Movie Polygraph Quiz
Category: Trivia
Cheating Death Quiz
80% means that I got two wrong. The only way to get one wrong is to use the same answer twice. If you use every answer once and aren’t perfect, the best score possible is 80%. Beat my score [or at least give it a go] by clicking The Death Quiz
So I’m pretty good at figuring out who’s more likely to die. Is that a good thing? Can you beat my score? Click here to give it a shot.
Staycation: PH & CDS
This year it didn’t work out that we could take our normal family vacation. We usually spend some time in Indiana and then either Tennessee or North Carolina. With everyone on different work schedules and gas [not to mention the economy] being what it is we opted to take a staycation rather than a vacation. [As in stay Florida and do some day trips…]
We’d wanted to see Cirque Du Soleil for years and decided that this would be the time to finally do it. Tickets with our AAA discount were reasonable and so last Wednesday we made a day of it.
After a late breakfast the family piled into my “Jack Cartermobile” and headed to Orlando to hit some of the shopping outlets. On the way over we got caught in one of the worst storms that I’ve ever driven in. Lighting was striking all around, rain was coming down in washtubs and visibility was nil — then it started to hail! Luckily the storm passed after just a few minutes and we continued on. Years ago, when the outlets were truly discount shops, we’d drive over on a pretty regular basis. Now you really have to get lucky to find a real bargain since most of the shops are tourist traps. Chris and Mike scored a couple of t-shirts and the Queen found some sort of bags that keep fruit and vegetables longer in the “As Seen on TV” store.We decided to go to Planet Hollywood for dinner before Cirque Du Soleil. The Orlando Planet Hollywood has always been my favorite due to it’s location and unusual design. We hadn’t been there in a few years, so we were all looking forward to it. I’m happy to say that none of us were disappointed. The menu has been updated a bit, but we were still able to get our “Cap’N Crunch” chicken appetizer [they call it something else, but that’s what it is] and it was as tasty as we remembered. Dinner was even better. Mike and I opted for BBQ bacon burgers, Chris had the Philly cheesesteak, and the Queen had a spinach salad. Everyone thought that their meal was the best and no one left hungry. On the way out, we swung through the gift shop so I could score a t-shirt [see the design in the photo above], and then it was off to the circus… literally.
We were really lucky in that we were seated in the second row from the stage. At first I was concerned that we might be too close to the action and get stiff necks from looking up, but that wasn’t the case mainly due to the amount of action going on everywhere! And once the show starts it doesn’t let up. If you’ve ever seen Cirque Du Soleil on television and been impressed you can just begin to imagine what it’s like to see the performers live and so close you could literally [at least from our seats] reach out and touch them.Everything about the show is amazing. You probably already know how awe-inspiring the acts are, but until you see the show live, you don’t realize how well designed the sets and stage are. Or how the special effects and live music work to change the moods of each performance. Looking back, it’s also crazy to think that once the show started there were no words spoken and it never felt like we were watching traditional acts in a “circus.” The time flew by and I left wanting more; not because I didn’t get my money’s worth, but because I was having such a great time. The Queen and kids felt the same. We’ll definitely go back.
After the show we walked around Downtown Disney. The crowds weren’t too bad and the night was just the right temperature to make trips to the Virgin MegaStore and other shops enjoyable. The drive home was filled with laughter and talk about what a great day it had been… we didn’t even complain about the storm.
If only every day could be so perfect.
You Make the Call
I saw this video yesterday at Shuttle Launch
Yesterday Doralya, Chris and I decided to drive down and get as close as possible to Cape Canaveral at the Kennedy Space Center to see the launch of space shuttle Discovery. This was our first trip to see a lift-off and things went smoothly. Although I hate crowds, it was worth it to be so close to the launch. Everything worked out perfectly from the drive down, finding a perfect spot in a little park across from the space center to the weather and lift-off. I guess if I wanted to nitpick I could complain about the traffic going home, but even I’m not that much of a grouse.
Updated Links
I’ve updated my blog and artist links sections with a bunch of really cool sites. I’m sure that you’ll find at least a couple that you’ll bookmark for return visits. [Hopefully not at the expense of visits here.]
