Nov 5, 2018
Nov 4, 2018
Can You Milk A Bull?
Farmers Dairy (1984)
Rt. 309 - Hazleton, PA
Farmer's Dairy Store & Ice Cream Shop opened in 1943 and was a Hazleton landmark for over fifty years. It was across the street from Genetti's Best Western at the intersection of Church Street and 32nd Street in Hazleton. When I was a kid, my grandfather brought me here for banana splits. I remember that they were served in blue plastic boats, and they were very yummy. I know that they served other food too, but all I ever had there was ice cream.
The restaurant closed in October 1995. The building is still standing and is now home to Antonio's Breakfast World, but this sign was torn down not long after the Farmers Dairy restaurant closed.
Nov 3, 2018
Nov 2, 2018
Pac Man Gives You Wings
Pac-Man Red Bull Arcade Cabinet
Bandai Namco (2018)
7-Eleven - Austin, TX
This specialty arcade cabinet not only features new special levels of Pac Man. It also has a refrigerator stocked with Red Bull built into the cabinet in place of the coin box. It even has graphics of a coin slot on the door of the fridge.
When playing the game, a can of Red Bull will randomly pop up and bounce around the screen. When Pac-Man eats it, he gets surrounded by a shield that lets you shoot lightning at the ghosts. It's incredible that after all these years, Pac-Man continues to be reinvented and embraced by the world.
Photo Credit: Dustun Rogers
Update: The arcade cabinet design is based on the Namco Pixel Bash machine (hat tip to Win Hickman and Todd Guse).
Nov 1, 2018
Red Bull Pac-Cans
Red Bull
Limited Edition Pac-Can
These cans just started hitting stores in my area in the past few days. Not only is the Pac-Man design awesome, but the tab underneath has a special code that unlocks an exclusive Red Bull level of the game on the Pac-Man game app from Bandai Namco. There are three levels, so a four pack of the energy drink will allow you to unlock all three, with a fourth can for hoarders like me to save.
Oct 31, 2018
Zombie Outbreak Response Team
Laurel Mall
Hazleton, PA
I'm not sure about those blue flames on the window, but you've got to love the fact that there was a coffin in the back of the hearse.
Oct 30, 2018
Synth Thriller
Thriller
Performed by Scandroid
Off of their album Monochrome
I found this on The Nerdist last year and instantly fell in love with it. Happy Halloween!
Oct 29, 2018
Oct 28, 2018
An Army On The Dance Floor
The Psychedelic Furs
Penns Peak
Jim Thorpe, PA - October 28, 2018
The Psychedelic Furs are one of my favorite bands of all time, and Heartbreak Beat is my favorite song ever, so this show was a dream come true. They sounded incredible the energy they brought to the show was infectious. I was right in front of bassist Tim Butler for the majority of the show, and he caught me singing along and sang with me a few times during the show. He tossed his guitar pick to me after the show, but my depth perception is lousy, so it bounced off my hand and someone else ended up with it. No worries though - it was one of the best concerts I've ever been to, and the show is a memory that I'll never forget.
Oct 27, 2018
In The Not Too Distant Future...
Mystery Science Theater 3000
30th Anniversary Tour: The Brain
Wilkes-Barre, PA - October 27, 2018
I wasn't sure what to expect when I first heard that MST3K was going on the road. I was kind of thinking that it would be something like the Fathom Events RiffTrax movies. Don't get me wrong - those RiffTrax events are a lot of fun, but the MST3K tour blew that out of the water entirely.
The stage was set up to look like the Satellite Of Love. They showed the 1988 horror cult classic The Brain, and the backdrop of the MST3K commentary was a game show with original host Joel Hodgson and Tom Servo on the red team, and current host Jonah Ray and Crow on the yellow team. Rebecca Hanson (Synthia Forrester and the voice of Gypsy) was the host of the show and did a fantastic job. The entire show was hysterically funny, and they even brought out the actual Brain prop from the film - and squirted the audience with it.
