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Wednesday, December 14, 2011

The Greatest Steak. Ever.

Looking for a great steak? Then head over to Morton's The Steakhouse (formerly known as Morton's of Chicago). For more than 30 years, Morton's has been the golden standard for steaks around the globe. This fine dining experience is one you will not forget; the service is excellent yet what really makes the meal is the steak, which is considered to be "the best in the world". The restaurant was founded in 1978 by Arnie Morton and Klaus Fritsch. Today, there are over 76 Morton's branches around the globe. The locations all have a similar style, decor, and concept. Morton's offers a visual menu; the server rolls a meat cart to the table with raw samples of the meats on the menu, and provies a detailed description of how each item will be prepared. Also, if customers wish to order one of their signature desserts, they will be asked to do so now. The desserts each have a lengthy preparation time, so it is neccessary for the management to ensure that it will be ready in time. Thus, they ask the customers what they would like very early into their meal. If you want to eat at Morton's, prepare to pay at least $50, which is lower than the average guest bill figure of $88. Hopefully, you will deem it money well spent. Word of caution: this may not be the best restauant to go to if you are vegetarian.

Click this list to find a complete list of Morton's locations: http://www.mortons.com/locations/

Monday, December 12, 2011

Chocolate from the Bald Man

In the year 1996, Betty Rubble became a Flinstone vitamin; Israel freed hundreds of Palestinian prisoners; Magic Johnson became the second NBA player to reach 10,000 career assists, and much, much more. However, during this year, a small chocolate shop opened in the Israeli city of Ra'anana. The shop was started by Max Fichtman and Oded Brenner. Oded Brenner had spent six years in Paris learning the art of making chocolate, and I believe he did a very good job.Together, the two men began selling handmade chocolates. They named their shop Max Brenner. Many of you may have heard of this delightful place. Max Brenner has locations in the United States of America, Australia, the Phillipines, Singapore, and, of course, Israel. The two men have the following philosophies:

"Chocolate is not just about taste. It’s a symbol of different aspects in our lives - of romance, of sensuality, of decadence. These aspects actually create the new chocolate culture of Max Brenner."

"Chocolate to me is European so the restaurant is part Parisian cafe. Then I added some 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'. I added spices from all over the world that we use to create our chocolates. And then part of it is like a lab - like a drugstore."

Max Brenner's sells a variety of chocolate-based dishes. Among the lot are chocolate waffles, crepes, fondues, ice creams, hot chocolate drinks, smoothies and even martinis. Chocolate pizza is one of their most popular dishes. Even though it may not sound good, it was one of the most enjoyable dishes I have ever eaten. In fact, the dish was featured on Food Network's The Best Thing I Ever Ate. Max Brenner is definitely worth trying, and I myself cannot wait to go back. Also, for those of you who are Jewish, Max Brenner chocolates are certified Kosher by the Nazareth Rabbinate.

To find the closest Max Brenner branch to you, please go to this link: http://www.maxbrenner.com/branches.html

Time Flying By

Boston is famous for many reasons. They are the home of the Red Sox & Bruins; current Republican nominee Mitt Romney used to live in the city. However, when I think about Boston, I do not usually think of music. That is, other than the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra. Timeflies has changed all of that for me. Timeflies is a two-man operation: there is producer Rob Resnick and then there is vocalist and lyricist Cal. Together, the two create hip-hop, rap, and pop tracks. On their debut album, The Scotch Tape, the group provided crisp vocals and some rather exciting beats. Overall, their songs, such as "Detonate" are pretty fun. Timeflies does not have a lot of attention yet. Unfortunately, this is the case for many great musicians. However, check out some of their songs, and you may like them. Also, their album is available for download for free. Check out the link below, and come back for more!


The Scotch Tape download link:  www.scotchdup.com

A New Way To Prezent

What can you expect from Hungary these days? Apparently, you get some great entrepreneurial companies. Among the lot is Prezi, which was co-founded by 32-year-old Adam Somlai-Fischer. Somlai-Fischer is a Budapest native, and his company is currently doing a great job. Over the past two-and-a-half years, the site has gathered over 4.5 million users. 2 million of those users joined the site in the past three months. Prezi is a web-based presentation system. Instead of having slides, users are given a slate where they can place clusters of information. While 'prezenting', users can transition between the clusters, and they also have the ability to zoom in or out. Prezi is very visually engaging, and I believe it captures the spirit of the technological revolution. It's simple yet effective. Leonardo da Vinci once said "Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication", and I find it difficult to argue with the man here. Prezi has the ability to make a dull 'prezentation' into something cool. One of PowerPoint's founders, Rob Campbell said "It has the freshest approach I've seen since the 1980s." Will Prezi be able to take on PowerPoint? Consider the fact that many business people who were shown Prezi were introduced to it by their children. This new consumer base may help entrepreneurial companies such as Prezi become successes. Anyway, give them a try. Don't worry about money, as Prezi is currently a free service (although there are packages where you can pay; however, these are aimed more for commercial/corporate usage).

