Books »Queenpin

Two tough-as-nails women (one a fresh faced dame just learning the ropes of book cooking and gangster seduction, the other a hardened moll who's still a looker) make for a dangerous combination in Megan Abbott's Queenpin.

The youthful modern day author pays tremendous homage to the noir genre of old and upholds the style and plot devices. Tough talk and violence abound here, and Queenpin makes for a quick, fun and kind of mindless read.

Abbott has been roundly praised for her efforts to resurrect the noir novel, but I guess my only quibble is that she doesn't bring anything new to the table. While this novel is bound to satisfy the avid pulp reader, it may not convert skeptics of the genre.

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Posted on October 19, 2009

Movies »The Squid and the Whale

The Squid and the Whale is a wonderfully subtle portrait of a bunch of assholes. Deeply intimate, the story tracks on the unraveling of the Berkman family: Jeff Daniels, Laura Linney and their two young sons. Though it's fueled by the consequences of divorce and betrayal (IMDB has it tagged 'joint-custody'), it's far from melodramatic, the characters feel very real – so much so that I wonder if writer/director Noah Baumbach's parents felt embarrassed the first time they saw it. It's a tough movie to watch at times, but somehow it remains tender and funny even as it digs into the rawest of situations and emotions; I was truly touched.

After years of hearing from friends about how we'd like this film, just last week I finally managed to get Jim to sit down and watch it, despite his deep distrust of Baumbach as a filmmaker. Here, shooting entirely (and surprisingly) on super 16mm in 23 days, he proves to be a deft auteur. I hope he brought some of that talent to the Fantastic Mr Fox screenplay.

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Posted on October 19, 2009

Songs »Rock On

My sister saw Michael Damian in concert when we were kids; all I remember was my own envy and my dad saying that he opened with Rock On and closed with Rock On?twice.

Speaking of Damian, you should try to track down the volume of TV Carnage that features an astoundingly in-depth Current Affair piece on the time he got attacked by an angry fan during a mall parking lot performance.

The song is a remake of a David Essex hit, but only Damian's version had the honor of gracing the Corey and Corey film, Dream A Little Dream.

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Posted on October 19, 2009

Songs »Metal on Metal

It would be impossible (and almost heartless) not to include Anvil's totally rocking Metal on Metal after being so moved by their struggle. Plus, deep sympathies aside, it is bona fide a classic; a lean and awesome slice of metal just the way I like it. “Join the heavy metal fight!”

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Posted on October 12, 2009

Web Sites »Use Real Butter

Not only does Use Real Butter feature an array of easy to search through and beautifully photographed recipes (including this week's recipe Fish Flavored Pork), there are hard-bound-coffee-table-quality photos of my gorgeous home state, Colorado, that are often breathtaking.

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Posted on October 12, 2009

Places to Visit »The Island of Giudecca

So I'm sure there's tons of guide books out there on Venice and how amazing and beautiful and unique it is.?Well for once pretty much all the good things one could say about a place are true.?But perhaps a lesser known gem of a stay in Venice is the island of Giudecca. ?br/>
It's across the Giudecca canal from most of the large tourist destinations, so it's a little out of the way, but that's part of what makes it so special. Being right across from everything means it has the best view of all of those sites, especially at night.?And being out of the way means it still has a local feel to it, for the most part.?Yes it has the famous Hotel Cipriani (the classic place for the 1960s celebrity set), a youth Hostel and the new Molino Stucky Hilton in an old flour factory,?all on its shores, but that's pretty much it.?The rest of the island is quiet and local.

Even if you don't stay on the island, its worth the trip there by a water taxi (AKA the vaperetto) or the free boat shuttle the Hilton runs (trust?me, they don't ask for proof you are staying at their hotel).?During the day you can witness a quiet slice of real Venetian life with local markets and shops, but the real magic on this island is at night.?At night the city across the canal lights up and the sleepy little island comes alive with a sort of mystical life.?There's several excellent little restaurants along the canal, which are all cheaper than the tourist traps across the way.

One we ate at twice, cause the staff of this family-owned place was so nice to us and the food was so good.?Another we only had a chance to eat at once.?It was a little further down the island and the food was pretty amazing.?We even made a friend of a local cat who sat in the empty third chair at our table and watched us eat. Perhaps he wanted my seafood lasagna, and the best tiramisu I've ever had, or perhaps he was just enjoying the view

Now if you don't get a chance to stay at the Hilton Molino Stucky like we did (we found a great deal on a travel site, I do recommend stopping by the hotel for a drink at their skybar.?It's at the top of the?8th or 9th floor of this incredible old factory building, and has the most unbelievable view of the city, since other nearby buildings aren't anywhere near as tall.?Enjoy a campari and soda or a spritz and you'll feel right at home as you watch the ships enter the harbor.

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Posted on October 12, 2009

Desserts »Reed’s Ginger Chews

reed's ginger candyReed's Ginger Chews are probably the cheapest things you can find at Dean and Deluca (two bucks opposed to the seven some of the chocolate bars cost) and the added bonus of being good for the digestive system makes the deal even better.

Reed's also makes great candied ginger and, according to their site, a ginger ice cream that sounds incredible, but it's not something I've come across yet myself.

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Posted on October 12, 2009

Drinks »Berry Park

While the weather still permits it, you should try to make it out to Berry Park, the new super mellow rooftop beer hall behind the automotive high school in Williamsburg.

The views of Manhattan are great and the menu of beers is impressive but be warned – a lot of these brews are quite strong. The German dunkels (dark beers) are always a favorite of mine and currently the HB Dunkel is featured on the menu. Some nights the rooftop bar itself is out of service, but the trek downstairs is not a far one. So far, it's never been overly crowded or obnoxious, which is probably the greatest feature of all.

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Posted on October 12, 2009

Recipes »Fish Flavored Pork

I loved my dinner tonight! And not just because Jim cooked while I didn't lift a finger – it was also truly delicious. Sure, a recipe called Fish Flavored Pork might turn some folks off, but they'd be missing out on a complex, spicy dish that would go well with some steamed rice and a beer. We subbed porcini for tree ears and ground pork for strips.

I found it on Use Real Butter, a lovely food blog with more recipes that I'm curious to try.

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Posted on October 12, 2009

Laughs »United Bamboo Calendar

Cats and fashion! You know I'm there. So sad then that the United Bamboo calendar?is already out of stock.

Maybe Tiptoe and I-Hop will be up for a homemade version…

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Posted on October 12, 2009