My Opinion, That Is All!!!!!

I was going to sit down and write some clever diatribe about the state of the world and how down right depressing it is. I've been wracking my brain trying to come up with something that could put a positive spin on our obsession with the negative side of living, but I just can't bring myself to do it. The following is verbatim how I feel about the actions of most Americans today,  if you don't like it, tough, life isn't a spectator sport. Get off your ass and do something to change your way of life positively. That way you won't be getting angry at my opinions, you'll be too busy healing the world to care.

First off people like Glen Beck shouldn't be allowed near a microphone when voicing their opinions. These gutless loudmouthed jerks have nothing to say positive about our world or how to repair it. I have an idea for Glen, instead of running off at the mouth why don't you focus your energy on helping us reach an accord so all people can live on this planet on harmony. Either be part of the solution or stay in your little hate filled corner and leave us believers in a better tomorrow alone. I know all about the first amendment, but I just don't believe people should weld it like a club to bash the snot out of people they don't understand. Try a little compassion, it goes a long way in healing those who seem to be outcasts. Him comparing a group of murdered young political ideologists to "Hitler's Youth" is not only tasteless but a clear and contrite picture of why the rest of the world hates us. Glen Beck is a parasite and should be treated as such. Hey Glen I have two words for you "Shut Up!!!". Whatever happened to "if you have nothing nice to say, say nothing at all?"
My mom would wash your mouth out with soap and put you in the corner.

"A man who dares to waste one hour of time has not discovered the value of life."  That was Charles Darwin. He knew the value of an unwasted life. The man barely slept. He did a lot of good as far as biology is concerned. Lets examine what a wasted life is. Amy Winehouse is a wasted life. Kurt Cobain is a wasted life. They both committed suicide, one by shotgun, the other by drugs. To me it's sad, both left grieving people (family members and fans alike), to ask the question why. They should not be deified, but held as flawed humans. Both had been offered help and refused believing they were right. Sad.
The majority of people in this country seem to have some Shakespearean  reverence for  actors and musicians who die young from self indulgence, so wrong. They are humans, people who chose the cowards way out. There is nothing cool about that. Why worship at the alter of a coward when an almighty God calls to you.

You want an answer, I'll give you an answer, go to Church. You want a better life, worship a God that is all loving and wants you to do well. God wants you to be successful, He just wants you to acknowledge that it was He who helped you achieve your goals, nothing more. Is it that hard to realize that you aren't in control, maybe you should get off your high horse and realize you can't do it alone. I don't know you, but as a Christian I want you to be successful. In this "dog eat dog" world I know that my statement isn't cool but, I do wish all well. I want the world to heal. I want all of us to learn tolerance and humility in the face of God. We can all come together under the flag of God's justice. We must learn to love one another as God's children, not hate those who don't think like us. Understanding is a powerful tool, tolerance is a powerful tool, God is a powerful tool.  This is God's world not ours, maybe it's time to treat it as such.

Hydrox and Pepsi, Please!!!!!!!

He was a rebel. A man different from most fathers I knew. To me he always seemed like he could've been one of the kids. He had a sense of humor and an easy smile that made you realize his inner child wasn't so inner. He was a man who studied people. He would people watch for hours if you let him, of course in our new paranoid  world he'd be creepy. He was gentle with a warmth that always seemed to permeate every situation he was in. He was hard to hate, believe me I tried, but it's hard to hate a man who believes The Three Stooges are high art.

My father was well read and loved books on all subjects. He could read and glean all the information he needed in just one sitting. He loved books about nature, one of his favorites was James Herriot's "All Creatures Great and Small", he even made us watch the television adaptation on PBS. It was like living with a modern day Davy Crockett, I think I knew how to fish before I learned how to swim thanks to my father. He chopped wood, ran a chainsaw, fished, and was an all around outdoors man. He once built a shanty out of plank wood in our backyard that stood for over a decade. Unfortunately not much of his woodland skills rubbed off on me.

