Friday, November 11, 2022
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
To See ALL New Writing, Please Click Freddy Love's Oasis for a Crazy White Boy's Blues
In case you've missed it, all my Blog entries have been going on this one page and you will be able to read everything from New Movie Reviews to Classic Movie Reviews.
From TV reviews to my twisted take on the World. Consider it one stop-shopping for all things Freditor.
A virtual Super Wal-Mart of Nutty Writing and Tasteful Criticism.
As Always, Thanks for all your Continued Support.
The Freditor
Monday, September 29, 2008
Super Bowl Sunday to be a Glory Day for Bruce Springsteen; Finally agrees to play the Half-Time Show
Bruce turned it down numerous times over the years and I guess felt it was too commercial for his strict individualism. But The Stones, McCartney, U2, Tom Petty and Prince have all played it in the last decade and except for the Stones they are all just as rugged individualists. 140 Million people watching you at once just in America, and many more around the world. It's a great way to re-energize your career.
Tom Petty is still living off the bounce his appearance gave him. He was the top earning tour of this past summer and he's increasingly Huge with Kids!!
I mean Bruce can sell out 7 shows at Giants Stadium right now, but many of those shows are seen by the same people night after night. It would be cool for him to sell out several shows in other cities with different people watching. The next thing he should do: Introduce a new song for an Ipod commercial, it did wonders for U2's career and the song Vertigo.
The Freditor
Tom Petty is still living off the bounce his appearance gave him. He was the top earning tour of this past summer and he's increasingly Huge with Kids!!
I mean Bruce can sell out 7 shows at Giants Stadium right now, but many of those shows are seen by the same people night after night. It would be cool for him to sell out several shows in other cities with different people watching. The next thing he should do: Introduce a new song for an Ipod commercial, it did wonders for U2's career and the song Vertigo.
The Freditor
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Mets FIRST Team in Baseball History to blow TWO 3-1/2 Game September leads in a row
I was saying to my friend Paul today after I got word that the Mets lost. That I don't even believe the Brooklyn Dodgers ever choked away two seasons in a row like this. Did the Red Sox, the Cubs, any team?
And judging from the stat in the headline, I believe I am right. Usually a team has a season like last year where they come so close only to fall apart and come back the next year and win a pennant, or don't even contend, which to me is more acceptable.
The all-time collapse is still the 1964 Phillies. They blew a 6 1/2 game lead with ONLY 12 games to go. To me that's much worse than 7 with 17 to go, but you don't hear people talking about it anymore, because they want to beat up on a New York team. But what did the Phillies do in 1965? They finished in 6th Place.
But the Mets blew two of these leads in a row. I really think they need to start looking at trading some stars and of course hiring an entirely new bullpen. They blew 29 saves!!! By comparison, the Phillies closer, went 41 for 41 in save opportunities. If the Mets blow just half those games they win their division by 12 games!!
Omar Minaya supposedly got a 4 year contract extension, that is outrageous if it's true, his head has to be near the chopping block for these two disasters. I'd like to give him a year to correct it, but FOUR???? I like him as a person, but I'd seriously consider trading David Wright, he is a great ordinary game ball player, but he CHOKES huge in the clutch. Which you could excuse if they didn't have an even bigger choke artist in Carlos Beltran. He hit .224 from the 7th inning on for the season. The Mets as a team had the worst batting average from the 7th inning on.
I like having stars, but not at the cost of championships. The Yankees of 1996 showed that you can win a World Series without stars. What you need is solid pitching and clutch hitting. Jeter, Posada, Bernie Williams, Paul O'Neill, Brosius, Tino Martinez and Wade Boggs all came through huge in the clutch, it is why the Yanks were such a powerhouse and such a terrible team to try to beat. What Omar needs to do is stop looking at players' baseball cards and start watching videos of them playing in pressure games in pressure situations and trade FOR THOSE GUYS!!!!
I don't know who they are. I don't watch other teams except when they play against the Mets. But I hear about them from the hinterlands. It is Omar's job not to get excited about the prettiest thing under the tree, we the fans can do that, he needs to find the guy who comes through year after year when the money is on the line. Carlos Delgado has shown to be that kind of player, but he is getting old. Jose Reyes is a sparkplug, but for some reason even he needs jumper cables when the pressure is on.
I'm less than disgusted. Maybe because I could see this coming. I am so glad I wasn't at Shea today like I was last year on the Final Day. I can't even imagine how embarrassing it was to have that final Shea ceremony after the game in front of all those champions. Willie Mays and Seaver, Gooden and Strawberry. Even Mike Piazza, who played on two classic choke teams (1998, 2001), at least made the playoffs twice, won three playoffs series as a Met and went to a World Series. That's more than Reyes, Wright, Beltran and Delgado have done.
If one bright shining star rose from the ashes in all this mess. It is that we have the greatest starting pitcher in our midst since Dwight Gooden. Johan Santana is the Money Man. He is the greatest clutch pitcher we might have ever had. Gooden never won a playoff game. Darling had his stinkers when the money was on the line. David Cone talked us into losing a series to the Dodgers and Tom Seaver lost a few games in the World Series. Santana gained tons of new respect from me with his last two outings and if you were ever going to build a fresh team around one player, he is it.
My friend Paul said, if by the Mets blowing these two seasons in a row, it forces them to do a major shakeup and with those new players they win the World Series next year, would all this pain be worth it?
I said yes, but that would take some major miracle. If the Mets play bad again next year, instead of their new ballpark being called Citi Field, it will be known as Shitty Field.
The Freditor
And judging from the stat in the headline, I believe I am right. Usually a team has a season like last year where they come so close only to fall apart and come back the next year and win a pennant, or don't even contend, which to me is more acceptable.
The all-time collapse is still the 1964 Phillies. They blew a 6 1/2 game lead with ONLY 12 games to go. To me that's much worse than 7 with 17 to go, but you don't hear people talking about it anymore, because they want to beat up on a New York team. But what did the Phillies do in 1965? They finished in 6th Place.
But the Mets blew two of these leads in a row. I really think they need to start looking at trading some stars and of course hiring an entirely new bullpen. They blew 29 saves!!! By comparison, the Phillies closer, went 41 for 41 in save opportunities. If the Mets blow just half those games they win their division by 12 games!!
Omar Minaya supposedly got a 4 year contract extension, that is outrageous if it's true, his head has to be near the chopping block for these two disasters. I'd like to give him a year to correct it, but FOUR???? I like him as a person, but I'd seriously consider trading David Wright, he is a great ordinary game ball player, but he CHOKES huge in the clutch. Which you could excuse if they didn't have an even bigger choke artist in Carlos Beltran. He hit .224 from the 7th inning on for the season. The Mets as a team had the worst batting average from the 7th inning on.
I like having stars, but not at the cost of championships. The Yankees of 1996 showed that you can win a World Series without stars. What you need is solid pitching and clutch hitting. Jeter, Posada, Bernie Williams, Paul O'Neill, Brosius, Tino Martinez and Wade Boggs all came through huge in the clutch, it is why the Yanks were such a powerhouse and such a terrible team to try to beat. What Omar needs to do is stop looking at players' baseball cards and start watching videos of them playing in pressure games in pressure situations and trade FOR THOSE GUYS!!!!
I don't know who they are. I don't watch other teams except when they play against the Mets. But I hear about them from the hinterlands. It is Omar's job not to get excited about the prettiest thing under the tree, we the fans can do that, he needs to find the guy who comes through year after year when the money is on the line. Carlos Delgado has shown to be that kind of player, but he is getting old. Jose Reyes is a sparkplug, but for some reason even he needs jumper cables when the pressure is on.
I'm less than disgusted. Maybe because I could see this coming. I am so glad I wasn't at Shea today like I was last year on the Final Day. I can't even imagine how embarrassing it was to have that final Shea ceremony after the game in front of all those champions. Willie Mays and Seaver, Gooden and Strawberry. Even Mike Piazza, who played on two classic choke teams (1998, 2001), at least made the playoffs twice, won three playoffs series as a Met and went to a World Series. That's more than Reyes, Wright, Beltran and Delgado have done.
