“City of Un-brotherly Love”
After well over a decade MTV’s reality show the Real World has selected Philly to be the city to stick a new group of strangers in order to see what happens. The new season was slated to start shooting in a few weeks.
However things went awry when non-union workers who work for a construction company out in Bucks County got the contract. When union workers got wind of what was going on they began protesting and vocally voicing their opinions to the workers that MTV had hired.
Now MTV never ran into this problem before because every city they aired The Real World in before wasn’t as pro-union or should I say anti-non union as Philly. Heck hope over the Walt Whitman Bridge to South Jersey and isn’t mandatory to carry a union card if you want to slap to bricks together for a wage. In fact many of the union members that work in Philly that charge through the nose for their electricians and workers live in nice home in the Garden State made by non-union workers.
Unions try to make sure that their workers are paid well, treated well and get as much work as they want. That’s cool that they make sure they don’t get screwed. However the company owner of the Bucks county company claims his employees get benefits and are paid even better than union workers. So what’s the big deal? I guess some of the blame has to be on MTV that didn’t bother to research that long love affair and political favors that are a part of Philly as much as Soft Pretzels. In fact if they hired “set designers” it wouldn’t be as a big a deal.
Things boiled over that the producers of the show feared having angry union thugs shouting at their 20-something whiners would pretty much break the mood of the show. So they decided to blow town before the 7 strangers ended up in the bottom of the Delware.
Now John Street did call up to try to beg them to come back after he realized how he lost on a free chance to advertise Philly as a cool place to come. It looks like is a bit too late. Instead of showing the country that Philly is a hip place everyone that read this national story the impression its ran by a bunch of thugs.
Friday, March 19, 2004
"Phantom Storm Was Just That"
I watched the news last night and every station was telling us how the road crews were ready for one of the biggest snowfalls of the year. Snow predications ran from 4-8 inches to 6-8 inches of snow. Like I said I don't buy into March storms but I pegged the storm at 3 inches. Since there was supposed to be an hour or two of heavy snow. I even thought that was a big number.
Well this morning was one of few I have to sleep in and I was wakened several times by snowplows charging down my street. However the one time I woke myself enough to peer out my window I saw that the grass had been barely covered. Maybe at best an inch and a half. However that didn't stop the damn trucks from scrapping the street 3 more times and even once two at the the same time. There was no snow to scrape!
Liza said when she was up there was about 4 inches on the ground. It certainly wasnt that bad where I live. It doesn't matter now since what little that fell is gone. Shame on the news anchors for trying to get the good people of the Delaware Valley into a frenzy yet again with their mistaken and overblown predictions.
I watched the news last night and every station was telling us how the road crews were ready for one of the biggest snowfalls of the year. Snow predications ran from 4-8 inches to 6-8 inches of snow. Like I said I don't buy into March storms but I pegged the storm at 3 inches. Since there was supposed to be an hour or two of heavy snow. I even thought that was a big number.
Well this morning was one of few I have to sleep in and I was wakened several times by snowplows charging down my street. However the one time I woke myself enough to peer out my window I saw that the grass had been barely covered. Maybe at best an inch and a half. However that didn't stop the damn trucks from scrapping the street 3 more times and even once two at the the same time. There was no snow to scrape!
Liza said when she was up there was about 4 inches on the ground. It certainly wasnt that bad where I live. It doesn't matter now since what little that fell is gone. Shame on the news anchors for trying to get the good people of the Delaware Valley into a frenzy yet again with their mistaken and overblown predictions.
Thursday, March 18, 2004
"Phantom Storm Looming?"
FOX PHILADELPHIA's Rob Guarino seems to think that tonight the area might see some heavy snow. He expects the fast moving storm to have the potential strength of an inch per hour with peak times bettween 2-8 am.
Now I am not easily convinced of winter storms in March. Granted the fact that this area has seen some classic whoppers this time of year. However the fact that the storm is moving in toward the overnight hours when the temps will float just around 32 degrees it gives us chance to have snow fall and stick. With warmer but cold enough to snow weather this time of year you get heavy snow with bigger flakes. This is what they call "heart attack" snow because of the weight the snow has it when shoveling it.
The people that are actually calling for anything are pegging this snow fall to be around 2-4 inches. Weather.com on AOL is totally ignoring the weather system, but they are also saying its 92 degrees in NYC as of 2:30. They are one of the worse sources for weather trust me.
The Accuweather Headlines website says that Philly and New York are going to get a "least a couple of inches" of snow.
I know that I said was done for the year calling the snowfall,but I have enough faith in this system to at least give it to the respect of a guess.
I am willing to to say in the South Jersey Camden County region that the 3 inches of snow could be possible. Might be a bitch for anyone that actually has to go anywhere tomorrow morning. There could be patches of heavy bands and we could likely be under that. I will post again before I go to bed so keep checking back loyal readers!
