06 November 2012
VOTE
Get off your ass & VOTE. I don't care who you vote for, nor will I ask you who you voted for as it is none of my business. JUST VOTE!! Too many men, women, and children, have fought & died for the RIGHT to vote. Make your freedom count!!
(I am A Texan Abroad, and I approve this message.)
04 October 2012
I Ain't Dead - YET
Well I'm not dead. Life just gets in the way sometimes.
Some things I've learned since my last post:
POLITICS
MOST of the American Electorate is of questionable intelligence, and reading comprehension skill.
MOST Americans believe the OTHER GUY lies, but not THEIR political pony. THEY ALL LIE.
I miss being in Europe where I never had to watch a damn election campaign 'message'.
Nov, & then Jan, can not come soon enough.
EDUCATION
Apparently I have a much larger vocabulary than a lot of my fellow Americans. It spans all states, overseas locations, and life styles. Coming from teachers I've never considered myself that verbose.
I am very glad we live in the school district we do. However I'm deeply depressed by the surrounding school districts and their apparently complete lack of teaching any form of education.
Virginians do NOT do Homecoming Mums! I'm still in complete shock over that one.
It has been long enough since I went through school that I STILL hate Algebra! No matter which of my children is attempting to do it.
CHILD REARING
My oldest child is convinced I'm a moron.
My middle child is a pain in the butt, however she's a fantastic kid when she wants to be.
My youngest child has turned into a holy whiny terror!
PETS
Adopted 4 new ones. Two dogs, two cats. So now we're up to 5 humans, 4 cats, 3 dogs, 2 fish. I live in a freakin' menagerie!! Not the crappy Tennessee Williams kind either.
I'm still working on the chicken / duck coop.
20 March 2012
Settlin' down .... in VA??
Well it seems that we will be in VA for a few more years yet so we're buying the house. Guess I now have a reason to start shipping in some of the cast iron Texas memorabilia - giant cacti of all descriptions, a giant Texas star, etc.
Gotta become the nearest Consulate Outpost of the Republic! Open to all Texans on the Eastern seaboard when they're in need of tamales, chili, fresh tortillas, Shiner, and just good ol' Texas camaraderie.
I don't think VA will EVER be the same again!
Gotta become the nearest Consulate Outpost of the Republic! Open to all Texans on the Eastern seaboard when they're in need of tamales, chili, fresh tortillas, Shiner, and just good ol' Texas camaraderie.
I don't think VA will EVER be the same again!
15 March 2012
Kitchen Nightmares - Season 2
Well, I've looked up the season 2 restaurants for Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares as listed on Wikipedia. The results are in, and they aren't that pretty....
S2-Ep1 Handlebar in Mount Sinai, NY - CLOSED *Out of business, renamed "The Skybox" which is also out of business.
S2-Ep2 Giuseppi's Trattoria in Macomb Township, MI - CLOSED.
S2-Ep3 Trobiano's Ristorante in Great Neck, NY - CLOSED *Apparently seized by the authorities for failure to pay taxes.*
S2-Ep4 Black Pearl in New York City, NY - CLOSED *A complete and epic failure from the management team. The only one who tried got screwed over by fatso David the bully who threatened to use a gun. Really can't say I feel sorry for this one. Especially given the vitriol that bluddo is still trying to force down the gullet of the eating public.*
S2-Ep5 J Willy's in South Bend, IN - CLOSED *This one lasted a good 3 years from its show on Kitchen Nightmares so while closed, it had a decent run afterward.
S2-Ep6 Hannah & Masons's Deli in Cranbury, NJ - CLOSED
S2-Ep7 Jack's Waterfront Restaurant in Saint Clair, MI - CLOSED
S2-Ep8 Sabatiello's Italian Grille Restaurant in Stamford, CT - CLOSED *It seems this one closed, almost immediately after the KN episode aired, however it seems that a new(ish) Sabatiello's Pizzaria opened elsewhere owned by the same man. I guess we can call this one a DRAW!
S2-Ep9 Fiesta Sunrise in West Nyack, NY - CLOSED *This one was seized for failure to pay taxes as well.*
S2-Ep10 Sante La Brea in Midwest City, Los Angeles, CA - CLOSED *As of June 2011 the restaurant closed down. It survived 3 years post KN so it had a good run none the less.
