http://samuland.com/media/cuts2.mpg My own teaser trailer... I am NOT doing a haunted house this year, but restassured that my house will still be worth visiting. I have a couple of new things in the works that if I can pull off will make the visit worth while just for that! In the mean time enjoy a small preview, the witching hour is drawing near!
:: 9/15/2005 2:26:29 PM http://www.thatvideosite.com/view/646.html This is video of 911 that I have not seen before now. As if we need something else bad to dwell upon. I really do belive that all of those out there questioning the war on terrorism should watch a little of this and see. THIS IS WHAT THEY WANT TO DO TO ALL OF OUR CITIES! THEY WANT TO KILL ALL OF US! WHY BECAUSE WE HAVE A GOOD LIFE ALBEIT IN THEIR EYES ABOMINABLE.
Hey maaaaaaan, that trailer is a repeat from last year. BTW, I bought some wholesale jewelry on Harwin street and took it straight to the shelter so those people wouldn't have to pay those ridiculous Galleria prices.
The beat goes on... Come on Eileen(my AW personal theme music) will never be the same now... I hope beyond all hope that the doom of Astroworld brings future good tidings to Houston. I wonder how one goes about raising a couple of hundred million to open a them park? We could call it... how about Samuland? HA! No really a nice new park. Somewhere where there are trees for shade, with new amenities, and new modern rides. That would be nice. It would be extra cool if some of the original mainstays of AW could be saved... Greezed Lightning or the Cyclone... The Dexster Freebish must be rusting away somewhere? Bring back the Barrel of Fun! and the Alpine Sleigh Ride! Now update it all with modern themeing. Get those geniuses from Shliterbaun to go in and help with the line and queueing system.(just wait until the one in Galveston opens, you will be floating on tubes in the line!) Build it in a place with space. Make sure you pay attention to detail. Have any of you been through my haunted houses over the years? There is not that much to them, but attention to detail makes up for not having a lot! Chaser lights on a woodie! The appropriate music in the theme! Fresh bread on the exit! Can't be that hard...
My family went to Disneyworld this year and that place looked spankin new! and it's older than AW so I know it can be done. Above all emphasize worker courtesy! Avid readers of my blog will surely remember the tirades I've been on about workers that don't give a frog's fat ass about anything...
... I still hurt. I'm also torn on whether to go one last time or sit on my good memories... E and J up for one more trip? Maybe not... maybe it's better to let it go and hope for better things... maybe I should get off my ass and do something about it? Where to start?
i.am.sadmu
:: 9/14/2005 2:51:12 PM http://www.spaceweather.com/ Northern Lights in the south? Could be tonight! Get outside and see for yourself!
We are talking about a trip for the FrightFest.... hell the place is scary already... seriously tho, the kids enjoyed FF (not FrogFire) last time we went.
.::
Kim
I remember getting funnel cakes on the way out.
I still have one of the big stuffed animals that you won from playing the midway games.
.::
I still remember getting jumped and almost mugged int he parking lot.. ANd that was a long, long time ago. I can only imagine what would happen today!
I got a call from a buddy last night to let me know that SFAW is closing for good at the end of the season! I was flabbergasted. WHY!
My first job was a lifegaurd at Waterworld the year it opened. My second job, working in the arcade at AW the next year. As a pre-teen my next door neighbors E & J and I would go to AW all the time. Once we got old enough to drive even more so.
I used to be terrified of the rides. They would ride I would wait. I always felt like such an ass after they would go get in line. So weak. E finally convinced me to ride and for my first ride the Texas Cyclone. As most of you have experienced, once you ride once "it's on!" I have to thank both E and J for being the way they were, never mean but always nudging me along. Once I finally got over it and rode a ride, it went 180 the other way. Almost like a rite of passage. For me anyway... I must say I will always treasure those memories with you guys!
