Open Source software

Open Source software is basically free software that is comparable and maybe even better than the software we pay for. Also the software is said to be better performance than what we pay for, and lots less bugs.

The basic idea behind open source is very simple: When programmers can read, redistribute, and modify the source code for a piece of software, the software evolves. People improve it, people adapt it, people fix bugs. And this can happen at a speed that, if one is used to the slow pace of conventional software development, seems astonishing. read more

Just do a search for open source software on the web and you'll come up with unlimited stuff.

Don't have MS Office and need to use word docs, excel spreadsheet, access databases... then dont go and spend all that money on the program, get the go to Open Office, we are using it on our 2nd computer, works perfectly, can do everything u can do in the ms software, but no power point.

I also just downloaded Blender the open source software for 3D modeling, animation, rendering, post-production, interactive creation and playback. They have a full tutorial and are even being used in the UK by production studios, i can't wait to learned!


I Love free stuff, um I mean open source, hehe

I'm So Punk Rock. Or Not.

Yes this is Avril Lavigne. She was all like MEH I'M PUNK ROCK BUT I DON'T KNOW WHO THE SEX PISTOLS ARE AND I DON'T CARE! KICK ASS AND ROCK OUT! I HANG OUT IN MALLS AND KNOCK OVER DRUM SETS AND JUMP IN POOLS WITH ALL MY CLOTHES ON! (the reason that was all in caps is because she didn't speak in moderate tones - punks don't do things like that).

So now look at her. She is all like sk8ter boi who? Does he do coke? Did he go to the latest party at Tao? What about the fashion show in Milan? Yes!? Then I'm down with him!

Listen I'm not hating on her changing style. I'm just saying that there is a good reason why 17 year olds shouldn't be trend setters/role models or sometimes allowed to open their mouths. Because one day they are all like oh peace and love and save the world and live your life. And then just a few short years later they are wearing a suit, sitting at their desk with the law degree hanging on the wall and blogging about how people don't know how to park their cars.

(Picture courtesy of DListed)

You Are Annoying. ZAP. Silence.

Everyone has been out in public and been around that person on their cell phone who goes on and on (in a very loud voice) about their last night's hookup, what they are going to eat for dinner, the shoes they want to buy....(the list can go on forever). Or what about that person in the movie theater who actually answers their phone during the movie? Or your rude date that answers the phone during a dinner at a restaurant?

Here is your revenge. It's called the Portable Director Cell Phone Jammer (in Japanese). It will jam up a phone for a little over a minute or slowly fade out a phone call. It isn't sold in the U.S. yet, but watch out because one day someone can be using this on you!

Feed Lindsay Lohan!

Play the Feed Lindsay Game! Lindsay starts off as skin and bones and watch her fill out as you feed her pie and Paris Hilton's Dog! But watch out - you will lose points each time you eat Slim Fast or Ex Lax. You can even lose a life when you miss a good food item or eat a Collin Farrell head! Enough fun to get you through a five minute break.

(Thanks Hollywoodtuna)

The 1950's Scare Me

Plan59 has put together some ads from the 1950's where the kids stare at food like they are possessed. Here are some highlights:




Definitely Disturbing. If you aren't afraid, go check out the rest.

(Thanks Boing Boing)

The Future of Music

Many musicians play their hearts out in small clubs for years in hopes of getting heard by someone who can help them get picked up onto a label to distribute their music.

What is the need for a distribution company when you can just upload your songs onto some website and just sell it (or give it away for free) to anyone who wants to hear it?

Now iTunes and Rhapsody are giving the artist a direct way to sell their music. This website will upload your music onto the web and you still retain all rights and ownership to your music. Plus you get 100% of the profits. The fee to use this service is really small which makes it worth a try.

