Thursday, July 22, 2010

Guilty Pleasures...

Oh, we've all got 'em. Sure, we try to hide the Barry Manilow records when company comes over, or we only sing in the shower when everyone else is out of the house, but I'll bet everyone's got at least a couple of "guilty pleasures" they indulge in when they think no one's watching. In the interest of helping clear the air and not keeping secrets (and also a lack of time for more serious blogging), here's a few of mine...
  • Mötley Crüe. Well, substitute pretty much any '80s hair metal band here, but especially the 'Crüe. This is what sparked this post, actually; I was spinning through the radio dial on the ride into work and the '80s channel on Sirius was playing "Kickstart My Heart", which is right up there with "Move It On Over" for songs that get Jay in trouble with Johnny Law...
  • Cheesy sci-fi movies. Think "Fifth Element" or "RoboCop". Bonus points for really bad special effects or over-the-top future predictions. Basically, any movie that lets me shut my brain off, enjoy the pretty pictures, and forget about the world for 90 - 120 minutes will do the trick.
  • Tricked-out cars & trucks. Yes, even the "ricer" ones. I'm a car guy from way back. I'm firmly of the opinion that anything Detriot, Tokyo, or Stuttgart can put out, the aftermarket can make cooler. You want to take that F-150, jack it up 6" and put 38" tires on it? Cool! You want to drop your Civic 3", put 20" rims on with snakeskins, add ground effects and a loud muffler? Bitchin'! If you're putting your own personal spin on your vehicle, it's all good.
  • Dunkin' Donuts coffee. Yeah, I know the secret is a bucketload of sugar and way too much half&half. It still tastes damn good, and there's nothing quite like a thermonuclear cup of a Dunks reg'lah to get you going in the morning when you'd really rather be back in your nice warm bed.
  • .22 Long Rifle. I'll plan trips to the range where I bring nothing more than a .22LR revolver, a .22LR semi-auto pistol, and a .22LR rifle. Put the swinging steel targets at the back of the pistol range and spend the day hearing the distinctive "tink!" of copper-plated lead on steel. It's not a very guilty pleasure except when there's other shooters on the line blasting away with their .45s and .357s...
  • Loud motorcycles. Yeah, I know "loud pipes lose rights". I know loud pipes annoy most folks. But I can't help but smile when I hear a V-twin under full throttle... I don't know that I'd want to ride a loud bike all the time, but it would nice to have something with a little extra oomph for once in a while...

So, what are your guilty pleasures?

That is all.

15 comments:

Unknown said...

Hoss, where I grew up (24 miles down I90 from Sturgis) we held the opinion that loud pipes save lives.

Anonymous said...

I never owned a car or truck that did not have my personal touch added.

PISSED said...

I'll enjoy watching Barry and Michelle leave the oval office in shame in January of '13.. besting Jimmy Carter as the worst President ever....

( hopefully we make it that far)

Mike W. said...

the movie "Heartbreakers." Godawful, but I sit through it just to see Jennifer Love Hewitt in really skimpy outfits.

Stretch said...

A single scoop of B&R french vanilla ice cream. Loaded with artery clogging cream and eggs. All the tastier if thinking evil thought of Mayor Nanny Bloomberg.

Cranking up the Battlefield Band CD and making it from Bethesda, MD to Herndon, VA in only ... um ... never mind officer. I was doing the posted speed limit. Really!

Meatloaf. Both food and music versions. Music version is yet another reason for cruse control.

Taking the lane next to the deputies practicing for annual qualification, running my target a good 6-10 feet past theirs and out scoring them. Of course I first qualified expert the year they were born. Mixed pleasure and pain on that one.

Anonymous said...

The new A-Team movie (for that matter, the TV series, too). Just shut your brain off, enjoy the explosions and laugh at Murdock and B.A.

Anonymous said...

Nothing like a belt fed..Teh, you knew it was coming. Not such a guilty feeling until you realize what you could have spent the money for ammo on. Doh!

Stickman

Roger said...

Fast motorcycles, Black rifles, Small, teeny weeny groups, good wine, Guinness Extra Stout, Prime steaks, Classic Brit sports cars, Classic Brit motorcycles, A good cigar, Silently farting in an elevator full of flaming libs.
These are a few of my favorite things!

Eck! said...

At the other end of the spectrum and entirely acoustic.

Round engines at work, aircraft radials
have The sound. Considered a American V-twin with wings.

The sound of a steam engine working.

And rocking country western for ridin
the white line.



Ecki!

WW Paul said...

The song "Sugar Sugar" by the Archies. I'm old enough so that the Blues was my young adult music, but I always cranked it up on the radio.

I also like cheap Hawaiian shirts.

CalvinsMom said...

I posted mine. So there. :P

Anonymous said...

If loud pipes on a vee-twin counts as a guilty pleasure, then mine's gotta be a half-dozen Mazda 13Bs screaming through high-flow racing mufflers... out of Turn 7 at Road America past my beer-drinkin' spot at Perl's.

June Sprints FTW.

Anonymous said...

Trapshooting.

B Smith said...

Feh. Guilt is for pussies :-D

dr mac said...

Sleeping in on a Saturday morning or a Sunday afternoon nap. Guitly as charged.