You've seen it happen in movies.  Now you can actually hack the tv screens in Times Square, NY and play the video of your choice with this device...

With the wonderful and unseasonably warm weather we have been having lately I had a great idea to spend the day drinking and bar hopping on Fort Lauderdale beach.  The day began with somewhat upsetting news and ended on a high note.

My date and I made reservations to try breakfast at the new Mexican influenced restaurant, Dos Caminos, located inside the Sheraton Hotel on the beach.  Their online menu boasted of a very interesting eggs benedict with a Spanish twist... jalapeño-cheddar biscuits, nopales, green chili and chorizo gravy.  It sounded delicious.  We inched our way through the thick beach traffic at 11am on Sunday.  Upon arriving at the parking garage, I was pleasantly surprised that parking was only going to cost $3 if we get it validated at Dos Caminos.

As we walked into the lobby of the Sheraton and towards the restaurant, we weren't sure if they were actually open.  A few hotel guests were footed up to the bar (which was obviously not open) and a suited gentleman was barking orders into a phone near the hostess stand but it wasn't clear if he worked there or if he was simply making himself at home as he paced back and forth.  Eventually the suited man did hang up and walked us to our table.  Upon looking at the menu we find out that the breakfast was completely different than what the online menu boasted.  We decided to head to the historic Bahia Cabana, located across the street, for brunch.

The familiar setting of the Bahia Cabana made me excited for some delicious breakfast to help kill the hangover from the previous night's drinking.  Once again we were disappointed.  This time to find out that they stopped serving breakfast ten minutes earlier.  Since we were starving we ordered lunch.  My date had a grilled shrimp Caesar salad and a bloody mary.  I opted for the conch salad and a beer.  While enjoying our meals I noticed the water taxi floating by. "I've never been on the water taxi" I told the lovely lady with me.  She replied "really? it's kind of fun.  It takes you downtown or over to Shooters Waterfront Cafe if you want to go that way".  I said "is it cheap?".  "About $10 a person" she said.  We decided to get some drinks to go and ride the taxi...

I was kind of excited as we made our way to the water taxi port.  We walked up and the taxi was there and just as we got to the edge of the dock to jump aboard the vessel, they looked us in the eye as they backed away and sailed off without us.  I thought that was a little weird that they would see passengers three feet away and still pull off, but another on was waiting directly behind them to pull in, so I got over it. 

This was my first time on the water taxi and I had exactly $20 in cash in my pocket.  We packed on the cramped boat and squeezed between a couple tourists and listened to the lame comedy from the captain.  Once the boat sailed off, one of the mates walked around to take money for a day pass.  He says "$20 for adults, $16 for seniors and $50 for a family pass".  WHAT?!? $20 per person for the WATER TAXI?!?  Well, I only had $20 in cash so I had to barter a deal to pay for the other ticket on the return trip.  So far the "cheap day on the beach" tally is up to $60.  $40 for brunch and drinks and $20 for one ticket on the water taxi.

The water taxi trip was nice... a slow ride with interesting information about he surrounding mansions interlaced with really bad, fozzy the bear styled jokes and puns.  The breeze coming in throuh the ports on the boat cooled the hot sun and made the rocky troll enjoyable even though we were packed in so tight that you could leterally smell the detergent from the clothing of the person next to you.

We exited the taxi at Briney pub on the water known as stop 11 for the water taxi.  At Briney, we enjoyed more drinks ($9) and decided to walk around the corner to the new trendy bar Rok:Burger.  Rok:Burger has a delicious appetizer, lobster corn dogs.  We ordered those and they offered us a special on bloody mary's for $5.  1 sip of the bloody mary and it tasted like drinking cocktail sauce straight from the bottle.  Disgusting.  I pushed mine aside and ordered a beer and my date a bacon infused Bourbon in ginger-ale.  All in all, when we left Rok:Burger our total for the day has jumped to $119.

We walked back around to Briney to enjoy another drink and take the taxi back to our automobile.  Enjoying eachother company, we missed the water taxi pick up about 4 times.  While waiting, we kept drinking. $9+$9+$9+$9=$36 and back onto the water taxi, of course having to pay for the other day ticket $20.  This "cheap" day is up to $175.

We arrive back at stop 5, Bahia Cabana and head to the car.  Parking at the parking garage was supposed to be $10 but we got lucky... we got our parking validated at Dos Caminos earlier that morning so it only cost $3.  Besides a $20 dinner on the way home, this day ended up being one of the most expensive days I've spent on the beach in a long time.  Totalling $198 but all in all it was a good day.  Lesson that I learned.... water taxi, way too expensive.  I wouldn't waste my money on that again when a regular taxi would be cheaper and quicker.

I have quite possibly found my new favorite website.  It's called selleckwaterfallsandwich.com.  It features pictures with 3 elements... Tom Selleck, a waterfall and a sandwich or sandwiches.  It is odd, silly and a I love it.  Check it out and all of it's glory here.  (Don't forget to listen to the official Selleck Waterfall Sandwich theme song at the bottom)

Since the dawn of time men and women have had many disagreements.  Like how to fold laundry correctly or which side of the toilet paper should the flap unravel from.  Well I have stumbled upon a website that is designed to help decide who is right in those endless controversies.

http://www.squabbler.com/

In this website, each side uploads a video explaining their side of their debate.  Website visitors then vote on which side they think is most right thus deciding your dispute.

So why waste any more time raising your blood pressure over squeezing the toothpaste from the middle or bottom?  Let the world help you decide and put to rest these unhealthy quarrels. (by the way, you squeeze the toothpaste from the bottom... we all know that)