BTC

I was just awarded the BTC Award during the closing ceremonies of the
annual Allen & O'Hara RSM Conference. Below you can find my shiny new
desk ornament.

Beale St. Memphis, TN

Not Orlando news but I had to share this great blues band playing live.

At The Dentist

American Airlines: Now With Over 2,500 Canceled Flights This Week!

If you haven't been following the airline industry this week, here's a quick recap: American Airlines started inspecting their MD-80 aircraft on Monday, with reports for Monday and Tuesday indicating anywhere from 400-500+ canceled flights. Same thing for Wednesday. Now, today is Thursday by the way, they've called off another 933.

I'm all about airline safety, but putting it off until the last minute doesn't seem to work. From a commenter on Consumerist:

"It's really hell here in o'hare, man. I was on airways flight going to Pittsburgh, and the american airlines desks are near by and you could see probably a few hundred people getting pissed and missing important flights. One person got police on her because of her anger then she threatened to sue them for not proper inspections of planes."

Sounds awesome...

From His Cold...

Charlton Heston Died Saturday at the age of 84. The Famed actor and NRA enthusiast is survived by a son, a daughter and three grandchildren. Also, as a side note, for anyone who wants to take his gun, now would be a good time to try.

Good old fashion Honesty

Dear The Orlando Blog,

I'm half way though my trip to Hawaii and its been going pretty well so far. I mean how many times can one man just lounge on the beach or hike into the jungle and soak under some water falls. I dont think ill ever get used to the idea of being able to send and recieve emails while lounging on the beach but oh well. Be home soon suckers, but until them here is a link to tide you over with

Love.
John

We the robots - http://www.wetherobots.com/2008/03/31/hold-on/

Ever Wonder What OIA Looks like at 5am?

Here's a taste:

Maui

April Fool's Joke

YouTube has probably the best April Fool's joke of the day.

All the Featured Video links point to this.

It's Like The Polar Express... Just Without Tom Hanks

According to a recent article from the Associated Press, there's a new trend in several cities across the country of real estate agents organizing bus tours of foreclosed homes in YOUR AREA! In Orlando, one such realty group is Z House Realty Group.

They offer a roughly 6-hour bus tour that visits up to 20 homes. According to the article, to avoid embarrassing foreclosed home-owners, the tour only stops at empty homes. The cost of the tour is $45 for one person and $65 for a couple.

There are, apparently, such tours in other cities like Detroit, Kansas City, Jacksonville (nice... NICE), and a slew of others coming soon!

Live Post: Orlando Predators

Go Preds! Crush the Georgia Force!

UCF 2008 Schedule

From AlexRudloff.com:

It appears that the 2008 UCF Football Schedule has been released, thanks to Alex for posting on his blog.

Aug. 30 - South Carolina State
Sept. 5 (Fri.) - USF (ESPN)
Sept. 20 - at Boston College
Sept. 27 - at UTEP
Oct. 4 - SMU
Oct. 11 - at Miami (Fla.)
Oct. 26 (Sun.) - at Tulsa (ESPN)
Nov. 2 (Sun.) - East Carolina (ESPN)
Nov. 8 - Southern Miss
Nov. 15 - at Marshall
Nov. 22 - at Memphis
Nov. 29 - UAB

(image from openfansite.com)

Patrick vs. the MCSE

I win.

Daytona 500 Pics

Apparently, the Daytona 500 hosts over a quarter of a million people (that's over 250,000). I snapped a few pictures throughout the day... and I bought this boss camo Nascar hat for $24.

ALSO... parking is RIDICULOUS at this thing.
And here's a glimpse at America, appearing 'en force,' in Daytona.

The Great American Race

Here's a clip of the 2nd lap of the Daytona 500. The quality's not that great, and I'm no Michael Bay... but you get the point.

Let it snow...

Dear Orlando,

I found some snow in Minneapolis.

PS: Drivers here don't suck. Maybe I should take some notes for everybody down there.

