A Short Recap Of A Wacky Night In Philadelphia

9:30 - Decide to go to the TLA to see the Upright Citizens Brigade (show started at 9:00 pm)

9:49 - Hit I-95

10:15 - Drive around South Street looking for parking.

10:40 - We park and head inside. Box office is closed. Security guy gives us two free tickets since "The shows going to be over in 15 minutes anyway".

10:55 - The show ends after an inordinately high amount of Star Wars references.

10:56 - J.go and Erin drive by looking for parking, and see the show is letting out. We jump in their car and head to Finnegan's Wake to meet Jamie.

11:12 - J.go is agitated, but we arrive anyway and discover The Loop is the band on stage tonight.

11:40 - The Loop finishes their set with a medley consisting of Boulevard of Broken Dreams by Green Day, Wonderwall by Oasis, and Dream On by Aerosmith.

12:00 - We watch uncoordinated people try to dance.

12:10 - The Loops second set begins, we make our way stagefront and set up shop behind a bevy of college hotties. I of course pursue the most gorgeous one.

12:40 - The girl I'm pursuing is celebrating her bday tonight, so I buy her a shot and a conversation ensues. I get her phone number and we share a brief moment, before her friends forcibly remove her. Cock blockery abounds.

12:50 - We walk over to talk to Jamie and her cousin. Jamies cousin is now hitting on these girls and the hot one whose number I just got is now making out with some random.

12:58 - Seeing that the night has now jumped the shark, I decide that we should now exit gracefully.

2:00 - After repicking up my car on South Street I arrive back home and start this post.

2:15 - I decide to call birthday girl anyway. Good luck to me...

Well as most of you know, my job will prevent me from going on my Cross Country Road Trip Extravaganza this Summer, so in lieu of that I'm planning a series of short trips to a bevy of different locations.
Right now plans are in the works for jaunts to Ohio, Rhode Island, Las Vegas, Atlanta, and Michigan. Some of these involve seeing rock concerts, some don't. So if anyone wants to come have an adventure or has a suggestion for a different adventure let me know.

A Road Trip Mix Tape Courtesy of Justin, Professional Disc Jockey...Burn it today.

1.Mr. E's Beautiful Blues - The Eels
2.The Vast Spoils Of America - Saves The Day
3.Road Trippin' - Red Hot Chili Peppers
4.Sunrise Highway - Straylight Run
5.Westbound - Allister
6.Untitled/MFC - Pearl Jam
7.California - Phantom Planet
8.Devil In Jersey City - Coheed And Cambria
9.On The Road Again - Willie Nelson
10.Born To Be Wild - Steppenwolf
11.Life Is A Highway - Tom Cochrane
12.The Final Countdown - Europe

When you work in an office that gets customers like I do, eating at the desk is discouraged. But if you must eat at your desk, heres a Top 10 list of things you probably should not eat there.

10.Malt Liquor
9.Chicken Wings
8.Curry
7.Gingerbread House
6.Fish of ANY kind (not a good smell for an office)
5.Turkey Leg
4.Fondue
3.Baseball Helmet Ice Cream Sundae
2.Ribs
1.Garbage Fries (Chili Cheese Fries)

WEEZER IS FINALLY NEARING ITS ULTIMATE RETURN! The =W= Is doing their first shows since August 26, 2002! We have not personally seen them since July 26, 2002 at the biggest Weezer show ever! From Weezer.com :

April 26 - Vancouver, BC - Commodore Ballroom
April 27 - Seattle, WA - Paramount Theater
April 29 - San Francisco, CA - Warfield
April 30 - Indio, CA - Coachella Festival
May 3 - Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue
May 4 - Chicago, IL - Aragon Ballroom
May 5 - Detroit, MI - State Theater
May 6 - Toronto, ONT - Kool Haus/The Dock
May 8 - Boston, MA - Orpheum Theater
May 10 - Philadelphia, PA - Electric Factory
May 11 - New York, NY - Roseland Ballroom
May 12 - New York, NY - Roseland Ballroom
May 14 - Atlanta, GA - Tabernacle


Updates to come as soon as we know!

Saturday, the bar scene: throngs of people wearing green, drinking green beer, stumbling about drunk as Irishmen... and this was at 5 PM. There's only one problem: St. Patrick's day is still 5 days away. Am I the only one that finds something a bit off about this? You can't celebrate a minor holiday like St. Patrick's day a full 5 days in advance just because it's convenient for you. To really honor the spirit of St. Patty's day, you gotta get out there and get ripping drunk on a Thursday night. Then you can drink your green beer and listen to Flogging Molly all night like St. Patrick intended. But please, next year, don't sell yourself and the holiday short by going out and getting wasted on March 12th. You can do better, drunks of America.

