I'm a writer in Charlotte, NC. On my blog you'll find columns, reviews, and random thoughts that just need to be released from my brain. If you have a blog too, let me know about it! It'll give me some reading material.
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Charlotte Cupcakes - Just Baked Cupcakes
This week I decided to go North.
I went to Cornelius to check out a cupcake shop I found online: Just Baked Cupcakes & Coffee House.
They have a nice, little store. Because it's part coffee house, part cupcake shop, it has a different vibe than any of the other shops I've been to.
It's in a brick home on Main Street in Cornelius. There are a couple of tables and a few chairs right as you walk in. With a gas station right next door, the shop is definitely a nice place to stop and get a snack if you're on a road trip.
They have different flavors each day. That's a good way to get people coming back day after day. When I went they had about five or six to choose from.
In addition to cupcakes they have various other kinds of bars, brownies, and cookies. I was there for the cupcakes though!
The first one I had was the Sugar Cookie cupcake, which, remarkably, tasted like a sugar cookie. Topped with the sprinkles you'd find on an actual cookie, the vanilla butter cream frosting was pretty much spot on. Mixed with the cupcake, it carried the same flavor as a cookie.
The cupcake wasn't incredibly big, but it was filling. The amount of frosting worked well too. There was enough for each bite of cupcake.
The second cupcake I ate was the Nutter Butter. It's peanut butter cake topped with a whipped peanut butter frosting and crushed Nutter Butter cookie pieces. I'm a big fan of Peanut Butter. I dip pretzels and carrots in it, I devour Peanut Butter cookies, and I'll never turn down a homemade Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich. The Nutter Butter wasn't my favorite of the bunch though.
It did have a Peanut Butter taste, but there wasn't a burst of taste with each bite -- more like a hint of it. Despite none of it actually tasting like real Peanut Butter, I think there was too much of the same flavor between the flavored cupcake, the frosting and the crushed crumbs on top. Not bad at all, but if I stop back at Just Baked, I'll probably go for a different flavor.
Last, but not least, is the most impressive looking cupcake of the bunch: the Cookies & Cream cupcake. This one is a chocolate lover's dream come true -- possibly more accurately called the, 'Oreo Cookie cupcake.'
It's a chocolate cupcake is topped with butter cream. On top of that are crushed Oreo cookie crumbs. On top of the crumbs Is half an Oreo cookie. I love sugar cookies, but this one was actually my favorite of the bunch. The crushed crumbs and the cookie on top took it to that next level.
The positives: All three cupcakes tasted very good. The sprinkles and crushed Oreo cookies were the proverbial icing on the cake.
The negatives: The cupcakes aren't incredibly large. They aren't mini's by any means, but if you're looking for a jumbo cupcake, this isn't the place to get it.
Cost: at $2.50 each they are cheaper than some of the cupcakes in Charlotte.
Just Baked Cupcakes:
19901 South Main St
Cornelius, NC 28031
704-892-3350
Related Content:
• Charlotte Cupcakes - La Bree's cupcakes
• Charlotte Cupcakes - Bake Me A Cake
• Charlotte Cupcakes - Tizzerts
• Charlotte Cupcakes - Suarez Bakery
• Charlotte Cupcakes - Cupcake Delirium
• Charlotte Cupcakes - Sunflour Bakery
• Charlotte Cupcakes – Kimberley’s Bakeshoppe Gourmet Cupcakes
• Charlotte Cupcakes - Nona's Sweets
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Possibilities for Leno's next career move
With the possibility of Jay Leno leaving The Tonight Show (round 2), what’s he to do?
He retired once and came back, so the man obviously has too much ambition to ride his Harley’s and live off his fortune (which is what I would do). So, what’s a guy to do with his time?
Lucky for Jay, I have a list of possibilities – some probable and others not-so-much:
7. Become a judge on America’s Got Talent
Leno could join the cast of other eclectic judges. Leno's addition would actually bring some legitimacy to the show, as he's been a comic for decades. He's had some of the top musical acts in the world booked on his show.
He's also seen all kinds of random talent perform on The Tonight Show stage, whether it's a trick involving a BMX bike or a dancing chicken. The only catch is that America's Got Talent is on NBC, which Leno probably isn't too fond of right now. Maybe in a couple of years.
6. Appear in the next season of Celebrity Apprentice
This scenario, just like the last one, may not be too likely given Leno’s apparent beef with the NBC network. He’d be a good candidate, however, as he evidently still brings the ratings for the network. Plus, it's a competition that raises money for charity.
If Leno and NBC can't settle their differences with the combined goal of raising money for charity, then there's no hope of patching things up.
5. Start a motorcycle show on The History Channel
Leno’s love for engines and motorcycles could be put to use as host of some kind of auto show on The History Channel, TLC or maybe the Speed Channel.
I’m thinking some kind of countdown show -- ranking the best cars, bikes, and trucks in the world. He could do a little bit of traveling, tape a few segments on a topic he likes, and then kick it with Mavis back at the pad.
4. Join the Obama Administration
President Obama is looking for a Transportation Secretary after Ray LaHood announced that he’s leaving. Leno does have a background in working with motorcycles and cars.
He doesn’t have foreign policy experience or a previous career in politics, but let’s face it: what exactly does the Transportation Secretary do other than dodge questions from the press, right? Hillary didn’t have qualifications to be the Secretary of State, but she got that job.
3. Become a contestant on the next season of Dancing with the Stars
It’d be easy for Leno to get a spot on this show with his celebrity status. He’s more famous and relevant than a lot of the cast members who are usually chosen.
