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Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Awesome rap videos

Recently I was made aware of this video by one of my brothers.  Apparently, David Holmes from Southwest Airlines now raps the informative info part at the beginning of flights... or at least the beginning of this one.  Kudos to you David... nobody pays attention during those things... I'm usually asleep already and rap music these days is usually about bling and women. 

He not only got people to pay attention, he was able to make white people keep a beat... amazing!



Thanks Ted!

This video I found this morning on mygoogle.  I love Christopher Walken and this guy does a pretty decent impression.  I thought the rap could have been more humorous but hey, rapping is tough.  So without further delay, here is McGoiter from YouTube doing the rappin' Christopher Walken...


Monday, March 30, 2009

A night out at the Royal Oak Brewery




This Sunday night we treated ourselves to a night out at the Royal Oak Brewery in downtown Royal Oak.  Participants included myself, my fiance and my youngest brother who attends Kettering University in Flint, MI. but spends his work term in Novi, MI.

Being a Sunday I knew we were not going to get crazy but I also knew that I had a hankerin' for some of their tasty craft brews.  Apart from the beer we also went for some food, which again I was pleasantly surprised with.  The night went down as follows...

My brother arrives at my apartment around 8pm and we head out to the brewery located at 215 E. Fourth St.  We brave a late winter blizzard to get there and shuffle in to the place.

We are immediately seated, it's not very busy but there are a few brave souls.  I went with the Northern Light as my first beer.  A light and crisp taste temptation.  This is the rich man's light beer and I am loving in, very refreshing.  My brother, now of legal age, went with the same.  My fiance went with the root beer.

Now on to the food.  My fiance loves the personal pizzas there and I will say I am a huge fan as well.  But on this night I was feeling burger.  The brewery attacks burger lovers from a few angles.  You can go with the old stand-by Royal Oak Burger, no thrills, just a great burger with all the trimmings.  Then they have the Dagwood.  I half pound burger smothered in BBQ sauce and topped with an onion ring (my brother's burger of choice).  I had a very tough decision before me.  I had to choose between two burgers tied to a night out.  The first, Hair of the Dog, throws the kitchen sink at you with bacon and a perfectly fried egg.  Tempting, but a little too much for me that day. I went with the Hangover.  Even though I was not currently suffering from the ailment, the combination of two 6 ounce patties and a special sauce was irresistable.  I will say that the Hangover burger tastes as good as it sounds and I was more than pleased.  In fact I will go to say that I have never had a bad meal at this establishment.

The night was capped off with a couple different brews.  My brother opted for Pappy's Porch Sippin' Porter, a stellar choice as snow was still falling outside.  I went for the Brewhouse ESB and was not dissappointed.  I only wish I had the means and the time to sample all of their offerings... over and over.

On top of the great beer and food, service was top notch, which was reflected in the tip amount I left on the check.

It seems as though I am not the only one who holds the Royal Oak Brewery in such high regard.  Take a look at this article by Ron Arnold on examiner.com.

Thanks Royal Oak Brewery for a great night out!

MSU in Final Four

Go to fullsize image

All I have to say is unbelievable.  When I picked MSU to reach the final four in my bracket I never thought it would happen but because I am marrying an MSU grad all of my blood was transfused with green blood that runs in her.  That, and I did attend college in Michigan and have lived here for a while and I will always root for Michigan teams in a situation like this.  Congratulations Tom Izzo and congratulations to Michigan State basketball!

I will say I thought that Goran Sutton was overrated, but the fact is the guy can play and I take it all back.  Goran, you can do it!


Thursday, March 26, 2009

Bust a Move turns 20!


It's hard to believe but that famous song that you've been enjoying for years in your car when you first got your license, in your dorm room when you were throwing an illegal kegger, and now on your iPod while you work out, "Bust a Move" by Young M.C. a.k.a. Marvin Young it 20 years old!
      
In Rolling Stone's article covering this momentous occasion they refer to the song as a "G rated funk bomb" and I agree.  I also learned that the bass line from the song was laid down by none other than Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Marvin Young was an economics student at USC when he penned the lyrics to "Bust a Move."  He had just finished writing the rap lyrics for Tone Loc's "Wild Thing" and wanted to experiment on his own, get play time on the radio and start making money.  He would... and he did.  After releasing his platinum record "Stone Cold Rhymin' " which included the single, Young won a grammy and was immediately lifted to fame and fortune, accomplishing his dreams at the age of 23.

