The Boys of Summer

Well the time has finally come. I am making my valiant return to blogging. Sadly not feeling too introspective lately. Life has been pretty busy for me. I just wrapped up six great weeks at Camp Panawok in White Plains.

Camp was a welcome vacation from the daily grind of the restaurant. I met lots of great new people who I will continue to talk to throughout the year, and tons of great campers. Its amazing how impressionable young minds are. I totally convinced the group of kindergarten boys that the second floor of the school was inhabited by a mob of dragons. And they were not allowed up there because the dragons loved to eat small children. To make matters worse, I told them my grilled chicken wrap was actually dragon that I had slayed and cooked. They proudly called me "Dragon Slayer" all summer long. Pretty sweet if you ask me!

So Dam Hot is really doing fantastic lately. The new apparel has been in for some time and sales have been steady. Fortunately we have had a pretty mild summer, so we haven't been suffering too greatly like we had the past two years. We have been enjoying the return of Joe, who we sadly will be losing again to go back to school. He got mad at me today because I forgot where he went. So I will say have fun in Oneonta Guy!! See? I remember now!

How has every one's summers been going? Anyone do anything interesting? Write some comments to let me know whats going on with you guys. Especially you Jimmy, since you are my biggest fan!

I started training tonight with Mikey. I'm hoping that I did well enough on the written portion of the fire exam, that I will be asked to take the physical test in October. So I am forcing myself back into a fitness regiment, to give myself an adequate chance of placing well on the list. So if the warm weather wasn't enough to make me cranky, this surely will. So be forewarned!!

One last thing before I leave. At every point in life you are surrounded by different groups of people. Some people transcend time, others don't. When I was in high school, I was greatly influenced by some friends I made at Iona Prep. I just need to take a second to mention them here, since their lives have been pretty productive lately. First, my good friend Chris. Congratulations on the new house, and baby Carter. I am truly sorry to have missed the Christening, but my disgustingly infected eye, would not have been to exciting to see. Pete, who is enjoying his pre-wedding wedding/honeymoon in Bora Bora currently, congratulations on your upcoming marriage. I am sincerely blessed to be a part of it. And I can't wait to party with you like old times. Lastly, Jon Jon. You show up at SDH today to tell me you are moving to Miami on Friday to attend culinary school. Wow! Good luck with that. All I can say is follow your passion and hopefully everything will fall into place.

All that said, I love having some free time now to reconnect with you all. I want to try to keep this updated as much as possible. Check back to see whats new. I will attempt to keep it fresh and fun, and sometimes informative. Hope you all are having a great summer so far. Talk to you guys again soon.

With Great Love
~Joshua

Congratulations

Whats up guys? Anyone still reading this? I wish I had more time to write, but as always, life is extremely hectic. Just wanted to take a quick moment to tie up some loose ends.

First off, the most important of all, a huge congratulations to Joe and Nancy. They finally got engaged, and I wish them all the best. They are an amazing couple. Unfortunately life does not allow us to cross paths as often as I would like. Nonetheless, I hope they have an amazing wedding, congratulations guys!!!

Second, the apparel is coming, for real! The order is in the works, and we should have the items in store within a week or so. So come by to pick up the new goods. As soon as I find some time to get with Yuhei, we will get the new items on the website. Until then, you'll just have to come into SDH. I apologize, but I do not have prices yet. Also, we decided to not do beaters, as it would be an issue printing on the ribbed surface. They have been replaced with a cutoff shirt, still excellent for Summer.

Third, I finally took the fire fighter test last weekend. So that is a pressure off my shoulders. Now I just cross my fingers and hope for a call. I feel confident that I did well, but it is out of my hands now. Gotta start training soon for the physical, in hopes that they do call. Every goal has its own steps, and I am climbing quickly.

Fourth, camp is starting on Monday. I am very excited to meet the campers, and enjoy some time outside of the restaurant for awhile. Everyone I have met so far seems great. Orientation was great, and I'm doing my best to fit in. I look forward to telling you more about it in the weeks to come.

Lastly, I want to wish you all a happy and safe 4th of July. Party hard, but be safe. Enjoy your time off and let the Summer truly begin.

~Joshua

P.S. - On the daily calender at SDH I came across this saying, "If you're coasting, you're going down hill." So step up your game everyone. Do not settle for average. You set your own path, and only you can take you there. Reach high and expect the best.

Appreciation

As I lay here in bed, with the air conditioner blaring, writing you my inner most thoughts, I can't help but to think that I, myself, am a perfect example of what I want to write about tonight. I am an ungrateful spoiled brat. Don't get me wrong, I certainly work hard for everything that I get, but what does that really mean?

Jimmy asked me to write a blog today, so that he could have something to distract him from work. When I asked him for an idea, he said, "What was the longest day of your life?" Jimmy has been working overtime all weekend, so I am taking that idea and going in a different direction.

Unfortunately for Jimmy, I am going to speak briefly about his job. I don't know his official title, but Jimmy basically oversees all safety issues for the trains and rails department of the DOT in the Midwest region of the US.

This weekend there was a train derailment in Rockford, Illinois and Jimmy has been on site since the start of it, supervising the whole scene. Fortunately there was only one casualty. But needless to say, that one person will certainly be missed by all the people in her life.

This evening in Washington D.C., two Metro cars crashed head on. Currently there have been four casualties reported, with a multitude of injuries to other passengers. Once again, a tragic loss of life.

But I am not here to dwell on life and death. Death is inevitable and will come to us all when our time is up. I want to write about life, and appreciating all that we have.

FMyLife.com has become a pretty popular site around these parts. And I can't lie and say I don't read it. It is very amusing to read, but it just goes to show you how shallow and fickle we are as humans. We think minor inconveniences are the end of the world. We blow things out of proportion and expect sympathy. And to make matters worse, we get pleasure in reading about other's misfortunes.

We have all done it in our lives. We ask, "Why me? ", "What did I do to deserve this?", "Where is my good Karma?". All valid questions in there own right, but meaningless in the grand scheme of things.