If one bright shining star rose from the ashes in all this mess. It is that we have the greatest starting pitcher in our midst since Dwight Gooden. Johan Santana is the Money Man. He is the greatest clutch pitcher we might have ever had. Gooden never won a playoff game. Darling had his stinkers when the money was on the line. David Cone talked us into losing a series to the Dodgers and Tom Seaver lost a few games in the World Series. Santana gained tons of new respect from me with his last two outings and if you were ever going to build a fresh team around one player, he is it.
My friend Paul said, if by the Mets blowing these two seasons in a row, it forces them to do a major shakeup and with those new players they win the World Series next year, would all this pain be worth it?
I said yes, but that would take some major miracle. If the Mets play bad again next year, instead of their new ballpark being called Citi Field, it will be known as Shitty Field.
The Freditor
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Happy 59th Birthday Bruce Springsteen!!!
Still rocking as hard as ever and leaving it all out on stage for 3+ Hours every Night.
The Freditor
Monday, September 22, 2008
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Cool: The Clash to release a recording of their famed 1982 Shea Stadium shows
Amazon.com: Live at Shea Stadium (Deluxe): The Clash: MusicBack in 1982, The Who were on their "farewell tour" of America's stadiums. Their opening act was The Clash. I was too young and too poor to go see those shows, but I was very excited about them at the time. I had a couple of friends who went and they said The Clash blew the The Who off the stage. Of course we were only 15 or 16 and The Clash was more our ge- ge- ge- generation than The Who, but The Clash were making a great mark for themselves.
In June 1981, The Clash were selling out 17 nights at Bond's International Casino in Times Square and making headlines. The promoter oversold it so hard the fire dept threatened to shut it all down, but the Clash, gotta love the late great Joe Strummer, agreed to play extra shows so everyone with a ticket saw a Clash show. November 1984, The Who released The Who's Last, a recording from that tour, but I never got to hear The Clash's live show. Now we finally can.
It's a big deal now that Shea Stadium is about to close and be bulldozed for the Citi Field. I hope all the groups that played there release Shea Stadium concert CDs. Grand Funk Railroad, Creedence, Bruce, The Beatles, The Stones and Billy Joel all did classic shows there.
The Freditor
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Black Dog-Led Zep Tribute Band playing in....
APPEARING SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 27at CROSSROADS78 North Ave, Garwood, NJ
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Obama Tax email is Completely False, Read the Truth
http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/taxes.asp
From The Freditor
From The Freditor
Monday, September 1, 2008
5 Excellent Emergency Things Your Cell Phone Can Do
> >For all the folks with cell phones. (This should be printed and kept in your
> car, purse, and wallet. Good information to have with you.)
> >
> >There are a few things that can be done in times of grave
> >emergencies.
> >
> >Your mobile phone can actually be a life saver or an emergency tool for
survival.
> Check out the things that you can do with it:
> >
> >
> >FIRST
> >Emergency
> >
> >The Emergency Number worldwide for Mobile is 112. If you find Yourself out of
> the coverage area of your mobile network and there is an Emergency, dial 112
> and the mobile will search any existing network to Establish the emergency
> number for you, and interestingly, this number 112 can be dialed even if the
> keypad is locked. Try it out.
> >
> >SECOND
> >Have you locked your keys in the car?
> >
> >Does your car have remote keyless entry? This may come in handy someday. Good
> reason to own a cell phone: If you lock your keys In the car and the spare
> keys are at home, call someone at home on their cell phone from your cell
> phone. Hold your cell phone about a foot From your car door and have the
> person at your home press the unlock button, holding it near the mobile phone
> on their end. Your car will unlock. Saves someone from having to drive your
> keys to you. Distance is no object. You could be hundreds of miles away, and
> if you can reach someone who has the other 'remote' for your car, you can
> unlock the doors (or the trunk).
> >
> >Editor's Note: It works fine! We tried it out and it unlocked our car over a
cell
> phone!'
> >
> >THIRD
> >Hidden Battery Power
> >
> >Imagine your cell battery is very low. To activate, press the keys *3370#.
Your cell
> phone will restart with this reserve and the instrument will show a 50%
> increase in battery. This reserve will get charged when you charge your cell
> phone next time.
> >
> >
> >FOURTH
> >How to disable a STOLEN mobile phone?
> >
> >To check your Mobile phone's serial number, key in the following Digits on
your
> phone: *#06#. A 15-digit code will appear on the screen. This number is
> unique to your handset. Write it down and keep it somewhere safe.
> >
> >If your phone gets stolen, you can phone your service provider and give them
> this code. They will then be able to block your handset so even if the thief
> changes the SIM card, your phone will be totally useless. You probably won't
> get your phone back, but at least you know that whoever stole it can't
> use/sell it either. If everybody does this, there would be no point in people
> stealing mobile phones.
> >
> >And Finally.....
> >
> >FIFTH
> >Free Directory Service for Cells
> >
> >Cell phone companies are charging us $1.00 to $1.75 or more for 411
information
> calls when they don't have to. Most of us do not carry a telephone directory
> in our vehicle, which makes this situation even more of a problem. When you
> need to use the 411 information option, simply dial: (800)FREE411, or (800)
> 373-3411 without incurring any charge at all. Program this into your cell
> phone now.
> >
> >This is the kind of information people don't mind receiving, so pass it on to
> your family and friends!
> car, purse, and wallet. Good information to have with you.)
> >
> >There are a few things that can be done in times of grave
> >emergencies.
> >
> >Your mobile phone can actually be a life saver or an emergency tool for
survival.
> Check out the things that you can do with it:
> >
> >
> >FIRST
> >Emergency
> >
> >The Emergency Number worldwide for Mobile is 112. If you find Yourself out of
> the coverage area of your mobile network and there is an Emergency, dial 112
> and the mobile will search any existing network to Establish the emergency
> number for you, and interestingly, this number 112 can be dialed even if the
> keypad is locked. Try it out.
> >
> >SECOND
> >Have you locked your keys in the car?
> >
> >Does your car have remote keyless entry? This may come in handy someday. Good
> reason to own a cell phone: If you lock your keys In the car and the spare
> keys are at home, call someone at home on their cell phone from your cell
> phone. Hold your cell phone about a foot From your car door and have the
> person at your home press the unlock button, holding it near the mobile phone
> on their end. Your car will unlock. Saves someone from having to drive your
> keys to you. Distance is no object. You could be hundreds of miles away, and
> if you can reach someone who has the other 'remote' for your car, you can
> unlock the doors (or the trunk).
> >
> >Editor's Note: It works fine! We tried it out and it unlocked our car over a
cell
> phone!'
> >
> >THIRD
> >Hidden Battery Power
> >
> >Imagine your cell battery is very low. To activate, press the keys *3370#.
Your cell
> phone will restart with this reserve and the instrument will show a 50%
> increase in battery. This reserve will get charged when you charge your cell
> phone next time.
> >
> >
> >FOURTH
> >How to disable a STOLEN mobile phone?
> >
> >To check your Mobile phone's serial number, key in the following Digits on
your
> phone: *#06#. A 15-digit code will appear on the screen. This number is
> unique to your handset. Write it down and keep it somewhere safe.
> >
> >If your phone gets stolen, you can phone your service provider and give them
> this code. They will then be able to block your handset so even if the thief
> changes the SIM card, your phone will be totally useless. You probably won't
> get your phone back, but at least you know that whoever stole it can't
> use/sell it either. If everybody does this, there would be no point in people
> stealing mobile phones.
> >
> >And Finally.....
> >
> >FIFTH
> >Free Directory Service for Cells
> >
> >Cell phone companies are charging us $1.00 to $1.75 or more for 411
information
> calls when they don't have to. Most of us do not carry a telephone directory
> in our vehicle, which makes this situation even more of a problem. When you
> need to use the 411 information option, simply dial: (800)FREE411, or (800)
> 373-3411 without incurring any charge at all. Program this into your cell
> phone now.
