Cooking sliders

Started a couple of weeks ago but just now finishing and posting.

I've written about my appreciation of the sliders from Easy Slider Truck. They make 'em pretty good. But as we all know, it's not that hard to make a burger whether it's 1/4 lb, 1/3 lb, 1/2 lb or "slider" lb. No matter how you make it or with what add-ons, it usually tastes good or tastes good to someone. Anyway, it's been a few months or so since we've had any Easy Slider sliders. We just haven't had the time but also, the last time they were near my work, they were charging $8.00 for two sliders or $12.00 for three. It used to be two for $7.00 or three for $10. I think $4.00 a slider isn't worth it when I can get almost an entire value meal (fries, drink and burger) somewhere for $8.00. Anyway, the last time I went to buy sliders for the family, I got nine sliders which cost me $30.00.

So, the family decided to try and make our own. Well, I get to do all the trying and making. The wife and kids get to try the tasting. Hamburger meat @ $8.00, slider buns 12-pk @ $3.00, small goat cheese @ $3.00, strawberry preserve spread @ $3.00, and a pound of bacon @ $8.99 which equals a total around $26.00 plus tax. I saved roughly $4.00 but I also made 16 sliders——the last two (in the bottom pic below) probably could have been broken into four for a total of 18 sliders.

Below: is just the start of the sliders in the skillet. I just mixed the 95% lean hamburger meat with garlic powder. I sliced a yellow onion and put in the skillet with the patties to hopefully pick up some of the juice/flavoring from the patties.

Next: This is just one of the many sliders I cooked. A photo just doesn't do it justice on how good it looked and also lacks the tasty smell that makes the mouth water.

I had some leftover hamburger meat since I didn't know how many sliders I would/could make. I decided to make some Heinz 57 sliders. I mixed the hamburger meat with salt, pepper, garlic powder and Heinz 57. I ran out of slider buns so I thought I'd see how cinnamon raisin bread would work. Added some bacon and, voila! This shit was pretty darn good and tasty if I may say so myself!

Beachbody coaching IS essentially a pyramid

I have this friend that I've known since elementary school. He started as a coach part-time with Beachbody a few years ago and was able to quit his full-time job within the past year due to the fact he makes six figures as a Five-Star Diamond or Emerald Coach and his wife is Three-Star or something like what I described.

Anyway, I've had to endure his constant postings about "how do you start your day," "what's your favorite breakfast meal," "do you like to workout," "would you like to be your own boss, not work in an office and be able to spend time with your family all the while being healthy and helping others do the same," blah, blah blah, etc., etc., etc. It's quite freaking annoying, unbelievably annoying, and people REALLY should separate their personal Facebook page from their business page. Maybe even FB should regulate that a bit.

However until then, I know why my buddy does it. For the longest time, other friends of his/ours would say, "Dude, isn't coaching basically a pyramid." He would vehemently deny it as such. He would say, "No, no, no. Message or call me and I'll explain it to you." I never asked, didn't really care, but knew or heard enough about Beachbody coaching that in my eyes it is essentially a pyramid scheme albeit legal and not like the typically negative connotation people have of a pyramid scheme. So for him, having his posts and motivational questions/concerns on his personal FB page could possibly help him recruit more minions...uh, I mean team members...to help him progress up in coach status.

Many times I've considered hiding him because he's so annoying with his proudness in being able to quit his full-time "dead-end" job and how he thinks he's got a "designed life" or "present parent" compared to anyone else. It's like he's saying to everyone else that because we work in "normal" jobs, we aren't able to do the things we want to do or attend our children's school or extracurricular activities. With my current job, I've not really missed any of my children's activities that I actually wanted to attend or they wanted me to attend. So for him to come across like his choice is better than mine and made him a better parent that it's the choice everyone else should make. No! It shows that he obviously didn't put his family or whatever priorities higher than his previous job. I'm not saying we all can do it but it has nothing to do with being a Beachbody coach and not being one. It's an ignorant generalization.

So recently, a few of his friends posed the "pyramid" question to him since a few months or so ago he bought a new truck and he very recently just bought a huge house. The question was more of a concern with purchasing so many "high dollar" items based on income that isn't simply made by punching a clock for "guaranteed income" but on the production of others on the team underneath him since he's essentially at the top of the pyramid. Don't get me wrong. I'm happy for him. He took a chance and it paid off...for now. What happens when the pyramid crumbles? When the fitness craze wanes or they come up with a pharmaceutical (and they eventually will) that will allow people to vegetate on a couch playing a PS6 or XBOX4 and lose weight!? I know the fitness industry has almost always continue steadily or even grown since the times of Tony Little's Gazelle or Suzanne Sommers' Thigh Master. But again, that's because they just haven't found that "miracle" drug yet. Technology and medical science is making leaps and bounds so they will come up with a diet/fat drug that will truly work.

