Half-Black Charisma

You Have to Love a Massage Therapist With a Sense of Humor

Sun, 22 Jun 2008 15:55:33 -0800

Yankees Hope to Stay Strong, Even With a Limp Wang

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 10:39:19 -0800

Earlier this year, I was really pleased at how well one of my favorite Yankees, Chien Ming Wang was performing, even as the rest of the Yankees were for the most part shitting the bed. Well, karma bit me in the ass. The Yankees continued to suck, and teams even started slapping Wang up a little bit. I stopped writing about Wang (and, at all) even though there were many times I felt like making the obvious Wang jokes. More recently, the Yankees are on a roll, but Wang was injured rounding the bases in Houston. He hopes to return by September. In the meantime, we have to hope the Yankees offense, which has suddenly found some life, is able to carry us for a little while longer. For the now, the Yankees are playing hard without Wang, but let's hope he gets better sooner rather than later.

My Friends in Los Angeles: Cabaret Edition

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 09:49:29 -0800

I guess I have been pretty busy lately, and therefore I have only been updating my blog when my friends are doing things. Since I haven't updated in more than three weeks, I guess that means I need more friends! Ha ha ha. I'm hilarious. Anyway, for those of you who are in Los Angeles at any time this summer and are looking for something to do on the weekend, let me suggest you check out Cabaret at the Morgan-Wixson theater in Santa Monica. Cabaret is a great musical, and it stars my good friend Hannah Campbell in the lead role as Sally Bowles. It's been a long time since I have been in a musical, but I can still appreciate all the hard work that goes into it. I'm looking forward to it, especially since it's possible to buy the tickets online meaning you don't have to guess which seats you are getting the night of the show.

My Friends on YouTube: TVgasm Intern Edition

Thu, 29 May 2008 22:07:23 -0800

Surely you all remember the incomparable Nick Walsh, better known as TVgasm intern version 1.0 and creator of his own comic book series starring none other than the great Julie Chen. Nick has been in Los Angeles for awhile, and I keep on meaning to go hiking at Fryman Canyon with him, but for now enjoy his latest effort Face the News. I'm getting a little too old, so it is perhaps a little too meta for me, but if you dig Facebook, you should check it ou.

Now That's More Like It

Tue, 27 May 2008 21:27:07 -0800

Here's to the 2008 Syracuse Men's Lacrosse team, NCAA Champions. One year removed from the worst season in school history, the players came back with something to prove and did a great job reminding everybody why they have more lacrosse championships than anybody else. With the football team blowing goats and the basketball team missing the tournament, it was good to see Syracuse Athletics back on top once again.

My Friends On YouTube: USC Edition

Mon, 19 May 2008 23:07:17 -0800

My good friend Melanie just graduated from journalism school at USC and is now a bit of inspiration for me. I have been thinking about going to get my MBA, but always worry if I have the chops to go back to school full-time. Melanie not only went back to school, but finished at the top of her class. Oh, and did I mention she had time to get married and throw a kick ass wedding in Toronto as well (with an assist to Mrs. Herschorn of course)? I hope I can repeat some of her success when I hit the books again, although finding somebody to say I do might be a little more difficult. Check out Melanie's demo reel and if you see her on the street, make sure to say Hello.

What the Frak Happened to Battlestar Galactica?

Tue, 13 May 2008 11:04:05 -0800

I come to bury Battlestar Galactica, not to praise it. BSG, now in its fourth and final season, once defined everything that was great in modern science fiction. If you had asked me back in 2004 whether I would have been happy with the show ending after four seasons, I would have screamed bloody murder about the network executives not realizing what a great show they had on their hands. Ending such greatness after only four seasons would be such a shame! But after watching season 3, I actually wonder how the hell the show has made it this far. It used to be the greatest science fiction show on the planet but is now almost a parody of itself. And the saddest part is that it doesn't have to end this way. Part way through season 4, I see a lot of improvement, but there is still a lot of work to be done.

One Problem With Convertibles

Sun, 11 May 2008 20:59:38 -0800

You don't have a lot of room in the trunk. Yes, I know it doesn't matter in this picture since the top is up, but you think that somebody who could afford a vanity plate like this could afford a slightly bigger car for those times when he needs to move his stuff. I hope his golf clubs are wearing their seatbelt.

