American Classics

  In a matter of 9 minutes, I once again became one with American history.

  Ever since our conversation with Paul and Jenny about a month ago, I've been on the hunt for Firecrackers.  Not the boom-boom-boom type, the cold, refreshing type, with 10% of your daily value of Vitamin C.  I left the house wanting to check out the Popsicle selection at the neigborhood Waldbaum's and came across something that seems to be closing in on extinction - the Firecracker, a.k.a. Mega Missile!!  You can go to any ice cream/drink vendor with the green and white umbrella and giant Good Humor selection board in NYC and they all give you the same answer:  "they discontinued", in some undiscernable accent with a smirk on their face.  Well how about you get yourself an updated sign of your ice cream selection because that one from 1983 seems a little outdated.

  I digress.  I went to the Waldbaum's and found the holy grail of Firecrackers.  There were like 8 or 9 boxes of 12 pops.  Granted, they're a bit smaller than the vendor size, but still.  What a score.  I picked up 2 boxes.  There are plenty of other Popsicle options that are fantastic (Orange Cherry Grape ice pops, Scribblers, SpongeBob Pop-Ups, Creamsicles, Fudgesicles) but all I wanted (needed) was that elusive Firecracker. Cha-ching!!

  On my way home from the gold mine, I stopped in Friendly's to get my wife a Conehead sundae.  For those of you who haven't been in the country for the past 25+ years, here's what a Conehead is (pictured to the right).  I got it in a to-go paper cup, which takes away from all that is the Conehead.  I refuse the whipped cream when I get one (it's been 15 years) but I went all out.  Probably the best $2.70 I've spent all week.

  I mean kids all over the country should be begging their parents for one of these American classics.  Mix it up though, get a flavor other than vanilla.  Kind of bland.  Still a great choice, I'm just saying.

  Go nuts and get yourself something that you've been craving.  It's Labor Day.  You earned it!!

The Yanks Lost!?; Revis Island back on the NY/NJ Shore; Scrabble Dominates

  For the first time in 8 games, the Yankees found themselves on the losing side.  No surprise who pitched - Phil Hughes.  Almost as inconsistent as AJ Burnett but making much less.  For that reason alone, he's the less criticized of the two. 

  Hughes is 5-5 with a 5.47 ERA in 10 post-All-Star game starts.  Get your game right dipshit.  They got you on an innings limit.  Maybe he thinks pitching like shit will get him out of the game earlier, thus allowing him to prolong the inevitable.  Figure it out.

  Burnett (who starts this afternoon) has seen his ERA steadily creep up in his past seven starts - from a 4.52 to an gaudy 5.15 when he takes the hill today.  TOR, SEA, CWS have been the last three to light him up.  Time to get it together AJ.  Don't let a one game losing streak become a two-game slide.  With TB right behind them (2.5 GB) and Boston (10 GB) and CWS (9.5 GB), the Wild Card isn't a lock either.

  Maybe he needs to get another tattoo to remind him he's getting paid an ass ton of money to win games.  $16.5 million.  $16.5!!  Get it together.  You're leaving too many ???'s in the rotation.  C.C. is the man, that much is the only certainty.  But he ain't God.

  In NFL news, The Jets defense once again became the #1 defense in the league when Derrelle Revis decided to come to his senses and sign a contract.  What a dick.  Way to put yourself out on an island.  I understand you're the "best" cornerback in the NFL, but I still think it was messed up to not play out the current contract before bitching about it.  You need to earn your stripes.  I hope Nnamdi Asomugha has a better year and you get flattened by Anquan Boldin on MNF.  Greedy mo-fo.

  My Raiders travel to Tennessee to take on the Titans in Week 1.  At least they'll be in first place until the early games end.  I'm expecting at least 7 wins this season.  OK, maybe I should temper my expectations - how's 6?

  And as far as gaming goes, Scrabble is far and away the best game out.

  Time for lunch yo!