BD's Mongolian Grill

Last night, I had the displeasure of going to BD's Mongolian Grill for a friend's birthday party. It's a create-your-own stir fry place. I've never been to any place like that before, and I'm not really familiar with stir fry.

The unfortunate experience began by waiting for what I consider a long time in an excessively crowded area near the doors. We arrived around 15 minutes before our reservation time, and ended up waiting 25 minutes to actually sit down. While waiting, my friend made an observation that a lot of people wear jeans. Good observation.

For my stir fry, I just chose a bunch of things that might be okay. Pasta, tofu, broccoli, carrots, tomatoes, green pepper, basil, and some other stuff. I chose to add a sauce to my bowl for added taste. I sampled a few sauces (kung pao, jerk, etc) and didn't care for them. Too salty or something, and I just wouldn't like it. Then I saw marinara sauce, and I'm like, I like marinara! So I chose that, and then put some red pepper and a couple other peppery spices in the sauce because I like peppery flavour.

Waited in a long enough line for my food to be cooked. I informed the griller that I'm a vegetarian, and they just put some things around my food & used different sticks (I don't know what they're actually called) to mix it around, so nearby food wouldn't get in it.

I took the food back to the table and began eating. It was disgusting. I have no idea how to make a stir fry, haha. I should have just had it without any sauce, but nooo. I ended up eating brown rice and tortillas that were at the table.

I paid $14 for this great meal. Thanks, party-of-6-or-more 18% gratuity. And paying $11 for a vegetarian bowl.

People ordered desserts. We ended up sitting in the restaurant for THREE HOURS. Seriously. That's a little too long for me, even if I did like it. My phone died. Tragic. I did not have a very enjoyable time.

The end.

Cookies for everyone!

For all of you who are feeling forever alone on this day of love, don't worry! I have made homemade peanut butter cookies for everyone in the same predicament! If you're allergic, I'm sorry, but you really are forever alone.

For those of you wondering, I used this recipe. The cookies taste great. ohmygodpeanutbuttercookies!

Skinny Pepsi Can

It's more than just a different can design... it's a whole new shape. Well I guess it's still the same shape, as it remains a cylinder, but you know what I mean.

I really like the new look. I don't even like Pepsi, but it looks so sleek that I'll probably go out and buy one anyways! Their marketing is working.

Pepsi says that the new can will be hit stores in March. Don't worry, those against change! The normal can will still continue to sell alongside the new can.

Yay Packers!

If you've already read enough blogs about the Super Bowl, I apologize. As a lifelong Wisconsinite, I am obligated to celebrate the Super Bowl win by our Green Bay Packers. Silly Steelers, throwing interceptions is counterproductive!

Anyways, yeah, I was surprised the Packers were doing so good at first! And then the Steelers scored a touchdown. And another. And another, this time with a 2 point conversion. The Packers were still on top, but it was a 3 point game. I was worried. But the Packers won, yay! I can continue listening to "Black and Yellow" and be okay with that!

None of the commercials really stuck out to me, but I wasn't watching it for the commercials. I just saw a lot of Doritos.

The Black Eyed Peas kinda suck without auto-tune. Of course. You'd think they'd have someone.... better... perform at half time. Not that I dislike the Black Eyed Peas, but I'd rather see someone who can actually sing. It was pretty though. I loved the lights and stuff. The lighted people were way cool.

Okay, I think I'm done with sports until the Packers play again. 

conveyor belts, trains, and other stuff.

What if trains all of the roads were conveyor belts, so your car would get places super fast? Disregard the plethora of issues that would arise, lol. Or what if there were really long trains without gaps, and there were convener belts on top of the trains, and then cars on top of that?! LOL. That's like magic!

This is something I think about frequently.

I clearly don't know what to say.

Snow!

So I dunno about you personally, anonymous reader, but where I live got some pretty awesome snow last night. It snowed all night and there were wind gusts, causing some nice drifts. There was a spot in my driveway barren of snow, and a snow drift a couple feet deep.

You see that? Fun stuff!

I stuck my head out my window today (literally) and noticed this massive "icicle" formation on the end of the gutter. I'm not sure if it really counts as an icicle because it's just so.... big. And thick.

It's that thing parallel to the metal pole. I think it's magic. What do you think of that? Yummy.

