"One Grand Post Man"

In August 2002 before "blog" was a household name. Tucker's World was born. Through out all the posts that were lost when the original Tucker's World went crazy on me (if you click on the August 2002 links they are all re-posted under one post), ones I deleted and a few that were eaten for reasons unknown by Blooger and this is post # 1,000!

Yeah that's right !


I had to actually double check a few times in my mind that its been over 5 YEARS that this blog has been going on. That makes me 23, and just about to embark on my last year of college. I have to say, I am quite a different person that I was back than.

So, much has happened into the last 5 years, and that's saying a lot since I think I lack some life experience since I rarely travel outside of this area.

There have been ups and downs, laughs, bad grammar, and I have pissed off at least 4 of my friends on here to the point that they weren't talking to me for a while. That is less than one per year which is seriously not that bad. Kind of strange though the odd vibe that a blog can give off. I think if I said some of those things in person people would just laugh it off. But the blog soap box gives you some kind of different power or tone I guess.


I have blogged about elections, hurricanes, relationships, death, Flyers, and featherless chickens.
I brought people who haven't talked to each other in years together some how, and have had some weirdos comment on here. I have had others lurk for years before I realized they actually read my blog.

There was all the blogs about Superman Returns leading up to it, and than I never actually talked about the movie after I saw it or reviewed. Nobody cared.

There was the time that I actually started letting comments in on the blog, which opened up a wave of insults, threats, and occasional spam.

Many blogs have risen and fell since Tucker's World started with great big bang. TERMINUS died and than came back as ZOMBIE TERMINUS (okay its TERMINUS 2, but research shows that one of my readers REALLY loves Zombies) .


We watched every Philly team suck together and blog about it. Okay, I don't blog about the Sixers or the Eagles, but it didn't stupid them from sucking for the past 1,000 posts.


Hmm..lets see if I can sum up all the readers lives in the past 5 years. I might have made some of this stuff up.

Drew: Became a lawyer and wanted to murder me a few times because of stuff I wrote here. He also moved to COllingswood but still tells me he is not gay (causing me much interpersonal turmoil when I made accepted him being gay). He breaded up than bearded down, than bearded up again. I think he watched an entire 365 days worth of Dr. Who in the past five years. He is also adopting "The Girl Who Loved Powerglide" for the big screen and selling the script to the suits in Hollywood.

Duke:
He dated some hot chick from South Philly and all he got was her damn cat. Mr. Boots came into our lives amidst a shattered relationship. Once I left the door open at Dukes apartment and he escaped. Things happened so quickly and Mr. Boots was missing for about 30 minutes, Duke was about 15 minutes away from punching me. That is a total of two cats that weren't my own that I accidentally slipped passed me into the great outdoors, but I am happy to report neither died. Now he is moving to Florida, because he is a jerk.


Jenna:

She had a kid, quit the Sears outlet, found buried treasure, moved in with Jay, and had her own blog for awhile. Actually she had two blogs. One about whacky stuff and one about her kid.

Jay (aka Jason aka Lima Beanz)

He switched jobs a few times, and now molds the minds of the young. He has a kid. He also punched a zombie in the face once for money. Another time just for the sake of punching a Zombie in the face. He also once threatened to murder me or cripple me I forget.

Ed
5 years ago he was making weird jokes and wondering about the lives of the crew to make up for the fact that he hates his job. Now he makes weird jokes and wonders about the lives of the crew to make up for the fact that he hates his job.

Rick
I ruined his life.

Joe
Is a vet, and never has read my blog. When I mentioned it recently he said. "You seriously still have that thing"

Tom
Found out the meaning of life and wrote it down on a piece of paper, but it blew out the window of his UPS truck before he could remember it. It flew down 295 never to be seen again. However, there is a River rat that has started a cult following along the Delaware River. Of course Riverats can't read or talk so that doesn't even make any sense at all!

Rob
Hit someone with his car, but he was a Devils fan so we all just laughed about it.

Ben
CAme over to Duke's a lot and talked about tv shows I don't watch. He also paid Jay to punch a zombie in the face.

TL
I still have no idea who this dude is!

Chris Arter
A South Jersey Music Legend. One day he will be in the south Jersey hall of fame next to the Garden STate Parkway trolls, and that creepy Asian dude that hands out stuffed animals at local bars.

Dan K.
Moved up to a higher tax bracket now he sits in a big house on a hill. Him and Jessica have 9 computers.

Price

Got married, but his wife was eaten by a lake monster. Price did his best to save her, but what are you going to do?

"Cookie Monster"

This is a really good ready for any Flyers fan. The store of Danny Briere's early days in the NHL. AT one point all 29 teams could have taken him from Phoenix for the least about possible to pay an NHL players. All 29 teams refused. Also, Buffalo gave up Christ Gratton for him@!http://www.canada.com/topics/news/national/story.html?id=4db085ae-8464-49fe-ae59-751e0f941e7b

"OK Computer"

Don't know who to vote for in the 2008 election? Well Ed gave me a link that might help! It basically takes all that annoying thinking out of selecting your ideal person for the new president of the Unite states. Click here to find out what the computer say you should vote for. I did this and they said I should vote for Rudi, than right after that its all democrats. HIlarry was first than DONT CALL ME OSAMA OLA BAMA, some other dude, and about 5 other Democrats. That dude from LA & Order was at the bottom. Um, OK Computer, but Id rather still vote for Al Gore! What did everyone else come up with?

"Counting Penguins"

So the Flyers and Penguins both came into the NHL in 1967. Last year the Flyers kept saying it was it was 40 years of Flyers hockey. Not seasons mine you, but years.

Okay, no way it was 40 YEARS of hockey, because they started in fall of 1967, not 1966. SO this fall will be 40 years of Flyers hockey. Also, there were NEVER 40 seasons either. They did not play for the the 2005-2006 season. So, thats really LAME to consider that a "season" you didnt give us any hockey! By that logic the Sopranos would have had like 9 seasons, counting all the years new shows weren't aired as seasons. Maybe they would sell the season sets and some would just be blank discs?

Anyway, what is even more amusing is that the Penguins who again were in the same group of expansion teams in 1967, are doing a big deal for their home openers for it being 40 years of Penguins Hockey. Because it is!

Yeah, I now some people debated me on the who how many seasons were there thing. IF you don't believe me think how we realized the millennium is actually 2001, because start counting at 0. Same thing. When the Flyers started hockey in fall of October that had not been around for a year already, so fall of 1968 was one year later of them starting. Still don't believe me. Write every year from 1967 on a piece of paper (I actually had to do this to prove this very point once) and number each year. That comes out to 40 seasons, but you have to take one away because of the lock out. THe Flyers campaign from last season was clearly YEARS not seasons. Seasons is a stretch at best, but years was always a boldface lie. Its impossible for these two teams to have different 40 year benchmarchs in their history.

Oh yeah and 1985-1986 will always be the season that Pelle died.

"Season Over"

Cold bats. Thats basically what did us in. The hot bats of Philly were just non-existant in the 3 game playoff series. I knew the Rookies had better pitching, but I figured we would just win by getting into a slugfest.

Of course there will be a lot of hatred toward the team the next 48 hours, and people will just be doing the Eagles chant till the next tim the Phillies enter the playoffs. But, I am still proud of the Phillies and what they did this year.

I think maybe somehow these guys were just overwhelemed by it all. Not to make excuses but honestly although I hoped I never thought we would win the World SEries. We just weren't good enough yet.

I did however say from the start of the season that we would make the playoffs. That we did, and its just one step closer to winning it all. Most these guys will be back next season and be able to take this experience away with them.

There will be many questions of the next 72 hours, some long faces, anger towards the hitters and Chase could become very hated in Philly. People wont even the 1-3 birds to get their minds, but that might be a good thing.

You can add one another 4 months at least to our championship drought in Philly.

