Scaparri

This is sort of expanding on some of the points that BeemerBoy made, but I find it to be significantly more fun and rewarding to root for teams that aren't perennial winners. I have received a lot of crap for supporting the teams that I do, but nobody can ever accuse me of being a fairweather fan. The fact that both of my teams (the Cubs and the Blues) have suffered horrendous seasons in the past six or seven years makes winning ANY game that much more satisfying simply because I know it could be worse. The Blues went on a tear last year and looked like a team poised to finally hoist the Cup, but they ultimately got swept by the eventual champions. Was it disappointing? Sure, but I was just glad to even be in the postseason. Heck, if the Cubs just win one game in a series with the Cardinals or White Sox, I am pleased simply because I don't have to listen to their fans make sweep comments. Anyway, can somebody please knock the Cardinals out of the playoffs?

The footage dvds are just sort of a bonus for me. If there are a few rides I'm curious to see then I will check them out, but after that I never touch it again. For the most part, they have little influence on whether I buy the Expedition dvd. If you guys just sold the Expedition dvd by itself and kept the full POVs for the Raw series, I wouldn't complain.

This is awesome, Gerd! I've been wanting to learn how to make fresh pasta and you just filled me in! This is definitely going to become a weekend dinner project in the near future. Quick question though... is vegetable broth something you buy or do you make it on your own?

Damn dirty hippie!! Just kidding, Jay! I'm actually surprised how meaty the faux meat looks. If I were an onion guy, I'd totally try this dish! I'll be interested to see your updates in the future. I've always been curious about the diversity of a vegan's diet. Cooking veggies in an appetizing manner isn't exactly my forte right now, so it'll be good to have a place to steal some ideas! And hooray for Silk! Way to represent the lactose intolerant folks as well!

You're 13, dude. That's how things work at that age. It's "ok" for a 13 year old to like more than one person at the same time. In fact, in a month, I'm sure both you and her will have new crushes on other people because that's just how it flows in middle school. I wish I could tell you to just sit back and live it up, but I know it's impossible to understand it right now. But I guarantee you by the time you are 16, you'll be looking back on it all and laughing about how awesome middle school was because everybody was just a flavor of the week, and that was ok. As for real advice, don't chase after her. If she's doing that behind her boyfriend's back, how would you be able to trust she's not doing the same thing behind your back if you became her boyfriend? Let her come after you... or just wait a few weeks until you have a crush on a new chick. "If there's a hell, it's modeled after junior high."- Lewis Black

Heck yes! I do what I can. Sister Hazel is actually playing a bar in Tuscaloosa on Thursday! I'm still on the fence about going. I'm sure it'd be a hell of a show!

& I'm pretty sure he means to go look at your 'Top [insert number] Most Played' playlist that is automatically installed on your iTunes and list the 10 highest ranked songs, as opposed to just listing the ten songs on your iPod that you feel are the best. Anyway, here's mine: 1. Quietdrive- "Both Ways" 2. Fall Out Boy- "I've Got a Dark Alley and a Bad Idea That Says You Should Shut Your Mouth" 3. Lifehouse- "Whatever It Takes" 4. Angels & Airvwaves- "Everything's Magic" 5. Louque- "Kenny The Jet" 6. Tim Hughes- "Happy Day" 7. Bloodhound Gang- "Foxtrot Uniform Charlie Kilo" 8. Nickel Creek- "Out of the Woods" 9. Sister Hazel- "Change Your Mind (Live)" 10. Lucky Boys Confusion- "Ordinary"

Dude, these pictures are all sorts of awesome. They make me miss HHN so bad. I wish I had that kind of photographic capability!

Our next stop on the trip was Universal Orlando! We started out the day at Universal Studios where we were able to get a first hand look at Rockit construction. I had kind of lost some interest in this project until I saw the thing in and person and wow! I just can't get over how massive it's going to be! Anyway, as you will find out in the photos, Robby and Tyler were picked to be on Fear Factor Live and we captured it all on video! Check it out and enjoy the pics! IOA is up next! [coastertube]http://www.themeparkreview.com/coastertube/play.php?vid=fearfactorlive[/coastertube] Jesus gives, so we're going to IOA! Doc Brown clearly hasn't been to Metro Atlanta, otherwise he wouldn't be wasting his time on the flux capacitor. I was a Twister virgin, so Robby made sure to change that. I can't lie, I actually liked the thing. Rockit construction **THROUGH THE TREES** Extremely Random One Car Madagascar Parade Tyler made sure at lunch time that Robby knew there was no love lost. Unfortunately, I don't really have any other good photos of the Fear Factor competition, so I guess you will just have to check out the video! But to make a long story short, Robby won and Tyler got second!! The "insect hat" filler stunt. %$... THAT. Why are the filler stunts worse than the stunts the contestants are doing!? Tyler and Robby knocked one team out, one to go! Poor Tyler must have to wiz pretty badly, seeing how hard he's trying to hold his vag shut. Sweet Spandex, guys! "My name is Robby. I'm from Tuscaloosa, AL. And I'm going to win Fear Factor Live because I'm extremely masculine and very strong and... yeah." Because they are auditioning for Fear Factor Live! Why are Robby and Tyler doing jumping jacks, you ask? That is a mid-course brake, folks. I remember thinking this park sucked. Theming could be better though. We were fortunate enough to experience "B" mode Mummy this weekend! Yes, it's as steep as it looks. Universal fanboys reading this TR should be shooting blanks by now. We probably stood around for a solid 10 minutes just gawking like nerds that are never getting laid. This thing might be sweeter than I was expecting... Look how slutty it is... it just stands there like a trick on the corner, taunting you to take a ride. We opted to start the day off at Universal StudioooOOOO My GOD!! The ride is massive and the tallest parts haven't even been built yet! There is nothing harder than walking away from IOA. We'll be back in a few hours though! It's not the Old Town Resort, but we will have to make do. Holy $&%#!!! Rockit is HUGE!!! I share their excitement!

