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04/23/2006: New Article: More Sights From The Atlantic City Boardwalk!

Went to Atlantic City last weekend, and lost way too much money to leave without at least getting enough material for an article.  Actually, I did leave without enough material for an article, but I'm not going to let that stop me, so, here you go.  Random stuff from the Atlantic City boardwalk with emphasis on its gift shops, covering everything from Tournament Arkanoid to shitty postcards.

Posted by Matt. E-mail me!


Discussion Thread: 126 comments

First? Who cares!

Posted by Jasper Crank @ 04/23/2006 3:37 PM EDT

Bulbasaur tattoo! This confession takes you to a whole new level of cool.

Matt, we salute you!

Posted by Eddy Shergar @ 04/23/2006 3:43 PM EDT

Heh, I bought some Pokemon pasta last year and shipped it along with some other stuff to an old buddy for Xmas. I'm such a good friend.

So do you have some sort of new quota now for amount of times you have to mention sex and titties in your articles? ;)

Posted by Mystie @ 04/23/2006 3:56 PM EDT

Ahhh, Capcom Bowling.  Wish I could find that one ANYWHERE nowdays.

Posted by James @ 04/23/2006 3:59 PM EDT

OH my God I totally mailed my sister that horrible "soaking up the sun" postcard, only it was from Palm Springs instead! I can't believe there are multiple versions of such a monstrousity. It's hard to tell from the scanned version, but that is NOT A WOMAN. That is blatantly a man…the wig isn't even on straight, and if you look at the cleavage (not recommended) you can totally tell.

Posted by squee4242 @ 04/23/2006 4:16 PM EDT

I really, REALLY want to push the "Wow!  Atlantic City" kid into the pool.

Posted by Julie @ 04/23/2006 4:24 PM EDT

I gotta hit up AC soon, I turn 21 in a little over a month so it'll be good times.

Plus I need to play street fighter

Posted by Modern Day Pirates @ 04/23/2006 4:25 PM EDT

Ah, yes, Capcom Bowling. I remember that game when it was still at my local bowling alley! And Street Fighter II. Who can forget that wonderful game? I know I can't because I still play it on a somewhat regular basis today.

Posted by Hart704 @ 04/23/2006 4:37 PM EDT

Screw Robert Viscera, that Pirate to Rob's left has stolen my heart with his sexy mustache, what appears to be a grey derby hat, and his devilish grin. Take me into your rubbery arms you man of the sea.

Posted by Darth Poop @ 04/23/2006 5:09 PM EDT

I too would love to own "The Pirate." Especially since he looks kinda like Jesse Ventura. Mail me a "The Pirate."

Posted by Der Super @ 04/23/2006 5:43 PM EDT

ARRRGGH!!
i have been tryin to post first for like a month now, damn you all!!!
wow,i cant believe im so excited about the posibility of posting first, what the fuck is wrong me me?!!
MEH!

El Josh-0

Posted by JoshC @ 04/23/2006 5:53 PM EDT

You and I had a similar weekend, Matt- I went to my own private Atlantic City place- where I go with friends to totally wipe the mind clean and be able to return to work again for awhile…

…and you're right- Street Fighter II DID use to mean something. I was involved in heavy duty SNES tournaments and it was a huge part of my life back then- and I used Blanka all the time.

spaz307- Glad I am not the only one. Let us know if you hit any big wins!

Posted by Muppet Baby @ 04/23/2006 5:57 PM EDT

Ah, I long for the days when I used to go into arcades and see "tournaments" of SF2 going on. :)   But anyhow, as usual, great article Matt. If I may say (and i'm sure others will agree) Matt said he just did this article because he had his digital camera. yet, I and others will say as well that no matter what the reason for his articles, we read and we enjoy. :P   keep up the great work Matt

Posted by Jabo @ 04/23/2006 6:19 PM EDT

You can find postcards like those (plus racier/funnier things at any Spencers Gifts or party store really.)  They're great.

I've always enjoyed the X-E trip articles the best.  Whether they're about Atlantic City, flea markets, hotel rooms, or that little rundown shack where you watched videos that one time, you can always count on spending a good 30 minutes going through them.  Can't wait for the future Disney World one.

Posted by JLAJRC @ 04/23/2006 6:25 PM EDT

Hooray for pokemon tattoos! If you look closely, you can see my sweet Jolteon tat. https://webspace.utexas.edu/cca378/jolt.jpg

Great article. Helped me procrastinate for about 30 minutes when I should be writing essays. :D

Posted by Eddie Lightning Frog @ 04/23/2006 6:42 PM EDT

Yeah, Bulbasaur tatoo, I had the same idea. But I was a little light on cash, and so, I went to the place with Akbar-the-Amazing-Can't-Speak-English-All-Too-Well tatoo artist. So instead of a "Bulbasaur" on my rippling biceps I got a "Bowl of Thor." Don't ask me how he managed to represent THAT - but it looks does, actually, exude awesimitude.

Posted by Road Block @ 04/23/2006 8:32 PM EDT

jesus christ, you know you're drunk when your even your posts are incomprehensible…

Posted by Road Block @ 04/23/2006 8:33 PM EDT

I've considered for a long time getting the Care Bears heart tattooed on my ass. Except I use that ass a lot for sitting…. and I can't imagine sitting after getting an ass tattoo would be comfortable.

Posted by Mystie @ 04/23/2006 8:53 PM EDT

""so do arcade claw prize-grab machines, or as I've always called them, "cranes." I don't know why I call them cranes""

Matt - the reason you call them cranes might be because thats what they originally were. Youre a New Yorker, Im sure youve been to Coney Island or Rye Playland. They had the precursors to todays crane games, where the setup was a construction site, and you controlled a little crane trying to pick up as much dirt as possible. My dad said he had played them in the 60's and 70's. I just remember a crappy game where you picked up and dropped dirt, and didnt win anything.
They might still be there, but I haven't been to either place in years, I like life without bulletholes.

