A group of strangers get together and live in a house as contestants on a Reality TV show.  While in they house they are filmed 24-7.  Each week one of the contestants will be voted out, or eliminated or evicted if you will.  The show takes place during the summer and the last contestant in the house will win $250,000.

Sound familiar at all?  Well that description is tied to the new ABC show Glass House which sounds strikingly familiar to the longstanding summer Reality fare Big Brother.  And it should.  18 former Big Brother staffers including one of the Executive Producers are working on the new show.

CBS of course says that ABC is ripping them off and is threatening to sue ABC to prevent the show from ever reaching the air this summer.  They may have a point given that the 18 ex Big Brother workers had all signed NDA’s with CBS and are likely violating them by working on the new show.

The Glass House won’t be an exact rip off of Big Brother though.  It promises to be more interactive with the viewers at home allowing them to vote on who is eliminated each week, what the contestants wear, eat, etc…  Of course the viewers also voted on who was eliminated each week on the first US season of Big Brother too.

ABC is also promising specific live stream sessions during the week, not a 24-7 feed like Big Brother, and even hinting that the viewers will get a chance to interact with the contestants offering them help and encouragement.  So perhaps they won’t be totally isolated like in Big Brother.

Claiming that one Reality show is ripping off another is a big of a joke though.  I’m pretty sure all Reality shows share a number of components in common so other then the whole NDA stance for the Producer and Staffers who worked on Big Brother I’m not sure CBS has any grounds to stand on here.

One thing we know The Glass House won’t have?  Julie Chen.  Whether thats a plus or minus is up to the viewers to decide…

If you frequent Pintrest at all, even a tiny little bit, then you have no doubt seen countless recipes featuring Nutella, the worlds foremost Hazelnut spread. Its featured so much that I have taken to using the term “Nutella” as anything that people think is cool but is really played out, especially on pinterest since it seems to be such a hotbed for Nutella. I also like to think of Nutella as being related to hipsters in some way, shape or form but perhaps thats just how my brain works whether it makes any sense or not. Hipsters are too cool for chocolate therefore they eat Nutella or something like that.

So what is Nutella you might ask? Well I’m glad you did.  Their website gives us the exciting history and here it is captured verbatim:

“Nutella® spread, in its earliest form, was created in the 1940s by Mr. Pietro Ferrero, a pastry maker and founder of the Ferrero company. At the time, there was very little chocolate because cocoa was in short supply due to World War II rationing.

(Side note: I’ve also heard this story as the taxes were too high on coca and Mr. Ferrero was looking for a an alternative to save a few bucks on chocolate production…I’ll leave it to the user to decide)

So Mr. Ferrero used hazelnuts, which are plentiful in the Piedmont region of Italy (northwest), to extend the chocolate supply.”

Um that ended rather abruptly. No happily ever after or anything.  It was used simply as a filler to con us into thinking we were eating more chocolate then we actually were.  It’s the meatloaf of sweet spreads you could say. (Side note pt 2: now I’m wondering if mister Pietro Ferrero was actually involved in the creation of the oh so sweet holiday treat ferrero rocher…quick check with Wikipedia…IT WAS!!! Hey did you know that rocher means rock in french. So when you eat a Ferrero Rocher you are eating Ferrero’s french rock? See who said Droppin never teaches you anything?)

Okay I got distracted there let me straighten out this showboat. If the popularity on blogs on the internet is to be believed Nutella is reaching heights of popularity never before seen. But lets say you have yourself a hankering for a hazelnut spread that is pretending to be chocolate only you have a moral code against Pietro Ferrero and refuse to eat Nutella. Whats a girl to do right? Well now you have your alternative:

It was only a matter of time before someone else decided to get in on the fake chocolate spread trend and Jif is that someone.  I won’t taint my body with either of them, you know because its unhealthy and all…(side note pt 3…DUH OF COURSE ITS NOT HEALTHY!!!!)

Side note pt 4: did you know that Nutella was originally called “Supercrema”?  I can’t help but think I would heart this product mas more if it was called Supercrema.  I mean check out this conversation:

Person 1:Excuse me, would you care for some bread?

Person 2: No thank you, I find bread to be dry and flavorless.

Person 1: What if I spread…wait for it…SUPERCREMA on it!!!!

Person 2: YES YES, I MUST HAVE THE SUPERCREMA!!!!

