This Snow Mess is Somebody's Fault!

Get it? This "snow" Mess? This "whole" mess? ...yeah, I know, too early for bad puns.

We basically went all of Monday without much notice or warning about a potential storm on Thursday, and that all changed starting Tuesday, as the threat of the storm started to get more and more real. By Wednesday, the word was that the storm would be crippling. Schools were shut down preemptively, despite the fact we were due to only get, at most, a foot of snow and the real snowfall wouldn't arrive until Thursday night.

Then came Thursday.

No snow stuck to the ground in the city, and people stayed home, most likely in fear, that it would get worse. Myself? I went out, anyway, and went to work. I didn't get home until 7PM and by then, it finally began to stick to the ground. During the entire day, the major networks publicly argued about just how much snow we were to get, from some stations still sticking with a foot to others arguing nothing more than 6 inches.

Its now 8AM as I write this and I'm getting ready to head to work.

FOX 29, and indeed everyone else, is saying stay home. There's a problem or two with their logic. For starters, they have to cover EVERYONE from Philly to fucking Delaware! Is anyone else slightly annoyed by that? That the fact that our local news station seems unable to tell people in their MAIN MARKET that what applies to certain places doesn't apply there? The snow is sticking here, it's about 6 inches at (in some rare spots), but it really isn't that bad unless you drive.

So, here's the real message:

If you have to DRIVE today, wait until noon when the snow stops. IF you're walking or taking the regional rail or subway, you'll be fine. IF you're waiting for a bus, you're going to have to wait a while.

Sound good? Great. It's simple crap, folks!

Schools are closed again (although this time I actually can't blame them), but the local government is still running. It isn't a "snowmaggedon" or anything like that. Honestly, I thought this area had more fucking balls than to act like a bunch of 2-year-olds when we see a snow storm. We've just dealt with the worst blizzard in Philadelphia's entire history! 6 inches of snow shouldn't cause this many problems!

ELECTRONIC SAVIORS: Cancer Benefit Art Show

Digital Ferret Records, your local home for industrial and metal music, will be holding an art and music show on Friday, February 26th to help raise money to fight cancer.

There will also be a CD Release Party with TERRORFAKT, REIN[Forced], and PATRICIA WAKE! Not to mention a group art show with a ton of local artists.

Please bring money for artwork to support cancer research!

Digital Ferret 4th Friday Event Series Metropolis Records Present: “Electronic Saviors”: Industrial Music To Cure Cancer

LINEUP:
+ Terrorfakt (NYC)
+ Rein[Forced] (Pittsburgh)
+ Patricia Wake (Pittsburgh)
+ Group Art show w/ 20 Artists
+ DJ's Isaac Cesium 137 & Mighty Mike Saga
+ Q & A with Jim Semonik

Make sure you come out! SHOW GOES FROM 6PM to 10PM!

Digital Ferret is located at 732 S 4th St in Philadelphia, PA.

Philadelphia's First, and Only, Metal and Punk Radio Station is Back!

Mark Skull Pirate Radio returns after a long absence!

February 19th, 2010 - Philadelphia. After nearly 6 months of being gone, MARK SKULL PIRATE RADIO is back on the air!

Run by one-time mayoral candidate Larry West, Mark Skull Pirate Radio (MSPR) will celebrate its return with a 4-hour long live radio show at 7PM EST on February 19th, 2010, that will feature the latest and greatest in heavy metal and punk! BUT WAIT! You say that heavy metal isn't cool or hip? That punk is dead? That metal and punk were "something you used to do", maybe before you thought it got "stale"? WELL, WE'RE GONNA PROVE YOU WRONG!

Tune into the Mark Skull Show on MPSR at 7PM EST for the latest and greatest from bands such as Megadeth, Slayer, Devin Townsend, Overkill, Otep, Kreator, Ministry, NOFX, and more bands than you could shake stick at! No, really. If you tried to shake a stick at these bands, they'd beat the crap out of you.

