Cameron

Bah .. you're just jealous that I wasn't texting you! Cameron.

I was a Big Brother for about three years (2000-2003). I have also volunteered at community radio, and worked for no pay (for a month) at a cool job when I was in college in order to gain experience (once they saw how awesome I was, they did start paying!). Cameron.

Moths make my skin absolutely crawl - they're awful. I don't mind insects and bugs, and wouldn't flinch to have a spider walking up my arm .. But a moth flies into the room and I turn into a 60s-sitcom-housewife who's just seen a mouse! Cameron.

Awesome report Erik, as usual. A co-worker yesterday was complaining that the song "Unchained Melody" was stuck in his head, so I sent him a link to "Boo To You" ... which he's still humming this morning Cameron "It's really not so scary!" Silver

Matt, the fruity-drink-loving whore gets my vote Cameron.

I can't vote for Matt as I need to ask him for a ride to the airport next week .. So I voted for Paul, he'd rather go to ValleyFair than Indiana Beach. MADNESS! Cameron.

I was at The Beach on Sunday and had an amazing day .. it really felt like the "old" Indiana Beach. Everything was running, people were happy, they even fixed the light on the train at the end of Lost Coaster (which has been out for years). Don't write this park off just yet, even if Morgan keeps running it. You people are going to go insane if you keep freaking out over every little thing you see and hear - no matter how informed a "source" claims to be. Just go to the park and enjoy it, it's not like you have any influence over what might happen. Also remember that the park is open until 10pm every Saturday in October, with fireworks at closing - that will give 3-4 hours of darkness which will be awesome. Plus there is (apparently going to be) Halloween crap setup too. I just hope I have a single free Saturday in October to go. Cameron.

I have been to Dollywood twice (2008 and 2004) and Branson once (2007), and easily give the nod to the Branson parks (Silver Dollar City and Celebration City). I just found a whole lot more to do at those parks, and felt that SDC was a more complete experience. Dollywood still seems very much "in progress", and it's obvious which are the "new areas" and "old areas", and it's this contrast that I find annoying. I mean I adore Dollywood, but just adore SDC/CC more! One thing you must not, under any circumstances miss, is the cave at Silver Dollar City. It's free (included with park admission), and is really something awesome. Also make sure you have some time to park yourself on Ozark Wildcat (at Celebration City) - which is totally kick-your-bottom awesome. Unfortunately I can't offer any advice as to crowds and such. I do recall that when I was there (June) Celebration City opened in the mid-afternoon and was basically a ghost-town until after SDC closed in the evening. I will also say that I'd easily pick the Branson area over SFGAm (unless you want to devote some time for seeing Chicago and maybe going to Indiana Beach too). Heck, I'd actually pick Branson over Ohio. I'm quite envious of your trip, as I really hoped to make it back down there again this year. Oh well, on to 2009! Cameron.

It's not just the Mini either .. The 2004 VW R32 weighs twice as much as the original VW GTI (a freaking brilliant car). It has twice the displacement, more than twice the horse-power, and twice the grip (all-wheel drive). If someone were to build a car like the original GTI now, it wouldn't sell (well, they'd sell to the 10 idiots like me, but "normal" people aren't interested). It's a shame, yes .. especially in the case of the original Mini which is beyond awesome. But still, this is "progress". Cameron (Waiting for the first car commercial to boast "smaller and lighter than the previous model") Silver.

This page gives an up-to-the minute status on whether or not the Hardron Collider has destroyed the world. There's even a RSS feed. And for those who want *really* up to the minute data, check out the webcams. Cameron.

The palm trees are only on that beach (which is the one most visited by tourists!), thankfully it's not a cancer that has spread! Cameron.

Advertising is an interesting thing for me. On one hand I loath it, but every now and then comes an ad that is just fantastic. Here are some memorable ones from my childhood (in Australia)... First is the classic "No Knickers" ad from Holeproof. The thing I remember most about this ad is the fact that the piano player (who's the coolest guy in the world) is in bare feet! (Note that the words "of course" are cut from that last line.) Next is the original "Ants Pants" ad. I don't recall when this was first released, but I was certainly old enough to *almost* get it. It gave me much to think about And finally is the Bonds commercial which the youtube link makes a big deal about being banned; however I remember it being on air for a while. Now when it first aired there was an extra line at the very end which was quickly cut (and isn't in the version on youtube)... The original ad ended with one of the security chicks sighing and saying "he's probably gay". Cameron.

