Big Money Tony

Hill Country BBQ

Wed, 14 Sep 2011 22:39:41 -0500

OK, it's been awhile since I wrote. For the 3 of you still checking or on RSS, I'm going to write when I can, mostly reviewing restaurants I've been to.

First up, Hill Country BBQ. What red-blooded American doesn't love BBQ? A couple of friends and I went their last month for Restaurant week. First, the bar was great. I know it's odd to say, but it's good to have an ice cold beer. Some places simply have draft beer cool or slightly below room temperature. Shiner Bock here is ice cold. Good to go down with the dinner of mostly meat.

Which brings us to the main deal. For Restaurant Week, the offer was the Pitmaster, cornbread, a dessert, and a jar of Shiner or a soda. All for $35. Most places don't include the drink, so that was a slightly better deal. Yeah, I know sometimes when you look at it, RW isn't ideal for some or certain places. For me, I don't generally order dessert, but I also try to go to places I haven't been or have great deals. This met that standard.

The Pitmaster itself is Lean Brisket, one Pork Sparerib, one Beef Sparerib, and a quarter chicken (white or dark). The brisket was tender and juicy. Maybe a bit more fat than I prefer, but overall good. I think for the most part either you like ribs or you don't. Both the pork and beef versions for good, but not the best I had. The chicken was a disappointment. Maybe it's because I prefer white meat and got dark, but it was just not seasoned properly. Cooked well, but if it's flavorless, it does not matter. Also included wtih the Pitmaster were 2 sides. I got the Mac & Cheese and Confetti Cole Slaw. Both were excellent and better than I usually have. The cornbread was a bit dry, but the ancho honey butter that accompanies it improves it to the point I didn't care it was dry. The dessert I got was the banana pudding. It reminded me of childhood. Nice and cool and not too sweet. A very good way to end the meal.

Overall, I would say the experience was worth it. There were other things on the menu that I need to try like the chops or the Kruez sausage. I probably won't go back too often, but if you are in the mood for some BBQ or cold Shiner, go there.

Goodbyes and Good Wishes to the Aughts

Wed, 30 Dec 2009 10:13:51 -0500

So as the world bids adieu to the first tenth of the twenty-first century, the passage of time brought good and bad. Rather than doing a list, I'd like to concentrate on a very narrow section of one major topic, the economy.

All I want to say here is how important it is to remember the charities you believe in. Donating money, time, or product to a good cause should be about causes you care about. Everyone has been affected by the economy, so I made an effort this year to spread the wealth, which I have none of. But what I have, I make sure it goes around. In particular, I will admit that I donate a large percentage of my donations to one particular group of organizations, those who help fight cancer. But that is what I care about, so that is where my money will go. So with that, here is the list of organizations I donated to in 2009.

The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society: This hit my family, so they get my support. Also, special thanks to @ChasRunner and @BettyJoan who ran with Team in Training programs for the benefit of LLS.
The Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins for all the support and care they provided my family.
LiveStrong: I have worn the yellow wristband everyday for the past 5 years or so.
SOC Enterprises where I volunteer as a member of the board as they work to help mentally challenged persons gain employment.
The University of Maryland, College Park where I received a great education. In this bad economy, do we want to see an eligible student not go to a college because they can not afford it? Maybe this generates the person who cures cancer.

I'm sure there are others I've missed, as I've dropped off loose change or cash to the buckets, boots, and boxes all across the region. For many of you, the donation could mean a tax deduction. But for everyone, just remember to donate to causes you care about.

Happy New Year to All and let's hope for a better 2010 for everyone.

Goodbye and Good Riddance

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 11:41:34 -0500

As I'm sure you have heard, John Allen Muhammad, the DC Sniper, was executed yesterday. And frankly, I'm glad. Before some of you think I'm a death penalty supporter, let me tell you I'm not. Indifference is the best description for me. I have not supported it, nor am I against it.

In the case of Muhammad however, I feel this is justice deserved. Crime occurs every day, every minute. Many times there is a reason, a motive. Then sometimes, like here, there isn't a real explanation. Crimes happen because of opportunity, need, emotion. Only opportunity applied in the DC Sniper case and that's a stretch, since the opportunity was that anyone who went out in public was a target.