There is so much potential for changing the music industry now that many people have switched over to buying music over the internet. Some people worry about what the power of the internet will do to many industries - such as film, television, music - and I want to remind them that many industries have come and gone. At different points of history different forms of entertainment ruled and were quickly taken over by others. Think of gladiators, on stage plays, operas, silent films, radio broadcasts. They all may still be around in some form today - but they will never be at the height they were once at. Expect some changes in our generation - who knows what the future can bring.

Shawn's Post Secret Fav

I wonder what happened...

my postsecret fave is an all too real fear for me

I'm not loving walmart

Oh How i can't stand walmart. My husband refuses to go into one, and I have learned that he has really good reason. Not only are is the experience of walmart horrific, the long lines, sketchy people, and rude workers, but the fact that the prices are so low scares me, ever time i've gone into a walmart I felt like something was very wrong it was scary, and I know why....

Ever wonder why Walmart has such cheap prices? Well if you think that it's because they make low quality products with well established labels... DING DING your right.

And a major manufacturer is saying no! If you can't see that link here is the original article from FastCompany

Snapper, the lawn mower company, has been selling at walmart, but now have pulled the products from the shelves. Snapper is a well established company, with quality lawn mowers, but have brought down the price and quality in order to be sold at walmart. What will happen in a few years is the company will lose money by selling at walmart, and the good rep they have.

If you think the head offices at walmart, whose ceo's are the wealthiest people in the us, Lee Scott Jr make $17.5 million a year, would have a prestigous office, reading this article you find out that they have vistors sit on lawn chairs, sounds so seedy.

A great movie, actually a few movies, have come out to show the truth, the high cost of low price
Basically, when a walmart moves into town, most of those neighborhood shops go out of business because they can't beat the prices. The wealth has been taken out of the neighborhood and given to those few at the top of walmart. The Corporation is another great movie that sheds much needed light on the american corporations, and just how low they will go to get your dollar.

Hi. Your 15 Minutes Are Up. Please Go Away.

I will admit that I love celeb gossip. I check various blogs multiple times a day to see what latest thing Britney, Reese, or the random reality stars have done that day. But some people need to just go away. We understand you are famous and that people want to capitalize on it - but you have gotten annoying - so please go away!

Kevin Federline insists that you don't call him KFed. I guess a man who has two kids by one woman, dumps her while she is pregnant for another woman with tons of more money, and then trashes up a perfectly good superstar just to get her pregnant and bring her down is too good for a name like KFed. Well KFed, I heard your new song. It sucks, KFed. You look like an ass, KFed, when you sing along to it. And I hope that Britney dumps you and you have to go back to whatever trashy KFed town you came from and will never be seen again.

Star Jones. She married a man that everyone thinks is gay except for her. She lost tons of weight. She is on The View complaining about what people say about her. I think she used to practice law and now she is selling payless shoes. And she has a book. She is photographed with her white fluffy puppy and husband all over the place and I am done looking at her. I don't care what her book has to say, I just hope she uses the profits to hide away in some country where the media doesn't exist.

Are you still pregnant? Geez. I thought I was sick of you when the relationship was announced. I thought I had enough when "TomKat" appeared all over the place. I thought it was the end when I saw couch jumping, water gun shooting, and marriage proposals. And to top it off you are at a soccer game every week. Don't you need to go on bed rest already? I'll tell you one thing - we know you are nuts - that is why we speculate about your relationship - and if you didn't show up all over the place we can move on - so go away!
Some of you may not know Marguerite but she was on wife swap (reality show where the two families switch moms). This woman is a devout Christian that loves to scream about the devil who was put into a home where they believe in astrology and other new age beliefs. I have nothing bad to say about people who have religious beliefs - I do have something to say about crazy ladies who think that everything is the devils work. You would have thought after the show aired she would go into hiding because she wasn't portrayed in the best light. Well she hasn't. She has a figurine, she has done the late night talk show rounds, and now she has a rap album. I'm hoping one day she screams so hard about the devil being everywhere that her head explodes and she just disappears forever.

