Free Snazzy Black Shirt

Wegman's Sub Shop
Wilkes-Barre, PA
Not a bad gig.  They work with my school schedule pretty well.

When Hemingway Met Iwatani

Pac Man 30th Anniversary Notebook
Moleskine

The Whiz Kids

1950 Philadelphia Phillies
The Whiz Kids played Game 1 of the World Series 60 years ago today.  It was only the second time in franchise history (dating back to 1883) that the Phillies reached the World Series.  They were swept by the New York Yankees, and they wouldn't return to the Fall Classic for another 30 years.

Dutch, Whitey And The Kruker

Darren Daulton, Richie Ashburn and John Kruk
Three icons of Philadelphia baseball who will never be forgotten.

Bloomsburg Fair 2010

Bloomsburg Fair (2010)
I love going into the display buildings when it's still daylight outside and going outside to see that the sun has gone down and the park is all lit up.  The Bloomsburg Fair is one of my favorite places in the world.  I'd come here for the full week if I didn't have work and school.

Anyone Need An Eight Inch Emmylou Harris Decal?

Sticker Stand
Bloomsburg Fair (2010)
Though not it's official name (unless I managed to guess it correctly), the Sticker Stand is one of the places I always make a point to visit at the Bloomsburg Fair.  I don't think they've updated their stock since Kurt Cobain was alive, but they have well over a thousand different decals, bumper stickers and other random stuff.  Some of it is music related, some of it is political (both sides), some of it is pretty offensive, and some of it is pretty damn old.  I have to wonder how a teenager today interprets a parody Fahrvergnügen car decal.  They probably think it's a Norwegian metal band.

Neon Pepsi

80's Neon Pepsi Sign
Bloomsburg Fair (2010)

Waffles And Ice Cream

Waffles & Ice Cream stand
Bloomsburg Fair (2010)
One of the best parts of the Bloomsburg Fair is all of the good food.

It's All Right

Here Comes The Sun
The Beatles (1969)
These are the original lyrics hand-written by George Harrison for one of the most iconic songs to ever be recorded.  It was released 40 years ago.

Looking For Jupiter

Looking For Jupiter
September 20, 2010
The planet Jupiter is closer to the Earth tonight than it has been since 1963.

Psychles Staff

Wilkes University
2010 Psych Department Picnic
Kirby Park - Wilkes Barre, PA

Don't Be A Tuna Head

Maniac Mansion
Nintendo Entertainment System (1990)

The NES port of Maniac Mansion was released twenty years ago today.  I spent countless hours playing this game and, with the help of Nintendo Power, solving its puzzles with every combination of characters.

It wasn't until many years later that I had an opportunity to play the original on Commodore 64 and the enhanced DOS edition.  Both of those versions are superior to the one that was released on the NES, but censored or not, the console version will always have a special place in my heart and bring back fond memories of my childhood.

It's A Modern Stone-Age University

Henry Student Center
Wilkes University - Wilkes-Barre, PA
My thanks go out to campus security for their constant vigilance.

Crash Into A Tree With Launchpad McQuack

Duck Tales Kite Offer
Hi-C (1990)

Mortal Monday

Mortal Kombat ad
KayBee Toys (1993)
The impact that this game had cannot be overestimated.  Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter 2 brought arcade gaming back to the forefront in the early 90's, and the home console release gave the Sega a rare victory over Nintendo.  Due to their family friendly company policies, Nintendo didn't allow the Super Nintendo version to have blood and many of the fatalities were toned down.  Meanwhile, the Genesis port had unlockable bloody graphics by way of the ABACABB code.  It may seem like a little thing, but it was the deciding factor in a lot of kids who chose the Genesis over the SNES on their Christmas wish list.  This was a mistake that Nintendo wouldn't make with the sequel.

Carmen's Restaurant

Carmen's Family Restaurant
Broad Street - Hazleton, PA
This was my first real job.  I was a busboy at Carmen's when I was 15 years old.  The food was incredible and my co-workers were all pretty awesome.  I enjoyed working there, especially on Friday nights during the seafood buffet in the back dining room.

Carmen's closed a few years ago and re-opened a few different times under different names and new ownership.  These days, it's called the Crystal Barbecue.  I stopped in to see the place during Funfest.  They took out a few rows of booths and the front counter with the register and the revolving pie rack, but it appears that the back wall of the front dining room looks the same.

