How To Lose Weight

We were out to eat, at The Piggery (excellent and fun, by the way), and talking about food, when M. said he didn't want to gross us out by reporting on what he heard on This American Life recently. We said go ahead, as long as it's not as boring as the show usually is; we don't mind gross, we do mind pretentious ironic unpretentiousness (we like to make M. mad, easy to do).

Once he unscowled, M. told us about the topic, so-called "imitation calamari" in restaurants, that is really pig rectums, or thereabouts. Isn't that gross?

No, what's gross about it, we said; what are we eating here? The fact is, we eat hotdogs (not often, but ceremoniously, in baseball season), and we know what goes into those: everything, including some things that mightn't cross your mind, much less your knowing lips, like placenta and eyeballs.

It all reminded us (tangentially, I suppose) of a notion we had recently, of how to lose weight, by only eating things you don't like.

It was one of those brainstorm moments, based on circumstance, which was that we came home ravenous one evening, with nothing ready to eat, except for something someone made for us, a friend who is very generous, but a scattershot cook.

It was healthy, which we like, but rather bland and mushy. We thought we could fix it by seasoning, but then thought, why not leave it, and just eat enough to sustain ourselves?

Thus, the weight-loss notion. What if you cleared your kitchen of things you really like, and replaced them with healthy things you really don't? Over-eating will end, and you will become slim, practically automatically. You won't starve - in fact, if it is fava beans, cabbage, and cranberries, your make-up will no doubt improve.

One key to this scheme is no eating out. The world outside is just a big trough, you know. We would also recommend avoiding TV, or at least keeping the remote handy for when food ads broadcast. We watch sports on TV and know there is a lot of food porn during commercial breaks.

It's a simple idea, and simple ones are the best, aren't they? We wish you luck with it, and if you lose weight we will accept your thanks, although in the meantime, not your dinner invitations.

Buy Local (And Be Glad): The Computer Room

We think we need a new battery for our laptop. We figure first stop will be Staples, to see what they will say. Also, without some research, we don't know where else to go.

We stand there a long time at Staples while two clerks look at us. One finally moves. We describe our problem to him.

He looks at us dully like he's simply waiting for us to stop talking. And then that seems accurate, because when we're done, he goes into a pitch of a comprehensive diagnostic examination, of all our hardware and software, which costs $69.

We say we just think it needs a new battery. So he goes to check on that price. It is $139. It must be a nice battery. But we decline.

We tell this tale to our friend Tom. He says yeah, forget Staples, go the Computer Room on State Street. Where on State Street, we ask. Next to Maxie's, he says. Oh yeah, we pass there every day.

Today we go in. The clerk sees us and greets us right away. He listens to the problem. He is not sure it's not "a fluke." If that means don't do anything, that's alright with us. He says yeah, try this and this, and if it still happens, we'll see about a battery. The battery will cost $50.

That was a pretty comprehensive diagnostic, and it didn't cost anything. And, should we need it, we'll save $90 on the battery.

Three cheers for local good guys. Check out the Computer Room when you got the need.

"Brooklyn 3 New York" Is Back

Our parvus opus, our jugger-not, 100 pages of a plain slice of Brooklyn, is back online.

We wrote this little work, "Brooklyn 3 New York," to document the Brooklyn we grew up in, a good time ago. We admit, it is partly an effort to counterpoint the blowhard Brooklyn lit of today. All the syllables, all the concepts, all the thinking who one is. That's not for this place.

"Brooklyn 3 New York" was offline for a while as we negotiated publication somewhere. That deal fell through, but another came through, that allows us to offer B3NY free once again, on Blogger.com., at least for a while.

You can find it by entering "brooklyn3newyork.blogspot.com". Reading requires some juggling, as the last entry written is printed first, the first last, etc. But you'll catch the hang of it. Then when it's published, you'll still want to buy it, to have it right-side up.

