Culinary Delights

Bacon, eggs, and Cheetos -- not just for breakfast anymore.

Alien Evidence

Forget about the UFO crash at Roswell, New Mexico and Area 51 in Nevada. Travelers from outer space are being held for study in an undisclosed location at the Smithsonian Institution outside Washington DC as evidenced by the photo above. More info to come.

Honey Buckets of Love

Monday started our neighbors big construction project. This lovely "extra bathroom" will be my view for the next month or so.

Roger & Me

My adorable furry friend, Roger, came to stay with me for about 4 days. His visit couldn't have come at a better time as I was in need of some serious pet therapy. I've had some challenging days at work and without my best friend/spouse here to lean on I am relying on my canine pals to hear my woes! I'll have Hardy (Michael & Brennan's dog) next week to pick up where Roger left off.

Rednecks from Outer Space

You might be a redneck if...your Apollo 14 space capsule is up on blocks in your front yard. As seen at the Smithsonian Institution's Paul Garber Restoration Center in Suitland, Maryland (thanks to Judy W.)

White Man, Black Market

Every Saturday, in a high school parking lot near my apartment, there is an open-air market that is pretty amazing in this day and age of big-box, mega-mall consumerism. The market consists of almost 100 tents and stalls selling just about anything you can buy at Target. Gallon of Clorox? Check. Car floor mats? Check. Levis jeans? Check. Radio-controlled toy car? Check. New toilet seats? Check. All the stuff is brand new, in its original packaging. Almost all of the vendors and shoppers seemed to be of some flavor of ethnic minority, recent immigrants to the Hyattsville, MD area which is a real-life melting pot at least in terms of Latin American and African immigrants. The market is very much a social event, with many folks hanging out in the shade and talking as much as they are shopping. I imagine that many of these people are used to shopping in markets like this back in their home countries, most of which are probably under-developed nations that have not been swamped by consumer-capitalism. It is very interesting to experience, and the prices are pretty good too. I bought 12 pairs of socks (Amrican Spiirit [sic] brand) from a Vietnamese vendor for eight bucks.