Jersey is not dirty. You're dirty. Now go take a shower.
7/25/10
WEBF - 7/28/10: The Long National Nightmare is Over
As the title of this post says folks, the long national nightmare of you all having to sit around your fireplaces with bated breathe waiting for me to post something, anything... it is over. And if you didn't have a fireplace to sit by, you were most likely sitting in your bathtub, surrounded by bubbles and engulfed in urine-temperature water, hoping - nay, praying that I posted so that you didn't have to drop the toaster in and end it all. Well sir or ma'am, you can unplug that toaster and get out, because the Brain Fart is back. Wrap yourself in a towel of comfort and safety and enjoy.
Mario Kart for Nintendo 64 is classic. I have both the N64 version and the Wii version, and clearly the Wii version has better graphics and such, but when it comes time for my friends and I to play, we throw on the N64 version. It's too much fun, and it never gets old. That would be all I have to say about that.
Memorial Day we had our annual Beer Golf Tournament, where we form teams of 4, and walk around to 9 different bars in Jersey City and try to shoot the lowest score. It is a perfect tradition, one that I hope we will carry on for many years to come. To score, you have to have a beer for par, 2 beers for birdie, a beer and a shot for eagle, and 2 shots for an ace. It's like a stimulus package for whatever town you live in, especially when you have a group of 30 or so like us, because you end up spending a ton of money as a group. I suggest you try it in whatever town you live in, though if you're lucky and awesome, you like in Jersey City and would just be competing with us. A couple of moments that I remember now that we are 2 months removed: At the Lamp Post Bar in the JC, there is some fat chick with short dark hair who bartends. Suffice it to say she sucked at her job. So we were glad to leave her, but by time we made it to O'Hara's Downtown, she had made it there too because she bartends there as well. It was like the worlds worst and bitchiest bartender was following us around. Another bar we went to was the Golden Cicada, a little hole-in-the-wall dive that is literally a brick box with no windows. It's run (allegedly) by the Chinese mafia (remember, Kobe "allegedly" raped a girl too), and they have this disgusting Chinese Moonshine that tastes like sadness and regret on its way down your throat. It is flat out awful, and they know it too since they don't charge you for the shot and say "Good luck" when they give it to you. It was so bad I tried to puke, and when I couldn't, I stuck my head in a garbage can with someone else's puke so that I would get sick and puke. No such luck. I don't recommend it. Lastly, we iced bros HARD. I'm sure you all know the bros icing bros phenomenon that has taken ahold of this country, and we took it to the extreme, icing each other at every turn. Need it.
The NHL and NBA Finals were pretty tough for me, seeing as both involved teams from Philly and The Nation. Vomit. In the NBA it was the Lakers and Celtics, and seeing as I can't stand Kobe Bryant, it was tough for me to have to root for him seeing as he is a huge douchebag, but I had to. In the NHL, it was Chicago vs. Philly, and we all know how much I despise the city of Filthadelphia, so I rooted for Chicago, which wasn't terrible because I have nothing against that city. Thankfully, both the Lakers and the Blackhawks won, so I didn't have to listen to the two most obnoxious fanbases in history go on and on about how awesome they are, blah blah blah. Maybe next year shitheads! The funniest part for me about the NBA Finals as well was when they were interviewing Ron Artest afterwards, and he thanked his psychiatrist. The NBA. Where Clinically Insane Happens.
The new (though I guess they're not new anymore) State Farm commercials are terrible because of one reason, and one reason only: their spokesman is a douchy tool. You know the guy, half white-half asian dude with the neck length black hair, preaching about how all your neighbors will tell you to go with State Farm. Well he sucks, not only because he sounds annoying, but because he always interrupts the actual State Farm agents who are trying to say shit. So now between him and that annoying bitch from the Progressive commercials, 2 of the most irritating people on television are in insurance commercials. Thankfully, esteemed gentlemen like David Palmer still exist to tell us about All State insurance. Not only is he well-spoken and handsome, but he was the greatest President in this country's history, and I will NEVER forgive that cockbag President Logan for putting out the hit on him and having him killed. President Palmer, your country misses you each and every day. It is an honor and a pleasure getting to see you every once in awhile telling me about All State insurance. Am I in good hands? No actually, I have Progressive, BUT THAT'S NOT THE POINT. DAVID PALMER FO EVA.