Plus, he’d be able to stick it to NBC by appearing on an ABC show. I don't know if he can dance, but half the fun of that show is watching people with two left feet stumble over each other.
2. Replace Conan with a late night show on TBS
Leno’s done it once, why not try his hand at that again? That would probably mean Conan going to FOX or maybe even PBS. Plus, this way Conan could help Leno figure out his next move --- three or four years down the line when Leno is finished with TBS.
Conan may start charging a fee for getting Leno jobs, but they can iron out those details at a later time.
1. Star in a remake of Popeye
Leno has the chin.
There's probably not going to be anyone who can match him in that. He could probably nail the voice. He's used to campy comedy.
I don't know if Jay has any acting aspirations, but if he does, why not start a movie-making career as the spinach-eating Sailor Man (toot-toot)?
See. Fret not, folks! Leno still has lots of career opportunities.
Related Content:
• 8 picks to play Wonder Woman
• 12 celebs to follow on Twitter in 2013
He retired once and came back, so the man obviously has too much ambition to ride his Harley’s and live off his fortune (which is what I would do). So, what’s a guy to do with his time?
Lucky for Jay, I have a list of possibilities – some probable and others not-so-much:
7. Become a judge on America’s Got Talent
Leno could join the cast of other eclectic judges. Leno's addition would actually bring some legitimacy to the show, as he's been a comic for decades. He's had some of the top musical acts in the world booked on his show.
He's also seen all kinds of random talent perform on The Tonight Show stage, whether it's a trick involving a BMX bike or a dancing chicken. The only catch is that America's Got Talent is on NBC, which Leno probably isn't too fond of right now. Maybe in a couple of years.
6. Appear in the next season of Celebrity Apprentice
This scenario, just like the last one, may not be too likely given Leno’s apparent beef with the NBC network. He’d be a good candidate, however, as he evidently still brings the ratings for the network. Plus, it's a competition that raises money for charity.
If Leno and NBC can't settle their differences with the combined goal of raising money for charity, then there's no hope of patching things up.
5. Start a motorcycle show on The History Channel
Leno’s love for engines and motorcycles could be put to use as host of some kind of auto show on The History Channel, TLC or maybe the Speed Channel.
I’m thinking some kind of countdown show -- ranking the best cars, bikes, and trucks in the world. He could do a little bit of traveling, tape a few segments on a topic he likes, and then kick it with Mavis back at the pad.
4. Join the Obama Administration
President Obama is looking for a Transportation Secretary after Ray LaHood announced that he’s leaving. Leno does have a background in working with motorcycles and cars.
He doesn’t have foreign policy experience or a previous career in politics, but let’s face it: what exactly does the Transportation Secretary do other than dodge questions from the press, right? Hillary didn’t have qualifications to be the Secretary of State, but she got that job.
3. Become a contestant on the next season of Dancing with the Stars
It’d be easy for Leno to get a spot on this show with his celebrity status. He’s more famous and relevant than a lot of the cast members who are usually chosen.
Plus, he’d be able to stick it to NBC by appearing on an ABC show. I don't know if he can dance, but half the fun of that show is watching people with two left feet stumble over each other.
2. Replace Conan with a late night show on TBS
Leno’s done it once, why not try his hand at that again? That would probably mean Conan going to FOX or maybe even PBS. Plus, this way Conan could help Leno figure out his next move --- three or four years down the line when Leno is finished with TBS.
Conan may start charging a fee for getting Leno jobs, but they can iron out those details at a later time.
1. Star in a remake of Popeye
Leno has the chin.
There's probably not going to be anyone who can match him in that. He could probably nail the voice. He's used to campy comedy.
I don't know if Jay has any acting aspirations, but if he does, why not start a movie-making career as the spinach-eating Sailor Man (toot-toot)?
See. Fret not, folks! Leno still has lots of career opportunities.
Related Content:
• 8 picks to play Wonder Woman
• 12 celebs to follow on Twitter in 2013
Monday, March 25, 2013
TNA's Road to Slammiversary World Tour - reviewed.
As WWE is gearing up for Wrestlemania, TNA is preparing for Slammiversary. With their new pay-per-view model, Slammiversary is the next big pay-per-view TNA has -- but it's not until June. We'll see if that new model generates any additional interest or buys.
Saturday night they were in Concord, North Carolina for a live event.
For $16 (I didn't bother trying to get floor seats), it doesn't matter what event they're gearing up for or how many pay-per-views they have. I'll buy a ticket.
I went to a TNA live event in 2008. I got to help out at a different live event in 2009, clearing the broken table (courtesy of Team 3-D) from the ring and taking the photos for the fans as they posed with A.J. Styles in the ring after the event.
This time, I wasn't wanting to meet the wrestlers or network with anyone. It's just something to do on a Friday night for a relatively cheap price.
I've been reading spoilers and catching bits and pieces of Impact on YouTube and through forums, but I haven't seen a full show of Impact, Raw or Smackdown in over a year, so seeing some people like Wes Brisco and Kenny King actually compete was new to me. As a pretty hardcore wrestling fan, I was familiar with both names (I remember watching Kenny on Tough Enough), but I hadn't actually seen them wrestle before.
Christy Hemme -- who is ironically the first Diva Search winner and the one who's lasted the longest -- handled ring announcing duties for the night. She's a confident girl, so she did a good job at hyping the crowd, but she's no Lilian Garcia.
The first match was for the X Division Championship. Zema Ion, who I'd seen on Impact about a year ago, faced Kenny King. Zema was doing the hairspray gimmick, excessively spraying his hair during his entrance and before the match began. There were a couple of comedy spots with the hairspray at the beginning of the match -- with Kenny spraying his own shaved head and the head of referee Brian Hebner.
