A Good Review
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/02/06/DD9915MEGE.DTL&type=movies
This is a review of the animated film "Coraline" I read on SFGate. This writer can write! I am more intrigued by his writing than by the film itself. But because of his exceptional writing, I now want to watch the film to confirm or disconfirm his thoughts.
Bravo to good writing.
Chloe
Ethan
Friday, February 06, 2009
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
The Human Race
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28873370/?GT1=43001
Things like this make me want to cancel my membership with the human race. A company wants to sell a doll named and modeled after 2-year-old slained Caylee Anthony. How can anyone want to profit from a poor little girl's murder?
The company defended the doll, saying "in addition to raising money for a national missing and exploited children's organization, the doll would help promote awareness. We want to give … we're not trying to get rich. We're putting ourselves at a whole lot of risk... She'll be a banner for missing and exploited children, and people will know and have a better idea how to handle those situations or stop those situations from happening."
That's a bunch of BS. Money, not social awareness, is what they're after. They've suspended the sale of this doll for now. I hope they downright take it off the market for good.
On top of that, this company has been rated with an "F" by the BBB. This pretty much sums up the poor business practice and/or ethics this company has. If this doll does end up getting back on the market for sale, I truly hope no one buys it. The idea is just disgusting and disgraceful.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28873370/?GT1=43001
Things like this make me want to cancel my membership with the human race. A company wants to sell a doll named and modeled after 2-year-old slained Caylee Anthony. How can anyone want to profit from a poor little girl's murder?
The company defended the doll, saying "in addition to raising money for a national missing and exploited children's organization, the doll would help promote awareness. We want to give … we're not trying to get rich. We're putting ourselves at a whole lot of risk... She'll be a banner for missing and exploited children, and people will know and have a better idea how to handle those situations or stop those situations from happening."
That's a bunch of BS. Money, not social awareness, is what they're after. They've suspended the sale of this doll for now. I hope they downright take it off the market for good.
On top of that, this company has been rated with an "F" by the BBB. This pretty much sums up the poor business practice and/or ethics this company has. If this doll does end up getting back on the market for sale, I truly hope no one buys it. The idea is just disgusting and disgraceful.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
BATS Improv
Last night we went to see the BATS Improv show at Fort Mason. The tickets were one of my two anniversary gifts to RF. Since the 1st anniversary is symbolized by paper, my paper gift to him was the tickets to the Improv show.
RF had told me about BATS Improv a long time ago. He had watched it once before many years ago and he really enjoyed it. We’ve been talking about catching a show for quite some time now. At one point we even asked our friends if anyone was interested. But we didn’t have any takers. I figured we would go on our own this time on a date.
BATS has been performing in SF since 1986. Besides improvised performances, they also offer improv workshops training improvisational performance to individual or groups. The current run is from January through February and have performances every Friday and Saturday nights. Called the Rock & Roll Theatresports, it divides the BATS cast into six Rock & Roll-themed teams to compete for the Theatresports championship. Each night, two teams compete in performing improvised games, songs, and scenes inspired by audience suggestions. At the end of each challenge, judges award points to each team and the audience screams out the name of the team they think did better in that challenge. That team gets to throw a big dice for extra points. The team with the most points wins and moves on to the championship round at the end of the run. The teams lastnight were Rockness Monster and The Swensen 5. The winning team was Rockness Monster, who won by a score of 100 to 83.
We both really enjoyed the show. It was very much like “Whose Line Is It Anyway” but a tad bit more amateurish. But that’s exactly what we expected. These are local actors doing a small intimate show for the local audience. The theater itself is small, which was perfect for the small audience of about 50. But the atmosphere was intimate, as if everyone knew everyone else. The cast asked members of the audience to participate on stage in a couple of skits and people were eager to volunteer. At $15 per ticket, this is an affordable show for two hours of fun and laughs. I will definitely be back for more. I highly recommend it to others as well.
Their website is www.improv.org
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Mystery Solved?
My husband has been sick the last 4 days. A very bad case of the flu knocked him out for 3 days and finally today he was able to get up and go to work. I've been trying very hard not to catch it from him. But we all know how hard that is when you are living in the same house and sleeping on the same bed.
