Tree in Solid Rock

Tree in Solid Rock
Interstate 80 - Buford, WY
Not long after my 10th birthday, I went on a cross-country trip with my family to visit my uncle in Provo, Utah.  On the way home, we stopped in Wyoming and saw this tree growing out of a rock.  According to the sign, they diverted the path of the Union Pacific Railroad when they were building it so that they could preserve this tree.

I later learned that this tree is in a small Wyoming town called Buford.  In 1990 when I saw this tree, the town had a population of three residents.  By 2007, the population of Buford was down to one.

Say Goodbye To Hollywood

In his last start six days ago, Cole Hamels threw a no-hitter against the Chicago Cubs.  Sadly, it will end up being his final start in a Phillies uniform as he was traded to the Texas Rangers earlier today.

The Phillies ended up getting a pretty decent haul in return, including three of the Rangers top 10 prospects and a veteran starter who may take Hamels place in the rotation when he comes off of the disabled list.  I hate to see Hamels go, but there's reason to be optimistic for the future.

It's Hip To Be Square

South Main Street from Public Square (1975)
Wilkes-Barre, PA
The building on the left is now Dunkin Donuts.  The Woolworth's is now a Barnes & Noble that also has the Wilkes University and King's College campus bookstore.  To the left of Woolworth's is Boscov's.  The Kresge store has been a bunch of different things over the years.  I believe it's a bar today.

Congratulations, Pedro Martinez

Earlier today, the 2015 class of the Baseball Hall of Fame were inducted in Cooperstown.  Among them was my favorite pitcher, Pedro Martinez.

Although he'll always be associated in the eyes of fans in a Red Sox uniform, Pedro ended his career in a Phillies uniform in 2009.  He pitched well in the half-season he spent in Philadelphia, going 5 - 1 and pitching well in the playoffs, including 7 scoreless innings against the Dodgers in Game 2 of the NLCS.

The photo above was taken on September 13th, 2009.  We went to a day / night double header at Citizen's Bank Park against the Mets, and Pedro was the starting pitcher in the night game.  It was a memorable evening.  Tony Danza sang the National Anthem, and my favorite pitcher took the mound against our most hated rivals and his former team.

As excited as I was to get to see Pedro pitch in person, I never could have predicted how dominant he would be.  Pedro threw 130 pitches, struck out 7, and shut down the Mets over 8 scoreless innings.  Ryan Madson came in for the save in the 9th inning and locked down the game for the Phillies.  This was Pedro's fifth win of the season, and the 219th win of his career.  Although I didn't know it at the time, this would be the final win of his career.

Congratulations, Mr. Pedro Martinez - one of the most dominant pitchers in the history of the game.  Thank you for your contribution to this game, and for your short, but memorable time in Philadelphia - especially that one September night.

Closing The Boardwalk

Boardwalk Boulevard
Laurel Mall - Hazleton, PA

For over a quarter century, the corner of the Laurel Mall next to one of its anchor stores was occupied by Boardwalk Blvd.  It was an arcade that opened in 1989, giving the Hazleton mall two arcades for a very brief period of time before the older Aladdin's Castle closed up shop.

Even the shoppers who didn't play games couldn't escape the presence of the arcade as it serenaded everyone within 20 feet with "Daaaytooooooona, let's go away!" from the Daytona USA machine that was once parked near the entrance to the arcade.  When I was a teenager, there was a Mortal Kombat 2, and later a Mortal Kombat 3 machine where I spent plenty of tokens.  Unfortunately, as the 90's drew to a close, the arcade began to get filled with more ticket-based games and fewer video games, but there were still enough traditional arcade games to make me stop in when I went to the mall.

Now, for the first time since Aladdin's Castle opened in 1976, the Laurel Mall does not have an arcade.

2007

2015

This is what remains of Boardwalk Blvd today - just a few areas that still have the carpeting.  I'm not sure what the mall has planned for this location, but it's a safe bet that it won't be as much fun as the little arcade that opened at the tail end of the 80's and thrived through the 90's, the 2000's and the first half of the 2010's before succumbing to the same fate as nearly every other mall arcade.

Thanks for the memories, Boardwalk Blvd.

The Best Garbage A Quarter Could Buy

Garbage Pail Kids
Topps (1985)
Photos taken in and around Hazleton, PA (1987)
I still remember where I was when I got my first Garbage Pail Kid.  I was five years old and my parents friends came over to visit, bringing their two children with them - a girl who was a year older than me, and a boy who was a year younger.  I don't remember the names of the kids, but the girl giving me my first Garbage Pail Kids sticker somehow burned itself into my memory.  It was card #41b - Joltin' Joe.  It was the start of an obsession that lasted throughout my elementary school years.

