Results: The True Geek Test

The Poser Geek You answered 58% of the questions as a geek truly would.

As a poser geek, you're trying too damned hard. There's a strong possibility that you think you're a geek because you own your own computer, however you're truly missing the bigger picture. You aspirations of being a geek mainly come from your friends, who are probably slightly cooler. Get rid of those thick black-rimmed glasses. Being a geek isn't about style, it's about substance! So what's this all mean? It means you're probably a pretty cool person. You've probably got social graces and are well liked by many people. While not a complete conformist, you do prefer to follow along with popular culture. True geeks probably laugh at you behind your back. In a nutshell, you answered most question how you thought a geek WOULD answer, but your misconceptions deceived you. Truth is, 60% of people are geekier than you.

My test tracked 1 variable How you compared to other people your age and gender: You scored higher than 10% on geekness

Link: The True Geek Test written by ambientred on Ok Cupid, home of the 32-Type Dating Test

Super Saturday: Cardinals Busch TIX and UC-WVU

Today is a big day if you're a sports fan.

First, single game tickets for the Cardinals' inaugural season in the new Busch Stadium went on sale at 10am (9 am STL time). It was guaranteed to be a frenzy because only around 500,000 tickets would remain after Season Ticket and ticket packages were sold. Hell, they had to stop selling season tickets recently at 27,500.
Not to mention that about 6,000 seats may not be available until the All-Star break in July, which has the new stadium at a starting capacity of 10,000 less seats than old Busch Stadium had.

SOOO... I got up and got online before 10am (again, Eastern here), and tried for Opening Day, Monday April 10 vs. Milwaukee, but no luck as the sold out message came up around 10:30, but since I was really aiming for the first weekend, was still in good shape. I had two computers in the "queue" - this iMac running Safari, and the PC downstairs running Internet Explorer, and tried for two different games of the Reds series - Fri 14 and Sun 16.
Running back and forth was my game. but just after 11:30, I finally got a chance to buy for the Sunday game in my IE window downstairs. Yes, it set me back $85, but the print-at-home ticket is in my hands, and will be sitting on the Redbird Club mid-level at home plate.
This will be my first time sitting behind home plate at a Busch Stadium! Of course, I'll have many photos of this great new stadium - but if you can't wait, check out this great photo tour KMOV took on Friday!
Not long after getting the ticket, I landed a downtown hotel room off Priceline, $60 including fees/taxes. Add this to some time at Six Flags St. Louis, it'll suck to have to wait over a month, but it'll come eventually.

But thinking of today, UC is hosting West Virginia at Fifth Third Arena live on ESPN, and the Bearcats lead 37-31 at halftime. If UC wins, they're hopefully going to the NCAA tourney, and Andy Kennedy just might get promoted!
Tonight is the big Duke-UNC game at Cameron Indoor Stadium on ESPN at 9pm. UNC looks good, but it's time for the Blue Devils and J.J. Redick!

'Texas vs. Texas A&M' or 'Leave the Paper at Home'

In Thursday's Bryan-College Station Eagle, Texas guard Daniel Gibson goes up against Texas A&M's Acie Law during Wednesday night's game. While Law may have the ball, Gibson is apparently showing something more than his defensive skills - shold we say, something located between two balls?

Due to content, you are only seeing the upper half of the photo. The Eagle claims that it is an optical illusion, but if you check the full photo (preferably NOT at work), you might disagree.

Allen Arena Winter Soar photos are coming very soon!

If you checked out my new photo gallery, more photos have been added and/or transferred to it, including my final visit to Busch Stadium and my recent trip to Pittsburgh and Mellon Arena for the Penguins game.

In the next day or so, I will finally have my photos from the Winter SOAR and construction tour at Kings Island from Saturday.

I continue to be busy with house work, job search, dealing with skin issues, and other junk. And Elder beat Kings in basketball, 58-40 at UC's 5/3 Arena. That means I got out of the house at least once since Saturday!

Review: Winter SOAR at Kings Island

The 2006 annual Winter SOAR (Southern Ohio Area Rollercoaster) event, hosted by the Southern Ohio Region of the American Coaster Enthusiasts, was held this past Saturday, at the park currently known as Paramount's Kings Island. About 100 people were in attendance that night, making it the most attended regional winter event in Southern Ohio

Led by Maureen Kaiser, the park's Manager of Marketing, the event began with a construction tour of Nickelodeon Universe, which is a renovation of the parks award-winning children's areas, Hanna-Barbera Land and Nickelodeon Central. Except for Scooby-Doo and the Haunted Castle (separate licensing), all Hanna-Barbera characters and theming have been removed - as well as Richard Scarry's 'Busytown' and 'The Beastie' (name change). Four rides have been
rade, Vortex cars (which some people sat in for photo ops), and boats from the park's three water rides: Congo Falls, White Water Canyon, and Wild Thornberrys' River Adventure. Also, we noted that the shelters were named after Hanna-Barbera characters. We can assume that the shelters will either be re-named to Nickelodeon characters or some of the park's roller coasters/thrill rides (as was done with the parking lot around 2000).

The bulk of the evening's activities took place in the beautiful International Restaurant atop the front gate. While this facility has not operated as a fully-functioning restaurant for about a decade, it still hosts catered events throughout the season for groups, as well as special events. We started off with the bland but tasty LaRosa's pizza, chips, and drinks for dinner (I had to run off to the nearest Kroger store for more 2-liters!). I had more than my share of pizza, pop, and brownies, so that was good news!

There was also a good assortment of speakers. We began with Keith Chlapaty of Wyandot Lake, an amusement/water park located near Columbus, OH. Most prominently is the 50th anniversary of its wooden roller coaster, Sea Dragon. In addition to a large water park and assortment of family rides, are the park's live entertainment. Chlapaty mentioned that the park's owner, Six Flags, Inc. has new management. Its new CEO, Mark Shapiro, has emphasized the need for a quality family experience, and Chlapaty believes that his park fits into the chain's strategy very well. And, NO, he will not have a riding contest called "Go 'til you Blow!"

One familiar guest was the energetic John Robinson of William H. Robinson, Inc. (John is the son of William), which markets and advertises three regional amusement parks. One is Knight's Action Park, located in Springfield, IL, which features a water park and a classic drive-in theater.
Robinson also markets the historic Lake Winnepesaukah, located in Georgia, south of Chattanooga, TN, and not too far from Atlanta. "Lake Winnie" features two roller coasters, including the wooden Cannon Ball, and a shoot-the-chutes that dates back to the 1920s. John said that Lake Winnie today is reminiscent of LeSourdsville Lake park in Ohio - back in the 1970s. Looks like I'll have to stop there on the way down to Atlanta and Six Flags over Georgia!
Most prominently, the Robinsons promote Indiana Beach, a great amusement resort located on Lake Shafer, over an hour northwest of Indianapolis. Having been owned by the Spackman family since its opening in 1926, the park has added some of its most prominent attractions in recent years, including three wooden roller coasters, and has been very successful with good promotions, such as the slogan "There's More Than Corn in Indiana!" and the I.B. Crow. And, yes, John humiliated those that have never been to Indiana Beach, but gave out several great prizes, including some 80th Anniversary media kits (large boxes).

My good friend Brian Kosmac, who is a rides area manager in the Rivertown area, gave everyone a speech (no visual aid needed) on being a park employee for a day.
One of his outstanding stories took place in the queue for Top Gun, where he found two baby raccoons in a trash can. After contactiing the park's animal control official with no response, one of his supervisors (he was an Action Zone manager at the time) came down, and pointed out that there two raccoons in the trash cans. Brian replied, "Well, no KIDDING!"Not long, they had to remove the trash can themselves carefully...
Also, there was one situation where a storm was impending upon Kings Island, and most of the rides have shut down, except for one that should be - Eiffel Tower. Kosmac notices that there are still people on the top deck, and runs over, where he learns that the elevator's doors are malfunctioning. Soon, however, he, and other managers manage to use the other properly functioing elevator to the lower deck, and connect the guests and employees to this vital escape down to the ground. It was a LONG elevator ride, but above all, a safe one.
Finally, a girl with cancer lost her plush toy while riding Viking Fury. After learning about the story and situation, Kosmac told her family he'd do whatever possible. He locked out the ride, went underneath, and retrieved the toy, although very soggy and wet. When he located the family in the Festhaus nearby, it really made their day, and Brian Kosmac really made a difference in a bad situation, especially for an ailing child.

Russ Johnson, the representative from of ACE's Southern Region, gave out several door prizes from Holiday World, Cedar Point, and Kings Island. I was one of the lucky numbers, and got the chance to pick out a Holiday World Voyage media kit, featuring printed press releases, art, as well as a CD-ROM of digital media. That is one park I am sure to enjoy this year, with the opening of the new massive Voyage wooden roller coaster!

To top it all off, came Maureen Kaiser herself with a presentation (and answer to) ten rumors and legends:

1) The Beast is being torn apart, and will be sent to Carowinds.
False. The Beast will be open and ready for Opening Day, Friday April 14.

2) There will be blue ice cream.
True. "Huckleberry Dairy" will reopen as "Blue Ice Cream Day!"

