X-Entertainment's Christmas Season & Advent Calendar, 2008.

06/02/2007: Landlubbin’.

Just got back from a weeklong cruise that left from New York and made all-too-short stops in Florida, Nassau and some wacky private island filled with crude shacks selling ten dollar Mai Tais that probably didn’t have any alcohol in them. I’m too tired to do anything more than blurt out random goodnesses right now (Cuban cigars, flying fish, smuggled liquor), but hope to cull together an article detailing the ins and outs of fine quality cruising in the next week or so.

Oh, we picked an overpriced Disney World excursion for our Florida stop, which probably won’t make the article because I already wrote 72,000 words about Disney World last year. But! Whereas Pirates of the Caribbean was closed for movie-related renovations last year, now it was open, and I finally got to ride it for the first time. Gotta be honest…it’s really nothing special. I mean, I love all dark rides — especially ones with a creepy slant filled with ugly animatronics and shadows and echoes — but there was something hilarious about standing on an hour-long line filled with kids who adored the movies and who had every reason to expect something more than an enclosed space filled with decades-old pirate statues singing the “yo ho ho” song. At least they added a couple of Jack Sparrows and a pretty neat holographic Davy Jones waterfall.

While I really want to tell you about love bugs smashing against bus windows and the ten thousand hand sanitizing machines that littered the ship, it’ll have to wait for the article. Happy SNT.

Comments were down since this post went up…but should be active now. Sorry! (Whew…for a second, thought we were in for a disaster.)

Ok, to repeat in brief what I said when I tried to comment before the comments were fixed, I, too, am anxiously awaiting your article, and I’m glad you had a good time. I’ve never been on a cruise before, though my brother went with his best friend’s family two years ago and had a great time. He brought me a magnet in the shape of a dolphin in water with the name “Nassau” on it.

So…what’s everyone else doing for vacation this year? I’m off to New England in mid-July to visit my best friend for the second year in a row, this time hopefully with two good knees.

Matt, glad you had a good vacation. It sounded like you needed it. Man, you think those love-bugs are bad to drive through, try flying through them. What a mess.

On another note, check out this new release for later this year. Hell yesssss!!!

Welcome back!
POTC is totally my favorite Disney ride. I haven’t been since they added the Jack Sparrows, but I’m hoping to make it to Disneyland sometime this summer.
JLAJRC, congrats on the new puppy

Happy Saturday!

Saturday Night’s Main Event is depressing to watch. At least Doink will show up.

I have a friend who works on a cruise ship doing television production. Right now hes home but in a month or so he gets to go to the mediterrainian. Smuggled liquer and Pirates rides sounds fun.

My vacation will be a trip to Roswell. For the 8th year in a row. For the Roswell 2k New Beetle show. http://www.roswell2k.org. Yes, I am crazy.

My only Pirates-related experience lately has been playing the demo of the recently-released video game. Forgettable.

I’ve been debating using my second week of vacation in a few months to FINALLY go back to the Magic Kingdom after not going since my childhood, and the link back to Matt’s trip just made me want to go even more.

While everyone else is talking vacation plans, I may be the only one hoping to actually work MORE this summer. I need to pick up more hours as I’m barely getting by. I live at home and am still in school, so I don’t pay rent, but I split on the utilities. No vacations for me, but for the past three I have had five-day weekends.

I take back every negative thing I said about Spidy 3. The only complaint I can muster now is that it can be a little repetitive (beat up thugs, carry victim to ambulance, throw bomb into the river/sky) but even that isn’t a problem given how much fun it is to do that.

Oh and Bruce Campbell narrarates it. Booyaka. I like it better than Twilight Princess to be honest, blasphemous as that seems even to me. If you’re looking for a solid action game on the Wii, look no further.

Well, as luck would have it, I actually made it to the Weird Al concert at Westbury tonight! I’m freaking happy right now.

I took off from work about a month ago, but I wasn’t able to get tickets…until earlier today my frat bro calls me to say that his friend has 2 extra tickets for tonight.

Needless to say it was freaking awesome. He sang just about all of his great ones (Fat, Eat It, Amish Paradise, Smells Like Nirvana, All About The Pentiums, and all but 3 songs from “Straight Outta Lynwood” counting You’re Pitiful), and encored with Alburqurque.

Halfway into the song, he catches 2 people trying to leave, and he screamed out “HEY WHERE YOU GOING?! SIT BACK DOWN! WE STILL GOT ANOTHER 6 MINUTES LEFT IN THE SONG!” and then everyone cheered.

My brother and I are both big PotC (the Disneyland ride) fans, and we were discussing what a tragedy it will be when people start thinking that the movies came first, and that the ride(s) were based on them. I think it’s a great ride, though. I don’t remember if the one in Disneyworld is any different from the Disneyland one; I’ve only been to Disneyworld once.

Neat fact: At the time the original ride was created, fake skeletons were not available, so the skeletons in the ride are real dead humans. ;D

Thomas - you’re not the only one. And also, five-day weekends? Good God, I’m jealous.

All of this talk about cruise ships, Disneyworld, and ugly animatronics, made me think about a Richard Nixon envisioned floating utopia inhabited soley by rich, white, republicans: a.k.a. The Freedom Ship!

*I swear I was first or near first- I tried in vain to post, then gave up, copied this, watched a movie and returned 2 hours later to paste (glad the comments are working again! I thought my computer was screwed):

Whoot! This is my second SNT in a row, and it looks like perfect timing- I might be first for once. (well- ALMOST perfect timing. *sigh* see previous thread for comments I just wrote before this thread came up)

I agree with Matt. I was really anxious to ride ‘Pirates’ way back in 2001, prior to the films. The ride was not spectacular- it was ok, but got kind of long-( it needed a big kicker, like the end of the Jurassic Park ride at Universal). Kids today are going to be EXTRA disappointed, since they will be going in with such a huge love for ‘Pirates’ that most of us didn’t even have before, ya know? I mostly liked the ride because it reminded me of “The Goonies”…

Can’t wait to read about the trip! Once again, Matt, I am living vicariously through you.

Comments were down since this post went upâ€¦but should be active now. Sorry! (Whewâ€¦for a second, thought we were in for a disaster.)

They went down yet again when I got here, leaving me wondering how a post disabled for comments could somehow get 20 of them.

Somethin’ Funny: It’s weird — I love rides like that, but speaking from a broader point of view, I can’t see the attraction at all. At least in as far as it having lines comparable to the real “action” rides from all over the parks.

