Insensitive SeaBass

New York Bagels and Deli

2009-11-11T20:33:00.003-05:00

I must admit, seeing what could be described as something that belongs in a strip mall somewhere anywhere other than New York City in a tiny island country is weird and comforting. New York Bagels and Deli is slightly off the many highway in the Grand Anse area and has what a generic american deli would have: burgers, sandwiches, several breakfast options and delivery. It's relatively new, with the "Now Open" still laying in the grass after falling a few months ago. The decor is similar to most of Grenada: bright lights, tiles and garden furniture inside. The burger and fries come in at about $5, with the burger being serviceable version of a whopper without ketchup and the fries forgettable (somehow, the best american food I've had was visiting KFC drunk). A burger that I would never even think of order turns out to be the best burger I've had on the island to date; it was grilled instead of microwaved and was somewhat large. My biggest complaint is the music selection--typically someone displaying "New York" in its name (though they are usually pizzerias) has music from the area like Frank Sinatra, Bruce Springsteen et. al. or generic pop/top 40. Instead, the local radio station, which seems to be the only station in Grenada, is playing (As an aside, they have been playing Christmas music since mid-October). New York Bagels and Deli does provides enough comforts of America to warrant return trips, with the American menu, Manhattan posters and familiar decor, but adding the music would be the easiest improvement to this restaurant.

Caribbean Beer

2009-09-19T22:12:00.003-04:00

In Philadelphia, land of plenty, I might have drank these beer once (if that). Down in Grenada, your choices are few, and you do adjust. One thing I won't complain about is the price, about a US dollar per bottle. You only get 9.3 oz though, and if I could remember the strength of average American beer, I'd be able to figure out if 5.5% made it a decent trade off. As for gut reactions:
Carib: The standard beer. Somewhat bland, but I found it better than Miller Lite.
Stag: The light-bodied cousin to Carib, even though they look exactly the same, it tastes a bit better. In terms of price and labeling on the bottle, there is no difference to Carib.
Guinness Foreign Extra: Guinness doesn't travel. The density is lighter than the Irish one, and it has an extra aftertaste that just feels weird. It's 6.5% if you need that extra 1% alcohol content.
And now the imports:
Piton: From St. Lucia, it tastes similar to Carib, and costs 1EC (37 cents) extra. Not really worth it for a different label.
STUD: From Trinidad, a stout with Ginseng, promising extra energy. Gave me the desire to drink Guinness Foreign Extra instead.
Samba: Also from Trindad, but with Hops and Malts imported from the Czech Republic. Someone needs to tell people about quality control is more important than ingredients from great beer location when it has the aroma of fermenting urine. The first beer I've poured down the drain.
Mackeson: From St. Kitts, it might just be Guinness Foreign Extra with a different label. If that is the case, the lack of perception alone improves the taste. This is the beer I'll probably drink I'll be drinking for a while.

Moral of the story, when in the Caribbean, drink rum.

Maybe I'll start posting again...

2009-08-17T23:25:00.002-04:00

I'm now out of Philadelphia and on a Caribbean Island. And the food from what I have been eating has been great (it can't be the hunger). I'll see about a few new reviews, but even when I had time I did nothings, so don't expect greatness here.

War report: South Broad St. 10-Midnight

2008-10-30T00:55:00.004-04:00

I'll remember what I can, this may be edited later

The world series banners were stolen by highly functional drunks. The art museum banners were untouched for hours
Broad St. is littered with broken glass. I might not be wearing my sneakers for a while.
I booed a guy in a Santa suit.
Cops were only there to make sure murders didn't occur..
Seven people failed to overturn a Honda Civic.
A school bus full of riot cops is on it's way to S.Broad. It will arrive Friday.
A GOP bus was pissed on.

No Update this week

2008-10-25T10:36:00.000-04:00

Sick with Phillies Fever.

La Scala's resturant

2008-10-18T11:20:00.004-04:00

I've been to the Comcast Center LaScala's several times, and finally went to the main restaurant on 7th and Chestnut.

