Happy 14th Birthday Big Pile of Stuff!

Happy 14th Birthday to my blog, Ronn's Big Pile of Stuff! When I started it, it was mostly a joke to see if I could put something on the internet every day for a year. Then, once I started it, I kinda liked it! Hopefully there is someone out there also enjoying it, but if its just me, that's fine because I'm having fun!

That's Quarantainment!

More fun for those of us participating in Pandemic 2020. Next Weeks Episode of Talent Time is gonna be done online via youtube. Check out the banner and info they posted on their facebook page.

Just a beautiful Facebook banner for our next show. So much has happened since the last one (that weirdly enough I was wearing rubber gloves on??) I really wish we could all mingle IRL. I guess this is real life now. For the time being anyway. So this is the next best thing. Also people is other cities can join us now too which is super cool!! Please mark your calendar (April 2nd 7:00 pst) and tune ti on our YouTube channel. https://www.youtube.com/user/TalentTimeTV

Old Time Photo Studio

Back in the 1980's it seemed like just about every mall had an 'Old Time Photo Studio' where they had all kinds of props and backdrops to make you look like you had gone back in time to the 1900's. Some time in the mid 80's my grandparents visited us, and one day while they were here we ended up in just such a place. The only thing I can remember about the photo shoot was that the gun in my holster was supposed to be on my right hand side, but then it could not been seen, so we turned it backwards and I became a left handed shooter for the photo. I love that I (the sheriff) look very serious and my older sister (my mom) looks like she is very 'high society'. My grandparents look like they are so proud to be having one of these 'new fangled' photos taken of them!

It was probably pretty expensive at the time, but 30 years later it's a pretty awesome memento of one of my few visits with my grandparents.

Fun at the San Diego Comic Con

Its almost time for San Diego Comic-Con again and as every other year, I won't be there. But at least I can comb the internet looking for great Comic-Con photos. Here are two of my favorites from previous years.

Space Ghost makes a landline call to his pal Zorak for a ride home

Peter Parker runs outta web fluid and must resort to alternative travel methods

RUM... Make America Great Again

Here is a sign I saw today while down in the US. It took me a few seconds to figure out what I was looking at, but when I got it, I giggled so much we had to do a U Turn and drive by again real slow so I could take a photo out the window as we drove by.

DC Comics & Carbon Copy Cloner Logos

Is it just me, or do these two logos look kinda similar?

The logo on the left is the current DC Comics logo which was unveiled on March 2012. The logo on the right is the Macintosh backup program Carbon Copy Cloner. I had a look as some old reviews for the software and I found this logo used as far back as October 2010, which predates the DC logo by about 2 years.
I showed the two logos to some of my coworkers and asked them if they thought they looked similar, and strangely they said no. This may not be as similar as these two logos, but they sure seem similar to me. What do you think?

Record with Double Label

While going though my records recently to thin out my collection I came across this album by Rimsky Korsakov, Scheherazade. I don't know where I got it or why, but it was probably really cheap and I liked the fact that it still have the price sticker on it from Eaton's. Eaton's was a large department store chain in Canada from 1869 until 1999. I bought many of my vinyl records at Eaton's as a young kid, so I'm sure the price sticker is why I ended up with this in my collection. Since I don't care about this particular album, I thought I would toss out the record and just keep the price sticker, but when I pulled the record out of the sleeve, this is what I found. There were two record labels stuck on side 2, one of them was in the proper location, the second was off centre and covered almost the last half of the albums music. Makes me wonder, who bought this album, and did they bother to return it, or did they just enjoy listening to side 1?

Plants Vs Zombies, Disco Zombie Edition

While wasting some time in a local Future Shop, I noticed a boxed copy of Plants Vs Zombies for just $2.99. As I picked it up, one of the retail zombies (I mean staff) came over and told me that they had a version that came with an action figure, and was the same price. Turns out that they were all sold out of this version, but he was nice enough to call around and found another store that had one left and had them put it on hold for me. I made the drive to the second store and purchased my copy of the super cool Plants Vs Zombies Limited 'Disco Zombie' Edition for just $2.99.
Since I only had a digital download version, this was awesome. Not only did I get a hard copy of the game (which was a newer version that I had - it also listed a make your own zombie feature and some desktop pictures), I also also got a super cool box with nice graphics and a cool disco zombie figure. I was a little disappointed that it came with a Disco Zombie though, as I would have preferred a cone head or bucket head zombie. I didn't realize until after I updated my game with this new version that they had now replaced the Micheal Jackson zombie with this new disco zombie. That sucks. The Micheal Jackson zombie was mine and my sons favorite zombie. Turns out that Pop Cap games was forced by the estate of Micheal Jackson to remove his likeness from the game, and so the disco zombie was created to take his place. Sorry to say, but the disco zombie just isn't as good. Not only does it not make as much sense as the MJ zombie, but the animation of this new zombie and his dancers is awful compared to the rest of the characters in the game. You can tell it was a rush job to get these into the game.
I love this new packaged version for my collection, but now I have to figure out how to go back to the older version of the game on my Mac so I can resurrect the MJ zombie.

Comic Characters Reading Their Own Comics

I visited the local comic shop after work today to pick up a copy of the new Garfield comic because I heard that Mark Evanier was writing it. I know him from one of my all time favorite comics, Groo the Wanderer, and I visit his blog almost daily, so the comic is pretty much a sure bet for me! While I was there, I also picked up the variant cover for the last issue of one of my favorite current comics called Incorruptible. I read both comics when I got home, and now the two comics are siting here by my computer. It took me a while, but I finally noticed that both covers show the comic character reading their own comic. How's that for a coincidence!

The Return of the Video Store

I have been kinda bummed lately that all our two local video stores have closed. First Willow Video closed about 8 months ago, and then Rogers Video closed at the end of December. The truth is that I had not been visiting any of them with much regularity over the past few years, but that was not because I was switching to downloading everything, it was more to do with the fact that I have been buying so many DVDs of late, mostly TV series which typically have over 400+ minutes per set. Thats a lot of viewing. And then there are all the hockey games on TV these days, I usually watch/record 6 or 7 games a week. That is easily 20+ hours a week. And then, recently I have become a fan of the Turner Movie Classics station which I have been recording up to 4 or 5 movies a week onto my PVR. So, who has time to rent movies. But that didn't stop me from feeling some sadness as I watched all my local video stores close. Who my age doesn't remember standing at the new release wall of a local video store, with family/friends as you try to agree on what to rent? But with current rush to switch over to renting movies online and or doing what it seems most people are doing - stealing them online - it seemed that the trip to the video store was now a thing of the past. That is until tonight, when I noticed that the Willow Video store by my home, had reopened, after closing down 7 or 8 months ago. I guess it says something about my wife and I that we both got very excited about the store reopening. We of course had to check it out. I wasn't in the market for a rental, but I did end up buying a previously viewed copy of the TV show The War at Home for just $5, and I look forward to heading over the the video store on Monday for cheap Monday rental night. I'm not sure we'll have time to watch whatever we rent, but it'll be fun to stand there as a family and try to figure out what we can all agree on for a movie!

Ohh, the '92 Spearmints are out!

Ohh, the '92 Spearmints are out! I gotta get to a store! This is a Calvin & Hobbes cartoon that I cut out of the newspaper back in '92 and have had up on my wall at work ever since. My wife and I use the expression "Ohh, the '92 Speamints are out!" all the time when somebody is excited about something we think is silly. And I don't know what's so weird about having a subscription to a magazine called Chewing? I had a subscription to Flake magazine, a magazine dedicated to cereal boxes! That's not silly is it?

Wranglers to Black Out Midnight Game

The Las Vegas Wranglers of the ECHL will host their eighth annual Midnight Holiday Roundup on Monday, December 27th when they face-off against the Utah Grizzlies.
The Wranglers holiday tradition began in the team’s inaugural season and has remained a fan favorite. This year, the Wranglers have planned two special additions: a performance by Mini Kiss and an Orleans Arena Black Out.
“We are thrilled to bring back Mini Kiss,” said Wranglers President Billy Johnson. “They were a big hit when we had them here a few years ago and we can’t wait to have them back in the building this year.”
The Wranglers are also looking to make an impact with their Black Out of the Orleans Arena and $5 t-shirt promotion.
“We’re asking fans to help us by wearing black for the Midnight Game,” said Wranglers Vice President Matt Smith. “Be on the lookout for the $5 promotional t-shirts; they’re going to be a big hit!”
The Midnight Holiday Roundup on Monday, December 27th will begin at 11:59 pm and is sure to be the can’t-miss game of the season! For information on discounted group tickets, contact the Wranglers front office at (702) 471-7825.

