Archive for the random Category

Odds ‘n Ends from the last two weeks

Posted in books, humor, personal, random on September 5, 2008 by Paxton

Sniffing GlueYeah, so I missed another week last week. Crap, I don’t know how that happened. Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit sniffing glue….or did I? Seriously, I did pick the wrong week.

Had a lot going on this past week. We went up to Columbia, SC to visit friends Kathy and Himal who have chosen to live up there as they finish their PhDs. We had a blast. They were able to procure us invites to an “insider’s only” party at a place called Jillian’s. It featured free beers and appetizers from 7 to 9pm. Needless to say, we came, we drank, we danced the Cupid Shuffle. It was a grand old time. We finished the evening by stumbling our party-ed out selves over two blocks to the IHop. What was cool, was that the IHOP was housed in the old A-frame architecture that the franchise had back in the ’80s.

A-frame IHOP

I hadn’t seen an A-frame IHOP in years. There used to be one in Birmingham, AL for the longest time but it was converted into a car wash or something.

So that was a blast.  What else happened, oh Auburn beat Louisiana-Monroe.  It wasn’t the pass-happy offense everyone expected, but I’m hoping that they held back a bit because Louisiana-Monroe wasn’t the strongest of opponents.

Read more »

Pet Peevin’: Stuff that drives me nuts

Posted in Coca Cola, Pepsi, pet peeves, random, soda on September 6, 2007 by Paxton

Drive Me NutsI missed last week, and I’m sorry. I was sick Thursday and Friday, then the long weekend with the Auburn game (WAR EAGLE, 1-0, BABY!!) led me to being lazy and not posting anything. My bad. Can’t say it won’t happen again as I’m notoriously lazy, but que sera sera.

However, the article you see before you is what I was going to post last week, but I never finished it. It’s about a few things that I’ve been thinking about that drive me crazy or really irritate me….some “pet peeves”, if you will (and I know you will). Maybe you have the same ones, maybe not. I’m just saying these things drive me up the f’n wall, my friends. I’m pretty sure a few of them are ones that not many other people have, but I thought I’d share them anyway. If you do any of these, I’m sorry in advance…but I hate you. Enjoy!

Shopping CartPeople not returning their carts to the cart corral. OMG this absolutely drives me nuts. Supermarkets, Wal-Mart, Target, you name it, and people will leave their carts in the middle of a parking spot. I’ve actually returned 5 or 6 abandoned carts to the corral before even walking into the store. I’ve seen abandoned carts in parking spots that actually sit RIGHT NEXT to the cart corral. That’s just f’n lazy, people. God forbid you walk your cart 10-15 ft to the nearest cart corral. Yes, I have been in the situation where the nearest cart return is on another aisle (usually when you park close to the front of the store). In that case, I take the cart back to the store. It’s a cop-out to say they have people to put the carts away. Yeah, nevermind the fact that it makes the parking lot an obstacle course when you are trying to park with all of these abandoned shopping carts littering the landscape like dead bodies. RETURN YOUR CARTS PEOPLE!!!

concession standLeaving your movie seat looking like a popcorn/soda bomb exploded. Goes along with the first one. It’s a cop-out to say they have people to clean it up. How hard is it to take the leftover bag and cup and drop it in the trashcan on the way out of the movie? I’m not saying you have to sweep up, but damn, people, throw away your trash.

I was in Taco Bell the other day (that itch you have to scratch every once in a while) and this lady came in carrying her 4 or 5 year old son by the waist. Not only was she carrying him by the waist, but the kid had no shirt or shoes on. I’m sitting there trying to eat my taco-y lunch and this kid starts running around half naked. I don’t know about you, but that completely spoils my appetite. WTF?! Lady, this ain’t your living room, dress your kids!!!

If you read this blog, you know I love sodas. Well, the next few have to do mainly with sodas.

