Weekend Wrap-Up

Back after the weekend in New York City, which as always, was very enjoyable. Here's the rundown:

As mentioned before, the Jessica and I hung out with Crystal and Brad on Saturday afternoon, since they came in for the day all the way from Lancaster, PA. We checked out a street fair down in Union Square, and of course it was the usual craziness. These street fairs amaze me in how some of the vendors descend on NYC from all over the country to sell their junk each weekend, and with all of the people that pass through the area of the fair, they are bound to do some decent sales. The whole idea is ingenious, because we all know that the public loves to buy cheap stuff...especially in New York City, where not many things are cheap.

Saturday night took us down to the Lower East Side to check out a comedy club, The Laugh Lounge, with Alison & Reza, and Danny & Wendy. We had been talking about attending a comedy show for quite some time now, but like many other things that we set out to do, they don't always occur right away. Relative to other comedy clubs, from what I'm told, this place wasn't terribly over-priced, but they do get you for a $10 cover charge + 2 drink minimum. I'd say it was pretty worth it because you get about 2 hours of comedy over the span of 5 comedians. All of the comedians have been traveling around the comedy circuit trying to hit it big, and I'll say that some of them were pretty damn funny, and others need to go back to the drawing board. Regardless, when we left, they gave us passes for free admission if we come back within the next 2 months, so that's incentive enough for me to return.

While we were down in the Lower East Side, we had to check out a landmark made famous by the Seinfeld episode where Kramer gets lost and ends up at the "nexus of the universe". Yes, we made a special trip to the corner of 1st Street and 1st Avenue, where apparently "the same street intersects itself". Coincidentally enough, there's a bar right at the corner called One and One, so we had to stop in for a drink, just because we were down there. This is a semi-worthless story, but just had to mention it for any Seinfeld fans out there.

In sticking with the theme of the weekend (supporting the arts), we ended up going back to the Museum of Modern Art. Jessica and I had checked out the MoMA back in the winter time, and since I can get myself + 4 guests in for free (since Big Blue is a corporate partner with the MoMA), we decided to go back with Jen and Jordan. Now, I have never been the biggest fan of art, but do appreciate the occasional museum and the talented work that it houses. The photography, painting, drawings, sculptures, and architecture are all quality work in my mind. But there are some items that I just don't get. See, with modern art, you can create anything you want and call it "art". Of course, there's no rule as to what art is, so that's why these clowns can get away with it. For example, one "artist" puts a piece of bright blue cloth on a big hanger and calls it art. Another "artist" puts a fluorescent pink light in the corner of one room and calls it art. Yet another "artist" throws a bunch of different colored paints on a canvas and calls it art. An elementary school student could create a similar piece of work and wouldn't have a chance in hell to display it in a premier museum in New York City, but instead would make it as far as a prime location on Mom's refrigerator. I question the extent of the definition of art, but again, I have never been an art connosieur, so who am I to judge?

Many of you may know that Bill Simmons (a.k.a The Sports Guy) of ESPN.com Page 2 is my favorite journalist. He has a few types of articles that he'll write every now and again that showcase his journalistic genius. The NBA draft diaries every June are a favorite, as well as his commentary on any trip that he takes to Las Vegas. I'm also a big fan of the "Mailbag" articles that he writes about every 6 weeks or so, where he responds to actual letters from readers. Another column that also shows his great sports and humor writing abilities are the "Ramblings". I invite you to read the latest Ramblings so you, too, can enjoy the unmatched greatness of the Sports Guy.

I have received word that the new season of "Curb Your Enthusiasm" returns on September 25th. When I moved, they never hooked the HBO up in the new apartment, but this is reason enough to re-subscribe. Just thought I'd pass the news along...

Also forgot to mention that throughout the weekend, Jessica and I finally finished off the "Arrested Development" Season 1 DVD. This has been a work in progress for several months now, and I have to say that this show is absolutely fantastic. Again, this is the work of Executive Producer, Ron Howard, and you can never go wrong when it comes to the guy who played Richie Cunningham in "Happy Days". Of course, I was behind on watching Season 1, and subsequently missed out on Season 2 in its entirety as well. So that's next on the agenda. Of coruse I hear that its Season 3 is starting up next month as well. I just can't win.

That's it for now. I'll be back on Monday night...