Off The Beaten Path: Farmer's Iced Tea

Off The Beaten Path (WYLN TV)
Farmer's Iced Tea 
The green and yellow carton has been a fixture in Hazleton since long before I was born..

MJ Playing DK

Today would have been Michael Jackson's 52nd birthday.  I'm not a religious man, but I'd like to think that his spirit is chilling out in an arcade in another world, free from the people who exploited him and his talents for practically his entire life.

The Past vs The Present

Monday, August 23, 2010
Houston Astros @ Philadelphia Phillies
Citizens Bank Park - Philadelphia, PA

Pitching: Brett Myers vs. Joe Blanton
Results: Astros defeat Phillies, 3 - 2
[Photo Album]

Notes: Seeing former Phillies come back to Citizen's Bank Park on their new teams has always been something I look forward to.  Seeing Joe Blanton pitch against Brett Myers, two members of the 2008 World Champion Phillies rotation going head-to-head, is like a dream come true.

Another former Phillie, Michael Bourn, started off the game strong for the Astros.  He singled off of Blanton, stole second, and then scored on a sacrifice fly by Hunter Pence.  The Phillies tied the game in the third when Carlos Ruiz hit his sixth home run of the season.  They took the lead later in the inning after Chase Utley hit an RBI single that allowed Jimmy Rollins to score.

In the sixth, Bourn again singled and stole second, but he didn't score this time.  Rookie phenom Domonic Brown, who made his major league debut less than a month ago, came into the game to pinch hit for Joe Blanton in the 7th to start a rally, but Shane Victorino hit into a double play to end the inning.

The game got away from the us in the eighth when another former Phillie, Jason Michaels, singled off of Ryan Madson.  Bourn came back to haunt us again in a controversial moment when he bunted to put runners on first and second.  We were having dinner at Harry The K's by this point in the game, so I was pretty far from the action, but on the monitors, it looked to me like Ryan Howard tagged him out.  Besides that, Bourn ran a mile outside of the basepath which should have resulted in an out even if Howard missed the tag, but the umpire called him safe.  Charlie Manual agreed with me (and every fan in attendance, and every sensible fan watching at home), but he was ejected from the game for arguing with the ump.  It was a ridiculous call, and it led to the Astros win.  Carlos Lee singled with two outs to score Michaels and Bourn to give the Astros a 3 - 2 lead which they held for the win.

The first base umpire was the real MVP of the game for Houston, but if you're looking solely at the Astros lineup, the 2005-2006 Phillies (Brett Myers, Michael Bourn and Jason Michaels) defeated the 2010 Phillies last night.

Wildwood In The 80's

This photo was taken sometime in the early 80's and was used for a Wildwood postcard.  I can almost smell the ocean air when I look at this.

The Opening Act For Tears For Fears

Scott Pilgrim vs The World
AMC Loews 34th Street - New York, NY
We made it to the city on Thursday a few hours before the doors opened for the Tears For Fears concert.  There was an AMC Theater across the street and we had time to kill, so we decided to go see whatever movie was playing next, which ended up being the 3:40 showing of Scott Pilgrim vs The World.

I'm told that this movie is based on a series of graphic novels.  I can't say that I've ever read them, so I have no idea how close this comes to the source material, but it was an enjoyable flick.  There were large parts of the movie that made me feel as if I was watching someone play an elaborate video game, but I'm pretty sure that's what they were going for.  It has some funny moments, but some of the humor kind of fell flat with me.  This is one of those movies that I'm glad to have gotten to see on the big screen, but one screening is plenty for me.  

The Ride of Your Life

Wilkes University
Henry Student Center - South Street, Wilkes-Barre, PA
Hold on tight.  We're going to the restroom.

Family Visit

My grandmother's cousins, Carol and Mary Lois, were in town today and stopped by for a visit.  Carol is the woman to the right of my grandmother in the white shirt, and Mary Lois is sitting in front of them.  We had a very nice time drinking coffee and looking at old photos of the family, and pictures that Mary Lois took when she was visiting our family in Italy.

