dj snow

Yes. The Carowinds brochureindicates that at least the Nickelodeon area, Top Gun and Borg Assimilator will be keeping their names in 2007.

Here's a little tip for those who ABSOLUTELY MUST ride a LIM-equipped waterslide as soon as possible: Great Wolf Lodge next to Kings Island has one operating right now! It's the first one in the USA! So, go check it out, Midwest people.

^Southwest doesn't have assigned seating. It's the same as it ever was. That said, I think they are one of the better airlines, period. But I realize every person has their own unique tastes and there's no one product that suits everyone in the world. Now then, count me in for wishing to see Virgin America fly! I like their ideas and their style. Let's see them give it a shot.

Funny, I just read about those cats yesterday in this Motley Fool article.

Just a little pet peeve, but... That's not hail--looks like sleet to me! Hail comes from big, massive thunderstorms with extremely high winds aloft. Thus you usually only see hail in spring or summer. Sleet comes about when temperatures are kind of straddling the freezing point. It's kind of an "almost-snow." Felt good to get that off my chest. Hope everyone enjoyed this Meteorological Moment. Back on topic, now... Yeah, looks like it sure is cold in California! DEAR GOD, THINK OF THE ORANGES!!

It looks to me like they're repainting the shells of the cars (with an airbrush, of course) one-by-one, and rather than remove the entire car from the track, they're detaching the shells from the cars and sending them into the paint shop. It's an easier process to do it this way, but it looks horrible. Plus I don't think I'd feel comfortable sending the train around with those sandbags inside, no matter how securely they may appear to be strapped down. Hopefully it'll look great when it's all done, but for now: Bleccchhh.

I was there right at opening, so that's why it was so empty. Still, two hours later, practically nobody was at the place. I talked with one of their managers, who told me that it only really starts to pick up around 7 p.m. on weekdays. I imagine they'll make some adjustments to their operating hours next year in order to open the gates later in the day.

I believe they just mix some Coca-Cola syrup or something into a basic batter, then deep fry it. I did not try any of their deep fried concoctions, so I cannot say for sure. It was backing up noticeably along that stretch. I wouldn't call it a "grinding halt," but there was certainly some slowing. I know I smelled some burning rubber at least once as I walked along the midway. Eyes on the road, people!!

For the second year, Ray Cammack Shows and certain other partners have set up a temporary park at the Gila River Reservation, on the southern edge of the Phoenix metro area. Dubbed Santa's: A Christmas Theme Park, it features a number of light displays, shows, rides, etc., all lined up in an almost perfectly-straight, one-mile-long midway. To call it a "theme park" may be a bit generous. Imagine a good fair midway with some holiday lights and decorations mixed in, and that's pretty much what you get at Santa's. Parking is $5.00 and admission is $18.95, rides included. Insider tip: Just inside the gate, swipe your "Welcome to Santa's" card at the kiosks, answer the questions and get a free ticket to come back any Monday through Friday! The kiosks ask all sorts of prying questions so they can market to you, but the only one that matters is your name (they check the name on the free ticket against your ID at the gate). In theory, you could just give them bogus information to all the rest of the questions. Not that I'd condone that, of course. Anyway, on to the pics! And thus concluded my visit to Santa's! Thanks for reading. I also extended holiday greetings to the cops at the donut stand. On my way out, I bid the llama a good night and wished him a merry Christmas. My last ride of the night. As the night draws to a close, I pay Fighter one more visit. This man lurks in the shadows, ready to lunge at you with his garden implement--but not before wishing you an ironic "happy holidays!" Meanwhile, we can't forget about that most timeless of Christmas traditions: A visit to the fishmonger. It just wouldn't be Christmas without a space-reindeer. It's also the best time to view the various displays such as this one. As the sun sets, the lights take over at Santa's. Yes, it's the Stab A Kid In The Heart game! It's stabby fun for all! Win prizes! I was glad to see that my favorite game from last year made a return. In they go! "Ho, ho, ho, your letters are delicious!" -Santa ...and letter number two. Letter number one... I couldn't forget to drop off my letters to Santa. Oh no, it's Scary Clown Face again! I thought I had lost him at the Arizona State Fair, but he tracked me down! Apparently, Egon Kaiser owned this piece when it was in Germany. Whee! (Check out my sexy feet, btw) Now it's time to visit the ultra-rare Mondial Fighter! Airtime hills, whee! Hi Miler is a good ride, and surprisingly long. It even has two trains to move lines quickly! Down the first drop! Let's take a ride on the Hi Miler. While last year Santa's had two full-size coasters, this year they have one: The Hi Miler. From the Ferris wheel, you can see the extent of the midway. You can also see beautiful I-10. And of course, the rotating wooden barrel at the end! Wacky moving floors, followed by "slip-and-fall" rollers... The spinning disc... Inside we find all sorts of funhouse gadgetry, such as tilting stairs... And oh, there's so much going on here. Stolen sausage, leering drunkards, underage drinking, and yes--those birds are also having a beer! Up top we find some lecherous voyeurism going on! This smiling gentleman is oblivious to both the man being crushed to death behind him, as well as the excrement that will momentarily be landing on his head. Maybe next time he won't play the accordion so damn loud. Here we have Opera Lady and her two friends. Time to visit the Cuckoo Haus! First, let's admire the artwork. What says "Christmas" more than the traditional holiday snack of deep-fried Coca-Cola? I did not try Survival Island, because the sign seemed to cast doubt on the chances of my survival. Apparently, "per person" was too vague, and further clarification was needed. FreE PeTTing ZoO (That's I-10 behind it, by the way.) Thank you, sign! As you can see, it was packed. Festive candy-cane decor draws us in. Hooray! I've made it to Santa's! Where's the entrance? Oh, there it is.

