The Simpsons Movie: Springfield Challenge

by Justin Glow on

Since the exact location was never explicitly revealed in any episode of The Simpsons, fourteen Springfields across America are currently battling it out to decide which town should be the true home of Homer and family.

Each of the fourteen Springfields in the running — Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, Ohio, Oregon, Tennessee, and Vermont — have created a video that showcases why they should be chosen, and each is now available on USAToday.com to watch.

The winning town will be awarded to the right to host the premiere of the movie before the U.S. release date of July 27th.

Log onto USAToday to watch the videos, and cast your vote for which town you think should win. If you have no particular interest in any of cities, cast your vote for Missouri, because…well, I live in Springfield, Missouri, and somebody has got to win, right?

Portland’s “Voodoo Doughnut”: The Magic Is In The Hole

by Willy Volk on

Triple Chocolate Penetration. Cock-n-Balls. Butter Fingering. No, these aren’t the names of the movies your co-workers talk about in hushed voices. These are some of the doughnuts made by the whacked-out guys at Portland’s Voodoo Doughnut. They also feature a Vegan doughnut, an Apple Fritter doughnut “as big as your head,” and — my favorite — a voodoo doll doughnut, which is stuffed with berry filling. When you buy a voodoo doll doughnut, you’re also given pretzels, so you can stab the doll, and watch the “blood” ooze out. It’s better than being in the mafia…cuz you get to eat berry filling! Yummy!

Open 24 hours a day — except for real, real early on Monday mornings — the doughnut shop is very popular with the after-bar crowd. Yeah…I’ve always wanted a Tang doughnut after a night of heavy drinking. But evidently, it’s good. Voodoo Doughnut also features local bands, Swahili lessons, and bizarre contests; in fact, their schedule of events is as eclectic as their menu. Oh, and I almost forgot: they perform weddings.

If you want to learn about these delish-nuts, check out some of the press they’ve received; gawk at their Flickr-hosted cult following; or set your TiVo to record the Travel Channel’s Anthony Bourdain as he visits Voodoo Doughnut — tonight at 1am!

Missing Climbing Team in China

by Adrienne Wilson on

News in the climbing world hasn’t been too cheery as the search for three climbers in Oregon’s Mt. Hood continues (one was said to have been found dead) and the search is also on for two highly experienced U.S. climbers in China as well. Not to take away from the domestic search, but I’ve heard little to nothing on Christine Boskoff (one of the world’s top female high-altitude climbers) and Charlie Fowler (well-known mountaineer in the U.S.) who set out or Southwest China in October and are missing. The pair was last heard from on November 9th. As in the case with Mount Hood the weather provides less than favorable conditions for rescue teams to find anyone and avalanches are also a huge factor in the Fowler-Boskoff scenario. The area is said to be very prone to avalanches. There isn’t much more to comment on now, but if you’re following this story in addition to Mount Hood and would like to help someway or somehow it appears as though mountainfilm in Telluride has created a search fund for those that wish to donate and help expand the serach effort in China.

My hope is that both teams are located and safe from harm.

via CBS News

Jails, Homeless Shelters, & Soup Kitchens Turned Hotels

by Adrienne Wilson on

Call it coincidence, but in this month’s edition of concierge.com they’ve listed 10 hotels across the globe with a spooky past. (Coughs, can we say perfect timing for Halloween, hmm?) After going through each one, I noticed the history of some were creepier than others depending on what you tend to get spooked by. Shack up in a past crime den, nun’s cell, jail or my personal favorite an old soup kitchen. From the photos featured one might not ever know that these places have a tale to tell, but don’t let the looks deceive you. When you’re at rest in bed the howling you hear isn’t coming from the outside. It’s the cry of the mentally unhinged resident that stayed there before you. (Insert: horror laughter.) I’m only kidding – sort of.

Check out the Poor House: Hopper Hotel Et Cetera in Cologne, Germany which now sits as a cheap-chic boutique hotel, but was once a homeless shelter and soup kitchen. Heading to Puerto Rico? Stay at the old Carmelite convent, now one of San Juans’ most luxurious hotels was once home to 11 nuns that moved out in 1903. If you’re in need of prison time look at their picks out of Turkey and the U.K., just don’t say I didn’t try to warn you of their bone-chilling ambience.

Photo of the Day (10/18/06)

by Adrienne Wilson on


Wow – what a breath of fresh air! Scubadiver who surely had to have been on land for this shot brings up the crisp and clear photo of dew resting on a rose petal. This one was captured just after a rain fall in Oregon which leads me to believe that even if isn’t surf Scubadiver still likes playing in water found on turf. Excellent macro piece!

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