Weekly Homework Assignment

It's time once again for Mama Kat's Weekly Homework Assignment! This week I chose the following prompt: Transcribe a recent entertaining conversation you recently had with someone.

Oh boy ... I have many entertaining conversations with many people on almost a daily basis. One that really sticks out is a conversation I had with a close friend via text-messaging (cell phone) regarding the Michael Vick signing in Philadelphia. A few things to keep in mind - my friend is as stubborn as a mule (so am I). Also, he is so far right politically, that fascists think he's nuts.

Anyway, here goes:

Ray-Ray: I gotta find another team to root for, now that Vick is with the Eagles.
Me: I'm not thrilled with the move, but I'm sticking with the Birds.
Ray-Ray: How can you possibly even consider doing that with that criminal Vick on the team?
Me: Let me preface this by saying I wish the Eagles didn't make the move. However, I'm willing to take a wait and see approach with this.
Ray-Ray: That's absolutely ridiculous. That guy doesn't deserve a second chance anywhere, after killing all those dogs via electrocution, hanging, etc.
Me: It's not up to me to decide that. Besides, he did his time. I think he deserves a second chance. If he screws this up, the Eagles will suffer, anyway.
Ray-Ray: So, do you think Hitler deserved a second chance?
Me: Really? Are we comparing Vick to Hitler now?
Ray-Ray: Well ... not exactly.
Me: So, let me get this straight. Nobody deserves a second chance. Is that it? So, when Rush Limbaugh was caught buying Oxycontin black-market style, should he have been given a second chance?
Ray-Ray: Rush wasn't given a second chance. He started up his own radio show.
Me: Sounds to me like he got a second chance.
Ray-Ray: So, if Vick had killed 30 million dogs, would that have been enough for you?
Me: Really? Another Hitler reference?

And on and on it went. If any of you know me or Ray-Ray, you know it is practically impossible to sway us with logic ... as hopefully was demonstrated here.

Dope or Nope ...

Here's one that will probably stir up some serious conversation/argument. Pizza crust. Some people can't get enough of it, while other leave it to the side, wanting instead to save room for more of the actual pizza.

I'm of the belief that pizza crust is absolutely delicious and essential. People who refuse to eat the pizza crust are not true pizza eaters in my humble opinion. The crust of the pizza is like the skin of fried chicken ... ya gotta eat it! It's delicious!

I eat the pizza crust plain, but I don't mind dipping it into sauces like pizza sause, or garlic sauce, or butter sauce .... great, I just drooled on myself. I however, think adding cheese to the inside of the crust (like Pizza Hut does) is overkill ... there's already enough cheese on the actual pizza.

80's Corner

As a young Los, wading his way through his early life, Los's Mom introduced him to a magical juice that came in a pouch ... one in which Los had to craftily punch a hole in said pouch with a flimsy plastic straw that broke more times than it should've. The juice? Capri Sun, of course!

At the time, it was unlike any packaging juice has ever seen ... sure, we had bottles, cans, and even boxes ... but no, that wasn't enough. The fine makers of Capri Sun decided it was important ... no, vital to introduce another end-point for juice ... some sort of metallic-looking pouch that was nearly impossible to open. In order to pierce this metal, one had to provide quite a bit of force and velocity to the attached straw. If you broke the straw, you were SOL. I think I may have used scissors once or twice, but what's the point of doing this? You'd have to pour the contents into a glass afterwards, defeating the entire purpose.

Once you got your straw in, you sucked away, creating perfect suction, as the juice left the bag. If you were daring enough, you could squeeze the pouch and try to catch the juice shooting out with your mouth ... or just shoot your friends with it. Brings back so many memories ... they should probably make adult alcohol Capri Sun ... nah, maybe they shouldn't.

Fast Food Corner

Not sure if anybody read this story recently, but the founder of Papa John's Pizza apparently went through an exhaustive search to find his 1971 Camaro he sold to start up his pizza franchise in 1983. Considering how successful Papa John's has been, I think he made the right choice in selling his car.

I'm guessing he really, really missed it, because he ended up paying about 250,000 for said Camaro. I guess more amazing is that the car still looks and runs great!

Just a side note about Papa John's - it's a very creative and front-thinking pizza restaurant. Did you know that they were the first national chain to create an online "tool" that allows people to order pizza ... this was back in 2002, by the way.

I've only had Papa John's once or twice ... it's really good pizza, but we tend to order from mom and pop shops in the area. We're loyal like that.


You can read about the story here.

