Rhain Davis the Whiz Kids join Manchester United

Manchester United signs Nine year old!

NYC Nike Half-Marathon

Hat's off to both the New York Road Runners and Nike on one of the best races I have ever been part of. As most of you know I was lucky enough to be one of the almost ten thousand people who finished the NYC Half-Marathon this past Sunday, 3,495th overall with a personal best of 1:54 with those of you scoring at home.

I figured that this many people running I was due for a day of frustration and unorganization, but boy was I wrong. The race was completely organized from the the very beginning all the way to the end, with plenty of water stations and bathrooms available throughout the race. It really was the best experience of my brief running career and I just can't say enough good things about it.

As for the course it consisted started on the east side and consisted of one full loop around Central Parks outer loop which is just around six miles plus another mile to make it a total of about seven miles in the park. The next part of the route was leaving Central Park and running down Seventh Ave, which was closed off for the race with a ton of spectators on both sides. It was during this part that I really got a taste of what running the marathon must be all about. As I made my urn onto Seventh and heard all the people cheering I couldn't help but get goosebumps all over my body, especially that tingly feeling you get in your head. I knew that from this moment on it was going to be smooth sailing. The course followed seventh ave all the way down to Time's Square, which was another awesome moment. I mean think about how many times are you going to have the ability to run through Time's Square without any cars honking and really just soak it all in, it really was an incredible experience. I kind of felt like Tom Cruise in the Beginning of Vanilla Sky! As I mad my way to Forty Second street I made a right turn and headed for the West Side Highway and the mile Ten marker. I should also know that all along the route there was different bands playing all kinds of music from rock to salsa, a little bit for everybody. The West Side Highway was smooth and flat and I really felt in cruise control at this point, I think there may have been a cruise ship in and sun was just starting to rise and made for a beautiful setting. I was able to finish the last three miles pretty strong and was greeted at the finish line with a commemorative medal and a kiss from the wife, even though she bitched I was all sweaty and smelly.

This was my fourth half of this year, but known of the other really compared to it in terms of atmosphere. I must say it really was a rewarding experience and I was particularly proud of myself, especially since I had told to wife I was determined to beat two hours and I was not only able to but also beat my previous best time by more than three minutes. It really makes me feel like all my training for the Marathon is starting to pay off and I am really gaining confidence heading towards November!

On a personal note I also want to thank Danielle as well as my in-laws and Nathaniel for coming in to cheer me on that end, as well as everybody at the party and all asked how I did and seemed really happy for me, it really felt good to know that people did care and were rooting for me. By the way here is pic for you CD.

Also don't forget that, I know I am starting to sound like a whore here, but the whole point of me running the marathon is to raise money for cancer patients. Thanks again to everybody who has already helped out, for those who haven't all you have to do is go here and type in Maver in the upper right hand corner and follow the instructions. Plus don't be afraid to e-mail our friends since I don't have everybody's e-mail I could use some help. Thanks again and I can't wait to see everybody in November!

Happy B'Day Appetite!

It's hard to believe but true Guns N' Roses released Appetite for Destruction twenty years ago this past July. While it is scary to think I remember this album when it first came out, which makes me feel old it is even scarier that a great rock record has not been made since. It' s not that some albums haven't been good it is just that no album has come out since where everybody is like "Holy Shit" there is not one bad song on that album. Some of the Loft Boys would argue that Life of Agony's debut "River Runs Red" is similar, myself included however for some reason they never achieved any type of mainstream success.

Not to sound old, but I am going to anyway, I just don't think the generation of today understand the importance of great albums with the invention of i tunes and the ability to download only the songs you here on the radio rather then being pumped up by one song, but deciding to listen to the whole album anyway. Appetite is a great example of this. While it is true that no one will ever forget the first time they heard the screeching of the beginning of "Welcome to the Jungle", it was the catchy phrases of "Paradise City" and "Night train" that really made us love this album.

The sad part is because of egos, drug problems and Lord know what else Guns N' Roses reigned kings for a brief four year period by unlike most bands for that four year period they were untouchable. They were our heroes the way kids today worship Lebron, we worshipped GN'R. They were bad asses and made no apologies for it. They reveled in groupies and drugs and not necessarily in that order.

