Happy Birthday to Doogie Howser, M.D.

Neil Patrick Harris turns 37 today.  Happy Birthday!!

I once walked into one of the redneckiest redneck bars in my hometown to buy beer.  When I sashayed up to the bartender, the drunk hillbillies/bikers/inbreds noticed me (I had clean fingernails and hair - a dead giveaway in that place) and they started calling me "Doogie Howser".  "Look ya'll, Doogie Howser is buying beer!".  "Doogie, does your mommy know you're out this late?!?".  They thought they were SOOOOOOOOOOO high-friggin-larious, but I was just happy to get out of there alive ... with my beer.

Ever since then I've felt a little bond with NPH.  Happy Birthday, Doogie - and FYI: you might want to stop by and visit your fans at the 720 Cafe in Carlisle, PA (below).  I bet they're still sitting on the same bar stools as they were back in 1988.

Dropping Stuff On New Year's Eve

Everyone knows about the big ball drop in Times Square on New Year's Eve (above).  But you might not know about all the crap they "drop" on New Year's Eve in the land of my birth ... South Central Pennsylvania.

Most of these PA droppings began after I moved to New York City.  In fact, I can only remember the Strawberry Drop in Harrisburg - an event I always missed because I wasn't about to leave the warmth of "Stallions" (the local gay club) and go outside to watch a piece of fruit going down at midnight. I waited until later for that...

Now every local town seems to drop something to ring in the New Year.  What cracks me up is that for the most part whatever is being dropped is simply hoisted up on a crane and lowered at midnight while people watch.  We are all about 'no-frills' in Pennsyltucky!

Some of these drops make sense.  The strawberry in Harrisburg was dropped from "Strawberry Square", a downtown mall.  York, PA drops a White Rose, because it's known as "The White Rose City".  And Heshey drops a big Hershey Kiss, for obvious reasons...

Some of the dropped items are less obvious.  My hometown of Carlisle boasts a "Mini Indy Car Drop".  I'm assuming this is due to the fact that Carlisle hosts huge annual automobile shows, and because you "Can't have Carlisle without the 'Car'".  And, from what I've read, they drop a mini-Indy car because the local YMCA wasn't using it anymore...

The neighboring town of Mechanicsburg drops a wrench...

Shippensburg drops an anchor...

Red Lion drops a cigar (an homage to Red Lion's connection to the Tobacco industry).  And Elizabethtown drops an M&M because of the M&M/Mars plant in town.  Dillsburg drops a big pickle dressed in formalwear ...

But my favorite is the town of Lebanon.  If you grow up in South Central PA, you know Lebanon as the town where "Lebanon Bologna" (pronounced "LEB-nun Ba-LO-nie") comes from.  So Lebanon drops a big, long, edible, delicious bologna on New Year's Eve.

Do they "drop" anything where YOU live?

I Fell In Love ...

... with this little baby in Pennsylvania. Like I mentioned before, my Dad is caring for a male and a female kitten which were abandoned by their mother - Dad literally nursed them by hand until they were big enough to eat on their own. The little girl is TOO CUTE - that is her in the pic above, snuggling in my arms. When she and her brother are done playing, she likes to jump up on your lap and get petted - which makes her purr and purr and purr.

Remember, these two cuties are available for adoption. If you can get to Carlisle, Pennsylvania, one or both of them is yours. Send me an email: daviddust@gmail.com for more information.

Guess What I'm Thinking?...

ARBY'S!! I had a delicious lunch today at the beautiful Arby's #05877 in Carlisle, PA - and it was absolutely fantastic. Furthermore, thanks to an Arby's gift card from my dear friend Mark in DE, I didn't have to pay a penny for any of it. Free Arby's? Swoon!!!

On the menu: Large Roast Beef-n-Cheddar (with Swiss instead of Cheddar), Curly Fries and a DIET Pepsi. Because, you know, I didn't want to OVERDO it.

When I got home, I looked at the Arby's website and realized there are 10 locations within a short drive of where I am right now...

Meanwhile, I live in New York City - a place with over 8 million residents - and we have ONE Arby's ... at a mall in Queens. Unless they've shut that one down also.

Anywhore, lunch was scrumptious ... and my Dad and I have already made our first Wal-Mart run of the day. Good times here in Central Pennsylvania ...

My Hometown: Tea Bagging and Funny Boats

Conservatives held anti-tax "Tea Parties" over the July 4th weekend, in order to protest the Obama administration's "tax and spend" policies. Because, you know, George W. Bush was so fiscally responsible and whatnot...


About 150 people attended a Tea Party in the historic town square of Carlisle, PA - the town where I was born and raised (pics above and below). Apparently "Don't Tread on Me" is the "Yes We Can" of the Wingnutty set.


But Carlisle isn't all bad. It also hosted the annual "Anything Floats" competition as part of the July 4th weekend Summerfair celebration. I am so old that I remember going to the VERY FIRST Anything Floats (held on the Conodoguinet Creek) back in 1978. Here are some of the entrants from this year, held at Children's Lake in nearby Boiling Springs, PA ...


And, as was the case at the very first Anything Floats that I saw as a child, some things just WON'T float for long ...

