10:15:00.000-04:00

Script Frenzy

2010-03-30T20:25:00.000-04:00

Back in November I participated in NaNoWriMo, which is short for National Novel Writing Month. Everyone has a novel in them they say, and Nano gives the chance to participate in a worldwide writing slam of sorts. The goal is to write 50,000 words (or ~175 page novel). I used the 50,000 words to write some short stories, articles and sketches but the exercise was intimidating nonetheless. At most I'd written 20-25 pages up until that point so this proved a fantastic way to break out of the shell. Once you login (free!) you can update your word count. You can make friends by genre and region etc. At the end you upload your whole document (it will scramble it for you) and it will validate your completion. Some people have successfully been published as a result of participating.

My friend just told me that here in April there is a sister project from Nano called Script Frenzy. The goal is to write 100 pages in 30 days. Since my UCB sketch class a year and a half ago I've done nothing in script format but this sounds like another fun challenge.

What I Learned From Last Year:
-Skipping more than 3 days at a time makes things much more difficult
-Figure out the pace that works for you. As long as you hit the goal you're in good shape.

I'm very excited for the challenge. I wonder if outlining now is a cheat?

Sad or Awesome

2010-03-30T19:27:00.001-04:00

Another way the U.S is falling behind Europe:

http://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/0,1518,686305,00.html#ref=top

Battle of Balaclava

2010-03-30T19:25:00.000-04:00

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/cdp/member-reviews/A17Z56UAYKJO0N/ref=cm_cr_dp_auth_rev?ie=UTF8&sort_by=MostRecentReview

Wow. I just bought a balaclava in the winter. I was thinking that I simply looked like a ninja jogging in the winter. I wonder if we'll have to start showing ID to buy them in the future.

Sad or Awesome: This Will Never Get Old

2010-03-30T19:12:00.000-04:00

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6d/It-Bologna.ogg

Foods of Our Times Update: Collard Greens

2010-03-30T19:06:00.000-04:00

Quick update on the collard greens from the Saturday farmer's market trip.

Here is essentially what I did (serves 2):

~1/2 pound fresh collard greens

~1/4 Vidalia onion

2 cloves garlic

1-2 strips bacon or fakin bacon

salt and pepper to taste

1.5 tomatoes, diced

8 oz veg stock

a bit of olive oil

Chili Power (optional)

Coat a saucepan with a few tablespoons of oil. Add in your onions and cook until the onions are a little translucent. At this point add in crushed garlic cloves and bacon/fakin bacon/ham (the more of this you add the smokier the flavor. Allow to cook for a minute or so. Next add your diced tomato, collard greens, veg stock. Now cover the saucepan at a low-medium temperature for about 40-45 minutes (this isn't spinach so it takes awhile). Most of the liquid should be absorbed by the end into the collard. Collard should be tender but not wilted.

Add salt, pepper and chili powder to taste.

Results: I made it in the above fashion and it was not totally successful. Well, I should prefaced by saying that I liked the flavor but I'm a big fan of the stuff. As previously mentioned, my girlfriend wasn't a fan of the earthiness the first time but this version "I liked it better than last time." It's the small victories, friends.

Most Popular "News" Stories: Jesse James and Sandra Bullock

2010-03-27T13:29:00.000-04:00

I make it a point to read a few news sites and news.google.com. For the last week or so, the Jesse James and Sandra Bullock infidelity story is either the lead or close to lead story. I do like the occasional celebrity gossip but I'm really tired of hearing about Jesse James's mistress of the day.

At this point, since they're all proving to be attention hogs he could have his favorite concubines pose for a calendar and give the proceeds to some type of charity.

Earth Hour 2010

2010-03-27T12:44:00.000-04:00

I learned that Earth Hour is tonight at 8:30pm for those in Eastern Standard Time (8:30 pm in whatever your local timezone is). For an hour people participating will simply turn off their lights for one hour "symbolically calling for action on climate change." It's held every year during the last Saturday of March.

It was created by the WWF. Last year they estimate 80 million Americans participated. Here in New York, landmarks like the Brooklyn Bridge and Empire State building also took part. While I'm a fairly cynical person, this is an easy gesture I'm willing to make.

Information:
http://www.myearthhour.org/

Even Vegas Is Going Dark: http://www.ktvn.com/Global/story.asp?S=12214212

Foods of Our Time: Grand Army Plaza: 2nd Trip to Farmer's Market

2010-03-27T10:44:00.000-04:00

I just got back from the Farmer's Market at Grand Army Plaza. I'm proud to report the trip a success. Rather than arriving in the late afternoon as per the previous visit, I got there around 9am which meant we had first pick of most everything. The first stop of course was to the cider donuts which are mandatory (2/$1).