Posted by jesse @ 04/23/2006 9:25 PM EDT

Hey man, been reading your site for a little while now and i always love your AC articles.  i live in Longport at the other end of the island from AC (maybe youve seen the signs for my exit off the expressway) and i have to say i love AC.  i love it for the sleaze.  and its not just sleaze like a strip club on the highway, but full blown SSSLLLEEEEEEAAAAZZZEE.  its like watching the jerry springer show.  anyway, if your ever looking for a party in the AC area, contact me…on second thought maybe not, who knows what partying with you could do to my reputation.

Posted by Big Paul @ 04/23/2006 9:30 PM EDT

Matt…brilliant…

I had my first of what will hopefully be many crazy Atlantic City experiences in January with my bosses.  These AC articles are really doing it for me.

Posted by mtrox @ 04/23/2006 10:02 PM EDT

LOL some interesting mental images raised by the Bulbasaur revelation, and by extension the thread. I'm seriously considering getting my first tattoo at long last. I really like the old sailor style tats and have wanted to get sacred hearts for a long time, so I've got my eye out for a combo. Oh, and as far as animated characters go I've always wanted to get an impossibly tiny rendition of Kenny from South Park.
Did Artie seriously say "nonstop ass rape"?

Posted by squee4242 @ 04/23/2006 10:08 PM EDT

Yeah, "nonstop ass rape" was this week's highlight.

Posted by Matt @ 04/23/2006 10:09 PM EDT

Is the tattoo on your pokeballs? HAHAHAHA. I'm sorry.

Posted by Mike @ 04/23/2006 10:18 PM EDT

Hee, Lauren Bacall getting cold cocked was up there for me, but Artie and the ass rape was hard to top. I have a feeling that will go down as an unpopular episode but I liked it. This Big Love is rocking pretty hard too.

Posted by squee4242 @ 04/23/2006 10:50 PM EDT

I've been an Artie fan for a long time, and his now infamous comment has cemented that fact. I can't wait for the YTMND pages of it to spring up. That has to be a front runner for quote of the year. Is it odd that the comment also made me miss Oz? God, I loved that show. Adebisi LIVES!

Posted by Rob @ 04/23/2006 11:46 PM EDT

Big Love puzzles me… I don't really empathize with any of the characters, but as a whole it's so interesting I can't stop watching. I love how HBO has the time and freedom to do scenes that may or may not mean anything. Like Albie with that manwhore? I don't know what it means, but it sure made me think.

Posted by Welsh Rabbit @ 04/23/2006 11:51 PM EDT

I hate to double post, but ooh I know what you mean, Rob. As much as I love HBO, they really need to stop dicking around and release that last season already. Then my Oz collection will be complete, and I can rewatch the epiosde where you-know-who gets the chair, it always makes me cry like a baby.

Posted by Welsh Rabbit @ 04/23/2006 11:54 PM EDT

Yeah, seeing an 80-something Lauren Bacall get popped in the face and then fall to the ground where she screams "MY FUCKING ARM!
was one of the more surreal Sorpano moments in recent memory.

Posted by Wukong @ 04/24/2006 1:29 AM EDT

Hmmmm, if everyone is saying that Big Love is good, I need to get someone with HBO to tape it for me so I can check it out. I have to admit I'm curious about it.

It's nice to see some other Oz fans out there. I was starting to think I was the only one who loved it. I don't understand why that show wasn't more popular, and why HBO refuses to release season 6. I hate having to rely on my worn-out tapes I bought from Ebay when I need my season 6 fix. Oh, and I'd love to hear your theory, Welsh Rabbit. I could babble about Oz forever, too.

Posted by Kieran Alexis @ 04/24/2006 2:36 AM EDT

That tattoo better be on your cock, and you'd better yell "BULBASAUR, I CHOOSE YOU!" whenever you whip it out.

If it's not, you seriously went the wrong route.

Posted by Evin @ 04/24/2006 4:17 AM EDT

Jesus Evin what'd I say about never wanting to think about that again?

Oddly enough I never spent too much time in Atlantic City.  I was always, & still am, much more of a Wildwood fan.  I'll probably be down that way near the 4th of July.

Posted by Mike Fireball @ 04/24/2006 4:59 AM EDT

just one word: wow.

Posted by doc bong @ 04/24/2006 6:44 AM EDT

Bulbasaur???

Which one is he again?

Posted by Dixon Deeper @ 04/24/2006 9:46 AM EDT

Mystie: I never thought about getting the Care Bears heart, but I always thought about getting a Xavier Roberts signiture tattooed on my butt like the cabbage patch kids.

Posted by IHAQ @ 04/24/2006 9:50 AM EDT

Mystie and IHAQ - you can get both! One on each cheek. We should make it an x-e thing, that's the initiation rite. Identifying brothers and sisters could get interesting…

Posted by Mara @ 04/24/2006 10:09 AM EDT

I always love your traveling artciles — although, I did get some very weird looks by people in the computer lab here on campus when they saw me looking at the bikini-clad men.

Posted by Review the World @ 04/24/2006 10:45 AM EDT

The traveling articles *are* generally the best…this, the rundown mini-golf with the lion statue, the also rundown snake and reptile farm… It's rare that an article like this doesn't make me laugh, and this was no exception.

