Out For A Few Days

Hey guys, if you're wondering why there hasn't been any new posts in the past few days, I'm getting ready to head out. So unfortunately, there's not going to be any new posts for a week or so.

For the new people stumbling upon here, JUST BOOKMARK and check back in a week. We'll have some fun stuff up to read and oogle over.

-Thomas

Comical Crista Flanagan In Playboy

It's For Dad Female of the Day: Crista Flanagan

You probably recognize her from comical roles or various nurse roles. She's known mostly from the various character skits on MAD TV and is currently staring in Mad Men as Lois Sadler.

Crista isn't normally considered the super hot bombshell that you would go out of your way to check out, but she's got kind of a nice girl look about her. Someone you can just walk up to and have an unpretentious conversation. Someone like that is usually the type where you have the most fun with.

The cover is a remake tribute to an old April 1969 cover with Sharon Kristie on the cover. The new Playboy is out now on stands. Go take a peak.

Give Her Your Old Underwear Briefs For A Sports Bra

You know times are tough now with the economy and unemployment is around the 10% mark. Money is a little tight, so you got to get creative sometimes. Your wife/girlfriend/sister wants to keep working out and stay in shape. Recycled items for gifting are the green thing to do these days. So dig in your underwear drawer and give them the gift of your old underwear and show them this video.

iPhone DSLR Camera Lens Mount

I enjoy my Canon DSLR and it's a fun hobby of mine that I enjoy. Since DSLRs are big and bulky, I have my backup pocket camera to carry when I want to go light. I don't use my pocket camera as much anymore since my Android phone doubles as an excellent camera. Since I have my phone with me all the time, I have my camera too!

So why would someone need this? Doesn't it defeat the purpose of getting a DSLR to begin with? Yes and no. I can see the practical side of it, and the new iPhone has an excellent camera. Sometimes you just need that extra zoom telephoto reach. However because of the bulk of it, you're really not saving much space if you bring along the camera body as well. You just save the weight of carrying it and save yourself the fear of damaging the camera body.

If someone thought it would fill a purpose they needed, I'm sure there's others out there that can see the benefits of it also.

Check out his blog for more information on iPhoneDSLR

Different Meat Week - Frog Legs

image zorbs

Today we are going to eat Kermit's little legs...well, actually not his legs, but frog legs. Finding frog legs in the city isn't so hard, because I know they carry them in the Asian grocery stores, and most major cities have a "Chinatown" even if it's not necessarily only Chinese stores there.

I picked up a few packs of frozen frog legs the same time I grabbed the rabbit that I covered a few days ago. They came in a vacuumed sealed tray like the picture above. Again, given the choice, I wish I could get fresh frog legs, but I doubt they would have any around here. I'd probably have to go to the Southern states and I'm sure there would be fresh frog legs I could get. There's got to be frog farms around there.

I have had frog legs many times, and the last time I had it was at a Chinese buffet restaurant about 2 years ago where they had them battered and deep fried. I could've just eaten skinless battered chicken wing drumlettes and had a similar flavor.

Since deep frying will probably just hide the natural flavor, I threw a few in some boiling water and tried it that way. I have to say it's not very great, but not overly bad. Initially it's just bland light chicken with a soft texture, but then you can detect a wet grassland essence. Probably a better description would be steamed carp taste, and to repeat I said "carp" like the fish, not crap! :-)

I brought some frog legs to my friends BBQ earlier in the year just to try them out and see how they do on a grill. Some of the guys became squeamish little girls, and the other half were curious to see how they turn out. They don't BBQ well, because the meat is lean and delicate, and the heat dried out the meat and the legs shrank. Maybe that's why it's not offered grilled over an open fire!

image jauladeardilla

One of the tried and true ways is to put a light batter or flour coating and throw them in the oil. I've had it this way many times, so it's kind of a no-brainer to cook it this way. Added some zesty herbs and mild crushed red peppers, coated it with flour, and that was it. Fried them up in my Presto Cool Daddy electric fryer and had some awesome frog legs.

image Dionysius

I enjoy sauteed frog legs just as much as fried frog legs. Choosing one over the other is when I'm feeling a little more gourmet dinning is in order. Frog meat lends itself to sauteing very well, as it's a light meat that can pick up the flavors of whatever you cook it in. You can still detect the natural flavors of the frog meat, but unlike deep frying which changes the flavor, sauteing is more like adding or enhancing the flavor of the frog meat. A quick simple way to cook them this way is just to cook it in butter, add some cooking wine if you prefer, and basically sprinkle any herbs, spices, salt/pepper. It's the basics and then add whatever you feel like adding, like fruits or veggies. I even tried some with ground cinnamon and apricots.

You may hear it all the time that frog legs taste like chicken. It initially does, but you'll soon detect the delicate frog taste. Most of the packages I've seen state they are all farm raised, however if you get your hands on some wild frogs, it's going to taste pretty strong like whichever lake or swamps they came from. In short, it's swampy chicken!

Kermit says: Bon appetite!

image purpleslog

Pink P!nk - Saucey Singer

It's For Dad's Female of the Day: Alecia Beth Moore aka Pink (or P!nk)

I thought her first few songs were okay and she was pretty cool looking with her pink hair. I like spunky girls with a little attitude. Although the act got old and annoying quick.

She's not that sexy (anymore) and honestly, I think she's a little on the manlier facial features. Maybe it's the jawline or nose, or the combination of the two. I don't know.

So why am I picking her for my Female of the Day? Well, with the previous post of her getting flung into the metal railing during her concert in Germany, she deserves some praise and recognition for trying to continue for her fans. That's very admirable!

Now this picture makes her look like Avril Lavigne with those smokey racoon eyes. I don't really like see girls posing in an autoshop. Maybe it's just my association with grease and the stench of automotive fluids. I use to love working on cars, but I was always dirty and covered in oil. So to see girls there, the automotive grime isn't very appealing with trying to match it up with a hot picture of a female. However the picture above works for me!

You can check out Pink's official website at Pinkpage.com

Singer Pink Falling Off Stage

Pink or P!nk, or however it’s spelled, had an equipment failure and from what I can tell, her stupid stage dancers that was suppose to strap the harness on correctly simply didn’t do it right and launched her into the metal railings. LOL. Idiots!

