A Little Louis Armstrong For Your Sunday

This song has been popping up on my Pandora a lot lately, so I figured I would share.



This Benny Goodman number is totally cliche and overdone, but still catchy.


A short bit about Benny Goodman's first concert at Carnegie Hall, which may have legitimized jazz.

Whoa. I'm not sure how I stumbled across this in Amazon, but it seems that MTV is spinning off a novel "written" by Snooki from Jersey Shore.

It's Guido Chick Lit, if such a genre exists. (It does now, I suppose...) Who on earth would purchase this, if not for camp value? And I really hope she doesn't do the talk show circuit and try to pretend that she actually wrote this.

Sadly, it won't be released until after Christmas. Quite the marketing oversight.

From Amazon:
It’s a summer to remember . . . at the Jersey Shore.

Giovanna “Gia” Spumanti and her cousin Isabella “Bella” Rizzoli are going to have the sexiest summer ever. While they couldn’t be more different—pint-size Gia is a carefree, outspoken party girl and Bella is a tall, slender athlete who always holds her tongue—for the next month they’re ready to pouf up their hair, put on their stilettos, and soak up all that Seaside Heights, New Jersey, has to offer: hot guidos, cool clubs, fried Oreos, and lots of tequila.

So far, Gia’s summer is on fire. Between nearly burning down their rented bungalow, inventing the popular “tan-tags” at the Tantastic Salon where she works, and rescuing a shark on the beach, she becomes a local celebrity overnight. Luckily, she meets the perfect guy to help her keep the flames under control. Firefighter Frank Rossi is exactly her type: big, tan, and Italian. But is he tough enough to handle Gia when things really heat up?

Bella is more than ready for some fun in the sun. Finally free of her bonehead ex-boyfriend, she left home in Brooklyn with one goal in mind: hooking up with a sexy gorilla for a no-strings-attached summer fling. In no time, she lands a job leading “Beat Up the Beat” dance classes at a local gym, and is scooped up by Beemer-driving, preppy Bender Newberry. Only problem: Bella can’t get her romantic and ripped boss Tony “Trouble” Troublino out of her head. He’s relationship material. Suddenly, Bella’s not sure what she wants.

The cousins soon realize that for every friend they make on the boardwalk, there are also rivals, slummers, and frenemies who will do anything to ruin their summer—and try their relationship. Before July ends, the bonds of family and friendship will be stretched to the breaking point. Will the haters prevail, or will Gia and Bella find love at the Shore?

For everyone who loves MTV’s hit reality show, Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi’s sweet, funny, and sexy novel perfectly captures the heat, the energy, the fun, and the drama of Jersey Shore.

I Don't Cook, But...

Yesterday at dinner we had a side of Paula Dean's Corn Casserole and it was amazing. Maybe it's the entire stick of butter and pile of grated cheese that gives it its whop of flavor. Regardless, it may inspire me to spend a little time in the kitchen. But not too much. Recipe below.

Ingredients
1 (15 1/4-ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (14 3/4-ounce) can cream-style corn
1 (8-ounce) package corn muffin mix (recommended: Jiffy)
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1 to 1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, stir together the 2 cans of corn, corn muffin mix, sour cream, and melted butter. Pour into a greased 9 by 13-inch casserole dish. Bake for 45 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven and top with Cheddar. Return to oven for 5 to 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Let stand for at least 5 minutes and then serve warm.

Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone!

Hope your holiday was restful!

And a lot of fun


Hope you did a little scheming...


And maybe got some sun. (Unlike me -- who could be a cousin of Casper the Ghost.)

Andre And I At Union Square

Pauline and Andre in Union Square 2, originally uploaded by thomasr9.

He really liked the playground.

My friend Jason took this photo a few days ago on the subway with his iPhone. It sparked a lot of chatter on Facebook: Where was this guy going? What's with the roses? Did he score? We may never know, but it's still a nice photo, albeit a little sad.

My class is learning about blogging!

Yosemite Falls, Star Trails, and Moonbow, originally uploaded by SocalJC.

...and we are posting this photo.

Last Night At The NYJL Auction

I didn't take too many shots last night, which is strange. Perhaps I was too distracted by the grapefruit bellinis.

