International Talk Like A Pirate Day Music: Alestorm

Arr, matey! In a never ending quest to give recognition to anything and everything, National Talk Like A Pirate Day has become something of an addictive oddity. Basically, it all started in 1995 and involved a few guys and a racquetball sports injury. Curious? Read up on the origin here.

Being that it is International Talk Like A Pirate Day, who better to listen to than a pirate rock group. Yes you heard me. Pirate Rock. Check out the band, Alestorm. The first time I listened, I laughed. The second time, I started to sing along. By the third listen, I was ready to pillage and plunder! Remember, it's only music and should not be used as a soundtrack to making people walk the plank.

Check out the Alestorm video for "Keelhauled."

Buy the song or album on iTunes.

Love it or Hate it: "Fu-Gee-La" by Fugees

Fugees
"Fu-Gee-La"
The Score
1996

Buy the song or album on iTunes.

Watch the video.

"Ooh la la la. It's the way that we rock when we doin' our thing!" This was the first song I ever ruined stereo speakers with. Thank goodness blowing the speakers was covered under the warranty. This song and the album bring back some great memories. I love it.

Here are the thoughts from music loving colleagues:

Darrell Alston: Love it. It has to be one of the top 10 albums of all time.

Yvonne Lucado: I like it. It reminds me of Caron Wheeler in the group Soul II Soul. They sang "Keep On Movin'" and "Back To Life."

Malika Comfort: I like it. That was my first introduction to Lauryn Hill. Wish she never left the industry.

So that's 4-0 for Fugees' "Fu-Gee-La." Tell us what you think about it.

Love it or Hate it: "Groove Is In The Heart" by Deee-Lite

Dee-Lite
"Groove Is In The Heart"
World Clique
1990

Buy the song or album on iTunes.

Watch the video.

Some would argue that Deee-Lite is not a one hit wonder however, I can't seem to find another person who remembers another song by her. My first introduction to this song was at a skating rink. I remember hearing it at least 3 times in the 2 hours I was there. I still love the song.

Here are the thoughts from music loving colleagues:

Andrew Bonner: I love it. It hit me at that time in my life where it was OK!

Gwen Jones: I guess I'd have to say I kinda like it.

Darrell Alston: It's alright. I used to love it when I was a kid.

Jason Burns: I hate it. It's all because of the video. If I had never seen the video, I'd like the song.

So that's 4-1 in favor of Dee-Lite's "Groove Is In The Heart." Tell us what you think about it.

All music mattered after 9/11.

In 2001, I ran an open mic night at a local music club. Sept. 13 was the usual night and the owners debated having the open mic night at all that week. I told them to go ahead. That night we had more people come in and sign up to play music than to sit and listen. One person came in and sang "Imagine" by John Lenon acapella.

2 days before, I was the classic stereotype of a musician. Asleep face down in the pillow with guitar beside me on the bed. My girlfriend ran into the bedroom and woke me up yelling that the world trade center had been hit. With the rest of the world, I watched as the second tower was hit, the pentagon was hit and Flight 93 went down. For the first time that I know of, cable tv stations were going dark. QVC went off the air, MTV and various other music stations switched to the newscasts of their parent companies.

When the announcement that all flights were grounded and U.S. airspace was locked down, I went in to work at the local newspaper. It was my day off, but I knew we were going to be putting something out about it. I would've worked for free that day.

10 years later, some things fade from memory... What I was wearing, what I did when I got off work. One thing I do remember is not playing any music for two days.

I had nothing to say through music. At the open mic night, I can't remember what I played. I do remember letting other musicians borrow my guitars for a few songs. I remember one large jam at the end of the night for one reason. No one said anything. Drums were beat, guitars and bass were strummed, piano, flute, harmonica and sax got in on the action. The music was upbeat and normally a spoken word poet or a freestyle rapper would jump on the mic, but not that night.

Maybe for that brief time, everything that needed to be said could be done by a note or a chord. A minor, F, C, G. On Sept. 13, that was how a bunch of musicians talked to each other. That was a great conversation.

*image from CNN

Why Jay-Z's music still mattered on 9/11

Labor Day weekend menu!

I'm thinking more "surf and turf" this year. T-bone, lobster tails, potato salad, baked beans, fresh corn chips, pico de gallo and spinach salad. This year, the garlic butter and pico de gallo will be a hit.

Garlic Butter
1 room temp stick of butter unsalted
4 cloves of garlic
1/4 cup of Italian seasoning

Toss the 4 cloves of garlic in the food processor along with the butter and Italian seasoning. Blend for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove garlic butter from processor and place on a sheet of plastic wrap. Cover and mold into a round log formation. Let it sit in the fridge for at least an hour.

The longer you wait, the more the flavors blend. I usually let it sit for a day or two. The garlic butter can now be sliced into medallions for placement on a hot steak or melted for dipping lobster.

Pico de Gallo
12 Roma tomatoes
1 med onion (red, white, yellow... your preference. Red for less sharpness)
4 sprigs of cilantro
1 jalapeno (optional for hot)
1 zest of lime (optional for citrus essence)
pinch of sea salt (optional)

Slice tomatoes in half length wise and use a spoon to clean out the seeds. Dice tomatoes and place in metal or plastic mixing bowl. Dice onion and place in mixing bowl. Finely chop the cilantro and toss it in with the tomatoes and onion. Sprinkle some sea salt on top and mix. Place bowl in fridge to let flavors mingle for at least an hour before serving. Goes great with corn chips and can be used as it's own side dish or garnish.

A citrus tea will add a little something extra to the party.