Sorry if I’m offending anyone, as I’m not a fan of hers and couldn’t tell you what her latest songs are. I do however commend her for her brave fan service act that just didn’t go according to plan. I’m sure it would’ve been cool to see her sail above the fans. I also commend her for her for trying to continue the performance for her fans!

iPhone 4 Band-Aid Fix

So this is their solution to the iPhone 4 reception problem? Everyone gets free iPhone bumbers or cases? I was never a fan of cases and see my phone as a disposable item, albeit an expensive disposable phone device, so I really hated the cases they offered for all the phones I've had.

I'm naturally extremely careful with my phone and never had issues with ruining it, dropping it, or scratching it. It's a tech device afterall and it's basically junk in a few years. How much would someone pay to buy my old Motorola Startac? I might actually have to pay them to take it!

However if you are one of those people that protect their phones with bumpers or cases, then this is good win for you. I really think Apple and Steve Jobs knew about it and was hoping to make a few extra bucks off you and EXPECTED you to buy their bumpers or cases. Unfortunately the backlash was too much and it didn't go their way. Oh well.

Free cases for everyone, so go get it before the September 30th deadline!

Different Meat Week - Venison

image sifu renka

It sucks living in the city sometimes. The drawbacks if you are an adventurous meat eater is you won't usually find fresh wild meat. The last time I truly had fresh wild game meat was when I was in my early 20's. My Mom's friend went hunting and gave us a few cuts of the deer he shot. It was great while it lasted, as our fridge and freezer was filled with deer meat. That's what I'm going to cover today, deer meat, or more commonly called venison.

All I can find is frozen stuff that was most likely farm raised and lack any really natural and raw taste of wild meat. Got it at my local specialty store, and it was just frozen venison medallions tightly sealed. Yuck! But that's the trade offs when you live in the city. It's very pricey and comes out to around $15 a pound.

Thawed that piece of venison in the fridge two days before before I cut it open. Nothing really initially special about it other than the smell of thawed meat with a stronger smell of minerals. No noticeable marbling of the meat, but that is to be expected as venison is a lean meat. That's why you usually see bacon or some other dark sauce accompany it to give it some fatty taste.

I cook it in one of my favorite quick ways and it's to pan fry it in a cast iron skillet. Sear that baby up, hear the sizzle with some grapeseed oil and a little dash of salt and we're good to go. It gives a nice flavorful outside, while keeping the insides medium rare for the most natural flavors.

image mezzoblue

I ate one of the medallions without adding anything other than the salt and oil I sprinkled on it. It's actually very good and has a slight noticeable difference that you know it's not beef. It's got a more robust and stronger taste, so it's easy to eat this and pair it with a strong drink like red wines or dark ales. The taste isn't gamey or minerally like a wild deer that Uncle Rufus just shot, so it's not like you licked a penny, but maybe like the smell of a few pennies on the dinner table if that makes any sense.

The other medalions, I just sliced and poured some wine and fruit jam glaze over it. The rosemary added a nice sense to the dish and was a nice compliment. Amazing how much more effort I will put into the presentation when I spent a lot of money for an expensive piece of meat. I'm sure a dish like this at some upper mid-end restaurant would easily charge me $25.

I keep mentioning being a city person, because my friend Eric would tell me stories of how his dad use to shoot deer all the time when he was a kid. Notice I said shoot and not hunt. He lived in the backwoods area and they had deer just walking around the front of their house many times, and back then it, you could shoot them without much thought. They had venison all the time!

The question right now is, would I spend this much again to get the same quality I got? Most likely not, as I would just get a nice fresh beef cut and enjoy it more, and have a bigger serving. Like any novel dish for a city person, it's just one of those things you have to try occasionally.

Soooo....do you need a little venison snack? I'm kidding :)

Oksana Grigorieva - Mel Gibson Is Yelling At

It's for Dad Female of the Day: Oksana Grigorieva

She's the one you've been hearing in the news lately about Mel Gibson's yelling and scolding her, and unfortunately was beating her up (allegedly).

Oksana Grigorieva is a pianist, singer and songwriter. She was the one Mel Gibson was cheating with when he was married to his former wife. Mel Gibson and Oksana have a child together, which she had late last year. It's a daughter named Lucia.

I'm not sure what the hell is up with Mel Gibson, and supposedly he's always been some ranting angry guy yelling racial slurs to everyone around him. Who knows really. When shit happens, it happens and it all comes out. Puts new meaning to the his movie Mad Max.

Well enough of him! Oksana the sexy pianist is our Female of the Day!

Droid X Phone for $150

The new Verizon Droid X from Motorola phone came out yesterday at $199.99 with a new 2 year contract. LetsTalk.com has the phone slightly cheaper at $149.99. I'm not sure long the promotion will last, but if you are going to get the new Droid X, might as well save a few extra dollars. The deal also comes with free shipping!

LetsTalk.com Droid X

Different Meat Week - Rabbit Meat

image scaredy kat

"Wascally Wabbit!" The infamous words of Elmer Fudd who wanted to eat Bugs Bunny so badly, he did anything and everything he could possibly do. I still remember the one episode that Bugs Bunny felt so bad that he ended up dinning with Elmer Fudd. Ahhh...the childhood memories of Saturday morning cartoons.

Well, today, we are going to eat rabbit! The bad news is I have to eat frozen rabbit, as there is no way to get fresh rabbit in the city unless I go to the pet store and pay effectively $30 for a little bunny. The rabbit I was able to find was at a large Chinese grocery store. They had a few in the frozen section. It was just wrapped in cellophane and was about $5 a pound. Kind of expensive if you ask me, but it's such a novelty, as there isn't many places to find rabbit already butchered.

I let it thaw overnight and the meat stayed pretty much in the same shape as they wrapped it, which looks like the picture above. I split it down the middle, so I can have one side cooked one way and the other side cooked in a stew. Elmer Fudd really wanted some rabbit stew, so I'm going to do it the same way.

The meat looks like chicken, and is a white meat, but it's much leaner than chicken. There isn't a strong smell, but that's not a fair assessment as I didn't get it fresh. I was told the wild rabbits, have a much gamier smell and woodsy taste, just like any wild animal. I could eat chicken from the store, or eat wild pheasants and it's a very noticeable difference. *sigh* growing up and living in the city does have it's downsides.

