I’d like to thank Dana Garrett from Delaware Watch, Hube from The Colossus of Rhodey and Tom Noyes from TommyWonk for a great evening last night. The four of us had a pleasant blogger-gathering at the tasty Washington Street Ale House last night.

We tried to get the great Al Mascitti to join in the fun. Alas, it seems Al must have quite a bit of work to do, what with a tri-weekly column to write and a daily radio show to produce. I spoke with him on air today and he said he’ll try to make the next one.

Posted by Mike Matthews in Friends at 7:23 PM PST

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Some light reading for the next couple of days. I hope you don’t mind.

Check out The Nyominx’s story about livin’ in tha hood:

My new abode is turning out to be fairly entertaining despite the annoyance of having less of a buffer zone than I’d like between my front situated bedroom and the street itself. For example, you can overhear pieces of conversations like, “How do you know that gun wasn’t loaded?” and “I had to sell my TV because of you, now what am I gonna watch?” Plus, a guy tried to sell me crack when I was taking out the garbage last week.

The Nyominx has written a couple posts about her new residence in Wilmington. Check them out. As well as some of the comments these posts have spurred.

Our second story today is a bit more depressing, as this happened to a friend of mine. Instead of me trying to write a summary, I’ll actually provide you with the email, all pertinent information (names, places, times etc.) having been changed. Changed text has been bolded. I’ve received my friend’s permission to share this.

Hi. Just thought I’d set aside some time to tell you what happened last night:

I was locked in the major department store. LOCKED IN! I was the last to leave, and they forgot I was in there. So, the guard locked me in. The lights were turned off, and the building was pitch black.

I tripped an alarm, and the City Police Dept. came.

They had their guns drawn. They asked me to identify myself. I said I was an employee, then they asked me to present identification. I went to reach into my coat for my name tag, and one of the cops screamed “I said keep your hands visible. Keep your hands up!”

I said “I’m trying to get my ID”, and then I reached for my coat pocket, when the 2nd officer yelled “Keep your hands up. Keep your hands up.” Then the 1st cop came around and FRISKED me. Can you believe it? Can you imagine that? Frisked.

By this time I’m crying like a baby. I’m almost hysterical.

The entire incident was heard by both of my managers - who were on the phone waiting for me to get “rescued”. But we all thought that our security guards would be the ones coming. Not the police.

The cops ended up calming down, let me present my ID, and spoke w/the managers on the phone. They actually ended up yelling at the managers on the phone - “how can you lock your people in the store?”

Anyway, it does truly suck to be me.

I explained that I hadn’t cashed out my register. I was “short” in cash, and had to locate the transaction. (This always takes more time.) But, customer service never waited for my cash. I had thousands of dollars in my register. They have a check off list that they’re supposed to do for EACH register drawer. That was the first problem.

Then, the manager on duty is supposed to make sure that customer service checked out all the registers. That’s the second mistake.

Then, security is supposed to walk thru the entire store to be sure each of us is out. Then, they walk the last person to their car. That’s the third thing that went wrong last nite.

I did not sleep one bit last night. Too wound up. I could have been freaking shot and killed on the spot. I could be a statistic. You know?

I have a headache, probably from lack of sleep.

Sucks to be me.

As if it matters, I’ll have you all know this is probably the nicest woman I know. As the cliche goes, she wouldn’t hurt a fly! My friend reads this site and she actually suggested I put this story up. I didn’t know in which context it would be appropriate, so I thought an “interestingly true stories” post would work.

Do you have any interesting stories to share? Dish the dirt!

Posted by Mike Matthews in Personal at 2:00 PM PST

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Happy whatever-the-hell-you-celebrate Day!

Hope you all have a great holiday season.

Christians.
Jews.
Muslims.
Buddhists.
Hindus.
Atheists.
Agnostics.
Drunks.
Fornicators.
Retards.

Enjoy the season. I know I will.

Posted by Mike Matthews in General at 12:08 PM PST

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OK, this is getting absurd.

Jail may be imminent for striking MTA workers. Jail? JAIL? Come on now. This is a fucking joke. Just fire their asses. Don’t clog up the criminal justice processing system with 33,000 people pissed off that they don’t get paid enough.

I still believe these people have a right to do this, public employees or not. Then again, like I said on PolitaKid’s blog last night, I really don’t care. I find the bitching of conservatives like Michelle Malkin to be totally, ahem, UNHINGED. Especially unhinged are several commentors from rightie-blogs who’ve all but asked for physical violence committed against the strikers. (The comments section has since been removed, with previous comments deleted, unfortunately.)

This is a free market economy, folks. And, whether or not you’re employed by the government or private industry, capitalism doesn’t discriminate. Contract, shmontract, as far as I’m concerned. These people want what they want. Just like the rich assholes who bankrupted Enron. These asshole strikers have captivated (and held captive, essentially) a city and nation. Maybe it’s time we shut the hell up and listen.

Posted by Mike Matthews in Common Sense at 4:21 PM PST

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• King Kong is the best movie of the year. If you see NOTHING else this holiday season I implore you to go see this marvel of technological and film-making wizardry. It’s three hours of jam-packed entertainment that doesn’t let up until the heartbreaking end. Judging by its first weekend of box office returns, either the public hasn’t been inundated enough with “Kong” promotion, or it’s just going to be a slow burn to the top, like Titanic was. Either way, if I could choose one “word-of-mouth” film this year, King Kong would be it. Go see it. If you like it, tell your friends to see it. Don’t be a pussy and wait for the DVD (ahem…Cousin Joanna, I’m talking to YOU!) to come out so you can instead see some shit like The Family Stone. King Kong is for the big screen. Watching a stomping herd of brontosaurs chasing after a film-crew is not for home viewing. Big screen only, please.

• I think I witnessed a shoplifting today while getting a sandwich at Wawa. The kid put a food order in, went and got some other stuff, stood in line, got out of line, went over to get his sandwich and walked out. He carried his stuff out in his hands as opposed to the plastic bag given to customers with multiple items. I bet you’re wondering HOW I pieced together this chain of events? Well, I walked in the store and the kid took FOREVER to complete his order at the sandwich computer. I went after him. Then, I went to get a beverage. The kid took FOREVER to choose a beverage. I went after him. Then I got in a VERY long line. I was behind this kid. He very cautiously stepped out of line, went to retrieve his sandwich and walked out the door. There. I didn’t want you to think I was stalking the high-school-aged punk.

• Remember: Tonight is the holiday edition of The Hott Spott. Jay and crew are looking for some hot chicks to come on tonight’s show. Any pretty ladies out there looking to objectify their bodies? If you work at a strip club then you will be given a plug. So email me between now and 9:30 if interested (for some reason I can’t imagine hot chicks reading this site). /male piggishness

• Also, don’t forget about tomorrow night’s show at Kahuna. Courtesy of the music-promotion goddess Kathy Cammett comes three bands for your entertainment. All ages are invited. I believe the cost is $5 for those 21 and over, $7 for those in the non-alcohol-drinking under-21 crowd. It promises to be a great time. I’ll be there with my camera.

I may add more to this list as my thoughts become more coherent.

Posted by Mike Matthews in General at 3:49 PM PST

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I’m at work, so I couldn’t live-blog Bush’s press conference from earlier this morning. Instead I’m relying on Michelle Malkin and several others providing coverage.

Most glaring in Malkin’s coverage is her inability to laugh at the president’s greatest flub from today:

“I want senators from New York or Los Angeles or Las Vegas to explain why these cities are safer”

Huh? Just another great Bushism brought to you by our commander in chief! I love this stuff. Sure, I’m nitpicking, but are these cities *really* represented by senators? Bush could have stretched it by saying “representatives,” but not senators.

At least there was one quotable quote from the press conference today!

Posted by Mike Matthews in ODB (Our Dumb Bush) at 11:57 AM PST

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Looks like there’s another Commie-Socialist ascending the ladder in South America:

Socialist candidate Evo Morales, who has promised to halt a U.S-backed campaign to end coca growing, appeared to have to won Bolivia’s presidential elections, a victory that would solidify the continent’s shift toward the political left.

I suppose it’s time for the Bush administration to start planning another coup. Which “freedom fighters” will the Bush administration back this time?

