So, we had this American Idolesque talent contest at work and they bribed people into trying out with a $50 Best Buy gift card. Amazingly out of all the tryouts, I was one of 6 finalists, not sure how, I think it was some Equal Employment Opportunity thing or something.
Anyhow, here is my interview video that they showed before my performance...I am noting the following for the record:
1. I was not high, nor had I been in the immediately preceding 10-12 years. 8-)
2. I was actually dead tired. The interview was at 10 a.m. normally not bad, but it was 10 a.m. the morning after Jenn and I had flown back from Mexico.
3. The camera added 20 pounds. Lord knows I am starting a workout/diet routine tomorrow because I am no longer my svelte 215 pounds, that said, I'm looking a bit like Jared in this video. Horrid.
Enjoy. I think I might actually end up with a recording of the performance shortly, but for now, this is the best I can do. Oh and as for the results, I didn't win. A guy from the DC that rocked out La Bamba in Spanish as well as playing guitar won...he totally deserved it.
Friday, May 16, 2008
Friday, May 9, 2008
Where have all the Bugs gone?
Many years ago, my brother and I played a game called Punch Bug. I have no idea where it came from but I know we didn't think of it.
Essentially the rules of the game were two fold. First, the first person to see a VW Bug and this was in the mid 1980s when they were everywhere, said "Punch-Bug Red" and then Second slugged the opposing player in the arm. You also accumulated points, 1 for all colors except Red which you got 10 points. You could also get bonus points for a convertible or other variations.
Unfortunately those Bugs slowly dwindled until the new Bug came out in the early 2000s I think. Anyway, at that point, I couldn't stay married very long playing punch bug with Jennifer so we altered to the rules to make it win-win shall we say. However, without the loveable old Bug, it wasn't quite the same.
That is until we went to Mexico. I suppose Puerto Vallarta is where all Bugs go to die. I mean, I wouldn't mind going there to die. But check out the photos below. These were all taken within about 1 hour stretch on the same block and I likely only took photos of about 1/2 of the ones we saw. (Pardon the photo quality...they are from my cellphone). Oh and we snuck in a photo of a VW bus and one photo where there were 2 Bugs in the same photo (far right on top row)
Essentially the rules of the game were two fold. First, the first person to see a VW Bug and this was in the mid 1980s when they were everywhere, said "Punch-Bug Red" and then Second slugged the opposing player in the arm. You also accumulated points, 1 for all colors except Red which you got 10 points. You could also get bonus points for a convertible or other variations.
Unfortunately those Bugs slowly dwindled until the new Bug came out in the early 2000s I think. Anyway, at that point, I couldn't stay married very long playing punch bug with Jennifer so we altered to the rules to make it win-win shall we say. However, without the loveable old Bug, it wasn't quite the same.
That is until we went to Mexico. I suppose Puerto Vallarta is where all Bugs go to die. I mean, I wouldn't mind going there to die. But check out the photos below. These were all taken within about 1 hour stretch on the same block and I likely only took photos of about 1/2 of the ones we saw. (Pardon the photo quality...they are from my cellphone). Oh and we snuck in a photo of a VW bus and one photo where there were 2 Bugs in the same photo (far right on top row)
Later in the trip on a 30-minute bus ride to down town at night we decided to count how many we saw. We made it somewhere around 40 in 30 minutes. Amazing.
So there you have it...if you need parts or an old-school VW, you know where to go. South of the Border baby!Monday, May 5, 2008
Why?
So, if you are a dedicated Mississippi Raw Footage reader you already know that my lovely bride and I are in sunny Mexico for Cinco de Mayo. Woohoo! I won a contest through work and the payoff was four nights, five days all expenses paid at the Vallarta Palace on the ocean with the following view from our room.
Ignore the chubby guy in the middle of the view and suffice it to say that you have plenty of sunshine, plenty of warmth and plenty of friendly people. Oh yes and that is the Pacific Ocean and some mountains in the background.
Oh and a tap in the entertainment center including Cuervo, Dewars, Bacardi and Smirnoff.
Not mention the fact that we are here on no less than Cinco de Mayo. Sounds like a barrel of laughs, right? But wait, the Mexicans do not celebrate Cinco de Mayo. "What's this?" you say "That's impossible...shouldn't they be eating a bean burrito with some chips and salsa and a frozen margarita or Corona? At least that is what I expected." Silly ethnocentric American!
So, my inquisitive nature leads me to question a friendly young Mexican waiter at lunch.
"You guys don't celebrate Cinco de Mayo here? In the U.S. we celebrate it in a big way."
His response, a simple one..."Why?"
Nice... Oh, and he didn't really elaborate...beyond asking how we celebrate. He's like, "Do you eat tamales?" Sure, tamales, burritos, tacos carne asada, corona, margaritas...all the stuff you are supposed to do on Cinco de Mayo.
Apparently Cinco de Mayo, while it does commemorate the Battle of Puebla where the Mexicans demolished a larger Frenchie army, it is not a significant Mexican Holiday. My impression is that it ranks with the Mexicans somewhere around Flag Day and Arbor Day in the U.S. Maybe it is similar to the Grenada Day, the day the U.S. had about a 45 minute "war" with the island nation of Grenada.
The real Mexican Independence Day is September 16th with a full fledged parade, party, ringing of bells. It is the Grito de Dolores. Who knew? I guess we have to come back down here in four months to really get our party on South of the Border style.
More later from the beach!
Ignore the chubby guy in the middle of the view and suffice it to say that you have plenty of sunshine, plenty of warmth and plenty of friendly people. Oh yes and that is the Pacific Ocean and some mountains in the background.
Oh and a tap in the entertainment center including Cuervo, Dewars, Bacardi and Smirnoff.
Not mention the fact that we are here on no less than Cinco de Mayo. Sounds like a barrel of laughs, right? But wait, the Mexicans do not celebrate Cinco de Mayo. "What's this?" you say "That's impossible...shouldn't they be eating a bean burrito with some chips and salsa and a frozen margarita or Corona? At least that is what I expected." Silly ethnocentric American!
So, my inquisitive nature leads me to question a friendly young Mexican waiter at lunch.
"You guys don't celebrate Cinco de Mayo here? In the U.S. we celebrate it in a big way."
His response, a simple one..."Why?"
Nice... Oh, and he didn't really elaborate...beyond asking how we celebrate. He's like, "Do you eat tamales?" Sure, tamales, burritos, tacos carne asada, corona, margaritas...all the stuff you are supposed to do on Cinco de Mayo.
Apparently Cinco de Mayo, while it does commemorate the Battle of Puebla where the Mexicans demolished a larger Frenchie army, it is not a significant Mexican Holiday. My impression is that it ranks with the Mexicans somewhere around Flag Day and Arbor Day in the U.S. Maybe it is similar to the Grenada Day, the day the U.S. had about a 45 minute "war" with the island nation of Grenada.
The real Mexican Independence Day is September 16th with a full fledged parade, party, ringing of bells. It is the Grito de Dolores. Who knew? I guess we have to come back down here in four months to really get our party on South of the Border style.
More later from the beach!
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