Archive for June, 2013

Movie Review – World War Z (WWZ) (2013)

This past weekend saw the release of World War Z, a big budget zombie flick based on Max Brooks’s hit book World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War.

Imagine waking one day and proceeding your with normal routine.  Apart from the negative news reports on the airwaves, everything seems to be normal.  That is until you’re stuck in a traffic jam and suddenly all hell breaks loose.  That carnage and chaos is caused by a sudden zombie epidemic that’s sweeping the globe and overrunning the major cities.

Nobody is safe.

That’s the beginning of World War Z, the latest zombie film to hit the theaters.  Directed by Marc Foster, World War Z stars Brad Pitt in the title role of Gerry Lane, a retired United Nations employee who has seen action in some of the world’s worst places.  He’s not a soldier but he has an understanding of combat tactics along with basic medical treatment.  Supporting him in the film are Mireille Enos as Karin Lane, Gerry’s wife, Fana Mokoena as Thierry, the Deputy Secretary-General to the United Nations, and David Morse as a former CIA operative currently held prisoner.

Don’t look for a whole lot of famous faces in this film.  World War Z is literally all about Brad Pitt’s character and how he handles the zombie pandemic, from sheltering his family to assisting the government with trying to find the source and hopefully finding some way of stopping the zombies.

For those of you who have read World War Z: An Oral History to the Zombie War, be prepared for several major differences from the book.

World War Z begins with a series of news clips showing deteriorating conditions around the world.  We don’t exactly know why there’s trouble, just that times are looking bad for many people.

World War Z (2013) – (c) Paramount Pictures

Gerry Lane (Brad Pitt) and his wife Karin (Mireille Enos) are awakened by their daughters Rachel and Constance.  It’s a normal morning in the house and Gerry cooks breakfast for the girls.  The younger girl has a birthday approaching while the older daughter has an asthma problem.  There’s a television news report of a country that has been placed under martial law, and one of his daughters asks Gerry about martial law and being in those dangerous countries.  We know that Gerry used to work for the United Nations, but his job there is still a mystery.

The morning quickly progresses and Gerry drives his family into Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for work and school.  They’re stuck in heavy traffic and listed to news reports of a mysterious rabies outbreak around the world.  Suddenly a police motorcycle races through the stopped cars and knocks off Gerry’s side mirror.  He gets out of the car to investigate when another cop yells for him to return to his vehicle.  Gerry complies, but once he’s back inside his family witnesses a small explosion in front of them.  This explosion is followed by a mob of people fleeing from something horrific but still unknown. Read more…

RIP Vince Flynn (1966-2013)

This morning I learned about the passing of Vince Flynn.

I knew that he previously had a bout with prostate cancer, but I didn’t know that apparently he was still dealing with the deadly disease.  He was still writing and publishing his books with the next in the series scheduled to be released this fall.  Needless to say, the news about his passing was a bit of a shock to me.

Unfortunately for Mr. Flynn, the news of his death has been far outweighed by news about James Gandolfini’s sudden passing as well.  It seems that everywhere you look, from the main “society” home pages such as Yahoo!, MSN and AOL, and popular social media websites such as Facebook and Twitter, the talk and conversations are pretty much all revolving around Gandolfini, a man who was immortalized by playing a mobster on the HBO hit series The Sopranos.

I don’t watch the national news stations.  Had it not been for a single headline on the website BreakingNews.com, I would have never heard about Vince Flynn’s passing yesterday morning.

Granted, many of Flynn’s novels weren’t exactly literary masterpieces.  So far I’ve read seven of his fourteen published novels (the fifteenth is scheduled to be released this fall), and from what I’ve read the better novels have been the earlier ones.  He still had some great characters, fantastic action sequences, and Flynn’s novels weren’t afraid to go against the endless bureaucracy and red tape in Washington or the liberal mentality in other parts of the country.  Mitch Rapp, his primary character, was not afraid to step over the line and kick serious ass when it was needed.