3) The Vortex is sinking.
False. See "Magnum is sinking"

4) Jeffrey Siebert was the Chief Executive Officer of Paramount's Kings Island. Now that he left, all future progress for the park will stop.
False! Jeff was the Director of Marketing Communications. Business will continue as usual, including Beast Walkback and events, such as the Coaster Con in 2007. Jeff Siebert has moved on to Schlitterbahn Waterparks in Galveston, TX as the corporate director of communication for the company, which owns one of the top-rated water parks year after year.

5) The park is up for sale. If so, do you have to buy all five?
It is true that CBS Corporation is selling the five Paramount Parks. Not sure if they can be sold separately or all together. However, the park will open as Paramount's Kings Island on 4/14/06.

6) Flight of Fear will not be running!
True, andd False. The Flight of Fear at Kings Dominion will not be open for the 2006 season. However, Kings Island's version will be open on Day One!

7) Phantom Flyers at Kings Island and Carowinds are the same.
Sadly, False. The Phantom Flyers at Carowinds were the Flying Eagles at Kings Island, however, a lay-down ride will take the name at PKI.

8) Skipped for some odd reason?

9) Nickelodeon Universe will look like a carnival, and not open on time.
False. While Zamperla makes the new rides in a transportable form, the ones going in will be permanent installations. Construction is on schedule, and will open with the park in April.

10) A Campground will be open for the 2006 season.
FALSE! The old campground was closed down, and is being redeveloped to make way for the Great Wolf Lodge, which features an indoor waterpark for guests of the hotel's many rooms. GWL is scheduled to be completed in time for WinterFest. There is a campground about 10 miles away from PKI.

Maureen also answered questions about other rides, attratctions, park schedule, hours and more.
- The park will open at 10 am every morning, including International Street. However, on days where large crowds are expected, the gates will open up prior to 10 am, and allow guests onto International Street. The ACE Walkback for The Beast will continue - may meet at the Season Pass Entrance.
- Son of Beast is undergoing winter maintenance, and may not open with the park on 4/14.
- Delirium will open on 4/14.
- A Hanna-Barbera simulator film will open in the Action Theatre (next to SpongeBob SquarePants).
- The Park will be open Easter Weekend, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, AND MONDAY! 10 am to 8 pm each day.

- Will there still be Gold Pass early ride time privileges?
- Will the Bring-a-Friend-Free day format be changed, so that there is a more flexible choice that won't cause overcrowding?
- The above questions will be answered in the next few weeks, according to Maureen.

At around 9 pm, remaining attendees got together to talk about the 2007 Coaster Con, planning possible events, with Maureen Kaiser joining in at times. Before it was all said and done, Winter SOAR was a great success, all thanks to the 100+ attendees, as well as Maureen Kaiser from PKI, Russ Johnson and Brian Neal from ACE, Keith from Wyandot Lake, John Robinson, and Brian Kosmac (and his fiancée).

(And I promise to NEVER again sing "The Morning After" with Maureen's portable microphone. SQUEEEEAAALLLLKK!!!!!)

Winter SOAR event tomorrow at Kings Island!

Winter SOAR Details
Our regional meeting Winter SOAR is this Saturday. We have Keith Chlapaty from Wyandot Lake coming to talk about the 50year young Sea Dragon. We have the Official Gravity Group POV video of the Voyage. Maureen Kaiser and a couple other PKI speakers will round out the presentations. Pizza and soda, and to start it all off, a construction tour of the totally redesigned kiddie area. It just keeps getting better every year!

Just to get everyone to come, the door prizes are banners (a couple from a favorite woodie) donated from several area parks. We are also taking a collection to send Jeff something to remember us by, and we will have a big poster to sign and send to him.

The cost is $8/person over age 6. You must pay the $8 registration fee regardless of whether you stay after the tour or not. The construction tour starts at 5:00. Dinner will start at 6:00. Presentations will start around 6:30.

Please enter the parking lot through the south gate, and you may park in the handicap area. Come up to the main entrance. If you are going on the construction tour, please bring an extra pair of shoes because you will probably get muddy and we don't want to track that mud into the restaurant.

Pass this information on to anyone that may come and isn't on my email list. See you on Saturday!

Russ Johnson
ACE Southern Ohio Regional Rep

Gallery Update: Penguins vs. Islanders

My pictures from the Penguins vs. Islanders NHL game at Mellon Arena in Pittsburgh are now available in the gallery! http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif

This comes in addition to the Kaufmann's department store photos recently added. I hope to finish transferring the pictures from my last visit to Busch Stadium, in St. Louis, from September, to the new gallery.

Compared to my last post, I can quote the late Jack Buck on this one: "That's a winner!"

Latest Loser: The (Screw) Michigan Store

I am now starting a category here at the AAblog dedicated to the people who either make bad mistakes, insert their foot into their mouth, make good people look bad, or simply fail at life.

Had I started this earlier, I would have already nominated a few people. To start:

- Bengals fans, espeically U.S. Representatives Steve Chabot or Jean Schmidt, for electing to not recognize the Steelers' Super Bowl XL victory. Yes, most of the opposers came from the state of Washington (home of the Seattle Seahawks,) but I bet that representatives from Indiana and Colorado (whose teams also lost to the Steelers in the playoffs) had the decency to vote yes.


But let's move to now - even though it's something that's been around for many years, I came across it with some moral outrage. And not just because I'm a Michigan fan.

- http://www.cafepress.com/screwmichigan - that features lots of merchandise shouting 'F*** Michigan' for Ohio State fans and other opponents in the Big Ten conference. Being around me, you know I've complained about those who continue to lower the bar in American society - on our roadways, in our schools, at our beloved amusement parks, and most importantly, at our sports arenas and stadiums. But they sell products products not only for adult men and women, which might make you sick to your stomach - even and especially you're a good and noble Ohio State or other Big Ten fan (I hope).

How about a "F*** Michigan" baby bib? Or a "F*** Michigan" dog suit? They're even proposing a baby bottle for mommy and daddy's favorite alcoholic beverage! I can't wait to see more people wearing this stuff at a local mall or Kings Island this summer!

I'm not talking about the neighborhood bar, or the on-campus dorm room. I'm concerned about this lewd language being aired out in public areas where children are sure to be present!

This why I nominate the, uh, 'Screw,' Michigan Store as the Allen Arena Latest Loser. If you want to help nominate the 'Latest Loser, feel free to reply, but please, keep it relatively clean and logical!

Observations of new Wal-Mart book "Bully of Bentonville"

Today, I visited the new Crestview Hills Town Center in Northern Kentucky, my first visit since its grand opening as a new lifestyle center. Originally built on the site was the two-story enclosed Crestview Hills Mall built in the 1970s. The only signs of life, though were the Dillard's store, some mall walkers, a few shops, and the escalators, in the Mall's final years - it never really took off as a major shopping center. In 2004, demolition on the mall began to replace it with an open-air lifestyle center, like found at Rookwood or Deerfield (only better, IMO), including an all-new 2-story Dillard's.

Oddly enough though, like a Simpsons episode, it's not the main point of the entry. I checked out the Borders store, and I was certainly glad to go through the doors, very cold outside. One book I came across was entitled "The Bully of Bentonville," an critical expose (among others) on Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer, by Anthony Bianco. Like most Americans, I think Wal-Mart is an overall good company and concept, but is not perfect (but have a better view than the authors of some of the books and media would). I picked it up, and browsed the middle of the book, which mentions Wal-Mart's growth strategy of building new Supercenters in Midwestern cities. The focus is on one of these metro areas, Cincinnati, which has about a dozen planned, many of them either now open or under construction. The closest Wal-Mart Supercenter right now to my home is in West Chester at I-75 and Cinti-Dayton Road. In a few months, one in Forest Park at Cobblewood Plaza is set to open - and another in Evendale near the corner of Reading and Glendale-Milford is being built.

Cincinnati may be relatively new grounds for the Wal-Mart Supercenter, but is no stranger to the superstore/hypermarket concept (that is, a discount retailer that contains a supermarket with a full line of foods, plus general merchandise). bigg's is mentioned as the first 'hypermarket' in the U.S. when it opened in Eastgate in 1984 by a joint venture of U.S. and French companies. The second store opened at Forest Fair Mall in 1988 (now Cincinnati Mills). bigg's now has 12 locations in the area (and another in Clarksville, IN, north of Louisville), though some locations are food-only, general merchandise is very limited. Like Wal-Mart, bigg'sdoes not utilize union labor, which has been publicized heavily by local food unions.

Also discussed some is Meijer, the Michigan-based, family-owned retailer, which also owns several superstores in the Cincinnati area, similar to several Bigg's stores and Wal-Mart Supercenters. While Meijer pioneered the superstore concept in the U.S. in 1962, it finally entered the Cincinnati market in 1996, and started a price-war with the incumbent retailers. These included Kroger, which has been the nation's largest grocer (for a grocery-only chain, now, that is), based here in Cincinnati, as well as the smaller Thriftway, which had recently been sold to Winn-Dixie, after decades of local ownership.

Within 10 years of Meijer's entry to the market, Kroger remains on top, with the most locations in all neighborhoods and suburbs. bigg's has also grown around here, having doubled its number of locations. Meijer itself has remained strong and added a few stores around town. But Thriftway, along with its parent, Winn-Dixie, suffered the most. The prices, service, and selection in their stores was poor. Not only did all Thriftway stores close in 2004, Winn-Dixie pulled many of its stores, including all of its Kentucky locations - partly due to Wal-Mart Supercenters.

