Hometown Hangover

Swoooooon

2009-03-12T15:00:00.002-04:00

There are no words to describe this sexiness.

YAY!

2009-02-28T09:08:00.003-05:00

This is great!

It's about friggin' time! Now if we can just decriminalize it nationwide and tax it, we could get out of this economic pickle. GOBAMA!

Depeche Mode - Wrong

2009-02-25T19:52:00.002-05:00

OMG! DM just released the video for their new single "Wrong". I frigging LOVE it big time. What do you think?

Depeche Mode - "Wrong" (official music video)

MacGruber Meets MacGyver

2009-02-02T10:03:00.003-05:00

This past Saturday during SNL (and also during the Super Bowl) it finally happened, MacGruber met up with his namesake MacGyver for some serious comedy. However, it took me a moment to recognize that that was really Richard Dean Anderson. What happened to him? He looked way old and a bit overweight. I guess he's been out of the spotlight for a while, but should he look that different? He's always been super HOT and a definite mainstay on my top 5 list, but I have to admit that I was a bit upset. I just kept asking Beeps "what happened?", "I'm very upset" I told him. Wasn't he just on Stargate like 5 years ago looking smoking hot? I guess I'm in denial about my own age and inevitable mortality.

But I have to give him props for making fun of himself. It was some funny shiz. And no matter what happens to him, he'll still be my 80's TV obsession.

Anyway, here are all three of the segments. You be the judge: RDA - Hot or not?

IMPOSTER!

2009-01-22T20:09:00.003-05:00

This is not me. I swear. Although I wouldn't put it past me to steal, take hostages, or brandish dangerous weapons. And I would never sport that hideous mohawk. At least not in 2009. The 80's maybe. Just maybe.

This is News in Forks, Washington

2009-01-17T09:53:00.007-05:00

Mike Gurling, Forks Visitor Center office manager, shows where the shiny gas cap once adorned Bella Swan's pickup truck. -- Photo by Paige Dickerson/Peninsula Daily News

It must be a slow news day in Forks, WA when a Twilight theft occurs. Those Twilight fans are not only obsessed (as demonstrated by moi) but apparently thieves as well. And stupid ones at that. Listen ladies, it's a badly-spray painted truck that doesn't run and was donated by some locals and the guy that owns the drive-in. Way to go Twilighters, way to score that ultimate memento from your trip to la-la land.

And what is wrong with the residents of Forks who say they don't know where to get a new cap and are too busy with all the visitors to look for one? Really? How hard is it to make some calls or do some research online? Unless they have chimps working the front desk at the visitor's center.

Or maybe they should just bid on the shiny chrome cap just listed on ebay.

Peace Out Andrew Dub!

2009-01-16T14:41:00.003-05:00

Last night local celeb and uber famous painter Andrew Wyeth died in his Chadds Ford home at the age of 91. He painted "Christina's World" as well as many other super well-known works. He was the son of NC Wyeth and many of their family paintings hang on the walls of the Brandywine River Museum right around the corner. If you have never been there, I recommend a trip, it really is quite a beautiful collection of PA art, especially that of three generations of Wyeths. RIP Andrew.

Hitler Kid Gets Liberated

2009-01-14T18:58:00.002-05:00

This is probably for the best. The authorities haven't given a reason yet for the children's removal from the home. But do we really need one?

APPROVED!

2009-01-13T19:39:00.002-05:00

So it's official Townies, my insurance company has come through and my boob surgery is scheduled for February 10th. I'm stoked. It's supposed to be an out patient procedure with about a week's recovery time. I have a pre-surgery visit with Dr. Kim next week so he can give me all the deets. Word up!

Boob Update

2009-01-07T12:44:00.001-05:00

Good news Townies. I met with Dr. Kim today and I might have approval/ go-ahead from my insurance company as early as tomorrow! Woot! I have to call tomorrow and find out what the dealio is. Once I have approval all I need to do is schedule the surgery. I'll let you know how the call goes tomorrow.

Only Like The Best Christmas Ever

2008-12-24T10:23:00.003-05:00

This is like my dream Christmas: a cabin getaway with about 10 friends, sledding, skiing, snowball fights, dinner parties, booze, tree decorating, 80's bangs, love triangles, and George Michael in total denial.

Merry Christmas Townies!

So, I'm Pretty Sure I'm Gonna Get My Boobs Cut Off

2008-12-23T10:35:00.004-05:00

Howdy Townies. If you are a regular visitor to this blog you might know that I usually share all my secrets no matter how embarassing or weird or offensive. Well this post is no different. You see, for the past, oh, I dunno, 25 years or so, I've had giant cans. I think I had boobs in 3rd grade. Much to the delight of the boys in my class, 4th grade, and up. I hated it. I was teased, grabbed, objectified, you name it. I was always a Tom-girl. I played sports, was a fast runner, I could keep up with the boys. But before you go "boo-hoo, poor Diz, she's got boobs that lots of girls get implants to achieve." I must assure you that mine are not your typical pinup, implant, perkiness. Mine are o'natural: pendulous, stretched, and heavy. I have indents on my shoulders from my giant boulder holders, I have cronic back pain, running/ jogging is out of the question, if I do work out, I have to wear 2 sports bras to WALK on the treadmill. URRG! I've had it!

So what's next. Well, I'm not getting any younger, and I'm sick of never being able to find a bathing suit that can contain and support the girls. I know MANY girls who have had reduction surgery with lots of success. Everyone I spoke to does not regret the surgery one bit. So I did it. I finally made an appointment with a plastic surgeon to see if I was a good candidate for surgery.

I was so nervous as I waited for Dr. Kim to come into the examination room. There I sat topless with a pink paper vest on that opened in the front. I was sweating like crazy. I guess because I had never really shown the girls to anyone I wasn't intimately involved with. And this was a stranger. To my delight Dr. Kim was great, all smiles, and very professional. It was a little awkward when he lifted by breasts one by one to judge their weight and to decide how much tissue he could remove.

He concluded that I was a good candidate and that the surgery would most likely "change my life." I'm sold! Then he explained the surgery (which let me tell you, is a little graphic. Google it if you want to know how it's done), showed me before and after pics of other ladies (and gents believe it or not) who had the surgery. I couldn't believe the size of some of the boobs in this book. I mean down to yer knees boobs! It was crazy. I felt small compared to some of these ladies. But the after results were stunning and I left the office convinced that I could go through with it.

In order to have the surgery covered by your insurance company (because some companies will consider the surgery cosmetic and not medically necessary), you need to meet certain requirements like breast size, health issues, shoulder indents etc. and have a supporting letter from your primary doctor before you can schedule the surgery. Dr. Kim didn't think I'd have any problems getting covered. He sent his letter, my nudie picture (he took from my neck down - I'm sure the mailroom at IBX had a good laugh at those) and my primary docs letter to the insurance company. Now I had to wait (up to 6 weeks) to hear if it would be covered.

I waited 3 weeks and I got a letter. I opened it with delight only to find that the surgery was denied. Now I don't know if you ever saw that Michael Moore movie about the US Healthcare system, but he makes it pretty clear that insurance companies make a habit of refusing surgeries just to save money. This letter was very generic and said nothing about why I did not qualify. I was pissed! Did they not even read the letters? See the giant boobs in the picture?

So I spoke with Dr. Kim's nurse today who couldn't be nicer. She actually spoke to the insurance company and they told her the denial had to do with the amount of tissue that was going to be removed. I'm confident that this can be rectified. And now I wait to hear whether I need to come back in for another consult with Dr. Kim, or if a phone consult will do. Then another round of submissions and another few weeks of waiting.

So I'll keep you all posted on what happens next. I'm trying not to get too excited just in case I get a big fat "NO" again, but I just can't help but think about the relief, the comfort and the mental and physical weight that will be lifted once I have the surgery.

Wish me luck.

Poor Kid

2008-12-17T09:39:00.005-05:00

Wow, I'm kinda speechless on this one "Cake Request for 3-Year-Old Hitler Namesake Denied".

Yikes, look at what they named his sisters!!!! Is this for real????

And I don't believe that the parents are :

1. Not racist
2. That naive
3. Voted for Obama
4. Making a profound cultural statement
5. Named his kid Hitler because "no one else in the world would have that name"

I say, good job Shop Rite, I applaud you. Let Wal-Mart do your dirty work.

New Morrissey Album Art

2008-12-10T12:31:00.006-05:00

The artwork for Morrissey's new ablbum Years of Refusal has just been released. The album is set to come out Feb 16th.

I love me some Morrissey, but I'm not sure what the point of this image is. That baby is cute as all get out. Maybe it's his secret surrogate spawn.

What do you think?

Drunk History

2008-12-08T20:06:00.004-05:00

Have you guys seen these? Maybe I'm a little behind the times, but this shiz is funny. Beeps and I watched them all the other day with tears streaming down our faces. This guy Derek Waters interviews his friends about historical events while they are extremely intoxicated and then sets the audio to live action with real stars like Michael Cera and Jack Black. Hilarity ensues. There's like 5 of them so be sure to check them all out on Funny or Die. Here are episodes one and two.

See more Michael Cera videos at Funny or Die

See more Jack Black videos at Funny or Die

Epic Jedi Battle Exposes True Identity of Dr. Zibbs!

2008-12-07T19:24:00.006-05:00

At last! We finally met. Dizzle, Zibbs, Beeps, Smoochies, Pumpkin Eater and newest member Swedish Chef. It was like that scene in Star Wars The Phantom Menace, when they bring Anakin in front of the Jedi council, except during our meeting a giant light saber fight broke out. I managed to get a few blurry pics of the action. Among them is the infamous Dr. Zibbs. Let me tell you folks, he's a formidable opponent. In addition to looking quite stunning in a purple wig, he and Swedish Chef managed to disrupt the balance of the galaxy when they forced Mercury from its orbit where my dog, thinking it was a ball, ate it.

This all happened after a fab night watching MPW at the Note. Zibbs threatened to show, I snapped my fingers, and whallah! He appeared. We ended up hitting it off and after the show a giant group of us headed back to The Falls at Franklin Pointe (the name of our palatial estate) and had a good ole' time. Zibbs did a great job summing up the night. So be sure to check out That Blue Yak for all the deets.

Now on to the pics:

The battle begins!

Who is that????

FIGHT!!

Time out, where's Mercury?

Found it. Dang, it's chewed.
Now you asked for it!

AHHH!
It's on!

I shall have my revenge!

MPW at The Note - Be There or Face the Wrath of JDizzle

2008-12-01T12:15:00.004-05:00

Howdy Townies,

This Friday is not only Old Fashioned Xmas in Dub-C but legendary entertainers Missing Palmer West will be playing at The Note. They are opening for The Shackeltons and Cheers Elephant so get there early (10ish). Tickets at $6 advance and $8 at the door.

See you there.

Tokin Twilighter

2008-11-26T09:34:00.010-05:00

Tisk, tisk miss Stewart. You should know better. You're a big star now, Twilight's Bella Swan for Christ sake, and a role model to little girls all over the world. Whether you like it or not, your behavior will have an influence on some impressionalble ladies.

Look, I'm no saint, but get smart, if yer gonna toke up, and you're a celeb, restrict your smoking to the INSIDE of your house. This isn't Amsterdam.