The pizza dough is LaScala's claim to fame, a homemade recipe that has won rave reviews for sister restaurant Apollo pizza. It's a harder crust with an excellent taste and mixes well with the sauce and cheese. Regardless of toppings, the pizzas deserve their praise

The chicken parmigiana was excellent. The chicken was juicy and the mozzarella was tasty. The sauce also tastes great and is not too sweet.

The restaurant itself does not use a fake Italian facade. It is modern American design, sleek and lightly decorated. It is more symbolic of Italian Americans and their current status instead of attempting to show local rubes Italy with stereotypical roman decor. Prices range from $10-20, well worth the quality of food served.

Comcast Center: Jake & Max's

2008-10-04T10:20:00.003-04:00

The next edition in a continuing series on the eateries in the Comcast Center. As a bonus, here's my review of Tokyo Sushi: learn to spell "Philadelphia."

The newest addition to the Market is Jake & Max's, a simple deli. As long as the food is edible, people will continue going here. Yes, it's obvious, but they currently are one of the cheaper places to eat in the Comcast Center. It doesn't have the same fancy facade as DiBruno's, LaScala's or Tokyo Sushi; Jake & Max's is just a series of cabinets that double as the specials board.

The Deli is split into two main sections: salad and deli. In addition to the relatively low price, the salads are large. The Europa salad was filling and used fresh ingredients. The mozzarella was tasty, but the prosciutto did not have the expected flavoring--it just tasted like ham.

The sandwich side offers a wide variety of choices, the panini being one of the cheaper selections. The Italiano panini is an excellent mix of chicken, provlone, peppers and spinach. All the ingredients blended together in a better than anticipated manner.

The only issue with this Deli is few of the staff have experience working in a Deli (and by extension, how to make the specific meals). Outside of this one issue, Jake & Max's is an excellent addition to the Market at Comcast Center.

The food of Citizen's Bank Park

2008-09-30T21:02:00.003-04:00

No you're not going for the food, and I'm not bothering with a coherent review. I was hungry over the course of a recent Phillies game, so I eat and drank my way around the park. I'm still pissed I missed a Ryan Howard homer by standing in line for Rick's.

First, if you pay $8 for an aluminum bottle of Bud Light, you're a moron. I don't know what sacred power that a gimmick metal bottle provides, but you can enjoy better beer (Lager, Flying Fish, Anchor I can't remember) for $6.50 (deep discount!) at brewerytown. Getting past the 2 beer limit is possible, but expensive and requires walking to multiple food stands.

The steak fight is a no contest. Rick's makes it steaks fresh, while Tony Luke's uses a lamp. I ate Tony Luke's last year, but they have not changed. Rick's are exactly like their Reading Terminal location, and I have not had a chance to go to Tony Luke's in South Philly. The longer wait in the Rick's line is worth it, even if you miss a Ryan Howard home run.

Bull's BBQ is also a tasty food stand. The pulled pork sandwich is spicy yet expensive for a kaiser roll. You can also see Greg Luszinski, he spends his time in a booth, kinda like Santa.

Finally, these items both suck and are too expensive: popcorn and fries. Buying either is futile. Buy a super pretzel or a steak.

GO PHILS

Fieldhouse Bar and Grill

2008-09-27T13:53:00.002-04:00

Unlike Boston's, the Field House at Reading Terminal is a proper example of a sports bar. Spartan in decoration (save for memorabilia), sports playing on all TVs that aren't controlled by patrons and the beer selection is larger. I had the misfortune of going late on a Sunday, getting an early last call for my trouble. A viewing of the drinks list shows Magic Hat, Brooklyn and Victory beers; more than Boston's.

Food is standard bar fare--it's a drinking establishment, not an eatery. The fries were good, as was the burger. The only issue was the burger was too small for the given bun (where's the beef, etc.). When the bill came, my opinion of the food changed entirely. The price of $12 is too steep for this burger, $8 seems more reasonable. This bar has a decent atmosphere and menu, but the pricing makes it a bar only worth going to if you are close by and need a drink.