On a personal note when you think about it Guns N' Roses and the other bands of that era kind of changed all of our lives forever. It is because of bands like Gn'R, Motley Crue and Metallica that most of us started hanging out and still hang out almost fifteen years later. I still remember hanging out as a Sophomore in religion with DZ, when he noticed I had Motley Crue written on my notebook and the rest as they say is history! Since then a lot of things have changed Axl Rose has become a recluse, Izzy disappeared and Slash and Duff now play with the guy from STP, on the other hand half of the "Loft Boys" are married some of us even have kids and a good Friday night is having the Mets' win and the baby sleep until 9 am.

While it is true that a lot of things are different two things remain the same: Appetite for Destruction is still one of the top ten rock albums ever made and the "Loft Boys" are still the best groups of friends on earth. While it is true not everyone is able to get together to get drunk on a random Friday night, if there is a wedding or baby's christening you can bet that you can still find us all in the corner of the room sneaking a shot together!

P.S. There is a great story in this weeks Rolling Stone about how during a late night session recording the moaning in "Rocket Queen", Axl was disappointed in the realism of the moaning so he decided to fuck Steven Adler's girlfriend in the studio to make it seem more realistic. Now that's a man on a mission!

P.P.S. To quote the Golden Girls, "Thank you for being a friend!" Now that's talent, Bea Arthur and Axl Rose in the same blog!

P.P.P.S. Forgive me if I sound nostalgic, it is late night and I have been drinking Scotch solo!

For the Fellas!

This one is for the fellas. I found it on Collegehumor.com and though it was hilarious. That's right I am a 30 year old married father and still enjoy college humor! Click here for the video.

Honoring Lindsay Lohan!

In honor of Lindsay Lohan, your man Moe Green is glad to announce that he too will be sporting an alcohol monitoring bracelet for the next week. The bracelet will be wired to a central monitoring department that will notify all local bars when my blood alcohol level either drops under.01 or is dangerously close to dropping under.01. That's right, it's not a misprint I am wearing my bracelet to make sure I can stay over .01 for an entire week. I like to think of it as a dual homage to both Ms. Lohan and the movie Speed. Much like the how the bus in the movie would explode if it went under 60 MPH I am going to act as if my body will explode it my BAC drops under the legal limit. I look forward to this tough challenge.



In a other Hollywood news the two actors playing Billy Martin's ears in the ESPN miniseries the Bronx is Burning were involved in an altercation outside of the Las Vegas nightclub Tryst with several patrons after a long night of celebrating their recent success. Although details are sketchy at this time it is believed that the two actors who were struggling until recently were demanding a certain table that high rollers were already at and one thing led to another. Calls to both actors representatives went unanswered, but as soon as any more details are released I will let you know.

Shaq's Big Challenge!

I don't know if anybody has been watching this show on ABC, but I have to give Shaq all the credit in the world for trying to pull this off. I agree most of reality tv is crap, but if you can get past all the wife swapping and English nannies coming to the rescue of bad parents once in a while you can find a diamond in the ruff such as Shaq's Big Challenge.

Just to give you a little background the show is focused on six kids in middle school who are morbidly obese and thrust into a program where they are provided with dietitians personal trainers and a swift kick in the ass from the big man once in a while. The kids original weight ranges from anywhere near three hundred pounds to about two twenty with the average body fat percentage in the mid thirties. Scary stuff!

The crazy part as you watch the show is not the weight of just these kids, but how many other fat kids there are in the school. I can remember being in middle school and having maybe one or two fat kids running around, now it looks like about fifty percent of the kids are obese. Some of these kids can't even do one push up.

The good part of the show is that not only is Shaq trying to help these kids, but also trying to change the way the entire state of Florida deals with their physical education requirements. I really have to give him credit, because it is not like he just lent his name to a tv show and is trying to make a quick buck, he really seems interested in helping the kids and has been on the show throughout the season visiting homes and meeting with school officials. In addition to to try to make gym a required subject which it is currently not, Shaq and his team are also trying to redo the lunch menu to incorporate healthy foods rather than hot dogs, tater tots and a whole assortment of deep fried and fattening foods.

