When I saw that the credit sequence was a direct homage/ripoff of the Sopranos' opening, I was extremely wary. Also the camerawork is a little wonky, like they were trying a bit too hard for grittiness. But the show brought me around, big time. It was an excellent first hour, and I'm definitely in for the next 5--it's only a six episode season--and next season if it gets picked up. Check it out if you don't have HBO, or if you're a fan of any of the other FX series (the Shield, Rescue Me, Nip/Tuck). Plot stuff down below, maybe spoilers, we'll see.
Nick (Braugher) is the titular thief, a patriarch of sorts to his odds-and-ends team of ne'er-do-wells, Elmo, Gabo, Jack, and Izzy. They steal stuff for a living, but not in a glitzy Oceans 11-style hustle. No, they're more of an old-fashioned smash-n-grab outfit. Operating out of Nick's classic car dealership in post-Katrina New Orleans, they work for Linda Hamilton and basically just try to get by. There's also a corrupt detective and some Chinese assassins from San Francisco who are after Nick and the boys for a job gone wrong. Oh, and that's not counting the drug addictions, unruly teenaged kids, pregnant wives, interracial marriages and loan sharks breathing down their necks. And George Clooney made it look so easy. Anyway, Braugher rocks, and I would watch him do anything if they put it on screen.
4.03.2006
4.02.2006
Follow My Orders
I have an ActBlue page, I actually created it last semester, and just remembered it now. It's a great concept, but nobody I know has any money so it kind of goes to waste. You can see everybody I would vote for if I could change my residency at will. So that's kind of fun. And if you actually have a few hundred extra dollars lying around, why not give it to somebody on there? It's tax deductable!
4.01.2006
A Seasonal Gripe
I understand that the first few nice days here in Boston are to be cherished. They mark a yearly renaissance, when all the things that Bostonians thought they had forgotten how to do--smile, go outside, be nice to other people--are rediscovered and celebrated. But why, oh why, does everybody and their mother (and their waddling, frappuccino-craving spawn) have to go to Starbucks the instant the grey wintry clouds vanish from the skies? It's Starbucks, for chrissakes! I'll never get how this store can inspire the kind of loyalty I see every day. And yes, I know that I make the best damn espresso-based beverages in Boston. Of course I know, I'm the one who makes them so good. But honestly people, Diesel Cafe has excellent sandwiches, great coffee, more seating, and real ice cream, that they'll put right in your coffee! And it's right across the street. Listen, I know what goes into frappuccinos, and it sure as hell isn't ice cream.
3.29.2006
Comments
I understand that you have to have an account with blogger in order to post comments, but come on people, at least let me know if I have any readers. On second thought, maybe I don't even want to know. Hell, comment if you want to.
3.27.2006
Coffee/1369 Coffeehouse (Inman Sq.)
So, I also realized today that my little blurb over to the left talks about food, and I haven't mentioned it once (unless you count the beerfest, because beer is a food). And in the spirit of turning over things--new leaves, unturned stones, etc--here's a rip-roaring account of my trip to the 1369 Coffeehouse this morning!
On the sunny corner of Cambridge and Springfield streets in Cambridge there is an institution of sorts. But instead of crazy people like at MIT, this institution has nerds. Coffee nerds the likes of which can be found at just about any independent (i.e. not Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts) coffee shop in the city. They sip their macchiatos with deliberate pretension, smacking their lips in an extravagant, even obscene, display of contentedness--as if to say, "Ah, now that's the delicate yet robust taste of stickin' it to the man!" But the 1369 Coffeehouse is not just about proletarian capitalistic ideals. And yet, as much as conceited coffee connoisseurs annoy the piss out of me (SEE: Coffee/Someday Cafe (Davis Sq.) - Not Yet Written), I have to admit their choice of Inman Square venues is second-to-none. The cafe is medium-sized, with plenty of tables and people-watcher window bar seating. The lighting was perfect, with plenty of sun in front and cozier accomodations in the back. The music this morning was motown which I can hardly find fault with, and except for one dancing homeless man, the other customers seemed mild-mannered and intent on their various nerdery. Not to be left out, I got caught up on my reading for class while I enjoyed a blueberry muffin--not bad, not fantastic--and a double cappuccino--over-priced and under-foamed. So, to break it down, the atmosphere tops the offerings, at least on this go-round, but it seemed like a great place to read (or write) a book.