My father was our coach for most of our baseball/ softball careers. He learned the sport right along with us just so he could be involved in our lives. My dad was a soccer guy who never really liked baseball, but for his kids he toughed it out and became one of the greatest coaches my hometown ever saw. He went from knowing zero about the sport to becoming a guru. People from all over sought his advice on how to teach "windmill" pitching for softball. He would read for hours, attend clinics, get dirty himself all to learn the sport better, it was amazing to watch.  While most men his age were putting in overtime, or watching the game on television, my dad was living it.

I believe I learned a great deal more from my dad then I ever knew. He taught me so much in a short time frame, I just wish I had realized it earlier in life. My dad and I barely talked for most of my grown up life, partly my fault, some of it his. He died January 11th 2006 from bone cancer. We never made up for whatever reason, call it stubbornness, but I never stopped loving him. He was a great man who was loving yet firm. He always seemed to have an air of confidence that left him without fear. He mentored a lot of kids in my hometown probably without them even realizing it. I realize now at age forty-two he mentored me more than I ever knew. I thank you dad for being you, never giving in to convention and always being yourself no matter where you were, I love you and miss you and only wish to say I'm sorry for all the trouble I caused you and the family. I just pray one great day, God willing, you and I will stand side by side as friends for all eternity.

He Shoots, He Scores!!!!!!!

To those of us who understand the sport Hockey is a treasure. It's an endeavor steeped richly in tradition. Men become heroes and heroes become legends. Names like Howe, Gretzky, Richard, and Orr ring through it's hallowed halls like a beautiful symphony greater than anything ever written by a single composer. We cheer at the exploits of brave men who play a sport that combines the grace of ice skating, the thunder of American Football, and the pugilistic science of boxing, it's the perfect storm. It's fast and furious without having to watch men huddle up and kill the clock. Hockey's clock runs for a fast sixty minutes only breaking for any length of time to recap each period. Most of it's detractors bemoan the fact that it's too fast and they can't track the puck. With a little education and a better understanding anyone can be a hockey fan able to follow the little black disc.

Most people don't realize that American Football is slow and filled with very little action. Studies have shown that on average a football game features only twenty-six minutes of contact. Hockey on the other hand is pure action from the puck drop to start the game all the way to the final horn. Hockey doesn't huddle, run slow down offences, or call many time outs to stop the clock. To the point, in a hockey game each team gets only one time out to use as they see fit. Hockey teams must have a flexible strategic plan because the lines roll non stop as the game flows. Players have to be quick because there is no "play clock" to replace tired players or get the perfect match ups teams want.  Coaches roll four lines seamlessly throughout the game trying to create mismatches to improve their chances of scoring. Unlike football's stop and go plodding pace, hockey is a whirling dervish of  kinetic energy from start to finish.

Hockey has been around since 1917 and it's original six era started in 1942, that's when it really started to blossom. Hockey now has 30 teams spread across America, including places like Phoenix that have never seen ice, and Canada. Each team plays  82 games a year during the regular season. It's a long season that grows longer if you make the playoffs, then you may play another three rounds of four to seven games before you get to vie for Lord Stanley's Cup. It's grueling and unforgiving which makes it unpredictable, unlike most football and baseball seasons. Hockey is a sport where work ethic is demanded not expected. No one in hockey "takes plays off" because if you do you may end up carried off on a stretcher. These guys fly around the ice at twenty plus miles an hour and can weight up to two hundred and twenty five pounds, you do the math on contact force. It's a sport where whining is not an option, I've watched guys spit teeth on the ice get up, go to the bench, pull out the other loose teeth and climb over the boards for their next shift. I can't imagine someone like T.O. doing that, not in a million years.