Fans of the 2013 action thriller Olympus Has Fallen (versus the upcoming White House Down, a film that looks so bad it’s hilarious) should really check out Vince Flynn’s Transfer of Power.  Let’s just say that the film is extremely similar to the book despite there not being an official connection between the two.  Word has it that one or two of Flynn’s books may officially be made into films in the near future. Read more…

Book Review – Michael Shaara’s “The Killer Angels”

In school we’re taught that the Battle of Gettysburg was the turning point of the American Civil War.

The Battle of Gettysburg was a conflict that lasted for four days, ending on July 3, 1863, and in the end the Confederate Army was dealt a serious blow from which it could not recover.  Nearly eight thousand soldiers in both armies were killed during that epic battle.

But what was the Battle of Gettysburg really like?  What were the generals debating when they formed their battle plans?  How did it feel to lead brave soldiers into a killing field knowing that most would not survive the encounter?

Those questions and more are answered in Michael Shaara’s expertly written historical novel, The Killer Angels.  This historical novel was written in the point-of-view from several key leaders including General Lee, General Longstreet, General Armistead, General Buford and Colonel Chamberlain.  The majority of the book focuses on the Confederate Army and the mistakes that led to their ultimate failure in the battle.

The Killer Angels begins 150 years ago on June 29, 1863 as a Confederate spy makes an important discovery.  The Confederate Army had recently invaded Pennsylvania as part of a plan to take the conflict into the northern states and put political pressure on the northern leaders.  What the leaders did not know was that the Union Army, the Army of the Potomac, was hot on their heels and moving much faster than expected.

By this point the Confederate Army was in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania.  What the spy revealed to General Longstreet was that the Army of the Potomac was a mere twenty miles away in Taneytown, Maryland.  A small line of mountains separated the two armies.  This information was relayed to General Lee, and Lee decided to turn his army and meet the Union forces.  The town where both armies met was called Gettysburg.

From the beginning the Confederate Army is acting in the blind when it comes to the knowledge of the local geography and the location and size of the Army of the Potomac.  After doing his job in the cavalry so well during the earlier stage of the American Civil War, General J.E.B. Stuart fails miserably when it comes to keeping General Lee informed during this conflict.  The Confederate leaders have had enough of the arrogant leader and believe that he’s out joy riding to stir up more stories about himself in the local newspapers.

The first day of the Battle of Gettysburg begins with General Buford’s initial defenses north of the town along Seminary Ridge.  As the day progresses, more soldiers arrive on both sides and the Union defense is pushed south of the city and onto Cemetery Hill. Read more…

Movie Review – Superman II (1980)

Back in 1978, the audience was blown away with Superman.

But the story of Superman was simply too great for one film alone.  The production and filming of Superman II was well under way while the teams were finishing the first film.  In fact, about 75% of the sequel was filmed before original director Richard Donner was removed from the project, and Richard Lester was signed to finishing directing the film, a move that required an extensive amount of re-filming and several key changes to the plot.

Superman II follows hot on the heels of 1978′s Superman.  The film focuses on the three Kryptonian villains that we briefly encountered in the beginning of the first film.  Those villains are freed from their imprisonment in the Phantom Zone, and they fly to Earth to rule the planet.  When they learn about Superman, the son of Jor-El, it turns into a conquest of revenge.  The film climaxes with a massive battle as Superman has to fight three evil doers, all of them with the same super powers.

The theatrical edition of Superman II, the version that most people are familiar, was directed by Richard Lester.  The film was written by Mario Puzo, and Ken Throne conducted the soundtrack based on John Williams’ main theme.  Christopher Reeve returns for the title role of Clark Kent / Superman.  Margot Kidder reprises her role as Lois Lane, the love interest of both Clark Kent and Superman.  Gene Hackman returns as the evil genius Lex Luthor, though he’s not the primary villain in this film.  Terence Stamp plays the role of super villain General Zod.

Supporting them are Ned Beatty as Otis, Valerie Perrine as Eve Teschmacher, Jackie Cooper as Perry White, Sarah Douglas as Ursa, and Jack O’Halloran as Non, a mute but fearsome villain from Krypton.

Superman II (1980) – (c) Warner Bros.

