5/25/2011

San Francisco Fog - Something Lurks Inside


Patty and I were in San Francisco recently and we stayed at the Holiday Inn on Van Ness Avenue. (BTW, the hotel restaurant was never open the entire 5 days we were there) Now I have heard tall tales about how thick and how fast the fog rolls in from the ocean. The three photographs below were taken from our hotel window, (What a view huh?) in the span of an hour. Now I believe.

Photo one: An almost clear view to the ocean and the city including the San Francisco cable cars can be easily seen. (Click the thumbnail for a much larger version)
Photo two: The fog rolls in quickly engulfing the city.
Photo three: Total immersion of the fog.

I told Patty we should hurry down to the street so we could meet Adrienne Barbeau, Jamie Lee Curtis and Janet Leigh. She looked at me puzzled like I had gone mad. I explained that San Francisco used to be an old fishing town built over an old leper colony and when the fog rolls in the former inhabitants (Zombies) come back and exact revenge.

That evening we had a hauntingly good time. The Fog is the true San Francisco treat.


LURKING ON THE GRASSY KNOLL

5/17/2011

Margherita's Italian Restaurant

Margherita's Italian Restaurant
Margherita's Italian Restaurant
Patty calls me and tells me of a new restaurant close to town called Margaritaville. Al right! I was down with that. I loved Mararitaville in Las Vegas and Orlando and now there was one close in town. I was ready for some “Cheeseburger In Paradise.” We went as soon as I got home.
We found ourselves in Girard on the main drag and Patty says, there it is, there’s Margaritaville. Damn, I must of heard wrong, (I am 51) for there before me was the Margherita’s Restaurant sign. The place was packed and the parking lot full so it took some ingenuity in parking.
Italian Bread And Butter
Totally bummed that I wouldn’t be having mine with lettuce and tomato, Heinz 57 and french fried potato, I settled for a standard classic. A short time later, some Italian Bread was brought to the table. It was fresh and tasted good. Bravo!
Standard Salad
Next came the salad. It was standard fare. It was good, fresh, with plenty of lettuce and enough added items to compliment the dish. So far, so good.
Margherita's Chicken Parm
Margherita's Chicken Parm
You guessed it. I ordered the Chicken Parmesan with spaghetti. After all, it was an Italian restaurant, the sauce is usually good and the meals generally very above average.
The portions were good. The chicken juicy and zero fat. The cheese melted and the sauce plenty and zesty. The Penne was well cooked, hot, and with the sauce, was good.
Margherita's Restaurant Inside Dining
Margherita's Restaurant Inside Dining
My only real complaint was the seating. Not that we were cramped, but we were right next door to the rest room. Not that it’s a bad thing, but usually, you cannot hear what’s going on inside the rest room. At Margherita’s, you know everyone’s business if you know what I mean.

The cost was roughly $10 dollars without tip which is a real good price. The food was good, portions adequate, the service OK, but the placement, not so good.
The Grassy Knoll Institute scores 3 out of 5 shots and recommends Margherita’s Italian Restaurant for dinner. (Just make sure you are not seated by the rest room)



LURKING ON THE GRASSY KNOLL

5/04/2011

Cocca’s Pizza Boardman Sucks Pepperoni Roll

Cocca’s Pizza, Boardman, Ohio, consider yourself on notice. I was once a loyal customer of yours, ordering either a pizza, chicken tenders, pepperoni roll, or all of the above roughly once a week. No more! I can tolerate plenty, but your complete lack of customer service and lousy management has put an end to my patronage.

Just about every week I would call for a pizza and an order of chicken tenders. I would then be told twenty or thirty minutes depending on how busy they were for my pick up time. No problem right? Wrong!

Every time I went in to pick up my order, (After waiting the specified amount of time, 20-30 minutes) my pizza would be ready but they always failed to prepare the chicken tenders. The employee would blurt out something like, “Sorry, I forgot to get the tenders ready. It’ll be 10 minutes or so!” Sometimes, the employee would begin to ring up my order and notice the tenders weren’t there and then call back to the other employee’s asking who forgot to put the order in. Many other excuses like above followed.

Now, if they forgot once in a while it would be no big deal. But the last time I ordered, they really screwed up.

As usual, I walked in the doors after 30 minutes and went to the counter and gave them my name. He went back to the oven where my pizza was sitting and put it on the table where the employee’s were making pizza’s. He then looked over the fryer and saw my chicken tenders were not there. BIG SURPRISE!

Then he lied to me. He said my tenders were cooking and would be ready in a minute or two. I said no problem. As promised, the fryer oven buzzed and the employee took the chicken tenders out of the fryer. Then the manager said something like, Wait, those aren’t his tenders. They are for another customer. The manager then proceeded to tell me that another customer ordered after me, (Yes, after me) and it was a large order and he needed the fryer for another 20-30 minutes before he could make my order which he forgot to do in the first place. He then turned away and continued his work.

