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scooterdoug

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Everything posted by scooterdoug

  1. Totally legal. There are no regulations regarding making such changes by hand. If they used a machine, that would be another story. In that case, the Army Corp of Engineers would regulate it. At that point, it would not only be illegal, it would be a criminal offense. As far as from an environmental standpoint, any impact is probably minimal. It would possibly drop the water elevation in that portion of the river by a foot or so. However, once rains come (which they do often in Kauai), the water level will rise, and sediment from upstream will likely fill up that channel, which was probably how that sand bar formed in the first place. -Doug "Not as environmentally reprehensible as it seems at first glance" Heim
  2. I can understand the policy of letting an armed person leave in order not to escalate a situation. For example, if the guy was walking out the door and, upon being confronted, produced the gun, then it's pretty obvious that the smart choice is to let him continue his exit. However, letting him go (when he was in the loss prevention room in the back of the store) would have amounted to giving an armed person free reign of the store. I think that these guys made the right decision. I'm rather offended by Walmart's robotic, by-the-book decision to fire these guys. Then again, Walmart isn't exactly known for treating its employees well. -Doug
  3. Thank you for the kind words. ^Yes, the model is completely functional. The lifts are powered by a motor. Once the rolling train reaches the top, gravity takes over (just like on its real-life counterpart).
  4. Hello all, Well, I just finished making a model with CoasterDynamix. Since CD models (or any models for that matter) are far and few between in this forum, I thought I'd share my latest with you. It's a sitdown model, with inspiration taken from Maverick, Millennium Force, and other various designs from both Intamin and B&M. Enjoy the pictures. And, of course, comments/compliments/criticism are welcome. -Doug
  5. Outstanding TR! While I do think cruises are cool, I've never had a desire to go on a Disney cruise. After seeing your top-notch report, I seriously want to go. Also, I'm with meteornotes: It's impossible to have too many food pics. -Doug
  6. Wow! After reading all of these comments, and knowing of Fuji-Q's horrendous reputation, I feel extremely lucky. I visited the park once back in 2007. The crowds were surprisingly manageable. My longest wait was for Dodonpa, at about 1 & 1/2 hours. We scored 3 rides on Fujiyama, with waits of 10, 15, and 20 minutes. We also netted 3 rides on Eejanaika, with waits of 1 hour, 45 minutes, and a miraculous 15 minute wait. I will never go back, as I do not want to tarnish my memory of the place. I count myself as profoundly fortunate. -Doug "I hate how the Japanese assign seats" Heim
  7. The last time I went to TJ was when my friend took me to a "bar" in honor of my upcoming wedding. The place turned out to be a brothel. The next hour was spent fighting off the advances of an aggressive, decidedly unattractive prostitute with a lazy eye while my friend happily flirted with another working girl. I've never been more grateful to leave a city in my life. Unless you're an underage college student looking to get drunk cheap (and even then, I wouldn't recommend it), don't go. That place is a sh#@hole! -Doug "No, I didn't sleep with that hooker. Are you crazy?!?" Heim
  8. I remember riding that thing, and it hardly seemed dangerous. Not very tall, not very fast, and the ride attendants checked my restraint before sending me off. I'll be curious to read more about this... -Doug
  9. Great photos! My family has a condo in the town of Mammoth Lakes. I love trips to the mountain...I like it even better in the summer (great hiking and exploring to be had). Did you try skiing Climax? That's a seriously demented double black diamond run. There's no way I'd go near it. However, the Cornice is a fantastic run...once you get past the vertical drop at the top. Also, did you head to Hot Creek? I love going there to soak after a log day on the mountain. However, it has been closed the past couple of years due to scalding water (it is a volcanic feature...no controlling mother nature). -Doug "Loves that Reno is only 3 hours away from Mammoth...and right at the doorstep of the Lake Tahoe resorts" Heim
  10. Well, I finally caved in and decided to try this thing. The line was too full, but I just clicked "Try Again" a few times in a row. I got in on the third or fourth try...I guess persistence pays. So, I'll see how it goes. My avatar isn't quite as slick as Robb's wifebeater coolness. I'm just a baby, though it seems fitting, as my wife just gave birth to our first child. -Doug "Wish me luck!" Heim
  11. This is an easy question: Knott's. While CGA is certainly not a bad park by any stretch of the imagination, none of the rides are all that noteworthy. Knott's, on the other hand, has some great rides. Xcelerator is awesome, with a launch that is serious business! And, like alpengeist04 said, it's simply a better park overall (theming, atmosphere, etc.). Either way, have fun! -Doug "Still, you'd be surprised how quickly you can blow through CGA" Heim