On the sunny corner of Cambridge and Springfield streets in Cambridge there is an institution of sorts. But instead of crazy people like at MIT, this institution has nerds. Coffee nerds the likes of which can be found at just about any independent (i.e. not Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts) coffee shop in the city. They sip their macchiatos with deliberate pretension, smacking their lips in an extravagant, even obscene, display of contentedness--as if to say, "Ah, now that's the delicate yet robust taste of stickin' it to the man!" But the 1369 Coffeehouse is not just about proletarian capitalistic ideals. And yet, as much as conceited coffee connoisseurs annoy the piss out of me (SEE: Coffee/Someday Cafe (Davis Sq.) - Not Yet Written), I have to admit their choice of Inman Square venues is second-to-none. The cafe is medium-sized, with plenty of tables and people-watcher window bar seating. The lighting was perfect, with plenty of sun in front and cozier accomodations in the back. The music this morning was motown which I can hardly find fault with, and except for one dancing homeless man, the other customers seemed mild-mannered and intent on their various nerdery. Not to be left out, I got caught up on my reading for class while I enjoyed a blueberry muffin--not bad, not fantastic--and a double cappuccino--over-priced and under-foamed. So, to break it down, the atmosphere tops the offerings, at least on this go-round, but it seemed like a great place to read (or write) a book.
Update on Updates
So this semester has been a bit different from last fall in terms of blogging. I still want to do it, but it doesn't seem to come up as often in my daily routine. So instead of posting three times a week, I've reduced it down to about once, and avoided presenting any actual information when I do manage to type something up. (Witness 300 words on my lamented but hardly noteworthy cell phone). Anyway, since I'm gearing up for the last few weeks leading into finals, I'm going to try to add a little structure to my life on the internets. With great ado, and no small amount of fanfare, I would like to present the new BeanSchedule (that I just thought up five minutes ago)!
Monday/Tuesday - Miscellania (people, places, things I want to meet, see, and do)
Wednesday/Thursday - Politics & Academia (what I'm studying/ranting about at the moment)
Friday - Entertainment (movies, tv, books, music, internets, dance?, arts & crafts?)
Weekend - Me time (anything else I'm doing that's worth mentioning)
So there you have it. A little reference for anyone who wants to know what to expect when they tune into my wavelengths. Needless to say, that's hardly set in stone, it's just a loose guide. Cheers.
Monday/Tuesday - Miscellania (people, places, things I want to meet, see, and do)
Wednesday/Thursday - Politics & Academia (what I'm studying/ranting about at the moment)
Friday - Entertainment (movies, tv, books, music, internets, dance?, arts & crafts?)
Weekend - Me time (anything else I'm doing that's worth mentioning)
So there you have it. A little reference for anyone who wants to know what to expect when they tune into my wavelengths. Needless to say, that's hardly set in stone, it's just a loose guide. Cheers.
3.07.2006
Death of a Cellsman
So before heading out the door to go to work this afternoon, I switched my trusty Nokia 3200 to silent mode and slipped it into my pocket, just as I usually do. A few hours later, during a rare lull in macchiatos, I took it out to check for messages (because I'm popular) and what have I discovered? It's dead. No life. Nary a digital twitch or phosphorescent glimmer to be seen.
Having just charged it, I was instantly suspicious. Had it been hacked bluetoothily by some ne'er-do-well in the cafe? Hmm, probably not. Had I somehow damaged it while it was "secure" in my pocket? Possibly, but difficult to be sure. I decided that it must be just dead, for no reason, struck down by a callous (cellphone) god, indifferent to my noki's interchangeable faceplates and oh-so-handy flashlight feature.
I mourned. I panicked. And then I checked the lost and found and discovered a treasure trove of discarded phones to run some trial and error tests with. After countless tests and exhaustive research, my phone's cause of death was determined to be the little piece that I could hear rattling around when I shook it. Like a blood clot that had broken loose, that piece made its way inexorably to my phone's heart. There was nothing anybody could have done.
The circle of (cellphone) life, however, goes on. One of the lost and found phones was a clunky, chunky old Nokia 3560 that used the same charger. A quick swap of the SIM card later and I was back in business with the same phone number, only minus all of my contacts and fun pictures. So, the moral of the story is, call, text, or email me your damn phone numbers.
P.S. I was looking for an excuse to switch to TMobile anyway, thanks capricious (cellphone) god!