> >
> >This is the kind of information people don't mind receiving, so pass it on to
> your family and friends!
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Great quote from Marianne Williamson--We should hang this on our walls at work
'Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's no thing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us, it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.'
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Led Zeppelin Tribute Band playing BB King's in NYC Aug. 22
They are a great band, see my review from January 2, 2008--The Freditor ...
BLACK DOG
The Music of Led Zeppelin
Appearing
at
B.B. KINGS: Friday, August 22
237 West 42nd Street, New York, NY
212-997-4144 Special Set for the Robert Plant Birthday Show!
Tickets available at Ticketmaster
BLACK DOG
The Music of Led Zeppelin
Appearing
at
B.B. KINGS: Friday, August 22
237 West 42nd Street, New York, NY
212-997-4144 Special Set for the Robert Plant Birthday Show!
Tickets available at Ticketmaster
Monday, August 11, 2008
Tipping? If ANYONE serves you, I say you should tip them--fred
I love eating at a local coffee shop owned by a young man named Jesus. It's family run and he has his sisters, mother and father all working there. He is obviously in charge, but do they all share in the ownership? I'm not sure.
He has grown more successful and been able to hire some outside help. A couple of waiters and busboys, along with delivery men. But most often we are served by his waitresses, which are his sisters and mother.
I've always tipped them like any good wait staff, without even thinking about it, but my friend says it is not necessary because they own the place. Would you tip the owner of a bar if he serves you a drink? The hairdresser who owns the shop?
I've always tipped these people in the past, because they still performed the same service for me as their workers. Why should they be cheated? The idea that they are making all the money on the place is kind of shortsighted. they are also paying all the bills. When you subtract the costs of doing business, sometimes the owner is making less money than any of his workers. If he is doing the work and not just managing that must mean he needs to save the extra money from another salary and could use the tip money.
And in terms of places like Jesus or any food establishment, a lot of times the wait staff pools their tips and gives out portions to the busboys and cooks who normally don't get recognized. So when you don't tip the owner, you are really cutting back on the full share for the busboys and other staff. They certainly did the same job for you.
Emily Post is Miss Manners and sometimes she's useful, but in this case she's dead wrong. If an owner performs a service for you, up to the standards that you expect, then you should tip them just as much as any regular worker.
The Freditor
He has grown more successful and been able to hire some outside help. A couple of waiters and busboys, along with delivery men. But most often we are served by his waitresses, which are his sisters and mother.
I've always tipped them like any good wait staff, without even thinking about it, but my friend says it is not necessary because they own the place. Would you tip the owner of a bar if he serves you a drink? The hairdresser who owns the shop?
I've always tipped these people in the past, because they still performed the same service for me as their workers. Why should they be cheated? The idea that they are making all the money on the place is kind of shortsighted. they are also paying all the bills. When you subtract the costs of doing business, sometimes the owner is making less money than any of his workers. If he is doing the work and not just managing that must mean he needs to save the extra money from another salary and could use the tip money.
And in terms of places like Jesus or any food establishment, a lot of times the wait staff pools their tips and gives out portions to the busboys and cooks who normally don't get recognized. So when you don't tip the owner, you are really cutting back on the full share for the busboys and other staff. They certainly did the same job for you.
Emily Post is Miss Manners and sometimes she's useful, but in this case she's dead wrong. If an owner performs a service for you, up to the standards that you expect, then you should tip them just as much as any regular worker.
The Freditor
Sunday, August 10, 2008
The Freditor's Big Bicycle Adventure
I was in shock when I learned Lance Armstrong was younger than me. I thought he was 50.
For Christmas 2006, my friend Paul got me a bicycle for fun and neighborhood transport. I had inherited a bike from an old school friend named Kelly. Kelly moved upstate and with a new baby had no use for a bicycle. But hers was purple and while I have no problem riding a girl's mountain bike, Paul felt it wasn't right.
I love my relatively new bike. It's blue and can take a beating from both the road and my 275-pound frame. I usually ride it to the gym or church and maybe go for a little tour afterwards. I'll get in a mood where I'll ride it 6 times in a two-week period and then not touch it for a month. Ever since I was a kid I've been that way about my bikes. Like any toy you get bored with it for a while and then rediscover it later. But adults generally don't look at bikes as toys, they look at them as exercise machines or transportation or competitive instruments. It's like the gym. I belonged to three gyms in my adult life dating back to college and always looked at them as workout facilities. Workout, work, ugghh. It wasn't until I joined my latest one that something dawned on me.
I'd get set to go and kiss Barb goodbye and she'd say, "have fun." At first I was thrown by this statement. "Have fun?" this isn't fun this is working out, trying to stay healthy and alive. And then I realized it is fun, or it should be fun. Much of the stuff you do at the gym, you would do for fun as a kid. What were you two favorite subjects in school: lunch and gym. We spent the better part of our first 12 years of life running and riding bikes and listening to music, all stuff you do at the gym. So then I changed my whole outlook on the gym. I'd stop setting weight goals and running goals and calorie goals, and just go, do my workout and have fun doing it. I love watching kids run, I love watching my cats run. They run for no good reason except the other guy is doing it and it seems like the thing to do. Aimless constant activity keeps kids strong and slim and vibrant. Adults should follow their lead more. Not running for a bus, that causes a heart attack, but just running to the supermarket, because it's good exercise and you'll save time and feel better.
As for the bike. I realized I didn't need to ride 50 or 100 miles to prove something to myself. I didn't need to get in races or train for some "-athon." People who train for -athons might be very healthy on the inside, but never look too good on the outside. I was in shock when I learned Lance Armstrong was younger than me. I thought he was 50. No, I would ride wherever I wanted to go and get there at a decent speed, but enjoy the ride as well.
On Memorial Day I rode around the backstreets of Glendale, streets I had never been down and went at about 10 MPH, a speed I could never walk and one I would rarely drive at. I finally had a convertible without a windshield so all the air of life was rushing into my face. I could breathe in cigar smoke from the old man reading his paper on his stoop or savor the BBQs grilling their various meats. I saw people I had never noticed before enjoying their homes and backyards. I was able to soak in this life around me because there were no cars to distract me. One of my all-time sleeping dreams is to fly under my own power. A dream I've come back to over the years. When the conditions are right, the closest I've come to this sensation is while riding my bike.
Well today I had my Biggest Adventure yet. The most I have ever ridden is about 8 miles. I Mapquested the route after going out with my friend Moux one Sunday morning. We got as far as Metropolitan Avenue and Forest Park Drive in a town called Kew Gardens. I don't have a speedometer or odometer, because I don't want to be sucked into the numbers game. I just want to enjoy the ride. But it is kind of cool to know where you stand in terms of conditioning. For 4 years I've put 7 miles on a stationary bike at the gym in 20 minutes. What does that equal in real biking?
So I decided to test myself, but add a little fun to the proceedings. About two months ago I said to myself, how far is the Fresh Meadows movie theatre? I go there 10 times a year and for years it was my favorite theatre. It takes me about 20 minuets to get there by car with no traffic. So I Mapquested it by streets, no highways. 7.3 miles door to door. That's via either Union Turnpike or Jewel Avenue. You would take Union from Myrtle to 188th Street and head north to the Long Island Expressway. Jewel was just as direct, but more safe and a nicer ride. Union has no trees, no shade, plenty of traffic, some hairy sections and lots of exhaust. Jewel is correctly named. A scenic route that is covered with trees, has little traffic much of the time, is mostly all residential, lots of shade and even has a bike path for a good section of it. There is only one hairy moment. You have to cross this overpass that encompasses both the Van Wyck Expressway and Grand Central Parkway, with entrance and exit ramps for both.
I thought about it for a while, especially during my work day. Could I go 7.3 miles twice in one day with a two-hour break in between to see a movie? Would there be a safe place to leave my bike? What kind of supplies would I need? I'd psych myself up and then talk myself out of it. One day on my scheduled day off I decided to do it, but a friend called to see a movie and I went with him instead. But I thought about it again Friday and checked the weather. Coolish, 80 degrees Sunday, little humidity, some cloud cover and a chance of showers after 2PM. The movie was an early bird special, starting at 10 AM, $6.00. I called a friend named Ernie who loved to bike and he told me I'd need no more than an hour for the trip. So Sunday would be the day.