In one of the coolese restaurant ideas to come down the pike in awhile, an all Cereal chain of restaurants called Cereality opened up a new location in Philadelphia a couple months ago (The original and only other is in Tempe, AZ). According to the website www.cereality.com the place serves up a multitude of name brand cereals in chinese food containers that you can eat while you sit on a couch watching cartoons like back in the old days! They also serve up such things as flavor crystals for your milk, smoothies, and a cereal toppings bar with wacky things like whoppers, m&m's and nuts.
If your in Arizona, Philly, or coming soon, Chicago, go check it out like I plan on doing this week!

OK heres an update on the upcoming CD releases...

Coheed And Cambria - Live At Starland Ballroom (DVD) - March 22

Reel Big Fish - We're Not Happy Til You're Not Happy - April 5

Fallout Boy - From Under The Cork Tree - May 3

The Starting Line - Based On A True Story - May 10

Weezer - Make Believe - May

ALLISTER - July

Release Dates This Year Still Pending:

Brand New
Coheed And Cambria
Dashboard Confessional
Dave Matthews Band
The Early November
Matchbook Romance
Rufio
Saves The Day


Upcoming Digital Video Discs (DVD's)!

Closer - March 29 (Natalie Portman in a G-String alert!)

After The Sunset - March 29 (Woody Harrelson is back baby!)

Sideways - April 5 (Don't drink any merlot.)

Ocean's 12 - April 12 (Nothing witty to say here.)

Meet The Fockers - April 19 (Get focked up all over again!)

National Treasure - May 3 (Follow The Clues...)

Scrubs:Season 1 - May 17 (FINALLY!)

Seinfeld:Season 4 - May 17 (The season of Jerry's pilot for NBC, The Contest, The Bubble Boy, etc...)

The Adventures Of Pete And Pete: Season 1 - May 17 (You hit the go button, and then you know.)

Chappelle's Show:Season 2 - May 24 (Charlie Murphy!)

I have 40.00, I'm in Baltimore Maryland for 24 hours...Can I stay under budget and still be well fed? We're about to find out!

Saturday Afternoon - Lunch -
Kenny Roger's Roasters - Route 1 South, Laurel MD

Roaster's is a classic example of a Celebrity gone power mad. Kenny took his mamma's classic fire roasted rotisserie recipe and created an amazing chain of chicken joints that captured Chicken Chain of the Year in 1996, 1997, and 1998. The thing about his places is that his pictures graces every wall and beverage container in site.

The Meal: 1/4 Dark Meat Chicken combo w/Cinnamon Apples, Garlic Potatos, Cornbread, and Sprite.

The Damage:With Tax and Tip only 7.01!

Saturday Afternoon - Snack
Tastee Freeze - West Nursery Road, Baltimore MD

Tastee Freeze is an American institution thats sadly been disappearing from the landscape at a rate faster than Charlie Sheen's Cash at a strip club. Mike and I however were lucky enough to stumble on to one when we were looking for the Roasters...which we did not go to. A few hours later though, we found another one located in a Gas Station next to Hoyts Movie Theater.

The Meal:Classic Soft Serve Ice Cream Sundae in a Baseball Helmet! The lady just kept putting more ice cream in the hat until I told her to stop. Then I asked for a cone to go on top. She complied.

The Damage:With tax and tip...A mind blowingly mere 1.67!

Saturday Night - Dinner
Matsuri - Federal Hill, Baltimore MD

One of the best Japanese joints in Baltimore, (a Baltimore Top 50 Restaurant List Maker) you'll be dazzled by the Lobster Roll Sushi. MMMMMM MMMMMMM MMMMMMMM. In a rush? Check out their stand at the Cross Street Market. When I was executive chef at Mike's Apartment I would do much of my food shopping there personally...The smells, the bums, the bakery...A hint of local charm awaits you.

The Meal:Shrimp Teriyaki Bento Box, including Salad, Fruit, Miso Soup, Gyoza, Rice, and California Rolls!

The Damage:With tax and tip, slightly steep at 17.80, but you get an amazing bang for your buck, especially on a take out wherein you don't have to tip.

Sunday Morning - Breakfast
Royal Farms - Key Highway, Baltimore, MD

The Royal Farms Chicken Convenience Store/Gas Station chain is....a gas station convenience store. But a proud one. Where else can you find a joint where the grilled chicken comes fried? Cheap gas too.

