Home Cookin': Stuffed Peppers

For the NFL Championship Game Sunday, I invited my father out to watch the games.  I offered to make him my world-famous (exaggeration alert!!) chili but he declined.  So I reached asked myself what I was in the mood for and my brain provided me with the answer of "Stuffed Peppers."  Rationally thinking, it's doesn't seem that difficult to make and it involved tomato sauce, which speaks to the quarter-Italian side of me.  

So...I made them.  Here are the pics below with attempted witty commentary.

I cored the first pepper and all seems to be going great

Five peppers cored, no seeds (nor stems - HOLLA!).  Getting ready to be boiled.

Oh SHIT!!  Did you say "grilled onions"?  Damn right, I'm grilling onions.

Throw in a pound of ground beef and brown that shit.

The beef and onions look done, no??

My secret ingredient.  Not in the peppers, in my glass of Diet Coke
.  Jeez, you thought I'd put Jack Daniel's in stuffed peppers??
What the fuck is wrong with you??

Peppers have been stuffed.  There is only one thing missing....

Fuggin' tomato sauce!!!!!! (and a larger pan for those with a good eye)

Throwing those babies into the over at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.  

Green Peppers, all done...

Presentation is everything.....

Drank a bottle of George Duboeuf's 2011 Nouveau Beaujolais.
(NOTE: The signature of the label artist, Brooklyn's Mr. Kaves.  Yep, that's how I roll.)

Recent Readings: Steve Jobs & Mindy Kaling

Q: Hey, Guy Bannister.  You have not posted any updates lately on books you have been reading.  Does that mean you are not reading lately??

A: Hello no!!   I have been knocking out books but just been too lazy to give reviews.  But that stops today.  Below you will find my thoughts on some books I have recently completed and may help you decide on which to purchase for your loved ones this holiday season.

Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson

Everyone (slight exaggeration) was talking about this book when it came out so I figured that I had to read it.  And am glad I did so.  A really well-written examination of a man considered to be this generation's genius.  I knew very little about who Steve Jobs was a person yet much as the head of Apple.  I mean, they made the iPod and iPhone.  That was pretty much his legacy.

But there was a lot more to know about him.  First of all, he was pretty much a raving asshole.  An asshole who treated everyone around him poorly, who belittled family and friends at will, who was completely incapable of empathy and yet was able to change the modern consumer's world as we know it.

This book does an amazing job of not putting any spin on who Steve Jobs was.  There are plenty of those around him who gave their honest opinions for this book.  Even his wife is brutally honest.  It's not a quick read but definitely worth it.

Many of you are familiar with Mindy Kaling as Kelly Kapoor on NBC's "The Office" and I am one of them.  I did not know much about her other than the fact that she is one of the writers/producers of the show.  What better way to cash in on having a witty personality and national exposure??  Write a book.

As a fan of "The Office" and of Mindy's acting skills, I got a copy of this book and knocked it out in a few days.  A quick read if there ever was one.  Kaling even makes a reference to that fact at some point in the book, she questions the brain power of anyone who needs more than a week to complete it.

Kaling has a great sense of humor and uses it thorough-out the chapters.  She mixes in laughs with a serious message of "just be true to yourself."  I highly recommend it for any teenage girl who feels peer pressures to "be cool."

Small factoid:  I had no idea she spent a few years living in Brooklyn's Windsor Terrace neighborhood.

I just started the new Stephen King "11/22/1963"

Keep reading, folks.  It grows your minds.

Lazy

I am been definitely slacking on my updates. Apologies to all my loyal readers. I will have some new stuff up for you soon.

Monday Catch-Up

It's been awhile since I put anything up so I figured I would take a few minutes from my very busy schedule to throw something up.

I have barely survived a weekend packed with stand-up comedy in New York. As part of the New York Comedy Festival, I ended up hitting three shows this weekend and am pretty well laughed out. An old man could get hit in the nuts with a football and I would probably just stare at it coldly.



First show was Friday, November 11th at Carnegie Hall, featuring Paul Virzi, Joe DeRosa and Bill Burr. Yes, you can make it to Carnegie Hall telling jokes. Virzi was a great starter, DeRosa (a personal favorite of mine) held his own and Bill Burr simply killed the room. It was great watching a comedian at the top of his game work a room that size. His material is strong and his Boston personality comes through. Highly suggest you check out his podcast, the Monday Morning Podcast which sometimes appears on Tuesday.