Fantastic, Matt! I wanted to go there since I moved to Chicago .. next time you go, I'm coming with Cameron.

Fantastic photos, Dan .. really captured the parks and made it feel like we were all there too. Looks like you had some fun weather too, which only adds to it! I'm going to be there in October, and I just can't freaking wait.. Cameron. PS: Thanks also for stuffing the Raw Thrills cash-boxes

^ The cool/picturesque rides are really only important when I'm bragging about them here! Typically when I ride I don't pay all that much attention to stuff that's off the path, I just keep my head down and crank away. I also get a big kick out of riding to a destination that I normally only drive to. I have two more rides I want to document this year .. hopefully I'll have the time Thanks for the comments, guys.. Cameron.

Hey Guys, Since we had Monday off, and the weather was so freaking nice, I decided to ride down the lakefront (lake Michigan) trail from Evanston to downtown Chicago. I had heard horror stories of this trail, mostly concerned with the crowds, so I had never ridden it before. Now I haven't ridden much this year so I wasn't looking for a serious ride, so this seemed like a good opportunity to try this out. From my apartment it's close to 15 miles south to Oak Street Beach, which is on the northern edge of downtown; right where the famous Michigan Ave ends. I decided to use the John Hancock building as my target since it's only two blocks from Oak Street, plus I can actually see it from Evanston which is cool. Anyway it really was a fun ride, very picturesque. The crowds were really bad in spots, so I doubt this will become a regular trip for me; but I still really enjoyed it. Cameron. All of this was brought to you by... Back in Evanston (almost home again) by the awesome lagoon, and it seems strangely sleepy after the chaos of the lakefront trail. (You can see the lake through the trees.) The John Hancock building: I made it! This was one of the the tallest buildings in the world (until Sear Tower opened in 1973). It's a mixed-use building with commercial and residential units. Apparently it's a status symbol to own an apartment with one of the diagonal braces crossing the windows. This is the Drake Hotel, which sits at the north end of Michigan Ave and is totally and completely awesome. Back in the 30s, Francesco Raffaele Nitto (known as "Frank The Enforcer") had his office in the Drake, and was even shot there by two dirty cops! Frank was one of Al Capone's main henchmen, and later became the front-man for the mob Capone created. Probably the most retarded window display ever.. I mean, really! Looking south down Michigan Ave, which is also known as the Magnificent Mile. This is a major tourist destination, mostly for the (ridiculous) high fashion; however the road has a rich history which is why I like it. Looking north along Oak Street Beach and you can see all the zillion dollar apartments. This area is know as "The Gold Coast", and they all have spectacular lake views. I'm not a fan of the stupid palm trees, but other than that Oak Street Beach is pretty nice. Oak Street Beach sits at the very northern end of Michigan Ave. Most of those people are probably very rich if they live nearby. (OK, I'm a little envious..!) After battling my way past the crowds at North Ave Beach, I am almost there. A very busy beach day indeed .. it was probably even worse on the weekend. I love the atmosphere of these busy beaches, everyone is so happy .. (not to mention the eye-candy - it was tough to keep my eyes on the path at times!) The northern end of North Ave Beach. This is one of the most popular beaches in Chicago, and it was quite packed today. In fact the path was so crowded that I had to walk my bike in spots. Fortunately the ride home wasn't as bad. While the beaches were *packed*, the lake was surprisingly empty. Just a few boats and jetskis cruising around. (I'd love a jetski one day!) Chicago is so well organized, with all the house/building numbers on every street starting from a single intersection downtown. Anyway, the path is labeled with the current number so you know where you are in the whole system. The 3400-north block is very significant... Getting closer now - don't even need the zoom! Probably only about 5 miles remain.. This is Belmont Harbor, and apparently it takes years to rent space here. I was surprised by how many boats weren't out on the lake.. Montrose Beach .. so named because it's at the far eastern end of Montrose Ave. The Lakefront trail spends most of its time paralleling Lakeshore Drive, which is signed as U.S Route 41 for most of its length. Route 41 starts in the upper peninsula of Michigan, and runs all the way down to Miami Florida. It's a drive I'd love to do one day (or maybe even ride it?!). This building was once part of the Edgewater Beach Hotel complex and is now apartments. Back in the day (20s - 40s), this was quite the happening location. The complex was visited by such greats as Marilyn Monroe, Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, and Charlie Chaplin. It even offered sea-plane access to Chicago! Well today I don't need no stinkin' sea-plane, I'm going to ride... Broadway also runs through some mixed-up neighborhoods which don't quite know what they're doing. Once very affluent, then quite poor, and now becoming quickly over-run by yuppies in cinder-block condos. Tensions are high, and much character is being lost. Devon Ave is one of my favorite, and most interesting streets in Chicago. It runs through an area that has seen multiple waves of immigrants, so it's normal to see a Jewish Deli, next door to an Indian Restaurant, next door to a Muslim clothing store. Everyone gets along with each other too (for the most part), which rocks. Rogers Park is a very interesting neighborhood. It is the most north/eastern neighborhood in Chicago and is really going through a turbulent time. This area has some brilliant, old buildings, amazing tree-lined streets, and it borders the lake. It's also quite violent and dangerous - I'd be reluctant to wander these streets at night. It is being gentrified though, which is just adding to the problems. In Chicago now, and on every corner are signs like this for the cyclists. Chicago is a very bike-friendly city, with bike lanes and paths covering a larger area than the trains do! On this ride I am going to the Lakefront Trail, which will take me right into downtown. I also love Warren Park, and spent a lot of time there several years ago. This is one of the beaches near my place in Evanston (less than a mile away), and it's reasonably busy. It's nothing compared to the beaches in Chicago though! Same location, this time with some zoom. It's almost 15 miles to downtown, but the Hancock building is clearly visible (the tall building with two antenna on the middle-left of the photo). This is the unzoomed view of downtown Chicago from Evanston, just two blocks from my apartment. You can see the Hancock building if you know where to look!