What's not to enjoy, as they said in Smilin' Jack's Appetizing. And, you gonna buy something?, as they said at the comic racks.

The Best Movie There Will Ever Be

We like the movies, and try to keep up with them, but there are lots, and it isn't any easier when they insist on giving movies names that are either non-descript ("The Sessions") or just hard to remember ("Crouching Dragon, Lunging Lion," an historic example).

Our new way to rate movies is by the title: how descriptive is it, as in accurate? Not as in creative. Save creative for the movie. We want a movie title that gets us to the right theater.

On this basis, we give a medium rating to "The Promised Land," which we saw last night. They should have called it "The Fracking Movie," because this is what people will call it. It is not about Moses or Springsteen.

And on this basis, we will give "Lincoln" five stars. Because, can you imagine this conversation?:

- Went to the movies last night.

- What'd you see?

- "Lincoln."

- What's it about?

Never happen. "Lincoln," by our standards, the best movie, maybe, there could ever be.

We Know What She Means

At work, my friend K. was done, and looking forward to a nap. She started work at 6:30 a.m. She said something about being a night person.

"The thing is," she said, "I'm a morning person, too." She thought for a second. "I'm just not an afternoon person."

Cars And Snow And What We Know

Here's how much we know about cars. Winter corrosion, especially salt on the snowy streets, is bad for them. So it is good to wash them in the winter. Today is 16 d Farenheit or so, but tomorrow will be in the 30's, so a good day for the carwash. (It will be crowded.)

We're lucky, there's a good carwash two blocks from our house, so we can walk it.

Here's how much we don't know about cars. After the big snowfall last week, we were digging out our car. A passer-by said, "Is that Volvo all-wheel drive?" The answer, quite sincere, was "I don't know." The guy looked away with disdain. And we know so little about cars that we don't know exactly why.

Ithaca New Years, 2012

Ithacans love music and parties with legal beverages, so New Year's Eve bashes are perennially popular here.

In 2012 - 2013 there are three main events. The first is Sim Redmond and Jen Middaugh in an acoustic set at Felicia's for an early happy hour. The show is scheduled for 6:30 - 8:30.

One actual calendar-flipper will be at the Haunt, with Jimkata. The show is produced by Dan Smalls Presents. Advance tickets are $15. Doors will open at 9 p.m. for the 10 o'clock show.

The biggest bash, probably, will be the Horseflies at Agava restaurant up on East Hill. The band has never done a NYE show before. Old dog, new tricks seems appropriate. Tickets are $15 and the show goes from 10:30 - 1 a.m.

Mysterious Baby Name Endings

When you write a blog, you keep an eye out for mysterious trends, and we noticed one this week. The most popular names for new babies was published, and the top five for girls all end in "a", and for boys in either "m" or "n".

For girls: Emma, Olivia, Sophia, Ava, and Isabella. (Names # 6 and 7 follow the trend: Mia and Ella.)For boys: Aiden, Ethan, Mason, Jackson, and Liam.

We didn't say the trends have to be meaningful. Just ponderous.

The soft "a" sound final syllable is now champ of the feminine. We bet marketers and branders notice. Is it bad news for car sales to men of the Kia and the Acura?

The "m" or "n" ending for boys' names strikes us as a little soft. (Even though we sport one.)Unfashionable now are the hard ending sounds of Robert, Christopher, Joseph, James, Edward, Charles.

Maybe softer is a good social trend. For instance, "Adolph" is a hard sound. What if he had been Aiden Hitler? Or Donny? It might have made a difference.

It's Restaurant Week In Ithaca

If you're the kind of person who doesn't worry about your waistline this time of year, you might be interested in Restaurant Week specials around town this week.

The best and most appealing deals, to us, are at Boatyard Grill, Northstar, and Maxie's.

