Jose Eber

To me, the main unit design is just another Bang And Olufsen design rip off. BeoLab 4000. something introduced years ago.

I see no forced perspective tricks on this baby. Intimidating! Anyone know the official height? Can't find it online.

I only have a premium Disney Pass -- yet to buy anything @ sea world (although can get into San Diego Sea World for the next year or so still lol). incidentally, $53.75 gets you into a disney park if you are a florida resident right now. i think water parks are what, 34? Cheaper to do them separately it looks like, 105 gets you a magic plus ticket (this is so confusing)... So $88 if you do typhoon then epcot, I don't know what other options entail for folks who don't have passes to Sea World/BGT

Oh, I like that ride, nice and smooth (when I was on it). Thanks for the pics -- reminds me of riding it at night during the summer. Total blast (looking at the TOT construction site -- bonus)

^ I'd die if they altered the ride config in any major way at WDW SM

What about typhoon/soarin, if there's time/Paris Stunt show. Sort of a Disney 'New Attraction' Meet. To jump over to Sea World doesn't make sense, what's there that is new or that most of us haven't already been on many a time? Maybe its best to have Robb and Elissa set their schedule up first, then have them decide what a good day/activity is for an east coast meet. They are traveling the furthest edit: and its their site too lol

I'm sure similar if not identical reasons they don't sell no limits in stores.

Dubai is disgustingly safe. In fact, San Francisco has a murder rate 7x as high as Dubai. Its a little pocket of safety amidst craziness (kinda like where I live) Think of it as Eurasia's DisneyWorld. Its a huge tourist draw and their airline Emirates is the fastest growing airline in the world because of it (they have the largest order of A380s by far). 75% of the population of Dubai are non-native. Its a very blended yet ultra modern culture. The british used to inhabit the area -- so the English fluency is high. Its a new country, new money -- oil money (1971 it incorporated). Do a trip -- the area rocks -- talk to Taylor J. about it. Dubailand is also coming so -- prepare for that too.

Wow -- he's serious! Its a cool concept though -- coaster news around the world lol.

I know you love your job, and personally, I can't think of a more intense place to work -- but when your mayor was a lawyer for the mob and crap like letting a building sink and inspectors don't freak out...I don't know. I just don't trust people where lots of money is on the line. I don't trust myself when lots of money is on the line! I remember when my Uncle (prof. engineer) visited the amusement area at Edmonton Mall and came back to tell us how unsafe it was -- sure enough 3 or 4 years later there was a serious accident w. fatalities. Not saying the tower is coming down any day, but I am saying, I wouldn't go in any building where there has been a fire. The strength of the building is severely affected through intense heat (such as a fire). 9/11 is the perfect example. It wasn't the planes that brought the buildings down, rather the heat from the fire which rendered the building structurally unsound and then collapse. Just my opinion Jose 'inspectors can be paid off' Eber

Actually, about 25 tonnes of support (metal) were destroyed. The fire started outside, possibly by a torch and spread down inside one of the legs in the walkway. Also -- the tower isn't made up of just concrete -- but rebar as well, lot of steel inside the concrete that was possibly affected -- and anyone that's walked on a sidewalk on a hot day knows how well concrete can absorb and retain heat (or lack thereof). A few engineering courses help understand how something like this is in fact, really serious. What also makes the story interesting is that at the time this 'accidental' fire happened, the casino was in dire need of financial support... so, there have also been rumors of a deliberate blaze. Big money does strange things to the integrity of a job, be it a casino or otherwise. Another example in vegas is the luxor hotel. I spoke with an engineer while on vacation and he'd noted that the hotel had sunk roughly four feet. WHICH IS INSANE.

It would be pretty crazy to use the whole 'abandoned' coaster as a theme for a new ride. Give it a nice rusted paint job . . .

