cfc

^All were open, but there seemed to be a number of problems, particularly with Alpengeist. The cold and first-day stumbling about, perhaps.

Just got back from BGE's passholder preview where I 1. Froze my butt off (there were actually some very brief snow flurries today), and 2. Got a closer look at Griffon. In sum, this new dive machine looks great! It really dominates the back of the park. How much? Let's have a look, shall we? . . . "Defy the Five!" Thanks for reading. Taken near Alpengeist: I leave you with these words: You once "Feared the Four," but now you can . . . Wow--you'll barely be able to see Griffon once these trees "leaf out." . . . this Immelmann. From Nessie's station--this drop will take you to . . . The water-filled dummies are strapped in and ready to ride! Griffon's loading station as the Balmoral Castle chugs by. Right, Jeff? You know, I hear that scarfing down ribs while coaster trains roar by is better for your digestion than breathing exhaust from a kiddie-car ride. The view from the front of the Smokehouse. Griffy, Alpie. Alpie, Griffy. Yes, even Ed Wood, Jr., could get good shots from this spot. Hmm--Criswell predicts that many pictures will be taken from this spot. Griffon from the Clydesdales' point of view. Yes, don't forget to stop by the gift shop on your way out. I dispathed the leprechaun by hitting him with a steel chair while the ref's back was turned. Now on to Griffon! So, it's Griffon ye be wantin' to see, is it? Well, first ye must wrestle this leprechaun, it being St. Patty's day and all. Here's one I forgot to add earlier--the view from the Rhine River Bridge.

^I dunno--the Beatles rode "yeah, yeah, yeah" all the way to the bank.

^There's no Pooh like Crappy Pooh! An e-stop would actually be an improvement, as you've shown here, Erik. I actually rode this thing "sad-and-pathetic" style all on my lonesome last summer. I never thought I'd ever pine for the return of the Country Bears, but . . . I am looking forward to checking out the Tokyo version, though.

My rule of thumb is no time shares--ever! You own nothing yet have the liabilities of ownership, you pay condo-association-like fees, and there's no tax break.

I blame Facebook, MySpace, TPR, and leprechauns. And those sneaky little bastard Keebler Elves and their delicious cookies!

I echo Dave's sentiments regarding the Cheese Shop snd the Trellis. The Fat Canary (next to the Cheese Shop) and Beret's Seafood are mighty good, too. But you missed Presidents Park! Folks coming to the 'Burg for Busch Gardens or Colonial Williamsburg might want to consider a sidetrip to the Mariners Museum in Newport News. They just opened a whole new section dedicated to the battle between the USS Monitor and CSA Virginia (nee Merrimack)--the first clash of Civil War ironclad ships. It looks pretty cool (an almost "Disneylike" display).

Damn you! I so want a Monte Cristo Sandwich now!

^Halfway through--as does the Pirate Adventure at Drayton Manor. Figures that they'd rip off the lesser version of POTC.

The more I hear about this weekend, the more I wish I'd just blown off work and gone. Well, here's to living vicariously--nice work, Erik and Leanne!

Great stuff, Wally--and they could put a better program in ToT one of these days (still looking forward to seeing for the "awesome" pre-show, at any rate).

^Possibly because Six Flags owns the trademark to the name "Great America" now (or at least that's Screamscape's theory).

Hoo, boy--another example of corporate genius at work, although I understand their problem, if Six Flags has made a legal claim to the GA monicker. Maybe "Cedar Fair's Ghetto America"?

^Hmm--now that you mention it, it is strange how the bar flops down after you give the machine the finger, as though it were spent. Or maybe we're just sick bastards.

I caught Zodiac--pretty good. The Zodiac killer was terroizing norther California back when I was in third grade, and I thought they captured the time period quite well. Two things that rather amused me: 1. A brief, blink-and-you'll-miss-it reference to my hometown of Patterson, Calif. (you can see it at the top of a news clipping in one scene). 2. A commercial for a jewelry shop playing on a car radio early in the film. That damn jingle was burned on to my brain pan when I was a kid, and I found myself singing along with it.

^Being as Batman runs around in a padded rubber suit and has a thing for metal gear and leather, I doubt he'd find this bunch all that unsettling.

Think I'll wait for video on this one--looks like a Steve Reeves movie with more skin and better special effects. My problem with these CGI-dominated movies is that I can't get past the fact that I'm basically watching a big cartoon.

Groucho Marx made a great comment when asked if he was planning to see Samson and Delilah, which starred then state-of-the-art muscleman Victor Mature and Hedy Lamar: "I refuse to see any movie where the man's t***s are bigger than the woman's."

Better lay a big jihad on the filmmakers, Jahan.

^It only takes a moment. You can use any finger you want, but they recommend the right index finger.

^Then I could become the "Phantom of Busch Gardens"--a bent, twisted figure with one hand wrapped in bloody, dripping rags who terroizes and kills random guests! My lair would be in a crypt under the Rhine River, and my horrifying organ music would fill the air at night! Or not.

Next Saturday (March 17) is Passholder Preview Day at Busch Gardens Euroburg, so I ambled over to the park today to "register" my season pass. BGE is using the "Touch-n-Go" turnstile system for passholders this year, which uses a scan of one of your fingerprints (any finger you want) for ID purposes. You just insert your pass, put your finger on the pad, and head on in with the turnstile bar drops. (They've been using this system in Tampa for some time.) EDIT: Forgot to mention one thing. Passholders will no longer need to get a hand stamp if they're planning on leaving the park and returning the same day--just give 'em the finger. I decided to take care of the scan today, so that I wouldn't have to fight the mobs at the preview. But is that the only thing that's new at BGE for 2007? Surely, they've got something else planned. Hmm--let's see . . . Bye bye, Griffon! I'll get a closer look at you next weekend, if the weather's decent. Griffon really dominates the "French" side of the park now. My finger is now "turnstile ready." Thank you for scanning your finger today! Your personal info has been transmitted to Homeland Security, who will put you on their "Dangerous Doofus" list. As Scorpio, the psycho in the first Dirty Harry flick, said when Eastwood whipped out his 44 Mag: "My--that's a big one." Oh, there's Griffon, too. That's it! New rails for the parking-lot tram! Hot damn! I've been e-mailing them about this for years! Someone call Screamscape!

You could build your own coaster, just like in that old Johnny Cash tune: "I built it one piece at a time/And it didn't cost me a dime . . ."

I haven't made up my mind yet, but I don't think Giuliani is going to be the one for the Republicans, even though he is the frontrunner at the moment. He gave a really bad speech with a really bad sound bite last weekend ("Sometimes, I disagree with myself") that you know his opponents are going to use again and again. I also find it hard to believe that the far-right "base" is going to go for a thrice-married former mayor of New York City who supports abortion rights--even his handling of 9-11 is being called into question now. Then again, Newt Gingrich, an acknowledged adulterer ( ), is going to give the commencement address at Jerry Falwell's Liberty University in Virginia this spring, so I guess anything's possible.

How about a Topple Tower in the shape of Saddam Hussein?