Project 365-#13 Feed the Beast

Mrs Duck calls me the cookie monster, because when it comes to cookies, I really cant resist them. The Girl Scouts here are brillant though, they have set up shop in the local 7-11. A perfect combination, cookies and smokes, how could I resist?? Oh and I got the carmel delites on the next trip.

2 and a half quacks for "The Queen"

Last Friday we went to see the movie, The Queen. at our local theater. It was a pretty decent movie, though it never really captured me. I guess one good thing is that I never checked my wrist to see what time it was, which is good since I dont have a watch.

The movie focuses around the time just after the death of Princess Diana and how the crown and the Parliament. It also reminded me of how over the top I thought the reaction to the Princess's death was. Though I do admit, I did get up at 5 in the morning to watch the funeral just like what seemed like everyone else.

The film itself is well written, and its all about Helen Mirren as the Queen of England. It is her movie, and she is definetly where that half of a quack comes from. She made it a much better movie then it could have been if she was not in it. She does a fine job of showing the inner conflict between the way she was brought up and how the world had changed. Plus, you can see the jealousy.

One thing the movie also does is paint Price Charles and his father Prince Philip in a pretty bad light. Which is probably good, since I dont usually hear about either prince being painted anything but dopey.

And whoever the actor was that played Tony Blair did a fine job, even if he was doing something that could have been more seen as an impersonation as opposed to acting.

Overall, a good, not great movie, that is carried to goodness by Helen Mirren.

Yes Jay...

you are right, sex would be better!

Get out the Vote for the Goat

Well, at least those of us in the Philadelphia area, may already be sick of political commercials, since Tom Knox started his mayoral media blitz on like November 15th, but this is not an attempt to get you intrigued about the upcoming mayor's race. Oh wait, say a yippee for Mayor Street leaving, I'll wait...

thanks I heard that from here.

But, I am attempting to get you to vote for something that really matters. The 2007 Weblogs Awards! Who doesnt love a popularity contest? Millions of us watch American Idol, thousands have rememberances of High School and the battle for homecoming queen. So, its natural that we go out and continue these traditions in the blogosphere. I put in some nominations and while many of them were probably met by the Bloggies selection committee like a Bush economic plan, some of the blogs I was pulling for came through. So, in best sports blog, I am putting my Sparky weight behind Deadspin or Kissing Suzy Kolber, though they are big blogs, they wont need my help.

Bur, where the Duck is calling out some favors is in the Best Canadian Award category. One of the Duck House bloggie "friends" and also a really great read every time she posts is Jay over at Kill the Goat. And shes up for Best Canadian Blog. She's just a little fish in the big pond of the Internet, so if you dont have a care in the world about who wins, give a Vote to the Goat.

Vote here, you have until February 2, tick tick tick. Thank you and good night.

"Here Comes Barbaro"

Immortal words by Tom Durkin, which is amazing since as announcers go, Tom Durkin aint that immortal. But, I digress...

I am not one of those crazy's that sent get well cards to a horse that couldnt read. Or posted words of encouragement on his bulletin board, like that were actually talking to Barbaro directly, or even worse, typing out of those slightly sick stories about Barbaro, and trust me there out there.

But, the horse did touch me in a way. I have always had a soft heart for animals and have been watching horse racing since I was like 12 years old. And Barbaro was a Philly horse, based out of Delaware Park, and trained down the road from where I used to live in college, at Fair Hill Training Center in Maryland. So, I thought of him as my horse in a way. I dont know if its something having to do with all the fun that we had with Kittie this year (and fun is used in that sarcastic way) but when I heard that they finally had to put the thoroughbred down, I did feel a pang in my stomach. My brain had been telling me for 5 months now that this story would end badly, but I guess the emotional part refused to listen to the smart part.

So, the Kentucky Derby was his greatest triumph, which is why I am sharing the video. He went out dominating a strong field, which maybe the way we would all wanna go out in some way.

Blog Pandering vol 1.1

First off a reminder. Dont forget to check out Sparky's Photo Hut for all the best and possibly worst pictures that yours truly could take. Again, its the exclusive complete home of my Project 365.

And now, the new request. My niece is doing the National MS Walk and is looking for some donations. Its a good cause and since I am not in the financial spot to be Captain Helpful presently, I was going to show a little blogger love. So check out her Walk Profile and if you donate money, tell her Uncle Sparky sent ya, since I am not sure she knows about this blog.

Scroll downward for more up to date posts, including the Thursday Thirteen and Friday Feast

Friday Feast #4/128

Appetizer
If you could take lessons to learn any musical instrument, which would you want to learn? Well, I tried to learn piano once and got impatient because I wasnt learning fast enough, so I guess it would be good to try again dont you?

Soup
Have you ever mistaken a person for someone else? Occasionally I have done this I am sure, but my bigger problem is forgetting names. Ive been introduced multiple time to people and just before we go to a party im thinking "ok the chubby girl is so and so, the one that works in NY is so and so"

Salad
On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being highest, how well do you keep secrets? 7, I never tell secrets, though if I dont know what to do, there are times where i will make up a story about the secret changing names to protect the innocent to get advice

Main Course
What's the closest you've ever been to a dangerous animal? Well, I have swam with dolphins, well the wife and I did and if they get ticky they can be dangerous, so I would say swam with them.

Dessert
When was the last time you lost your patience? Just before I did this meme when talking with the wife about what movie to see tonight. She is one of those people who doesnt get excited about anything sometimes and needs lots of choices, even though she picked the movie I suggested at the beginning. So I may have raised my voice.

The Friday Feast

While our questions may sometimes be related to food, the main idea here is to feed your mind by asking thought-provoking, mind-stimulating questions.

I shower Everyday!!!

Your Personality Is Like Marijuana

You're laid back and easy going, so much so that taking a shower is often too much trouble for you! Nevertheless, you're quite popular, and many people enjoy your company. You're rarely turned down. You're prone to giggle fits, paranoia, and forgetting where you are exactly.

What Drug Is Your Personality Like?

Project 365 #10-Bettina

This is one of the two newly adopted furballs, Bettina. She loves sleeping in her pink bed, because she can duck her head and make like shes hiding. Now just to get the both of them to do more then just tolerate Mrs Duck and I

yea Right

Cecily just said if your going out to play tennis, you better bundle up. Its -10 degrees outside. if your going out to play tennis, you need to be admitted to a psyche ward.

Blogging Pandering version 1.0

I have started a photo blog, because I have this great new little camera from Christmas and I just dont share the pictures enough. I am slowly moving pictures in. It will be the exclusive, complete home of Project 365, though I will post some of those pictures over at this blog as well, just because some days you dont have anything to post about. I am also going to do something for the Hawaii Honeymoon eventually, especially since the weather is colder then an eskimos nose (you thought i was gonna be gross didnt you).

