I guess I’m just a big kid, but I am so excited about Legoland coming to Florida.

A front-loading tractor was positioned Thursday morning outside the Magnolia Mansion at Cypress Gardens. It wasn’t there to move any dirt.

Instead, a driver tilted down the scoop and dumped 100,000 Lego bricks onto a stage. That was a mere down payment, with 39.9 million more to follow when Legoland Florida opens by the end of next year.

Cypress Gardens is nearly in my front yard, less than a 15 minute drive. If pushed, I could practically walk there. It was a destination for travelers long before the mouse moved in.

The possibility of 1000 local jobs is great news for the area, but I am excited about being so close to 40 million Legos.

[Merlin Entertainments Group CEO Nick] Varney said Legoland Florida will be larger than any of the company’s four existing Legoland parks – one in California and three in Europe. He said the park will eventually become Legoland Florida Resort and will contain at least one hotel.

Legoland Florida will follow the same model with a central “Miniland” exhibiting elaborate Lego models depicting scenes from the area. He said the company’s designers are already at work designing Lego constructions for the Winter Haven attraction.

The Legoland parks are geared toward children 2 to 12 years old – and, of course, their parents. Varney, calling Lego one of the world’s best-known brands, said the parks are unique among tourist attractions in presenting children the opportunity for “playful learning,” as opposed to passive entertainment at other theme parks.

The projected opening is October, 2011. I’ll be there.

Photo Credit: SCOTT WHEELER | The Ledger

Michelle Malkin points to a NRO article by Fred Schwarz

[T]hink of all the hours that must have gone into devising “Overseas Contingency Operation”! Since it’s the duty of every citizen to help our president in this time of crisis, The Tank presents the Obama-Matic (TM) Content-Free Euphemism Generator (patent pending), to simplify the critically important job of governmental obfuscation.

Well, I took the idea and automated the process.

bRight & Early is proud to present the Obamemism Generator.

Other words and phrases can be added. Please submit your suggestions in the comments.

Perhaps you look like I do.

The Strange Damp Water Creature

I was amazed that The Hero Factory captured my physique so accurately.

h/t The Fancy Capped Shooter (aka Wyatt)

There are more things dropping on New Year’s Eve than the ball at Times Square in New York.

Website TripAdvisor (www.tripadvisor.com) has come up with a list of America’s top 10 quirkiest New Year’s Eve drops on advice of its editors and travelers. This list is not endorsed by Reuters.

“While New York City’s famous ball drop in Times Square is a spectacular sight, there are other uniquely wonderful ways Americans can ring in the New Year,” said TripAdvisor spokeswoman Michele Perry. “While they range from clever to wacky, it’s clear that New Year’s Eve is about celebrating traditions and enjoying the company of a crowd.”

What I found interesting was the smorgasbord of things being dropped around the country. You can find a 20-foot, 600-pound fiberglass walleye fish in Port Clinton, Ohio, an 18-foot sausage in Elmore, Ohio, a seven-and-a-half-foot edible bologna in Lebanon, Pa, a Gumbo Pot in New Orleans, a giant replica of a steamed red crab in Easton, Md, Cheese in Plymouth, Wisconson, and a three-foot tall, glowing pickle in Mount Olive, NC. If you want desert head to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania where they drop a 25-pound fiberglass illuminated Marshmallow Peep.

I’ve heard of some others not mentioned in the story. I believe Atlanta drops a giant peach and I’m sure that somewhere here in Florida someone drops a big orange. Know of any others? Let us know in the comments.

Or perhaps we can make some suggestions:
Philadelphia — A cheese steak, soft pretzel, or Tasty Cake™
Battle Creek, Michigan — A big bowl of breakfast cereal
Dallas — An effigy of Jerry Jones
Washington, DC — A huge sack of cash

Any others?

Your Preppy Name Is: Pierce Judge Lathrop the Third

But most people know you as Tad

(ht: Fenwick Marsden Delancey)

That’s the type of blog you’re reading.

The active and play-ful type. They are especially attuned to people and things around them and often full of energy, talking, joking and engaging in physical out-door activities.

The Doers are happiest with action-filled work which craves their full attention and focus. They might be very impulsive and more keen on starting something new than following it through. They might have a problem with sitting still or remaining inactive for any period of time.

h/t: OTB

Two weeks in a row without a political figure in the caption contest. That’s a good thing, right? Improve on this: A police-trained dog wears boxing gloves during a demonstration before a military parade to celebrate Peru’s Independence Day in Lima July 29, 2008.
REUTERS/Pilar Olivares (PERU)

I know you can.

I post this roundup on Saturday, except when I don’t. I didn’t. Sorry.

However, I will remember to post the links to these fine contests.

Blonde Sagacity
Cowboy Blob
Family Security Matters
Gone Rick Motel
Is This Life?
Public Pondering
Right Pundits
Rodney Dill/OTB
Support Your Local Gunfighter
WILLisms
Wizbang

Of course I can’t forget mention my own weekly contest.

Enjoy!

Quite a few Obamessiah pics in this weeks roundup. Have Fun!

And don’t forget to join in the bRight & Early caption contest:

Uhhh…It would help if I gave you the links, wouldn’t it?

Blonde Sagacity
Cowboy Blob
Family Security Matters
Gone Rick Motel
Public Pondering
Right Pundits
Rodney Dill / OTB
Support Your Local Gunfighter
WILLisms
Wizbang

$3840.00The Cadaver Calculator – Find out how much your body is worth.

Created by OnePlusYou

h/t: Wyatt

Just testing out the new virtual world from Google: Lively. Here is my first/test room.

Lively is a new offering similar to “Second Life”.

Google Inc on Tuesday launched a three-dimensional virtual experience website to match popular virtual world Second Life.

The service, called “Lively,” uses real-time virtual world characters known as avatars and three-dimensional graphics to congregate in virtual rooms.

Stop on in for a visit.

Sure it’s Saturday, and you may have slept in, but that doesn’t mean you’ve missed this weeks Caption Contest. Enter your best caption here first, then go have fun with some other great contests.

Blonde Sagacity
Cowboy Blob
First In!
Gone Rick Motel
Public Pondering
Right Pundits
Rodney Dill/OTB
Support Your Local Gunfighter
WILLisms
Wizbang