A Wonderful World

State Fair!

I have been going to the State Fair of Texas for as long as I can remember. When I was a kid, I loved standing next to Big Tex (above) when he would begin his quarter-hourly welcome: "Howdy, folks. Welcome to the State Fair of Texas!". His deep baritone voice of course produced a wildly exaggerated Texan drawl. The petting zoo, the new car showroom, and the corny dogs, were all among my favorites! It runs for a little over a month, and during the 2nd week October, the annual rivalry football game between the University of Texas and University of Oklahoma takes place! I discussed last year's game here. One of the highlights of living in the Dallas-area is that all students and teachers receive a free ticket to the fair, and a day off from school to attend. It's not required that you go this day, but it gives you a day to do so. Our day is tomorrow, so I will sleep in and wait until the big game next weekend (at ticket to the game also gets you in the fair!)...ahhh....sleep! The fair has always been at the forefront of heart attack inducing foods, but we Texans hold them near and dear. The perennial favorites (Fletcher's Corny Dogs, Funnel Cake, Sausage on a Stick) are still around, but here are some of this year's food additions to the fair (not for the weak of stomach): Cajun Shrimp On A Stick – Spicy shrimp in a custom Cajun batter, fried and served with a choice of dipping sauce. (Gigi’s Food - Coca Cola Food Court) Deep Fried Cosmopolitan - Contest Finalist – A delicious fried pastry is filled with rich cheesecake and topped with a sweet & tangy cranberry glaze and a lime wedge. Served on a stick. (Desperados – Nimitz Dr.) Deep Fried Latte – a fried pastry topped with cappuccino ice cream, caramel sauce, whipped cream and instant coffee powder. Fernie's Fried Chicken n' Waffle – A toasted 7" round waffle, brushed with melted butter and topped with three extra-crunchy honey-battered chicken breast tenders. Served with syrup or white cream gravy. Sweet and salty. (The Dock – Embarcadero Building) Fried Avocadoes – Hand-battered chunks of scrumptious avocado are breaded and fried to perfection. Choice of dipping sauces. A culinary hit in California. (Weiss Enterprises - Thrillway) Fried Baked Potatoes – French fries right out of the fryer are topped with a choice of queso cheese sauce, bacon bits, chives or butter. (Benz Food – Cotton Bowl Plaza) Fried Coke - Contest Finalist – Smooth spheres of Coca-Cola-flavored batter are deep fried, drizzled with pure Coke fountain syrup, topped with whipped cream, cinnamon sugar and a cherry. Served in souvenir contoured glasses. (Vandalay Industries – Nimitz Dr. and Midway) Fried Pancake Sundae – Tasty country sausage bites wrapped in a light pancake batter, deep fried to perfection , topped with whipped cream, lightly glazed with hot fudge sauce and finished with a cherry on top. Pineapple and strawberry glaze options available. (Smokey John's BBQ – Cotton Bowl Plaza & Midway) Melon Monroe – Honey dew melon sauce ladled over chocolate chip ice cream, topped with whipped cream then garnished with two fried-dough, shaped "legs" filled with a special caramel sauce. Served fresh out of the fryer. "Some like it hot !" (Midway - across from Lost Children) Texas Cajun Steak On-a-Stick – Tender morsels of steak coated in a spicy Cajun batter, fried golden brown and served on a stick with red or white dipping sauce. (Gigi's Foods – Coca Cola Food Court) Texas Trash – In response to fairgoers' requests, this to-go sack of less-than-whole Hast Texas Nacho chips is served up in a white doughnut-style bag. (Hast Texas Nachos – Coca Cola Food Court) Wedgee's – Frozen chocolate-covered Wisconsin cheesecake-on-a-stick offered in Turtle (caramel) and Key Lime flavors.

Stuff From Kevin

I apologize in advance for any lost worker productivity. What follows is a link to 25 of the Web's Really Addictive Flash Games. My personal favorites (in order): 1. Sand 2. Mouse Maze 3. Ping-Pong Here's the link. If you click on his title banner at the top, he also has a number of tips on various web applications to improve your overall computer experience. Have fun!

Paparazzi...

I know, I know. This is the 3rd post in a week having to do with celebrities--I seem to be getting away from my focus. But I must say I have never really felt sorry for celebrities whining because they want their normal life back. I always said to myself, "Heck, if you wanted an anonymous, thankful life, maybe you should have thought about teaching (I kid, I kid)." It wasn't until I saw this video that I realized what the other side of the camera looks like. We only see the final shot of the celebrity, never the tons of photographers swarming and following their every move. It kinda sucks, but then again, we have some math and physics openings at my high school for August.

They Tried To Make Me Go To Rehab...

You know, sometimes I wonder if Paris and Lindsay compete with each other to see who can have the most amount of publicity. 2 DUI arrests in 6 months--the latest on Sunday coming 2 weeks 8 days after getting out of rehab? Seriously!? If you care, you can read the Smoking Gun report here.

Remember when?

Remember when Lauryn Hill was the darling of the music industry, on television, on the radio, and everywhere else, eventually winning multiple Grammys for her album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill? Well it seems things have changed. It really isn't news that she had a meltdown. This was painfully obvious from listening to her MTV Unplugged album that was released a few years ago. The surprise is that she is trying to make a comeback, but is hell-bent on doing it her own way. Showing up late (over 2 hours), having an ill-prepared voice, and rearranging the songs your fans DO know, is not the best way to stage a reemergence onto the charts. You can read the San Francisco Chronicle article here. And just for old time's sake, here is a video from one of my favorite songs on the Miseducation album, Ex-factor: Come back to us Lauryn!

