Low Fat, Low Cal...Taste Debatable

So you may have, from time to time, gone down the aisle of your preferred grocery establishment in search of a sweet treat like chocolate milk...only to discover they only offer "reduced fat" or "low fat" chocolate milk. To me, that is disappointing. Even tragic.

Sure, that cow on the bottle looks happy, but in truth he hates himself.

Similar things happen when you're looking for ice cream, candy, and even soda. You've got coke zero, diet coke, stevia sweetened ginger beer, candy with no sugar or trans fats. On the one hand you could get fat (if you go with the regular), while on the the other hand you could get cancer (with all the phenylalanine and like diet sweeteners).

I mean, if you're looking to eat something sweet and satisfyingly delectable, you probably aren't too concerned about the fat content. And if you are, please go eat some quinoa, buckwheat, amaranth, and then go do your yoga/pilates/tai chi and leave the fat foods for those of us with the restraint to enjoy them without forcing them to become crappy. Or just leave them for the fat kids who don't care.

So do I.

And so does this guy.

I didn't make you fat America. You made you fat. Like that grammar? I like my regular, whole milk chocolate milk. I like my regular, delicious food. I don't like diet anything. I don't like fat free, sugar free whatever. And guess what America, I'm not fat. I have it both ways. I have my cake, and eat it too (But actually I'm a bit particular with my cakes. I'm not a cake guy. I like pie. If I have to eat cake I like angel food cake or that dark chocolate mousse cake...or ice cream cake). I digress...

The point is this: If you want to lose weight, be aware of what you're putting in your body and how much exercise you get. Eat fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and get fresh air and sun and work out as often as possible. And, it's not about losing weight, it's about being healthy. But you won't do it by eating tons of diet stuff. That's the problem. People go, oh, they're "mini" cupcakes, or it's "diet" and proceed to eat the whole bag, box, or case. So, to avoid that, don't eat diet stuff in the first place. Smaller regular food portion size is better than larger diet portion size.

Not everyone is going to be a nasty, emaciated, twig-type, and that's ok. In fact, it's probably good. I should never have something stuck in my teeth, look around for a toothpick, and find you to be a suitable substitute.

She drank the wrong kind of chocolate milk.

It's also ok, and even good to splurge every now any then. As long as butter pecan ice cream and cupcakes don't become your staple food items, and you don't eat your cereal with Dr. Pepper instead of milk, you'll probably be ok. Don't quote me on that though. I know some people who have Dr. Pepper fed intravenously into their arms and they do fine.

And the moral of this diatribe: EAT UP FATTIES!

Repackaged, Repurposed and....Still Funny

Here are some of the more enjoyable recent funnies from Failblog, Very Demotivational, Pictureisunrelated, oddlyspecific and engrish:

Deep inside he knew that this was the best part of his day.

Oooooo.

Actually, in Ireland you would not get arrested. Common practice.

Is it just me or do his undies look like a hamper?

It can be done.

You've been in this situation before.

Greatest day of your life.

Llamas. Of course!

That's a bad law. Only in Gaithersburg.

Just your average, everyday house....for psychos.

That's what you think. The aliens took this picture.

The part you can't see is the other golf cart on top of the second ladder.

This is not a fail. Pizza is the real hero.

Pretty accurate actually.

I always do.

What Color is the Best?

Debate has raged for centuries. Wars have been fought. Civilizations have fallen. Mothers cannot sleep soundly at night in comfortable suburban neighborhoods. All because of this great question: 

What color is the best?

Some say red, others yellow, and even a few wise guys will say things like turquoise, sea foam green, fuchsia, or aubergine. Well they are all wrong.

The best color is brown. Yes. That's right. It's the best. EVER. That's not even subjective. Fashionistas everywhere are calling it the next pink. Brown is earthy, not too flashing, and goes with a lot of stuff. It also is has great polar extremes. On one side it gets flushed down the toilet, and on the other it gets devoured in an ice cream cone. On another side it gets your car dirty, and on the other it can start your day. On another side you get Chris Brown, and on the other you get James Brown. Brown is great. And, I think UPS would agree whole-heartedly.

Enjoy brown:

What can brown do for you? (Stop doing commercials with some guy writing on white boards)

For shame Chris. For shame.

"Yeah! Oooow!" That's probably what he just said.

Awwww.

Capuccino or hot chocolate. Take your pick.

The best part of waking up...

Most women would not be able to function without it. And I would kill for it.

How now brown trout?

Campbell has brown hair too.

And this lady has brown clothes (but has no name).

