A Load of BS

  They say a picture is worth a thousand words. To quote a dearly departed songwriter, if you could read my mind, what a tale my thoughts could tell.  The catch is I don't remember some of the finer details, nor do I want to.  The photo you see above here was the last picture taken from what would become my last author signing event. I learned from my friends and colleagues to leave a piece of your work behind as a way to thank the hotel staff for their hospitality.  I didn't know it at the time, but maybe this was a case of foreshadowing. I always loved using that tool in my stories. I'm a lifelong pro wrestling fan. When I found this photo yesterday, the first thought that popped into my head was that of a veteran grappler ceremoniously taking off his boots and leaving them in the ring. This is a time-honored tradition and a clear sign that he has just competed in his final bout.  I didn't realize it until last night. This photo symbolizes me leaving my boots ...

There are landmark days that stand out in people’s minds, for a variety of reasons. Your birthday, your wedding day, your high school graduation day, or the night you drank the blue liquor and nearly blacked out at a bachelor party. Authors tend to commemorate these occasions by releasing a book on their birthday, or perhaps re-releasing a book on the same day for continuity purposes. I published my first book on February 26, 2016. Even then, I wasn’t an author. I was simply a guy who wrote a book. Some years later, I published another book on April 20, 2023. For all intents and purposes, that was my first day as a “real” author. However, the day that truly sticks out in my mind is July 29, 2023. Facebook likes to tell you what happened "On This Day". You see, a year ago, I boarded a plane to visit my family in Florida and enjoy a trip to Walt Disney World. I landed at approximately 1:30pm, walked for a thousand years through a brand-new concourse at Orlando International Air...

I'm a little late to the party, but it saddens me to think of a potential future without spring training baseball in Central Florida. Last month, The Houston Astros and Washington Nationals announced plans to leave Kissimmee and Viera , respectively, for a brand-new facility in Palm Beach County. This would likely create a ripple effect that could eventually facilitate the departures of the Braves and Tigers. Similar to Arizona spring baseball, most teams in Florida want to train and play within short distances of each other. This means the Tampa Bay region, the Fort Myers area, Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast would all be chomping at the bit for future spring training occupants. Of course, Central Florida is not hurting for tourism dollars with the presence of The Walt Disney Company, Universal, Sea World, WWE's NXT development program and, um... THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY! Still, baseball is a part of the fabric of spring in the Orlando area. This is why I'm m...

I must admit that I was a little torn on this one in the beginning. The rumor mill started churning months ago about the possible closure of the Maelstrom ride at Epcot's Norway Pavilion. It's replacement would be a ride based on the film Frozen . No one could argue that Walt Disney World needed a Frozen -themed exhibit somewhere. I hoped for an alternative. Perhaps they could build a "Frozen World" of sorts at Disney's Hollywood Studios, being that it is, after all, a movie. Perhaps they could incorporate Frozen at Magic Kingdom and add Anna and Elsa to its ever-growing list of princesses for the kids to meet and greet. This past week, it was made official. Maelstrom is closing in favor of Frozen . There was sadness on my part. Another piece of the old EPCOT Center is gone. I wasn't outraged. I have my memories. I'll wait and see how the new ride turns out, sometime in 2016. If you're looking for outrage, look no further than Twitter. ...

This is a friendly warning to all of you who enjoy reading what I write. What you are about to read is a little depressing because that’s precisely what it's about.   Depression is a subject that is unpopular, especially on social media. You would never know from reading Robin Williams’ Twitter feed that he was on the verge of committing suicide. Unfortunately, people are not always what they appear to be. You don’t know what really happens behind closed doors. Not everything gets posted on Twitter or Facebook.   Depression has become a topic of debate once again since Mr. Williams’ tragic passing. The questions re-emerge. Is suicide a sickness or a weakness? Does depression truly cause suicide or is it just an excuse to perform a cruel, selfish act?   I’ve always believed that I’ve suffered from depression since age 16. I have attempted to deal with it for the most part without medication, with varying degrees of success. I tried meds for...

