My list is a bit eclectic and in no particular order:
- Andy Williams
- Jars of Clay
- Burl Ives
- Mannheim Steamroller
- Third Day
- Kenny G
- Young Messiah
- Celine Dion
- Amy Grant
- Anna Wilson
- Bing Crosby
- Michael Smith
- Andrea Bocelli
- Destiny’s Child
- Charlotte Church
- Harry Connick Jr.
- Michael Card
- Russ Taff
- Linda McKechnie
- Sam Levine
- Northern Light Orchestra
Seems I grew up too late for all the cool toys. I just missed the Big Wheel, too late for the PS2, and don’t get me started on the Nintendo DS. We had bikes, cards, and make-believe games (not saying that’s all bad) but I sure wish I could be a kid again. Now, along comes Wiiwaa for the Wii. Oh well, missed another one, but you still gotta check it out. Fun! Watch the video and then let me know what were/are some of your favorite games growing up?
I have to admit, this is the first time I have read anything by T. L. Hines. I am typically reading business and work related material. I save reading fiction for down-time when I need a little “fluff” and entertainment to take my mind away from present matters. And, isn’t that what fiction is for — an escape, a getaway, a chance to relax and vicariously “live in someone else’s world” for a while?
The main character, Lucas, in Hines’ book, The Unseen, spends most of his waking hours by living his life through the imagined worlds of others. You see, Lucas is an urban explorer. He lives in abandoned buildings, sewers and subway tunnels. He spies on people and invents elaborate worlds in his mind as a past time. That is until his world is intruded upon by another explorer. Donovan belongs to a group called the Creep Club. After befriending Lucas, Donovan invites Lucas to a Creep Club meeting. Lucas expects to find like-minded urban explorers, but he what he really finds is far more sinister.
The beginning of the book sets up some of the characters and starts to introduce various plot lines that coalesce toward the end of the book. I found that as the story progressed the action did as well. Hines surprised me a couple times when I thought the story should be winding down — he infused a new shot of adrenaline and kept me moving through the pages.
For some readers, this book might seems average and predictable — spotted with government intrigue, subtle romance, and good-guy-wins-in-the-end themes. For readers like me, that’s okay. In a sense, like the character Lucas, I read fiction to take a break from the real world in order to imagine, to recharge, and, yes, to think about bigger things than myself. So, if you have never read The Unseen, I recommend giving it a go. Find a comfy chair, sit back and enjoy.
If you’re ever in the greater Cincinnati area, on the Kentucky side of the river in Fort Mitchell, you have to try the Grandview Tavern & Grille. Managed by Matthew Haws, the Grandview has recently acquired Executive Chef, Mike Nelsen. All I can say is, “Good job!” Mike has revamped the menu and brought new life and new flavors to the establishment.
On this particular evening I was there for dinner with some good friends. When we looked at the menu we saw the selections of salads, entrees, and desserts were creative and would satisfy the most discriminating palette.
The Food
I started with the Salmon Salad although the Warm Goat Cheese Salad did catch my eye also. The Salmon Salad included peaches, candied pecans, tomato, gorgonzola cheese, and Italian vinaigrette. The blend of flavors was very well balanced. Personally, I would have preferred a little more salmon but the melody of taste would have been unbalanced. Overall, a very good salad that I would recommend. Other salads to choose from are: Caesar, Nicoise, Cobb, and Black & Bleu.
Dinner entrees at the Grandview Tavern range from Tavern Meatloaf to Pasta Diavolo and for fish lovers from Pistachio Crusted Tilapia to Shrimp and Scallop Scampi. I had the Pasta Diavolo. It consisted of blackened shrimp and steamed mussels in a spicy tomato sauce over roasted red pepper papardelle pasta with spinach, and served with a parmesan toast point. At this point, I was slightly surprised. The dish was not as flavorful as I had expected. I expected the blackened shrimp to add a spicy “bite” to the dish. Instead it was all rather bland. Whereas with the salad I could taste the various ingredients, this pasta dish had no variety.
“What about the grille,” you may ask? For those of you craving meat from the grille, Grandview offers the standard fare: Ribeye, New York Strip, and Filet Mignon.
