September 2007 Archives
If you haven't played the new online quizzo, check it out! If you have played it, please tell your friends. I think I have an opportunity to really do some fun stuff here, but I really need you guys to help me promote it. I greatly appreciate your help. Should have a new one up next week.
Also, I'm going to the Phils games tonight and tomorrow. Neither is an afternoon special, so they should be OK. Right? We sweep and we're in, and we can celebrate with an Eagles win over the Giants on Sunday night. Fellas, the fact is that you will not be leaving the couch or bar stool all weekend, so you're gonna have to agree to take the little lady out somewhere real nice next week. I suggest Chili's. And to show her how much you care, give her the gift that lasts forever: plastic roses.
Digg It!
The good guys at Lazaro's hooked it up a couple of weeks ago. We had an open house for the basketball Little League at my YMCA (if anyone is interested in volunteering or donating funds, jerseys, etc., let me know), and the guys at Lazaros (17th and South) gave us a great deal on pizza. Thanks guys! And keep up the good work.
-We begin on Tuesday at O' Neals, where the Young Old and Restless continued their hot streak, winning for the 3rd time in 5 weeks, 98-94, over Tallulah and the Three Js. Dork Sided finished 3rd with 90. Tallulah had a comfortable lead in round four, but pulled an '07 Mets and missed the final three questions.
-On to the Bards, where the Sofa Kingdom's five game winning streak came to an abrupt halt at five, as the Narcotyzing Dysfunktion scored a 104-96 win over Blast of Humidity. The Kingdom finished 3rd with a 90.
-At the Vous Steve O. (AKA Milton Bradley: Some Assembly Required) took a perfect game into the 4th, but changed a couple of answers he had right in Round Four and fell to the Jams (aka Eternal Silence of the Spotless Mime) 106-94.
-The Satan's Duane's were none to happy with Goodtimes Wednesday night, as their formidable team was laid low by the "1991: The Year in Music" round. Truth be told, though, they still got outscored in Round Four by the Axis of Evil Knieval and fell by a score of 107-87.
-Thursday was weird. Real weird. Are that many people watching the Phils? Smallest crowd ever at both the Good Dog and the Bards. At the Dog, the C+ Average knocked off the RPD M****F*****, 85-64.
-On to the Bards, where the Sofa Kingdom fought off a spirited effort by End of the Bar. The two teams were tied at 58 after three, but the Kingdom had too much manpower and closed the door in Round Four, 103-88. In third place was Geekswhodrink.com, aka John Denver (all quizmasters must be named John). The king of quizzo in the game's Second City finished with 79.
First off, gotta give credit where credit is due: I regularly check in on Metsblog to see what the hairy necks are up to, and I have to admit, I'm pretty impressed with what this Metsblog writer had to say. Apparently Mets fans are all jumping off the bandwagon, calling talk radio and going ballistic, leaving 3 run games in the 6th inning, etc. In other words, acting ways that the national media says that only Philly fans act. But man, the only thing as fun as coming from 7 games back is coming from 7 games back against the Mets. So now, a conundrum: I kind of want the Mets to make the playoffs, albeit as a wild card. I think a Mets-Phils NLCS would be off the freaking Richter.
Then again, I'm getting a little ahead of myself. The Phils still have to cool off a red hot Nationals team, the same team that kicked us out of the playoff race two years ago. But something feels different about this Phils team, and I'm sensing something I didn't sense a couple of years ago: confidence. Phillie players (and fans) fully expect to win the damn thing. This particular team has captured this city's hearts like no team in the city since I moved here 6 years ago, and I even count the Eagles team that went to the Super Bowl, because nobody enjoyed that team b/c they were expected to make it to the Super Bowl (or at least the NFC championship game).
We have a goofy manager that the fans still have a love/hate relationship with (and leaning a little heavier on the hate), a roster that has been ravaged by injuries, a shortstop who said they were the team to beat in March and then backed it up 159 freaking times in a row, a catcher who played in the minors for 14 years, a LF whose career was considered to be over until he suddenly surged back and rescued the team when their star 2B went out, a fun loving Hawaiian, Mitch Williams joining the post game show, etc., etc., etc. Oh, and don't know if you've noticed, but Harry has slipped into his playoff voice these past few nights, and it is spine tingling. I have been a sports fan for over 25 years, and I have to say that this has been the most fun ride I've ever been on. I really hope it continues past this weekend.