I have listened on line to the past 7 midnight madness games and can't wait for the game next week! Nothing like listening to a hockey game at 2 in the morning to make your family and friends think you're nuts!
Check out this great sound clip from the 3rd Annual Midnight Madness game for a chuckle.

Ding Dongs Ain't Ding Dongs in Canada

Sometimes you just gotta know! While surfing the Interweb Tubes tonight I saw a picture of an old Ding Dong package.

That got me to thinking about those tasty little cakes filled with magically delicious filling and covered in a chocolaty coating. Ok, I'll admit its been years since I've had one, but its not entirely the fault of the tasty little treat, but more to do with the fact that here in Canada we don't have Ding Dongs, instead we have the exact same tasty treat, but with a different name... King Don. I'm pretty sure that when I was a kid they were called Ding Dongs here in Canada, and I remember loving them. I was always begging mom to buy a box when we were in the bakery section of the local grocery store. But then as time went on and I got to be a teenager I can remember noticing the box in my local grocery store, and wondering why it said King Don? It looked a lot like a Ding Dong, so what had happened? Somehow a King Don just didn't seem as appealing as a Ding Dong, and I haven't had one since. So tonight when I saw the original package, I had to do a Google search to see just why that tasty treat had changed its name. Here is what I found on Wikipedia:
The Ding Dong is similar to other cream-filled cakes, such as Arcade Vachon's Jos. Louis introduced before 1934 and still in production. Hostess began marketing its Ding Dong in 1967. The name was given to coincide with a television ad campaign featuring a ringing bell. The company marketed the snacks on the East Coast as Big Wheels, to avoid confusion with the Ring Ding, a similar (and pre-existing) treat by Drake's Cakes. The names were consolidated in 1987, when a short-lived merger of Drake's with Hostess' parent company (then Continental Baking Company) briefly resolved the Ring Ding/Ding Dong conflict. When the merged company broke up, however, Hostess was forced to cease, once again, using the Ding Dongs name in areas where Ring Dings were available. The compromise sound-alike name King Dons lasted until Interstate Bakeries Corporation, which had recently merged with Hostess' parent company, bought Drake's in 1998. The Hostess product is now sold under the name Ding Dongs throughout the United States. However, the snack is still sold as the King Don in Canada.
Hostess created the "King Ding Dong" cartoon character to advertise the Ding Dong: an anthropomorphized Ding Dong sporting a crown and sceptre. He was similar to other Hostess characters Twinkie the Kid and Fruit Pie the Magician. Where King Dongs were marketed, the character, like the product, was known as King Dong. In areas that used the "Big Wheel" name, the character was an Indian chief named "Chief Big Wheel".

American Dings Dongs (recent packaging)

  Canadian King Dons (not recent packaging)

I'm pretty sure that after this post I am going to have to check out the bakery section of my local Safeway next visit to see if I can find a package of those tasty little treats to bring home with me.

