Mad Magazine

     When I was a kid I used to drool over the magazine and comic racks at our local grocery store and pharmacy. Sometimes my Mom would give in to my pleas and let me take home a comic or a magazine with pull out posters or hot rods or an upcoming film. The one thing I really wanted that she would never give in on was Mad Magazine.
     One summer on our annual pilgrimage to the beach, I stretched out in the way-back of the family Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser. I had a Walkman on and a couple of books to get me through the trip. I don't think we were even out of the neighborhood when Mom tossed the latest issue of Mad back to me. I remember the moment very clearly. Man, I was stoked!
     I read through the issue several times through on that trip. Even though some of the jokes and humor were over my head at the time, I was hooked on the satire, the irreverence and the healthy disrespect of authority. After that first issue, I became a loyal reader buying and keeping every issue for years and years to come.
     The summer after I graduated high school I was cleaning things out of my room in preparation to move into a place of my own. At some point in my teenage years, the humor rag became less important than gas money and entertaining girls and I had stopped reading. When I came to my stack of back issues I skimmed a few covers before tossing them all into a garbage bag. Man, to have those issues back now...
     In college I got my hands on 7 CDs containing every issue from '52 to '98. This covered my time as a loyal reader and more. I had checked in on the magazine a few times here and there since we parted ways. In 2001, disappointingly they started to run real advertising previously only running parody ads. I felt that this cheapened things a bit and was a slap in the face from one of my biggest influences to question authority and rebel against the establishment. 
     I guess it is true what they say, nothing is sacred. All the same, last week I was feeling nostalgic and looked into the CDs and found that first issue, one of several covers featuring Hulk Hogan. I started to read it and then figured I shouldn't shortchange myself of the real experience so I got on ebay and ordered myself an original. It came earlier this week.
     Its funny, the things you can remember. There is a familiar off-white that the pages always had and the distinct smell still lingered. I remembered the articles and even specifics such as the gag in the Spy vs Sky cartoon and the fold-in on the inner back cover. I could recall the answer without having to fold it.
     As we get older, and experience more we lose the joy that can come with firsts. Nothing could replicate how I felt the first time I read Mad but having this was an amazing nostalgic throwback to a time in my life that was easier...simpler. Even though I paid more than double the $1.35 cover price, the feeling I get thumbing through this issue is something you just can't put a price on.

Say Goodbye...

to a couple hours and dig into the excellent urban exploration blog What's Left of Birmingham. A few posts here and there on this blog have touched on my fascination with abandoned places. I am merely a tourist to this world, the contributors to this blog are the pros. If you are at all interested in urban exploration, photography, abandoned places or the history of Birmingham you owe it to yourself to click on the link above.

I'll get back to the Sportster makeover next week. 

The Big Easy

Though this wasn't a motorcycle trip and wasn't during Mardi Gras, it was still an awesome, relaxing time. We were down for the wedding of some of our close friends and got a great vacation out of the deal. We were able to see a lot of the city, do some drinking, gambling and we ate some awesome food. Instead of saying more, I'm just going to caption the pictures and that's it.

      Coffee, day drinking and a good book.

View of the water.

 Our limo.

 Jackson Square

 Bourbon Street

 The same.

 Cafe Du Monde.

The Napoleon House

Totally different sight in the morning.

Memorial March at Railroad Park

If you're frustrated and deeply saddened by the death of Jarmaine Walton, join us in a memorial march on Saturday evening at Railroad Park.
Come be reminded that we live in a city that believes in growth, diversity, and community. Support those that lost a young man and those that are trying to create an environment where violence isn't tolerated.
We'll meet under the main pavilion before 7pm and start our march at 7pm. We'll walk around the park once in solidarity, and then have a moment of silence.
Thank you so much to Edward T. Bowser and his inspirational article found here.
More info on facebook here.

One for the ladies...

