You Completo Me

I’m passionate about hot dogs. There, I said it. I like hot dogs. Oh, I’m not advocating all dogs, all the time, but a good dog, done right is a glorious thing. There’s Chicago Dogs, the hall-mark of all dogs, then there’s a good brat on the proper German bread—nothing but the “Hans and Franz” of the Hot Dog family.
Recently, a friend of mine told me that Hot Dogs belong to North America, and should never be exported South of the Border. This friend obviously has never had a Completo, Chile’s version of the Hot Dog. A Chilean Completo is arguably one of this South American’s Country’s greatest gifts to cuisine. A hot dog on good bread (American roll doesn’t work), topped with tomatoes, onions, mashed avocado, mayonnaise and ketchup is a glorious concoction. If my words haven’t won you over yet, here’s Anthony Bourdain on his show “No Reservations” encountering a Completo in Chile.

MacGruber v. Viewmaster: The Movie

Val Kilmer and Ryan Phillippe in talks for 'MacGruber'
by Jeff Labrecque
Saturday Night Live's MacGruber is about to explode on the big screen. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Will Forte's recurring sketch parody about an easily distracted MacGyver-type has Ryan Phillippe and Val Kilmer in its sights for a full-length adaptation. Phillippe would play an Army colonel who recruits the jaded MacGruber (Forte) for a mission to stop a nuclear-armed villain, conceivably played by Kilmer. Kristin Wiig will reprise her supporting role, Lorne Michaels will producer, and Jorma Taccone, who helmed most of the skits on SNL, will direct.

http://news-briefs.ew.com/2009/07/macgruber-film-takes-shape-with-val-kilmer-and-ryan-phillippe.html

I'm a little skeptical, but if anyone could play the villain, in the Macgruber movie, it would have to be Val Kilmer. He's hilarious. If you doubt me, watch "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang," sometime.

View Master Movie:

I thought somebody was pulling my leg when I read about View Master: The Movie. However, apparently, it's a real project. Seriously, the project is being funded by DreamWorks and will be an action/adventure movies around the toy? Who knows?

I'm still skeptical that this will ever make it to the big screen.

http://www.cinemablend.com/new/View-Master-The-Movie-13820.html

Best Book Blurb ever

"Two women—one a bishop's wife, the other a vampire—find the desperate courage to bet it all."

Angel Falling Softly by Eugene Woodbury

Wordless

Roundup:

1)4th of July

My bureau coordinators and I put on a Department of the Interior Length of Service Ceremony several hours before the fireworks go off on the 4th of July. The cool part? A meal and a roped off place to see the fireworks with 600 or so Interior employees and guests. Not to mention, one of the best places in DC (if not the best place according to a few locals I know) to see the fireworks display. Oh, the event went off fine, I even thought to snap a few pictures, which hasn't happened before.

Secretary Ken Salazar with recipient

M. Allen leading the audience in the National Anthem

2) Web Site Story

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

There's few musicals whose soundtrack is better than West Side Story in my world, and this parody hits most of the right notes. The best part? It's really not that over the top. I know people whose lives are like this. Me? I'm hoping I never am this tuned into the net. ;)

Political Roundup: Patriotic Pride Edition.

Man Set me Up

One perk about living in VA, but working in DC, is that I have front row seats to the Marion Berry Show, but he's not one of my elected officials. The latest caper? Arrested on stalking charges Saturday night. Seriously. DC's former infamous Mayor is still his own sad stranger than fiction 3-ring circus. And yes, even after all of the drug problems of the '80s and '90s, he was elected several years ago to the DC City Council.

Rock-Bottom Republicans

When Rush Limbaugh is the de-facto leader of the Republican Party, it's pretty easy to say the Party has hit rock-bottom. But after this past week? I'm pretty sure we haven't seen bottom yet.

Sarah Palin has all but declared her 2012 presidency. Even though I'm first to admit that she's been an unfair media target (about half of it has been self-inflicted), her style of poltics is way too reactionary for my tastes.

The party is going to be fractured even more if she does run, if that's possible. Which is a boon for the Democrats, but this country needs two strong political parties.

Now with Palin in the mix, and one of their possible 2012 contenders sounding more like a Harlequin Romance writer than a governor, well-I'm not sure this week was rock-bottom for the Republicans. I'm afraid we're going to see more implosions from the Republicans, before the Republican party re-emerges.

That being said, Gov. Marc Sanford--after this past week, it's clear who the political mind is in your family. You didn't get where you were on your own brains sir, or you must've left them in Argentina. Has anyone else noticed Jenny Sanford's fashion taste this past week? Kudos to her!

The "This Man is now a Senator" edition of Wordless