Fast Food Corner

Has anybody heard of the new Denny's sandwich - the Fried Cheese Melt Sandwich? Basically, it's a grilled cheese, but with mozzarella sticks added. Pizza Hut's "cheesey crust pizza" thinks that's a lot of cheese. People's hearts probably stop beating the second this thing is ordered.

I mean, seriously, could they have figured away to make the bread out of cheese at this point? Holy smokes - I can't imagine how long that sandwich would take to pass through my intestines. My guess is that I'd probably go a good week without being able to do a BM.

My wife, who would probably enjoy sleeping in a bed made out of cheese, would probably love this sandwich. However, it would probably be a good idea for her to stay away from this, at least for the baby-to-be's sake!

Weekly Homework Assignment

It's time once again for Mama Kat's Weekly Homework Assignment! This week, I chose the following prompt: What was it about that movie? Describe A movie you once had memorized.

There was a time in the summer of my sophomore year in high school. My good friend Ray-Ray and I would watch Weird Science almost every night. Why? I have no idea, really ... other than it being a really, really funny movie. At one time, I considered this movie my favorite.

Maybe it's because at times, we all probably wanted to create a girl that would be ours ... and at the time, Kelly LeBrock was absolutely amazingly hot! Let's face it, we all wanted to shower with her.

Maybe it's because at times, we felt like Gary and Wyatt. No girlfriends ... nothing to do ... another night of drinking soda and playing video games (truth be told, we weren't this bad, and we did have girlfriends from time-to-time, but there were summer nights when we had NOTHING to do).

For whatever reason, we were fixated by this movie, and could rattle off the entire movie lines verbatim ... a talent that most women failed to appreciate, unfortunately.

Wacky News Stories

Road House is just an awesome movie. Where else can the following quote - "You're too stupid to have a good time" - work so well?

1. On Washington DC having the most accident-prone drivers of any U.S. city for the third straight year, according to Allstate Corp:
"I'm wondering if this has anything to do with the high concentration of politicians living in and around said area ..."
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-09-02/washington-leads-u-s-cities-in-vehicle-accidents-followed-by-baltimore.html

2. On a French teacher being suspended for spending too much time teaching about the Holocaust:
"He should've known better after accepting the teaching position at the Josef Goebels School."
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2010/09/02/french-teacher-suspected-spending-time-teaching-holocaust/?test=latestnews

3. On a beer truck crashing in California:
"Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/localnews/ci_15971910

4. On a couple getting married inside Walmart:
"I'm going to take a wild guess on where they had their wedding registry ...."
http://consumerist.com/2010/09/couple-marries-inside-walmart.html

5. On new research from the University of New Hampshire showing that the "gateway effect" of marijuana - that teenagers who use marijuana are more likely to move on to harder illicit drugs as young adults - is overblown:
"Dude!"
http://www.physorg.com/news202619339.html

Dope or Nope ...

The NFL is looking to expand their season to 18 games. The justification is that 4 preseason games is a waste for everybody. Why not eliminate 2 of them, and make them regular season games.

Fans probably love this - more football (we'll see how that works with fantasy football!). Gamblers are in heaven - heck, another two weeks of losing money! But, the players don't seem to happy with this, as they get pretty dinged up with just 16 games.

So, what do you think? Is it dope to add two more games to the NFL season?

80's Corner

Growing up in the lat 70's and early 80's, I was lucky enough to have the Atari 2600 (or the Atari VCS to those who had the original). I remember it like it was yesterday, opening that box on Christmas Eve night, after getting home from church. I practically jumped out of my skin when I saw the Atari logo on the box. I couldn't open the box quickly enough.

I remember my cousin and I playing Combat and Football for hours that first night. We vowed we'd never have to go to the arcade again, because now we had our own arcade. Of course, we ended up still going to the arcade because, well, the games were far cooler in the arcade. Don't get me wrong, I loved my Atari. And at times, I thought things couldn't get any better - like when Real Sports Football came out for the Atari - the players actually had helmets, and they looked like they were really running. We thought this would be as life-like as video games get.

Fast forward 30+ years, and we were proven wrong. But, still, the Atari will always have a place in my heart.

Song of the Week ...

According to Wikipedia, the Paddingtons are an English indie rock band from Hull, known for their energetic concerts and loyal fanbase. From what I gather, they've been around since 2005, but unfortunately (for me), I just recently discovered them. Their song, Panic Attack, which comes from their first studio album - First Comes First, and it's a great rocker with a dose of punk.

Their Clash influence comes through in this song (as well as during their live show - as they tend to play a few Clash songs during their shows). The song itself is fast, simple, and fun. The lyrics are a bit hard to understand, but that's ok, because you'll be bopping your head too much to need to sing the lyrics.

Fast Food Corner

Taco Bell is advertising a new Cantina taco ... actually, there are a couple of choices - chicken, steak, and pork. To perhaps job your memory, the commercial talks about "the lime." So, for research purposes of course, I had to try the taco.

I was hoping to be wowed ... or at least "whoa-ed." I got neither. This taco is awful. Don't bother spending your money. The "soft-taco" falls apart way too easily (which is probably why they use two), and is very dry. Plus, they put the bare minimum of meat and onions in it ... the flimsy tacos are probably the reason for this (if they put any more in, the shells would fall apart more). So, really, all you taste is the dry taco shell.

And, you can't wrap it up tightly, because again, it falls apart too easily. So, what little meat there is, falls out from the taco as you are eating it. A very frustrating "sandwich," and definitely not one that qualifies for "hand food."

Weekly Homework Assignment

It's time once again for Mama Kat's Weekly Homework Assignment! This week, I chose the following prompt: An open letter to a celebrity.

Dear Nickleback,

Seriously. Stop writing and releasing music. It's not that your sound is awful (although, I think it is), it's that all of your songs sound exactly the same. You know, the same whiny, raspy voice, the same guitar and drum sounds ... heck, you even have the same beat to most of your songs. Seriously, just stop, OK?

I know it's not all your fault - I mean, the radio stations have been convinced to continue playing your songs repeatedly for some reason ... wait, maybe you bribed them - maybe "pay-ola" isn't dead. I can't explain any other reason why the radio stations play you. Maybe you include some sort of irresistible hypnotic suggestion in your songs that make people want to continue listening (and apparently, I have the antidote).

So, please. Stop. Seriously. Just stop. And while you are at it, could you ask Creed to retire again? Thank you!

PS - don't believe me about the songs sounding the same? Check this Youtube clip out:

Wacky News Stories

Fantasy football draft complete ... as always, I currently like my team.

