PROJECT RUNWAY PHOTOCAP: Tipping The Scales

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Big Brother is over, Top Chef hasn’t started yet, and CBS has hardly any worthwhile screenshots for Survivor and The Amazing Race. So which show should I photocap next? Why, there’s really only one choice: Project Runway! Actually, I could do Top Design too, but I figure Runway is the more prominent show.
Anyway, last night’s episode was quite the doozy, full of cat fights and hostility, especially in the home stretch when pretty much everyone turned against sourpuss Kenley, whose obnoxious attitude can apparently be traced back to a childhood spent on a tugboat. I personally enjoyed her brief psychological self-assement in which she explained that she’s always been a fighter and outspoken, and yet for as long as she can remember, she’s always been on the outside. Hmmm… I wonder if there’s a correlation between attitude and likability?
I thought Kenley’s shredded mermaid dress would get her sent home, but luckily for her, all the other designers pretty much flopped on this latest nature-inspired challenge. As a result, well, I won’t say in case you haven’t seen it yet, but if you have, you know what happened, and if you haven’t, you owe it to yourself to check out this hilarious episode.
Now, onto the photocap!

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ADVENTURES IN DOMESTICITY: Chocolate Cheesecake Edition

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Last week, I brought you tales of Franco-Mexican fusion with my controversial brie quesadillas (with corn tortillas). Many close-minded people were shocked at the combination, and while not everyone can be as adventurous as I, surely there won’t be as much of a massive outcry about my chocolate cheesecake, which has been a tried and true stalwart for years. Let me preface this by saying that I’m rather bad when it comes to baking and similar tasks of that ilk. However, since cheesecake requires little more than mixing a bunch of wet things in a bowl, it’s something that I can pull off rather effortlessly. I’ve made this cake dozens of times, and what it lacks in presentation, it makes up for in taste. It’s seriously really good.
Recipe after the jump!

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Bike For A Good Cause

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Bike-a-thon!

I don’t often encourage readers to engage in charitable causes, but I’m bucking that trend today. My friend Meeshie is participating in the MS Bike Ride this weekend in New York City, an event aimed at raising money for multiple sclerosis research. It’s a great and important cause targeting something that affects more people than you may realize. And if you think about it, this site pulls in a few thousand people a day — if everyone donates a few dollars, Meeshie could pull in a hefty sum (and as a bonus, I think that’ll get her like a CD player reward or something). So instead of spending a few dollars on a snack and a soda from the vending machine, donate it to Meeshie’s team!
To find out how you can contribute, click here.
Oh, and if you want the formal pitch, follow the jump…

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Farewell, Sweet Keychain

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Back in the fall of 1997, I received a nifty bottle-opener keychain at Dartmouth orientation. It was a stellar addition to my burgeoning key ring as it was both very practical and completely free. Oh, how I enjoyed those heady days of popping the caps off beer bottles without a care in the world. Over time, however, the bottle opener wore down, and I found it an increasing chore to liberate beer from its glassy prison. I’d have to often attack multiple areas of the cap as merely clamping on and pulling up in one place would result in nothing but a violent, embarrassing whiff, leaving the cap intact and my pride shattered.
Eventually, even mutli-prying failed to work. The bottle opener had become totally, inexcusably useless, but I kept it around because it had become a relic of Dartmouth orientation — my rosy-eyed youth, if you will. Plus, I was really too lazy to order another one off the internet. Thankfully, last week IndianJones had to go back to the Alma Mater on a recruiting trip, and being the kindhearted man that he is, he volunteered to pick up whatever items we wanted from the Dartmouth Co-Op (a.k.a. the store that sells all the Dartmouth junk). I realized that eleven years on (holy crap), it was time for an upgrade. I put in an order for a shiny, glossy, new keychain, but this time with a circular design — one that might survive eleven years of weathering and whatnot. IndianJones obliged, and on Saturday night, I went to his apartment to make the official changeover from old to new. I’ll just say this: Yankee Stadium’s got nothing on this.