It was kind of an uneventful match, but halfway through Zema turned it on, playing to the crowd and selling like a champ. Kenny King's story should be one of success. He got cut from Tough Enough, worked in ROH and is now in TNA. Unfortunately he doesn't seem to have much charisma, nor does he have the athleticism of someone like Shelton Benjamin, who makes up for any lack of charisma with outstanding moves.
King won with a decent finisher, but the best part of the match was the seven-year-old kid behind me who was trying to get a "Let's go Zema" chant going.
The next match was for the Knockouts Title. Velvet Sky was defending against Gail Kim. Velvet let the pigeons loose, which resulted in the little boy behind me calling her "Butt girl" throughout the match. 'Let's go butt girl,' is not a chant I ever thought I'd hear someone try to start. Velvet -- obviously not on Gail's level as a wrestler -- has improved, so it wasn't as bad as your typical televised WWE Diva's match.
Wes Brisco was out next to face Christian York. I'd been reading about Wes Brisco since the Aces & Eights storyline started. I've been reading about York since the late 90's. I'd never seen either of them wrestle though, so this was the match I was probably looking most forward to. Both men are more jacked than I figured they would have been.
York was a natural in the ring, with an RVD-like style, utilizing speed, agility and some technical skills. Brisco seemed a little more uncomfortable and a little more unnatural in there. That being said, he seems like he could be good with more seasoning. There was one flub near the end of the match (looked like it was Brisco's fault), but it wasn't a blown spot -- just a little sloppy. Brisco ended up winning after what looked like what was going to be a neckbreaker, but ended up being a knee to the face. It's a hard move to describe, so if you're a fan, you'll have to keep your eyes open for it. It's a decent looking trademark move, but I'm not sure it's entirely believable as a finisher.
Up next, Magnus and Samoa Joe were out for a tag match. To my surprise their opponents were Bobby Roode and Austin Aries, the TNA Tag Team Champions. When I quit watching wrestling on a weekly basis in early 2012, Aries was in the X-division, quickly working his way up the heavyweight ranks and Roode was the TNA Heavyweight Champion. Now they're the tag champs.
All four guys have had, are having or will have successful careers, but it was easy to see -- from the entrance alone -- that Aries is the shining star. Roode spent a good amount of time arguing with a fan during the entrance. Aries, noticing the delay, came over to see what the situation was. He grabbed the mic and elaborated. The fan -- a middle-aged man -- was apparently was telling Roode that Sting will come down from the non-existent rafters of the very small Cabarrus Coutny Events Center and beat Roode up. Aries asked, "Does anybody see Sting up there?"
In all fairness, the guy looked like he may have had some kind of mental disability.
Nonetheless, Aries heeled it up and made fun of the notion of Sting being in the rafters. Then, after he was done he told them to cue the music again because they weren't done making their entrance.
The match was probably the best of the night with lots of back and forth action.
Up next was a lengthy intermission. It felt like 20 mins...had to be at least 15.
Joesph Park (who I last saw as Abyss) came out in a Simon Dean-like gimmick, wearing a sweat suit and carrying towel, waving to the fans the entire way. Robbie E. was his opponent. Before the match started Robbie E. wanted to know if Joseph Park really thought that "hamster" could dance better than him. So, we had a little dance off that ended with Robbie taking a cheap shot.
Fans immediately started chanting, "Black Hole Slam." So much for the Joseph Park personality. Just bring back Abyss! Park ended up winning the match after a lackluster splash from the second rope.
The card originally called for two separate additional matches: Jeff Hardy facing Bully Ray for the TNA Title and another pitting Kurt Angle against Devon.
Instead, TNA combined the two, creating a tag match that put Kurt and Hardy against the reunited Team 3-D, who entered through the crowd.
It was an alright match. Kurt didn't seem on his game, which makes sense since he was apparently working injured (that also explains why it was a tag match). Jeff and Bully started the match. Kurt tagged in and got worked on until Jeff made the hot tag, hitting the Whisper in the Wind. The ref went down, which gave D'Lo, Brisco and Devon the chance to interfere.
After Devon nailed Hardy with a chain, Bully made the pin for the three count. Magnus, Joe, Joseph Park, York and Zema Ion rushed the ring to save Angle and Hardy from a further beat down.
Bully teased a big tag between all of them, but said, "Screw it!" instead. The faces posed and that was a wrap. It was a shorter event than I expected, but maybe that's because the two singles matches turned into a tag.
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• PWX awesomeness
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Sunday, March 24, 2013
Charlotte Cupcakes - La Bree's cupcakes
I was surprised to see a new brand of cupcakes (or maybe I just hadn't been paying attention before?) at Food Lion recently.
They are cupcake mini's from La Bree's.
There are six cupcakes in each pack and four different flavors to choose from: Luscious Lemon, Carrot, Chocolate Caramel, and Red Velvet. The lemon are apparently seasonal. I'm not sure about the Chocolate Caramel, Carrot or Red Velvet.
The packages said the Carrot and Red Velvet were "Sweetly Traditional," while the Chocolate Caramel was "Sweetly Salted." Maybe they are all seasonal?
I like lemon, so I figured I'd get a pack of those and one of the Chocolate Caramel, in case they were offered for a limited amount of time too.
I didn't eat them right away since they were already packaged up.
I tried the Luscious Lemon a couple of days after I bought them. To my surprise, they were moist -- as though they were as fresh as a cupcake made that same day.
I'm not sure I want to know what's in them to make them taste so fresh, but whatever it is was working. The cupcakes really reminded me of lemon-flavored miniature muffins -- the kind that you'll find in similar looking 6 packs at the grocery store. The cupcake was light and fluffy. The frosting on top was a little heavier (definitely not a whipped topping).
