How to make a REAL Chicago-Style Hotdog

How to do it up Chi-Town style. Accept no substitutes. I had a proper one last year when I was there and it truly is a beautiful thing.

Most Addictive Flash Game EVER

Prepare to waste some serious time on this. I'm up to level 16.

Virgin America, ftw

If there's anything the American airline industry could use right now, its some competition. Enter Sir Richard Branson and Virgin America. They're not even cleared to fly by the FAA yet, but the demo plane that Engadget got a look at is absolutely off the chain. Make sure you check out all the pictures of the in-seat entertainment system, its worth it. Rumor is they're going to come in with really cheap rates when they hit the market.

Expanding My Musical Horizons

I recently stumbled upon Karl Hyde's list of his top 20 albums from an interview he did with The Guardian in 1997. Being a huge Underworld fan, I've decided to go through and check out the ones I haven't heard/heard of. So far I'm really liking Black Uhuru. Captain Beefheart is pretty strange stuff, but I'm going to give it a few listens before I pass judgement.

The list:

1. The Isley Brothers - 3 Plus 3
2. Miles Davis - Bitches Brew
3. The Prodigy - Music For the Jilted Generation
4. Kraftwerk - Computer World
5. Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band - Trout Mask Replica
6. Ella Fitzgerald - The Cole Porter Songbook
7. Black Uhuru - Red
8. The Groundhogs - Split
9. Toots and the Maytals - Reggae Greats
10. Arvo Part - Tabula Rasa
11. Miles Davis - Kind of Blue
12. Miles Davis - Sketches of Spain
13. The Beastie Boys - Check Your Head
14. Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band - Strictly Personal
15. Goldie - Timeless
16. Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young - Deja Vu
17. The Beatles - Revolver
18. Aphex Twin - Selected Ambient Works
19. Stevie Wonder - Songs In The Key Of Life
20. Sly and the Family Stone - Fresh

Greatest Box Set Ever

Janus Films, probably the greatest ever home film distribution company (and one of the driving forces behind the Criterion Collection) has released a 50-disc box set spanning 50 years of releases. Tons of awesome stuff in here, including Rashomon, The Rules of the Game, The Seventh Seal, M, Black Orpheus, The Grand Illusion...the list goes on. Its available for a limited time at $650.00, which, if you think about it, is a pretty good deal. A few years back Amazon did a semi-comprehensive Criterion Collection set (minus the stuff they don't have the rights to anymore) that went for $5000.00. I think I need this.

How to eat sushi

The ultimate guide for the sushi-loving gaijin. Was going to get sushi yesterday but ended up eating mexican food and getting blackout drunk instead (thanks Mike).

Epuron Commercial

Pure genius. I guarantee you'll watch it at least twice.

Sometimes its just mutha-fuckin' Waffle House time

iTV

While at first I wasn't that interested in iTV, now that they've come out with a 160 Gb version, I think I might have to get one. The prospect of having access to my 50 Gb iTunes library as well as downloaded movies and TV shows in my living room sounds pretty awesome to me, A quick browse for torrents this morning made me realize how easy it is to find content that's iTunes/iTV viea. I'm currently downloading 300 just to see how the quality is. AND since the interface actually requires a widescreen TV and works best with an HDMI connection, it would fit nicely into my setup. Also of note, Apple sells HDMI cables for $19.95, which is well cheaper than the one I bought at Circuit City a few months back.

Summer

The official beer: Leinenkugel Sunset Wheat



















The official booze: Tanqueray Rangpur





















The official activity: smoking all day