So, check out Sparky's Photo Hut. If your in the Project 365, leave me a link and I will add you to the blog roll both here and there. And if you already have me linked, put the Photo blog on your blog roll please.

Excellent, advertisement over, look for the Thursday Thirteen just a tad lower.

Thursday Thirteen #19-Mooosic

As you could see from the Appetizer in the last post, music is something very important in my life. This weeks Thursday Thirteen is the Thirteen most popular groups on Sparkys Ipod. And were doing this one like a countdown.

13.Evanescence-11 songs-Favorite Tune-My Immortal. Amy Lee has one of the best voices out there, is hot as heck and there writing and musical arrangements are something else.

12.Simon & Garfunkel-12 Songs-Favorite "The Boxer":I had a renewed appreciation for them after the movie Garden State, even though there was only one song by S&G on the souhndtrack. But I remembered how much my folks liked them, and as you can see the list grew.

11.Toad the Wet Sprocket-12 songs-Fave:Fly From Heaven:A great songwriter and a great use of the more acoustic sound. I realize now that there writing was a bit more faith based then I recall, but Toad helped me through alot of tough moments in College.

10.Snow Patrol-13 songs-Fave:Run (especially live): A Scottish based band that apparently has had a cult following across the ocean, but hit it big here after Live 8 and the inclusion of one of there songs in a Grey's Anatomy Season 2 Finale.

9.Live-13 Songs-Fave:Supernatural: A great band out of York, PA. Another one of those bands that incorporated there religious beliefs in there music, but you could never really tell. There first concert I ever saw at College, just before Throwing Copper exploded, I knew Lightening Crashes was going to be a great song the first time I heard it.

8.Bon Jovi-14 songs-Fave:Bed of Roses-Im from NJ, and was in my formative years in the 80's and 90's, so it should be no surprise that New Jersey's greatest hair band would be on the list. What has been a surprise is the fact that Bon Jovi has been able to survive this long, cranking out great tunes just last year.

7.Pearl Jam-17 Songs-Fave:Yellow Ledbetter: I was always bigger on Pearl Jam then Nirvana when it came to grunge. You really had to pick one or the other, and the Album Ten just hit home more for me. Some of there old songs still resonate if you listen to the words now.

6.Goo Goo Dolls-19 songs-Fave:Iris: It was very hard to pick a favorite Goo Goo Dolls song, since alot of them are my favorites. Iris, Black Balloon, Broadway, Better Days are all great. I loved them from Superstar Car Wash. What I want to know is how there original drummer feels, who quit after the first album and missed the explosion of the band.

5.Coldplay-23 Songs-Fave:The Scientist: Yes, they can be a bit wimpy sounding and yes they are not a band that your going to proudly declare as your own if your a young guy. But, Chris Martin is very talented and the whole group rights most of there own songs and draws off experience. And right now they rule England.

4.Indigo Girls-26 Songs-Fave:Galileo: One of my all time favorite bands. When it comes to writing there maybe no one better. Emily's voice is hauntingly beautiful and Amy hits just the right amount of growl aggression. I could talk about them forever, but I will say I do not think there is one bad album.

3.Bruce Springsteen-30 Songs:Fave Land of Hopes and Dreams:I lived about 10 minutes from where Bruce grew up and about 15 minutes from where he moved his family to, so this is just a duh for me.

2.Sarah McLachlan-36 Songs-Fave:Hold On:We saw her live and there were moments where I just felt my eyes welling up with emotion because she just sings sooooo beautifully. Plus, she is easy on the eyes. Gorgeous writer, gorgeous singer and my favorite Canadian.

1.U2-48 Songs-Fave:Bad-It was hard to pick a favorite, since there are just so many songs that I love by them. Try and get your hands on the Bad version from Wide Awake in America and you will see why I picked this one as my favorite. Plus, they dont mind using there power musically to be forward to a good cause like the One campaign. Another group I could just go on and on and on about.

Heard of any of these groups? Are they on your Ipod?

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Thursday 13 Appetizer-30 Seconds to Mars

First and foremost, I have to say, everything is just fine, nothing to worry about. Just because its a dark and brooding song does not mean that I am currently feeling dark and brooding. But, if I was in some darker place, this song would so freaking fit. Now, I am not one of those people that reads too much into songs, at least usually. If it hits me, I feel it more then understand it. But, look at the words to this song from 30 Seconds to Mars. It may not hit you now, but goodness knows at some point in your life, in a conversation with someone or something, you realized that it was not you talking, but the persona that you were wishing to exude. And, I guess this song is all about breaking from that mold. Ok, OK, its almost 2 years old, I am slow to the party, but its still great if not hip.

The Kill


Break me down
Bury me, bury me
I am finished with you
Look in my eyes
You're killing me, killing me
All I wanted was you

I tried to be someone else
But nothing seemed to change
I know now, this is who I really am inside
Falling from myself
Falling for a chance
I know now, this is who I really am

Kill
Break me down
Bury me, bury me
I am finished with you, you, you
Look in my eyes
You're killing me, killing me
All I wanted was you
Come, break me down
Break me down
Break me down

What if I wanted to break...?



Now, take a look and listen to the words, since typing doesnt do them justice.



Well, if you couldnt guess, tomorrows Thursday Thirteen will be somehow musically related, I can tell your thrilled. Now, please tell me that the lead singer looks familiar, I would hate to be the only one out there that watched My So Called Life.

Guest Blogger-Mrs Duck

and what she has termed a "gyno nightmare". So sit back and enjoy a very special Philly Transplant post.


So today I had quite the fiasco with my gynocologist office. Here is the story... Yesterday, I called the gyno office to schedule my yearly check-up. They scheduled me for the middle of February. Now I take Birth Control pills and I need a refill to get me by till my yearly check-up. This would require ONE refill. They tell me that they cannot refill my perscription until I am seen by a doctor. So that leaves me without my pills for a one month cycle, which as you can guess just annoys me, I am on birth control because I DO NOT WANT (at this time in my life) an unplanned pregnancy. Now let me tell you that I have been a patient here for the last 5 to 6 years. I am not a new patient! They also told me that I am required to come in for a check-up every 4 months. I only ever had a yearly check-up, my health insurance only pays for one visit per year. They have always perscribed me Birth Control pills for 12 months. So of course I tell the person on the phone who is feeding me this crap that this is not true. I asked when my last appt was (January 23, 2006) it is January 23, 2007 which leaves me at ONE YEAR. She refuses to refill my perscription, even though she has now started to stumble over her theory that I am required to be in the office every 4 months. I asked to speak to the doctor, she tells me that the doctor will need to call me back. I said fine and I also said to her that not being on my pills for one month was unacceptable to me, I do not want to interrupt my schedule. It took me months to get adjusted to the BC pills in the past. She says that she will have to doctor call me -- Of course that never happened! I was so mad they act like I am an addict. They are birth control pills for goodness sakes and I have been a patient for over 5 years. I have never been a no show on appointments. I have always abided by there rules.

