A Mall Finds New Life Underwater

Electric City Aquarium & Reptile Den
The Marketplace at Steamtown - Scranton, PA

The first time I visited the Steamtown Mall in the mid 2000's, I was blown away.  It was one of the biggest malls I had ever been to outside of Philadelphia.  There were few, if any, empty storefronts, and the place was as crowded as any mall I had ever been to.  I don't get up to Scranton too often, so I hadn't been there in almost a decade.  We went to the Steamtown Train Museum in 2010 and went shopping for Christmas in 2012, but it still seemed like a thriving mall at the time.

Unfortunately, the 2010's weren't too kind to the place.  The mall went into foreclosure in 2014 shortly after one of their anchor stores moved out.  After that, they lost more than 75% of their stores over the next year and looked to be closing their doors altogether.

Things started to look up in late 2015 when the mall sold to an investor.  The next year, it was rebranded as The Marketplace at Steamtown, and the old Bon-Ton anchor store was turned into a satellite campus for Luzerne County Community College. 

The Electric City Aquarium & Reptile Den opened inside the former Steamtown Mall in September, 2018.  It's takes up a huge portion of the first floor beneath the food court.  We finally had a chance to visit on Memorial Day, and we had a great time!  It's not the biggest aquarium I've ever been to, but it's an awesome place!  The staff was attentive and friendly, and the animals were very active and well taken care of.  Here are some of the animals who live here at the Aquarium.

Amazon Milk Frog

Red Eyed Tree Frog

African Bullfrog

Tiger Salamander

Tiger Salamander

Komodo Island Pit Viper

Reticulated Python

Panther Chameleon (I think)

American Alligator

Obviously, he's a turtle, but I forget what kind.

My favorite animal at the Electric City Aquarium & Reptile Den was this little guy.  He's an Alligator Snapping Turtle.  This fellow lays perfectly still and opens his mouth wide to trick birds into believing that they're seeing a worm or a small insect on a rock. Then, when the bird lands, they snap them up for a meal.

They have a nice shark tank in the aquarium portion of the Electric City Aquarium & Reptile Den, but they move pretty fast and I wasn't able to get too many clear photos of them.  The fish are much easier to take a nice photo of.

 

Overall, this is a really great place to visit.  Ticket prices for adults are only $18.95, which is a bargain to get to spend a few hours walking through a nice place to look at and learn about some fascinating animals.  If you live in Northeast PA, it's definitely worth visiting.

They'll Make You A Sandwich You Can't Refuse

Godfather Sandwich
Carmen's Bakery & Deli - Hazleton, PA
Because of the hours I work, I don't get to Carmen's as often as I would like.  Everything they make is great: the pitza, the breads and pastries, and most of all, the deli sandwiches.  This one is called The Godfather - a sandwich made on grilled Italian bread with Capocollo, turkey and provolone with tomatoes and homemade tomato pesto.

Carmen's Bakery & Deli is on Broad Street in downtown Hazleton.  It's across the street from what used to be Carmen's Italian Restaurant.  My father worked in the restaurant when he was in college, and I worked there when I was a teenager.  It was a great job in a cool atmosphere, and I worked with a lot of awesome people.  I was too young and immature to appreciate how lucky I was to have had this experience.  I accidentally dropped a plate one day and got yelled at for it, and instead of apologizing and taking it like a man, I got pissed off and quit.  Out of all the things in my life that I wish I could go back in time and do differently, the way I handled that situation is pretty high on the list.

The boss gave us the option of having $5 a week taken from our check, in exchange for which we could have pretty much whatever we wanted for lunch or dinner during our shift.  Technically, there were price guidelines in place to keep the employees from ordering steak and lobster tail every night, but the boss was super cool about it and let me get whatever I wanted, as long as it was within reason.  Usually, I would get a bacon cheeseburger with grilled onions and mushrooms, but sometimes the chef, Keith, would surprise me with something special, like fried clams or a pasta recipe that he was trying.  He was a good dude.  Some nights, the boss even let me take home a full cake or pie from the bakery case, and once in a while, the bartender would slip me a drink or two.

