tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51115606676266519922024-03-05T19:52:15.667-05:00Yo, Bartender!Libations and observations from<br>the City of Brotherly Love.Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12552691169272336266noreply@blogger.comBlogger45125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111560667626651992.post-5858029945571616602013-12-31T17:25:00.000-05:002013-12-31T17:45:36.142-05:00These Go to 11: Jobu's Jawns of 2013<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgu_OgB2SlJhNlJwMKAKVqhjpGMGl8dpXRT9Wm3X9TTr-VOParWoDQmaKlW1k7g8RyEnyNSq42JdcNlEDvgewzVIooxIkHVJZugke4mdpUZL7C1mylAgbepqe90TTxamJO1fWBctMRKzSU/s1600/bears-den-6109.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgu_OgB2SlJhNlJwMKAKVqhjpGMGl8dpXRT9Wm3X9TTr-VOParWoDQmaKlW1k7g8RyEnyNSq42JdcNlEDvgewzVIooxIkHVJZugke4mdpUZL7C1mylAgbepqe90TTxamJO1fWBctMRKzSU/s400/bears-den-6109.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Hey, look, the first post on this blog in nine months! Hey, look, someone with no journalistic credibility or pull whatsoever throwing a list out into the ether of the Internet as if folks should care!<br />
<br />
Why do this? Well, I could say it's because I'm making a resolution for 2014 to get back to writing for pleasure, whether here or over at <a href="http://www.keypulp.com">KeyPulp</a> if my cohorts and I can get our shit (and schedules) together; and while throwing together a list is a complete cop-out and not actually writing, it at least forces me to spend some time thinking about something that's going to the be "published" and perhaps, possibly, maybe viewed by human eyes.<br />
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But the real reason is that I was dicking around on the Interwebs when my 50-pound pooch decided that my lap looked like a wonderful place to put her head for naptime, so I couldn't move and was just listening to my <a href="http://open.spotify.com/user/12124319748/playlist/5SD0NB9TkkuLFJkIPyGygn">2013 Soundtrack</a> playlist and figured I'd put the 11 songs that most occupied my brain this year. Why 11? Because I say so; because from now on, my top 10 lists <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xgx4k83zzc">go to 11</a>. <br />
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11. Arctic Monkeys, "Do I Wanna Know?"<br />
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/bpOSxM0rNPM?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
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10. ZZ Ward, "365 Days"<br />
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/m6YkSItejP4?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
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9. Daft Punk feat. Pharrell Williams, "Get Lucky"<br />
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/5NV6Rdv1a3I?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
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8. Man Man, "Head On"<br />
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/kI1PWcTe0W4?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
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7. Frank Turner, "Recovery"<br />
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/F1L5zJ2afLs?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
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6. Lorde, "Royals"<br />
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/nlcIKh6sBtc?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
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5. The Mowgli's, "San Francisco"<br />
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/8RZqPq1-1Tw?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
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4. Bastille, "Pompeii"<br />
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/F90Cw4l-8NY?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
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3. Air Dubai feat. Patricia Lynn, "Warning"<br />
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/wbdoVOBKkTc?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
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2. Tired Pony, "All Things All at Once"<br />
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/jNnet9hRri4?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
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1. Bear's Den, "Agape"<br />
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/R-lrB-NhMuA?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
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<em>Header photo of Bear's Den by <a href="http://www.robinballphotography.com/">Rob Ball</a>, <a href="http://www.bearsdenmusic.co.uk/photos/?album=all&gallery=10">via Bear's Den official website</a>.</em>Jobuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17291002003853197554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111560667626651992.post-6770305247576891722013-03-29T15:30:00.000-04:002013-03-29T15:30:00.542-04:00TGIF TunesThree toe-tappers to send you into the weekend.<br />
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<center><iframe width="500" height="281" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/A_g2Pgf-C78?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></center><br />
<center><iframe width="500" height="375" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/7v0KCoPMTdU?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></center><br />