Twilight Diner

2008-09-19T23:20:00.003-04:00

Loganton,PA is a sleepy little town right off an I-80 exit, and it contains a diner that servers an artery clogging guilty pleasure. The Twilight Diner seems like it could be a fancy big city retro '50's diner when you see the sign on the highway. Pulling in to the eatery presents a different picture: a standard rural Pennsylvania diner. Zero frills. Personally, it's my favorite: painted plywood walls, linoleum floor, dimly lit ceiling. It doesn't have the fancy wood paneling that the Snow Shoe diner had, and dammit, it doesn't need it. The Twilight is not a town meeting hall. It might not be an impressive place to take a date, like many other diners, it does its job: give you food.

Most of the menu reads as basic diner cuisine, save for one special: the Mountain Sandwich. A piece of Sirloin, lettuce, tomato, sour cream and two buttered, thick slices of bread. It seems unbelievably fatty, but that is what make it taste so good. The price was not that different from the regular choices on the menu (though I visited when the Mt. sandwich combo was a special), and is a real treat. The fries served with is were weak and not memorable at all. In college, had I known the Twilight Diner and its Mountain Sandwich existed less than 30 miles away, I would have made more than one out of the way trip to eat this interesting meal.

This marks the end of the road trip, I return to posting Philadelphia eateries next week with a better sports bar than Boston's: The Field House.

Smuggler's Wharf

2008-09-13T21:47:00.001-04:00

One of Erie's prides is its maritime history; Oliver Hazard Perry has a prominent place in the town's main square. In this vein exists Smuggler's Wharf, a seafood/general American eatery. The decor is maritime and dank, it feels every bit like it is from the 1970's. The outside seating can get a bit chilly, as the wind comes off Presque'Isle harbor.

A major part of the lunch menu is the build your own sandwich. The number of options is enormous for breads, cheeses, meats and toppings. While it may be the ability to build your own sandwich that makes it good, the ingredients themselves are excellent.

Boston's: The gourmet pizza

2008-09-06T10:45:00.004-04:00

I may be naive, but a sports bar is not a complicated formula. A building (depending on the climate, at least something resembling a bar), beer, sports and occasionally food are needed. Boston's has a building and a generic list of beer (thankfully, Yuengling has made it to Erie), and that's about all the praise I can give it. The pizza, which Boston's claims is it's specialty, was cardboard. I do not know where they got the dough, it seemed to be rejected by all the frozen pizza makers. I partially expect carpese/margherita pizza to be sub-standard at chains, yet putting barbecue sauce on the pizza instead of balsamic earns a special place on my list of shameful shit.

Now to the sports. Even with basic cable, it is not impossible to keep several different sports on at any given time. With satellite, it is even easier as options like New Zealand Rugby, Zimbabwean Cricket and Alpine goat fucking all become available. At no point should crappy reality shows like Big Brother be on any screens. To further compound matters, the gold medal match of men's volleyball was on broadcast TV--it was an exciting match until I decided that a sports bar would surely be airing it. Sports broadcasts are crucial to a sports bar's ambiance; not exerting any effort to keep all televisions on whatever sports are currently on is a mark just as bad, if not worse, as putting the wrong dressing on a terrible pizza.

Quaker Steak and Lube

2008-08-30T18:07:00.004-04:00

I am a stickler for hot sauce. When properly done, using a good blend of peppers and spices, hot sauce is both tasty and hot. Using vinegar is a cheap way out, and chemically distilling capsicum is overkill. At Quaker stake and Lube, a Midwestern restaurant chain, there are 15 options of increasing intensity to cover your wings. The wings are decent, not excellent, but they just serve as the canvas for these spices.

I chose Suicide (or whatever they changed it to because pussies got spooked), the strongest sauce without having to sign a waiver. This sauce is amazing and one of the few times I got overwhelmed, especially because I did not have any milk, cold water or bread to reduce the sensation. All I had was lukewarm tap water and pretzels. The pretzels had a nice taste, which I'm sure would have been nicer if every taste bud wasn't saturated with signals for spicy. Somehow, I know those pretzels weren't actually spicy.

