Afternoon Delight

lattes

I could use one of these right now. Does anyone know where to get a real latte like this in NYC other than Starbucks?

HOT DOG!

This month the Village Voice shares with us their picks for best hot dog in New York City. My favorites don't really match theirs although they picked some small joints that I've never heard of but will for sure try out.

As for my picks, I always enjoy a Gray's Papaya, but my favorite is Papaya King on 86th and 3rd. Crif Dogs is a very popular late night joint on St. Mark's and Underdog is a great place to eat cheap and smell like grease for the rest of the day.

A word of warning, when eating a tube steak off a cart, never get onions. The sauce they set in not only tastes bad but stains horribly. My shoes have a giant spot reminder of why I just get mustard on the street.

As for Nathan's, I've never made it down there but have no doubt that they make one of the best dogs ever. That Japanese guy seems to approve.

C.S. said it best

“My happiest hours are often spent with three or four old friends in old clothes tramping together and putting up in small pubs – or else sitting up till the small hours in someone’s college rooms, talking nonsense, poetry, theology, metaphysics over beer, tea, and pipes. There is no other sound I like better than adult male laughter.” -C.S. Lewis

Your ignorance will be bigger than you,
and it will kill you,
with a white death,
with no noise,
with no pain,
and it will let you live,
in your empty room,
not knowing what you could have been.

LM

Be a Man

I've been having some strange feelings lately. Living in the city, my lifestyle is almost predetermined for me. There are only certain things I am able to do here and most activities I enjoyed in my previous life are just a fond memory. For example, last night Collin asked me to help him wash his car. No big deal, I thought, but after we started I remembered how great of a feeling it was to stand out on the driveway, barefoot and wash my car on a hot Saturday evening, just as the sun was going down. I miss that now. Other things I miss are driving fast down the highway with the wind in my face, water skiing, looking at the stars, mowing the lawn. These are things that men need to do, in order to be a man. (Ladies, I hope you can understand what I'm saying.)

I really just need to leave the city and do something adventurous. I want to go climb a mountain or ride a horse. I'd like to go float down a river or race down a beach. Not that I ever do these things, but they're adventurous and exciting and that's what I need right now. I need adrenaline, which doesn't flow easily from my desk at work.

What I'd like to do is pack everything I need to survive into a backpack and leave the country for a few months. I could hitchhike through South America or go to Africa and climb Kilimanjaro (the newest addition to my 'Things to do in Life' list).

While I may not packing my bags anytime soon, at least not until October when I head to Spain, I still have some heroes to live through vicariously; some men of men who lived by their instinct and didn't put up with any crap. They were American Badasses and that's what I want to be.

One of these badasses is Ernest Hemingway. He knew what he loved and he practiced it religiously. He wanted to fight so he signed up for the army, but his vision was terrible and was assigned to the ambulance corps. Regardless, he lived in war, and loved it. Afterwards, he discovered bullfighting and wrote about it. Now, I'm beginning to love it and will get to experience it in Spain this fall. He also loved African Safaris and fishing in Cuba and Key West. All of these are masculine activities that are screaming out inside of me.

Another MAN that I admire is Theodore Roosevelt. What a badass. I won't go into depth about his awesome no-holds-barred lifestyle, but you should definitely read about it or watch the documentary. He set the rules and got the job done. He had never served in the military, but requested to be nominated for Assistant Secretary of the Navy. T.R. didn't like how things were being run, so when his boss was out sick for a month he took control. He mobilized ships from China to the Philippines to Cuba and started a war with Spain. Then, he decided he didn't want to sit in his office (me either) and watch the war, so he went to Texas and recruited a bunch of guys, trained them, took them to Cuba, and went and whooped up on the Spanish. The details are even more incredible. I suggest you read about him.

These are just a couple dudes who knew how life was supposed to be lived. They didn't sit in a cubicle all day and wish things were better. The traveled, lived in adventure and experienced life to the fullest. They had goals and dreams and made them come true. This is what I want. I want to enjoy my life and be a risk taker, to have stories to tell and scars to prove it.

I think it’s a crime to settle for less than what you want the most. Anyone who has a desire, but suppresses it to be comfortable shames themselves. I wanted to live in New York more than anything so I did it, and it was tough but so worth it. Now I have other desires and dreams and believe me that I will do them and they too will be hard, but they will make life worth living.

Killer Ninjas

Saw this guy on the south side of Union Square today. This is the funniest sign I've ever seen. I might go by tomorrow and give him some more money. Kung Fu lessons are really expensive.

The Christian Paradox

I ran across this article from the August issue of Harper's. The author is discussing the fact that America considers itself a 'Christian' nation, but acts on the contrary. We have a higher murder rate than any European country and a divorce rate over 50%. As the world's richest country, we give only 15 cents per capita daily to poverty causes. We remain the only western country with capital punishment; ironically performing this act in our most religious states. To top it all off, we are at war in the Middle East and on bad terms with most every Muslim country, North Korea, China, France, Venezuela, Cuba and every other country that can provoke a third world war.

It seems that our every action is contrary to our biblical beliefs. Given, only 33% of 'Christians' in the U.S. actually go to church and even less of those practice Christianity according to the Bible. Still, as the world's richest economy and most powerful government, we should be doing so much more in the area of giving, protecting, peacemaking and cease these nationwide acts of selfishness, greed, hate, murder, idolatry, adultery and every other sin under the sun.