How could we let this happen? I had no idea that when I called the Liberty Bell overrated it would lead to something like this. I can't believe they gave the damn thing to Bono. I mean, give it to like, Jimmy Rollins, sure, I can live with that. But Bono? (CNN actually had posted this headline last night at about 7:30 p.m.)
Just joined the lovely Ginger for a little lunch at Dock Street Brewery (50th and Baltimore) and like whoa, the pizza there is off the chain. Get the BBQ chicken pizza, I'm telling you, peoples. The Pumpkin beer was pretty good too (No, I won't be sloppy at quizzo tonight, I only had one.) Then, because I was hanging with beer royalty (Ginger) I got to go back to the brewery and try out their coffee stoudt which they haven't put on tap yet. Delicious. I know the pizza hunt fizzled, but I still know my pizza, and trust me, this wood oven pizza is top notch.
-Apparently in an effort to escape reality, Philly fans have taken to huffing nitrous in the parking lot. I did a nitrous balloon once in college, then went to a Phish show, because hey, there's no way you can watch that boring ass band without the help of illegal drugs. But the buzz wears off in like 30 seconds, and then you're just stuck watching a Phish show with less brain cells and all the boredom.
-When the Mets were up 6-2, I said, "If they blow this game, the Phils are gonna win the division." The Mets blew it, and I stand by my statement. I really think we could be seeing a 1964 type meltdown. I think there is a chance the Mets don't make the playoffs. Here's a little gem from Paul Lo Duca: “It seems to me we’re all waiting to lose. It better change quick or in five days we’re all going to be home for the winter. You can’t play the game that way. It’s like a broken record every game.”
-If you missed the video I posted yesterday, then be sure to watch before tonight's game to get fired up.
I told you this week's column would be better. Also, I Think the fact that my picture is next to Biggie's is kind of awesome. Now it's your turn. Post below the songs you hate to love.
Dunno if you've been following the Donspiracist, but I really think his fun yet informative column has gotten better each and every week. This week is no exception. I really think you're gonna enjoy this one. The future of weapons sound like they come from a sci-fi novel. And the future is a lot closer than you think. -JGT
Secrecy is the conspirators' greatest weapon. If you control information about your activities, you then can operate without much scrutiny. The public cannot get incensed about what it does not know. This truism is particularly pertinent involving phenomena that are hidden in plain sight. These are events or technologies that are not protected behind the gates and locks of government high security, ala Area 51, but instead operate in the open, but are not given the attention by the media that they deserve.
Take Raytheon's invention of a pain machine. The Daily Mail reported last week on Silent Guardian, a directed energy weapon developed by Raytheon for the U.S. military. The article discusses the small black box that, when turned on, "emits an invisible, focused beam of radiation - similar to the microwaves in a domestic cooker - that are tuned to a precise frequency to stimulate human nerve endings. It can throw a wave of agony nearly half a mile." The report goes on to say that the machine causes no permanent damage to victims, but that the pain it causes is so intense that it cannot be borne by anyone in its path. If it weren't documented, I'd label it science fiction. Can this be the future of warfare? Or, more specifically, police work? More importantly, why was there no mention of this device in the American media?
-Me (briefly) in the Metro sports section today.
-Congrats Vesuvio! Their Cheesesteak BLT was named the best sandwich in America!
-This from Dan Gross's column: Atlanta Braves hurler John Smoltz and a pal lunched at City Tavern (138 S. 2nd) yesterday on artichoke and smoked chicken salad and a turkey pot pie. Hahaha! Smoltz ordered the Martha Washington Turkey Pot Pie, the biggest ripoff on the menu! I know, because I used to...um, uh, nevermind.
-I missed this the when it was on ESPN a while back, but saw it yesterday and it is awesome. An absolute must see for Philly sports fans. (The first minute is kind of slow, but after that it is awesome.)
Sad day in Mudville. The Phils blow a chance to make up on the Mets, and the Padres come from behind to win in the 9th, putting us one back in the playoff race. Funny how fast we can go from "This is our year!' to "Here we go again." Took about 15 pitches last night, until that pathetic excuse for an umpire gave Texeira 4 strikes and he blasted one out of the ballpark after strike 3. A nice comeback to take the lead, and you heard Harry bust out his playoff voice when Werth launched that homer. Chicken skin when I heard his call. But anytime your season is on the line and you are forced to turn to Geoff Freaking Geary, you know you're in trouble. Tonight is essentially a Game 7. Lose, and we're done.
