This is an extremely complex equation of price/enjoyment/quality. I have cut offs to what I consider to be Fast Food. 5 Guys Burgers and Fries and Big Boy will be notable because I consider them to be a step above Fast Food. I may also legit forget a place in here.
1. McDonalds
This one is a surprise for me. McDonalds has always been on my radar and a place I frequent but I would never call it my favorite place to eat. They've kind of fallen into the top spot here due to a combination of keeping fast food prices, tolerable service and not jacking up the menu. My preferred meal here is the McNugget combo.
2. White Castle
Another surprise for me here. The discovery and addition of chicken rings earned White Castle a fringe spot in the rotation when I met my wife. The addition of an excellent breakfast menu has really kicked the White Castle love into high gear. They have a legit good fast food breakfast. They also have sane prices and don't jack with their menu too much from what I've seen. Service can be pretty bad at times though.
3. Burger King
BK steals their way into the #3 spot with the best fries in Fast Food. You can never get a damned Icee at this place and the absolute dregs of society work there but the fries make it worth it. The burgers are worthwhile as well. I think the food is generally good from BK but a little overpriced. The service is also terrible at most of the locations I have around me. The food usually turns out okay but I question why I deal with them.
4. Sonic
There's nothing quite like a Sonic trip in the heat of the summer. I really enjoy the food here but they lose massive amounts of points for how bad the service at our main location is. They have a truly unique menu with tons of options. They run a lot of specials and the price is usually really good. They get a huge knock for bad service as previously mentioned.
5. Wendy's
Huge fall from grace for Wendy's here. Until a few years ago, Wendy's was my unquestioned king of the Fast Food industry. Things started to fall apart for Wendy's with the addition of applewood bacon. This one event kicked off a series of missteps from the company where they stupidly started trying to compete with restaurants that were above Fast Food. Their prices went up accordingly. Now, Wendy's is a pale imitation of what they used to be and 2 combos from Wendy's is going to run you as much as a low end sit down place. I always seem to talk myself out of them due to the price.
6. Subway
Not my favorite sub place but the price is usually right for what they provide. I go there more than some of the places higher on the list but they lose points because the service is usually awful. There's many a time you flee a Subway feeling you've just survived a zombie apocalypse.
Well, that's the list for now. I didn't feel that I could get to a top 10 due to my disinterest in Fast Food currently.
Thursday, August 15, 2013
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
NFC North Preview
Now, here's a really cut throat division. You're looking at a division with three legit good teams. Green Bay, Minnesota and Chicago will all be in the mix for a playoff bid this season. I think Green Bay and Minnesota will be duking it out for the North crown all season.
Chicago is what it is. A team that can win 9-11 games when everyone is healthy and a team that's going to struggle when people start getting hurt. Cutler and Marshall have something special on offense. They've always been a good combo in the passing game. Matt Forte is really a hit and miss prospect from season to season. Sometimes, he's awesome and unstoppable and other seasons he's not so good. The defense has most of the players back and they were pretty good last year. I expect that to continue this season. Where this team HAS to win this year is against Green Bay. Chicago has to beat Green Bay at least once if they want to win the division. I'm going to say 9-7 for the Bears this year. No real reason, just seems like a good number for them.
Green Bay took a bit of a step back last year. They came a little slow out of the gate but eventually figured it out. I like most of the moves the team made in the offseason. I think Lacey is a great fit for their running game. Greg Jennings leaving hurts a bit but I'm guessing he's not going to be missed once Rogers doesn't miss a beat. The defense is about average as always. I expect the Packers to win the North again this year. I'm guessing they'll be 12-4 this season. They just have talent everywhere and it's hard to see them not excelling.
Minnesota is an interesting team this year. They replaced Percy Harvin with Greg Jennings. I think that's a push. The Cassell/Ponder situation will be interesting and probably a distraction to the team in the long run. AP is the elephant in the room with this team. He ran for 2097 yards last year. It was crazy to watch him run the ball down the stretch. As usual with Minnesota they were a one dimensional offense with a pretty good defense. I think they addressed some of the concerns in the passing game. Their receivers are generally better and Ponder has a year under his belt. If they can just get average performance in the passing game they could go really far this year. This team has some questions but I think 10-6 is where they'll end up.