With all of that said, it is so easy to blame our government for bad leadership and decisions, we can accuse the church of corruption and we can point at divisions among our society. However, I believe that these Christian actions have to begin with the individual. We should actively give more instead of waiting for the government to take it from us. We can support causes for AIDS, poverty, hunger with our own hands. And these problems don't exist solely overseas. Almost everyone in this country is within a 30 minute drive from an impoverished community where there is hunger, homelessness and disease. We must act as individuals, churches and communities. We can't wait for our country to do the work we expect. We must act ourselves or else it will never happen and these atrocious acts of this 'Christian' nation will continue to contradict the Love of God.

Broken Flowers

Jim Jarmusch's new indie film Broken Flowers has just released this week. It stars the 'deadpan' Bill Murray that I have adopted as one of my favorite actors. I'd give you the synopsis, but I haven't read it; saving the surprise for the theater. All I know is Bill Murray has been terrific in Lost in Translation, Royal Tennenbaums and more, and he's not going to stop thrilling us now.

Here is Gothamist's review.

Odd Men Out

Last night we went to see Rufus Wainwright and Ben Folds on their Odd Men Out Tour. It was part of Celebrate Brooklyn in Prospect Park. It was cool to see these guys in concert and fun to be outside during the summer and have a beer in the park. But, when you consider the price of the tickets, the muggy air and hard ground, its hard to justify doing it again. I just don't get a kick out of large concerts like I used to, maybe I'm getting old. The concrete seating section filled up fast so we sat on the ground in the back on the dead grass.

Rufus put on a pretty boring show. He just walked on, sang a few songs and left. No performing at all. I might as well sit outside and listen to his CD. It would have the same effect. Ben Folds does a much better job of performing and crowd pleasing. He played a few new ones and still made sure the crowd heard the old ones they loved. He shot some footage for a new video and got the audience to help. Upon exiting the stage he threw his stool at the piano three times, just for kicks. The best song of the night, sadly, was Ben's cover of a Dr. Dre song Bitches Ain't Shit. It was just funny to hear three white guys add a piano to a gangster wrap song and sing harmony to the lyrics.

I've pretty much seen the concerts I want for awhile. I'm always in for a cheap gig in the village but I'm done paying $50 for three hours of 'entertainment' that doesn't exactly entertain.

David Gray - Webster Hall

David Gray was at Webster Hall last night to promote his new album, Life in Slow Motion. The hall only holds about 500 people which made for an intimate concert. I was fortunate to have a great view from the front row to see one of my favorite modern musicians. pics

The band was great and the show was very entertaining. The new album seems like a step back towards White Ladder. His last release, A New Day at Midnight, was more electronic and not as much of a hit. I'm glad to see the new record revert to the old David Gray we know and love. My only complaint about the show, which was expected, is that he played almost all new songs. Only about four songs were recognized by the audience, all others being unreleased. Regardless, it was a good show.

In my quest to enjoy every sandwich, I got to work today and noticed that he will be playing two shows in October at Radio City. The presale began two minutes later, and fifteen minutes after that I had purchased two tickets for each night. Unbelievable Alex. I just saw him last night and I can't afford to pay for another show, let alone two. I am an idiot. Hopefully I can get rid of two if not all four. Lemme know if you want to go see him, I really recommend it.

Palmeiro Caught with his Pants Down

Major League Baseball suspended future Hall of Famer, Rafael Palmeiro today for failing a drug test. The first time offence is a 10 day suspension without pay.

Upon the suspension, Palmeiro spoke about the test and adamantly denied having ever "intentionally" used any banned substance. My guess it that he accidentally sat on the needle Jose Canseco says he poked him with.

On March 17, Palmeiro testified before Congress, denying any steroid use and rejected the acquisitions Canseco made in his autobiography that Rafael let Canseco inject him with steroids.

Rafael, if Canseco was wrong and the MLB test is wrong, why are you failing this test? Even if you don't look like a steroid user on the outside, I know one muscle that needs some help getting bigger. Maybe the answer to the drug test issue is a little blue, diamond shaped pill.

Beantown

I spent the day in Boston yesterday to see the beloved Red Sox. I took a bus there an back in one day which was brutal on my sleep schedule, but it was well worth the trip.

I went by myself because I didn't want to ask anyone to spend that much on a day trip, but mostly because I really wanted to hang out with myself. It felt great to be alone for a day, and doing something I loved. I got to write and reflect on the bus ride over; an activity usually hindered by sirens outside and heat in the apartment. I got to the game super-early, just how I like it. About three hours were spent on Yawkey Way eating sausage and pepper sandwiches and drinking Harpoon. I kept score at the game, which is something I love to do, but its tough when you're with other people. You know how it is, people always want you to talk to them.

The best part of the day was just being at Fenway and feeling the energy. During the national anthem, I closed my eyes and leaned back into the sun and thanked God for baseball.

The game was fun, Sox won 6-2. After the game, I had a beer with Scooter Pie and his dad. Then, I caught the 12:30 AM bus back to NYC and slept the entire way. Another fabulous day in Beantown.