Let's take this time to go back, and enjoy once more the timeless, booty shakin' classic!


We will miss George Kell



Hall of fame baseball player and TV personality for the Detroit Tigers George Kell died in his sleep Tuesday, March 24th at his home in Arkansas.  Now I am too young to remember George but apparently he broadcasted Tigers games for over 40 years.  I have been listening in to 97.1 the ticket all week hearing callers call in with their George Kell impressions and it is very heart warming.  I hope people do impressions of me when I'm gone.  They even had a sound bit from Ernie Harwell, fellow Tigers broadcaster and famous radio personality, paying homage to George.  So it is with heartfelt sincerity that I say R.I.P. George Kell, you will be missed.

In this June 5, 1957 file photo, George Kell, Baltimore Orioles, poses in

For a much better obituary and more facts on the life of George Kell as a player and announcer please see this very well written article from the Associated Press found on yahoo.com.

Lions new logo

I'm sure you have all heard by now that the Detroit Lions football team has a new logo.  Personally, I am more of a traditionalist and am not a fan of it but the fact that it was leaked and not supposed to be known to fans makes it all that more enticing to post on a blog like mine.

Here is a comparison of the old and new logos that I got from this Detroit Press story.

I am not a fan of the use of the lighter blue around the lion or the scratch marks in the background.  This story has been breaking over the past couple of days, do you have a favorite?

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Night out at Four Green Fields

I have been wanting to visit this place for a while now and I finally got to go on Saturday night.  Four Green Fields is an Irish Pub located inside the shopping center at 13 mile and Woodward in Royal Oak.  It is nestled between the Secretary of State and a Thai Cuisine restaurant in the strip mall that also includes a Kroger, a Leo's Coney Island and Safety Town.

This week one of my best friends from college is visiting Michigan on his way to Memphis, TN. to visit another good college friend.  We decided that we would really hit it hard Saturday night and have a night on the town.  Well one of our friends bailed on us so it was just us two, no problem.  Well we got kind of a late start and decided to play it safe and walk to Four Green Fields.  As I said, I have wanted to check this place out since I moved back here.  It just seems like the kind of neighborhood bar that would be a good place for friends to kick back, watch sports and guzzle a couple dozen beers.  I was right... and wrong.

As we walked up the "bouncer" was talking to a bunch of either friends or co-workers that were sitting outside having a smoke break.  When he spots us he stops us and tells us there is a $5 cover.  Kinda steep if you ask me, especially when your bar is located in a strip mall next to Kroger.  But we pay and head inside.  There is a stage set up for a band, hence the cover, but we head straight to the bar.  Surprisingly the bar had a great selection of beers on tap.  The Irish bar staples were there, Guiness, Bass, Boddington's, Harp, plus there were a few other good beers you don't usually see on tap like Sam Adam's and Sam Adam's Lite.  Anyway, it was good drinking.

A couple friends meet us there for a drink or two and the band starts to play.  The set list was very interesting.  They lead off with some knee slappin' country mess and then "Hey Jealousy" by the Gin Blossoms.  Then just when I think they have some class they march out another country song.  Then back to 90's alternative, Better Than Ezra's "Good."  Their songs confuse me, but hey I can't stop thinking about them, so they must be doing something right.

Now, I do not consider myself super young.  But I will have to say that the average age in Four Green Fields on this particular Saturday night was probably mid 30's.  I am not saying there is anything wrong with that.  Those folks deserve a night on the town just as much as us young bucks do, it's just that now I know where they go.  When we first got in to the bar, there was a 30 something couple dancing.  And when the girl attempted to walk past me on her way to the bathroom she completed a half gainer on her way to the floor.  Then when the band started playing, all the cougars (older women on the prowl) came out of the woodwork.  Some attractive, most not, all singing and dancing.  Then the band made the best decision of the night.  They handed out two tambourines to the dancing cougars.  Four Green Fields has earned the nickname, The Cougar Den, from the two of us.



My friend and I did not stick around too long.  Instead we left, bought an 18 pack on the way home and proceeded to drink 1 beer before we both went to sleep.  Oh well, we don't party like we used to, but maybe that's a good thing.

