28 Weeks Later

Anyone down to go see this movie tonight.

http://www.rottentomatoes.com , so far the reviews for this sequel look good.

I am thinking of the 9:55pm or 10:25pm show at 108 Court Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201.

This theater is close to the Borough Hall stop.

If you are interested in the trailer, here you go: http://www.foxinternational.com/28weekslater/

CANDY: REESE'S PEANUT BUTTER CUPS! [Part II in a series]

No candy brings a smile to my face the way this one does: Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. I'm not saying it's the best candy out there, but to me it's the most fun--and when you are eating candy, that counts for a lot. The fact is, eating Reese's Peanut Butter Cups is an experience. It's not something you can do as you walk out of the RiteAid on your way to the subway. You've got two flat, circular cups to deal with. And not only that, they have paper on them. Talk about momentarily delayed gratification being all the sweeter! A Reese's without the paper on it would be like a velcro bra strap: much more convenient, about a thousand times less interesting.

Further, the fact that you get two cups in a standard package means that you can enjoy two totally different candy experiences. As the (pithy and insightful) old slogan had it, there is no right [or wrong!] way to eat a Reese's. You can eat the firmer chocolate edges on the first cup, and on the second eat the peanut butter middle. You can hurry through one, and take your time with the other. Ingestion permutations are almost limitless, making this a candy that really rewards the thoughtful eater.



(A quick note about the Big Cup, the super-sized single serving version of the conventional Reese's Peanut Butter Cup. If Hershey's packaged Big Cups in two-in-one wrapping, I am certain sales would more than double. No matter how big they make the Big Cup, you always feel like you are only getting one peanut butter cup--inevitably disappointing. It would be like McDonald's having the SuperSize menu feature only a bigger burger, and keeping everything else the same. If Hershey's wants to capture the obese/trucker/weed-smoker demographic, they'd do better to give them (us?) the option of buying a Big Ol' Pair O' Peanut Butter Cups.)

Finally, the taste of the Reese's Peanut Butter cup is the soul of elegant simplicity. Chocolate. Peanut butter. Boom. So, so much greater than the sum of its parts. KitKat, again, always leaves me feeling a little unfulfilled. Reese's, on the other hand, despite having even fewer ingredients, always seems like an indulgent candy event. Obviously, you can't give all the credit to Reese's--chocolate and peanut butter just belong together. But they may never have been joined so perfectly as they are in a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup.




[Lookin' good!]

CANDY: KITKAT! [Part I in a series]

Hello, friends! I have been very disappointed in the lack of trivial blather on our blog. Do we really want to use this blog to post pictures of each other and plan Meet-Ups!? That kind of practical application of digital media is, frankly, not what the Internet is all about.

Starting now, I'm going to use this space for the purpose blogs were intended for: posting a detailed discussion of a topic mainly of interest to me. Without further ado... CANDY!

Today's subject: The KitKat Wafer Bar!!





First created in 1931 and certified kosher (OUD), KitKat remains a staple of any bodega candy bar display. KitKat has perhaps the best crunch of any major candy bar on the market. It achieves this crunch, though, without sacrificing the taste of chocolate--I believe it accomplishes this by dividing the layers of wafer with thinner layers of chocolate. Other wafer-coated chocolate bars simply dip wafer in chocolate and call it a day--the result is a candy that tastes far too wafery, and hence, too bland. The KitKat avoids this, to its credit. It employs the texture of wafer without letting it overwhelm the taste.

Another positive of the KitKat is its structure--the bar is pre-divided into four parts, making it easy to share and allowing you to eat it in innumerable ways. This shouldn't be overlooked. The conventional "meat-loaf" structure of a candy bar (think Snickers or Milky Way) pretty much demands a front to back eating experience. With a KitKat, you can eat one bar at a time, nibble the chocolate that breaks off when you separate one bar from another, etc.



Still, I would argue KitKat is the Karl Malone of candy bars: it undeniably belongs in the Hall of Fame, but its greatness remains debatable. The taste of a KitKat is easily replicated and often duplicated. There are many, many chocolate-coated wafer bars. The KitKat is just the one that crossed over into the popular candy market (though again, its balancing of flavor and texture is admirable). I like its simplicity, but that is also its downfall--with a KitKat, there just isn't enough going on for a truly first-rate candy experience. Granted, I'm never disappointed with a KitKat, but again, I'm never really fired up. To use a non-basketball analogy (for the ladies!!!), KitKat is like Reese Witherspoon--attractive, talented, but are you ever really, really excited to see a Reese Witherspoon movie? Of course not.




[Reese and a KitKat: A woman and a candy you can bring home to Mom...]





All-in-all, KitKat continues to delight and is a never-fail safe choice. But I prefer other bars when I really want to get my candy on.

Which bars!?!? Tune in next time!!

Blind Tiger's Smuttypalooza 2007

Ok, kiddos, sorry for the late notice, but if anyone was ever interested in grabbing a drink at the Blind Tiger, today's the day.

Today is Smuttypalooza which means they will have a bunch of beers from Smuttynose Brewery (generally a top-notch outfit) paired with cheeses from Murray's (and tacos).

The Blind Tiger is on Bleecker and Great Jones Streets. Smuttypalooza starts at 4pm.

