Tag Archives: taxes

The SuperDPS Guide to the Right

There’s a political schism in this country that has been exported throughout the Western World through religion and an imaginary system of values which should never be part of global or national policy to begin with.

It seems only right that someone attempt to explain the points of view commonly associated with the Republican Party in a manner as backward and convoluted as humanly possible.

The Grand Old Party is actually a Surprise Party...for Jesus.

The Grand Old Party is actually a Surprise Party...for Jesus!

Be sure to keep in mind that not everyone who calls themselves a “Republican” actually holds these same beliefs. The party is full of individuals with individual thoughts and ideals–who were all created in the image of God to make sure their children aren’t converted to faggotry.

Axis of EvilIf there really is evil in the world, and I mean “true evil” not like the Liberal Jew-run Media…evil evil…then it would be these guys. After 9/11 (see Nine/Eleven) everyone who wouldn’t help us out was a traitor and part of Satan’s army of darkness (see Us VS Them…and also, see Army of Darkness…cool movie). Anywho, the Axis of Evil originally included Iran, Iraq, and North Korea, but then walking-muppet John Bolton added Libya, Cuba, and Syria just for fun. Basically, any repressive country that had any history of being mean to us got the label.

FUN FACT: America is in the Axis of Awesome.

Big Business–The Grand Ol’ Party, and the right in general, has largely been associated with Corporate America. Although the government as a whole is connected with Big Business and banking, this is the side of the rich fat cats looking down from their ivory towers. Tax cuts for the wealthy have been a recent staple of right-wing administrations, but for the sake of argument, let’s just say that your lives are essentially worthless.

FUN FACT: The Monopoly guy will be in prison for the next 10-15 years…or until someone rolls doubles.

ChristianityEvery several hundred years, God decides to support not only a particular nation, but a particular party within a government. Luckily, this time God thought it was the Republicans’ turn at the wheel. It is the sworn duty of the Right to protect the Christian faith, because Jesus needs an army…and to make sure that everyone knows that Muslims are wrong. They must be, because they’re in the Axis of Evil…but not Saudi Arabia–blessings and peace be upon them.

FUN FACT: The Jews used to be God’s chosen people, but Jesus said they could run the Media instead.

Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell–Because America’s Army is God’s Army and God hates fags, our military has a very strict no-homo policy (just like Lil’ Wayne). If the Army finds out you’re gay, then you’re out. It’s that simple; no matter how valuable you may be to the Army, you’re gone. President Obama is currently attempting to repeal ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,’ but many on the Right are opposed to it because God hates fags and Obama’s a fag.

FUN FACT: The most difficult thing about being part of the Right Wing is the effort that goes into disguising your brazen hatred as legitimate policy.

Elephant–In 1874, political cartoonist Thomas Nast represented the Republican party with an Elephant and the Democratic party with an Ass. Normally, Republicans try to use the Eagle as their representation as to associate themselves with freedom and patriotism rather than behemoth pachyderms of destruction. The term “Elephant in the Room” is used to describe a prevalent issue that people are too stubborn and self-conscious to talk about–so it could be associated with any rebuttal of a Republican talking point.

FUN FACT: Like Elephants, Republicans never forget–unless they specifically asked to remember…

FOX NewsA conservative-based cable news channel which has recently become known as one of the most trusted media sources in the United States. This fact alone should clue you in that the Right is consistent and thorough in their journalism and reporting. The slogan of FOX News is “We Report, You Decide” while their tag-line is “Fair and Balanced.” For those of you who don’t watch FOX on some moral or ethical grounds, you should know that they are about as Fair and Balanced as possible; they go out of their way to balanced accurate news stories with unadulterated wild speculation.

FUN FACT: When you stare into the burning blue-gray eyes of FOX’s Glenn Beck, you can see the human race, in its entirety, burning in the unstoppable flames of apocalypse.

Guns–The Second Amendment, generally referred to by gun-owners as “America’s First Freedom” (because they don’t recognize the First Amendment as a legitimate freedom), allows for the nation’s populous to arm themselves for protection from a hypothetical tyrannical government. When Barack Hussein Obama (don’t you hate having a president whose name doesn’t pass Spell Check?) declared the Right to be a bunch of frightened individuals clinging to their guns and their Bibles, those “Real” Americans were outraged–and rightly so! When you get all of your facts from a book that starts off with a talking snake, it’s understandably difficult to connect to the truth.

