Birthday Greetings From Our Big Boney Buddies

Looks like a b-day celebration is on tap for a lucky someone on Westwood Drive. TSG joins the skeleton crew in wishing the honoree congrats on another solar orbit.

We Have Reservations

The latest additions to to the TSG Hotel/Motel postcard collection. Namesake-wise, our favorite here wasn't actually a hotel or motel, but a fine(?) dining establishment. Also of interest is the card sent from the Casa Munras Garden Inn to SF television station KRON in 1967.

ps: oops, this one didn't make it into the slideshow (the slideshow editor was not paying attention--sadly not an uncommon occurance when dealing with dozens of similarly-named image files. Oh Well.)

Fourth Of July Fairgasm

"I live in America. Right here, dig my mess."  

-- James Brown

 

This quote could be applied equally to this somewhat slapdash video as well as to other things. But we won't get into that...

 

 (Editors note: readers may have adjust their youtube player setting 
to "1080p/HD" for the best viewing experience.)

Operation! Wētā-Style

Visitors on the Wētā* Workshop Unleashed! tour try their hand at alien organ removal.

*Wētā (aka Wētā FX) is a New Zealand-based 

special effects house founded in the 1980s.

 Their work has been featured in Peter Jackson' films

going back to the The Frighteners  

(starring Michael J. Fox and R. Lee Ermy)

It Was Fifty Years Ago Today...

That Bruce came out to play. Today TSG commemorates the premiere of JAWS with some appropriate imagery from our archives:

Antique Crawl 2025

We're always on the lookout for items to stock the shelves and adorn the walls of TSG's virtual man cave (where there's always room for more). Here's some stuff we've added to our digital shopping bag.

The New Zealand Sizzle(?) Reel

In the grand tradition of "hey, wanna see slides from my vacation?", here's the TSG video version.

De Plane, De (Wrong) Plane!

Planes Of Fame Museum / Chino CA

 

In the interest of comic (and musical) accuracy, we feel that Joe Cool should really be piloting a doghouse.

May '25 State O' The Skeleton Report

Willow Glen's biggest bony graduate his and ossified canine sidekick ready to receive their diplomas

May '25 State O' The Clams Report

The Pismo Beach Mascots all dressed up for summer.

4-Legged Gremmie @ Doheny State Beach

Peregrine Fly-By

Torrey Pines State Natural Preserve

Fastest Delivery In Town

Pepperoni-vette / Pizza Man Dan's / Ventura CA

Q: What Does This British Magazine Have In Common With TSG?

Front cover / Back Cover

A: They both came out in May of 1954.

More content from this issue to come

(once we get motivated to fire up the scanner) 

Things You Might See In The AKL International Departures Terminal

 

Our First Robot Server

At CHIMAC 치맥 in Auckland. (Full disclosure: We were not actually served by this robot since ours was a takeaway order.) (Editor's note: we had to string the clip togther three times in order to avoid having youtube flag the video as a "short". For whatever reason youtube doesn't want me embedding "shorts" in my blog post.)

Some Thoughts From A Concerned Kiwi

Opononi, Northland NZ

Today's Perfect Moment

 After a week of unsettled (to put it mildly) weather, TSG felt like the road trip gods smiled on us today. Having the Cape Reinga Lighthouse to ourselves on such a brilliant morning was a major high point of our visit, both figuratively and latitudinally speaking. 

A Lovely Bunch O' 'Shrooms

Seen along Pungaere Road en route to the Puketi Forest Kauri Walk. 

This is as good a place as any to air one of my Kiwi pet peeves: the lack of road shoulders/places to pull over when a photo op is encountered. We had to make 3 passes looking for a spot wide enough to get off the roadway anywhere near this fine crop of colorful fungi. Far be it from us to criticise the NZ road network--the roads are generally excellent--but man it is frustrating not being able to pull over to snap a pic of the abundant scenic views along the way.

A Knife Day In Paihia

Bay Of Islands NZ

Mangawhia Harbor Overlook

From the aptly-named "Lookout point". Taranga Island in the distance.

The Headless, Bespectacled Miners Of Karangahake Gorge (Updated!)

At first we thought these guys were photo stand-ins for tourist photo ops. But on closer inspection it appears some anti-social types have performed some uncalled-for modifications.

**Update**

We were able to find a pic of these fellows in their original non-defaced (ha) versions:

 

 

When Clark Kent Has To Go...

He looks for a Super Loo, of course.

Tongariro Domain  NZ

If You Prefer A Plane Burger

Then you need to head to Taupo New Zealand, where they have the (self-proclaimed?) "World's Coolest McDonald's"

Sunrise View From Room 521 / Te Pania Hotel / Napier NZ

Flip-Flopping New Zealand Style

Three Sisters Beach

Manawatu Gorge Bush Walk Carpark

Hastings Street / Napier

TSG travel footwear collection

 

Another "White" Post

White Cliffs Beach / Waiiti NZ

White-Fronted Terns / Awakino Beach NZ

One Ugly Dog

According to the wiki article these fellas went extinct sometime in the mid-1800s. Probably because they couldn't get a date.

Kids Playing On Goalpost / Waitomo Top 10 Holiday Park