It was a great ride with an all too famliar ending. But the fans will just have another scar and life will go on. The Phillies never quit and thumbed their nose at the slamming they got from the haters all season long. One wonders what could have happened had the Padres made it. One wonders what could have happened if we didn't yank our starter in game 2. Now it is the off season for the Phils and we have to go through an entire off season, pre-season and the never ending regular season just to get back to this spot.

But, such as life in the land of scars, and wondering about past events. Each fan will grow a little wiser, maybe more cynical. Dry your eyes with your rally towels Delware Valley and as Tony Soprano once said. "Focus on the good times"

"New-BrierERA "

Flyers kick of the 2007-2008 season in less than two hours. Of course I am staying up to see the orange and black. Although, Briere wont be wearing the A, it will be everyone's first chance to see him in action. For those of you in dreamland by the time the puck drops feel new the COMCASTIC people at CSN are running the game tomorrow night in primetime. The excitement is high for me! Despite the fact many experts are placing the Flyers in 10 or 11th place in the Eastern Conference this season. The only which way is up from here.

"Free Hugs"

I wish I could find a picture to upload, but I cant get it to do that you might have to flip to picture 11. Anyway here is the link.Pretty much sums up the Eagles season, right? Jeesh, he is the leader of the team. They got the snot kicked out of them Sunday Night. He is hugging a player on a rival team and looks like he is crying on his shoulder. I guess they felt bad about all the beatings they gave him. But, shouldnt he be mad? Showing some sort of leadership? Ugh, thank God for the ORange and Black coming back. Thank god for the PHils, lame Eagles, lame on the way to lame, lame, lame.

"MVP!"

2005 Rookie of the Year Ryan Howard

2006 MVP Ryan Howard

2007 MVP Jimmy Rollins ?!?!?

Let's hope so. Jimmy despite getting crap early the season for not being a "good lead off man" has been solid all season long. People started to snicker when he said they were the team to beat. But Jimmy never flinched. He carried the team when Chase went down and when Howard was hurt. I don't think there is anyway that Jimmy will get shut out of this honor this season. Not unless William Penn is the guy who makes the call on the MVP of the 2007 season. Hats off to Jimmy stealing bases like crazy and getting tripples out of singles.

Jimmy you are the Tucker's World MVP this year if that makes you feel any better at all! MVP! MVP! MVP! MVP! MVP! MVP!

"The Team to Beat!"

"If Not For Me For Them"

They try so hard all season. Running around picking up balls. They sit out in the sun looking hot with their sexy little legs. They sit in the chair during games that are like 4 hours long sometimes. If you lose today they will be crying and sad. Come on Phillies win it for the ball girls, they deserve to be fetching balls in October.

"Waiting"

We cannot build enough prisons to solve this problem. And the idea that we can keep incarcerating and keep incarcerating — pretty soon we’re not going to have a young African-American male population in America. They’re all going to be in prison or dead. One of the two.” John Edwards. WOW! John Edwards said that ! I am waiting for the media to rip him up. I know that the liberal media is a big myth, so I am sure they wouldn't give someone like that a pass just because he has a "D" next to his name! I am just going to sit and wait for the media blitz! I bet it will be a huge hot topic! He might have to go to rehab. Im sure Jesse Jackson will demand him to say he is sorry. No way the un-biased media will let this one slide!

"Goosebumps"

The Philadelphia Phillies are now tied for 1st place. 3 Games to go and it will be a great weekend for sports I even heard that football team has a game or something this weekend. But the team that matters has 3 games this weekend and if all goes well the Phillies will be back in the postseason for the first time in 14 years. What a great season so far everytime you right this team off they come back. The Phils are confident, happy, and playing good ball. Sure we have to beat the NATS all 3 games bascially to make us reach the post season, in fact it would be impossible not to make the playoffs if we win all 3 games. Well at least the one game playoff thingie. Go PHILS!

"Lowdown Downie Shame"

Jay and I may be the only people around that know who Steve Downie is. Well, to get you up to speed her is prospect for the Flyers. He is said to have a scoring touch, but is known more for the rough stuff. He has had so much trouble in his youth and even kicked out of leagues. He takes things to far and takes really cheap illegal shots at people when he isn't tossing his fists.

Now, anyone that knows me knows that I love hard hitting hockey. But, this guy Steve DOwnie is no Ben Eager. Downie I think is a total nutcase who loses his temper way to easily and something snaps in his head where he just goes nuts.

This week during a pre-season game DOwnie took a run at former Flyer and now Senator Dean McCammond and it was not even close to being legal. He didnt just leave his feet, he leaped from them. McCammond clunked his noggin on the boards and was out cold.

Now the Sens players are calling for Downie's head on a stick. Basically, saying they won't forget it, and they are gunning for him next time we play. HOwever, Downie MAY not even make the team. If he does its because the Flyers have 3 guys that were supposed to make the team that wont be able to play opening week. If Downie doesn't play there is a very good chance they will just try to take swipes at our star players.

Thanks a lot Downie! STarted a war with the Sens in the pre-season. Christ, we cant even make it to the season opener healthy and Downie does something stupid like this. What if it was one of our players getting their bell rung in the pre-season because some yahoo wanted to prove his worth to make the team? Thats why I hate pre-season. Also, does the NHL make him sit out games? IF so, how do you do that since he likely will be a PHantom?

Here is the YOUTUBE link if you didnt see it

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=322zqTkL0-c

"The Return of Tucker"

Tucker is back for real this time folks.

The hot weather will soon fade away making Tucker more resclusive and wanting to type to the world instead of go out and interact with it. Honestly, I think I can pull the whole more updates thing again! I found a library near where I work. I honestly like going there on my lunch, because I get away from ringing phones and its very peaceful. If I had a laptop like Drew I could blog while watching tv. I just got too wrapped in the PHils and wathcing Nothern Exposure off netflix. Not to mention that I am really addicted to YOUTUBE. I just sit for hours watching hockey videos, fanboy stuff, people making fools of themeselves, hot girls dancing etc..


But I am back! Time to fill you in on what has happened in Tucker's World during the Hiatus.

Rick blamed me and Price for for holding him back in life.

Duke is moving to Florida. Yes, the man who puts sun tan lotion on to go to WaWa, is going to the sunshine state for a year or more.

Drew got new glasses

I learned that tapping your foot in a public restroom means you are really gay and need hard core gay sex with strange men. Oddly, now Im paranoid. We have a radio in our bathroom at work, and now I make sure I never tap my foot to the music while taking a huge dump. I have stop everything I normally do while doing number 2, just in case people think I want some man love or something. I don't even stopped singing select songs from rent when I am wipping my ass which has not been easy.

Dan K is going to be a dad.


More stores in the "Voorhees Town CEnter" have closed

The phillies were out of the playoff picture, than back in, than out again, than they were in, last night out, tonight in. Unless the PAdres win, than still sort of in, or out.


That jerk from Iran meet with people or something. I dont know. I think he said something about not wanting nukes or something. I started to watch the story on the news, but than I realized E! was running a marathon of the Two COreys.


The Flyers have started their pre-season. 3 Players set to make the team are hurt already.Yup Ummy (finger), Uppy (wrist) and Lopul (should we call him Lopy?, did something to his hand too).

All the eagles fans were ready to slit their wrists after going 0-2. We are not 1-2 so I guess there will be less people leaping into the Delware River with weights tied to their feet.

Mosco is still a dick.

Did I mention Drew got new glasses?


Im back baby I am back! come back during the day for updates too if I can get on my lunch I will update!

"Get the Brooms Out"

GO Phils!

"Two Weeks Notice"

The next two weeks could easily tell us if the Philadelphia Phillies will actually be in the playoffs or not. They play many playoff teams including LA who they are in the mix with for the wildcard spot and the Mets who they are chasing for the divison title. Lets go PHils!

"dropping like fly balls"

What the hell,???!?!? Can we just play one game with out someone getting hurt? Is the evil ghost of William Penn using some sort of voodoo pin cushion thing?