Sheesh.

Who knows, maybe she thought all the paps were stalking RPattz and she wouldn't get caught.

Thanks to the TMZ for this photo. Follow the link to see all the pics. Those rats are everywhere.

MacGyver Moments

2008-11-25T12:45:00.002-05:00

Kudos to Gemlindog for putting together such a kick-ass compilation!

Bear Season

2008-11-24T21:05:00.005-05:00

My parents are in the Poconos right now where it's bear season. Yes, people shoot and eat bear meat. Anyway, Mom sent this pic to Smoochies and she sent it to me with the message "Happy Thanksgiving." Poor little ittle beary poo.

I imagine his last few moments went something like this:

Bear to self: "Man that was a fun summer. Met some new ladies, had a couple cubs, raided a crap-load of bird feeders. Man, those old ladies know how to feed some birds. The blueberries were so plump and juicy this year as well. I'm still pickin seeds out of my incisors. And the road-kill, don't even get me started. I had my fill of dead possum and raccoon. Yummy! And this never happens to me: I found the most kick-ass den to hibernate in. It's under this huge fallen tree and it's got a nice dry leafy floor, and the entrance faces south so those north winds won't bother me a bit. Just one more day and I'm settling down for the winter. It's been a great year.... I'm one lucky bear.

Hey what's that smell? Weird, kinda like a mixture of Marlboros, beef jerky and Budweiser. Hey look some humans have crossed paths with me. I'll stand up and say hello..... Howdy neighbor, fancy seeing you he..... oh wait, crap what the hell is .... "

Happy Thanksgiving.

Twilight Twice

2008-11-22T15:56:00.010-05:00

Hi Townies, Unless you've been in Gitmo for the last several years, then you know about Twilight. You may also know about my somewhat alarming obsession with the book series. I'll bet you can also imagine my anticipation for the movie which opened yesterday to some pretty staggering box office numbers. Luckily for me, my new part-time gig has me footloose and fancy free every Friday. So I decided to go see the film by myself on Friday figuring the tweeners would all be in school and I could catch the film without the lines and Pattinson-induced involuntary high-pitched screaming. (I also caught the film again on Saturday with Smoochies and Beeps)

The movie theater was pretty empty when I arrived for the 10:45 am showing. Perfect. I was giddy in my seat just waiting for the movie to start. Wondering how it would open and how the Cullens would be introduced. I usually love seeing previews before the movie, but in this case, every new preview they showed made me long for the fast-forwarding power of the remote.

SPOILERS AHEAD - so if you haven't seen the movie or read the book. Stop now.

Ok. Let me first start by saying that I had low expectations going in. Most book-to-movie translations end up being disappointing and never live up to the book. This was the case with Twilight. I knew it would be hard to take a 300+ book and turn it into a 2 hour movie. But there were only two things they needed to to do to make it work: capture Edward's overwhelming desire to eat Bella and make us believe in their blossoming, forbidden relationship. And the movie failed at both. Edward, no matter how ridiculously good-looking Rob is, was unable to convince me that he was being torn apart inside. But to his credit, you can only brood so much without having good lines in which to sell your audience. And I'm not blaming Stephenie here. Those lines i.e. "And the lion fell in love with the lamb... ", "Hold on spider monkey" etc. translate ok in the book, sweet almost, but just didn't work in the film. In addition, the writers and production company, must have believed that in order to keep audiences interested (those who possibly didn't read the book) that they needed to make James the star and climax of the film. Yes, I understand that you need some action to keep the boys interested, but the book is about family, sacrifice, and impossible love. Not running from other vamps. I would have loved it sooooo much more if the first book was split into two films. One of their relationship, and another about the other vamp clans.

There were also a couple of moments that I was dying to see translated in the film. The first was the meadow scene. This was a big moment for me in the book. Bella and Edward spend the day together. A date. This was the moment Edward opens up and reveals his true self to Bella. The moment he shows her a special place, exposes his feelings, kisses her, and sparkles. Instead in the movie, he shows his skin in a fit of frustration and anger. The meadow is almost an after-thought and not a place and time they share. I did like the way they showed his skin, but I could have really done without the sparkly-fairy-twinkling sounds. It was too cutesy. The man-sparkles speak for themselves folks.

I also wanted more to the prom scene, the extended prom remix would have been nice. I missed Alice in this moment. In the book you fall in love with Alice and her perky need to dress and spoil Bella. I wanted the prom surprise in the book, I wanted to see Alice fussing over Bella and Edward revelling in his secret. The joke being that Bella thinks he's taking her to change her instead they end up at the prom. In the film, again, the prom has lost its magic.

I also wanted more Cullen. I loved Alice in the book and I think she had 2 lines in the film. Jasper was almost comic relief, Emmitt was pretty true, and Rosalie came off nasty and crass. Carlise and Esme were pretty spot-on. Overall, the Cullens were more wall paper than active participants in the story. Again, victims of the film's time-constraints.

Kristen did a nice job with what she had. Other than the bad acting in the hospital bed (Cathrine, why did you choose that take? Her pleading with Edward was amateur and unconvincing. ) she gave a nice performance. In some cases though, I wanted to see why Edward wanted her, what was so special about her? What was it that was so irresistible? And Bella came off as cranky and no fun. I get that she's new and a bit disappointed with her new surroundings, but her friends were so welcoming and she just (and to use a Stephenie-favorite) glowered.

Now on to the CG. In some cases it was pretty cool: Edward climbing the tree, the baseball, the sparkles, the fight scene, etc. But in other cases it was pretty bad. Bella looked almost awkward and goofy riding Edward's back and the stunt doubles were obvious.

Okay, enough trash talk. There were some things I really liked. Rob, for one, was just total eye-candy. The washed-out film captured the feeling of gloomy Forks, and sweeping camera shots were fun. I liked Charlie and the baseball scene, I enjoyed Bella's goofy, immature friends (even though other reviews say they were annoying) it was almost nice to have some contrast to Bella's almost constant dower-state.

Overall, let's say I hadn't read the book, I'd give Twilight 2.5 stars out of 5. But having read and loved the books, I give the film 3 stars. For what the film lacked in story and feeling, I was able to fill in the blanks with the Twilight high I carry around with me daily. I'm just glad they made the film. And I look forward to New Moon and the rest of the books. Maybe they'll take my advice and slow it down a bit. Don't be afraid to break the books up into several films or even a TV series. There is so much more to the stories than killer vampires. And if you need my help Stephenie, Cathrine, Rob, just let me know. I have off on Fridays.

Bring Me Flowers

2008-11-20T13:29:00.002-05:00

Just saw these delish pics of Brandon Flowers on Perez. Can't wait till the new Killers album comes out.

Yummy.

Local Blogger Decides at the Last Minute to Not Stalk Robert Pattinson at the King of Prussia Mall

2008-11-13T10:02:00.006-05:00

It was last week when I first found out Rob Pattz/ Edward Cullen was going to be at the Hot Topic store in KOP. And yes, I considered, although very breifly, about going. I mean I only work a few miles from the mall and I'm a huge Twilight fan.

Then I heard the news about the tweeners rioting in San Francisco and other malls around the country, just to get a glimpse. Then I remembered that I'm 35 and should probably just stay home and drown my sorrows in a bottle of Jameson, because I'm old enough to buy buy booze and those girls are not. And although seeing Rob would give me pleasure, it would only be fleeting and my good friend Jameson would be around much longer. And even when ole' Jamie is gone, it's just a quick trip to the state store where I won't have to pitch a tent in the rain, 24 hours in advance to get my fix.

So yes, I still love Rob Patz, and can't wait till the movie opens next Friday; I'll just be good an drunk when I get there.

MPW at Johnny Brenda's

2008-11-10T10:09:00.003-05:00

Heads-up all you Townies, Missing Palmer West is having another fun and booze-filled show this Friday at Johnny Brenda's in Philly. Should be a fab show. They will be sharing the stage with Bitter Bitter Weeks and The Swimmers. Show starts at 9:30 pm. Tix are 8 bucks at the door.

Hope to see you there.

I Love It When A Plan Comes Together

2008-11-05T09:40:00.004-05:00

First the Phils, now Obama, and then in just a couple weeks Twilight opens. Can it get any better than this? It's too much goodness for one person to handle. I'm not used to all this winning.

Congrats to Obama, I'm sooooo thrilled! Finally, Finally, Finally. President Obama. Or as Chase Utley would say,

"President Barack Fucking Obama!"

Go Phils!

2008-10-23T21:36:00.002-04:00

Square bar last night! Let's do it again fellas!

New DM Bitches!

2008-10-22T12:30:00.005-04:00

Depeche Mode along with Martin Gore (one of my 5) will be launching a world tour in 2009 along with a brand new studio album out April 20th. WOOT! I've been to every DM concert in the Philly area since 1989 and I can't wait.

The One-Upper Update

2008-10-20T14:33:00.001-04:00

"Barry" is getting fired as I write this post.

The One-Upper

2008-10-19T20:41:00.007-04:00

Hi Townies, sorry for the lack of posts recently, but I've been traveling for work. In order to keep the innocent, well, innocent, let's just say I was in a desert surrounded by God-loving people. It was my first time traveling with my new coworkers and proved to be filled with blog-worthy material. A few days before we left for God-town, my company hired a new employee. His job is to help us create programs that we can sell to our clients to help them retain their employees. This person, let's call him Barry, allegedly has a background in mental health and human resource programs and calls himself a "psychologist." However, I know for a fact that he only has a masters degree. I know this because he had me put "MA" after his name on his business cards. Um, a masters? Who cares, I can get a masters online in like a month. This should give you a hint right away that this guy has a HUGE ego, thinks he's God's gift to the world, and is what my coworker calls an "importante."

Okay, so the guy has just been hired, I mean like a day before we go on the trip, and I barely know him. I'm traveling with our president and VP who happens to be an attractive woman in her early 40s. Immediately Barry thinks he has a chance with her. Let's call my VP Liz. Now Liz is instantly repulsed by Barry. He is already telling her things like "I just like looking at you." "Do you want to join me in the gym?", "I like your blouse." etc. He's gross. He also tells her that he's 57 when later on during the trip, he tells me he's 60.

Now let me remind you that he was hired to help us with not only our own HR practices, but to help train others on programs to help hire and retain the right employees. Umm, what is he thinking? He's already broken his own rules.

Over the next two days he progresses to a demented state. He begins to analyze everyone because he's a "psychologist" and asks us the strangest questions. We quickly realize that he has no idea how to talk to people like a normal person. For example, Liz talked about a piece of jewelry she bought for herself and Barry asks: "Does jewelry make you happy?" And after the Phils won against the Dodgers to go to the world series, he said to me: "I don't watch sports. Do sports make you happy?" Liz and I begin to think there's something really wrong with him.

Then on a trip where Barry and I went for a walk together to pick up something at the store for work, he went on and on about how he's never been married but has had too many girlfriends to count, that his last girlfriend of 4 1/2 years left him for no reason, and that he keeps flirting with Liz because he likes her and thinks that if she at least flirts back that it will help him get over his ex. WACKO!

