A Day at the Races.........

Your Doom.

Spectacle.

Box.

Going to the races is like going to prom for the first time, the girls are over dressed, you always lose too much money, and it's never as good as you thought it was going to be. First of all, I have this weird suspicion that I missed the sign that said, "Attention, middle aged men and women with leather tan skin, please feel free to act as intoxicated and inappropriate as possible." This seemed to be the theme of the day. These people's plastic surgeon had to be either blind, or in fact not a surgeon at all, but a plastic toy manufacturer. Although this may sound crass or over the top, I cannot help, but comment on certain social situations, such as a day at the Del Mar Racetrack. The only way to do this type of deal is from a sky box. Luckily I was separated from the people traveling from East County, who came to sit on a 100 degree paddock and talk about how much horsepower their tractor motor has, while they obnoxiously bash all of the people who are actually there placing bets. Yes, thats right folks, only at the Del Mar Racetrack. But, even with all of the distractions around, when those horses come out of that gate, part of you gets into it, wether you want to admit it or not. I happened to win one trifecta, and the rush of winning has to compare to getting pulled over by a CHP officer or ........ getting caught cheating on a math test, I would say it's somewhere in that ballpark. If you haven't gone to the races this year, don't let the cheery folk from east of Barona Casino scare you away. Go enjoy a day at the track, I guarantee you will at least get a funny story out of it. Don't get sucked into the statistics of these horses/jockeys, you will bet all of your rent money and lose on a horse named "Trail Mix".

Stay with the Boxed-Trifecta Gents.

J.E. Albert

The Future in Your Hand

Useful Creativity is a new brand that my business partners; Shelby Meinzer and Carlos Mason have created with me, that focuses on the creation and marketing of iPhone applications that are aesthetically pleasing as well as functional. Our first app will be the Official San Diego Street Scene 09' Application. This app will be an interactive guide to the concert, from the lineups, to band bios, even direct connections to the iTunes store. The best part for you all is that it's free. Free as in go to the iTunes store next friday and download it for nothing, not even a penny. Whether or not you attend Street Scene this year, this app is great for artist updates and information on what's going on downtown during and around the time of the event. I've included a couple first release images of the app right here in this post......

Main.

Lineup.

Direct Twitter Integration.

It seems that the timing for a venture such as the one we are involved in, couldn't be better timed. We just hope you like the product.

For more information on Street Scene 2009 please visit

www. Street-Scene.com

Stay touch-screen gents.

J.E. Albert

Sneaker Profile: Kanye West

Showing the kicks at Fashion Week Paris

Interesting spread.

Kanye West seems to be synonymous with many things, stupidity being one of them. I'm also pretty sure that almost all of the 5 people that read this blog think he is stupid/a moron. So why buy into his shoes? He teamed up with the head of Louis Vuitton's design team, Marc Jacobs to design a futuristic and comfortable sneaker. I'm not exactly sure if you should buy into Kanye the "shoe designer", but Kanye "the ballsy guy", has to be considered. It worked enough to get LV behind him. Being a fan of Kanye West is like being a fan of Patrick Bateman from American Psycho. It's completely acceptable, but also understood that it's mainly out of a weird and confused pity. I think that is the center of most people's fascination with Kanye West. How crazy can he get? My guess is that we will continue to see more very odd behavior and career decisions from West as time goes on. But like I said, with the wacko publicty that comes with Kanye, the pity soon follows. I guess at the end of the day, no one should feel bad for him for any reason other than the fact that he's completely insane. When you market a pill that "allows your fans to be more like you", it's most likely time for a reality check (I didn't make that up), however that insane mentality and outlook on his career has allowed him the large scale of success that he's attained. Who can market a fake pill and make money off of it? Mr. West. If there is a lesson to be learned from his ridiculous behavior and comments (....George Bush hates black people....), its that sticking your neck on the line, can help you in certain situations. Like his attitude toward his rapping career, his outlandish shoe designs may contribute to personal achievements in some social situations for Kanye and you. There. I'm not endorsing his ridiculous space boot, but if I saw you wearing them at a party, I wouldn't be mad. I'd probably ask you where you got them, and then told you where you could have got them for cheaper.

Stay kick fresh.

J.E. Albert

UFC 100 RECAP

If UFC 100 proved anything last night it's that it would be in everyones best interest to stay as far away as humanly possible from Dan Henderson's right hand, that no welterweight in the world has any business whatsoever stepping in the cage with GSP, and that Brock Lesnar is the single most terrifying individual I've ever seen.