New Toy

1987 Original Release Double Dragon Cabinet...in original working condition, less the monitor that was damaged in delivery. Otherwise, all of the insides are intact. This was Taito's classic Jamma cabinet and has a ton of cool features. During the Golden Age of Arcade Gaming there were huge numbers of new games being released and swapping out the big cabinets became a hassle for arcade owners. This cabinet was the answer. At the bottom there is a drawer that houses the printed control board (PCB) that has the game data on it. It unlocks and slides out giving ease of access for changing out game PCB's. This was so an owner could get the new PCB, a new marquee and control overlay and have a new game at a fraction of the cost and hassle. The monitor housing also rotates 180 degrees without tools for games that use a vertical orientation. The Double Dragon monitor bezel is also dual sided with the opposite side matching the original Taito graphics from the side of this cab that have long been painted over.
My plans are to take the guts out and replace them with a working PC loaded with 100's of Classic Games. I've already started formatting the pc. Soon I'll get the new controls and begin the hardware conversion. I'm stoked, this thing is going to be a classic gaming beast.

Coco-Bacon Dynamite

So I thought it would be a good idea to combine the flavors of sweet, salt and spice all in one place. The result is these little candies the wife and I have dubbed Coco-Bacon Dynamite. The chocolate hits first followed close by the bacon and after you swallow, the spice sneaks up on you. These aren't for the faint of heart and could be good for unsuspecting enemies...if you didn't want to eat them all yourself. They are seriously awesome. After a test run with cheap ingredients, we bought high quality chocolate and bacon and made this batch. I can see these becoming a new holiday tradition. 

Rush, 11/01/12

Last week I piled into a giant SUV with a couple friends to see Rush in Atlanta. Touring in support of the new album "Clockwork Angels", they added a string section for this tour and changed up the set. I was stoked to see them again especially considering the new album and tour changes.

We stopped at The Vortex first for burgers and beer. I opted to try the Hell Burger, a half pound of ground sirloin topped with pepper-jack cheese, habanero relish and a roasted jalapeno. I also got a side of tater tots and the burger came with lettuce tomato and onion on the side. This thing was killer, just the right amount of heat that didn't overshadow the flavor.

For beers, I tried a concoction they call a Black Skull: a Left Hand Milk Stout and Laughing Skull Amber Ale blend. SONOFABITCH this was awesome! They have 9 draft concoctions on the menu and I've never had a bad meal there. If you are anywhere close, give the Vortex a shot.

I could talk all day about the show...but I won't. All I will say is that the new album is killer, the show was incredible, the string sections was a brilliant addition and if you are a fan and you've never seen them, do it now. They haven't lost a step and the video screens, stage setup, pyro and lack of an opening act make for an awesome experience.

Game Galaxy

So if you remember this post from a couple years ago, you know I am into Golden Age Arcades and cabs. On a trip to Huntsville a couple months back my buddy and I ran across an arcade that was about to open that looked to have a ton of classics in it. 

 A little research online and I got the scoop about when Game Galaxy was opening, the game list, etc.

The buddy I saw the arcade with was stoked about going back once they were open so we planned a trip. Only an hour and a half away, it was an easy drive and we planned on making the most of the time.

 Getting there as soon as they opened, we scoped the room out and crafted a plan of attack.

Thankfully they have everything set on free play and the all-day rate is LOW. I would have gone broke if I had to pump quarters or tokens in like I did at Funspot.

 The arcade was a good mix of Classics with some new and rare stuff thrown in.

 I used to destroy the Atari 5200 port of Popeye.

In retrospect, the NES PlayChoice cab is kind of odd, spending quarters to play a game you could have at home. At the time though, when games were $50 a pop, you couldn't have them all and this was a smart way to create a buzz about new games or to get to try something before you spent your allowance on it. 

 Donkey Kong and DK2, this unit is set up for Twin Galaxies scoring.

 A few classic beat-'em-ups and fighting games.

Rows and rows of classic cabs. 

The folks that run Game Galaxy were awesome and accommodating, they would check on us from time to time asking if we needed anything and they also showed us the cool stuff that the casual visitor doesn't get access to. If you are ever in Huntsville and you are into classic arcade gaming, 80's nostalgia or have kids, I highly recommend a visit. We were there 11+ hours and I could have spent a lot more time there. When we left to come back to Birmingham, my feet and back hurt from standing so long.

They have another location in Antioch, TN also that is on my radar. If you have been, let me know if it is worth a trip.