Night at the Willow Grove Mall-eum...

It started off as an innocent night of having nothing to eat at my apartment, and nothing to do. So I picked up my life partner at work in the North East... and headed towards the Willow Grove mall. There wasn't a shopping list to fulfill or a particular store we wanted to hit up. It was just an excuse to eat crappy chinese at Master Wok... and then walk it off in the 3 floored mall. What we did find was a slew of really cool items that will satisfy ANY and ALL of those special nerds in your life. So please, READ MORE... see what I saw... and always remember, Ben Stiller sucks.

This gem was found in a hat store that wasn't Lids... but it was just like it. This is a step up from those paper hockey helmets they give out at games, but at a costly 40 some dollars. The chin strap is a really nice touch. What a night for head-gear.

This sweatshirt is just too amazing for words. Hot Topic has some primo-pop culture apparel coming out (more below). I love the Super Mario 3 instruction booklet art alot more than all this CGI 3D art you see of Mario nowadays. P.S. They had a t-shirt of Mario in the bee-suit.

I would never wear this... just thought it was interesting. Wii are the world. Wii are the children. Wii are the ones who make a brighter day, so lets start givin'.

My God... if you only knew. I had the action figures. I went and saw the movies, even the crappy 2nd and 3rd ones with Go Ninja Rap and time travel. I watched all the cartoons, even the crappy ones where Mikey stopped using his nunchuks and started using that turtle grappling hook. I used to lose my mind watching/playing the arcade game in Shakey's Pizza on Naaman's Road. I was a huge fan, and these are really really neat knit caps.

At sports and collectibles, there was a terrific buzz of activity surrounding a rather physically fit Philadelphia Eagle, and former Penn State alum/Outback Bowl MVP... Tony Hunt. Of course, I didn't know any of this until my contact at Penn State filled me in. So I took his picture on the chance that he WAS somebody... and eventually he might be.

Deck the Halls with...

balls.

And I Call This Paint Job...

... Merlin is doin' your sister.

Previously

Use Your ILL-LUGE-SON

There comes a time in everyone's life, when they must move on... from 6th and SpringGarden to 17th and Lombard. Well, not everyone... maybe just Dan. He's begged me for a post featuring photos and movies from his "Moving Out" party jawn, like a poor man who's hungry. Like a horny 18 year old pre-frosh who's trying to bed the captain of the local college football team. Like a child who wants the elusive Nintendo Wii for christmas. Like... like you're begging me now, to stop typing. For more Luge-y goodness and HOT DOGS... click after the JUMP.

Coming Soon...

digix3

A Year of Shows... Nostalgic Edition.

She graduated. She interviewed. She got a job. She gets a reward. I'm proud of her... truly. And to show it, I purchased two tickets to the past. A past that I wasn't a part of. There comes a time in everyone's life where they wished they knew the person they are with sooner or that they had been there for "this" moment or "that" moment in their significant other's life. Its a jealous pang that quickly fades but is significant all the same. Third Eye Blind, my gf's self professed favorite band was there for her during those tumultuous teenage years. They were there for relationships not having to do with yours truly. They were hers and hers alone. I personally enjoyed this band's music growing up myself. I tittered and guffawed when the lead singer would sazz about oral relations and drug use. I shed a metaphorical tear for the JUMPER, wishing he'd step back from that ledge. But they were never "mine" per-se. What follows is a group of photos and videos of that nostalgic journey to the Electric Factory on Nov. 11th... a journey where I was content with merely being next to my girlfriend as she experienced seeing her favorite band live for the first time.

Note the top hat...

The opener... needless to say the crowd was "excited." I had predicted that they'd open with "Losing a Whole Year"... and I was wrong. It was their SECOND song.

Graduate... a show stopper.

A Year of Shows... Lazy edition.

A metaphor, if you will. Producing blog content is like stepping up to the touch screen at Wawa and ordering a Shortie Hoagie. Its warm and fresh and full of bits and pieces that are begging to be consumed. Posting blog content is like leaving the Shortie under you car seat by some strange twist of fate. The content, once topical and at least somewhat purposeful is now a soggy mess of untapped potential. Case in point... in the summer, I continued my one man onslaught on attending as many concerts as possible (within reason/expenditure). What follows is a slew of photos and videos featuring Rufus Wainwright, with special guests A Fine Frenzy and Neko Case at the Mann Music Center (after the JUMP). To see all the other shows I attended this year, put down the sandwich I subconsciously made you pine for and click on the MUSIC tag at the end of the post.

