August 2007 Archives
-Kick it off on Tuesday at O'Neals, as the Young, the Old and the Restless were able to win for the 3rd time in 5 weeks, taking a 101-97 win over Dick Cancer is No Laughing Matter. Philly Softcore finished 3rd.
-The Sofa Kingdom cruised on Tuesday night, knocking off 2 Pint Minimum and Don't Laugh, Splinters Cause Infections, 105-81-81.
-Our first upset came on Wednesday, as the Jams (aka Craig and McGreevey: BiPartisanship in Action) fell to Where's Baby Hair, 95-93. They were missing Jam Captain and Barb, but it was still a pretty stacked Jams team, so it was a big win for Where's Baby Hair. River of Rocks finished 3rd at a packed Locust Rendezvous.
-A big comeback for the Satan's Minions, who aced the impossible round to pull off a 106-102 win over Pee Wee Herman's Head. Perennial powerhouse Duane's World were Vegas favorites going into the match, but angered a lot of gamblers with a devastating 10th place finish.
-A low scoring slugfest at the Good Dog, where the vacuum created by MAGMA's break up has yet to be filled. I Can Has Cheeseburger beat the Good Dog staff team, We Got Glasses...What? (above). The staff team, who usually finishes last, thought that wearing glasses would make tem feel smarter and intimidate the other teams. The ploy worked, as they recorded their first ever 2nd place finish.
-And a blowout at the Bards, as the Hurtin Bombs won for the 4thstraight week. One more win and we've got a bounty. They beat The Table, the Flash, and the Fonz, 113-97. The Kingdom finished with 96.
Digg It!
Have you guys heard of Mx Headroom pirating telelvision in the late 80s? This is wild. It interfered with a showing of Dr. Who. The fake Headroom also interfered with a sportscast earlier that day. No-one has ever figured out who did it.
This time the Donspiracist talks about a creepy private hangout and secret society that some of the most powerful men on earth belong to. This is good stuff. Enjoy.
What did you do for summer vacation?
Hopefully, you didn't have to sit through Daddy Day Camp.
But, if you were lucky, you did get to go to camp, just like many of our richest and most influential politicians and businessmen. They congregate for two weeks in July every year at a place called Bohemian Grove, a very large encampment about an hour north of San Francisco. The Grove is owned and run by the Bohemian Club, an organization founded in the middle of the 19th century by men who felt isolated and exiled in the rough American West.
The club has evolved into a meetinghouse of the most powerful men in our society. Every Republican president since Coolidge and most Democrats have been members, as have most upper echelon government officials. The roster of recent members includes both Bushes, Bill Clinton, Reagan, James Baker and Henry Kissinger. Members from other areas of society are prominent as well, including Walter Cronkite.
Season over. Screw the Phillies. The Phillies always blow the businessman special games. Always.
UPDATE: Uh, yeah, scratch that. I'm an idiot. What a win! What a win! Paul Lo Duca sucks! Hahahahahaha! And we own Billy Wagner! Could someone please check on Palestra Jon? I just wanna make sure he doesn't do anything drastic. Hey Mets fans, enjoy the trip back on the Turnpike tonight! Hope traffic isn't too bad. Haha, just kidding. I hope traffic sucks.
ABOUT THE MANAGER:
He never challenges umps, he tries to keep this even keel attitude and I believe in the process has made this team chumps in big spots.
(He) is one of the worst 5 managers in baseball. He can't handle a pitching staff.
where the hell is the focus or for that matter the coaching?
ABOUT THE GM:
he made horrific trades, he is an overrated GM.
ABOUT THE TEAM:
I can't believe this.. .... I can't allow this team to do this to me anymore. I have never in my life watched a more frustrating team.
this team has no heart.
Looks like we're headed for a total meltdown.
just sickening...win a god damn game!
My god, how painful can this get....
Is it football season yet??
Where did these lines come from? Me on Sunday, after we had lost 4 of 6 to the Padres and the Dodgers and saw our season slipping away? I said some similar things, but no, these are lines from Metsblog.com , as they saw their season going to hell. The only thing sweeter than winning three straight is winning three straight over the Mets and their obnoxious fans, then sitting back and enjoying as they turn on their own! The games of the last two nights have been things of beauty, and if we can stay hot, this city is gonna go nuts. Oh, and good news, Phillies fans, I WILL NOT BE AT TODAY'S BUSINESSMAN'S SPECIAL. With the team's 2-10 record with me in attendance, I have decided to stay away from the ballpark and give them a chance to win today's game. You're welcome.
This week, we discuss the lost art of the wink. If anyone has any thoughts on the future of the wink, post them below.
1) This Lost Boys star helped Sandra Bullock slow down an out of control cruise ship in Speed 2: Cruise Control. Who is he?
Jason Patric; there are apparently plans for a Speed 3. I am not kidding. In this one, they have to keep roller blading at least 15 miles an hour or their brains will explode. It will also star Sophia Coppola and Hulk Hogan.
2) This man's mistress, Lucy Mercer, was at his side when he died of a cerebral hemorrhage.
FDR. Here's a little background, and that is a photo of her above. FDR apparently not a big fan of attractive women.
3) What was Jimi Hendrix's only Billboard top 40 hit?
All Along the Watchtower. Here he sings it live.
4) What brand of soft drink was invented in Waco, Texas, in 1885?
Dr. Pepper. It has 23 secret ingredients, all of them gross. Here's a brief history of how Dr. Pepper got started.
5) Eastern Tennessee delared itself an independant state in 1784, but this idea was shot down by Congress a year later. What was this pseudo state named?
Franklin. Here's a history of the pseudo state.
-No bounty tonight at the Vous, b/c the Jams won't be there. But that might be a good thing.WIth the Jams out of the picture, this is an excellent opportnity for a new team to win at the Vous.
-The Good Dog is still wide open, with no clear cut favorite from week to week.
-Vegas likes Dane's World to repeat tonight at the Sheep. Can your team stop them?
-Still in discussions for the next city vs. city smackdown, with doing it soemwhere where anyone who wants to can play. I'll keep ya updated.
-Please buy Kanye West's album when it is released on September 11th. Gangster hack 50 Cent has promised to retire if Kanye's album outsells his, and 50 Cent retiring would be great for music and for America. He is a worthless, mindless moron and absolute HACK rapper. Kanye West, on the other hand, is intelligent and extremely talented, both as a rapper and producer.
-Stop the presses! Philly Mag has got the cover story the others couldn't get! Children on the Main Line are spoiled! Holy s***! I had no idea! Thank you for this important investigation! Otherwise we would have never known! Next month, I think the cover story should be about how people who live on the Main Line have money. Or maybe one on this new trend called "Fantasy football". (That being said, the article about Craig Laban vs. Chops is pretty good.)
