Welcome to the HSB: GoonieNick!
HSbers – Please welsome to the HSB yet another Nick – this Nick will be known as GoonieNick so there’s not any confusion. He joined us at the last Defcon Day and has decided to join the HSB reviewing team. Let’s give him a warm HSB welcome and if you’d like to know a bit more about him, check out his HSB author page here.
Greetings chili heads worldwide,
My name is Nick, not to be confused with Lindauer the chief operator of the hotsauceblog. I am 29 and yeah definitely just a tad bit crazy. I would say eccentric but as Dennis Hopper states in the movie Speed, “Poor people are crazy, I’m eccentric”. Therefore, it can be derived that I am not rich, at least not yet.
I am on here with the hopes of being able to add my contributions to the hot sauce world. I love to cook and try new things. I am definitely a true chili head by nature, in that I love to try new sauces, peppers, recipes, etc. I love them so much that I had to meet Huvason the other night outside Borders bookshop on Long Island to make a pickup! (The drug deal of chili heads, lol) Also I really enjoy the pleasure of having my veins opening up so endorphins can travel through.
“So when pain is inflicted upon an individual, B-endorphins are released causing a surge in dopamine concentration, leading to activation and stimulation of the limbic system. And upon ingestion of capsaicin, or chili peppers, the initial pain that we feel may be attributed to signals being sent to the central nervous system that increase our concentrations of B-endorphins, accounting for the famous ‘endorphin rush’ that many chili eaters experience. As a result, the initial pain is replaced with pleasure.”

Call me a masochistic if you want, especially if you saw the pics of me in the Defcon Day Deathmatch held at South Orange, NJ 1/14/07. That was my 1st hot wing-eating contest, my 1st meeting with any true chili heads, and basically any semblance of real time communication with chili heads. I walked in basically off the street and captured 2nd place! Lost by one wing! But then again Rocky Balboa beat Apollo Creed by one second to win the title, so I guess I will have to live with the defeat. Someone call John, of Defcon, and tell him I will be back!! (Which reminds me, will there be a Terminator 4? lol)
I am currently a secondary science teacher. I enjoy science, teaching, students, and working in the community. I am quite the hot sauce maniac where I work. I leave habanero jam in the faculty lounge; I trick my co-workers into having spicy chocolate peanuts and jellybeans. It is an educational experience for them. I leave small printouts every now and then in their mailboxes on the health benefits of chili’s. I still haven’t sold them on the idea yet!! If I told them that research shows that chili’s improve the sex life, I am sure they would convert. You may have seen some of my pics at my school. I have shelves built holding my hot sauce collection.
I am not a die-hard collector in that I feel I have to have every hot sauce ever made. My collection is based on finished bottles that I consume. I have only been a true chili-head for about the last 18 months. How did I get into all of this?
When I was a youngster I was always curious, as most children are. I wanted to put red pepper flakes onto my pizza. These were just the normal ancho flakes that can be purchased in your typical grocery store. My parents always told me, “Don’t put that on, it is really hot” I am stubborn and I heard this over and over. Well look at me now!! “Hello Mom, Hello Dad”¦. I’m your cherry bomb”, (Joan Jett Lyrics, lol)
I finally had my 1st flakes when I was a teen, and I was like “Hey this isn’t hot at all”. A few years later when I was 20 or so, my eldest sister brought home something called “Dave’s Insanity Salsa, lol” I tried it and was like “Holy cow this is the hottest stuff on earth!” I only had a dab and I was done. I thought that would be the end of my chili career. I kept the memories and moved on. Being in the college environment I stumbled on to many a wing place and tried Tabasco sauce. I quickly got use to the heat and wanted something else. I remember that Dave’s salsa my sister brought home and I did my research and of course learned about the habanero pepper. Ever since then it has been one hell of a ride for the last 18 months.
Besides all this chili head stuff I am a huge 80s fan, (I have a myspace site that serves as an archive for the 1985 Warner Bros. hit movie, “The Goonies”. (See below for the link) I am also into extreme weather. I chase hurricanes every now and then. I was in the eye of Hurricane Katrina, at Waveland, MS. I am a nationally ranked chess expert as well. I use to compete in tournaments but have now given it up.
Welcome Goonie Nick.
Nice to have you aboard. Looking forward to seeing your reviews.