It was proportionate though and the frosting doesn't come off on your hand when you take the cupcake out of the package.
No complaints about the taste. It was pretty much like a good, lemon-flavored mini-muffin.
The chocolate was like a very chocolatey brownie -- maybe not the best tasting brownie, but a very chocolatey one. The mix of the caramel frosting and chocolate cupcake worked well enough, but I'm not sure it was a total home run.
There was something about the taste of the chocolate combined with the caramel that was 'alright' instead of 'good.'
I think the chocolate simply overpowered the caramel frosting. Overall, not too shabby for packaged, processed cupcakes.
The positives: They all tasted fresh, days after I bought them and opened the package. At about 100 calories a piece, the cupcakes are a great way to have a little treat each day without overdoing it on the sweets.
The negatives: They aren't gourmet cupcakes, so don't expect to be amazed when you eat them.
Cost: They are miniatures, but six of them at $2.49 probably equals out to a little more cupcake than just one from some of the actual bakeries or cupcake shops that cost the same or more.
Charlotte Food Lion stores:
Related Content:
• Charlotte Cupcakes - Bake Me A Cake
• Charlotte Cupcakes - Tizzerts
• Charlotte Cupcakes - Suarez Bakery
• Charlotte Cupcakes - Cupcake Delirium
• Charlotte Cupcakes - Sunflour Bakery
• Charlotte Cupcakes – Kimberley’s Bakeshoppe Gourmet Cupcakes
• Charlotte Cupcakes - Nona's Sweets
They are cupcake mini's from La Bree's.
There are six cupcakes in each pack and four different flavors to choose from: Luscious Lemon, Carrot, Chocolate Caramel, and Red Velvet. The lemon are apparently seasonal. I'm not sure about the Chocolate Caramel, Carrot or Red Velvet.
The packages said the Carrot and Red Velvet were "Sweetly Traditional," while the Chocolate Caramel was "Sweetly Salted." Maybe they are all seasonal?
I like lemon, so I figured I'd get a pack of those and one of the Chocolate Caramel, in case they were offered for a limited amount of time too.
I didn't eat them right away since they were already packaged up.
I tried the Luscious Lemon a couple of days after I bought them. To my surprise, they were moist -- as though they were as fresh as a cupcake made that same day.
I'm not sure I want to know what's in them to make them taste so fresh, but whatever it is was working. The cupcakes really reminded me of lemon-flavored miniature muffins -- the kind that you'll find in similar looking 6 packs at the grocery store. The cupcake was light and fluffy. The frosting on top was a little heavier (definitely not a whipped topping).
It was proportionate though and the frosting doesn't come off on your hand when you take the cupcake out of the package.
No complaints about the taste. It was pretty much like a good, lemon-flavored mini-muffin.
The chocolate was like a very chocolatey brownie -- maybe not the best tasting brownie, but a very chocolatey one. The mix of the caramel frosting and chocolate cupcake worked well enough, but I'm not sure it was a total home run.
There was something about the taste of the chocolate combined with the caramel that was 'alright' instead of 'good.'
I think the chocolate simply overpowered the caramel frosting. Overall, not too shabby for packaged, processed cupcakes.
The positives: They all tasted fresh, days after I bought them and opened the package. At about 100 calories a piece, the cupcakes are a great way to have a little treat each day without overdoing it on the sweets.
The negatives: They aren't gourmet cupcakes, so don't expect to be amazed when you eat them.
Cost: They are miniatures, but six of them at $2.49 probably equals out to a little more cupcake than just one from some of the actual bakeries or cupcake shops that cost the same or more.
Charlotte Food Lion stores:
Related Content:
• Charlotte Cupcakes - Bake Me A Cake
• Charlotte Cupcakes - Tizzerts
• Charlotte Cupcakes - Suarez Bakery
• Charlotte Cupcakes - Cupcake Delirium
• Charlotte Cupcakes - Sunflour Bakery
• Charlotte Cupcakes – Kimberley’s Bakeshoppe Gourmet Cupcakes
• Charlotte Cupcakes - Nona's Sweets
Friday, March 22, 2013
Pink: The Truth About Love Tour - reviewed.
It's been almost a week, but Pink's performance at the Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte still has me amazed.
I had previously mentioned that I had a small amount of hope that Pink would soar high above the arena the way she does in her televised performances. I wasn't actually expecting it, however, so when she ended up doing just that, I couldn't have been more surprised and entertained.
The entire night was like a string of some of her greatest hits, performed just as she does them on TV.
In "Try," Pink used some of the same choreography she used during her AMA performance last year.
The stunts in "Sober" were changed from her VMA performance, but it worked well. She
She added a few new twists though. "Family Portrait," for example, which was performed halfway through the show, was a stripped down ballad, accompanied by a piano. I actually like that version better than the original, which as never been a favorite of mine. I would like to see a re-release of that one.
Maybe that's what Pink could do while she works on new material -- release an album full of re-works. Some acoustic, some instrumentals changed on some songs, etc.
Meanwhile, other songs -- like "Raise Your Glass," "Walk of Shame," "U + Ur Hand," "Slut Like You," and "Are We All We Are" sounded so good it was as if they were being played off the CD itself.
There was a little homage to her early days in the form of a medley of "Most Girls," "There You Go," and "You Make Me Sick."
One of the most interesting moments was when Pink covered Chris Isaak's "Wicked Game." It's amazing how much Pink has evolved, vocally. "Wicked Game" showcased that nicely.
"Just Give Me A Reason," performed with a pre-recorded jumbotron version of Fun's Nate Ruess, also showcased Pink's amazing vocal range.
