PHIL HAS A BLOG.

day #3: hands #febphotoaday Holding hands with Lauren while we...

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 12:52:00 -0500

day #3: hands #febphotoaday

Holding hands with Lauren while we waited for friends to arrive home at the train station last night.

day 2: words #febphotoaday (Taken with instagram)

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 11:56:40 -0500

day 2: words #febphotoaday (Taken with instagram)

day 1: my view today. #febphotoaday (Taken with Instagram at...

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 17:31:34 -0500

day 1: my view today. #febphotoaday (Taken with Instagram at Studio Squared)

let’s give this a try.

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 17:25:37 -0500

let’s give this a try.

low - $20

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 22:07:10 -0500

low - $20

every time i see an adventure time animated gif on my tumblr...

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 10:38:31 -0500

every time i see an adventure time animated gif on my tumblr dashboard i think:

1. i have no idea what is happening here.

2. i need to reblog this. it looks like the inside of my brain.

3. why don’t i watch adventure time?

HEY GUYS, GREAT NEWS! I JUST GOT MY NEW WINTER COAT IN THE...

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 16:15:03 -0500

HEY GUYS, GREAT NEWS! I JUST GOT MY NEW WINTER COAT IN THE MAIL!

Just in time for it to be …. 70 degrees out. wait, WHAT?!

the prodigal son returns to his blog.

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:04:51 -0500

i’ve let this blog fall to the wayside.. and that’s kind of a bummer. my problem is that this used to be a place to catalog all my “clever thoughts” and then twitter came along and i just figured out a way to say all those same clever thoughts in a concise 140-character format. plus, once i started my civil war column at RVA News, the writing itch was being fully scratched, and as a result, the writing pretty much disappeared here.

i always told myself that i’d get back to blogging when i finally had something to say that required more than 140 characters, and i suppose i’ve found it.

in two weeks, my dad is going to have open-heart surgery. a triple, or possibly quadruple bypass. he’s 61 years old.

i feel weird talking about health issues/family issues in a public way like this. i’ve never been the type to “rally the troops” when things like this happen. i prefer to deal with things in a more private way. but, as i’ve been thinking about it more and more, the desire to write down how i was feeling kept getting stronger. i don’t have a diary, so here i am.

my first family health scare was about 10 years ago when my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. it was caught early on and my mom is an incredibly strong woman, so i never really worried about her. with her breast cancer, the cancer cells appeared, we treated it, they got smaller, they went away. the experience felt like something you could chip away at, keep treating, check on your progress, make sure it doesn’t re-appear. obviously i’m simplifying it here, but my mom made it feel manageable.

with my dad’s heart disease, it’s a different feeling. it’s more like a timebomb.. chaotic, unmanageable. he’s completely asymptomatic. he could maybe afford to lose 10 pounds, but he runs and works out regularly, eats really well, and has no symptoms of heart disease. and yet, without him knowing, he’s been living at extreme risk of a stroke or heart attack. also, my dad is not as strong as my mom. my mom never let us see that she was worried. maybe it’s because i’m older now, but i can see the fear behind my dad’s calm demeanor. he jokes about it, but i can tell he’s scared. and why wouldn’t he be? this surgery is super intense. it’s also heartbreaking to me that he worked hard his whole life, saved all his money for retirement, and finally retired last year and now he’s completely sidelined by something like this. it reminds me of the line about God laughing while you’re making plans.

i know my dad is in good hands. i know that the fact that he’s in good health means he’s at much better odds for a successful surgery and a quick recovery. still, it’s a sobering reminder of how fragile life is and that’s something you shouldn’t take your eyes off of.

i know things will work out. i’m not going to dwell on the what-if’s. it’s just a lot to think about right now.

anyway, that’s it. just wanted to get that off my chest. if anyone has a 140-character version of this they’d like to suggest, i’m all ears.

Darth Vader vs. Bert Macklin

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 09:58:54 -0500

Darth Vader vs. Bert Macklin

rvanews: During its years as the Confederate capital, Richmond...

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 11:04:14 -0500

rvanews:

During its years as the Confederate capital, Richmond would see its fair share of state funeral processions winding their way through the streets bound for Hollywood Cemetery. But on January 22nd, 1862, the Confederacy buried their first and only U.S. President: John Tyler.

Read the rest about this remarkable story HERE

liannakristine: “Let’s open up this pit!” thedailywhat: Kids...

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 20:02:07 -0500

liannakristine:

“Let’s open up this pit!”

thedailywhat:

Kids These Days of the Day: With the help of producer Rob Sharpe, 8-year-old Juliet sets her sights on the Australian hardcore scene with a brutal, no-holds-barred track about how much she loves her dog Robert.

[thanks ryan!]

Photo

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 11:19:26 -0500

CHRISTMAS TIME! (via:heyandroid)

Sat, 24 Dec 2011 23:06:10 -0500

CHRISTMAS TIME!

(via:heyandroid)

rvanews: With the holidays underway and people reflecting on...

Fri, 23 Dec 2011 13:04:08 -0500

rvanews:

With the holidays underway and people reflecting on family and loved ones, I think it’s fitting to tell one of the smaller, more personal stories from the Civil War. It’s the story of two brothers–Francis (Frank) Adams Donaldson and John Donaldson from Philadelphia.

Read about these two guys HERE

This is one of my favorite stories I’ve discovered while writing this column! Go check it out if you’re looking for one of the smaller stories of Richmond’s history.

bestrooftalkever: Shit Girls Say- Episode 1 This is still one...

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 14:24:43 -0500

bestrooftalkever:

Shit Girls Say- Episode 1

This is still one of my most favoritest twitters.

fivedollarstimulus: WARNING: CUTENESS OVERLOAD Last week, one...

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 13:32:05 -0500

fivedollarstimulus:

WARNING: CUTENESS OVERLOAD

Last week, one of our winners Justin submitted the idea that he would buy a package of Misfits temporary tattoos for $5 and give his one-year-old daughter a full sleeve of Misfits tattoos. Today he sent us this picture and we’re DYING. Now if that’s not worth five dollars, I don’t know what is.

Submit your $5 idea: http://fivedollarstimulus.com

samiwaslike: O_o

Sat, 10 Dec 2011 13:56:14 -0500

samiwaslike:

O_o

Christmas tree is a GO! (Taken with instagram)

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 23:26:17 -0500

Christmas tree is a GO! (Taken with instagram)

hugel: Johnny Hugel - Reel My recent directing and shooting...

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 16:49:55 -0500

hugel:

Johnny Hugel - Reel

My recent directing and shooting reel aka how I spend my nights and weekends is done. Want to make something fun?

Video reels are what you do when you can’t exactly say “I make rad shit” on your resume. Great job, Hugel.

tigerfist: morrissey gets a job.

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 11:08:14 -0500

tigerfist:

morrissey gets a job.