Posted by Aristobulus @ 04/24/2006 11:35 AM EDT

I need to get my act together in buying the rest of the Oz DVDs, only got the first 2 seasons, because they are SO expensive. I am waiting for the prices to bottom out, because, heck, I can get other full season shows that don't cost anything over 35$. I also found that Oz moment you mentioned, Welsh Rabbit to be depressing as well, but, during those last 2 seasons, that was almost a weekly feeling. Some of those deaths were just so out of left field.

Posted by Rob @ 04/24/2006 12:00 PM EDT

Welsh Rabbit:  Your opinion on Big Love is pretty much the same as mine.  I'm still trying to figure out why Roman and Bill are feuding.  It kind of reminds me of a soap opera.  I find the conflicts within the family more interesting (Barb vs. Nicky, especially) more interesting than the outside conflicts (like Nicky vs. the two religious zealots).

I LOVED OZ when it was on HBO.  But I got to admit the last episode disappointed me.  Especially since Tobias going back to jail.  We rooted for him for years, only to be disappointed.

Posted by JLAJRC @ 04/24/2006 12:27 PM EDT

I can't stop thinking of that bird from The Flintstones sqwaking, "Frantic City!  Frantic City!  Awwk!  Frantic City!"  Stupid-ass bird, ruined the whole trip for Fred and the gang.

Posted by kingklash @ 04/24/2006 12:37 PM EDT

Okay, I can't resist, I have to rewatch Sopranos and skip to that scene. I am SO using that quote the next time I feel unappreciated.
I agree Rabbit, that was quite an odd scene, though it explained a few things (most importantly, why Alby wasn't run off the compound young).
I have never won a thing from a claw machine, ever.

Posted by squee4242 @ 04/24/2006 12:39 PM EDT

OMG I just thought of something!!!

TRAVELING MATT!!

AHAHAHAHA!!!

Posted by Mystie @ 04/24/2006 12:48 PM EDT

Rob- I know, the deaths were rough. Tom Fontana must've wanted to burn all his bridges. I got most of my Oz seasons for relatively cheap from half.com… things like smooshed box corners didn't bother me. Or there's eBay, of course. I guess the two are really the same website after all.

JLAJRC- I agree, but I didn't see that murder frame-up railing death coming. That changes Tobias' life pretty significantly. And Ryan ended with a few good things in his life.

I'm sooo tempted to just blab on forever about Oz, but I'll keep it to myself. Even my theory about the threefold nature of humanity as it is expressed by Beecher, O'Reily and Alvarez. :)

Posted by Welsh Rabbit @ 04/24/2006 12:51 PM EDT

Hey, Matt.  I was wondering if you went to college.  And, if so, what was your major?

Posted by Jeff @ 04/24/2006 1:11 PM EDT

If I recall correctly, Matt dropped out twice. I don't remember if he ever mentioned what for, though. *shrug* Use the X-E Search Box. Works wonders. You can even type "-blog" to get rid of all the extra blog entries.

Posted by Mystie @ 04/24/2006 1:16 PM EDT

I think everyone does have their own A.C.  There was a town I lived in for a few years, and it was always like I was on vacation when I was there.  It just never felt like I actually could've lived there.  It was that freaky weird.  And, the local pharmacy had massively old postcards.  Not from the 80's, maybe the 60's?  The ones with the patteren cut into the edges.  There was also a store called the Warehouse, where insanely old department store goods went to die.  No joke, I bought about 30 pair of Levis from the 70's for 99 cents a peice there.  Than I sold them on ebay. 
Is the atlantic city truly gross, or are there just parts of it that are?  Maybe it'll be a spot I visit when I win Powerball.  I really do want to see those stores.

Posted by kb @ 04/24/2006 1:25 PM EDT

Robert Viscera?  If I ever have a career in porn, I now know what my stage name will be.

Posted by tanta07 @ 04/24/2006 2:22 PM EDT

I'd have to go for the Switchblade Comb as my favorite Boardwalk swag.  I grew up just outside Philadelphia PA, and pretty much every year we'd make the pilgrimage to the Boardwalk, and every year I'd buy a switchblade comb, a Water Willy, some saltwater taffy and a hermit crab, and think I was the baddest mofo on the block.

Posted by Reed @ 04/24/2006 2:29 PM EDT

Mike: Hell yes Wildwood. :)   It's just harder to go down there several times a year because of distance and the fact that the stupid hotels cost 7,000 bucks a night nowadays.

I wish they'd stop knocking down the older hotels and all of the other not-officially-landmarks, but so long as there's Hot Spots I - XXVI somewhere on the boardwalk, I'll be happy.

Posted by Matt @ 04/24/2006 2:42 PM EDT

Switchblade comb and nunchucks were easily the best boardwalk swag one could aquire… (that and the pen where the girls top falls off… man that thing was the greatest in 4rd grade!)  Great read Matt.  Brings back fond memories of AC, Wildwood, and Seaside… I need to go back.

Posted by Double G @ 04/24/2006 3:01 PM EDT

Ah, AC. I'm in Philly so I'm not to far away - but i haven't been there since last summer. I went with my friends for a bacholar party. Good times, whew, AC strip joints, much like those postcards - old and crusty.

Posted by Geoffinsanity @ 04/24/2006 3:06 PM EDT

As per your wishes my friends and I not only have our own Atlantic City…but it IS this Atlantic City.  Our lifelong residency in suburban Philadelphia has constantly afforded us the chance to brave the "A.C. Expressway" across the Garden State's bottom half, sometimes via casino bus, where we were the youngest aboard by at least a century or so.

Matt, I'm sure you (and others who have been there on a regular basis) have seen it: Bill's Gyros on the boardwalk.  It's kind of difficult to miss; it's the only damn restaurant (that I know of) whose entire interior is covered by dollar bills.  These bills, acting as quintessential wallpaper, seat coverings, and even hanging from the ceiling, come complete with handwritten messages from those who donated them to the establishment.

