Yuengling

I like Yuengling. "I'll have a Lager," is all you need to say at the bar to be served Yuengling. It makes no difference that lager is actually a style of beer. There are many lagers, but only one Lager--Yuengling. And now comes word that Yuengling is about to become the largest American-owned brewery.

At my old agency, we had the opportunity to compete for the Yuengling advertising business. We did not end up winning, but it did afford me the chance to learn a lot about the history and legacy of the Pottsville, PA brewery, as well as the beer industry as a whole. Without going into all the details, all you need to know about Yuengling beer is that the quality of the beer is the number one priority of Dick Yuengling and his team. While other brewers spread their wings, criss-crossed the country and made their beers a household name, Yuengling slowly crept up and down the east coast under the radar to most. Today, though, I know people in California who would die to have a Yuengling Lager or Black and Tan. Unfortunately, West Virginia is about as far west as Yuengling will be going for a while. The philosophy of Dick Yuengling is to not compromise quality for quantity. It's a philosophy that makes Yuengling one of the best beers available.

If you haven't had chance to sample all the brews in the Yuengling portfolio, then do yourself a favor and do so. Aside from Lager, my favorite has to be the Chesterfield Ale. It is delicious. While other brewers have more choices of beer to choose from, and beers that are very good I might add, nothing will ever compare with Yuengling.

The Biggest Loser

I like The Biggest Loser. By no means am I a candidate for The Biggest Loser. However, this show has been an inspiration to me, as it has to millions across the country, to live a healthier life. You don't have to be morbidly obese to be unhealthy and at risk for heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, or other life-threatening ailments. You could be skinny as a rail and still be affected by these things.

Watching The Biggest Loser for the first time this season (thanks to my girlfriend, who in turn can thank her parents) has been an interesting experience. I honestly thought I wouldn't really care about the contestants or about their weight-loss because, well, how could I relate to someone who weighs three times as much as me? Well, I could. Throughout each two-hour episode you begin to pick up on training techniques, diet routines, and the inspiration that with the right amount of focus, determination and effort you can do anything--not just losing weight. How refreshing it is to have a reality show that is not only real, but also beneficial to the audience watching. Thousands, if not millions, of people around the country are now participating in their own Biggest Loser challenges, and it's all thanks to this show.

As for the actual entertainment value, all the staples are there for reeling you in each week, eagerly anticipating the next episode. The only thing that would make me look more forward to The Biggest Loser is if Jack Bauer were fighting terrorists while sprinting on a treadmill. There's laughing, crying (bit much), anger, alliances and game-play. But at the end of the day, the contestants on the show pull together as one and encourage each other to succeed. Their experiences on The Biggest Loser are truly life-altering. It's an inspiration to watch and I encourage you to check out the final two episodes 8PM Tuesday nights. When you see where these people were when they started, and how they look now--you too will be joining me and the millions of others in counting the days to the new season.

IMDB.com

I like IMDB.com. If you're anything like me, you don't watch a movie without heading to IMDB.com before the credits start rolling to find out all you can about the film--especially the trivia. Not sure why, but I like to know what actors were originally considered for certain parts or who had a cameo in what movie.

IMDB.com is also great for finding out the names of well-known actors in obscure roles--the kind of information that winning bets are made of. And it's a huge help in confirming your six degrees from Kevin Bacon.

There's a lot of useful useless knowledge in my brain from years of watching Saved by the Bell, The Simpsons, Full House and many other shows of the 80s/90s. And thanks to IMDB.com, this exorbitant amount of information has been compounded exponentially in recent years. Don't tell my parents, but I think I forget college because I needed to make room in my brain for all the anachronisms and continuity goofs in Braveheart.

Photoshop

I like Photoshop. As a professional tool, Photoshop is one of the best. Photographers use it to touch up images; designers use it for ads, collateral, websites and other printed and interactive pieces; Playboy uses it to make their models look blemish-free; and so many other people have found multiple uses for the Adobe program. Me? I use it to put friend's heads on other bodies to make funny pictures.