You gals that are on birth control pills know that it is not something that you just stop and start at your own whim. This is really going to mess me up, not to mention my husband is not going to touch me for the next couple of months. So of course I ask the girls in the office how many times they go to the gyno, everyone of them said ONCE A YEAR. I only asked, because now I am thinking that I am crazy, they all assured me that I was not crazy and that they were just being awful! I have decided that I am going to change Doctors, I mean I could just see it now ... Years from now, my water breaks and they tell me sorry you cannot be admitted into the hospital, because (I cannot even think of a reason this is just so absurd) I am so frustrated by this situation! The answer from the gyno office is just NO and that to me was just absolutely the most unacceptable answer, I hung up the phone and just sat there and thought to myself that I cannot believe this. THEY ARE BIRTH CONTROL PILLS, not Oxycodin.

The State of the Union is Drunk

well, maybe at least. Though when the National Constitution Center put up there State of The Union bingo cards, I dont think they had drinking games in mind. But of course, if your resourceful, you can look at page 5 and figure out how the cards will work for you and your watching needs tonight. If I was participating, which unfortunately I cant because of my lingering illness and not wishing a relapse, I would have sipped everytime something was marked off on the card, done a shot for an action (which would have been standing ovation,, Vice President Stands Up, or we see Mrs Bush) and chugged a beverage once a line down or across was complete. But thats just me and sometimes I still think I am in college.

Want some interaction with your drinking game/State of The Union address? Well, This Old Broad (whose darn funny, by the way) & Pedro at Rancho La Luna will be Live/Drunk Blogging starting at 6:30 CST, which will be 7:30 for me. Now, thats dinner time, so I wont be there until after 8 locally, but you know Im gonna try and be there. You should too, just for the laugh of it.

Puppyknapped

Somedays, the news just ceases to amaze me, really it does. Over the weekend, a 5 month old puppy was snatched from a pet store in Audobon, Pennsylvania. There are a few things that really annoy me about this story. Besides the fact that yes, its um stealing, its also the stupidity of the thief. Nothing like getting caught on multiple surveillance cameras now is there? But, probably the biggest thing that burns my butt is that there are plenty of kittens, puppies, cats and dogs available at your local shelters that are close to free that can be taken, without the whole threat of jail time. As opposed to getting the 5 finger discount, these animals are really close to free and looking for a home. Its either laziness, or this poor doggy was needed for something else.

Project 365-#9 Breakfast

I am still playing catch up here with Project 365, so here is Saturday's breakfast. Mrs Duck spoils me to no end sometimes

Project 365 #8-Evidence

This is a nice little start of a leak happening above us in downstairs ceiling. Its comforting to know that the Leasing company knew exactly where the leak was without even looking at it. Its not good that they still havent looked at it 2 weeks later.

So???

What in the world am I supposed to watch two Sundays from now. I hate Peyton Manning, at least as a player, all this pointing and whining and faces have turned me off over the years. Then, if there is any player I hate worse, its Rex Grossman, who is one of the most one dimensional, overrated, useless Quarterbacks in the game. I think he makes Trent Dilfer look like a Hall of Famer. So, any suggestions? A movie marathon? Something on the BBC America? Anything?? Grrrr

Look at the TV

Look closely, Thats Sean

The Infamous Fine Meme/My Fine is 350.60

Ok, I will tell you my fine, and give some of the stuff away that I have to say that I did, and maybe, maybe, you can guess where the rest of the change comes from.

Here's how it works:

You don't have to confess your answers, just the amount of your fine. And NO, it is not PER incident (otherwise, some of us would have totals more than the national debt!).

Bring up that calculator, and get to work!

Smoked pot -- $10
Did acid -- $5
Ever had sex at church -- $25
Woke up in the morning and did not know the person who was next to you -- $40
Had sex with someone on MySpace -- $25
Had sex for money -- $100
Vandalized something -- $20 Dang Street Signs
Had sex on your parents' bed -- $10 Payment for petsitting I'd say
Beat up someone -- $20
Been jumped -- $10
Crossed dressed -- $10
Given money to stripper -- $25
Been in love with a stripper -- $20
Kissed some one who's name you didn't know -- $0.10 Gotta Love Frat Parties
Hit on some one of the same sex while at work -- $15
Ever drive drunk -- $20
Ever got drunk at work, or went to work while still drunk -- $50
Used toys while having sex -- $30
Got drunk, passed out and don't remember the night before -- $20 At one point in my college years it was once a month at least
Went skinny dipping -- $5-
Had sex in a pool -- $20 LOL these seem to go hand and hand
Kissed someone of the same sex -- $10
Had sex with someone of the same sex -- $20
Cheated on your significant other -- $10
Masturbated -- $10
Cheated on your significant other with their relative or close friend -- $20
Done oral -- $5
Got oral -- $5
Done / got oral in a car while it was moving -- $25 Now, to pull off the give and take at the same time would be something
Stole something -- $10
Had sex with someone in jail -- $25
Made a nasty home video -- $15
Had a threesome -- $50
Had sex in the wild -- $20
Been in the same room while someone was having sex -- $25
Stole something worth over more than a hundred dollars -- $20
Had sex with someone 10 years older -- $20
Had sex with someone under 21 and you are over 27 -- $25
Been in love with two people or more at the same time -- $50
Said you love someone but didn't mean it -- $25
Went streaking -- $5
Went streaking in broad daylight -- $15
Been arrested -- $5
Spent time in jail -- $15
Peed in the pool -- $0.50
Played spin the bottle -- $5
Done something you regret -- $20
Had sex with your best friend -- $20
Had sex with someone you work with at work -- $25
Had anal sex -- $80
Lied to your mate -- $5-
Lied to your mate about the sex being good -- $25

Like I said, I would only own up to some, you can guess at the rest. I think I will tag Lady Jane, Margo, Biff Spiffy,and Capt Poopy just because they may do it. If you do complete the meme and wanna share it just send me a note. I love confessions. :) Thanks to Tug and then Blogarita.

While I wont list Mrs Duck's answers, one was surprising, though I still was ahead of her by more then $100 but less then $200.

Project 365-#7 Sick Bed

This is the view that I had over the last few days, though I am happy to say I am up and adam once again. If you recall back to the Friday Feast v2.0 from last week, this is a decent shot of the comforter. Everyone wave to Sean Salisbury.

Project 365-#6 Weapons

The things I used over the past few days to try and knock the snot, well mucus, out of my head. Latest update, Team Duck is finally making some headway, or breathing ways. We are not licked yet

Friday Feast #3/#127

My third attempt. yes its late, but slow and steady wins the race sometimes. Though truthfully, this aint really a race, but oh nevermind. Eat up.