-P to the atrick

Kiss My Blarney Stone

The Claddagh Cottage Irish Pub on Curry Ford and Conway is a neat little hole in the wall bar. Low ceilings and Irish fare complete the ambiance of a countryside pub in Ireland. Its not fluffy or cute it was constructed for the sole purpose of catering to the national vices of Ireland-beer & shepard's pie. Apparently it is first come first served seating so be prepared to get there early enough to get a table if you're going to eat. It's a small menu of traditional Irish pies that are a decent price at about 7.50 for one and they taste pretty good. It's no gourmet but it'll fill you up. They do have plenty of imports on draft including Guinness (obviously) and you can get a pint class for about 4.40. And you get the bonus of an Irish dude yelling trivia questions at you on Saturday night. All taken into consideration, it's a quaint place to get a pint and it's a real local haunt. They also have darts (metal ones!) and a pool table if you're of that persuasion. Next time I'll be sure to get there in time for a seat.

Give Pizza a Chance

As the motto for Mellow Mushroom suggested, we the contributors of The Orlando Blog complied and gave their pizza a chance. Over the years that I've lived in Orlando I've driven by the Mellow Mushroom countless times and each time I say to myself, "I should eat there it looks like it would be good." So after years of this I finally mustered up the courage and the backup, in the form of fellow contributors Johnny Sayn and Pat, and took a trip to the Mushroom.

Walking into the Mellow Mushroom you see the pizza making station and the ovens behind it. There's a master pizza maker throwing tons of toppings on big pies and sliding them into the oven in a very almost rehearsed manner and before we get too engrossed in this ballet of pizza the hostess whisks us away to our table.

A quick glance at the menu shows us they provide only but the most basic of food groups: pizza, hoagies, and beer; everything a growing boy needs. Seeing as this was out first time at this particular pizza joint, we order a few appetizers to munch on, a pitcher of beer, and a large House Special pie. Sounds mundane? It was anything but. Mellow Mushroom offers some very fine beers on tap and of course the pizza was their specialty. For beer, we chose a Leinenkugel Sunset Wheat and followed it up with a Purple Haze. We munched on our appetizers and drank our beer while we waited on our pizza and they did not keep us waiting. When it showed up we were in awe, eyes wide and mouths agape. "What have we gotten ourselves into?" we silently wondered.

Apparently this particular pie was their first specialty pie they had ever created so it is a sort of pizza relic for Mellow Mushroom. Let me break down this House Special pie for you: a 16" pie topped with pepperoni, sausage, ground beef, onions, green peppers, shrooms, black olives, tomatoes, bacon, ham, and extra cheese.

This thing was a monster.

Standing almost two inches tall, this titan of a pizza taunted us with its massive pile of toppings and its oozing puddles of cheese. This was not a pizza to be triffled with. We planned our attack. Forks and knives were needed to conquer this beast, no pizza folding was possible here. After getting the knife all the way through each layer and through the crust I gouged it with my fork and took the first bite.

"Too much!" was my first thought but the more I ate of it, the more I really appreciated it. Each individual ingredient spoke to me. The spicy pepperoni and sausage provided some heat, the green peppers were crisp and their flavor bright, the tomatoes had a deliciously acidic bite, and the bacon and ham were just salty and smoky enough to put a very savory note at the finish.

There has not been a pizza in recent memory that has impressed me as much as this pie did. Between the sheer size of it and the quality and freshness of all the toppings, a better pie I could not think of. But we could not conquer it. Three grown men could not finish eight slices of this pie and had to take the rest home for future dissection.

So what should you take from this entry? Its simple: go to Mellow Mushroom and have their pizza, you will not be disappointed. If you've lived in Orlando for as long as I have and driven past the Mellow Mushroom as many times as I have, you owe it to yourself to give it a try.

That is unless you don't like pizza. Then you might be a Communist and I'll have to report you.

http://www.mellowmushroom.com/

Mr. Flower To Those That Know Him

Recently one of the Blog Orlando staffs pet dog, a hundred pound rottweiler named Flower, managed to pull his leg pretty bad. But thankfully we live pretty close to the East Orlando Animal Hospital who have been our go-to for all our veterinary needs. They recently moved into a brand new office which has pretty much everything an animal owner in the greater Orlando needs, from all your veterinary needs to pet grooming, and even affordable kennel services, we stabled flower there for a night for only 18 bucks a pop. So if you live in the Orlando area and need a vet, remember that the EOAH has the Orlando Blogs seal of approval.

"I'd rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints"

Hey UTEP, Will You Be My...

