ENTRY #25 Tuesday, February 22, 2005 Is there anything better than walking through Central Park on a sunny winter morning, in the snow, listening to "Echo and the Bunnymen" on your iPod? Christo in Central Park is pretty good although I'd say a little over hyped.  If you go, stay toward the downtown section of the park.  The Gates start to get a little sparse as you walk north. Of course, if I had to pay the $24 million for the construction of all those banners out of my own pocket (like christo did), I'd cut some corners as well. How strange is it that the biggest item at Toy Fair this year seems to be poker chips?  This Texas Hold'em fad is getting out of hand.

ENTRY #24 Monday, February 21, 2005 I just met the lollipoo kid from "The Wizard of Oz"- man, that guy must be old by now. He looked like a minature Keith Richards. Nice fellow, though. Toy Fair can be so surreal sometimes.

ENTRY #23 Friday, February 18, 2005 My favorite sunglasses have finally bitten the dust. I bought them this past September when Tucker and I were in California working on the record. If you see a pair like these, please pick ‘em up for me. Bright sun, you beast - will your burning never cease! On a happier note, this week’s Top Five comes from self admitted Johnny Depp fanatic and British exile, Lorna Looney-Doone! Lorna’s Top 5 Johnny Depp Moments: Can't think of a favorite - I love so many of them, but here goes. 1. Chocolate - that's where I first became aware. 2. Benny and June - he is so Buster Keaton. 3. Actor’s Studio - I loved in the Actors studio when the guy asked him the question "What would you want St Peter to say when he meets you at the gates of heaven" and Johnny goes "Wow". 4. Pirates of the Caribbean - when Orlando Bloom, during a sword fight says "that's not fair" and Johnny says "Pirate!" I love the one liners. 5. Most of all, I love how well he treats his teenage fans. He's generous with his time with them, and the one story I heard, when after having a conversation with a group of girls, he is walking away and when they yell after him, he turns and puts his hand on his heart. Man that is so fucking gracious. There you go - That's my Johnny. That’s all for today. Have a great weekend. I’m off to NYC for Christo and the Toy Fair.

ENTRY #22 Thursday, February 17, 2005 Ok - it’s official. We’ve now been mixing the song “Pillbox Locket” for longer than the first Gulf War! Luckily, the casualty count at Bogdan’s studio has been low but only time will tell. We’re back in there tonight for round 42. To quote The Texas Chainsaw Massacre “Who will survive and what will be left of them?” Miss Rose was nice enough to get me House Industries new coffee table book this past Christmas. If you haven’t seen it yet or are unfamiliar with their work, I recommend picking one up. For the past ten years, these guys have been on the forefront of graphic design while simultaneously releasing some of the coolest Font packages on the planet. Maybe I’m just biased because they thanked me in it. Either way, they’re from Delaware and the work is phenomenal - that’s got to count for something, right?

ENTRY #21 Wednesday, February 16, 2005 Who in their right mind would invent a singing condom and not put Barry White or Marvin Gaye on it? Sometimes I can’t stand “whitey” The film section has finally been updated! You can now watch clips from “19 Horton Avenue - The Lost Castro Films” as well as “Fingerbanging” in it’s entirety! I’m planning on putting up more short films in the months to come. I started watching “The Motorcycle Diaries” last night but fell asleep. Yeah, I know - I’m lame. I’ll finish it tonight though. I like how they keep referring to Alberto as “fatty” - it reminded me of Thor. “grasa gorda gorda grasa” - that’s “fatty fat fat fat” in spanish. Viva Che! Anyway, the percentage of angry emails has dropped down significantly in the last few days. Must be that post-Valentines day euphoria I’ve heard so much about. Nick hasn't stopped smiling since the weekend.

ENTRY #20 Tuesday, February 15, 2005 Skateboard legend Danny Way is going to jump over the great wall of China on a skateboard? Not too much else happening here today. Everyone is talkng about Christo though. So hot right now.