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LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACCESS! A Journey to Planet Hollywood

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When I was in ninth grade, my dreams came true one night when my brother took me to Planet Hollywood in New York City. Surely I would be in for a night of celebrities and glamor, the likes of which had never been experienced outside the hallowed city limits of Los Angeles. Well, we didn’t see any stars that night, but I did get to enjoy a delicious offering of Cap’n Crunch chicken fingers; so it really wasn’t all bad. Nevertheless, the silly restaurant chain has always had a special, kitschy place in my heart, and so when my friend Michelle recently dropped by Planet Hollywood, I vicariously relived all those glorious memories through her blog post. It’s worth checking out, even if you don’t have dumb sentimental attachments to the house of Arnold, Bruce, and Sly.
• Planet Hollywood… 17 Years Later [Best Week Ever]

Blackberry Faces The Cosmic Wrath of B-Side Blog

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Stocks for Blackberry fell 20% last night and continued to plummet an additional 25% today after engaging in a risky investment in smartphones. Why do I care? Well, because last night I was on the list for a Blackberry party in Beverly Hills, but when I showed up with my usual cohorts of Jash and IndianJones, we were denied entry because we were three dudes with no girls. True, I should have thought to bring some of the fairer sex, but it was all very last minute, and furthermore, if I just want to go out with my buddies, why should I be penalized? Sure, we’re three guys, but we’re not three douchebags. Big difference.
We probably could have stood around for an hour and maybe gained entrance, but it simply wasn’t worth it to us. Instead, we let the Valley trash fight it out in line while we headed off to the nearby Hotel Avalon. Our choice turned out to be a great one as sitting poolside at the hotel was both relaxing and fun, but I can’t lie that I still felt perverse joy in watching RIM’s stocks plunge today on Wall Street. That’s what happens when you deny all-powerful bloggers. Take heed, party planners. Take heed…

ADVENTURES IN DOMESTICITY: Quesadillas Edition

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When you’re a blogger, you live life in the fast lane, and never was that more apparent than earlier this week when my friend Laura and I made quesadillas on the faux Foreman grill. Yes, it was a glamorous affair, full of multiculturalism and Pam Cooking Spray, and being the dutiful blogger that I am, I’ve decided to share this admittedly A-List event with all you readers out there on the Internets.
So here’s the back story. With neither one of us having had dinner yet that night, Laura and I were getting quite hungry, but our third friend, Jenny, was en route with various snacks for a much hyped movie night (Stomp The Yard, natch). We didn’t want to engage in a full meal, lest Jenny’s snacks prove to be a meal unto themselves — in which case, we’d just nosh on those. But we didn’t want to eat just nothing in case the snacks weren’t sufficient enough to sate our monstrous appetites. As you can see, we were in a No Man’s Land of hunger. What could we eat? Sandwiches seemed too big, cereal too out-of-place, curry too heavy, and garden burgers too frou-frou. And that’s when I had an idea: how about quesadillas? Perfect! Not too filling, but certainly more satisfying than a light snack.
Of course, we faced a few limitations. First, the frozen corn tortillas I had were of low quality (leftovers from my taco experiments back in March). Second, the only cheese I had was a decidedly un-Mexican variety of brie. And third, Laura and I had never made quesadillas ever; so we were a bit like los ciegos leading los ciegos. Still, after having consulted with the Food Network website, we were resolved to make our corn-n-brie quesadillas to the best of our abilities. I manned the grill, Laura helmed the camera, and together, we embarked on an ethnic odyssey that was as exciting as it was educational.
Photos after the jump…

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The Most Annoying Song… Ever?

“Krazy” by Pitbull featuring Lil Jon: this might just be the most annoying song you’ll hear all week. It’s been on the radio and in the clubs for the past month or so (at least here in LA), and each time I hear it, I can’t help reflecting on just how supremely irritating it is. The best way to describe it is the bizarre union of reggaeton and a mosquito. And yet, I never change the channel. Even worse, I’m thinking of downloading it. Is something wrong with me?
(FYI — save yourself a trip to iTunes. If you do want to download the track, it won’t be released until September 30th. SIGH)

ADVENTURES IN MIDDLE EASTERN FOOD: Marouch Edition

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A few weeks ago, I headed off to local Middle Eastern restaurant / institution Marouch for the first time to enjoy some hummus, pita, and various other delectable treats from the Fertile Crescent. Joining me in the fun was my old friend and Metromix contributor Katherine Spiers, who for the past two years or so had been goading me into trying this fabled eatery. It was worth the wait. Photos of our culinary adventure after the jump.

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