Thoughts from the Emmys 2010

courtesy of my blog: http://cjferrara.blogspot.com (Seriously, please follow my blog!)

The Jimmy Fallon/Glee opening was really incredible. I'll admit it. You all know I hate the show, so this may seem odd. Consider, though that this opening was a good Variety Show opening. AND a great SPOOF of the show. Rarely do openings to Awards shows become good series. Remember the Billy Crystal Sings Songs About Movies fiasco?

People tell me Modern Family is a great show. I don't see it.

Jane Lynch is amazing, and definitely deserves an Emmy. And she's the only good part of Glee, so Bravo.

People tell me Big Bang Theory is a great show. I don't see it.

I long for the day when there is no longer a need for the category "Reality."

People tell me Nurse Jackie is a great show. I don't have Showtime.

A lot of Reality based competition shows involve taking a bunch of people who do the same thing for a living, and pitting them against each other in witty challenges. Top Chef, The Apprentice, Design Star, etc. I think they should continue this trend, but with ridiculous professions. Top Plumber. America's Top Accountant. So You Think You Can Run a 7-11.

Drama... do you give it to Lost in its final spectacular season, 24 in its final spectacular season, or House in just a spectacular season?

If Bryan Cranston won over Hugh Laurie THIS SEASON, he must have been orgasmically phenomenal. I've never seen "Breaking Bad." I never hope to see it. But one thing I can tell you now, I'd rather see than be it.

Jimmy Fallon needs to host EVERY SINGLE AWARDS SHOW EVER. If they can't book him, get Neil Patrick Harris. If they can't get either of them... just don't have the awards this year.

I guess the Tony Awards deserved some Emmys. I mean, they made a passable broadcast out of a complete absence of talented nominees. And of COURSE, it's not going to win best direction. Not with all the technical problems that happened.

I guess I should have expected that Tonight Show with Conan wouldn't win. But what's really disappointing is that everyone in Hollywood who voted missed a LEGENDARY opportunity. Imagine. Conan winning. ON NBC. When Leno's not even nominated. That speech alone would have been the greatest TV moment of all time. Close 2nd? Moon Walk. Imagine. Knowing that if he won that SOOOOOOO would happen. But, no. Instead, you resist that temptation and base it on merit. FINE.

I wonder if anyone ever impaled themselves or others on an Emmy award.

Did anyone else catch that as Al Pacino left the stage after receiving the Emmy for playing Jack Kervorkian, the band played "Killer Joe?"

The Nominees for Best Mini-Series are... That thing no one saw on PBS, or The Pacific. Hmmmm. What will win?

And my dream comes true.... Glee lost.

So... I guess I have to Netflix Mad Men, and Breaking Bad, and Modern Family, and Big Bang Theory, and Temple Grandin, and... I'm saying I'm apparently missing the greatest stuff on television. Instead I'm slumming it, watching True Blood, Entourage, How I Met Your Mother, 24, Lost, House, The Good Wife, etc...

On the subject of Tipping

courtesy of my blog: http://cjferrara.blogspot.com/
(please follow me!)
It's good to get back to teaching, but it's also a nice change of pace waitering and bar tending over the summer. I'll be honest, the catering company I work for pays pretty well, for a summer job, but we're always praying for the best source of income for food service people... tips.

In the restaurant world, waiters and barkeeps make meager salaries, so tips are their life blood. I actually heard of a cafe in California that changed this. They pay their staff a decent wage, and DIScourage tipping. My catering company is sort of halfway there. I make roughly $13-15 per hour (and I think that varies according to age and experience) and sometimes I get tips here and there.

I've waitered parties where my whole job was to bring guests drinks, in which case I got a few "slipped" bucks here and there. I made about $30 extra that night.

Some parties were at country clubs or yacht clubs, where they pay exorbitant fees to belong, so they feel that they don't need to tip. Others believe that you must tip a waiter in order to guarantee the best service. These people also act like, "I just gave you a tip, now you're my bitch!"

I bar tended at a wedding this summer, where people tipped a LOT. The bride and groom were young, and all their guests were college age. Ergo, they drank like fishes. In fact, the bride had a pimp goblet she carried around that I had to keep filled with wine. They also tipped like they were at an ACTUAL bar. On the other hand though, they were also rich brats. One of them became my buddy, and I kept him filled with his signature drink. At the end, he raved about us. "You guys were great! Really! Awesome! Thank you so much! Here, let me give you guys something." He gave us $2.

We pooled the tips together, and I was informed that what "they did" at this catering hall, was give 10% to the runners, and split it with the bussers, etc. And I ended up with $26 instead of a quarter of what had to have been over $200.

