Afghanistan. Today’s paper tells me about a new plan to save Afghanistan. I like the President. I also think the plan is nuts. Nothing is going to save Afghanistan. Nothing.

Adding troops will only result in more deaths. This is a fifteenth century country with a 10% literacy rate.

It is a tribal, incredibly corrupt country with one great crop – heroin.

We are going to change Afghanistan?

Please.

Dubai. This is DisneyWorld on steroids. It’s essentially broke after spending billions on sand castles. There is a population of roughly seven assisted by a foreign labor force of millions. We used to call this slavery. A few families control Dubai and a few others control its sister Emirate, Abu Dhabi.

The financial world treats Dubai as though it’s real. It isn’t. Think of Dubai as Madoff II.

Our economy. We no longer make things like cars, (OK we make a few) television sets, computers, cameras, clothes – the stuff of our lives. We make and process paper; some real, some not. We’re just kidding ourselves if we believe that we can spend ourselves into a vibrant jobs-creating country. Our infrastructure is nowhere with old bridges and broken down roads plus an energy grid that’s way past its sell-by-date.

I hate to say it but our system doesn’t work as it once did. Hell our government no longer works as it once did.

We need to restructure (and I sure as hell don’t know how) the Senate, House of Representatives, Executive and Judicial branches of government. One state has 38 millions citizens while another has one million. Both have two Senators. This is insane. (Sure it was right for two hundred years. It isn’t right now.)

We need to have another Constitutional Convention.

We really do.

And no, I’m not another right wing nut. I like to think I’m a realist.

I don’t want more guns or extra votes for me because I’m a nice guy. (A debatable subject anyway.)

Our schools are terrible. We no longer have the engineers, scientists, medical and technological personnel that allowed us to rule the roost for so long.

We may still think we’re the best the world has ever known but we’re kidding ourselves.

We can point fingers but that’s no help at all.

We need another Constitutional Convention; one that can grasp the enormity of the problem we face and lead us in new directions.

Help Wanted*

Americans to replace Thomas Jefferson, Abe Lincoln, James Monroe and George Washington. Should know History and Quantum Physics; Accounting and Hydraulics; Energy Production and Aerodynamics.

Will pay moving expenses and reasonable compensation.

Send resume immediately.

* Full page ad placed in New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Seattle Times, Chicago Tribune, Miami Herald, Vanity Fair, New Yorker and Wired.

What went wrong?

I don’t know. We had it all and then we got into a series of wars that drained us morally, physically and economically. (See a pattern?)

It is frankly useless to go over this again and again.

We need a new Constitutional Convention.

We are not going to overthrow our government. This is not a matter of capitalism versus communism or socialism.

This is a simple matter of survival.

We need new tools to meet the new demands of our time.

Oddly enough The Declaration of Independence (worth a read by the way) says we should do this every now and then. Tom Jefferson, who wrote it, was talking about another George III kind of despot but what we’re facing is just another version.

What brought this on?

A kind of answer. Maybe.

So I pick up the local paper this morning and there is an article saying Boca Raton, Florida is poised to allow earlier Sunday alcohol sales. Currently booze is purchasable at 1PM Sundays and one could easily miss the first of the usual seventeen NFL kickoffs. They are thinking of moving it to 7AM and it’s about time. The Dolphins could be behind 54-0 by the time I wander groggily to the remote control. (Hey I really don’t drink since I’m on pain pills but I still like the idea. You know – it’s the principle that counts.)

Speaking as someone who lives a few hundred yards south of Boca Raton I am aware that until recently Boca has been modestly famous for an architect, Addison Mizner, who often forgot to provide stairs connecting first and second floors. It is also the horn honking capital of the Free World.

That’s what I saw this morning.

And, oh yes, Tiger is lost in the Woods.

Maybe it’s me. I certainly could use a new constitution. The old one leaves a lot to be desired.

Warren Langer

http://warrenlanger.wordpress.com

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Tuesday afternoon Oz and I made the two hour journey down south to see a few bands play. We did the same thing we always do when we go down to Boca Raton: gawk at rich people. Their cars, houses, offices, boats. Nothing is safe. After walking around the mall and laughing at all the things we can’t buy, we decided to take a drive down to Deerfield beach.

Do you ever think that some people just have TOO much money?