Our 90-pound Greek waiter, whose bushy moustache prompted our friend Bill to refer to him from there on out as "Santa Claus," served our "food" on actual styrofoam 3-compartment plates.  I'm not sure what the highlight of our meal was; maybe it was Dan's request for soup being answered by the waiter visibly going into the back room and bringing a plastic container of frozen soup to the front counter for preparation.  Maybe it was my side of bacon being served atop 6 flakes of lettuce (almost twice as many greens contained in Dan's "salad").  Or maybe it was the exchange between the waiter and Bill after he ordered his 3rd rum & Coke:

WAITER: Look!  You spend more money on drink than you do on food!  That not healthy!  He has healthy meal (points to yours truly, downing iced tea and bacon).  You spend more money on drink!

BILL: Yeah, where do I pay?  (after waiter leaves) Santa Claus has no right to moralize me!

What saddens me is the fact that receipts are printed from the gambling machines, thus eliminating that lovely multitude of clanking sounds each time you win/make change.  I know they did it for sanitary reasons, but this will eventually phase out those plastic, eternally grimy change buckets!  I still have a partial collection of those!  Think of the buckets!

As for your parents' comps…try this…my friend Brian's parents had managed to secure comps at the Borgata BEFORE IT OPENED.  That has to be some kind of a record.

OK, I'll shut up now

Posted by Mike F @ 04/24/2006 3:12 PM EDT

Hah, yes, we've been to the dollar-covered gyro place many times, especially when in dire need of a late night alcohol stock-up.  Owner is a total Soup Nazi.  He once took back our beer after deeming one of our friends 'disrespectful" for laughing.

Posted by Matt @ 04/24/2006 3:18 PM EDT

Matt,

My personal AC has been Wildwood. I always appreciate when you do one of the Wildwood articles. I've mentioned it once or twice before. Matter of fact, I've been having strange dreams about it. One is particular is a recurring one where my cousin came with us. It stands out so much to me because it incorporates one of my more poignant childhood memories of my family riding down the boardwalk on those bikes you could rent. It seems I'm always wearing the same thing too. This green and white either LeTigre or LaCoste shirt with matching green shorts with white trim and sneekers, and my brother is wearing the red version. My parents use to like to dress us alike, but *not* alike. They're from South America, so they had zero sense of fashion back then. Oh, and my cousin is wearing a black mesh shirt with a huge "Wildwood '84" in bright pink in on the front….weird….

I guess that's maybe why Wildwood is my personal AC because I have so many dreams and flashbacks about it, and we used to go there so oftern, until my youngest brother was old enough, or rather, manageable enough to take to Disney World. Shit, I miss Wildwood….

Anyway, any article you put up rocks, which makes you getting that laptop even more of a blessing. An X-E early X-mas blessing!!!

Posted by Darth Galvatron @ 04/24/2006 4:28 PM EDT

These articles have long been my favorite.

Posted by dohopoki @ 04/24/2006 4:55 PM EDT

Darth:

Wildwood rocks!  Remember that whole doo-wop theme they tried out when Morey's Wild Wheels Pier opened back in '96?  The corniness didn't bug me, though; the Great White still kicks ass.  And I appreciated the fact that the Sky Ride (on those 1-2 days per season when it actually works) sailed directly over the maze, so one could take notes and/or make sketches if one were so inclined/pathetic.

Oh and I received word that the piers are now known as the "Schellenger Avenue Pier" and crap?  Screw that…it will always be Morey's, Mariner's, and Wild Wheels to me.  With some Hunt's and Dinosaur Beach thrown in for good measure.

Matt:

That is why Bill's Gyros is now bypassed by us in lieu of Hooters.

Posted by Mike F @ 04/24/2006 5:13 PM EDT

My own little Street Fighter II story:

In my middle school, every year the gifted students got to go to the local community college for a week and take enriched classes. 

We endured these classes for one reason and one reason only: the dining hall had a SF2 machine!  Of all the kids, I was the only one that could take the reigning community college student champion to the limit, but ultimately he beat me in the last seconds of round 3.  =(

I wonder where he is now: having both a degree from a community college and good Street Fighter II skills.  Surely a CEO or a movie star.

Posted by Jeff Mack @ 04/24/2006 5:55 PM EDT

My own "personal" AC? The real things! Forget visiting; I grew up in Cape May County and only moved from Wildwood a few months ago, mostly for the same reasons Matt no longer vacations there. My apartment cost too much for the size (and the heater that suddenly refused to function after four years), the area was getting too expensive, and I was tired of avoiding depressing empty lots where landmarks used to be. I was avoiding most of Wildwood Crest and quite a bit of North Wildwood by late January, when I decamped to Oaklyn, 5 minutes from Philly. Though I occasionally miss the boardwalk, I'm much happier in a town whose economy doesn't revolve around one season of the year. I was never as dedicated to the beach as my family, anyway. I may go visit the boardwalk every now and then this summer (my mom and stepdad still live down there), but it's really not the best place to LIVE anymore, no matter how pretty the beach is.

I went to AC for the first time in three years last summer, on what proved to be one of the hottest days of the year, of course. While some things had changed (and I had enough sense to stick to the boardwalk this time, instead of getting lost in scary neighborhoods and being lucky to be alive), some things were certainly the same. I was thrilled when I found Peanut World more-or-less intact from my previous visit. I didn't get much for myself, but I did buy my best girlfriend who lives in Massachussettes and has never had the pleasure of visiting AC a T-shirt and a slightly-rusted, vintage 1990 keychain with a still from the first Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film. She loved both when I sent them to her for her birthday.