Appetizer
Which television shows do you just refuse to miss?
Luckily with TiVo, this isnt a necessary problem, but my must records are Grey's Anatomy, Friday Night Lights, Lost (for Mrs Duck), Jericho and Pardon the Interruption.

Soup
Who did you last speak to on the telephone?
My lovely wife Mrs Duck

Salad
How many pillows do you keep on your bed?
We have a total of 9 on the bed, though two are those decorative ones you never use and one is the ring pillow from the wedding, so it only barely passes as a pillow.

Main Course
Name one addition to your computer (software, hardware, etc.) that you'd love to have.
I would like to have a DVD burner, that is really the next thing I think we would get if it was an exterior piece of equipment. Though we may just get a new laptop and be sure its included.

Dessert
What is your favorite foreign food?
Oh, thats a tough one, since I love both Mexican and Chinese, but if I had to pick a favorite, it would have to be Indian food. Im a sucker for Dosa.


To Join us at the table, just find the Friday Feast

While our questions may sometimes be related to food, the main idea here is to feed your mind by asking thought-provoking, mind-stimulating questions.

Each Friday when you visit this meme, you will find 5 enticing courses for your mind to gobble up:

Appetizer
- a quick, tasty morsel to get you started
Soup
- smooth and warm to soothe your mind
Salad
- a nutritious blend of "veggies"
Main Course
- a hearty portion that is sure to satisfy
Dessert
- light concoction for your sweet tooth

Drenched

Yick, Last night I woke up with my T-shirt clinging to me like a needy ex girlfriend. I believe that means the fever may have finally broken last night since I no longer feel that need to curl up on the floor and pass out. I went to the doctors yesterday, yes finally, and she prescribed me with something for a sinus infection. I should not be surprised since I think 3 readers said sinus infection and Mrs Duck has been saying Sinus Infection for the past 3 weeks. So I was prescribed with Cefuroxime, though I didnt think it treated sinus infections. I do know it makes my stomach feel queasy, so yippy, one pain to another.

Yes, I wont overdue it, but it feels pretty good to be close to human again.

The Grey's Issue

You know what the biggest problem is with Grey's Anatomy? The fact that at 10:05 pm EST, its over and you have to wait a whole 7 days to watch a new freaking episode!

Todays sign that I might be delusional

Richard Clarke, former Terrorism Czar and counter terrorism expert, just said "geeks get it done and Nerds dont" on the Colber Report

Thursday Thirteen #18

Thirteen Ways Sparkyis fighting the flu Or whatever this ailment is that has thrown me for a loop since Tuesday Afternoon and is refusing to really give up. 1…. Dayquil-The liquid version tastes nasty by the way 2.Nyquil-I used to hate the taste of this medicine, until I had Jaggermeister in college, then it went down smooth as a melted butter. 3.Tylenol-There those round pill really damned hard to swallow 4.a humidifier-though honestly, I cant sleep without one so it really has nothing to do with the cold. 5. & 6. 2, yes 2, different digital thermometers. for whatever reason, since there digital they dont seem that accurate, since i keep getting readings of 99 and 96.7 7.Sleep-well duh Multiple Doses of 8.Maury Povich-"whose my baby's daddy?" and 9.Jerry Springer-"Why I am gonna kick my step moms ass for sleeping with my cousin" Lots of fluids 10.Gatorade AM 11.Turkey Hill Blueberry Ooglong Iced Tea 12.Turkey Hill Green Tea 13.Arnold Palmer's Rasperry Lemonade Tea One add on- 14.Shower Soothers Vanilla-Im gonna try that one today in an attempt to both shower and get my butt to the doctors. Any other home remiedies?? Im begging you to share. Links to other Thursday Thirteens!

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Well it is Florida

James Hylton is going to try and qualify for the Daytona 500 next month. Now, how is this a big deal? There are plenty of drivers trying to qualify for the 500, its the biggest race of the Nascar season, the Super Bowl of Auto Racing. Here's the catch though, Hylton is 72!! 72 years old, older then my parents, 10 years past collecting social security, 22 years since he was a full time driver. I say good for him, except for the whole its not safe factor. Hylton should live life to the fullest, but if he gets in the race, lets hope he does not hurt himself.

Project 365-#5 Brillant

I think its great that our leasing company replaces the carpet for a new occupant. I dont think its great that they leave the new rugs out in the rain though.

Trashy

Well that is how I have felt for the past few days, like warmed over trash. My right ear is clogged, but only sort of clogged and sore. My nose is not really stuffed, but that I am sure has to do with my Claritin-D "addiction". And the worse part is that i am fighting off these little mini fevers. And when I say mini, they are bordering on being so so small there are more like taking my head and warming it up in a microwave for 6 seconds. But, they do give some interesting dreams. Like last night, I was giving a speech on coughing. And, you will never guess what woke me up?? Yes, ladies and gentleman, a coughing fit. All that did was wake the both of us up and cause me to have to listen to another lecture on my smoking.

So, blogger buddies, is this the flu that you all have been suffering from, or is it some new strain of troubles?

Project 365 #4-Home away from home

I spend way too much time here during the week. But, a sale is a sale isnt it? Notice the clouds and the mood, its a good example of the feeling in the area after the blasted Eagles

Could Have been Worse

But lord knows it could have been better too. But, in the end, the Eagles just could not capitalize on some of the Saints mistakes and they could not stop the run. Now, the run part has been something that has been affecting them all year long, but during this nice little run, they usually came through when there opponents made an error. Unfortunately, they were the ones making a few more mistakes.

So, well done by the Saints, now go and win the Super Bowl would you??!? You have two impressive running backs, a QB that I bet Marty Schottenheimer still wishes he had, and a pretty good, or at least quick defense. Just hope if you do make it, you dont face Peyton Manning, he will cut your secondary to shreds.

As for the Eagles, is there anyway you think that Jeff Garcia could stay as QB, since that means the Westbrook may get the ball more, making the Eagles a better team? Um no I doubt it, just because thats not what the Eagles would do. Looks like the marriage to Donovan McNabb continues. YUCK.

Though on one happy note, I dont have any worries about hearing guff from my Dad, brother, or some of the Jersey boys, since The Eagles were still playing last week and there teams were on the golf course already.

Va Va Va Voom

I forgot how good she looked and I didnt even know that Kristen Chenoweth and Aaron Sorkin were an item, though that does make sense, since they are both multi-talented people.

I have found that watching Letterman on TiVo is the only way to go. Some nights, Dave is still a tad off, so you can fast forward through the comedy that falls a bit flat. Though really with Letterman, how often does that happen??

Project 365 #3-Gameday

Mrs Duck's jersey, which I bought for her. Dawkins is the heart and soul of the Eagles. I think I made a good choice as opposed to a T.O. jersey, dont you?

