Responses

http://kyleshibel.blogspot.com/2009/10/thoughtless-commercials.html#comments

http://kirstiebritt.blogspot.com/2009/11/real-women-have-real-curves.html?showComment=1261028904278_AIe9_BEYTDXNLXjZWlIN30DAT5NUyDuegsjGKFnB22sPiyAhvP0eEeTHrVp4L5_NDaTpyF8VBNaG8LKmtPbBuzq1B-dnrzCvdEOTQNoXyEEwCWjD8Jv0JjuM-eirfo5FCoKjbTBpV6j6uBgd-vbONcqy6hzR_7JIA3lVyDWzCZPslp2-49l8vD6eRzs7zBsh4Nk95O3tCuJQhdTjPP5-yYaC9iDxMgEtnNL5MCyUCAKoL2blFshrYmI#c146365050948927697

Steam Buddy, friend or foe?

Are you tired of always having to go to the dry cleaner? No? Well, then you will never watch the rest of Billy Mays promoting the steam buddy on television. The steam buddy is a hand held steamer that removes wrinkles and creases from your clothes on a minutes’ notice. Billy Mays, apart from being the best salesman in the world, has convinced me that the steam buddy works like a champ. Not only does he fully explain the full extent of the product, he demonstrates the product right before your eyes. His confidence extends as far as to offer a refund you are not satisfied after thirty days. Billy Mays is guilty of making a hasty generalization in that everybody dry cleans clothes, where in reality a good number of citizens do not use the dry cleaners. However, for those who do not use the dry cleaners the steam buddy creates the perfect opportunity to get that drycleaners look without the dry cleaners price. Some may argue that May’s has a lost cause in that dry cleaning is not too expensive and no hand held product can deliver the freshness of a well oiled machine. The other side to that is that dry cleaners are not always open and/conveniently located for someone in a rush that needs to press a shirt. So not only is the steam buddy designed for those opposed to going to the dry cleaners, but as well as for those that appreciate a dry cleaned shirt and does not have the time on occasion to drop his shirts off for one or two days at a time. Not only is the steam buddy a tempting product, especially coming out of Billy’s mouth, I own one and it is a proven product and extremely handy in times of haste. The steam buddy is the fastest, most efficient method of steaming clothes on a minutes’ notice. Furthermore Billy May’s could sell a pile of dog feces, he is possibly the greatest infomercial salesman of all time and does not take no from anyone. And Billy May’s can F-ing party. RIP.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTYeCCsnlcM&feature=PlayList&p=A381D7E37921D171&index=31&playnext=2&playnext_from=PL

The Snuggie: Greatest blanket ever, or ingenious deception?

The infamous Snuggie has taken over families living rooms across the United States. The infomercial sensation is a blanket, more like a robe, that has sleeves for arms and drapes down past your ankles to keep whatever is inside warm and “snug”. The original advertisement for the snuggie questions whether or not the viewer becomes irritated by the limits of other sleeveless blankets. Highlighting issues such as mobility, the commercial strays from the main goal of a blanket: to stay warm. The snuggie commercial is guilty of committing the straw-man fallacy as well as begging the question. The snuggie infomercial attacks the ability of being able to move with a blanket on, however the main purpose of a blanket or cover is to keep you warm not so you can eat a snack or talk on the phone. The advertisement opens by questioning whether or not someone is tired of being caught up in their blanket, well if they are not and are quite satisfied with the blanket they currently use then their answer is no and they will turn the commercial off without further interest. The diversion from warmth to being mobile takes away from what the snuggie is actually fabricated from. The thin dynamics of the snuggie reveal, in my opinion, its lack of comfort and warmth. The ideal blanket to me is big, fluffy, wooly, and makes me feel as if I am covered in my own apartment from head to toe. The thin, washable snuggie appears to lose its “fuzz” after a few washes. My verdict on this product: it is a blanket, blankets are meant to keep you warm no to free your arms and look as if you were a monk walking around your house. The snuggie fails to live up to the blankets standard for me; it has its focus in the wrong areas of what it takes to be my blanket. The snuggie fails to impress me with its material, style, and itchy look to it. So if you think the snuggie is better than a big warm fuzzy blanket that covers your entire body then go ahead and waste your fifteen bucks plus shipping and handling, I am going to stick with the blanket I have.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqHSIiAXdSU

Turkey ZZZZ'ssss

Every wondered why after eating that gigantic Thanksgiving feast it seems that the family becomes sloth like for the following hours that ensue? Well that laziness comes mostly from the Turkey, and possibly the heavy intake of alcoholic beverages. Although accompanied by stuffing, mashed and sweet potatoes, and many other delicious and traditional courses the blame on the sleepy aftermath is solely on that flightless bird we call turkey. These extravagant, moronic birds feed hundreds of thousands of families across the United States in November each year and it is the L-tryptophan that puts most of those people to sleep early. L-tryptophan is a trigger for serotonin and melatonin which can be used for sleep regulation. The common poultry, in this example chicken is used, contains .292 g of tryptophan for every 100 g consumed. Turkey on the other hand smashes that number with .333 g per 100 g consumed. The three percent difference could possibly mean a three hour difference in your bedtime. The big difference turkey has from other meats is that it is carbohydrate-rich rather than protein-rich. Those carbohydrates force your body to do more work in breaking down their components having a direct result of laziness. Not to mention that this festive meal is generally accompanied by large portions of wine and other alcoholic beverages, turkey does its job of keeping weary travelers off the roads late Thanksgiving night. So here is to you turkey, keep on bringing America down, making us lazy, ripping away what motivation that we could possibly have left, and here is to doing it once a year. I do not know about most people, but to me turkey is a once a year meal, and that one time repeats itself for that next week until I am engulfed in a turkey coma and can physically eat no more turkey and its carbohydrate based center until November rolls around again. Enjoy your holidays, but keep in mind your body reflects and feels what you eat, so gobble gobble and remember do not munch turkey and drive, that is why we invite vegetarians to the dinner…


http://chemistry.about.com/od/holidaysseasons/a/tiredturkey.htm

Responses #2

http://sooyeonluvu.blogspot.com/2009/10/less-calories-product.html?showComment=1256603902536#c5045458037193542050

http://alyssarmedrano.blogspot.com/2009/10/alcohol-killer.html?showComment=1256606671610#c2530811428869995797

Crowd Pleaser

While watching the Philadelphia Eagles play the Washington Redskins on the ESPN network tonight I noticed a pattern during each set of commercials. The main ideal and targeted consumer for each and every advertisement was directed more towards the male gender, commercials about beer and football was the major theme. The advertisement that Applebee’s uses to highlight certain items on their menu has Monday night football analyst Chris Berman, the sports commentator using his well known catch phrases to explain each delicious looking entrée. Berman uses, “he could go all the way,” to guide a hand that clutches a fried onion ring straight into a creamy dipping sauce as if it was a running back crossing the line. Each piece of good is commentated on as if it were a player on the field. It seems that many different TV broadcast stations associate their commercials with who they intend on viewing their net work. The common themes range from beer to cars in order for men to satisfy their need for escape. Most fathers and/or married men who work nine to five jobs not only get all of Sunday to relax and enjoy the NFL all day, but Monday night after having to regretfully return to work, come home to one more night of guy time. Guy time is a key component in a man’s life because men, generally, have a tendency to get angrier rather than emotional when it comes to domestic disputes or bothersome coworkers at the office. Football becomes that escape for men, because Monday night while the game is on most eyes are glued to the television they escape that reality for one more night after the weekend has passed on. This escape is captured in the advertisements of the men driving the fancy sport cars with an attractive younger lady or the men enjoying their delicious beer with some friends or a beautiful counterpart. These advertisements all relate to the consumer surveys and studies that show each network who is watching and what they want, this is the most successful way to advertise to effect some ones emotions and trigger extra thoughts or reactions.

Bar food, good for taste or good for business?