-Happy birthday, Aaron Rowand! Welcome to your 30s! It's kind of like your 20s, except without all the fun!
-This is just too ridiculous, but it will make your day.
The lovely Ginger and I had sort of fallen out of touch lately. We've both been pretty busy, and she's been "going steady" with Lance Romance for like 7 months now. And you know how it is when one friend gets into a serious relationship, you just don't see them as much. So we hadn't really hung out in a few months.
Then, last night, a disaster. As I prepared to meet another friend for dinner (went to Uzu, a fairly good sushi place in Old City), I got a splinter in my foot. It hurt like heck, but even worse, it made me feel kind of lonely. I usually revel in my singleness, but getting a splinter is cause for wishing a woman was there who could help me get it out and listen to me pout about how bad it hurt and then tell me how brave I was being if I didn't cry. I tried and I tried to get it myself, to no avail. Finally I went to dinner, grumpy and in pain.
THE DANGEROUS OPERATION
After another difficult self-operation this morning, I realized that I was never gonna get it out myself, and I knew that there was only one person in Philadelphia who knew me well enough to operate on my foot: Ginger. She came right over, and after a half hour of anguish and pain, the cursed splinter was removed. And now I feel good as new. All thanks to Ginger! She's more than a lovely co-host, she's a lifesaver!
RELATED: Johnny and Ginger go to Camden.
What's the name of the biker gang in Pee Wee's Big Adventure?
So I'm bitching about Philly Style Mag to Trivia Art yesterday, as I see that they have an article about this new phenomenon known as "Fantasy Football" in their City Life section: "Prevailing at this game requires drafting the best team possible...and playing them in a virtual competition against the teams assembled by family members, friends, or co-workers." Really? You don't say! Competing in a virtual "Fantasy" football game against friends and co-workers? How unique, and I would have never heard of it if not for your magazine! Hey, next month you guys should have an article in City Life that begins, "Bread is often used on what many people are calling 'the sandwich'." Anyways, I try to explain this to Trivia Art, and he says, "I can't say anything bad about them, they called me 'culinary crack'." It's a damn shame.
-When I saw that a Senator had been arrested for lewd conduct in a bathroom, before I opened the story, I said to Trivia Art, "I'm betting Republican." Right again. Are there any Republicans in Washington who, while campaigning on Family Values and anti-gay marriage, aren't trying to pick up men in bathrooms? I mean, keep in mind, two big name Republicans have been caught trying to pick up men in restrooms in the last two months. Can you imagine how many have gotten away with it? Is David Vitter the only straight Republican in Washington?
-What in the holy hell is going on with the bees? Is it you, with yor fancy cellphone?
-Good debate about patriotism going on in the comments section under the Donspiracists column. Feel free to join.
-It's a bird, it's a plane, it's Hammerman!!!
Today is the birthday of the star of my favorite movie ever recorded. No, not Francis...Pee Wee Herman turns 55! Pee Wee's Big Adventure continues to serve as an inspiration for me. A story of following ones dreams, of finding true love, and of inspiring others. Here's hoping you get what you want for your birthday, Pee Wee!
It's 1:30 p.m., and you guys have combined to answer one question?
In what movie did Pee Wee Herman sing "Bird Bird Bird Bird is the Word"?
This song was released by Howlin' Wolf in 1962, and by the Rolling Stones two years later.
When someone yelled this at comedian Bill Hicks, he got so angry that famously responded, "Hitler had the right idea, he was just an underachiever; kill everyone, Adolf, kill them all!"
In what movie would you hear a remake of the song "Three Little Birds"?
The top selling single of 1984 was bird related. What was it?
Who originally sang the song "Bird on the Wire"?
Alright, I'm gonna post pics of last weeks winners with a trivia question underneath. The questions will be about bird songs. One guess per person, and no cheating.
Here's the rundown of the past week's action:
-Tuesday night at O'Neals, it was Dork Sided taking an early lead and holding on for a 95-86 win over the Cornbread Mafia. Philly Hardcore finished 3rd.
-At the Bards, the Sofa Kingdom's arch nemesis, Narkotyzing Dysfunktion, was a no-show, and the Kingdom waltzed away with a 104-82 boiling of the Two Egg Omelette. Freddie Bear finished Numero Tres.
-The Jams split into two teams on Wednesday at the Rendezvous-and those two teams finished First and Second. Hurricane Erin Blew Through Mexico edged Tommy Udo's Fan Club, 114-113. In 3rd place, it was A Different Kind of Hate. The Jams have won five in a row. I am waiting to hear from Jam Captain to see if he's playing this week. If so, we'll have a bounty.
-No upset at the Black Sheep either. Yes, Duane Can't, a conglomerate of Duane's World, the Minions, and Yes You Can't, knocked off My Eggplant Spells Cole Hamels, 104-96. Quizzo legends WTF made an appearance, but showed a lot of rust, finishing with a 75.
-Mac Robinson's Yellow Sweater got the win at the Good Dog, taking out Manstruation, 89-80. Vladimir Man Love took the bronze.
-On to the Bards, where we had controversy. It Looked Like the Day After the Day After Tomorrow had pulled off a 11-109 win over the Hurtin Bombs. I had asked what MLB team has the record for most losses in a season. The answer I was looking for was '62 Mets, who lost 120. But the Bombs put the 1898 Cleveland Spiders. The Spiders had lost 134 in 1899, so I had to gove partial credit. That forced overtime, which was won by the Bombs. The Kingdom finished 3rd with a 107.
Also this week:
-The Sequel Contest
-The Sequel Column for the paper
-The emergence of a new force on johnnygoodtimes.com, the Donspiracist.
Couldn't do the Week in Review because I am in the midst of a super-secret project that is going to be totally awesome and take this jawn to the next level. I'll have the Review up manana. But in the meantime:
-Great cover stories in both the Philadelphia Weekly and City Paper this week. This is YOUR city. What are you doing to make it a better place?
-You know how I love Reef Tha Lost Cause's tunes. This weekend, I'm hoping to see him live at the Khyber. Saturday night, 9 pm. Who's in?
-Trivia Art wants to know: Who has the best nachos in the city?
Ladies and gentlemen, I am very excited to bring to you the latest member of the jonnygoodtimes.com staff, the Donspiracist. The Donspiracist is going to be looking a little closer at some things that deserve a 2nd look. He begins with this column, on 9/11.
In his very entertaining book of essays Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs, Chuck Klosterman writes about a pre-9/11 email he sent his friends asking them to make a choice. Would they rather go on blind date with someone they knew was attractive and successful? Or would they prefer to go on a blind date with someone who was attractive, successful, and "very patriotic"? Almost immediately, all his friends responded that they would date the first person. Klosterman claims he wasn't surprised, nor am I. A quick poll of my friends and co-workers returns similar results.
