Fast Food Corner

This may not be "fast food," but I couldn't pass up writing about this. I'm a big fan of Andy Capp's Hot Fries ... great alternative to potato chips, and has a strong nostril-stinging taste. Just a well seasoned "chip."

Recently at work, I noticed Andy Capp's Hot Chili Cheese Steak fries. I was hungry ... had a dollar burning a hole in my pocket, so I decided to give these fries a go. Folks, this may have been one of the worst decisions I've ever made.

How can a company sell a product that tastes so absolutely terrible. I got through 3 fries before I gave up ... and, when it comes to chips and fries, I don't give up that easily. The taste can be compared to mixing vinegar with feces. Sadly, that taste lingers in your mouth even after eating three breath mints. I'm just wondering who at the fine Andy Capp company green-lighted this disaster. It's embarrassing, and you guys are better than that ... aren't you?

Song of the Week

I love listening to newer music ... most of the time, I'll enjoy a song or two from a band, but in rare occasions, some bands intrigue me enough to follow them more closely. It happened with Franz Ferdinand, The Killers, Electric Six, Orson, and the Virgins. And, I think I'll probably be adding this band to that list - The Shout Out Louds.

They have a raw, unfinished sound to them, with a lead singer who's voice tends to crack at times - certainly, not something you'd see on American Idol (which is a really good thing, by the way). The song that got me hooked on the band is called "The Comeback," and no, it's not a remix of that L.L. Cool J. song.

The diddy starts of with a countdown sound, something you've probably heard on an Atari 2600 game. This "instrument" probably isn't all that different than what the Cars used (again, a good thing). There's nothing that really sticks out about this tune, it just flows nicely. The words seem to be a bit sad - apparently about a guy who just got through a bad breakup, and is at wit's end. Ironically, the chorus talks about making this a comeback, even though he sounds sad and depressed the entire time ... irony can be intriguing, I guess.

The chorus itself is catchy, and the repetitive guitar and drums hearkens to a rock/pop and punk mix. With all of that overproduced emo stuff, this song and the band in general is refreshing.

Here's the video in case you're interested:

Dope or Nope ...

Iced coffees have become a large trend over the past number of years. We've even seen franchises like Dunkin Donuts and McDonalds heavily promoting these ... especially in the summer-time. Apparently, there is a large market for these.

I'm really perplexed by this. I love coffee ... I'm not a coffee snob, though. I probably couldn't tell you the difference between Starbucks coffee and Dunkin Donuts coffee (or McDonalds coffee for that matter). I also like my coffee pretty plain - with some cream/milk and sugar/sweet and low. Sure, I'll get crazy sometimes and put some french vanilla cream or Hazelnut cream in there, but that's about it. I'm digressing ...

Here's the thing. I like my coffee hot. I'm not crazy about it cold. I certainly don't like coffee flavored ice cream. And iced-coffee doesn't sound refreshing to me in the least. If I have something iced, juice, soda, water, and beer sound WAY more refreshing to me. Iced coffee is a BIG NOPE for me.

So, what do you think?

Weekly Homework Assignment

It's time once again for Mama Kat's weekly homework assignment! This week, I chose the following prompt: How did you break it?

I remember it clear as day. I was probably about 10 years old, in the basement with some friends playing a game we recently made up. It was called, conveniently enough, "Poopie Pond." The gist of the game was that you could jump on furniture and other items on the ground (we placed these in strategic locations to get across the basement). If you touched the actual ground, you became the "Poopie Monster." Childish? Probably. But, for some reason it was fun ... until ...

I was jumping up and down on a chair, and accidentally hit my head on one of my mom's prized China plates ... she has these hanging all over the basement. Unfortunately, the China plate released from the wall, and broke into about 3 big pieces on the ground. I immediately held my ears ... I knew that Inga (my mom) would be hustling downstairs, screaming at the top of her lungs in no time ... I sat there for what felt like 15 minutes, but was actually probably closer to one minute ... no mom.

