Posted 12:31 PM by John A. Seafisk

Last Call

Beers I've consumed over the years:

Corona
Corona Light
Heineken
Stella Artois
Bud Light
Coors Light
Anchor Steam
Goose Island
Portland Honey Brew
Miller Lite
Miller High Life
Cerveza Pacifico
Tecate
Modelo Negro
Oranjeboom
Amstel Light
Pyramid Hefeweisen
Gordon Biersch
BJ's Raspberry Ale
Wyder's Pear Cider
Wyder's Raspberry Cider
Morelli
Newcastle
Guinness
Harp
Bass Ale
Molson Canadian
Molson Ice
Labatt's
Moosehead
Bear Beer
Foster's
McEwan's Scotch Ale
Boddington's
Pilsner Urquel
Red Stripe

...And that was just yesterday!

Posted 2:06 PM by John A. Seafisk

Consumer Advice

Don't get the chili at Wendy's.

Trust me on this one.

Posted 4:08 PM by John A. Seafisk

It Stinks!

I was in Hollywood last night, on a quest to locate the newly released DVD set of the Jon Lovitz-starring animated cartoon "The Critic". Having no luck at my local Best Buy, I scurried over the hills separating the Valley from the, um, non-Valley...destination: Amoeba Music.

For those unfamiliar, Amoeba Music is basically the world-largest used CD store. They have new music, as well, and more importantly to my quest, DVDs (new & used). The only downside to an Amoeba visit is the woefully-tiny parking garage below.

After numerous unsuccessful attempts in previous trips, I've now just head straight to the Arclight Cinerama Dome parking structure next door. This usually works out well, since Amoeba validates Arclight parking, and the short walk between the 2 places is pretty good exercise.

As I pulled into the garage, I noticed a sign that read "Premiere Parking on 5th Level". I wondered if that meant 'premiere' as in 'really really nice'. But being in Hollywood, I should've known it was referring to an actual "movie" premiere.

I lucked out and got a good spot. As I walked past the Arclight entrance, I noticed a large crowd of people dressed pretty nice...nice even for Arclight patrons. (Usually nicer-dressed patrons patronize the Arclight Theater, which I believe is correlated to the fact that movie tickets cost $14 here.) As the crowd got nicer (looking, that is), I noticed the walkway from the entrance to the street was blocked off.

So, I had to cut through the Arclight lobby before reaching Sunset Boulevard. When I turned to my left in the direction of Amoeba, I saw that the sidewalk was also blocked off.

So there WAS a movie premiere. I wondered what it could be. What film would receive the honor of having its world premiere at such a historical motion picture landmark as the Cinerama?

Answer: The Perfect Score.

What I've gathered from TV ads, "The Perfect Score" is about a bunch of too-cool-for-school teens who decide to steal the answers to the SAT tests. It's co-produced by MTV Films, who have previously bestowed upon the viewing public "The Real Cancun" and "Joe's Apartment" (starring cockroaches).

[Note: I might be wrong about "The Real Cancun", but it's the type of crap MTV would put money behind.]

Anyway, I was stunned. Why does this movie, a MTV MOVIE, get to have it's premiere here? Why would a movie like "The Perfect Score" get a special premiere in the first place? Most importantly, why were they blocking my way to Amoeba?!?!

Undaunted, I crossed the street, walk a block, re-crossed the street, and finally reached my destination. I headed upstairs to the DVD/Video area, right for the 'Television' section....and no "Critic".

I searched around the whole DVD area...still no "Critic". I was slightly bummed. To ease the slight pain, I picked up instead the first season of "The Kids In The Hall"...which I didn't realize was available for retail purchase yet. It was a pretty penny I spent, but I know it's something I would eventually aspire to get. Plus, a purchase would make it easier to get parking validation.

As I sauntered out of Amoeba, I noticed a Borders just down the street. Saying to myself "What the hey," I trekked on down to the bookstore/music store/coffehouse conglomerate, just to try my luck. And wouldn't you know it, there it was, sitting next to multiple copies of "Cheers: The Second Season" - "The Critic". Better yet, it was $5 off the marked price.

Flush with success, I returned to my vehicle & began my journey Valley-ward. My quest had reached its end.

And I'm still not going to watch "The Perfect Score".

Posted 6:15 PM by John A. Seafisk

Uh oh, here comes the boss. Everybody look busy!

Posted 12:36 PM by John A. Seafisk

Question of the Day

Should dwarf tossing be banned in Canada?

Read all about it and you decide.

Posted 12:43 AM by John A. Seafisk

All right, so the year isn't off to such a great start blog-wise. What can I say?

Well, here's some of the things that's happened to me within the last blog-free month:

-Won a trip to Hawaii via a trivia contest. It was through something called SportsByBrooks. Haven't gone yet, since it's for the Pro Bowl. And I haven't gotten tickets yet. But it's still nearly a month away, so I might be a tad impatient

-Went on a post-Christmas drive up the California coast. Got as far north as Medford, Oregon. It rained a lot, which was actually nice & added to the scenery of the Redwood forests. More details & maybe pictures coming soon.

-Found a Sonic Drive-In fast food restaurant in the Los Angeles area. It was in Anaheim, near the 91 freeway. Again, it was raining when I went, but it was my last day off before returning to work. This trip came about a year after I successfully discovered a Chick-Fil-A in Redondo Beach. Next mission: to find a Long John Silvers.

-Got a kiss on New Years Eve...but only one. I was at some L.A. bar/restaurant/hotspot, when a girl walked by & tripped in front of me. Being the gentleman I am, I helped her up. She was obviously quite tipsy (in more ways than one), and she gave me a slurred "Thank you; Happy New Year!", followed by a kiss on the cheek. Myself, also being very tipsy (ok...quite drunk), responded with a slurred "You're welcome; Happy New Year!", followed by a kiss on her cheek. She then wandered into the mass of partying people, never to be seen again. Evening was pretty downhill after that.

-Went to a San Diego Gulls hockey game. I enjoy minor league sports, and had a long-time curiosity settled with a trip down to the San Diego Sports Arena, a place you could tell was built in the '70s. Got a good seat behind the goal, and was witness to a 5-1 shellacking of the Idaho Steelheads. The Gulls fans gave an interesting chant after each SD goal:
" 1-2-3-4-5! Hey Ellis (the Idaho goalie's name)! It's all your fault! You suck! Looooserrrrrr! (complete with L-to-the-forehead gesture)"

-Watched the NFL Playoffs. Good games.

-Brushed my teeth a couple of times.

-Woke up this morning with a cramp in my leg. It was one of those cramps where your lower thigh muscle locks up suddenly, so you jump wildly out of bed and hop around one-legged like an injured kangaroo. Man, did that hurt!

So looking back, I guess I did do a lot...but never bothered to write about it. For shame on my part. It's enough to make me want to return my Medill diploma.

On second thought, no way. It cost too much to give up.

Posted 5:14 PM by John A. Seafisk

Ok, I admit it. I've done a horrible job of keeping this blog up to date. As with a lot of activities I've done, I get all excited at first, then slowly but surely lose interest in what it is, whether it be blogwriting, cello playing, eating healthier, improving social interaction, or cleaning.

But it's a new year, a new start! (Of course, I really don't know why the new year begins in the middle of winter. It would make more sense if it started in the spring, when the grass begins to grow and nature awakens with all her beauty.) Anyway, I'll try my darndest to keep better tabs on what to do with this blog.

Wish me luck!