The definitive message behind the enthralling but dreary The Friends of Eddie Coyle, which stars an aged Robert Mitchum as a career small-time criminal, is that crime does not pay.

Far from the usual glamorized Hollywood image of criminals, everyone here is a snitch, a backstabber, a thief or about to go down with barely a penny to their name. It's a tough, unsentimental look at the world of crime, the shots are somewhat bleak and harshly lit, and even the action sequences, while still tense, are non-stylized.

Mitchum, who I adore in anything, is superb as the weary and desperate Coyle. Director Peter Yates, whose resume is uneven (he helmed the iconic Bullitt, the weird Mother, Juggs and Speed and Krull but later served time on a sentimental D.B. Sweeney vehicle), is also at his best.

The film is based on a best selling novel by George V Huggins, who was a major influence on James Ellroy.

While the vintage quality of the vocal stylings of Raphael Saadiq's solo career were a new discovery (and a wonderful one), this feel-good song by Tony Toni Tone (the band which Saadiq fronted) has been a favorite of mine for years and years.

I was a fifteen year old sophomore when it came out and was probably watching Dazed and Confused, eating cake batter, and hanging out with my girlfriends in one of their basements while listening to it.

Michael Fassbender's name may not be quite house-hold yet, but he's likely to get much more work from his role in Inglourious Basterds.

As British officer and film expert Archie Hicox, he's the living definition of dashing.

While for a good long time Yoko Ono has been known mainly as the woman who broke up The Beatles, lately the petite radical has been remembered more for her contributions to avant garde art and the peace movement.

Ono and her 1964 performance Cut Piece was the inspiration for and earned an homage from the threeasfour runway show.

My friend Grace impresses me greatly with her home made from scratch treats that she often brings to office parties. The latest and greatest was a Tiramisu, which comprised of home made lady fingers for goodness sake!! (pictured).

It's not a dessert I tend to gravitate towards, but this was certianly the best I've had and I loved it. You can really taste the care that went into making it. She combined recipes from allrecipes and the Joy of Baking.

If you want to impress like Grace, take a page from her book and enroll in the Institute of Culinary Education.

I've recommended the work of British comedian Daniel Kitson on this blog before (once right before we saw the amazing Stories for the Wobbly Hearted and another time just for the podcasts) and probably will again any time he makes a rare US appearance. His most recent (and completely sold out) show at Union Hall was part of The Eugene Mirman Comedy Festival (which ends tonight).

Kitson had death on his mind, which may not sound like a great centerpiece to a comedy routine, but his performances are beyond stand-up and he always manages to balance deep, real-life truths and jokes with poignancy and seamless hilarity. I dare you to find a gentlemen (or lady) more deftly combining poop jokes, stories about eating an entire cake and heartfelt memories of a recently deceased aunt.

At the risk of having to again watch the show on my feet because limiting seating fills so quickly, I have to strongly suggest you go to any and all of Kitson's future performances that you can. Beyond overuse of the word 'brilliant', the experience is a bit difficult to describe.

Ashleigh put up this great post on RC.

Logee's Greenhouse in Danielson, CT is one of the most magical places on the East Coast, maybe Earth. Here's what they say about themselves, all true:

Since 1892, the Logee-Martin family has been growing and selling over a thousand varieties of tropical container plants for home and garden. We are the exclusive source of many varieties, both heirloom and new introductions. Cross the threshold of our greenhouses and prepare to enter into another world. Hear the trickling sounds of the water garden, see lemons the size of grapefruits on the 108 year-old Ponderosa Lemon Tree, then take a deep breath of divinely fragrant air as you meander through lush vegetation. Whether you're shopping for beautiful plants or just have a desire to surround yourself in beauty, come to Logee's, we promise it's worth the trip.”

If you are ever in the area, don't pass through without visiting Logee's. It really is a special place.

Community is by no means a perfected stroke of television genius, but with a cast that includes Chevy Chase and Joel McHale, it was the new show I was the most hopeful and curious about.

I have to say I laughed several times and even though the pacing was off – it seemed like the makers were forced to cram the events of an hour into a half hour – or at least has stopped a few classes short in their script writing workshop, I think the show has great potential once it finds its stride. Many great sitcoms have started far weaker than this one.

McHale is almost comfortable as a douchey lawyer forced to attend community college along side a ragtag group of misfits like Danny Pudi as Abed, who for better or worse makes asperger syndrome extremely funny and Ken Jeong who was not even featured in the pilot, but made me excited for his introduction based on commercial clips. Chase is fairly subtle and might has actually chosen wisely for his small screen return. I hope so, because I'd love to add another enjoyable comedy to my weekly viewing, especially one with such a great cast.

insalata de finocchi, arance e olive nere or, Fennel, Orange, and Olive salad seems like an unlikely combination, if not downright gross. But the mix of peppery, citrusy, and salty is actually quite yummy and refreshing. Throw on a bit of pecorino romano cheese like Shaun did when he so graciously served this to us at a recent Italian dinner night. This recipe comes again from his favorite Roman food blog, Italialicious.