ENTRY #19 Monday, February 14, 2005 Happy Valentines Day - I hope everyone is feeling the love today. You know I am. No hating here. In keeping with the holiday, I won’t mention the grammy’s and how out of touch they are or anything. Or how bad that version of "Across The Universe" was. Actually, I missed most of it because Surreal Life/Strange Love was on. I caught Franz Ferdinand, though, and they were on fire. Speaking of the Fire, thanks to everyone for coming out on Saturday. Good to see some familiar faces (like Justin, always smiling, with a red stripe in his hand!) Thanks again to Lance from Invasion for letting me use his amplifier. Maybe we can play a show togeth.....oh yeah, never mind. Anyway, all joking aside, I really appreciated it - thanks for always being there for me. Mad Action were great - definitely check them out the next time you get a chance. Here’s a picture of one of my favorite new shirts. It’s from a really cool clothing and skateboard company called Maestro Instruments. I’ve ridden their decks in the past and they were solid! Definitely check them out and, as always, support the little guy when you can. With love, Joe Castro

ENTRY #18 Friday, February 11, 2005 This Friday’s Top Five comes from Mini-Golf enthusiast and Snow Tubing extraordinary, The Mighty Thor! THOR”S TOP FIVE PIZZA JOINTS I was born and raised in Philadelphia but have lived in many surrounding counties. I have eaten much pizza in my time and even more mediocre pie. A lot of people have their favorite pizza for sentimental reasons and not taste: Maybe a certain pizza reminds them of the first girl they finger-banged because they took her for a slice afterwards, etc. There are plenty of good traditional pies out there, so I try to find the ones that are different and better than all the rest. That being said, here are my top five best tasting pies in the area (the top four are all pretty equal depending on your mood): 1. Santucci's (several Philly locations- best one is the original on O street) 2. Pica's (Upper Darby) 3. Taconelli's (Original in Port Richmond is the best, but the one across from the Moorestown mall is owned by the son and is pretty damn good, too) 4. Gaetano's (They are all over the area. I've been told that they all are owned by members of the same family but not every one is owned by all the same members. Get it?) 5. Jake's 28 inch pie (Broad St. All right, I contradict myself here. Don't get me wrong, it tastes good, but their 28 inch is worthy of mention, in part, because of its size. Go ahead, tell me you're not impressed by 28 inches...... They have to tilt the shit sideways to get it through the door! Don't you wish you had that problem?) THOR of Palmyra

ENTRY #17 Thursday, February 10, 2005 Ever get caught in the middle of two friends fighting? It can be pretty amusing, especially when one starts preaching like he’s Gandhi and the other like che guevara. It's ok though, Gandhi's so self absorbed that he'll never actually read this. And besides, my name is Castro, so who am I to talk? To quote another model citizen (Rodney King,) can’t we all just get along. Hey, can sharks swim in the snow? I’m pretty sure they can’t but what do i know. My cable doesn’t have animal planet. If you’re in town this Saturday night, be sure to swing by The Art Show & Clothing Swap at the CODE Space in West Philly. Here’s the Specifics: CLOTHING SWAP and Art Show!!!! SATURDAY, February 12th at The C.O.D.E. Space in West Philly  (48th and Woodland) Featuring music by: FURSAXA Golden Girls The Extremist ART: Becky Schmidt Sarah Cavalier Leslie Q. BEPPI Swap starts at 6pm (bring your old clothes and trade for something new!) Film at 7pm Poetry at 8pm Music at 9pm The show is all ages. Admission is $3 if you bring clothing to donate, $5 if you don't. (Just bring an old sweater or something.) And the clothing swap is for every gender.

ENTRY #16 Wednesday, February 9, 2005 Does the fear of being shocked by 775,000 volts make you run like hell? If so, then maybe you’re up for a game of Stun Gun Tag? Just like the tag you played in your school yard, only with the added adrenaline rush that only superior self-defense technology can provide. If you’re down, drop me a line. We play only by the light of the full moon. Oh, yeah, papa’s got a brand new bag! Does life get any sweeter? I spent last night “spanning time” with Buffalo ‘66 on DVD. I love that movie. Great cinematography and well acted. Vincent Gallo and Christina Ricci both shine in this one. So, before everyone tells me what a piece of artsy-fartsy crap it was, please keep in mind that I don’t care. I saw it already and don't need your review!

