Roach coaches a.k.a. Food Trucks

I started this a few weeks or more ago. I've been busy and distracted but I wanted to continue with my thought when I began this post instead of deleting it.

I don't know if you've noticed but there's a new fad in town (in the Dallas/Fort Worth and maybe Austin area anyway). It's called a food truck a.k.a. roach coach. Of the ones I've posted below, I've tried two: Easy Slider and ssahmBBQ. I can't bring myself to pay $5-$7 for a freaking grilled cheese from Ruthie's because I keep thinking that I can buy a whole loaf of bread and 24-36 Kraft cheese slices to make my own 12 or so grilled cheese sandwiches for the same price.
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Easy Slider Truck

So, I've had all the sliders from Easy Slider. I can't really say that I have a favorite but the two I recall the most are the Sweet & Lowdown and The Nutty Pig. I remember them mainly because of the added toppings of strawberry jam on the first and peanut butter on the second. All the other regular sandwiches are pretty good too except for The Black & Blue. It comes with slaw that takes away from the slider more than it adds to it. It's just not very flavorful slaw. The French Revolution is just as memorable as the S&L and TNP but the toppings like Dijon aren't anything really different that I haven't used on a sandwich/burger before like with the strawberry jam and peanut butter. For the price, I'd go with their 3 for $10 versus the 2 for $7 or just one slider. I just felt like it was a better deal. I also compared the price to slider appetizers that are sold at a few restaurants and 3 for $10 is actually a better price than at most places for the same amount of food. Final verdict: Easy Slider Truck is definitely one that you should try out and I think you'll have an easier time finding them since I think I read somewhere that they purchased a second truck — they are a franchise now. :-)
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ssahmBBQ Gourmet Korean Tacos

I've only had the KALBI(Beef) and DAEJI(Pork) tacos from ssahmBBQ. I've also only eaten from the truck twice. A friend of mine had the bowl and thought it was pretty good. As for my experience with the tacos, I thought they were pretty darn good. The meat is seasoned well and fairly tasty. It comes with some garnishing or what I call "filler" like kimchee, cilantro and onion which adds a little crunch to the taco as well as some tangy sauce. For me, it's the right level of spicy. I can't say much else about the food they serve besides the beef or pork tacos but I'm sure the other items taste just as good. I will definitely try something new the next time I get a chance to order from the truck.
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Ruthie's Rolling Cafe

I can't say whether or not the options from Ruthie's are good eating or not. I haven't actually had any of their product. I probably won't ever either. The only reason being is that I refuse to pay $7 for a freaking grilled cheese sandwich! I can make a dozen grilled cheese sandwiches for $7. I think they may have a couple other offerings but they are still probably just as ridiculously expensive for something so simple and otherwise cheaply made at home. I just threw a picture and link in with the others that I have tried to show a variation of the types of food trucks out there AND in case there are any people out there that would actually pay for an expensive grilled cheese. I work with a few people that have and said they would again purchase from Ruthie's. I'm just a little more stingy with my hard-earned money.

So, in conclusion, these food trucks are a nice alternative to the traditional restaurants like Rusty Taco, Torchy's Tacos, Fuzzy Taco, Digg's Taco, Baker's Ribs, Peggy Sue's, etc., etc. that serve similar food items especially when they are in walking distance or very short driving distance.

Blockbuster Home Page Has Changed

What the hell has happened to my Blockbuster.com home page?! I go to log in today to print out my free movie coupon before it expires and the landing page after log in is weird and confusing. The page itself looks fine but trying to find the new releases is not obvious...to me at least. See image below.

When I highlight "Browse" it shows a list of options with "Movies, TV Shows, Games." When I click on "Movies," it goes to the page in the image below.

This page only shows a list of "DVD Spotlight" movies and some other genres but it doesn't give me a list of recently released movies...this week or last week. Where the hell did that option go? Did they do a survey on this and polled a bunch of idiots!?

This is very frustrating. Another stupid move by Blockbuster management. If I didn't get such a good deal at this time with the Total Access Plan, I would definitely be looking into Red Box or something!

I just want an easy way to find the new releases and add them to my queue without having to know the names of the movies that are new releases. Before, I'd just go through the new release list and add to my queue.

Is it too much to ask for ease of use these days!?

Oh and before anyone says anything, the "see more Blue Carpet releases" button takes me to the page captured in the second image above.

Email humor 12/01/2012

Once an old man spread rumors that his neighbor was a thief. As a result, the young man was arrested. Days later the young man was proven innocent. After being released he sued the old man for wrongly accusing him.

In the court the old man told the Judge: "They were just comments, didn't harm anyone." The judge told the old man: "Write all the things you said about him on a piece of paper. Cut them up and on the way home, throw the pieces of paper out. Tomorrow, come back to hear the sentence." Next day, the judge told the old man: "Before receiving the sentence, you will have to go out and gather all the pieces of paper that you threw out yesterday."

The old man said: "I can't do that! The wind spread them and I won't know where to find them." The judge then replied: "The same way, simple comments may destroy the honor of a man to such an extent that one is not able to fix it. If you can't speak well of someone, rather don't say anything."

"Let's all be masters of our mouths, so that we won't be slaves of our words."

Death asked Life: Why does everyone love you and hate me?

Life replied: Because I am a beautiful Lie and you are painful Truth.

Looxcie LX1 Wearable Bluetooth Camcorder System

Saw an ad on my Google Reader feed for Boing Boing mentioning the Looxcie (look-see) LX1 Wearable Bluetooth Camcorder System. ( linked while it lasts.)

I've seen this camera being advertised and reviewed some time ago and didn't think it was that great. But when I saw this ad for deal on it (now for $70 whereas it was much more before), I thought it might be something to consider. However, I was quickly dissuaded from purchasing after clicking on the link to a video from the Manufacturer and then view other videos on YouTube under the Looxcie member name.

The initial video was informative, instructional, and did a decent job at presenting and selling the product. But...the other videos have me wondering about the actual quality of the video produced from the camera itself.

Click to view the various videos of mountain climbing, paintballing, cycling and others. If you aren't below the IQ of Forrest Gump, you'll notice the same thing I did. The video advertisements show very little actual footage from the camera! There is a 2-5 second clip here and there but most of the video is of the climbers/paintballers/cyclers from an angle not shot from the Looxcie camera on the persons head especially not the the LX1. Out of a 30-second ad, maybe a total of 3-5 very random seconds of video feed from the actual Looxcie camera is shown.

So, what are they selling? The person on the cyclist, the bike, the woods, the paintballer, paintball gun, the paintball course, the mountain, the climber, the camera each of these was actually shot with or the LX1? I don't think they sell the camera as much as they sold the environment it was used in. Beside the Looxcie camera was an helmet mounted one and not the over-the-ear LX1—from what I can tell in the video anyway.

I'll stick with my 2011 Tachyon XC HD Helmet Cam or my anticipated future purchase of the GoPro HD Hero 2. They are just more versatile.

Cobie Smulders in The Avengers

This is Cobie Smulders. She played Nick Fury's second-in-command, Agent Maria Hill, in The Avengers.

I hate to say it but she is way hotter than Scarlett Johansson aka Natasha Romanoff and that's huge praise from "Jay" because I have always thought Scarlett was hot.

It's their natural prettiness and beauty that gets me every time! Colbie's got those piercing blue eyes! Also, I would believe her doing all those moves that Black Widow does in the movie than with Scarlett but who am I to judge.

When Agent Maria Hill got hurt in the ship attack, I was sad because I thought they killed her off! Boy was I ecstatic when she was fine (and I mean FINE) other than the bloody scratch(es) in this screen capture.

I hope to see more of Cobie in other movies and I don't just mean her pretty blue eyes!