S2-Ep11 Cafe 36 in La Grange, IL - CLOSED
Um, YOWZA!!! Not a single restaurant from season 2 remains open. That's 11 CLOSED down, though 2 (Sante La Brea & J Willy's) did put up a fight. We also Have Sabatiello's is a draw (at best). Season 2 you were a cruel, cruel mistress!
S2-Ep1 Handlebar in Mount Sinai, NY - CLOSED *Out of business, renamed "The Skybox" which is also out of business.
S2-Ep2 Giuseppi's Trattoria in Macomb Township, MI - CLOSED.
S2-Ep3 Trobiano's Ristorante in Great Neck, NY - CLOSED *Apparently seized by the authorities for failure to pay taxes.*
S2-Ep4 Black Pearl in New York City, NY - CLOSED *A complete and epic failure from the management team. The only one who tried got screwed over by fatso David the bully who threatened to use a gun. Really can't say I feel sorry for this one. Especially given the vitriol that bluddo is still trying to force down the gullet of the eating public.*
S2-Ep5 J Willy's in South Bend, IN - CLOSED *This one lasted a good 3 years from its show on Kitchen Nightmares so while closed, it had a decent run afterward.
S2-Ep6 Hannah & Masons's Deli in Cranbury, NJ - CLOSED
S2-Ep7 Jack's Waterfront Restaurant in Saint Clair, MI - CLOSED
S2-Ep8 Sabatiello's Italian Grille Restaurant in Stamford, CT - CLOSED *It seems this one closed, almost immediately after the KN episode aired, however it seems that a new(ish) Sabatiello's Pizzaria opened elsewhere owned by the same man. I guess we can call this one a DRAW!
S2-Ep9 Fiesta Sunrise in West Nyack, NY - CLOSED *This one was seized for failure to pay taxes as well.*
S2-Ep10 Sante La Brea in Midwest City, Los Angeles, CA - CLOSED *As of June 2011 the restaurant closed down. It survived 3 years post KN so it had a good run none the less.
S2-Ep11 Cafe 36 in La Grange, IL - CLOSED
Um, YOWZA!!! Not a single restaurant from season 2 remains open. That's 11 CLOSED down, though 2 (Sante La Brea & J Willy's) did put up a fight. We also Have Sabatiello's is a draw (at best). Season 2 you were a cruel, cruel mistress!
13 March 2012
Kitchen Nightmares - Season 1
Season 1 (as listed by Wikipedia) restaurants are checked against Yelp, Google, Zagat & any other sites linked for the information.
S1-Ep1 Peter's in Babylon, NY - CLOSED
S1-Ep2 Purnima in New York, NY - OPEN *Was originally named "Dillon's" which is currently just the name of the bar.
S1-Ep3 The Mixing Bowl Eatery in Bellmore, NY - CLOSED
S1-Ep4 The Seascape in Islip, NY - CLOSED *was sold, then turned into "The Coast Bistro & Bar" which has since closed as well*
S1-Ep5 The Olde Stone Mill in Tuckahoe, NY - OPEN and seems to be doing well
S1-Ep6 Sebastian's in Taluca Lake, CA - CLOSED *filmed in season 1, aired in season 2
S1-Ep7 Finn McCool's Irish Pub in Westhampton Beach, NY - OPEN & from the looks of it doing well. *SOLD as of the end of Season 1, but still open under the same name.
S1-Ep8 Lela's Fine Dining in Pomona, CA - CLOSED
S1-Ep9 Campania's in Fair Lawn, NJ - CLOSED
S1-Ep10 The Secret Garden in Moorpark, CA - OPEN and seems to be doing well.
So our total for Season 1 restaurants are 6 CLOSED, 4 OPEN. Not a terrible amount of closures, but not pretty either. Considering some sold, and still closed, I think we can chock those up to a bad economy.
Up next .... Season 2!
S1-Ep1 Peter's in Babylon, NY - CLOSED
S1-Ep2 Purnima in New York, NY - OPEN *Was originally named "Dillon's" which is currently just the name of the bar.
S1-Ep3 The Mixing Bowl Eatery in Bellmore, NY - CLOSED
S1-Ep4 The Seascape in Islip, NY - CLOSED *was sold, then turned into "The Coast Bistro & Bar" which has since closed as well*
S1-Ep5 The Olde Stone Mill in Tuckahoe, NY - OPEN and seems to be doing well
S1-Ep6 Sebastian's in Taluca Lake, CA - CLOSED *filmed in season 1, aired in season 2
S1-Ep7 Finn McCool's Irish Pub in Westhampton Beach, NY - OPEN & from the looks of it doing well. *SOLD as of the end of Season 1, but still open under the same name.