All three joints are great anytime, with high standards for service and cuisine. This week, Boatyard and Northstar sweeten the deal with $20 three-course dinners (appetizer, entree, dessert). Maxie's weighs in with half-price raw oysters and clams from 9 - closing. Normally they do this only from 4 - 6 p.m., which personally is too early for us. Adding 9 til close is pretty genteel. We'll be there tomorrow.

It's Official: Cayuga Heights Won't Shoot Deer

Cayuga Heights will not go through with the plan it approved to cull (that is, shoot) deer in the village, the mayor announced today.

Why the change, after a long, searing battle to pass the plan? Because property owners would not give permission for shooting on their parcels, the mayor said.

The Ithaca Journal called it a stunning reversal. But Ithaca Blog predicted it, four years ago. We said that no matter what was on the books, there would be civic action against shooting in the village, and never would it happen. (See our post on 12/10/08.)

We also predicted that Al Gore would enter the 2004 presidential race as an independent and win, and that Sarah Palin would not be the Republican vice-presidential candidate in 2008, so we guess we should be proud of this one. Ah, actually, we're proud of all of them.

Tip On Seeing Hinchey Sunday

Two posts ago here on IBlog (6 November) we wrote about a goodbye event scheduled for Sunday for our retiring congressmember, Maurice Hinchey, at the Hangar Theater. Now we have a big tip for Ithaca Blog readers for getting in: get there early.

Originally, doors were scheduled to open at 1 p.m. for an event advertised as 1 p.m. The co-ordinator figured, how long will it take people to settle in for the event? Ten minutes?

Volunteers for the event were aghast. They know it takes an Ithaca crowd a long time to settle down and settle in. Friends must be met. Acquaintances must be talked to. News and feelings must be shared. Gossip must be gleaned. All this takes time.

The co-ordinator relented. Doors are now scheduled to open at 12:15. We recommend for sure being there then. We will be surprised if the Hangar is not completely filled, and quickly.

New Era For Liberal Media?

It may be a new era for liberal media both nationally and locally.

Nationally, the victory of President Obama has also meant victories for MSNBC, the left-leaning cable news network. In the three days after the election, for the first time, more viewers aged 25 - 54 watched MSNBC than its right-wing rival, Fox.

Locally, Ithaca's community radio station, WRFI, is successfully soliciting volunteers for a major fundraising and public awareness campaign. The goal of the station is to create more local programming while retaining popular national shows, such as "Democracy Now!".

The first public meeting for the campaign was last Monday. Tonight is the second. The campaign is scheduled for the first week in December.

Say Thanks To Hinchey In Person, Sunday 18 November

One thing we miss this Election Day is getting to vote for Maurice Hinchey as our representative to Congress. The mighty Maurice is retiring to enjoy life and health after a (successful) fight with cancer. / Maurice will be at the Hangar Theater on Sunday 18 November, from 1 - 2:30, for a farewell appearance. Admission is free, but Maurice asked that the event be an unofficial benefit for Ithaca's Cancer Resource Center. He knows a community asset when he sees one. Takes one to know one, as they say. So please attend and please bring a generous cheque in tribute to a right guy.

Fresh Dirt Magazine

Fresh Dirt magazine is such an anomaly it's hard to believe it's real. It's a glossy magazine - "bright, colorful, sleek," says Tommy Dunne, its publisher - about green living. And it's completely about Ithaca. / The Fall 2012 issue is just out. It includes articles about the buy local movement, and Jan Norman of Local First Ithaca; the Congo Square Market; and a photo feature on where local musicians buy their vintage clothes. There's a cover story on Richie Stearns. There's a map of where local vintners go to drink. There are recipes from Agava, Cafe Dewitt, and others. / Fresh Dirt is available at GreenStar Market and other local outlets.