This series of crimes paralyzed the DC region for weeks. While I did not personally know any of the victims, the locations of most of the crimes occurred in or near the neighborhood I grew up, worked, or frequented. Most disturbing for me was October 14, 2002 when Linda Franklin was killed outside the Home Depot in the Seven Corners area of Falls Church, Virginia. I was at work nearby and drove by there just an hour before she was killed. During the spree, I had co-workers from the Philadelphia area ask me the best way to drive to avoid the sniper when they were headed to Virginia. I worried for my parents, brother, and sister who still lived in my childhood neighborhood.

When Muhammad, and his accomplice, Lee Boyd Malvo, were finally captured, we could all rest a little better. With his execution last night, it seems we can all rest even smoother now. Sometimes the death penalty may feel right, even if you have no opinion.

Review: Mac's Speed Shop in Charlotte

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 08:33:58 -0500

So I'm back writing. Work has kicked my ass the last couple of months. I haven't had time to read other blogs, let alone write. But things have finally calmed down a bit.

A couple of weekends ago, The Sports Freak, Q, and I went to Charlotte, NC. We had 2 reasons to go, as we have a friend living there, and the Redskins were playing the Carolina Panthers. Well, this was a great idea in the pre-season when the Redskins looked like a middle of the pack team, not the debacle they have become. If you want to read more about our thoughts on the game, see here. But what I'm writing about here is food.

Our Charlotte friend told us about the great city, how as a Northerner, he loved the pace and lifestyle the South and particularly his current home city provides. The three of us had visited before, but we were barely there a day so we didn't experience the city much. This time, we got to some of the restaurants.

We flew down Saturday morning, arriving just in time for lunch. So after checking in at the hotel and meeting up with our friend, we all headed over to the South Blvd location of Mac's Speed Shop. From the outside, it looks like almost any restaurant. But the tiny parking lot was packed. Always a good sign. Going instead it was even better. The place was definitely full inside as well, but lucky they had a table for 4. While they had regular tables, much of the seating are bar height tables and stools, which is where we were seated. The place seems to be more of a bar with a large bar seating area, but is appropriate for the style. TV's showing sports all around and the diners ranged young and old, from yuppies, professionals, and yes, bikers.

The picture above was what I ordered was "A Little Bit of It All". Meaning literally. There was BBQ Chicken, pulled pork, beef brisket, and ribs for meat. 2 sides and Texas toast accompanied the big plate. For my sides, I ordered the mac and cheese and onion rings. That was a lot of food. We also made the great choice/mistake of ordering a plate of hushpuppies to start. The hushpuppies were better than what I've had before, but I only had one, because the entrees came up quick. The ribs were outstanding. Some of the best I've ever had. Just enough sauce and they were meaty and tender. The pulled pork was good. I've had better, but the amount they served was unbelievable. If you imagined a roll to make a sandwich, make sure you have at least 2 rolls, as I think they slaughtered a whole pig for the amount on each plate. The beef brisket was good. The Sports Freak ordered just the brisket and he thought it was excellent. I didn't get to it much until I had already gone through all the ribs and much of the other meat, so I was already full. The disappointing part of the plate was the chicken. it was almost as if they roasted the chicken without seasoning then basted and sauced right before serving. The sides were great. The mac and cheese was crunchy on top and creamy in the middle. The onion rings had a nice and crisp coating, but had the snap I like with the onion.

I would definitely go back again, but would order only the ribs. They were that good. Oh, "A Little Bit of It All" at $16 implies there is a bigger plate. Yes, for only $10 more, you can get "A Whole Lot of It All". I don't know who any one person can eat that much. I was served enough food to feed a family of 4 for 3 nights. I left at least a normal plate of food. As for service, it's not fine dining, but it's good service. The staff all seem to have some ink on them. If you have the chance, try one of Mac's Speed Shop's three locations.

Review: The Coldest Winter

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 13:50:35 -0500

Recently I finished Coldest Winter, The: America and the Korean War, the last book written by David Halberstam. As a history buff, I generally lean toward the Civil War and World War II, but I heard about Halberstam by way of Tony Kornheiser, when he announced on his radio show or ESPN's Pardon the Interruption that Halberstam had passed away in a car accident. It game me reason to wonder, what have I been missing by not reading Halberstam?

