Numbers in Days...

hey everyone...or the select few that actually read this thing...

I'm so ready to get home. I've had fun in Branson, but a month is too long for me to be on vacation. Two weeks is long enough for me. I've gotten to do some cool stuff, and I'll post a lot of photos when I actually have good enough wifi to do so.

• Silver Dollar City
• White Water Water Park
• Jeerk Swedish Rock Show
• Live Radio Broadcast
• Princess Diana exhibit
• Full day on the lake wake boarding and tubing

and more.

I can't thank my friend enough for paying for the whole trip. It's been a really awesome time.

It's The Man In The Sky....

Just got done watching The Invention of Lying. The people watching this with me totally missed the boat on the point the movie (In my opinion) was making. In case you didn't know, the premise of the movie is this:

the world is always honest. Whether or not it's nice, they're honest. A man who's down on his luck, figures out how to lie, and he basically becomes a "prophet".

My friend asked "is this just a pun of Christianity?" I don't think it is, no. Sure, they reference a "man in the sky", and the ten commandments are written on Pizza Hut boxes, but if you REALLY look at the context, and how everything plays out, it's more or less how the world views Christianity. They see it as theres a dude up in the sky, who decides good and bad, and when people die. They see absurd stuff as I've got only 3 chances to mess stuff up, but I'll still be ok, and can get up to my "mansion in the sky".

I can understand why some Christians would get upset over seeing something reference and humiliate it. But really, what they should take from this is that non Christians are being misinformed of the religion, and need to be taught how the relationship with God actually is, and they need to learn that people are lost, and think like this, and as Christians, need to direct them to the actual reality of how Christianity REALLY is, and not the twisted ideas that have been passed around the local coffee shops.

Day...awh screw it.

Yea....this trips awesome and all, but I'm ready to get back to my family. Sure there's other stuff I'd like to see, but I'm here for 23 more days. I already miss my own bed, my own room and privacy. At least I've got something positive to look forward to. Disneyland is the day after I get back with my family.

Cryin' For The Toys...

Went and saw Toy Story 3 for the second time. I have never cried so much in a movie. The film is just flat out amazing. It's definitely the end of an era. I'm not going to say much about the film for those of you who haven't seen it yet (which means you must be really living under a rock...). All I gotta say is GO SEE IT.

oh, and bring tissues.

Boom Goes The Locals...

VIA THE LOS ANGELES TIMES:

For most people, fireworks are a special treat — loud, luminous displays to savor on Independence Day or New Year's Eve.

But for some who live near Disneyland, where fireworks blossom in the skies above Sleeping Beauty's Castle almost every night, the rockets' red glare has worn out its welcome.

Residents have added double-paned windows and extra insulation to soundproof the walls. Juanita Driskell, a retired teacher who has lived a few blocks from the Anaheim theme park for nearly three decades, is so accustomed to the fireworks that when the crackling and hissing starts around 9:30 p.m., she just cranks up the volume on the television. Her two cats hardly bat an eye.

"The good part is I don't have to leave the living room to see fireworks," Driskell said. "The bad part is that it's so loud."

And when the grandkids visit, she has free entertainment to offer, ushering them to the patio to take in the spectacle, eyes skyward.

Driskell's experience is typical of the love-hate relationship residents have with the 250 fireworks displays Disneyland stages annually.

Though many in proximity to the resort admit there is an appeal to the radiant bursts that fill the night sky on weekends, holidays and throughout the summer, those in pursuit of peace and quiet have tried for more than a decade to limit the noise and smoke.

When complaints from Disneyland's noise-weary neighbors seemed to go nowhere, they turned to environmentalism and lodged dozens of air-quality complaints. But the effort appears to have waned; regulators haven't recorded any recent air-quality complaints.

Last year, one resident sued Anaheim in federal court, saying that by holding hundreds of fireworks displays at the park each year, the city was violating federal water pollution laws. The suit was dismissed, but residents remain concerned about environmental issues.

"We're OK with fireworks on the Fourth of July and New Year's, but considering the density of the population here, you shouldn't have it every night," said Denis Fitzgerald, who filed the suit and is a member of Anaheim Homeowners for Maintaining Their Environment (HOME), a loose coalition of activists who live near the park.

Fitzgerald and other activists say the fireworks make dogs erupt in a howling chorus, waft smoke and shower ash and corrosive sulfur onto lawns, roofs, swimming pools and cars.

Beyond the smoke and ash, fireworks emit traces of contaminants such as copper, zinc, sulfate, nitrate and barium, which are used to produce their bright colors. Many fireworks also contain perchlorate, which can contaminate water sources.

Pollution and noise are enough of a concern that several other fireworks shows in California have faced obstacles in recent years.

In 2007, Sea World had to apply for a water-quality discharge permit for the 100 or so fireworks displays it puts on each year over San Diego's Mission Bay.

The next year, the state Coastal Commission barred a fireworks show in the Mendocino County town of Gualala over concerns it was scaring away seabirds.

And last month, the nonprofit Coastal Environmental Rights Foundation filed suit to try to snuff out the annual July 4 fireworks show in La Jolla, saying it violates state environmental laws. Their line of argument? Protecting the environment is patriotic.

After 10 years of research, Disneyland in 2004 introduced what it called an innovative launching system that uses compressed air instead of black powder. The result is safer, quieter pyrotechnics that emit less smoke and pollution.

"That demonstrates our commitment to being a good neighbor," said Suzi Brown, a Disneyland spokeswoman.

A Disney study requested by air-quality regulators has shown that lifetime cancer risks posed by the park and its fireworks are well within health limits.

"To their credit, they developed a number of technical innovations that had a significant impact on reducing smoke and fallout," said Sam Atwood, a spokesman for the South Coast Air Quality Management District.

