10 dollar bag of heroin, just off I-95

$10-a-bag heroin, just off I-95 describes how you can pull off of I-95 in Wilmington, Delaware and buy yourself some reasonably priced and nearly pure heroin.

I live in Wilmington and while I've seen drug deals go down in the street, I had no idea I could get heroin so cheaply. And in my neighborhood nonetheless. Convenient!

McG's movie trailer recommendations

Watching movie trailers online is fun if you have a solid high-speed connection and the video doesn't get all choppy.

The trailer for John Waters' new film, "A Dirty Shame," is pretty friggin funny
Waters should wear the NC-17 rating as a badge of honor.

"Mean Creek" looks good
But it does raise the question, how many of these Culkin kids are there?

Check out the kid in the McDonald's costume in "The Corporation"
This is from the same folks who did the Noam Chomsky documentary, "Manufacturing Consent."

I've heard nothing but glowing praise for "The Battle of Algiers"
I hope this comes to my local art theater, Theater N.

The Japanese version of "The Grudge (Ju-On)"
looks way creepier than
the American Version of "The Grudge"
Why does Hollywood have to remake foreign films all the time?

Please help me and donate a buck

Like many Americans, I was laid off from a job a few years ago and find myself still digging my way out of debt incurred from the many months when I couldn't find any work.

The computer that I've had for five and a half years is on its last legs.

I'm hoping to get similar model Dell PC to replace my dying computer, which is approximately $600.

I'm asking everyone reading this or who reads my site to please help me get a new computer by donating a buck.

Just one buck.

Here are some of the things you can forego to spare a buck:

-half a Red Bull
-a quick feel off an exotic dancer
-two newspapers
-a cup of coffee from the Gas-N-Sip
-a kingsize Kit Kat bar

Please consider donating just a buck.

Sure, I can spare a buck.

Helping others feels good. I can donate more than a buck.

When you donate a buck, not only will you get a personal note of thanks from me, your name will be listed in the exclusive "I donated a buck" directory of people who donate a buck to help me out.

Sincerely, Dave

Finally something good happened

I got some really good news this morning which made me feel better about things in general.

In unrelated personal news, I got a new pair of Chuck Taylor low-top Converse sneaks from chucksconnection.com.

They are the traditional black low top, but they havea white tongue and white stripe on the back heel. I also ordered some x-tra thick black laces (i.e., phat) from another company and they should be here early next week.

These sneaks are way friggin cool (although they don't levitate as shown in the picture.) My feet started to really hurt after wearing them all day. The price of looking hip I guess. It's amazing how a new pair of sneakers can make your day a good one.

Must have music

I'm working on a "must have music" guide for work and I'm currently in the process of writing about 100 different CDs. So far I've knocked out 5 reviews. They are brief (under 100 words), but you still have to be clever and creative when cranking this kind of stuff out.

My computer is dying!

My 5 and 1/2 year old Dell computer seems like its on its last legs.

My system just reboots unexpectedly all the time and now its started freezing up when I'm trying to download a file or just browse through my computer.

Two hours on hold on tech support and a two-minute conversation with a rep didn't solve a friggin thing. I really need to just plunk down the $600 or so and get a new computer.

Am I the only person still using Windows 98?

DVD review: The Human Stain

I watched "The Human Stain" last night. Good flick with Nicole Kidman who plays a messed-up, psychically damaged woman who works in a college as a janitor, and Anthony Hopkins, who plays a college dean who finds himself unexpectedly out of a job and inexplicably in bed with Kidman after his wife dies.

As implausible as the film could be on many levels, it holds itself together well and can pass both as a chick flick and a decent drama with something in it for the men (i.e., Nicole Kidman as well as some other woman both get naked in the film - yay!)

It seems like Hollywood has forgotten the fact that guys really just want to see boobs in film.

Sadly, that is what it comes down to for men. It's shallow and pathetic, but its also part of our animalistic nature.

I guess Henry Rollins knew what he was talking about when he titled the album, "Hot Animal Machine."

Drunk driving tragedy makes no sense

I intially felt sadness last week when I learned that Phil Healy, an acquaintance whom I met through the local music scene, was killed in a car crash in Milford, Delaware (...more)

Read my new column at phillyburbs.com

Things I should already know about

I watched "Hearts and Minds" which is a 1974 documentary about the war in Vietnam.

I have to plead near total ignorance about the whole Vietnam War. I can't even remembering studying it in high school, and even if it was covered (which I'm sure it was), history just wasn't of any interest to me.

If anything, the Academy Award winning documentary puts a human face to the people of Vietnam and reveals many of the USA's ignorant beliefs about the people they slaughtered, often referred to as gooks.

This film will make you embarassed to be an American and ashamed of the mistakes our government made. You'll also see some parallels between Vietnam and Iraq.