Barb was out at the beach this Sunday morning, so I woke myself at 7:15. I showered, shaved and headed aroudn the block to Jesus' Coffee Shop (real name New York Grill) for breakfast. You know it's early when Jesus isn't even there yet. Just his two lovely sisters, Daisy and Leslie. I got a healthy breakfast that would no be too filling. A bowl of grits with milk and sugar, Snapple Iced Tea, and three eggs sunnyside up, with corned beef hash and fried tomatoes. Whole wheat toast with butter and grape jelly. After filling up and downing another big glass of ice water I headed back to the house and got myself in order. Money, wallet, quarters, cell phone and keys. Got an extra T-shirt because I'm sure I'll sweat thru the first one and don't want to be cold in the air conditioned theatre.
I hadn't used my bike in several weeks so the tires were a bit mushy. Rode around the block to Sunoco and pumped $.50 in the machine to get what used to be free air. My tires are like rocks now and I'm about to ride off, when I run into another friend named Paul. This guy works for Airborne or DHL and has the same route for them that I have for the Post Office. He lives across the street from me and told me I should ride my bike to work and save money on gas. I said I would if I could somehow carry my cooler. He said there's these great racks you can attach to the bike that can hold a whole mess of stuff and then use a bungee cord to keep it on with. Good idea for the future. But before I start thinking of 36 mile round trips, let's see how this 14.6 mile round trip goes.
I leave the Sunoco at 9:05 and head out on Myrtle Avenue and go down to Central, that connects to Cooper and then take that to Woodhaven Blvd. Most of the ride has been flat so far and there was a good 5 blocks there where I coasted. Cooper across Woodhaven becomes Yellowstone Blvd. which I call Jellystone, like Cooper this road is virtually empty at this hour on a Sunday. If it was Saturday it would be crowded with Jews going to the synagogue, but now I only see a few people going to stores for breakfast food. I get to Queens Blvd. and my first big test arrives. When I was 13, my friedn Slawik and I once rode our bicycles to Queens Blvd and Grand Avenue, I got scared and came back home. It was hot, I was not in shape for that kind of ride and I had my old one-speed bike and was not able to make that kind of long journey on it. We were supposed to go to Flushing Meadows, but that might as well have been Guam for all the riding I'd done before that.
But I waited for the light and crossed Queens Blvd. with no problem and as I came to the other side Jellystone became Jewel. I asked a girl on the corner what time it was. Thinking it must be close to 9:45 by now, she says, 9:17. 9:17, I've been riding all this way, and only 12 minutes has gone by. Amazing. Jewel starts off hard with a steep hill, I mean it is Forest Hills, but then has a 5 block down hill that I coast down. I'm trying not to use my brakes too much because I don't want to have to replace them, but I don't want to go too fast in case I have to stop short. I'm not experienced enough yet that I can avoid flying over the handlebars and hurting myself. Okay, now the biggest challenge of all, the overpass over the Van Wyck and Grand Central. As I've gained experience and confidence I've learned to just be aware of your surroundings, but show the drivers that you are a vehicle, too. Ride like you have a purpose and they will go around you.
Now I am officially passed Flushing Meadows Park and I've conquered a new outpost. I head up Jewel in Flushing and even though I've driven my car on this road 100 times, it feels new going on a bike. The lawns are kept well and the shrubbery is all manicured. The bike lane is a nice diversion as if there was an invisible wall between me and the drivers, but the road is much smoother than on my side of Queens. First Main Street, then Kissena, then Parsons. Names I've passed hundreds of times are now seeing me on a bike. Woo-hoo!! When I get past Parsons Blvd. the neighborhood really starts to turn nice. I had friends from Flushing when I was a kid, and they always made Flushing sound so nice, now I can see what they were talking about. Like really great Long Island neighborhoods but with city taxes--the best of both worlds.
I turn left on Utopia Parkway and now I can smell victory in the air. I see the firehouse that I saw a drunken Irish fireman stumble into one St. Patrick's night and I know I'm close. I turn right on 64th Avenue and pull into the CVS parking lot, I come out on 188th Street and ride across to the Fresh Meadows Cineplex Movie Theatre. Am I on time? It's 9:45. A cool 40 Minutes from almost door to door. I ask the movie ticket kid if I can chain it up inside and he says there's no place to lock it to. So there's an abandoned diner next door, called the The Future Diner, an ironic name, since it's long in the past. It was notable because when it first opened back in '91 or '92, Bill Clinton stopped in there for lunch on his way to winning the White House. I think they stayed in business about as long as Clinton was president. Shame, they had great burgers.
But right now they had a property that was completely surrounded by five-foot high green iron fencing. I picked my bike up and placed it over the fence. I hid the front part, which definitely looks nicer, behind a brick wall and chained the back to the green fence. When I got inside, I checked again with the ticket tearing girl to see if there was a place I could chain it inside and she said, no, but assured me it should be safe outside. I went inside grabbed a large Cherry Coke and peanut M&Ms and went to the bathroom before heading to my seat. I was not at all tired. I had breathed hard a coupla times, but the cool breeze in my face quickly brought my breath back. Now that I was inside the sweats started so I changed my shirt.
I settled into my seat. There were 5 other customers for this 10AM show of Pineapple Express. We all laughed robustly and I have to say the movie was very enjoyable. Cheech and Chong Meets True Romance. (For more on the movie, see review tomorrow in Freddy Love's Oasis of Real Film Reviews ). When I left the theatre, the clouds started rolling in a little more. The time was 12:07 and my bike was still where I left it. I headed home and realized that my trip there was mostly downhill, so now I would be doing less coasting and more pedaling on the way back. No biggie, in this direction there was no rush, so I got home at 1:05. I was probably tired too going this way, but here it is 9 hours later and I feel fine. Actually, I'm kind of proud of my accomplishment and wanted to shout it out.
Among other adventures that I want to try, my next door neighbor used to ride her bike to Rockaway Beach when we were kids, I'd like to try that one day. I'll let you know if I'm real sore tomorrow.
The Freditor
For Christmas 2006, my friend Paul got me a bicycle for fun and neighborhood transport. I had inherited a bike from an old school friend named Kelly. Kelly moved upstate and with a new baby had no use for a bicycle. But hers was purple and while I have no problem riding a girl's mountain bike, Paul felt it wasn't right.
I love my relatively new bike. It's blue and can take a beating from both the road and my 275-pound frame. I usually ride it to the gym or church and maybe go for a little tour afterwards. I'll get in a mood where I'll ride it 6 times in a two-week period and then not touch it for a month. Ever since I was a kid I've been that way about my bikes. Like any toy you get bored with it for a while and then rediscover it later. But adults generally don't look at bikes as toys, they look at them as exercise machines or transportation or competitive instruments. It's like the gym. I belonged to three gyms in my adult life dating back to college and always looked at them as workout facilities. Workout, work, ugghh. It wasn't until I joined my latest one that something dawned on me.
I'd get set to go and kiss Barb goodbye and she'd say, "have fun." At first I was thrown by this statement. "Have fun?" this isn't fun this is working out, trying to stay healthy and alive. And then I realized it is fun, or it should be fun. Much of the stuff you do at the gym, you would do for fun as a kid. What were you two favorite subjects in school: lunch and gym. We spent the better part of our first 12 years of life running and riding bikes and listening to music, all stuff you do at the gym. So then I changed my whole outlook on the gym. I'd stop setting weight goals and running goals and calorie goals, and just go, do my workout and have fun doing it. I love watching kids run, I love watching my cats run. They run for no good reason except the other guy is doing it and it seems like the thing to do. Aimless constant activity keeps kids strong and slim and vibrant. Adults should follow their lead more. Not running for a bus, that causes a heart attack, but just running to the supermarket, because it's good exercise and you'll save time and feel better.