A cheaply priced replacement battery for HTC Evo Shift

The other day, I was Googling for a replacement battery for my HTC Evo Shift. My current batter doesn't seem to be fully charging and then the phone also doesn't show the correct charge of the battery. It'll show orange but then I'll pop the battery out, put it back in and turn on the phone and it'll show green at half charged. It never shows fully charged even after having it plugged in overnight.

So, that's why I want to get a new battery versus a new phone and versus getting it from Sprint. The replacement battery at Sprint is like $45 plus tax. I don't want to spend that much on a replacement battery since I can probably upgrade to a newer phone soon (if I decide to) and I'm sure the upgrade would be anywhere from free to $100 depending on the phone.

Enter Google. I searched and it gave me a few store listings with various prices, actually a wide range of prices. I saw a few for around $3-$5. It got my interest but also piqued my curiosity on why it was $3. I was thinking of one of those cheap Oakley sunglass sites that show $200 Oakleys for $25 today but then the website is gone the next day. I had some Visa gift cards that I would use for purchasing versus my ATM or Credit Card because I didn't trust them but then they disappeared and I was glad I didn't trust them AND didn't purchase anything.

Anyway, that's why I was curious about this website. I clicked on two links for a $2.99 battery and a $3.30 battery. I decided to email the second website/company (www.everydaysource.com) because when I searched for the battery it had the following in the product title:

Standard GENERIC Battery for HTC EVO 4G / Evo Shift 4g / A9292 / Supersonic HTC Hero (Sprint)

However, when I looked under the 'Compatibility' tab it did not show the Evo Shift 4G. I was like, "Why?" and then I decided to email them. I found the 'Contact Us' page and it had two emails: one for sales and general information and the other for customer service.

I assumed that sales and general information would be the place to start since my question was about a product description versus needing customer service for a product I have already ordered or received. I sent this email on September 18, 2012 around 10:47 a.m. I never received a reply even though their 'About Us' page says,

With a specialized and dedicated customer service department, EverydaySource.com® offers a buying experience that cannot be matched.

I guess that doesn't automatically correlate to a 'specialized and dedicated' sales and general information service.

I realized yesterday that I had not received a reply and thought I'd forward my original email to the customer service email address. I sent it at 10:53 a.m. on September 26 stating that I previously emailed "sales" with no reply in eight days so hopefully would get one from customer service.

I received a reply that night at 10:42 p.m. Stating that the link I posted in the email for the product is dead. This is the link below

http://www.everydaysource.com/product/standard-generic-battery-for-htc-evo-4g-evo-shift-4g-a9292-supersonic-htc-hero-sprint-htc-imagio-xv6975-htc-ozone-xv6175-htc-snap-s511-sprint-htc-snap-s521-s522-htc-tilt-2-htc-touch-pro2-sprint-t-mobile-verizon-gsm-t-mobile-dash-3g/83765?esprcggbadtf120917=sc+gb+83765&utm_source=google&utm_medium=product_search&utm_campaign=google_base#ItemDetailTab

Did it work for you? Yes?! It still works for me. I don't know why it didn't work for the customer service representative. Maybe she doesn't know how to copy and paste a link if it's not automatically hyperlinked in the email. Who knows!

Luckily, I was still awake and I got the item # from the link that was supposed to be dead and replied to the email. I received a reply at 3:50 a.m. on September 27 (I was not awake at this time) stating,

"This battery can not work with Evo Shift 4G. If you have any questions, please let us know. Thank you for your cooperation."

I have one question, "Why does the product title state 'Generic battery for HTC Evo Shift 4G' but customer service tells me it does not work with the Shift 4G?"

I knew there was something screwy with it being $3.30. That's what we call shady business people! People not as smart...er...inquisitive as me would just buy the battery. Then they'd have to try to contact their sales and/or customer service to return the battery that doesn't work with their Evo Shift 4G. I'm sure sales/customer service would give them a hard time or some people would just say, "Screw it! I'm only out like $5 total." Bullshit! I'm like the paper boy from the movie Better Off Dead:

"I WANT MY TWO DOLLARS!!!!

Random I know. But so now I'm still stuck with a half-charging battery for my Evo Shift unless I suck it up and pay the $45+ for the battery from Sprint.

In the news today 09/20/2012

Illegal Immigrant Rental Ban Gets Second Hearing

I don't understand why this is an issue. We do not allow businesses (mostly anyway) to do business with illegal businesses or conduct illegal business. Correct? So, why would we allow apartments to rent to illegal immigrants? Is this not doing illegal business? It's kind of like not checking the background of a job applicant and then allowing a child molester to work at a daycare. I guess the employer can always say, "Well, I didn't know." Right?

Just my thoughts on this continued dumbass debate about renting to illegals after reading an article here (while it lasts).

I would not want to live in an apartment complex that knowingly (or didn't care to know) if my neighbors were illegal immigrants. Sure, some of the illegals are just looking for a piece of the "American Dream" but they've already committed one crime (illegal entry into the U.S.), who's to say they aren't willing to do more to not to have to go back to their country?

This is a no-brainer. They have no rights as citizens because they are ILLEGAL. We aren't beating or killing them so there are no human rights violations. Also, I thought most apartments (maybe not motels/hotels) do background checks on their potential tenants anyway based off of the leasing agreement.

I don't know. I just can't get over how fucking stupid this is! I'm done!

Taos, NM July 2012

I thought I'd share a few more links and opinions on places (mostly restaurants) we visited during our trip to Taos, New Mexico this summer.

The second day we were there we went to the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge. I've been there before and so has the family but we stopped by there once again. Mainly, we stopped there this time because it was on the way to another destination we wanted to visit. This time, however, was a little different than the others. The west side near the rest area was a lot busier than the last visit AND they had one side of the bridge closed due to construction. They were doing something on the east side of the bridge before you cross it as well as painting the bridge white, I think. That's why one half, the sidewalk part anyway, of the bridge was closed. This time there were more vendors selling shit out of the back of trucks, cars, card tables as well as a smoothie bus near the rest area. There were more motorcyclists as well. We were going to walk across the bridge again just for old time's sake but decided it wasn't that big of a necessity. The bridge is still a pretty cool landmark and the scenery on and around the bridge can be breathtaking. Instead of wasting anymore time, we decided to head on to our original destination: Wild Rivers Recreation Area.