What The Fuck! I asked why I couldn’t have four of the dozen or so pieces that were just made so my pizza would not get cold and my order would be complete and I could be on my way. He said matter-of-fact, “No, you’re going to have to wait. I have to get this order done for another customer.”

Now, a good manager would have understood the situation, knowing that his employee was at fault and would have remedied the problem right away by giving me the four pieces already done and scrambled to make up a little more time for the customer who has not even arrived yet. Everyone would have been happy. Cocca’s Pizza would still have a long time customer. Instead, he was a complete asshat.

I told him to keep the pizza or shove it up his ass, whichever he preferred. I didn’t stick around to see which option he selected.

With that,
The Grassy Knoll Institute scores Negative 2 out of 5 shots and DOES NOT recommend Cocca’s Pizza Of Boardman for dinner.
               

LURKING ON THE GRASSY KNOLL

5/03/2011

WikiLeaks Hacked By Giant Aliens

Wiki Leaks Snowden
Wiki Leaks Snowden
In a reversal of roles, Wiki-Leaks, the nefarious non-profit website publisher of classified media from governments around the world, has been hacked. An elite team of giant aliens infiltrated Wiki-Leaks files during a routine server reboot. Terabytes of valuable information was downloaded concerning strategy and assessment of the enemy which will certainly damage the war effort against the giant aliens poised to take over the world.

One data disk was left behind by the aliens with an encrypted file

After decoding the file, it merely read....

Processing... processing... processing... and a single link was present named Fresh Hell.


LURKING ON THE GRASSY KNOLL

4/26/2011

Princess Diana Attended Royal Wedding Of William And Kate

Princess Diana Attended Royal Wedding Of William And Kate
Princess Diana Alive
The photo that sparked a major conspiracy. Several years ago the Grassy Knoll Institute revealed a photo of Princess Diana Very Much Alive two years after her supposed fatal car crash. The Grassy Knoll Institute queried if this could be Princess Diana seated in a wheel chair healing from her wounds from the traffic crash.

The evidence revealed the Princess of Wales fabricated her own death to end her connection not only with her Husband, Prince Charles, but the entire royal family. Diana was rumored to be with child at the time of her alleged demise. Prince Charles certainly wasn't the father.

Today, speculation has it that Diana has made a full recovery and has been in secretive contact with her two children, William and Harry. Diana is planning on attending the Royal Wedding this Friday but she will be incognito watching Prince William and Kate Middleton recite their wedding vows.

Those watching can attempt to pick her out of the crowd. Here is a hint. As William is reciting his vows, he will make a gesture, either a turn of the head or hand, to signal Diana that he knows she is present.




LURKING ON THE GRASSY KNOLL




4/25/2011

Led Zeppelin - Houses Of The Holy - 1973

Led Zeppelin Houses Of The Holy Record Album
Led Zeppelin Houses Of The Holy Record Album
The year 1973 was a mere two years from the explosion of disco music and the down fall of modern society. Led Zeppelin released their fifth album, Houses Of The Holy. This album actually had a title, unlike the previous offering, unofficially known as Led Zeppelin IV. However, the rock band stayed with their bizarre artistic view by not having any words on the album cover. You had to buy the album and crack the plastic protective sheet to explore the lyrics and song titles.

What is the first thing you see when looking at this cover? Perhaps these are outcasts from the movie Splash, starring Darryl Hannah as the sexy nude mermaid coming ashore to mate with Tom Hanks. Perhaps a sequel to the Stepford Wives, Stepford Daughters. Perhaps albino zombies attacking. Yes, a total WTF album cover.

The back cover of Houses Of The Holy doesn't offer up any clues as well. No name, no album title, no band members, no year recorded, not a single word or hint of who released the album.

You must remember, this was 1973, way before the Internet, before MTV, before MP3 players. Listening to the FM radio was the base of music knowledge. When we heard a song or album we had to have, we actually had to go to a record store, browse the rows of albums offered, choose our selection, stand in line and pay cash for our record. Finding Houses Of The Holy was somewhat difficult. One had to ask what album was the new Led zeppelin vinyl. Some record stores rectified this problem by adding a sticker to the outside plastic wrapper denoting Houses Of the Holy.

The inner cover stays with the non disclosure theme. Simply a panoramic view of an old English castle on a hill-side with one naked man holding a naked woman over his head. Perhaps he is sacrificing her to the Gods.

Finally, once inside the album, the vinyl sleeve offered the album title, song titles and lyrics, band members, year recorded, and all the other album information.

Led Zeppelin is comprised of four band members. Robert Plant - Vocals, Jimmy Page - Guitar, John Paul Jones - Bass and Organ, John Bonham - Drums.