FOX PHILADELPHIA's Rob Guarino seems to think that tonight the area might see some heavy snow. He expects the fast moving storm to have the potential strength of an inch per hour with peak times bettween 2-8 am.
Now I am not easily convinced of winter storms in March. Granted the fact that this area has seen some classic whoppers this time of year. However the fact that the storm is moving in toward the overnight hours when the temps will float just around 32 degrees it gives us chance to have snow fall and stick. With warmer but cold enough to snow weather this time of year you get heavy snow with bigger flakes. This is what they call "heart attack" snow because of the weight the snow has it when shoveling it.
The people that are actually calling for anything are pegging this snow fall to be around 2-4 inches. Weather.com on AOL is totally ignoring the weather system, but they are also saying its 92 degrees in NYC as of 2:30. They are one of the worse sources for weather trust me.
The Accuweather Headlines website says that Philly and New York are going to get a "least a couple of inches" of snow.
I know that I said was done for the year calling the snowfall,but I have enough faith in this system to at least give it to the respect of a guess.
I am willing to to say in the South Jersey Camden County region that the 3 inches of snow could be possible. Might be a bitch for anyone that actually has to go anywhere tomorrow morning. There could be patches of heavy bands and we could likely be under that. I will post again before I go to bed so keep checking back loyal readers!
Wednesday, March 17, 2004
“AWFUL”
Much to my horror they are remaking the classic horror film House of Wax. If you recall I listed this film on classics you should see many months ago. First off I am not against ALL remakes. Even Hitch did remakes. However most of remakes generally suck or just aren’t necessary at all. Comedy remakes are sometimes good but not movies that have their own life.
Anyway I it pisses me off when people call films “remakes” when they basically just steal the title and use the most basic elements of the plot. The fact that new House of Wax stars Parris Hilton is proof that it will likely be a piece of crap. I am sure the fact that she is in the film will overshadow the project anyway and the movie is going to be aimed towards brainless horny teenagers. Below I am providing the summary from the IMDB of first the original then the new one.
ORIGINAL
A sculptor of wax figures for a museum is horrified when his partner proposes setting fire to the unpopular museum in order to collect the insurance money. As the wax figures melt amid the blaze, the two men have a fight. The sculptor is knocked out in the scuffle and left to "perish" among the flames. He resurfaces many years later for the launch of his own wax museum. The opening coincides with the sudden disappearance of some dead bodies from the city morgue. His assistant begins to suspect his boss of foul play, especially after the deranged wizard of wax begins eyeing his assistant's lovely girlfriend
REMAKE
Iowa. Directed to the only business that can offer assistance -- a creepy gas station owned by a suave bad boy named Bo -- the stranded kids are lured deeper and deeper into Bo's web.
This is clearly NOT a REMAKE just a RIP-OFF. I hope the project falls through but I am sure they are going to rush this film out why people still care about Parris. This film is already on my BAN list.
Much to my horror they are remaking the classic horror film House of Wax. If you recall I listed this film on classics you should see many months ago. First off I am not against ALL remakes. Even Hitch did remakes. However most of remakes generally suck or just aren’t necessary at all. Comedy remakes are sometimes good but not movies that have their own life.
Anyway I it pisses me off when people call films “remakes” when they basically just steal the title and use the most basic elements of the plot. The fact that new House of Wax stars Parris Hilton is proof that it will likely be a piece of crap. I am sure the fact that she is in the film will overshadow the project anyway and the movie is going to be aimed towards brainless horny teenagers. Below I am providing the summary from the IMDB of first the original then the new one.
ORIGINAL
A sculptor of wax figures for a museum is horrified when his partner proposes setting fire to the unpopular museum in order to collect the insurance money. As the wax figures melt amid the blaze, the two men have a fight. The sculptor is knocked out in the scuffle and left to "perish" among the flames. He resurfaces many years later for the launch of his own wax museum. The opening coincides with the sudden disappearance of some dead bodies from the city morgue. His assistant begins to suspect his boss of foul play, especially after the deranged wizard of wax begins eyeing his assistant's lovely girlfriend
REMAKE
Iowa. Directed to the only business that can offer assistance -- a creepy gas station owned by a suave bad boy named Bo -- the stranded kids are lured deeper and deeper into Bo's web.
This is clearly NOT a REMAKE just a RIP-OFF. I hope the project falls through but I am sure they are going to rush this film out why people still care about Parris. This film is already on my BAN list.
“The Next One”
Many times people will try to debate who is actually in the “crew” and who isn’t. I feel that since the term and the linear line of events that brought us all together started with Ryan, Dan, Price, Allen and myself that I have a lot more authority to say than most. I have people who are in town 4 times a year who think they can dictate the roster list to me though. It is pretty hard to tell for anyone really. Do the Arter’s count? Debatable. Are Allen, Dan and Ryan still members? I would say so. It was inevitable that we would all go our separate ways. I am still in contact with all 3 (not Allen directly but I did stop him from hitting a bar floor recently) of them during the course of the year and am part of Dan’s wedding. I think there was something in each one of these people that makes it undeniable that crew blood still flows in them no mater where they go in life. Their years in the crew might be like what Vietnam is to many vets a time in their life they would rather not talk about, but still happened them and shaped them into the person they are.
