Bar + Arcade = Barcade! Old Children Rejoice!!

by Karlos February 13th, 2012 - No Comments »

I am (responsibly) a fan of alcoholic beverages. I LOVE video games. How do the two directly correlate without being weird? Go somewhere that celebrates both.

I rarely venture outside of Queens but last night I had to drive to Brooklyn because I needed a bottle of wine for a house warming gift. It was late and the only liquor shop was in Williamsburg so I had to take a quick drive down there. A friend of mine pointed out this place with people outside and said “Oh, there’s Barcade.” My reply? “What the hell is barcade?”

The answer is a bar that specializes in American craft beer and features old school arcade games. I nearly crashed in excitement. I still have my old nintendo but I can’t pass up the chance to grab a drink over a game of Ms. Pacman, Frogger and Donkey Kong!

What I find really cool (as if I needed to add an extra layer of cool) is how they do their part at being green.  By only serving beer on draft, there’s no waste when it comes to cans and bottles. They run on wind power which is delivered on an alternative energy grid. Find out more about their environmental impact here.

Your local Essentia specialist will make his first visit on Saturday. I’ll accept all challengers. Just don’t go cry to your mama when I send you home defeated without anymore quarters! HAHAHA!

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Good Luck New York Giants!

by Karlos January 25th, 2012 - 1 Comment »

Essentia New York has two wonderful, knowledgable and incredibly handsome gentlemen on staff…and we are both also BIG NY Giants fans. It really feels like ’07 again and we at the New York showroom want to wish big blue GOOD LUCK!

Eli Manning has been playing great all season and the playoffs have been no exception. While he’s not overwhelmingly lighting up the score board, he is really protecting the ball and making plays when it counts. With the defense coming alive and bringing pressure, we have all the faith in the world that the G-men will bring another title home to the big apple.

We’ll be doing a special sale WHEN the giants win the super bowl. Feel free to come visit us and say hi to two of the best fans you’ll ever meet. New England Patriots? You’re next!

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iPassport: A Northern Neighbor Uses iPad to Cross Boarder

by Karlos January 9th, 2012 - No Comments »

First off, HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! 2011 was a great year for me in many regards. Good health, great friends and of course a very AWWESSOMME lady in my life.

Fond memories of 2011 will include the various places I visited throughout the course of the year. I’ve always been a roaming soul and traveling is a HUGE hobby of mine. 2012 looks to be no different as I set my sights on visiting new countries. This year I plan on doing a tour of Canada; our friendly, neutral, maple syrup loving, hockey playing (ice fighting as I call it), Northern neighbor’s country. Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver are all on the projected schedule.

I came across an interesting and pretty funny story about another U.S./Canadian traveler. Martin Reisch was driving into good ol’ U.S. of A. and he realized that he forgot his passport. If you didn’t know, the law in the states was changed from just needing a driver’s license to cross to needing a passport, enhanced driver’s license or a Nexus pass.

Martin ReischMartin decided to use his iPad…no really, his iPad…and it WORKED.

He had a scanned photo of his passport handy on his iPad for emergencies and it looks like the prudent planning paid off. The border patrol officer verified the info in his station and allowed Martin to pass.

My hat is off to you good sir. I won’t be trying the same thing when I drive to Montreal but this goes to show that being quick on your feet generally leaves you winning the race. With this little exception in the news, how soon do you think formal documentation will have digital forms? As technology expands, the possibilities will as well and I think it’s only a matter of time until we will just be using our smartphones to gain entry anywhere.

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“Hi Ho Silver!” No More?

by Karlos December 29th, 2011 - No Comments »

As a native of Chicago, I had my stereotypes and ideas about New York before I moved here. I expected many things both positive and negative. One thing I did know about were the horse rides through Central Park.

As far back in history as I can remember or learn, horses have generally been side by side with man. In times of war they drove us into battle, sports they provide so much exhiliration or just being our companions.

Well in and around Central Park, chances are you’ve seen a horse driven carriage. It’s quite the famous image and associated closely with New York. For years animal activist groups have been campaigning to ban these carriages using the welfare of the horses as its selling point. People in the industry however in defense point to the revenue in brings in and the fact they are a tourist attraction.

I could honestly argue both sides but I don’t have a horse in this race…GET IT?! I’m interested to see which way the city votes on this. Either way, I should probably take my lady on a ride before it’s no longer an option.

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I Bet Your Bed Isn’t This Old

by Karlos December 9th, 2011 - No Comments »

Since the beginning of time, humans knew how important sleep is.

Your body is rejuvenated, muscles repair itself and your mind gets set for the next day ahead. No matter what you sleep on (spring mattress, waterbed or an ESSENTIA memory foam mattress) you expect a good night’s sleep.

Many of the plant remains on the beds are species of Cryptocarya, which are evergreen plants used a lot in traditional, herbicidal medicines. (Wikipedia)Most people who look to purchase a new bed either aren’t getting enough sleep or are due for a replacement. One guy apparently didn’t know we have natural memory foam…

In a South African cave, sleeping mats made up of evergreens was discovered in Sibudu. They are about 77,000 years old! See these herbs on the right? The stems and leaves used in the mats provided a comfy surface and the greens repelled mosquitos.

 

All that sounds creative and all but I think I’ll stick to a Dormeuse ;-)

 

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Jammin’ For Smiles

by Karlos December 3rd, 2011 - No Comments »

Everyone who knows me, knows I have a passion for music. Although I’m the local Essentia expert ;-) I am also an active audio engineer and musician.

As a part of a project I have been working on (with my one and only), I have come across a great non-profit organization, “Music That Heals”.

