verticalzero

Nice Pic's, Oakwood is a lovely Park and it may even install a "Classic" Out n Back style woodie for 2008/9 season. Rebuilds of Long gone "Shooting Star" at Coney Island or "Million Dollar Coaster" at Rocky Glen can fit the bill for me. Why was the tree chopped down which covered "Fobia's" 1st drop..? Megafobia is the best and only USA style woodie in the UK, even Europe, until "Troy" takes over in 2 months time.

I'm not a great fan of "Hang n Bang" SLC, but if "Infusion" at Blackpool is smooth, my view could change but i'm not counting on it. "Wild Mouse" at Blackpool is smoother than an SLC.

I love this Park, the layout, lovely gardens, ride Ops, other staff, everyone so friendly, the mighty "Goliath" "X-Press" should be enclosed like FOF's at KI Thank you "La Via Volta" for giving me roughness 10 times in 2 years. RIP(since I live in South England and takes me 7 hours to drive to the Park). Where is the coaster moving to, or is it ready for the scrap line...? WW do need to add more coasters in the next few years, another woodie perhaps like "Troy". Does the park have height limit...? Let's hope global warming does not come 2 quickly for Holland as I would not like to try "Robin Hood" or "Goliath" with the 1st drop underwater. I look forward to returning to this Park and De Eftling this year, staying at the 5 star Centre Parc's De Eemhof . Most of the "text" is in Dutch but so easy to follow and understand. Link: http://www.centerparcs.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=CPE/Dispatchers/VillagePage&c=CP_Village&cid=100000000058&Regionid=1000304763685&Countryid=1000304763410&lang=NL&origCountry=1000304763410&showcat=false

I wonder if "Game" stores or (EB in the USA) want to try to alter PS3's selling by not stocking this title. It is an important title for PS3, why not snub "Game" for the next couple of month's so their shares go down and get it on the Net for less money. Leading High Street retailer GAME is refusing to stock copies of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion for the PlayStation 3. The title, developed by Bethesda and published on the Sony console by Ubisoft, is not available in any of the company's 400 UK and Ireland stores. The title has seen considerable success on the Xbox 360 and PC, selling over three million units and winning numerous awards including gongs from the American Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences and the UK's BAFTAs. The PS3 version of the game goes on sale today in Europe, but chart success is likely to be hampered by not being stocked in the UK's leading specialist store. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Your PS3 system can contribute to the Stanford University Folding@home initiative, a pioneering computing program designed to further understanding of serious diseases. As part of the latest System Software Update (version 1.6), PLAYSTATION 3 now has the capability to join the Stanford University Folding@home program. Folding@home is a distributed computing project that uses computers to simulate the complex process of protein folding - thereby aiding scientific understanding of the folding process and related diseases such as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, cystic fibrosis and many cancers. Each simulation is so complicated it can take a single PC up to 30 years to complete, but by sharing the work between thousands of computers across the internet, the Folding@home program makes this crucial area of research much more feasible. PS3 is now joining the Folding@home program. The Cell Broadband EngineTM inside the system is roughly 10 times faster than the processor inside an average PC, and therefore able to speed up the research process significantly. You can fold@homeWith System Software Update version 1.6, now available via the Network Update function on PS3, Folding@home is added as an option under the Network icon on the PS3 Home Menu. Anyone with a PS3 system connected to the internet can contribute their system's enormous processing power to the research program. "We're thrilled to have SCE be part of the Folding@home project," said Vijay Pande, Associate Professor of Chemistry at Stanford University and Folding@home project lead. "With PS3 now part of our network, we will be able to address questions previously considered impossible to tackle computationally, with the goal of finding cures to some of the world's most life-threatening diseases."

"Poison" in 1999 in London.

Slushie posted: The Xbox 360 doesn't have the power to render games at 1080p without a large loss in geometry in the games Looks like the standard resolution for 360 games will be 720P. No proper "Full HD" for 360 unless it gets a graphic's add-on like it's HD HDD player. Even more cost for 360 owners, when the PS3 does 1080P and "Blu Ray" out the tin.

Nice catch, what type of fish is it..? Your be having "fish" steaks for the next couple of weeks.

That fire must be been intense to cause the section to collapse. Anyone wanting to drive a different route can look at the local "maps" or use the Internet for the quickest way.