She had gone outside for one reason or another. That's when I sprung into action. I found a bottle of Elmer's glue, and reconstructed the China plate. I hid it for about a day, allowing it to seal ... and somehow, it worked! My mom never found out it was me who broke the China plate. Actually, she didn't notice that it was broken for years. When she finally saw it, she figured it was probably Erwin (my dad) who did it.

I never owned up to it ... and truthfully, I don't feel so bad about it. Inga probably would've kicked my butt! This moment also brought the end of the immensely popular Poopie Pond game ... sigh.

"Hand Food"

A few weekends ago, the wife and I went over to her parents house to hang out, swim in the pool, and basically enjoy a beautiful Saturday. While we were there, Schue's mom asked if she should pick something up for dinner. Never being one to say no to food, I told her that I thought this was a great idea. My thought was we'd either order some pizza, or maybe make burgers and dogs on the grill ... you know, a typical summertime weekend dinner.

Schue's mom, bless her heart, had other ideas. She went to the supermarket, purchased pasta and clams, and ended up cooking up some sort of spaghetti dinner that seemed to take more time than needed to do. I love Schue's mom's cooking, and this dinner was quite good. However, I had an issue with it - why cook some sort of fancy spaghetti dinner that we had to eat inside, when you could've cooked something we could enjoy outside?

I would've much preferred a simpler dinner that I could maybe eat in the pool if I wanted to ... I explained this to my wife as "hand food." Hand Food, according to Los's dictionary, is food you can hold and eat without the need for a plate, bowl, or utensils.

The funny part is that we were all commenting on how wonderful it was outside, and how the pool cooled us off nicely. So, what do we do? We go inside and eat spaghetti. I mean, shouldn't this be food you make when you come home from Christmas shopping? I felt like I should be wearing some scratchy sweater whilst eating this dinner.

Anyway, I've probably over-analyzed this ... the dinner was good. I guess that's the main point.

80's Corner

The absolute explosion in the video game market today reminds me of a similar explosion in the early 1980's. Popular consoles of the time included the Atari 2600 (Yes Heff, I do realize it was introduced in the 1970's), the Intellivision, and Colecovision. I was partial to the Atari because ... well, I had an Atari. But, with the increases in video game technology, the Atari just wasn't keeping up, and I needed to make a decision on which new console my parents would purchase for me for Christmas ... well, it wasn't quite like that.

I had to sell them on the idea of getting me a new concept. I began reading up on the Commodore 64 ... essentially a personal computer ... a personal computer that had major gaming possibilities. I sold my parents on my need for a personal computer, and somehow, they agreed with me.

So, did I use the Commodore as a personal computer? Nope, not really. Sure, I had some programs that allowed me to use it as a word processor, but that's really as far as I got into "that" side of it.

No, I used and abused the Commodore 64 as a gaming system. First, I purchased cartridges .... then, I got a tape player and purchased tapes. Then, I got the disk drive that used those annoyingly big and floppy 5 1/4 inch disks. I purchased a number of games initially, but then discovered a whole new "Commodore 64 culture," in which people "shared" pirate disks and games ... I remember trading these pirate disks and disks of games with numerous people in high school ... it was kind of like a social site like Napster, but without the "online" part of it.

I loved it ... I loved the Commodore 64. Sure, it took like 10 minutes to load games, but I didn't mind (much). I would just make a sandwich or something while the game was loading. Man, I miss the Commodore 64!

Song of the Week

I've never been a huge Pearl Jam fan. I was in college when "Ten," along with the entire "Grunge Revolution" took over the airwaves ... and I fought this revolution tooth and nail because ... well ... I'm not really sure why. I was (and still continue to be) a classic rock and roll fan - The Rolling Stones are like gods to me (OK, maybe not like Gods ... but like really cool people or something). I guess I felt that this new genre threatened classic rock in some way ... and, at the time, I was stubborn to listening to new music.

I've become much, much more open to new finding and discovering new music ... I started listening to the Killers, The Bravery and Franz Ferdinand long before they became "main-stream." But, I digress.