With no formal training in Photoshop, I have been tinkering with it for years--since my early college years. I would pick up a few tricks here and there to go along with the basics, and used this knowledge to design t-shirts for club activities and fliers and brochures for events. When college was complete, I still used my Photoshop chops to do these same things--but found it much more useful to make fun of friends and have a good laugh. And in turn, they would do the same to me. Some of the best Photoshop battles took place at my previous job. We would end up tacking up pictures all over the office or leave them perfectly placed on one's monitor, greeting that person in the morning. One of my favorites is to the left. My friend Tom was displaying an unusual amount of sass and needed to be told so. Yep, I like Photoshop.

Pharaoh Rat

I like Pharaoh Rat. I guarantee you've never heard of this band. How do I know this? Because they formed like a month ago. Pharaoh Rat happens to be the band of a my co-worker, Eric. They're so new the only web page they have is a MySpace listing. MySpace, people! It's them, about 15,000 13-year-olds and 30,000 indecent middle-aged men. But you know what, it's pretty cool that there are outlets, like the MySpaces of the world, for up and coming artists to showcase their work, whether it be music, paintings or macaroni sculptures.

Pharaoh Rat is not a band for everyone. What I like about the sound is the mix of jazz and instrumental rock with a jam band vibe. When Eric sent the link, I knew the music was good because I put it on, went back to work, and within a few minutes I found myself bobbing my head along with the beat and rhythm. Similar to waking up from a dream and not knowing where you are, I had a moment of confusion, trying to remember what band I was listening to. I like listening to Explosions in the Sky, who I mentioned before in this post, for the same reasons. The music becomes a soundtrack to whatever it is you're doing at the moment.

My recommendation is to let the music of Pharaoh Rat play in the background of whatever it is you are doing at the moment and before you know it, you'll be restarting the tracks over again. Give me a shout if you want more info on the band and I'll pass word onto Eric. Have a great weekend and to those in the Northeast, enjoy the beautiful weather--I know I will!

Baseball Tonight

I like Baseball Tonight. I am not a huge fan of the NBA. And ever since ESPN stopped its NHL programming, the days between the Super Bowl and March Madness are an over-saturated hodge podge of NBA-related shows, coverage and stories (read: too much Stephen A. Smith ranting). It's so bad that I can't even watch SportsCenter on a regular basis. Sure, they show highlights from hockey and have the regular off-season NFL and MLB storylines, but its just not entertaining to me. I just don't care about the Mavs-Timberwolves match up. So when baseball finally kicks into high gear at the end of March, ESPN perennially brings back one of their best shows, hands down--Baseball Tonight.

Call me a baseball junkie, but I could sit and listen to Peter Gammons or Buster Olney talk baseball all day long. And ever since John Kruk joined the team, adding some of the 1993 Phillies attitude, its even more fun to watch. Everything from in-game updates, in-depth analysis, and every little stat you could possibly want to know about baseball. Karl Ravech is a great moderator and the various guest perspectives are usually top notch.

So as the NBA Playoffs get rolling, and SportsCenter is taken over by the same boring dunking highlights of Kobe and Lebron, I am happy that I get my hour of baseball coverage every evening.

UPDATE: Stephen A. Smith will not be having his contract renewed by ESPN. Maybe it's time to start watching the NBA coverage again? ...Nah. Thank you Brett for the update.

Tweenbots

I like Tweenbots. Thanks to a link found in a friend's Twitter feed (@LaurenHumann) I came across a very interesting experiment called Tweenbots. Kacie Kinzer, a student in the ITP Program at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, when thinking one day about how pre-occupied people are in New York City with getting from point A to point B, wondered, "...could a human-like object traverse sidewalks and streets along with us, and in so doing, create a narrative about our relationship to space and our willingness to interact with what we find in it? More importantly, how could our actions be seen within a larger context of human connection that emerges from the complexity of the city itself?" To find her answers, she created Tweenbots--little cardboard robots that only move in a straight, continuous line, with a destination written on a flag attached to its body--and unleashed them in the City.

The experiment literally consisted of dropping the Tweenbot at the Northeast corner of Washington Square Park with instructions that it is to end up at the Southwest corner. Using a hidden camera in her purse, Kacie followed the robot as it traversed the rough terrain of pot holes, curbs and benches in the park, held at the mercy of the passerby. The results are pretty entertaining.