My lovely beau made a lovely discovery a few weeks back that I wanted to share with ya'll, and that is a lovely little food spot in the lovely city that is Jersey City. It's called the Kitchen Cafe, and it's at 67 Greene St., right across from those 2 huge green/blueish towers in the Paulus Hook section of the JC. It's a non-descript little shack, and you pretty much have to know it's there, because the words "Kitchen Cafe" and smudged out pretty good on the small white awning. You walk in, and to the left there are a couple crappy little tables and booths, while right in the front of you is the grill with 2 gentlemen of Latin American descent waiting to serve your every culinary need. They do 2 things: Burgers and Burritos. That's it. There is an entire menu of chicken stuff, beef stuff, vegetarian stuff (but who the hell would eat that shit right??), etc., and you just pick what you want and ask for it as a burger or burrito. It is absolutely, flat-out, unequivocally, stupendously, DELICIOUS. The burgers are just perfect, and the burritos are some of the more flavorful Mexican fare I have ever sampled. Do you yourself a favor and head on over to the Kitchen Cafe and treat yourself, and tell them Jersey is Clean, Idiots sent you. Here's their website.
Recently, the New Jersey Beer Company opened its doors to beer aficionados like myself. Now clearly, with the name like that, the beer HAS to be amazing. Really anything with the words "New" and "Jersey" together in it, in that particular order, is incredible. But anyway, at the moment, they are on tap at 3 places in the JC, Star Bar, LITM, and the Iron Monkey, as well as a plethora of other fine imbibing establishments around this great state. They also currently are producing 3 beers, the Hudson Pale Ale, the Garden State Stout, and the 1787 Abbey Single. I haven't had the pleasure of sampling the pale ale, but the stout is very good, ranking right up there with some of the finer stouts this country has produced, and the 1787 (which commemorates the most important year in this country's history - the year New Jersey became a state), is truly a unique brew that seems to blend a hoppy ale with a traditional wheat beer. I'm not really sure if my description is accurate, but either way, it's pretty damn good. Do yourself a favor and swing on over to your New Jersey Beer Company-endowed watering hole and check them out. Here's their website for more info.
A couple of weeks ago I went away on business to the great city of Chicago, IL, one of my favorite cities in this great country of ours. A few observations from my trip:
- They don't call in the Windy City for nothing. Holy shit, I was literally being blown all over the place, and I'm fat. I can't imagine being skinny and having the wind take me out to Lake Michigan, only to be eaten by sharks. Yes, there are sharks in Lake Michigan. Be careful.
- The drive from O'Hare Airport to downtown Chicago (and vice versa) on I-90 is absolutely MISERABLE. I have rarely encountered driving on such a slow moving road (keep in mind I live in New Jersey, where traffic isn't exactly what you'd call free flowing). It takes for-fucking-ever to get back and forth on that road. I left downtown 2 and a half hours before my flight home, and I didn't get to the airport until 5 minutes before boarding, so yes, I was the douche sprinting through the airport, knocking over babies and senior citizens, trying to make my plane.
- The cab drivers there are INSANE. It's like pure anarchy on the roads. I thought there were no rules in the JC (and there aren't), but the cab drivers of Chicago take it to a hole new, ridiculous level.
- Chicago is filled with many fine drinking establishments, and one of the better ones is this placed called Piece, which does 2 things, and does them extremely well: Pizza and beer. That's it. They make authentic New Haven-style pizza, which is some of the best pizza I've ever had in my life, and brew some absolutely phenomenal beers, most of which are fantastic. If you live in the Chicagoland area and haven't checked out Piece, I highly suggest you do so. Website!
I'm sure you've seen the commercials for a product called the Powermat, which supposedly provides wireless charging to your mobile devices, such as the iPhone. Basically you stick their charging thingy on the back of your device, then you just have to lay the device on the mat, and it charges. BUT THAT'S NOT FUCKING WIRELESS, BECAUSE WHEN YOU TAKE IT OFF THE MAT, IT STOPS CHARGING. WIRELESS CHARGING WOULD BE IF YOUR DEVICE CHARGED WHILE BEING IN A CERTAIN AREA, OR JUST CHARGED ANYWHERE YOU WERE ON A WI-FI NETWORK. As it stands with my iPhone, to charge it I plug it in and leave it on my nightstand. With the Powermat, I would put it on the mat to charge, AND LEAVE IT ON MY NIGHTSTAND. WHAT IS THE FUCKING DIFFERENCE?!!? You're stupid if you buy the Powermat. Really stupid.