Oct 26, 2018
I Hope It Wasn't Greg Valentine
The Magna Carta was signed by King John in 1215, and it the foundation of modern democracy. There are only four copies of it in existence, the best preserved of which is kept at the Salisbury Cathedral. We saw this copy of the Magna Carta on display at the Salisbury Cathedral when we visited England four years ago.
Yesterday, a man with a hammer broke through the protective case that housed the historic document and set off an alarm while attempting to steal it. BBC News reported that the would-be thief was caught and arrested while trying to flee the scene. The Magna Carta was not damaged, but it has been temporarily removed from the cathedral while they repair the display case.
Oct 25, 2018
I Want To Be The Golden Robot
Woolco Halloween Ad - early 1980's
Maybe the couldn't decide if it was C-3PO or See-Threepio.
Oct 24, 2018
A Nightmare On Burger Street
Nightmare King
Burger King (2018)
Three years after they introduced the Halloween Whopper, Burger King has given us the Nightmare King. This monster burger is made up of a quarter pound of beef and a crispy chicken patty topped with cheese, bacon, onions and mayo on a green bun. The fast food chain claims to have done a clinical sleep study and found that eating the Nightmare Burger will make it 3.5 times more likely that you will have a nightmare when you fall asleep.
The bun wasn't quite as green as I was expecting, but it is a very tasty burger. It reminds me a bit of the Churger from the Reading Fightin' Phils games. It's just a shame that they didn't get Freddy Krueger to promote it. They did have some pretty cool Frankenstein packaging though.
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| Nightmare King wrapper |
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| French Fry bag |
Oct 23, 2018
Hail Satan
George "Satan" Stutz
Shortstop - Philadelphia Phillies
Minor league journeyman George Stutz played professional baseball for nearly two decades beginning in 1908 for the New Castle Nocks at the age of 19. Over the next 19 years, his career included time spent with 15 different teams, including the Reading Pretzels, Harrisburg Senators, Quincy Gems, Hannibal Mules, Portland Beavers, and Muskegon Anglers.
He finally made it to the major leagues in 1926 with the Phillies, appearing in six games with a total of nine major league at bats. Stultz did not reach base, going 0 - 9 with two strikeouts and no walks. The following season would be his last, playing 2B for the Martinsburg Blue Sox. He died three years later on December 29, 1930 at the age of 37.
I could find no explanation for why he had the nickname "Satan", but I'm guessing that the wooly beard had something to do with it.
Oct 22, 2018
Three Clerks
Mr. Hush Weekend of Fear
Wild West City - October 21, 2018
Stanhope, NJ
Photo Album
Clerks is one of our all-time favorite films. Both of us have spent a few years of our lives working as a clerk in a convenience store. We even took a road trip twelve years ago to visit the Quick Stop in Leonardo, NJ where Clerks was filmed. Needless to say, it was awesome that we had the chance to meet the star of Clerks, Mr. Brian O'Halloran.
Oct 21, 2018
Meeting a Drive In Icon
Mr. Hush Weekend of Fear
Wild West City - Stanhope, NJ
When I was a teenager, I loved watching MonsterVision on TNT. As much as I loved the movies, the best part of the show was the host, Mr. Joe Bob Briggs. Before it began, he would share facts and stories about the movie, and he'd give a preview of what to expect with the Drive In Totals.
A few months ago, I saw an advertisement for Shudder, a streaming service dedicated to horror flicks, and I was very excited to see that they brought Joe Bob back for a marathon of movies called The Last Drive In. It made me feel like a teenager again, staying up late to watch Sleepaway Camp, Basket Case and other awesome horror movies with the wit, wisdom and humor of Joe Bob throughout. If that isn't awesome enough, it was announced last month that Joe Bob would be coming back to host a Thanksgiving marathon called The Dinners Of Death, a Christmas marathon called A Very Joe Bob Christmas, and a new marathon of movies in 2019.