The Meal:Bacon Egg and Cheese Croissant Sandwich and Bottle of Water.

The Damage:With tax and tip I was kneeling before the Royal Farm throne because it was only 3.03!

TOTALS:
7.01
1.67
17.80
3.03
________
29.51!
And even with two movies at Hoyts (4.00 and 5.75)
I came in at 39.26...74 cents under budget! Thank you Baltimore!

Travel Tips:
When you get carry out, you don't have to tip!
Gas stations are a great untapped food source with delicious ice cream specials.
Celebrity eateries are a rare and wonderful thing.

Join me next week when I visit a whole new city with just 40.00 in my pocket!

So, here are the results of my Oscar predictions. Next time one of you guys doesn't trust my judgement about movies, you can be 63.15789% sure that I am right and you are a jackass.

My Oscar predictions: 12 right / 7 wrong

X - Picture:
+ "The Aviator,"
"Finding Neverland,"
>> "Million Dollar Baby,"
"Ray,"
"Sideways."

X - Director:
+ Martin Scorsese, "The Aviator"
>> Clint Eastwood, "Million Dollar Baby"
Taylor Hackford, "Ray"
Alexander Payne, "Sideways"
Mike Leigh, "Vera Drake."

* - Actor:
Don Cheadle, "Hotel Rwanda"
Johnny Depp, "Finding Neverland"
Leonardo DiCaprio, "The Aviator"
Clint Eastwood, "Million Dollar Baby"
+ Jamie Foxx, "Ray."

* - Actress:
Annette Bening, "Being Julia"
Catalina Sandino Moreno, "Maria Full of Grace"
Imelda Staunton, "Vera Drake"
+ Hilary Swank, "Million Dollar Baby"
Kate Winslet, "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind."

X - Supporting Actor:
Alan Alda, "The Aviator"
Jamie Foxx, "Collateral"
>> Morgan Freeman, "Million Dollar Baby"
+ Thomas Haden Church, "Sideways"
Clive Owen, "Closer."

* - Supporting Actress:
+ Cate Blanchett, "The Aviator"
Laura Linney, "Kinsey"
Virginia Madsen, "Sideways"
Sophie Okonedo, "Hotel Rwanda"
Natalie Portman, "Closer."

* - Writing (Adapted Screenplay):
Richard Linklater, Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke, "Before Sunset"
David Magee, "Finding Neverland"
Paul Haggis, "Million Dollar Baby"
Jose Rivera, "The Motorcycle Diaries"
+ Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor, "Sideways."

* - Writing (Original Screenplay):
John Logan, "The Aviator"
+ Charlie Kaufman, Michel Gondry and Pierre Bismuth, "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind"
Keir Pearson and Terry George, "Hotel Rwanda"
Brad Bird, "The Incredibles"
Mike Leigh, "Vera Drake."

* - Animated Feature Film:
+ "The Incredibles,"
"Shark Tale,"
"Shrek 2."

X - Art Direction:
>> "The Aviator,"
+ "Finding Neverland,"
"Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events,"
"The Phantom of the Opera,"
"A Very Long Engagement."

* - Cinematography:
+ "The Aviator,"
"House of Flying Daggers,"
"The Passion of the Christ,"
"The Phantom of the Opera,"
"A Very Long Engagement."

* - Film Editing:
+ "The Aviator,"
"Collateral,"
"Finding Neverland,"
"Million Dollar Baby,"
"Ray."

* - Costume Design:
+ "The Aviator,"
"Finding Neverland,"
"Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events,"
"Ray,"
"Troy."

X - Makeup:
>> "Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events,"
+ "The Passion of the Christ,"
"The Sea Inside."

* - Original Score:
+ "Finding Neverland,"
"Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban,"
"Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events,"
"The Passion of the Christ,"
"The Village."

X - Original Song:
"Accidentally In Love" from "Shrek 2,"
>> "Al Otro Lado Del Rio" from "The Motorcycle Diaries,"
"Believe" from "The Polar Express,"
"Learn To Be Lonely" from "The Phantom of the Opera,"
+ "Look To Your Path (Vois Sur Ton Chemin)" from "The Chorus (Les Choristes)."

X - Sound Editing:
>> "The Incredibles,"
+ "The Polar Express,"
"Spider-Man 2."

* - Sound Mixing:
"The Aviator,"
"The Incredibles,"
"The Polar Express,"
+ "Ray,"
"Spider-Man 2."

* - Visual Effects:
"Harry Potter and the Prince of Azkaban,"
"I, Robot,"
+ "Spider-Man 2."