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johnmaddening.bsky.social
John Maddening?
@johnmaddening.bsky.social
1.9K followers 150 following 5.9K posts
Voice of F1rst Wrestling and various other detritus. Movies, traveling, board games, bicycling, Star Wars & 007. Owns more Lego than most children.

🌎: Saint Paul, Minnesota.

https://linktr.ee/johnmaddening
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johnmaddening.bsky.social
Movie theaters forever
Jon Hamm as Don Draper watching a movie in a theater as he smokes. God, I can’t imagine how terrible it would have been to watch movies in a theater where a good percentage of attendees were having a cigarette. The haze? Your eyes stinging? The smell on your clothes afterward? I only flew on one airplane when smoking was still allowed. It was awful. Bars used to be terrible too when we were all packed in with folks ripping heater after heater. I had a house once that had a mud room entrance in back that had the washer and dryer in it, and I would take my clothes off and throw them in the washer as soon as I got home. Didn’t work as well when I went home from the bar with a woman I met there — they would be all like, what are you doing, can’t we talk a little while first? And when I would explain, then it’s all “no, this has to be washed on delicate!” or “you mix whites and colors?”. So I’d end up getting up in the middle of the throes of passion (i.e. flailing around attempting not to disappoint her the first time we were together) to go downstairs and swap out the loads so her clothes weren’t destroyed. It totally ruined the mood, or at least that’s what I told myself when she didn’t call back even when the ironing was done properly. Anyway, where was I going with this? Oh yeah, so the last time I remember anyone smoking in a movie was a screening of CASINO in 1995 at the Skyway Theater in downtown Minneapolis. If you haven’t seen it, it’s a three hour crime epic. My roommate at the time went with me and he smoked. Normally he would just duck out the emergency exit to the stairwell (this was a three story six auditorium multiplex), but when he saw (and smelled) a couple guys smoking weed about ten rows up, he said “fuck it” and lit a smoke. Years later at the Rosedale AMC, some dickweed was vaping and blowing huge clouds straight up. He got thrown out, which is the last time any usher at any AMC location has actually removed a disruptive patron.
December 7, 2025 at 8:06 PM
johnmaddening.bsky.social
The batteries included in the CPSC's notice are 14 Ah external battery packs with model numbers RP-1304 and HL-RP-S1304. The included batteries could have been sold as replacement batteries or with the following Rad Power Bikes ebike models: RadWagon 4, RadCity High Step 4, RadRover High Step 5, RadCity Step Thru 3, RadRover Step Thru 1, RadRunner 2, RadRunner 1, RadRunner Plus, and RadExpand 5.
December 7, 2025 at 4:51 PM
johnmaddening.bsky.social
Might be easier to check by bike model:
The batteries included in the CPSC's notice are 14 Ah external battery packs with model numbers RP-1304 and HL-RP-S1304. The included batteries could have been sold as replacement batteries or with the following Rad Power Bikes ebike models: RadWagon 4, RadCity High Step 4, RadRover High Step 5, RadCity Step Thru 3, RadRover Step Thru 1, RadRunner 2, RadRunner 1, RadRunner Plus, and RadExpand 5.
December 7, 2025 at 4:51 PM
johnmaddening.bsky.social
MAN FINDS TAPE delivers some solidly weird spooky religious scares. What happens when the person who finds the footage is also the subject of it?

Congrats to @paulgandersman.bsky.social & @gholson.bsky.social & @crobertcargill.bsky.social & everyone involved in making this fun indie horror film.
AppleTV screen for MAN FINDS TAPE, with the lead actress’s head melting/morphing off to one side as she looks at the camera.
December 7, 2025 at 4:02 AM
johnmaddening.bsky.social
Trying to get in under the wire for #ThingThursday: a 1967 Canadian pressing of a 1958 French audio drama of Tintin comic EXPLORERS ON THE MOON.

Coincidentally, come to @blackhartstp.com next Wednesday 12/10 for @nerdnitetc.bsky.social & watch my presentation on Tintin: Belgium’s Greatest Export!
A Tintin story record album of “ON A MARCHÉ SUR LA LUNE”
December 5, 2025 at 6:11 AM
johnmaddening.bsky.social
I ordered an item for a Xmas gift from a new-to-me retailer on November 23.

Green numbers are emails regarding my order (received, shipped, out for delivery, delivered), & red numbers are marketing/advertising. NINETEEN emails over 11 days. What a great way to get me to never order from you again.
Photo of a calendar showing number of emails relating to my order (green, total of four) and advertising emails (red, total of fifteen) between the date I placed the order on November 23 and the date I received the order on December 3
December 4, 2025 at 5:30 PM
johnmaddening.bsky.social
Real Minnesotans get frozen margaritas when going to PowerPoint presentations at your local bar on a 6 degree day.
A frozen margarita in the foreground, a man doing a presentation on a large projection screen in the background Weather screen showing a 6 degree Fahrenheit outdoor temperature that feels like -2
December 4, 2025 at 1:35 AM
johnmaddening.bsky.social
🚨 T O M O R R O W ! 🚨

Come on down to the Ballantine “Uptown” VFW on Thursday night for our last @f1rstwrestling.bsky.social show of the year!