Monday, March 23, 2009

Big Mac Snack Wrap

As a frequent bar patron I try to stay up on the latest fast food trends and offerings in the Detroit Metro area.  This is generally not difficult since the number one destination for bar hoppers in and around Detroit after the bars close has to be one of our find fast food establishments.  In a recent post I talked about the secret menu items at McDonald's and In n' Out Burger I had found on the very entertaining Eat Me Daily blog.  Well Eat Me Daily has reported a new item that is no secret.  It's only at McDonald's and it will make an appearance on the regular menu.


McDonald's Mac Snack Wrap


The item is called the Big Mac Snack Wrap and has been added to the menu at all participating McDonalds in Canada (that's right, you'll have to have a night out in Windsor to experience one). The Mac Snack Wrap includes all the ingredients from a regular Big Mac Hamburger but instead of on a poppy seed bun it is now wrapped in a warm tortilla.  

All I have to say is that I hope it does well in Canada so that we may soon have the opportunity to have an Atkins friendly Big Mac!

Dr. Phil McGraw in Detroit

Dr. Phil will be in Detroit April 1 and 2.

A la Jay Leno, Dr. Phil will be holding two free events in Detroit, and I mean the city of Detroit, and third ticketed event in Windsor coming in April.

On April 1st at 7:30pm Dr. Phil will be giving a presentation at Music Hall in Detroit.

The next day he will be present at a town-hall type meeting at I am my Brother's Keeper Ministries (the one that Mitch Albom wrote about around Christmas) in Detroit.

A third appearance at the Colosseum at Caesars Windsor will cost $75 Canadian to get into.

Good for Dr. Phil.  Even though I don't watch his show and am not really a fan, as a reporter on the goings on in the Detroit Metro area felt obligated to comment on this.  Plus you know Dr. Phil is winning points with Detroiters.  He's appearing in the actual city, not the suburbs.  Not to take anything away from Leno because he is doing a great thing and should not be criticized by Detroit city council.  But after the outcry by Detroit city council about wanting Leno to do a show in downtown Detroit I think Dr. Phil wanted to be seen as someone who really cares.

Friday, March 20, 2009

New lesson on lesson-share.com

Check out the free finger picking guitar lesson I just posted on my friend's free lesson website 

It's a website where you can enjoy free guitar lessons or post your own.  All you have to do is start a free account!


Michigan an Independent Country?

Check out this petition I found online today.  I think it is ridiculous but maybe you are for it. Could Michigan break from the US?

Although, if you think that by signing this you can legally require state reps to consider it you are wrong as online petitions like this one are not legally binding (as I've heard, I'm not a lawyer).

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Final Four in Detroit

I don't know how anybody else feels but I think it's rad that the final four will be played in Detroit at Ford Field.  Apparently Kansas coach Bill Self does not feel the same way.

I have two brackets, one with Michigan St., Connecticut, Pitt and North Carolina.  The other bracket I have Michigan St., Connecticut, Duke and North Carolina.
 

Who is in your final four? 

The Corktown Celebration


Corktown.  Detroit's oldest existing neighborhood, named after the County Cork in Ireland because of the exuberant amount of Irish immigrants that lived there, throws one amazing party/parade/celebration every year the Sunday before St. Patrick's Day.  This year it was held on March 15th and I was able to partake in the festivities thanks to some very rad people.

12 noon

I had finished teaching my lessons for the day and was headed back to my apartment in Royal Oak when one of my friends, who also lives in Royal Oak, texts me and says he's going to downtown Detroit for some sort of parade.  He knows someone that is tailgating for the party and thinks it will be a good time.  So I get the okay from the fiance and agree to attend this pre-St. Patrick's day tailgate and parade.  Little did I know what this sunny afternoon would bring.  

2:00pm

I meet him at his place and we ride together into downtown.  When we finally find a spot in a vacant grassy lot we have already witnessed crowds of St. Paddy's Day revelers wearing their green and enjoying some sort of libation in the middle of the streets.  Now it's time to find his friends and start sipping some beers.  We start walking down Michigan Ave. toward downtown along the parade route.  We find out that our tailgate is located at Rosa Parks and Michigan on the Northeast corner.  Quickly, we cross Michigan Ave. in between high school marching bands that are part of the parade.  Finally we find the tailgate and are instantly offered a beer and introduced to numerous people whose names I had no chance to remember.  