1. On a story that canned beer is the future of good beer:
"The fine people at Meister Brau and Piels are finally happy in their pants!"
http://gizmodo.com/5622938/canned-beer-is-the-future-of-good-beer?skyline=true&s=i

2. On Fidel Castro saying that al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden is a bought-and-paid-for CIA agent who always popped up when former President George W. Bush needed to scare the world, arguing that documents recently posted on the Internet prove it:
"Emo Phillips thinks this guy is nuts."
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/08/27/ap/latinamerica/main6811198.shtml?tag=reddit

3. On Paris Hilton being arrested on the Las Vegas Strip late Friday after police saw a cloud of what they suspected was marijuana smoke wafting from the windows of a black Cadillac Escalade driven by her boyfriend, then found a small amount of cocaine in her possession:
"Maybe she can turn this into a positive like Richard Pryor - 'Paris Hilton - Up in Smoke!'"
http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2010/08/28/paris-hilton-arrested-drug-possession/

4. On a Catholic school apologizing to parents offended by a boy pretending to be Adolf Hitler won first place in his class at a school costume contest:
"They decided to re-award the prize to the second place winner - the kid in the Osama Bin Laden costume."
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38888008?gt1=43001

5. On two soccer moms brawling at an awards ceremony:
"They agreed to settle it in a min-van race-off..."
http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/soccer-moms-brawl-at-awards-ceremony/story-e6frfku0-1225911146930

80's Corner

The Monkees were a music-company created band of the 1960's ... they had a pretty decent revival in the 1980's, if you recall (MTV was even replaying their kitchy, but funny, shows for a while).

To try and piggy-back on this revival, some "genius" decided it was time to put together a new "Monkees" band, complete with their own TV show. As could be predicted, the show failed miserably, and most people probably have put the "new Monkees" out of the memory.

Here's a sample of one of their shows:


Here's their un-catchy theme song:

Dope or Nope ...

That new KFC marketing campaign ... you know the one with the urban-hip-hopppy "So S-O ... G-double-O-G ... Good." I can't stand it ... I hate it, I hate it, I hate it. It makes me want to avoid KFC altogether ... and maybe I will. Maybe, I'll just go to Popeye's if I have a chicken fix.

Am I over-reacting? Is this commercial better than I think it is? What are your thoughts? Dope or nope?

Song of the Week...

The Talking Heads are known as an "art-rock" band. They tend to overproduce their songs, and experiment with sounds in their music. Not really a band I love for the most part, but there are some songs that I can deal with.

One in particular is their hit "Wild Wild Life." I probably like it, because it's more of a straight-ahead "poppy" rock song, with little experimentation. The lyrics are generally pretty simple to learn, and are at times goofy. The main chorus is catchy, and the drum beat and guitar licks are intriguingly simple (and catchy, also).

A couple of "interesting" things about the song. The video is quite funny, and features some interesting people, including John Goodman and Meatloaf. Secondly, this is one of my favorite songs to do at a Karaoke bar ... thought you should know.

Fast Food Corner

Burger King has been promoting the hell out of the Steakhouse XT Burger - I believe a famous NASCAR driver is pimping it out big time (but, I don't follow NASCAR, so I wouldn't know ...). Anyway, I decided to give it a whirl, for research purposes, of course.

What a great sandwich! Of the big three (McDonalds, Wendy's and BK), this sandwich has the best bun, bar none ... and important first step. It's not a sesame seed bun, but some sort of sturdy bun, that won't break apart or get soggy - an important aspect of this sandwich.

The burger has some sort of "steak" seasoning, which works well with the sandwich. Plus, the toppings of onions, lettuce, tomatoes, ketchup, and onions work very well with the burger and the optional bacon (bacon should always be included, shouldn't it?). If only the fries were good at BK ... sigh.

Funny vid ...

A coworker sent this video to me .... because ... ummmm ... well, I'll be a dad in a few months. This video cracked me up!

Weekly Homework Assignment

It's time once again for Mama Kat's weekly homework assignment. This week, I chose the following prompt - 1.) Your childhood neighborhood.


Growing up, there were a number of kids in my neighborhood - "Davers" lived two houses down, the two Bills and Larry lived up the street, B.J. lived a little further down the way, and Ray-Ray across the street. There was always something happening - whether it was a game of Run the Bases, some street hockey, bounce ball or speed pitch, it didn't matter - we were all active and always hanging around together.

The ringleader of this "gang" was Paul. He was probably about 4 years older than us, but he was the coolest. He taught us everything about sports, and how to play fair. He was like an older brother to most of us. He would organize the games, get the fellas together, and best of all, the neighborhood parents all trusted him.

He was kind of like an idol to us all. He was the first "grown-up" kid to give a rats ass about us. He taught most of us how to play all of those games, and he protected us from the neighborhood bullies.

Of course, high school and then college took priority for Paul, and we saw less and less of him over the years. I probably haven't seen him in close to 20 years.

Looking back, I owe a lot to Paul.

Wacky News Stories

College football starts soon! I'll be rooting for Penn State, and every team playing against Notre Dame that particular week ...

1. On a middle school that publishes bus routes with student names, home addresses, and pickup/dropoff times:
"Thank goodness Michael Jackson is no longer alive ..."
http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/8169736/

2. On a mom being arrested after taking her five-year-old daughter on a bank robbery:
"It's never too soon to start thinking about a career ..."
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/3105029/Mum-took-girl-5-on-bank-robbery.html

3. On a Mississippi high school refusing to publish a teen's portrait picture in the yearbook because she wore a tuxedo in it:
"No word on whether the school allowed the picture of the guy with the mullet, Schlitz cap, and NASCAR jacket..."
http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20100818/NEWS/8180334/District-sued-over-yearbook

4. On an addicted Gamer suing a game-maker, blaming the company for his inability function:
"The lady who sued McDonalds because the coffee was hot thinks this kid is an idiot."
http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2010/08/lineage11-addiction/

80's Corner

Value Menus ... You go into a fast-food restaurant, and you basically order from these. For example, if you're in a McDonald's, you may order the "Number 1," which most likely will consist of a Big Mac, fries, and a soda. It's a very simple way to order food, and we take it for granted.

But I remember a time ... in the early 80's, when you'd have to order each of these items individually. For instance, I remember going to the Burger King up the street, and always ordering a cheeseburger, fries and a drink. Oh, all of the words I wasted back then ... thankfully, the 80's brought about the easy-order value menus! You don't know how easy you have it!

Dope or Nope ...

I went into a Hallmark Card Shop looking for a post card the other day ... I figured, "heck, it's Hallmark, they sell all kinds of cards. Why wouldn't they sell postcards?" Well, guess what. This particular Hallmark did NOT sell them.

In fact, the lady looked at me kind of weird when I asked. She told me I should go to a hotel to find post cards. Really? A hotel? But, I'm not near any hotels. That's why I came to Hallmark.

Anyway, Dope or Nope - Hallmark not selling post cards?

Song of the Week ...

Billy Squier is a forgotten man in music. There was a time in the early 1980's when he was white hot. Songs like "The Stroke," "My Kind of Lover," and "Emotions in Motion" where radio staples once. Then, he sadly did the video for the song "Rock Me Tonight" which basically killed his career. Sure, he's put out some albums since then, and quite honestly, the music has been pretty good, but nobody noticed.

One such song that should've been more popular, was a song called "Love is the Hero." He collaborated with good friend Freddie Mercury (of Queen fame) on this, and, sure, there are probably some blatant "alternative" overtones in the song, but it's a good rockin' song.