True story by the way…

Others will do a better job reporting on the passing of Adam Yauch, better know as MCA from the Beastie Boys. I never acknowledged myself as the worlds biggest Beastie Boys fan but its amazing that when I went to select a song for the “Random Song of the Whatever” today in honor of the Beastie Boys that it was impossible to pick one.  Looking back over their body of work its astounding  just how much of an impact they had on anyone who may have had a passing interest in hip hop over the last 25 years.  Their run from 86-2011 was unparalleled from a creative standpoint and a commercial success as well having sold more albums in the US than any other Hip Hop or artist not named 2Pac, Eminem or Jay Z.  They crossed racial boundaries, musical boundaries, went main stream without selling out or losing any cred, played their own music, transformed the art of music videos, championed causes that were important to them, so on and so on and so on.

So to honor the passing of MCA today I give you my top 11 Beastie Boys songs.  11 just because I felt like it and no one of them isn’t “(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right to Party”. Classic song but its not one of my favorites.

11. Too Many MC’s – Collaboration with Nas off of 2011′s Hot Sauce Committee Pt 2 album. Seems like several versions of this song exist but here was the closest I could find to my favorite version.

10. Gratitude – Off the 1992 Check Your Head album, features one of the most recognizable baselines ever

9. Right Right Now Now – Last single off the 2004 album “To The 5 Boroughs”

8. Hey Ladies – For some reason this song, the highest charting single from “Paul’s Boutique” really appealed to the 1989 me. I don’t think it was the video which seemed to be on overplay on MTV and the 1989 me wasn’t digging the polyester as much as the 2012 me does. I think it might have been the cowbell. I gotta fever and…well you know. “HEY LADIES! GET FUNKY!”

7. Body Movin – Prior to tonight I think I had seen the video for Body Movin just one time back when it first came out in 1998. I have never forgotten it or the song.

6. So What’cha Want – Who could forget the negative effect in the sky for this video? And Mike D’s awesome retro Knicks ringer T? I’m not sure if I like this song more or less after it being featured in Rock Band 2…hey I think I’m losing my mind this time this time I’m losing my mind thats right!

5. Sure Shot – The third single off 1994′s Ill Communication album features an awesome flute sample which just shows how nothing is unusable

4. Sabotage – One of the most memorable songs of the 90′s and one of the most memorable music videos ever

3. Paul Revere – “Now here’s a little story I got to tell…” and you know the rest. Features an infamous looping drum sample which legend has it was accidentally recorded backwards.

2. Brass Monkey – Okay I know this song is about an alcoholic drink and I don’t support drinking however ever since Showtime told me a story of a guy bumping this in his car at a particularly inappropriate moment this song has always brought a smile to my face. And that bass was definitely blwoing up speakers in the families 91 lebaron

1. Intergalactic – I think song about sums up the Beastie Boys best, from the samples to the drums to the lyrics and delivery…a masterpiece.

On a side note, after listening to more than my fair share of Beastie Boys tonight, has there ever been a group that has dropped their own names more often than these guys? The number of times they drop MCA, Mike D and Ad Rock is truly astounding…

Okay so I haven’t done any sports themed predictions on this site since…err…lets see…MLB no…March Madness no…NBA no…NFL no…well lets just say its been a while. And far be it from me to share my useless gift of incorrectly predicting how sports seasons are going to go. So with the NBA playoffs kicking off this Saturday (and yes I can’t believe the playoffs are this Saturday. The shortened season has done wonders for the NBA this season I don’t care what anyone says.) I decided its time for me to once again to boldly predict how Kobe will capture his sixth ring…err…I mean how the playoffs will unfold. So lets do this!

EASTERN CONFERENCE  

Round 1

(1) Chicago Bulls Vs (8) Philadelphia 76ers

I was in Philly last month on a business trip and the most memorably thing, aside from a lingering foot issue that was the result of doing a bunch of sight seeing on foot in dress shoes, was that nobody in the city really seemed to be supporting their 76ers all that much. The town very much seemed to be focused on the then upcoming MLB season and their beloved Phillies (who I might add are currently sitting at 9-10 and only just barely moving out of the cellar of the NL east thanks to a two game win streak and the taking of the Florida…err…Miami Marlins).

Maybe its just years of futility that have caused the city to stop caring about the 76ers but this team was 20-9 back in February. Of course they then 15-22 the rest of the season so that might be something to worry about. Perhaps the curse of Collins is coming to bear and the players are done with him, who knows.