Finally, your chance to play Johnny Goodtimes quizzo, without having to deal with Johnny Goodtimes! That's right, I've started hosting a quizzo on MyFoxPhilly.com, and I think you're gonna like it. I think it turned out pretty daggone good for our first go at it, and there are definitely plans to make it wilder and wackier in the future. More importantly, cyber-Johnny is even handsomer and more charming than human Johnny! And dig the sweet 70s game show set. So hope you enjoy our first edition, please pass along the word to your friends (if this thing takes off the sky is the limit) and stay tuned for more Quizzo action to come!
Today is Will Smith's birthday, garnering him question of the week status: What was the title of the first album released by he and DJ Jazzy Jeff?
Well, gang, let's face it. We've been here before. Every single year, it seems. And every year we seem to blow one against the Nationals with three games left and a 1/2 game lead. But let's not pretend that it's not ours for the taking. Tied for the wild card lead with 6 to play. The team we're tied with, the Padres, seem to be on the verge of a collective meltdown. The team right behind us, the Colorado Rockies, are red hot. But that is irrelevant. The Phils control their own destiny, which is all you can really ask for with a week left in the season. So what should we as fans do at this point? Throw caution to the wind, and BELIEVE? Or realize that this team is going to go down in history as the biggest tease ever, missing the playoffs by a single game every single year for the rest of our freaking lives?
Yo, big announcement coming this afternoon. Gotta finish my Metro article first. Then I'll holler at you. In the meantime, read more about Magdalene Asylums, where prostitutes were rescued by the Church and then forced into hard labor. And in local news, several local chefs are offering $5 foie gras. This is your chance to piss off the hippies!
Today is the 111th birthday of one the true masters of the English language, F. Scott Fitzgerald. His short stories about the jazz age are, to me, as close as one can get to an actual time machine, and the skill he showed while crafting his first novel at age 24, This Side of Paradise, is astounding. And as far as I'm concerned, The Great Gatsby has only to compete with Huckleberry Finn as The Great American Novel. His real life was every bit as exciting and heartbreaking as the lives of the characters in his books. Here's some good places to go to read and learn more about this great writer:
-Here's a brief biography of F. Scott.
-One of his wonderful short stories, The Offshore Pirate.
-A fascinating look at F. Scott's wife, Zelda, who was the first lady of the Jazz Age, but who slipped slowly into insanity as she got older, and died in a mental institution.
-An interesting look at the rivalry that formed between Fitzgerald and Hemingway, as Hemingway became jealous of Fitzgerald's success, and blasted him repeatedly in print.
-A recent review of The Great Gatsby by Washington Post book critic Jonathon Yardley.
Went to the Eagles game yesterday with Trivia Art, and as you might expect, it was a lot of fun seeing the home team run up and down the field, steamrolling the hapless Lions. But you know me, I need something to whine about, so here goes: Just when I think that a lot of Eagle fans can't get any dumber, they boo a quarterback who worked his ass off to be ready to play this year. Yes, McNabb looked rusty the first two weeks. Not surprising, considering he was coming off career threatening knee surgery. But while most fans would try to get behind their star quarterback and pick him up, the idiots here boo him and call for Kevin Kolb. Yes, he also said that black quarterbacks get graded more harshly than their white counterparts. I tend to disagree, but so what? I could care less what my QBs opinions on social issues are, I just want him to throw the damn ball.
And throw the damn ball he did, for 381 yards and a perfect 158.3 QB rating. I wonder what the idiots said then. "Feeley woulda thrown for 500." If you morons want to see what a crappy quarterback dragging down a good team looks like, look at Chicago. Otherwise, either get behind your quarterback (the best, mind you, in the history of the franchise) or find a new team. This is precisely the reason that, while I never find a silver lining in a Phillies loss, the silver lining when the Eagles lose is that the jackass fans will be miserable for the next week.
RELATED: Remember last year, when the idiots cheered when Garcia got hurt? Then paid $125 for his jersey three weeks later? Fair weathered fans are the koolest!
RELATED: The 700 level calls fans idiots as well.
One of the most underrated comedic talents of the 20th century, this Canadian did the graphic art for the Steely Dan album Aja before moving onto the Groundlings and then to Saturday Night Live.
You might be surprised to learn that this TV journalist, born on September 24, 1945 and often referred to as a bigot and a xenophobe, has a Mexican wife.
This man wrote and directed the Dark Crystal in 1982, though he is better known for being a pioneer in the world of television.