Last night I was watching Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. If you don't know, the premise of the show, it is to rebuild someone's home (and sometimes other buildings as well) in an effort to help those who have been stricken with tough times and yet still remain positive.

The episode I watched featured a family of five, where the two youngest kids were both diagnosed Autistic. The family lived in what could be considered a small shack that was built on the site of a former garbage dump. They barely had the means to survive on their own, no car, no clean water, and minimal food. Yet they helped run a baseball league for disabled youths in the Pennsylvania area.

Could they not have questioned their own plight? What did they do to deserve the lives that they were living? But that was not the case. They were motivated by brightening the lives of these young children who were suffering. They said the only thing that held their house together was the strength of their love. Might sound a little cheesy to someone who doesn't have to deal with their situation, but very meaningful when you see just how hard they had it.

I work seven days a week, make minimal money, and live in my parents basement (no offense M&D). I could easily say that I deserve better than this. I am a good person, a hard worker, I should be enjoying a life of comfort.

In reality all that stuff is meaningless. We are much more than our possesions. I was left wondering last night, "Why do we ask for so much, yet give so little?" Where will that lead us? If everyone is looking to take, take, take, what will be left?

I know that I am the same way. I wish my life was easier. I don't want to work everyday, but I need to. Is that the worst thing in the world? I wake up tired and want to be lazy, how selfish is that? There are people right now that wish they could own there own business. Heck, there are people right now that just wish they could be working.

It is hard to appreciate all that we have, when it is so easy to want more. All I am asking is that we sometimes stop and appreciate all that we have. I should practice what I preech more often. I am very lucky to have everything I have.

Tomorrow I will likely wake up and hate the fact that I have to get into my car, and drive to my restaraunt to work all day. Poor me, how I suffer.

Next time you want to feel pity for yourself, think about what it would really mean to have a tough life. Don't dwell on the negatives, embrace the positives.

"My boyfriend dumped me."

"I have to study for a final."

"My boss is an ass."

Woah is you, and woah is me. Enjoy reading the blog on your computers at your nice desk in your comfortable room. And remember that there is always someone out there with less than you. Be thankful for all that you have.

"Happiness depends more on the inward disposition of mind than on outward circumstances."
Benjamin Franklin

I am not telling you what to do, or how to live your life. Just trying to enlighten you, and me, to the realities of our worlds, and the blessings that we all overlook.

Here is your mission, take one day of your week, and break down everything in your life that is good and everything that is bad. I think you will be dumbfounded by the results. If you care to share some thoughts, I would love to hear what you think.

~Joshua

P.S. - My deepest sympathies go out to all those who have suffered from these recent tragedies. Be thankful for all the good times that you were able to share.

Peanuts and Raisins

Hello again! I'm baaa-aaaack!! The swine flu cannot conquer me! But it can kinda cripple me for a day or two. Stupid @#!%$& flu.

So after my first full day of work in a few days, I was excited to come home and find that my drug dealer had delivered me some fresh goods. Don't get to excited, by drug dealer I mean my mom, and by goods I mean peanuts and raisins (Would you believe no one has created a Wikipedia page for this!!). They might as well be crack for me. As long as they are around they will be devoured.

By the way, yes I do still live at home (so lame, sorry guys 143) and yes my family does read the blog, so I have to be nice to them (again 143).

Anyway, all that aside, I always enjoy giving you insight into my life, so I have posted a video of me eating my peanuts and raisins. Be forewarned it gets kind of ugly. And yes, I do look different with my shirt off, I do savor every bight, and I do become kind of an animal when I eat.

But god am I freaking cute!! Look at those cheeks!

Love keeping in touch with you all. Make sure you eat your peanuts and raisins, they are good for you and they might attract a visit from me!

~Joshua

Kickball

Last post for the night. I really need to get some sleep because I think Sammy gave me Swine Flu.

The J-Bombs lost in the bottom of the seventh today to finish the season as runners up. It was a hard fought game that we deserved to win. I am looking forward to redemption next season. Stay classy J-Bombs.

~Joshua

Dave Matthews GPS

Well being that my one attempt at owning a GPS ended a day later with a shattered window, it probably wouldn't be smart for me to get another one. But if I was to get one, it would totally be this one:

Just a little humor for you on a Sunday night. Anyone see him in Hartford this weekend? SPAC is next Saturday and I can't wait. Upon James' recommendation I have listened to the new CD a few more times, and there really are some great songs on there. If you are a fan you should pick up the CD.

I really enjoy "Why I am" which they performed on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.

While I was doing work researching this blog I learned that the artwork on the CD was all drawn by Dave himself.


Critics are saying this is the best work the band has ever done. A fitting tribute to a lost friend, and an amazing musician. R.I.P. LeRoi Moore.

"Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we may die." -DMB

~Joshua

The Hangover

Ok, I usually leave the movie reviews to Yuhei, but I just can't resist on this one. Just got back from seeing "The Hangover" with some of the guys, and I have to tell you it is hilarious. I am sure most of you have not seen it yet, so I won't ruin anything. All I know is that when you leave a movie and you truely can't pick out the funniest part, you know it was good. It is up there with the likes of Superbad, Old School, and Wedding Crashers.

Enjoy...and popcorns on me!

~Joshua

Blah Blah Blah Blog

I feel like all I do on this Blog lately is apologize, so I won't be doing that this time. It has been a very busy couple of weeks for me. Darts and softball are in full swing (no pun intended) and kickball is ending this week. And fire fighter classes will be over soon, as my test is the 27th. Wish me luck!!

A quick update on darts, our team is currently in first and we are half way through the season. If all goes well we will host all our playoff games at our fantastic home bar Kelly's, and we would obviously love for you to come support us. I will keep you up to date on that as it draws closer.

Softball, well that is another story. We are continuing to grow as a team, and struggling to get by while we do so. It has been a fun season, with some exciting plays, but we have yet to get a win. If we finally do, I will certainly let you know.


Kickball has been so much fun. I have made a lot of new friends, and have been enjoying hanging with Dan. You can check out our pictures on flickr.com. The team is really coming into its prime, and I think we have a good shot to win it all. Let's go J-Bombs!!


