Transform

Howard Jones - Men Without Hats - All Hail The Silence
Transform Tour - June 9, 2019
Penn's Peak - Jim Thorpe, PA
Photo Album - Ticket
I got to see Howard Jones and Men Without Hats a couple of years ago on the Retro Futura tour.  The show was a sampler platter of artists who are primarily associated with the 80's.  On their New Jersey stop on the tour, Howard Jones performed 11 songs while every other artist sang four or five songs.  It was a fun show, and it made me want to see more.

In the weeks leading up to this concert, I had been listening to the Transform album at least once a day at work.  It's the first Howard Jones studio album since Ordinary Heroes came out in 2009, and it's very good.  It has the classic Howard Jones infectious and relentlessly positive synthpop vibe without being too similar to any of his previous work.  I'm happy to say that it was even better to hear live.  He performed all of the songs off of the new album except for Eagle Will Fly Again and Mother, and all of his classic hits were mixed in throughout the show.

Men Without Hats had a much longer set than they had on the Retro Futura tour.  Ivan Doroschuk is two years older than my dad and he has more energy than I have on my best day.  Included in their performance was Pop Goes The World (my favorite of their songs), an awesome cover of Abba's S.O.S. and, of course, Safety Dance.

All Hail The Silence was a nice surprise.  I listened to some of their work on YouTube before the show and thought they had a really good sound.  When they started, the crowd didn't seem too interested, but they were won over pretty quickly.  By the middle of the second song, I heard several voices echoing the sentiment that these guys are pretty damn good.  Later in the night, singer Christian Burns and keyboardist BT came out to perform with Howard Jones on some of his songs, including The One To Love You, which Jones and BT co-wrote.

Bustin' Makes Me Feel Good

Ghostbusters
Columbia Pictures (1984)
One of the most iconic movies of the decade and of all-time was released to theaters nationwide 35 years ago today.  Since that time, it has been the base material for sequels, reboots, cartoons, comics and video games, but none of them have come close to being as incredible as the original.

Congratulations, Joaquin Wilde

This photo was taken on February 16th, 2007 at Night One of the Chikara King Of Trios tournament.  The card that night included several performers from the DDT Pro Wrestling promotion out of Tokyo, including a twenty year old cruiserweight named Shiima Xion.  He wrestled Nobutaka Moribe in the only non-tournament match of the night.  I met him at intermission and he was a pretty cool dude.

In the years since, Xion wrestled across the world as Zema Ion and DJ Z, including a run in TNA / Impact Wrestling as the X-Division Champion.  Earlier this year, he signed with WWE.

Last night at Minnreg Hall in Largo, FL, Xion made his WWE debut at an NXT live event.  Wrestling under his new ring name, Joaquin Wilde, he defeated Kona Reeves.  Congratulations, dude.  Looking forward to seeing your NXT / WWE career.

Pretzels With Trout

Superpretzel Soft Pretzels

J&J Snack Foods (2019)
Not long after Aaron Nola became the face of Yuengling beer, Mike Trout has signed on to promote Superpretzel.  It seems 2019 is the year of Philly area baseball sponsorship deals.

Chickedy Canada - The Canadian Chicken

Tomato Mozzarella Chicken Sandwich
McDonald's - Mountain Top, PA
The Canadian contribution to the Worldwide Favorites menu is the Tomato Mozzarella Chicken Sandwich. It doesn't have as colorful of a name, but it's very tasty. The description refers to the dressing as a "tomato and herb sauce", but this doesn't do it justice. It's a very tasty condiment, and it makes this a must-try menu item.

You Smell A Little Gamey

Axe goes by the name Lynx in Australia and New Zealand.  They've just announced a new line of X-Box soap, deodorant and body spray that I can only imagine is geared towards boys between the ages of 8 to 14.  If they wanted old farts like me, the would have co-branded with Atari.

Pitfall Harry's Swimming Pool

Dave Jacobs stayed at an Airbnb in South Miami recently and found this cheerful looking gator relaxing in the pool on an inflatable gator (source: Palm Beach Post).

Matt Stairs 2.0

The Phillies just announced that they've traded a 23 year old infielder from Clearwater to the Seattle Mariners for three-time All Star Jay Bruce.

Although his best years may be behind him, his presence will be very welcome in Philadelphia.  We needed a left handed power bat, and he certainly fills that role.  He already has 14 home runs this season, which is more than any other member of the Phillies this season (Hoskins has 13, Harper and McCutchen have 10, Realmuto and Franco have 8).  We also need an OF to take Odubel Herrera's roster spot when the Phillies trade or release him, and we need someone who can pitch hit on nights that he doesn't start.  Also, by all accounts, he's a fantastic teammate and a team leader.