It was not intentional slight, it was just that Halberstam never crossed my radar. I had no idea the depth of this man's work. When I searched for a new book to read, I ran across this in a Kindle edition. Perfect, I thought, as I could read this at my own pace without needing a physical copy. The Korean War was something I had not really studied since high school. It seems to be a much forgotten war in America, known only as the event that split Korea into the North and the South. Or the comedy that is MASH.

Halberstam weaves stories from Washington insiders, foreign hands, and the men on the ground in a story that tells the Korean War from pre-war to post-war and Cold War implications. The stories from the boots on the ground and how they dealt with it once back home were the strongest, deepest memories. The pain of going through the war and how some of them had just been through WWII and had to return to foreign lands to fight yet another war. In a way, Halberstam shows us how Korea was the original Vietnam, a war that nobody really wanted to fight. Only Korea had no real public face, unlike Vietnams protests.

In the end however, the most fascinating part was the game MacArthur was playing with Washington. Many military careers and lives were lost over the things that MacArthur supposedly did. We can only judge from what was stated by those who were there and the sight does not seem pretty. This is part of the story I had either never learned or had completely forgotten, but Halberstam's book has put it all in perspective for me.

Overall, if you are a history buff like me, you will want to read The Coldest Winter. It might be a little too much detail for your casual reader. But fascinating nonetheless.

Review: Charlie Palmer's

Fri, 28 Aug 2009 08:00:10 -0500

So in case you did not know, it is Restaurant Week in DC again. At $20.09 for lunch for $35.09 for dinner, diners can enjoy or sample select menus from participating establishments. But even at the discount rate, $35.09 is a lot to spend, though you get a 3 course meal.

The Sports Freak, a co-worker of his, and I went to Charlie Palmer's near the Capitol earlier in the week. None of us had dined there before, so it seemed like a good place to try. We got there about 15 minutes early so after letting them know we were there, we settled at the bar for a pre-dinner drink. Value is not what you expect there, as I ordered a vodka tonic that was more tonic than vodka and cost $10.

Dinner was better. After we placed our orders, we were given an amuse-bouche of tiny shrimp ceviche. Served in a metal "Asian soup spoon", there was the right balance of acid and seasonings. The tiny shrimp came in twos and marinated in lime juice and cilantro. Very good start. For appetizer, I had the cold Virginia Corn Soup. The cream based soup was light and refreshing. While they put a little Maryland blue crab in the middle, I think the soup would have done just as well without it. The others had heirloom tomato salads with goat cheese. Two big slices of tomato and a mix wild greens, they reported it to be good.

On to the main entrees. All three of us had the roasted beef sirloin. The sirloin itself was very good. Tender and flavorful, it was a good portion of meat. I had ordered mine medium and it might have been a bit on the rare side, but still good. The accompanying carmelized shallots were excellent, but how can carmelized onions not be good? The potatoes, not so much. Boulanger potatoes were sliced thin, but surprisingly tasted slightly raw, even though they seemed througly cooked. It could have used a little more salt as well. We also ordered a side of zuchinni and squash for the table. That was great was shavings of parmesean cheese on top.

Dessert was possibly the big let down of the meal. The Sports Freak and I both had the peach cobbler. Baked and served in a ramakin with a dollop of frozen vanilla custard, it was very runny. That might have been the downfall for the dessert as being baked in the small vessel instead a big batch made the crust finish quickly. The peaches were still very firm, almost as if they were just warmed or quickly boiled and the liquid never had a chance to bake out of the dish. The co-worker had ordered the Pennsylvania berry soup, which was a raspberry base served with panna cotta and sorbet. He said it was very good, but he is partial to raspberries.

In all, it was a very good meal. The restaurant decor is very bright and modern and you feel that it is very new, yet the service was established. It is in the bottom of a fairly new building which opened earlier in the decade. I would go back for Restaurant Week again, but would find it hard to go on the regular menu on my own dime. The pricing was very high, but for a special meal or business, it would be on my list of places to go.

Weekend Food Trip Around the World

Tue, 18 Aug 2009 08:39:28 -0500

On a recent weekend, I had dinner at three very different establishments.

First on Friday night, The Sports Freak and I went to 2 Amy's. We wanted to see what the fuss was all about. The lauded restaurant is off Wisconsin Ave, just north of the National Cathedral. The lines were long and we had ot wait about half an hour. During that time, we saw a few carryout orders, including a woman who had 8-12 boxes of pizza, so we thought we were in for a treat.

