Hot Digitity Dog. Burger King has added grilled hot dogs to their menu, answering the various additions to competitors lineups, including Taco Bell's Quesalupa. This is not a new idea to American burger joints. McDonald's tried selling hot dogs about ten years ago, only to be deeply criticized for the effort. In fact, I remember asking my mom for one while we were in the drive-thru but she wouldn't get it for me. I wonder why.
Source: Enkivillage.com
Thank you Mom for saving my insides and my eyes. Holy cow that looks horrible. Not to mention, it has ketchup on it. Go ahead, call me a Chicago snob. I will not eat a hot dog with ketchup on it and haven't since I was about 12 years old. Which brings me to my concern about the Burger King "Grilled Dog." It has ketchup on it! I honestly don't remember the last time I had to specifically ask for no ketchup while ordering a hot dog. Just ask for everything and expect heaven. Not at Burger King.
My hot dog from Burger King
After asking BK to hold the ketchup, I received my grilled hot dog from the young woman in the drive-thru. I drove home and showed my roommates what I had gotten. They seemed to be a little confused that I was even going to try the hot dog from the fast food joint. Not only did I try it, the hot dog actually wasn't bad. The grilled taste, found in Burger King's burgers, is definitely in the dog and was pretty tasteful. The onions and relish tasted fresh and made for a pretty good late night snack. The bun did seem a little stale though. Overall, a pretty nice job for a place that has no business selling hot dogs.
They're back folks. (Almost) everybody's favorite shake of the year is once again available at McDonald's. The legendary Shamrock Shake is back because of how close we are to St. Patrick's Day.
Seeing as one of my favorite desert options is now available...down the block from my apartment... another food-related blog post was needed. As soon as I found out Shamrock Shakes were available, I was in the McDonald's drive-thru lane. After our intramural hockey game victory, (ok, so maybe the other team didn't show up), my buddy Colin and I drove over to Mickey D's and got the green version of heaven. Wow. It was just like I remembered. The delicious mint flavor was amazing and the thickness of the shake was perfect. I am definitely looking forward to many more Shamrock Shakes throughout this spring.
One of my favorites stories I always tell about Shamrock Shakes is how I was able to achieve one in June one time in my hometown in West Chicagoland. Apparently they serve the shakes until their syrup runs out. This allows enthusiasts such as myself to purchase Shamrock Shakes late into the summertime and enjoy a cool mint shake on a hot summer day.
Source: ClickAmericana.com
Some readers commented on my grading scale last week on my Quesalupa. I will clear the rumors and say yes, there is a scale. Don't ask the details.
If you know anything about me, you know about my obsession with a certain fast-food chain known as Taco Bell. The excellent marketing schemes the restaurant comes up with fool me every time. From the Doritos Locos Tacos to the Starburst freezes, I feel the need to try each one because of how appealing it is to my very college-like appetite.
The day of Super Bowl 50 (February 7), Taco Bell released the "Quesalupa", a chalupa with cheese infused inside.
Therefore, Monday evening's dinner was instantly decided to be Taco "Ding Ding". Alongside a cold Mountain Dew Baja Blast, I dove for the pepper-jack-infused Mexican snack. I have to say, I was pretty impressed. Honestly, it tasted like a taco with a quesadilla as its shell....which I will not complain about. I will most definitely recommend the new shell to all of my fellow Ding-Ding fans.
The NFL will be going back to the Roman numeral system after this year's Super Bowl 50. This is a huge relief to passionate football fans and historians who grew attached to the roman numerals of the past, whom were disappointed once the league came out with the Arabic version "50" for it's semi centennial. Next year's Super Bowl in Houston will be known as Super Bowl LI, as seen in the back of Super Bowl 50's program.
Compared to the design of Super Bowl logos from XLV through XLIX which were much more standardized, this logo will feature the "L" and the "I" moved up right next to the Lombardi Trophy and also include red as an accent color. (A first since Super Bowl XLIV.) This would lead the belief that the following Super Bowl, Super Bowl LII, will have purple accents, due to being played in Minnesota's brand new U.S. Bank Stadium in February 2018.
Source: SportsLogos.Net
Here are examples of Super Bowl logo designs before 2010 when the standardized system was enforced.
The Denver Broncos are allowing an age-old superstition affect their uniform choice for Super Bowl 50.
Denver will be the home team versus the NFC-Champion Carolina Panthers, but will choose to wear their white uniform, which is normally their away uniform. This is because of their track-record in past Super Bowls, going 0-4 while wearing orange jerseys. Not only did Denver go winless, they were blown out of each game, being outscored 167-38.
According to Panthers.com, Carolina will be forced to wear their home black jerseys, but will opt to stick with the normal silver pants, typically worn with the black jerseys. There was a slight chance we could have seen black pants which were worn a few times before 2014.
Personally, I feel this will make for a great uniform matchup which will be seen under the sun due to a 3 p.m. local time zone start in Santa Clara, California. I am a big fan of the Carolina black-over-silver look which will be put on the spotlight and in historical images now. Denver's white uniforms have been left virtually untouched since the Nike redesign back in 1997.
A root beer
keg was provided by the senate to all student body officers, senators and the public,
along with ice cream to allow for root beer floats.
The party
did not continue for long, as there was business to be done. The student body
officers were conducting their first meeting since their election on April 7
and 8. These officers included President Jason Blumenthal, Speaker of the
Assembly Sarah Handler, Secretary of the Assembly Olga Krapivner and Secretary
of Finance Hunter Vaughn.