Hurricane typically only runs one train, but would occasionally run two on really busy days; but it was quite rare. Screamscape is severely over exaggerating how "bad" it is that it's only running one train, so I wouldn't put too much stock in it. That said, they were only running one train on Lost Coaster all season, which makes that ride basically useless. However, many rides were closed this season - and over-all it was quite a disappointing year there. Hopefully it's just teething problems, and things will pick up next year. Cameron.

Pinky And THe Brain - I haven't thought about that for *years*!! And Matt needs to smack me up-side the head next time he sees me .. I can't believe I forgot about The Wonder Years! Mmmmm .. Becky Slater! Cameron.

A FEW?!?! The fast food place where they ate was called "Chokey Chicken"! Anyway, I'd forgotten about Invader Zim, which is fantastic. Cameron "Anyone who says 'Full House' was good, needs to be banned from TPR" Silver.

Nothing beats Rockos Modern Life! (Except maybe the WB cartoons of the 50s..).. Anyway Spacemtfan - aren't you a little too young to be a grumpy old man?! Cameron.

Great photos Erik .. And I will echo your positive comments about Waldameer - a really wonderful park, and was a perfect place to relax the day after the awesome/crazy/madness of Behemoth Bash. Makes me sad that we're not all back there..! Cameron.

It does crack me up to see a Cedar Point fan-boy whine about any park being expensive or a tourist trap - since CP is the biggest offender in both of those categories. Besides it sounds like you didn't do the cave at SDC, which means you missed the best part! Cameron.

Thillens underwent some remodeling/restoration a number of years ago, and it really looks great now. I was a Big Brother (in the Big Brother / Big Sister thing) for several years, and my little played there a few times. It was awesome. Thanks for all the comments! Cameron. PS: Well done MS13!