This Philly born sportscaster was best known for his "thrill of victory, the agony of defeat" monologue and his emotional coverage of the Munich Massacre at the 1972 Olympics.
This author, one of my personal favorites, became a national sensation with his debut novel, This Side of Paradise.
Despite the fact that this succesful lawyer and Supreme Court justice and Thomas Jefferson were related, they could not stand each other.
Gonna post pics of the teams that won last week with questions underneath about people whose birthday is on September 24th. One guess per person. No cheating!
A wild, wild week that included major upsets, history being made, and the return of one of the circuit's most hated teams.
-We begin on Tuesday, where the Young, the Old, and the Restless came away with an 83-77 win over the Obscure Simpsons Reference. It was YOR's 2nd win of the month.
-A blowout at the Bards, as the red hot Sofa Kingdom made it four straight, crushing the Chin Omelette, 103-83.
-What's in a name? Plenty, if what happened at the Vous on Wednesday is any indication. A team calling themselves the Jams (aka Not the Jams) defeated the Jams (aka Shiver Me Tasers). In fact the real Jams, who had won 7 of the previous 8 quizzoes, finished an unheard of 4th. The pseudo Jams held off a late rally by 1022 to win 97-92.
-On to the Black Sheep, where a fully stacked Duane's World was the heavy favorite in a somewhat light field. But in the end it was O'Neals castaways Philly Harcargh! cruising to a 103-86 win over Duane and company.
-Thursday marked the return of MAGMA to the Good Dog, and though they looked a little rusty, they were able to hold off Creepy Guy At the Bar (aka Steve-O, playing Hans Solo), 82-81.
-Finally, history was made at the Bards on Thursday night, as the Sofa Kingdom won their 100th game at the Bards. In case anyone is curious, The Jams are the 2nd most winningest franchise, with 86 wins, going back to the Frank Clements days (To be honest, they've won more than that, but that was before the website.) I haven't added it up, but I think the Young, the Old and the Restless are probably 3rd. Anyways, the Kingdom were hardly handed a challenge in their 100th win, knocking off a team making it's first ever appearance, the Origins of a Quizzo Crisis, 104-89. And so the circle of life continues. And since it was the Kingdom's 5th straight win, there will be a bounty of $20 on Tuesday.
Damn, not only is Biz Markie DJing tomorrow night at Fluid, but Reef the Lost Cauze is gonna be opening for Pharaoh Monch at the Troc. Slammin'! On top of that, several quizzo legends are celebrating birthdays this weekend. Rakim from the Axis of Evil Knieval and Chill Rob A from MAGMA both celebrate b-days. And Bob T.'s dream girl, the femme fatale known in quizzo circles as Smackdown (above,), turns the big 3-0. Happy birthday, all!
If you haven't already, read a bit about the Mets latest meltdown, as they blew a three run lead in the 9th. Here's some fun comments from the hairy necks on metsblog.com as Mets fans watched their team meltdown last night:
If there ever was a playoff “poser” the Mets are certainly it.
Somebody please explain to me what’s going on.
I’ve never seen a team with less heart. Period.
shameful
We don’t deserve the playoffs. Period.
Well as usual the Phillies come from behind to WIN and the Mets come from ahead to LOSE!!!
This loss may be the final nail in our coffin.
Words can’t describe what I’m feeling right now. Pain, anguish, anger, sorrow, and physically ill.
they don’t deserve to go the playoffs; let’s go phillies
GAME OVER. SEASON OVER. Phillies In. Mets Out. Biggest collapse ever.
How does one get Phillies Playoff tickets?
Let me just say, it will be a cold day in hell when I or any Phils fan finds themselves rooting for the Mets, no matter how bad things get. But the hairy necks aren't scared to pull a Benedict Arnold when the going gets rough. Btw, if the Mets do blow the lead, it will be the biggest collapse since the '64 Phillies. No-one has ever blown a 7 game lead with 17 games to play.
-The history of the soft pretzel in Philly. (Skip the first paragraph, since the 2nd one just repeates it.)
-This one is more Pennsylvania history than Philly history, but still. It was on this day in 1737 that the Lenape Indians were swindled out of lots of land in Eastern Pennsylvania. Here's how they got hosed.
-A short write up about the Click Club, which was located at Palumbo's, the legendary South Philly club at 824 Catherine that burned down in 1994.
-Staying in South Philly, here's a little column on Ralph's, the 100+ year old Italian restaurant on 9th and Fitzwater.
