I Believe!!!!

My goodness, has the sports scene in Philly done a 360 in the last 6 months. I don't have to bring up all of the great stuff that has happened ... but I want to.

* The loveable losers, the losingest franchise in the history of professional sports, the Philadelphia Phillies somehow broke through and won the World Series, after almost not making the playoffs (thanks Mets!).

* The team that seems to make a habit of coming up short (much like an inept porn star), inexplicably made the playoffs as a 6th seed (thanks to the Raiders doing the inconceivable and beating Tampa Bay in Tampa), and has even more inexplicably gone on a playoff run, knocking off the defending Super Bowl champion Giants this past week, and now play an Arizona Cardinals team they embarrassed 5 weeks ago for the right to play in the Super Bowl.

* The Philadelphia Flyers, after making a Herculean run to the Eastern Conference finals last season, have picked up right where they left off, and are now leading the Atlantic division, and playing some inspiring hockey, even with injuries to many key players.

* Heck, even the Sixers have won 4 games in a row ... but, I'm not holding my breath.

Still, not too shabby. For once, I don't have anything to complain about with Philly sports ... something doesn't feel right.

Song of the Week

This one is a bit older than the others I've "nominated" the past few weeks, but I've heard it a few times on Slacker (look it up), and I am just reminded of how great of a song this is.

Citi Soleil, crafted by the Afghan Whigs on their final (and probably their best) album - 1966 (released in the late 1990's), probably won't hit you immediately. It starts off kind of slow, coming in with an acoustic guitar opening hook, underscored by a lightly audible beat. It's certainly got some Latin influences to it. The voice of Greg Dulli comes in softly, but grows to a growl as the "chorus" of the song approaches.

The song itself seems to be a type of a love song written for someone Greg Dulli can never get to - the chorus seems to overstate this, "Ooh child, I'll meet you child, on the other side, it's allright."

As the song progresses, the Latin influences seem to give way to (or share the stage with) a Reggae influence, complete with steel drums backdropping the song.

You can download the song on I-Tunes, and you can find more information about the band here.

Fast Food Corner

Fast food restaurants have bent over backwards to make chicken bite sized and fun ... The chicken tender, nugget, mcnugget, or popper ... it goes on and on and on. I for one am a big fan of these "fun-size" pieces of fowl. I pretty much like them all, but I do have my favorites. Below, is that list:

5. The BK Chicken Tender - Burger King boasts that its chicken pieces are real chicken, and not processed like McDonalds and Wendy's. I enjoy - they have a little bit of something ... not quite spicy, but definitely definitive (if that makes any sense).
4. McDonalds Chicken McNuggets - The actual "crust" is intriguing ... not really sure what they do to it ... it's not really flaky, more one big "skin." Even if the chicken is processed, it's pretty darn good, though.
3. Wendy's chicken nuggets - I think I love the fact that they are on the dollar menu the most. Really, it's a basic chicken nugget, but the dipping sauces are fantastic.
2. KFC chicken poppers - Really, sometimes its hard to even find the chicken in these fried wonders, but that's ok in my book.
1. Chick Fil-A's chicken nuggets - I think Chick Fil-A got it right with these ... for some reason, it seems more care was taken in crafting these wonderful morsals, and the breading seems to be unique compared to the others on the list.

1.

New Years 2008/09

Wow, can you believe that the holidays are over? I'm a little depressed ... we took our Christmas tree down, and even took down that obnoxiously big (and tacky) snow globe on our front lawn. It feels like it was just a week ago that we put the tree up ... sigh. And New Years ... geez ... I felt like I had just gotten to the party, and there was Dick Clark (who looked stiffer than a Maple Tree) wishing us a happy New Year.

Speaking of which, here are some pics from the party (yes, Ray-Ray and I once again are beer pong champions).


Ray-Ray's wife Christa thought that Hooters song was done by a band called "The Hot-Wing Knockers."


Schue tackling "Das Boot!"


The Beer Pong table - the site of the big victory.


The hosts of the party - another great job, guys!


Ray-Ray, what did you just eat?


The crowd waiting to bring in the new year ...

Oh My Goodness ....

Since I've been Facebooking, some of my "friends" have tagged me on some pics from back in the day ... Frightening to say the least. I figured I'd share some with you (your welcome).


A bunch of us on the JV soccer team at Interboro ... I believe I was in 10th grade at the time (I'm the guy on the far-right, watching the game intently).


This was a picture from our Telecomm class in high school ... I am on the left, once again viewing the picture intently. The Rev is in the middle leading the show.


This was a re-enactment of a time when Mung (the giant on the right) landed on my toe after spiking a volleyball ... my toenail shattered, and I eventually got toenail fungus from the ordeal ... thanks, Mung.


K-Lo strangling me at lunch ... I think this was my last day at Lockheed.

Weekly Assignment

The assignment I chose this week from Mama Kat's weekly list is to describe my latest obsession ... I've got a bunch, so this assignment was much easier said than done ... but somehow, I narrowed it down to this:

Up until a few days ago, I was absolutely obsessed with Lego Indiana Jones for the Nintendo Wii ... For those of you not familiar with this game (or the Lego video games in general), Lego took the three Indiana Jones movies (prior this past year's release) and "converted" them to a Lego game ... all the characters, scenes, plants, trees, and buildings are made out of Legos ... you basically have to go through all of the scenes of the movies as a Lego Indiana Jones character ... sounds simple enough.

But, after you "win" the game, in order to complete 100% of the game, you have to go back as different characters to "find" different treasures throughout the scenes. I spent 10 days on this game ... probably about 3-5 hours a day ... I obsessed over it ... I dreamt about it ... I theorized areas to find the treasures, and I surfed the internet to find "tricks" and "clues" about that game. Folks, that's obsession.

My wife is probably very, very happy that I'm finally finished the game ... next up, I might have to get Lego Batman (I completed Lego Star Wars earlier in the year).

Fast Food Corner

I've decided to take the bull by the horns with my first fast food corner post of 2009 ... the best burger. Remember, this is fast-food burger, and it has to be a fast-food chain I've been to (which means that places like Checkers and Jacks aren't on the list).

5. McDonalds Quarter Pounder - I chose this over the Big Mac because it's not as messy. It's nothing spectacular, but a solid burger ... maybe it's because of the sesame seed bun ... or the fries that compliment the burger so nicely.
4. Hardees burger - Can't remember which one I liked, as I haven't had one in a few years ... I just remembered that the burger was pretty good ... the toppings were fresh ... no complaints.
3. Burger King's Whopper - Flame-broiled definitely beats out the McDonalds fried burgers ... it's just a shame that their fries suck.
2. Wendy's Baconator - Oh ... my ... god! So bad for you, yet so delicious.
1. Sonic Burger - Not sure what it's actually called, as I've only had it once, but it absolutely rocked. Big, fresh toppings, and fresh bun ... you can't go wrong.

Song of the week

I'm a big, big fan of the band Orson ... and not because Orson was the name of the person Mork always reported to in Mork and Mindy (although, that's pretty cool, too). Just a fun band, with a pretty cool '80's sound. And the song I can't get out of my head is their hit - No Tomorrow. The song starts off with a riff similar to a Keith Richards Riff, with a "four-on-the-floor" disco drum beat. The song is full of catchy hooks, and great lines like "The cover's only 20 bucks, and even if the DJ sucks, it's time crank this mother out." Here's some more info from Wikipedia:

Orson is a BRIT Award-winning American rock band from Hollywood, California who formed in 1999. Originally the band called themselves Halogen. Recently they were also known as Dr. Lady. Their self-financed debut Bright Idea, released by Mercury Records in 2006, was produced in Los Angeles by Noah Shain and went on to find chart success in the UK with their first single, "No Tomorrow". The album reached the number 1 slot in their respective categories.

The band first played on UK radio during a live session on the Dermot O'leary Show, BBC Radio 2. Following this they appeared at the 2006 Virgin Mobile V Festival in Staffordshire and Chelmsford, England in the UK. Whilst in Chelmsford, the lead singer exclaimed 'Its good to be home!'. This is due to the fact that the band relocated to London, from Los Angeles, in 2006.

