I've totally been approached by the White Van Men! In Berkeley. On the corner of College and Bancroft, in case anyone cares. Damndest thing. I wasn't exactly well-dressed, so how they figured I might have $200 on hand to drop on a pair of speakers was a little beyond me.

I don't know about white van men, but in our small town (in Denmark) we have this bar about which peopl say you'll get a new stereo faster than you'll get a beer.

D. Over-aggressive West Coast gigolos.

Will my squicky insinuation that eve's dad has been repeatedly propositioned by male prostitutes finally earn me a banning? Tune in tomorrow...

'overstocked.' Heh.

At the local Food Lion (a grocery chain) they had a sign up a couple of years ago that someone had apparently made using some sort of MS Word template. It read, in big bold letters: "WANTED: EXPERIENCED MEAT Cutters." (The "Cutters" part was in a smaller font and not bold.)

I was sorely tempted to walk in there, find a female manager and swagger up to her, thrust my hips forward and declare, "I'm experienced meat. Where do ya want me?"

That grocery store (though I shudder to call it one) has nothing. No cheese, pate or anything. I thought that our Albertsons were bad over here. But then I saw a Food Lion. My god how can you find anything fit for human consumption?

Bah! there is no life East of the 5.

Well that would depend on which Food Lion you are visiting. I'd guess that none of my grocery stores are stocked enough for you west coasters.

Now I'd pay ten bucks to see that!! Hee!

Not a banning, but definitely a TMI pt. Though I did get propositioned by a female prostitute, on the street in Victoria, BC, while I was walking with my wife and kids.
It's Amino world without Chemists

I've never been propositioned by anyone, but once as a teenager I was mistaken for a prostitute. By a Japanese business man. Once I realized what he was asking, I was so embarrassed. And once he realized he was mistaken, man was HE embarrassed!

If anyone remembers the fashions back then, you might understand the confusion...

You were dressed like a flapper?
runs and hides behind steff

Maybe it was the way my silk stockings were rolled up? But my hair wasn't bobbed!!

That Catharine Zeta-Jones in Chicago looked pretty darn good. And I've always imagined that you looked like her.
It's Amino world without Chemists

That Catharine Zeta-Jones in Chicago looked pretty darn good. And I've always imagined that you looked like her.

Yeah... I get that a lot.

could put on a potato sack and still look good
--" The torture never stops"--

I prefer to visualize her without the potato sack.

Now visualize her doing the Horizontal Mambo with Michael Douglas.

Creepy.

That was going to by my point exactly.

*grin*

Woo-hoo! I'd keep running if I were you, ParU- there ain't noplace on this earth that's safe for you now!

On the other hand, you can run but you'll only die tired...

I dunno if it will earn you a banning, but it's got me rolling on the floor, Mike. Which makes it really hard to type, which in turn explains why I first called you "Minke"--gotta love the edit comment feature.

1) You bastards!

2) McDonald's doesn't have any menu item that involves steak, that I know of. Then again, I haven't had any food from McDonald's in about 10 years, so who knows.

Who in their right mind sells meat--even frozen meat-- 1) out of the back of their car and 2) does it in the parking lot at McDonald's?

I'll buy a non-organic, possibly mad cow steak, broil it until its super rare, and eat it without a second though to my health, but buy steak from some guy off the street? Maybe--and only maybe--if I'm making something like carne asada, where several bacteria-killing marinades may be present and the meat will be cook all the way through thoroughly.

Oy.

When I got back from Spain, I realized how many SPanish expressions are used and misused by americans everyday. "Carne Asada," really just means "Roasted meat," and so the Taco Bell commercials advertising "Carne Asada Steak!" drive me to redundancy-induced neurotic fits.
Enjoy your roast meat.

"Steak Fajita" Fajita specifically refers to steak. This is why "Chicken Fajita" also drives me nuts. If it's chicken, IT'S NOT A FREAKING FAJITA.

Same with "Chicken Gyro"

Although my very favorite is that The Ground Round lists an appetizer of "steak yakitori".
Yaki - grill, roast etc
Tori - Bird

My brain hurts. Just call it Yakiniku and be done with it!

So what is it, if they use chicken? I could start making up Spanish-sounding words here, but I think that would only amuse me. But I am curious--plus if I know the correct term, then I can confuse my server, and that's always fun.
No, I would not actually do that. But I would think about it. A lot.

A lot of people don't know about the fajita thing. I grew up in "Little Mexico," but I'd never heard what they actually call the dish that is like a fajita, but made with chicken.

Mostly, I just called it a fajita to piss them off. I'm controversial like that.

*grin*

Fajitas are one of my pet peeves only because the spelling seems to cause an inordinate amount of problems. I have heard them called "Fagditas," on multiple occasions and once, apparently to correct this problem, by school servery had them listed as "Fahitas." H's are silent in Spanish. Totally silent.
Sigh.

I myself am still amused at the "Family Guy" way of pronouncing them. Fah-JIE-tuh. So immature of me, but whaddaya do. It's not like I would EVER order them that way. Don't think I've ever ordered one anyway.