So if you're bored with sports that promote prima-donna millionaire brats and long for an exciting fast paced "hardhat and lunch pail" thrill ride, I suggest you take in a live hockey game. You'll be hooked for life. If you aren't able to see a live game, as most hockey seasons have ended, tune into the NHL Stanley Cup Finals on NBC starting Wednesday June first as two of hockey's best fight it out for one of sports biggest prizes, The Stanley Cup. I'm sure you'll be amazed at how cool this game really is. Pun intended. Thanks for reading and God Bless.

I Light Fires!!!!!

Summer has a rhythm all it's own. The sky's are bluer and the air is filled with the scent of new life. It's a time to celebrate the passing of the gloomy demeanor known as winter. No longer are we locked away in our domiciles hiding from the cold and blustery season. We are free to roam the wild yonder under the sun's yellowy-orange warmth. We are released from the doldrums of  the grey season and awakened to play in the lush vibrant radiance of newness. We are reborn. We once again feel the energy of our childhoods rushing back to us. Many feel the primal call of the wild and choose to live within the wide open frontier, if only for a few days. We feel the need to return to our roots and become one with nature as a means to escape the rat race around us. We yearn for the quiet simplicity of a by-gone era before the great expansion of machinery and technology stole our souls.

The simplest of escapes, cooking over an open fire. Nothing beats that. The roar of the flames, the smell of the searing flesh, it's as old as man himself. Nothing beats the unmistakable taste of a steak seared to juicy perfection over an open flame. It's like tasting food for the first time all over again. A man will stand at his grill all day flame-broiling proteins for mass consumption just to taste that smoky sweet flavor. For most of us, it's a compulsion, an unconscious desire that as soon as the sun shines and it gets warm, we must grill. I've even been known to stand outside in zero degree weather buried by snow grilling, I may have an addiction.

The grill is a magnificent tool. For some it's like an appendage, to others a complete mystery. Grilling can be made more complicated by bright shiny gas grills or worse, the dual grill. It's a hybrid of technology that gives you the choice to cook with either gas or charcoal. Honestly gas is fine but it leaves a strange taste on your product. I use charcoal, plain old charcoal in a kettle grill. No fast light stuff for me because like gas it too has a funky aftertaste. I also light my charcoal with newspaper soaked in vegetable oil instead of  lighter fluid. The propellant can leave a strange smell and flavor on your food.  With the vegetable oil it burns slower and lights the coal and wood chips more evenly without the gassy smell and taste. Squirt a little veggie oil on the black nuggets and wood chips as well, it will help you regulate the heat more.

So I say unto you my fellow grill geeks stay true to the ancient ways and you will find a better tasting, more flavorful piece of protein. From bovine to the kingly pig, all things are better over the naked flame. Grab your friends, relatives, or neighbors and get together to celebrate our ancient heritage and cook a hearty meal over natures greatest cooking instrument, the glorious open flame. Enjoy and God Bless!!!  

Just A Little Change.

My local paper had published a story by a Wal Mart cashier explaining how they were raising lots of money for CMN (Children's Miracle Network).They do it by asking customers to round up their total purchase to the next dollar and donating the change. It's called a "round up". In this stunted economy she was saying the company was actually well beyond it's goals. I'm thinking good and happy thoughts for once about this much bedeviled corporate giant. Maybe there is some good in the world after all. That is until I make the mistake of reading people's comments to the story. At first they were all positive and encouraging. Most people seemed as surprised as I was that this company known for it's stinginess was being so thoughtful and helpful.

And then it happened. Some woman posted a reply saying she was "offended" that every time she went into the retailer she was asked to surrender her change for charity. Offended?
How could you be offended by a cashier asking you to drop a few cents for a child's charity? It could be one cent, or it may be ninety-nine cents, no big deal. Her reasoning was "times are tough and getting tougher." Her pocket book was going to be empty just because she was asked to donate a few cents.
I am unemployed and not collecting any state assistance and have no car to drive to Wal Mart to be "harassed" into giving up my change, so I know tough times. Thank God my girlfriend and I have been able to support our family on her retail store paychecks. Hard times, sure, but every time she is asked to donate her change to CMN she does it with out blinking.

