Steve Jobs (10/5)
I spent most of my life making fun of Apple products, until this year when I actually bought a few. I'm very happy with my iPad and MacBook Pro, and looking forward to moving up from my Droid (which started out fine, but has started to suck lately) to an iPhone. I don't know much about Jobs, but he seemed like a good guy.
Kim Jong-il (12/17)
Kim Jong-il, AKA our dear sweet little general soldier leader boy, was best known for his role as the North Korean dictator in Team America: World Police. He was a total nutcase.
Jack LaLanne (1/23)
Apparently this guy was like 150 years old or something, and did nothing all day except exercise and drink juice. I never saw his old stuff from the 50's, but I remember an informercial for his juicer, where he made some kind of statement about how juice is all about life, and meat is all about despair and death. I think I was eating a giant steak the first time I saw it, and it really made me think - if guys like this can live for a long time and never eat meat, then maybe, just maybe, there will be more left for me.
Harmon Killebrew (5/17)
The only thing I remember about this guy is that he was on Home Run Derby, which I used to watch as a kid. Watch on Hulu
Heavy D (11/8)
He never got much notoriety as a thin rapper named Skinny D, so he put on a few pounds and reinvented himself as that guy who did the In Living Color opening theme.
Frances Bay (9/15)
Frances was best known as Happy Gilmore's grandmother in the Adam Sandler masterpiece. Great movie, unlike the crap that Sandler's been spewing lately.
Muammar Gaddafi (10/20)
This guy holds the record for the most number of spellings of his name. Aside from that, the only thing I know about him is that he was the head of the country that tried to kill Doc Brown, so I think the world is better off now. Watch on YouTube
Osama bin Laden (5/2)
Good riddance to this piece of garbage.
I started at a new job shortly before 2011 started, so I had to find a new set of places to eat. Here is the list of the restaurants I visited most often in 2011.
#1:Babbo Italian Eatery [Yelp] 6855 North 16th Street
Last year's rank: #3
I've been coming here regularly for years, and always loved the place. Great food, great service, and really nice people. Favorite dish: Buffalo chicken caesar salad (when I'm eating healthy) - otherwise the Three-Cheese Mac and Cheese
#2:YC's Mongolian Grill [Yelp] 3206 S McClintock Drive
Last year's rank: #6 (different location)
A great place to go when you want to eat reasonably healthy, without sacrificing taste. If you do it right, you can put together a very healthy meal that's still very satisfying. Favorite dish: Turkey, onions, green onions, celery, tomatoes, carrots, bell peppers, noodles, with YC's Own, orange, garlic, and ginger sauces
#3:Chipotle 4423 East Thomas Road
Last year's rank: N/A
Made with quality ingredients, and served fast even with a line, this is always a good place to stop for lunch. Favorite dish: Chicken soft tacos with cheese, hot sauce, corn, and lettuce
#4:The Barbecue Company Grill and Cafe 4636 South 36th Street
Last year's rank: N/A
This place is off of the main roads, and only open lunch hours, but it's always busy. They do a buffet once a month, and the place is just packed. They've got some great sauce, and lots of very good barbecue meats. Favorite dish: Smoked beef brisket sandwich with seasoned fries
#5:Sonora Mesquite Grill [Yelp] 4613 East Thomas Road
Last year's rank: N/A
These guys make some delicious tacos - quality meats, with tasty toppings and excellent salsas. Favorite dish: Barbacoa soft tacos
#6:Spinato's Pizzeria [Yelp] 11108 North Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard
Last year's rank: #4 Favorite dish: Thick crust pizza - I like to experiment with the toppings. Everything I've had has always been good.
#7:Cornish Pasty Company [Yelp] 960 West University Drive, Tempe
Last year's rank: N/A
These guys put together pastries with one of a couple dozen different fillings and dipping sauces. There are a lot of good items on the menu, so definitely a place to go to multiple times to try them all. Favorite dish: Chicken Alfredo
#8:King's Fish House [Yelp] 35 South McClintock Drive
Last year's rank: N/A
I'm not a seafood guy, so the menu's pretty limited for me. But it's a nice place, good service, and what I do get is always delicious. Favorite dish: Bowties with Chicken
#9:Hap's Pit BBQ [Yelp] 4801 East Washington Street
Last year's rank: N/A
Good barbecue sandwiches and sides, and the fact that it's within walking distance of work makes it an easy choice. Favorite dish: Beef brisket sandwich with garlic mashed potatoes
#10:Joey's of Chicago [Yelp] 4280 East Indian School Road
Last year's rank: N/A
I love a good Italian beef sandwich, dripping in meat juice. These guys definitely deliver that. Favorite dish: Cheesy Italian beef sandwich and fries
#3:
Eagles Are Turning People Into Horses: The Movie
From the brilliant minds of BriTANick, this tells the incredible story about eagles that turn people into horses. This is the strangest short film I've ever seen, and one of the funniest.