<center><iframe width="500" height="281" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/JMsYFWOLF_g" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></center>Jobuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17291002003853197554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111560667626651992.post-72930897782470806402013-03-18T09:00:00.000-04:002013-03-18T09:00:15.454-04:00Metal Monday<center><iframe width="500" height="281" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/VTT6picaCoQ?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></center>Jobuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17291002003853197554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111560667626651992.post-40129838796798884612013-03-15T15:30:00.000-04:002013-03-15T15:30:01.480-04:00TGIF TunesThree toe-tappers to send you into the weekend.<br />
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<center><iframe width="500" height="281" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/DDjpOrlfh0Y?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></center><br />
<center><iframe width="500" height="375" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/TJBhdKrwTOc?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></center><br />
<center><iframe width="500" height="375" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/MMR5JVo21wQ?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></center>Jobuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17291002003853197554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111560667626651992.post-9102021351728264582013-03-11T09:00:00.000-04:002013-03-11T09:00:13.404-04:00Metal MondayThose who know me know that I'm going to look for just about any excuse I can find to post an Iron Maiden video. Well, this excuse is easy: Steve Harris' birthday is tomorrow. Happy early 57th, 'Arry!<br />
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<center><iframe width="500" height="281" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/HyTzHotDeNs?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></center>Jobuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17291002003853197554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111560667626651992.post-46418595637145691532013-03-08T15:30:00.000-05:002013-03-08T15:30:01.052-05:00TGIF TunesThree toe-tappers to send you into the weekend.<br />
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<center><iframe width="500" height="281" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/pRWjLLpwnOM?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></center><br />
<center><iframe width="500" height="281" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/-Z45dEitIp4?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></center><br />
<center><iframe width="500" height="375" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/FkmgafBRdos?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></center>Jobuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17291002003853197554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111560667626651992.post-53375114295734097632013-03-04T23:15:00.000-05:002013-03-04T23:15:00.603-05:00Metal Monday<center><iframe width="500" height="281" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/XfSUCJACyKs?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></center>Jobuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17291002003853197554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111560667626651992.post-80462305359726932162013-03-01T15:30:00.000-05:002013-03-01T15:30:01.300-05:00TGIF TunesThree toe-tappers to send you into the weekend.<br />
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<center><iframe width="500" height="375" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ARiiO_41Id8?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></center><br />
<center><iframe width="500" height="281" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Iqizoud_NN0?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></center><br />
<center><iframe width="500" height="281" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/SHjnUAHekyg?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></center>Jobuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17291002003853197554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111560667626651992.post-27190627503914568752013-02-25T09:00:00.000-05:002013-02-25T09:00:10.290-05:00Metal MondayRise and shine.<br />
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<center><iframe width="500" height="375" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/7RJsRQOneMY?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></center>Jobuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17291002003853197554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111560667626651992.post-47910823030967730012013-02-22T15:30:00.000-05:002013-02-22T15:30:00.647-05:00TGIF TunesThree toe-tappers to send you into the weekend.<br />
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<center><iframe width="500" height="281" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/yHt0EMmSwnA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></center><br />
<center><iframe width="500" height="375" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/bm5TZX5hz3g" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></center><br />
<center><iframe width="500" height="281" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/CsFtEqnyWYY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></center>Jobuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17291002003853197554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111560667626651992.post-2385362795453946042013-02-18T09:00:00.000-05:002013-02-18T09:00:03.388-05:00Metal MondayI'm feeling a little contrarian, so let's conjure up some good karma by offering this one ....<br />
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<center><iframe width="500" height="281" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/lQTePyL5lPM?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></center>Jobuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17291002003853197554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111560667626651992.post-34890393872566866422013-02-15T14:48:00.000-05:002013-02-15T14:48:55.334-05:00TGIF TunesThree toe-tappers to send you into the weekend.<br />
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<center><iframe width="500" height="281" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/8RZqPq1-1Tw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></center><br />
<center><iframe width="500" height="281" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/zsyjS_vJfkw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></center><br />
<center><iframe width="500" height="281" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/2uNZuKCSDtw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></center>Jobuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17291002003853197554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111560667626651992.post-75771733879896267522012-07-30T10:30:00.000-04:002012-07-30T11:16:03.417-04:00Southern Hospitality<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVp3Dt8UUafQhgXkgxyxu22bvrfwsRqHZoy41uUms3FuAOD75sEcdBEGow3BT5nPor3b9-pBGYH3GI6rjhUOlLnqWFF9Mf6p4tXMUchSHxHEtL0FSjtJ6o5BvwZs-qFiRODOiflPTyk0Yt/s1600/NashvilleatNight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="293" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVp3Dt8UUafQhgXkgxyxu22bvrfwsRqHZoy41uUms3FuAOD75sEcdBEGow3BT5nPor3b9-pBGYH3GI6rjhUOlLnqWFF9Mf6p4tXMUchSHxHEtL0FSjtJ6o5BvwZs-qFiRODOiflPTyk0Yt/s400/NashvilleatNight.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Between the stresses of work, wedding planning, and my masochistic, emotionally-draining following of the <a href="http://yobartender.blogspot.com/2012/07/bless-me-father-for-i-have-apparently.html">downfall of my alma mater's good name</a>, I needed to get away. I've still been feeling <a href="http://yobartender.blogspot.com/2012/06/getting-untangled.html">a bit out of sorts</a> lately, so it was time for a change of scenery. This past weekend was exactly what I needed.<br />
<br />
Those who know Jill and me are well aware that there are three things that we relentlessly advocate: <a href="http://www.petfinder.com/index.html">adopting shelter animals</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/gwsabatino">George Sabatino</a>'s food, and <a href="http://jaqkcellars.com/">JAQK Cellars</a> wine. It was the last of these that sent us to Nashville, Tennessee this weekend. Our good friend <a href="http://jaqkcellars.com/about-meet-the-players-david-dees">David</a> is the road warrior head of sales for JAQK. (While we certainly acknowledge that our friendship with David feeds our JAQK fandom, we became big fans of the wine <a href="http://phillyist.com/2009/08/04/foodsday_tuesday_to_go_to_the_festi.php">before we really knew him</a>; and we wouldn't blow smoke up our other friends' asses by insisting they try wine that sucks. Life is too short to drink wine that sucks.) David had a rare few days off between road trips, so he invited us and some other good friends of his to his current home base just outside Nashville for a weekend of decompression. Things being what they have been lately, the weekend trip couldn't have come at a better time.<br />
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Without boring you with all of the details of the weekend, I want to publicly recommend checking out the following places if you happen to find yourself in Nashville, as they all helped make for a wonderfully relaxing weekend.<br />
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<strong><a href="http://mstreetnashville.com/kayne-prime">Kayne Prime</a></strong> is a meat-lover's paradise. I'm a bit of a cynic when it comes to steakhouses, because in Philly they're all chains and/or in the mold of a converted bank building. (I say this, I confess, having not eaten at <a href="http://www.barclayprime.com/">Barclay Prime</a>.) Don't get me wrong, I love a well-prepared cut of quality meat as much as the next guy, but I generally want my steak without the overbearing formality I feel in many steakhouses. So for me, Kayne was a home run: great steak and sides in a smart-casual setting. Although the steak is certainly the feature at Kayne, the highlight, must-order item for me was this beauty:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn0zqRymb38wxM1HdAIRPI8JJZsFEB_U62XrxZIrR-TNdPNrdbzqHYwp792TYsufg8NZup0Bour8eqyzBu86ZwBJ5njTHX3cSt7GChjxjChpvFype9-6sVESiJ9okxjiGPDCMI-HK_RbI5/s1600/kayne-bacon-cottoncandy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn0zqRymb38wxM1HdAIRPI8JJZsFEB_U62XrxZIrR-TNdPNrdbzqHYwp792TYsufg8NZup0Bour8eqyzBu86ZwBJ5njTHX3cSt7GChjxjChpvFype9-6sVESiJ9okxjiGPDCMI-HK_RbI5/s400/kayne-bacon-cottoncandy.jpg" /></a></div><br />
That's two thick-cut pieces of peppered bacon with maple cotton candy. David had described the flavor as being what happens when you're having pancakes with maple syrup and a side of bacon for breakfast, and some of the syrup drips off the pancakes and coats the bacon. That description was spot on—if, you know, you have top-quality bacon and maple syrup in your breakfast. Other menu highlights included the American wagyu New York Strip (as part of the New York Strip "progression" featuring prime, American wagyu, and Australian wagyu); the roasted bone marrow "canoes of beef," the macaroni gratinée (with bacon, of course), and the cream corn brulée. Kayne scored extra points for carrying my two favorite JAQK wines on its <a href="http://mstreetnashville.com/sites/default/files/Kayne%20Prime%20WineLibations%20WEB%20052112.pdf">very strong wine list</a>: <a href="http://jaqkcellars.com/wine-jaqk-cellars-wine-collection-napa-valley-sonoma-coast/soldiers-of-fortune">Soldiers of Fortune</a> syrah, and <a href="http://jaqkcellars.com/wine-jaqk-cellars-wine-collection-napa-valley-sonoma-coast/black-clover">Black Clover</a> merlot.<br />
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<strong><a href="http://www.whitfieldsrestaurant.com/">Whitfield's</a></strong> is a friendly, fairly casual neighborhood restaurant in Belle Meade, about 20 minutes from downtown Nashville. The <a href="http://www.whitfieldsrestaurant.com/menu.htm">menu</a> is full of straightforward, familiar dishes that are thoughtfully well-executed. Of course, I almost didn't have room for my actual meal because the complimentary oiled baguette with sun-dried tomato compound butter was just so good; our table of five went through three of them. Highlights also included watermelon salad with arugula, goat cheese, and a <s>balsamic reduction</s> watermelon-lime balsamic dressing; and pan-seared salmon with a sweet chili glaze. One of our dining companions also raved about her <a href="https://twitter.com/SouthernSoiree/status/229402763749113856">pan-seared scallops</a>. And David informs us that their osso bucco, on the fall seasonal menu starting in September or so, is worth a trip on its own.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK_xX8UiOoNpVtCQiWmucbf9PS9E5qDjFRmdonA0AVJL1h5PD9xNW_LJIoO9yqb4fxu27y3eDN8MsFmAmMGtyJHT2R7YtsHln1pvfX8CPiex4BicqUuGxUvcKpQa-7gdcmhRPk_gAbgcOG/s1600/cheddarbiscuits-chorizogravy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK_xX8UiOoNpVtCQiWmucbf9PS9E5qDjFRmdonA0AVJL1h5PD9xNW_LJIoO9yqb4fxu27y3eDN8MsFmAmMGtyJHT2R7YtsHln1pvfX8CPiex4BicqUuGxUvcKpQa-7gdcmhRPk_gAbgcOG/s400/cheddarbiscuits-chorizogravy.jpg" /></a></div>Finally, <strong><a href="http://mstreetnashville.com/tavern">Tavern</a></strong> is a hopping bar and restaurant smack in downtown Nashville, just a few blocks from <a href="http://www.vanderbilt.edu/">Vanderbilt</a>. We went for brunch, and found that Tavern offered Southern junk "morning after" food in all its artery-clogging glory. Their cheddar biscuits with chorizo gravy (pictured) is the closest rival to <a href="http://www.silkcityphilly.com/">Silk City</a>'s biscuits and sausage gravy I've found for that type of dish. And the "Benedict Uno," a braised short rib benny with tabasco hollandaise, was a wonderfully satisfying spin on the brunch classic. But Tavern's <s>heart-</s> show-stopper is its "<a href="http://www.eat-drink-smile.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/IMG_3487-580x773.jpg">White Trash Hash</a>," an unholy combination of mushy french fries and gooey cheese. It's exactly what you'll need to kill a pesky hangover after a late night at the Nashville honky tonks. (I would like to officially request that <a href="http://theindustrybar.com/">The Industry</a> call up the folks at Tavern and get the recipe for this stuff; weary bar and restaurant workers will kill plates upon plates of it on Sunday afternoons.)<br />
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Thanks to David, JAQK Cellars, and all of these places for the amazing hospitality this weekend. Now that my batteries are recharged ...<br />
<br />
<center><iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/hcJ1lrllZ7o" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></center><br />
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<em>Header photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fkehren/5910537603/">Frank Kehren</a>, used under Creative Commons license. Other photos by author.</em>Jobuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17291002003853197554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111560667626651992.post-35543562066442369662012-07-30T10:00:00.002-04:002012-07-30T10:00:41.974-04:00Metal MondayIt's Monday, time to wake up and crush some skulls ....<br />
<br />
<center><iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/s6WGNd8QR-U" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></center>Jobuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17291002003853197554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111560667626651992.post-25968092874034153392012-07-26T13:16:00.001-04:002012-07-26T13:19:48.579-04:00P.S. (Post Script, or Penn State; Take It for What You Will)This. So much this.<br />
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<center><iframe frameborder="0" width="480" height="270" src="http://www.dailymotion.com/embed/video/xsdt1i_penn-state-football-2012-mercy_sport"></iframe><br />
<a href="http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xsdt1i_penn-state-football-2012-mercy_sport" target="_blank">Penn State Football 2012: Mercy</a> <i>by <a href="http://www.dailymotion.com/PSUBLJ" target="_blank">PSUBLJ</a></i></center><br />
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Hat tip: <a href="http://onwardstate.com/2012/07/26/penn-state-video-well-get-through-this/">Onward State</a> on <a href="https://twitter.com/OnwardState/status/228506843415207936">Twitter</a>Jobuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17291002003853197554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111560667626651992.post-31940620047272732012-07-23T23:39:00.003-04:002012-07-23T23:42:24.638-04:00Bless Me Father, for I Have (Apparently) Sinned<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKiIKmp8htvRlzCRgEuqCvcq1aXNMdwEFokb-EkBzAalBaQVXgTm7t6JjCtNYUq2wtzXCkDAUM4cSnFy7NVcJXbBEOGIMlz5GqoUTgMVQFyX6y8UjoeWZyw5i1a7AtgoilKRTm9jY-xzix/s1600/BeaverStadium-full.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="233" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKiIKmp8htvRlzCRgEuqCvcq1aXNMdwEFokb-EkBzAalBaQVXgTm7t6JjCtNYUq2wtzXCkDAUM4cSnFy7NVcJXbBEOGIMlz5GqoUTgMVQFyX6y8UjoeWZyw5i1a7AtgoilKRTm9jY-xzix/s400/BeaverStadium-full.jpg" /></a></div><br />
It's long overdue time that I made this confession.<br />
<br />
I went to Penn State because of the football team.<br />
<br />
There, I said it. And it's a statement that's both technically true and easily subject to any number of misinterpretations. You see, I didn't go to Penn State <em>for</em> football in the literal sense, in that I was not a football scholarship athlete. The closest I got to gridiron glory was an endzone-to-endzone interception return for a touchdown I made—in 8th grade, during a gym class flag football game.<br />
<br />
Nor did I go to Penn State just because I wanted to go to a "football school." Although Penn State was ranked #2 in the country when I did my application in the fall of 1999 (before the disastrous three-game skid to close out that regular season), I did not apply to the school because I was a football fanatic. If that was the case, I would have applied to at least a few other football schools—certainly Michigan, maybe Texas and Wisconsin. But that wasn't the agenda. I applied to four schools, and Penn State was the only football school in the bunch.<br />
<br />
But when I looked at my acceptances—Vanderbilt, Wake Forest, and Penn State—and my waitlist offer from UVA, it took me all of about 5 minutes to make a confident, final decision of where to spend the next four years of my life: Happy Valley. Academically, my parents wouldn't have let me apply anywhere they wouldn't be proud to say their son attended. And frankly, I wouldn't have applied to any school that I wouldn't be proud to one day put on my resume. And I also simply wasn't concerned about being particularly close or far from home. I knew I didn't want to go to college in Philadelphia. Beyond that, I didn't really care or think about how long it would take me to drive or fly home for Thanksgiving, winter break, etc.<br />
<br />
So my choice was truly limited to the schools' environment, which is where Penn State football comes in. Not because I was a particularly fervent football fan. So it really wasn't about that. It was about what was clear from watching Penn State football games on television: 100,000 people who shared a community—one built not just around winning athletes, but on ideas with labels like "Success With Honor" and the "Penn State Way." When I visited the Penn State campus in October 1999, it was clear that these ideas didn't just apply to the football team, but permeated every aspect of the University, and these ideals were something that every student, faculty member, alumnus, coach, and administrator were expected to live up to. To quote our Alma Mater:<br />
<br />
<em><center>For the glory of old State,<br />
For her founders strong and great,<br />
For the future that we wait,<br />
Raise the song, raise the song. <br />
<br />
Sing our love and loyalty,<br />
Sing our hopes that, bright and free,<br />
Rest, O Mother dear, with thee,<br />
All with thee, all with thee. <br />
<br />
When we stood at childhood's gate,<br />
Shapeless in the hands of fate,<br />
Thou didst mold us, dear old State,<br />
Dear old State, dear old State. <br />
<br />
May no act of ours bring shame<br />
To one heart that loves thy name,<br />
May our lives but swell thy fame,<br />
Dear old State, dear old State.</center></em><br />
<br />
While the Alma Mater is over 100 years old, and the school over 150, for my generation (and the generation immediately before mine), these ideals were embodied by a short, funny-looking Italian guy from Brooklyn with Coke-bottle glasses. This blue-collar guy with an Ivy League degree who came to a college in the middle of nowhere, Pennsylvania and began a "grand experiment" of doing things the right way, not cutting corners, and still being successful. And <em>everyone</em> in the University community bought into it, not just his football players.<br />
<br />
Lightheartedly, I refer to the Penn State scandal as the Great Onion—because there are layers upon layers to the story, and they all make me cry. But when people look at Penn Staters and think we're mostly upset today because our football team is going to be bad for the better part of the next decade, they're missing the point. Because while football led me, and many like me to Penn State, it wasn't because we gave the first damn about bragging about going to a national championship-caliber school; it was about joining the grand experiment ourselves, by joining a community exemplified—but not defined—by a football team that believed in doing things the right way.<br />
<br />