The first Tweenbot mission garnered much attention from pedestrians, 29 to be exact, and took just 42 minutes to complete. Most everyone complied with the instructions on the Tweenbot's flag, save the few who pointed it in the opposite direction to keep the little guy out of harms way. Since then, there have been numerous missions, according to Kacie, and each time the Tweenbot reached its destination with only the help of complete strangers. Most interesting to her (and to me), "...was the fact that this ad-hoc crowdsourcing was driven primarily by human empathy for an anthropomorphized object. The journey the Tweenbots take each time they are released in the city becomes a story of people's willingness to engage with a creature that mirrors human characteristics of vulnerability, of being lost, and of having intention without the means of achieving its goal alone."

I am impressed at the generosity of New Yorkers to the cardboard robot. My question, though, is whether people would act the same if it were a human being that moved in a straight, continuous line with their destination written on a flag attached to their body? Now THAT would be an entertaining video (and maybe a true measurement of human empathy towards a vulnerable, lost creature). Regardless, Kacie has done a great job with this unique project and I look forward to keeping tabs on future Tweenbot missions. Feel free to discuss your thoughts in the comments section.

Parking

I like Parking. Honestly, you don't realize how much you like having readily available parking until you don't have readily available parking. Currently, I do not have readily available parking.

Living in Baltimore City hasn't been bad at all, really. I live on decent street and the blocks surrounding me are made up of tree-lined sidewalks and renovated row homes. The people are friendly and I live close by bars, restaurants, the Safeway and work. The only drawback of living in the City is the parking.

But this isn't a negative blog, and this post is about how I like Parking. And it's true, when there's a spot in front of my apartment, or even on the same street my day improves ten-fold and the next morning gets kick-started on a positive note. It's not that I don't think walking a block or two is bad--in fact it's good and healthy. But when my car is three steps from my apartment door, then I like Parking--a lot.

Rita's Water Ice

I like Rita's Water Ice. Spring means more than just robins, flowers and seasonal allergies. It means more than baseball, playoff hockey and the NFL Draft. What Spring means most (at least for the purpose of this post) is the return of Rita's Water Ice.

I know--some of you who did not grow up in the Philly area want to call it "Italian" ice. And while that may be what it is, the company, and the dessert, will always be Rita's "Water" Ice. Headquartered in my hometown of Bensalem, PA, Rita's Water Ice is the quintessential harbinger of summer (and the most delicious, too). And since it has become such a popular franchise, the red and white awnings are just about everywhere up and down the east coast.

My buddy Brett used to work at a Rita's Water Ice in high school and that meant a steady supply of the night's leftovers holed up in his freezer. Whenever someone had a party with certain libations, the perfect frozen mango or cherry mixer were always close by. And these days, while living it up in Charm City, Rita's Water Ice is a nice reminder of good times and warm nights back home.

The Arcade Fire

I like The Arcade Fire. I'm no expert on music, nor do I know much about the theory of what makes a song good. What I do know is what sounds good to me, and that's the only measuring stick by which I form any opinion on music. Since my post on Movie Trailers earlier this week, I have had The Arcade Fire's song "Wake Up" stuck in my head. It is the song featured in the trailer for Where the Wild Things Are and it has just consumed me. Like I said, I am no expert on music so I can't say what it is exactly about "Wake Up" that has me so into it, but I like it.

As for The Arcade Fire, I know very little about them. The basics are they they're a band of seven from Canada. They've released a few albums and appear to have a very strong fan base and core following. Another of their songs, "My Body is a Cage" was featured in a short trailer for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button late last year. So The Arcade Fire seem to have the movie trailer thing going for them--and that ain't bad. As I've been perusing through their catalog via iTunes, YouTube and Pandora a couple other songs have peaked my interest, including one titled, "A Crown of Love".

Definitely a unique sound, unlike a lot of what is out there now on the radio and the charts--and that's always refreshing. It's fun hearing a new sound for the first time, even if that band has been around for some time. Below is the video for "Wake Up"--perhaps you'll enjoy the song as much I have. And if not, have a great weekend anyway and come on back Monday!

Buffalo Wild Wings

I like Buffalo Wild Wings. Last night I had the chance to finally get to a Buffalo Wild Wings. The commercials are hilarious and folks say the wings were great. Apparently they are all over the place, too, and have been for many years (though not in the Philadelphia area, where I grew up). So when I heard they had recently built one not too far from Baltimore, I wanted to check it out.

