Random Crap

- Well, since everybody and their cousin admitted to it on Television Without Pity's Jeopardy! forum, I took the online Jeopardy! test a couple of weeks ago. Don't think I did good enough to get selected for an audition this year. But, be it this year, or sometime in the distant future, if there is one game show I hope to make an appearance on, it's definitely Jeopardy!.

- Believe it or not, got a couple of more drink recipes to share...

I'll start off with an old standby most lovers of the demon drink will be quite familiar with, be it through hearing about it and/or having a taste of it.

Long Island Iced Tea

1/2 oz. Vodka
1/2 oz. Gin
1/2 oz. Rum
1/2 oz. Tequila
1/2-1 oz. Triple Sec
1 oz. (Sweet and) Sour Mix
Shake or stir. (I prefer stir, but like Martinis, it's whichever you feel makes for a better drink.)
Top with Cola. (Coca-Cola being most recommended.)
Garnish with a Lemon Slice. (Optional)

This and Sex On the Beach round out my pair of absolute favorite cocktails. SOtB being great for when I want something sweet, and this being wonderful for when I want something not as sweet (despite its containing cola) and/or with more tangyness. Depending upon how strong you tend to fix your drinks, I only recommend ONLY one or two Long Islanders, for a simple buzz and nothing more, as I prefer anyway.

With the heavy lemon flavor thanks to the Sweet and Sour Mix, I cannot help but wonder if Limoncello (Italian Lemon Liquor) would make for a nifty addition to the Long Islander. Just hafta cut down on the S&SM.

This other drink you are not going to find in most, if not all bartending books...I created it one night not super long ago when I craved a Mai Tai to go with an Asian meal I fixed. And, I wasn't going to let not having all of the required ingredients stop me...

Mock Mai Tai

2 oz. Rum
Equal parts of Pineapple Juice and Orange Juice.
Dash of Cranberry (Cocktail) Juice.
Dash of Grenadine.
1/2 oz. Triple Sec (Optional)
Stir or shake.
If shaken, fill glass with ice, and pour.

Tastes very similar to Sex On the Beach, yet a bit more citrusy, especially with the Orange Juice and Triple Sec. If you like, add a little more Cranberry Juice and/or Grenadine to make for that rather unique Mai Tai flavor. And as I mentioned, this goes GREAT with Asian food, especially of the hot and spicy variety.

- Not that the following is new in the blogging world...but have you seen that new Orville Redenbacher commercial? Actually, there are two versions of it...

Exhibit A: The commercial as it was first presented on the Internet, courtesy of the official Orville Redenbacher (Gourmet) Popcorn site.

Exhibit B: The commercial as it is currently being presented on TV.

Lack of screen recording software aside, note the HUGE difference between the two versions in the syncing of "Orville's" voice. What the h-e-double hockey sticks made the commercial's producers think that making the sound tape seem as if it was straight out of a Godzilla film would enhance the ad?!

Speaking of Godzilla, I pretty much agree with what the overall online community has said about "Orville", or Zombie Orville, as he is more lovingly called: Ohhhhhhh no, they say he's got to go, oh no.

Zombie Orville is uber-creepy. He brings back not-so-fond memories of when I was a wee one, and his visage peering out from the box of microwave (gourmet) popcorn would somehow give me the willies. Yes, as stupid as it sounds now, Orville Redenbacher, at least on the box, was to me what the Quaker Oatmeal guy was/is to Chuckie Finster.

But anyway, not to mention how it is just cold to "bring someone back from the dead" AND ESPECIALLY present them as if they have never died AND ALSO as if they dig iPods (or similar...many have said that's a Creative Zen Orville's holding, then prompting a few to wonder if ConAgra had been planning a MP3 player contest, only to ditch it at the last minute) AND hip-hop. Listen to that drum and bass pumping out from Zombie Orville's headphones...and then watch him grooving to it at the end. I don't know whether to go "Oh my god!" or "Oh brother...".

- Speaking of commercial boogeymen...this happens to be my most favorite ad from this year's Super Bowl:

- Is it just me, or does Mario Lemieux look like he is saying "Pull my finger!" on this Czech Stadion card?

Current Music: "Over My Head" by King's X