True Food Kitchen

This week has been restaurant week here in Newport Beach, where many select and fine dining establishments showcase their talent at discounted and reasonable prices. Unfortunately, with my MBA courses starting up again, and some other factors contributing, I was only able to make it out to one of the featured restaurants.

We picked True Food Kitchen based on their menu posted on the Restaurant week's home page - though in truth, almost all of the featured restaurants had very appealing fare. Located in Fashion Island, True Food Kitchen had all the potential to be uppity and snooty,, but the staff and environment gave it a very laid back, karma type atmosphere. It struck me as similar to a restaurant at a day spa – not that I have been to a day spa or anything, but if one had a restaurant, it would be like True Food Kitchen. Everything about the place is organic, soothing, and and just well, nice. Thats not to say that you don't get the standard small dog carrying Newport Beach socialite crowd, but given the location, that is hardly avoidable.

The food was excellent. True food was one of the only places in Restaurant week that offered specialty drinks as part of the fare. The Hangover Rx was great – coconut milk, orange juice and pineapple juice, while the Medicine man had too much straight soda water for me to enjoy it.

For appetizers we had the hummus and the caramelized onion tart. Both were excellent, and clearly made with freshest ingredients southern California has to offer. For lunch there was the chicken chopped salad, which offered an exquisite combination of flavors in its chicken, cheeses, dates and cranberries. I haven't been much of a chopped salad fan until recently, and this salad is one of the reasons why I started to like them. The Steak tacos were good. Well cooked and full of flavor, but I didn't take too well to the flour tortilla shells. Maybe I'm not used to organic foods, or the specific flavors of them, but I always thought that the shell was meant to augment the flavor of the taco, not overpower it. Overall, they were just too... flour-ey I guess.

For deserts we tried the apple crisp and the Chocolate Banana Tart. The apple crisp came out warm and delicious, but it is hard to mess up an apple crisp. The ice cream a la mode was interesting though, with a subtle mocha flavor that really complemented the crisp. The chocolate banana tart was incredible – caramelized bananas on a chocolate cookie with a type of whipped cream topping was more than I ever expected from a health food billed restaurant.

The staff was very friendly and accommodating, and helped us out with the vast choices of karma-riffic food. There is a very laid back feel to the place, but with a subtle elegance that gives the entire establishment a very nice environment – if a tad pretentious... but what chic place in Newport is not?

I think it comes out a bit on the pricey side, but you definitely get what you pay for. This will be a place we return to sooner rather than later.

Carlos Slim - Worlds Wealthiest Man

By Michelle Caruso-Cabrera Carlos Slim, the world's wealthiest man, is bullish on Mexico and says he is staying in the country despite the dramatic rise in violence. A mansion that he bought in New York is too big to live in—it's purely for investment. Carlos Slim In a wide-ranging interview, the telecom magnate put to rest rumors about a large mining acquisition, explained his rationale for buying nearly $200 million in New York real estate, and also why he is not making the pledge to give away half his wealth like Warren Buffett and Bill Gates. A wave of violence has left more than 30,000 dead in three years in the Latin American country, as President Felipe Calderon wages an all-out war against the country's drug cartels. As a result, Mexican executives living near the US border are said to be moving to places like Texas and Florida. Slim says he is not one of them. Instead, he is investing heavily in Mexico by purchasing real estate and spinning off two companies just this month that are newly listed on the Mexican Stock Exchange. In fact, he says those choosing not to invest in Mexico are making a big mistake: They will lose. "If they are already here, they will lose market share. If they are not here they will lose a very big market. We are 110-112 million people, and growing the economy," Slim says. On donating half his fortune to charity like billionaires Buffett and Gates are doing, Slim says it's the wrong way to resolve the world's problems. "What we need to do as businessmen, is to help to solve the problems, the social problems," he explains. "To fight poverty, but not by charity." In addition, he says donating the money to charity will result in huge tax deductions, depriving governments of much-needed tax revenue. "I think it will be a big mistake that companies like Microsoft [MSFT  28.3525    -0.1175  (-0.41%)   ] , Apple [AAPL  332.68    -6.16  (-1.82%)   ] —the leaders of the world in technology—be sold by the founders to put the cash to fund charities. They shouldn't. It is more important that they continue manage the companies." As for his recent purchase of a mansion on Fifth Avenue in New York for $44 million, he scoffed at the notion that someone would live there, suggesting that it was too big because it has at least eight floors. Instead, he is going to turn it into several apartments and perhaps lease part of the building to a restaurant at the street level. Slim himself lives in a modest home in Mexico City and says he doesn't like owning homes outside the country because they are too much of a headache. He says he would rather stay in a hotel. Slim said rumors that he wants to buy the Fresnillo mining company, listed in London, are completely untrue. Slim already has a mining company, Minera Frisco, that he just spun off and listed on the Mexican stock exchange this month. Its products include zinc, silver, and gold. He is very pleased with his investment in The New York Times [NYT  10.74    0.66  (+6.55%)   ] he says, and is not interested in buying the company the way Rupert Murdoch bought Wall Street Journal owner Dow Jones. Slim owns 10 million shares and lent the company $250 million with a 14 percent interest rate in late 2009. He is making $35 million in interest payments alone every year. Plus, he received warrants giving him the rights to 15.9 million shares. "It was a financial investment. We made a convertible bond, a bond with warrants. We are very happy with the formula," he says. Slim added, "We are not asking them how the business is going. We are looking from the outside. What they are going to do? What are their plans? We are not asking about that. We know that they are doing a good job." The next goal for his telecom companies is broadband penetration levels of up to 70 percent in Latin America. The number currently stands at less than 20 percent. Now that wireless penetration is nearing 100 percent or more (because some people have more than one phone), the next step is providing internet connections via smart phones on a large scale.