Both artists are at their vocal best in this song, that features great guitar riffs, a fantastic chorus (Love is the hero...soldier forever ... Life below zero...never say never). And no, I'm not exactly sure what it means, but you do feel like belting them out when you hear them.

Fast Food Corner

I've talked about McDonalds Angus Burgers in the past ... I'm a big fan! I couldn't believe there'd be anything at McDonalds better than the Quarter Pounder with Cheese (I was wrong). Well, they have been promoting the McAngus Wraps lately, and for research purposes (of course), I decided to try the Bacon Angus Wrap.

Just to back-track, I liked the Mac Wraps (which are basically the big macs without the buns), so I figured I'd be OK with the Angus Wraps, but I might have a problem spending the extra 50 cents (over the Mac Wrap). Nope, I wasn't one bit upset spending the extra 50 cents. The Angus Wrap is absolutely delicious, and without a doubt, way better than the Mac Wraps. The "toppings" are fresh, the bacon is great, and the meat is better than the Mac Wrap.

Just an all around great sandwich, and a perfect "hand-food" item for when you are driving. Bravo, McDonalds!

Weekly Homework Assignment

It's time once again for Mama Kat's Weekly Homework Assignment. This week, I chose the following prompt: This one time I was sleeping and…

In my life, I've had many sleepwalking episodes, especially during childhood and teen-age years (not so much, anymore). Anyway, here's a list of just a few sleepwalking incidents I "remember:"

* One time, I asked my older brother to help me move my bed so that we could play baseball (he told me that I was a moron and should go back to sleep).

* Once, I walked right past my mom, down the steps, and out the front door, and shouted for my mom at the top of my lungs.

* Once, I tried to encourage a girlfriend of mine to get up and drive me to the hospital so that I could have my ACL repaired.

* I once sleepwalked from my bed into my living room closet. I closed the door behind me, and stood in the closet sleeping. My mom discovered me there about 20 minutes later.


There are others, but these are the more intriguing ones ...

Wacky News Stories

Time for one of the greatest times of the year ... fantasy football season!!!!

1. On a Seattle man facing assault charges on allegations that he exposed himself to a Radio Shack clerk, brandished a knife and threatened to expose the man to flesh-eating bacteria:
"This is not a penis, it's actually an alien."
http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattle911/archives/218046.asp

2. On a man fending off a polar bear with a punch to the nose:
"Sounds like a new Chuck Norris movie to me."
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/847677--man-fends-off-polar-bear-with-punch-to-the-nose

3. On a man fatally shooting his girlfriend while discussing gun safety with her:
"Whatever you do, make sure you look into barrel of the gun first whilst pulling the trigger ... trust me, I'm a professional!"
http://www.azfamily.com/news/local/Mesa-woman-shot-killed-while-discussing-gun-safety-with-boyfriend-100657509.html

4. On a man being arrested Thursday for allegedly using fireworks to set fire to his girlfriend's house:
"But you said you wanted more fireworks in our life!"
http://www.ajc.com/news/gwinnett/gwinnett-man-admits-setting-591418.html

5. On San Francisco trying to ban the Happy Meal:
"Isn't that kind of like Germany banning the Bratwurst?"
http://www.csmonitor.com/Money/new-economy/2010/0813/Happy-Meals-Does-McDonald-s-lure-kids-unfairly

Dope or Nope ...

So, there was a big story this past week about a guy who went to a Philadelphia Eagles training camp practice wearing a Donovan McNabb jersey. No big deal, right? Well, this McNabb jersey was the new one - the Washington Redskins jersey. Stupid? Yes. But wrong? Well, probably not. However, this knucklehead wasn't even part of the "general fans" section, he was in more of a V.I.P. section.

The Eagles security guard basically told him he needed to take the jersey off. And, this immediately took on some sort of ridiculous news tornado of its own. So, is what this guy did Dope or Nope?

So, it sounds to me like this guy was just trying to get attention. He apparently didn't even have the shirt on until he got on the field, basically hiding it for everyone until he could make a scene (cowardly, in my opinion). I also think the friend who got the V.I.P. tickets deserves some blame. Seriously? This is the friend you are bringing? Seriously?

I think the Eagles may have gone a little overboard with their request, and took a justified P.R. hit because of it, but what kind of numb-skull, who claims he's an Eagles fan, would do this?

80's Corner

Mr. T. was a huge name in the 1980's. It all started for T. with the movie Rocky. T. Was the bad guy named Clubber Lang in this flick. T. parlayed this to a role in the famous 1980's TV show "The A-Team." It seemed like everyone wanted to be a bad-ass like T., from the mo-hawk, to the ridiculous jewelry. Mr. T. even made an appearance in the first Wrestlemania, teaming with Hulk Hogan to take on Roddy Piper and Mr. Wonderful, Paul Orndorff.

But as all 1980's stuff, Mr. T.'s star died off as well. He has made somewhat of a comeback in recent years, even having some sort of character made for him in the wildly popular World of Warcraft game. That's when you know you've made it.

Song of the Week ...

There have been many bands attempting to imitate the Beatles over the years. Most famously, a band called Oasis attempted to do so, even having the pomposity to say something along the lines of "When it's all said and done, we'll be far superior to the Beatles." Well, I guess there's something to be said about having high aspirations.

Anyway, I'm not going to write about Oasis (although, I do like some of their music). A few years ago, a band called The Vines came onto the seem, along with many other "The" bands (The Killes, The Kooks, The Bravery, etc.). They had one monster hit called "Ride," and coincidentally, it's the only song I really like from them.

This song rocks a little more than the rest of their music (the rest of their music sounding very early Beatles). They kept it simple starting off with a simple, yet catchy riff, followed by a build up to the actual song (the lead singer sounds a little like John Lennon). The song continually builds into the catchy "Ride With Me" chorus, which sounds like a mix between the Beatles and Smashing Pumpkins.

Fast Food Corner

Earlier this week, a coworker and I took a drive to Exton to go to a Chinese Buffet. However, we spotted this new burger joint (well, new to us) called "Buddy's Burgers, Breasts, and Fries." Heck, any restaurant having "Breasts" in its title warrants at least a little attention, right?

We decided to stop there and check it out. Folks, it's really similar to Five Guys, in that they don't use frozen patties, and everything is made to order. The "Buddy" is a burger with two patties. They also offer the "Little Buddy," which, as you can guess, is only one patty. You can also order Buddys with bacon, and the toppings are very fresh. The fries seem almost exactly like the Five Guys fries, except they don't give you as much (which is fine, since Five Guys fry amounts are obscene).

So, what seems to be different than Five Guys is the bun - which is heavily sesame seeded (a good thing in my book). Plus, if you are eating in, they don't give you your meal in a bag, but actually give you a tray (a nice touch). The price is a little cheaper than Five Guys too.

All in all, a very good experience. I'll definitely be back!