The Zippin Pippin -- Elvis' Favorite Ride - Is Donated to Save Libertyland By STAFF On Monday, Carolina Crossroads, the company that bought Libertyland's Zippin' Pippin, the second-oldest wooden roller coaster in the world, for $2,000, donated the coaster to Save Libertyland - which was incorporated as a nonprofit organization last week. Steven Mulroy, lawyer and County Commissioner, burned the midnight oil last week to get Save Libertyland incorporated as a nonprofit. The city's deadline for a decision on what was to be done with the classic coaster was Tuesday, April 24th. Carolina Crossroads had originally planned to take the cars from the coaster and build a replica of it at their retro rock-and-roll themed amusement park, Roanoke Rapids. Though they have maintained one of the coaster's cars and are still planning to build a replica, they've given the rest of the coaster to Save Libertyland. Today, at the gates of Libertyland, Mulroy said that Save Libertyland plans to donate the 100-year-old coaster back to the city of Memphis, with the condition that the city preserve it. "Through the generosity of Carolina Crossroads, we hope to open a park around the Zippin Pippin rollercoaster and the historic Grand Carousel, which have both been a part of the city's history for nearly a century," Mulroy said. Save Libertyland would like to turn all 20 acres of the former amusement park into a city park, using Coney Island's redevelopment plan as a model. The organization would be willing to work with the Salvation Army, which plans to buy all 170 acres of the Mid-South fairgrounds in August in order to build a community center. Libertyland, like its famous coaster, has had its ups and downs over the years. It was opened on July 4th, 1976, to coincide with the nation's bicentennial. The Pippin, which was Elvis' favorite roller coaster, continues to attract people from all over the world as a part of their Elvis experience. The organization has been in contact with Elvis Presley Enterprises. Save Libertyland would like to work with the EPE to possibly include the Zippin' Pippin in tours of Elvis' Memphis, a plan that Save Libertyland's Denise Parkinson maintained could help the roller coaster pay for itself. Save Libertyland also plans to get the coaster on the National Historic Registry, which would bar federal funds from being used to move or destroy the coaster. It would be the second ride in Libertyland to be on the registry, along with the Grand Carousel, which has a history of its own. The Grand Carousel has long had a reputation for being haunted. On August 2nd, 1976, not two months after the park opened. A 17-year-old boy named Mike Crockett was operating the carousel as his first summer job. When a child in the park lost his balloon in the ride's inner workings, Crockett climbed into its roof to retrieve the prize. While he was inside, the carousel somehow started up and the gears crushed him to death. "No one even knew his name until today," Parkinson said. "I want to re-envision this place as the Mike Crockett Memorial Park."

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/28485/powerful_car/

Why not stock it....?? Leading High Street retailer GAME is refusing to stock copies of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion for the PlayStation 3. The title, developed by Bethesda and published on the Sony console by Ubisoft, is not available in any of the company's 400 UK and Ireland stores. The title has seen considerable success on the Xbox 360 and PC, selling over three million units and winning numerous awards including gongs from the American Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences and the UK's BAFTAs. The PS3 version of the game goes on sale today in Europe, but chart success is likely to be hampered by not being stocked in the UK's leading specialist store. GAME were unavailable to comment at the time of writing.

I upgraded my PS3 HDD to a 160GB / disc speed 7,400rpm. Standard HDD is 60GB / 5,400rpm. The extra speed does help with loading games, booting up, downloading times and surfing the Net. It was very easy to remove the HDD and install the new one, you can do it in under 2 min's. When you boot up the PS3 a message appears and says "do you want to format the HDD..?", click yes (takes 3 sec's) and you are ready to download lots more stuff. Normal DVD's do look sharper and more detailed on a PS3, Blu Ray have even better detail and most come in 1080P "true HD" resolution. If you can't afford the PS3 price, wait for a price drop or save up then buy one, it's only "peer pressure" to get one now... I saved £500 in 4 weeks. The best moment will be when I take the PS3, copy of "Ridge Racer 7", "Tekken 5" or "GT HD" to my local TV shop and plug it into a tv which does 1080P and say "yes I'll take one". Regarding the 8 cores in the CPU, Sony decided only to use 6 of them at the moment, 2 are in reserve and can be made "live" with a firmware upgrade. All the games at the moment are not using 1/3 of PS3's power and in a few years all games will exceed GT HD in looks. 360 will look so 3DO or Jaguar. It's Sony's marketplace plan Judge PlayStation 3 in two years' time, says EA Link: http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=24427 ================================= I'll be getting a Wii (open the top of the console and you can plug in Gamecube controllers and memory card) in the next couple of months and if I need to a 360 as well. Best to be safe and have all 3 consoles.

The train will launch out of the tunnel into the vertical hill and over the top. Lovely choice of colours and a wicked layout will ensure repeat rides all-round

Has the re-profile of the 1st drop on the "Cyclone" made it a better ride, the Park should of removed the old drop and used the wood to make it longer.

I upgraded my PS3 HDD to a 160GB / disc speed 7,400rpm. Standard HDD is 60GB / 5,400rpm. The extra speed does help with loading games, booting up, downloading times and surfing the Net.

All of them

King Cobra at KI Thunderlooper at AT Dearly missed Turbine at Walibi Belgium helped heal some joy last year.