I'm not sure if I'm just paranoid, but this afternoon my head felt a little woozy. It's been like this on and off since about 2pm. About an hour ago I felt my forehead to see if it's warm. It did feel a little warm to the touch. Again I may just be paranoid but to be safe, I took out the thermometer to take my temperature. It read 97.9. That's lower than normal. I think I'm ok...right?
Yeah, I think I'm ok. I think that's my body's core temperature. Several times in the past, at times when I was sick and took my temperature, I often got these below-normal readings. In fact this might explain why I'm always cold. It takes a very warm day to get me to wear a t-shirt. Even hotter to get me to wear a skirt or shorts. If there is any science to this, I believe that due to the fact that my core temperature is lower than usual, I tend to get cold easier than most people. That explains why I can be in a long sleeve shirt and a sweatshirt when my husband has only a t-shirt on. Mystery solved.
My husband has been sick the last 4 days. A very bad case of the flu knocked him out for 3 days and finally today he was able to get up and go to work. I've been trying very hard not to catch it from him. But we all know how hard that is when you are living in the same house and sleeping on the same bed.
I'm not sure if I'm just paranoid, but this afternoon my head felt a little woozy. It's been like this on and off since about 2pm. About an hour ago I felt my forehead to see if it's warm. It did feel a little warm to the touch. Again I may just be paranoid but to be safe, I took out the thermometer to take my temperature. It read 97.9. That's lower than normal. I think I'm ok...right?
Yeah, I think I'm ok. I think that's my body's core temperature. Several times in the past, at times when I was sick and took my temperature, I often got these below-normal readings. In fact this might explain why I'm always cold. It takes a very warm day to get me to wear a t-shirt. Even hotter to get me to wear a skirt or shorts. If there is any science to this, I believe that due to the fact that my core temperature is lower than usual, I tend to get cold easier than most people. That explains why I can be in a long sleeve shirt and a sweatshirt when my husband has only a t-shirt on. Mystery solved.
Friday, January 02, 2009
Nisei
After MOMA we went to Sakanabune for dinner. We haven’t had sushi in awhile and were both craving it. Again Sakanabune lived up to its “cheap and good sushi” name.
After dinner we went to a nearby aquarium to buy more fish food. (Yes, after we ate fish for food, we went to buy food for our fishes. Ironic? Yes.) Well, besides fish food, we walked out of there with a new Betta fish and a new fish tank for me. That was not in the agenda at all but I saw the tank, liked it, bought it, and bought a fish to go in it. Impulsive buy? Totally. So ladies and gents, introducing Nisei, my 2nd fish. Nisei means 2nd generation in Japanese. Since this is my second fish since Hikari, I named this one Nisei.
MOMA
RF and I went to the Museum of Modern Arts otday. We talked about visiting the MOMA for a long time. Randy had never been there before. I had been there once about 6 years ago. To be honest, I think we may NOT revisit MOMA again. No disrespect to the artists and people who appreciate their work, but frankly, they were too abstract for us. We didn’t appreciate/understand most of the “arts” we saw today. We understand modern art tends to be abstract but this was too much. We scratched our heads to most of the pieces and asked often “how is this art?” The exhibit we appreciated the most was probably the collections of microscopic and telescopic photography. Those at least were things (1) we understood and (2) we thought were hard for the normal person to do. Unlike some of the other abstract pieces which frankly could’ve been done by anyone but because a certain artist did it, it’s art. The one I found most ridiculous was one of 4 black bolts bolted onto a white canvas to form a square. Where’s the art in that??? If I bolted 4 bolts to a white canvas to make a square and submitted it to the museum, would they have taken it and displayed it as “Modern Art by ITF”? I think not. So where’s the art in that???
