The Official "Total Randomness" Thread

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Ryan
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Re: The Official "Total Randomness" Thread

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No worries!!
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anguyen92
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Re: The Official "Total Randomness" Thread

Post by anguyen92 »

On a cheap bus ($12) to the Hollywood Bowl to see The Who. I may be the youngest guy on the bus by like 15 years.

All right I’m here. Experienced the worst traffic I’ve been in and after going to many shows around LA on a Thursday, that says a lot.

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gbruin
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A Moveable Feast

Post by gbruin »

I went to a dinner party the other night with a big group of people who have been gotten together 6 times now over the last 15 years because of a common indoctrination for similar food. Our generous hosts/chefs conceive the menus and prepare the dining setting and then create and serve the meals, and this common bond has created some great friendships among us guests and it is always wonderful to reunite with old friends. The dinner itself is a really big event and is highly anticipated by everyone. For months before the dinner, we guests chat about what might be on the menu and we muse about what is upcoming...what our own preferences would be for the menu, what we heard the chefs were buying at the grocery store, whether we want a similar dinner to the last time or whether we want the chefs to go off in a new direction, whether we want something really hearty all the way through or we want a pretty diverse menu with a variety of options and ingredients. The discussion gets pretty crazy sometimes. Of course, there are always a couple who question if they'll even attend as the last meal didn't suit their delicate palates, but most of us are just starving and are ready for whatever we are served.

The chefs will usually put out some appetizers before the main courses. They are very welcome to us hungry guests, but it tends to make us go a bit bananas with speculation whether the appetizers are a paired introduction for the coming meal or whether they are just there for their own sake. Some people try to avoid the appetizers altogether, preferring to take in the dinner as a whole. I'm usually pretty hungry that I'll steal a bite of a few of them as the smell of coming dinner is too hard to completely ignore. Some people just can't wait and try to sneak in to the kitchen beforehand to see whats actually cooking. I'm pretty sure a few of them do it just so they can brag to the rest of us that they know what is coming. They're kind of jerks. Wouldn't you rather just be surprised? All of us guests bring like a $11.99 bottle of wine to the event (I usually go for a more expensive box variety) as a gift of appreciation to our hosts, and some spend even more on flowers or other colorful gifts, but I think our hosts ultimately do this for the love of the meal and would probably just cook for themselves and family if we weren't coming over already. They are unbelievable wizards around a kitchen and can create masterpieces from simple ingredients that most of us couldn't possibly prepare, no matter how many cookbooks we read or fancy pans we buy.

When the evening of the dinner arrives, it is like a freaking holiday. You can't deny how exciting it is. We guests are so eager to experience the incredible 12-14 dishes that have been years in preparation. Almost everyone arrives right on time, though there are always a few unfortunate individuals who get screwed over by Uber and arrive after everyone has already eaten. They have to suffer the tweets and FB posts from the dinner guests who are already enjoying their meals and that sucks. People eat really differently at this dinner party. Some guests take one small bite at a time, savoring each mouthful and experiencing all the texture and flavor they can. Some wolf it down like a famished Homer Simpson. Some focus on the meal's presentation. Some try parse out each individual ingredient. We try to guess which chefs influenced which dish the most and why they used one ingredient over another. We joke that one chef forgot to add salt to one dish. Some note that the lighting in the room makes it really hard to fully experience everything about the food. Everyone has his or her own approach to the meal and as we eat and then after we finish, we talk together about our thoughts on each of the dishes, the dinner as a whole, our thoughts of the chefs themselves, and any total randomness about the meal that comes to mind. One of the best parts is the hosts always play Alter Bridge during the dinner party because those guys fucking rock. Almost everyone enjoys the meal as a whole, though some take one nibble and complain right away. That always seems weird to me. I've had seemingly bland food blossom into something amazing and something initially tasty give me gastroenteritis. Sometimes you gotta wait to see how a meal turns out. Some guests rush back for seconds and thirds right away. Some prefer to let their food digest slowly before going back. There is a favorite dish or two for almost everyone, though some can't pick a favorite. We compare the dishes at this dinner and to dishes from prior dinners. Polls are created. We vote. We argue. We eat more.

I have loved almost every dish the chefs have prepared for these dinner parties over the years. Occasionally they'll get goofy and will make something with eggplant, but there are so many other amazing dishes nearby that I pay no mind and move on to the next and it's fine. The majority of the guests love the dinner parties. But whether it's a desire to repeat a dinner from previous years or a preference for different ingredients or a total inability to get past the heavy sauces to get all the nuances of the dishes, there are always a few guests who aren't satisfied. That's fine. Everyone has different tastes. What I don't understand is why some of them go to such excessive lengths to post on social media how disappointing the dinner is to them, like the food prepared for them is some personal affront. Whatever. There are plenty of other places to eat and I don't see the purpose of slagging the chefs who have treated and hosted you so well before. We were invited to dinner but no one forced us to attend, so it just seems petty and ungrateful to complain. It's fine to talk about your preferences, but it's dumb to whine about it, and it seems more ridiculous to act indignant and try to tear us apart when the other guests don't welcome those biting words. But every group has every type of person, so I guess that's inevitable. Fortunately, those bitter ends are few and far between.

