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06/15/2007: Another new article! And snowcones!

Would you believe me if I told you I published two new articles in less than a week? Miracles happen. Here’s a look at five random ’80s toys, which is an article I started seventeen years ago, got bored of and left to die. In the spirit of making X-E seem less like a marked grave and more like the party capital of Reno, I’ve dusted it off.

I would’ve put a little more into the ending, but I found myself distracted as the silver bells of a Lickedy Split ice cream truck blared through the open windows this afternoon. While such trucks usually have nothing but soft swirl cones, I had a hunch that this was going to be a special day. Hello, snowcone.


The snowcone is nature’s perfect food. Ice, colored and flavored by liquid sugar. Visions of fireflies, of wiffle ball and of smashing fireflies into the pavement with a wiffle ball bat, because those were some cool ass looking bug guts.

Nothing can compare to the official ice cream truck snowcone, which arrives in a conical paper wrapper with the ice divided into three colorful flavors. On a good day, you’ll get red, yellow and blue. On a better day, these three flavors will join hands to create a holy purple ice just beneath the outer surface — a holy purple ice that pretty much tastes like whatever fruit you tell it to taste like.

Me and the snowcone are heading downstairs to my walk-in freezer. He thinks I’m trying to help him not melt, but I just want to eat him without getting juice on my pants.


Posted by Matt. E-mail me!

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Discussion Thread: 95 comments

Actually,Invader Norbert, I don’t think Snorlax ever was the biggest Pokémon… I believe that honour went to Onix during the first generation. Then, when GSC came around, it was Steelix and now Wailord…

Oops…when I said “Biggest,” I meant “Heaviest.” I was fully aware that Onix was the Biggest in size at the time, but Snorlax was the heaviest, and the only one that came remotely close was Golem.

Now the Top 5 heaviest in terms of weight are:

Snorlax (1041.1 lbs)
Metagross (1212.5 lbs)
Dialga (1505.7 lbs)
Giratina (1653.5 lbs)
and Groudon (2094.4 lbs)

Golem (662 lbs) doesn’t even come close anymore, beaten by 10 more pokemon between it and Snorlax. and Wailord only weighs 877.4 lbs, but is still the longest at 47 feet, followed by Steelix, and then Onix.

Ghosted by Invader Norbert @ 06/16/2007 2:18 PM EDT


Ooh, I have a copy of Be Somebody or Be Somebody’s Fool! A double threat.

Ghosted by Jessica Marie @ 06/16/2007 2:25 PM EDT


A walk-in freezer? Jesus Christ, in Manhattan?

Ghosted by Tommy Day @ 06/16/2007 2:37 PM EDT


I don’t have a walk-in freezer. Artistic license. I’m also seven feet tall.

Ghosted by Matt @ 06/16/2007 2:39 PM EDT


I said to myself JUST last week, “WTF has Matt been doing…the front page still says Christmas! Christmas in July!!….june…summer months. Whatever.”

The “Sno-Cone Man” lives just a block down from me. He has a rickety white van with a window that doesn’t close and he has a cooler full of shaved ice and a ton of jars full of kool-aid with 3x the legal dose of sugar in a rack in the back of the truck. Come to think of it, I’m not sure how they stay in place when he drives. Meh. But they’re $1 each which is super rad and he even has a gumball machine bolted down next to the window! So that if you’re 20 years old, you’re tall enough to insert a quarter and get your own gumball, while the rest of the 6 year olds you fought for the front of the line have to ask for one.

No sno-cone man is getting his dirty hands on MY gumball.

Also, LOL at Meteorbs.

Ghosted by Brian @ 06/16/2007 2:47 PM EDT


The Colonel’s computer is fried, if anyone was curious. He’ll be back as soon as he fixes it…somehow.

Ghosted by K- knows you were dying to know @ 06/16/2007 3:20 PM EDT


I have a copy of the Computer Warriors program. Bought the tape at a second-hand store. Not only does it have the piolot, but a behind the scenes program. Carl Macek is the man behind this Tron/AutoMan cartoon adventure. But what I really learned is that little white boys and the actors playing their dads shouldn’t try to rap. If you have the tape, you know what I mean.

