Why a Big Meal Makes You Hungry

This article on the Wall Street Journal caught my eye. According to the article, refined carbohydrates and foods with high sugar and fat content promote "fullness resistance." "They interfere with the complex hormonal messages the body usually sends to the brain to signal that it's time to stop eating. People feel hungrier instead."
This is interesting because I can releate to this from my experience last night. A friend of mine was celebrating her 21st birthday, and she did it with a bang. We started with supper at a local sports bar and she had a salad, a turkey club wrap, french fries, onion rings (shared with others) and a Coke. Then she had some shots, some hot wings, some more shots, a slice of pizza and a cookie, then more shots. When we finally drug her drunken self back home, she claimed she was starving. Now, I know alcohol is a factor, but it was amazing how much she was putting into her body within 6 hours. She typically doesn't eat that much. This article was just interesting, so for all of us out there that wonder why our waistbands expand as our tolerance level goes up (no matter how much we diet for bikini season) this may explain it more clearly.

Hannah Montana: The Movie

This weekend, Hannah Montana: The Movie opened as the top movie raking in $34 million. The Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour opened with $31.1 million a year ago. It beat out the 4th addition to Fast and Furious, who came in with $28.8 million.

This is so ironic, because my little sister and I went to the Hannah Montana movie, and my mother and older sister went to the Fast and Furious movie. The Hannah Montana was pretty good, to my surprise. But the most entertaining thing about it was the audience. The theater was filled with mothers and their tween daughters and friends who were dressed in Hannah Montan gear from top to bottom. And after every song Hannah/Miley sung, the audience cheered and clapped along with the audience on the screen. It was pretty funny, and my sister and I got a big laugh out of it.

I was disappointed in some parts of the movie, though. I'll admit I've watched the show on TV, so I have a good idea of what is going on. In the movie, it's more about Miley and her cowboy boyfriend and how she must choose between her Hannah Montana identity and life as an average kid. I was surprised how little Lily, her best friend, was involved. Yet again, Billy Ray stole the show by always being at Miley's side while having a love life of his own on the side. Even Miley's brother, Jackson, is mostly ignored in this movie. It disappointed me how much they were downplayed compared to the TV show, but I guess that's why they call it Hannah Montana: The Movie, not Hannah Montana and Friends.

5 reasons to see "West Bank Story"

Like the movie, I've decided to make my review short and sweet.

5 Reasons to See "West Bank Story":

5. The mock musical is less than 25 minutes long, so anyone who claims to be anti-musical will get a healthy dose without the fear of keeling over.

4. Corny musical romance songs get a boost with edgy lyrics such as, "make her my boo."

3. Stereotypes are thrown out left and right. Nobody is safe from the terrorist and Jews-in-construction jokes.

2. Flafel? Yes, it is a real word.

1. The best argument techniques consisting of the word, "yeah," are well demonstrated...until you throw in the word "yep."

Whether your hunger for a witty, entertaining and short film that must be served or must be fed, West Bank Story is sure to please everyone; no matter what side of the poorly built concrete wall they stand on.

When it comes to BBQ, keep it simple

The heat of the summer sun, the smell of the grill cooking a slab of ribs, the plaid-covered picnic table with side dishes ranging from potato salad to Jello, and the sound of laughter of family and good friends are just a few reasons why I love barbecue. And with summer around the corner, it's time to start thinking about it. Yet Nebraska weather is not always predictable, so a restaurant becomes more appealing than being soaked to the bones while huddled over the grill. I'm not talking about those chain restaurants who claim to have the best cuts around; I'm talking about real, corn-fed beef smoked in hickory chips with homemade BBQ sauce and ribs where the meat falls right off the bones. Something like dad used to make on the Fourth of July, something simple.

Where can you find such a place? Lucky Chuck's Pool Hall in Eustis, Nebraska. Although the restaurant has only been re-opened with its new owners since Super Bowl weekend, business is booming for the small agriculture-centered town of 464 people. Located in south central Nebraska, this little joint is getting big attention.

