Fill In The Blank

Jonathan Papelbon
Closer - Philadelphia Phillies
I can't wait until we get rid of this douchebag.

A Corn In The Hand Is Worth...

The trick is to bring someone with really big hands.  Maybe the Violent Femmes were running a corn scam all these years (source: Pax Americana / Chipotle).

Seeing Blue Jays Out Of The Bedroom Window

Renaissance Toronto Downtown Hotel
Rogers Centre - Toronto, Ontario
One of the things on my bucket list is to stay in this hotel with a view of the field during a Phillies /  Blue Jays interleague game.  Hall of Famer Roberto Alomar lived in a suite at this hotel when he played second base for the Blue Jays, back in the days when the ballpark was still called SkyDome.  [photo source: evandarnold / reddit]

Do Us A Flavor

Lay's Potato Chips
Do Us A Flavor contest
Three of these flavors are going to be available for a limited time only while the fourth one will be produced for the year.  Chip lovers can vote on which flavor they want to keep by visiting DoUsAFlavor.com.  Each of these flavors have been suggested by an entrant to the contest.  The person who suggested the flavor that wins will receive a million dollars.

I tried each of them.  Here are my brief thoughts on each:

Wasabi Ginger: Tasty, pronounced ginger flavor, but I would have liked to have more wasabi spice.  They were enjoyable and worth buying.

Cappuccino: Surprisingly pleasant.  I expected them to be sweet, but they weren’t.  They had a nice, mellow coffee flavor with a hint of cinnamon.  My favorite of the four.  I didn't expect to like them let alone to consider them my favorite of the four.  I'd definitely buy them again.

Cheddar Bacon Mac & Cheese: Not bad, but nothing special.  Smokey bacon flavor - no taste of cheddar or mac & cheese at all.  Not unlike most of the bacon chips on the market.  These were my least favorite of the four, but if you like bacon flavored stuff, you'll enjoy them.

Mango Salsa: Definitely captures the flavor that they were going for.  Tasty and worth trying.  I think it would make a better flavor for Doritos than for potato chips.

Et Tu, Kozmo?

Dexter's Deli
Knoebels - Elysburg, PA
This is in the same building as the International Food Court.

This park really does have a massive selection of things to eat and drink, and it's all very tasty and reasonably priced.

How Much Does A Pirate Charge For Corn?

International Food Court
Knoebels - Elysburg, PA
The food at the International Food Court in Knoebels is very good, but the signs are even better.

There are at least a dozen more signs like this with puns just as terribly amazing as these.

Sushi Ninjas

The Sushi Rangers
Tomy (2014)
The Japanese toy manufacturer who introduced the world to Transformers has applied the concept to ninjas who transform into pieces of sushi.  Read more about them on Rocket News 24.

Even Demigods Need a Hobby

A Glimmer Of Hope

Cole Hamels, Jake Diekman, Ken Giles and Jonathan Papelbon
Philadelphia Phillies (2014)
It has been a rough season, but the Phillies started the month off strong with a combined no-hitter against the Atlanta Braves.

The Original Arcade Classic

Roaring Creek Arcade
Knoebels Amusement Resort - Elysburg, PA
They have a lot of different Skee Ball lanes at Knoebels, but the vintage ones in the Roaring Creek Arcade are my favorite.  You have to pull down the lever after inserting your quarter for the balls to load in the chamber.

Retro Gaming With Hello Kitty

Mothra Chan, an art school couple from Tumblr, recently shared this photo.  Ms. Pac Man is one of the few retro arcade games that you can easily play while holding a stuffed Hello Kitty in one hand.

Come On In

Hazleton General Hospital
Broad Street - Hazleton, PA
The electronic sign is a nice touch.  I wonder if they take competitor coupons.

Oh, The Possibilities

Wal-Mart
Airport Road - Hazleton, PA
Hey, look what I found sitting on the shelf.  I just need a sharpie and I'll have a do-it-yourself rollback kit.

Sci-Fi Classics

Science Fantasy Film Classics 
Issue 1 (Winter 1977)

This is the fold-out poster that came inside of the first issue of Science Fantasy Film Classic magazine.  It features artwork from the movies that were featured in this issue, including Star Wars, 2001: A Space Odyssey, and Forbidden Planet.  Artwork by Michael Stein and Jeff Darrow.  Poster scanned and shared by Martin L. Kennedy.