Song of the Week

The song starts off with a driving drumbeat, and a chorus of "Read all the pamphlets ... and watch the tapes." It's a sound you'd probably expect to hear off a Ramones' album. However, the LCD Soundsystem diddy quickly turns to more of a disco sound, without truly abandoning the punks undertone ... quite a fusion. It's a song you'd probably hear at a night-club, but wouldn't be out of place at a bar.

Catchy hooks, and choruses - this song probably isn't radio clean enough, but is catchy nevertheless. The chorus is very catchy, looks like it was influenced by Warren Zevon's Warewolves in London, and the baseline is strong and powerful ... lots of synthesizers, but they work well.

The song ends much like it begins, with everything fading but the "Read all the pamphlets, and watch the tapes" over the same driving drum beat.

Couldn't find the video, but here's the song in case you're interested.

Can It!!!

Penn State recently announced that tailgaters who are tailgating on the grass are no longer allowed to drink beer in bottles. In fact, tailgaters are no longer allowed to bring any bottles whatsoever onto any fields where they are tailgating. They are only allowed to bring cans. According to the story in Philly.com, "Officials say it's a safety issue for children, students and animals that use the field the rest of the year."

However, tailgaters who are tailgating on concrete are still allowed to drink from bottles. That makes a lot of sense ... about as much sense as Brett Favre's retirement/unretirement flip flops. I mean, wouldn't it be more dangerous to drop a bottle on concrete than it would be to drop a bottle on grass? Plus, do you think a drunk tailgater would be less likely to discard a can on the field over a bottle?

These Penn Sate policymakers are well on their way to lucrative government positions.

Weekly Homework Assignment

It's time once again for Mama Kat's weekly homework assignment! This week, I chose the prompt: Share your friendly advice for someone you think needs it.

For those of you people who are fans of sports teams you have no connection with ... i.e. you never lived in or around the city of the team, you never went to that team's college, OR you didn't have close family who attended there ... you are NOT A REAL SPORTS FAN!

I'm talking to you, you Notre Dame fans who live nowhere near South Bend ... who just seem to like the team because ... well, because you're either Catholic or Irish. I'm sorry, you aren't a true fan. I have enjoyed the past few years in which the Irish have looked about as bad as the Pittsburgh Pirates. It's been great not having to listen to you gloat about a team you have no real connection with.

I'm talking to you Yankees fans who probably haven't even stepped foot in New York. Seriously, did you buy your Lakers Kobe jersey this past summer? How 'bout those Penguins? Gotta love the Gators, right? You're a fair-weather fan, and I have no respect for you.

I'm talking to you Cowboys fans! Oh, I'm sorry. The home-team wasn't doing so well when you began following Jerry's kids? No excuse. A true fan sticks by his (and her) team through thick and thin ... that's part of what being a fan is all about. I hate you.

Do me a favor (seriously, humor me) - Read Rick Reilly's column on espn.com. He says it far better than I ever could.

Dope or Nope ...

Here's a topic near and dear to my heart - Pro Wrestling. It has experienced several highs and lows over the past 25 years or so. Who can forget the "Rock and Wrestling" era of the mid 1980's, or the Monday Night Wars of the 1990's? What about the tragedy around Chris Benoit, and the deaths of several wrestlers in the past 10 years, that brings up issues with wrestling policies?

I have no idea why, but I enjoy watching and following wrestling. I've been a fan for more than 25 years, and tend to be like an encyclopedia when it comes to wrestling history. I think it's an escape from reality ... much like people watching American Idol or NASCAR. Maybe I'm just fooling myself.

So, what do you think of pro wrestling?

80's Corner

I remember it clear as day ... being down on the boardwalk in Myrtle Beach, walking past one of those "Wings" clothing stores ... seeing that electric blue Oakley windbreaker on sale for $15. I immediately fell in love. I eagerly purchased that sucker and wore it for years ... long after it went out of style, unfortunately.

And yes, I still own that windbreaker ... and eagerly await the day that the style gods once again look kindly upon said loud jacket. One day .... one day I'll be back on top of the fashion world ... one day!

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.

80's Corner

Ah, the Green Machine. You were the coolest of the big wheels. If you were a kid, and you were lucky enough to be the owner of the Green Machine, you instantly became the coolest kid on the block ... sort of like the Mayor the street.

The Green Machine was sleek, fast, and different. It was green for crying out loud! Plus, it didn't have a steering wheel, just two gears you would push and pull to steer. This made it easy to spin out the green-machine ... by far, the coolest trait of any big wheel.

