And Now For Something Completely Different

Yes, the tone of the this blog changes completely from day to day. One day I talk about politics, another I talk about volunteering, and yet another I'll talk about entertainment and food. There is frequently an extreme juxtaposition from day to day. Today's post will be another extreme juxtaposition. Yesterday I talked about America's incompetence in handling Hurricane Katrina, today I'm going to talk about food and music.

The nominees for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Class of 2005 were named last week. Among the nominees were John Mellencamp, Miles Davis, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, and Blondie. Artists are eligible for induction into the Hall of Fame after at least 25 years have passed since their first record has been released. Musicians, industry professionals, and journalists vote and winners will be announced in December.

I am very ambivalent about fast food. Most of it is very unhealthy for you and contributes to the world's (and especially America's) obesity problem. Having said that, it is very convenient and while I don't recommend eating it all the time. Being able to have a meal in 2 minutes really helps on days on the run. As an idea, I prefer the small greasy spoons to the chain stores like McDonald's, Burger King, and Wendy's. Of the burger joints, McDonald's is my least favorite, but having said that, they own a burrito joint called Chipotle which I love. They do burritos and soft tacos and while that may sound very simple, with the different beans, meats, and salsas, there are over 60,000 combinations. Give me a carnitas burrito with black beans, chili corn, sour cream and cheese and I will be immensely happy. Obviously, these shouldn't be eaten every day, but as they use fresh ingredients, they are better for you then a regular burger of the same size.

People that read this can probably guess that I am a foodie. I love good food but I also love reading about good food. The Chicago Sun Times food critic Pat Bruno is great. He reviews the high end restaurants like everyone else, but he also reviews the small places that are less expensive that I would be more likely to go to. While I don't rely solely on critics for an opinion, I do like to compare my opinion to someone else who can express their opinion well.. Recently, he did a column on sandwiches which I found really interesting, and while a few of the places he listed I will definitely have to try, I think that he forgot the Calliope Cafe. Admittedly, I can't think of a specific sandwich that should be listed, I think there are several that definitely deserve consideration such as the Pineapple Chicken Salad Sandwich or the Orange Barbecue Pork Loin Sandwich.

In Iraq, the American death toll is now 31 for September and 1915 in total.