And, here's a link to their My Space page.

I can't believe it ... I really can't.

How did the Eagles make the playoffs? Seriously, how? Going into Sunday, I "knew" there was really no way the Birds could make it, even though I bleed green. I mean, they already blew their opportunity the week before, by losing to the lowly Redskins. Now, they had to "hope" for two teams ahead of them to fall, and then they had to beat the hated Cowboys.

First, they had to hope for the Houston Texans to knock of the Chicago Bears ... certainly a possibility - Houston was even favored at home. The Texans fell into an early 10-0 hole, before coming back and knocking off Da Bears.

Next, the Iggles needed a gift from Santa (belated) - the lowly Oakland Raiders had to travel to Tampa Bay and face a relatively good Bucs team. There's no way this Al Davis team should've won ... but that's exactly what they did. Which meant that the Birds controlled their destiny yet again.

This time, they didn't choke ... in fact, they absolutely dismantled T.O. and his "boys." the final score was 44-6, and really, the game was over by halftime. I don't think I've ever enjoyed a game like this (OK, probably a few times).

Now, they travel to Minnesota on Sunday to play the confusing Vikings. They really don't have a quarterback, or wide receivers, but they have arguably the best running back in the league, and a bruising defense. Andy Reid will hopefully continue to run the ball a little to keep the defense honest.

My hope is that this Iggles team is like last year's Giants team ... catching fire just at the right time. Only time will tell, I guess.

Happy New Year!!!!

I made it! Another year! And if the party we had to usher in the new year is any indication, 2009 should be excellent. We did 3 boots, of which, one was filled with margaritas (head .... hurts .... badly).

Anyway, I figured I'd make a resolution for the upcoming year. Not sure if I'll keep said resolution (as I normally don't make them), but what the heck. So, here goes nothing ....

I plan on eating less fast food ... and this one will be tough. I mean, I love fast food .... I LOVE FAST FOOD. But, I think it's probably in my best interest to cut back on it (don't worry, I'll still post my thoughts on fast food on a regular basis).

I know, I know ... it isn't much of a resolution, and eating one less fast food meal technically will make me fulfill my resolution ... but, I'll honestly try to succeed on this one ... and if I do go to a fast food restaurant, maybe I'll order salad (maybe).

Do you have any resolutions?

Fast Food Corner

Sausage McMuffin with Egg ... possibly the greatest fast-food breakfast item ever created. Why? Let me cound the ways:

* It's easy to eat whilst driving. As most of you know, this is of vital importance for all good fast food.

* The muffin is delicious and absorbant enough to soak up the sausage grease ... very underrated.

* The egg itself is suprisingly good.

* The hashbrown that goes along with it (with value meals) is probably the best hashbrown ever created (and potentially the one with the highest calories).

* Most importantly, especially on a morning like New Year's day, the sausage mcmuffin has a way of helping to cope with a hangover ... I think the grease and muffin react with excess alcohol and render that alcohol void. I have no proof of this.

**** I've probably stated this before, but why dont' they have a bacon-mcmuffin? How has this been missed? And, no, I'm not talking about the Egg-McMuffin ... that's Canadian bacon, which is almost exactly like ham.

Weekly Assignment

What a fitting way to end the year than with Mama Kat's weekly homework assignment. She's got a doozy this week - Describe a New Year's where you would have been better off just staying home.

It was my senior year in high school, and a friend was having a New Year's Eve party (parents somehow trusted the house to him on New Year's Eve). I was REALLY excited about this one, because it involved more than just a handful of us drinking in somebody's basement ... this was hard-core!

I got to the house around 9 o'clock, and had a beer or two ... so far, so good. Unfortunately, the beer ran out ... and even more unfortunately, I had never, ever heard of the "beer before liquor" saying. I happily and ignorantly switched to some vodka and orange juice. Then, when the orange juice ran out, I once again switched to vodka and iced tea ... Then, the iced tea ran out, and I was about to switch to vodka and milk - thankfully somebody stopped me.

I remember the clock striking 12, and I also remember going downstairs to play pool ... but I don't remember playing pool. The rest of this blog is based on some "detective work" on my part (asking others what I did the rest of the night).

* I played one game of pool that lasted about 45 minutes (rumor has it that it was quite hysterical).
* I sat on the couch, and after about 10 minutes, proceeded to throw up all over myself and the couch.
* A bunch of people dragged me upstairs and threw me in the bath-tub.
* Word started circulating that I might be dead.
* A friend of mine turned on the shower to start hosing me off - I got up and tried to get out of the tub, saying I had to go home.
* Hit my head on the back of the tub and passed out again.
* Friends undressed me, cleaned me up, and washed my clothes.

An ugly night, folks ... but I did learn that important rule about beer and liquor ... and also pacing myself ... I've never let that happen to me again, thankfully.

It's probably an important time to remind everybody to have a safe and happy New Year!

Song of the Week

Are you ready for another issue of my "Song of the Week?" No? Well, I don't care ... now, let me just say that my choices don't necessary have to be "new" songs - just songs that are getting a lot of play on my mp3 player (or cd player).

This week's selection is by a band called Hard Fi ... the song (in a Casey Casem voice) ... Hard to Beat. This song displays a nice melding (or merger) of classic guitar riffs and a dance beat (almost techno-ish). The song continuously rises to an imaginary apex ... teasing the listener (me), as it keeps the main chorus just at arms length.

Just a little background about the band - They are an English band, formed in 2003. They have received more success in Europe than the States (for some reason, we like country music, Emo, and bubble gum music a little too much).

Here's there website, in case you are interested:
http://www.hard-fi.com/discography.php

Fast Food Corner

This week, I tackle another food that is dear to my heart ... the chicken sandwich.

5. Arby's fried chicken sandwich - Not a bad sandwich to grab in a pinch ... works very well with some banana pepper rings.
4. Chick Fil-A grilled chicken sandwich - If I have to eat relatively healthy, I'll go with this one. It comes complete with a fresh leaf of lettuce, slice of tomato, and a whole-wheat bun ... of course, I have to balance the healthy with some waffle fries.
3. Wendy's Spicy chicken sandwich - This sandwich is by no means outrageously spicy, but provides just enough "action" to make it interesting.
2. Chick Fil-A chicken sandwich - It is pathetically simple, with really only a slice of pickle as a topping, but it works. McDonalds tried to copy it, but was unable to do so.
1. The Burger King Original chicken sandwich is my favorite chicken sandwich by far ... no, there is nothing outrageously different about this fried piece of heaven. Just the right amount of mayo, lettuce, and spices (not sure what those spices are, but it does have a bit of a kick).

Christmas and Stuff

Wow ... Christmas came and went ... seems to be going faster by the year. It was great, though ... giving and receiving joy (and gifts), and spending valuable time wiht close family and friends. Just a quick recap of my "agenda."

* Christmas Eve - went to my parents house for our annual "pre-Christmas" dinner. Some of the highlights included bratwurst, opening presents, and of course doing shots (this year's selection was Berentzen Apfelkorn).

* Christmas Day - Had Schue's family over for Christmas dinner. The wife did a great job with the food, and everyone seemed to have a good time playing Nintendo Wii, as well as enjoying good old-fashioned Christmas cheer ... alcohol.

* December 27 - Holiday party at Babs' place - Great food, great drink, and great friends. What a way to bridge Christmas and New Years ... of course, with more beer and liquor (I see a trend!).

Still to come ...
* New Year's Eve party at my brother's house - This is always a great farewell to the previous year, as well as a great welcome to the new year, complete with Nintendo Wii tournaments, beer pong tournaments, and a rendtion of Bohemian Rhapsody.



I hope everyone had (and continues to have) a great holiday season!

2009 Predictions

For some reason, I didn't make any predictions for 2008 (or, at least I couldn't find the ones I made). I usually make these every year, so I figured I'd start them up again. So, without further pause (I couldn't spell adieu) ...