All that being said, I have to make up on some missed birthdays. We have so many great friends, followers, and family, that it is sometimes hard to keep up with them all. I hope I don't forget anyone. First off, to my fabulous father, who I owe everything to, including my ownership of SDH, a very happy 65th birthday this past weekend. But he will tell you he is not that old, since his new heart is only about 45 now. But don't ask him about it, unless you got an hour to kill listening.


Next up is Cousin Joey. He celebrated his 21st birthday this weekend. And we had a great time out at the Thirsty Turtle this Saturday. If you see Joe, remind him he had a good time, cause he really has no clue. But beware, he loves to head butt when he gets drunk.

Lastly, but certainly not least, two of our lovely ladies. LiaNNa and Jen(nnnnnn) both celebrated birthdays last week. So congratulations to them! We love you all!

If you have yet to realize, this is going to be a Blah Blah Blah Blog (hence the title) so I am going to be filling you in on a lot of random thoughts, rather than one specific thing. If Jimmy is reading this, I promise to remain focused next time. Got my fingers crossed that we haven't been deleted from your favorites yet. Do you guys enjoy reading this as much as I enjoy writing it?

Anyone got any new good music to check out? You can peek over at Yuhei's blog. He is always up to date on the newest music. I just purchased three new releases on Tuesday. The new Dave Matthews Band, 311, and Taking Back Sunday CDs. I have only listened to them all once through so far, so I can't rush to make judgement, but I can say none of them blew me away. If you have anything to suggest, just drop me a comment to share.

A reminder, Dan and I will be attending the DMB show at SPAC next Saturday. If anyone is going and wants to meet up, just let me know.

What about movies? I saw Star Trek a few weeks ago, and I thought it was sick. Yuhei claims it was boring, but, hes a snob! Hahah. You see any of the other new movies? Any reccomendations? Again, check out Yuhei's blog for great movie updates.

Wow, I can really talk once I get started. Have you had enough? I'm gonna keep going for a little longer.

Anyone ever host a clam bake. Dan and I are trying to do one, but neither of us have ever done it? I can't imagine it being too hard, but bad seafood can be worse than the Swine Flu.

Ok, let me wrap things up. Hope you are all enjoying the great sports playoffs that we have had. Sucks that we can't see Kobe Vs Lebron, but I will happily watch the Orlando Magic get demolished. Make sure you guys are watching Burn Notice on USA. The new season started tonight. Its an awesome show, and its great during summer, when everything else is a repeat.

We are going to the Yankee game on Monday, let me know if you will be there, we can meet up.

It has been a pleasure sharing some time with you. Continue to read, and I will continue to write. Doing my best to stay timely. I know you all understand.

Good Night!!

~Joshua

Have You Met Ted?

No, I'm not here to write about the greatest sitcom currently on TV (How I Met Your Mother). I am talking about Ted.com.

You may be asking, "What the hell is Ted.com?". I can't claim to be an expert, as Dan just recently turned me on to it, but it appears to be a very interesting website where you can find all types of great speeches and presentations.

From the Website:

TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design. It started out (in 1984) as a conference bringing together people from those three worlds. Since then its scope has become ever broader.

The annual conference now brings together the world's most fascinating thinkers and doers, who are challenged to give the talk of their lives (in 18 minutes).

This site makes the best talks and performances from TED and partners available to the world, for free. More than 400 TEDTalks are now available, with more added each week.

Dan started me with a video of a speech by Dan Ariely. Ariely asks the question, "Are we in control of our own decisions?" Most people would say, "Yes, of course we are." But after watching this video you might start to think differently.

Ariely lists many studies that he has conducted to test the theory, and the results are quite scary. He shows how we are effected by the elements of a question.

For example, in Europe there is a large difference in organ donation from country to country. You would think that this would be based on cultural, political, or religious differences, but he shows us that similar countries fall on both sides of the table. Upon further review of why the differences are so large, he concluded that in the countries with high organ donations rates, the question on the drivers liscense form stated "Check here if you DO NOT want to donate organs." Whereas on the countries of low organ donation, it read, "Check here if you DO want to donate organs." It was simply a matter of how the question was stated that made the difference of 70%.

That was just one quick example, but I highly recommend taking a few minutes out of your busy day to check it out. Its actually kind of funny as well.

If you like the video and happen to watch another good speech, let me know, so I can check it out. I have watched a few others already, and I will put up info on them at some point.

~Joshua

Top 10 Survival Myths Explained

So I got this in my e-mail the other day and I wanted to share it with you. It is something that Neil Strauss sent over to go along with his book Emergency, which I wrote about in an earlier blog.

http://www.neilstrauss.com/survivalmyths.pdf

Its sad to say, but I used to believe in a lot of those myths. Hopefully I will never have to fight a shark!

~Joshua

SHOWS

I KNOW YOU WANT TO GO NUTS.

SO COME OUT TO THE SHOWS, AND GO NUTS. SUMMERS PRACTICALLY HERE, AND WE ARE ALL LOOKING TO KICK OUT THE JAMS.

5/31 WESPAC 7:30 PM

6/3 WESPAC 8:00 PM

6/5 BROADWAY FIELD 8:00 PM

6/6 THE SIX SIX PARTY 7:00 PM

FOR MORE INFO, VISIT MYSPACE.COM/TWOSTATESMUSIC

I AM ALSO TYPING IN ALL CAPS BECAUSE I MEAN BUSINESS.

~ANTHONY (GP)

Best Wishes!

I know I am doing a really bad job at keeping up with the blog, and as always I apologize for that. I wish I had a little more time and energy to spend with you all. And I promise to try to do better in the future.

I don't have a lot of time today, as I have to run to SDH now to get started for the day. Just wanted to take a quick moment to wish you all a very happy and safe Memorial Day Weekend. I hope you are all enjoying your time off.

Also, some belated birthday wishes to all our dear friends. Jenn, Nads, and Pete, Happy birthday to you all.