Meanwhile the Bulls have been forced to learn to play without Rose this season due to a number of odd injuries (he only played in 39 games). Then stories pop up about him being angry at the Bulls staff for forcing him to tape his ankles and make his injuries worse and how he doesn’t like the limelight. Thankfully for the Bulls they did really well in his absence still locking up the best record in the east.

Philly doesn’t score particularly well but neither does the Bulls. Philly is good defensively being 3^rd in the NBA in points allowed. Unfortunately the Bulls were 1^st in the league in points allowed.

So the Bulls win on offense, defense and the Sixers might be rolling over on their coach. Unless Rose causes a major meltdown I’m going BULLS in 5.

(4) Boston Celtics Vs (5) Atlanta Hawks

Let me just get this out of the way. I’m very much not a Boston fan so take this prediction with a grain of salt. I would like nothing more than to see them fall in the first round. The question is, does Atlanta have the tools to beat Boston.

The regular series was very close between the two with the first two games being decided by a total of 4 points with Boston being the victor in both. Atlanta took what felt like a meaningless win a week ago to set the season series to 2-1 Boston. We all know the playoffs are an entirely different beast though.

The Celtics have been playing great defense down the stretch which bodes well for the playoffs and both teams have some injury concerns to key pieces. I’m going CELTICS in 7 because I don’t think Atlanta has what it takes to win a seven game series. If Ray Allen misses any sizable time though I take it all back.

(3) Indiana Pacers Vs (6) Orlando Magic

Indiana was really good this season but did not match up well against the Magic. Of course most of that was before the wheels came off the Dwight Howard v Van Gundy circus. Now? The Magic are hobbling into the post season having dropped 11 of their last 16 and Nick Anderson, Penny Hardaway, T-Mac and Shaq are not walking through that door. Actually who am I kidding Penny, T-Mac and Shaq probably would walk through that door if they could. The only person we know won’t be playing in this series is the second self appointed Superman himself.

Yes there is possible Ewing theory potential here but Indiana is winning this series.  I think the Magic players are just ready for this whole messy season to be over with. PACERS in 5

(2) Miami Heat Vs (7) New York Knicks

Our last first round match up in the east throws the ever enigmatic Knickerbockers up against the might King James and his court. Lebron will definitely get his chance in this series to prove that he is the man in big moments. Just how good is this Miami team outside of Lebron and Wade though? Did you know that Lebron led his team in Points, Assists, Rebounds and Steals? Now I know that means he is just that good but it also means that his team sucks. How does Bosh not average more than 7.9 rebounds per game I ask you?

So the Knicks win in depth. They have the scoring talent to match the Heat with Melo and Stoudemire. Tyson Chandler can erase Bosh as he proved last summer in the finals. So advantage Knicks?

Can I really believe the Knicks are going to beat the Heat?

YES ITS MY BOLD INCORRECT PREDICTION TIME.  KNICKS in 7!!!!

Wait, I just saw how that looks…never mind HEAT in 6.

EASTERN CONFERENCE SEMI FINALS

(1) Chicago Bulls Vs (4) Boston Celtics

We have already covered the pluses and minuses so I’ll make this brief. Both teams are defensive powerhouses who struggle at times to score. Boston has a rep for being old and washed up and a tough series against the Hawks in round 1 isn’t going to help that. I think the Bulls with a healthy Rose will be too much for the pride of the Celtics.  BULLS in 6

(3) Indiana Pacers Vs (2) Miami Heat

For as wide open as the east appears on paper it wasn’t that hard for me to pick the top 4 seeds to advance. Hmm…probably means I’m already wrong in my predictions. So does that mean I jump to an ill informed upset here just to get one out of the way? Do I just bite the bullet and say hey an upset is going to happen so lets put the Pacers over the Heat now to get it out of the way? Well Knicks or Heat its hard to see the Pacers advancing out of the second round so sadly no.

MIAMI in 5

EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS

(1) Chicago Bulls Vs (2) Miami Heat

Just like David Stern planned it…ummm wait I didn’t say that. I think its telling that in an interview Lebron has stated that this season is not a failure if the Heat don’t win the championship, just a disappointment. Hey Lebron, you are the best player in the planet and every year you don’t win a championship, no matter who your teammates are, is a huge failure. It’s almost as if hes giving himself another out!