I don't think we realize just how much of a problem childhood obesity is becoming a problem and how not only is going to affect these kids lives but it also is going to affect our nations health care system as a whole as the kids get older and develop more and more health problems. My hat is off to Shaq for really putting his money where his mouth is and starting up a good cause. Although they started off with six kids they had about 40 kids voluntarily working out after school. Good job again Shaq and us Laker fans miss you big time. By the way the show can be seen on ABC on Tuesday's at 9 pm.

Long Time Coming!

I always keep making the same promise to myself that I am going to keep up with this blog and then it just never happens. So with two weeks off for vacation and some good events I hope to stick to my promise this time. Here are the events that have been capturing my eye in the the past few weeks in no particular order:

Crooked NBA Ref:

This past week 13 year veteran NBA ref Tim Donaghy was named as having possibly shaved points in the NBA due to overheard wiretap conversations among Gambino crime family members. While it comes to no surprise to me that this happened, what does come to a surprise to me is that NBA officials had knowledge that Donaghy was betting big money on football games and gave him a stern warning. No pun intended on "Stern"! Why in the name of God would the NBA put themselves in this position? Anyone with any knowledge of gamblers knows that it is only a matter of time before this man gets in a big enough hole that the sharks are going to eat him up and make him use his job to help pay back his debt. Shame on Mr. Donaghy, however I think the NBA is getting off too easy here. Let me share everybody the trouble and tell you how the story will end. Donaghy turns rat to save his own ass, cries publicly and apologizes, bad men got to jail, Donaghy takes up residence in small town outside Madison, Wi. On a personal note I would like to find Mr. Donaghy, for I am sure he owes me at least a couple of hundred bucks.

Hillary, Obama and Fundraising:

While I do not claim to be a political genius at all, in fact in recent years I have been finding my self less interested in politics than ever before as we are fed the same crap by these clones that all sound the same. I do have feel we need to change the way are politicians run their campaigns and how and more how much money they spend to reach these powerful positions. I recently read in the paper that during the second quarter Obama and Clinton have raised 34 and 33 million dollars respectfully for each of their campaigns. Now what is troubling to me is over the course of the next 17 months or so we are going to be bombarded with bad commercials urging us to vote for the candidate who will do the most for the public, while the whole time they are wasting hundreds of millions telling us why they are better. I just can't see how this country can sit back and let this happen. Not while we still are no closer to rebuilding the gulf coast, poor people are dying over simple curable diseases, children are hungry and soldiers are coming back missing limbs and broke.

Call me an idealist, but what I think we should do is cap the limit a candidate can spend on a campaign much the same way several sports organizations have the salary cap. I fell we can kill two birds with one stone with this solution. First it will cut down the amount of candidates who get elected using money given to them by big corporations and then spend the next four years pushing through bad legislation that will keep those same companies happy and help the politicians pay off their debts. Remember there is no money in politics only greed and power. Second maybe we can allow donations to still come in, however you just donate to the government and not a specific candidate, this way the money can be used to help feed children and other good causes such as better health care for vets and rebuilding the gulf coast. How nice would it be to have one candidate with balls stand up and say this is my plan this is my goal we will have three debates and no bad commercials.

Team Continuum:

Once again I would like to let everyone know I am going to be running this years ING New York City Marathon on Nov. 4 as part of Team Continuum. For those of you who don't know Team Continuum is an organization that donates money to cancer patients and their families to help pay some bills. I would like to thank those of you who have already donated and remind those who didn't you can make your donation here by typing in "Maver" in the upper right hand corner. I am trying to raise $2,500 and would appreciate any support. Also if you have already donated don't forget to tell anybody else who you think me be interested in the cause. I am glad to report my training is going great and I am sure I will be reading to go come November. It is a bit of a sacrafice and tough on the body, but I really do believe this is a great cause.

