Monday, May 5th, 2008...5:26 pm
Entertainment Tonight
According to a newspaper report the game thingy I attempted to play this afternoon is the cause of all the worlds’ problems. The game is called Grand Theft Auto 5 and according to a report in the Daily Mail it is the sole reason for the all the crime on our streets today. This game had received such bad press…………………I had to see what it was all about.
Now, I may have mentioned this before but I hate flying ……………………… bugger ……………sorry about that I was on automatic pilot there…………let’s try that again.
I may have mentioned this before but I am useless at these game thingies however I having read that in some people’s mind murders have been committed because of a video game I wanted to see for myself.
To do this I had to go and see my ugly friend Alan and borrow his son’s game machine and before I did this I had to buy the game itself. Now, I had no idea where to get Grand Theft Auto 5 from so for the first ever time in my life I ventured into a Game shop which was like landing on another planet. Firstly I was old enough to be everyone’s Father and as I looked around me I felt as out of place as a Frenchmen in a deodorant commercial.
I knew the game I wanted but thought it best to ask a shop assistant to make sure I got the right one.
I couldn’t find anyone to help me and after about 10 minutes of waiting for someone to realize that my hopping up and down on one leg and waving my hands in the air was not an audition for the Village People but was in fact a need for assistance.
Eventually I asked a teen with black hair with lightning strikes of brilliant white in it if he knew who could help me find the right game………………….turns out he did know …………… because he was the manager.
Feeling ridiculous for expecting someone who looked a little older than 15 and who didn’t have a hair style that looked like a pigeon had applied the white touches with its bottom I explained that I was looking for Grand Theft Auto 5……………..he looked at me as if to say what the hell would someone like you want this game for………………once again I felt as out of place as The Same Old thing Of The Seas looked docked next to the magnificence that is Queen Victoria.
The next stage was when young Mr. Pigeon Poo Head asked me what “system” the game was for……………….he may as well asked me who to name ten bands from the current music chart which unless Duran Duran, Jethro Tull and Queen were still making music I had bugger all chance of answering……………….he was obviously smarter than he looked which wasn’t difficult and looking slightly bored about having to tell me he asked if it was for Playstation, X Box or some other contraption………………of course I had no bloody clue so there I stood phoning Alan’s 12-year-old son asking him what to do.
It turned out that it was for Playstation so Mr Skunk Head the manager put a game in a bag and as he handed it to me he said “that will be £40”………………..It wasn’t the fact that there was no please in the statement but £40 ($80)……………..for a game…………..I looked at him and considered asking him if for that price it came with Caviar and Dom Perignon ……but realizing that he would probably think that Caviar was a soldier from the planet Zog and Dom Perignon his faithful cyborg friend with human qualities………..I handed over my £40 and hoped he would use the money to buy some contact lenses so he could see how ridiculous he looked with bird crap in his hair.
So, with my Grand Theft Auto Special Edition in hand I drove to Alan’s house and myself, Alan and his son we started to play this game that many people had advocated banning.
Here is my report.
Ummmmmmmm…………..well………….I can tell you that there was a car and some man with a gun and then the words GAME OVER kept coming up on the screen after just two minutes……………..so…………….basically I have no idea what all the fuss is about and the only thing I proved is that I am totally useless at anything like this.
However I did watch Alan and his son play and both are very good………….his son because most kids of his age are and Alan because he is used to having no friends and living in a world of fantasy.
Seriously though I did watch the game and yes it involves crashing cars, shooting at people and lots of explosions and lashings of mayhem.
Now, according to the press having watched or played this game for just 30 minutes I should have felt the need to go next door and stab my neighbor with a knitting needle …….. but I didn’t……………..and as I watched Alan’s kid play the game all I could see was laughter and smiles from a great lad who ……………..like his father was living in a world of make believe…………..the only difference being that Alan’s make believe was that a girly might actually find him attractive.
A few months ago some of you may remember a heated conversation with a chap who sailed on the Carnival Freedom from PETA who had very strong views about such games………and indeed he had some reasonable points. However, having looked at this game for myself I am of the opinion that yes…………it is violent and yes……….it does contain shooting and explosions…………but really its no different to what we played when we were kids. We may not have had Playstation and all the sophistication of today but we still shot at things using toy machine guns or a piece of wood from Dad’s workshop ………..our heroes drove tanks or horses and not Ferrari’s and Hummers and instead of having a rival gang leader or some street person as the bad guys we had The Indians or the Cowboys or a creature from Mars………………….same thing …………..different times. ……………Grand Theft Auto may be controversial but apart from the fact that I couldn’t play it the only time I actually felt like committing a crime was when young Mr Whitehead asked me for £40……………..he was lucky I didn’t kick him in the Donkey Kongs.