And speaking of dark rides: Ugh, just read up on how they closed my beloved El Rio del Tiempo over at the Mexico Pavillion in Epcot, replacing it with some Three Caballeros ride. While on the one hand I’m happy to see that flick get a tribute (especially because it keeps the general framework of the original ride), I just really loved El Rio. Oh well — at least I still have Maelstrom over in Norway. TROLLS!

I just went back to Disney World, too — I went for the first time last year in March — I just got back from spending nearly two weeks at Disney’s All Star Sports Resort — I was also a bit bummed about the changing of El Rio del Tiempo, but, I did get to eat at the nearby restaurant, peering at a volcano while enjoring a margarita so that helped ease the pain..

I was referring to the films. I had to find a way to asshole-ishly state my opinions somehow. This gave me license.

I’ve never been on the ride.
Never been to Disney World. I can’t stand the crowds at the one-horse amusement parks around here; I’d have a heart attack if I stepped foot in that place.

While I really want to tell you about love bugs smashing against bus windows
That’s sounds pretty hot.

Just to put it out there, the Disneyworld version of “Pirates of the Caribbean” is widely thought to be inferior to the longer and more extensive original at Disneyland California.

Invader Norbert I want to go to the one in yakima WA in October I believe it is, that’s enough time for me to get tickets. I know what to except a bit because I’ve watched most of the concert dvd on youtube with the different costumes and everything.

I think it’s funny that the other week we thought he went on the cruise and he was just busy, and this week he totally went without us suspecting a thing. I went on the POTC ride when I was a kid I remember it being awesome but I think I was about 8 at the time. I honestly can’t wait until I get my career going so I can afford to go on the R family cruise Rosie O Donnell’s wife Kelli runs. You guys don’t appreciate it because this is the wrong demographic but that’s a cruise I REALLY want to go on! Yes I am a les so what. ‘ahem’ happy SNT everybody.

Goob, stand proud and be who you are…heck I want to go on the Rosie cruise and I’m not even gay; I bet it would be a blast!

And Matt’s not the first I’ve known to complain about the ride in Mexico changing; friends in Orlando that work for the mouse threw a bitch fit over that ride changing. I just remember it being really loud when I was a kid…

But I always liked the old Pirates of the Caribbean ride, I hope the Jack’s and Davey Jones don’t take away from the ‘original’ feel of the ride….

And for those that care: those Transformers toys I mentioned earlier today? So much awesomeness; working hard to keep from getting to exciting for the flick now…

And, Bill, I still make the “choo-chaa-chaa-choo” sound when I transform them

Shuanfu: I’m far from the authority but I don’t think they take away from it. The Davy Jones thing is right at the start of the ride, so it doesn’t really factor in. The Jack Sparrows are way more high tech than the other animatronics, but they’re still placed within the same confines as the older ones.

Matt, shuanfu, you’re both right on the money. I loved riding “El Rio Del Tiempo” and am saddened that it is no more. Those bastards mess with “Maelstrom”, I’ll give them what for.

I’m glad I can see the comments finally…I’m writing my first X-E comment on my brand spankin’ new computer! this weekend has been diedicated to settin this thing up and watchin my Cavs destroy the Pistons. Daniel “Boobie” Gibson just could not miss from 3 and honestly I think Marv Albert was havin too much fun saying the phrase “boobie gibson” this entire playoff series. hopefully the cavs can beat the spurs and win cleveland its first major pro championship wince 1964 (although technically the last pro championship in cleveland was in the mid 90’s when the Cleveland Crunch won a bunch of indoor soccer titles, but who gives a shit about indoor soccer?)

I have a silly question…what does SNT stand for?
Saturday Night…turtles? tapestries? taps?

…Sorry…yes I know it’s SILLY! But I am a bit flummoxed about all this SNT business.

Heh, when the team was known as the Cleveland Force their unofficial mascot was some dude who walked around in a very nice Darth Vader costume which i thought was very cool.

Matt,
Update, please. This is getting ridiculous. Don’t pull a “Maddox” and only update once a month only to keep your fans in check. If you’re going to quit please let us know, it’s the least you can do.

For some reason this reminded me of the worst ride I’ve ever been on. There is a Folks Fest over in Stuttgart, Germany that is basically like the state fair, except it has some pretty impressive rides that they bring in: roller coasters, tower of doom, etc. They also have a bunch of things like haunted houses and the hall of mirrors. Anyways, my wife and I decided to drop some cash and go on a horror ride where you sit in a car that spins to one side at times and spins back sideways at other times, to make sure your facing the right way for all the scary crap to come at you. Well, ours didn’t spin, so when the worst animatronic ghosts and goblins I’ve ever seen popped out at us, not only did they look like crap, but we couldn’t even see half of them. We weren’t even scared by the guy in a gorilla suit or the guy hiding with a chainsaw that popped out at us. So, utterly disappointed by dropping enough on this B.S. ride to buy us dinner, we walk out just pissed off. Well, my sweet wife with her charms, goes back to the ticket guy, tells of our car did not turn, and gets our money back. Frickin awesome, but it was a bad enough experience that I never dared to waste my money on any of those rides again. Sad.

Venom is a bitch. But he’s dead, so, you know, time to go back to Blockbuster.

I’ve been trying to dream up a way of hitting Disney World before I leave the mainland, but there’s no way it’ll happen. POtC is my very favorite ride in Magic Kingdom(now). Epcot is my favorite park, Mexico and Norway having my favorite Pavillions….I haven’t been there since Test Track opened…it was completed, but not running when I was last there. It upsets me when Disney changes things up. As a kid, I was in love with the 20,000 leagues ride. When I went back in my early teens to find it gone and Iago running the Tiki Room, it brought tears to my eyes. I’ll go to bed dreaming of Disney now. Awesome.

On a completely different note, I am bizarrely obsessed with Transformers coming out. I watch the trailer daily. I’m not sure that’s healthy.

matt, I don’t know how much you’re going to care about this, but it’s pretty big news here in Fl. Besides Back to the Future being replaced by The Simpsons Ride, the theme park Islands of Adventure is making a Harry Potter themed island.

“A 20-acre site will be devoted to all things Harry Potter, including recreations of the Hogwarts castle, locations from the Forbidden Forest and Hogsmeade village”

Yeah, I saw that on the today show. While l love Harry Potter….I’d rather just go to England if I want to get that atmosphere!