The Wild Rivers Recreation Area contains a lot of hiking trails that allow people to hike from designated areas at the top of the Rio Grand Gorge down to the bottom right to the river. That's what we wanted to do, hike, because the last time we visited there were bad wildfires and they would not allow anyone into the Carson Forest or ANY trails because of a burn ban. If you were caught, they'd fine you $5,000. So, this time, we were doing whatever we could before any damn fires decided to jack with our chances to "roam the plains" of New Mexico. Once we entered the Rec Area, we drove for a bit until reaching the first picnic area. We stopped to take some pictures and use the restroom. We moved on down the road to look for a hiking trail. The next area we came to was the first area with a trail down to the river below. I don't recall the exact name of the trail but it said it was a moderate hike at 0.4 miles. We decided this would be a good one to start out on since it was 0.4 miles and we didn't know how much further down the road the next trail was or how long it was or its rating. As always, walking down is always easy. The trail was "maintained" in the sense that it did have large, stacked rocks along the trail to mark it as well as keep it clearer of debris and help keep people from sliding/falling down the side of the Gorge easily. It zigzagged until about 50 feet from the bottom where there were a lot of reed-type plants before reaching the sandy bank of the river. One child said they spotted a snake of some sort black-colored about 3-4 inches in diameter but it slithered away too fast for me to look back and catch a glimpse. Once we got to the bank and then the water, we found a few more snakes about 1/2 inch in diameter and about 6-8 inches long. I guess they were just garden snakes, a kind of grayish color, but I'm not sure. They moved fast on land and water. We decided to trek along the river over large rocks/boulders. Jumping and climbing from rock to rock and occasionally having some "flat" areas to walk along. We walked and climbed about a mile before we realized that we'd have to go back to our original entry trail because there were no others we saw along the way and we didn't know how far the next one was if there was one ahead of us. To add to the strenuous exercise of up and down over rocks and sand, the sun started coming out from behind the originally cloudy sky to make it much hotter than when we started. Luckily, I was carrying 8 20oz water bottles in my backpack along with large bottle of Gatorade and some granola snack bars. I was prepared. The trek back was much harder because we knew where we were going and we were looking forward to getting there as soon as possible because we were getting very tire and hot. I told the kids to take off their shirts and put them in the river to get them wet. It's a fairly fast flowing river in most parts so it's cleaner and way less polluted than more stagnant ones like the nasty Trinity River in Dallas. I told them that the shirt would probably be dry by the time we got back to the start of the trail to go back up the Gorge. We took frequent breaks along the way to make sure we had energy enough t get back up the Gorge. Okay, I wanted to make sure I would have enough energy to make it back up. So after awhile we make it back to the trail to go up. I went through the reedy foliage first because the kids weren't too keen on running into any critters while trekking through it ahead of me. We got through without incidence. The trek up was way harder than down especially after our two mile trek along the river and back. The steepness of the trail was felt (by me mostly) way more going up than down. We made it after 3-4 breaks on the trail where I wanted to be in air conditioning right then and there. We finally made it to the start of the top of the trail where there was this covered picnic table. I took an extended rest here because it was shaded and high enough out of the Gorge where we got a pretty good breeze. It was good times and I wanted to take a nap. Eventually, we got back to the car and decided we'd had enough hiking for the day (it was about 3-4 hours). We originally had grand plans to hike a lot more but we realized we did hike a lot. Not just up and down the Gorge but also the climbing over rocks and boulders along the Rio Grand River and back. So, we got good exercise and the amount of hiking in that we wanted even though it wasn't at multiple locations. Good enough. We drove back to our location in Taos and picked up dinner on the way.

One day we were driving to Santa Fe. We took what they call they high road to Santa Fe. Along this road or a just short jaunt off of it, there is a restaurant called Rancho de Chimayo. I've heard many people brag about this place...the food and the ambiance of it. The restaurant is in what looks like it used to be a residential house that someone expanded as the business grew. It is a nice setting for a restaurant. It reminded me of a southern plantation type house especially on the inside. Not that I've ever really been in one but what I've seen portrayed in TV/movies. There is no air conditioning in the place and it didn't seem to need it at the time we visited which was about 11:30 a.m. They have some quaint outdoor seating that you have to climb stairs to reach. It's like the front parking lot area of the restaurant is on flatland but behind the house there is a big hill that they had to expand into and up. After we were done eating and checked out, we walked up the stairs to an area that I did not know was there. At the very top of this outdoor area of the restaurant, there is a aquaduct (I guess that's what the locals would call it). It's a modern-type aquaduct in the sense that instead of the natural dirt/mud or wooden it was more like a cemented channel. It was only about two feet wide. I was told that this is the same channel that is used by many of the locals to get water. The aquaduct comes down the mountain bringing the water from melted snow or rains to the people below. I noticed it was almost overflowing and they said it was unusually high this year. That's a good thing I guess but I don't know if it is as a local because too much water means too much rain or too much melting...who knows. Anyway, all the food we ordered but one entree was pretty good. I mean nothing made me say, "Damn!" but not many things do. The entree that lacked in taste and goodness was the stuffed sopapilla. The plain sopapillas with honey were good but this entree was not. The inside was fairly tasty, it was like taco fillings inside, but the red sauce on the outside tasted like it was syphoned from a Spaghettios can. Don't get me wrong. I like Spaghettios with its sauce but I expected something more from a "fancy" restaurant entree. We finally left for Santa Fe. I'd talk about Santa Fe and what we did there (really just visited the Indian Museum) but this is a Taos-ish post.

Another popular venue that we were told about is The Old Blinking Light which is now out of business. My wife and kids had eaten at this place a couple of years before with my in-laws but I did not take that trip with them and therefore missed this supposedly "great" place. We happened to stop by this place on the way to somewhere else because it has a liquor store attached to the restaurant building. Well, apparently the liquor store is the only thing left operational. I guess people will always go out to buy liquor no matter how bad the economy is but they won't always go out to eat. So, I can't give any opinions on the restaurant (and wouldn't have anyway if it was still open because we were only stopping by to get wine and not eat at the restaurant) but I can tell you that the entire place looks like s dive. The areas of the restaurant were gutted and the liquor store felt more like a bait and tackle shop.

One area of note is the Taos Ski Resort. We didn't visit it this year but we have previously. It's interesting that a ski resort is open during the summer. It's smart for business, very smart. Seasonal business is good or even great but when there are multiple ski resorts in the general 10-50 mile radius it's good to be able to make some dough during the off-season. So, the Taos Ski Resort is 'open' during the summer. It's mainly for the hiking trails, some restaurants, some shops, and the ski lift. That's right. They run the ski lift during the summer. I've never been on one but I wasn't going to miss out on the opportunity. My youngest is scared of heights and was scared shitless to go on the lift but did it. It's kind of freaky. To be on this bench seat hovering and climbing over rugged, mountain terrain below at anywhere from 30 feet to 100 feet or more is kind of nerve racking. I think it's one thing to see snow (not from personal experience) because it shows a uniform, flat surface but to see the jagged rocks and shit is a bit daunting. To know that you could easily slip off the bench or the cable could snap, making you 'splat' on the terrain below is not a pleasant thought. To add to the nerves, whenever someone gets on or off the lift, it slows down a bit which makes the liftchair you are on sway in a teeth-chatter-causing way. After a few times, you get used to it but when it's the 1st one or two, it makes you want to piss yourself! Anyway, the base is at 9,207 feet and the ride up from there was about 10-15 minutes. I say that put us up around 10-11,000 feet. We hung out at the this area for a little bit taking pictures of the landscape and breathtaking views. We started to walk up a trail towards Wheeler Peak but the youngest started feeling light-headed. Part of it was the stress of not wanting to get on the lift in the first place and then adding the altitude probably didn't help. I had the young one rest (lay down on a picnic) bench a little while before we rode the lift back down to get something to eat and drink to help overcome this dizziness feeling. After about half an hour, we rode back up. I didn't want to stress the kids out too much so we didn't try the trail again to Wheeler Peak. I'd say we got up the trail the first time to about 12,000 feet before having to turn around so I'd say we were close enough to the Peak's height of 13,161 feet. How much difference could we see in 1,000 feet of forest and mountains? Not much. We rode around the lift a few more times before getting a little bored. The area was getting a few more guests for the restaurants, shops and lift so we decided we done for the day. We'd been there for at least 3-4 hours. It was a great, beautiful day to enjoy nature and the vast scenery. The family will remember that visit for years to come within our memories as well as actual photos and video.

Laura Prepon from "That '70s Show"

This is Laura Prepon. You'll probably know/remember her as Donna from That '70s Show. Just wanted to say, she's kind of hot...really kind of hot. She was always kind of plain Jane in the show but she was still always naturally pretty! Way too pretty for Eric Forman!

I tried to find out what else she did after That '70s Show but she hasn't really done much. I think a couple of made-for-TV shows and that's about it. Too bad. I'd like to see her drop the top for some upcoming movies so I can mark it off my boob bucket list. Ha!

C'mon Donna, do it!