RF and I went to the Museum of Modern Arts otday. We talked about visiting the MOMA for a long time. Randy had never been there before. I had been there once about 6 years ago. To be honest, I think we may NOT revisit MOMA again. No disrespect to the artists and people who appreciate their work, but frankly, they were too abstract for us. We didn’t appreciate/understand most of the “arts” we saw today. We understand modern art tends to be abstract but this was too much. We scratched our heads to most of the pieces and asked often “how is this art?” The exhibit we appreciated the most was probably the collections of microscopic and telescopic photography. Those at least were things (1) we understood and (2) we thought were hard for the normal person to do. Unlike some of the other abstract pieces which frankly could’ve been done by anyone but because a certain artist did it, it’s art. The one I found most ridiculous was one of 4 black bolts bolted onto a white canvas to form a square. Where’s the art in that??? If I bolted 4 bolts to a white canvas to make a square and submitted it to the museum, would they have taken it and displayed it as “Modern Art by ITF”? I think not. So where’s the art in that???
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
2.69
$2.69. That’s the price I paid per gallon of gas last night at Costco. I don’t remember the last time I saw/paid a price so low for gas. It must be more than 2 years ago that prices were at this level. Similarly I don’t remember the last time I paid less than $50 for a full tank. Last night my total came out to $44. Compared to just last month when I paid $3.65 per gallon for a total of $58, the numbers last night were like music to my ears.
The question next is will this last?
$2.69. That’s the price I paid per gallon of gas last night at Costco. I don’t remember the last time I saw/paid a price so low for gas. It must be more than 2 years ago that prices were at this level. Similarly I don’t remember the last time I paid less than $50 for a full tank. Last night my total came out to $44. Compared to just last month when I paid $3.65 per gallon for a total of $58, the numbers last night were like music to my ears.
The question next is will this last?
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Happy Article
There was a very good article in Saturday’s Chronicle/SFGate.
Class surprises lesbian teacher on wedding day
This is one of those rare happy stories you wished you see more of on the newspaper. It brought a smile to my face after I read it. Congratulations to the happy couple.
I’ve been in the habit of reading comments by fellow readers to gauge how everyone else feels about things happening around us. This article drew more than 2500 comments. I’m not surprised as Prop 8 is a hot topic lately. I couldn’t read all 2500+ comments of course, but here are a few that either I agree with or I think deserve a mention.
“At first, I was a bit conflicted about the actual term 'marriage'. My confusion was rooted in what I felt that the actual term 'marriage' was at heart an originally religious term signifying commitment between a man and a woman. But that simple term 'marriage' imparts many rights in this country too. So after a bit of thought I've come to the conclusion that 'marriage' means more about 'rights' as far as taxes, inheritance, visitation rights, adoption, etc. than the strict religious meaning, at least according to current Federal and most states laws. So just logically for me* it seems that same sex couples should have the same 'rights' heterosexual couples have. Equal rights under the law would seem to dictate that. I'm voting 'NO' on prop 8....”
“This class field trip is not parents or administrators advancing their own ideologies. It is not a waste of time or indoctrination. It IS an opportunity for these children to get a hands-on experience with a real current event. A good education goes beyond the classroom to the world that kids actually live in.”
"’How many days in school are they going to remember?’ asked parent Marc Lipsett. ‘This is a day they'll definitely remember.’ Totally agree with this quote. I'm happy that the kids got to take part in this event.”
"i am studying early childhood education and we are taught in our abti biased curriculum class that same sex coupleing should be taught/adressed because otherwise you are teaching the children to be biased or discriminatory just like not teaching children about other cultures teaches them bias and racism etc."
“Hey! That's great! Congratulations to the happy couple! But...get those kids back to school! There's plenty of reading and arithmetic to be learned. They're definitely not going to learn any good math in City Hall!”
There was a very good article in Saturday’s Chronicle/SFGate.
Class surprises lesbian teacher on wedding day
This is one of those rare happy stories you wished you see more of on the newspaper. It brought a smile to my face after I read it. Congratulations to the happy couple.
I’ve been in the habit of reading comments by fellow readers to gauge how everyone else feels about things happening around us. This article drew more than 2500 comments. I’m not surprised as Prop 8 is a hot topic lately. I couldn’t read all 2500+ comments of course, but here are a few that either I agree with or I think deserve a mention.