I've gained a respect for the grunge era, and enjoy listening to music from Soundgarden, STP, Nirvana, Temple of the Dog, and yes, even Pearl Jam. But, Pearl Jam's music never fully resonated with me - I can't listen to the entire Ten album, and my favorite song of Pearl Jam has always been Rear View Mirror, because it had more of a driving beat (unlike many of the normal Pearl Jam Songs).

With the release of Pearl Jam's new single, "The Fixer," I might have to rethink what my favorite Pearl Jam song is. Vedder went away from the dreary songs, and put together a much more upbeat diddy, using more melodies, background hooks, and even great choruses, similar to some of the Stones hits (and that's probably why I really like this Pearl Jam effort).

Pearl Jam seems to be embracing the pop-rock format, and probably decided they needed to compete with bands like U2, Jet, and The Killers ... and I applaud it. I'm sure there are a bunch of flannel wearing fans who hate this "re-imagining" by Pearl Jam, but I, for one, am happy they've at least experimented with a different sound.

You can hear the song right here:

Fast Food Corner

In the quest for the most unhealthy and delicious foods available to man (and woman), I have discovered a worthy candidate (thanks to Jeff!). According to this web site, Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) has a sandwich called the "Double Down." It apparently consists of two fried chicken fillets serving as the "buns" of the sandwich. The chicken fillets house a combination of bacon, cheese and the Colonel's "special sauce."

I've never seen a commercial for this amazing sandwich concept, and I can't seem to find any mention of it on KFC.com. However, there might be some sort of pilot going on in Omaha. Here's to hoping it is successful, because I NEED to try it ... at least once in my life ... and quite honestly, I'm not really excited about traveling to Omaha ... for any reason.

Just a brilliant concept all around - fried chicken breasts being used as buns ?!?!?!? Yes, please! Add some bacon in the center?!?!? You betcha! Slather some cheese on it??!???! OK! Finish it off with the Colonel's Secret Sauce?!??!?!? Much like Chinese Food, I don't need to know what it is, exactly, as long as I like it.

On a side note, I wonder how the fried chicken buns would taste with a burger in the middle.

Dope or Nope ...

I've been hearing more and more people using the term "Cheers." I think Cheers is OK to use whilst toasting something/someone with a shot. I totally understand that. However, I'm hearing more people use the term in other situations ... and I'm not sure I like it. Maybe in England it's ok to do this, but what about the States?

I've heard people use the term "Cheers" to thank somebody, or to say hello/goodbye, or even use the term when somebody produces a zinger. If I made a funny comment at or about somebody, another person would say, "Cheers."

I'm not on the fence about this at all. Folks, I HATE, HATE, HATE THIS!!!! Nope may not be a strong enough word for me. I think people think the term "Cheers" is trendy. NOPE, NOPE, NOPE!!!! It's not trendy. It stings the nostrils! Stop saying it, darn it!!!!!

So, how do you feel?

Weekly Homework Assignment

It's time again for Mama Kat's weekly homework assignment! I had a tough time picking a topic this week, as most had to do with experiences with babies (not a father ... yet).

Anyway, I chose the following: Hi, my name is ______ and I am a _______.

Hi, My name is Los, and I am an infomercial-aholic. When an infomercial is on tv, I'm glued to the set. I watch intently, and convince myself that I need what that amazing salesperson is selling. Billy Mays (when he was still living) could've probably sold me a turd. I guess, even though he's dead, he'd probably still be able to sell me on something.

I'm wondering who's going to replace Billy. This is a turbulent time in the infomercial industry ... a time for someone else to possibly step up. I certainly am not a fan of the older lady who sells those cooking devices ... and the guy who pushes the Sham-Wow is kind of appealing, I guess ... but there's something I don't trust about him. Maybe it's the headset he constantly wears, or maybe it's because he doesn't have a beard. Possibly, it's because he continually reminds me that, "Look, I can't make this offer all day." That hearkens too much to a used-car salesman.

Maybe Ron Popeil will climb back to the top of infomercial-land ... although, he's getting up in age, and I end up looking more intently at his wrinkles than I do at what he's selling. Perhaps, he should peddle some sort of skin cream ... just a thought.