As you all know, I am a HUGE fan of the Scripps Howard National Spelling Bee, aired every year on ABC in primetime. It is the gold standard in athletic competition amongst children of both genders under the age of 13, and every year it just keeps getting better and better. The best part remains that Erin Andrews is the backstage reporter for the event, so you just know that many a young boy at the bee is getting his first bonor while she interviews them. Dr. Bailey, the guy who does the word pronunciation and more or less emcee's the event, is a God. He has a perfect voice, is the perfect persona for the event as prestigious as this one... he is simply The Man. What sucked was that the announcers on ABC for the show kept talking over him. HEY DOUCHEBAGS, SHUT THE HELL UP AND LET ME ENJOY THE SWEET, DULCET TONES OF DR. BAILEY. I GET TO WATCH THIS ONCE A YEAR. DON'T FUCKING RUIN IT FOR ME!!!! We then discovered that they invited a freakin' Canuck to the event, but thank God she was defeated by our usual array of Indian and Chinese children. At least they live in our great land.
Stephen Strasburg, as you know, is the most hyped pitcher to come into the league in a long time, and trust me when I say this (even though I'm sure you already know), he is absolutely one of the nastiest pitchers I have ever seen in my life. He's making some of the best hitters in baseball look like flailing kindergartners up at the plate. I am so excited for him to come and pitch against the Mets because A) he will absolutely embarrass them seeing as they suck enough already, and B) I get to go see him. He is insanely awesome. He is the New Jersey of Major League pitchers.
Let me pose this query to you, because I sure as hell don't know the answer: How long is Dippin' Dots going to be the ice cream of the future?!?!? For as long as I can remember, dating back to the days when I was but a wee little lad, I've been walking by Dippin' Dots stands and seeing that it is the ice cream of the future. Well Dippin' Dots, guess what - IT'S THE FUTURE NOW! AND YOU'RE NOT THE ICE CREAM STANDARD!!! BITCHES. When you buy a pint of Ben & Jerry's (to not only enjoy great tasting ice cream but to support those damn Dems), what does it look like when you open the lid? ACTUAL ICE CREAM, NOT THOSE FUCKING LITTLE DOTS! Dippin' Dots has been lying to us our entire lives, and they continue to do so to children everywhere. Kids, if you're reading this, don't believe what Dippin' Dots is telling you! They're selling you a bag of lies that if you let get to you will leave you sulking in a corner wondering what could have been as you stare down at your half gallon carton of Breyer's ice cream. For shame Dippin' Dots. For shame.
You know the guy on the highway that flies buy you even though you're going 85 MPH? Well I have a new term for that guy: The Fishing Line. He is The Fishing Line because you cast him out to catch all of the cops in front of you, more or less freeing you up to drive whatever speed you'd like and as recklessly as you like. Want to drive 115 MPH? GO FOR IT! As long as there is The Fishing Line in front of you, the road is yours. Want to tailgate a smaller car, then pass him on the right at 90, then cut off a tractor trailer and slam on your brakes so that he has to go nuts and swerve into the next lane, smashing into a Toyota Prius in the process? HAVE A BALL! As long as The Fishing Line is flying up ahead of you making sure that the cops are preoccupied with him, do whatever the hell you want! God save The Fishing Line.
I'd like to take a moment to salute a few gentlemen who are promoting a worthy cause, one that New Jersey is Clean, Idiots is more than happy to get behind. Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you: Jersey Doesn't Stink. It's a website devoted to fighting the good fight and turning back all of the criticism that our wonderful state gets from outsiders who just don't get how amazing this state really is. So I suggest you sign up on their site and get behind a just and righteous cause. It'll make you feel all warm and tingly on the inside, even more warm and tingly than those little boys at the Spelling Bee do when Erin Andrews is rubbing up against them interviewing them in the tight backstage area.
