Kurt Vonnegut died yesterday. The only book I read of his was Slaughterhouse Five. I was entranced by the book, but it got a little too kooky for me and I still haven’t really come to grips with whether I liked it or not. Did you guys like his stuff?

Al Sharpton earlier demanded that Don Imus apologize for his idiotic statements, which Imus almost immediately did. Sharpton still is calling for his ouster. This is interesting because in 1987, Al Sharpton went to the media to let the world know that New York Assistant DA Steven Pagones had raped 15 year old Tawana Brawley. Not many accusations hurt worse than being accused of being a child molester. Of course, he wasn’t. Tawana Brawley had made the story up, but the damage had been done. And Sharpton has never apologized to Steven Pagones.

How is it that this clown gets to tell the media which race stories are a big deal, and the media follows his every word like a puppy dog? It is pathetic, and I can’t understand it, especially after they got burned the first time.

Well, my peeps began their journey home today. They’re gonna stop in DC and see some cherry blossoms first. We tried to see some the other day at the Horticultural Center in Fairmount Park, but I think it’s gonna be a couple more weeks before they are really spectacular here. Still, it was my first time to the Horticultural Center. Pretty kool, and I’ll definitely return to see the Japanese House when it opens in May.

My mom hosted round two at O’Neals last night, much to her delight. It’s pretty obvious which side of the family I get my showmanship (or, if you prefer, glory hog) tendencies from. Then we had the usual send off-a steak at Jim’s. And my mom thinks Craig Laban is way off with his 2 bells for Fogo de Chao. She thinks it’s the best restaurant she’s ever been to.

Remember a couple of weeks ago when I said I really liked a local rapper named Reef the Lost Cauze? Well, he’s got an interesting take on the Imus situation as well, one I think is a little more thought out than Snoop Dog’s (though I think the “he looks like a racist” argument doesn’t hold much water). I like this guy. I gotta see if I can score an interview with him.
RELATED: Reef the Lost Cauze on MySpace. He performs at the Troc on the 21st.

Ginger has decided to let men in the door, though only for one night to meet with the ladies of In Pursuit of Ale. Because she wants members of both sexes to enjoy the new Triumph Brewpub. Here’s a short note from Ginger:
Come join me at our city’s newest brewpub, Triumph. I am sure some of you have been to their New Hope and Princeton locations. They brew great beer and provide a pretty snazzy atmosphere and they have great food (I’ve tried almost the whole menu). They’re even nice-They are giving us $3 drafts all night! So come on out. Ladies AND gents.
New bar, $3 drafts, hanging out with women who like beer. Hmmm, this sounds pretty good.
RELATED: Join IPA at MySpace

…apparently Snoop Dogg is outraged by Don Imus’s comments. Let’s read now, if we shall, some of Snoop Dogg’s lyrics.
Can you control your ho? (You got a bitch that won’t do what you say)
You can’t control your ho? (She hardheaded, she just won’t obey)
Can you control your ho? (You’ve got to know what to do, and what to say)
You’ve got to put that bitch in her place, even if it’s slapping her in her face.
Ya got to control your ho. Can you control your hoe?This is what you forced me to do, I really didn’t want to put hands on you, but bitch you playin’ with fire.

And, to be honest, those are some of his tamer lyrics on the topic of bitches and hos. Oh, and keep in mind that MTV had a cartoon last year that featured Snoop leading leashed women on all fours. Seriously Snoop, when the topic is humiliating women, you might not wanna try to get all self-righteous. It’s like Robert Mugabe putting down Kim Jong Il for being a bad leader.

Working on The Final Days by Woodward and Bernstein. I like it a lot better than All the Presidents Men, b/c it’s not as complicated. Reading that book felt like I was taking a freaking algebra exam. “If this guy is connected to this guy, then this other guy must be x.” This book is more about Nixon, Haig, and Kissinger, and how they dealt with the fact that Nixon was going down. You guys read anything good lately?

Went out to eat quite a bit over the weekend. My full breakdown: The Yellow Bar on Grey’s Ferry, which just opened on Friday, has a really good crab quesadilla, but I’m not sure I really like the space all that much. And I’m not crazy about the way they colored the walls. It looks like wallpaper in a grandma’s house. But it’s worth checking out.

Saturday, got dinner at the Hibachi Grill. Rather disappointing. The place is weird. You walk into the lobby, which consists of a table covered with an aqua tablecloth. That’s it. That’s your first impression of the place. Just a room with a tablecloth. Then you sit and wait in a room that has bird cages, which are always depressing. Then, my chef was impressive with his tricks, but never said a word the entire time. Seemed like he was going through the motions. It was still kind of fun, but I wanted a goofier chef who puts on a show.

Finally, my mom and dad came into town yesterday, and we went to eat at Continental (Original). Definitely the best place I went to this weekend. The drinks were delicious and so was the food. The Lobster spring rolls and Shrimp curry were off the chain, as was the red pepper dip. And, unlike Continental Midtown and Pod, the music wasn’t so loud that you couldn’t talk. I’m gonna take ’em to Fogo de Chao for lunch either today or tomorrow.

Alright, I’m gonna post pics of this weeks winners. This week’s questions will be posted under the pics. The topic this week is pizza, in honor of the 2nd Annual JGT Pizza Hunt, which kicks off on Monday. One guess per person, and no cheating.

Today is the 43rd birthday of one of my favorite rappers of all time, the Diabolical Biz Markie. Though best known for the song “Just a Friend” on the album The Biz Never Sleeps, it was his debut album (Goin’ Off)that I consider his masterpiece. With songs such as “Vapors’, “Make the Music”, and “Pickin’ Bugars”, this album cracks my top 10 hip-hop albums of all time. I saw the Biz in Philly a few years ago, and he tore it up, though now he spends more time on the turntables than he does rapping.