kevin barnett

37 years ago on Friday, April 13th:

How long will it be before we try again?

Fig 1. A topiatic water tower at the Disney/MGM Studios theme park in Orlando, Florida

My parents have always joked that my brother and I were deprived as children because they never took us to Disney World. When this information was revealed to other friends of theirs who had done the trip with their kids, it was as if they were unfit parents guilty of psychological absuse: “You’ve never been?!”

Note: my parents did take us to plenty of amusement parks but only one theme park — Hanna-Barbera Land. Cue the wah-wah-wahahahhhh bit.

I do remember a time when I was envious of friends who had gone to Disney World (or -Land) but that never lasted. However, my curiosity of the place - what draws people there and why they liked it has remained. Until today when my parents took me, finally, to Disney World.

My family moved to Tampa, FL this year (the same weekend I moved to NYC) and fulfilled their own curiosity when they took my younger brother to Disney World this summer visiting two parks: Animal Kingdom and Epcot. Since they had done the latter two and we felt Magic Kingdom maybe even more exclusively targeted to the kids/Disney superfans - we decided to go to Disney MGM Studios.

With the big studios so protective of their creative properties and IP, I was confused why Disney would leverage MGM for this park. Now having been to the park, I’m even more confused. There isn’t very much influence from the MGM films not to mention the non-Disney attractions such as Star Tours (Star Wars), Indiana Jones stunt show and The Muppets 3-D film.

Of the attractions we were able to see, the stunt car show was the most impressive. I enjoyed The Muppets 3-D film as well. It is much more than a 3-D film because there are environmental elements in the theater which interact with the film. Still, I felt as if the park had already seen it’s prime 10 or 15 years ago.

As I have described to my parents, I enjoyed visiting the park just to experience somewhat of a standard in American culture. But it’s something i don’t need to do again unless I’m taking children of my own. Who knows what will be the family destination when that happens. Personally, I would just assume take my hypothetical family to the real deal ala African safari.

Photos of my Disney/MGM experience are available via Flickr. Solid.

I was just listening to Longwave - Wake Me When It’s Over

I’m checking in during my extended vacation in Texas. It seems strange to call a trip to Texas a vacation, but that’s exactly what it is and I’m having a blast.

This past weekend, I played groomsman for some old friends tying the knot. The wedding went off without a hitch, the reception was fun and I looked pretty sharp in the non-traditional khaki/brown tuxedos. Pictures will follow after I get back to New York.

The rest of my time has been spent catching up with old friends - out at the “family compound” on the San Bernard river and tonight in Galveston. The house on the river has satellite television but I am without an internet connection, which is a good thing. But I couldn’t resist getting on Catherine’s Macbook here on The Island (cue the Lost outro sound effect) to catch up on some emails, news and this blog. It appears the only news I missed was something involving Kramer. I guess that means it’s a good time to be unplugged.

I am extending my stay by one day to attend the Texas vs. Texas A&M game in Austin on Friday with my uncle, aunt and cousin. The last time I attended this game in Austin was my freshman year at Texas A&M when the Aggies were embarrassed 15-51. I’m hopeful this game won’t be a blowout based on the seasons both teams have had.

I’m going to disconnect for now and enjoy the rest of my vacation on the Texas Gulf Coast - it’s good to be back.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I was just listening to Soul Coughing - The Idiot Kings

If you’re not familiar with the Wikipedia, then you probably spend a very limited amount online. The Wikipedia is but one implementation of a “wiki” site - open source code for the web intended to run a collaborative website. So, what better use of a wiki site than to create an online travel guide…

Enter Wikitravel. What better way to learn about various cities than from actual people who have been there and experienced it as a traveler (as opposed to a resident)? The articles are fascinating to read, listing sites to see, places to stay and how you can avoid offending the locals.

Although I enjoy learning about cities I know nothing about, it’s also interesting to read about cities I do know something about. I enjoyed this particular blurb on the United States entry:

There is of course so much to do in the United States. But there are some uniquely American things that as a traveler you will not want to miss:

Shoot Guns The United States constitution affirms a citizen’s right to keep and bear arms. Travelers who want to shoot can avail themselves of the thousands of rifle ranges set throughout the country. Call ahead first to enquire if guns are available for rent or you should bring your own. Often, classes are available for beginners or first time shooters.

It’s definitely interesting to reflect on your own home and the things you take for granted that foreigners would clearly not. Shooting guns is just one example.

In the meantime, I am going to continue exploring Wikitravel while paying some extra-special attention to the European entries…

I was just listening to The Verve - Lucky Man

In the 43 hours I spent traveling by train, plane and car to get Jacob married, everything but the actual traveling part was a blast. I arrived after a morning flight and layover in Vegas (where I noticed a new, skinny hotel on the skyline) to just molasses traffic on the 405 > 101 in Los Angeles.

Driving in LA sucks.

I was *supposed* to go get fitted for my tux but after traveling 20 miles in 2 hours, it wasn’t going to happen. All was not lost - I would just be getting up early the next morning to fetch the penguin suit. But I did make it to the hotel in time to leave with Jacob’s family + Mr. Mike Cravey - people I haven’t seen in *years* - to the rehearsal at Pepperdine’s chapel.

All in all, a fantastic event that everyone enjoyed despite any stress and pressures. It was great seeing Jacob with Emilie and verifying for myself that it is the true love. It was great hanging out with old friends, catching up on what we’ve been up to and reminiscing about the “Geek Mafia” years.

The rehearsal dinner, bachelor outing, wedding ceremony and reception were all executed well and I had a great time. I only wished I could have spent more time in the Malibu hills with my old friends. I’m glad to see them doing well and happy.

Not to mention seeing my oldest of friends get hitched. Unforgettable.

Fig 1. Jacob, Emilie and a wedding photographer in Malibu, CA

Patience friends, photo gallery coming soon…

I was just listening to Fleetwood Mac - Dreams

I just finished cheating on my blog posts from D.C….which I had been “drafts” but had not been posted yet.

So I must document the photo page from D.C..

I had expected to get more pictures but that just doesn’t happen when your vacation is more about R&R than anything else.

I had a great time…can’t wait to go back.

I was just listening to Primus - Bob