DeLurking Daze

Yes, its another one of those get out and get connected times in the blogosphere. Its National/International Delurk Week. But, since I am so far behind on all the little posts in my head, you will only have to deal with this button for the next few days.

So, If you are out there and you stop by to read, but dont send me little nuggets of wisdom, now is the time, or this is the week, or maybe its now is the week? Well, you can all see I am not going to find myself in writing advertisement any time soon. But, leave a comment if you haven't before, or if you have and you just wanna say, um Sparky, whats with the dogs!!!

Button courtesy of Papernapkin

Scroll down for more up to date posts

Project 365-#2 Barren

its sad how empty things look when the decorations are down

Project 365-#1 Jumping on the bandwagon

Well, this shall be interesting no doubt, but Project 365 is an effort to take at least one picture a day everyday and then post it to a blog for all the world to see (or flickr group, or message board or something)

Anyway, I am starting this a tad bit late, but I also realized earlier that I actually started Yesterday and just didnt realize it. So, heres my first shot.



Its a cute little cat rain gauge that we got at Longwood Gardens over the summer. It was cool too, because we could come outside and say, holy cow it rained 2 inches last night. Darn thing froze though and seemed to have shattered. Any ideas on how to fix it would be AWESOME.

Friday Feast #5/#126

I think its my fifth attempt at the Friday Feast, I do know its number 126 overall.

Appetizer: What comes to mind when you see the color orange?
Florida, for one reason or another. Either based on the fact that the actual fruit comes from there, the Orange Bowl is in Miami and the Gulf of Mexico has some of the best sunsets.


Soup:Did you ever get into trouble while you were in School? If so, what for?
Usually, I tried to stay out of trouble, probably because since my dad was a teacher in the towns High School, everyone knew me and knew how to find him. But in Middle School I did get into one of those childish wars. I think there was jealousy involved because I was not as friendly with this one guy as I had used to been and it spun out of control into a bus fight. Not my best moment.

Salad: Which topping makes the perfect pizza?
You cant have a good greasy well done pizza without the pepperoni

Main Course:Do you believe in UFOs/Aliens? Why or Why not?
I just think there is no way that in this vast universe we are the only ones here, though I do not think that the men from Neptune are coming to check how we are doing every week either. Plus, you cant love Star Trek and Andromeda without at least thinking it was possible.

Dessert:What Color is your bedspread, comforter, quilt?
I actually know this one, because it was bought as a wedding gift for us and it is still new to Mrs Duck and I. Its like a mint light green/jade, with strands of brown and purple in it.

About the Feast:
While our questions may sometimes be related to food, the main idea here is to feed your mind by asking thought-provoking, mind-stimulating questions.

Each Friday when you visit this meme, you will find 5 enticing courses for your mind to gobble up:
Appetizer
- a quick, tasty morsel to get you started
Soup
- smooth and warm to soothe your mind
Salad
- a nutritious blend of "veggies"
Main Course
- a hearty portion that is sure to satisfy
Dessert
- light concoction for your sweet tooth

Want to join in? Just click right here

Maher Rules Preamble

So, I got plenty of books for Christmas and I am finally starting to dig into some of them. I found this one on my pile, though I think it was a birthday present. I have always enjoyed the stand up of Bill Maher, though some of his acting choices in the past have been questionable. Anyway, as I go along through this book, I realized this is some great blog fodder. So be prepared for Bill to pop up now and again, I know, I know your thrilled.

So as a warm up this one struck me and got one of those post-it stickies:
Foreward page viii



Whatever happened to all the rules we used to live by anyway? Before the "Me" Generation, followed by the "Me Me Me" Generation, followed by the "What Part of Me Dont you Understand?" Generation, there were rules- rules like "No Trespassing", "No Shoes, no shirt, no service" and "please dont touch the Dancers"- and they applied to everyone. Nowadays, these same rules are either ignored completely or viewed more as suggestions to be followed a la carte, depending on which one we like.

A little cheer

If your in a happy happy Joy Joy mood (and what show is that from?) head on over to Chaotic Mom, because she could use some cheering up. Moving once again, and to Texas no less. Give her a pep talk.

Thursday Thirteen #17 The Bad Philly One

Last week, I did what could only be called a glowing ad for tourism for Philadelphia. So this week its Thirteen Things that Stink about Philadelphia.

1.Mayor Street-He has been elected to mayor twice and the city has actually had more scandals in City Hall during that time then at the time before. The discovery of a FBI bug in his office actually might have helped him in his reelection campaign. Now that is taking lemons and turning them into lemonade.

2.The Fans and their reputation- I said last week that the fans live and die for there teams. They still show up even when the teams kind of stink. But, usually when the teams stink the fans show up to throw things and abuse out of town fans. I received a Favre jersey for my birthday, and I would have been nuts to wear it to the Monday Night game vs the Eagles, even if I rooted for the Eagles. I might have found myself hanging by my ankles from the upper deck.

3.Construction on 95-Now while it is not as bad as the disaster that is the major highways along the Connecticut coast around Bridgeport, its still a mess. They have been working on it for the 4 years I have been here and I still dont see any kind of end game in sight.

4.The Curse of William Penn-Its said that the city's forefathers made an agreement that no building would be larger then the William Penn statue at the top of city hall. And that when Liberty One and Two were completed, they started a curse that causes all the sports teams to lose at the most painful time. Now, I dont believe in curses like this really, but the teams in Philly do find a way to lose all the worst ways. And look what happened to Smarty Jones, 10 feet from a triple crown and he runs out of gas. That was the first time I really felt the pain of being a Philly sports fan.

5.City Wage Tax-Ok, I dont get it totally, but I do understand that if you live in the city or work in the city, you get a little bit taken out of your paycheck just for the power of living and working in the city. Doesnt that just sound great??

6.Philadelphia Airport/USAir-This is really a rant about USAir. They pretty much own the airport, because they have the most flights and have the most jobs. And really, all airlines have an awful time of staying on time, but one of the biggest gripes recently with USAir is the fact that there baggage handling is terrible. There have been reports that people have gotten off of planes, and flights that have landed 2 hours behind them have gotten there bags first because they flew with a different airline. Heck its happened to the Duck family. But, how does this involve the Airport itself? Well, they are like the landlords and USAir is the renter. Eventually as a tenant if you continue to have complaints for noise against you, dont you hear from your landlord?? Well, the Airport Association just chooses to let USAir get away with whatever they want. Its one time where heading to Newark is a better idea.

7.No Good Radio Stations-when Y100 went off the air, there was an outcry from many of the listeners in the area, because they were being replaced with another rap station, which would make for the 5th one in the listening area. And now there was no modern music. So far the only saving grace has been that most of the airstaff and some of there ideas on music have moved to WMMR, but I still cant listen to a good Goo Goo Dolls song around here without my Ipod.