After the show, we ran downtown and hit the Eastville Comedy Club in the East Village. As we were walking in, Janeane Garafolo was walking out as I guess she had just finished her set in the 9:00pm show. So I can sort of say that I have seen Janeane Garafolo. Anyway, at Eastville, we saw solid sets from Dan Soder, Todd Barry, Justin Silver and Dante Nero. It was such an interesting comparison to see some comics working a small room where they could do crowd work. Todd Barry is simply a genius and Dan Soder is a strong up-n-comer.



Last night, we checked out JB Smoove filming his new one hour Comedy Central special at The Music Hall of Williamsburg. He really has some funny material and he has a great energy. It was really interesting to see how they rearranged the seating in the room to put more minorities in view of the stage. I would be very surprised if we made it on the special. I am almost 40 and very white.



That is my update and now I have to get back to work…I will come back and include links to the names/locations mentioned above. I know that's a popular feature.

Monday Night Update

First and foremost....  I am a fan of NBC's "Parks and Recreation" and this is genius..

Next, I have not done a book review lately.  Reason is that I am catching up on podcasts and in the middle of Laura Hillenbrand's brilliant World War II book, "Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption".  It tells the true story of pilot, Louie Zamperini, whose airplane goes down in the middle of the Pacific and he gets captured by the Japanese.  That's as far as I've gotten and highly recommend it.  I'll post more as I get deeper into it.

My next read will definitely be  Walter Isaacson's book on Steve Jobs.  I hope Steve won't mind if I read it on my Kindle.  I plan on getting one of those Amazon Kindle Fires.  

Clutch Beer

As some of my most dedicated readers may remember, Clutch recently teamed up with the brewers at New Belgium Brewing to create the Clutch Dark Sour Ale. Link

I checked around and couldn't find it in the Crooklyn area. I was indeed quite the disappoint.

Well, I came home to find my best half had figured a way to procure a bottle for me as a gift. Pictures to follow.

She rules. And that's why I love her.

Recent Readings: Mick Wall's "Enter Night: A Biography of Metallica"

Alright folks... I believe I have hit my saturation with Metallica.  After being a fan since the release of Master of Puppets, I finally saw them for the first time at Yankee Stadium last month as part of the Big Four.  Leading up to the show, I listened to all of their early albums and a slew of their recent live shows.  I even got my hands on an old copy of "Cliff 'Em All" which I have not watched yet.

As part of my Metallica immersion, I got my hands on a copy of "Enter Night: A Biography of Metallica" by British rock author, Mick Wall.    Thanks to the kind staff at St. Martin's Press for sending over a review copy.  And I have to say that this was an excellent read for any Metallica fan interested in a behind-the-scenes history of the band.

At times, Wall falls victim to coming across as being too close to his subject matter and enters a "check me out, I hung out with the band" territory.  But he does not spend too much time there so I will not hold that against him.  Wall, however, does an excellent job describing how the band got together, the personal difficulties they had with each other, the influences they had, etc.  He really gets across the importance Cliff Burton was to the band and what a difficult time Jason Newsted had joining the band.  One thing I give Wall a lot of credit for, he does not hold back his opinion when he felt Metallica put out shitty music.  And it is an accepted fact they did.

For someone who thought they knew the "Metallica story," I came across having learned a lot.  If you are a Metallica fan and want to read the definitive history of the band, check this out.

I would also like to point out that Metallica has a new album coming out soon with Lou Reed, called "Lulu". From what I have heard so far, this album will suck and I will not buy it.  Sorry, but I hate Lou Reed more than I like Metallica.  Whomever took the photos for the Lulu shoot should be shot.  Or Metallica should be embarrassed to have approved those pics.  Or maybe I am just cranky.

Recent Readings...

I have received a few emails asking what I have been reading, as I clearly have failed in keeping my readers up-to-date.  Apologies...

First off, I recently completed Donald Rumsfeld's "Known And Unknown: A Memoir" and I have to say that I was disappointed in it.  Considering the major impact he has had on America in the past ten years, I was hoping for an insightful look at his thought process, an honest assessment of what he did right and wrong, an analysis of what worked and what didn't.

Unfortunately, it felt like this book was a watered-down version of what Donald Rumsfeld really wanted to say.  During his tenure in as the Secretary of Defense during the Bush Administration, Rumsfeld became known as an individual who did not mince words yet here is a book where it feels he is holding back on almost every page.  The author never seems to take a truly hard stand against anything.