Michael Strahan is Regis Philbin's replacement?

I don't watch "Live!" but I would not have thought a former football player would become the new co-host.

I guess it goes to show that if you don't try-out/audition (like Michael Strahan), you never know what could happen. You could end up having to sit next to the annoying Kelly Ripa if that's what you so desire.

R.I.P. Michael Clarke Duncan

I won't go into his passing too much because you can see/read it all over the web. I just gotta say that Michael Clarke Duncan seemed like he was a genuinely nice, down-to-earth guy. It's sad to know that he has passed.

Dead man is no longer walking...

Diane Neal aka A.D.A. Casey Novak from L&O:SVU

I did not know that this woman



is the same as this woman



In case you didn't know, this is Diane Neal. She plays A.D.A. Casey Novak on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. I always thought she was attractive in a simple, natural beauty kind of way.

I came across her name today because I was watching the movie Dracula III: Legacy. I haven't actually seen her in the movie...yet...at least I don't think so but I was trying to find out who another woman in the movie was and then saw the 1st picture and then the name Diane Neal and then I found out who she was and where I'd recognize her from.

Anyway, I just thought I'd share that little tidbit.

Carry on...

Fall 2012 semester has started.

After years and years of taking classes, it is finally nice to not have to worry about scheduling. No scheduling of the classes. No scheduling of my work hours to make up the time I miss for being in class. No scheduling around classes to make sure I make my kids' events.

I know I graduated in May but it really didn't seem official until I didn't have to register and attend class this week. In fact, I still can't believe I am done.

I don't feel any different. I thought it would be like having my cherry popped and I'd feel different. I don't though. I just feel like I have more time to do absolutely nothing of worth now.

Weird!

Dining at 5 Star Burgers in Taos, New Mexico

Took my kids to 5 Star Burgers in Taos, New Mexico. We went for lunch on the recommendation from another person we know that just happened to be in Taos and already dined here.

After squeezing into our parking place because some dipshit moron doesn't know how to park into one space, we entered the doors to 5 Star Burgers. An older waitress approached us and sat us at a table/booth near the door. It wasn't a bad seat until the weather started getting rainy-like outside and then everytime someone opened the door to come in or go out, it was windy at our table! Luckily, this was few and far between so it was tolerable.

The woman took our drink orders as soon as we were seated and said that so-so (I didn't get the name she said) will be with you in a little bit. "In a little bit" must mean something different in Taos than in my head.

It was about 10-15 minutes and we still had our menus on our table and no one had come to take our order. The father of the family on the table/booth next to ours said something to me that I didn't catch at first. He repeated, saying, "Hey bro, it looks like they've forgotten about you. Nobody has taken your order, yet?" I said, "Yes, luckily we're not in a hurry but it would be nice if someone came by." He said, "Where you guys from? We are from Las Vegas." I said, "We drove through Las Vegas on the way to Taos. We are from Dallas." He said, "That's the problem with these places. You go somewhere that has good service but terrible food. And then other places have good food and terrible service." I said, "It's been the latter for us."

About five minutes later, the gentleman waves over a waitress and says, "Excuse me. I've already paid out my ticket but this nice man and his two kids have been sitting here for some time and haven't had their order taken!" She looked at me and said, "So, are you saying you'd like to place your order now?" I said, "Well, yes that would be a good thing!" She took our order and walked away. I thanked the man from Las Vegas as he rose to leave the restaurant. He told me to "have a great day and enjoy our vacation."

After the Las Vegas man leaves, the three of us see our waitress (her name was Monica) speak to one of her coworkers while pointing in our direction. I don't know what was said but we assumed it wasn't good. Once again, we already hadn't started well with dining in a restaurant in Taos.

We got our food about ten minutes after ordering. I ordered the Bison Burger medium rare with Swiss cheese, recommended by the Las Vegas man, while my kids decided to split the Taos Burger and a side of fries. The waitress was very nice and cordial and all so I guess the initial "lack of attention problem" was behind us. This was further cemented as the case as she was very attentive to ask about needing condiments as well as her quick response to have a Diet Pepsi ready to replace my almost-done Diet Pepsi.

The fries were very good. I'm not a connoisseur but I've had me many a fry and these were at least in the top five. The kids thought they were pretty good as well. They also said the Taos burger was pretty good. It was juicy, tasty and big enough for them to share. It did come with fried green chili peppers that they didn't particularly like but did like the burger overall! I thought the Bison Burger was pretty good. It was juicy, cooked like I asked and pretty tasty. I can't say it's better than any other bison burger that I've had but I wasn't disappointed.

Checking out was quick and painless unlike my vist to Applebee's. I think I left Monica a 20% tip even though initially we had to wait to order. She did make up for it with her attentiveness after the fact.

I guess I would recommend 5 Star Burgers for their fairly tasty burgers but I would definitely enter the Taos location knowing that you should not be in a rush to eat and run.

Dining at Applebee's in Taos, New Mexico

Took my two kids to Applebee's in Taos. We were promptly seated but took a little bit to get waited on just for our drink order. We were 1 of 3 tables...1 person at 1 tbl, 2 at another, and 3 at our table...Dalena was working at the time. I heard her tell a coworker she was swamped. The 1 person was almost done with his meal. The 2 people had already ordered and we only had our drinks. I've worked as a waiter and that in no way is called SWAMPED! Dalena was very nice and apologetic though. I just don't think waiting is for her as it requires multitasking and she didn't seem to have that skill.

Anyway, we ordered a full rack of baby back ribs with fries, the grilled garlic sirloin (medium rare) with a cream spinach filled portabello(sp?) mushroom cap topped with parmesan cheese, and the classic wings with honey bbq flavor. She read back our order correctly as well.

About 5-10 minutes later, a "chef" (I assume) came to me and said that they are out of the cream spinach. I was actually looking forward to it and joked with him about leaving. I asked if he had or recommended anything else to fill the mushroom cap. He um-ed and uh-ed and said "Well...?" I finally said how about creamy mashed potatoes. He said, "Ok."

About 10 minutes later, we get our food. The ribs looked fine but how can you mess them up? My sirloin looked good but the portabello cap was nowhere to be seen. I did have a huge portion of mashed potatoes and it seems that the meal already came with potato chunks which I must have missed. The classic wings looked good too. We started to dig in.

My youngest loved the ribs and fries. Again, how can you mess these up?

I found the portabello cap under the generous serving of mashed potatoes. I ate it and the mashed potatoes but not the potato chunks...not because they were bad but because I just wanted the mashed potatoes. The sirloin was cooked half right. Somehow they were able to cook half the sirloin at medium rare and the other half at medium. That's new for me as I've only experienced the entire steak under or over cooked. It was still flavorful so I did not complain.

My oldest bit into the classic wings to find that 1) they were boneless and 2) they were original/classic flavor. I waived over Dalena and told her the order was for the classic bone-in wing with honey bbq flavoring. She proceeded to tell me that I ordered it wrong. She said she heard boneless classic wing and classic meant the typical buffalo spice flavor. I told her that boneless or bone-in is not the problem but we wanted honey bbq. I said she even read back our order stating bone-in with honey bbq. So, this time I clearly stated AGAIN we wanted bone-in with honey bbq flavoring. She was prompt with putting in the correct order and we got it within 10 minutes.

I judge a waitperson's tip partly on how effective they are with refilling my drink. I drink soda like some people chug beer. If I have to wait for my next sip too long, the tip goes down. Dalena was very good with all our refills...especially mine.

Finally, it came time to pay the check. When she brought the check, she explained how she had to add then remove the wings to get it to the kitchen and blah, blah, blah. All I cared is that I wasn't double-charge because we would have had major issues if it was.