Earlier today, we went to Wild West City theme park in Stanhope, NJ for the Mr. Hush Weekend of Fear horror convention. There were quite a few very cool vendors and guests, including Brian O'Halloran from Clerks and Kevin Van Hentenryck from Basket Case. and the park itself was surreal with actors performing a wild west bank robbery. However, the highlight for us was getting to meet and talk with Joe Bob. We got there pretty early before it got too busy, so we were lucky to spend over an hour talking with him about movies, pop culture and life in general. He was genuinely one of the nicest and most interesting people I've ever had the privilege of meeting.
I usually have a little bit of anxiety talking to people in general, but especially celebrities. It's not really that I'm star struck. I just don't always know a ton about the person, so other than telling them that I'm a big fan of their work, I'm not sure what to say. That wasn't a problem with Joe Bob at all. He was just such a cool, friendly, laid back guy, and we have a lot of interests and opinions in common. I feel like we could have hung out with a few beers and chatted for hours.
He signed two of his books for us before we left, and I look forward to reading them. He also took this photo with us out in the front of the building. My wife and I spent the entire drive home talking about how awesome the day was. I'll never forget it.
Oct 20, 2018
Metallica at Penn State
Metallica
Worldwired Tour
Bryce Jordan Center
State College, PA - October 20, 2018
Photo Album - Ticket
Traffic getting into this show was unbelievable, so we missed most of the pre-show with comedian Jim Breuer, but we didn't miss any of the concert. It's the first time I ever saw a show in the round, so I wasn't sure what to expect, but the stage presentation was out of this world. The highlight was the release of lighted drones during Moth Into Flame, a track off of their latest album that was inspired by the life of Amy Winehouse.
The setlist was a solid mix of classic hits, including Seek and Destroy, For Whom The Bell Tolls, Master of Puppets, One and Sad But True. They also performed several tracks from their newest album, Hardwired To Self Destruct, which was given to everyone in attendance for free (either via download or a CD) in the months leading up to the show. They closed with an encore trio of Blackened, Nothing Else Matters and Enter Sandman.
Update: it has been reported that the attendance for this show was 15,588. This is an all-time attendance record at the Bryce Jordan Center.
Oct 19, 2018
Vintage Halloween Commercials
70's and 80's Halloween Commercials
Shared by Some Classic Game Music
Sit back and enjoy some of the spooky ways companies convinced us to buy their products in the past.
Oct 18, 2018
Oct 17, 2018
Oct 16, 2018
Oct 15, 2018
Oct 14, 2018
Oct 13, 2018
Oct 12, 2018
Monster Match
Pepsi Monster Match (1991)
This was a pretty cool promotion. Every pack of Pepsi or bag of Doritos contained half of a Monster Money bill. If you matched both halves, you won a prize. The grand prize was if you matched the Frankenstein Monster Money to win a million dollars.
The coolest part was that the back of every carton of Pepsi had an awesome horror monster poster. I don't remember this part, but according to the bottom left corner of each of these, there was a second contest where you could win prizes if you hung these posters in your window if they were seen by a "Monster Spotter".
Oct 11, 2018
Khabib Nurmagomedov's Punch Out
Khabib talks like he's from an 80's Nintendo game, but damn he can fight. Congratulations, champ.
Oct 10, 2018
Oct 9, 2018
I Think I'll Squeeze The Charmin
Robin Williams and The Thinker
Legion of Honor - San Francisco, CA
There are few entertainers who I admire more than Robin Williams. He had an amazing ability to make the world around him more fun and enjoyable. I truly wish I had gotten the opportunity to meet him.
Photo by Arthur Grace
Published in "Robin Williams, A Singular Portrait, 1986-2002" (Available on Amazon)
Oct 8, 2018
Oct 7, 2018
Oct 6, 2018
Monster Cereals Halloween Bag
Monster Cereals Halloween Bag
Late 1970's
I miss the days when companies used to be able to market to children. This was just a simple plastic bag, but it's things like this that helped to make Halloween fun. Photo credit to Gregg Koenig.
Oct 5, 2018
Spooky NES
Super Nintendo: Castlevania custom case
customized by Vadu Amka
This incredible work of art was made with a mixture of resin, texture gels, linden wood and balsa wood, and is decorated with brass and bronze paint.