8. I just want to make something perfectly clear, we all dont Talk like Rocky down here!!

9.If you think the Radio in Philly is bad, just watch the news!!. There is only one good newscast. You cant watch KYW because Larry Mendte is a smug, arrogant, arsehole. You cant watch NBC10 news because Hurrican Schwartz cant forecast his way out of a paperbag and he is the number one weatherman on that station. Plus, he insists on wearing a very distracting bowtie. So, its Action News or nowhere. Luckily, Jim Gardner is the man and Cecily is well, mmmm Cecily.

10.Moshulu-Yes, it has a nice view. But the food is overpriced and overrated and certainly not worth the view. Yet, somehow this place keeps getting 4 stars.

11.The accent is weird. Its one of those things that seems to fade in and out. Its not like the yawkee accent, or that sweet southern drawl. Its more like the people that have lived there lives here say some words with an extra o. Like Phooone and Hooome. Its just strange and takes some getting used to, or at least used to so you dont make fun of them. (I still do that though)

12.Conshohocken-I believe the town of Conshohocken is probably quite lovely, with the rolling hills and beautiful neighborhoods surrounding it. But, alot of the companies have left the city to avoid the wage tax and have moved to Conshohocken. So there are all these great jobs which are a bear to get too. You have to drive either Roosevelt Blvd (picture your main street with the street lights and the slow speed limit and then extend it by 20 miles) and then the Schukyll, which gets backed up if a bird lands on the road. And then add in some snow and you can see why alot of people just dont want to work in Conshy.

13.Comcast-they are the big gorilla in the city when it comes to the media and cable provider. So, they can charge an arm and a leg for poor service, poor choices, and poor products because they are the only ones. And forget about trying to get a local Comcast channel on your satellite TV, they hold onto them like a mother holds her young.

Honorable mentions to this bad good list:
-Hoagies arent Sub Sandwiches
-They cant make bagels
-Camden, enough said
-Mayor Street again, because he really is a boob

Links to other Thursday Thirteens!




Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Theres plenty of people smarter then me

So, in the end, I will let them rail on and espouse about tonights speech. Especially since when the shrub speaks alot of the time, I hear the Peanuts adult instead of whatever he is saying (wahh wah wahh wahhh).

But, the little ditty about Iran makes me more then nervous. Nothing like rattling a few more sabres. And if 20,000 troops is not enough, is it really a surge? And what about those poor soldiers that have to go into Anbar? Its like sending a few well armed cats into a house full of dogs?

Im not a prayerful type person, which is probably why I have been spiraling looking for something to attach my faith too. But, once I figure out what candle to burn, what chant to do or whatever will work to get me in touch with my guardian spirits, you can be damned well sure I will be doing it every night to pray for those poor brave souls that are going to make the sacrifices because we the people have asked them too.

Todays Corporate Hacks-Paypal!!

Now, paypal has always been a brillant little invention. Heck, I wish I thought of it in the first place, since as Ebay exploded, Paypal exploded. So it's with great pain that I throw out this nugget of discontent.

You see, Deadspin , a blog that I get all my sports news from, since ESPN and Fox Sports have now just become enterntainment shows, has been raising money to send to the family and platoon mates of one of there readers, who sent them an awesomely awesome picture from Iraq before he was tragically killed over there.


Well, it seems now, Paypal made a little boo boo when setting up the account and now they wont release the money. Some nonsense about compliance and not being a not for profit account or some gobbly goop. Now, coming from the banker in me, when it becomes evident that something is awry, you fix it for the customer and worry about the consequences later on. Paypal has decided to be chicken, er i mean careful, so the money sits for 3 months, before it can be used to buy things that the soldiers in Iraq want and need. Gotta love Corporate America.

So, go to paypal and send them a nasty little email. Or better yet, call them up. All the information is here from Deadspin.

Im not boiling yet, but I can feel the blood getting warm

One down, two to go

The Eagles continued there amazing run the other day, disposing of the NY Giants, 23-20. Though, the outcome should not have been that surprising since the Eagles really had beaten the Giants 2 times already, if not for the total choke job in the first game.

Jeff Garcia continued to run the offense without making mistakes, and also continued his love affair with the fans of Philadelphia. It will take alot for the fans to forget about Donovan McNabb, but to me its nice that the possibility exists that it still might happen. Wilma, Donovan's mommie, has been doing her best to make sure the fans dont forget her son, including posts to the Family Blog about how bittersweet a Eagles Super Bowl run would be to her. Donovan, it might be time to stick a soup spoon in your mothers trap.

Besides Brian Westbrook proving that he is the caffeine that makes the Eagles run, and David Akers being David Akers, the game was actually quite uneventful. Once NY left the Eagles with 5 minutes left in the fourth quarter, you kind of new the outcome already, before it happened.

So, Its off to New Orleans, the game that has any knowledgeable Eagle fan the most worried, especially with the loss of Lito Shepperd in a secondary that I have always considered suspect to begin with.

And on the Saints note:

Wordnerd, I am calling you out. You are the closest thing I know to a Saints fan, what do you say to a friendly wager???

It was 70 degrees Saturday

Celebrity Houseguest

Still catching up, slowly but surely. The house was a whirlwind of activity, with all the paparazzi and all. You see, Spa Duck had a very special guest while his handlers were away. We shall call him "Ken Howard". No, no not that Ken Howard, he was probably busy working over the final details of the upcoming Crossing Jordan season. No, I meant the "Ken" who has handlers that were hobnobbing with the powers down in DC.

Anyway, "Ken" sent out his review of Spa Duck, and while it was not a glowing endorsement, it was at least acceptable. I believe the parts I can remember were:
-Clean, yet comfortable accomadations
-Food on time, though not a good variety
-Walks on time when requested
-Treats after requested walks
On the downside for the Spa:
-The service was not spoiling enough
-The wakeup call at 5 a.m. due to the staffs need to use the restroom facilities was not welcome.
-Even worse the litany of curses (this was Mrs Duck), when "Ken" requested a walk at 5:10 am were not appreciated.

Oh well, you cant win everyone over, but I do think it will do alot for the Spa's need to be a 3 diamond related establishment with AAA.

Pennsylvania Scam?? Inspections

I have been marinating over this post for a little while and this weekend finished it off completely.

In Pennsylvania, you have to get your car inspected every year. Doesnt sound that bad does it? Good for the environment and good to keep the uninsured drivers off the road. Except that every year you have to send out about $90, plus you have to send out $30 bucks for registration. So, its about $100 a year to drive a car.

Whats worse, is that you can't take it to a free place to have the car inspected. In NJ, the state runs inspections, which are free. If you fail, they tell whats wrong and give you a month to fix it. With the Pennsylvania rules, you car is almost kidnapped, held for ransom until you get whatever they tell you to get fixed will cause you to pass. So Mrs Duck had to fork over $600 a few weeks back to get the car to pass.