My biggest complaints about The Lube are the decoration. TVs in the floor say tacky in a way not yet believed. The Lube falls into a standard American Feedbag decor, with an emphasis on cars and racing. One wall is dedicated to Dale Earnhart. Thankfully I missed the weekly prayer service.

In all, the wings are good and are worth the money. If you have the option, get drive-thru and avoid the experience of a generic design made crappier by NASCAR, America's greatest sport.

Snow Shoe restaurant

2008-08-26T11:10:00.002-04:00

The Snow Shoe restaurant is a truck stop diner that also serves as a community hub. It is fairly standard issue, with pre-fab walls and wood paneling. The dining area was large, but the bar was oddly shaped, two U shaped islands in stead of a continuous table. For a simple diner, it had many amenities like a vestibule arcade (with uncalibrated hunting game and strip poker), small general store and the most complete bathroom vending machine this side of the Mississippi (French ticklers? His and hers temporary tattoos? How much can one trucker do?).
Aside from the strange assortment of activities, the food was edible. They did not ask me how my burger should be cooked, and just used a frozen patty, not ground beef. It was good for being the only open restaurant at that interchange. If you are a resident of Snow Shoe or have to stop there on I-80, you should go. Otherwise, don't go out of your way for this place.

Comcast Center: La Scala's

2008-06-17T11:56:00.002-04:00

The Market at Comcast center opened June 16. This is the first in my series of reviews of the eateries. As a bonus here's my review of the soon to open Mexican Post: overpriced, overcooked dog shit.
Sauce makes or breaks an Italian Restaurant. La Scala's uses a home recipe that is light and slightly sweet. It tastes excellent. The Gnocchi Caprese is a good mix of homemade sauce, homemade dough and mozzarella cheese. It is a quick meal that will keep you filled for hours. Just a warning, eating too much Gnocchi is the equivalent of swallowing a brick. It is also one of the pricier items on the menu, so only get this meal every now and again.

Bethlehem Brew Works

2008-06-13T23:12:00.003-04:00

As the name implies, the Bethlehem Brew Works is a beer place, winning countless national and even world awards. With that said, the beer is indeed excellent. As I am a darker beer drinker, I found their ESB more my taste over their Steelgaarden Wit. Both are Ales, but ESB is darker. I('m sure if you have a taste for Belgian Ales you will love Steelgaarden. Their Oatmeal Stout does taste dilute mud.
I have less respect for the food. I'd almost equate it to a rocket scientist leaving her child in a closed car in mid-Summer. I was either given the blandest Kobe beef burger ever known to man, or they just slid me a patty from Giant by accident. The sampler appetizer pack included Buffalo Wings, which thankfully were not advertised as super hot wings (PROTIP: Vinegar is not a hot sauce); I might have bought them in subliminal tribute to Tim Russert. Though I think their food is shit, I will give them credit for excellent Mozzerella Sticks--lightly battered and made with superb cheese.
The decor is typical post-Industrial Rust Belt revival. They try to invoke the ghost of the Steel, but that doesn't work as well when the restaurant was built in the corpse of Orr's department store. Starter's Riverport achieves the desired effect better, in large part because they are in the remains of a Bethlehem Steel building.
The only reason to go to the Brew Works is the beer. The food is sub-par, over-glorified bar fare. The atmosphere is artificial. While the Brew Works is noteworthy for being the restaurant that serves as the cornerstone of Restaurant Row in Historic Bethlehem, bringing many more restaurants to Broad Street like Edge and Apollo Grill (merely big names, I'm not reviewing them yet). If you want to enjoy the Brew Works, buy a little brown jug(you read that right) of beer and go to a local BYOB.

PBC Walt Wit

2008-05-17T20:33:00.002-04:00

It took three tries, but I found a beer that works for the Philadelphia Brewing Co.: Walt Wit. The beer taste more complete than either Kensinger or Rowhouse Red. Walt Wit is a smooth beer, and I will continue to drink it.

