Well, we’re back from the Fashion Square Mall and seeing Man with the Screaming Brain, and I must say it was magnificently bad. In fact, I declare that it is the most wondrously horrible movie ever to take brain transplants, wanton sex, cat fights, exploding Vespas, mad scientists, ex-KGB agents, billionaire industrialists, crash test dummy robots and a Russian wannabe rapper and mix them together. Well, ok, there was Titanic, but was that set in Bulgaria? No, it wasn’t, Mr. Smarty Pants. So there!

It was worth the price of admission just for Bruce Campbell’s intro and Q&A before the movie. This is one seriously cool and funny guy. There should be more Bruce Campbells. In fact, I think that cloning would get all the Federal funding it needed, if scientists would just promise to only clone Bruce Campbell. (Actually, I think that’s his next movie…)

LYNX Removes Ads From Busses Following Action 9 Investigation
ORLANDO, Fla. — An Action 9 investigation has triggered a big change at LYNX. Now, the agency is covering bus ads involving two controversial companies. LYNX started covering the ads Tuesday, after a Channel 9 investigation found a second company that advertises on LYNX busses could be in big trouble with the state.

Action 9’s Todd Ulrich found the mortgage company advertising is not licensed. The controversial ads LYNX is removing were all bought by a man who, so far, has refused to pay a one million dollar advertising contract.

“No credit, no problem. Everybody qualifies for a mortgage,” according to LYNX bus ads, but there is a big problem with Prime First Mortgage.

When an Action 9 volunteer called the number on the bus, we heard we could qualify for a loan right on the phone. But, according to the state of Florida, Prime First cannot legally offer home loans because it doesn’t have a mortgage license.

It apparently does have a fake office. Its official Longwood address belongs to a totally unrelated company.

Brian Martin is the LYNX spokesman. “Oh, we thought they were a legitimate company,” Martin said.

It turns out, the man who signed a $1.1 million advertising contract with LYNX, Jim Gahan, was convicted of embezzlement in another state. It’s the same Jim Gahan who advertises Client Services on LYNX, an attorney referral service under state investigation, accused of practicing law without a license. It’s also the same guy who’s not paying his LYNX ad bills.

LYNX stands to lose a lot more. It cost a few thousand dollars to paint the ads on each bus. The Transit Authority spent $100,000 of the public’s money to paint 23 busses for Prime First and Client Services, without collecting a penny up front. On top of the losses, the companies’ ads have been getting a free ride on LYNX to advertise controversial services.

LYNX plans to sue Jim Gahan in court and do credit and background checks on all future advertisers.
*taken from WFTV.com

Best of Orlando 2005
Brought to you by Orlando The City’s Magazine
August 2005

Best Morning Radio Team:
Dave Collins & Lesyle Gayle of Magic 107.7 Morning Show

Best Atmosphere:
Hue 629 E. Colonial Drive Orlando

Best Bakery:
Charlies Gourmet Pastries 3213 Curry Ford Rd. Orlando

Best Burger:
Sam Sneads 3 Orlando locations

Best Caterer:
Puff N’ Stuff 158 Lake Ave. Maitland

Best Hot Dog:
Hot Dog Heaven 5355 E. Colonial Dr. Orlando

Best Ice Cream:
Cold Stone Creamery 4 Orlando locations

Want more click below!!! Any of your favorites make the list… or did they over look somewhere/someone???
(more…)

Working in the tourist buisness as I do now. Ya, Target sucks! Well working for them does, but shopping their is still fun, just found a better paying and less hours job that I love. Anyways, back to what I was saying… tourists. I see plenty everyday. Heck, we all do! But latley it’s really weird how they dress. (No offense.)

The Canadians are pale white, like they walked thru a fountain of WHITE OUT and yet, they walk out of the hotel lobby where I work into the beating down hot as hell Florida sun, in a skimpy tank top and short/short shorts. Can we say cover up or you will be a LOBSTER! Then there are the ones that walk out to stroll I-Drive and they are wearing a long sleeve shirt, plus jeans. OH MY GOD!

I just look at them and shake my head. I smile my “fake” Disney smile and wait to see them tomorrow. Burned to a crisp. I have told a few clients what to put on the burns so they can sleep at night. Then they always say the same thing… I guess I should have covered up or atleast put sunscreen on.

Great now, the state of Florida will be sued by lots of tourists for not being warned about the deadly sun rays we have here and go home to catch skin cancer or something. WEAR SUNSCREEN and COVER UP!

While at work this morning, I was reading my free copy of the USA TODAY and came across an article about putting a “incase of emergency” number in your cell phone, titled just that… “ICE”!

“A British paramedic came up with the idea of asking cell phone users to add an entry in their cellular phone book called ICE. Accompanying that acronym would be the name and phone numbers of the person who should be called if something has happened to the owner of the phone.” Reports USA TODAY.