Ghosted by kingklash @ 06/16/2007 4:55 PM EDT


Yay for two new articles! Always happy to see that, thank you. (The last time I bookmarked X-E, I made sure to do it on the day it said “X-Entertainment updated twice this week, you know,” so even when there aren’t any updates, I’m still happy.)

I know that some of my toys became “pets,” but I’m having trouble remembering which ones right now. That description totally hits the nail on the head, though.

Ghosted by Rainbowfeet @ 06/16/2007 8:45 PM EDT


Holy shit! I thought I was the odd man out for the Snow Cone! Every kid would get a Ninja Turtle ice cream or the infamous Buffalo Bill ice cream, with the teeth shattering gum ball nose!
And yes, the lovely purple, damn near black, liquid of all the colors combined was my favorite part of the snow cone eating experience.
My crowning achievement was eating a Ninja Turtle pudding pie from the time it took my mom to drive me to the local Welsh Farms (drive-thru convenience store) then to my bus stop, which was literally two blocks away.
Good green times.

Ghosted by Josh @ 06/16/2007 9:14 PM EDT


What a great article! I always love Matt’s toy articles but this one went above and beyond. As a huge transformers fan, even as a youngun, I always dug the comett/egg animals.
And then there’s Computer Warriors. I’m so glad other people remember this toy line. An American counterpart to Japan’s Microman Microchange line. I just wish I had the toys. Even the tape, no matter how much it sucks.

Ghosted by Xabungle @ 06/16/2007 10:46 PM EDT


I just want everyone to know it is raining hard here in san antonio, tx. I don’t want any one to worry I am taking precautions. I am safe thank you for asking. But most importantly my NINTENDO WII is safe.

Ghosted by Mufu @ 06/16/2007 11:33 PM EDT


We need an SNT. I have something important to say.

Ghosted by dohopoki @ 06/16/2007 11:46 PM EDT


Kinda fitting that there’s an article on 80s toys, since I had a lot of stuff happening involving 80s toys today. I sold Transformers, bought M.U.S.C.L.E s of both the flesh-colored and re-colored variety,and read collections of comic strips from the 80s. Ah, the 80s.

Ghosted by DocDragon @ 06/16/2007 11:47 PM EDT


I’m pretty sure this thread is doubling as SNT.

Ghosted by Mystie @ 06/17/2007 12:01 AM EDT


We’ll see about that!

Ghosted by dohopoki @ 06/17/2007 12:04 AM EDT


Gotcha, Matt.

Anyone know how to get rid of bats? My finace’s farmhouse is swarming with them lately, and we’re pretty sure we’re all going to get rabies and die.

Ghosted by Tommy Day @ 06/17/2007 12:10 AM EDT


here is some bat information that may be relevant to current conversation.

Ghosted by dohopoki @ 06/17/2007 12:15 AM EDT


doho I am curious now, what do you have to say?
I moved today. Just above a cafe. FREE WIFI!!!!! I am so happy. I also got a job today. Today is a great day.

Ghosted by kb @ 06/17/2007 12:18 AM EDT


I was going to say “Wait thirty minutes. For food + drink.”

Ghosted by dohopoki @ 06/17/2007 12:23 AM EDT


RE: Bats. Use bug spray. I mean, they’re giant bugs, right?

I miss Calvin & Hobbes

Ghosted by Cameron T. @ 06/17/2007 12:29 AM EDT


Don’t kill ‘em… I love bats. :(

Ghosted by Ryane @ 06/17/2007 2:00 AM EDT


Of all the nights I cannot sleep this is the worst. and xe’s kinda dead too. ugh.

Ghosted by kb @ 06/17/2007 2:14 AM EDT


Our friendly neighborhood ice cream trucks are progressively weirder in the place we moved to. The regular truck features, in addition to the cute tinkly music, a voice over loudspeaker that shouts HELLO! repeatedly.

