My Top 5 Christmas Food Items

So, I realize that is a picture of beer. That's fine, as I consider it a food item. Also, it has a nice holiday feel to it. I don't eat very much and generally do not get as excited as food as I used to. That being said, I do enjoy the feast that is had on major holidays (although this Thanksgiving the said "feast" was limited to a bag of chips and some summer sausage). These are my favorite items to eat on December 25th (and 26th, 27th, etc...)

5. Cheese!

I realize that cheese isn't necessarily a "holiday" food. However, every party or gathering I've ever attended during December has had some assortment of cheese and cheese related products. I prefer the cheese cubes, as picture above, because you can pop them like pills. I'd also recommend popping cheese instead of pills this holiday season as cheese will most likely not cause you to blackout and trip over the Christmas tree. I also like cheese in a can but don't get me started on that.

4. Turkey

I love turkey. While I eat it throughout the year in the form of lunch meat, nothing can compare to the turkey served on Thanksgiving and Christmas. Some people opt for ham on Christmas because they are still eating turkey sandwiches from Thanksgiving. However, I prefer the taste of a golden brown bird to that of pink pork. Just don't let the crazy Bumpass dogs get to it

3. POPCORN TIN!!

I mentioned the infamous popcorn tin in an earlier post. I also mentioned that it had been at least ten years since I'd sampled its genius (yes, it is genius to put 3 flavors of anything into one package. Who doesn't like Neapolitan ice cream?) I think I like the popcorn tin more for nostalgia than anything else. The buttered flavor tastes like absolute ass and the cheese isn't that great either. The caramel popcorn is really the only somewhat satisfying aspect of this tin of corn and as you can see by the picture, they give you twice as much of it. I remember my family getting these when I was younger and by Christmas you would have a tin with an empty caramel chamber, a half-full cheese section, and a full "butter" section. On some occasions there would actually be more butter popcorn in the tin than there had been when we bought it. Not sure how that happened...

2. Mashed Potatoes

I never really eat potatoes anymore. I love french fries but I can't remember the last time I ate them or even had a baked potato for that matter. However, if it is Christmas, you have to have mashed potatoes. Why? I have no clue. I do know, however, that there will always be a huge bowl of mashed potatoes sitting on the kitchen table come December 25th. I don't really have anything witty or clever to say about potatoes, so I'm going to leave it at that.

1. Green Bean Casserole

The single greatest culinary invention of all time (besides using a krispy kreme donut as a hamburger bun). The one dish I look forward to gorging on every year, Green Bean casserole has become a staple for the holiday season in my mind. The great thing is that only my mother and I actually like it so there is always plenty to go around and around and around...One day I may actually try to make it myself but first I have to learn how to work the microwave.

Some (all) of these foods are pretty standard and boring Christmas fare but that is why I like Christmas. I generally know what to expect and am not surprised when i sit down at the table and see smoked salmon and spaghetti.

CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN: 8 days!

My Top 5 Christmas Movies

Continuing in the blogging spirit of the Holidays, I am presenting my own personal top 5 Christmas movies. I don't necessarily expect anyone to agree with the order or even the films but there is one thing we can all agree on: all Christmas movies suck when you watch them in April.

5 Christmas Vacation

This is kind of a default pick. Growing up, my mother would watch this film every year and while I never really liked it when I was younger, I definitely appreciate the humor now that I am older. I don't think it is as good as the original "Vacation" movie but it is still a holiday classic. Randy Quaid really makes this movie for me in his portrayal as the obnoxious cousin Eddie Johnson. I still cringe when he empties his RV's septic tank into the street. I try to catch this one at least once every year.

4. It's a Wonderful Life

This movie is not only a holiday classic but a true gem in the history of cinema. I have always been a fan of James Stewart and he truly shines in Frank Capra's story of a man who finds out what would have been if he had never existed. I also love this movie because I thoroughly enjoy annoying the crap out of people with my horrible Stewart impressions. "CLARENCE!! CLARENCE!!" This is actually one of the few movies that I don't mind watching outside of the Christmas season.