Album Tracks:
Side One: The Song Remains The Same, The Rain Song, Over The Hills And Far Away, The Crunge.
Side Two: Dancing Days, D'Yer Mak'er, No Quarter, The ocean.

Over the Hills And Far Away was the album's radio air time hit. The exact lyrics follow.

Hey Lady - you got the love I need,
Oh may Be - more than enough.
Oh, Darling Darling Darling walk a while with me,
Oh, you got so much, so much, so much.

Many have I loved,
Many times been bitten,
Many times I've gazed,
Along the open road.

Many times I've lied,
And many times I've listened,
Many times I've wondered,
How much there is to know.

Many dreams come true,
And some have silver linings,
I live for my dream,
And a pocketful of gold.

Mellow is the man,
Who knows what he's been missing,
Many many men,
Can't see the open road.

Many is a word,
That only leaves you guessing,
Guessing' bout a thing,
You really ought to know.
You really ought to know.
I really ought to know.

Sidenote: The lyrics printed in the liner notes are not exactly what is listed above. Also, for the record, Led Zeppelin was not the "Panty wetter" music many claimed it to be. Just sayin.




Led Zeppelin Houses Of the Holy Back Cover
Houses Of the Holy Back Cover

Led Zeppelin House Of the Holy Inside Cover Art
Led Zeppelin House Of the Holy Inside Cover Art

Official Lyrics Houses Of The Holy Album
Album Jacket Cover

Album Lyrics

Led Zeppelin Houses of the Holy Vinyl
Houses of the Holy Vinyl




LURKING AND ROCKING ON THE GRASSY KNOLL

4/19/2011

The Future Is Behind Us

Roswell Crash Aliens Were Humans From The Future
Roswell Crash Aliens Were Humans From The Future
The CIA Reluctantly Releases Top Secret Document Of The 1947 Roswell, New Mexico UFO Crash

The document included a photograph (See Photo Above) along with top-secret Washington, D.C. files from the United States Air Force. The document specifically mentioned Roswell, new Mexico and the crash of an unidentified flying object in 1947. The photo and document were time stamped June 30th, 1950.

After 61 years, the transcript of the conversation of the four men and the alleged space man has come to print. In essence, the space man is not an alien, but a human from the future. He claimed he was returning to Washington when upon re-entry into the space-time continuum, his ship malfunctioned and crashed almost 2000 miles off course in a remote area in New Mexico. Roswell became the UFO capital of the world shortly after.

Major Tom White, (Spaceman) returned to Earth with a message to hopefully change the future. Major White attempted to warn the White House in 1951 of the future Kennedy assassination in 1963 in Dealey Plaza, Dallas, Texas, November 22nd, 1963. It appears the four CIA agents didn't take Major Tom seriously.

Major Tom made one more effort to broadcast his warning and relayed the message in code to a columnist, Jeanne Dixon. The psychic. Dixon managed to secure an audience with an aid of President Kennedy but alas, the message was not delivered in time to prevent the assassination.





LURKING ON THE GRASSY KNOLL



4/16/2011

Alcatraz Pier 33 Cafe Sandwich

alcatraz-island-the-rock
The Rock - Alcatraz Island
We were in San Francisco recently and of course we had to go and visit the Rock, Alcatraz Island and prison. We left from pier 33 and spent almost the entire day on the island exploring the grounds and prison. (I highly recommend Alcatraz Island as a must see when in San Francisco) One caveat, the island does not permit any food or beverage on the island except for bottled water.
pier-33-alcatraz-island
Pier 33 Alcatraz Island
After spending approximately 7 hours on the rock, we were starving. Stepping off the boat that transported us back to Pier 33, we ventured into a souvenir shop and small cafe in search for a quick fix of food. As we waded through souvenir row we spied the food counter. It was old style cafeteria. Grab your tray, shuffle it down the counter and select a pre-made sandwich, salad, or other snack. (I felt a little like Blutto from the movie, Animal House)
Turkey And Cheese
I selected the turkey and cheese sandwich. At least I thought I did. It looked more like baloney but I was hungry. I added a Coke Zero to wash it down. This feast cost me $12 dollars, $9 dollars for the sandwich and $3 dollars for the Coke Zero.

The sandwich was stale. Even the baloney turkey. It was edible, barely. I still don't know if it was turkey or some other mystery meat. Hell, it may not have even been meat. The Coke Zero was the saving grace. after drinking water all day, the Zero was a much needed bonus. Twelve dollars for this, not even close to a value. The Cafe is lucky Alcatraz is closed for charging that kind of money for that quality of food is a capital crime. I can almost sympathize with the inmates assigned to Alcatraz and the food they were forced to eat.

The Grassy Knoll Diner scores 1.5 out of 5 shots and does not recommend Pier 33 Alcatraz Cafe for lunch or dinner.


LURKING ON THE GRASSY KNOLL