The first half of the rabbit, I just cooked it on the BBQ grill on low heat. Put some oil on it, sprinkled some salt and pepper when it was cooking and that's it. I wanted to preserve the taste of rabbit in it's most natural form. The reason I cooked it on the grill is to kind of mimic all the movies where you see the guy catching a rabbit then cooking over his campfire. It's cooked at it's most basic form.

image jaywood

The rabbit I got must be farm raised rabbits. Not sure if they could sell wild rabbits in the stores. There isn't much of a wild gamey flavor. The texture is soft and also a little stringy. It's like chicken and turkey thighs. I'm trying to ignore the BBQ grill taste, and it's very much like chicken, but there is a sweetness to it.

The other half of the rabbit, I just made a stew, like how you would make chicken soup, but thicker. I tried not to overpower the flavors with too much herbs and spices. Maybe that's where I went wrong, and should've made it thinner like a chicken noodle soup. I honestly couldn't tell if I was eating just regular chicken at $0.99 cents a pound or rabbit at $5 a pound as far as taste is concerned. The only thing to give it away was the chopped pieces of rabbit, and how you had to work a little bit more to get it off the meat.

Next time, I'm just going to set up a campfire when I go camping, pull out my frozen rabbit, and try to get the full effect of cooking it over an open fire for the full city slicker in the woods effect. I'm sure it will be so good and flavorful!

image madeline

Different Meat Week - Goat Goodness

image David Blaine

Goat, chevon, mutton, billy, kids or whatever you call these animals, it's a very good meat to try when the cost of lamb might be out of your budget. Goats that a less than a year old, are known as "kids". So if you get a young goat to eat, you can tell your friends you eat kids!

I don't recall seeing these at the general supermarkets, but I know these can easily be found at most ethnic stores or commonly found in grocery stores that cater to the Spanish or Mexican buyers. Rather than waste time driving around looking for some goat meat, I just headed to my local Mexican carniceria meat market. Got some fresh goat! Woohoo!!! Although looking at goat steaks, it kind of reminds me of pork chops as you can see from the picture above.

The meat is a pretty lean meat and much leaner than chicken, and has a higher protein content than beef. I got mostly what I think was shoulder cuts. Not sure what I was really getting other than I asked the Mexican guy behind the counter, who didn't really speak English, if I can get some "chivo" which is Spanish for goat.

Goat can have a really gamey smell sometimes, and I'm not sure if that's because it's older meat, or the diet the goat has been eating, or if it's the section of the goat where the meat is cut from.

Gamey meat doesn't bother me, and I pan fried one of the pieces and just added a little salt and pepper. I wanted to get the flavor of the meat at it's most natural state and this was one of the quickest ways to do it. It was a little tough to chew, but not overly chewy. Sometimes, I thought I kind of look like the goats themselves as I was chewing the meat. The flavor is a strong flavor of gamey lamb and beef, and might be too strong for some people.

image alvxyz

The rest of the pieces of goat, I threw them into a stew. It was more like a tomato based stew. I'm sure there's a name for that type, but it escapes me at this time. I just know how to make it, and call it "stew". I decided to try it this way to see if I can get some of the strong flavors out and tenderize the meat. The meat was able to break apart with just a spoon, but the meat by this time wasn't anything that really stood out. I think the tomato acids and the herbs canceled most of the distinct flavors out, although slightly still detectable to tell you that you aren't eating beef.

I think goat is an excellent meat to try. I do recall now seeing this labeled as mutton in the major grocers, but they weren't very appealing looking and seemed dried out. Definitely a pass. If you have an ethnic store or Mexican grocer, I would try them first. You're most likely going to get fresher goat meat.

New Droid X Commercial Teaser

Yeah, I know it’s a day late, but it’s still a cool commercial. Whoever Verizon hired to do the marketing and advertising for the Droid phones deserves awards left and right. It’s a little abstract and obscure, but it’s just coolness that appeals to the target male market.

Verizon Droid X Available Today!

Finally this bad boy Android Phone is being released today. With all the problems the iPhone 4 is getting, I'm sure people will want to jump all over this. My friend Juwan is going to be there at the stores tomorrow when they open, and happily ditching his Blackberry. Who can blame the guy?

I would get one too, but unfortunately, I still have another year to go on my phone before my contract is finished. So in the mean time, I'm going to live vicariously through him as he gleefully will unbox it in front of me to make me envious. Bastard!

Here's some specs:

- Carrier: Verizon
- Available: July 15, 2010
- Networks: CDMA 800/1900, EV-DO Rev. A
- Display: 4.3 inch WVGA (854 x 480) touchscreen display
- Camera: 8.0MP autofocus camera with Dual LED Flash; 720p HD video capture, HD Playback via HDMI or DLNA
- Operating system: Android 2.1; updated to Android 2.2
- Input: Virtual keyboard with Swype technology
- CPU: 1GHz processor
- Memory: 8GB onboard memory
- Memory card: microSD/microSDHC
- Storage: 16GB microSD pre-installed
- Connectivity:Wi-Fi, DLNA, A-GPS, HDMI port, 3.5mm headset jack, Bluetooth 2.1with EDR
- Battery: 1540 mAh battery
- Talk Time: up to 480 minutes
- Standby Time: up to 220 hours
- Dimensions: 127.5 x 65.5 x 9.9 mm
- Weight: 155 grams
- Other: WebKit based browser (HTML5); Google Maps with free navigation; 3G Mobile hotspot functionality with support for up to 5 devices, 2GB cap, $20 monthly fee; Adobe Flash Player 10.1

Verizon Wireless Droid X

Twiggy The Thin Supermodel

It's For Dad Female of the Day: Twiggy

After looking into who that model on the Schlitz beer ads, and finding out it's Cynthia Myers, I think I'm developing an appreciation of long forgotten models.

Models that are so thin today can probably trace it back to the look of Twiggy. The 1960's supermodel, even though the term wasn't used back then, she was a very prominent model even though she was just a teenager. She was known for your thin build, big eyes, and sometimes androgynous looks.

She was born as Lesley Hornby on September 19, 1949. When her modeling career started, she changed her name to Twiggy, which is from her childhood nickname Twigs.

This is a relatively newer picture of her today. Taken sometime in the mid-2000's. She's still very attractive for an older lady and I'm guessing from this, she was probably around 55 years old.