PBC's Rowhouse Red

2008-05-11T13:47:00.004-04:00

I've wanted to like the Philadelphia Brewing Co. It's my first chance to support a brewery from the start, and it has no base in logic. That's why I'm somewhat disappointed with Rowhouse Red, a "Philadelphia Style Ale." The taste is rusty, not complex like the bottle states. While I hope it just me who dislikes ale, PBC has once again has not quenched my thirst.

Pat's King of Steaks

2008-05-11T13:29:00.002-04:00

Pat's is one of the two famous 9th and Passyunk steak shops. The history and rivalry with Geno's is usually covered, with few taking time to actually eat the steak. The best compliment I can give about Pat's is there steaks are smooth and simple. The bread is soft, the meat is tender and the onions and cheese are excellent compliments (though not as critical as the stake and bread). The whole shop is understated compared to the garish Geno's, and is a more positive image of South Philly. I really can't say much about a Pat's stake beyond the that it is the gold standard I use to measure cheesesteaks against, with a rare few ever meeting it's quality.

Ale Fight!

2008-03-11T22:50:00.002-04:00

Last year, Yard's ownership split apart, the brewmaster took the name and beers and the financiers kept the brewery, now called Philadelphia Brewing Co. I tried both PBC's Kenzinger and Yard's Philly Pale Ale to cast my lot in this fight and get an opportunity to taste a new beer in its infancy. On an unrelated note, Good Dog is an excellent dive.
Kenzinger: Named after beloved neighborhood and PBC home, Kenzo, I couldn't help but get a milky first sip. Otherwise it went down smooth, and had little aftertaste.
Phily Pale Ale: The name was generic, and it tasted even milkier. Either I must not be a fan of Pale Ale or Philly just isn't the right place for it. And yes, I did show bad form by not clearing my palate, fuck off. Otherwise, it was just as smooth and was slightly inferior to Kenzinger. I'm very tempted to put it in my cereal.
My decision: PBC. Though I won't object to being served Yard's.

Comments about "The Philly Food Show"

2008-03-05T00:00:00.004-05:00

Holy shit, Philly has a lot of unique foods.
>The Jersey Tomato farmer had fashions straight out of 1986. I would not be shocked if her boyfriend has been waring his orange and black Zubaz since the Cold War ended.
>Pepper Pot looks awesome. We probably could use more of it available in the lunch carts.
>Apparently, Scrapple is better than commercial hot dogs or pepperoni.
>Ice cream, pretzels and hoagies are special in this region. Though I don't hear anyone else racing to claim them.
>Tony Luke is attempting to spread his brand of steaks across the country via the frozen food aisle. What make his steaks great: nothing.
>JustBorn is slowly taking over confections throughout the Mid-Atlantic
>Tastykake has ruled Nicetown for a century. Unfortunately they are too kick-ass to remain there. The Navy Yard really isn't a neighborhood.