To end the year, here's my last "best of 2010" list - my favorite of my tweets (for those of you who aren't into the whole social networking thing, a "tweet" is defined as a dealy-thing that you say on the Twitter - I hope that wasn't too technical). Follow me at http://twitter.com/jtenos
(1) - June 27 Mmm...Nothing better than Hamburger Helper for dinner. Oh wait, actually there are lots of better things, but that's what I had.
(2) - February 3 Phx govt just approved a 2% food tax http://jturl.us/BPav It's getting too expensive to buy groceries, so I guess I'll have to eat out more.
(3) - March 30 Well, the universe didn't explode, so I guess that's a good sign...#LHC (after the Large Hadron Collider started up)
(4) - February 6 Wow, gangs are on Twitter now. I hope they find the social warmth and love that they've missed out on in real life.
(5) - April 21 Tweet #999: Wow, this is my 999th Tweet. I'll have to come up with something special for number 1000.
(6) - June 12 Any sport where the game ends "whenever the ref feels like it", and can end in a tie in a world-level tournament, is just ridiculous.
(7) - July 4 Happy July 4th! It's amazing: 234 years ago today, Sergio "Lucky" Faroush, fireworks inventor, was born. Really makes you think, doesn't it?
(8) - July 17 Is it wrong to sift through a box of Mini-Wheats to find the ones with the most frosting? If so, then I don't want to be right.
(9) - March 7 The Oscars are a joke - any organization that shuns Crank 2 obviously knows nothing about movies.
(10) - July 1 In honor of Canada Day, I think I'll stop at the store for Kraft Dinner tonight.
(11) - September 11 Why can't I remember this? Just because the box says it's got applewood smoked bacon, doesn't mean that it doesn't taste like a Hot Pocket.
(12) - September 30 Here's my experience: 1) Spend weeks trying to use divs with CSS. 2) Curse loudly. 3) Use tables instead and be done in a day.
(13) - September 7 Damn YouTube making me stay up till midnight again watching stupid videos.
(14) - January 31 All these stupid rule changes for the Pro Bowl, they might as well make it 2-hand-touch while they're at it. 1-Mississippi, 2-Mississippi...
(15) - September 30 Good for you OpenOffice - dump Oracle like a sack of rotten potatoes. Welcome LibreOffice.
(16) - April 23 Come on Sardellas, stop having such great deals - I'm trying to eat healthier, and your $6 large specials aren't helping.
(17) - June 20 To all web designers/developers: If you put auto-starting audio on your site, I will track you down and punch you in the back of the head.
(18) - November 1 If I ever meet the person who decided to put straight pins in random places in new shirts, I'm going to punch them in the back of the head. (apparently this was a big year for punching people in the back of the head)
(19) - August 14 Booya! Our 3rd and 4th string is better than your 3rd and 4th string! (during a Cardinals preseason game)
(20) - December 25 I hope everyone had a satisfactory non-partisan, unprejudiced, ethnically-neutral, cordial undefined time period.
Here's a list of my favorite movies of 2010 - not exactly the best year for movies, but there were a few decent releases. My complete movie ranking can be found at http://www.jtenos.com/Movies, where you'll see my lifetime ranking, and my intelligent and thought-provoking commentary on each movie, as demonstrated here. Every once in a while, I actually even write more than one generic sentence.
(1) - The A-Team (#43 overall) This was very entertaining from start to finish. Lots of action, lots of comedy, and lots of fun. As expected, there are a few quick cameos from some of the original actors, and some inside jokes about the series, adding to the fun without being a distraction. Overall an outstanding popcorn flick.
(2) - Kick-Ass (#128 overall) Quite a bit of humor, and plenty of ridiculous "Shoot 'Em Up"-style action and violence. There were a few different comedy styles, from the typical teen movie sex jokes, to the "funny because it's unexpected", to the "making fun of its own genre", to the "that's so ridiculous that it's funny". They all worked well together to produce one pretty funny movie.
(3) - Salt (#147 overall) This stayed exciting and interesting from beginning to end. The story wasn't perfect, but the action was fun, and it kept you on the edge of your seat.
(4) - Hot Tub Time Machine (#154 overall) Consistently funny throughout most of the movie - definitely better than I was expecting. Lots of zany antics and shenanigans, without being too over the top with slapstick.