Sony TX7 review

I've had this camera since July, so I might as well make a review of it, especially after I've posted some photos. Prior to this camera, I had a Sony T70, but it started having some major issues (shaking) so I got a new one.

Old (T70) vs New (TX7)

There are many things I really like about this camera, and there are a few things I wish were better. So I've compiled a list of the positives/negatives that real people would care about.

Positives:

• 3.5" touch screen. No buttons on the back. Amazing, I love it. I use a screen protector to prevent scratches.
• Slim. And sexy.
• HD video. It can record 720p mp4 files at 30fps, as well as 1080i AVCHD files (which I haven't found a free way to convert to something usable).
• Handheld Twilight Mode. Takes six images quickly & combines. Makes for good pictures in dimly lit settings.
• Panoramas. Capture landscapes easily.
• HDR setting. Takes two images at different exposures & combines. Makes better pictures in high contrast situations.
• SD card compatible. Finally, I'm not required to use Sony's proprietary memory sticks! But it takes those too, if you have one.
• One year warranty. For when it gets sassy. Fortunately, I haven't had to use that yet.

Negatives:

• Battery charge time. Battery life is alright, but it takes a little while to charge it.
• Self timer settings. Once you've taken a picture with the self timer, you have to select the self timer setting again if you want to take another one. I'd like it if it just kept being a self timer until I told it not to.
• AVCHD video compatibility. The videos look great, but I can't find a way to edit .MTS files together, or a converter that doesn't suck for this.

You can view the full list of specifications at Sony's website if you're interested. I can say as much as I want about specifications, but what it comes down to is what the camera puts out. So, with that being said...

 

Macro mode. Those are always fun.

Panoramas.

Handheld twilight mode.

Auto mode vs HDR. The tree outside is more visible in the second shot.
I should probably have a better picture of this.

Normal pictures.

The above video is an example of a 1080i AVCHD .MTS file. Watch in 1080p for best results.

Okay, all done with that. Overall, this camera is a definite improvement from my previous Sony camera. I can't really compare it with other cameras on the market right now because well, I don't have those.

Hope you guys are enjoying the snow. Wisconsin sure is!

Meeting people from the Internets

Hello blog buddies, I don't know what to blog about (again), so I apologize for that. This post lacks content, and I'm looking for feedback. That isn't really fair; I'm aware (I rhymed!).

I can't say I have any interesting stories, as in internet dates or things like that. I've met people from craigslist on multiple occasions, but it was to trade/buy items. It kind of scares me a little, but that's more my social anxiety than thinking they're going to stab me or rape me.

Have you ever met someone from the internet? Does it scare you? How old were you? Why? What happened? What was it like? These questions really don't matter, just talk about your experiences (or lack thereof). Feel free to go into as much detail as you'd like in the comments.

Some pictures for y'all.

I'm at a loss of things to post, so I've decided to just upload a few pictures I've taken. I'm not a photographer, and I don't have a fancypants dSLR camera. Well, enjoy (and leave comments)!

Trains are pretty awesome.

Domo!

No photoshopping required.

High voltage.

County fair.

Lake Michigan.

Have a pleasant weekend!

Morningstar Farms Sausage, Egg, and Cheese Biscuit: Review

Yesterday, when I was busy not blogging, I happened to come across Morningstar Farms "Sausage, Egg, & Cheese Biscuit". For those of you unfamiliar with Morningstar Farms, it's a vegetarian brand, so the "sausage" isn't actually sausage. When trying new things, I normally google them for reviews, but I couldn't find any, so I'll write my own!

I've been a vegetarian for years, but even before that, I never really cared much for sausage. That being said, I found this product surprisingly satisfying! Each biscuit is 270 calories and 8 grams of fat. According to the package, that's "65% less fat than the leading meat containing sausage, egg, and cheese biscuit sandwich".

As you can see, the list of ingredients is extensive. It's certainly not natural or organic, but it's Morningstar Farms (which is owned by Kellogg's, by the way), so that is to be expected. It's clearly heavily processed, and not the most healthy thing, but it'll do.

I popped it in the microwave for a convenient 55 seconds and it came out fine. Not overdone/hard, and not cold in the middle. Just right. The first bite was nearly all biscuit, but the succeeding bites were a pleasant mixture of all contents.

Okay, so that might not look appetizing, but I figured people may want to see what the inside looks like. After I finished eating it, I felt like another one. It's hard to describe the taste, but yeah, it was good.

