Yes, they are saying that. I used to live in DC and summer is when I would avoid the National Mall because of all the tourists. It’s also brutal humid. But lousy with tourists in summer.

Crowds like I’ve never seen!

Seriously, I’ve never seen smaller crowds than this for something in DC. Like, when I lived there the number of people just loitering on the mall on a random Tuesday was bigger than what I’ve seen from this event.

Stuff like this fascinates me, the ways in which physical limitations can impact a piece of art.

Right now it’s a toss-up over:

Rumours by Fleetwood Mac

Graceland by Paul Simon

Time by Electric Light Orchestra

She’s So Unusual by Cyndi Lauper

(I really love them all; other top contenders are Born to Run by Springsteen and Untitled by Blink-182)

I learned a few years back that the original vinyl pressing of this had a completely different track order than the the CD version (and I think was three LPs). I changed the track order on my digital version to match this (without the extra tracks that are near impossible to find) and it works so much better (and I love the album). I’d love to get my hands on a copy but can’t find them for less than $300 if you’re lucky.

Isn’t this also the show that had the bit where a group of butch women on motorcycles show up and proceed to devour all the carpet in his house (i.e. “munching carpet/rug munching”)?

I was there, Gandalf…

No, seriously. I worked at an EB Games in Orlando. My shift was to start later that afternoon, but I wanted to get my system that morning (I also had a pre-order for it before the official pre-order process started). I entered the West Oaks Mall super early and strolled right past the massive line of guys waiting for the gate to roll up. I shouted in, “yo, let me get my system!”

One of the other employees said, “if you want it you better get in here.” Audible groans and clear anger starting to rise from the dudes in line.

“Easy, I’m an employee.”

I go in, was handed my PS2, then I clocked in and started helping out when the gate rolled up and all the dudes started streaming in. It was quick, efficient, and with very little drama. Then I went home, played exactly twenty minutes of TimeSplitters, and then went back for my normal shift where I spent the rest of the day informing people that, yes, we were sold out of PlayStation 2 consoles.