Bianco brings up bigg's and Meijer because he expects Wal-Mart to hit them hard once many of the Supercenters have been up and going in Cincinnati. Kroger may sustain the least damage, as their hometown local presence as a grocer, and ability to conduct deep discounts and sales will keep them strong. bigg's however, could be in trouble, as they and the Supercenters are probably most similar - union-free and use of 'true minimum pricing.' But I take notice that the chapter is called 'Would the Last Independent Grocer Please Get Off the Monorail?..." Could it possibly be a focus of none other than...

Caught in between the chain stores in town is, of couse, Junge Jim's International Market in Fairfield. Founder and owner "Jungle" Jim Bonaminio gave a great and colorful interview (including some words not for kids!). Might I add though, that Jungle Jim's is a must-visit for anyone that likes food. His store may be an independent, with only one location - but its size is greater than any Wal-Mart Supercenter - and that's in food alone! In fact, Bonaminio has a second (but smaller) store planned in Oakley, in part of the former Milacron plant.

Why would Bianco give some silly big 'food land' time in a book about Wal-Mart? The two have their similarities and differences. Obvious are their desire to provide a one-stop shopping experience. Also, both are anti-union, though Bianco emphasizes that Jungle Jim is openly against the unions, saying they would kill his employees' productivity, but Wai-Mart CEO Lee Scott has put a more PC spin type of response. Note that when a Wal-Mart in Quebec, its workers voted to join a union (and in Canada, unions have more power, I assume), the company chose to close down the store rather than allow unionization. Different between the two is that Wal-Mart (and other chain retailers) are trying to keep their customers in the store for two hours, where as Jungle Jim's would like to get them out in 15 minutes - both the opposite of their current situations.

So, if Wal-Mart is going to out-price and out-locate Jungle Jim's, then how will the independent wacky man get by? He wants to become a destination for 'foodies.' Not only has he expanded the store, a mini-mall has been attached to the store, including some food and specialty stores. Restaurants, an event center, and even a hotel have been desired. Most notably is the monorail he has planned. YES, MONORAIL. In 1998, Bonaminio purchased eight monorail trains from Kings Island for $1. (Rant on this one later) The trains first ran in 1974 when an animal safari opened, until it closed down in 1993 as part of the Paramount takeover. Jungle plans to get the monorails circling around the store's perimeter later this year. Yet, in the book, Jungle sounds a bit concerned. Should he be?

However, I argue, that the competitors have been, and will continue to co-exist with Wal-Mart Supercenters. Wal-Mart may deliver on price, but price isn't everything. Compared to bigg's, Meijer, Target, and especially Jungle Jim's, the quality, service, and appearance of Wal-Mart is lacking. Their aisles are narrow and often crowded, employees aren't the best, nor many of their shoppers. And the architecture screams CHEAP and COOKIE-CUTTER. I've been to standard and Supercenter Wal-Marts, but find myself in Kroger, bigg's, Meijer, Jungle Jim's, and Target more often.

I won't get in-depth with the labor issues and 'putting mom & pop out of business,' many I disagree with Bianco on, but I will take the common 'libertarian' line: the best way to hurt Wal-Mart is to not shop there. If you love shopping at Fred's Market, and find their prices to be not too bad (though still higher than Wal-Mart), you should shop there. But we can't deny that Wal-Mart has forever changed retail through innovation, productivity, non-stop competition, and 'cutting out the fat.' Name a store, whether it's a small independent grocer, or even a upper-class, top of the line department store, that doesn't want to cut costs.

Bottom line: Wal-Mart could improve here and there, but there are far bigger threats to our cities and communities than some American success story.

Another week, another "controversy"

It's probably safe to say that the local hate fest against Pittsburgh sponsored by 700 WLW, Local 12, and other people around Cincinnati is probably over, especially since the football coverage is over and the Pro Bowl has been played.

Now Vice President Dick Cheney accidentally shoots a good friend while hunting. Sure, Mr. Harry Whittington wasn't severely hurt, had a minor heart attack, and recovered within a week, but you'd swear it was another -gate scandal, by watching the late night shows and network news.

"Why did he wait to tell the major media? Why did he wait to tell the White House? How BIG was the beer Cheney had? Oh, no! Dick Cheney invited me to go hunting this weekend!" And it's not just David Letterman, Jon Stewart, David Gregory, CBS, CNN, NBC, etc that are in a frenzy.

Bill Cunningham, who I usually find informative, informed, and entertaining, has me puzzled. First with the sour-grapes attitude against a legit team and Super Bowl win, now he's joined the 'Question Cheney' camp.

You may know that while I don't discuss politics too much on the blog, I do find myself to have some biased, differing views - though I am generally against 'group think.' I just had to speak out saying there's more important things in America and around the world. Things like coasters, ERT, park takeovers, Regis jokes, and drunk sports fans...

Cincinnati vs. Pittsburgh and The Truth

As you know, I was in Pittsburgh this weekend, and got home as the Steelers were winning Super Bowl XL. Over there, you'd think "Happy days are here again!"

Getting back home to the Cincinnati area, you'd think that the populous was generally liberal, and either Al Gore, John Kerry, or Hillary Clinton had just barely lost the Presidential election. BUT knowing that the region had helped elect George W. Bush twice, people are still pissed. They still can't stand the fact that the Steelers are Super Bowl champions, and lost in four quarters in the wild card game. The Bengals could have been leading at halftime, and had Jon Kitna not spent his time mourning Carson's injury, they could have won, and had a chance at the Colts and/or Broncos.

One one coaster site I frequent a lot, its moderator said that "the only good to ever come out of Pittsburgh was Kennywood."

Well, if not Mario Lemieux (though born a French-Canadian), or Dan Marino, how about Marvin Lewis?

Now the orange and black Kool-Aid drinkers are upset that Bill Cowher was doing the "Who Dey" chant at the rally in downtown Pittsburgh yesterday. Only could one team start a dumb-ass rhetorical question for their slogan.

Some hints for Bengals , Cincinnati and their fans:
1) Who-Dey? Dead-ay.
2) Beat the Steelers when it counts, especially before four quarters are over.
3) Win some Super Bowls. Only five to go!
4) Run some trains in your subway.

And the Vince Lombardi Trophy goes to the...

Five Time!
Five Time!
Five Time!
Five Time!
Five Time!

Super Bowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers!

And thanks to Ben Roethlisberger for being such a star so early, Jerome Bettis for ending his career the way it oughta be, the Rooney family, and to the Steelers altogether for beating the best (Colts included) in the playoffs.

And continuing to 'PWN' the Bengals!

Did I just say that I got back from Pittsburgh? Coincidence? You decide.

Back from Pittsburgh, and more!

I'm back home on my beloved new iMac, and yes I'm watching the Super Bowl. Having been IN Pittsburgh this morning and last night, the atmosphere, from Mellon Arena to Station Square was estatic for the home NFL team. And even on the way back home, lots of proud orange and black.

And now, it looks like what St. Louis couldn't do in baseball, and Indianapolis couldn't do in football - the Pittsburgh Steelers are about to do it all. One minute left in the game 21-10 Steelers over Seattle.

More in a few minutes...

Pittsburgh Pt 2: Comments and last minute sights

I left off with a trip to Station Square on the Port Authority Light Rail system. The subway station, right near the hotel, might rival that of newer heavy rail lines in Washington, San Francisco and Atlanta. Also, I rode the Monongohela incline, a very interesting and scenic way to see Pittsburgh. Before I leave town to see more of Pittsburgh at home (Steelers in the Super Bowl XL!) I'll drive around downtown, get some more shots of Mellon Arena, drive past Heinz Field (Steelers) and PNC Park (Pirates), and ride the Duquesne Incline up and down.
It's a safe bet that I'll be returning to Pittsburgh soon - I have yet to visit the wonderful Kennywood park nearby, and seeing a baseball game at PNC Park is also worthwhile (preferably against the Reds or Cardinals).

So long, Steel City.

Reporting from Pittsburgh Part 1: Penguins vs. Islanders

Not long ago (around an hour), I got back from the Pittsburgh Penguins vs. New York Islanders hockey game across the street at Mellon Arena. This is my first time in Pittsburgh and Mellon Arena "the Igloo."

My seat was in the D level, center ice, so the view was outstanding, it's a neat arena, even as the trend is to build new ones, replacing Mellon. More on the arena debacle in another post.

The Pens, I can say, haven't been doing too well, having a bad record so far in the NHL, plus with the second (and final) retirement of Mario Lemieux, and Sidney Crosby's bout with the flu, which caused him to miss Thursday's home game against Ottawa, which was lost 7-2.

Today's game against the Islanders would be more exciting - Crosby was back, and scored in the 1st period, which ended 2-1 Isles, but the Penguins would compete well, defend, and come back to end regulation with a 4-4 tie, plus a scoreless overtime period. The game would come down to an exciting shootout - Only the Isles would score two goals, none by the Pens. Another loss, but an exciting matchup.

Today was "Black & Gold Day" - not only for the Penguins, but also for the AFC Champion Steelers, who face the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XL tomorrow in Detroit. Some folks in my hometown want the Seahawks to kill the Steelers (bitter after a certain failed rhetorical question), but honestly with Shaun Alexander from Florence KY, I'd cheer for him a bit. But the surprise team this year is definitely the Steelers, having snuck past the heavily favored Colts in the playoffs at RCA Dome last month. It might be the finale for Jerome Bettis in his hometown of Detroit. And Ben Roethlisberger, what can I say? An exteremely impressive rookie season that we thought was followed by a sophomore slump. Go Steelers!

Later on, I'll head over to Station Square, and check out the sights, the Monongohela Incline, go eat, and ride the light rail. Pittsburgh has been impressive so far - I went into Kaufmann's earlier downtown. 11 floors are still used for retail space, and there are so many escalators, even some really old Otis wood escalators (with wood steps, although no longer in use). Hopefully Federated/Macy's won't kill it after they take over Kaufmann's parent company May Dept. Stores.

Pitts-off!

New hope for SFKK and more...

Seems the speculation has ended... Six Flags CEO Mark Shapiro visits Kentucky Kingdom, and the Louisville park is getting the attention it deserves. Le's hope it includes lots of marketing and better customer service, with Holiday World, Beech Bend, and Kings Island not too far away...
Louisville Courier-Journal Article


In the middle of big sports events and/or their cities. In September/October, it was St. Louis as Busch Stadium was being closed down. In November, it was Indianapolis as the Colts played the Steelers on a Monday Night. In January, I was in Chicago as the Bears hosted the playoffs (did not attend the game though).
Now February, I will be in Pittsburgh this Saturday to see the Penguins play the Islanders at Mellon Arena. Of course, Pittsburgh's football team, the Steelers, are playing Sunday in Super Bowl XL in Detroit!
Side note, it seemed that when Albert Pujols of the Cardinals had a magazine article not long ago, so did Sidney Crosby of the Penguins. Crosby just might be the Pujols of hockey...

Elmo in talking children's book: "Who wants to die?"

You may have read this, but I just had to add it for records here in the AAblog:

Local6.com, Orlando, FL story:

A mother in Dallas is one of several parents complaining about a new interactive book for toddlers in which Sesame Street character Elmo asks "who wants to die?" according to a Local 6 News report.

Family members said 16-month-old Miranda Boll's new book, "Potty Time With Elmo," was supposed to teach an interactive lesson using voice commands.

However, when the book's buttons are pressed, it reportedly says something it is not supposed to -- "who wants to die?"

"It's a sick joke," mother Angela Bolls said. "If it's a joke then it's a bad one, you know? And it's not necessary. It's inappropriate."

Bolls said she checked another copy of the same book and found that it says something completely different; "Who wants to try to go potty?"

The company that makes the book said it has had several complaints concerning the book, according to the report.

Think it's a Grand Illusion? You can get one, but since all of the books with the, uh, glitch, have been pulled from retail stores, so eBay is your only option now. Some bidding has started as low as around $10, but some auctions, including those nearing closing and those with the 'Buy it Now" option, are as much as $100.


Some YTMND sites:

elmo wants you to die!
Elmo "Who wants to die"
Elmo wants you to die!!!!!11

CBS Corp. to sell Paramount Parks, including Kings Island

This may be a repeat of news from over a month ago, but it is back in the spotlight now that Viacom has split into two companies, CBS Corporation now wishes to sell the Paramount Parks by the end of the year. Several groups have expressed interest.

http://www.cbscorporation.com/news/prdetails.php?id=175

Scenarios, if the parks are indeed sold, as a whole:

- An investor group could buy, such as the Blackstone Group. The parks could retain the 'Paramount' name as well as their existing character and brand names, through licensing. This would probably be the smoothest transition, as changes could be more gradual.

- Another theme park chain could buy. Most likely is Cedar Fair, L.P., owner of Cedar Point and Geauga Lake parks, both also in Ohio. Though CEO Dick Kinzel has said that the company's growth has generally been more conservative, having only acquired one park every few years since the 1990s, don't be surprised if they buy, if the financial situation is right.

When CF acquired Geauga Lake from Six Flags in 2004, intellectual properties, such as Warner Brothers, Looney Tunes, and DC Comics, licensed to Six Flags parks like Worlds of Adventure were not transferred to the park's new owner. Cedar Fair had to quickly remove signage, theming, and characters from many rides, as well as the children's area. Starting in 2005, Cedar Fair expanded its license rights to Geauga Lake by placing Peanuts characters in the park

Therefore, would CBS and Viacom transfer the intellectual properties such as Nickelodeon, Paramount Pictures, and CBS television, to another chain like Cedar Fair? What about other licenses, like Hanna-Barbera?

- It is also possible that the parks could be split up and sold separately, or CBS could keep one or some, and sell the other(s).


Reaction to the possible sale has been mixed, as discussed on PKICentral.com, the leading unofficial website of Kings Island.

- Some welcome the change, as while they appreciate the success that Kings Island since the 'Paramount' was added in 1993, they feel that it has been more of a commerical for Paramount and Viacom, at the expense of quality and choice of additions and changes to the park. They believe the days before Paramount meant better quality, rides, and entertainment than as of late.

- Others fear the change. During the park's 34 years, 14 have been as Paramount's Kings Island, which has meant so many of the park's popular rides and attractions have been named/themed after Paramount films and other Viacom properties such as Nickelodeon. They are concerned that the marketability of these brands, will be lost in the sale.

When Kings Island was purchased by Paramount Communications in late 1992, many were concerned about popular attractions either being removed and/or being renamed. While several venues were renamed to enhance the Paramount name, and attractions such Wild Animal Habitat safari monorail, animal shows, and some live entertainment were removed not long after the change, much of the park retained its previous state, including International Street, Hanna-Barbera Land (until 2005), and the Beast, whose namesake was added to an even larger wooden coaster in 2000.

Also in question are future planned attractions (including, possibly, a large steel roller coaster) for 2007 and beyond. When ownership changed after the 1992 season, plans for the 1993 ride were slightly altered. The old group had planned an Arrow Suspended coaster for the Wild Animal Habitat section of the park, to be called either 'Swoop' or 'Thunder Road.' Paramount quickly changed the theming, and the name of the ride to 'Top Gun,' but the coaster's layout was not changed. Nickelodeon Universe, the revamp of old Hanna-Barbera Land and Nickelodeon Central, is still moving ahead for Spring 2006, and the park will continue to sell and accept 2006 season passes and tickets as planned.

Yes, 2006 at Kings Island will be interesting, so stay tuned!

Remembering Dan O'Brien, 2004-2006

The following is a list of people Dan O'Brien thanked when he was first hired by the Reds as General Manager about two years ago:

Dan Fawcett, Lloyd Coughee, Jeff Odenwald, Kenneth Horzberg, Steve Krause, Randy Ademack, Hal Keller, Rolan Heamon, Hal Smith, John McMullen, Hal Rosen, Drayton McClane, Tim Hellmuth, Mertha Campbell, Tracy Diering, Jerry Kraft, Kevin Stein, Walt Matthews, Stan Benjamin, Andy McPhail, Tony Siegel, Linwood Stallings, Greg Whitworth, Doug Deutsch, Bob King, Gene Wellman, Dan Houston, Nelson Rube, Sean Pender, Tad Slowek, Lou Temple, Zach Manazian, John Blake, Rob Matwick, Don Cockstein, Rick Aponte, Julio Lenares, Ray Coley, Bob Riesenover, Bob Missick, Jeff Wood, John Daniels, Russ Artelina, Chris Lingus, Tony Taylor, Eric Nadel, Vince Cotronio, Brad Scham, Tom Grieve, Alan Ashby, Bill Brown, Bert Miller, Rob Wyndham, Bob Watson, Richard Wagner, Rudy Herrimeo, Richard Saco, Doug Melvin, John Hart, Tom Hicks, Judy Johns, Margaret Mayo, Debbie Benson, Chuck McMichael, Randy Taylor, Rivan DeJesus, Andres Riner, Manny Batiste...

Note that this may not be the complete list, and that it was only transcribed by ear, so many names may not be spelled correctly.

O'Brien out as Reds GM

Only three days after the big press conference at Great American Ball Park on Friday, new Reds owner Bob Castellini has already made a major change at the Cincinnati baseball club by firing General Manager Dan O'Brien, according to the Associated Press and FoxSports.com.

Bill "Seg Man" Dennison just said on 700 WLW that O'Brien is indeed out, and will be replaced by interim GM Brad Kullman. A press conference on the change is coming shortly.

I'll sort of miss Dan O'Brien, who read a long list of names when he was hired (Dan Fawcett, Lloyd Coughee, Jeff Odennwalt, Steve Krause, Randy Ademeack, Richard Keller,... etc...) and also said "A man playing with boys." The double entendres will never end!

The new look at Allen Arena.com!

You may have now seen the beginnings of the next generation of Allen Arena. This is the first major change since going .com in 2002. Why the change? New software, and a new computer - I am now using Adobe GoLive CS2 on my iMac G5. And It's no surprise I've been a fan of Apple products, having talked about the latest iPod models in the past - I just as highly recommend their Macintosh computers to upoad to your iPod from. Contrary to belief, Macs are great for the average consumer - even you're not a designer using Adobe design products. You can surf the Internet quickly, safely, and with less hassle, as Macs don't get the bad viruses, rapid pop-ups, and spyware that slow down otherwise good Windows PCs.
You can even switch to Mac for as little as $500 by using your own existing monitor, keyboard, and mouse on a Mac mini. Or, for great power for the money, the new iMac with new Intel Core Duo processors as low as $1300 - which includes the widescreen LCD monitor, mouse, and keyboard - and twice as fast as the previous iMac G5. And the Macs look better - inside and out!

Steelers off to Super Bowl XL.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are now off to Super Bowl XL in Detroit, after defeating the Broncos in Denver 34-17 - the sixth seed in the AFC defeating the second seed. This comes just one week after defeating the #1 seed Colts at RCA Dome to get there. And if they were to win the big game, it would be quite possibly a storybook season, as Jerome Bettis, who may retire at the end of the season, will get to play what may be the final game of his career - and a big one indeed - in his hometown of Detroit! The fact that the Steelers got past the Colts makes them good enough to win the Vince Lombardi Trophy.

Who will they play? Either Seattle, with the great running back who is Shawn Alexander (from nearby Boone County HS, Kentucky) or Carolina, which has some recent Super Bowl experience and up and coming Nick Goings and powerful Jake Delhomme (enough with the ass tear jokes).

Some photos from Sunday

Back from Chicago... and feeling BLUE in more ways than one.

I'm back at home on my wonderful new non-PC. Saturday I spent the entire day at Marriott's Linconshire Resort for a fun-filled but LONG No Coaster Con. More on NCC in a later post.
Today, I headed downtown and rode the CTA blue line train from a park & ride near O'Hare and went to Sears Tower for the 103rd Skydeck, then rode the Brown Line around the loop, then back to the car on the Blue Line. While not a coaster, it was a neat experience on rails! Right near our station was a restaurant where I had lunch and saw the Colts-Steelers playoff game, where the theme soon turned to "Oh Crap!"
The moral of the story, I practically lost my heart and mind in Chicago today. Yes, the football fans there aren't too happy, either - but most everyone was picking the Colts to win the Super Bowl. Peyton and Marvin (Harrison, and Ben and Jerome played great today. Mike Vanderjagt? See Jay Feely.
If the NFC team - either the Seahawks or Panthers, don't win the Super Bowl, you might want to find the way to your nearest church.
Or just wait until April for baseball season. Redbirds vs. Redlegs at New Busch sounds great now!

Seriously though, visit Chicago sometime soon! There's more to it than Oprah and other fat people.

Navy Pier to add waterpark, coaster, and monorail!

Too bad only the plans were announced this weekend
Chicago Tribune article
I'm sure this will be discussed in the morning at No Coaster Con. Does The Monorail Society know about this?

Reporting from near Chicago, Day 1

I am now in Lincolnshire, NW of downtown Chicago. We came in through some rain and snow, but once we reached the city, it was a beautiful sight seeing Sears Tower and the skyline of the Second City.

I'm here for No Coaster Con 2006, located next door at Marriott's Lincolnshire Resort - for some fun and info, and meeting familiar faces, among enthusiasts and park representatives, including those from nearby Six Flags Great America, my hometown Kings Island, and more... All day! Saturday! Lincolnshire! Marriott! No Coasters!

Sunday before I go back home, I'll head back to Sears Tower for some sight seeing, and will ride the famed CTA subway and elevated trains.

New exciting changes coming...

Please pardon me for a lack of updates lately... I have some new equipment here at The Allen Company World Headquarters here in the northern suburbs on Cincinnati. Do, however, expect some new exciting changes - more photos, features, and more at Allen Arena.

PS... I'm also watching the big football games - the Giants and Tiki "Big Sexy" Barber vs. Jake "Ass Cheek" Delhomme - and the one right nearby - Bengals vs. Steelers. The pickers and pundits are mixed - Many pick the Steelers, notably Rush Limbaugh and Frank Caliendo because they have the postseason experience - But others say the Bengals will win at Paul Brown Stadium today because of Carson, a Willie, and some Johnsons (I'll stop, I want to remain family friendly).

Picks: Giants and Bengals

Also congrats to my successful picks from yesterday - Tom Brady and the Patriots, and Chick McGee's Redskins led by the legendary Joe Gibbs!

The 2006 Prediction List

my apologies if this sounds too optimistic...

Sports
Super Bowl XL - Colts over Seahawks
(The Bengals will make it to the AFC finals, but be defeated by the Colts)
World Series - Cardinals over Yankees
NCAA Basketball - Michigan State
The University of Cincinnati will extend interim basketball coach Andy Kennedy's contract another year.
The OHSAA Football Division I title will be won, for the fifth time in a row, by a Cincinnati area team, either a repeat by St. Xavier, or it will be reclaimed by 2004 winner Colerain. Kerry Cooooommbs!!

Coasters and Parks
Kings Island will finally announced they are adding its long wished for (by fans like me) B&M megacoaster for 2007.
Cedar Point will announce their third Beemer to go in the site of White Water Landing in '07.
Six Flags will either sell or close down at least one of its smaller parks.

Politics
Republicans will keep control of the House and Senate in November, and will see their candidates elected governor in Ohio and Pennsylvania, despite trends moving towards Democrats.
A Bush cabinet member might resign - and quite possibly DNC chairman for Howard Dean after he has his last scream.

Technology
Apple will once again revamp its iPod lineup. A widescreen iPod? I think so. They might also finally bring the G5 processor to its top notebooks, and gain market share - even as Microsoft will release Windows Vista - which seems very similar to Mac OS X Tiger.
The flying car will still be an abstract concept - as well as common courtesy on our roads and highways.

Happy New Year, and the events since then...

If you're writing 2005 on your checks, papers, and such, you might need a little help, it is now the year 2006. So here's what's happened so far...

- Dick Clark returned to ABC Rockin' New Years Eve after suffering a bad stroke in late 2004. He obviously wasn't 100% but I was glad to see him. His voice wavered some - at some points his speech seemed close to normal, but it would deteriorate after a lot of speaking. I won't be surprised if he's back for 2007.

- The four BCS games are over, and congratulations to Ohio State, West Virginia, Penn State, and Texas. Last night's Rose Bowl was simply a classic - and the highlights are available at iTunes. Will Ferrell (USC alum) and Texas sensation Vince Young will be on tonight's Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

- Bill O'Reilly was on The Late Show with David Letterman. I thought this interview proved Letterman's political views - those that side with several of his repeat guests, including Al Franken and Michael Moore. Dave was being ignorant on 'the greeting war,' and revealing his sympathy toward Cindy Sheehan, mother of killed soldier turned anti-war activist, who has made many statements deemed anti-troop and anti-American by many people, including O'Reilly. To be short, Letterman has a right to his liberal views, but I think he could be stunting his ratings against Jay Leno, who has a better record of bringing guests with conservative views - Schwarzenegger and Coulter mainly... I might expand upon the O'Reilly-Letterman interview later, but here's a link to a QuickTime video of it...

Long time since last post... and Christmas

Sorry, folks since the last time i posted, some personal stuff going on lately. But I did have a good Christmas day, having dinner with family and friends, and a fun board game, too.

I guess the "greetings war" is over. I thought that both sides blew it out of proportion. My two concerns:
1) The 'secular left' doing what it can to censor anything related to Christmas!
2) 'Religious right' urging boycotts of retailers who don't mention Christmas in early November!

I am a Christian who believes that the reason for the season is not deep discounts or giving the coolest video game system or big screen HDTV. I have no problem with 'Happy Holidays' in general; I have respect for Jewish and Muslim people as well.
You want a 'Holiday Tree'? Why not decorate it with (Holiday) eggs, bunnies, turkeys and fireworks as well. But I thought it was silly to tell companies and stores to say Christmas WEEKS before the actual, uh, holiday, came up.

I hope everyone had a merry Christmas, whether you got an X-BOX 360, video iPod, a sweater, new pet, or just the love and presence of family.

Viacom to sell Paramount Parks

Here we go again... according to Reuters....

DUBAI, Dec 13 (Reuters) - Viacom Inc. (VIA.N: Quote, Profile, Research) (VIAb.N: Quote, Profile, Research) is ready to sell theme parks owned by its Paramount Pictures division, as well as book publisher Simon & Schuster, chairman Sumner Redstone said on Tuesday.

The U.S. media conglomerate splits into two companies on Dec. 31, separating its faster growing cable networks and film business from the relatively sluggish CBS television broadcasting and radio operations.

Simon & Schuster, which will be part of the more mature side of the business has often been cited along with the theme parks as assets Viacom might choose to sell.

Another Milhouse Title Gag

"Allen Arena - It thinks it's Babe: Pig in the City!"

"She thinks she's Babe: Pig in the City!" - Milhouse Van Houten, on his string of not so great sequels, when he sees a new tough girl at Springfield Elementary School.

Title Gag 12/12/05

It's like 'Speed 2,' only with a bus instead of a boat!
- The great Milhouse Van Houten, as the school bus Otto is driving is racing an automobile driven by Marge Simpson, both trying to get to school on time.

The original Speed, for those who don't know '90s action movies, centered around a Los Angeles transit bus rigged with a bomb, in which if the bus dropped below a certain speed, it would explode. An elevator and a Metro subway train were also involved. Speed 2 could have done better if they brought back Keanu Reeves and done on another bus. Or it would have sucked even more.

An Introduction to Front Page Title Gags

On early Thursday Morning when the demolition of Busch Stadium in St. Louis came to a close with the fall of the last section, I changed my page title from "Welcome to Allen Arena!" to "Allen Arena - Remembering Busch Stadium 1966-2005." Having moved on, oddly enough, I decided to change the title back on Saturday.

Or make the front page title a bit fun. On Friday night, "Larry the Cable Guy" was a guest on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Being one of the most famous representatives of redneck (and quite possibly middle American) culture, he brought up a recent trip to The Home Depot, a great wonder for manly men like Larry. Almost a 'city within a city, ' Larry noted a hot dog stand near the front of the store which kept him fed. And then that hot dog eventually needed out. Can't verify if this was true, but he had to settle for one of the toilets in the Plumbing section.

That's why I went with "Allen Arena - The toilets in the Plumbing department of Home Depot are for Display Only!"

It reminds me of an old Best Buy commercial with the theme of trying products out in the store. Easy to do with computers, video game consoles, audio systems, and widescreen HDTVs after hours of hard work. Bad idea when it comes to toilets after some spicy Mexican food.



To keep up your interest, I changed it early this morning to: "Go You Panthers... no, Hear That Bengal Growl... uh, On, Brave Old Army... I'll shut up now."

Yes, I've heard the Elder HS fight song a few times, including on the Bill Cunningham show. One of those great high school football traditions.
The Bengals Growl fight song may have aged, but it's a neat fight song. Sounds better IMO than that who-dey stuff.
And on Saturday, ESPN premiered a new feature film called CodeBreakers, based on the 1950 U.S. Military Academy football team where some cadets are expelled for cheating. In the credits, "On, Brave Old Army Team" becomes the new selection for Karaoke Hour.


I'll be back soon with an update on more title gags. I can't say what they are, but I can say that this is a big week for Simpsons fans like myself. Tonight, Kelsey Grammer is back as Sideshow Bob in a new episode. And Tuesday, Season 7 goes out on DVD!

It's gone.

As of 1:26 am (12:26 am CT), the last section of historic Busch Stadium in St. Louis has collapsed. By watching on the KSDK live cam, flash bulbs followed by fireworks signified that the old stadium was no more recognizable... and that there would only be ONE Busch Stadium in that area.

Now the task is to get this new Busch Stadium all ready for Opening Day.

And to secure a good team for next season. Fill some of those open positions, and keep the good guys. Got that, Walt? Don't let the good days die with the old stadium.

The closet's fully empty now, it's occupied by none,
I'll draw the drapes, now destiny is done.
- "Closet Chronicles," Kansas


I close my eyes, only for a moment, and the moment's gone
All my dreams, pass before my eyes, in curiosity
Dust in the wind, all they are is dust in the wind
Same old song, just a drop of water in an endless sea
All we do, crumbles to the ground, though we refuse to see

Dust in the wind, All we are is dust in the wind

Don't hang on, nothing lasts forever but the earth and sky
It slips away, and all your money won't another minute buy

Dust in the wind, All we are is dust in the wind
Dust in the wind, Everything is dust in the wind
- "Dust in the Wind," Kansas

FINAL Busch Stadium Demolition LIVE!

Right now, KSDK has live streaming video of the final part of the demolition of Busch Stadium in St. Louis. Not as exciting as when I went downtown and saw the implosion of Cincinnati's Riverfront Stadium almost three years ago, but still a memorable yet hard moment...

KSDK live demolition video

The time is now 10:15 pm eastern (9:15 central in St. Louis). Just a few hours later, expect the link (and stadium) to be gone. Tomorrow morning, the only Busch Stadium will be the new stadium next door, set to open in April, when the Cardinals host Milwaukee Brewers.

Goodbye Busch, I love and miss you dearly.

Happy Birthday to me...

I'm 24 today.

But that's the good news about today.

Busch Stadium is almost gone:

I'll be surprised if this last section is standing tomorrow.

State Champions!

Tonight, the St. Xavier Bombers of Cincinnati won the OHSAA Division I State football title in Canton's Fawcett Stadium, defeating the Washington Tigers from nearby Massillon, 24-17, closing a memorable, 15-game undefeated season.

This was St. Xavier's first successful run for the championship. Their last finals appearance came in 2001, when they lost in Canton to St. Ignatius Wildcats from Cleveland. At least Brian Kosmac was happy.

This is also the fourth straight title for a Cincinnati area Division I team, starting with Elder in 2002 and 2003, and Colerain in 2004, and five straight appearances of area teams.

So congratulations to the many students, players, parents, and alumni of St. Xavier High School, especially alums like Hamilton County Prosecutor Joseph "TNT' Deters, and good friend and coaster nut Brad Ruwe.


I'd also like to pass along that another tri-state team was also victorious in their state title run. The Newport Central Catholic HS Thoroughbreds won the Kentucky Class A Championship, defeating Mayfield 42-7 at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium in Louisville. This is NewCath's second successful run, the first since 1984, and 6th of their state appearances. The Breds close out the season 13-2.

Chaz Luken's Words of Wisdom

This past Wednesday, November 30, 2005, was the last day on the job for Charles J. Luken, better known as Chaz, as the Mayor of the City of Cincinnati. Chaz spent 12 years as Mayor (1984-1990, 1999-2005) and in the past few years, had a lot of great things to say. Here's some of the best of Chaz, as heard on the Bill Cunningham show:

"Let's not wait for Hell to freeze over here."

"I brought you into this world, I can take you out!"

"Ignorance is no defense."

"Don't tell anybody, but she's not a very good cook!"

"My mother's on crack!"

"I have to give you a few more soundbytes before I get out of office, so that I can live in infamy!"

"It's not my jurisdiction."

"That's true."

"I got you started in this business, I can take you out, Willie!"

"You’re going to get a tongue-whipping!"

"It's time for it to stop!"

"You got that taping thing going on, that I always hear what I say later?"

"I’ve got this plantar wart I have in my foot."

"WHAT?!"

"We’re going to get a bus, and some 40s!"

"You always make it sound like there's some of payoff here!"

"I could not be more excited!"

"Be careful what you wish for!"

"Yes."

"You know that?"

"I would do it every year!"

"That’s right!"

"It’s scary, isn’t it?!"

"In this particular case, you seem to be wavering a bit."

"I think I’m going to leave my keys on the desk!"

"I’m just as horrified about it as everybody else!"

"Wal-Mart can track a pair of socks, and you guys can’t track a train car that’s got a dangerous chemical in it, for a half a year?!"

"I love everybody!"

"I think it's time that we blow something up!"

"I picked up a woman at a bar, took her home and had sex with her, and it may be more detailed than that."

RCA Dome noise: loud Colts fans, or hot air?

In Thursday's Indianapolis Star, "The Dan Patrick Show" on ESPN Radio was questioning how the noise in the RCA Dome got so loud during Monday night's home game against the Steelers. Some were asking if some of this noise was piped in through the sound system, which, if true, is a violation of NFL rules.

First, having been there in person, I seriously doubt that. Yes, there were some times when the place was somewhat quieter, when the Colts had the ball, especially during a large lead. The loudest points happened prior to kickoff, during player introductions, and the playing of the Monday Night Football intro video. And being a fully enclosed domed stadium also added to keeping the noise in and up - almost to the noise level of the Van Halen concert I went to last year.

Second, I must question if such 'piping of noise' was done by the Houston Astros this past season at Minute Maid Park, when they had the roof closed, especially against the Cardinals in the NLCS. Fortunately, two guys shut them up: Albert Pujols and Bud Selig (who had them open the roof in the World Series). The White Sox would get the title this year.

That, or John Murtha is a Steelers fan.

But I can't me much happier for the Colts right now. I may live in an area where they're about to introduce another goddamn Who-Dey Jungle song, but I do live in a country where you can support any team you like. No problem with those yellow Terrible Towels flying around in a sea of blue in the beloved Circle City.

Dave and Oprah: The Aftermath.

Last night, Thursday, Oprah Winfrey made her legendary and historic appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman. One of the biggest surprises is that Oprah claims there never has been a feud, and that the Uma-Oprah thing from when Dave last hosted the Academy Awards was actually funny, as she brought an autographed picture of her and Uma Thurman to Dave, with a purple frame! After last night's "Super Bowl of Love", Letterman walked Winfrey over to her theater across the street in a neat public appearance that drew tons of flashes, as it should have.

"Oprah is our friend."

Get Ready, America!

It's only minutes away! Tune to your local CBS affiliate NOW! (Ch. 12 here in Cincinnati) This is a major event you can't miss, as Oprah Winfrey will be in the Ed Sullivan Theater to meet David Letterman!

There's got to be a morning after...

I promised a photo update from last night's big Colts-Steelers game at RCA Dome, with no singing of a 70's disaster song at karaoke like the one nerd on Family Guy...

For some reason, one of my cats just loves the Arby's Oven Mitt. Tom Arnold, who voiced the Mitt in the TV ads, was on with Live with Regis and Kelly Lee this morning, along with former Creed lead singer Scott Stapp, who has his first solo album out now.


The Steelers' offensive line, led by Ben Roethlisberger


Peyton took all the time he needed...


There's just one team left to try to beat...


I'll let you read the game summary somewhere else yourself, but here's how it ended.


And we'll close with a taer-down. KMOV St. Louis Stadium Cam

Indianapolis Perfection: Colts 26 - Steelers 7

Those still hoping for a perfect Colts season can sleep tonight.

Tonight at the RCA Dome before an in-house audience of 57,000, and millions more on ABC, the undefeated Colts went at it against the 7-3 Steelers. Pre-game, the place was just plain loud.

The guy that does the "Real Men of Genius" commercials for a certain light beer from St. Louis did a special one for the Colts.

Trace Adkins, country star, sang the national anthem, and a bald eagle flew through the building at the end.

And pretty much from the start, the Colts put points on the board with a Peyton Manning to Marvin Harrison throw for a touchdown. Not long after, the Steelers responded with some good defense and offense, and became competitive at one point, 10-7 Colts. However, a barely missed field goal by Steelers kicker Chris Gardocki, and some just plain better offense and defense by the Colts gave Indy the controls into the second half, where the Steelers could never respond. Mike Vanderjagt still rules as a kicker, just about the opposite results from the Giants' Jay Feely in Seattle on Sunday.

With 5 minutes to go in the 4th quarter, many fans, mostly Steelers backers, headed for the exits, resulting in a lot of cheers from the predominantly blue crowd, even "Here we go, Steelers..."

Leaving a little later than most fans, I might have passed a few celebrites in the Convention Center hallways, like Boomer Esiason, former Bengals quarterback and CBS TV/radio analyst, and Kato Kaelin from O.J. Simpson trial fame (he did part of a recent game show special I saw on GSN, hosting the "Dumb Blondes" portions).

Part of the news in town was the unveiling of a special Indiana Colts license plate, that will go towards construction of Indiana Stadium to the south of RCA Dome, now underway. I enjoy visiting the RCA dome because, well, it's a neat place to see a game, it's got great home advantage noise, and is pleasant because, well, it's indoors. I only spent 10 or less seconds outside leaving the Dome to head to my hotel, connected to the Dome and Indiana Convention Center via skywalk. Indiana Stadium, with larger capacity, all individual seats, more restrooms, a retractable roof, and escalators, will blow the Dome away in a few years.

In the morning, after some sleep, I'll put up a few photos. Indianapolis is a great city...

The REAL view from the hotel room in Indy...

Oddly enough, there's a ballpark, the Indians' Victory Field. Before this place was built, they played in Bush Stadium. (spelling correct)


In the distance is White River State Park, home of the NCAA Hall of Champions.

GO COLTS!

Busch Stadium Taer-Down Update

Just as a reminder, this is from a webcam in St. Louis. I am currently in Indianapolis, getting ready for tonight's big Monday Night Football game at RCA Dome with the Colts and Steelers:

Eventually, though, RCA Dome will be torn down by the end of the decade after Indiana Stadium is completed...

Seattle Monorail accident

Either John Candy was hired to drive (a la Planes Trains & Automobiles), or a Seattle landmark had another serious (yet unfortunate) blemish... Saturday night, the two Alweg trains on the historic 1962 Seattle Monorail had a side-scraping collision with each other at the Westlake downtown station.

The Monorail Society story

Taer It Down: Busch Stadium Saturday 11/26

Sorry to dampen your spirits some after talking about WinterFest. Then again, Ebeneezer Scrooge must be having a blast all the way from The Old Country 1800s to St. Louis 2005.

Trip Report: PKI WinterFest 11/25/05

On Friday, November 25, I had the opportunity to check out the return of WinterFest at Kings Island. The park promised this would be an extravagant event, and they sure did deliver!

Upon entry to the park, the most notable attractions are the skating rink on the Royal Fountain, and the use of the Eiffel Tower as a Christmas tree, both returning from the original WinterFest.

A welcome "change" is the new decorations, food options, and live entertainment in the Festhaus - but more like what was offered at the last WinterFest. Full dinners, like turkey, lasagna, and roast beef were available, while LaRosa's pizza was also available. Gone are the large projection screens, replaced with a center stage for live musical and talent entertainment and festive banners in the ceiling. An old stained glass window has been revealed once again, and illuminated. Graeter's ice cream and Busken bakery goods are also available inside.

Another dining option is available at Bubba Gump's Shrimp Shack, which offers part of its dining area enclosed, as well as some "tacky" food offerings.

The Paramount Story is home to the Nickelodeon Tree Lot, where you can have your picture taken with characters like SpongeBob, Dora the Explorer, and Little Bill. Like before, the Coney Carousel is open.

New to WinterFest is the illumination show in Rivertown, which has great light effects synchronized to music. Also, the White Christmas Express is a wonderful train ride that includes some nice postcard displays, but adds a nice element of live entertainment not only in the station, but on board during the train that takes you back to the 1940s.

The last days of Hanna-Barbera land are during WinterFest, including operation of the H-B Carousel and Top Cat's Taxi Jam (the only coaster available), as well as Scooby-Doo and the Haunted Castle (which will remain as is next season). You can meet Santa in the Animation Station building until Christmas.

You might be a little disappointed if you miss out on WinterFest's shows. The main act, Santa's Toy Factory, goes on in the Paramount Theatre. Be sure to pick up reservation tickets for shows to the left of the Front Gate, before the Theatre, to ensure seating to this fantastic and timeless show.

Make time to see the nightly lighting of the Eiffel Tower Tree at 6 p.m. It's surely part of the WinterFest magic, and I think it's better than ever with the Tower's new lighting effects, which I hope to see added to summer operation (minus the Chirstmas lights).

The Home for the Holidays Parade begins at 7:30 in the Nickelodeon/Hanna-Barbera area, and terminates at The Beast. Be sure to look for an old favorite attraction among the roving entertainers and floats!

Before leaving, don't miss Scrooge on International Street, next to Starbucks Coffee. The things he says might get normal park employees fired (it's still clean humor, but not the warm fun found at most holiday shows).

But before I left for the night, I took the the skating rink. I liked the availability of hockey skates for rental (unlike some rinks I have been to). The $3 rental fee was very reasonable, but the $7 rink fee was a little steep, but it's not too often you get to skate in the middle of Kings Island!

Overall, I would give WinterFest an 'A' grade. There are a few things I might want to change, inclding more lighting in the trees. While the decision to not accept season passes made sense, in order to keep the event's experience enjoable, I would offer some deep discounts on select nights, or maybe even a couple of free passholder nights, depending how attendance this season goes. Surprisingly, there was little or no park/coaster/ride merchandise usually found during the regular season - something I would honestly expect some of, whether a Beast shirt, postcards, or some MINI Cooper related items from Italian Job.

In close, if you've loved visiting Kings Island or love holiday events, you must not miss WinterFest!

IF YOU GO:
WinterFest at Kings Island
Admission: Advance purchase of tickets is recommended, because some nights may sell out.
You can purchase specific day tickets onlike at PKI.com for $17.99.
Good any day tickets are also availabe for $19.99 online, at Kroger or Blockbuster.
Tickets are available at the gate for $24.99 (when available).
When: Fridays-Sundays beginning November 25, as well as during the week starting December 19 (closed Dec. 24, 25) through New Year's Eve (December 31.)
Hours: 4-10 p.m (4-9 p.m. Sundays and Dec. 31)
Information: pki.com - also check out pkicentral.com

"It's Oprah!"

The great David Letterman once said: "It ain't Oprah 'til it's Oprah." After so much wishing, so much time, and even an unsuccessful effort to appear on The Oprah Winfrey Show in Chicago, our dreams will come true on Thursday December 1.

The following comes from the Late Show with David Letterman's website on CBS.com:

Queen of Daytime To Make Her First LATE SHOW Appearance on Thursday, December 1

Oprah Winfrey, whose renown as a television host, producer and publisher has made her one of the most recognized and admired public figures worldwide, will make her first appearance on the LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN, Thursday, December 1st. Ms. Winfrey, who appeared twice in the 1980s on NBC's "Late Night with David Letterman," has never been a guest on CBS's LATE SHOW.

Ms. Winfrey will make her LATE SHOW appearance the same night as the red-carpet premiere for the Broadway musical "The Color Purple," which she is producing. The theatrical production is based on the Alice Walker novel, which also yielded the 1985 film of the same title, for which Winfrey was nominated for an Academy Award as Best Supporting Actress.

"What a big night that is going to be - not only for us, not only for Oprah, but for Broadway," said Letterman during a taping of his show this evening. "You have the big 'Color Purple' Broadway opening, and then right across the street here in this theater, you have Oprah appearing here. I mean, that's what Broadway is all about - it's a street of dreams."

Letterman, who in recent years has made no secret of his longstanding desire to have Winfrey as a guest, said, "This just gives you an idea of what a big, big star this really is. She's huge. Put bygones behind us, the water under the bridge, over the dam, wherever water goes - standing in your basement - she's going to be here on this show and it's going to be fantastic."

Jeff Siebert resigns from PKI

The following is from John Keeter "Shaggy," a good friend and ACE Representative on today's shattering news:

It is bittersweet that I report the news that Jeffrey Siebert has resigned his postion of Marketing and Communications Manager at Paramount's Kings Island.

Jeff has been with PKI since 2000, and has been an absolute staple at PKI. Jeff's passion for PKI as well as his attention to overall detail has help guide the park into a much improved, guest focused experience. He will no doubt be missed by his colleagues, coworkers and friends.

Jeff has been one of the most effective supporters of Coaster Enthusiasts and fans of the park. He truly is a great fellow that has left his amazing touch upon those of us lucky enough to share in various festivities, media events and enthusiast events at PKI. I cannot think of someone that is more generous with their time and efforts than he. I'll forever think of his smiling face whenever I enter PKI.

To me, Jeff is PKI. And the friendship that I have with he and his family is probably the greatest reason that PKI continues to mean so much to me.

But don't fret! All is not lost!