Oh, and can someone explain the above photo to me? I've had a bit of a cold the last few days, so I might be a little groggy, but looks to me like their are two city halls in the photo, one with Billy Penn and one without. What am I missing here?
A slight mixup in communication led to the end of my Metro column not really making much sense, so I posted below the way it was supposed to read. Oh well, it wasn't my finest piece anyway. I'll do better next week, promise.
The Sofa Kingdom will be aiming for their 100th win tonight at the Bards. They come into tonight's match red-hot, having won 5 in a row. Can your team delay their gratification? Let's hope so.
I never would have agreed to the formulation of the Central Intelligence Agency back in forty-seven, if I had known it would become the American Gestapo.
~ Harry S Truman, 1961
I start off with this quote because this column is about the CIA's war on us, the American people. It all started, some say, with Operation Paperclip, a US government program to liberate scientists from Nazi Germany. These are the same Nazi scientists that worked in camps like Auschwitz, experimenting on prisoners as if they were lab animals. The official line on the project says it involved mostly specialists in rocketry, engineering, and physics, but the truth is more sinister. Mind control involving hypnosis and radiation have been proven techniques used by Nazi scientists, and MK-Ultra has its roots with these German scientists.
MK-Ultra was (is?) a top secret CIA program begun sometime in the late 1940's or early 1950's. The exact dates vary depending on the source. It evolved from an earlier project called Bluebird, that was started as a reaction to Russian brainwashing techniques. However, MK-Ultra went far beyond psychological warfare with our enemies. Sometime in the early 1950's, the experimental focus shifted to the unwitting American public.
Today is International Talk Like a Pirate Day. I highly suggest pirate team names tonight at quizzo. In the meantime, find out what your pirate name is. Mine is Mad Tom Vane. And so you know what your working with, I highly recommend that you watch the Pirate convention.
ONE AND A HALF GAMES, METS FANS!!! I bet your hairy necks are sweating now. Great win last night for the Phils, highlighted by another Met meltdown. If we take the division and the Mets don't make the playoffs, it will go down in history right up there with the '64 Phils. No team has ever blown a 7 game lead with 17 to play, which the Mets will do if they blow it. Dunno if you stayed up last night to watch, but my boy came through in the clutch, and I have thus decided to write him a short letter. Here goes.
Dear Rod,
I am sorry for the way I have treated you over the months. Please be aware that much of it was just frustration over the way that our dumbass GM had treated Chris Coste. That being said, I knew there was only one thing that would allow me to get over what you did against the Marlins when you let Ramirez slide through your legs. And that is what you did last night. Pressure packed situation, two strikes, and you pierce one up the middle. The city welcomes you back into it's collective bosom. And now, I think i should express my newfound feelings for Rod in song:
We sailed on together
We drifted apart
And here you are by my side
So now I come to you, with open arms
Nothing to hide, believe what I say
So here I am with open arms
Hoping you'll see what your love means to me
Open arms
Hey gang, try to stop by Whole Foods today and pick up a few things. 5% of your bill will be donated to an excellent cause, the Penn Urban Nutrition Initiative. Here's some more info:
The Urban Nutrition Initiative is a university/community partnership involving the University of Pennsylvania and Philadelphia neighborhoods in efforts to improve community nutrition and wellness. Urban Nutrition Initiative's success is based on engaging young people as community problem solvers through hands-on activities such as growing, tasting, cooking and selling healthy foods. Be sure to support this community organization by shopping at Whole Foods Market Callowhill on Wednesday, September 19th.
I've gotten some interesting feedback on the overrated/underrated column I did last week for the Metro. Almost immediately, I got an email from the Rangers at the Independence Park: As park rangers at Independence National Historical Park, we feel you are mistaken in under rating the Liberty Bell. While we acknowledge that the bell does not work, a few months ago you stated the bell brought you to tears. What happened to those sentiments? The bell is not important because it is old and cracked. Rather, the bell is important because it has been used throughout history to make society better for everyone. It is okay the bell does not ring, because what you hear you forget. What you see you remember. What you experience, you understand! OK, I have to admit that it is pretty awesome that the guys who look over the bell are this passionate about it. That is extremely kool.
My grandmom also wasn't real happy about my treatment of the bell: Sweetheart, The Liberty Bell is not supposed to work; you know it is a reminder FOR THE TIME WHEN IT DID WORK...I thought you liked History. What happened between you and the Liberty Bell?