(5) - Machete (#162 overall) This was exactly what it was supposed to be, and it was very good at it. Plenty of violence, over-stereotyped characters, gratuitous nudity, and more violence. Very entertaining.
(6) - The Expendables (#168 overall) Exactly what you think it's going to be. Lots of explosions, cliches, bad acting, and other awesomeness. This was a once-in-a-lifetime event, definitely a can't-miss movie.
(7) - Killers (#203 overall) Lots of decent jokes and gags. The plot was pretty predictable, especially since I've seen this plot several times before, but they had fun with it. The movie started out like a typical sappy romantic comedy, but thankfully the relationship stuff took a backseat to the more straight comedy, combined with car chases and things blowing up.
(8) - MacGruber (#280 overall) Lots of funny scenes, but nothing extraordinarily funny. Worth watching once, but probably something that you could wait to rent.
(9) - Red (#288 overall) This was reasonably entertaining - could have used some more comedy, but it had a decent story, a decent amount of humor, and some action.
(10) - Inception (#291 overall) Pretty good visuals, and a decent story. Definitely had its flaws, but it's probably worth watching.
This year I attended several live events. Here's a list of my favorites:
(1) - Tom Wilson [December 4 - Tempe Improv] Tom "Biff" Wilson performed at the improv, and put on a hilarious show. Of course there was some Back to the Future humor, including the Question Song. I was dead center stage in the very front, which of course put me in serious danger of being called out, which I was on several occasions. It was an excellent show, non-stop hilarity.
(2) - Weird Al Yankovic [August 13 - Celebrity Theatre in Phoenix] It was an awesome experience to see Weird Al in concert. His music is still hilarious, and his stage presence is full of energy and fun. Blog entry
(3) - Carrie Underwood [October 3 - Jobing.com Arena in Glendale] Carrie Underwood started out with a strong following after her American Idol days. Her first album was great, and they've just gotten better since then. The show in Glendale covered the best of her three albums, and was an incredible performance. This year Carrie has taken over the #1 spot in my list of favorite musicians. Blog entry
(4) - LeAnn Rimes [July 17 - Celebrity Theatre in Phoenix] I enjoyed her earlier albums back in the late 90's, but for some reason never kept up after that. About a month before the show, Groupon had a deal for half off of the price of concert tickets, so I figured I'd check it out. The show was great, and I found out I actually missed a lot of good music in the last several albums.
(5) - Shakira [October 16 - Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas] Shakira's music is a mix of lots of various styles and influences. Somehow she manages to take musical styles that I typically don't care for, and make songs that I really enjoy. The show in Vegas was very good - I didn't have the best seats, but it was still good enough to really enjoy the performance. Blog entry
(6) - Cardinals vs. Broncos [December 12 - University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale] In addition to being a huge win, and the first win in over 2 months, this game was pretty awesome because I got to sit in one of the loft sections, specifically Luis Gonzalez's loft. Comfortable seats, lots of food and drinks, TVs, hand-held electronic football gizmos, and a private restroom.
Continuing the Best of 2010 list, here's a list of my favorite TV shows of 2010. No spoilers here (except maybe a few in the video clips).
(1) - Stargate: Universe This was an experiment by the Stargate creators - a show that was so different from SG-1 and Atlantis, still under the Stargate umbrella. While the first two series were light and action-oriented, SGU is dark and character-based.
This formula has worked well to create an excellent science fiction show. It's slow, and it's not edge-of-your-seat exciting, but it's believable and really gets you invested in the characters.
Like most great sci-fi shows, it's not going to last. Low ratings, due in part to a lot of butt-hurt Stargate fans who boycotted this show because it's not an SG-1 carbon copy, combined with the new "Syfy" channel's total lack of interest in science fiction, mean that this show will not come back for a third season. This was the last space sci-fi show left on TV, and the last true science fiction show on what used to be a channel dedicated to the genre.
(2) - Psych Psych is now in its fifth season, and is still going strong. It really hasn't changed much since the beginning - still holding on to the formula that's worked so well. I guess as long as it continues to be funny, why change?
(3) - Chuck This year has been a little different for Chuck. The Subway marketing campaign that helped to save the show from cancellation after season 2 has become one of the inside jokes this year, with intentional over-the-top in-show advertising. The plot has also changed to allow for new character interactions, and new fun stuff from the Buy More and its employees.
It's been a fun year - I think the second season was probably the best overall, but it's still funny, still has an interesting story, and is still one of the best shows on TV right now.