Anyway, these are uncertain times for infomercial lovers like me ... who will be the next to step into the spotlight?

Song of the Week

The Police were an influential band of the late 1970's and early 1980's. In their prime, they produced a ton of early influential New Wave/Rock music that was new, creative, and absolutely addictive to listen to. Sadly, Sting grew up, and began producing awful adult contemporary slop, and started hanging out with other aged former rockers who apparently lost all of their testosterone .... yeah, I'm talking about you Rod Stewart, Brian Adams, and Mrs. Elton John.

However, the one song I can never get out of my mind is So Lonely. Just a great take on Reggae/rock fusion. Brilliant drums as always, a strong base sound (important in any good Reggae song), and a deliciously redundant (not sure if that makes sense) chorus. Once this song is in your head, it's almost impossible to get out of your head.

Here's what Sting said about the song: "People thrashing out three chords didn't really interest us musically. Reggae was accepted in punk circles and musically more sophisticated, and we could play it, so we veered off in that direction. I mean let's be honest here, 'So Lonely' was unabashedly culled from 'No Woman No Cry' by Bob Marley. Same chorus. What we invented was this thing of going back and forth between thrash punk and reggae. That was the little niche we created for ourselves."

Just a very cool song all around. In my opinion, it's the best song they've ever done. Sadly, it isn't found on any of their greatest hits compilations (but, Spirits in the Material World is ... go figure).

I didn't realize they had a video for this - check it out (Youtube wouldn't let me Embed).

80's Corner

As a child of the 80's, I remember a cool toy that was nearly impossible to get around the holidays ... one all of the kids wanted to have ... one that caused parents to sleep out in front of department stores, and frantically fight over ... no, I'm not talking about Cabbage Patch Kids (probably a post for a future 80's corner). I'm talking about Crossbows and Catapults!

You may not remember this awesome game, and I'm not sure why, it was a dynamic, creative, and fun game that I played for hours at a time. Here's how Wikipedia describes it: "In the game two sides, originally Vikings and Barbarians but later other names were used, build fortifications from plastic bricks then opposing players attempt to destroy each other's castle with rubber-band powered crossbows (similar to ballistae) and catapults firing plastic disks."

This is a great description. Here's what I would add - the true creativity of this game was in the creation of the castle. And of course, the precision in firing the "pogs" played heavily in the game. When I think of this game, I go back in time to the basement of my parents' house, sitting on the floor with my neighborhood buddies, drinking a can of Coke, building castles and talking trash. God, I miss those days!

Fast Food Corner

Ever since I've seen the Wendy's commercial, I've been intrigued by the Boneless Wings. Wendy's advertises something along the lines of "Why pay more at a restaurant?" And since I loves me some chicken, and I'm a big fan of chicken nuggets, chicken tenders, and chicken wings, I had to take this on .... for research purposes of course.

I went to a local Wendy's and ordered the Sweet and Spicy Asian Chicken boneless wings. First, the portion is decent - it's about 7 or 8 tenders. Probably not enough for a complete meal (may I suggest an order of a double stacker?), but still, not bad. Now, Wendy's advertises that these boneless wings are hand-tossed ... I found out what they mean by this is, they put the nuggets in the container, squeeze on the sauce, and then shake the container before they give it to you .... hey for $4.00 (or whatever the price), what do you expect? This is fast food, remember? And, if it tastes good, why should I care?

Well, honestly, it tastes ok, but I'm not craving it. It's a little dry, and the Asian flavor is nothing to write home about. I'd rather just buy a couple of 5-pack chicken nuggets, and dip them in honey mustard ... it's cheaper, and, in my opinion, it tastes better. I can't speak for the other two flavors - Buffalo and honey barbecue, but if they're anything like the Asian flavor, it might not be worth it.

What the *%#!*%$

This past Thursday, I sat down expecting to watch a meaningless Eagles preseason game ... you know, a quarter or so of the first team, and then an audition for the others trying to make an impression. I had no idea whatsoever about the news about to shock the Philadelphia sports world.