Lastly, congratulations to Jimmy. He closed on his beautiful new home in Chicago this week. I hope you enjoy a great holiday weekend in your new house. I can't wait to see it. For anyone who wants to send him New York paraphernalia, just ask, and I will give you his address!

Once again, to all of you, have a happy and safe holiday and I hope to see you all soon. Hopefully more blogs to come. I have a lot of ideas, just not a lot of time.

~Joshua

Question of the Day - 8

Well the time has come again. The weather is getting warmer, and all the little ones that we sent off to college last year are slowly making their returns to So Dam Hot. That being said, summer is usually the time of year where we break our daily routines and get to enjoy ourselves a little more.

What are your summer plans?

I was thinking about this yesterday, and I didn't realize how much stuff I had planned for the summer, and its actually quite exciting.

My first plan for the Summer is to hopefully go work with Dan at his summer camp in White Plains. I am working my way through the paperwork currently, but I think I have a good shot. It will be nice to get out in the sun for a while and see some new faces. It is always good to get away from work for awhile, even if it means going to work somewhere else.

Also, for those of you who don't already know, I am studying to take the Mount Vernon Fire Department test at the end of June. Its pretty intense, and I spend a decent amount of my free time running through the book to refresh myself on all the things I learned in school that I swore I would never need to know again. Ironically, I am thinking the same thing again while studying. =) If all goes well, I will make it through the written test, then it will be off to train with Mikey to beast the Physical Test. Then we will have to see where we end up from there. Hopefully in the Academy!!

On a more relaxed note, it is Summer concert season. I am lucky enough to have great friends who have included me in plans to go see some of the best summer shows around. I will be going with Dan to go see my favorite band of all time Dave Matthews Band at SPAC. It will be my first time there and I have not seen a DMB show in a few years. Also, Alley got me a ticket to see the DMB show at Jones Beach. I love the Jones Beach Amphitheater and have never had a chance to see them there, so that will be an experience of a life time. I have had some truely amazing times at DMB shows in the past, and I expect nothing less at this years shows. Also, Evan got us tickets to go see The Kings of Leon later on in the summer. I have fallen into the radio trap, and have eaten up the new KoL CD. That concert should be a lot of fun. They sing with so much intensity, I am really looking forward to seeing the live show.

Also, not really summer, but shortly after, I will be part of my friends wedding. My boy Pete (who can be seen in some great pictures on Flickr) is finally getting married. I never thought I would see the day. I was honored when he asked me to be in the wedding. I have always looked up to Pete, and I feel like he played a major role in shaping me into the person I am today. Along with being a part of the wedding, I am also going to be a part of the bachelor party. WooooHoooo!! Don't get any ideas! We are going to West Virginia to White Water Raft some of the craziest rapids in all of the US. I don't know what I am getting myself into.

Before I forget, I will also be enjoying a bunch of great Yankee games at the new stadium. That has been a tradition of ours for the past four years, so that is always a good time.




What about you guys? Other than spending hours upon hours at SDH with us, what do you have planned?

~Joshua

PS - Jimmy has given me an open invitation to go out to Chicago to visit him and spend some time at his new place. If I can fit it into my hectic life, I will try to do that as well this summer. If not, I will enjoy a beautiful (and by beautiful I mean dreadfully cold) Winter with him.

The New SoDamHot.com

You have heard it here first, the new and improved SoDamHot.com is up and running!. For anyone close to us at SDH, you know this project has been a long time coming. Let me first extend a gracious thank you to our dear friend Yuhei. For not only is he the genius behind the beautiful webpage, but he has been an undervalued and grossly underpaid producer of many of the items seen and sold at SDH. Our gratitude to him cannot be fulfilled by words alone. But I will try, especially since he still controls the site! ; )

Moving on, I hope you enjoying your first viewing of the site. On SoDamHot.com you’ll be able to view our full and hopefully updated menu, hear great music, view our new products, and even get free food!! Every once in awhile, Scott or I will post a coupon of some sort on there, to make sure you guys are checking it out. Also, feel free to check out our links. There you will find some of the great charities we deal with as well as some other great sites that we feel you should be checking out.

The site is still a work in progress, like everything at SDH, we are constantly trying to improve ourselves. The “Shop” is still a long way from being finished, but check out some of the ideas we are working on and send us some feed back on them. Tell us what you like or dislike, so we can create the items that you guys want to buy!

Also, we want our photo section to not only highlight SDH, but our customers. So send us some great new pics to add on. I personally would like to see how far we can spread our influence, so take some pics with your SDH shirts or shwag anywhere you might be. Let’s see who can take the craziest SDH pic.

If you’ve made it this far, then you must truly be interested in what I have to say. So before I bid you all a farewell, I want to thank you for checking out the new site, and bearing with it through its production.

Thanks to one and all. Peace, love, and great food! Remember…Life is complicated, We make it simple!

~Joshua

Two Years!!

Hey All,

Let me first thank you all for continuing to follow the blog. It is not always the easiest project to keep up with, but I enjoy it immensely. For those of you who do not already know, which I would have to say, is just about all of you, today May 15, 2009 is the two year anniversary of our ownership of So Dam Hot.

It seems like only yesterday that we opened the door to our new business, and it is truly amazing to see what we have become in such a short time. Hopefully it is only the beginning of a great chain of amazing restaurants, but if not, it will always be a special place for me.

Thank you, one and all, for all your support over the last two years. For all the guys who have had a hand in the business, your services have and continue to be greatly appreciated. Whats mine is yours, and always will be. So share some pride in OUR accomplishments.

Dan, thanks for continuing to voice your opinions and working hard to complete all the So Dam Projects.

Kyle, thanks for being an effortless part of the family, who can be called upon any time to help out. Slow and steady wins the race.

Girl Pants, thanks for pushing everyone's buttons and keeping us on our toes. Your services have been invaluable.

Guy, thanks for being a true work horse. There is nothing that can keep you away, including a few plates and screws in your ankle. Your crazy life is always entertaining.

Zaza, thanks for the fresh attitude you bring to us every time you come back from your many adventures.

Cuz, thanks for your continued support in spreading our name. Your efforts are appreciated and your work is incredible.