So, I'm sending out this press release in the hopes that you'll post this on your blog, maybe even the entire thing. Why? You may think your readers don't listen to that music, but who knows, maybe they do, or maybe they'll listen to this show thinking it would be "ironic". In the end, they will be converted to the church of HEAVY METAL.

What's my proof? What's my story?

Mark Skull Pirate Radio was create in June of 2005 out of frustration that the Philadelphia music scene did not have ONE DECENT ROCK OR METAL STATION! Try loving the music, and not having anything or anyone to connect with! Being alone with your CD's, not really being able to get an idea what's out there! Yeah, there's MySpace and Pandora, but hell, it's not REAL RADIO! Well, MSPR changed that! Within a year, we were the #1 extreme metal station on Live365, and we seek to be there again!

A Mark Skull Live Show is full of tasteless jokes, cursing, rants, caffeine-fueled brutality, stories, and great music! It has been heard as far away as Belfast, Ireland, and beyond! It will kick your ass and make you want more! IT WILL INCRIMINATE ITS HOST SO HE CAN NEVER RUN FOR PUBLIC OFFICE AGAIN! HA HA HA HA!!!!!!!

.....I see I may have gone too far.

Just listen to the station.

http://www.morisecomics.com/markskullpirateradio
http://www.live365.com/stations/luvataciousskull

Posers and Hipsters Beware, It's Coming Back!

I am proud to say that MARK SKULL PIRATE RADIO is coming back Saturday!

Philadelphia's first, best, and ONLY metal and punk internet-only radio station is already up and running, but a full-blown roll-out begins Friday, and the Mark Skull Show, the infamous live show, will be on Saturday Night at 7PM!!!!

SO START LISTENING!!!!!!!

SNOWMAGGEDON 2010!!!

I woke up around 7AM, and the room was still bright white.

Though the sun was barely peeking through the clouds, a soft glow filled my room, my heart, and my mind. Turning on the TV revealed a shocking picture; the snow wasn't that bad, SEPTA was still running, and life still went on. The end wasn't here... yet. The main caution from the stations was that, although things didn't seem that bad at the moment, they were going to get worse, much much worse.

Around 7:30 I went out to start shoveling. Now, for some people, this is a pain and something they despise. For me, its a joy and a treat. The snow for the past few years has been light, fluffy, and easy to move. Even the 28 inches that fell this past weekend was nothing to me, almost the same as if it was 5 inches of heavy snow.

You can only imagine how frustrating it was to realize that the 8 inches that had fallen last night was now heavy snow with slush on the bottom. Each load felt like pushing around two feet of the white stuff, nearly 20 pounds per shovel lift! To make matters worse, the shovel itself was starting to fall apart and the day had barely begun. After about 10 minutes the short sidewalk and stairs to my house were done. The other two houses I had to do were still ahead.

It was around 11AM that I had stopped shoveling anything and everything I needed to do while the storm was in a brief lull. During this time, the snow had stopped and turn to sleet, promising to turn back to a heavy snowfall.

This is where my troubles began.

As the snow began to fall and the winds began picking up speed, a fear came across my eyes! The snow began to pile up quickly, growing as high as 1.5" an hour! Howling winds at 35 mph threatened to destroy the overburdened branches in the area. Sitting in my house, the sound of large amounts of snow falling made me worry about where they were coming from and why. Report of roofs in the city collapsing under the immense girth of both this storm made me worry about my neighbors with flat roofs. Some trees fell to the forces.

As night falls, the sky is filled with an eerie orange glow. The howling winds are still going on, and cabin fever is coming over the entire Northeast. Power is out for over 50,000 PECO customers, and things aren't going to end anytime soon.

Yet, on a plus side, they are calling for sun everyday through Monday. Hope is on the way.

ENTIRE Jon Strewart Interview with Bill O'Reilly

FREAKING AWESOME! Check it out!