For more current information and pictures of her, go to her official site.

Twiggy Lawson

Free Ice Cream At Cold Stone Creamery On Your Birthday

Free ice cream for your birthday. With summer here, what could be better than ice cream! Just sign up at for their birthday club.

Welcome to Cold Stone Creamery's famous Birthday Club.

Your birthday is your special day. We want to help you celebrate your birthday by giving you one FREE Creation! That's right, free ice cream, on us, just because you had a birthday.

To join our birthday club, simply click on this link and create a My Cold Stone account, which allows you to tell us when and how you'd like to hear from us. In addition to receiving a coupon for free ice cream on your birthday, you'll also be able to receive other great promotions, special offers, and coupons.

Cold Stone Creamery Birthday Club

Bina48 The Blond Bimbo Bot

Ever have a conversation with a bubbly girl and everything you say just seems to fly over her head? You can say something along the generic weather we are having today, and she’ ll reply with a blank look then say something about the breakfast she had this morning.

Bina48 is kind of like that. She’s speaking with an interviewer and she’s not exactly replying directly to what is being asked or spoken about. Bina48 is a little creepy, but I’m sure with time and a little more programming, she’ll be some socially withdrawn person’s love interest.

Different Meat Week - Ostrich Meat

image footosvanrobin

I thought the title states "ostrich meat", why is there a picture of a beef steak?

Ah-hah! So you think it's beef steak, but that is actually ostrich meat!

But isn't ostrich a bird, just a really big bird, so wouldn't the meat be white like chicken?

No, the meat is actually red meat just like beef. It's a very lean meat, so if you thought you had to be careful with bison meat to not overcook it and dry it out, you have to be a little more careful than bison when it comes to ostrich. It will get dry and tough if you don't pay attention to what you are doing.

Not only does it look like beef, it has a similar taste to beef. No special handling, worry of e. coli, or salmonella contamination like you would normally have with chicken. Just handle it like you would with any other beef cuts.

Unfortunately, as much as I would like to have had a fresh cut of ostrich steak to try out, the local stores only had frozen ostrich ground hamburger shaped patties. What a disappointment! Well, what can you do, except just buy it and see how it comes out.

Many years ago, I was passing through the Santa Maria, CA, area and they had a few ostrich farms along the way. Like any tourist, I stopped by the side of the road and tried to take a few pictures of them. I even tried to come up to one that was hanging along the fenced area near the road. Stupidly I tried to feed it one Cheetos, and held the bag in the other hand. I'm sure if the farmer saw me, he would've scolded me for trying to feed healthy birds junk food! I turn around and asked if my travel companions had their cameras out, and as soon as I turned around, the smart (smarter than me) ostrich just snatched the bag of Cheetos. It scared the shit out of me. Oh the laughter from my friends as I got outsmarted by the bird. In retrospect, we should've stopped by one of the farms and see if we could've dine on fresh ostrich, but unfortunately we had to jump back in the car and make it to Monterey before sundown.

So here we are with these ostrich patties. Disappointingly I just stare at them and think what I can do to bring out the natural flavors, and if I'm going to add anything, I'm going to enhance the flavor and not try to change or mask the flavor. It's kind of like when people drown their salads with salad dressing. They taste the dressing, but not the wonderfully delicious salad.

The only thing I can think of is to cook it in a little bit of olive oil in a pan and just add a little salt and pepper. I was thinking of maybe throwing them like they are on top of my BBQ grill and see if I can get that nice flame broiled taste. But because it's low in fat, I'm probably going to get a dry smokey taste. In the end, I just ended up cooking one as a patty and the other like ground beef balls.

I can't say I'm very impressed at this point, other than it's like any lean ground beef. It's not a bad thing if I'm eating for health reasons, but since I'm eating it for flavor, it's not much of anything different. It's just a lean meat. It's healthy. In fact, it's only second to bison meat in terms of calories, fat and protein content.

For a little more than 1 1/2 to 2 times the price of beef, it's not a bad deal if you are health conscious. It's readily available in most stores, including the major grocery chains, in frozen form.

I just wish I was able to get fresh ostrich steaks, if not for the taste, then at least for the novelty of trying it.

Victoria's Secret Model Karolina Kurkova Belly Button

It's For Dad Female of the Day: Karolina Kurkova

Being a Victoria's Secret model almost carries the same fame as being a Playboy Playmate.  It's always something to brag about and put on your modeling resume.  One of the models that stand out is Karolina Kurkova.  It's not because of her stunning curvy body or attractive looks, but because of something she doesn't have; a belly button!  Take a look at the picture above if you don't believe.  You can spot her easily.

In the Victoria's Secret lingerie catalog, they Photoshop a belly button on her for almost all the pictures.  They simply do it, according to them, so the model doesn't distract from the lingerie they are offering.  A few pictures of her got by without the belly button touch up, and few began to look harder, that's when news of her missing belling button came to light.

It's no big deal really, it's just a partially "outtie" belly button that makes her appear like she doesn't have a belly button, but a flat indentation.  

Here, get your belly button fetish by getting a closer look:

And if that freaks you out, that's why in the Victoria's Secret lingerie catalog, they add a Photoshopped belly button like the picture below.

 

 

 

Different Meat Week - Bison Buffalo Steaks

image from sifu renka

Last week's Inexpensive Beer Week was successful in attracting people on finding out a good inexpensive beer to drink.  It was fun to do and quite informative.  I only wish I could try more and have a more extensive review with more samples!  Perhaps round 2 is in the works?

This week we are going to cover the different types of meat you can find in some stores.  The meats are not necessarily super exotic that only Andrew Zimmern from Bizarre Foods will find and eat.  Although he does seem to have an affinity for testicles and penises he enjoys eating from the various animals he comes across.  Anyone can walk into any grocery store and easily find beef, chicken, fish and pork.  I want to cover the next step up in meats that you can find in specialty grocery stores like Whole Foods and Trader Joe's.

Today, we have buffalo steaks.  Hold on, but isn't that bison steaks?  If you didn't know, buffalo and bison is the same animal.  It's like calling a bull and a cow two different animals, when in fact they are the same, although reserved for their different sex.  Bison tends to have a more sexy marketing name to it, instead of buffalo.  When people hear buffalo, they think of a stinky hairy animal that use to roam wildly in the early days.  Or the hairy beast on the buffalo nickel.   Not very appealing.

