Today I board two airplanes and remember you, Bobbi Arestegui, Lorraine Bay, Sandra Bradshaw, Jeffrey Collman, Robert Fangman, Wanda Green, Michelle Heidenberger, Amy Jarrett, Amy King, Kathryn Laborie, Kenneth & Jennifer Lewis, Sara Low, Cee Cee Lyles, Al Marchand, Karen Martin, Renee May, Kathleen Nicosia, Betty Ong, Jean Roger, Dianne Snyder, Madeline Sweeny, Michael Tarrou, Alicia Titus, and Deborah Welch.
Also, Jim Campilongo, Chris Kee, Rochelle Jensen, Rebecca Jehorek & Karla Kozak.
See blogs Things Change and House Cleaning from 2006 >>>
The Kentucky Derby was marred by a life ending injury by its second place finisher today.
Eight Belles crossed the wire and went down with her front two ankles broken. An equine ambulance came around and put her down on the track.
“There was no possible way to save her,” on-call veterinarian Dr. Larry Bramlage said. “She broke both front ankles. That’s a bad injury.”
Last week in Alabama at the Talladega Super Speedway during the NASCAR Nationwide series race, Dario Franchitti broke both his ankles in a wreck, the ambulance didn’t come around and put him down on the track.
It causes me to ask, is there really no way to save a horse with a broken leg? Is there no horse cast or hoist immobilizing system that can heal a broken leg injury?
If not, then I can do without horse racing, the dick-head owners and fan base, who as an industry and without apology on a national stage, would rather kill an animal that has given so much than to spend a few bucks on rehab.
Late last night I watched the Coen Brother's, No Country For Old Men and was left a little off balance. As the ending credits began to roll my jaw dropped and I nearly shouted, “Is that the ending? Is it even an ending? Are they messing with me?”
After sleeping on it I believe, 1. they are in fact messing with me, and 2. I saw genius in film making.
The story is simple: Man finds money and tries to keep money. Man who lost money tries to get money back. The motives of the characters are crystal clear, but like life their path in an American right or wrong society is a little blurred.
The visual contrasts between city and prairie, light and dark worked with brilliant dialogue and strong character personalities to turn ordinary situations into the bizarre. Each scene held its secrets until the very last moment resulting in an intensity that literally kept me nervous or anxious the entire time.
The cast of Tommy Lee Jones, Woody Harrelson, Josh Brolin, Barry Corbin, Stephen Root (Office Space, Dodgeball, NewsRadio) were perfect, but it was Javier Bardem who totally had me on edge as the most intensely scary mother-fucker I’ve ever seen. His hair, his weapon, his voice - he exuded scary at every moment.
A lot like life, the movie threw me and left me saying, “What the F@#K was that!”
A few years ago I read a book titled, Fast Food Nation and it inspired me to research some of the companies I buy products from. Con Agra, one of the largest food manufactures in the US, I found had some horrible safety and health issues along with stories of devastatingly inhumane work conditions and treatment of their employees, many of whom are illegal.
Their conduct struck me so dishonest and unethical, I decided to boycott their products for good - all their products, and it wasn’t easy.
Here’s a Con Agra short list: Act II & Orville Redenbacher’s Popcorn, Reddi-Wip, Healthy Choice, Marie Calendars, Hebrew National, Egg Beaters, Chef Boyardee, Pam, Parkay, Ro*Tel, Knott’s Berry Farm, Libby’s, Dennison’s, Swiss Miss, Van Camps, Wesson, Peter Pan and Hunt’s products including Manwich Sloppy Joe Sauce.
All was fine, I mean, Pop Secret is a great pop corn, Cool Whip has always been my choice, I quit Chef Boyardee when I was eleven and I’m a Skippy Peanut Butter man, but when I came to Manwich Sloppy Joe Sauce, I nearly wept.
I love Sloppy Joe's. Always have, and Hunt’s Manwich brand is the best. Oh, I tried to find a suitable substitute over the years, but no store bought brand even came close to Hunt's definitive Sloppy Joe. Nothing could take it’s place... that is, until tonight.
Yesterday while in the tomato sauce aisle at the grocery store, I was looking at the Manwich Sauce I had vowed to never eat again and couldn’t believe I’d have to go a lifetime without the perfect Sloppy Joe. Then I had a thought, delivered to me as if by thunderbolt... I could invent my own Sloppy Joe sauce using the ingredients listed on the Manwich can as a base and even improve the taste by adjusting it to my own palate with a blend of spices and seasonings of my choosing.