But even here in the blast zone, the fireworks have their admirers.

Hotels near the resort advertise rooms with views of the fireworks, and guests request such views. Year-round, but especially on the Fourth of July, motorists pull to the curb and gawk at the display. Traffic on Interstate 5 slows when the sky lights up with color.

Even critics have a soft spot for the fireworks.

"To be honest, I sort of like them," said Steve White, president of Anaheim HOME, which has fought the fireworks for more than a decade. "But there are issues with the perchlorate."

Sunday, those who live near Disneyland know to expect onlookers to descend and set up lawn chairs to view the show.

But for some who view the nightly fireworks as unremarkable as a trash truck rumbling down the street or a train clattering in the distance, the Fourth of July can be a bit of a letdown.

Jim Helms, 37, used to marvel at the exhibit, which he could easily see from his backyard patio just a few blocks from the park. Over time, he admits, it lost its luster.

"Fireworks," he said, "just don't impress me anymore."

Ok, if people don't like hearing the fireworks, then move. The way I see it, YOU moved there, YOU have to deal with it. If it wasn't for Disney, Anaheim probably would never be the same as it is today.

3rd Day In Branson

Yesterday we went on a dam tour, and then went to The Landing (outdoor mall) to see a Journey Tribute band, and a fireworks show.

Today I spent going back to Silver Dollar City. It's pretty much the midwest Knott's Berry Farm. Really cool park, with a western, down home feel. After hanging out at the park for most of the day, we came back to the condo, had a rather American dinner of hamburgers (every time I think of that word, Steve Martin in the Pink Panther comes to mind....dambeuurrrgers!"), watermelon, and lemonade! After a quick clean up, we split out and drove to some other random town in the middle of these hills to watch the fireworks.

Now I gotta say, if you get a chance to get "special" 3D glasses to view fireworks or any other light event, GET THEM. We got these prism 3D glasses that made the fireworks have prisms around the lights. It was AWESOME!! They really make the fireworks pop. I think Disney should jump on this, and sell these glasses at the World of Color...it'd be awesome to see it all like that.

Well, I'm gonna sign off and watch a movie. I think sitting poolside with my book and iPod sounds like a good plan for tomorrow.

Day 2 In Branson

They rode motorcycles in this!! I'll get the video up later.

Saw a radio show tonight. Pretty cool to see!

Photos of Branson so far

Branson's been a lot of fun so far. Went to Silver Dollar City and the Branson Landing yesterday, and today we went on a tour of the local Dam. As some of you know me personally, I couldn't help but crack a few jokes about it. Check my twitter feed to see what I mean.

http://twitter.com/mainstreetjake

It was really informative, and cool to learn about how it works. I haven't really taken many photos, but I promise I'll take more as the trip progresses. Well, I'm off to Wal-mart to pick up some stuff I forgot back in Cali.

Oh, and 26 days. :D

Day One

Today's the start of my vacation. I flew out yesterday, and am now in Branson. This is gonna be a great trip of just relaxing, and going and doing a bunch of stuff around here.

this is a test

Summer.....Summer.....

Sorry I haven't been blogging much. I've been busy doing stuff. After all, it is summer. In the past two weeks I've gone to the beach twice, been to the movies 3 nights in a row (saw Karate Kid and Grown Ups), and then multiple nights of hanging out with friends until Lord knows how early in the morning. I'm going to be on vacation soon with a friend, so I'll be posting stuff from that soon. Now back to the pool...

Summer Disneyland trip 2010

The Crazy Game

Recently, after having to deal with a someone psychotic person, I thought of this idea...

what if, a select group of people had this "club", known as "The Unknowns", and they went around being sarcastic, and getting people mad enough to update their statuses about their annoyances.

This game really doesn't have a point to it, but it's fun!

Here's the rules:

• You can't just start something. You have to comment on someone's status after they posted something.
• You cannot resort to using foul language.
• personal attacks are not welcomed.
• sarcasm is key

Now the points system:

• 5 points for the intial post
• -1 point for the user using foul language
• -2 points for the user posting "anonymous" statuses like "people are stupid" and "you know who you are".
• 3 points for the user being creative with their post, by expressing their annoyance/frustration.
• 1 point for being tagged in a post.

California Dorks (Parody of Katy Perry's California Gurls) by Skyway Flyer

This song had me laughing SO hard. Take a look. It's legit.

What is love?

It's love if:

You have great chemistry:
You get lost in your conversations, and the hours pass like minutes. You're more than willing to listen to her when she talks about her day. The chemistry between you is remarkable.

You find her beautiful:
Even if you catch her with no makeup on and her hair pulled back while she's doing dishes, she still looks beautiful to you.

You want to spend time with her:
All you want to do is to be with her, you don't care how, or when, you want to be there with her all the time.

You see a future together:
You experience the strange feeling that your life would be totally empty without her. You tell your friends and family that she may be The One, and you're even thinking about marrying her.

You introduce her to your family:
It becomes very important to you that your parents like her, and that she gets along with everyone close to you.

You include her in all your plans:
Whether you're going out with your male friends or taking your dog for a walk, you want her there with you. And if she's not there, you can't get her off your mind and sneak off to give her a quick "I miss you" phone call. Of course, you don't tell your buddies.

You are more romantic:
All of a sudden you find yourself listening to cheesy romantic songs and thinking of her. You send her flowers and love notes to work and set up romantic evenings candlelit dinners at home.

You always take her side:
If someone says anything even slightly disparaging about her, you immediately rise to her defense. Furthermore, in social gatherings, you always agree with her even if you disagree behind closed doors.

She makes you want to be a better man:
She challenges and motivates you. She makes you happy, and you'd do anything to make her happy.