pete4winds

My visits are usually while I'm at work, 11PM-7:30AM (Sunday through Thursday nights). First stop is the TP-RC-&D, then Random... Lately, on Sunday nights into Monday mornings , I'll usually check the Video contest board first (and about every 20 minutes until that week's contest entries are posted) partly waiting for mine to show up but mostly to view and give my thoughts on the entries). After that I'll go through about the first page or two of TP-RC-&D until I reach something I've already read. PTRs always get my attention, and whatever else catches my interest. Non-photo TRs usually only get a read from me if it's a park I'm interested in (particularly one I've never been to). Next, on to Random. I skim Random more than read it, usually just a few from the first page, but every so often something catches my eye that I need to read closely and sometimes respond to. Random PTRs are always fun, too. After that I'll stop in to chat (usually just to lurk, since I'm only recently active here, despite a more-than-a-year membership, but sometimes I'll throw in random responses or even a legitimate contribution to the discussion). I usually keep either the main board index or TP-RC-&D open and refresh it every so often. When I leave from chat, be it just for a few minutes or for the night, I'll go through TP-RC-&D again to refresh it. The rest of the forums usually only get a read from me if there's something I need to find, plus I'll check for new video uploads, both "official" and "amateur professional" (I'll be adding ot that board very soon) about once a week. Of course, the news on the main page always gets a check for updates, and a quick read if there are any.

"What's this encrypted double-key-locked button do?"

This is my first chance to hit the forums since this time yesterday (the 17th - that's when I ran into the gremlin who kept me from connecting), and the first thing I see is that anti-god of the metal underworld DIO!!! I'm SSSOOOO not worthy to gaze upon his image! Ronnie James for President in 200666!!! |..|. .|..| ...oh, and Guy, if ya haven't gotten to SFNE or Compounce yet, gimme a holler! Pete "I want Guy's gig!!!" FourWinds

My thoughts, specifically on the rain and flooding, are as follows: We live in New England. Our weather patterns are inherently a part of our lifestyle as New Englanders. Yes, the AMOUNT of rain is unusual, and it doesn't flood like this very often, but it doesn't change the fact New England's weather is FAMOUS for being unpredictable. Every time I see a "Breaking News" event regarding our weather or hear about fellow New Englanders panicking over the weather (buying up all the snow shovels and milk comes to mind - why are we suddenly buying a million snow shovels when a storm is coming? What happened to the shovels we all horded last year???), I have to roll my eyes and say one of two things: Get over it and accept that we live in New England - or move to an area that has consistent weather...I hear Oklahoma has a fairly predictable tornado season. These are simply my opinions on New England's current weather situation in general, and should not to be taken as a response to any specific point raised in this thread.

Of the numerous bikes I've owned over the years, my 1996 Kawasaki Vulcan 500 LTD was my favorite. The 2003 version of that bike is shown here: http://petefourwinds.hypermart.net/2003_vulcan500ltd.jpg My actual vote was the first vote for "other." The reason I chose "other" is that my two dream bikes are not on the list: the first is from Amen Motorcycles, http://petefourwinds.hypermart.net/132-3266_IMG.jpg and the other is my dream of having Orange County Choppers build me a theme bike. The last photo, as an example of their theme bike work, is their US Army Comanche attack helicopter theme bike, my favorite of their CURRENT line of theme bikes. http://petefourwinds.hypermart.net/comanche1_hzoom.jpg

My $.02 for round three! Phil Hart – Definitely one of the most original videos this year, and good advice for all of us Professional Amateur Videographers at TPR, too! Barry Hom – This was a little odd. The picture-in-picture commentary was pretty fun. Overall it was an interesting study on the impact of “Guests of exceptional size” restrictions. Blake Fawley – In my book, this video definitely wins the prize for “Most Bizarre” so far this year. Random goats aren’t such a bad thing, but this was one weird video. I’m still trying to wrap my brain around it. Erik Johnson – An outstanding look at one of the best-themed rides to come along in…well…ever. I remember seeing this in the Professional Amateur Videographer forum and I loved it then, too! The pan-flute-sounding music really fits the video (and the ride) very well. Mark Owens – Nothing spectacular, but overall a decent look at Busch Gardens and Cypress Gardens, and a fairly well paced video. My favorite for this round? It's a tossup between Erik Johnson and Phil Hart.

