From the Inside Out

We watched the New Orleans Saints make history tonight. First, we watched the team play in their first Super Bowl game ever (considering the fact that the Super Bowl has been around for 44 years, that’s a big deal). Second, we saw them win! I know my Louisiana friends are freaking out this evening. It’s a long sought after, well-deserved reward for a team that has endured many struggles in recent years.

At first, things didn’t look good for the Saints. The Colts started off strong and built a 10 point lead early in the game. However, things began to turn around for the Saints in the second half after they chose an interesting play, an onside kick, after returning to the field from the half time break. The momentum seemed to change after that moment, and eventually the Saints prevailed. I guess Madden NFL has once again accurately predicted another Super Bowl win!

Thankfully the game was interesting because the other entertainment — Super Bowl commercials and half time show — was terribly disappointing. The Who performed during the half time show, and I’m sure at one point (back in the 70s) they were a good band, but why can’t the NFL get someone relevant (and from this decade) to perform? It would make the show much more interesting. The funniest quote I saw from the Twitterverse tonight was, “who are these old guys singing the theme song from CSI?” That pretty much sums it up.

The new commercials, which are one of the things I usually look forward to, were also sub-par. Most of them were snoozers. Only a few were even worth mentioning. I’d have to say that the Doritos commercials were my favorites — at least they made me laugh. The screaming chicken and Betty White commercials were also humorous. And, let’s see….yeah…that’s about it.

If you missed the big show and the commercials, you can judge for yourself using the Forbes Ad Viewer below. Watch the commercials and then rate your favorites.

Hopefully next year, we’ll see the Cowboys in the Super Bowl. That would definitely make things much more interesting!

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Tags: Saints, super bowl

According to Madden NFL, a popular sports video game from Electronic Arts, the New Orleans Saints will be the victors during Sunday’s Super Bowl game in Miami. Now, if you’re like me, you are probably ready to dismiss this information as interesting but not necessarily true. After all, how can a video game foretell who will win the big game this weekend?

Well, it’s a little creepy, but the game has accurately predicted the Super Bowl winner for five out of the last six years. Even critics have to admit that those are pretty good odds! Here’s how it works. Each year, Electronic Arts puts the two teams into a Super Bowl simulation game. The computer plays out the entire game on its own, and this year, the results were as follows: Saints 35, Colts 31. The game even predicted who would win the MVP award, Drew Brees with three touchdowns and 299 yards passing — in case you were interested.

There are a number of factors that the video game can’t take into consideration — like injuries, bad calls, and nerves — but even so, it’s still been a pretty good indication of who will win the big game. The only Super Bowl it didn’t predict correctly was a major fluke that no one expected. So, unless something strange happens on Sunday, we might just get to watch the Saints win their first Super Bowl ever! Go Saints!

Tags: Madden NFL, New Orleans Saints, Saints, super bowl

Smooch all you want during your next ride on DART (Dallas Areas Rapid Transit), and while you’re at it, take a picture. In celebration of Valentine’s Day, DART is encouraging customers to snap photos of themselves kissing on a DART bus, lightrail, or Trinity Railway Express train.

Share the love. It’s all in good fun. DART will select the best photo entries and post them on its Facebook page for Valentine’s Day. To submit your photo, email it to ValentineConnection@DART.org along with your contact information and a brief paragraph about the kiss. All entries must be submitted by noon on Friday, Feb. 12.

So, if you’re bored this weekend and want to have some pre-Valentine’s Day fun, simply grab your camera and your spouse (or significant other), hop on a DART bus, and then pucker up. Even if you don’t submit a photo for the contest, it’s still a fun way to pass the time as you are waiting to arrive at your destination!

Tags: DART, valentine's day

You may not have realized it, but today was Groundhog Day. Punxsutawney Phil emerged from his winter hiding spot (a ceremonial tree stump) this morning to check for his shadow. And yes, you guessed it, he saw it. According to tradition, this means we’ll have six more weeks of winter.

I hate winter. If I could skip it altogether, I would. The only time I mildly enjoy winter is when I’m snow skiing. Winter weather and snow is great for a weekend trip to Colorado, but I don’t want to live with winter weather (or cold temperatures) here at home. We’ve already had too many cold snaps this season. I’m done. I’m so ready for spring and then summer. Those are my favorite times of the year. Wakeboarding, swimming in the pool, cycling, sun, warmth — oh, how I long for you!!

Alas, I must endure six more weeks of winter according to the famous groundhog. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. Phil has seen his shadow 99 times. Only 15 times in Phil’s history has his shadow been absent. The tradition of groundhog day goes back to medieval times, according to an article on CNN.com, “all hibernating animals emerged from their caves and dens to check the weather on Candlemas, which is halfway between the winter solstice in December and the vernal equinox in March. Seeing their shadows would mean winter would go on for another six weeks, and they could go back to sleep.”

I do have a slim ray of hope, though. Most meteorologists don’t put much faith in Phil’s predictions. He’s only been right 39 percent of the time. Could there be a silver lining in those gray winter clouds? Could the wait be less than six weeks? I sure hope so!

Tags: groundhog, weather, winter

Domino’s Pizza has recently been advertising a complete overhaul of its 50-year old pizza recipe. In a 2009 Brand Keys survey of taste preference among national pizza chains, Domino’s came in last — tied with Chuck E. Cheese. No wonder they are making a change!

I have to admit, Domino’s appears last on my list too. The only time I ever order Domino’s Pizza is when all other pizza places are closed, and I honestly can’t even remember the last time I did that. But now their ads have intrigued me. Domino’s is responding to critics and consumers alike by completely changing the core elements of their pizza — new crust, sauce, and cheeses.

Curious, I decided to test it tonight. I started out by placing my order online. They have a great online ordering system, which is something I really like. I hate calling pizza places and being put on hold forever. It’s much more convenient to peruse your options online and order immediately. Once your order is placed, you can watch the online “order tracker” to keep tabs on the status of your pizza. You can see when it’s being prepped, put in the oven, going through a quality check, and ready for pick-up/delivery. It’s pretty cool.

The big test, however, would be the taste. Instantly, you notice that the pizza looks different. It also tastes different, very different. Gone is the cardboard crust. The new crust is hand-tossed, and it includes garlic and parsley seasonings which are quite tasty. The new sauce, according to Domino’s, has a bolder, sweeter taste with a kick of red pepper. I didn’t taste the red pepper, but I enjoyed the sauce. It wasn’t too heavy or overbearing — a nice mix. The new cheese is a mix of shredded mozzarella and provolone. I would have preferred a little more cheese on my pizza, but other than that, I had no complaints.

While I don’t think the new recipe will be winning any awards soon (do they even give out awards for great pizza?), it is a dramatic improvement over the old Domino’s pizza recipe. Both Gary and I liked it, and I think it stands up well to the other pizza delivery chains now. Mr Gatti’s and Papa Johns still rank as my No. 1 and No. 2 choices respectively, but I won’t completely rule out Domino’s as an alternative option in the future.

If you haven’t tried it out yet, give it a shot. You just might like what you see — and taste!

Tags: domino's, pizza