I'll Miss You Dearly, My Brotha

(Ray is the guy in the back right)

Last Saturday, a childhood/high-school/college friend of mine passed. I haven't been all that close to him in years ... mainly because he unfortunately ... let's just say, he took a different path. He also had moved to Ohio and lived there for over a decade. A few years ago, he came back to the area - I was excited to see him, hoping he'd changed. Unfortunately, his life had spiraled downward. I, along with other friends, tried to help him out, but he continually went back to the "bad things."

I had tried to distance myself from him when my wife got pregnant. Truthfully, I was a little scared of him at this point, but also, I think I may have been burned out from trying to help him. Some of my other friends backed off a bit too - we had begged him to get help. Unfortunately, he never really wanted to. My one friend, a devout religious person, worked very hard to bring him around, and I think things were starting to turn for the better.

Sadly, my friend never was fully able to make the turn. A bunch of us got together, and reminisced, even going through high school notebooks that his dad gave us (Our friend used to do top-10 lists every day, along with other funny writings). It was very therapeutic to laugh, cry, and remember just how good of a person he really was.

I'll miss ya, Ray. I hope you've finally found your peace.

Weekly Homework Assignment

It's time once again for Mama Kat's Weekly Homework Assignment! This week, I chose the following prompt: The craziest reason I ever got in trouble as a child.

When I was in fourth grade, my little brother was born. It always seemed that I got in trouble with him. He'd blame me for just about everything ... and sure, most of the time, it was my fault. However, not all the time. I remember this one time vividly.

My cousins Drew and Trish and I were outside in the backyard, along with my little brother. We all decided to go inside. Now, here's where you have to pay attention. I'm the first one in the line of kids going inside ... repeat, the FIRST ONE. I was followed by Drew, then Trish, and then Kurt.

My mom was in the kitchen along with my aunt (Drew and Trish's mom). Now again, I was FIRST in line! I walked right by my mom and aunt ... impossible to miss. Drew and Trish went in the house, and then my brother came up the rear. He apparently slipped on the step, fell down, and began to cry. My mom went to see what was wrong, and immediately, my brother blamed me for his fall.

Now, any sane person could've figured out that it was impossible for me to cause this fall. However, my mom, at the time suffering from apparently severe insanity, took my brother's side and began yelling at me. Thankfully, my aunt was there to provide reasoning to my bat-s*it crazy mother. So, luckily that time I avoided trouble.

Wacky News Stories

Thank ... God ... for ... air ... conditioners.

1. On a Swedish mountaineer and professional skier falling to his death while attempting to summit 28,253-foot K2, the world's second tallest peak:
"Eval Knieval thought that was a stupid stunt."
http://sports.espn.go.com/action/freeskiing/news/story?id=5443216

2. On Milwaukee teachers fighting for taxpayer-funded Viagra:
"Of course, they are battling some stiff opposition."
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/08/06/despite-budget-cuts-layoff-fears-milwaukee-teachers-fight-taxpayer-funded/

3. On a high school student testifying Thursday that he decided to “tell the truth” about teacher his teacher having sex with him after coming to believe she was having sex with “everyone else,” including the assistant principal:
"Now that's what I call extra credit!"
http://www.mlive.com/news/saginaw/index.ssf/2010/08/student_told_of_sex_with_forme.html

4. On Taco Bell launching a new product - Street Tacos:
"Real asphalt in every bite!"
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/hottopics/detail?entry_id=69445&tsp=1

5. On a semi trailer carrying more than 39,000 pounds of shredded cheese catching fire:
"As luck would have it, a ground beef truck ran into it seconds later ... followed by a bread truck."
http://www.pnj.com/article/20100805/NEWS01/100805022/Burned-cheese-blocks-traffic-on-I-10-after-crash

Dope or Nope ...

Have you had Mike's Hard Lemonade before? The company is trying to change its image, to be more attractive to men. It seems as if hard lemonade has been labeled a lady's drink. Mike's has been aggressively trying to change that and alter the label.

So, what do you think? Is it dope for a man to drink a Mike's hard lemonade (or even a Twisted Tea, I suppose)? Or, is this really only supposed to be a lady's drink?

Personally, I don't mind drinking a couple of Mike's hard lemonades in the summer.

80's Corner

Remember Micro Machines? Not sure if they're around anymore, but in the 1980's they made a huge splash. Ya see, back then, there were really only two companies that made those cool small cars kids would love - Hot Wheels and Matchbox.

Micro Machines jumped into the foray with even smaller cars. They looked cool, and the commercials were voiced by that fast-talking dude (I think he did some Fed Ex commercials in the 80's as well). I don't think I ever got any Micro Machines as a kid - I already had too many Hot Wheels and Matchbox cars ... plus, I probably would've lost them anyway.

Song of the Week ...

I know I've told you about this "product" before, but seriously guys, you have to get it. It's called the "Slacker." It's a music site, similar to Pandora, but much, much better. You basically can create your own radio stations, with the bands you want to hear. They have a free service, which may have some commercials in between songs, and you are only allowed to skip up to six songs an hour. Plus, you have limited ability to "fine-tune" your station.

The pay-service is extremely reasonable. I think it's something like $5 a month. Here, you can have unlimited skips, and can do all sorts of fine-tuning to your stations - like ramp up the artist discovery option, or increase-decrease the amount of times your "favorites" get played, and even playing more older or newer songs. I love it, I love it, I love it.

And, now, you can get Slacker on your smart phones. It's really cool - you can basically use this as an MP3 player, but the MP3s are not on your phone. And, unlike MP3 players, the songs never get old, because it keeps playing all kinds of different songs. Plus, if, for some reason, you are out of a service area, you can "cache" your favorite stations, and continue to listen to music.

Check out the site - www.slacker.com

Fast Food Corner

Have you ever been to Wegemans? Do you even know what Wegemans is? Well, it's a supermarket, but no ordinary supermarket. No, this supermarket is much, much more! It has a huge "cafe" of sorts, where you can buy anything from pizza to hoagies, to paninis, to burritos, to even Chinese food. And folks, the Chinese food is amazing.

Sure, it's a little on the pricey side, but so worth it. Every day, they change the options slightly in this buffet. All of your favorites are here - pork fried rice, general tso's chicken, shrimp egg roll ... it's absolutely amazing, and so well cooked! You go in, you fill your plate (or box), you pay, and you are out.

A Wegeman's just opened near my office, and I've been there probably 4 times in the past two weeks ... I can't get enough of the Chinese food - I'd love to sample the other stuff, but the Chinese buffet is right where you walk into the Cafe, and I can never get past it ... darn you, Wegemans!

ALS really sucks

According to Wikipedia, ALS is a form of motor neuron disease. ALS is a progressive,fatal, neurodegenerative disease caused by the degeneration of motor neurons, the nerve cells in the central nervous system that control voluntary muscle movement. Many of you may know it as Lou Gehrig's disease ... named after a famous New York Yankee who died from ALS.