As I was watching the game, in the second quarter, I received a text from my good friend Johnnay, saying the Eagles signed Michael Vick. My response to him was, "Yeah, whatever." He responded back to check the internet, which I did. My jaw almost broke the foundation of my basement. Really? Michael Vick an Eagle!??!?!?!? My first thought was, "I should probably get a trashcan, just in case my insides decide shoot out of my mouth/nose." I immediately followed that thought with a quick decision on which NFL team would replace the Eagles as my favorite.

I slept on it, and my opinion of the move changed somewhat. Look, from a moral perspective, there is no way I could ever defend Vick's previous actions. I'm not even going to try. What he did was reprehensible, inexcusable, and just plain disgusting. However, he did do his time, right? People who do their time deserve a second chance, right? If Vick indeed is remorseful (jury still definitely out), and he takes steps to educate others on the wrongs of dog-fighting, then he does deserve a second chance (my opinion only).

Another wrinkle to this - Vick grew up in a poor area of the South. Dog-fighting was prominent and accepted in this area. I am by no means justifying what he did. He still should've known better being in the position of power and influence he was in. He was stupid in thinking he could be involved in something like this and this not coming back to "bite him in the ass." The scumbags he hung out with eventually sold him down the river.

So, I believe in Vick getting a second chance. I'm skeptical, and I think everyone should be. This was not an easy decision to make. Vick was a tremendous athlete commanding millions of dollars just a few years ago (sure, he wasn't a very good quarterback). If he can bring some of that magic to the Eagles, and if he does good on his word to have a positive impact to society, this will be a great move for all. If he continues to be the Michael Vick of old, well, this will be a major hit to the Eagles franchise - one that will take years to prepare (The Eagles have not exactly been very fan friendly in recent years ... because of their success, they didn't need to be).

Obviously, we're going to see protests from those extreme groups like PETA. Here's the thing - PETA never forgives and forgets, and they use "terroristic" means to make their point ... much like extreme groups like Al Qaeda and the Taliban. This should be interesting in a city like Philadelphia. Not sure why Vick chose Philly as opposed to a smaller market team with a less ravenous fan base ... however, because IT IS Philly, the story should be that much more interesting/compelling.

By the way, I'm still not sure how I feel about Michael Vick wearing Jaworski's #7.

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year...

As many of you probably know, I love football ... I mean, I LOVE FOOTBALL!!!! I was an intern with the 1996 Philadelphia Eagles for crying out loud! I went to one of the greatest football schools ever ... Penn State baby! And as the dusk of summer approaches, my weekends will start to be spend watching football, football, and yes, more football!

And, of course with football comes fantasy football! I've probably been playing for 10+ years, and now can't imagine life without it (yes, I probably have a problem). I'm in 3 leagues right now, which is probably one league too many, but that's ok - one of the leagues is a free league (so, I really don't put any time at all in this).

With every football season comes lots of questions. Which running back will go first? Is it Adrian Peterson this year, Maurice Jones Drew, or Matt Forte? Who's the best quarterback - Drew Brees, Tom Brady, or Peyton Manning? What about sleepers - how good is Steve Slaton going to be? These questions and more need to be answered successfully in order to be successful in fantasy football. Oh, and probably even more important - injuries. You need to get majorly lucky not to lose any of your big players to injury. Last year, I lost Tom Brady 10 minutes into the first game of the season. I made it to the playoffs, but if I would've had Brady, there's probably a good chance that I would've been in the finals. That's what makes fantasy football so great. And, that's probably why I love this time of year the most! Well, time to do more studying!

Weekly Homework Assignment

It's time once again for Mama Kat's weekly homework assignment. This week, I chose the following prompt: Your trip to the ER...spill it.

I was a huge hockey fan in high school (actually, I still am). I started playing in a deck hockey league with some neighborhood friends. For those who aren't wise to the term "deck hockey," it doesn't mean hockey with lots of hits and fights (sure, sometimes that happened), and it didn't mean playing hockey on someone's back porch. Basically, it means playing hockey on foot (not skates).