Bolivia does have the second-largest natural gas reserves in South America. They also plan to give the ‘ole heave-ho to the US’s campaign to end coca growing. No surprise, given the presumed presidential winner, Evo Morales, is a coca farmer who has promised to become Washington’s “nightmare.”

Hmmm…this transition government should prove to be more exciting than the new King Kong! Someone pass the popcorn!

Posted by Mike Matthews in Political Landscape at 10:13 AM PST

Talk dirty to me »

Tonight at 9:00 our dear leader takes his wartime plea to the masses. The masses who’ve already said they’ve had enough of his bullshit.

Well, whatever suits him. What with domestic spying and a continued Iraq insurgency, I suppose Bush has to chat up some of the good things going on. To his credit, elections this week seem to have been successful. Let’s hope more events of this kind continue.

Bush needs a prayer. Success in Iraq is about the only chance he has, in my opinion.

Any opinions on his speech? You know where to leave a comment!

Also, Michelle Malkin has a brief round-up.

9:01 pm: Georgie Boy seems a bit uppity with those opening hand gestures.

9:02 pm: “Yet our work is not done…” yada yada…we’ve heard that before.

9:03 pm: “Our coalition confronted a regime…we believed…had weapons of mass destruction.” Yada yada…again.

9:04 pm: As your president I am responsible for the decision to go to war in Iraq…yay! Finally, some responsibility. This Bushie isn’t such a bad guy after all.

9:04 pm: [Saddam’s} “power to harm another man, woman or child is gone.” No, let’s just leave that to the Muslim fanatics we’ve created because of our wanton arrogance.

9:05 pm: Or enemies wish to “wage perpetual war against America and our friends.” Yeah! Now more than ever, you idiot!

9:06 pm: “The terrorists object to our deepest values and our way of life.”

9:07 pm: Again, the 9/11-Iraq parallels are stunningly obscene and arrogant. The comparisons must be dropped. He still hasn’t learned.

9:08 pm: “Reconstruction and training of Iraqi forces started later than hoped.” Uh-huh.

9:09 pm: “We are making steady gains with a clear objective in view.” Our objective at first was WMD…then Saddam-Osama connection…then Saddam-9/11 connection…then “human rights.” Yeah, our objectives are in view. All 132 of them!

9:12 pm: “Despite the violence, the Iraqis are optimistic.” Until they get a leg blown off.

9:12 pm: Twelve minutes in…Bush whips out the “D” word…DEFEATISTS! Yay!

9:13 pm: “Not only CAN we win the war in Iraq, we ARE winning the war in Iraq.” OK, Mr. President. Come back in three years and say that. I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt, though, and say I don’t think we’ll be there then! (Hopefully)

9:15 pm: “Our forces in Iraq are on the road to victory.” It’s those Reagan-esque zingers I love. I’m so proud to be an American!

9:15 pm: Now he’s addressing MY people, those who disagreed with his bullshit. “The need for victory is larger than any person or political party.” Good one, Bushie!

9:16 pm: “My most solemn responsibility is to protect the nation…” by spying on its citizens.

9:16 pm: Where’s Will Ferrell when you need him?

Final Thoughts: Overall not that bad. I like this newly aggressive president. He managed to lay out his thoughts clearly and effectively. Thoughts he probably should have been hawking from day one of this war. He told us liberals where to shove it. This is his pride and joy. Don’t fuck with his shit. I like a little presidential arrogance now and then. Keeps my sinuses clear. I’ll be interested in seeing what El Presidente has to say should nothing change in Iraq. Successful elections are one thing. Comprehensive and organized follow-through is something totally different. Final grade: B+

Update I: Bill Hennessy live-blogged as well and took some umbrage to my remarks. In conclusion, Bill says:

The address is over. The president was 100% right. Anyone who disagrees with him is wrong.

Now that’s what I like to hear! Push me into that corner. I promise I won’t fight back.

Update II: Dave Ryan will beat a bitch’s ass!

Check it:

This is a President desperate to catch the poll numbers. The war’s unpopular and it’s time for him to justify it again. Time for him to drum the same beat into the heads of the public, time for him to spin the rhetoric I know I’ve heard countless times.

Posted by Mike Matthews in General at 9:00 PM PST

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Here’s the deal:

Jay Rock and the folks at The Hott Spott are looking to send out the year with a bang! A big, drunken orgy of a bang!

He’s asked me to invite people to come to the live-taping of the show this Monday, Dec. 19. Because he won’t be back until the new year he wants to have a big on-air party to celebrate Christmas, or whichever pagan holiday you celebrate.

Show starts at 10:30 sharp, or 10:33, depending on Jay’s state of drunkenness. Please come out to the show. It’s a good time and it’s always awesome to support local talent.

I’m not going to post the address here. Please EMAIL me if you’re seriously interested in joining us this Monday. I’ll give you the details then.

Happy Chrismahanukwanzakuh!

Note: I’m keeping this post at the top for a couple of days. Check BELOW this post for any updates.

Posted by Mike Matthews in The Hott Spott at 8:44 PM PST

Talk dirty to me »

I’ve been receiving my share of spam lately. Luckily most of it’s been thrown into the moderation queue. You know the kind:

texas hold ‘em
viagra and cialis
free payday loans

I usually just write them off, but today I got my first piece of spam for “weight loss pills.” Maybe this spam is trying to tell me something!

Posted by Mike Matthews in Dumb stuff at 8:15 PM PST

Talk dirty to me »

OK, I’m gonna go reactionary for this post, so hold on.

Nothing says “American” more than presidentially-approved spying and eavesdropping:

President Bush has personally authorized a secretive eavesdropping program in the United States more than three dozen times since October 2001, a senior intelligence official said Friday night.

The disclosure follows angry demands by lawmakers earlier in the day for congressional inquiries into whether the monitoring by the highly secretive National Security Agency violated civil liberties.

What’s that about civil liberties? Oh, yeah, I forgot, we’re fighting terrorists:

Bush on Friday refused to discuss whether he had authorized such domestic spying without obtaining warrants from a court, saying that to comment would tie his hands in fighting terrorists.

In a broad defense of the program put forward hours later, however, a senior intelligence official told The Associated Press that the eavesdropping was narrowly designed to go after possible terrorist threats in the United States.

Terrorists or not, this is disgusting. But I’m a good, complacent and subservient American. I’m fine with giving El Presidente free reign. I just wish he’d be more open and honest about it. Mr. Bush, do whatever the hell you want! You already are! But, please don’t bullshit us and rationalize your raping of the Bill of Rights merely because “we’s smokin’ out terrorists!” Just come out and say it: Terrorists or not, I want to abuse my power and authority and take back what is so dear to American citizens: privacy.

In totaly unrelated news, why are gas prices on the rise again? Help me out here.

Posted by Mike Matthews in ODB (Our Dumb Bush) at 9:40 AM PST

22 Comments | Gimme some more »

US Jews Fearful of Religious Right:

U.S. Jewish leaders say they are increasingly worried that Christian conservatives want to turn America politically and culturally into a country that tolerates only their brand of Christianity.

“There is a feeling on all sides that something is changing,” said Abraham Foxman, director of the New York-based Anti-Defamation League.

“The polls indicate a very serious thing — that over 60 percent of the American people feel that religion and Christianity are under attack,” he said on Thursday in an interview.

Jews shouldn’t worry. Right-wing nuts do love them. Oh, wait…no…it’s not the Jews the wingnuts love, it’s the strategic Mid-East placement of Israel that they love. I’ve always gotten a kick out those right-wingers who’ve made the whole Friend of Israel meme a success. Here’s the thing, and I do firmly believe this: Simply because they support Israel, the country, doesn’t mean they’re not stark, raving anti-semites. To some religious wingnuts Israel serves only as a necessary porthole into neo-con imperialistic fantasies.

I know this brief piece is extremely lackluster. As you can tell, of late, I’ve had little interest in politics of late. I apologize for the incoherence of this mess.