As the market has increased in popularity, prices have really started to come down and variety has increased as well. After last week's successful torkari I was extra excited to see what this week's market would inspire. We bought some beets which I'll probably make into a torkari (Bengali style). Some collard greens which I'd like for my friend to no longer be afraid of. We also bought some cider. Next time around I'll pick up some daikon (mullo) which is a type of radish.

We also spotted a couple of runners who had the brilliant idea of running to Grand Army (presumably from the 15th Street Roundabout and rewarded themselves with hot cider. Note to self: I will have to try this soon.

The morning was really chilly for early spring (29 degrees feels like 19) but the walk was well worth it to catch Park Slope just waking up. This year I'm really going to appreciate the spring.

Finances: Note to Self

2010-03-23T19:23:00.000-04:00

Mint.com needs all of your online financial passwords in order to provide you a true visual representation of how your money is working. I have my savings password but not for the checking password which is at a different back argh. A small monkeywrench in this step.

Thoughts on Working From Home

2010-03-23T19:18:00.000-04:00

I can't believe it but it has almost been a year since I've started working from home (beginning in July 2009)! While the company's initial decision to close the office was wrenching, I understand the wisdom behind it. Inititally not having face to face work camaraderie was difficult. The huge upside is that I get more done now because I can set my own schedule. If work is stressful planning a gym trip midday is very easy to do. Also, because I don't have a direct report I feel more free to explore additional opportunities for the company. The other great thing is that temptation to spend money eating out for lunch is greatly diminished. The slow cooker and I are now close friends. I really enjoy smelling a soup or stew cooking as the day goes on.

My only complaint is that the upstairs neighbors seem to set their dog off exactly when I have a conference call. It's almost like a machine: the bark is continuous (a three second pause), the same pitch and really, really loud. Of course saying "sorry about the dog in the background" isn't the most professional thing. Generally the route of ignoring it and hoping the other end doesn't hear serves best. My current workaround is sandwiching myself between my closet door and the French doors. (Now though they've busted out the jackhammers on the construction site across the street). The overall noise though has somewhat mitigated as earlier in the summer there was construction happening in three directions so I can't complain much.

Foods of Our Time Update

2010-03-22T18:31:00.000-04:00

The other day I purchased a butternut squash and a turnip at the Park Slope Farmer's Market. After patting myself on the back a little for supporting local, I subsequently panicked a little after learning that this was not the turnip I thought I'd grown up eating. (The torkari I was thinking of was one Ma would make with finely chopped cabbage)
As it turns out Shalgam (Hindi and Bengali for turnip) is actually very common to Indian cooking so recipes aplenty. Thankfully, with Ma's advice (she suggested using some panch phoran* or jeera) and the recipe mentioned below, the dish turned out a success.
*I like this person's description of it.

Essentially I did a variation of the recipe found at The Food We Eat:
http://thefoodweeat.typepad.com/the_food_we_eat/2008/10/turnip-and-potato-curry-aloo-shalgam.html

Note: I still need to make haste and find the best way to use the recently purchased shallot. If anyone has any suggestions, I'm open. Thanks.

Finance, My Friend

2010-03-21T16:37:00.000-04:00

Okay with April coming up soon I want to begin my adventures in capitalism and saving. In revisiting my journal from the beginning of the year I planned to invest at least of percentage of my savings into something useful. Of course through a combination of being busy, excuses and frankly not knowing much I'm only now starting my finance quest.

Here are the questions I'm going to get answered:
1) How much do I need to live each month?
2) How much is needed for an emergency fund? (6 months? 1 year?)
3) What is an acceptable amount of money for me to transfer now from checking to some type of savings or investing?
4) What percent of money should be in savings, checking, and stocks? In other words, what should be my financial makeup?

A few reference sources I will be using among others:
The Idiots Guide to Personal Finance in Your 20s and 30s
Mint.com

New York Awesome: Park Slope, Brooklyn

2010-03-20T18:29:00.000-04:00

I love my neighborhood in the Spring.

For the first time in what feels like 6 months, it's beautiful outside. We went for a walk alongside Prospect Park on down to the weekly (Saturdays) farmer's market at Grand Army Plaza. We picked up a turnip ($1/lb), butternut squash ($1/lb), and one shallot ($5/lb). I only know what to do with the butternut squash. The other two I'll need to find out a bengali kopi torkari recipe or a good American recipe for turnips.