ENTRY #15 Tuesday, February 8, 2005 Need some style? Check out NYC Clothing Company Fat Relics You have seen me sporting some of their shirts over the last year. Believe me, it’s the real deal. Word on the streets is that Mr. Mischief Night and Wheat Germ hit up the town over the weekend with a late night wheat pasting run. Nowhere is safe. See for yourself! IF you remember Black Light rainbow, then you remember their super nice and very talented bass player Skirv. He’s been out in San Fran the last few years doing some silk screening and mixed media. Check it Out Speaking of San Fran, word is that the Situation will be going back to cali sometime this May. More info to come when available. How funny is it that Thor's birthday is on Fat Tuesday? Happy Birthday Fatty Fat Fat-Fat!

ENTRY #14 Monday, February 7, 2005 It’s the 38th day of 2005 - since the beginning of the year, both Tucker’s and my amps have gone on the fritz, three of my four pedals have broken down, Tucker almost gets in a brawl at the khyber, then ends up in the hospital two day later, then his car gets stolen and Bogdan’s Pro-tools set up breaks down, tempoarily halting recording. Is The Situation cursed? Does this have anything to do with Tucker’s bizarre fascination with the number 5? I don’t know but I’m definitely renting “The Serpent and the Rainbow” this week to find out what’s what. I’m not usually one to mess with black magic but enough is enough. I caught part of Tony Hawk’s Boom Boom Huck Jam on TV on Sunday and it looked like a three ring Circus. I don’t get all the cheesy lights and show-biz hooplah - in my opinion, it cheapens an art form that meant a lot to me growing up. What - is Tony the new P.T. Barnum? Maybe next year they’ll all wear matching multi-colored tuxedos with bright orange afro wigs. That should go over really well with the all important tween demographic.

ENTRY #13 Friday, February 4, 2005 Straight outta Betty Ford, this week's top five comes from Bucknell Graduate Lisa Manning. Enjoy! Lisa Manning's Top Five Reasons Why Alcohol Should Be Served at Work: 1: It would promote carpooling 2: Your boss is more likely to give out raises 3: Drinking games promote team work 4: Beer googles make co-workers much more attractive 5: Captain Morgan would make a great CEO Thanks Lisa. Word on the street is that Wheat Germ and Mr. Mischief Night hit the town last night. Let's hear it for the street team!

ENTRY #12 Thursday, February 3, 2005 For all of you who live in Delaware (or choose to visit it for it’s crystal clear blue waters and snow capped mountains,) pick up a copy of the latest issue of Out & About Magazine - it features a nice interview with The Situation's own, Christopher Tucker. For everyone else, you can read it here.

ENTRY #11 Wednesday, February 2, 2005 Happy Groundhog Day! Once again, that damn glorified rodent saw his fat, pudgy shadow and we’re stuck with six more weeks of winter. It’s also Wednesday, which means it’s hump day. Does that make today “Hump A Groundhog Day?” JP - let me know how that works out for you! As if you didn’t know, Jay Caddle is the man. And, if you haven’t heard, he’s living in a Simian Society. Yes, the only good human is a dead human! Look out, Exhibit - I’m gonna Pimp My Specialized!

ENTRY #10 Tuesday, February 1, 2005 The Situation is playing next Saturday night (February 11th) at the Fire on Girard Ave. Stop by and yell words of encouragement. Do you like Hasidic Reggae? This is no joke - Matisyahu is the Jewish Sizzla.