Is it okay to eat bison?  I thought they were going extinct?

Nope!  The bison meat you can find in stores isn't endangered and have been taken off the endangered list some time ago.  The bison we are talking about is the American bison.  Thanks to domesticated raised bison, bison meat is growing in popularity and farms increasing to provide this meat to consumers.  So eat up and enjoy it without guilt.

Why would I want to eat bison over regular beef?  The meat costs more.

The bison is generally free roaming and isn't herded in pens like regular beef cows are.  When you see labels with grass fed bison, it's almost always grass fed, as they aren't subject to the same conditions as cows.  The bison farms on average is still a novelty, so they haven't pumped the poor animals with antibiotics or growth hormones like they do with the regular cows.  They are already hardy animals that can survive fine without the need for that.

One of the main points of bison meat is how healthy of a red meat it is.  The meat is leaner, denser, lower in calories, lower in fat and naturally flavorful so you'll put less sauce to make it taste good.  Rather than explain, take a look below at the nutrition comparison chart from bisoncentral.com.  That's some pretty impressive stats!

 

I grabbed some bison steaks at Whole Foods market.  I guess not all locations have them, as I've seen ground bison meat readily available, but not the steaks themselves.  These steaks were pricey, at least much more than I would normally pay for top cut beef steaks.  The price is about 2-3 times more, but you'll feel good knowing that your arteries and cholesterol levels aren't going to take a big hit.   

There isn't any special handling you would take with these steaks or special prepping needed.  Just cook them like any beef steak.  However, due to the how lean the meat is, you'll want to pay attention to the bison being cooked as you don't want to overcook them.  Nothing is worse than eating a very well done steak when you like medium rare!

I didn't do anything special when I cooked the bison steaks.  I just heated up my outside grill till it was flaming hot, threw the steaks on there and seared the meat.  Took it off the grill and pinched some salt on it, and that was it.  Nothing else.  Since I like my meat at medium rare to just about medium when eating good steaks, the steak I had, looked almost like the picture at the very top.

It was so good.  Perhaps it was better than it really was as I was trying to taste the flavors as oppose to just getting carnivorous and wolfing down the steaks.  

I'm beginning to see lots of flash frozen bison meat at upper end grocery stores, and if you are simply buying it for health reasons, then it's not so bad.  If you are buying the frozen bison meat for taste, then I highly suggest you skip it, and the money you would spend on that frozen bison meat, you might as well get a top cut beef steak to enjoy.

Bison is a good way to try different meats without stepping off the normal beaten path if you are not the adventurous type.  Give it a try. 

Cynthia Myers Playboy Playmate

It's For Dad Female of the Day: Cynthia Myers

When I did last week's Inexpensive Beer Review, one of the beers I covered was the Schlitz classic formula beer. When I was looking for a picture of the bottle, I saw this cover ad which looks like it was from back in the 1960's.

Cynthia Myers? Who are you? You have those classic looks from the past and being topless, I wondered who you were. She was a Playboy Playmate that was featured on the cover of the December issue back in 1968. Although the pictures were taken when she was only 17 (I guess they didn't have age laws back then like they do now), Playboy had a policy to wait until the models are 18 before they published them. The pictures above is probably when she was 17 and from her December issue.

According to Playboy's Playmate directory:

Cynthia Myers
Miss December 1968
Playboy Playmate Pic and Data Sheet

BIRTHPLACE: Toledo, Ohio USA
BUST: 39"
WAIST: 24"
HIPS: 36"
HEIGHT: 5' 3"
WEIGHT: 119 lbs

AMBITIONS:
I'd like a career with Playboy.

TURN-ONS:
Parties.

TURNOFFS:
Obnoxious people.

IN MY SPARE TIME:
I train horses and tell fortunes.

FAVORITE AUTHORS:
Edgar Allan Poe, Alfred Hitchcock.

GREAT FLICKS:
Anything with James Bond in it.

I'LL SIT STILL FOR:
Lobster and wine.

MY FRIENDS KNOW:
I'm a volumptuous exhibitionist.

MY WEAK SPOT:
Sometimes I'm too kind to people.

Playboy Playmate directory Cynthia Myers

image from CynthiaMyers.com

Inexpensive Beer Week In Review

What a week in drinking beers that were all under $4 for a six pack. Most beers now are effectively $1.25-$1.50 each, as the average price for a sixer is about $7-$9 at your average grocery store. Factor in the recycling fees and the tax, you can add another $1 to that. If you're a heavy drinker, it could get expensive really quick.

If you're on a budget, you don't always have to sacrifice quantity for quality. Most of these beers are easily drinkable and likable, especially drinking these in the summer where you don't really need a full bodied and full flavored beer. Although I don't recommend drinking too much beer on a hot day, as all you'll do is dehydrate yourself even faster and get a headache, but when it's hot outside, nothing feels better than to sit there and grab a few to pound away.

Some of these really surprised me, while others I knew all along is something I should've just passed on. The one beer I really enjoyed and was a big surprise was the Trader Joe's Trader Jose Dark Lager. I don't think that would be more than $5 on average, however it sucks for people who don't live near a Trader Joe's market.

If given the choice to pick my best beer out of the ones I went over that could be found everywhere, it would have to be the Pabst Blue Ribbon in a bottle. It's inexpensive and easily drinkable. It goes well with BBQ foods and cleanses the palate after biting into that greasy rib. The Schlitz classic beer is a very close runner up, but my understanding is the Schlitz that is available at most stores is currently the Schlitz malt liquors, and not the classic lagers. They are still rolling them out to different markets. So until that is widely available, it's going to have to sit second to PBR bottles.

For $0.50 a can, two quarter coins here, you really can't beat Simpler Times for both taste and affordability. I can enjoy those whenever I want as I have a few Trader Joe's around me. That my inexpensive beer for summer drinking!

Next week, I'm going to cover the various types of uncommon meat you can buy like wild game and farm raised exotics. No chicken, beef or pork!