As for the state of things, SFAW used to be AW privately owned. It was wonderful. Eventually it was bought by Ballys the video game maker. I worked there during this time. It was not bad but this was the begining of the decline. I notcied even back then that they were not keeping the park up the way they should. In more recent times it was purchased by Six Flags. Six Flags started out in Texas and back then was a great place getting under the SF banner, I thought, would make things great! Instead they they brought in 2nd rate rides and rebadged rides from other parks and tried to pass them off. Then they did things like take away the Space Needle and let the upkeep of the park go down the tubes. In recent years I've seen it decline pretty badly. I had secretly hoped a private buyer would buy the park from them. I never expected this!
Some things I think contributed to it's demise.
XLR8 was a concept ride, it was the first in the world to hang below the track anywhere! Period! So all hang below coasters came after XLR8. Now that being said XLR8 sucks! It's slow it's not all that great of a ride, but it was first, they should have re-tooled it after a few years.
Texas Cylone, back in the middle 70's there was a wave to save the original Coney Island Cyclone during all of that hype AW built a clone of that ride with a little more oomph! It was wildly popular and for many years was awarded the world's best roller coaster award! Eventualy they decided to tinker with it though... they lowered the drop hill, twice! Then they installed the "Coffin Cars" that had head rests so large you couldn't see out the sides or around. They slowed the ride down by 10 mph. In the last couple of years they have gone back to regular cars but the ride never got over the loss of the hill reduction or the lost speed. It is, however, still highly regarded as one of the best woodies in the world. It will be sad to see it go... here's hope to Fertitta moving it to Kemah!
Thunder River - How many parks have a Thunder River type of ride now... all of them? Well guess where the first one was? Yep!
Sky Screamer - remember that ride! I do... it was one of my faves! and guess what another first! The first drop ride of any type anywhere. Computer controled magnetic breaking systems. This ride was ground breaking in it's day. I was gutted when they took this ride out, it was always one of my favorite rides.
Greezed Lightning - While not the first it was one of the first... When Greezed Lightning debuted at AW there was only one other like it anywhere in the world. It was the second, and as a result it was better and is still one of my favorites the rush of speed is great and somehow more exhillarating than that of the LIM launched rides like Mr.Freeze and Poltergeist.
River of No Return - Not much to say here except they should not have gotten rids of it. one more thing that everyone liked and they took away.
the size... SFAW is small, and that is why it's good! Damn these people have it all wrong, cramming as much in to the space as possible is a good thing. Less to keep clean, and less distance to walk between rides. I liked the ride pre acre ratio that AW had there was always something right there and not a 30 minute walk across the park. This should have been exploited as an asset, but instead SF came in and tried to shoehorn AW into it's method of sprawl, it's to bad.
It is a shame to see the rich history of this park go by. It was I believe the 4th amusement park built in the United States! 4th! there are now 50+ Thanks alot HSA!
I may come back and update this list as think about things today...
They are going to dismantle some of the rides and move them to other parks. The Cyclone will be demolished. The land will become an apartment complex or something else. It's a shame. Why did this happen? Reliant. You will hear reports on the radio that they are $2B in debt this true for SF as a whole not SFAW. SF owns quite a few parks across the country SFAW is number 3 or 4 for attendance out of the near 20 parks. It's also the smallest in footprint. So what else could have happened? Parking, AW has always had an agreemement with the Astrodome to use the parking lot there. In comes Reliant and the Houston Sports Authority. They want to renegotiate this agreement. Parking used to be free then $1 recently as much as $8 now Reliant wants as much as $30! There is no alternative really short of building a rather large parking garage in a place where they need the land for ride expansion. I have this to say. I was for the new footbal stadium, but it is destroying the personality of Houston! What do you think is going to happen to the Dome? It's gone folks and Astroworld with it ... there used to be a complex called the Astrodomain remember that! before corporations had to put their name on everything! The Astrodome the 8th wonder of the world with a theme park right next door it was a complex that was memorable. People around the world know about this and when it's all said and done Reliant and the HSA will taken both away from our city!
my sadness deepens... If you would like to see it as I do visit this site. As fond a memory as I have for AW I was very much looking forward to providing that type of memory for Dade. It will not be now. This saddens me even more. As a small caveat I have the memory of taking Dade on his first ride on a roller coaster at AW and his first ride on the Cyclone.(his favorite ride) He used to love WW and we went many many times... at least I got some of those memories in him before it's torn down. I only wish I had one more year, and then one more year and then one more year...