For me, I tend to be happy and honored simply to be a guest of my favorite chefs. Besides being incredible cooks, they are really really great people in their own right. I'd like to think that if we ever met somewhere outside of one of the dinner parties that we'd go for a walk and have a pleasant conversation about normal things like two everyday people. But they'll never be ordinary people to me. These chefs fed me during their first diner party at a time, though I wasn't totally aware of it then, I was horribly malnourished and in real danger of starving. I never felt as good as after that meal and it made all the difference going forward. For that alone, I am forever falling down in gratitude and I will always appreciate when they have prepared another incredible dinner and invited me over to share it with all my awesome fellow guests whom I'm so lucky to know. And while nothing may ever feed me the way that first dinner party did when I desperately needed it, I do discover a few new favorites at each dinner now, too. The menu my hosts have fed to my body and soul now for 15 years in incomparable and I am healthy and sated today because of it.
Another photobucket casualty... :(
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zazthespaz
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Re: Do you ever have any bass? Or do you not like fish?

Post by zazthespaz »

gbruin wrote:... What I don't understand is why some of them go to such excessive lengths...
Speaking of excessive...

Do you ever feel like once you put a bunch of the dishes on your plate, they accidentally mix together and it's hard to separate a rice dish from a pasta dish?
anguyen92 wrote:
Oh well. Deal with it.
gbruin wrote:
Go reread what zaz says

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Re: The Official "Total Randomness" Thread

Post by anguyen92 »

So I'm contemplating wanting to hang a small screen on my wall in my room above where my computer is at, since I do not have any room to fit a second monitor next to my computer. Now, I don't want to nail anything on my wall since we rent and I rather would not want to dent anything in the house. What would be the best things for me to buy so that I can hang a small monitor on my wall? Also, what screen can I get that can support the weight and allows me to watch videos while playing WoW. I'm setting my budget at $75.00. If I can do this for way cheaper, that would be awesome.

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One Drew Remains
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Re: The Official "Total Randomness" Thread

Post by One Drew Remains »

Kev, how was The Who?
Altered:
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anguyen92
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Re: The Official "Total Randomness" Thread

Post by anguyen92 »

The Who was good. I wouldn't rate them as high as seeing AB, Iron Maiden, Switchfoot, Coheed & Cambria, and Within Temptation, but I think I can safely say that they were the best band that I have ever seen fronted by two guys that were in their mid-70s and older (unless I somehow see Paul McCartney in the future if he is still touring). They played their hits, they threw in a few new songs for an upcoming album, and they had an orchestra backing them in the first and last portions of the set. Roger Daltrey sounded pretty good for a guy his age and still does his mic swings. Pete Townsend sounded good on the guitar for the most part (though there were times when they had the orchestra backing them that I had a hard time identifying his guitar part) and does his windmill technique frequently.

Hollywood Bowl was a very beautiful and old venue, although it took quite a walk to get to my seat. I think I had an easier time getting to my seat when I saw Iron Maiden than I did for The Who and Maiden was playing in a larger venue (Banc of California Stadium held 23k people, Hollywood Bowl held 17k). Can't complain at all for seeing The Who for $27.00 a solid nice night out, although I was stuck in 101 freeway traffic hell for an hour.

The greatest compliment I got from someone at the bus ride on the way home was "Aren't a little young to be at this show," and I retorted, "These guys have been around for probably twice as long as I have been alive, but I couldn't pass off seeing these guys for $27.00."

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zazthespaz
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Re: I still got a t shirt though!

Post by zazthespaz »

My Dad saw The Who at the end of September. They did 4 songs and Roger Daltry's voice gave out so they had to cancel the show.
anguyen92 wrote:
Oh well. Deal with it.
gbruin wrote:
Go reread what zaz says

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Re: The Official "Total Randomness" Thread

Post by anguyen92 »

At Riverside for Switchfoot. Longest drive I ever been through for a show. Two hours of going through traffic.

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Re: The Official "Total Randomness" Thread

Post by One Drew Remains »

Two hours in traffic. "Dare You To Move," seems appropriate.
Altered:
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Re: The Official "Total Randomness" Thread

Post by anguyen92 »

All right, guys. Riddle me this. Why are small monitors so expensive? Is there any good reliable portable monitors that cost like less than $60.00?

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Re: The Official "Total Randomness" Thread

Post by anguyen92 »

Well, this is dandy. My landlord told us that they got to replace an old internet modem so now we're wifi-less for 1-2 days and I'm on a personal hotspot now. I kinda wish they told us a day earlier or start it on Monday so that I can plan better. Now I don't know what else I can do for the next 7 hours. Can't play WoW or watch Twitch streams since that takes up a lot of data. I took a look at Stubhub and the only event close to my interests is seeing the Anaheim Ducks vs the Edmonton Oilers today at the Honda Center. Seats for the worst areas is like $40.00. I don't think I am that desperate to want to go watch the Ducks lose to justify getting out of the house at the last minute.