After spending the day at BGT, we headed over to Kissimmee to whore out the Old Town Resort, where we were joined by none other than Bryan! It was truly a remarkable evening. Tyler met a girl, we discovered the #3 ranked haunted house in the nation, AND stuffed our faces with Dole Whip. I'll let the pictures and captions tell the rest. The video from the night is below. Enjoy! NOTE: The video is somewhat inappropriate and is PG-13. [tprtv]http://www.themeparkreview.com/coastertube/play.php?vid=oldtown[/tprtv] The next update will be Universal Studios featuring Robby and Tyler as contestants in Fear Factor Live! Comeback to see if either of them won! Bryan and I just stared in awe... awe over Tyler's ability to come up with most "WTF" questions, and awe that we are still sitting at the same table. Such a serious question calls for serious debate, and it got pretty intense between Robby and Andrew. "So if you were going to be stranded on a desert island and could take only one thing for either of the Universal or Disney parks, but it had to fit in a suitcase and could only cost $10, what would it be?" "I tried to convince you guys to just spend the entire week at Disney!" This stuff makes my taste buds dance AND it's non-dairy! Best $3 in Orlando!! $3.08 for all you can eat Dole Whip makes everybody happy. As much as it pained us to leave the Old Town Resort and sink to the Disney level, it was Dole Whip time!!! Tyler felt the need to thank the kind lad for convincing us to pay the $12.50 to experiencing the #3 haunted house in the nation. And once Tyler told him that he was a post-op tranny sex kitten, he gave us directions to a fine club called the Savoy, instead of the Parliament House! This kind gentleman lured us in to the Haunted Grimm House. After informing us that the "live dead people" in the house wouldn't touch us, I asked if he could change that to ensure a really good scaring. Instead, he gave me directions to the Parliament House and promised I would get a good touching there. After dragging Tyler from his new found love, we discovered a gem of an attraction at Old Town Resort. Make no mistake folks, that isn't just ranked the #1 attraction in Kissimmee, but the #1 haunted house in Florida and #3 in the nation! What is number 1 and 2 you ask? They couldn't tell us, but they said it's #3 so it has to be true! Once Tyler climaxed during the conversation, she finally started the ride. His ecstasy and adrenaline gave him D-1 athlete strength, allowing him to destroy Andrew in the Fun Spot (or is it Old Town?) Flippy Bicycle Thingy race. See, look at that... a little one on one time! They've been chatting away for five minutes!! That's a new career high for Tyler! I'm telling you, it was pure chemistry. There was some hardcore flirting and oggling going on. Now believe it or not, the person barely visible in the left is actually a girl... a girl who is talking to Tyler and clearly wants him. She even dropped those three magical words: "Youuuuu need theeeerapyyyyy!" 300 feet? Really? Either way, the Fun Spot (or is it Old Town) would have to pay me to do this thing. Nothing creepy or abnormal about this at all. Nope. "How are we not dead right now!?" "I'm tellin' you, within the next five years this thing will have either derailed or been torn down." ... Which will BLOW YOU AWAY!! Old Town (or is it Fun Spot) even has world class attractions such as the Wind Storm roller coaster... Old Town even brings out post-op tranny sex kitten Tyler! It's Bryan!!! Bryan wasn't about to miss out on all the fun at Old Town... or is it Fun Spot? Does anybody really know where one ends and the other begins? Old Town is an entertainment and shopping hot spot that is home to classy establishments such as Knives & Things!! Welcome to Old Town Resort. The finest attraction this side of I-4.

Fred.