36 hours in Palm Springs

So, Sunday night we decided to embark on a little 36 hour vacation. With Spring semester beginning, and new jobs and the like coming up very quickly, on top of the January heat wave here in California, we figured a quick trip to Palm Springs would be well worth it.

The drive from Newport Beach wasn't that bad. All the map sites had put the trip at right around 2 hours, but we shaved it down to a little over and hour and a half, with no toll roads, and some beautiful scenery through the rolling hills of southern California. The weather was gorgeous, and we watched the temperature climb as we moved more and more inland. By the time we were in Palm Springs, it was 88 degrees of sun drenched warmth.

The town itself is a bit of a cheese resort town and retirement community. Not much seemed to stand out as far as things to do or night life, but that also likely had to do with it being Monday night.

We had chosen the Spa Resort Casino before hand. It was the cheapest of the nicer looking hotels in the area, and had booked online. The casino portion looked nice enough, but the hotel had a bit of a rundown, retro appearance. This was a bit frustrating, but at $77 a night, it wasn't bad. The outside of the hotel was deceptive, as inside, and the rooms, were very nice. Make sure to request a balcony, and the view of the nearby mountains is spectacular.

The pool area was small, but there were two huge mineral spas that felt incredible. The feel to the whole area was very retro – it had a very “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” vibe going for it. The reasonably priced drinks at the pool cabana – some of the best margaritas I have ever had, and everyone around the pool smoking (a rarity in California) just augmented this... Hunter S Thompson would feel right at home, and the bright, overexposed, 70's-80's retro vibe felt like I was in the last half of Goodfellas. Not in a bad way, mind you, it was very Rat Pack.

We had dinner Monday night at Share, a tapas and wine restaurant in the Hyatt hotel just a few blocks away. The restaurant was spectacular, though completely deserted. The menu was excellent, and fairly priced, especially considering the surroundings. The bruschetta was outstanding, and I highly recommend it. The whole feel was more like a Vegas nightclub, or an upscale Manhattan restaurant, and they pulled it off very well. Service was lacking, but I got the idea that there was only the hostess there that evening.

The spa resort casino was my first foray into gambling in California, and let me tell you, it was an experience. I have gone to casinos all over the country, and even tried my luck in Puerto Rico and Monte Carlo, but California is the only place where they make everything a card game. When I first stepped up to the craps table, it blew my mind. The dealer was shuffling two sets of cards, A-6, and turning over one of each set to get the score on the dice. There were the same odds, the same number of results, the same bets, and the same payouts, just using cards instead of dice. The dealers were very friendly in explaining California state gaming laws to me, and quite sociable in general, but playing with cards instead of dice just didn't sit well with me. It seemed to slow the game down considerably (though the dealer said it actually made play faster) and it wasn't nearly as social and energetic as throwing the bones in other states. Drinks on the floor are not comped either – which was frustrating, as I found this out only after I order some cocktails. Again, this is a result of California law, and not a reflection of the casino. After playing for a few hours – Blackjack, Craps, and Roulette (which is something else when only using cards... think wheel of fortune) I walked away up about 30% and was happy with the performance.