Superman II begins on planet Krypton.  General Zod (Terence Stamp) and his evil companions Ursa (Sarah Douglas) and Non (Jack O’Halloran) are caught in the act of committing a crime.  The Council votes unanimously to imprison the three criminals in something called the Phantom Zone, a prison that flies throughout outer space.  We see the prison capture the criminals and carry them out into space.

After that follows about five minutes of scenes from Superman.  We see all the highlights as young Clark Kent crash lands in Kansas and then most of his heroics as Superman.  We see Superman do everything from taking over the place of a missing jet engine on Air Force One to rescuing children in a school bus to using his own body as a rail to save a speeding train from crashing down a mountain.

The main plot in Superman II resumes when Clark Kent (Christopher Reeve) arrives at the Daily Planet.  His boss, chief editor Perry White (Jackie Cooper) informs him of a group of terrorists at the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France.  They claim to have a hydrogen bomb and are ready to level the entire city.  Perry mentions that Lois Lane was booked on the first Concorde flight to Paris once news of the terrorists broke the airwaves.  Clark runs outside, transitions into his Superman costume, and then flies to Paris. Read more…

Movie Review – Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (2006)

The 2003 film Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl was a smash hit.

The characters were fantastic, the cast was great, the action scenes were outstanding, and the story itself was very good.  When you combine all of that and make a fortune selling toys and accessories from the film, you know that there’s going to be a sequel.  It’s just a matter of time before the pirates would return to the big screen.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest was released three years later in 2006.  The sequel brought back almost the entire cast from the previous film.  This time we’re introduced to the unforgiving Lock Beckett, the mysterious Tia Dalma, and the terrifying Davy Jones.  Throw in more action, more of the supernatural, a massive and incredibly powerful sea creature, and perhaps even a confusing storyline until you understand all of the details, and that sums up the new additions to the sequel.

Like Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Dead Man’s Chest was also directed by Gore Verbinski and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer.  This time around the film’s score was conducted by Hans Zimmer.  Johnny Depp returns to his iconic role of Captain Jack Sparrow, Orlando Bloom is Will Turner, and Keira Knightley returns to her role as Elizabeth Swann.  Like in the previous film, supporting them are Jack Davenport as James Norrington, Kevin McNally as Joshamee Gibbs, Jonathan Pryce as Governor Weatherby Swann, and Geoffrey Rush as Captain Hector Barbossa.

The new additions to Dead Man’s Chest include Stellan Skarsgard as Bootstrap Bill Turner, Bill Nighy as Davy Jones, Tom Hollander as Lord Cutler Beckett, and Naomie Harris as Tia Dalma.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (2006) – (c) Buena Vista Pictures

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest begins a year after the events in The Curse of the Black Pearl.  Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley) and Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) are trying to get married when their wedding ceremony is interrupted by Lord Cutler Beckett (Tom Hollander), leader of the East India Trading Company, and his soldiers.  Both Elizabeth and Will are placed under arrest and charged with assisting Captain Jack Sparrow, a crime that will send both of them to the gallows.  There’s a third arrest warrant for former Commodore James Norrington, but he resigned from the Royal Navy months ago and is nowhere to be found. Read more…

Movie Review – Superman (1978)

In honor of the release of Man of Steel, a reboot of the Superman story, today we’re taking a big step back to 1978 and the original Superman film, Superman.

1978′s Superman was the first film to bring the legendary superhero to the big screen.  The film introduced us to the mild-mannered Clark Kent and his alternate identity of Superman, a flying man with incredible strength who is virtually indestructible.  We learn about the doomed planet of Krypton, Kal-El’s arrival on Earth and adoption by the Kent family, and Clark Kent’s early days as a novice reporter to the Daily Planet, a newspaper in the city of Metropolis.  Along the way we meet Clark’s love interest in Lois Lane, a fellow reporter at the Daily Planet, and Lex Luthor, a criminal mastermind who wouldn’t mind killing millions of people if it earned himself a healthy profit.

Directed by Richard Donner, Superman was written by Mario Puzo.  The film’s famous music score was conducted by Hollywood legend John Williams.