I’m in about the same boat you are, Thomas. I’ve pretty much been on vacation for the past two months, since there’s not a great deal of farm work you can do after abdominal surgery, and now I’m rather desperately seeking work. Anyone know of any positions available for an English major/uncertified librarian/enigmatic warrior-poet?

Just as long as it’s in a place that gets at least one snowstorm a year. I’ll stay here and farm this damned desert before I go back someplace where winter is a geographical location. And no offense, MissJess, but the idea of living in Hawaii gives me the screaming heebie-jeebies and the shakes. But if it makes you feel any better, all of my friends from Abilene have told me that these feelings make me dangerously unstable and quite possibly an inferior human being altogether. Of course, most of them are from San Antonio, so they wouldn’t know Jack Frost if he nipped their noses off.

Brett - My husband told me about the Harry Potter theme park yesterday and I started to respond disdainfully until I realized I kind of loved the idea. Think of the possibilities! Quidditch rollercoasters, the hall of house-elves, a hug from a theme-park-mascot dressed as Aragog…personally, I can’t wait.

Being someone who watches the ‘Harry Potter trailer daily (I’m feelin ya, Miss Jess) I LOVE the fact that Harry Potter is going to turn theme park! SO many amazing possibilities….

Heh, aside from cons and visiting distant friends, I haven’t been on a vacation vacation since I went to Chincoteague when I was 12. (LET THE JOKES ENSUE!!)

I’ll probably take a few day trips this summer. I’m scheduled to go to NYC on the 24th but that could change. I’m sure at some point the girls are gonna try and drag me to Ocean City.

Wow, I just got back from Disney World myself. We might have been enduring the same suffocating crowds, slow-walking lardasses, and screaming children. I re-read your article(s) about your last trip there before going, and I did the pearl thing in the Japan pavillion. Apparently the pearl in the oyster I picked was “extra extra EXTRA rarge! (large)” and warranted a drum routine. That was exciting.

We’re Orlando locals. Rode the updated Mexico ride last month. *shrugs* Not too bad. The framework is all the same; they pretty much just threw Donaldup up to his usual shenanigans into the mix.

There’s also a new Monsters Inc. show at Magic Kingdom, which isn’t funny. At all. And the show it all about gathering laughs for them to use as power. Yikes.

Oh, and Universal also has the Blue Man Group now, to compete with Disney’s Cirque show. We’re getting so much crap in these parts, we can hardly contain ourselves…

Forgive me for asking, but did you gain any weight on the cruise? When I went on one last year I gained 7 pounds. =P The food was just so amazing!!

Jedoc- No offense taken at all! I grew up with cold, so I understand. I missed my friend Jack Frost when I had first moved to Florida. Since then, not so much. I’m glad he still has a friend in you…there are so many traitors like me out there!

I saw Blue Man Group in Chicago. One of the best shows ever….Harry Potter at Universal?…..now I wanna go there too!

i went to disney last june, it was amazing. i want to go again… so bad…………….ughhhhh.

Glad you had fun Matt. I just saw potc 1. Hopefully I’ll see part two before part three is out of the three is out of the theater. I’m not much for getting to the big blockbusters right away. Well except for Transformers. I hope to see that immediately. Has anyone else seen the promo they have with Lunchables? My son and I are still on the road and every stop we make he chooses one for his snack. He now has a bunch of trading cards and they also come with a chinzy (sp?) figure. I hate to obnoxiously gloat, but this whole road trip thing has been effing amazing. Right now I just stopped in a po-dunk town called Mullan, ID and bought a Chocodile at the gas station. Happy very late snt!

That’s good to hear Matt; I actually still have picks from inside PotC ride that I took and, for a 10 year old, came out really good..it’s like I was trying to document the entire ride

I know what Jess speaks of as well: I had in my mind a version of a submarine ride that you climbed into a manhole cover, got on a sub, and saw a really scary giant squid. When I returned to Disney years later I got to ride 20,000 Leagues before it closed, and realized that the world is so much bigger and more exciting when your 5 than when your in your 20s and the giant, human eating fish become lights on a wall and seahorses that don’t move because they had a rod shoved up their booties.

The other huge ride to me when I was a kid was Peter Pan. It felt like the biggest and most epic thing in the world. When I returned after years away from the park (again, as a judgemental 20-something) it was still fun but smaller, and creepy as hell when I noticed that all the animatronic characters where coated in an odd black-light sensitive paint; had it always been like that? I didn’t remember the site of Peter burning my eyes when I was little…

And about the Harry Potter Island of Adventure: I totally love the idea. They are changing the “fantasy and magic” island into the Harry Potter world which, for anyone whose been the to parks, makes the most sense. There already is a huge friggin’ castle that can easily be transformed into Hogwarts. The Dueling Dragons ride just needs a different coat of paint and it’s a scene from Goblet of Fire. And the little magical village they had before is a ready made Diagon Alley or, better yet, Hogsmeade. Hopefully they do it right. And FYI: That eatery inside the tree stump or whatever in the little village, some of my best times in any theme park ever came from that place…good times. All in all, I think giving such a strong theme to a somewhat directionless island will help the overall feel of the park….

Elsewhere in the park at the Popeye Ride: Almost died on that ride. We came down a rapids section and we swore the boat was gonna flip. I had never been so wet in my life. Best boat ride ever.

I must say I love dark, animatronic rides. My favorite is Monster Plantation at Six Flags Over Georgia. For some reason I always get creeped out during this ride. I would hate to get trapped in this thing over night.
http://www.sfog.net/pics/categories.php?cat_id=28

First of all Matt’s back!! Happy Days are here again!
GOOB, I thought the same thing was funny about him sneakin off on the cruise hehe!
Shaunfu: I went on that same sub ride when I was 4 maaaaybe 5 and it scared the shit out of me. I also saw the 3-D Captain EO( with Michael Jackson in his good days). I dont think I ever want to go to Disney Land again and ruin the memories unless I am taking a child to experience “the magic”. *shrugs*
Im jaded.

When is the X-E theme park going to be built? I wanna go to the recreation of Dracula’s Castle I know Matt’s going to construct with his own two hands, and a few metric tons of plaster. All the best old stuff was nothing but plaster, chicken wire, and a thick shell of cheap paint from years of touching up.

I got stuck in the Pirates of the Caribbean ride when I was a kid…It was right at the part when that pirate was chasing that wench around again and again in a circle…Then later that day we got stuck in another ride…It’s a small world…Right at the part when all the dolls start singing “It’s a Small World” in their native languages…I’ve only ever considered suicide once in my life, and it was at that moment…

Mary Mary: They recently toned down the pirate-chasing-booty part of the ride because of what it implied; now it’s a scene of a wench chasing a pirate around in circles with a broomstick.

