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Spice
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May 11, 2007
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I'm not a fan of really spicy foods, but I like a little red pepper here and there. I think there's a difference between "melt your face off spicy" and just regular spicy. I ate dinner at an Indian family's house one time, and the mom cooked some sort of casserole ... with jalapenos. None of my white friends noticed them at first, but deduced from the changing color of my face that this was no ordinary casserole. After eating a few, I was eventually told that jalapenos were added because, well, who doesn't add jalapenos to casserole? Indeed. Who doesn't? This wasn't my idea of a good way to introduce spice to a meal. I'd rather sprinkle some pepper on something to give it a little umph, not be tricked into eating something because it looks innocent.
The type of food makes a difference. A casserole shouldn't be spicy just like ice cream shouldn't be spicy. But chicken, steak, fajitas, burritos, really anything Mexican ... that's just asking for some spice. And most finger foods at Super Bowl parties, such as chips, wings, etc. are much better with a little extra flavor.
The type of spice is also important. I'm not talking about which kind of pepper. I mean whether it's pepper or Tabasco sauce. I think it's ridiculous that people think Tabasco sauce adds flavor to their meal. I've been criticized many times for thinking Tabasco sauce is too hot. Sorry. I guess I just like to taste my meal and not make my lips burn off. On the plus side, hot sauce clears out my sinuses like nothing else. I guess there are two sides to everything. #food
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Do you work here? (8)
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May 11, 2007
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More often than what I would presume to be normal, I'm mistaken as a person who works at the store I'm shopping in. It's because I wear khakis and I tuck in my shirt. I suppose it only happens when I'm wearing a solid-color shirt, such as blue for Best Buy or red for Sports Authority. But what's weird is that it happens quite often. Just the other day, I was mistaken for an employee of Sports Authority twice in 10 minutes. My favorite part about it is that I can see it coming from a mile away. I'll be walking around a store and notice a person make purposeful eye contact with me. I'll smile to myself and think, "Here it comes." I'll busy myself near some objects on a shelf and pretend to be surprised as they show up next to me and start talking to me. I'm not sure if it's my intentionally blank stare that gives it away or the fact that there's no logo on my shirt, but most people ask their question followed by a "I'm sorry, do you work here?" I politely say no, but that I'd be happy to answer their question. Most people think I'm kidding, but I don't mind trying to answer a question about the location of an object in a store with which I have no affiliation. #business
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Split the check (1)
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May 9, 2007
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This New York Times article (via Kottke) talks about splitting the check between several different people when eating at a restaurant. The general idea is that half the people pay less than what they should, and the other half get screwed. This happens to me all the time. I don't usually drink alcohol at restaurants, I never (ever, ever, ever) get an appetizer (except that one time at Applebee's recently), and I usually don't get dessert. My bill is pretty predictable. But whenever I'm with a group of people (people who have high-paying jobs, live with their parents, and have no expenses), I'm usually stuck paying more than my share. And while it's true that in the grand scheme of things, a few bucks here and there means nothing, it's more about the principle: I shouldn't have to pay for more than I get, and other people definitely shouldn't be allowed to pay less than what they owe. I guess I should just follow the advice of the article: "If you're going to a party at a restaurant, you need to be prepared to split whatever the bill is. Then you can complain about it later to someone who wasn't there." #money
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Dr. House (11)
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May 9, 2007
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I like the show House on Fox. The main character is so honest and cynical, it's hard not to like him. He's abrasive, disrespectful, hateful, and racist, but he does his job well. By the end of each episode, his success in diagnosing and treating a patient always outweighs his negativity and personal problems.
But I predict the show will either be (a) sued, (b) kicked off the air, or (c) both, all within in the next few months. Here's why: - Dr. House is extremely politically incorrect. He makes fun of Jews, black people, women, etc. It's only a matter of time before some group steps up with a lawsuit. And although you can't sue a guy who plays a character on TV, you can sue the company that allows characters like that to not only exist, but succeed.
- The show portrays rampant prescription drug use in a good light. Dr. House is always in pain, so he's constantly taking unprescribed pain killers. Even when he's confronted about it, he acknowledges it, but continues to do it. And his character continues to succeed with no adverse effects or legal problems. Plus, last night's episode showed several examples of characters sharing prescription drugs among themselves, and even mixing several together. Despite the fact that it's easy to overlook the drug use because of the positive impact of the characters, I still see it being a problem in the near future.
