anyone else notice?

that this swine flu nonsense has made the subways alot less crowded? makes me feel a little left out that i can't be one of the people who's scared to the death of the got-darned flu. it also makes me wonder how these people are getting to work alternately? and in a city about as jammed packed with people as you can get without being asian, do you really think mass transit is the way you're going to catch the pig virus? and am i the only one who has been thinking about this episode ever since this 'pandemic' came to light?

will ferrell is hilarious

got a chance to check out will ferrell's new broadway show, 'you're welcome america. a final night with george w bush', on sunday. comedy gold i tell you. if you thought ferrell's portrayal of our now former commander-in-chief on snl was hilarious, be prepared to see him take this shtick to new heights.

the show is a completely and totally irreverent retrospective of bush's political career, focusing mainly on his 8 years as leader of the free world. the show is funny as all get out (what does that even mean? really. but i've always wanted to use that phrase and now i have. deal with it.) and manages to entertain with very little use of over the top gags that are present in much of ferrell's recent projects. not that there aren't some moments that make your eyes widen a bit, but they are used selectively and thus, with strikingly funny results.

i won't say anymore because every single second of this show needs to be seen to feel its' full effect. bottom line is, go see it. today. tomorrow. soon.

i screen you screen we all screen...

and they wonder why new yorkers are so stressed out

another day another terror threat. don't get scared, because that's what terrorists like. but just take this as a reminder that time waits for no man and tomorrows not promised so if shes still alive shoot a call to your momma. ok that last part was a murs quote, but you get the point.

paz y amor good homies...

welcome to new york city

spotted new knick cuttino mobley on my way to the train last night. he had just finished shopping at saks with his mom and female companion and was hailing a cab up to bloomingdales. way to stimulate the ny economy cat. no security, no entourage, just a normal guy out spending thousands of dollars. so i welcomed him to new york as he was getting into the cab and went about my merry way. seems like a nice guy, i hope that heart issue they are talking about isn't anything serious. go knicks.

not that this matters to anyone

but q-tip wore the almost exact same outfit to his performance at the knicks game last night that he wore during his guest appearance at the roots concert at roseland that night before.

step ya game up 'tip.

the single most amazing musical experience of my young life

last night i attended a concert at the roseland ballroom, featuring the roots, gym class heroes, and estelle. wow. double wow. and a good old-fashioned wow wow wow.

opening act estelle and her crew did an awesome job of warming up a crowd that had waited out on the nyc cold and rain for as long as 2 hours. her performance far exceeded the expectations i had for her based on listening to her body of work. possessing an absolutely electric personality and charming feminine wit, estelle entertained the crowd, discussing topics ranging from the current presidential elections to relationships. once she had the crowd on her side, estelle blew us away with sultry, soulful voice and lively stage presence. she's converted me. i'm a fan.

next up, gym class heroes. once they took the stage, a multitude of teenyboppers and adult (i use the word loosely) groupies descended into a state of delirium and foolishness. lead singer travis mccoy entranced the crowd with his storytelling and threw it into a frenzy with an energetic and inspired performance. gym class heroes played a good mix of their hits, old and new, even adding in a rendition of prince's 'when doves cry'. great energy. awesome band. impressive guitarist. thoroughly enjoyed their set. mad they didn't perform 'don't tell me it's over' or 'fly with me'.

now i must say. after gym class heroes set i thought i had just seen a really good, well-tuned, band give a top-notch performance. then the roots came out. and made gym class heroes look like a garage band. i would talk more about this but my jaw still hasn't returned to a closed position and it's difficult to type with one's chin on the keyboard. seriously. i will not describe this performance. if you haven't seen the roots you need to. and if don't think you do. fuck yourself. it's that serious. oh, and fuck all those people who left after gym class heroes left the stage. and an even bigger fuck to all those people who stayed and look uninspired. you are asswipes.