Best silent auction item: A signed NKOTB platinum album. Note platinum cassette. Amazing.


Lots of people. It was very well attended.

This Is One Way To Find A Job/Girlfriend

This guy was an out of work actor, trying to rustle up some interest on Prince and Broadway.

I told him that his sign should have read, "Will Work For Women", plural. He laughed and said he had another sign, which said just that, but he had forgotten it that morning and his friend made him this one.

Breaking Down Quantitative Easing -- Via Cartoon

This is great.

East Seventh Street Two Bed/Two Bath -- Three Working Fireplaces!!!

To mix things up a little this afternoon I checked out some new places in the East Village, and found this two bedroom, two bath with a washer/dryer. Even better, it has three working fireplaces. Also, it's one flight up. Crazytown.

Full specs here.

I'll Never Understand Grocery Stores

I don't cook, so by extension I don't go into grocery stores very often.* This afternoon I got dragged into one. Here's what I found.

*I do, however, love suburban grocery stores, if only for their size and staggering choices of processed foods.


Apparently it's 1953 in Gristede's.


You know what makes this cookie French? Because it's wearing a beret.


I don't even know what's going on with this creepy/phallic children's goody bag toy. Based on the typeface I'd say it's been in the store since 1991. And they wonder why it's not selling...

A Little Don Draper For Your Sunday Morning

A great clip from the first season in which Don Draper pontificates on love.

(AMC won't allow embedding video in blogs. Boo.)

Manhattan Real Estate: Report From The Trenches

Yesterday I spent the day at a the New York City Real Estate Expo, where some pretty big hitters in the industry came out to chat. (Think Robert Knackal, Paul Massey, Jr. etc.) It was a fantastic event that examined some real issues in the business lately, and dispelled a few misconceptions.

1. Since the Lehman Brothers crash in 2008, it seems that, as an asset class, multi- family homes in New York City have performed very well. If you have a few million burning a hole in your pocket (starting at $3 to $5 million) buying a whole building is a very good idea, especially if you are looking to preserve wealth for future generations. This was an idea that came up at several talks that I went to.

2. Few people seemed excited about retail spaces, mostly because the economic indicators haven't been faring well for retail this year.

3. While condos are selling well in Manhattan, the glass and steel new developments are having a hard time. Why? Apparently, it's psychological. Those new buildings are a symbol of the go-go years, and there is a mentality among buyers that they are overpriced. Sure, they sell, but a few developers on a the panels talked about having to offer incentives to buyers (paying closing costs, etc.) in order to unload units.

4. If you feel like taking over a half-built project, which is not for the faint of heart, a visit to the Department of Buildings should be your first stop. I sat in on a very funny talk with a developer who knew of banks who owned properties and were trying to sell them, but didn't have the building file and had never even seen the property.

You Wish You Looked This Good After Running Five Miles

Action shot! Taken between miles four and five, when I was likely wishing for a death that would never come.

Beekman Place Two Bedroom Penthouse -- $6800

Beekman Place is one of my favorite places in Manhattan. It's a tiny, tree-lined block where most people own their townhouse or pre-war apartment. It is pin-drop quiet. At a time when all things Mad Men are trendy, the neighborhood still looks as if it's straight out of 1962. There's something quite charming about that. Civility is underrated.

There is, however, a fantastic rental building on the block with some outrageous apartments within. Below is the two bedroom penthouse duplex that just came on the market. The living room has floor to ceiling windows that overlook the East River. There is a terrace. The master suite is enormous, has a walk-in closet and a new marble bath. There is a home office that could easily be a second bedroom. All this, in a white glove doorman, full service building.

Full specs are here. At $6800, it's a steal. It's Beekman Place!

Are You Depressed? This Apartment Will Cure You!

It is said that sunlight will cure a case of the doldrums. If the cold weather/Halloween candy sugar low has you down, then let's take a walk over to Rector Place and look at this 23rd floor apartment.

It's your standard white glove doorman building with gym and pool. 360 degree exposures. The giant living room has views of the Statue of Liberty. The kitchen, among its many amenities, has a climate controlled wine rack. Both bedrooms are king sized and have floor to ceiling windows.

It's bananas, inside and out. At $7550, also slightly under priced.