Anywho I think the Bulls are equipped to handle whoever comes their way out of the East. BULLS in 6 (and yes I know I picked them last year…so if gambling was legal don’t put your money on the Bulls.  Wait on second thought don’t take anything I say on advice for gambling period. I will be wrong you have been warned!)

WESTERN CONFERENCE FIRST ROUND

(1) San Antonio Spurs Vs (8) Utah Jazz

A lot has been said recently of the Jazz’s three headed monster of Jefferson, Milsap and Favors. I have to ask though that if the three are so unstoppable when they are all on the floor together then why were they only on the floor for a total of 90 some odd minutes all season? Well either the Jazz coaching staff are idiots and don’t like to put their best players on the floor at the same time or they know something we don’t know.

I’ll leave it up to you to decide but I do know one thing. As someone who has been forced to follow the Jazz for the better part of my life I know that the Jazz don’t beat the Spurs, or at least not since Stockton and Malone headed out to pasture.

I think the Spurs are better then people are giving them credit for and are relatively injury free and thanks to the masterful coaching by Popovich will have fresh legs headed into the playoffs. Last years upset in the first round becomes this years motivator…

SPURS in 5

(4) Memphis Grizzlies Vs (5) Los Angeles Clippers

What I’m drawn to look at when comparing these two teams is the coaching. Del Negro has seemingly been horrible this season of course I’m not sure how you coach a bunch of players who would rather be tossing alley oops to each other then running a set offense or playing defense. Yes the clippers are exciting as any team led by Chris Paul will likely be but Paul has proven over his career that he alone is not a difference maker.

MEMPHIS in 6.

(3) Los Angeles Lakers Vs (6) Denver Nuggets

My personal bias will leak through if I try to break down how these teams match up. Let me just say there were only two teams I felt comfortable with the Lakers facing in round 1. Dallas and Denver.

LAKERS in 6 just to make me a little uncomfortable…

(2) Oklahoma City Thunder Vs (7) Dallas Mavericks

The Thunder (or Zombie Sonics as Bill Simmons coined them) were the preseason hot pick to go all the way this year. The young contenders with a great coach and all the talent in the world. Well you have to be just a little concerned with how OKC gave up the number 1 seed right? They headed into April at 39-12, a winning percentage of .735% and then went just .500 the rest of the way. Is something wrong? Well thankfully they won’t be tested in this match up. Dallas is not the team they were last season and I think that’s putting it nicely.

OKC in 5

WESTERN CONFERENCE SEMI FINALS

(1) San Antonio Spurs Vs (4) Memphis Grizzlies

(Can you tell I’m getting tired of writing?  All of my breakdowns are incredibly short in the Western Conference)  Hey look ma no upsets in round 1…again…crap my picks are wrong!!! (wait it will be an upset when I pick the Lakers to win the championship because they are a 3 seed right? Sweet I’m good then) Here we have the little revenge series from last season. The biggest difference is the Spurs are healthy and deeper than last year. So does Memphis have what it takes to do it again?

I think it will be a great series but I’m going to go coin toss and pick the SPURS in 7.

(3) LA Lakers Vs (2) Oklahoma City Thunder

An epic showdown with bad blood. The real question is how much home court will come into play and based on how long the first series goes will Meta come back during this series and will that cause a problem for the Lakers or the Thunder? The Thunder are younger and deeper but I also think the Lakers are actually better than they were last season. If I wasn’t a huge Laker fan I wouldn’t be picking them…but I am…go Kobe…LAKERS in 7

WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS

(1) San Antonio Spurs Vs (3) LA Lakers

ts hard to look at the regular season as a representation of what to expect from a series from these two teams that have been the face of the Western conference for much of the last decade because Kobe was out for two of those games and the third was late enough in the season that there wasn’t really much on the line.

I’m not sure why I’m even discussing this matchup because obviously I’m a Laker fan and obviously the winner will be the SPURS in 6…call this an insulation pick. If the Lakers go to the finals I will be so happy I won’t care that my predictions were wrong!

 NBA FINALS

BULLS VS SPURS

The Bulls have been great defensively this season but mediocre offensively. The Spurs meanwhile have been great offensively but mediocre defensively. The Spurs represent the old guard, the Bulls the new. So this would appear to be a match up of opposites. So which side do you side on?

They always say that defense wins championships right?

 If…and I stress IF…Rose is healthy through the playoffs and has his head on straight…then I predict…

BULLS in 6!