Unfortunately, things did not turn out so well. We wanted to start with an appetizer of smoked salmon bruschetta or something like that. I'm not sure exactly what was ordered because we never received it. The pizzas came surprisingly quickly, so we decided not to question the missing plate until it showed up on our bill.

I had ordered the Abruzesse, which might have been a mistake. No mozzarella, but pecorino cheese, the pizza seemed oversalted. Not to the extreme, but a bit too much. The meatballs seemed very dry. The best part of the pizza was the crust. Light and chewy, it is what I look for in pizza. TSF had a traditional Neapolitan and reported he was not impressed. He did not go into details, but said that he had had better Neapolitan elsewhere.

The best part of my meal might have been the pint of Wehenstephan Dunkel beer. It was crisp and refreshing. At least I got a little buzz before my disappointing dinner. Maybe we got to 2 Amy's on an off night.

On to Saturday, I went to Z-Burger again with the Sports Freak. We hit the Tenleytown location at around 8:30 PM and it was virtually empty. We each ordered a burger and shared some fries and onion rings. Like all the "burger only" joints in the area, they only cook their burgers well-done. And because of that, it tastes much like the rest of them. If I was looking for a burger, I might not stop at Z-Burger unless I was in the neighborhood. Five Guys does just as good of a job, and I can find them in most neighborhoods now.

The fries also mimicked their competition, offering little difference. Where they win are onion rings. The rings appeared to be fresh made, not frozen. My only complaint on them would be that the onions were a bit too soft and so was the batter coating. I prefer my onions crisp. The coating might have been an issue because they were the last of the 3 items I tasted. Also on the menu, which we did not try were cheesesteaks and milkshakes. The Sports Freak is a freak about cheesesteaks and vowed he'd be back to try them. I thought about a milkshake but I didn't want a heart attack that night and just didn't want one at 9 PM.

Beer Summit

Fri, 31 Jul 2009 08:47:51 -0500

So the beer summit between President Obama, Prof Henry Gates, and Sgt James Crowley finally happened Thursday afternoon. VP Joe Biden also joined the party to make it an even four drinkers. I have had beer with people I don't like. I think I've even drank with people I hate. Alcohol breaks down barriers and kills everything...including brain cells. The question for this beer summit was, does it solve anything?

First, an analysis of the beers. Obama went for Bud Light. Good choice for an American President, although the beer is now officially Belgian-owned. Not good for a beer connoisseur as I'd have trouble with that as my beer of choice. Gates decided on Sam Adams Light, settling on it after rumors of Red Stripe or Beck's. A better choice than Obama for sure. Crowley had a Blue Moon. Decent choice, as it shows somewhat of an everyday man with sophisticated taste. Biden downed a Buckley's. Honestly never heard of it before yesterday. Apparently it's non-alcoholic. Say it ain't so Joe!

Since we don't know what was discussed, we'll have to make assumptions based on their tone and Crowley's press conference later in the evening. It appears to have been a success for the two primary persons, Crowley and Gates. While they may never agree on what actually happened, or see each other's side, from the looks of it, they may agree to disagree. Obama gained points that he lost when he called the actions "stupidly", as he appeared to be there to act as a moderator. Biden, I'm afraid may have slipped. I like Joe, but a few things went against him. Maybe this was the President's fault, but Biden was not initially invited. Him showing up at the last minute is like the guy you don't want to show up at happy hour come up to you at 5:01 and ask "So we headed down to the pub?". That can be somewhat forgiven. But Buckley's? If his choice is not to drink alcohol, I respect him for that, but why endure yourself through the taste without the benefits? Just have a soda or iced tea.

Another thing that bugged me? The suits. Sure Obama just got off the phone with the Joint Chiefs or whatever, but home is next door. Change into those mom jeans from the All-Star game! Biden, couldn't you pack an extra set of clothes to bring to the office? For Crowley and Gates, I guess if the President invites you to the White House, you have to dress up. But I would have given them props if they showed up like any other tourists with camera straps around their necks, Hawaiian shirt on, and shorts and flip flops.

Back to to actual point of the meeting. This is what makes America great. Neither side appeared to budge, but they were cordial and maybe the flames have been fanned. I wonder if we've ever had a beer summit in the past. Imagine if we sat down with Khruschev for some shots of vodka. Would the Cold War have ended decades earlier?