Why is it that so many of us think of patriotic people as undateable? Even in this post-9/11 age where one's willingness to express love for America is a kind of litmus test, I secretly believe patriotic people are lousy in bed and would make dull significant others.
Why?
-Sunday is the last day to get your sequels in, so get 'em done.
-Stephen A. Smith gets demoted by the Inky. Hallelujah! A talentless hack who couldn't write his way out of a paper bag, I really hope he quits and gets out of this city.
-It was on this date in 79 AD that Vesuvius erupted and buried Pompeii, killing everyone, even the hookers. But the Best Little Whorehouse in Pompeii is still there!
-Mmmm, Fast Fixins Frozen Chicken Strips. Now with mercury and shards of glass!
Holy Freaking Cow! Just got an astounding message from Smackdown: American Gladiators is coming back! That's right, NBC is putting together a new season of Gladiators! God Bless you NBC! And NBC, do me this favor: Please, Please bring back Malibu, I don't care how old and out of shape he is now.
A'ight, I'm headed off to CB Park to watch a little baseball. Last night's 15-3 is meaningless. Win today and we take the series. But it don't look good. As the moderately insane are quite aware, the Phillies always s*** the bed in the businessman's special. And we've got Fabio Castro making his first start, and I'm not feeling real good about that. This is was the perfect opportunity for a fan group, though. Fabio's Castros, a group of guys with all green fatigues and long beards. Or Fabio's Fabios, a group of meatheads in pink shirts who have long, gorgeous golden locks
P.S. Keep those worst sequels coming! Yes, you may post more than one. We'll vote next week.
-Here's Entertainment Weekly's list of the actual worst sequels ever.
-Rangers, who had struck out 30 tomes and scored two runs in their previous two games, beat the Orioles, 30-3. The best part was that the Orioles at one point had a 3-0 lead.
-This is pretty awesome. 59 year old playing on a college football team. Which reminds me, I have four years of eligibility left...
-Damn, I swear all the great concerts happen on Thrsdays, when I gotta work. Tonight, G. Love and Special Sauce at Penn's Landing.
In case you haven't had a chance to pick one up, here's this weeks column. Yep you guessed it, it's my ideas for worst sequels.
Here's a few questions from last weeks quizzo, with a little more background info on the answers:
1) Rainey Bethea was executed on August 14, 1936. What made his execution unique in the United States?
A: He was the last person executed publicly. The reason we haven't done it again is because it didn't go so well. The hangman was wasted.
2) What fighter on Mike Tyson's Punchout hailed from Philadelphia?
A: Mr. Sandman. If you really wanna waste 2 minutes of your life, watch this uber-nerd get beat up by Mr. Sandman. Eerily compelling.
3) One of the worst movies ever made was also one of 1998s most lucrative. It's tagline was, "For Love. For Honor. For Mankind".
A: Armageddon. Here was Roger Eberts review of this tripe.
4) What religion runs the "Psychiatry: A History of Death Museum"?
A: Scientology. Yes, this museum actually exists. Here is a video tour of the museum. To be honest, this museum looks freaking awesome.
5) Who did Elvis meet with on December 21, 1970 to express his contempt for the drug culture, and producing one of the most amazing photos ever?
A: Richard Nixon. Here's that photo and a little background on it.
6) Hugh Beaumont is best known for playing what character on TV?
A: Ward Cleaver. After leaving the show he became a Christmas tree salesman. Hugh Beaumont rules.
-It was 96 years ago today that the French noticed something. "Hey, wasn't there a picture of a lady where that empty frame is now?" Except they said it in French: "Perdon moi, parlez vous un pictorio de femme en la framerie?"
-Here's the latest from Trivia Art. Did he really think that the Independence Brew Pub was helping us get ahead at anything?
-If I ever rubbed an old lamp and a genie popped out, I'd wish for the same thing I woulda wished for as a kid: a time machine. (Of course, if I ever rubbed an old lamp, I'd probably just get a hand rash.) Anyways, scientists are saying that time travel will be possible in the future. But wait, if time travel is possible in the future, why aren't any of those time travelers here now? They probably all went to the 20s, when the booze was flowin' and the girls were easy.
-Hey, Philly just won an honorable mention for best tasting tap water! Get that ticker tape ready, it's time to celebrate!
A'ight, I got a $20 gift certificate to the Bards and two IMAX passes to the winner of this contest, and a $15 gift certificate to Good Dog for 2nd place. It's a sequel contest. You need to come up with the worst idea for a movie sequel that hasn't been made, and a short plot outline. I want you to come up with some ideas so bad that they make Weekend at Bernies 2 actually not look like such a bad idea. I'll go first:
It's a Wonderful Life 2: Potter's Revenge
Picks up shortly after the original left off. George Bailey still faces charges of Destruction of Property and a DUI after plowing into the tree before he jumped off the bridge. Potter sees an opportunity to put his rival behind bars, and hires Clarence Darrow (played by Spencer Tracy) to take the case. Things look hopeless for Bailey, until Uncle Billy exposes Potter's darkest secret to the courtroom, and a mistrial is declared. Stan Musial makes his acting debut as Judge Rogers.
Post your ideas in the comment section below, and make sure you leave a name and an email address so I can contact you if you win. Have fun!
Happy birthday to Philadelphia underground legend Steve O (above, with Fabio). The Andy Reid impersonator/piano maestro/quizzo host/comedian/damn good guy turns 24 today. Or something close to that. His plans to celebrate? Playing quizzo at Dark Horse tonight. Steve also celebrated early by winning twice at quizzo last week. Go ahead and holla atcha boy Steve on Myspace or drop him best birthday wishes in the comments below. Steve, my birthday gift to you: I'm replacing Lionel Richie with you on my Myspace Top 12!
Only one person intimitely involved working with the Warren Commission is still alive. He was not an official member of the commission, but an assistant counsel to the commission. Who is he?
I'm getting kind of tired of the songs on my iPod and was wondering if anyone wanted to play some of their tunes at quizzo this week. If you are interested, shoot me an email (johnnygoodtimes@hotmail.com) and let me know at which quizzo you wanna DJ at. First come first serve. Word.
So I got one of those "My late husband sent me a ton of money and I need to give some of it to you, complete stranger" emails yesterday, and being it was a rainy Sunday, I decided to respond (that's the passport she sent me, above). Here was the initial email, with my response after the jump. She actually wrote back to me today! If I do decide to contact her lawyer, I'll let you know. Oh, and I hope you will follow her advice to "always be prayerful".