If you like wings and a variety of wings sauce, Buffalo Wild Wings is a place for you. My wing sauce choices were Honey BBQ and Asian Zing. I recommend both. If you want something hotter, they have plenty of those too. We were lucky to have gone on "Leg Day" where all legs were $0.50 each. Sweet! The drum sticks were the size of a large chicken and full of meat. I've never had wings this big for so little money.

The atmosphere is also great. TVs are EVERYWHERE and tuned to sports, sports and more sports. Last night we were there for some Flyers-Penguins playoff hockey. My girlfriend is a Penguins fan and I love the Flyers. She left Buffalo Wild Wings happier than I did--but it had nothing to do with the food.

Macaroni and Cheese

I like Macaroni and Cheese. As it says in my profile, even on the worst of days, there's always SOMETHING I like; something that makes me feel good. I wouldn't classify yesterday as the worst day, in fact it wasn't even a bad day. But yesterday was filled with misty rain, cold wind, not so great news, and a long day on the job. And you know what I wanted to do when I got home? Make macaroni and cheese.

If I had to choose, Velveeta Shells and Cheese would be my preference, but the Safeway had Kraft Mac and Cheese for $0.89, so I made the executive decision to go for the deal (hey, I'm cheap). Even with a powder mix cheese, Kraft Mac and Cheese is still delicious. And best of all, it was one thing that was good for me yesterday, and helped end the day on a positive note. And yes, I'm 7 years old.

Movie Trailers

I like Movie Trailers. Sometimes better than the movies themselves, are the trailers that promote them. Maybe because bad movies have only a few good lines, scenes or jokes, and those are replayed over and over again on the trailers on TV. Maybe its because we live in an instant society where telling a story in 2 1/2 minutes, as opposed to 2 1/2 hours, is preferable. I don't know for sure.

What I do know is that one of my favorite past times when bored is visiting Apple Movie Trailers to see what movies are coming out soon. Lame? Probably. Cool? Definitely. Either way, its a great method for weeding out what I don't need to spend $10.00 on a movie ticket to see. And once every so often I stumble upon a trailer that entices me enough to shell out the ticket cost, plus the movie theater staple of popcorn and a soda. Of course, I usually finish both while watching the even newer trailers at the theater.

Here are two recent movie trailers that I have found very entertaining (and possibly worth my $10). Enjoy!

The Hangover



Where the Wild Things Are

Pop Candy

I like Pop Candy. No, I'm not talking about the candy Pop Rocks (though they are awesome). I like the USA Today blog, Pop Candy. Whitney Matheson is the scribe behind this running list of pop culture and entertainment. She is quirky, funny, and has her finger on the pulse of the latest in music, movies, tv and all-things cool.

Pop Candy, especially the Early Buzz, feeds my need for updates on 80s/90s sitcom stars or washed up rockers, and fills me in on the coolest new movies and music out there. Are comics your thing? Well, Pop Candy is all over the comic book and graphic novel scene. Like Star Wars or Lost? You'll find many like you there as well. While I may not be in to all of these topics myself, I always enjoy reading Whitney's witty take on things, plus the comments of her loyal fans.

The Pop Candy readers are the best mix of pop culture junkies like myself. Reading the comments on Whitney's posts reminds me of email threads or conversations with my friends (I'm looking your way Adjemian, Sutow, Londergan and Ogle)--nonsensical banter about random pop culture, chock full of obscure facts and quotes. The type of conversation that makes normal, everyday people think you're looney. (We once had an email thread containing all people/things named Lynn thanks to this video--and yes, Lynn Belvedere was included). So if you've got a sweet tooth for pop culture, than Whitney Matheson's Pop Candy is definitely for you. (It's also good if you have a border-line unhealthy infatuation of mustaches.)

The World Champs

I like The World Champs. This concludes Andy Locke Likes: Phillies Week and there's no better way to end the week than to honor all of the 2008 World Series Champion Philadelphia Phillies--every last one of them. I have tried to craft the right words to describe what these players, this team, and this World Series Championship means to me and to the city of Philadelphia, but I can't. So, I'm going to let the following pictures and videos do it for me. Thank you very much for reading and have a great weekend (and holiday)--see you Monday!

