More Saké, More Happy

Mirakuya
Broad Street - Hazleton, PA
Our hibachi chef didn't know what he was in for when he met my dad.

First Person Tetris

If you wanted the room to spin while you played Tetris in the 80’s, you needed vodka and a swivel chair.  Damn kids today have everything.  [click here to play First Person Tetris]

The Burger King Salad Bar

Burger King Salad Bar (1983)

The restaurant that would go on to become Burger King was founded in Jacksonville sixty years ago today.  for a brief period of time in the mid 80's, the chain featured a salad bar in some of their restaurants, including many of their mall locations.

The salad bars offered pita bread that could be stuffed with vegetables, as well as plates that guests could use to put together a plate of salad.

These must not have lasted as long as the Wendy's salad bar because I don't ever remember seeing them when I was a kid, but it's an interesting idea that I think might work if they tried again today.

Sushi Donuts

Sushido Delight
Mister Donut - Thailand
I haven't seen a Mister Donut restaurant since I was a kid, but the chain is still going strong outside of the United States.  In Thailand, they're making donuts that look like sushi.

1993: Braves vs. Marlins

Atlanta Braves @ Florida Marlins
Joe Robbie Stadium
July 9, 1993
I lived in South Florida during the first few seasons of Florida Marlins baseball. We went to about a dozen games in their debut year, including this game that saw John Smoltz pitch 8 innings.  Future Phillies in this game included Braves outfielder Ron Gant, who hit his 20th home run of the season in this game.  On the Marlins, the lineup included catcher Benito Santiago (1996) and left fielder Jeff Conine (2006) who each spent a year of their career in Philadelphia.

WWE Six Man Tag Team Champs

WWE Live (house show)
Mohegan Sun Arena - July 7, 2013
Wilkes-Barre, PA
Roberto and I got to meet former two-time WWF World Heavyweight Champion Bob Backlund at a WWE house show.  He was a cool dude - perfectly normal one minute, but then as soon as they're about to take the photo, he snapped into his crazy "Mr. Backlund" character and put us in a headlock.  It seems like he truly enjoys meeting fans and creating memorable moments.

Results
Tag Team Match	The Usos (Jimmy Uso and Jey Uso) defeated The Prime Time Players (Titus O'Neil and Darren Young)
Singles Match	Justin Gabriel defeated Heath Slater
WWE Divas Championship Match	AJ Lee defeated Kaitlyn
Singles Match	Randy Orton defeated Big E. Langston
Six Man Mixed Tag Team Match	Brodus Clay, Tensai and Naomi defeated Cody Rhodes, Damien Sandow and Brie Bella
Singles Match	R-Truth defeated Drew McIntyre Fellow Three Man Band member Jinder Mahal came to the ring with Drew McIntyre.
WWE World Heavyweight Championship Last Man Standing Match	Alberto Del Rio defeated Dolph Ziggler

I enjoyed the matches and the chance to meet a WWE Hall Of Famer, but the best part of the show had to be the tattoos on the guy who sat in front of me.  You have to admire how the dimples and creases on the back of his neck make a nose and a mouth.

Bus Out Of Service

City Bus
West Hazleton, PA
I stumbled onto this old city bus in the woods behind Fern Court while walking little Harvey earlier today.  I'm not sure what year it's from, and I don't know if it's been abandoned or if it's a project that someone is working on, but it truly is a treasure.  I'm not a great photographer by any means, but this is one of my favorite photos that I've taken.  The overgrown plant life and the aged technology give it a bit of a post-apocalyptic feel that I like very much.

The Priest They Called Him

William S. Burroughs and Kurt Cobain
Lawrence, KS (1993)
This photo was taken at Burroughs' home while Cobain was visiting.  The two collaborated to produce a spoken word version of a short story called The Junky's Christmas, which was written by Burroughs in 1989.  The nearly 10 minute recording featured Burroughs reading his story with Kurt playing a very trippy Silent Night and To Anacreon In Heaven.  It was called The Priest They Called Him, and it was given a limited release on 10" vinyl twenty years ago today.  You can listen to it here.