Due to the low ratings, the budget has been noticeably slashed. There are still big-name guest stars like Linda Hamilton and Steve Austin, but some of the regulars have been left out of quite a few episodes for budget purposes, and the visual effects seem to be less pronounced now. Unfortunately, I think it's been accepted that this will be the final season. Of course, if the idiots at NBC would move it to a less competitive time slot, ratings would almost certainly pick up, but apparently that's not going to happen.
(4) - Community This show is kind of hit-and-miss. They mix realism with ridiculousness, mix stereotypes with unexpected behavior, and aren't afraid to try anything. With as much as they throw at you, some things just aren't going to work. But when it does, it's great.
Some of the funny episodes this year include an episode where the characters are forced to ride around in a KFC-sponsored space shuttle simulator, and an over-the-top conspiracy-theory parody. They've also had magical trampoline, a zombie outbreak, and a stop-motion animated Christmas special.
(5) - White Collar This one's a fun show with some continuing character drama, some crime solving, and some humor. It's interesting the way they manage to work just a little bit of the continuing storyline into most episodes, allowing it to evolve while still keeping the stories mostly standalone.
This seems to fit the mold of some of the successful USA shows, so hopefully it will stick around for at least a few more years.
(6) - 24 This was 24's final season - it lasted eight years, and seemed to run its course. By this year, they were re-using plot elements from prior seasons and lost a little bit of the shock factor that worked so well over the years. However, it was still a high quality, nail-biting action show.
This season did change up a little bit of the formula - it was more personal than business, where what's best for the country was the #2 priority. It allowed for a different side of the characters to show, and really added something to the overall story.
There have been rumors about a 24 movie coming out in a year or two. The 24-episode real-time format has worked very well, but I really think a series of movies would allow them to tell a more traditional action story, which should work equally as well in this setting.
(7) - V This isn't exactly a new concept - superior aliens appear benevolent, but secretly have a dark side. Only 12 episodes aired so far, but they've done a good job setting up the conflict. Looking at the season 2 previews, there's a lot of excitement to look forward to when they come back.
After only airing four episodes, they took four months off before continuing with the next eight. It's been over 7 months since the first season ended - I don't know why ABC is doing this - it seems to me like they're just giving people time to stop caring about the show, less likely to watch when it comes back. But what do I know...
Other Shows The other shows I've followed this year include The Big Bang Theory, How I Met Your Mother, House, Bones, South Park, and Hell's Kitchen. These weren't bad this year, but they've all been around awhile, and their best years seem to be behind them. They all had their moments this year, but to me, they're just not what they once were.
I'm done with Hell's Kitchen, which doesn't hold my interest anymore. South Park is on the bubble - they've had a lot of terrible episodes this year, so it may be time for that one to end, like the Simpsons should have about 5 years ago.
Here are some of my favorite YouTube videos for the year 2010. Mostly amateur stuff, but a few commercials that were just too good to pass up.
There's quite a bit of swearing and some adult humor here, so be careful if you're easily offended...
(1) Party in the Chick-fil-A Just a fun song and video celebrating the best fast food chain in the country - to the tune of Miley Cyrus's Party in the USA.
(2) iPhone4 vs HTC Evo [Language] I feel like this whenever I try to reason with Apple fans. Rather than an actual video, this is just a couple of animated bears talking to each other, using computerized voices. It seems silly, but this really added to the comedy.
(3) Basil Marceaux : The Next Governor of Tennessee If this guy truly believed he had a shot, then he's really got some kind of problem, and it's kind of sad. But if he's just a very convincing troll, then he did an outstanding job.
(5) Axe Clean Your Balls [Adult humor] I'm really surprised they got away with this ad campaign. This kind of thing usually ends up on the "too hot for TV" specials, or web-only advertising, but this has been on TV quite a bit. I suppose it proves that the funnier something is, the more you can get away with.
(6) Pacman: The Movie Trailer This was an April Fools joke, but it was a well done trailer, and given the current state of the movie industry, it was just a little believable, since you know people would go see this, no matter how craptastic it would have been.
(7) GINGERS DO HAVE SOULS!! [Language] When South Park made fun of red-haired people, this kid was incredibly offended, and he gives them a piece of his mind here. He's made several videos after this one, and they're all pretty hilarious.
(8) The English Language In 24 Accents [Language] There are a lot of videos like this, but this guy does pretty good with the accents, and is kind of funny on top of that.
Here is a list of my favorite places to eat throughout the year in 2010. Lots of new places this year compared to last year.