I understand to some people being constantly asked to fork over a portion of your hard earned money, no matter how small an amount is annoying. It's not like it's a huge bother, nothing to fill out, no little trinket to carry around, they just want your change. I look at it this way, every penny I turn over to Wal Mart they in turn give it to a charity that allows sick children to get the medicine and treatment they normally couldn't afford. For me it's a chance to be someone's hero. I need no superpowers, no funny tights, and no special training to help save someone's life, or at least make their life a little more comfortable before they pass on.
No one should have to watch their child suffer just because some people felt "offended" enough not to donate their spare change. We live in a country where "helping thy neighbor" used to be automatic and done without whining about "tough times." It was done out of kindness and concern for other people. Most people I run into today can only think of themselves. We are at a crossroads good readers, we can continue to walk the wicked path and only do for ourselves, or we can go back to a time when charity started at home. Just picture yourself or your family in need and there is no one there to help. We live in a world where heroes are few and far between, this maybe your chance to be a hero.

We all have tight budgets now, it's the way of the world. It doesn't mean we shouldn't be charitable, especially when it comes to the children. I could quote some cheesy Whitney Houston song explaining how they are our future, but by now we all understand that. All I ask is never be "offended" by someone asking for a little help from you. I challenge my readers to say "yes" every time a Wal Mart cashier asks you to "round up". I want to believe that everyone who reads this blog can be a hero.
                                                                      http://childrensmiraclenetworkhospitals.org/

Fear And Loathing Here On Earth.

The end is near. According to some it's Saturday, bummer. Haven't we heard enough of these wacko predictions in the past to realize it's most likely false. I just keep flashing back to Y2K. It never happened, we all have lived though this before. I just keep wondering on who's authority do these people get the right to scream "the sky is falling." The Bible talks of the end of days, but real Christians don't run around proclaiming the end is near. They don't know when it's going to happen so they live their lives the best they can every day. Shouldn't we all take a hint from them and just live really good lives, bringing peace to the world, doing good things, and being really cool people overall?

It's simple, life is hard. We watch bad things happen to good people, friends and family die, and bad people get ahead. Some people just get angry, others just ignore it, and still others turn to God to help them understand the world around them. It's called faith. Faith is a beautiful thing because it allows you to have strength you never thought you had. I used to fear death, when I became "Born Again" that fear disappeared. Now I am free to live my life the best I can because I believe God knows better than I do. I pray everyday for wisdom and inner peace so I can go out into my community and do good works in His name. The coolest thing is that I haven't stopped being myself, I'm just a better version of me. I've cut down on the stupid stuff in my life. Who can't use a little of that?

So I say to all the people who keep bringing up the "End Times". Live a little. If the world ends you can't stop it, so why worry. Concentrate on what you can change, your destructive behavior. I guess what I'm trying to say is have a little faith and you too won't care when the "End Of Days" happens because you'll be a Godly man who will spend eternity with our Lord. Now what could be better than that!!!

A Field Of Nightmares

Tradition. That's what lacks in sports today. Gone are the days of the myth makers, the golden boys who were treated like royalty everywhere they went. We would later learn just how flawed many of them were as humans, but in the moment they were our heroes. They shined brighter than any star in the sky ever could, and they soared high above us in the clouds. They were untouchable. We as kids dreamed of one day being just like them, bigger than life. Call it naive, or juvenile but these were our dreams.

Add in the fact that these heroes played in monumental palaces like Yankee Stadium, The Polo Grounds, Candlestick Park, and The Boston Gardens. These iconic buildings became as famous as the people who played within their walls. They were as much the identity of the team as the players were, sometimes even more. The buildings each had a nuance that went unmatched anywhere else. Seats that were hailed as sacred, overhangs that made the cheap seats seem really good, and groups of fans that were so fanatical they in turn had their own fans. Sports seemed magical.