Detroit is the odd man out in the North. Reggie Bush isn't the answer for Detroit. I feel kind of bad for Detroit fans. They're stuck with Matthew Stafford as their franchise QB. He's good but not an elite level QB. I think they could easily regret his contract extension after this season. I think a big problem with this team is Jim Schwartz. I think his temper and emotional state has rubbed off on the team and caused a lack of discipline. The offense is okay and the defense isn't very good. I think Detroit is in for a tough season and I could see them going winless within the division. I'll say this team is going to win 4-6 games.
I think you're looking at the best division in football right here. I could see Minnesota and Chicago taking both wildcard spots if things played out a certain way. This division is just loaded.
Chicago is what it is. A team that can win 9-11 games when everyone is healthy and a team that's going to struggle when people start getting hurt. Cutler and Marshall have something special on offense. They've always been a good combo in the passing game. Matt Forte is really a hit and miss prospect from season to season. Sometimes, he's awesome and unstoppable and other seasons he's not so good. The defense has most of the players back and they were pretty good last year. I expect that to continue this season. Where this team HAS to win this year is against Green Bay. Chicago has to beat Green Bay at least once if they want to win the division. I'm going to say 9-7 for the Bears this year. No real reason, just seems like a good number for them.
Green Bay took a bit of a step back last year. They came a little slow out of the gate but eventually figured it out. I like most of the moves the team made in the offseason. I think Lacey is a great fit for their running game. Greg Jennings leaving hurts a bit but I'm guessing he's not going to be missed once Rogers doesn't miss a beat. The defense is about average as always. I expect the Packers to win the North again this year. I'm guessing they'll be 12-4 this season. They just have talent everywhere and it's hard to see them not excelling.
Minnesota is an interesting team this year. They replaced Percy Harvin with Greg Jennings. I think that's a push. The Cassell/Ponder situation will be interesting and probably a distraction to the team in the long run. AP is the elephant in the room with this team. He ran for 2097 yards last year. It was crazy to watch him run the ball down the stretch. As usual with Minnesota they were a one dimensional offense with a pretty good defense. I think they addressed some of the concerns in the passing game. Their receivers are generally better and Ponder has a year under his belt. If they can just get average performance in the passing game they could go really far this year. This team has some questions but I think 10-6 is where they'll end up.
Detroit is the odd man out in the North. Reggie Bush isn't the answer for Detroit. I feel kind of bad for Detroit fans. They're stuck with Matthew Stafford as their franchise QB. He's good but not an elite level QB. I think they could easily regret his contract extension after this season. I think a big problem with this team is Jim Schwartz. I think his temper and emotional state has rubbed off on the team and caused a lack of discipline. The offense is okay and the defense isn't very good. I think Detroit is in for a tough season and I could see them going winless within the division. I'll say this team is going to win 4-6 games.
I think you're looking at the best division in football right here. I could see Minnesota and Chicago taking both wildcard spots if things played out a certain way. This division is just loaded.
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
A lazy Sunday afternoon
My wife was a little under the weather this Sunday so we stayed in mostly. I watched two movies with her during the course of the day. One good and one that was kind of mediocre.
The mediocre one was Hansel and Gretel Witch Hunters. It's a pretty generic action flick. It seemed little effort was put into the movie as the actors didn't even try to pretend like they were in the time period this was supposed to have taken place. I lost interest in it pretty quickly. I felt there wasn't any real hook to it as a movie. It felt like it was going through the motions entirely.
Now, the other one was the 25th Anniversary stage production of Phantom of the Opera. Generally, I'm not one for musicals with a few rare favorites that I've developed. But WOW did this rule. I'm dying to go see this live after seeing this on tv. It was just awesome and not what I expected from a stage production. My wife kept telling me that I didn't have to sit there and watch it but I was just glued to the tv. Here's a small bit of the performance...
So this will probably be something we go see when it comes to town next spring. Needless to say I'm excited for this one.