"The Dead Will Rise this Fall"

The dead will rise this fall on TV.

I am not talking about that new show about a detective who also happens to be a VAMPIRE! (its really going to be show). I am talking about two of "my shows" that I watch on network tv. I don't have time for many shows, and I don't watch many of the real popular ones like Heroes or Lost.

So two of the shows I watch I are bringing back people from the dead. Which is always pretty ridiculous.

The first such show is Scrubs. (SEASON 6 Spoilers) Last season towards the end of the year Nurse Roberts was killed off. The big christen lady nurse died in car accident. I couldn't understand why they did this. But it was revealed later that series creator Bill Lawerence thought at the time that it was going to be the final season. So, they figured they needed something dramatic to happen. So, the killed her. BUt Lawerence said to the actress who played her that if NBC had a change of heart and brought the show back for another season, he would bring her back.

Bill was good on his word, and Scrubs will have 19 final shows this season and the actress will be coming back. Apparently the ultra christian goodie nurse roberts had an evil twin the whole time, that was never mentioned, or even showed up for her own twins funeral. She will be a druggie, a slut and a heavy drinker. Good thing there is only 19 shows left, right? I guess its cool he didn't go back on her word, but what a stupid story line.


Even more strange is CSI: Miami. Now I started watching this show going back to my outlet days when I would come home from work and my mom would have it on. I only watched it once in awhile the 1st season, and later got really into the show with my now ex-girlfriend. The first two seasons were really cool, gritty at times, but a little far fetched. I decided to go back actually and rent the first two seasons this summer off netflix. The character enjoyed the most on the show was the character known as Tim"Speed" Speedle. He was played by Rory Cochrane (the dude from Empire Records and Dazed and COnfused) I like his character on there because he was smart ass. He was the most realistic character too, didn't really like his job that much, and the actor was just better than the rest of the cast for the most part.

Well it appeared after season 2 that Cochrane couldnt take the 12 hour shoots, and being stuck on the west coast most of the year. He wanted out of his contract. If CBS did let him out that would mean he couldn't do tv for 3 seasons. The writers had a tough choice to make to write out a popular character. They went with killing him off. He and David Caruso's character got fired on in a jewelry store. Because, Speed was a bit lazy and apathetic he didn't clean his gun right(he almost died in season 1 for this reason I guess he didn't learn his lesson), and his gun didn't fire. He got shot and killed. Caruso character held him as he died in his arms. Later, the autopsy girl cut him up on her table. Cant get any more dead than that. It was hard for fans of the show to watch, but since he wanted out what else could you do? It made for a powerful season 3 opener. Anyway, I think his death made a bigger impact on the fans than if he would have been alive in season 5. It was unexpected and rocked the show's structure. He went to cool character tv heaven with Uncle Pussy, Deep Throat from the X-files, and Wheel Jack.

Season 3, went on to introduce a new character, and by season 4 the show started to trail off in a more and more over the top direction. They married the lead character off only to have his wife killed, in one of the most unbelievable romances in the history of TV. Last season had someone get eaten by a black bear (In Miami Really?!?), triplets killing twins, one character get shot in the head and report to work like nothing much happened in two weeks.


Anyway, I really started to think I was going to bail on the show all together. Sometimes it was a chore watching last season. But, I figured I would check out season 1 and see some I missed and revisit season 2 (I am currently watching and I guess I missed a few there too). There the show was still far fetched, yet fun and down to earth. Any Speed was still alive. I really enjoyed watching the earlier shows, while it was fun it was grounded still.

Now there is pretty big rumor that Speed will be back a few times in season 6. How on earth could this happen? He was cut up? Shot. Burried. Flashbacks? A Ghost? Faked his death? Wait, they already faked the main character's brothers death. Maybe a Zombie? Now I have to come back for season 6 to see how they do this. There is no way at all that it can not be totally ridicuolous.

"Another 9/11?"

Anyone else have a bad feeling about all this news on new attacks or is it just? http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8QALM9G2&show_article=1

"Hope Skates"

The past weekend I went to the SKATE ZONE for the Flyers Mini-camp. Basically a bunch of young players including the teams recent first round draft pick were invited to work out and do some hard skating drills. I was there for the first round which included Steve Downie who is pegged to be a big part of the Flyers future down the line. Downie is 20, so he can actually play for the PHantoms this year. You can tell it was a long off season so far, because a lot of people were there for the mini-camp. The camp had others like Ryan Pounltny, Parent, and Jars Johnson. Fans gathered and talked about their high hopes f0r the 2007-08 season. People were all talking to each other about the next year's porspects. There was a group of late 30 to 40 yearold women who knew amazingly alot about the sport. The one girl that I talked to knew pretty much everyone on the ice, which is more than I can say for myself(they were nice enough to give us a roster sheet though). I do feel though that she like Poultny for different reasons than I do though. All, and all a nice way to hold me over till training camp. Kind of hoping Dan the Man would have randomly showed up, but if he did he was hanging out in the locker room.

"Sharkys"

So, Sharkys wont close after all, just slowly change hands and become the Jersey Sports Bar. Glad to say, they are keeping the same wings! It will basically be the same old sharkys with an upgrade. They are sinking money into the old bar, and getting some big screen flat TVS, and eventually putting a deck up top. So, it will be like Sharkys going EXTEREME! It wont close during construction! Awesome!

"Ho-Hum Summer"

What everyone thought would be a huge summer is so far off to a So-so start. No real bombs yet, but nothing near the pie in the sky expectations people laid out earlier in the year. Read here/.

"Fathers & Sons"

This past father's day I went down to the campground where my parents have trailer at all summer long.

Now anyone that knows me knows that I pretty much have zip desire to every have children. It's simply just not something that I want out of life, or see myself needing to fulfill my life. Not only that I have trouble wrapping my brain around why it seems like 99.9 percent of the people on this planet earth are hell bent on having kids. Is it to validate their own existence? Because they think its a sign of success? Obligation?!?

Not sure.

Anyway, my father and I were outside (another perfect day down there) talking. He was talking to me about how he wasn't feeling good (he had a touch of something) at first we though maybe it was just from working to hard at the campground that made him sore. But, at one point he just simply told me. "Maybe he is just getting old".

He told me about how quite a few of the people from his high school graduation class has passed away in the past year. Well my parents had married and had kids much later in life than people did back then. Although its a bit more normal for people to wait till they are well into their 30s to have kids,back than it was not that common. So, as a result my parents were always older than my friends parents.

So, I have spend time worrying about when my parents become "elderly" and start to decline. Not a happy thought, mind you but something you have to prepare yourself for I guess. My brother came down with his trio of kids (a 6 year old, a 2 year old and an almost 1 year old). So, of course as usual he had his hands full.

Since, my dad wasn't feeling too well. So, I started the campfire. Now, I have started many a campfire in my day, but usually my dad would just take it over. However, for the first ever really, he let me take over the fire for the whole night. Even when he joined us later when he was feeling better. It was that time that I looked over at my six year old nephew, and thought to myself, hey not terribly long ago that was me. He was just overwhelmed down there with the swimming lake, fire, and just running around. Yeah, not TOO long ago before rent checks, 6:30am alarms, and sitting at an office all day, each day was an adventure really. He was making memories down there, and my brother is having his whole family down there later that summer. I started going down there when I was in infant basically. So, I have long ties to the place.

For a brief moment, I think I got it. Eventually you lose your parents, but your kids you can pass on stuff that your parents gave to you. Even if it just a good memory. Eventually your memory of your parents will hopefully live on in your relationship with your own children.

Now, don't think your humble blogger has sold out or anything. Besides unless if any little Tucker is on the way it would be the result of some sort of horrible decision if not a flat a medical miracle.

It lasted a few days, than when I was at a store with my friend Cathy. The kid near us in line would not stop screaming. Which pretty much erased all that other stuff. Jeez, why do they have to scream so much?