The start of the day, a few beers at the parade

I end up texting another friend that lives downtown.  He is at the celebration as well but is in a different location, Slows BBQ, which is down the road from us.  More from him and the great Slows BBQ, later.

3:00pm

After a few beers from the keg (no they were not green) and standing around, the parade ends and people start to head to the bar.  Our tailgate party splits up and we go with some folks to a bar down the road called Hoots on the Ave.  There we get in instantly and head straight to the facilities where you have to wait longer to pee than to get a beer.  I ponder staying in line until I get to the front and then selling my space or "cuts" to make some cash, but decide to drink some more beer instead.  

At Hoots there really know what they're doing and have green beer on tap.  It's just Miller Lite with food coloring but that's not the point.  It's the novelty of it that I enjoy.

4:00pm

After Hoots we head north, across the I-75 foot bridge, to Nancy Whiskey's, a great bar located inside of a house like the one you rented in college.  At first we head in to the house and upstairs where it looks like a house party.  Next door is the real bar.  There is also an outdoor beer tent/party.  Your bathroom is where you make it.
Outside Nancy Whiskey's a hippie and his mom?

Before venturing into Nancy Whiskey's we head to local resident's car where he is selling ice cold beer out of his trunk.  The going price is 3 beers for $10 but my friend manages to convince the baby-carrying purveyor of beer to let us get 4 beers.  We head back to the front of the bar and just party outside.  We decide it's time for a "man on the street interview" of why everyone is here, at Nancy Whiskey's.  The answers I received were less than creative.  Mostly "It's St. Paddy's Day" and "For the beer" and "Because of this guy" while pointing to someone who has obviously overindulged.  Nonetheless, the party is great. 

We head inside to find a packed bar, bartenders working had and a prime band playing classic rock hits and the obligatory Irish folk/drinking songs, one of which has a particularly catchy chorus of "Whiskey, whiskey, whiskey."  It is also here at Nancy Whiskey's that we catch up with the rest of our tailgating gang.
  
Inside Nancy Whiskey's enjoying some Irish music!

6:00pm

With the sun setting we start the walk from Nancy Whiskey's back to Michigan Ave.  People are still getting crazy but we have other plans.  Back on Michigan Ave. we text our other friend and decide to try out Slows BBQ for a few beers.  It proves to be amazing!  There is good music, short bathroom lines and a bar that is easily accessible.  There's even a dance floor that I thoroughly tore up.  I think we even were perceived as somewhat attractive to a few ladies there.  Although, that doesn't say much since everyone in Corktown has been sipping since 12 noon.




8:00pm 

When we finally have had enough we start walking back to the vacant lot and discuss the impending visit to our friend's new house in downtown Detroit.  As we locate the vehicle and get in I return a call to my fiance that I had missed earlier due to loud Irish music and beer soaked revelers.

Alas, she is stuck on the highway, 275 to be exact, with a flat tire as a result of a treacherous pothole.  We must rescue her.


9:00pm

So we make our way to 275 by IKEA and find her there stranded by the roadside.  I immediatelty call AAA for a tow truck.  But my friend insists he can change the tire.  I get out and attempt to help but probably hinder as he quickly raises the car with the jack, removes the tire with the tire iron and successfully fastens the donut.  As the tow truck arrives he is securing the last few nuts on the donut and we dismiss the tow truck guy as he warns us not to drive further than 15 miles on the donut.  Jeff you were a big help, consider this a shout out.

10:00pm

I ride with my fiance to Royal Oak to pick up my car and then back to our place.

11:00pm

I go to bed smelling like cigarettes and with a dark blue "s" on my hand from Slows.

Welcome Back to the Future! (flying car)

I wonder if Doc Brown is behind this one?  This was on the front page of Yahoo! this morning.



Corktown post coming soon... more research to do.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

St. Patrick's Day



Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Today is the day...

To call in sick to work and then go to the Old Shillelagh in downtown Detroit.

To drink gallons of green beer.

To eat traditional Irish fare like Lamb Stew and Shepherd's Pie. (Apparently corned beef and cabbage is not Irish.  It is what all the Irish immigrants that came to America ate because corned beef was the cheapest meat and cabbage was the cheapest vegetable.)

To start drinking Irish Whiskey... at 8am.
To be Irish!