It is now with great pleasure we welcome back a good old boy and a gold old friend ………. the king of the Waffle House and brilliant CD……………Mr Chris “Bubba” Roberts. I know you all enjoyed his Alaska blogs so I asked Bubba if he could let us know what’s going on in his life. Well, as you will see he is now on the Carnival Spirit getting ready for the Alaska season…………….but before the last frontier Bubba gets to spend some time in Hawaii………………here is the first of his special reports.
Howdy From Honolulu
Well after a week handover (which wasn’t enough) and 12 days later I am in the capital city of the Aloha State, Honolulu. I know that some folks had asked me to continue with my blogging after the Alaska trip as they wanted to hear more about Hawaii. After having done the last two weeks I know that it would have been almost impossible to do on a daily basis. So my hats off to john who somehow makes it happen almost everyday.
My handover was pretty much diving straight into the Carnival Capers and trying to get the ready for the two Hawaii cruises. For those of you who don’t know, the Carnival Spirit does four Hawaii cruises a year. Two in the spring and two in the fall. They do them as they reposition to and from Alaska and Mexico. Doing a run change like this is always challenging. Generally the schedule stays the same, but the management is usually different and they always want to try new things, so I spent most of my first 2 weeks getting the Capers in order for the other departments and trying to have the be correct as possible. Not an easy task when you are the writer, editor and printer of your own newspaper. It’s easy to make mistakes.
So my handover with Shawn was done on a 7-day Mexican Riviera cruise. I managed to get off once during that time. It was in Mazatlan for her going away party. She’s been working the Spirit for almost 7 years so it was a big deal for her leaving for good this time. I had work to do, but Shawn is my friend from a long time ago. We used to be social hosts together on the Elation many moons ago. Plus the end of that cruise, ended with 2 days at sea, and I knew that the start of my next cruise would be 5 days at sea. So I was my last chance to get on land for a week! So I took advantage of it.
The cruise ended on April 20 and Shawn was gone by 8 am in the morning, and now I am the CD of the Spirit. Now we got all of the guests off and sailed about 10 am and headed down to Ensenada, Mexico. This is where we would start our Hawaiian cruise. All though all of our guests were flying to San Diego, they had to check in the terminal there, and then be bussed down to Mexico to join the ship. This is because of a law called the Jones Act which prevents foreign-flagged vessel from transporting passengers from one U.S. port to another without calling upon a distant port of call. So because of this, we had to embark everyone in Ensenada, so that they were able to disembark when we got to Honolulu. Its sounds crazy, but all cruise itineraries are based on this law.
Because we were able to do the turn around in San Diego so quickly, we were able to get down to Ensenada around 3 pm. Right about the time the first buses were arriving. It was one of the best embarks for this cruise that has ever been done. It was because of a lot of hard work from many departments around the ship and some great planning by our captain, chief engineer and hotel management. So we had everyone on board and we sailed from Ensenada around 9 pm and headed out into the Pacific. The captain made a joke that he had to aim well. One degree off to the north and we end up in Japan. One degree off to the south and we end up in Australia. Hawaii is sooo small when you think about the body of water that it sits in.
It’s a 5-day crossing to get over to Hawaii. We had loads of activities going thoughout those days at sea. Sure did keep the entertainment team busy, plus we had extra staff including arts and crafts people and ballroom dance instructors.
We arrived in Kahului, Maui after 5 days at sea, processed everyone through US immigration. We stayed over night in Maui. It’s one of the big nights for the Luau. Wanted to go, but it sold out. Hoping to do so on the next Hawaii cruise. Book your Hawaii tours early they will sell out! So my first day in Hawaii, what did I do???? Went to K-Mart. Had not been off the ship in a week. Had not been shopping in over 2 weeks. So I needed supplies! Then that night went dinner and a movie with my girlfriend Julie. She’s a purser. Always gets the Julie joke from the Love Boat when she’s working. I tell her to tell them that Gopher was the purser. Not Julie. It was nice to have a nice normal night out.