End of a Radio Era

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 07:12:27 -0500

Friday marked the end of an era in Washington DC radio. For the first time since the 1980's, there will be no Don or Mike on the radio, as WJFK-FM flipped to sports talk from their "guy talk" concentration. That left Mike O'Meara, who has lead his own radio show since Don Geronimo "retired" in 2008, on the sidelines without a timeslot to run his show. Lifelong Washingtonians may remember this duo as some of the best radio has had to offer. Even some transplants might know them, as the Don and Mike Show and subsequently, Mike's own show, were playing in other parts of America.

There has been the constant reports of demise of radio since the mid 90's. First it was the "Pay to Play" era coming to the forefront, where every radio station was "Top 40" and consisted of the same 50 songs being played over and over again. Then it was the iPod. Surely now that anyone with a CD collection could program their own "station" and drop the radio. Next, it was satellite radio and more importantly, the decision by Stern to leave terrestrial radio and head to Sirius.

I have not been a regular radio listener since the late 80's. I couldn't stand the vanilla music, instead relying on my trusty walkman and eventually my car tape deck to play my own music. Admittedly, it was kind of vanilla with Guns & Roses, Metallica, with bursts of other pop/rock from my "mix tapes". Remember those? But only two constants from radio remained. WTOP News and the Don & Mike show.

Sure there have been spurts where this show wasn't on. They quit their WAVA-FM morning show and sat out their contract until WJFK signed them for the afternoon drive. The occassional suspension from their "shock-jock" days also had them sitting out in favor of best of tapes. But it seemed like the show would be on forever.

Now, no more. On Friday, a 20 minute taped segment from Mike O'Meara and crew detailed that they plan on trying to revive the show on another station. It is the first time this show has been derailed for good by the station it was running on. Good luck to the crew. I'll probably listen to 106.7 The Fan to see what the fuss was about, but DC radio has changed for good and it just won't be the same.

Review: Valkyrie

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 05:46:14 -0500

I am a history buff. So much in fact, that I think if there were a sure career path for history majors besides research or teaching, I would have been there. So Valkyrie was on my radar since I first heard about it, but not enough to catch it at the theater.

Prior to seeing it, the biggest obstacle in liking this movie was probably Tom Cruise. It was hard to imagine him as Col. Claus von Stauffenberg, the key to the Hitler assassination plot. After seeing it, that remains the biggest issue with the movie. The dancing old man from Tropic Thunder, Risky Business, Cocktail and Mission Impossible, all seem to come to mind before him being a serious, real-life character. Probably did not help that ESPN's Bill Simmons dubbed him "der Maverick" in a podcast as an homage to Top Gun.

Many World War II movies use Europeans to play Nazis. That would have helped here, since Cruise employed his American accent throughout the 120 minutes. Not that putting a fake German accent would have done better, so the point should have been, don't use Tom Cruise here.

Aside from Cruise, the movie still lacked some storyline. While we are told early on about von Stauffenberg's reasons to participate in the plot, we are not told how he got there. The first 45 minutes or so appear to set up the big event, but watching the whole movie, you realize none of it was necessary as you would understand just as much if it weren't there. Watching it with The Sports Freak, from the DC Sports Page, he noted that the movie could have been helped by reminding the audience of other key events happening in the war. We are only given a sparse timeline. With it, we are not sure if the plot took a week, a month, or a year to get in place.

While Valkyrie did not satisfy, it was still good to see a World War II movie. If you are a history buff, you should consider renting it. There are excellent actors in the movie, like Tom Wilkinson (Ben Franklin from HBO's John Adams) and Eddie Izzard, among other recognizable faces. Just ignore the fact that Tom Cruise is there.

Remembering

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 06:13:39 -0500

This is a day I will never forget. Two years ago, my mother passed away. I am sorry to lay this heavy topic on you, but it is not to bring you down. It is to remind everyone that there are still causes that need your support even in the bad economy.

My mother was only 56 when the cancer took her life. It was a long year starting with her diagnosis in August 2006, which we found it had returned. She had originally been diagnosed with non-Hodgkins Lymphoma in the 90's and fought it off. After the recurrence, months of chemotherapy, doctors appointments, and two trips to San Francisco to visit her ailing mother, and then attend the funeral, then we had to a face a terrible week. On the weekend, we went to the outlet mall and had a great Sunday brunch. By Tuesday, she couldn't get out of bed, and the following Sunday we lost her.