Superman has a fantastic cast starting with Christopher Reeve in the starring role as Clark Kent / Kal-El / Superman.  Margot Kidder also stars as Lois Lane, a reporter who loves Superman from the moment he saves her life.  Gene Hackman plays the villain Lex Luthor, an evil genius who discovers Superman’s weakness and also tries to erase California from the map.  Marlon Brando has the role of Jor-El, Kal-El’s biological father who tries to save Krypton from its destruction.

Supporting them are Jackie Cooper as Perry White, the chief editor at the Daily Planet, Glenn Ford and Phyllis Thaxter as Jonathan and Martha Kent, Jeff East as the teenage version of Clark Kent, and Terence Stamp as the Kryptonian villain General Zod.

Superman (1978) – (c) Warner Bros. Pictures

Superman begins on planet Krypton, a planet with an advanced race of beings.  Unfortunately, the planet is doomed and only has a short time before it explodes.  General Zod (Terence Stamp) is currently in the end stages of his trial before the Council for his evil ways.  Along side of him are his co-conspirators, Ursa (Sarah Douglas) and Non (Jack O’Halloran).  The Council finds the three of them to be guilty, and with Jor-El (Marlon Brando) as the final vote, the three evil ones are sentenced to be imprisoned indefinitely in the “Phantom Zone,” a holding cell that flies through outer space. Read more…

Movie Review – A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

“If Nancy doesn’t wake up screaming, she won’t wake up at all.”

Back in 1984, the world was introduced to the horror of Freddy Krueger.  Unlike other slasher films where teenagers were brutally killed by a knife-wielding psychotic in a blank mask, or a man in a hockey mask attacking people at a summer camp, A Nightmare on Elm Street gave us a crazed killer who could attack his victims no matter where they tried to run or hide.  Freddy Krueger thrived in people’s nightmares, stalking and attacking in their dreams while they slept.

A Nightmare on Elm Street was directed by legendary slasher film maker Wes Craven.  The 1984 horror film stars Heather Langenkamp as the high school teenager Nancy Thompson.  Johnny Depp, in his first major role, plays her boyfriend Glen Lantz.  John Saxon plays the role of Lt. Don Thompson, Nancy’s police officer father.  Robert Englund terrorized the audience in the role of Freddy Krueger, a serial killer back from the dead.  Supporting them are Amanda Wyss as Tina Gray, Nick Corri as Rod Lane, and Ronee Blakley as Marge Thompson.

A Nightmare on Elm Street begins with an unknown man constructing a special glove with knives during the opening credits.

A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) – (c) New Line Cinema

The action begins as teenager Tina Gray (Amanda Wyss) is running through a creepy boiler room while in her nightgown.  We see that she’s being stalked and harassed by a menacing man (Robert Englund) with burned skin and a razor sharp knife glove on his right hand.  Just as the man grabs her, Tina wakes up in her bedroom.

Tina’s is clearly terrified from her nightmare, and she must have been screaming because her mom opens the girl’s bedroom door to check on her.  Tina claims that she’s okay, that it was just a nightmare, but the front of her nightgown has four slash marks, implying that it was more than just an innocent dream. Read more…

Book Review – Clive Cussler’s “Treasure”

Clive Cussler’s Treasure, the ninth book in Cussler’s famous Dirk Pitt series of adventure books, takes readers from the days of the Romans in Egypt to a conspiracy today designed to overthrow two countries’ governments.

Treasure‘s story begins in A.D. 391 as a Roman named Julius Venator is tasked with overseeing a very important, and even more secretive mission.  That year, Pope Theophilus allegedly ordered the destruction of the Library of Alexandria as its vast collection of artwork and information was created under a different religion than the Catholic Church.  Julius Venator was hired to secretly remove as much of the scrolls, artwork and other museum pieces as possible and relocate them, hiding them for future generations.  Venator used a small fleet of ships to transport a great deal of the library’s contents to a far away country, a place never seen before by anybody from Europe.  It would be a place that would guarantee the safety of the library’s artifacts.

Out in that unknown land, Venator’s team of slaves dug a massive underground chamber in one of the hills, and the items from the Library of Alexandria were successfully stored in the new location.  Along with the slaves, a team of legionaries led by a man named Severus also made the long journey from Rome and Egypt.