A law office on Federal Highway

Then, to kill some time before the show, we went for a stroll through Target. A Target that has two stories (!).  At the risk of looking like a country bumpkin, I had to snag a picture. Don’t worry, I hid in the candle aisle. I don’t think anyone saw me.

An escalator? In TARGET?

After that, we hopped in the car and headed to Nick’s house where we dumped off our stuff and got pretty:

From there it was a quick car ride to downtown Ft. Lauderdale to Revolution Live where Emory, August Burns Red, an Underoath were playing.

Once we got our tickets scanned and wristbands attached, we headed into the mouth of hell. It was about 120 degrees inside the club and the air was so wet and heavy it felt like it would crush you to the floor. The first band was finishing its set, but it already smelled like sweaty hair. As we pushed through the crowd, I started taking mental notes on all of the ridiculous people that were there. I noted several different types of people:

• 12-year-old girls with fake IDs, miniskirts and black hooker boots. They mostly tried to look cool while getting pushed around and spilling their beer on each other.

• Long-haired, sweaty, shirtless guys who were moshing on the lower level.

• Tall, gangly guys wearing baggy ’90s Jnco jeans, black mesh T-shirts and as many chains as they could physically carry.

• Emo losers with multiple lip rings and black hair matted down to one side with sweat.

• A random high school math teacher who was there by himself.

Once we’d pushed our way to a spot where we could see the stage, the drums started beating, the band was on stage and the crowd went insane. The whole room reverberated with the sound of August Burns Red and you could feel the bass in your heart. The crowd pushed back and forth while people flew through the air.

August Burns Red

Unfortunately, all we had was Oz’s camera phone to document the concert with. Our favorite band member was the chubby guitarist, Brent Rambler,  who was wearing a light blue polo T-shirt, jeans and flip-flops. He rocked the shit.

Win.

August Burns Red had a really clean sound. The bass was tight and there was very little distortion on the vocals, which were much deeper in person than on the album. While the breakdowns rumbled, Jake Luhrs, the lead singer, swung his microphone around on the wire and jumped up on the front speaker. He screamed as loud as he could and beat his chest to the beat of the double bass. At one point during the set, Rambler even broke a guitar string, but the other guitarist picked up his part and the performance was seamless. They saved the best two songs, “Back Burner” and “Composure” for last. A stellar performance.

After their set, we pushed our way outside to get some air. What really sucked was that the “porch” was a twelve by twelve foot space with about 40 people crammed into it. Everyone was smoking and ashing on each other. Then it was back inside for Underoath. Neither of us were super thrilled about seeing them, but we stayed for a few songs. However, when it started smelling like a hot pile of garbage, it was time to leave. I really think somebody shat themselves.

After the concert we got some much needed Slurpies at 7-Eleven and drove back up to Boca. There we saw my favorite sign of the day:

When you just don’t care anymore: Phuket Thai.

A garage door can be a prominent focal point so it’s worth matching the style of the door to the style of your home. Think of the garage as an extension of your home’s theme, not an afterthought. Let your home’s architectural style, the shape and size of the existing windows and entry doors and exterior design details influence the design of your garage door.

Christopher Sharpe

Boca Raton, Florida Any news clip that starts with, “He had nailed and duct-taped blankets to the windows and set the air conditioner on high in attempts to conceal the body decaying…” is going to one that grabs my attention. This particular tale seemed to grow stranger by the paragraph. And I’m afraid to admit, if it appeared strange to me, the rest of you are really going to enjoy it. So, without further ado, allow me to introduce you to Christopher Sharpe (49) and his ex-girlfriend, Pamela Powers (46).

Pamela Powers

Pamela is said to have lived a life of glamour. Once a Playboy model, she was exposed to a life of hobnobbing with some celebrities. How the fuck she ran across Christopher is a mind-bender. I believe it’s safe to say the last years of her life didn’t go so well. She and Christopher lived together off and on – and I imagine the “off” times more than likely followed them beating the shit out of each other which has been documented with the numerous arrests they both shared for battery. At least they shared in the responsibility.

I think it’s also safe to say they were in the “off” cycle of their relationship around Halloween. That’s when her roommate last saw her – as she left their place to attend a party. He called the police a couple of weeks later to report a concern and hesitated that long because he thought she had either decided to go on a vacation or had hooked back up with her old ass beau.

