BeemerBoy

^ Definitely. Yeah, John's a great guy and works really hard at his craft. I'm really pulling for him to break through!

Why aren't people discussing this? This thread is an annual Festivus Miracle....and deserves more attention.

My friend in Orlando, John Frank, just posted his Kickstarter campaign in an attempt to fund his next studio album. His Bio:

^ "Victim." Activating research and shopping mode here! For whoever's unlucky enough to draw my name, just to reiterate (if it's not already too late), I like things to do with monorails (especially WDW's), Japan, and Ferrari. And if clothing is involved, size Large is usually a good bet. Let the fun begin.

And I would be more than willing to take that cash.

^^ What Mark said. And again, it should probably be pointed out that this thing was pretty much doomed from the beginning, but ownership actually deserves major props for keeping it alive as long as it did....and in great shape as well. Hell, this thing actually lived through hurricanes, and still rode better than the majority of American woodies out there. It's kind of like a funeral where people are "celebrating" someone's life rather than "mourning" their death. That's how I'm looking at it anyway. I'm happy I got as many laps on it as I did. I've been on night rides with full trains. It hauled. I paint a great picture, don't I?

That pretty much sums it up. It was just an overall solid, fun ride. I'd be curious to find out if any of the designers/engineers who worked on it, and/or it's "sister" coaster in TN, moved on to positions with competitors over the years?

They've each played ONE season, and you're already shipping them to NY? Chill. And can't you pretty much say that about everyone worth a dime in this league anyway? Hell, I had a pretty good week at work....I'm sure the Yanks are on the phone with my agent too.

This probably belongs in the "pleasantly surprised" thread.

They're waiting patiently to save Uncle Bernie's, should that ever suffer the same fate? EDIT: They probably don't even know about this. You'll have to give 'em a month or two before the newsletter comes out. Seriously, anyone who's ever visited Orlando solely for parks/coasters and never took the time to make the side trip for this....go ahead and kick yourself now. You missed a hidden gem. Sad to see the 'ole girl go.

^ Give 'em time... even the turnstiles and urinals will have a backstory at Disney.

Living off mom and dad's money is one thing. Living off your own is another. Good point about the rookie salary scale though. He probably didn't lose out on too much, but he'll still always wonder now. Either way, I agree with your views on him. As for Kiffin, I really can't get a solid read on this guy. If he could ever leave his image and ego at home and focus on coaching, he might still have a shot at success, but I just don't think he has the "presence" of a top quality head coach at this point in time. Some guys are just destined to be great offensive or defensive minds in the booth....and that's it (Randy Shannon).

The bigger question is how many millions did Barkley leave on the table by coming back to play this year?

Wonderful. I'll just pretend this isn't actually happening.

Really impressed by S&S, and Kevin's (it is Kevin, right?) interview. There's nothing better than hearing an executive be as honest as possible about the company's plans, vision, etc. Can't wait to see the opposite end of the spectrum...from Walter.

People pay large amounts of money to wear something that only entertains someone else all the time. So why not at Disney? The ears are a cool concept. They sell a bunch of them. They're not perfect. I'd much rather talk about Disneyland's food.

Funny thing is, if anything, this should actually help to dispel the myth that they (or any team for that matter) can "buy" a championship...as many love to try and point out about their first title. I like this take on it....LINK

...just not a very good one.

Six hours? I thought that was just for the ops to actually launch a train?

I love the fact that creating a high tech "ride" in the queue presents a wonderful opportunity for downtime....before you even get to the actual ride.

Which, considering your schedule, is worth about as much as my Steve Bartkowski rookie card. Congrats!

Yep, it's the offseason. Yay.

Taking out the Penny Arcade for more retail space was far worse than introducing Starbucks to Main Street.

I think I'll avoid Brazil. Great, informative report though, Joey!