The day before the completion of moving the library’s artifacts into the chamber, some of the legionaries attacked the local barbarians, killing some of them and kidnapping a few young women.  Word of the attack spread among the local populations, and the next day a massive swarm of thousands of barbarians attacked the Romans.  The legionaries tried to fight their way to the ships, but upon arrival at the coast all but one of the ships were burning.  One ship managed to sail away as the rest of the Romans, the slaves, the legionaries, Severus, and even Venator were all killed by the barbarians.

Fast forward to today.

An envoy to the U.S. President is sent on a secret mission to speak with the leader of the growing Aztec movement in Mexico, a man named Topiltzin.  Topiltzin has plans of leading the movement and overthrowing the Mexican government, restoring it to its former self before the arrival of Europeans hundreds of years ago.  This includes seizing the states of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California, returning them to Mexican control.  If the states are not returned, then Topiltzin plans on sending millions of Mexicans pouring across the U.S.-Mexico border and taking the land that way.

The envoy tries telling Topiltzin that the president will never give in to those demands.  Topiltzin has his men kill the envoy in a sacrificial ritual once used by the ancient Aztecs.  The envoy’s body is then butchered and his entire skin is sent back to Washington, D.C. as a stern message to the president.

Over in London, England, a special flight by the UN leaves for New York City.  On board the flight is Hala Kamil, an Egyptian woman who was selected to become the next UN Secretary General.  It’s a bold move as she’s a woman from a country that does not approve of women holding such positions of power.  Hala is well aware that her country may recall her at any point, and there are death threats against her as well. Read more…

Movie Review – Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)

Ten years ago we were reintroduced to the world of pirates as they fought and sailed in the exotic islands in the Caribbean Sea.

Inspired by the classic Disney boat ride Pirates of the Caribbean, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl takes viewers back to the 1600s when piracy reigned supreme throughout the Caribbean.  Here you’ll find fierce and menacing pirates who attack ships and nearly sack a city.  You’ll also find a secret horde of hidden treasure.  And in this epic film you’ll also find a little bit of the supernatural involving a cursed treasure and pirates who cannot be killed.

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl was directed by Gore Verbinski, produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, and given an awesome soundtrack by composer Klaus Badelt.  The film stars Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow, Geoffrey Rush as the menacing Captain Hector Barbossa, Orlando Bloom as Will Turner, and Keira Knightley as the governor’s daughter Elizabeth Swann.  Supporting them are Jack Davenport as Commodore James Norrington, Kevin McNally as Joshamee Gibbs, Jonathan Pryce as Governor Weatherby Swann, and Lee Arenberg and Mackenzie Crook as Pintel and Ragetti, two of the pirates on the Black Pearl.

Take the stereotypes that you know and love about pirates, and combine all of that and more into an action-packed, adventurous thrill ride.

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) – (c) Buena Vista Pictures Distribution

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl begins with Weatherby Swann (Jonathan Pryce) the newly appointed governor of Port Royal, sailing there with his twelve-year-old daughter Elizabeth Swann.  Their ship is under the command of Lieutenant James Norrington (Jack Davenport) of the Royal Navy.  Young Elizabeth is standing near the bow and singing a song about pirates (“Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate’s life for me . . .”) when one of the crew members, Mr. Gibbs (Kevin McNally), stops her from singing, claiming that it’s a curse to do so.  He also claims that having a woman on board a ship is also a curse.

Their ship is sailing through a fog bank when Elizabeth spots a young boy unconscious in the water and floating on a wooden piece of debris.  Norrington has him taken on board the ship as the rest of the crew members search for other survivors.  As they’re wondering how the boy was left in the water, they spot the remains of his ship.  That ship is a burning, floating wreck.  The question is why would a merchant ship be destroyed in an explosion that killed all but one occupants?

Mr. Gibbs claims that it was a pirate attack, but Norrington and Governor Swann reject the idea.  Some of the ship’s crew use row boats to search for more survivors while Elizabeth tends to the unconscious boy.  He suddenly awakens and says that his name is Will Turner.  Will passes out again, and when he’s asleep Elizabeth notices an unusual coin hanging from Will’s necklace.  She secretly takes the mysterious coin and keeps it.  While examining the coin, Elizabeth spies a mysterious ship with black sails suddenly appearing in the fog.  As the black ship is sailing away and disappearing once again, the girl is shocked when she sees it flying a pirate flag.