3. Bad Santa

One of the more recent holiday films, Bad Santa offers everything I want from a Christmas movie. A drunk Santa, a fat kid obese with getting a purple elephant, and a foul-mouthed midget. This movie is definitely not for anyone under the age of 18 (or anyone over the age of 30 for that matter), however, it provides plenty of laughs for the person like me who enjoys his Holidays with a shot of whiskey.

2. Home Alone

I had to think for a moment about which "Home Alone" I prefer. While "Home Alone 2" is a great movie on its own and a more than worthy sequel, I still side with the original. This is one film that I cannot go through the holiday season without watching at least once. I'm pretty sure every kid I knew growing up wanted to shoot action figures into the laundry chute with a BB gun and Kevin McCallister lived that dream. I never really knew anyone that wanted to take a blowtorch to Joe Pesci's head, though, but I didn't know a whole lot of people.

1. A Christmas Story

The Holy Grail among Christmas movies as far as I am concerned. Year after year I drive my family crazy by insisting that we leave the TNT 24 hour marathon on the television as we open gifts, eat, and be merry. For me, the holiday season cannot officially begin until I see "A Christmas story" and once the marathon is over, so is Christmas. Most people I talk to are either absolutely in love this movie or despise it as though it is the Grinch that stole Christmas. Regardless, this movie will always be a staple of my Christmas traditions.

Blog isn't dead...just on life support

So, I haven't posted on this blog (which coincidentally shares my name, original, eh?) in quite some time. I don't have a real excuse, aside from I'm convinced that I may be the only person in North America that reads it (I'm huge in Europe, though). I've thought about things to write about but nothing interested me enough to actually type out a post about it. I'm going to try to update it during this glorious Holiday season, beginning with this post. Here are some random thoughts for Monday December 1st:

-I thought it was cold last week. Today, however, is cold. Wind sucks. Snow sucks. Cold sucks. Sucks.

-I really want to buy one of those popcorn tins that they sell during the holiday season. We're talking three different kinds of popped corn. If I had to rank the flavors in order, Cheese would be the unanimous number one, followed by caramel, and the bland "butter" flavor a distant third. Truth be told, I haven't eaten popcorn from one of these in a good ten years, so nostalgia may be a factor here. If I buy one, I'll write a full review. (I know you can't wait for that).

-Cherry coke zero may be the greatest "diet" soft drink I've ever had. Goes very well with slim jims. Don't ask me how I know.

-I didn't leave the house on Black Friday for the first year in quite some time. In fact, I still have dvds from last Black Friday that I haven't even opened yet. I hope my relatives want dvds for Christmas...

Congrats to Rays, Phillies. Farewell to Manny?

It's been a while since I've made a post on here. Hell, I didn't make a single post for the Dodgers entire postseason run. Why? I'm not quite sure. The whole postseason felt like a dream to me. To actually see the Dodgers win a playoff series (and to do so in convincing fashion) was and still is somewhat mesmerizing to me. It was great to sweep the Cubs and I can't really be disappointed that we lost to the Phils. They're the better team. It was hard for me to focus on anything knowing that the Dodgers had a legitimate shot at making the World Series. I just kept waiting for them to lose and once they finally did so, I was able to resume normal activity. I'm not trying to say that I didn't have faith in my team. I've been with this team the entire season. Through the ups and down. Manny and no Manny. Andruw Jones. However, I didn't really know how to react to the team doing well. That being said, the Dodgers season is over and now the front office needs to focus on what will be a very trying offseason.