Additionally frustrating is his constant finger-pointing at others for everything wrong.  The liberal media, the State Department, Europe, the media again.  Maybe I was wrong to expect him to look inwards and say, "Hey, here's something I really wish I did not do."  In the chapter he dedicates to his "mistakes", the main regret he has is that he did not reach out to Congress to get them involved in the decision making process during his tenure.  WEAK!!!!

After finishing that book, I moved on to David Cross' "I Drink For A Reason" which is a collection of essays (some already published) mushed together in book form.  I would consider myself a fan of Cross from his stand-up specials and Arrested Development so I assumed I would really like this book.  Well, I gave up 45% into it.  I simply was not enjoying it to a degree which warranted continued reading.  It is not funny.  Clever at times, sure.  But not enough to keep spending time on it.  It actually left me feeling that I could write a funnier book.  (Which I just may)

Hey, it's Donny Rumsey looking ghetto casual....

Save your time and don't read...

Concert Price Scam Complaint

I know everyone has had their own experiences complaining about the imposed service charges tacked onto concert tickets. Here's mine:

I have been purchasing concert tickets through Ticketmaster for over twenty years. I am old. From the days of standing in line outside the local record store, which doubled as a Ticketmaster outlet... Ugh, those were the days. I remember buying tickets for Motley Crue's "Dr. Feelgood" tour. So ashamed.


Anyway, as the years went by, we all became accepting of the Ticketmaster surcharge fees added to concert ticket prices. The term "raped by Ticketmaster" became commonly used throughout society. With the rise of the Internet, it became so much simpler to buy tickets and many stopped complaining. It simply was the cost of doing business.

Below is something which recently happened to me and which I am still offended by:

There was a concert announced at New York's Irving Plaza. It was called Thd Fillmore Something at one point and may have another name by now. It is still Irving Plaza.


The advertised ticket price was listed as $18.50. I checked online to find the Live Nation/Ticketmaster fee as over $9.00 per ticket and wanted to spit at my moniter. A 50%fee per ticket???

Knowing that Irving Plaza operates a box office, I made the fiscally sound decision to buy the tickets at the box office. To avoid a service fee, right???

I get to the box office window and am told that the tickets are $20.50 each. When I asked about the published ticket price, the woman behind the window said there was a $2.00 fee on all tickets at the box office.

Do you see where this is going?

WHY ANNOUNCE A TICKET PRICE OF $18.50 IF IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO PURCHASE TICKETS FOR THAT PRICE??

The whole industry is a sham and the losers are the artists and the fans.

/rant time over

Friday Night Ramblings....

Sitting home alone on a Friday night, a lot of people are out there enjoying their lives.  Drinking, clubbing, dancing, socializing.  I'm home alone watching a DVD and figured I would pass along some of my random thoughts to my loyal followers.....here goes:

1) Inception - I tried watching the movie.  Figuring Leo couldn't do a movie which made absolutely no sense, figuring I am a pretty smart person, figuring it was a good use of my time.  To be fair and honest (not fair and balanced), I didn't make it through more than 10 minutes of it before deciding that you had to be on drugs to follow it.  WTF??  It made no sense to me and I gave up.  Am I lazy??  Was it a good movie??  Who f'n knows?  I guess someone who watched the whole thing.  Not me.

2) Is there a better track than "For Whom The Bells Toll" from Metallica?  For some reason, I find myself listening to their earlier stuff again.  "Ride The Lightning" is a great album.  Don't care if you disagree cuz you would be wrong.  I am sure it is because they are playing Yankee Stadium as part of The Big 4 and I am going.  So, that would make sense.  It's still a fucking great track.

3) Twitter - I've recently begun tweeting.  Yes, it's 2011 and most relevant people are bored of it.  But I am hooked and enjoying myself.  Follow me: @guybannister and I will try to keep you entertained.  I have 29 followers as of today.  My goal is to get up to Ashton Kutcher levels, which is around 7 million.  G'damn, America.  There are 7 million of us who give a shit what Ashton Kutcher has to say???

4) Jesse Eisenberg - I want to like this kid but he simply annoys me...  I hated him in that Facebook movie and now finding him hard to take in "Zombieland" also.  He's stolen that awkward teen thing which Michael Cera had going for him.  Right??

5) Hurricane Irene - I have no bottled water.  Not much food.  Haven't checked  the batteries in the flashlight.  But I'm feeling like it will be alright.  Maybe I'll sneak out tomorrow morning and see what's left in the supermarket down the street.  It'd sure suck if I lose power.

