UFO's and YOU

Ok, this is going to be a short one. As many of you know, I am very interested in the possiblity of life outside of our planet, and i read a really interesting article that led me to this really amazing site that has copies of very recent de-classified ufo reports from the uk government. Start yer speculating Here

Escargot and the mysteries of worldwide cuisine

Suggested Listening : Histoire de Melody Nelson by Serge Gainsbourg

First off, let me Address something here. My good friend Dallas has a blog that he is writing. He has entries EVERYDAY that are new. It is massively impressive. Anyways, in his blog, Dallas mentioned that he wishes that I posted more frequently, because as he puts it, my blog "Could only benefit" from more posts. I assume he means that as a compliment, so thank you Dallas. I will take it as a challenge, and will certainly try to up my contributions to the Blogiverse that is blogger.

Dallas, I am sure I will see you sometime again. Soon, I hope.

So, this weekend I had the pleasure of doing something that I've never done before, and after having done it, I really look forward to doing it again.

Now, I know what you pervs are thinking. I was referring to attending the International Food and Wine Festival at EPCOT. It was amazing!

I would not say that I am someone who is well versed in world cuisine. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy different ethnic foods if you will. I enjoy Japanese food (even though I'm sure it's Americanized), and of course German food, Chinese food, Mexican, but once again, usually all Americanized.

I would say that my first true venture into International food was when I went to a Thai restaurant recently with my better half Hillary and her family. I had previously dabbled in Indian food with them previously, but it was nothing that I would feel like revisiting. The Thai restaurant, on the other hand was very enjoyable, and opened my eyes to what my taste buds were possibly missing.

For the most part, I feel like I am willing to try any sort of food at least once. Heck, that's what got me to love calamari. I just wanted to eat something that had tentacles!

So, with this new passion for delving into new adventures for my palate, Hillary and I decided to venture to EPCOT for the festivities. The one thing Hillary was most adamant about that we try is Escargot. That's right folks, snails. Slimy snails. Livin' in a seashell snails. Like this one:

Now, like I stated before, I am willing to try anything once, but eating snails never crossed my mind. scratch that, it crossed my mind like how a rattlesnake might taste, or poop. I had made myself a commitment though, and even though the classic scene from "The Jerk" (First they didn't have the bamboo umbrellas for the drinks, and now snails on the plate!).

Let me tell you....Delicious! absolutely wonderful. They were served in a garlic butter sauce in a mini bread bowl, and that with the side of milk chocolate Creme Brulee, just absolute heaven. France was the absolute best country when it came to food (yeah I know, of course it was!)


I also had some mint tea and Baklava Morocco, some pistachio Baklava from Istanbul (not Constantinople), and some great Pork Pot stickers and Ginger Ice Cream from Shanghai that would Knock your socks off!

All in all, if you're a fan of international cuisine or even curious about it, and have a chance to go, I can highly recommend it.

Is it just me, or.....

Hmmmmmmmmmm..........Say hi to your mom for me.

All Hallow's Eve

Suggested Listening for this post: Broken EP by Nine Inch Nails


Man, it's that time of year again.

Ghosts, Goblins, Boogiemen, Zombies, and countless other ghouls will be roaming the street soon. They'll be interested in only one thing. BRAINS!!

No, actually, probably just candy, and some good old fashion scarin'.

I love Halloween, as do all the raindogs and co-horts. I love the idea of people enjoying getting the crap scared out of them. I love the idea that we still celebrate a dark pagan ritual in this time that which blatant Christian Idealism and conservatism is upheld so dearly.

Most of all, I love getting scared. I love seeing other people getting scared. I love the Horror.

Horror movies haven't always been something that I've loved. I actually made myself love them. See, when I was younger, I was interested in horror movies. I always wanted to know what vile things happened in these movies that no doubt crossed all lines of decency and taste. I remember clearly walking through the video store with my parents on numerous occasions and seeing the covers for movies like "The Thing", "Evil Dead II", and of course, "Texas Chainsaw Massacre", and wondered what lied behind the covers that riveted me and scared me when I was younger.

Then one Friday the 13th, my parents decided to go out to dinner, and My loving, wonderful older brother, Jeff, was watching us.

Jeff loved to scare me and Jeremy, my twin. I remember he used to have this E.T. doll that used to scare the living hell out of me when I was younger. Then there was always him turning off all the lights and dancing to Thriller (which scared me, I'll admit it.)

Well, this particular night, There was a Friday the 13th marathon on, as was a standard when i was younger. I was not a stranger to these movies, as a matter of fact, my Grandfather, Jerry, loved the first Friday the 13th, and would always make the Jason breathing noise when he watched it. For some reason though, this particular night, It scared the living crap out of me. Jeff, being a typical big brother, sensed that it was getting to me, and when we I went to bed, turned the volume up in the living room as loud as it would go.

I didn't sleep a wink. As a matter of fact, from that night forward, I slept on my parents floor.

For almost 3 Years.

Now, when it started, I was probably 6 or seven. My parents were besides them selves. They tried everything to get me to sleep in my bed. I just couldn't take sleeping in a room where something could happen to me or them. It was a very traumatic period. Then eventually, my parents upgraded our beds, and all of a sudden, I laid in bed and was comfortable, but still needed the closeness of my parents. They explained that nothing was going to happen to them, and I listened. And slept in my own room.