Fast forward eight years. Read more…

Book Review – Philip Carlo’s “The Ice Man: Confessions of a Mafia Contract Killer”

To the regular world he was Richard Kuklinski.

The man was married and lived with his wife and three children in New Jersey.  Although not very social, Kuklinski frequently cooked BBQ parties for his friends and neighbors.  He treated his wife to the best restaurants in town, and his children were spoiled with gifts and vacations to Florida.  In all aspects, Richard Kuklinski appeared to be a normal, caring person to the outside world.

Hidden underneath that “average” personality was one of a monster.

To the police, Richard Kuklinski was nicknamed the “Ice Man” because of the way he was known to preserve dead bodies before tossing them into the woods, throwing off the police investigators.  But those few dead bodies are nothing on the scale of murder and mayhem committed by Kuklinski during a lifetime of crime.

Philip Carlo’s chilling book, The Ice Man: Confessions of a Mafia Contract Killer takes a detailed look into the life of Richard Kuklinski.  Carlo himself was allowed to interview Kuklinski as he sat in prison after being convicted of several murders.  He was allowed to interview a man with an incredibly dangerous reputation, and have him tell his story about the events throughout his life and his dealings with the Mafia.  Much of Kuklinski’s story has been confirmed by his living relatives, the police investigations, and those people who had contact with the killer and lived to tell their tales.

Richard Kuklinski’s tale begins with being born to a Polish father and Irish mother in one of the worst neighborhoods in New Jersey.  His father frequently abused his mothers, and those beatings were commonly targeted towards Richard and his two older brothers Joseph and Florian.  His father’s beatings were so terrible that he accidentally killed young Florian, and his mother conspired to help cover the boy’s death.

It wasn’t just the rage of his father that took its toll on young Richard.  Neighborhood bullies frequently beat Richard, and when his father learned about it Richard was given another beating for losing the fight or running away from the bullies.  There were times when Richard was so injured from his father’s beatings that he had to miss days of school.

Richard’s father eventually moved on with another woman, leaving Richard with his brother Joe, sister Roberta, and their mother Anna.  This forced Richard’s mother to work two jobs to maintain their home, and she in turn also focused her anger on her two sons.  Richard’s mother frequently beat him with anything she could use, from pots and pans in the kitchen to broom handles.

Richard was sent to a Catholic school where he was also physically abused by the nuns who taught the classes.  The only escape for the child was when he found a quiet spot by a river and read detective books.  Those very books would have a strong impact on the boy and help him live a mostly successful life of crime. Read more…

Summer Projects – Backyard DIY Water Slides

In our previous Summer Projects article we looked at building a backyard roller coasters.

Roller coasters aren’t for everybody.  They can also be rather costly and require a great deal of resources and knowledge to actually build one.  Building a safe one, that is.

Today we’re taking a look at another backyard thrill ride — the homemade water slide.

Water slides are fun, they’re a great way to cool off in the heat of the summer, and when channeling your inner redneck, the backyard water slides can be pretty wild and crazy.  Throw in some beers and it gets even crazier.

A water slide with a massive jump and the rider landing in a pool of water.  Unfortunately, this video is a fake.

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A clip from “MythBusters” proving that the previous video is a fake.

Backyard water slides can be classified into three categories.

The first category of water slides are those that are true water slides.  These slides are elevated off the ground, they normally have a steep drop, and they finish in a pool of water.  Like the modified slip and slides, many of these DIY water slides also have some sort of jump at the end to further the amusement of the rider and everybody watching from the sides.  People will pull out all stops and build massive water slides, some of them going so far as using the roof of a house as a starting point.

Your second category of water slide is basically a gigantic slip and slide.  These slides use sheets of plastic and a naturally hilly terrain to provide the thrills.  All you need is a nice hill, lots of plastic sheets and equipment to hold it in place, running water, and some sort of water at the end of the slide.  Some people take this concept a step further and add a jump at the end, giving the rider some airtime before making a splash landing in the water.

