Iron Chef Invades America

September 30th, 2010 Ross Everett

The concept of the show is right out of professional wrestling, but there it is in living color every week on ‘The Food Network’. Prominent chefs from all over the world go ‘mano a mano’ in judged cooking competitions. That’s the premise of ‘Iron Chef’ which is easily the most entertaining cooking show in television history. Even non-foodies will enjoy the competition and the nearly inscrutable strangeness of the show.

The show was originally created by the Fuji TV network in the Japan, and the original Japanese title translates literally to The Iron Men of Cooking. The premise behind the competition is even more outlandish. An eccentric millionaire and food lover MC Kaga, summons the summons the finest chefs in Japan to do battle in his kitchen stadium. Also in residence are three Iron Chefs, each representing a different type of cuisine (Chinese, French and Japanese). The summoned culinary challenger picks which Iron Chef he wants to take a crack at and the contest begins.

The chefs just don’t pull out the best dishes from their repertoire–that would be too predictable. There’s a catch to the contest, and thats the fact that every dish must contain the theme ingredient which is kept a mystery until immediately before the contest begins. At that time, Kaga brings forth a heaping helping of whatever the current mystery ingredient is in a production of smoke and pyrotechnics. Sometimes the ingredient is something basic like tofu or apples, but it can also be something obscure like ox tail or some obscure shellfish.

At that point, the chefs have an hour to prepare a seven course meal, served to a discerning panel of B-List celebrities that usually include a couple of ‘TV Presenters’ and a ‘fortune teller’. The judges rate and discuss each course and declare a winner. Its a great honor to beat one of the Iron Chefs, though its no easy feat.

The announcing is what makes the show. There’s a hysterical play by play announcer, an excitable color commentator, and an even more hyperactive sideline correspondent who will break in the commentary frequently with revelations such as observing that a chef is using fresh ginger in a dish or some similar piece of trivia. Apparently one of the announcers is a legit sumo wrestling announcer in Japan, making the strange connection between ‘Iron Chef’ and Japanese pro wrestling even more pronounced.

The dishes that the chefs come up with are always pretty amazing, creative and complex–if not always appetizing. Some of their creations look yummy, but a dessert with a compulsory use of carp isn’t exactly mouth watering for American palates. Nonetheless, the creative process and intensity of the competitors is amazing. Even as challenging as this is, the requirement that a theme ingredient be used in every component of the meal really ups the ante.

The Food Network has recently begun production of a native grown version called ‘Iron Chef America’. It has a similar format, but really loses a lot from the inscrutable original.

Ross Everett is an extensively published freelance writer and an authority on sports betting and horse racing. He contributes NFL football betting free picks for a number of media outlets. He lives in Las Vegas, Nevada with three dogs and a pot bellied pig.

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Dexter Season 5, Episode 1: “My Bad” Recap (Part 2)

September 30th, 2010 Sarrah Hanna

Dexter clearly feels some level of guilt at what has happened, knowing that it is his fault for not killing Arthur sooner. However it does not present in the normal way that grief would in most people, leaving him rather adrift. Even the visions of his adopted father and mentor Harry, which normally serve as the closest thing he has to a conscience, seem to have abandoned him. Flashbacks to Dexter’s very first date with Rita also show the depth of Dexter’s guilt as he remembers the lies he told her right from the very beginning.

When Rita’s children, Astor and Cody, return from Disneyland with their grandparents Dexter is forced to break the news to them. Dexter fumbles through it clumsily, even going so far as to resort to the “I’m sorry for your loss” line that the funeral home director had used on him. While most of the family dissolves into grief Astor turns to anger at Dexter.

She blames him for not being there to protect her mother and wishes that it had been him who had died. Dexter takes the notion that they would all be better off without him to heart and begins planning to disappear for good.

Meanwhile Debra goes to Dexter’s house to clean up the crime scene, and Quinn comes along to help. Following the clean up Debra breaks down and quickly finds herself in the arms of Quinn and things get very physical very fast from there.

Debra seems to immediately regret it, and practically flees the house. This gives Quinn an excuse to talk to the neighbor who had been crying at the sight of Rita being carried out dead on a stretcher. The neighbor confides in Quinn about the kiss and also says that Dexter punched him over it. Quinn tries to relay this to Laguerta, who responds only with anger, not wanting to deal with this case at all.

Finally Dexter packs his boat with only the essentials, burns his storage container that had served as his killing office, and heads out. In doing so he misses his “interview” with the FBI and friends and family are left standing at Rita’s funeral wondering if he will show up. When Dexter stops to fuel up his boat he encounters an aggressive and rather heartless man at the seemingly abandoned fueling station. Dexter follows him into the bathroom and in a fit of rage beats him to death with an anchor. Harry appears to Dexter once again saying that this was “the most human thing” that Dexter has done since Rita dies.

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Country Music Singing Guides

September 29th, 2010 Jack Flagg

Do you ever wanted to carry out a favorite country song but you just couldn’t get your voice substantial or little enough? Every song is written in a specific key. If your vocal range doesn’t match that key, you’ll need to transpose the song into a key you can easily sing.

Country Music Singing Tips

Every single style of music has its own shortcomings. Country music is no different. The popular twang and accent of most country music stars, combined with the classic guitar chords and serious instruments of southern folk and bluegrass music generate a very unique sound.

Listen to the Masters

The first thing each aspiring country music singer should do is listen to the masters of the genre. Who you suspect is the epitome of country music will depend on your preferences, but men like Hank Williams or Willie Nelson are remarkable examples of how country music can differ.

Obtaining the Right Tone

Thus, if you’re not supposed to copy other singers and you shouldn’t force an accent, how do you get that folksy tone that makes country music so fulfilling? It’s all about undressing your style a little – stop adding so much flourish and sing casually.

Record Yourself for Analysis

just about the fastest ways to strengthen your country singing capacity is to record your voice and listen to it. We rarely hear our own accents, or the natural timber of our voices. By recording your practice performances, you can locate where you need work.

Proper Breathing

A big problem a number of aspiring country singers have is a “nasal” quality to their singing. This originates from forcing too much head voice with an unnatural accent. To avoid this, open your mouth fully, and sing from the back of your throat.

If you’re serious about turning into the next great country singer, begin today. Practice breathing more naturally, singing in a relaxed, casual tone, and drawing on the natural timber of your voice. Ignore the urge to force it and let the music draw you in. You’ll be amazed how it comes out.

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