Matt, did you go on any of the lamer rides like The US Presidents? I remember having to sit through that as a kid and I have a feeling it was because there was no line. Do they still have that one?

I went with my brother to his Grad Nite at Disneyland back in ‘05, and we were kinda bored for a part of it. My brother wanted to ride the rocket rods, but the line was too long. We ended up, at one point or another, riding on “the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.” There was virtually no line and we just happened to be right there. Why am I posting this?

They need a Kingdom Hearts ride. I am sick to death of not seeing Kingdom Hearts merchandise in the Disney Store.

Dammit Square, let them use the characters if you’re holding this shit up.
Dammit Disney if you’ve got a stick in your ass, pull it out. Seeing how much you’re begging Square for KH III.

In other news (that some of you might actually care about) Zelda II on the VC tomorrow!!!

Matt, I think I know what ship or at least what line you were on. I had gone on a sister ship (or that ship) and did the Disney Excusion as well. As much as I love the Magic Kingdom, there’s no way that park is conducive to that excursion. You probably would’ve been better off with Epcot or the Studios. Less rides and less crowds usually than MK means more for your time and money.

On the subject of theme park extensions and renewals:
I was on vacation in Florida last month hitting the major theme parks and while I was in Universal, a “cast member” (do they call them that there?) dressed as Doc from Back to the Future actually bitched to me and my family about the Simpsons ride replacing his!

About “The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh”: when you have been awake for about twenty hours and you’re dead tired, a ride like that, where there so many lights and colors and sounds, mixed with the fact that you ride in a little car that is gently swaying from side to side, you exit feeling very disoriented and a little like you’re wasted.

Harry Potter Theme Park: I’m just looking forward to visiting Honeydukes… hehe

Vacations: The fiance said something about visiting New Orleans… I hate summers in Louisiana more than I hate summers in Oklahoma, so I’m not sure that’ll go over well. lol

Just got back from Target with a glorius bounty. All the Transformers toys are pretty cool. I wish there was at least one really big high quality one like the 20th anniversary Optimus but oh, well.

I picked up my 2 year old daughter’s first transformer toy. “Softimus Prime” He’s a plush G1 Optimus that “transforms” into a truck by tucking in like a Popple! I also had to buy Optimash Prime to sit next to Darth Tater on my living room shelf. He’s more than meets the fry!

My girlfriend and I did Disney World this past May and had a blast! On the first night, we went to the huge toy store in the Downtown Disney shopping area and built our own Mr Potato Heads. They also now have a station where you can build your own Disney-fied My Little Ponies (same deal as the Potato Heads — cram as much Pony junk in the box as you can for 18 bucks).

We also thought the new Monsters Inc show at the Magic Kingdom was cute, but I guess it all depends on how much the audience you are with is into interacting with the cartoon characters.

Just got back from Pirates 3 and it RULES. Definately better than the second one, but not the first one. It’s also the better third movie of the trilogies this year.

I’m just getting around to seeing spiderman 3 tonight. (making me the last of us?)

The Blue Man Group attraction is replaced Nickelodeon Studios. Granted, nothing has happened in the building since 2000 besides hosting a haunted house every 11 months, I really miss stolling past the studios, slime gewyser, and the time capsule. Oh well.

Just got back from MY trip to NYC…funny that Matt was in Florida while I was in NYC and vice versa. Anyways, we had a blast. I got to go in the Nintendo World store and the Sanrio store, so I am happy. Also got to see Demetri Martin perform some comedy (freakin’ awesome) and another comedy show at the Laugh Factory which was excellent. I’ll be posting trip pictures to my myspace blog, if anyone is interested.

Longtime reader, first time commenter. Just wanted to mention I got back from Disneyworld on Friday Night. DEATH to the love bugs. DEATH I say. It was like the damn things stalked me.

Also, though I was told the little bastards do not bite, I KNOW those little bite marks on my arms and legs had to come from somewhere. Our first night in, Magic Kingdom was open till two so like idiots we flocked there after doing Animal Kingdom that afternoon and STAYED FOR THE ENTIRE TIME.

Doing Jungle Cruise at night when you felt drunk from being exhausted was kinda amusing though. I also sort of lost it on pirates, seeing as we’d been awake almost 24 hours at that point. I was the weird twenty something pointing and yelling at every new character that came up.

The lack of lines was awesome. Weirdly the most crowded one that night was DUMBO. Which sucked with two fat asses trying to wedge themselves into the little car.

I think the point at which I started laughing at nothing in particular and crashing into stuff in the candy store was about the end of that night. Cool idea staying open that late, but you have to be insane to do it.

I went on the Walt Disney World “Pirates of the Carribean” ride just after the first film came out, and while the gift shop was brimming with film-themed goods, the ride was as old as ever. I actually think it works better as a “classic” ride, because then you can at least consider that it would have sucked much less a few decades ago when it was designed. It’s too bad that they’re actively trying to tie it into something as modernly awesome as the Pirates of the Carribean films.

I like to remind people that films based on “The Country Bears” and “The Haunted Mansion” were made when the Pirates of the Carribean films are discussed.

I’d love to see Demetri Martin perform. Hilarious. Hope you had fun at Disney, Matt. Again.

My friend and I did Disney at the beginning of May, and the love bug invasion was hilarious and annoying as crap at the same time.

Is it weird that the Jungle Cruise was one of our favorite things? Our guide nailed the dry humor, he was FANTASTIC. I really appreciated the live entertainment a lot more than when I was a youngin’.

Also, Port Orleans Riverside was a gorgeous mid-price resort, but I think biting the bullet and staying at one of the high price resorts would be more fun next time.

I also shame myself for having never been on PoTC (I haven’t been to Magic Kingdom in about 10-11 years), but I have watched it on youtube, so its close enough. I’m dying to go back there. Badly. Reading the comments & Matt’s review froim last year is not making things better.

Also, I’m going back to NYC this friday! I hope I see someone cool like Demetri Martin…

And all the new Transformers toys…awesome. Too bad I’m short on money at the moment. (I’m also waiting on the release of the Megatron figure)

I’ve lived in Florida my whole entire life… and I’ve never been to Disney World. Ever.

The next Disney ride to be turned into a movie is ‘The Jungle Cruise’. I read that a few months ago somewhere. It could be good..like PotC or really bad like Country Bears.