6) Reading - "Known and Unknown: A Memoir" by Donald Rumsfeld.  I can't claim to be a card carrying member of the Republican party but I always found Rumsfeld to have provided a reassuring presence after 9/11.  People were panicky, nervous and he made you feel like everything would be alright.  Then he got distracted by Iraq and f'd the whole thing up.  Anyway, I got a copy of the book off of Amazon and have been reading it steadily for about three weeks.  To keep my halfway-done review short, I am enjoying it but it feels like he has softened up his whole stance on life.  He doesn't seem to take a very strong stance on anything and downplays his disagreements with others.  Will be interesting to see what he says as I get closer to the Iraq invasion.  


Anything else??  Can't think of anything so I bid you all a farewell for the night and stay safe.

Clutch Beer??

A six-pack of this stuff would make for an excellent addition to my home bar.  I wonder if this place delivers????

Bill Burr: Live at Carnegie Hall, NYC November 11, 2011

That's right.  Bill Burr, the amazing comedian, is playing Carnegie Hall in November.  But instead of getting there via practice, he's just going to take the train to 57th Street.

If you are in New York, come on out....My tickets arrived yesterday so if you're going to make the show, stop by and say "hello"...

Trip To New Orleans, LA

Alright, folks.  Many apologies for not updating the site in recent weeks.  But I had an excuse.  I went to New Orleans, LA for a few days and that pretty much wiped out most of my creativity (also, reposting YouTube videos) which are dedicated to updating this site.  So.......

In lieu of a formal apology, I decided that you should see some of the pics I took along with some brief commentary.  Please save all your applause to the end of my presentation so I don't keep getting interrupted.  Thanks.

Welcome.. Bienvenido...

I took a picture of the neighbors on the balcony across from us.  I was really hoping they would notice and get creeped out.  Sadly, they did not look at me and I got bored and moved on.  This is a recurring theme in my life.

The classy Chateau Bourbon, located in the French Quarter.  Nice place.  Good pool.  I was disappointed that there wasn't a bottle of bourbon as a welcome gift.  But Bourbon Street was only a block away so I was never too far from alcohol.  

The first meal in New Orleans is Krystal burgers....I would say it is a family tradition but this was the first time I visited it.  AWESOME fast food burgers....but with MUSTARD!!  They make White Castle look inferior.  Much less grease.  But Krystal burgers come with the same shame spiral I get from White Castle, so maybe they aren't too different.

Random street performer...Note his ladder isn't held up by anything but his own sheer impressive control. 

I gave him a buck. 

The Crescent City Brewhouse.  Now this is a tradition.  My brother-in-law introduced me to this place ten years ago and I insist on visiting multiple times whenever I go to New Orleans.  They make their own beer and have the best raw oysters I have ever had.  Only thing which would make this place better is if I could play blackjack at the table...

[Restaurant idea: Open a restaurant where you can gamble at the table...or just go to Vegas]

Oysters....nuff said

Beer...what more can I say??

Here is a random picture of an assload of birds hanging on electrical wires.  I was waiting for one to plummet to the ground...but I guess they knew where not to stand.

Gotta dig the New Orleans architecture at night...

There was a pastry shop which literally had a ladies entrance.  Well, the sign was from the 1940s but they kept it.  That's one of the things I like about that town....they make a point of maintaining their history.  New York tears ours down every few years to build high-end condos....

Walking tours of the Quarters expose some creepiness....

It's Jesus optical illusions....or 900-foot Jesus...

Insert obligatory Bourbon Street night life picture...

BBQ Pulled Pork Po Boy....it looks like something a diseased dog crapped out but it was damn tasty...

Are you still looking at these pictures?  Have I lost you to boredom or short attention span?? Maybe, I don't know.  But I am going to keep posting them until this thing won't allow me to.

Yes, the National Museum for World War II is in New Orleans.  It was fascinating.  But I am a huge history nut so I loved it.  If you are ever in town, go....

It's grass, maaaaannnn......

/use your best hippy voice

If you look closely, you can see how the houses in the back are below sea level.  Look really closely...

Even the mannequins on Bourbon Street are slutty...

Pat O'Brien's Hurricanes... Another traditional visit and drink.  They can easily get you hammered.  Lots of rum in the glass on the left.  Water and ice on the right.  Which would you choose??  I chose the left.  

