Last Friday I decided to write a few updates before we left for camping. I was going to put up some more pictures of us drawing with flashlights and edit and post another Philippines entry. I opened up My Computer and realized my external drive wasn’t listed. Then I checked and it wasn’t on. And it wouldn’t turn on. I tried every outlet in the house and hooked it up to my laptop but still no luck. Depressing. Most of my stuff is backed up on DVDs but all of my pictures from this summer were gone forever. This story is going nowhere, so I’ll cut to the chase. I brought it to Paul’s and tried with his cables and it works, so I imagine it’s just an AC adapter issue. Once I get it working I’ll be able to update properly. For now, here are a few thoughts on the state of the nation.
Kanye vs. 50 Cent
I really have no idea who’s winning this one. Check out the odds on Bodog. I don’t know how to read betting lines, but I think 50 is heavily favored on this one. 50 says he’ll sell more in this interview. He also says, “show me a clip of Kanye saying he’ll outsell me.” Here you go. If I buy one it’ll be Graduation. On a side note, regardless of the whole Kanye thing, the 50 interview is interesting as a reminder that he’s actually fairly intelligent.
Stratosphere, Las Vegas
We rode the rides at the top of the bootleg Space Needle. The Big Shot is cool, but you’ve probably ridden something similar at another amusement park. It’s a tower that shoots you up really quick and you free fall from the top. The cool thing is that it’s really high. It might have been a lot scarier, but we rode Insanity right before. It’s like the Octopus at carnivals, except 800 feet up. And you’re strapped by your shoulders and facing the center. At first it’s scary, because the crane arm slowly takes you over the edge of the tower. Then it starts spinning and it’s actually pretty fun (Like most people accustomed to extreme activities, Russ had his arms up). And then it speeds up, the seats pull back, and you’re not facing the center. Instead you’re at a 70 degree angle staring down at a bunch of buildings 80 stories below you (Russ pulled his arms down at this point). It becomes scary again. Then it’s over. If you happen to be in the area I recommend it highly.
Hans Klok
We were trying to find a show to watch and we decided on The Beauty of Magic since Ka was sold out. More for Pamela Anderson than for the magic. But after the show we pretty much forgot about C.J. Parker. We had a new hero: Hans Klok. Kind of the most fun I’ve had in a while. A lot of that has to do with over-the-top flamboyance. At one point he ran to the front of the stage and stared into the distance. Meanwhile, some high powered blow-dryer hidden in the stage blew his hair back to display its lusciousness. And then there are his assistants. And Pamela Anderson? P.I.M.P. There’s also a dance squad in the show that set the mood pretty well (the show tells his story of growing up and performing around the world).
I looked up some reviews when I got back to San Diego and expected to see critics raving. But they seem to hate it. I guess similar tricks were all revealed on those Fox specials a few years back. And I was a fan of those, so I can see where the reviewers are coming from. But I’ve also forgotten how most of them work and was pretty much amazed. You’ll have a good time. Also, it turns out that in Amsterdam it’s fairly common knowledge that Hans is gay. Fooled the hell out of me.
Knott’s Berry Farm
Last Tuesday me and Wally had nothing to do. So we decided to go to Disneyland. Until we realized we’d need a “no homo” billboard to compensate for that boy-date. Universal Studios seemed kind of pricey and we’d be better off going to Disneyland if it had to be the two. We decided on Knott’s since it would be extreme. On the hour drive we talked a lot about our feelings while listening to Meg & Dia.
It’s pretty much all about the rides here. No themes really. Except the Camp Snoopy kids area and the Mexican section. I’m not exactly a connoisseur, but the rides were pretty good. I wasn’t really familiar with roller coaster technology. I’m used to the carts being pulled up a hill and clicking the whole way before the first drop. There were no lines so it was a pretty big surprise conversing one second and being pulled to 60 MPH the next. Here are a few pictures of the rides: Xcelerator, Ghostrider, Montezooma’s Revenge, and Silver Bullet. It’s a good place to be on an empty Tuesday.