I am a man. I drive a Ford Focus. And I'm not afraid to admit that the Ford Focus is mostly a chicks car, and that seeing a dude behind the wheel of a Foc is rarer than venturing through Texas and getting a great photograph of La Chupacabra. But there are some self-respecting males out there such as myself who drive this mythical chick-mobile. Now, when motorcyclists pass each other, what do they typically do? They salute each other, or wave, or do whatever macho handshake they have come up with. In that same light, I am proposing this: The Focus Salute. Are you a man who drives a Focus who passes another man driving a Focus on the highway? Salute him! We are a rare breed who need to stick together, so what better way to show our brotherhood than to salute each other as we dominate the roads. Why did I pick your standard salute as this sign of kinship? Because this is America, and Fords are made in America, so what better way to celebrate our minority status than to use one of the most recognizable signs of America. So the next time you're driving down 78 in Jersey in your Focus and you happen to see a mid-20s male in a red '08 Focus, salute me, because you sure as hell know I'm going to salute you!
A couple of weeks back I went to Wildwood, NJ for a little weekend at the shore with my lady. Now, let me all remind you that there is no greater shore on this planet than the shores of the Jersey shore. That goes without saying. However, Wildwood isn't exactly keeping up with the great standard of excellence that such places as Avalon, Belmar, Seaside Heights, and Stone Harbor are maintaining. First of all, let's just say that it's not difficult to find out why many refer to Wildwood by the nickname "Childwood." You could get arrested for statutory rape just by looking at the some of the girls there. Lugo - Stay away. Second, the boardwalk feels like it could fall out from under you literally at any moment. Granted, that could be a good thing seeing as if you fell through and broke your leg into 16 pieces, at least you could sue the town and get rich, but it would hurt a helluva lot. Childwood, clean up your act please. You're dragging us down here.
As a proud alum of the greatest college on the planet, Ithaca College, there are many things about Ithaca that I enjoy and miss tremendously. I miss Moonshadows, though I can never go back there because they have bastardized the shit out of it. It will have to live on in my memories. I miss the Chapter House. I miss Collegetown Bagels. I miss Shortstop subs, the greatest subs on the entire planet. I also miss Wegmen's subs. Yes, Wegmen's is in a lot of places other than Ithaca, but it's nowhere near us here in the JC, so I identify Wegmen's with Ithaca. And believe me when I tell you this: Wegmen's subs are IMMACULATE. Aside from Shortstop, you will never eat a more delicious sub in your entire life. I get the 14 inch Buffalo Chicken Finger Sub with extra wing sauce, provolone, lettuce, and blue cheese. It's so good I cannot describe it with the written word. If you live near a Wegmen's, go get a sub from there right now. Literally. Stop what you're doing and go get one. You will thank me when you're done.
A couple of weekends ago was the New York Brewfest on Governor's Island. There were literally hundreds of breweries from all over the world at one spot, and you were given a 4 oz. sampling glass and the freedom to fill it with whatever beer you wanted, over and over and over again. Suffice it to say sobriety wasn't the word of the day, so it was a ton of fun. Ithaca Brewery was one of the companies there, which was extra cool. This was the first year I had gone to it, but apparently it happens once every year, so you can bet I'll be going again next year, and you should too. You'd also be smart to follow our lead and go to the Pancake Factory in the JC afterwards for breakfast for dinner, or as I like to call it, brinner. There is no better way to end an epic day of drinking than with a huge bacon, egg and cheese pancake wrap. Try to contain the tightening of your pants as I write this. You're most likely in a work environment, and bonors can be embarrassing.
I recently had the chance to watch June 17, 1994, one of ESPN's phenomenal 30 for 30 documentaries. The main reason that I watched it was because that was the day of the Ranger's parade down the Canyon of Heroes after we won the Stanley Cup in 1994, and seeing as the Rangers suck these days, I take any chance I can to relive the good ol' days. But that day also was Knicks-Rockets Game 6 in the NBA Finals, Arnold Palmer's last US Open round ever, the World Cup in the US kicked off in Chicago, and the OJ Simpson Ford Bronco chase happened in LA. It was a day of emotional ups and downs, filled with enough tra - ah, who the hell am I kidding? THE RANGERS WON THE CUP!!!! WOOOOOOOOO!!!! ONLY 36 YEARS MORE UNTIL OUR NEXT ONE!!!!! I hate Glen Sather. The documentary though was awesome. There were no talking heads, no narration - just archival footage with nat sound alone to tell the story for a whole hour. It 100% worked completely. Really compelling stuff. Check it out if you haven't already.
I love McSorley's, my favorite bar in the entire world, more than you can imagine. You need it more than you need air to breathe. Period. Nothing more needs to be said.
