How Embarassing

To think that I was once proud to be a Vikings fan, happy to hate our arch-enemies the Packers and, of course, Brett Favre. And I thought I was a typical Viking fan, non-swerving in my loyalties and hatred.

But no, I find that the vast majority of Vikings fans are spineless lickspittles who now embrace Favre as their new-found savior.

And I truely believed I would have to endure this kind of behavior only once in my life, when my fellow Jets fans did the same thing and turned their back on Chad Pennington, who went on and turned the Dolphins around and took them to the play-offs last year. This while our savior at the time threw as many interceptions as touchdown passes during the season including eight interceptions versus two touchdowns in the last four games. But at least the Jets fans didn't have a history of hating Green Bay and Brett. They just somehow got sucked into Brett's vortex of glory or, as I refer to it, Brett's glory hole.

Oh, but now Favre gets a standing ovation when he comes onto the field in Minnesota and then goes 1 for 4 for 4 yards against the Chiefs. And their loyal quarterback, Tarvaris Jackson, gets booed when he comes in to replace Favre.

Then Jackson goes 12 for 15, 202 yards, and two touchdowns, one a 64 yard pass to Darius Reynaud and the other a 13 yard pass to Visanthe Shiancoe.

I am betting that with Favre at the helm the Vikings don't even repeat as Division Champions this year, let alone make it to the Super Bowl.

Remember, you read it here first, and my track record with Favre is 100%, predicting last year that Miami would have a better year than the Jets and that Miami would win the last game of the season against the Jets to go to the play-offs. You can look it up.

I saw Inglourious Basterds yesterday, a very good movie. Of course I couldn't help but think that, not unlike the Nazis in the movie, Brett can take off and burn his Green Bay uniform. But he should be marked for life as a Packer.

Actually, the Nazis didn't wear Green Bay uniforms, but you know what I mean.



The scars will never heal.

Yum Yum Zum

Well, not really much yum yum. Aside from a cheese plate and a potato pancake that the people we sat next to gave us we really didn't eat at Zum Schneider. But we did drink beer, lots of beer.

A Party Is In Progress


You have to love New York. It is the juxtapostion of a roasting pig and a taxi that just kind of cries out to you.

Only In New York


Ready For My Closeup


We had a great time and loved the entertainment.

Oompah Oompah Oompah Pah


I wouldn't exactly call it a flea market, but there were authentic German radios for sale.

Well, One


They did have some good looking food here, and our new friends at the table with us seemed to be enjoying their meals.

Digging In


The Mysterious Chinese Woman and I got here around 5:00 PM but were going to wait until Jim showed up before we ordered any food. He didn't get off work until around 7:00 PM or so and then it took him about an hour to get here and find a place to park.

Ah, Together At Last




By the time he arrived I was kind of full from the numerous beers I had consumed (don't ask me how many) and heavy German fare didn't really appeal to me. On the walk from the Astor Place subway stop we noticed a large number of Japanese bars and restaurants along St. Mark's Place (8th Avenue). Most of these have sprung up fairly recently too. We decided to head to one of them for a lighter dinner.

On the way we passed the infamous and elusive Holiday Cocktail Lounge. Elusive because this is how it typically looks.

The Usual State


Despite the fancy name, it is more of a dive bar than a cocktail lounge and, because it was late enough, it was open.

Kind Of A Seedy Clientele, Though


Really Seedy


After a quick couple of gin and tonics for me and a beer for Jim we picked out a nice looking Japanese place.

Not Sure Of The Name


We walked in and I promptly fell off of my little stool while trying to sit down. Luckily nobody had their camera out and only my dignity was injured.

We opted for some kind of a sampler platter and weren't disappointed.

Plenty For Everyone


The Mysterious Chinese Woman, daintily dug in.

So Dainty


Bar Man was begining to regret his over-consumption of beers because he just didn't have that much of an appetite. I did manage to sample everything and I will certainly come back and do it again.

Regrets, I've Had A Few


Of course my regrets did not stop me from sharing a bottle of saki with Jim. All and all, we had a great time.

It Came From The Grave

I cannot believe it, Brett Favre is like:

The Quarterback Who Will Not Die

Just when I thought it would be safe to enjoy watching a Vikings game now and then, here he comes, crawling out of the grave to plague me once again. And don't tell me that Vikings management didn't have this planned out well in advance. They already have the bobble head dolls ready for opening day:

What next, Stephon Marbury to the Timberwolves, again?

Bond, Hazeltine, and Oompah Bands

"He's not a very good caddie. Golf is not yet the national game of Korea, eh?"

That was Goldfinger making an excuse to James Bond about Oddjob's poor caddying ability during a golf game in the movie "Goldfinger."

How times have changed. And Yang won the 2009 PGA Championship in my home state of Minnesota.

Pig roast and ommpah bands at Zum Schneider tomorrow afternoon to celebrate their 9th anniversery, and I will be there.

I think Goldfinger looked like he was German.

You see how it all comes together? Well, quite frankly, neither do I.

Got Extra Money And Like To Drink?

Hey, start saving your pennies for this exciting offering by Thirsty Swagman:

http://www.worldsbiggestpubcrawl.com/D14-3-around-the-world-in-80-pubs-2011.html

I figure if I can only get one hundred and twenty of you faithful readers of my blog to send Bar Man $100 each I could afford to go and you could enjoy reading about my adventure. Sounds like a great deal. Well, doesn't it? Huh?

Nah, I didn't think so.