My monthly gig pays best. I bar tend at the American Legion hall in Amityville, which is really in Copaigue. (I know, it's weird.) They have a monthly senior singles night, and I'm basically the guy for that evening. What's great about it is that it's a pre-paid open bar, but the guests come up with the intention of "buying a drink." Therefore, whatever they would have given me for a purchase goes into the tip basket. I come back clearing $200 a night.

As a tipper myself, I always tip generously. 15% is the standard, but I always go up to 20%, mostly because it's easier to calculate in my head. (Just move the decimal (10%), and double it.) I've only had a few occasions where I felt like Mr. Pink in Reservior Dogs, and I didn't tip because of poor service.

Once at Friendly's, we had an incredibly rude waitress. We gave her an equally rude tip. One Penny. Another time, we left the diner honestly forgetting to leave a tip. The waitress ran out to the parking lot asking, "Did you guys leave a tip?" She meant that she thought someone else took it. I, panicking, ran over and gave her a few bucks.

Overall, I'm happy to get back to a yearly salary. And I will continue to tip generously. A) because I DO believe in Karma, and what goes into your waiter's pockets comes around to you in service, and b) because I've looked at food service from both sides now, from up and down, and still somehow it's tips' illusions I recall. I really don't have any money at all.

Pepsi Free - The return of the Tri-Glycerides

courtesy of my blog: http://cjferrara.blogspot.com

I know what you've been thinking. "Wow, CJ hasn't blogged in a while, I wonder what ever happened with his HFCS diet." (Please refer to the chronicle...)
http://cjferrara.blogspot.com/2010/02/hfcs-free-week-1.html
http://cjferrara.blogspot.com/2010/02/hfcs-free-week-15.html
http://cjferrara.blogspot.com/2010/03/pepsi-free-week-2.html
http://cjferrara.blogspot.com/2010/03/pepsi-free-week-3.html
http://cjferrara.blogspot.com/2010/03/pepsi-free-week-4.html
http://cjferrara.blogspot.com/2010/03/pepsi-free-final-week.html
http://cjferrara.blogspot.com/2010/04/pepsi-free-epilogue.html

I started out being moderate. One Pepsi a day. An occasional snack at 10ish. Nothing major. But just like I usually do.... I fell off the wagon. HARD.

Now, I was very curious back in April how my change in diet had affected my health. I was actually looking forward to my annual physical. (my last one was 2 years ago.) My doctor informed me that since I'm about to turn 40, I should wait until then. There's a whole OTHER barrage of tests that they do post-40, so why do 2 sets of tests? Thus, I would wait until July for my physical.

I waited until August.

I seemed to be in great health. Everything looked normal. Everything... shall we say... that the doctor... um... FELT... felt normal. Then, I did a blood test. The results came back. My Triglycerides were high. I looked it up for understanding. You know when you eat Carbohydrates, but then don't work them off, and they turn to fat? That fat is a triglyceride. Mine are over 400. More than 200 is considered high. Over 500 is cause for real concern. So, I'm pretty close.

My doctor prescribed Trilipix. You've heard of it. It's that medicine on TV with the commercial with the Triangles. It is supposed to raise my Good Cholesterol, and clear my Bad Cholesterol and my Trigs from my blood. So here's my dilemma. I considered the possibility that I could change absolutely nothing about my lifestyle and just take the Trilipix, and I'd probably get healthier.

Now, a few years ago, I had a scare with my cholesterol levels. My doctor prescribed Vytorin, and I took it. It made me feel kind of crappy. I didn't like it. So, I did some reading about how to reduce my LDLs and raise my HDLs. I stopped taking the Vytorin, and went on a crash diet. I learned a lot about food, and about my own eating habits. AND, without the aid of pharmaceuticals, I lowered my cholesterol. (Hooraaaaaaay!) But then, my Triglycerides started climbing. (Aw, Maaaaaaaan!)

So, I started thinking that I don't want to go on medication again. I want to see about changing my lifestyle again. I mean, I did it for Lent, and ended up feeling GREAT. But carbs are so COOL! AND delicious... What to do? I really should eat healthier, and get more exercise.

So here's what I decided. I'm permanently going back on my Lenten fast diet. 1) I'm SERIOUSLY limiting myself to One Pepsi per day.  2) no snacking after 9pm. 3) take the Trilipix. Hey, it works, right? If I start noticing side effects, I'll call the doctor. and 4) I'm going to consciously move more. Late night walks; more work around the house; parking further away from the mall, so I have to do the long walk to the car; Wii Fit; Rock Band. (the drums are a hell of a workout!)