Fast forward to now. Most of the players have become spoiled millionaires who could care less about the fans and the sports they play. They bring guns into locker rooms, fight amongst themselves, and of course the drugs. Not just the ones the are used for enhancement, also the ones for recreation.  It seems between the generations somehow our games were stolen from us by greedy owners and greedy players. Even the great hallowed halls fell to the wrecking ball of greed. Now we have mostly cookie cutter stadiums with all the warmth and charm of a cobra. You can blame free agency all you want, but the truth is we allowed this to happen. It's our fault as fans, we let our need to cheer and support our favorite teams get out of hand. We started paying the outrageous ticket prices to see our teams play, never thinking it would get this out of control. Pretty soon you're going to have to mortgage the house just to see a ball game with your kids, sad really.

I guess the bottom line is this. I miss the games of my youth, the heroes of my youth, and most of all the dreams of my youth. Maybe someday these millionaire cry-babies will remember a far away time when people played sports for the love of the game, not for a paycheck. Until then I just teach my kids to respect the tradition of whatever game they choose to play. I hope you do the same. If we teach our children to respect the game and their God given talent, maybe we can raise up a generation of pro athletes whom care less about money and more about the pure love of the game. This is my grown up dream.

Not The Same Old Pork And Beans!!

I know what you are thinking, how can you dress up the old stand by pork and beans?
Well it's not quite what you think. The pork is boneless chops and the beans are French cut green beans. It's a quick and easy way to have a tasty dinner you and the family will love.

First heat an 8" skillet and add just enough oil to thinly coat the bottom of the pan. Next add a cup of chicken broth, a half cup of apple juice, and two heaping tablespoons of minced garlic, this will create a brazing liquid. Let simmer for about a half hour before adding three or four boneless pork chops you have tenderized and lightly salted. Cook until chop starts to turn white on the bottom side, flip over and repeat on uncooked side. Now return to original side and cook for five minutes per side. Finish cooking when the chops inner temperature is 160 degrees. You can use a meat thermometer to check for doneness.

While you are waiting for your brazing liquid  to come to temperature you can heat up a frying pan to toast a half cup whole almonds. After the almonds are toasted, lightly salt them and rough chop them in a food processor. In a dutch oven boil one cup of chicken broth and add a pound of French cut green beans . Cook the beans in the broth until most of the liquid is absorbed. Strain out the rest of the broth to use with the pork chops. Put beans in a small casserole dish and combine with a can of cream of mushroom soup and sprinkle the almonds evenly over the top. Place in the oven at three hundred and fifty degrees for about ten minutes.

So there you have it, a quick meal for you and the family and none of those nasty pork and beans. Enjoy and God Bless.

Look Ma, No Hands!!!!!

Mom's are great, they patch us up when we fall. They give us love when we fall down. Mom's feed our tummies when we're hungry and our spirit when we need nurturing. My Mom is the reason I cook. She taught me a love for food and cooking for others. She cleaned our rooms, washed our clothes, and helped us with our homework. So today and everyday, no matter our relationship now, we should remember how our Mom's influenced our lives. So to all the mothers around the world I say Happy Mother's Day and God Bless.

I Cry For Those Who Seek Revenge.

I can't do it. I know he was a bad man and plotted to kill thousands of Americans, but I just can't do it. Bin Laden was a terrorist and a madman. He held the western world in contempt while training extreme Muslims to take innocent lives in the name of their belief system. He called himself a holy man while murdering those who opposed him. Still I will not celebrate his death, to me that just seems morbid. I would not celebrate the death of any man, woman, or child no matter their crime. I leave the final judgement up to my Lord and Savior, only He can judge the wicked. If I celebrate his death than I am no less evil then he and his kind are.

