Welcome To The Philly DMZ!

The Nutter out front should have told ya.

The Pope is in Philadelphia this weekend and we are staying as far away from the city as possible. While we did venture out today driving down to the main line, that is as close as we were going to get to the urban militarized zone. However, even though we remained a good distance from the commotion, the impact of the Papal visit reached far beyond the boundaries of the city. While this could have seriously impacted and frustrated our travels, thankfully we took notice of the warning that has been flashing across the television and social media all week and made sure to avoid the major arteries.

It is rather astounding when you really stop to think about the whole situation. While I understand the importance that this man hold in his faith and in the world in general, the fact still remains that his presence put a complete halt to everyday life within and outside of the city. Not only were those who live within the concrete boundaries forced to change their weekend routine, accommodate the masses, or get the heck out but those of us that live on the other side of the horizon from the skyscrapers had to adjust to the new rules that were in place throughout the greater Philadelphia area.

It has been interesting watching the constant coverage streaming across all major networks since he first set foot in the United States. It has been even more intriguing hearing his statements on various issues and his opinions on some aspects of our society. Of course, that is nothing new for this Pope who has been quite outspoken since the day he dawned the vestments and took his place as an idol of the Catholic faithful. Personally, while I appreciate his honesty on various matters, there are times when I get tired of his lectures.

As the news coverage continued throughout the day and I watched as throngs of people were herded from place to place across the city packing the streets usually filled with cars, I kept on thinking about the businesses that were forced to close for the event and the people who left their homes for the weekend ceding the city to those now filling every inch of grass, asphalt, and concrete. While the boost in tourism will certainly be promoted, it seems as though the people of the city are the ones who will be forgotten when all is said and done. The people who made this the place the Pope wanted to visit are the ones that have been marginalized during his time in the city and forced to accept the quarantine like atmosphere.

It is great that the faithful had the chance to see their idol but it is a shame that the people and businesses of Philadelphia were forced to put up with the limitations, inconveniences, and limitations on their personal freedom and way of life. I agree that this Papal visit is, in many ways, something that needed to happen but it could have been handled in a completely different, less restrictive and militarized way. Faith and freedom should go hand in hand rather than presented in an either/or fashion.

So you say you live over there... sorry, still can't let you in. 

You Can’t Help But Watch

Maybe it stems from watching too much Three Stooges when I was younger. Maybe it is because I am a rather simple individual. Maybe it is all comes down to intellectual laziness. For whatever reason, there are some movies that when you see them on television, listed on Amazon Prime or NetFlicks, or sitting on top of the 99 cent bin at the store you can’t help but watch them. Not because they are some cinematic masterpiece but because you don’t have to think when the movie is playing… it is all about being able to laugh for the sake of laughing. Some call it comedy in its purest for but I like to take a more honest view and see them as so stupid they’re funny.

Everyone is guilty of having that little list of movies in their mind that when they are playing you almost instinctively stop flipping through the channels or scrolling down the page. Three Stooges still gets me to this day although I have only caught myself watching a few minutes at a time. However, if I hear a familiar Clark Griswold line, a Mel Brooks melody, or Tackleberry’s overly intense and naïve take on a situation I immediately stop searching and enjoy the mental break. I even recall the rare moments when UHF was in constant rotation. However, there is one recent movie that I find watching more than any other which falls into this category… Super Troopers.  

I guess this one can meow be seen almost like the modern day Police Academy but I think it is much better. While there are few lines that I can recall from the 80’s franchise, Super Troopers has provided a variety of one liners that are burned into our brains (along with some unfortunate visuals). Meow that is a classic movie. However, while they made 7 Police Academy movies of varying quality, there has only been one Super Troopers movie. That is, until meow.

While scrolling through my Facebook feed I came across a post by Broken Lizard (the group behind the movie) about an announcement that they were preparing to make. When I checked back in a couple of days later I read about the interesting approach that they were taking to finally deliver on a sequel. As it turns out, they have decided to crowd fund the new project and they are offering some rather unique incentives to those who donate. 24 hours after launching their campaign to raise $2 million for production they far surpassed their goal. It looks like the sequel will soon be a reality and Bimpus sized at that. Of course, you can still grab a perk and make the movie even better. I guess I am not the only one who can’t help watching the movie.

A Little Too Early!

Two days from tonight we will all, at least those of us in the US, will be sitting down for Thanksgiving Dinner. After stuffing our faces many of us will be heading home on the slow sleepy drive back home while others will roll themselves into the adjacent room, beach themselves on the couch, and go to sleep. It is a great day to spend with family without the obligation or expectation of gifts, it’s simply a time to get together and give thanks for what you have and the people around you (at least most of them).

At the tail end of the day, with only a couple/few hours until the calendar page is turned, stores will be opening their doors to throngs of people looking for the best deal of the year (until it hits the clearance rack) and the cheapest gifts possible for the impending gift giving season. Every family has that one person who goes to the Black Friday sales (or whatever you call the Thursday openings) and I will admit it that I am no stranger to the chaos although I have never waited in line to get into a store.

I can understand the need for a good deal and with Thanksgiving over it is natural for retailers to capitalize on the next big holiday on the horizon… Christmas. However, Black Friday does not mark the debut of the decorations, displays, cards, or freaking music. All of that holiday gaudiness begins creeping out right after Halloween.

At this point, I am pretty sick of it. It is too much, too soon, and it has to stop. Growing up I loved the Christmas season and I recall the sights, sounds, and music immediately surrounding the big day. Immediately surrounding, not the surrounding months. What has happened over the years?

While it is not my chosen celebration in my adult life, it is still a season that surrounds us. The message is positive and people are generally in a good mood but let’s stop trying to extend the season every year. Let’s go back to simple way that it should be and start all of the extravagance just after Thanksgiving. Actually, start it on Thanksgiving as it used to be. When Santa comes down the street on the float, the holiday season has officially begun.

So, sit back and enjoy the holiday season. Enjoy the fact that you are allowed to blame the dog for your farts for an entire month. Embrace the gifting ability to pick favorites in the family without saying a word. Reminisce about the days when Chevy Chase was funny and watch National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (snicker, snicker, snicker).

And, finally, enjoy your one day late in the year… long after we celebrated our eight days of Hanukkah (we will be celebrating while you are just starting your shopping). You might have missed the beginning since we don’t have a lot of songs to mark the holiday because we were too busy writing Christmas songs. By the way… O J Simpson, still not a Jew.