And the best ride in the entirety of WDW when you need a nap is…Universe of Energy. Two fifths of my family were completely out on it. Snoring.

Has anyone seen the Muppet show tribute to ‘It’s A Small World’ on youtube? The funniest thing I’ve ever seen.

I’m wracking my brain here, but wasn’t there originally a Figment movie for when Epcot openened? That was later replaced by captain EO (that horrible Michael Jackson thing that has also since been replaced)…

The MTV Movie Awards were so horrible this year, I couldn’t even finish watching it, instead putting in my Mick Foley DVD. Sarah Silverman is one of the worst comedians I’ve ever seen. Also, the spoofs sucked (although the United 300 one wasn’t bad) due to having regular people doing it for a contest. Let’s be perfectly honest here, as the multitude of crappy Youtube videos/American Idol auditions prove, most people are not really funny or creative, even if they think they are. It takes talent to do entertainment, which most people can’t do.

So much to say:
First: The Disneyland version of POTC is much longer. 3 main differences are: The Disney World version does NOT have any of the bayou thing going on, there are way more skeletons in the Disneyland version, and the Disneyland version has the boats going UP at the end (unlike the WDW version which just ends.)

The politically-correct changes to POTC came about circa 1995. Matt mentioned the broom chase. The other big change was there used to be a wench inside the barrel and the pirate had her lingerie. Then it was changed to food (exchanging gluttony for lust) and now Capt. Jack peeping out.

I didn’t know about the Mexican ride but I am not surprised. It has been there since EPCOT opened and it was pretty dated. Still a bummer though. :(.

I haven’t been to WDW or EPCOT since 2000 (which is a personal record since I used to go ALL THE TIME. Family trips, school trips, GRAD-NIGHT, etc.).

Cameron T., not sure if there was a Figment movie but there was something there before Captain EO’s debut.

Bill, I can’t believe Monster Plantation is still open. I haven’t been to 6 Flags since 1994 :(. Too bad there aren’t any pics of the “scary part”.

I’m still in shock that Sarah Silverman made #29 on the Maxim Top 100. I find her about at sexy as a hairy armpit.

The show before Captain EO in EPCOT was called “Magic Journeys” and it lasted from 1982-1896, when it was replaced by Captain EO. Magic Journeys moved to the Magic Kingdom to the Fantasyland Theater at that time (the space is now occupied by Philharmagic if I remember right)

Yeah yeah, check’s in the mail, Norbert, I remember that (the clown on stilts, the scary witch, etc.) but I was thinking of that rainbow tunnel thing where a guy dressed up as Dream Finder was. What was that? Was there something else Figmenty??

I have a 1982 BIG book from when EPCOT first opened, but it’s at my parents house in Jax. :(. They got it when they went to EPCOT when it first opened (me and the bro weren’t invited). I have a real craptacular 80’s style coffee mug from their trip in my possession though.

some people are into that sort of thing. I mean I can take it or leave it, and I don’t care for Sarah either, but you get the idea

Manimal: I am still banned from 6 Flags from ‘93 for tossing a dozen moon pies from the Looping Starship. I called the security office and I am still on the data base. The only real memory from that is catching a fleeting glimps of a girl picking moonpie marshmallow out of her hair. Good times.:)

That reminds me of this time when I went swimming at my then boyfriend/now husband’s friend’s house. Nobody else was there and he had told me of all the times he and his friend had found his friend’s parents’ hippie sex books and cracked up at the hairy armpit section, so we totally snuck up to their bedroom and found that they still had that same book. It was from the 70s at least. Good times!

Let’s be perfectly honest here, as the multitude of crappy Youtube videos/American Idol auditions prove, most people are not really funny or creative, even if they think they are.

Hear! hear! Owning a video camera does not make you a film maker, posting video of yourself acting stupid does not make you a comedian, and just because you have the ability to record every thought you have and upload it DEFINITELY doesn’t mean you should. That’s a personal gripe of mine. Thanks for letting me share your soapbox.

The girls will probably know what I’m talking about here. You know that girl in school who would say and do stuff just to get a reaction, and you’d get so mad when the guys would fall for it and act the way she wanted? That’s who Sarah Silverman is to me. I live in a Navy area. If a filthy mouth makes you sexy, then I have lots of candidates for next year’s Maxim 100.

By the way, I want to share my own exciting Target find. I found two shelves of jelly shoes for $2.50 a pair in the bargain area. They only had pink and clear (and I really hate pink), so I got a clear pair and every time I put them on I get instantly happy. My feet have been missing that feel since 1987. I knew if anyone would appreciate it, it would be you guys!

I know this is a double post and I am not sorry. Mystie I am with you about Silverman. She lost that lovin’ feeling on her 300th vagina joke. One vagina joke is funny, anymore than that there is little left to be desired. She is pretty, however.

Similar incident happened to me at BUSCH GARDENS (Tampa). Riding the sky buckets, decided to yell at the dolphin show. “Hey Flipper,” etc. NOTHING BAD I PROMISE!! We get off the sky bucket and the guy gives us the “Hey, we got word that you were cursing at that dolphin show.” Now, it was pretty stupid for us to yell anything but no profanities were uttered. We did the best any 14 year olds could do: Tell the truth knowing they had nothing on us. We got away with whatever we were guilty of. Lesson learned: Dolphins and theme park security personnel have super hearing.

They wouldn’t. That’s what is so funny to me. Maybe some really astute security guard with a Polaroid of me when I was 13…yeah, that is absurd. I can’t believe they have a database from 1993!

Disney is evil. I would rather have my children play Grand Theft Auto and hit nuns across the kneecaps with bamboo sticks than subject them to the vile brainwashing darkness of Adolf Walt’s SS machine!

Mary Mary I had the SAME THING happen on It’s a Small World… I really thought I was gonna kill myself… or someone near me… >_

RE: Spiderman 3. I’m late to the party but I feel I need to correct my wrongs. I’ll never prejudge a film ever again (this week). I liked the things I thought would be stupid and the things I thought would be great were even better. I do complain that special effects for the most part lacked polish and one of the important fight scenes felt kind of silly.

Disney has some really shit movies, I will admit that Josh. But, they have some really great ones as well. I’m not really sure how I feel about them being thrown under the bus wholesale.

Told ya, Doho! I don’t own 1 or 2, but I am so buying 3. I hate harping on things (yeah right!!!) but I highly recommend the game (on any system) for Spidy’s great dorky/genius humor. Tobey recorded TONS of lines for it and they’re all great to perfect.

