My Golden Globe Predictions

I like the Golden Globes a lot more than the Oscars. They are just a little more laid back and a lot more fun. Here are my predictions for this year's winners in the major categories:

Best Film, Drama: Babel

Best Film, Comedy/Musical: Little Miss Sunshine

Best Actor, Drama: Forest Whitaker, The Last King of Scotland

Best Actress, Drama: Helen Mirren, The Queen

Best Actor, Comedy/Musical: Sacha Baron Cohen, Borat

Best Actress, Comedy/Musical: Meryl Streep, The Devil Wears Prada

Best Supporting Actor: Eddie Murphy, Dreamgirls

Best Supporting Actress: Jennifer Hudson, Dreamgirls

Best Director: Martin Scorsese, The Departed

All-You-Can Eat Baseball Seats? I'm in Dodger Blue Heaven!

I read the other day where the LA Dodgers are going to be offering $40 all-you-can-eat seats in a special section of the right-field pavilion at Dodger Stadium. 3,000 fans will have the pleasure of consuming as many hot dogs, peanuts, popcorn, nachos and sodas that their bellies can hold. Beer, ice cream and candy will not be included in the deal, most likely so that drunks and diabetics won’t kill themselves in a free-for-all eating/drinking frenzy.

Personally, I am in heaven. I know that I’ll be one of the first fans to try and turn it into an eating contest. Eating contests are something I know a little about. When I was in college I ate 24 plate-sized pancakes in 30 minutes, a fraternity record that still exists at San Jose State to this day as far as I know. Another time on a dare I ate 68 pieces of sushi. (Not sashimi but nigiri – the kind with the rice, which is much tougher to eat a lot of.) The mistake I made with that feat of gluttony happened when I drank a lot of water with the sushi, causing the rice in my stomach to expand. They had to carry me out of the restaurant and I was sick for three days.

Then, of course, there’s the classic thing we do at baseball games called a “Babe Ruth.” This is where you eat one hot dog every inning. If the game goes into extra innings, you’re in big trouble. I know some guys back in New York who actually eat one dog every half inning, but that’s insane!In my younger days I could consume a lot of food and actually got ejected from a couple of those all-you-can-eat buffets. At one time I actually weighed 355 lbs! Man, was I fat! Now I’m down to around 270 and dropping fast, thanks to eating more sensibly with the help of my wonderful fiancée Angelina. The difference between her and I is that we both love food, but it’s just not as big a priority in her life. Plus, she can go without eating meat, which I find difficult. I still eat well nowadays, and I get to have the occasional burger or steak every now and then, it’s just that now it’s a special occasion and not an everyday thing

One person could shut down the Dodger’s decision to provide all-you-can-eat seats and his name is Takeru Kobayashi. Kobyashi is a champion eater and an amazing consumption machine. He doesn’t look like a big eater – He’s a little guy who’s skinny as a rail. But, man can he pack it in. Joey Chestnut from San Jose Calif. is a great eater too, but he will always be in Kobayashi’s shadow as long as Takeru is in the speed eating game. Kind of like when Steve Young was backing up Joe Montana. Young never became a star in the NFL until Montana left the 49ers. Then, he cashed in.

The Dodgers are entering a new era of MLB baseball gluttony. And, I for one, love it! Bring on the hot dogs, baby! And keep ‘em coming!

Re-finding Religion

Lately I’ve been gravitating back to my Catholic roots. One of the first things I did was buy a Catholic bible. Then, I started going to mass again. When I get stressed out or have problems understanding this crazy world, I pick up the bible and read it. I can see why they call it the best book ever written.

We Might Just Do It On the Sea!

Angelina and I are thinking about getting married on one of these yacht charters. We both love the ocean and I think it would be a blast to get hitched on the sea. Some of the yachts that you can rent are amazing and the prices aren’t outrageous. We don’t have a date set yet, we’re thinking maybe next summer. But, when we do tie the knot, why not do it on a luxury yacht?

Hats off to a Quality Company

My company had to get some power supply repair done and I just want to say that ACS Industrial did a great job. It’s always a pleasure doing business with people that are customer service oriented. These guys were thorough, super professional and really great. They do high voltage, low voltage, linear power, switching power and regulated power supply repair and they’re the best in my book.

