Monday, December 28, 2009

meals, movies and milestones

I suspect by now you all realize that i LOVE to eat. well who doesn't? so it should never surprise you when i have something to say about it...
last nite's dinner (center cut rib steaks) bought from Grazin' Angus Acres at the Union Sq farmer's market was an amazing example of grass fed beef, raised to increase the fat content naturally (letting the cow live longer) and to also promote the development of Omega 3's (essential & healthy fatty acids). For those of you raised on corn fed beef (me included) the transition to grass fed isn't always easy. For 1 thing grass fed cows are always leaner (less marbling of fat), earthier in flavor (some would say a bit of "game" in them), and not always as tender. But in closer inspection and with the help of your purveyor you can find a great cut, with the proper amount of fat and end up with a very satisfying steak. leaner meat always requires an adjustment in cooking time (less time or lower heat). but i find that i can cook these steaks with almost the exact time. maybe the brushing of olive all slows down the cooking time? :-) the last word on grass fed: don't make up your mind on one try. pick carefully or let someone who REALLY knows pick for you!

movies: i saw a really enjoyable flick called Bottle Shock (2008). About the wines of Napa Vallery CA. before they were known to the world circa 1970's. I think anybody will enjoy this film, but if you're a wine lover or foodie it's irresistable.

milestones: a mini of sorts for me. i went to my first "open" class at my Brazilian Jiu Jitsu school Alliance . in addition to the very rigorous 1 hour training we finished the class with a half hour of "rolling" (grappling). i had been quite cautious up this point, sticking with the beginner class (which often has advanced students) but doesn't involve rolling (just drilling and practicing). you learn at my age (46) it's easier to injure yourself and it takes longer to heal, so caution is the better part of valor, but i finally felt ready and it was quite an experience. in my first match i got submitted (i had to TAP out to quit the match) 2 x. that was the LONGEST 6 minutes i've ever experienced. Ignazio my opponent (an advanced white belt...should be a blue any time now) was quick and strong and flipped an arm bar on me when i got gassed. i learned a lot from this match, i was quite tense and a bit nervous before. arden and i had a good bout following that and it was quite close (i call it a draw!), and then i grappled with Yuko (black belt woman), i had to have at least 50 pounds on her! but wow is she fast, the only thing that prevented her submitting me was my strength, but she tossed me quite nice by planting her feet on my hips and flipping me over. Yuko reminded me to loosen up.
today, i'm nice and sore. but boy that hot shower felt good!!!

cheers,
scott

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

news news news, and happy holidays

it's been a long time since the last post. everybody with a blog knows it's hard to keep doin it. i know that. and you know that. still, there's plenty to talk about and i'm gonna do it whirlwind style incorporating random thoughts.

firstly i'm working on my TOP SECRET comic book original art website! yes, different from the gallery site. a lot of kick ass art has been uploaded and i'll shortly go live, and art addicts will get the email about the launch. there's a lot of top notch stuff listed already.

HOTWIRE 3 show in mid FEBRUARY!!!! info about the wonderful new anthology here http://www.hotwirecomics.com/

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu !!! i'm still goin strong. a few aches & bruises won't keep me down...i lost count of my classes when i got to 25 ! today's class was fantastic as a new technique was clicking fast with me.

Movies: why are bad movies sometimes great (plan 9, Hammer Horror, certain Planet of the Apes, certain Shaw bros & other Kung Fu flix, etc...)? because there's a charm in it...somewhere, somehow...maybe it's the naive production standard, the amateur actors, or just the novelty of it all, and if there's at least 1 redeeming quality, we fall in love with it. that's why in a nutshell.

but sometimes, bad movies are just that. BAD. i like bad movies. heck i like movies NOBODY likes: Battlefield Earth for example. Bad movies are fun to watch, they pander to your interests...soapy love stories if that floats your boat, or gratuitous violence (like the last Rambo flick...AWESOME!!!!), or predictable comedy, etc...but nothing is worse than watching a bad movie with all the expected pandering you crave and being let down. One such film is Pride and Glory from 2008. plenty of good actors: Ed Norton, Colin Farrell (um is he good?...well at least famous) and JON VOIGHT !!! (...i know he hasn't made a great flick in years, but still, he made some great films back in the day))). This film has action, and well, a family drama that is BORING. some action, and then some more boredumb. Ed Norton as an Irish cop? what's not to like? for 1: Ed Norton as an Irish cop!!!! who cares? is it good? no. and Colin Farrell?? again no. they're brothers, and opposites. 1's a good guy the other not so good!!! wow. NOT. do yourself a favor and don't watch this flick. a lot of nothing.

food: i spent WAY too much money the other day eating at the wonderful Tapas place Txikito
http://www.txikitonyc.com/ this tiny tapaseria in chelsea serves outstanding food, has a great wine list, and if you don't mind indulging (and emptying your wallet) it's the place for you!! can you say VEAL JOWL TERRINE !!!!!??? this is some insane decadence. Chelsea is a hotspot for great Tapas. I love all the Tapas places in west chelsea btw.

i had a food product imported to the Fairway Market (my fave market on earth) i will not stop talking about this product. Ham infused with truffles. game over.

UFC...lastly, BJ "the prodigy" Penn defended his Lightweight crown again against Diego "the nightmare" Sanchez. props to Penn who completely dominated the fight.

signing out for now!
cheers.