ENTRY #9 Monday, January 31, 2005 Metal James checkes in, from the front lines in Iraq: “Now I can take a break from dodging mortar fire and indirect small arms fire, just by going online and checking out your website and the great entries everyday.... It's great.. HA HA Just Kidding..” When he was younger, Metal James used to skate the old 896 ditch while wearing giant homemade wristbands that were spiked with nails. He also enjoyed listening to Danzig while trying out new recipes in the Anarchist Cookbook. I could go on and on. To put it mildly, I’m glad he’s on our side! Stay strong, brother.

ENTRY #8 Friday, January 28, 2005 I don’t have to much to say today, so I’m going to leave it to this weeks Top 5 guest, drummer extraordinaire and Brit-pop aficionado D$ (pronounced DEE - MONEY): D$’s TOP 5 MOST ANTICIPATED ALBUMS OF 2005: The Situation LP - we got a taste of The Sits studio work with their debut recording, The Reese Nasty EP. Now the boys from Philadelphia have set their sites on recording what I've been a told will be regarded as a straight up masterpiece... Doves - Some Cities - coming off the brilliant release of 2002's The Last Broadcast, Manchester's new favorite sons are back with an album that NME has already confirmed  to be one of the biggest British albums of 2005. New Order - Waiting For The Sirens Call - Is it gonna rock?..will it be danceable?..Word is the New Order new LP will contain all the elements and then some which have garnered their critical and fan acclaim for the past 20 plus years..Thank christ we didn't have to wait eight years for a new release. Morrissey - Live from Earl's Court - Riding high from the overwhelming success of his latest album, "You are the Quarry", Mozzer is set to release his first live recording to feature Smiths tunes as well as many of his solo classics. Anyone who has seen Morrissey in concert recently can attest to the fact that this man still has it! Longwave - There's a Fire - part time shoegazer/ part time indie rockers Longwave have just completed their third album, this time with studio wiz John Leckie. Be prepared for a recording of epic proportions.. Thanks D$ - what else can I say except “What about The Tears! Butler and Anderson back together for the first time since Suede’s Dog Man Star!” Anyway, have a great weekend. If you’re thirsty, have some Sambazon Acai Fruit Juice. That stuff’s awesome.

ENTRY #7 Thursday, January 27, 2005 Sorry for all the negativity and “hating” yesterday - extreme post chocolate sugar crash. You understand, don’t you? Man, how worried must Ja Rule be right now? Those sweet ballads of his should go over very well with his new roommates. So, I don’t have any famous friends, but some of my friends make out with famous people! That’s got to count for something, right? If this guy called your website “gay,” would you be offended? Nah, me neither. I’m sure he meant it as a compliment. The way he sits with his hands on his hips, he’s ready for the run-way. Speaking of Judas Priest, This is METAL!

ENTRY #6 Wednesday, January 26, 2005 While flipping through the channels last night I caught a few minutes of American Idol. I don’t get it - how the hell is this show still on the air? Do we really need another outlet for horribly bland pop music? And what the hell was Gene Simmons doing there? The god of Thunder? and Rock-n-Roll? At least put on the make-up you money whoring bastard! And that Ryan guy is way too annoying. He’s like a second rate Carson Daley who was a third rate Dick Clark wannabee - shouldn’t his 15 minutes be up by now? I’d pick Strange Love over that mess any day of the week. Flavor Flav! Anyway, would you trust this guy with your website?

ENTRY #5 Tuesday, January 25, 2005 Someone sent another 10lb bar of ghiradelli chocolate to work so, if I bablble, i’m sorry. Speaking of surfing (see below) I once tried “riding giants” at the jersey shore. It was pretty much the equivilant of getting shot in the face with a fire house for three hours. I must have taken seven good shots to the face thanks to my board. Lesson learned, though - don’t stay out until four in the morning at the local watering hole if you’re planning on being athletic the next day. Right, jp? Move over primal scream - i recently checked out the new single by Kasabian on iTunes and, I’ve got to say, it rocks. I did a new Flash intro movie for the Mister Rogers’ exhibit at Please Touch Museum. Check it out. Have you tried that new chocolate drink at Starbucks? The one that’s like 100% super pure chocolate crack? If not, would you like to buy me one? Anyway, to hell with Pepsi. I’d rather teach the world to sing, know what I mean? Can I get paid now?

