Today I made my first journey to Pittsburgh's famous Jerry's Records, a store which has apparently been in operation for over thirty-three years. After browsing their massive record collection, I can see why they are still in business! Vinyl was considered passé for a long time, but there's definitely a niche market for it, and thankfully the people who still love to look at those big-ass sleeves and listen to the music in the store are supporting businesses like these.

I went in with a budget and an empty reusable bag, and I emerged minus $40 and carrying a bag of six LPs, four 12" singles, and two 7" singles. The two 7" singles were $2 each, and the others were all priced between $3 and $5. I could have easily bought most of these on eBay for around the same prices (although in most cases I came out ahead, because I didn't have to pay for shipping), but nothing beats finding a record you have been wanting to buy for ages sitting right there on the shelf in front of you.

I took pictures of my findings to share with you all! Please excuse the drab furnishings:


"Rush Rush" 12" single (Special Extended Remix) - Debbie Harry; "In Love With Love" 12" single - Debbie Harry; "I Want That Man" 12" single - Debbie Harry


Rockbird - Debbie Harry; Def, Dumb & Blonde - Debbie Harry; The Hunter - Blondie; "Island of Lost Souls" 7" single - Blondie; "The Hardest Part" 7" single - Blondie


Dressed to Kill soundtrack - Pino Donaggio; Savage Streets soundtrack - Various Artists; "Show Some Respect" 12" single - Tina Turner; Peter Gabriel (1 - Car) - Peter Gabriel

Yes, I am VERY pleased with my loot. In fact, I didn't even know that "The Hardest Part" was released as a single in the U.S.! (It only reached #84 on the charts, so maybe that's why -- but I love this song.) Now I only have two more Blondie albums to buy on vinyl: their first self-titled album and Plastic Letters. And I have all of Debbie Harry's solo albums except for Debravation. They had some more Debbie 12" singles there, and I'm gonna buy them when I go back. Hopefully making trips to Jerry's will be a weekly thing for me!

P.S. My roommate and her friend are sitting here watching Ferngully. WTF?

My ratings are based on a 1 to 5 star scale. Titles in bold are first time viewings. Ratings for movies that I watched with an audio commentary track reflect the quality of the commentary, not the film itself.

February 2009

02/06 - His Name Was Jason: 30 Years of Friday the 13th (2009) (doc) ***½
02/08 - Dario Argento's Door Into Darkness: The Neighbor (1973) ***
02/12 - Mommie Dearest (1981) ****
02/13 - Die! Die! My Darling! (1965) ***
02/14 - Bonnie and Clyde (1967) *****
02/15 - Network (1976) ***½
02/16 - My Bloody Valentine (1981) (Extended Version) ****
02/18 - Dark Waters (1993) **
02/18 - Phantasm (1979) ***
02/18 - The Church (1989) ***½
02/18 - Escape from New York (1981) (w/ Carpenter-Russell commentary) ****
02/19 - Pieces (1982) (w/ Vine Theater Experience track) ****
02/20 - The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) *****
02/20 - Shock Treatment (1981) *****
02/20 - Friday the 13th (1980) (w/ cast and crew commentary) ***
02/21 - Superfly (1972) **
02/22 - Cabaret (1972) **
02/22 - The Assassination of Richard Nixon (2004) ***
02/22 - House on Haunted Hill (1959) ***½
02/23 - Caged Heat (1974) **½
02/24 - Full Circle (1977) ***
02/24 - Blood Simple (1985) ***
02/25 - Religulous (2008) (doc) ****
02/25 - God Told Me To (1976) **½
02/26 - Carrie (1976) *****
02/26 - Tales from the Darkside: The Movie (1990) **

Hi everyone! Long time no post.

Actually, I'm not going to write anything of worth today. I just wanted to let you all know about an eBay auction I listed for the out of print DVD of The House on Sorority Row. Click here to look at the listing.

This is the cheapest price you'll find this DVD for right now, so if you are interested, please bid (or buy it now)! I could use the dough. :)

My ratings are based on a 1 to 5 star scale. Titles in bold are first time viewings. Ratings for movies that I watched with an audio commentary track reflect the quality of the commentary, not the film itself.

January 2009

01/01 - Dark Habits (1983) ***
01/01 - Baby Face (1933) (Pre-Release Version) ****½
01/02 - Paranoiac (1962) **
01/03 - Beetlejuice (1988) *****
01/04 - Mamma Mia! The Movie (2008) *
01/04 - Confessions of a Psycho Cat (1968) ****
01/05 - Career Bed (1969) **
01/05 - The Strangers (2008) *½
01/05 - Black Christmas (2006) **½
01/06 - Jack Ketchum's The Girl Next Door (2007) ***
01/06 - Sisters (2006) ***
01/07 - Fat City (1972) ***
01/09 - The Stepfather (1987) ****
01/11 - Vertigo (1958) (35mm) ****
01/13 - Serial Mom (1994) *****
01/13 - In Bad Taste (2000) (doc) *****
01/14 - Dressed to Kill (1980) ****½
01/18 - The Birds (1963) *****
01/19 - High Tension (2003) ***½
01/20 - Tales From the Crypt (1972) *****
01/20 - Return of the Living Dead Part II (1988) ***
01/20 - My Bloody Valentine 3-D (2009) (35mm) **½
01/22 - Jackie Brown (1997) *****
01/23 - The Slumber Party Massacre (1982) ****
01/23 - Young Frankenstein (1974) *****
01/24 - Gran Torino (2008) (35mm) ****
01/25 - Dirty Harry (1971) ****
01/25 - Psycho (1960) (35mm) *****
01/26 - Zombi 2 (1979) ***½
01/27 - Death Proof (2007) ****
01/27 - Desperate Living (1977) *****
01/30 - Suspiria (1977) *****