Great night for UCF college hoops tonight as the Golden Knights defeated UTEP, an in-conference rival. We smoked those Miners 109 to 80, saving some of the most impressive and entertaining dunks for the end of the night. This puts UCF at a 11-7 overall record and a 4-0 conference record. Watch out Memphis, I think I smell and upset. GO KNIGHTS!


"As he faced the sun he casted no shadow"

Bauern-Stube Authentic German Restaurant

For those who missed The Orlando Blog lunch meeting on Monday, you missed some good food and some good company. Lunch was held at Bauern-Stube, a restaurant serving very authentic German food in a cozy rural Germany setting. You may be asking how authentic the food is. Well, the food was given thumbs up from a couple of German expatriates that joined us for lunch.
Along with the authentic food, Bauern-Stube also has some very fine German beers on tap, and let me tell you, there's nothing wrong with having a liter of a delicious weiss beer with your lunch. All around you while you eat are kitsch German knick-knacks and decorations. Also to add to the authenticity the owners have David Hasselhoff blaring on the stereo overhead.

Alright, maybe that last bit was false but the rest is true.

So if you have a taste for German food, and have the opportunity to, check out Bauern-Stube off Orange Ave. and Sand Lake Rd, it will not disappoint. While you're there have a weinerschnitzel, a liter of beer and enjoy the Hoff!

French Food With a Side of Pretension

Food and wine are quite possibly ten times more fun when in good company, and these days I'm always in the best of company. Le Coq Au Vin restaurant was the hot spot for Sunday evening and it did not disappoint. Orlando houses this jewel of culinary architecture in it's south central area on Orange Ave close to Holden Ave. It was the most fun dinning I've had with my co-contributors and the food was excellent. We all had a 3 course meal of France's finest offerings with two bottles of wine I had been saving for a special occasion, all of which formed a kaleidescope of psychedelic taste saturation that would make even celebrity chef Ramsay cry. If you live in Orlando or even Florida this restaurant is a MUST TRY, a plague upon the houses of non-French dinning heretics!

Their website: http://www.lecoqauvinrestaurant.com/



"Your sauce will mix with ours and we'll make a good goulash baby!" -Tenacious D

We are... The Hold Steady!

Big thank you to the late Christmas present some of the boys from The Orlando Blog gave me by rolling to The Hold Steady concert with me in Tampa. Even though the first two bands sucked more than a shop vac, The Hold Steady came on and rocked hard! Craig Finn and the boys put on a great show and showed why they are considered one of the best live shows touring today, and thats not just my opinion, but the boys from that fancy Rolling Stone magazine. Hell yeah and rock on!
A side story from last night was the quick pit stop we made at the Hard Rock Casino on the way home. There is nothing sadder than seeing a bunch of drunk, down on their luck people gambling in a casino at 2 in the morning. Well there would not have been anything sadder, except for the the fact that I was winning their money and then acting like a complete douche on the way to cash in my chips. Apparently walking around with a fistful of chips and screaming "Look at all the free money they gave me!" to people that are down grands is considered to be in poor taste. Oh well, best twenty-three dollars I've ever won.

Live Post: Big Belly Brewery

Finally s mission statement I can agree with.

Live Post: The Peacock Room

Good house techno, interesting art and architecture.

Shak Nasti Live

Live post from Tanqueray's. Shak Nasti laying it down.

Event Reminder: Tanqueray's

Just a reminder, some of our contributors will be going downtown to Tanqueray's tonight around 10:30pm. Tanqueray's house band, SHAK NASTI, should be there playing their usual acid jazz. So come out for some drinks and music inspired by the motion picture Red Dawn.

Growing Pains: Reddish

Since I mentioned in my introduction that I was born and raised here in Orlando I suppose that entitles me to write this growing up in Orlando post. From here we will take a snapshot of not-so-important events in my love/hate relationship with the city beautiful.