ALS also drains family members and friends. It is so difficult to see such a rapid degeneration in a person who only a few years ago was so full of life. My uncle's wife has it, and she's practically given up on life. It's heart-breaking. This lady was the one who brought my uncle out of the shell he'd been in for years after his first wife passed.

I feel terrible for them. I wish I could do more. They are in my thoughts and prayers. Hopefully, with all of this work in genetics, we will find a cure for ALS soon.

Weekly Homework Assignment

It's time once again for Mama Kat's weekly homework assignment! This week, I chose the following prompt - If you could do it over again…

If I had it to do all over again, I would never have purchased that "6-Star Cutlery Set" that Ron Popeil was selling (a Ronco product). But man, did that infomercial suck me in - he just kept adding and adding and adding more knives to the set - steak knives, a chopper, a chef's knife, a game knife, a large filet knife ... I just couldn't handle it! I had to have it - especially considering I was spending something like $1 a knife ... and after all, Ron said that the knives will never go dull, and they are fully replaceable.

Well, the knives don't come with the wood block that you need to store them - that'll run you another $40 + shipping and handling. And truthfully, the knives look cheap - they seem to stay sharp, but they just don't look very ... ummm ... attractive.

Plus, this giant wood block with all of these Ronco knives takes up a considerable portion of the kitchen counter, and just seems to get in the way. Seriously, we really didn't need these knives ... I was just a sucker for a really good infomercial .... Darn you, Ronco!

Wacky News Stories

My goodness .... August already! Summer's almost over ... sigh.

1. On a woman dying after receiving injections of silicone to the buttocks:
"Sure she might be dead, but what a nice ass!"
http://www.aolnews.com/article/woman-dies-after-receiving-silicone-injections-to-buttocks/19576192

2. On the Gamerator - a mix between and arcade machine and a kegerator:
"My God ... this may indeed be the greatest creation ever!"
http://www.thegamerator.com/index.htm

3. On a wife who found out about her husband's second marriage in Disneyland on Facebook:
Oh, that's just plain 'Goofy!'"
http://www.wesh.com/news/24452059/detail.html

4. On a city penalizing a handicapped man who wants to run a marijuana dispensary out of his storefront ... because they say it's not handicapped accessible:
"That handicapped guy better stop using what he sells."
http://blogs.sfweekly.com/thesnitch/2010/07/pot_dispensary_handicapped.php

5. On a man who was arrested for pushing a stroller whilst intoxicated:
"The baby was taken in as an accomplice ..."
http://www.fox8.com/news/wjw-news-mansfield-ohio-man-arrested-drunken-stroller-pushing,0,4308578.story

Dope or Nope ...

Most people like dipping their fries in ketchup, right? There are a few "tortured" souls who enjoy dipping fries in mustard ... but what about those who like dipping their fries in mayonnaise? I've talked to two people in the last few weeks who swear by this.

I can't even fathom it - fries and ketchup go together like Laurel and Hardy, Abbott and Costello, and Reilly and Ferrell. Adding mayo to fries is like putting Ellen on American Idol as a judge ... just a terrible idea entirely.

So, what are your thoughts? Dope or nope?

Song of the Week ...

Tegan and Sara did a song covered by the White Stripes called "Walking with a Ghost." Usually, remakes of originals never quite live up to or surpass the original (take, for example, Guns and Roses' remake of Live and Let Die). And, even though Jack White is immensely talented, his remake of this Tegan and Sara song is sub-par (probably because his ex-wife ... or girlfriend ... or whatever she is, has no talent).

From Wikipedia - Tegan and Sara is a Canadian indie pop/indie rock/New Wave band led by identical twins Tegan Rain Quin and Sara Kiersten Quin (born September 19, 1980). Both Tegan and Sara play guitar and keyboard and write songs, most often separately. Whoever writes each song typically sings the lead vocals for it.The band has released six studio albums since 1999, most recently Sainthood in 2009.

I'll be honest, I haven't really heard any of their other music, but this song stuck with me. Great chorus ... a little light on the drums, but good supporting instrumentals in the background. It's a song that sticks in your head.

80's Corner

Back in the day, we didn't have cd writers for computers ... nope, we didn't even have 3 1/2 inch diskettes. Nope, we had these 5 1/4 inch floppy diskettes - lots and lots of them. I remember buying them all the time up at the local K-Mart. The single-sided, double density ones were the best, because you could get a hole-puncher, and punch a hole on the one side of the diskette and make it double-sided - we were genius!

We "burned" all kinds of Commodore 64 games onto these disks, with the help of "pirate disks," with names like "Mr. Hacker." My goodness, I probably accumulated hundreds of C-64 games like this!

These were indeed the good old days!

Fast Food Corner

I've probably blogged about this before, but is there a better fast-food chicken sandwich than Burger King's original chicken sandwich? It's kind of crazy, isn't it? I mean, this sandwich was introduced in the 1970's, and hasn't changed much in the 30+ years it's been around.

It's simple, but effective, really. A breaded chicken breast (I'm sure it's processed - how could they get a breast to look so much like a patty - but, to me it doesn't matter). They put some mayonnaise and lettuce on (the lettuce probably to make it seem healthy), and toast the sesame-seed roll. And for some reason, nothing compares to this, and nobody can seem to duplicate it. This is one area where McDonalds falls far behind (Chick Fil-A does a good job with their own sandwiches, though).

Now, if Burger King could only make some good fries ...

Stoppage Time ...

Just some random thoughts I had creepin' and crawlin' inside my melon:

* God, I miss the pre-teen splash party ... it was the coolest thing when I was a kid. We got to go swimming at night, watch a movie at the pool, and had all kinds of contests, like the water balloon toss, and the egg and spoon races. Things were so much simpler then ... sigh!

* Tiger Woods is probably secretly thanking LeBron James for being a more egotistical jerk than he is.

* Hank Williams, I am indeed ready for some football!

* Has anybody else heard of this alcohol concoction - 1 case of bad beer (Natural Light will do), 1 case of 7-up, 1/2 gallon of vodka, and a container of Country Tieme Lemonade mix? I had it for the first time last weekend, and it was REALLY good, and REALLY potent ... I just didn't like the name that was given to this - "Mr. Skippy." There's gotta be a better name, right?

* The Rolling Stones are touring again next year ... I'm torn. I've seen them every tour since Steel Wheels, and they are my favorite Rock and Roll band in the world ... but my goodness, they're going to be near 70 ... This has gotta be their last tour (I've been saying that every tour since 1989, strangely enough), so I should probably go, right?

Weekly Homework Assignment

It's time once again for Mama Kat's weekly homework assignment! This week, I chose the following prompt: It was a bad burn. Tell about the worst sunburn you ever received. How did that happen!?!

Well, to be honest, I've never had a really bad sunburn ... oh don't get me wrong - I'm fair skinned, and could easily burn, but I've done pretty well protecting myself over the years (and after repeated exposure, I tan pretty well).

So ... I have a friend who probably takes the cake. We'll call him "The Reverend." For our senior week in high school, a group of us took a trip to Cancun, Mexico. It was awesome! And, it was also quite hot - a very dry heat ... one that sneaks up on you. I was warned about this. So were all of my friends. Most took it to heart. The Reverend didn't.