Take for example a buddy/neighbor of mine who used to sell insurance. He would recruit sales guys underneath him to sell insurance and he'd get a percentage of each one's sales. It was lucrative about 4-6 years ago. In fact, he had a guy that made two million dollars one year without having to work himself. He made that much profit from all his team's sales. That's pretty good! And sounds very similar to the Beachbody coaching experience. But unlike my coaching friend, my insurance friend admits that his insurance business was essentially a pyramid. It's a good thing I didn't take him up on his offer to work for him years ago as he has had do something else, what I don't know.

My insurance friend has a college degree and years of various experience to fall back on. My coaching buddy has no degree (not that I think it's absolutely necessary) and he only has fifteen or so years of experience in his one previous long-term job/field.

So anyhow, without further ranting, I was curious one day and decided to see if Google could tell me how a Beachbody coach makes money. There's a plethora of sites but I think this one was genuine. He's a Beachbody coach and for some reason he seems to have no problem sharing/explaining how a coach makes money.

I'm not saying there is anything wrong with the Beachbody coaching pyramid at all. My friend just defends himself by saying it's not a pyramid and private message me if you want further explanation. That makes him look shady to me. Beachbody coaching seems very legitimate and very profitable for those that invest in it and themselves. I would do it but I lack focus and I'm impatient. I want/need money now not later after I build my team but if one never starts it'll always be later. So, if you have the time, effort and patience, go forth young stallions and mares! I like the Beachbody products like P90X and T25 which I'm trying to get the motivation to start up again (P90X) or begin (T25). I wouldn't mind trying Shakeology but it's cost-prohibitive for me right now...unless I decide to hit up one of my FB friends who are coaches...yes, I have more than one on FB but only one is UNBELIEVABLY annoying!

Again, after all this, enjoy the article and browsing Marcus' website. It's good and informative.



* Links in article that don't work since this is a jpg screen capture:
First and Third links about compensation plan here.
Second link "How Do Beachbody Coaches Make Money" here.
Fourth link "How Beachbody Coaches Make Money" here.
Full article online here while it lasts.

CVS does not believe in saving trees

This is the receipt that I got from buying stuff at CVS this afternoon. I purchased two 20 oz. bottles of Diet Dr Pepper. They are listed at the very top of the receipt and their line items take probably about two inches.

Add the payment information and the entire receipt for purchase could be about five to six inches.

The rest of the receipt is coupons...and some other shit, I guess. They could just send me my coupons as they have my email for my CVS account.

The receipt length as taken in the photograph is about two-and-a-half to three feet long.

I'm not a tree hugger but what a waste! Anyway...

Playing around with some macrophotography

I was going through some storage bins...trying to purge more shit that I don't use/need since my move to a smaller place last year. I have a bin of memorabilia which contains a lot of "junk," as my wife would say, that I just don't want to part with. Some of it I already had to because it was outside on the patio and rain water got inside due to a crack in the side of the bin. Anyway, much of the stuff got rusted or smelled like rotten ass so I had to purge them. I did come across this little "gem" in my recent browse-through.

This is a "coin" that my previous employer gave out to commemorate or some shit our start date. Below the truck was my signature and below it was my start date. I guess they thought this would make us feel better about working for such a shit-hole boss and employer. It didn't work for me. Some people still think it was one of the best places to work. I don't interact AT ALL with those individuals since I left that job fifteen years ago! They are the kind of people that will probably some day go crazy (that are already slightly bat shit to begin with) or do something crazy and I DO NOT want to be around them when that happens.

 

Anyway, I thought with the chemical reaction of the water to whatever this metal is, it was a good chance to try out some macrophotography with this "macro tube" I got some time ago that attaches between the camera and lens. It's not the easiest to focus and shit but it works. Just takes some playing around with which what doesn't in regards to photography?!

The official 'do of the Fort Worth P.D.

Saw this on the news channel this evening. I don't remember what the news story was about —— oh wait, it was about two brothers that run a funeral home, were ordered to shut down for some reason by the city and then the city found dead bodies in the funeral home that were NEVER buried. I think those brothers are going to do some time!

Anyway, the policewoman has a pretty cool 'do...although I'd wonder if it's an unnecessary risk when she cuffing and scuffing someone.

2048 and 1024

This addictive game got owned again! It only took me another 30-ish times to win again. But this time I almost got the elusive 4096.


*posted from my mobile phone