The third category of a water slide is also the smallest.  These slides are built for toddlers and grade school kids.  You can take existing playground equipment or inflatable slides and make a quick and easy slide for the kiddies.  All you have to do is have a hose at the top running water down the slide, and then have a tiny pool of water at the bottom that catches the equally small rider.

Now that we have a better understanding of homemade water slides, let’s take a look at several examples found on the Internet. Read more…

Summer Projects – Backyard DIY Roller Coasters

School is finished for the year, the temperature is steadily climbing, and neighborhood pools are already full of kids.

It’s summer time.  It’s the time of year to go crazy and put those skills you learned in school to good use.

It’s a perfect time of year to gather some supplies and build not a treehouse, but a freakin’ roller coaster.

There’s been a bit of a craze over the past few years of people building roller coasters in their backyard.  We’re not talking about massive wooden or steel coasters that plunge a hundred feet and go through a dozen or so inversions, but rather simpler structures that can provide a quick thrill or two.

All it takes is some wood, a LOT of bolts and screws, some careful planning, and a little ingenuity to construct your own little thrill ride.  Some people stick with wooden tracks, some use PVC pipes, and others go all out and use steel to build the coaster’s track.

Blue Flash — A steel looping backyard roller coaster.

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Another video of Blue Flash in action.

The simplest (and cheapest) backyard roller coasters are those are basically incomplete tracks.  These normally consist of a main drop (ranging from about five to fifteen feet off the ground), a small hill or two, maybe a curve in the track, and then a small hill at the opposite end that functions as a brake.  There is no lift hill and riders have to manually push the car to the top of the hill where it’s then boarded.

Although simple in concept, some people have managed to construct some elaborate track designs that actually look like fun.  Here are some examples of those DIY roller coasters. Read more…

The Clueless Restaurant Owner, Part X – The ENDING of a NIGHTMARE!

The sun is shining.

The birds are singing.

Great days are back again as the nightmare of working for a clueless franchise owner (a.k.a. jackass) is finally over!

It’s actually been over a month now since the assistant store manager (ASM) officially parted ways with a certain SteviB’s franchise in the Atlanta metro area.

Before I go any further, SteviB’s is a great pizza buffet company.  The food and buffet are significantly better than the national rival, CiCi’s Pizza, and SteviB’s has a wider array of pizza types and toppings.  Plus, some SteviB’s locations even have a dessert bar complete with a self-service ice cream machine.  The trade-off is that SteviB’s buffet is about a dollar more expensive than CiCi’s, but if you were to visit both locations, you’ll most likely agree that SteviB’s is the better of the two pizza buffet restaurants.  I’d love to see SteviB’s spread throughout the country and give CiCi’s Pizza a serious run for its money.

One of the problems with SteviB’s is that it appears SteviB’s corporate has very little control over what takes place inside of the franchise restaurants.  It’s really up to the franchise owners to handle the majority of the marketing for the restaurant along with the payroll and internal affairs within the restaurant.  As we’ve seen with the clueless franchise owner, when you FAIL at marketing the store, you will LOSE most of your business.  It’s a downward spiral that will only lead to problems with the employees and most likely the sale or closing of the restaurant.

If SteviB’s corporate knew the true stupidity of the jackass in charge of that franchise, they would have beaten him with a stick and then taken away the restaurant.  People like that should NEVER be allowed to run a business larger than a lemonade stand.  Actually, I take that back.  Little girls run neighborhood lemonade stands better than that jackass could ever dream.  People like that jackass should never be allowed to run a business, period.  Owning a business franchise means having control of people’s lives, and that’s a power that somebody as stupid and gutless as this particular franchise owner should NEVER have!

Anyway, the ASM was offered a salaried management job with another restaurant chain.  This was one of the easiest decisions ever for the ASM.  Her new company (her location is a corporate restaurant, BTW, and not a franchise) is offering basically a SALARY almost DOUBLE her rate of pay at SteviB’s, she has FULL HEALTH BENEFITS, TWO WEEKS OF PAID VACATION, and plenty of room to move up in the company.  This is a major chain of restaurants throughout the country, so the opportunities to advance are virtually unlimited. Read more…