Dave Mancuso dot Com

On the way back from Ohio Saturday, Joe and I decided to swing by Penn State (my alma mater), since we’d just visited Kent State (Joe’s alma mater).

After a drawn-out search for dinner (my fault–I always have to explore every option) and a side trip to Eastern Outfitters, we decided to stop by The Phyrst. The Phyrst is a local bar at Penn State with extremely good vibes (I did meet my wife there on Saint Patty’s Day in 1988, after all). It’s in a basement on Beaver Avenue near Allen Street, if you ever get up there.

The bar (the literal bar inside the Phyrst) had been torn out and replaced with one along the wall last summer, but otherwise it was the same place I remembered. We settled in and relaxed. The place gradually filled up with people and a pleasant hum of noise permeated the room. It was relaxing, calming, almost soothing.

Until the voices suddenly thundered out from one of the tables:
“WE ARE TABLE NUMBER THREE! NUMBER THREE! NUMBER THREE! WE ARE TABLE NUMBER THREE! WHERE THE H#$L IS TABLE FIVE!”

Table Five’s answer was even louder. I’d forgotten about the “interactive” aspect of the Phyrst. Perhaps relaxed and calm weren’t the words I was looking for.

But it was a lot of fun. The Phyrst Phamily took the stage at ten and the traditional singalong began. Good times…look for yourself.

I saw another story about the end of production for the original VW Beetle.

Now if only they can get the new Microbus out the door…

After traveling over 700 miles to Kent State, Penn State, and a number of places in between. And we haven’t been arrested.

We honor the Eleventh Commandment and keep it Wholly.

🙂

I saw The Hulk today with Joe and Dad. I seemed to be the only one who liked it, to put it mildly. Perhaps it’s that I had expected a much worse movie.

Also though, I think it’s because I had no expectation that the movie would maintain any allegiance to the comic book storyline. I had a strong feeling that Ang Lee would make a movie based on the themes of the Hulk, and I was actually surprised that I saw as much of the comic in the movie as I did today.

You can find a good review of the movie that mirrors my reaction at this page. You can find another at this site–this review is by Peter David, who wrote the Hulk comic book for years and wrote the novelization of the new movie.

It’s true–Neil Gaiman has collaborated with a number of artists to produce a 160 page hardcover story about the Endless–the Sandman and his siblings Destiny, Death, Destruction, Desire, Despair, and Delirum/Delight. This is big news. The original Sandman series was praised by Clive Barker, Stephen King, Harlan Ellison, Dean Koontz, and Norman Mailer, among others.

You can read more about Neil here. The book comes out in September and should have a cover price of $24.95.

Brad says on Truetech that Simon and Garfunkel may be getting back together for a reunion tour.

I have a hard time believing that this will come together, knowing the past attempted failures. However, I’ll be first in line if this actually happens. Even to hear a 60 year old Garfunkel voice.

One of my few regrets is not going to Central Park to hear Simon and Garfunkel play their reunion concert in 1981. It was the day before I left for college in Florida and my mother felt that I should pack. I should have thrown things in my bags and then booked like mad for NYC–I only lived two and a half hours away. Oh well. I have the CD, right?

Right.

Nothing made me miss their reunion tour in 1983, though. We drove up the Jersey Turnpike (counting the cars, of course) to Giants Stadium up near NYC. It was awesome. At that point, Paul Simon was going to name his Hearts and Bones album Allergies and he played us “The Late Great Johnny Ace” and “Allergies” for one of the first times in public.

Updates have been light in the last week, and my brother Joe is here from Guam now, so the next few days will be light as well.

So all I can offer now are promises–but what promises they are! I will strive to get some killer war stories to grab you and not let go.

First up to bat in a few days–Joe and chocolate cake. Doesn’t sound very exciting, does it? Well, Joe made a chocolate cake like no other you’ve ever heard of.

But you will.

At least, after Joe and I get back from Kent State on Sunday. Assuming we don’t get arrested. Be concerned. Be very concerned.

I’m not the only one noticing that the Hulk is waaaay overmerchandised. I’ve seen the Hulk on everything from pudding to candy to more. The pudding was at least green–the candy was simply bagged Hershey’s minibars with a picture of the Hulk on the bag. Try explaining that to a four year old who wants everything “Hulk.”

Check out a site that details this even more throroughly than I do.

I missed Saturday and Sunday postings. On Saturday I drove down to Philly to see my brother Joe–he’s in from Guam to visit us, and he’s in Philly until Wednesday. It’s difficult to articulate, but on Saturday I was treated to a full and joyful day of true Mancuso family life, from family bantering to Joe’s amazing demonstration of persuasion, intimidation, and sheer force of will to attain a five dollar discount on a DVD player (we were right, they were wrong, they gave us the five bucks off).

On Sunday we spent an exhausting but fun day with friends, the Stiles and the Williams families. I had a great time with each, and I just wish we could have spent more time with each of them (these were mutually exclusive activities). Joe and Laura Stiles’ little daughter was christened early in the morning, and things went flawlessly. I really enjoyed the church, and it was fun to let the Mass responses flow out of me almost subconsciously. There are little things that I forget about Catholicism, skills I never use as a Methodist, like the practiced flip of the foot to fold out the pew kneelers. Of course, my wife couldn’t follow the ceremony at all, so I had to squelch my push to convert back to Catholicism…

The picnic afterwards was a lot of fun–one of the last times we’ll see the Stiles up here–they’re moving away soon (no Brad, not because of me–I think). I have a feeling that we’ll stay in touch, though, and not just because of the awesome pizzelles that Joe had at the picnic. Actuallly, the pizzelles disturbed me greatly–they caused me to blow my diet big time. Eight times, in fact–I think I made a huge dent in the pizzelle supply there. Terrible, terrible.

We had to cut short the picnic to get to Mike’s surprise birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese. It was great to see Mike and the family, and the kids had a great time. Unfortunately, this place uncovered my wife’s shocking addiction to Skee Ball. Don’t worry, I’m looking for help for her. I really think that if she had unlimited tokens that she’d still be there now, rolling the balls.

Wow. President Bush fell off a Segway. That’s amazing. The thing is virtually impossble to fall from–it anticipates your movements and leanings with several gyroscopes. His name is George Bush, not Gerald Ford…

He got right back on though, and then cruised around successfully with George Bush, Sr. on another Segway. Two Segways to ride around. I’m jealous.

I guess sometimes it’s good to be the king.