I’m running a little behind today, so let’s get right to the questions…
1) mental_floss will be creating some longer, more difficult quizzes on specific topics, like Star Wars and The Supreme Court. The Masters’ Series, we might call it. (We might not.) What subjects would you like to see covered?
2) Do you have a favorite DVD “bonus feature”? A deleted scene that should not have been deleted, perhaps? A particularly insightful director’s commentary?
3) Have you ever seen a stranger really lose it? In a Washington Mutual parking lot, I once saw a man whose horn was stuck in the honk position. He was screaming at it.
4) What restaurant chain not available where you live do you find yourself craving?
5) What’s the most expensive thing you’ve ever broken?
[See previous Friday Happy Hours.]
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This applies to a few of my friends, not myself. We have Jack In the Box where I live (St. Louis, MO). I have a few friends that either lived here and moved away or went to college here who absolutely CRAVE Jack in the Box tacos. If you don’t know about them, they have just meat, cheese and lettuce on them, but then they are fried. Yeah, real healthy! I don’t particularly like them, but they’re cheap, 2 for $0.99.
posted by Elizabeth on 4-4-2008 at 12:48 pm
For my money, the all-time greatest DVD deleted scene is the phone call from mom, in Boondock Saints.
It’s where you learn that the brothers are twins; their mom is an insane(ly funny) cussing drunken harridan calling from home in Ireland; and Norman Reedus and Sean Patrick Flanery are nude for the entire scene!
posted by Chris on 4-4-2008 at 12:49 pm
1. A Lord of the Rings quiz would be Epic!
2. My favorite DVD Bonus Feature is the virtual cannon demonstration in Master and Commander. Really shows off the Surround Sound.
3.I saw a younger guy who’s girlfriend was apparently breaking up with him over the phone. He was standing outside our apartment window at 3am Screaming obscenities.
4. Chik-Fil-A. I got addicted to the stuff on the East Coast, but there’s only one in Minnnesota, and it’s not where I live.
5. My friends car. Cars and ditches don’t mix.
posted by Ryan on 4-4-2008 at 12:53 pm
1. Cartoons.
2.The deleted scenes from Dirty Dancing. They are great!
3.I stayed at a really crazy hotel for one night at Newport on the Levee and these women came to a mans room on the first floor screaming. They were both trying to get him to open the door so they could see if they were cheating with someone. It was a sleepless night that involved hearing a lot of curse words.
4.What-A-Burger… I miss it from back home in Louisiana.
5. I’ve wrecked/broken two vehicles. They were my parents which made it even worse.
posted by Karen on 4-4-2008 at 12:55 pm
1) mental_floss will be creating some longer, more difficult quizzes on specific topics, like Star Wars and The Supreme Court. The Masters’ Series, we might call it. (We might not.) What subjects would you like to see covered?
Old movies and TV shows. ( and no, “old” to me does not mean the 80s!)
2) Do you have a favorite DVD “bonus feature� A deleted scene that should not have been deleted, perhaps? A particularly insightful director’s commentary?
I loved the easter egg on the original DVD for “X-Men” with them in the Statue of Liberty and as Cyclops comes around the corner, Spiderman comes up right behind him, stops and says “Opps! Sorry, wrong movie” and runs away, chased by Cyclops. :-)
3) Have you ever seen a stranger really lose it? In a Washington Mutual parking lot, I once saw a man whose horn was stuck in the honk position. He was screaming at it.
Yup. When a new production asst. came to by copies of the software the company I used to work for (Movie and TV production software) and just LOST it and cursed me out when he found out how much they cost. And he could not understand why we didn’t offer an “Industry Discount”. I actually had to explain that ALL of our clients are in the industry.
4) What restaurant chain not available where you live do you find yourself craving?
WHITE CASTLE!! (and no, the frozen version does not taste the same)
5) What’s the most expensive thing you’ve ever broken?
Probably the 52″ screen TV I dropped once.
posted by Sheldon Siegel on 4-4-2008 at 12:59 pm
I crave Jack in the box onion rings, and would love to have a sonic around (Detroit) here.
I totaled a three day old Thunderbird once, but it was not my fault.
posted by Terry in DTW on 4-4-2008 at 1:00 pm
1: Television shows would be a great topic in my opinion. But it would probably be appropriate to make it a two-parter based on timeframe. Part 1: Old TV shows; Part 2: Recent TV shows.
Another topic that could have a nice set of questions would be manga and/or anime. I’d also like to see some music trivia in there somewhere.
posted by michael on 4-4-2008 at 1:08 pm
1) I’d love to see a NASCAR related quiz
4 Buffalo Wild Wings. My friend does the Blazin Challenge all the time, but his local location doesn’t yet have a wall on which to honor him. It’s a travesty.
posted by Brent on 4-4-2008 at 1:12 pm
1. An extensive Shakespeare quiz.
2. There’s a Mattress Man commercial on the Punch Drunk Love DVD that I absolutely love. Phillip Seymour Hoffman may not be known as a comedian, but he definitely made me laugh in that.
3. I saw a lady lose it in a late-night diner. She was very upset about her meal coming out incorrectly, and it escalated the more the staff tried to reason with her. She attacked a security guard and two off duty police officers dining in the restaurant arrested her after a struggle.
