The blog you have been waiting for

Ok, here it is the blog you have been waiting for, for about a month or so now. The weird news blog.

First story come to us from right here in So Cal......

HACIENDA HEIGHTS, Calif. (AP) — The only familiar signs at the McDonald's in this primarily Asian community are the golden arches, the drive-through and the menu.
Gone are the plastic furniture, Ronald McDonald and the red and yellow palette that has defined the world's largest hamburger chain. Leather seats, earth tones, bamboo plants and water trickling down glass panels have taken their place.
The makeover elements are meant to help diners achieve happiness and fortune — whether they realize it or not.
That's because the restaurant was redesigned using the principles of feng shui, the ancient Chinese practice of arranging objects and numbers to promote health, harmony and prosperity.
The concept is an unlikely fit with fast food. But the restaurant's owners say the designs are aimed at creating a soothing setting that will encourage diners to linger over their burgers and fries, and come back again.
The makeover is part of the attempt by McDonald's in recent years to remodel hundreds of its restaurants to attract more patrons with unique decor and amenities that might entice them stay awhile.
It also fits into McDonald's larger corporate practice of catering to local tastes, such as a fondue-style burger in France or a pita-wrapped "McArabia" sandwich in the Middle East.
"We can't look too cookie cutter," Mark Brownstein, one of three owners of the restaurant, said about the new decor.
The basic principles of feng shui include placing strategic representations of five natural elements — earth, water, fire, metal and wood — around the room to increase the flow of chi, or energy.
Feng shui (pronounced fung shway) has been employed in the designs of high-rises, banks, even zoo exhibits, and has been popularized by countless coffee table books and TV shows such as HGTV's "Fun Shui." It's also used in the designs of the Panda Express Chinese food chain.
The McDonald's in this Los Angeles suburb boasts wood ceiling, silver-coated chairs, plus red accents throughout the dining area to symbolize fire and "good luck, laughter and prosperity," said Brenda Clifford, who designed the dining area.
The textured walls patterned after ocean waves symbolize "life and relaxation — the balanced things that you want in your life," she said.
Customers are responding positively, whether or not they recognize the feng shui elements.

So here is my thought on this story. It is fine that McDonald's is designing their local stores to fit the local demographics, but two questions for everyone. One, why is there something in USA Today about it? and two, Does anyone really care? The answer to the second question comes in a part of the story that I didn't even think was necessary....."Andrew Chen, 20, said he didn't notice the feng shui elements. He just thought it was a modern interior."

In another story revolving around hamburgers.....

SOUTHGATE, Mich. (AP) — A Detroit-area restaurant owner believes he has
broken the world record for "largest hamburger commercially available."
After 12 hours of preparation and baking, the 134-pound burger emerged Saturday at Mallie's Sports Bar and Grill.
The "Absolutely Ridiculous Burger," made with beef, bacon and cheese, was delivered on a 50-pound bun, The Detroit News and the Detroit Free Press reported. It sells for $350, and orders require 24 hours' notice.
Flipping the burger required three men using two steel sheets.
Owner Steve Mallie told The News he wanted to show that he has the
biggest and best burgers.
Authenticating Mallie's claim could take a few weeks. His burger would outweigh the 123-pound burger made last year by Denny's Beer Barrel Pub, of Clearfield, Pa.

So here's the real question here, will anyone actually take the time and give the 24 hour notice that they are requesting in order to attempt to get this behemoth of a burger down? Also, Is Mallie's willing to do what several other places have done which is if you eat the entire 134-pound burger, will you get it for free? I have seen several other places on FoodTV and the Travel Channel state that if you eat some HUGE meals or burgers or pizzas you get the thing named after you and you get it for free. Obviously if you don't finish it, then you have to pay for it. So any (as Mr. Wirig would say) Questions, comments, concerns, things you wouldn't dare tell your psychiatrist but would gladly share with us?

May I be one of the last folks to wish you a Happy New Year!

I know, I know, Gee Chris, haven't been keeping your new years resolutions have you????

For the record, this is one of 5 resolutions that I made, and also for the record, of the 5, I have kept 3. Technically, just the results have come in for 1 but I'm working on the other 2. Now for the revealing of the resolutions (and how I'm doing so far):
1. Lose weight (It is the 4th day of the year, give this one some time)
2. Better grades in school (I have taken 1 quiz (100%, thank you very much), and I took my first examination today, and will find out what I get on Monday. This resolution is more for the semester grades however)
3. Not (cut down on) cursing (lasted exactly 17 hours, TY Taco Bell)
4. eating & drinking healthier (I have drank a total in 2008 of maybe 100 oz of soda!)
& 5. keep a blog up-to-date (Well, it takes time to get into a new routine).