I finally saw Funny People, Judd Apatow's film starring Adam Sandler as a dying comedian and Seth Rogen as his assistant, for the first time a few weeks ago. I had heard mixed reviews for it. Some people thought it was hilarious, others thought it was too artsy for its own good. I have to say it was a little bit of both. Apatow does try to be a little too pretentious for his own good, but at the same time it was pretty hilarious. Actually, it was more or less one huge penis joke, which was great, because penis jokes are always funny, just like poop jokes. Penis and poop = hilarious 100% of the time. So if you like dick jokes, watch Funny People. If you want to see a funny movie, watch Funny People. If it angers you beyond belief when a director tries to be all artsy and shit so that hipsters love him, don't see it. Unless you're a hipster, in which case you'll love it.
Keeping with the movie review theme, the woman and I saw Toy Story 3 not too long ago, and it was just as good as the first 2. I love Pixar movies because they not only are really impressive looking but they're usually written well and are really funny. Toy Story 3 is no exception. Sure it was geared towards kids, as the first 2 were, but just like the first 2 there was enough adult humor that the kids wouldn't be able to figure out to keep us entertained. If you loved the first 2, go see this one. If you hated the first 2, THEN YOU ARE CLEARLY MISSING A SOUL.
My roommates and I recently got Tiger Woods 11 for the PS3. I've never been much of a golf game guy, seeing as I rented Tiger Woods '09 for the Wii a couple years back and it was terrible. But I have to say, this game is pretty awesome. We all got to create our own golfer, then make him better and take him on the PGA Tour. My guy looks like he had a bad chemical accident when he was a child, so he used to get made fun of a lot by his peers, but now he's on the PGA Tour, so he's showing those bullies what's up. The best part of the game is when you play as Tiger Woods, because when you tee off, you can either walk directly to your ball, or stray into the woods where Perkin's waitresses are waiting for you to give you a blow job and a reach around. It's funny because the PS3 controller vibrates when you're getting your asshole touched. So realistic!
So there's this show that I'm not sure anyone has really heard of, but it's pretty cool. You know, pretty standard drama stuff, a couple of compelling characters. It's well written. The acting is really good. You should totally check it out. Season 2 is coming up actually. Here's the trailer for it:
The swastika is used all the time in Hinduism to mean good fortune. Hitler and the Nazis jacked the symbol. Even Jeremy Piven knows this. What is this, amateur hour?
Whenever you mention things you miss from Ithaca, you never mention the most important thing, YOUR SISTER! Is it because your jealous I am enjoying all the things you miss from the best college on earth? Cause you should be!
Thank you for making this post extremely long (and enjoyable of course) because it has made my long wait at the ma dmv (which they call an rmv but I refuse to) a little more bearable......oh and welcome back!
woo hoo! back in biz - ness. get it? i do. two things -- 1. its Wegman's!!! I know spellcheck won't pick that up but as a WNY'er I'm gonna be that annoying nitpicker. Just wanna make sure Danny Wegman's gets his fair props. 2 - love that you refer to Joseph Gordon Levitt as Cameron from 10 things i hate about you. i'd go with long haired kid from 3rd rock from the sun, but i think i like your analysis better!
that was intense... i need a nap now
ReplyDeleteThe swastika is used all the time in Hinduism to mean good fortune. Hitler and the Nazis jacked the symbol. Even Jeremy Piven knows this. What is this, amateur hour?
ReplyDeleteWhenever you mention things you miss from Ithaca, you never mention the most important thing, YOUR SISTER! Is it because your jealous I am enjoying all the things you miss from the best college on earth? Cause you should be!
ReplyDeleteThank you for making this post extremely long (and enjoyable of course) because it has made my long wait at the ma dmv (which they call an rmv but I refuse to) a little more bearable......oh and welcome back!
ReplyDeletewoo hoo! back in biz - ness. get it? i do. two things -- 1. its Wegman's!!! I know spellcheck won't pick that up but as a WNY'er I'm gonna be that annoying nitpicker. Just wanna make sure Danny Wegman's gets his fair props. 2 - love that you refer to Joseph Gordon Levitt as Cameron from 10 things i hate about you. i'd go with long haired kid from 3rd rock from the sun, but i think i like your analysis better!
ReplyDeletethanks for dumping on us.
I don't think this was a long enough post.
ReplyDeletewell I just finished reading this post. when's the next one?
ReplyDelete