I will celebrate life. The lives of those who must live without loved ones killed in this war, I celebrate them. I pray for them. I am saddened that human kind has become so bent on revenge that we can no longer feel the sanctity of life. Life is what is important. We need to remember even our enemies are just people confused by what they don't know, or understand. Most violent people are just crying out in pain, or just plan scared. If we continue to think in cycles of revenge or vengeance what will happen to this world?
Will it come to a point where the last man on earth will pull the trigger on himself because he's avenging the death of the second to last man?

It's got to stop before it's too late. I know I will not teach my children to hate or hold grudges against other people. Sometimes the best thing to do is smile and walk away before things escalate to violence. Bloodletting is not a good way to settle disputes.

I just want to finish by saying I pray that there will come a day when everyone will live in peace and harmony. We all share this big beautiful marble we call Earth, and if we spent as much time taking care of her as we do fighting, this would be a great place to live. God Bless you all.

Smoking Is Good !!!!!

Not cigarettes. Meat. Smoking meat is awesome. Sure it is laborious but it is so worth it.
You haven't lived until you've tasted a chicken smoked for sixteen hours with a sweet BBQ sauce and garlic mashed potatoes.
That was what I did for my birthday on Saturday, I smoked a chicken. We ate like kings. I put the chicken to smoke at midnight Friday seasoned with salt, pepper, paprika, turmeric, and cumin, after it soaked for four hours in a brine of  salt, pepper, sugar, and rice vinegar before it was introduced to my smoke box.

Slowly that box smoker cooked that beautiful bird at 150 degrees until four o'clock Saturday. First off, the smell was enough to drive you crazy, second, the skin was crisp and a dark reddish brown. The taste was a smoky, salty flavor with a hint of sweet spices.
As the chicken finished off in my oven (about 10 minutes), I concocted a Kansas City style sweet BBQ sauce from Rice vinegar, brown sugar, cumin, paprika, ground sage, majoram, and a dash of ginger for a little heat.
The sauce  cooked for about a half hour to forty minutes while the bird set up and cooled off a little.
The chicken itself fell from the bone as I touched my 7" santoku to the legs and wings. The breast just surrendered when I carved the succulent poultry as I needed to add it to the sweet tangy BBQ sauce.
So let me tell you this, if you ever get the chance to have smoked meats.......just do it!!!!!

How Many Guys Does It Take To Make A Burger?

Way back in the year 1986 a husband and wife from Arlington, Virgina would create a concept to serve a better fast burger product. It is known as 5 Guys Burgers and Fries.Using 100% pure ground beef that is never frozen,  freezers aren't allowed in a franchise restaurant. They have only fresh product from the beef to the hand cut skin on french fries that are cooked in peanut oil.

Any time you serve me a thick juicy cheese burger and tasty all natural fries in a paper bag, I'm hooked. The fries are fresh and plentiful, a small order is a small cup with an extra scoop added to the bag. Imagine almost another small order of super hot perfectly cooked golden gems floating around the bottom of your brown paper sack. It's like french fry heaven. The fries are crispy on the outside but oh,so tender on the inside and just melt in your mouth leaving you only wanting more. They're so confident the fries are the best quality they tell you daily where the spuds are from. The other places don't even have 100% potato fries, it's more like a potatoish product. 5 Guys guarantees quality every time you  bite into their all potato french fried delights.

The burgers are grilled to tasty bliss. They are well done and still juicy. Two patties make up a regular burger giving you a hand full of char-cooked goodness. Every bite is a fresh new taste experience. All of the condiments are fresh and full of flavor. It doesn't matter if you add the grilled peppers or onions or the vivid green jalapeños they are all super market fresh. Each burger is hand crafted for every order, there are no heat lamps, warming stations, or precooked food.  It's all made to order. Sure it takes a couple of minutes more, but why comprise flavor and freshness just to have a quick bite. It's worth the extra minute or two to get your hands on these burgers and fries.