"Sharkys Bites the Dust"

Despite the fact that I had an awsome weekend down the shore(Don't think the weather could have been any better at all) a bit of sad news arrived at the tail end of my 3-day weekend. Rick was upate our local bar Sharky's and found found out that the bar had been sold. Sharkys is no longer as of Weds.

The bar that I went to many a night, and I swear have the best wings in all of South Jersey. Thankfully, though I guess I can still chow down on the wings at the location on route 42. But, the Sharkys that is closing was my local bar.

Many a night we spend there for a Phillies game or Flyers game. Drinking cheap ass beer, and eating at the bar that served food till 2am. I picking out songs on the jukebox or shooting some pool.

From what Rick heard the bar was sold, and will remain a bar, but who knows what the new owners will do. They are said to be wanting to put a deck on there and sink a lot of money into it. I would imagine they invision something totally different than the kind of bar they had there.

Since the bar industry in general is been in poor shape in this area for a few years now, its no shock really. But, still a sad day. The bar serveved its purpose many a night. Many times there to meet a friend who had a lousy day, a break up, or whatever. Met a friend there when he first got back from Iraq. Had many nights that ended there just for the hell of it.

I was pretty much cool with all the people up there, and all the help knew me any my friends on a first name basis. It was also kind of convient for me to grab a bite after work since it was on my way home, on days I didnt feel like cooking and needed a drink.

Many nights of my early (and as much I hate to say it now mid 20s were spent there) so now it will just become a place of the past. The bars name will always follow "Remember When". I have serious doubts that this bar will ever get off the ground. Seeing many people try to sink money into bars and it just seeing the wheels come off in the first month and just closing again. Maybe these people will go after the "Hey was just turned 21 crowd" I don't know. Kind of an odd spot for such a place. I remember when I first started hanging out there and people used to call it "Doms" that used to hang out there. Or would keep calling it "DOms". Mostly people that didnt hang out there anymore, and relating the glory days.

Yeah, another bar will be there in the same spot. But, it wont be the same for me, likely time to leave the torch there for another group of guys to take over. If I ever hear people talk about the new place, I can tell them that it used to be a place called "Sharkys" and they had kick ass wings.Obviously in the summer we dont hang out there that much, but my friends and I talked about if we were going to find another official bar. Its doubtful, I would imagine. I think when the new place opens up, it will be best to let the next batch of dudes take it over, and debate if the philly sports curse will end this season, where all the girls are at, why they hate their jobs, or what the deal is with that creepy guy giving out stuff animals to all the females at the bar.

Tomorrow (unless they do it early) should be the last night up at "The Tank", and I am debating to go up or not at all. RIP Sharkys. Its a sad day that the bar will close its doors, but as Tony Soprano once said "Focus on the Good Times"

"Bike Lane Narrows"

Maybe one of the most pointless things I have ever seen as far as construction. Down Atlantic Ave, that goes through many Camden County towns, there is a strech where they were doing construction for awhile. I assumed at the time they were just making the road wider. I could not really understand why though. Turns out they wanted to put in a pike lane. Okay, thats quaint idea. There is one out in I think Marlton, but its a long strech of road where no one is, and an actual nice place to take a bike ride with the weather is nice. But putting a bike lane on this streach of road is curious to say the least. For one reason, it only lasts maybe 2 miles if that. SEcondly, a about 3 times in the short lane, the lane "narrows". There are signs warning the poor guy on the bike that his lane is about to become just small enough to fit a bike if he stays perfectly inside the lines. It just looks like they couldnt paint straight, or they ran out of room. Than after about 3 times of narrowing, the bike lane just ends right before a busy intersection. They ask the drivers to share the roads with the bikes! Thereis even a picture of the bike indicating harmony. But basically what its saying, is "Good luck guy on a bike, this was a pretty half-assed idea. Now your relaxing ride will end in you trying to get across this intersection. Now, when your need the bike lane the most, its not there for you. Mocking you, with a short lived private lane just for you. Now you have to go back to driving on the road, with guys that apperently need signs to remind them, that they shouldn't run you over. Oh yeah the lane is really short and doesn't start back up. Maybe you can just ride back and forth like a moron on the same section of road." The sad thing is, people got paid to do this, I imagine tax money was spent on it. People voted on this. There are like close to 10 signs in a small section of roads giving you updates about "The Bike Lane" By the time you went the distance from one intersection to the other, you are already sick of reading about the bike lane. You would have th ought they would have asked other towns if they wanted to get connect tot he bike lane. But, it doesn't appear they did. So, its just pointless.

"Flyers Trade"

I could write a whole bunch about the Flyers trade, but it could be summed up in one word. That word is awesome.

"Bada Bing"

So I am sure you have all been waiting to hear what I thought about the Sopranos finale. Well I am sure you heard by now (if you were not one of the millions watching) that the show cut to black in the middle of a scene and thats how it ended. The final scene had Tony waiting at a resturant for his family. He puts on a Journey song, first his wife Carmella enters than his son AJ. Meadow his daugther finally makes it in after trying to park her car.


Now this pissed many people off but, before that I want to adress the big theory out there about what happened. Many people thought it was black because Tony got whacked and thats whyey everything stopped. Okay, thats a good theory, but already many of the email or whatever going around on the internet just have things flat out wrong. The shifty guy with the Members Only jacket was not Phil's newphew and the black dudes that walked in were not hitman from earlyin the series. In fact they looked almost nothing liked those guys and were a lot younger. Also, people bring up the line in the season 6B opener "Sopranos Home Movies" with Tony and Bobby on the boat, the scene was replayed in the next to last show "The Blue Comet" so there might be
some meaning to that. However, he does not say "Everything goes black", he simply says I bet you never hear it coming. So, that quote got messed up by people sending emails out.

Here are other theories:

The audience got whacked

Tony was going to jail and just soaking in what little time he had left with his family thats all there was to the last scene.

David Chase hates everyone

Despite some plots being tied up, Tony's fate will forever be left up to the viewer to decide. If its a happy ending for Tony his family you want, than thats how it ended. If you think it would have been cool if Tonys brains got blown out all over his oninon rings than thats how it ended for you.What David Chase did really got people talking and angered most. It started up debates on the internet. I honestly, after being puzzled about it first actually didn't mind the show. In fact over all the episode was good and the final 9 shows as a whole were great.

Now most people that fight on the internet are saying that they think anyone that didnt like the ending is stupid. I dont agree with that, it is what it is. The people that hated the ending are being told they kiss David Chases ass, or whatever. The show really stayed true to itself for the most part, it was always about the Tony's double life. His family at home, and his crime family. "Made in America", the finale, focused more on his home family. The show really made people realize that tv can be better than movies, and broke new ground. It did it really by making its own rules, and than breaking some of them. I always spent much time after each show talking to friends about the show, about the meaning behind certain things and where the show is going. I was sad that it was over. But, really the show has left us with the gift to do that forever. Talking about Tony's fate.

Now, I am not saying thats how I always wanted it to end. But aside from the ending scene. There was quite a bit of closure in the final show. Anyone that watched all the shows (some like 3times) like myself couldn't help but find the Tony/Uncle Junior scene emotional, the NY/NJ conflict was resolved, and Paulie had some classic moments. The show was always about the peoples everday lives really. Really, The Sopranos isnt like anything that was ever on tv before, and likely nothing will come close to it for a long time. It was a great ride really, and if you think about it the fade to black was pretty much what the Sopranos for the most part was all about, like it or not.

"Penny's Loves Tucker"

I got a letter from Penny's saying how much they love me! They said the really value me as a customer, included with the letter was a check for $2.27! No, reason for why they did this, but whatever. Lets go to the mall everybody!

"Lazerbeak Eject, Eject!"

Eject!

"How Sweep It is"

Phils Rule!


Mets Drool!

