Closing remarks

If you haven’t played the new online quizzo, check it out! If you have played it, please tell your friends. I think I have an opportunity to really do some fun stuff here, but I really need you guys to help me promote it. I greatly appreciate your help. Should have a new one up next week.

Also, I’m going to the Phils games tonight and tomorrow. Neither is an afternoon special, so they should be OK. Right? We sweep and we’re in, and we can celebrate with an Eagles win over the Giants on Sunday night. Fellas, the fact is that you will not be leaving the couch or bar stool all weekend, so you’re gonna have to agree to take the little lady out somewhere real nice next week. I suggest Chili’s. And to show her how much you care, give her the gift that lasts forever: plastic roses.

Thank you Lazaro’s

The good guys at Lazaro’s hooked it up a couple of weeks ago. We had an open house for the basketball Little League at my YMCA (if anyone is interested in volunteering or donating funds, jerseys, etc., let me know), and the guys at Lazaros (17th and South) gave us a great deal on pizza. Thanks guys! And keep up the good work.

The Week in review

-We begin on Tuesday at O’ Neals, where the Young Old and Restless continued their hot streak, winning for the 3rd time in 5 weeks, 98-94, over Tallulah and the Three Js. Dork Sided finished 3rd with 90. Tallulah had a comfortable lead in round four, but pulled an ’07 Mets and missed the final three questions.

-On to the Bards, where the Sofa Kingdom’s five game winning streak came to an abrupt halt at five, as the Narcotyzing Dysfunktion scored a 104-96 win over Blast of Humidity. The Kingdom finished 3rd with a 90.

-At the Vous Steve O. (AKA Milton Bradley: Some Assembly Required) took a perfect game into the 4th, but changed a couple of answers he had right in Round Four and fell to the Jams (aka Eternal Silence of the Spotless Mime) 106-94.

-The Satan’s Duane’s were none to happy with Goodtimes Wednesday night, as their formidable team was laid low by the “1991: The Year in Music” round. Truth be told, though, they still got outscored in Round Four by the Axis of Evil Knieval and fell by a score of 107-87.

-Thursday was weird. Real weird. Are that many people watching the Phils? Smallest crowd ever at both the Good Dog and the Bards. At the Dog, the C+ Average knocked off the RPD M****F*****, 85-64.

-On to the Bards, where the Sofa Kingdom fought off a spirited effort by End of the Bar. The two teams were tied at 58 after three, but the Kingdom had too much manpower and closed the door in Round Four, 103-88. In third place was Geekswhodrink.com, aka John Denver (all quizmasters must be named John). The king of quizzo in the game’s Second City finished with 79.

3 Game Season

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First off, gotta give credit where credit is due: I regularly check in on Metsblog to see what the hairy necks are up to, and I have to admit, I’m pretty impressed with what this Metsblog writer had to say. Apparently Mets fans are all jumping off the bandwagon, calling talk radio and going ballistic, leaving 3 run games in the 6th inning, etc. In other words, acting ways that the national media says that only Philly fans act. But man, the only thing as fun as coming from 7 games back is coming from 7 games back against the Mets. So now, a conundrum: I kind of want the Mets to make the playoffs, albeit as a wild card. I think a Mets-Phils NLCS would be off the freaking Richter.

Then again, I’m getting a little ahead of myself. The Phils still have to cool off a red hot Nationals team, the same team that kicked us out of the playoff race two years ago. But something feels different about this Phils team, and I’m sensing something I didn’t sense a couple of years ago: confidence. Phillie players (and fans) fully expect to win the damn thing. This particular team has captured this city’s hearts like no team in the city since I moved here 6 years ago, and I even count the Eagles team that went to the Super Bowl, because nobody enjoyed that team b/c they were expected to make it to the Super Bowl (or at least the NFC championship game).

We have a goofy manager that the fans still have a love/hate relationship with (and leaning a little heavier on the hate), a roster that has been ravaged by injuries, a shortstop who said they were the team to beat in March and then backed it up 159 freaking times in a row, a catcher who played in the minors for 14 years, a LF whose career was considered to be over until he suddenly surged back and rescued the team when their star 2B went out, a fun loving Hawaiian, Mitch Williams joining the post game show, etc., etc., etc. Oh, and don’t know if you’ve noticed, but Harry has slipped into his playoff voice these past few nights, and it is spine tingling. I have been a sports fan for over 25 years, and I have to say that this has been the most fun ride I’ve ever been on. I really hope it continues past this weekend.