If you need a recap:

Red Oval Classic

Simpler Times Pilsner

Pabst Blue Ribbon bottles

Schlitz Classic Beer

Keystone Light

Trader Jose Dark Lager

LeBron James Did The Right Thing For Himself

image from espn.com

I didn't get home to watch the hour long LeBron James announcement on ESPN the other day, not that I would sit there intently to watch it either, because honestly, I'm not a big fan of his. Whether he stayed in Cleveland or even came to LA to play for the Lakers, I wouldn't care. LeBron did what he had to do and as a person, I would've done the same.

It's a joke to me, to read some sports writers jumping on the bandwagon and bashing him for ruining the game of basketball and betraying everyone that supported him. Thanks to the Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert for openly trashing him and getting the anti-LeBron snowball rolling. Look Gilbert, if it wasn't for him, your team would still be running as a second rate team. LeBron has made millions for the franchise and raised the team's profile. He got people to fill your stadium, fan merchandise bought and free marketing as people spoke about your Cavs.

I don't think that Dream Team in Miami is going to do much, they'll get far, but not far enough. A dream team of just 2 1/2 exceptional players surrounded by bench warmers can only take you so far. That 1/2 player I'm referring to is Chris Bosh. He's a very good player, but I don't think he's great, please prove me wrong as I'd like to see it. Remember many years back when the Lakers had the 2004 Dream Team with Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant, Derek Fisher, Gary Payton and of course Shaquille O'Neal? THAT was a dream team and they still fell short. Unlike the Miami dream team now, the Lakers had a decent bench.

LeBron was a one man wrecking crew in Cleveland and basically carried the team. He needs a few others to step up and be of the superstar caliber to take it just a little step further. The Cavs ownership should've stepped up also and give him the support he needs. Pay a little more now and reap the rewards with a championship for many years after. LeBron has all the money he needs right now, he wants a ring. That's what probably haunts him day and night. That's what is driving him and how can you blame the guy? If he stays with the Cavs, he'll probably be like Karl Malone. An excellent player in his prime, but took too long to finally put his ego to the side and make that very last push to get the championship ring. He did the right thing now while he's still in his youthful prime.

How about all the people and fans that supported him all these years? What about them? As a fan, unless you're a Cleveland native, it's just another jersey in another town. For the Cleveland fans, I can get an idea of their feelings of betrayal, but if you truly wanted to see him succeed, you would be happy that he pursued his dreams and wish him luck. Keep the doors unlocked and if he decides to come back, just welcome him back. The people they should be angry at is ownership and management for not doing more. If they built the team right, all this would be moot, and LeBron and team would be flashing their rings.

Karl Malone is funny and he says lots of things that makes you wonder just how drunk or bent on drugs he is when he is talking. It's probably him beating himself up for never getting that elusive ring. LeBron could've followed in his steps at the end of his career and when he retired. A sad and pathetic sight, or do what he did and jump ship now.

On a personal level he did the right thing. No regrets. You should live your life with no regrets. Otherwise LeBron would be regretting it for the rest of his life and never have the chance to get what he really wanted and just be another Karl Malone.

Good luck LeBron. Do what you need to do, but don't forget the people that helped you!

Inexpensive Beer Week - Trader Joe's Trader Jose Dark Lager

image from joefoodie

I'm not a fan of corn beers like Corona and there's probably a reason why you drink it with a lime wedge shoved on top. For the casual beer drinker, they probably don't drink enough to know the difference of regular beer and great beer. They just drink whatever they saw the most marketing for. Kind of like how I can call out the douche bag preppy boy with the popped collar that walks in and sure enough, he orders the Heineken bottle! I enjoy Heineken, but when there's a wall of taps available to choose from, why? Or if we're at a Mexican cantina geared for all the gringos, this same guy will order a Corona when there's a shelf full of excellent Mexican beers there!

I got a little of subject there, but my point is, I'm just not a fan of flat corn yellow beers like Corona or Sol. If I had to drink beers of that type, I would choose Caguama, or more commonly called Turtle beer since most people can't pronounce or remember the name, but can remember the turtle logo.

I was hesitant to pick up this beer, but when the price is $3.99 (or was it $4.49?) I was willing to give it a shot. Unfortunately for some people, if there isn't a Trader Joe's near you, you're not going to be able to try this out. However, keep reading and you might get some ideas to mix a few beers together.

Reading the label, I'm not quite sure if I'm reading this right, but it would seem like it's brewed by the same people that brew Tecate and Carta Blanca, which can explain why the beer isn't so crappy.

The beer was a surprise to drink. It's easily likable, even though I was expecting a corn beer taste with some notes of a dark ale or porter. It goes over the tongue fairly well, with no bitterness, but a smooth wash. You can definitely taste the sweet malt, not a sugary taste, just beer sweet. It foams up slightly in your mouth to give you a good taste that's a light bodied dark beer. It leaves a note of toasted bread? That's the best way I can describe it. The taste stays on your tongue, but it's not the taste that gives you that cheap beer breath. In fact, I can still taste it 2 minutes later and it's not unpleasant.

I think if you want to get a similar effect and unfortunately you don't live near a Trader Joe's to try this out, you can experiment at home with a dark ale or oatmeal porter and mix it with your Corona. Better yet, use the Caguama beer as it's generally cheaper than Coronas and Sol and is available at most of the major grocery stores. Just experiment to find the right balance, hopefully you don't get too drunk along the process, but hey, that's part of the fun!

I really enjoyed this surprise, and at less than a $1 a bottle, I'm going back to grab a few more. Hopefully they still have it on sale at $3.99.

Jessica Simpson Is Simply Cute And Ditsy

click for larger picture at celebrity-pictures.ca

It's For Dad's Female of the Day: Jessica Simpson

Jessica Simpson kind of reminds me of my ex-girlfriend from school as far as looks is concerned. Not sure what it was, as we're talking about middle school looks versus a grown Jessica Simpson. Maybe it was their smile and laugh, but it definitely wasn't Jessica's ditsy "blond moments".

That's definitely one of Jessica Simpson better photoshoots above. Wow! I tend to always see her look like the picture below where she's got the ditsy blonde look.

She's got a new TV show coming I think, unless I misread it, but it's about her traveling to areas and seeing what people's definition of beauty is. Her hair is darker, like a hazel color, probably did that to get rid of her "dumb blond" image.

Here's an excerpt from her bio page:

Jessica Simpson has taken the music, fashion and entertainment industries by storm. A talented artist with universal appeal, she has become an international star and media darling.