On top of it all, Barry is a one-upper. You all know what that is right? A person, no matter what you say and what you have done in your life, he has done something better and more amazing. Because Liz was having a mental freak-out over Barry's inappropriateness, I decided to make a list of all of Barry's claims. You know, to turn this tragedy into something fun. So without further ado, I present the Barry one-upper list. And I swear, on my life, that none of this is made up.

Do enjoy:

1. Barry told Liz he was 57 and told me the next day he was 60
2. He went on and on about how he has 100s of movies, has a 40 inch plasma screen TV with the best surround sound system, and that he bought a PS3 not for the games, but for the Blue Ray technology.
3. He has a big house
4. He hikes - a lot
5. In a conversation about the Sixth Sense movie, where my President has an antique shop that appeared in the movie, Barry told us all that he once trained Bruce Willis
6. At one point in the trip, Liz complained of back pain and Barry said he could help her fix it with massage and breathing techniques and that he would be happy to show her.

stay with me, it gets better...

7. Barry's family no longer visits him on holidays, they don't appreciate his cooking. Instead he prefers to spend holidays with his close friends who really like his curry soup that takes him 6 hours to make.
8. At one of the convention events, Barry told me that although he was surrounded by women, that he didn't find anyone attractive and didn't think he was going to meet anyone. He proceeded to tell me that back in the day he would go to bars alone and wait for the women to come to him. They would ask him two things (and I quote) "Are you alone?" and "Want to go back to my place?"
9. In a conversation about pets I was talking about my two dogs and Barry said that he knew someone that owned a wolf and another who owns a leopard.
10. Barry once swam in the dead sea.
11. Barry knew the woman who was heiress to the Maidenform fortune. And I quote, "I could have married her easily. She wanted to marry me, but I didn't want to marry for money." Instead she asked him to go away with her to Switzerland. She also offered to secure him a spot on some national art board, but he refused.
12. At one point at dinner, Liz commented that she liked the wine glasses. Barry responded that he owned those glasses.
13. Barry has worked as a psychologist in the ER, he's been the director of a hospital, he help police when he worked with psychopaths, and he was a professor.
14. Barry also paints, he has an acrylic, abstract painting hanging in the corporate offices of Planned Parenthood in NYC

Oh, there's more. Saving the best for last:

15. Barry once auditioned naked for a production of Hair in London. He got the part but decided that he didn't want to take it. He just wanted to see if he could do it.
16. He knew a lesbian rocker who owned her own coffee shop or something (I lost interest on this one)
17. Barry is allergic to cats and goats.
18. Barry knew the guy who invented the pet rock. (I'm fucking serious. He said that.)
19. Barry once had a waterbed with 10 cylinders. Whatever that means. I didn't pursue this one either.
20. Barry once vacationed at a Club Med in the Bahamas that was also a nudist beach.
21. Barry once rode the Marrakesh Express with a guy who had a briefcase filled with hashish.

And the last and best one:

22. One day when Johnny Mathis was on tour in his town, and Barry worked at the local hospital, Johnny Mathis' drummer came to the hospital to get a shot of antibiotics for his syphilis. Barry convinced the drummer to tell him who gave him the disease and the drummer told him that Johnny Mathis gave it to him. So the drummer took doctors back to the concert venue to also give Johnny Mathis the shot.

And that's it. I arrived home on Saturday with all this great info and just had to share it with you guys. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. I have a feeling that Barry's life at my company is short-lived. Especially since he hit on the VP of the company. I will keep you abreast of any new developments and Barryisms as they become available.

Exclusive Twilight HD Trailer

2008-10-10T09:40:00.001-04:00

I can't even deal right now. I'm paralyzed with delight.

Twilight HD Exclusive Trailer

Mark Wahlberg Talks to Animals

2008-10-07T19:54:00.002-04:00

I saw this on SNL this past weekend and I had tears streaming down my face. In hindsight the skit is very silly, but because the impression is so spot-on (and I should know, I've met Mark Wahlberg) it had me in stitches.

HOT!

2008-10-02T19:38:00.002-04:00

Guerilla Drive-In

2008-09-29T19:09:00.003-04:00

Just wanted to give a shout out to John Young and the chaps at The Note for having us over for September's Guerilla Drive-in Movie. This month was Cannonball Run II and it did not disappoint. I had no idea there were so many stars in that film. We were supposed to watch it over at the Marsh Creek Speedway, but got rained out. If you haven't heard of the Guerilla Drive-in, check out the rules here, read John's blog here, and hope to see you for next month's film.

Thanks John!

PS: Rumor had it that Dr. Zibbs was gonna be there. But as far as I know, he was a no-show. Hummm, I'm starting to wonder if he really exists? Or maybe he just has a terrible facial deformity that he's trying to hide.

Here's a pic from my phone with the stage in back.

Twilight? Well Sort Of.

2008-09-23T19:26:00.003-04:00

As you all know I'm an obsessed Twilight fan. Here's a fun video spoof of the movie that comes out in November. If you haven't seen the real teaser trailers it probably won't be funny. So do your homework here first. Enjoy...

Out With The Old, In With The New

2008-09-16T19:04:00.008-04:00

Today was a tough day for me. I finally had to let her go. My first new car, the one I bought 11 years ago and my Dad cosigned. My 5-speed, manual, VW Golf. 94,000 miles, 2 sets of tires, 2 exhaust systems, a new starter, timing belt, lighter, passenger side mirror, drivers side mirror, windshield, and lots of love later, the grim reaper of cars has come a calling.

I decided it was time to move on and get a "big girl" car to match my somewhat "big girl" lifestyle. Now its off to the auction block where she'll go to the highest bidder. Goodbye old friend...

In her place Beeps and I got a new 2009 Subaru Forester. (I really wanted to get the Volvo C30 but decided it wasn't practical enough. It was however, a blast to test drive!)

So here's the new car. It's an automatic (so no more calf-cramps sitting in traffic), heated seats, bike rack, huge sunroof, alloy wheels, and overall sweetness.

Our blogger is all grown up.

West Chester's The Bomb

2008-09-15T18:10:00.006-04:00

Today I came home to blocked traffic in town. No one could get through the center of town. The cars were being rerouted. Once I got home, I took my dogs for a walk to get some information. They had every street and sidewalk roped off within a 2 block radius of the Mosteller garage.

I asked a few guys in yellow vests who were blocking Walnut street to tell me what was going on. All they said was "There's been a police incident in the garage."

"An incident?" I asked, "Like what?"

"Just go home and watch the news."

"It's a bomb isn't it?" I asked.

"Just go home and watch the news." They said.

Not sure why they couldn't just tell me what the deal was. Anyway, I was right. Here's the full story. Scary stuff.

Also be sure to head over to That Blue Yak to read Zibbs' harrowing tale about his narrow escape.

The Note

2008-09-14T19:18:00.004-04:00

Hi Townies, I hope you are having a great weekend. Last night Beeps, Marc, Krista, Scott, and I went to the grand opening of The Note, a new club/ music venue/ bar on Market Street that is owned and operated by BAM (Of Jackass fame) and Donnie Moore (Previous owner of Rex's). I have to say that it is FABULOUS! Having been to many, many, many music venues in my life (especially as groupie/ roadie for several of Beep's bands) I have to say that this is one of the most beautiful, well planned, great sounding places of them all. Ok, granted I was a bit on the tipsy side upon arrival (we showed up around 10:30ish) I still think this is an accurate recollection. The only other music venue in town that even comes close (And i'm strictly talking stage and sound) is 15 North, but they book the WORST cover bands and cater to the college crowd. A total waste of a great space.

The Note reminds me a little bit of Johnny Brenda's. It has a huge raised stage, great lighting, side bar, and balcony with upstairs bar. The walls are exposed brick with the most beautiful chandeliers and wood floors. And now that the non-smoking ban has gone into effect here in PA, I hope that the floors remain burn-free. But unlike other Philly music venues, there's TONs of room, you can see the stage from virtually any place in the bar, the sound is clear and not too loud, and the atmosphere is upscale and filled with beautiful people. Scott and I spent many minutes picking out our favorites.

The other thing that was great about last night is that the bartenders didn't know the prices of a lot of the drinks so I think we ended up getting several freebees. Both Donnie and BAM were there as well as Ape and Phil Margera. Of course it seemed that Donnie was the only one working. BAM hung out on the dance floor with his friends and parents. I'm assuming his part in this whole thing is strictly monetary. I was hoping to see Tony Hawk, but no dice.

Overall, it was a great night. We had a blast and I'm looking forward to returning. It also looks like Missing Palmer West have been offered a gig there sometime in mid October so stay tuned. And I can't wait to hear them play in a venue that knows what the heck it's doing. I know there were many people in Dub-C who resisted its opening, but I say good job guys, it's a fab addition to the growing culture in this town. Kudos!

Buddy Can You Spare Some Change?

2008-09-10T19:33:00.010-04:00

I stole these off of Perez cause they made me giggle. The McCain camp has their thongs in a bundle over this comment even though they've been using the phrase themselves.

“You can put lipstick on a pig, but it’s still a pig. You can wrap an old fish in a piece of paper called ‘change,’ it’s still going to stink. After eight years, we’ve had enough of the same old thing. It’s time to bring about real change to Washington and that’s the choice you’ve got in this election.”

- Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama on Tuesday

They think Obama is making fun of them. Well so what if he was. You asked for it by stealing Obama's message by trying to say you are the party of change. Well the last time I checked the Republicans were running the country for most of the last 8 years, so that doesn't make sense.

Plus, McCain has bragged about siding with President Bush 90% of the time. Hummm. Looks like someone's getting desperate. But we're too smart to fall for this right America!

And just in case Palin's pregnant daughter wasn't enough to scare off right wing religious conservatives, the rumor now is that her son Trick or Track or whatever his name is, used to snort and inject Oxycotin. And that the preggers one is known as the town sled dog: everyone gets a yank (ZING). Looks like Palin is not only an expert in teaching abstenance, she also knows how to talk to her kids about drugs. Good job Mom-of-the-year. You can't even keep your family in order, why would we trust you with the country?

Missing Palmer West @ Johnny Brenda's

2008-08-27T14:46:00.007-04:00

Hi all, Thought I'd share some pics from Saturday's awesome MPW show at Johnny Brenda's.

God Knows I'm No Saint Paul

2008-08-26T16:33:00.005-04:00

Hi Townies, I know I've been MIA but I must admit that my "trial retirement" has kept me busy. One of the activities has been the construction and filming of a music video for Missing Palmer West song "God Knows I'm No Saint Paul". Beeps and I spent HOURS and HOURS making this. We cut out and assembled sets and personalities and painstakingly moved them bit by bit to make it into a nice little montage. We're pretty proud of how it turned out although we might make some minor changes before all is said and done.

I'm pleased to premier this video exclusively to my Townies. Do enjoy.

MPW at Johnny Brenda's

2008-08-19T15:16:00.005-04:00

Hi Townies, First let me apologize for not posting in a while. On Monday of last week I gave my 4 weeks notice to my boss that I was leaving. I offered to stick around, train a new person, finish some outstanding projects, clean up my desk, etc. And instead I was told "Today will be your last day." So I've been in a "trial retirement" for the past week and a half. I been traveling and seeing family. (I actually got fugged, I'll post about that later Lioux) and just really enjoying myself with Beeps. So as you can imagine, blogging hasn't been much of a priority.