Our team was very competitive over the years - in fact, I believe we won a championship or two. We were a very good team, but we also goofed around a lot prior to the games. We'd sit around, make stupid fart jokes, push each other around ... you know, the typical adolescent rough-housing. It's just what we did. We didn't have a coach to "chaperone" us.

During one of these games, a teammate and I got into a stick fight ... no, not hockey sticks, but actually throwing little tree branches or sticks at each other. I remember unloading one at my friend, turning my back, then turning around, only to have a piece of stick hit me in the eye.

I started laughing at first ... but the laughter quickly stopped as my vision in said eye got cloudy. My friend turned pale and said, "Dude, your eye is bleeding." It wasn't the white part - it was actually the Iris! Not good.

We somehow found a total stranger with a pickup truck to drive me to the hospital. I sat nervously in the ER with some sort of cloth draped over my eye. It felt like I was waiting there for hours ... it was more likely about 1/2 hour. The doctor finally took a look at my eye, quickly asked me to see an eye specialist (forget the name of those eye doctors, who put my mind at ease by informing me that although my eye was fine, if the stick had actually hit me a smidge to the left, I would've been blind. Oh, thank goodness! What a relief. My Halloween costumes for the next 20 years could've been "pirate-themed."

Anyway, he put some kind of dye in my eye, dialated it, and told me not to stare into the sun. Thanks doc!

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year...

A coworker and I were talking the other day about athletes with funny names - names that could be taken out of context to mean something dirty. I'm not sure why this came up - maybe we started talking about this because, when I was an intern with the Philadelphia Eagles in 1996, a sports guy from WYSP would call in all the time ... his name ... Dick Bagg. Swear to God. He never changed his name to Richard or anything like that.

Anyway, that's probably how we got to talking about athletes with funny names. Here are some names we came up with:

* Randy Johnson ... A fantastic Major League pitcher ... or a porn star?
* Dick Trickle ... An unsuccessful NASCAR driver ... or a prostate problem?
* Rusty Kuntz ... A pretty good baseball player ... or a red-head?
* Dick Pole ... A former pitcher for the Red Sox ... or a female sex aid?
* Pete LaCock ... A Kansas City Royals alum ... or a French Adult Actor?
* Ron Tugnutt ... A pretty good NHL goalie ... a guy with an itchy lower body extremity?
* Dick Butkus ... NFL football legend ... or An "alternative" porn star?
* Albert Pujols ... Best current player in baseball ... or porn star who likes the "other" place.
* Harry Colon ... a former cornerback of the Detroit Lions ... or a guy who doesn't freeze sitting on a cold toilet seat.

Well, I'm sure there are more ... but, I thought this was kind of fun!

Song of the Week

Placebo - a band that looks and probably acts very "Emo," and as many of you know, I can't really get into the Emo scene ... the songs all seem to sound the same to me - the same scratchy voice, the same overproduced guitars, the same redundant drum beats, the same background voices ... it's a product of the music industry ... "Hey, this band was successful, let's make every song sound exactly like that."

However, for some reason, I really enjoy one song from Placebo called "The Bitter End." The lead singer sounds more like the lead singer from the Pet Shop Boys ... which, in the case of Emo is good - heck the guy sounds different. Sure, there is redundancy with the drums, and the guitars, but it's still pretty catchy. There seem to be sounds of rain drops in the background, and the song itself is fast, but the words are dreary (Like many Emo songs, it deals with suicide ... I think).

For some reason, You-Tube won't allow me to post the video, however, here's a link.

80's Corner

The year that I didn't get the Green Machine, I did get a different gift - Mr. Quarterback! This was a "machine" that would apparently throw football great distances, eliminating the need for a steady quarterback ... or friends, for that matter. I remember the commercial vividly - it was endorsed by the great Roger Staubach, and claimed the "machine" could throw the football up to an amazing 30 yards.

In looking back, I'm not sure what these claims were based on - maybe this was downhill throwing, I'm guessing. My experience with it was that it could throw the football about 5 yards, tops. And this football was a cheap plastic football. In the wintertime, it basically turned into a brick, which still didn't help increase the distance Mr. Quarterback would throw the football.