Oh Paris. So many reasons why you are awful. Sex Tapes. Whoring yourself out to Greek shipping heirs. Being half naked on every red carpet but insisting you wouldn't do Playboy. A reality show that capitalizes on making yourself look dumb (and by the way I'm sure you have a brain - use it to make young girls not turn anorexic and worry about what your shoe size is or how to dance on table tops). And you too have an album coming out. I hope that the album comes out, goes to #1 in Japan and you are forced to move there and live out the rest of your days outside of this country. Maybe end up hosting a Japanese talk show or something and give us something good to make fun of you for.

Brangelina. Breaking up marriages. Having babies. Adopting names. And now Brad is doing what he does in every relationship he has been in, taking on the characteristics of his significant other. Do us a favor and go tour Africa for a really really long time and save more lives. Just don't do it where the cameras can see you.

Ok honestly I don't know who Jordan is. I have never seen her on TV but I have heard that she was on some reality show (like Big Brother) in England (I think). All I know is that she tries hard to trash it up by dressing half naked. A woman made of plastic should not be trying to sell exercise videos. It just isn't right. Why not go under the knife for a few more procedures so we don't have to see you for awhile.

Finally, Kate Moss. I knew your name when you were just a model. I figured you did drugs - I mean how else could you stay so thin? But now you are everywhere. Going to rehab. Breaking up with your ex. Starting fights with Sienna Miller. Having lunch with Lindsey Lohan. Partying with Jack Osborne. Getting tons of new modeling deals. That's great for you but you crossed the line when you agreed to have a book deal (which you won't even write yourself) about this comeback. We already know the story - you are still on drugs - and your poor daughter will grow up and know what you did. Why not save face and leave writing books to real writers. I hope your next drug binge lands you in rehab for a lot longer than 30 days.

(Pictures and links from DListed, Best Week Ever and A Socialite's Life)

How To Be Creative

Often times when one tries to be creative they hit a road block. They want to pursue their artistic dreams but find their pockets to be empty. Sometimes this lack of funds leads to a lack of inspiration.

This guide on How to Be Creative provides the strugling artist with a list of how to stay focused and hopefully attain their goals through the ups and downs. The guide provides further explinations of the following tips:

1. Ignore everybody.

2. The idea doesn't have to be big. It just has to change the world.

3. Put the hours in.

4. If your biz plan depends on you suddenly being "discovered" by some big shot, your plan will probably fail.

5. You are responsible for your own experience.

6. Everyone is born creative; everyone is given a box of crayons in kindergarten.

7. Keep your day job.

8. Companies that squelch creativity can no longer compete with companies that champion creativity.

9. Everybody has their own private Mount Everest they were put on this earth to climb.

10. The more talented somebody is, the less they need the props.

11. Don't try to stand out from the crowd; avoid crowds altogether.

12. If you accept the pain, it cannot hurt you.

13. Never compare your inside with somebody else's outside.

14. Dying young is overrated.

15. The most important thing a creative person can learn professionally is where to draw the red line that separates what you are willing to do, and what you are not.

16. The world is changing.

17. Merit can be bought. Passion can't.

18. Avoid the Watercooler Gang.

19. Sing in your own voice.

20. The choice of media is irrelevant.

21. Selling out is harder than it looks.

22. Nobody cares. Do it for yourself.

23. Worrying about "Commercial vs. Artistic" is a complete waste of time.

24. Don’t worry about finding inspiration. It comes eventually.

25. You have to find your own schtick.

26. Write from the heart.

27. The best way to get approval is not to need it.

28. Power is never given. Power is taken.

29. Whatever choice you make, The Devil gets his due eventually.

30. The hardest part of being creative is getting used to it.

Some I would like to add to this list:

Avoid wearing sunglasses indoors. You don't look cool and it isn't creative.

Name dropping is for losers.

Crazy haircuts and flipped up collars are fun for 80's nights - but they don't pay the bills (remember tip #7 - you have to keep your day job).