Having just charged it, I was instantly suspicious. Had it been hacked bluetoothily by some ne'er-do-well in the cafe? Hmm, probably not. Had I somehow damaged it while it was "secure" in my pocket? Possibly, but difficult to be sure. I decided that it must be just dead, for no reason, struck down by a callous (cellphone) god, indifferent to my noki's interchangeable faceplates and oh-so-handy flashlight feature.
I mourned. I panicked. And then I checked the lost and found and discovered a treasure trove of discarded phones to run some trial and error tests with. After countless tests and exhaustive research, my phone's cause of death was determined to be the little piece that I could hear rattling around when I shook it. Like a blood clot that had broken loose, that piece made its way inexorably to my phone's heart. There was nothing anybody could have done.
The circle of (cellphone) life, however, goes on. One of the lost and found phones was a clunky, chunky old Nokia 3560 that used the same charger. A quick swap of the SIM card later and I was back in business with the same phone number, only minus all of my contacts and fun pictures. So, the moral of the story is, call, text, or email me your damn phone numbers.
P.S. I was looking for an excuse to switch to TMobile anyway, thanks capricious (cellphone) god!
3.01.2006
Ye Gods
Oh lordy, too busy. It's the run-up to spring break, and I am already behind on my project due next Thursday, so I don't have lots of time this week (except for Kingdom of Loathing, thanks Ben). But I wanted to do a couple of things real quickly:
1. It's Mardi Gras, and as much as I admire the pluck down in the Big Easy, I can't help but think things are gonna get even sadder before they get better.
2. It's Cecilia's Birthday (23), so happy birthday to her! I love you!
3. It's Amanda's Birthday on Thursday (25), so happy birthday to her!
4. The port thing is just politics, and bad politics at that. For the first time ever, I'm on the President's side.
5. And that saddens me, greatly.
6. And I'm going to bed.
7. Lastly, I'm dying to play a few rounds of 1000 Blank White Cards.
1. It's Mardi Gras, and as much as I admire the pluck down in the Big Easy, I can't help but think things are gonna get even sadder before they get better.
2. It's Cecilia's Birthday (23), so happy birthday to her! I love you!
3. It's Amanda's Birthday on Thursday (25), so happy birthday to her!
4. The port thing is just politics, and bad politics at that. For the first time ever, I'm on the President's side.
5. And that saddens me, greatly.
6. And I'm going to bed.
7. Lastly, I'm dying to play a few rounds of 1000 Blank White Cards.
2.21.2006
Chastised, But Not Beaten
So, the metroblogging people made me feel bad about my utter lack of posts in the last few, er, months. And it is with great humility and much shameful scuffing of my feet that I can say I have again blogged for them. So go there and see. And then do it more often, cause I feel really guilty and want to give them hits.
2.14.2006
Happy V-Day
Oh, right, the holiday. I hope everybody thought about vagina in honor of ending violence against women. If not, you better get started, only 100 minutes left...
Utilitarianism
So for class the past two weeks, we've been reading this book (The President of Good and Evil) by Peter Singer. This is the guy who said that morally speaking, humans are no different than animals (to think otherwise is speciesism), and that it is worse to kill an adult than an a baby (babies don't fear death). Compared to that, his take on President W is refreshingly mainstream--Singer doesn't much like the man--although his reasons are considerably different than most peoples'. He thinks that the president is ethically inconsistent and that his moral development is significantly arrested (at the level of a teenage boy, if you're interested).
Anyway, for a Princeton professor (I'm looking at you, Jacob Hacker) his book was pretty lively. A solid read, with an interesting way to look at politics and politicians. Here's an article he wrote for the Times about what you--yes, you--can do to stop world poverty. And here are links to UNICEF and Oxfam America when you need them.
Hilarious Update:
I just found this article about Singer's book about euthanasia that not only references Mein Kampf and Josef Mengele in the same paragraph (gee, I wonder if they got the point across?), but also has a quote from Troy McClure! I was hoping for "Hello, I'm Troy McClure. You might remember me from such self-help videos as Smoke Yourself Thin and Get Confident, Stupid!" but sadly it was some crap about dying. I miss Phil Hartman.
Anyway, for a Princeton professor (I'm looking at you, Jacob Hacker) his book was pretty lively. A solid read, with an interesting way to look at politics and politicians. Here's an article he wrote for the Times about what you--yes, you--can do to stop world poverty. And here are links to UNICEF and Oxfam America when you need them.
