scooterdoug

Jess has a good point about ginger. It certainly has anti-nausea properties. You could consider taking some candied ginger with you in your pocket. If nausea starts to crop up, just chew on a couple to relieve the symptoms.

Looking forward to it. My wife, sister-in-law, and I will be in Brussels for 4 days in the middle of June. We are excited to rent bikes and do a biking tour of breweries. It shall surely be a decadent time!!! -Doug

^Glad to hear it! The best way to see if you'll have any negative effects from wearing earplugs is to give it a try.

Congratulations on winning this contest and getting a chance at being the master of Bizarro. I'm not sure I would suggest a light meal, as riding on an empty stomach, for me, can cause nausea. But, then again, I can destroy a buffet and strap myself into a coaster no problem. As for the earplugs, I don't think that wearing them would cause nausea. Balance and nausea issues are caused by the inner ear, not the outer ear canal. I wear ear plugs every night, and I have no problems. If you really want to see if they will cause a problem, just wear them for a few hours one evening around the house. If you don't vomit, fall over, or experience any other symptoms of vertigo, you should be fine. Personally, I support the earplugs-on-the-ride idea. If not for the speakers, at least for the B&M roar (which is a lovely sound, but might not be so great for 8 hours straight). And, like others said, sit as close to the front as possible. Good luck, and have fun! -Doug

FlashPass, FlashPass, FlashPass...preferably gold or platinum. SFMM on a Saturday can be hell on earth! Though, I haven't been on a Saturday in at least a decade (personally, I always go on a weekday in spring or on SuperBowl Sunday), every Saturday I ever went was crowded beyond belief. That, and the ride ops at the Mountain are not the most efficient in the world (though they are getting better). I have personally passed on invitations for Saturday trips to SFMM, there is no way I will set foot in that park on a Saturday. However, if I were to go, I would make sure to have at least a Gold FlashPass. Honestly, I think the FlashPass is Six Flag's greatest addition since El Toro. Good luck, and have fun! -Doug

Holy crap!!! I totally remember having this game on my computer. Except, my computer was really slow, so the ride seemed to move at 3 fps. Still fun, though. Thanks for posting that flashback. -Doug

I could not care less how much it costs. At least we're getting a coaster, ANY KIND of coaster here in the Reno/Tahoe area. I mean, there's absolutely nothing here, NOTHING! At this rate, I would settle for an SLC. -Doug "Going through serious withdrawals during this off-season" Heim

I haven't eaten it yet, but I've got a rack of fully cooked baby back ribs from Trader Joe's waiting for me for dinner tonight. They come all ready in the fabulously rich BBQ sauce. 20 minutes in the oven and they're fallin'-off-the-bone good! *drools in anticipation*

9/20...mostly guesses. Man, that test was brutal!

To address one of the topics brought up, I'm not sure I agree with the idea that the animals have it so good. I think it's quite easy to look at an Orca in captivity through a human lens and say it's a good life. No predators to worry about, fed every day, relaxin' the day away in a big tank. It definitely sounds good to me...as a human. However, does an Orca actually prefer being fed rather than being able to satisfy its natural instinct to hunt for its prey? Is an Orca happy in the biggest of tanks as opposed to the vastness of the ocean? While the conditions an Orca (or any animal, for that matter) live in might look good to us humans, the animal might not feel the same way. Captivity is captivity, and we don't really know just how it affects animals. Still, no matter how you look at it, this is a tragedy. I can't even imagine how it was for the people who had to witness such a horrific spectacle, nor the family and friends of the trainer. I hope healing comes to all of them as soon as possible. -Doug

Certainly an interesting idea. I forsee two potential problems with such a design. First, as has been pointed out before, completely blocking off the view of the outside would somewhat defeat the purpose of a roller coaster. The second, and I think bigger of the issues, is the variance in ride time. Remember, a coaster goes slower first thing in the morning, and then speeds up as the day wears on. You could potentially be looking at a 10 second difference in ride time from the beginning to the end of the day. This could pose significant problems to synchronizing visual effects with ride motion. If a way could be found to resolve this problem, then you could have a hell of an idea on your hands. Thanks for sharing! -Doug

The donkey fairy appears to have paid a visit to my title as well. At first, I was also given the ominous warning of the magical donkey at Lotte World. However, I guess the mighty donkey fairy decided that I was more knowledgable than that, and declared me a "know-it-all". *Blushes* I'll have to be sure to stay on the venerable donkey fairy's good side. -Doug

^Ah, but that would be cheating...though I really had to resist opening up Google. 16/20 for me. Pretty darned good for so many guesses. Though, some were rather easy to guess (I mean, c'mon, it's not hard to guess which is the woodie when two are named "Steel Dragon"). -Doug

See happy riders Up and down the hills they go Hands up, shouting “Whee!”

I visited SFGAdv on the last Sunday in May last year. The crowds were very reasonable, but we had already purchased a Gold FlashPass before we went. It turned out to be totally worth the money. Even with reasonable crowds, the lines for many of the rides (especially El Toro...the best ride in the park...perhaps the country) were long. If I could do it again, I would not hesitate to buy a FlashPass. So, if the FlashPass was a good choice during a relatively quiet day, then a crowded day (which July almost certainly will be) would make it a necessary purchase. Get a 2-person Gold FlashPass and, as for your 2 friends who don't really care, let them hang out in Philadelphia or wait in line...you'll be too busy re-riding your favorites! -Doug

^^Yikes!! That looks profoundly painful -Doug "That doesn't mean I wouldn't take the credit" Heim

My sensei (in Aikido) totally scares me. I hate it when he calls me up to demonstrate a technique. Since I'm getting close to black belt, he throws me around hard and gives me sh!t in front of everyone when I don't take the falls as gracefully as he'd like. Just knowing how easily that 6th degree black belt could put me in a hospital or grave makes me shudder. I both admire and fear him. -Doug

Great TR! The only time I have visited Belgium (Brussels), I hadn't yet gotten into beers. Now, I would love to go back and enjoy a culinary tour. I firmly believe that the Belgians produce the best beer in the world. I'm sure that many Germans will disagree with me, but I'm standing firm. Belgian beers rule the world of beer!!! -Doug

Seriously though, I really think one of these books hasn't been printed lately because as soon as the ink hits the paper, it's outdated and all the up-to-date information is online. It's really hard to compete with the Internet on something like a reference book that is already out of date as soon as it hits the store shelves. --Robb I agree. When it comes to up-to-date information, an old-fashioned book simply can't compete with the internet. However, if you're looking for a coffee table book about coasters (such as this one, mentioned above, which isn't TOO outdated: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Roller-Coasters/Robert-Coker/e/9780760776155), the internet simply won't cut it. I've got that book sitting on a the coffee table in my living room, and I can't even count the number of times that guests have picked it up and started a coaster conversation with me (such as "Which of these rides have you been on?" or "What's you're favorite coaster in this book?"). Also, it's a great way to have my love of coasters displayed in my home. I mean, honestly, my wife would not be too thrilled if I started hanging up roller coaster posters around the house -Doug

I used to cliff dive when I was a kid and teenager during family trips to Lake Mead, just east of Las Vegas, Nevada. While I haven't done it in in at least 15 years, I would not hesitate to do it again. I remember there being a long cliff at an angle, meaning that, from the same cliff, you could choose to take a small 5-foot jump or a 30-footer. I remember going to the big one for the first time, and everyone slowly trying to gather their courage for the big jump. Of course, just like a roller coaster, once you did it, you couldn't get enough. Cliff jumping rules!!! -Doug

I have the Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Visa. I think it's a great card. Whether it would be of any value to you would depend on: a) how much you use the card, and b) your feelings towards SWA. You see, the card gives you 1 "credit" for every $1,200 you spend. Earn 16 credits within a 2 year time frame, and you get an "award", which consists of two flight coupons good anywhere Southwest flies. They also have a lot of partners, which can earn you credits faster when you do business with them. The annual fee is $59. So, if you use the card for one year and earn one award, then that benefit will far outweigh the annual fee. Personally, the money I have saved with many free flights seriously outweighs the annual fees I have paid. However, even if you do earn awards quickly, your opinion of SWA matters as well. Many people can't stand their unique seating system and feel that the airline is nothing more than "Greyhound in the sky". Personally, I have no problem with it. I check in for my flight early (so that I'm ensured a window seat towards the front of the plane), bring food with me, and keep myself entertained with my iPod and a few good books. Southwest used to be really bad with being on time, but that has changed dramatically. So, in short, if you don't mind flying Southwest and will put enough money on the card, then the Southwest Airlines Visa would be a great choice. Of course, if you want to fly international, then SWA won't be any help to you at all. Hope this helps! -Doug

^^I agree, Steve! Both Millie and Intimidator have 300 foot initial drops. Both have a turn before the first hill. However, Millie's first turn is a raised turn, while Intimidator's is low to the ground. I would guess that Millie's overbank takes more speed from the ride than a ground-hugging turn (though, I could be wrong...as I'm no physicist). Finally, Intimidator's first hill is almost 20 feet lower than Millie's. Given these statistics, and the fact that MF's first hill provides some pretty darned strong floater airtime, I'm thinking that Intimidator's first hill will provide mild ejector airtime at least. Hopefully I'll be able to ride it when it opens and personally test my theory. -Doug

I voted "no". However, this is not due to negative feelings towards "Premium Membership". Instead, the decision was purely situational. If I lived near a sufficient amount of parks (heck, even one major, or decently sized park), I would pay for the premium membership without any hesitation. The perks are fantastic, and I don't have to join ACE to get them. Unfortunately, the closest park to me is SFDK, which is 3-4 hours away. Furthermore, I wouldn't really get a realistic chance to use premium perks, as getting to a park where an event is happening would require the purchase of an airline ticket...to say nothing of hotel, rental car, etc. In addition, I don't see me going on a TPR trip anytime soon (unfortunately). This is why I voted "no". However, if my situation was different, I would gladly pay for premium membership. The perks are fantastic, and it looks as though the forum itself will remain largely unaffected. In short, I think that the "Premium Membership" is a great idea...I'm all for it! Unfortunately, my present situation would not allow me to take advantage of it. As a result, I would not purchase this option. -Doug

WTF!?! That has to be the craziest park I've ever seen. I had no idea the Danes were that nuts! If I ever get out to DK again, I'll have to make sure I take a little side trip to Bon Bon Land. -Doug