Holy Crap

How could we let this happen? I had no idea that when I called the Liberty Bell overrated it would lead to something like this. I can’t believe they gave the damn thing to Bono. I mean, give it to like, Jimmy Rollins, sure, I can live with that. But Bono? (CNN actually had posted this headline last night at about 7:30 p.m.)

Dock Street

Just joined the lovely Ginger for a little lunch at Dock Street Brewery (50th and Baltimore) and like whoa, the pizza there is off the chain. Get the BBQ chicken pizza, I’m telling you, peoples. The Pumpkin beer was pretty good too (No, I won’t be sloppy at quizzo tonight, I only had one.) Then, because I was hanging with beer royalty (Ginger) I got to go back to the brewery and try out their coffee stoudt which they haven’t put on tap yet. Delicious. I know the pizza hunt fizzled, but I still know my pizza, and trust me, this wood oven pizza is top notch.

Phils notes: Look out, Mr. Met!

-Apparently in an effort to escape reality, Philly fans have taken to huffing nitrous in the parking lot. I did a nitrous balloon once in college, then went to a Phish show, because hey, there’s no way you can watch that boring ass band without the help of illegal drugs. But the buzz wears off in like 30 seconds, and then you’re just stuck watching a Phish show with less brain cells and all the boredom.

-When the Mets were up 6-2, I said, “If they blow this game, the Phils are gonna win the division.” The Mets blew it, and I stand by my statement. I really think we could be seeing a 1964 type meltdown. I think there is a chance the Mets don’t make the playoffs. Here’s a little gem from Paul Lo Duca: “It seems to me we’re all waiting to lose. It better change quick or in five days we’re all going to be home for the winter. You can’t play the game that way. It’s like a broken record every game.”

–If you missed the video I posted yesterday, then be sure to watch before tonight’s game to get fired up.

The Metro: Goodtimes bounces back

I told you this week’s column would be better. Also, I Think the fact that my picture is next to Biggie’s is kind of awesome. Now it’s your turn. Post below the songs you hate to love.

The Donspiracist Presents: Are Futuristic Weapons Already Here?

Dunno if you’ve been following the Donspiracist, but I really think his fun yet informative column has gotten better each and every week. This week is no exception. I really think you’re gonna enjoy this one. The future of weapons sound like they come from a sci-fi novel. And the future is a lot closer than you think. -JGT

Secrecy is the conspirators’ greatest weapon. If you control information about your activities, you then can operate without much scrutiny. The public cannot get incensed about what it does not know. This truism is particularly pertinent involving phenomena that are hidden in plain sight. These are events or technologies that are not protected behind the gates and locks of government high security, ala Area 51, but instead operate in the open, but are not given the attention by the media that they deserve.

Take Raytheon’s invention of a pain machine. The Daily Mail reported last week on Silent Guardian, a directed energy weapon developed by Raytheon for the U.S. military. The article discusses the small black box that, when turned on, “emits an invisible, focused beam of radiation – similar to the microwaves in a domestic cooker – that are tuned to a precise frequency to stimulate human nerve endings. It can throw a wave of agony nearly half a mile.” The report goes on to say that the machine causes no permanent damage to victims, but that the pain it causes is so intense that it cannot be borne by anyone in its path. If it weren’t documented, I’d label it science fiction. Can this be the future of warfare? Or, more specifically, police work? More importantly, why was there no mention of this device in the American media?

Continue reading “The Donspiracist Presents: Are Futuristic Weapons Already Here?” →

Around the Horn, brought to you by the cast of 21 Jump Street

–Trivia Art in today’s Metro.

-Me (briefly) in the Metro sports section today.

-Congrats Vesuvio! Their Cheesesteak BLT was named the best sandwich in America!

-This from Dan Gross’s column: Atlanta Braves hurler John Smoltz and a pal lunched at City Tavern (138 S. 2nd) yesterday on artichoke and smoked chicken salad and a turkey pot pie. Hahaha! Smoltz ordered the Martha Washington Turkey Pot Pie, the biggest ripoff on the menu! I know, because I used to…um, uh, nevermind.

–I missed this the when it was on ESPN a while back, but saw it yesterday and it is awesome. An absolute must see for Philly sports fans. (The first minute is kind of slow, but after that it is awesome.)