4. Oh, Elizabeth, I too crave Jack in the Box tacos! I lived in St. Louis until I went to college, and here in Kansas City we don’t have any JitB restaurants but we still have the commercials. It drives me crazy. I allow myself to eat them once a year, usually the night before Thanksgiving. My other major St. Louis craving: White Castle cheeseburgers. Another once a year treat. And Del Taco, only on occasion.
posted by caroline on 4-4-2008 at 1:14 pm
1) Any quiz will be awesome.
2) The commentary on Ghostbusters is the best that I have seen. Aside from the MST3K style, Harold Ramis and Ivan Reitman are both incredibly funny and really insightful.
3) I was flying home from Madrid and this guy was angry about something, which I missed. He was throwing his own baggage and that of his traveling companion, calling the people at the baggage check-in idiots, with all manner of obscene descriptions, and accomplishing nothing.
4) I wish that the absurd and ridiculous crossover A&W-Long John Silver’s had a franchise near me. The closest one is an hour away.
posted by s michael c on 4-4-2008 at 1:24 pm
For the record, Friday Happy Hour is one of my favorite Floss features.
1) Maybe some questions on different religious faiths (some of the more obscure ones, perhaps)? I also really loved the March Madness series of “Can you name all the teams in the ____ Conference?” Maybe more college-related fun?
2) On the extra features for Arrested Development (I can’t recall what season) the actors concur that Will Arnett is most like his own character (GOB). There’s a long, silent pause, and then you hear Will go “What?” It kills me every time.
3) My favorite stranger-hissy-fit happened in Target. A man accosted a fellow shopper who happened to be wearing khakis and a red shirt, believing, of course, he was a Target employee. The thing is, he would not accept that he wasn’t! He threatened to report him to the manager for not being helpful.
4) CORNER BAKERY. Every time I go to Dallas, it’s my one must-visit.
5) Does a car accident count?
posted by Nora on 4-4-2008 at 1:27 pm
1. You should do a ‘Friends’ quiz! (This is preemptive in case someone suggests a Seinfeld quiz, a show I just never could watch).
2. The episode commentary on the Family Guy season discs are pretty funny – they don’t usually have much to do with the particular episode, it’s just the cast and producers talking about stuff.
3. During my time in retail, I got to see plenty of people ‘lose it’ over the most mundane issues. I once had a guy throw a magazine at me because I didn’t have change for $100 (jack%&# wanted to bust a $100 as soon as we opened by buying a $2.99 magazine).
4. We used to have Krystal in town, but they all closed for some reason. (Like White Castle, but, um, better). There’s still one about 20 miles down the interstate if the craving gets to where I just can’t possibly go on. BTW, to clarify on the Jack in the Box tacos… is the *lettuce* also fried? ‘Cause I have to say, that doesn’t sound appealing. To each his or her own, though.
5. I didn’t break it, but one time one of my cats tipped over the end table in the living room and in the process broke the LCD in my brand-new TI-89 graphing calculator. ‘Cat damage’ is not covered under the Texas Instruments warranty, just in case it ever comes up.
posted by Roger on 4-4-2008 at 1:27 pm
Boy, if I had a nickel for every time I heard a, “my cat broke my TI-89 graphing calculator” story!
posted by cb on 4-4-2008 at 1:33 pm
Chic-Fil-A
Was in Omaha, Neb., for 8 years and the only one in town was in the Mutal of Omaha building and the Web site said it had restricted access. Anytime I would travel and happen to pass one it would invariably be on a Sunday when they aren’t open. Have since relocated and figured out I don’t like it nearly as much now that I can have it whenever I want. :(
posted by Drew on 4-4-2008 at 1:48 pm
3.) I see it all the time. The worst is when I see crazy moms going off on their poor kids. Screaming and hollering and roughing them up right in front of everyone. *shudder* Man I hate that. Makes me want to take the kids and just hug them. :(
4.) I would LOVE to have a Chick-Fil-A and/or Sonic near.
My weight loss goals beg to differ. So maybe it’s for the best.
5.) I spilled nail polish remover on an antique sewing maching table once when I was young. Expensive? Try priceless. D’OH!
posted by mrs.djs on 4-4-2008 at 1:51 pm
1. music or old hollywood quizzes would be great
2. I loved the behind the scenes documentary for “A Dirty Shame” It was hilarious, disturbing and educational
3. I was walking into Publix last Saturday and saw a father standing nose to nose with his son telling the son “It would be advisable if you stopped talking. I would not say one more word if I were you b/c you’ll have to deal with me at home”. Yikes.
4. I crave Tropigrill / Pollo Tropical. The fried plantains and yuca fries… yum…
5. I broke my husbands 1977 Fender Rhodes Suitcase. I’m still trying to live that one down.
posted by Rashmi on 4-4-2008 at 1:53 pm
4. Skyline Chili and Dairy Queen. No Cincinnati-style chili in Oklahoma and Dairy Queen’s are pretty much gone thanks to Sonic.
posted by Todd S. on 4-4-2008 at 2:01 pm
1) I’m with Ryan – a ‘Lord of the Rings’ quiz would be awesome. And more importantly, I would ace it.
2) The extended editions of aforementioned ‘LotR’, and the audio commentaries on the ‘Evil Dead’ dvd’s with Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell – priceless.
3) I saw a woman in the parking lot of Kroger’s grocery store who had accidentally locked her keys in her car. She got so upset that she broke a large branch from a nearby tree and smashed out her drivers side window.
4) White Castle – there is a Southern version called Krystal, but they are a sad imitation.