10. Andy Reid will start wearing a mumu on the sidelines, and will be accompanied by a bucket of "finger-lickin'" at all football games and press conferences. The man is a large, large man, and seems to be getting bigger by the minute. The universe thinks he's expanding at an accelerated rate.

9. Something extraordinary is going to happen to Michael Jackson ... I'm not sure if it's going to be a good thing, a bad thing, or both. I predict he'll either make a comeback (fueled by the MTV music awards ... much like they successfully did with Brittney), or he won't make it to 2010 (I'm not even sure if he's human anymore, to tell you the truth).

8. The Rolling Stones will announce another album and tour ... heck, they do this every 3-4 years, and by that count, they're due. This one will be sponsored by Geritol.

7. Something extraordinary is going to happen to one of the "Big 3" auto companies in the U.S. ... again, not sure if this will be good or bad ... One could close for good, two could merge, or one could decide to actually think outside the box and create cars that people want (here's to hoping it's the last one).

6. Our economy (and the world's economy) will make a recovery at some point in 2009 ... it will probably be towards the latter half of the year, but it's going to happen. Let's hope we see companies and CEO's that are more responsible and less greedy.

5. The Flyers will be the next Philly team to win a championship ... unfortunately, this may be the last NHL Stanley Cup handed out ... the league is in trouble (suggestion - let's move some of these teams out of Florida, Atlanta, and Nashville, and put them back in Canada, where they'll flourish).

4. A buddy flick featuring Emmanuel Lewis and Gary Coleman will be made ... OK, I actually don't think this is going to happen, but I wish that it would ... I'd even watch a reality show with these two guys at this point.

3. Roger Clemmens will be indicted for lying about steroid use ... again, this is probably more of a hope than a prediction ... the guy has thrown his friends and family under the bus ... he deserves this (Barry Bonds has no friends, so he was unable to throw any of them under the bus).

2. Michael Vick will be invited to some NFL team's training camp ... the hope is that Jerry Jones takes a chance on him, so that the Cowboys have a monopoly on all of the players with "questionable" characters in the league.

1. ESPN will stop discussing an NCAA Division 1 playoff for football, now that they have the rights to the BCS bowl games until 2014 ... it no longer is to their advantage to have one.

Merry Christmas Y'all

I just wanted to drop a quick post wishing all of you a Merry Christmas ... I hope you have a great holiday season, and hope that 2009 is a great year for all of you. Peace, love and chicken grease!

Another "Survey"

Yep - got another e-mail from a friend ... and since I'm a lazy blogger (sometimes), this gives me another post! Keep in mind, that I did this on December 17

Two names you go by:
1. Los
2. Stupid German

Two things you are wearing right now:
1. Eagles Sweatshirt
2. Blue sweatpants

Two of your favorite things to do:
1. Watch sports
2. Play video games

Two things you want very badly at the moment:
1. Ice cream
2. Vacation

Two favorite pets you have had/have:
1. Stroopie (dog)
2. Charlie (Turtle)

Two things I did last night:
1. Watched the Flyers
2. Filled up my wife's car.

Two things you ate today:
1. Chicken Marsala
2. Shrimp

Two people you last talked to:
1. My wife
2. Steve (guy at work)

Two things you plan on doing tomorrow:
1. Working
2 Watching The Office

Trips taken in the last five years:
1. San Francisco
2. Las Vegas

Two favorite holidays:
1. Halloween
2. Christmas

Two favorite beverages:
1. Bier (German for beer)
2. Water (I drink a lot of it)
3. Wine (I'm becoming a fan)

I had to blog about this story ...

A local TV station had this story on it's website a few days ago about a couple that was upset that a local grocery store refused to make a personalized cake for their child ... seems like the grocery store is inconsiderate, right? Not until you realize the name of their child - Adolf Hitler ... yeah, that's right, the couple named their son after "Der Fuhrer."

So many ways to go with this story, but let me focus on the family first. I mean, seriously? Naming your kid after Hitler? Is it your intention to make your child's life as difficult as possible? Why not name him Feces, or Pig Vomit? Get this - the family has another child named Aryan Nation ... this alone is ridiculous ... but the family goes on to claim that they aren't racist ... really? Not racist? Why not name the third child KKK while you're at it? I am utterly repulsed by this family ... but my thought is that there are numerous people around the country who actually think that this is a cool idea. By the way, the picture of the husband is not shocking in the least ... I would expect him to look the way he does.

Onto the second point ... the fact that the local supermarket refused to make the cake for baby Adolf. I'm all for free speech, but I'm also ok for a Supermarket to refuse making a ridiculous cake that "promotes" a savage dictator responsible for the death of millions of people ... and who is a symbol for radical racisim. I'm sure more will be made of this, and at some point, this will go through the court system, and the local supermarket will be forced to spend lots of money defending their morals ... I find this preposterous ... Mr. and Mrs. "Hitler" should first of all get their heads checked ... and second of all, learn how to be pastry chefs if they really want this kind of cake.

Folks, I can't make this stuff up.

Christmas "Survey"

My friend e-mailed this to me - I figured this deserved a blog posting (I figured I'd save some energy and kill two birds with one stone). Feel free to play along.

1. Real tree or Artificial? Real (artificial doesn't equal Christmas in my book).
2. When do you put up the tree? 2nd week of December
3. When do you take the tree down? Mid January (sad weekend)
4. Do you like eggnog? Eh ... a little, I guess.
5. Favorite gift received as a child? Oscar the Grouch alarm clock.
6. Hardest person to buy for? Parents
7. Easiest person to buy for? My brother
8. Do you have a nativity scene? Nope.
9. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail this year ... but considering e-mail
10. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? A fishing tool gift pack (I got the same thing a year earlier ... from the same person).
11. Favorite Christmas Movie? Without a doubt - A Christmas Story
12. When do you start shopping for Christmas? November
13. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Maybe a few times ...maybe.
14. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Cookies ... my mom's cookies.
15.Any special tradition? - Going to my parents' on Christmas Eve.
16. Favorite Christmas song? Little Drummer Boy by David Bowie and Bing Crosby
17. Travel at Christmas or stay at home? Stay home.
18. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? Probably ...
19. Angel on the tree top or a star? Neither ... some kind of fancy ribbon.
20. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Both
21. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Crowded shopping malls or stores.
22. What theme or color are you using? All kinds of color, but mostly white.
23. Favorite for Christmas dinner? Filet Mignon ... Nothing but class!
24. What do you want for Christmas this year? Some Wii games
25. Favorite drink during Christmas? Beer.

Sports Rant of the Week

Since I watch far too much sports, I figured I'd add a sports rant of the week (or every two weeks or something like that) to this blog ... what the heck ... I have a lot to say ... or blog.

The obvious choice for me to rant about this week is the T.O. situation in Dallas. I think nobody can dispute that from an athletic perspective, that the guy is a big play threat who makes your team better. However, his off-the-field antics, and his "me-first" attitude literally kills teams. He's left two carcasses in his path already in Philly and San Fran (San Fran is still trying to turn things around), and he's about ready to knock off the Dallas Cowboys.

I guess the real shocking thing for me is that the honeymoon has lasted this long. Maybe T.O. was kept in check by the strong personality of Bill Parcells, who instilled fear in all his players. Maybe, T.O. was happy with the 13-3 season last year. Maybe he was playing for a contract (which he got this year). But, at some point, his enormous ego (and his tiny self esteem) had to get in the way.

And you know what? It couldn't happen to a better team. Jerry Jones decided to eliminate a strong-willed coach who wouldn't be a puppet for him, and replaced him with the perfect puppet. Then, Jones decided to forego player character (he already brought T.O. in against the Big Tuna's wishes) by adding Tank Johnson and PacMan Jones to the Cowboys ... heck, even the Bengals were jealous.

Now, this team is struggling to stay together ... a team that had more than enough talent to compete for a Super Bowl ... now, they're competing (and fighting) just to make the playoffs. Here's to hoping this thing blows up in Jones's face.