I just have to psyche myself into sticking to it. What worked for me during Lent was a rather extreme thought: "Dude, Jesus ate NOTHING in the DESERT for 40 days, and STILL battled Satan and won. THEN, He dies for your sins. And you're complaining that you want a piece of cake at 10 O'clock?" When I crash dieted during the Cholesterol Scare: "Sure, you can have those cheese fries. And tomorrow you can DIE!" These very extreme thoughts are ridiculous, but they work. And they create comedy, which lightens the mood. Wish me luck. I want to be healthy.

Good news, though. It's been a week of me doing this, and my pants keep falling down. I need a belt. That's a good sign.

A Place of Worship at Ground Zero

courtesy of my blog: http://cjferrara.blogspot.com/

I realize a few things from the onset. I realize that the news media is making a BIG deal about nothing in order to sell papers and get viewers. I realize that most intelligent individuals can see through the propaganda and are not giving anything a second thought. That being said, enough of the fire has been fanned by the disgustingly insidious, the blissfully ignorant, and the galactically stupid, that I must weigh in.

First off, Sherman, turn the Wayback Machine to 2001. September 11th. We were just attacked in a sinister and truly evil manner. Terrorists hijacked four planes, and flew them into major targets. Two hit the World Trade Center, One hit the Pentagon, and One was diverted en route to the White House and, instead, crashed into Pennsylvania. In the minds of most intelligent people, one question was prevalent: "Why?" That question, however, was squelched by people who confused understanding with "sympathizing with the enemy." We were meant not to wonder what Al Quada's motives were in planning this attack. "They hate us for our freedom." 'Nuff said.

Answering the question "Why," would have led to the answer that this fringe group of Saudis calling themselves Al Quada, objected to US presence in the Middle East beginning with our engagement in Iraq back in the '90s. It was THIS that motivated them to commit several acts of terrorism over the past decade and a half: for example, Attacking the USS Cole; the first attack on the World Trade Center; and culminating in the 9/11/01 attacks. Saudis attacking the USA, NOT Muslims attacking Christians. And... for that matter... A Saudi fringe terrorist group called Al Quada, not the nation of Saudi Arabia. What's bizarre is that this knowledge proves OUR case. The United States, because of our history of support for Israel, our participation in the Middle East peace talks, and our history in the region, good or bad, SHOULD have a military presence in the Middle East. In 2001, our presence there was not interfering with anyone. Al Quada is and always has been totally wrong and crazy, and in it for their own personal agenda.

At best it was an unfortunate side effect, (At worst, it was by design) that because we did not ask the "Why" question, in many of our collective minds, we over-generalized our attackers. Not a specific fringe group attacking the U.S. government, but rather "a bunch o'Muslims attackin' us for our Freedom." And our limited knowledge of what Islam actually entails led to fear of all things Muslim. And now, 9 years later, a Mosque being built 2 blocks from Ground Zero is making the grossly misinformed go Ape-shit.

First of all, a Mosque is a Muslim place of worship. To object to a place of peaceful worship being built ANYWHERE; be it a Church, or Synagogue, or Mosque, or Buddhist Temple, or Star Trek Museum; is ridiculous and can only be motivated by ignorance.

Second of all; no one in Al Quada is a man of God, or a spokesman for Islam. They do not speak for all Muslims; just as the Ku Klux Klan, or anyone killing doctors who perform abortions do not speak for all Christians. (And while we're on the subject, do not say to me that the Prince of Peace told you to go to war, or that the man who preached "love thy enemy" told us to hate gays, and then call ME an idiot.)

Third of all, I'm just happy that SOMETHING is being built at Ground Zero. The new world's tallest building in Dubai took, what, 4 years to build? It's been 9 years, can we get STARTED on the New WTC?

And finally, I think you'll find that the hottest furor over this supposed issue is coming from the Right. These are the same people who have been accusing our President and the top Democrats in Congress of "Throwing out the Constitution." The Fox News Crew, and Republican pundits everywhere made their point very clear: The Constitution is a sacred document that must be followed explicitly. That is, apparently, except for the First Amendment, which guarantees every American freedom of religion. They've been speaking very strongly against the 14th Amendment as well, which states that people born on American soil are American citizens. Make up your mind, or at least admit that you're full of crap. In fact, smart people everywhere, acknowledge that they're full of it and move on.

According to my findings: 8 Million Americans are Muslim. Many of them live in New York City. They were just as offended by 9/11 as the rest of us were. And, like most of us, when we visit Ground Zero, we want to pray. I say build a Church, a Synagogue, a Mosque, a Buddhist Temple, AND a Star Trek Museum right in the lobby of the new WTC, and let everyone pay homage to their individual God freely and peacefully. Rather than starting a battle between the things that separate us, how about bringing us together as a country? "Cages or Wings, which do you prefer?" (Jonathan Larson)