Two underrated tunes (and also two of my favorites) were also included in the set list: "Leave Me Alone (I'm Lonely)" and "How Come You're Not Here?," which Pink revealed is one of Carey Hart's least favorite songs.
She closed the show with my two favorite performances, the high-flying version of "So What" and a straight-off-of-the-Grammy's performance of "Glitter in the Air."
The only awkward moments were the sensual goth-ballet-like performance between two female dancers and another bit of more risque choreography. If it were a Britney Spears concert, it would be expected, but they really weren't needed with these set of performances. Pink is good enough to entertain without that kind of thing.
Related Content:
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Wednesday, March 20, 2013
The 10 Friendliest and Meanest Aliens
Happy National Alien Abduction Day!
Strangely enough, March 20 is known as alien abduction day.
To celebrate, I present to you the friendliest and least friendly aliens from entertainment history.
I made the list for IMDB, which I recently joined. I always used it to look up information, but I never realized that it’s actually a pretty fun website too. You can give movies ratings, make lists that rank movies and characters, and write movie reviews. It's not as addicting as FarmVille, but I've spent a few hours on it already.
Here’s a look at the top five aliens from each of my lists.
5. 3rd Rock from the Sun aliens
They came to Earth to study it. To do this, they took human form. Over the course of their mission they realized the pitfalls and the positives of being human. Once the mission was completed, they left. It seemed like they'd be singing the praises of the planet in their future travels. Granted, there were several points when the Big Giant Head (William Shatner), Dick and Sally immediately jumped to a "let's kill him" solution if they ever encountered problems with a human. However, unless angered, they seem relatively peaceful.
4. The Autobots
They defend Earth against the Decepticons -- without a real reason to do so. Granted, according to the movie, they did have a hand in bringing the Decepticons to Earth when they stored the AllSpark here. However, they could have simply used Earth as a battleground, with little compassion to the inhabitants. Instead, they chose to help the human race. They have compassion for humans and want to guide us to a peaceful existence on Earth.
3. The aliens from Contact
Aliens hear our radio and TV signals from Earth and, in return, send us blueprints on how to build a space travel machine. There's not a lot of information given about these aliens. We don't even know what they look like since the only one Jodie Foster had contact with took human form so that it wouldn't be so overwhelming for her to meet it). I'm assuming they probably have some kind of advanced technology (and probably advanced weaponry) because they knew how to send the blueprint to Earth.
2. E.T.
All the guy wanted to do was go home. He obviously had some powers, but he didn't use them to hurt anyone who wasn't trying to prevent him from getting home. He brought a plant back to life. Obviously, there's not a destructive nature in that alien race. Plus, E.T. ate M&M's -- which indicates that he favors candy over human brains. That's always a good trait in an alien from outer space.
1. Superman
Aliens just don't get much friendlier than Superman. Despite being supremely powerful, Superman uses his powers to defend the people of Earth against all kinds of dangers, whether it's super villains, mother nature, or themselves. When his planet was destroyed, Earth became Superman's home. If there's one alien you can count on, above all others, it would have to be Superman.
Read the rest of the list!
5. Cowboys & Aliens aliens
These aliens came to Earth to take gold. They took humans to experiment on as well. If they encountered any problems with humans, they simply destroyed the ones they didn't abduct.
4. Marvin The Martian
It seemed like this angry little martian was always pointing some kind of rocket at Earth. It didn't matter what day or time it was. His mission was always the same: send a missile to Earth to destroy it.
He may be on Loony Tunes, but he's an evil dude, that's for sure.
3. Predator
Aliens that hunt human for sport. Yeah -- I'd say they make the list pretty easily. In Predators, the most recent movie in the Predator franchise, it was just humans who were killers themselves who were transported to the alien planet. In Alien vs. Predator, the Predator seemed to take mercy on the human who was helping him fight off the evil queen. So perhaps they do have a conscience of some sort. They still rank pretty high, however.
2. The aliens from War of the Worlds
They came. They destroyed. If memory serves correctly, there wasn't much of an explanation given as to why. They simply wanted Earth for themselves, which meant killing all humans. Greed is one emotion they obviously have, while compassion isn't.
1. Alien
Talk about a freaky, scary alien! It's enough to give you nightmares.
The Queen definitely tops this list. No real motive other than to infest and reproduce.
I doubt there will ever be another cinematic alien as frightening as this one.
Read the rest of the list!
Related Content:
• Star Trek: The Motion Picture - reviewed.
• Star Wars: Episode II - reviewed.
• 10 Best Super Villain Portrayals on the Big Screen
• 10 Best Super Hero Portrayals on the Big Screen
Strangely enough, March 20 is known as alien abduction day.
To celebrate, I present to you the friendliest and least friendly aliens from entertainment history.
I made the list for IMDB, which I recently joined. I always used it to look up information, but I never realized that it’s actually a pretty fun website too. You can give movies ratings, make lists that rank movies and characters, and write movie reviews. It's not as addicting as FarmVille, but I've spent a few hours on it already.
Here’s a look at the top five aliens from each of my lists.
5. 3rd Rock from the Sun aliens
They came to Earth to study it. To do this, they took human form. Over the course of their mission they realized the pitfalls and the positives of being human. Once the mission was completed, they left. It seemed like they'd be singing the praises of the planet in their future travels. Granted, there were several points when the Big Giant Head (William Shatner), Dick and Sally immediately jumped to a "let's kill him" solution if they ever encountered problems with a human. However, unless angered, they seem relatively peaceful.