The over all atmosphere is one of friendly people, clean tables and floors, with a brightly lit dinning room. It's a place to go to relax with friends and family while enjoying really delicious fast food. Plus while waiting for your food you may want to sample the free shell on roasted peanuts. A perfect warm up for the main course to come. So if you want fresh fast burgers and fries and don't care to wait a minute or two longer for them, then you need to get a car load of friends or family and seek out the closest  5 Guys. These guys my not be clowns or kings, but they sure know quality and quantity.

Wilie E. Coyote, Super Christian!!!!!!

You read right. Wilie E. Coyote is a Christian. No I'm not nuts, I have proof.
Item one: Acme is God.
 God gives us the tools to get through everyday life and to smite our enemies. It's just a matter if we use them as God wants if they are successful or not. God gives us talent, it's up to us if we use them to glorify Him.
 God wants us to be pure of mind and heart and rely on his wisdom to know when and where victory will occur. It's when we as mortals try and pigeon hole God  that He punishes us with failure. He wants us to have patients and let Him take control. Harder than it sounds.
That is why so many man driven enterprises have failed. We left God out. We must give God the benefit of the doubt when it comes to his timing. We didn't build the trees, create water, or even the birds in the air. God did this. So we must let him guide us to a final solution to our problems. That is one thing Wilie E. teaches us. Man cannot do it alone!!!!

Item Two: Never Give Up....No Matter What.
God gave us talents to glorify him and we should use them in our everyday life. If we fail at an enterprise that we have clearly heard his voice in, we should pick ourselves up and try, try again. Just like Wilie E.
He never gave up. When he failed, he sent to Acme (prayed to God), and was given another chance to smite his enemy(The Road Runner). Though he let his timing override his faith in Acme(God), Acme (God) always answered with another solution. Wile E. just never learned that Acme(God) just wanted him to trust in Him and God would provide what Wilie needed (the Road Runner).


Bottom line is this: we need to let God work in our lives on his time to receive the blessings he wants to give us. If we trust in God and have faith, He will provide for us. I guess what I'm trying to say is more people should be less like Wile E. Coyote and have patience and faith that God will make every thing alright. Maybe not on our time, but on His.

Outside the Bun, I Must Run, Run, Run

It calls to me. I hear it many a day. It's like a Siren's song calling me to the rocks. I can not resist. It is my mistress, my addiction and it's name is... Taco Bell.
That's right I love Taco Bell. It's almost Tex-Mex styling and less than average cost has me going back more times than I care to recount. It has me hooked. I'm like a trout on a fly fisherman's bait. Snagged.
From the first time I stepped foot in one it's been an on going love affair. I can't put my finger on it but I do crave the off beat fast food chain's culinary treat. It's like a fast food paradise away from all the burgers and fries. It's tacos, nachos, and the burritos, oh, the burritos. A swell concoction of  beef, melted cheese stuff, and spices brought together by a dollop of sour cream and lettuce.  I can taste it's Tex-Mex goodness right now!!!
Every time I go in there the smell, the lighting and the menu make me feel at home. The brightly colored walls, the offset grey tile with red brick it all seems homey to me.
You step up to the fake green slate counter and give your order( for me it's always the same; a nacho supreme and two burrito supremes and a small soda.) You get rung up and they ask for your name. When the order is ready the person behind the counter bellows your name, announcing to those gathered inside, my Tex-Mex bliss is about to begin. I grab a black spork to get every last yummy morsel. Next it's a few napkins because good food is messy food. The drink station is where my small cup will be filled to full with Taco Bell's own flavor of Mountain Dew.
Time to find a seat. I rush to a window booth eager to unwrap my tasty treasure. I'm so happy!!!
With every bite my attitude becomes brighter and brighter as I know my hunger will be conquered by this Tex-Mex greatness. To me every day spent at Taco Bell is a great day.
It's not top quality, it's not real Tex-Mex, but like I said, I just can't get enough.
For some people it's the opera, for others it's fine dining, but for my money to escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life I seek out a "run for the boarder."  Lawsuits and controversy aside Taco Bell is my favorite place to go relax and enjoy a low priced almost Tex-Mex meal with friends and family. I maybe a good cook in my own right, I'm just not a snob. I don't need a fancy plating, or three stars to have a good meal. Just don't throw some forty minute old burger on my tray and call it fresh. I've done my home work and I can pronounce the stuff in a taco from Taco Bell, I can't say the same thing about Mickey D's and their offspring. Call me crazy, but I'm thinking "outside the bun" and enjoying every bite of it!!!!