Paternity Tests Never Lie

Maury Povich has made a living out of doing the Paternity Test thing on his show. At first, he’d do a once a week, but now it seems like that’s the entire theme of every show. He should change the name of the show to “You ARE the father!” It’s so sad and funny to see these young couples messing up their lives so early in life by having kids they have no business having. I love it when the guys are cornered and then try to deny the results of the test. Those things are uncannily accurate, so it’s futile.

Loft Beds are a sleeping solution

When I was a kid, they called it a bunkbed, but now it's known as a loft bed, and they’re not just for children anymore. Since I am notorious for snoring, Angelina has been sleeping upstairs a lot, and I’m thinking that getting a loft bed might be the solution. They have so many cool designs and configurations nowadays, and the prices are reasonable, so maybe that’s the way we’ll go. Then, we have a major decision to make – who will get the bottom bunk?

When Will the Next Big One Hit? And Who Will Be Prepared?

Here in earthquake country, emergency supplies are a big deal. We’ve had two huge earthquakes in San Francisco, one in 1906 and one in 1989, so you never know when the next big shakeup is just around the corner. That’s why Angelina and I are buying an emergency preparedness kit, complete with battery-free lights, vacuum packed food and water and first aid kits. That why while SF falls down all around us, we’ll be safe!

An affordable place to live

With real estate prices through the roof here in Northern California, Angelina and I are looking for a place to live where we might be able to afford a home. One of our friends told us recently about Ellijay real estate and it sounds like a great place to live. It’s in the hills of Georgia and features log cabins nestled amongst gentle green mountains, with sparkling creeks, a moderate climate, full of natural beauty, clean air and low stress living. Sounds like the antithesis of busy, bustling, expensive San Francisco. And best of all, the homes there are affordable!

This Week's Restaurant Review: Cafe Zoetrope in SF

Café Zoetrope is owned by the legendary film director and winemaker Francis Ford Coppola, who made films like The Godfather, Apocalypse Now and Bram Stoker’s Dracula. It’s named after his famous production company and is located in the majestic Sentinel Building in the heart of San Francisco’s North Beach. Like an entertaining movie, this place has an opening, a plot and a fulfilling conclusion, all of which will send you home saying “Bravo! Bravo!” Café Zoetrope pulls you in with its warm and inviting décor, wows you with professional and attentive service, and then satisfies you with its fine Italian cuisine. It’s a delightful little European style café with a great menu and an extensive selection of Italian and California wines. Memorabilia from Coppola’s films adorn the walls of Café Zoetrope, including the pieces of cotton Marlon Brando stuffed in his mouth when he mumbled his lines as Don Corleone in The Godfather (just kidding). Café Zoetrope offers dining both inside and out, with heated sidewalks, which enable patrons to eat in the night air of San Francisco, regardless of how cold or foggy it may be. The menu at Café Zoetrope is varied and fun – from hearty pastas to creative appetizers and small dishes – all the way to great pizzas and calzones. We have been there several times and tried numerous items, but the Spaghetti alla Putanesca ($11.00) always stands out. It’s a wonderful combination of fresh homemade pasta, tomato sauce with olives, capers and garlic. Another pasta dish of note at Café Zoetrope is the Linguine alle Vongole ($14.50), with fresh clams, white wine, parsley and red pepper flakes. This is not your standard spaghetti with canned clam sauce, which is what you’ll find throughout North Beach. Café Zoetrope’s version of this traditional dish is exquisite, with fresh ingredients and a pasta that’s perfectly al dente and to die for. If you like things like Broccoli Rabe ($4.25), sautéed in olive oil, garlic and shallots; Sauteed Crimini Mushrooms ($4.75); and Radicchio ($7.00), consisting of treviso radicchio, with an orange and balsamic dressing, then this place will knock your socks off with its simple and elegant approach to just about everything on the menu. The pizzas at Café Zoetrope are also outstanding – from the basic Pizza Marinara ($9.00) to the Pizza Quattro Stagioni ($12.50) with fresh tomatoes, ham, olives mushrooms and basil, you can’t go wrong with these amazing pies – people who know pizza will love these marvelous creations. There’s nothing too fancy here, but everything I’ve tried has been excellent. Café Zoetrope is located at 916 Kearny Street in San Francisco, and is open every day for lunch and dinner. Their phone number is: (415) 291-1700.