As for the bike. I realized I didn't need to ride 50 or 100 miles to prove something to myself. I didn't need to get in races or train for some "-athon." People who train for -athons might be very healthy on the inside, but never look too good on the outside. I was in shock when I learned Lance Armstrong was younger than me. I thought he was 50. No, I would ride wherever I wanted to go and get there at a decent speed, but enjoy the ride as well.
On Memorial Day I rode around the backstreets of Glendale, streets I had never been down and went at about 10 MPH, a speed I could never walk and one I would rarely drive at. I finally had a convertible without a windshield so all the air of life was rushing into my face. I could breathe in cigar smoke from the old man reading his paper on his stoop or savor the BBQs grilling their various meats. I saw people I had never noticed before enjoying their homes and backyards. I was able to soak in this life around me because there were no cars to distract me. One of my all-time sleeping dreams is to fly under my own power. A dream I've come back to over the years. When the conditions are right, the closest I've come to this sensation is while riding my bike.
Well today I had my Biggest Adventure yet. The most I have ever ridden is about 8 miles. I Mapquested the route after going out with my friend Moux one Sunday morning. We got as far as Metropolitan Avenue and Forest Park Drive in a town called Kew Gardens. I don't have a speedometer or odometer, because I don't want to be sucked into the numbers game. I just want to enjoy the ride. But it is kind of cool to know where you stand in terms of conditioning. For 4 years I've put 7 miles on a stationary bike at the gym in 20 minutes. What does that equal in real biking?
So I decided to test myself, but add a little fun to the proceedings. About two months ago I said to myself, how far is the Fresh Meadows movie theatre? I go there 10 times a year and for years it was my favorite theatre. It takes me about 20 minuets to get there by car with no traffic. So I Mapquested it by streets, no highways. 7.3 miles door to door. That's via either Union Turnpike or Jewel Avenue. You would take Union from Myrtle to 188th Street and head north to the Long Island Expressway. Jewel was just as direct, but more safe and a nicer ride. Union has no trees, no shade, plenty of traffic, some hairy sections and lots of exhaust. Jewel is correctly named. A scenic route that is covered with trees, has little traffic much of the time, is mostly all residential, lots of shade and even has a bike path for a good section of it. There is only one hairy moment. You have to cross this overpass that encompasses both the Van Wyck Expressway and Grand Central Parkway, with entrance and exit ramps for both.
I thought about it for a while, especially during my work day. Could I go 7.3 miles twice in one day with a two-hour break in between to see a movie? Would there be a safe place to leave my bike? What kind of supplies would I need? I'd psych myself up and then talk myself out of it. One day on my scheduled day off I decided to do it, but a friend called to see a movie and I went with him instead. But I thought about it again Friday and checked the weather. Coolish, 80 degrees Sunday, little humidity, some cloud cover and a chance of showers after 2PM. The movie was an early bird special, starting at 10 AM, $6.00. I called a friend named Ernie who loved to bike and he told me I'd need no more than an hour for the trip. So Sunday would be the day.
Barb was out at the beach this Sunday morning, so I woke myself at 7:15. I showered, shaved and headed aroudn the block to Jesus' Coffee Shop (real name New York Grill) for breakfast. You know it's early when Jesus isn't even there yet. Just his two lovely sisters, Daisy and Leslie. I got a healthy breakfast that would no be too filling. A bowl of grits with milk and sugar, Snapple Iced Tea, and three eggs sunnyside up, with corned beef hash and fried tomatoes. Whole wheat toast with butter and grape jelly. After filling up and downing another big glass of ice water I headed back to the house and got myself in order. Money, wallet, quarters, cell phone and keys. Got an extra T-shirt because I'm sure I'll sweat thru the first one and don't want to be cold in the air conditioned theatre.
I hadn't used my bike in several weeks so the tires were a bit mushy. Rode around the block to Sunoco and pumped $.50 in the machine to get what used to be free air. My tires are like rocks now and I'm about to ride off, when I run into another friend named Paul. This guy works for Airborne or DHL and has the same route for them that I have for the Post Office. He lives across the street from me and told me I should ride my bike to work and save money on gas. I said I would if I could somehow carry my cooler. He said there's these great racks you can attach to the bike that can hold a whole mess of stuff and then use a bungee cord to keep it on with. Good idea for the future. But before I start thinking of 36 mile round trips, let's see how this 14.6 mile round trip goes.
I leave the Sunoco at 9:05 and head out on Myrtle Avenue and go down to Central, that connects to Cooper and then take that to Woodhaven Blvd. Most of the ride has been flat so far and there was a good 5 blocks there where I coasted. Cooper across Woodhaven becomes Yellowstone Blvd. which I call Jellystone, like Cooper this road is virtually empty at this hour on a Sunday. If it was Saturday it would be crowded with Jews going to the synagogue, but now I only see a few people going to stores for breakfast food. I get to Queens Blvd. and my first big test arrives. When I was 13, my friedn Slawik and I once rode our bicycles to Queens Blvd and Grand Avenue, I got scared and came back home. It was hot, I was not in shape for that kind of ride and I had my old one-speed bike and was not able to make that kind of long journey on it. We were supposed to go to Flushing Meadows, but that might as well have been Guam for all the riding I'd done before that.
But I waited for the light and crossed Queens Blvd. with no problem and as I came to the other side Jellystone became Jewel. I asked a girl on the corner what time it was. Thinking it must be close to 9:45 by now, she says, 9:17. 9:17, I've been riding all this way, and only 12 minutes has gone by. Amazing. Jewel starts off hard with a steep hill, I mean it is Forest Hills, but then has a 5 block down hill that I coast down. I'm trying not to use my brakes too much because I don't want to have to replace them, but I don't want to go too fast in case I have to stop short. I'm not experienced enough yet that I can avoid flying over the handlebars and hurting myself. Okay, now the biggest challenge of all, the overpass over the Van Wyck and Grand Central. As I've gained experience and confidence I've learned to just be aware of your surroundings, but show the drivers that you are a vehicle, too. Ride like you have a purpose and they will go around you.
Now I am officially passed Flushing Meadows Park and I've conquered a new outpost. I head up Jewel in Flushing and even though I've driven my car on this road 100 times, it feels new going on a bike. The lawns are kept well and the shrubbery is all manicured. The bike lane is a nice diversion as if there was an invisible wall between me and the drivers, but the road is much smoother than on my side of Queens. First Main Street, then Kissena, then Parsons. Names I've passed hundreds of times are now seeing me on a bike. Woo-hoo!! When I get past Parsons Blvd. the neighborhood really starts to turn nice. I had friends from Flushing when I was a kid, and they always made Flushing sound so nice, now I can see what they were talking about. Like really great Long Island neighborhoods but with city taxes--the best of both worlds.
I turn left on Utopia Parkway and now I can smell victory in the air. I see the firehouse that I saw a drunken Irish fireman stumble into one St. Patrick's night and I know I'm close. I turn right on 64th Avenue and pull into the CVS parking lot, I come out on 188th Street and ride across to the Fresh Meadows Cineplex Movie Theatre. Am I on time? It's 9:45. A cool 40 Minutes from almost door to door. I ask the movie ticket kid if I can chain it up inside and he says there's no place to lock it to. So there's an abandoned diner next door, called the The Future Diner, an ironic name, since it's long in the past. It was notable because when it first opened back in '91 or '92, Bill Clinton stopped in there for lunch on his way to winning the White House. I think they stayed in business about as long as Clinton was president. Shame, they had great burgers.
But right now they had a property that was completely surrounded by five-foot high green iron fencing. I picked my bike up and placed it over the fence. I hid the front part, which definitely looks nicer, behind a brick wall and chained the back to the green fence. When I got inside, I checked again with the ticket tearing girl to see if there was a place I could chain it inside and she said, no, but assured me it should be safe outside. I went inside grabbed a large Cherry Coke and peanut M&Ms and went to the bathroom before heading to my seat. I was not at all tired. I had breathed hard a coupla times, but the cool breeze in my face quickly brought my breath back. Now that I was inside the sweats started so I changed my shirt.