The Metro also got a letter from a reader who said this: How can anything that stands for the struggle of freedom and liberty in our nation and across the world ever be overrated? I don't think you truly understand the meaning behind this symbol...Anyone that would think of this symbol of the struggle for liberty and freedom, (from slavery to womens suffrage to WWI, WWII, the Civil Rights Movement and beyond), is underrated obviously takes for granted the hard work of generations before us.
OK, in my defense: underrating the Liberty Bell because it doesn't work was a joke. As many of you know from my earlier column, I am a big fan of the Liberty Bell. Me and the Liberty bell are totally kool. In fact, who is this calling me now? Why, it's my good friend the Liberty Bell!
To see JGT get ripped by Holly of Hollyeats, click below.
In what 1978 movie did O.J. Simpson play an astronaut?
Sorry, but I can't say that I'm all that upset about that douchebag that got tasered at the John Kerry speech. He was an obnoxious ass who kept running from the cops and then screaming "What am I doing?" You're resisting arrest, dumbass. Now take your medicine. ZAP! I'm just hoping that we can hire those cops who have no patience for douchebags to start patrolling Manaynk.
Rumors were bandied about that K-Fed was going to be assassinated, but apparently this so called killer was no Gavrilo Princip. Hell, he was not even a Leon Czolgosz. Listen to me, potential killer, and listen real good: You lay one finger on Kevin, and it's going to be you and me, bub. And trust me, you don't want that. Not at all. You are Playing With Fire, Buster. Playing With Fire.
UPDATE: Suspect named! (NSFW due to cussin')
David Akers is thus far having a really nice season.
Who has a hit with the song "Big Girls Don't Cry"?
This crappy ass band has a hit with the song "Makes Me Wonder".
Who has a hit with "Beautiful Girls" after he stole the beat from Ben E. King?
This rock band, whose songs all sound exactly the same, have a hit song called "Rockstar" that morons in Manayunk (namely: everyone in Manayunk) who wear their hats backwards think is "totally kickass".
This rapper claims that MTV used he and Britney in the VMAs, and has promised to never appear on the network again.
THis 19 year old has a #1 hit with the song "Umbrella".
Here we go. Finally. Pics of the winners, along with questions about "What the kids are listening to." Post an answer under each pic. One guess per person.
Started the week on Monday, when I played quizzo at the Dark Horse with Chet Bumstead and D-Mac and finished, as my quizzo teams always do, in 2nd place. (Our team name: Andy Reid's Sons Killed Pavarotti.) If we had jokered the right round, we would have won.
On Tuesday at O'Neals, it was the Pavarotti Pall Bearer Hernia Club winning a blowout, kicking the Young Old and Restless to the curb, 98-84.
On to the Bards, where the Sofa Kingdom aced the final round to edge Two Step Hustle and Flow, 111-106. Mr. Peanut did not enter the equation.
The Jams (AKA Wrinkled, Out of Time) put up the most impressive performance of the week, nailing 39 out of 40 questions on their way to a 113-95 win over This Questions Worth...Ten Points at a packed Locust Rendezvous.
From a packed Rendezvous to an eerily quiet Black Sheep. Perhaps falling victim to the old "Nobody goes there anymore, it's too crowded" philosophy, the Sheep has been fairly quiet for the last couple of weeks, not the wall to wall madhouse it usually is. Anyways, it was Yes You Can't pulling off a narrow 102-98 win over Duane's World. Banana recorded the 2nd lowest score ever in quizzo history, a 10.
Steve, Take Us Back We'll Change wiped out the Snap, Crackle, and Popped Collars, 112-101 at the Good Dog, missing only two questions the whole game.
The Sofa Kingdom continued the tear that started after last week's debacle, winning their third straight match since the incident. This time it was a 111-101 win over Genetalia From Australia.
A great song by impressive local rapper Reef the Lost Cauze called The Sound of Philadelphia will be played tonight on ESPN Monday Night Countdown. Peep it! 7 p.m. tonight on ESPN.
RELATED: The Sound of Philadelphia.
We respect guns, we respect funds
Let's face it..my future don't look like the Jetsons
Brilliant line.
RELATED: Speaking of rap, the Diabolical Biz Markie DJs Saturday at Fluid. I am so there. And while Just a Friend is still a fun song, it's no Vapors.