5) Probably my car; a spun out on the highway during a rainstorm, hitting another car (no one was hurt) – somehow their car sustained no damaged, while mine cost about $2000 to repair.
posted by Rebecca on 4-4-2008 at 2:05 pm
4. Ugh I too miss Chick-Fil-A. I love the weird pickle and chicken combo! And I hate that Sonic plays its commercials nation wide because we don’t have one of those either. Cruel temptation. I also really miss Carrabas.
posted by Melinda on 4-4-2008 at 2:06 pm
3) A woman, approximately 45 years old, at Giant Eagle grocery store flipped out on the girl at the deli because she was given 1.05 lbs of meat instead of the 1 lb she had requested. It was disturbing, I remember thinking is this what happens right before someone goes postal.
4) Sonic, their stupid commercials are on TV all the time but the closest Sonic is two hours away. However there commercials did teach me what a sucker I am for ridiculous marketing.
5) My arm sans health insurance.
posted by Tasha on 4-4-2008 at 2:08 pm
1) Arrested Development part 2 or maybe “what happened this week on TV”
2) SICKO
3) Well I know this person, but here’s the story anyway – he asked for no cheese on the burger at McDonalds because he is literally afraid of american cheese, and they of course gave him cheese. So he threw the burger as hard as he could at the clueless cashier and then ran out.
4) Cheesecake Factory – they are few and far between out here.
5) Once I trying to move a coffee table with a handmade bowl on it and it flew off (still not sure how) hitting the one part of the living room w/ hard floors by the fireplace. It turned out to be have been made by my grandmother (which I never knew) so my dad immediately glued back together saying “how incredibly priceless it is” under his breath. OOPS
posted by KP on 4-4-2008 at 2:12 pm
1) An AFI top 100 Quiz. That would be crazy. Or name all of Elvis’s #1′s. Followed by naming all of Mariah Carey’s #1′s.
2) There is a really terrible audio commentary by Tracy Morgan on the 1st season of 30 Rock. He offers absolutely no insight. And on one instance actaully points out that something is funny on a sitcom. It is comic genius. Funnier than the actual episode, which is a good episode. My wife and I quote from it at least twice a day.
3) I work at a library and see kids/parents lose it every day. But nothing that stands out.
4)White Castle. We make trips to bigger towns for Chipotle all the time, but White Castle is much further away. And fantastic.
5) I break stuff all the time. No idea what the answer to this would be.
posted by scott on 4-4-2008 at 2:13 pm
3) Drunk at an airline terminal counter. Considering how boring waiting for a plane could be, it was of great entertainment value to see an obviously intoxicated person attempt to “explain” why he was correct in such a loud and potentially violent manner.
4) A 5-way from Skyline Chili and a 1/4 chicken meal from Pollo-tropical.
5) I remember intentionally smashing an expensive engineering calculator my father had given me for my Physics class. While I could care less about the calculator, I remember the disappointment my father had in me for trashing something he had given me to help me. Unlike Roger, I don’t get to blame the cat.
posted by Florida on 4-4-2008 at 2:14 pm
SONIC!!!!!!!! *sniff* How I miss you, and it seems like even though the nearest one is 300 miles away they still advertise on tv in my area :(
posted by Kel on 4-4-2008 at 2:31 pm
1. Food quizzes, and stuff like the 50 capitals quiz. Stuff that one ‘should’ know but maybe forgot. And, a nod for the LOTR.
2. On the LOTR Two Towers, the whole Gollum feature and the feature about the Foley work…amazing.
3. As a grocery store cashier, a customer miscounted her food stamps (back when they were paper) and then when I advised she was $10 short she started screaming that she hoped my husband died and left me with four kids. Yikes, I was only 17, and she did count wrong.
4. For all those who said White Castle, I’ve eaten it once and it was horrible. Never again. I want a Sonic or a “Hot & Now”.
5. I took apart an antique lamp with beaded shade the hopes of restringing the beads. It’s still apart.
posted by Jamie on 4-4-2008 at 2:35 pm
1) Billy Joel.
2) Have to agree with Nora about Arrested Development; Will Arnett destroys me, whether in character or not.
3) I once watched a friend SLAP a brick wall as hard as he could out of drunken anger. Actually fairly amusing.
4) I would lay down in traffic for a Friendly’s grilled cheese sandwich.
5) Apart from bones, cars, laptops, etc., it would have to be my friend’s oven… using only my ring finger. Yeah, you read that right. I broke an oven with one (seemingly useless) finger.
posted by Megan on 4-4-2008 at 2:37 pm
1)I loved the quiz with first lines from novels maybe the same from plays, tv shows, or movies. Little known history facts?
2)The director’s commentary from Almost Famous with Cameron Crowe and his mom, particularly during the sex scene.
3)Red Robin- i crave the strawberry lemonade, Potbellies (umm oatmeal chocolate chip cookies) and Chipotle
4) A new digital camera in a strange mardi gras sword incident; a new retainer in a recliner incident (not sure I was ever forgiven for that) and so many cell phones in crazy incidents that I can’t count
posted by nolalady on 4-4-2008 at 2:39 pm
1) Pop culture quizzes. They are totally mindless but that works for most days.
3) I have a client who will literally scream and drop f bombs on the phone/in person for no reason. We’ve all decided her meds need to be upped.