It had to work. It’d been so long and besides, I had a good comfort food culinary track record. I’m on the hunt with a good breakfast gravy, my chicken fried steak is nearly there (I fry a mean chicken too, but can’t take credit, it’s coated with Sylvia’s Crispy Fried Chicken Mix), I’ve got a blue ribbon chili, zesty vegetable soup, I bake my Grand-ma Hazel's three layer cake from scratch that's just inches away from as good as hers - God rest her soul - and I’d already created the best tacos I’ve ever had. What’s to say I couldn’t recreate the perfect Sloppy Joe. Nothing, that’s what.
I figured if I could come up with a solid, consistent blend of ingredients as a base, I could further customize the mixture to how I was feeling a particular day and make it more perfect. Little more of this for a sweet day, a little more of that for a spicy day.
Well, I bought some tomato sauce, couple pounds of beef, some new spices, buns and took a new turn on my Sloppy Joe road. I wanted to make em’ up that night, but I needed time. I needed a night to sleep on the mix.
So today round about seven in the p.m. I got to work. I arranged the ingredients on the counter top while the meat browned up nice with a light dusting of salt and pepper. I drained the fat, added a little of this and a little of that, poured in the tomato sauce, let it simmer and gave a taste when it began to bubble. It was close.
I added a bit more sweetness, kicked up the bite and within minutes it was to a spot that I felt my new infant baby Joe was ready for bread. I opened the burger bun, laid it open-faced on a cool, white plate and poured the still bubbling mixture on the bottom bun. Capped the Joe with the bun’s top piece and while standing there, over the still simmering first Sloppy Joe effort, took a bite.
It... was... AWESOME!
I can say without hesitation my Sloppy Joe's are the best Sloppy Joe's I have ever had. I ate three in less than fifteen minutes and enjoyed every last morsel. They are so good in fact, that they’ll need a new name. But I’ll have to think on that a spell. Can’t rush something as important as naming the new king of Sloppy Joe's. Kevin’s Bionic Joe’s. Sloppy K’s. King Sloppy’s.
Well, we’ll see. Maybe the name will be sent to me on the wings of culinary angels while brushing my teeth, or walking downstairs to get the mail. Inspiration is funny that way.
After the feast I made some Sloppy Joe notes and laid down on the couch to watch a movie, smiling with the satisfaction that only comes with a job well done and a full belly.
Everyone has to have a year end ‘Best Of’ count down, so here’s mine:
Kevin's 10 most watched films of 2007.
1. The Big Lebowski - 1988
Jeffrey ‘the Dude’ Lebowski (Jeff Bridges) is mistaken for the rich socialite Jeffrey ‘the Big’ Lebowski which sets him off on a rambunctious search throughout Los Angeles for a kidnapped wife, a million dollars and a rug that really tied the room together.
Favorite lines: “Look, just because we’re bereaved, that doesn’t make us saps!" & “Nobody fucks with the Jesus.” & "Smokey, this is not Nam. This is bowling. There are rules.”
...just to quote a few.
2. The Choppers - 1961
Working for the local junkyard fence, Jack ‘cruiser’ Bryan and his teenage gang of ‘choppers’ pick clean unattended cars stranded on lonely strips of highway.
Welcome to the world of cult icon, Arch Hall Jr. He starred and sang songs he wrote in a handful of low-budget films that were written, shot and directed by his father in an effort to turn young Arch into the next teen heart-throb. They didn’t quite break to the masses but they did create some of the finest examples of drive-in movie classics.
Features the underground hit song, Monkey In My Hatband, Konga Joe and a crazy hip jazz score.
You can see it in its entirety on you tube. Search the choppers arch hall jr.
...and if you’ve come this far, check out Arch Hall Jr in Wild Guitars and Eegah!.
3. Safe Men - 1998
Two singer songwriters are mistaken for safe crackers by gangster Big Fat Bernie Gayle’s intern, Veal Chop who sends them on a mission to crack for them or die.
Early career performances by Steve Zahn, Sam Rockwell, Paul Giamatti & Mark Ruffalo. The cast is great and the writing is quick, smart and hilarious.
Favorite line: “Plus I have a fake fucking ass over my ass.”
4. Tom Dowd: The Language of Music - 2003
Documentary on Atlantic Records recording engineer, Tom Dowd. It’s way too hard to express the coolness of this film, so I won’t. Just suffice it to say this is an amazing journey through the life and times of an very unique man.