Sadly, I didn't have a green machine. No, I had the traditional big wheel - you know, red, and yellow, with the blue seat ... yeah, the boring one. I was not the cool kid ... I was not the Mayor of the street. I was just a typical serf of the neighborhood, riding around in my normal big wheel, with my normal Buster Brown sneakers (no, I didn't even have Zips). Sigh.




Just look at this commercial! The voice is famous. The kids were show-boating. It was like they were selling you a new car! Man, I wanted it! I wanted to drive it with my grey corderouys ... I wanted to easily slide through an obstacle course of road cones. There's no way my red big wheel could do this.

Weekly Homework Assignment

It's time once again for Mama Kat's Weekly Homework Assignment! With summer moving rapidly by, I decided to choose this one: How will you enjoy your last days of freedom (aka summer)?

I can't believe it's almost August already! Where did the freakin' summer go? Didn't it seem like summer went by so much more slowly as a kid? Allright, I'm done complaining.

We've had a busy summer, and that's probably why it's gone by so quickly. Here are some upcoming "events" we have left:

* We have a horeshoe tournament/barbecue to go to this weekend at my friend Rich's house. He and his wife always have a good party, and adding a horsehoe tournament is always a good thing. Plus, another friend may be bringing some heavy-duty fireworks!

* August 22nd, we are going to a crab-fest at the Delaware Saengerbund - just wondering how the Germans cook their crabs ... at least we'll have good beer!

* I'm sure somebody will have a Labor Day party ... please?!?!?

* Maybe we'll take a trip to the shore before it's all said and done.

* Oh, and we are going on a cruise to Bermuda towards the end of September. I've never been on a cruise before, so I'm excited/nervous for it! Oh, and it's right in the center of Hurricane Season ... should be good times all around!

And then, before you know it, we'll be making plans for Christmas ... sigh.

Attention Radio Program Directors ...

Many of you know the annoyance I have for terrestrial radio ... sure, I listen to it - usually with Preston and Steve in the morning, and sports-talk radio at other times (when I'm NOT listening to my cds). You probably know some of my "typical" complaints - too much talking by the DJs, very small and redundant playlists, reluctance to play anything new, playing the same 3 songs by the same 3 groups (enough already with the Metallica, Ozzy, and Zeppelin!). I won't bore you with repeating these messages. I figured I'd talk about a couple of others:

* When you play Tainted Love by Soft Cell, you MUST play the "Baby-Baby" ending. This is how everybody remembers it. Yes, I know it's really another song, but so what. If they played "We Will Rock You" by Queen, you'd expect them to play "We Are the Champions" right after it, wouldn't you? This is the same thing. Just do it!

* While we're talking about the "2-song" thingy, I think you HAVE to play "Mediate" along with "Need You Tonight," by INXS. This is the way it was done on MTV, and this is the way it should be done on radio. Problem is, NOBODY does it. Why is this?

* There are a couple of radio stations in Philly (I'm looking at you, BEN), who cut songs short. They take out important guitar solos, or choruses, just so they can get the song in at the 3-minute mark. That's disgraceful, guys! You're better than that! Play the song like it was meant to be played. You annoy people when you don't!

* 610-WIP sports-talk hosts - this one goes out to you. The pitcher's name is Roy HALLADAY, not Roy HOLIDAY! Could you please get this right! And please, correct all the idiot callers who are calling him HOLIDAY! Oh, and it's Jaguars, not JAGWIRES.

There, I feel better.

Dope or Nope

I love hot dogs ... I mean, I LOVE HOT DOGS! And there really is no better time to eat them than in the summertime (in fact, I recently enjoyed dollar-dog-night at a Phillies game). I'm traditional in that I love hot dogs with mustard. I'll eat the sucker plain, but I'd prefer mustard. I'm ok with adding some onions, and maybe some hot peppers on it ... heck, even bacon wrapped dogs are good (you can never go wrong with bacon).

However, I'm not a big fan of hot dogs with ketchup. It just doesn't make sense to me. It's kind of like adding mayo to a pretzel (I know some people who swear by this, by the way). Ketchup to hot dogs is like oil and water. But, I wanted to get a sense of how others feel with this.

So ... ketchup on a hot dog ... dope or nope?

Song of the Week

George Thorogood is like Liverwurst ... you either love his music or you hate it. I fall in the first category - I'm a big fan of "Blues-style" music, and love his metallic-sounding guitar. Plus, his voice fits in well with the sound of his band. He's seen better days, that's for sure, but that doesn't mean the man can't put out good music anymore.