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The Phillie Phanatic

I like The Phillie Phanatic. While Harry may be the voice of the Phillies, the face--er, ah beak--of the team, and maybe the city, is The Phillie Phanatic. In fact, there may not be another mascot in all of sports that is more recognizable then this big hunk of green from the Gallapogos Islands.

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The Phillie Phanatic made his debut for the Phillies in 1978. So while he may not be baseball's oldest mascot, he is still, "...the best mascot in the business," so says a quote from USAToday on the Phillies website. No matter what age you are, you can't help but be entertained by The Phillie Phanatic--whether he's taunting Tommy Lasorda or picking on a Mets fan in the stands. The best Phanatic antics, however, are when he messes with the opposing team or umpires, during the game. Check out these clips:





My favorite memory, though, of The Phillie Phanatic happened on a cold April night when I was about six or seven years old during a game against the Mets. My Dad somehow scored seats right on the field in the 100 level at the Vet, and since it was freezing, I had on a winter hat. Out of no where, the Phanatic showed up and began greeting everyone around our section. As I stood, watching in complete awe, he came right over to our row, placed his big, furry hands on my head, and pulled my winter hat down over my eyes. And then he was gone. Yup--greatest day of my life (up to that point, of course).

Here's another clip from YouTube where the Phanatic is showing off some sweet dance moves:

Harry Kalas

I like Harry Kalas. The voice of my childhood wasn't Mr. Rogers or Captain Noah. It wasn't Bugs Bunny or Scooby Doo, either. Nope. None of those. The voice of my childhood was Harry Kalas.

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At a very young age, I would sit with my great-grandmother in her room listening to the Phillies on her radio as Harry gave us the play-by-play. When the team was on the west coast and the games were on late, this 10-year-old would sneak little headphones into his bed and listen to Harry's signature home run calls. When I got a little older and would play baseball in the field with friends, every trot around the bases was accompanied by my best Harry Kalas impression.

The Phillies broadcast team as a whole is great, but no one comes close to Harry. So many great memories of past Phillies games have a running soundtrack of classic Harry calls. And now that the Phillies have won the World Series, I can think of no better voice to have called the final out--take a listen (and check out the crazy Chris Wheeler dance)!

Citizens Bank Park

I like Citizens Bank Park. Despite their loss on Opening Night, I have faith that the Phils can pull out their first win of the 2009 season tonight. In the meantime, let's talk about where the game will be played. Citizens Bank Park has been heralded as one of the best stadiums in baseball. It comes from the new crop of true "parks" that began with Camden Yards in Baltimore back in 1992. Real grass, open view of the city skyline, spacious concourse, and not a bad seat in the house.

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Prior to this masterpiece of baseball architecture, there was a multi-purpose juggernaut in South Philadelphia known as Veterans Stadium. A concrete jungle (with rats the size of tigers, and cats the size of elephants), the Vet was a horrible place to watch a game, and according to most players in baseball, a horrible place to play in too. But you know what, as a kid going to many games every year, there was something magical about that place. The smells, the sounds and the sights of a baseball game. My memories of seeing the turf as I emerged from the tunnel, cheering on my favorite players--these are the things I loved most about going to Phils games. And with Citizens Bank Park, that love of the game has been given new life, a new home to thrive and flourish for the great people of Philadelphia, no longer marred by an eyesore of a stadium.

Citizens Bank Park is a place where die hard fans, casual fans and families can go and enjoy a game all together. Ashburn Alley is full of Philly-flavored eateries, Bull's Bar-B-Q features Greg "The Bull" Luzinski himself working the grill, the bullpens allow any aged fan to hurl insults at the opposing team's pitchers, and McFaddens provides an escape from the rain or a place to watch a Flyers playoff win on TV mere minutes before watching the Phillies pull off a come-from-behind thriller live and in person. And best of all--Citizens Bank Park is home to the World Series Champions.

Charlie Manuel

I like Charlie Manuel. Welcome to Andy Locke Likes: Phillies Week! All this week I will be chronicling the top five things I like about your World Series Champion Philadelphia Phillies. To kick things off, I am starting with the man who is the glue that holds the Phillies together and who kept them grounded on their way to the championship. And that man is none other than Uncle Charlie.