My standard work week was Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.  The best night to work was Friday because we had the Land & Sea Buffet from 4:30 to 8:30 in the back dining room.  It was really pretty awesome.  The buffet had prime rib, crab legs, jumbo shrimp, steamed clams, and lots of other great things to eat.  We were allowed to eat as much as we wanted from the buffet, and let me tell you, I could put away a lot of seafood at 15 and 16 years old!

I never worked in the bakery, but we used to pick up the bread and bring it back to the restaurant.  let me tell you, rolling a half dozen bread racks across four lanes of traffic on Broad Street during rush hour is a pretty memorable experience.  Feels a bit like playing Frogger.

Back then, Carmen's Bakery and Deli was just a bakery.  Since then, they've expanded and added a deli where you can get breakfast sandwiches, hoagies, paninis, wraps, salads and other good things to eat.  When you first walk in, the bakery is on the left and the deli is on the right.

 

This is the deli section.  There are tables and places to sit to enjoy your meal, and a counter where you place your order and where they make your food.  They make a really good Reuben and Cuban, but I think The Godfather may be my new favorite.  My grandmother got me hooked on pesto when I was a kid, and it's something I don't usually keep in the house, so it was a nice blast from the past for me.

Caroline and Andie

Talk Talk Talk
Psychedelic Furs (1981)

The second Psychedelic Furs studio album was released forty years ago today by Colombia Records.  It peaked at #89 on the Billboard 200, but it included a song that would go on to become one of the biggest hits of the 1980's - Pretty In Pink.

A lot of the folks who I've talked to over the years about the song Pretty In Pink thought that it was written for the movie, but that's not the case.  In fact, it was the other way around - the movie was named after the song, and the album where the song first appeared was released five years before the Pretty In Pink soundtrack.  However, despite its influence, the story of Caroline that's told in the song is very different than Andie's story in the movie.

Richard Butler has gone on record on more than one occasion about how many people, including John Hughes, have misinterpreted the meaning of the lyrics.  I don't want to get into it too much here, but I will say that the Caroline that Richard sings about is a complicated woman whose story is something I definitely related to in high school.  Andie Walsh, played by Molly Ringwald, is a much different character, and certainly a more confident person.  If they were real people, I would have wanted to be friends with both of them, but I definitely would have had more in common with Caroline.

They Don't Make 'Em Like They Used To

This past December, I shared a photo of two CRT televisions from the 90's that I saw sitting on the side of the road on my walks with the dog.  I actually first saw them a few weeks earlier, but I didn't think they were all that unusual.  The only reason I posted them on the blog in the first place is that I spent most of 2020 cooped up due to the pandemic and taking Harvey for a walk had pretty much become the highlight of my day.

Today marks six months since I first wrote about these televisions, and I'm not at all surprised to say that they're still sitting right there on the side of the road.  Even after six months of being covered in rain, snow, and god only knows what else, they really don't look like they're in bad shape.

If I had a better camera, I would really consider turning this into an art project.  Stay tuned...

The Iron Mutant Challenge

The Last Drive-In
Shudder (2021)

I cannot say enough good things about Joe Bob, D'arcy and The Last Drive-In.  Not only have they reignited my love of horror movies, but they have been the gathering point that led me to a community of horror fans on Twitter that I truly feel honored and privileged to be a part of.  I have personality quirks and mental health issues that makes friendship with me challenging (to put it mildly), but the #MutantFam has been incredibly friendly and welcoming, and I've had a lot of fun conversations with good people.

Over the past few seasons, The Last Drive-In has become somewhat of an event in my house.  A big part of that is either ordering or making comfort food to enjoy while watching the movie.  Last week, dinner was a double cheeseburger with thick slices of Amish Breakfast Bread for the bun.  The bread is baked with bacon, eggs and cheese.  I can't explain why, but it gave me an odd sense of satisfaction to incorporate Amish baked goods into a Friday night tradition of enjoying horror and debauchery.

This week looks like it's going to be something special.  It's VHS night, and both films will be direct-to-video flicks from the 80's.  If that isn't enticing enough on its own, Darcy mentioned on Twitter that Joe Bob has picked "literally the worst movie of all time" for tonight.  It's such an awful movie that she'll be sending special Iron Mutant Certificates to everyone who survives both movies.