However, this post is important because Missing Palmer West will be playing at Johnny Brenda's this Saturday night. Check out this GREAT plug in Philadelphia Weekly magazine online.

And hope to see you all there.

8pm. $8.
With Audible + Buried Beds.
Johnny Brenda's, 1201 Frankford Ave.
215.739.9684

Mice Follies

2008-08-11T14:18:00.006-04:00

Hi Townies, sorry for my absence. I was on vacation for a week and did not have time to blog. But I'm back. I do have some things to explain in the coming days which will also shed some light on my absence. So stay tuned. Until then, enjoy this great Tom and Jerry cartoon. While Beeps and I were away, we got to talking about T&J cartoons with his parents. I remember this one vividly and know that it will always be my favorite. Be sure to tell me yours. Enjoy:

Two and Two

2008-08-01T14:57:00.005-04:00

A few years back we were out at Kooma for Smoochies' b-dude and while we were having delicious drinks at the bar, a very tan, leather-faced man walked by wearing a bomber jacket. We immediately identified him as Chuck Woolery. You know, the "be back in two and two" guy. We joked about it for the next few nights like it was a big deal. Because at this point, about 2 years ago, Dub-C did not have the plethora of celebrity sightings that it does today. i.e. M. Night Shyamalan, Marky Mark, Jennifer Aniston, Dr. Zibbs (That Blue Yak, Google it), Bango, Owen Wilson, Tova Borgnine, Cole Hamels, JDizzle, BAM, John Young, etc.

Anyway. I forgot about that sighting until the other day when I was reading the comments on West Chester Guerilla Drive-in and noticed that someone else has seen him too. Recently. So I did some very in-depth research (I typed "Chuck Woolery West Chester" in the Google search line). And voila!

Woolery often speaks enthusiastically about bass fishing and sells his own line of fishing products, including "MotoLure", a motorized lure that emulates a small fish. Woolery's passion for the outdoors has also enabled him to become the "official outdoor spokesman" on QVC - the television shopping network - where Woolery promotes many other signature products.
If you aren't a Dub-C resident then you should know that QVC is located here just outside of town. You can also check out the Woolery-endorsed products here.

Anyway. So that's some useless knowledge for you to chew on over the weekend. Let me know if you have your own Dub-C celebrity sighting. Oh, and one more thing, apparently Chuck is a big fan of diamonds and has a diamond encrusted bass guitar. (it's a fact, look it up) The only problem I have with this information is that it's a BASS guitar. Seriously? A bass? I mean, I have no musical talent but could probably master the bass guitar if left alone with one for 24 hours. Couldn't he at least get a diamond encrusted real guitar.

No offense bass players. Have a great weekend all.

Golden Girls

2008-07-31T09:31:00.003-04:00

My sister sent me this email the other day. I found it fairly amusing and she'll probably kill me for posting it.

"Remember the silly conversation at Scott's about a knitting circle? I'd really like to learn how to knit. Would you girls be interested in getting together for something like that?"

Um... how freaking old and boring does she think I am? Ok, I do know how to knit a little bit. I picked it up one winter because I had broken my foot and was bored being trapped inside. Plus, I don't really remember that conversation and I wasn't even drinking that night! I guess I committed to this at some point in the evening.

That girl needs to get married and pop out some kids soon or I'm doomed to a life of collecting cats and crafts.

No, Really?

2008-07-28T13:42:00.009-04:00

So as you know, from these posts, I have been obsessed with the Stephenie Meyer book series about teenage love and vampires. Well, the last and final book in the series, Breaking Dawn, comes out on Saturday. And the more I Google it day and night (cause it's an obsession don't forget) I find that I might have to worry about actually just FINDING a book to purchase that day. So I decided to be a smart shopper and reserve my copy at Chester County Books and Music. Now remember that JDizzle doesn't read. Often.

Here is a transcription of how that call went. (Name has been changed to protect the innocent):

Scott: "Hello, Chester County Books and Music, this is Scott, can I help you?"

Me: "Yes, I'd like to 'reserve' a book or whatever it's called. You know, before the book comes out so I can be sure to get a copy when it's released."

Scott: "Sure, what's it called?"

Me: Breaking Dawn

Silence. I think he's typing to look it up.

Scott: "Is that that stupid..."

Me: Silence. My cheeks redden with embarrassment. I think to myself "I know I'm like the only 30-something, happily married woman, reading these novels, but is he passing judgment on my reading selection? Seriously? The guy works the register at the book store and HE'S poo-pooing my novel choice? I mean, I get that I'm not in high school, but maybe I'm buying it for my daughter as a gift instead of buying for myself." (I don't have kids, but he doesn't know that.)

Scott: Silence.

Me: "I think it comes out on Saturday."

Scott: "That's an odd time for a book release."

Me to myself: "Did he just call me a liar? First he craps on my book obsession and now he's calling me out?"

Scott: "Oh, Stephenie Meyer. Got it. And you're right , it does come out on Saturday."

Me: "Great"

Scott: "What's your last name?"

Me: "Smith."

Scott: Laughing "No, really?"

Me: "yes, really." Did he just called me a liar AGAIN?

Scott: "What's your first name?"

Me: I tell him.

Scott: "It will be here for you on Saturday for pick up."

Me: "Thanks."

We hang up. I knew there was another reason I didn't read.

The Cup Bitches

2008-07-22T14:13:00.006-04:00

So my work is doing this thing where they are posting weird facts on their website about their employees. I jokingly said I had once touched the Stanley Cup as my fun fact. Which is 100% true. However they asked for proof and also wanted to post the proof on their website. Of course I left out the fact that I touched the cup back in 1988. At lunch today I tore the closet apart removing years of luggage and other debris from on top of my large bin of scrap books and photos. I quickly located the picture and I must admit that the proof was even more amazing than I had remembered it.

So how could I keep this gem from my Townies?

Behold:

Check out the $12 ticket from section 47 for a game against Winnipeg March 26, 1988. And yes, that's Dave Brown's lap I'm rockin.

Check out the perm. I'm sure if my legs had been captured on film, you would have seen the perfectly pegged cuffs. I would have preferred having my pic taken with the love of my life and dream husband, Pelle Eklund, but alas, he was stationed behind some counter in the concession area giving out autographs (which I also scored). So I guess Dave Poulin had to do if it meant reaching the real prize: the cup.

Bus Stop Buddy

2008-07-21T17:06:00.003-04:00

Do you think you have what it takes?

The "I'm Not Going Anywhere Near South Beach" Anytime Soon Diet

2008-07-21T09:13:00.005-04:00

So Beeps and I decided to lose some weight after lunching with some friends who swore to us that they are doing the South Beach Diet and are losing pounds safely and successfully. It was perfect timing for us. Our fridge was bare of almost all sweets, fruits and carbs (So I didn't need to feel guilty about throwing anything away) and I recently bought a bathing suit/ moomoo to cover my bulges should I happen to brave any type of public swimming situation. Plus, doing it together would be a huge incentive, especially since Beeps likes to snack on all sorts of carbs, chips, cookies, and although I don't often purchase those items at the supermarket, they somehow manage to sneak themselves into the house. Thus I partake.

We are in "Phase 1". This is where you cut out all sweets, sugar, carbs, fruit and {GASP!} alcohol. But I was determined and told Beeps that if he could do it, I could do it. The first week was hard (we started last Sunday) and we survived a friend's 40th b-day as well as the weekend. And we are still carb/ alcohol free. (Man, I'm dying for a glass of wine.) We still have one week to go, and if we made it through one, we can make it through one more.

I'm not sure I've lost any weight tho (Which is surprising since I seem to be eating very little compared to what I used to eat). But the book says you can lose between 8 and 15 pounds in Phase 1. So i'm optimistic. The good news is that I think I'm already a smarter eater overall. I understand the way carbs work and that will help me moderate my intake.

Right now tho, I'm getting a bit sick of eggs, chicken, fish, and veggies. I'm ready for some fruit. That's what I really miss. But after the 2 weeks I can start to introduce fruit back into my diet.

So regardless of whether I lose the weight, I have learned the following:

1. Waking up on the weekend without a hangover is nice and you get so much more done.
2. Club soda with lime is rather refreshing when you're desperate.
3. Watching other people get drunk is pretty funny.
4. The spray version of cooking oils, salad dressings, and butter, aren't as bad as they sound (For the environment tho, now that's debatable).
5. Counting nuts is annoying.
6. Low fat string cheese is an amazing invention.
7. I still don't know what is in those artificial sweeteners, and I never want to find out.
8. Getting old is hard.
9. I'm jonesing really hard for a large Dunkin Donuts iced mocha latte.

And finally,
10. Despite the inhuman amounts of vegetables I have consumed in the past week, I haven't pooped in days.

So that's that. I'll be sure to keep you all posted about the diet in the coming days (as I'm sure you'll be anxiously awaiting my next bowel movement.)

Until then Townies.

New Twilight Trailer

2008-07-18T10:27:00.002-04:00

Summit Entertainment has just released another teaser trailer for Twilight. Enjoy.

I'm In Like With Edward Cullen

2008-07-16T09:33:00.009-04:00

Sunday I went to dinner at my in-laws'. Beeps' sister Leigh was in from Las Vegas and she asked if I had been reading the Stephenie Meyer Twilight series. As you may have read in my profile, JDizzle doesn't read. I takes too long and in most cases I get 100 or so pages in and put it down never to pick it up again. But I value Leigh's opinion and thought I'd pick up the first novel and see if I liked it. Even tho Leigh warned me that each novel was around 500 pages. "Crap. Even worse." I thought. "But what the hey, she said it was an easy read and the pages would fly by."

Well that was Sunday and today I have about 100 pages left in the first novel. I'm addicted to say the least!!!!

I know I'm probably late on the scene here. Apparently there's a HUGE Twilight following, Stephenie Meyer has reached JK Rowling-like status, and I'm just getting on the bus.

If you are also new on the scene, here's the scoop (and I'll try not to spoil anything):

Imagine you are a high school junior who leaves her Mother back in Arizona to go live with your father, a cop, in the dreary Pacific Northwest.

Now imagine you start your first day of school and everyone is new and mysterious, especially a group of kids who tend to be loners but who are stunningly angelic in their beauty.

Now imagine that the most beautiful of them, a boy named Edward Cullen, becomes strangely infatuated with you. His skin is a translucent marble, his eyes change color from deep onyx to gold, his hair is a disheveled golden-brown, and his gaze is penetrating.

You are also drawn to him; but you don't know why. You befriend him but he hides a dark secret and is battling with his own internal desires that could either bring you closer together or tear you apart.

Now imagine he looks like this:

I'm in total LIKE!

It's like Dawson's Creek meets The Dark Knight. And it's fabulous!

The first novel Twilight is being made into a motion picture that comes out in December and I guarantee that I will be one of the first in line. Here's a teaser trailer. Enjoy.

Missing Palmer West Show

2008-07-14T11:43:00.004-04:00

Yo, yo, yo! Check it. MPW is playing Thursday night at The North Star in Spilladelphia. Be there!