Oh, and I made 10 bucks on the slots at Bally's Wild West, which is usually the casino I use due to it's proximity to the bus terminal.

Posted by starwenn @ 04/24/2006 8:49 PM EDT

The first postcard description says "childgood".  Probably supposed to be childhood.  Those trixy, tiny laptop keyboards can cause problems.

Posted by Mad Cow @ 04/24/2006 8:50 PM EDT

Noted and fixed, thanks Cow.

Posted by Matt @ 04/24/2006 8:54 PM EDT

I was always Chun-Li in SF2. I kicked total ass with her. I even went to the all city tournament hosted by Blockbuster with her, and came really close to winning my semi-final match. I totally could have taken the guy who would have been my opponent in the final.  Unfortunately I narrowly lost the semi-final in the last seconds of round 3.  I should have won a free trip to regionals, dagnabbit!

I don't have my own personal Atlantic City. It kind of makes me sad.

The Bulbasaur tattoo got me to wondering what tattoos other X-E folks have. Personally, I've got a blue dragon (inspired by Dragonlance) that looks like it's crawling out of my right shoulder and the Wheel of Time compass rose on my back. I want to get something inspired by Lord of the Rings, but I haven't found the right design, and my artist quit the tattooing after the IRS caught on to his little basement business.

So what do you people have? I'm sure some of you have awesome 80s tattoos.  Personally, I don't want a Care Bears or Cabbage Patch Kid tat on my ass, but I'd settle for a "With Kung-Fu Grip!" logo.

Posted by spaz307 @ 04/24/2006 9:04 PM EDT

So, Tonight My Girl And I are bored, so we decide to go se V for Vendetta, unfortunately we were too late, its gone.
But My Girl Digs Josh Hartnett so we go to see Lucky Number Slevin, I personally Didnt think it was going to be good at all, Boy was I wrong..

Amazing Movie, Great Visuals And Some Really Impressive Cinematogrophy(SP.?)
If You Have A Night Off And Wanna Check Out A Flick I Really Suggest It, And I never Suggest Movis Unless They Are 89s Slasher Flicks.
It Has The JoshC Seal Of Approval!

Nighty Night Bitches!!

El Josh-0

Posted by JoshC @ 04/24/2006 10:18 PM EDT

Work desk has a nifty trivia calendar, and Sunday's question was "What does a cryptozoologist study?" so I had a nice little X-E moment at the office this morning.
Another "it's a man, baby" indicator that I forgot to mention about the postcard beach babe are the hands. They doll them up with rings but those mitts don't belong to no lady.

Posted by squee4242 @ 04/24/2006 10:20 PM EDT

Not exactly Wonka, but on occasions where I bust out a particularly odd reference I have been asked "Is that some X-E thing?"
Sometimes I think carrying the internet everywhere in the palm of my hand might not be the best thing :D

Posted by squee4242 @ 04/25/2006 1:06 AM EDT

mystery peanuts…whew that brings me back

Posted by haxon @ 04/25/2006 1:29 AM EDT

I've always loved the trip articles, and I'm especially happy that there has been so much action article-wise and on the blog lately. It kind of reminds me of the good old days. Thanks!

Posted by Rainbowfeet @ 04/25/2006 2:18 AM EDT

I remember a place in Oahu that sold "fat topless woman" postcards…only the fat topless women were really topless, with nothing covering them. And they all grinned wickedly, knowing EXACTLY how ugly they were and how repulsed you were now looking at them completely in the buff. Yep, they were out in the open on the rack right next to the entrance, where any kid could see.

Anyone interested in a new coloring contest? No, not here….HERE. On my own site:
http://www.platypuscomix.net/clipart/colormulberry.html

Posted by Mars @ 04/25/2006 3:09 AM EDT

@_@ Geez you guys talk about us fat chicks like we're monsters or something. I happen to be a big girl, and I'll have you know I am cute as a button.

PBBBTTTT!!!

Posted by Mystie @ 04/25/2006 7:21 AM EDT

Have you seen the milkshake video?!  That is a monster of mythic proportions! :X

Posted by Double G @ 04/25/2006 9:43 AM EDT

Sadly, as LI as I am, I've never been to AC (even though I'm 19).

And everytime I try to click a date link on the Blog archives, or the Leave A Comment link on older articles, it always redirects me to the main site! It's so annoying!

Plus, I think the blog entry for the Worst Game Room Ever article is gone.

Posted by Invader Norbert @ 04/25/2006 10:12 AM EDT

Norbert:  you have to be 21 to hit up the casinos, but Atlantic City and its boardwalk are trashy fun for all ages.

Posted by mtrox @ 04/25/2006 11:07 AM EDT

Norbert The Worst Game Room article is still there. Here you go:
http://www.x-entertainment.com/articles/0887/

Posted by Darth Galvatron @ 04/25/2006 11:10 AM EDT

Matter of fact, if you Google "Worst Game Room Ever" you'll see a ton of people have referenced or linked to that ARticle. Matt is fucking famous!!

Posted by Darth Galvatron @ 04/25/2006 11:12 AM EDT

Couple random thoughts:

Do Muppets count as Cryptozoology?
Should X-E have a Myspace page?
Is Matt as "famous" as Tila Tequila?

Posted by WonKa @ 04/25/2006 11:18 AM EDT

My personal AC is Pier 39 in San Francisco.  Haven't been there since we moved to OK in the early 80's.  Let me tell you from personal experience, the crew of the Enterprise would have to try really hard to stand out in the crowd in those scenes from The Voyage Home.

According to Greg the Bunny, the PC term for puppets is "Fabricated-Americans."