On the way pack we stopped by the a legendary vegetable patty from Christie's on flatbush for only $2.25. Cutting over from the park we walked down 5th avenue, stopped at the park in front of the Old Stone House noshing on potato salad, macaroni salad and the patty. Life felts pretty good today. Big ups to Brooklyn

We're All in This Together: OddJobNation

2010-03-20T13:32:00.000-04:00

For many professionals, there’s a stigma around doing odd jobs like mowing the lawn or cleaning houses: What if someone saw me? I would be mortified! Enter filmmaker Jeremy Redleaf, who has done the impossible of making odd jobs seem cool with job-listing site Odd JobNation.com, which launched in February. Their motto is: “Turn that Pink Slip Into a Golden Ticket.”

“We’re sort of celebrating this moment in time for anyone who’s been laid off or looking for extra money,” Redleaf says. “But we’re making it cooler — we’re getting rid of the stigma.”

I appreciate Redleaf's hustle in creating a new business for himself and larger purpose of making it okay for white collar workers to do what they need to do - if necessary creating an entirely new hustle. Having been laidoff in the past, I really agree with the sentiment behind OJN. New York City is a tricky place right now but never hopeless.

Credit for learning of this site: CNBC

http://www.cnbc.com/id/31708753

The School of Practical Philosophy Is Right?

2010-03-20T12:40:00.000-04:00

Apparently having deeper discussions make you feel much much happier.

Would you be happier if you spent more time discussing the state of the world and the meaning of life — and less time talking about the weather? It may sound counterintuitive, but people who spend more of their day having deep discussions and less time engaging in small talk seem to be happier, said Matthias Mehl, a psychologist at the University of Arizona who published a study on the subject.
(Emphasis added).
Credit: NY Times Well Blog

I always find it gratifying to give pause, put down my hotpockets and discuss existence. To me the finding is not that surprising. If you consider who the closest people in your life are, odds are that without missing a beat can have a deep conversation with them. Other people, not so much.

This is a ban you can get behind

2010-03-20T12:15:00.000-04:00

Though it's not for some type of sensational reason from Lindsay as we're accustomed too, seems as a good a reason as any to ban Lindsay. In time maybe she will be blocked from democracies all across the world:

http://www.apunkachoice.com/content/article/sid1983-lindsay_lohan_could_be_banned_from_coming_to_india/

Where is your commitment now, Tea Bag Party?

2010-03-15T16:23:00.000-04:00

Thai protesters to spill own blood on streets

Excerpt:

Supporters of ousted Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra say they will continue their protest today by pouring 1,000 litres of their own blood on the steps of parliament.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/03/16/2846703.htm?section=world

Listening to Prong,

2009-06-07T19:00:00.000-04:00

having wine......true. true.

Asha Run

2009-05-26T21:27:00.000-04:00

Last year I participated in my first 5k with Asha, a charity to benefit underpriviledged children in India (basic education help). I just learned that the 2009 one is coming up on June 6th. As I haven't really kept my jogging in practice, I'm not sure that gives me enough time to train. (I realize the double negative in the last sentence)

A few other options I could use:
-Maybe I'll show up on a bike, painting it black and no one will notice?
-Maybe I'll show up on stilts and just appear to have an unnaturally long gait?
-Maybe I'll get those weird sneakers which are really skates?

Methinks I jetpack will be cost prohibitive and perhaps illegal.

Baked Not Fried

2009-05-25T18:54:00.001-04:00

I recently started to use the apartment's oven.While I'm still frightened of said household appliance, the real question is: Should I feel less tough saying that I baked meatloaf for dinner versus fried up some patties?

Cuckoo for Caca

2009-05-25T18:30:00.000-04:00

....apparently I'm the last to know this but one of the most talented and underrated bands ever, Faith No More has reunited, and is currently on tour in Europe. Thankfully bassist Billy Gould coyly tweeted that U.S dates are not out of the question. I didn't realize tweets could be coy but you learn something new everyday.

The last time around I told some friends about a show in Atlanta in support of King for a Day which I ended up not being able to go to. They respectfully didn't rub it in my face though (too bad) but the concert tee's they were wearing did the job. I will definitely catch them this time.

Eccentricity Test #4

2009-05-24T21:27:00.001-04:00

I still like metal. Is that strange?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cl-5TrGakWY

When The Warmth of a Glowing Screen Isn't Enough (rare)

2009-05-24T21:01:00.000-04:00

I recommend Fresh Air. Haha you thought I meant actual fresh air didn't you?

Is there anything

2009-05-24T20:19:00.000-04:00

whiskey doesn't improve upon? (Not true of other liquors).

Eccentricity Test #3

2009-05-24T20:10:00.000-04:00

With pizza I generally like to eat the crust first because it's my least favorite part. (The assumption being that I have no sauce to dunk the crust into).

Eccentricity Test #2

2009-05-20T21:45:00.000-04:00

Does anyone else find it therapeutic and or meditative to just read menus? You're not necessarily planning to order from said menus that day or that week.....I like to plan what I would order if I was going to order just then.