I've been wearing contacts for 20 years, save for a brief period of a 3-4 years recently (I'm now back to wearing them, since February). I've never lost a pair on any roller coaster, nor have I ever lost a pair in a convertible or on a motorcycle (both of which create similar conditions usually at a much higher speed), including having my bike up to 172 in Arizona. The only time I've ever lost them was when I was 16, I wore them on a now-defunct waterslide at Wet & Wild in Orlando, and they were splashed out of my eyes. In any case, I always take the "just-in-case" approach by packing extra lenses. I wear Acuvue Advance two-week disposables at about $50.00 for six pairs, so packing extras is really easy for me and cheap. I also carry my glasses, as an added measure.

Mom!!! Boomer's making faces at me again!!! My cat Boomer...perfect timing.

I haven't talked to mom since just before the weekend, so other than teh score, I don't really know how the game was, from her perspective anyway. As for Digit, she's a Border Collie, Springer Spaniel, Golden Retriever, and Chow mix. I don't think it's so much her breeds, but her playfulness and the fact that she grew up in the Berkshires (she's 9 now and has only lived in Eastern MA since 2002) that she can tolerate the cold water...and yes, it WAS as cold as it looks.

^ Thanks! I totally agree on the Greatest State in the Union thing! I actually left San Diego to come BACK to Massachusetts after five years! I'm not a huge baseball fan, but my mom went to Sunday's game where the Sox beat the living bejeezus outta Balti, so I'll see if I can "borrow" some photos from her for a Sox trip report...I don't think they were home plate seats (our name isn't Kennedy, y'know), but they were pretty good seats, and she won the tix to boot! Freebies = YYYAAAYYY!!!

Part 3: This was six days AFTER our trip to the park...a huge snowstorm, a bit more in keeping with the time of year. This just shows exactly how unusual the earlier warm weather was. The overall view of the field. Our house is out of frame about 30 feet to the left. No, she's not pooping...she's digging in the snow. The snow wasn't wet enough to make snowballs on this day, so we kicked snow waves to her. Her next favorite activity, after swimming...catching snowballs!!! She IS a Border Collie, after all.

Part 2, the WWII Memorial and heading home. In the WWII Memorial photos I was experimenting with backlighting and lens flares. The former Lincoln Park Carousel, from about a half-mile away. A distant shot of Battleship Massachusetts on our walk home. Last shot of the Memorial as we were departing. That's me and Jen (hers is the visible face) reflected in the polished granite of the Memorial's base.

Back in February we had an unseasonably warm day here in Southeastern MA, so Jen (my wife) and I took Digit (our dog) to her favorite local park, about a 45 minute walk from the house. We pass by Battleship Cove, home of the old Lincoln Park carousel, on the way. At the park is a recently-completed (late this past winter) replica of the Iwo Jima Memorial, and Digit's favorite swimming spot, the local boat ramp. Remember, this was February. Enjoy Part 1. Apologies for the less-than-stellar quality...these were taken with my camcorder. As amazing as it is for video, its still-photo capabilities leave a little to be desired. Wistfully overlooking "her" river, looking forward to next time. Resting after her swim, and drying off/warming up in the sun. C'mon guys, come in the water with me! ...and another dog. ...and Daddy... Distracted by seagulls... This is one of her favorite places. Digit trying to convince Mommy and Daddy to join her! She made it in! Digit, contemplating a swim...yes, it really IS February. Walking by Battleship Cove along the boardwalk, about a third of the way into our walk. The largest ship is Battleship Massachusetts.

^^^and then some^^ the paper bag guy looks a little like my father-in-law!