Earlier this month when the internet exploded into a haze of Nike NFL jerseys the dust settled and we all realized that the only real changes would be to the Seattle “Neon Green Snot” Hawks.  Yes the flywire collars and logo gloves were cool and whether prodded by the league or not the players seem to enjoy the new materials and tight fit of the new Nike jerseys.  But all in all it was a bit of a let down (and exactly what I suspected).

However, lost in the shuffle was the news that the unveiling of alternate jerseys would be later released by each individual team.  The alternate jersey gives a bit of flexibility for uni-changes in a league that limits changes to once every 5 seasons and also gives teams a chance to get a bit crazy without betraying some of the time honored traditional branding.

The Pittsburgh Steelers decided to take full advantage of that fact and strike the first blow with this alternate…

Ho…ly…crap…

Back when I was 12 I was bored and decided to create my own basketball league.  I consider this period to be the beginnings of my uniform/logo/team identity obsessions.  Showtime got involved and we created unique teams and jerseys for over 30 major cities across the US.  From teams like the Oakland Stroke to the Philly Fever, each featured a unique color scheme and jersey identity.  Some featured design themes that were inspired from the past, current and what can only be described as the future.  One of those teams of my creation was the New Orleans Night.  I tell you this only because the New Orleans Night featured Gold jerseys (ala the Wizards alternate) that had yellow and black alternating stripes down the sides in a pattern similar to what the Steelers are using above.  I say this because I designed a similar motif that was equal parts awesome and awful…and I was 12…

How do you like your TV?

Well in 2012 Netflix is banking on the idea that you like your TV in binges and they will probably be right.  Binge TV viewing has been on the rise over the last few years first with the advent of DVD releases of full seasons, DVR viewing and more recently streaming services (and other methods of digital viewing I’m sure…).

I for one am a victim of binge viewing.  I’d much rather sit down and plow through 4 or 5 episodes of a series in a given night than wait a full week in between episodes.  It started off as procrastination but now its become a way of life and some TV execs are getting the hint.  You see binge viewing is bad for TV ratings.  Oh sure those DVR shows count when you watch them but networks are commonly looking at the C3 rating which includes data for viewing within three days of airing or maybe looking at a seven day window.  Those of us that wait months while the episodes pile up on our DVR and then binge through or even worse waiting for them to show up on Netflix and watching them all there?  Well those aren’t going to help your favorite shows stay on the air.

Netflix is on the cusp to buck this trend with their recent and upcoming stabs into the world of original programming.  Being that they aren’t a network and are not bound to advertisers they can pretty much do whatever they want.  Like for example, dropping all 10 episodes of the new Arrested Development season on the same day.  Crazy?  Perhaps but Netflix used this same approach with their original series “Lilyhammer” a couple of months ago.  And why not?  Entertainment is constantly moving towards an on demand model anyway where I decide what and when I want to watch something.

So is this good or bad?  Well time will tell if this shift in the industry catches on.

More troubling?  Are we all prepared for little George Michael (not the singer/songwriter) to look like this:

And with that I give you …

PIZZA HUTS HOT DOG STUFFED CRUST PIZZA!!!!

Yeah because why the frick not right? I mean its there, you have a crust, you roll it up and put cheese in it. So why not just cram that bad boy full of hot dogs and be done with it? What you are too good to combine hot dogs and pizza?  Think the tastes of these two wonderful delicacies won’t go together? Well never fear, BECAUSE IT COMES WITH A FREE MUSTARD DRIZZLE!!!!

(I think if I ever hear the phrase “Free Mustard Drizzle” ever again you can just shoot me because my life will no longer be worth living.)

Now I know what you are saying. Those fat Americans will eat anything and of course who else would have thought about combining pizza with the American ballpark favorite? Hot dogs are right up there with apple pie (which coincidentally could be the next thing Pizza Hut decides to jam in their crusts. Once we cross the barrier of hot dogs nothing is safe.  You have all been warned.). Well shockingly its being sold not in the US of A but over in the land of Tea and Crumpets, the UK.  So for once we don’t have to have that shame over our heads. Of course I can only imagine this will show up on our shores sooner then later and launch the next British invasion.  It will take us all over…it will…no longer will we need to think about what to have for dinner.  We’ll just have our pizza hot dogs and be done with it…

What is it about wacky fast food items in April? Almost a year ago to the day I found myself posting here on Droppin about a particularly wacky hamburger combination Burger King was offering up in Japan known as the meat monster. That led to the discovery of some truly scary menu items Burger King was offering in the land of the rising sun.