Since the final out of game 5 of the NLCS there has been much speculation of what uniform Manny Ramirez will wear next year. Will he stay in what he so eloquently reffered to as "Mannywood" or will he piss off Boston fans even further (is that possible?) by donning pinstripes? While Manny's future employer may be unknown, one thing is certain: he will be filthy rich. I love baseball more than any other sport on the planet. I grew up playing it and now devote my summers to following it as if it were my job. That being said, it has a problem that no other sport has: the players make too much damn money. Once a player gets that big contract, they have much less to play for. It is all guaranteed money and that is where the problems begin. Why should Andruw Jones get more than 18 million dollars this year when pitchers on his own team had better offensive stats? The Dodgers should be able to cut him and not pay him a dime. Sure, the Dodgers were dumb to even give him that contract (cough*Juan Pierre, Jason Schmidt*cough) but what does Jones care? To hear him complain about being booed when he is hitting below .150 with two home runs, you'd think the poor guy was struggling just to make it in this world. But he's not. He'll get paid almost 20 million dollars next year. Poor baby.

Would Manny fill the seats? Damn right he will and the team would definitely retain the big bat that they have lacked for several years. Manny has been consistant his whole career. You know he can hit, when he wants to. But what happens once he gets that 4 year, $100 million dollar contract and has nothing to play for? "Mannywood" was great but let's not change the sign just yet.

We're In

Rollin' down Imperial Highway

With a big nasty redhead at my side

Santa Ana winds blowin' hot from the north

And we was born to ride

Roll down the window, put down the top

Crank up the Beach Boys, baby

Don't let the music stop

We're gonna ride it 'til we just can't ride it no more

From the South Bay to the Valley

From the West Side to the East Side

Everybody's very happy'

Cause the sun is shining all the time

Looks like another perfect day

I love L.A. (We love it)

I love L.A. (We love it)

We love it

Obligatory Magic Number One Curtain Call

Well, Well, Well. Magic number is one. Thanks to Manny. Thanks to Nomar. Thanks To Clayton Kershiser. Thanks to, uh, well, you know where I'm going with this. The Dodgers won another decisive game over a team that they should be winning decisive games over, defeating the San Diego Padres 12-4. The Dodgers also got a little help from their new best friends, the Arizona Diamondbacks, who lost to the Cardinals 4-2. I know that I have been hesitant to proclaim that the division will be won by the dodgers but I'm almost ready to do so. The D'backs play today at 2:15 which means that on my way home I may be stopping by the liquor store to pick up my own bottle of champagne. Of course, now that I've actually mentioned it, the Dodgers will lose and the d'backs will win. Well, whatever. I honestly have nothing to do with either outcome so I will sit in my cubicle and watch the box score update because for some reason, my MLB.TV does not work on my work computer.

Jake "how did this team get so bad so fast" Peavy 9-11 (2.77 ERA) VS Greg Maddux 7-13 (4.31 ERA). Ok, so Maddux has been far from amazing since his return to L.A. and may not even make the playoff roster (blasphemy!). However, he may not even have to win today. We'll just have to wait and see. In the meantime, I'm off to watch the Kirk Gibson home run for the 15,000th time. THINK BLUE!

Nomah Makes it 3!

That's right! Nomar Garciaparra smacked a three run dinger in the first inning of last night's Dodgers game. After scoring six runs in the first inning, the Dodgers went on to beat the snot out of second worst team in the National League, defeating the Padres 10-1. And as much as I love a Dodgers win, the only comparable feeling is a Diamondbacks loss. The Cardinals get some L.A. love for defeating Randy "My fastball may have lost velocity but I'm still the ugliest sob in baseball" Johnson. The combination of the Dodgers victory and D'backs has put the dodgers magic number at 3. What a magic number it is. The 3 run homer by nomah, the 3 game lead they currently have over Arizona and 3 wins/dbacks losses to make it back to the postseason to avenge the past 20 years of failure.

Tonight's Game: 10:10 EST Shawn Estes (2-3, 4.73) vs Clayton Kershaw (4-5, 4.28 ERA). I'll just say this about Kershaw, if the Dodgers do clinch the division he will be the only guy on the roster not of legal age to drink a celebratory beer. Maybe Manny can sneak him one when Joe isn't looking.