Thursday, July 17th @ the North Star Bar in Philly -- 9pm
21+ w/ Refurb, Spiraling, and Effusion 35
www.northstarbar.com

Just a Little Sunny Teaser

2008-07-11T17:16:00.002-04:00

September can't come soon enough...

It's Time Bitches! Big Brother 10 Starts Sunday!

2008-07-09T11:52:00.011-04:00

Hi everyone. Are you as excited as I am to get BB10 started? No? Well you should be dammit! Cause it's only like the best reality TV show EVER! What other show is filmed live? Is on 3 times a week, and has stick-thin and fabulous Julie Chen as a host? NONE!

If you remember my post back before BB9 started, I did a little thing where I tried to predict the personalities and ultimately the winner without any knowledge of the contestants whatsoever. Well, I'm doing it again for BB10. And I swear to you that I have not read anything about any of these ~~suckers~~ people.

So let's get to it:

This guy's name is Ollie. I'm not kidding. He looks nice enough. By the looks of the color of that shirt and that clean shave, he might be gay. I have a feeling he smells like a mixture of expensive cologne and frappachinos. My prediction is that, although he hogs the bathroom and spends hours primping himself, that he will be liked. However, piss him off and your likely to get a tube of tooth whitening gel tossed at you.

This is Renny (Just like Adam and Kelly's dog). She looks sweet. However, I think she has cancer or alapechia by looking at that wig. So I can't make fun of her until I know for sure. Next...

This here is Steven (said with a southern accent). Ang Lee called, he needs the hat back. He must be from Texas by the look of that shirt and hat (god I'm good). I hate Texas. That's where our joke of a president came from so he already has some strikes against him. As far as I'm concerned, he's a republican redneck with solid and respectable hometown values. BORING!

Meet Jessie. Great name and biceps but he's got kind of a butter face. I have a feeling this guy is gonna be working out as much as I eat chips. Sans shirt of course. I can't complain. He looks like he won't start any trouble and will probably follow the first alliance that comes his way.

Keesha. Hummm, she kinda looks like Kirstin Dunst and Pamela Anderson got caught in a blender. She looks feisty tho, and I like that. She'll be a smart player and the boys will like her; both gays and straights alike.

This chick's name is Libra. I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say she was born between September 24th and October 23rd. I have a good feeling about this one. Not only is she a cuttie pattootie, but underneath she's already planning your death.

Here's Memphis. Again, goin' out on a limb: born in Tennessee. This guy's fauxhawk wreaks of attitude. He's gonna start trouble and will probably ruffle some feathers.

OMG! Tammy? Is that you? Wow, it's been what? 11 years since we shared an apartment on Miner street? Geeze you haven't changed a bit. What made you do BB10? How cool, you're so brave. I'm rooting for you sister. It's also great that you changed your name to Michelle for the show to hide your true identity. Nice move. No one will ever know. Have you seen Arlene lately?

This is Angie. How sweet does she look? OMG! I love her. That smile, that cute top. You've just got to have a big brain under that silky hair girl. I'm all over it.

Is this Jane Krakowski from 30 Rock? Cause that would be so cool. She's so funny. But alas, it is not her. This is April. She's taking over where Natalie from BB9 left off: fake boobs, back rubs and desperation.

Brian got caught in a wind storm before this picture was taken. He was very frazzled so forgive him if his hair got a little messed up and his Botox wore off. (get it, cause he looks old) ZING! Brian looks like he will make friends early on. I predict that he will be liked, especially by the ladies. Oh, and any cougars who might be near by. Grrrrooowwwl!

Dan loves hair product and eyebrow waxing. My guess is that immediately following any sloppy food challenge, he will be the first to hit the showers and slap on the L.A. Looks Mega Hold Styling Gel. However, there's a chance there could be a Brian, Memphis, Jessie, Dan 4-way battle royal for the tube. That should be entertaining.

And last but not least... um... wait, was there a mistake? Who's this guy? Seriously BB? I know you always throw in a ringer/ older dude but this is a first. Jerry must be at least 70. Maybe more. Jerry will probably stick around a while because the house mates will think he's a sweet old guy with no spine. Big mistake! My money is on Jerry this year. He's gonna take home the prize, no doubt!

I just hope the emergency nurse on staff, who boldly came to Amanda's rescue last season, knows how to perform an autopsy. This guy's ticker might pop as soon as the house mates unlock the hot tub. I just hope he knows what he's in for.

Well that's it Townies. You'll have to tune in Sunday night at 8pm to see which one of my predictions are correct.

Oh, an one more thing. I predict that the twist this year is that 3 of the house mates have at least one STD. That should make for good TV.

Scratch It Off The Bucket List, I've Won an Arte y Pico!

2008-07-07T20:45:00.005-04:00

Dr. Zibbs over at That Blue Yak has just awarded me an Arte y Pico award. How great is that? Although I'm sure it's just a ploy to get me to promote not only the Arte Y Pico blog, but also those of my blogging friends. Anyway, I think it's an honor and so I have decided to spread the love and give out some of my own "Picos" (as I like to call em.)

1. Pop-O-Matic - This fellow WCU grad and long-time drinking buddy now has a great life reviewing toys for money and sitting around a firepit. He also writes a very lighthearted and viewer-engaged blog. So visit often and put in your two cents.

2. Take a Chance You Stupid Ho - Party girl with a cutie-patootie haircut, moves half-way around the world, meets new people, tries new things, comedy ensues.

3. I Have Nothing to Say About That - Somehow we end up writing about the same stories and seem to have the same experiences at the same time? Oh yeah, she's my sister and lives one town over so I think I have to give her props.

4. Monkey Daemon - One of the first people I knew to have a blog before blogging was cool. Guy works for Reuters so he gets most of his news before the rest of us. This blog is filled with pop culture and homemade stop-motion movies.

5. Songsmith - My hubbie's blog. Songwriting is harder than you think. Well, GOOD songwriting anyway. Learn from the master.

Now here's the info for the winners:

1) Pick 5 blogs that you think deserve this award for their creativity, design, interesting material, and also for contributing to the blogging community, no matter what language.

2) Each award has to have the name of the author and also a link to his or her blog to be visited by everyone.

3) Each award winner has to show the award and put the name and link to the blog that has given her or him the award itself.

4) Award-winner and the one who has given the prize have to show the link of “Arte y Pico” blog, so everyone will know the origin of this award which is here: Arte y Pico

Songsmith

2008-07-01T09:50:00.008-04:00

Heads-up Townies!

Stop the presses, hold on to your hats, add it to your favorites, there's a new blog in town: Songsmith is the newest creation by the main squeeze of yours truly. Be sure to read it often as I'm sure it will change the way you think about songs and song writing. Or it will at least waste a few more minutes of your time each day. Enjoy.

BANGO!

2008-06-29T21:23:00.004-04:00

The wait is over. Finally Bango is available to any one who decides to view it. Are you ready for action? Adventure? Love? Betrayal? and Forgiveness? Do you have 10 minutes of your life to spare? Do you love cowboys with bad teeth and a penchant for ripping off their shirts? Do you like drunk hobos and chase scenes? Do you have a soft spot in you heart for a gorilla with a short fuse?

Then you are ready to watch the single greatest love story of our time. Directed by yours truly and filmed on the streets of Dub-C in the summer of 1999, Bango is a existential swath through the town of West Chester, PA (Long before Bam, before imitation gorillas ran the brick-laden streets unlicensed and before people in West Chester decided to make their own gorilla suits.) It is the brain child of 5 inebriated 20-somethings with a camera and a lot of time on their hands. And if you look close, you will see my cameo at Jitters.

Without further ado I bring you...

Bango!

More Ice Cream Tattoo Pics

2008-06-27T14:25:00.003-04:00

Here are two more funny pics from our ice cream quest. Thanks John! Beeps' face is priceless!

Photo by Julie Gottesman gottesmanphoto.com

Ice Cream + Tattoos = Good Times

2008-06-26T21:35:00.005-04:00

Tonight we headed over to partake in the Ice Cream Tattoo Quest. We got our ice cream cone tattoo and score cards and pounded pavement over to the first location.

Here's Beeps and Smoochies at West Chester Scoop. Yum. Our favorite place. We shared one small bowl of chocolate crunch stuff. The price is right but the service could have been delivered with more of a smile. We didn't care tho. They gave out free donut samples and the ice cream was great.

Next we headed over to Rickey's. Great service, a better selection, but the "recommendation" of clown berry or whatever it was called, was just so-so.

These creepy puppets hung on a display near the counter.

One kick-a$$ benefit to buying ice cream at Ricky's is the free toppings. 27 of them. We got sprinkles.
Next we headed to Sprazzo. Great place, great ice cream, great service, not so great price. We shared a tiramisu and an orange.

Finally we hit up Kaptain K's. Despite the fact that they can't spell, we thoroughly enjoyed the walk-up window right on Gay street as well as the black raspberry ice cream.

After we received our last star, we headed back to HQ to get our flames. John did a great job with the tats.

And just for the record. Here's a before:

sans flames... (notice that I was being environmentally responsible by brining my own spoon)

And flames. John hooked me up with a pink and red, sparkle, flame, hybrid.

Great event Mary and John, can't wait to see what's next!

Ice Cream Tattoo Quest

2008-06-26T09:06:00.006-04:00

Tonight in Dub-C, WC Dish and Guerilla Drive-In are sponsoring a fabulous ice cream and tattoo event. What they have in common I don't know except they are both super sweet. Here's how it works. Those interested show up at the courtyard at The Lincoln Room a.k.a. "HQ" (Just a side note: I saw Dirty Marie take a crap in this very same courtyard about 8 years ago). Here you will get a sweet airbrushed tattoo of a basic ice cream cone, a score card and a map to 5 ice cream shops in West Chester. You travel around to the shops, eat ice cream, rate them, and then get a star sticker from each shop. Once you've collected 4 stickers, return to HQ and get some even sweeter flames tattooed above you ice cream cone. Plus your feedback helps determine the best shop in town.

Good times. Beeps and I will be there and hopefully we will be bringing a posse of tattoo lovers. Hope to see you there!

Peek-A-Boo

2008-06-25T21:59:00.002-04:00

Dumb Dora Was So Dumb

2008-06-20T17:38:00.005-04:00

I Cannot fricking wait for this. It sounds sooooo good! Niecy Nash, Norm MacDonald, Scott Thompson, Sarah Silverman!

I'm so there!

Happy Hour Locator

2008-06-20T16:59:00.003-04:00

My sister-in-law knows me all too well. She just sent me this link to Dig Philly that tells you where all the happy hours are in the Philly area and what their specials are. She must have known that I was on my way to one tonight. There are some bars missing but it's new so I guess they are still adding to the list. Enjoy.

West Chester Celebrity Sighting

2008-06-19T12:05:00.004-04:00

Last night Beeps and I decided to head out to Iron Hill to grab some grub and a beer or two. I had been craving a heaping plate of their delicious nachos and Beeps happily obliged. We bellied up to the bar facing the door so we could oogle at all the people at the front door waiting for tables. We both ordered the Hefe Weizsen (sp?) and they were delish. When our nachos arrived I plunged right in. I was about fist deep when Beeps said

"Hey, Cole Hamels is here."
"Holy crap really?" I knew he lived in Dub-C and our friend/ Chef over at Spence has served on him several times (apparently he gets his lucky turkey sandwich before games), but this was my first time seeing him out.