Jay Bruce is signed through the end of the 2020 season.  He's owed just over $21 million, but Matt Gelb reported that the Mariners are sending $18 million to the Phillies in the deal, so we're getting a season and a half of a left handed veteran power bat who can come off the bench and rake at Citizens Bank Park for $3 million.  Not too shabby!

That's Quite A Poker Face, Pete

Philadelphia Phillies at Riverfront Stadium
The Chicago Tribute - June 1, 1979
This photo of Pete Rose playing cards with Larry Bowa and Greg Luzinski was taken 40 years ago today.  My favorite part is that it looks like Pete is wearing a t-shirt with his face on it.

Delco Plaza Mall

Delco Plaza Mall
York, PA (May 1993)
This photo was shared by the Hills Department Store page on Facebook.  The five films at UA Cinemas are Cliffhanger, Posse, Super Mario Bros, Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story and Indecent Proposal, all of which were in theaters 26 years ago today.

It's Grand and It's McExtreme

Grand McExtreme Bacon Burger
McDonald's - Pittston, PA
First and foremost, I love that I live in a world in which something is called the Grand McExtreme.  It sounds like a nickname that you'd give to your grandfather if he had a purple mowhawk and a nose piercing.  Though not as amusing to look at as the picture in my head right now, this product from McDonald's in Spain is a damn good burger.  The Gouda cheese and the smoky bacon dressing are a fantastic combination.

Stranger Soda

As part of their Stranger Things: Season 3 promotion, Coca-Cola is bringing back New Coke for a limited time.  It's available for sale now on CokeStore.com.

The Closest Thing To SweeTART Soda

Mountain Dew Liberty Brew (2019)
I'm not sure what they mean by 50 Flavors In One, but this is pretty good.  It tastes very much like blue raspberry candy - like blue SweeTARTS or Blow Pops.  It'd probably make a pretty tasty float with some vanilla ice cream too.

It's A Rib Right Out Of History

The Flintstones Grand Poobah Meal
McDonald's (1994)
The Flintstones movie, starring John Goodman and Rick Moranis, debuted in theaters 25 years ago today.  McDonald's ran a promotion using the film as a vehicle for the return of the McRib sandwich.  Since then, it has come and gone at least a dozen times, the most recent of which was last October.  If they ever release it in conjunction with the Shamrock Shake, I may go into a food coma.

I found this sign a few years ago at the Garden Drive In Flea Market for five bucks.  It now hangs in my garage and serves as a daily reminder of my love of cheesy movies and unhealthy limited edition fast food products.

Double Or Nothing

AEW Double Or Nothing
MGM Grand Garden Arena - Las Vegas, NV
This company is one of the only things keeping me interested in pro wrestling these days, and their first official ppv did not disappoint.  It was a perfect combination of old school booking and ring psychology with modern wrestling styles.  It's refreshing to see a company that takes professional wrestling seriously again.

Pork At The Park

Pulled Pork on a Ciabatta Bun
Dexter's Deli - Knoebels - Elysburg, PA
Amusement parks have their own version of the Oscars and the Grammy Awards.  It's called the Golden Ticket Awards.  Knoebels won the Golden Ticket for the amusement park with the best food 16 times since the year 2000, and it is well deserved.  We ordered a pulled pork sandwich, a Memphis Pork Barbecue, an order of deep fried broccoli and cauliflower and rice pudding with cinnamon and whipped cream. All of it was delicious, and it clocked in at less than twenty dollars.  That's not a bad price for a roadside diner, let alone an amusement park.  You could have a full meal at Knoebels for less than the cost of a soda at most places.

By the way, Knoebels also has free parking and free admission, and in addition to the reasonably priced food, everything else in the park is very affordable, from the rides to souvenirs.  The family that runs this place are outstanding human beings who run a very successful and fun park that is approaching its 100th anniversary, and they do so without squeezing every last dime out of your pocket.

Pineapple Overload

Dole Whip Float
The Loaf - Knoebels - Elysburg, PA
I've never been to Disney World, but I've been told they have a delicious frozen desert called a Dole Whip.  As it turns out, Knoebels has them too.  You can get them in four different flavors, or you could opt for the Dole Whip Float, which is the Dole Whip served in pineapple juice with large chunks of pineapple in a plastic pineapple mug.  I am one happy Hawaiian.