Alligator nuggets.  Real alligator.  Damn good.  Tasted like chicken...

The bill....

Then my camera died.  And my memory got a bit hazy.  Maybe the two are related.  Who knows??

Otherwise, a great trip.  

Little advice....don't go to New Orleans in August.  It is REALLY hot and RIDICULOUSLY humid.  

NYC on a Rainy Afternoon

Fooling around with my iPhone camera.

The Big 4 At Yankee Stadium - September 4, 2011

This looks mighty interesting.....who wants to go???

And The Pain Sure Brings Out The Best

[Editor's Note:  The following is a submission by loyal reader, Debbie Kracsun.]

... a dedication to Keith Mina Caputo

           About 9 years ago, I was working my blue collar job listening to WSOU and the song “Selfish” by Keith Caputo was played. Never before had a single song made me want to know everything about an artist. In the days following, I heard “Home” and “New York City”. Amazing. As many of you don’t know, I did not know Life Of Agony until after I knew Keith. I saw Keith twice in 2002/2003 (?) at CB’s Gallery in NYC. I promise you that you have not seen true, raw talent until you have heard a 15 minute version of Brandy Duval played by Keith at the piano. I met Keith after the show that night. I was mesmerized. At the time I felt such a strong connection though I couldn’t figure out “what” it was. He held my hand and looked me in the eyes when he spoke to me. It would be a year before we would meet again. Still...I felt connected.

           Shortly thereafter LOA reunited. Keith had brought me to LOA’s music and I instantly loved it. The individual AND collective talents in LOA are unsurpassed. I joined the message board. Made some wonderful friends I will have for life.

The years have passed now. Keith Mina Caputo’s “announcement” has come as no surprise to me. I’m lucky to call her my friend these days. Yes...her. She is a beautiful human being who has seen me through the best and worst times of my life. Divorce, good and bad relationships, friends, a family riddled with drug addiction and finally finding my true self and my true love. I’m the happiest I have ever been. HER music has seen me through all of those changes. How could anyone possibly entertain the thought of not supporting her after all the support she has given us through her music?

I know I am not alone in my thinking. There isn’t a single person out there who has heard a Keith Mina Caputo song or heard her sing an LOA song and not felt “affected” by it. I feel like the negative comments are more about ignorance and the disappointment of a band we all love moving on. Individually, the members of LOA are extraordinary talents. They each deserve to be happy and live their lives as their true selves. Not as we wish they would be. The thought of them not playing another live show is sad...but I urge you to take the time to venture into each of their current endeavors. You won’t be disappointed.

Keith Mina Caputo will always have my support. She is an inspiration. I’m proud of her and proud to be a friend of hers. I finally know what our connection is all these years. It’s a yearning to be happy while being yourself. It’s equality, human kindness and spirituality. It’s patience, love and respect for others.

Peace and Love to all...thanks for reading...

xoDebbiexo

MMA NOSE

JEEEEEEEEEEEZ!







Via Deadspin

Holy Shit!!!

I was just notified by the very kind people at Google (all hail Google) that someone in Iran visited my website and spent 2 minutes on it.

That freaks me out. Could it have been Ahmedijianmanijad???? Is he checking out my site in between deciding what ties not to wear.

"Crawl To Me" Issue #1 Released

I stopped by New York's Forbidden Planet [link] this afternoon to pick up the one comic I wanted.  Yes.  Alan Robert's "Crawl To Me" Issue #1 is on the stands.....literally.  I picked up a copy of Cover A and B for my collection and handed over the bucks for my purchase.  You can see both covers in the below picture.

For those who haven't gotten their fill yet and are going to be in the New York City area, Alan Robert will be signing copies at Forbidden Planet next Friday, July 22nd from 6pm to 7pm.  After-signing party down the street for those who enjoy an adult beverage....

Bad Signs

Ok, this was't a sign so much as a menu in a PA diner.

Can you spot the errors?

Movie Review: "Black Dynamite"

I am only twenty minutes into this movie and am already set on making this my "Movie Of The Week" recommendation.  Made in 2009, but full of 1970s blaxploitation.  It's genius.  Absolutely.

Check out this link for some brilliant lines from this movie.  There is such a subtle sense of humor which is also  so over the top.

Brilliant.  Get "Black Dynamite" off of Netflix or Amazon.  Or try to find it online.  I don't care....just watch this and enjoy yourself a good time.

Bitches...