Born and raised outside of Dallas, Texas, Jessica began her performing career by sharing the stage with famous gospel acts such as Kirk Franklin, God's Property and Ce Ce Winans. With her unmistakable voice and unique pop sound, Jessica caught the eye of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola. After joining a tour in support of the boy-band 98 Degrees, she quickly burst onto the music scene in 1999 with her debut release Sweet Kisses. Her RIAA-certified double platinum debut featured Jessica's massive breakthrough hit, "I Wanna Love You Forever," which hit #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

The title track to Irresistible, her 2001 follow-up, was a crossover smash, charting on the Hot 100 (#15), the Rhythmic Top 40 (#12), Top 40 Mainstream (#3) and Top 40 Tracks (#5).

But it was the success of her quadruple-platinum album, In This Skin, which marked Jessica's debut as a songwriter and further refined her ever-evolving voice as an artist. "Sweetest Sin," the album's first single to hit the Top 40, is a marked change from the teen pop style that launched her career.

continue to JessicaSimpson.com for the rest of the bio

UFO Checking Out The Chinese

I heard about this on the radio while driving home today. I thought "Ho-hum, another light object darting around, whatever *yawn*"

Wow! Was I wrong! Those are amazing pictures, especially the first picture. I think it might be different pictures of two separate instances. The first one, can't really explain it, but the second one looks like a regular plane with it's lights simply lighting up a foggy sky.

I'm sure with China's large population, more pictures will eventually show up. Hopefully the Chinese government doesn't confiscate or block the new pictures.

Here's the original article from dailymail.co.uk:

Chinese airport closed after fiery UFO is spotted flying over city

By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 2:58 AM on 10th July 2010


A Chinese airport was closed after this mysterious object was spotted in the sky.

Arcing over Zhejiang's provincial capital Hangzhou, the UFO appeared to glow with an eerie white light and left a bright trail in its wake.

Xiaoshan Airport was closed after the UFO was detected at around 9 pm and dozens of flights had to be diverted.


The strange light appeared to glow as it swept through the night sky, to the alarm of local residents


Another photo from a different angle which shows a wide trail behind the object as it zips through the sky

Stunned witnesses reported seeing a comet-like fireball in the sky and a number of local residents took photos of the strange ball of light.

A local bus driver, giving his name only as Yu, said he had seen a strange glowing object in the sky late on Wednesday afternoon.

'The thing suddenly ran westwards fast, like it was escaping from something,' he said.

Inbound flights were diverted to nearby airports while outbound flights were delayed for three to four hours.

Some Chinese experts claimed that the strange sight was actually debris from a US intercontinental ballistic missile.

Chinese officials later said that they knew what the object had been but were unable to make it public because there was a 'military connection.'

An official statement is expected later today.

Original story from dailymail.co.uk

Free 7-Eleven Slurpee Tomorrow on 7/11

Tomorrow is free Slurpee day at participating 7-Eleven stores. You get a free 7.11 oz Slurpee. No purchase necessary. Just walk in, grab your drink and freeload on out of there.

Tour de France 2010 Fight! Barredo vs. Costa

I no longer follow the Tour de France as much as I use to. It’s due to me not riding my road bike as often as I would like to. I remember when I would leave at the crack of dawn to go riding by myself. Strap on my Camelback hydration pack with all my tools and energy bars and just ride until mid-afternoon. 6-8 hours of pure bliss.

The ride back wasn’t always the most fun if I left straight from my house. Everyone is awake and driving around, and the roads are full of cars with some people not paying attention because little Johnny boy is crying in the back seat. Or getting honked at because I was in “their” lane even though it clearly states bike path, simply because the douche bag in his Mercedes wants to make a right turn, and we’re not talking about a courtesy quick honk to let me know he’s there.

At the end of the ride though, nothing was more satisfying and fulfilling than getting on my bike, clearing my thoughts and enjoying the ride. Sure at times, I feel like quick releasing my wheel and throwing it at those douche bag drivers and giving a few right cross punches here and there, just like the guy in the Youtube video with Carlos Barredo and Rui Costa in this year’s 2010 Tour de France. Check out the video above.

Julia Perez Better Known As Jupe

I don't know much about Julia Perez other than my friend Sina mentioned her as a recommendation for my Female of the Day post. Hi Sina! Sina is from Indonesia and guess where Julia Perez is from? Indonesia of course!

Julia Perez is also known as Jupe, a shortened version of the first two letters of her name. She's known for her usual sexy performance and became known for that as an actress and dancer. She modeled for FHM and Maxim magazine and was voted as the world's 100 sexiest girls.

She's pretty sexy and attractive in some pictures, and I say some pictures, because some of the other pictures she's got an ugly angle. Kind of reminds me of a Jerry Seinfield episode where he's dating this girl, and she's got this attractive and ugly side of her depending on which angle and lighting she's in. That was such a funny episode, as I could totally relate to that with a girl I knew at the time. See the pics below? The first one, I don't think she's very good looking, and then the next two, she's so cute and sultry. Hottie!

Here's a few more thumbnails you can click for a bigger picture:

The rest of the pictures from the blog can be found at

beautyactressindonesia.blogspot.com

Inexpensive Beer Week - Keystone Light

image by tuaussi

Keystone Light. I dreaded picking this up from the corner store the other night. I still remember a few of us buying a few big cases when I was younger, had a BBQ, and we all drank up till we were stupid. I remember the nasty hangover I had the next day. Horrible memories!

Now that I'm much, much older, and my taste for beer has greatly changed and matured, I'm willing to give this another shot and hopefully be pleasantly surprised like I was with the PBR bottles.

I'm trying to be as non-biased as I can, but it's really hard to not be. I chilled this beer as cold as I can get it without freezing, as I'm hoping the extra cold will help mask anything unpleasant. I know better than to pour it in a glass and so I drank it straight out of the can.

There's lots of initial carbonation, and I'm burping with the sensation going up my nose, so I'm going to let it sit for a little bit to settle down. It's almost like I can taste the separation of beer and water. It's probably from the very chilled can giving that taste effect. There isn't much hops that's detectable, but the grain is there with this noticeable tin taste. It's like I'm at a car repair shop drinking the beer. Not sure if it's my nose picking up the smell of the beer and accentuating the tin taste, but it's very noticeable.