See everybody again later this week and thanks to all the family and friends who shared Nathaniel's christening with us this past Sunday. We hope everyone enjoyed it as much as we did!

ING New York City Marathon

Well it is official I will be running this years New York City Marathon and I am hoping that all of my friends and family will be able to make the trip out to route me on. Lord knows, I am probably going to need all the hope I can get. In addition to running the marathon for myself I have decided to try and run for a cause too. I joined the Team Continuum team, which is an organization that helps cancer patients and their families by paying off any mortgage payments or basic bills that they may have fallen behind on from being out of work. Anyway as part of my deal I am trying to raise $2,500 for this great charity and would appreciate any donations that anyone can make in my name. There is no minimum and every little bit helps me towards reaching my goal. All you have to do is go their website here and go to donate now on the upper right hand corner and type in my last name, which is Maver. I would like to personally thank everyone in advance and please let everyone you know about the site and lets try to keep the donations coming in. Also as a plus the organization will e-mail you a letter regarding your donations to be used during tax time for deductions. Thanks once again and I hope to see everyone at the finish line!

F Roger Clemens and the Yankees!

Yesterday the Yankees made one of the most nauseating signings in all of sports by signing Roger "The Rocket" Clemens to a ridiculous contract of 28 million over the next seven months. Widely considered the most storied sports franchises and class organizations in sports even by such Yankee haters as myself, the Yankees threw away 100 years worth of that reputation by signing this selfish prick.

I am sure many people will think I am just spewing because of sour grapes, but I assure you I am not. While it is true I have a tremendous disdain for Clemens I have always respected what he did on the field up until a few years ago when he started this mid season signing crap. As Yankee fans like my buddy K. Rove celebrate this pathetic signing of desperation and welcome back Roger "No road trips" Clemens let me just remind you of a little history of this guy.

First he started off playing for your deeply hated Red Sox and actually was the face of Boston and it's inability to win a championship prior to 2005. Ooh, you were so close Roger in 1986, but being the weasel that you are you asked out of game six and allowed Bob Stanley of Kearny, NJ to come in and blow the game for you. Next while playing for the Toronto Blue Jays I heard Yankee fans call him every name in the book as he plucked perennial plate hugger Derek Jeter. With screams of hatred and outrage they slammed Clemens and everything he stood for. People cursed him, his children, mother and anyone who has ever known him.

Fast forward a couple of years a pathetic Clemens still without a ring makes a desperate move and signs with an already well established team to mooch a ring off his old ex-rivals. Hey, whatever it takes Rog! This is not the worst part of the story though, the worst part of it are the Yankee fans now welcome him with open arms. With quotes like, "Rog is the best!" and "Boy, Clemens knows how to work the inside part of the plate." outsiders we left bewildered and shaking their heads. The best part is that with your newly beloved boy making his way through what was supposed to be his final season the Yankees and their fans celebrate his entire career with presentations, gifts and standing o's. What does the selfish prick do you ask? He shoves up the Yankees ass by signing with Houston the next year to be with resident butt buddy Andy Pettitte. Pathetic!

Pathetic I say unless you compare it with the way the Yankees announced the signing the signing yesterday. Hard to believe such a storied franchise like to the Yankees would create a circus in the middle of the game and have Clemens announce he will be back with them during the seventh inning stretch. Little Andy looked like he just got asked to the prom by the starting quarterback. Hell, they should have made Clemens and steroid laced body and enormous head fly from in from center field and land on that guys stupid glove like the eagle usually does. Why not make it a real party?

Be proud Yankee fans, be proud!

Beverly Hills 90210

It what may be my most pathetic post I bring to you Beverly Hills 90210. During the early part of the 90's I have to admit I was a huge 90210 fan who never missed an episode. However the saddest part of the story is unlike most people I did not give up on the show, but rather continued watching as the gang made their way through college. Anyway recently while on my vacation from work and taking care of the baby as I flipped through channels i was pumped to find out that the Soap Network plays reruns of 90210 everyday at 5 and 6P.M. for those of us who have nothing better to do. The only bad part of this story is that I didn't find these reruns until the day before I went back to work. Thank God for Tivo. So anyway if you are a fan check out the show and relive the good ol'days and don't worry the show is as cheesy as ever. The soap network also runs reruns of Melrose Place as well right before if you are interested. Well gotta go enjoy a lavender bath and cosmo now, chow!