Here is the company's website: http://prezi.com/

Clash of The Titans

What happens when two huge artists combine? Well, lets take a look at the Skrillex remix of "Levels". Swedish DJ Avicii created one of 2011's largest hits when he released the song, and it has created waves around the world. There have been a rather large number of remixes of "Levels". I myself have heard so many remixes that I have actually lost count. That happened after I heard about 50 remixes, so I am sure that the total number I have heard by now is definitely larger than that. There was a point when I was an avid listener to Skrillex and other dubstep artists such as Nero and Flux Pavillion. However, it became too much for me. In this particular remix, Skrillex does a very neat job, and it is something which I am able to enjoy. Anyway, we hope you enjoy this song as well. Check back for more!

Washington's Dirty Side

 I recently finished reading a book by Jack Abramoff. For those of you who have not heard of him, Mr. Abramoff was perhaps America's most notoruous lobbyist. For those of them who want to know more about Mr. Abramoff and his activities, the following quotes (they're all rather lovely; we can all only dream of being spoken about in such a way) were located on the back of his book:

"Jack Abramoff, he's scum." -Paul Begala, "CNN Crossfire"

"To most Americans, Jack Abramoff is the bloodsucking bogeyman with a wad of bills in his teeth who came through the window in the middle of the night and stole their voice in government..." - Matt Taibbi, Rolling Stone

"... and I hope he goes to jail and we never see him again. I wish he'd never been born..." - Senator Conrad Burns (R-Montana), The Billings Gazette

"... he is a creep, and we hate him." - Congresswoman Deborah Pryce (R-Ohio), The Columbus Dispatch

"... in a profession of such rock-bottom standards, to distinguish yourself as unethical requires villainy on a truly epic scale." - The New Republic

"... this stuff could gag a maggot." - Richard Ben-Veniste, "Hardball with Chris Matthews"

"... the most evil lobbyist ever to be operating in Washington..." - Margaret Carlson "Capitol Gang"

"... lower than pond scum parasite with no redeeming qualities." - Eric Baerren, The Morning Sun (MI)

His book, Capitol Punishment, provided an interesting look into the underside of Washington. Readers will be immersed into the belly of the beast, and at times, it can be frightening. However, at the end of the day, you have a sense of enlightenment. Abramoff may be a bad guy in most books, yet in mine, he is like a modern-day Robin Hood. He 'stole' from the rich, and gave back to the poor. The poor in this case being the various groups of people he represented, and the rich being federal funds. However, the unfortunate truth is Jack broke the law, and he had to pay for that. At the end of his book, Abramoff openly admits he was wrong. Yet he does provide us with some useful information on how Washington works, and the lobbyist enterprise is only the tip of the iceberg here. The real problem is the system set in place in Washington, and Abramoff is not the only one complaining about it. Although, he of all people would know that it is indeed a flawed system. With our national debt currently over $15 trillion, it is time the American people tried to become part of the solution. We may not be able to pay off this whole debt. However, we can try to fix the system. Porsche's 911 is considered the perfect sports car by many aficionados. Yet each year, the company improves the model. It's time we do the same thing. Anyway, do check out Capitol Punishment. It was a truly interesting book and it will appeal to many who have some sort of interest in politics. However, I must warn you: do not be intimidated by the books size; it's not as bad as it seems.

Sunday, December 11, 2011

The American Dream Machine

Let me start off by saying I was never a huge fan of American motorcycles. I always preferred Ducati's or Aprilla's. However, Harley Davidson's VRSCDX Night Rod Special is a machine to admire. It combines large amounts of power with cutting-edge technology and classic styling to create a beautiful machine. This years bike is powered by the Revolution engine, a 1250cc liquid-cooled V-Twin with dual overhead camshafts, four-valve cylinder heads and Electronic Sequential Port Fuel Injection (ESPFI).The bike has an Assist & Slip Clutch, a five-speed transmission, 240 mm Michelin Scorcher radials in the rear, Brembo® triple-disc performance brakes, ABS, a Security Package, a double-barrel exhaust system, and much, much more. Basically, this bike is powerful, has lots of technology, and is really rather good looking. Need proof? Check out the images below.