Now about the Thank You to Taco Bell....Here is why I lost and subsequently altered my resolution. The Taco Bell by my house (located on Paradise Valley Road in Spring Valley) is getting a not so good reputation in our home. Since we moved into this house about 2 years ago, we have been to this KFC/Taco Bell combo at least twice a month. They don't exactly have a good track record of getting the order correct (on the first time). Now her is our typical order: a 2-piece leg & thiegh grilled combo, with mashed potatoes (no gravy); 3 tacos w/onions; and 3 steak supreme gorditas (no lettuce, extra cheese). Not exactly a hard order for anyone with at least half a brian. Maybe, that is where the problem inlies, a half a brian. On New Years day, I went to the KFC/TB and placed our typical order. I pull around to the window and pay for the order. AFTER, I pay, they then tell me "Oh, sorry sir, we are out of grilled chicken. If you wouldn't mind original or extra crispy, we'll throw a couple of extra pieces in." So I say, alright, make it extra crispy. They come back a couple of minutes later, and say "Sir, we appologize, but we are out of legs in extra crispy." It is at this time that I expressed my displeasure with a "God damn, you got to be f'ing kidding me!" I cleaned it up here on the 'net. So, I say "whatever". They hand the order to me, and just because I've had so many things go wrong at this particular KFC/TB I pull forward about 2 car lengths and grab my gorditas (remember no lettiuce, extra cheese) to make sure that they are correct. Guess what? That's right, they are WRONG! So I pull out the driveway, turn right, and right back into the parking lot that they are located in. I retrieve my gorditas, my keys, phone, and wallet, and walk into the resturant. I walk right up to the counter (keeping in mind that the resturant has maybe 20-25 people inside), throw my bag on the counter, and rather loudly say "3 steak supreme gorditas, no lettiuce, extra cheese. What is so God damn hard about this order for you people?" The manager by this time walks over to me and says "There is no reason for you to yell sir." I look him right in the eye, and ask him if it is a hard order? He says no, and I again rather loudly say "Then why does this Taco bell have such a hard ass time getting it right, every other Taco Bell that I go to gets it right the first time, this Taco Bell, always screws it up some how." He obviously wants to get me outta there quickly so he looks and sees that they are all wrong, turns around to the gal on the taco line, and says 3 steak supreme gorditas ....... <--- I think you can figure it out So I go and take a seat at one of the counter seats they have that has a great view of the taco preperation area. I'm watching and they make 2 gorditas the correct way, and a taco (the gordita combo). They bag it up and bring it to the counter, and say "Sir, your corrected order is ready". I walk up already knowing that it is going to be wrong. I look in the bag, and say "Where is the third gordita?" The manager comes over and says "No, sir, you ordered the meal." I look at him and say, really, you know what I ordered, if you look closely at the order, you will notice that is the chicken meal that I ordered not the gordita meal, now go make me another gordita! While he goes and prepares the gordita, I say the steps kinda loud as he is making the taco. "Warm flatbread, check. Steak, check. Sour Cream, check. Cheese, check. More cheese, check. Tomatoes, check. Wrap it up, check." As I was doing this, I heard a couple of people in the back start to laugh. So, I get home, and check the chicken, and yup, you guessed it, there were legs in there, and they didn't give me just 4 pieces, no they gave me a bucket!

On to other things, and as you have seen in previous editions of this bog, there is always a weird news story. For those of you who are woundering why there is always a weird news story, it is because this world has gotten to serious, and most adults forget to laugh. So it is with these weird news stories, that I hope people get a laugh out of them!

VAIL — A 60-year-old man is taking an 8-year-old boy and his dad to court, claiming the third-grader caused a ski-slope collision that left the older man with a shoulder injury.
David J. Pfahler of Allentown, Pa., filed suit in Denver federal court claiming Scott Swimm, of Vail, then 7, was skiing fast and recklessly when they ran into each other in January. Pfahler's suit says he suffered a torn shoulder tendon.
The boy told Pfahler he was sorry and started to ski away when the man grabbed Scott’s legs, cursed at him and said he would sue, Robb Swimm told The Aspen Times.
“I was really scared,” Scott said to the Times.
Scott's father, Robb Swimm, said he saw the crash and that Scott was skiing slowly and in control.
"It wasn't a violent collision or anything, Scott just kind of tapped his ski boots," he said this week.
Scott's mother, Susan Swimm, said her son weighs 48 pounds and couldn't have been going more than 10 mph.
"Who in the world sues a child?" she said. "It just boggles my mind every day." Pfahler's Denver attorney, Jim Chalat, declined to comment on the specifics of the case. "It's a private matter between private parties," he said.
Chalat said Pfahler works in publishing for Reader's Digest and wants to go back to work.
The suit seeks compensation for physical therapy, vacation time, nursing and medical services provided by Pfahler's wife and other expenses. It estimates the couple's losses at more than $75,000.
Clare Huntington, an associate professor at the University of Colorado School of Law, said Scott will likely be dismissed as a defendant under laws that allow parents to be sued but not their minor children.

So I've nevered skied in my life, but I've got to think that a 7-year old couldn't cause $70,000 in damages, vacation time, nursing & medical services. Not to mention the fact that is his wife a licensed nurse? If she is not, then why is she even remotly charging that much. Also, I'm thinking that the old guy is just trying to pump up his nest egg.

So that is bog edition 1.006. Good luck to the Chargers this weekend as they face the Tennessee Titans (or as Josh Lewin calls them, "The flamming thumbtack") in the rain at The Murph. See ya latter!