(1) Corleone's 15040 North Northsight Boulevard, Scottsdale, AZ 85260 Last year's rank: #9 Their Philly cheesesteak with Cheez Whiz is very addictive - especially when they keep sending coupons worth about 40% off the regular price. They've got a few other pretty good sandwiches, like buffalo chicken and barbecue chicken, and they have a decent pizza, but I'm sticking with the good old #1. Favorite dish: Philly Cheesesteak with grilled onions and Cheez Whiz
(2) Al's Beef [Yelp] 14740 North Northsight Boulevard, Scottsdale, AZ 85260 Last year's rank: N/A Of three Italian beef restaurants near my work, this was my favorite. The beef sandwich has a great flavor to it, especially when ordered "dipped", when it comes out just dripping in juices. Favorite dish: Regular Al Italian Beef sandwich with grilled onions and provolone cheese
(3) Babbo Italian Eatery [Yelp] 6855 North 16th Street, Phoenix, AZ 85016 Last year's rank: #8 This place has plenty of great pizzas and pastas to choose from. Everyone is very friendly, and it just seems like a big family - always welcoming, and there are lots of regulars, including myself. Monday nights, when I typically come in, the place is packed, with people coming in non-stop to order their $5.99 spaghetti and meatball special. Favorite dish: Three Cheese Mac and Cheese (including bacon and Italian sausage)
(4) Spinato's Pizzeria [Yelp] 11108 North Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard, Scottsdale, AZ 85259 Last year's rank: N/A The place has a friendly atmosphere, with good food and good prices. Favorite dish: Thick crust pizza with salami and black olives, with a cannoli for dessert
(5) Joe's Real BBQ 301 North Gilbert Road, Gilbert, AZ 85234 Last year's rank: N/A I've only been here a few times, since I don't get to the southeast valley very often, but I try to make a point to stop at Joe's whenever I do. The barbecue is excellent, probably the best in the valley since El Paso closed down. The side dishes and homemade root beer top off the delicious meal. Favorite dish: BBQ Sampler plate, with homemade applesauce and cheesy potatoes.
(6) YC's Mongolian Grill 9120 East Indian Bend Road, Scottsdale, AZ 85256 Last year's rank: N/A You pick what you want, and as much as you want (at least as much as you can fit in a single bowl). It's all good quality food, and cooks up nicely, with the various sauces fused into the dish. Favorite dish: Turkey, onions, green onions, tomatoes, carrots, bell peppers, noodles, with YC's Own, orange, and garlic sauces
(7) Buffalo Wild Wings 7000 East Mayo Boulevard, Phoenix, AZ 85054 Last year's rank: N/A I think over the course of the year that I tried all of the 14 wing sauces, and enjoyed all of them. The hottest, "Blazin'", was too hot for me, and even though it tasted good, I actually couldn't finish all 6 of my wings because it was so painful. Everything else, from the sweet to the tangy to the spicy sauces, gave a nice flavor to their wings. Favorite dish: Boneless Hot BBQ wings
(8) Taste of Chicago [Yelp] 13802 North Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, AZ 85254 Last year's rank: N/A My second favorite Italian beef place in the area. This is quite a bit different from the others - thicker bread, thicker meat, and a pretty good barbecue beef. Favorite dish: Cheesy beef sandwich
(9) Blue Burrito Grille 7318 East Shea Boulevard, Scottsdale, AZ 85260 Last year's rank: N/A These guys deliver a pretty good burrito, and a nice little salsa bar to complement the multi-colored tortilla chips. Favorite dish: Machaca breakfast burrito
(10) Chick-Fil-A 14995 North 87th Street, Scottsdale, AZ 85260 Last year's rank: #4 This year introduced the spicy chicken sandwich, the first real major change in their menu in recent history. I was a little worried that they were screwing with perfection, but they really got this one right. Just the right amount of buffalo flavor infused into the meat, but still based on the original style. Favorite dish: Spicy chicken sandwich deluxe, no pickles
(Honorable mention) Fogo de Chao [Yelp] 6300 North Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, AZ 85253 Last year's rank: N/A This place is simply amazing. Meat, meat, and more meat, all top quality and loaded with flavor. It's a little expensive but well worth it. The rest of this list is made up of places I went to a lot during the year, and I only went here once this year - but I couldn't leave this off the list. Favorite dish: MEAT
Continuing my "best of" series, here are what I consider my top 10 tweets from 2009.
(1) July 2 Life lesson: When eating cereal w/ a measuring cup 'cause all your spoons including measuring spoons are dirty, maybe it's time to do dishes
(2) June 28 If Michael Jackson was the king of pop, then Billy Mays was the king of screaming in your face with ridiculous claims on mediocre products.