Oh typical, someone has to sue. "You hurt my feelings! I'm going to sue you damn it!" It was an awful experience, but frankly, they put themselves in the middle of it...whenever you are on a coaster or thrill experience you have to ask yourself, "can I handle it breaking down". For wanting to do an insanely intense ride, these girls and their family are mighty testy. A few things pop up to mind: A) been up there -- on the big shot -- for some reason, insanity sounds way 'worse' B) history of the stratosphere: a mysterious fire which apparently left no structural damage. I personally won't go up on that tower again -- it was stupid to go the first time, heat has an uncanny ability to destroy the structural integrity of a tower (we witnessed this first hand 9/11). I won't even go near that edge of town. If I were in their position, I would have probably been in shock, but i'd never do the ride, so, can't speak for them. I personally wouldn't sue because it was an accident -- and those happen unfortunately. And because they happen, why risk one suspended 100 stories in the air? (my gawd, how stupid can you be). With love and kisses, Jose

I love that picture of falwell going down the speed slide in a sunday church suit. Too bad that thing is being torn down! It would have been nice to see it reconstructed (who knows, it might still happen?) From the Bakker's perspective it looks like Falwell behaved quite poorly (eyes of tammy faye -- my only perspective on the Bakkers). What's the connection between them and the TBN current crowd (the Crouches). Seen them a few times slummin it up in Newport Beach. Dinner at the four seasons, shopping at fashion island...dang -- gonna start me my own religious t.v. show! Jose 'glad Mrs. Crouch is free of cancer now' Eber

Well, its rare to get a quote like that from the Horses Mouth. Lets hope its for MGM and not Disneyland ha ha ah !!!

I knew from the day this story broke that it was fake. Obviously this woman wasn't smart enough to do her research. Wendy's chili isn't made with any big machines or anything - - its made up of spare burger patties (from the grill at each store), chopped up via the same spatula you flip burgers with. I.E. you'd have to blugeon your finger off if you wanted your finger there. All that is added is sauce and frozen bits of veggies and seasoning. The veggies are tiny cubes. Its totally stupid, I mean, if you do your crime, at least do it well and make it appear conceivable. What an idiot. Jose "I love Wendy's and I used to work there" Eber

Next up, he's planning to do it with a cobra! MADRAS, India -- C. Manoharan Snake Manu practices with a garden snake by running it through his nose and out his mouth in an attempt to create a Guinness Record. Manu plans to set the record by using a live cobra. (09/02/04 AP photo) ISTANBUL, Turkey -- Ilker Yilmaz snorts milk up his nose and squirts it out of his eye in a bid to set a new world record. Yilmaz squirted the milk 2 meters 79.5 centimeters, surpassing the exisitng world record of 2 meters 61 centimeters. Organizers said the record must still be verified. (09/01/04 AP photo)

Ummm...Epcot opened in 82, the hotels were not under construction till well after Epcot's opening in 88. I've heard the Indiana Jones Rumor as well. But I mean, its just a rumor. I agree with Eric -- something with runaway mine car would rock (and apparently not with what DLP has -- )

Just so you know, I have no idea what the hell you are talking about. Jose

awww BGT can't be that bad (never been). My wife and I LOVE San Diego Wild Animal park -- so any park with animals/zoo like is an A+ in our book. Jose 'my wife will take a Pepperidge Farm tour any day of the week' Eber

Oh, they are on my browser -- what do I do? Jose EDIT: tried arranging them differently -- no difference -- with Exlporer on the Mac they don't show up either (use safari). Weird.

To compensate: I will post a picture of our new cat (we got it this morning!) 4 mo's old "Cornie Jr"