<em>Image Credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/pennstatelive/5964181686/">Penn State Live on Flickr</a></em>Jobuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17291002003853197554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111560667626651992.post-54374679932347918112012-06-18T09:13:00.000-04:002012-06-18T09:25:03.114-04:00Getting Untangled<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIc-som9X_AUNIKj7XgbkzGzhOkvjuGOslJdil-ZdJzEKXYJQlmvfmWBIELLMQAluTib63Eue07YXidBAfAOXmWIRE3FDpti1Xak1nNZMcbsTWscbE69Ny1_tVaAIlmJ5dT-M7lAxVOqfU/s1600/rubberbandball.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIc-som9X_AUNIKj7XgbkzGzhOkvjuGOslJdil-ZdJzEKXYJQlmvfmWBIELLMQAluTib63Eue07YXidBAfAOXmWIRE3FDpti1Xak1nNZMcbsTWscbE69Ny1_tVaAIlmJ5dT-M7lAxVOqfU/s400/rubberbandball.JPG" width="300" /></a>Within a few weeks of starting my job, in late 2007, I began making a rubber band ball. I'd had one at my previous summer job; as a lawyer (and a law firm clerk, or intern), you just naturally deal with a lot of rubber bands. You're always receiving packets of documents from clients, colleagues, opposing counsel, hospitals, etc., and most are too thick for a mere paper clip or staple. So they're rubber banded together. But what do you do with the rubber bands once you move those papers into a binder, or are done using them and toss them in the shred bin? I suppose you could just throw out the rubber bands, but that seems so wasteful. And the mailroom, where office supplies are kept, is on a whole other floor. Who wants to walk that far just to return a rubber band? Why not make <i>art</i>?<br />
<br />
Yeah, I think the logic went something like that. Or it was just inexplicable impulse. And so, the ball was begun. And it grew. And grew. And grew.<br />
<br />
Last week, I hit a wall, and realized I just couldn't take it anymore. Not the ball; we'll get back to the ball. But life. At 30, most of my friends are married. Many have had children or have children on the way. They've got their shit together, or at least they seem to. While I don't have kids, <a href="http://47paperweights.blogspot.com/">marriage is on the way</a>, and I'm a homeowner. I've got a veritable domestic zoo comprised of four cats and a <s>monster</s> dog. My friends probably think I have my shit together, too.<br />
<br />
But I don't. I eat and drink too much, sleep too little. I work too much, but not well or productively enough. I pay $60 a month in fat tax: the Sweat gym membership I haven't used in nearly a year. There are still boxes in the basement and, embarrassingly, kitchen of my house that haven't been unpacked, and Jill and I moved into our place almost two years ago.<br />
<br />
To be honest. It's fucking overwhelming. Work. Dog. Work. Drink. Can't sleep. Work. Eat. How the hell am I behind on work? House. Dog. Eat. House. Work.<br />
<br />
As I sat in my office yesterday, I glared at the rubber band ball, and saw my life. A mess of interwoven strands all adding up to one big tangled nothing. It just sits there, and while it's grown, it hasn't become any more functional. I'm fed up with life being like that, and I became fed up with the ball.<br />
<br />
But I couldn't just throw it out. That would be too ... simple? Pointless? But as I stared at the ball, I decided that it had to die. The ball certainly didn't get so big and tangled overnight, and neither did my life. And both have to get untangled, strand by strand. I peeled off 30 rubber bands from the ball yesterday. Some snapped, and some were too stretched and weak to keep. Those I threw out. Some were still perfectly functional, so I put them back where they belong—in the mailroom. This morning, I peeled off 10 more rubber bands, as a reminder of what I need to work towards. If I take care of business at work today, at the end of the day, I'll allow myself to peel off 10 more. And so I hope it will go, every day, until it's done.<br />
<br />
Here's hoping I can do the same with life.Jobuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17291002003853197554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111560667626651992.post-50544154848313489162012-03-22T09:53:00.003-04:002012-03-22T10:00:50.636-04:00Metal Monday: Thursday EditionThis past Metal Monday was the 30th anniversary of Randy Rhoads' death. So to move on to something a little less tragic, I present this special Thursday edition of Metal Monday. Because today is another 30th anniversary: On March 22, 1982, <a href="http://www.ironmaiden.com/">Iron Maiden</a> unleashed <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Number_of_the_Beast_%28album%29"><em>The Number of the Beast</em></a> on the world. And the world is a better place for it.<br /><br /><center><iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/7vP2hFFV57E" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></center>Jobuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17291002003853197554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111560667626651992.post-67754337547740992142012-03-19T13:48:00.004-04:002012-03-19T13:50:55.592-04:00Metal MondayI realize I haven't touched this site in a while, but because today is the <a href="http://www.geeksofdoom.com/2012/03/19/30-years-gone-remembering-guitar-legend-randy-rhoads/">30th anniversary of Randy Rhoads' untimely passing</a>, this seems only apropos.<br /><br /><center><iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/4ayApFc9D7E" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></center>Jobuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17291002003853197554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111560667626651992.post-7249107254046885072012-01-03T10:20:00.004-05:002012-01-03T10:21:47.593-05:00Happy Iowa Caucus Day!Scott Siepker (yeah, I don't know exactly who he is, either) wins the Internet. Iowans, get out there and <s>vote</s> caucus!<br /><br /><center><iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/qLZZ6JD0g9Y" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></center>Jobuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17291002003853197554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111560667626651992.post-53783829739403438482011-12-15T15:36:00.007-05:002011-12-15T15:50:56.441-05:00O, Christmas Tree! O, Christmas Tree!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Z3dKvjrsIazo_m2o7KtlDwLS7B5uCavhPih1nWkzYiuy3qTLd4IHFfzX7xX-inN4jvSzTAGjS4eSox8b3GXOHu53aHIoTrN1sSyfBa6dR43qyUyjgJuebZsu_rqSgYykfMm4Mo-1993t/s1600/Percy-St-Christmas-tree.