This Must Be Some Kind Of Record

I can't believe I'm doing two posts in a row! Of all the things that Perez Hilton can be blamed for (the popularity of Paris Hilton, outing celebrities, heinous pictures of Britney Spears' nether regions), one thing he actually does well is music. When I go to his site (I admit, I look), there are always musical recommendations that are usually pretty good. My latest fascination is Amy Winehouse. I like to compare her to an old-timey songstress, a la Ella Fitzgerald, with an infusion of Lauryn Hill. What's more, her first single, "Rehab" is the story of people close to her urging her to go to--you guessed it--rehab. Perez loves to show pictures and tell stories of her messy life (she usually shows up drunk on stage). In any case, there are 2 videos below. The first is "Rehab", the second is "Back to Black". The eponymous album title.

Raymond

I neither liked nor watched "Everybody Loves Raymond" the 10 years or so that it was on tv, and I think I am in the minority. The small parts I did watch were, dare I say, trite and mind-numbing. Recently while watching a commercial, there was a clip commercial advertising "Raymond". It has been a while since something made me laugh out loud every time I saw it, in addition to any time the thought of that certain thing crossed my mind. Raymond did it, and did it well. I don't know the characters nor the situation, but Raymond's parents were arguing, with his mother saying "I'm not just some trophy wife, you know!". His response: "What contest in Hell did I win!?" Classic.

"All events occur in real time..."

And it was with that phrase that my obsession began. I've discussed my love for the show here and here. After 6 months of catching up on 5 seasons of shows, I finally get to watch the show in real time, not 3 years after the fact. This will make reading stories on the Internet much easier...No more DAMN! I didn't want to know XX Major Character was going to die. More importantly, I no longer have to schlep back and forth to Blockbuster to feed my addiction. Only problem: I now have more time to do things that I have been putting off the last 6 months...Anyone want to help me do some grading? I have 4 LIVE hours of 24 to watch tonight and tomorrow.

24

I've been watching "24" since about July 4th weekend. I have written previously about my affinity for this show. If you've never seen it, it's like watching a never ending action movie. There are more twists and turns than a crazy straw! I have somehow managed to get myself pretty far into the series, which started in 2001. In January, the 6th season will begin. I currently find myself in the midst of the 4th (!) season. 24 is a pretty serious show, but still manages to how a few comical situations/side jokes every now and again. Chloe O'Brian is an analyst within CTU (counter terrorism unit). She has very, very poor social skills. During a rather serious point in a storyline, Chloe's boss ask her to complete a task. She makes a bit of a "potato face", and her boss responds: "Chloe, we don't have time for your personality disorder. Get to work". (potato face? hmmm...) You might have to see the show to appreciate it, but I thought it was pretty funny. She has to be the most bizzare characters. Ms. O'Brian has quite the penchant for making strange comments at strange times. I would hurt myself, badly, if I had to work with her on a daily basis.

The Office (UK version)

...is a great show.

A New Generation Jukebox

Try it. I promise you'll never look at music the same!

Laugh!

If you're in need of a good laugh, and you haven't been to these sites recently, you must visit: Overheard in New York Overheard in the Office Overheard at the Beach Live Well, Laugh Often.

Karaoke Revolution!

I have to confess. I played Karaoke Revolution, and I liked it. No, I mean I really, really liked it. It's almost like a fix--it's addicting as all get out! You choose a song, a level of difficulty of judging, and the venue. While singing, you must stay on pitch (it is indicated by a little green arrow), and you get booed if you are horribly off! Different from most karaoke, you must also dance according to small arrows crawling across the screen. The pad that you use is similar to the 1980's Nintendo Power Pad. Get your dancing and singing in synch, you can get platinum and gold records, eventually releasing more songs. Singing and dancing...something I am mildly good at separately, but put together, I'm a disaster. I think this game was made for people like me.

Disappointing Entourage

I have been holding off judgment, but I can't take it anymore. This season stinks! When I started watching Entourage back during the 1st season (it's now in it's 3rd), it was the coolest show no one was talking about. In case you've not heard of it, the show is a behind-the-scenes story of a young actor who moves from Queens to Hollywood to become an actor. In moving, he decides to take his 2 best friends and his brother with him. What made the show great were the references made to agents and even making fun of real Hollywood actors. Those same actors would show up on the show from time to time as well. It never really took itself too seriously. Now that it has received Emmy nods and buzz, it's turned into crap. I still watch it, but there have probably been only 2 good episodes this season (out of 7). I guess I can deal with it for now. 24 has become my new must-see show! I can't believe I didn't start watching this show from the beginning!

Le Cinema Francais

My interview for UPS is tonight at 11:45 pm. I just finished applying to Border's Books, as well. I think that this opportunity will be a much better fit for me than picking up boxes and such. Not that I'm a pansy or anything... The last two nights, I re-watched two of my favorite French movies, A Bout de Souffle and L'Auberge Espagnole. I saw both during college, and thought they were the awesome. L'Auberge I saw in Paris the first few days after I moved there, and didn't understand a word. It's the story of a French college student that moves to Spain for ayear abroad. Hilarity ensues because he moves into an apartment with people from all over the European Union. It has some wonderful views of Barcelona, as well! I think it is the poster child for the new EU that is being created. A Bout, I saw after a good friend of mine (a Radio-TV-Film major) suggested that we see it. It tells the story of a petty thief running away from the French police with his American (sometimes) girlfriend. It is probably one of the best examples of the French New Wave Cinema that became popular in the 1960s. Both are wonderful, though VERY different examples of French cinema.