Dear Beloved,
Glory to God in heaven. My name is Mrs. Anne Marie Joubert from South Africa. I am married to Mr. Abraham Benjamin Joubert, who is a mechanical engineer worked with shell petroleum company for many years before he died in 2004. We were married for eleven years without a child. He died after a brief illness that lasted for only four days.
Before his death we were both born again Christians. Since his death I decided not to re-marry or get a child outside my matrimonial home which the Bible is against. When my late husband was alive he deposited a total sum of $10.5 Million ( Ten Million, Five Hundred Thousand U.S.Dollars) with a security and finance company in Europe.
Presently, this money is still under the safe keeping of the reserve company. Recently, my Doctor told me that I would not last for the next seven months due to my cancer problems. Though what disturbs me most is my stroke. Having known my condition, I decided to donate this fund to church or better still a Christian individual that will utilize this money the way I am going to instruct here in. I want a church or God fearing individual that will use this fund on, orphanages and widows propagating the word of God and give help to mankind. The Bible made us to understand that blessed is the hand that givet.
I took this decision because I don't have any child that will inherit this money and my husband relatives are not Christians and I don't want my husband's hard earned money to be misused by unbelievers. I don't want a situation where this money will be used in an ungodly manner. Hence the reason for taking this bold decision.
I am not afraid of death hence I know where I am going. I know that I am going to be in the bosom of the Lord. Exodus 14 VS 14 says that the lord will fight my case and I shall hold my peace. I don't need any telephone communication in this regard because of my health condition and the presence of my husband's relatives around me always. I don't want them to know about this development.
With God all things are possible. My happiness is that I lived a life of a worthy Christian. Whoever that wants to serve the Lord must serve him in spirit and truth. Please always be prayerful all through your any delay in your reply will give me room in sourcing for a church or Christian individual for this same purpose. Please assure me that you will act accordingly as I stated herein. Hoping to hear from you as soon as possible.
Remain blessed in the name of the Lord.
Yours in Christ, Read Hebrews13:15v16 New Living Translation
Mrs. Anne Marie Joubert.
After the break, Johnny responds.
-This is hilarious. Top 10 streaking videos of all time. To be honest, the ones rated 1-4 are the lamest, but the first six videos are priceless. More silly than offensive, but probably not safe for work.
-Bill Moyers, one of the few television journalists with any cojones, talks about Karl Rove's legacy.
-I care about you guys. I really do. That's why I want you to hold your right hand up and make the following pledge: "No matter how drunk I get, I will never, NEVER, climb inside a bear cage."
-Dick Cheney can tell the future!
-The Phillies "Quest to miss the wild card by one game" got a shot in the arm yesterday, as the Phils pulled defeat from the jaws of victory and blew a four run lead for the 2nd straight game against the worst team in the National League. I'd like to reiterate a guarantee I made months ago: The Phils will be tied for the wild card lead going into the final series of the season, then will lose two of three to the Nationals and miss it by one game.
What's the name of the Bird who is "cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs"?
This female R and B singer had a hit with "Wang Dang Doodle".
Who wrote the book Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs?
Who is the Boston Red Sox center fielder?
What was special about a gorilla named Koko?
What wrestler had a macaw named Frankie?
Gonna throw the pics of last weeks winners up. Yesterday was Coco Chanels birthday, so this weeks topic will be Cocoa. One Guess per person. No cheating!
A player that won twice, some new blood at the Sheep, and the an adios to a regular. Let's review.
-"Cuz I Got High" by Afroman, Featuring Phil Rizzuto, which was really just Steve O. and D-Mac, blew away the field at O'Neals, missing only two questions on their way to a 113-96 win over Last Quizzo as a Free Man.
-A nailbiter at the Bards, as the Narkotyzing Dysfunktion, as they and the Sofa Kingdom missed 0 questions in Round Three and got the same two questions wrong in round four. So it came down to the Speed Round, and Narks got one more right in Round Two, which would prove decisive in the 100-98 win.
-Mrs. Astor Will Miss Her Hair Appointment (aka the Jams), won yet again at the Vous with a 110. It was their 9th win in the last ten weeks at the Vous. One more win and we've got a bounty on our hands. Dead Television Personalities finished 2nd with 99
-A close match at the Black Sheep, as the Detroit Ligers knocked off Eschaton (aka Satan's Minions), 99-94. The red hot Duane's MInions, winners of 4 of the last 5 going into Wedensday's game, finished 3rd with 92.
-It was Steve O. again at at the Good Dog, as his team the Snap, Crackle and Popped Collars beat the Axis of Evil Knieval, 102-93. My parents team, the Hometown Heroes, finished 3rd.
-It was Sayanara Pete (above, on JGT's right in white t-shirt) Day at the Bards, as the regular for several years played his last quizzo before moving to DC. Sadly, there would be no spectacular send off, as his team, Jason Basedow Stole My Starter Jacket, finished in 4th. The Hurtin Bombs took the win, 101-87, over John the Baptist's Last Name was Goodtimes.
The final Constitution Center Quizzo is tonight at 6:30 p.m. If the weather is nice, we'll do it out on the deck. Quizzo is free with Museum admission. Each member of the winning team gets a $20 gift certificate to the Stephen Starr restaurant of their choice. 'm not expecting a huge crowd, so this is a good chance to a victory. And yes, they will be serving alcohol. See ya there!
-In the photo above are my parents, whose team finished third last night at the Good Dog, and my friend Shannon, who just coincidentally was in Philly as well on a work assignment. She and I were good friends in elementary, middle and high school. No, we never dated. What part of "I was a loser in high school" do you not understand? She now lives in Baton Rouge.
-The Metro has a new Eagles blog. It's pretty good.
-The Lovely Ginger has started her own blog. How did I find out? Not because she told me, the guy who gave her big break in the blogging industry. Oh noooooooooo. I found out because Foobooz linked to her yesterday. Ginger and I are officially in a fight. I may need a new co-host for Quizzo Bowl 4.
-I received the following text message from Smackdown last night, who was playing in an Rock Paper Scissors tourney: I just won my RPS round...and they called out that I was your friend. Everyone booed! I think that making myself the most hated man on the Philadelphia RPS circuit may be my greatest accomplishment. As Reggie Jackson said, "Fans don't boo nobodies."
-Show at Medusa is still on for Saturday night at 7 p.m., and it's gonna be a good show, but I'm off the bill. My folks are in town, and I don't wanna have to be gretting ready for stuff all three nights they are here. Still gonna be good though, with Chip headlining.
They're going to be raising money at O'Neals this Sunday with their "Get in the Pink" event on Sunday from 12-5, raising money for the Breast Cancer 3 day walk. Press release after the jump.
It was 30 years ago today that the King passed away. I'll be playing lots of Elvis tonight at quizzo.