  12. Any TR with a Lovecraft reference is OK by me!
  13. I understand what you are saying here. I still think that the comment about coming from money had a small bit of sting to it. But, I understand his query. You are absolutely correct. I have no excuse for that, and I apologize. I should certainly know better than that. Ccron, I owe you an apology as well, that was quite childish of me. -Doug
  14. ^Your words seem a bit harsh for someone who did something very impressive and ingenious. I think that patenting is a smart idea to ensure that nobody steals his design. While working with companies seems like a good idea, I imagine that it is rather difficult to get your foot in the door. This way, he has a demonstrable working product to market. As for him being a kid, I don't think he is one, seeing as you can clearly see a wedding ring on his hand in the video. This is certainly not meant to butt heads with you. I'm just a bit surprised at what seems like a bit of venom being directed at someone who has demonstrated impressive intelligence and engineering skills. I hope that a company buys his design, that "Type 2" model is very interesting. -Doug
  15. I'll have to agree with Brent, Audition is pretty darned disturbing. Brilliant, but nightmarish. I have been curious to watch The Human Centipede, but my friend just watched it. He's a horror movie buff, and he had a hard time getting through it. Simply describing the movie to me made him visibly uncomfortable. -Doug "Oh yeah, The Shining kept me up a whole night the first time I saw it" Heim
  16. I went to Japan back in 2007 and spent a couple of hours at LaQua. I enjoyed my time there, definitely a unique park (in the middle of the city, interacting with a mall). Though it is a decidedly lackluster ride, I enjoyed Thunder Dolphin (though the fact that it was a walk-on could have colored my perception of the ride...no way would I wait excessively for it). It is very conveniently located, literally IN Tokyo. Personally, I enjoyed Fuji-Q Highland more, though the fact that I was there during an ultra-rare low crowd day definitely affects my opinion. Bear in mind that Fuji-Q is a 2+ hour train ride away. The short version: I liked LaQua. Whatever you do, enjoy Tokyo! -Doug
  17. Yeah, I had to quote this for sheer truth. I will only ride MF in the front, the difference is that big. My friend described it as "riding on the edge of your seat." Longer line? Yes. Worth the wait? Hell yeah! -Doug
  18. I stayed in the Days Inn at Freehold, NJ last year. It was reasonably priced, and within 15-20 minutes of SFGAdv.
  19. I think I might have to join you in a bit of blasphemy. I'm really not a huge fan of Magnum...I just don't get why it's so revered. I mean, I understand that it's the first hyper in the world, and it's got some significant, wild airtime. However, I agree that it's poorly designed. Yes the banking is all wrong. Furthermore, that first hill always strikes me as pointless...no airtime, just slowly going over a big hill *yawns*. The bunny hops at the end would be much better if the lap bars had WAY more padding, something along the lines of several pillows. Still, if I'm at the Point, I'm riding it (but only if it's a walk-on, which it frequently is). -Doug "Millie craps all over Maggie" Heim
  20. I think YoshiFan makes an excellent point. Personally, I would prefer an intense B&M Invert. However, from a business/marketing point of view, the GCI seems the smarter choice. Aside from having a more "classic" look and feel, woodies are more inviting and accessible (psychologically speaking) to a larger audience, as opposed to a steel invert, which can be more menacing and intimidating to the average park goer. GCI all the way...just try to make sure that they throw some decent airtime into the design. -Doug "simply adores Lightning Racer" Heim
  21. 8/20. All guesses. Well, except for the Screamin' Swing one. Other than that, I suck at flat rides -Doug "Will take a coaster over a flat ride any day of the week" Heim
  22. Thanks for clearing up the "It Had To Be You" confusion, Chrisrad and Wes. I knew it wasn't Frank Sinatra, as his voice is absolutely unmistakable. However, I didn't know who it was singing that particular version. -Doug
  23. I'm not a AAA member, but had been planning on going with a friend that day (Fridays in May are great for avoiding crowds). Any guesses as to how this could affect crowds? I'm considering moving my trip to a different day if this will make for a crowded park. Are my fears unfounded? Thanks! -Doug
  24. Weekdays in early June aren't too bad. I've done it a few times. The biggest waits will be for MF, TTD, and Maverick...about an hour each (maybe less). Raptor...perhaps about a 20 minute wait. Mantis ranges from 30 minutes to walk-on. Magnum, Gemini, Mean Streak, Iron Dragon, Corkscrew and Wicked Twister are usually walk-ons during that time. However, there can be a lot of variation during the week, depending on how many school groups are visiting. It can easily range from low crowds to surprisingly busy. As for Early Entry, I would suggest going straight to Maverick, riding that for the first half hour, then going to Millennium Force. While MF is my favorite ride in the park, it can be annoying if you're a front row rider like me. The last few times I've been, I have been the first person to run to the ride, only to find others already in the queue (who obviously go right for the very front and back). I wait for the front, only to hear the announcement that they won't dispatch the train until it is completely full. Unfortunately, most are at Maverick, requiring a wait until the Maverick people drift over to MF. Maverick, on the other hand, has very quick dispatches, allowing for many rides until you finally decide to head to MF. Finally, where to eat. As has been mentioned before, you can't go wrong with Famous Dave's. It's right across the street from the marina (Millennium Force) entrance. I'm a sucker for BBQ, and their ribs hit the spot when I have a big coaster appetite. That's all. Have fun at the Point! -Doug
  25. ^^^^^^ & ^^, So glad to hear that I'm not the only one with the sudden loud noises issue. While I'm not exactly thrilled with fire alarms, I'm not afraid of them. However, balloons popping, fireworks (sometimes), and those little f%#king poppers that you can throw on the ground...I hate those! I guess I've grown out of it enough that it's not much of an issue for me anymore. When I was a kid, I would have rather been in a room full of tarantulas and scorpions than a room full of balloons. I'm not that way anymore. However, if someone holds a balloon and pin in front of me and threatens to pop it, my response will likely be something along the lines of "Keep doing that, and your jaw will have a meeting with my fist!" -Doug "Ban balloons!" Heim
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