Hipster Union

“We the people, in order to form a more perfect union.”

Two hundred and twenty one years ago, in a hall that still stands across the street, a group of men gathered and, with these simple words, launched America’s improbable experiment in democracy. Farmers and scholars; statesmen and patriots who had traveled across an ocean to escape tyranny and persecution finally made real their declaration of independence at a Philadelphia convention that lasted through the spring of 1787.

The document they produced was eventually signed but ultimately unfinished. It was stained by this nation’s original sin of slavery, a question that divided the colonies and brought the convention to a stalemate until the founders chose to allow the slave trade to continue for at least twenty more years, and to leave any final resolution to future generations.

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So this is what it has come down to - bunking down in a 2-star “hotel” 3 blocks from the project to maximize my hours.  I should be dozing off on my couch with Girlie playing Scrabulous.  Instead, I’m in the Sh*ttiest Place On Earth, crashing in Newark so I can try to max out my OT.  I miss Alaina.

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Son, we live in a world that has documents, and those documents have to be reviewed by men working for temp agencies. Whose gonna do it? You? You, Lt. 40?!

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The Bacon Mary was a success.  I love it, especially after a long day of coding documents.  But it’s February which means I need a new drink.  As promised, the Bacotini.

Here’s how I approached the Bacotini:  (1) don’t try to make it a classic Martini; (2) don’t try to make it a vodka Martini; (3) don’t try to make it a Holy Martini (a la Holy Basil on East 12th Street in Manhattan).  Instead, I wanted something new.  So, of course, I started with something old.  Two “something-old”s to be specific - the Hendrick’s Martini and the Vesper Martini.

For those who don’t know, the Vesper Martini is 3 parts Gordon’s London Dry, 1 part grain/rye vodka and a 1/2 part of Lillet Blanc.  It gets its name from Casino Royale, the first James Bond book by Ian Fleming.  The Hendrick’s Martini is a variation of the classic Martini which uses Hendrick’s Gin (which has a taste of cucumber to it), a hint of dry vermouth and a cucumber slice as a garnish.  Accordingly, I decided to combine the vodka hybridization of the Vesper with the alternative taste of Henrick’s.  Then, things took a spicy taste.  The recipe is after the jump.

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I just finished reading God Is Not Great by Christopher Hitchens.  No matter what he says, Mr. Hitchens is, to a certain extent, just as irrational as one who believes in a god.  After all, the existence of a god, being based in faith, is unprovable.  The same applies to the non-existence of god.  There is a fundamental difference between “I don’t believe in god” (agnosticism) and “I believe in no god” (atheism).  The difference is that the latter involves active belief in the nonexistence of god, which is, in and of itself, a belief in god.Nevertheless, he raises some good points and the book is worth a reading.  Below is the Christopher Hitchens-brand “atheism” list of Why Bad Things Happen To Good People (i.e. You): Read the rest of this entry »

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Did you know that there are other team sports other than baseball that are played in June?  Living in New York, I sure didn’t.  I thought the only two sports were baseball and which Yankees player can create the biggest scandal (Jason Giambi might be this week’s winner after admiting that he previously used steroids).  Evidently, there are two other sports whose championships are going on right now.  One of these sports is called basket-ball. Read the rest of this entry »

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I’ve updated my list of reasons why, if forced to choose between being a Pirate or being a Ninja, any self-respected 8 year-old should pick the Pirate option. Here’s the highlights, or you can read the full list under Pages.

• Pirates have a much cooler mode of transportation.
• Ninjas don’t get to use cannons.
• They don’t get to use guns either.
• A ninja missing a leg is useless. A pirate missing a leg is the captain.
• Two words: Undead monkey
• Dead pirates go to Davy Jones’ locker. Dead ninjas go to the city morgue.
• Han Solo was a pirate.
• Although Batman got hisself some ninja training, he quit the Brotherhood. The reason? ‘Cuz ninjas are pussies.
• Pirate movies are more fun than ninja movies.

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Last night, I went to see a friend play with the Woman which was unsurprisingly good.  I say “unsurprisingly” because Amy, the director (directrix?), is terrific and her productions are always good.  The other one-act in competition with Amy’s one-act was meandering and too loose for my liking.

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The air-conditioners have been on for about a week (the Woman’s freakishly-fast metabolism runs hot), we’re getting our first real summer rain, and I’ve been in polo shirts for the past five days. Even though summer is still three weeks away, it’s already here.

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I’m watching my Sunday morning news programmes which naturally are all discussing the 2008 Presidential election. And the best political quip (at least in terms of funniness) comes from Mayor Bloomberg, who does not wear a sash. When asked whether he will announce his candidacy for President, he responded with this brutally honest, almost Allenesque response:

How likely is a 5′7″Jew from New York billionaire who’s divorced and running as an independent to become president of the United States?

Well, I’m pulling for Michael Bloomberg. He’s pragmatic. If he wasn’t, he wouldn’t have run on the GOP ticket in 2002. Not only that, he’s pro-choice, pro-gun control, and anti-Iraq War. His position on congestion pricing shows he’s willing to do something about the environment even if it means pissing off voters.But most importantly, if he can be elected President, he will give hope to thousands of “short, stocky, slow-witted, bald men.” Read the rest of this entry »

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