The cops went to Christopher’s house and knocked upon the door but he wasn’t gonna have any company at that time I guess. He was kind of busy watching Pamela rot on the floor. It was shortly before midnight the following evening that police executed a search warrant and broke into the house. There they found Christopher asleep on the couch and I imagine a bit surprised. Especially when they found a 2 1/2-week rotting naked body smelling to high heaven melting onto other surfaces.

Police said Sharpe appeared puzzled about her body there doing all sorts of funky things and stated he must have been in a black-out. “He said that in his mind, there was no way he could do anything like this.” Although it’s a stretch and a big one at that, say he stabbed her numerous times (which is what the preliminary accounts state), wouldn’t that smell bring him straight out of a black out at some point in time? I mean, come on…that fucking stinks like nothing you’ve ever smelled. Surely you’ve smelled what a dead mouse is like…they’re tiny. Compound that smell and you’ll be on the same page as me.

I think the most bizarre aspect of this story is the great lengths he went through to try to control the smell…in a black out mind you. He nailed and taped blankets over the windows, cranked the AC, and get this: he lathered her smelly corpse with air fresheners and baby powder. Oh. Hell. Yes. That’s some serious black-out brain power happening there, folks.

Needless to say, Christopher was so busted. For murder. No shit.

Wonder what scents he tried…

Source1 | Source2 | Source3

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Like a sudden change in the wind, Todd English swooped into Boca Raton and resurrected the stale Opus 5 at The Boca Town Center, by turning it into his newest Mecca, “Wild Olives by Todd English”. With English’s fresh, yet classic take on Mediterranean cuisine, this sexy and sophisticated space now has a reason to shine.

Recently I was invited along with 11 other discriminating food bloggers to preview TE’s new menu. We were wowed and pampered with an elegant wine pairing dinner, prepared by the talented Chef Jeff [Steelman], the recently appointed Corporate Chef, for the Todd English brand.

The candle lit table sparkled with long plates filled with fresh cheeses, ribbons of prosciutto and sweet figs and Carpaccio dotted with walnuts and slices of candied bitter orange.

The Perrier-Jouet flowed as thick loaves of artisanal bread were served with fresh tapenade and a creamy white bean spread, followed by a parade of flatbreads that were brought to us one by one. Shrimp and chorizo, classic pepperoni and white pizza with broccoli rabe, my favorite!

On my left, Miss “C” began slathering the tapenade on a thick piece of bread.

Our first course was TE’s signature “Carpetbagger Oyster” paired with a crisp and citrusy Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc. Perched on a bed of sea salt and peppercorns, the oyster is nestled inside its shell, wrapped in a sliver of beef Carpaccio, floating on a cushion of truffle whipped potatoes.

Miss “C” was busy topping another piece of bread, with a spoonful of tapenade.

Next, the Boston Bibb with shaved red onion, a shower of Maytag blue cheese and toasted walnuts was lightly coated in a delicate walnut vinaigrette and beautifully paired with a spicy and lightly oaky Sonoma Cutrer Chardonnay.

Miss “C” was asking for more tapenade.

The Butternut Tortelli in brown butter and fried sage was the dish I had been waiting for all night. The sweet and spicy center with just a hint of sage, gave me that “ah-ha” moment, tasting how true TE stayed to his culinary roots.

The Lemon Sorbet w/mint was a refreshing intermezzo and left time for the tweets to start flying at breakneck speed.

Miss ”C” frosted another piece of bread with her beloved tapenade.

After the break, a tender and juicy piece of Swordfish was placed on a bed of asparagus risotto and topped with warm shrimp vinaigrette. Not a fan of swordfish, I was blown away by this sumptuous and complex dish, which had been perfectly paired with a new wine called “Evolution”, a spectacular blend of nine different grapes featuring Muller-Thurgau, Pinot Gris and Gewürztraminer, which held up to both the vinaigrette and the fussy asparagus.

The Brown Sugar Rib-Eye on silky parmesan potatoes arrived shortly after and melted in our mouths. Paired with the BR Cohn “Olive Hill Estate” Cabernet, a well balanced Cab with supple tannins and a heady aroma of plum, black currant, and cherry. Mmmm!

And last, but certainly not least, the most exquisite slice of heaven on earth; TE’S signature Ricotta Cheesecake, was presented with the fanfare it deserves. Light and airy with a splash of cranberry coulis,
it was served with Dolce, the impeccable prized dessert wine by Far Niente.

By now the deep sultry sounds of “OMG” could be heard rumbling from our table… while Miss “C” bit into the last piece of bread dripping with tapenade.