Twink, thanks for not being afraid to do the dirty work. You are an example for everyone, and it has been a pleasure to see you grow. You will always be the little bro I never had.

Marty, the newbie, thanks for joining us and learning the ropes. We will ship you into shape at some point.

As a reminder, we have the new menu printed, the website is very near complete and should be up shortly, and the mock-ups for the new apparel are going to the printer any day now.

Continue to read the blog, and support us. Check out the updates on Flickr, and see all the pics we have posted. And make sure to send me or point me to photos of yourselves so that you can also be a part of the page.

Once again, thank you from the bottom of my heart. I look forward to serving you for a long time to come.

~Joshua

P.S. - Happy birthday Simone. You're birthday will never be forgotten here at SDH!

Guy's Musical Guilty Pleasure

For all of you who had no idea what Guy was talking about when he said his guilty please was "Oh Yeah" by Yello, here is the video. You might recognize it from Ferris Bueller's Day Off.

I love the 80's!

~Joshua

I'm back

Hi All,

Joey Zaza here comin at you live from So dam Hot headquarters. I just returned home to the great town of Valhalla yesterday for the summer. My freshman year of college at SUNY Oneonta has come to an end. It's sad but at the same timeI just couldn't wait to get home so I could get some delicious Chubber Fries with honey mustard at my favorite eating establishment around.

Let me tell you, honey mustard is the way to go when it comes to Chubber Fries. Just writing about them makes me want to have some...mhmmmmmm... sorry about that.

As I was saying you should come in to So Dam Hot and peep my new hair cut tonight from 4-730, ill be here. And ask about the new menu item, Baby's Mama......

Zaza out

~Zaza

New Menu

New menus have finally arrived at So Dam Hot. Check out our newest combo. We call it Baby's Mama. You have to come by an order it if you want to know why.

Baby's Mama - A plate of crispy french fries topped generously with melted American Cheese, Chili, Sauteed Onions, Burger Bits, and SDH Sauce.

Its the newest progression in chopped up food on fries. Hahaha.

What will we think of next? Maybe you can create a new combo and we can name it after you. Unless of course you are named Mike Restiano, in which case you will never have your own special. Because you claim everything to be the Mike Restiano Special.

Hey, I just typed a blog, I'm gonna call it the Mike Restiano Special.

~Joshua

Kobe & Lebron Commercial

I recently caught this commercial on ESPN and I find it hilarious. I wanted to share it with you to see what you thought. If you don't follow basketball, then this could be the stupidest commercial you have ever seen.



Post season. Woooh. So Dam Hot. $20. Make some noise!! SDH! I need a chicken wing in my hand! Yeaaah!!

~Joshua

Question of the Day - 7

Ok, well at least Jimmy had fun answering his own question. No worries, I will press on, even if this is just an online conversation between me and him. If you ever want to join in, feel free to!

So, ever since I started this QoD section, I am constantly racking my brain for new ideas. Usually questions will come to me in batches, and I just pick and choose which one to use at what time. Today's question is one I have had on the back-burner for some time now. And I was all set to use it today, when it actually came up in a conversation. A song came on the radio and Girl Pants was like oh this is a guilty pleasure of mine. So...

What is your musical guilty pleasure?
What do you listen to, own, love, that you are ashamed to admit to?

Well this one is pretty easy for me. I haven't been through my CD collection in a long time, but I can think of a few CDs that I am ashamed to say I own.

My first guilty please is, LFO - Summer Girls. Haha, it makes me laugh just thinking about. But after listening to it again on YouTube, I realize why I enjoyed it so much. Its chorus is really catchy. The lyrics themselves are horribly lame and cheesey, but it still kinda makes me smile. And besides, I like girls that wear Abercrombie & Fitch. My second guilty pleasure is, Ricky Martin - Living La Vida Loca. Come on, it was cool at the time! I used to love listening to this song until I found out I wasn't supposed to like it. Again, I brought it up on YouTube and I find myself kind of bobbing to the beat as I am typing this.
Why is it so wrong to admit you like the music you actually like?

Before I leave it to you guys to add your thoughts, I have to tell you about Kyle's guilty pleasure, because I know he doesn't blog.

I was at SDH one day with Kyle and a song came on the radio, and Kyle started spitting lyrics out. I had no idea what the song even was, but he knew every lyric. When I asked him what it was he responded, " Come on man, It's Britney Spears. This song is hot. I own this album." I am sure most of you already know Kyle, so I will leave it at that. You can think about how strange that statement was coming from him.

Ok people, lets get involved, comment back. Jimmy is cool, but not THAT cool!

~Joshua

P.S. - This is also a guilty pleasure of mine!

Bike New York 2009

On Sunday I had the opportunity to partake in the TD Bank Five Borough Bike Tour of NY. I have to say it was one of the best experiences of my life.

My day started at 5:30 am when I awoke to get ready for the ride. After picking up a Gatorade and a Five Hour Energy Shot, I headed down to the city for the tour.

The tour started at Battery Park on the end of Manhattan. There were 30,000 riders allowed this year and it was crazy to see them all around Manhattan as I was driving in. The weather wasn't great, and we got drizzled on as we awaited the start.

The crowd roared as we were finally unleashed on our journey. We traveled through the streets into Central Park. Even though I am from NY, I haven't seen much of the park, so this was one of my favorite parts. As we got going, you didn't really feel the weather, for now that is.

Exiting out of the park we headed into Harlem. A stream of bike riders devouring the streets on a cold Sunday morning. On lookers were surprised to see the wave of bikers as they pedaled through the city.

We crossed over into the Bronx before heading back to the FDR to make our way into Queens. Over head I could see the legion of riders crossing the 59th Street Bridge. Into Queens we rode, as crowds started to form along the way to cheer us on.

Queens became Brooklyn, and the group pushed on. Brooklyn was the short cut point if you wanted to cut across the Brooklyn Bridge, but I was having none of that. I was soaked and starving at this point, but I came to finish, and that was what I was going to do.