The hostess greeted him at the door, but instead of whisking him away to his special "celebrity" Iron Hill table, he was put on the waiting list and handed a buzzer, just like everybody else.

"The hostess must not know who he is." I thought. Then my mind flashes back to the reoccurring column in US Weekly Stars: They're Just Like Us! Now I know it's true.

So, of course people are flocking to him like the awesome mound master that he is, furiously shaking his hand for that slaughter over the Red Sox the other night.

I was star struck! My heart said, "Go say hi you jerk. He's like 20 feet away." but my head said "You are so not the desperate groupie kind. Plus he lives here, you live here. It's no big deal."

And Beeps, who is the biggest Phillies Phan EVER (Maybe not as nuts as Turkey), sat there nibbling on nachos like he wasn't even there. But I knew he must have been dying inside!

Well, I listened to my head, but not before trying to snap a few incognito pictures from my camera phone. Of course getting the guts up to take that out was, in itself, hard enough. I mean the guy was looking right at me. That's just stalker weird. I tried anyway but before I could get off a shot, Cole's little blinking buzzer went off and he and Heidi floated to their awaiting seats.

Hopefully to order a plate full of delicious nachos.

Roommate Needed

2008-06-18T14:20:00.003-04:00

Hey, do you or does someone you know have a hankering to live in beautiful Dub-C? If so, go over to my friend Josh's blog and let him know. His current roomie had to move out and now he needs someone to help share the expenses. He's a good guy I swear. And a hell of a party planner. And I hear that his pet armadillo is declawed. So check it out and refer your friends.

Josh's armadillo "Freckles"

Ghetto Fabulous Prom 2008

2008-06-16T16:06:00.000-04:00

This is almost too much to handle.

Compare and Contrast

2008-06-16T10:28:00.004-04:00

Hi all, are you still deciding on who to vote for this fall? Do you know where your candidate stands on the topics important to you? Well look no further. Here's a cool site with side-by-side info. (Thanks Gracie!) Enjoy, and be sure to put your two cents in on my poll over here --->

PS: Vote Obama or Michelle will kick your ass.

Ugh, I'm Finally Back

2008-06-13T13:54:00.005-04:00

Hi Townies. So sorry for the delay in posting. Work has been CRAZY! And I've been just massively stressed over a variety of things which will be explained in the coming weeks. So stay tuned.

However, for the past several months I've been working on putting together this press event for a client (sending invites, making calls, organizing stuff). And I've been just praying that people show. The event was this past Tuesday and it turned out to be ok. It stormed pretty bad so I think that kept people away. But what can you do? I don't control the weather or people's actions. Now I move into follow-up mode.

Meanwhile, nothing has really happened in my personal life. The weekends have been pretty tame. This weekend my Nana is coming to my house for a visit so Beeps and I will be cleaning tonight and I have to make some grub for a picnic my sis is having. Nothing crazy.

Oh, one thing of note, is that Beeps and I now have a new favorite reality show: Celebrity Circus. We tuned in the other night just to see how bad and funny it would be. Beeps recalled how he enjoyed Circus of the Stars when he was younger. I could never get into that show because I never watched soap operas. Anyway, so we figured Celebrity Circus would be bad. However, we were pleasantly surprised to find ourselves entertained. We LOVED it!

I was especially amazed at how in shape these celebs need to be to pull off this crap. And Antonio Sabato Jr. still looks pretty hot. Can someone tell me why he never had a career? I am also in like with that Stacy Dash tart that played Dee in Clueless. She's super cute.

The premise is that these D list celebs train on a variety of acts like the High Wire, Fire Dancing, Hand Balancing, Flying Trapeze, Chinese Poles, Aerial Silks, and the Wheel of Death, and the stars have eight weeks to train and perfect their acts. The host is Joey FATone and each week the viewers decide who goes home. But the best part of the show is Louie Spence (one of the "Talented" judges) who is so effeminate, and he has the strangest slobbery lisp, that he is almost a caricature of gay man doing an impersonation of a straight man impersonating a gay man. I LOVE IT! I hang on his every word just waiting for him to pronounce something with an "S". Good times.

It's on Wednesday at 9:30. Check it out and let me know what you think.

Ok, gotta go, but have a fab weekend everyone.

The Only Tool You'll Ever Need

2008-06-04T09:23:00.002-04:00

Hi Townies. This week has been, and will continue to be, crazy for me. So I might not post for a few more days. So here's something fun for you to giggle at. Smoochies sent it to me. Enjoy.

Kaiju Big Battel

2008-06-02T15:09:00.003-04:00

I know she said to check here for more recap, but my camera's battery was dead and I think Smoochies did a fine job of summarizing yesterday's Kaiju match. Check out her blog for all the gory details.

Bango Impersonator in Dub-C

2008-05-29T11:58:00.003-04:00

Apparently someone who is NOT Bango is running around West Chester pretending to be the famed Gorilla. Don't be fooled! This is not the real thing.

If you see this impostor, do not approach or ask for autographs.

If the real Bango makes a public appearance, you will hear about it on Hometown Hangover first. Your place for all things Bango.

There's a New Fugee in Town

2008-05-27T10:52:00.003-04:00

Check out This to see who was the next victim!

Brimfield - The End

2008-05-21T20:54:00.005-04:00

So to conclude the Brimfield saga: I returned home with my bag of goodies (I bought a bunch of little glass birds for my window sill), and I proceed to open the bag to show Beeps my finds, when I feel something strange wrapped in newspaper inside the bag. I pick it up and it doesn't feel like glass. It's much lighter and a strange shape. I open the paper and to my surprise...

Move over GW, there's a new Fug in town!

Behold, The Bard:

Apparently my Dad had seen this and could not resist its purchase. I think he heckled the guy from $5 down to $3. What a steal! I was not expecting to be fugged since I knew that Smoochies still had GW.

All I can say is look out world, there are now two fugs, and you may one day be on the receiving end.

2008-05-21T13:37:00.009-04:00

The buzz around Dub-C is that Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson are in town filming "Marley & Me". The director and producers must have heard that "Bango" was also filmed here and thus they made their trip out.

Here, Jen and Owen are standing right outside my favorite restaurant Kooma. They are also right across the street from Jitters Sports Bar where the infamous drunken bar scene and chase sequence from Bango were filmed.

I heard that in order to prepare for this scene, the director told Jen and Owen to channel their inner Bango.

For those of you unfamiliar with the magic that is "Bango", it's a love story between a cowboy (with bad teeth and a penchant for ripping off his shirt) and a gorilla named Bango. The film follows them through a typical day on the town that quickly turns dramatic when they pick up a local waitress who is being stalked by the town's drunken yet lovable tramp.

I don't think that Bango is available online, however I know the director and the staff at High Five Productions so I think I can pull some strings. Stay tuned.

Until then, enjoy this teaser trailer for "Bango Two":

Brimfield - Part 2 (Mystic really)

2008-05-20T20:51:00.008-04:00

Time for part 2 Townies. This leg of the trip had no where near the amount of weird objects, but it did make for a pretty interesting day. After our stint in Brimfield, M&D decided to drive down to Mystic Seaport to spend the day touring ships and eating lobster. I love lobster, so if I had to do some learning about the workings of an 18th century shipyard, so be it.

We pull into Mystic and the first thing we see is of course this:

All the gift shops sold the movie. I really don't remember seeing it but I'm pretty sure I did. Something about Julia Roberts and some other ladies and a pizza shop. Who knows.

The seaport was really lovely tho. It was a beautiful day so we walked around and looked at the old buildings, took a 1/2 hour sailing trip around the river (best $5 we ever spent), toured the whaling and other sailing ships, and had a beer at the tavern.

I found the mastheads to be creepy as well as interesting and beautiful. This was a room filled with a variety of different versions. From Native Americans to Turks, to ornate ladies. Click on the pic to take it all in.

But this leg of the trip was becoming far too serious and it was only a matter of time before it got silly. In the kids' workshop they had some pretty cool activities. Kids could play on a boat, or dress up like pirates, or draw pictures. Of course we stepped inside to see what it was all about. We were immediately drawn to the crazy camera machine in the corner. It had a miniature ocean scene inside this box with a velvet beanbag for water. To the side was a wall of miniature boats, people, and sea life. You could make a miniature oceanic moment and then capture it on the TV that hung above it with the camera mounted on the front of the box. Needless to say that Dad and I spent quite a long time on that machine as seen by the pics below:

You have to blow up the pic to get a good look, but in addition to the giant whale, causing the capsizing wave, there are a variety of poor suckers trapped in the surf.

Luckily the hand of God was there to help out. OH NO! SHARK!

Then it just got silly...
After the seaport we headed to Abbotts to chow down on some delish lobster and mussels. Just like promised. I kept up my end of the bargain.

So that was the end of day two. We stayed the night in Mystic and left early the next morning for home. Little did I know that a surprise await me at home...

Brimfield MA - Part 1

2008-05-19T19:57:00.013-04:00

Hi Townies, As I mentioned last week, I headed out of town for a mini vacation with my parents. Beeps did not go and stayed home to hold down the fort. My parents are big antique fans as seen in this post, and so it was appropriate that I tag along on their annual trip to Brimfield Massachusetts for their massive antiques show. If you haven't heard of Brimfield, it's this small town that has this crazy antiques show a couple times a year. The spring show is apparently the best one with dealers coming from all over the world to buy and sell their ~~crap~~ goods. M&D told me a lot about this trip, they have been going for like 10 years now, and I was intrigued. I was promised to see taxidermy animals, mummies, weapons and just a mess of crazy hard-to-find items. I was excited to go. M&D picked me up Thursday afternoon and we made the 4+ hour trip up to Brimfield. We arrived a bit too late to see vendors the first day, but we spent the night at a local motel and woke up at 5am to be one of the first in line on the second day.

I wasn't sure what I was looking for, but knew that the event would prove to be a treasure trove of blog images if nothing else. So in the first installment of our trip, I bring you some of the more memorable items. Be sure to click on them to see the blown up pictures. That way you get all the details. Enjoy:

Your eyes do not deceive you. These are indeed stuffed, real chickens. I'm not sure what the purpose is or why someone would buy one. But the market must exist or else this guy wouldn't come back year after year. As I was taking pictures, I overheard the owner talking to another man about the nuances of his stuffed pheasant that was a "champion". I'm wondering at what point in his reign they decided to tell the bird that his life would have to end so that his title would remain forever immortalized.

If you click on the picture. You will see that the bird in the front is being sold for $90! Dear God.

I love this image of the birds in the back of this guy's car. As if they are patiently waiting to go somewhere. And this guy seems to be a Phillies Phan. Oh, the humanity...

I don't really know what this is. I just liked that this mannequin was sitting in what appears to be some type of glass-doored cabinet or phone booth, which were both on the back of a truck. He at first caught my eye as a real person which freaked me out a little. It's still kinda creepy.

Here's my pa being very silly.
This is a giant metal, painted chicken. Why?

This is some type of tin man/ robot thingy. He's holding a basket as if to say that he was somehow connected to Dorthy or the Wizard or something. Believe it or not, he was not there at the end of the day.