I settled into my seat. There were 5 other customers for this 10AM show of Pineapple Express. We all laughed robustly and I have to say the movie was very enjoyable. Cheech and Chong Meets True Romance. (For more on the movie, see review tomorrow in Freddy Love's Oasis of Real Film Reviews ). When I left the theatre, the clouds started rolling in a little more. The time was 12:07 and my bike was still where I left it. I headed home and realized that my trip there was mostly downhill, so now I would be doing less coasting and more pedaling on the way back. No biggie, in this direction there was no rush, so I got home at 1:05. I was probably tired too going this way, but here it is 9 hours later and I feel fine. Actually, I'm kind of proud of my accomplishment and wanted to shout it out.
Among other adventures that I want to try, my next door neighbor used to ride her bike to Rockaway Beach when we were kids, I'd like to try that one day. I'll let you know if I'm real sore tomorrow.
The Freditor
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
My Friend Paul's Big Dog Services found a great home for a cute dog name Buddy
Paul is growing his dog behavior modification business (Big Dog Services) and it is really starting to take off. He'll train any dog, big or small, to not just be obedient, but to learn who's in charge. The "pack leader" should be the owner, but too often times, we spoil our dogs and make them the leader. A dog who leads in the wild is great for their own survival, but a dog who leads in civilized society will become a potential hazard.
Dogs need a structured environment and Paul helps the owner structure that environment. His methodology is proven and his client satisfaction ratings have been 100% across the board. He saved an adorable little dog, named Buddy from possibly being left on the streets. After working all his connections, Paul found not just a home, but a loving, structured home for Buddy, where he can have two little boys to play and grow with and parents excited to have him, but willing to do the work to ensure that Buddy becomes a positive element in their household.
* If you have a dog who needs structure (he tears the house apart, he jumps at strangers while he walks, he tends to nip or bite), Paul is your man.
* If you've never had a dog before and don't know what boundaries to set, call on Paul.
* And if you are at work and need a strong, dependable person to walk your dog and give it the attention it needs while you're gone, then Paul is the right man for the job.
And if you don't have these problems, but a friend or relative does, have them send an email to:
Big Dog Service@aol.com. Thanks for your attention.
The Freditor
Dogs need a structured environment and Paul helps the owner structure that environment. His methodology is proven and his client satisfaction ratings have been 100% across the board. He saved an adorable little dog, named Buddy from possibly being left on the streets. After working all his connections, Paul found not just a home, but a loving, structured home for Buddy, where he can have two little boys to play and grow with and parents excited to have him, but willing to do the work to ensure that Buddy becomes a positive element in their household.
* If you have a dog who needs structure (he tears the house apart, he jumps at strangers while he walks, he tends to nip or bite), Paul is your man.
* If you've never had a dog before and don't know what boundaries to set, call on Paul.
* And if you are at work and need a strong, dependable person to walk your dog and give it the attention it needs while you're gone, then Paul is the right man for the job.
And if you don't have these problems, but a friend or relative does, have them send an email to:
Big Dog Service@aol.com. Thanks for your attention.
The Freditor
Sunday, July 27, 2008
What Are Your Favorite Movie Snacks?
What Are Your Favorite Movie Snacks? I'd love to know. Send all comments and answers to:
Freds.NoMoreStinkyMonkeys@gmail.com
For a very funny story on the same topic:
Stephen King's guide to movie snacks Stephen King: The Pop of King News + Notes Entertainment Weekly 1
When I go to the movies, I used to try and avoid buying snacks, because they are outrageously expensive, but then I had a change of heart a few years ago. I found out that movie theatres only make a small fraction, like 10% of the ticket price on a new movie. If it keeps the movie there for several weeks, the percentage rises in their favor. I remember Home Alone would play at a theatre for like 4 months and I'd wonder why. Because by that point every cent of the ticket goes in the theatre owner's pocket.
Now there is no doubt I love the movie theatre experience. I'm not really interested in making a home theatre for myself, because it would be a waste of money. No video system, no matter how special could ever truly replace the feeling I get when I see a new spectacular, on opening weekend. The energy in the crowd, the total immersion in the experience helped by the surrounding darkness and hushed quiet. I have yet to see the TV screen that can challenge a 50+ foot wide screen at a theatre. Well since I love the theatre and want to keep as many open near me as possible, doesn't it make sense to support them? When I was younger and poorer I'd sneak food and drink in, or just not eat at all. But to me part of the fun and anticipation is the waiting on line at the food concession. Modern theatres have TVs playing trailers and commercials for shows that I might be interested in. If it's a special night, the fellow patrons have a buzz about them. The food ads are surrounded by enticing lighting with primary colors whetting your appetite. Reminds me of going to McDonalds. Just once I'd love to eat a Big Mac that looked as good as the one in the signage.
As for which theatre offers the best treats. Regal Theatres are the most expensive in all aspects of the game. Their ticket prices are higher, they have less deals as far as matinees and such. And their food prices are expensive even by concession standards. But they are well-stocked. I think you can order 12 different types of fountain drinks, along with two different sized bottles of water. They have pretzel nuggets and regular sized pretzels. Popcorn, nachos, hot dogs and about 20 different types of candy. Many other theatres offer this kind of range, but few actually have them ready to sell. A Regal hot dog might be made with pig anus and cow vagina, but it's fresh anus and vagina. When I order a hot dog at another theatre in Fresh Meadows the wiener looks so old and dry that archaeologists could call it a fossil.
My favorite theatre for snacks is also my Snobby theatre. I feel like an elitist snob when I go here, but I enjoy it so I don't care. The Film Forum on West Houston Street in Greenwich Village shows foreign films and reissues of old classics. The seats are uncomfortable, but I still feel fancy going there. And the food. Oy. Fresh popcorn with real butter, not the monkey sweat that Stephen King called it in the past. Fresh lemonade, several different types of coffee for people who enjoy that. And fresh bakery items. I've had the lemon poppy seed cake, which is tasty and oatmeal raisin cookies. But my favorite is the apple sponge cake.
My brother is always pushing the gun when it comes to getting to places on time and this theatre is no exception. He picks me up way late and has to speed into the city to get a parking spot. We hope there's no line to get in, then wait on line for snacks. We invariably get in our seats after the lights have dimmed and sometimes when the movie has already started. Just once I'd love to get there a little early, be able to find a seat in the center. And enjoy my cake with a fork and some peace. Instead, I'm forced to find a seat in the dark and cradle my food so that I don't spill anything. Eating my cake with fingers because I can't see the plate well enough to use a fork.
I've heard of a theatre on Long Island, out in god's country, Exit 60 something that has a huge concession stand filled with hamburgers, pizza and the like. Sounds wonderful, but I could not go there without having another trip planned as well. Something like a trip to the Splish Splash waterpark tagged on.
The key to going to any concession stand is never go hungry. My weight class teacher often said, never go to the supermarket hungry or you'll buy the store out. The same goes for concessions. Too often I go right from work and skip a meal to make a show. Bad idea. Any money I might have saved on the matinee price, or even better a free ticket (which regular Regal goers often get), will be spent big time at the snack counter. The most I've ever spent on myself is probably $22. Which is not a lot of food. That would be a "value pack" of large pretzel nuggets with cheese and medium soda, $11. A liter bottle of water $4.25. A hot dog, $3.75. And a candy, $3.
My snacks: I love soft pretzels, even corporate, taste-free pretzels. If there are no pretzels, which is often the case I'll settle for nachos and cheese, although mustard makes a nice alternative. The cheese is never real cheese, but a soft orange Crisco-type substance. If I eat this too much, I often get a raging pain in my stomach that engulfs everything from hips to ribs on both sides of my torso. I try not to eat this too much. As a last resort I'll order popcorn, but I have to be real hungry. If I'm with others, they'll order popcorn and they always let me share some of theirs. Almost all theatres have a Coca Cola licensing agreement, so I order a Cherry Coke. I really don't like regular Coke and will drink that only if there's nothing else and I'm really tired. If it's night and I'm trying not to stay up late, I'll order a Sprite/7UP or orange soda, but not Sunkist, that has as much caffeine as cola. National Amusements has a deal with Pepsi, so that's nirvana.