In the middle of last week, Tyler (CTU Agent), Robby (BamaRob21), and myself were chillaxin' in our apartment when we started to joke about taking advantage of our 4 day weekend to go to Florida. We're coming to realize, however, that anything we joke about is destined to happen (see our cross-country trek TR). So fifteen minutes later, we woke up Andrew (swimace) to inform him we would be showing up at his door step in three days and that it'd be wise for him to break any plans he might have. Afterall, we're that awesome. So Friday after class, we checked out of Tuscaloosa and made our way down to Gainesville. We caught up with Erik Johnson at Steak 'n' Shake for dinner, crashed for the night, then woke up bright and early to head to Tamprica! The day was a little on the chilly side, but we couldn't complain. Tamprica never disappoints. I'm going to let the pics and captions do the talking though. Enjoy! You don't want to miss the next update featuring the Old Town Resort and Dole Whip extravaganza! We closed out the day with a little Sheikra love. A Pirates 4D night ride simply would have been too much. We can't spoil our evening at Old Town Resort!!! WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!?!? Unfortunately, this is about as good of a picture as you can get of this ride. Four visits and never a bad ride. Am I missing something? Montu took the win in a closely contested race for best ride of the day. Had Katonga been considered a ride, it would have won in a landslide. Members like Tyler help to ensure that TPR is properly represented out at the parks. How is it possible for a coaster this good to still be far from the best in Florida? Simply stunning!! I can't think of a better way to have spent 40 minutes at Busch Gardens!! So much better than drinking free beer in the hospitality house! You mean it didn't change your life, Robby? Katonga!!! Tyler even managed to get us front row seats. Fantastic! My last free beer sample at Busch Gardens. And on a more troubling note, no amount of free beer can possibly prepare me for what I'm about to be subjected to... It's a loooong way down. This drop is straight sick for those fortunate enough to be in the back row. The shoulder bruising is worth it. Sheikra finally decided to come out and play!! Tyler just knew we were going to be heading to the classy Old Town Resort later in the night, so he decided to turn himself into a sex kitten in order to fit in to his surroundings. I wish I could say this was a result of a lost bet... 16 years old and still kickin' more ass than any beemer made in the last 8. Kumba **Through The Trees** That is a true water ride enthusiast, folks. It wasn't cold enough for the park to close the ride, but for whatever reason, it was cold enough for them to close the 25 cent water blasters. Dammit!!! What moron would go on Congo River Rapids when it's 60 degrees outside? Wait, where's Robby... He's less wet than I was when I got off the flippin' log flume!! One of these things is not like the other. "Hey guys!" Yep... Tyler shields himself from the blast behind the plexiglass, but wait... where's Robby? Seriously, it's not even 60 degrees outside. Why are they running the water rides!?!? Don't get wet my ass. You can all trip and fall on a knife. "Let's go do the log flume! You totally don't get wet!" With the actual ride busted, we all contemplated purchasing this fine dvd of computer generated Sheikra footage for the reasonable price of $10. Looks sweet, doesn't it? Too bad Sheikra doesn't want to play with us right now. "4D, bitches!" Time for Pirates 4D!!! Featuring the supreme acting skills of Leslie Nielsen! Tyler and Robby had somehow never ridden Scorpion before this visit, so we made sure to fix that! And where can I apply for that? This is Tyler annoyed by the weak comedic attempts of our Rhino Rally driver. THAT'S how bad the dude was... even Tyler wasn't amused. Look closely... that's right. Totally a credit. "I do not endorse this attraction." Somebody had the absolutely brilliant idea of checking out the all-star attraction that is Rhino Rally. What the crap... Europe gets statues of half-naked ladies and we get baboons rockin' chubbies!?!? WTF!?!?!? Let's play a game called "What's Wrong With This Picture"... This Egyptian chick is developing a sweet BIF. The Secondary Characters (minus the man behind the camera) prepare themselves for what lies within King Tut's Tomb. Train full of happy, cold riders. Breathe it in, folks. You don't find awesome B&M custom inverts very often these days. Word on the streets is that this ride actually has some forces and may even have a layout that required some imagination. Looks like a job for the Mythbusters! Ah Montu... a relic from the time when Walter and Claude still had balls. Flux Capacitors are now obsolete in Georgia. Just dial 511! Sorry Goliath, we're on to bigger and better things. That's right, ya'll. Alabama Adventure has an official car. Disney better watch themselves!

Are you riding your bike there? I'm not sure how you came up with 7 hours. I've made it in under 5 from Bloomington, which is an hour farther. Sure, an amusement park in Indy would be nice, but I don't really see how one could ever prosper. It's not a big enough tourist destination to build something big and there are far too many well established parks within a days drive of the Indianapolis area.

This TR was all sorts of awesome. I'm glad Shannon hasn't swayed you to the dark side completely. I'm glad I'm not alone on this. For being so obsessed with basketball, you'd think they would have put a little more money into building an attractive arena. Oh wait, they use it all on their recruits... Dude, never mind the whole B&M hyper disagreement. I'm telling you, we're blood.

That could be a possibility, but the problems with bringing a franchise like Jurassic Park to straight-to-dvd level is that the cast will be a bunch of no bodies or actors from TV shows because of the low budget. Another problem is that the dinosaurs won't as look as realistic as in the last three films. That's my opinion though, you don't have to agree with me! No offense, but I was being sarcastic, hence the eye roll. I'm just jokingly waiting for them to do that since they seem hellbent on bastardizing the original as much as possible.