Oct 4, 2018
Cub Scout Chocolate
We sold these Hershey bars when I was in Cub Scouts back in 1988. If I remember correctly, they were one dollar each, which was about twice as much as they cost in the grocery store, but they came in a snazzy silver wrapper that included a coupon for another free chocolate bar.
Oct 3, 2018
The Colors Of The Wind
customized by Vadu Amka
This customized console was inspired by The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. I especially love the brick sides and how the air vent looks like the window of a dungeon.
Oct 2, 2018
Oct 1, 2018
Dog Team
Dudley Do-Right
Episode 28: Skagway Dogsled Pulling Contest
October 26, 1969
And so ends another Phillies season in which we snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
Sep 30, 2018
Lost 80's Live
Lost 80's Live
A Flock of Seagulls / Wang Chung / Naked Eyes / Bow Wow Wow
When In Rome / Animotion / Gene Loves Jezebel / Dramarama
Philadelphia, PA - September 29, 2018
Photo Album - Ticket
This was one of the best 80's shows I've ever been to. Gene Loves Jezebel hit the stage first. To be honest, I've never heard of them before today, but they had a lot of energy and I enjoyed their music.
Annabella Lwin performed next. She was 15 when she was the became a star as the singer of Bow Wow Wow. Today, she sounds just as good as ever.
Dramarama was the third band to come out with lead singer John Easdale carrying a case of Tab and drinking the soda throughout their set. I didn't know much about them except for the song "Anything, Anything" from A Nightmare On Elm Street 4. They performed it as their closer, and it was incredible.
Naked Eyes was next, and Pete Byrne sang and played two of my favorite new wave songs: Promises, Promises and Always Something There To Remind Me. Both were definitely bucket list songs to see in concert.
Animotion came out fifth. They owned the stage and performed Let Him Go and Obsession, and they did a pretty incredible cover of Soft Cell's Tainted Love.
When In Rome was the sixth group to perform. They did a short set, but it included one of my favorite songs, The Promise.
Wang Chung was absolutely fantastic! Nick Feldman came out wearing a "Wang Chung Is F*cking Metal" t-shirt, which set the tone for their set. They opened with Let's Go and followed it up with To Live & Die In LA and Dance Hall Days. The drummer then came out to do a cover of Girls Just Wanna Have Fun which smoothly transitioned into Everybody Have Fun Tonight.
The headliner was A Flock Of Seagulls. They have long been one of my favorite new wave groups, and they have some of my favorite songs overall. They opened with Modern Love Is Automatic and The More You Live, The More You Love. Next was Telecommunication, and at around that point, the guys from When In Rome and Wang Chung came out to watch the show and take photos of Mike Score. Next, they did one of my all time favorite songs, Space Age Love song. They closed with Wishing and with an amazing performance of I Ran.
This was a phenomenal night of music that capped off a week where we got to see a dozen 80's artists. I'm very thankful that we had the opportunity to go to these shows.
Sep 29, 2018
Token Rewards Card
Ticket To Fun
Aladdin's Castle (1984)
I vaguely remember Aladdin's Castle giving these cards out. You had to buy your tokens off of the arcade attendant, and they would stamp your ticket. When you had enough stamps, you would earn free tokens. I found one for sale on eBay recently, but they were asking more than I want to pay for it.
UPDATE: It looks like this was purchased by Gains McDonald of the Aladdin's Castle Arcades Facebook group. He was kind enough to share these photos, so you can get a better look at it than the grainy one that I pulled off of eBay.
Sep 28, 2018
Goldberg 3:16
Earlier today, I listened to the most recent episode of the Something To Wrestle With podcast. Bruce Prichard (aka: Brother Love) and Conrad Thompson discussed the WWF Breakdown pay-per-view from 1998. In conversation, Conrad mentioned that the WWF created and sold an official company-licensed t-shirt that had Goldberg Sucks printed on the back. To the best of my knowledge, it's the only time that the WWF ever sold merchandise that directly mentioned a wrestler from a rival promotion.