Now I have heard of this especially after the London bombings, (it really was started in April 2005), but what I really wondered is anyone over here in the US using this? And has it worked?

I’m going to try it. Luckily, my cell lets me put in numerous numbers under on contact, I’ll be using my parents and boyfriends number. Any other Floridian also doing this or am I a loner??

*Bonus… can you name the song/singer that line is from? No prize, just the stasifaction of being correct and maybe the first person, who guesses.

For once this week, I have been able to get to my much loved Orlando staple. Lake Eola, that is. I miss my mornings here and now I have something new to look forward. With my work schedule change, I will be able to enjoy Lake Eola at it’s most in the late afternoon/evening hours. Tonight was no exception. I headed out with some bread for the birds/ducks/swans and had a rather lovely time out and about my favorite spot.

So if anyone is looking for a nice place to cool down with a breeze and lots of nature around, then head to Lake Eola around 6-7:45’sh before it gets dark and enjoy the rest of your evening. I did and will be back for plenty more. :0)

It’s hard to believe that anyone could be happy about paying that, but for the last three weeks I’ve watched as these prices seem to have no stopping. A week ago I was agast at having to pay $2.36 a gallon and today I’d happily pay that.

This morning I saw gas as high as $2.57 a gallon and I was lucky enough to pay $2.43. I don’t know about everybody else, but this is starting to hurt! Two years ago I could fill my tank for about $18. Now it’s over $30. I’m lucky that I don’t drive as much as some folks, but this is just crazy. We really need to figure out a way to stop our dependency on oil…. yeah right.

Did Al-Qaeda blow up that building in Oklahoma?
No…
Did Al-Qaeda put anthrax in your mail?
No…
I ain’t scared of Al-Qaeda!
I’m scared of Al-Cracker!
-Chris Rock

Christine’s brother was in town this weekend to visit IOA, so we visited him for lunch on Saturday at Citywalk. For those of you who haven’t visited the place, Universal has a large set of parking garages that all meet in a central point and from there you hit Citywalk, then the parks. Imagine our surprise when we hit a line in the central junction of the parking garage, a line caused by the need to check our bags prior to walking into Citywalk. Yes, you heard that right, not a security checkpoint before you entered the park, but pretty much as soon as you step out of your car. Is this to prevent some sort attack on Pat O’ Briens? Could Margaritaville be on high alert? FOR GOD SAKES WHO WILL SAVE THE FOSSIL STORE!?!!?

Excuse me….I’m all right….just had to get that out.

What really gets me is the quality of security guard the parks are using as a preventive measure. The man who checked Christine’s bag could have been my grandfather. What if somebody actually had something? Could this guy prevent a potentially dangerous situation? Or would he drop dead from shock? Hopefully we’ll never have to find out.

We made it past the checkpoint without the need for a cavity search, the only other thing of interest was the host at the Hard Rock recognizing Stanley Kubrick on my new shirt, and us being called into lunch by someone yelling “Kubrick, party of 4″. Now that made my day.

Why oh why do people in this town immediately turn their hazard lights on and drive like it is their first day when it starts to rain? Just turn on your normal lights and the wipers, that’s what they are there for. The hazard lights are for…take a guess, real hazards! That’s why the car people thought of the clever name. They didn’t call ‘em rain lights for a reason. I’m talking light rain too, not just the heavy stuff. As soon as mother nature even lets the slightest drop fall…BAM, instant hazard lights and everyone busts out their best grandma impression. I mean come on, we live in Florida, it rains everyday during the summer around 3-5PM. From late May to late August we are practically amphibious, yet people still seem unable to handle the local water cycle. These aren’t tourists either, I’m looking at Orange County plates here people. Rental cars? Sure, some of them probably are, but not all. I’ve driven in a lot of places and this is one of the only ones that this seems to occur. I just don’t get it.

If you can’t handle driving in the rain you probably shouldn’t be driving. You’re probably the same type of people that can’t watch movies with subtitles, lord help us if you are chewing bubble gum and driving.

That’s all I have to say about that.

Thought I might share this rather good looking recipe, (well from the picture) I got from Florida Monthly magazine. If anyone trys this… please let me know how it was and where the heck you would find ALLIGATOR RIBS to begin with.

Grilled Alligator Ribs
1 pack of Florida alligator ribs
Cayenne Chili Rub
* 1 tbsp. cayenne
* 1 tbsp. sugar
* 1 tbsp. cumin
* 1 tbsp. chili powder
* 1 tbsp. red pepper flakes

Boil gator ribs for 2 minutes.
Then put the rub on the ribs and grill until tender.
*taken from Florida Monthly July 2005