Coke vs PepsiWhy when you go to restaurants can you only get Coke or Pepsi? When you order a beer, can you only get Budweiser? How about wine? Can you only buy Robert Mondavi’s labels? It’s absurd. I’m mainly a Pepsi drinker, so when I go to a restaurant and they only have Coke products, I’m screwed. The only Coke drink I like is Coke Zero, which is usually never available (another pet peeve). And the only diet drink they usually offer is Diet Coke, which I hate with a fiery passion. For me, it’s really hard to justify the 150 calories you’ll be drinking if you get regular non-diet sodas. Why must soda companies divide their markets like this? It’s so unbelievably frustrating. This also happens in fast food joints and movie theaters. It’s either Coke or Pepsi, but never both. WHY?!

Coke SelectionsThe lack of diet soda options in soda machines and/or restaurants. I prefer mostly Diet Pepsi, Diet Mountain Dew or Diet Dr. Pepper. If I’m lucky, I can get one of these, rarely two, but NEVER all three. And if the place only sells Coke, my choice is Diet Coke and that’s it. I HATE DIET COKE. The soda machines here at work have Coke and Pepsi. My diet options? Diet Pepsi or Diet Coke. There are at least 20 soda options between the Coke and Pepsi machine and I have TWO diet options. WTF?! That’s right, I get no Diet Mountain Dew, Diet Dr Pepper, Sprite Zero or Coke Zero? If I want those, I’m SOL. Do people really drink that much full strength Pepsi and Coke products? Yikes. I go to Subway right by work for lunch. Subway is a fairly good, healthy place (in comparison to others) and they offer only Diet Coke as a diet soda option. Every once in a while, they stock Sprite Zero 20oz bottles in the cooler, but you pay extra for that. Hell, I would pay extra for a Coke Zero, but they don’t even stock THAT!! The fountain? Diet Coke only. That’s just sorry, and it drives me bananas.

Coke ZeroCoke Zero. I really like Coke Zero. However, why doesn’t Coke offer it anywhere? Restaurants and movie theaters that carry Coke have yet to stock Coke Zero in the fountain (a few have, but not many) and most soda machines do not have it. Steph and I went to the movies Monday afternoon and saw an ad for Coke Zero before the movie. Intersting considering AMC does not serve Coke Zero. I personally think Diet Coke should be retired and fed to the dogs and Coke Zero should replace it……for good. But that’s just me. Coke, you have these great ads for Coke Zero, how about offering it up at more places than the local gas station?

Technorati Tags -

I’m a published photographer…

Posted in Flickr, life, personal, photography, random on August 24, 2007 by Paxton

Hey, everyone, guess what? I have 3 photos that have been published on legitimate websites. How cool is that? All three photos can be found on my Flickr account.

The first two photos were picked up by an online travel map/guide website called Schmap. The photos reside in their Orlando Guide.

The first picture they used is of the local haunted house attraction Skull Kingdom. Click here to see my Flickr version. The pic below shows you how it looks on Schmap’s site, click the image to go directly to the Schmap! Orlando entry.

Skull Kingdom

They also use a picture of mine of Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville. Click here for the Flickr version. Below is how it appears on Schmap’s site, click the image to go directly to the Schmap! Orlando entry.

Margaritaville

In the photos above and on the websites, look on the right hand side and you’ll see my picture. Note: They use 2 or 3 other images as well as mine, so you may have to click the “right” and “left” red arrows to scroll through the provided pictures. You will see my name below my picture.

The third picture that was picked up for use is of the AMC Empire movie theater in New York City. Click here to see it on my Flickr account in full glory. When I was on assignment in downtown Manhattan, this was my favorite place to see a movie. It’s right off Broadway on 42nd street. A beautiful building that provides a top notch 5 floor, 25 theater moviegoing experience. I took the picture right before I left New York City for good.

The picture was used on one of my favorite consumer news websites, The Consumerist to illustrate an article they have about AMC Theaters. Click on the image below to go directly to the article. You can see my name at the bottom of the article text.

AMC Theaters

Very, Very exciting. Thought I’d let you share in my published greatness!

I’m not actually at work today as I’m going to be driving to Birmingham, AL for a wedding. Hope everyone has a great weekend.

Technorati Tags -

What Have I Been Doing?