“At first, I was a bit conflicted about the actual term 'marriage'. My confusion was rooted in what I felt that the actual term 'marriage' was at heart an originally religious term signifying commitment between a man and a woman. But that simple term 'marriage' imparts many rights in this country too. So after a bit of thought I've come to the conclusion that 'marriage' means more about 'rights' as far as taxes, inheritance, visitation rights, adoption, etc. than the strict religious meaning, at least according to current Federal and most states laws. So just logically for me* it seems that same sex couples should have the same 'rights' heterosexual couples have. Equal rights under the law would seem to dictate that. I'm voting 'NO' on prop 8....”
“This class field trip is not parents or administrators advancing their own ideologies. It is not a waste of time or indoctrination. It IS an opportunity for these children to get a hands-on experience with a real current event. A good education goes beyond the classroom to the world that kids actually live in.”
"’How many days in school are they going to remember?’ asked parent Marc Lipsett. ‘This is a day they'll definitely remember.’ Totally agree with this quote. I'm happy that the kids got to take part in this event.”
"i am studying early childhood education and we are taught in our abti biased curriculum class that same sex coupleing should be taught/adressed because otherwise you are teaching the children to be biased or discriminatory just like not teaching children about other cultures teaches them bias and racism etc."
“Hey! That's great! Congratulations to the happy couple! But...get those kids back to school! There's plenty of reading and arithmetic to be learned. They're definitely not going to learn any good math in City Hall!”
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Two new Yelp reviews by yours truly:
Xyclo (Asian Fusion/Vietnamese - Piedmont, Oakland)
As long as you don't go with a preconception of what Vietnamese food should be, you will enjoy your meal at Xyclo. Authenticity aside, the flavors are full & robust. Overall, good.
Notable dishes are the Beef Carpaccio, Bun Hanoi, and Garlic Herb Noodles. The Bun Hanoi resembles the authentic Vietnamese version the most. The Carpaccio, while nowhere near authentic (capers?), is very tasty nonetheless. I actually enjoy what the capers do to the dish. The Garlic Herb Noodles is a must do to add to the experience.
Dishes that disappoint are the Xyclo Rolls, the Tumbling Dice, and Butterfly Prawns. The Xyclo Rolls are too bland, even with the fish sauce. I think this is mainly due to the lack of meat and over abundance of veggies in them. The Tumbling Dice, while the meat is decent, should not be served with the balsamic vinegarette salad. That's just wrong. But here I violate my own rule of not having a preconception of Vietnamese food. But I can't help it. I would be happier having it with a salad with fish sauce, like green papaya salad. The Butterfly Prawns are almost there. Just a dash more seasoning for flavor would complete it.
Overall this is a chic fusionized restaurant with a nice atmosphere and tasty food.
Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
Zanze's Cheesecake (Bakery - Ocean Ave, SF)
I don't eat anything with cheese...but I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS CHEESECAKE. That says it all.
Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars
Xyclo (Asian Fusion/Vietnamese - Piedmont, Oakland)
As long as you don't go with a preconception of what Vietnamese food should be, you will enjoy your meal at Xyclo. Authenticity aside, the flavors are full & robust. Overall, good.
Notable dishes are the Beef Carpaccio, Bun Hanoi, and Garlic Herb Noodles. The Bun Hanoi resembles the authentic Vietnamese version the most. The Carpaccio, while nowhere near authentic (capers?), is very tasty nonetheless. I actually enjoy what the capers do to the dish. The Garlic Herb Noodles is a must do to add to the experience.
Dishes that disappoint are the Xyclo Rolls, the Tumbling Dice, and Butterfly Prawns. The Xyclo Rolls are too bland, even with the fish sauce. I think this is mainly due to the lack of meat and over abundance of veggies in them. The Tumbling Dice, while the meat is decent, should not be served with the balsamic vinegarette salad. That's just wrong. But here I violate my own rule of not having a preconception of Vietnamese food. But I can't help it. I would be happier having it with a salad with fish sauce, like green papaya salad. The Butterfly Prawns are almost there. Just a dash more seasoning for flavor would complete it.
Overall this is a chic fusionized restaurant with a nice atmosphere and tasty food.
Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
Zanze's Cheesecake (Bakery - Ocean Ave, SF)
I don't eat anything with cheese...but I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS CHEESECAKE. That says it all.
Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Eric Benet vs Double Chin
*Sigh* When I first looked at this picture, I didn’t see Eric Benet. I didn’t see the celebrity singer that came by our station this morning. Instead, I see my double chin! Yes, that’s the one thing that stick outs (literally) at me (or on me) in the picture. Since when has this crept up on me?? My guess is since January as that was the last time I went to the gym. I need to snap back into shape. But…easier said than done. *Sigh*
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Boyfriend du Jour
Yes, I’m married. I know. But my boyfriend of the day is Robin Thicke. He came by our station for a live interview this morning. He is so so nice. No attitude whatsoever. No arrogance. Just down to earth and friendly. When I went into the studio, HE came up to ME to shake MY hand and to ask for MY name. Then after we took this picture, HE thanked ME. Oh, I melted. Heehee. And of course, he is so so cute also.
Friday, August 08, 2008
Black Hole
I grew up in SF. Lived practically all my life here. I can say I know the city in and out...except for one area. That's the woodsy area by Glen Park. This is the one "black hole" in my knowledge of this wonderful city. Everytime I drive by on O'Shaughnessy Boulevard I look over to the canyon and wonder what's there. This green and woodsy patch seem so far removed from the metropolis city, but yet, it's smack in the middle of the city. I've always wanted to wander into this black hole and explore. Today there's an article on SFGate.com featuring this rare jewel of the city. It offers information on how to get to the area, how to navigate the canyon, and even where to stop and eat afterwards. Armed with this information, I'm determined to finally pay this gap in my geographical knowledge of SF a visit.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/08/07/NSJM1238B1.DTL
I grew up in SF. Lived practically all my life here. I can say I know the city in and out...except for one area. That's the woodsy area by Glen Park. This is the one "black hole" in my knowledge of this wonderful city. Everytime I drive by on O'Shaughnessy Boulevard I look over to the canyon and wonder what's there. This green and woodsy patch seem so far removed from the metropolis city, but yet, it's smack in the middle of the city. I've always wanted to wander into this black hole and explore. Today there's an article on SFGate.com featuring this rare jewel of the city. It offers information on how to get to the area, how to navigate the canyon, and even where to stop and eat afterwards. Armed with this information, I'm determined to finally pay this gap in my geographical knowledge of SF a visit.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/08/07/NSJM1238B1.DTL
Friday, July 25, 2008
Gee, this just sucks all the romance out of an engagement doesn’t it?
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25846393
I’m not siding with either party here, but the precedence this legal case sets turns the whole notion of an engagement being based on the desire of a couple in love to live the remaining of their lives together into some sort of contract. That’s just wrong.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25846393
I’m not siding with either party here, but the precedence this legal case sets turns the whole notion of an engagement being based on the desire of a couple in love to live the remaining of their lives together into some sort of contract. That’s just wrong.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Hurrah for our station!
The newest Arbitron radio ratings book came out this afternoon and our station got one of its highest ratings ever. In the Bay Area, our station was ranked #1 in the Women Aged 25-54 demographic in the overall category of Mon-Sun 6am-Midnight. Women aged 25-54 is the most sought after demographic in the world of ratings and advertising. That’s where the money is. Armed with #1 ratings with this group, we are sure to attract advertisers. Besides the overall category of Mon-Sun 6am-12midnight, our weekday morning show also ranked #1 in that demographic. Our weekday afternoon show ranked #1 amongst Women Aged 25-49. These are all good numbers. Numbers our sales team is sure to boast to clients. When these numbers reached us this afternoon, everyone jumped up in joy. Needless to say, a couple bottles of champagne also got into the mix. ;-)
The newest Arbitron radio ratings book came out this afternoon and our station got one of its highest ratings ever. In the Bay Area, our station was ranked #1 in the Women Aged 25-54 demographic in the overall category of Mon-Sun 6am-Midnight. Women aged 25-54 is the most sought after demographic in the world of ratings and advertising. That’s where the money is. Armed with #1 ratings with this group, we are sure to attract advertisers. Besides the overall category of Mon-Sun 6am-12midnight, our weekday morning show also ranked #1 in that demographic. Our weekday afternoon show ranked #1 amongst Women Aged 25-49. These are all good numbers. Numbers our sales team is sure to boast to clients. When these numbers reached us this afternoon, everyone jumped up in joy. Needless to say, a couple bottles of champagne also got into the mix. ;-)
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Nepalese Youth Opportunity Foundation (NYOF)
This is a very inspiring story. It shows how one person can make a world of a difference.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/07/22/MNVJ11RHRQ.DTL
This is a very inspiring story. It shows how one person can make a world of a difference.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/07/22/MNVJ11RHRQ.DTL
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Good Eats
RF and I found a gem of a restaurant in our area. It's an old-fashioned Italian Restaurant called Bertolucci's. It's situated right by the freeway off of Grand Ave. You can probably find us there a lot in the future. Here's my yelp of it:
My husband and I saw the episode of Check Please Bay Area that featured Sodini's Bertolucci's and decided this is a place to try. The old-school Italian flavor appealed to our constant quest for authentic regional foods. And now that we actually live in SSF, there's really no excuse not to give this old-school charmer a try. Last Friday we made the trip there with a friend. Without a doubt all the good things the show raved about proved to be true. From the authenticity of the food to the Godfather-like atmosphere in the middle of nowhere, this restaurant did not disappoint.