4. The Autobots
They defend Earth against the Decepticons -- without a real reason to do so. Granted, according to the movie, they did have a hand in bringing the Decepticons to Earth when they stored the AllSpark here. However, they could have simply used Earth as a battleground, with little compassion to the inhabitants. Instead, they chose to help the human race. They have compassion for humans and want to guide us to a peaceful existence on Earth.
3. The aliens from Contact
Aliens hear our radio and TV signals from Earth and, in return, send us blueprints on how to build a space travel machine. There's not a lot of information given about these aliens. We don't even know what they look like since the only one Jodie Foster had contact with took human form so that it wouldn't be so overwhelming for her to meet it). I'm assuming they probably have some kind of advanced technology (and probably advanced weaponry) because they knew how to send the blueprint to Earth.
2. E.T.
All the guy wanted to do was go home. He obviously had some powers, but he didn't use them to hurt anyone who wasn't trying to prevent him from getting home. He brought a plant back to life. Obviously, there's not a destructive nature in that alien race. Plus, E.T. ate M&M's -- which indicates that he favors candy over human brains. That's always a good trait in an alien from outer space.
1. Superman
Aliens just don't get much friendlier than Superman. Despite being supremely powerful, Superman uses his powers to defend the people of Earth against all kinds of dangers, whether it's super villains, mother nature, or themselves. When his planet was destroyed, Earth became Superman's home. If there's one alien you can count on, above all others, it would have to be Superman.
Read the rest of the list!
Now, onto the 10 least friendly aliens. Here are the top five:
5. Cowboys & Aliens aliens
These aliens came to Earth to take gold. They took humans to experiment on as well. If they encountered any problems with humans, they simply destroyed the ones they didn't abduct.
4. Marvin The Martian
It seemed like this angry little martian was always pointing some kind of rocket at Earth. It didn't matter what day or time it was. His mission was always the same: send a missile to Earth to destroy it.
He may be on Loony Tunes, but he's an evil dude, that's for sure.
3. Predator
Aliens that hunt human for sport. Yeah -- I'd say they make the list pretty easily. In Predators, the most recent movie in the Predator franchise, it was just humans who were killers themselves who were transported to the alien planet. In Alien vs. Predator, the Predator seemed to take mercy on the human who was helping him fight off the evil queen. So perhaps they do have a conscience of some sort. They still rank pretty high, however.
2. The aliens from War of the Worlds
They came. They destroyed. If memory serves correctly, there wasn't much of an explanation given as to why. They simply wanted Earth for themselves, which meant killing all humans. Greed is one emotion they obviously have, while compassion isn't.
1. Alien
Talk about a freaky, scary alien! It's enough to give you nightmares.
The Queen definitely tops this list. No real motive other than to infest and reproduce.
I doubt there will ever be another cinematic alien as frightening as this one.
Read the rest of the list!
Related Content:
• Star Trek: The Motion Picture - reviewed.
• Star Wars: Episode II - reviewed.
• 10 Best Super Villain Portrayals on the Big Screen
• 10 Best Super Hero Portrayals on the Big Screen
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Sunday, March 10, 2013
Charlotte Cupcakes - Bake Me A Cake
I got a nice surprise this week.
After two weeks of cupcakes that weren't as amazing as I was hoping for, Bake Me A Cake blew me away with their incredible cupcakes!
They're located in North Charlotte, off W.T. Harris Boulevard. I was Googling their webpage when I noticed that they also had a location at Northlake Mall. Low and behold, I was at Northlake Mall at that moment.
Sure enough, on the lower level of the mall, outside of Abercrombie & Hollister, there's a Bake Me A Cake stand.
I was there close to 6:30. Since they were about to close, they discounted the cupcakes to $1.50 a piece. Sweet deal!
That being said, even if the cupcakes cost $3.00 each they would have been worth it.
I chose four of the multiple flavors they had available.
Strawberry
I've been on a strawberry cupcake kick the past several weeks that I've been doing these reviews, so I had to start with that one. It was amazing! The strawberry (all the cupcakes that I tried) was more like a small muffin. It was compact and soft, but there wasn't a lot of fluffiness to it. There was some substance to it.
Atop the strawberry frosting was a pink Whopper candy. It honestly wasn't needed, but the Whopper made a nice topping for the cupcake.
Cotton Candy
I was so intrigued by the cotton candy cupcake that I had to test it out. The blue frosting did taste like a frosting version of cotton candy.
It was sweet and blended in perfectly with the cupcake. It was almost like the Bubbalicious gum in cupcake form.
Cookies and Cream
I'm not sure if the Cookies and Cream cupcake was properly named, but it sure tasted good! It didn't necessarily taste like cookies and cream ice cream. Then again, cookies and cream ice cream doesn't really have a strong flavor in my opinion, so maybe it did taste like cookies and cream. Either way, the frosting was creamy, the cupcake was moist and I ate it in about two minutes (in between big gulps of milk).
Red Velvet
The red velvet cupcake was just as good as all the others. There was a hint of chocolate in it and on the top of this one was a regular Whopper. Again, not needed, but it didn't hurt the cupcake at all either.
The extra sugar sprinkles on top were a perfect addition.
The positives: The frosting was great. The cupcakes were great. The blend of the two was amazing!
The negatives: The strawberry was my least favorite of the bunch, but even that was incredible.
Cost: since I got them discounted it was just $1.50 each. Typically they are $2.50.