An inmate has filed a $63,000,000,000 BILLION (Is that $63 billion billion?) dollar lawsuit against Michael Vick and claims that Vick stole two of his pit bulls and then sold them on EBay and then used the money to buy missiles from Iran. You know, I've heard that Tom Brady buys missiles from the oppresive Saudi regime, but I guess that because they're our "allies", it makes it ok. Or is it because the NFL doesn't like black quarterbacks buying missiles from the MIddle East, but is OK with white quarterbacks buying missiles from the Middle East?
This weeks column is on Painless Parkers Bucket of Teeth (above). Check it out.
Can You Smell What the Scorpion King is Cooking pulled off a victory at the Franklin Institute on Friday night, edging Osirus's Minions, 91-86. But the real story was the melt down of the 3d place team, Duck Butter. Featuring Trivia Art, Smackdown, and D-Mac, the Butter had a perfect score going into the final round, but only answered 4 correctly in round four to finish with an 84, out of the money. The next museum quizzo will be this friday at the Constitution Center at 6:30 p.m.. Be there!
Happy Birthday Charles Bukowski! I miss most people's birthdays, but seem to always remember his, and give him a shout out every year.
For those who believe in God, most of the big questions are answered. But for those of us who can't readily accept the God formula, the big answers don't remain stone-written. We adjust to new conditions and discoveries. We are pliable. Love need not be a command or faith a dictum. I am my own God. We are here to unlearn the teachings of the church, state, and our educational system. We are here to drink beer. We are here to kill war. We are here to laugh at the odds and live our lives so well that Death will tremble to take us. -C.B.
In case any of you were wondering if Dutch had come to his senses, the answer is Not At All. Go here if you wanna hear what he said. Or you can read it here.
Dutch says he talks to lizards. I remember when I was like 6 and I told my neighbor that my dog had said my name. My mom was pissed. I'm not sure why. Probably because she didn't want her neighbors to know how dumb her son was.
-Quizzo tonight at Locust Rendezvous and Black Sheep.
-Little Brother tonight at Johnny Brenda's.
-Americana Quizzo Friday at the Constitution Center.
-Comedy show Saturday at Medusa.
-Need to get milk. (That last reminder was just for me.)
-So I'm reading about Edna Parker, the world's new oldest woman, because, um, that's what I do, and I came across this: Parker lives in the same retirement center as Sandy Allen, the tallest woman in the world. Sadly, Sandy is not married to Mark Eaton. Anyways, some old Japanese lady died (tragically) and left Edna as the world's oldest person. USA! USA! USA! USA!
-Here's Trivia Art's latest for the Metro.
-Umpires love white pitchers. Man, can you imagine how bad Adam Eaton would be if he was black or Japanese?
-Happy Birthday, Napoleon Bonaparte! And what in the hell happened to your penis? (Word on the street is, Napoleon was no Rasputin, if you catch my drift.)
Now that the NFL has decided to become the judge, jury, and executioner of morally deficient players in the NFL, it's time to ask the question: When does Tom Brady start his suspension? After all, what is morally more reprehensible than a guy leaving his girlfriend immediately upon finding out she is pregnant, being seen with a new girlfriend a few weeks later, and then having friends spread rumors that she got pregnant on purpose to keep him around? Is the NFL really adding "morality police" to its resume in an effort to clean up its game, or is this an excuse to kick out players that don't fit its image of what they want an NFLer to be, while giving their "Golden Boy" a free pass? And here's the other question: why weren't the radio airwaves burning up with people condemning Brady after he behaved in this fashion?
A great underground hip hop group performing manana at Johnny Brenda's. I saw Little Brother a couple of years ago open for Blackalicious, and they were fantastic. They are a rare commodity in modern rap: a combination of smart and funny, and they actually realize that there are other words besides "Bitches" and "riches" that rhyme. Of course, that type of intelligence is punished by the rap community and BET owner Bob Johnson:
Almost 2 years ago, Little Brother's video, "Lovin It" was banned from BET due to the program director saying that the song was too intellectual for the station's 12-19 year old African American female demographic. As a result, the Atlantic recording trio, Little Brother got the cold shoulder from the network for not having dumbed down content, which resulted in their anticipated debut lp, The Minstrel Show not seeing it's full potential, due to no promotion.
-From Streethop.com
Anyways, Little Brother is playing Wednesday night at Johnny Brenda's at 9:30 p.m.. I highly recommend attending. Oh, and here's some pretty hilarious stuff on their Myspace about Mike Tyson's Punchout being racist.
James Joseph Dresnok is the last living US defector to what country?
Rove was fired from Bush Sr.'s re-election campaign after leaking info to what reporter?
What was a 2003 book by James Moore and Wayne Slater about Rove's influence called? (Hint: It's a name derogatorily given to him by many people who see Bush as mentally deficient.)
What colorful nickname did Bush have for Rove?
Now known as Altria, what was this company known as from 1991-1996 while Rove was consulting them?
In what state did Karl Rove falsely inform voters that Bush's opponent, John McCaine, had an African American daughter, that he was gay, and that he cheated on his wife?
Rove began his political career working for this presidents reelection campaign.
Yeah, I'm a day late and a dollar short. My bad. I was just so upset about Karl Rove stepping down yesterday I had a hard time concentrating on work. But hey, here's my chance to honor the man. So each question under the photos will be about Rove.
-This exchange between Mike Schmidt and Harry the K over the weekend is pretty amazing. "I've been beating the hell out of my wife pretty regularly."
-White House dumps Rove, picks up Ripken. Now we just need to convince Bush to drop Cheney and acquire Eddie Murray.
-Merv Griffin passed away. This gives us a great opportunity to show Kramer taking over the set of the Merv Griffin Show.
-David Lee Roth has rejoined Van Halen, and they are scheduled to appear in Philly on October 1. Oh Man, I hope this also means Roth is gonna be coming out with the movie Crazy From the Heat II: Even Crazier. The odds of Roth and Eddie Van Halen still being on speaking terms come October 1 are roughly 1,000,000,000 to 1.
This friday night, I'll be hosting the final Americana Quizzo at the Constitution Center. Game begins at 6:30 p.m. The rumors you've been hearing about me dressing in a colonial costume for this event are patently false.
Saturday night, I'm gonna be doing some comedy at Medusa Lounge (21st Street, between Chestnut and Market). Chip Chantry will be headlining.
-This is nuts. You'll see ROve at the 4:09 point.
-We start on Tuesday, where the Young, the Old and the Restless won for the 2nd straight week. They knocked off Dork Sided, 95-89.
-At the Bards we had our longest winning team name, possibly ever. Matt Carlson Will Take Your Mom Out for a Nice Seafood Dinner and Never Call Her Again (aka the Narkotyzing Dysfunktion) blew open a close match in the final round and knocked off the Sofa Kingdom, 107-91.
