Monday, September 24, 2007

Today in Extraordinarily Odd


A man who goes by the showbiz name of Eater X has just won what was called the “World Burrito Eating Contest” by eating 10 ¾ burritos in 12 minutes. I love Mexican food," he said after his victory. You can actually look him up on Wikipedia. Go on, look him up now. He’s there. Plus, there are a bunch of other people who no doubt live in small town America who are “big” in the competitive eating “scene”. They have whacky, whimsical names like “The Black Widow” and “Badlands” and “Gravy”. Gravy is a word I have never liked. Ever. Still, it’s good that people have found a way to turn their tendencies toward self abuse and emotional over compensation into a joyous, rewarding pastime. [source]


Well, look, it wouldn’t be a week without some kind of inanely overpriced dish or shoe or bodily treatment that was priced out of the stratosphere now would it? The answer is no. So, that’s why it’s good that this week is validated on a Monday, right off the bat with reports that a hotel in Sri Lanka is offering a dessert to punters who are rich but also mindless that will set them back $14,500. It’s got Dom Perignon champagne in it as well as, gold and silver leaf -- and an 80-carat aquamarine the diameter of the head of a soup spoon set into the dish. These dishes aren’t ever just food. They’re always like say 400 bucks worth of food at the very most and then the rest is a diamond or an antique chair or something. Like, “hi – try our 40 million dollar cheesecake. It’s a slab of Carnegie deli cheesecaske which our interns have pushed diamonds into and it’s served on the deed to a three story manse on East 73rd Street”. If I ever get rich enough to buy a slab of 14,500 dollar dessert I don’t want a precious jewel at the end, I just want to be full and finally happy. [source]

A little while ago, Chinese officials were in an uproar that began after a TV anchor complained about the fact that Starbucks had somehow managed to install a shop in the Forbidden City. Starbucks fought back and they all screamed and finally Starbucks was forced out of the UNESCO listed site. Since then, a different coffee store has opened in the Forbidden City that is run by the Forbidden City. Gosh, this whole affair really reminds you of why it’s called the Forbidden City, doesn’t it? [source]

No comments: