Pac Maps

Pac Maps
Google Maps (2017)

From now until April 4th, you can use Google Maps to create Pac-Man boards out of your community, or any other community in the world for that matter.  There goes my weekend!

Three Mics

3 Mics
Neal Brennan (2017)
Couldn't sleep, so I discovered Neal Brennan on Netflix.  Insomnia sometimes works out for the best.

Beard B. Gone

So, I went ahead and shaved the beard.  I'm sure that I'll grow it back soon enough, but I'll let you decide - beard or no beard?  Vote now by shouting your preference at the screen.

Nuts and Berries

Strawberry Nut M&M's
Mars Inc (2017)
These were pretty good, with a mellow strawberry flavor that blends in well with the chocolate.  If they made a Banana Nut version, you could mix them with these to create Banana Split Sundae M&M's.

Property Management For Cash And Prizes

The $40,000,000 Monopoly Game
McDonald's (1987)
The first McDonald's Monopoly promotion began thirty years ago today and was a phenomenon from day one.  I was six years old at the time and I remember seeing the peel off property game pieces everywhere.  The kids at my elementary school traded them with each other as enthusiastically as we traded baseball cards and Garbage Pail Kids.  Even after the promotion was over, it was typical to find these alongside the spare change in cars or in the kitchen junk drawer next to the pens and scotch tape.

My grandparents kept the Monopoly board where all important documents were kept - on top of the microwave in the butterfly clip.  While the contest was running, I would anxiously peel off the game pieces from the food or soda cup and stick them to the board in the hopes of collecting the entire color group and winning a prize.  The game piece that everyone was hoping to find was #22 - Boardwalk.  I think I speak for everyone who participated in this promotion when I say that we all had at least a half dozen Park Place stamps, but there was only one Boardwalk stamp in the entire world, and you needed both Park Place and Boardwalk to win the grand prize of $1,000 per week for life.

In addition to the property game pieces, there were a number of Instant Win stamps that could be found.  The top prizes that could be won in this way were on stamps that looked like Chance and Community Chest cards, including an "Advance Token To Boardwalk" stamp which was the same as having the Park Place and Boardwalk stamps - it awarded the grand prize of $1,000 per week for life.  I never found any of those, but I did find plenty of the Instant Food Winners stamps.  Once I wised up to the fact that each color group had one property that was almost impossible to find, these were the stamps I was the most hopeful of finding.  I found lots of stamps that could be redeemed for a free order of french fries and Coca Cola, and a few for the Chicken McNuggets and sandwiches.

Click here to enlarge

This promotion was such a massive success for McDonald's that they brought it back the very next year.  The second time around, the grand prize was $2,000 per week for life.  Naturally, we all played along and collected Monopoly stamps for another year.  Since then, they've brought the promotion back intermittently throughout the 90's and 2000's.  At this point, if you are reading this in the United States, the chances are pretty good that a McDonald's Monopoly game piece from one of these years is hiding somewhere in your house.  It might be stuck behind the heater.  It may have gotten packed into a box in the basement or attic.  It could be at the bottom of your junk drawer, or in the garage, or behind the sofa.  The point is that it's probably there, and you'll probably find it one of these days and chuckle - unless it's the Boardwalk stamp.

True Story

The Oatmeal
Artwork by Matthew Inman

The Crustaceans Have Conquered London

Tummy Rub

Believe it or not, he's even more sweet and friendly than he looks.

Switch Pitcher

Pat Venditte
RHP and LHP - Philadelphia Phillies
Last week, the Phillies flipped prospect Joey Curletta (acquired from the Dodgers in the Carlos Ruiz trade) for a truly unique pitcher.  Pat Venditte is a switch pitcher - he throws right handed and left handed depending on what batter he's facing.  This could be an interesting addition to the Phillies bullpen.

Please, Dear God, No More Shoveling

Two days away from Spring in West Hazleton.

Happy World Monopoly Day

Life Size McDonalds Monopoly Board
Promo for McDonald's 20th Anniversary of Monopoly
Tampa, Florida - completed by Chalk Twins with Julie Graden and Bridget Lyons.

Mr. Mackelroy and The Sea Creature

This is my new favorite professional wrestling gimmick, and I don't care if it didn't happen.

Southpaw Regional Wrestling - February 1987

This may be the most brilliant pro wrestling material that I have ever witnessed.  I need a Lethal Leap Year t-shirt!

See if you can identify all of the wrestlers (click here for the answers):

• Lance Catamaran 
• Chett Chetterfield
• Clint Bobski
• Champion Chip Henderson
• Tex Ferguson
• Chad 2 Badd
• Big Bartholomew
• Christian Joy
• Mr. Mackelroy (Banker)
• The Sea Creature
• Impressive Pelvis Wesley
• La Barba Grande
• Surf Dudes With Attitudes
• Referee Chip Henderson
• Ric Flair Paid Impersonator

The Murray Over My Shoulder

Franklin's

Public Square - Wilkes-Barre, PA

"Life is so damn short.  For fucks sake, just do what makes you happy."
-- Bill Murray

What A Difference A Day Makes

The first day of spring is about a week away, and the snow was finally starting to melt.  It seems that winter isn't finished with us yet.  At least the blizzard held off until after the Garrison Keillor show.

It looks like the drive to work is going to be pretty interesting.

See that black rectangle?  That's the side rear view mirror of a car.

I feel bad for little Harvey.  The poor little guy has to go outside and pee in this.

Prairie Road Companion

I haven't met too many folks out there who are taller than my pop, but Garrison Keillor of A Prairie Home Companion edges him out.

Harvey and the Butterfinger Bunny

Trying to take some product photos for training, but Harvey keeps blocking the shot.  Whoever ends up eating this, please know that the box had been gently sniffed by a fuzzy Schnoodle.

Is It Spring Yet?

Happy snowy Friday!

Hopefully Not My Last Supper

Jesus Christ Superstar
Dutch Apple Dinner Theater - Lancaster, PA

Dad, Trish, Angie and I went to see Jesus Christ Superstar at the Dutch Apple Dinner Theater last night.  We've been to many shows here over the years and have always had a good time.

I'm trying to eat a little healthier, which is an easy thing to do here.  They have an excellent selection of fresh steamed veggies and fish.  Everything was absolutely delicious, as it always was.  The only hard part was walking past the desert tables, which must have had at least 40 different cakes and pies.

Multi-Tasking

Adding product photos to InfoNest, reading up on the Phillies in Spring Training and watching Game 6 of the 1980 World Series on an old CRT. Just another Saturday morning for a guy with ADHD.