Into Staten Island we went. All that lay ahead was the monstrous Verrazano Bridge. At this point I had to stop to eat. After scarfing down a $5 hot dog and a $4 knish (NO MORE COMPLAINING ABOUT SDH PRICES!!) I pushed forward to the end. My clothes were drenched, and my battery had died on my phone, so it was nothing but adreniline pushing me forward.

The climb seemed endless. Like a mirage in the desert, it seemed like the top of the climb kept appearing, yet never arriving. At last, I had made it, as we coasted down to the festival. I was too tired to enjoy the festival, so I scooped up some free Naked Juice (Amazing!!) and headed the last mile towards the ferry.

I followed the crowd, as it was my first time on the ferry. We packed in like cattle to take our ride to the finish line. Everyone licked there wounds and shook out there legs as the boat crossed the river back to Manhattan.

We docked in Manhattan and it was time to head back to my car. But Dude, Where's My Car?!?! With all the hoopla of the morning, I had neglected to remember what street I parked on. I road the streets of lower Manhattan cold and tired looking for my car. Eventually I managed to double back on my tracks and find my car, after about 15 more minutes of cruising.

I packed my bike into the trunk, changed my shirt and headed home, tired but accomplished.

I can easily say this was one of the greatest experiences of my life. The whole ride took about five hours, but the day had taken about eight. I rode through all five boroughs and biked over 42 miles. It was by far the longest ride I had ever made. It was euphoric to reach the end, and I am so glad I did it.

There are many tours throughout the year, in all different places. I would love to find some people to ride with, so if you are interested in doing a tour, please let me know and we can make some arrangements.

Remember, you control the keys to your happiness and you are the only thing that can hold you back. Keep pedaling guys.

~Joshua

P.S. - Here are some photos of me along the ride. I was hamming it up, even though I was drenched and exhausted. And thanks to Brightroom for taking pics of all the riders!

Question of the Day - 6

Welcome back, welcome back, welcome baaaaack!

Its been a long time coming. I have missed blogging, and I am glad you are still around to read. I had a crazy couple of days. But crazy days make for good blogging. So I look forward to telling you all about them in the future.

Just a quick update: The new menus are finally being printed, so we are going full force with the website and clothes, so keep your eyes out for that.

Now for what you have all been waiting for, the Question of the Day. This one came by special request from Jimmy (aka Chicago). Jimmy is one of my closest friends, who I unfortunealty don't get to see very much of. But we have shared lots of great times together and we will continue to have new adventures in the future. I hope he has a good answer!!

Jimmy asks:

What is the craziest prank you ever pulled?

I am really not much of a prankster, so my answer might be cheating a little, but I will give you a few anecdotes from my past, that I found to be pretty fun.

In no particular order...

My first prank was when me and my friend at the time, Kevin, pranked our other friend by telling him I was adopted (hopefully this doesn't offend anyone reading this). It was pretty amusing to listen to him squirm uncomfortably on the other end of the phone as my friend was informing me that I was adopted. Awkward!

Also, me and my boy Vinny used to prank our neighbor with eggs. I don't know if it was really a prank as much as harrassment, but it was hella funny. We used to bomb her house nightly with eggs. One day she suprised us and came running out of the house. We ended up getting chased by a car around our neighborhood for hours. We had to dodge and weive between cars, hop fences, and hide in bushes. We knew we were in trouble, so I formulated a plan. We ended up back at my house, and I told my parents to play along. We went to my room and changed clothes, low and behold, the cops came a ringing. I had a fool proof story with times and places of our wearabouts to give to the cop. And our outfits did not fit her description, so we went free. Sometimes its good to be evil. Needless to say, I don't throw eggs anymore!

Last was our high school prank. We had just received a brand new student parking lot that year. Well me and some friends decided it would be fun to leave our mark. After a long night of spray painting we had a beautifully decorated lot and wall. Of course we ended up getting busted in the end, but it was great for a few days, while everyone in our class enjoyed our great artwork.

Anyway, I missed you guys and its great to be back. Make sure to write comments answering the Question of the Day. I know you guys are out there, cause I got lots of hate while I was away!!!

Till next time.

~Joshua

I'm Sorry!!

I apologize for not blogging the last few days. I have been wrapping up some projects. I have plenty in store for you all this week.

Stay Tuned!

~Joshua

Question of the Day - 5

Wow, not a single comment yet! Either the question was too hard, not fun, or you are all too self conscious to admit to your past. Regardless, we will move forward with our Questions.

Since #4 was obviously not a hit, I will make today's a little easier. Hopefully that will generate some more comments.

What is your favorite game you played as a child?
You can choose board, video, or physical games.

I remember so many great games as a kid. Its actually kind of hard for me to pick one. Since I am having a hard time narrowing down my favorite, I will just talk about one of my favorites. I think its unique, and I am not even sure if it has a name.

I call it Stair Ball. Creative right? The game is generally played with two people. The more people you have, the harder it is to play. Which makes it good to play when there aren't too many people around.

The game revolves around the rules of baseball, with a twist of course. Since you only have two people, you obviously can't play all the positions, so you improvise. One person is the "batter" and the other is the defense.

The batter takes the ball (generally a tennis ball, but you can use any type of bouncy ball to play) and throws it against the stairs. The ball will ricochet out into the field, where the defense is waiting. If the ball is caught on the fly, the batter is out. If it lands, then you would get a base hit. How many bases you get per hit is based on a pregame selection of markers to determine how far a ball must land to equate a single, double, triple, or home run.

The game continues for as many innings as you would like. Not too complicated of a game, but fun nonetheless. I think games like that have kind of vanished from our society, with the continuous inventions of new technology. What a shame. I miss the simple days.

Anyone wanna play some stair ball? Here is a helpful hint for anyone who wants to play: Aim for the point of the stairs, as this will give you the largest bounce.

What games did you guys like?

~Joshua

Question of the Day - 4

Its that time again, Question of the Day time!! Sorry I haven't had a lot of time to blog lately. But I promised to have some new ones coming up. I'm enjoying your comments. But you guys should sign your comments, especially the person who told me to grow a set. Seems like they should take their own advice.