FUN FACT: It is common knowledge that guns don’t kill people; people kill people–but the gun sure does raise those odds! *High Five!*

Hannity, Sean–The reason Hannity gets his own slot outside of FOX NEWS is because he is a special case. Sean Hannity used to host a FOX debate show with Alan “P-Diddy” Colmes (a squirrely little liberal with the frame of an exhumed corpse) until the plug was pulled because even a quiet, unobtrusive liberal was too-much-liberal for FOX. Hannity claims that America is, “the greatest, best country God has every given man on the face of the Earth,” and he’s absolutely right. God made America a plentiful, beautiful, second Garden of Eden–and then the Europeans raped and pillaged their way to total domination.

FUN FACT: America is the greatest, best country Allah has ever created just to spite the Middle East.

Intelligent Design–A loud minority from the right seems to believe that for the history of human scientific discovery, we’ve been dead-fucking-wrong about everything. You see–and stay with me here–the Theory of Evolution (and it is just a theory, of course) can not possibly be true because it suggests that creatures changed and genetically mutated through Natural Selection over billions and billions of years. This simply can not be the case because the Bible says that every living creature that exists now was created in one day…with magic.

FUN FACT: Redneck comedian Ron White says, “You can’t fix stupid.” Rednecks who listen to Ron White answer, “So there’s no use in tryin’.”

Joe the Plumber–During the 2008 presidential campaign that brought America’s first foreign, Communist president, we were introduced to Sam Wurzelbacher who the public knew only as “Joe the Plumber.” Why not “Sam the Plumber?” Fuck you, that’s why. Joe was first seen speaking with Obama in a public forum about his tax plans for small businesses–and how it would affect him if he chose to open his own business. Obama calmly explained his plan, which Joe didn’t understand–and from then on, he became a talking point for the entire Republican Party which had (and continues to have) absolutely no interest in trying to understand President Hussein’s wacky plans for reform.

FUN FACT: Joe the Plumber became a foreign correspondent for FOX NEWS (seriously).

Kindergarten–For many people, especially on the Christian Right, life begins at conception and until we can overturn that pesky Roe VS Wade decision, we will remain in a dark and evil time where women have control over their own bodies. Every child that is not aborted or thrown in a trashcan by a teen who just wants to have a fun Prom is a personal victory for Republicans–but several years later, Kindergarten begins…and so begins another issue: What are those faggot teachers teaching our unaborted children? The Right believes that it is the Gay/Democrat agenda to demand tolerance from future generations by teaching Kindergarten kids about anal sex, condoms, and fist-fucking…and it’s terrifying.

FUN FACT: By the time you get the courage to take back your Country, every single man, woman, and child will have gone gay. Think about it.

Liberal PussiesIf you believe in science, have a moral objection to war, live in a major city, feel empathy and compassion towards others, and readily accept handouts from your government–chances are, you’re a Liberal Pussy. Although the more articulate candidates and pundits would never use this term, it is often substituted with words like “elitist, leftist, bozos, protesters” or simply “liberals.” After all, the Real America exists in either the states that came later/had no say in how this country was formed/lost the civil war.

FUN FACT: When Craig T. Nelson was broke, collecting Unemployment, and using Food Stamps, who was helping him out? Nobody.

MarriageTypically the words that should always follow the word “Marriage” are “is between a man and a woman.” But not if the Left gets their way. It seems that anything that lives and breathes should be allowed to get married, and the slippery slope has no shallow abyss. If gays and lesbians can get married, why not animals and people? Plants and people? Inanimate Objects and people? Traditional Marriage has always been a staple of our society and is a commitment made under the perverse eyes of our Lord–between a man and a woman–for as long as they’re campaigning for re-election.

FUN FACT: It’s customary in this country to an oppressed group to gain the monumental achievement of Civil Rights and then turn right around and spit in the faces of another minority group. It’s the circle of life.

Nine/Eleven–Any kind of political indictment or opposition can be solved by mentioning these two numbers. It’s a mysterious silence spell that will confuse civilization for years to come. Whether the issue be torture, inappropriate airport security, immigration, national security, war crimes, etc…the Right needs only to utter these two (seemingly meaningless) but magical numbers and the problem is immediately shut down. For example: “Do you believe that your treatment of this innocent prisoner fell under the category of cruel and unusual punishment?”…”Well, Nine Eleven.”…The End.