Give Peace A Chance?

We believed we could change the world. We were fool hearty. Our music was split between those who believed in fun, and us that believed in change. We weren't hippies, we really believed in change. Hippies used the cause to get laid, we used it to wake people up to the wrongs of world. It was the best of heavy metal. Bands like Megadeth, Exodus, Testament, Metal Church, and yes Metallica...we were the voice. We wanted the same thing the hippies wanted, world peace, a voice in American government, we wanted our voices to be heard. The soft sell never took in the 60's, so we turned it up all the way to 11. We were in your face, but we understood our limits. We weren't violent, but we were loud. You ignored us, dismissed us, called us troublemakers. We were just looking for a voice. We never gave up, and we never gave in, we pushed the system as far as we could. We were rebels, and some of us still are. I'm going to be 42 years old at the end of the month, a father to three(20,15, and 8) and I still cling to the beliefs of my teenage years. You can't force change, but change can come. I will never stop fighting, I believe in peace and love, I just now use God as my weapon!!!!

I dedicate this blog to the memory of Matt Hillenbrand and to those who knew him, God Bless you my friend, I just wish I knew you better. You were an institution, and a hero to many. You helped create a safe place for all us headbangers to gather, Thank You!!!

A Man Walks Into A Bar......

I don't know about you but when I was a kid I joked around a lot. I remember laughing and having a good time. Sometimes too good of a time and then it was off to detention. I may have been a little hyperactive but no one tried to shove pills down my throat to calm me down, I was just being a kid.

Today's kids walk around like little ghetto rats or depressed Grunge zombies. Kids are so filled with rage or self pity they never smile or look you in the eye. Sad really. Childhood is suppose to be the greatest time of your life, not some drama filled stink pile. Is the world out there really that bad or have we as parents and role models failed so miserably that our offspring have forsaken their childhoods?
I blame us as parents. We teach our kids to lookout for bad people, to get good grades or they will end up failures. I believe we have forgotten to tell these kids it's alright to laugh and have a good time. It's easy to dismiss a child when our lives remain unfulfilled and so we pass that thought process on to them. Not cool. Maybe if as parents we worried less about our lives and spent more time on our kids happiness, they wouldn't be bringing guns to school or be as violent as they are. Sitting a child in front of a television and letting them watch violent programs or playing ultra- violent video games is not an alternative to outdoor activity. Let them get the fresh air and learn to interact with the other kids in the neighborhood, just keep an eye on them and they will be fine. Who knows by letting them play games you may find yourself joining in and recapturing that child-like innocents you lost when you grew up. It couldn't hurt to try. So let's all try and get our children involved in having fun.

Now I know not everyone will agree with what I say next, but have an open mind. I belong to a wonderful church and go on Sundays with my girlfriend's son. We enjoy the time together and he interacts with some wonderful people. The pastor and his wife are involved with his life as well. They treat him to breakfast and take him after church when they can. We have found a place for us where we are excepted for who we are and he responds well to that. Now I'm not saying he's perfect, he acts up now and again, but over all he is a polite well adjusted kid with a bright disposition. Maybe more people should make time in their lives to spend a few moments a week in church. I'm not saying it will work for everyone,(though I believe it should), all I know it's turned my life and my families life around for the better.