May 11, 2008 by traveler.

American Gladiators returns tomorrow night, and there are a few new gladiators.

[Editor’s note- Jeez. I barely got this post up and then NBC yanked their vid (above). Check out this other promo]

Last season’s winners Monica & Evan have been transformed into Jet and Rocket. I will be curious to see how frequently they are used. This season’s contenders better pray they don’t go against Rocket in the wall. Rocket and Jet are both strong competitors, but the transition to Gladiators might be a bit rocky. Joining them in the pantheon of Gladiators is Phoenix. Her background in track and field should prepare her for Gladiator life- too bad there isn’t a hammer throw event in American Gladiators.

I’ll be tuning in to the new season of American Gladiators. New gladiators, new events- it should be fun. Also, if you want to get up-to-date info on the show, check out this blog. In the mean time, stay strong, brother.

Posted in Video, Sports, TV, Pics | 1 Comment »

May 11, 2008 by traveler.

Wow.  I just wrote a post about Baskin Robbins, and they are in the news again.  This article in USA Today details Baskin Robbins’ latest plan- selling soft serve ice cream.  

Ever since its introduction, Baskin Robbins has focused exclusively on hand-scooped ice cream.  Generations of scoopers have the Popeye-style forearms to prove it.  NPD Group’s research shows that soft serve represents 70% of ice cream servings, though.  The International Dairy Foods Association says that soft serve sales topped $4.6 billion in 2006.  I personally eat more soft serve than hand-scooped ice cream.  I don’t know, however, how Baskin Robbins will convince me to buy their soft serve.  Baskin Robbins will have to establish its own niche to differentiate itself from established soft serve shops like Cold Stone, Dairy Queen, Pinkberry, and more.   Going soft can be surprisingly hard (sorry- couldn’t resist).  Everyone does the soft serve/mix-in thing- will B-R go down that route or forge its own path?  

The timing of this announcement is notable because of Irv Robbins‘ recent death.   This announcement is likely a result of Baskin Robbins’ assessment of the marketplace.  Seeing this growing market segment, they probably hope to grab market share based on their brand identity.  Hopefully they bring something fresh and we have more ice cream options coming this summer.

Posted in Food | No Comments »

May 7, 2008 by traveler.

Speaking of Stephen Colbert, he just won the 2008 “Person of the Year” Webby award! Stephen has always harnessed the power of the internet for his goals, from google-bombing (searches for Greatest Living American used to bring up Colbert Report as the #1 hit) to encouraging online voters to name a Hungarian bridge (which pulled in over 17 million votes- far more than the entire population of Hungary).

Stephen’s many web ‘accomplishments’ make him a deserving winner of Webby’s Person of the Year. As noted in my previous post, Stephen has branched out beyond the web into things like his own hockey team mascot and ice cream flavor. I can’t help but think, though, that his ice cream should have been “Stephen Colbert’s AmeriCone Sherbert” (pronounced sher-bear, of course). And when is AmeriFlown Dream coming out? Please don’t tell me that Stephen Jr. is the only one who gets to enjoy that treat.

Congratulations again to Stephen on his Webby award. Steagle Colbeagle would be proud.

Posted in Video, Funny, TV | No Comments »

May 7, 2008 by traveler.

Raise your Jamoca Almond Fudge in honor of Irvine Robbins, co-founder of Baskin-Robbins. Valerie Nelson’s article in the LA Times chronicles Robbins’ contributions to ice cream fans everywhere.

Robbins opened his ice cream shop, Snowbird, in Glendale after leaving the Army in 1945. Mr. Baskin started his own shop, Burton’s, in Pasadena in 1946. The two became business partners and by 1948 they had 8 shops between them (5 Snowbirds and 3 Burton’s). In 1953, they rebranded the company as Baskin-Robbins and introduced the concept of 31 flavors (not to be confused with 21 Choices, another great Pasadena spot).

What really grabbed me about the article was Robbins’ focus on innovative flavors. When the Dodgers moved to LA, Baskin-Robbins celebrated with Baseball Nut, Lunar Cheesecake marked the ‘69 moon landing, etc… Being a longtime Gold Medal Ribbon fan, I am grateful for the creation of new flavors and for convincing Americans to expand their ice cream tastes. Of course, this innovation comes with its share of ill-fated experiments. I had never heard before that Baskin-Robbins attempted Lox & Bagel and Ketchup ice creams. Barf. Then again, I guess you can get garlic ice cream at The Stinking Rose, so to each their own.

This weekend I think I’ll celebrate Irvine Robbins’ life with a scoop of Gold Medal Ribbon. Without Mr. Robbins, we wouldn’t have the abundant ice cream choices from numerous companies that we have today. Who knows- maybe we wouldn’t have modern-day classics like Stephen Colbert’s AmeriCone Dream.

Posted in Food | 1 Comment »

May 4, 2008 by traveler.

I love this Lego Mario- what a great way to show your nerd cred. I learned how to make this through the Youtube video below:

Personally I think that Mario looks better with black hair than blue (Mario with a blue moustache?!) If you have the legos, give it a try. If you don’t have a pile of legos lying around, you can find most of the necessary pieces in a Lego Large Brick Box.

There are tons of other Youtube lego creations online. Some ambitious youtubers even posted videos of some more complicated Nintendo designs. Check out these Super Nintendo creations:

If I can find the time, I should really use some extra lego pieces to create another “statue”.

Posted in Nintendo, Toys, Video, Design, Retro, Wii, Games, Pics | No Comments »

May 3, 2008 by traveler.

Sports writers’ analyses of the NFL draft are usually diverse in details but familiar in tone. Which teams made the best picks, which fans were pleased, and who had to wait longer than expected to hear their names called. This article in The Washington Post by Les Carpenter provided a refreshingly novel look at a little-known part of the draft.

I hadn’t heard of Paul Salata or his annual NFL draft celebration. Every year since 1976, Paul has waited patiently to congratulate the draft’s Mr Irrelevent- the player picked dead last.  This year, that player was David Vobora, overall pick #252.  Vobora has a special week ahead of him.  Irrelevant Week includes a news conference, a tailgate party, a trip to Disneyland, a VIP banquet, and a “Lowsman” trophy.  Despite the tongue-in-cheek tone of the week, most players apparently enjoy their time.  If history is any judge, they have reason to live it up now.  Many seventh-round picks struggle through training camp and may not make a team’s roster.  

Paul Salata and Irrelevant Week keep the draft interesting. If you live in Southern California, you can even attend this year’s events. This year’s Irrelevant Week will run from June 23-27 in Newport Beach, CA. After that, Vobora’s NFL career will begin, and we will all look forward to next year’s Mr. Irrelevant.

Posted in Sports, Funny | No Comments »

May 2, 2008 by traveler.

Barf.  This news story about giant squid really creeped me out.  Its eye was measured at almost 11 inches in diameter, making it the largest known eye in the entire animal kingdom.  Would you want to be the lucky guy who gets to swim in the briny water with a preserved giant squid carcass?  I have much respect for you, Mark Fenwick.

Posted in Eww | No Comments »

May 1, 2008 by traveler.

Alright- gotta give Niko a break.  The hiatus is over.  I started a Flickr page for the various photos on this blog.  There are some new puppy pics posted. Check out the OLF Flickr page for more pics! Here’s a sneak peek.Wet rat gets his first bath

Posted in Puppy, Pics | No Comments »