How Wild your trip will be?

Wild Olives
The Shops at Boca Center,
5050 Town Center Circle
Boca Raton, FL 33486
(561) 544-8000

I was shopping with family & friends at the Town Center in Boca Raton and saw this beautiful nativity display inside.  There was also a Hanukkah display on the other side of the mall.

In Neiman Marcus, there was a creative display over the escalator of butterflies and small mirrors that looked impressive.  The picture doesn’t do it justice.

So right now I’m being completely uncool and spending my Friday night thinking about how I am totally going to die a terrible scholarly death after having been made to read this and this and this and this and OH, I can take it no longer. Do the nice folk at college not realise that when I come home from a long day spent falling asleep over desks and thinking about Chuck Bass in nothing but a tie (I should NOT have put a picture of him on my history book) all I want to do is curl up into a ball and drink tropical citrus Vitamin Water and read Vogue?

Apparently they do not.

I’m just sat there all the time like, woah. Why is there a bewildered Mexican-American in a Zoot Suit walking through Cyprus talking to Othello? Oh, wait. That’s Don Pedro. Hellena’s brother? But that’s not Hellena. That’s Desdemona. And who is she with? Is that Katharina Blum? Isn’t she with Götten? Actually, fuck that, I have no idea what Katharina Blum is doing. She’s all in German. But I am absolutely SURE that I just saw Florinda make out with Beizmenne. FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT, please come and sign an Executive Order and sort all of this mess out, please, before I elope with Shane from Westlife*.

Do you see the extent to which my brain has been eaten? ALIVE?

To add to this enfrazzlement I’m also Responsible For The House this weekend, something which happens very rarely, purely because when I am put in positions of responsibility when it comes to running of households one of two things usually occur: a) I freak out, forget everything I’ve ever been taught about anything ever, do everything all wrong, and decide that I must become a hermit, pronto, before I destroy any more lives, or b) I die. And I won’t lie, I would quite like to see my twenties, if not only to be able to claim that I am a REAL ADULT with no teen suffixes. As a result of this I tend to avoid situations in which I must make my own toast/do washing/make sure nothing is inadvertently set on fire.

This weekend, however, I am biting the bullet (though lets not talk about bullets, or knives, or cats with half-dead mice, or epileptic washing machines, or small children stuck up fireplaces). This is a worrying prospect, but something I should probably get used to if I am to go to university and not mentally implode within a week.

(I think I should keep in mind that some people are far worse off than me.)

This week has been slow and contradictory, the kind of week where you should be busy but find yourself constantly at a loose end, a week where you realise you haven’t bought any new clothes in months yet still have plenty to wear, a week where your desire to go out leads to an overwhelming need to stay at home. It also went by beastly quick, the sort of quick that freaks me out because woah there, I just sneezed, why am I living in a condo in Boca Raton with three small children and a micropig? REWIND REWIND REWIND.

I am no scientist, but I’m pretty sure there’s something that has sneakily crept into my brain and sped everything up x30 so that everything is going by at hyperspeed, like on Sky+ where one minute House is being pushed up against a wall by Cuddy and the next thing you know he’s walking up the steps to a mental asylum without so much as a thank you, Lisa, I’ll give you a call. Maybe.

Do you know who I sound like?
My Mother.

This is all so lame I’m not even going to continue. Just let you bathe in the mundane rubbish that was this blog.

You know you love me, xoxo

*This is in a totally different book. But MAN is Shane from Westlife a nice bit of male.

It is really hard to tell when it’s Fall here in South Florida.  We had a few days of what I consider to be Fall weather and now…it feels like summer again.  It’s just strange to be in the middle of November and the high temperature is still in the mid 80s.  What’s it like elsewhere around the country where my friends and family are enjoying Fall? 

Let’s see… 

How are my friends in Fort Worth?  They’re wearing sweaters since it’s 57 degrees there!

Austin?  A lovely 62. 

What about Los Angeles?  66

Baltimore? 49

Nashville?  57

Las Vegas?  66

You get the idea.  It’s warm here – and there are no fall colors.  I really miss the oranges, golds, and even browns, that signify Autumn back in Texas and around the country. 

Today I saw an iguana run across the street. 

Maybe that’s a sign for Fall here in South Florida. 

As the wise, round-headed kid known as Charlie Brown would say, “AGH!” 

