Cool Vs. Uncool

I understand that it’s cool to be uncool. That is the whole premise of Napoleon Dynamite. Popular cool/uncool genres are 80’s dress attire, vintage video games, and even mullets & mustaches. A friend sent me this link the other day and told me to check out the product reviews. For those of you who don’t have the time to jump the link, just know that the link is a bunch of customer reviews for one of those cool/uncool T-shirts that are found in most truck stops around the nation which feature some sort of nature scene printed on it (in this case, three wolves howling at the moon). The reviews were written by people who deem themselves as cool by making fun of the uncool people who wear these clothes thinking they are really cool (you still with me?).

I get the humor, but it’s been hashed so much this decade that I feel it has lost the miracle whip zing that it once carried. However, a trip to the Layton Hills Mall put things back into perspective as to why the cool people started imitating/mocking the uncool people in the begining.

This is an early 90’s Chrysler Mini Van that has been adorned with multiple wolves. A wolf figurine mounted on the hood, three wolves mounted to the dashboard, and every seat plastered with a wolf seat cover (even the back seats).

I just wanted to remind everyone why these people started being teased before it was cool to be uncool.

College of Eastern Utah, Serving Hepatitis Since...

I had the awesome experience to visit Price, Utah last week. Sadly I didn't get a chance to make it to the dinosaur museum. I did however spend a short time in the bathroom of the student center at the College Of Eastern Utah. While doing my business I looked to my left and this is what I saw. Apparently someone decided to wipe their bloody finger(s) all over the bathroom stall. And here I thought my biggest threat for hepatitis in a mens bathroom was senators from Idaho.

Sunday Dinner... and what will be following

Working with people who are married, I get small glimpses of what it is like for married couples. Some of what I see, I envy. Some of what I see, I don't. For those who follow my blog or know me personally, you must know that food is important to me. For married folks, no matter how busy they are during the week, it seems that Sunday Dinner is a time they can really enjoy a well prepared meal, as well as the company of one another. This I envy.

As I spend most of my weekends in my recliner, the variety of my meals is usually dictacted by what commercial I see when i first feel hungry. Or at least the commercials I see when I am the most bored. Today's Sunday Dinner inspiration came to me after seeing a commercial for Taco Bell's Loaded Nachos. After placing my order at the drive thru and then chatting for a bit with Juan (the night manager, and yes, he and I are on a first name basis), I arrived home with an extra large Diet Pepsi (because I'm on a diet) and my Loaded Nachos.

Now, envision a taco salad bowl filled with nachos and you have an accurate description of the Loaded Nachos. To evenly distribute the Loaded part of the nachos, I used the spork that Juan provided me to crunch up the salad bowl and chips. I then scattered the heart of the nachos qually across the crunch reminants of the tortilla bowl and chips.

It was fantastic. Upon completion I examined the spork and noticed that the prongs were missing. I quickly scowered the black plate for the prongs. Nothing.

My Sunday Dinner may not have been a well prepared meal shared with the company another, but at least I'll be looking forward to the next day or so, as a part of the meal (or at least the spork) will be with me for a while.

The Deep Fried Twinkie

It never fails me. The more I seem to care about my health and physical wellbeing, the more I fall deeper into the deep fried pit of all things greasy. It’s much like driving a car down the road and seeing a piece of debris in the road; focusing on the chunk of debris and determined not to run it over- Thud! You run smack dab right into it.

This week, the road debris I ran right into was a deep fried Twinkie. Now, as an avid reader of www.thisiswhyyourefat.com , I am no stranger to all things fatty and deep fried. For example: The DUI- French fries covered with chili cheese, carne asada and pastrami

The Royal Flush- A pile of 3 sunny side up eggs, beans, red chile sauce, cheddar cheese, 4 corn tortillas and 3 hash browned potatoes.

and of course Tempura Bacon

So while in Moab, Utah, at the Broken Oar Grill, seeing Deep Fried Twinkie on the menu just seemed the natural choice. Perhaps after looking at so much culinary porn on thisiswhyyourefat.com, my judgement for what is acceptable as a healthy part of a balanced diet has been skewed somewhat. I'm not sure. But I do know it was delicious.

I won't even try to describe what that deep fried delight was like, I'll leave that to the pros, but it was a great bump in my road of healthy eating. "Something magical occurs when the pastry hits the hot oil. The creamy white vegetable shortening filling liquefies, impregnating the sponge cake with its luscious vanilla flavor... The cake itself softens and warms, nearly melting, contrasting with the crisp, deep-fried crust in a buttery and suave way. The piece de resistance, however, is a ruby-hued berry sauce, adding a tart sophistication to all that airy sugary goodness." -"Fry That Twinkie, But Hold the Chips". The New York Times. 2002-05-15.

Sept 7th Mix Tape - Cave In

For those of you who have given up on CD's and are now buying all your music on itunes, I feel sorry for you. There is nothing more rewarding than happening upon an album that you haven't listened to in years and then rediscovering why you bought it in the first place. This is what happened to me as I moved my CD collection into a new shelf and found my Cave In LP and EP's.

I was first exposed to Cave In by music guru Brecon Powell around 2000. Brecon was my source of all things emo and indie (genres which at the time didn't carry the teen angst, hot topic, skinny jeans stigma that plague them now). He made me a copy of the new "Jupiter" album.

The two albums prior to "Jupiter" were straight up hardcore albums. However "Jupiter" showcased the band's newly found sound that Spin Magazine called "emo-metal Radiohead." The heavy influences of their hardcore past mixed with space rock makes for a unique and addicting combination.

Cave In has since released two more LP's and a slough of EP's and singles. If you are into Incubus, Sense Field, or Radiohead, chances are you'll dig Cave In. Go pick up one of their albums and hold on to it, file it in your collection, and then rediscover it!