New Apartment

After the research, packing, unpacking, furniture shopping and all the anxieties in between, Nicole and I are finally settled into the new apartment. Located on the 26th floor, it is one of the nicer places I have ever lived; the building has a pool (which is large enough for actual swimming), sauna and steam room, and is across the street from a revitalized park.

Halloween!!!

Oktoberfest Miami - Cue Up the Oom-Pah Music!!!

NYC Labor Day 2008 - - Highlights!

Any long weekend that involves 2 different delis (Katz and 2nd Avenue), 2 different meals with chopsticks (Vietnamese and Korean) and a lot of walking around checking out the sights is a good weekend to me.

Amendment XI Lounge: On the Brink of Being Cut Off

While not totally cut off, this place is pushing two strikes.

The drinks are overpriced (esp. for this area of town).

Second, and even more egregiously, on a recent visit the bartender could not make a drink. The fact that she didn't really speak English did not bother me; I transact business with and otherwise interact with non-English speakers on a frequent basis. What bothered me was that she could not pour a drink. Hence, my order for a Sapphire & tonic yielded me a nice cup of club soda with ice. Upon telling her that's not what I wanted, I received a cup of club soda with a mere splash of gin. I was just in there for a quick post-dinner drink, having dined at the Buena Vista Bistro around the corner (decor and service are a bit of a work in progress, but the food is terrific and the vibe is very non-pretentious), so I wasn't going to get too hung up on my crappy beverage.

Finally, if you are going to name a bar after the Amendment which ended Prohibition, you damn well better make a darned good drink. I like the venue and scene here, but after two sub-par experiences with the bar I am not in a particular rush to go back.

Battle of Sound Bites, Scripted Statements & Patent Pandering

To the extent that the issues raised are even worthy of debate (does anyone really think that gay marriage is a threat to the country, or that cutting government waste will achieve far-reaching economic reverberations) and to the extent that any halfway viable policy proposals have been put forth ("staying the course" does not count), the acceptable parameters of the issues in debate for this election and the policy options put on the table are, for the most part, an insult to anyone with a modicum of intelligence.

As a former political junkie, now utterly turned off and disaffected from the process in general, the upcoming debates are about the only thing worth watching. Not so much for new information or any revelations, but mainly to see if anyone screws up or busts out a good zinger. Enjoy!

* Friday September 26: Presidential debate with domestic policy focus

* Thursday October 2: Vice Presidential debate

* Tuesday October 7: Presidential debate in a town hall format

* Wednesday October 15: Presidential debate with foreign policy focus

(all four debates will begin at 9:00 Eastern and last for 90 minutes)

"You know where he's been taking me? To the zoo, to look at tigers!"

Not So Shocking Miami Sight

True Story: I was out for a morning run, heading down Biscayne Boulevard, when I saw a guy riding a bike with a chicken under his arm. A real, live white chicken with the red comb (I think that's what you call it) on top of its head. The odds of it being a pet, a future meal or for use in a Santeria ceremony are about equal.