Rock Song of the Week

I've decided to add another "weekly blogging topic." Just like a "Fast Food Corner" weekly blog makes sense for me, blogging about music also makes sense (at least, to me). Maybe it'll help you find a song or a musical group you may want to follow ... maybe you'll find it totally worthless ... oh, and if you want to offer me suggestions (please, no country music and no Nickleback), I welcome it! So, without further adieu:

Song of the week:
The Virgins - Rich Girls

I can't get this song out of my head - I've had this song for about 4 months now, and it never leaves my most frequently played list. Rich Girls has a catchy disco sound to it, with a pronounced and addictive baseline. The lead singer's voice growls, sounding almost half-drunk ... but somehow, it works.

Here's some more information on the group from their Atlantic Records website:
The Virgins exemplify the sound and style of downtown New York City in 2008. The band came together in 2006, the brainchild of songwriter/performer Donald Cumming. Having lived on NYC’s streets since the age of 16, Cumming’s teen years were chronicled by artist/photographer Ryan McGinley in his now-legendary debut solo show at the Whitney Museum of American Art.

With Cumming joined by bassist Nick Zarin-Ackerman, guitarist Wade Oates, and drummer Erik Ratensperger, The Virgins began playing at downtown parties at such spots as St. Marks Church and 205. For their third show ever, the Virgins took Paris by storm, performing at designer agnès b’s fashion week party alongside Patti Smith and Sonic Youth. The band’s connection to New York’s art scene is no more apparent than in their own album art, which features design and photography from Dan Colen and Terry Richardson.


And, here's a couple of websites in case you're interested:
http://www.atlanticrecords.com/thevirgins/bio

http://www.myspace.com/thevirginsnyc

Fast Food Corner

I consider myself a fast-food "connoisseur." I've probably tried just about every kind of fast food around (at least around Philly), so it's only natural that I eventually dedicate some blog postings to my "expert" opinions on everything fast food.

I decided to tackle a biggie for my first - the battle of the best french fry. Let me step back for a second and pre-qualify my "type" of french fry ... really, there's only one - I prefer shoestring fries over steak fries overwhelmingly ... you see, steak fries have to much actual "potato" taste ... I prefer the crunchy/fried taste of shoestring fries. With that said - here is my top 5 list of my favorite fast-food fries:

5. Burger King - These fries are not good at all ... my least favorite next to KFC's big-assed steak fries.
4. Wendy's - A little to big for my liking, and usually not cooked enough ... but still, not too shabby.
3. Arby's curly fries - Slightly overcooked usually, but that's a plus in my book, as I love crispy fries ... plus, they have a slightly spicy flavor to them.
2. Chick Fil-A - Considering my preference of shoe-string fries, this is a bit of a surprise. My guess is the surface area of these waffle fries, and their amazing ability to soak up large amounts of ketchup.
1. McDonalds - Ultimately, the perfect french fry. I think Ronald probably laces his fries with some kind of addictive drug that makes people come back for more ... either that, or McDonalds has some kind of contract with God on these "heavenly" fries ... I can't figure out any other way nobody else has copied these.

Weekly Homework Assignment

Mama Kat got into the Christmas (holiday) spirit - and I loved this assignment! It's right in my wheel-house (at least I think it is)

Without a doubt, my favorite Christmas gift of all time is ... The Oscar the Grouch alarm clock ... "Wha?" you might be asking? Let me give you some background - For some reason, I remember seeing this alarm clock in some sort of catalogue as a child, and since I was a big fan of Sesame Street (and an even bigger fan of Oscar the Grouch), I REALLY, REALLY wanted this. My parents were excellent in hiding this from me, saying things like “Santa Claus probably won’t be able to get this present for you.” I was defeated – I figured there was no way I was going to get to wake up to Oscar’s grouchy voice every morning. My parents hid this gift from me and somehow snuck it into my pile of presents at the very end. I remember opening it, and being flushed with excitement and emotion so much that all I could do was hold my head and jump up and down repeatedly for about 5 minutes. For months, Oscar woke me up, and it was truly heaven. But, because I am a klutz, I ended up breaking it somehow. Recently, I searched for this clock on Ebay, and they run for about $200 now – geez!

Here are a couple of other favorites:
2. The Atari 2600 – At the time, it was called the Atari VCS … which gives you an idea of how old I am. I loved arcades and arcade machines … I’ve loved them for about as long as I can remember. For instance, I remember going into a department store called Two Guys. They had some sort of primitive racing machine that I was always fixated on. I think my mom allowed me to play it a few times, and I was hooked. You could imagine my excitement when I discovered the Atari 2600 in a Sears catalogue. My cousin Drew and I couldn’t stop talking about it. Again, my mom played one helluva poker hand, saying that the price was too much for a Christmas present (at the time, it was $129). But, Inga did end up buying it for me, and I must’ve played that thing about 10,000 hours (or more). The first game I got (besides Combat, which came with the Atari) was Space Invaders – I swore it was like I had an arcade in my basement (not entirely true, but close enough). It didn’t take me long to find those “secret games” within the games – you would have to flick the game on and off in a certain way to find these games – it was kind of like the first cheat code. I found one with Space Invaders in which I was able to shoot twice as fast (I’ve probably lost most of you with this one).

3. Mr. Quarterback – Sure, looking back on this gift, it was a piece of shite. But, the thought of having my very own “quarterback” throwing me 20 to 30 yard passes was enticing. I couldn’t wait to give it a try. Unfortunately, Mr. Quarterback (which was promoted by that jackass Roger Staubach) only “threw” the football about 5 yards or so … not even a perfect spiral. This is probably why Mr. Quarterback is no longer being sold.

4. The Green Machine – Now, I didn’t actually get this gift, but my two cousins did. I was PISSED! Man, did I want to have the Corvette of big wheels instead of the crappy orange one with yellow wheels that I currently possessed. I’m tellin’ ya, this big wheel was awesome – it reached incredible speeds and one could spin out like Dale Earnhardt with it. I was about as jealous with this one as I was when my cousin Drew got those Zips sneakers (the ones that “made” you run fast – or at least that’s what they said in the commercials).

Tree-mendous!

We were supposed to go Christmas tree shopping last Thursday ... and, as luck would have it, it rained ... not just a little steady rain (if that were the case, we would've still gone out), but it was more like "God's plumbing broke" raining. We decided to wait until Friday to get our tree, and we noticed some "interesting" advertising ... "Trees $20 and up." However, the "and up" was so small, one couldn't even see it.

It seems as if every place selling trees pulls this. I feel like such a "sap" (sorry 'bout the pun) for even going to these places ... We ended up going to a local fire company to buy our tree, mainly because we feel that the money is better given to a place like this (even though we were basically getting raped).

The tree is ok ... actually, it looks great now, with all of the ornaments on it, but it didn't look very full. I think it plays to our advanctage that it isn't that full, because you can see all of the ornaments better ... and believe me, we have a ton of them ... from disco balls, to a bacon and eggs ornament, to mermaids, to the woman's leg ornament (from A Christmas Story) ... it looks like Santa Claus threw up on our tree ... but in a good way.

Actually, we probably have so many ornaments, that we could buy a second tree ... this one would be an artifical one, though ....

A quick shout out to Babs for helping to decorate the tree ... Thank you so much for keeping my wife company!

Yule Light Up My Life ...

Whilst over my wife's brother's house last night, we got into a discussion about an interesting (or, at least I thought so) topic ... Christmas lights. The more we discussed it, the more it became obvious ... the women absolutely loved the white lights - they felt these lights give the Christmas tree, as well as the outside part of the house a bit of elegance.

Of course, the little kids like the multi-colored lights ... and, ironically, the men in the house also favored the multi-colored lights. Of course, one can draw the conclusion that the reason for this is because boys never really "grow up."

Personally, I'm ok with white lights (heck, I like lights), but yes, I do like multi-colored lights ... and, I'll take it a step further - I like the big, multicolored lights. My mom placed these on the bushes outside of the house annually when I was growing up, and I guess I've never outgrown that.

Of course, obnoxious snow globes might be going a little too far.