For example: We just a got a menu from a place called Joy Kitchen. I look at C1 - C25 and I'm thinking - why would you not order from the combination section? Comes with Egg Roll and Pork Fried Rice? Frack yeah! Chinese food menus in particular always have a few food listings which seem like they don't fit. Chicken Nuggets for example. Why would you possibly order that when you could order something titled Dream Lover? (Chicken & Shrimp with fresh vegetables in white sauce for those of you keeping track at home).

Eccentricity Test #1

2009-05-20T21:38:00.001-04:00

I don't know that I could ever get behind this whole exclusively getting your coupons online thing.
http://www.redplum.com/

Does anyone else find it therapeutic and or meditative to clip coupons from the Sunday inserts?
Example:
You: I'm angry!
Loved one: Then go to your corner and cut some coupons
You: You know me so well!

And golly gee, it makes the New York Sunday Times pay for itself!

Wilco

2009-05-16T20:53:00.001-04:00

My friend Ameet made me aware that a new Wilco album is coming out, apparently called "Wilco." Good spring time and summer time music. Haven't heard them since Foxtrot.

http://beta.wilcoworld.net/records/thealbum/index.php

New Amsterdam: Nadia Sirota

2009-05-16T20:42:00.000-04:00

I really enjoyed hearing Nadia Sirota at Galapagos the other day. It was part of a New Amsterdam showcase. Apparently the cool kids call it Indie Classical. I wonder if that's what Salieri used to call Mozart as a pejorative back in the day?

A link to Nadia's album can be found here (you can actually preview all the tracks!):
https://www.newamsterdamrecords.com/#Album/first_things_first

There will be some more New Amsterdam Records performances the next two Fridays at Galapagos as well:
http://galapagosartspace.com/events.html#052209

Reading List

2009-04-02T21:44:00.000-04:00

After reading Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA I promptly was presented by a coworker with Stephen Coll's Ghost Wars.

It appears my attempts to work in more light reading into rotation is failing. That said Legacy is worth a look. Reading about the constant intelligence failures is incredibly frustrating. The reader finds himself in the odd position of hoping they finally get some of their clandestine missions right. Still I must admit, I had no idea just how many places the CIA had run missions in. Particularly interesting for me was the CIA's involvement in Revolution in Iran. Also for those interested in a primer on the CIA, it's not a bad place to start.

For what it's worth here is the review from the CIA website. Not surprisingly, they are not big fans as it does portray quite badly.
https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/csi-publications/csi-studies/studies/vol51no3/legacy-of-ashes-the-history-of-cia.html

I've more or less just begun Ghost Wars but so far it's fascinating... more to come.

Ruddy

2009-03-29T16:05:00.000-04:00

The previous post used the word ruddy.

To me it doesn't sound like what it means:

Ruddy
Rud"dy\, a. [Compar. Ruddier; superl. Ruddiest.] [AS. rudig. See Rud, n.]

1. Of a red color; red, or reddish; as, a ruddy sky; a ruddy flame. --Milton.

They were more ruddy in body than rubies. --Lam. iv. 7.

2. Of a lively flesh color, or the color of the human skin in high health; as, ruddy cheeks or lips. --Dryden.

Credit: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/ruddy

Pop Song 09

2009-03-29T15:27:00.001-04:00

Having successfully fought our way through what felt like an extended winter, and economic crisis our team encounters the old fair-weather friend known as Spring.

Not to be snippy Spring, but your late arrival has been cause for concern. We expected you a few week or two ago. Instead you just arrived suddenly, just because you're ruddy and cherubic. In any case bygones are bygones etc - We just hope you stick around a little longer this year.

Cheers,
Raj

Dear Obama, Joe, Michelle, David Etc

2008-10-26T22:22:00.000-04:00

Obama et al,

I recently left a suggestion for a commercial on your site and as a result I've been added to your mailing list. While I do plan to vote for you, Mr. Obama, the daily email in which you (or Mrs Obama, or Joe Biden etc) call me by my first name freaks me out.

For example, the email I just received:
Raj --
We're facing an urgent deadline at midnight tonight.
Final decisions about our ground operation will be based on the financial resources we have on hand.

We're too close to the finish line to fall short, and we can't afford to look back and wish that we had done more.

Being addressed directly by my first name is vaguely threatening because it feels as if you know me personally and that because of that connection I'm not allowed to just sit on my duff and complain about the state of things. For the remainder of the campaign I humbly request that you call me either by some type of pseudonym or just have the email addressed to something more generally like "Hey You Guys"

Thanks for your time.