It sucked. Man, did it suck. Certainly a much worse gift than the aforementioned Green Machine. Sigh. Oh, and I couldn't even find an image of the original Mr. Quarterback ... I'm guessing this was such a bad product that the company tried to purge any memory of it. The pic above is for the "new" Mr. Quarterback.

Fast Food Corner

A coworker of mine who frequently visits my blog suggested I try Arby's new Roastburger and report on it for Fast Food Corner. Being the responsible fast food blogger that I am, I felt it a priority to go out and test this new sandwich. Just a little background on it - Arby's is promoting this as Arby's version of a hamburger. No, they aren't using beef patties - still using the roast beef. However, the toppings on this are similar to toppings you would find on a Whopper - lettuce, tomato, cheese, onions.

So, my friend and I traveled to a nearby Arby's I am of the belief that adding bacon to just about anything makes that anything better. We eagerly waited in line and waited for our turn to order. I, of course, got the value meal complete with Arby's delicious curly fries.

I enjoyed the sandwich thoroughly, but am not really sure if Arby's needed to do this. The sandwich itself really is not all that different than other Arby's roast beef sandwiches. In fact, the only noticeable difference for me was the "burger" toppings. These toppings didn't really create a major noticeable change in the flavor of the Roast Beef sandwich (which is not a bad thing, Arby's roast beef sandwiches are pretty darn good on their own ... especially with the horsey sauce). So, no - it doesn't taste like a burger, and no, it's really not noticeably better or different than "traditional" Arby's sandwiches ... but, it still tastes good.

Dope or Nope ...

They were a true fashion-statement in the 1980's and through much of the 1990's. They're seen all over the place to this day, especially at NASCAR races. I'm talking about jean shorts. There was a time I wore them every day in summers past. I probably still have one or two stuffed deep in my closet.

Maybe it's a sign of my "advancing' age, but I don't wear them anymore. I think they look trashy, and since I don't listen to country music, I don't feel qualified to wear them. So, jeans shorts are a big "Nope" for me.

How 'bout you?

Weekly Homework Assignment

It's time yet again for Mama Kat's Weekly Homework Assignment! This week, I chose the prompt: Share with us something you made by hand.

To be truly honest, I haven't really made too many things with my hands, outside of snowballs, and maybe some food (if you can consider that something). However, there was a time ... way back when ... back when Duran Duran was cool ... the first time. Yep, early to mid 1980's.

In art class, there always came a time of year ... every year ... when we were instructed to make something out of clay. Although there were plenty of possibilities out there, I always seemed to create the same thing ... an ashtray. No, my parents didn't smoke, but that didn't prevent me from making ash trays year after year.

One year, I decided to make a Christmas tree ash tray ... I mean, what spelled Christmas better than smoking? But, I decided to think outside the box, and opted not to paint the tree in green and red Christmas-like colors, and instead painted it orange, purple and black. No idea why I chose these colors, and not sure what these colors symbolized.

My parents were so "proud" of my clay ash-tray that they hurridly placed it along-side of the other unused ash-trays I created.

80's Corner

We had some really weird fashions in the 1980's - acid-washed jeans, leg warmers, Esprit shirts ... I could go on and one ... for at least about 5 minutes. No, I chose a different fashion that came out in the late 1980's, and pretty much died shortly thereafter (thankfully).

The fashion item I'm talking about is .... drum roll ... Z-Cavaricci. Oh, these pants were something else ... they seemed to really accentuate mullets ... or in my case, the faux mullet that I sported (the back of my hair curled up, and did not go straight down like the cool mullet dudes).

You see, for some reason, the preppy look was the "in-thing" in the late 1980's, and the Z-Cavarcci's pants were the epitome of preppy fashion. But, with the high $50 price tag, I could only afford one ... and I wore it my entire senior year (or at least it seemed that way).

A nice wispy mustache was probably a good thing to have when wearing these pants (as is evidenced by the picture below).