Here's list of what we had:
(1) Bruchetta ($8): This is THE MOST DELICIOUS bruchetta I've ever had. The bread initially felt a little hard as I took the first bite, but then after that it was perfectly crunchy. It's a good contrasting texture to the soft tomatoes, which were marinated with a very tasty olive oil and just the right amount of basil and garlic. The amount of garlic on it was perfect. Not too much, not too little. I've had tasty bruchetta before that had too much garlic. So much that I would have to seek the rescue of a minty gum after the meal. But not this one. This one gives you the garlicky taste but not the breath to show for it afterwards.
(2) Linguini with Clams & Mussels ($18): Very tasty pasta served with whole, shelled clams and mussels lining the perimeter of the plate along with clam meats mixed in the red sauce. They did not skim out on the seafood on this one.
(3) Spaghetti and Meatballs ($16): My husband feels this dish can really show off an Italian restaurant's authenticity. Sure enough, Bertolucci's served up a killer one. There were 2 golf ball-sized meat balls with the plateful of chewy spaghetii and meat sauce. The sauce was just perfect in flavor. Not to sweet, not too tangy. Just perfect.
All the pastas came out piping hot and portion sizes were huge. The downside to that is we had no room left for dessert. Next time we will save our stomach's for dessert.
As with the food, the service was excellent. The wait staff was smiley and attentive. Our waitress did make one mistake - she forgot to serve the Minestrone soup our friend ordered. But once we reminded her of it, she immediately apologized profusely and comped us the soup for free. We said that wasn't necessary but she insisted. This got high marks from us.
In terms of value, this restaurant gives you the bang for your buck. For $92, three of us got 1 appetizer, 3 pasta dishes, and 3 glasses of wine. While it doesn't qualify as cheap everyday eat, it doesn't break the bank either. I say this is a good place to enjoy a nice meal with close friends or family. My husband says it's also a nice place for a first date, which I have to say I agree.
RF and I found a gem of a restaurant in our area. It's an old-fashioned Italian Restaurant called Bertolucci's. It's situated right by the freeway off of Grand Ave. You can probably find us there a lot in the future. Here's my yelp of it:
My husband and I saw the episode of Check Please Bay Area that featured Sodini's Bertolucci's and decided this is a place to try. The old-school Italian flavor appealed to our constant quest for authentic regional foods. And now that we actually live in SSF, there's really no excuse not to give this old-school charmer a try. Last Friday we made the trip there with a friend. Without a doubt all the good things the show raved about proved to be true. From the authenticity of the food to the Godfather-like atmosphere in the middle of nowhere, this restaurant did not disappoint.
Here's list of what we had:
(1) Bruchetta ($8): This is THE MOST DELICIOUS bruchetta I've ever had. The bread initially felt a little hard as I took the first bite, but then after that it was perfectly crunchy. It's a good contrasting texture to the soft tomatoes, which were marinated with a very tasty olive oil and just the right amount of basil and garlic. The amount of garlic on it was perfect. Not too much, not too little. I've had tasty bruchetta before that had too much garlic. So much that I would have to seek the rescue of a minty gum after the meal. But not this one. This one gives you the garlicky taste but not the breath to show for it afterwards.