A pack of stickers was only a quarter, so I ended up getting some any time we went to the grocery store or stopped at Pantry Quik.  The Bloomsburg Fair was where I really hit the jackpot and scored a few rack packs.  I saved the cards in a shoebox and I used the doubles as stickers that I put everywhere and anywhere, including the pole of the swing set at my grandparents house.  I had the Series 1 poster hanging on my bedroom wall.  I even wore a yellow Live Mike t-shirt.  My grandmother bought it for me from Boscov's, but it took some convincing.  She didn't have a problem with Garbage Pail Kids or with getting a shirt for me, but she couldn't get past the idea that the shirt was intended for a kid named Mike.

Looking back on it, it felt like Garbage Pail Kids were huge throughout the decade, but they were only around for a short period of time, making their debut in the summer of 1985 and fading away before the end of 1988.  Although my family was never bothered by them, parents and religious groups practiced their favorite sport of complaining until they were banned by schools across the country.  The protests were effective enough to cause the cancellation of a cartoon series before it even aired.  It was scheduled to be a part of the CBS Saturday morning cartoon lineup for the Fall of 1987.

They made a comeback in 2003 and have been around ever since, but they haven't hit the cultural mainstream in the same way that they did when I was a kid.  This year is the 30th anniversary, and Topps is releasing a special series of cards that will include characters created by the artists back in the 80's that were never published.

The Neon Baker

Stroehmann Bakery Outlet Store
Broad Street - West Hazleton, PA

This store is right down the street from where my grandparents lived when they were still with us.  It's a very small store - not much larger than my living room, but it's a great place to go to pick up a loaf of bread or a bag of croutons because they sold day-old merchandise at ridiculously low prices.  I'm talking a dime or a quarter for a loaf of rye bread.  I used to run down here to pick up some bread for my grandmother and for about two bucks, I'd have enough for the bread, a strawberry milk and a bag of snack pies.

The House That Burger Becky Built

National Space Invaders Superbowl
Warner Building - New York, NY (1980)
This photo was taken at the New York regional competition for the Atari 2600 Space Invaders national championship tournament.  It has been recognized as the first large scale video game competition.  Frank Tetro won this regional match, but was defeated by Rebecca Heineman in the finals.

Burger Becky would go on to become a game developer with a very impressive resume that includes one of my favorite vintage game collections: Activision Anthology.

Hats Off To A Good Toad

Nintendo Greeting Card
Nextoft Corporation (1989)
I found a pack of greeting cards at the Hometown Farmers Market from 1989 that were made using artwork from Super Mario Bros 2.  I always thought that the mushroom was just part of Toad's head, but it turns out that it was a cap all along.

The cards were produced by the Nexoft Corporation, who published several NES and Famicom games when these cards were on store shelves, including Castlequest, Wizardry, and Faria.  In 1991, the company changed their name to the ASCII Corporation.  They continued to publish games under that name for the rest of the decade and into the 2000's until they merged with MediaWorks in 2008.

The Punch That Pops

Cherry Cracker
Kool-Aid (1991)
During the summer of 1991, Kool-Aid produced a flavor that crackled like Pop Rocks when you added water to the powder.

Stainless Steel Thighs

Hillary Clinton Nutcracker
Hometown Farmers Market - Tamaqua, PA

I Feel No Thoughts To Move My Head

World Outside

The Psychedelic Furs (1991)
The final studio album from one of my favorite bands was released fourteen years ago on my 11th birthday.

The album wasn't as big of a hit as the band's earlier work from the 80's, but it's very good and worth listening to.  The first single, Until She Comes, is especially good.  It's a love song on the surface, but it has been reported that the girl who Richard Butler is singing about is a metaphor for drug addiction.

Until She Comes
The Psychedelic Furs (1991)

Until she comes again

I can hear the things she said

I feel no thoughts to move my head

Until she comes again

And with her step I move my feet

And with her hand I feel my skin

And with her need I find I'm saved

And with her dreams I'm laid

Until she comes again

The sun goes out and night comes in

The time goes 'round and day grows dim

Until she comes again

And with her step I move my feet

And with her hand I feel my skin

And with her need I find I'm saved

And with her dreams I'm laid

I can't be saved from my wounds

Until she comes

I can't be saved from my wounds

Until she comes

Until she comes again

With all my saving and my sins

There's no good reason to begin

Until she comes again

And with her step I move my feet

And with her hand I feel my skin

And with her need I find I'm saved

And with her dreams I'm laid

I can't be saved from my wounds

Until she comes

I can't be saved from my wounds

Until she comes

Until she comes again

With all her dreams tied in her hand

There is no why to understand

Until she comes again

Until she comes again

The sun goes out and night comes in

The time goes 'round and day grows dim

Until she comes again

Love Wins

Dear bigots,

You lose. Again.