"The Blue Comet"

Here are two great YOUTUBE links to hype you up for the final Sopranos. Quite simply one of the best shows in tv history. First up a link of all the characters with the tradmark "OH" "HOOO" lines. Here is anther great link that pays tribute to the show, manly the cast the amazing cast of this show lots of times these fanboy videos dont work, but this coldplay song is perefect with the clips. Lastly, here is an old commerical for Dunkin Doughnuts with Paulie Walnuts, playing ..you guessed it. A wiseguy! I plan to post some more about the show before the week ends. It will be a very long time before a show comes a long that I love this much. Fired up for Sunday, but in the same way a little sad. Including a picture of paulie. For some reason this guy always points with two fingers. The old Paulie two point. I hope he does it one last time this week, cause I always get a kick out of it. He does it in almost everyshow.

"Many Happy Returns"

Well for those of you still reading, you may have noticed that there has been a huge drop in the amount of posts lately. Well I guess over the course of almost five years of writing this blog there have been peaks and valleys. Obviously, there has been a big valley

I plan to get back into my groove with writing on here. Hopefully, most of you have stuck around. Anyway, seems my going back to blogging full time isn't the only thing that has made a return. Many awesome stuff is making a come back.

If you are like me, you were mighty pissed when Y-100 died. There was simply not rock stations anymore. Sure there is MMR, but honestly they play only like two bands. Although I dimissed, WYSP as a talk radio station years ago, I am told that they still play music on weekends.

Anyway, since Y-100 went belly up. I found 91.5 Camden County College's radio station. Punk heavy, but really got some good music on there. Sadly, it fades away if you get like 20 miles or less away from campus. 88.5 XPN has I have listened to for a few years, started doing Y-Rock (a reference to the fallen Y-100) at night. Some really great occassionally hard stuff. When XPN isn't playing that. They are playing some really good indie stuff. Not for all tastes granted but I really enjoy it. A few months later I found 106.5, almost the same problem that 91.5 has. You can't get it all places. What rocks about it, is that you can get it on the way to the shore. Now 106.5 is more like DRE was or Eagle 106, no throw a bone to the people who don't really like rock crap that Y-100 did. I think it would win in a fight with Y-100. Two weeks ago, yet another rock station showed up on the dial. 104.5, they are like the tube network of radio. No talk, just music. When was the last time MMR played Alice in Chains? 104.5 has a great rock set, and digs deep to the vanished 90's bands. Check it out, no need to buy one of those fancy smancy XM thing a bobs.

At Shady's a few weeks ago. I bumped into a long lost friend Chris Arter! I figured he was on a tour bus like in Almost Famous for the past two years. Turns out he never really left south jersey. The two of us caught up and it didnt seem like we didn't see each other for years. We ended up hanging out later that weekend.

Now I know very little about music compared to Chris and he knows pretty much nothing about sports compared to me. So, that always made for interesting or funny conversations. I imagine if we keep hanging out that I still have my work cut out for me. Since Chris asked me during the cup finals game, if the players ever start beating up their teamates during a game, or when he admited he never heard of Ryan Howard.

Anyway, another return was the same day. Chris and I went to little ceasears. Now for those of you that forget, little ceasars was pizza chain around here in the 90's that apperently is trying to come back! It had been many many moons since I had one of their pies, or their trademark crazy bread. They offer a great deal. Pizza that is 5 bucks, and ready. You go in, and say give me a pizza, and they hand it to you and its 5 bucks. I think its bigger than Dominos "large" pizza that costs like 17 bucks or whatever now. Of course, I know by my age that ma and pa places usually have the better pizza, but pizza for 5 bucks. Well they should name a road after the person who came up with that idea!


Tucker is back look out internet world!

"RIP Jose Chung"

One of the best X-files ever.....

"100 Quotes"

This link is awesome. Someone put together a video clip of famous movies with people saying numbers. Starting at 100 and going all the way down 1. Pretty cool. I liked most the movies too. There is a list of the movies, but its more fun trying to see if you can figure out the movies yourself first. Check it out.

"paradise lost"

Might be old news now, but I was going to write this a dozen times over the last two weeks. The Ritz movie theater in Voorhees, has been bought. Not only are they going to phase out the art movies they have there which are usually films rarely seen in any theaters, they will start to allow kids. The Ritz known for its indie movies, cool loby with cake, and booklets for the up coming movies will know be a place to bring the kids. As a single guy, this totally sucks. I hate having to put up with other peoples kids when I dont have to. It was nice that such a theater would offer you a chance to get away. Now, at the Ritz, kids will be there to run into you at the food stand, kick your hair, and be really annoying overall. The Ritz was something special, because when ads would say starting at "select theaters" it ment the Ritz. I rarely had to worry about if a movie that was and inidie movie that got no press would come to the Ritz or not. It always would. Not anymore, kids will be there, and it will play mostly the same movies that all the other dime a dozen theaters play. YOu have the Cinemark which is located in the middle of a ghost town. One wonders how much longer that theater can hang on, if the Wal-Mart never arrives. There is alway Lowes in Cherry Hill, that is over run with highschoolers who like to talk on their cell phone throughout the entire movie. Sucks.

"Walk Like a Man"

Wow, maybe one of the best all time Sopranos shows ever tonight. Can't gripe that nothing happened tonight. One of the biggest shocking moments easily at the end of the show. Great, stuff just one of the best shows in TV history easily. Last weeks show was big let down for me in many ways, but this one was an out of the park homerun.

Awesome, just awesome. Kind of made me really sad that the show is ending.

"Bad Luck Tucker"

I have been to three Phillies games this season, granted the one game was a pre-season game against the Red Sox, but still 3 games. My record is 0-3. If you are keeping score its 21 "The Other Guys" 12 PHillies. I could be on pace for a new record in hurting my team.

"Rat Packing It In"

SCott Mellanby the last remaining member of the Flyers 1987 cup finals team has hung up his skates. Scott was part of the team that faced off against the great one and those Oilers, many feel were the best team ever in hockey. The 1987 Flyers came from behind and went 7 games with that team.

During his stay here Scott build a rep for being touch and scoring that ugly goal when he was needed the most. HE may not have created the concept of crashing the net, but he sure was a good example of it. Watch the highlights of him back in the day as he fires towards the net, with sticks in his face, and people trying to drag him down. Many times he would get one from standing in front of the net and by pushing his way around in the crease. Never afraid to drop his gloves, which is likely why his nose and face look so different now than his Flyers days.

He was delt to the Oilers, and eventually taken by FLordia in the expansion draft. One season there was just magical. It was that season where before a game, a rat ran out in the locker room. Scott killed the rodent with this stick. He would go on to score two goals that night, and it was dubbed a Rat Trick.

That season the Panthers shocked the hockey world by going to the finals.

Scott went on to play for the Lanche, and the Blues but never wont a cup. Which is a shame considering all he gave up for the game.

For the past two seasons he was the captain of the Atlanta Trashers. He was a good choice because the young players looked up to him. His work ethic, grit, and leadership skills made him the perfect role model for the younger players.

He won't make the hockey hall of game, and didnt break any records. But he was a hell of a players, and they don't make them like him anymore. Just too bad he never got his name on the cup.

Just think he was playing in a time where there were no ads on the boards, Crosby was just born, and Reagan was the prez. Over 20 years of hockey in him, he was one of those players I watched as a young kid. It was really a good run.

"Gore in '08!"

One step closer to it becoming official! Clinton thinks a Gore 2008 bid is not out of the question!Clinton and Gore are still close, so its not like its just anyone saying this. Gore could be a dark, horse. He became a movie star last summer, and the young people just love Gore. Gore plans to have concerts all around the world to promote global warming awareness. Although, he joked he about running during the oscars (he got one for his movie) keep in mind despite the media coverage the election isn't actually this year it is next year. Gore has plenty of time to throw his hat into the game. I certainly hope he does, if he does I will have to register as a democrat just to get his nomination, because that will be the only time voting would count. Considering he gets the noimination for his party, the state will go to the democrats anyway, but I think he would have a harder time getting the nomination than winning it all if that makes sense. Honestly, I think he might be better off as just running as an indepedent if he fails to get the nomination. A person like Gore would be invited to debates and what not, unlike Nader or Al Sharpton or whoever. My cut paste is not working but, trust me there is a good article on it in USA TODAY online.