By this time the two other tables had left (-3 ppl) and she gained two other tables (a family of 3 on each of the two). She had barely taken the drink order of the table behind us. Again, she felt overwhelmed. She passed our table and grabbed our payment so quickly that I didn't get a chance to ask her for a to-go box BUT she also never asked even though half a rack of ribs were left as well as half the wings. So, I get up and walk toward the men's room which happens to be right next to the register where she's putting in the order for the table behind us. As I approach, I hear her tell a coworker that the guy (at table behind us) wants a Miller Lite but "there isn't even a Miller Lite choice on the register." I reach the register and I ask her for one to-go box while I think to myself that the restaurant probably wouln't sell a beer that isn't in the register/computer. I don't know that for a fact but it was just curious how frazzled she was.

I returned to the table and write out my check with the tip. The tab was $51.21. I almost always start out the tip percentage at 20% for true waitstaff—not those buffet restaurants where someone clears your used plate and refills your cup like at Golden Corral or China Super Buffet. Because Dalena messed up the wings and tried to blame it on me, I had to go below the 20%. I almost just did 15% which I typically don't go below because I've been there as a waitperson and know how it sucks. However, I decided she did make it right and after fixing the order, she apologized for the error. I decided to go with 17%.

My overall experience with this Applebee's is that I will not be stopping in again when I'm in Taos nor will I be recommending it to anyone I know who may be visiting Taos. With the lack of having the actual food items to serve that are listed in the menu and the just-acceptable service, I cannot say it was a good experience for us. I have been to Applebee's in Dallas, Texas without any issues quite a few times so maybe it's just a Taos thing.

Buckyballs

I saw an article today on Gizmodo about Buckyballs being banned by the Feds (linked to story while it lasts). I've never purchased or used Buckyballs. I've seen the little cubes holding them and thought, "Cool, I'd like to buy those just because," and then I'd see the price and think, "I'm not paying that much for a whimsical item."

However, banning this product because it poses a hazard to children is over-the-top freaking ridiculous! I fully understand the hazards, somewhat severe, these could pose to children, hell even some adults, but that's not a valid enough reason to just ban Buckyballs.

If they ban shit on the potential hazards it poses to stupid, uneducated, ill-raised, irresponsible children, then they should ban other products that are "adult only" like:

• Spray paint—18 or older to purchase but it doesn't stop children from using, playing with, spraying in own eyes or inhaling. BAN IT!
• Super glue—Most places require you to be 18 or over purchase because of the inhalant factor kids like to use it for. I've seen stories and have had similar incidents myself with super gluing fingers, hands, lips and clothing as a kid. BAN IT!
• Guns—Purchased by "responsible" adults based on background checks and how many accidental deaths have occurred with children finding the guns and shooting themselves, their sibling or their friends? BAN IT!

I think you get the ridiculousness I'm trying to share.

My final thoughts are it's Nature's way of thinning the herd and survival of the fittest. The kids will either die from their stupidity or learn from it. Either way, we are all better off with either outcome! Some would say I'd think different if it were my kids. Maybe or maybe not. I'd be worried and hope they lived to learn from it. I would think that my kid was a dumb ass for doing it but every kid does something stupid more than once throughout their childhood. It'd also be kind of funny. But in the end, they lived; they learned; and we could laugh about it after the fact.

Again, I know doing stupid things way more than the average male growing up and I've survived. I don't look back and think it was a product's fault. I knew better and just didn't listen to my parents or the label warnings (after being able to read). It's human nature to be a dumb ass every now and then. It's not the manufacturer's, company's, or product's fault. But we get no money when we, ourselves, accept the blame.

Groupon advertising

I'd have to say this is a pretty good advertisement for boob enhancements...err...skydiving.

It doesn't make me want to purchase the Groupon or go skydiving but it does make me think the boobs!

Texas is running out of death penalty drugs

There are many things we do have an abundance of to replace the drugs:

• The rope
• The firing squad
• The guillotine
• A grenade—duct taped to the head
• Bullet(s)—in general
• Push off a tall building
• Push in front of a high-speed moving train
• Push out of an airplane without a parachute

I think we can improvise with just about anything these days. Of course, critics would be crying about some methods (even the one-drug dose they are planning to use) as cruel and unusual punishment.

Seriously!? These fuckers are on death row for a reason. They caused cruel and unusual punishment to their victims and the victims' families. Who gives a shit if we cut off one appendage at a time until they are dead?

I would sleep just fine if I had to pull the switch, the trigger, the pin, or do the push. In time they too would call me "Executioner" (say that in the voice of The Emperor from Return of the Jedi).

Should WTA players make equal prize money as ATP players?

I started typing this about a week ago but was on vacation and didn't have time to complete my thought. It's still pertinent. It's just posted late.

For starters, in case you didn't know:

• WTA = Women's Tennis Association = female professional tennis players
• ATP = Association of Tennis Players = male professional tennis players

There was a recent article (linked while it lasts) on Tennis.com where Gilles Simon, a good-but-with-spotty-success male tennis player says he's against equal prize money for men and women tennis players in tournaments.

Of course, this received a lot of feedback from the women's players calling Simon an idiot, a sexist, and one very good female player said, "Do people go to see his matches or mine?" She's got a valid point but the other comments are just ignorant.

There are many people, especially women, that feel the women's players should get equal pay. I get their plight and I know women's tennis has come a long way with the prize money thanks to the efforts of Billie Jean King and other professional women tennis players. I'm glad women are getting paid what they are due but I don't think they should get equal pay...always.

Let me put it into perspective with a simple example:

A man and a woman start work at a company at the same time, doing the same exact job, having the same exact skills and level of work experience...basically ALL things being equal! The man puts in a 40-hr week and gets paid $1,000. The woman puts in a 30-hr week and gets paid $1,000.

Is this fair?

Now again, all things being equal. If the man and woman both work a 40-hr week and get paid $1,000, then that's equal pay for equal work.

Relate this to tennis and we get the following: men play 3-out-of-5 sets while the women play 2-out-of-3 sets. Should the women get equal pay? I don't think so! That's not equal pay for equal work.

One ignorant comment from a top-ten female player (I forget who) was something to the extent of, "If the men have to play four or five sets, well that's their problem. They should have won three sets in a row." So then it could be said that if females play 3 sets, too bad, they should have won two sets in a row.

For those tournaments that have 2-out-of-3 sets for both the men and women draws, I could see maybe equal pay for equal play. I guess maybe these tournaments' prize money could come down to which gender pulls in the most money but that's up to the promoters and such.

Anyway, I just thought I'd share my 2¢.

See, it's not just Americans...even England has money chasers

So quick back story. David Nalbandian was in the Queen's Club final. He lost his temper after losing his serve. He kicked a barrier around a line judge's chair which I'm sure he thought was much more sturdy than it turned out to be. The barrier gave way and hit the line judge in the shin. The line judge was genuinely injured although it looks from the video to be something as simple as a minor cut and I'm assuming he'll show a bruise later. (I noticed) He was very animated with his reaction which my first thought was "Oh shit, this dude's gonna sue." I don't know if that's what they do in England but that's what he'd do in America. Nalbandian's actions violated an ATP rule and he was disqualified and therefore lost the match. Subsequently, he was fined and then someone filed an assault complaint against him. That someone turned out to be the linesman.

While the links last, you can see the first (maybe the first) story here, a follow-up here and then the most recent one naming the linesman as the whiner complaint filer here).

Now while I don't condone his actions, I don't think Nalbandian is a bad guy. We all let our emotions get the better of us at times. No, that doesn't excuse our actions. I'm just saying that there was a time that something as simple and accidental albeit totally avoidable as this could be moved on from with a simple apology and maybe taking someone out to dinner or such to show there is true remorse and sincerity.