The History

St. Patrick (AD 385 - 461) is the patron saint of Ireland yet he was from Wales.  At sixteen he was captured by Irish raiders and taken to Ireland to be a shephard/slave for about 6 years.  He said that his faith in God helped him escape back to Wales and his family.  After a few years of being back he chose to return to Ireland as a Christian missionary and is credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland.

Wearing the "color"

Originally, Blue was the color associate with Ireland.  But St. Patrick used a clover leaf to explain the Holy Trinity to the Irish when he was a missionary.  From then on wearing the clover or green was associated with being Irish Catholic and pretty soon just Irish.

Happy St. Patrick's Day everybody and look for my Corktown celebration post coming up!  I want to do that post right!

Monday, March 16, 2009

Second Jay Leno show added




It's true.  As reported on 97.1 the ticket, Jay Leno and the Palace of Auburn Hills 
has announced that they are "sold" out of free tickets for his show on Tuesday, April 7th at 8pm and that they will be offering a second show the following night, Wednesday, April 8th at 8pm.

The show entitled, "Stimulus Plan for Unemployed Michiganders," is a free show including free parking and concessions put on by Jay Leno, the palace and Pepsi (I think) for all unemployed people in Michigan.



Sunday, March 15, 2009

A night out in South Lyon

It started with a 44 minute drive.  Out of the city, out of the towns, past Northville, driving on 8 mile west to South Lyon.  Coming in to the city, we stopped at one of the few lights and continued north through town.  We passed an out of business bar called Bugsy's.  The sign out front reassured us, "Coming Soon... Something Spectacular."

We arrive at 700 Bowl, which has perhaps one of the largest parking lots I have even seen.  We park and start to walk in and immediately I get a glimpse into the life of the average 700 Bowl patron.

There is a lady on her cell phone walking in with a man (obviously intoxicated) by her side trying to tell her what to say to the person on the other end, while she speaks sternly to her caller.  They are having a dispute that involved some name calling the night before.  We walk past them and head in to the bowling alley.

Now most alleys are set up the same way and this one is no different.  The lanes are in front of us as we walk in and the bar is to our right behind the lanes.  The bar has a large seating area and bar and at 7pm on a Saturday has a small but enthusiastic crowd.  

As we make our way into the bar to find our friends I pass a group of three older gentleman that probably owned a landscaping business together in South Lyon.  Their attire perplexes me.
One has on a long sleeve t shirt underneath a sweatshirt with the sleeves cut off.  The other, a flannel button down and jeans.  Lastly, and most perplexing, Philip (I heard them say his name) was wearing jeans, a sweatshirt and what looked like a brand new pair of Ugg boots.

If you don't know Ugg boots, they have become very popular over the last 3 years or so with the young female crowd.

We meet our friends who are drinking Coors Light pitchers.  We stick to this all night.  We fear change.

The ring leader or spearhead of this outing arrives with his own bowling shoes and informs us that he has worked out a deal with the owner where we can each pay $15 for all you can bowl till 12 when they close.  I'm in.

Actual bowling

I end up bowling the best all night in the first game.  I came away with a 150 (highest score ever = 200).  I don't remember any other scores but I do remember the very last game...
 
Steve and I after initiating the new "handshake"

We were all done bowling... all of us but one.  One of our friends took it upon himself to finish not only his game but all 7 of our games.  And being as how the alley was closing he only had about 15 minutes to do it. 

 So for the final 15 minutes of the night we all watched in awe and a little bit of confusion as our fearless friend proceeded to run frantically from lane to lane hurling balls down the lane.  Not even pausing to see if he hit any pins.  The term "speed bowling" was termed and a new sport was born.  Our friend was able to make a few strikes and spares and almost complete each game minus the final frames.

Final verdict on South Lyon... pleasantly surprised!  

Also, who knew Ugg Boots were from Australia?


Friday, March 13, 2009

Having a bad day? These will cheer you up

I stumbled across this website this morning.  If you are feeling bad about your life or current situation just read some of the FML's on this site.  Or, if your story is worse than the ones on there... submit it.

Thursday, March 12, 2009

New Blog

As I am reaching the tender age of adulthood, 27 to be exact, I have embarked on one of the most stressful, exciting, expensive, life changing and important journeys of life...

Buying a house!

My fiance and I are currently living in the Detroit Metro area and in the wake of the real estate turmoil that is going on today, we are looking to purchase a home here.  We have taken all the necessary steps so far and tomorrow (Friday the 13th of March... bad luck?) we will look at our first houses with our realtor.