#entertainment
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25
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May 8, 2007
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I think 25 is the last age worth turning. Everything after that is downhill.
When you turn 10, you finally reach double digits. When you turn 13, you have a Bar Mitzvah (if you're Jewish, which I'm not). When you turn 16/17, you get to drive. When you turn 18, you get to buy cigars and operate a meat slicer, and you can be tried for crimes as an adult (yay!). When you turn 21, you get to drink legally. When you turn 25, you can rent a car and get lower car insurance rates.
What's after that? At 30, your metabolism shuts down and you gain weight uncontrollably. At 40, you're ... well ... 40. You have a mid-life crisis, you lose your hair, your waistline, your youth. At 50, you're a senior citizen. At 60, I suppose retiring and collecting social security benefits are good, but I hardly think they outweigh the downsides of being in your 60s. At 70, you buy a Chrysler, paint your walls puke green, wear pants up to your chin, and move to a warm climate. Everything above 70 is essentially the same; whether you're 85 or 185, it doesn't make much of a difference.
I say this half-jokingly and in good humor, mainly because I recently turned 25, and partly because everyone I know is over 25, so I expect a ton of backlash from this post. #lifestyle
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Email etiquette
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May 8, 2007
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I've been in Dilbert's position before:
I knew a guy in college who said he couldn't read a certain person's email because the font was all big and spammy. He said it with such self-righteousness and disgust, like, "How can that person possibly expect me to read that? It's horrific!" I had to agree. #entertainment
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Listener
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May 7, 2007
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Despite my occasional listening problems, I often find myself stuck in situations because I'm a listener. Most people are talkers. They'll talk no matter who's listening. I'm more of a thinker than a listener, so I tend to keep my mouth shut unless prompted. During conversations, I usually keep quiet because the things I'd like to say get caught by my filter, so they're restricted from leaving my head. (When I'm presented with a problem, I can identify a solution. That's my job [literally]. If a problem is presented and I'm forced to listen without providing a solution, or if I can tell my solution won't be accepted, it's a waste.) But I consistently notice that I look for ways out of conversations because I don't want to listen anymore. And more often than not, I remain trapped in painful conversations because I'm too timid and/or passive to do anything about it. As a result, friendships and relationships are formed because a talker has found a listener. It's an unusual set of circumstances for most normal people. But for me, it's everyday life.
Note: This post has nothing to do Wendy. I actually had two specific people in mind when I wrote it, neither of which read this site. #psychology
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Mustard
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May 7, 2007
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Mustard is my favorite condiment. I can't explain why, and I don't know when it started. But mustard makes my food experience that much better. I'll be the first to admit that mustard has very limited use. It can't be used on chicken or steak, not to mention vegetables of any variety. But mustard comes in quite a few flavors, such as honey mustard (which is the condiment for chicken) and spicy brown (which has a certain affinity for ham). I've gotten to the point where no hamburger or hot dog is complete without mustard (ketchup is a given). It's almost an insult to be forced to eat food at a barbecue without mustard.
Other people claim ketchup as their favorite condiment. I can't explain why, but I sometimes find ketchup repulsive. I think it has something to do with my tendency to use it on eggs, which has the unpleasant effect of making everything with ketchup remind me of eggs (except hamburgers and hot dogs). These same people put ketchup on chicken and steak, and to me, that's an abomination.
Still other people claim A1 steak sauce as their condiment of choice. That's an opinion I can understand. A1 makes steak come alive. I've even heard it goes well with cheese. But aside from that, it doesn't have nearly the appeal of mustard. #food
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Lemon squeezer
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May 7, 2007
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This lemon squeezer prevents lemon juice from squirting in all directions (especially the "eye" and the "open cut" directions). Awesome.
(via Neatorama) #products
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NFL music
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May 6, 2007
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I occasionally hear a song in a commercial and think, "Good God, that's the NFL song! I can't wait for football season!" It turns out the song I associate with football is called Heavy Action, and it's been the theme song for Monday Night Football for many years. CBS's football theme song is called Posthumus Zone, Fox's doesn't have a name, and NBC's was written by John Williams. #entertainment
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