I grew up middle to upper middle class and never really wanted for much, but I was not a child that asked much from my parents. I have a younger brother whom I remember pissing me off every other second and then trying to explain to my parents that "he only understands pain" when the backside of my hand went drilling for tears on his youthful face. Overall I was a good kid and never got into any 'real' trouble. My first house was situated on the border of the city of Edgewood in south Orlando (they call them cities but we know they're just sections of Orlando for taxing) and Orange Blossom Trail--OR--OBT. Now OBT is infamous for seedy strip clubs and the all too popular childhood game of "throw-pennies-at-the-hookers", that having been said I did not grow up on "THE Streets". The small area I lived in was aggressively patrolled by our overstaffed chronically bored police department that kept all the riffraff out of my section. I did come to learn a bit of police lingo that referenced the worst OBT segment of Otown, which is affectionately called "Sector 4" like some kind of low budget sci-fi film. The buildings in the south of downtown area were constructed (if you could call it that) in the post 60s drug rehab era of America, so in turn they all looked bland and unattended even back then. I remember going to my favorite restaurant up the street from my home called Julie's Waterfront, which I still go to every now and then. Back in its hay day Julie's had lakeside entertainment in the form of skiing and live bands with a menu that exemplified the Floridian concept of Key West style with ample beach/tropical references. Nowadays it's just a nice place for lunch and small talk as it still maintains the hole-in-the-wall relaxing air.

I attended a small (500 people k-12th grade) private school five minutes from my home called Pine Castle Christian Academy (Pine Castle=another 'city' section of Orlando) which I will now refer to as PCCA. The education was par at best and looking back I see many flaws in the curriculum by my biggest grips are with the methodical religious indoctrination that was always in boldfaced denial of the outside world or established facts about the rest of humanity. But I digress since none of these faults were apparent to me as a child and I happy trotted along into my graduating class of 43 students.

As a whole the Orlando that I grew up in was quiet from my perspective and I lived out my days in relative bliss and ignorance. My greatest childhood exploits were attempting to drink 1/2 a bottle of vaporizer fluid at age 2, throwing oranges at cars (and retarded kids--no really there was a 'home' for them up the road), the construction of potato canons/guns, chlorine bombs, and the acquisition of alcohol in high school. The more extreme applications of fun were seen in my high school days were I joined a small group that closely resembled pirates that had lost their boat but not their will to pillage and plunder. I still keep in touch with my renegade colleagues but our lives have since traveled into uncharted waters and already the carrier pigeons grow weary of frequent communication.

I'll pull from my Orlandian (spell check says thats not a word...stupid computer) past as frequently as the years of booze induced comas allow, to offer some insight that my co-contributors may not know. I should probably start working now since my hour of morning solitude is ending. I'll have more soon.

Meet the Contributors: Patmandu

I am a charismatic figure. I make jokes about minorities and midgets, drink whiskey by the glass, and I don't by drinks for women.

I live in Orlando, but I work in America (US motherf*#kin A!). Some of the most recent cities I've allowed to host me include, Rolla MO, Milwaukee WI, Nashville TN, Indianapolis IN, Atlantic City NJ, Miami FL, New York City NY, and much much more.

I read books, watch tv, and listen to music. I'm a Delta Airlines frequent flyer, a Hilton Honors guest, and a Hertz #1 Gold member. All of this means "I'm Important," and "You're not."

In conclusion, my specialties will include travel, airlines, rental cars, business etiquette, and drinking. Now go away, I'm watching the Discovery Channel.

Meet the Contributors: Reddish

Firstly I just want to make clear that unlike the other motherless swine on this blog I was actually BORN in and RAISED in Orlando. That being said my opinion is the only valid one...if you enjoy the mad ravings of a man possessed.

Currently I'm working on solving the age old question "How do I make more cash for hookers and blow?" My uncreative answer is get an MBA and a new job. I will never lie about my extra curricular activities...they usually involve copious amounts of booze thus I lend my spare time to the art of beer making. I might drop a few booze reviews here and there with my own style of critique since trying new alcohol is always a good idea.

If you become a fervent believer in our blogs (run now), you may realize in time that I am somewhat of a alternate world view than that of my co-contributors. Read my rantings at your own risk and perhaps I'll get a giggle out of you every once in a while...or you'll run in terror.

Meet the Contributors: Johnny Sayn

After Will posted his me, me, me, all about me introduction I realized that like the good little contributer I would have to get in rank and file and follow in time. But how does one with the vast and overwhelming number of achievements and interesting qualities limit himself to a description of only a few. I guess this is where my superior ability to be humbler than thou comes into effect.

Greatness is defined as a 25 year old man named John Wittgenstein and resides in beautiful Orlando Florida. I am currently in the pursuit of my B.S. in Psychology. This is furthered by the fact that I enjoy meeting new people and discovering their quirks.... And then judging them. I am also currently enlisted in the United States Army National Guard, you know the commercials you see before the movies starts at your local cineplex? Well thats me riding around in helicopters and rescuing babies.