This Comedy Stuff Ain't Easy

2008-10-01T22:37:00.001-04:00

Taking a sketch comedy class at UCB theater which so far I've loved. Currently in between class 3 and 4.

My first sketch elicited maybe one chuckle. Sketch two faired a bit better as it was a little more on the cohesive side.

Going for 3 laughs for next week assignment. This week the assignment is coming up with a commercial. Either via Weird Execution or a weird product. Here are some funny ones I've liked in the past:

-First City Bank from SNL
-Happy Fun Ball

Fantasy Football Week 3

2008-10-01T22:35:00.000-04:00

Squeeked out a tie with the Manginas in Fantasy Football this week. It was down to Ben Roesthlesberger (sp) on their team and Santonio Holmes on my side. My coworker joked that there would have to be a touchdown by Santonio and an interception off Ben - and that's exactly what happened.

Onto The Goslings next week. I have remember how to talk trash!

Fantasy Football Foibles

2008-09-09T21:45:00.000-04:00

I'm a member of a Fantasy Football for the 3rd consecutive year. We're using the popular Yahoo one. Our league features 11 teams. Of the teams in the league I'd say 7 or 8 (us among them) don't follow football in the least. Lack of knowledge to me is the reason it's fun to play along. Especially since most of us are on an even keel. It also makes it infinitely more exciting to defeat those well-informed trash-talkers.

How self-righteous would you feel beating the trash talkers? Especially when you know to consider the true player metrics:
1) Coolest name
2) If you as non-football player has heard of him, he's probably good
3) If the player looks like an angry guy in the picture
4) Random players who as it turns out are quite good (got Tony Romo and Marion Barber? Score!)

Our team by far has the coolest name: Crush Your Face Hug. On paper you must admit, it's quite intimidating. To be fair there are a few other good names in the league including the Goslings and Manginas.

We just had our first game and unfortunately we lost to the biggest trash talker. The good news is that apparently we play each team twice so we will have a chance to exact revenge. I told my co-workers who know the game well, that it doesn't matter whether the other games are won or lost it's how you play the game. Just kidding - we want to crush them during the next go-around.

Campbell Brown, who knew?

2008-09-09T21:35:00.001-04:00

Watch as Campbell Brown rips into a McCain spokes person unable to give a straight answer. I don't have cable so I don't know if Campbell is being fair or if CNN is heading in a liberal arugula direction.

Songs - AIC

2008-09-09T21:33:00.001-04:00

The nothin' song sticks to your mouth
Like peanut butter on the brain
Nothing ever stays the same
Nothing'
Yeah nothin'
Nothin'
Nothin'

Review: I Killed: True Stories of the Road from America's Top Comics

2008-07-06T11:04:00.000-04:00

I happened across I Killed (Compiled by Ritch Shydner and Mark Schiff, foreword by Jerry Seinfeld) in the library. I've really enjoyed watching Last Comic Standing of late, so it was nice to find a book related with standup.

The book is simply a fun, at times bizarre collection of short true road stories from all types of comics. Some of the bigger names in here are Chris Rock, Leno, and Mike Myers. The real appeal of the book is that it makes no illusions about being 'successful' - most of the stories generally revolve around topics such as groupies, hecklers/bad gigs, and bizarre stories.

I appreciated that the book covered a wide range of comedians from big timers like the aforementioned Leno to the very obscure. Very few of the stories are longer than two pages, so you're never bored. Also, the authors were smart enough to not put the stories in any particular grouping so you don't know what type of story will follow.

The best stories are by far of the bizarre variety. D.L Hughley for example goes to show in Alaska. After the show, he gets a call to his hotel room. A woman says something unintelligible and he hangs up. A little while later, he sees a woman in front of his door who he describes as not that cute so he doesn't open up (plus he doesn't know anyone in Alaska). He calls security who tells them to call the next time she knocks. He does and security is able to catch her. In her bag it turns out is not a gun, or a knife, but a hatchet! He jokingly ends it by saying, if she was cuter I would've been dead.

Another funny one was from Ant. A booker called him for a gig in twelve hours in Arkansas paying $200 bucks - more than it would cost to get there, but he just wanted to rack up more stage time. The gig was in a small town and a welcome sign to the city read 'Proud Home of the KKK.' Ant sheepishly asked if the KKK hated gays in additional to Blacks and Jews. The driver replied 'I think it's just blacks and jews but there is talk of adding Koreans to the list.' The venue was packed. Ant asked who everyone was here to see. The driver replied 'they're here to see you. You're Antler!'
Ant: 'I'm just Ant. Antler is another comic out of New York who's this huge racist comic'
Driver: 'Oh well, have a good show.'
After he came out of the closet onstage the crowd started to get unruly. Thankfully a huge man named Bubba managed to get him out of there.