Doors at 7; show at 8!
December 3, 2025 at 11:32 PM
johnmaddening.bsky.social
Minnesota, but I actually came to them fairly late, due to their song "It's a Good Life, if You Don't Weaken". It's a tribute to a Canadian comic series that had a storyline with that same title.
Cover to the graphic novel collection of Seth's "It's a Good Life, if You Don't Weaken"
December 3, 2025 at 3:37 PM
johnmaddening.bsky.social
That's all I'm sharing. (I still listen to CDs and records)
Top Artists played on my Apple Music account in 2025: 1) ATARASHII GAKKO! 2) The Tragically Hip 3) Gully Boys 4) Nick Lutsko
December 3, 2025 at 3:14 PM
johnmaddening.bsky.social
Stefon meme where he says "New York's hottest new fungi is from Minnesota"
December 3, 2025 at 2:53 PM
johnmaddening.bsky.social
ROOOOOOOAD TRIIIIIIIIIIP!
Map showing an 11 hour 8 minute drive to Ark Encounter from Saint Paul
December 3, 2025 at 5:21 AM
johnmaddening.bsky.social
Just noticed the cheese advent calendar is only 12 days while the whiskey advent calendar is 24. Whoops.
A 12-day cheese advent calendar and a 24-day whiskey advent calendar The inside of the whiskey advent calendar
December 2, 2025 at 5:21 AM
johnmaddening.bsky.social
Tonight I returned to a White Bear Lake theater for the first time in 28 years for WAKE UP DEAD MAN. Last film there prior? STRANGE DAYS.

This beats my previous record of 24 years between THE PHANTOM MENACE and THE IRON CLAW at Eagan.

In answer to your next question: Not CLINICALLY diagnosed, no.
The movie theater has a bar now Sign for WAKE UP DEAD MAN that says WAKE UP DEAD
December 2, 2025 at 5:06 AM
johnmaddening.bsky.social
On top of that, tickets for our TWO NIGHT STAND at First Avenue January 2&3 are on sale now!

linktr.ee//f1rstwrestling
December 2, 2025 at 1:42 AM
johnmaddening.bsky.social
Shoutout to @mischieftoy.com for being the only business or residence on Grand Avenue that consistently shovels their sidewalk.
The sidewalk in front of Mischief Toys is shoveled. The ones on either side? Not so much.
December 1, 2025 at 7:36 PM
johnmaddening.bsky.social
@billcorbett.bsky.social It was big of you to step aside for such a legend to take over!
As for a “Hollywood Legends” auction, with a Crow T. Robot puppet in front of a photo of David Lynch
December 1, 2025 at 6:17 PM
johnmaddening.bsky.social
Got shokupon* from the new bakery on St Clair, and Japanese mayonnaise at Dragon Star, so I made konbini** tomago sando*** for game night. Went over very well!

* Japanese milk bread
** Convenience store in Japan, like Lawson’s, 7-11, or Family Mart
*** Egg salad sandwiches
A loaf of Japanese milk bread (shokupon) from X2 Pastries Bakery in Saint Paul Eggs boiling on a gas stove A plate with one tomago sando cut into triangles The empty Pyrex dish I brought the sandos in
December 1, 2025 at 12:56 AM
johnmaddening.bsky.social
The same photo, but turned into the Oasis “What’s the Story Morning Glory?” album cover
November 30, 2025 at 3:11 AM
johnmaddening.bsky.social
party.
November 30, 2025 at 2:40 AM
johnmaddening.bsky.social
This new AIRPLANE! remake is looking great.
Frame from AIRPLANE! (1980) with Al White as “Second Jive Dude” brandishing a baseball bat in the center aisle of a passenger jet
November 29, 2025 at 5:05 PM
johnmaddening.bsky.social
Happy Black Friday! Put me on your chest, now for 25% off!

(no, I don't know how to make that sound less creepy, why do you ask?)

www.prowrestlingtees.com/johnmaddening
Black Friday sale announcement at ProWrestlingTees.com. 25% off with code BLACKFRIDAY2025 tHISiSNOTa JOHN MADDENING tShiRT (Fugazi inspired, with all the letters a blue/black/yellow plaid) "everyone boos JOHN MADDENING" t-shirt, with a cartoon of me softly weeping, drawn by Badger Briggs "Society for the Acknowledgment of the Existence of John Maddening" t-shirt, with me standing in front of a bunch of people looking angry, their thumbs down in disapproval
November 28, 2025 at 9:19 PM
johnmaddening.bsky.social
The spread for seven folks. Not pictured: cookies, two pies, ice cream
(L to R) Mashed potatoes with cheese, “The Manatee” seitan turkeyesque loaf, Brussels sprout (L to R) Grilled squash, pecan-crusted chicken breast (regular and buffalo), stuffing, cheese biscuits, cranberry sauce
November 28, 2025 at 1:09 AM
johnmaddening.bsky.social
Love my Minnesota Bonus Fridge!
Various drinkable liquids on the concrete floor of a three-season porch. A snow shovel is in the background, and snow is visible outside.
November 27, 2025 at 9:55 PM
johnmaddening.bsky.social
My mother died in 2018 and I have FINALLY used the last of her parchment paper.
An empty roll of parchment paper
November 27, 2025 at 8:03 PM