So, since I had a new car, registered in NJ, I was inspected already, good for 3 years, which means it would not have expired until 12/2007. A whole year! But nooo, since I have moved to PA, I need to still get the car inspected every year. Which is what the police officer told me when he pulled me over on Sunday. So, I have a week to get it inspected or else!

So in the end, Pennsylvania I am sure gets a cut from the $90 that the dealers and garages and of course they get a cut from the tickets they give out for no inspections stickers. Sounds like a nice little setup to me.

Alright, Im an Idiot

I had talked for weeks and weeks about how Florida was overrated, a gimmick team who scored touchdowns on end arounds and flea flickers and trick plays. I said the Ohio State would dominate them, and that I could not wait for this game to be played so Florida could lose by 50.

So, with 3 minutes left its 41-14 Florida!!!

I was wrong, I underestimated the power of the coaching mind that is Urban Meyer. I over estimated Jim Tressel. The Buckeye defense never showed up and the BCS championship series never got as exciting as the Fiesta Bowl with Boise State.

Oh well, my team was not even in the BCS series, and lost to BYU in the Las Vegas Bowl, so, the season has been over for me for a while.

How long until March Madness??

Buckeye Pride

Gee who do you think im rooting for?





and notice the nice little dig at Michigan in the lower left hand corner

Dangit, Take your dog for a walk!

So, sitting here watching Action News with Mrs Duck, and she is always on a rampage about the Home Depot CEO getting millions upon millions as a retirement gift as they kicked his ass out the door. And the fact that the reports are out there that the Shrub's new plan to fix Iraq is to actually send more troops in, but not enough to make a huge difference, since they will go from being outnumbered at 200 to 1 to being outnumbered 100 to 1.

So, Im sitting here hoping I have timed the news just right to miss the early headline stories, and just catch a glimpse of Cecily Tynan (shapeless namedrop for webhits) and the weather, and maybe more on the Eagles Giants game, you know something that wont have my wife's brain exploding out of her head.

And hey look its the health report, this is usually good for some uplifting story, you know a new drug, hope for a sick child, maybe an Alexs Lemonade Stand fundraiser or something, Holy (Bleep)!! Diet Medicine for Dogs???!!?

Thats right, theres a Phen Phen for dogs, well really more like a lipitor, since it helps in the absorption of fat or some other nonsense. And hey, I think its great if its a last resort, you know if Fido is taking a dump on the couch because he cant move anymore since he cant get his butt off the couch. But, it actually sounds more like something cosmetic, you know, if your pekinese is paunchy or something like that.

People please, what happened to, well, I dont know, PUTTING THE FOOD AWAY, or maybe giving Pluto a little less for dinner. Oh hey, heres an idea, lets not give Scruffy 77 treats a day, maybe only 30 will buy off his undying affection. And you know what else, maybe an idea that will help everyone, since the United States is supposed to be one of the most obese countries in all the world, TAKE LITTLE BROWNIE FOR A WALK! And not just down to the mailbox and back, but maybe around the block, down to the 7-11 and back, exercise for everyone. You and Fluffy will be happy for it.

It just burns my butt, drugs for obese dogs, as opposed to taking the research to try and beat diabetes in animals, or a cure for Kitty Luekemia, or even some sort of cancer drug. You know something where a scientist would say, "hey I did this and this and it cured this cancer cell, I wonder if I did this and that, would it work for human beings?"

Excuse me now, I need to go scrape my wife off the ceiling, The Shrub thing did put her over the edge.

For the love of Lima/Food for Thought

This is going to be one of those combination type things. The awesome blogger and author Colleen Gleason put out a challenge to make lima beans more edible. And me, being a cookbook junkie, scanned my memory banks and I think I came up with something from the Moosewood Cooks at home cookbook. And its a combination post because I will call this this weeks Food for Thought as well.

As requested, two scrumptious looking recipes.

Tomatican

2 cups chopped onions
1 fresh chile minced or 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons cumin ground
2 cups frozen lima beans
3 cups undrained canned tomatoes (28oz can)
2 cups fresh or frozen cut corn
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
salt to taste

garnish
avocado
seasoned tempeh
grated or shredded cheese

the recipe
In a heavy soup pot or saucepan saute onions and chile in the oil for about 5 minutes, until onions begin to soften. Add cumin and lima beans and saute, stirring for a few minutes. Add juice from tomatoes, cover and simmer for 5 minutes.
Chop the tomatoes in the can (or used chopped tomatoes). Stir tomatoes, corn and cilantro into the pot and cover. Simmer for another 10 minutes more, until veggies are tender.
Serve with salt and garnishes

Gigondes

1.5 cups drained canned gigondes, butter beans or lima beans
1 tablespoon olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley or basil

Garnish
1/2 cup of a creamy garlic or ranch dressing

Gently rinse beans and drain again. Place drained beans in serving bowl. Sprinkle with olive oil, lemon juice, and parsley or basil. Mix gently with a wooden spoon. Store refrigerated for up to 3 days. Serve at room temperature. Drizzle dressing over top when serving.

One word

Saw this one over at Patent Princess and its just the kind of thing I would do, or used to do when all those chain emails were going around. So, get you get to see how slow my days can be.

1. Where is your cell phone? Table

2. Your spouse? work

3. Your hair? messy

4. Your mother? texas

5. Your father? same

6. Your favorite thing? ipod

7. Your dream last night? odd

8. Your favorite drink? gatorade

9. Your dream car? hybrid

10. The room you are in? Living

11. Your ex? witch

12. Your fear? alone

13. What do you want to be in 10 years? same

14. Who did you hang out with last night? wife

15. What you’re not? racist

16. Muffins? corn

17. One of your wish list items? salary

18. Your dinner tonight? Slacks

19. The last thing you ate? doritos

20. What are you wearing? Red Sox (not one word, but like one word)

21. Your tv? Fuse

22. Your pet? missed

23. Your computer? Laptop

24. Your life? Slow

25. Your mood? chipper

26. Your holidays? decent

27. What are you thinking about right now? smoking

28. Your car? grey

29. Your work? nonexistent

30. Summer? Awesome

31. Your relationship status? Married

32. Your dream vacation? Hawaii

33. When is the last time you laughed? Morning

34. Last time you cried? Monday?

35. School? Delaware

consider yourself tagged if you want to be

Sometimes TiVo isnt grand

So, here was our night last night, at least TV wise, via TiVo.
1.House Hunters

2.An episode of Dr. Phil that was taped in the morning

3.a pretty good Law and Order:CI

4.Shark on rewind.