So I haven't posted for a while. Happy new year. ;)



My ratings are based on a 1 to 5 star scale. Titles in bold are first time viewings. Ratings for movies that I watched with an audio commentary track reflect the quality of the commentary, not the film itself.


December 2008

12/01 - The Sect (1991) **½
12/01 - Dario Argento: An Eye for Horror (2000) (doc) ****½
12/02 - Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986) **
12/03 - Happiness (1998) ***
12/05 - Bye Bye Birdie (1963) ***½
12/06 - The Pornographer (2001) ***
12/08 - Teorema (1968) **½
12/08 - The Last House on the Beach (1978) ***
12/12 - Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974) ****
12/13 - Edge of Seventeen (1998) **½
12/14 - 28 Weeks Later (2007) ***½
12/15 - Cinemania (2002) (doc) **
12/18 - 10 to Midnight (1983) ***½
12/18 - Dead and Buried (1981) ****
12/22 - The Curse of the Werewolf (1961) ***
12/23 - The Phantom of the Opera (1962) ***½
12/25 - Savage Streets (1984) ****
12/28 - Grease (1978) *****
12/30 - After Hours (1985) ***
12/31 - Mean Streets (1973) **½
12/31 - To Catch a Thief (1955) **½

My ratings are based on a 1 to 5 star scale. Titles in bold are first time viewings. Ratings for movies that I watched with an audio commentary track reflect the quality of the commentary, not the film itself.

I forgot to post my list for October, so here it is:

October 2008

10/01 - The Most Dangerous Game (1932) ***
10/04 - The Rapture (1991) ***½
10/04 - Romance (1999) **½
10/05 - Fuego (1969) ***
10/06 - Hairspray (1988) *****
10/07 - Masters of Horror: Sick Girl (2006) (w/ commentary) ****
10/11 - All About Eve (1950) ****
10/12 - Black Sabbath (1963) *****
10/12 - Friday the 13th (1980) ***½
10/12 - The Last House on the Left (1972) *****
10/12 - I Spit on Your Grave (1978) ****
10/13 - Black Christmas (1974) *****
10/14 - Murder à la Mod (1968) ***
10/14 - Friday the 13th Part II (1981) ****
10/16 - The Collector (1965) ***½
10/16 - Eyes of a Stranger (1981) ***½
10/17 - Fido (2006) *
10/18 - May (2002) *****
10/18 - The Sentinel (1977) ****½
10/19 - Beyond the Door (1974) (w/ Juliet Mills commentary) ***
10/20 - A Stranger Is Watching (1982) ***
10/21 - The Silent Scream (1980) ***½
10/25 - Final Exam (1981) (w/ commentary) ****
10/25 - Maniac Cop (1988) (w/ commentary) ***
10/26 - Hatchet for the Honeymoon (1969) ****
10/26 - Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II (1987) ***½
10/26 - Oldboy (2003) **
10/27 - Axe (1977) **
10/30 - Hard Candy (2005) **½


November 2008

11/01 - Carrie (1976) *****
11/02 - Halloween (1978) *****
11/03 - Halloween II (1981) ****½
11/03 - Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982) ****
11/06 - A Clockwork Orange (1971) (w/ commentary) ***½
11/09 - Blue Steel (1990) **
11/13 - Toys Are Not for Children (1972) ***½
11/17 - American Gigolo (1980) ***
11/17 - The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969) ***
11/24 - The Fifth Cord (1971) **
11/28 - Cujo (1982) (w/ commentary) ***½
11/28 - Patti Smith: Dream of Life (2008) (doc) (35mm) *****

Look at your Last.fm profile and list the top 25 bands/artists you listen to the most, then answer the following questions about them:

(This list is the top 25 bands/artists I have listened to in the past 12 months. I did cheat a little bit, because I skipped over The Beatles... I don't actually like them THAT much, so I have no idea why they were so high on my list.)