I Am Head Over Heels

Tears For Fears
August 19, 2010 - Hammerstein Ballroom - Manhattan Center - New York, NY

Tears For Fears is one of my favorite bands of all time, and I can't begin to explain how amazing it felt to see them.  I'll write more about the show later, but for now, here is the setlist:

For Quazy Energy

Quisp cereal
They brought back one of Jay Ward's most beloved breakfast creations.

A Boat Ride Through The Dungeon

Castle Dracula: Dungeon Boat Ride
Nickel's Midway Pier - Wildwood, NJ
This is the other video that was recently shared by Onneff69 on YouTube.  This is a complete video of the Dungeon Boat Ride portion of Castle Dracula.  My family and I went to Wildwood every summer in the 80's when I was a kid, and this boat ride was one of the parts of our vacation that I enjoyed and looked forward to the most.  I'm very thankful that someone captured this amazing attraction and shared it with the world.

A Walk Through The Castle

Castle Dracula
Nickel's Midway Pier - Wildwood, NJ
Youtube user Onneff69 shared a couple of amazing home videos that were recorded in June 1991.  This is a walkthrough of one of my favorite places in the world and a cherished memory from my childhood.  Unfortunately, Castle Dracula was burned down by two teenagers in 2002 so future generations will never be able to experience first hand how truly awesome this place was.

Make Out Like A Bandit

Easy Pickins Quiz scratch-off card
McDonald's (1980)
The Burt Reynolds classic Smokey & The Bandit 2 premiered in theaters thirty years ago today.  Back in the day, you could stop at McDonald's for a bite to eat on the way home and save $2 on the movie soundtrack if you knew a little bit of history about the 17th President of the United States.

Spider Man Catch

Hiroshima Carp vs Yokohama BayStars
August 3, 2010
Center fielder Masato Akamatsu of Hiroshima makes an unbelievable catch that robs Yokohama 3B Shuichi Murata of a home run. This has gone viral as the "Spider Man Catch".  [Source: CBS]

Off The Beaten Path: Third Base Luncheonette

Off The Beaten Path (WYLN TV)
Third Base Luncheonette
A third-generation restaurant that are known around town for two reasons: having tasty hoagies, and being run by the parents of Tampa Bay Rays manager Joe Maddon. If you're watching a game in Hazleton and someone hits a triple, chances are that you've been conditioned to get hungry in a way that would make Pavlov proud.

The Other Hazleton Diner

Byorek's Knotty Pine
Route 309 - Hazleton, PA
We stopped at a Hazleton icon for lunch today before heading down to see the Iron Pigs game in Allentown.  I had a cheesesteak with a side of Knotty Pine Fries which are topped with gravy and scumutz, both of which were very tasty.

Knotty Pine opened its doors in 1937 and has been in business ever since, but it's not a place that I remember from my childhood other than seeing the neon sign on the side of the road when we drove down Route 309.  When I was growing up, my grandparents would go out for dinner every Saturday night after my grandmother and great-grandmother got out of church, and there were two other diners that were just a few blocks away: The Blue Comet and Pegasus (which has since been renamed The Beltway Diner), so we almost always went to one or the other (usually Blue Comet).  Knotty Pine was a few miles up the road from Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church, so it was out-of-sight, out of mind.  You might think that driving for a few minutes would be no big deal, but if you knew my grandmother, you'd understand.  Let's just say that she's not the most patient person in the world.

It wasn't until I became an adult that I stopped at Knotty Pine to eat for the first time, and it was very good.  The place also has a very cool roadside diner vibe with thick wooden booths and paneling.  Check it out if you're in town.

Pizza, Pierogies And Popcorn

Laurel Drive In
South Church Street - Hazleton, PA
One of the best things about the Laurel Drive In is the food.  They've got a big menu, and everything is very tasty and reasonably priced.  It's perfect for a night of movies.

Summer Afternoon Nap

We got back from the Hometown Farmer's Market a little while ago.  Dad has crashed on Grandpa's recliner.

The Chewbaru Legacy

I passed this Subaru on the way to the ballpark this afternoon and my guess is that the driver is a dentist who has been hitting the nitrous oxide pretty hard.  As if the toothbrush army on the trunk and empty toothpaste tubes weren't enough, there are a row of dentures lining the top of the bumper and a mannequin head on the roof.  Not sure what all of the black and white photos are, but I'm going to assume they have something to do with teeth.