Nice report. I think a lot of people have misconceptions about NYC ("it's unfriendly, it's dirty, it's dangerous," etc.). I find it to be easy to navigate and full of good people. I think it's also interesting to note how clean the city is, as can be seen in many of your shots. In those on-the-street shots and the Central Park photo, there's hardly any litter to be seen. Hooray for NYC!

A while back someone showed me the video to , and now I'd have to say it's a favorite. I especially enjoy the makeout session that begins at 1:15, and the cutaway shot at 1:36, as if he's saying "yeah, look what I'm gettin'!"

Thank you for your report. It truly was educational, entertaining and life-affirming. Seriously, looks like a decent fair and, if it's not too crowded, not a bad deal on the wristband either. Stay away from those Gravitrons! Oh, and maybe Mark can clue us on on the crotch-belt question and Power Surge.

Which is exactly what it was doing on the day I described a few posts earlier. The date was May 4, 2002, to be specific, and I've attached a photo of the train leaving the station fully upright just to show that yes indeed, the ride can do this! The ride was built so that the trains have power from the initial (pre-station) brake run, through the 180-degree curve, and then through the entire length of each side of the station. Between the station exit and the base of the lift, there is no power to the trains, but then once on the lift, the trains have power once again. It should be possible for the seats to rise as soon as the train hits the initial brake run (making for a much more comfortable wait outside of the station), but I've never heard of the ride actually doing this. The closest I've seen is when the seats raise as the train is entering the station. Anyway, wherever this ride ends up, hopefully they can get all of its nifty-but-unused features back up and running! X Flight's train leaves the station with all the seats upright on the night of May 4, 2002.

Actually, that's how the ride is more or less supposed to work. It saves time in the station if the seats raise/lower while the train is still in motion. In fact, the ride is designed to be able to dispatch with the seats upright, and the rows then recline one-by-one as they reach the lift. I rode it one day when it was actually doing this, and it was an interesting sensation since the recline was almost perfectly timed with engaging the lift, such that the increasing angle of the track offset the decreasing angle of the seats. The end result was that the recline was almost imperceptible. Again, this mode of operation saves time in the station--no more waiting for the seats to recline before dispatch; just send the train out and let it recline on the lift!

Not sure of any exact date, but it wouldn't surprise me if it closed shortly after the holidays. Here's an article (dated August 4, 2006) on the matter. And here's a page on the redevelopment project, stating that it is scheduled to be completed in 2007. If that timeline is still correct, Sports Plus has gotta be closing up shop soon.

Was the word "BIG" in all caps as you described?

Thanks for the compliment. I did not ride the Experience, as I was pressed for time and did not want to spend the money (it was probably about $5 for each ride at a minimum). There are several rides I'd like to try out, but I'll wait to do that on a wristband day. I think we counted four Ferris wheels at the AZ State Fair. Each one was different, though (different heights, gondola styles, etc.). That was there for feeding purposes. If you didn't want your hand bitten/slobbered on, you could use the handy plastic shovel. But yes, some people seemed to use the shovels to simply poke the animals instead. Yes, but the Bloomsburg Fair is no slouch. In fact, I think the Bloomsburg Fair covers much more ground than the AZ State Fair, it's just that here the focus seems to more on the rides, while in Bloomsburg it's much heavier on the food. But Bloomsburg's midway is still quite respectable (Tango, Power Surge, Afterburner, etc.). The food at Bloomsburg is much, much better. "Top O' The Beef!" -Sample Man Thanks for the comments, all.