Mambo # 5

Five is a good number, I suppose. Not as good as the number one, which is the amount of runs the dodgers needed yesterday to win. One run. One stinking run. The Dbacks won and are now 2.5 games behind the dodgers with one week of baseball left to play. The Dback play this evening and the dodgers get a day off. Tomorrow, each team will have six games left to play and the Dodgers will either have a 2 or 3 game lead. I still refuse to believe that this team will be in the playoffs until they literally clinch it, which may or may not happen until sunday afternoon. Consider me a temporary Cardinals and Rockies fan for the next six days. So, the dodgers get a day off to look for their offense, which had already taken sunday off, and then play 3 more home games against the Padres and then finish the year in the city by the bay.

Magic Number: 6

Dodgers lost last night. Big deal. The Douchebacks also lost which puts the Dodgers number to clinch the division at six. That's any combination of Dodgers wins and D'backs losses.  Yeah, the Dodgers didn't look very good last night and Maddux, coming off of a brilliant performance in Colorado last week, got shellshocked. But tonight is a different night and so they'll do it all over again. 

 I don't really like talking about the Dodgers having this thing wrapped up. I mean, this team is streaky and anything can happen. That being said, the Diamondbacks seem to have nothing left in the tank. They could go on some unbelievable streak and steal this division but I think that both teams will limp to the end of September. 

 Kuroda will start against Hennessey tonight at the old stadium. Kuroda has been great as of late, going 2-0 with a 2.95 ERA in his last 3 starts and the dodgers have been great at home this year. So, I like I said, I'm not worried.....yet.

Introducing....DODGERS BLOG

So, I don't typically talk about sports much on here (hell, I haven't talked about anything on here since the freakin' batman movie came out) but a September push has put the Dodgers in a position I was not expecting: playoff contenders. As a result, I am turning this blog into a place to dissect the rest of the Dodgers season, however long that may be.
Just to bring you up to speed on the season, the Dodgers currently have a 3.5 game lead over the Arizona Diamondbacks with 9 games left to play (D'backs have 10 left). The Dodgers have six games left at home (3 vs Giants, 3 vs Padres) and end the season with 3 on the road against, who else, the San Francisco Giants. The D'Backs have 7 games left on the road (3 at Rockies, 4 at St. Louis) and end the season with 3 at home against the Rockies. Hopefully, the final 3 games of the season won't matter for either team, as the Dodgers will have at least the 3.5 game lead they currently enjoy. However, I am not counting my chickens
Regardless, during a meeting at work this morning, I made a chart of the possible outcomes for the season.It basically lists the possible records that have each team would have to post for the Dodgers NOT to make the playoffs. I'm not going to post it because I just realize I messed it up. Anyways, if the Dodgers go 3-6 and the Dbacks go 7-3, the D'backs would tie the Dodgers. I don't see either one of those records holding up.
So, from now until what I hope will be a run at the World Series, I will be posting about every Dodgers game. So get out your manny skullcap, complete with attached dreadlocks. It's gonna be fun.

The Dark Knight

So, I saw the movie. You know, THE MOVIE. What else would anyone be talking about these days? The Dark Knight was the movie of the summer before anyone ever saw it. They hype and expectations had been risen to such heights that it couldn't possibly deliver, right? Well, kind of.
On Thursday night, the moon looked insane. I think it was full but it may have just been 7/8s full. Either way, I assumed it was just because the movie was coming out and things just kind of happen like that. They should've painted the batman logo on the moon in honor of the movie but I doubt they are hurting for money right now.

First things first. Ledger is very good in this film. He does what everyone expected him to do, which is steal the film. However, every actor is amazing in this film. Bale, Oldman, and Eckhart all turn in amazing performances but I doubt any of them will ever even receive the credit they deserve because Ledger makes this his film. But I think that from the time the movie was announced and we all saw those first pictures of the joker, this film was about the joker, not batman. Anyone who has seen "Batman Begins," pretty much knows what is coming in this film. It is good, really good but it still maintains that serious feeling. Everything in this film is believable, which is something we don't see a lot in superhero movies. I guess that is because superheroes don't exist. They are just figments of our imaginations but Batman could be more. He is a human being, who fights with himself over what his role is in society. He continually makes himself human, from his desire to love to his guilty conscious, we all see him as a regular person who wants to save the city. Bale is an amazing actor who will never get the credit he deserves for what he has done with this cultural icon.