He was sitting under an umbrella the first day we arrived. We all jumped in the pool, and he decided to relax. Rev fell asleep ... for about an hour. And unfortunately, the sun shifted ... and his legs were exposed ... and they were exposed for a good 1/2 hour before he even noticed. By that point, his skin was an unhealthy pink.

The unhealthy pink continued to get darker pink, until his legs looked as if he was wearing purple leotards. He claimed he felt no pain that evening and night ... but the next morning, he rolled over, and let out a yelp as if a dog had gotten its tail caught in the hinge of a car door ... except his yelp was longer. Poor Rev could only lay there and swallow the pain for hours before doing anything about it. It was the worst case of sunburn I'd ever seen ... but all the credit in the world goes to the Reverend - he found a way to still enjoy the rest of senior week.

Wacky News Stories

Yep ... still really, really hot ...

1. On french fries in Germany possibly being significantly shorter this year due to the heatwave that has baked Germany and much of Europe this month:
"Good thing Hitler isn't the dictator there anymore ... the French would be in BIG trouble ..."
http://www.latimes.com/features/odd-news/la-odd-german-fries-reuters,0,6780559.story

2. On the "invention" of the Candwich - a sandwich in a can that looks like a soda:
"In order to eat this, I'll have to have a bag of soda though ..."
http://markonefoods.com/

3. On WalMart putting radio tags in clothes:
"Wait, maybe Hitler isn't dead yet ..."
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704421304575383213061198090.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_MIDDLENexttoWhatsNewsThird

4. On a Vancouver police officer apologizing after he was caught on video tape pushing a woman with multiple sclerosis down to the ground:
"Wait, when did Barry Bonds become a police officer in Vancouver?"
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/839218--vancouver-cop-apologizes-for-pushing-disabled-woman

5. On the underground revival of cassette tapes:
"Can 5 1/4 inch diskettes be far behind?!?!?!?!?
http://www.boston.com/ae/music/articles/2010/07/23/the_underground_is_rewinding_to_revive_the_cassette/

Dope or Nope ...

I may have used this one before, but who cares ... most people like chicken salad, right? You know - the traditional chicken salad with chunks of chicken, onions, and other stuff mixed with mayo. It's good on rolls, rye bread, or even by itself.

Well, some people just can't leave good enough alone ... some of these "healthy" stores add grapes and other fruit to chicken salad. To me, that is a total 100% nope - I can't stand fruit with my chicken salad - it just doesn't seem .... umm .... natural.

So, what are your thoughts on this? Do you like chicken salad with fruit in it? Or is this a big nope?

80's Corner

Ladies, do you remember the Epilady? It was this "revolutionary" device to help you remove hair from your legs for months. The commercial made it look easy, but from what I was told, this device would grab your leg-hair, and violently rip it out of your legs by the root.

Somehow, that was never conveyed in the commercials. Everybody who used it was smiling ... no hint of discomfort whatsoever. But this device was a pretty popular fad for a little while.

Song of the Week...

Hockey ... one of my favorite posts ... but I just found out, it's also a name of a band. The song "Song Away" is the one they're currently pushing. It's got a Stones feel, with regards to the guitar riffs. The lyrics are kind of goofy, and I'm not really sure what they mean (probably nothing).

The video is pretty funny, in that it takes place in someone's basement during a party - and there is an awkward kid trying to get the guts up to talk to a girl, and when he finally does, the basement party picks (my god, it's like they actually recorded my teen-age life!).

Unfortunately, Youtube won't let me embed the official video, but here's the song:

Fast Food Corner

Ice ... doesn't seem like a big deal, does it? But when it comes to putting ice in a soda, it really is, apparently. Wendy's seems to be the worst culprit about over-icing a soda (adding too much ice into a cup, in order to save money on soda). Wendy's has those huge ice cubes that take up tons of space. All other fast food places seem to have the big cubes as well, again, probably to save money. On a side note, did you know there was a time when these fast food restaurants used shaved ice? It was awesome - I love shaved ice. I guess it wasn't too cost effective ... but, I digress.

A couple of years ago, I went to Chick Fil-A and got some sort of combo meal. Chick Fil-A is normally pretty good with their ice-to-soda ratio, but for some reason in this store, they basically gave me a cup of ice with just a little bit of soda. Being the passive-aggressive person that I am, I went to the Chick-Fil-A website, and complained. About a week later, I received a letter from Chick Fil-A. First, it included a coupon for a free combo meal (gotta love Chick-Fil-A!). But, it also included a letter apologizing, and also explaining some sort of mathematical equation Chick-Fil-A uses to determine the right amount of ice for a cup of soda.

That was pretty cool, but the letter went on to explain how more ice is needed for iced-tea, and again gave reasons. I had no idea there was science behind keeping your drink cold. Isn't Chick-Fil-A awesome?

Umm .... what?!?!?

As many of you know, the wife and I are expecting our first baby ... we're about 21 weeks along now. We had our big ultrasound last week, and everything went great ... except one "tiny" surprise.

You see, we had a 12-week ultrasound, and our fertility doctor informed us that we were having a boy. So, for 8 weeks or so, we had been coming up with boy names ... we found a handful we liked - names such as Reiner, Aleksander, Owen, Grant, Braden ...

Here's the thing ... in our 20-week ultrasound, the nurse informed us that we were having a girl. Truthfully, I have no preference. If the baby is healthy, I'm ok with either sex. But, now I gotta come up with female names ... so, if you have any suggestions, let me know! Keep 'em clean, by the way!

Wacky News Stories

I'm melting ... I'M MELTING!!!

1. On a of a FedEx tractor-trailer rig choking on some spicy pork rinds, losing control of his truck on an interstate and jackknifing it before coming to a stop in a muddy ditch:
"Gives a whole new meaning to the term 'What can brown do for you ...'"
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/bizarre/7105813.html

2. On a man getting a DUI whilst riding a lawn mower:
" I thought the concrete was getting a bit long ..."
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/bizarre/7098779.html

3. On an argument over butter in a macaroni and cheese recipe turning into violence between a brother and sister:
"Gives a whole new meaning to the term, 'I can't believe it's not butter!'"
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/bizarre/7064767.html

4. On unwelcome feral cats being spotted at Bush library site:
"They claimed they smelled something fishy ..."
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/bizarre/6968497.html

5. On an Iowa teen wearing a bubble gum wrapper dress to prom:
"I'm hoping those aren't Big League Chew wrappers ..."
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/moms/6956300.html

Weekly Homework Assignment

It's time once again for Mama Kat's weekly homework assignment! This week, I chose the following prompt: Write about your wedding song. What was it and why did you choose it?

Our wedding song was "All I want is you" by U2. If I had my way exclusively? Sure, I probably would've chosen a Stones song, but hey - life is a compromise. And the compromise was this - we can have a Stones song for the bridal party dance. The choice for that one was obvious - "Waiting on a Friend."