(2) Linguini with Clams & Mussels ($18): Very tasty pasta served with whole, shelled clams and mussels lining the perimeter of the plate along with clam meats mixed in the red sauce. They did not skim out on the seafood on this one.
(3) Spaghetti and Meatballs ($16): My husband feels this dish can really show off an Italian restaurant's authenticity. Sure enough, Bertolucci's served up a killer one. There were 2 golf ball-sized meat balls with the plateful of chewy spaghetii and meat sauce. The sauce was just perfect in flavor. Not to sweet, not too tangy. Just perfect.
All the pastas came out piping hot and portion sizes were huge. The downside to that is we had no room left for dessert. Next time we will save our stomach's for dessert.
As with the food, the service was excellent. The wait staff was smiley and attentive. Our waitress did make one mistake - she forgot to serve the Minestrone soup our friend ordered. But once we reminded her of it, she immediately apologized profusely and comped us the soup for free. We said that wasn't necessary but she insisted. This got high marks from us.
In terms of value, this restaurant gives you the bang for your buck. For $92, three of us got 1 appetizer, 3 pasta dishes, and 3 glasses of wine. While it doesn't qualify as cheap everyday eat, it doesn't break the bank either. I say this is a good place to enjoy a nice meal with close friends or family. My husband says it's also a nice place for a first date, which I have to say I agree.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Slow Down
I’ve been seeing a lot of CHP out on the freeways lately. They hide behind bushes waiting for their prey. Some even have their radar guns pointed towards traffic. This week I saw two such cops with radar guns active on 101 in the Brisbane area, on both north and southbound shoulders. So slow down everyone.
I’ve actually already been driving slower lately, regardless of the CHP. With gas prices so high, I’m doing anything I can to save a few drops. I’ve been trying to drive 55 mph as most people suggest as the most fuel-efficient speed. But let me tell ya, it’s very hard to do. I feel like grandma going at 55 with people passing me at “regular” speeds. Sometimes I succeed. Other times I just give in and drive 65.
I did notice, however, a couple of good things with my slow driving crusade. (1) Some people actually slow down with me. They don’t mind going slow either! (2) Those who continue to go at their regular speeds do not honk at me to get out of the way. They simply change lanes to pass. This makes me think people are very aware of the benefits of driving slower and they do not mind that other people do it. No more roadraging assholes forcing people to go fast with them. That is amazing.
Anyone else driving slower lately to save a few drops of gas?
I’ve been seeing a lot of CHP out on the freeways lately. They hide behind bushes waiting for their prey. Some even have their radar guns pointed towards traffic. This week I saw two such cops with radar guns active on 101 in the Brisbane area, on both north and southbound shoulders. So slow down everyone.
I’ve actually already been driving slower lately, regardless of the CHP. With gas prices so high, I’m doing anything I can to save a few drops. I’ve been trying to drive 55 mph as most people suggest as the most fuel-efficient speed. But let me tell ya, it’s very hard to do. I feel like grandma going at 55 with people passing me at “regular” speeds. Sometimes I succeed. Other times I just give in and drive 65.
I did notice, however, a couple of good things with my slow driving crusade. (1) Some people actually slow down with me. They don’t mind going slow either! (2) Those who continue to go at their regular speeds do not honk at me to get out of the way. They simply change lanes to pass. This makes me think people are very aware of the benefits of driving slower and they do not mind that other people do it. No more roadraging assholes forcing people to go fast with them. That is amazing.
Anyone else driving slower lately to save a few drops of gas?
Monday, July 14, 2008
This is a good idea, but let's just see if it works. I hope so.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/07/14/BADA11J69S.DTL
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/07/14/BADA11J69S.DTL
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Good Idea
This may be something all parents out there should do.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2008/06/24/national/a213405D63.DTL&tsp=1
Good job Madelyn! Smart thinking Jessica.
This may be something all parents out there should do.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2008/06/24/national/a213405D63.DTL&tsp=1
Good job Madelyn! Smart thinking Jessica.
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