This organization provides critically ill patients a moment to forget about their situation and a “relief” from the hospital setting, distraction from the medical procedures… and a moment of happiness and joy.

Please help myself and Essentia support this great cause! If you like music, you know the power it can have to make you forget about your horrible day and lift your spirits :-)

For tickets or donations, e-mail ddomi@hunter.cuny.edu (as a bonus, include Essentia in your e-mail and receive a free bracelet!)

If you would like more information about MTH, visit their website: musicthatheals.org

This Sunday @ The Bowery Electric

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Modern Warfare 3: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

by Karlos November 7th, 2011 - No Comments »

The Good: I, like millions of gamers, am eagerly awaiting this year’s most hyped video game release.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is set to be released tonight at 12AM.

Whether you are a casual player, someone new to the series or (in my case) a hardened pro, there’s no denying that the Call of Duty franchise has become one of the top entertainment releases yearly and tonight is expected to be no different.

I’ve been waiting for this game for months and I’m totally amped to get online and punish some noobs LOL.

The Bad: Obviously parents need to keep an eye on their kids while playing these kind of games because they do have a Mature rating on them. It’s filled with tons of violence and plenty of curses if you play online with other people. Truth be told, if you’re under 17 you shouldn’t be playing it but really I know that’s not the case. Being a former U.S. Marine, I can see how critics can say this would desensitize violence but that’s where parents need to step in.

The Ugly: About 6,000 copies of MW3 were stolen in France during a high stakes robbery on Saturday morning. A car crashed into the truck that was carrying these games and two masked men used TEAR GAS on the truck drivers. The loss of goods are projected around $550K. Really? REALLY? Is this what it comes down to? I want to play as much as anyone else but this REALLY is going over board. Companies are going to have to start hiring armed guards. That’s a shame.

Well there you have it. That MW3 in my view and after all that said, see you guys on the “field”.

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Sony Playstation 3 users: Add TKOTheMainEvent and in the message, let me know you found my gamer tag through the Essentia blog and I’ll offer you an exclusive promotion good for the purchase of Essentia mattress! :-) Happy hunting!

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Arrivederci Ray’s Pizza

by Karlos October 29th, 2011 - No Comments »

Unless you aren’t from New York or hate pizza then chances are you’ve been to a few pizzerias that have the name “Ray”. The pizzeria that is the actual original Ray’s is on 27 Prince Street in Nolita. Well everyone knows how the neighborhood is trending and as it is getting more commercial, smaller businesses are leaving.

Due to a legal issue and higher rents, the owner of Ray’s is open for business for the last time tomorrow. I have personally been here before with some friends just recently. We came to grab some slices after Fashion Night out over in Soho. It always saddens me to see local business leave because I’m just fed up with corporate chains (i.e, Starbucks, McDonald’s, etc…)

Ray’s Pizza has been open for 52 years and I think that’s a hell of an accomplishment. I’ll be stopping in for my last two slices after work tomorrow and to wish the staff good luck.

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From 34th Street to the BK Bridge (My Personal Protest)

by Karlos October 3rd, 2011 - No Comments »

Unless you’ve been living under a rock the past couple of weeks, you know that there is an ongoing demonstration not that far from the Essentia showroom in New York. Occupy Wall Street is a series of protests and demonstrations against the corporate greed and social structure of our society today…AND I’M 100% BEHIND IT!

For years, I have been frustrated with how our government allocates OUR hard earned money and failing to address issues here in OUR country. The educational system is flawed, the financial system is broken and the everyday nicer people are the ones paying for it. In order to get a better education, you have to submit to the will of loans after loans if you don’t qualify for financial aid (which at this point, it feels like no one does). Capitalism is seriously not the american dream…it’s a nightmare. This is my best guess but I’d say 75% of the money in the U.S. is held by 10% of the population, and that’s me pulling figures out of the air.

My opinions and frustration led me to sympathize with the Occupy Wall Street movement. I’m realistic though, it’s going to take more then a bunch of people sitting in a park to change how things are done but I think it’s a good start. If this doesn’t happen, we go unheard.

I was a late addition to the march from Zuccotti Park to the Brooklyn bridge. I work and because of my responsibilities, I wasn’t able to join the Occupy Wall Street march on time but I was determined to at least show up. I had friends meet me at Herald Square and we made our way to the Brooklyn bridge to join stragglers of the protest march. Sure enough, people were still out there in full force. We chanted, we sang and laughed…it was a great time…until police almost arrested me for arguing with them because they arrested my friend. I got lucky because I was carrying my (expired) military ID (which is another thing wrong with the U.S.)

I know I’m just one person and my contribution was probably insignificant but to finally put a voice to my troubles has allowed me some small measure of peace. Even though I’m not out there in the street, Wall Street friends, I’m there in spirit. Good luck to us all!

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Red River Flowin’…?

by Karlos September 12th, 2011 - 1 Comment »

A few days ago, I was walking along the Hudson River and I saw the strangest thing. The river was flowing and it looked red…

Before I go on, I just wanted to say a disclaimer. I’m not from New York originally and mob and crime movies don’t help the city’s reputation (LOL) so I thought “eeewww”.

Well apparently I wasn’t the only one to notice. There were a few twitter blasts and facebook posts that commented on the color of the water too. It’s not like the whole hudson river was blood red, just parts of it but nonetheless it was kinda strange to see.

Well the actual reason is Irene…yes her…the storm. It looks like some clay sediments from the mountains upstate washed into the river and flowed downstream. That would explain the odd hue of the water. So much for a Carlito’s Way remake -_- …

Hudson River

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