4) Chipotle! I live in MA now and the only thing we have is Taco Hell. Yuck!
posted by Kristin on 4-4-2008 at 2:40 pm
4) Dick’s – fastest, greasiest, open-late-est burger joint in Seattle. What I wouldn’t give for a bag of Dick’s.
posted by elizabeth (in Boston, though) on 4-4-2008 at 2:43 pm
2) I like the commentaries on the Family Guy DVDs. Seth MacFarlane is delightfully twisted.
3) I’ve not seen a total stranger lose it, but total strangers have seen me lose it before. My then-boyfriend and I got into a fight in the middle of a Taco Bell. It wasn’t pretty.
4) Waffle House! I fell in love with WH when I lived in Virginia and now the closest one to me is in Phoenix.
5) I rolled my Mustang GT a month after I bought it. Oops.
posted by Melodye on 4-4-2008 at 2:44 pm
DVD extras:
Best:
Anything by Pixar, but “The Incredibles” was, err, incredible. Jack-Jack attack, Bounding, the making of Bounding (that old coot is pretty cool.) Then there is the clip where Mr. I and Frozone provide commentary on a panel cartoon where the two of them are featured; Frozone is drawn as a white man (he takes exception.) HI-lair-EE-ous.
Movie that I wish had more extras:
“Stranger than Fiction”, my favorite film of recent years, should have provided a director’s commentary. Every film has them, but I rarely listen to them. This film needed it to explain all of the symbolism, easter-eggs and interesting shots, but there is none.
Movie(s) that have too much:
“Lord of the Rings” Holy cow. I love these movies, but I have never watched all or even most of the extras. The extended, deluxe versions come with 4 disks per movie, two of which are all extras. They come with fold-out maps so you can navigate all of the sub-menus. I think they included footage of Peter Jackson clipping his toenails. It’s just a little over-the-top.
posted by n2y2 on 4-4-2008 at 2:44 pm
4. In and Out burger, oh how I miss thee. Along with Viva and Nicos (Mexican fast food from Arizona/California).
posted by Melea on 4-4-2008 at 2:47 pm
1) name the vice presidents. Or the vice presidents in the 20th century. Name the island nations/dependencies in the caribbean. Islands that make up Japan. Books of the bible. former colonies of Great Britian.
3) I saw the start of a road rage fist fight. I pulled up to a stop light, and had missed the part that got the driver angry. But in front of me were two cars, side by side. The driver in the car on the right jumped out of the car and ran around to the drivers side of the car on the left. Thats when I put my car in reverse and got the hell out of there.
4) Chipotle. I loooooove chipotle. I heard a rumor that one will be coming to my town, but I don’t know if I believe it. I could eat chipotle every day if had the option.
Also, there’s a small oregon/washington chain called Burgerville. It’s awesome. Natural ingredients, seasonal milkshakes (I will drive 30 miles for a blackberry shake in the summer. it’s full of fresh local berries), good wages and healthcare for all employees. It’s a great place.
5) My mother bought a very expensive china tea set when she went to England a few years ago. I broke the creamer. I’ll NEVER live it down. It was probably a few hundred dollars. Not that bad in the grand scheme of things, but still.
posted by Jenny on 4-4-2008 at 2:54 pm
1) Quizes on wierd animals facts, The Constitution, Dr. Suess (details and characters from his books), strange laws.
2) I love all of the deleted scenes on the office DVD because I jsut can’t get enough of that show.
3) I hate going to Walmart because it pains me to see so many parents there lose it and take it out on their children. I swear I see it multiple times each rare occasion I stop in.
4) Wolfgang Puck Express
5) I didn’t break it, but an expensive pure bred dog went into seizures just days after I brought her home.
posted by Cassandra on 4-4-2008 at 2:56 pm
1.) Top 100 AFI sounded great.
2.) Can’t say that I do.
3.) Usually happens at some ungodly hour in my hotel’s hallway when I need sleep for a big presentation the next day.
4. ) On the Border (Mexican) or What-a-burger.
5.) Grandmother’s antique necklace watch.
posted by KHM on 4-4-2008 at 3:00 pm
4. Steak-n-Shake. I miss it so much in Seattle that I’ve been pondering starting my own franchise out here (not sure they’d let me though). It drives me nuts especially as I am now pregnant and truely craving a burger/fries/cookies-n-cream shake.
I don’t think they have them in MA, but if they do, I’ll swap a Dick’s burger with you, elizabeth.
posted by micx on 4-4-2008 at 3:03 pm
1. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (the whole “trilogy”)
2. I absolutely loved all the bonus features on the Office DVDs, especially the deleted scenes. Many of them should definitely not have been deleted. Also, all of the extended material and features on the LOTR DVDs.
3. Just a week ago, I saw a guy go off on the bartender in a hotel bar. There wasn’t any apparent reason for this…but the guy seemed convinced that the bartender had given him water instead of whatever alcohol it was he was supposed to have.
4. Der Mann, der Verwöhnt. It’s a kick-ass bakery in Vienna. They have the best sandwiches ever.
5. I suppose a digital camera, unless you want to consider a car “broken.”
posted by Fruppi on 4-4-2008 at 3:13 pm
1) I’m a big fan of the pop-culture-y quizzes.
2) The other side of Danny Butterman’s police notebook on the Hot Fuzz DVD.
3) Oh God. Countless times. I used to work at Target and Sephora.
4) Baja Fresh. And I really miss Wawa, which isn’t exactly a restaurant but still served food. Mmm. Best gas station ever.
