maeryk

The preliminary autopsy came back, cause of death was massive heart failure due to damage suffered over the years, rather than him doing "something" right before his untimely passing. Maeryk

Well, the only way that scene in the trailer will ever affect me is if you can show me a scary arrow that exists in a park that has no respect for, and is utterly uncontrolled by, the laws of physics, engineering, and metal fatique. Maeryk

Well, after watching certain folks from certain urban areas get off their train on STeel Force and then "shop" through the available bins for what they felt like taking, I wont use those stupid bins. I _know_ it is not the ride-op's responsibility to keep an eye out for theft.. but jesus folks.. when you see the guy get off the train, go to the OTHER bin, open the lid, look in and look around, then grab a camera and a stuffed animal (again.. wrong bin) and walk off nonchalantly, it should be obvious. I just try not to carry too much crap around the park. If I'm filming, I'll go in, get my filming done, take my photos, and then take the stuff back to the car and then go ride. Maeryk

One of the reasons my new house has a woodstove is exactly that power issue. I grew up in a farmhouse in the middle of nowhere.. (my parents installed the running water and plumbing, and tore down the outhouse shortly after moving in!!!), anyway.. we'd typically lose power for a week or so during severe winter storms. I'm back in a "farmhouse" and while I dont necessarily fear being out of power for a week, I do want the ability to heat my house with something that requires no power whatsoever overnight if necessary. Maeryk

IANAL, but I don't believe "monopoly" laws work that way. It's different if all the gas stations, or newspapers, are owned by the same person. That is something "necessary". But Amusement parks? I don't think there would be much of an issue even if CF was the ONLY owner of all parks.. they still have to price to get people in the door, and still have to get rides people want to ride. Aside from management differences, is there really that noticeable a difference between the parks? I see a lot of rides tht look the same, doing the same thing, with a few noteable exceptions, but aside from the Disney parks, they pretty much all look the same to me. Maeryk

Is it blowing up your Telz? Maeryk

THeres a "thunderhawk" and "Dominator" at Dorney as well.. wood frame and power-tower, respectively. are the rides at Geaugau (sp?) the same things? (I havent been to enough CF parks to know if they are doing the "cookie cutter" thing that SF had going on for so long) Maeryk

Good luck getting your "upgraded" PC to look like the Xbox 360 Kiosk models.. those are running in 720P HDTV on HD screens.. your PC wont look like that.. but if you have an HD capable TV it might. (yeah.. sneaky) Maeryk

Don't forget.. most of the stuff on Fear Factor is daily diet staples for someone, somewhere in the world. That's not to say it isnt gross or unsettling for _us_. But somewhere, someone is cracking open a rotten tree-trunk to hoover out some termites and go "Yep! Good eats!" Maeryk

Loopy, I think you hit a big part of it there.. most of us, I'll wager, go with X amount in our pockets.. and typically it is allocated to "the day at the park" (week, month, whatever). If you save on the entrance fee, you will spend the difference in games, or garb, or food, or whatever inside the park. They end up making basically the same amount of money, plus they get more "day trippers" who's brains don't do the basic math that 39.99 is not all that much less than 42$, but we tend to go "Whoah! Thats cheap! Thats under 40! Whereas we round 42 up to "Wow.. 50$? that's an expensive day!" Maeryk

"Sensei said when I can catch the fly.. OOH! A fly! Hold still.. hold still.. PINCH.. OW! HE MOVED! OWWWW!" Maeryk

She was on the nose of some pretty impressive planes too! Course, color mine Juliet Prowse! Maeryk

I've gotten the tunnel vision/grey/spots thing on Laser at Dorney (Scwarzkopf was GOD!), but only when I havent eaten or arent feeling well to begin with. Remember, if your mind is wound up about the ride, you are going to be pumping adrenaline.. that will send blood to the muscles for the "fight or flight" reflex.. (the nervous foot wiggling on the lift hill, anyone?). So when you suddenly hit ridiculous G-forces if your circulation is already wonky, it can do strange stuff. If you _JUST_ ate a large meal, a lot of blood is pooled around your stomach rather than where it normally is. Those with high (or low) blood pressure are more likely to get these issues. and for some (myself included) I think it's just plain adrenaline and excitement.. I was getting sparklies on the launch for Rock N Rollercoaster and got _really_ scared at that "tight chest" feeling until I realized somewhere back in the lizard brain, that I had instinctively held my breath from the time the car settled back for the launch.. I was blacking _myself_ out through asphyxiation! Maeryk

THe only impression I do on boards is Bashful:" , . , , , . !" ºoº Maeryk

Welp.. off to Dorney tonight for "halloweekends". I havent been since a month after opening this year.. should be interesting to see if Hydra: The Suckitude has gotten any better since it has "broken in". on the plus side, stale force runs pretty well at night, and they have about half the lift hill fogged in if the wind is right, and Talon: The Grip of Mediocrity seems to run a lot quicker at night after a relatively warm day like today and a chilly night (50s) like we will have tonight. WHEE! (Still not doin the S&S screamin swing tho!) Maeryk

Jonathan: Try to find a film called "never cry wolf" by (and about) Farley Mowat. he is a canadian author who did the same thing.. but with Wolves, instead of bears. (the book is actually better than the movie.. but the movie is pretty good as well). Maeryk

Enterprises scare the hell out of me.. that ururukBANG a it goes around.. as well as the Flying Bobs.. anything supporting my weight on _one_ pin at each end. The Scrambler at Knoebel's is kinda nervewracking for me too.. you can bait the operator into cranking it up a few clicks by looking really really BORED when you are on it. (helps if you have a cackling 11 year old gleefully slamming into you on each revolution). This guy kept grinning and notching it up until the entire ride (we were the only ones on it) felt like it was "hopping" to one side when we'd hit the outside turn.. and the "slam" was both lound and painful. It was fun after I got off.. but somewhat nerve-wracking while I was on it. Maeryk

^^^ DP/WWK is already digging for the new wave pool. Theres rumor (and nothing more) of something else flat maybe going in.. but I'll wait until I see it. (since I drive by it every day, it's fairly easy for me to see things being "added") Maeryk

Me, the mad badguy fanboy!

^ nah.. if he was lame he would have one foot up and would be walking and standing funny. Maeryk

Greenish khakis, and a blue silk cableknit polo (it's laundry day!) Old socks with more holes than sock in em black zipside responder boots my id-badge disney lanyard with a maleficent pin, and my leather bomber with evil queen and churnabog pins (yeah.. I get some wonky looks at work) (I'm a PC tech who runs in and out all day, and the warehouse we work in is notoriously chilly) Maeryk

I don't, and haven't "made" a bed in years. I've changed it a bunch of times.. but "making" it? I toss my PJ's in in the morning and just throw the covers up towards the pillow in some bizarre and fruitless hope that maybe it will keep them warm till bedtime. (old stone farmhouse.. bedroom temps right now are ranging in the mid 50's at night). but I don't make it. My wife does. (her choice, not mine.. I could care if it is made or not) Maeryk

Good god that sounds like a Unreal 2004 map scenario! Hilbilly Bob's pig races? Maeryk

Good thing he didnt fall over next to the castle and squash it! Maeryk

Yeah, well, she wouldnt let me take a picture of it. (can you imagine THAT?) So.. if anyone is coming into epcot and can see that stain..snap me a photo! (I also gave her crap cause it wasnt in the shape of a Mickey) Maeryk