Fish Like An Egyptian

Memphis Pyramid
Bass Pro Drive - Memphis, TN

Fun fact: the sixth largest pyramid in the world is a Bass Pro Shops Superstore.  The Memphis Pyramid, which re-opened yesterday to the public, also includes a man-made cypress swamp with live alligators, shooting and archery ranges, a bowling alley, a Ducks Unlimited waterfowl museum, and a 105 room hotel.  It is also home to the tallest freestanding elevator in the United States.  [source: OutdoorHub]

Right Now

Well... it was clear, it was caffeine free, and it tasted pretty much the same as a regular Pepsi.

You Are Repressed But You're Remarkably Dressed

Postcard (1980)

Saving The World With Jell-o Pudding Pops

Crystalis
SNK (1990)

The final years of a console's lifespan often produce some of its most interesting games, and Nintendo's 8-bit era is no exception.  Crystalis is an action RPG that was released for the Famicom in Japan 25 years ago today, with a release in North America on the NES just a few months later.  

In this game, you play as a man who has just woken up from cryogenic sleep in a cave just outside of the village of Leaf in the year 2097 - a hundred years after a savage war destroyed civilization.  The descendants of the humans who survived the war live in a medieval world in which science and technology has been banned, with the exception of a giant floating tower.  Your character soon learns that he must unite the four elemental swords to defeat the mutants and the evil Draygonia Empire, who have brought back the forbidden sciences and threaten to take over the world.

Although it doesn't get the same level of attention from the retro community as its contemporaries, such as The Legend Of Zelda, Final Fantasy, and the Dragon Warrior series, Crystalis had a good amount of support behind it in its time.  This game tips card was printed on the inside of a Jell-o Pudding Pops as a part of their promotion of the 1990 Nintendo World Championships.

This Sunday newspaper circular was shared by Jason Liebig on Flickr which shows some of the other games that were used for the Power Playing Tips cards that were printed on the inside of Jell-o frozen desert boxes, including Super Mario Bros. 3, Tetris, Code Name: Viper and Double Dragon II: The Revenge.

This ad from The Pittsburgh Press on March 18th, 1990 shows that in addition to getting a couple of Nintendo tips, buying a box of Jello-Pudding Pops back would also get you a free ticket to the Nintendo World Championships.

Rock and Roll Memories

Toys In The Attic
Aerosmith (1975)
This iconic album, which includes rock anthems Sweet Emotion and Walk This Way, was released forty years ago today.

My favorite story about a song on this album happened nine years later in 1984.  By this point in his career, Steven Tyler was suffering from memory loss after years of drug abuse.  He and Joe Perry had put their differences behind them and were planning the Back In The Saddle tour when You'll See Me Crying was played on WBCN FM.  Tyler enjoyed it and suggested that Aerosmith record a cover of the song, to which Perry responded "It's us, fuckhead."

Pearsall Hall

Pearsall Hall
Wilkes University - Wilkes Barre, PA

From the 2015 Wilkes University calendar.

Games And Snacks

Vintage II
Kyle Willis (2012)

Ewww...

This photo was uploaded by an appropriately named Tumblr account called Oh No Problems.  I'm usually up for trying almost any weird foods or drinks at least once, but I'd have to pass on this monstrosity.

Last Snowfall

This was my backyard on Tuesday. In 24 hours, it was 62 degrees and it had all melted.

New Hot Chick

Wendy's
Route 93 - Hazleton, PA
Either they have a new spicy chicken sandwich, or someone in the kitchen is trying to flirt with the new girl.