For anyone who enjoys seeing standup, or has an interest in it, this is a fun light read.

New York Awesome: NYAFF - Movie: X Cross

2008-06-29T20:33:00.000-04:00

Finally caught a subway cinema film. The last one I saw was probably 4 years ago where I caught Takashi Miike's Ichii the Killer (who knew macabre violence on film could be funny?), Versus (zombies fortified with gangsters!), and the classic 'New Bollywood' movie Company.

This year I caught a fun thriller called X Cross. As with many of the New York Asian Film Festival movies, the flicks are influenced by b-horror, a strong sense of dark humor and ass-kicking, X Cross was no exception.

Plot Summary: Two young Japanese women go to a hot springs in a remote village to relax after painful breakups. The village however is run by a cult which chops the left legs of young women. Ok on paper it sounds silly but the film is highly entertaining. If you see the movie, you will get to enjoy: creepy inn keepers, psycho villain with a giant pair of scissors as a weapon, and shoutouts to the importance of having cellphones when in remote villages of Japan.

The New York Asian Film Festival is truly is one of the best film festivals done in the city - do yourself a favor and support it. It runs till July 6th.

Pork Roll! You Wicked Temptress

2008-05-27T22:33:00.000-04:00

On a recent visit to Ocean City on the Jersey Shore I tried the most wonderful food: Pork Roll. I loved it so much I consumed it for breakfast (egg, cheese, and pork roll on english muffin), as a side to pancakes, on a roll as a lunch snack and a chaser to pizza. Is there anything this delicious meat can't do?

The flavor is slightly spicy falling somewhere between bacon and spam (but totally awesome). Using my secret connections to the state of New Jersey I was able to secure 2 packs to smuggle across the NY state line. It was worth the risk. As it turns out, you see, they don't sell Pork Roll outside of Jersey and parts of Pennsylvania. Taylor and Trenton are the two big companies that manufacture it. Apparently for the many Jersey expatriates you can have it shipped. A few sites that do it are:

http://www.jerseyporkroll.com/products.htm

http://porkrollexpress.com/

An egg on a roll just isn't the same.

Sad or Awesome #2

2008-05-27T22:02:00.001-04:00

...Being drunk by 12:30pm on a Wednesday? The company was officially closed in order to catch the Manchester United versus FC Chelsea championship match this past Wednesday. We went around the corner to, where else? Nevada Smiths of course.

We got there right at noon or so and the top floor was already quite full. Turns out that at Nevada Smiths the Chelsea fans always go to the basement and the Manchester fans to the first floor. Not being a regular football watcher I had to decide who to root for based on sound reasoning:
1) The first floor consisting of 90% Man U fans smelled really awful
2) Chelsea appeared to be the underdog team (granted, not by much) being 2nd ranked and at the particular venue I was at had a much smaller showing.

Conclusion: Being drunk by 12:30 and very drunk by 4:30? I would have to say Awesome.

Rajbot Restaurant Review: Devi

2008-05-25T08:39:00.000-04:00

My company was nice enough to treat me to a fancy meal at a restaurant of my choice. Since I'd wanted to try it for some time, Devi was a pretty easy final choice.

The restaurant is well designed. As soon as you walk in, you appreciate the high ceilings and wild colors. The effect is to walk into a chill palace of sorts.

We settled on Bhel puri and the crab cake appetizers. The crab cakes were tasteful but not much by way of Indianness in the spices. The Bhel Puri was nicely presented shaped in the form of a triangle. My colleague found it a bit spicy. I thought it was spot on sweet versus sour.

For entrees we made two big mistakes:
She got the Chole Bhature which was quite spicy by my standards and not terribly filling either
I got the Turkey Keema which had an unhealthy dose of salt rendering it difficult to eat.
We also got a side of Dal Makhani - this however, was fantastic. It had just the right amount of cream. Both main dishes were probably not ordered terribly often.

The cocktail I ordered was actually quite good. I believe it was called a Cilantro tonic. It was light and refreshing. It was worth noting that they bartender gave a healthy poor.

For desert we tried the Mango Cheesecake. As somewhat expected, it was very, very intense. I recommend having some coffee/espresso to go with it and you can enjoy it. Points though to the desert chef for attempting something tricky.

Overall the presentation of each and everything was great. (When you stepped away to the bathroom, you'd find your napkins refolded on the table). The next time - and there will be a next time, we will try to order something more staple.

Sad or Awesome #1

2008-05-16T17:20:00.000-04:00

The way my living room is configured the broadband connection faces the TV. In effect, I have the TV on oneside and the computer the other way.

Since 30 Rock wasn't on yesterday, I decided to go to nbc's site to watch an episode online. Coincidently, the TV was on in the background playing 'the Office.' Also a fine show.