The movie is 2.5 hours long, which is about the length of "Batman Begins," and while I love it, it does go kind of slow at points. You think the movie is going to end at one point (and may have wished it would, for further sequel opportunities) but everything pretty much works itself out. I think we'll see another Batman movie in 3 years, I have no idea what it ill include nor how it will live up to this one.

There are so many characters in this film that one might have a hard time digesting everything that is going on. However, it is a great film. Not the best I've ever seen, but damn good. I want to see it again and probably will. I was a little surprised to hear that people are selling tickets for up to $200 to see it this weekend. Are you kidding me? Only for the Dark Knight. The movie. You know, the only movie.

My Internet Personal Ad

Women, I realize it is hard to find a good guy in this society we live in. However, I think that once you get to know me and my character traits, you will be unable to resist me. I am the total package and instead of paying eHarmony to find me a mate (does Brad Pitt need an internet site to help him get some?) I'll just list my incredible qualities here.

Reasons to date Justin:

-I don't eat much: I never really get hungry. So if you say you are going to cook and somehow burn the living hell out of it, I'll be ok. I won't be disappointed that I will not be getting dinner. I mean, you'll probably have to get something for yourself but you need not worry about keeping me fed. Also, I'll never cook for you, so you can eat all the fast food you want. Just don't get fat.

-I don't need my laundry done too much: I do laundry about once every month, if that. Now don't get too freaked out. I own a lot of underwear and socks and I change clothes every couple hours so they never get too dirty. This way I am able to wear them in shifts and avoid getting them dirty. Not that I expect a woman to do laundry but if you are one that feels an obligation to keep her man's clothes clean, no need to fret, my pet. My clothes never get dirty.

-I require little attention, if any: Think you have to reassure me that "I'm the one" or that "You love me" ? Hell no, I don't need that from a girl. Hell, half the time I may even forget that you exist. Don't let this get you down, just take it as me being low maintenance. Do you really want a guy that never leaves you alone and constantly is giving you compliments and buying you sweet gifts? Of course, not. Plus, if you forget my birthday or an anniversary, I won't care. Why? Because I have no idea when either one is.

I have a large DVD collection: I have all kinds of movies that we can sit and watch together (don't get too close)! From "Death to Smoochy" to "Star Wars," I've got enough movies to ensure that I never have to take you out in public. And even if a movie may come out that I want to see, I'll just download a bootleg on the internet. NOTE: I am a little sick of chicks dating me for only my dvds and not me...

I have no job: So, as I previously stated, I'm not gonna bother you with compliments and shit but this is still a good thing. I have all the time in the world to sit around and get at video games so you can tell all of your friends how godly I am at them. Also, if there is a movie you want to see but don't have time, I'll watch it for you and just tell you about it. What else am I going to do? Plus, you'll never have to worry about where I am because I'll always be sitting on my couch. I think it is important to have that kind of trust.

So, if this isn't enough to make you want me, I really don't know what your problem is. I have not lied about my attributes to make you think I am better than I am. I know it may be hard to believe that a guy can have all of these things, but I promise I do. If you wanna hook up, let me know. I'll even let you drive and pay on the first date. I'm always thinking of others.

The funniest movie of all time...

With the popularity of movies like "knocked-up," "superbad," and "insert another stupid ass movie here," I felt it was time to reflect on the funniest movie of all time: "The Jerk." Starring and co-written by a young Steve Martin, "the jerk" offers everything you should ever want or need from a comedy. With movies these days relying on jokes that are played out by their own trailers, "The jerk" was just plain funny. I am posting one of my favorite moments from the film. Maybe some day I'll write more about it but for the time being, enjoy some late 70's humor from the king.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=vkVzspuCkxg

My Favorite Movie Ever!