Again, the way the linesman acted up the injury was kind of comical and movie-like. I just knew something more was going to come of it. I don't know what the laws are like in England but in America, the fucked up court system would award this guy a couple of million for his physical AND mental anguish.

Polaroid is still making instant print cameras?

This is an ad I saw for the Polaroid 14MP Instant Print Digital Camera. You can Google it and probably find it on Amazon or something. It's currently on sale at a daily deal website for $179.99 which they say is a savings of $119.96. So, retail on this is somewhere in the area of $300 give or take a few dollars.

I would buy this thing 1) if it was cheaper like around $100 and 2) if I knew I wouldn't be screwed in the near or distant future with Polaroid no longer able to support this product.

I love the Polaroid instamatics of old. It was the one that spit the photo out the front and there was no tearing off the cover like the other Polaroids that you pulled a tab from the side. I guess that's not an instamatic though, huh.

I remember going on a high school trip for a week in the late 80s and took one with me along with several packs of film cartridge refills. I also had my, well my brother's, trusty old Minolta 35mm film camera. The cost of the replacement cartridges for the Polaroid was much greater than the 24-36 exposures of 35mm film. So, using them in tandem was much more cost effective for a high schooler.

There's just something about instant gratification of seeing a developed picture...okay, it was more like three minutes because you had to shake the photo to help dry the developing chemicals and to make sure the photo didn't get smeared. I had that happen a few times on accident. Anyway, it's not like digital cameras these days because yes, digital gives you instant gratification of seeing what you took but it doesn't automatically give you a printed, archival copy that you can give away or share. Digital images are great but there is always a chance they could get deleted, damaged or whatever before you get a chance to get them printed. Yes, yes, not everyone cares about printing them but for me, I like to print for physical archival purposes the images I want or like most and would like to have two versions of: digital and physical.

I think my office had a few Polaroids that I willingly took off their hands. I figured if they still worked maybe I could find film for them and have some cheap or expensive fun. Also, if I can't find film, maybe I could eBay or Craigslist them and get some dough since I didn't spend anything on getting them. If I can remember where they are, there are like six of them, I'll see about finding film or selling them.

I just thought it was interesting to see something that most see as archaic finding a way back into the world. The real things is way better than Instagram.

My other thought about this one is: how does it print without ink? And if there is no ink, which along with paper is usually considered when saying something is archival for so many years, is this an archival photograph and for how long? If it's not long enough, then digital and "professional" printing is still a better choice.

Andy Roddick should just hang up his racquet!

Just to back me up, here is an image from an article on Tennis.com.

click image for link to article while it lasts

I think I've typed about his decline before but Andy Roddick should just end his misery now. He's losing to people he probably really shouldn't lose to. Yeah, yeah. He's had some injuries and shit but dude, the body can only take damage and recover so often. It's different if you had a pretty stellar game to begin with but when it was becoming average for years now, you've got nothing to rely on when you aren't 100%.

Look at Federer. He's still a great player but even his game doesn't seem to be able to lift him over those final hurdles. I don't know if it's age, injury, focus, or what but there use to be another gear or two that Federer could tap into and defeat his opponents even in the past few years. I'm not saying Federer needs to retire. I just think he needs to change his game a little...more net play, more attacking side-to-side, something...like Agassi did in the 2nd and better leg of his career. I don't think he's gone like Roddick because he's still taking the sets to scores such as 7-6, 7-5, or 6-4. Those are close sets and come down to one loss of serve.

Anyway, back to Roddick. Roddick had a two-shot game: killer serve and killer forehand. He's lost both. I don't think it's because people have figured the serve out. I see that it's different, maybe ever so slightly, but it is. Same with his forehand. It used to be much flatter and more powerful. He'd drive through that thing versus the more loopy stroke he has now. The loop allows players too much time to get to it now whereas before it was almost always a winner.

Roddick can take away from his career that he was a one-hit wonder: the 2003 U.S. Open. He's made it to some great finals like U.S. Open 2006 and Wimbledon 2009, both against Federer, which are perfect surfaces (fast) for his old serve and forehand.

A new coach in Larry Stefanki is no longer providing the resurgence it did back 2009. Put a fork in him. He's done. Andy should just enjoy retirement, play on the seniors tour, and live off his wife, actress/model Brooklyn Decker. Accept it and live with it. I would enjoy every moment with her too!

Rafael Nadal vs. Novak Djokovic in Men's 2012 French Open Final

The Men's finals are set for the 2012 French Open. In fact, it's currently in progress. I haven't had a chance to jump on and ramble about it before now because Saturday was a busy day for me. Anyway, the final is:

Rafael Nadal

— vs. —

Novak Djokovic

What does Nadal have to do to win? What every opponent of Djokovic should do...if they can...make his ass run! Before Djokovic's run of wins, he had a very bad stamina/conditioning issue. My thought is that he still has it obviously not as bad but his skills have improved so much that it's allowed him to do less running and such during his matches. I believe if his opponents would continue to run him back and forth as much as possible and as long as they can (obviously it is difficult but it's just a game plan) he will begin to falter earlier in the match. Again, I know it's difficult but at the skill levels of Nadal, Federer, Murray, Tsonga, Berdych and others it should be an attainable task. Nadal is currently up 6-4, 5-3 with Djokovic due to serve after the rain delay. I missed the first set but in the second, Nadal was making Djokovic work very hard for the points if the got them at all. Nadal was hitting through the ball, side to side with good angles and pace. He got up 2-0 and then for some reason he changed his strokes. He started looping the balls and Djokovic started pouncing on them and making Nadal work harder. Before you know it, it's 2-2, then 3-3. Finally, Nadal woke up and started hitting through the ball again without the loops which lead to a break of Djokovic's serve and a hold of his own to make it 5-3. Djokovic was about to serve before they called for a rain delay.

What does Djokovic have to do to win? He needs to continue the way he was hitting in games 3 and 4 of the second set. Again, I didn't see the first set. Even though Nadal is great on clay and his movement is pretty outstanding, even he can't run forever. I recommend the same side-to-side hitting with good angles and pace. When the moment comes, be at or near the net to get the easy put away volley because Nadal is so far behind the baseline and the good approach shot should put him off the court as well. That's some of what Djokovic did during the 3rd and 4th game of the set. He had some very good, deep approach shots and then followed with some very nice vollies.

Who do I want to win? I'm feeling my favor in the Nadal corner. Partly because I'm sick of hearing all the kiss-ass praise from the commentators. They always pick someone to back and blow so much smoke up their asses to make them seem so great. They elevate them to a level over the opponent of the time which they should not. The opponent obviously deserves to be there as much as any one else because they ARE THERE on the court as well! Now, don't think I don't believe Djokovic is a good, maybe even great, player but he's not the best returner in the game right now. He could share the title with a handful of people. He's not the best mover on the court. He moves better than a year and a half ago because he's worked on his conditioning but Federer still moves well for a 30-yr-old. Murray returns and moves well too. Nadal still has the best overall movement and conditioning no matter what. So why the overpraise of Djokovic over one year when these people have been moving and doing well (Murray somewhat inconsistently but still well)? Also, looking at the run to the finals for both Nadal and Djokovic, Nadal has been the more consistent. He has yet to drop a set while Djokovic had to play back-to-back five-setters before playing a fairly close three-set match with Federer. So, my overall vote is for Nadal especially since they always called him just a clay court player but he showed them by winning all the grand slams at least once and on run for a 7th win at Roland Garros.

Well, play has resumed and the commentators are still praising Djokovic even now that he is down two sets to none and losing 2-0 in the third. I really don't think he will but if Djokovic were to come back from this deficit and win the match, the tournament, the trophy, then there would be no shutting up these idiot bandwaggoner fuckers!