We have gone through a few steps of buying a house already, but I will save those for separate posts.  This post is just a teaser so you visit my new site.

So, if you are new to the housing market, searching for your first home, a veteran home buyer looking to share some experience with a "wet behind the ears" buyer or just want some good old entertainment at someone else's expense follow my blog about first time home buyers.

This will be an interesting experiment.

SXSW Music Festival + Free Music





If you love music then you know about SXSW (South by Southwest) the music festival that happens every year in Austin, TX.  It is upon us again and this year it will be held March 13th - 22nd in 80 venues in the streets of Austin.   

Bands from all over the country and even... the world come to play at SXSW.  Among them are three bands from Detroit!!!  

Outrageous Cherry - They sound like a grungier version of The Shins, but these guys might have been around longer.  You can catch them at their last show before SXSW at the Double Door in Chicago tomorrow (Friday, March 13th at 8pm).

Easy Action - Hard Rock is the easiest way to describe them.  Loud and proud these guys sound like growling monsters that love to ROCK!  You can check them out at their last show before SXSW Saturday night (March 14th) at The Comet in Cincinnati, OH. at 10pm.

The Von Bondies - The self described Indie/Rock/Alternative group has been a Detroit staple for a number of years.  When you hear people talk about hip rock groups from Detroit they speak of two bands... The White Stripes and the Von Bondies.  The latter of which is the lesser known group globally but I think more popular in the Detroit area.

Good luck Detroit bands in Austin... make us all proud!

FREE MUSIC

Unfortunately I will not be attending the festival but I will be doing the next best thing, and that is listening to the free 10 song sampler available from NPR on iTunes.  That's right folks, you can now download a free sampler with 10 songs from some of the artists that will be at the festival.  I just downloaded it this morning and although it's nothing fantastic (they want you to go to the festival) it was free and will do for me.  

All you have to do is have iTunes on your computer already or download it here.  

Then go to this website and click download sampler.

Standouts are The Avett Brothers (whose fan club sent me the link to the sampler) and The Decemberists.

If you are going to Austin say hi to Willie Nelson for me and don't forget to check out the above mentioned bands live so you can brag to all your friends and enjoy copious amounts of street cred.  

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Jay Leno comes to town

According to all the morning news shows and the Detroit News, Jay Leno will be doing a free comedy show at the Palace of Auburn Hills next month.  All you have to do is show up at the palace box office on Monday, tell them you are unemployed, show your ID and you can get up to four free tickets.

Free show, free parking, free concessions (from Pepsi).  I also heard the show will be comedy free! ha ha ha.

Sunday, March 8, 2009

I have a fever and the only cure is more... boogie?



Saturday night was the birthday celebration of my fiance's co-worker. The celebration took place at Boogie Fever on Woodward in Ferndale. We arrived before 9pm to avoid a cover charge but just in time to pay for an hour of public parking (whew).

I had pictured Boogie Fever to be a mid 70's disco club owned by a character similar to that of Jackie Moon straight out of Semi-Pro... and I was right. The entrance to the club includes two red velvet ropes and double doors with mirror square cut outs. Inside, the club boasts 3 bars, a huge dance floor with a raised, lighted stage to dance on and probably the largest disco ball in southeast Michigan, not to mention an assortment of disco balls ranging in size from softball to truck tire.

There is a list of rules that every patron must follow. This list is prominently displayed at the front of the club where your ID is checked. It includes such rules as

-strict 50/50 guys/girls ration enforced (sorry dudes)
-no wearing too much cologne (I happen to like this rule)
-no dangling gold chains (Really? In a disco bar? Not enforced)
-no push up bras... false advertising
-do not push tables together (fire code restriction)

Among others that I can't remember.

Once inside Boogie Fever I will say the music selection is fantastic if you like 70's pop, disco, rock, etc. Also, there are numerous projection screens which feature rare music videos for select songs (they don't make music videos like they used to).

The clientele at Boogie Fever encompasses quiet a diverse group of people. From 50 somethings who crave a blast from the past to 20 somethings looking for a themed party. There were guys all over with dangling gold chains, facial hair and sunglasses (we were indoors and it was dark out) and ladies wearing vintage 70's dresses and leg warmers. One thing is for sure. Everyone there is there to dance and have a good time.

Drink selection is good but all beer is bottled and $4.50 and most wells are $5.50. Cash only.

