MC Horoscope

Love these choices here! Gonna try the following I like a good score, and I can come back again and again to these scored by Elmer Bernstein The Magnificent Seven. Love how Chris and Vin and O'Reilly are won over by the townspeople. Did you ever catch that Chris is a Cajun? Harry Luck calls him one. The Great Escape. Just love how the escapees got away the most unlikely of ways, by bicycle and hoboing, and by a slow rowboat. Also loved the daring attemtps by motorcyle and stolen airplane. And this wierd score The Third Man (the first appearance of Orson Welles in this is classic! And his story about the cuckoo clock!) I love westerns and can't turn these down Stagecoach (such simple story telling but really beautiful to watch) The Searchers (almost an anti-western! John Wayne plays a character you can't admire) The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (Lee Marvin was a marvel! The convention for statehood scene with the cowboy on horseback was funny!) High Noon (Builds up tension! Surprised by Grace Kelly at the end. Great hook in the song) Once Upon a Time in the West (Henry Fonda as a bad guy? He's really frightening. But this may be the sweatiest movie of all time) The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (Blondie and his sidekick, Mexican Bill Carson!) Treasure of the Sierra Madre (I consider it a western though there's some disagreement. Quite a morality story) Blazing Saddles (That's Hedley! Trivia: Richard Pryor was supposed to be the lead but couldn't because of a contract, so he was just a co-writer instead) My Darling Clementine (Love the scene with Fonda doing his footwork while in his chair on the boardwalk. I will watch anything with Linda Darnell!) Fort Apache She Wore a Yellow Ribbon -- I tend to mix these up. They're thought of as a trilogy. This is where so many cliches about cavalry to the rescue came in. Rio Grande Little Big Man (ETA) (A time period of revisiting myths about our history. Grandfather was very moving. Sometimes the magic doesn't work) Pale Rider (ETA) (We love you, Preacher!) Unforgiven (ETA) (Gene Hackman was outstanding. The Duck of Death kills me everytime) The Westerner (ETA) (Walter Brennan as Judge Roy Bean. One of Gary Cooper's best roles) Shane (ETA) (Maybe the all time best in its genre, but not my personal favorite.) If you see a pattern that I like John Ford movies, here's a few more I can't refuse. The Quiet Man How Green Was My Valley The Grapes of Wrath (Gets criticized for its sanitized ending, I know, but still pretty good! Steinbeck was jealous of Woody Guthrie for summing it all up in 6 minutes of his song Tom Joad!) How does Ford manage to make me homesick for towns and places I have never been to, and times I have never been a part of? I think there's something in the filming that captures the sunlight and jars my memory of my old home dirt road, where every neighbor was also a relative of mine. I can't refuse the following. "The rent staysa the same!" Godfather (May your first child be a masculine child) Godfather II (Fanucci -- You have done well for yourself!) Goodfellas (He's gone there wasn't nothing we could do about it.) Casino (He IS as useless as tits on a boar!) World War II movies Casablanca (one of the most quotable movies ever! Tears even come to MY eyes when they sing La Marseillaise!) The Best Years of Our Lives (Millie and Al's in Adams Morgan?) (I just love Myrna Loy and Teresa Wright in this!) The Longest Day (the secret code that prompts the attack. John Wayne throwing down his coffee cup to rush to the briefing room. So many scenes. The cringeworthy theme song by Paul Anka though is terrible!) Saving Private Ryan (When they see Cpt. Miller's hand shaking, holding the compass, and look around the circle at one another.) Schindler's List (This list is LIFE!) Bridge on the River Kwai (The Burmese women reacting to seeing their men being killed) and the TV series Band of Brothers (Cajun from Bayou Chene, Doc Roe with the Belgian nurse. "God would never give someone such an awful thing.") Odd ones Night of the Iguana ( love the old man's poem he finally completes! Another great John Huston film.) Groundhog Day (uplifting message in the end) Chinatown (Great performances. John Huston was great in this). Asphalt Jungle (Don't know why. The ending with Dix and Doll is heartbreaking) More to come! I haven't covered baseball and sports in general yet, or comedies and musicals.

Lots of surprises this weekend! Sure didn't see Syracuse and Villanova in there.

I love the first weekend of the tournament, but I lose interest quickly by the time it gets to Sweet 16 and Elite 8 weekend. Don't know why. This year seems to have a lot of point differentials of 12 or more. Who's left? Virginia, Oklahoma? North Carolina?

I love Middle Tennessee!

George Martin, producer for The Beatles. "Beatles Record Producer George Martin Dies At 90" by John Kelly on washingtonpost.com

It'd be hard to choose but my 6th man would be either Havliceck, West, or Robertson. I would probably switch Jabbar for Chamberlain. I guess I am skewing to times I am more familiar with. Strong video on Chamberlain v Jabbar!

I would like to know how often it happens that someone votes for a candidate to become president in the national election then votes in their state election for a representative or senator who has gone on record saying he or she will do everything possible to oppose the president you just voted for. I bet it's more often than you'd think! Just saying that in our system it's possible to compartmentalize national interest and your state's interest to the point of absurdity. Often times when people say they hate Congress they really mean they like their own Congressman but they hate everybody else's!

We visited for our first time last night and found the tomato sauce to be our favorite between Pizza CS, Comet Ping Pong, and 2Amys. Wife said the basil was not plentiful on the Margherita but very tasty! The speck that came with the burrata was delicious! A bit peppery. They should make that one of the optional toppings. We sat at a communal table and did not feel crowded at all. But the place IS small and loud! I can see that you might not want a table for 2 right by the door 'cause it was drafty. The coloring of the room was attractive. Oranges and browns. Made you feel warm!