The rest of itinerary was…
Maui - 2 days
Hilo
Kona
Kauai
Honolulu – 2 daysI did manage to get on a couple of tours during the cruise. One was to Volcano’s national park in Hilo. Here I got to see the Kilawea(I know that’s not how you spell it, but it helps me remember how to say it, Hawaiian words are tough to pronounce.) This was great! Seeing the most active volcano in the world was quite the sight. Plus I got to explore some lava tubes.
The rubber chicken is mine and Julie’s mascot. Whenever I go on a tour by myself and Julie can’t come I bring Matilda along to join me in some pics. It’s silly, but makes for some good pics.
A few days later in Kauai, Julie and I got to go to the fern grotto which apparently is a very popular spot for Hawaiian weddings. It was filled with lush green plants as well as other colorful ones. We heard some great Hawaiian music and even learned how to do a hula.
Thanks Bubba and we look forward to reading your next report very soon. A Low Ha ‘yall.
I’m still waiting to hear who the Carnival Splendor’s godmother will be and of course as soon as PA 007 lets me know I will let you all know as well. Before I worked for Carnival I had never met any famous people……………….strange that…………..you would have thought that The Cliff Pub and Ali Barbas Kebab House would have been thronging with A List Celebs.
However, today I find myself thinking of all the famous people I have met and some have a great story to go with them and in the next few days I would like to share a few with you.
Let’s start with the incomparable Mr. Regis Philbin. Back in the 90’s Carnival’s spokesperson was of course the wonderful Kathie Lee Gifford. Now, I met her on many occasions during new ship launches and although like most celebrities she had her critics, to me she was a warm and kind and even though she didn’t see me for many months between new vessels she always remembered my name……………I thought she was super.
Then there was Regis who is obviously a national treasure and very very talented ………….unfortunately my two memories of Regis were not so warm and wonderful. The first came when Kathie Lee Gifford was hosting a charity event onboard the Carnival Destiny during its inaugural season in New York.
The evening started with a lavish dinner which the rich and tanned paid hundreds of dollars for with all proceeds going to Kathy’s charity for underprivileged and sick children.
After dinner it was Showtime and Kathy was to perform along with Marvin Hamlisch and a very famous country star who I cannot remember.
The evening started with me going out on stage and welcoming everyone and then introducing Kathie Lee and Regis who were going to sing the old classic “You say Potato……Let’s call the whole thing off”……………..well a few moments into the song we started to have a few …….ummmmmmmmmmm………….technical issues with Regis’s microphone which started feeding back when he sang and high pitched whining noises started coming from the speaker…………..well…………….Regis’s did not hide his emotions and in between the bouts of feedback he glared up at our poor old sound technician and eventually…………..stopped singing all together and let Kathie perform on her own.
Well, being well heeled and educated the audience applauded and cheered at the end of the song and Kathy stayed on stage to continue the show. Unfortunately Mr.Philbin was not so forthcoming and as soon as he entered the backstage area he said a few words that rhymed with luck and hit and then in a final act of rage …………..he threw his microphone at me. Luckily his aim was not good and the microphone just missed my head and crashed to the floor behind me ……………and that was that……………he demanded to be shown off the ship and we didn’t see him again that night.
This had not been the first problem Mr. Philbin had encountered onboard one of our ships……….the first was onboard the Carnival Sensation. He was sailing with his wife and of course staying in the penthouse. Well, formal night came around and about 6:30 pm the Chief Purser Ron Ness (this was before the position of Hotel Director came around) was asked to go to the Penthouse to see Mr.Philbin.
Arriving there Ron was asked by Mr.Philbin to help him on with his Tuxedo which had just returned from the ship’s laundry………………..Ron thought this to be a rather strange request but as he was a huge celebrity and a guest of the company Ron had to comply. Mr.Philbin pointed towards his expensive designer Tuxedo which was hanging in the closet………..thinking that maybe he may have a bad back or something Ron started to take the jacket off the coat hanger………………..and there in lay the problem……………he couldn’t……………….because unfortunately the laundry had pressed the jacket with the wire coat hanger still inside and had welded the thing onto it…………………………..oops.
You can imagine what happened next.
So, tomorrow Heidi and I start a four-day holiday at a beautiful country hotel. Hopefully we will have time to relax a little and enjoy the fresh English countryside air. My blackberry will be coming with me as well as my lap dancer top computer and although the blog thingies may not be as long as usual I promise daily updates.
