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Very nice report! Makes me miss Epcot all the more. What ride was the Italy pavilion supposed to get? I really should know this, but I don't. Eric

^ Right now Riddler has black supports with green track. Maybe a reversal of that scheme would put a new spin on it. Yesterday when I rode Gold Rusher I laughed when I looked at the track in its station---almost 40 years later, the original red paint is still there. Eric

^ Nowadays that much RAM is almost required for a good gaming machine. My own computer has 2 GB, and it's plenty fast for Internet and basic documents and such. And RAM isn't expensive, so go as big as you can there. Eric

^ It also said that it was wide enough for an elephant to walk through, so you never know... Eric

I'm no PC expert, but I suggest you get as much RAM as you can (you didn't specify what you were going to have). Eric

^ The new blend of paint that SFMM is extremely expensive, but it's supposed to be much more resistant to fading. I think Scream! was the last coaster to get "regular" paint, though I'm not sure if Tatsu got the "good" stuff. X2 is the first coaster where they actually came out and said that the paint formula is different. Eric

I only rode Terminator once yesterday, but I noticed that they made us watch all three pre-shows from start to finish. When I got up to the station, only about half of the 11 rows had anyone in them. The end of the line was right at the break between the first and second covered queue areas, so there were enough people to keep the pre-shows and station full. It appears that there is still some tweaking that needs to be done with the pre-show timing to assure a full station and full trains. Eric

^ Just like on TV. It was a bit strange talking to a celebrity about diabetes, but Delta was at the fair to promote a new medication for treatment of it (and she's diabetic as well). On another note, Delta's husband, actor Gerald McRaney was also there and I met him as well. I didn't get a picture with him, but did chat for a few minutes. I know a few people who get all giddy when they meet someone famous. If you just approach calmly like you're meeting any "regular" person, you'll do fine. Eric

^^^ So TWO people from Ventura County were at SFMM today. That means that when I go to In-N-Out later, I'll upgrade to a Double-Double: first, for being famous by not using the quote system here, and second, for assuring that Ventura County REPRESENTS AT THE MOUNTAIN! Eric

^ I could do that, but I think the way I do it is a bit cleaner. Just a different style. Eric

^ I was there yesterday as I mentioned earlier. And I rode Colossus, so it wasn't closed the entire day. However, on my way in, I noticed some guys giving the red train a push so it would go around the last turnaround. Must have valleyed or gotten stuck on the block brake. Eric

[serious and off-topic]I don't like the quote feature on most forums. I'd rather just quote a clip of what was said and note who said it. And I don't like when people quote the entire post right above them. We just read it---repeating it is clutter.[/serious and off-topic] But I didn't realize I was famous for anything! I may just celebrate over at In-N-Out later on! But y'know, I wouldn't mind going to either WoF or SFStL. For me, both parks would add enough credits to put me over the 100 mark! Eric

I forgot if I mentioned it previously, but I met former First Lady Barbara Bush (in 1994 at the premiere of her autobiography) and Delta Burke (from the Designing Women TV series) at the Ventura County Fair in 2007. We weren't allowed to take pictures with Barbara Bush, but Delta posed for one with me. Eric

^ Great to hear. Good luck to you! Today is supposed to be the shortest day of the year. To me, that means that we've reached the low point of the year, and there'll be more daylight each day till June! Eric

I also think Riddler's Revenge would look nice if they painted just the rails black. But I will also admit that its paint job looks pretty nice for a 12-year-old ride. And I saw Goliath today. It's not open because there's still a bit of painting left to do. But it looks really sharp. Eric

As a fan of Gray Batman, I have to admit that after seeing it today in person, I actually like it. Unfortunately, Gotham City was closed, so I couldn't get very close. The only change I would make is to add a bit of yellow somewhere. Maybe if the rails were yellow, but then the track would look just like Scream!'s. Anyway, a fun day out there. Hardly any lines, and I got my 2010 Xtreme Pass. Eric

"It was a bad joke Erik!" (SharkTums) That it was. But they're the kind I'm famous for! Eric

^ For a Saturday, that's hard to believe. But being so close to Christmas, I'd guess that more people are at malls than at theme parks. I, too, will withhold judgment on Batman's new color till I see it in person. Maybe they figured that they needed a blue coaster to fill in the void left by Flashback's demise. But it is great that SFMM is getting spiffed up. Eric

^ I was at Viper's media day event and rode only five times. When I got back home, I was still under its influence. My then eight-and-a-half-month pregnant wife even said I looked a bit green (even more than her ). And that was an hour and a 40-mile drive later. Eric

"...but the rest of the park was pretty forgettable." (Carnage) What park? Eric

^ I agree about Viper. For a couple of years, I avoided it at all costs. However, once its track got repainted, it seemed to run smoother. Also, I've learned that if I get the OTSR down far enough, and sit up as straight as I can, my head is above the OTSR and doesn't get banged by it. So now it's back on my list of SFMM coasters that I like and ride on a regular basis. Eric

On a slightly different note, it's time to "Innovent" something for the Carousel Theatre and give what's there now the boot. Total waste of a good venue. I saw Captain Eo only one time and didn't think that much of it then. But once its run is over, it's time for a new show in the Magic Eye Theatre. At no time have I even had the desire to see HISTA, so while I can't rag on that show, I can express desire for something new that might inspire me to go back in there. Eric

"I have nothing against anyone coming here to make a better life for themselves and their family, I do have an issue if it's just to make more money, and not be a part of the American society." (mrjaco) Absolutely right. Some women complain about their guys not putting the seat down. Had Robb done that, would you have seen the shorts? Perhaps it's a sign that Robb needs to do his own laundry (if he doesn't already). I like dreams. They're like free entertainment. Eric

Lunch at Burger Barn with a certain young lady...$12.61. (But she kicked in the 61 cents!) Eric

First, I really like SFMM's Batman color scheme and think they should leave it alone. It's unique among the Batmen and really fits into the theme and area. But if they do change anything, how about painting random cross ties yellow and/or purple? It'd be one of those subtle changes that would make people think, "Something's different..." Eric