I finally bought my very first record by the Fall

"50,000 Fall Fans Can't be Wrong" is a newly released 2 CD set that surveys the band's entire career from early singles all the way through their most recent album. I don't know what has taken me so long to get into this band, but after John Peel praising the band for the 100th time, I finally checked them out.

The CDs are well-anotated and is a good starting place for any would be punker who is just discovering the Fall (25 years after the fact.)

Just now discovering Ali G

I'm finally making use of HBO On Demand and catching up with what the rest of the world already knows ...

Da Ali G Show is wickedly funny.

I think I like Borat the best. It's all good stuff.

Booyakasha! Who is Ali G?
boyakasha.co.uk
Ali G movies

Cool things I heard on NPR yesterday

I got a laugh from Lewis Black's analysis of the Democratic Convention on Talk of the Nation

Sen. Robert Byrd's interview with Terry Gross on Fresh Air shed some light on how out of control the current president is

Irrelevant personal commentary

That's about it for today. Kind of feeling blah. It's been rainy and rather dreary outside.

I went to BJ's Wholesale Club to stock up on bottled water and sodas and got caught in a downpour of rain. Only upside was someone left a case of Poland Spring water under their cart because they were in a hurry to get out of the rain. So I did get some free water out of the deal ... but then again it WAS raining.

McG's Sunday site selections




This is one of my favorite new stores
My girlfriend and I have two dogs that love treats from Bodhi's kitchen.

I don't make grocery lists unless I have a lot of stuff to pick up
Here's what other people are buying at the supermarket.

Keaggy is the guy responsible for grocerylists.org
I love the design on his site. So much to look at.

9/11 Commission Report revelations
Many commonly held beliefs about 9/11 attack proven false,
no link between Iraq and Al-Qaeda
(Need a login/password?)

Will an October surprise swing the US election?
Generik and other people think its a possibility.

I watched a bunch of movie trailers today
But I hate trailers that give away the whole movie.

The trailer for 'Napoleon Dynamite' is hilarious
I wish this film would play in a theater that isn't 30 miles from my house.

'Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow' looks like a piece of crap
I predict this movie will bomb.

A thriller based on cellular phones is a bad idea
One movie about based around phones ('Phonebooth') is enough.

My brother-in-law thought this site was hysterical
Word up!

Gorilla Mask would be perfect if it didn't have stuff about sports
My fave: The link to Ebay Auction: 100 Photos of a Drunken, Armless Midget.

I am bewitched by Kristy and Jen
We used to work together at CDNOW. Those were the days.

My girlfriend's boss is infatuated with Johnny Depp
I wonder if she's seen this site.

Here's another band with a great name
My friend Fred told me about them a while ago.

Silence is a rhythm too
It's like someone going through their own record collection and playing their favorites for you.

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Making sense of drunk driving tragedy

I have little, if any, tolerance for the actions of drunk drivers. I personally have been involved in two close calls involving drunk drivers.

In one instance, I was able to react and get out of the way of a drunk driver who weaved uncontrollably in traffic, striking a car, then fleeing the scene.

In another case, I merged onto a four-lane highway from I-95 and encountered a drunk driver directly in my path as they drove down the wrong side of the road.

Once again, I was able to get out of the driver's path and avoid injury.

Then there's my sister, who was sitting at a traffic light during evening rush hour. As she waited to make a turn, she was hit from behind by a drunk driver, who fled the scene. While she wasn't seriously injured, she experienced mild recurring injuries that required therapy.

And then there are the cases where people involved in drunk driving collisions aren't as lucky.

I felt sadness when I learned earlier this week that Phil Healy, an acquaintance who I met through the music scene in Delaware, was killed in a car crash. As a fellow musician for over 15 years in the local music scene, I felt an unspoken kinship with Healy and other musicians in the scene like him. It seemed as if "one of us" had been taken away.

Then I learned more about the accident.

I found out that Healy, who had a previous drunk driving conviction, had been drinking before the accident, that he had a minor accident and fled the scene. I winced as I read news reports of how he drove on the wrong side of the road at a high speed, coming to rest only after colliding head-on with a clearly marked State Trooper's vehicle driven by Officer Christopher Shea. The crash killed both Shea and Healy.

My sadness was still there, but as I try to come to terms with what's happened, I've felt angry, frustrated and irritated over Phil's actions and the impact they have had on so many people's lives.

How could someone do something so stupid?

When someone is seemingly together and bright, like Phil was, it's hard to understand how they could make bad choices and how they weren't able to receive the type of help, counseling and treatment needed to overcome their problems and make wiser choices.

The whole situation is inexplicable.

Phil was an intelligent guy. He was well-spoken, a gifted musician and in my experience, an amicable person. I always liked Phil, but right now I'm totally pissed off over what he did.

Christopher Shea's family and friends are crushed. Shea's wife now has to deal with many different kinds of devastation. There's the obvious emotional impact that will be painfully present for weeks, months and years to come.

But there's also the financial devastation, insurance matters and potential litigation that are bound to drag on for months, and possibly years, as Shea's widow tries putting her life back together. Shea's two children, a three-year-old and eleven-month-old have been robbed of experiencing a life with their father.