So, sometimes, TiVo is not the best thing going, because in the old days if there were two good shows on during one night, you could go back and watch the reruns of the second best show on at that hour. You know, its new to you. But now with TiVo, you can catch those other shows when they are on the first time. Which is great, because there is a wealth of shows to watch up until Novemember. But, once the holidays come around, the shows really dry up. Hence, we were very very excited about the fact that a new episode of Shark was on last night. Or we might have been staring at each other, or worse, Mrs Duck might have gotten control of the clicker and had us flipping between HGTV and DIY. Joy

Thursday Challenge #2

well my second entry



My New Toy

See more at the Thursday Challenge

Yea like this is a shock!

The Dork You scored 50 anxiety, 67 awkwardness, and 30 neuroticism!

You aren't particularly anxious, and you don't count things--but you do notice sometimes that you don't exactly fit in. Polite people would call you an eccentric, but you truly are The Dork! And proud. Just because you feel a little awkward at parties doesn't mean you're not happy with yourself and fairly relaxed. Your low anxiety score implies that you are able to relax, can enjoy the here and now, and have a healthy amount of self-confidence. Your high awkwardness score implies that you are socially inept, probably stick out from the crowd, and perhaps feel uncomfortable in large groups of people, such as at parties. Your low neuroticism score implies that you don't exhibit subtle neurotic behaviors--your nails are probably an acceptable length, your pencils aren't covered with bite marks, and your bookcase isn't arranged alphabetically by genre. Congrats! __ See the other results! Well-Adjusted The Neat Freak The Dork The Geek Phobic Obsessive-Compulsive The Subtle Neurotic The True Neurotic

My test tracked 3 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender: You scored higher than 72% on anxiety You scored higher than 75% on awkwardness You scored higher than 34% on neuroticism

Link: The Neurotic Test written by littlelostsnail on OkCupid, home of the The Dating Persona Test

Thursday Thirteen #16

Thirteen Reasons why Philadelphia is Great

or at least a great place to live in and around. And I will try and stay away from the cliches, so no mention of Rocky, Cheesesteaks or soft pretzels.

1.Center City is walkable: Its small, so you can go from the Art Museum down to Old City and see lots of things along the way, and not be totally exhausted. New York is just too big to enjoy.

2.Tastykakes: They were invented here, they are still baked here and if you need an early Valentines Day gift, they can be shipped from here.

3.The fans really love there sport teams: We are so starved for a winner, that we attach ourselves to any team that could win and just love the hell out of them.

4.Its a Blue City: Pennsylvania has been swinging Democratic in the last few elections, but Philadelphia has been liberal and democratic for a long time. How many places do you know where 5000 to 10000 people will show up to see that hack John Kerry just because he was appearing with Bill Clinton?

5.Mayor Street can't get elected again: Though honestly, I still do not know how he has been elected as Mayor not once, but twice.

6.Commuting: The regional rails, for all there troubles, run from all of the outlying neighborhoods, including parts of New Jersey. So, anyone that can buy a train ticket can work in the city, enjoy the plays and eat in the Restaurants.

7.The way its setup makes it easy to get in and out of town itself: I can meet Mrs Duck for Happy Hour, and still be home in under an hour because there are 3 different ways out of the city to make your way north. Just dont try and do it between the hours of 3pm and 6pm.

8.The Girls are hot:


9.All the History: for History fans, or majors like me, this place is sick with Historical things. The Liberty Bell, the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution all have representation and Museums dedicated to there foundation and story. And those are the things everyone has heard of.

10.Grace Kelly is a favorite daughter. She is not only beautiful still, but she never forgot about her home. Her famous wedding dress hangs in the Art Museum in Center City.

11.The Penn Relays: One of the largest track meets in the country, as well as one of the oldest. Its been running since about 1895 and draws in world class athletes of now, as well as many future greats from some of the top high school programs in the United States, Carribean and Canada.

12.Its not overwhelming: I have been in Manhattan and if you get turned around, you just feel like your lost. In Philadelphia, its compact and small enough, at least the downtown region, that you never feel overly lost or over your head. And this holds true even drunk.

13.The Roast Pork Sandwich from Tony Luke's: You can keep your greasy cheesesteak, especially if you slop cheese whiz on it. A Roast Pork sandwich with Broccoli Rabe is heaven on a long roll.

So, tell me why your place is great? Maybe I will visit, though soon, there will be the cruddy things about Philadelphia, so don't book your reservations yet.

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants



Old Man Hancock (who hit the wrong button, so here is there link)

Wolverine fans, Philadelphia Eagle Fans feel your pain

So, I was sitting down, well actually culling through some of my emails and a light bulb went off. The Michigan Wolverines, and there faithful of the University of Michigan, and Philadelphia Eagle fans have a lot in common actually.

What? Sparky? have you lost your mind? there are so many more Eagles fans that have sufffered as opposed to Wolverine fans...

Well, Imaginary voice in my head, which I really need to get checked out by the way, I beg to differ. The Big House holds over 100,000 people. Now, many of those people are season ticket holders and students, so, lets just say there are about a half a million Wolverine fans. The Linc only holds about 60,000 or so, and I am being generous, so I would say the Wolverines are pretty close in number arent they?

Well, Sparky, yes I agree they have the numbers, but, please, its college football, Michigan fills there schedule with the University of the School of the blind, not like the Eagles, they have the Texans as a cupcake!

Ok, yes I agree, invisible chorus, that yes, the Eagles play many more teams that are tougher, but, look at the schedule, Michigan has one or two games that make or break there season, as opposed to the Eagles, they can lose 8 and still have a chance at the Super Bowl, look at the Giants of this year.

Puhleassse, Sparky, explain this nonsense

Ok, no need to get huffy! Look at it this way, your an Eagle fan, you play a whole schedule, go 10-0 and you have to play Dallas to get into the playoffs. And the playoffs are much smaller, there are no second chances. Now lets say, the Cowboys beat you 5 years in a row, keeping you from the Super Bowl, and then you have to play a consolation game against the Denver Broncos. And every year, the Denver Broncos beat you in front of a national audience, like clockwork, like the sun coming up every morning. Wouldnt you think your suffering some?

Ok, so Michigan can't beat Ohio State, we know that already, but, look, they won a Championship in 1998, thats something, The Eagles havent sniffed a title since the 60's.

Yes, but, in 1998 they shared the title. So it was like a tie, which is like kissing your sister. And how much does one really love kissing there sister?

oh touche

Plus, cmon, we need to have a little sympathy for them, all people in Michigan have to watch on Sundays is the Lions. And god, unless your are a fantasy geek or Matt Millen's mother, your not watching the Lions every week.

Ok, you sold us Sparky, we share the Philly love with our brothers and sister who are alumni and fans of the University of Michigan.

I knew I would win! So, all you fans out there, especially my favorite Pirate, and my favorite new author, lets just try and bask in the glory of old victories and forget about the recent history. It makes life so much better, well that and bourbon.



Colleen, Lady Jane, lets forget this



And bask in the glory of this