FUN FACT: Former Mayor of New York City, Rudy Giuliani, received an honorary knighthood from the Queen of England for his bravery in uttering the numbers “Nine Eleven” more than six-billion times within the period of one year. Such a feat has never been attempted, even by the most powerful wizards of medieval England.

OilIn order to keep our Energy Independence and take power away from the Terrorist Countries that we get our oil from, we must drill here and drill now. Naturally, if we use up all of our own natural resources, it will be easier to beg countries with more money and power to suckle at their financial tit. We have the capacity to gain more Black Gold from within our own soil; however, in many cases, laws protecting wildlife and forest land prevent us from extracting the delectable Texas Tea from those particular grounds. This is definitely an important issue because we absolutely refuse to invest money in any kind of alternative or renewable energy source (see Liberal Pussies).

FUN FACT: Endangered Species don’t even have cars!

Patriotism–Everyone who wishes to call themselves citizens of this country–or even real Americans–must unwaveringly put the U.S. first. The Right has a true hard-on for Patriotism, which is a noble ideology in theory, but in practice it becomes a little frightening. Every generation goes through a period where they are either ashamed to call themselves “American” or are disappointed in their country’s decisions. During the presidential administration(s) of George W. Bush, a law was passed called the “P.A.T.R.I.O.T. Act”–and while most of its contents were minor additions to the Government’s already-creepy powers, America was divided between the outraged and the flag-wavers (see Us VS Them).

FUN FACT: Patriotism became mandatory for a brief period in the early Twenty-First Century. Now, nobody gives a shit.

Quiet Racism–Perhaps one of the most finely-tuned skills of a Right-Winger is the ability to disguise obvious racism as legitimate disapproval. While your grandparents have a “Racist Pass,” elderly members of our government aren’t so fortunate. They must choke on their hatred while a kind-of black president verbally cock-slaps them into submission. African American leader of the Republican National Committee, Michael Steele probably lies awake at night with the knowledge that–not only is he the Blackest individual in the Republican Party, but sadly, also the Whitest.

FUN FACT: Even though most of the Republican Party object to Michael Steele’s influence, they can’t give up on him because he’s the darkest person they’ve got…and they couldn’t imagine coming off as racists.

Ronald Reagan–Next to Jesus Christ, Ronald Reagan is the most important person in the Republican Party. You would think that Abraham Lincoln, the first Republican President, would be a stronger role model, but…(see Quiet Racism) Reagan was a true Hollywood Actor, but he was always known for being just a regular guy; not like those elitist celebrity candidates like Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger (which Spell Check does recognize, oddly). They say that Reagan never wanted to be president–he only wanted to “play” president–but his policy and legacy inspire boners to this day.

FUN FACT: Reagan’s policy was never to speak ill of a fellow Republican, so whenever current Republicans talk shit, they are required to place their obligatory photo of Ronald Reagan in a sealed envelope.

Sarah Palin–After Barack Obama won the 2008 presidential election, Democrats and Liberals thought that they could breathe a long sigh of relief and forget the terrible months in history that the other 49 States of America were aware of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin’s existence. Well, suck on it, because she’s back and probably trying to get into politics again. After Palin’s random and unpredictable resigning from the position of Governor of Alaska, she vowed that she could do more to inspire Americans by not being politically involved. This couldn’t be more true. Now that Palin isn’t a Governor anymore, it’s like she’s single and ready to mingle. Yes, she’s still married, but it’s not every day that a quirky MILF comes along and speaks such fluent retarded-baby-talk-politics that even the most developmentally disabled hillbillies can pretend to be intrigued.

FUN FACT: You can feel free to associate Sarah Palin with this.

Tea BaggersNow referred to as “Tea Party Members” because of the obvious sexual implications of ‘tea-bagging,’ this term describes those who organized in large numbers with the aid of FOX News to almost-coherently protest Barack Obama’s presidency. Originally, they organized as “Birthers,” or, those who believed that Obama’s birth certificate was a fake and he was actually a radical foreign Muslim. Thank goodness they’ve come to their senses and are now attacking Obama only on his mission to bring America into the educational, scientific, and medical ballpark after being spectators for many years. In all fairness, many of the younger people manufacturing dissent for this cause are actually Democrats in favor of fucknuts candidate Lyndon LaRouche. These are the same people who called Bush and Cheney “Nazis” and are now doing the same to Obama.