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zazthespaz
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Re: 7 (?) years strong!

Post by zazthespaz »

Happy Gurthie Day!!!
anguyen92 wrote:
Oh well. Deal with it.
gbruin wrote:
Go reread what zaz says

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Sometimes, when you're right there, you forget

Post by gbruin »

anguyen92 wrote:Well, this is dandy. My landlord told us that they got to replace an old internet modem so now we're wifi-less for 1-2 days and I'm on a personal hotspot now. I kinda wish they told us a day earlier or start it on Monday so that I can plan better. Now I don't know what else I can do for the next 7 hours. Can't play WoW or watch Twitch streams since that takes up a lot of data. I took a look at Stubhub and the only event close to my interests is seeing the Anaheim Ducks vs the Edmonton Oilers today at the Honda Center. Seats for the worst areas is like $40.00. I don't think I am that desperate to want to go watch the Ducks lose to justify getting out of the house at the last minute.
Things I would do in LA with no wifi for 7 hours...
Go to the beach.
Go for a bike ride.
Take the dog for a jog or just let her run at the park.
Go back to the beach.
Find a Barnes & Noble and get a coffee and browse books and read for a couple hours.
Go to In-N-Out. Double double protein animal style.
Probably go to the beach again.
Play some pickup sand volleyball.
Visit the Sculpture Garden at U.C.L.A., then stop by Diddy Reese in the Village.
Enjoy being warm.
Bother Ryan at work or home, wherever he is today.
Go to the tide pools at Carrillo...which is near a beach...
Another photobucket casualty... :(
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Re: 7 (?) years strong!

Post by One Drew Remains »

zazthespaz wrote:Happy Gurthie Day!!!
Happy Gurthie Day to you as well, good citizen. I feel like we should take all of the epic fail AB lyrics, and make an "Ode To The Gurth" ballad out of them.

You know you can't deny it.
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Re: The Official "Total Randomness" Thread

Post by anguyen92 »

Wow. Gurthie was five years ago? If only we know what happened to that guy and what he's been doing since.

Anyway, I'm doing the price checking for flights/hotels to San Francisco, Seattle, Spokane for the AB shows there and it looks like it is going to set me back $787.00 which I think is ok. Costed me $600.00 for my flight/hotel to Orlando/Raleigh, but since I will be staying more nights in hotel rooms, I guess that big of a difference should be expected. I wonder if it could have been slightly cheaper had AB played in LA first and then move up north.

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Re: The Official "Total Randomness" Thread

Post by Ubik »

Anyone else have that thing where they start out looking to buy something, thinking you'll get the cheapest possible one that'll do the job they need it for, and then after researching discover about 6 features that they simply CANNOT live without, trebling the initial budget? I should run government defence programmes.

But do I feel a-alive? Yes.
For all of the hope that it brings...

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Re: The Official "Total Randomness" Thread

Post by anguyen92 »

Never thought I would be in line of 40 people at a ice cream place at 8:30, but here we are. This place better be good.

Edit: 20 minutes later. All right, I'm home now. This cup is pretty sizable for a large portion for $7.00. Strawberries and Cream flavored Italian Ice with a vanilla ice cream scoop on top. I say its worth it. Plus the ice cream looks non-melted yet so that's another plus. I guess I'll go to this place often like every other week then if I have the cash.

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Ryan
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Re: Sometimes, when you're right there, you forget

Post by Ryan »

gbruin wrote:
anguyen92 wrote:Well, this is dandy. My landlord told us that they got to replace an old internet modem so now we're wifi-less for 1-2 days and I'm on a personal hotspot now. I kinda wish they told us a day earlier or start it on Monday so that I can plan better. Now I don't know what else I can do for the next 7 hours. Can't play WoW or watch Twitch streams since that takes up a lot of data. I took a look at Stubhub and the only event close to my interests is seeing the Anaheim Ducks vs the Edmonton Oilers today at the Honda Center. Seats for the worst areas is like $40.00. I don't think I am that desperate to want to go watch the Ducks lose to justify getting out of the house at the last minute.
Things I would do in LA with no wifi for 7 hours...
Go to the beach.
Go for a bike ride.
Take the dog for a jog or just let her run at the park.
Go back to the beach.
Find a Barnes & Noble and get a coffee and browse books and read for a couple hours.
Go to In-N-Out. Double double protein animal style.
Probably go to the beach again.
Play some pickup sand volleyball.
Visit the Sculpture Garden at U.C.L.A., then stop by Diddy Reese in the Village.
Enjoy being warm.
Bother Ryan at work or home, wherever he is today.
Go to the tide pools at Carrillo...which is near a beach...
Haha! I was actually off Monday for the holiday.
Photobucket cash grab.

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Re: The Official "Total Randomness" Thread

Post by abw1987 »

Tonight's episode of The Walking Dead is titled "Open Your Eyes". I won't be watching it live as I'm a few episodes behind but I just noticed that in the listings. Since so much of that show is set in the woods, I wonder what the odds are that someone will stumble across the guys standing on a smoky, burnt out wooded hill, playing OYE in black and white... until the chorus hits at least.
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