Dope or Nope ...

So, I saw this video of this 1-year-old baby snow boarding ... at first, I thought this was absolutely awesome ... but then I thought to myself, "What parents would allow their 1-year-old child to snowboard?!?!?!?" I mean seriously, is this even safe? Isn't a 1-year-old's skull still soft? Shouldn't they have at least waited until the child was 2? Am I reading too much into this?

What are your thoughts?

Fast Food Corner

This past Friday, I wanted to give the new Subway breakfast a try ... for research purposes, of course. I got up reasonably early, let's say around 6:30 AM (had a bunch of stuff to do), and traveled to the local Subway at around 7:00, figuring that Subway would HAVE to be open at this time of day if they are serving breakfast ... NOPE! Subway apparently doesn't open until 7:30 AM for breakfast ... which wouldn't be a big deal on weekends ... but on weekdays?!?!? When people have to go to work?!?!?!? Really? Who made this decision?

As you can tell, I was very upset by this. It was my plan to have a report for my Fast Food Corner, and now all I have is a post complaining about Subway's ridiculous hours. I apologize to my readers (both of you!). But seriously, isn't this a stupid time to open for breakfast?

Song of the Week ..

This isn't necessarily a new song, but it's new to me, so there ... Coconut Records is an indie band that has musical contributions by members of Incubus, as well as appearances by actresses Zooey Deschanel and Kirsten Dunst (this, according to Wikipedia). I'm rather unfamiliar with their music, but there is one song that caught my fancy - Minding My Own Business, which was released in 2007 ... and thankfully, it doesn't sound like an Incubus song.

No, it's a much slower, bluesy song, almost as if it was something that Jack White may have penned for his Raconteurs. The song features and old "vaudevillian" piano, accompanied by a similar vaudevillian beat ... it's kind of refreshing when a band does something a little different than the "norm" we hear on mainstream radio (my opinion only, of course). There is a catchy guitar hook in throughout the song.

The lyrics are a little sketchy, but from what I gather it's about the importance of keeping your nose out of certain situations. It's definitely worth a listen.

Funny Movie Scene

I've blogged about Strange Brew before ... a movie from the early 80's that has gone seemingly forgotten. If you love beer, and you like dumb comedies, you really need to experience this movie.

I found this scene on Youtube - the "Steamroller" scene. Just plain classic.

Weekly Homework Assignment

It's time once again for Mama Kat's Weekly Homework Assignment! This week, I chose the following prompt: Who are you giving a timeout to? I'm giving a timeout to all the finger pointers in this whole Gulf of Mexico oil spill tragedy. It's downright childish at this point, isn't it?

I mean, there will be plenty of time for finger pointing later. Isn't the most pressing thing to stop the oil from spilling/pouring out? Shouldn't everyone be focusing on a solution first? I think all of these companies would gain a little more respect (and maybe some trust back) if this were the case. That should be job one at this point.

Instead, all the people at BP, Haliburton, and congress continue to point fingers, and call names like little kids on a recess yard. I'm sick of it. Obviously, these companies (and government) care more about themselves than they do about the environment ... they care more about the short-term than the long-term. It's frustrating. Heck, most news sites are tired of reporting on it, as it has slipped off the "front-page."

It's time to grow up and find a solution ... then, and only then can these companies return to acting like spoiled children.

Wacky News Stories

Memorial Day is a-comin' ... and I can't wait for the barbecued chicken, steak, burgers, dogs, and just about any other flesh!

1. On Texas cops mistaking actual weeds for marijuana:
"Do you know what the street value of these dandelions is?"
http://rawstory.com/rs/2010/0522/largest-marijuana-plant-seizure-police-departments-history-turns-mere-yard-work/

2. On England winning the World's Custard Pie Throwing Championship:
"Good to see the Three Stooges influence reaching across the Atlantic!" Or ... "I thought Moe Howard was Jewish."
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/2983693/England-wins-pie-World-Cup.html?OTC-RSS&ATTR=News

3. On a report that airlines may reuse plastic cutlery up to nine times before throwing it out:
"You should see what they do with used toilet paper ..."
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10645985

4. On a 41-year-old man who told police that he was trying to pay legal costs related to a Missouri drug conviction by growing marijuana:
"This sounds a lot like a chicken-and-the-egg complex ..."
http://www.sunjournal.com/oxford-hills/story/849964

5. On a study that finds marriages in which the woman is happier than the man last longer:
"And we needed a study for this?!?!?!"
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1280077/Want-wife-happy-Be-miserable.html

Dope or Nope ...