 

I'm all stocked up on caffeine to keep me awake.  I doubt it'll take more than just the Monster, but damn it, I'm going to earn that certificate!

Otterbots, Transform and Roll Out

It's Opening Day for Appalachian League baseball.  The Danville Otterbots will open their 54 game season at home against the Pulaski River Turtles (photo source: @GoOtterbots).

I'm not going to be able to make it down to Virginia for their first game, but I'll be wearing the teal and silver today in support.  Go get 'em, Desi!

Seems Legit

Hometown Farmers Market
Tamaqua, PA

If anybody out there needs a gallon of name brand dish detergent, it seems I may have found a source.

Memorial Day Weekend Movies

A Quiet Place: Part II and Cruella
Regal Cinema - Hazleton, PA

I can't overstate just how happy I am that the movie theater in my hometown has reopened.  They tried to open during the pandemic, and I got to see a lot of classic films that I never thought I would get to see on the big screen, including Rocky, The Empire Strikes Back, The Land Before Time and Hocus Pocus, but it didn't last too long before the theater chain closed down for the second time in 2020.  I was a little worried that the Regal chain might decide to shut down some of their small town theaters after all of the revenue lost to Covid-19, but so far, it looks like my little theater in Hazleton is safe.

Memorial Day weekend kicked off for me on Friday with the sequel to an instant horror classic that has been delayed for over a year.  It continued on Sunday with a Disney movie that I didn't expect to like much, but absolutely fell in love with.

The sequel to A Quiet Place was supposed to hit theaters over a year ago.  There were even cross-promotional items in stores to promote the film; however the pandemic put the brakes on dozens of big budget films.

I loved the original film and thought it was one of the most original and brilliant horror movies of the past 50 years, and I'm very happy to say that the sequel lives up to the original.  Millicent Simmonds once again delivered a flawless performance, but has this time advanced from child in danger to the bad ass hero who's determined to save the world.  I don't want to spoil the movie, but I would be very surprised if this doesn't become a trilogy.

 

I went into Cruella expecting that I wasn't really going to like it much.  It's not like I hate Disney or anything, but I'm not a huge Disney fan either, and I have no special appreciation for 101 Dalmatians - the animated film or the 90's live action adaptation.  I'm also pretty skeptical in general of prequels and sequels that come decades after the original work, or live action adaptations of animated works.  However, I walked out of the theater absolutely blown away.  This is hands down my favorite Disney movie of all-time, and might be my favorite movie of the decade so far.  Emma Stone and Emma Thompson absolutely knock it out of the park, and this film's use of music is perfect.

Cruella is pure punk rock from start to finish.  It does for the Disney franchise what Joker did for the Batman universe.  Seriously, if any part of you is saying "naah, this doesn't seem like something I'd enjoy", I implore you to give it a shot anyway.  I think you'll be very pleasantly surprised.

One of the things that made Cruella so amazing was the soundtrack and the score, both of which were phenomenal!  One of the climactic scenes of the movie involve a renegade fashion show in which John McCrea (who plays Artie) performs a freaking amazing cover of The Stooges 1969 hit I Wanna Be Your Dog.  If that scene doesn't get you amped up, check your pulse.

It's not just that song though.  The use of music throughout the film was absolutely perfect  I never thought I would see a Disney movie featuring music from Black Sabbath, The Doors, The Rolling Stones, Blondie, David Bowie and The Clash, and a scene in which one of the male leads covers Iggy Pop.  Unfortunately, not every song from the movie appears on the soundtrack album.  Check out the Cruella Soundtrack Guide by Jasmine Gallup on Screenrant for an excellent write-up about every song from the movie, but if you don't have time, here is a list to set up your playlist:

Bloody Well Right - Supertramp (1974)

Whisper Whisper - The Bee Gees (1969)

Inside Looking Out - The Animals (1966)

Watch The Dog That Bring The Bone - Sandy Gaye (1969)

She's A Rainbow - The Rolling Stones (1967)

I Gotcha - Joe Tex (1972)

Time Of The Season - The Zombies (1968)