FUN FACT: Lydon LaRouche will never (ever, ever, ever) be President and therefore, must do everything in his power to make illegitimate the presidencies of others.

Us VS Them–If you combine our foreign relations with our Nationalism and Xenophobia, you get the Right Wing “Us VS Them” mentality. After all, terrorists aren’t attacking us because of our political and religious motivations–it’s because they hate our freedom. The word “them” or “they” can not refer to individuals (men, women, children) because that would bring about sympathy in the American spirit. “Them” must therefore refer to “terrorists, insurgents, or enemy combatants.” It is this very specific tactical wordplay that keeps citizens in line and discourages them from going crazy and killing their left wing neighbors. Even those leftists hate America, they’re still not as bad as the invisible enemy.

FUN FACT: Conspiracy theorists also tend to use the “Us VS Them” method of rallying supporters, but they tend to be much less active, preferring mainly to read the ravings of fellow mad men on the Internet and attend AA meetings.

VirginsMuch like the sanctity of Marriage, the desire for youth to be sexually uneducated and preserve their bodies and souls for their one true love is a major necessity. If we refuse to teach our children about proper sexual conduct, they will–unfailingly–be less prone to engaging in sexual activity. As we all know, this is a myth of epic proportions, but it’s important to stand by myths and support them until it negatively effects your life personally.

FUN FACT: Some studies (don’t ask me which studies) suggest that chicks who are taught not to have vaginal intercourse until they’re married are more likely to perform oral or anal sex…and that’s all we really need anyway.

Wealthy White War–I couldn’t decide which one of these words to utilize for “W” but I figured they chain together fairly well. From the beginning of American history, War has been planned, instigated, and caused by Wealthy White Men. It may have been the farmers and poor gun-totin’ yokels who fought the War for Independence, but they sure as fuck didn’t blow the whistle. Make no mistake: war is often the only answer to problems that can not be solved diplomatically. If you and yours are directly threatened, there’s only one option left. To say that “war is never the answer” is shockingly naive, but doesn’t it feel nice? Even in the case of a noble American War, we typically wouldn’t enter into it unless there were some clear and direct benefit as seen through the eyes of the Wealthy and the White.

FUN FACT: From the Drug War to the Star War, everyone loves a good battle–but sometimes the enemy isn’t as clear and present as Hitler or Vader. In these cases, we can substitute a rational enemy with an irrational fear–like Terror.

XenophobiaFear of the world and the people outside of our own tightly knit communities has always been America’s alcoholic uncle–we’re not sure why we keep him around, but we’re so used to him that we’ll come to terms with the fact that he prevents any kind of peace-of-mind at the party. Despite the fact that America, like most of the Western World, exists only as a mixing bowl of cultures and races, we will always have an irrational fear of immigrants and outsiders. What happens when Mexicans take over all of the shit-scooping and dirt-digging jobs that hard-working Americans are begging for? What happens then? I’ll tell you what happens then: Communism.

FUN FACT: If we were really so xenophobic, we probably wouldn’t have let black slaves into our homes…with their rap music…

Yester-yearsThese were the fictitious good ol’ days of Leave it to Beaver, a happier time that only existed on Television and in the hearts and minds of psychotic conservatives everywhere. We are determined to package and sell a lifestyle that never truly existed in the first place–a better lifestyle when everyone’s parents stayed together, retarded kids were locked in closets, and if you were gay, you were just beaten to death in the schoolyard. Those were the days.

FUN FACT: Did you ever wonder what happened to the Brady Bunch couple’s previous marriages?

ZealotryWhile this doesn’t necessarily have to be a negative thing, it very easily can become one. If you’re a fanatic over any particular person, character, or ideology you pack the potential to harm yourself and those around you. The Right maintains a Zealotry for God and America’s Forefathers. The danger exists due to the fantasy of the fanatic. You know how you used to think you were still in love with your Ex, but really you were only remembering what you wanted to remember about the whole horrible clusterfucked relationship? That’s how the Right feels about God and America’s Founding Members. They constantly invoke the word of the Lord and the imaginary Intentions of the Forefathers, bending the already pre-established beliefs and writings to suit their agendas at the time. You’re still thinking about your Ex, aren’t you?