5) My dad’s brand-new Ford F-150, my senior year of high school.
posted by stacy on 4-4-2008 at 3:22 pm
On the deleted scenes for the film “Waiting for Guffman” are several gems. There is a hilarious number from the musical that’s a take on “Old Man River” that I assume was scrapped due to some overdubbing that was needed. But there is no reason for Parker Posey’s audition monologue (which her character wrote herself!) to have not been in the movie. In a few minutes the speech deals with incest, murder and an unnamed war, among other things.
I truly miss Maos, a falafel bar chain in western Europe.
posted by Patrick on 4-4-2008 at 3:23 pm
1) Monty Python
2) Talladega Nights extras with the commercials make me laugh every time (that junk’s flammable!)
3) I saw a kid completely lose his mind in a store because he could only get one toy instead of one. I’ve seen kids lose it before but this one was a masterpiece. He was visibly sweating from freaking out so bad.
4) Reasons number 458 why Connecticut is so lame? No White Castle.
5) Another person’s heart. HA..no seriously? Probably my father in laws computer. I touched something on the motherboard I shouldn’t have with a screwdriver. A blue spark and a puff of smoke later I was desperately trying to figure out a way it wasn’t my fault.
posted by Sean on 4-4-2008 at 3:45 pm
1. Love me some 80′s tv sitcom quizzes.
2. I don’t always check that stuff out, so nothing is sticking out in my mind.
3. I worked at a restaurant as a manager and had to deal with the “problems”. Once a lady came literally marching(!) into the take out section because she didn’t get all her food. She was missing a cheeseburger. I got her a cheeseburger in a minute (which was a miracle on 4th of july weekend at a beach resort). She proceeded to rip it open and tear it in half. She shoved it in my face and yelled “My son can’t eat this! It’s pink in the middle!” I responded, by showing her her order slip and explained she ordered her burger medium, which is pink in the middle (and it was cooked perfectly medium!). This did not calm her down for some reason!
4. Cheeseburger in Paradise, but not the Jimmy Buffett inspired one, this chain is only in Hawaii.
5. I totaled my first car, but it wasn’t my fault. Someone else ran a stop sign.
posted by Mavis on 4-4-2008 at 3:52 pm
4) I agree–White Castle Slyders are the best–(buy em by the sack). I also miss Bob Evans which has the best comfort food EVER!!
posted by lisa on 4-4-2008 at 3:52 pm
3) I was on an airplane when I saw this man totally lose it on the 14 or-so year old girl behind him who apparently jostled his seat too many times. He was terrifying.
4) I love taco bell nachos. The small order, just the tortilla chips and fake cheese dip.
posted by Kathe on 4-4-2008 at 3:58 pm
I live in Louisiana, close to New Orleans where you get can some of the best food on the planet (or we like to think so anyways). BUT…I love Panera Bread, Einstein’s Bagels, and Chipotle. Love Chipotle so much, I had to come up with some sort of recipe that mimicked their Barbacoa beef (and it is delicious). As much as I love Cajun food, there are definitely days when I could go for any of the aforementioned restaurants.
posted by Sarah on 4-4-2008 at 4:01 pm
There is a documentary on the Star Wars: Episode I (Phantom Menace) DVD. It is really, really good. No stupid narrator, no interviews, just a behind-the-scenes look at the movie from script to premiere. It is really one of my favorite documentaries because it is so straightforward.
posted by andrewdoane on 4-4-2008 at 4:07 pm
4) God, how I miss Rubio’s Fish Tacos in SoCal. The few imitations I can find in NYC are just pathetic.
posted by Patricia on 4-4-2008 at 4:15 pm
1) World of Warcraft, Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (books), and other geeky things. Maybe a quiz about movies with different endings than the books they’re based off of?
2) Haha, Sheldon, I thought of that one too. I also like on the Venture Brothers when the voice actors dress up like the characters they play.
3) Plenty of times. One that sticks out was at a carnival where one girl totally went off on another, and then a circle joind around them and everything.
4) CHIPOTLE. I am an addict. Whenever I even drive through somewhere with one (the nearest is 70+ miles away) I have to get some, even if I’m not hungry.
5) Laptop
posted by Leah on 4-4-2008 at 4:18 pm
1) Harry Potter quiz, pop culture quizzes, state nicknames (the Show Me State, the Sunshine State, etc)
4) Friendly’s. I LOVE it and we don’t have them in Chicago. Every time I go out East, I have to go there and get chicken fingers and an ice cream sundae. It’s not exactly fast food, but I think it counts.
I kind of wish there was a Sonic near me because we always see the commercials here, but I’ve never actually been to a Sonic. The closest one is hundreds of miles away. At least then the specials advertised would seem more enticing.
5) My lap top. Last year I knocked an entire glass of water on the keyboard and I stood frozen in shock over it for a good 2 minutes as it sizzled, hissed and turned off. It was a very sad day.
posted by Pam on 4-4-2008 at 4:26 pm
Wow, I really need to read the comments more before I post.
High five to all Chipotle addicts out there.
And all you Sonic lovers? I’m convinced it’s a consipracy. I’ve seen their commercials for years but never once have I lived anywhere near one or even seen one. Ruby Tuesdays as well. It’s a lie!!
posted by Leah on 4-4-2008 at 4:27 pm
2) I love The Office, so I like all the deleted scenes. Also the “Lazy Scranton” “training video” Michael made. Hahaha.
3) No specific instances, but it’s always really awkward. What do they hope to achieve by these tantrums?