Nathaniel Thomas

First off let me just say my lack of post over the past month have been a disgrace and I apologize to all. Between working crazy opera hours and having my wife, who had blood pressure problems the last month of her pregnancy which resulted in bed rest and finally for a lack of a better term an emergency "c" section, which takes me to the good news. Although he is almost two weeks old I am pleased to announce the birth of our first child Nathaniel Thomas weighing in at 8lbs 15 oz and 20 inches long. It seems like a lifetime ago when I first posted that grainy sonogram picture, but alas here he is in the flesh.

You know it's funny how quickly you're life can get turned around. Even when my DM was pregnant you still had the choice to go out to dinner and run to the store real quick or basically do whatever you wanted to whenever you wanted. Not so anymore. Basically our entire lives revolve around this little guy. Not to say that is a bad thing, just in the short few weeks he has been here he has already brought more joy to my life than I could've ever possibly imagined.

During the nine months that we were eagerly awaiting his arrival I would often find myself daydreaming about him and wonder what kind of man he would be. Being a sports fan I always envisioned him being a professional athlete of some kind at first or even an actor, something that would bring him great riches and success. Now when I look at him as a person I realize I don't need those things for him to be a success al I need and want for him is to be happy with who he is. That's what fatherhood does to you it makes you soft and caring. You are no longer the selfish bastard that complains every time he has to get up early or is slightly inconvenient by a favor that someone may need from you. Overnight you become that guy who gets up at 4 a.m. to change a diaper and is almost happy about. While it may suck that my sleep which I cherish so much is being rudely interrupted nevertheless I get up and do it, b/c I know that is what will make my little guy happy and since the minute he was conceived that has become my main purpose in life.

I often look back on my own childhood with great memories of my father and now realize how much he sacrificed to make my brother and me happy. I can't recall a single time where he really raised his voice to me and I know for a fact that he never laid a finger on me. A lot of old school people will tell you that a good beating goes a long way, but not me. As I grew up I didn't disrespect my father because he never hit me in fact I think I showed him more respect for it. My only regret is that Nate will not get to know the man my father was like I know. As for myself when my son grows up I only hope he looks back on me and thinks that I am half the father to him that his grandfather was to me.

On a less serious note, I already owe Nate one. Thanks to the great timing on his birth for the first time since college I have been able to catch all the opening day games of the NCAA Tournament since I am currently on vacation. Nothing makes me happier than planting my ass on the couch on that Thursday and watching college b ball all day, even if I am constantly interrupted by feedings and what have you. Thanks buddy I already owe you one.

I also want to thank everybody who came by the hospital and house. Your warm wishes and thoughts make this special event just that much more special. Thanks again to all our friends!

Two Down, Three to Go!

Well fresh off the heels of running my first half-marathon less than a month ago I am pleased to announce today I conquered the Bronx as my second one. This leaves me with Staten Island, Brooklyn and Queens to still go. I have to admit I was much better prepared this time and improved my time from 2:09 to 1:53, of course I didn't have an ounce of alcohol in me last night. I've learned that lesson already. Again the course was very hilly and a lot tougher that I anticipated it would be, but never the less and I am proud of my performance. Gotta go ice my whole body now, later!

Top Ten Movies of all Time!

We were having an argument at work the other day about what the top ten movies of all time are and what you can tell about a person based on their movies. Anyway I thought it would be fun to list mine and have everyone else list theirs as well. Here are mine in no particular order:

The Godfather I and II: I will list them as one movie. No explanation needed.

Caddyshack: Probably one of the best comedies ever written. Brilliant performances by Ted Knight, Rodney Dangerfield, Bill Murray and Chevy Chase. Pretty much everyone I know can rattle off one liners from this movie like there is no tomorrow. "Hey Wang, it's a parking lot!"