The mediocre one was Hansel and Gretel Witch Hunters. It's a pretty generic action flick. It seemed little effort was put into the movie as the actors didn't even try to pretend like they were in the time period this was supposed to have taken place. I lost interest in it pretty quickly. I felt there wasn't any real hook to it as a movie. It felt like it was going through the motions entirely.
Now, the other one was the 25th Anniversary stage production of Phantom of the Opera. Generally, I'm not one for musicals with a few rare favorites that I've developed. But WOW did this rule. I'm dying to go see this live after seeing this on tv. It was just awesome and not what I expected from a stage production. My wife kept telling me that I didn't have to sit there and watch it but I was just glued to the tv. Here's a small bit of the performance...
So this will probably be something we go see when it comes to town next spring. Needless to say I'm excited for this one.
Monday, August 12, 2013
TTM Monday: Handwritten not typed!
Free bit of advice if you're interested in joining the hobby of through the mail autographs. The people you send to respond better to handwritten letters. It shows a level of effort and care on your part. It shows that you took the time to actually write a letter and didn't just mass produce some form letter on your computer. So always hand write your letters, you'll thank me when the successes start rolling through.
So let's dig through the depths of my collection for some cards!
Say hello to Ed McCaffrey. He played for the Broncos during their big Super Bowl run in the late 90s. He was often a secondary receiving option to Rod Smith but he had a couple of good seasons. Notably in 2000 when he caught 101 passes for 1317 yards and 9 TDs. McCaffrey was always a favorite of mine. He always played hard on the field. I sent this out on May 15th and got it back July 1st. 47 days total.
I would call Andre Reed the best receiver in Bills history. He was part of the era where they made 4 Super Bowls in a row. I think he is currently one of the worst Hall of Fame snubs out there. When you talk about the 90s, you have to talk about Andre Reed in the wide receiver discussion. He was just a great talent and those Bills teams were amazing for a really long time. I think the whole lot of them suffer because they didn't win a Super Bowl.
Steve Walsh had some good moments in the pros. He lead Chicago to a playoff bid as the starter one year in the mid 90s. He never saw consistent action year in and year out though. He's not a huge QB by any means but these are the kinds of players you deal with when you do TTM. You can get some big names here and there but you're dealing in mid level players and obscure players.
One of the best return guys of the late 80s and 90s. Even as late as 1998 he helped the Arizona Cardinals make the playoffs with a huge year returning the football. That was his main strength as a player. He was good as a receiver and kind of mediocre as a running back. He's a player that Browns fan always remember fondly.
Well, that's it for this week.
So let's dig through the depths of my collection for some cards!
Say hello to Ed McCaffrey. He played for the Broncos during their big Super Bowl run in the late 90s. He was often a secondary receiving option to Rod Smith but he had a couple of good seasons. Notably in 2000 when he caught 101 passes for 1317 yards and 9 TDs. McCaffrey was always a favorite of mine. He always played hard on the field. I sent this out on May 15th and got it back July 1st. 47 days total.
I would call Andre Reed the best receiver in Bills history. He was part of the era where they made 4 Super Bowls in a row. I think he is currently one of the worst Hall of Fame snubs out there. When you talk about the 90s, you have to talk about Andre Reed in the wide receiver discussion. He was just a great talent and those Bills teams were amazing for a really long time. I think the whole lot of them suffer because they didn't win a Super Bowl.
Steve Walsh had some good moments in the pros. He lead Chicago to a playoff bid as the starter one year in the mid 90s. He never saw consistent action year in and year out though. He's not a huge QB by any means but these are the kinds of players you deal with when you do TTM. You can get some big names here and there but you're dealing in mid level players and obscure players.
One of the best return guys of the late 80s and 90s. Even as late as 1998 he helped the Arizona Cardinals make the playoffs with a huge year returning the football. That was his main strength as a player. He was good as a receiver and kind of mediocre as a running back. He's a player that Browns fan always remember fondly.
Well, that's it for this week.