“It was the
first time that I’ve been able to be in front of everyone and setting the
agenda. I’ve always been someone that was handed the agenda. That’s a large
change for me,” said Blumenthal.
2014 Student Body Officers being sworn-in during the April 21 meeting
Vice-President
of Campus Affairs Emily Corona announced this would be her last meeting after
serving 3 ½ years on senate.
“No idea is
too big to try to go after,” said Corona when giving advice to her fellow
senators.
The
university will be purchasing bike racks to be placed in front of Markin and
Morgan Hall, according to Vice-President of Campus Safety Cody Lonigro. Vice-President
Matthew Kern said the speed limit on University East was changed from 25 mph to
20 mph.
The major
discussion of the evening was about the engineering fees being raised from $5
to $50 per class. This is a 100 percent increase. Senator Mitch Ruopp said he
received almost 30 complaints about the raise.
“The
equipment is very expensive, so that’s why it was raised,” said Handler.
Vice-President
of Technology Services Mitch Pericak said he was sent an email with the subject
“Free Ice Cream” and then was informed about the fee increase. Vice-President
of Diversity Affairs Jay Mehta recommended a forum should be created so that
engineers can express their concerns to the department.
The meeting
concluded with many of the vice-presidents sarcastically welcoming all of the
senators to come back next year. This provided the opportunity for all to look
forward to next year.
Blumenthal
said he is extremely excited about what can occur from this new administration
and he looks forward to working with Director of Student Activities and Student Senate Advisor Tom Coy, as well as the president of the university, Joanne Glasser.
“[Glasser]
is very excited with the goals I have created. She is willing to help in any
way possible to achieve them,” said Blumenthal.
One of the goals Blumenthal’s administration
has created is to keep promoting the Brave Life app, which was created earlier
in the school year, by Pericek, for fellow students. The app currently has
1,230 downloads and is in the process of being promoted by the university
through the marketing department.
“I’m ready for a brave, new future,”
said Blumenthal.
Alex Miller, shown in front of a statue of Mary, is currently discerning the priesthood.
Becoming a priest in today’s
society is not an easy task. There are many different factors that could stop
you from following the path you may feel God is calling you to. Alex Miller, a
20-year-old Illinois Central College student from Mendota, Ill., is attempting
to go against the grain.
After
attending TEC, Teens Encounter Christ, a youth retreat in high school, Miller
began to ask God what he wanted him to do now.
“He
lead me to the Church, so I became Catholic,” Miller said, who was raised as a
Lutheran. This wasn’t the end of the road for Miller, though. He began to
believe following a vocation into the priesthood, was the answer.
“It
feels like the natural next-step. I still don’t feel like I’m doing his will
yet,” Miller said.
When
he came to his decision after much thought and prayer, Miller contacted his
pastor, who then called Monsignor Brian Brownsey, the vocation director of the
Diocese of Peoria. Miller was told he may receive a call from Brownsey in a
week or so, but the call arrived the next day. Brownsey instructed Miller to
come down to Peoria and have lunch with him.
They decided Miller should wait an
extra year, before joining the seminary, since he had just become Catholic not
too long ago.
“The
whole point was for him to grow, mostly academically,” Brownsey said. “He’s
been going to class and getting his work done.”
Miller,
now living in Peoria, is working on staff at the St. Joseph Newman Center on
Bradley University’s campus and also at Mt. Hawley Country Club as a waiter,
all while attending classes at ICC.
Despite
the consequences of this life choice, Miller said the decision has only made
sense.
“I’m
more excited about my future than I was two years ago. I had no idea what I
wanted to do. The idea of the priesthood was in the back of my mind the whole
time, but I finally decided not to smother it with a pillow,” Miller said.
Miller has had an effect on the students he has interacted with at Bradley, as well.
"I think its really bold of him. For him to explore his faith that deeply and to willingly jump into what God has called him into. It has set a good example for others," Nick Maggiore, a Catholic sophomore Bradley student, said.
According
to Miller, many other seminarians have found the choice to be very liberating.
Miller says he barely gets stressed anymore.
The
path from here will be to attend the seminary once Miller gets accepted, which
he will find out in August. Once he hears back from the Bishop, who makes the
decision, he will travel to Winona, Minn. to attend the seminary located there
for three years. After those years in Minnesota, he will then attend the seminary
in Emmitsburg, Md. for four additional years.
A
seminary can be easily compared to a normal college university. The students
attend typical classes and earn a degree. This is important because they will
need to be able to speak to educated people when they become priests one day.
The seminarians need to expand their intellectual capacity. Pastoral formation
is provided through learning how to be a leader, how to reach out to people and
how to make people feel at home.
“These
couple of men are in charge of 1,000 people at one time,” Miller said, when
talking about a typical priest’s responsibility at their home parishes.
Along
with the academic and pastoral formations, there is a spiritual formation
provided.
“You
need to pray and need to have a prayer life. If you’re not praying, eventually
you’ll be a horrible priest,” Miller said. Lastly, there is a human formation.
This includes having control over emotions and physical nature, such as
maintaining diet and also having physical and emotional chastity.
After
this seven-year process, the seminarians are then invited into the priesthood
and are assigned to parishes, dioceses or elsewhere in the world. There is also
the possibility during the process that the seminarian decides this path is not
right for him.
“As
long as I am doing God’s will, I will be at peace. I will be engaged in the
parish wherever I go,” Miller said. “If I end up being called to the married
life, I will do my best to raise my family and the best dad I can be. I never
knew my dad, so that makes me want to be the best dad I can be. I want to be
the best father figure for whoever I’m with.”
