Black Friday 2007

Moorestown Mall

Like so many other Americans I woke up at 4am to take advantage of the "Black Friday" specials. Many retailers open very early and offer doorbuster deals and loss leaders to draw people to their stores. Although Black Friday, as the first shopping day after Thanksgiving, has served as the unofficial beginning of the Christmas season at least since the start of the modern Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in 1924, the term "Black Friday" has been traced back only to the 1970s. "Black Friday" was originally so named because of the heavy traffic on that day, although most contemporary uses of the term refer instead to it as the beginning of the period in which retailers are in the black (i.e., turning a profit).

This morning I sat with thirty some people in order to purchase what some are calling the hardest Christmas gift to get - Nintendo's Wii. The actual wait really wasn't really that bad. For one, we were able to wait inside mall. As I drove in I saw many people standing in long lines outside Sears, Circuit City, Best Buy, and Boscovs. This morning the temp outside was in thirties. So, waiting inside was welcomed. Secondly, the woman I sat next to gave me a story.

A few minutes after I arrived a young, attractive woman sat down next to me. Her name was Sandy. The moment she sat down she started to take off her many layers of clothing. She, like many of us, anticipated that we were going to have to wait in the cold. When she finally reached her tee shirt she reached into purse and pulled out her underarm deodorants. "Whew, boy am I sweating!" Nice. I could tell Sandy was into the gadgets. She was either talking to her girlfriend, texting or playing her pink GameBoy. Eventually, her girlfriend showed up. She looked like a boyish version of Rosie O'Donnell. Sandy introduced her as her fiancée.

There is nothing else to say about Sandy and this story other than its mandatory to note that whenever a lesbian sits next to you have to mention it in a blog or conversation. Its a rule.

Here's a series of photos documenting my time in line:

GameStop - Moorestown Mall

To my left were two housewives. To my right were two lesbians.

Sitting in line and listening to Nirvana and Pearl Jam.

My ticket that guaranteed my purchase

GameStop - Moorestown Mall

Listen / Download:
Black Friday - Steely Dan

Michael Pinches a Loaf

How I Spent My Summer Vacation: 2007

Inline Fracture of the fourth metatarsal

Listen / Download:
How I Spent My Summer Vacation - Cheech & Chong

Schmap Philadelphia Guide

Veterans Stadium

Two weeks ago I received the following email: I am writing to let you know that one of your photos has been short-listed for inclusion in the fourth edition of our Schmap Philadelphia Guide, to be published early November 2007. While Schmap offers no payment for publication, "many photographers are pleased to submit their photos, as Schmap Guides give their work recognition and wide exposure, and are free of charge to readers." What's interesting about all of this is that the photo in question is Veterans Stadium--a Philadelphia landmark that doesn't exist anymore! Too funny.

• See a YouTube video I created about the implosion of The Vet.
• See photos of the last game ever played at Veterans Stadium along with ticket stubs of concerts I saw there.

T.U.B.E.

The Ultimate Bootleg Experience

I've never been one to listen or seek out "bootleg" recordings. For most of my life bootleg recordings have always been audience recordings or 4th generation studio recordings with so much background hiss you could hardly hear the music. But that was then and now through technology and the internet excellent sounding "boots" are turning up all over the place. Websites such as The Ultimate Bootleg Experience (T.U.B.E.), The Undertow, and Nargo The Borts Deviant Subculture (Tony the Tiger) are posting the best sounding boots I've ever heard. The best part of the deal is that they're free to download.

Tony the Tiger:

Feel free to download and repost elsewhere. I don't own any of these shows. Unless that is you playing lead guitar, you don't own the shows either. I always download, usually tweak the files in some way adding track numbers and track names, and reup. So, thanks to all of you for the music I have snarfed. If you believe I have posted something from your site, let me know and I will put a link in for you. Otherwise, take what you want and leave the rest. Any post at a 320 bit rate was probably in a lossless format originally. I converted to MP3 adding track names, track numbers, etc. then repackaged it. Share it! Repost!

If you're looking for something different from your favorite bands check out any of the above sites and download something live or unreleased.

I love the internet.

Here's one of my favorite unreleased treasures.
Listen / Download: Jenning's Farm Blues - Led Zeppelin