Science proves you weren't an idiot

You know when you hold some 'common sense' belief and then later in your life some academic study comes out and confirms it? Well, it's about to happen to you again. Remember when you were a kid? No? Yes? Still trying to forget? Well, as a kid perhaps you, at one point in your life, went to the beach. Perhaps you didn't. Either way, my hope is that a some point you found a shell and for some inexplicable reason put it up to your ear (maybe your parents, older sibling, or a scientist told you to do it, or maybe you're just a little genius). What you were probably told, or most likely discovered, is that it sounds like there is another ocean in the shell when you hold it up to your ear. Well, recently, and the Oregon Institute of Saberhagen, scientists discovered that this long held theory is actually true. There is indeed another ocean inside seashells.

Dr. Pietrov Ivanovich, head scientist of the 'Little Shell, Little Ocean' project had this to say:

"For many years I was conned into believing that what I was hearing in the shell was the echo of my own blood pumping. I was always dissatisfied with that answer. It was just unappealing. I needed a sexier answer. I needed to believe in love again. I needed to rediscover my inner child."

And discover he did. Using state-of-the-art ultrasound equipment and a spare wormhole and stethoscope that were lying around in a storage closet, Dr. Ivanovich and his team discovered that there is another ocean inside seashells. "Some naysayers will say, 'Oh yeah, but what about the animal that lived in the shell? Wouldn't it drown?' That's just silly. It's a sea creature, of course it wouldn't drown. And, it's not much different than a person who lives by the beach having a pool. It's like having two copies of the same book in different places so you can read it wherever you go, except, unlike books, this ocean is portable," said Dr. Elaine Fischer, one of the scientists on hand.

(This is doctor Fischer enjoying her little ocean)

After Dr. Fischer's remarks I reminded her that books are portable. She looked at me like I had three eyes, which, apparently is true, but I also think that she didn't know books were portable until that moment. However, regardless of her book portability innocence, she did get a firm handshake and some loving hugs from school children and kids who never grew up everywhere. We always knew it. Thanks for proving it. Seashells do have oceans inside them.

(That's not a shell, but a chocolate bunny, which has an ocean of chocolate inside of it)

The Greatest Mom to Ever Live

This mother's day, just like every past one everyone out there (at least in the US) is grateful and gushing for their mom. Some are just kind and appreciative. Others are more hard core. They brag and say things like: "My mom is the best in the world." Not bold enough I say. Because, truth be told, my mom is the best in the world, hands down. But she's better than that. She deserves more than the accolades of this world. My mom is the greatest mom in the universe (parallel or otherwise existing). This judgment is not subjective. Sorry other moms.

Here's where you want a pedigree or a list of what makes her great. I don't think that is necessary. Just bottle up all the best characteristics that humanity can provide and put them together and there you go. She's never led my astray and her love and kindness are unwavering beacons. She is always serving, always loving, and finding ways to improve herself and the lives of others. I find no fault in her.

Mom, I hope you liked the flowers, chocolate, breakfast and the past quarter century as my mom. I know I can be a handful. But would you have wanted anything less?

Living the Beach Life.

So I was at the beach all day yesterday so I didn't write anything. You can call it a lame excuse, but I'd call it a much needed diversion. I surfed a bit, became a sand person, had a delicious chocolate shake and sandwich, and used up an entire tank of gas in between my house and Assateague Island State Park. So all in all it was pretty friggin sweet. And yes, that is technical jargon.

To make it up to you, my readers I am posting a clip and a picture. Here you go:

This kid is real. Not a muppet, puppet, or a zombie.

It was me.

My Valentine's Day Philosophy

There are a lot of Valentine's Day haters out there. A lot of people have been disappointed on Valentine's Day. Some never get asked to do anything on Valentine's Day. Some are never in a relationship when it comes around. Some are in a relationship but either vow not to do anything because they're afraid of it never meeting expectations, or don't do something because one or the other is a schmuck. Well folks, here is my Valentine's Day philosophy:

I don't hate Valentine's Day. It's never made me bitter or upset. It is a day of love. There is no reason why a single guy can't ask out some girl on Valentine's Day and show her a good time. You don't have to worry if it's going to go anywhere. It's nice to have a day where you can just lavish gifts and romantic praise on someone. It makes the asker feel good because they have someone that day, and aren't relegated to 'stay at home loser' status, and the askee should feel great because of the same reason and that they got asked (so someone was at least thinking of them). If you do want to start something good luck. If you are already in a relationship relish in it. Of course you can go out on nice dates and buy exorbitant gifts on any day, but Valentine's Day gives you an excuse to go over the top and not feel bad about it.