Posted by kingklash @ 04/25/2006 11:42 AM EDT

"Matter of fact, if you Google "Worst Game Room Ever" you'll see a ton of people have referenced or linked to that ARticle. Matt is fucking famous!!" - Darth Galvatron

Fuck yeah he is!

Posted by Double G @ 04/25/2006 11:45 AM EDT

word i linked a torrents site on here a few days back, and didn't even notice til later that people were uploading stuff matt had reviewed on there and then linking to his articles under the 'more info' section..

if matt had tits and a cute asian ass, he'd totally b more famous than tila tequila

Posted by doc bong @ 04/25/2006 12:20 PM EDT

wow… I recall the eBay "Magic set" fondly.  and the Pokemon pascetti reminded me of the X-E Bulba-quest, good times mang good times.

Anyone here ever recounted a story to someone about something you did, only to realize later it asn't you that had done it, but something Matt had done and recounted in an article?

With all the Wildwood talk where's the refs to the fat t-shirt guy?

Posted by WonKa @ 04/25/2006 12:46 PM EDT

I just thought I'd share this worth1000 "Rejected Transformers" photoshop contest. I want Trailer Trasher and Mentally Challenged Trashbot figures NOW.

Posted by Wukong @ 04/25/2006 12:53 PM EDT

kingklash: The Swedish Chef resents your assumptions.

Posted by Jedoc @ 04/25/2006 12:53 PM EDT

x-entertainment does have a fan group on MySpace, which I am not a part of.  I mean, I am a fan. I just didn't join the group.  I am a MySpace junkie.  I know, I know, it's the devil in the form of the internet, but I really do keep in contact well with my friends with it.  I actually know pretty much everyone on my list.  I also enjoy telling people, "I have a list, and you're not on it."

Posted by kb @ 04/25/2006 1:41 PM EDT

I hope the sarcasm in that last sentence was thick enough that I didn't come off too crabby.

Posted by kb @ 04/25/2006 1:42 PM EDT

Actually Norbert is right, the BLOG ENTRY is missing. The one before and the one after are fine.

Posted by squee4242 @ 04/25/2006 1:50 PM EDT

Sheerly out of curiosity, how many of you folks are either living in/around Philadelphia or from there originally?

Anyway, my AC is AC.  I worked for their ECHL hockey team for a short period of time.  That bulldog-leprechan mutant from a previous AC article was my boy.  My folks took me to the casinos from my 8th grade graduation.  I won $90 at Resorts, lost it all at the Taj and the Sands, and probably had more fun than a 14 year old should.  I'm so glad my folks have no regard for lawful or moral parenting.

Posted by LemurCat @ 04/25/2006 2:11 PM EDT

squee Missed the part where he said he was looking for the Blog part. I thought he was talking about the article. We did learn one thing from all this though…Matt is fucking famous!11!

Posted by Darth Galvatron @ 04/25/2006 2:23 PM EDT

Matt I looooove reading the posts on this site. Whenever there is a new one I completely tune out everything going on in the office (it sounds more impressive than it is) and indulge my nostalgia habit. I'm 31 and even though you'd have been a lowly 4th-grader when I was in 8th, I think you're the coolest. The Halloween countdown is tied with the Macy's Parade recaps for my absolute favorites, but I love any and all posts. X-E is my favorite one-stop-'80s-love-shop. You so funny! Thank you so much!

Posted by Lorpy @ 04/25/2006 3:20 PM EDT

I always get a kick out of the trip reports. Especially the one where you went upstate to that old house in upstate NY. My own personal AC will always be Hampton Beach NH. They have one hell of an arcade, legal fireworks, and if your smart about it, you can drink in public.

Posted by D-Roc @ 04/25/2006 3:40 PM EDT

The article is still there (I read it this morning!), but the blog for it isn't. The next blog references it with JLo's mom winning a jackpot, but no link for it is there. Maybe there wasn't one and I'm going batty, and its been 2 years already?! Wow…

Also, there was recently (today) a Fark contest for Rejected Transformers on the main page today.

Posted by Invader Norbert @ 04/25/2006 4:59 PM EDT

I smell a cover up. That blog is missing because someone doesn't want us to see something.

Posted by dohopoki @ 04/25/2006 5:20 PM EDT

So I was reading this at work, and my boss saw the postcards and thought I was looking at some sort of weird 80s "adult" photos.  Yikes.

Also, I'm a myspace junkie, too–glad to know there is a x-e group!

Posted by Rosella @ 04/25/2006 5:33 PM EDT

I've been searching for twenty minutes or so.  Can anybody link me directly to the X-E MySpace (and is it "officially sanctioned," or just some fan tribute?).

Posted by mtrox @ 04/25/2006 6:48 PM EDT

MySpace is all kinds of crazy. Has anyone else used it to find half-naked photos of people they work with? I have a MySpace, but I don't use it much. Plus I have a few net friends that think it's funny to make sock puppet accounts and make really strange comments on my page involving butter and D&D and what have you.

Posted by Mystie @ 04/25/2006 7:24 PM EDT

Click my name for cereal and food related premium madness

Posted by The Manimal @ 04/25/2006 7:34 PM EDT

I have a MySpace for the SOLE purpose of reading the character blogs from The Office cast and it makes me sad that I can't pretend to be above it all anymore. I will never ever use it for anything else, but only because I think MySpace is an incestuous circle jerk. Of course all my friends are on it :D
Dunno about the MySpace one, but there is an (unsanctioned) LiveJournal community for X-E fans…membership hasn't been opened yet because the maintainer has yet to determine if there's actually any demand for it. Generally I'm against anything that would pull action out of the blog…

Posted by squee4242 @ 04/25/2006 7:38 PM EDT

Matt, every time you post an Atlantic City article I laugh until I cough, but then I get super depressed–like Eeyore getting his butt kicked by Oscar the Grouch depressed–because I reflect on how abysmal the place looks, or maybe just how it looks through your eyes. 