-On to the Rendezvous, where we had another close match blown open in the final round. The Jams came from 5 down going into round four to beat We Let the Dogs Out, 111-96. The Jams were one of two teams to ace round four this week. It was their 8th win in the last 9 weeks.
-Our third straight blowout of the week took place at the Black Sheep. Duane's World was the other team to ace Round Four, and they scored an easy 105-87 victory over the River Of Rocks. It was their 4th win in 5 weeks, as they have become the team to beat at the Sheep.
-Another blowout at the Good Dog, as Snap, Crackle, and Popped Collar dominated in a 97-75 win.
-A heartbreaker at the Bards, as heavily favored Hurtin Bombs would have gone down if Mr. Belvedere's Moustache Sweats Maple Syrup hadn't missed the final question, "What sport do the French call la Natation?" The Hurtin Bombs thus held on for a 101-100 win.
-Other highlights of the week included:
-Me getting humiliated at Boggle
-Barry Bonds breaking the Home Run Record
-Goodtimes calls Nixon Underrated.
-The "popped collar" article. Please show this to your friends at Penn!
Gotta work on questions for tonight, so Week in Review will be posted manana. If you haven't done so already, check out the write up on Barry Bonds or on Richard Nixon, and add your own two cents on either.
I have extremely sad news to pass along. Rob Schiller, the captain of the renowned Champs team (on the right, holding the money), passed away yesterday. He was best known in the quizzo community for hosting quizzo at Rembrandt's, and for being one of the biggest (and funniest) smack talkers on the local quizzo circuit. He was a consumate jokester, a man of my own heart, always trying to bring the spirit of the wrestling world into quizzo. (He also had the smarts to back it up, as his team is well known for being one of the best in the city.) He demanded that his team enter to theme music before the past two Quizzo Bowls, and revelled in the cacophony of boos that rained down upon he and the rest of his teammates as he held his hands to the sky and then snagged french fries off unsuspecting people's plates. About the stolen food, he explained to the City Paper in a write up about the team last year, "We were just trying to save some money." As heartbroken as I am to hear of his passing, I take a small amount of solace in the fact that every memory I have of Rob brings a smile to my face. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and his many friends.
When: Tonight, 7 p.m.
Where: Franklin Institute
What: Science Quizzo, with a dash of Egyptology
Who: You and me.
How: You show up, I ask questions, they show crazy stuff on the ceiling, we have fun.
Yeah, I'm kind of a numbskull, so I threw their paper away before I did my write up on the Constitution Center quizzo from last friday and forgot their team name. I do remember that they kicked some A, finishing with an impressive 110. Anyways, there is one more Constition Center quizzo, coming next Friday night. Hope to see you there!
I think it would kinda kool to learn a bit more about the questions I ask, so on Fridays I wanna start talking a bit more about them.
1. What animal is known as the sea cow
-The manatee. Have you been to hornymanatee.com?
2. What does CHUD stand for?
-Cannibalistic Humanoid Underground Dweller.DId you realize that both John Goodman and Daniel Stern were in this film?
3. In what year did the last cigarette commercial air?
a) 1966 b) 1970 c) 1974 d) 1978
-The answer is B. Here is an actual cigarette commercial from the 1960s. Amazing.
4. In 1893, the Supreme COurt decided that this was a vegetable.
-Tomato. Yep, the argument made it all the way to the Supreme Court in Nix vs. Hedden, because there were tariffs against veggies but not fruits. The Court technically got it wrong.
5. This dolphin, named after the Asian river it inhabits, is now though to be extinct.
Yangtze. It is the first vertebrate to be driven to extinction by man in 50 years. At least that's what the activist scientists are telling us. Exxon's PR team says that the Yangtze River Dolphins have never been more plentiful, and Darth Ern believes them.
6. Who did Barry Bonds hit #756 off of?
Mike Bacsik, who handled it extremely well.
7. Whose head was Caesar offered in a basket when he arrived in Egypt in 48 BC?
Pompey's, which began the chain of events that put Cleopatra in power
-Looks like my niece is already working on her Elvis snear.
-City Paper says that the Locust Rendezvous has the best fries in the city.
-What song should Brett Myers enter his games to? I think "Muskrat Love" by Captain and Tennille would be epic. Or "Sailing" by Christopher Cross.
--Excuse me, sir, do you know that there is a monkey on your head?
-Happy Birthday Kurtis Blow! The video to the song Basketball is the Citizen Kane of music videos. Or at least the Ishtar of music videos. The dunk by the white guy with the moustache and mullet is nothing short of remarkable.
I was originally gonna write a column about Nixon for the Metro this week, until my editor was like, "What in the hell does Nixon have to do with Arts and Entertainment in Philly?" to which my answer was (blank stare). Anyways, I still think it's kind of a neat look at Nixon, and I think you'll like it. Maybe it'll even bring Bob T. back.
Today is the 33rd anniversary of Richard Nixon stepping down as President to avoid a trial for impeachement. Much has been made of Nixon's gross errors, paranoid delusions, and chicanerous deceptions. But it is unfair to judge his entire presidency by his mistakes. There were numerous successes and some visionary policies. In fact, in some ways, he was one of the most succesful presidents in American history. He is the only man to ever be elected President twice and Vice President twice, and his victory in 1972 was one of the biggest landslides in American history. He was President when man first walked on the moon. Relations with Russia and China were both greatly improved during Nixon's tenure. He was an impressive compromiser, able to succesfully push numerous bills through a Democratic Congress.
"If liberals were pressed to say something nice about Nixon, they'd probably mention his creation of the Environmental Protection Agency, Occupation Safety and Health Administration, and support for the clean water act, school desegregation, and affirmative action," says Kevin Arceneaux, a political science professor at Temple. "By current-day standards, Nixon's domestic policies would be considered centrist, if not left-of-center." In fact, renowned left wing activist Noam Chomsky once called Nixon, "Our last liberal President." And Hunter S. Thompson, who despised Nixon all his life and who worked feverishly to assist George McGovern in 1972, offered him faint praise a few years ago. "Richard Nixon looks like a flaming liberal today, compared to a golem like George Bush. Indeed. Where is Richard Nixon now that we finally need him?"
Here's the latest. I think it's kinda funny.
P.S. It reads a little choppy on the Metro site, so I am also posting it below.