Some issues with Facebook

I'm a Facebooker ... I'm not ashamed to admit it. I enjoy it. I've reconnected with quite a few friends that I lost touch with for one reason or another. I enjoy some of the trivia games, surveys, and I've even fooled around with Yo-Ville for a while. But, as much as I love Facebook, there is one thing I have issues with. Specifically, it's people who post about absolutely nothing. Look, I get it - the point of Facebook is to update people with what you're currently doing. But, some Facebookers take this to the extreme, unfortunately. Let me give you some examples of bad Facebook updates:

"NAME is enjoying the day." - Really? Do you feel the need to post up basic dreck like this? Seriously? You want to inform people that you are enjoying the day? This is what you want people to know? Do you think other Facebookers are sitting on pins and needles wondering how you feel about today? Do me a favor, and don't post this.

"Name just got home from work." - Oh man, I was hoping you got home from work. I would've spent the entire night laying in bed, pondering if you had indeed made it home from work, or if you just decided to screw it and spend the entire night at work. Now I can sleep peacefully.

"Name just had dinner." - Oh man, no I know your dinner routine - thank goodness. I probably won't call you anyway, but if I did, I know what time I shouldn't call you, because you'll probably be having dinner. Phew! Thank goodness you posted this.


Seriously, it sounds like some Facebookers need help ... and I'm here to give it to them. Really, there is only one rule - make it funny. That's it. Sweet, and simple.

For instance, try this on:

"Name just sunk your battleship." - Funny, short, and sweet. Probably has numerous meanings.

"Name smells of rich mahogany." - It's a movie quote. They work great. But, don't use any Steel Magnolia references.


This should help you get started.

Song of the Week

In the tradition of bands like the Bangles and the Go Go's, the Sounds are rapidly becoming a very popular women's rock band (ok, ok - maybe we can't call the Go Go's or the Bangles as "rock" bands, but I think you get the idea). The band has spent about 10 years trying to become an overnight sensation. A Swedish band that mixes punk and synth-pop masterfully, they're power and enthusiasm is exuded (yeah, I used exuded) through their music, and the result is music that's poppy, yet funky enough to enjoy thoroughly.

One Sounds song that I particularly love is called "Tony the Beat," but is probably better known as "This Song is Not for you Lovers," and by the title, you can probably guess it's not a ballad. No, no - this diddy focuses more on the rough stuff, as can be evidenced by they lyrics "ha, it's sweaty ... now, I'm ready ... just take it off ... cause cause you tease me."

For the most part, you'll hear punk influences (maybe Blondie, circa the early years), and some really catchy synth-hooks. The chorus is catchy, and the female v oices are loud and powerful.

Check out the video (didn't realize the band was this hot):

Fast Food Corner

So, a few weeks ago, I posted that I was planning on trying the new McAngus burger from McDonalds ... and folks, this past week, I seized the opportunity to try this new release. As you may remember, I was intrigued by this new "Angus" beef patty ... truthfully, I'm not really sure why. I've never been able to distinguish between Angus beef, and any other type of beef. A friend of mine explained to me that there are different types of cattle, and Angus is just one type (I think Heffers are another kind). Anyway, that's beside the point.

I tried the McAngus with bacon (I mean, seriously, if you have the choice, you should always add bacon ... I think that's a rule). It was a third-pound of Angust beef, with onions and bacon on a sesame seed roll ... but this roll actually stuck together a lot better than that whimpy roll they use for Big Macs ... one could compare it to a Quarter Pounder roll, but a little stronger.

Here are the pluses - I liked the bacon, thought the roll was really good, and enjoyed the "third-pounder" size. I'm a big fan of the quarter pounder at Mickey-D's, but sometimes it's not enough ... and the double quarter pounder is just obscenly too much beef. The third pounder, even though it sounds stupid, is the right amount of beer.

Here are the minuses - Really, I didn't notice any major difference in taste from this beef to that of the quarter pounder. Maybe my pallet isn't advanced or mature enough. Really, that's the only minus I can think of.

All in all, it is a good burger, and the price is comparable to that of the quarter pounder. If the price goes up in the future, it may not be worth it.