But then I think, no, you enjoy AC, making it sound as shitty as you do is just your way of spreading the love.  Still, Atlantic City just doesn't look appealing to me.  I've been gambling a few times but I've never understood the appeal.  I just see these really old people looking super grumpy even though they've made a thousand dollars gambling away the social security money that my taxes pay, smoking until they have no voice or skin–oy, I don't like casinos.

Am I the only one?

Speaking of Trump Plaza, there was this little article in a recent copy of Mad Magazine listing the reasons Trump should be fired from his own company, the best one was "for being the only casino owner in history to lose money."  Seeing the lobby of the place, I can see why.

So Matt, bottom line question:  AC, depressingly amusing or amusingly depressing?

Posted by inkmage @ 04/25/2006 8:19 PM EDT

Ink: A little of both.  If you go there on a weekday afternoon, it can be really, really depressing.  Sunday nights, too.  We're usually all about being seedy, trashy and filthy when we go, but the atmosphere can be a little affecting for those who can't deal with the site of poor elderly folks practically being driven in small trucks from slot machine to breakfast buffet, yadda yadda.

Posted by Matt @ 04/25/2006 9:23 PM EDT

Hey, Squee?

We're #1!

Posted by Matt @ 04/25/2006 9:29 PM EDT

Thought I would chip in with my tattoos- I have 2 of them:  I have the Canadian Olympic hockey logo on my lower back, and a tattoo of the earth on my left hip.

The hockey tattoo came in 2002 when we won the Olympic hockey to commemorate the best year of my life (it was best for a lot of reasons, including my trip to Disneyworld!)
The tattoo of the earth I got before I went away to Korea, to commemorate my trip.

I was thinking seriously about getting the THUNDERCATS logo tattoed on my ankle…..I need advice though.  Is this cool, or lame? Honestly. 

Thundercats was a huge part of my youth, and I love the logo, but I fear it may be too cheesy…I have been trying to decide for months now.

Mystie- I love the Care Bear heart idea!

Posted by Muppet Baby @ 04/25/2006 10:25 PM EDT

Hahaha! I just saw what 'we are #1' FOR. That's awesome.

Posted by Muppet Baby @ 04/25/2006 10:26 PM EDT

LOL, I guess nothing great can last. I like to imagine dozens of people finding this site with that search XD

Posted by squee4242 @ 04/25/2006 10:39 PM EDT

Actually, Inkimage, I'm not overly fond of AC, either. That's why I let three years lapse between visits.

Posted by starwenn @ 04/25/2006 10:51 PM EDT

I have a couple of tattoos, and here's where I think a lot of people mess up. Get them ONLY where they can be hidden if you were dressed up and going to an award ceremony for best dressed clean cut employee of the year.

If you think a giant skull would look cool on your neck, and also don't mind looking for a nice job that doesn't frown upon giant skulls on your neck, go for it.
Otherwise, leave the giant skulls on your shoulder, back, chest, upper legs, butt, pelvis, stomach, and other hidden spots.

And the Thundercats logo would be cool, but why the ankle? That doesn't sound very Thundercat. Where would you be branded with it if you were a Thundercat? But it's up to you, I say to it but don't ever tattoo Mumra on you anywhere, because Mumra scareds me.

Posted by Fox @ 04/25/2006 10:54 PM EDT

From the above post of mine: Apparantly, me no english good

Posted by Fox @ 04/25/2006 10:56 PM EDT

LemurCat- I'm in northern Delaware, about 40 miles from Philly, but that's where the TV stations come from. Delicious, magical TV.

And since I've only ever been to AC a few times, all in winter/early spring, I've never been on the boardwalk on account of sleet. I saw the Barenaked Ladies in concert at the Trump Taj Mahal though, and my boyfriend and I were smart enough to get a room there. All the other concertgoers were trying to fight their way to the slot machines or parking garage, we just took the elevator upstairs and hit our own jackpot, wink.

Posted by Welsh Rabbit @ 04/25/2006 11:28 PM EDT

They run buses from here to AC all the time for pretty cheap. I don't have much of a desire to go, really. I just don't have the extra cash to piss away and I don't travel well alone. Plus last I heard my Uncle Pee-Wee is living down there. Damn sleezy relatives…

Posted by Mystie @ 04/25/2006 11:57 PM EDT

Man, good times. Reminds me of when we got together down there and took in the…

… oh, that's right. You NO-SHOWED. ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS.

You're the fucking Hulk Hogan to my Randy Savage, Matt. Nobody understands.

Posted by Mel. @ 04/26/2006 6:50 AM EDT

I duuno why I want the Thundercats logo tattooed on my ankle, exactly…I am an English teacher, so my other tattoos are all well hidden (back and hip)- that is the best idea.  However, I think I would want to'show off' the Thundercats tattoo a little more than the others, hence the reason for the ankle…

…but I don't want to have to wear SOCKS with sandals to keep it hidden from students! I would just let them see that one, and then judge my coolness harshly.

Posted by Muppet Baby @ 04/26/2006 7:43 AM EDT

I would just let them see that one, and then judge my coolness harshly.

"Teacher, what's a Thundercat?"

Posted by lugnut @ 04/26/2006 9:18 AM EDT

More like, "Teacher, wasn't 'ThunderCat' what Stan Smith called his second wife?"  Then you can cry for kids who watch American Dad! and not ThunderCats.