The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass

2008-02-20T20:40:00.003-05:00

Nintendo has three main franchises that are guaranteed to give you excellent story and gameplay: Super Mario, Metroid and Zelda. Nintendo only gambles when it comes to graphics or controls with these three series. In Phantom Hourglass, Nintendo bet that the stylus would be good to control Link with. Nintendo lost the bet.
Most recent Zelda games follow the same outline: go through three dungeons to complete a side plot point, go through the three more dungeons to gain the tools needed to rescue Zelda, go through the final dungeon and rescue Zelda. This game is no different, tweaking the Wind Waker plot on a different map. As a game, there is a good deal of exploration and side quests to keep things interesting. As a portable game, it is short and somewhat on the easy side.
As a Zelda game, it pales in comparison to Ocarina of Time and Wind Waker. While it will be hard to top Ocarina, Phantom Hourglass had a chance at being even with Wind Waker; the difference lies in the control. Wind Waker allows you to control the boat completely, Hourglass has you plot a course and man the cannon--much more of a chore. The on land controls are sluggish; there is no lock-on targeting, special sword attacks are tricky and attempting to use some corners of the screen to move lead you to stop moving and open the menu. The stylus system lacks the polish the console Zeldas have with multiple buttons and Z-targeting.
If the stylus has any saving features, it is when using Link's boomerang. The path can be fully controlled and does lead to some fun trick shots. Otherwise, secondary weapons can be controlled with equal ease as with a control pad. The salvage arm game I would deride as a Stylus based tack-on, but it could easily be used with a D-pad.
As a game, Phantom Hourglass is decent, but as a Zelda, it misses the mark. The Stylus gamble did not work here like it did with Metroid Prime Hunters. This game best fits Zelda completists and gamers looking for a weekend boredom killer.
Expected: **** A part of the Nintendo triad demonstrating cool looking stylus gameplay
Actual: *** Still a nice game, but should have used a standard control scheme.

E. RACE STREET'S CLOSED

2008-02-10T22:29:00.000-05:00

The Pennsylvania Convention Center construction forced the entire protest onto one side of the street, leaving a good image. Unfortunately, I only snapped a few shots at the beginning due to a test worth 55% of an important class being held tomorrow.

From what I've gathered on the tubes, the protest moved towards Reading Terminal and the main entrance of the Convention Center, where the last day of the Philadelphia Car Show got more eyes than a partially blocked off street that gets little foot traffic.
Others were able to get better shots of the action while I was studying:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHxy8OoQXVI
http://youtube.com/watch?v=U81f2phAw2Q
My opinions about the protest are simple: Great work from what I've seen as a Real Life protest, but I'm kind of sad that this is the official end of eBaum's as a secret tree house fun club.

American Gladiators Review

2008-01-06T21:18:00.000-05:00

American Gladiators is back, and I'm worried like every other remake of my childhood. It is campy like the old, but guess what, there are some incredibly horrible decisions made by NBC, mostly based on treating the show like entertainment, not sports. These are just a few, and trust me, whiskey makes them bearable:
Announcers: Original AG had Mike Adamle and a Color man--Larry Czonka for the good years. This one has an unknown, emotionless play-by-play (I think the Dodgeball commentator) with colormen Hulk Hogan and Layla Ali. There is no rapport between the three, no analysis from Ali and Hogan. That helped the old Gladiators, Czonka (and later Nitro) also were able to give some insight during events. Right now, I'm just waiting for Hogan to start acting like he's the reason we watch.
Added Human Drama: Holy shit, the competitors have lives! Holy shit, so do I! The personal introductions don't endear me to people, they just make me laugh louder when someone tweaks their knee on the first event. This is a piece of reality bullshit that should be flushed as soon as possible. What makes me care about AG it regular people going up against ~~steroidal~~ naturally strong gladiators. Interviews should be kept between events.
Commercials between two competitors: Between to genders, it's fine and has been done in the original. Between two people, it feels arbitrary.
Hit and Run: An event brought from the British version, run from side to side and don't get hit by the wrecking ball. But the bridge has enough slack for competitors to duck. Tighten up the bridge, and then maybe I'll care.
Four events before the Elimator: Bull.Shit. Original AG had five plus the eliminator in one hour, meaning this hour is more filled with commericals and "emotional human drama." This means less kooky action that makes AG kick weekend syndication ass. Damn prime time network punditry.
Music: What, David vs. Goliath isn't enough?! The touches of "Another One Bites the Dust" and similar songs are a good touch after Joust, etc. However, music during the events just seems needless. And where is the classic theme from Bill Conti? Some things don't need to be changed; that theme was one.
Dark setting: After the first season, American Gladiators was about as patriotic as anything post-Cold War. Red white and blue fit will always fit this show. Black is a cheap out for any show, unless it's set at night.
Eliminator: THE REVERSE TREADMILL DOES NOT NEED A ROPE! It's also not the Travelator, emasculated announcer! It used to take three tries, then you could go up., here you have to climb the treadmill. The Barrel Roll is hilarious, and I can't wait until somebody slams into the SUV parked right next to the course.
The first episode was fine, but it derives from the tried and true "Puny Competitors 1 and 2 against people chiseled from granite" by just enough to leave a sour taste in my mouth. At least Wolf seems like the only Gladiator I'll actually care about.
Expected: ***1/2 It's not going to be like the old, but AG will be awesome because it's AG.
Actual: **1/2 I still have my memories and ESPN classic. I'm not going out of my way to watch the new show.