(Thanks Digg)

Why Was I Forced To Play Dodge Ball Instead Of This?

If any of you have been to a video arcade in the past few years you would know of this game called Dance Dance Revolution. Usually one dude brings 50 bucks worth of quarters and spends all day hopping on arrows (and only breaks for a sip of coca cola) to dance along with the beat to get points for each time he hits the right arrow with his feet. The patterns made when hitting the arrows makes it look like the person playing the game is dancing - and sure do they sweat up a storm! And by the way now you can get this game on Play Station at home.

Schools in West Virginia have now brought these games into their schools to help kids loose weight. They are hoping that by promoting this active game, the kids with obesity problems will start building healthier habits. Also, they are hoping to prevent obesity in younger kids by having them play this game.

We used to have to play stupid games of Soccer/Dodge Ball/Ultimate Frisbee - all those things that wimpy girls can't keep up with - and I really hated them. I found every excuse to get out of gym class - including failing physical fitness tests so I would be put in a "special ed" gym with kids who had broken legs and stuff like that. But maybe I wouldn't have tried so hard to get out of gym class if there was a fun game I was into.

I can blog

i think.

"It's like the whole experience but without the icky bathroom situation."

Went to see The Coachella Film last night. Highly recommended movie for any fan of music! A major kaleidoscope of artists from new and exciting (Arcade Fire) to old and uninspired (Oasis) to classic (Radiohead, Flaming Lips) and even uber-classic (Pixies, Morrisey). Good camerawork and a wonderful sense of "place" really made these performances stand out as not just some concert but really Coachella.

All kinds of different genres were represented. No festival is complete with the pre-requisite hippie bands and they were well represented right up front with a great performance by a band called Spearhead. A quiet and smile-inducing performance by Belle and Sebastian was the highlight of the first quarter of the film. Those guys and girls would have make Satan smile, throw down his pitchfork, and dance. The spasmodic Mars Volta performance was scary in "what are these guys on?" way.

Highlights: Quirky and weird performances by The Polyphonic Spree and Fischerspooner take the cake for memorable moments. A typically heart-breaking song from Bright Eyes and leave it to Bjork to be the only singer in the world who brings an orchestra to a festival. Great choice of song from Radiohead ("Planet Telex" from The Bends) was a rocking good time. High-quality and confident songs from Morrisey and the Pixies. A given: Red Hot Chili Pepper's performing "Californication" in the chill SoCal night.

I was especially impressed by the electornica performances. Not the least because of the huge, beautifully lit, tent devoted to it but the high-energy, high-power performance by bands like The Crystal Method and The Chemical Brothers. It brought back my raver years to the forefront of my memory. Special shout-out to the DJ battle between Cut Chemist and Nu Mark, a definite highlight.

The film ended with a bang, as well. Arcade Fire's wild performance of "Rebellion (Lies)" and The Flaming Lips' over-the-top "Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots," complete with guys in animal suits, a huge spaceball, and that damn singing nun. Wonderful choice for a final performance: Zero 7 doing their usual downbeat, afterparty, thing.

Performance wise, all the artists were in top form (except, of course, for Oasis who validated their existence in this film with a hilarious juxtaposition with Saul Williams.) Typical shots of fans drinking water and hiding from the sun was interesting for their brevity. Celebrity interviews were short and widely dispersed as well.

Overall, I felt like this was a music doc made by people who have seen a lot of music docs and didn't want to over the same shit again and again. Don't miss it!

High Fashion or Just Plain High?

John Galliano for Christian Dior's spring-summer 2006 haute couture collection

(Picture from Boing Boing)

WB + UPN = CW Network

News has broken today that those two random stations known for playing repeats of old good shows and sitcoms about minorities or girly sappy dramas will join forces to make one consolidated station in September 2006. I guess each station alone wasn't make the cut ratings wise.