Here are some good reasons to enjoy Valentine's Day:

1. Chocolate

2. Sensuous meals

3. Creative floral arrangements

4. Sweet Nothings

So, there you have it. Live it up this Valentine's Day. Just be careful with the sweet nothings.

A Tribute to Funny

Ok, this show is from BBC3 called Man Stroke Woman. Some of the skits are great, and these three are prime. I quote the first one all the time when I want to communicate the itchiness of my jumpers and/or want to trivialize my emotions.



I'm also doing a social experiment and seeing what kind of random stuff I can write in between these videos.



Swiss Bacon Classic. Melancholy dwarfs. Edible chocolate friends. (Insert non-food item here)



This is more or less what will happen when I run into women who I used to date in the future.

You may be thinking, wait a second, he didn't really write anything today. This blog post seems like a cop out. And to that I would say: "You are correct."

Holiday Leftovers

Holiday leftovers are great. Turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, string beans and bacon, three bean salad, yams, and trays and boxes of chocolates, cookies, and fruits. My family could easily live off leftovers for the next week. The unfortunate side effect is weight gain. That is, if you sit around doing nothing most of the time. Fortunately I do stuff. Unfortunately, that stuff is mostly going out to dinner with family and friends. Going out to dinner with a week's worth of leftovers at my disposal makes no sense whatsoever. Which is why my family seems to do it (That and it was my Dad's birthday and because he was sick on the day we ordered Chinese food, and then we went out to Outback Steakhouse the next day when he was feeling better).

So leftovers are a boon and a curse. I love to eat them, and they love to be eaten, but unless I do something beyond restaurant excursions, the possibility of me becoming a professional sumo wrestler increases. 

The mighty power of leftovers can be seen in the following photo:

Questions to distract you from Holiday Stress

(This is what might happen to you if you read this)

I have decided to write a list of questions for my readers to answer. It could provide a little break and distraction from christmas shopping, finals, work, or anything else that you'd rather not do or think to much about. Here they are:

Would you rather have cold hands and warm feet or warm feet and cold hands?

Which to you like to watch more, rain or snow?

Which do you like to hear more, rain or snow?

Where is your happy place?

What time is it?

What is your favorite Christmas song?

What is your favorite Christmas singer?

Would you rather die choking on dark chocolate or milk chocolate?

How many times have you injured yourself while decorating for Christmas?

What is the capital of Uzbekistan?

Did you know that mistletoe is actually poisonous?

Have you ever eaten Santa's cookies before he got there?

What did Santa do to you when he found out you ate his cookies (ignore if you're a good kid)?

How many pairs of slippers do you own?

Have you ever found coal inside them?

Did you ever want a power wheel for 5 straight years and never get one from Santa?

Do you wish you could have snow and warm weather at the same time (If yes, then I can recommend a few cities near volcanoes)?

Mmmmm....chocolate.

Chocolate. Fondue. Waterfall. Fountain. Strawberries. Banana. Pineapple. Pretzels. Chocolate. Ghirardelli. Godiva. Nestle. Melting. Pouring. Dark. Delicious. Chocolate.

I hope that made your mouth water. It certainly got my craving going. 

Fortunately for me and my craving, we had a fondue party on saturday complete with a chocolate fountain and all of the wonderfully satiating ingredients I previously mentioned. But even after eating chocolate covered strawberries, pretzels, and the occasional pineapple, I felt like I needed something else. Something perhaps to cap it off. Wash it down. Milk. That would do it.

Problem: My house is full of 20 some people, and if I take out my gallon of milk everyone will want a glass.  And, being a courteous host I would give them all glasses, and offer even the one's who didn't ask, leaving me with no milk. 

Solution: Keep the milk hidden. Drink water.

Brownies and Girl Scouts

So brownies. They're delicious. Gooey, chocolately, flakey. And, on top of it all, their name is so ingenious it makes one wonder how someone ever could have come up with it. Brownies? Now why on earth would you call a little sheet of chocolate heaven brownies? It boggles my mind. I just don't get it. And on that same vein why are little girls scouts called brownies? And, are they anywhere near as delicious?


Speaking of girl scouts and brownies, how about girl scout cookies? I'm pretty sure girl scout cookies were made to give us hope that heaven exists, and they're sold on street corners by little girls wearing green sashes. We got the whole angel concept entirely wrong. Angels aren't wearing white robes with wings, they're wearing girl scout uniforms. And, I know everyone has their favorite cookie. Mine are thin mints. Frozen thin mints and milk. Can't get much better.