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 259px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Z3dKvjrsIazo_m2o7KtlDwLS7B5uCavhPih1nWkzYiuy3qTLd4IHFfzX7xX-inN4jvSzTAGjS4eSox8b3GXOHu53aHIoTrN1sSyfBa6dR43qyUyjgJuebZsu_rqSgYykfMm4Mo-1993t/s400/Percy-St-Christmas-tree.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5686457781116345298" /></a>Yes, Virginia, there is a Christmas tree made of beer cans, and it's at <a href="http://percystreet.com/">Percy Street Barbecue</a>. The 8-foot tall wonder is made of over 400 beer cans, most of them from PSB's "Six Pack Program." Like a lot of bottle shops/take-away beer places in Philly, PSB offers a discount on mix-a-six packs. There, buy five <a href="http://percystreet.com/PercyStreetDrinks.pdf">cans of beer</a>, and the sixth is free.<br /><br />I'll admit, I've only been to Percy Street Barbecue once, and it was for a cocktail reception, so I haven't yet eaten a proper meal there. But the feedback I've seen on it has been mostly positive—and hell, it's <a href="http://cooknsolo.com/">Michael Solomonov</a>, so how could it possibly be anything less than "pretty good"? So this makes me really want to go throw down some barbecue, crack a can of beer, and celebrate the good feelings of the season.<br /><br /><em>Photo by Drea Rane, via <a href="http://profilepr.com/">Profile PR</a></em>Jobuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17291002003853197554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111560667626651992.post-35771281530439853302011-11-09T21:13:00.011-05:002011-11-09T23:55:03.499-05:00Who's Next?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1MtXwQXKqZB0w9M48DTfxKDWFEYE7q5Wz8tf6El09NKeEHhv7Xhnlxt_1gYEyqlQsYn9CIWQYNPbYs5GJfZFmIP2DmuUJNXAffDR0X95KL6v7SvyblPTs1kkr6WdHVf3TvGGe6-4k41BP/s1600/beaverstadium.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 173px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1MtXwQXKqZB0w9M48DTfxKDWFEYE7q5Wz8tf6El09NKeEHhv7Xhnlxt_1gYEyqlQsYn9CIWQYNPbYs5GJfZFmIP2DmuUJNXAffDR0X95KL6v7SvyblPTs1kkr6WdHVf3TvGGe6-4k41BP/s400/beaverstadium.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5673225788593931154" /></a><br /><br />There are so many angles, so many tragedies to the Penn State scandal. First and foremost is, of course, the unknown number of young men whose lives have been (okay, fine, <em>allegedly</em>) irreparably damaged by one sicko, and a group of people who ignorantly or recklessly let him take advantage of his position. There's the downfall of arguably the greatest icon in higher education, let alone college sports. There's the collateral damage—currently players and assistant coaches who had nothing to do with any of this but who will not be able to just focus on football for the rest of the season (and for the coaches, who will all but certainly be gone, through no fault of their own, at the end of the season). And, especially for us alumni, there's the dragging of a great University's name—and everything it has held itself out to be—through the mud.<br /><br />At the risk of committing a crass, "too soon" violation, one of the ways I got through a borderline existential crisis today was by thinking about, with Joe's impending—<a href="http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/7214380/joe-paterno-president-graham-spanier-penn-state">and now official</a>—departure from dear old State, who would be next. Because Pennsylvania State University—and the Nittany Lions football team—will go on. Must go on. Joe Paterno may have built the idea of "Success with Honor," and arguably (probably) failed to meet the high expectations that he himself helped build for PSU.<br /><br />For years, when many were waiting for JoePa's retirement (or passing) to excise him from the sidelines, names were bandied about as to who would succeed him. Well, it'll soon be a question that has to be answered. Perhaps because I wanted to think about something other than the negative negative negative. So who should be the next Penn State coach? Thinking about the circumstances as they are now, there's one clear choice.<br /><br />Al Golden.<br /><br />His name has been kicked around for the Penn State coaching job for a couple years now, and he's now got to be the clear front-runner.<br /><br />As a Penn State alum, I refuse to believe that the "Success with Honor" idea is dead, even if we now think that Joe Paterno himself didn't live up to it. Too many people have carried it as a philosophy embodied at Penn State, especially former players. So while some people think that anyone who has any connection to Paterno should be off-limits, I feel quite the opposite. Penn State was Camelot, and the next coach should be someone who believed in that ideal and has the burn to restore it to that place. And the only way I think that will happen, given the circus that the next coach is walking into, is if the coach is someone who has a connection to and love for Penn State, and all that that name embodies. (Not embodied, <em>embodies</em>.)<br /><br />Golden is a former Nittany Lion captain. He was an on- and off-field player-leader. So I hope he has a deep enough feeling for PSU to want to return it to Camelot status. By all accounts, Golden has impeccable character; and, he built Temple into a winning football program. Not great, but winning. If he could deliver a winning record at Temple, what could he accomplish with the facilities, tradition, and alumni backing of Penn State? He knew he was taking on a challenge by taking the job at Miami; but with the impending NCAA sanctions against "The U," rumor and reasonable suspicion is that he'd be looking to make a switch. The Penn State job would certainly be a challenge given the circumstances, but the odds are the new coach—whomever it is—will have a long leash and the opportunity to build a program from scratch, with the support of a brand new University president and a brand new athletic director. That kind of opportunity doesn't come around often, and I for one would love to see one of our own take it.