5. King Creole - 1958
A poor kid (Elvis Presley) scraps and sings his way through school and a troubled life in a tough Bourbon Street neighborhood.
Elvis shows his top shelf acting chops as he goes toe to toe with academy award winner, Walter Matthau.
Other King recommends: 68 Come Back Special, Viva Las Vegas (Ann Margaret is smoking hot here), Clambake, Blue Hawaii, Loving You & Jail House Rock.
6. That’s The Way It Is
Shot in the summer of 1970 and re-mastered and re-mixed in 2005, this feature film affords a behind the scenes glimpse at the life of Elvis in the studio, at rehearsals, back stage and under the lights with his new show band and rhinestone capes.
Favorite line: “If the songs don’t go over, we can do a medley of costumes.”
7. Ocean’s Eleven - 1960
No pretty boy Clooney or Pitt in this pack. This is the original and is the definition of old school with Frank, Dino, Sammy, Joey & Peter chasing money through Las Vegas on New Years Eve.
It’s so hip, it makes Mr Roper from Three’s Company look cool.
Favorite line: “If you keep getting prettier everyday, you’re going to become a monopoly.”
8. Planet Earth: The Complete Series disc 1-5. - 2007
BBC produced documentary series on the planet earth, capturing never before seen animal behavior and plant life. I particularly enjoyed the segments on Jungles, Deserts, Caves and the post logs titled, Diaries which take a look at the production of selected pieces.
9. A Summer Place - 1959
Former life guard turned millionaire returns with his family to his boyhood summer place to see what’s what and finds old flames in fact do not die.
Stars Sandra Dee and Troy Donahue with Troy being one of the worst actors I’ve ever seen. He’s an acting catastrophe I’m unable to turn away from.
10. Team America: World Police - 2004
Puppets patrol the globe and take on all terrorists.
The creators of South Park, Trey Paker and Matt Stone pull no punches in this satire about American world policing practices.
Favorite line: “If you betray us, I'll rip your fuckin' balls off and stuff them up your ass. So, the next time you shit, you'll shit all over your balls!”
Congratulations to my pal Doug Dixon, Holiday Inn, RCR, Jeff Burton, Scott Wimmer and everyone on the #29 Holiday Inn team for winning the 2007 Busch Series Owners Title!
On October 20, 1967 Bob Gimlin and Roger Patterson captured footage of what has become to be known as the definitive film of Bigfoot sightings. The hand held camera bounces along to catch a dark, hulking, unidentified creature as it strides through a bright, open space, turns to glance toward the camera and then disappears into the dense tress and foliage of the Bluff Creek Canyon area in Northern California.
All though the film has strong arguments on both sides as to its authenticity, believers say the film remains the cornerstone of their convictions. They cite that the film has never been duplicated, that modern film analysis show definite muscle movement and current day special effects artists have said that the technology available to a couple of cowboys looking to create a hoax in 1967 was not possible.
Is Bigfoot real? The answer is unequivocally, yes. There are Bigfoot movies, Bigfoot music festivals, Bigfoot t-shirts, Bigfoot television shows, Bigfoot museums and a Bigfoot in TV commercials getting his due revenge on beef jerky eating pranksters.
Regardless of the proof of blood and bone, he’s a real-live modern day mythic icon full of fabulous folklore that keeps imaginations running and the hope that something can still live undetected on an ever shrinking globe.
Roll on Bigfoot. Crash at my place if you need a new spot to hide - just promise you won’t rip my arms off.
Poachers kill one of last two white rhinos in Zambia
Tue Jun 12, 9:56 AM ET
LUSAKA (AFP) - Poachers have shot the last two white rhinos in Zambia, killing one and wounding the other, in a night operation at the Mosi-Oa-Tunya national park in Livingstone, an official said Tuesday.
The shooting of the two endangered animals in a heavily-guarded zoological park near Victoria Falls in Zambia's tourist resort town of Livingstone took place last week.
"I can confirm that one of the white rhinos was shot dead by suspected poachers. The other one was wounded and is undergoing treatment," said Maureen Mwape, spokesperson of the Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA), which would be investigating the shooting.
The dead female rhino's horn was apparently removed.
Zambia's white rhinos were all killed by poachers but the government managed to acquire six from South Africa in 1993, of which the injured male is the last to survive.
Had a chat with my good pal, Dr Jon Geske tonight and we’ve come to the conclusion that the secrets to life are: Enjoy every sandwich and there are many ways to Chicago.