The Atmosphere
If you visit the Web site you will see that the interior of the Grandview is warm and inviting. The ambient lighting is just right. Believe me, I have been in some establishments where it seems the light is turned low because they do not want you to see what you’re eating.
During warmer seasons the Grandview sports a patio that they open to patrons. Recently refurbished, the patio is spacious and relatively quiet allowing you to enjoy the company you’re dining with.
Overall
In spite of some of my disappointments, I would still recommend the Grandview. With the many menu items you are bound to find a favorite that will keep you coming back for more. For those of you who like trying something new, the menu offers the variety you will crave. The pricing is about what you’d expect — salads around $11, entrees around $25, and grille items around $28. The service is friendly and timely and Matthew Haws will listen to your thoughts and comments regarding any of the dishes. With the new management and Chef, I feel the Grandview can only get better and better.
This came from the Edutopia site. Having studied martial arts, I would agree with many of the ideas Jordan has in the article. I hope you find this informative as well. Have fun!
On paper, Jordan Schreiber is a martial arts teacher, but his real goal is far broader. By shaping the social and emotional lives of his students, he hopes to prepare them for successful lives outside the tae kwon do studio and in the classroom.
The academic benefits of social and emotional learning are well established by now, and they’re no less germane in a martial arts studio. Schreiber says that as his students learn to recognize and manage their emotions, care about others, make good decisions, behave ethically and responsibly, develop positive relationships, and avoid negative behaviors through tae kwon do, they also improve dramatically in the classroom.
Indeed, with the ability to self-regulate comes the ability to focus and take in new information that’s vital for academic success. For that matter, establishing a goal for the week is as important as learning a proper stance. Schreiber rewards equally academic achievements outside the studio and physical achievements within. He follows up the students’ martial arts sequences with discussions on the meaning of success.
Tucked away in the 2nd floor corner of Buckhead’s Andrews Square Shopping Center is Stout Irish Sports Pub – a great little pub with a lot to offer.
I first learned of Stout while on Facebook. You see, I had been looking for more authentic pub-type establishments as a result of my regular work-related visits to Covington, KY. Lots of great establishments there (see Cock & Bull, The Pub, and Molly Malones) but nothing quite like it in the ATL, until now. The ad beckoned me to register for a FREE pint and lunch entrée. How could I resist? I called a business friend, told him about the offer, suggested he register too, and meet me there to talk about work opportunities.
The lunch crowd was pretty sparse on this particular day, yet that allowed me see the layout. Wooden floors, high-boy tables, and booths adorn much of Stout. The atmosphere calls, “come in, sit down, relax with some friends and have a pint!” Of course, the “sports” aspect is there as well with flat-screen monitors running the latest from ESPN and other sports channels.
Beers
The L-shaped bar has a good selection of Irish and English beers on draft, such as:
Guinness Stout
Beamish Irish Stout
Bass Pale Ale
Boddingtons Pub Ale
Harp Lager
Newcastle Brown Ale
Smithwicks Ale
Strongbow Cider
A large assortment of bottled beers will appease those with other fancies. Beers from Australia, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Mexico and more average $3-$5 a bottle. Also, if you’re willing to write a big check, you can join the Stout Beer Club. $120 gets you a personalized mug and a free beer for the entire year.
Addition: I forgot to mention, Stout now offers Yuengling. The Lager and Black & Tan are my favorites. Straight from America’s oldest brewery.
Pub Fare
The food is about what you’d expect from a pub. Sausages, potatoes, fish, and chips are easily available. Stout also offers a few other morsels like:
Irish Whiskey Wings
Stout Burger
Rueben sandwich
Chicken Salad Sandwich
Most everything on the menu is $6. Not a bad price at all.
I had the Bangers & Mash and a pint of Smithwicks. My friend had Bangers & Mash and a Guinness. Our hostess was accommodating and friendly. Overall, we had a great time!
So, bottom line, would I recommend Stout Irish Sports Pub? By all means yes. Good service, good food, even pricing, and fun atmosphere make return trips a must. Oh, and did I mention, $1 drafts always!
My only question: Is it an Irish Sports Pub or an Irish Sports Pub?