This friday night at 7 p.m., I'll be hosting another science quizzo at the Franklin Institute in the planetarium. If you haven't been to one of these yet, I highly encourage it. Ask anyone whose been to one, they are a blast. Quizzo, trippy stuff up on the ceiling, booze, all the ingredients for a weird night, and weird nights are always the best. (Well, there was that one weird night that got a little too weird, but I was in college and I thought they were just normal brownies.) Anyways, don't be too intimidated if your not that great at science...see, neither am I. In fact, I suck at science. I consistently got Cs and Ds in science throughout high school, and I only passed Chemistry because the teacher didn't want to have me in his class again. (I know that's why you passed me, Mr. Mysko. I know.) The only thing I hate worse than science are science nerds. So rest assured, I will be using the term "science" as loosely as possible, while still staying honest. That being said, science nerds, there will still be enough science questions to keep you people as happy as it is possible for a science nerd to truly be. And study up on your Egypt knowledge, as well. The event is part of the Golden Ticket Promotion, and members of the winning team will all get free passes to the King Tut exhibit. Sweet! Oh, and it's free to play. See ya there!!!
It was, all in all, a fairly majestic moment, regardless of how you feel about Barry Bonds. He got The Natural treatment, fireworks exploding as he circled the bases. But for most baseball fans outside of San Francisco, it was a bittersweet moment at best, a sad recognition that a classy warrior like Hank Aaron was being passed by an arrogant ass who had used steroids to improve his power.
But baseball has always been a game filled with cheaters. In fact, it is part of what we celebrate about the game. Pitchers have used Vaseline on the tips of their caps since they invented Vaseline, and used a nail files for reasons that had nothing to do with manicuring. Phillies pitcher Kevin Gross was suspended for 10 games in 1987 for having sandpaper in his glove. In 1961, Norm Cash won the AL batting championship with a .361 batting average, way above his career average. After he retired, he admitted that he had corked his bat that year. In the late 1960s, the Chicago White Sox kept their baseballs in a humidor for weeks, so that they would be heavy and help their pitchers. If a grounds crews doesn't soak the area around first base when a renowned base stealer has come to town, it's not doing it's job, and in the 1950s the Phillies grounds crew added a little incline to the third base line, so Rickie Ashburn's numerous bunts would all stay fair. Hell, last year, Kenny Rogers was shown to have stick 'em on his pitching hand when he shut down the Yankees in the ALDS.
Be back with some thoughts on Bonds this afternoon, but in the meantime, I'm still working on my Metro piece (thanks for you help last night). Here's a couple of quick things worth checking out;
-The Democrats prove that they're spineless when dealing with Alberto.
-Faith on Tap, a group that meets regularly to discuss religion, has their weekly happy hour every Thursday...at the Devil's Alley. Brilliant.
-Newsweek challenges the Darth Erns of the world on global warming
-Happy birthday JC Chasez! Don't listen to the haters, JC, just keep doing how you do.
Remember when hip hop didn't suck? That was kool. Oh, and peep Chuck's hat.
Has George Bush revoked the 5th Amendment?
"On its face, this is the greatest encroachment on civil liberties since the internment of Japanese Americans in World War II," said Bruce Fein, a constitutional lawyer who was a deputy attorney general in the Reagan administration and author of an article of impeachment against President Bill Clinton..."King George III," observed Fein, "really would have been jealous of this power."
What pitcher did Hank Aaron hit his 715th home run off of?
-Time Magazine recently did a photo shoot of the murals of Philadelphia. Worth checking out.
-A couple of hours away, a family is raising a pet bear. Pet bears are kool. I wish Celine Dion would get a pet bear and then cover her face in honey.
-Have you ever thought to yourself, "Yeah, I'd love to have a block party, but not unless I could get Foghat to play. But what are the odds of...wait, what did you say? I can get Foghat to play my block party? Awesome! Pick me! Pick me! I know all the words to Slow Ride!
-Happy 32nd Birthday Charlize Theron. Rumors that we here at JGT HQ have a mad crush on Theron are patently false. I mean, once you get past the stunning beauty, rare talent, devilish charm, and remarkable success, what have you got left? Very little.
My favorite sports blog in Philadelphia is undoubtedly Beerleaguer. The guys on there really know their baseball, and commiserating and cheering with them through the ups and downs of this incredibly ulcer inducing season has been a lot of fun. And a glimpse at the comments in yesterday's thread could tell you the angst, inherent sarcasm, and exultation of what it's like to be a Phillies fan better than just about any other writing could. It is borderline poetic. I picked out the ones that told the story from beginning to end as we all experienced it while watching the Phillies coming back from being down 6-0 late in the game and posted them below. Enjoy.
I first saw my challenger from a distance, and I must admit that I figured I would win at Boggle easily. No-one shorter than me has ever beaten me at Boggle, and neither has a female. This young lady was both shorter than me and, I'm fairly certain, a female. I had this one in the bag. We went to Rum Bar, which has Boggle to offer its patrons (as well as pretty good drink specials: $3 Dark and Stormy's on Sundays and 1/2 price Mojitos on Mondays). I ordered a Dark and Stormy, and just then it began to rain outside. Fitting, since I was planning on raining on this young ladies parade with a decisive win.
It was about midway through the first round that I noticed that something was wrong. We had been playing for about a minute and a half, and she had never stopped writing words on her paper. "Probably just trying to psyche me out," I thought. "Those probably aren't even real words." But it was unnerving. It became more unsettling when I realized that they were real words, and I was trailing 33-13 after the first round. "Lucky round," I told myself, unconvincingly. The next round contained a lot of consonants, and not a lot of points were scored. Then round three, and all hell broke loose. Her hand couldn't keep up with her mind, as she had trouble writing words down as quickly as she could see them. I was starting to unravel. Seeing her write word after word had thrown me off my game, and the letters all began running together, and I froze. I needed something, anything to call off this game. Hurricane, riot, fire, something had to stop this word massacre! But there was no divine intervention, and after the round, we tabulated scores. 79-19 was the final. Oh, well. I'm better at Scrabble anyway.
Often referred to as "The Amazing Kreskin of the Sports World", Willie Gee's picks of sporting events are borderline legendary. And if he's right again this year, God Bless Us Eagle fans.
Perhaps the greatest gift given to WillieG the sports analyst is his special ability to predict the future in certain instances without the help of ESP (or ESPN for that matter). Although I am by no means always right, I have been right on many occasions over time when others shunned my predictions and believed that they had virtually no chance whatsoever of coming true. My greatest prediction probably came around 2002, when Brett Favre first began to talk retirement. I boldly predicted that Favre would essentially become a "retirement redneck" in that he would not leave the game anytime soon but would continue to talk about it every chance he got for years just as many everyday rednecks do. Rednecks are always like, "Maaan, I think I'm about ready to hang it up", and then they work until they're like 70 some. I just had the feeling Favre would go that route, and well, look at him now. Favre is slated to be Green Bay's starting quarterback for the 2007-08 season. That pick really came to fruition, did it not?
Several people have seen the star of M. Night's upcoming film, the Happening, arond town. Who is he?
