Retro Nation

Hitting to all fields today…

1) Yes, that was me giving out a cheer in my cubicle when A.J. hit the home run in the first inning to put the White Sox up 5-0. Look, it’s not my fault that they scheduled a Sox playoff game during the day. You have to understand, this is the Sox first playoff victory since I was a sophomore in college (and even more incredible, it is their first home playoff victory since I was a negative fourteen years old). Moments like this come once in a lifetime for a Chicagoan so we savor them while we can.

2) I have to give Burger King credit for just having the courage to produce their latest offering. The “Meatnormous Omelet” As the commercial states “It is meat piled on top of meat piled on top of meat” with a generous helping of eggs. You have to give props to a company that goes “Screw all this health conscious bull. Here is a big old heap of meat and eggs. Eat it and try not to have a heart attack while you’re still in the drive thru lane.”

3) On the fast food front, I heard another classic Johnson County commercial today on the radio. A good one minute spot highlighting the grand reopening of the KenTacoHut. First of all, I love the premise of the KenTacoHut, a shop for those among us who can’t decide between Chicken, Mexican or Pizza. It also gives you a sense of just what preparation is actually needed in the back room, given that you can serve all three concepts in the same store. But what amazes me is that we are celebrating the Grand Reopening. It’s a fast food restaurant. It’s not like I’ve never seen one before. How does this qualify as a celebration? And why in the world is it something that needs a commercial in afternoon drive time?

4) Back to the Jem and the Holograms discussion from earlier in the week (and yes, it amazes me that while the blog readership is probably amongst the most educated people in the country we will spend days discussing old cartoon shows), I don’t think that I’d like to be remembered as the signing voice of Jem. The songs were never that good. And wasn’t Jem like her alter ego, as if being a teen idol was equivalent to being a super-hero. Talk about a flawed premise from the 80’s.

5) And speaking of flawed premises from the 80’s, the absolute coolest concert is in KC next Wednesday, just blocks from my apartment. I am talking of course about the triumphant return of Stryper. Yes, the original Christian metal band is back. I am so tempted to go to this show just to see what type of crowd they draw. Honestly, it could just be a bunch of people going, “You guys are still alive?”

6) Oh, and while I’m on the 80’s subject matter I did see that VH-1 is going to do another I Love the 80’s special in two weeks. Normally, I would consider that a waste of programming time. Then I remembered that it was VH-1 and really, nothing could be considered a waste on that network. Instead, much like I’ve done for the Oscars, expect a full play-by-play of I Love the 80’s. It’ll be nostalgia-rific.

7) One last note. I caught a bit of “How I Met Your Mother” last night and I liked it enough that I’ll have to start watching the show. Not only does it have Willow from Buffy (always a plus in my book) but it also stars Doogie Howser. That alone is enough to get my attention. However, I am nervous about watching sitcoms on CBS. I mean, I’ll start watching this and then I’ll suddenly start to find The King of Queens to be funny and next thing you know I’ll basically be dead inside. So let’s just say that I will be proceeding with caution.