Sunday, August 11, 2013
Top 10 Episodes of South Park
My wife Kelly and I were talking about this in the car last night. I came up with 10 episodes that I would be comfortable with saying are my top 10 episodes but then I think I rattled off an honorable mentions list of maybe 50 episodes after that. I decided this would be a good blog post so I'm going to cover my 10 episodes here. They aren't in any specific order, I couldn't narrow it down to a chronological list even if I tired, and you might disagree with some of my choices here. I also plan to do a future post with honorable mentions.
Rainforest Shmainforest Season 3 Episode 1:
The guys are forced to join "Getting Gay With Kids" after causing trouble in Mr. Garrison's class. This episode features a rare celebrity guest appearance as Jennifer Aniston voices Miss. Stevens. The trip through the rainforest doesn't quite go as planned though and the group's naive worldview is challenged at every turn. The episode ends with everyone reversing their opinion and wanting the rainforest destroyed.
Butters Very Own Episode Season 5 Episode 14:
Butters uncovers that his dad has been cheating on his mom with men. His mother freaks out and tries to kill Butters. His parents then try to cover up Butters' death until he pops back up. This episode has always been one of my personal favorites. I probably watch it once a year or so. The parts where Butters follows his dad around to the gay porn theater and gay gym are classic South Park moments in the series.
The Return of the Fellowship of the Ring to the Two Towers Season 6 Episode 13:
I could safely say this is one of my favorites. There's just so much to love in this episode. Butters becoming Golem, Tokens' speech after seeing Backdoor Sluts 9, the reactions of the wives to their husbands knowing what that porn is.
Christian Rock Hard Season 7 Episode Episode 9:
The cover of the Faith +1 album is my Twitter photo and has been for a long time. This is a typical episode where Cartman has a scheme and it eventually blows up in his face.
Good Time With Weapons Season 8 Episode 1:
I was heavily into anime when this episode came out. I think it was my favorite episode for 5 or 6 years without question. I still love this episode but I just kind of feel bad for Butters and it makes the episode hard to watch. The anime tropes are still hilarious and Cartman sneaking onstage naked is hilarious.
Trapped In the Closet Season 9 Episode 12:
I love this episode for a simple reason... it makes Tom Cruise and R. Kelly look like assholes.
Make Love, Not Warcraft Season 10 Episode 8:
I don't know how this episode comes across if you haven't played World of Warcraft. My wife never disliked this episode but she had a deeper understanding of the show after she fired up WoW for the first time. There's a ton of things about the game that as a player you get a good chuckle out of.
The Ungroundable Season 12 Episode 14:
It's been almost 5 years since this episode originally aired and I still giggle like an idiot whenever someone says "per say". I also avoid saying that word at all costs because my wife will just bash me for doing it. Butters as a vampire is so great you can't even put it into words.
The above quote might be the best thing ever said on South Park. It never ceases to crack me up and just sums up the episode so well. The Goth kids burning down Hot Topic is a great resolution to this storyline.
The Coon Season 13 Episode 2:
In the wake of the Christian Bale Batman and this bashes the way he talks perfectly. I was delighted when they brought the Coon back a few seasons later.
Butters Bottom Bitch Season 13 Episode 9:
I love this episode more every time I watch it. My wife and I watched it about a week ago. On the viewing, it crashed it's way into my top 10 list. The police chief going around as a prostitute is horrifying and awesome at the same time. You know where it's going each and every time and they just make you want to cover your eyes from the horror. Butters acting like a pimp is also classic.
Rainforest Shmainforest Season 3 Episode 1:
The guys are forced to join "Getting Gay With Kids" after causing trouble in Mr. Garrison's class. This episode features a rare celebrity guest appearance as Jennifer Aniston voices Miss. Stevens. The trip through the rainforest doesn't quite go as planned though and the group's naive worldview is challenged at every turn. The episode ends with everyone reversing their opinion and wanting the rainforest destroyed.
Each year, the Rainforest is responsible for over three thousand deaths from accidents, attacks or illnesses. There are over seven hundred things in the Rainforest that cause cancer. Join the fight now and help stop the Rainforest before it's too late.
Butters Very Own Episode Season 5 Episode 14:
Butters uncovers that his dad has been cheating on his mom with men. His mother freaks out and tries to kill Butters. His parents then try to cover up Butters' death until he pops back up. This episode has always been one of my personal favorites. I probably watch it once a year or so. The parts where Butters follows his dad around to the gay porn theater and gay gym are classic South Park moments in the series.