If you look in the background you'll see a giant picture of Captain Kangaroo. I forgot how amazing that guy's haircut was.

And I've saved the best for last. I saw this little fella and simply had to take a picture to remind myself that seeing him was not a dream. If you look close, it's a black-face baby with a lamp coming out of his ass. I was blown away. I had to ask the seller where she got it. Her reply "It's been in my family for years. I just think he's so cute." WOW! I'm not sure what's more shocking: that she thinks it's cute or that someone in her family, at one point, actually spent money to buy that.

So that's the summary of day one. Stay tuned for Brimfield Part 2.

You Suck Blanco!

2008-05-15T08:23:00.006-04:00

Last night me, Beeps, Smoochies and Brent went to the Phillies game. They lost to the Braves but we didn't care since our seats were totally kick-a$$. We enjoyed many beers and of course peanuts and Crackerjacks. We also were witness to some funny heckling by a group of plastered meatheads seated behind us. We sat front row left field and were only feet from the left fielder. Poor Gregor Blanco was told he sucked over, and over. At one point he just looked into the crowd, smiled and shook his head.

And Pat Burrell didn't have it much better. Beeps called to him trying to find out which was harder "sitting or standing?" I don't think Pat found it amusing. But he did scratch himself more than I ever thought possible. And so we ended up making it into a drinking game. "When Pat scratches himself, drink!" Needless to say, we consumed many ice cold miller lites, which were in reality, just kinda cold.

Regardless, we had a blast and nothing beats seeing a baseball game at beautiful Citizens Bank Park. Go Phills!

Saltines From The Caff.

2008-05-13T11:18:00.007-04:00

Beeps just sent me this email. Beeps is a teacher at a local high school. The email is from their cafeteria chef. Enjoy:

From: Name Withheld
Sent: Tuesday, May 13, 2008 9:01 AM
To: All Staff
Subject: SALTINES FROM THE CAFF.

Hey guys, just wanted to clear up something with the saltine crackers as we are using way more than we should. Crackers go with soup ONLY! Other than that they must be purchased at 10cents a pack.(in robo cop voice) Thank you for your cooperation.CHEERS!

In case teachers didn't make enough money as it is. Now they can't even enjoy a simple pack of saltines.

UPDATE: Beeps just sent this:

This was the subject heading for another email from our “chef”:

Crackers , correction. 25cents for two packs CHEERS!

Cheers, indeed.

I Can Finally Breathe!

2008-05-13T10:52:00.005-04:00

Hi Townies, I am finally well enough to go a whole minute without having to make disgusting snorting noises. So woo hoo for me. I hope you all had a fun weekend. Beeps and I actually had three parties to go to: Friday night Flyers at Marc & Krista's (good time except for the loss), Saturday near Everhart park to celebrate the kitchen and patio opening of a fellow townie. That was good times. I had many, many sangrias. I also got to meet up with WC Jim. He was my history professor in college and a real know-it-all history guy around town. Beeps and I got a lot of dirt about the town. One salacious bit is how the mental hospital/ adoption (abortion) clinic was, at one time, across the street from our now house. And how the crazies used to hang in Marshall Square park. (Actually, this still happens) Jim's got tons of info so be sure to check out his web site to get your fill of Dub-C data. Sunday Smoochies had my parents, Beeps and me, and my nieces and nephew over for a picnic. We grubbed and had some beers.

So the weekend went well and now it's back to the grind. I have a short week because I'm taking a mini vacation which I hope to have details to you early next week. So stay tuned.

A Case of the Sniffles

2008-05-09T10:38:00.004-04:00

Hi Townies. Sorry about my lack of posts this week. I've been battling quite a nasty cold. I actually haven't been sick since I left my last job back in the fall of 2006. (That doesn't say much for that crap hole.) So I forgot how awful a nasty cold could be especially at night. I have tried every medication in an effort to reduce my symptoms. So far my saving grace has been Nyquil. Oh, and the most fabulous new advance in tissue technology: Puffs Plus with Vicks! They are the bomb! It's like a shot of smelling salts everytime you blow your nose, plus lotion to sooth that cracked skin. You should get those the next time you are sick.

Anyway, so I was out of work for a day and then spent the last few nights catching up on things at the office. Right now my head is pounding and my nose just continues to run. So you probably won't hear from me again until Monday. So until then, have a great weekend, stay out of trouble, and Go Flyers!

MPW Aftermath

2008-05-05T09:09:00.003-04:00

Hi Townies, I hope you all had fab weekends. I myself have been suffering through a terrible cold/ sickness. This morning is the worst so far. I slept about 3 hours last night in between coughing, sniffling, and aching. I usually don't take any medication before I sleep because 9 out of 10 times it keeps me awake. But at about 2 am last night I had had enough and I downed some Alka Seltzer Cold Plus. It actually helped and I eventually caught some zzzzs. This morning I sucked it up, and took some Sudafed before work. Anyway, hopefully I will be feeling better soon.

My weekend was pretty nice regardless. Friday was the MPW show. Here are some pictures taken by my good friend Babs. She's a wiz with the camera. It was so nice that she and her hubs Greg came out for the show. We also saw a ton of other familiar faces: family, friends, coworkers, etc. It was overall a nice night. Beeps had the same cold I have now so he was struggling a bit with the vocals. But overall, everything went swimmingly.

Saturday I headed over to The Whip Tavern with Smoochies and Cory & Jenny to watch the Kentucky Derby. I was feeling pretty sick but powered through it with some Carlsburgs, rarebit and fish & chips. mmmmm. Too bad about that horse Eight Bells. What is the deal with all the horse racing injuries and why do people still do it if there's a chance your million dollar horse will fall? I don't get it. It's a shame for everyone involved. Now it looks like PETA is going to have a field day with this one. We'll have to see what unfolds here. I don't think any amount of alleged cruelty will ever end horse racing. God, I'm such a Debbie Downer right now. It's the meds talking.

Well Townies, I have to get going, but hopefully I feel better to post again soon. Until then. Have a great week.

Woofday Girls

2008-05-02T08:41:00.006-04:00

Guess who both had birthdays yesterday May 1st?
Little Leia and Joe-Joe. That's who!
Joey Potter turned six and Leia Darth Maul turned one. Too cute!

Mission Accomplished

2008-05-01T09:20:00.008-04:00

Today marks the 5th anniversary of the day our ~~beloved~~ president stood upon an aircraft carrier and declared "Mission Accomplished" on the war against terror. When in reality the terror was about to take the form of higher gas prices, ensuring profits for GWB and all his good buddies at the expense of the American people. Today gas prices are at a record high and Exxon Mobile just announced that in the past THREE (yes 3) months, it made a profit of 10.9 BILLION dollars. That means that in the past minute it took you to read this post Exxon Mobile made over $84,ooo. EIGHTY FOUR THOUSAND FREAKING DOLLARS! Are you kidding me?

Meanwhile, we've wasted the last 8 years and billions of dollars on a war that means NOTHING. When we could have taken money out of the pockets of terrorists by developing and implementing alternative forms of energy thus ensuring our independence from oil rich nations in the middle east.

Anyway, so on this May Day, let's not forget how this administration used fear tactics to scare the American people into willingly giving up their hard earned cash to GWB and his cronies.

So to this I say, Mission Accomplished.

Missing Palmer West - FRIDAY!

2008-04-30T10:33:00.003-04:00

Hi everyone, If you at all care about me or Beeps, you will show your love by coming to see Missing Palmer West this Friday at Chaplin's in in Spring City, PA

7:30 to 9pm.
All Ages (Adults can bring booze)
$12

Remember, I know where you live.

Take LSD, Live to 102

2008-04-30T09:34:00.003-04:00

Albert Hofmann, the father of the mind-altering drug LSD whose medical discovery inspired — and arguably corrupted — millions in the 1960s hippie generation, has died. He was 102.

The key to a long life has finally been discovered. And who says drugs are bad?

John Adams (and the director, producers, writers, and costume design team of the groundbreaking historically accurate mini series) Eat Your Heart Out

2008-04-28T20:11:00.012-04:00

This past Saturday, Beeps, Smoochies and I, went down to S. Jersey to hang out at my parent's place during the Salem County Historical Society's colonial house tour. My parents bought an old 1755 house in 1968 and have been fixing it up ever since. They now play dress up and give strangers tours. So we all drove down to "help" which we translate to mean "drink beer in the garden and try not to look too wasted when the guests arrive." Below are some pics of our fabulous day. Enjoy. (Also, check out Smoochie's blog for more pics)

Smoochies and Bernie

I do declare.

Smoochies and Meg.
Me and Beeps.
Walter (blue) and my Pops (green).

Mom & Smoochies. Mom was cooking on the fire.

Glamour shot.

Our Laura Ingalls moment.

It's A-Baller's Life

2008-04-28T09:22:00.008-04:00

So a winner to BB9 has finally been crowned. I know I've been slacking on the BB9 posts for a while now, but I think I was just overwhelmed by all the drama that was going on. I hated Natalie so much with her "Team Christ" bull crap and her "Matty" infatuation. It was just sad. I'll just say that I was stoked when she was caught in a lie and shown the door.

This always happens to me when I watch BB, I get attached to certain players, root for them, and then get pissed when they are voted out: Kaysar, Janelle, James, Josh, etc. I guess I like to side with the underdogs. And as soon as your fav is gone, you have to pick a new one and start all over. Luckily for me, I latched on to Adam aka "A-Baller". He seemed like an unlikely winner. He was actually very nice and had compassion toward those players who were going through rough times in the house. And as much as I called him "Steve Sanders" and his bugged out eyes gave me the creeps, he surprised me and pulled off the win.

Ryan was a dumb-ass for taking Adam with him instead of Sheila. Ryan could have easily won against Sheila. All she did was cry to get what she wanted. She only won one HOH and that is because Natalie gave it to her.

last night's live finale was pretty low-key. No one really hated each other except for Allison and Jen. They had a few nasty things to say about each other. And for a moment there, you kinda thought Sheila was going to vote for Ryan to win. James ended up winning the Rupert prize: $25K as the "Fan Favorite". How lame is that? He gets money just because the fans feel bad for him. I'm sure James will put the money to good use. He'll probably buy a new 10-speed with saddle bags and a side car for Chelsia as well as plenty of extra pink hair dye. Good call fans.

Anyway, congrats Adam. He made a promise to donate $100K of his money to the Autistic Foundation, so we'll have to see if that works out. I guess he's trying to make right his week-one comments about "Working with retards".

And so another chapter in the Big Brother series comes to an end. Be sure to tune in July 13th when the next bunch of suckers live in the BB house and battle it out for a half mill. Till then.

The Re-Re Fug

2008-04-27T18:24:00.006-04:00

So last Sunday I went to Smoochie's house. My parents were there and it just so happened that they hid GW in Smoochies' bathroom closet. But they made the mistake of placing it too early in the visit. See, Brent (Smoochies' beau), went to the potty and noticed GW peering at him from behind the curtain covering the closet. Not to be tagged, Brent decided to re-fug and place GW back in my parent's car. But alas! He too re-fugged too early in the visit. My Mom returned to the bathroom a short time later to see the GW had indeed been found. So her first thoughts were to search their car. As I was leaving I see Mom walk to the car, distracted and determined to find ... something. I left not realizing what had happened.

