Monday Morning Mashup: USF Goobers, Greg Schiano, Twitter, Elephants, Wii U, Cosplay
Until Saturday I didn't have any good links to mashup a worthy post. I figured it might be a good time to move this feature to Friday mornings as I originally intended. However, on Friday and Saturday morning, I found a mother lode of cool shit that I couldn't possibly wait five more days to post.
So, Friday Morning Mashup will have to wait at least another week. This week I cover the Wii U, Elephants funerals, Terminator cosplay, Twitter censorship, and USF fans reinforcing their reputation as College Football's Biggest Goobers.
My 2011 Resolutions In Review
Wow. I am rusty at this writing thing. So, 2011 sucked donkey balls and I’m going to grade the resolutions that I made a one year ago on this day. Here’s a hint: I failed. This is why I hate New Year’s Resolutions. They are just further proof of how much I suck.
Obviously I haven’t written much of anything since March. I have a litany of excuses. My job workload picked up dramatically. I became a political activist. I acquired a taste for zombies. Awesome games such as Portal 2, Catherine, Dragon Age II, Skyrim, and Deus Ex demanded my fleeting attention. All of that is true, but none caused my flameout as a writer.
I blame Netflix. My name is Bobby and I am a Netflix Addict. I hate you Netflix and your stupid, amazingly accurate suggestions. You know my tastes better than I do. And for that, you must be destroyed. You know too much.
The Loot from Harry Potter World
Ah, the loot. I love loot. Looty, loot, loot.
If you’re a Harry Potter fanatic heading to the Wizarding World for the first time, you should check your wallet with someone who’s less enthused to be there. You might get caught up in the atmosphere and try to buy everything you see. And this shit isn’t cheap.
All of the Harry Potter World merchandise is in-character. Most of the candy and toy packages feature a tiny, requisite Harry Potter logo on the back. Other than the covert logo, the packaging is true to the story. When you get home and sort through your haul, it looks like you apparated into the Harry Potter universe and scored some genuine Honeydukes treats and Zonko’s gags.
A Trip to Wizarding World of Harry Potter
My Harry Potter fandom is about to reach epic proportions now that I am the proud new owner of annual passes to Harry Potter World, I mean, uh, Universal Studios/Islands of Adventure. I have been itching to go to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter since it opened last summer, but I heard horror stories about the crowds and decided to let the fervor die down before heading there myself.
The first time I actually researched the new Harry Potter attraction was a few weeks ago while trying to decide between annual passes for Disney or Universal. I prefer exploring theme parks without knowing too much about them beforehand. I‘m not even too fond of the maps—makes it more of an adventure. I pulled up a few articles and read about the sheer awesomeness of eating at The Three Broomsticks and browsing the dusty wand boxes at Ollivander’s Wand Shop. I was sold.
Carnivorous Creations: Growing Plant Monsters
I have always had a special place in my heart for carnivorous plants. I love an underdog and it’s a fitting turn of events for the once defenseless bottom of the food chain to bite back. I first learned about them on Mr. Wizard’s World, an old 80’s Nickelodeon show that aired on weekday mornings after The Mysterious Cities of Gold--the finest hour of kid’s television programming ever. I tried to nail down a video clip of that Mr. Wizard’s World segment, but Nickelodeon is stingy with their classic shows. You can buy the DVD of Mr. Wizard’s World Season One, if you’re interested. Episode 15.
I actually had heard of Venus Fly Traps before I saw that episode of Mr. Wizard’s World. As a kid, I subscribed to Boys’ Life magazine. No, I wasn’t a boy scout. I only went to one Cub Scout meeting and thought the whole thing was retarded. For what seemed an eternity, a group of us sat in a small, dim room with our parents and made paper mache armor for no apparent reason. Oh, rad. Where the hell was all the cool stuff like learning survival skills, building fires, tracking beasts, and pitching tents?
The Gifts of Christmas 2010
This past Christmas was one of the best ever for gifts. I know, I know, it’s not about the loot. Christmas is about family, friends, love, giving and gorging on all the turkey, ham, stuffing, casseroles, pies, candies, cookies and popcorn tins. Agreed. But I also love all the gifts.I think I like giving gifts more than receiving. Scouring the Toys R Us aisles for the perfect gifts to give kids (and adults) is one of my favorite and most cherished parts of Christmas. But damn if I don’t still love receiving heaping piles of awesomeness as well.
Sal Alosi: What a Douche!
You had it all, Coach Sal Alosi. You were the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for the New York Jets. A position that is the envy of thousands of Exercise Science majors across the nation. There are only 32 positions like it. A strength coach in the N-F-L. The National Football League. The premier organization of the most awesome sport in the United States. You know, the one nation that says, “Fuck you world! We suck at your gay soccer, so we’re going to make up our own shit and dominate!” America, bitches!
A Birthday Gift From The Gawds: Part 2
Moving right along with the investigation of my birthday gift from the Gawds, the next thing that stood out was food. Junk Food!
That’s a fucking huge container of Cheese Balls. It filled up approximately 60% of the space in The Ominous Black Birthday Gift Bag—maybe even more. I wasn’t very scientific in calculating that 60% number, but it sounded more observant that 50%. Plus, the word “approximately” is a multisyllabic Get Out Of Jail Free card for being imprecise. I am certain that the Cheese Ball container fills up over half the bag, though, so I’m sticking with 60%.