This is a proud day in American history where we have taken one giant leap towards freedom and equality, as we distance ourselves further from bigotry and intolerance.  [Image and article source: Yahoo] 

Retail Archaeology

The Salvation Army Family Store
West Broad Street - Hazleton, PA

They're remodeling the Salvation Army thrift store in downtown Hazleton.  The front of the building was stripped off, which revealed an old storefront from a furniture store that closed in 1984.  The neon bulbs were even still there.  They just covered over it with plaster and wood, or whatever materials made up the old Salvation Army storefront.

Rosen's was a furniture store in downtown Hazleton.  This location originally opened in 1923 and remained in business for parts of seven decades, through the Great Depression and two World Wars before closing in 1984.  I was technically alive when the store was open, but I don't have any memories of it.  Maybe there was a toddler in Northeast Pennsylvania who was in the market for a discount recliner in the mid-80's, but it wasn't me.

Which Way Do You Sway?

Homo Estás Buttons
Chipotle  (2015)
These were being handed out at Philly Pride this week.  I guess if you go both ways, you'll just wear both pins.

[source: HardcoreClouds]

Put A Little Frenchy Mustard On It

Jeff Francoeur
Philadelphia Phillies - Relief Pitcher (?)
Last night was not a fun time for the Fightins.  Phillies starter Jerome Williams gave up six runs in the 1st inning, staring with a leadoff home run to Manny Machado and ending with two runs scored on a passed ball in which Williams injured his leg trying to tag out the second runner.  There was no collision at the plate or anything like that.  Williams fell into a Johnny Cage split on the play and limped off of the field without getting out of the 1st inning.  Dustin McGowan came on in relief with two outs in the bottom of the first.  He managed to stay in through the end of the 4th inning, but he also gave up six runs, including another home run to Machado in the 2nd inning.

Fast forward to the 7th inning.  The Phillies were losing to the Orioles by a score of 17 - 3 when right fielder Jeff Francoeur was brought in to pitch.  Frenchy was a pitcher in high school and he pitched in eight games for the El Paso Chihuahuas last season, but the 30 year old right fielder had never pitched in a major league game.  Surprisingly, he started out pretty well.  He struck out a batter and set the Orioles down in the 7th, which ended up being the only inning that Baltimore didn't score.  However, they brought him back out in the 8th and he started to get hit around.

What happened next was just plain absurd.  The Phillies bullpen phone wasn't hung up properly.  Television cameras zoomed in to show that it was off the hook, so when pitching coach Bob McClure called to get someone else warmed up, no one answered.  His solution was to literally wave a white flag (towel) to his bullpen to get their attention.  Finally, McClure came out to the mound with his right fielder's pitch count approaching 50.  Chase Utley was furious and spent some of the mound visit yelling at the Phillies pitching coach for leaving Francoeur in the game and risking injury.  He ended up staying in the game, and with his 48th pitch, Frenchy got Chris Parmalee to fly out to Odubel Herrera to end the inning.  The Phillies would not score in the bottom of the 9th for the 19 - 3 loss.

Full English Breakfast

It's not exactly the same as what we had in London. but it's damn tasty!

It's A Rough Life

Little Harvey has found his favorite spot to rest on the back porch.  He loves to rest his chin on things.

Dinosaurs and a Desert Apocolypse

Jurassic World and Mad Max: Fury Road
Laurel Drive In - Hazleton, PA

There aren't too many drive in movie theaters in operation, and I'm lucky enough to live within a thirty minute drive of two of them.  Actually, I could probably walk to the Laurel Drive In from my house, but going without a car kind of defeats the purpose.

In the summer of 1986, the first movie I ever saw in theaters was at this drive in.  It was The Karate Kid: Part 2, and I loved every minute of it.  In the years since, I must have seen at least a hundred other movies at this place.  The Laurel Drive In really is a treasure of the Hazleton area, and it's one of the few places that's still in operation in town since my childhood.

This is the entrance to the drive in where you pay for your ticket to get in.

Every time I see this sign, I think of Doug singing Banging On A Trash Can.

One of the best parts of the Laurel Drive In is the food.  It's all delicious diner-style food, and it's all very reasonably priced.  That pizza you see on the menu there for $6.00 isn't for a slice - it's for a whole pie.  Granted, it's not an extra large, but it's enough to feed at least two people.  Tell me one other movie theater in the world where you can get a hot dog, a bag of popcorn and a soda for five bucks.  The cheesesteaks and meatball hoagies are delicious, and they've got to be one of the only places in the country where you can go see a movie and buy pierogies and funnel cake at the concession stand.