One more thing, The day after the Carnival Destiny microphone throwing incident Regis went on his morning show and apologized to the millions of viewers about the state of his voice which was due to “the worst sound system he had ever experienced and a sound man who was deaf”………….that is exactly word for word what he said…………….obviously this got back to our sound engineer Adam who although he had obviously had problems with the sound had been working with new equipment and certainly did not deserve the public humiliation Regis bestowed upon him.
I have the greatest respect for this very talented man whose morning show is legendary and he was as the host of “Who Wants to be a Millionaire.” When he threw the microphone at me I was a young and inexperienced Cruise Director who thought it was OK to be treated that way……………however when I look back I wish I had been brave enough to ask him to apologize for this and the anger he directed toward me. If he threw a microphone at me now the host of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” may have to phone a friend……………to pull the microphone which will be protruding from his bottom.
What a shame that’s my overriding memory of this so talented performer.
OK, that’s all for now. I left Grand Theft Auto with Alan’s lad. I don’t think I can ever get into these reality games……………..not unless Playstation event a game that involves me being George Hamilton sitting in a Jacuzzi with Jessica Simpson and being served Caviar and Diet Coke buy our butler…………………Regis.
Goodnight
Your Friends
John and Heidi
36 Comments
May 5th, 2008 at 6:07 pm
John,
WOW!!! Grand Theft Auto and the ruination of the world… Howdy from Hawaii… Regis Philban and his ego… WOW!!! all in one blog thingy!!! You’re the BEST!!!
Go, start your holiday!!! Be romantic!! Be yourselves!!
Regards,
Lambie
May 5th, 2008 at 6:47 pm
We were in a game store this past weekend and they actually required ID to purchase the latest version of Grand Theft Auto. There is a lot of scrutiny with this game and the store was making sure the buyers were old enough. The store was making no exceptions either. We were amazed by the reaction of one woman who couldn’t believe she was being “carded” and didn’t want to show her ID. Maybe she was a mah jongg playing, French, card carrying PETA member named Fatima.
May 5th, 2008 at 6:48 pm
Thanks for sharing the memories John. Bubba’s pics were awsome too!
May 5th, 2008 at 6:55 pm
John -
Practicing on stealing a Bentley or Aston Martin, eh?
Now, listen – leave the raspberry and lapstop at home. We can last four days without your acerbic wit and tales.
Enjoy your time.
Jon
May 5th, 2008 at 6:58 pm
Ahhh, John… the wonder that is modern technology. I recall dashing about, wearing an aluminum knight’s helmet, plastic broadsword in hand, slaying dragons and ne’er-do-wells by the dozens… Now it’s digital vampire zombies invading college girls’ dormitories attempting to take all of the most choice ladies home with them to be slaves of one sort or another… I prefer my plastic broadsword…
I have to say that Bubba looks far more comfortable now than he did surrounded by glaciers and polar bears. I can’t blame him. I’m looking forward to the next installment.
Speaking of the Jones Act, what ever became of that horribly poorly thought out legislation that would have required a 48 hour stay in a foreign port prior to a cruise ship returning to the US? I hope it died a quiet death. It deserved worse.
Hummm… Regis Philbin… Why am I not surprised by the way he acted… It always seems that people who believe themselves to be important, more important than others, have to demonstrate it by being obnoxious… He succeeded.
Here’s hoping that Heidi and you have a wonderful holiday.
Please pass along my thanks to the wonderful MOB, Stephanie, for all of her efforts here!!
‘Til next blog…
GregB
May 5th, 2008 at 7:02 pm
John:
Just as well you didn’t request an apology from an entertainment celebrity for having thrown a microphone at you — you likely wouldn’t have received it. I worked for a well-known and well-respected actress for two years and met and came into contact with a number of entertainment celebrities. It was an education into another world! I have witnessed some abhorrent behavior on the part of some of these people. On the other hand, some can be very grounded. Those that would know an apology was in order would never have thrown the microphone; those that would throw a microphone are not likely to humble themselves by apologizing.
I enjoyed reading Bubba’s blog contribution. Larry & I will be doing the Vancouver-to-Hawaii cruise on the Spirit this coming Sept. 24th, and are counting the days!
Terri
May 5th, 2008 at 7:07 pm
John…
What a great blog! I laughed at all of it. Especially Mr. Pigeon Poo with the lightening bolts in his hair.