"Roll For It"

Growing up on the show the transformers like many other kids my age, for whatever reason its one of the cartoons I can still watch and care about as an adult. I have all the original cartoons on DVD from the 1980's. But, its not just me most of my friends still love the series (though many of them like me have not watched the different verisions more modern additions on the cartoon network that have aired since the 90s) and I guess the people in hollywood realize that because they are making a new movie this summer.

Even times with guys I don't know the movie will start being talked about a 30 mins conversation about the show will start. Talking about the time the bad guys almost drilled through the earth, the impact the first movie had on you as a child(if you really loved Wheel Jack, I don't maybe you were close to tears as a 7 yearold seeing it for the first time over Craig MOffitt's house. I am not saying that was me or anything though). I guess it doesn't usually appeal to females all that much, but for some reason this series has stuck with most guys all these years. If guys needed another reason to see this movie (I still think it might suck). The girl in this picture is in the movie, and if you want to see a less work friendly picture of her click here.

"Goosebumps"

Although they are tied for the least amount of wins in Major League Baseball right now, I am not ready at all to give up on the Phillies 2007 season. Well, not yet anyway. They have dug themselves a pretty big hole. The problem is here, that two teams in their divison the Mets and the Braves are pretty decent. The phillies won today, but they need to get hot pretty much right now, or I too will be forced to write off the season. As odd as that sounds in April. But, at the very least they have already put themselves in the same situation they did the last two seasons, which resulted in no playoffs for the Phillies at all. They have dug themselves a pretty big hole right out of the gates, and there is little sign that the bull pen problem will correct itself anytime soon. Thoughts?

"Spiderman Lookout!"

Spiderman 3 comes out fairly soon, and I think someone just ruined it for me. He reminded that in Spiderman 2, pretty much everyone and their brother find out that Peter Parker is indeed Spiderman!


So, in Spiderman 3 the arch villan could easily get revenge on Spiderman by just going to his place of business and shooting it up right? Or taking MJ or Peter's aunt and killing them.

I don't really see much of a sense of him wearing a mask anymore. Maybe he will quit his low paying job and try to get paid at by the City of New York to fight crime or something.


I wonder how they will paint themselves out of this corner!

"Mike Seaver"

Okay, I have seen this episode of Scrubs twice now, and both times it really bothered me. Over all it was a great show, but they put a pop-culture re fence in there that was flat out wrong. Sadly, I knew this with having to look it up.


JD (Zack Braff) for whatever reason is trying to make his late 2oish brother not look as sad living at home with his mom, so he talked about the mid 80's to early 90's sitcom Growing Pains.

He said that in the last season that Mike (Kirk Cameron) moved above the garage of his parents house, with his friend Boner. His friends didn't remember Boner, so JD just got strange looks.

Okay couple of things wrong here.


1. Mike moved into the apartment disconnected from his parents house many seasons before the final season.
2. I don't think it was actually supposed to be a garage. Because they would always play basketball in the drive way where there was a garage door. The door was not where Mike lived it was perpendicular to where he lived.
3. Boner and Mike never lived together anywhere
4. Boner left for the army the season after him and Mike graduated highschool which was in the middle of the series run. Not only did they never live together at any point, but Boner was never seen again after leaving for the army. Or even mentioned from what I recall.
5. There could be no confusion here, Mike never had anyone live there with him at any point. So, it is not like they confused characters. We all know Leo came in the final season, but he lived in the house with the rest of the family, and I pretty sure he got Mike's old room.


What is the point on doing this when you are way off? They could have made the joke work, instead of making me remove myself from the show for so long both times that I watched it that writers didn't bother to brush up on the Growing Pains before making the reference. Whatever....

"Walk Into the Future"

I went to the Ecehelon Mall this weekend, and they have already start remaking the area into the Voorhees Town Center. The mall, as I reported is to be cut in half, altough it seems to me more like cut to 1/4 the size. The mall ends at that cool sports store down when you go right out of the foot court.

Well there is a long torn up hall way now that leads you towards the only two other stores down there now Radio Shack and Macy's. Eventually they will have an all new entreance to the mall there. The rest has been torn down for the most part. J C Penny's empty building is no longer connceted to the mall but still there. Sears is gone.

If you go left out of the food court the floor has been total ripped up. I guess the good thing is what is left of the mall is already almost full. Execpt for where the theater was and handful of other stores. They have many signs with the new catch phrase, walk into the future.

The mall as usual was pretty empty as usual once you left the food court (which oddly enough has a jewery store in it now) and even the new store Pay/Half didn't seem to have started any kind of buzz with the employees outnumbering the customers (people there out of boredom and to blog material included).


Where one store once stood is now as time capsule to Echelon, the name will soon be dropped but the display case has all kinds of stuff from back in the day. THey have the shovel that first broke ground in the 70's, pictures of when it was an airport, and boxes from Kimbels (my parent told me about that I don't recall that place). THey also have old Courier-Post newspapers about the mall. One from 2001, when the rumors first started that it was going to close. Yes, that's right its been 6 long years and counting since this whole thing started. I was thinking on printing up a blog article and giving it to them, but I am pretty sure they would not put it in the case.

Many people, have their doubts that a new grocery store, townhouses, and a main street like set up will fail horribly. At this point I am glad they finally just did something. Empty Businesses lead to loss in property value, which result in shady people moving in, which result in crime going up. That part of Voorhees, and many of the towns in in that area of Camden County including my home town ( any man of my readers)have seen a huge many businesses bail out in the last few years and crime increase. The mall itself from what I have heard is a victim of a jewelry robbery on a pretty much weekly basis. In addition to almost every office building around the mall being totally empty.

Right now there isn't much to sell to the public but a mall ripped in half and gutted in side, so I don't imagine they will start trying to win the hearts and minds of anyone just yet. But they got their work cut out for them, because of almost a decade of people thinking the mall was either closing or closed already.

As I was walking upstairs where most the empty spots are.

I heard one guy said to his friend as they past me.

"Dis mall iz shot up, yo, for real!"

That is more a less how most people feel about the place.

"Lets Go to the Mall!"

Going to the Voorhees Town Center this weekend? You might bump into the future Flyers there! I am shocked they didn't say in this article. I am surprised they didn't say something along the lines of, "Man the Malls sure do suck around here!"

"Ma Ma Mia!"

So, for some reason without warning, my car will randomly smell like a pizza. I don't know why, and you might say I must be smelling the cooking of a pizza place or an Italian restaurant some place. But it has happened in 4 different places in South Jersey. Only, once was I near a pizza place, and the odds that that place was cooking up something with the exact same smell it was pretty slim. It was likely years since I had a pizza in that car, and I certainly didn't leave any food in there any time recently. I can't explain it, it comes and goes but every couple of weeks for no reason at all, my car smells like an Italian restaurant. Sure, there is no logical reason, but boy does is smell Delicious.

"You Owned a Phillies Hat!"

So, last season Duke told me hated baseball when the Phillies started to suck. Even though they turned it around he told me he still hated them.

Not one week ago, Duke told me he is starting to like baseball again and is fired up for the Phillies. As I type this the Phillies are simply down by one run in the 11th inning. Granted they blew it and had a 2-0 lead most of the game. I understand, but this is what Duke IMED me

"i guarantee the phils will be one of the 5 worst teams in baseball this yearkeiraorbust: i get true satisfaction out of seeing every philadelphia team lose. It makes me happy"

Not only does Duke's love of things turn on a dime to hate mode, he bails on the philly teams the first sign of trouble. Unreal even if the Phils go 0-2 its not the end of the world, and I think even the normal band wagon jumpers will scratch their head as he leaps off the wagon. Asking, "What was the deal with that dude?"

