Out on the Town - First Fridays

Philly First Fridays, North of Arch St.

When living in a city, it is easy to be overwhelmed by the amount of great experiences. Often it is difficult to keep track of all the goings-on associated with city living. We here at The What Magazine pride ourselves on finding colorful ideas for making the most of your urban experience with Out on the Town, a feature highlighting the latest and greatest in your city.

On the first Friday of each month, Philadelphia galleries open their doors for free. Art enthusiasts and cheap people alike are able to enjoy artwork presented in a variety of media alongside free snacks and drinks. The First Friday tradition began in Old City, and today remains very popular in the neighborhood. However, most First Friday-goers never make it north of Arch Street, thus missing out on some of the most unique gallery experiences in the city.

Song of the Day - 28.Feb.12

 

I am one of those people who, upon hearing a new song, will play it endlessly without tiring of it. An annoying trait, I know, but it's just what I do. For awhile, that song was "Somebody That I Used To Know," but now it's "Comeback Kid" from Sleigh Bells. Here is their kickass SNL performance from a couple of weeks ago:

Song of the Day - Mardi Gras

 

Here in Pennsylvania it's known as Fastnacht Day, but most of the country knows it as Mardi Gras thanks to the New Orleans tourism promotional machine. With that in mind, there is only one song for such an occasion. Coming from the old Disneyland After Dark show, it's Louis Armstrong and Monette Moore singing "Bourbon Street Parade."

Simple & Delicious: Lentil Tacos

As always, the What is dedicated to presenting you with colorful ideas for everyday life. Many of our ideas are food-related, because we love food. Learning how to cook for yourself now that you no longer have your mom or your meal plan to provide your meals can seem like a daunting task. We at the What are here to show you that cooking can be fun, easy, and rewarding by offering up recipes like this from our personal cookbooks. As is the case with most of our recipe-based ideas, this one is simple and delicious, just like us.

 

Lentil Tacos

Dead sexy.

It is no big secret amongst those who know me well that deep down inside I harbor a desire to be Mexican. Whether this stems from my fantastic Godmother, the Mexico boat ride in Epcot, Mariachi, or Robert Rodriguez movies is a matter of debate. But one thing is certain, I sure do love me some Mexican food. Granted, a lot of the "Mexican" food I prepare is Americanized, but it is still pretty damned good. Plus, it encourages the consumption of three of my favorite things: guacamole, tequila, and Mexican beer. Paired up with the right soundtrack, Mexican cuisine can really brighten a dull day.


This delicious recipe was introduced to me when I was dating a vegetarian and, between this and Black Bean and Corn Quesadillas, it nearly turned me. The meal is satisfying for your favorite carnivore while appeasing any vegetarians you may have to cook for. (NOTE: This is not a vegan recipe.) It's delicious, not bad for you, and a crowd-pleaser. So next time you have a taco night, don't buy some stupid kit from the supermarket, and try your hand at Lentil Tacos.

Song of the Day - 18.Feb.12

 

Pandora is pretty fantastic. Last week I started a station with the Black Keys' song "Everlasting Light." I have been rewarded with blues, garage rock, Motown, and pretty much the entire Dirty Dancing soundtrack. "Hang Me Up To Dry" by the Cold War Kids is one of the songs that stuck around after it came up on Pandora.

Photo of the Day - 17.Feb.12

 In our travels around the world, we here at the What have been lucky enough to capture a few snazzy moments, people, and other random things with our cameras. We figured we should start sharing them with you. Enjoy! 

Bienvenido a Miami

Date: April 2005
Location: Miami Beach, FL
Story: For about a year of my life, I worked at Walt Disney World in Lake Buena Vista, FL. During my second stint with the Mouse, I spent a fair amount of my evenings partying with a core group of friends. One night, in a spot of brilliance only possible when inebriated, we decided to skip work the following day and drive to Miami. What ended up happening the following day has become the one story that is so outrageous and so incredible that I will tell for the rest of my life (with or without certain details, depending on the audience). This photo was taken early in the adventure, just four friends enjoying the fun and the sun that one finds at Miami Beach. The point of posting this photo is this: You are approaching the age where you can't really get away with wild and crazy exploits. If you don't have your "Miami" yet, go find it. You will be glad that you did.