Posted in Harry Potter, humor, life, random on July 25, 2007 by Paxton

Pick a Number
Pick a Number…

Pick a Color
Pick a Color…

Reading Harry Potter

The little paper thing says to stop bothering me and let me finish Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

Those wily Japanese: Pepsi Ice Cucumber and Seafood Pringles! Release of Apple iPhone

Posted in Apple, Pepsi, food, humor, iPhone, random, reviews, soda on June 29, 2007 by Paxton

Hey, guys, I’m back for another Friday update. I was hoping to get a full article out this week, but that didn’t happen. Instead you get this quick multi-level update. I would like to use these Friday entries to hit you with a veritable kaleidescope of items all at once…to “pepper” you with goodness on this last day of the week. Hope you enjoy.

iPhoneWell, today marks the birth of the single most awaited electronic gadget since the Motorola Razr was released back in 2004. Remember when the Razr phones were originally priced at $799 without a 2 year contract? Crazy, cause now you can get them for free. I’m on my second one. Anywho, Apple will finally release the iPhone to the sweaty, eager masses today at 6pm. The media blitz leading up to this release has been on overdrive. If the news isn’t talking about Paris Hilton, then it’s been talking about the iPhone release. People have been lining up at Apple and AT&T stores all week waiting to get their hands on this electronic slice of nirvana. However, I do wonder how many of these people that are lining up plan on actually keeping the phone or are they going to unceremoniously dump it to eBay with a 300% markup? Shades of the PS3, me thinks. The phone looks cool, but I’ll wait for the early adopters to test it out for me to see if I’ll like it.

Ice CucumberThose crazy Japanese. They have the strangest flavors of American food products over there. Sushi ice-cream. Really? WTF?! However, if I found that stuff here while I was at the grocery store without my wife, you can bet your sweet hind-quarters I’d buy it. I’m kooky like that. I most assuredly wouldn’t like it, but I’d try it anyway. Similar to this phenomenon, cucumber flavored drinks are becoming very popular over there. In fact, Pepsi recently released Pepsi Ice Cucumber in Japan to much fanfare. Thanks to the magic of the ‘inter-tubes’, I was able to procure a bottle of the mystical green elixir (you knew I would) and it’s ‘go-time’ for a taste test. If you are a regular reader of this site then cucumber soda shouldn’t be too big a shock to your system. Back in February I reviewed sodas that tasted like celery and chocolate fudge. How bad can this be, really…………oh sweet, Mary Francis this is worse than anything in that last article. I thought that ICE cucumber meant it was a cool, refreshing drink, but it actually means that there is a hint of mint in the flavor. Yes, MINT cucumber soda. Imagine making a cold cucumber salad, but instead of mayonnaise you soaked it in a bottle of Scope mouthwash…..and then puked in it. That’s what it tastes like. My lord, I think the soda is actually trying to fight its way back OUT of my stomach. Why do I do this to myself? The soda itself is a nice, pretty anit-freeze green color. It almost looks radioactive. It probably is.

Seafood PringlesWell, as if that self-induced bit of flagellation wasn’t enough, I also procured a can of Pringles from Japan. So what, I hear someone in the back yelling at me? Yes, I answer to that same non-believer. Pringles. Garlic Seafood Pringles. Go ahead, rub your eyes, shake your head, you read that correctly. GARLIC. SEAFOOD. PRINGLES. To further illustrate the point, there are pictures of shrimp and oysters on the can. Awesome. Okay bright blue can of seafood potato chips……”let’s do this”. The first taste of chip after going in the mouth is surprisingly mild. Not a hint of sea—-wait a sec, there it is. Shrimp taste hitting me now like a metal pole to the genitals. Oh lord, I’m getting nauseous. That’s not good. Man alive, I might be spewing seafood chips and cucumber soda all over my computer in a sec. Cripes, WTF is with the Japanese and their taste buds? Do they enjoy engaging their gag reflexes? I feel like I’m on an episode of Fear Factor. Makes me wish I would have opted for the Grilled Bacon flavored Pringles.

Man, I could use a Silkwood shower after trying those. Pepsi Ice Cucumber may be the 21st Century version of castor oil. Grilled Seafood Pringles may be the 21st Century version of getting molested by your Uncle. STAY. AWAY.

Hope you have a good weekend. Me, I’m going to need the two days to get over the nightmares and full body heaving caused by the above two products.

See you on the other side.

Technorati Tags -