She was a hard working person who worked many different jobs. Finally, her last few years, she worked in retail and had time to spend on her hobbies. One she was really good at and that was Chinese art/calligraphy. She had intended to sell most of these paintings, but we decided to keep them in our family.

These are some of the places that deserve support in the fight against cancer.

John Hopkins Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, where my mother got most of her chemotherapy. It is also where our Cousin H works. She graciously took time off from her job that last week to help us with our mother. Also helped us get in contact with Dr. Richard Ambinder who worked on the treatment for our mother.
Hospice of Frederick County who do not charge for their services but helped in decision making and home hospice care.
National Foundation for Cancer Research - working hard to raise funds for research.
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society because this is the form of cancer my mother had.

I'm sure there are many others, but these get my support every year. Some places do not just need money. Many hospices will be happy to get your volunteer time or even a box of tissues.

The Stock Market

Fri, 05 Jun 2009 06:00:46 -0500

I don't like to brag. Wait, I do, but I don't have a lot to brag about right now. Back to the subject. Since I was 18, I've had money in the market. No, I'm not Series 7 licensed, or a screaming (rich) lunatic like Jim Cramer. I was a poor kid working his way through college and decided to ride the .com financial wave.

And I did it well for years. Mutual funds at first, then I graduated to dividend reinvestment programs direct from the companies themselves. I owned Dial Corp, you know, the company that made Dial soap. Soap! Finally I got a real investment account from E-Trade. I became a high flyer with my $1,000 account. A funny thing happened along the way. Stocks soared, I earned more and invested more. All of a sudden, I'm watching stock prices every five minutes. Arrive at work, check messages for a bit, then check My Yahoo page for latest 15 minute delayed quotes. Run a report, check the prices again. Go to lunch, come back, check stocks before getting back to business. 4:30 rolls around, check for any end of day deals. Finish work, head to happy hour and go home to check closing prices. Repeat.

Then 2008 came around. Does anybody but the media and those that work in the market check prices anymore? I just realized I haven't looked at my dismal portfolio since Thanksgiving. Sure, I hear or see prices in passing, but I'm not hung up on it. What's the price of Apple today? Who knows, who cares. Sure the recession sucks, but it helped me in one aspect. I saved time checking stocks. Unfortunately that time got filled pretty quickly with Twitter and other time-sucking activities on the Internet. Market please come back. At least that obsession earned me money.

TMI Thursday: A Date You Don't Want

Thu, 28 May 2009 08:00:49 -0500

Those of you familiar with TMI Thursday know that Lilu gets this train rolling here. As she says, "Join us all in humiliating the crap out of yourself every Thursday by sharing some completely tasteless, wholly unclassy, 'how many readers can I estrange THIS week??' TMI story about your life. Or hell, about someone else's!"

As you have read here before, I used to work at CVS. We once opened a brand new store in Maryland. The key in retail when opening a new store is to hire as many people that appeared qualified, then the cream of the crop usually rises to the top. We fired some people quick, like the guy who slept on the job, when he should have been watching out for fires (sprinklers not yet installed), and the kid who stole products from us before the store was open for business. But we did keep some, including a hispanic woman in her late 30's. We'll call her M. M had 2 kids, I think. Her oldest was at the time, a 17 year old daughter we'll call D.

After a few months the store was open, we hired D as well. D was hot. All the guys working at the store, most of whom were high school kids, wanted to go out with her. I was a college senior, and will admit she was attractive. I was trying to go out with college women, not high school girls, so she wasn't on my radar.

However, apparently I was on hers. One day, so came into work and checked in at the office, like she normally does. I was in there doing some paperwork.

D: Want to go dancing tonight after work?

Me: Uh, um, uh!

D: I know this great club.

Me: No thanks.

D: You're cute!

Me:

There is a reason I was stammering and then embarrassed. More on that in a minute. The next day, M came up to me.

M: Why won't you go out with D?

Me: Nothing personal, but....

M: Don't you find her attractive?

You are probably thinking what's wrong with you BMT? Aren't you a man? A woman and her mother are pushing her on you. Why are you telling me this boring story?

