I started the day late here as I was wearing my concierge hat most of the day.

Whatever you do while at work, Rickki don't loose that temper (to paraphrase these somehow New Jersey song wizards of Steely Dan).
If you utter a few words that should have not gone beyond your lips, be wise enough to recognize when it is right to apologize.
Chair throwing a la Steve Ballmer or trying to chop off a coworker's ear is beyond the pale.
Even Vincent Van Gogh doing it upon himself was way out there.
If you get swooped into any of these crazy behaviors, it might be time to get a vacation or check in for rehab.
Inspired by Crazy (not Sexy Cool) real events.

God Bless!

That's it for Monday Work Etiquette #5 (Not Love Potion  #9)

Previous Monday Work Etiquette: On Culture Clash, Dry Humor, Business Down Under

Related: About Toxic Coworkers, Stay Away from Them

I never gambled in my life whether on the Dot Com or the Housing Bubble or the French or New Jersey Lottery.
Should my mother in law bet her life on the Numbers?
Will she sing the Blues instead?
I guess she might pick 'Money Potion Number 9'.

A lot of restaurants got infatuated with high price ingredients such as Truffle Oil, Fleur De Sel and others.

Was it just to throw pixie dust at clients, trying to impress them by sprinkling exotic names and words on their menus?

Maybe it helped justify ever higher prices or it made the Chef feel important.

With prices for basic staples such as corn, wheat, milk and also fish going up, Nicholas Lander suggests in Cut the fuss, add to the pleasure that restaurants rethink what goes on their menus, draw up an interesting (well priced) wine list and offer attentive yet not overbearing service.

I once had dinner in Barcelona and you could not take a sip of water without having someone run over and refresh your glass.

Nicholas Lander calls for an end to the practice of turning the specials into a laundry list of ingredients.

People go out to enjoy their meal, relax and be served in a timely fashion.

Let the food do the talking.

Related stories: No good Chef would put on anything he could not eat as Bruce Poole says

Last Day to Give Your Vote to the 'French Guy from New Jersey'.

Not to beat a dead horse or keep playing the same track over and over but this is as close to Crunch Time as it can be.

Voting for our South by Southwest (2008) Panel Idea Just Over 50 and Not Dead Yet has only around 9 Hours to go as I write this.

The popularity contest stops at 11:59 pm (Austin, Central Time) today, September 21st

Here is the outline for our Panel in case you missed it:

“Online Participation is not just about 20 Somethings. A bunch of people Just Over 50, call them early boomers, have planted their tent online either as actors or consumers. They buy books, music, watch movies, travel and eat out, have money and brains.” ".....

To voice your support, Visit the Panelpicker.
Click on the Stars to rate our Topic and Feel free to leave a Comment, enlighten us!

Thanks for your support.

We will know around October 20th if we made it to the Final Selection.
In the meantime, our focus will switch to deciding on our 4 panelists.

Don't worry, it will not be all white males all the time. This should be a diverse bunch.

Related Stories: Just Over 50, Online and Not Ready for the AARP.

I am taking a short break from my Grass Roots campaign for Just Over 50 and Not Dead Yet to write the weekly Tokyo Thursdays piece (#5).

Today I want to mention quickly a show by Japanese Art Director Kazuo Oga at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Tokyo.

Remember the wonderful scenery in 'My Neighbor Totoro' and other animated movies from Studio Ghibli, he was the one behind it.

There are only 9 days left to catch this Exhibit.

Find out all the details (location, price, hours) on Tokyo Art Beat and tells us how it was if you happen to see it.

Last Tokyo Thursdays: Tokyo Street Fashion with Beams T

Even though I am what some would call a wine snob...by that I mean I do not drink cocktails, I do appreciate a good recipe when I see one.

In No room for Argument, Very Little for Vermouth Jim Coudal shares his years of practice, working towards a Perfect Martini.
We learn that he is partial to a Vodka Martini, Belvedere that Is, wants Brine Cured Green Olives to garnish his cocktail and Blue Cheese to I guess stuff the Olives.

He does put a touch of Vermouth in his mix.
I know many bartenders who do not.

Rasping poetic, the man does not spare any detail on the Best Martini according to Jim.

Related stories: 10 ways to stay on a Bartender's good side plus Tango and Cha Cha Cha and the Perfect Cocktails and Famous for 15 Minutes...Buy your Friends a Drink

Only 2 Days left to give your vote to our Just Over 50 and Not Dead Yet panel (South by Southwest, March 2008).

Here is the outline in case you missed it:

“Online Participation is not just about 20 Somethings. A bunch of people Just Over 50, call them early boomers, have planted their tent online either as actors or consumers.
They buy books, music, watch movies, travel and eat out, have money and brains.”

If you like the theme and want to Give us your Vote  Visit the Panelpicker.

Voting (by clicking on the Stars) requires a short (about a minute) registration.

We also appreciate your comments on the same page.

Thank you, Merci beaucoup...

Related story: Just over 50...Online and Not Ready for the  AARP

Eric Asimov offered his take on Happiness for $10 or Less today.

He inspired me to revisit some of my wine picks

Out of the lot I kept 5, all reds (sorry white wine drinkers) so it would not turn into a laundry list.

In no chronological order here they are:

From Spain, Wine from a Beloved Castle Castillo de Monseran (Garnacha)

Live in the Island of Sardinia (Italy), Monica, not the Singer

Mendoza (Argentina) calls next with Tango and Wine, Tamari Reserva Malbec 2005

France gets a Spot with A Great Petit Bordeaux from the Abbey, Les Vignes du Soir 

Last of all, the Basque heritage in Uruguay, Close Encounters of the First Kind, Cisplatino (Tannat /Merlot)

No American wine as you can see. There are not many good ones to be found in that price range.

All 5 Wines are around $10.

Enjoy!

Previous 'Take 5' : For 'Blog Day 2007, I picked 5 Sites the World Over

Hannah Seligson of Daily Cents gives us the high points of a discussion on 'Imperfection' or rather our futile chase of the Perfect Everything that took place on Be Happy Dammit (podcast).

The roundtable was focused on women so I picked those issues that apply to all of us including white males like me.

-A lot of pressure is self imposed
-Balance (the holy grail) is everyone's issue
-Become an imperfectionist
-Speak Up, the Opt Out

I once participated in an exercise where everyone had to stand up and cite things they were particularly bad at.

I put cleaning windows on top of the list.

I have not gotten any better at it neither do I intend to.

Once you make that kind of decision you feel liberated rather than anguished.

Related story: Stop Obsessing on Perfect Job

Actually let me correct my byline, at this time only Dentist Appointments can be made via ZocDoc and only in New York (no pun intended).

The basic idea is good. Besides seeing your favorite doctor show their perfect teeth on ZocDoc, you can also find out right there on your screen this much more useful information: times available for a visit each day as well as location.
When you click on a specific time slot, the service also prompts you to share your insurance information (if you are lucky to be insured) and confirms that this practice accepts your plan otherwise it gives you alternatives.

So as I said ZocDoc is well conceived but limited in its reach. It is free.

We will have to give them a second look in a few months.

Discovered on Webware.

In the Health and Allergies Department: No Wheat Today (or tomorrow)...Gluten Free...