On this particular evening it happened to be raining outside and the table we were at seemed to be placed perfectly under the leaky part of the roof. Either that or the air conditioner, which seemed to be on non-stop, was leaking.

The highlight of the evening had to be the mass caravan to the dance floor by most of our party during the Michael Jackson HIStory Mega-mix. For a second I was in dance floor heaven, and then it got crowded. We fought for space on the raised dance floor with lights and I eventually threw in the towel and sought refuge at the leaky table.

Overall, I would recommend Boogie Fever to couples and singles that like to dance and have a good time. Bring lots of cash, your party hat and dancing shoes.

Saturday, March 7, 2009

A Morning out in Ferndale

Friday morning I went out to Toast in Ferndale.  Toast is a small, retro little breakfast and lunch spot located on Woodward in downtown Ferndale.  When you walk in, opposite the door is a wall filled with shelves of old toasters (what else?).  All the tables and chairs in the place are straight out of a 50's diner but don't expect old school food.

I ordered the Greek Omelette which was phenomenal.  Filled with kalamatta olives and feta cheese it is delicious.  My companion had the Florentine Eggs Benedict which I did not taste but looked very appetizing.  Each breakfast menu item comes with your choice of home fries or cheese grits, which I thought was interesting considering how far north we are.  Breakfast also comes with your choice of, you guessed it, toast.  Now I'm not talking about the usual breakfast toast here.  My two slices of marble rye were texas toast sized and lightly buttered.  More than enough to please.

The woman who took our order was very friendly.  She explained to us that their specials menu changes every week but they tend to run out by Friday.  Saturday and Sunday mornings are the busiest.  Prepare to wait in line for about 45 minutes if you venture there on these days.  Luckily we did not.  

Toast was a great value.  Good food, good background music and good service.  I recommend it to anyone seeking breakfast in Ferndale or near by Detroit suburbs.

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Bromance E Cards

Tuesday Jimmy Fallon took over for Conan on the late night show.  And now thanks to him we have Bromance E cards.  They are perfect for any occasion to express your non-sexual love for another man (guys you know what I'm talking about).


My fiance likes to describe my relationship with some of my college buddies as "manlove."  Brody from The Hills calls it Bromance.  I call it... awesome.

Thanks Jimmy Fallon and NBC for this rad idea.  I wish I had come up with it first.

Good luck with the show!



Tasty Combination

I was browsing different blogs this morning when I stumbled across the McGangBang.  The McGangBang is a combination of two $.99 menu items at McDonald's.  It combines the double cheeseburger and the chicken sandwich.  The chicken sandwich is placed between the two beef patties of the double cheeseburger.  

While I think this is totally rad I also think it a little self indulgent.  Having said that, if I had the chance to order one and eat one... I would.

Check out the McGangBang here and also check out all the YouTube videos on this site of people ordering and eating this lusty sandwich.

Other fast food combinations mentioned on this page
- McWhitey - A filet o' fish patty in between a double cheeseburger with the white sauce included.
- WhopBang - Burger King's take on the McGangBang.  A double whopper stuffed with a Burger King chicken sandwich.

This stuff got me thinking.  Why stop there.  Why not combine the 3 meats (beef, chicken, fish) in one sandwich?  It could be called the McBeeFishen or simply The Big 3.  

Fast food restaurants that offer beef, chicken and fish could donate some of the profits from each Big 3 order to the actual Big 3 (Ford, Chrysler, GM) in order to assist in their bail out.  

What about White Castle?  They could combine their beef and chicken and make a GangBang Slider or a Big 3 slider.  

Taco Bell could get in on the action too.  I know I would try a Grilled Stuffed Crunchwrap Supreme Burrito.

New Bob Dylan album

I am a huge Bob Dylan fan and I liked his last album "Modern Times" but according to Rolling Stone's article his new album is totally different. They said it sounds a little more country and "border town," whatever that means.

Either way I am going to buy it and I would encourage you to do the same. Bob Dylan is a wordsmith and essential figure in Rock and Roll history.

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Band name game

I follow this other blog called the Coffee Messiah.

Today I saw on there a way to find out what your band name would be, what your first album should be called and even how to find the album art work for it.  

Check it out at the blog

My band name - Lactation

First album - Pleasures of the Other

Artwork - A dog laying on a couch on its back, legs in the air looking at you with tongue hanging out of its mouth.