The other ice cream truck…is an ice cream minivan really. Seriously. This minivan with the ice cream pictures plastered all over it. It also shouts Hello and has recently come back with music but for a while there, all it did was beep like a car alarm repeatedly.

Interesting times as I sit in here playing with my Victor Von Doom action figure. …Anyone else see Fantastic Four yet? I wasn’t a fan of the comics so nothing in my past has been needlessly raped either time and I vaguely liked Silver Surfer better than the first one.

Vaguely liked in the way I vaguely liked Snakes on a Plane! but you know..

Ghosted by Skywalking @ 06/17/2007 2:42 AM EDT


I haven’t heard the ice cream man come by at all this season. Especially weird since last summer we had two competing ice cream trucks — Mr. Softee and Angel’s. I also haven’t seen any lightening bugs yet. It’s about time for lightening bugs, right?

As far as bats, I recommend chasing them around in a zany and hilarious frenzy ala The Great Outdoors.

Ghosted by Mystie @ 06/17/2007 3:18 AM EDT


holy shit you did a review on the computer warriors. i totally had the computer base playset. thats fucking sweet. my mom must have gotten them at a garage sale or something cuz i was like two in 89. unbelievable though i had completly forgotten how awesome those things were.

Ghosted by evan @ 06/17/2007 3:57 AM EDT


You think you got the crap Reactor? I had the “Generator” (bottom right on the back of the box). All it did was “charge” the glowing rods. No motor. No movement. It had wheels, but they were molded into the base of the thing, and didn’t rotate. I recall blu-tacking the stupid power rods to my ceiling as part of my glow-in-the-dark galaxy of tiny adhesive stars. I think it became the Stop Buying Me Shitty Christmas Presents nebula.

Ghosted by Russ @ 06/17/2007 5:13 AM EDT


Interesting that I should read the cruise article while on a cruise myself.

I wish I had a snow cone

Ghosted by Gillman @ 06/17/2007 5:53 AM EDT


Okay, I’m taking the doubling as an SNT thing and running with it…liberally.

I SAW JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS TONIGHT!!! This makes me extremely happy. I spent many an hour debating with my baby-sitter about who was cooler, Joan Jett or Pat Benatar. I always voted for Joan. She rocked sooo hard. (and still does!)

There’s a good chance I won’t be around here for like 2 months after tomorrow. Not that it matters really, except for I know I’ll be missing and craving my X-E fix. See ya’ll then. I’m off to watch The Pirate Movie.

Ghosted by MissJess @ 06/17/2007 7:16 AM EDT


Everything you wanted to know about Disney World TV’s Stacey, but were afraid to ask:

http://www.sptimes.com/2007/06/15/Travel/The_wonderful_world_o.shtml

She’s 38?!

Ghosted by Luap @ 06/17/2007 12:24 PM EDT


I never heard of any of those toys, but that Pepsi toy reminded me of the dancing Pepsi Can that was huge (among other dancing things like flowers) that was popular in the early 90s. You could usually find them at places like Spencers Gifts.

I never really cared for Snow Cones. I’d rather just drink the syrup they used for those things. That was what made it good.

Ghosted by JLAJRC @ 06/17/2007 2:00 PM EDT


The best snowcone I ever had was one called a Salty Frog: real lime juice with a dash of salt. Sounds disgusting, I know, but I loved it. Then again, I’m one of those weirdos who used to eat that lemon-lime beer salt stuff as a kid, so…

Ghosted by Annette @ 06/17/2007 4:43 PM EDT


Luap, what’s even funnier is that her name is Stacey Aswad. When I saw that, I couldn’t stop laughing like Beavis and Butthead.

Ghosted by spaz307 @ 06/17/2007 6:43 PM EDT


I’m new to this here commenting thing, but i’ve been reading this site for ages. Excellent job in talking about the transforming Pepsi Can. I had one, and often times in the last few years i have found myself wondering if i simply imagined it.

good work!

Ghosted by guidedbyvenkman @ 06/17/2007 10:22 PM EDT


Computer Warriors! Good lord!