Personally, I'm a NASCAR Nextel Cup and NHRA (specifically Pro Stock Bike) guy. I was also a late model stock car driver (at my local Saturday night tracks) after high school and for awhile when I was in the Navy. I was an Indy fan when I was a kid, but ya gotta wonder about it when so many of its stars have jumped ship to full fenders over the years...Tony Stewart, John Andretti, Robby Gordon, to name but a few. There also how many former USAC drivers in NASCAR now? USAC has always been a stepping stone to Indy, but Ryan Newman, Kasey Khane, and Jeff Gordon, and numerous others, have also taken the detour to NASCAR. Makes you wonder how relevent open wheel racing still is anymore. Maybe if IRL and CART kissed and made up, they'd be competitive with OTHER forms of racing rather than with each other in the open wheel community. The split has all but ruined what open wheel racing once was. In my opinion, the biggest reason so many Indy drivers have moved to NASCAR is that talent for driving a race car still means something there. There are some very talented drivers in both IRL and CART, but unless they drive for two or three specific powerhouse teams, will they ever make names for themselves? Sure, NASCAR is also driven by money, but if Kirk Shelmerdine can turn in a respectable top 20 finish (he finished 20th) in the Daytona 500 in a borrowed car with an all-volunteer crew, that tells me that maybe IRL and CART are relying a little too much on their technology and not enough on their drivers.

I haven't been to SFNE yet this year, but I'm going with Cyclone (at least as it was in its 2005 incarnation). Maybe it's a better ride this year, but in my opinion it will never again live up to its opening season, 1983. I remember spending an entire day that year just going between it and Black Widow in the rain. Now THAT was a good time!

1. Will Six Flags (overall) ever build mega-coasters again? As much as I'd love to see more mega-coasters from Six Flags, I see them turning more toward moderate sized and family coasters for awhile. Things come in waves, and they've been doing mega-coasters for awhile now. 2. Which parks/owners will rise to the top and dominate the market (Disney, Paramount, Anheuser-Busch, Six-Flags, Universal, CF)? Without a doubt Disney set the standard and will always be an industry leader, but, as with all things, those at the top have to come back down eventually. I see CF as the "next big thing" in this industry. Sure, they've had their problems too, but I personally see a return to more traditional amusement parks in our future, and CF seems to be the closest thing to it right now. 3. In your opinion, do YOU envision any merger among the mega-park leaders? In a perfect world, that would never happen, but the competition in the theme park industry doesn't seem to be stimulating any financial recovery like one would expect. 4. What are the next generation of rides and what is the future of new rollercoasters? I see a move toward different kinds of flats, and smaller and more unique coasters. Screaming squirrels, more Gerstlauers, and maybe that thing that Hershey was planning last year (I don't remember what it was called). 5. If you are a new board member/park owner, what is your OWN vision of the themepark industry? What new ideas will you develop to gain market-share (new guests) and increase profits. More corporate-level interaction with the guests. Instead of spending millions on market research through "traditional" methods, get the guests more DIRECTLY involved in teh decision-making process. We want them to spend their money, so shouldn't we get more direct input rather than guessing or speculating what industry trends say they might want? Obviously parks can only take this concept so far, but it's a start. 6. Do you believe in the parking fees? I've never agreed with parking fees for any event or destination where the parking and the event or destination are on the same property. However, realistically, I can see a couple of dollars for upkeep and infrastructure, but current parking fees are outrageous. If I really wanted to pay that much just to get TO the gate, I'd just as soon park on someone's front lawn and pay THEM ten bucks. 7. What will be (projected) entry fees in 3-5 yrs? Will you still go? I can easily see the possibility of gate fees topping a hundred dollars or more, and maybe not even that far in the future. I'll absolutely continue to go, but I'll continue to do what I do now and take full advantage of all the discount options available to me.

