JGR: Ken, let's start with the basics: How did you become a skipper, when, and why?

KB: Well, Shawn, I originally started out on the Keelboats in Nov. '92. I was hired for Jungle but was sent to Liberty Square instead. It was funny because when I got to MO-7 (you remember MO-7) they began assigning us our attractions...the whole time I was thinking to myself, "Please not the keelboats...please not the Keelboats..." Then they said, "Ken, I think we're gonna send you to the Keelboats." It was like they were reading deep into my thoughts...When I was 12, I rode Jungle for the first time. The skipper was so funny and he had such a great time with his spiel I thought to myself, "I could do that, I want to be just like that guy..." I wish I could remember his name but, alas, I was 12 and soon became more fascinated that the butterflies weren't frightened away by the roar of the powerful 90hp Chevy Chevette engine...I soon finagled my way to Adventureland where, 12 years after my first jungle experience, I was skippering my own boat into the depths of the Amazon...still fascinated that the butterflies weren't scared away...

JGR: What were you doing prior to coming to WDW, and what made you decide to apply?

KB: I had just moved from Mississippi where I'd attended a community college majoring in broadcasting, until they cancelled the program on me, so I switched to criminal justice...My friends in my class told me that to make money in that line of work, I had to get out of Mississippi...Once I got to Florida I needed a "decent" job but Disney wasn't hiring at the time I applied...I checked back a month later when I quit my job selling vacuum cleaners and was hired instantly...

JGR: When and why did you leave?

KB: Weeeellllll, I'd been switching back and forth between CR an CT quite frequently. I was a CR when I started at Keelboats then switched to CT for awhile until I moved to Orlando, then went CR again hoping to get Perm...about six months later, my roommate decided that he just didn't like Florida anymore and hightailed it to Georgia with his new fiancée'...I then switched back to CT and moved back to Mississippi where I worked at a casino before attending the University of Southern Mississippi...former center of higher learning of my idol - Mr. James Buffett, and "The Man" Brett Favre....after two years at Southern Miss majoring in Film Production and Acting, I decided that I didn't need a college education for what I wanted to do...I hated having to 'waste my time' taking classes that had nothing to do with my major; Geology 101? I would have just as soon taken Underwater Basketweaving 101....So instead of 'wasting my time' I dropped out *moron* in May of '96 and moved back to Florida and back to life as a CR Jungle Skipper...I figured I'd eventually get an agent and start doing auditions and/or find work with a film company but I wasn't getting many hours at Disney and was driving a Chevy P.O.S. I lived an hour and 45 from work, rang up a lot of late's on my attendance record and in Oct got myself termed by the "man behind the curtain" (the computer)...Lisa Doyle was the supe at the time....She was really nice and gave me a rehire status...hopefully soon I can go cash it in.....after I left in Oct, I took a turn that changed my life forever....

JGR: Didn't you spend some time in the Service before your Disney Days? Tell us about it.

KB: I could tell you but then I'd have to kill you.....Really. Actually, yes, I served four years driving a tank for the U.S. Army from July '87 to July '91. After serving in Desert Storm I got out and started school at the Comm. College. I'd seen and done a lot in those four years...from the Californian desert to the Middle Eastern desert...The Blue Grass hills of Kentucky to the mountains of Germany...I even spent some time in Chicago...but unfortunately most of my time was spent in Kansas....Both times.....My second time in the Army came right after getting termed from Disney...I signed up again to go to one of the top broadcasting schools in the U.S. but had to go back into tanks first for about 18 months before requesting the school...The U.S. Military, being themselves did everything they could to keep me right where they wanted me, hence, no broadcasting school....After I volunteered to go to Bosnia, I decided to wait my four years and re-enlist for broadcasting school but, yet again, the army intervened...With their continued attempt to screw me over and the decline of the quality of our leadership I went AWOL with a buddy of mine. After we turned ourselves in 45 days later we were kicked out with a hearty handshake and no more than a slap on the wrist...I have no love lost for those lying, hypocritical, bastards.....this really goes a lot deeper than I'm letting on....Let's just say I support the troops since they have no choice in what they do, but I no longer support the system...It's amazing, I had to do something Illegal in order to gain success...Hmmmmmm

JGR: You were a Skipper during a period of time when Leads were dismissed, Females were brought on board, and for as brief while the was 'no' official spiel. Tell us about how these and other changes you witnessed affected the Jungle and it's skippers during this 'transformational' stage.