I used to be somewhat of a film geek when I was younger. I would be overly critical and harsh of films and deem many actors as "untalented" or "hacks." Having grown up quite a bit in the past five years, I enjoy a variety of movies. I don't know a whole lot of people who love "Freddy Got Fingered" as much as me but also live for Oscar season. I have now come to realize that movies are, at their simplest form entertainment, but above that are true art. For me, "Punch Drunk Love" is the most sincere form of art I have ever seen conveyed on the big screen.

Paul Thomas Anderson is one of the brightest young filmmakers alive. From his epic "Boogie Nights," which I see as the best portrayal ever of the San Fernando Valley, to his latest Oscar worthy "There Will Be Blood," he brings out aspects of characters that truly make them seem like human beings.

Punch Drunk Love follows the story of Barry Egan (played brilliantly by comedian Adam Sandler) as he tries to make it through his life as a dysfunctional small business owner while dealing with his seven sisters. The sisters are just what you expect siblings to be: mean as hell. They continually drive him to do things his anxieties would prevent him from doing and occasionally he explodes in expressions of violence. I don't wan to ruin the film for anyone, because I really want you to see it, so I will refrain from specific examples. Just know to pay special attention to the characters in this film.

One day, Egan's sister brings a female friend to meet him. He freaks out, of course, but eventually meets with her and the two have a relationship. This is why I love this movie. Barry's explosive yet reclusive personality makes for a very inspiring character. He uses his passions to his benefit, even if they cause trouble along the way. Anderson's film is more about his use of music, color, and character, than any kind of plot, yet there is such a plot there that one should still be interested.

This is a movie that is hated by many of my friends. I think they must have been expecting Billy Madison 2 or something. It is not typical Sandler but it is typical Anderson, in that it gives you plenty to see, you just have to be looking for it. I have seen it several times and find it to be continuously inspiring. At the end of the movie, Barry says to Philip Seymour Hoffman (also great) that " I have a love in my life. It makes me stronger than anything you can imagine." A great line, sure, but even better because as an audience, we can actually believe it.

My Top 5 Movies Still to Come this Summer

There have already been several big budget movies released this summer. There are plenty yet to come, however. These are the five I have to see:

5. Hancock-July 2nd



This movie kind of perplexes me. When I originally saw a teaser for it a few months back, I thought it was some kind of joke. Seriously, Will Smith playing a Rebel Superhero who "don't give no shit about nothin"' seemed like a ludicrous idea for a film, let alone his typical summer blockbuster. However, the film looks pretty good. I'm basically going on hype alone for this one. A decent cast, pretty good looking CGI, and the fresh prince. Can't be that bad. I'll get back to you on it.


4. Step-Brothers-July 25th



To most college men who enjoy the mind-numbing routine comedy of Will Ferrell, this comes as a no-brainer. However, I want to see it for one reason and one reason only: Dewie Cox. "Walk Hard" really impressed me and John C. Reilly makes me laugh much harder than Farrell has in an awful long time. Having these two on the screen should make for at least enough laughs to warrant the matinee prices that I will pay for it.

3. Tropic Thunder-August 15th



Robert Downey Jr. as a black man. Do I have to say anything else? Ok, well I will anyways. This movie has what on paper looks like an amazing cast and brilliant idea. A movie in a movie. Sounds good to me. Jack Black and Ben Stiller co-star with Downey in what should make for fine summer comedy. Hell, it even has a cameo by Tom Cruise. Yes, that Tom Cruise.

2. Wall-E -June 27th



Oh hell yeah. I love Pixar and I love Disney. Pay no attention to my birthdate, this movie has all kinds of buzz surrounding it. While some worry about the possibility of the film dragging due to less dialogue, I think the film will finally please both avid film buffs and animation fans. Pixar has always made great films and "Wall-E" looks to continue that streak with the little robot that could. I'm only not seeing it at midnight the night it comes out because I've promised a special someone I would see it with her. Buy your tickets now, it opens in less than 24 hours.