Case in point - his new effort, a song called Taildragger. Very traditional-Thorogood-sounding (think Madison Blues). It starts off with a guitar pick sound similar to a loud ticking-clock. This is followed by Thorogood's trademarked growl. Nothing new to this sound - strong and steady backbeat ... check; slide guitar ... check; many, many solos ... check. But, much like AC/DC, he doesn't have to stray. The music is good just the way it is.

Have a listen to a couple of his new songs here.

You can find out more about Lonesome George here.

Fast-Food Corner

They leveled the Burger King closest to my house a few weeks ago ... that's two fast-food places gone in the past few months ... WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS WORLD?!?!?! Truth be told, this Burger King, which is/was located on Mac Dade BLVD, in the mall parking lot, wasn't run very well ... plus probably needed some major updating, both cosmetically, as well as equipment-wise (I think they may be building a new Burger King there - they just figured it would be easier to start from scratch).

For example, one day a few years ago, I drove up to the drive-thru and ordered some sort of burger - I believe it may have been the bacon-cheeseburger or something like that. The lady taking the order informed me that they had run out of burgers ... it took me a second to digest (no pun intended) ... HOW THE HECK DOES THIS HAPPEN AT A BURGER JOINT? REALLY?!?!? YOU ARE CALLED BURGER KING ... YET YOU RAN OUT OF BURGERS?!?!? IF YOU ARE THE MANAGER, HOW DO YOU KEEP YOUR JOB? I ended up ordering the original chicken sandwich instead ... a good backup to a burger at BK.

Anyway, here's to hoping that they DO indeed rebuild a better Burger King there, and lets hope the service is better ... oh, and that they don't ever run out of burgers again!

Wait ... you want to play on MY team?

My wife suggested I tell some stories about my experiences with the Philadelphia Eagles (when I interned in 1996). One of my favorite stories centers around Rodney Peete getting injured against the Cowboys on Monday night ... no, I wasn't happy that Peete got hurt - he was actually having a pretty good season at the time. However, after he got injured, the Eagles searched the free agent market for another qb. Their search produced a former Super Bowl winning quarterback - Mark Rypien.

As a PR intern, I was asked to keep him company prior to the press conference. As luck would have it, we were also collecting sports items for an auction, and we had a hockey stick signed by the Buffalo Sabres. Rypien started fooling around with this hockey stick, and I was searching for something to talk to him about, so I asked him, "Hey Mark, you like hockey?"

Mark responded that he did indeed love hockey, and that if he wasn't playing football, he'd be playing hockey. I'm not sure what prompted me to bring it up to him, but I told him that I played on a deck hockey team ... to which, Mark responded, "Really? Are there any spots open?" I almost fell out of my chair.

Mark Rypien just asked me if there were any spots open on my deck hockey team. Super Bowl champion Mark Rypien just asked me this. "Sure," I blurted out, having to wipe a bucket-load of saliva off of Mark's face. "I have to check with Coach Rhodes to see if it's ok first," he said excitedly.

I called my deck hockey captain, and asked if we had any spots open. "No, we're pretty packed," was the response. Then I mentioned that Mark Rypien wanted to play, to which my captain responded, "Yes, I believe we have a spot open." That's what I thought.

Two days later, Mark Rypien came up to me sadly with his head down. "Coach Rhodes said I can't play." He looked really upset by this ... however, he was getting paid about a million dollars from the Birds, and all we could offer him was maybe some free beer and wings after the game. Still, that would've been something if we showed up to a deck hockey game with 6-foot-6-inch, 245 pound Mark Rypien. That would've been quite awesome.

Weekly Homework Assignment

It's time once again for Mama Kat's weekly homework assignment. This week, I chose the prompt: They just don't make (fill in the blank) like they used to! So many to choose from, but I chose the Nestle Crunch Bar. At one time, this was my favorite candy-bar ever! A long thin tablet of chocolately goodness hiding fun rice crisps that somehow made eating it all the more fun.

It was wrapped in a silvery tinfoil-like ... ummm ... wrapper, and a Nestle Crunch name-plate wrapper (or whatever they call it). I notice about 15 years ago, the fine folks at Nestle did away with the tinfoil wrapper, which was ok with me as long as the quality and taste of said candy-bar deliciousness didn't change. Sadly, the lack of tinfoil wrapping did cause a change in taste. I'm not sure why. Maybe it has something to do with locking in flavor. Maybe unwrapping the tinfoil that revealed the chocolate from Heaven only made it seem to taste better (and quite frankly, made it seem ritzier).

