Expo '86 McBarge

Way back in time (About 31 years ago!) I attended Expo '86 in Vancouver, British Columbia. While there I ate at McDonald's many times! It was an amazing place!  Fitting for the Expo and my budget at the time!  Here is an interesting video covering the journey of the McBarge!

Richard Feynman: The Pleasure of Finding Things Out

Watching Road Markers Being Designed Is Insanely Satisfying

The Biggest Movie From the Year You Were Born

Your birthday gifts you a Zodiac sign, a generation, a gemstone, a Chinese animal avatar, a spiritual celebrity twin born the same day, or just your own personal holiday to tide you over until the next national day off. But why stop there? Your entire birth year deserves a symbolic movie, too, the BIGGEST film from a 12-month window that surely says something about where you've come from, and who you've become.

Which movie you'll cling to depends on your metrics. "Biggest" could mean the blockbuster that topped the box office during the year you were born. Or maybe "biggest" has cultural value -- prestige doesn't get much bigger than winning Best Picture at the Academy Awards. Or maybe you're a little more thoughtful and need a recommendation. We've got you covered in all three departments. Whether you're 10 or 100 -- seriously, we're not ageist -- everyone deserves a movie they can stream on a whim and call their own. Here are yours!

Behind the Scenes of the Enchanted Tiki Room

The 100 Best Burgers in America

We sent our National Burger Critic Kevin Alexander on a year-long Burger Quest, which took him to 30 cities and saw him consuming 330 burgers. Read on to see what made his curated list of America's 100 best, and then check out what he learned along the way and watch him gleefully eat his #1 pick.

The Las Vegas - Disneyland Two Step

This interactive map of our trip will be updated over the next week as I add more information so check back from time to time.

After 2,200 miles and 40 hours of driving and we safely back in Kuna, Idaho

And I am done!  Be sure to take a peek!  Death Valley, The Clown Motel, The Goldfield Cemetery,  Worlds Tallest Thermometer, Frankie's Tiki Room?  It's all in there, so check it out!

My Pachinko & Pachislo Machine Restoration History

Nishijin Napalm Hanemono
Fever Neo Queen © 2004 Sankyo Now owned by R.S.
CR Casino Fever [Model RX] © 1999 Sankyo Now owned by J.F.
Fever Aqua Nine © 2004 Sankyo
CR Kappa 64 [F] © 2002 Fuji Shogi Co., Ltd. Now owned by B.B.
Lord Of The Rings © 2004
Sankyo1978 Nishijin C
1970's Sankyo
Azteca © 1999 Eleco-Universal
Cow Young © 2004 Aruze-Universal

Picked Up A New (to me) Pachinko Game today

Nishijin Napalm Hanemono (Mid 1980's)

Very dirty and jammed up bad!

After about 2 hours of work we are clean and running.

All of this had to be disconnected to get to the center payout section as most of the bulbs were burned out and it sounded like a rock crusher.

5 years of cigarette smoke anyone?

After about 3 hours we are looking good!

This was less than a joy to disassemble and clean!

After a total play-field cleaning this thing is looking brighter!

A Craigslist find that I picked up for $60!
 
This early modern Machine was made by Nishijin. It is basically a Nishijin Model C with the modern shooting handle and electronics overlaid.  Unfortunatley I can not determine the year it was released but I am guessing mid 1980's.


A little about Hanemono Pachinko:

Considered more the 'Nickel Slot' (more play for less money) of the pachinko parlor today, they were all the rage in the late 70's through mid 90's when the Digital (having to match 3 numbers or symbols to win) machines took over. New models are made by most of the major manufacturers each year to bring in the nostalgia player, but it is a small fraction of the total production.

The older models are getting very hard to find in good shape, here and abroad, still demanding high prices in Japan, as so many were either destroyed or shipped to the US, and the newer models are also rare in that they are made in such small numbers and are generally destroyed (recycled) after their usefulness to the parlors.

How to play: 

Play looks easy, but it takes timing and skill to win big! At the bottom of the play-field are three pockets, two labeled with “1” and one labeled with “2”. When a ball enters one of these pockets, mechanical arms or 'wings' in the center feature of the play-field will open once for one second for a '1' pocket and open for two seconds for a '2' pocket.

The Clown Motel - Tonopah, Nevada

Upon entering the lobby you are greeted by hundreds of Clowns!

Apparently guests bring Clowns to add to the collection.

Deb pays the $45 for the night while I shoot photos of Clowns.

We are handed a real key just like the old days.

What could go wrong?

Room 206.

Yikes!

VERY well worn but the sheets smelled clean and as long as we kept our shoes on we were going to make it!

Oh!  Did I mention that RIGHT next door is a cemetery?

"You all come back now!  Yeh hear!"

Here is a little more info.

Goldfield Cemetery, Goldfield Nevada

The Goldfield cemetery was originally located in the town site, south of the LV&T Railroad station, where Fourth and Alloy Streets would meet. Due to the expansion of the town, in 1908 the graves were moved by a group of men called ghouls, to the current cemetery during the night so the local residents would not have to see them moved. The area they are moved to is marked with a plaque at the back of the cemetery. When they were moved, the graves were layed-out in the same order as they were buried originally, so their families could locate them. Currently after years of being unmarked, head stones are being placed on each grave, so families can again locate their loved ones.

Death Valley, California

Disneyland