4) I like Culver’s ice cream (excuse me, frozen custard). Runza is also very good, although the only people I’ve ever met who actually like Runza are born and bred Nebraskans, which may explain why the chain only exists here. Ooo and Panera! Yummy.
Also, Sonic lovers, it is not a conspiracy. There are at least two in Lincoln, Nebraska (a fairly small city), as well as multiple Chipotles. There isn’t much to do here, so we eat a lot, I guess.
This is one of my favorite MF features too, by the way. Please never quit it. :)
posted by kate on 4-4-2008 at 4:46 pm
1) Oh, man… how about pictures of famous tombstones with the names blurred out? You have to identify them. That sounds really morbid, but my parents are tombstone hunting fiends. :)
2) Definitely the deleted scenes for [i]Love, Actually[/i]. The movie is really wonderful, but the deleted scenes flesh out the story and add a lot of perspective.
Also, in the bloopers of Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, the actor playing Lord Beckett (whose name, unfortunately, escapes me) drops the f-bomb. Johnny Depp points to him and says, “Now, I told you, you can’t swear in a Disney movie! See, I warned him.”
3) Yes–in the Louvre, of all places, this guy (he must have been in his fifties) threw an all-out tantrum because (as far as I could tell) he couldn’t find Venus de Milo. Talk about lack of balance!
4) In-N-Out. We just don’t have it on the East Coast, and I can’t have any other milkshakes after trying theirs. It’s just not the same.
5) Hm… well, I burned out a laptop. I also (completely accidentally, mind you) ran over my cell phone with a car. The funny thing is that it didn’t break! It had tire marks, though.
posted by Allison on 4-4-2008 at 4:52 pm
You don’t have to convince the Sonic fans it’s not a conspiracy – you’ve got to convince me ;-)
I’ve lived in 3 major metros in California and none of them have Sonics, even according to their “website”. (The Bay Area, Sacramento, and San Diego.) Oh, they claim to have both them and Ruby Tuesday in a few towns NEAR Sacramento, but even the locals there deny the existence. Yet all the local channels in those areas show the commercials. That’s what gets me. They torture me with their slushy ice and many flavored drinks and good looking food, but I am out of luck! :-P
posted by Leah on 4-4-2008 at 4:55 pm
3. In the airport, while I was waiting for my (unaccompanied minor) niece’s flight to leave. A woman’s flight had been delayed causing her to miss her connection. She ran like the dickens to the counter only to watch her plane leaving the jetway. She screamed- and I mean at the top of her lungs- a string of expletives like I’ve never heard. She wasn’t angry, per se- just frazzled and panicked.
posted by Lindsay C. on 4-4-2008 at 5:04 pm
1) I would love a “Friends” quiz!
2)I absolutely adore the Lord of the Rings commentaries on the special extended editions
posted by Keri on 4-4-2008 at 5:05 pm
3) Yes, I have been to many airports
4) Taco John’s!!!! I need me some Potato Ole’s! Runners up: Schlotzky’s + Checkers get no love in San Diego
5) I broke my word and it cost me plenty in the divorce settlement.
posted by DannyBoy on 4-4-2008 at 5:08 pm
4) Sonic. I don’t know why they keep tormenting us with tasty-looking breakfast offerings and shakes and such when there isn’t a Sonic anywhere for hundreds of miles from here.
posted by MH on 4-4-2008 at 5:24 pm
For those of you who feel you have been cheated by missing Sonic in your area:
Spread warm bacon lard on a bun and add lettuce (optional). Chase that down with corn syrup and the cheapest artificial fruit flavoring you can find.
I ate there once and thought I would vomit. Then I tried it again because I was sure that I had gotten a bad batch (because nobody could stay in business with food that bad), but no, it was worse the second time.
I admit that the commercials are cleaver, but then I remember what crossed my pallet and I have to suppress my gag reflex.
posted by n2y2 on 4-4-2008 at 5:34 pm
I saw a man yell at a payphone and then proceed to give it a roundhouse kick.
posted by andrea on 4-4-2008 at 6:29 pm
4. SONIC! Damn all those delicious commercials!! I live in Hawaii so it’s not like I can just drive an extra hour and get to one, I have to hop an a damn airplane!
5. I don’t own anything worth more than $1000 besides my car so I haven’t broken anything too heartbreaking. I guess I would have to say my very first laptop which mysteriously died in under a year but it was also a Dell so you can be the judge of that.
posted by Leah on 4-4-2008 at 7:34 pm
Oh how I miss Bojangles in North Carolina. The warm fluffy biscuits and crispy fried chicken. Southern fried fast food. What could possibly be less healthy?
posted by Jen on 4-4-2008 at 7:59 pm
DVD deleted scenes: I’ve always loved the fact that, in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, every scene with Naomi, Joel’s ex-girlfriend, was deleted.
posted by Jonathan on 4-4-2008 at 8:23 pm
There are a couple of restaurant chains that we don’t have here in SoCal that I miss. Oddly enough, both are in San Antonio, TX.
I miss Taco Cabana, and Whataburger. Mmmm, gravy…
posted by Phraktyl on 4-4-2008 at 9:31 pm
5) I haven’t broken one super expensive item, but I break everything I seem to touch, mostly things that don’t belong to me either. Lamps, tables, fridge, cameras, phone, Wii, figurines, stereo, clothes dryer, bed, boat lift, countless plates/glasses, antique piggy bank, door, friends parents giant wedding picture, haha toilet…
Never let me in your house.
posted by holly on 4-4-2008 at 9:54 pm
1). The Hobbit/Lord Of The Rings; the books, not the movies.