People come from hours away just to get a taste of the BBQ and the homemade nachos. I had the opportunity to eat there a few weeks ago, and I now understand why it's worth the trip. When we first entered the restaurant at 7:30 p.m., it was packed with people. A waiting list was delayed for 30 minutes. While we waited, I got a good look at the restaurant.

The pool table had been removed from the floor to allow more seating, but the pool sticks still hung on the wall. A giant moose head stared across from the oak wood bar. The gleaming wooden floors matched the bar perfectly. The high ceiling still had its molding from the 1930s and was painted black. The east wall was painted a dark maroon color, while the west wall was the original brick. On the east side, several planks of wood burned with the brands from local farmers hung on the wall. Nebraska Cornhuskers gear and black and white pictures of Eustis in the early 1900s hung on the walls. The south wall, opposite of the glass front entrance, had a big screen TV with the boys state basketball game on. The lights were low, the chatter was high, and it was cozy. Simple.

After being seated, I ordered the freshly made pink lemonade. It came in a mason jar and tasted better than any store mix. I ordered the beef brisket sandwich with a side of baked beans as my entree and the Pool Hall Nachos as an appetizer. The nachos were so simple, but they tasted anything beyond that. The strips of fried flour tortilla shells were soft, yet crunchy, and it had a slightly sweet taste. It was similar to a chalupa shell. The chips were covered in bright yellow nacho cheese and dark green jalapeno peppers. This simple combination on any other chip would have been alright, but there was something about these chips and how they were softer to the touch yet strong enough to hold up to thick nacho cheese sauce that stuck to your fingers like glue.

The beef brisket sandwich came in a red plastic basket and was lined with a plaid printed wax paper. The sandwich, a pickle spear, a small cup of baked beans, and a wet napkin packet laid inside. Plain pickels are no friend of mine, so the boyfriend got an extra treat. The beef brisket sandwich was like the nachos, simple, yet there was something about it that kept you wanting more. The meat was tender, slightly tangy and had an orange tint to it from the homemade sauce. It was piled high and held between a soft, buttered split-top bun made from a baker in McCook. After just one bite I could feel the goo of the sauce running over my fingertips and spilling onto the table below. And the baked beans, they were nothing that I had tasted before. The beans were covered in a thick, dark, tangy and spicy BBQ sauce. They were served hot, and the spice and heat radiated in my mouth. It had just enough kick to feel the heat of the spice, but it wasn't so spicy that you couldn't taste the other BBQ flavorings.

For two BBQ sandwiches and an appetizer of nachos, our bill rang up to about $20. Not bad. The service was good, considering 10 people were cooking and serving for around 70 customers. The atmosphere was busy with people, yet laid back. This restaurant not only feeds its local residents, but the town's economy as well. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone who is craving BBQ with all the sides on a rainy spring day with the homemade taste of something dad would make of the Fourth of July. It is definitely worth the trip. When it comes to BBQ, keep it simple, and Lucky Chuck's Pool Hall does just that.

Binghamton Shooting Victims

I was surprised to hear about a shooting story developing early Friday morning. Apparently, a 41 year old Chinese man went into an immigrant resource center and shot 13 people, including himself. People say that he was upset that people made fun of his poor English skills, and that he had recently lost his job. I can understand that he would be angry, but what could possibly drive him to shoot others who are in the same position as him? The story from the Wall Street Journal went on to talk a bit about school shootings, which, in my opinion, has nothing to do with this case. He is a grown man, this isn't high school.
But the part of the story that caught most of my attention was one of the two receptionists who were first shot. One was shot and killed, but 61 year old Shirley DeLucia played dead and then called 911. She stayed on the phone for 90 minutes describing the scene and trying to relay as much information to the police as possible all while suffering a severe abdominal wound. That is amazing! How brave was she to play dead when this killer was wandering around the building and to still have the courage to call the police and get help.

I Love You, Man!

I found a review article on the movie "I Love You, Man" from rotten tomatoes. There were many reviews to pick from, but I chose a review written by Ann Hornaday from the Washington Post.

