Adrian

LaLanne is still doing what he does best.

Oakland's own Jack LaLanne, who founded what may have been the world's first fitness-focused gym in downtown Oakland in 1936, turned 95 recently. In today's DTO, where Club One anchors the City Center retail complex, it's difficult to imagine how groundbreaking it was for Mr. LaLanne to open his 15th Street gym. But many decades and countless juicer sales later, Jack LaLanne is still preaching health and boasting about his accomplishments. Today's Chronicle features an interview with the healthy-living pioneer, who provides the reader with a few choice memories.

One of LaLanne's most effective sales devices has been his amazing feats of strength. When Arnold Schwarzenegger came to America in 1968 and became an instant sensation on the Southern California muscle scene, LaLanne challenged the kid to a duel at Muscle Beach. The Austrian Oak was 21; the Oakland Oak was 54.

"I beat him in chin-ups and push-ups," LaLanne says. "He said, 'That Jack LaLanne's an animal! I was sore for four days. I couldn't lift my arms!' "

Interesting stats.
 
 HOW BIG IS WAL-MART? 
 
 1.  Americans spend $36,000,000 at Wal-Mart every hour of every day.
 
 2.  This works out to $20,928 profit every minute!
 
 3.  Wal-Mart will sell more from January 1 to St.Patrick's Day (March 17th) than Target sells all year.
 
 4.  Wal-Mart is bigger than Home Depot + Kroger + Target + Sears + Costco + K-Mart combined.
 
 5.  Wal-Mart employs 1.6 million people and is the largest private employer. 
 
 6.  Wal-Mart is the largest company in the history of the World.
 
 7.  Wal-Mart now sells more food than Kroger & Safeway combined, and keep in mind they did this in only 15 years.
 
 8.  During this same period, 31 Supermarket chains sought bankruptcy (including Winn-Dixie).
 
 9.  Wal-Mart now sells more food than any other store in the world.
 
 10. Wal-Mart has approx 3,900 stores in the USA of which 1,906 are Super Centers; this is 1,000 more than it had 5 years ago.
 
 11 This year 7.2 billion different purchasing experiences will occur at a Wal-Mart store. 
        (Earth's population is approximately 6.5 billion.)
 
 12. 90% of all Americans live within 15 miles of a Wal-Mart
 
 Let Wal-Mart bail out Wall Street.  
 Better yet . . . let them run the damn Government!(lol)
 

I think that, the School(s) of Cardiac, Pulmonary, and Internal Medicine should sponsor a big Conference at which they would inform the Public to, STAY AWAY from this man!  Who?...Meet Abel Gonzales.

You see,. he is a ‘big hit’ at the State Fair of Texas concessionaire with his “Fried Butter”…yep, that’s what I said!...”Fried Butter” How about an ‘Angiogram / angioplasty for dessert?!  However, you may ask (or maybe not).  Oh, what goes better with a Fried Twinkie?  Why, a Fried Coke, of course!....

Other entries – include fried pralines, fried cosmopolitans and fried macaroni and cheese – all add to the celebrated list of fried things you can eat at the fair ... if you can stomach them.

Last year, both the judges and the fairgoers picked Mr. Gonzales' fried PBJ and Banana Sandwich as the tastiest. He sold about 25,000 during the 24-day fair.

My favorite is, the ‘franks’ – stuffed with cheddar cheese, wrapped in a tortilla and fried – this tempting treat offers the only meat in the contest for all you carnivores out there.  I suppose,.. give a person a good wiener, and you've got them. (lol)…no further comments on that!.

The word is, Mr. Gonzales is still ‘at large’ and is working on another treat that could double his chances of success by tapping into that little-addressed, calorie-conscious market at the fair.

I think I will take a pass, however inviting the  fried ‘stuffed chedder cheese franks may be!  Bon Appetit! :)