The Return of the Fellowship of the Ring to the Two Towers Season 6 Episode 13:
I could safely say this is one of my favorites. There's just so much to love in this episode. Butters becoming Golem, Tokens' speech after seeing Backdoor Sluts 9, the reactions of the wives to their husbands knowing what that porn is.
Christian Rock Hard Season 7 Episode Episode 9:
The cover of the Faith +1 album is my Twitter photo and has been for a long time. This is a typical episode where Cartman has a scheme and it eventually blows up in his face.
Good Time With Weapons Season 8 Episode 1:
I was heavily into anime when this episode came out. I think it was my favorite episode for 5 or 6 years without question. I still love this episode but I just kind of feel bad for Butters and it makes the episode hard to watch. The anime tropes are still hilarious and Cartman sneaking onstage naked is hilarious.
Trapped In the Closet Season 9 Episode 12:
I love this episode for a simple reason... it makes Tom Cruise and R. Kelly look like assholes.
Make Love, Not Warcraft Season 10 Episode 8:
I don't know how this episode comes across if you haven't played World of Warcraft. My wife never disliked this episode but she had a deeper understanding of the show after she fired up WoW for the first time. There's a ton of things about the game that as a player you get a good chuckle out of.
The Ungroundable Season 12 Episode 14:
It's been almost 5 years since this episode originally aired and I still giggle like an idiot whenever someone says "per say". I also avoid saying that word at all costs because my wife will just bash me for doing it. Butters as a vampire is so great you can't even put it into words.
Well, Mom, apparently Butters is gay, finds me very attractive, and, confused about his sexual identity, puked up all over my floor
The above quote might be the best thing ever said on South Park. It never ceases to crack me up and just sums up the episode so well. The Goth kids burning down Hot Topic is a great resolution to this storyline.
The Coon Season 13 Episode 2:
In the wake of the Christian Bale Batman and this bashes the way he talks perfectly. I was delighted when they brought the Coon back a few seasons later.
Butters Bottom Bitch Season 13 Episode 9:
I love this episode more every time I watch it. My wife and I watched it about a week ago. On the viewing, it crashed it's way into my top 10 list. The police chief going around as a prostitute is horrifying and awesome at the same time. You know where it's going each and every time and they just make you want to cover your eyes from the horror. Butters acting like a pimp is also classic.
Friday, August 9, 2013
AFC North Preview
Let's take a look at the AFC North this time out. I think this division is a two team race between the Ravens and Bengals. The Ravens have more questions than the Bengals and that is what I'm basing my predictions off of for this post.
I think the Cincinnati Bengals are winning the North this year. They have a top level defense and it got a little stronger with the addition of James Harrison. Geno Atkins and Michael Johnson were terrors on the line last year. Atkins really stepped up his production in year 2 and I think he's going to take another step forward this year. I think we might be talking about Atkins as an elite defensive lineman after this year. On the offensive side, Andy Dalton and A.J. Green have another under their belt and Marvin Jones stepped up towards the end of the season. I think you could see the passing game become very dangerous this year. You also have BenJarvus Green-Ellis as a solid running back. This team just doesn't have a ton of weaknesses and I think you're looking at a team that's going to win 10-12 games.
The defending Super Bowl Champion Baltimore Ravens have some questions to answer. Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Paul Kruger, Daniel Ellerbe and Anquan Boldin have all left town. To make matters worse Dennis Pitta is out for the season due to a hip injury. On offense you have Torrey Smith and Jacoby Jones as your main receiving threats. That doesn't fill me with a lot of fear as a opposing team. Ray Rice had a bit of a down year last season and I wonder how he'll respond this year. Will we see the dominate running or backfield receiver or the good running back that's less of a receiving threat. I don't know what to make of the defense either. Elvis Dummervil is good but he wasn't worth the kind of money he wanted. I don't think he's an addition to hang your hat on. I think the Ravens are looking at a 9-7 or 10-6 season. Not enough to win the division but probably enough to get a wild card spot.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are in limbo this year. This is a team that depends heavily on Ben Rothlisberger and Troy Polamalu to stay relevant as a team. The Steelers lack proven talent on offense. Antonio Brown has been effective in the past but I don't think he's a no. 1 receiver. Le'Veon Bell has some potential. I think he could be the answer to their rushing woes but I also think he could be a total bust too. Jonathan Dwyer is okay but I don't think you want him as a feature back. The defense is still in okay shape. They seem to struggle when Polamalu isn't on the field though. If he struggles to stay on the field this year, the defense is going to struggle to keep teams from scoring. I think you're looking at a team that's going to win 7-9 games this year.