This review was well written and got the message across. I liked how she started it off that the reader will like this movie as long as they like the star of movie, Paul Rudd. If you liked the movie "The 40 Year-Old Virgin" and "Knocked Up," the reader is assured that they'll like this movie. Even if they didn't like those two movies, they should like Paul Rudd in "I Love You, Man."

She does a good job quoting some of the most random quotes, such as "joben" and "totes magotes." These words mean absolutely nothing, but Rudd's character, Peter Kalven, mutters them when trying to connect to people on his, "man dates."

I also liked how Ann Hornaday points out the fact that the wife, Zooey (played by Rashida Jones), brings in a sense of humor, is smart and successful. She encourages her husband to go out a meet friends instead of punishing him for finding himself with his less-than-reputable friend Sydney (Jason Segel) who purposfuly leaves his dog's business on the board walk.

Hornaday wrote a clear review that was right to the point, picked out and integrated quotes and scenes from the movie, and was a good review that effectively persuades the audience to go out a see the movie, so long as they're into that sense of humor.

Greek stereotypes, they're true...and my worst nightmare.

A few weeks ago, I was a sober sister for a Greek dance downtown. My job was simple. I checked people in at the door, drew a star on their hands with a black sharpie, and sent them on their way to the bus waiting outside. A seemingly laid-back night turned into one of high energy and emotion that led me to believe that, perhaps, those Greek stereotypes have more to them than people give them credit for. The behavior of some of the people was so disgraceful; it shed an awful, dark light on the Greek community as a whole.

Let me explain. The night started around 9 p.m. One house did not have their date sheet, so some of the guests we couldn't properly check in. After several phone calls later, that was taken care of. Alright, so there was a small bump, no big deal.

But then it got interesting. Bare-chested men and women barely draped in satin togas filed in from the cool spring air to receive their stars. The smell of alcohol was so strong, people standing at a four foot distance from me smelled as if they had showered with the keg.

One woman came in and looked over the list and pointed to a name. "Yeah I'm here, my name is Emily." The sober sister, a native to Kearney, sat next to me scrutinizing the woman. "Really, your name is *Emily? Because I'm pretty sure that it's *Ashley, because we went to high school together," she said. (*=names changed) The woman already had the star on her hand from the guy who was working the table with us who had the attention span of a goldfish, so she walked out and onto the bus.

Later on, we discovered that she was so intoxicated that she had thrown up on the bus and was taken back to the check out point.

Did I mention that the bus was a charter bus, complete with TVs?

Another guy had passed out on the bus and hit his head. To top it off, our bus driver was an elderly man who was just astonished as us by his passenger's behavior.

The dance wasn't much better. Around 10:30 we had packed up and decided to stop allowing people in, since people were sneaking in and were so intoxicated that they were being sent back.

Little to our knowledge, the goldfish guy helping us out at the table left a note: "If you want to go to the dance, draw a star on your hand."

He left a black sharpie next to the note.

Great.

At the dance, people were tripping over chairs, tables, other people and their own two feet. The dancing wasn't much better. As one woman had said to me, "it looks more like soft porn than grinding." After sitting at the dance watching this for an hour, I left and went to bed.

As a Greek member, I believe that this is saying something if you are bashing your own group. I was very embarrassed for those who were acting like complete dim-wits that night, and I hope to never see anything that ridiculous at a Greek function ever again. It was just like a movie. Greeks dressed in togas, drunk beyond stupidity.

I'll add this note, there were non-Greeks there who were behaving just as badly.

As Greeks, we know the stereotypes set against us by TV shows, movies and the media. You'd figure those Greeks with non-Greek dates would set an example for their guest's behavior. The Greek community strives to keep a good reputation with higher grade point averages than the general student body and our numerous philanthropic and community service activities. Why throw all of our hard-earned reputation away in one night?

I'm not against going out, drinking and having fun. Do that all you want. But, at a Greek function, let's have something more positive to say about ourselves besides how hot that chick looked in her tiny toga or how much booze he could chug in a minute.