Follow The Planogram

1001 Retailing Nights
Software Etc (1991)

This was shared by capnskull on YouTube and it is pure gold for any retro gamer.  The first half of the video features a genie from the mysterious Mac-O-Wish 1001 computer who helps Bob understand the importance of visual merchandising.  The second half is a virtual tour of a Software Etc store as they existed in 1991, with spots to allow the viewer to pause the video and assess whether or not their store meets company guidelines.  Not only does it bring back memories of what video game stores looked like in the early 90's, but it's full of cheezy acting and terrible impersonations.

Off The Beaten Path: Hazleton Pitza

Off The Beaten Path (WYLN TV)
Hazleton Pitza 
This is pizza which is baked, packaged in a box, and meant to be eaten at room temperature.  It's a Hazleton original. When I was growing up, I had no idea that this wasn't a thing everywhere in the world.  There have been a number of brands that have come and gone, but two have been fixtures for nearly 100 years: Senape's and Longo's.

Texas Death Match At The Spectrum

WWF Wrestling advertisement
Philadelphia Spectrum (June 21, 1980)
This scrap of newspaper for a show that took place thirty years ago today was in something that I bought at the flea market a few months back.  It was broadcast on the Prism network.  Here are the results:

• Rick McGraw defeated Frank Savage via pinfall
• Rene Goulet defeated Tor Kamata via disqualification
• Larry Zbyszko defeated Ivan Putski via countout
• Ken Patera defeated Bob Backlund via disqualification
• The Wild Samoans and Captain Lou Albano defeated Gorilla Monsoon, Pat Patterson, and Dominic DeNucci via pinfall (best two out of three falls)
• Larry Sharpe defeated Johnny Rodz via pinfall
• Tony Atlas defeated Bobby Duncum via pinfall

Two Records For Jamie Moyer

Jamie Moyer
Philadelphia Phillies (2010)
Our ageless lefty pitched a gem last night at the new Yankee Stadium, giving up two runs on three hits in the Phillies 6-3 victory over the New York Yankees.  The win makes Jamie Moyer the oldest pitcher to earn a victory against the Yankees in the history of their franchise.  The game also marks the 48th different MLB ballpark that Moyer has pitched in his career.  This moves him past a tie with his 2008 Phillies teammate Rudy Seánez for the all-time record for games played in the most big league ballparks in the history of Major League Baseball.

Dad At The Beacon

The Beacon Diner
Tamaqua, PA

Danny Salami

Daniel Nava
Boston Red Sox (2010)

The bottom of the second inning of yesterday's game against the Red Sox was not a fun time for Phillies starter Joe Blanton.  Former Phillies first round draft pick JD Drew led off the inning with a solo home run.  This was followed by three consecutive singles hit by Adrian Beltre, Jason Varitek, and Darnell McDonald.  This loaded the bases with no outs for the rookie Daniel Nava, who was making his first plate appearance in the big leagues.  Nava belted the very first pitch he saw to deep right field for a grand slam.

In so doing, Nava became just the fourth player in the history of Major League Baseball to hit a grand slam in his first plate appearance.  The first player to hit a grand slam in his first plate appearance was Phillies pitcher Bill Duggleby back in 1898.  It took 107 years for it to happen again when Jeremy Hermida hit a grand slam in his first plate appearance in 2005.  Third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff accomplished the same feat in the following season, and is the only other player besides Nava on this short list to have hit a grand slam in the first pitch that he saw in a MLB game.

I Met Her In A Club Down In Old Soho...

Lola
The Kinks (1970)

One of the greatest rock songs ever recorded is turning 40 years old today.  It was highly controversial and progressive for its time, and it probably still would be considered both of those things today.

It has been rumored that the song was inspired by Candy Darling, who was one of the inspirations behind Walk On The Wild Side by Lou Reed, but that isn't the case.  There's a few stories about the origins of the song, but the two that are generally accepted is that it's either inspired by a night that The Kinks manager Robert Wace spent with a transgender woman in Paris, or the fact that drummer Mick Avory spent a lot of time at drag clubs and transgender-friendly pubs in West London.  Either way, it's one of those songs that tells a story that grabs you from the opening line and keeps you paying attention and bopping your head from beginning to end.