Hilarious Update:
I just found this article about Singer's book about euthanasia that not only references Mein Kampf and Josef Mengele in the same paragraph (gee, I wonder if they got the point across?), but also has a quote from Troy McClure! I was hoping for "Hello, I'm Troy McClure. You might remember me from such self-help videos as Smoke Yourself Thin and Get Confident, Stupid!" but sadly it was some crap about dying. I miss Phil Hartman.
2.07.2006
Because I Needed a New Way to Waste Time
For Christmas this year, I got a digital camera and a flickr account--well the account I just signed up for, but the point is that I can now entertain myself by pretending I can take pictures. With that in mind, here are the few I took this month that I think are good enough to show people.
snowy day
34th & 8th
I think it's easiest to start with things like buildings and architecture and geometry, really easy stuff to frame and evoke in a still picture. The rest probably comes with time. Probably.
Anyway, I've got some good political (even polemical) stuff to write about in the next few days, but my weekends are booked and I have tons of reading to do, so it might take a little while.
Things to think about 'til next post:
Extreme Beer Fest is only four days away!
Valentine's Day is only three days after that.
Massachusetts caucuses were last Saturday--did you vote?
If the NSA reads your emails, will they be entertained?
snowy day
34th & 8th
I think it's easiest to start with things like buildings and architecture and geometry, really easy stuff to frame and evoke in a still picture. The rest probably comes with time. Probably.
Anyway, I've got some good political (even polemical) stuff to write about in the next few days, but my weekends are booked and I have tons of reading to do, so it might take a little while.
Things to think about 'til next post:
Extreme Beer Fest is only four days away!
Valentine's Day is only three days after that.
Massachusetts caucuses were last Saturday--did you vote?
If the NSA reads your emails, will they be entertained?
1.31.2006
State of the Union
Because if I watched sober, I would probably cry, here's the 2006 State of the Union Drinking Game!
Happy New Year, Etc.
Man, it's been a long time, hasn't it? I bet the rumour going around was that I had given up on my new blog already, thrown in the towel, and gone back to reading inane chatter instead of writing it. Nothing could be further from the truth! I was just on vacation. And so, a quick recap of the past month (yes, I know a six-week month is a statistical anomaly, but what can you do?)
Late December:
I rocked my finals, went home for Christmas (which made it through another season of brutal attacks thanks in large part to Mr. O'Reilly's tireless efforts), paid homage to the ski-lift stanchion that (probably) gave me a concussion, drank a lot, avoided the news, avoided the many year-end lists of best movies, music, books, beers, hairstyles, blogs, and what-have-you, and went to CT for some hot new year's action.
Early January:
I became a temporary hermit, indulged myself in fantasy/sf books, drank a lot, fantasized about moving to California, watched season one of Veronica Mars three times (my own form of televangelism), avoided the news, avoided my blog, and went to DC to eat good food and help my girlfriend move.
Late January:
I went back to school, spent lots of money on textbooks, fantasized about moving to California, DC, New York, Jamaica Plain, Jamaica, Argentina, and Corfu (not necessarily in that order), marvelled over the weather, drank a lot, ended the new TV drought with Lost, 24, VM, Scrubs, and Battlestar Galactica (everyone kept telling me to watch it, and now everyone can shut up, because yes, it's great), and went to NYC for Kingfest 2006.
And there you have it. I expect to undertake a more normal schedule of ranting and raving henceforth.
Late December:
I rocked my finals, went home for Christmas (which made it through another season of brutal attacks thanks in large part to Mr. O'Reilly's tireless efforts), paid homage to the ski-lift stanchion that (probably) gave me a concussion, drank a lot, avoided the news, avoided the many year-end lists of best movies, music, books, beers, hairstyles, blogs, and what-have-you, and went to CT for some hot new year's action.
Early January:
I became a temporary hermit, indulged myself in fantasy/sf books, drank a lot, fantasized about moving to California, watched season one of Veronica Mars three times (my own form of televangelism), avoided the news, avoided my blog, and went to DC to eat good food and help my girlfriend move.
Late January:
I went back to school, spent lots of money on textbooks, fantasized about moving to California, DC, New York, Jamaica Plain, Jamaica, Argentina, and Corfu (not necessarily in that order), marvelled over the weather, drank a lot, ended the new TV drought with Lost, 24, VM, Scrubs, and Battlestar Galactica (everyone kept telling me to watch it, and now everyone can shut up, because yes, it's great), and went to NYC for Kingfest 2006.
