Cartier Watches Just Say "Class!"

I love Cartier watches. Lots of people think Rolex is IT, but for me nothing even comes close to Cartier! Cartier is the name synonymous with tradition, prestige, innovation and unparalleled quality. Cartier wristwatches and timepieces are both storied and historic in their quality and technical accomplishment. Creator of one of the world's first men's wristwatch on a leather strap, Cartier continues to lead the field in design, execution and meticulous attention to detail. Cartier, a leading figure in the world of luxury, continues to perpetuate and enhance its reputation with an unstinting commitment to excellence.

Chiaroscuro & Rex Cafe

We recently tried a couple of SF restaurants that I reviewed for http://www.chowbaby.com/.

Last night, we visited a hot new Italian restaurant in the financial district in SF called Chiaroscuro. The Executive Chef there is Allessandro Campitelli, and he has created a menu that is innovative and features some wonderful regional dishes. This guy really knows what he's doing, and everything he does is made with care and attention to detail. The meat, the poultry, the pasta dishes -- the focus is traditional Roman cuisine based on his family recipes. I heartily recommend the Triloga, which is a tasting of three of the restaurant's signature pastas -- magnifico!
Chiaroscuro is located at 550 Washington Street in San Francisco. Check out their web site at: http://www.chiarosurosf.com/.

At Polk and Green, there's a place called Rex Cafe (pictured above) that we just adore! It used to be called Casablanca, but it's been called the Rex Cafe for about 12 years now. They have awesome Bloody Mary's, four different types of Eggs Benedict, and a wide array of great specials that change periodically. Executive Chef John Pauley creates fun dishes that are always fresh, contemporary and loaded with interesting flavors. The selections are categorized from heavier entrees, al the way to lighter, fresher things. They also have smaller plates, like a beet carpaccio and an Asian-inspired tuna tartare, and really unusual stuff like a catfish corndog and a Southern-fried poussin with waffles. They have a great outdoor area where you can dine outside when the weather permits. Rex Cafe is a prefect place to enjoy good food, relax and people watch.
Rex Cafe is ay 2323 Polk Street (at Green) in San Francisco.

The Osbournes Don't Want Love in Their Lives

As reported by AOL, two of music's most outspoken women just keep on throwing punches at each other. Courtney Love vehemently denies Sharon Osbourne's claims that she introduced Osbourne's son, Jack, to OxyContin. "I never did that. I would never give drugs to a teenager. F--- you, Sharon -- as if I would ever give drugs to a teenager," Love said last week in London.

Today, Osbourne fired back, telling the New York Daily News, "I'm glad she doesn't like me. I only pity her. She's a virus. I don't want her anywhere near people I love. The cold, hard fact is she's a has-been."

I agree with Sharon. I don't want Courtney near anyone I love, either. I wouldn't want her around anybody I don't even like, for that matter.

Love, in my opinion, is a talentless hack who latched on to Kurt Cobain and rode his coat tails for way too long. I never liked her band Hole and she’s a terrible actress as well. The only movie that she was even halfway decent in was the one about Larry Flynt – in which she played a drugg addicted, falling down drunk. In other words, she played herself.

Every time I see Love on TV or in a photo, she looks like she’s been up for weeks partying. All the plastic surgery in the world can’t hide her haggard look and vacant stare.

I would not be at all surprised if Love gave Jack Osbourne OxyContin. Why would Sharon make up something like that? And what is Jack’s motivation for lying? When The Osbournes' reality show was the hottest thing on TV, one of the things I couldn’t believe was how the Osbourne kids could get into LA clubs and drink without IDs. It just proves that if you’re a celebrity, you can do pretty much whatever you want to, especially in Los Angeles.

Thank God Jack has cleaned up his act and embraced sobriety. The kid was well on his way to being another drug casualty, but he got a clue and turned his life around – no thanks to Love, no doubt.

In September, Osbourne told Britain's Daily Mirror newspaper, "I will never have time for Courtney Love. She was the first person to give my son Jack the prescription drug OxyContin. There's not a shadow of doubt in my mind about that."

"My dislike towards her is very personal," Osbourne continued. "I'm not saying Jack wouldn't have taken it if she hadn't given it to him, but I'm appalled that an adult mother would give that to a 15-year-old boy. How could she do that to someone else's child?"

Love asserts she had never heard of OxyContin until she met Jack. She added, "It was the first time I was ever introduced to the pills." Jack's use of the painkillers landed him in rehab in 2003. He's been clean since, and he recently wrote an autobiography called '21 Years Gone.'

San Francisco Comedy Day, Part Two

Top: Jake Johannsen

Photo #2: Women Who Kick Comedy Butt

Photo #3: Paula Poundstone

Photo: #4: Johnny Steele

Photo #5: Michael Pritchard

San Francisco Comedy Day

Top: The Meehan Brothers were funny as usual.

Photo #2: Rick and Ruby, SF comedy legends

Photo #3: Political humorist and incredibly funny satndup Will Durst

Photo #4: Left: Frank Kidderm who founded the SF Comedy Competition & Comic/SF Politician Tom Ammiano

Photo: Blind comic Mike Lee rocked Sharon Meadow in Golden Gate Park

So Long to Solo

Outspoken U.S. goalkeeper Hope Solo will not be with the team for Sunday's third-place game against Norway in the Women's World Cup.