Will the Friends/Seinfeld/Sex and the City/Raymond/Simpsons repeats continue? Will Gilmore Girls lose out to Girlfriends? Is there competition between Veronica Mars and Smallville? And the token reality show - will it be Americans Next Top Model or Beauty and the Geek?

These are questions I need answers to. Ok not really.

(By the way, I knew Kristen Bell (Veronica Mars) when she was at NYU - she lived down the hall from me and was good friends with my suitemate.)

Is Today The Most Depressing Day Of The Year?

According to Cliff Arnall, a health psychologist at the University of Cardiff in Wales, January 23 is the most depressing day of the year.

Here is the formula he used to figure it out: 1/8W+(D-d)3/8xTQMxNA

Actually the formula comes out to say January 24th or the closest Monday to January 24th because Monday is the worst day of the week.

The factors used to make this formula: time passed since the holidays, failure of new years resolutions, credit card debt not yet paid off, and lack of motivation (among others listed in the above linked article).

And I agree. Today is depressing because my car got broken into and now I have to pay to fix it. Damn deductibles!

(Thanks Best Week Ever)

postsecret faves

the ways we navigate human relationships interest me.

Shawn's Post Secret Fav

I swear this wasn't me.

Wow.

Incredible PostSecret update today. Do not miss it!

The "pixelated" story is the most powerful thing I've read yet on that site. So many people these days lose themselves in the easy mask of the Internet. Reminds me a little of all those science fiction stories where human beings have so sequestered themselves with technology, they all live in small cocoons, separate, alone.

I'm Tagged! Shawn's 5 Weird Habits

The first player of this game starts with the topic "five weird habits" and people who get tagged need to write an entry about their five weird habits as well as state this rule clearly. In the end, you need to choose the next five people to be tagged and link to their web journals. Don't forget to leave a comment in their blog or journal that says "You have been tagged" (assuming they take comments) and tell them to read yours.

Elad tagged me to list 5 weird habits of myself...so here I go.

1. not letting food touch each other on the plate or mix while eating
2. locking the door to my car a million times
3. arranging dishes/forks/spoons/knives etc. in categories while washing and drying dishes
4. when posting a blog entry, i will post/publish, then read, then spell check again, then fix errors, then repost and see how the layout looks on the site, then fix again, then repost (sometimes repeated 3 or 4 times)
5. i listen to a record i like on repeat again and again and again and again - without skipping songs or changing to another album. a cd can stay in my cd player for weeks and i will just keep on listening to it over and over again.

wow i sound o.c.d. - but in reality i am just repetitive

Who is tagged next? Julie, Bonnie, Melody, Seonah, and Meredith
(I would have tagged Lori, but she doesn't have a blog!)

Golden Globes

Last night I attended a great party at Meredith's place (click to see pictures) - where a group of girls talked smack about anorexic stars while eating yummy stuffed mushrooms, baked brie, pigs in a blanket, chips, cookies, chocolate cake...and more! Meredith has done a great post-show wrap-up on her blog which you should all take a look at.

I usually skip out on watching award shows because they have gotten kinda lame. But watching it with all these girls made it a whole new fun experience. We shared celeb gossip, judged dresses, predicted future break-ups, and wondered why certain people were missing from the audience.

What is the deal with all those celebs that weren't at the Golden Globes but were photographed at after-show parties (for example Paris Hilton, Mary-Kate Olsen, Jimmy Fallon) . Do they just hang out around the limos to find out where the after party is? And also, sometimes you think of people like Paris as an "A" list but in reality she wasn't invited to the award show - so she must be like a "D" list, right? The world of hollywood celebs just confuses me!

Not A Good Look For You Jimmy

Put down the bottle of hair dye! You used to be cute!!!!!

The Civility Police

My friend Danya had dubbed me "The Civility Police" - and soon you will understand why.

I work in a large office building with a 16 floor garage. As many people who drive know, people like to drive like idiots. What do those idiots like to do more than driving badly? Parking like jerks.