You see there are two types of fans. Robot fans, like Duke that watch it for the love of the game. They just crunch numbers and watch the sports and take an interest in it. He waches it distant for any emotion.

Well hell, what I don't I just post our IM conversation.

picking up after the first quote...
Keith...er Tucker: seriously.. you have to stick by your teams.. first bump in the road.... duke is out i hope your future kid never brings home a bad grade

Duke: not my team...just because i live in an area doesn't mean that the teams are mine i have no interest in philadelphia teams the only one i ever followed was the flyers

keith: you have a phillies hat

Duke: and i refuse to support losing teams and it's an eagles hat and only because i needed it down the shore.

and it was the only one they were selling (note to readers I was with him, thats true, be he had to get it cause he didnt bring his phillies hat)


keith: you OWNED a philies hat once in your life you wore it all the time.

please.....

Duke: come on

Keith: the phillies were your team

Duke
you take sports way too seriously

DUke:: i'll support winner there is absolutely no point in supporting a loser...i'm not a fanatic

keith: the game isnt over! (it wasnt, but they did lose)
and you OWNED A phillies

Duke: i probably did...and i got it as a gift... losing franchise in sports history

the game isnt even over yet (yeah still wasnt)

keith: you are afraid, cause you have been hurt too many times

Duke: Thats funny

Keith: like a battered bitch

Duke: if you think i ever cared about sports, you're nutskeiraorbust: the only team i support 100% is manchester united

Duke: and they lost today

keith: oh, you better burn your shirt:

Duke: ...and it didn't bother me in the least

keith: oh god, they are the worst team in soccer

Because they're going to win at least 2 trophies this year
something philadelphians will never know

keith: somewhere Neil Little just shed a tear

Duke: i love watching people fail...no matter what it is in... i get more enjoyment out of it than watching people succeedkeiraorbust: probably a little sick, but that's the way it is

keith: did you root for the Russian in Rocky IV?

(no reponse to that one)
keith: you find joy in watching a bunch of people kick a ball around on grass and very little happening for 3 hours?

Duke: skilled athletes passing a ball around is exciting to mekeiraorbust: i could watch it all day every day and i could watch philly teams lose all day every day....

Keith you are the only one that can do that without your blood alchol level at a dangerous level

DUke you'd think someone had stolen their child the way they (philly team fans)react when their teams lose.

Keith: the flyers are one of the strongest bonds i have with my father who passed it on(note to readers: I doubt he thought they still would not have won a cup in my life time) to mei i have cared about the flyers since I was like 4 can you think of anything you care about at age 4 and still cared about?

"The Fighting Phils"

Today the Phillies will start the season of high hopes. They don't usually play very well the opening game though. Hopefully a big win will be had, and the team will live up to the expectations set by the sports world.

"Home is Where the 24-Hour Diner Is"

So for about 3 weeks, it looked as if Rick was going to have to move to DC area for his work. Many a night he weighed his opitons without his work giving him any idea how much the position would pay. Of course he could not make up his mind if the paid him peanuts for the move and the job down there. So, the last 3 weeks we figured we would live it up Price usually would join us and we cranked up the drinking a notch. In order to make the most of what was likely to be his final days as a South Jerseyan. Turns out, eh, they likely are going to close the branch they wanted to move him to, and it all fell through. So, all that living in the moment stuff turns out to have just been a bunch of heavy drinking. Sorry liver.

"Bitter Sweet"

It was really warm today. Awesome weather. Okay, I couldn't really take advantage of it since I was in the office all day. Kind of stinks. But, that is not why this is bitter sweet. This really warm day oddly enough reminds me of playoff hockey. This year will be the 2nd time in 3 years the I don't get to see the Flyers in the postseason. One year was a lock out and last year they were out in the first round. It really sucks, I will still watch the playoffs, but I won't live or die by any team. I have to wait till next fall to see if the FLyers can fix this awful mess there are in.

"Bunch of Jerks"

If you recall a few years ago Comcast swapped their sports network from channel 34 to channel 69. Channel 69 came in really fuzzy and was almost unwatchable for anyone that did not have digital cable. Now keep in mind this was a few years ago and not nearly as many people had digital cable as they do now. The timing of this was on purpose, and to make people upgrade to their digital package. They switched channels right before the Flyers and Sixers started. Many bars, even complained that people were bitching about the poor picture.

Comcast is still up to its old tricks. Anyone wanting to watch the final 9 Sopranos which kick off this Easter is SOL. Amazingly comcast will no longer make HBO available to anyone who doesn't have a digital cable box. Amazing, right that it happens right before one of the most popular tv series HBO ever had airs its final shows isn't it?

Now, I am sure there are many people out there that don't have the digital package just yet, more than you would think. Maybe someone could google the stats on it or something, but there will be a lot of people that are fans of the show that will either not get to see it or have their hand forced to upgrade. No doubt COmcast has done this simply, because they are an evil company.

Bunch of Jerks.

"You Smoke Tree?"

So, as I was saying before Price, Rick and I went to a beerfest, and afterwards we post gamed at a bar. While Rick was talking about different kinds off beers to this girl, I got bored and wondered off.

I ended up outside for some fresh air and ended up talking to this girl that was up at the bar. Things went really well with good conversation, and all. Oddly, enough I don't think Price or Rick even noticed that I was gone. Actually, they had no idea what I was talking about when I posted this apperently.

At any rate she was there with her friend and her boyfriend and we all sat and hung out for awhile. Turns out she was only 21, which well I shouldn't make much of a big deal about, but year kinda of on different life stages. But, really I never look for anything serious right out of the gate anyway, so what difference did it make?

She was a waitress someplace (hey you try to recall that info when you have been drinking all day) and actually had the same exact name as a girl I went to highschool with. She clearly wasn't here though. At the end of the night I did get her number. That Tuesday I called her.

Now when I called her I got her voicemail. Which is always akward for a first call, but at least I know she didn't give me a bogus number at this point (one of my females friends used to do that all the time).

Anyway, around 11:15 or so she called me back. Right off the bat I noticed something was wrong. She seemed totally out of it.

I asked if she was working earlier when I called. She replied that she was out "picking up tree" for her friends. Than she asked me in her slurred speech if "I smoked Tree"

Okay, I should state here that the last time up till this point in my life that someone asked "If I smoked Tree" I was muggged by a bunch of hoodlums in broad daylight in Atlantic City.

I told her she sounded tired. She told me she wasn't tired, but her sister brought her home pills to take. She said the name, but I am not sure what they were, but I know know they make you speak like the late Anna Nicole Smith (I can not belive that is the 2nd time I mentioned her on this blog).

I guess there was a bit of indication we are on different life cycles because she told me when she works she doesn't get off "that late" which was 11:30. Now 11:30 for me during the week is usually the time that I am climbing into bed an wrapping myself up in my Gore in '08 blankets.

Anyway, she went on to say some other stuff that made little sense, and something about watching BOrat. So, I told me friend Rob about it (not the arter of the year) who told me I should call her and hang out with her even though we both agreed she was a trainwreck. So, I called her later in the week for the only reason to get more stories. But again she wasn't making much sense.

"The Festival of Beer in the City of Atlantic"

This past Saturday Price, Rick and myself went to the 2nd Annual Beer Festival in Atlantic City. The concept is simple you pay 30 bucks (25 if you are smart enough to buy your tickets online unlike us) and there is a bunch of beer distributors there. They give you a cup when you first go in and you just go from one beer station to the next and fill her up. They have all kinds of beers from overseas and some trying out new blends, or small breweries trying to make a name for themselves. In addition to the beer, there is food, Irish music, and gift shops.