Do you ever wonder why most bars have a similar choice in food/appetizers? For those of us who have spent time in any form of drinking hole you have consumed many variations of cheap and greasy bar food. The different forms of food from nuts to nachos usually are washed down with an overpriced beverage from the bar. Most items on the menu are chalked full of some form of spicy sauce, salty coating, and/or seasoning that tends to raise the number of drinks each customer ends up purchasing. This clever method seems to be found at bars as well as restaurants. Hot wings, chips and salsa, and mixed salty nuts are found commonly throughout drinking establishments across the world.
Bars and restaurants seem to utilize this form of thirst enhancer all over the world. One example is Murphy’s Beer Bar off of 2nd Street in Long Beach. A simple beer tavern located above a fitness center, Murphy’s has abundant amounts of beer. Along with the purchase of multiple pints or pitchers you receive chips and salsa to enjoy with your frosty, cool beverage. Upon dipping the chips in the salsa there is a surprising spicy zest that instantly stings your taste buds, and immediately requires a solid chug out of your pint glass. A common food found in bars all over is the traditional bar nuts. These salty little pleasures have been associated with bars for centuries, what might surprise some is that the salt that coats the outside of each nut. Salt creates a dry, dehydrated sense after shoving a few handfuls of nuts in their mouth. These tricks of the trade force people to drink more create most socially occupied customers. Many other forms of food such as hot wings, nachos, and spicy fries can be found at many different bars and seem to get spicier each and every year. Tasting great, and getting the job done creates a somewhat silent ignorance from the patrons within the bar as they cash out when two o’clock in the morning comes around. So next time you think of getting those hot wings ‘extra hot’ just remember sometimes there’s a little ‘extra’ kick added to the already spicy sauce.

Responses

http://kyleshibel.blogspot.com/2009/09/inspirational-chef-needed.html#comments

http://virrygarr.blogspot.com/2009/02/gum.html?showComment=1254535609436#c684888732685179854

Banana Hammock

For years an important part of my daily breakfast has been the banana. Easy-to-grab on the go, and filling enough to ease my stomach until the lunch bell. The potassium enriched yellow slice of heaven not only has been around for centuries, but continues to be found throughout cultures and countries all over the world. Potassium found in a banana is very necessary nutrient in a diet for an active person. It helps with preventing cramps and gives an extra little boost of energy. Thinking back to my high school lacrosse tournaments, I can always remember eating bananas and banana power bars, two or three at a time, in between the exhausting games. With three games back-to-back I needed every little bit of help I could get in my belly. Native to the tropics of Southwest Asia, it is said the banana was first domesticated in the country of Papua New Guinea, and are now farmed all throughout tropical destinations.

One unique feature about bananas is the way they grow. Growing in bundles of 20 or more, the fully edible banana can be found in numerous different recipes throughout the world. Most Asian countries serve the banana cooked, or boiled and eat not only the inside but the outside as well. This fascinates me because I, personally, have never tried the skin of a banana and actually look forward to trying it out. I have grown more accustomed to throwing a Chiquita or two into the blender with some strawberries, yogurt, milk, ice, and any other fruits; frozen or fresh. As well, I love banana chips. Through researching for this blog, I have also learned that a banana can be pealed from the stem, or the other end as well.

When cooking bananas generally, the skin is green, as opposed to the already ripened yellow ones. Found in over 107 countries world wide, it seems the banana is a healthy part of many different cultures. From banana bread to banana pancakes, this yellow-shelled bundle of deliciousness has filled stomachs for centuries and it seems, will always be a part of the worlds diet.

Wine and Dine

Growing up in an Italian family food has always played an important role. Weather it be breakfast, lunch, dinner, or dessert food is always the epicenter of family conversation. From pasta and lasagna to salad and garlic bread each piece of the meal plays an important role. The food each night varies but there is always one common variable found in each meal, wine. Tonight at dinner asked my parents why wine is served with every meal and there was no definite answer except my mom saying, "wine is civilized."

Despite years of looking down upon me indulging myself in alcoholic beverages, wine was always acceptable for me to drink since the age of 12. Not understanding in full perspective the enjoyment of wine, i now realized it is the conversation that can be held over a glass, or two, of wine that makes it so important. Food, to the Italian side of my family, along with wine are used to converse and brings the family closer together. Weather it be pasta, pizza, or lasagna on the table it seems that the wine is always present as well as the conversation. From pre-dinner wine, to dinner wine, to dessert wine, the wine becomes the fuel to conversation which brings the entire family close together.

To me and my family conversation is limited due to conflicting schedules, so now the most time we spend together are the one or two nights a week at the dinner table. The conversation we have at the table keeps us informed on each others lives. Food to our family is more than just a necessity, it is a link to keep the family together. Whether it be at family gatherings, or just home at the dinner table food and wine are key ingredients in keeping this Italian family strung together.

Just like many meals going perfectly with a certain beer, i.e. chicken enchiladas and Pacifico, wine helps bring out many good flavors in Italian cooking. Not only is the wine drank, it is also cooked into many of marinades. A good red wine always seems to make pasta and especially a good cheese a whole notch better.