Mixtape Madness #13 - 90's Revue Part III

According to the novel High Fidelity the making of a good mix tape, like breaking up, is hard to do. Furthermore, a good mix is never finished. You never know when you will come across a song that changes the dynamic of the mix you just completed. There is a litany of intricacies to crafting the ideal mix no matter what the mix’s intended purpose should be. This feature is merely a guide on the cosmic highway of mix making, and while experienced, the writer does not claim to be an expert.

90's Revue Part III - Pop

We have been riding the wave of 1980's nostalgia for awhile now. Don't get me wrong, it's been fun, but I think it is time we moved on to the 1990's. Some of the best music of the past thirty years was created in the decade between the Exxon Valdez and Y2K. Because of that, we here at the What will take a three-part look at the music of the 1990's.
PART I - Rock
PART II - Hip-Hop

1. "This Is How We Do It" by Montell Jordan (1995) - Honestly, is there any better song to start a mix with? I doubt it. Especially when doing a 90's mix.

2. "Get Ready For This" by 2 Unlimited (1991) - As will be the case with many songs on this list, this one was a staple at middle school dances when I was younger. 

3. "Lovefool" by the Cardigans (1996) - What would a 90's pop mix be without some Swedish action? Incomplete. It would be incomplete.

4. "Groove Is In the Heart" by Deee-Lite (1990) - This songs is what happens when you sample Herbie Hancock and get Bootsy Collins and Q-Tip to guest on the track. Pure 90's gold.

5. "Praise You" by Fatboy Slim (1999) - This song was pretty catchy on its own, but it was Spike Jonze's video with the whacky dance group that made it a 90's icon.

Scaling Down #3 - Free Weight Workout

Each year hordes of people make a New Year's resolution to lose weight. In January, gyms are overcrowded with well-meaning people on treadmills desperate to lose a few pounds. By February, most have given up. In 2010, I was able to lose 45 pounds without the help of a trainer, special program, crazy diet, or supplements. We here at the What want to help you stay fit and healthy in a simple and natural way.

Free Weight Workout

While joining a gym can be beneficial, often times the fresh out of college crowd is fresh out of extra cash. Therefore, an at-home workout can be the best option for someone our age looking to slim down or stay in shape. In the first Scaling Down feature, I wrote about losing a significant amount of weight on my own, and much of that was thanks to the workout program I developed for myself.

Photo of the Day - 11.Feb.12

 In our travels around the world, we here at the What have been lucky enough to capture a few snazzy moments, people, and other random things with our cameras. We figured we should start sharing them with you. Enjoy!

Looks tasty, no?

Date: 28.4.10
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Story: This photograph was taken during one of my several Project 365 attempts. Project 365 is a photo project that requires taking one photo each day for an entire year. I will likely make a fourth attempt at said project beginning next month. At any rate, this photo was snapped at Swift Half Pub at the Piazza, now known as Gunner's Run. I liked how they had their bar fruit stowed, hence the photo.

Checklist - February 2012

The internet is full of magical, mystical things. So much, in fact, that it is sometimes hard to sift through all of the crap to get some decent information. In the interest of providing you with colorful ideas for everyday life, we here at the What present the Checklist so that you may find some helpful information from other sites.

Apartment Complex
Streets Dept
The words "apartment complex" and "streets department" typically do not evoke images of art and unique style sense, but that is exactly what you will find at this website. I highly recommend not just checking out the provided link, but to click around the Streets Dept site, which finds art all over the city of Philadelphia. If you also check out the remainder of the photos of the selected apartment, you can get some great ideas for your own place.

Mixtape Madness #12 - 90's Revue Part II

According to the novel High Fidelity the making of a good mix tape, like breaking up, is hard to do. Furthermore, a good mix is never finished. You never know when you will come across a song that changes the dynamic of the mix you just completed. There is a litany of intricacies to crafting the ideal mix no matter what the mix’s intended purpose should be. This feature is merely a guide on the cosmic highway of mix making, and while experienced, the writer does not claim to be an expert.

90's Revue Part II - Hip Hop

We have been riding the wave of 1980's nostalgia for awhile now. Don't get me wrong, it's been fun, but I think it is time we moved on to the 1990's. Some of the best music of the past thirty years was created in the decade between the Exxon Valdez and Y2K. Because of that, we here at the What will take a three-part look at the music of the 1990's.
PART I - Rock
PART III - Pop - Coming Soon!

1. "Can I Kick It?" by A Tribe Called Quest (1991) -  What better way to kick off the 90's hip-hop mix than with this Lou Reed-sampling jam from Tribe? I had forgotten about this song for along time until, as is the case with several songs on this mix, I saw the film The Wackness.