Shawshank Redemption: This one has it all murder, prison rape, hope and the never dying spirit of human will. Besides you can never go wrong with Morgan Freeman narrating any film.

Goodfellas: This was our generation Godfather. While the Godfather was filled with old school tough guys and men who would rather die, this one showed the new gangster who loves to gamble, drink and rat on their friends when they get in a pinch. Again almost everyone can rattle of lines all day off of this one. Unbelievable cast of Pesci, DeNiro and Liotta.

Jaws: Wasn't around to really experience the terror that surrounded going into the water when this masterpiece was first released, but remember being scared shitless many years later, nonetheless. Nothing like a twenty-five foot man eating fish to make a kid beg his parents to put up a swimming pool in the backyard.

Platoon: If you weren't afraid of going to war before you walked into the theater you sure as hell were when you came out. This movie stripped away the old time vision of the proud soldier and show them for what they really were. Kids, just like you and me scared as hell and just trying to make it out of the jungle alive. Tom Beringer gives the performance of his life as Lt. Barnes.

National Lampoons Vacation: From the opening cords of Lindsey Buckinghams "Holiday Road" to the arrest and subsequent release of the Griswolds at Wally World this movies is an absolute pisser. They are very few dull moments at all as the Clark and co. weave their way from Chicago to sunny Cali. Great bit roles by Eugene Levy and John Candy make this great movie just that much better.

Pulp Fiction: I don't think anybody will ever look at a man in a leather outfit the same again and watching this movie. Anymovie written by Quentin Tarantino and starring Harvey Keitel, Christopher Walken, Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson as a gun wielding "bad motherfucker" is an instant classic as far as I am concerned. I still get goosebumps everytime I hear Jules read that passage from the bible.

Seven: Probably one of the darkest movies ever mad, not to mention one of the rainiest. Brilliant story with an ending that is definitely not your typical Hollywood ending. Kevin Spacey is tremendous as John Doe as well as Brad Pitt who finally finds out what's in the box. Again you can't go wrong with Morgan Freeman.

The Sixth Sense: Debated a while over this one, but in the end had to include it. I know it is only good for one watch, but try to tell me one person who didn't say: " Holy shit, that fuckers dead too!" Anyone who tells you they had it figured out are full of shit. Unbelievably well written and original screenplay by the unknown M. Knight.

Honorable Mention: American Pie, Naked Gun, Raging Bull, Star Wars, Usual Suspects, Reservoir Dogs, Wall Street, Casino, Boogie Nights, Fight Club.

P.S. Coming soon, "Best Movie quotes!"

Good Steak and My First Half-Marathon

I was going to start this blog off with a review of Angelo's and Maxies Steakhouse, which was the sight of this years annual Loft Boys Dinner, however K.Rove beat me to it and pretty much hit it right on the money. So if you want to find out about the place please feel free to click the link. On a side note, I would like like to extend another thank you to Ricky who put together the dinner this year and did a great job, thanks again.

Now to me, as some of you may or may not know, over the last year I have started to take running pretty seriously with the ultimate goal being to run in The New York City Marathon this November and on Sunday I took another step closer to that goal and I must say I am pretty damn proud of myself.

The big goal wasn't to run the race, but rather figure out how the hell I was going to get up at 6:45 a.m on Sunday morning after doing shots of Jameson until about 2:00 a.m, which gave me a solid four hours to rest. How's that for some training? Anyway I somehow dragged myself out of bed slammed down two gatorades and a banana and headed off to the starting line with a slight headache and six pounds of raw seafood and steak in my gut. Not to mention some Johnnie Black, wine and a few Amstels.

Needless to say I raced into the city with no traffic and was able to make it for the 8:30 a.m start. The course consisted of two full laps around Central Park's outer loop and was quite hilly to say the least. Overall I was pretty pleased with my perfomance and really didn't hit the wall until mile 11 when everything below my waist seemed to stop working (Please keep jokes to minimum after that comment). I finished up with a time of 2:09 and will hope to build upon that next month when I will my next half-marathon in the Bronx. You see as part of the qualifying races for the marathon The New York Road Runners Club holds various races throughout the year as well as a half-marathon in each of the five boroughs. As the weather gets warmer these races will continue and I hope some of you will come out to give me a cheer. Also as part of my marathon experience, I am probably going to be running for one of the sponsored charities. As far as the details are concerned I will let everyone know in February, but just be ready I will probably be coming towards you will an open hand and I expect some heavy donations.