Or maybe, Nestle decided to cut other corners along with the retiring of the tinfoil wrapping ... like skimping out on the recipe - replacing integral components with cheaper and inferior ingredients. I'm not sure what the deal is, but Nestle Crunch rapidly fell out of my top 5 ... and then the top 10 ... and the freefall continues.

1980's Corner

Not sure if this will be a recurring segment (I'll leave it to you to tell me whether this is "Dope or Nope."). Anyway, since I grew up in the 1980's, I figured I would impart some of my wisdom and experiences to the decade that brought us Acid Washed jeans, leg warmers, and A Flock of Seagulls.

This week, I focus on the Sit and Spin ... now, before I get any messages saying that this device was actually created in the 1970's, let me assure you that I don't care. To me, this was personified in the 1980's.

Basically, the Sit and Spin is a device/toy that allowed kids to experience getting drunk without having to drink. You sat down indian style (I know, I know ... this is no longer politically correct to say ... loosen your belt-buckle!) on the platform. Next, you put your hands on the wheel in the center, and then you spun around as fast as you could. Usually, if you did this for more than 30 seconds, you would get light-headed ... I think after a minute of this, you could puke ... 2 minutes, and you were a certified politician.

It was so simple, yet so much fun. I facebooked that I wish they made these for adults, and apparently somebody told me that they do. Sadly, I haven't found it.

Dope or Nope ...

Last week's "Dope or Nope" was so successful, I figured I'd give it another try ... who knows, maybe this thing will catch on. This week, my co-worker friend (who I give all the credit for coming up with Dope or Nope). We were discussing rock/pop bands and hearing their music on commercials. We got to the discussion of "selling out." Certainly many remember when the Stones allowed Microsoft to use "Start Me Up" in some of their ads in the mid 1990's. U2, the Beatles, Kiss, The Who ... they've all done it.

So, with that said ... Dope or Nope? Is it OK for bands to do this? Do you lose respect for them? Here's a twist, though.

A lot of "newer" bands are being "discovered" in commercials, especially with the new Apple-related commercials. It's a pretty good way to get discovered.

To me, it's really not a big deal to allow your music to be played in commercials (with the exception of any music played on Chevy commercials). Bands need to make money, and for the most part, it doesn't take away from the music (at least, not in my opinion). Now, this is coming from a person who is not a musician ... I'm sure serious musicians may have a different opinion than I do.

Song of the Week

Jet is a band that released an amazing debut album called "Get Born" in 2003, but then followed up with a not-so-amazing second album called "Shine On." Sadly, this sophomore release was heavily influenced by Oasis ... and don't get me wrong, I enjoy Oasis, but Jet's first album was quite hard-rocking, and this one was really very somber ... a major disappointment.

However, it looks as if the boys from Australia are back to their hard-rockin' ways with the first single off their upcoming album (interestingly titled Shaka Rock). The single, called "She's a Genius," has a catchy chorus, not to mention a a great (although overly repeated) guitar-riff. It certainly harkens back to the first the first album, but also seems to be more greatly influenced by mega-modern bands like Franz Ferdinand, The Killers, and The Bravery, while still having the AC/DC/Rolling Stones backbone.

This is certainly a song you'll be hearing a lot of this summer ... let's just hope it doesn't get overplayed (tired).
Here's the video (nothing like a wookie riding a bicycle):

Fast Food Corner

I've been to McDonalds for breakfast more than I care to admit. I enjoy many of their breakfast sandwiches ... especially the sausage mcMuffin with egg - probably my favorite sandwich on the menu (as most of you know, I can't stand ham or Canadian bacon, so the egg mcmuffin is out). Here's one question I have - why is there no bacon mcmuffin on the menu? Wouldn't this be logical? Isn't bacon the most popular of breakfast meats?

Sure, they have the bacon, egg and cheese biscuit, but in my mind, that's not enough. Besides, the biscuit falls apart too easily, and is nowhere near as scrumptious as the McMuffin. And, I'm by no means interested in the McGriddle ... can't get used to the idea of having what essentially is 2 pancakes as the "sandwich bread."

Song of the Week

I have some weird tastes in music, as you've probably noticed with my Song of the Week posts. It's pretty darned diverse - from heavy metal, to classic rock, to funk, to alternative, to indie ... I basically love all kinds of music (notable exception is country music). So, hopefully, you won't mind this song of the week from me.

