Things we said today

At today’s weekly lunch at Tommy’s Diner, the gang and I were talking about the rash of pop radio stations given one-syllable male names. The Ted in Columbus, the Bob in Cincinnati, and I’m sure there are more of them in other cities.

Anyway, these stations play a mix of pop music ranging from the 70s to today, but they have zero personality, hence the Ted/Bob/whatever naming scheme. Sometimes I do listen to the Ted in Columbus, and during the discussion, I said something to the effect of the following:

“Hey, if I’m flipping around and I hear the Safety Dance and Can’t Touch This back-to-back, I’m going to stop flipping.”

I didn’t think it was that weird a statement, but apparently everyone else did.

For those of you out there in Internet land- are there other stations similar to these in your area? With the naming scheme?

King Tom2 Comments

Are you talking to me?

So tonight I went with an associate to dinner at Damon’s. This associate, for reasons which will soon be clear, will remain anonymous. Anyway, the waitress was chatty, and the following exchange occurs:

I finish placing my order
The anonymous associate: Dude, that’s whack.
Chatty Waitress: Did you just tell him he had a nice rack?
Me: I hope not!

Well, that’s it for now. I’m headed to Cincinnati for the weekend. Have a great Christmas everyone!

King Tom

News and Views with the King

Hey gang. A few things:

-I can’t shop at Kroger anymore. They have this woman, Connie Cayhill-something or other come over the PA every few minutes talking about ice cream. Her voice is not what I want to hear when I’m trying to figure out what to cook this week.

-In the past few days, four different people e-mailed me about Rivers making the news. Interesting story, but it’s nothing new. Someone as headstrong as him would decide to extend his two-year vow of poverty. If he was simple to figure out, then life wouldn’t be as fun. The best thing about the whole story is from the Blender interview that kicked off all the ruckus. The last question is whether he’s a breast man or an ass man. His answer: “I forgot.” Rivers is awesome.

-I might need to rescind that last comment momentarily while looking at Rivers’ picks for the top songs of aught-five. His choices are b-a-n-a-n-a-s. Interesting thing about that article- Rivers beat out the other contributors, including Harvard’s president for top billing. I’ll never got the ivy league.

-Finally, I don’t know what to think about this: Kamala the Ugandan Giant Sings. It’s right up there with “Hulkster in Heaven” and Randy Savage’s rap album. Just make sure you have your speakers up loud. Bonus points if you check it while at work.

King Tom

It must be BizCasFri!

I’ve been thinking lately about getting a hat. Not like a cap or doo-rag, but something like Indiana Jones would wear, but normal. If that makes any sense.

I went to the Men’s Wearhouse because a) when I shop for work clothes, that’s where I go and b) it was the only place I could think of that has non-pimp men’s hats. I was approached by a helpful haberdasher, mid 40s- early 50s, and looking the part. Here’s how it went down:

Haberdasher: Can I help you?
Me: I’m thinking about a hat.
Haberdasher: Oh. We don’t have those here. You have to go to Hat and Sole, in Bexley.
(at this point, I think he’s giving me the hammock district routine, but he assures me it’s a real place- I’ll spare you the details of that part of the conversation).
Me: For work, I have to dress nice, not like this.
Haberdasher: No, you’re fine. I rock the casual look myself, chief*
*at this point, I was trying to keep from laughing, I lost concentration. He either called me chief or boss.

King Tom

She wore Lemon

So I went with the Civee last night to see U2 up in Cleveland.

They put on a great show- I’m not the world’s biggest U2 fan, but I knew most of the songs on the set list.

The stage set was pretty impressive. There was this oval walkway circling half of the floor, and these big screens of light-beads which would come down during certain songs.

Institute, the band led by former Bush frontman Gavin Rossdale, opened for U2. Honestly, I wasn’t impressed by them. They really didn’t sound all that different from Bush, and Gavin did this weird skipping-around to get around the oval walkway. The one good part of their set was Machinehead. They played one other Bush song, but I wasn’t that familiar with it.