So that is all for now. I just needed to do a little bragging about myself, no one else was around on this 20 degree January morning to tell about my great slaying of the half-marathon.

What Happens if You Chug a Bottle of Vodka in 20 Seconds!

This video reminded me of our old days as the Los Prados Boys back at the loft. Complete with the Russian heavy metal music in the background. Check out video.

Peter Luger: Simply the Best

Last night I had the pleasure of once again having dinner at Peter Luger's In Brooklyn and all I can say is that place is the best, no ifs ands or butts about it. I 've heard people complain it's overrated, the servers are rude, etc., but when it comes to steak they are second to none.

After enduring an awful two hour ride over to Brooklyn and missing our reservation, we were forced to wait and enjoy a few cocktails at the bar. By the way they also make a mean drink, where else can you get a Dewars and water in a glass that is about the size of a pint glass. After about an hour wait we finally got to sit down and the feast was on. The best thing about Luger's is you don't even need a menu. You either get the standards such as shrimp cocktail tomato and onion and the bacon or the waiter tells you you are going to be having the shrimp cocktail tomato and onion and the bacon. The bacon by the way is almost as good as the steak and is served as an appetizer. It is basically just a huge slice of bacon that is cooked to perfection and goes great with the equally delicious Peter Luger steak sauce.

Next came the steak, which is also served in a cool manner. Basically if you have six people at the table you order a steak for six, then have it come your table all cut up already with just a little sizzle and ready to go. As for the sides you can't go wrong with the always reliable hash browns and creamed spinach. Hmmmm, Delicious! After this meal you won't need to eat for about the next week.

So no matter how many haters or imitators out there there may be when it comes to staekhouses there are two kinds. Peter Luger and rest. Although I hear good things about Angelo's and Maxie and will have a full review on Sunday after our annual Loft Boys Holiday Dinner Spectacular. By the way a heartfelt thanks goes out to our boy Ricky for putting the dinner together this year.

Everest: Beyond the Limit!

I understand tis' the season and I would like to wish everybody a happy and safe holiday. However if you have time or a TiVo system I highly recommend watching Everest: Beyond the Limit on the Discovery channel. I have been captivated by this gritty and informative documentary on what exactly it takes to reach the summit of the highest mountain in the world. Anyway there are running a marathon starting at 5pm today and I can't say enough good things about the show. Enjoy!

Ashamed to be from New Jersey

Most of the people around the country have a pretty bad impression of New Jersey and usually I am the first to disagree with them. While it is true that our great state has plenty of problems such as overcrowding, traffic and guidos it also has many advantages that we take for granted. Growing up in northern New Jersey where else in the world can you be in New York City in the morning and the beach by noon the same day. We also have access to to gaming and entertainment in Atlantic city as well as some of the best talent theaters have to offer right on Broadway. Museums are never far and golf courses and ski lodges are aplenty and easily accessible. Alright enough of the New Jersey and you perfect together commercial and time to get to the point.

While making my daily miserable commute to work in Manhattan the other day I had one of these Holy Shit, I wish I was from anywhere, but New Jersey. Being stopped in traffic as usual on Route 3 in Secaucus right before the 495 Halifax , I just happened to look out my driver side window and couldn't believe the amount of crap that was on the side of the road. I understand this is New Jersey and pollution has always been a problem, which makes this even worse. I mean if you grew up in this area and you are appalled by the amount of liter on the side of the road you know it must be bad. Adding to the usual things such as cups and tires that we are used to seeing on the roadways, I was also greeted by used diapers, mattresses egg containers and I am not sure but I could have sworn I seen Vito Spadafore's fat dead carcass laying over there.