Terry David Mulligan's Good Rockin' Tonite

Back in 1984 there were a ton of rock videos, and if you wanted to see them, you had to turn on the TV and wait for one of a plethora of video shows to show them to you. Unlike today when you can just go to Youtube and watch any video you want, any time you want. But back in 1984 you watched video shows such as the grand daddy of them all, Friday Night Videos, or Canada's version called Good Rockin' Tonite. GRT was a 90 minute weekly video show hosted by Terry David Mulligan. I can remember watching this show regularly for years, always hoping to see videos by my favorite bands such as; KISS, Motley Crue, Helix, Def Leppard, Lee Aaron etc. They were also always having contests, usually for signed albums and posters. On one occasion when I entered, I didn't win anything, but I did receive this really snazzy postcard, which wasn't even hand signed - the signature was printed on the card. On a separate occasion, I entered a Motley Crue contest, and won a signed Gary Moore album (go figure)! I was never a fan of Gary Moore (I actually had no idea who he was at the time) so wasn't all that thrilled with my win. But years later I traded it to a friend for a copy of the ultra rare Wendy O Williams (Plasmatics) album titled Deffest and Baddest. Being a huge Plasmatics fan, I was pretty excited to acquire this Wendy O Williams album I had never even heard of. A quick Google search today finds this description of the album: Originally, the album was to be credited to the fictional rap group "Ultrafly and the Hometown Girls," with Wendy's name left off it, but the distributor wouldn't back it without Wendy's name. On this disc, Wendy slams hair bands, creates interesting sexual scenarios between Jerry Falwell and Jessica Hahn, and oh yeah, becomes the first person to fuse rap and speed metal. Thanks Good Rockin' Tonite... that Gary Moore album turned out to be a pretty awesome prize!

Little Golden Book Monday #126

Today's Little Golden Book is Susan in the Driver's Seat. I had never seen this book before, so was happy to add it to my collection for a hefty 20 cents at a local thrift shop. The book is from 1973 and was written by Kathi Gibeault with illustrations by Jane Ike. I always like to see who my new books used to belong to. Apparently this one belonged to a child who is now in the witness protection program.

American Express Print Ad

Here is another of the ads I pulled out of all the magazines I got last week. I don't usually collect American Express ads, but this one made me chuckle while I was flipping though the piles of magazines.

Happy 4th Birthday Big Pile of Stuff!

Today marks the 4rd birthday of Ronn's Big Pile of Stuff! The blog was started as a joke when I started to see how many blogs there were out there. I figured at some point there would be more blogs than people, so why not jump in and start my own. My first idea was to do it for one year, and post something every single day during that year. My experiment lasted 75 days, before I forgot to post something one day. I abandoned the idea of posting every day, but continued to post anytime I had something I wanted to share which turns out to be a couple of posts a week. It is great knowing that when I get something new that I am really excited about, I have somewhere I can share it with others who 'may' actually be as excited about it as me!
I have received a few emails over the 4 years from readers telling me how much they enjoy my posts, but I would love to hear from more of you. Use the comment link at the bottom of any post and share your thoughts.
Thanks again for visiting my little corner of the internet. If you enjoy this blog, why not visit a few of my other sites. Find the links to the right under "My Other Stuff". And be sure to check out all of my "Favorite Blogs" also listed to the right. There is am amazing amount of cool stuff out there to be oogled!
- Ronn Roxx Aka the Unfocused Collector

Coca Cola's Vending Machine of Friendship

This large Size Coca Cola vending machine is an advertisement created by Ogilvy Argentina Agency to celebrate Argentinian friendship day. I translated the text from the ad using the Google translator and this is what it said: The Machine of Friendship. On the day of the friend we invite friends to celebrate with a 2x1 Coca Cola. To do this we placed a Coca Cola vending machine with a higher than common coin slot, so that the only way to reach the button is with the help of a friend.
Turns out, that if you and your friend(s) can figure out how to get up high enough to place your coins into the machine, you will be rewarded with an extra bottle for free... for your friend of course!

The Sheldon Comic Strip Makes Fun of Me!

I was going though some stuff I had dropped into a folder on my iMac and came across this cartoon I snagged from the Sheldon Comic Strip Daily Webcomic by Dave Kellett. This simple cartoon made me chuckle at myself as I realized how many times I have sat and watched something on TV (with commercials) that I own on DVD, but was too lazy to get of the shelf and load into my DVD player! And, I don't know if I am the only one who thinks this, but I find some sort of satisfaction in watching something that I know others are watching at the same time... even if they aren't watching it on the same TV as me!

Pancho The Parrot 45 rpm Record

While checking out a local thrift shop the other day I found this Pancho the Parrot picture sleeve 45 record. I remember seeing this parrot back in 1979 when I visited the San Diego Zoo with my mother on my second trip to California. I also remember seeing him on TV on a few occasions on shows such as That's Incredible.
If you would like to check out an mp3 version of Pancho singing "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" you can over at abMP3.com.