It’s a shame that some performers let thier fame go o thier heads. I always enjoyed Regis and Kathie Lee when they had thier morning show together. But Regis always came across as rather moody. Shame…. he’s such a wonderful performer.
Sounds like Bubba Chris has been enjoying Hawaii. It’s so beautiful there. I really would like to go back there, but next time on a cruise ship. Maybe a blogger’s cruise? LOL Anyway… hope we will hear more from him!
Take care and you and Heidi have a wonderful holiday…. just leave the lap dancer computer and the raspberry thingy put away and have a relaxing time together!
Barb
PS….. Carl says Hi too!
May 5th, 2008 at 7:16 pm
BUBBA: DJ said to tell Ria HI!!!!
John:
It is sad when truly talented actors just forget their manners. It is to bad his Mom was not there to remind him that there is more to a man than his “acting career”.
As my Mom used to say “You are only as good as your last impression, unless you made a lasting one.” His “lasting one” was not a good one.
I think all the “hubba” about Grand Theft is not so much that it will immediately turn kids into murderers, but the fear that young people (who this game was not designed for) will become desynthesized to a human head being blown off the shoulders complete with the brains and blood spattering everywhere, glorifying murder, sex and drug use.
As a friend of mine put it in his blog:
“In some sense, we are what we play. This is not to say that every young male playing “Grand Theft Auto” is now or will become a violent sexual predator who steals cars. That is clearly not the case. But it is to say that these players are filling their minds with these images and narratives and they are feeling the competitive exhilaration of engaging in immoral acts as players in a game that engages multiple senses and sensations. This is dangerous stuff for the soul. ”
In fact, one of the game’s creators, Lazlo Jones, who told the Post, “If you let your child play this game, you’re a bad parent.” (He was referring to children from the age of 12-14.)
We also played cops and robbers growing up….but the “pow” sound that we made as we pointed our “gun” (made from a tree branch) did not include “blood,” “intense violence,” “partial nudity,” “strong language,” “strong sexual content,” and “use of drugs and alcohol.” (the warning from the game’s label)
Yes, the times they are a changing and I am not certain it is for the better.
Linda
May 5th, 2008 at 7:36 pm
John,
Obviously you have not been reading all of your blogger faithful’s comments! PLEASE, leave your lap dancing computer and your blackberry home and just enjoy your 4 days with Heidi. We will survive! Have a wonderful time!
Sheryl
May 5th, 2008 at 7:49 pm
John,
There were violent cartoons when I was growing up like The Road Runner. However I never dropped an anvil on anyone’s head but the Grand Theft Auto scares me. I have two grandsons that love that game and when I watch them play it I have to leave the room. It is just too much for me.
Now, Guitar Hero and Rock Band are a blast and if you want to try something entertaining, I suggest these games.
My grandsons taught me how to play last summer and I LOVE IT!! You would be surprised how easily you can catch on and you ROCK with the band and a lot of good songs.
Good to see Bubba thawed out!!
Ciao, Kathleen
May 5th, 2008 at 8:09 pm
Heidi:
Sorry …. We tried….hard. I guess he is addicted to us as we are with him. sigh….So he is taking us too to your “romantic ” vacation.Look at the bright side we cant see. LOL Hide the new thingy!!!
Love you both. Have a great romantic vacation!!
Take care!!
Nanni
May 5th, 2008 at 8:19 pm
Hi John,
Excellent blog! I really appreciate the open-mindedness you showed to Grand Theft Auto. I’m not much of a gamer myself, but it does bother me how the things that kids (or minorities, or people of different economic status, etc.) enjoy seem to get painted as antisocial, dangerous, and criminal. If it’s not video games, it’s horror movies, or it’s rap music, or it’s Dungeons and Dragons. Before that, rock music, comic books, jazz, and swing dancing all had their time in the crosshairs of the media and the government. This was the point I was trying to get across in my somewhat overheated reply to your comments about marijuana in Holland. Anyway, thanks again for being so rational about a subject that is often treated irrationally.
I’m so sorry Regis mistreated everyone like that. I must admit that, while I think it’s dangerous to judge someone just from watching them on TV, on his show he does seem to be a little full of himself. Oh well. Since KLG isn’t CCL’s spokesperson anymore, maybe you won’t be graced with His Highness’ presence again. Boo hoo!