Anita Ward sang a pretty catchy disco song in the 1970's called Ring My Bell (which of course means sex, sex, and more sex). The song has your "traditional" four on the floor disco beat, with a decent bass backbone, along with some sort of cool "bing" sound that is peppered throughout the song. Ward's voice is a little to high-pitched, but for this song, it works. I just can't get enough of this diddy for some reason.

The ironic part (I think irony is the correct term here) is that bands like the Killers, Franz Ferdinand, and the Bravery use quite a bit of disco sounds in their songs. I'm actually a little bit shocked that none of these bands have tried to cover this song (instead, we get an awful cover of Careless Whisper by some emo band that I can't stand ... they all sound the same).

Anyway, you can find out more about this song here.

And if you have a strong-enough stomach, here's the video:

Weekly Homework Assignment

It's time once again for Mama Kat's Weekly Homework Assignment! This week, I've chosen a prompt most (well, maybe some) of you might be interested in - What are 3 things we'd (you'd) love to know about you (me). You probably already know some of these, if you've been following my blog (and shame on you if you haven't!).

* First, I did a PR internship with the Philadelphia Eagles in 1996. I met players like Rodney Peete (cool), and Ricky Waters (not cool). I also met stars like Michael and Mario Andretti, Michael Buffer, John Madden, and Boyz to Men. All in all, the job was pretty much grunt-work, and sucked.

* Second, when I worked at the Leukemia Society, I met and got to speak to Jim Craig, the goalie of the 1980 U.S. Olympic ice hockey team. I made a fool out out of myself by telling him how that game was one of the most important moments of my life ... not really sure if it was, and I'm sure he heard that from millions of people, but still, it was cool to meet him.

* Third, I once called a grade-school teacher a homo ... it was fifth grade ... we were walking back from recess, and my teacher said he liked The Village People ... my other friend said, "Oh, you're one of those." Of course, I followed with, "Yeah, a homo!" Now, I didn't know what a homo was ... I just knew they liked the Village People. Man, did I get in trouble with that one ... almost got kicked out of Field Day - our big end of the school year celebration (I had to do some serious butt-kissing, and had to be a model student for the rest of the year) ... If I learned anything in my life, it was never to call a teacher a homo.

Dope or Nope...

A friend of mine at work and I have this "game" that we play called "Dope or Nope." Basically, we come up with a topic, and decide whether it's cool (dope) or not cool (nope). This past week, the topic was "getting engaged at a baseball game." Is this dope or nope? Now, most of you know that I absolutely love sports ... at times, the love is more of an unhealthy obsession.

However, I don't think I could ever, ever get engaged at a ball game. And, truthfully, I can't really think of any time or situation in which this is ok. Maybe, if you are a former ball player for that team, or possibly if you met the person at the ball park ... I guess an argument can be made for those people.

But, outside of that, I consider this a big "NOPE," much like I consider baseball jerseys with your last name on them a big "NOPE." What are your thoughts?

Fast Food Corner

Whilst ordering lunch last week at Burger King, I notice the Tendergrill Chicken sandwich on the menu. It got me to thinking - the Tendergrill Chicken sandwich ... isn't this what Burger King was calling the Chicken Whopper a few years ago? And isn't the Chicken Whopper what BK was calling the BK Broiler for years before this?

Nothing against the sandwich itself - it's a pretty darn good grilled sandwich (gets overshadowed by the Original Chicken sandwich). But, my point is this - who is making the naming decisions here, and has this person been fired? What was wrong with the name "BK Broiler" anyway? Did that fat-headed king have a problem with it?

I mean, I can understand the Chicken Whopper name not working. Whopper should only be used for the burger, not the chicken. And, I hate the current name - Tendergrill Chicken Sandwich is far too long of a name for a fast-food sandwich, isn't it? I'm considering putting together a campaign to bring back the name BK Broiler ... just wondering if it's worth my time.

What's the difference, anyway?

Some of you more mature (see older) bloggers may remember the Miller Lite commercials of the later 70's and early 80's. Most of these commercials took place in a bar with former athletes who would get into an argument about the beer being "less filling" or "tastes great." The commercials would usually end with John Madden tearing through a Miller Lite sign, babbling about something beer or football-related.

So, why am I bringing this up? Now, I'm not 100% sure, but I think Miller Lite originally was the light version of Miller High Life? I think it makes sense, right? So, that's why I'm questioning Miller pushing Miller High Life Light beer. What was the point of this (and yes, I know many of you probably question the point of light beer itself)? Was there really a market for people who loved Miller High Life, but just didn't like Miller Lite, AND wanted a light beer that tasted more like Miller High Life?