Happy 83rd Jim Ivey
Yesterday, my wife and I joined Jim Ivey and several of his friends to celebrate Jim’s 83rd birthday. Long time readers know that Jim Ivey is one of my oldest [as in been a friend the longest], oldest [as in age] and dearest friends. I first met Jim in the mid 1970’s when he was running The Cartoon Museum in Orlando, Florida. At the same time Jim was working as a syndicated cartoonist [The Thoughts of Man], a political cartoonist [The Orlando Sentinel], a publisher [CartooNews], teacher [UCF cartooning class] and even a comic book convention organizer [OrlandoCon]. At the time, I was into collecting comic books and later original art. Jim’s shop was like heaven.
Going to The Cartoon Museum became a weekly trip [almost always accompanied by my best friend, John Beatty]. When I moved to Orlando to attend UCF, my trips to Jim’s became even more frequent. We’d spend the day shooting the breeze and playing cards [blackjack, gin, hearts] and would occasionally stop for lunch or Jim to make a sale. Jim hated it when business got in the way of fun!
You never knew who would come through the store. Sometimes it was other buddies like Bill Black [pictured in the photo above with Jim and I], Mike Kott, Rafael Kayanan, or Robert Smith. Sometimes it was established artists like Mike Zeck, Bob McLeod, Bruce Stark or so many others.
As the years have gone by and we’ve all gone in different directions, I’m happy to say that most of us are still in touch fairly regularly. Many of us correspond via e-mail, but Jim doesn’t mess with computers. So it’s snail mail correspondence for us. I love getting my letters from Jim. Just like when we’d go to his shop and you’d never know what would be waiting; it’s the same experience opening an envelope from Jim.
But, I digress… back to the party.
Jim was happy to see the number of folks who made it to his party. Jim opened the festivities with a speech in which he talked about everything from the state of political cartoons today to the origins of Aborigines in Australia. We ordered our meals and while we were waiting Jim opened the gifts that had been brought to celebrate his 83rd. He received cigars, lottery tickets, and money — three of his favorite items — and more! The meals arrived and as we ate we shared stories… and more stories… and even more stories. Three and a half hours passed in what seemed less than an hour. There was enough laughter and fellowship packed into the short time, that it made me really wish that we could go back to the days of The Cartoon Museum with Jim running the show.
Oh well, if nothing else, we have Jim’s 84th to look forward to.
20 of the Toughest [2008]
The List Universe posts their Top 20 Classic Tough Guys. Okay, I’ll play using just the guys on their list, here is how I’d rate them:
- Lee Marvin
- Charles Bronson
- Clint Eastwood
- Sean Connery
- John Wayne
- Kirk Douglas
- Robert Mitchum
- Charlton Heston
- Burt Lancaster
- Robert Ryan
- James Coburn
- Anthony Quinn
- Yul Brynner
- Humphrey Bogart
- Steve McQueen
- John Garfield
- Richard Widmark
- Dana Andrews
- James Cagney
- Edward G. Robinson
Do You Deserve Your High School Diploma? [2008]
You paid attention during 97% of high school!
85-100% You must be an autodidact, because American high schools don’t get scores that high! Good show, old chap!
Yeah, baby. And with a PUBLIC SCHOOL EDUCATION!
What American Accent do You Have? [2008]
| What American accent do you have?
Your Result: The Midland
“You have a Midland accent” is just another way of saying “you don’t have an accent.” You probably are from the Midland (Pennsylvania, southern Ohio, southern Indiana, southern Illinois, and Missouri) but then for all we know you could be from Florida or Charleston or one of those big southern cities like Atlanta or Dallas. You have a good voice for TV and radio. |
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| The Inland North | |
| The South | |
| The Northeast | |
| Philadelphia | |
| The West | |
| Boston | |
| North Central | |
| What American accent do you have? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz |
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So I have a voice good for tv or radio and a look good for radio. Hmmmm….
Lost War Lord of Mars
This one is for Rafael Kayanan and Chris Mills. [with thanks to Bill Crider.] – Craig
One Step Closer!
Congrats to my brother, John Beatty and Bella who are one step closer!
Doomsday: Drive-In Appropriate
Man, I miss those days.