Recently in a restaurant in Barstow, one of my co-workers tried to order one of the "fancy" cocktails on the menu called a "Mojito Margarita". He repeated it to the waitress a few times, pronouncing it correctly, and received only a confused look in response. Eventually, the light went on in my head (granted, it's only about 75 watts, but this is Barstow we're talking about), and I told her, "He wants a moe-GEE-toe margarita."

"OH! OK!" she responded, in a tone that implied, "Well, why the hell didn't you *say* so?" I think the funniest part is that the waitress was that ignorant while my *Swedish* co-worker, who has lived in southern California all of one year, pronounced it correctly.

*sigh* I have to spend far too much time in that town. Pity me.

Cheers

*********
"Life is too short for grief. Or regret. Or bullshit." -- Edward Abbey, Vox Clamantis in Deserto

I had to live for a year in a place where Barstow was the nearest "city". This, especially after living most of my life in Anchorage, deserves pity.

Would that be Ft. Irwin?

I do some sub-contract work out there one or two weeks per month, which is why I'm obligated to spend so much time in Barstow.

Cheers

*********
"Life is too short for grief. Or regret. Or bullshit." -- Edward Abbey, Vox Clamantis in Deserto

No; I lived in Newberry Springs for a while with my grandmother, and then in Daggett with my mother and siblings. I went to Silver Valley High School in Yermo for half of my junior year, and was one of the 25% of the student body that was not associated with the base in any way.

Wouldn't that be near the Coal Gasification Plant and Solar One power plants are?
It's Amino world without Chemists

I haven't checked yet, but I do believe that Newberry Springs is where "The Baghdad Cafe" was filmed. It's been a long time since I've watched the movie, but I do remember a couple of parts involving weird lights in the sky caused by large solar panels nearby. I guess I should just sit down and watch the movie again!

***Edited to add that I'm boggled by the fact that there's a high school in Yermo.

*********
"Life is too short for grief. Or regret. Or bullshit." -- Edward Abbey, Vox Clamantis in Deserto

It's been a while since I was last there, but maybe. It was between Newberry Springs and Yermo.. appx. 10 miles from Newberry Srings and roughly 40 miles from Yermo... I seem to remember lots of alfalfa fields, some ostrich farms, lots of creote bushes... and maybe a sun farm.

Actually, it was a 'trick' question. I knew it was where the world's largest solar facility is, but don't ask me how I know.
It's Amino world without Chemists

Would you believe that I've been there? My father did some contract work there (in the 60's) and I went along with my older brother for some kind of 'kids' day thing. Still in the middle of nowhere, though.
It's Amino world without Chemists

Oddly enough, years before I had any idea I'd end up working at Fort Irwin, I picked up a California Thomas Bros. Map Guide in a fit of extreme boredom and tried to find the most Middle of Nowhere town in California. Fort Irwin was the winner. Or loser, I suppose.

Cheers

*********
"Life is too short for grief. Or regret. Or bullshit." -- Edward Abbey, Vox Clamantis in Deserto

You're from ALASKA?! No way! Dish, dude, I love comparing notes. I miss home.
...Unless, of course, you're referring to a different "Anchorage," in which case disregard this post.

Anchorage, Alaska; It has been about 7 years since I have had the privilege of living there, but I try to keep in touch. Later this year I hope to take my wife there... maybe the kids too. When where you last in the Great Land?

5 minutes is too long to spend in Barstow. *shudder*

Barstow was an inhabited chunk of land at which my parents would stop for gas and occasionally fast food on our way to my grandparents' house in Las Vegas, when I was a kid.

Tucumcari, New Mexico The sole reason for it's existence being that you have to stop for gas and food somewhere. And it's another reason why the 55 mph speed limit imposed by Easteners was really, really stupid. (Look at a map).
It's Amino world without Chemists

Oh my!!!! (For you East Coasters look it up on a map and you'll see why)
It's Amino world without Chemists

ok, here's the thing: if you're ordering them at taco bell or chi-chi's or... well, nearly any place you can order them from most places in the country, they're not REALLY mexican food anyway. they're what passes for same north o' the border here. i mean, i eat tons of it, it's good stuff (and cheeeeeesy), but come on. if you're going to make up a food it doesn't matter what you call it, spanish aside.

well, YEAH, i'm still gonna poke fun at them because of the wrongness of the names. duh. *grin*

And I've been told that "quesadilla" translates as "little cheesy thing".

Right up there with the guy who saw some Chinese script that he liked the looks of and got it tattooed on his arm, only to find out later that it said "noodle".

At least it didn't say "dumbass," or something far worse.

*grin*

There is a story of a woman who designed her own sweater patterns. One of her favourites was a sweater that incorporated some Chinese characters she'd seen in the margin of a restaurant menu. One day she wore it in Chinatown.
Eventually someone explained to her that her sweater read "This dish is cheap but delicious."

Any chance I can get that sweater. Sounds like my life motto.

Saoirse,
Shia Ceallach