Just in case you live in a cave (or batcave), the flick The Dark Knight is taking the summer box office by storm. Not only is the 2nd tale in the new Batman series, with the late Heath Ledger, raking in the cabbage, it's getting mad props from film aficionados.


Even the movie mecca of the world wide web (www.imdb.com) has The Dark Knight ranked #1 all-time on their Top 250 list, ahead of masterpieces like The Godfather I & II, The Shawshank Redemption, Schindler's List and Pulp Fiction.


And, yes, I was one of the mad-as-the-Joker lunatics who arrived at the theatre close to two hours early for the 12:01 AM midnight showing. Needless to say, TDK was well worth the long lines and hours of lost sleep.

Post-meal fortune cookie reads: "Why So Serious?"

Paul Coffey was a franchise blueliner for the Edmonton Oilers during their great dynasty years of the mid-80s. Here Coff is featured on a 1983-84 O-Pee-Chee card, in one of the best looking OPC sets of all-time, in my opinion.


Post-meal fortune cookie reads: "Your lucky numbers are 7 and 77."

Jonathan Toews, the 20-year-old Calder nominee named captain of the Chicago Blackhawks. Toews is now officially the third youngest captain in NHL history (behind Sidney Crosby and Vincent Lecavalier).

Here is one of my few rare Toews pieces. Not a huge BV card, but a very slick looking piece nonetheless, with a nice in-action pic of Toews feathering a pass (most likely to Pat Kane).


Post-meal fortune cookie reads: "The young chief can better escape the lion."

Tonight I took a trip to the local card store. Even though my main purpose of the trip was to pick up some supplies, I couldn't help but snag five packs of SP Authentic hockey. So, here's what I got...

Just an FYI to the millions of eBay sellers who are worried they are selling to deadbeats and PayPal chargebackers -- Fungchen3 is an eBay-safe buyer! Yep, according to eBay themselves it's official.

Today, I received this message in my eBay inbox:

To: Fungchen3
Subject: You've Hit A New Milestone!
From: eBay

Congratulations!

You've Hit a New Milestone!

You have earned 250 positive feedback points, and that means you are halfway to your Purple Star!

Earning a feedback rating of 250 takes dedication and a commitment to good eBay business practices. Congratulations and thank you for making such a positive mark within the eBay community. As you know, feedback is the cornerstone of eBay's success and we appreciate your contribution to help keep our foundation strong.

We count on people like you to help make eBay such a fascinating and fun place to buy and sell. We look forward to watching your feedback number soar!

So, as you can see, I am officially on eBay's good-guy list, soaring towards a Barney star with mad positive feedback. This bodes well for the many hockey card sellers I have, will, and should buy from. See you on the Bay.

Post-meal fortune cookie reads: "Respect your brethren, pack nicely in top-loaders."

Here are the lyrics to the famous Fungchen3 rap titled, Fung at the H.O.C. This rap debuted as a crank call in the middle of the night in 1998 to a co-worker named Bob R*** who sells radio advertising at B***, and would no doubt make the Asian-American lyricist Jin and his BFF Bad Boy Ben put 'em up and holla...


Kick it, yo.

(Talk over intro music)
Hello Bobby, it's me Fung here at the H.O.C.
And I'm a wickity-wack mood Bobby
So I'm gonna kick it for you one time
Uh, Bob, since you wanted to play hardball with us here the HOC
I put a rhyme together for you and I'm gonna kick it one time
I'm gonna get loose and all that here on the wickity-wacked wax
Bobby, I'm gonna get loose right here, right now, ok...

(Beat kicks in thorough)
My name is Fung and I am phat
My raps are dope, how you say, all that
Bobby I am calling for you
Mikey F., the G.T.P. and the whole crew

I want to make a shout-out to the B
For the homies that sell 9A to 8P
But more importantly Bobby
I want to run spot for the H.O.U.S.E.

The House of Chen aka H.O.C.
Is having a big Halloween party
And I want you to come with the B**
To promote the Chen, maybe on TV

We'll put a billboard around his neck
With the words inscribed, Chen Is In Effect
Upstairs seatings, downstairs beatings
Fried dumpling for all our meetings

Chen got Cashew Chicken as well
General Tso spicy as hell
Soy sauce, duck sauce, mustard too
Pork appetizer enough for two

Bobby R. can't you see
You'd be foolish not to promote me
Cause Fung got rhythm, Fung got rhyme
Fung got Chinese tea with lime

Bobby, Fung got style, Fung got grace
Chen at 9th and 10th on Race
Bobby, go inside and ask for me
say it's Cachetta from the B

Pinky ring, they will see
Witness protection from the M.O.B.
I'll be there waiting for you
Agreement in hand, a copy for you

To sign, Bobby R from the B
So we can get ready for Halloween at the H.O.U.S.E.