These Boots Are Made For Walkin' - Nancy Sinatra (1965)

Five To One - The Doors (1968)

Feeling Good - Nina Simone (1965)

Fire - Ohio Players (1974)

Whole Lotta Love - Ike & Tina Turner (1975) 

Led Zeppelin cover

The Wild One - Suzi Quatro (1974)

Hush - Deep Purple (1968) 

Billy Joe Royal cover

Livin' Thing - Electric Light Orchestra (1976)

Stone Cold Crazy - Queen (1974)

Car Wash - Rose Royce (1976)

Boys Keep Swinging - David Bowie (1979)

One Way Or Another - Blondie (1978)

I Get Ideas - Tony Martin (1951)

Should I Stay Or Should I Go - The Clash (1981)

I Love Paris - Georgia Gibb (1953)

Love Is Like A Violin - Ken Dodd (1960)

Perhaps Perhaps Perhaps - Doris Day (1965)

You're Such A Good Looking Woman - Joe Dolan (1970)

I Wanna Be Your Dog - John McCrea (2021) 

The Stooges cover

Smile - Judy Garland (1963) 

Nat King Cole cover

Nightmares - The J. Geils Band (1974)

Gettin' Out - The J. Geils Band (1974)

Come Together - Ike & Tina Turner (1970) 

The Beatles cover

The Wizard - Black Sabbath (1970)

Sympathy For The Devil - The Rolling Stones (1968)

Call Me Cruella - Florence + The Machine (2021)

Cruella DeVil - Mel Leven (1961)

Clowns, Toilets and Cigarettes

Today, the World Health Organization is holding an event called No Tobacco Day, with the goal of raising awareness about the risks of tobacco use.  The number one danger that smokers face is the risk of lung cancer.  The second biggest risk is that you might one day purchase a ceramic ashtray of a clown sitting on a green toilet.

This was found at the Weil Antiques Center in Tamaqua, PA.  If you ever see one of these outside of a retail setting, run.

Free Fall At CBGB

Debbie Harry shared this incredible photo that, if they ever published a photo book about the 1970's would be a strong contender for the front cover.  It was taken in May, 1977 at CBGB and it shows the lead singer of Blondie playing a Gottlieb Free Fall pinball machine (photo by Bob Gruen).

Grandpa Joe the Mortician

Dead & Buried
Embassy Pictures (1981)
One of the trippiest and most interesting takes on the zombie genre was released 40 years ago today.  It tells a great story and has an incredible twist ending that I didn't see coming.  It also features the last theatrical performance of Jack Albertson, who is perhaps best known for his performance as Grandpa Joe in Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory.  Mr. Albertson was battling colon cancer while he was working on this film.  He finished the movie and was able to attend it's world premier screening in Hollywood, but sadly, he passed away six months later at the age of 74.

Joe Bob Briggs screened Dead & Buried on The Last Drive-In on Shudder earlier this month, so if you would like to watch it and have a great time learning more about the film in the process, I strongly recommend it.

Stars Full Of Wishes Fill Our Beds

Gish
Smashing Pumpkins (1991)

The debut album from one of the most innovative bands to come out of the 90's was released thirty years ago today.  I didn't discover it until after I heard Siamese Dream, and I was completely blown away.  Like their sophomore album, it has a trippy sound that fuses hard rock guitars with Billy Corgan's mellow, almost ethereal voice.

El Mago's Latest Trick

Javier Báez
Shortstop - Chicago Cubs

This afternoon in a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Cubs shortstop Javier Báez hit into an RBI fielder's choice that must be seen to be believed.

With a runner on second in the top of the 3rd, Báez hit a routine ground ball to third base.  The ball was fielded cleanly and thrown to first baseman Will Craig and should have been an easy out to end the inning.  For reasons known only to Craig, he decided to tag Báez out instead of simply stepping on first base.

Báez backed away from the tag and ran back down the baseline toward home plate.  This gave Willson Contreras the opportunity to score from second base.  The missed play at the plate allowed Báez to turn around and reach first safely, and to make matters worse for the Pirates, the ball was thrown away and the runner advanced to second on the error.

All I can say is thank god this didn't happen to the Phillies.