Walking In a Lego Wonderland

November 21, 2015 / The No Seatbelt Blog / Leave a comment

This week one year ago, Jenn’s parents took us down to Walt Disney World as a sort of engagement present, and before we even checked into the hotel, we went to one of the most amazing places I had ever seen or ever will again. I am obsessed with Legos, and jumped at the chance to visit Legoland. An ear-to-ear smile spread across my face as I approached the gate, and spent the rest of the day, jaw agape, snapping pictures, taking in the masterful creations upon which I would lay my eyes. Continue reading →

Funko Friday: The Boondock Saints

November 20, 2015 / The No Seatbelt Blog / 2 Comments

When I was in college, my roommate Dave said to me something to the effect of “you’re probably not going to like this movie.” Nonetheless, we sat and watched The Boondock Saints, and I was blown away by it. This low-budget independent film revolves around Connor and Murphy MacManus, two deeply religious Irish brothers living in South Boston, who after a violent run-in with the Russian mob, grow tired of the incessant crime they see around them, and take it upon themselves to start taking out the trash in the city they call home. Continue reading →

Growing Up 90’s: Tonic- “You Wanted More”

November 17, 2015 / The No Seatbelt Blog / Leave a comment

I don’t know when I got bitter/Love is surely better when it’s gone

That line leading into the chorus of Tonic’s 1999 hit “You Wanted More” hits you right in the stomach, if you’ve ever been lost in the arena of love. Barely sneaking in as a 90’s song, the tune appeared the band’s album Sugar in November of ’99, as well as on the soundtrack of the iconic teen movie American Pie, and has been tugging at my heartstrings ever since. Continue reading →

Funko Friday: Glenn

November 13, 2015 / The No Seatbelt Blog / Leave a comment

“Hey you. Dumbass. Yeah, you in the tank. Are you cozy in there?” said Glenn Rhee over a radio to a bewildered Rick Grimes in the very first episode of The Walking Dead. You see, Rick had just awoken from a coma in the middle of the zombie apocalypse, and Glenn made him feel welcome before they even met face-to-face. Continue reading →

Growing Up 90’s: No Doubt- “Don’t Speak”

November 10, 2015November 10, 2015 / The No Seatbelt Blog / Leave a comment

No Doubt didn’t make their breakthrough until their third album, Tragic Kingdom was released in 1995, but that breakthrough was a massive one. The band rode that album’s wave to the top on the strength of singles such as “Spiderwebs,” “Just a Girl,” “Sunday Morning,” “Excuse Me Mr.” and the biggest hit of all, “Don’t Speak”. The song was written about the breakup of lead singer Gwen Stefani and bassist Tony Kanal, which nearly caused the band to break up as well. Continue reading →

The Beer List: Terrapin Walking Dead Blood Orange IPA

November 8, 2015November 10, 2015 / The No Seatbelt Blog / Leave a comment

Thanks to a very gracious coworker, I got my hands on Terrapin Brewing Company’s Walking Dead Blood Orange IPA this week. Themed beers such as this are all the rage now (see my rundown on one of the Game of Thrones beers here) and that’s all well and good. I’ve grown to really like IPAs since I’ve gotten into the craft beer scene over the past four or five years, although one particular beer a month or so back threw me into a crisis of faith and made me question why I like, or convinced myself that I like such hoppy, bitter brews. Continue reading →

Funko Friday: Stay Puft Marshmallow Man

November 6, 2015 / The No Seatbelt Blog / Leave a comment

“It’s the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man,” said Ghostbuster Ray Stanz, in a statement that was both matter-of-fact and loaded with dismay, after he inadvertently conjured up the embodiment of one of his favorite childhood mascots. Towards the end of the classic comedy, the Ghostbusters were asked to choose the form of “the destructor”, which would descend upon New York City to destroy them, along with the rest of the world. While the other three cleared their heads, poor Ray had a fleeting thought about a childhood memory, and it immediately came back to life. Continue reading →

The Death of a Poet

November 4, 2015 / The No Seatbelt Blog / Leave a comment

The circumstances surrounding the death of famed writer and poet Edgar Allan Poe are just as sordid as the details of his relatively short life. Poe met his end at the young age of forty in 1849, just days after being found barely conscious in the gutter in Baltimore, in what was reported to be some sort of raging stupor. To this day, the actual cause of his death is hotly debated by historians, both of the armchair and professional varieties. Theories still abound concerning Poe’s demise, ranging from diseases such as rabies, syphilis, or a brain tumor, to alcoholism and drug abuse, to suicide, and beyond. Continue reading →

Growing Up 90’s: Goo Goo Dolls- “Long Way Down”

November 3, 2015November 3, 2015 / The No Seatbelt Blog / Leave a comment

The first song on the track listing for the Goo Goo Dolls’ breakout album A Boy Named Goo, “Long Way Down” is a song that rocks your face off, at least when compared to everything the band put out after that record. Once upon a time, the three-piece band, consisting of John Rzeznik on guitar and lead vocals, bassist Robby Takac (who took lead vocal duties on a handful of the tracks on that album), and drummer Mike Malinin, actually plugged their instruments in and rocked. Continue reading →

The Beer List: Forever Unloved (FU) Sandy

November 1, 2015October 31, 2015 / The No Seatbelt Blog / Leave a comment

Three years ago this past week, Hurricane Sandy brought New Jersey to its knees. Although the recovery is still ongoing, the citizens of the Garden State banded together to restore what had been lost or destroyed, and set out to simply help their neighbors. New Jersey’s own Flying Fish Brewing Company joined in on the efforts by donating a cool $75,000 to relief organizations, as well as some of the proceeds from sales of their brand new brew Forever Unloved (FU) Sandy. Continue reading →