Thanks so much for another “Bubba” blog! I’ve been thinking about a cruise to Hawaii for quite some time. More, please! Also, could you ask Chris to give some demographics about the pax? Age percentiles and perhaps a rough guess of how many singles? And what were the most popular activities during the 5 sea days?
May 5th, 2008 at 8:32 pm
Hello , John
That is a very vilont game , and not for kids bu my 12 birthday will be on the 18 and as an early birthday gift my friend gave me the game and my mom thinks its a regular old car racing game , but………………………………..
there so much more than stealing cars or as my momm knows it as racing.( :
Well Im of to see Eric Clapton toninght and I will read tommarow.
from , JAKE S. ( :
May 5th, 2008 at 8:49 pm
John in the year 2006 BJ (Before John) I used to spend hours and hours in POGO.com playing all sorts of games mostly card games. Now in the year 2008 AJ (After John) I’m no longer addicted to games. It’s WORSE I’m addicted to your thingy BUT I will live if you and Heidi leave your lapdancer and buggerberry home when you go on vacation.
We can keep ourselves amused by just chatting in here and answering questions others may ask about cruising and the different ships. I will start it off with;
DOES ANYBODY KNOW ANY GOOD RESTAURANTS IN NEW ORLEANS?
BIG ED
May 5th, 2008 at 8:50 pm
Regis,
You suck and you should apologize to John Heald. You could not even hold on to “Who wants to be a millionaire” and now Merideth Viera has to do it.
John,
I work at a store that rents games. It is important that we check ID on all patrons renting this game as it is rated “M”. Failure to do this could result in a fine and/or termination. It is a violent game but at the same time it is just another scapegoat for irresponsible morons to blame everything on.
My two cents,
BigMike
D. BS
May 5th, 2008 at 9:05 pm
I played GTA: San Andreas, thinking it would be awful – it was not. And John, next time you are playing on a game thingy, go to the Google thingy and look up game thingy cheats – it makes the game A LOT MORE FUN!
Love your blog!
May 5th, 2008 at 9:54 pm
John, I hope by the time we are able to make the cruise to Hawaii , that Carnival will be doing a round trip. If they don’t as much as I hate to say it ,we will have to go climb a rock as they make the round trip. But we can’t go until we no longer have pets. We won’t fly , as I have said often enough, so we will drive to California to get to the cruise ship. I want to see a lot of places between here and there. We have never been pass Texas and Oklahoma. But who knows the pets may outlive us, they’re both 11 and well taken care of and spoiled.
Hope you have an enjoyable holiday
Carolyn
May 5th, 2008 at 9:54 pm
Hey John,
Great memories, but Regis (and I am a big time fan) has always been known for his temper…off camera for sure lol. John Lennon said to never aspire to meet your “heros” because they could never measure up, seems to make a lot of sense. I would hate to have your image of Regis as I am sure you do as well. Thanks for your memories anyway. Love you! & Heidi, don’t want her getting the wrong idea….sigh…as if lol
Jan
Jan
May 5th, 2008 at 11:01 pm
dude! what a disappointment that regis is and see? you never know when you do something how it will be told in the future and to all of us? big mistake regis! i never did like those shirts and ties he wore anyway! ha ha ha
smiles, bonnie and prince charlie
May 5th, 2008 at 11:46 pm
Hi John and Everyone,
I’m finally caught up on my blog reading after getting very busy at the end of April and falling behind. Enjoy your vacation Heidi and John!
Bubba, I loved the pictures. Is Antiono Marcetti still the Captain of your ship? I think he’s awsome.
Take Care everyone and Hi to the great MOB Stephanie!
Julie
May 6th, 2008 at 5:39 am
John and Heidi, have a great time. Relax and enjoy each other because it won’t be long till you two will busy on the Splendor.
Jennifer and Danny
May 6th, 2008 at 7:29 am
Hi John & Heidi,
I too am Playstation, X-Box, Weii, etc.-challenged. Never got into that stuff. Just give me an old-fashioned pinball game – then watch out.
Regis – shame on you! But I love Kathie Lee. She’s probably the reason I started cruising with Carnival instead of others of the seas.
Thanks for Bubba’s blogs. Probably as close to Hawaii as I am going to get, unless I hit the Lotto and take Princess’ round-trip cruise. I can dream.
John, do not, repeat, do not blog from your 4-day vacation. We can all manage without it for a while so you and Heidi can have this time to yourselves.
Enjoy each other.