Notes on the Prairie Home Companion

2007-12-22T19:12:00.000-05:00

I missed the first hour, oh well, I'll be cynical about it later.
7:05: First mention of Zinzendorf. Cold chills go up my spine from my Moravian Academy days.
7:12: Keillor says Bethlehem is in the Poconos. This is untrue; too few crazed woodsmen.
7:17: Gave a brief history of Bethleehem. Not mentioned: union/mangement wars that killed the Steel, boredem among the youth, casino that will bring more New Yorkers into the Valley.
7:22: More local flavor: Morning Star solo. Some androgynous (I say girl) MA Lower School student is belting out that seasonal staple for more than just the Vespers crowd. Poor kid's gonna hear it on wedding day.
7:32: Lake Wobegon. In the words of Homer Simpson, "Stupid (radio), be more funny!"
7:56: A 19th century Martin guitar is brought out to play ~~Silent night~~ Stille Nacht. A nod to the austrians to lead out the show, which they promptly bury by advertisements, couldn't they hold off twenty seconds?
Nope, Prairie Home Companion ain't my style. Keillor's got a great radio voice, but the humor is just too slow and too old-timey. I'll give a fuller review after listening to the first hour, if I ever review it.

I think this counts as Irony

2007-12-20T23:00:00.000-05:00

So I return home to the Christmas city, home of offensive pork chops, to find a Prairie Home Companion will be broadcasting from Zollner Hall at Lehigh. The problem, ~~WDUI~~ WDIY doesn't broadcast it! Thankfully, the internet will have a rebroadcast, so I can hear the deliberately speaking Garrison Keillor probably mention Johnathan Frakes, Lee Iacooca or the greatest radio celebrity of our time (A little boy had a great love of polka. Did you know he would grew up to be... Jolly Joe Timmer?). Man, they better play some polka; I don't care if it's a Midwestern folk show, Saturday is Bethlehem's night to shine!

Wanamaker's Christmas

2007-12-19T20:17:00.000-05:00

Ever since I was a kid, I've known about the Wanamaker Christmas light show. Since I haven't a clue where I'll be next December, I got down to what is now Macy's today and saw it. It was a fun little thing to do, and if you have a chance when in Center City during the holidays, go see it a the top of the hour.

There was also a little walk through of "A Christmas Carol" on the third floor. It's not Disney's
imagineering, but it's something to do.

Honestly, this is the most Christmas spirit I've seen that didn't involve "ZOMG BUY A TON OF CRAP!!1!" A classy move by Macy's to keep it alive. I have a few more on Flickr, in my Philly Set.

Wikigroaning

2007-12-18T17:46:00.001-05:00

I've discussed this with some of my friends, and I saw something on SA that explains why I don't use Wikipedia for classes like immunology and physiology. Compare the quality of the following dyads:
Medical terminology /Anime and manga terminology
Physician / Doctor (Doctor Who)
Timeline of medicine and medical technology / Usage share of web browser

Here are some that I just found in my boredom:
Wiggers diagram / Wiggers
Systole / System Shock
History of immunology /History of web syndication technology
Valsalva Maneuver / Corbomite Maneuver

Medical ones are actually difficult to find, as most conditions in Wikipedia are common or named so strangely that you need to spend actual time finding similar article titles.

Generic Opening

2007-12-16T23:47:00.000-05:00

If I ever feel like writing publicly, this is where it will be. Don't hold your breath, this is mainly a way for me to comment with OpenID.