Bill- how does one get a dozen moonpies on a ride? And what would make you think of that?

Yeah Lori, I hear you. “That girl” is in every school. And I see the Sarah Silverman connection. She is funny the first time you see her, then it’s like hey lady your jokes are all the same.

K-, best part of the Spider-man game? Carrying Mary Jane home; it sounds so dirty. “Stop Peter, I’m gonna be sick. Peter not so fast.”

And holy frickin’ crap, the Monster Plantation! I got kicked off that ride once for splashing water, but I wasn’t added to any database.

What’s funny as crap (and why I’m so scared of Bill :)) is that we (two cousins and I) were just talking about the Plantation a few days ago; singing the song and everything! And the greatest line ever? “Don’t go in the marsh! Awe, silly humans….”

We might be visiting Six Flags in July; my first time since 2000; I got burnt out on it due to being so close as a kid. But it should be fun…and in the end of June I may get to go back to Cleveland and to the almighty Cedar Point! Can’t wait to ride the Millenium again if we do get to go….

And kb, knowing Bill’s sense of humor, he probably thought it would be funny for the moon pies to rain down from the gaint, upside down space shuttle that is the Looping Starship….just a guess…..

I highly recommend the game Eh, I’ve got to finish up some games I have first (100% twilight princess among other things) before I’m allowing myself to by anymore and I have no interest in doing those for a while.

Double posting.
Oh, and when I saw the movie I saw a preview to this Across the Universe movie. I think the few minutes of the trailer may have entirely ruined my ability to listen to the Beatles (and I have EVERYTHING from them including CDs and original LP format.)

Ahhh…Figment. Yet another happy childhood Disney memory. Picture it: Orlando, 1988. A young girl boards Journey Into Imagination in the GE Pavillion. She leaves changed, madly in love with a purple dragon. She makes her mom buy his likeness in the gift shop and sleeps with it every night for 3 years. One day, she comes home to find him missing, gone off to the (Salvation)Army. Her heart is broken, but, not for long. She soon fills the hole in her heart with an even larger Tigger plushie.

I was really just mentioning it for the humor that time, Doho. If you’re okay with not having 100% completion, just rent it. I beat it in 11 hours.

It’s not perfect by any means, note that I said a “solid” game, not a perfect game. At least on the Wii, it is fairly repetitive and the story is abysmal. I came to appreciate the combat system, but that doesn’t absolve Nintendo from overcoming the “shake a stick at it” combat mentality.

Webslinging through the city is tight and responsive (I actually got it to shoot backwards when I sped past intersections too quickly) and the humor is spot on, I thought. Taking points for story and one-dimensional gameplay, I’d give it a 7 overall, but 8 for enjoyment (Bruce Campbell owns and oddly enough, so does Tobey).

Last winter break they had a free day at Disney World for the taping of the Christmas parade. I literally rode the People Mover half the time I was there and didn’t feel bad about it.

I sent a message to the person pointing out that his description of a 1969 Fun Fruits ad was wrong, since they came out in 1987.

“Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I have ended the listing. wishin79jjy”

Jessica Marie: My absolute favorite webcomic is still “Scary Go Round.” It’s an absurdist story-driven comic written and drawn by a mad Englishman. Start from the beginning and see if it’s your cup of tea.
“Sluggy Freelance” is really good if you’re willing to put in the time and effort to get into it. The first couple of years are pretty rough, but it really starts to pay off and then just continues to get better.
Likewise “Roomies!” which was pretty craptacular but eventually segued into the amazing sci-fi/superhero epic “It’s Walky!” It’s interesting compared to most webcomics in that it actually came to a conclusion a couple of years ago, although some of the characters moved on to the creator’s new (and inferior) strip Shortpacked!

If you’re looking to get into a storyline with less effort on your part, Erfworld: The Battle For Godwin Knob started just before Christmas. It leans heavily on RPG and wargaming conventions, especially in the early strips, but it’s shaping up into quite a respectable interdimensional adventure, with much better art than most comics. While you’re on that page, check out “The Order of the Stick” if you’ve any experience with or interest in Dungeons and Dragons at all. The storyline is good anyway, but in my experience most people find it impossible to slog through if they don’t find jokes about outdated rulesets funny.

I’ve got over fifty comics that I read every week, so if none of these float your boat let me know and I’ll cast the net a bit further afield. Now, to the Approval Bin(TM)!

Lori - I stocked up on 3 pairs of jellies at Urban Outfitters this year and they’re awesome! The feeling is really one of unprecedented nostalgia.

The high school girls I didn’t understand were the ones that were popular but not pretty. I’m still totally baffled by that one.

Ok, here’s the story. I went to Six Flags Fright Fest with a few high school buddies of mine back in October 1993. Before we left, we were able to talk one of the mothers out of a case of Halloween orange Moon Pies because we were certain that if she gave those things out for Trick or Treaters she would be TP’d. So we wore large windbreakers and stuffed all the individual wrapped moon pies in the front kangaroo type pouches.
I guess it only makes sense to a 13 year old boy but the plan was to release the pouches full of moon pies on the “Free Fall” ride but the “Looping Starship” seemed more practical because it stays inverted for what seemed to be a full 30 seconds. So we strapped into the giant space shuttle that swings back and forth before it loops (hence the Looping Starship) and got ready to release the payload. Once we were fully inverted I noticed what makes the starship maintain it’s momentum. It was 6 tires on the ground and when we released all the moon pies they came to rest on the tires and you know what happened. When we came down the ship ran over the tires with the moon pies on them and you could hear a dozen moon pies in wrappers explode and blow orange marshmallow and cookie pieces all over the line to the Looping Starship. When we were upside down I was the only one not howling with delight and accomplishment because I saw, literally, people lying on the ground and running from the line.
This is getting too long. Anyway we were yanked out of the park, pictures taken, and interviewed separately before having our parents called. So KB, I don’t know. Boys are dumb. Be aware!

From my experience (being a kid and working with them) it seemed to me those “unpretty popular girls” were the girls that were allowed to be part of the ‘in’ group because they need someone to look down on, and that will take their “I’m so cool and better than you” crap because they too want to be excepted and they feel they have to conform and take it to be part of anything. True, but sad, reality most of the time.

I just want to comment that Matt’s 72000 “special report” series on Disney gave me an urge for the first time in my life to visit the place….
I was reminded of it when you referenced it this time around.
Maybe this summer, who knows.