Banjo Madness at the State Theater This Friday

There's an old joke among musicians: What is perfect pitch? ... When you throw a banjo into a dumpster and hit an accordion. Or, vice versa. It doesn't matter, as usually the joke is told by people who love both instruments, like us. We wonder if it will be told onstage at the Banjo Summit at the State Theater this Friday. The show features Bela Fleck and five other top five-stringers, including Ithaca's own Richie Stearns. It will probably sell out, so you should act soon to get in on it. Information on the tour is at www.nybanjo.org, and about the Ithaca show at www.stateofithaca.com.

Ithaca's First Oktoberfest

This is a lovely time of year around here, although Irish people are not too crazy about all the jolly Halloween activities. Irish people are afraid of Halloween, or at least respect it, as the time of year when the realms of the living and dead are closest, as in physically closest. Both our grandparents who were born in Ireland died on Halloween, two decades apart. That's pretty serious, so we stay at home this time of year. No parties. But we're happy there is a community fall celebration this year that has nothing to do with Halloween. It is the first Oktoberfest in Ithaca. It runs from noon til dusk on this Saturday on the Commons. There are tickets available for purchase for food and drink tastings, and music from three bands, although no oom-pah bands, unfortunately. Details are available at ithacaoktoberfest.com.

We Don't Know What's Going On (With Blogger)

We don't know why Blogger won't make paragraphs anymore. We remember a different time it ceased doing so, a while back. It didn't take long til it was explained as a system error and corrected. Now it's been days into weeks. But did you ever try getting an answer from Google (owner of Blogger) about anything? You will pass away first. We don't want to pass away, so we will simply keep posting and hoping.

Commercial Interruption: Low-Priced CDs at Angry Mom Records

Every once in a while we like to remind our readers here on Ithaca Blog that the unofficial headquarters of the blog is Angry Mom Records, where we are a partner, and whence we type this today, and other things other days. We enjoy your support, and feel we have something to offer for it, certainly, or else why would you be here? This week we have something special to offer, as we have made a big purchase of quality used CDs, which we are selling at low, low prices. Lots of jazz, classical, world, Americana, and of course good old rock and roll. Come see sometime soon. We're in the basement of Autumn Leaves Books and open every day at noon. Steve Burke for Angry Mom Records/Small World Music and Ithaca NY Blog

New(ish) Spots For Good Bands This Weekend

Tonight and tomorrow night, a couple of premier Ithaca bands are playing at a couple of new (one brand new, one relatively new) restaurants featuring music. Friday night, at 9 p.m., the Sim Redmond Band plays at the Gates, which is just opening at 422 Eddy Street. For a long time it was the Chariot. Sim told us he's excited to be playing at a debut of sorts. We mentioned that we recall the space as kind of small. He said, "Maybe, but our popularity has been waning, so maybe it will be all right." Sim is funny. Saturday night, rising star Tenzin Chopak will be playing in a duo, with Ethan Jodziewicz, at Agava, the newish, toney southwestern place at 381 Pine Tree Road, the site of the old Coyote Loco. Agava has featured music at happy hours and brunches, but late-night music is a recent development. Show time is 10:30. Steve Burke for Ithaca NY Blog

Where Everybody's Being Tonight (Either A or B)

The talk here at Angry Mom Records today about what people are doing tonight is pretty uniform - or duoform? It's one of two things. To hear Judy and Dick Hyman up at Barnes Hall, or the Chicken Fried String Band at Maxie's, on fried chicken special night. The`daughter-father show at Barnes is a once-in-a-lifetime thing, at least up until now. Hopefully they will do it lots more times, but they haven't until now, is what we mean. We sold out of tickets here at Angry Mom, and we imagine it will be a complete sell-out, but we hope and trust they held back some ducats to sell at the door. That's what you're supposed to do. The Chicken Fried gig is perhaps less notable - it is certainly more usual - but it will be fine, fun music, and has the attribute of being free, and of being at Maxie's, where you can get fine food and drink to ingest and imbibe, and you don't have to be quiet. We're here until 8, showtime for Judy and Dick, so we never planned to be there. Besides, there is Plan B. Steve Burke for Ithaca NY Blog