Not sure if anybody has seen the Montreal Canadiens' pre-game ... um ... opening, but it's pretty elaborate. So, this kid goes to center ice with this torch, and then pretends to light the ice. As the he does this, CGI is used to "show" the ice going up in flames.

It's really over the top, and those nutty Canadiens fans absolutely eat it up. They are in another league in my opinion. Anyway, I'm wondering if something like this would fly in Philly. Being a Flyers fan, I currently HATE this pregame "ceremony." But, I'm wondering if I'd like it if I were a Canadiens fan. What are your thoughts?

80's Corner

Christie Brinkley ... my god did I have a crush on her! She has to be the definitive girl of the 1980's, kind of like Cheryl Tiegs was the definitive girl of the 70's, right? Christie was the darling of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issues (and probably the cause of many a wet dream across the country). Don't quote me on this, but I believe that Christie Brinkley and Samantha Foxx were the only two posters on most adolescents' and college students' walls.

Inexplicably, she married Rock troll Billy Joel, and appeared in a number of his videos, most notably "Uptown Girl." I think this may have been the time her career began to nose-dive. The thought in my head was, "How could Billy Joel get so lucky? Maybe there's something wrong with her." And, I think I was right.

Fast Food Corner

There was a time when Little Casear's flourished in Delaware County ... we were drowned with those "Pizza, Pizza" commercials with the guy with the big nose and toga. Inexpensive pizza was the name of the game ... and quite honestly, I remember it tasting pretty good for the price. But for one reason or other, most (if not all) Little Caesars pizza shops disappeared from the area, along with those funny yet annoying commercials ... until recently.

A Little Caesar's opened up in Sharon Hill, and as part of our family's Fast Food Friday, we felt we owed it to them to purchase pizza from them. We ended up getting four medium/large pizzas and two big orders of bread sticks ... it all came out to about $28, which I think is a bargain. And folks, the pizza remains good to this day. Not only that, but the bread sticks were quite delicious too ... for the price, this stuff beats out Pizza Hut and Dominos (but it won't be able to beat out the mom and pop stores).

Ah, here's an old commercial that I remember well:

Song of the Week

As some of you may have heard, the Rolling Stones released a remastered version of arguably their greatest album ever this past week - Exile on Main Street ... and I say "arguably" because it's what the critics say. Truth be told, it's not my favorite Stones album - sure, it's definitely top 5, heck, maybe it's even third ... but I digress. The cool part about this re-release is that the Stones basically went back to the session tapes, and "found" 10 additional songs to release with the deluxe edition ... which of course I immediately purchased on Tuesday.

The songs on this additional cd are, for the most part, really good ... certainly, they could've been placed on the original Exile on Main Street album and nobody would've complained. One song on this "new" cd stands out - it's called "Follow the River." The first thing I noticed is that Mick's voice is not the "old Mick" from the early 70's, rather he apparently re-recorded his voice for this song ... and it doesn't sound bad at all.

The opening piano piece reminds me of Sunday School for some reason ... which isn't a bad thing, but it hints at more gospelly music to come. The song is quite powerful, in that the violins and background gospel-like vocals can pierce right through you if you aren't careful.

The lyrics hint at a relationship that is in the process of ending, but it seems like the break-up is nobody's fault, and that both people have mutual respect for each other. The lyrics in the chorus are also quite powerful - "I've been following the river ... til it joins hands with the sea ... I've been thinking of you so bad ... Cause you always saw the best in me."

The video is awesome, by the way:

Oh ... My ... God ....

Most of you probably don't follow hockey (hey, it's your loss, darn it!). But, I'm sure you've probably heard that the Philadelphia Flyers did something historic this past Friday ... coming back from a 3-games-to-nothing series disadvantage, and winning 4-straight games to beat the Boston Bruins in an amazing, historical playoff series. Not only did they win four in a row, but they won the last game in Boston ... not only did they do that, but they came back from a 3-0 deficit in that game to do so.

Folks, this is easily one of the top 10 greatest Philadelphia sporting events I've ever seen. This stuff hardly happens in Philly. Normally, we're on the other side of a playoff series like this, as was evidenced by the Flyers blowing a 3 games-to-one series lead to the hated New Jersey Devils in 2000.

What's probably more amazing is that the Flyers were able to win this series without some of their best players including Jeff Carter (Simon Gagne is basically playing on one leg at this point). Additionally, the Flyers have had 7 goalies on their roster this season ... that's unheard of! Normally, a playoff hockey team needs a franchise goalie to go far in the playoffs (something the Flyers have ignored since letting go of Ron Hextall the first time). The Flyers don't have a franchise goalie - but they apparently don't need one ... either that, or the goalies they have been relying on down the stretch have for some reason been overlooked by every other team in the league.