Hot dogs if I'm hungry. National Amusements (N/A) has a deal with Sbarro Pizza and Nathan's, so of course I'll get a Nathan's dog there. Sbarro Pizza is like Pizza Hut left in the sun. They also have cinnamon pretzels, but that has to be one of the worst concoctions ever conceived in this Mallworld. As for candy: Peanut M&Ms, Milk Duds, I'll eat some of Barb's Junior Mints and Twizzlers, I love Starburst, but they pull out my fillings. I used to love Jujyfruits, but it's hard to tell the licorice from the green ones in the dark and the taste of licorice reminds me of the time I licked a Yak's ass. Actually, I try to remember the Yak's ass to replace the horrible feeling of having licorice in my mouth. Raisinettes are another treat, but I have to eat these sparingly, because all those raisins will give me what they call in German "Die Scheisserei." For a candy I will sneak in, always a Cadbury bar if it's been frozen (Fruit and Nut or Caramello).
When I'm being healthy, I'll buy a big bottle of Dasani water, because knowing that it comes from a leaky hose in the back of the Coca Cola plant always makes me think Healthy!
Enjoy!
The Freditor
Freds.NoMoreStinkyMonkeys@gmail.com
For a very funny story on the same topic:
Stephen King's guide to movie snacks Stephen King: The Pop of King News + Notes Entertainment Weekly 1
When I go to the movies, I used to try and avoid buying snacks, because they are outrageously expensive, but then I had a change of heart a few years ago. I found out that movie theatres only make a small fraction, like 10% of the ticket price on a new movie. If it keeps the movie there for several weeks, the percentage rises in their favor. I remember Home Alone would play at a theatre for like 4 months and I'd wonder why. Because by that point every cent of the ticket goes in the theatre owner's pocket.
Now there is no doubt I love the movie theatre experience. I'm not really interested in making a home theatre for myself, because it would be a waste of money. No video system, no matter how special could ever truly replace the feeling I get when I see a new spectacular, on opening weekend. The energy in the crowd, the total immersion in the experience helped by the surrounding darkness and hushed quiet. I have yet to see the TV screen that can challenge a 50+ foot wide screen at a theatre. Well since I love the theatre and want to keep as many open near me as possible, doesn't it make sense to support them? When I was younger and poorer I'd sneak food and drink in, or just not eat at all. But to me part of the fun and anticipation is the waiting on line at the food concession. Modern theatres have TVs playing trailers and commercials for shows that I might be interested in. If it's a special night, the fellow patrons have a buzz about them. The food ads are surrounded by enticing lighting with primary colors whetting your appetite. Reminds me of going to McDonalds. Just once I'd love to eat a Big Mac that looked as good as the one in the signage.
As for which theatre offers the best treats. Regal Theatres are the most expensive in all aspects of the game. Their ticket prices are higher, they have less deals as far as matinees and such. And their food prices are expensive even by concession standards. But they are well-stocked. I think you can order 12 different types of fountain drinks, along with two different sized bottles of water. They have pretzel nuggets and regular sized pretzels. Popcorn, nachos, hot dogs and about 20 different types of candy. Many other theatres offer this kind of range, but few actually have them ready to sell. A Regal hot dog might be made with pig anus and cow vagina, but it's fresh anus and vagina. When I order a hot dog at another theatre in Fresh Meadows the wiener looks so old and dry that archaeologists could call it a fossil.
My favorite theatre for snacks is also my Snobby theatre. I feel like an elitist snob when I go here, but I enjoy it so I don't care. The Film Forum on West Houston Street in Greenwich Village shows foreign films and reissues of old classics. The seats are uncomfortable, but I still feel fancy going there. And the food. Oy. Fresh popcorn with real butter, not the monkey sweat that Stephen King called it in the past. Fresh lemonade, several different types of coffee for people who enjoy that. And fresh bakery items. I've had the lemon poppy seed cake, which is tasty and oatmeal raisin cookies. But my favorite is the apple sponge cake.
My brother is always pushing the gun when it comes to getting to places on time and this theatre is no exception. He picks me up way late and has to speed into the city to get a parking spot. We hope there's no line to get in, then wait on line for snacks. We invariably get in our seats after the lights have dimmed and sometimes when the movie has already started. Just once I'd love to get there a little early, be able to find a seat in the center. And enjoy my cake with a fork and some peace. Instead, I'm forced to find a seat in the dark and cradle my food so that I don't spill anything. Eating my cake with fingers because I can't see the plate well enough to use a fork.
I've heard of a theatre on Long Island, out in god's country, Exit 60 something that has a huge concession stand filled with hamburgers, pizza and the like. Sounds wonderful, but I could not go there without having another trip planned as well. Something like a trip to the Splish Splash waterpark tagged on.
The key to going to any concession stand is never go hungry. My weight class teacher often said, never go to the supermarket hungry or you'll buy the store out. The same goes for concessions. Too often I go right from work and skip a meal to make a show. Bad idea. Any money I might have saved on the matinee price, or even better a free ticket (which regular Regal goers often get), will be spent big time at the snack counter. The most I've ever spent on myself is probably $22. Which is not a lot of food. That would be a "value pack" of large pretzel nuggets with cheese and medium soda, $11. A liter bottle of water $4.25. A hot dog, $3.75. And a candy, $3.
My snacks: I love soft pretzels, even corporate, taste-free pretzels. If there are no pretzels, which is often the case I'll settle for nachos and cheese, although mustard makes a nice alternative. The cheese is never real cheese, but a soft orange Crisco-type substance. If I eat this too much, I often get a raging pain in my stomach that engulfs everything from hips to ribs on both sides of my torso. I try not to eat this too much. As a last resort I'll order popcorn, but I have to be real hungry. If I'm with others, they'll order popcorn and they always let me share some of theirs. Almost all theatres have a Coca Cola licensing agreement, so I order a Cherry Coke. I really don't like regular Coke and will drink that only if there's nothing else and I'm really tired. If it's night and I'm trying not to stay up late, I'll order a Sprite/7UP or orange soda, but not Sunkist, that has as much caffeine as cola. National Amusements has a deal with Pepsi, so that's nirvana.
Hot dogs if I'm hungry. National Amusements (N/A) has a deal with Sbarro Pizza and Nathan's, so of course I'll get a Nathan's dog there. Sbarro Pizza is like Pizza Hut left in the sun. They also have cinnamon pretzels, but that has to be one of the worst concoctions ever conceived in this Mallworld. As for candy: Peanut M&Ms, Milk Duds, I'll eat some of Barb's Junior Mints and Twizzlers, I love Starburst, but they pull out my fillings. I used to love Jujyfruits, but it's hard to tell the licorice from the green ones in the dark and the taste of licorice reminds me of the time I licked a Yak's ass. Actually, I try to remember the Yak's ass to replace the horrible feeling of having licorice in my mouth. Raisinettes are another treat, but I have to eat these sparingly, because all those raisins will give me what they call in German "Die Scheisserei." For a candy I will sneak in, always a Cadbury bar if it's been frozen (Fruit and Nut or Caramello).
When I'm being healthy, I'll buy a big bottle of Dasani water, because knowing that it comes from a leaky hose in the back of the Coca Cola plant always makes me think Healthy!
Enjoy!
The Freditor
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Billy Joel at Shea Stadium-Kicking myself for missing "The Sofa of Rock and Roll"
Reading about Billy Joel's last concert at Shea, Friday night. Sounds like it was a night of nights. Roger Daltry, Garth Brooks, Tony Bennett, Steve Tyler and Paul McCartney were all there to close the old stadium down. McCartney and The Beatles were the first band to ever play a baseball or football stadium back in 1965 and that was Shea. They had speakers the size of shoe boxes back then and no one heard anything beyond the dugouts. But they played their hearts out and opened up these new venues to the music world. McCartney sang "I Saw Her Standing There" and "Let It Be", to help Joel finish the show.