We took the train down since it was right in the convention center and the train ends right there. To be honest it was a pretty sweet deal roughly 6 bucks for a round trip. We got there a little early and walked around. It is pretty cool now because when you get off the train you are in the middle of a down town where there are a ton of shops.

The line to get the ticket was long, and the line to get in the door was even longer. Price some how got split up from me and Rick. At this point I was starting to doubt that this thing was going to be worth it. But, when I got in there I was like a kid in a candy store, so much to take in. I just ran off and left Rick randomly getting beer from different stations.

A common theme would be that we split up and try to call each other on the cell phones. At one point Price and I wondered past a massage station. The random Asian women not only offered me a massage but started giving me one. Than suddenly she caught me off guard.

"12 dollar!, 12 dollar!"
"Um, I was really wasn't looking to..."
"12 dollar!, 12 dollar!"
"No, really that's okay.."

Than she shoved me onto the table and started rubbing me up. This was the first professional massage I have ever had in my life. I was pretty good you know its start to finish. Price ended up getting roped in (mainly my fault) to one too. He had a dude touching him, but he swears he didn't touch his butt, like the lady did to me. After she pretty much forced me to get her service, I wondered if my wallet would be missing after the butt rub. Luckily it wasn't.

This was a first also, when the women actually asked me for a tip. I never had anyone ask me for a tip before in my life. I looked in my wallet trying to figure out what the tip on 12 should be, when I realized only had one single and all 20s, out of fear I would not get any money back I gave her a dollar. She started getting loud.

"One dollar?!?!? One Dollar??!?"

I slowly backed away and waited for Price.

We tried it all Beer that tasted like toilet water, beer that tasted like coffee, bear with the word monkey in its name, beer that tasted like cheap whine, beer, beer and more beer. Of course like wing bowl some of the laws and rules became blurred with people smoking in the bathroom like it was no big deal. At one point the overweight middle aged rent a cop chased people out. But 5mins later the cloud of smoke returned. I forgot what it was like to have to wave myself through a cloud of smoke to get to the pisser.

Now there were alot more dudes than girls at this place. I did however bump into an ex-girlfriend(not liza) It was nice to see her I guess. I guess it was like 7 years or so. Hard to get my head around it that it was that long ago. There was some lame MAXIM magazine ripoff there. My god, they must have few readers. The girls they got in binkinis were all fat (litterally fat) and had veiny legs and bad skin. It was as if someone played a cruel joke on us all. I was waiting for some radio DJ to come out and punk us all or something.

We wanted to live a little early and beat the rush. It worked out great cause the train left early anyway. While for tickets (we were to dim to buy round trip tickets) in line there was a random drunk fat British guy.

"You, like Ben Stiller! Ben Stiller is a cunt!" --British Guy

"Um..." Me

"Doesn''t he always play a cunt! You look like him you must be a cunt!"
"I don't really um..."

He kept calling me a cunt about 10 more times.

Than he turned to a guy behind him in line and told him he F****d his mother in Liverpool. Than he banged his dad later. The guy behind him had no idea who he was.

I was so much funnier since he had a British accent, he reminded me of the sidekick in Shaun of the Dead.

The train ride home rivaled that of the "Fools on a Train" story. First off there was a drunk guy that almost fell over in Rick's lap before vomiting all over himself and retreating to the bathroom. He sat on the toilet with the door open. The odd thing is he seemed to be by himself, no one had any idea who he was or where he had to get off.

Meanwhile the front of the train had some older people. For some reason (price seemed to know why) they kept shouting JIMMY!!!!!!

AT this point we were mingling with a few different groups and we all were puzzled by this but got a real kick out of it. So, we all started yelling back.

"JIMMY!!!!!!!"

Than they would yell back.

"Jimmy!!!!!!!!!!!"

No idea who Jimmy was, or why we were so amused doing this. But, it went on for about another 30mins. As each group of dudes (mainly) got off the train they would pound on my window and yell.

"Jimmy!!!!!!!!!!!!!"


Anyway the drunk dude eventually got off. Although I am fairly sure he crapped his pants before doing so. SOMEONE on the train certainly did. It was just an awful foul stench.

We got back to our neck of the woods at 11:30 ish which was perfect because we decided to hit up Harpers. All and all it really lived up to my expectations and anyone that didn't go really missed out on a good time.

Harpers was fun Allen and a bunch of our other friends were up there. I even got some cute 21 year old Irish chick's number. But that my friends is another entry all together. Tune in next time SAME BAT TIME SAME BAT CHANNEL!

"Going the Distance...Going for Speeeeeeed!"

So, it spring again and people are talking about being in shape and living healthy and all that crap. Lots of my co-workers join a gym called riverwinds near my work, because of the town I work in we get discounted memberships. It is supposed to be awesome they have a pool with a slide, lots of places to run, a steam a room and tons of weights to work out with. But, I realized since its in the other direction of my apartment, I would never go. SO, I would not join and not throw money down the toliet.

What could I do? Well my apartment is has a small gym, which has just what I need a bike, a treadmill, because I just want to run and feel like I am more active than I currently am. I know most people like to lift weights and thats the cool thing to do, but the thing with weights is that they are really heavy. Running is also nice and cheap, and I get to be outdoors during most of the year if I commit to it.

Problem is with my gym is the only open in while the office is open. The office closes at 6pm sharp each night. I am lucky if I get home at 5:30, but its usually closer to 6pm. So, there goes that. Now they have been telling me since November that they are getting cameras in there and it will eventually be open late, but I am starting to think that they are just messing with me. Since, you know it is Spring time.

A few Saturdays ago, I was able to get into the Gym and actually did some running. I actually felt great the next day like I did something good for my body for once, instead of trying to drown my organs with beer. Now that we haven extra hour and thanks to global warming with 70 degree weather in March, it was perfect time to start running this SUnday! Well not really, because Saturday I went to a Beerfestival, but more on that later. To be honest a few summers ago, I did run 3 times a week for about two months or so more. I started to see results finally.

I went to run at a the tire park (although there are no tires there anymore making people who didn't live here before 1999 look at me like I am Space Alien when I refer to it as that) and thought to myself. 3 times around the park Keith...er Tucker. Okay, I ran like 50 % of the time and walk the other 50%. Yeah, just starting out right?

Yesterday, I took the day off. Tonight, though I truely had an angel on one shoulder and a devil on the other. I was invited by the guys at work to go to a happy hour, followed by Rick who was going to the Tank for dinner and a few brews, than by Price who was going to the Stone Grill with a friend I hadnt seen in years, than by Ed who was hitting up Harpers with "HeadCase". I turned all four chances down in order to run.

Oh, yeah I was going to do this!

I started running, and thought to myself a few things.

1. What the hell am I going to do with my car keys? I can't leave them in my car right? In my pants they just weigh me down and annoy me. If I clinch them in my hand, I look less like I am jogging and more like I am fleeing a crime scene.

2. Why are my pants I bought for running years ago big on me now? After years of not running? Maybe bending elbows is a much better way to stay in shape.

3. Damn that cute Italian Girl in front of me has a nice butt.

4. I wonder what drink special is at Harpers tonight!

5. God I am out of shape

6. Of course I kept playing rocky music in my head and a few choice quotes.

So yeah, again I had to stop a few times because of being totally out of breath and wishing I was basically dead. All the while the cutie italian girl was zipping around the park again and again. At this point I started to question the whole "get in shape thing" is this really time better spend than sitting at happy hour? or on my couch watching tv?

I had to dig deep to get around 3 times(I don't even want to know what short distance that actually is), and the third try was more walking and looking around than actually running. But, me blowing off happy hour was a step in the right direction right?

Than again I would have to do this 3 times a week to see any kinds of results and that really takes dedication. Would it be better to just wait till after the 1st heart attack? I mean if anything I am skinny for my height, I am certainly not heavy.

Damn my legs hurt.

Okay readers! How long does everyone give me before I throw in the towel?