This team has energized this city ... No, hockey isn't something the majority of Philadelphians follow religiously, but when the Flyers are doing well, the casual fans kick into gear. The city becomes noticeably orange-and-black. I don't mind this - I'm ok with the bandwagon jumpers jumping on the bandwagon.

So, do I think the Flyers can win the Cup? No ... I can't see it happening, especially with the injuries. But, momentum is a funny thing. This team bonded, and they seem to be playing above their skill-level ... sometimes a hot team can do that ... I just don't know how much longer they can keep it up. It's been a great ride, though.

Friday night, I witnessed history ... and I'm still not sure if I believe what I saw ... and if this is all a dream, let me sleep, darn it!

Weekly Homework Assignment

It's time once again for Mama Kat's weekly homework assignment.
This week, I chose the following prompt: What was your medicine? Write about a time you remember being ill.

I absolutely hate puking ... I'm sure most people probably don't like it, but I, I fear it. I fear the sound, sight, touch, and smell of puking. When my wife has to spill cookies, I fly out of the room and downstairs. When my little nephew threw up on me when I was holding him, I nearly jumped out of my skin.

I can't explain it, I just plain fear it. If I was a super-hero, my "Kryptonite" would be puke ... guess that wouldn't make me a very good superhero.

I haven't "delivered sidewalk pizza" much in my life. I can only remember a handful of times that I did ... the last being sometime in 1997, and that was after a hard night of drinkin'. The last time I threw up because of a flu or virus was probably in grade school ... and yes, I probably should've done the "technicolor yawn" more times, but I've kind of found a trick.

Yes, a trick. Basically, when you feel ill, the worst thing you can do is lie still. You must keep moving. So, I've gone for walks when I've felt sick, or paced around ... and yes, this includes late at night ... I've kept active, and somehow this has kept me from unswallowing ... or at least I think it has. Sure, maybe it's a placebo that somehow convinces my body that it doesn't need to vomit, and I think that's OK.

Wacky News Stories

Yep ... still Flyered up!!!


1. On a Mosque that is planning to open near Ground Zero ... On September 11, 2011:
"This might be an excellent reason why the reputation of Muslims is dwindling ..."
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/mosque_madness_at_ground_zero_OQ34EB0MWS0lXuAnQau5uL

2. On a study finding that men developed thicker foreheads and jaws due to fighting over women:
"But, was it all worth it?"
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/7725655/Men-developed-thicker-foreheads-and-jaws-due-to-fighting-over-women.html

3. On an Amish girl who became an adult model:
I guess she probably had to shave her beard for this, right?"
http://www.lemondrop.com/2010/05/13/ach-the-amish-girl-turned-adult-model/

4. On BP announcing that the "top hat" will be in place in the Gulf next week:
"I had no idea this oil spill was a black tie affair ..."
http://www.wbir.com/news/national/story.aspx?storyid=121540&catid=16

5. On the Soviet Union apparently being on the brink of launching a nuclear attack against China in 1969 and only backed down after the US told Moscow such a move would start World War Three, according to a Chinese historian:
"Well, all I can say is, thank goodness G.W. wasn't in the White House back then ..."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/7720461/USSR-planned-nuclear-attack-on-China-in-1969.html

Dope or Nope ...

I'm a Flyers hockey fan ... and folks, this past weekend was absolutely tremendous!!! Probably the greatest come-from-behind series win in American sports history (Sure, we can argue the Red Sox win over the Yankees might be better, but I'm a Philadelphian, and this is my blog post, darn-it!).

Anyway, game 7 of this series was held in Boston. However, the Wachovia Center in Philly opened it's doors and showed the game on the big-screen for free. My question is ... is this dope or nope - watching a game that's not being played in said arena on the big screen?

I'm on the fence about this ... I mean, I guess it's cool to be with so many other fans in one spot ... but couldn't this be accomplished at a bar? Speaking of which, with so many fans (around 11,000) packed in that arena, are the bars pissed because they didn't have as many patrons?

They kept going back to the Wachovia Center after every Flyers goal and showed the reaction of the fans ... I found that very cool.

So, what are your thoughts?

80's Corner

Remember the Monchichis? This 1980's phenomenon started off as just a "teddybear" in which you could stick the Monchichi's foot or thumb in it's mouth ... that's pretty much it, right? However, the commercial was so painfully addicting that sales of the Monchichis were through the roof ... so much so that a cartoon was created for the Monchichis ... and yes, our household did have a Monchichi ... I believe my younger brother asked for it (wasn't me, darn it!).

