Yes, it's another dog video...but if you've not yet seen this video that's gone wildly viral, may I please present the "Ultimate Dog Tease".
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Gizzards and all
Have you ever been in line at the supermarket, looked down at the items on the conveyor belt, and thought, "I am the only person in the entire history of the world to buy this group of items"? Yeah, I was that guy tonight.
- low-fat cottage cheese
- a half gallon of 2 percent milk
- a dozen eggs
- five cans of cannellini beans
- two pears
- a package of chicken hearts and gizzards (don't judge)
- a Mother's Day card
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Farewell, Phoebe Snow
If you asked me what singer best embodied the “sound of the ‘70s”, Phoebe Snow would certainly be at the top of my list. So I was saddened to learn that Phoebe died this morning in Edison, NJ, from complications of a brain haemorrhage she suffered over a year ago. She was only 58 years old.
Who can forget her biggest hit, the sultry “Poetry Man”?
You are a genie
All I ask for is your smile
Each time I rub the lamp
When I am with you
I have a giggling teenage crush
Then I'm a sultry vamp, yeah sultry vamp
Talk to me some more
You don't have to go
You're the poetry man
You make things all right, yeah, yeah
Who was the real-life poetry man? In 1989, Phoebe went on the record to say that despite rumors to the contrary, it was not singer/songwriter Jackson Brown. "No, no. It's somebody you wouldn't know. People just thought Poetry Man was Browne because he was the first act I toured with," she told USA Today.
Phoebe’s career ended about as quickly as it began. In 1975, she gave birth to her daughter, Valerie, who suffered from serious build-up of fluid in her brain. Not expected to live for more than a few years, Valerie lived 31 years, and Phoebe gave up her musical career and dedicated her life to caring for her daughter.
"She was the only thing that was holding me together," she told the San Francisco Chronicle in 2008. "My life was her, completely about her, from the moment I woke up to the moment I went to bed at night."
Phoebe did eventually return to the recording studio, but her later material never matched the success of “Poetry Man”. She also sang the theme song for “A Different World” (a spin-off of The Cosby Show that starred Lisa Bonet as a college student at the fictional Hillman College) as well as the TV commercial jingle for General Foods International Coffees (remember “Celebrate the Moments of Your Life”?).
I thought you might like to hear a lesser-known performance by Phoebe Snow. This is from her 1979 appearance on Saturday Night Live, where she sang “The Married Men” with Linda Ronstadt. I love Linda too, but I think Phoebe blows her away in this clip.
Monday, April 25, 2011
The best burger in Boston?
Thanks to a Groupon that entitled us to $50 worth of food for just $25, we really enjoyed our dinner tonight at Sel de la Terre on Boylston Street in the Back Bay of Boston. (What would have made it even better would be if Massachusetts still allowed Groupons to be applied toward alcohol. Last month, the Massachusetts Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission decided that Groupon dinner discounts were no longer in compliance with state liquor laws and regulations. For real? How disgustingly puritanical are we here in New England?)
Anyhow, I did manage to enjoy my dinner without a frosty beer or dirty gin martini to wash it all down. We started with the charcuterie plate, which offered up a selection of duck liver mousse, pig ear terrine (yes, “pig ear”), bresaola (dried beef), blood sausage, served with pickled onions, jam, mustard, and delicious grilled bread. We also split an appetizer portion of grilled razor sea clams served with savory, salty lardons. As if we were still hungry (hey, we had to spend $50!), we each got the house burger, cooked medium, and topped with Vermont cheddar, spicy aioli, and a slice of crispy pancetta. Oh, did I mention the fries? Thin shoestring cut potatoes, perfectly crispy and salty, dusted with fresh rosemary. YUM. How do you think my sodium-free diet is going?!
Next time you’re in Boston, check out the burger at Sel de la Terre. In addition to their Back Bay location, they also have restaurants on Long Wharf (near the Aquarium) and in the town of Natick.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Thursday, April 21, 2011
My friend Meri-K featured on the TODAY show
Meri-K Appy, my very good friend, and former work colleague, was featured on this morning's TODAY show on NBC. Meri-K, who's a bigwig with the Home Safety Council/SAFE KIDS USA in Washington, DC, talked with Natalie Morales about the five major dangers in our homes: falls, poisoning, fires/burns, choking, and drowning. Meri-K is the quintisenntial "safety nerd" -- we used to joke that she'd happily strap on a helmet to make a conference call! Years ago, she was a guest on The Oprah Winfrey Show and was demonstrating what to do if your clothes caught on fire - the classic "stop, drop, and roll" technique. I remember laughing because the overzealous cameraman zoomed in to show Meri-K covering her face with her hands and got an up close and personal view of her nostrils! Meri-K is also a great sport, so I'm using this blog to tease her a little bit, but to offer my hearty congratulations on a job well done on the TODAY show.
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