The serpent was badass and there was nothing like a loaf of bread to finish the day off. Don't forget this is where we first played Space Invaders and Galaxian.
Yep... I remember! There are a lot of memories brewing around that I have not mentioned. That loaf of bread thing great! You had to have one it was the way to finish the day! Yet one more thing they got rid of... what about just riding the tram in the parking lot, hell I enjoyed that after being in the park alllllll day and being so tired I could sleep where I fell.
I agree. SF has really let the park go down the tubes. It's to bad really. The history this place hold is tremndous! Many people, me included, have been talking about a new coat of paint and a little more security for years over at sixflagshouston.com for a long time. It really was a few choice small things that ruined the park. Double the security, paint everything, decomission a few rides that are to old, bring back the fireworks, stay open later on the weekends, and the hard one, get the operators to be more cordial. ... oh yea and the bread thing!
It was two summers ago...the first time (and last) the entire Arnold clan got season passes.... it was filthy..the people were rude, the food was nasty and the park guests were not the kind of people I want my kids around. It used to be a family park...it wasn't anymore -- what sent me over the edge was..... it was about 7pm or so and we were winding down from the crappy experience... we loaded onto the Wagon Wheel (one of my all time favs) and when the ride started the operator and his friend started into a RAP. Amateur rap night at the wagon wheel... wonderful... ride was over.. we went to the exit. yeaaaaboooyyyy
Angie and I went to see The Exorsism of Emily Rose this weekend and honestly can not tell you if it was good or not. People are so inconsiderate these days! First the theater was full to the brim and a bit rowdy and this was 30 minutes before the start. Once the movie started it did not get better. First people turn off your damn cell phones! This does not mean silence them, it means when I am sitting behind you in a darkend theater it's fucking annoying as hell to see you light up your cell phone and start surfing or checking the time or whatever you are doing? All during the movie there were several people in front of us holding their cell phones up in the air, presumably to get better reception. This was not for a minute or two, this was for the whole movie! Cell phones are bright now and it was very distracting. Second there was someone on the front row who insisted on standing up and walking to the side of the theater during the movie. Now he was just to cool to duck out of the way and get to the side quickly. He had to hold his dick and hold his pants and walk slow and "cool" in front of everyone...this happened at least 10 times throughout the movie. Now during a scary people nervously talk, it's defense mechansim I know this, but people were talking and talking and talking throughout! Annoying! and lastly... who brings a 5 year old to a movie like this? Furthermore the 5 year talks the entire movie and I mean loud enough for everyone to hear easily. The parents just ignored it. For 2 hours I had endure this kid chattering away!
Now 3 times during the flick someone went and complained, I would have if I'd have been anywhere near the end of an isle, but 3 times someone did. Three times a cop came in to settle everyone down. The phones went away people sat down and quit talking and it was a normal movie. As soon as the cops would leave... right back to the way it was. Now I understand that, while the cats away... The problem I have is, if you get called into a single movie 3 times you would think there's probably something going on in there and maybe you need to leave a cop or usher with a light or something?! I was the single worst movie experience I've ever been to and I will not go back to Gulf Pointe 30 for a very long time! On a side note the movie looked like it might be suspenseful and not at all bad but I couldn't tell you. I missed a good 40% due to distactions.
http://www.custom3dgraphics.com/flash/hiphurts.html This is a real product someone hacked together to keep telemarketers on the line for a long time. The theory is lower the productivity to the point that it is not profitable to telemarket. This is a sample of one conversation! Hilarious!
:: 9/11/2005 12:27:09 PM http://cg.scs.carleton.ca/~morin/misc/sortalg/ Might be a re-Blog, but who knew there were so many sorting alogrithms? and just how is this for seeing the way they work! Jsort! QSort! I never use them, but I will now!