Sep 27, 2018
Camel With A Side Of Snake
Camel Burger and Python Spring Roll
Feed The Beast food truck
Bloomsburg Fair
The Bloomsburg Fair is one of the best places to try new and unusual foods. This year, I tried the Camel Burger on Sunday and the Python Spring Roll yesterday before the concert. They weren't bad, but I wouldn't seek either of them out to have again. Still, I'm glad to check off camel and python on my list of foods I've had.
Sep 26, 2018
Maybe Jenny Was Jessie's Girl
Rick Springfield / Eddie Money / Greg Kihn / Tommy Tutone
Best In Show Tour
Bloomsburg, PA - September 26, 2018
Photo Album - Ticket
The Bloomsburg Fair is one of my favorite things in the world. I look forward to it like a child looks forward to Christmas, and I've been to it nearly every year of my life. Despite this, I've never been to a concert at the Fair. Their shows are almost all country music acts, and that has never been something that I'm interested in. This year, I am incredibly happy to say that we've gotten four icons of 80's pop rock, and I've been to my first Bloomsburg Fair concert.
The concert was held on the race track at the fair, and it rained for over an hour before the show the walk to our seats was quite muddy. Thankfully, it stopped raining right before Tommy Tutone began, and the folks in charge of the show covered the floor seating ground with sand, so instead of being a mess, the ground had a spongy foam consistency. The chairs sank into the ground a bit, but that was the worst that could be said for the impact the rain had on the show.
Everyone was incredible and performed the hits we were expecting, along with a few nice surprises. One of the most pleasant surprises of the night was Tommy Tutone covering Jim Croce's "Operator", but performing it as if it was a song by The Clash. It was a very interesting concept and it sounded great! Greg Kihn opened "Our Love's In Jeopardy" with a shout out to Weird Al and the fact that this song put his two kids through college.
Speaking of kids, Eddie Money has an awesome Partridge Family vibe going on with this tour. Two of his sons and his daughter are in the band: Julian is on drums, Dez plays guitar, and Jesse sings backup vocals (and she does the female vocals in "Take Me Home Tonight"). Money told stories and jokes throughout the show and was funny as hell. He also mentioned that his aunt and uncle are from Bloomsburg and were in the crowd, and that parts of this show would be featured in his reality show, Real Money on Axis TV.
While I was looking forward to seeing Eddie Money the most, Rick Springfield really blew me away with his performance. Watching this show, I thought the dude might be a 45 year old guy who looks young for his age. As we were leaving, I overheard a woman say that she couldn't believe he was 69 years old. I thought for sure that she was mistaken, but no. He is 69 years old, and he runs around the stage and performs like he was half his age. He did a montage of his hits, including a brief teaser where he performed a few seconds of 867-5309, joking that everyone thinks that was his song, but it's Tommy Tutone's. He did all of the hits you would expect, including an incredible performance of Jesse's Girl, and the stuff from his new album was pretty damn good too. The Voodoo House was an especially great rock song. I left the show with a whole new level of respect for Rick Springfield as a rock star, and I think anyone who has the opportunity to see him perform live will feel the same.
Sep 25, 2018
Sep 24, 2018
Super Mario 14
Retro Gaming: 500 in 1 Plug and Play
Bloomsburg Fair (2018)
One of the stands was selling these NES mini clones for $75. I didn't look at every game in the menu, but "Super Mario 14" caught my eye. I played it for a few seconds and it's a platformer that features Mario throwing ninja stars at monsters. There's also an 8 bit version of Mortal Kombat 4 in which at least three of the playable characters are maskless Sub-Zero palette swaps.
Sep 23, 2018
The Defibrillator
The Defibrillator
The Original Fry Guy - Bloomsburg Fair (2018)
It's going to take more than a deep fried bacon cheeseburger with grilled cheese sandwiches for buns and topped with deep fried pickles to knock me out. Very tasty and surprisingly inexpensive for fair food.
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