As we approached the Mann, my first time at the venue, the sky above provided us with the most beautiful cluster of cumulus. That civil sky turned rather quickly, and brought some of the most vicious thunder and lighting I've ever seen. Lucky for us, the Mann has a roof over the majority of its seating, and perhaps the man of the hour released some of his stars to decorate it. It is a WONDERFUL venue. There's something to be said about listening to one of R.W.'s quiet piano ballads, while crickets chirp approvingly in the dark around you.

A.F.F's lead red head doing her thing at the piano. Not to be outdone, Neko and her reddish mane took the stage (in a rather unflattering black dress) and turned in a strong performance. Rufus had multiple costume changes throughout his show, the first a flambouyant take on Beetlejuice, the 2nd consisting of lederhosen, and the third, a power-suit transforming him into Judy Garland. The bedazzled American flag, with black and white stripes was the perfect backdrop for the live recreation of his most politically and emotionally charged album.

Us. There are certain artists that have provided the soundtrack to our relationship, and Rufus is right up there. Oh, and apparently Brandon Flowers of the Killers fame is gay. R.W. went on this big gay rant about how "... it didn't work out... it just... just didn't work out" between the two of them before breaking into his song "Tulsa" which opens with the line, "You taste like potato chips in the morning." Don't we all...?

Neko Case - Star Witness

Rufus Wainright - Going to a Town

The War at Home.

"Sadly, some of these fragmented human beings are resorting to suicide. According to a recent CBS News special investigation, data from 45 states shows that 6,256 veterans took their own lives in 2005. That averages out to 120 deaths per week, which is more than double the suicide rate of non-veterans. Veterans aged 20 through 24, the age group currently serving in the war on terror, had the highest suicide rate among all veterans--between two and four times higher than civilians the same age." -- John W. Whitehead.

Please, give them thanks this Thursday.

Do You Hear What I Hear?

I'm sure you've seen this commercial for dell insipron colors. I saw it the other night and asked those around me, "What is that song in the background?" Since real human beings are useless and could not provide me with the answer, I had to rely on the Internets. Flaming Lips... W.A.N.D. In the future, if you ever want to know something that all the idiots around you SHOULD know, but don't... google it, just a little bit. After the JUMP, the full version of the music video.

Get Me a Drink, and Make It Swift...

I've had this since April. It was good. My friend David gave it to me. He is on the label. Fall down go boom.

I Can Has Vanity Plate, LOLZ?

Saving Daylight...

Quite possibly the last time you or I will see the Sun on the way home from work.

Do You Believe in Ma-Jerk?

Criss Angel... DOOSH. David Copperfield... PERVERT. David Blane... ZEEK. We all know Chad can't sing... so maybe this whole magic thing will work out for him.

Who's Hungry...?

You are...? Well can I interest you in some crusty ass fudge brownies? They're so warm, and brown... and full of fudgey goodness. You'll pass...? Okay, well after the jump are two more crusty ass products that might wet your whistle.

... perhaps a crusty ass lemon/lime bar for your travels?

...how about a nice crusty ass muffin for breaking fast? Wait, where are you going...? Come back...!

Happy Birthdan to You!

Cruise down Washington Ave in South Philadelphia, and around abouts where it crosses 11th street, you'll find an Asian explosion of food and culture. Maybe I should have said Explasian...? Reguardless, my friend Dan who never updates his blog had a birthday party at Pho'Hoa, one of the respective restaurants. Its vietnamese, which is okay cause I think that war is over. Bush says its them there Iraqi food establishment places you gotta steer clear of... what with all that TERROR. After the jump is a sexy "happy birthday, Mr. President" video starring all Dan's favorite pals. In closing, thunderkats... thunderkats... THUNDERKATS... PHOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOa.

And I Call This Paint Job...

... Killer Whale with a side of gay. (not that there's anything wrong with that.)

I Can Has UR Attention, PLZ... ???

...and knowing is half the battle.