Bake Me A Cake:
4245 Park Rd Charlotte, NC 28209
Phone: (704) 921-2810
Related Content:
• Charlotte Cupcakes - Tizzerts
• Charlotte Cupcakes - Suarez Bakery
• Charlotte Cupcakes - Cupcake Delirium
• Charlotte Cupcakes - Sunflour Bakery
• Charlotte Cupcakes – Kimberley’s Bakeshoppe Gourmet Cupcakes
• Charlotte Cupcakes - Nona's Sweets
After two weeks of cupcakes that weren't as amazing as I was hoping for, Bake Me A Cake blew me away with their incredible cupcakes!
They're located in North Charlotte, off W.T. Harris Boulevard. I was Googling their webpage when I noticed that they also had a location at Northlake Mall. Low and behold, I was at Northlake Mall at that moment.
Sure enough, on the lower level of the mall, outside of Abercrombie & Hollister, there's a Bake Me A Cake stand.
I was there close to 6:30. Since they were about to close, they discounted the cupcakes to $1.50 a piece. Sweet deal!
That being said, even if the cupcakes cost $3.00 each they would have been worth it.
I chose four of the multiple flavors they had available.
Strawberry
I've been on a strawberry cupcake kick the past several weeks that I've been doing these reviews, so I had to start with that one. It was amazing! The strawberry (all the cupcakes that I tried) was more like a small muffin. It was compact and soft, but there wasn't a lot of fluffiness to it. There was some substance to it.
Atop the strawberry frosting was a pink Whopper candy. It honestly wasn't needed, but the Whopper made a nice topping for the cupcake.
Cotton Candy
I was so intrigued by the cotton candy cupcake that I had to test it out. The blue frosting did taste like a frosting version of cotton candy.
It was sweet and blended in perfectly with the cupcake. It was almost like the Bubbalicious gum in cupcake form.
Cookies and Cream
I'm not sure if the Cookies and Cream cupcake was properly named, but it sure tasted good! It didn't necessarily taste like cookies and cream ice cream. Then again, cookies and cream ice cream doesn't really have a strong flavor in my opinion, so maybe it did taste like cookies and cream. Either way, the frosting was creamy, the cupcake was moist and I ate it in about two minutes (in between big gulps of milk).
Red Velvet
The red velvet cupcake was just as good as all the others. There was a hint of chocolate in it and on the top of this one was a regular Whopper. Again, not needed, but it didn't hurt the cupcake at all either.
The extra sugar sprinkles on top were a perfect addition.
The positives: The frosting was great. The cupcakes were great. The blend of the two was amazing!
The negatives: The strawberry was my least favorite of the bunch, but even that was incredible.
Cost: since I got them discounted it was just $1.50 each. Typically they are $2.50.
Bake Me A Cake:
4245 Park Rd Charlotte, NC 28209
Phone: (704) 921-2810
Related Content:
• Charlotte Cupcakes - Tizzerts
• Charlotte Cupcakes - Suarez Bakery
• Charlotte Cupcakes - Cupcake Delirium
• Charlotte Cupcakes - Sunflour Bakery
• Charlotte Cupcakes – Kimberley’s Bakeshoppe Gourmet Cupcakes
• Charlotte Cupcakes - Nona's Sweets
Saturday, March 9, 2013
The Top 7 - Pink's Best Performances
P!nk is coming to Charlotte in one week. She'll be performing at the Time Warner Cable Arena next Saturday. I got my ticket last year, so I've been looking forward to this for a while.
I went cheap on this one, so I won't be getting an up close view.
One thing P!nk has proven over the years, though, is that you never know where she'll end up during one of her performances. She may go right past me as she's flying through the air.
I'm not sure what to expect with this concert because I haven't read any of the reviews of her previous concerts on this tour. Hopefully the entire night will be a nice surprise -- from the set list to the spectacle of the show itself.
Pink is widely touted as one of the best live performers around today.
To get ready for the concert, I've been watching some of Pink's previous performances. The concert is seven days away, so let's take a look back at seven of Pink's best performances.
7. God Is A DJ (Billboard Music Awards)
Pink in her wild and crazy days. To be honest, the vocals aren't amazing and the there was a raunchy moment -- involving a man's face being in close proximity to a vry private part of Pink's anatomy -- that probably gave the show's producers a heart attack for a quick moment.
However, even back then, Pink was still doing things other singers weren't. She showed that she was an athletic, physical performer, back-flipping in heels on a giant spinning record and falling several feet off a giant stereo set into the arms of her backup dancers.
It may not be her best performance, but, overall, it was fun.
Watch it on YouTube
6. Try (2012 American Music Awards)
Although this isn't my favorite song off her latest album, The Truth About Love, Pink's performance of "Try" at the American Music Awards last year was pretty impressive.
It was like performance art set to a pop song. It's just that one of the performers was also singing the song. That doesn't happen too often.
Watch it on YouTube
5. Who Knew (2007 Idol Gives Back)
I may be biased on this one because "Who Knew" is probably my all-time favorite song that Pink has released. Since she wrote it about friends who died from drug overdoses, Pink always delivers an emotional performance.
It always seems very raw and heart-felt. This performance was filmed for the 2007 version of Idol Gives Back, a but wasn't aired. It was aired at a later date.
My only complaint is that, since it was on American Idol, it would've been kind of interesting to have heard the comments from the Idol judges.
Watch it on YouTube
4. So What (2010 Isle of Wright Festival)
This is just a fun performance! It makes you want to fly around through the air too! I'm surprised that Six Flags or some other theme park hasn't added this flying belt harness to their list of rides.
Pink is having a blast in this performance. You can tell that she's confident in what she was doing and that she enjoyed hovering above the masses. Who wouldn't? It's probably the closest thing anyone could get to being a super hero.
Watch it on YouTube
3. Sober (Mtv Video Music Awards, 2009)
Although taking to the skies is now somewhat of a staple for a performance from Pink, this was the first time she did it in a televised performance.