And here I am one year later posting on the hot dog stuffed crust…ahem the “succulent” hot dog stuffed crust if you are to believe the image above. Since I can’t resist doing even more damage to your appetite and collective psyche then I have already done, here are a few more of the freaky food items to grace your favorite fast food chains, both here and abroad. You never know what will be staring you down next:

The Pizza Burger

Our first item keeps our pizza theme in check but instead of combining hot dogs Burger King decided to combine pizza with hamburgers. I mean sure pizza and burgers, who hasn’t wrestled over the decision of these two tasty titans of nimble nourishment? Pizza or burgers, burgers or pizza? Hows a boy to decide? Well thankfully if you live in New York (or Japan) and happen by the “Whopper Bar” you can order your very own Burger King Pizza Burger.

I know a pizza burger isn’t the most outrageous thing in the world. You take a burger with some mozzarella, spread some marinara on it and hey if you want to get real creative you can do some sort of garlic bread bun. The idea is ripe for the pickens and food joints the world over have already attempted it. So it wouldn’t be shocking for Burger King, who for the sake of this argument lets all agree that their specialty is Burgers (they are called “Burger King” after all), deciding to whip out a pizza themed burger.

Instead they built what can only be described as a burger themed pizza.

Apparently Burger King evaluated the Pizza and said you know why people eat Pizza? To share it with other people. Because all this really is is a multi serving Burger with some pizza toppings on it.

The Darth Vader Burger

I know this isn’t new but when it came out back in January I wanted to write something about it but never did. Back when Episode I was re-relased in 3d French fast food chain “Quick” released a couple of Star Wars themed burgers. The first was the Jedi Burger which had some, um strange chunky onion looking thingies on it. Anywho it was relatively normal and thus has no place here.

The piece de resistance was the “Dark Vador” which I assume is French for Darth Vader which featured the now infamous “Black” bun and I’m not saying that to be racist (although perhaps thats why this gimmick hasn’t been attempted on our shores yet).

Then again, maybe its because what looks cool in production and on a billboard looks totally nasty in real life…

Um usually when I go to a barbecue its the burger that ends up looking like a charcoal briquet, not the BUN!  (on a side note, Lucas will license anything now no?  Time to mail him your latest fan fic, it just might become cannon!)

Bacon Sundae

2011 was a banner year for bacon. The salty, cured pork meat took its game to the next level as it went from breakfast side dish, to condiment, to entree, to…well its practically a deity for some. It seemed folks just kept trying to find more and more outrageous ways to deliver bacon to the human body.  Breakfast wasn’t enough.  BLT’s wouldn’t suffice.  Not even the Baconator could satisfy mans thirst for more bacon.  I even saw a kid at the Marriott concierge lounge walk in for breakfast, scoop up a plate full of bacon and sit down and eat that bacon like a boss.

So the bacon products came.  There was squeezable bacon, bacon salt, bacon mayo, bacon lip balm, bacon coke, bacon soap, bacon baby formula, and even…uh bacon lube…which I’m just going to pretend I never said…  We even had bacon coffins.  We have literally created bacon products to use from inception to death and everything in between.  All that’s missing is the bacon IV.  Whether it was Jim Gaffigan or the Epic Mealtime guys bacon was everywhere (does bacon have a twitter account?)

What got a little weird though was making bacon a dessert. Candied bacon, chocolate covered bacon, bacon donuts and bacon chocolate chip cookies.  Eventually it made its way to shakes and ice cream. I’ve been told the combo of salty and sweet is delicious but haven’t taken the plunge myself. That may change now that Burger King is threatening to bring bacon dessert to the masses with the Bacon Sundae!

Much about the bacon sundae from Burger King remains shrouded in mystery but it appears to be soft serve vanilla ice cream and…well..bacon!

The McRibster

How this isn’t an actual sandwich at McDonalds in the US yet I have no clue given the somewhat cult icon nature of the McRib. This delectable treat comes to us courtesy of Austria of all places. So what is it? Well first you take that tasty McRib, bread it and deep fry it. I know, why the sandwich wasn’t sold like that in the first place I have no idea. But they don’t stop there. Nope add some bacon, pepper-jack cheese, lettuce, red onion and a honey-mustard-spicy-chili sauce and…well I’m actually hungry here! That was unexpected…

Fish McBites

I need to prepare you all for something. Remember in the early 80′s when McDonalds changed reality as we know it by inventing the Chicken Nugget?