Man, I was around this week and last week for the SNT but for some reason I was too lazy to post.

2.I’ve been to WDW once, 3 years ago on my honeymoon. I NEED to go back, I missed out on so many rides b/c my husband would only go on the ones he liked and wouldn’t try anything new.

3.I thought you all may enjoy todays update on Count Your Sheep, click my name if you dare!

God, every year my thoughts of saving up and going somewhere IMPORTANT like you know, Athens or Rome are dashed by this site and Matt’s (and everyone else’s) reports on Disney! I have been to Disney once…for ONE day…at ONE part of the park…it only gave me a taste…

Webcomics I read:
Starslip Crisis
Wapsi Square
Amazing Super Zeros
PvP
Nodwick/Full Frontal Nerdity
Dork Tower
I also used to read the late, lamented Mall Monkeys. I learned so much from it, like “Dressing Goth will not protect you from Dracula.”

One of the H.S. Archetypes I couldn’t understand is the same type Judy Gold had a bit about: the girl who sang through her nose that most of the school thought was sooo talented. Also, at one school, we had one teacher who made sure her kids came to school every day, even if they were sick. They always got Perfect Attendence, but probably was the cause of other kids missing days. blourgh, I gotta do something to get the taste of High School out of my brain.

Yes! The ‘talented types’ were a definite mystery. Could anyone be so ridiculous as to think the best singer/actor/musician came from their little rinky-dink school?
And thanks for answering about the webcomics. I’m feeling lonesome without them.

There were little animation shorts on the original (and best) Imagination ride. But I don’t remember anything feature length. I haven’t seen anything surface anywhere like it.

The Mexico ride got a refurb but nothing major. Just Donald Duck and the other two Caballeros integrated in. Saw video of it. Its not bad. It might be a nice update actually.

Muppetbaby- Just think at Epcot you can see Mexico, Japan, China, Italy, Morocco, France, etc. all in one day

Jessica Marie, I won’t list everything I read, but if you want some other good webcomics check out Least I Could Do (very funny and my absolute favorite) and XKCD (also very funny, but more geek-type humor).

Cameron, You will be happy to know that “Honey I Shrunk the Kids” replaced Captain EO in 1993. So you never have to see it. sheesh.

There’s a new Mr. Potatoe head called “Optimash Prime” Kinda kooky, but funny as well.
So KB, I don’t know. Boys are dumb. Be aware!
….admitting this up front makes whoever you end up with a lucky, lucky lady.

citygirl
Well honestly, I never saw the Captain EO thing, so I don’t know if it was bad or not. Just seemed kind of out of place, I guess.

Jessica Marie
Only comic I read reguarly anymore (aside from reruns of Calvin & Hobbes) is Penny Arcade. I love it. I also read Joy of Tech from time to time.

Reading this inspired me to take a look at Six Flags over Georgia’s wikipedia entry . . . I so disappointed they closed the Looping Starship and The Great Gasp before I could visit again! Also the Viper, but I kind of hated that one.

Cameron - I stopped reading Penny Arcade a few months ago because I just really don’t care about video games. My husband was horrified. “Where’s the woman I married?” etc etc. But thanks though!
snowfire - Thank you so much for the suggestions. I need to set aside some time to look up some good ones, but I thought getting people’s opinions was better than putting ‘webcomic’ into a search engine.

And they closed the Starship? I hated that ride! The Gasp was okay, but I hear the ride that took it’s place is terrifying and that I would hate every minute of it…again, here’s hoping I get to go again soon….

And wait: You girls can call boys dumb but we can’t compare some girls to bears as a playful analogy? Just no justice

Well, that does it. My Mom called tonight and told me the neighborhood I grew up in through elementary, middle and high school has been leveled and turned into a business park and now the Looping Star Ship is no more? I wish I grew up in a state that did not quadruple it’s size in a decade and erase all of one’s childhood in the process. poop on Georgia.
Shuanfu: It’s an uphill battle my friend. There is no justice. Just keep running in zigzags.

Oh, and webcomics, huh? I read House of a Thousand Seekerlets. That’s what I read, and you should to, because it’s done by our very own Moony.

Went to DisneyLand in April,I spent about 50 bucks on those pressed penny machines,just wondering if anyone else collects them?
Also about Sarah Silverman,I used to hate her ,but after watching her show on comedy central she kind of grew on me.

Don’t know if this counts as a webcomic per se, but Newsarama.com puts up pages from the comics Powers, Grounded, Atomica, Kabuki, and Starship Troopers on their website.

I hate DisneyWorld. Though I will say, you don’t really appreciate Epcot until you’re over 21 and can go Drinking Around the World.

As for vacations, I went on my cruise in February from my birthday, which was pretty rockin’ as it was a gift and all but free. There is nothing better than hitting the pool deck in 80 degree weather when you know back home is getting hit with a snow and ice storm.

I was up in Canada over Memorial, went to TO to see the Hockey Hall of Fame and hit the Roots store and Yunge street. Good times. No more vacation for me though. I need to get my pool open in the yard.

Not sure how long after you post these blogs you stop reading the comments, but I’ll ask anyway. Did you still go on the Norwegian cruise ship? Even though it went to Nassau, I’m not sure if cruise ship names necessarily have to coincide with their destination.

If so, did they have the giant screen connected to the Wii? Did you partake in any Wii tournaments?

Hope you’re having a pleasant June 5th. I’ve been out of work for a week due to probably the same thing Matt had a couple weeks back. I’m still feeling a little crapped out today, but I have enough meds to keep me happy.

Well congrats on the corgi JLA. If you’re the one I read about losing a dog recently, then I’m sorry to hear, but congrats on the new addition!

LOL at everyone’s descriptions of Sarah Silverman…so on the money. “I said AIDS! Aren’t I cute?!? Vagina!”
Sinfest is the best webcomic out there, hands down. The Perry Bible Fellowship is awesome as well.
Pirates and Jungle Cruise are totally the greatest rides at Disneyland. Disneyworld is giving Pirates a bad rap!

Hi! This is kind of random. I figured you guys would have some good ideas though. I LOVE Halloween. I would like to start collecting one certain item that has to do with Halloween. Does anyone have any ideas on what it could be? I would like the item to relate to one another (i.e. Witch figurines, etc.). Does anyone have any unique ideas? Thanks for your help.

jen@jenniferball.com

And I didn’t even have to look it up.
Yeah, that movie came out when I was graduating high school and I couldn’t imagine my 10 year high school reunion. Here I am 10 years later…That movie means a lot more now.