Thanks to the magic of my living room and broadband, I was able to watch the 30 Rock episode while the Office went to commercial. Why haven't I tried living this way before? Please advise. I'm leaning more towards Sad than Awesome on this one.

First 5k

2008-05-04T12:01:00.001-04:00

Yesterday's weather was quite cloudy and cool with the clouds occasionally spitting at us. We left pretty early since its a bit of a hike from Brooklyn to Harlem (Riverside Park). Arriving right on time for registration (though haven't take a wrong turn or two) we waited about an hour for the official start time of 9am. Turnout was strong with a total of close to 300 registered. Thankfully it didn't rain at all during the run itself.

This was my first 5k mind you, so I'd set the expectation low. I'd hoped that there would be a good showing of portly folks who would surely be slower than I. Sadly, few if any of these people showed up. In fact, 99% of the people were in great shape. I was even more disconcerted by the various runners club jerseys. It was clear we were to be outclassed and outranked - and we where. While the dust the other runners left behind was indeed eaten and enjoyed by yours truly I definitely picked up the pace myself versus past attempts. I ended up finishing out at 35:15 which is an improvement from my loops in prospect park (generally 10 minutes longer on average).

Overall, I loved the event and am planning on taking part of several more 5k in the next few month. The point afterall is to better yourself - so it's not worth beating yourself up over not being in first place (at least not yet?)

Pre Run Foods: Banana, Coffee and home. Maplet Nut Clif Bar (in transit)

Best Post 5k Food to Eat?

2008-05-04T11:56:00.000-04:00

Cannoli from Ferrara's of course.

Eating With Anger on Bad Days

2008-05-01T22:27:00.000-04:00

The week has moved along with great haste. Technically, that's not true. It has gone at the same pace as always, but the week has been the busiest at work since I started.

We've recently got a chunk of business which is fantastic but certainly makes work complicated and demanding. My job entails working in front of the computer all day which is fine (nothing to boohoo) except there has been no pause for a break outside. As is standard in whatever industry you work in everyone needs things as quickly as possible.

Because I've been working hard and probably because I look a little strung out, sales has bought me lunch a few times this week. This I realize is my reprieve. Yesterday we had a sub style sandwich and....what can I say? I attempted to stare down my sandwich. How could it challenge me? Was the sandwich a manifestation of the irritating aspects of my job? Hell, yes I realized. I tore it to shreds with my suddenly fang-like teeth. It felt good and just. I was done with the sandwich in less than 4 minutes.

Today we had prosciutto sandwiches on crunch/chewy french bread. I swear the sandwich cried for mercy - but it was just too delicious and I was just too angry. I chewed my bites beyond necessity (Part of the appeal of crunchy / chewy textures is the stress relief). I finished the sandwich is about 3 minutes.

Anger though is all consuming (get it? wacka wacka wacka!) Once I decimated the prosciutto sandwich I scoped the room only to realize there was no more food willing to take me on.

I'm not sure angry eating is healthy. I really should get out more.

New York Awesome #5: Riverside Trial Run + Foods

2008-04-27T17:21:00.000-04:00

In a previous week we made it out to Riverside to get a sense of the how the park was setup because we'd heard how pleasant it was. To up the ante yesterday we ran the actual path for the Asha 5k. After hearing how hilly the park is, I have to say that the path the 5k will take place on doesn't look too bad. There was one hill we had to make past, other than that most of it ran nicely alongside the river. At this point, I'm not concerning myself with speed but rather endurance. I'm still planning on taking it easy this Thursday (lighter jog) to allow myself and taking Friday off entirely to allow decent recovery for Saturday morning.

After the jog, we thought it'd be fun to take the bus downtown which ended up turning into more or less an hour long saga. We got off around Curry Hill though and had a nice snack of Samosa Chat at the fantastic Indian place called Curry Express. They're quite friendly there and the food is superior and cheaper than some of the 'restaurants' around the corner. Not a romantic spot but a tasty one.

Post snack I realized that I lost my knee brace so stopped back again at Paragon. (Needless to say it was no longer on my knee when I lost it). Returning to the store gave a second to ask the question - is it supposed to be snug and cut off your circulation? He said yes.

Lastly, we had lunch at Big Enchilada where I thankfully made myself call it quits after 2 tacos though I could've gone for me. Also a great fast food joint near union sq (in an area with many

Knee Brace Yourself

2008-04-24T22:17:00.000-04:00

To fulfill my knees constant need for attention I caved in and bought the right one a brace (at Paragon Sports from Stromgren). After a quick measurement, I selected the medium. It was a snug fit. Very snug. Cutoff circulation snug - but I think that's how these things work right? In any case, the first run around Prospect Park was a success. The main areas where the knee would act up was the main incline and decline on the outer loop and your center of gravity shifts. The brace help in ease that. Additionally, if Riverside Park is as hilly as we've been told for my upcoming 5k I want to be prepared.