2). Two memorable ones; Jack-Jack Attack, on The Incredibles, and the deleted scenes from Mr. Bean’s Holiday (yeah, we’ve got kids at home!)
3). I once accidentally cut a guy off in traffic, and he proceeded to ram my car three times. When I stopped he jumped out and tried to drag me out of my car. He ended up getting hauled off to the pokey and did some jail time. We’re talking serious anger issues.
4). Morton’s Steakhouse. I’ve eaten at one in Chicago and one in the Twin Cities area. Wow.
5). My ankle; tibia in one place, fibula in two. If you’re gonna break bones, do it before you’re 40. Long before 40.
posted by Dave on 4-4-2008 at 9:54 pm
1) Public domain songs or Star Trek trivia would be awesome!
2) The deleted song ‘Class’ from ‘Chicago’ is a definite favorite of mine. The second I heard it, I HAD to get the CD. It’s ironically crass and a great show of Catherine Zeta Jones’ and Queen Latifa’s vocal talents.
4) Lessee…Burger King, Sonic(curse those oddly entertaining commercials!), Krispy Kreme, Coldstone Ice cream, Nathan’s (a donut shop famous in Hawaii. Best. Pastry. EVER.), Angus steakhouse, a *good* seafood place, I could go on.
5) When i was in my Sophomore year in high school, the orchestra took their yearly trip to a music ‘festival’ (whatever you call it). After waiting most of the day in a high school cafeteria for most of the day, we all got gussied up and headed to a room to warm up, where I immediately tripped down the stairs in my heels and broke the black part of the finger board off of my viola. It didn’t cause that much damage, it just…came off. We taped it back on in time to perform and I had to get it fixed when i got home. Not too expensive, but it really freaked me out at the time.
posted by heather on 4-4-2008 at 11:28 pm
1) Monty Python, the Eurovision Song Contest, and any other cool pop culture.
4) In-n-Out Burger, no question. We just don’t get ‘em out here in Minnesota, and I’ve been craving a double-double, animal-style for about 2 years now!
5) My old laptop, while I was on a study-abroad. You haven’t lived until you’ve had to find the only authorized Sony repair-shop in the entire nation of Chile!
posted by Sam on 4-5-2008 at 3:27 am
Well, evidently I should count myself extremely lucky. There’s a Ruby Tuesday’s in my town and a Sonic within a half hour’s drive. I don’t think I’ve ever eaten there though…
posted by Fruppi on 4-5-2008 at 8:58 am
4) This is a moving target for a traveler based in NW Arkansas. When we first moved here 19 years ago, it was Popeye’s — a La native without spicy chicken . . . So every road trip’s value was based on whether or not the town had a Popeye’s. Finally, we got ours in Fayetteville, and, well, we just don’t go there that much anymore. Then it was Steak N Shake, then Red Robin — you get the picture. Almost everything has arrived here, except three ultra-regional chains and they’ll never get to Arkansas: Taco Cabana, In-N-Out and Piccadilly — they remain gorge-fests on trips to Texas, California and deep South states. I once tapped the Cabana for five of six meals on a two-day Houston trip; most recently sending fellow travelers into apoplexy that I dined at the ‘Dilly rather than one of the numerous great local restaurants in Baton Rouge. Third Rule of the Road: Don’t eat what you have at home.
posted by Bill on 4-5-2008 at 9:43 am
1. I’m going to steal from other’s comments – Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Monty Python, Bugs Bunny
2. I like David Cross’s rant on the extras of one of the seasons of Arrested Development – fantastic!
3. I saw a guy go absolutley ballistic about some perceived wrong committed by a Wal-Mart cashier. The poor woman just stood there and looked like she was going to cry while everyone within hearing range just stood watching, mouths agape.
4. I don’t really have a restaurant that I can think of right now, but I did live in Chicago for a little while and I greatly missed Sonic and Chik-Fil-A while I was there. I live in the homeland of Sonic (been to the original one multiple times)and I love it. My sister is actually flying in tomorrow from Boston, where she lives now, and she really wants Sonic when she gets here.
5. Well, while driving tractor on my parents’ farm I ripped apart the hitch on the disc implement. That was a bad phone call to make…
posted by Nicole on 4-5-2008 at 10:49 am
4. In-N-Out Burger. Rubio’s Fish Tacos. Pick-Up Stix. A&W. We have a plethora of Sonics, and I just can’t see the allure (outside of the cherry limeade). Anyone care to enlighten me?
posted by Lori L. on 4-5-2008 at 10:59 am
In N Out Burger. ‘Nuff said.
posted by Michelle on 4-5-2008 at 11:33 am
I was so proud to see somebody missed Popeye’s chicken! The chain was founded in New Orleans and Al Copeland (the guy who started the chain) died recently. As a born and raised New Orleanian I don’t have many opportunities to miss Popeye’s Chicken.
I miss In-n-Out Burger. I briefly lived in southern CA and that place was the best. We had a Fatburger for a little while, but those people bailed on us after Katrina.
posted by Mary on 4-5-2008 at 1:58 pm
I just broke my iPod touch, which I’d have for, oh, two days.
posted by Julia on 4-5-2008 at 5:32 pm
4) It’s a tie between Sonic and Cracker Barrel. I once wanted Cracker Barrel so badly that I drove from Seattle to Missoula, Montana just to get it, and I make it a point to stop in at Sonic every time we drive down to Portland, which is not nearly enough in my opinion.
posted by Jenna on 4-6-2008 at 2:01 am
I’ve only had Sonic once and it wasn’t anything to write home about, but those damn commercials make me crave it all the time. Especially my SUPER sweet slushy that tasted like it had pieces of fruit snack floating around in it. The nearest one is three hours away.
