Here you will find my latest theories, commentaries, complaints, words of wisdom, practical tips, satires, epiphanies, conspiracies, and random thoughts. Feel free to respond with your comments at charles@crackhousemonkey.com.
I mentioned a while back how during the last presidential election my parents canceled each other's vote because my dad voted for Gore while my mom voted for Bush. This year it has become worse. My dad is staying with the democrats and voting for Kerry while my mom still shows support for Bush. My brother decided to throw his vote to Nader and I will vote for Kucinich. This is not a bright shining moment for democracy.
posted by Charles Wang 9:41 AM | 1 comments
If we really are what we eat, does that mean we are all cannibals?
posted by Charles Wang 9:13 PM | 0 comments
chocolate banana creme coffee cake
posted by Charles Wang 8:46 PM | 0 comments
Sign Language
I've always had an interest in learning sign language. The irony of sign language is that it's a language that shouts. At first, it seems to be very quiet. Your hands are doing all the signing so you don't have to use your voice. Essentially, there's no sound. Actually, when you sign, you are shouting. People standing fifty feet away that can see your hands can see you what you are saying. There's no way for you to whisper when you sign. It is constant shouting.
posted by Charles Wang 8:54 PM | 0 comments
Calamari Review
Fried calamari appetizer at Romano’s Macaroni Grill. This a lightly battered, fried calamari served with a basil pesto aioli and marinara sauce. Overall, it was pretty good. The calamari was a little tough but trying to cook calamari perfectly is difficult. The pesto aioli was very good and it went well with the calamari. The marinara sauce turned out to be spicy which is unusual for marinara. It was a little too spicy to enjoy with the calamari. The serving size wasn't too generous for the amount they were charging. Even though the calamari was mediocre, the rest of the dining experience was great. The rest of the food was good and my family enjoyed one of our best meals there.
posted by Charles Wang 7:51 PM | 0 comments
The best of shrimp cocktail.
Many people's only experience with shrimp cocktail comes from a plastic cup and cost them a dollar in Las Vegas. The best shrimp cocktail I had is at Taqueria el Tapatio. When you eat it inside the restaurant, it comes in a giant wine glass. If you get it "to go," it comes in a large styrofoam cup. It's around $7 dollars but it contains about 20 pieces of shrimp. The cocktail sauce is tomato based and slightly sweet. It's served with saltines. We ordered one and shared it with our entire family. Everyone seemed satisfied. Simply a great deal and great Mexican food.
posted by Charles Wang 4:55 PM | 0 comments
Salsa Review Salsa from Yolanda's. Yolanda's is a semi-authentic Mexican food restaurant. They provide chips and salsa as a free appetizer. You can tell they use fresh ingredients which they blend in a blender. They then add larger chunks of tomato and onion. It is a little spicy. Part of its uniqueness is that it looks like they have drained to the excess liquid from the salsa for it to be a little thicker. It is a small step but it makes a big difference. The most unique part is that it there are green onions in it. The green onions add a higher level of freshness that you can really taste. They also serve a non-spicy salsa. It looks smooth and red with nothing in it like tomato soup. It is also enjoyable because of its sweetness. Both are served with freshly made chips.
posted by Charles Wang 8:47 PM | 0 comments
People in big cities sure get road rage a lot. If you are you still stopped at a green for more than one split second, someone will honk at you. It's a nuisance to other drivers. I think cars should have their horns muted. But that might be going to far. Horns are good if you have driven off a cliff and honking for help. So instead, horns should make different sounds like "meep meep" for a start. It takes the harsh bite from drivers with road rage. Imagine being honked from behind with something like "quack quack" or "gargle gargle" or "zot zot." There's no threat at all. Let's take the "rage" out of road rage.
posted by Charles Wang 11:21 AM | 0 comments
A Prediction about the Future
Many people like to have their car windows tinted. I have mine tinted. One, it keeps the car cooler; two, it makes it more difficult for people to see inside. I have my windows tinted pretty dark. It works great during the day but at night, it's too dark for me to see through the back window. I'm always guessing if there are cars behind me when I back out. So my prediction for the future is that car windows will have transition windows. It's like those transition lenses for glasses. It turns dark when you go outside and clear again when you're inside. You get the nicely tinted windows during the day without the danger of driving at night.
posted by Charles Wang 5:35 PM | 0 comments
Salsa Review
Salsa at El Torrito. This salsa is uniquely served in a shallow dish. It comes with slightly warm chips. It is mildly hot which accommodates to most eaters. Overall, it wasn't too bad. The thing that sticks in my mind is that it tasted watered down. After someone put all the ingredients in a blender and made salsa, they thought they can stretch it out a little more by adding water. I guess that's good for the restaurant that wants to squeeze out every last penny. For the diner it's no treat.
posted by Charles Wang 9:00 AM | 0 comments
Calamari Review.
Calamari Tacos at Taco Temple. By far, this has been my favorite place to eat calamari. It isn't an appetizer but a complete meal. The calamari is slightly coated with a thin batter. It is fried very briefly to make it not chewy. Garlic is also fried with the calamari. It also has the coating and caramelizes when it is fried. It turns sweet and melts in your mouth. It is served on top of tortillas and shredded cabbage and finally topped with shoestring potatoes. It comes with a mango salsa and an aioli based sauce. Simply, calamari done right.
posted by Charles Wang 11:09 PM | 0 comments