Who stars as Merrill Hess in one M. Night film, and as Lucis Hunt in another?
Where did Bruce Willis's character work as a security guard in Unbreakable?
Who played Vincent, the boy who shoots Dr. Malcolm Crowe at the start of the 6th Sense?
What 1999 live action film based on a kids book did M. Night co-write the script for?
What private school in Lower Merion did M. Night attend (and is also the alma mater of Lionel Barrymore and Brian Tierney)?
Today is M. Night Shymalan's birthday, so we'll do our questions on him and his movies. One gess per person. No cheating!
The week began on Monday, when I revealed how John Keats failed to score me a #. Then, on Tuesday, it was time to review Philly Mags Best Of Philly issue. On to quizzo. It was an extremely competitive week that saw 4 matches determined by 5 points or less, and nobody win by more than 7. Tuesday at O'Neals, the Young the Old and the Restless held off Nothing Says "Hetero" Like 3 Guys Huddled Around a 3 by 3 Table, 98-91.
On to the Bards, where the Sofa Kingdom scored their 4th straight win, a 99-92 effort over Matt Carlson Is a God Among Men. No surprises at the Vous either, as the Jams (aka the West Croaked Offense) withstood an impressive performance from Ante Homeless, Auntie Homeless Anti Homeless, 103-100. It took us until the Black Sheep to find an upset. Flander's Vegas Wife, a couple of guys from old school quizzo legends The Goats, got 50 in the final round to edge the red hot Duane's World, 100-95. It had been over two years since the team, regulars at the Bards and part of the infamous Western Omelette-Goats rivalry of 2004, had won. It was also on Wednesday that I returned home to discover that someone had apparently melted on my doorstep (above). I mean, seriously, who leaves jeans on doorsteps?
Another old favorite at the Good Dog on Thursday. The Axis of Evil Knieval, who are a little bitter that there is no more MAGMA to knock off, edged Like a Bridge Over Troubled Water, 99-94. "If MAGMA ever decides that they want to go back to being smacked around by us like in the good ol' days, have them get to the Good Dog ASAP," stated one unnamed member of the Evils.
A thriller at the Bards, as three teams finished within three points of the titlebut in the end it was Saint Anne's Mini Onions, a conglomaorate inclding some of Satan's Minions, that edged the Hurtin' Bombs and the Sofa Kingdom, 103-100-100.
Alright, gang, it's time for Round Two of Constitution Center Quizzo. Gonna kick it off at the Constitution Center tonight at 6:30 p.m. Each member of the winning team gets $20 gift certificates to Stephen Starr restaurant of their choice. All questions will be America related, which leaves me plenty of wiggle room to get creative. And yes, they will be serving alcohol. Hope to see you there!
In case you missed it yesterday, click "Continue Reading Metro Article" below to read the article I did for the Metro. It had to do with strange Atari games. Here's some more video game weirdness:
-There was Beat 'Em and Eat 'Em, another Atari porno game you need to read about to believe.
-Pac Man, where the ghosts are controlled by crickets.
-Ok, this is downright amazing. An entire website devoted to the dumping of the ET cartridges in the landfill in 1983.
-Custer's Revenge was one of Seanbaby's 20 worst video games of all time.
Harry Kalas: "Rocky Cherry is in the on deck circle."
Basically anything Harry says for the rest of this game concerning Rocky Cherry will be my new favorite sentence.
UPDATE: I have decided to start the Philadelphia chapter of the Rocky Cherry fan club. Just drop a line in the comment section if you want to join my new club.
UPDATE, PT II: Rocky Cherry just grounded out to first in his first ever ML at bat.
First of all, be sure to do your voting on MyFoxPhillys Hot List. Once again, best quizzo is not an option, but I'm gonna let it slide. And oh by the way, Good Dog is totally kicking tail for best burger. Be sure to vote for either the Bards or Black Sheep for best Irish pub!
-Or play the highly addictive Gold Miner.
-"We here at Foobooz love reading Best of Philly almost as much as we love maps. So here is a bit of both." Nerd alert.
-There is a new white powder called Blow that you put in your drink and has 4 times as much caffeine as an espresso. Blow sent a shipment of their exciting new product to NBC10. Apprently, Blow thinks that Bill Henley and Hurricane Schwartz are the perfect people to plug their new product.
-A new study shows that woman want sex for the same reason guys do, b/c they are attracted to the other person. Major oversight in the study: "Because I was drunk" not an option.
-It was on this date in 1937 that the Marihuana Stamp Act was passed. Marihuana was a deadly drug, popular in the 1930s, that caused teenagers to have sex with jazz musicians and kill their parents with axes. Fortunately, this important legislation closed the market for the drug and it is no longer possible to find marihuana in the United States.
-Is Stairway to Heaven an homage to sweet Satan? Listen and judge for yourself. Warning: Rumor has it that Dick Cheney got his start in politics after listening to this song backwards, so be careful.
-Dunno if you guys caught the four part series that the Washington Post did on Dick Cheney last month. A good look at the worst vice president in the history of the nation, and probably one of the worst people in this nation's history.
-Yeah, I got a little love from D-Mac in PW. The first time the Vatican and quizzo have ever been repped in the same paragraph. (The quizzo storyline in Angels and Demons didn't make the final cut.)
-Old school hip hop heads must check out the new video from KRS ONE and Marley Marl.
-Bush has decided to to send $20 billion worth of high tech weapons to the Saudi Arabians. I hope this teaches those who would inlict "Terra" on America a harsh lesson: If hijackers from your nation attack us, we will give your nation high tech weapons. But if zero hijackers from your country invade us, we will kill hundreds of thousands of your citizens. Amazing.
Hey gang, got a cople of pretty kool quizzoes coming up in the next few weeks. First, a return engagement at the Constitution Center this Friday at 6:30 p.m. American history (with American history once again being used in a liberal sense) will be the name of the game. Quizzo is free with museum admission. I'd suggest getting there early to check out some of the museum before we get started, especially the Freedom Rising multimedia exhibit. Each member of the winning team gets gift certificates to Stephen Starr restaurant of their choice.
Then, on August 10th, I'm headed to the Franklin Institute for a science quizzo with a little Egyptology thrown in. The event is free (no admission for museum or for quizzo), and the winning team will walk with free tickets to see the King Tut exhibit, which has been an enormous success. The event is part of the golden ticket promotion. I like the concept of "Visiting Tut After Dark". I kind of envision Tut in a silk jacket holding a martini and smoking a cigar and regaling the crowd with stories about the curse he put on Howard Carter.
-Trivia Art's column in today's Metro.
-Phawker has the entire new Common album on their radio. Just click "Play radio" in the upper left. Good stuff.
-Several people have remarked how funny they thought a certain comment under the Keats story was, so peep it.