Happy Day From South Korea

Seems legit.

Drop Them, Dr. Jones

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
Paramount Pictures (1984)
Thirty years ago today, my favorite childhood movie was shown in theaters throughout the country.  I was only three years old at the time, but my grandfather recorded the movie during a free HBO weekend and I watched that tape at least a hundred times in the 80's.

Turn The NES Into An Arcade Cabinet

The Pro-Play Home Arcade
Eclectic Products (1988)
I wish I knew that this existed when I was a kid.  A company out of California sold an arcade cabinet kit made from vinyl-coated particle board.  It included a full two player arcade joystick that hooked up to your Nintendo Entertainment System, which sits on a shelf beneath.  The shelf that holds the NES has a window to let you change the game cartridge, and the shelf above holds a 20" CRT television behind a plexiglass screen.  It effectively turns your NES into an arcade game.

It must not have sold well.  Another blogger bought one from Toys R' Us after Thanksgiving 1989 on clearance for $59, which was over a 75% markdown from the $249.99 price in this ad.  This same blogger has also uploaded scans of the manual that shows how to put it together.  You can find more information about it on the AtariAge message boards where a user named Rob Mitchell reported that he found one at a thrift store in 2006.

Greasy Global Goodies

McDonald's Worldwide Favorites
I already tried the McDonald's Cheesy Bacon Fries this past February.  They were pretty tasty, and I'm glad to see that they're going to stick around for a bit longer now that they've been included as a part of this Worldwide Favorites promotion.  I am looking forward to giving the other three a shot.

Give Us This Day Our Phillies Bread

Wonder Bread Hot Dog Buns
Weis Market - Hazleton, PA
I wonder if this sponsorship deal made the Phillies enough money to pay for a week of the Harper contract.

Charlie Runs Through West Hazleton

Hazle Park
West Hazleton (1919)
This is a train that ran at a children's amusement park, and the photo is from 1919.  If you're a fan of The Dark Tower, you are very likely already singing "Don't ask me silly questions, I won't play silly games" in your head and thinking up riddles.  If you're not a fan of The Dark Tower, you have no idea what I'm talking about, and you should stop here, go find a copy of The Gunslinger and begin your literary adventure.  When you get to Charlie The Choo Choo, you'll understand.

Hazle Park in West Hazleton, PA was in operation from 1892 to 1956.  This ad is from June, 1950.

Saturday Morning Comes To Life

Dungeons & Dragons publicity photo
Groupe Renault
The Brazilian division of Renault Automotive has filmed a commercial based on the Dungeons & Dragons animated series which aired on CBS from 1983 - 1985.  The commercial is scheduled to debut this Thursday, May 23rd.

Possibly Worth The Flight To Thailand

Salted Egg Filled Ring Doughnuts
Krispy Kreme (Thailand)
Salted egg custard inside a Krispy Kreme sounds amazing.  I wish they'd bring this to the US.

Retro Belmont Weekend

Castlevania Anniversary Collection
Nintendo Switch (2019)
Eight retro classics for under $20 bucks.  I still remember bringing home Castlevania for the NES and playing it for the first time when I was a kid.  Not long afterward, Castlevania 2: Simon's Quest was released.  By then, I was living with my grandmother and she would play it and complain every time day turned to night when the monsters became more difficult to beat.

This collection comes with Castlevania 1-4 for the NES and SNES, as well as Castlevania Bloodlines for Genesis, the first two Game Boy Castlevania games, and Kid Dracula from the Famicom in Japan, which is getting its first English release in the United States.

This ought to keep me busy for a little while this weekend.

Serve This On Your Good Dishes

Tricerataco Taco Holder
Barbuzzo
If I live to be 100, I will never be too old to eat tacos off of a plastic dinosaur.

Have You Heard Of This?

The Museum of Endangered Sounds
If you're ever dying to hear the old Window's 95 startup music, or reminisce about the time when you had to wait forever for your dial up internet service to connect, check out The Museum of Endangered Sounds at http://savethesounds.info/.

The Crow on Game Boy

Brandon Lee
The Crow (1994)
Twenty-five years ago today, The Crow premiered in theaters.  In this photo, Brandon Lee is passing the time between takes playing the Nintendo Game Boy.  Sadly, he was accidentally shot and killed while filming.  While reminiscing about his time working with Mr. Lee on the film, makeup artist Lance Anderson said that "He loved Game Boy.  He was addicted to it.  I'd be painting these delicate lines on his face, and he'd hit a point on the game, and it would be time for a cleanup job.”