(3) November 4 After an exhaustive search of the house, I found my package of tortillas in my bedroom closet. Stupid cats.
(4) October 2 Boooo....Picking some foreign country instead of the US for the Olympics...That's un-American.
(5) November 21 Is it too much to ask for people to shut their stupid mouths when they're at the movie theater?Some of us paid good money to watch that crap
(6) November 29 Just saw the 24 preview for the 1st time - can't wait. But why can't they just kill off Chloe? She's so annoying - she's the Jar-Jar of 24.
(7) October 18 So #saveballoonboy was a big scam...I feel cheated. That's the last time I hold a candlelight vigil for a lost little kid.
(8) December 26 I think my cats are awake about 45 minutes out of the day - and 30 of those 45 are spent trying to get comfortable so they can sleep.
(9) August 19 Just had a huge breakthrough on my newest personal programming project - coming soon...Will it change the course of the internet? (Hint: no)
(10) December 25 I hope everyone had a merry politically-correct, culturally-neutral, non-specific celebratory time period.
2009 has been a pretty big year for celebrity deaths. Here are my reactions to some of the bigger ones, and what I found most memorable about their lives.
(1) Billy Mays [07/20/1958 - 06/28/2009] Billy Mays was the most in-your-face pitchman on TV, and his commercials were always fun to watch. His style definitely worked - it's hard to find anyone who doesn't know what OxiClean or Orange Glo is, all thanks to Mays's unique showmanship.
(2) Michael Jackson [08/29/1958 - 06/25/2009] This was by far the biggest worldwide event of the year, with millions of people tuning into every detail. After his death, people immediately stopped talking about his creepiness or possible terrible indiscretions, and focused on his music and early life. Thriller, Bad, Beat It, and Black or White are my favorites of the Michael Jackson collection.
(3) Gidget Chipperton [c. 1994 - 07/21/2090] The Taco Bell dog was an enormously popular campaign for Taco Bell back in 1997. I remember the first time seeing the commercial - one of the funniest things I'd ever seen in a commercial, just so ridiculous that it totally worked. I even remember having a "Yo Quiero Taco Bell" T-shirt with a picture of the dog on it.
(4) Ricardo Montalban [11/25/1920 - 01/14/2009] Ricard Montalban had a long and successful career in TV and movies. His greatest role was Khan in Star Trek II - the character was just the right amount of evil. Second best was Vincent Ludwig in The Naked Gun - one of the funniest movies ever made, and Montalban's character was hilarious.
(5) Henry Gibson [09/21/1935 - 09/14/2009] Not a hugely popular actor, but he played one of the funniest roles on Boston Legal - Judge Clark Brown. Judge Brown was the namby-pamby judge who still lived with his mother, and was constantly manipulated by the main characters in court.
(6) Ed McMahon [03/06/1923 - 06/23/2009] I barely remember Ed McMahon from The Tonight Show - I remember him more as the American Family Publishers guy, and the guy that hosted Bloopers and Practical Jokes.
(8) Farrah Fawcett [02/02/1947 - 06/25/2009] This picture is actually the only thing I've ever seen her in.
(9) Wayman Tisdale [06/09/1964 - 05/15/2009] Wayman Tisdale had a long and successful career in the NBA, including his last three seasons with the Phoenix Suns. In addition, he was a very talented jazz musician, releasing several popular albums. He was just a great guy, and was taken early after a fight with cancer.
(10) David Carradine [12/08/1936 - 06/03/2009] I never saw Kung Fu or any of the other hundreds of things David Carradine was in, except Kill Bill (both parts), which were absolutely awful movies. The thing I'll remember most about him was the ridiculous circumstances of his death. Depending on who you believe, he likely died in the most embarassing way possible, in a...how do I put this...compromising situation (if you don't know what I'm talking about, just leave it at that - you don't want to know).
Other famous deaths included Patrick Swayze [08/18/1952 - 09/14/2009] (that guy from some crappy movie in the 80's), Ted Kennedy [02/22/1932 - 08/25/2009] (that old guy), Walter Cronkite [11/04/1916 - 07/17/2009] (that guy from the TV news), and Bea Arthur [05/13/1922 - 04/25/2009] (what's-her-name from The Golden Girls). There's also a ridiculously long list (probably a few thousand) of notable 2009 deaths over at Wikipedia.
Continuing on my Best of 2009 theme, here are a list of my favorite places to eat in the past year.