This is almost like a watered down light beer if that makes sense. I let the beer sit a little longer for about 15 minutes. It's getting very unpleasant now. No wonder why people just chug this down! It goes down very easy and it's probably due to the flatness and watered down sensation that allows people to chug this one right after another. I'm no longer a college party animal and those days are long gone, so I don't enjoy this aspect of beer drinking anymore.

So would I go and buy this given the choice if I'm at the cheap end of the beer aisle? Really quick and simple: Nope! See that picture above? It's piss in a can poured into a glass.

Keystone Light Beer

If The Playstation 3 Had a Kid With The Xbox 360

If the PS3 had a kid with the Xbox 360, their child would be a controller. The controller will have the 360's pad layout with the functionality of the Playstation 3.

Many people that use either controllers tend to like the 360's controller better. I've even heard people saying they refuse to get the PS3 simply because they can't stand the controller. It's hard for them to hold, or it's too small...etc. I personally don't have any problems using either controllers for the PS3 or 360. My hands are on the large side, yet, the PS3 controllers are more comfortable.

Finally the good folks over at Power A decided to do something about it and make a PS3 controller with the Xbox 360 stick layout. It's not yet available, but it's coming this Fall.

Check out PowerA.com - New Playstation 3 controller

image pcworld.com

I love my Playstation 3. It's a great home entertainment system where I watch my Blu-Ray movies and play my video games. I have the original launch PS3 that plays PS2 games, and then I got another PS3 when they introduced the slim models. The PS3 slim is mostly used for entertainment though, with playing movies the most common function, then streaming, then picture slideshows, and then with the occasional check the internet really quick use. I have the Xbox 360 also, but it's a noisy thing, and wouldn't use it other than a gaming system.

We've been able to get the white PS3 controller here in America, but for some stupid reason, Sony in their infinite illogical thought process never released a white PS3 slim. Until now. Well, at least on their home country Japan. I'm sure it's just a matter of time before we get it here in the US. If they don't release it here in the US, then there goes another chance to sell something we want in the US. Seriously, who the hell is in charge for the Playstation marketing? Idiots!

Original story from pcworld.com:

White is the New Black for Sony's Updated PS3

Matt Peckham, PC World

Jul 6, 2010 9:50 am

Microsoft just flipped its bevel-edged, cream-colored Xbox 360 to piano black, and now Sony's shifting its matte-sable slimline PS3 into the ivory zone.

Sony says it'll launch a 160GB as well as a 320GB PS3, but the company's only offering the new white finish if you buy the 160GB model for 29,980 yen ($342). An alternative 320GB model will be available for 34,980 yen ($399) in the traditional matte black only. The new models will replace the current 120GB and 250GB versions.

You'll have to wait if you're in the US, but if you're lucky enough to reside in the Land of the Rising Sun, you can get your hands on Sony's new snow-white PS3 later this month (July 29). Sony won't say when--or if--the new model would show up internationally, vaguely referencing "market demand" as the determining factor.

The new white version will ship with a color-matched DualShock 3 controller and console stand. It still won't include an HDMI cable, though you can pick up a six-footer for between $5 and $10 online. It isn't clear (yet) if anything's new under the hood, in terms of chipset revisions, power consumption, or thermal management.

How do both systems stack up to Microsoft's Xbox 360? Pricing's a guess, since converting yen to dollars can be misleading. If Sony brought the 160GB out here for $342, they'd be selling at near the current $350 250GB model's price point. Chances are they'd either sell it for $300, replacing the 120GB model, or slap a "color tax" price tag on the white version.

If they offered a 320GB version for the current 250GB model's $350 price tag, they'd be about the same price as Microsoft's new Xbox 360 ($383 in my rough gaming-only comparison) with a 70GB edge.

pcworld.com - white PS3

Red Dead Redemption $25 Video Game Deal Alert

You have just 1 hour to get this game from Gamestop.com starting 9 AM PST/12 PM EST for $25. That's right just 1 hour! It's most likely going to go much faster than that and sell out quickly. So if it was me and I wanted the game, I would be sitting there at my computer ready to order at the time mentioned.

You can use the free shipping coupon "SAVER" for orders over $25.00. Most likely the game is going to be $24.95, so you'll need to get something small to make up the price difference to get the free shipping. The technique I would use is to get that smaller item before 9 PST/12 EST, leave it in your shopping cart, then when the time comes, click the game to add to your cart and check out. Done!

The game is brand new, and is valid in both the PS3 and on Xbox 360 systems.

I personally have this game, and really enjoy the open world game play. It's made by the same people at Rockstar Games (Rockstar San Diego studio to be exact) that made the better known Grand Theft Auto series. I'm about 40% complete in the singleplayer mode. It's totally hilarious when I lasso someone, hog tie them, put them on my horse and ride to the top of the hill, only to throw them down at the coyotes below. Cheap sadistic humor. That's what an open world game allows.

If you are lucky enough to read this in the morning, better get ready to order.

The deal is from GameStop's Facebook Power Hour where people get to vote on which game deal is offered. As of now, I'm pretty sure it's going to be Red Dead Redemption, unless there's a huge last minute surge for UFC 2010.

GameStop Facebook Power Hour

Lindsay Lohan Middle Finger Message

GettyImages

That's right Lindsay Lohan, tell everyone to f**k off. Actually in the case of this picture, she's telling the judge during yesterday's court hearing for violating her probation a very nice message. She's so sly in her warped little mind, so subtle, yet easily deniable. As if she's telling with her mouth as her fingers slides up to her lips to silently say "F**k U!"

Look, I hate drunk drivers and other drivers that are whacked on drugs, and I get angry reading what she's been doing before the judge put her on probation. The ones that seem to always get hurt and killed are the ones that are the victims of the people that drive under the influence. So I have no pity for her right now.

What's happened to this girl? Childhood actor is what! Most of those child actors just grow up warped, and Lindsay is no exception. The only one that comes to mind that grew up okay was the girl that played Winnie Cooper on Wonder Years, Danica McKeller. I'm sure there's many examples, but she's the one that I recall easily.

I remember Lindsay from her weird hairline. One side is really high, and I'm not sure if it's from her pushing her hair to one side constantly and making her slightly bald there. She was so cute when she was younger and thought she was going to be gorgeous when she grows up. So, I'm going to help people remember how hot she was before this mess.