ANTHONY GRIFFITH SILENCES CROWD

An incredibly moving moment by a very funny man.

ONE DAY, TWO HOLIDAYS

What's better than a holiday? Two holidays on the same day!

Today is both Hug an Atheist Day and National Donut Day.

The 3rd annual Hug an Atheist Day is a pagan holiday founded by some lonely and pathetic heathens on Facebook.

National Donut Day was started in 1938 by the Salvation Army in an effort to raise money for people in need (but presumably not for gay people). The two donut behemoths, Dunkin' Donuts and Krispy Kreme will be handing out free donuts today. Well Krispy Kreme is handing out free donuts. Dunkin' Donuts is making you buy a coffee to get a donut.

So go out there and celebrate both holidays. Fill up on free donuts and hug as many atheists as possible. But if you ask me, only god could have created a donut.

And it's also CPR Awareness Week.

CHARLIE SHEEN'S QUOTES PRESENTED BY SUPERHEROS

Oh where to stand on Charlie Sheen's tumult into the loony bin? On one hand I agree with Craig Ferguson in that all of the press is like paying a penny to watch a whacko do whacko things in Bedlam.

On the other hand, there's Charlie Sheen's Quotes Presented by Superheros.

What's a boy to do?

UMAMI BURGER OPENS IN STUDIO CITY

The fifth taste is coming to Studio City. Nestled between Mexicali and Lucky Brand Jeans (and right across from Starbucks), Umami Burger is scheduled to open tomorrow.

And what the hell is umami? Well, umami is one of the five basic tastes: sweet, sour, bitter, salty and umami. Really? I don't remember Bottle Caps Candy coming out in umami flavor but then again my childhood was a long time ago. But it is said it's the fifth taste.

"A person's first encounter with umami is with breast milk."

Hmm, now that I mention it, my mother's breast milk did have a slight umami flavor.

Anyhoo, besides offering its namesake burger (maybe it tastes like breast milk), the Japanese infused Umami Burger offers a truffle burger and a port and stilton burger.

Umami Burger has a huge following and it'll be interesting to see how it affects business at the ever popular burger joint, The Counter, which is just a few doors down the street.

Umami Burger
12159 Ventura Blvd.
Studio City, CA

CHEESESTEAK GOODNESS

Yesterday I had a hankering for a good-olde-fashion-east-coast-bad-for-you-good-for-your-cardiologist lunch. So I sauntered outside to the South Philly Experience Food Truck and had me one hell of a cheesesteak sandwich.

I had mine wit (yeah you heard me - wit) onions, cheese Wiz and a whole bunch of greasy goodness. The SPEFT serves up their sandwiches on Amoroso's bread - the only bread for a cheesesteak. Throw in some Herr's potato chips and a package of Tastykakes and for about 30 minutes I was back in my childhood down the Jersey shore on a hot summer's day.

KNOCKOUT TACO TRUCK

I tried the Knockout Taco Truck for lunch the other day. Billed as the "Undisputed World Champion of Tacos," I prepared myself for a Mike Tyson blow to my taste buds. I ordered the Kurabuta Pork Taco - Filipino Sisig with Sawsawan sauce in a soft shell. My wife got the Rolled Carnitas - two fresh fried tortillas with avocado sauce, cotija cheese and creme mexicana.

Sounds yummy.

Tastes - eh, okay. The Mike Tyson blow never came. It was more like a punch from my daughter's Mr. Fuzzy Bunny. It did not blow me away.

And for $10 total I wanted a little more food.

Is it awful? No, it's okay. Will I go there again? No. I'll be at Chipotle.

COOKIE-STUFFED COOKIES

I had a whole different post in mind today but then my friend Kristina ran this by me on Facebook.

Cookie-Stuffed Cookies!

Holy mother of immeasurable BMI! Oreo stuffed chocolate chip cookies!? It's like a freakin' turducken of sweets. Adam Kuban of Serious Eats has written a great post about these cookies, which he got from the Picky Palate.

I think I'll make a batch of these for my next Diabetics group meeting.

Photo courtesy: Adam Kuban, and I hope he doesn't sue me for using his photo like Adam Schultz sued a NYC restaurant for using Sarah Palin's picture.

ANNIE REMAKE

And speaking of vomiting, I just had a clam chowder surprise in my mouth. It's reported that Glee creator Ryan Murphy is being courted to direct a new film version of the musical Annie. This new version is being produced by Will Smith as a vehicle for his Whip My Hair daughter Willow. And if that's not enough to make you want to chunderspew, there's a rumor Brad Pitt will play Daddy Warbucks. Jay-Z will (reinterpret?) do the music. Oy. It works much better for Dr. Evil.

I can't wait for the Will Smith remake of My Fair Lady.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go fertilize the bushes.

DELIVER STREET PIZZA

Ugh. I've been sick the past few days and haven't had the energy to get out of bed, let alone blog. But it did get me thinking of euphemisms for puking. Here are a few of my favorites:

• Deliver street pizza
• Burp for the hearing impaired
• Conduct a surprise toilet inspection
• Burp with follow-thru
• Didn't make it to poop
• Paint a Pollock
• Make the chunky puddle
• Fondle the Pope
• Review the menu
• Burp in 3-D

And now if you'll excuse me, I have to anti-poop.

THE NO BLOGGING ZONE

When I lived in Brooklyn, it seemed everyone blogged about Brooklyn. A simple Google search for Brooklyn Blog seems to prove that to be true. But search Studio City Blog and the result is dismal. Nothing, except for the occasional real estate blog. I suppose everyone here is busy writing a TV show or a screenplay.

So, um, I guess that's why I have this blog.

Sigh.

STARBUCKS NEW BLADDER BURSTING TRENTA CUP

Starbucks junkies are celebrating the announcement that the Holy Grail of coffee shops will be rolling out its new monstrous, bladder bursting 31-ounce super-size cup size. The "Trenta" will be 7-ounces larger than the Venti and only 9-ounces smaller than 7-11's Big Gulp.

The Trenta (twice what your bladder can hold) size will debut in 14 states, including Virginia, Georgia, Florida, Texas, Hawaii and Arizona on January 18 and in California on February 1. All Starbucks will have the new size by May 1.

LEFT IN THE SHIRE

I used to write a blog called Left in Bay Ridge. Bay Ridge is a mostly Republican neighborhood in Brooklyn, NY. My wife worked in Manhattan. I was left, literally and politically, in Bay Ridge. This is Bay Ridge:



This past August we moved to Los Angeles. Studio City, to be exact. This is LA:


I call Studio City "The Shire." I'm like a hobbit. I don't leave the Shire. Everything I need is here. Plus, we have yet to buy a second car, so I can't go too far. I either walk or ride my bike.

My wife works in Long Beach.
The neighborhood bleeds Liberals.
And I am Left in the Shire.