Is Miller mulling the idea of putting out a full-strength version of Miller Lite, and if so, what would they call it? It's just something I've been thinking about for some reason.

It's time once again for Mama Kat's weekly homework assignment! This week, I chose the prompt, "What am I paranoid about?" I'm not really paranoid about much, but here's the main thing I tend to worry about: I have a list of "to-do's" in my head - I never feel at ease until I've completed a good chunk of the to-do's in my head.

For instance, when a weekend approaches, I'll create a to-do list ... usually, it includes washing the car (not every weekend), vacuuming and cleaning the house (again, not every weekend), laundry, grocery shopping, cutting coupons, and ... yes, blogging. I need to get to all of these in order to feel comfortable or at ease. The sooner I get these accomplished, the better.

If I don't get to these, I have trouble sleeping. Sometimes, I'd rather stay up until I get these accomplished ... probably not the healthiest outlook. I tend to sometimes do this at work, as well ... If I don't accomplish what I set out to accomplish in the morning, I stress about those tasks after work ... again, probably not healthy.

Stoppage Time ...

* I learned this week that Jim Croce was a school teacher in Chester before he became a folk singer ... I'm usually the encyclopedia of music trivia ... it reminded me that I don't know everything ... but just about everything.

* I'm really concerned about the Billy Mays death ... who will they replace him with in those infomercials that I can't stop watching?

* A TV show called "The Superstars" is getting a lot of ink lately, mainly because of the team of Terrell "quarterback killer" Owens, and Joanna "Supermodel I've never heard of" Krupa, and their constant bickering. I've heard that many people actually feel sorry for T.O. after the verbal tongue-lashing that Krupa gave him. I'll never, ever feel sorry for T.O., and actually loved every second of this. Have a look!

* Sounds like NASCAR isn't growing very much anymore ... in fact, they're having some trouble right now, and are not able to fill up the stands anymore ... that's too bad ... I mean, really bad ... I mean, what a shame.

Another One?!?!?

We've had a lot of celebrity deaths in recent weeks ... as you may be aware of, thanks to every TV network overblowing the coverage. The latest is former pro-bowl quarterback Steve McNair. Just this past weekend, he was found in a condominium with multiple gunshot wounds, along with a 20-year-old woman with one gunshot wound ... most likely a murder-suicide.

It's a depressing story, but probably just as embarrassing to McNair's wife and kids ... This story just doesn't sound good, and may deal a severe blow to McNair's legacy. He was an outstanding college quarterback for a division 1AA team, and actually almost won the Heisman (would've been amazing). There were a lot of questions as to whether McNair could make it in the pros. And, he proved all of his critics wrong - taking the Titans to the Super Bowl, and making 3 pro bowls.

I'm sure much more will be coming out, and scandal will splatter all over the tabloids, much like vomit splatters in a toilet. Here's to hoping McNair had a good alibi.

Song of the Week

Since it's Independence Week (just made that up), I figured I'd do something a little different this week. As many of you know, I am NOT a fan of Nickleback ... in fact, I e-mailed them once and asked them to stop.

I figured I'd show you just how "non-talented" these mass-media-produced yogurt throwers are. Just a little background - somebody posted this on You-Tube. It's basically two Nickleback songs that are playing simultaneously. This is truly your typical formulaic rock group ... and the record-companies love this. Let's get a band to record crap, and then sell it quickly ... then, have them record more of the same crap ... kind of like Creed's formula back in the 1990's.

Money talks, I guess. Enjoy:

Fast Food Corner

This will eventually be a two-parter ... not sure when the second part of this will be done, however. I just found out that McDonalds is getting ready to introduce a new burger ... however, unlike the Big Mac and the Quarter-Pounder with cheese, this burger will be and Angus burger (no, not a burger made out of that guitarist from AC/DC, silly!).

McDonalds is trying to bring in more of a high-end burger consumer with this "edition." Here's just a little "taste" of what the burger is all about from an MSN article online: The new burgers feature a braided sesame seed bun, a thicker tomato slice and red onion, Dan Coudreaut, executive chef for McDonald's, told Bloomberg News. Hickory-smoked bacon is also available on the burgers.

This is not McDonald's first attempt at the "snobby burger eaters" or SBE's. In the early 1990's, McDonalds introduced the ill-fated McDLT - which had the "cold stuff" on one side of the box, and the "warm stuff" on the other side. Then, not too long ago, McDonalds tried introducing the Arch Deluxe, which, according to Wikipedia, was launched "with the intent of capturing the adult fast food consumer market, presented as a more sophisticated burger for an adult palate."