So This is What Happens on AccuWaeather.com...

I always wondered, on average, how many people actually took the time to watch the new DTV channels that are devoted to nothing at all but local weather. With The Weather Channel, you kinda have a captive audience that is interested and cares about the topic, whereas the DTV channels... well, who cares? Its actually kinda depressing to me.

Now, a new reason to watch:

Weatherman Freaking Out Over DC Snowpocalypse
by TheDlisted

SNOWMAGGEDON IS UPON US!!!!!

KREATOR - March 4th, The Troc - 7PM!

CHECK OUT THE POSTER OF DEVIANTART!!!!!!

If you're into metal at all, then I doubt I need to explain why this show is awesome. About a year ago, Kreator came to town and played The Troc with Exodus opening for them. That show was nothing short of amazing! This one? Well, let's just say Kreator is going to make this show even better than last year!

Voivod is sub-headlining this show, and I honestly can't remember the last time they played Philly! They haven't done a tour in 6 years, even including after the release of Katorz about 4 years ago.

KREATOR will be playing The Trocadero March 4th, 2010 at 7PM! They'll be playing with Voivod, Nachtmystium, Evile, and Lazarus A.D.

Check out these videos of both Kreator and Voivod! It should be one hell of a show!!!!

KREATOR:





VOIVOD:

Facts And Help: PGW Can Shut You Off in the Winter

It was only less than a year ago that I wrote about this specific topic, and how no one was covering it.

They still aren't.

So, lets get some history and facts out there. First off, yes, PGW is legally allowed to turn off your heat in the winter. Not only that, but so can PECO and the Philadelphia Water Department.

In February of 2005, Governor Rendell passed the ironically named Responsible Utility Customer Protection Act. The law allowed for all utilities in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to shut you off during the winter.

There was a loophole written into the law for just PGW Customers, but it isn't a big one:

PGW Specific

For PGW Only - Shut-Off of Utility Service - We have different rules for winter shut-offs. If your income is more than 150% but less than 250% of the poverty guidelines, PGW may turn off your service beginning January 1 unless:

• A person in your house is 65 years or older;

• A person in your house is 12 years or younger;

• A person in your house has a letter from a doctor;

• You have paid half of your last 2 bills or

• You have paid 15% of your household income in the last 2 months

For PGW Only - If your household income is low, we will turn on your service if you join PGW's Customer Responsibility Program (CRP). For example, this means if there are 3-people in your household your monthly income must be below $1,959.

For PGW Only - Based on your income, the amount of your deposit may be equal to one or two average bills. If you enroll in CRP, you do not have to pay a deposit.

So there are measurements in place to make sure you're OK with PGW during the winter. PECO, on other hand, doesn't. So if you're behind on those, you could face a shutoff. I talked to a few people about that, and they understood the PECO turning you off, despite the fact that you most likely will need electricity to turn on your heat.

My thoughts?

The fact that we allow this to happen in this state is APPALLING. The reason it shouldn't be legal is actually very obvious since, as I mentioned already, the toll on the person is astounding and the toll on the house or property can be incredibly costly. During the summer months it's not quite as bad, but winter is understood to be the worst time possible to carry out a shut off in this city.

At the same time, this effects the poorest of our friends and neighbors, and it's a devastating thing to happen to a persons emotional toll. I had my power turned off once and aside from the feeling of disappointment you feel in it happening, your angry and sad at yourself for falling so far from society. You feel like an outcast and a pariah.

The toll on the neighbors properties is debatable, but it is likely that a house that is flooding due to bad pipes in a row home will effect the neighbors.

In the end, this isn't helping anyone but the utilities and needs to go.



Photo Courtesy of I Am My Avatar

About Sunday Night...

Devin Townsend - The Trocadero - 1/31/2010


I'll post more later, including a few review. Let me just say this: FUCKING EPIC!!!!