U2’s set was solid, for the most part. Bono is an energetic frontman- and he made his way around the oval many times, avoiding the skipping motions that made Gavin look ridiculous. Like I said earlier, I knew most of the songs on the set list- and they only played two songs from their most recent album.

They played three covers-all Lennon compositions- Norwegian Wood, Help and Instant Karma. My only problem with these was they only played half of Norwegian Wood- ignoring the part where he burns her apartment down.

My disappointment with the show- they didn’t play Lemon. There was at least one voice in the audience shouting for the song. Why they left this gem off the setlist is beyond me.

Man in video

King Tom

Best.Restaurant.Ever!

I’m adventurous when it comes to food. I really like Japanese food- and not just sushi. I’ve been to a lot of good Japanese places and quite a few bad ones.

Back when I was in college, there was a Japanese restaurant about a mile down the wall. During my first year, I avoided it as it had a hole-in-the-wall vibe.

A friend took me there for my birthday sophmore year and I knew that I was wrong to have passed the place by for a whole year. The atmosphere was fun, the chef was entertaining and the food was great. In the years that followed, my friend Bemis and I went to Tomo’s Cuisine so often we probably put his kids through college.

Tomo even once talked us into trying fugu , which wasn’t that bad.

After moving out to Ohio, I got to go back twice. But Tomo’s closed up shop in South Orange in mid-aught-two, and trips back east haven’t been the same.

Well, (and the point of all this) is that he’s back. According to this message board, he’s re-opened up shop in Little Falls. If you’re out there, go- trust me, it’s worth it.

Tomo’s Cuisine II
113 Rt. 23 in Little Falls.
(Near the Willowbrook Mall.)
973-837-1117

King Tom1 Comment

Oh happy day!

For a Yankees fan, today is like Christmas, Independence Day and St. Swithin’s Day all rolled into one.

The Yankees finally got rid of Tony Womack, the most useless (or least useful) Yankee in a long time. They sent Womack and $900,000 to the Reds.

But the best part of it is that they got something in return. They got two living, breathing people with two arms and two legs (each!) who have some experience playing baseball.

It’s not Sparky Lyle for Danny Cater, or Roberto Kelly for Paul O’Neill and Joe DeBerry, but it’s something.

This is truly a great day.

I should make one of my New Year’s resolutions not to make fun of the Reds(*).

*This offer excludes current management (who actually traded for Tony Womack), Tony Womack, Pete Rose, Joe Morgan, Ken Griffey Jr., Ken Griffey Sr., Johnny Bench and a certain Reds fan who likes to disparage the Yankees just to get on my nerves.

King Tom

Rickey’s Ready For Social Security

It hit the news either today or yesterday that Rickey Henderson’s retiring. For a while, in the mid-80s of course, he was one of my favorite players, alongside Donnie Baseball, Tommy John, Willie Randolph and Mike Pagliarulo.

I’d go to a few Yankees games each year- but some of my favorite ones were with the Staten Island YMCA summer day camp. We’d get whole sections in the upper deck out in the outfield, when we were in left, and it was the top of the inning, we’d scream Rickey’s name at the top of our lungs. When we were in right, we’d scream for Dave Winfield. Rickey did a much better job of acknowledging us.

One of the games I remember (thanks to Retrosheet for the details) was August 24, 1988. A’s were visiting and took an early lead. By the eighth, it was 4-1, A’s. Yankees scored one in the bottom of the eighth, but Rickey made the last out of the inning. A’s scored two in the top of the ninth, but somehow, the Yankees came back with five in the bottom of the ninth- the game winner was a single by Rickey.

Rickey thinks the 86 Topps looked spiffy!

Of course the next year, they traded him for Eric Plunk, Luis Polonia and Greg Cadaret. I always think if the Yankees could have gotten just a little bit more (or something different) out of the Clark and Henderson trades, they wouldn’t have been as horrible in the early 90s. But the next decent trade the franchise would make wasn’t until the Sax for Melido Perez and Bob Wickman deal.

Well, thanks for the memories Rickey

Maybe in tribute, I should refer to myself in the third person for a whole day. The King will let you know how it goes.

King Tom