2. "Flava In Ya Ear" by Craig Mack (1994) - Much like the rock mix, I will be discussing the greatness that was the music scene in 1994. This track, with verses from Biggie, Busta, LL Cool J, and Rampage, is a classic.


3. "Not Tonight (Remix)" by Lil Kim (1997) - Though we'll address the Spice Girls in Part III of the 90's Revue, this is the true girl power anthem of the 1990's. Kim is joined by Da Brat, Angie Martinez, Missy Elliott, and Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes on the track, and in the video by everyone from Queen Latifah to TLC to Mary J. Blige. 

Song of the Day - 9.Feb.12

 

If this song isn't already in your rotation, it soon will be. Like our recipes here at the What, it's simple and delicious (if a song can be delicious). Not to mention it has a seriously cool (body paint!) video. Here's to hoping that "Somebody That I Used To Know" is the start of a string of great music from Gotye.

Photo of the Day - 7.Feb.12

In our travels around the world, we here at the What have been lucky enough to capture a few snazzy moments, people, and other random things with our cameras. We figured we should start sharing them with you. Enjoy!

They look so happy!

Date: 10.Mar.08
Location: Chattanooga, TN
Story: I was visiting a friend in Tennessee over Spring Break in 2008. After wandering around the North Shore, we headed through Coolidge Park to the foot of the Walnut Street Bridge where I noticed this drawing on the sidewalk. I couldn't resist snapping a shot of such wonderful street art.

Monthly Top 5 - February

Hey, remember the What's Weekly Top 5 feature? So do we. The only problem is that it rarely came on a weekly basis, so we're switching gears. In  High Fidelity, the characters compare their top fives in a variety of categories. Being big fans of both the film and novel, we here at the What bring you our Weekly Monthly Top Five, a feature focused on five fantastic things that you should become familiar with.

Movies to See in 2012

Last year we did two top five lists for movies to see, one for the first half of 2011 and one for the second half. Since I only made it to four of the ten movies listed last year, this year we will focus on five films for the entire year.

5. American Reunion (6.Apr.12) - The original cast of the initial three American Pie offerings are back for a high school reunion. For the demographic that we cater to at the What, this is kind of a big deal. We went through high school and that awkward first year of college with these characters. Now, as many of us are going to our ten-year reunions, we once again have this group of oddballs to show us how off the wall it could be.

4. The Amazing Spider-Man (3.Jul.12) - After having three different guys playing the Hulk in the past nine years, Marvel has shown that they won't shy away from a reboot. That's why this summer they will rely on Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone to make you forget about Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst. I have high hopes for this reboot with it's stellar cast and seemingly new approach to the Spider-Man origin story. Back in 2002, Spider-Man kicked off a string of quality superhero flicks. Let's hope that is the case once again.

Song of the Day - 6.Feb.12

 

In honor of Bob Marley's birthday, here's a song that most other tributes probably won't include:

Song of the Day - 3.Feb.12

 

Today would have been my Grandpop's 74th birthday, so in his honor today's song of the day will be one of his favorites. Feel free to sing along, that's exactly what he would do.

Sexual Yoda: Email Me You Should

Greetings Whatlings and welcome to the What's official column offering advice on all things love, sex, dating, and more! I, the Sexual Yoda, will use my years of knowledge, experience, and expertise to guide you through the galaxy of love, getting you out of that Solo rut and Skywalking your way toward Lando-ing a decent Leia or C-ing all the 3PO you can handle. Send your questions to sexualyoda@gmail.com and with a little help from I, your favorite mystic muppet, get some you will.

Alas, dear Whatlings, been too long it has. I, your favorite mystic Muppet, am a little advanced in the years. Therefore, I tend to take my winters in a warmer climate (Greetings from Tattooine!). During this extended vacation, I have been lax in checking my emails. In due time I shall have a fire lit under my green ass and will get around to answering said emails. The topics are grand and wide-ranging, from new flames to extinguished flames to fanning flames, they are all quite hot. Punning aisde, your questions have not fallen on deaf ears and will be answered soon! For those of you who have not yet sought the wisdom of my Jedi genius, I say to you this: email me you should! Send your questions to dear old Sexual Yoda at this address: sexualyoda@gmail.com. I promise to be much better at timely responses in the future. May the force be with you!