So, it occurs to me that I never really referenced my letter to Mr. Fitzgerald. Brief backstory- Retro Disney World posted an open letter to Tom Fitzgerald upon being named new Creative Director at Epcot. I posted a comment with an idea, which was well-received. I later decided that an actual letter would be even better. Thus, the transcript, which garnered me "Treasured Guest" status :) ... Dear Mr. Fitzgerald: First and foremost, I want to congratulate you on being named the new Creative Director for Epcot. Your passion and vision is much needed and appreciated. There are three things in life that I am passionate about: my spouse, baseball and Walt Disney World. As a child, I developed a special place in my heart for EPCOT Center. I’ve always been fascinated with computers and the possibilities for the future. At the same time, I’ve always been one who believes in paying tribute to the past. Of course, EPCOT Center was a place to showcase new ideas and conce...

This came from the good people at the Walt Disney Company today, in response to my proposal letter to Tom Fitzgerald re: Epcot...

I’m requesting feedback from any and all Disneyphiles because I'm torn on something. Today is the Official Grand Opening of the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, which happens to coincide with the 24-Hour “Rock Your Disney Side” Event (aka #Disney24) It seems like in today’s Walt Disney World, there’s always some kind of themed event taking place. From Disney24 to Star Wars Weekend to Dapper Day, from Flower and Garden to Food and Wine, there’s always some kind of special promotion.   My question to you – Is this really necessary? I mean, we’re not talking about a struggling baseball team that needs to fill the park by giving away bobbleheads. (*cough*METS*cough*) This is WALT DISNEY WORLD!!! They make money hand over fist without all those bells and whistles. When I was a kid, the only excuse I needed to go to the Magic Kingdom or EPCOT Center (Epcot) was ‘Because it’s the Magic Kingdom and/or EPCOT Center.’   For me, the special event was the actual venue itself, with all the...

I felt like creating a one-stop shop for all things Horizons. Therefore, I’m taking this opportunity to thank the following people & places for keeping this glorious EPCOT Center attraction alive in our hearts and minds:   HORIZONS at EPCOT - A tribute to the Horizons pavilion at EPCOT Center containing photos, facts, timeline, script and audio.    Mesa Verde Times – Tremendous Horizons-themed blog with special surprises inside! Horizons: Resurrected - The ultimate ride simulation experience   LOST EPCOT - Horizons - History – A link to the Horizons page from LOST EPCOT, the ultimate tribute to EPCOT Center’s past   Disney and more: A Grand Tribute to Epcot's HORIZONS – A great pictorial view of the Horizons experience from start to finish   Horizons Introduction - Intercot – An amazing reference guide, including script, fact sheet, concept and construction info   Horizons - Walt Dated World – Ano...

Life is a constant power struggle between the head and the heart. More often than not, the heart sides with the past while the head aligns itself with the future.   As you may know, I have recently rediscovered my love for Walt Disney World ("WDW"), specifically Epcot (or EPCOT Center, as it was once called). Yesterday, I found an impassioned article by Disney blogger and uber-fan Suzannah Mitchell. It sang the praises of the old EPCOT Center and lamented its demise, while offering love and hope for the future and the current incarnation of Epcot. Ms. Mitchell is definitely not alone on an island (Pleasure Island?). There are many others, including myself, who have grown up with the old EPCOT and echo her sentiments.   The battle between the head and the heart rages on. The kid in me loves EPCOT Center and misses it terribly, while the adult in me appreciates what Epcot has to offer.   For most children born & raised on the east coast, the main selling p...

On Monday night, the Tampa Bay Rays began their first homestand with their new right fielder, former top prospect-turned-stud rookie Wil Myers. Fans came out in droves to greet their new franchise player. A capacity crowd of 11,407 saw the Rays win 4-1, thanks in large part to Myers. At least he saw more people in the stands on Monday than he did at Triple-A Durham. The Bulls stadium only holds 10,000. The Rays’ stadium and attendance issues are well documented. Tropicana Field is an antiquated facility at best, and its location might as well be a few minutes east of Albuquerque. I’m sure that the Rays front office has done everything short of offering BP to the first 10,000 kids to draw fans. It’s still a little disconcerting to see the Tampa Bay Lightning average 19,055 for a hockey game. Meanwhile, a winning team like the Rays can’t crack 12,000 when their top prospect cracks his first career homer – a grand slam- two days prior. Tampa Bay has become a proven winner on the ...