The Cleveland Browns are looking at the cellar of the North again this year. The new ownership retooled the defense and I think it looks good. They've got some real potential to become a good defense. The real problem with this team is the offense. Brandon Weeden and Jason Campbell are not going to lead you to the playoffs. Trent Richardson has some health questions. It's very possible that he's injury prone. I think the offensive line is pretty solid though. I think you're going to see a team that takes some strides but ends up at 5-11 when all is said and done.
I think the Cincinnati Bengals are winning the North this year. They have a top level defense and it got a little stronger with the addition of James Harrison. Geno Atkins and Michael Johnson were terrors on the line last year. Atkins really stepped up his production in year 2 and I think he's going to take another step forward this year. I think we might be talking about Atkins as an elite defensive lineman after this year. On the offensive side, Andy Dalton and A.J. Green have another under their belt and Marvin Jones stepped up towards the end of the season. I think you could see the passing game become very dangerous this year. You also have BenJarvus Green-Ellis as a solid running back. This team just doesn't have a ton of weaknesses and I think you're looking at a team that's going to win 10-12 games.
The defending Super Bowl Champion Baltimore Ravens have some questions to answer. Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Paul Kruger, Daniel Ellerbe and Anquan Boldin have all left town. To make matters worse Dennis Pitta is out for the season due to a hip injury. On offense you have Torrey Smith and Jacoby Jones as your main receiving threats. That doesn't fill me with a lot of fear as a opposing team. Ray Rice had a bit of a down year last season and I wonder how he'll respond this year. Will we see the dominate running or backfield receiver or the good running back that's less of a receiving threat. I don't know what to make of the defense either. Elvis Dummervil is good but he wasn't worth the kind of money he wanted. I don't think he's an addition to hang your hat on. I think the Ravens are looking at a 9-7 or 10-6 season. Not enough to win the division but probably enough to get a wild card spot.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are in limbo this year. This is a team that depends heavily on Ben Rothlisberger and Troy Polamalu to stay relevant as a team. The Steelers lack proven talent on offense. Antonio Brown has been effective in the past but I don't think he's a no. 1 receiver. Le'Veon Bell has some potential. I think he could be the answer to their rushing woes but I also think he could be a total bust too. Jonathan Dwyer is okay but I don't think you want him as a feature back. The defense is still in okay shape. They seem to struggle when Polamalu isn't on the field though. If he struggles to stay on the field this year, the defense is going to struggle to keep teams from scoring. I think you're looking at a team that's going to win 7-9 games this year.
The Cleveland Browns are looking at the cellar of the North again this year. The new ownership retooled the defense and I think it looks good. They've got some real potential to become a good defense. The real problem with this team is the offense. Brandon Weeden and Jason Campbell are not going to lead you to the playoffs. Trent Richardson has some health questions. It's very possible that he's injury prone. I think the offensive line is pretty solid though. I think you're going to see a team that takes some strides but ends up at 5-11 when all is said and done.
Thursday, August 8, 2013
Brief Update
I've been using the schedule feature quite heavily on this site. I'm not writing the blog chronologically anymore. I'm writing what interests me at any given moment and throwing that on the schedule where I think it should go. My goal at this very moment is to update the blog on an almost daily basis. Monday's will remain the day that I talk about my TTM autographs and Friday is going to become football day until the season is over. I haven't decided on any other features at this point. I may post Filsinger Games wrestling promotion on here but I haven't decided on that one way or the other. That's the scoop as of now. Look for basketball previews to start in September.
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