But, why did we choose a U2 song? Well, that again is a compromise. If we throw the Stones out from my side, then we have to throw Madonna out from the wife's side, and then we'd have to throw out The Who from my side, and we'd throw out Janet Jackson from the wife's side ... and so on, and so on, and so on ... until we reached U2. Well, both of us really like U2, and they had a couple of good contenders for songs.

"One" is probably far too popular of a song to have as a wedding dance. But "ALL I Want Is You" gets forgotten quite a bit. The lyrics are fantastic and memorable, and it's just a really good song to slow dance to. I'm happy with our choice, personally.


You say you want
Diamonds on a ring of gold
You say you want
Your story to remain untold

But all the promises we make
From the cradle to the grave
When all I want is you

You say you'll give me
A highway with no one on it
Treasure just to look upon it
All the riches in the night

You say you'll give me
Eyes in a moon of blindness
A river in a time of dryness
A harbour in the tempest
But all the promises we make
From the cradle to the grave
When all I want is you

You say you want
Your love to work out right
To last with me through the night

You say you want
Diamonds on a ring of gold
Your story to remain untold
Your love not to grow cold

All the promises we break
From the cradle to the grave
When all I want is you

You...all I want is...
You...all I want is...
You...all I want is...
You...

Dope or Nope ...

It seems like every time I watch a baseball game now, I notice fans in the background on their cell phones waving at the camera, or making some stupid face at the camera. I HATE THIS! If I ever had seats in a location in which I had a good chance of being on camera, I doubt I'd even notice the camera ... I can't stand this! The last thing I need to see when I'm watching sports is fans on their cell phones asking their friends if they can see them on TV. It takes away from the game in my opinion.

What are your thoughts? Do you like this? If you were at a game and the camera was pointing at you (at least in the background), would you dial a friend?

80's Corner

Remember Laser Tag? Yep - it started in the 1980's, and you could actually buy laser tag gear in places like WalMart, K-Mart and the like. I doubt you can do this anymore, but they do have Laser Tag "arenas" around the country, where you can take your laser tag skills and see how they compare to others ... I think we have one in the King of Prussia Mall (or at least we used to have one).

My friends and I all had Laser tag gear, but all we had was the gun and the hit-counter thingy that you placed around your chest. In the outside, Laser tag wasn't very good - I don't think the hit counter thingy performed well in the outside, but I hear it's supposed to be pretty cool indoors.

Ah, I can still remember running around with my laser tag gear and my acid-washed jeans ... good times.

Song of the Week ...

The D4 is an Australian rock band that had moderate success in Europe, and hardly any success in the States (shocking, I know). Surprisingly, I discovered this band when I was in a Tower Records store about 9 years ago (god, I miss Tower) ... they were one of the featured artists that Tower was displaying, and I sampled the CD, and immediately purchased it.

The band is very raw, and almost "garage-ey," but definitely a little more refined. They've only released a couple of albums, but it seems they've been influenced by bands like the Ramones (and even possibly the White Stripes ... although, they seem to have come out around the same time).

Their album, 6Twenty, is a pretty good listen all the way through. The one song I particularly enjoy is called "Heartbreaker." Starts off with a rolling drum beat and bass, and builds into a very cool chorus of "I wish I never would've met you at all," while the lead singers screams "Cryin'" over and over. Another great song overlooked by American mainstream radio.

Fast Food Corner

Boston Market was once named Boston Chicken ... back in the day when they only served ... you guessed it ... chicken! Sure they sell other foods, like ... gulp ... ham, but in my opinion, they still do chicken the best.

My favorite meal is the chicken carver sandwich. Believe it or not, it's actually on the "healthier" side, as far as fast food goes. Here's the way it's described on the Boston Market website - Rotisserie chicken with dijon mayo, cheddar, tomatoes and greens on a white or multi-grain roll.

They do a pretty good job of piling on the chicken, so you should probably get a fork, so that you can easily pick up the chicken that has fallen from the roll. And speaking of the roll, it is of really good quality (as I've said before, the roll is the most underrated important part of a sandwich).

I usually get it with a side of corn ... now I'm pretty sure the corn isn't the healthiest, because it tastes REALLY buttery, but that's the way I like it. Just plain delicious - and more of a guilt-free fast-food eating experience.

Weekly Homework Assignment

It's time once again for Mama Kat's Weekly Homework Assignment! This week, I chose the following prompt: Write a funny story involving socks.

My college roommates and I hardly ever agreed about music ... well, let's just say I hardly ever agreed with them on music. I was (and still am) an HUGE Rolling Stones fan, and many a night, we'd have a similar argument as to which band is the greatest rock band of all time.

This one particular evening, as I was boiling some noodles, my roommate "Mung," probably just trying to get under my skin, proclaimed that Nine Inch Nails is the best band of all time. This immediately threw me into a tizzy ... how could he possibly claim that a band that had only been around for a handful of years was better than a legendary band that, at the time was celebrating 30 years in the business?!?!?!?

We argued, screamed, yelled, and cursed each other ... and this went on and on until my noodles were done boiling. I proceeded to continue arguing as I strained the noodles ... unfortunately, I didn't strain them in the sink. In all of the commotion, I forgot what I was doing, and ending up straining the scalding hot water onto my feet! Now, thankfully, I had socks on, and I think this helped to keep the burning to a minimum.

The good news is that the argument ended pretty quickly after that ....

Dope or Nope ...

LeBron James is the current king of basketball ... many, many kids look to him as a role model and hero. However, what he did this past week was certainly controversial. Basically, he decided that he needed a 1-hour tv special to announce his free agency intentions. Never before has something like this happened.

In a sense, he let down the city of Cleveland by leaving for Miami. Two schools of thought here - LeBron was interested in winning a championship, and decided to skip the max contract and the chance to be "The Man" in Cleveland (or Chicago or New York), so that he could play on a "super team" to win championships. OR, Lebron is a self-centered jerk, who could care less about his home-town, and only cares about himself, and this is why he decided he needed a 1-hour special to make his announcement, thus screwing his city on national television.

So, what are your thoughts? Did LeBron do the right thing? Dope or Nope?

80's Corner

We all have MP3 players that we carry around, work out with, plug into our car, but there was a time when we didn't have MP3 players ... oh it's true ... it's damn true! Back in the day, we had transistor radios which we carried around ... they sucked. Sony realized this, and created the Walkman. There were all kinds of Walkman players - some with cassettes, some with cds, and some with just the radio.

It was awesome - now, we could play our own music on the go! We could jog and listen to the latest Foreigner cassette (cds sometimes skipped with a bunch of movement), and didn't have to carry those annoying transistor radios with those long antennas around anymore. We were in heaven! Could life get any better ... apparently so. But still!

Song of the Week ...

Van Halen is an interesting band ... Lindsay Lohan thinks this band is unstable. Eddie Van Halen can't seem to decide on which lead singer (or bass player) to keep in the band, and the antics of this entire band has probably kept them from becoming an even bigger super group over the years.