A memory

I'm going to try and supplement this blog with some "shorter" postings so that I can blog more frequently ... we'll see how it goes.

Mama Kat's homework assignment regarding a time at the dentist brought back a long-lost memory of mine from growing up. I remember when I was a little tyke that I thought I had ruined my teeth because I ate too much candy - I felt my molars and thought that the candy had led to them being flat. Of course, it never stopped me from eating my candy.

I don't get many requests on stuff to blog about, but I certainly encourage them... as long as it is deemed blogworthy (by me). This morning a coworker of mine forwarded an "intersting" story to me, and asked that I dedicate a blog post to it. Here is the story.

Can this be true? I mean, I know that Dancing With the Stars has already invited a deaf person, and a person with one leg onto the program, and both did surprisingly well, considering the circumstances. But, seriously, Stevie Wonder? Not only is he blind, but he's grossly out of shape, AND he's never looked like somebody I would consider "fleet of foot." Is this what Dancing With the Stars will do in order to drum up excitement?

Now, what they should do is "play tricks" on Stevie ... like maybe having him dance with a broom stick, or strategically place banana peels on the dance floor. Just a thought ... I'd certainly tune in if that was the case. But seriously, what's next? I figure the least I could do is offer some suggestions.

* How about inviting Stephen Hawking, the famous professor/scientist who has the debilitating disease, ALS. Certainly, it would be worth tuning in for at least the first episode to see how he does, right?

* Maybe we could have a spinoff called "Dancing with the Pets." Why not? I've seen plenty of pets on the David Leterman show that can dance.

* Let's have a contest for scientists to build robots to dance on this show. Doing this would ensure lots and lots of geeks tuning in ... many of them with quite a few dollars to spend.

* I envision a public service episode, in which the stars dance, then do some shots, and continue to dance ... we could award a prize to the star who is able to continue dancing whilst drunk ... we could invite stars like Nick Nolte and Keith Richards in this.

* Why not add props and juggling to this. THe stars can maybe juggle bowling pins or flaming torches while they dance ... wouldn't this add a whole new dimension to the show?

That's all I got right now ... Any suggestions?

Weekly Homework Assignment - It's Tooth-riffic!

I had trouble this week choosing Mama Kat's homework assignment. You see, I don't really have any allergies, I haven't really taken any new roads in a long while (plus with GPS, these aren't that "unexpected" anymore), my wife hates mice, and I trust that most (if not all) of my friends are good listeners (I talk too much).

so, with that said, I chose my worst dentist experience ever. Unlike most kids, I actually enjoyed going to the dentist ... probably because I was so proud of my pearly whites. My dentist often said that I had fantastic teeth, and that, with the exception of a small overbite, I had a perfect set of teeth. Why wouldn't I want to go back to this guy?

I never had a cavity ... ever ... until I turned 14. I remember sitting in the dentist's chair, and noticed him picking at one of my teeth repeatedly with that metallic tool that he used (sorry, I have no idea what the name of this is). Finally, he took note of it, and continued the cleaning. After he was finished, he gave me the worst news ever ... my perfect teeth were no longer perfect anymore ... one of them contracted a cavity.

How could this be? I brushed twice a day, and was a damn good brusher (if I do say so myself). He scheduled me to have the cavity filled ... the days leading up to this "event" were dark for me ... I lost my smile. I was sad. I was like everybody else ... flawed. The big day came ... did I mention I was afraid of needles?

The dentist sat me in the chair, basically went through what he was going to do, and then got the needle. "You'll feel a little prick at first," he said (yeah, but what about the needle? Hey-yo!). The initial pain was substantial, but it immediately disappeared. I actually thought it was kind of neat seeing the dentist work on my mouth, watching the smoke waft out of my mouth, and not feeling any pain. The actual process wasn't so bad ... maybe I was more fearful of the needle then actually having a cavity.

I've had one other cavity filled since, but I also had my wisdom teeth pulled, but the percoset (sp?) more than made up for the process.

We finally got it!!!!!

Yep - we finally pulled the trigger! We got a flat-screen TV! I ordered the sucker two Saturdays ago from tvsdepot.com. Here's the tv I bought.

I think I got a fantastic deal (considering the TV is now more expensive on the site) - I paid $999 (no tax and free shipping) for this 46 inch LCD - 1080P, 7500-1 color ratio ... it is an obvious upgrade from the 37 inch CRT that we had (well, we still have it, but are giving it to a friend).

I was like a father-to-be, waiting for his baby to enter the world on Sunday morning - the delivery guy was set to arrive between 10 and 2. As luck would have it, he arrived at 11:30, which gave me plenty of time to get the tv hooked up prior to the Eagles game ... folks, I didn't get up from the couch once! What a beautiful tv - my god, I can't wait to watch hockey on it (that'll be tonight, by the way).

It goes really well with the basement modifications we've made (we still have some work to do, though). I doubt I'll ever be able to truly enjoy tv on a CRT ever again.

They must be drunk ...

So, as many of you know, I live in the Philadelphia area - kind of a nice location - near the Poconos, the shore, New York, DC, Atlantic City ... kind of a cool central location. However, living in Pennsylvania has its head-scratching moments as well. One "issue" or "law" in general really confounds me (yeah, I used the word "confound").

PA has a state run wine and spirits system - which basically means that no other store or company in Pennsylvania is allowed to sell wine or liquor. This state-runned lunacy means that wine and liquor prices are not really competitive with other states that allow private companies to sell alcohol. So, why should I care about this?

Outside of the fact that most state-run organizations are run poorly (and in the case of these wine and liquor stores, very poorly), there's another issue. Because I live so close to Delaware and New Jersey, it is very easy for me to drive 20 minutes and stock up on much cheaper wine and liqour ... sounds good, right? Unfortunately, the numbskulls in PA "don't allow PA residents to purchase alcohol legally in other states." Now, people certainly do this - I do. But, PA police officers have the right to pull you over and fine you for buying liqour in another state. It's mind-boggling. They usually don't do this, and if you are a PA resident, drive a little deeper into Delaware instead of purchasing alcohol at the border, and you should be fine. But just the fact that this is a law is ridiculous.

On top of this, you are not allowed to "import" wine or liqour to your house. What do I mean by this? Last year, we went to Napa Valley in California on a wine tour. We found a few wineries we really enjoyed. These wineries ship their wine directly to your house in almost every state ... except for 1 ... yep, you guessed it. PA won't allow this, because they are afraid that it would take money away from their awful state-run wine and spirit monopoly. These wineries have to go into special agreements with PA to be able to sell their wine in said wine and spirits stores. What kind of collusion is this? How is this still allowed?

PA is pretty bass-ackwards about quite a few things, probably thanks to the strong "Quaker" influence. Hopefully someday this will change ...

Weekly Homework Assignment

After a week off, Mama Kat is back and better than ever (yes, if I could, I'd even get her an apple) with her weekly homework assignment.

The topic I chose is "Are you still friends with you high school friends? Describe them." I guess in this sense, I'm lucky, as I still am friends with many of my high school friends. I decided to take it a step further - friends who were my childhood friends:

My first childhood friend who I am still very good friends with is Ray-Ray. I've known him since I was about 1 - you see, my mom babysat him back in the day. We were basically like brothers for the first 4-5 years of our lives. We stayed very close friends UNTIL high school, when we got into a fight over a girl. It took us about 4 years to begin talking again, but then slowly we rebuilt our friendship, and are now as close as ever. In fact, he got married just a little over a month ago, and I was in the wedding. Ray-Ray is funny, and sometimes abrasive, but if you know him like I know him, you would understand how good of a friend he really is - the man would do anything for me and my family, and I am also very willing to repay the favor. I am thankful that we were able to put a petty issue aside all those years ago.

