I'm going to try to make it a point to write short reviews/recommendations  of the books I read, if only to test my own comprehension.  I tend to forget the easily forgettable. So while I didn't like how 'A Farewell to Arms' ended, I can't say it was a forgettable book.  Can anything by Hemingway be forgotten completely?  This was my first ever read of one of his books, and I'll say that it was somewhere between good and great. The author's preface (this was the author of the compilation - not Hemingway), said something about how Ernest Hemingway made American Literature what it is today.  I don't know enough, nor have I read enough to know exactly what made his style so revolutionary, so you'll forgive me when I say that that quality of the book went over my head.  That doesn't mean it wasn't good - just that I am not familiar enough with styles and times to know the difference between Hemingway and Harper Lee. If you saw the movie 'In Love and War' that came out sometime in the nineties and starred Sandra Bullock and Chris O'Donnell, then you've seen the part of Heminway's life that inspired him to ...

Our boys at Real Salt Lake just couldn't pull out the dubya against Saprissa of Costa Rica on Wednesday.  It was an entertaining game, especially the two shoving matches, but the excitement wasn't enough to get any of our players to take a shot on goal.  There was a lot of dancing and a few chip shots in front of the goal, but few shots. So I've decided that if we are going to go out in these international friendlies, then we should do it with style.  If we're going to put in our benchwarmers to give them experience, let's put them in to face somebody big.  I know it is hard to get big teams to come to Salt Lake, but I'll bet it could be done with a lot of persuading.  I wouldn't have been nearly as disappointed with a loss against the likes of Roma or Bayern Munich.  Sure, they might shut us out 10-0, but wouldn't it be more exciting than Saprissa? The efforts to get Real Madrid to Salt Lake should be extended to other powers of Europe or South America.  The pathetic attendance at Wednesday's game would be turned around in an instant if we were ...

Hot sauce is enjoyable up until a certain point.  That point is right about when you put a tiny little dab of Blair's Sudden Death Sauce on the food you are about to eat. This stuff burns.  The Original Death has a great flavor to it, and can be eaten in fairly generous amounts without really feeling it.  It's when you start climbing Blair's heat ladder into After Death and Sudden Death territory that you begin to regret ever taking that bite. These are the kind of sauces that require only one drop on even the biggest of portions.  Don't worry about it not being potent enough - put that drop in a huge bowl of chili or stew and you'll still taste it.  Of course you can put more in if you want to, but just don't go "put a hole in your stomach" overboard. I highly recommend the sauces, especially Original Death for the flavor.  I like them even more because I feel a special kinship to them (Blair....?)  But just know that these are no Cholula or Red Hot sauces.  These are intensity in ten cities. Tags: Blair's Death Sauce, Hot Sauce, Spicy food, Extreme Foods No related posts.

I just got a call from a woman asking me if I would be interested in taking a survey for $30.  Phone surveys are sometimes interesting, so I accepted. I feel the need to connect with my roots - strongly agree, agree, disagree or strongly disagree? Agree. I am offended when products I buy have instructions in languages other than English - strongly agree, agree, disagree, or strongly disagree? Strongly disagree. I read publications in Spanish - always, some of the time, rarely, never? Some of the time. I believe that Hispanics will continue to be discriminated against in this country - strongly agree, agree, disagree, strongly disagree? Agree. She asked me many more questions, but I don't need to recite them all.  I can't even remember them all.  It appeared that she was trying to get at what I thought of marketing to minorties in this country.  It's becoming a bigger business than ever before, so if I were a marketing company, I'd be doing the same thing. So where is this post really going? I thought I had a direction in mind, but I think it's gone.  I've lost my train of writing thought.  Like the great Del Preston said, "I almost remembered something else, but nope, it's ...

Eight days and counting until the most anticipated movie of the summer comes to theaters.  Most anticipated by me, at least.  I had to go back and watch Batman Begins to prepare myself for The Dark Knight, because I have a feeling it's going to be a good sequel. I don't know what gives 'Batman Begins' that quality that makes me want to watch it time and time again, but I hope that part two will have it too.  I'm happy that most of the actors from the first movie are back, though I think they could have found somebody different to play Rachel.  I've never liked Maggie Gyllenhaal much.  I don't think that will ruin the movie for me, but still. I hope Christian Bale has a few more Batman movies in him after this one.  For me, he has been the best one so far, beating the likes of George Clooney by a mile and then some.  Michael Cane of course can't be topped, and Morgan Freeman is also one of my favorites. Lets just hope the eight days goes by fast. Tags: Batman, Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, Christian Bale, DC Comics // --> // --> No related posts.

Why so many men hate wearing ties, I don't really understand.  But that's the way it is, and it's only getting worse.  Or better, depending on what you think of ties. I've been hearing and reading lately that the necktie is officially on its way out.  You only have to step into nearly any workplace in your city of residence to see this is true, no matter which day of the week it is.  When some businesses say 'casual Friday', they really mean T-shirts, shorts, and flip-flops because the rest of the week's dress code is polo shirts and Dockers.  You'll see a tie in there every once in a while, but it is rare even on upper management at some places. I don't like this trend, but I don't believe that the tie's extinction is inevitable.  You can't say that the up and coming generation don't wear ties at all - they've just changed the style a bit.  Skinnier ties with simpler patterns seem to be as popular as ever.  I wouldn't be surprised if more companies started requiring them, just to show that they're not like the rest.  It might be kind of a formal backlash. I think it would be ...

Now that the 4th of July holiday has passed, did we stop and think at some time during the day what the celebration was really about? I wondered that at different times during the day. I asked myself if most people thought only about the fireworks and food, and not about what happened on that day over 200 years ago. With those thoughts so recently on my mind, my attention was quickly drawn to an article in the newspaper today.  It was about a test given to college students that asked questions about America's history and institutions.  Ideally, every student taking the test would get a high score because the subject material is so fundamentally important to every citizen of this country.  The test results showed something very different. The average score for college seniors was failing.  For freshman it was worse.  Many students couldn't answer what the first line in the Declaration of Independence said.  Some didn't know what school of thought Adams, Franklin, and Jefferson patterned the document after.  Some didn't even know what George Washington did when he was alive. After I read the news article, I went to the website to read in more detail and to ...

Whoever said President Bush never gave a good speech? In honor of Independence Day just around the corner, I'd like to share this speech that Bush gave in Philadelphia back in 2001, shortly before the events of September 11th.  It's an outstanding speech, regardless of what you think of Bush. "Why We Celebrate Independence Day" Excerpts from remarks by President George W. Bush at the Independence Day Celebration, Independence Historic National Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, July 4, 2001 Today we celebrate American independence, in the place of America’s birth, close to a symbol of American liberty. As millions know, to see the Liberty Bell is a moving experience. In America we set aside certain places and treasures like this to protect them from the passing of the years. We grant them special care to mark a moment in time. Here in Philadelphia, these markers are all around us, reminders of our history. This is a dynamic and modern city. Yet, if the founders themselves were here, they would know the place. Benjamin Franklin and his wife could still find their way from here to the corner where they first saw each other, at Market and 4th. John Adams could make his way ...