FUN FACT: You’d be surprised how easy it is to fabricate ideas and statements made by either Fictional Characters, or persons in history that you refuse to actually read about.

Now you know your GOP ABC’s.

Alex G/

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Filed under Charity, Educational, Fun Stuff, Hot News, Irrationality, Television, Top Story

Teabagging, as I Understand It

alexbwRapidly sweeping the country like some sort of limbless terrapin is a form of non-violent protest called “Teabagging.” Now, I know what you’re thinking, but the invaluable mainstream media has assured me that this has absolutely nothing to do with the practice of delicately dunking one’s own Chicken McNuggets into the unsuspecting gaping maw of a sleeping companion.

Far from it! In fact, the movement itself has verbally assaulted those who refer to the practice as “Teabagging,” while turning a blind eye to the FOX News instigators who first uttered (and continue to utter) the term.

For those of you who can not hold back your sophomoric giggles when considering the connection between the (arguably illegitimate) protests and the practice of slapping your wank-tank on your peers, I say: for shame. Shame shame shame on you.

I’ve spent many a sleepless hour (not literally) contemplating and forcing my feeble non-partisan brain around the concept and reason in what these people are attempting to accomplish, and I have come to some rudimentary conclusions.

First, according to my good friends at FOX & Friends, these angry sons of the soil are taking to the streets in a symbolic reflection of the historic Boston Tea Party to protest taxes, Barack Obama’s budget plans, and the Stimulus Package.

While the common belief is that these protest will continue to draw larger and larger crowds and explode all over the face of Uncle Sam come Independence Day, I have a feeling that Tax Day (April 15th) has sent them a pretty definitive “fuck you.”

No one likes taxes or needless government spending, but when you’re uneducated enough to discredit, misunderstand, or simply be ignorant of the social and economic benefits of a communal financial input…well…I suppose you inevitably come to the conclusion that a Tea Bag Party is much less gay than a Tea Party.

When all is said and done, I have to give a proverbial shout out to the indomitable American Spirit, no matter how potentially misguided it may be. These people are taking their batshit crazy beliefs to the streets, and it’s that kind of enthusiasm that inspires change in a government.

“Teabagging” is essentially a grass roots Conservative movement birthed and nurtured by Fair and Balanced News Corp. On the other hand, it has been going on long before it became popular in the media by real crazies who FOX had once been dedicated to distancing themselves from.

And truth be told, I’m torn. I’m not content with this government’s practices and I can’t blindly support bailouts any more than I can support the unfounded teabagging of those who believe they are doing the right thing.

To take an uninformed stance on anything is wrong. It would be wrong for me to try to bullshit about economic issues (of which I know dick) and it is wrong for unapologetic and triumphantly ignorant back-woods protestersto dip their love-sacks in the mouths of Michael Steele or Barack Obama.

The cowardice of FOX News’ war against a progressive country is not simply wrong or misguided, but arguably evil. While the concepts and paths that our democratically elected leaders are leading us on may not be the best options, we’re in this for the long haul.

It’s time for the other sides to shut the fuck up and offer their assistance, input, and advice, not radical dissent. While Obama and his Democratic super-friends may not have the best laid plans, their intentions are just as golden as the intentions of the (claimed) powerless minority.

And while it is, has been, and will forever continue to be the prime directive of ‘FOX Noise’ to offer nothing but fuel for the random, stumbling anti-liberal fire, their laughable mission must no longer be taken at face value.

This kind of nonsense is a thorn in the side of our country’s economic, cultural, technological, and intellectual progress and can’t be taken lightly.

When the time comes, on the Fourth of July, for Americans to hypothetically “unite” for at least 24 hours in celebration of the freedom and liberty that our ancestors fought for, I hope to see these passionately hypocritical Teabaggers either turn towards a new age of personal responsibility and communion with the best interests of our country at heart, or open wide for the biggest pair of sweat-dripping bean-pods this great nation has ever seen.

 Alex G.