Henderson vs Bisping

The U.K.'s Michael Bisping's first mistake was running his mouth and his second mistake was circling to his left leaving him susceptible to Henderson's sledgehammer right. The majority of the fight was a standup boxing match with Bisping circling the ring while throwing occasional punches, Henderson continuously stalked him while loading up his right hand. The only real action in the fight was when Henderson decapitated Bisping and followed it by pummeling Bisping's lifeless skull just for good measure in the second round. The convincing Henderson victory will now lead to debate for a possible rematch with reigning middleweight and pound for pound juggernaut Anderson Silva.

GSP vs Thiago Alves

Georges St. Pierre continued his campaign for pound for pound supremacy with a convincing victory over always dangerous Thiago Alves. GSP set the fights pace, stayed out of Alves' range, and took Thiago to the mat at will en route to another dominant unanimous decision victory in the octagon. Alves and his one dimensional muay thai striking attack was smothered by St. Pierre's out of this world jedi skills. The only real question left after this fight is if Georges will get the chance to face Anderson Silva for supremacy of galaxy.

Brock Lesnar vs Frank Mir

If you weren't the slightest bit disturbed by this match then you were either too drunk or a 1980's slasher movie villain. Duke Nukem aka Brock Lesnar was the proverbial mean big brother you never wanted and thankfully never had. Lesnar skipped the foreplay and immediately took Mir to the ground were he imposed his will via knuckle sandwich throughout the first round. By the time the second round began Frank Mir's face looked like it was sponsored by The Spaghetti Factory. The second round, much like the first was completely dominated by Lesnar and his frightening ground and pound. Pinning Mir to the cage, Brock unloaded right hands into Franks face until referee Herb Dean stopped the match. If you are a disgruntled fighters wife looking to cash in on a serious life insurance policy I suggest you get your hubby to fight Lesnar. If not, the only thing that belongs in the cage with Brock other than Fedor is a pissed off grizzly bear brandishing a buoy knife. Other than that I don't see anything or anyone stopping Lesnar's reign of terror anytime soon. Be afraid.

Stay lustful for blood gents!

E.L. Healey

UFC 100 PREVIEW

Brock Lesnar vs Frank Mir

Saturday night marks the culmination of The Brock Lesnar and Frank Mir death match reunion world tour. The two men will square off for the second time in the octagon for the UFC Undisputed Heavyweight Championship at the Mandalay Bay events center in front of a packed house. This time around Lesnar's turning the dial up on his death ray fists from severely wound to full blown genocidal nuclear meltdown. With Brocks intentions of going completely Chernoble on Mir's face, Frank must focus strictly on his superior jiu-jitsu game if he hopes to survive the onslaught. Although Mir holds the advantage in experience and submissions, I think Brock's overall athletic superiority matched with his wrestling, size, and unbelievable knockout power will prove to be too much for Mir. From the beginning of round 1 Lesnar will set the pace and tone for the entire fight. I predict a Lesnar TKO victory in the 2nd or 3rd rounds.

GSP vs Thiago Alves

The second title fight of the evening pits UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre against what "everyone" is calling the biggest test of his career in Thiago "The Pitbull" Alves. To say GSP is on a roll is a drastic understatement. Georges has only two career losses which each have been avenged in brutal chainsaw massacre fashion. St. Pierre is arguably the most complete mixed martial arts fighter ever and he's certainly done nothing to make me argue. But if imitation is the greatest form of flattery than GSP should be tickled pink because Alves has been kicking the sh!t out of everyone with a pulse. Alves is athletic, huge, and is a Mike Tyson'esque muay thai striker with a great spawl. Thiago usually relies on his freaky power and aggressive striking to overwhelm his opponents and make them ponder alternative career paths. Unfortunately for the Brazillian he has never faced anyone with as lethal a resume as GSP. St. Pierre will show up Saturday with a gameplan ready to dismantle the Alves time bomb. His superior conditioning, gameplan, wrestling, and striking accuracy will prove to be too much for Thiago. Barring flash knockout I'm picking GSP by TKO or submission in the 2nd.

Stay in your seats Gents.

E.L. Healey

Summer BBQ: Chef Aneo Baldassari

Photos By Carlos Mason.

Caiprinhas, Charcoal and Spice.......

There are few things more synonymous with summer then barbecues. A well executed barbecue can really create some fond summertime memories. I have created a rather simple menu that features several dishes that emanate the carefree summer attitude. Every ingredient used in these recipes can be found at your local supermarket. Cachaca is featured in the cocktail recipe.