Taos Mountains

French Open 2012

The Men's Semifinals and the Women's Finals are set for the 2012 French Open.

- vs. -
Novak Djokovic ------------------------------ Roger Federer

- vs. -
Rafael Nadal ------------------------------ David Ferrer

- vs. -
Maria Sharapova ------------------------------ Sara Errani

Stop the insanity!

Please! Please! For the love of God, stop creating laptops/notebooks with number pads!

If someone really, really needs to have a keypad, they can buy a USB/Bluetooth accessory. This is a the ASUS G75VW-TS71 currently being advertised at CircuitCity.com (link while it lasts).

Look at the beautiful real estate on the keyboard of this computer. The important keys (all of them but the number pad) could be centered as well as the touch pad to the screen versus askew to the left. I mean how many desktop users do you know that like to have their movable keyboards to slightly to the left or right of their monitors? Very, very few and that's because it's their choice. This notebook keyboard layout is not by the user's choice. Also, if the keyboard was centered, the space on each side could be used for decent quality and sized speakers. Or maybe some biometric fingerprint reader. Or something other than a stupid number pad.

Oh well, if more consumers would complain, maybe they'd change their form factor. Maybe I'm the only one.

RE: Which laptop/notebook/ultrabook to buy?

Since nobody chimed in on my previous post, I waited and pondered a little longer.

I finally came across an informative article that said something like "should I wait to buy a laptop?" I read it and I decided that I should wait.

If the article is correct, the screen resolution hang up that I have will be solved. The article said that the "next generation" screens (bigger than 1366 x 768) and processors (Ivy Bridge) will be coming in the months to follow. It will probably be the best "deals" around August which is what...the "back-to-school" sales. "What about if I'm not going back to school, can I still get the deals?" That was sarcasm.

However, my waiting is not just because of this article. I asked myself the motherly/wifey question we all have heard at least once in our life, "DO YOU REALLY NEED [insert product here]?" My answer is undeniably "No" but do we really need anything!?

My current beast of a laptop, ASUS G50VT-X5, is still working. It's in pretty good shape and I currently am having no issues with it. <<knocks on wood>> Well, other than the secondary hard drive I have installed occasionally makes a noise like it needs oil but that's an additional part not an original to the machine and is easily replaced when needed. It's heavier than I'd like at this time but only because I have been carrying it around a lot. I bring it back and forth to work because I am in an office where I remotely log into my office computer from my laptop. I do this because there is no telling when my boss will decide that I need to return to my cubicle versus an actual office even though he's said he doesn't plan on me having to do so. I don't trust him/them because they always say one thing and do another...like parents! LOL!

Anyway, while typing this between working and not working over the past day, an article at Gizmodo was posted simply stating,

If you're thinking about buying a laptop any time soon, don't. Just don't do it.

So, I think I'm definitely going to wait. Partly because of the specs of machines that are about to come to market but also because I have a few other things that I'd like to do/buy with my money at this time. Especially, since I said that my current computers/laptops are working just fine.

∞
That's all I got to say about that!
 

Wear It. Mount It. Love It.

What do those six words sound like they are describing?

Yeah, that's where my gutter mind took me as well. Who's mind wouldn't think of that?

It's actually the slogan from this week's Best Buy Weekly Deals ad describing the GOPRO.

Random...I know.

Gameworks in Grapevine Mills Mall is gone!

As you can see from their website, Gameworks is no longer in Texas! I don't know when this happened but it did. I was thinking about what to do with the kids over the three-day Memorial Day weekend (yes, this post is a week behind) and thought about the times in the past when we would spend a few hours doing unlimited video games at Game Works in Grapevine. They used to have these gaming "happy hours" where you'd spend something like $15-$20 for 2-3 hours of game play. It was a pretty good deal because most of the games cost at least a $1 or more to play. That wouldn't be too bad if your turn on the game wasn't over in less than a minute! The only real issue with the "happy hours" is that they would normally begin around 8 or 9 p.m. which was my kids' bed time back in the day. The bedtime wasn't so bad on a weekend but the drive to Gameworks at Grapevine Mills Mall was like 20-30 minutes. Add that on each end of the two hours and it would be somewhere between 10pm and midnight when we'd get home. Not something that went over well with the wife.

I enjoyed the "happy hours" but I never played during the other hours of operation because they weren't a very cost-effective arcade...especially for my cheap ass! As I mentioned, the games were expensive to play during non-happy hour hours and kids nowadays have their iPhones/iTouches to play games for free or a minimal charge. When kids are eternally playing something as stupid as Angry Birds for $5 or less and unlimited restarts, an arcade that charges $1 or greater to play 1-3-lives-and-your-done video games is not a good business model.

Anyway, I just thought it was interesting how there is no longer a Gameworks in the entire state of Texas.

Lolo Jones aka Lori Jones

Saw an article headline stating the following:

Lolo Jones talks candidly of struggle to 'stay a virgin'

Click here for story while the link lasts.

It got my interests peaked.

I Googled her and I guess this is her official website here. And for the men who like me prefer pictures more than words, I Googled images of her here, of which I've shared one (inset).

It's commendable on her sustaining her virginity.

Miley Cyrus is a train wreck waiting to happen

And I can't wait to see it. It's like when I thought Lindsay Lohan would eventually do Playboy. Was I right?

I think Miley's getting closer to doing it too. I don't get why people are all up in her bidness about the way she dresses and shit. She's an adult now. She makes her own decisions, whether they are good or bad. But in who's eyes is it decided whether it is good or bad? Haven't we all been there, done that, might be still doing it?

I say more power to her and if she continues to look like this:

Then so be it. I'm just glad she's legal and I don't have to feel all creepy like Chester

She's not a role model. She's a celebrity. If you tell your children to be just like Miley, then you shouldn't be having children. You should tell your kids that they could possibly be famous one day just like Miley (or any other number of celebs) but they don't need to be just like Miley.

My only comment with Miley's dress (sometimes) is that she doesn't have to look slutty to look sexy. Her make up in this image looks more like the whoredom of Pamela Anderson, Courtney Love, Taylor Momsen or a few female porn stars than the sexiness of Sophia Loren, Jacqueline Bissett, Linda Carter, Natalie Portman, Jessica Biel or Olivia Wilde. Just because you have it doesn't mean you have to overly flaunt it.

Laura Vandervoort

Saw these today at Hollwoodtuna.

Hopefully we'll see more of Clark Kent's cousin.

Which laptop/notebook/ultrabook to buy?

I'm in the market for a new laptop. Not for school since I just graduated but I got all this graduation money to blow. I figured I'd replace my 3+ year old ASUS. The ASUS is still working and I'll use it until it dies but it's a big bitch to lug around. I got it as a desktop replacement and that's exactly what it did. I just am done lugging it every where especially if I just want to jog on down to the local Internet cafe. It's not conducive to jogging or even walking for that matter.

So, I've narrowed it down (sort of) to a few models...in no particular order:

• Alienware M14x—approx. $1,800-$2,000 after my customizations
• Dell XPS 13—approx. $1,400 after my customizations
• Dell XPS 14z—approx. $1,200 after my customizations
• Dell XPS 15z—approx. $1,400 after my customizations
• Samsung 9 series ultrabook—$1,400 is the starting price without any added upgrades

I like the XPS series. The XPS 13 doesn't have a disk drive which isn't important. I already have an external CD/DVD burner from when I purchased my netbook. I like the form factor. It's very portable and sleek looking. The biggest detractor: 1366 x 768 resolution. I hate this resolution on my ASUS as well as my netbook. It requires too much up/down and side-to-side scrolling when surfing the web or working in just about any type of Office file. Now it's way worse in a smaller screen like my netbook than in my ASUS 15" notebook but it's not a resolution I'm a fan of. The Alienware has a 1600x900 resolution and the XPS 15z has the option to upgrade from 1366x768 to the 1600x900 resolution. I thought I read somewhere that the 14z has this same option but I can't seem to find it so I might have just run the two different reviews/tech specs together while researching the 14z and 15z.