So what do I do when I'm not saving America or plying my delightfully refreshing wit on the internet's? Well, I enjoy broadening my own horizons about Orlando by trying anything that comes my way. Depending on the given day I can be found cruising the greater Orlando area looking for new adventures or events, and on most nights can be found out on the town taking in the vibrant night life.

But enough about my life and attitudes, let's talk about some quick and interesting facts about your's truly, Mr. Johnny Sayn. I'm convinced the only adjectives to describe the beard I occasionally sport are dapper, distinguished, debonair, and raw sex appeal. I love to travel and do so frequently. I have been called a music elitist because I prescribe any music I don't care for into the "pile of crap" category. I'm a self described foodie and will spend more money on something if it says organic. And finally, I once met Rob Schneider in Amsterdam during a city wide soccer party.

There, I have done it. I somehow condensed myself into 3 paragraphs worth of mind titillating facts and thought provoking rhetoric. You're Welcome The Orlando Blog

For any comments, questions, proposals (decent or indecent) please contact johnwittgensteinATSIGNgmail.com

"This song is not for your lovers"

Meet the Contributors: TheIndustryWill

I've been charged with the task of writing a short introduction about myself. The trick is, what about myself should I write on? My education? My interests? My dashing good looks? My stance on teenage pouffing? Maybe the best plan of attack would be to cover a little bit of everything; a kind of introduction carpet-bombing.

Well to start: my name is Will Cheung and I'm 23 years old. I recently graduated from the University of Central with a BSBA in Management Information Systems; GO KNIGHTS! I am currently working as a leasing professional for an off-campus student housing community but I'm looking for a "real" job. I spend my free time going out, cooking, reading, and trying to find ways to further my personal and professional education. I'm always looking for new things to try, whether it be a restaurant, store, fashion trend, or pretty much anything else. Like the saying goes, variety is the spice of life.

The three things I could not live life without: music, food, and beer. I will listen to any music, try any food, and drink any beer at least once. I'm always looking for the newest and freshest offerrings of these three so if you have any suggestions please e-mail me.

Most of the my posts that fall outside the category of "Orlando" will most likely consist of technology, food, fashion, or automotive trends that I've noticed and want to comment on.

So good reader, that's Will in a very quick summary. I'm sure that you will learn much more about me as the post count grows. Please send all questions, comments, concerns, nude pictures, bank account information, or birthday party appearance requests to the comment system or e-mail me directly at theindustrywillATSIGNgmail.com.

It's Orlando-tastic!!!

Hello and welcome, this is Johnny Sayn checking in for my informal yet mandated salutation to The Orlando Blog. As Will stated in his inaugural post this will be a blog covering but not limited to showing you the Orlando that he call home. But while the city of Orlando will be the meat and potatoes of this literary event, the "not limited to" will be the dazzling presentation and over indulgent flavors which will define and separate us from the pack. So let me be the second to invite you to come on in for the Orlando, and stay for the adventures, opinions, tragic downfalls, and heroic tales of rebirth that will be sure to follow.


"there are nights when I think that Sal Paradise was right"

Beautiful Sunny Orlando!

Orlando, home to a certain overjoyed mouse and his animated companions, this town is a mecca for all things touristy: massive theme parks next to gift shops next to Ponderosas next to Holiday Inns and Ramadas. The Happiest Place on Earth is what people see on the surface of Orlando but beneath that is a town that has much more than All-you-can-eat buffets and Buy-one-get-one-free mouse t-shirt shacks. Orlando is more than just a tourist trap. Orlando is filled with different cultures, amazing entertainment, world renowned food, and much more.

Our bloggers will be documenting their happenings in Orlando and will hopefully be showing our readers the Orlando that we have come to know. From bar and restaurant reviews, entertainment reviews, random photos from around Orlando, to just the everyday things we do we will be showing you, our reader, how the other Orlando lives.

Also, this may be The Orlando Blog but that doesn't mean its going to be strictly Orlando news. On occasion, our contributors will write about topics that are important to them, whether it be technology, music, entertainment or whatever else. Even though the subject may not always be Orlando, it will always be well written and interesting.