This sugar based spirit originates from Brazil and is absolutely delicious. If you are having trouble finding this ingredient you can easily substitute it with vodka for an equally desirable drink. Now, every grill works differently for the purpose of this article cooking times are not necessarily exact, which means you need to pay full attention to your food while it cooks. All of these recipes can easily be made in the kitchen but it is after all summertime, so head outside have a drink and grill.

Kyoto Caipirinha

- Leblon Cachaca 3 oz

- ½ Lime Sliced thin

- ½ teaspoon Grated Ginger

- 1 tablespoon Brown Sugar

In a lowball glass combine lime, ginger and brown sugar. Use a muddle to pulverize the mixture. If you don’t have one of these use a wooden spoon to incorporate and crush the ingredients together. Fill the glass with ice and add the Cachaca. Stir the contents well and garnish with a lime slice.

Grilled Shrimp and Green Coconut Dipping Sauce (serves 4+)

Grilled Shrimp

- Shrimp 1 lb (peeled and deveined if you like)

- Salt and Pepper

- Olive Oil

Coat the shrimp with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place the shrimp on the grill watch them closely give them a turn when they begin to change color about 1.5-3 minutes depending on heat. Garnish with chopped cilantro and dipping sauce.

Sauce:

- ¾ can of Coconut Milk

- ½ bunch of Cilantro

- 3-4 cloves of Garlic

- 1 teaspoon Crushed Red Chili Flakes

- Salt and Pepper to taste

- 1/8 cup Olive Oil

Combine all ingredients except for the olive oil in a food processor. Pulse until mixture is relatively smooth. Drizzle olive oil while the processor is running.

Asian Glazed Chicken and Fresh Avocado Papaya Salad

Chicken

- 4 Chicken Thighs (Skin On)

- Olive Oil

- Salt and Pepper

Coat chicken with olive oil, salt and pepper. Let stand for about 15-20 minutes. Place chicken skin side down on the grill for about 8-10 minutes depending on the heat of your grill this could take longer. Flip the chicken and coat baste with the glaze during the last 5 minutes of cooking time. You don’t want to put the glaze on too early or the sauce will burn and you’ll have a rather bitter tasting dish.

Glaze:

- 1/3 cup Hoisin Sauce

- ¼ cup Soy Sauce

- 2 tablespoons Rice Wine Vinegar

- 1 teaspoon Red Chili Flakes

- 2-3 cloves Garlic (minced)

- 1 teaspoon Ginger (minced)

- ½ tablespoon Olive Oil

- ½ Lime (juiced)

In a small saucepan on medium-high heat, add olive oil, garlic and ginger. Let it brown for a few minutes and add the rest of the ingredients and reduce heat to medium low and stir. Let this mixture reduce for about 15-20 minutes stirring occasionally.

Avocado Papaya Salad:

- 1 fresh Papaya (cubed)

- 2-3 Avocados (cubed)

- ¼ bunch of Mint (finely chopped)

- ½ red onion (minced)

- 3 tablespoons Rice Wine Vinegar

- 2 Limes (juiced)

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl, stir gently to preserve the integrity of the avocado. Let stand for 15-20 minutes to incorporate all flavors.

You people seriously owe me.......

Chef: A:B

The Martini

Bond. Enough said.

Charles & Marie inside-out configuration.

Don't leave out the garnish of lemon, or the shaker.

It’s quite possible that there isn’t a more iconic cocktail than the Martini. No other drink has received nearly as much attention. As almost everyone knows it’s the preferred drink of the one and only James Bond. As one of the most popular drinks it is no surprise that the perfect Martini is a highly debated topic. I won’t spend too much time on this debate, but in recent years the “classic” Martini is somewhat lost. This is attributed to several different factors. The growing popularity of Vodka in the United States is partly at fault. The other driving factor that has changed the tastes of the public is the introduction of the dry, very dry and let’s see how to sneak the smallest amount of Vermouth into a drink. The classic martini features a perfectly delicious 4 to 1 ratio of gin to vermouth. What you choose to garnish this drink with is entirely up to you. Try this classic recipe and change the proportions based on your own preference. This is by no means the only way to make a Martini feel free to experiment. Enjoy, don’t blame me if this drink becomes habit forming.

Classic Martini

2 ounces Gin

¼ ounce dry vermouth

Garnish with olive(s) or lemon twist

The most important thing is serving this cocktail cold. It helps to chill your martini glass beforehand. Combine the liquids in a shaker or mixing glass. Shake or stir vigorously. Strain over garnish into martini glass and drink away.

Stick with the classy adult beverages gents.

Chef A:B