Who’d have thought a sci-fi television show could have profound thoughts and quotes? Funny how some things stick with you over the years. I can remember these quotes from when I was a kid. They seemed applicable then and they seem so now. These can apply to life, business, and politics. Enjoy!
After a time, you may find that having is not so pleasing a thing, after all, as wanting. It is not logical, but it is often true. –Spock in ‘Amok Time’
It is curious how often you humans manage to obtain that which you do not want. –Spock in ‘Errand of Mercy’
Want a quickie? That was the feeling I got after recently visiting Happy Sumo in Dunwoody, Georgia for my birthday. It must have been the feeling a lot of other people had too, because many were outside afterward smoking cigarettes. Although, it could have been to get the bad taste out of their mouth’s.
But, I regress. Let me start from the beginning. I have been to Japan, studied Japanese, and know the difference between Americanized-Japanese food and the real thing. I know this is not Japan but I appreciate finding good food for a good price in a good atmosphere with good service. Happy Sumo did not come through.
The interior/exterior is about what you’d expect of a typical U.S. Japanese Steak House. Decor and music try to create a pseudo-oriental ambiance. Tables, tatami rooms, and hibachi grills packed with people.
So we go in and get seated at a hibachi grill. Swish-swish-clank, swish-swish-clank, swish-swish-clank come the sounds of the server whisking around the table and dropping off the warm towelettes. No sooner had we wiped our hands than a second round of swish-swish-pock, swish-swish-pock, as the towelettes were gathered up and a cup of Miso soup plopped down in front of everyone.
Shortly after that our orders were taken followed by a scurrying of wheels as the chef rolled up to the table for the nights entertainment. Ting-tah-tingtingting followed by a whoosh of flame and then more ting-tinging. Everything about the meal was hurried and rushed. The kids loved it — they have very short attention spans. The adults, however, never really got a chance to enjoy the evening. No sooner had the chef wheeled away to his next table than the owner (?) came by and asked if there would be anything else. We said, “no thank you” as myself and friends were finishing up dinner and preparing to visit and open some unexpected cards and gifts. Suddenly, the owner (?) came back to the table with the check and asked us to leave the table so others could sit down.
That was a first!
I do not think I have EVER been to a restaurant in any country where I was asked to get moving because there was a line outside. If the establishment is good, a customer is willing to wait — thus the concept of a “wait time.”
This told me a lot about the priorities of Happy Sumo. It was not for the benefit of the waiting customers, because I am sure they were hurried through their meal experience as well. This was more about the money and turning tables, which frankly left a bad taste in mouth. As a result, I will not be back or recommend this restaurant.
Kevin Kelly is one of those guys I could listen to for a time and then have to walk away and ponder on all the implications of the information I have just received. He is one of a handful of people I greatly admire. At the “5000 Day” mark, Kevin talks about the next 5000 days of the Worldwide Web and makes some interesting predictions. The clip is about 20 minutes long, but well worth the time. Sit back and listen to what Kevin has to say.
Had your Jagged Smile today? If not, close friend and illustrator, Jeff Gregory, will be showing up in the side bar on a weekly basis. You’re bound to be captivated and tickled by his mental offspring.
If your day is sour, you need a jagged smile. If your boss has got you down, you need a jagged smile. If you have to get a mid-afternoon pick-me-up, you need a jagged smile. If the doctor just gave you bad news, you need a jagged smile.
Jagged Smile — humorous doodles and ramblings from a mind that no one should dare to get inside of. Venture at your own risk… and have fun! (See side bar for more)
As a reader of WeirdGuy blog I’d like to humbly ask you to help me. I have a short 10 question survey running from August 28 – September 7, 2008 on Zoomerang. The survey should take 2-3 minutes to run through. Your thoughtful responses will aid me in future developments for this blog.
I realize I am asking you to volunteer your time, but I value your opinion. Please follow the link provided today — the survey is only available for 10 days.
And, if the survey takes longer than 2-3 minutes then you can feel free to spam me with your hate mail.
Thank you for your patronage…can I say “patronage”?…whatever, you know what I mean.
By the way, I’ll reveal the findings here on WeirdGuy when the survey is up, so if you want your response to count, now is the time to act…now! If you do not care, then what are you doing here at WeirdGuy blog to begin with?