For collecting Hallowe’en items, go with something you have a connection to. Something that, to you, meant the season has arrived. To me, it usually means Jack O’Lanterns and skeletons, the things that aren’t usually about in force until Autumn. Of course, I would like to have All Hallows all year, but I need to obtain a truck-load of cash to do it right, but that’s just me. At least, I should have tried to have “Hallowe’en in May” at the end of last month, since some like to have “Christmas in July” sales and all.

Correct right down to the spelling, Manimal. I’ve been out of high school for 7 years (FUCKING HELL THAT’S THE FIRST TIME I’VE SAID IT ‘ALOUD’. Am I officially old now?) but it’s more about their relationship than the reunion to me.

Oh to recieve that kind of forgiveness *sigh*. Why am I drinking another Shrek shake?

I’m wearing Optimus Prime’s head. Right now. As I’m typing this. I just thought I’d mention. It feels like pure awesome.

dohopoki,
I knew I wasn’t the only person who felt that way about Across the Universe. Anytime anyone tries to cover Beatle songs, it’s a serious gamble at best. Consider the movie “Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”; Peter Frampton’s career never quite recovered from that.

If you’re a Beatles aficionado, you have to watch the film “The Rutles in: All You Need Is Cash”. It was a TV movie done for SNL back in the 70’s and it starred Eric Idle from Monty Python. It is a very funny spoof of the Beatles’ story and the songs are fantastic. The movie is available on DVD and the soundtrack on CD and both are on Amazon.com.

The Rutles’ second album, “Archaeology” is available on iTunes, but their “first” album (the movie soundtrack) is only avilable on CD.

I thought the trailer for Across the Universe looked really cool. In the tradition of Being John Malkovich, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, I Heart Huckabees, Science of Sleep, etc.

I don’t understand why people get so up in arms about people covering Beatles songs. It’s just like any other case of songs being covered: either they suck, they rock, or the artist makes a particular song “their own.” Just because they’re the Beatles doesn’t mean that covers automatically suck.

They may very well, but I will at least listen with an open mind before passing judgement.

Shuanfu There is a Documentary called All Aboard that is about the R Family cruises that you can rent sometime if your curious. I heard Netflix has it, I have tried to find a pirated copy online but gay soccer moms don’t file share as much as I would like :( Just thought I’d let you know. She has broadway plays on the ship, and several celebrities depends on which trip it is, like a few times Kathy Griffin (love her!) Cindi Lauper, Erasure this current one they are advertising, Susan Powter has a yoga class (stop the insanity people! she had a short lived am talk radio call in show for a while, she’s a weird lady) among others I don’t remember at this time. No offense but Matt’s cruise didn’t have Cindi Lauper…

Mystie I would triple love to see you in your Optimus Prime hat. I think that would be a great picture on your homepage on your blog. Maybe your hat while you are sipping on a margarita? Ha! The more I read what you write the more I love you Mystie if you ever get tired of men and want to switch email me k? :) Hey it’s a long shot but I can still try.

Oh, and incidentally, happy 63rd Anniversary of the Normandy Invasion. If you know any World War 2 veterans, make sure you say thank you to them today.

I would easily call The Beatles the most overrated rock act since… well… rock acts come into existence.

The Beatles are fortunate enough to the greatest kind of legacy. And that legacy is of the variety that precedes the actual listening of their music, thus, Sgt. Pepper is drilled into your head by Rolling Stone (quite possibly the worst music magazine to ever exist) that it is the “greatest of all time!”. Which leads into you, inevitably, hearing what they tell you to hear.

The Beatles and Steven Speilberg have one thing in common. They can polish a turd and people love it. Read into that what you will.

Seventh- I used to feel the same way about the Beatles- ‘they’re overrated, blah blah blah’…then I actually you know, LISTENED to their stuff, and I was hooked. Even though their shit is OLD now, it is still so experimental and different than most mainstream stuff out there. They truly were influential artists.

And Sgt. Pepper is a great album because its an ALBUM- it should be listened to in its entirety, and not as individual songs.

One thing the MP3 generation is missing out on is the art of the ALBUM- now it is all about singles, and individual songs- kids today can’t tell you what ALBUM a song is off of…sigh. It makes me upset.

Ok- done. I guess I am sensitive to this topic…and I frigging love the Beatles!

The only place I’ve found Pepsi Summer Mix is K-Mart but I’m drinking the hell out of it.

Funny, I love the Beatles and I’ve never read Rolling Stone…nor did I ever have anyone tell me anything about them before I heard them.

Yeah, I discovered the Beatles when a friend shared a CD while on tour years ago; I can see your point -many say they are great, and after awhile you start to wonder what you don’t like about it- but that wasn’t the case with me. In fact, there are many a band that everyone I know loves and I can’t really stand the sound of it, like most music on the radio now. But it’s just my opinion, as it was yours.

But you don’t wanna get me started on your opinion of Spielberg….{gets into defensive stance!}

And Sgt. Pepper is a great album because its an ALBUM- it should be listened to in its entirety, and not as individual songs.

One thing the MP3 generation is missing out on is the art of the ALBUM- now it is all about singles, and individual songs- kids today can’t tell you what ALBUM a song is off of, sigh. It makes me upset.

QUOTED FOR THE MOTHERFUCKING TRUTH. If you like albums, you have to listen to the Ataris, Green Day, and of course My Chemical Romance. All of them are simply the most consistant artists at it today.

I just got back from seeing “Knocked Up.” While no where near as funny as “40 Year Old Virgin” it is a nice followup and has some good laughs. I recommend it.

As for the Beatles, I listened to that “1″ CD they put out a few years back and wasn’t really impressed. I think what was said in “Pulp Fiction” is true. You can like both the Beatles and Elvis, but in the end you have to pick which you like best. I pick Elvis.

Kingklash: You have moved up three spaces on the cool list. I am a sucker for Emerson Lake and Palmer fans. I got lucky for the first time in a Catholic church parking lot, Saturday night, with ELP on cassette switching from side A to B three times cranked in a ‘91 Ford Explorer. Maybe that’s why I feel cursed in life….

Is it bad that, even though I need the excercise, I would rather just go to dinner first and skip playing tennis today in the 90 degree heat?

I was listening to the Beatles before I could read, I’ve never read Rolling Stone in my life and my favorite album of theirs is Beatles for Sale, which no one likes.