Alright, alright, I'm working on the week in review now. I know, I know, but the first fall weekend was great for napping, not for getting work done. So I laid on the couch and watched football and baseball essentially all weekend (best game: Alabama vs. Arkansas). And I went to King Tut. It was pretty good but I think it's lame when, after you've already paid $32.50, they charge you $6 for a set of headsets, so you appear either a) cheap if you don't get them or b) anti-social if you do. I think you guys know which choice I went with. Oh, come on, not because I'm cheap, because I'm social. And when the whole image of King Tut is that headdress thing, and that is even what they are advertising it with, it is a bit disappointing when that thing is nowhere to be seen.
Also went bowling on Saturday. Much better deal than King Tut. Ten bucks all you can bowl, though you do have to deal with a lot more hipsters than you have to deal with at Tut (I think me and the Sofa Kingdom guys were the only people there without tattoos, ironic eyewear, and painted on jeans). More importantly, I bowled my best game in years, a 133. I was pretty psyched about that. And, having matured in the last 6 months, there were no a) keg stands or b) temper tantrums. A very grown up performance by me.
In sports, I will be talking about the Phils this afternoon. And my fantasy team played against Carson Palmer this week, and he outscored my entire team.
ALSO: Will you people freaking vote already? Seriously, only 47 votes, and 11 of those are Steve O. voting for himself.
Well, the Mission 300 crew is back at it; after all the mission for a 300 has thus far been a failure, though there has been a lot of fun in trying to get the perfect game. Anyways, bowling in South Philly on Saturday night, and all you can drink for $10? Easily the best deal in town. And I know how cheap you people are (not me. I'll be arriving at the bowling alley after ordering a "Biggie Size" meal at Le Bec Fin). If you wanna guarantee a spot, click here and order from our friends over at Badminton Stamps. Tix online are $10, they're $15 at the door. Details are as follows:
St. Monica's Parish
16th and Shunk
10 p.m.-???
MIssion 300 On Myspace
RELATED: JGT goes bowling, and gives a short history lesson about the sport.
RELATED: Mission 300 gets some love from Philly Weekly.
First off, this is kind of gory, so you probably don't wanna watch from work. But the Nike commercial with Stephen Jackson got me totally fired up about the movie the music came from, Last of the Mohicans. I watched it for the first time when I was a freshman in college with the girl I was dating at the time, Nikki Santos (her current status: married w/ three kids). A couple of summers later, me and two of my buddies on the Shore, Rob and Pete, hung out just about every night and drank cold beverages on a dock at a place called Red Bank. Then, before calling it a night, we'd swing by Pete's place and watch the final ten minutes of this movie, because they were so badass. We must have watched it 40 times, and we were all three in love with Jodhi May (the one on the cliff). Yeah, boring story, I know, but the bottom line is, if you haven't watched Last of the Mohicans yet, I highly recommend it. Oh, and Magua is one of the most underrated bad guys ever.
-This is AWESOME. You can try to hold farcical "closed door public meetings", but in the end, Democracy rules! Ok, fine, in the end big money rules, but being a dreamer has its perks.
-You know what the terrorists need? Better logos.
-If a head falls in the woods, and no-one is around to hear it fall...
-No sooner do I call Donovan McNabb underrated than the Onion goes with this story.
Posted a somewhat controversial column today in the Metro (well, as controversial as I can be in under 400 words), and listed a few things that I think are over and underrated about Philadelphia. Now it's your turn. Tell me what you think is overrated and underrated about our fair city in the comments section below. Looking forward to reading these.
Alright, it's time to vote on the best worst sequel ideas that were turned in to me a few weeks ago in our best worst sequels contest. I have posted the ones that I liked the most below, after the jump. Of course, you had to provide an email address to be nominated, b/c I have to know how to get in touch with you if you win. Unfortunately, that eliminated several good ones, including Jaws vs. Rocky. Then some of them were just crappy. Here is the poll, but before you vote, be sure to read after the jump, because I was also asking for at least a short synopsis, and for some of them yu have to read the write up to get the joke (particularly Much Ado About Nothing and Electrocting an Elephant). Winner gets a $20 gift certificate to the Bards and 2 IMAX passes.