For people who want to buy these tokens, where can they go on the Net as the Park's site has not been updated for ages..? The Original Parks which are over 60 years old should be looked after by the public to make sure they are kept open, it does not matter if they don't have a "Hades", "El Toro" or "Mantis" or a modern coaster and all they have is an old woodie which needs some TLC. This Park is part of American amusement history and should be treasured for as long as possible. Some people can't afford to take their family to a 6 Flags Park and this is their local. If I lived near this park I would invest in it. I may even buy a couple of "coins" even though I have never been to the Park. If Alton Towers was on the verge of closing and they were selling things to raise money I would have no problem in buying anything as I want to see that Park stay open and "living". Disney and 6 Flags are not the only parks in your country. Support the old Parks as well as the new ones, there will be so much choice otherwise it will become boring with simular coasters in each newish park but with different names.

Anyone downloaded the below program for their PS3 Your PS3 system can contribute to the Stanford University Folding@home initiative, a pioneering computing program designed to further understanding of serious diseases. As part of the latest System Software Update (version 1.6), PLAYSTATION 3 now has the capability to join the Stanford University Folding@home program. Folding@home is a distributed computing project that uses computers to simulate the complex process of protein folding - thereby aiding scientific understanding of the folding process and related diseases such as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, cystic fibrosis and many cancers. Each simulation is so complicated it can take a single PC up to 30 years to complete, but by sharing the work between thousands of computers across the internet, the Folding@home program makes this crucial area of research much more feasible. PS3 is now joining the Folding@home program. The Cell Broadband EngineTM inside the system is roughly 10 times faster than the processor inside an average PC, and therefore able to speed up the research process significantly. You can fold@homeWith System Software Update version 1.6, now available via the Network Update function on PS3, Folding@home is added as an option under the Network icon on the PS3 Home Menu. Anyone with a PS3 system connected to the internet can contribute their system's enormous processing power to the research program. "We're thrilled to have SCE be part of the Folding@home project," said Vijay Pande, Associate Professor of Chemistry at Stanford University and Folding@home project lead. "With PS3 now part of our network, we will be able to address questions previously considered impossible to tackle computationally, with the goal of finding cures to some of the world's most life-threatening diseases."

$300,000 is a small sum for a company to give a Park so it can open for this season. Lovely pic's of the park and "Blue Streak". The coaster does need to have lots of TLC on it, looks rather unwell and a good coat of "white" paint. Let's hope something can be sorted out for the park and it can re-open soon.

This is a very sad event and for someone so young to kill using guns, He must of been shouting out for help but did not know who to talk to or where to go. I play violent games like GTA, Bully, Manhunt, Doom, Carmegeddon and Quake etc but these do not make me angry enough to go on a shooting spree. I love "Horror" films and my fav are "Friday the 13th and "Nightmare on Elm Street" Yes I don't like certain things in the UK but I go to Theme Parks when I feel fustrated and down. Can't wait for Manhunt 2 on PS2 to arrive in July, have to get this before it's banned, "Thrill Kill" is the best game ever, but EA canned it before it went "gold".

I wrote a letter to Drayton Manor regarding some points which I became aware of during the day I visited the Park. e.g. Q jumping, litter, jumping off a moving train, coaster painting and G-Force trains. It's best to let the Park know if you saw anything or if it is not up to your standards. Makes it a better park for everyone to enjoy. Here is Drayton's Answer: Dear Jim Thank you for taking the time to email us with your views. If we catch visitors jumping off of trains while they are moving we will remove them from the park. Similarly if we catch anyone queue jumping we will in most cases give them a warning and remove them from the queue, if they are caught a second time we will remove them from the park. The painting of rides in the park is a large project and we only have 16 weeks in which to do as much as possible, and this is during the winter months when the weather is very much against us, we do however do as much as possible and try to complete outstanding work in the quieter times of the season. As you are aware if anyone on G-Force feels that their lap bar is too tight they only have to inform the operator who will release it slightly if they feel it is safe to do so. We only started off with one car on G-Force because we were unsure how popular the new system would be. With each car costing over Four Hundred Thousand Pounds it is a major financial commitment to make if the ride popularity does not justify it. We do have a large team of cleaners continually going around the park picking up litter and this does include the ride queuing areas. May I once again thank you for taking the trouble to inform us of your views as we do appreciate any feed back from visitors. Ian McSherry Operations Manager Drayton Manor Park Ltd

Alton Towers's food did not pass any hygiene certificates for this season, make sure you take a packed lunch when you visit. If AT get a Woodie, it will be the best coaster install since the sad departure of "Thunderlooper".

Everything to do with this lovely GCI coaster is simply stunning There will be loads of on this mighty woodie, if you want to have some space between yourself and the lapbar, pull it down 1 or 2 clicks, stick your stomach out when the Ops check the bars, this way your have plenty of room to come out of your seat. Those trains are better than "cex"

Nice Mini report: Alton Towers does have a lot going for it and I enjoy my time spent at the Park whenever I visit it. I was there in 2002 and need to go back soon to check out "Spinball". The Park does have 1 problem and that is "can't build over / go higher than the tree-line". A shame as a B&M Floorless and a massive woodie is what the Park needs.