It’s amazing what you can do with 1 day in Iceland – from a midnight 10K to visiting a penis museum.
funny stuff
Missing Thongs, Merging Malls – Some Scottsdale History
I was just having a chat with some co-workers about Scottsdale Fashion Square, and it brought back some interesting memories. Neither of my co-workers has lived here as long as I have, so I gave them a few of my best revelations about the mall. And now I’m passing them to you:
How many of these add up to $11,000? More than 700!
From the I Still Rise blog
1. Fashion Square wasn’t always the Botoxed behemoth that you see today. At one point, it was actually two malls, one of which was open-air. That began changing in the late 80s with some enormous construction projects. Scottsdale Fashion Square as we know it began to disappear. For years, the only vestige remaining was the Circles Records store. Even that’s gone, now. It’s amazing, but what is now a Dillard’s one the west end of the mall was once its own mall, called Camelview Plaza. I really dug this one as a kid because Camelview had a Magic Pan crepe restaurant, just like the one I liked back in Chicago (I ate anything I could get my hands on).
2. Back in 1999, well after Fashion Square was well into its Violet Beauregarde-like expansion, I was covering the Scottsdale police beat for The East Valley Tribune (which was still in its heyday – in other words, it was a fully staffed daily that was actually able to sell paper copies). One fine day, I was leafing through the booking reports and other assorted cop paperwork when I found an awesome bit of [...]
Raw Buried Seal is Key to Inuit Delicacy
Here’s a lovely sounding recipe from the Innuit living in Greenland.
1. Take one dead seal.
2. Remove the organs.
3. Stuff the cavity with unplucked, unskinned auks of similar birds.
4. Bury.
5. Wait several months.
6. Exhume.
7. Enjoy!
So far, this has been the high point of the book Extremes: Surviving the World’s Harshest Environments by Nick Middleton. I’m really enjoying all of it, but nothing beats the look of sheer incredulity on people’s faces when I divulge that excerpt. I highly recommend it.
Built to Thrill – World’s Dirtiest Sleds
There are some things in life that make you scratch your head. Consider the Zipfy. The first time I saw it, it looked to me like some crazy “marital aid” merchant had some overstock and decided to get into the sled business. That my wife and I spotted it in buttoned-up Utah made it even funnier.
We recently saw a Zipfy in action, with a pre-teen girl at the, ahem, control stick. Were we the only ones laughing? Nope. I could see a few other adults snickering – and not just because of the awesome wipeouts. Granted, I’m sure the Zipfy’s design gives it some serious thrust. I mean, how can you not surge to the head of the pack with that?
Not to be taken from behind in the Perverted Sled Department, Wham-O Inc. offers its SnowBoogie Woody 46″. That’s right – you, too, can ride a 46-inch Woody. With that length, you may even have enough room for a partner. Usually, you have to pay extra for that kind of action!
It’s exactly these sorts of shenanigans that make me want to start a new company: PervProtect, LLC. For a nominal fee, I’ll examine your product and its marketing for any unintentionally suggestive overtones. Think of all the embarrassment I could save people! Of course, I’ll share the mirth by having a museum exhibiting the many products and ad campaigns I prevent from hitting the shelves. I promise to change the names to protect the guilty, the stupid and the sneaky!
Wandering Justin’s Best of 2009
So, it has been a stellar year here at WanderingJustin.com. First, it has seen the creation of this here blog, rising from the ashes of my old No Crocs Allowed blog. So before I even go any further, I want to single out three other bloggers who really made this possible with technical advice: Stacy Holmstedt, The Blog Kitten and SpotCoolStuff.com. You are all awesome, and have been instrumental in the rise of WanderingJustin.com. In Stacy’s case, I’ve learned a bunch of HTML stuff that makes me a lot more useful at my day job. How cool is that? Thanks!
It’s been an excellent travel year for yours truly: New Zealand, Lake Tahoe, Boston, Washington, DC, San Diego … you’re doing alright when the dullest place is the nation’s capitol (and let me tell you, it is). Alright, let’s get on to the inaugural WanderingJustin.com Best of 2009 – just remember, I’m saving something for a post of its own: my Most Spectacular Place of the Year award.
Best Airline: Air New Zealand. Super-friendly and punctual. Part of the reason I want to visit New Zealand again is to enjoy a long-haul flight with its friendly staff – and see how it stacks up to Qantas, which I’d consider last year’s winner.
Best Bike Gadget: The Ergon GP-1 handlebar grip. This is simply the best $30 I ever spent on my bike. See my Associated Content review of the Ergon GP-1.
Best Hike: The Tongariro Alpine Crossing. From 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., this [...]