It just dawned on me the other day how important a baby Hunter is. That baby is 100 % pure crew breed. Since Jenna is the only female crew member (there is not debating that one) it is very unlikely that unless they decide to add to their family (that likely will eventually I imagine but it’s not a definite) Hunter stands as the key to the future of the crew. Hunter is from the genes of two crew members we can watch his life from the start. We all entered into the crew but Hunter was born into the crew and destined to take us in to the future.
All members of the crew are still extremely young. We will likely go down different paths and move on in life. But it’s to the point when this generation can not take any more members in whatever the current official list is will remain that way. Whoever Hunter befriends in school and in his younger years of life will be the crew generation 2. It is up to him to recruit. Hopefully he is wise enough to convince a girl to join and eventually “have relations” with her and impregnate her. In order to make it official is must be in another crew members home.
Of course according to Dan every crew member along with the rest of humanity will be slaughtered in an orgy of blood and death at the hand of machines, but providing we don’t we must groom this child for the future for the crew’s sake. I have made a list of knowledge that should be passed on to Hunter.
1. How to be virtually invisible to females for the majority of your high school years
2. How to live at home till your mid 20s or beyond.
3. About an organized league called the National Hockey League that went defunct not long after he came into existence. A league of 30 teams from two different countries that played the game similar to that of what team USA plays every four years only better.
4. About all the Philly sports legends
5. Why its important to know about movies
6. How to go long periods of time without “having relations”
7. How it is “okay” to make numerous jokes about homosexuality with your so called “heterosexual” friends. Not the mention the meaning of the word Homoerotic.
8. About the Cataclysm and that it would be vast improvement of his generally mundane and meaningless life. The eventual rise of the machines and their desire to kill.
9. To get accustomed to expectations and elaborate plans “falling through”
10. The power and magic of one little word that makes every hardship or horrendous mistake perfectly fine. “EH”
Many times people will try to debate who is actually in the “crew” and who isn’t. I feel that since the term and the linear line of events that brought us all together started with Ryan, Dan, Price, Allen and myself that I have a lot more authority to say than most. I have people who are in town 4 times a year who think they can dictate the roster list to me though. It is pretty hard to tell for anyone really. Do the Arter’s count? Debatable. Are Allen, Dan and Ryan still members? I would say so. It was inevitable that we would all go our separate ways. I am still in contact with all 3 (not Allen directly but I did stop him from hitting a bar floor recently) of them during the course of the year and am part of Dan’s wedding. I think there was something in each one of these people that makes it undeniable that crew blood still flows in them no mater where they go in life. Their years in the crew might be like what Vietnam is to many vets a time in their life they would rather not talk about, but still happened them and shaped them into the person they are.
It just dawned on me the other day how important a baby Hunter is. That baby is 100 % pure crew breed. Since Jenna is the only female crew member (there is not debating that one) it is very unlikely that unless they decide to add to their family (that likely will eventually I imagine but it’s not a definite) Hunter stands as the key to the future of the crew. Hunter is from the genes of two crew members we can watch his life from the start. We all entered into the crew but Hunter was born into the crew and destined to take us in to the future.
All members of the crew are still extremely young. We will likely go down different paths and move on in life. But it’s to the point when this generation can not take any more members in whatever the current official list is will remain that way. Whoever Hunter befriends in school and in his younger years of life will be the crew generation 2. It is up to him to recruit. Hopefully he is wise enough to convince a girl to join and eventually “have relations” with her and impregnate her. In order to make it official is must be in another crew members home.
Of course according to Dan every crew member along with the rest of humanity will be slaughtered in an orgy of blood and death at the hand of machines, but providing we don’t we must groom this child for the future for the crew’s sake. I have made a list of knowledge that should be passed on to Hunter.
1. How to be virtually invisible to females for the majority of your high school years
2. How to live at home till your mid 20s or beyond.
3. About an organized league called the National Hockey League that went defunct not long after he came into existence. A league of 30 teams from two different countries that played the game similar to that of what team USA plays every four years only better.
4. About all the Philly sports legends
5. Why its important to know about movies
6. How to go long periods of time without “having relations”
7. How it is “okay” to make numerous jokes about homosexuality with your so called “heterosexual” friends. Not the mention the meaning of the word Homoerotic.
8. About the Cataclysm and that it would be vast improvement of his generally mundane and meaningless life. The eventual rise of the machines and their desire to kill.
9. To get accustomed to expectations and elaborate plans “falling through”
10. The power and magic of one little word that makes every hardship or horrendous mistake perfectly fine. “EH”
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