<br /><br />[An aside: We don't know whether the current assistant coaches on the staff, Mike McQueary aside, did or did not know anything. If not, and I suspect most or all of them knew nothing of the horrific events described in the Sandusky indictment, one of the sad aspects of this story will be the house-cleaning, necessary though it may be, of men who also buy into the Penn State-Camelot ideal. Assuming that they were entirely innocent, as I must at the moment, I hope guys like Tom Bradley find a place to land on their feet. It's just one of the many collateral-damage elements of this devastating ordeal.]<br /><br /><em>Image Credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drocpsu/384256834/">drocpsu</a></em>Jobuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17291002003853197554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111560667626651992.post-83165227430027138312011-11-08T11:37:00.008-05:002011-11-08T12:42:35.456-05:00We Are ...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnTD1XXWDTWyAKi7JPAPA7qzGxUYFFLS0awBLj01iR2Dal8nL6x874Ai4I2XCD4DGJepYZtzZs5cYFrwJf-RSXBUx61Mk9QaUiLVJ6ZTCukwHAe6wFOQuIe735XvR2NgMjNkE9D8mq5xtV/s1600/Nittany-tear.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 280px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnTD1XXWDTWyAKi7JPAPA7qzGxUYFFLS0awBLj01iR2Dal8nL6x874Ai4I2XCD4DGJepYZtzZs5cYFrwJf-RSXBUx61Mk9QaUiLVJ6ZTCukwHAe6wFOQuIe735XvR2NgMjNkE9D8mq5xtV/s400/Nittany-tear.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5672667104668473474" /></a><br /><br />Shocked. Dumbfounded. Distraught. Angry. Hurt.<br /><br />You pick it, all of us who bleed blue and white are feeling it right now. And the Penn St-haters are crowing. On Twitter. On Facebook. On ESPN.com comment threads. Everyone's coming out of the wordwork to bash Joe Paterno, Graham Spanier—and "Penn State."<br /><br />I'm not going to defend Paterno, Spanier, Mike McQueary, Tim Curley, or Gary Schultz. (Do I actually have to mention I wouldn't defend Jerry Sandusky? No? Good. I thought that would be pretty obvious.) In some cases—Paterno and Spanier—I doubt we'll ever know what they did or did not know. But that won't stop the judging, and maybe that's okay. Perhaps as much fault could lie for what they <em>should have known</em>.<br /><br />But despite being the University President, Graham Spanier is not Penn State. Despite being the University's paramount icon and having his name etched on the main library, Joe Paterno is not Penn State. Penn State is something different, but common, to the millions of people who have walked its campus and called themselves Lions.<br /><br />For me, Penn State is hundreds of <a href="http://pennstatehershey.org/web/fourdiamonds/home">Four Diamonds</a> families who inspire thousands of students and alumni to do more, ever more. It's learning more on the south side of College Ave. than the north side. (For the non-Penn Staters, College Ave. divides the main downtown of State College, on the south, from the University campus, on the north.) And it's friendships with some of the finest people walking this earth—people whose names you'll never read in the paper, but who do great things in the arts, business, and their communities. People I'm proud to know, who I met in a place that I am proud to call my alma mater.<br /><br />If heads roll for this scandal—and they will—it is because they have failed not only in their moral and, arguably, legal obligations, but also in their duty to uphold the high honor of dear old State.<br /><br /><center><em>For the glory of old State,<br />For her founders strong and great,<br />For the future that we wait,<br />Raise the song, raise the song. <br /><br />Sing our love and loyalty,<br />Sing our hopes that, bright and free,<br />Rest, O Mother dear, with thee,<br />All with thee, all with thee. <br /><br />When we stood at childhood's gate,<br />Shapeless in the hands of fate,<br />Thou didst mold us, dear old State,<br />Dear old State, dear old State. <br /><br />May no act of ours bring shame<br />To one heart that loves thy name,<br />May our lives but swell thy fame,<br />Dear old State, dear old State.</em></center><br /><br />We are.Jobuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17291002003853197554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111560667626651992.post-88861501137761457332011-09-12T09:45:00.000-04:002011-09-12T09:45:00.890-04:00Metal MondayGotta go with a cut from the new <a href="http://anthrax.com/NFWS/">Anthrax</a> album, set for release tomorrow.<br /><br /><center><iframe width="560" height="345" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/0Wda75YhSEQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></center>Jobuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17291002003853197554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111560667626651992.post-88168659960320682372011-08-29T13:24:00.002-04:002011-08-29T13:26:49.495-04:00Metal MondaySomething a little bit different today. Check out these <a href="http://loudwire.com/funniest-heavy-metal-animal-videos/">10 great heavy metal animal videos</a> at Loudwire. Hat tip to <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/chrisilluminati/status/108227154944344064">Chris Illuminati</a>.Jobuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17291002003853197554noreply@blogger.com0