So while the Xanadu and Equinox projects are getting underway, just a few hundred yards from these high end complexes is probably the most polluted highway this side of Baghdad. That's right nothing like spending millions on a beautiful golf course and having your drive hit off the rim of a 1985 Buick. The only thing I can imagine that would be more rewarding is enjoying a nice breakfast on the balcony of your new overpriced condo and taking in not only the sights of the Manhattan skyline but also the oil and gas containers that liter your neighborhood, but hey that indoor skiing should be a hoot.

So instead of just bitching about the problems over the next forty five minutes it took me to go the remaining 4 miles to work I decided to try and come up with a solution. Of course it starts very simply by not throwing anymore shit out your window, which I already don't do and encourage all others not to, but there has to be more. Anyway I came up with a few quick ideas: We could also exercise that excellent temp agency The Orange Jumpsuit Brigade. Why let the people that can't behave themselves sit around in our local jails and do nothing but eat sleep and have access to free weights while we go to work and pay for things like gym memberships. Did you ever stop to think while we pay $50 or more to a gym every month, the same guy who stole your car gets to go for free? I say get these bozos out there and I am not talking once a week, hell lets get them out there everyday.

Along the same lines, lets get some juvenile deliquents out there to help the big boys clean up. Too often we let our young people get away with crime and vandalism with just a slap in the wrist. Besides if they do get locked up what the hell is sitting around for a year going to do for them. Let's throw them in school until noon and then it's time to hit the highway boys!

We could also use people who are unemployed. Hey, I understand that you have to look for jobs, but Saturdays and Sundays you should be free. I mean it must be nice to sit home and collect $465 a week for doing nothing, but look at it this way you are still making over $400 for two days worth of work.

I am also going to look into organizations that allow everyday people to volunteer their time and help clean up. More info to come on a later day. Sorry about the nasty tone, but this is your mind goes if you are given too much time in a car. Why do you think 90% of truck drivers are crazy?

Later! By the way please feel free to offer any suggestions you may have.

Successful Sunday all Around

After having a pretty shitty Saturday after my car broke down and having to take a 12:05 am bus home from Manhattan I was hoping Sunday would be better and luckily it was.

I Woke up early and made my way back into Manhattan so I could participate in the Joe Kleinerman 10k in Central Park. It was my first race with the New York Road Runners Club and I was pretty happy with my result finishing the 6.2 miles in 55 minutes.

After that was done I headed back home and spent the next couple of hours running around getting ready for the first annual Green's Christmas Extravaganza, which turned out to be a great time. Walking the red carpet to the event were fellow bloggers K. Rove and Ricky as well as a posse of pregnant women. Anyway before long the homemade eggnog was flowing and a a good time was had by all, especially yours truly who lost a couple of hours somewhere along the way.

On a side note, I would just like to thank everybody who came by and blessed our house with their presence. I feel like life would be nothing if you didn't have any friends to share it with and as far as I am concerned my friends are the best there are. There is nobody I would rather share all of my great experiences with.

I also would like to send a special thank you out to Mrs. Green who did a terrific job hosting the party as she always does. Everything looked beautiful from the Christmas tree right down to the fake shiny silverware. I am proud to call her my wife. Aside from keeping everybody's belly's full she also had to deal with my drunk ass, but hey nobody said getting into heaven would be easy.

10k, Then Christmas Party on Sunday

First off, I would like to apologize for the lack of posts in the past couple of weeks, between long days of opera, holiday stuff and an expectant wife I really haven't had much time to do anything of late.

That said I am really pumped for the holidays and this Sunday in particular. In the morning I will be running a 10K race in Central Park (6.2 miles) that will hopefully be the first step toward my goal of running the New York City Marathon next year, so anyone who may happen to be in the city on a Sunday morning whether it be from the night before or waking up early I invite you to come on down and cheer.

Later on in the day Mrs. Green and myself will be hosting our first annual Holiday Christmas Party at our house and I welcome everybody who is reading this to come. I am looking forward to seeing everybody together for the holidays and hopefully a good time will be had for all. A full review of the party will be given on Monday.

Anyway it is 1:00am and I am tired see everybody later!