Everybody Loves Free Stuff!

So today I was sitting at work in a free t-shirt that I got at college, and it occured to me that, man, I loves me some free stuff. It is therefore entirely unsurprising that I took advantage of the greatest American celebration in the history of American History today: National Donut Day.

Man, I love donuts. I am reasonably certain that I could eat a dozen in one day, though I have yet to make it past four without feeling tremendously paunchy and bloated (albeit deliriously happy at the same time). Chocolate, Jelly, Sprinkles, Blueberry Cake, Boston Creme, Pumpkin, Entenmann's Powdered... it really doesn't matter. A donut is a donut, and thank you I will have another. The only thing better than a donut is a free donut. This is why I support any and all legislation that led to this great national holiday, which curiously only shows up on the calendars of private food service companies. Hmm.

At any rate, Friendly's Ice Cream jumped on that bandwagon too, so if you live near one of these fine (?) establishments, cruise on over tomorrow between noon and 5pm and get yourself a Free Scoop of Ice Cream. Skip the one in Foxboro, MA, though. My brother used to work there and those guys are buttholes. Although maybe the lack of profit tomorrow is why you should go. I'm not an economics major so I'll just stick to spittin' some prose.

To round out this entirely unnutritious entry, I thought I'd pass along more free and link to an mp3 of one of my favorite cover songs (Link courtesy of the Ben Folds fan site wokeupwaytolate.com). This is a cover of Steely Dan's "Barrytown" performed by Ben Folds Five, very shortly before the trio broke up. The acerbic lyrics create a perfect juxtaposition with the fantastic chord progressions and catchy pop hooks that Steely Dan is known for, and the Five does it justice with their piano/bass/drums take. In plain speak, this song kicks ass. Punk rock for sissies.

Ben Folds Five - Barrytown.mp3
Right click + Save As to download, or play it here:

I'm off to go bowling and hit up the drive thru for one more free donut. Happy weekend, America.

50¢ Iced Coffee Day Tomorrow!

If you've been reading this blog, you may have noticed that I love me some coffee.

I don't usually go for publicizing a private company's promotion, and I have no financial stake in Dunkin' Donuts (because I used up all my gift cards). That said, Dunkin' Donuts' 50¢ Iced Coffee Day is totally worth hollering about.

I think the event is getting less publicity than last year's Iced Coffee Day because the coffee is no longer free. Unlike last year, however, at least a portion of the proceeds (100% at my local shop) are going toward Homes For Our Troops, an organization dedicated to building accessible homes for returning wounded servicemen at no cost to them. You can see some of the great work the charity has been doing on their website. I think it's truly a cause that was needed and is well worth supporting.

In a year where the falling economy has caused charity donations to shrivel up, I think it's a great idea to contribute even part of the proceeds of something thousands of Americans are going to be buying anyway.

Do yourself a solid and grab a 50¢ iced coffee tomorrow.