In april we had the Pleasure of Working with Marni Rothstein on her Wedding Day.

The wedding was held at Broken Sound Country Club in Boca Raton .

Many Thanks to Ed Cichelo, Tim Nelson and Loranth Botha and for all of the help and assistance.

We are always so fortunate to work at this property as there attention to detail is second to none.

 The room was designed with a a combination of square , round and rectangular tables.

The arrangemnts consisted of rose pomeranders suspended within crystal vases with caps of Ostrich Feathers.

The other Half of the displays consisted of Fabric Lampshades set on oversized crystal vases. The center of of each vase was filled with Dutch Calla Lillies .

The room perimeter was filled with color changing Led Lights .

The ceremony was held outside on the Lawn fronting Broken Sounds golf course.

The Wedding Canopy consisted of four Posts appointed with Bands of deep red Black Magic roses.

The Aisle consisted of wrought iron candelabras  as well as a eggsell toned runner with red rose petals.

A special thanks to Tom from Munoz Studios  for another great event as well as providing us with these Images .

I finally took a yoga class that was worth taking!

Most of the  time I end up flopping around like a fish on the floor looking around why everyone is so lost in the moment. I went to a place called Off the Grid Yoga, located in Delray Beach Florida, it’s actually just north of Boca Raton, Florida.

What I found to be so special about Off the Grid Yoga was that they really helped me get in the right position, learn it and hold it. Their yoga classes were medium size but I felt like I was in a private class. It’s really hard to find a good Delray Beach yoga class.

These yoga classes were so good, I can only imagine how their thai massage would be.

Check them out!

www.offthegridyoga.com

Gore heckled at climate speech

Sun Sentinel
November 14, 2009

Gore’s latest book on the subject, titled Our Choice, was published earlier this month.

November Newsletter

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Winter time in Florida is right around the corner. Is your garage door ready?

Coral Springs, Parkland and Boca Raton in South Florida are not as cold as up north, but that does not mean the cold will not affect your garage door. As soon as the first cold front comes through, springs start breaking left and right. It is better to be proactive rather than reactive.

Replace Old Springs. Your garage door’s springs are arguably the most important and most dangerous part of your door. Springs wear out. When they break, injury can result. If you have an older garage door, have your springs inspected by a professional technician and replaced if needed. If your door has two springs, replace both, even if one is not broken. This will not only prevent any damage caused by the breaking of the second spring, but also keep your door working efficiently. No one wants to be stuck when there is so much to do here in Broward and Palm Beach County. Have your springs changed so you can enjoy what our area has to offer.

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These are some interesting facts about Broten Garage Door & Gate. Did you know that Broten

• Performs over 13,000 service calls annually with a 98.5% excellent rating in customer satisfaction.
• Receives over 75% of our business from previous customers and referrals.
• Invests over $500,000.00 annually in training and continuing education to ensure our customers receive the most efficient up to date service and installation practices available.
• Is Clopay’s largest garage door dealer in South Florida and has been for over a decade.
• Is the only garage door dealer in South Florida routinely called upon to contribute our expertise and opinions for garage door industry publications.
• Has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau and is a multi-year recipient of the US Local Business Association’s “Best in Garage Door Repair” category.

On september 6th we had the opportunity once again to work with The Wasserman Family as well as meet and work with Jamie Cohen.

The wedding featured Ivory roses as well as Hydrangeas and an Abundance of Led Lighting for the ceremony in Pure White as well as color Changing Led Lighting for the Ballroom as well.

The Ballroom Ceiling also was draped in 2000 Yards of Imported Ivory Organza .

The Wedding was held at Bnai Torah Congregation .

Many Thanks to Lenny and Staff at Executive Caterers for another Fabulous Job.

The Photos Pictured Below were provided By Alan at Wilco Studios.

November 2009 Calendar

Beautiful “villa-style” first floor residence in desirable Townsend Place. This full-service, five star building features a gate-manned entry, valet parking, a gated garage for residents, concierge services, dual fitness facilities, a resort-style pool deck, two-story club room as well as on-site staff to tend to your every need.

This 2,000 square foot unit features 2 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, Saturnia marble flooring, hurricane impact resistant windows and doors, 10-ft ceilings, an oversized 600 square foot private lanai, and designer furnishings!  This property is being offered as a short sale and is subject to acceptance by seller’s lender.  Asking $475,000.

500 SE Mizner Blvd #A102