Crush: Law and Order Edition - Alana De La Garza

Thu, 08 May 2008 09:39:33 -0800

I've spoken several times about my Man Crushes, but I haven't dedicated any space to talk about the women that make me swoon. It's no secret that I love Tyra Banks but she is not the only person who makes me go ga-ga. In general, I don't think I have a "type", but if I had to choose, I would go with brunette over blonde, butt over boobs, and brains over most anything else. Extra points if they have an independent streak or are mildly crazy. I was watching Law and Order (the original) last night, and I have come to realize that I have a big crush an Alana De La Garza who plays A.D.A. Connie Rubirosa. Brunette? Check. Butt? She's part Hispanic, so check. Brains? Well, she plays a lawyer on TV, and that is good enough for me. The Assistant District Attorneys on Law and Order have provided me a lot of crush material. Jill Hennessy as Claire Kincaid. Yes. Carey Lowell as Jamie Ross? Yes (who says no to a Bond Girl?). Angie Harmon as Abbie Carmichael. Oh hell yes (you know she loves the NY Giants)! Elisabeth Rohm as Serena Southerlyn? She was blonde, but when it came to fighting back against her bosses, she was top notch. Annie Parisse as Alexandra Borgia? She was taken from us too soon, and for sure. On last night's episode, Connie is assigned to be the legal aid attorney for a suspected double murderer. Although she signed up for her job to put people like him behind bars, she does her best as his attorney, and completely destroyed her boss in the courtroom and made Detective Anthony Anderson look like a fool. Connie has been with us for a couple of seasons now, and with the way the A.D.A.s move through this show, she might not be around very long, so enjoy her while you can.

Captain of the Obvious

Sun, 20 Apr 2008 12:42:44 -0800

Target Unboxed: Vitamin Water

Sun, 20 Apr 2008 11:26:55 -0800

I love Target just like almost everybody else out there. They have good prices on brand names, but I am always on the lookout for generic substitutes for the things that I purchase a lot (Zone Bars, Vitamin Water, yogurt smoothies, cereal, paper towels, etc). In particular, the Market Pantry food brand has released alternatives for a number of items I am particularly addicted to, so naturally, I consider myself a perfect candidate to review these products. First up: Vitamin Water.

When the Hell Did Los Angeles Get This Huge Chair?

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 22:04:35 -0800

I had to report to jury duty for the County of Los Angeles on Wednesday. I didn't get called into duty, so I had a chance to read a lot of The Intellectual Devotional, part of which was edited by a friend of mine. On my way back from the taco wagon for my lunch break, I looked across the street from the courthouse and saw this huge chair. When the hell did Los Angeles get this huge chair, and why was it never on the Amazing Race? I googled "Los Angeles Big Chair" and came up with this site. According to the website:

Artist Giancarlo Neri directed us to info on a chair created by the company Promosedia in Manzano, Italy -- 60 ft. tall. A slightly smaller version provided by Promosedia, touting the "Chair District" of Friuli, Italy, stands at the entrance of the LA Merchandise Mart, 1933 S. Broadway, Los Angeles, California. America has lost its giant chair edge!

The Big Borowski

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 14:36:29 -0800

The Replacement Level Yankees Weblog is one of my favorite baseball blogs. SG has done an amazing amount of work on baseball projections and has come up with his CAIRO system (it helps to know about below average utility infielders to get the joke). The people who comment there love the Yankees, know their baseball, and are still looking to perfect the Gritty+ and eqHustle stats to satisfy the likes of Murray Chass. In a recent thread about the Yankees/Devil Rays game one of the commenters took some quotes from one of my all-time favorite movies, The Big Lebowski, and rewrote them to feature Indians closer Joe Borowski as the Dude. You have to love both baseball and the movie to get any humor at all, but it inspired me to whip up the movie poster above. Continue on for the full comments, and don't forget to visit RLYW if you like the Yankees.

On Her Way To Rock and Roll Ralph's

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 21:35:16 -0800

Yankees' Wang Too Much For Red Sox to Handle

Sat, 12 Apr 2008 07:29:56 -0800

I am not sure how often I am going to blog about baseball, but after my boy Chien Ming Wang dismantled the Red Sox yesterday, I had to say something. Besides, whenever Wang pitches a good game, it makes for an irresistible headline (my second choice was "Boston Bats Choke as Wang Comes Up Huge" ). Luckily, Wang has been straight dealing for most of the season. His only really bad inning was the fifth, when he gave up a home run to J.D. Drew for his first hit, and even that ball was very catchable. The only other hit came with a bunt in the 9th inning. It took him only 93 pitches to get threw the whole game. Cy Wang here we come! Today's game comes against Josh Beckett while we are throwing Mike Mussina, he of the 85 MPH fastball, on the mound. Hopefully Moose has his good stuff and Beckett is still a little off coming back from his back/hip injury. Honestly, I'm more concerned about the Yankee bats, but I think they'll come around.