I still remember that annoying song too ... probably heard it at least 5 times a day back then:

Monchichi, Monchichi!
Oh, so soft and cuddly.
Put her thumb in her mouth
It's really neat.
Fun to cuddle her little feet.
Nya, Nya, Nya ... Nya, Nya, Nya
Happy, Happy, Monchichi!

Song of the Week

When I say Georgia Satellites, you probably either think about the song "Keep Your Hands to Yourself," or you may think I'm referring to some sort of Soviet space program. Yes, the Georgia Satellites were pretty much a one-hit-wonder, although Dan Byrd had some solo success in the early 1990's.

However, the Satellites released another song in the 1980's that unfortunately didn't get much play called "Battleship Chains." The theme of the song is similar to "Keep Your Hands to Yourself," in that the lyrics talk about a woman who is suffocating a man ... my guess is that Dan Byrd wasn't having much luck with the ladies in the 80's.

The sound of the song definitely has bluesy roots, and sounds like something that could've easily been recorded by the Rolling Stones (which is probably why I really like it). Chocked full of good guitar riffs and solos, accompanied by a catchy chorus, this song should've been a bigger hit. That's ok ... maybe it's better that it was never overplayed.

Fast Food Corner

If you've been following this blog, you know that I'm a sucker for new fast-food release. And if you know fast food, you know that Chick Fil-A doesn't usually try new things. They have their standards fast food entrees and they do them well.

That is about to change, apparently. Chick Fil-A has announced a new sandwich, called the Spicy Chicken Sandwich! It looks a lot like their regular chicken sandwich, but ... ummmm ... spicy. Toasted bun? Check! Pickles? Check! Fried chicken breast? Check! Spicy???? U-betcha!

I'll be trying this soon, and you can be sure I'll give a full report on my findings. In the meantime, you can check their website for more info.

Movie clip of the Week

Semi Pro is probably not a movie you liked the first time you watched it. But much like almost all of Will Farrell's movies, it grows on you. I particularly like this card-game scene ... especially the "Jive Turkey" bit.

Weekly Homework Assignment

It's time once again for Mama Kat's Weekly Homework Assignment! This week, I chose the following prompt: Describe a popular kids toy or show that you just don’t understand.

I gotta say, I've never understood the Teletubbies .... well, that's not entirely true ... once, when I was intoxicated, I remember watching an episode where the four (I think it's 4) teletubbies were hanging around this valley, and the valley began filling up with water. Then, a ship entered the valley, sailed around for a while, and then left. The sun, which was actually a baby-face, laughed and thought this was amusing.

The Teletubbies sat there and watched, as if they were fully expecting this. Then, they started communicating with each other in a language that I couldn't hope in a million years to decipher. Then, as the ship sailed away, the water evaporated, and the Teletubbies got up and left.

Ummm ... that was the ENTIRE episode. In a drunken stupor, I was hypnotized by it. But, if I was sober, I'd either change the channel in record time, or, if the remote was broken, I'd probably stick my foot through the television monitor.

I guess, I should focus on the "drunken-stupor" state I was in. Maybe babies or toddlers have similar "drunken-stupor-like" minds, and this is why they enjoy the Teletubbies ... just a thought.

Wacky News Stories

Tasing, puking on kids at the game, and even murder at the bar in the stadium ... perfect family atmosphere for a Phillies game! Way to go, Philly!

1. On a man named Lord Jesus Christ being hit at a crosswalk by a car.
"Son of God, my left ear!"
http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/bizarre&id=7428553

2. On a South Korean woman who earned a driver's license after 960 tries:
"Ummmmm ... looks like Dominos might have a new pizza delivery person!"
http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/bizarre&id=7426073

3. On a Southern California man being sentenced to five-and-a-half years in the federal pen for hauling 14 tons of pot in his truck:
"Looks like Cheech Marin might have to find a new side-kick."
http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/bizarre&id=7426039

4. On Pennsylvania proposing interstate highway tolls at state borders:
"And yet we still can't buy beer at a supermarket ..."
http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2010/05/pennsylvania_proposes_intersta.html

5. On a former Michigan inmate saying he was denied toothpaste for nearly a year while behind bars and planning to sue, citing his right against cruel and unusual punishment.
"Oh yeah ... and he's also a Lions fan."
http://www.wxyz.com/news/local/story/Ex-Inmate-Can-Sue-Over-No-Toothpaste/dJ2ZerVoeESz5KVGz1Zzww.cspx