Welcome to CELEBRATION Florida

I don't know how many of you are familiar with "Lifestyle Centers" these are new town that are meant to mimic old towns, but without all the poor people and closer to the highway. I've heard one refered to as a simulated town. The Truman Show was filmed in one. This link is for the Disney one called Celebration, Florida.

Their website is creepy beyond belief.
Paragraph 1: "Take the best ideas from the most successful towns of yesterday and the technology of the new millennium, and synthesize them into a close-knit community that meets the needs of today's families. The founders of CELEBRATION started down a path of research, study, discovery, and enlightenment that resulted in one of the most innovative communities of the 20th century."

This sounds like Nazi manifesto meets the nuclear age. I really can't believe they would actually say the synthesize a close knit community on their advertising website. That doesn't sound pleasant to me.

I have mixed feelings about the concept, though. I mean it beats the standard strip mall and subdivision setup, if only because it is more novel and creepy.

Indian Style Chinese

The Indian grocery store by me has started stocking a selection of Indian style Chinese dishes. These include Indian Style Chinese Fried Rice and Hakka Noodles. I these are definitely different than American style Chinese fried rice. I don’t even know if I’ve had hakka noodles before. I also bought dried hakka noodles. The packaging is something that can’t happen in American package design anymore. It is called Ching’s Secret Hakka Noodles. They show a picture of a man with a fu man chu moustache and a pointy peasant rice farmers hat. I see from their website he is “The mark of Original Chinese Food Ingredients.”The slogan, “Real Chinese… Tasty Chinese.” I guess in India this sentence wouldn’t bring to mind eating Chinese people, just Chinese food.

Winter Cometh

It is winter again and the panic is coming. There is talk about white stuff in the forecast and it isn’t baby powder, though the way Philadelphians act it would suit them. I’m looking forward to the season of early dismissals and snow days. Forecasts call for 3-5 inches this afternoon and the tizzy has already started.

I make fun of it, but really like it for the most part. It is fun to see this region of typically very tough people get so freaked out by something so normal seeming. I guess that is what happens when there aren’t any real natural disasters to worry about.

I was under strict orders to get to the store before they sell out of shovels and ice. There was indeed a rush on snow shovels, but I was able to get one. Also the news will be reporting bread and milk shortages. I still don’t understand why those are the things that sell out before a snow storm. I mean is there a need to eat like a prisoner just because you are trapped in your house through the paralyzing fear of cold white water.
Anyway, with the new house, I hope to shovel all the snow on the front porch. Maybe I can make a snow hut if I pile it all in that one area. I’m very excited to try.

Authentic Blogging Methods

Sorry that I am so behind on this. I have been uncharacteristically busy lately. In fact I don't have time to say much now either.

I had a night meeting last night and I had dinner before hand at the taxpayers expense. And the taxpayers will be happy to know I ate at a taco bell/KFC saving the expense of my usual steak dinners. Two things came to mind.

1) Eating in a taco bell with a tie on gives me a good impression of what it would be like to be a space alien. The stares reminded me of being in China.

2) The placemat advertised the fact that KFC used "Authentic Kitchen Methods" to prepare their food. Please think about what that means for what we expect from our fast food restaurants.