You probably hate me. By now, you've probably given up all hope on looking to me to write my treasured thoughts on a regular basis here. If the fresh content of this blog was a carton of milk, it would be well past the expiration date and curdling.

But rest assured, my lack of writing has nothing to do with lack of things to write about. So instead of this tired charade of writing more about how I haven't been writing, I'll just use this post to list and link some of the past few weeks' finer things, in no particular order:

Where The Wild Things Are
Finally, the ultimate children's book has a live action movie trailer. Watch that, my friend, and become an overjoyed person. The movie, slated for wide theatrical release October 16, 2009 was adapted from Maurice Sendak's original by Spike Jonze (score!) and author Dave Eggers (more score!). The movie has been in the works for a while, and based on this trailer, it'll be more than worth the wait. The Stoke Meter is high on this one.

Death Cab For Cutie - The Open Door EP
This small collection of leftover tracks from last year's brilliant, beautiful "Narrow Stairs" is a winner. At this stage in their career, I think Death Cab continues to be one of the most exciting and genuine bands still kicking and breathing right now.

The Gaslight Anthem
I toot this band's horn quite a bit too, but pick up this month's copy of Alternative Press magazine and read the cover story on them. If you don't already appreciate what they're doing for rock n' roll, you will.

I Love You, Man
See this movie. Best comedy I've seen in a while, and not because it's hilarious as a buddy movie and a date movie at the same time. Because it humorously maps out and pokes at the entire male psyche. Basically, if you don't understand guys; this movie does.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine / Star Trek / Terminator: Salvation / Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen
These are all things I am, abnormally, nerding out over right now. All four will probably be the big 4 movies of the blockbuster season, kicking off with the sniktedy Wolvie on May 1.

Lost is the best thing on TV right now
Trouble is, if you haven't seen every episode of every season (or the prerequisite patience to put up with that), you are--frankly--lost. But seriously, every new episode blows another piece of my brain clean out of my skull. The show practically re-invents itself and it's story, tone, and concept every half-season. And with the grand end looming, it's really starting to gain some momentum. If you need an excuse to Netflix all the seasons leading up to this one and catch up in time for next winter's final season, now is as good a time as any.

Iron Man 2 started filming
And if you've been following as nerdiously as I have, you know Mickey Rourke is playing some bad guy, Scarlett Johanson and her notoriously bovine set of lips will be decked out in latex for the role of Black Widow, Sam Rockwell as rival industrialist Justin Hammer.

Speaking of Rourke...
He showed up at Wrestlemania 25, only to punch Chris Jericho in the face? FAIL.

Speaking of wrestling, and the WWE...
Why the (explicit) am I watching Monday Night Raw again?? It's worse than when I stopped watching it about 5 years ago for crap sake. Actually, I'm watching it to spite Heroes, which has taken the biggest nose dive in the history of serialized tv story telling. Not even Sylar is cool on that show anymore, and that's just sad. Seriously Heroes, you went from Spiderman 2 good to Elektra bad.

The Mercury's Build A Phil
We printed a wallsize poster of Cole Hamels in The Mercury. And I want you to take a picture of yourself with it and enter this contest.

The Mercury's Extreme Makeover
You got until 5 pm today to win a free makeover for the summer from us! Hurry!

Pottstown's Bark For Life Top Dog Contest and Canine Relay
Vote for the top dog, AND join in the fight against cancer at the same time. That, if you ask me, is the right tree to bark up. AND don't miss the Canine Relay Saturday morning at Sunnybrook. Bring your dogs out to walk, and bark, and fight cancer, and have a good time.

The Healthy Lifestyles Expo
Come out to Montgomery County Community College this Friday, 9:30 am-1:30 pm. You can engage in a good ol' fashioned q-and-a session with our famed political columnist Tony Phyrillas, get yourself caricatured for free by the inker of Skippy and Dot (and hundreds of our classic editorial cartoons), Alan MacBain, get a free lunch, win $100 cash and other door prizes, get all kinds of free health screenings from participating vendors, meet State Rep Thomas Quigley, learn more about healthy lifestyles and better living from more than 70 vendors, and etc, etc, etc. Seriously, it's a great time every year. Don't miss it dude!

Do you read The Mercury?
Tell us about it.

You know how you can't sit in a packed movie theater without some chucklehead blabbing through the feature in the seat next to you? Well, you may not have to worry about that anymore thanks to this "enraged" Philly movie goer who took this matter into his own hands, flinging popcorn at a noisy kid and shooting noisy kid's dad right in the middle of the theater (might I add that this story is soooo Philly).

You know what the best part about this is? He sits back down to watch the movie after shooting the guy. Let me type that again. He shoots a man in the arm... everyone runs out of the theater screaming for dear life... our hero sits back down in his seat, shovels some more popcorn into his mouth, and enjoys the remainder of the movie in peace and quiet... until the police show up to apply some cuffs.

I'd say this guy was either ENTHRALLED in the plot of The Curious Case of Benny Button, OR this was just his misplaced way of giving the flick a thumbs down. As for theater talkers of the world, let this be your reminder to shut up.

Ok, ok, so the look is the same. But we got a fancy new header to top Scene & Heard off every single day! W00t! And yeah, I know... there aren't any subways in Pottstown, Phoenixville, Royersford, Reading, or anywhere around here. But I'm the blog from the underground in these parts, so it fits. Right? Plus, it looks too cool to not argue for the strong case it makes.

And stay tuned, that's not all that's been under construction here. Starting this Sunday, I'll post one Christmas song a day until Dec. 25 in a little something I'd like to call the 12 Songs of Christmas mix.

PLUS! With the 2008's curtain coming to a close, I'm getting help from some fellow Mercury staff for our favorite movies and music of the year to share with you. Expect lots of mp3s and YouTube clips to come.

There is a lot I could blog right now. I could write about the Golden Globe nominations announced this morning (go Heath!), or start recapping the year with all those 'best of' lists, or I could share some Christmas music with ya...

...but I'd really rather just watch this animation over and over and over.


Talk about a victory lap! And WHY must Hillary ALWAYS have her mouth open? Always!

What's manning my brainwaves today?

The new Indiana Jones trailer hits the netwaves.
Punk Goes Crunk.
Death Cab announce tracklisting for upcoming "Narrow Stairs." Sounds like it might be a stairway to heaven.