A few months ago I made a new policy. When I see someone parked like a jerk, I will make sure they somehow know what I'm thinking. Whenever I would drive into the parking garage and see someone parking way too far over the line, or blatantly taking up 2 spots, I would write them a little note letting them know what an ass they are. Even when the only available spots were many levels up in the garage, I would take the elevator back down to the stupidly parked car, just to leave a note.

Last week a funny thing happened. I came into the garage and found one of these cars parked smack between 2 spots. So I went up to the 10th floor and parked my car. Then took the elevator back down to the 6th floor and wrote my little note. As I was placing the note under the windshield wiper, I saw something amazing. Someone else already wrote a note! And it said almost the same thing my note said! It was great! There are other people out there fighting for the cause!

On top of that, the building management put a huge sticker on the driver's side window that said that this car was parking in violation of the building's rules. Finally, civility wins!

Breaking 2000!

On November 21, 2005 (in fear that nobody was reading the blog) I added a Counter to the page. Well, to my surprise, the blog was getting many hits every single day.

And today we have finally broken 2000 hits! That means in less than 2 months this little old blog has been hit 2000 times. Ok maybe it was only done by 30 people - but still, I am proud!

(a little side note - when you use spell check in Blogger, why doesn't it have the word "blog" in its dictionary?)

We Left With Blisters On Our Feet

Shawn:

Finally it is here. Our Disney Post!

For all of you who don't know, Elad and I went last weekend to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. It was a last minute and unplanned - but we made it there and back with great stories to tell about it.

For all of you who want to visit Disney - you don't have to plan ahead. But in reality, it doesn't hurt. When we arrived in Disney we tried to find a hotel. We thought we were smart by picking the weekend after New Years, and before Martin Luther King weekend, because most people wouldn't be at Disney at this time. We were wrong. We had to stop at a handful of hotels before finding one that had an available room. We found Seralago because Elad thought they had a nice sign. Turns out they only had a few smoking rooms available for the weekend. Why were there no rooms available, you ask? Disney had a Marathon during the entire weekend - which ran through the parks - and booked up all the hotels. So lucky for us we found a hotel that was only 5 minutes to the park - and the room actually didn't smell like smoke at all.

Since I am insane, I don't like to waste time when there are things to see or do. That means waking up at 6:45 am in order to be at the gate, ticket in hand, ready to be the first on line for the rides. Elad is a good sport, so he went along with me. Here is how the morning went:

6:45 am - wakey time!
8:00 am - in the car driving to get coffee
8:30 am - at MGM-Disney Studios buying tickets
9:00 am - in the park.What happened to that half hour between buying tickets and getting into the park? Sadly the park opens at 8:30 for people who are staying at Disney hotels - but the cheap people who stay outside of the park are only allowed in at 9:00 am.

We decided to get a one day park hopper pass. This would allow us to check out as many parks as we can get to in one day.

We made it into the park and headed straight to Star Tours - which is a Star Wars ride that is in definite need of a face lift. It is a cute idea - that you are in a space ship going through the galaxy and are avoiding being hit by lasers - but the ride doesn’t have a realistic feel after being on all the new modern rides that make you really feel like you are in another world.

Soon we hit the best ride of the day - Aerosmith’s Rock n Roller Coaster. This Ride Kicks Ass!! It goes super fast and is like a modern day Space Mountain. I will admit I was scared to get on the ride - and we somehow found ourselves in the first row - but it was totally worth it!

At about 11:00 we decided that we wanted to move onto Epcot. This was definitely were we wanted to spend the most time and we knew that MGM might be fun - but Epcot was the place for us. So we took a nice ferry boat and managed to see a few Disney resorts on the way.

We entered Epcot in the middle of the area where there are the different countries. Specifically we found ourselves in England. We quickly moved through this part and went straight for the new ride Soarin’.