Until I got home and received this message on my phone:

We got re-refugged!

Brent attempted a refug and failed. Mom had found GW in the glove box and placed him back in the bathroom closet before she left.

Hence the re-refug. The saga continues.

I Have Nothing to Say About That

2008-04-27T18:17:00.002-04:00

Hey folks, be sure to check out a new member of th blog-o-sphere. Smoochies, my sis, has started her own blog. I Have Nothing To Say About That. Enjoy.

I'm in Like with Jayson Werth

2008-04-22T08:07:00.003-04:00

Inside the park home run. Nuff said.

Barack The Vote People!

2008-04-21T10:33:00.009-04:00

Attention all Pennsylvania citizens! Be sure to hit the polls tomorrow to cast you vote for the most dynamic presidential contender in the last 4+ decades! This is a once in a generation moment and I for one will be Baracking the shit out of my vote! We must all come out to show that we are sick of politics as usual in Washington! And we as PA citizens have a chance to make political history. The media predicts that Hillary will win PA, but guess what? Not if we all get out there and cast our votes for Barack!

Sure, you could say "but JDiz, you're a lady, and Hillary is a lady, so you should vote for her." Well trust me folks, at first I was thinking that way, but then I got smart. See, as much as I think Hillary is a good person and her heart is in the right place, I'm ready for REAL change. I'm sick of the elite running this country and Hillary just stinks of entitlement. And plus, Bill was already in the white house once, I don't want him back.

Barack represents unity to me. He has optimism and hope and joy for what this country could be. He is the only one that can help us win back the hearts and minds of the world and unify the country. (Plus he just quoted some Jay-Z lines in his last speech.) So please, be smart, vote Barack.

I'm JDizzle and I approve this message.

Earf Day

2008-04-18T09:35:00.004-04:00

Hi all, Next Tuesday is Earth Day and I'm hoping you will all do something to help save the planet. Maybe you switch to those energy saving light bulbs, maybe you walk to work, or maybe you just turn off the TV and read a book?

In the past few months, Beeps and I have started to try and reduce our carbon footprint. First of all, we don't have kids so we win big Earth points there: no diapers, wipes, poo, plastic toys, etc., etc. However, we do have dogs, which takes us back a few steps. They do indeed poo and consume. So what else... um, we bought reusable shopping bags which saves tons of plastic bags, we stopped buying bottled water, I try to buy animal-friendly beauty products and produce grown locally. We also started switching our light bulbs. I got a compost bin which keeps great garden-feeding nutrients out of the land fill and in my garden!

My coworker also turned me on to this site: www.catalogchoice.org This is the place to go and cancel all those darn print catalogs that are mailed to your house. What a great service! I've been getting Pottery Barn Kids for like 10 years. How the hell did I get on that list? I also get a random selection of other ones that I had no idea what to do with until now. Be sure to check it out.

I have also been doing a lot of recycling. I bind up my magazines in twine, donate books to the local library, drop old clothes and other goodies at the Salvie, and we just recently took a crap-load of electronics, computers, stereos, and assorted other high-tech gear to a community event where they collected these items to be recycled. Good times.

I know we aren't perfect, and we never will be, but it feels good to help a little. Plus I love the "holier-than-thou" feeling I have at the grocery store when I shoot those plastic-bag carrying Earth destroyers the stink-eye.

JDizzle Quick Fact

2008-04-16T09:47:00.006-04:00

I found out yesterday that only 2 degrees separates me from Richard Dean Anderson (AKA MacGyver).

Turns out that the guy Beeps is buying his keyboard from, is installing a theater surround sound system in Dick's house.

This has been your JDizzle Quick Fact.

MPW Shows on The Way!

2008-04-15T16:47:00.008-04:00

Hi all, Missing Palmer West has some fabulous shows coming up. Be sure to check them out if you can. You will not be disappointed!

Hope to see you there:

Thursday, April 17 @ Mojo 13 in Wilmington, DE - 9pm

21+ w/ Bain Mattox & Riptide

Friday, May 2 @ Chaplin's in Spring City, PA - 7:30pm - 9pm

ALL AGES - BYOB - $12

Saturday, June 14 @ Milkboy Coffee in Ardmore, PA - 8pm

ALL AGES - BYOB - $8 w/ the John Grecia Band

Sound of Silence - Update

2008-04-14T09:57:00.002-04:00

Hi all, sorry about the delay in posting an update about my poochie Joey Potter. There is promising news. Beeps took Joe to the vet, she looked in her ear and said that her internal ears were so swollen that she couldn't even look inside. Turns out that she has some type of internal ear infection. This is good news as it is most likely treatable. We are giving her drops twice a day. She HATES it! She has never run away from me until now. But it's for her own good. What's that saying "this hurts me more than it does you." Something like that. I think I remember hearing that right before my Dad whooped me with a belt. But I digress. So far I think it's working. We take her back in 10 days for a follow up to see if it has helped. She does seem to be hearing more and she is playing with toys again.

Thanks for all your kind words visitors! I'll keep you posted on her progress.

The Sound of Silence

2008-04-07T10:04:00.005-04:00

This past weekend was good but a bit strange. Beeps and I managed to get a lot done in terms of the clean-up of our band room/ office. In addition, our good friends Domdypants were visiting from Brooklyn. So we got to hang with them, drink some beers, and complain about the Democratic nomination race. But what made it sad you ask? Well I think our dog Joey is deaf. And it kills me to think that it might be caused by something I did. Of course this is just me being hard on myself, but who knows? I made an appointment to take her to the vet on Wednesday to get answers.

So you are probably wondering why I think my dog is deaf. And to be honest, the signs have been there for longer than I can remember. I just never put 2 and 2 together. So on Saturday it just came to me like an epiphany. I had gone upstairs while she was sleeping. Upon waking she frantically ran around the downstairs of the house looking for me. I called her, and called her but she didn't seem to hear me. Holly crap, I thought, she's deaf.

My mind then quickly raced through all the moments where being hearing impaired might be the cause of her behavior:

Why did she stop coming when I called her?
Why doesn't she wake up when I come home from work?
Why does she stare at me puzzled when I ask her if she wants to eat, go outside, or have a treat?
Why does she respond to hand signals rather than vocal commands?

So to test our theory (since the chance of her telling us herself is slim), Beeps and I conducted a few experiments. We wanted to make sure that she was indeed hearing impared and not just ignoring us. While she was sleeping, we walked up behind her, clapped loudly, and called her name at the top of our voices. No response. Not even a flinch. Next she was standing in front of me facing away. I did the same thing. No response. Later she was asleep on the couch. I took Beeps' keys and shook them wildly next to her ear. No movement.

I don't mind so much that she may be hearing impaired but what I can't help thinking is that I somehow contributed. Did I clean her ears too harshly that I damaged her eardrum? Maybe she had an ear infection that I didn't catch in time? Maybe we played too rough and I accidentally hurt her ear. Who knows, maybe she was always like this and I never noticed. I mean she never ran too far away from me, she is skittish around other dogs and some people, she sleeps pretty soundly. I dunno. I just run through all of this craziness in my head.

Well I guess we'll find out on Wednesday. I'll keep you posted.

Battlestar Bitches!

2008-04-04T10:41:00.004-04:00

The wait is over!!! Battlestar Galactica is back for its final season TONIGHT 10pm on the SciFi Channel. For those of you who watch it, good for you. You are better for it. For those that do not, rent the first 3 seasons ASAP and get on board, cause it's been a hell of a ride. If you need convincing watch Battlestar Galactica Revealed on the SciFi Channel web site.

Did I already say it is the best show on TV? CAUSE IT FRAKING IS!

Fug Hunt Continues

2008-04-03T09:16:00.006-04:00

If you aren't familiar with the Fug Hunt chronicles. Be sure to do some reading up on the back story here. But for those familiar, the next chapter has been written. A few weeks ago my parents came for a visit. They picked Beeps and me up and we attended the antiques show here in Dub-C. I had been holding on to GW for months. He last appeared in our dog food can after our trip to the cabin over Thanksgiving. So it was perfect timing to make the drop off. No one would suspect. I concealed GW in my giant purse during the whole show until we were dropped off back at my house. Before exiting the car, I slyly placed GW in the pocket behind the passenger seat.

Then I waited, and waited, and waited. An no phone call or email to say GW had been found. Finally I get a call from my Mom from the Poconos. She and Dad had returned to finish up some work on the cabin. She said "did you check your email?" I knew immediately that GW had been found. Turns out that they had not found him until they were packing for the Cabin. "No one ever sits back there." said Mom.

So here's the picture. GW apparently helped Mom and Dad with their Revolutionary War-Themed puzzle. A perfect task for the bust of our first president.

The Apology

2008-04-02T09:36:00.003-04:00

So if you didn't read yesterday's post, a client was very unhappy with some work I did for him. This morning I come in to this email apology. I was stunned to say the least.

"I apologize for being so harsh with my observations about the press release. Suppose all the decisions I've had to make lately have resulted in a shorter fuse which is not good. So kindly forgive my lack of patience and I'll have Bob respond to your revised copy."

He could have done that yesterday to save me the sleepless night filled with insecurity. But what the heck. At least he had a change of heart and realized what a d-bag he was.

I guess I have to call all those magazines I put in his name, and cancel the subscriptions.

Sometimes Work Sucks

2008-04-01T15:08:00.003-04:00

So today (and this is no joke) I sent a press release I had written (about the client, for the client), to the client. His email response both surprised me and made me sick to my stomach. This guy is a real bully. You know the kind: he expects everyone else to read his mind, he doesn't understand marketing and he can't express what he wants. So instead he sends a scathing email to me and cc's my boss. Nice.

Here's an abbreviated version with all the nastiness kept intact:

"It's very disappointing that the firm we spent $[xxx] to do our branding would identify us as an investment firm and identify me as the owner when [X] owns the same number of shares. I would expect you folks to have notes to provide you with that kind of info. This press release is not being prepared by a firm unfamiliar with our company... if you get the sense that I'm very disappointed with this release, that could be an understatement. If I've got to provide any more direction, then I might as well write it myself."

Happy day, o' happy day.

White Folks Like Horses

2008-03-31T13:44:00.007-04:00

In honor of the fabulously accurate blog Stuff White People Like, I have another one to add: Horse Racing. Yesterday my work sponsored a tent at a local (name withheld to protect the innocent) Point-to-Point. I have never been to this type of event before so I was really looking forward to it. Plus it was such a great day to be outside. A point-to-point (for those who may not know) is a horse race on a course around a large country field. It originally began in Ireland in the 1700s. The horses are thoroughbred fox hunting horses and are agile on grass terrain as well as jumping fences and other obstacles. It is a very expensive and dangerous sport. So I guess that's why white people like it.

Regardless, it was a blast. We tailgated like it was our job (oh yeah, I was there with my company so I guess it was my job). And the horses were just stunning. Lots of danger and action. I LOVED IT! And best of all, no fox were injured in the making of the race. So here are some pictures so you too can experience what it's like to be white. Click on the pictures to get the full effect.

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