33 Comments
Jan 18, 2023Liked by Michael Estrin

Mr. Estrin! I have not actually read this issue yet. I am only here with a MAJOR FLASH BULLETIN NEWS ALERT ANNOUNCEMENT that your doppelgänger, the OTHER Michael Estrin on LinkedIn that recruiters are always confusing you with, is now officially #OPENTOWORK. He can start immediately. Maybe you can hire him!!!!!!!!!

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Holy cow! That's great news. But it's also bad news for Situation Normal subscribers, because I'm sure the other Michael Estrin is a lot more expensive than me, which means I might have to raise prices. Hmmm. This could be a double-edged sword. On the one hand, he's gotta have the kind of growth hack I need, but on the other hand, who will pay six figures for a humor newsletter subscription they can get for free?

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Jan 18, 2023Liked by Michael Estrin

Hmph your readers are clearly voting for their favorite president rather than which president looks good in a mustache.

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This is the problem with voting -- it's always a popularity contest! But tell me, Anne, who wore the best mustache?

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Jan 19, 2023Liked by Michael Estrin

George W. by a mile!

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Dubya wears the stache really well, and yet he’s trailing his dad, who doesn’t look great with a mustache. Maybe people don’t like sequels??

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Jan 18, 2023Liked by Michael Estrin

1. My favourite ride at Disneyland was the teacups, it was 1975 so that's all I remember. We had a great steak supper that night in a restaurant that was a refurbished train car, both were very, very good. I liked Knott's Berry Farm a lot. We drove up into the Hollywood hills and in one of the nicer areas a police car followed us until we drove out of the nicer area.

2. Parenting, there are as many ways to parent as there are kids, none of them get it all right. I don't like the way that parent chose to punish their child, I'm not big on punishment as a learning tool. Positive reinforcement has worked better in our house.

3. The thing that really bothered me was the loud conversation on the phone. Are these people not aware of how earbuds and phones work? How about getting the person on the other end to jack their volume up so you don't have to shout. And finally, why did the restaurant pander to this loud person instead of accommodating the requests of much nicer people?

4. You can check out my chicken scratching at https://weatheredmusic.ca

Normal Norman signing off.

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I think you're right about there being as many different parenting styles as there are children, and you're also right that punishment isn't a great teaching tool. As for why the restaurant pandering to this behavior, or why the woman didn't use earbuds, I have no idea, and also I get the sense that manners have pretty much gone out the window.

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Jan 18, 2023Liked by Michael Estrin

HI Michael...

I am not certain of the event. Looks like he was in the old Tomorrowland area. The cabinet he was standing next to had several Shure brand amplifiers along with a small mixer Shure Mixer (M67 or M68). The cabinet cover (sitting to the left side) had Hollywood Sound stenciled on it. I am guessing it was a rental system to add additional area coverage for something taking place that day.

I absolutely enjoy these Pictures of Larry doing early sound gigs... Feel free to share more with me.

Ss

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Making it to any ranking and placing right under porn is quite the accomplishment. Independently of what the ranking is about

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We are very accomplished people :)

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Jan 18, 2023Liked by Michael Estrin

I’d love to hear more about your dad’s time at Disneyland. I’m a big fan of imagineering stuff.

While I’ve been on Smuggler’s Run twice, I haven’t been on Rise of the Resistance, much to my chagrin. We used to go to Disneyland all the time before the pandemic. Maybe we’ll go back sometime this year. My favorite Disney attraction is MuppetVision 3D and I just acquired the official cast and crew jacket for the people who designed and built it!

But my main theme park priority right now is Super Nintendo World. I’ve been dreaming about a Nintendo theme park since I was a kid! I’m thinking about getting yearly passes to Universal so I can go multiple times.

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I have a few more stories to tell about my dad's Disney stuff, so stay tuned.

Meantime, I can tell you that you'll absolutely love Rise of the Resistance whenever you guys get a chance to go to Disneyland again. You already know this, but the move is to go on a random weekday in the winter to beat the crowds.

I had never heard of Super Nintendo World, but it looks really cool! My only concern is that I might eat the wrong mushroom and wander into duck hunt. That would be intense.

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Jan 19, 2023Liked by Michael Estrin

But if you eat the right mushroom, you’ll double in size! Take the risk!

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Good point! I’ll eat the mushroom and see what happens.

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Good point! I’ll eat the mushroom and see what happens.

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Jan 18, 2023·edited Jan 18, 2023Liked by Michael Estrin

Also, I relayed the Bad Disney Mom story to my family, to which my son replied, "That's how you get yourself sent to a Kirkland-brand nursing home."

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Your son is wise.

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Jan 18, 2023Liked by Michael Estrin

I grew up in eastern PA, where there is a serious sinkhole problem. In the Lehigh Valley, you could count on every few years, a sinkhole opening up and swallowing somebody's house. Folks often would be given maybe 30 minutes to get in and grab their valuables before the buildings were declared off-limits. Trippy.

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Wow. That's really wild. I can't imagine living like that, and I live in California, where there's always a chance that the Earth will swallow everyone's house with zero notice.

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Jan 18, 2023Liked by Michael Estrin

It's because of all of the limestone in the area, but TBH, when I was growing up, it felt a little bit like Tremors.

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Yeah, it feels like the sort of thing that would inspire some speculative fiction. And unlike Earthquakes, I think there's something even more terrifying about it happening to one house, but leaving the rest of the neighborhood standing. Begs lots of why me questions.

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Of COURSE Obama.

I can also recommend truck stops for eavesdropping and people watching. A priceless array of humanity.

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Truck stops are goldmines!

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Jan 18, 2023Liked by Michael Estrin

The photo of Larry was fantastic. Thanks for sharing it.

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Of course! Wish I knew what event he was working on. Any idea from the gear in the background what kind of equipment those cabinets are?

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Mr. Biden unequivocally wears his stache the best.

Your newsletter entertained me all morning, so thanks!

I am on Substack, too, but my posts are very short - easily distracted, ya know.

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Hi Katie, I'm so glad you enjoyed some of my stories and I'm glad you're subscribed! Thanks for leaving this comment!

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Michael and Christina podcast when?

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haha! tuesday. the podcast comes out on tuesday. we just haven't settled on the year. maybe the 2030s!

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Jan 19, 2023Liked by Michael Estrin

We had a small sinkhole in front of our house when I was growing up. Turned out the sewer pipe connection rotted away and collapsed the street. It wasn't big enough to make the news. But annoying enough to keep us out of our driveway til it was repaired and filled in.

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Jan 18, 2023Liked by Michael Estrin

I have not been to Disneyland since the new stuff was opened. We could see the construction during our last visit. I’ve been to Disneyland during Orange County Springbreak and to private events where I was one of a few thousand guests. There is a vibrancy to the atmosphere when it’s packed. And ALL of the rides are running when it’s packed. When the kids were preteens and teens, we alternated between Disneyland and Disneyworld. I do miss those times, but not being driven by school schedules is also very great. Mid morning during a slow week is special.

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I know what you mean about the energy of the place when it's packed. Thinking back, some of the best times I had at Disneyland were on long, summer days when the lines were long. When we go to Disney World with our nephews, I actually enjoy our time in line because it gives me a chance to try out all my lame jokes on them. But I also really appreciated the short lines this time around, especially because we got to ride both Star Wars attractions twice, which was really cool because there world's are so rich that there's a lot of stuff you miss.

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