Melissa (AKA Mush) asked me to post a "thinker" question today, so I am gonna try to appease her. She likes to throw tantrums. ("But Moooom, I wannnna gooo shopping!") Sorry, that was a little inside joke, kinda rude, but funny for me.

You guys got it easy, since you can pick and choose which questions you want to answer, but I have to answer them all, or else it would be stupid. Ok enough stalling. Here it comes...

If you could go back to a moment in your life and relive it,
good or bad, what would it be and why?

This is a question that I have been pondering for a few days, probably since the start of the Question of the Day series. And I finally came up with an answer.

I was hoping that I would want to relive a good time, but when it came down to it, it wasn't meant to be. I would want to relive a moment in my life, that I think shaped the way I live my life to this day.

I can't remember how old I was, but I was young. It was a Sunday morning and I was attending Hebrew School in Scarsdale. (Please save your Jew jokes till later) I remember feeling kind of crappy that morning, but, my mom wasn't buying it. She knew I hated going, cause the kids were all snobby and I really didn't fit in. After grabbing a quick breakfast with my dad, it was off to school for the morning.

There I was, sitting in the back of the crowded class, when it happened. I puked all over my desk. Nasty, I know! And very embarrassing too, especially since I was an outsider to begin with. Needless to say, I was really embarrassed by what had happened. I had become "that kid"!

I can't be positive, but I feel like that set off a chain of events that always gave me a subconscious terror of embarrassing myself in front of my peers. This came to a head in 7th grade when I had "Schoolophobia". I was afraid to go to school, seriously!! It lasted for quite some time and was a really tough time in my life. But more on that at another time.

So there you have it, my moment I would like to relive. I know you're not supposed to live with regrets, but I wish that that moment never happened. I hope you appreciate my honesty and can share some of your own stories. Remember, good or bad, its not a pity fest. And don't worry what people will say. This is about you, not them.

~Joshua

Question of the Day - 3

I am very proud of you guys, you are finally catching on. Isn't it more fun this way? Its amazing how many people would wish for more money. I don't blame you, its pretty much the driving factor for most people.

Even though we had a good turn out on that question, Angel found it to be too thought provoking. And he was ashamed to admit he wanted money. Shames on you Angel! You're just like everyone else.

I thought that that was an easy question, but apparently not for everyone. So here is a topic that has been widely discussed at SDH:

Is it okay for a guy to get a manicure?
How about a pedicure? Nail polish?

This one is easy for me to answer. For anyone who knows me, they know I love getting manicures. I have also gotten a pedicure or two in my life. I see absolutely nothing wrong with a guy taking care of himself. The fact that it is seen as a female act, is a false constraint that we have placed upon it. The reality is, it is good to take care of you nails. It is also very relaxing and soothing to have someone take care of you for awhile. And when it comes to polish, I am all for that as well. Supposedly I went through a polish "phase". When the truth is, if I had the time and the money to keep it up, I would probably still be wearing black nail polish. It really freaks people out for no reason. I am the same person with or without polish, but some people can't see through that. I think we really need to open our minds and become more accepting of things. Remember, "You can't judge a book by its cover."

What do you guys think?

~Joshua

Some Two State Shows Coming Up

Hey, Hey, Hey!

This Saturday is the show at The Cliffs, so if you like rock climbing and rock and roll, come on out.

1 Commerce St, Valhalla NY

Doors open at 8pm
5 bucks
(Its a benefit show so feel free to be generous!!)

Featuring, my band, TWO STATES.

Also:
NO ONE AND THE SOMEBODIES
OLD TABLE
GILDED AGE
THE SILENT K'S

Its going to be sick.

All the kids who are going to Bamboozled are going to get rained on.
So come and stick it to them by rocking with us on the second.

Check out the sites:
Myspace or Facebook

More up coming shows:
May 8th : Westlake Battle of the Bands
May 15th: Broadway Field

Hope to see you there, dancing, climbing, and enjoying yourself!!

~Anthony (GP)

Question of the Day - 2

I never thought it would be this hard to choose a question, there are so many great things out there to discuss. Thankfully, there will be more days, and more questions.

Lets ease ourselves into this process with a fairly simple question:

If you had the opportunity to have three wishes granted,
what would they be? Why?

I'm sure we have all had this question posed to us at one point in our lives, but I think our answers can change on a daily basis.

This is what I would wish for:

My first wish would have to be for money. Not in a selfish, spoiled kind of way. I just wish I had enough money to live comfortably. I would like to be able to afford to do all the things that I want and spend my days doing things that make me happy. It would be nice to be able to afford to see the people who mean so much to me, even when they do not live close by.

That leads me to my second wish. I wish I could be closer to my family, especially my nieces. I have three beautiful nieces, that live in Oklahoma. The youngest are twins, born November 2007, and I have still yet had a chance to meet them. I wish I could be a bigger part of their lives, and them mine. I come from a small family and wish that we could all spend more time together.

My third wish is a little more obscure than the first two. I wish I appreciated life more. Too often in life, we get caught up on the little details and often take for granted everything that we have going for us. I think that that would be the most amazing feeling, to really be able to appreciate. Imagine waking up and being grateful for another day, a warm bed, a job, a family. Think about all the things that we have that we really don't appreciate, and think about what it would be like to lose them. Its kind of freaky to think about how unappreciative we actually are.

I look forward to hearing what you have to say. Take a few minutes and think about what you really want, and share it with us. You might be suprised by what people would wish for, or even what you yourself would wish for.

~Joshua

Question of the Day

I want to try a new project on here, but it is going to require some participation. At the bottom of each blog, there is a little comment button. I need you to start hitting that and making some comments, so that I can know how I am doing.


All that being said, I am gonna start a new blog topic, "Question of the Day". In these blogs I am going to pose a question to you all for discussion in the comment section. They will vary depending on my mood. As always, if you have any ideas, you can e-mail me at JBrand2282@gmail.com and tell me what you would like to discuss.

I am going to steal my first question from a Z100 topic from a few days ago. It has two parts, so feel free to comment on either or both.

