Monthly Archives: October 2005

Monster Minutiae

Oct. 31, 20054:16 p.m.

How well do you know your monster trivia? I just learned that I don’t know much about the frightening folks. I failed this quiz, but it was fun to take.

Happy Halloween.

By Lori O'Toole Buselt | Filed under Uncategorized | Comments (0)

Boo! Merry Halloween!

Oct. 31, 200512:35 p.m.

Ready for the trick-or-treaters and oodles of leftover candy? Halloween is here.

And so are Thanksgiving and Christmas, if you’ve been to any store lately that sells holiday decorations. This weekend I was shopping at a local department store for the finishing touches for my pirate costume and my husband’s hippie costume.

"Where are costume accessories?" my husband asked.

"Back there by the stockings," I said.

Where have you seen the most bizarre mix of holiday displays?

– Posted by Lori O’Toole Buselt

By Lori O'Toole Buselt | Filed under Uncategorized | Comments (0)

To Supersize or not …

Oct. 28, 20057:00 a.m.

You’ve no doubt heard by now that McDonald’s plans to place nutritional information in its products next year. Not to spoil the surprise, but here are the highlights of a few menu items:

hamburger: 260 calories, 9 total fat grams

10-piece chicken strips: 1,270 calories, 66 total fat grams

large fry: 520 calories, 25 total fat grams

May make some rethink the "I don’t share" mantra that the company prints on some of its T-shirts available at its Web site. Another says "I love Big Mac," a tribute to the menu item that boasts 560 calories and 30 total fat grams.

Thank goodness I like the Fruit ‘n Yogurt Parfait, at a forgivable 160 calories, 2 total fat grams. What’s your favorite Golden Arches menu item?

– Posted by Lori O’Toole Buselt

By Lori O'Toole Buselt | Filed under Uncategorized | Comments (0)

Pirate dog

Oct. 27, 20057:00 a.m.

Meet Lilly, my Golden Retriever pirate dog. She’s a rare breed, indeed: Dogs of her sort most often are found on ghost ships and deserted islands these days.

Usually I’m lucky to get this puppy to wear a bandanna, let alone a full-fledged dog costume, like this one I bought on Halloween clearance. Maybe there’s some pirate blood in her …

Do you have cute photos of your pets in costume? Post them here or e-mail them to wichitalk@wichitaeagle.com.

And be sure to give Lilly a treat if you catch her performing a trick. Or else she may make you walk the plank. (It’s a tough job, but somebody’s gotta do it.)

– Posted by Lori O’Toole Buselt

By Lori O'Toole Buselt | Filed under Uncategorized | Comments (0)

Hear that pitiful meow? I gotta feed the cat…

Oct. 26, 200510:09 a.m.

Next time you need (or just want) to ditch a telephone call that’s going on forever, head to SorryGottaGo.com.

Click on "There’s the doorbell," and you’ll get a perfect doorbell noise your caller can hear. There’s the sound of a door slamming (gotta go, my husband’s home), a whistling tea kettle, a honking car horn (oops, there’s my ride!), kids fighting, static on the line, a smoke alarm, even a crashing car (you’re not going to believe this! somebody just ran into my fence!).

Not that I would ever in a million years stoop to such a thing. Uh oh, something just broke… Gotta go.

– Posted by Suzanne Tobias

By Lori O'Toole Buselt | Filed under Web stuff | Comments (0)

A jolt of pumpkin power!

Oct. 26, 20055:53 a.m.

Today’s issue of WichiTalk is devoted to all things pumpkin, including where to buy pumpkin-flavored coffee. It’s easy to make your own gourd grounds, too.

Add one teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice into the grounds when making one pot of coffee. You’re eyes will be as big as the guy on the right if you drink enough of the stuff.

By Lori O'Toole Buselt | Filed under Uncategorized | Comments (0)

Everything old is new again

Oct. 26, 200512:48 a.m.

OK, movie buffs. Along with other DVDs released Tuesday were special editions of old "classics."

Among them, the three-disc "Titanic Special Collector’s Edition," which costs about $20. It has deleted scenes, commentaries and movie construction shots.

The movie just came out eight years ago. (I’ll admit that I saw it more than once on the big screen. Part of that was because the movie stopped rolling in the midst of a big moment — "I’ll never let go, Jack" — and I got to see it again for free.) Even still, I’m not really ready to race out and buy this.

Also out Tuesday was the newest improved version of the 1939 "The Wizard of Oz" with Judy Garland. For about $25, you can see more than 10 hours of bonus features and color restoration. The movie’s Web site also says you can see details you didn’t notice on older versions, including a rivet between the Tin man’s eyes. I probably would be more willing to add this one to my wish list.

What about you? What movie collector’s editions have you splurged to buy?

– Posted by Lori O’Toole Buselt

By Lori O'Toole Buselt | Filed under Uncategorized | Comments (0)

Believe it or not

Oct. 25, 20057:00 a.m.

If you’re like me, way too many of your friends love to forward you dozens and dozens of chain letter-style e-mails about things that sound way too hokey to be true.

Wonder if they are? One place to look is at Snopes.com, a Web site dedicated to confirming and/or dismissing Internet rumors. I used this site several times for articles during my tenure as an Eagle reporter.

An e-mail I received Monday night told the story of a woman charged $250 for a cookie recipe at a ritzy department store. (She had understood it to cost $2.50.) She wants the world to have the recipe for free because she feels ripped off, or so the story goes.

The Web site, however, says this in an urban legend that is at least five decades old.

So check out your myths. And please don’t send me any chain letters.

– Posted by Lori O’Toole Buselt

By Lori O'Toole Buselt | Filed under Uncategorized | Comments (0)

Another ‘Extreme’ wish

Oct. 24, 20054:29 p.m.

This morning’s WichiTalk asked Ty Pennington and co. to do some home improving around Wichita. I have a request to add. Can Mr. Extreme Makeover please bring me a new door mat? I had a lovely one — thick raffia, very sturdy — but when I stepped out of my apartment last week it was gone.

I can’t figure out who would have stolen it, especially since there are much fancier versions in front of my neighbors’ doors. And I’m wondering who would stoop to such a petty theft. You’d have to work hard to find my door (it’s on the top floor, down the hall and around the corner from the elevator), let alone case the joint.

It really burns me that some person, most likely one of my neighbors, thought it was OK to take my door mat. Yes, it only cost a few bucks. But it was one of my first purchases when I moved to Wichita this summer and I never thought I’d have to get another one. So Ty, perhaps you can draw on your "Trading Spaces" experience and make me a new one out of MDF, hot glue and some textiles. Anything would be better than the naked front door I have now.

–posted by Jillian Cohan

By Lori O'Toole Buselt | Filed under Uncategorized | Comments (0)

White House TV shows

Oct. 24, 20051:54 p.m.

Is anyone still watching "The West Wing," which is on Sunday night TV?

Or have you moved on to the newest presidential TV series, Tuesday night’s "Commander in Chief?" Some of my friends and family are convinced that the character of Mackenzie Allen, the pretend first female president of the United States, is preparing us for the real first woman president. I’m not convinced that’s the case. What do you think?

And check out tomorrow’s WichiTalk for more on these pretend presidents.

– Posted by Lori O’Toole Buselt

By Lori O'Toole Buselt | Filed under Uncategorized | Comments (0)