Paul Kantner, one of the founders of the Jefferson Airplane. Saturday Afternoon at 1:06

Do some people not hear the difference between then and than? Do they also not hear the difference and cannot distinguish between men and man? Than I am a men of constant sorrow.

Raided the freezer for tomatoes and eggplant sauce from Lidia Bastianich's blue cookbook for a taste of our garden. It'll go with some hot Italian sausages from Filippo's (the renamed Marchone's in Wheaton).

"Dusting" may be the correct technical term, but if it is then I think they need to change it. At least in my mind it connotes dryness, NOT a possible ice storm. I had no concerns about driving in the evening if we were just going to get a "dusting." That didn't sound ominous. But there's too much emphasis on total inches when what we really needed to know beforehand was whether it would stay dry or turn into ice. And I would not have driven last night knowing I was in for ice. Still, I was luckier than a lot of people. I moved along the Beltway in PG and Montgomery counties between 8:15 and 10:00 sometimes at 5 mph but sometimes at 30. Almost got run over by an 18-wheeler that was going too fast and changing lanes left and right.

Oh my, the pork belly kimchi and the buccatelli with pancetta were so delicious! Keep it up, Grapeseed!

I always loved the part about the Pluto Gang! It's been a while since I read it so I might have it a bit mixed up, but basically Trout got mugged, a reporter asked him who did it, he said something like "I don't know. For all I know it could have been a gas from Pluto," the reporter misheard it and printed that the victim said it was "the Pluto gang," and a miserable bunch of punks changed the name of their gang to Pluto Gang to strike fear in the heart of the public. Personally I think ISIL taking credit for San Bernardino and Istanbul is about like a Pluto Gang taking credit for striking fear in our hearts. I do not believe it at all. "God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater" (1965) is more like my favorite. --- God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater (The Hersch)

We had a very nice dinner for 2 this evening! If you are wondering about portion size or how much to order, our waiter told us that generally for the items from the Craft, History, and Ingredients lists, the first two items are appetizer size, the next 2 are larger and might suffice for an entree, and 1 dessert was also listed. But some of the dishes are a bit in between. I remember him mentioning the sweetbreads with spaetlzle and a really wonderful chantrelle mushroom sauce and the Maine lobster toast listed with Indulgences. Good to split as an appetizer or have as your entree. We were quite hungry and had plenty of food splitting the sweetbreads, the lamb served 3 ways for the table, a 3 cheese course, and the Valrhona Guanaja Custard cake (with wonderful pecan praline!). My favorites were the sweetbreads, the cheese plate, and Paul Marie cognac! Plenty of wows and mmmms at our table. Half portion of sweetbreads Full portion of lamb (served 3 ways -loin, leg, and sausage) for the table with sweet pepper stew and grits Full portion of the Valrhona We'll be going back for more of the great things we missed out on this time!

FishNook had a great grilled octopus on the menu when my wife and I visited. Hope Fishnet has it again in the future!

Havlicek was a pretty good defender away from the basket. One of the most clutch players ever. This article is a pretty good take on him: "Throwback Thursday: Remembering John Havlicek" by Phillip Taggart on todaysfastbreak.com

Thanksgiving Day menu at Le Vieux Logis. (Emailed to me by the restaurant. You won't find this on their website, or at least I could not find it.) Prix Fix Menu $52.00 PER PERSON Appetizers Bouchot mussels, Pamcetta, sage, garlic broth. Roasted butternut squash soup, white truffle oil, cranberry apple chutney, pumpkinseed oil. Roasted red and golden beet salad with field green, goat cheese, roasted hazelnut, and orange. New Zealand venison carpaccio, beet grain mustard aioli, pickled turnip, farm kale. Escargots de Bourgogne a l' ail et persil burgundy snails with garlic and parsley. Traditional Caesar, romaine hearts, anchovy, garlic dressing, baguette croutons, Parmigiano-Reggiano. Main Courses Free range turkey duo, orange sweet potato, caramelized brussel sprout, porcini, foie gras, brioche stuffing, cranberry jam, light gravy. Sautéed diver scallop, Jerusalem artichoke, Brussel sprout risotto. Braised beef short ribs, parsnip potato purée, orange carotte braising jus. Sautéed Icelandic codfish, beans, celery root purée, brussel sprout with truffle oil. Desserts Warm chocolate coulant, caramel sauce, vanilla ice. Pumpkin, apple tatin with cranberry sauce, cinnamon ice cream Crème brí»lée, vanilla beans Tahitian, hazelnut cookies. Pear Vacherin, wine poached pear, candied ginger ice cream.

Isis is the name of an ancient Egyptian goddess. Egypt can't be too happy about these people co-opting that name. Egyptian Tourist Commission: "Come see our statues of Isis!" That's why I am NEVER calling them ISIS.

I don't care for them calling themselves a state at all, but for me the first part of their name should be DIM (Doctrinally Incorrect Muslims) since the Koran does not in any way justify or condone the 9/11/2001 attacks nor this stuff pulled in Paris! Don's Muslim friend above has it right. DIM NSA (Doctrinally Incorrect Muslim Non-State Actors)

Madness

R'Evolution in the Royal Sonesta Hotel. Good for eating at the bar.

Don, I am sure you will go about an interface change more thoughtfully than Digg and Chowhound did. No worries here! I am on discussion boards that never change and they do look dated, believe me. Not this one.

I've simply stopped going to Chowhound since they changed their interface recently. (Remember how Digg lost a whole lot of followers when they changed interface? I wonder if that'll happen to Chowhound.)

I am leaning to Izakaya Seki. They take reservations for parties of 5-8 people only, so there's a possibility. I don't know the logistics though. Should I call the restaurant first for dates and times available? Put out a Don Rocks call for 8 participants? And propose a date and time? I pm'd DR just now.