The Salt Lick Restaurant

I happened to be in Driftwood, Texas recently (no, really, I was vacationing in Austin) and I was lucky enough to get to eat at The Salt Lick. Open since 1967, The Salt Lick is known for its open barbecue pit, friendly staff, generous portions, and their convenient BYOB policy. I opted for the "Family Style" all-you-can-eat meat plate, which came loaded with pork ribs, sausage and brisket. And, since I was in Texas, I washed all that meat down with a few cans of Pearl beer. I ate until I was legitimately concerned that I might vomit and was subsequently full for more than 24 hours after I left the restaurant. Not bad for $16 plus the price of beer.

Rating: Meat Coma%

(Image from sweetleafteablog.com)

Jackass 3D

If you're already familiar with the Jackass crew, I don't really need to tell you what Jackass 3D is about. It's exactly what you think it's going to be, except this time it's in 3D. To their credit, they actually use the 3D very well. Some of the best moments in the movie come when the stunts are shown in super slow motion. I could describe some of the movie's highlights for you, but the whole Jackass 3D experience is funnier (and more painful) if you go into it cold.

Rating: Ouch%

(Image from onlinemovieshut.com)

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is a crime novel by Stieg Larsson, you may have heard of it. I don't read a lot of crime novels or mysteries or thrillers, so I might not have been the target audience for this book, but I read it anyway. It seemed to me that The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was reaching Da Vinci Code levels of literary hype, so I thought I should just go ahead and read it so I wouldn't feel out of touch when I heard people talking about it. At around 800 pages or so, it made for great airport reading. Was it any good? I guess so. It was full of murders and journalists, Nazis and hackers, corporate crimes and casual sex. So, I mean, if that's the kind of stuff you look for in a book, then, you know, you'd probably like it.

Rating: Not one mention of Swedish Berries%

(Image from collider.com)

EVOL by Sonic Youth

This was Sonic Youth's first album with its lineup of the past quarter century. Listening to it always reminds me of band trips, or riding the bus to school, since I think it was only the third Sonic Youth album I bought. It's a pretty great album, but too bad I can't listen to it without being reminded that Sonic Youth appeared on Gossip Girl to play an acoustic version of "Star Power" from this album. Ow, my childhood!

RATING : 81%

Bad Moon Rising by Sonic Youth

Usually when people ask what Sonic Youth album to start with, I say Daydream Nation or Goo or something. The album furthest from the top of that list would be Bad Moon Rising, an album which almost entirely eschews melody (even by Sonic Youth standards) for sound collages and woven noisescapes. It's my third favorite Sonic Youth album. The song "Death Valley '69" is the most listenable to the uninitiated, but everybody's heard that one, so here's some other links.

RATING: 92%

Childrens Hospital

Childrens Hospital (and that's not a typo) is a comedy series currently airing on the Cartoon Network (despite the fact that it is not a cartoon). Originally created by Rob Corddry (formerly of the The Daily Show) as a web series in 2008, Childrens Hospital is an over the top parody of hospital dramas. The cast features a veritable smörgåsbord of veteran comedic performers: Rob Corddry, Ken Marino (formerly of The State), Rob Huebel (formerly of Human Giant), Megan Mullally (formerly of Will & Grace), and Henry Winkler (formerly of Arrested Development) among others. The humor on Childrens Hospital is somewhat absurd and anarchic, so it's probably not for everyone. But if you're a comedy nerd like me, this is a show you will not want to miss.

Rating: 85%

(Image from chicagonow.com)

Confusion Is Sex by Sonic Youth

This is not one of my favorite Sonic Youth albums. I've always thought the recording sounded so flat, and it makes a lot of the songs uninteresting. Well, it turns out that they spent a few days recording it, then accidentally put all the tapes on top of one of their speakers because Thurston Moore didn't know magnets erase tapes (you big dummy!). Then they had to rerecord the whole thing in like three hours. I guess that makes sense, since their first EP sounds really great, and their second EP, Kill Yr Idols, which is included on the only version of this you'll ever find, also sounds great. I dunno, buy it if you want, but there's like 14 or 15 Sonic Youth albums you should buy first.

RATING: 51%

Monster Cereals

These were a lot better before I was a grown-ass man. Ow, my teeth.

RATING: 39%

KFC Double Down

When it was announced earlier this year that KFC was coming out with the Double Down sandwich, I have to admit I was intrigued. A bun-less sandwich, combining two KFC chicken breasts with cheese, bacon, a special sauce and enough sodium to kill a horse. With no bread or vegetables to get in my way, was the Double Down my path to fast food nirvana? Nope. It was like eating a salty, deep fried catcher's mitt.

Rating: 25%

(Image from onepeggenius.com)