highlights -
travis interjecting a verse from 'catch me if you can' during estelle's performance of her single '1980'.
two guys fighting over a drumstick thrown of the stage by gym class' roadie. ultimately ended in a rock, paper, scissors standoff.
estelle's crew's hilarious appearance onstage alongside gym class.
estelle singing the hook to the roots' 'you got me' (watch out erykah and jill).
special appearances made by q-tip and mos def.
the roots.
the fuckin roots.
the motherfuckin legendary roots crew.

wow.

best rainy day lunch ever

you absolutely can not have a better meal on a rainy day then grilled cheese and tomato soup. and you can not find a better place in the city to get that combo than say cheese! located at 649 9th Avenue, between 45th and 46th streets, this tiny storefront is home to one of the best lunches i've ever had. check it out, you'll be happy you did.

i just finished off a mama's special myself and am now completely content for the rest of the afternoon. ahh, the 'itis sets in...

sleepwalk with mike birbiglia

you may have seen him in one of his three specials on comedy central. maybe you've heard one of his two amazingly funny comedy cd's. or perhaps you were lucky enough to catch him at this years central park summerstage venue. if you haven't you are missing out on something great. his name is mike birbiglia and he has worked his way into a place on my list of favorite comedians. his very dry, witty style brings you into his act, where you are pummeled unexpectedly with hilarious punch lines which will leave you gasping for air.

mike's (i hope you don't mind me calling you mike, mr. birbiglia. and no, i don't know him. i just know he checks his google alerts, right mike?) new project is a captivating off-broadway show titled, 'sleepwalk with me'. produced by nathan lane and directed by seth barrish, this one-man show is a 90 minute joyride during which we hear about mike birbiglia's adventures in life and sleepwalking. not content with simply delivering a brilliant comedic performance, birbiglia also draws you in and allows you to connect and identify with him through his stories.

so i guess what i'm saying is - it's funny. hysterical. so go see it. buy some tickets and go see it. now. believe, me i'd never steer you wrong.

nypd blues

if you're from new york and haven't just recently been released from a protective bottle or been thawed from cryogenic hibernation, you've noticed that the nypd have been in the news with some frequency. sean bell. tazer murders. suicides. gun fights. brutality. unnecessary force. the list goes on and on. and, chances are, this isn't behavior that you're surprised by. it is a sad state of affairs when a society almost expects the individuals that are supposed to protect them to misuse the power they have been given.

so i know all of you are with me here. and probably gettin all riled up inside with those "i hate pigs" and "cops are assholes" thoughts. but here is where i may lose some popularity for my stance. i don't think cops are pigs or assholes. that is a sterotype. and everyone reading this that has ever been confronted with a stereotype of themselves realizes that stereotypes are wrong. sure, there will be some in any group that fit the general stereotype. after all, stereotypes are based on people that actually exist. however, we should have the ability to recognize that the majority of a given group does not fit the criteria of that stereotype. some black people don't like watermelon. not all asians are good at math. not every hispanic has at some point lived in a house with a tin roof. and not all police officers are assholes.

many members of the nypd are kind, benevolent human beings who aim only to protect and serve. others are decent human beings that need a paycheck and take their job seriously, regardless of whether they love it or not. many have families - wives, children, brother and sisters - that they go home to each night and worry every day about not making it back to them. so many stories. so many personalities. There’s no way they could all fall under the same umbrella. and yet the negative stereotyping persists.

police officers have what can be one of the toughest jobs to do. they must constantly be conscious and aware of their surroundings. they have to patrol and protect the streets of one of the biggest cities in the world. they have to deal with all kinds of drunk, druggies, degenerates, and deadbeats (i love alliteration by the way). and they have to do it all with targets on their backs. with us looking down at them. hurling insults and dirty looks their way. i mean yea, some of them deserve it. and some of them can get out of hand at some times. but we certainly don't help by making them feel as if their life is in danger whenever they exercise a little authority (or even when they don't).

i don't condone police brutality. and i don't think that members of nypd should feel a sense of superiority or entitlement. but i do think that they aren't all bad. and i do think that they should be given the benefit of the doubt. and maybe, just maybe, the kindness and understanding we show to them will be given back to the individuals they come in contact with.