ENTRY #4 Monday, January 24, 2005 Here’s a new photo entitled “bored at work with many pounds of dry ice #1” So, the Eagles are on the way to super bowl and one of two things could happen: A) The Eagles win and everyone in my town goes on a drunken rampage of destruction or B) The Eagles lose and everyone in my town goes on a drunken rampage of destruction! Go TEAM! Watched “Riding Giants” over the weekend. Stacey Peralta gives big wave surfing the same loving treatment he gave the Z-boys. Greg Noll is one of the coolest guys on the planet - definitely worth checking out. It even inspired me to try and clear a small creek on a plastic sled at the bottom of a snow covered hill in the woods near Media, PA! Who says that TV is a bad influence? The video section of the Nero page should be working now so check out our clip from the popular cable access show “Black Wax Presents...”

ENTRY #3 Friday, January 21, 2005 Vampire Monkeys !?! Top Ten lists are all the rage, so here's one from one of the Castro Crew: Wheatgerm's Top 5 Movies of '05 For the most part I felt it was a pretty weak year for movies. Many movies that were heavily hyped either sucked or would sparkle and fade before you even got a chance to find out what time they were showing. There were some gems out of the independent world. Here they Are: 5. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou Not quite Rushmore or the Royal Tenenbaums, but definitely a great film. 4. Spiderman 2 Maybe it's because it was a weak year for movies or because I'm a recovering comic geek but I love this film. Finally Sam Raimi uses the crazy camera angles and frame rates of his early work in a blockbuster. Come on! you know the operation room scene kicked ass! 3. Sideways It was a tough call whether this should be 2 or 3. I probably can't say anything about this film that hasn't already been said, so I'll just shut up. 2. Garden State It's no secret that I have a small obsession with this film. Zach Braff really nailed what it's like to be a 20-something coming home to visit. After seeing this movie I went right home and began my own script...maybe one day I'll finish. 1. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind Despite my Garden State addiction, Eternal Sunshine has got to be the best of the year. I was worried when I heard it was being directed by the same guy who directed Human Nature (the only less then successful Kaufman film). Eternal Sunshine ripped my heart out, fucked with my head, and yet I can't get enough of it. Michel Gondry I will never doubt you again. Back to you JC. Gotta run. I'm off to buy a couple of sleds and a pair of snow shoes.

ENTRY #2 Thursday, January 20, 2005 While picking up lunch today, I caught part of Bush’s inauguration. A preacher was blessing the administration while referring to God as “the big power-broker in the sky.” it’s hard to stay optimistic, isn’t it? By the way, has anybody seen "The Assassination of Richard Nixon" yet? A local girl from the RP was supposed to box Tonya Harding last night at the Lagoon. Instead of representing , I stayed in and watched bad TV. On the plus side, I caught the Real World Philadelphia episode where one of the cast members got scabies! As always, our city never lets me down. Monika Bullette sent me a live version of Pumpernickel that was recorded at the Coda Tavern around 1996. I added it to the Nero section. Check it out. Sean Rule can’t be stopped! Gotta run - I have to pick up a few cartons of seitan before the blizzard hits this weekend

ENTRY #1 TUESDAY, January 18, 2005 Hi, and welcome to the newly designed mightyjoecastro.com. We’re still underconstruction so keep checking back for added updates, information and surprises! Feel free to let me know what you think. Special thanks to Mad Dog Nick Perfetto for helping with all the site programming. Also, thanks to everyone who made it out to the Situation show at the Khyber last Friday night. Who knew that one mouth could cause so much trouble! If you haven’t heard, Mr. Tucker himself was recently admitted into the hospital with appendicitis! He’s doing well now though, thanks to the best prescription pills available. Feel free to send him a “Get Well” email. The album’s coming along slowly but surely. We should have a few demo tracks for people to hear within the next few weeks. Stay warm and if you haven’t seen it yet, check out “The Life Aquatic.”