Love,
Carol
May 6th, 2008 at 8:35 am
John:
Please follow the advice of my fellow bloggers – leave tha raspberry thingy and lapdancer off for a few days. We will miss you, but we will survive! Heidi deserves to come first during your holiday. (This is the same policy I follow myself while on CCL!)
Big Ed: In N.O., try Red Fish Grill (www.redfishgrill.com), or any of the Brennan’s restaurants. Although not cheap, I’ve found these restaurants to be excellent. BTW, alghough I will not be able to join BC v2, is it possible to join the Krewe?
May 6th, 2008 at 9:04 am
Been away from this for a few days and it was fun catching up this AM.
Fame is no excuse for rudeness or shall we just call it crudeness. I had opportunity in my youth working for a major air lines to meet and travel with several celebrities and my encounters were always very enjoyable just the opposite of yours; only exception being Jefferson Starship. One of them who will remain unnamed boarded the plane drunk (probably stoned instead) and promptly threw a tantrum. The pilot very quickly informed him that it was “his” craft and unless the fellow sat down and shut up he was going to be unceremoniously throw off.
I hope as I type you and Heidi are enjoying your holiday. As much as we love your blogs it really is okay if you skip a couple as a special gift to your lady.
May 6th, 2008 at 9:31 am
John,
Thank you for actually attempting to play a controversial game before making a judgment call on it. We have many people here in the US who like to yell and scream about the games but when ask if they had played them they say “no but I have heard about it”. *sigh*
One of the most recent studies show that violence had actually gone down per capita amongst the gaming generation (gen. Y) compared to previous generations. Violence has had a significant decrees in the past 20 years. Unfortunately it seems that facts and research seldom make the news anymore. The only thing the news seems to report on anymore are nut jobs yelling and screaming.
Carla
PS Bubba; Thank you so much! I can’t wait to read more about Hawaii.
May 6th, 2008 at 9:48 am
Regis—dont care for him at all ! So your story didnt surprise me.
Enjoy your country hotel.
May 6th, 2008 at 10:10 am
Good morning Mr. Heald. It’s amazing how these entertainers think that their hit doesn’t stink. Oh well. By the way, my son’s wedding was fantastic and him and his new wife are onboard the Victory this week for their honeymoon. After they arrive back home I want him to tell me how they enjoyed the different ports they were at. Both fathers had asked the two of them to bring back a cup of the ship Victory. Both of us collect the many different cruise ships as possible. Please during the four day vacation enjoy the rest and the fact that the two of you will be alone. Heidi, get Mr. Heald to put away his blackberry and computer for the small time that the two of you will be together. It should be just the two of you and that is it. Ciao my friends.
Paul F. Pietrangelo
May 6th, 2008 at 10:18 am
I never understood the fuss about the video game controversy either. I’ve played a fair number of video games ….including the infamous FPS (first person shooter) type….and don’t think I’ve had the urge to maim or murder anyone…..
I wonder if Regis played video games…..??? Maybe he can blame his horrible, obnoxious, and egotistical behavior on that….. The man beloved by millions is really a temperamental tyrannical spoiled brat? ……The Naomi Campbell syndrome perhaps ??? I’ve always liked Kathy Lee …..she seems much more genuine….Regis seems like a total plastic personality … What a schmuck…
Mark
The Flying Dutchman
May 6th, 2008 at 11:29 am
Enjoy your country-in!
I would have never think that Regis could be nasty like that… But then again, what do I know about celebrities… Speaking of celebrities: Did you know that poor Mr. Cleese is getting a divorce?
May 6th, 2008 at 12:18 pm
I’m with Kathleen all the way about Rock Band and other games like that. Our son (25 and a game designer) asked us over to play that with him and we all had a blast!
John, add Rock Band and some of those action oriented Wii-style games to your teen area and you’ll make the parents and the kids happy — they involve more movement that thumbs.
As to Grand Theft Auto, when I as a kid (in the dark ages) comic books and Mad Magazine were leading kids to become juvenile delinquents, No matter what kids love, older folks will say it’s bad for them — probably because they’re jealous. LOL
Big Ed — there are no bad restaurants in New Orleans. We’ve been to fly-specked dives and the food was just as good as the famous places (and the staff a lot less pretentious and the prices way, way cheaper.
John and Heidi, give the technology a rest and get into the moment and each other. Chances like this are all too rare in your world.