Citrus Tea
1 lime
1 lemon
1 orange
2 cups of sugar
1 gallon pitcher
2-4 tea bags (depending on your preference)

Let tea bags steep in boiled water for 30 minutes. Slice the lime, lemon and orange and place in bottom of pitcher. Pour sugar on top. Remove tea bags and pour tea into pitcher stirring as you go. Fill the rest of the pitcher with water while stirring.

Add an ounce or two of Flor de Cana rum to individual drinks to give guests of legal age a kick.

Any food or drink recipes you are willing to share for this holiday weekend? Let's hear them!

*Image from Fotosearch

Reason #52 that you should become an UFO...

After reading the "Bites on Today" story about annoying ways co-workers eat lunch, I think they are missing one of the biggest and worst offenses to the senses, burnt popcorn.

The problem with burnt popcorn is that the person making it usually sets the microwave on 5 minutes and walks away. At around 3:30, the popcorn is popping strong or on it's last kernels. By 4 minutes, all you hear is the hum of the microwave and thats when it happens. 60 seconds of nonstop, unadulterated burning action wreaking havoc on those who dare to walk past the break area.

By the end of the 5 minute burn, the person who put the popcorn in the microwave has either forgotten that they put it in there, realizes they did and rushes in to see what they can salvage or the worst thing of all... Pretend it wasn't them. They stay quiet. Working along as if they never left their desk meanwhile a foul bomb has been released throughout the office and terrorizing nostrils.

The smell dissapates after 30-40 minutes so it won't ruin your whole day. However, for office space veterans, there may be 3 or more incidents a week and by the end of the week, becoming your own boss and being an UnFranchise® Owner sounds like a great idea. Work your own hours and you'll get to make your own rules... and rule #1 would probably be no popcorn in the microwave.


*Image from Bloomimage/Getty Images/BloomImage RF

The annoying ways our co-workers eat lunch

MTV VMAs go from 'shock and awe' to 'cute and aww'

I rarely ever watch the MTV Video Music Awards. I love to wait til the next day and catch the highlights of what everyone is buzzing about. This year's advertising commercials are definitely surprising in that aspect. I almost want to say they are 'purrfect.'

Instead of ridiculous antics and hosts that may need all 30 seconds of the commercial to remember who their names are, they've been replaced with cats and dogs.

Check out these commercials and tell us what you think.

*Image from WireImage/MTV

Meow! Kittens and puppies re-enact VMA moments

No Labor Day plans? Time for a cookout.

Of course the beach will be packed. It is every Labor Day weekend. However, there are other options for traditional end of summer. How about a cook out? Now, how about getting cashback for it?

I remember a time when folks knew their neighbors and would select certain times a year to have a neighborhood cookout. Why not try that again with a Market America twist?

Take a look at the Grocery tab on your portal. I went straight for the meats section. Osso buco, NY strip steaks, filet mignon spring rolls, black angus burgers and mussels. Can you imagine that spread on a weekend afternoon?

There are more than enough groceries on your portal to make your neighbors love you while they are over at the house and to be jealous of you when they leave. Top it off with a variety of MA wines and you'll have the perfect "staycation" without ever leaving the house. Food, drinks and friends delivered to your doorstep.

Have food fight, will travel.

It was 1994 at a Boy Scout camp. I was dinged with a tater tot and then a piece of cantaloupe during breakfast. The scout next to me tried to get away from the onslaught so he stood up in a quick motion knocking me backwards off the picnic table bench. As I was going down, I picked up the bowl of grits and tossed it in the general direction of the offending scouts. It hit their scout leader. What happened next was a food fight you only see in movies.

Even after having to apologize and spend half a day cleaning the mess hall, that was fun. So much so that I would do it again. Eggs in a sling shot, punkin chunkin (throwing pumpkins), baked bean bombs and the ever so classic, pie to the face. These actions bring out the most immature, carefree laugh I could ever get. And that's why I would love to take a trip to Spain for the La Tomatina festival.

In it's basic form, La Tomatina revolves around throwing tomatoes at everyone in 1 to 2 hour increments. A huge truck drives down the street dumping tomatoes out which are immediately thrown at by spectators or tossed up into the air in celebration. Bring a pair of goggles and prepare to get messy. Check out the video here.

In Gloucestershire, England, they have an annual Cheese rolling event where participants chase a rolling cheese wheel down a hill. I'm sure it's fun to compete, but being a spectator would provide for all the entertainment you'd need. See the video here.

Is there a crazy food festival that you have always wanted to attend? Tell us about it and plan your next trip with ma|Travel!

*Image from Juanjo Valverde/MSNBC

World's weirdest food festivals

Never too early for wedding reception planning

I knew it was going to happen at some point. My girlfriend made a light joke about us getting married. Rather than the stereotypical male response of leaving the room or changing the subject, I had one thought. What would we serve at the reception?

That makes me think of a country farm style wedding on picnic tables and a hootenanny in the barn once the ceremony was over. Nothing like down home farm cooking.

I know shrimp cocktail is played out, but I still like it. It could easily be replaced with a shrimp civeche.

I would also like an Asian themed flaming hibachi style setup as seen in some Japanese restaurants. Some folks don't know how to use chopsticks, however a set of His and Hers for the bride and groom would be kind of interesting.

The first time I heard of the baked potato bar, I thought it would be interesting. Unfortunately, with all the fixings I would pile on my baked potato I can imagine my mother screaming at me from across the room with a look of horror on her face. Some meals aren't meant for social gatherings.

In this MSNBC story, they talk about 10 wedding food cliches and how to avoid them. What is a twist or a new idea you would have for a wedding reception?

*Image from MSNBC/Bvdc/FeaturePics stock

10 wedding food cliches (and how to avoid them)