1. The Dark Knight



Yeah, big surprise, I know. "The Dark Knight" can't come out soon enough for anyone that loved "Batman Begins" and is anxiously awaiting Heath Ledger's (apparently) epic portrayal of the joker. I hadn't seen Begins until a few weeks ago but I was thoroughly impressed and the trailers for "The Dark Knight" have had me foaming at the mouth for this film since the initial teaser. This one I will be seeing at midnight (hopefully).

Honorable Mentions:

Wanted-June 27th-Angelina Jolie. Nuff said
Hamlet 2-August 22nd
X-Files: I want to Believe-July 25th- I want to believe, too, that this wont suck.

No thanks:
Mamma Mia-I'm old but I ain't that old
Meet Dave-I think I know this guy. Is his last name Norbit?
Journey to the Center of the Earth- uh, I totally thought that Brendan Fraser had retired or something. Too bad.

There you have it. My picks for the rest of the summer. I am honestly going to try my best to at least see most of the top 5 and honorable mentions but considering I go to the movies about 3 times per year, it may be tough.

Random Thoughts-June 19, 2008

-I went to Magic Mountain yesterday. First things first, it was REALLLLLY FRICKIN HOT! I've never been to a theme park under that kind of heat. It was ungodly. So bad that I honestly came close to blacking out while on "Goliath." The combination of the heat plus the warmest breeze I've ever felt caused me to see spots wherever I looked. We rode pretty much every coaster in the park except for Tatsu (we were in line but it broke down). I love roller coasters as much as the next guy or gal but I really think I may be getting too old to ride them. I know I'm only 23 but I'm to the point where my mind and my stomach are starting to disagree with high speeds and even higher drops.

-Speaking of heat, it is even hotter today in the valley. According to Yahoo! it is currently 105 degrees in Winnetka with the high for the day being 110. Tomorrow more of the same. I have lived in/visited California for years but this pretty crazy stuff. Luckily my parents keep the A.C. for most of the day and we have a pool in the backyard but I feel very sorry for anyone that has to be out working in this Hell. Supposed to cool down by Monday. Thank god.

-I tried that "Loaded Steakhouse Burger" from Burger King yesterday. The burger is topped with crispy onions, baked potato topping, bacon, cheese, and A1 steak sauce. Just writing that makes me feel like a lardass for eating the thing. The burger was the only thing I ate the entire day and I was still beyond stuffed after forcing myself to finish it. It was good, though. I just wouldn't recommend making a habit of eating them.

Back to Lexington in 10 days. That should be interesting...

Random Thoughts-June 15, 2008

The dude that plays what I think is an older brother on "iCarly" is actually pretty funny. I woke up this morning to find nothing but that show on. Nothing like a spin-off of a spin-off of a spin-off.

-"The Incredible Hulk" wasn't incredible but it was a pretty good movie. I haven't seen the 2003 version and I have never read the comics but I enjoyed watching this movie.

-I also watched "Batman Begins" yesterday. I loved the film. Batman movies in the past had made the mistake of being "unrealistic," which I suppose super hero movies should be. But this movie actually felt as though it could be real. As though a man could somehow do a lot of this stuff. Nothing was too far-fetched and I loved Nolan's take on the classic cave dweller.

-The dodgers. What can I say about them? They are an abomination. An embarrassment. They have lost 5 in a row and I wouldn't be surprised if they ran that streak up double digits. Turns out that in baseball, you have to score runs to win games. Go figure.

-Now that my brother is home, I have access to his dvds and with those comes the Alfred Hitchcock masterpiece collection. I am going to try and watch every film in the collection before I leave.

-This is a really good weezer song that came out on one of their first demos (before blue album)

http://youtube.com/watch?v=pdcCByv2XII

-I go home in two weeks....