Still, they are very resilient. They started with David Lee Roth, and had much success. When Roth decided he was too big for the band, they plugged in Sammy Hagar, and became a different band (sound-wise), and were still successful. Then, when they produced their first greatest hits album, they brought Dave back for a couple of songs, which angered Sammy. Then, they made amends with Sammy, which angered Dave. Then, they threw Sammy and Michael Anthony out of the band, and brought Dave back, along with Wolfgang Van Halen (on bass). Phew ...

Anyway, they haven't really produced much music in recent years, which is sad. But there are a couple of relatively "new" songs they did. One was Human Beings (which was on the soundtrack for Twister), and showed the band could still kick it. You hardly ever hear this song, but it rocks, and is probably the last good Van Halen song Sammy will ever be on.

Another great "newer" song is a song Dave recorded on the greatest hits album, called "Me Wise Magic," and it showed that the band could go back in time and have a little fun. It also showed that Dave could still hit the high notes. I'm wondering if they'll produce more music with Dave ...



Humans Being


Me Wise Magic

Fast Food Corner

About a month ago, I mentioned that Chick Fil-A was adding a new menu item - the spicy chicken sandwich. As you may remember, I had my doubts ... Wendy's spicy chicken sandwich is far from hot or spicy. I didn't expect much from Chick Fil-A's version.

Folks, while not overpowering, it certainly provides some punch. The heat is just right, and is a terrific addition to the Chick Fil-A lineup. No, I did not produce any sweat when I ate it (usually a good tell-tale sign that the food is spicy), but that's ok. For a fast-food restaurant, this was a heckuva "production." I was very impressed with it.

Weekly Homework Assignment

It's time once again for Mama Kat's Weekly Homework Assignment. This week, I chose the following prompt: A collector you know.

I have a friend who is absolutely nuts about collecting autographs. He routinely waits outside the major stadiums in South Philly, getting famous athlete's autographs. He's done it for years. I remember going to a Sixers game with him when we were in high school, and waiting by the players' entrance/exit ramp for autographs - I remember getting a couple of autographs from some no name Boston Celtics players.

He's gotten autographs of famous actors too. Philly has been alive with movie and TV show tapings the past 10 years or so, and my friend has taken full advantage of this. I believe not long ago, he actually got Mark Walberg's autograph.

It's never been a big deal to me. I mean, I have a few autographed pictures of athletes, but it's not a priority in my life. I'm not enamored by this is what I'm saying. Heck, I worked as a PR intern for the Philadelphia Eagles in 1996, and met many, many famous people. I never had the urge to get an autograph. In fact, I'd rather not be "that guy." It just seems like many of these autograph hounds are royal pains in the butts.

But, hey, I guess it's a better hobby than drug use, right?

Wacky News Stories

My God ... 100 degrees! Is there anything more to say?

1. On a mother and a daycare teacher trying desperately to free a 15-month-old baby boy from a locked car in the scorching heat Monday after emergency services refused to send help:
"Hmmmph ... looks like 911 has even outsourced their services overseas ..."
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2010/07/06/14623696.html

2. On a quarrel between occupants of two vehicles at a McDonald's restaurant drive-through in southern Finland erupting in gunfire Tuesday, leaving three men dead:
"Guess we can't really laugh at that 'Give me back that Filet-o-Fish' commercial anymore, can we?"
http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/europe/07/06/finland.shooting/index.html?hpt=T2

3. On a Porn star offering oral sex to Twitter followers if Dutch win World Cup:
"What happens if the Germans win?"
http://guyism.com/2010/07/bobbi-eden-dutch-porn-star-offers-sex-to-twitter-followers.html

4. On a fire at a New Hampton telemarketing office causing minor damage:
"See, this is where you wish the 911 operators would refuse to assist ..."
http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/97856404.html

5. On a man who was arrested for masturbating in the electronics department at Walmart:
http://www.wdsu.com/news/24141800/detail.html

Dope or Nope ...

Bluetooth headsets. Need I say more? Probably not, but I will. You've seen people walking up and down the street with them on. What are your thoughts? Personally, I'm not a fan of this. If you're walking down the street, and you have a bluetooth headset on, and you're talking on it, it looks like you're talking to yourself, and you should be in an insane asylum.

I have no problems with the headsets in the car. I think this is a MUCH better option than driving and holding your phone up to your ear ... just my personal opinion. I have a headset, and I ONLY use it when I'm driving. (Oh, and don't get me started on the driving texters ...).

So, what are your thoughts?

80's Corner

Here's something interesting that I found. Do you realize that Microsoft Word first made it's debut in the 1980's? Pretty fascinating, huh? I remember having some kind of word processing software for my Commodore 64 that I NEVER used ... I only played games on the Commodore. Anyway, I can't remember what the software program was.

But, here's what PC World had to say about Microsoft Word 2.0 - This second version of the world's most popular word processing software—well, now at least—boasted an expanded Spell dictionary, better integration of the mouse, and some really long load and save times.

Good times indeed! Now, we have a ribbon ...

Song of the Week ...

A band that just never seemed to peak ... well, I guess that could describe a bunch of bands. But, was there another band as hot as Tears for Fears in the mid 1980's? They just seemed to have that "it" sound ... like we'd be hearing a lot more from them. Sad that they couldn't get along (and their solo stuff, for the most part, was uninspiring).

Now that we're smack dab in the middle of the summer, a song that reminds me of this time of year is their uber-hit "Everybody Wants to Rule the World." The opening screams summer-time ... almost like something you'd hear in a Beach Boys song. The title of the song itself gives you what the song is about - a quote from Curt Smith (a band member) - "The concept is quite serious – it's about everybody wanting power, about warfare and the misery it causes."

But for some reason, I don't get misery out of this song. Maybe it's because it was played at the end of Real Genius (by the way, if you've never seen this movie, I don't know if I can be friends with you). Maybe, it's because ... well, it came out in the summer-time, and when I was growing up, I LOVED the summer (who didn't?).

Fast Food Corner

It's summer-time ... and that means one thing ... MILK SHAKES!!!!! The fast food chains have 'em. Now, I normally don't go to a fast-food place for milkshakes. In and around the Philly area, there are many, many better options. But, I have, on the occasion broken down and tried milkshakes at fast-food restaurants.

Wendy's, in my opinion, is probably the best. Their Frosty kicks some serious butt. Not too hard, and not too soft. Plus, it tastes like real ice cream. AND, if you want fancy, Wendy's has fancy milkshakes too (I've not tried these yet, though).

McDonalds probably has the most disappointing milk shake. First, I'm not sure if they even have milk in it. Second, it's WAY too hard - you could get an aneurysm trying to suck the shake through a straw. And, it's a little too sweet for some reason. McDonalds seems to have done an overhaul on other items, like their coffee. Why not overhaul the shake?

The one place I want to try is Sonic - they probably have a great milk shake. And, as of right now, it's still too far of a drive to just get a shake at Sonic (but soon, I think we're getting a Sonic in good ol' Delco!!!!).