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Filed under Events, Fun Stuff, Irrationality, News, Television, Top Story

List-o-Ramma! Why Philadelphia is one of the Great Cities of the World

DaveThis afternoon, I’d like to take a little while and talk about why Philadelphia, the great city where I was born, raised, and continue to live, is the greatest city in the world. Scoff, laugh and shrug, but stay with me on this one…

This is a blocky stick-up!

This is a blocky stick-up!

1) Crime - In 2007, Philadelphia had a murder rate of 11.8 per 100,000 people. Play around with those numbers, that’s 1.18 murders per 10,000 people. 709 violent crimes per 100k people (thats roughly 1 in 100), and about 3000 REPORTED property crimes per 100k, about 3% of the city (remember, REPORTED). Clearly, there are some big problems regarding crime in our fair city. It seems, however, that most murders are drug/gang related, so called “non-innocent victims,” but this doesn’t tell the whole story. Our prison system, the one designed to keep you and I safe, is dangerously overcrowded, which leads to criminals being inconsistently punished, and released early, but it also keeps criminals from receiving the rehabilitation they need to re-enter society as productive citizens. For shame, criminals; for shame, city government.

Shouldnt there be a house there?

Shouldn't there be a house there?

2)Poverty and Blight- High crime is often the result of poverty, something we have far too much of around here. Even though it’s one of the most affordable places in the county to buy a house, many of these properties are in locations that are less than desirable, and many are simply left empty to rot. There is certainly no easy solution to this one, other than fight the crime as it come up, and help people receive the education they need to get good jobs…which leads to…

Ed-you-kay-shun FAIL

Ed-you-kay-shun FAIL

3) Schools- In 2001, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania forcibly took control of the nation’s 8th largest school district, the School District of Philadelphia. Our schools blew. The still blow. Kids are allowed to, essentially, attend any high school in any part of the city, which means that the neighborhood school isn’t filled with neighborhood kids. This, alone, is not a problem…however it becomes a problem when the citizens of a neighborhood have absolutely no interest in their neighborhood school. Parents are less interested in being devoted to a school they have to drive across town to get to, and students are less interested in keeping the area around their school nice. A big fat reoccurring theme pops up here…LACK OF ACCOUNTABILITY on so many levels…

One for you, 19 for me...

One for you, 19 for me...

4) Taxes- Our property taxes (well, not mine…I don’t have any property TO tax) pay for our schools. Our schools (see above) suck. That’s a pretty bad return on the investment, considering how staggeringly high our property taxes are. It’s really no wonder why people move to the burbs in droves when they have kids. It’s actually much cheaper! Make sense of that!

The Surekill Expressway

I-76: The Surekill Expressway

5) Traffic- Okay, traffic is bad in ALL cities, and ours is actually quite a bit better than some (LA). But highway travel aside, it sucks driving in town during the day. Narrow streets, bad roads and idiot drivers…not to mention those asshats from TimeCycle…driving in the city sure can be stressful, then you have to park. Deal with the PPA or a lot, either way, get ready to bend over. One of the things that frustrates me about the traffic situation isn’t so much the traffic itself, its the bureaucracy around the traffic. It took like 40 years for I-476 to get built (many reasons, and many people’s faults {mostly the NIMBYS}), The Roosevelt Boulevard is a death trap, I-95 is dangerous and unsightly…and we can’t even get new rail lines built or extended. Maybe some of this New Deal stuff will help us out, but I’m not holding my breath.

Wait, wait, wait…hold on…I just listed five HUGE problems with the city…isn’t this supposed to be why the city is one of the world’s greatest? Well here it is…

Philadelphia is one of the World’s Great Cities because, in spite of what I mentioned above (and God, so much more), I (someone who is notoriously bitter and cynical, someone who could complain about anything at the drop of a hat) still love it more than any other city, town or boro I’ve even been to. Despite its flaws, Philadelphia’s character is one that I identify with more than the over-busy New Yorks, the partying New Orleanses, or the Sopranoseque New Jerseys. Philadelphia is the scrappy underdog, the under-performing over-achieving little brother, the hidden gem that really pulls through after all. It’s my city, through and through.

So here’s to you, Philadelphia. I’m sorry for pulling apart a few of your flaws (you really do deserve it…tough love), and here, dear readers, are some of the things I love most about the city.