Hopefully Nick doesn’t send you anything to review that will make snot run out of your nose. Ewwwww!!! 😉
Thanks Big,
What can I say? John at Defcon is a bad man!! lol.. I am sure I will enter it again..
Yes, he is a diabolical one isn’t he?
Ya gotta love it.
Again, welcome to the show.
I LOVE that picture! 🙂
[Comment ID #74187 Quote]
Let’s do it again…
Welcome! Looking forward to some reviews cause it sure looks like you have a love for all things hot and spicy!
I love that picture also, LOL, looks like you had fun !!!
Welcome the the HSB !!
[Comment ID #74189 Quote]
Indeed I do! I want to stress the health benefits too.. In my life I feel physically alot better than I did.. Last week at the Defcon Day they couldnt believe my license photo.. I was bigger than that a year ago.. I lost 90 pounds in one year and I know chilis had to do with hit.. I feel cleaner, not bloated, etc..
[Comment ID #74190 Quote]
Yup it was a great time!! Want to do it again, perhaps this weekend coming up in Mass..
Welcome GonnieNick! Nice to have you on board the HSB! You look like one who definitely likes the fire-power. I respect that!
I love it.. I really do get a high from it.. after my 5th or 6th there was a 2-3 min period where i didn’t hear the cheers or see anything in front of me.. i was shaking.. it was great.. my veins really do open up and a flow of endorphins kick in.. its just a great feeling that i dont experience too much..
yes, it becomes habit forming.
Welcome Nick! I can tell from your pics you are no stranger to my line. Send me an email, I’d like to send you something I’m working on. I know you’ll be a fine addition to the blog!
By the way, I started my collection with only empty bottles as well…
[Comment ID #74198 Quote]
Yeah my goal is that I am always willing to try new sauces.. If I don’t care for it, I don’t get it again but I save the bottles.
I love your Talon and The Legend.. Great Stuff… Also last night I went through half the bottle of HDH which is good too! Black Mamba rocks as well.. Unopened here I have your Fiery Foods Habanero Sauce, as well as The Habanero Puree Select.. I am sure it won’t be long until I get to those too!!
If you ever do the Naga Morich, and if we find out it gets the 1 Mill S.U rating as rumors say, maybe an interesting title will be “The Millionaire”
Thanks for the comment!
[Comment ID #74200 Quote]
If anybody can do a great 1 mil non extract sauce it will be CaJohn, and thats a great name idea also !!!!
[Comment ID #74201 Quote]
Yup I see the label now.. “The Millionaire”
A Money Tree with dollar bills and Naga Moriches attached to it!! I got alot of great idea for labels… Anybody want to hire me for marketing?
Welcome Nick! Glad to see you aboard! Can’t wait to read your reviews.
[Comment ID #74199 Quote]
As did I 🙂 Welcome aboard Nick! Hoping this is the same Nick I just sent a bunch of stuff to 🙂
Yes it is Jim and I thank you for it!! I love your products. I also thank every one on here… You guys are great! You are all HotSauceGoonies! Heyyyyy You Guys!! lol.. Sloth would be quite proud.
Welcome Goonie….. I hope everyone wont expect delivery fo FKS!
[Comment ID #74208 Quote]
LOL! I don’t think so.. If so you might get some frequent flyer miles!
[Comment ID #74208 Quote]
Oh yea, of course I do Huv! Unless you tell me how you got that name Huvason…..
[Comment ID #74210 Quote]
LOL – It’s not that exciting of a story…. I’ve told it at a few DEFCON days – you must have heard it before
Welcome aboard Goonie Nick!
Welcome Nick! Looking forward to meeting you in MA on Saturday!
Ed
Yeah,
I hope I do make it. I am not sure yet though.. If I do come I am staying over Sat. Night for sure… Last Defcon Day I didn’t really drink enough at all. Tell John, to make something special this time… lol
make sure to make it to the next one 🙂
Good job goonie…love that picture… lol
Welcome Goonie! Can’t wait for the reviews. That was one Painful picture…OUCH!!
[Comment ID #74211 Quote]
Nope I have never heard that story.
Welcome Goonie! Late on the welcome as usual had to work yesterday.
NP Big Dawg Thanks!! Did a 1st review.. Should be up shortly I guess. Got alot more that I want to do also..
i couldn’t find your myspace link. i was looking for hot sauce graphics. i’m 14 and love hot sauce. can you send me your myspace link? and do you know how to find any graphics for our sites?