May 6th, 2008 at 12:56 pm
Hello John,
Thanks again for a very entertaining blog. I feel the same way you felt in the video store whenever I go to Home Depot. As many others have said, the bru-ha-ha is kind of silly. Carding people who want to buy the game just increases the sales. People always want the forbidden. All you have to do is look in the front row of the theater at 12:15 when the “adult” comedy show starts. All the teens want to go because they’re not supposed to! That must mean it’s going to be really good, right? Forbidden fruit, and all that.
I remember when they used to yell about cartoons, Dungeons and Dragons, and lately, “The DaVinci Code”, for various reasons. Most people over the age of 6 know the difference between reality and fiction. Most of the time.
I always thought Regis was rather annoying. Even on his morning show it has always been, “all about Regis”. I try to avoid those kind of people. They tend to think the rules were created for everyone but them!
Have a wonderful time on your holiday!
Big Ed,
I don’t think there are any BAD restaurants in New Orleans. We were there for four days a year before Katrina, and I only had one meal I didn’t like, and I’m really fussy. One place not to miss is the Central Grocery. IMHO, you can’t go to NOLA without having a muffaletta for lunch at least once. Their sandwiches aren’t cheap, but they are HUGE. My husband and I split one. This is a rare occurence, because he likes big portions, and I can hold my own quite well when I like something. This thing was big! Probably the best meal we had (out of many) was at Emeril’s Delmonico. We had lunch there, and the food was outstanding. Especially the desserts!
Looking forward to BC#2 in Feb 09!
May 6th, 2008 at 2:37 pm
Hi, John and Heidi,
Another wonderful post, full of great tidbits, and highly entertaining. I’m not surprised to hear of Regis’ temper as he seems to let it almost show on-air sometimes. The microphone throwing incident was completely uncalled for; but, I think I also would have been a bit “steamed” had my tuxedo been welded to the hanger. Someone should really have known better!!!
My “two cents” about games and other entertainment: haven’t played the game in question, but based on today’s movies, music, etc., the major difference I see in now and the “dark ages” is that the language was much more civil…I’d never heard some of the words in public (nor most of them in private) that are unnervingly commonplace now. And while “sex” was in the mix, I think there was much more innuendo, thus it went over the heads of most kids back then. Also, I don’t think we generally “rooted” for the bad guys. Most of us preferred the guy in the white hat…the hero who won the hearts of the town (plus he got the girl).
Bottom line…everything nowadays is too “in your face” and I for one agree that the more lenient, or tolerant of bad behavior, society becomes the more difficult it is for that society to remain viable.
We DO become “desensitized,” much to our detriment.
Sorry…I’m off my soap box now.
Enjoyed Bubba’s post and pics. Poor guy…having to visit beautiful sites with just a rubber chicken. We need a picture of his Julie. (He may have posted one previously but we never get too many pictures.)
You two should concentrate on each other on your holiday and fill us in later!!
Love ya,
Myra
May 6th, 2008 at 3:09 pm
Hi John/Heidi:
Never did i think i’d open the blog to see John discussing playing Grand Theft Auto. How funny. I agree with you in your thoughts about the game though.
Great blog from Bubba regarding his Hawaii adventure. He took some great pictures too.
Weird story about Regis. I guess all the positive publicity sometimes hides the negative that is out there.
Thanks for thinking of us and telling us these things.
Hope everything else is going well and enjoy vacation.
Take care,
David
May 8th, 2008 at 2:06 pm
Regarding your blog on the game Grand Theft Auto. I think you need to review the game again. This is a sick game where you can kill cops and prostitutes and car jack and be a pimp, drug dealer, etc. It is a disgusting game that is in no way for children. Any parent that would buy this game is out of their head and any parent who would allow their child to play such a game should have their children taken away. Not sure if this game is responsible for the downfall of society but whatever would cause an individual to even contemplate buying or playing this game is definitely the downfall.
May 9th, 2008 at 10:24 am
im 13 and i am with u on the whole thing to me i think that only 20 years olds shold b able to play games like that so if i cold i wold tell the presadent that.
May 17th, 2008 at 12:53 pm
hi jon! i saw this game to and as a girl was appalled at the whole thing. i guess guys wont see it the way we do but geez!! they knocked down a grandma and blew a guys head OFF to get a car??!! yikes!! i think the cowboy and indian deal was alot more fun.. and alot less scarey.
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