:: 9/11/2005 12:49:37 PM http://users.skynet.be/J.Beever/pave.htm WE've all seen these weird 3d sidewalk chalk drawings. This has alternate views of them so you can see what it really looks like! Facinating!
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE ... for those who do not have Anti-virus software and those without a firewall, watch this.
Now I've been preaching for years! Get some AV software and a firewall! grisoft makes a free version for Pete's sake! If you are on broadband, i.e. DSL, Cable etc. get a hardware firewall/router. My sister got one for $5 after rebate the other day! People please if you do not do this you are contributing to the downfall of one of the greatest assets in the world!
:: 9/9/2005 9:43:11 AM http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Floaters I have Floaters. I think many of you do too. I wish I did not, but there is no good treatment. SUCK!
A SAD STATE OF CORRUPT LOCAL GOVERNMENT LOOKING FOR A HAND OUT.
Politics over duty
This is a post from a fellow over in Merritt Is, FL, a reporter who's been researching what went on before the storm hit
I think all of Nagin's pomp and posturing is going to bite him hard in the near future as the lies and distortions of his interviews are coming to light.
On Friday night before the storm hit Max Mayfield of the National Hurricane Center took the unprecedented action of calling Nagin and Blanco personally to plead with them to begin MANDATORY evacuation of New Orleans and they said they'd take it under consideration. This was after the NOAA buoy 240 miles south had recorded 68' waves before it was destroyed.
President Bush spent Friday afternoon and evening in meetings with his advisors and administrators drafting all of the paperwork required for a state to request federal assistance (and not be in violation of the Posse Comitatus Act or having to enact the Insurgency Act).
Just before midnight Friday evening the President called Governor Blanco and pleaded with her to sign the request papers so the federal government and the military could legally begin mobilization and call up.
He was told that they didn't think it necessary for the federal government to be involved yet. After the President's final call to the governor she held meetings with her staff to discuss the political ramifications of bringing federal forces. It was decided that if they allowed federal assistance it would make it look as if they had failed so it was agreed upon that the feds would not be invited in.
Saturday before the storm hit the President again called Blanco and Nagin requesting they please sign the papers requesting federal assistance, that they declare the state an emergency area, and begin mandatory evacuation.
After a personal plea from the President, Mayor Nagin agreed to order an evacuation, but it would not be a full mandatory evacuation, and the governor still refused to sign the papers requesting and authorizing federal action.
In frustration the President declared the area a national disaster area before the state of Louisiana did so he could legally begin some advanced preparations. Rumor has it that the President's legal advisers were looking into the ramifications of using the insurgency act to bypass the Constitutional requirement that a state request federal aid before the federal government can move into state with troops - but that had not been done since 1906 and the Constitutionality of it was called into question to use before the disaster.
Throw in that over half the federal aid of the past decade to New Orleans for levee construction, maintenance, and repair was diverted to fund a marina and support the gambling ships.
Toss in the investigation that will look into why the emergency preparedness plan submitted to the federal government for funding and published on the city's website was never implemented and in fact may have been bogus for the purpose of gaining additional federal funding as we now learn that the organizations identified in the plan were never contacted or coordinating into any planning - though the document implies that they were.
The suffering people of New Orleans need to be asking some hard questions as do we all, but they better start with why Blanco refused to even sign the multi-state mutual aid pack activation documents until Wednesday which further delayed the legal deployment of National Guard from adjoining states.
Or maybe ask why Nagin keeps harping that the President should have commandeered 500 Greyhound busses to help him when according to his own emergency plan and documents he claimed to have over 500 busses at his disposal to use between the local school busses and the city transportation busses - but he never raised a finger to prepare them or activate them.
This is a sad time for all of us to see that a major city has all but been destroyed and thousands of people have died with hundreds of thousands more suffering, but it's certainly not a time for people to be pointing fingers and trying to find a bigger dog to blame for local corruption and incompetence. Pray to God for the survivors that they can start their lives anew as fast as possible and we learn from all the mistakes to avoid them in the future.
:: 9/15/2005 2:26:29 PM