(1) Oregano's Pizza Bistro 7215 E Shea Blvd, Scottsdale, AZ 85260 Great place to hang out at for lunch. Excellent food to go along with a friendly and fun staff. Very reasonably priced lunch specials - about $6 for unlimited pasta, the stuffed crust pizza of the day, or two massive slices of thin crust pizza. Favorite dish: Heck-of-a-slice of pizza with sausage
(2) Chino Bandido Takee-Outee 15414 North 19th Avenue Phoenix, AZ 85023-4300 This place is definitely unique - it combines Chinese and Mexican dishes to form delicious combos. They've been featured on national television a few times, and won multiple awards, for their unique food style. Favorite dish: Jade Red Chicken
(3) El Paso Bar-B-Que Company 8220 North Hayden Road, Scottsdale, AZ 85258-2487 By far the best barbecue I've had. High quality brisket and pulled pork, with a choice of two amazing sauces, combined with excellent side dishes, El Paso was miles ahead of its competition. They offered $5 lunch specials (eventually went up to $6) of a brisket or pulled pork sandwich with a side, which was easily the best lunch deal around. Unfortunately, all of the locations have shut down, so I've been trying (and failing) to find something anywhere near as good. Favorite dish: Brisket sandwich, spicy BBQ sauce, and sweet potato fries
(4) Chick-Fil-A 14995 North 87th Street, Scottsdale, AZ 85260-2665 Definitely the best form of chicken I've ever had. The original chicken sandwich, strips, nuggets, and all of the breakfast dishes are incredibly tasty, especially when combined with their original barbecue sauce. Great waffle fries, and the grilled chicken club sandwich delivers very nicely as well. Favorite dish: Original Chick-Fil-A Sandwich, no pickles
(5) Quiznos 15050 North Northsight Boulevard, Scottsdale, AZ 85260-2607 Everyone knows Quiznos - Mmm mmm mmm mmm mmm...Toasty. This makes an excellent lunch stop, with quality ingredients, including their delicious toasty bread. Favorite dish: Chicken Carbonara on Rosemary Parmesan
(6) Papa Murphy's 3230 East Union Hills Drive, Phoenix, AZ 85050-3204 Take-and-bake pizza that is built in front of you and wrapped up to bake at home. All parts of the pizza just taste fresher and better in general than any other chain. Favorite dish: Thin Crust deLITE with canadian bacon
(7) The Good Egg 13802 North Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, AZ 85254 Lots of traditional breakfast and lunch foods, from omelettes to pancakes to sandwiches. Favorite dish: Country Combo omelette (Ham, Bacon, Sausage, Jack and Cheddar) with country potatoes
(8) Babbo Italian Eatery 6855 North 16th Street, Phoenix, AZ 85016-1049 Babbo is a great Italian bistro with a few dozen very good pizza and pasta dishes. The staff is always very friendly and easy going, and the place is excellent for a nice relaxing dinner. Since I started going there a couple years ago, I've had about 33 different dishes, and haven't found a bad one yet. Favorite dish: BBQ Chicken pizza
(9) Corleone's 15040 North Northsight Boulevard, Scottsdale, AZ 85260-2615 Authentic (I think) Philly Cheesesteak and similar sandwiches, dripping with grease and Cheez Whiz. Probably not the healthiest sandwich, but very good for once in a while. Favorite dish: Philly Cheesesteak with grilled onions and Cheez Whiz
(10) Qdoba 12005 North Tatum Boulevard, Phoenix, AZ 85028-1650 Very similar to Chipotle, Qdoba offers assembly-line burritos and tacos, with several different meats, all very good, combined with beans, rice, and a variety of sauces and other toppings. Favorite dish: Burrito with shredded beef, rice, queso, hot sauce, cheese, lettuce
(11) May Garden 5814 West Indian School Road, Phoenix, AZ 85031-2421 This is a little hole-in-the-wall place that I passed every day when I was growing up without ever giving it a thought. I first tried it a few years ago, and was very impressed with the food. It's not fancy, but there are a lot of choices on the buffet line that are as good or better than anything I've found anywhere else. Favorite dish: A little of everything - probably the sweet and sour pork
Date: 2009-12-21 12:08:02
Name:
Wendy E (via Facebook)
We need to get you to Philly for a real cheesesteak at Jim's. Fooey on Cheese Whiz. :P And as for May Garden, gee I can't remember it because it has been SOOO LONG since I've been there. :)
I'm starting a series of entries listing the "best of" various categories for 2009. Wow, real original, right? First up: TV Shows
2009 has been an excellent year for television, and even though a few great shows ended, there are some promising new shows that are here to replace them, continuing the circle of life. (By the way, not all of the video clips below are from 2009, but it's the best I could find on YouTube, and I'm too lazy to do this stuff myself.)