Posted by Mike Matthews in Religion at 8:54 PM PST

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The nightlife in Wilmington is kicking on a Tuesday night! Don’t believe me? Check it: My friend and I arrive at The Big Kahuna early Tuesday evening to a nice-sized empty stage. The food is great, so of course we don’t want to eat like pigs if a band was on the stage, with fans crowding around said pigs. Arriving about an hour early allows us to chow down on some truly awesome food. My friend and I opt for a simple meal of “Appetizers Only.” We indulge on deliciously savory mini-burgers, called Hawaiian Sliders, a delightfully cheesy –and LUMPY– crab dip, and the famed sampler platter, featuring mozzarella “triangles,” beefy nachos, garlic bread and wings. The iced tea was a bit weak (REGULAR tea…remember, it was a school night!) for our tastes, but some lemon and sweetener quickly fixed that non-issue.

After gorging on our mini-feast, my friend and I headed a bit further back. We lounged on some large, Hawaiian-looking tall chairs that leaned back just a bit. My friend was bad and ordered a Long Island iced tea. Not wanting my bladder to explode in the middle of the night, I opted for nothing. Just sitting on this comfy chair under the “shade” of a faux-palm tree was enough for me.

The first act went on a bit after 8:00. As soon as Philly rocker Rayvn set foot on stage, it was on. Rayvn’s clever and appealing mix of aggressively smooth and pleasantly gutteral vocal stylings could best be described as a cross between the growl of Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder with the vibrato of Axl Rose. The music was just as appealing, as he and his band ably proved. While listening to Rayvn’s jangling guitarwork, I couldn’t help but briefly compare him to The Edge, of the band U2. There were some definite and awesome similarities, as Rayvn continued his rocking set which featured great pop hooks and neo-soul grooves. My friend, looking all Geisha-like, got her picture taken with Rayvn. You should check out some sounds here.

Next up was SOULoh, a band featuring the musical stylings of some old friends from high school. Guitarist and vocalist Brad McClain, bassist and vocalist Vince Cirino, and drummer Matt Calvarese (though a sub was on hand last night) have garnered quite a following with their catchy melodies and breezy funk-rock. Smacked with a kiss of the blues, SOULoh is a truly original act. Combined with McClain’s feverish and frenetic guitar-playing and Cirino’s and Calvarese’s deep rhythm grooves, SOULoh is a band caught somewhere between jam-band land and Top 40 dominance. I couldn’t help but think of Walter Becker just a bit while I was listening to them play. SOULoh has released an album, so be sure to contact them should your interest be piqued after checking out some of their songs.

Rounding out the night was blues-band Johnny Duke and the Aces. The Aces have been featured in The News Journal several times and are indeed due the continued praise they’ve received over the years. Unfortunately, lead singer and guitarist John Lippencott was injured and unable to play last night. Your absent-minded correspondent forgot to get the name of the gentleman who took his place. Even with a substitute taking the reins, it’s clear to see this band’s got nowhere to go but up. Combining blistering blues with Bill-Haley-and-His-Comets-era pop hooks, Johnny Duke and the Aces have crafted a melodically infectious and all-together pleasing sound. Bassist Ian Walsh provided the licks that would make Flea shit his pre-soiled underwear. Drummer Cam Tyler rounded out the rhythmic trio. Again, there’s no place like MySpace to hear clips from Johnny Duke and the Aces. They’ve also released an album, so be sure to contact them if you’re interested.

Completing the evening was the slightly-belligerant drunk who entertained me and my friend with his amusing, yet slightly grating, non-sequiturs. Anyone remember Soy Bomb, from the 1998 Grammy Awards? Well this guy’s dancing on the floor was only slightly more out-of-control than his. Too bad I didn’t snap a pic of this whacked-out loon!

All of this entertainment comes courtesy of Kathy Cammett, who regularly holds open-mic nights at Kahuna to find the best-of-the-best to headline these shows. Be sure to head on over to MySpace and add Kathy as a “friend” for the latest in local entertainment updates.

Hopefully I’ll be back next week with better pictures and more updates from this series of shows at Kahuna. I hope to see some of you there!

Posted by Mike Matthews in Music at 5:23 PM PST

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Stay tuned. My fat ass is gonna kick it into gear tomorrow with some pretty good updates, the best of which is a round-up of some local bands I saw tonight. I’ve got pictures and some quick re-caps of all the bands.

Tomorrow, my friends. The wait is nearly over.

Good night!

Posted by Mike Matthews in Personal at 10:34 PM PST

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