Here are a few select shots from tonight -- was too late to visit Soarin for the annual pass preview (was on it for testing). Also some shots from another site: Location: Epcot, The Land presented by Nestlé USA Area of attraction: 59,895 square feet (includes ticketing area, Great Hall, skyway, Concourses 1 and 2, gate areas and two flight theaters) Great Hall: Before boarding, guests pass through the Great Hall where five of Earth's biomes are depicted in 20-foot-wide panoramas, along with interesting facts and quizzes displayed on large flat-screen monitors. The featured environments are: polar ecosystem, mountain ecosystem, desert ecosystem, rain forest ecosystem, temperate (deciduous) forest ecosystem. Flight experience: A breathtaking glide over the majestic and diverse natural wonders of California Duration of ride: The Soarin' experience, including pre-flight briefing, is ten minutes. The Soarin' flight lasts approximately five minutes. Locations featured: San Francisco, Monterey Coast, Yosemite National Park, Napa Valley, Lake Tahoe, Palm Springs, San Diego, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Los Angeles, Malibu and Disneyland in Anaheim Scents experienced: Orange blossoms, pine forests and ocean spray Music: Orchestral musical score created by renowned film and television composer Jerry Goldsmith ("Mulan," "Air Force One," "Star Trek: First Contact") Projection system: IMAX projection system, with high-speed (48fps) high definition Omni-max film projectors (twice the speed of normal motion picture film) Size of projection screen dome: 80-foot diameter Ride system: Walt Disney Imagineering-developed motion-based technology, the original ride inception was based on an erector set model created by Imagineer Mark Sumner. One million pounds of steel provides the ride structure and 37 tons are lifted during each ride cycle. Height guests are lifted into screen: 40 feet Total number of guests per each ride cycle: 87 Queuing options: Standby line, singles line, FASTPASS Minimum guest height requirement: 40 inches Accessible: Guests in wheelchairs must transfer from their wheelchairs to experience this attraction. Producing the Film · The Soarin' film uses IMAX projection systems, with high-speed (48 fps) high definition Omni-max film projectors. That's twice the speed of normal motion picture film. · Because airspace inside national park boundaries is protected, it took several months for the film crew to obtain permission to fly a helicopter into Yosemite National Park. The last time a helicopter was permitted to fly through Yosemite was in the mid-1900s, when a flood had closed the park to visitors. · Though it may be hard to see them, mountain climbers in the Yosemite sequence are making their way along a cliff face before the waterfall comes into view. The six members of the Yosemite Mountaineering School spent an entire day before the shoot placing pitons for handholds and footholds during filming. While the shot was being set up, and in between takes, the climbers literally "hung around," suspended from the cliff by ropes. One climber clung to the cliff for about six hours before the shot was ready to go. · Because of the status of Monterey/Point Lobos as a marine sanctuary, it took a year to obtain all of the necessary permits to film that sequence. One of the boats in this shot is a NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration) boat, whose job it was to monitor marine animal and bird activity during filming. Fortunately for the animals and the film crew, the shot was pulled off without disturbing any of the protected sea otters, sea lions or brown pelicans. · The scene in which guests go soaring over the USS Stennis aircraft carrier as it heads out of the San Diego port is unusual in that all of the Navy jets and helicopters can be seen on the carrier. Normally the carrier offloads all of the aircraft as soon as it comes into port. When this scene of the film was shot, the vessel happened to be making a quick turn-around and had not had time to offload the aircraft. The USS Stennis is the largest aircraft carrier in the Navy's fleet weighing in at 97,000 tons with a flight deck area of 4.5 acres. · There is a scene in the film in which horses and riders gallop through Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. Prior to filming this scene, the crew was required to hire an archaeological team to perform a biological and paleontological resource assessment. In other words, the team hand-dusted the area from Fonts Wash to Fonts Point -- a four-mile stretch of trail -- in order to be sure no artifacts would be disturbed by the horses and riders. · In the Anza-Borrego shot, the Thunderbirds fly over the horseback riders. Many meetings with Air Force personnel were required to set up this shot. Flight paths for both the Thunderbirds and the helicopter film crew had to be carefully charted and arranged. The jets travel so fast that they would not be able to see the helicopter in time to avoid intercepting its flight path. Timing its departure and GPS location very precisely, the helicopter departed only a few miles from the filming rendezvous point, while the Thunderbirds took off from Nellis Air Force base, near Las Vegas, more than 200 miles away. · Lt. Col. Brian Bishop, the Thunderbirds' lead pilot, uses the code name Be-Bop. The lead pilot for the Thunderbirds may hold his or her position for no more than three years, and Lt. Col. Bishop's participation in the filming of this sequence for Soarin' constituted his final flight as commander of the Thunderbirds. My shots of the great big golfball: (all with a 2 year old $80 digital camera, no tripod of course)

I'd be curious to see what C. Screaming operators would say. Truth be told -- Space goes down about once a day too I hear so... Wow -- so you work at that attraction -- cool. One of the coolest sights I saw the other week was for the first time when I was on the ride I didn't look at what was ahead but everywhere else -- seeing -- tracks, and then a glimpse of a train coming out of the initial bizarre loop -- its quite a tall loop there -- 80 ft or so. Man, what I'd give to work there just a day and take in all the mechanics and systems.. NERD lol If I see you, I'll do what I can to say hello.