I actually, to this day, own some promotional half-hour long cartoon for the series. My sister and I got it and the soccer ball playset from a garage sale, and were never really sure what was going on with it until years and years later when I found some pictures of the toyline on the Internet.

Thanks for the CW mention, Matt. Makes me wistful.

Ghosted by Timmy @ 06/18/2007 3:31 AM EDT


I just found the Computer Warriors pilot on YouTube. I haven’t watched it all yet, but I love how solemnly it begins, like it was going to be a deadly serious sci-fi adventure like something by James Cameron.

Ghosted by Alex @ 06/18/2007 5:43 AM EDT


I totally remember Computer Warriors — I was given the original promo tape once when I had an ear infection in Kindergarten or first grade. My parents must have picked it up on the cheap at the drug store. I remember that Pepsi can one as being the coolest thing on there, but all I ever had was the tape.

Ghosted by adb @ 06/18/2007 9:38 AM EDT


I KNEW I remembered a Coke robot to combat Computer Warriors Pepsi can flyer!
And here is an article on Pepsi Prime (modern) and the Coca-Cola can transformer.
http://captainb.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!E71F1E8A7500AD6C!1666.entry

Ghosted by Anonymous @ 06/18/2007 6:30 PM EDT


Congratulations, Matt, on a Grade A new article. Love it.

Ghosted by Der Super @ 06/18/2007 9:11 PM EDT


Anyone else watch the Robot Chicken Star Wars special on Sunday? (it would be hard to miss it considering they repeated it like 4 or 5 times last night) I thought overall it was good even though they threw some old skits in the mix most likely to fill in some time. The skit that made me laugh the hardest was the Admiral Ackbar Cereal just because of how he exclaimed “ITS A TRAP!” and bitch slapped the kids’ oatmeal off the table…i dunno i’m just weird like that.

Ghosted by phunqsauce @ 06/18/2007 9:35 PM EDT


Matt, Awesome article, one of the best ever.

The Robot Chicken Star Wars special was great. I loved the Panda Barba skit, “I like your hair”. And the emperor taking Darth Vader’s phone call after the Death Star blew up made me roll. I loved every minute of it.

“What!?! They blew up the Death Star? Who’s “THEY”?”

Ghosted by Fox @ 06/19/2007 12:54 PM EDT


my brother had that computer warriors computer-base playset thing. it was awesome, though a little flimsy. we had to be careful while playing with it, cause it was easy to break while folding it out. also, i really liked the figures the sets came with, the dudes who had normal space-man fronts, had computer part on their backs, like they were walking computer chips.

Ghosted by mpkalypso @ 06/20/2007 3:09 AM EDT


I didn’t know any of those toys, mostly being I was only 7 by the end of the 80’s. But then I got to the Computer Warriors. I just sat there like wholy crap, I so had those, all of it, with the big computer screen and what not. Nice to have a line of toy from the 80’s that sold out to Pepsi lol.

Ghosted by Bigfoot551 @ 06/20/2007 9:21 AM EDT


Legions of Power deserves more credit… well maybe it doesn’t. But I certainly had fond memories of them. They were even smaller than my oh so small LEGO Super Mario Brothers (of my own creation) and I had the biggest set availible (a rarity for a family as poor as mine) featuring a motorized thingy. They were great because their cockpits and monitors could easily be turned into couches and TVs. My toys did alot of mundane things.

Also, I have the Computer Warriors VHS if anyone wants me to upload it.

Ghosted by Lucky Redlightbulbs @ 06/26/2007 11:08 PM EDT


review some spy tech stuff. those sunglasses you could see behind yourself with. or the reeces peanut butter cups spy camera.

Ghosted by joey @ 07/04/2007 5:11 AM EDT


I think I’ve seen at least two of those Orb thingies-Dinosorb and the crocodile one-repainted in a different line, along with other egg dinosaurs. Dinosorb was Brontosaurus and the crocodile one inexplicably became Scelidosaurus even though it looks like Scelidosaurus about as much as Optimus Prime looks like a toilet paper roll rack.

Ghosted by Anonymous @ 11/03/2008 6:04 AM EST


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