S1-Ep8 Lela's Fine Dining in Pomona, CA - CLOSED
S1-Ep9 Campania's in Fair Lawn, NJ - CLOSED
S1-Ep10 The Secret Garden in Moorpark, CA - OPEN and seems to be doing well.
So our total for Season 1 restaurants are 6 CLOSED, 4 OPEN. Not a terrible amount of closures, but not pretty either. Considering some sold, and still closed, I think we can chock those up to a bad economy.
Up next .... Season 2!
Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares
So the kids & I dig Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares on Fox. BBC America is running a marathon today, leading up to a new episode tonight.
The cafes got me thinking. I wouldn't mind trying a few of them, so I started looking them up. The results aren't good. So I decided to go from ground zero & look up each restaurant. The results are REALLY not good.
I'm going to break it down by seasons, offer a tally, and see just how much or little help Chef Ramsay brings to dying restaurants. Considering the economic fiasco of the last few years, we may need to chock it up to bad times or bad food. If anyone has eaten at a joint listed, feel free to leave a comment about it!
The cafes got me thinking. I wouldn't mind trying a few of them, so I started looking them up. The results aren't good. So I decided to go from ground zero & look up each restaurant. The results are REALLY not good.
I'm going to break it down by seasons, offer a tally, and see just how much or little help Chef Ramsay brings to dying restaurants. Considering the economic fiasco of the last few years, we may need to chock it up to bad times or bad food. If anyone has eaten at a joint listed, feel free to leave a comment about it!
19 January 2012
PIPA & SOPA
Well we blacked out the web yesterday, which caused quite a few elected officials some serious discomfort. SOPA & PIPA were battered and bruised at midnight, but they're not dead (yet). We must keep the heat on DC, the Senate plans to vote on PIPA on the 24th of January.
We clogged up the switchboard, we took down their servers with the amount of traffic, we yelled & DC heard! It isn't over yet!
If you:
love the free internet...
you believe the government has no business in censoring search results...
that big business has done enough damage to the experiment that is American Democracy..
you love your First Amendment Right to Freedom of Speech...
you believe your rights shouldn't be trampled on for $$...
you believe that Congress should not do an end zone run around the Judicial branch...
you believe that no one should be able to steal your website with the help of Congress, or anyone else...
you believe the RIAA, MPAA, and Rupert Murdock do NOT have your best interests at heart by trying to shut down the web...
you believe that there are better ways to combat internet piracy than to steal websites, censor results and lie to the people...
CONTACT YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS!!
Do so EVERY day. Email is good, phones are better, and in person is best!! I understand that not everyone can get to their elected official's nearest office (VA is no where near SA, TX) but you CAN have your voice heard!
Contact your Representative, your Senators, and the White House.
Big Business may think they own DC, but they don't. There's far more of us than there are of them & their $$ will only get them so far. Stand up & be counted. Shout out & be heard.
STOP PIPA & SOPA!!!
We clogged up the switchboard, we took down their servers with the amount of traffic, we yelled & DC heard! It isn't over yet!
If you:
love the free internet...
you believe the government has no business in censoring search results...
that big business has done enough damage to the experiment that is American Democracy..
you love your First Amendment Right to Freedom of Speech...
you believe your rights shouldn't be trampled on for $$...
you believe that Congress should not do an end zone run around the Judicial branch...
you believe that no one should be able to steal your website with the help of Congress, or anyone else...
you believe the RIAA, MPAA, and Rupert Murdock do NOT have your best interests at heart by trying to shut down the web...
you believe that there are better ways to combat internet piracy than to steal websites, censor results and lie to the people...
CONTACT YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS!!
Do so EVERY day. Email is good, phones are better, and in person is best!! I understand that not everyone can get to their elected official's nearest office (VA is no where near SA, TX) but you CAN have your voice heard!
Contact your Representative, your Senators, and the White House.
Big Business may think they own DC, but they don't. There's far more of us than there are of them & their $$ will only get them so far. Stand up & be counted. Shout out & be heard.
STOP PIPA & SOPA!!!
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