Me: Yes, but...SHE'S PREGNANT!

To clarify, D was pregnant, showing, and no, I was not the father. Not a chance, because we were never together. When I mean showing, it wasn't like she put on weight. She was really showing. I have nothing against pregnant women except I don't like to date them while they are pregnant with someone else's kid.

It didn't take long for me to figure it out. D's baby daddy had left her and wanted nothing to do with the kid. She was looking for a replacement. Flattered as I might be, I don't need instant family. Mom decided to try to help fill that void by trying to coax me into dating D. Weeks later, D went out on maternity leave and I was transferred to another store (Whew!). Never saw either of them again.

Maybe I should have named this "TMI Thursday: A Date Men Don't Want".

Review: Green Day's 21st Century Breakdown

Fri, 15 May 2009 08:02:48 -0500

I was never really a fan of Green Day. OK, so "When I Come Around" on Dookie was a pretty good single 15 years ago. Then American Idiot was released in 2004. That put Green Day in a whole new light for me. American Idiot hit all the right notes, with great songs thoughout the album.

21st Century Breakdown, in contrast, is a mixed bag. Don't get me wrong, the album is good and true Green Day fans will appreciate it. But after the American Idiot, I expected another leap. The new album breaks no ground for Green Day. It's Green Day. There are hits on it. I bought the Deluxe edition off iTunes. "Last of the American Girls" has a pretty good beat to it. "Know Your Enemy" feels much like all of American Idiot with it's pace. Good reason it was picked as the pre-release single. On the Deluxe Edition, it comes with "Like a Rolling Stone", which is kind of a slow pop ballad. It was good and still distinctly Green Day in sound, but not exactly all there. And that's just the problem.

21st Century Breakdown sounds like Green Day, but isn't any different from any other Green Day. If you are a Green Day fan, you'll probably want to buy it. If you are a casual fan, like me, you might like it, but it's no American Idiot. Buy it here on ' or use the Amazon link above.

Review: Domino's Subs and Pizza Hut Pasta

Wed, 13 May 2009 17:00:38 -0500

When you think of subs you think of Domino's Pizza right? For months, I've seen the commercials on TV, most notably during sporting events. Then I needed the appropriate moment to actually try this. We have also considered the Pizza Hut pasta and that was tested as well. More on that later.

So The Sports Freak and I tried them. And you know what? Not bad. We ordered the Philly Cheese Steak, Chicken Parm, and Chicken Bacon Ranch. There was consideration for the Veggie, but why would you? 633 calories compared to the Philly Cheese Steak at 695.

The subs were delivered to us and they were still pretty warm. We each tried half of each sub, but probably only got through one whole sub plus a bit each. The Philly Cheese Steak was passable. Not as good as the real deal from Philadelphia, but better than many of the area cheese steak makers. Only possible lack in this was the amount of steak. I was surprised it turned out so well.

Chicken Parm was as expected. It can be screwed up, but it wasn't by Domino's. The chicken and sauce were flavorful and in the right balance. Not too much, not too little. The cheese was fine

The trailer for the group was Chicken Bacon Ranch. We ordered it without the ranch. I prefer ranch in my salad, not on my sandwich. It was kind of a throw-in because Domino's was offfering a 3 for deal. We could have gotten pizza, but opted against that. While it wasn't bad, I think the bacon could have been more crisp. The chicken seemed to work less well than in the Chicken Parm.

All three subs delivered on the oven toasted bread. Not overdone to become a rock, but enough to keep the ingredients in and not spill out. For fast/delivery food, I generally rate it only "re-orderable" or never again. These fall in the "re-orderable" category.

The Pizza Hut Pasta on the other hand, "never again". Like the blockbuster movie, maybe it's the hype and it wasn't really that bad. But if you are going to sell the pasta that can fool Italians, it better deliver in taste. It didn't. On a different day, the Sports Freak and I ordered the Lasagna and something else. Honestly can't remember the other one. Maybe it was the Chicken Alfredo? In any case, Chef Boyardee might give them a run for their money. What does Pizza Hut have going for them? It comes hot. OK, maybe I was harsh, but marketing it as it fools Italians, must mean they have no taste buds. Pass on these if you ever feel the need and make a simple pasta yourself at home. More satisfying and probably lower in sodium as I felt like I needed a gallon of water after that meal.