Skinny Legs and All: Old Man Raj Edition

2008-04-24T21:52:00.000-04:00

This year since taking up the running goal, I've jogged more in the park than ever before. The weather in the last few weeks has been fantastic <--that's the upshot. The bad part is that plants and trees are blooming and my allergies are bugging out. A passerby might see the tears in my eyes and think I had a transcendent meal of white castles just prior. If it only were so...

Additionally, as the regiment has gone on, my knees have started to bother me. I'm now wearing a knee brace for support. Why I'm falling apart like an old guy!

Feeling (and being) and old guy ain't so bad. If you're old, no one questions you. If I wanted to wear an eyepatch, I'd wear an eyepatch. If I wanted purely cosmetic monocle, I could do that too.

I think being the only runner wearing a monocle would give me a competitive advantage in a marathon because everyone would underestimate me. Like 'Hey squinty! Couldn't afford a whole pair of eyeglasses?' I would reply by saying 'no' then giving them the saddest face they'd ever seen. Then they'd feel bad and the joke would be on them. They won't be laughing when I use the rays of the sun and angle my monocle to burn holes into their lycra shorts!

Harold and Kumar Escape From Guantanamo

2008-04-23T20:28:00.000-04:00

I know, I know - how can the new movie, coming out Friday be as funny as the first Harold & Kumar? (I've probably seen HK 1 more than any other movie next to Anchorman). The answer is that it probably won't be most likely.

That said, I think it will have some great moments, plus perhaps because I'm brown, it's culturally important. I can't say I'd seen an Indian actor (Kal Penn) in a role prior to that. Also, I can't say any other movies tapped the all important Indian and Korean stoner category. Kal by the way, has been busy trying to put Obama in the whitehouse.

Review to follow after it comes out Friday.

Link to the website with trailer:
http://www.haroldandkumar.com/

Awesome or Disgusting #8: Powerbar Gel: Double Latte Flavor

2008-04-22T20:22:00.000-04:00

Yes, it is as disgusting as it sounds. Does it give you energy? I have to say, yes.

For those of you keeping track at home:

2008-04-20T21:22:00.000-04:00

Obama Accuses Clinton of 'Slash and Burn'; She Says He's Flash Over Substance

Hilary: Slash and Burner
Obama: Flasher

Steve Miller on the Other Hand: Joker, a Smoker, a Midnight Toker, Maurice, Space Cowboy, Gangster of Love, Picker, Grinner, Lover, and Sinner

I thought of something funny.....

2008-04-20T18:04:00.001-04:00

....but I didn't write it down. Plan B - Rickroll? Joke is dead. Sorry guys.

Latest Running Route: Riverside Park on down..

2008-04-20T12:24:00.000-04:00

USATR Route: http://www.usatf.org/routes/view.asp?rID=207984

We were lucky enough to have fantastic weather for a jog on Saturday so we made the most of it. In anticipation of an upcoming 5k in Riverside Park, and based on a friend's recommendation, we decided to give it a try (and to take advantage of park in additional to Prospect).

We got off the 1 line on 125th and walked a few blocks West. Our path technically started on St. Clair Place. The path itself is narrow, but as is customary, people are good about following the standard pass to the left, then move to the right procedures. Additionally, we got there maybe around 10am and it wasn't extremely populated.

Running alongside the river means we got great views of the water, the GW Bridge and Jersey. The first 3 miles or so the view was fantastic. There was a slight detour where the promenade was closed for construction so you're re-routed into I believe Hudson River Park which features paths closed off nicely from the street. After rejoining the river path we quickly hit around 76th. I started to lose energy around that point. Whenever the energy lull hits, I tell myself that there is nothing wrong with jogging just above a walk (probably an equivalent of a 4.5 on the treadmill) - as long as I keep my heart rate up. Going at the slow steady clip proved helpful. I didn't feel the pain much more until the 40s. Along the way it should be mentioned, the riverside has welcome interruptions from the 70s down with some interesting sites. Anything from decaying docks and terminals to thriving ports for Cruiseliners. The most boring portion was probably from the 60s - 30ths where the riverview is somewhat obscured.

We finally finished our slow jog (slog?) just past 14th for a stretch in one of the nice westside piers. By the way, the public restroom was oddly clean. In total the slog was just over 6 miles. Not a bad way to spend the morning/early afternoon.

And as is becoming traditional, we made our way to Thai on Two for a celebration lunch.