My favorite version of this song is the studio version that appears on the Lola vs Powerman album, but this is the best live version that I was able to find on YouTube.  It's a stripped down version with just two instruments; Ray Davies on guitar and vocals and Gordon Edwards on piano.  Like many of the recorded versions of the song, it replaces Coca-Cola with cherry cola, but at least it doesn't cut off the end like so many radio stations did.

I met her in a club down in old Soho

Where you drink champagne and it tastes just like Coca-Cola

C-O-L-A Cola

She walked up to me and she asked me to dance

I asked her her name and in a dark brown voice she said "Lola"

L-O-L-A Lola

Lo-Lo-Lo-Lo-Lola

Well, I'm not the world's most physical guy

But when she squeezed me tight, she nearly broke my spine

Oh my Lola

Lo-Lo-Lo-Lo-Lola

Well, I'm not dumb, but I can't understand

Why she walks like a woman and talks like a man

Oh my Lola

Lo-Lo-Lo-Lo-Lola

Lo-Lo-Lo-Lo-Lola

Well we drank champagne and danced all night

Under electric candlelight

She picked me up and sat me on her knee

She said, "Little boy, won't you come home with me?"

Well, I'm not the world's most passionate guy

But when I looked in her eyes, well, I almost fell for my Lola

Lo-Lo-Lo-Lo-Lola

Lo-Lo-Lo-Lo-Lola

I pushed her away

I walked to the door

I fell to the floor

I got down on my knees

Well I looked at her and she at me

Well that's the way that I want it to stay

And I always want it to be that way for my Lola

Lo-Lo-Lo-Lo-Lola

Girls will be boys and boys will be girls

It's a mixed up, muddled up, shook up world

Except for Lola

Lo-Lo-Lo-Lo-Lola

Well, I'd left home just a week before

And I'd never, ever kissed a woman before

Lola smiled and took me by the hand

She said, "Little boy, gonna make you a man"

Well I'm not the world's most masculine man

But I know what I am and I'm glad I'm a man

And so is Lola

Lo-Lo-Lo-Lo-Lola

Lo-Lo-Lo-Lo-Lola

Strange Laundry: Ken Griffey Jr.

Jim Thome and Ken Griffey Jr.
Chicago White Sox (2008)
Future Hall-of-Fame outfielder Ken Griffey Jr. retired this week.  He will go down as one of the greatest hitter of all time, finishing his career with 630 home runs - fifth most of all time.  He will always be remembered as a member of the Seattle Mariners and Cincinnati Reds, he spent a short time as a member of the division champion Chicago White Sox in 2008.

Griffey was traded to the White Sox at the 2008 deadline where he played alongside another future Hall-of-Famer, Jim Thome.  In 41 regular season games, Griffey hit .260 with 3 home runs.  He had a rough ALDS, batting .200 and striking out in nearly half of his plate appearances.  The White Sox lost to the Tampa Bay Rays, who would go on to be beaten by the Phillies in the 2008 World Series.

Time To Play The Game

LCD Wrist Games
Tiger Electronics (1990)

Just about every nerdy kid in school had a video game watch in the early 90's, and every teacher hated them.  Looking back on it, I can see why it would be annoying to have one of your students staring down at his or her wrist and pressing buttons that make screeching beep noises, but they sure were a welcome distraction.

This ad from the back of a comic book was shared by Terrible2z on Flickr.  It shows the screens for seven different Tiger LCD Wrist Games that were available in 1990, including Batman, Double Dragon, Altered Beast, Robocop, WWF Superstars, Ninja Gaiden and Castlevania II: Simon's Quest.

Off The Beaten Path: Jimmy's Quick Lunch

Jimmy's Quick Lunch

Off The Beaten Path - WYLN TV
The best hot dogs in the world, conveniently located on Broad Street in Hazleton.

The Wisdom Of Mr. Halpern

Sh*t My Dad Says
Justin Halpern
Comedy writer Justin Halpern moved back home with his parents and he started a Twitter account to share the things his father says around the house.  It is pure gold, and now it's been published as a book.

My favorite:

"I just want silence. Jesus, it doesn't mean I don't like you. It just means right now, I like silence more."  (December 3, 2009)