Posted by kingklash @ 04/26/2006 12:00 PM EDT

Anybody sporting Star Wars tattoos? I've long wanted the Alliance symbol.
Do you think that by the time Generation X/Y/Z becomes "The Man" that extensive tattoos will be more acceptable in professional environments? They are so common now…
I watched Sopranos again and "nonstop ass rape" continues to be greatly amusing.

Posted by squee4242 @ 04/26/2006 2:12 PM EDT

Where normal people have biceps, I have tattoos: On my left arm is Saturn, which looks more like a rotten black egg than my favorite planet.  On my right arm is Pac-Man, who looks incredible but is rarely seen because I only wear short sleeves during fires.  And Bulba is somewhere on me, too.  Not somewhere dirty.

Posted by Matt @ 04/26/2006 2:26 PM EDT

Lemur, I'm from Philadelphia too.  I've been wondering how many people are from Philly or the suburbs.  Seems to be an abnormally large amount of bloggers from the area.  I wonder if it's a coincidence or the stuff on this site hits a cord with the area.  I was in AC the night before Matt.  Damn, I would have loved a Matt sighting.  Not that I would say hello, because I'm sure Matt doesn't want people bothering him, but at least I could come back and say "I saw Matt in AC".  Or I could take a pic and be the coolest person on here to have a picture of Matt in AC.

Posted by Y2JB78 @ 04/26/2006 2:30 PM EDT

squee
I totally think that will be the case.  I mean, I have far more friends with tatoos than without.  And many of those friends have them in uncoverupable places.  I don't think I'll ever get one.  I have yet to think of a picture I want on me forever. But you never know.

Posted by kb @ 04/26/2006 3:33 PM EDT

I tried B&C Dr. Pepper today.  It's VERY good.  The flavor is subtle, but still noticeable.  I got some of the Diet version too that I'll try soon.

I got no tatoos or piercings.  I'm a boring person.

Posted by JLAJRC @ 04/26/2006 5:55 PM EDT

I don't have a tattoo–yet.  I'm moving to San Francisco in three weeks, and my best friend is coming with me the first week I'm there…anyway, while he is there, I think we're both going to finally get tattoos…I'm going to get a libra symbol at the base of my neck/top of my spine.  Not very big, but I imagine it'll hurt like hell.  And I hate needles.

Posted by Rosella @ 04/26/2006 6:07 PM EDT

I'm 60mi west of Philly. I'm out towards Reading which is where all the scum from Philly flocks because it's easier to get on welfare here.

If we had an X-E Meetup at AC, I'd totally go. Hell, I'd even get the Care Bears ass tattoo in celebration. Though I get the impression Matt might be too much of a homebody to agree to such a gathering. ;)

Posted by Mystie @ 04/26/2006 6:33 PM EDT

I can’t believe Inspector Gadget (the old school animated series) is on DVD now.  I used to be glued to the TV when I was a kid just to see if Penny and Brain would capture Claw (since Inspector Gadget never did anything useful)
For a quick dose of nostalgia, click my name.

Posted by danglad @ 04/26/2006 6:50 PM EDT

"Not somewhere dirty", Matt? That makes EVERYWHERE sound dirty. Hot back-of-the-knee action.

Posted by Welsh Rabbit @ 04/26/2006 7:48 PM EDT

No tatoos, I'm afraid if I get one I'll get ten. Eventually I'd have so many that I would get really stupid tatoos thinking nobody would notice. Then I'd meet a beutiful woman and we would get intament(not sure I'm allowed to do something I can't spell) and she would notice my drunken tasmainin devil pissing on a four leaf clover tatoo.

Lemurcat-I live in the Philly of the west coast(just kidding)

Posted by mrjayberry @ 04/26/2006 7:54 PM EDT

Muppet Baby-

The Thundercats tattoo is cool only if YOU think it's cool.  No matter what you get, there's going to be people who think it sucks.  And if they do, so what?  It's YOUR body, not theirs.  As long as you think you will like Thundercats forever, I say go for it.

The ankle isn't a terrible place to get a tattoo, in that you can easily cover it at work and it won't sag.  I shudder to think what one on my stomach would look like in a few years. 

On the flip side, I hear any place that is right over bone hurts a lot more.  The one on my shoulder barely hurt at all, but the one on my back hurt pretty bad right across my spine.

Posted by spaz307 @ 04/26/2006 7:58 PM EDT

Hey Matt, that Robert doll has brothers. Here in Millville (a very short hop from Atlantic City) there was a crappy little indian dollar store wedged up against the pizza hut. Inside that store were SCORES of Robert dolls, only slightly different. Same package, same doll. Only the doll was black and featured bright pink lips, and his name was Johnny.

Gayest. Thing. EVAR. One of my best friends went in one day, saw them, and bought them all. Subsequently his parents forced him to throw them all away, but I think he has one stashed somewhere. Sadly that dollar store closed about 3 weeks ago. It was a treasure chest, man. Bubblegum flavored soda with no brand name anywhere on the can, powdered aphrodisiacs called Horny Goat Weed, and my personal favorite; Pteradactyl Juice. God I miss that place.

Posted by Rob Eagan @ 04/27/2006 4:33 AM EDT

I love your trips to atlantic city man never stop goin and tellin us all about it :)

Posted by specterkev @ 04/28/2006 1:00 AM EDT

it takes a big man to walk away from those machines. i have spent more money then im willing to say on a clow machine of the same kind (one that just wont grab) cause im not willing to give up till i get the haggard the horrible toy thats int here. i commend your willpower.

Posted by juggalotis @ 04/28/2006 9:04 PM EDT

I just love reading about your (adjective) trips to Atlantic City, Matt-(adjective).  Everytime I read about your trips, I (verb) my pants.

Posted by Letsbuildafort @ 05/05/2006 8:11 PM EDT

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