A neighborhood buddy of mine, Davers, is another buddy I've managed to keep for oh so many years. He moved to my neighborhood when he was about 4 ... I was 6 at the time. The kid excelled so much at sports that he was always better than me, but he was always willing to teach and encourage me, and because of him, I became a decent athlete ... by no means a great one, but certainly a better one that I would've been if he wasn't in my life. He is also responsible for getting me into fishing and spicy foods (the man's family is Italian, and his mom made some of the greatest Italian food known to man on a weekly basis). Coincidentally, his wedding was this summer, and I was honored to be a part of it. We don't hang out nearly as much as we used to, but we do text each other quite a bit ... which, I guess is a good thing.

I've known my friend Johnnay since the third grade. We were friends, but not close friends for most of school until we were juniors or seniors in high school. He is now one of my closest friends (even though I tend to probably make fun of him too much). He's got a heart of gold, and my hope is that someday he'll find a woman who deserves him (that's a compliment, by the way. The man was married before, but unfortunately, things didn't work out). No, he's not good in sports, and no he's not the funniest guy in the world (at least, not on purpose), but he's a great guy in almost every way, and I am lucky to have him as a friend.

The last one I'll talk about is my friend Nick. Many months ago, I blogged about him, and how we were no longer friends, and how it bothered me (I probably said some other nasty things, but let's not talk about that). As luck would have it, he read my blog, started his own blog to respond to my blog, and ironically, it opened up communication between the two of us. I've known him and been friends with him ever since high school, and miscommunication (and unfortunate situations) caused us to drift apart. But, thanks to the wonderful world of blogs, we became friends again, and have picked up right where we left off.

I have left out many other friends I've made, from work friends (yes, I'm talking about my Lockheed buds), to other grade school, high school, and even college friends (and college related friends), not to mention the friends I've made through my wife Schue. You all are very important to me.

My dad made a great quote at his 50th anniversary party - he said something along the lines of, "You can tell how great a man is by his friends." Well, if that's the case, I'm one helluva guy, thanks to you guys and gals.

A few movie reviews ...

So, I got to see a few movies in the past week or so, and I figured that I would share my thoughts with you (translation - I have nothing else to blog about).

1. The Ex - This movie basically is a "remix" of The Cable Guy, with Jason Bateman playing the conniving "antagonist" (similar to Jim Carey's character, but not as annoying), and the guy from Scrubs playing the schizophrenic (or at least his friends think so) "protagonist." It was amusing, in that Jason Bateman did a great job with his character, however it is pretty unrealistic in that Bateman's character basically "faked" being handicapped for most of his life. Overall, it's probably worth seeing on cable, but I wouldn't spend any money on it.

2. Juno - Yes, I was late on this one ... very late. again, Jason Bateman was in it, as 1/2 of the couple wanting to adopt Juno's unborn child. His character intrigued me the most, mainly because he was portrayed as the "cool" guy in the beginning of the movie, and the portrayal gradually moved to that of someone who never wanted to grow up and take responsibility. Meanwhile, Jennifer Garner's character (the other 1/2) was portrayed as uptight and absolutely unfun, but her character's portrayal gradually moves to the responsible and sensible one .... ok, yes, the movie is more of a chick flick, but it is REALLY GOOD ... and I'm usually not one who likes movies that are hyped. Well worth watching.

3. Four Christmases - Yeah ... I actually went to the movies to see this one, as part of our annual Thanksgiving night movie-watching traditions. It certainly does a decent job of getting one excited for the Christmas season, and for 3/4 of the movie, it is quite funny. Vince Vaughan plays his normal wise-ass character, which is usually can't miss. Reece Witherspoon plays his hot, fun-loving girlfriend - she has no trouble playing in a comedic role. However, Seth Gordon (director) probably was influenced by recent Judd Apatow movies, as well as that other holiday "classic" Just Visiting of a few years ago, as he decides to throw out all humor in the last 20 minutes, also trying to rapidly tie up loose ends in the movie (how this couple can get back together in the final minutes was hard to follow). For a Christmas movie, it's ok ... certainly, nobody will be talking about this in the sentence as A Christmas story, but it'll get you in the mood for the holidays.

Well, that's all I have .... I know, I'm lame.

Here We Go ...

Well ... now that Thanksgiving is over, it's time to focus on Christmas. "Thankfully," a couple of friends and family members already gave us a "head start" about a month ago ... let me explain.

Schue and I were coming back from Cape May/Atlantic City (anniversary) ... we turned onto our street, and Schue got this puzzled look on her face. "What the hell is that on our lawn," she shrieked. Because I'm the good driver that I am, I was more focused on the road than on this peculiar object that had taken up our entire front lawn.

As I parked the car, I peered to my right and noticed the "surprise." It was as if Santa Claus threw up all over our house ... what am I referring to? My brother, his wife, his wife's sister and her husband decided to put one of those big obnoxious Christmas blow-up snow globes on our property.

Now, all snow globes are obnoxious ... this one may take the cake ... it is 8 feet tall, and has some sort of candy-cane circular swing, with Santa Claus, a reindeer, a penguin, and a snow man swinging in circles (this is probably a topic for another blog post, but why was the penquin chosen over the elf? For some reason, this bothers me).

Anyway, here's a picture of this Christmas atrocity ... and by the way guys, your anniversaries are coming up ... payback will be a bitch.

These are trophies????

CNNSI posted a story about college football's unusual trophies a few days ago, and of course, since I'm a college football fan, I had to read it. Now, before I begin my "rant," let me assure everyone, I am a big fan of tradition. Thanksgiving day football games are a staple of my life. I'm also a big fan of the day after Thanksgiving football game that I participate in.

But, there is something to be said about updating traditions ... and by looking at some of these "trophies" that these college football rivals play for, I think this cements my argument. Seriously, playing for a big jug, or an old skillet may have been pretty cool in the 1930's, but at this point, it's kind of stupid (my opinion).

Why not "update" these trophies - make them really cool ... or better yet, why not do something totally outside the box - here are just a few ideas I have:

* How about playing for the right to hang your logo on the centrally designated monument of the opposing college? Talk about bragging rights!

* Let's make it interesting - how about some sort of "financial" bet, in which maybe a computer room gets donated by the losing team to the winning college.

* How about intriguing bets by the college deans in which the winning team gets to somehow "embarrass" the opposing team's dean ... make him (her) dress like a baby, and take a picture with the opposing team, that can be displayed on the winning college team's website.

You get the idea, don't you? What are some of your suggestions?

On a side note - Happy Thanksgiving to all.

Sorry ...

(Sorry, Charlie)

I'm probably going to bore some of you with this, but it's my blog ... yeah, I'm going to blog about college football ... specifically, the joke of a football program that is Notre Dame.

Long the bastion of pompousness, Notre Dame is a football program with fans across the country and the world. For years, I've had problems with this - how can you follow a college football team that you have no ties to, and is not located anywhere near where you live? Is it because of their "Irish" name? If so, you're an idiot. Is it because it's a Catholic school? If so, you do understand that there are many, many other Catholic colleges around, many of which are closer to you. Is it because of their successful past? Yeah, probably - but guess what ...

The Notre Dame "football machine" has fallen on some very tough times. Last season, they won a whopping 3 games. They lost to Navy for the first time in over 40 years (and, jokingly, did not win the "military" title for the first time in a while). People thought that the Irish would be back this year ... and for a while, they were - they started off pretty strong (albeit, they got extremely lucky against a very bad San Diego State team). Then, things went wrong again - culminating in an embarrassing loss against a Syracuse football team that is probably in the top 10 worst teams in college football this year.


(Possibly one of the greatest pictures ever taken)

Notre Dame just gave Charlie Weiss a 10-year contract extension a few years ago, and now they're scratching their heads at his inability to get his "star" players to actually play the game. NBC, who just signed Notre Dame to another contract extension, is probably swallowing very hard these days, considering Notre Dame home games are the only college football games they show ... and the only people currently tuning in our die-hard Irish fans, and people across the country who find joy in seeing "America's College Football Team" get beaten on a consistent basis. Seriously, that's really too bad.