Well they are going to do it again when they roll out the new Fish McBites later this year. I know it seems bizarre on the surface but what started as an experiment to deal with public fears over bird flu and then a good menu supplement for lent is going to hit the country like a firestorm. Tell me why America won’t eat fried bites of fish dipped in pleasing sauces any less than chicken… Still don’t believe me?  Get back to me in 10 years when your happy meal options include Fish Nuggets…

The Big America Collection…

Japanese American fast food is quite simply amazing. Just do a search for crazy Japanese fast food items and prepare to waste an afternoon marveling in what our favorite American chains are offering up in the eastern world.

Case in point, the McDonalds “Big America Collection”. Kicking off back in 2010, four burgers were released for a limited time each year that were designed to represent the flavors of specific areas of America. For example back in 2010 Japanese diners were able to choose from the following:

Burger Texas-A manly burger featuring old-fashioned grainy mustard-relish, tangy barbecue sauce, bacon and crispy fried onions. Oh it also had a middle Big Mac bun to separate the burger from the onions…for no apparent reason….

Burger New York – Monterrey Jack cheese, rich bacon (no idea what rich bacon is but it sounds deeeeeeeeelicious), tomato, lettuce and more grainy mustard…it was big in 2010 I guess. No idea what any of that has to do with New York.

Burger California – An artisan bun with spicy cheese, bacon strips and special sauce produced from red wine from California.  See you thought they would be lazy and just throw an avocado on there right?

Burger Hawaiian – Urban legend claims it has spam and rice (two Hawaiian favorites) on it but its actually topped with a fried egg, bacon strips (we love bacon in America, even when not on the mainland), chopped lettuce, American cheese and…special gravy…special what now?

In 2011 they brought it back with four more:

Texas 2 – The state with a stereotype so gluttonous they used it twice or something.  Its a grated cheese sprinkled bun with chili beans, onions, bacon, American Cheese and whole grain mustard once again separated by a third bun, because why not?  Its TEXAS!

Idaho – An onion bun with more whole grain mustard, onions, bacon, cheese, a rich pepper sauce and…of course…a hash brown patty because putting a potato on it would have been ridiculous.  I am a little sad they didn’t top the hash brown patty with  sour cream and chives to complete the stereotype.

Miami – I know you might expect a Cuban or Puerto Rican vibe here but instead we get McDonalds ala Taco Bell.  Taco seasoned ground beef (yes on top of the burger), tortilla chips, lettuce, cheese and a spicy tomato chili sauce. The McChallupa perhaps?  Hey wait, no bacon!  Is Miami even part of the US?  I’m guessing it had bacon on it at first but *insert lame joke about Lebron losing the bacon in the 4th quarter here*

Manhattan – Mozzarella, onions, lettuce, pastrami and sour cream.  Well I’ll take the pastrami as Manhattan but they should have gone cream cheese instead of sour cream.  Flavor be danged we are trying to represent Manhattan here people!

This year they brought it back again:

The Grand Canyon Burger – Beef patty filled with steak filling, whatever that is, a cooked egg, cheddar and mozzarella cheese, crispy onions, steak sauce and an extra middle bun (filling in for Texas I guess…) and might I say thats a might fine sounding burger.

The Las Vegas Burger – Sauteed sliced beef, onions, lettuce and a cream cheese sauce. What this has to do with Vegas I have no clue.  I guess its a gamble that when you eat it your insides might come out…

Broadway Burger – Vegetables (yup just vegetables), mustard and cream cheese sauce and…PASTRAMI BACON!?!?! What on earth is Pastrami Bacon and why haven’t I had it before? I must can haz it!!!  Oh and they should have thrown an apple on it…

Beverly Hills Burger – Lettuce and onions topped with an avocado sauce and Caesar salad sauce.  Finally couldn’t resist throwing the avocado in on the California themed burger.

So sure some of the burgers are hit and miss but some sound awfully tasty. Here is for hopping at some point in the future McDonalds brings the Big America burgers home. I would love if each of the 50 states got their own unique taste.  Of course the fact that some of these use a bun that strikingly resembles the mythical Arch Deluxe, well that’s just a coincidence…