After the crazy weekend that was Behemoth Bash and Ravine Flyer II, I needed to relax; and my favorite way to relax is to go for a ride. It was a stunning day today, *stunning* .. more like June weather than August. This is my short ride, only 17 miles total, but I really love it. It starts out in Evanston (where I live), and then runs along the North Shore Channel (through a sculpture park!) in Skokie, then through Legion Park in Chicago, and finally ends at the corner of Lawrence and California. And all of this was brought to you by..... On the way home I took a slightly different route, that goes past Thillens - an actual little-league baseball stadium; complete with dugouts and stands etc. It's really nice. All over Chicago in the summer months are these awesome, old Mexican guys selling ice-cream. The carts all have bells hanging off them, so you can hear the jingling all around you. Aside from the typical ice-cream, they also sell these fantastic frozen fruit bars that come in mango, vanilla, peach, apricot, strawberry, and my choice for today: watermelon. Deep in the park now, and I can't tell you how nice it is here. I was once here on July 4th and the place was like a warzone, with firecrackers and bottle rockets going off everywhere! The air is thick is BBQ smells, and people have picnics all over the place. It was surprisingly quiet today, though. On the east side of the river, the path is now officially in Chicago - in Legion Park. This is an amazing park, through one of my favorite Chicago neighborhoods (Albany Park). Supposedly this is one of the most diverse zip-codes in the country. I was not surprised to see this fairly serious soccer game going on. This whole time I've been riding along the west bank of the river, however the path continues on the east bank. There are plans to build a bridge here over the water, but until then we have to use Lincoln Ave to cross; and then rejoin the path on the other side. Just south of Devon and the path passes by the once *awesome* arcade Diversions. Long gone now, this arcade is where most of the greatest Williams/Bally and Midway games were tested through the 90s. This really was a fantastic location .. sigh. Several of the Sculptures are interactive. On this one you can rotate that large, inside section. It's cool.. This section of the path (between Touhy and Devon) has just been rebuilt, this is the first time I've ridden along it since it re-opened. I'm was so happy to see this done as the old path was just awful. While technically not in the Skokie Sculpture Park (I'm in Lincolnwood now), I have always liked this. Note the sign-post for Buffalo - HI NICHOLE! I really love this sculpture .. it has such a sense of movement. This water treatment plant sits on the corner of McCormick and Howard in Skokie. It's a bit of a smelly intersection right here, but I do love the building. If I were to head west on Howard for about 2 miles, I'd end up at work. Not today! This vent is part of the Deep Tunnel system; which consists of massive tunnels that run below the city and suburbs, totaling over 100 miles. The idea is that they fill it all up with sewer water during heavy rain, and then process it all over the next day or so (rather than let it flow into the lake). This massive project began in the mid-70s and is expected to be complete in 2019. Pretty cool stuff! I like this sculpture because it has little pieces of stained glass, which means you can take wanker/artistic photos like this! This is such an awesome path that runs along the west bank of the river (channel), and is rarely busy. Lots of trees and it's nice and peaceful, even with the busy McCormick Bvld right next to it. These guys made me feel like I was in The Library! (Trust me, that joke kills - although I don't know if anyone will get the reference. No, it's not pinball!). Crossing from Evanston into Skokie, and the trail officially enters the Sculpture park. There are probably close to 100 sculptures along here, some of them are really good. (I'm no art guy though - so what do I know..) Looking south down the river (well it's actually the North Shore Channel - not a river). Note the canoes along there, which is something that you used to never be allowed to do (pollution). There are now over 50 verities of fish and other wildlife in there, they've really cleaned it up. This is where Emerson St used to cross the river, but the bridge is being replaced. Unfortunately I need to cross this bridge going to/from work, so it sucks to have it gone. However the bridge really needed to be replaced. The trail begins next to these community gardens, where people can rent space to grow stuff (there are a lot of apartments in Evanston). This is one of 4 or 5 such gardens, and apparently the waiting list is years long. We start out heading west along Noyes Street in Evanston. I love this little strip of shops, and it really is a throw-back to the old Evanston .. before all the chain stores and crappy condos. On the left of the photo is Al's Deli, where you can get amazing sandwiches and the best cookies I've ever eaten.

Nice photos (even though you didn't like the GCIs ). Makes me want to go back there, it's been way too long (2004!). Cameron.