The other place I would love to have near me is a Wolfgang Puck Express. I went to a conference last year and ate there every day for lunch. It was expensive, but far, far better than I expected. A nice big bowl of butternut squash soup and some freshly baked bread….not bad at all!
posted by Lizzy on 4-6-2008 at 2:10 am
1) Star Trek
2) My anniversary edition Eraserhead DVD contained some really weird extras that I uncovered by just hitting my next button. That made my day.
3) I was next to a man who started to scream extremely loudly for no reason whatsoever at the Smithsonian in DC. I’ve never been so close to wetting my pants.
4) I would love to have a Rainforest Cafe here. I’ve always had great food there. Chic-fil-a would be great here also.
5) I once broke a rather expensive faucet in our house.
posted by Kayla on 4-6-2008 at 10:01 am
4.) www-dot-oceanbasket-dot-co-dot-za
Now that we’ve moved to Australia, there is nowhere to buy cajun style calimari. Oh man. I’m drooling now.
posted by Derek on 4-6-2008 at 7:12 pm
1) Definitely Star Trek.
2) Nope, sorry.
3) Had a lady flip out at me, come out of the car screaming, etc. at the drive-thru at a bank in the late ’80s because I couldn’t cash a $3,000+ check through the drive thru.
4) Hard Times Cafe (chili restaurant) – it’s mainly in the DC Metro area. they finally opened one in Raleigh, but that’s 3 hours from here.
5) Various cars, aaaaghh.
posted by kary on 4-6-2008 at 7:28 pm
1) Some trivia on National Parks or other outdoor destinations… Name the Seven World Summits
2) I like the Pikey subtitles on the “Snatch” DVD. Couldn’t understand Brad Pitt without them. Also, the director’s commentary for “Fight Club” has some funny moments.
3) Some chick flipped out on me on July 4th once. We were stuck in a traffic jam leaving the fireworks site, and I wouldn’t let her get back in front of me after she drove on the shoulder for a few yards. Admitedly, I was being stubborn, but I didn’t think that warranted her screaming at the top of her lungs, calling me a racist, and hitting the car behind me in an attempt to get in line after me. I cried. Alot.
4) Benihana’s. I always get super jealous when I see reruns of “The Office” in which they go there. There are 2 of them right around DC, but none up in northern MD. Grr.
5) Besides a car, I guess my computer. No fun story there, it just died on me one day.
I once sent someone else’s skateboard down into the sewer (by accident), and he claimed that it was expensive, but I’m skeptical.
posted by Heather on 4-7-2008 at 1:44 pm
Only one of these matters to me today…
4) CHIPOTLE… Yet to make the jump across any ocean, McDonald’s upscale version of Taco Bell eludes me. I live in Korea, so actually any Mexican food is a rare treat. Koreans have a horrible habit of bastardizing all ethnic (non-Korean) food….
I crave my burrito!
posted by Austin on 4-8-2008 at 2:10 am
1. South America, chocolate, board games, jazz
2. The short in the Monster’s Inc. bonus features. I laughed until I fell off my chair.
5. My arm
posted by DB on 4-8-2008 at 10:06 am
3. I went to the public library, and before I could get out of my car, this group of four people came out: two men and two women. They were parked next to me, so I decided to stay in my car until they left. Someone in the library really ticked off one of the men because he was yelling and flipping off the second floor and swearing up a storm. He had the other man open the door of their truck, and then he reached behind the passenger seat, pulled out a knife, put it in his back pocket, and went to go back inside the library. I was horrified.
Luckily his friends convinced him to not go inside, and after he flipped off the second floor again, they left. I went in and told them what happened because if he had come back and something had happened, I don’t think I could live with that on my conscience.
The most scary part of the whole situation was his friends’ logic to stop him from going in. They said that an alarm would sound because of a knife. Well, I worked there for six years, and I know there is no such alarm. It was the scariest thing that ever happened to me at the library.
posted by Janel on 4-9-2008 at 8:07 pm
RE #3
When I worked at a pizza place just after high school, this one customer was a Monday night regular. We weigh all ingredients and I’m sure he knew this but apparently didn’t like the skimpy portion of jalapenos this one time.
I was working the register that night so I got the abuse about the lacking of jalapenos. He must have REALLY loved his jalapenos because he yelled at me, called me names, etc… until finally the manager gave him an extra portion on the side to get him outta there.
For many years he was referred to as “Jalapeno Man” and was definitely the worst customer I have ever dealt with and I followed up the pizza place with 7 years of tech support and IT help desk.
RE #4
We don’t have many chain restaurants (except for fast food) where I live so I find myself craving pretty much everything and, I when go visit my mom, it’s always about the food, haaha, and we hardly ever eat at her house while I’m there.
Mostly… I miss Olive Garden!!!! I also wish there was a TGI Friday’s even though there isn’t one near my mom’s either but the food looks good in the commercials, haah. I also wish there was an Arby’s and a Noah’s.
posted by Sarah in CA on 1-27-2009 at 12:39 pm