There is a lot of hype around Soarin’ - its new - its pretty - its like you are flying. Sure it is - but really it’s a great IMAX film, with seats that go up in the air so it feels like you are in the sky. You fly through California - but the transition isn’t smooth. You are over the sea and suddenly the screen flashes to mountains and then again a quick flash and you are in Yosemite. Its really pretty while you are in each scene - but the transition sucked.

After Soarin' we had lunch at the Coral Reef restaurant. A great place that is built around a huge tank that is big enough to scuba dive in! Eat some good food while watching sharks, sting reys, and fishes of all sort swim by.

We spent the afternoon on Honey I Shrunk the Audience (which is cool besides the 10 minute Kodak commercial you are forced to sit through) and Test Track (which is a fun ride where you are in a car that is put through all types of tests and ends with a really fast speeding test). We also went on Mission:Space (scary and fun) and Spaceship: Earth (cute and easy going).

At about 4pm we decided that we were gonna head over to the Magic Kingdom, so we can get on Space Mountain, eat dinner, and see the new fireworks show called "Wishes." We got on the monorail, went straight for Tommorowland, got a Fast Pass for Space Mountain, and then wandered the park a little until it was our time to use the Fast Pass.

So for all of you who don't know what Fast Pass is - listen up. When you go to Disney the lines are long. You can wait hours just to sit on a ride that lasts 1 minute. Of course some of the rides are worth it - but nothing beats using a Fast Pass. Show up to the ride, scan in your ticket at a Fast Pass machine, and a ticket comes out that tells you to come back at a certain time. For example, when we got to Space Mountain we got a ticket that said come back between 6:30 and 7:30. It was about an hour and a half away, so we wandered the park, did Small World, Pirates of the Carribean, the Haunted House - and ate a few snacks - while waiting. By the time we got back to Space Mountain we were able to go straight to the front and get on the ride within 10 minutes.

The trick is that you can only have one Fast Pass at a time. So you need to time yourself well. Elad and I got really lucky throughout the day. We did everything with fast pass, and didn’t wait on line for more than 15 minutes for anything. We even had someone hand us their fast pass that they weren't using on Soarin’ - so we waited no time at all for that.

Elad:

Finally, the moment we had been waiting for all day was upon us, the fireworks. Shawn and I love fireworks. Love the colors, the sounds, the surprises. In that regard, The Magic Kingdom's Wishes was everything we could imagine. It started with the brightest white ball we'd ever seen, like a comet flying over Cinderella's Castle, establishing the "wishing upon a star" theme. Another comet came from the other side and they threatened to collide. They didn't, but it was as if they did, because the width and breath of the ensuing explosions defied all our expectations. There were kaldiescope of colors, there were sprinklings showers of sparks, there were a dozen comets with brightly lit trails streaking across the nightsky. There was music, there was lights and projections on the castle. It was indescribly impressive.

And so our first day ended, literally, with a bang.

Next day, up early (although a little bit later than the previous day), and onto Universal. We hadn't planned to do Universal at all, rather split our Disney days to two parks a day. But, we'd do some much in one day, we knew we had to take advantage of our fast-paced spirit and attack the other major attraction in Orlando: Universal Studios and their new spinoff park, Islands of Adventure.

We hit Islands of Adventure first at my suggestion. I thought the Do-The-Big-Rides first-approach was the best and the most efficient. It seemed to work. Despite Shawn's dire proposal the first thing we did was head straight for a behemoth of a ride: The Incredible Hulk. Its curves and drops and rider-screams are ever-present all over The Islands.

Shawn was terrified of the ride. It looked so imposing, so frightening. But she relented and stuck with me, apprehensive as all hell. Riding up the cackling gears of the ride to the pure blue Florida sky, I felt Shawn's fear. She's practically afraid of drops - probably the loose, freefall, effect reminds her of falling - and Hulk had a dozy of one. Thankfully, it curved almost immediately and we were off at the speed of sound (or something like it) before she even had a chance to realize she was afraid. And over the next 60-90 seconds, she screamed and yelled, but not with fear, but glee. I'm somewhat of a rollercoaster enthusiast, having been on dozens in my life, and I have to say that is easily one of the best. It's got style to it. The curves and loops seem to have a purpose, a thematic link to The Hulk idea. In order to ride this thing, you have to be strong.