Came up with a good nickname for Adam Eaton last night. Did you ever see the movie The Cooler, where William Macy plays a guy who, when someone gets hot on the craps tables, goes over and touches them and cools off their hot streak? Well, The Cooler is the perfect nickname for Adam Eaton, who is guaranteed to cool off the Phils every time they threaten to get hot. Of course, this nickname could also apply to every single pitcher we have besides Kendrick, Hamels, and JC Romero. Here's Bob Ford telling us what we already knew:
The Phillies' starters, as a unit, aren't capable of producing the kind of stretch the team will need eventually - even just to sneak into the postseason. Nearly anything is possible in baseball if you watch long enough, but waiting for the Phils to win eight out of 10 with this pitching staff would be asking for a very long wait...That means there is nothing to do now but wait the wait, watch the games fall slowly off the schedule, with a win here, maybe a couple, here a loss, here another, until the team comes to rest somewhere right around 85 wins, same as last season. In the hunt, but just behind the baying pack. It will be another solemn end, and another year tacked to the lengthening string of frustration. But at least everyone concerned is used to it.
RELATED: JGT discusses Phils and Iggles in today's Metro.
1. When Israel's first president died in 1952, this man was offered the position, but turned it down.
2. Australia, Brazil, and New Zealand all have this constellation on their national flags.
3. What state capital is named after a German chancellor?
4. Who was shot and killed William McKinley by on this date in 1901?
5. The title of what play do essentially all performers consider unlucky to say at the theatre
Answers and interesting facts about each after the jump.
It seems that everyone is buzzing about what a terrible performance Britney put on the other night. And it was pretty awful. But what is all this talk about how "fat" she looked? This from the AP: Out-of-synch lip-synching. Lethargic movements that seemed choreographed by a dance instructor for a nursing home. The paunch in place of Spears' once-taut belly. The New York Post's headlines read, "Lard and Clear". “The bulging belly she was flaunting was SO not hot,” wrote E! Online. Well, forgive Britney for looking like an actual human being. I happen to think that actual human women are attractive, and I am not really all that attracted to women who look like they're addicted to heroine or who have washboard stomachs that look like they belong to a young male athlete. So the AP and E! calls a healthy looking mother of two fat, and then in a few weeks they'll run a story trying to figure out why so many young girls have eating disorders. (Speaking of pathetic, how about the fact that this is the 2nd time I've discussed Britney this week, and it's only Tuesday?)
The Donspiracist is back. This time he takes on Big Pharma, and wonders if there is a conspiracy in place to keep us sick.
In the last 15 years, Big Pharma has ramped up their advertising and have flooded the market with drugs treating diseases that were unknown just a generation ago. And they won't stop until all of you are taking prescription or over the counter medication.
Take this quote from Selling Sickness: How The World's Biggest Pharmaceutical Companies Are Turning Us All Into Patients by Ray Moynihan and Alan Cassels: "Thirty years ago, Henry Gadsen, the head of Merck, one of the world's largest drug companies, told Fortune magazine that he wanted Merck to be more like chewing gum maker Wrigley's. It had long been his dream, he said, to make drugs for healthy people–so that Merck could 'sell drugs to everyone.' Three decades on, the late Henry Gadsen's dream has come true."
On September 12, 1983, a group called Los Macheteros (The Machete Wielders) robbed a bank in West Hartford, CT, then threw much of the money off a high rise building. From what country does Los Macheteros organization originate?
OK, so I went to a Fringe play on Friday with buddy and fellow Metro scribe Bruce. We saw "Hearts of Man" which was about this guy who tries to pick up kids in a chat room and about how his lawyers and the prosecutors handle the case. It was like a bad Law and Order episode. So then we went and got Happy Hour Margarita's at the Mexican Post. That was followed by a trip to the Bards where I watched the Phils lose and then to a party hosted by a member of a member of Narcotyzing Dysfunktion. A fine time was had by all.
Saturday was spent recovering from Friday and winning a game of Rat a Tat Cat. Rat a Tat Cat is my jam. If anyone would like to become a better Rat a Tat Cat player, please let me know. I am thinking about teaching a Rat a Tat Cat class.
And then there was Sunday and the Eagles game. Watched it with the Sofa Kingdom crew. Needless to say it was a disappointment. It was the first time that I can say with a straight face that if I had been returning punts for the Philadelphia Eagles, they would not have lost the game. The loss was compounded by a loss at RISK, as, after 6 1/2 hours of play (seriously, 6 1/2 hours), Nate dominated the world. Oh well, at the least the Phils won 2 of 3. And oh, Trivia Art was at Lambeau yesterday and is at Wrigley today. Pretty sweet.
Father Jorge Lemaitre gave us what he called "the hypothosis of the primeval atom." What is this 20th century theory much better known as?
Who is known as "The Muscles from Brussels?"