So far it's clear why all these videos have made the cut. Tough competition so far, as they all bring a little something to the game. Here are my thoughts thus far on each video. Round one, in no particular order - Julian Johnson – Best of round one in my opinion. I'm not a fan of hip hop by any stretch of the imagination, but quality more than made up for it...for this particular video, the song was well-chosen. The coaster train scratching effect was exceptional. At least two shots made it seem like the song was chosen well in advance and the video was shot for the song…bonus for that. Shots of the Chance Toboggan also a bonus. Fun with jumping fountains = funny. Justin Saxe – The choice to use big band music was a little risky given the target audience, but for this video it paid off nicely. The cuts were well synched to the music. Overall a nice tour of Silverwood. Connor Thompson – The shirt-over-the-head thing was a little odd. Ghey = very funny. Major bonus points for getting to dispatch a train. I only wish I had this kind of talent when I was 13. To a certain extent, I'll agree with those who have said his age and "lack" of experience show, but Connor's video CLEARLY shows the kind of video guru he's to become. Paul Ruiz de Miguel – Very nice use of picture-in-picture and split screen effects. I particularly liked the fun that was obviously had jumping out of the way of the Frisbee. Dennis Kolodzeizik – Some nice non-coaster POVs. Bonus points for mermaid boobage. Some of the faster cuts were a little rough. The color correction effect on Enterprise and some other flats was interesting. Round two, in no particular order - Tom Mueller – Best of round two, possibly of both rounds so far. Great pacing, great shots. I loved the use of show footage, as it was a nice change from the usual coaster stuff, and something we don't see quite as often in videos around here. Jim Williams– Most of the individual shots were excellent, but for methe cuts didn’t seem to mesh with the music very well. Lars and Cornelia Theissen – The flicker effect in the intro was a little tough to take (wasn't wuite synched to music), and the choice of music was a little questionable in my opinion. Shots were great otherwise. Very nice Robb cameo snuck in there for bonus points. What happened to the audio at the end? Jonathan Hawkins – The “singing” ride op was hysterical. I absolutely loved the bumper car dominos. Nicolas Chavance – Beautiful opening shot. Many of the cuts throughout seemed a little out of synch. Very nice how the intro and end came full circle with the sleeping theme. However, the Polyphonic Spree song made it a little tough for me to really enjoy the video. I first heard this song in a VW ad campaign that was way overplayed in my area, and I've hated the song ever since. Can't wait for round three.

eeerrrmmm...Pete...I tried to pick a screenname that would make my name obvious, but knowing the company we keep here in TPR, eeerrrmmm...yuh...I'll just say it...Pete

If you're going to SFGadv first THEN SFNE, take a side trip to Lake Compounce in Bristol CT on the way. Dorney, Hershey, and SFAm are all great parks, but Compounce is well worth your time...none of those other parks have Boulder Dash.

My personal choice for this post would be the entire World Showcase side of EPCOT. Of course, leave it to Disney...

I don't think they're going to "diverge" the plans...however, I WOULD bet that they'll probably "divulge" them, though. Just my $.02 From Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary: Diverge: 1 a : to move or extend in different directions from a common point : draw apart . Divulge: 2 : to make known (as a confidence or secret).

Our pets Cabot and Boomer the cats, Digit the dog, Effie out late cat (died 12-2-04), and JarJar Beaks the parakeet. Digit is Effie's safety spotter on her spelunking adventure! The beautiful JarJar Beaks. He was a stray, too. The late Effie exploring some of the more remote places in the bathroom. Digit. The only non-rescue/stray in the family. Cabot (we found her abandoned at a rest area in early October '05 - she was only six weeks old). Boomer (ten years old). He was a rescue when he was a year old or so.

I'm an "older enthusiast" (I only say older because I've been coastering for 30 of my 33 years) who prefers high-banked turns, contrary to popular belief . There are plenty of great wooden coasters that have flat turns (Hersheypark's Comet comes to mind), but high banks just make for a much more comfortable ride. If I want extra laterals, I'll hit a wild mouse.

US - MA, (birth state and current home state), NH, ME, RI (current job state), CT, VT, NY, NJ, PA, DE, MD, VA, NC, SC, GA, FL, OH, CA (former home state), AZ, NM, UT, CO, KS, MO, IL, IN, MN, HI. Hong Kong (twice, both before it was returned to Chinese control) Japan (lived there for a year) Singapore (twice) Thailand (twice) Dubai UAE (five times) Bahrain (six times) Guam Malaysia Australia (twice)