Billy Joel played "Piano Man" as the last song of the night. Funny how one of the biggest hits in jukebox history could have such depressing subject matter. Virtually every bar in the world has this song on its jukebox and at least once a night you'll hear it, but as my friend said, "every character in it is a loser." A harsh assessment, but an accurate one. That's what Billy Joel songs do sometimes, they make you sing along to stories about losers. When Hillary Clinton won the New York State Senate seat, her victory song that night was "Captain Jack". Because Billy was a lifelong New Yorker, someone in her campaign thought this would be an appropriate song, but really it is a song about a drug addict and the title refers to heroin.
But Billy Joel is infectious. I really, really enjoy his music, some of it I even love. You May Be Right and Only the Good Die Young are always blasted on my car radio. I was very lucky, because as I was starting to appreciate pop music and rock and roll around 1977/78, Billy Joel was just starting to become popular. For an 11 year old kid, Joel was a great way to ease into enjoying rock and roll. His music is nothing if not accessible. EVERYONE has some favorite Billy Joel song, from a teenager to an 80 year old woman like my mother. He transcends generations the way The Beatles and Elvis do.
When I first heard Billy, his big hits were My Life and Big Shot from his 52nd Street album. And when you are growing up and becoming more independent, songs like that really speak to you. And Joel's phrasing has always been so easy to understand, like James Taylor, you know exactly what he's singing without needing a lyric sheet. Although his last great hit, "We Didn't Start the Fire" has a line that confused me until 15 years later. I always heard the song and him singing, "Vaginas under martial law," which I took to mean abortion was always fighting to be legal. But then I saw a video accompanying the song and it showed Tianamen Square and the medical student standing up to the tanks. Ohhhhhhhh, "China's under martial law." Yeah, that does make more sense.
Does anyone have a favorite Joel album, like the Stones' Sticky Fingers or Prince's Purple Rain? Does anyone say to themselves, "Oh the new Billy Joel album just came out, let me go and buy it?" I never did and I've been a big fan for 30+ years. To me he will always be a great singer for radio, not the type of performer that you play on your turntable alone at night. His music is not that private, not that personal to me. The way say Suzanne Vega was.
I guess The Stranger is his best album (Movin' Out, Italian Restaurant, Only the Good Die Young, Just the Way You Are, She's Always a Woman to Me), but I personally think he is the rare rock performer who has amazing singles, without great albums. My "Greatest Hits" package of his, is probably the best album he ever released. 24 songs, 22 of which were radio staples back in that era (1977-1990), Seven that still are to this day. I guess he's the Rodney Dangerfield of rock and roll. You take him for granted like your sofa. Happy it's there, comfortable to have around, forgotten when not spoken of, and missed a lot if it were ever gone.
That's Joel, "The Sofa of Rock and Roll!"
The Freditor
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Six_Degrees_Could_Change_the_World scared me
Six Degrees: Our Future on a Hotter Planet - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://www.netflix.com/Movie/National_Geographic_Six_Degrees_Could_Change_the_World/70090419...
Greenland Melting: The End of the End of the World : Rolling Stone
Michael Crichton wrote a book that fictionalizes a man's quest to find alternative reasons for what science and particularly NASA has been saying. But if I am not to believe in conspiracies about things like the JFK assassination, then it's hard for me to believe that hardcore scientists are promoting a theory of end times just to help keep the donations for their research going. Aren't there enough real problems in the world worth researching without making up something?
In the Summer of 2003, whether it was the increased fluorocarbons in the air or not, western Europe was hit by a heat wave that they had no ability to resist. 30,000 people died from heat stroke that summer. 2500 in Paris in ONE night. Granted many were elderly and they lived in houses with tin roofs, built to withstand cold. They had very little air conditioning, but while that lead to the deaths, the cause was a freakish heat wave which they are not accustomed to.
The idea you draw from this 6 degrees show is that as the average temp rises, we will be hit by "once in a century" weather phenomena every few years. Like this heat wave in Europe. But other matters are starting to show on a daily basis. England was once known for its gloomy weather. English wine was a running joke, because the growing season for wine grapes was so short that the wine generally tasted bad. But the warm season has increased so much in England that there is now a blooming English wine business. And the French and their champagnes have been forced to uproot to England because the weather is too hot in France to grow the grapes.
Gradual changes in weather cycles is normal. But the key word is gradual. The changes we are experiencing now usually take decades or centuries to come up. Now they are happening in less than 10 years. The Himalayas are these large snowcapped mountains with enough runoff to feed the mighty Ganges River. Well the runoff has been dropping rapidly as the snow seasons have been shorter and milder. The River is a major part of the Hindu religion and it's as if God is abandoning the Hindu people.
I read an article on Greenland in Rolling Stone and it was very depressing. Greenland is losing its ice and cold seasons faster every year and instead of the companies that are causing it doing something to slow it or stop it, they are making it worse by seeing the ice free zones as potential new mining zones. Diamonds, the core elements of aluminum and even oil are all in abundance under the permafrost and the Greenland parliament is just selling the rights like crazy, killing off one of earth's last pure environments.
Think of Greenland as Ground Zero for climate change.
Funny, my wife says that people with kids at her job don't seem too concerned about the Venus-like planet we're leaving future generations. I think we have a moral duty to leave the earth in better condition than when we got here. When I cross the Metropolitan Ave. overpass on the Jackie Robinson going home and can't even see the New York City skyline because of the smog, I'd say we're failing those next generations.
The Freditor
http://www.netflix.com/Movie/National_Geographic_Six_Degrees_Could_Change_the_World/70090419...
Greenland Melting: The End of the End of the World : Rolling Stone
Michael Crichton wrote a book that fictionalizes a man's quest to find alternative reasons for what science and particularly NASA has been saying. But if I am not to believe in conspiracies about things like the JFK assassination, then it's hard for me to believe that hardcore scientists are promoting a theory of end times just to help keep the donations for their research going. Aren't there enough real problems in the world worth researching without making up something?
In the Summer of 2003, whether it was the increased fluorocarbons in the air or not, western Europe was hit by a heat wave that they had no ability to resist. 30,000 people died from heat stroke that summer. 2500 in Paris in ONE night. Granted many were elderly and they lived in houses with tin roofs, built to withstand cold. They had very little air conditioning, but while that lead to the deaths, the cause was a freakish heat wave which they are not accustomed to.
The idea you draw from this 6 degrees show is that as the average temp rises, we will be hit by "once in a century" weather phenomena every few years. Like this heat wave in Europe. But other matters are starting to show on a daily basis. England was once known for its gloomy weather. English wine was a running joke, because the growing season for wine grapes was so short that the wine generally tasted bad. But the warm season has increased so much in England that there is now a blooming English wine business. And the French and their champagnes have been forced to uproot to England because the weather is too hot in France to grow the grapes.
Gradual changes in weather cycles is normal. But the key word is gradual. The changes we are experiencing now usually take decades or centuries to come up. Now they are happening in less than 10 years. The Himalayas are these large snowcapped mountains with enough runoff to feed the mighty Ganges River. Well the runoff has been dropping rapidly as the snow seasons have been shorter and milder. The River is a major part of the Hindu religion and it's as if God is abandoning the Hindu people.
I read an article on Greenland in Rolling Stone and it was very depressing. Greenland is losing its ice and cold seasons faster every year and instead of the companies that are causing it doing something to slow it or stop it, they are making it worse by seeing the ice free zones as potential new mining zones. Diamonds, the core elements of aluminum and even oil are all in abundance under the permafrost and the Greenland parliament is just selling the rights like crazy, killing off one of earth's last pure environments.
Think of Greenland as Ground Zero for climate change.
Funny, my wife says that people with kids at her job don't seem too concerned about the Venus-like planet we're leaving future generations. I think we have a moral duty to leave the earth in better condition than when we got here. When I cross the Metropolitan Ave. overpass on the Jackie Robinson going home and can't even see the New York City skyline because of the smog, I'd say we're failing those next generations.
The Freditor
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