Overall, I'd give this product 4.5 out of 5 stars. I must deduct half a star for the unhealthiness, but it tasted great. I'd recommend this if you're a lacto-ovo vegetarian, or if you just want to try something new and quick.

Obligatory 100 followers post.

Since everyone else seems to be doing it...

Hooray! At some point last night/early this morning I reached (and surpassed) the 100 follower mark! It's good to know that people are at least semi-interested in my blog. I would especially like to thank my followers who take time out of their daily lives to comment on my blog posts. I love feedback, and it's those people who keep me motivated.

So, to try and avoid making this just another "YAY 100 FOLLOWERS" post, here's something for you to salivate over:

mmmm, funnel cake....

Blogs I don't like.

Blogs can be super entertaining and informative to read, but unfortunately there's quite a lot of blogs that don't interest me. Am I the only one?

• Music blogs. Discovering new music is nice, but a lot of the music on the blogs (i.e., metal, dubstep) doesn't appeal to me, and requires watching a YouTube video. These blogs are also often the kind that require the least amount of effort put into their posts - copy a Wikipedia article & throw in a YouTube link. Done.
• Video game blogs. I probably don't play the video game they're talking about. I don't have the game systems required for said game. I'm not interested.
• Blogs that have two line entries. Oh, so you went to the grocery store and bought eggs?

Some of my friends have said blog types above, and I'd love to comment on their blogs, but I often find myself with nothing worth contributing. I do respect (some of) these blogs for having a concrete theme, which is something I can't seem to master, so good for you guys! I'm serious. So fellow readers of my blog, what do you like/dislike about the blogs of others?

No Strings Attached

I just got back from seeing No Strings Attached, which is a romantic comedy starring Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher.

The story is pretty much what you'd expect from a movie with this title. Emma (N. Portman) and Adam (A. Kutcher) try to peruse a purely sexual relationship without feelings.

I thought the movie was a good watch. If you're a fan of Natalie Portman and/or Ashton Kutcher you'd probably be interested in seeing it. Of course I will more than likely forget this movie later - it's a romantic comedy. But it kept me pretty entertained and it had some funny parts (period CD anyone?) and I wasn't constantly checking my phone the whole time.

P.S. Vote on my Super Bowl poll in the sidebar over yonder! >>>

Not Enough Inputs

One of the things I dislike about having a newer TV is the lack of composite video/stereo audio inputs. I have a Wii, a Playstation, and a Nintendo 64, so I pretty much need those. I love my TV, but unfortunately it only has one place to try to put three things.

I need a composite switch now, or whatever they're called. They're like sex. Sex in a box. Because there's a lot of holes to plug things into. They're like an orgy.

Honest Products

I'm sure you've all seen things like this, but here are a few of my favourite pictures from a Worth1000 contest.

Pretty much.

Might as well market it like this.

This one is so true!

You can view all 7 pages of entries right here.

The government owns you.

Yeah, the United States government pretty much owns your body. 

They tell you what you can and can't do with it. They say it's mandatory to wear your seatbelt in the car, but shouldn't it be your choice? By choosing not to wear your seatbelt, you're not hurting anyone else. The only person you're endangering is yourself. Same goes for drugs. If you want to put chemicals in your body, that should be up to you. As long as you aren't endangering the safety of others around you, what you do to your body should be your decision.

Eh, I don't really know what to write about right now. I apologize.

Antenna Climbing. Terrifying.

Holy oh my God, this is the scariest job ever. The guy doesn't even use a safety harness. If he falls off, he's dead. How much would you have to be paid to do this?

NFL Football: Conference Championships

 

If you're looking for legitimate predictions, you've come to the wrong place. I'm just going to say what I want. Here's how it's going down next week:

• Steelers beat Jets. Why? Because Steelers are black & yellow, and that's a great song.
• Packers beat Bears. Why? Because I'm from Wisconsin.

Need I say more?

Create a Facebook Panorama

The newest Facebook update features 5 of the most recent pictures you've been tagged in at the top. This feature also allows users to create a panoramic image, if they so choose. A website called Panorama Profile makes creating a custom panorama easy.

The website doesn't really explain how to use it. It took me awhile to figure out that you can drag the pink boxes around. There's also a plus and minus button on the right to adjust the size of your picture. To save the images, click each individual image at the top.

Upload to facebook & tag yourself starting with the last image. Overall, I think it's a neat concept. :)