In-n-out

Those of you unfamiliar with the fast food restaurant chain "In-n-out," I'm sorry. It is possibly the best burger I have ever had from a place that doesn't expect you to leave a tip. The menu is limited to the following: hamburger, cheeseburger, double double (double cheeseburger), fries, and milkshakes. Of course, there is a secret menu that has things such as grilled cheese and the holy grail, animal style fries. Animal style means that they take a mess of their already awesome fries and pile them high with cheese, onions, and their burger spread sauce-stuff.  You can also get a burger with as many meat patties as you would like. I cant even remember the number of times I've seen 10x10s consumed in a single sitting (ok, I can, once). 

Currently, the restaurant only serves the fine states of California, Nevada, and Arizona, although I pray every night that they will magically appear in Central Kentucky.  This morning I woke up and put my in-n-out shirt on, having no plans on eating there at any point in the near future. Fate had other plans. I decided to go to Wal-Mart with my father and low and behold sitting in the same parking lot was In-n-out. Naturally, we had to eat there. A double-double and fries. The food was awesome as it always is but then tragedy struck. I got sauce on my shirt.

Feel free to check out their website   www.in-n-out.com

In-n-out

   In-n-out

  That's what a hamburger's all about

Merry Christmas!

I've lost my mind (and my shoes)

I typically don't pay enough attention to things in life to notice reoccurring images. Over the past week, however, I have seen the image to the left at least 3 times. 

1st Incident: Last friday, while still in California on vacation, I went to the Grocery store to buy something. I took a back-alley way as to avoid traffic and on my way in, I saw a group of students walking in the opposite direction, one of them carrying a pair of shoes. As I was driving home, the shoes were hanging on a telephone wire above the alley.

2nd Incident: Just this afternoon, I was driving to Wendy's to get dinner for my girlfriend and myself. As I passed through a random track of homes, there they were. A pair of sneakers hanging over my, stuck forever on a wire.

3rd Incident: Tonight I was flipping through channels and just happened to stop on what I think was MTV (save the jokes). The show was going to commercial and slowly zoomed in on a pair of shoes, hung on, what else but a telephone wire. 

I did a little research on the internet (by research I mean clicking on the first search result) and found several possible interpretations for the "shoes on the telephone wire." Here are some of my favorites:

- the shoes on the wire mean you can buy crack there

- Is a ritual to throw an old pair of shoes over the telephone wire when a new pair                was acquired

- It is a gang symbol

- To keep your alcoholic father from stealing them from you in the middle of the                  night and selling them for Old Crow money.

 While I think that final idea may be a bit of a stretch, shoes on a telephone wire could mean anything. What I really want to know is why I suddenly saw this image more times in one week than I remember seeing in several years. What could it mean in my life? I did buy a new pair of shoes about 5 weeks ago. Maybe it means my feet hurt, as they kind of do. I do, of course, walk all day for work. Do the shoes mean I should join a gang? I have been playing Grand Theft Auto 4 but I doubt that would cause me to notice such a petty thing.

Is there a point to this jackass rambling on about old shoes on a telephone wire? Maybe. The point is that I suddenly began to notice this small, insignificant thing and it has made me question why.  If I kept having a dream with a pair of dangling shoes in it, one would argue that they symbolized something. The difference now is that this is REAL life and I am seeing a reoccurring and uncommon image.  Maybe it just is a coincidence and this entire post is just me overanalyzing a petty series of events. I think there is more to it, though. It isn't the same as seeing your kitchen or car everyday and that symbolizing something. It's more like seeing a raccoon with a glass eye. Well, you get what I mean.

What did you do today?

I got up at 6 a.m. PST and got on a plane at LAX.

Then I drink two beers and got on another plane in Atlanta.

I then got Fazoli's and came home.

I'm now in Lexington, Messing with my cat.

Take care

First Post

I am not the kind of person to put a whole lot of emotion or thought into a blog post. Typically, I use sarcasm or satire in an attempt to be funny or entertaining. However, my other blog seems to be gone forever and I have decided to devote this new blog to topics more related to my own personal life. Seeing how nobody really ever read my other blog, I don't expect a large or even meager following. That's that