Night out in Hockeytown

Getting There

Last Friday I had the day off and decided that since I had not been to a Detroit Red Wings hockey game I better go.  So I called up some friends that live in Kalamazoo and one that lives in downtown Detroit and we decided Friday is the night to go.  They play the LA Kings at home and there are still tickets available. 
For $30 each we get standing room only tickets.  Which at first I thought might suck because you have to stand the whole game.  But actually they turned out to be quite good.

First, I suggest that if you go to a Red Wings game you park at the Greektown Casino garage on Monroe.  It's free and it's not very far from Joe Louis Arena.

There I met my friend who lives in downtown Detroit.  He had a going away party to go to later that night and he wasn't feeling good but still made it out... that's how good the wings are and how appreciated they are in this town.

We walked to the people mover station that would take us to the arena.  Now the people mover is an old rail system that travels above downtown Detroit.  I don't think a ton of people outside of Michigan or even Detroit know that Detroit has this mass transit system, but it works and its nostalgic.  

The people mover drops us off at the Joe Louis Arena and we meet our other friends at the Gordie Howe entrance, which, according to one of my kzoo friends is the ONLY entrance.  When we get in we immediately enter the arena and stake out a spot to stand.  Now viewing from the standing room only section is an art.  First, there are areas that you are not allowed to stand in.  They have a bold "NO STANDING" stenciled on the wall.  The areas where "STANDING" is allowed also have a small red line that marks out about one foot from the wall where you may stand.  

Getting there early and getting a spot against the wall is key.  Then you also must have a number of people willing to wait while you go get their beer so no other passing standers take your spot.  Fortunately this only happened once and it wasn't that big of a deal.

Beer Run

So the first beer run was the only one worth writing about.  There are three of us in line and we're getting 5 beers (Molson Canadian is the beer of the wings by the way).  My two friends in front of me get their beers and then it's my turn...  Then out of nowhere this Canadian guy and his 3 buddies barge right in front of me and get served.  They order 4 shots of Jim Beam at $6.25 each.

Okay, no big deal now it's my turn right?  Wrong

They then decide they need 4 beers too each at $8.75.  Of course they try to get a discount by telling the lady that their dad works for Ford and is going through a tough time.  The bartendress looks at them in disgust and squashes the discount.  Now I understand that this is my first time at a wings game but seriously I didn't realize that I was a rookie at drinking with Canadians around too.

So finally I get my beer.

The Ushers

During the game there are these ushers that make sure people find their seat, but they also prevent fans from taking their seats while the puck is in play.  I did not know that you must wait for a face-off to take your seat.  We also learned, from talking with one of the ushers, that you get paid to usher, which means you get paid to go to wings games (sweet).  And you get a limited edition Red Wings usher's jacket.  This is something I will look into.

The friendly usher was also very knowledgeable about which players families were in the stands, where they sat, and how hot each player's girlfriend is (cool, but also a little weird and scary).  

The wings won the game 2-1, the first start for Osgood in ten days, and the fans went wild when Ozzie came out for his curtain call.

Larry Murphy

After the game we started to walk out of the arena and into the concessions area when one of my friends who is a girl says that we have to go find "Larry."  The Larry that she is referring to is one Larry Murphy.  Murphy... or Larry as she refers to him because they are on a flirts name basis, played for the wings from 1996 - 2001 and was a part of two of the Stanley Cup teams.  These days Murphy does some wings commentating alongside Mickey York for FS Detroit.

I was unaware of her love for Larry.

After the game she spots Larry climbing the stairs to their desk and starts screaming his name.  "LAAAAARRRRYYYY!"  Pretty soon Murphy is cracking up so bad he has to turn around and acknowledge that she is in love with him.  He smiles and waves and now she is in heaven. So we all start chanting "Larry, Larry, Larry."  Through his whole broadcast.  I am sure he loved it.

After he was done alongside Mickey York he gets up and again she yells, "I LOOOOVE YOU LAAAARRRRY."  He waves and smiles again.  Needless to say she made his night.

Epilogue

The night ended with my Detroit friend and I walking about 6 blocks back to the casino in sub zero temperatures, then me having to go to the bathroom, then the elevators to be locked because some idiot pulled the fire alarm, and me having to climb 12 flights of stairs to the top deck of the casino parking lot.

But it was worth it!