She was lifted to a giant swing-like contraption and delivered an acrobatic show along with a killer rendition of "Sober." If you thought that was awesome, just wait until you check out the number one pick.
Watch it online
2. Trouble (2003 American Music Awards)
If you think Pink's theatrics and high-wire act are the only things she's good at, you're highly mistaken. She can be just as impressive with a stool, a microphone and a guitar.
Fresh off the release of her third alubm, Try This, Pink performed a stripped down rendition of her hit, "Trouble." I was blown away by this performance. I'd always been impressed by Pink before, but this performance took it to a new level.
She can write a damn good pop song, but she can also sing with the best of them. Jimmy Kimmel's comments after the performance summed it up perfectly: "It's always such a pleasant surprise when people can actually sing."
Watch it on YouTube
1. Glitter In The Air (2010 Grammy Awards)
I'm not sure Pink will ever top this performance. This was Pink's moment. The best part is that it probably wasn't meant to be. She didn't have a huge hit at this point ("So What" was already a year and a half old) and she performed a song that wasn't even a single. Part of the appeal at the time was that nobody expected Pink to give that kind of performance.
While other performers did well that night, how could they compete with Pink? She was hanging in the air, upside down, and still singing better than anyone else. The choreography, the lighting, the singing, and the crowd reaction at the end combined to make an incredible performance. She wasn't just a singer -- she was an artist.
Watch it on YouTube
I don't want to get my hopes up, but maybe Pink will be soaring to the top of the Time Warner in seven days.
Related Content:
• P!nk: The Truth About Love - reviewed.
I went cheap on this one, so I won't be getting an up close view.
One thing P!nk has proven over the years, though, is that you never know where she'll end up during one of her performances. She may go right past me as she's flying through the air.
I'm not sure what to expect with this concert because I haven't read any of the reviews of her previous concerts on this tour. Hopefully the entire night will be a nice surprise -- from the set list to the spectacle of the show itself.
Pink is widely touted as one of the best live performers around today.
To get ready for the concert, I've been watching some of Pink's previous performances. The concert is seven days away, so let's take a look back at seven of Pink's best performances.
7. God Is A DJ (Billboard Music Awards)
Pink in her wild and crazy days. To be honest, the vocals aren't amazing and the there was a raunchy moment -- involving a man's face being in close proximity to a vry private part of Pink's anatomy -- that probably gave the show's producers a heart attack for a quick moment.
However, even back then, Pink was still doing things other singers weren't. She showed that she was an athletic, physical performer, back-flipping in heels on a giant spinning record and falling several feet off a giant stereo set into the arms of her backup dancers.
It may not be her best performance, but, overall, it was fun.
Watch it on YouTube
6. Try (2012 American Music Awards)
Although this isn't my favorite song off her latest album, The Truth About Love, Pink's performance of "Try" at the American Music Awards last year was pretty impressive.
It was like performance art set to a pop song. It's just that one of the performers was also singing the song. That doesn't happen too often.
Watch it on YouTube
5. Who Knew (2007 Idol Gives Back)
I may be biased on this one because "Who Knew" is probably my all-time favorite song that Pink has released. Since she wrote it about friends who died from drug overdoses, Pink always delivers an emotional performance.
It always seems very raw and heart-felt. This performance was filmed for the 2007 version of Idol Gives Back, a but wasn't aired. It was aired at a later date.
My only complaint is that, since it was on American Idol, it would've been kind of interesting to have heard the comments from the Idol judges.
Watch it on YouTube
4. So What (2010 Isle of Wright Festival)
This is just a fun performance! It makes you want to fly around through the air too! I'm surprised that Six Flags or some other theme park hasn't added this flying belt harness to their list of rides.
Pink is having a blast in this performance. You can tell that she's confident in what she was doing and that she enjoyed hovering above the masses. Who wouldn't? It's probably the closest thing anyone could get to being a super hero.
Watch it on YouTube
3. Sober (Mtv Video Music Awards, 2009)
Although taking to the skies is now somewhat of a staple for a performance from Pink, this was the first time she did it in a televised performance.
She was lifted to a giant swing-like contraption and delivered an acrobatic show along with a killer rendition of "Sober." If you thought that was awesome, just wait until you check out the number one pick.
Watch it online
2. Trouble (2003 American Music Awards)
If you think Pink's theatrics and high-wire act are the only things she's good at, you're highly mistaken. She can be just as impressive with a stool, a microphone and a guitar.
Fresh off the release of her third alubm, Try This, Pink performed a stripped down rendition of her hit, "Trouble." I was blown away by this performance. I'd always been impressed by Pink before, but this performance took it to a new level.
She can write a damn good pop song, but she can also sing with the best of them. Jimmy Kimmel's comments after the performance summed it up perfectly: "It's always such a pleasant surprise when people can actually sing."
Watch it on YouTube
1. Glitter In The Air (2010 Grammy Awards)
I'm not sure Pink will ever top this performance. This was Pink's moment. The best part is that it probably wasn't meant to be. She didn't have a huge hit at this point ("So What" was already a year and a half old) and she performed a song that wasn't even a single. Part of the appeal at the time was that nobody expected Pink to give that kind of performance.
While other performers did well that night, how could they compete with Pink? She was hanging in the air, upside down, and still singing better than anyone else. The choreography, the lighting, the singing, and the crowd reaction at the end combined to make an incredible performance. She wasn't just a singer -- she was an artist.
Watch it on YouTube
I don't want to get my hopes up, but maybe Pink will be soaring to the top of the Time Warner in seven days.
Related Content:
• P!nk: The Truth About Love - reviewed.
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