Next up was Sunday's ride-of-the-day, The Amazing Adventures of Spiderman. This ride is the whole package. It's a small car riding through an elaborate track, but here's the kicker: there are massive, seeming invisible, screens everywhere and you have 3D glasses on. Imagine: rolling through a dilapidated city block only to have Spiderman jump on the car, the car rocks with the impact, and him coming up to your face and saying, "I need your help." Over the next few minutes (the ride is long and engrossing) you watch as Spiderman takes on every single one of his biggest villains. Water splashes onto your face. At one point, Electro shoots a flamethrower at you and heat engulfs the car. Another time, Doctor Octopus grabs the car and throws you upwards towards the rooftops. When I tell you this felt more realistic than any 3D ride I'd ever been on, believe me. It was a wonderful experience and one I hope to repeat very soon.

Next, we did a quick but fun tour of Universal's Islands. From Toontown, where they have tons of great photo opportunities and it was early enough that the only two little kids in the park were Shawn and I and so we took tons of pictures. To the small and unimpressive Jurassic Park section, to The Lost Continent Island where we saw a wonderful show called Poseidon's Fury and finally to Seuss Landing where we went on an impressive, albeit childish, ride based on The Cat In The Hat.

(Shawn: Elad forgot to mention we went on Dueling Dragons. This is a ride where 2 very scary rollercoasters (fire and ice) run along side each other and threaten to collide a few times. This ride was insanely scary and because Elad and I are real troopers, we went on both fire and ice right after each other)

Then we were off to Universal Studios, with it's fair share of classic rides, new fun rides, and slightly disappointing rides. First, the new: Shrek 4-D is a instant classic, bringing a huge theater to life with very impressive 3D and an equally impressive storyline. The Jimmy Neutron ride is another kiddie ride that has a lot of fun moments, a virtual who's-who's of Nickelodeon stars, and The Revenge of The Mummy ride was as surprising as it was awesome. It starts off as a simple animatronic ride and then upgrades to an impressive screen-based ride and then leaps into a rollicking rollercoaster. By the time it's over, you're not really sure which part was the best. A true winner.

Next, the disappointing: For all it's promise, the Men In Black ride, with a Spiderman-ish track and each rider with his or her very own gun, comes off as lackluster and a little dull. It had it's moments, but I wouldn't have waited on line for it. And thankfully, we didn't. (Hint: Universal has its own FastPass system except you pay a little extra and you go to any ride you choose and you don't have to wait in line. Well worth the cash. Just be sure to specify you want the Express pass for both parks.)

Finally, the classic: One of the rides we were most looking forward to it, because it stuck on our collective memory, is The Back to the Future ride. But, unfortunately, after the extremely exciting Spiderman ride, this simple shifting video-ride just didn't cut it. We enjoyed it, sure, for it's classic old-time-ness, but it definitely has lost its appeal. The folks at Universal should do a complete overhaul of the ride, call it Back To The Future II, and take some lessons from their modern rides. It could be a real hit.

The last ride we went on was E.T. Both Shawn and I didn't remember this one - though we probably did ride it - and so it was a complete surprise for both for us. Surprise as in Fun! It was interesting and exciting and when you arrive in E.T's home planet, magical. This is a ride with longevity and creativity and shouldn't be touched at all.

Universal is also interesting for it's facades. The different areas of the park are modeled after different cities, New York, San Francisco, and using movie-tricks, they really bring these areas to life. The only real complaint I had was that the re-imagined Jaws ride was closed for repair. That's the very definition of classic.

All in all, a wonderful weekend, full of memory and excitement. I'm very glad we finally decided to go and experience "the adventure" ourselves. And I would recommend it to everyone!