Overall, the mini stay-cation was nice and relaxing. I have a nice tan to start classes with, and some great experiences to share. I want to try out a few more of the casinos in the area, but Spa Resort is a nice one that is worth a look, and I am looking forward to my next trip to Palm Springs.

400 year old pipes found at Jamestown

Found this article on Yahoo a few days ago and really enjoyed it. Demonstrated the history and prevelance tobacco has had in American society for so long. It was our first cash crop, and our first industry. What is really interesting to me as well is how quickly tobacco's popularity spread in Europe. Within just a few years of the first shipment, tobacco was used all over Europe - an amazing rate if you think about the trade and travel of the time.

By MICHAEL FELBERBAUM, AP Tobacco Writer Michael Felberbaum, Ap Tobacco Writer – Fri Dec 31, 8:41 am ET

RICHMOND, Va. – Archeologists at Jamestown have unearthed a trove of tobacco pipes personalized for a who's who of early 17th century colonial and British elites, underscoring the importance of tobacco to North America's first permanent English settlement.
The white clay pipes — actually, castoffs likely rejected during manufacturing — were crafted between 1608 and 1610 and bear the names of English politicians, social leaders, explorers, officers of the Virginia Company that financed the settlement and governors of the Virginia colony. Archeologists also found equipment used to make the pipes.
Researchers believe the pipes recovered from a well in James Fort were made to impress investors and the political elite with the financial viability of the settlement. They are likely the rejects that failed to survive the ceramic firing process in a kiln.
The find comprises more than 100 pipes or fragments. More than a dozen are stamped with diamond shapes and inscribed with the names or initials of luminaries including explorer Sir Walter Raleigh, who dispatched the colonists to the territory he named Virginia. He also is credited with popularizing tobacco in England and is said to have smoked a pipe just before being executed for treason in 1618.
Other names include Capt. Samuel Argall, a major Virginia Company investor and governor of Virginia; Sir Charles Howard, Lord High Admiral of England; and Earl of Southampton Henry Wriothesley, a Virginia Company official who was also William Shakespeare's major patron.
"It really brings the people back into the picture," said Bly Straube, senior archaeological curator for the Jamestown Rediscovery Project. "We have a lot of artifacts that we can associate with types of people like gentleman or women or children, but to find things like the pipe that bears the name Sir Walter Raleigh, I mean, my goodness. ... It just makes it very tangible and real."
The discovery casts lights on the social, political and economic network behind the Jamestown venture that started in 1607, as well as the importance of tobacco to the settlement, said William Kelso, director of archaeological research and interpretation at Historic Jamestowne.
Smoking imported tobacco was very popular in Europe in the early 17th century.
After settlers arrived at Jamestown, tobacco quickly became the American colony's chief export. Among the immigrants Capt. Francis Nelson brought to Jamestown in 1608 was Robert Cotton, a tobacco pipe maker who likely fashioned the pipes found in the well.
In 1614, the first shipment of Virginia tobacco was sold in London. Jamestown's tobacco exports to Europe grew from 10 tons in 1619 to 750 tons in 1639.
"Tobacco, whose goodnesse mine own experience and triall induces me to be such, that no country under the Sunne, may, or doth affoord more pleasant, sweet and strong Tobacco, then I have tasted," Ralph Hamor, a secretary of the colony, wrote in 1614. "I doubt not, (we) will make and returne such Tobacco this yeere, that even England shall acknowledge the goodnesse thereof."

Full Story HERE: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101231/ap_on_re_us/us_jamestown_tobacco_pipes

Happy New Years! 01-01-11

Happy New Year everyone! Hope everyone rang in 01/01/11 with a bang! I'm sure there are all kinds of crazy stories out there, and feel free to tell me all about them, but my New Years had a serious damper put on it by the city of Long Beach.

First of all, let me establish that generally speaking, I am a fan of security. Chaos and anarchy is not the way to live one's life, nor to be a productive member of society, but just like a society where fear has over ruled common sense, there is a certain point where security infringes on the liberties of others. Some people are okay with this, but I am not.