Puppy Love

Puppy Love

1) World Fucking Champions- Oh man, the Fightin’s really did it this year. It’s been so long in the making. I once told Michelle that if I were dying in the hospital, unaware of what was really going on in the world around me, she was to tell me the Phillies had won the World Series, so I could feel that victory just once before I died. See, always the cynic, I loved…adored my Phillies, but I guess I never really thought it could happen. But it did…we have the best team in the best sport. How sweet that feels. (Also, just so I acknowledge it, we DO have a great, even if defeated, football team, a basketball team, a hockey team, soccer, minor league hockey and CHAMPIONSHIP WINNING ARENA FOOTBALL team, and the Big 5+1, so I do recognize that Philadelphia is a world class sports city…even when we don’t win championships, our teams are generally at least on the winning side of things…)…Side note, I was going to include the Big 5 as its own entry, since it’s a pretty unique thing, but they refuse to acknowledge Drexel, so they can suck it.

Save a Boatload of Benjamins!

Save a Boatload of Benjamins!

2) The Historical- So I couldn’t find that hilarious picture of the Boatload of Benjamins in the shipping crates, you’ve seen the Comcast commercial…”this…isn’t Philadelphia…” and “Liberty Bell?” But come on, what look at the city could be complete without mentioning this? One of the US’s oldest cities, its clearly the most important. The US was friggan’ INVENTED here. We have the highest Olde Tymey Reinactor
per capita in the entire country! (I just made that up) But seriously, walk pretty much anywhere downtown east of City Hall on a nice day, and you’ll see what I mean if somehow, you don’t yet.

The greatest cause of all...awareness!

The greatest cause of all...awareness!

3) Concerts and Big Events- Okay, so the Phillies parade basically broke the city and SEPTA for an afternoon, but we were fine the next day. Live Aid, Live8, 4th of July Concerts on the Parkway…these things are huge. Everyone from Elton John to Lionel Richie comes here to play for FREE. Let’s also mention that we have a GREAT music scene. Everyone comes here, and they play in our amazing venues; The Troc, The TLA, The First Unitarian Church (notice the absence of a certain Electric Factory…). Everyone who’s anyone has played at these places, and quite often there are Battles of the Bands there too, so you can play the same venue your favorite superstar or garage band played.

No witty comment here, just enjoy the beauty

No witty comment here, just enjoy the beauty

4) Fairmount Park- One of the, if not THE biggest landscaped urban parks in the world, it’s made of over 9000 acres of forest, parks and water. Thats like an entire THIRD of the city as dedicated parkland. AND they caught the Fairmount Park Toe Sucker, so it’s moderately safe to go at night again.

2500 Calories, not one of them nutritious

2500 Calories, not one of them nutritious

5) The Food- This is sort of hand-in-hand with culture and diversity, but we have some of the best food anywhere. The Cheesesteak, the hoagie…5 star restaurants to negative star fried chicken joints. We have the best food because of our vast, proud and diverse heritage. The Europeans brought their deli meats, pretzels and pizza, our Latin citizens and their Hispanic cuisine, even the Soul Food places we have scattered around…Philadelphia’s food is just fantastic. You can find ANYTHING to eat within 2 or 3 blocks downtown, probably from a cart!

Finally, and I was going to make this a 5 point list but just couldn’t cut this out…

Americas Oldest Brewery

America's Oldest Brewery

6) Yuengling- Ask for a “Lager” ANYWHERE (except that one time at a Macaroni Grill) and you’ll get a Yuengling Lager. That’s all there is to it. Yuengling, once known as being a cheap, college party beer (like Lionshead is now) is the beer of choice around these parts, and is essentially the exclusive beer of the Townhouse of Doom. Okay, so it’s really more of a Pennsylvania thing than a Philadelphia thing, but if you want to know what people from around here REALLY drink (minus the malt liquor), look no further. It’s the beer we cut our teeth on, the beer we were nursed with…the beer we drank when the Phillies won the World Series, when our friend got that new job, on our 21st birthday, at our wedding reception. Its as much a part of our culinary culture as the cheesesteak, and has about as many varieties, each of them distinct and clearly drinkable (except Lord Chesterfield’s Moustache Trimmings Ale, that stuff is TERRIBLE).

Okay, that seems like a fitting place to end, a Yuengling toast to the city.

Go fuck yourself, San Diego.

-phila maneto

*******

Alex Glad to see that your five spare hours at school are being well-spent!!!

alexG

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