I took advantage of a day off to head out to the Arizona State Fair with a friend. Please take a moment now to reminsce with me about my trip to the fair. Mr. Dave Grohl whips the crowd into a frenzy! What a great way to cap off a day at the Arizona State Fair! Yeah, I know. "State Fair," "Concert" and "Free" don't often mean "Good." But not here in Arizona--no sir! We get FOO FIGHTERS! Yeah, in your FACE, other fairs! It was a fine evening at the fair. And it was not over yet--next stop was the arena you see here, to enjoy tonight's free concert! It was the perfect time to admire the lights from La Grande Wheel. Ooh, now the pretty lights come on. Now don't get me wrong, that's a small horse. But I do believe that, in fact, it is not too small--NOT EVEN FOR A BABY TO RIDE. We went to see what "could be" the SMALLEST HORSE! TOO SMALL FOR EVEN A BABY TO RIDE! Which animal would we see? The GIANT STEER? Or maybe the GIANT GATOR? No sir! Now it's on to the Midway of Animals of Odd Scale. Tango DOES THAT DANCE while Hard Rock... rocks, hard... I guess. It's the incredible spring-pack Sling Shot! They're fun, I tell you. Zipper says "peek-a-boo!" And here's my award-winning shot of Tango. Here's a "from-the-chairlift" view of the Experience. Games galore! From the chairlift, we can see La Grande Wheel, part of the log flume, Hi miler, the drop tower, and downtown Phoenix. It's the scary clown maze! Stay away, children! And here we have an Afterburner swinging out over the walkway. Enough with the animals--back to the midway! And oh, it's another coaster! This one is the Hi Miler. Tiny, adorable baby goats. Each was about the size of a cat. I smuggled one out with me. This thing had the most stylish haircut in the whole petting zoo. I was viciously attacked by this ostrich. They tell me the scars will take years to heal. Mommy pig! Cover up, why don't you? Here we have a kangaroo and a combination giant tortoise/meal tray. This giraffe kept hitting its head on that lamp. Just kidding--giraffes are smarter than that. Now let's visit the petting zoo. This cutting-edge piece of equipment will provide you with a personality analysis. NASA technology at work for you! For the finest in merchandise, be sure to visit this area. Elsewhere on the midway, we encountered (and rode) this Maurer Sohne spinning mouse. What have we here? Why, it's an Experience! Apparently these things are fairly rare. The midway also features a very useful chairlift ride. An impressively large walk-thru, an Evolution, and La Grande Wheel. Now let's visit the Tango. As portable thrill rides go, this one is pretty tall, I'll give it that. La Grande Wheel is very, very big. Anybody know how many trucks it takes to move it? Study up, folks, because there will be a test on all these important facts. Behold: La Grande Wheel! This was one of the first things we saw as we walked in. Those burgers sure do look juicy.

It's in Lake Grove, NY. Here is their website.

It's an interesting ride, certainly more intense than it might appear to be in photos. If anyone out there is planning to ride this thing, I'd suggest you do it soon. Sports Plus is going away soon.

Agreed on Wegmans. Their newer stores set the bar for the industry. 400 cheeses? Dry aged prime beef? 100,000 square feet of this stuff? Sounds good to me! (For the curious, there's one a couple miles away from Dorney Park--make a side trip, grab lunch there, and enjoy in the upstairs dining area, complete with lovely player piano!)

It's called "editing." Consider first that Southwest carries more passengers domestically than any other airline, then consider that the camera crews were at Southwest's highest-volume airports, and finally consider the hours and hours of footage the producers had to choose from, to make a relatively small number of 24-minute episodes each season. Given the volume of passengers and the countless reels of footage shot, there's bound to be a few "interesting" characters, and they (for better or worse) make for some of the most compelling TV. The producers are going to go for the most "interesting" stuff, in proportions that are certainly nowhere near the reality. It's just like any other "reality" show... If you think "Airline" accurately represents what really happens the majority of the time, you're wrong.

Very old planes? Average age of the fleet at Southwest is 9.4 years, according to airsafe.com. All their planes have been updated inside to feature some very nice leather seats too, so generally even their oldest planes still feel new inside. And Southwest's buying new planes as fast as they can, so I imagine they'll keep that average-age number fairly low. The "cattle call" is no issue so long as you check in online. Grab an "A" boarding pass online, then sit back and wait for the call at the gate. No need to be there any sooner than with any other carrier, and no need to stand in line either--if you have an "A" (or usually even a "B") there will be a good seat on the plane for you. Most important to me, as I've already mentioned in this thread, is that there are no change fees with Southwest. That alone takes a lot of the stress out of flying--if my plans change, I know I can change flights and pay only the fare difference, or I can cancel entirely and retain the full value of my ticket for future use. As far as I know, no other airline does that across-the-board. Finally, I would dispute your claim of "less amenities," at least as compared to Delta and almost all of the other legacy carriers' economy class service. I think on average you get better in-flight service (more frequent beverage service, better complimentary snacks, etc.) with Southwest.

I'm not sure of whether it's legal in Wisconsin for them to run it like that, but regardless of location, I wouldn't say that it's advisable. If a seat bench were to open up or fall through during a ride, it'd be a bad thing. Remove a seat bench on a PTC train and you can see right through to the wheels and the track below. Needless to say, plenty of opportunity for injury if a rider is exposed to that. Anyway, they've obviously replaced that particular bench, so there's no apparent issue today.

That's normal behavior for squeeze brakes when they're applied forcefully. I haven't ridden Raven in two-train mode, but I would imagine that given the fairly short ready-brake area, it stops the incoming train in a hurry. What's happening is the brake grabs the leading edge of the brake fin with so much stopping force, it acts as a pivot point toward the front of the car. The car tips forward, with the rear road wheels lifting off the track. The closed brake unit has enough "grabbing power" to hold the front car in this position. Once the brakes release, the fin (and the rest of the front car) can drop back down to its normal state. I've seen it happen on Raven as well as on other rides. So yeah, it's normal.