Ok Bobby, Fung must jet
So listen to my rap and don't forget
To call be back, how you say, ASAP
So we can put Chen on the map

As for now I say so long
Goodbye Bobby, enjoy my song...

(Outro music fades)

Post-meal fortune cookie reads: "Express yourself through song, not sword."

Today was a nice mailday. A bunch of eBay cardboard arrived, and among the pieces, a fabulous foursome of hockey heroes autos/jersey/patch cards. We'll call this four course delicacy Hockey Heroes Platter Hunan.

Let's dig in.


I really like this piece. Bossy All-Star jersey pieces are not run-of-the-mill, and the retro 1978 orange sweater gives this card a nice, bright look.

Add to the swatch, a slick action shot of the Boss (notice the jersey #23 instead of his famous #22) and the result is a decent pick-up of one of the greatest right wingers and goal scorers in NHL history.


Nice card with a hard sign (elegant sig no less) of Perreault in his old-school Sabres sweater. Numbered out of 25 with a double patch, it was love at first sight when I spotted this baby on the Bay.

Perreault signature pieces are always nice to look at, especially since his auto is just as dazzling as his play on the ice.


The main course and gem of the Heroes Platter Hunan happens to be of one of my favorite (and coolest) goalies in the history of the game, Rogatien Vachon. The Cup is one of my favorite sets around and this game-used auto/patch of Rogie is a gem.

Even though Rogie's sig is totally jacked-up, and always has been, his pieces make for great adds to any retro puck collectors PC. This card features a thick and detailed patch from one of Vachon's purple and gold Kings sweaters and has a classy face design.


For dessert we have some sweet Hockey Fried Puck in the form of a Dino Ciccarelli/Marian Gaborik SOTT dual auto. NHL hockey in Minnesota (old and new) is nicely represented on this piece, and although the smallish head shots of Dino and Gabby are not jaw-dropping, the sigs are pretty slick. I picked this up for a song and put it in my PC immediately.

Dino is turning into a fine collect and I am awaiting another one of his memorabilia cards and plan on picking up a few more in the near future.

Post-meal fortune cookie reads: "Bent corners mean clumsy fingers."

The debut dish of Hockey Fried Puck is Russian Crab Radulov Rangoon. It is a complex and spicy delight, featuring crusty Russian crabs that may have you feeling ill when you're finished digesting. Nevertheless, enjoy.


Ladies and gentlemen, Alexander Radulov is going back home to Russia. With one year still remaining on his contract with the Nashville Predators, the 22-year old Russian sniper, and Nizhni Tagil native, was seduced by a lucrative, three-year deal from Salavat Yulaev Ufa of Russia's new Continental Hockey League (KHL) which replaced the former Russian Super League.

The news of Rad's signing was a big shock to hockey fans and hobbyists alike. While it will be a stinky, hockey-starved offseason for Rad collectors (like yours truly), the stench no doubt pales in comparison to the foul one that's in store for Nashville GM David Poile this summer.

Just imagine what is going through the mind of the Predators brain trust who were expecting their emerging superstar to arrive at training camp in September primed to score 40 goals.

Let me be the first to say, this just ain't cool. Rad was not only a treat to watch on the ice but a bigger treat to collect. Just last week I won a few Rad cards on eBay (the Red Light District for puckheads looking for their fix of game-used memorabilia, autos, inserts and parallels).


My winning lot included a 07-08 Hot Prospects Hot Materials, a slick 07-08 Hot Prospects Red Hot /100, and a beautiful 3-color UD Sweet Stitches /299. All three of these pieces were hand-picked for my PC, with no intentions of trade or resale.

Although I am not in denial like David Poile and NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly, who believe (or hope) there is a decent chance the IIHF will instruct the KHL to void the contract Rad inked with Ufa, I am hoping Alex has a change of heart and continues to work in the NHL so I can continue collecting a player who has some of the nicest looking product in the hobby.

If Rad is hell-bent on Russia (and from various accounts he has anywhere from 13-to-20 million reasons to be), the end result may be his banishment from future IIHF tourneys and an unlikely return to the NHL. Unfortunately, in that case, some of his book values may to drop to the level of his older brother Igor -- the talented and enigmatic, former Chicago Blackhawk.


Luckily Radulov is a PC staple of mine or KHL founder Alexander Medvedev and his comrades at Salavat Yulayev Ufa would be receiving a PayPal invoice for the floundering Rad stock I recently invested in.

Post-meal fortune cookie reads: "He who collects cards for riches, dies a poor virgin."


EDIT: Rad's signing with Ufa in Russia already has some of his product selling rather cheaply. Here is another 07-08 Hot Prospects Hot Materials I picked up for my PC on the Bay with a BO that was 68.71% under the BIN price.