You know, a few years ago, Notre Dame was ready to take the plunge into the Big 10 ... until their arrogant alumni "forced" their hands into staying independent. Good - I'm glad your team sucks, and I'm glad that all those "fans" around my neighborhood have already taken down the Notre Dame banners ... There was a time that Notre Dame got ranked highly because of their "reputation" and "history," but now, that lustre is no longer there ... that's what happens when you LOSE 9 STRAIGHT BOWL GAMES AGAINST TEAMS THAT ARE FAR SUPERIOR TO YOU. What a shame.

Now, if the Cowboys, Lakers and Yankees can follow suit ...


(Not quite the way you thought it would be, is it Jimmy?)

Mama Kat's Homework Assignment

It's that time of the week again ... it has become one of my favorites, because Mama Kat comes up with some really neat subjects to talk about. This week is no exception - I encourage you to give it a shot! This week, I chose to write about the subect "I remember when..." I think I'm going to do a list of things I remember ... hey, it may be boring, or it may be fun ... let's have a looksie.

I remember when:
* I was in college, and stamps had just gone up in price to 19 cents ... man, I'm old ... and this may not be as fun as I thought.
* The Atari 2600 was the "cutting edge" of home gaming entertainment. I remember thinking that I had probably seen the "apex" of gaming when I got Donkey Kong for the Atari ... I swore it wouldn't get any better.
* My biggest worry was the next day's quiz or exam ... ah, life was so simple once, wasn't it?
* We didn't have cable tv. My parents were one of the last to "embrace" this. One of my best friends down the street got cable, and he told me of a tv station that showed nothing but sports ... it had the initials ESPN. I thought this may have been the greatest invention since the wheel.
* Zips sneakers were cool. The commercials "hinted" that the sneakers would make you run faster. My cousin got those sneakers ... I got some kind of cheap Buster Brown knock-offs ... and because of that, I swore I was slow.
* Walking up to the Mac Dade Mall as a youngster - I was probably around 8 - and going to the movies with my cousins or with friends ... my parents never worried about it ... now, I would never allow my kids to do this by themselves - it's just a different world now. Oh, and movies were $2.50 ... sigh.
* My Super Friends lunch box ... I thought it was the coolest thing ... until, I got into middle school, and some 8th grader made fun of me ... I was devastated ... from that point on, I brought bagged lunch to school.
* Being frightened about high school. I thought there would be drug dealers and pushers at the end of every hallway who would force me to do drugs.
* Thinking I was going to be an NHL hockey goalie, because I was really good in gym class ... playing floor hockey.
* Middle school dances, drinking orange soda at those dances, and telling diarrhea jokes with some other friends the entire time (usually because we were afraid to dance).
* Winning a K-Tel "Hot Tracks" album at the middle school dance because I was the "best dressed" kid. I had this 3-piece suit ... it was tan ... it made me look like a giant pound cake ... but I won, dammit!
* Thinking that Kool and the Gang's "Celebration" was the greatest song every made ... until I heard my first "reggae" song - Lionel Richie's "All Night Long."
* Hearing the Rolling Stones for the first time, and realizing that this is without a doubt the greatest band ever ... and to this day I still know this.
* My first concert - The Who's "Kids Are Allright" concert at Veteran's Stadium in the summer of 1989 ... which was followed a few months later by The Rolling Stones "Steel Wheels" concert ... one helluva summer!
* My first job - which lasted about 10 minutes - it was at a local restaurant, and when I saw the "chef" drop a steak on the floor, pick it back up, and grill it, I quit ... ugh!
* Stealing tic-tacs at the age of 3 ... my mom caught me, because they made loud sounds as I was walking up the steps ... she made me take them back to the supermarket and apologize ... stealing was never an issue with me again ...

The Big 5-0!

The happy couple!

Tomorrow, we are celebrating my parents' 50th wedding anniversary in style ... at a dance hall in a German club in Delaware, with an oompah band, German food, German drink, and most importantly, German friends. 50 years ... that is a long time, my friends ... and, of course, it must be celebrated. I want to take a few moments to thank (praise) my parents - I've put together a list:

* Thank you so much for teaching me the important fundamentals of being a good person. You were (and still are) very influential to me - and I always think of (and live) the lessons you taught me about right and wrong - and they have served me well throughout the years. You are great role models - I couldn't have asked for any better.

* Thank you for all the work (and finances) you provided to get me through college, and to get me on my feet after college. You went above and beyond, and your love and support for me was (and still is) endless.

* The work you have helped me with (or, done on your own) to my house has been amazing - I can't thank you enough. Obviously, you didn't have to do any of it, but you never said no, and in fact, most of the time, you did the work without ever asking me. I don't know what state our house would've been in without you.

* All of the vacations you took me (us) on as a kid, all those fishing trips, trips to the Phillies or Flyers games - they were awesome and memorable to me. I know we didn't always have a lot of money, but you always made it seem like we were millionaires (not in a bad way). I can't wait to spend those special moments with my kids.

* I wish Albert could be here to celebrate along with the rest of the family. For one reason or another, he didn't consider his life important enough, even though you thought it was one of the most precious things in this entire world ... and would've done anything and everything for him ... it was never your fault that he took his own life ... it took me a long time to accept it, and to get over my anger at him ... You did everything you could for him and more. He loved you - you know that.

* Most of all, I hope you enjoy the celebration ... you have a lot of close friends and family who are excited to share this extraordinary moment with you ... we look forward to 50 more.

Thanks for everything mom and dad!

Weekly Assignment

The assignment I chose this week from Mama Kat is beginning a story with "I thought I saw ..." So, without further delay:

I thought I saw the Phillies win the World Series a few weeks ago. Being a life-long Philadelphian, and having my heart ripped out repeatedly by all of my local sports team, it's still hard to believe the Phillies actually did it. I'm still waiting to wake up from this dream.

I've had my hopes dashed over and over again in the past. In 1980, when all 4 of the Philly teams made it to the finals, only one team was able to successfully capture the championship. I remember actually being so upset that the Flyers lost to the Islanders in 1980 that I actually threw up ... yeah, I'm a diehard.

The Eagles lost to the Raiders in the Super Bowl that season, too. I thought there was no way my beloved Iggles could lose - after all, they had just disposed of the hated Cowboys a few weeks earlier, and had even beaten Oakland earlier in the year. Jaworski and company would surely not drop the ball (literally), would they? Of course, they did.

From that point on, there wasn't much to cheer for (with the exception of a Sixers championship in 1983). The few times one of our teams actually made it deep in the playoffs, they ended up playing a dynasty (Flyers - Oilers, Flyers - Red Wings, Flyers - Devils, Eagles - Patriots, Phillies - Blue Jays, Sixers - Lakers ... I could go on).

So, with that said, please, PLEASE, do NOT wake me from this one, I beg you!

Anniversary Weekend...

Wow, it's been 5 years already ... 5 years since my wife and I tied the knot ... somehow, the drugs didn't wear off yet (ba-da-bing!). We decided we would take an extra-long weekend "vacation" at the Jersey shore ... yes, it's no longer summer, and yes, we were not planning on spending much of it on the beach.

Our first destination was Cape May - a beautfiul shorespot, certainly much more elegant than places like Wildwood and Atlantic City ... the place is peppered with beautiful Victorian style homes that would make the Munsters jealous. We ended up staying at the Hotel Alcott, a quaint place not far from the Washington Street shopping area of the town ... maybe next time we'll stay at a bed and breakfast - the town is super-saturated with those, and many of my friends rave over them.



Hotel Alcott in its pink glory ...

We ended up staying two nights there, and basically, shopped, ate at restaurants, and "checked out" some of the bars. We especially liked this bread place (not sure what the name was, unfortunately) on Washington Street, at the far end of the shopping area - the atmosphere was slightly elegant, but not stuffy - and the food was fantastic - I had a cup of clam chowder that was probably in the top 5 best clam chowders I've ever had. My wife raved over her meal as well (I can't remember what it was, though).


The Upscale Peter Shields Inn ...