(1) Chuck Chuck is a very funny action-comedy series, airing on NBC Monday nights. The fan base is very loyal, but reasonably small, which was the reason the series was nearly cancelled after the second season. Thanks to an amazing fan campaign, of which I participated, the series is coming back for a third season in January, where hopefully ratings will improve to give the show a future.
(2) Dollhouse What started out as a simple and fun sci-fi/action series has progressed into a thought-provoking, intense look at the future. Unfortunately, the show has been cancelled, but Fox has been kind enough to play out the remainder of the series - the final 3 episodes up to the series finale will air in January 2010. After a look at the future in the unaired "Epitaph One", the second season has been building up to what promises to be a spectacular conclusion.
(3) The Big Bang Theory This was a show that I didn't really pay attention to when it first came out. I hadn't had much luck with sitcoms in the last few years, and just didn't give this one a try. A few months ago, I rented the first disc from Netflix to try it out, and it turns out that this is one of the funniest shows I've ever seen. I'm nearly through the second season, and I'm really looking forward to getting caught up with season 3 when that is released on DVD.
(4) Psych Psych is a smart and funny show that's in its 4th season on USA. Everything from the writing to the acting to the casting is excellent - the show consistently produces outstanding episodes, and it's always a lot of fun to watch.
(5) 24 After a year off due to the writers' strike, 24 picked up right where it left off. The show has definitely become formulaic - there's always the plot twist, the "this is only the beginning" scene, the close calls, the annoying office workers, etc. But it still works - this season was as exciting and interesting as they always have been.
(6) House M.D. House started this season on a completely different note. The season premiere was all about House the person, not the doctor, as he attempted to improve his life. After the premiere, we went back to "patient of the week" stories, but with a little more character drama than before, both for House and the other stars of the show. This has given the show a new life, without turning into a soap opera.
(7) How I Met Your Mother How I Met Your Mother is still a high quality comedy, but isn't quite up to the level it was when it started a few years ago. The gimmicks aren't quite as funny as they once were, and even with new things happening to the characters each episode, they seem a little stale. However, there are still a lot of laughs, and it's definitely still on my can't-miss schedule.
(8) Bones Bones has delivered consistent quality from the beginning, and that hasn't changed this year. The show is fun, adventurous, and the characters work very well together.
(9) White Collar White Collar is a new USA show that's halfway through its first season. So far, the show has been fun and interesting, and looks like it has staying power. The original story of the criminal who's helping the FBI while still being suspicious can only last so long, so I'd expect the formula to change slightly before too long. But as long as they keep the characters intriguing, and the stories entertaining, this show should be fun to watch for a long time.
(10) South Park South Park has continued its run as the funniest animated show ever made, giving us another set of hilarious episodes this season. There were a few bad ones this year, which got me worried that maybe the show had run its course, but it came back strong toward the end of the season.
(11) Lie To Me This show premiered in January, and has been pretty consistent since its start. It follows the case of a deception detection firm, with governments and private agencies hiring these people to determine if people are lying. It sometimes plays out as a typical cop drama, sometimes has more fun cases, but always delivers something interesting.
(12) Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles This was another victim of the numbers game this year - the show was cancelled after miserable ratings. However, like many similar shows, it had a loyal following. The show was always exciting, and was just getting into its prime, up to a huge season finale that served as the series finale. It was a shame to see this show go.
(13) Community Community is kind of quirky and silly, but it's just fun to watch. I'd guess that it won't make it past a single season before getting the axe, but I'm enjoying it while it's still on.
(14) Stargate Universe I'm still waiting for this show to find itself. The story of these people getting stranded on the other side of the universe and having to cope has been very interesting, but it's been moving pretty slowly. The simple character drama can only last so long before something has to actually happen, and when it does, it should pick up the pace and make the show something special.
(15) V Only a few episodes of this new show have aired - it's a remake of an old mini-series, which means that a lot of the concept isn't going to be a surprise to anyone. So far, the show seems to have actually moved too quickly, as if it was trying to tell the story in only a few episodes. I've enjoyed it so far, but it really seems like the story is either almost over, or will soon turn into something new entirely. We'll find out next year how it moves forward.
(Honorable Mention) Battlestar Galactica This was a great sci-fi series that focused on some of the darker sides of humanity, the definition of what humanity is all about, and combined that with an exciting space adventure. The show ended in early 2009, after 4 seasons. I really enjoyed the show in general, but wasn't all that impressed with the last few months, especially up to the finale. I'd still list the show as a whole as one of the top sci-fi series.