So, as this happened, something else changed in my life, my Saturday morning programming. Cartoons were out, and Dr. Paul Bearer was in. (For those of you unfamiliar, shame on you!! follow this link, and O'D will so wonderfully enlighten you: http://straightfromthedogsass.blogspot.com/2008/09/greater-tampa-part-2-wtog.html
I could talk for ages about the man and his show) He made horror fun. He introduced me to some of my favorites to this day. Wonderful horror greats like Phantasm, night of the living dead, invasion of the body snatchers, and too many others to name.

Then a few years later, came Jonathan O'Donnell and Ryan Guy.

All I have to say, is that without Jonathan O'Donnell, I wouldn't be the absolute gore hound I am today, and without Ryan,(and of course Jeremy) I wouldn't have had some else going through the intense education of Horror.

Sitting in our undies, watching Texas Chainsaw Massacre for the first time, all with baseball bats in our hands.

watching a Clockwork Orange, and "Passing the Hat". Buying the Nightmare DVD box set and watching things on it for what seemed like 16 hrs straight. Me and O'Ds countless Phantastic Phantasm Marathons. Going to Movie Masters and being awed by the wonderful B-movie selection.

It's really turned me into a lover of everything gore.

Which is one of the reasons I love Halloween.

There are more to come, Stay Tuned

Tampa Sports and Me

OK, I have a bit of a confession to make.

I've kinda fallen off of the sports.

Now don't get me wrong. I still LOVE me some sports. It still makes my heart pound hard and my adrenaline go through the roof when my team is doing good, or my blood boil when my team is doing bad. I love it all.....when I watch it.

In that last statement lies the problem. I don't seem to watch it anymore, and believe it or not, it usually doesn't bother me that much. I still watch games every once in a while. (especially the buckeyes). I still try to catch the score even when I'm not watching a game. For some reason it's just not that important to me anymore.

I'm sure some of you can't blame me for that. I'm also sure that some of you can (and will, but jokingly of course.)

So, if it doesn't bother me, then why am I wasting your time and mine writing this? Well, because when it does bother me. It really gets to me.

Let's take the Ray's for example. I love the fact that they have a great chance at not only going to the world series, but taking the whole damn thing full on Tampa style, but I feel it is an injustice to all Ray's fans who dedicate a lot of time and money on the team for me to title myself as a "Fan". I hope them the best, but I cannot join the bandwagon full on. If they make it to the Big One, I will certainly try to tune in to as many of the games as possible, but i will not purchase the gear for the previously mentioned reason. I refuse to be a "Band wagoner". Now, what does this have to do with the previously mentioned paragraph, you ask yourself?

Well, I wish I was there from the beginning, watching them blossom from game one this season into the amazing history making season it's become. That's the part I love about sports.

My best bud, Ryan Guy, is THE Tampa sports guy I know. He actually is very knowledgeable about all sports, but Tampa teams have a special affinity in his heart, as it does in all raindog (see O'Ds blog for explanation of this term, because that's a whole 'nother bag of chips, but most of you read the word raindogs, and feel a very close tinge in your heart, because it refers to you) hearts.
He really kick started my love of sports, and I can remember many Saturdays and Sundays crowded around the TV, wearing our "Sunday Best". I remember cheering and high-fiving. I remember hanging my head in shame. There was screaming, cursing, and most of all, pure amazement of the athletic wonders in front of us.

Ryan is one of the main reasons why I miss the ritual of sports watching. When I watch a game with him, it's not only entertaining, it's usually educational too! He's a stats man. He can spout of these little nuggets of gold about most players, whether it be an interesting stat about the player or team, or if it is some funny anecdote, article tidbit he read in a newspaper, or reference to an inside joke that was made about the particular personality/athlete, it was always an experience watching sports with him.

Now, I just can't find the time anymore. I wish I still had the determination to watch a game or two every week, but it just doesn't interest me as much.

Maybe my knee is to blame. (Stupid ACL)




Post Script:

I don't know about you, but if I'm on the computer,I'm most likely listening to music. For further enjoyment of my blog, each entry is going to have a companion song that I am going to suggest as a companion to the blog I wrote. Now the particular song will have some sort of significance with the blog, or possibly something that I was listening to when I wrote it. This entry's suggested listening is "Battery" by Metallica. Now, I know what your thinking, "What the hell, I read this whole thing, and now you're telling me to listen to a song while reading it, and you put it at the very end? Well, screw that, buddy! How my ass taste?" But, next time it will be at the top.

Debate Night - RAW!

So, last night I watched the debate. I can't help it. First off, I feel it is important to know what is really going on with the people running the country. Where do they really stand? They want to run the most powerful country in the free world, but why? Is it for the power and accolades they may recieve? Is it to really make a difference?



This is how I feel, but it's not really why I watch the debates.



I watch the debates to see two grown people argue. Plain and simple. To see them seeth, flinch, grind there teeth. I like seeing their eyes twitch. The veins in their forheads throb. They bicker. They squabble.

It's Great.



Last night was no exception. Alot of people say that last night's vice presidential debate didn't matter. The prospective vp debates historically have no bearing on who actually wins the presidential election, but to me, it was important.



You see, I am someone who NEEDS Obama to win. I feel it's the only way our country will survive.

Besides, Palin is a hoser. She may "Live" in alaska, but that accent doesn't fool me.

Blog. hurmm

Blogging.

Hurmm.

I guess I could try it.

But, what would I say?

And, would anyone really care?