Everyone can agree that the whole situation is awful.

But it raises the question, how do we cope with this?

What is the appropriate response when a loved one like Phil Healy, who everyone agrees was a good person, does something really bad?

Phil was a friend to many, a teacher who did his part in educating children and a musician who entertained many people. Now his family and friends are experiencing devastation and feelings of losing a beloved friend and family member. And there is probably guilt, anger and confusion as well.

And those left to deal with the aftermath of Healy's actions? What are they experiencing? Rage. Anger. Mourning. The desire for revenge. These things all come up as they process the loss of their beloved friend, co-worker, public servant, husband, father, etc.

As I sit here and reflect on all of this, I can't figure out an appropriate way to conclude these thoughts.

It reminds me of a time I was at the movies when the film unexpectedly stopped during the plot's climax.

As I sat there in darkness I thought to myself, this can't be.

As I waited, nothing happened. The film never came back on.

Then somone came in telling the audience that the projector light had burned out and no replacement was available.

I sat there in disbelief as the house lights came up.

I waited for sometime, hoping that somehow the film would miraculously come back on, which it didn't.

I never did find out how that film ended.

Delaware musician, State Trooper killed in crash




Here are numerous articles about Phil Healy, singer/songwriter of the Knobs, who died on Sunday July 18, 2004 in a head-on car crash in Milford, Delaware. Also killed in the crash was Delaware State Trooper Christopher M. Shea.

Driver in crash severely intoxicated - The driver who died in a head-on crash that killed a Delaware state trooper Sunday had a blood alcohol level of more than four times the state's legal limit, authorities said. The state's chief medical examiner, Dr. Richard T. Callery, released the results Friday. He said Philip Healy's blood alcohol level was 0.336. A level of 0.08 or greater is considered evidence of intoxication in Delaware.

Head-on collision kills Del. trooper - A Delaware state trooper and a motorist were killed early Sunday in a head-on crash on Del. 1 a mile south of Milford.

Delaware State Trooper killed in traffic crash - On Sunday, July 18, 2004, at approximately 1:58 a.m. a crash occurred at the intersection of State Route 1, northbound and State Route 16, approximately 3 miles east of Milton.

State trooper killed on Route 1 near Milford - Leaves behind wife, two young children.

Driver who killed trooper had record of DUI - A driver killed Sunday in a crash that claimed a state trooper's life previously pleaded guilty to driving under the influence of alcohol. Philip Healy, 41, a teacher and musician from Wilmington, was arrested for speeding and driving under the influence of alcohol on March 22, 2001, according to court records.

Repeat DUI offender kills state trooper - A young trooper was tragically killed by a repetitive drunk-driving offender July 18. Philip Healy, 41, of Wilmington was fleeing from a crash he caused at the Route 16 and Route 1 intersection, heading northbound in the southbound lane, when he drove head-on into the path of a patrol car.

Tears and tribute for trooper - Nearly 2,000 police officers and emergency workers formed a sea of uniforms that filled two blocks, joining more than a thousand other mourners Thursday for the funeral of Cpl. Christopher M. Shea.

Dead trooper called epitome of public servant - The Delaware state trooper killed in a head-on collision early Sunday had just been promoted to corporal Friday and was so proud of the force, he'd recently gotten a tattoo of the state police mascot bulldog.

Grieving widow says goodbye - Susan Shea said she didn't get to say goodbye to husband before he died.

Musician killed in crash 'just a genuine person' - The crash early Sunday that killed Wilmington musician Philip Healy also effectively killed the Knobs, the indie-pop band he led for the past decade, bandmates said.

The way is up - Today's edition of Spark was supposed to have Phil Healy and the Knobs on the cover. The photo shoot was set for Monday night. As you probably know, Phil died Sunday when he drove into state trooper Cpl. Christopher Shea, killing Shea as well.

Heart and soul of local band, the Knobs, dies in car accident - On the Knobs' third album, there is a song entitled "If I Died In a Car Crash," written by the Wilmington band's leader Phil Healy. The bouncy tune asks the listener, "If I died in a car crash, would you put a wreath up on the tree, the one that killed me?" The song turned chillingly prophetic Sunday morning when Phil was killed in an accident near Milford.

Philadelphia Weekly's Spin Cycle: Phil Healy, 1963-2004 - Phil Healy hasn't even been gone 24 hours and I'm trying to describe just how special an artist/brother/son/elementary school teacher and friend this Wilmington native was.

Flags Lowered For State Police Cpl. Christopher Shea - "Delaware State Police pledge to protect and serve the public, and they know that means putting their lives on the line for the rest of us. The tragic loss of Cpl. Christopher Shea has illustrated that unselfishness yet again. Delaware and I have been stunned by this loss and can only pray for the family that is left behind, especially Cpl. Shea’s two young children," said Governor Ruth Ann Minner.