The XPS 13 and 14z are more in the size range that I'm looking for and I think the M14x is too—I'm not sure as I haven't seen and touched the M14x physically like I have the XPS notebooks. My only visual size comparison for the M14x is my M11x which I gave to my wife. I liked it a lot and it was a very nice size but the issue with the 11" screen and resolution was bothersome more often than not as well as the all-level-keys keyboard. If the wife didn't need a better machine from her netbook, I would probably still have the M11x and be very happy with it. The sleep and wake-from-sleep time was phenomenal on this "older" ultrabook-type gaming system.

The XPS 15z with the 1600x900 resolution is a plus for me but the size is a tad bigger than I really want it to be. It's not as big as my ASUS notebook because it doesn't have the ridiculous and mostly useless added number pad on the right-hand side of the keyboard. I don't type enough on the number pad to justify it being on my machine and even if I did use the number pad often, I'd purchase a USB one because the layout on my ASUS is not exactly the same as a full-size keyboard. The 15z feels more like a 15" Mac Book Pro(?). It's looks like a good machine and fairly lightweight but I'm not sure it's as portable as I'd like.

The Samsung 9 Series 13" ultrabook was a very pretty machine. I have a Samsung Netbook and have not had ANY issues with it that I didn't create myself. The netbook was the portability I wanted with more power than the "normal" netbook. I was $100 more than other netbooks with basically the same specs but it was rated better and it turned out to be just great for me...for a while. I ended up needing more speed with opening programs like a browser or any Word/Excel/Access files. The scrolling left/right/up/down in the browser window was tedious. It did it's job for what I needed it for at the time but I've increased my needs so it will no longer cut it for me. It is a Netflix playing machine which is hooked up to a projector and that's all it is used for now...it's does this quite well with only the occasional hiccup. I would be willing to take the chance on the Samsung 9 but not for a $400 difference. I went to Best Buy the other day to fondle the XPS 13, XPS 14z, and Series 9 machines and the Samsung started at $1,399 whereas the other two were $999. The specs were pretty identical give or take a few minor tweaks.

I tried to customize all the machines as close as possible to get the best comparison with power and cost. Looks is a bit secondary for me although these machines all look pretty good on the outside and under the cover. However, the XPS 13 would have to be the most eye-catching from the outside cover to the inside under the lid. The Samsung has a not-so-shiny finish on the outside and a less glossy screen which could be good in bright lights to combat glare and reflections. The Alienware look needs an update but it's flashy lights and all still make it look cool. The glossy screen helps add to the "shine" but it's very pricey for me since I don't really do gaming on my PC much anymore. Besides, I have a desktop for that. I want to use my new notebook more for Photoshop, Pinnacle Studio, Internet, Email, and the like. It's nice to have the power to play games but is it worth the additional $500 or more? Maybe. It was with the M11x but I got that for a very, very good deal. There isn't a very, very good deal right now for the M14x.

So, that's my dilemma. Thanks for listening.

Tricia Helfer

I recently saw a headline that had Tricia Helfer's name in it or maybe it was within the article. I can't remember which and it really has no point to the post other than it made me want to find out who this "celebrity" was. So, I Googled her.

She, like the actress Lauren Cohan in my previous post, looked familiar. Although most of the images showing at the top of the Google search reveal her long-term gig she previously had, I recognized her as playing Carla in USA Network's Burn Notice series. Briefly, she was Michael Weston's "handler" and I remember that she was kind of hot even though her character was very mean.

Her long-term gig was as Number Six in the remade Battlestar Galactica. She apparently has done a lot of voice overs for animated shows/movies.

I don't remember what the article was about. I really don't care at this point. All I can think/see is "Damn!" when I see the images that Google found.

Lauren Cohan

In my newly found down time since I'm no longer having to worry about getting class assignments done, I have been able to be more random in my daily activities. It could only get worse before it gets better, if it does at all.

Some things I have been able to do because of one of the best technologies called "Tivo" or DVR/PVR for those people who don't have an actual Tivo brand DVR/PVR. I was able to complete the past (2^nd) season of The Walking Dead. There was this new character introduced named Maggie.

It's played by Lauren Cohan. There was something about her even though she played this country bumpkin. She has a natural prettiness.

Watching the each episode this season with her in it, I couldn't place it but I felt like I had seen her on some other show/movie before. After using my brain and Googling her (not the way I wanted to "google" her) and found out where I had seen her before.

She was Damon's hot vampire lover, Rose, in The Vampire Diaries!

Oh how I'd like to compel her... Ha!

Okay, so that's that!

Allegation of Cheating

The title of this post was in the subject line of an email I got today from my professor for my last final yesterday. Apparently, a couple of members of the the negotiation group I was in came forward to report that a few other team members had in there possession some information that they were not "technically" supposed to be privy to.

I don't understand why any of my classmates would feel the need to have an advantage in this class. It's not that hard and not to knock the professor, who just happens to be a close friend of mine, but the class was a cinch and one of my easiest I've ever taken! We had one test over a book that was like 80 pages long and that was just to be sure we were reading the book. The rest of the work was in-class (sometimes longer or after-class) negotiations. As long as we attended class and participated in the negotiations and general class discussions, we were golden with at minimum an A-. These kids were actually worried about the final. I was shocked and amused. I got the final case information about two hours before the final. I printed it. Read it. Highlighted some things and came to a conclusion to what I thought we should look for as part of our team and where we could concede. I actually wanted to play hard ball with the other groups because this isn't real life. This classroom negotiations and the point is not to have an agreement all the time. The class room is where you can fail in the negotiation process whereas real life is not.

So, these overachievers and worry-warts, Googled and found some 14-page 'paper' that talked about our specific case and even gave the points that the other groups would be looking for. Was this cheating? In my opinion, yes. One team member found this document and forwarded it to the rest of the group. She actually read it and mentioned the specific page where the points for each group was located. I clicked on it, saw it was fourteen pages long, and immediately closed it. There was no way in hell I was going to read fourteen pages of something that may not even benefit me. Besides the fact that I really didn't give a shit if I got an A on the final. My goal was to pass, which is a D-, and that was all I needed to complete my final class/semester. Don't ever call me an overachiever in the classroom! I was done last semester in my mind so the least I could work to achieve passing was the best I wanted to do.

The Internet is a powerful tool. You can find just about anything that references part or all of your search. The kids of this generation and the past couple are used to having this information at the touch of a button. They are spoiled...in more ways than one. They feel that an A- is worse than an A. I guess in the minute sense of the grades, yes, one is better than the other. But is there really much difference between a 3.7 and a 4.0? If you round to the nearest whole number they are equal. If you see an A for one student and an A- for another, does that mean student A is smarter than student A-? Is there much of a difference between an A- and a B+ or a 3.7 versus a 3.3? Granted rounding to the nearest whole number makes the two look different. But...an A- is the bottom of the 'A' barrel whereas a B+ is the top of the 'B' barrel.

I know. I know. We can throw in the wrench that some students need to maintain a specific GPA to continue to get their grants, awards, or scholarships. Let's just keep it simple!

So, the originator of the email came forward after the professor's email. She took full responsibility. A little while later the prof sends and email and it seems that two other students were "caught." I don't know if the prof is going to really go forward with this but we'll see. Not my problem.

I just know that once again something, anything, could happen to fuck up my graduation!