Phat Collectibles - Originally Published 2010

Back in the 1940’s, a man needed a place where he could be a man.  Somewhere he could loosen his tie and order himself a glass of JTS Brown neat.  Maybe he could look through the pages of Wink Magazine or lay a double sawbuck on the number three horse to show at the Aqueduct.  It was a different time when being a man meant you ate your meat bloody as hell and you shaved with a straight razor.

While times have changed, a man still needs a place where he can wander in and stand without judgment.  Phat Collectibles is just the store for the modern man.  A guy can go in here and ask a question like, “You got a Gollum action figure for sale?  No, not the Peter Jackson one.  I’m looking for the one from the Ralph Bakshi version.”

While I’m not much of a collector, from my uneducated standpoint, I noticed a few things that Phat Collectibles needs to be commended for.  First, the store is huge and well stocked.  Whether your pleasure is a full-sized Ewok, some comics, or an action figure, this is your place.

Second, the prices seem to be on the low side.  Collectibles have been a runaway market the last few years.  However, Phat Collectibles’ prices are reasonable.

Finally, there is zero attitude here. The owners stay away from that comic book store intellectual stereotype.

Zankou Chicken - Originally Published 2010

There are some who would say that butter makes food taste better.  Possibly.  Then, there is the camp that argues that anything battered and deep-fried wins the contest.  Again, it’s tough to argue with that.

But here is my assertion.  The finest flavors in life accompany foods prepared on a stick.  If you want to test this theory out for yourself, I suggest that you take a ride over to your neighborhood Zankou Chicken.  This is a place that has mastered taking meat and cooking it slowly over sticks.

What’s good?  All of it.  How do I know?  Haven’t you been paying attention?  Because it’s all cooked on a stick.  Kebobs, shwarma, chicken, tarna.  All of it has been gloriously skewered and roasted to perfection.

Reptile Island - Originally Published 2010

I have a few reoccurring dreams.  In one of them, I’ve wandered into a pet store.  As I move through the store, I realize that the animals are able to get out of their cages.  For some reason, the cages are not only filled with unusual reptiles and fish, they are also overstocked so it’s advantageous for the little critters to find their way out.  Needless to say, being in a pet store of runaway creatures is a little distressing.

Thankfully, the same guy doesn’t manage Reptile Island in Stanton.  This is a clean, well-organized shop with all types of reptiles and amphibians.  While I’m not a Herpetologist, I would say that the animals looked pretty content on their hot rocks.  As far as variety, they seem to have it all here; turtles, snakes, lizards, and frogs.  For those seeking the unique, they also have some albinos. 

Orange County Roller Derby - Originally Published 2010

Did you ever read “Fight Club”?  It was a book written by some honors student that has a fantasy about getting into fistfights.  It got turned into a movie and millions of men saw it and fanaticized about getting into fistfights.  And you know what happened?  Nothing.  None of those men went out and got into fistfights.  Instead, they would stand around at the copier at work and say, “Hey, did you see ‘Fight Club’?”  And then the other guy would say, “Remember what the first rule is.”  And then the first guy would say, “Oh, you’re right.  Did you get a chance to look over that memo from corporate?”

Now, while all those guys sit around and play Modern Warfare and fanaticize about fistfights, the women are laying it down.  Not fistfights so much, but as we recently found out, roller derby is not for the faint of heart.  This is a full contact sport.  And who are the ladies sweating it our all in order to bring about a better gladiator sport?  It turns out that they’re your friends and neighbors.  None of them are getting rich doing this.  This is a sport fueled by the love of raw contact.

Yes, this is a tough sport.  But it’s also a sport that has an incredible sense of humor.  On the night we went out, we witnessed Blocka Kahn and some of her sisters run ragged on each other.

And unlike the fictional fight clubs detailed in “Fight Club” somewhere near you on any Saturday night, there is a roller derby going down.  Seek them out.

I love any sport that has a spine and rehab doctor as a sponsor.

Also, go here if you want to help make the banked track a reality.

Hi Times Wine Cellars - Originally Published 2010

Adventuring is a double-edged sword.  You see, after seeing the outrageous, it becomes the normal.  It’s a little like being the key grip on Tod Browning’s “Freaks”.  Over time, one gets used to seeing the Human Torso rolling and lighting his own cigarette. 

With that being said, after reading an ad in the OC Weekly, I took a ride down to Hi Time Wine Cellars.  I’m game for something new.  As I write this, I am still reeling from the sights my eyes saw.

 Take a look here.  This is the passageway down to the wine cellar.  I’m serious.  This place actually keeps wine below ground level.  Why?  I don’t know.  Ask someone who understands the nature of wine.  But it sure knocked my socks off.

 Take a look at this.  This is the row of gin.  Not the shelf, or the section.  The row. 

 Most incredible are these two pictures here.  This is the beer section of the store.  You know where it is?  Inside the beer cooler.  Yes, you read that correctly.  There are at least three isles of beer that exist inside their own cooler.