A Farewell to Traws

Anybody looking for a good excuse to get beery? I mean, not that you need one...BUT, tonight is the farewell drink-a-thon for Mr. Justin R. Shatraw, departing soon for the smoggy climes of the West Coast.

Anyone who wants to pay respects, or just booze it up and hit Karaoke Sing Sing:

DATE: Friday, May 4th
TIME: 10pm
PLACE: Duke's Bar
129 Ave. C, New York, NY 10009
nr. 8th St.

Toot toot

It's Family Dinner Time

Ladies and Gentlemen, Children of All Ages,

It's time you forget about bees and think instead about beans.
You've heard it discussed, you've heard it dissected. Now it's time you heard it planned. Announcing:

The First Annual
Chile Con Carne(-Val)

Who: The Family (and Family friends, of course)
When: Monday night, 14 May, 2007. 5:00pm.
Where: 225 West 12th Street, Apartment 3H, New York, NY 10011.
What: The Chile Con Carne(-Val) is a two-part program combining a great chile cook-off (where you can each demonstrate your culinary skills by preparing your best chile recipe) with game night (which means we stay in and save money).
Why: Why not?

RULES AND REGULATIONS:
1.) Your dishes can be any variety of chile: red bean, black bean, white bean, vegetarian, chile dogs, frito pie, whatever you want.
2.) I only own scrabble, playing cards, and dominoes, so bring some games (note: the xBox is out of commission because the TV is broken).


Come get your grub on. But beware the killer beans.

rich people's houses

Anyone want to go the Clinton Hill house tour on Sunday? $20 bucks for 5 hours of voyeurism and jealousy! I'm definitely going...
http://www.societyforclintonhill.org/

Where the Bees Are

In a bit of a procrastination fit, one inquiring law student figures it all out (last para. is funniest)....

I'm sure many of you have heard about the mysterious bee disappearances. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/02/070223-bees.html

Keep in mind that the bees are disappearing without the beekeepers finding any dead bees. I have had a theory that the bees are not dying but rather all assembling somewhere to attack the human race. I think I have figured out where.

First, take a look at this headline. http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?BRD=1815&dept_id=516928&newsid=18284132&PAG=461&rfi=9
Bees from Arkansas have not been affected by the mysterious bee disappearances sweeping the nation! Sound odd? I agree. Read on.

Now, it seems as though the bees have begun reconaissance missions to test the human race's response to bee attacks in Little Rock, Arkansas. http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8ORQTLG0&show_article=1
While in the rest of the country, bees are disappearing, in Arkansas there are enough to shut a whole hospital! It's not just a coincidence. The clues are all here. Arkansas, and specifically Little Rock, is the perfect launching pad for the bees' resistance against the humans.

• The Arkansas Bee Virus, a real virus of which little is known, has, in my expert opinion, made super intelligent bees capable of galvanizing the bee population of the world against humans. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/BODY_AA090
  
• Earlier in November, Arkansas dropped its quarantine regulations against the small hive beetle, a mite that lives off of bee colonies. Obviously this greatly angered the bees and they are seeking revenge. .http://deltafarmpress.com/news/061129-africanized-bees/index.html
• A University of Arkansas professor published an article critical of Einstein in an episode involving Einstein's submission of a paper for publication. An unsubstantiated quote by Einstein reads, 'If the bee disappeared off the face of the earth, then man would only have four years left to live.' Now, whether or not Einstein really said this, I believe the bees have taken it to heart. Thus, any man criticizing Einstein would be vulnerable to the bees' revenge. And, since this man is financially supported by the State of Arkansas, the State is the one that will feel the backlash. http://dailyheadlines.uark.edu/5770.htm
• Cheerios was invented at Central Missouri State in Warrensburg, MO. The Honey Nut Cheerios mascot is the bee. Warrensburg is less than TEN miles from Fayetteville, MO. Arkansas also has a town named Fayetteville, home of the University of Arkansas. I do not have evidence to back this up, but it is quite possible that Warrensburg, MO, and Fayetteville, MO, have a town rivalry. The bees, while in Warrensburg to pay homage to the creation of Cheerios, inherited the Warrensburg hatred for Fayetteville. Throughout the years, they became confused and thought the hated Fayetteville is the one in Arkansas and imputed their hate of the city to hate of the state. I wouldn't put it past them. http://www.cmsu.edu/x318.xml

Little Rock is strategically surrounded between perfect bee gathering areas. Bees could live here for months without being suspected of anything suspicious.

1. BEE Branch - 57.4 miles North of the city
2. BEE - 36.2 miles Northeast
   
3. De Queen - 170 miles Southwest
4. Willow BEAch - 14 miles East
   

The bees now have LIttle Rock surrounded. When will the real attack begin?

If I have yet to convince you, consider this: the state insect of Arkansas is...the honeybee. http://www.stateanimals.com/arkansas.html

I hope I am wrong. I really hope I am wrong because I do not think that we can defeat the bees. Perhaps it is not too late.

What can you do to protect yourself? Either purchase one of these to shield yourself from the bees or purchase one of these to assimilate with the bees or to hide amongst them. Your pets can also be saved if you plan accordingly.

B-BAll Saturday?

Last time was so much fun, and so good for our old man joints, I think we should have an encore performance. I nominate 1pm somewhere in prospect heights. Who's with me?