The first Jurassic Park movie is one of my favorite summer blockbusters of all time, but if I'm being totally honest, I don't care about The Lost World or Jurassic Park 3 at all.  Thee first movie was epic, and the two sequels aren't bad - I just don't think that they're necessary, other than to squeeze as much money out of the success of the first film as possible.

Jurassic World is definitely a better movie than the second and third sequel.  It more fun, the callbacks to the first film were great, and the plot expands on the world build by Jurassic Park in a way that the second and third films in the franchise did not.  The story begins over two decades after the events of Jurassic Park, and at a time in which the Jurassic World theme park has been open for over a decade.  The idea of seeing a real dinosaur isn't as special as it once was, so the folks in charge are feeling pressure to ramp things up to keep interest in the park alive.

 

The second part of this double feature was Mad Max: Fury Road, and... uggh.  I'm sorry, I want to like the Mad Max films.  I really do.  I know it's highly regarded by critics and fans, and it ticks a lot of the boxes that I typically find interesting, but with the exception of The Road Warrior (which I think is good, but not great), I've been bored to death by the franchise as a whole, and Fury Road may be the most dull out of them all.

I don't know if I'm just not into car chases, or if I'm just not all that interested in this particular style of post-apocalyptic fiction.  The whole plot can be summed up with "We're all savage nomads, and we're almost out of bullets and gas and everybody's craaaaaazy".  I might enjoy something like this if it was made into a cheap 90 minute grindhouse style movie like Hell Comes To Frogtown, but it tries to take itself way too seriously and the dialogue is so dopey that it could be an unintentional comedy if it wasn't so damned boring.  There's no depth to any of the characters at all, so I have no reason to care what happens to them.  At about 45 minutes into the film, we both realized that we couldn't name most of the characters and couldn't care less if they all burst into flames at that very moment, so we left.

Old News

Newsstand In The Subway
Photo by Janet Delaney
New York City (1985)
The magazine covers at the newsstand date this photograph to June 1985.  It is just one of many beautiful photos from the Janet Delaney's collection: New York City 1984-1987.

Breakfast Sub With Scrapple

Breakfast Sub with Scrapple
Eddie's American Diner
15th Street - Hazleton, PA
This was a very tasty breakfast.  The sub is filled with fried eggs, bacon, lettuce, tomato, onion and salsa.  They know how to make scrapple too - thick cut and crispy on the outside.

Eddie's is in the old Ferdinand's Restaurant building, which closed five years ago.  Ferdinand's was open from 1983 to 2010 and served mostly Italian food.  Our family usually went to Blue Comet instead, but I was still sad to see it closed.  Glad to see another nice restaurant pop up in its place.

Is It Too Late To Be A Pirate Astronaut?

Joe Dator
The New Yorker (May 25, 2015)

Fun On Tap

RePlay Magazine

February 1981
FUN ON TAP - Phil Robertson, day bartender and assistant manager at Pickwick’s Pub in Woodland Hills, Calif., loves the Asteroids upright their operator installed late in 1980.  Bar patrons are equally fascinated by the game and Phil maximizes play by holding an informal tournament now and again just for fun.  Current high score is visibly posted on the upright.  [text from Replay Magazine; scanned and shared by @mznewman]

Getting Some Sun

Peanuts
Charles Schulz (August 27, 1963)
Sometimes I can really relate to Linus.  As for Charlie Brown, you ought to know that your friend is nothing if not sincere.

Find Mickey

Fully Computerized
Wally Wood (1953)

Another Caucasian, Gary

Another Caucasian Gary
Joshua Budich (2015)
This Lebowski inspired artwork was part of an exhibition called Fictional Foods.  Limited edition prints are available from Gallery 1988.

Keep Your Head In The Game

Jose Canseco
Texas Rangers (May 26, 1993)
On this day in 1993, the most memorable home run of Jose Canseco's career was hit in a game between the Texas Rangers and the Cleveland Indians.  The problem for him is that it came off of the bat of Carlos Martinez.

The LGBTQ Sandwich

The Black Sheep Deli

Amherst, MA
I absolutely believe in equality, and there are few things in this world that I love more than a good sandwich, but I'm not sure that I can get on board with spelling it "Qucumber".  [source: Runcibility]

Vector Refreshments

Creative Computer Graphics
Annabel Jankel and Rocky Morton (1984)
Vector images on MPC systems (fiber optics) from Moving Picture Company Ltd.  Scanned and shared by Palm & Laser.

Nana's Communion

I found a certificate that was given to my great great grandparents 100 years ago when their daughter (my Nana) received her First Holy Communion.  She passed away when I was 13 years old.

Discount Wrestling DVDs

Ollies is a pretty awesome store.  This is over 33 hours of wrestling that cost a total of $12.96.