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Damn near run out of town a few years back, Charlie Manuel has persevered through it all and come out as one of the most beloved skippers to ever don the red pinstripes. He may not be the most eloquent of speakers at press conferences or in interiews, but none of that matters. What matters is whether or not he has the ability to lead a squad of talented, young, hot shot ball players. Can he inspire them to perform beyond their best? Will he push them to the point of breaking, but support them along the way? Is he a champion? With Charlie Manuel you can answer yes to all of those questions.

In a city like Philadelphia, where sport teams are judged by a simple measuring stick--did you win a championship or not--Charlie Manuel has become an icon, achieving what few managers/head coaches in this city have before him. (It's Philly, afterall--we're not really known for our extensive trophy collection.) It's pretty safe to say this oft-bumbling Virginian will forever be revered as a favorite son of the City of Brotherly Love. And if winning the World Series wasn't enough, Charlie will have his very own bobble-head night in a few weeks.

Movin' On

I like Movin' On. A special place in my heart is set aside for Movin' On--the FREE, outdoor, all-day, concert festival held at Penn State University on the HUB lawn every April. What started as a "hippie fest" known as Gentle Thursday back in the 70s, has become one of the largest student-run concerts in the country.

As a student at Penn State, I worked as a volunteer with Movin' On in a variety of roles--inflatable worker, hospitality committee (take care of the bands), head of security, and sponsorship director my senior year. Sitting in my top five, all-time college memories is standing on the HUB Lawn in 2005, up on the hill, looking down on a crowd of students rocking out to Rusted Root. Not in my top five, but damn near close, was the sweaty chest bump I received from Bubba Sparxxx backstage in 2003. Other Movin' On bands and artists through the years include Ben Folds, Run DMC, Jimmy Eat World, Fall Out Boy, Jewel, Wilco, Bowling for Soup, Pete Yorn, Talib Kwali, Our Lady Peace, and countless others.

Check out the 2009 Movin' On line-up at the official website. I don't know any of the bands, but then again, that's half the fun of going to the festival.

I am honored, not only to be a Penn State alumni (hell yeah, NIT Champs!), but also to call myself a Movin' On alum. There were many great students before me who gave up their time to plan this festival, and there are so many others who have come after. If you are in the Penn State/State College, PA area this weekend, stop by the HUB Lawn to celebrate the 35th anniversary of Movin' On. There will be non-stop music, good people, delicious food, and great times all around.

And to those looking for a good song to kick-start the weekend, here's a little something to remind us all of Movin' On 2005. Enjoy and have a great weekend!




Don't forget! All next week is Andy Locke Likes: Phillies Week! The topic each day will center on my like--no wait, LOVE--of the World Series Champion Philadelphia Phillies and the start of the 2009 baseball season! Check it out starting Monday.

Shinedown

I like Shinedown. My taste in music has a wide range. Today, however, I'm all about good old hard rock--I'm heading over to Ram's Head Live here in Baltimore to see Shinedown. I can first remember hearing these guys back in 2005 when their songs "45" and "Save Me" were getting some solid radio play. It was those songs that led me to checking out their albums and discovering that they also do a kick ass version of "Simple Man".

The show tonight is sold out which means a packed house at this general admission venue. Typically, that would mean some very active mosh pits--and I doubt tonight will disappoint. I, however, will not be participating. That's the only part of a hard rock concert that I do not indulge. As a six-foot pole with no center of balance, I fall over easily and am not a very good moshing buddy.

Despite the lack of hurling my body into another's, Shinedown should be great tonight and I am expecting a lot of songs from their most recent album, The Sound of Madness, including "Second Chance" and "Devour" (check out the videos below). It's a great new album with a mix of radio-friendly hits (like the aforementioned) and some harder, heavier songs. No matter what, lead singer Brent Smith's vocals prove that you don't always have to scream into a microphone to make a song rock.






Don't forget! All next week is going to be Andy Locke Likes: Phillies Week! The topic each day will center on my like--no wait, LOVE--of the World Series Champion Philadelphia Phillies and the start of the 2009 baseball season! Check it out starting Monday.