We also loved this place called the Peter Shields Inn - a VERY fancy restaurant, even by Cape May standards ... it's certainly a bit on the pricy side, but I figured the 5-year anniversary was more than a good enough excuse for this. The food was excellent - I highly recommend the Lobster Tail, which is also mixed with lump crab meat ... I'm usually just a steak and hot wings kind of guy, but this was truly worth the price - and yes, it is the signature dish of the restaurant. Schue raved over her seafood medley which included scallops, shrimp, and clam cooked in some sort of bacon rizzoto sauce ... hey, anything with bacon can't be bad, right?

Though the weather was overcast, and drizzly, we had a great time (with the exception of the awful performance by Penn State). We then ventured to Atlantic City, staying at Bally's. Once again, we had a great time - we had some dinner at Pickles Deli (great food at a good price, even for Atlantic City standards).


By the way, can you guess what Pickles serves instead of bread?

Just a few things that really got to me.
* All of the old people who ride around in carts ... most of them are (A) really, really fat, or (b) just too lazy, and don't really need the carts. Still, they clog up the entire casino with them.
* The different "levels" of cards offered by the Harrah's Casino chain - we are on the bottom rung with the "gold" card - which means, they tend to send us free room offers for off days of the week. We still have to pay for parking, and we have to stand in a long line, while the "elite" gamblers with silver and platinum cards, get to come and go as they please. This REALLY bothered me whilst we waited to be seated at any and every place we ate in Atlantic City. I hate these cards ... unless, someday, I receive a silver or platinum card ... then, I think I'd love these cards ... yes, it is all about me.
* People who stand in the middle of a high-traffic walking area and hold a conversation ... guys, seriously, there's plenty of room on the side to talk ... stop being so self-emersed, and think about others for once in your lives. Oh yeah, and all those people who walk out in front of you like they're in a hurry, and then stop walking with no warning ... again - think of the others around you ... sheesh!

Other than that, I had a wonderful time, and look forward to spending many more anniversaries with my cutie!

Mama Kat's assignment for this week got to one of my favorite topics to blog about - my top 10 absolute worst pet peeves. So, without further pause, and in no particular order ...

10. People who don't use turn signals! I hate you, I hate you, I hate you! I know I'm smart, but I haven't developed that 6th or 7th sense in which I can read your mind and know exactly where you're going to turn ... seriously, how hard is it? Am I asking for too much?

9. Politics ... I'm so sick of both parties at this point. I get this feeling that you're both in the pockets of big corporations, and are never really looking out for the people who voted you in. Plus, you are all more concerned of the "party line" than actually doing something constructive for the country.

8. Reality television ... ENOUGH ALREADY! My wife recently informed me that she watches a show about a tanning salon ... seriously? How did this even get on the air? I almost threw up in my mouth at this realization.

7. Philadelphia FM radio - You wonder why people are listening to their IPods, Sirrius Satellite, or other technologies (my choice is the Slacker - look it up!). You spend all this money on trying to figure out what the most people will like that you pretty much end up not appealing to anybody because (a) the songs are overplayed, (b) your playlists are so small, and (c) the sound of the bands that you play all sound exactly the same. I hate you ... except for Preston and Steve.

6. The national media portraying Philadelphia fans as neandrethals (not sure if I spelled that right). Sure, there are a few fans who are moronic ... these are the same ones who were tipping over cars in Center City when the Phils won ... or those Eagles fans who dress up like its Halloween every weekend and try to pick fights with opposing team's fans. You are idiots and your devotion is so misguided. But, back to the national media - seriously, enough already with the snowballing of Santa Claus - that happened in the 1950's when the team was beyond awful ... get over it! It happens in EVERY major sports city. Why is it "devotion to your team" when it happens in New York or Chicago, but it's "those idioitic Philly fans" when it happens here?

5. Drivers who go really slow in the passing lane, combined with those drivers that don't even know they have a brake ... it's a recipe for disaster, and this is why many accidents happen. Show some respect to other drivers.

4. Restaurants that are either the name of a color I never heard of or the name of a number ... I'm pretty sure I won't like your food or your "ambiance."

3. Country music - I can't figure it out. How come so many people are listening to this now? I liked it a lot better when it was a niche sound, but now its mainstream, and it makes my ears bleed. The guitar twang ... the country music accent (not sure how else to describe it), the songs about losing your job, your woman, or your dog ... enough already!

2. NASCAR - I'll never understand it ... ever. I hate the fact that ESPN has a whole section dedicated to it during Sportscenter and even has NASCAR shows ... I hate that I have to seen these commercials during NFL football games ... the only NASCAR thing I liked was a NASCAR racing game I had for one of my gaming systems years ago ... THAT'S IT!

1. I absolutely hate this whole "politically correct" atmosphere that is drowning our society. The fact that stores are afraid to put up any decorations that say "Christmas" irks me to no end. The fact that people are afraid to say anything for fear of somebody like Al Sharpton coming out and calling them racist makes my blood boil. The pendulum has swung so far to the one side that you might get sued if you sneeze nowadays.

Political Thoughts ...

With the political season just about over (thankfully), here are some of my quick thoughts ...

* The amount of mailings I received in the past 3+ months roughly equals the weight of our moon. Seriously, I didn't read a single item ... I'm interested in knowing how many people actually did read some of these. Truthfully, it turned me off, big time ... unfortunately, both parties did it, so I couldn't "penalize" one party ... but, let me say that this is a ridiculous way to spend money ... as are most political "election strategies."

* Speaking of annoying, how about all of those recorded phone messages? Again - pissed me off ... again, both parties. Is there anybody out there who actually thinks this call was recorded exclusively for them ... or worse yet, that the call was a real call? Who came up with this idea anyway? Don't most people hate telemarketers? Isn't this a lot like that?

* I'll be very "sad" to see all of those signs up and down the highway, and on people's lawns go away. This year was worse than any I can remember. Why is that? Does anybody think that I'll be more likely to vote for one guy over another because I saw his sign on my neighbor's lawn, or in front of the 7-Eleven? A tremendous waste ... what a way to show how "pro-environment" you are ...

* Is every commercial now either a beer commercial, car commercial, or Obama/McCain commercial? These commercials portray each candidate as the devil, and if you vote for "candidate a," the United States will sink into the pits of hell. It hurts my stomach (like a bad hot dog) to even try and sit through these commercials.

Let me say that I'm happy it's coming to an end!

It's Good to be a Philadelphian ... for once!!!!!

25 years ... 25 years of futility ... 25 years of futility for the four major sports franchises in Philadelphia ... all of that washed away this past week.

The Phillies lifted whatever curse that had blanketed itself on top of Billy Penn back in 1983, and, in a way, saved the city ... at least the sports fans of this city. But, in a way, I think this covers more than just sports fans in Philly ... this city NEEDED something like this ... a positive experience. We've had an ego problem for far too long ... and this does wonders for the confidence of a city that always seems to find a way to bungle something up.

When game 5 of the World Series got rained out in the 6th inning, I got this awful feeling ... this was a game we should've won, but for some reason, the gods wouldn't let it happen. In the long and illustrious history of the World Series, a game was never, ever suspended due to bad weather. If the Phillies lost that game, and ended up losing the World Series, I probably would've been convinced that this city was never going to win a championship again. Thankfully, not even mother nature could stop this march.

I was at a bar on Mac Dade Blvd to watch the final three innings of the game. Unlike most baseball games that go 9 innings, every pitch in this game counted ... every pitch in this game stressed me out ... And the best part was that I could get to sleep at a decent hour ... or so I thought. When Brad Lidge (Mr. Lights Out) threw that final pitch, he celebration spilled onto MacDade Blvd ... fans from all over the area either rushed out to the street, or drove up and down the street high fiving the fans. It seemed like everybody was there ... with the exception of that 800 pound gorilla that took the first train out of the area.

Hugging strangers ... watching streakers ... drinking beer on the side of a busy street next to a police officer ... not getting to sleep until well after midnight ... it was all worth it. Unfortunately, I never was able to make it to the parade ... which had an estimated 2 million frenzied fans in attendance ... I taped it, and I watched it, and yes, I had tears in my eyes ... but for once they weren't tears of misery. Congratulations, Phillies!