So, now McDonalds is introducing an Angus burger (by the way, BK tried this too) ... but with a price-tag of $4 per burger. That's a steep price for the fast-food market (take my word on it). Also, a work buddy of mine brought up a great point - he would rather eat a burger like this at a bar/restaurant with a pint of beer, and not in a McDonalds filled with lots of young, loud kids, and a disturbing-looking clown.

I'll be trying this when it comes out - and I'll report back my findings (it's the least I could do for my blogging public).

The 4th of July will always be different for me ...

The 4th of July in the United States commemorates an important moment in history for our country, the day we declared our independence from Great Britain. Many, many soldiers fought for this freedom, and continue to ensure it ... words cannot express (nor would they do justice) the gratitude I have for these sacrifices.

The 4th of July is supposed to be a happy day - a day spent with family and friends, barbecuing hot dogs, burgers, ribs, chicken, steak ... eating potato salad, corn on the cob ... watching fireworks light up the sky ... and of course, beer consumption.

For me, sadly there is another part of the 4th ... it's the day my older brother chose to end his life. Still, to this day, it is surreal to me. Sometimes, I still can't believe it happened. Maybe it's my brain trying to protect me and deny this ever happened ... I don't know.

I do know that it was a very traumatic period in my life. Unfortunately, when my brother chose to end things 16 years ago today, he didn't really take into account this "easy way" out of things, really wasn't "easy" for anybody else but himself.

I was so mad at him for doing what he did ... I can't even conjure the words to describe how mad I was ... and sometimes, the anger still lingers. I was probably more filled with anger than I was with misery and depression. How could my parents' first-born son do this to them? What the heck was he thinking? How could he be such a coward (a man who was built like a brick shit-house, by the way)?

My parents still suffer from this ... deep down inside, they think it's their fault, and they should've been able to do something to save and protect him. It breaks my heart. The year after he died, my mom came into my room, and asked me if I knew what today is. Of course I did. My mom broke down crying in my arms ... THAT is something that never should happen. Roles were reversed, and it sent shock-waves through my body. Part of me wanted to dig up his grave and beat the crap out of him.

It took me 5 whole years to visit his grave, by the way. The anger has subsided. I've learned to forgive him, thanks to many, many days, nights, weeks, and years of "counseling" from my very close friends ... I'm lucky to have them, and probably will never be able to thank them enough for helping me through.

But, sometimes through these difficult times, you need to look for the "rays of sunlight," or the bright spots. First and foremost, I have put more of a focus on staying close with my family - my younger brother and I are very close, and it means the world to me. Second, I found out how good my friends really are - I wish it was under different circumstance, but sometimes it's critical/crucial situations when the best in your friends comes out.

I don't take life for granted anymore, and I try not to hold grudges (a difficult thing for someone who is stubborn as an ox). The 4th will never be the same for me, but in some ways, hanging out with friends and families, things are better and more special.

Weekly Homework Assignment

It's time once again for Mama Kat's weekly homework assignment! It's fun - you should give it a try! Anyway, I chose the prompt: Write five "Incredibly Short Books." Basically, it needs to be a contradiction, kind of like "Top Jewish Sports Heroes," or "Words that rhyme with purple."

OK, so here is my top 5:

* Honest Politicians of the 21st Century ... It just seems everywhere you look, a politician is cheating on his/her spouse, involved in some sort of political scandal, or not interested in doing what's best for the country ("my party over my country" shirts would sell millions on D.C. ... of course they'd find a way to make sure the tax-payers received the bill ... hey-yo!).

* Enduring Songs by Groups like Creed and Nickleback ... folks, this music is just plain awful, repetitive, and most unfortunately, popular. I've e-mailed Nickleback before, and asked them to stop. Sadly, they didn't listen.

* Funny Things Elaine Boosler Said ... I just never found her funny ... in fact, I hardly every find female stand-up comedians (comediennes) hilarious. Why is that? Sure, Ellen is kind of funny at times ... but outside of that, what else is there?

* Successful Family Feud Hosts Not Named Richard Dawson ... It seems like a revolving door when it comes to Family Feud ... Ray Combs, Tim the Tool Man's sidekick, that guy from Seinfeld, Louie Anderson ... who's next?

* Smart Decisions Made After Drinking Lots of Alcohol ... This is probably self-explanatory ... Many of these "great" decisions start off with a "Hey, watch this!" comment ... and end up in a hospital room.