NOTE- Whenever I eat at an establishment I look at the following factors: quality of service, quality of food, price of meal, portion sizes, and the restaurant ambiance.
I just got back this evening from a networking event at Eclipse di Luna, the Tapas Bar in the Dunwoody area of Atlanta. I must say I am definitely a fan of the food.
Tapas are snacks, canapés or finger foods. Tapas can be anything from a chunk of tuna, cocktail onion, and an olive skewered on a long toothpick to meat with sauce served piping hot. They are served day in and day out in every bar and café in Spain. So much a part of the culture and social scene that the Spanish people invented the verb “tapear” which means, “to go and eat tapas!” (From spanishfood.about.com)
The service at Eclipse was good for the type of event I attended. The wait staff was accommodating and quick to assist with any needs. The side room we gathered in was spacious and would suit any large group or event of 20-30 people.
But is it the variety of foods that was most enjoyable. I personally like having numerous items to choose from and then having the ability to come back for the dishes I like or have not tried. The portions are a little larger than bite-size so you will not fill up quickly.
Most everything on the menu is in the $3-5 price range. The prices are low enough to allow you and a friend or spouse to buy three or four items. I recommend: Pan Catalan
Toasted Ciabatta Bread Toppedwith Tomato, Garlic, & Thyme Purée Costillas Espanolas
Spanish-style Ribs in Aged Balsamic Vinegar Pollo con
Spicy Pressed Chicken Thighs with Almond Gazpacho Queso Frito con Miel
Fried Goat Cheese with Caramelized Onions & Honey Menestra
Mixed Roasted Vegtables with Olives & Spinach
As for the wine list – you will not be disappointed. Eclipse di Luna has a decent offering of wines that go well with the variety of tapas.
My only disappointment was the design of the restaurant. The high ceiling and tile floor make Eclipse di Luna extremely noisy. It was very hard to have a conversation without screaming. Also, the fact that music was blaring only hindered any decent attempts at meaningful communication. There was a patio outside that buffered the noisy inside, but most people retreated out there to smoke.
Overall, if you’re interested in relaxing to music and having a variety of foods to nibble on, Eclipse di Luna Tapas Bar in Dunwoody is for you.
Phil Cooke, Producer/Director, recently posted this on his blog. This applies to many areas of life and work. I thought it was interesting…very interesting. Where do you see application in your life?
When people ask me why I use a Mac, my usual response is that it’s more “intuitive.” A PC is logical, but a Mac’s interface and software is more like the way I think. I’ve also noticed it in how quickly young kids adapt to a Mac in contrast to a PC. They just seem to “get it.” It’s similar to the GPS systems on my car. A few years ago I had a Lexus and I loved the GPS. It just made sense. It thought the way I did. But now I have a Land Rover and I hate it. The Land Rover GPS is good, and it’s very logical – but I find it’s very difficult to use.
Celebrate with me one of the most creative and influential mediums of our time – animation!
One hundred years ago today, the first animated film of all time was released to the public. Fantasmagorie was created over the course of four months by French caricature artist Émile Cohl, who became known as “The Father of the Animated Cartoon”.
(From /film) Read more…
Saw this the other day and had to share. I have to give them an “A” for originality and creativity. So, what does this have to do with WeirdGuy and learning? Well, it certainly fits the creativity bill and, as for learning, the guy should have spent more time learning Spanish if he wanted to woo his Señorita properly.
I’ve been writing a lot of reviews over on Yelp.com about the restaurants I have visited. One of my favorite foods is sushi. When I think of sushi, I think of all the friends I have exposed to this Japanese tradition. Some love it while some hate it. Regardless, you can’t help but think, “How would the Japanese describe this to westerners?” Enter YouTube! A friend from Japan first told me about this hilarious movie, made by Nihon-jin (japanese people) for all of us Gaijin (foreigners). Enjoy!
…all play and intertwine in the composition of great photos.
They draw the viewer in and beg the questions,
“Who is this?”
“What is happening?”
“What has happened?”
“Where is this?”
“Why?”
And, in so doing draw us into introspection…
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By E. Brown
By E. Brown
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