Is it okay for a guy to ask another guy
what type of cologne he is wearing?

What about a woman asking a woman
what type of perfume she is wearing?

Post your thoughts. I am curious what you all think about this. I will start you off with my comments:

I admit that it may be awkward for a man to ask another man what type of cologne he is wearing if they do not know each other. It can often give the wrong impression. That seems to be more a matter of our own insecurities though. As is the case with Stoicism (discussed in an earlier blog), we are only effected by that which we allow to effect us. If you do not mean it to be sexual in nature, it cannot be sexual. I have asked friends the question though, and it was a lot less awkward. In fact, GP asked me the other day what I was wearing because "You smell good today." I think its a complete non-issue for women, which seems to be a completely unfair cultural bias that we created.

Here is a helpful hint on how to ask another man what cologne he is wearing. There is a new trend that can be used, ask your question and follow up with "No Homo." You can also lead with that as well. Both are acceptable behaviors for men.

Anyway, lets get this going strong. Comment, comment, comment!

~Joshua

New SDH Clothes Coming Soon

Just another quick announcement blog...

We have found an investor to help us start producing our new clothing line. Check back regularly to see where we are at in the process. New shirts, booty shorts, and hoodies to come shortly.

~Joshua

TOMS Shoes

Any of you guys see that commercial for AT&T cell phone service with the guy who donates shoes to needy children?

Men's Element Design

Well, after seeing it on TV, I was curious to know if that was a legit company. And, it is.

From the Toms Shoes website:

One for One

TOMS Shoes was founded on a simple premise: For every pair you purchase, TOMS will give a pair of shoes to a child in need. One for One. Using the purchasing power of individuals to benefit the greater good is what we're all about.

Our Story

In 2006 an American traveler, Blake Mycoskie, befriended children in Argentina and found they had no shoes to protect their feet. Wanting to help, he created a company that would match every pair of shoes sold with a pair given to a child in need. One for One. Blake returned to Argentina with a group of family, friends and staff later that year with 10,000 pairs of shoes made possible by caring TOMS customers.

Since our beginning, TOMS has given over 140,000* pairs of shoes to children in need through the One for One model. Because of your support, TOMS plans to give over 300,000 pairs of shoes to children in need around the world in 2009.

Our ongoing community events and Shoe Drop Tours allow TOMS supporters and enthusiasts to be part of our One for One movement. Join us.

Why shoes?

Most children in developing countries grow up barefoot. Whether at play, doing chores or just getting around, these children are at risk.

Walking is often the primary mode of transportation in developing countries. Children can walk for miles to get food, water, shelter and medical help. Wearing shoes literally enables them to walk distances that aren't possible barefoot.

Wearing shoes prevents feet from getting cuts and sores on unsafe roads and from contaminated soil. Not only are these injuries painful, they also are dangerous when wounds become infected. The leading cause of disease in developing countries is soil-transmitted parasites which penetrate the skin through open sores. Wearing shoes can prevent this and the risk of amputation.

Many times children can't attend school barefoot because shoes are a required part of their uniform. If they don't have shoes, they don't go to school. If they don't receive an education, they don't have the opportunity to realize their potential. There is one simple solution...SHOES.

Four of the planet's six billion people live in conditions inconceivable to many. Lets take a step towards a better tomorrow.

The shoes that they make look different than what I would call a "normal shoe", but they look really comfortable and have a unique style.

Women's Silver Sparkles

I have not ordered a pair yet, but I will shortly. I will let you know my thoughts on the shoes, but regardless, its for a good cause.

So next time you need a new pair of shoes, check out the site and do some good. They make shoes for men, women, and kids...so no excuses!

~Joshua

The Best Toys Ever!!

As you are starting to learn from reading this blog, I am kind of an odd character. But I am cool with that. That's why I am comfortable telling you that I have found the best toys...EVER!!

I can't remember where or when I first came across them, but I feel its time to unveil them to you. Ladies and gentlemen, meet...

Yes, you are seeing what you think you are seeing...Pee & Poo dolls. Guy and Guy have some weird fascination with Pee & Poo (the words, not the toys), so this blog goes out to them.

Created by Swedish designer Emma Megitt as a Master of Design project at HDK (School of Design and Crafts, Göteborg University). They went on line with their own site shortly afterwards. Within a few weeks tens of thousands of people had visited the site. And although Emma had not seriously thought about producing her two out-of-the-loo-lovelies, she received so many enquiries as to price and delivery time that she went into production.

They also produce Pee & Poo keychains, baby clothes, and t-shirts. If anyone wants to bring me a set of plush Pee & Poo dolls I would love you forever.

~Joshua

PS - I know some of you reading this are thinking, "Oh Man! I need to get those!"

Mets Ticket Update

For anyone interested in the Mets Tickets below, they are $50 per game for the pair. That is the price for all games, good, bad, or ugly.

Bags not included, but are recommended!

~Joshua

Mets Tickets

Here is the list of Mets tickets I have available for sale. I have 2 tickets to each game. I am not sure what the price of the tickets is, but I will let you know when I know. Let me know if you are interested. They are first come, first served, so if you want to buy a set, don't hesitate.

Date	Opponent	Day	Time
27-Apr	Marlins	Monday	7:10
28-Apr	Marlins	Tuesday	7:10
29-Apr	Marlins	Wednesday	1:10
6-May	Phillies	Wednesday	7:10
8-May	Pirates	Friday	7:10
13-May	Braves	Wednesday	1:10
23-Jun	Cardinals	Tuesday	7:10
25-Jun	Cardinals	Thursday	1:10
8-Jul	Dodgers	Wednesday	7:10
30-Jul	Rockies	Thursday	12:10
5-Aug	Cardinals	Wednesday	12:10
17-Aug	Giants	Monday	7:10
19-Aug	Braves	Wednesday	7:10
24-Aug	Phillies*	Monday	1:10
18-Sep	Nationals	Friday	7:10
19-Sep	Nationals	Saturday	1:10
20-Sep	Nationals	Sunday	1:10

~Joshua