Coach Greg Ryan announced the decision 24 hours before the game and just two days after Solo went public and criticized him for benching her for the semifinal with Brazil. Ryan went with 36-year-old veteran Briana Scurry, but it didn't matter. Brazil overwhelmed the top-ranked Americans 4-0, superior in every phase of the game."We have moved forward with 20 players who have stood by each other, who have battled for each other," Ryan said on Saturday. "And when the hard times came - and the Brazil game was a hard time - they stood strong. Now it's the 20 who have stuck together who will be ready to go out and compete against Norway."

I think Ryan is the one who looks bad here. Why didn’t he stick with Solo? She was a on a perfect roll, having not given up one goal during the entire World Cup. Scurry was coming off an injury and is definitely not the same player she was several years ago.

The four goals that Brazil scored against Scurry all looked like they could have been blocked. Scurry looked lost out there, and although I admit that it wasn’t completely her fault, I don’t know how anyone can say she played a good game. Solo most certainly could have blocked at least a couple of those shots, which would have at least given her team a chance.

Ryan is trying to blame Solo for not being a team player, but in the end, the coach made a decision and it didn’t work out. If Scurry had played well, none of this would even be an issue.

Taking Solo out just because Scurry had never lost to the Brazilians was a bone headed move. Why mess with perfection? This is a prime example of a coach getting in the way of his team’s success. Dance with the one who brought ya, Ryan. It’s the oldest rule in the book. Let your best players play and don’t mess with a team’s chemistry, especially if they’re winning.

If the U.S. team loses to Norway with Scurry in goal, Ryan will look even worse. He had better pray for a consolation win, not that anyone cares at this point. No one remembers anyone except the championship team.

Defending champion Germany will face Brazil in Sunday's championship game. The Brazil loss marked the second straight time the United States has fallen in the semifinals of a Women's World Cup, failing to repeat titles of 1991 and '99.Solo, 25, in a widely seen interview, said Ryan had made the "wrong decision" by benching her. She also said she would have made the saves, an open criticism of Scurry who led the United States to the '99 title and gold in the 2004 Olympics.Scurry will start against Norway.Captain Kristine Lilly and star striker Abby Wambach said Solo apologized at a team meeting. And on her myspace page, Solo said she did not mean to criticize Scurry. However, she maintained Ryan's decision was wrong.

Get a Good Realtor

Now that it’s a buyer’s market in U.S. real estate, having a good realtor is more important than ever, regardless of whether you’re buying or selling. A lot of people try to save money by selling their home themselves, which is a big mistake. An experienced, savvy realtor can make you money, not cost you. Don’t be near sighted and stupid, get a good realtor to either sell your house or assist you in the process of buying one.

The Excalibur in Las Vegas

The Excalibur Las Vegas is one of the true mega-hotspots in all of Vegas. It’s a casino hotel resort with great amenities, awesome attractions and is just a first-class operation from top to bottom. Sure, there are a ton of really incredible hotels and casinos in Las Vegas, but if I have a choice, the Excalibur is the crème de la crème, there’s no doubt about it!

The Tennessee Football Volunteers

What can I say about Tennessee football that hasn’t already been said. The Volunteers have an incredibly illustrious history of winning big games with big names. This year’s squad is packed with talent and should only get better. Whenever I think of big-time college football, I have to think about the great names of Tennessee. From Peyton Manning to the current QB Erik Ainge, the Tennessee Volunteers play some of the best football in the college game today!

SF Weekly Punks Us All!

The SF Weekly is featuring a cover story this week entitled, “Steroids Confidential – Greg Anderson Has Given Up His Freedom Rather Than Testify About Barry Bonds. But One Man Has Learned The Trainer’s Secrets,” a piece written by Nic Foit and Ira Tes. When I first read this article, I was absolutely astonished at what it uncovered. And what I learned after reading it shocked me even more.

In the article, they reveal that Barry Bonds injected steroids into his penis in order to satisfy his mistress Kimberly Bell, which later led to Bonds not being able to bend over and caused an error that led to the California Angels beating the Angels in the 2002 World Series. The article also goes on to tell about a titanium brace that had to be implanted into Bonds’ neck in order to keep his huge bobble-like steroid’ed head from flopping over. The article then goes into detail about the supposed fact that now that the MLB is testing for steroids, Bonds consumes a “power drink” that consists mainly of elk semen.

The fact is -- this entire article is a ruse. If you unscramble the authors’ names, you come up with “Fiction and Satire.” What I can’t believe is that there is not one single disclaimer within the entire piece. In one sense – it’s absolutely brilliant. From another point of view, it’s completely irresponsible. If Bonds does not sue the SF Weekly, I will be very surprised.

To read this very creatively written article, check out this link: http://www.sfweekly.com/2007-09-26/news/barry-bonds-drinks-elk-semen-lactates-shoots-hgh-in-scrotum-former-trainer-tells-all/