I Went To School With An Alleged Murderer

A few weeks ago, A woman's dead body was found in the town I grew up in. Yesterday, one of my childhood classmates was arrested for her murder. Richard "Chip" Hodge (above) admitted to strangling Sheila Kline during sexual intercourse on Jan. 23rd in an alley in downtown Carlisle, PA. Hodge and I were in the same class from 1st Grade all the way through High School.

Wow. Chip was a quiet kid, who apparently later developed quite a drinking problem and a long rap sheet. Seeing his picture online kind of freaked me out. I remember a cute, skinny, quiet boy who was fast as hell on "Track and Field Day". But this picture just shows a tired-looking, 43-year-old accused murderer. So tragic.

My Last Meal In Pennsylvania...

The Hamilton is an institution in my hometown of Carlisle, Pennsylvania. It has been around forever - in fact, my Dad used to come here for lunch when he went to Carlisle High School. Many, many years later - The Hamilton is still going strong. Mama Bunny and I stopped here for lunch before she took me to the train station yesterday.

The Hamilton's most popular and famous dish isn't on the menu - it's called a Hotchie Dog. It is a grilled hot dog with tons of onions, mustard, a slice of American cheese, and a special chili sauce. OMG - they are delish. I got two (no mustard) and ate 1/3rd of one before I remembered to take the picture. I also got French fries with gravy (my Dad's fave), since they were out of onion rings.

As we say in Central Pennsylvania - NOW THAT'S SOME GOOD EATIN'! OK - now it's back to Weight Watchers...

Dubya Speaks In Central PA

Preznit George W. Bush appeared in my hometown on Tuesday - and nobody threw any shoes.

The President made a speech in Thorpe Hall at the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Thorpe Hall is named after Olympic Athlete Jim Thorpe, who was educated at the Carlisle Indian School - which was located on the site that is now the War College. See the coverage from the Carlisle Sentinel (for which I was a paperboy as a youth) HERE.

One of the good things about having the War College in my town was the fact that we got to go to school with the children of the Army officers. So we made friends with kids who had traveled the world - and not just to Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. Unfortunately, some of these well-traveled Army Brats were pompous asses - but then again some of us locals were stupid hicks. So we kind of balanced each other out.

Antonio Banderas To Appear In My Hometown

Antonio Banderas will premiere his new film - El Camino de las Ingleses - in Carlisle, Pennsylvania on Friday. I grew up in Carlisle, and it figures that the ORIGINAL sexy Papi comes to town long after I've moved to NYC. Read the story HERE.

I think the first time I laid eyes on Antonio, it was in Madonna's movie Truth or Dare. I was still living in Pennsylvania at the time (1991), so I was unfamiliar with Pedro Almodovar, who featured Antonio in a few of his films. I had to move to the fancy city before I became acquainted with independent/foreign films. But Madge- a PapiWatcher from WAY BACK - has always had good taste...

The Legend of Molly Pitcher

Greetings from Carlisle, Pennsylvania!

All children who attend school in Carlisle (as I did) are taught that the two most famous historical residents of our town were athlete Jim Thorpe, and Revolutionary War hero Molly Pitcher:

The Legend of Molly Pitcher:

On June 28, 1778, Continental and British troops clashed at the Battle of Monmouth, New Jersey. Reported as “one of the hottest days ever known,” soldiers dying of heat and thirst welcomed the sight of Mary Hays, wife of an artillery soldier, as she repeatedly brought water to the exhausted and wounded men. They nicknamed her Molly Pitcher. (Afterwards, any woman bringing water to soldiers on the field, was called “Molly Pitcher.”)

As the battle raged, Molly’s husband was wounded while manning his cannon. Molly rose to the occasion by picking up the rammer and servicing the cannon through out the remainder of the battle. Her heroic efforts were recognized by George Washington himself (as some stories claim) and by the State of Pennsylvania. SOURCE.

As I researched for this post, I found out this is a "legend" and not necessarily the truth. From Wikipedia (emphasis mine):

Molly Pitcher was a nickname given to a woman who may have fought in the American Revolutionary War. Historians differ on the real identity of Molly Pitcher, or even if she existed. Since the various Molly Pitcher tales grew in the telling, historians now often regard Molly Pitcher as folklore, rather than history. However, Molly Pitcher may be a composite image inspired by the actions of a number of real women. The name itself may have originated as a nickname given to women who carried water to men on the battlefield during the war. This water was not for drinking, as is popularly believed, but for swabbing the cannons.

This blows me away. All these years I thought this was a real person - especially since we were taught the story as absolute historical fact. If Molly Pitcher isn't real, then WHO is this woman who's buried in Carlisle's Old Cemetery?...

Up, Up And AWAY For Thanksgiving

I will be leaving bright and early tomorrow morning for the land of my birth - Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Therefore, posting will probably be lighter than usual. I will return on Tuesday.

As far as Top Chef goes, I have every intention of watching it tomorrow night and posting my usual recap. However, that whole process may be delayed by a day or two, since I will be shoving food down my gullet all day and night Thursday. For everything Top Chef-related, visit our friend Chef Biatch and the crew over at Blogging Top Chef.