I'd like to think he was playing Kung Fu Master and that he got a chuckle out of being able to play as "Bruce Leap".

The Swiss Movie Experience

VIP Bedroom Theater
Cinema Pathé - Spreitenbach, Switzerland
At the steep price of about $50 dollars per ticket, moviegoers in Switzerland can go to the VIP Bedroom Theater and relax in an adjustable designer bed while watching a film.  The theater has 11 double beds, each of which includes nightstands on each side with a smartphone charging station, fresh sheets, a blanket, a fluffy pillow, a pair of comfy slippers, and a locker to store your valuables just in case you fall asleep during the movie.

Luke, I Am Your Nightlight

I've had this Darth Vader nightlight for as long as I can remember.  The light isn't actually red, but it looks red when it's plugged in and shining through the thick black plastic.  It looks creepy as hell in a dark room, but the 4 year old me loved it.

Drugstores Of The Past

Rea and Derick
American Stores Company (1980)
My grandmother worked at the Rea and Derick drugstore in the Hazleton Shopping Center on Broad Street for about 30 years.  This photo probably wasn't taken at that specific store, but it looked like this when I was a kid.

Moonraker Rises On The Boardwalk

The Strand
Boardwalk and Maple Ave - Wildwood, NJ (1979)
This theater was at Boardwalk and Maple Avenue in Wildwood.  It opened in 1947 and remained in operation for over 60 years until its closure in 2012.  It was part of the Hunt's Theaters chain of 17 cinemas which were owned and operated by William Hunt (of Hunt's Pier).  This photo was taken in the summer of 1979 after the release of the eleventh film of the James Bond franchise: Moonraker.

We'll Miss You, Mr. Montgomery

David Montgomery
Philadelphia Phillies
Mr. Montgomery started his career with the Phillies as a salesman and scoreboard operator in the early 70's and worked his way to become the most beloved front office executive in the history of the franchise.  He was the President and CEO of the Phillies, and an active minority owner who led the way to the best era of Philadelphia baseball.  Rest in peace, sir.

China Night

Caiyuanba Bridge
Chongqing, China
Photograph by Mark Horn
This beautiful photograph shows one of the longest arch bridges in the world.  The Caiyuanba Bridge crosses over the Yangtze River and a number of old farms.

Taco King

Crispy Tacos
Burger King (2019)
Well, they're not going to put Taco Bell out of business any time soon, but they're not bad for a dollar.  The crispy shell was the best part.  Definitely could have used a bit more meat... and veggies... and cheese.

Cuff and Link: Still Going Strong

View this post on Instagram

In CREED 2 with my original buddies from the first Rocky ... CUFF and LINK , now about 44 years old!

A post shared by Sly Stallone (@officialslystallone) on May 5, 2018 at 10:46am PDT

Grindhouse Star Wars

War Of The Stars
The Man Behind The Mask
This is one of the most entertaining fan edits I've ever seen.  It presents Star Wars: A New Hope as a 70's grindhouse flick, and it does so using filters, deleted scenes, a gratuitous amount of blood and a number of interesting music choices, including Neil Young playing the Mos Eisley Cantina and Carrie Fisher belting out the song from the end of the Star Wars Holiday Special.  Additionally, R2D2 has been given subtitles, and Darth Vader has been recast as a psychopath with glowing red eyes and substantially new dialogue with James Earl Jones lines dropped in from other films.  The end result is a very different story from the Star Wars we know and love, and it's definitely worth watching.

You can read a more thorough review from Make Mine Criterion and check out a preview on YouTube.  The complete film can be downloaded from FanEdit.info (click the link and type "War Of The Stars" in the search bar).  Enjoy, and May the 4th be with you.

Come For The Movie. Stay For The Souvlaki Sandwiches.

The Senator's Daughter (1978)
Here is the plot of this John Holmes film according to IMDB:

After a serious car accident, a secret service agent undergoes experimental surgery and becomes fitted with a bionic eye, left arm, legs, and a 12-inch 'member' and then assigned to find a kidnapped senator's teenage daughter.

For more information, search the Scriptures.  I hear Jesus gave it five stars.

Can I Make This My Sofa?

Ultimate Smart Bed
I'm not spending two grand on a bed, but if I did, no one would ever see me again.

Hologram en Regalia

The Bizarre World Of Frank Zappa
FM Kirby Center - Wilkes-Barre, PA
This show was my gift to Dad for his 60th birthday, and it was every bit as bizarre as advertised.