Sailor Moon Downtime

Artwork by Gyimah Gariba

Attention K-Mart Shoppers

K-Mart (1980s)

Coping With Sadness

I wish I could have gotten to speak with him... just once.

A Little Spark of Madness...

Robin Williams
1951 - 2014
The world lost a very special spark of madness today.  Even when tortured by sadness, this man brought smiles and laughter to the hearts of millions.  You will never be forgotten and will always be missed.  Farewell, my hero...

Kill, Steen, Kill

Kevin Steen
World Wrestling Entertainment (2014)
One of the best wrestlers I've ever gotten to watch in person has just signed with the WWE.  Go get 'em, Kevin!

Fausto La Vista

Roberto Hernandez
Philadelphia Phillies (2014)
The Phillies traded Roberto Hernandez (formerly known as Fausto Carmona) to the Los Angeles Dodgers today.  In exchange, the Phillies will receive two players-to-be-named-later; one for each of his identities.

The Cybernetic Samurai

The Cybernetic Samurai
Danny Flynn

This artwork was used for the cover of the 1985 science fiction novel of the same name by Victor Milán.

We Know He Can Swim But...

Commonwealth Games (2014)
source: acslaytaa

Never Stick A Steak Knife In An Electrical Outlet

Kevin J. McGroarty obituary
Citizens Voice (July 26, 2014)

This is my kind of guy.  Mr. McGroarty passed away five days ago, but he wrote his own obituary and it is memorable.  I was a student at LCCC while he was working there as an adjunct professor.  I didn't have him as a teacher, but if I did, I would definitely attend his funeral to hear the brief rant of how the government screwed up all of the Bugs Bunny cartoons.

Times Square 1964

Times Square (July 1964)
New York City, NY
The photo can be dated by the Embassy Theater on the right hand side.  The Barbara Barrie and Bernie Hamilton drama "One Potato, Two Potato" is advertised on the marquee.

Good News

The Times Leader

Wilkes-Barre, PA  (July 24, 2014)

Hey, at least we're #1 in something.  Eat it, St. Joseph, Missouri!

It Can Be Quite Surprising...

Source: cggx (Reddit)

Clown Cash

Dollar Coin
2004 Gathering Of The Juggalos
I saved a few of these and recently found them in a box with ticket stubs.

Mario Kart Momma

Mario Kart Wii
Nintendo Wii (2008)
Mom trying out Mario Kart Wii for the first time.  I think that she liked it.

Stone Cold At The Plate

"Stone Cold" Steve Austin and Terry Francona
Veterans Stadium - Philadelphia, PA (1999)

Fifteen years ago, the former WWF Champion paid a visit to Veterans Stadium to take batting practice with the Phillies prior to their interleague game against the Baltimore Orioles.

Source: Philadelphia Daily News (left) / Courier Post (right) - July 10, 1999

Austin didn't stun too many folks with his batting practice, but his appearance kicked off a fun night in Philadelphia.  Curt Schilling pitched a complete game, giving up two runs on eight hits for his 13th win of the season.  This improved the Phillies record to 46-38 and was the first time they reached eight games over .500 since 1995.

 

Source: Lancaster New Era - July 10, 1999

I don't remember seeing anything about it during the game, but there was a lot of awesome footage of his appearance that aired on the July 18th episode of WWF Superstars.

Fast Food Inflation

McDonalds Restaurant Menu (1972)
You could have bought every item off of the menu for less than the cost of one of the Value Meals in 2014.

Sega In The UK

Sega Master System
Argos (1994)
Sega's 8-bit competitor to the NES may not have been much of a success in the United States, but it was a big hit in Brazil and throughout Europe.  This scan comes from an Argos catalog and features games that were sold at retail stores well into the 90's.

Breathing Lifelike Fire

4th Of July

Soundgarden (July 4, 2014)
Huge thanks to Kristy Maycurrie for sharing this video from yesterday's concert at Hyde Park.  She also recorded Limo Wreck, Kickstand, Mailman, and Fresh Tendrils.

Decorate Your Wiener For Uncle Sam

Frankie Doodle Dandy
Swift Premium (1977)
This is the only context in which it is recommended to dip anything into boiling water to get their legs to spread.

Three Decades Of 245 Trioxin

Return Of The Living Dead
Orion Pictures (1985)
The punk rock of zombie films began its story 30 years ago today when an employee of Uneeda Medical Supply accidentally busts open one of the drums containing a zombie from Night Of The Living Dead in 1967.