And there you have it. I expect to undertake a more normal schedule of ranting and raving henceforth.
12.18.2005
...And a Happy, um, Birthday, Mom!
And belated happy birthdays to Becca Goettsche and Liz Griegg, wherever the hell they are.
12.06.2005
It Will Be My Bad
Sorry folks, but it's about to get a whole lot sparser here. Pre-finals plus Ceciliannukah plus finals plus christmas equals not a lot of posts. Happy December.
12.02.2005
This is Why I Don't Listen to KISS 108
(Also, They Don't Play Nearly Enough Young Jeezy)
On November 18th, Representative Jean Schmidt (R-OH) called fellow Representative John Murtha (D-PA) a coward, in so many words, because he came forward and said we should leave Iraq (you may have heard about it). Because Congresswoman Schmidt is a demented loon, she either didn't realize or didn't care that Representative Murtha is a heavily-decorated Vietnam veteran who is held in immensely high esteem by pretty much everyone. Anyway, she withdrew her comments amid a hail of shaming articles and op-eds, and despite Presidential support--which wasn't really a shock to anyone, since character assassination is the administration's #1 tactic and they're pretty sure to endorse it wherever they find it.
The Democrats got their act together and decided to actually try and grab some political capital out of the whole episode, and paid to run some billboards in Rep. Schmidt's home district (Cincinnatti). All was going well, the DNC raised the money for them, and then yesterday, Lamar Advertising (which is the largest owner of billboards in the country) refused to run the ads. It turns out this isn't the only time Lamar has turned down contracted advertisements. My old hometown paper The Times Leader has an article about Lamar refusing to run billboards against Pennsylvania state politicians that they had donated money to. That's not just censorship, or defaulting on contracts, it's downright questionable. Who wants to make a bet that Lamar's Reilly brothers (CEO Kevin and COO Sean) gave money to Schmidt? Onward to the FEC's PoliticalMoneyLine!
The Democrats got their act together and decided to actually try and grab some political capital out of the whole episode, and paid to run some billboards in Rep. Schmidt's home district (Cincinnatti). All was going well, the DNC raised the money for them, and then yesterday, Lamar Advertising (which is the largest owner of billboards in the country) refused to run the ads. It turns out this isn't the only time Lamar has turned down contracted advertisements. My old hometown paper The Times Leader has an article about Lamar refusing to run billboards against Pennsylvania state politicians that they had donated money to. That's not just censorship, or defaulting on contracts, it's downright questionable. Who wants to make a bet that Lamar's Reilly brothers (CEO Kevin and COO Sean) gave money to Schmidt? Onward to the FEC's PoliticalMoneyLine!
12.01.2005
It's Never Too Early...
I think it's safe to say that everybody who went to the New England Beer Fest a few weeks back had a fantastic time. (The waffles alone...)* Well, buckle on your beer helmets, because the next fest is just around the corner.
Speaking of, if you haven't become a beer advocate yet, what's stopping you?
*Although my personal high point was definitely the hangover-banishing pizza on sunday afternoon. Hot damn!
Speaking of, if you haven't become a beer advocate yet, what's stopping you?
*Although my personal high point was definitely the hangover-banishing pizza on sunday afternoon. Hot damn!
Shameless Promotion
So, I decide to start blogging again, and immediately fail to keep to any sort of schedule of posts. I figure being a reliable blogger should come second to being an interesting blogger. Now, upholding that end of the deal is no easy thing, either. But I'm trying my best here, so chill out.
And in the spirit of biting off more than I can chew, I just got "hired" as a blogger over at
Metroblogging Boston. Congratulations are in order, I believe.
Since they discourage crossposting over there, and since all things boston are kind of their purview, I think I'll try to give most beantown-specific posts to them. Which means my little space of the interwebs here gets more of my internal ramblings, and I'll just link over there whenever I put up something good. Or at all.
P.S. "hired" is in quotes because I'm not being paid. And the application process wasn't exactly "rigorous."
And in the spirit of biting off more than I can chew, I just got "hired" as a blogger over at
Metroblogging Boston. Congratulations are in order, I believe.
Since they discourage crossposting over there, and since all things boston are kind of their purview, I think I'll try to give most beantown-specific posts to them. Which means my little space of the interwebs here gets more of my internal ramblings, and I'll just link over there whenever I put up something good. Or at all.
P.S. "hired" is in quotes because I'm not being paid. And the application process wasn't exactly "rigorous."
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