The girlfriend and I decide to head to Long Beach's relatively famous downtown block party for New Year's eve. From what we had heard, it was a good time. The lineup of bands were pretty cool (a Kansas tribute band, opening for a Neil Diamond cover group... yeah, you read that right, Neil Diamond. They were ironically awesome!) We arrive at around 1030pm to find the line to get in wrapping and stretching down several blocks. Should I remind you that this is a block party? Meaning open air venues, taking up several downtown streets of public property. Yeah, the LBPD was there enforcing stuff, and to their credit, they weren't being dicks to anyone, and they were just doing their jobs, but at the “Gate” there were private bouncers checking ID's, and then you had to be frisked and wanded with a metal detector – again by “event staff” just to get onto the street. I decided to cache the tactical folder that I keep in my pocket rather than risk this gauntlet of absurdity. The line took more than 2 hours to get through, and that is with us staying the course and not leaving, furious about the situation, like so many others (and people leaving were the only reason the line seemed to move at all). We counted down the new year waiting in line, with a crew of delightfully drunk Brazilians, who didn't understand why the powers that be would make such a big deal about getting into a party.

The infuriating situation outside the gate would have been somewhat justified had there been a cover charge, or a real risk to security (this isn't New Years on the Mall in DC after all) or had it even been a free for all inside, but once on the street, every bar there still checked ID's and had their own security in place – rendering the arm bands we got at the gate more than useless. We listened to the bands, and had a nice time, despite everything, but I walked away shaking my head. If I had been a business owner, I would have been furious at whoever had mandated the security situation, be it the city of Long Beach, or the Business Association, or whoever. That sort of situation does not prevent incidents. It practically incites them, and fights are still going to happen. The only result of this cordon was literally hundreds of potential customers being turned away or leaving in anger, and that's something that small business owners these days cannot afford to let happen.

California ID card

So, I have FINALLY bit the bullet and gotten my California ID Number (card is on its way) so after signing a lease on my new place after the fire, I had an actual proof of residence, and spent a very reasonable hour and half in line to get my California ID. Please note that in all the states that I have lived in, California is the only one that requires you to have one of their ID's in order to do stuff in that state... like, say, get a business license, for example. I always figured that, though I am a supporter of state's rights, there was still the factor of National Supremacy (as established by the Supreme Court under John Marshall) and that as a Floridian, I am still a citizen of the United States of America, and therefore still guaranteed all the rights and liberties associated therein. This apparently does not apply to California. Don't get me wrong, I completely understand the idea that the state has a need and a right to tax company's and individuals doing business within their state, but considering the application for a DL or a standard ID for California was geared very much toward foreign nationals as well as American citizens, I kinda assumed I would have priority. (there is even a space to sign acknowledging if you have no SSN, and are not a US Citizen... but you CAN be a Californian)

Some may argue, and accurately so, that my primary experience with living in other states came through the military, and that being an employee of the federal government, and in such places as Louisiana and New York, more or less not by choice, I would not have been subject to each individual states citizenship regulations. very true, but also remember that I grew up on the border between Alabama and Florida, and watched people live in one state, doing business in the other as a part of daily life (my father still does, and pays no income tax to Alabama, as he is a Floridian) and being in New York, just north of NYC, it was a similar scenario for denizens of New Jersey and Connecticut who worked in the City and lived in the suburbs to simply go about their daily lives as Americans and nothing less because their ID had a different state's flag on it.

oh well, that is just my personal opinion on the matter, and counts for very little. I have a California address, and a California ID, and pay taxes to Arnold Schwarzenegger (damn, I need to hurry up and get into the National Guard so i can swear allegiance to that guy... how cool would that be? He killed the predator!) But having the new ID opens up new doors for me, like applying for a California CCW (not holding my breath for this one) a California Business License, Issuing California State Handgun certifications (yeah, I can do that), and maybe most importantly, voting Red in a Blue state! with these new responsibilities come new freedoms and opportunities, and I have every intention of taking advantage of them!

Video of Afghanistan Ambush

Video clip that was forwarded to me from Lightfight.net - 101st Airborne in action. Good example of a Light Infantry firefight, and a great reaction from the whole team. Hazy point at 10 seconds in, where the TL nearly flags his own man right after the fight starts, but all in all, this guy is a stud, and that 40mm will swing a close fight any day of the week. Awesome video


101st Airborne Ambush - Afghanistan