1. Blondie
2. Patti Smith
3. Pino Donaggio
4. Nina Simone
5. ABBA
6. Kate Bush
7. Deborah Harry
8. Peter Gabriel
9. Robyn Hitchcock
10. Amy Winehouse
11. The B-52's
12. Madonna
13. Alice Cooper
14. Cyndi Lauper
15. Smith
16. David Bowie
17. Michael Jackson
18. Ramones
19. Duran Duran
20. Ike & Tina Turner
21. Siouxsie and the Banshees
22. Bernard Herrmann
23. Olivia Newton-John
24. Tina Turner
25. Goblin


What was the first song you ever heard by 6? (Kate Bush)
I think it was "Cloudbusting", because nummymuffin sent me a link to the video on YouTube. I didn't fall in love with Kate until a year or two later, though. I was hanging out with adamapple76 one night and he showed me the strange video for "Wuthering Heights" -- THAT is when I fell in love with her. I immediately went home and downloaded every single one of her albums. Now I own most of them on CD. :)


What is your favourite album by 2? (Patti Smith)
Horses, no doubt. It's a masterpiece in my eyes -- one of the greatest albums of all-time. Every song on it is gold!


What is your favourite lyric that 1 has sung? (Blondie)
"Die young, stay pretty
Live fast, 'cause it won't last"


How many times have you seen 11 live? (The B-52's)
0, unfortunately. :(


What is your favorite song by 7? (Deborah Harry)
"The Jam Was Moving".


What is a good memory you have involving 20? (Ike & Tina Turner)
Listening to "A Fool in Love" in my dad's car whenever he would pick me up for the weekend when I was a kid. Okay, it wasn't REALLY Ike & Tina Turner... it was a pale imitation in the form of the What's Love Got to Do With It soundtrack, but it's a good memory!


Is there a song by 3 that makes you sad? (Pino Donaggio)
Yes: "Contest Winners" from the Carrie soundtrack. Just thinking about what is going to happen to that girl after the song is finished playing breaks my heart. :(


What is your favorite song by 19? (Duran Duran)
Definitely "Planet Earth". What a kickass song!


How did you first get into 22? (Bernard Herrmann)
I've been a fan of Psycho ever since I was a little kid, and I always loved the soundtrack. When I got into Hitchcock's other films I realized what a brilliant composer Herrmann was.


What is your favorite song by 4? (Nina Simone)
"Do What You Gotta Do". It was my favorite ever since I heard it for the first time, and it always will be. What a beautiful, emotional song.


Is there a song by 8 that makes you sad? (Peter Gabriel)
"Here Comes the Flood"... especially the piano version from Shaking the Tree.


What is your favorite album of 15? (Smith)
Well, since they only had two albums, I guess I have to go with A Group Called Smith. It's mostly covers, but they're all really fucking good. Especially "Baby It's You", which is one of my favorite songs of all-time.


How many times have you seen 5 live? (ABBA)
None. Unfortunately, they aren't together anymore.


What is your favorite album by 12? (Madonna)
Erotica. The album isn't nearly as dirty as you think it will be -- but it's still a great album filled with some amazing pop songs. (I defy you not to dance while listening to "Deeper and Deeper"!)


What is a good memory you have involving 10? (Amy Winehouse)
I don't know. I sang "You Know I'm No Good" one time for karaoke. Does that count?


What was the first song you heard by 18? (Ramones)
I dunno, probably "Blitzkrieg Bop".


What is your favorite song by 17? (Michael Jackson)
"Thriller". I have an unhealthy obsession with that song. :(

What is your favorite album by 16? (David Bowie)
I actually haven't heard enough of his albums yet to make a good decision on this yet (working on it!), but so far I like Heroes the best.

How many of your top 25 have you seen live?
Just one: Robyn Hitchcock. And that was last Monday! :D

So I went to the Pittsburgh Prop 8 protest today in Oakland and it was very exciting. This was my first time protesting and, while I didn't really talk to anyone because I'm painfully shy, I feel like I really accomplished something.

More pictures here.

Sorry, gotta do a top 20:

1. Blondie - Parallel Lines
2. Patti Smith - Horses
3. Peter Gabriel 3 (Melt)
4. Cyndi Lauper - She's So Unusual
5. Blondie - Eat to the Beat
6. Blondie - Blondie
7. Blondie - The Hunter
8. Peter Gabriel 4 (Security)
9. Kate Bush - Never For Ever
10. Nina Simone - Wild Is the Wind
11. Patti Smith - Easter
12. ABBA - The Album
13. Amy Winehouse - Back to Black
14. Robyn Hitchcock and the Egyptians - Queen Elvis
15. Deborah Harry - Rockbird
16. Patti Smith - Wave
17. Deborah Harry - KooKoo
18. Kate Bush - The Dreaming
19. Duran Duran - Duran Duran
20. Robyn Hitchcock - I Often Dream of Trains


I decided not to include soundtracks, because they would probably take up my whole list. (Maybe I will do a separate list for those someday.)

Oh, and I thought I would update you guys on the Robyn Hitchcock concert. I e-mailed the manager of Club Cafe and she told me Robyn Hitchcock will not be playing there -- which means that the people who run his website were mistaken, and the concert is still on at the New Hazlett Theater. YAY! :D

What's Your Best Quality? Your Result: Personality   Your best quality is your personality! People like you because you are an all around good person. You have good manners and values. You also like to express your personal style and interests.
Loving
Out-Going
Intelligence
Ambitious
Sense of Humor
What's Your Best Quality? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

I have a sense of humor, dammit!!!