Breadstick Blues

Before I get started, let me preface this by saying that I’m a big fan of the bay area favorite:  Mary’s Pizza Shack.  The “Shack” serves a variety of homemade Italian food including pizza, pasta, sandwiches, soups, salads, breadsticks, appetizers and desserts at moderate prices.  Now the part about “moderate prices” shouldn’t be ignored, as Mary’s does indeed offer great food at equally great prices.

But what also shouldn’t be overlooked is the fact that Mary’s breadsticks are indeed on offer — but despite the advertised “complimentary” (FREE) teaser, they come at a price. Read the rest of this entry »

The Plaid Mystery

I don’t think there’s a quick explanation for it, but what is up with so much red plaid everywhere? Honestly, it can’t just be about the holiday season and the obvious red color scheme because this has been around for much of the year. And while this is a completely unscientific observation, I think I have a few hunches as to why this bold print seems to linger, and probably will so, even after we all take down our Christmas trees and store our ornaments from this holiday season. Read the rest of this entry »

If you’re like me, still dreading the thought of having to buy those last Christmas presents and thus be even further in debt for the momentary pleasures of another loved one, then I suggest a viewing of Rob VanAlkemade’s “What Would Jesus Buy?, recently aired on the Sundance Channel and produced by noted documentary filmmaker himself, Morgan Spurlock (“Super Size Me”). Read the rest of this entry »

Funny, when I go to McDonald’s, it’s usually for fast (emphasis on “fast”) food—a quick burger, fries, drink. Nothing special, really. But did you know you could also linger around, open up your laptop and surf the web as you stuffed your mouth with Chicken McNuggets and Filet-o-Fish sandwiches?

Well, at approximately 11,000 (out of 14,000)  Mickey D’s around the country, you can get this Wifi service, except that it will cost you a little less than the #1 (Big Mac) meal deal –a whopping $2.95 for two hours of access time. That’s just enough time to linger at a McDonald’s perhaps without people thinking you have no life. But why pay for this service? Why not go to a place like Starbucks, or even park outside and access what is essentially free Wifi access, as long as you have some kind AT&T phone service? Read the rest of this entry »

It’s been a long time coming.  Finally, after 50 years of enduring nationwide noise pollution, the House passed a bill yesterday that would turn down the volume on loud television advertisements.  There’s even a cutesy acronym slapped onto the act:  Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation, or CALM. Read the rest of this entry »

Before the main US trade show for cars, held next month in Detroit at the North American Auto Show, Los Angeles holds an annual display, bringing together many new models and concept vehicles for the public to see.

Overall, the show at the LA Convention Center is important for the volume of cars held in three cavernous halls. And even if Detroit still rules supreme because it attracts the world media for the occasional “world” debuts and the annual announcements of the cars of the year, LA is still a pretty fine show.

Here are some of the more impressive new models that I saw last weekend: Read the rest of this entry »

I defy anyone not to like this amazing clip from a 5-year-old boy in Japan who, armed with a ukulele, plays the hell out of one of the most endearing yet also annoying pop songs, Jason Mraz’s “I’m Yours”.  You must know this song –it’s the stuff or earworms, the kind of sing-songy, melodic dross that, according to Billboard Magazine, has spent the most weeks in the Hot 100 (76), received triple Platinum status and has sold over 4 million copies worldwide. Read the rest of this entry »

Along with Entertainment Weekly I celebrate the weekly wonder that is Jane Lynch, who plays the balls-to-wall coach on one of this year’s most vibrant new TV shows, “Glee”. Read the rest of this entry »

Leave it to the Chinese to provide the world with a graphic, yet hilarious animated blow-by-blow account of whatever it is that took place near Tiger Woods’ mansion in Windermere, FLA early last Friday morning.

The Chinese, you say? In case this even bears repeating, Tiger Woods is probably the globe’s most well-known athlete, and possibly its wealthiest. And the Cadillac Escalade crash that was heard around the world only underscores the enormous global reach that this suddenly notorious golf titan has. Read the rest of this entry »