The good news is that Jeff will be assuming a position with Schlitterbahn Parks based in Galveston, TX. Jeff will begin work with the the world's most prominent waterpark company on Dec 7th.

Jeff's final day at PKI will be Dec 2nd. His final hoorah, will be this week's Winterfest opening. I cannot think of a better way to send him on his new adventure. It will be a party to end all parties.

On a side note, Jeff has been one of the most dear friends I could ask for. Aside from just being a tremendous buddy, I owe about 90% of my understanding and knowledge about PKI to him. I wish he and his family much luck in Texas.

No worries buddy, I'll be visiting soon ;-)

Shaggy

I second Shaggy's comments. I hope to get to WinterFest before he leaves to see him one last time. Kings Island won't be the same without him, but I definitely wish him the best of luck with Schlitterbahn.

Preview: TR: Cleveland 11/17-18

Here's a preview of what I did on my short trip to Cleveland this week, which was primarily for business (interview) purposes:

- What is weirder than naming something 'Quicken Loans Arena'? 'Allen Arena' going there...

- The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame - I could see it out my hotel window, so after my night's stay, I went on in and spent much more time than I ever imagined (no, really, it 'rocked!') Much better idea than some 'guilt' museum located on some other waterfront.

I definitely have to say that Cleveland is an interesting town that I don't know by heart (as of yet.) In some ways, I think Cleveland is not a part of Ohio with some of its 'huge city' features. In other ways, Cincinnati seems to be the town that's a little "out of state" because part of its metro area (and airport) are actually in another state!

I'll have the trip report over this weekend, and before I bring it...

GO MICHIGAN!
GO COLTS!

MVPujols

It is now official...


Albert Pujols is the NL MVP, our MVP, your MVP, and MY MVP.

Congratulations!

Reports....

http://www.kmov.com/topstories/stories/kmov_sports_051115_pujolsmvp.625f7b87.html

Busch Update before bedtime

The wrecking of Busch Stadium has reached to where the bridge connects to the west parking garage., as well as toward the centerfield scoreboard area.
The left field stands of the new stadium should be progressing pretty soon!

SPORTS!!! - OHSAA getting better...

But there still manages to be a problem.

The OHSAA has decided to relocate the regional Division I final between Cincinnati St. Xavier and Huber Heights Wayne from Middletown’s Barnitz Stadium to Nippert Stadium at the University of Cincinnati.  Game time will be at 1:00 p.m.

That is the same time as a big game taking place at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor.  D’OH!!!!

Busch Update

KMOV Stadium Cam, this morning:
If you still want to see the modern architectural marvel that is (or was) Busch Stadium, get yourself over to St. Louis pretty darn soon.

Within the past week, one quater of the beloved stadium has disappeared.

BUT... this isn't all sadness. At least this gives them a better chance to finish the new Busch Stadium - hopefully even before the end of spring 2006!

SPORTS!!! - OHSAA still needs help

If you’ve been around me for the past few years, you probably know how much a sports fan I am, especially about high school football.  This includes some great matchups, titanic struggles, and even a state title game.  Or two.  In a row.  All I have seen.  In person.

This is not necessarily about why the state championships of football remain in the Canton/Massillon area, of how Northeast Ohio isn’t exactly Central Ohio, why some now defunct superstadiums (Cleveland Municipal, Riverfront, Busch) are still better facilities than Fawcett is, and why most fans throughout the state could care less about the history of the professional level.

It’s about how 35,000 show up to see one game in one of the best (IMO) football facilities ever built, Paul brown Stadium (and combined 42,000 fans for two games yesterday) – and yet the next round is held at some 11,000 seat place in Middletown.  Even the officials here in Cincinnati didn’t estimate how many could show up to see St. Xavier play Colerain on a very nice day in a world-class stadium, as the several ticket windows, even if almost all in use, couldn’t keep pace with the ticket demand.  At around 6:00, things got so crazy that police decided to open the floodgates to fans – even those without tickets.

As the game was in session in the first quarter, fans were seen entering sections in the fully-cushioned Club Level.  Generally, unless the Sideline/Plaza level bowl was full, the upper Club and Canopy levels were closed off.  And so, I attempted to make my way up to the Club Level via the west elevators, stadium staff informed us they were coming up to shut down the Club Level.  So I sat elsewhere.

Then, not later on, I saw the Club fill up later on in the first quarter, again, but only because the latecoming Bomber fans were still pouring in.  And so, both the east and west club areas were open  - but not the Club Lounges!  This meant that fans, if they wanted to get to the better, more central club seats, they had to climb around separator railings to access these seats – one safety hazard.  Plus, if people wanted to get to the club lounges to use restrooms or, better yet, evacuate in case of an emergency, the doors were locked – yet another safety hazard.  If stadium officials didn’t want lowly prep football fans in the Club area, they should have directed us to the Canopy level and opened up the escalators.  Guess this proves some people are slower learners than others

That, or some of the people behind Kings Island’s massive ticket giveaway for closing weekend have new jobs at the home of the Bengals.

I can’t go well in-depth now, but I will say that the game itself was memorable.  The two teams, the Colerain Cardinals and St. Xavier Bombers, managed to score only 6 points apiece in regulaton, only through field goals.  And so, Colerain got a field goal in their downs allotted.  But as soon as the Bombers got the ball – they scored.  Lightning fast.  It was so fast, there was some movement in the end zone.  And then the field erupted into a show of blue.

Colerain was an outstanding team, as they were last year.  They just couldn’t get past St. X this year (Colerain lost in the first game of the season as well, to the Bombers, 7-0), otherwise going undefeated.  The 12-0 St. X team now faces Huber Heights Wayne, who got past the Centerville Elks 29-28 in the first game of the doubleheader.  Wayne’s only loss was to Elder in the season opener.

Maybe after finding out how popular high school football in this region, the OHSAA will find a more appropriate venue.  Like they have last year, such as the renovated Yager Stadium at Miami University in Oxford.  It’s as neutral as Middletown Barnitz, but simply bigger and better.  If they move the game to Yager (or better yet, Nippert at UC) I’ll go on Saturday.  As long as it doesn’t interfere with the Michigan-Ohio State game.  GO BLUE!

Busch Stadium Demolition Update

On Monday, wrecking of historic Busch Stadium in St. Louis "officially" began. While the first ball used was kind of weak, crews seem to be making some great progress as of Thursday:


From the KMOV Stadium Cam, a great portion of the southwest corner of Busch Stadium (the one with the white roof and arches) has already been taken down.


This shot comes from KMOV Ch. 4's helicopter. The old stadium was getting in the way of the new one!


The Pavilion Hotel towers (foreground) were a great neighbor to Busch Stadium, which is fading away into the future to make way for a new Busch Stadium and future downtown development.

Chris Carpenter wins 2005 NL Cy Young!

I’m proud to announce today that Chris Carpenter of the St. Louis Cardinals has been awarded the 2005 NL Cy Young Award for best pitcher!



For some odd reason, he wasn’t ESPN’s pick…


The Astros’ Roger Clemens had a lower ERA but fewer wins than Carpenter, and like the article said above, Dontrelle Willis of the Marlins. Although this didn’t turn out to be the storybook year that Cardinals fans had hoped for (Busch Stadium being demolished without a World Series appearance or title in its final season), it’s a wonderful recognition for an otherwise memorable season.

And many experts are picking Carpenter’s great teammate Albert Pujols to win the National League’s MVP award! Again, Congratulations to Chris Carpenter!

Taering Down Busch Stadium...

Was as exciting as watching Ohio State play Indiana in football.  Today was a day that, while I knew it was coming, and prepared for it to happen (hence, why I made two visits there), was a day I didn’t necessarily look forward to.  Entering that stadium, I saw a place from decades ago was modern, but is now seen as outdated and ready for replacement.  Leaving it, I saw it as the home of many years of memories for one of the most storied franchises in the history of sports, a place where one of even my own favorite memories would be created.  The (somewhat) unique stadium with the arches and a great downtown fit would be closed, and then removed forever.

But getting it to go would not be easy.  Honestly, they must have used the same wrecking ball that was used to demolish “Taer it Down: The Ride” (better known as Hercules) at Dorney Park.  The huge but critically bashed wood coaster came down pretty easily to make way for a much more worthwhile replacement in a B&M Floorless steel looper.  The iconic St. Louis stadium, however, was built with thick concrete, especially its signature canopy, which the wrecking ball had some problems breaking into, so shortly after several drops and swings, they switched from the small size, and possibly to a more appropriate sized ball.  Otherwise, they might have to prepare Edward Jones Dome for baseball, and in a few years, renovate the new Busch Stadium before the old one is finally cleared away.  

So today was a symbolic day for baseball fans, even though barely any damage was done, sightseers could barely see anything, and St. Louis residents experienced a little Dr. Phil withdrawal.


On a side note, playing the Patriots in Foxboro… GO COLTS!

Cedar Point announces Skyhawk, lower prices for 2006.

On Monday, after I got back home from being at Cedar Point, they have finally made it public and confirmed what we saw coming: an S&S Screamin' Swing, to be called "Skyhawk." To open in 2005, Skyhawk will be located in Frontiertown, in a somewhat vacant area between Cedar Creek Mine Ride, the former Frontier Lift station (now used as a restroom and storage), Snake River Falls, and the Town Hall Museum, all four which will remain.



The flat ride will have a cycle capacity of 40, an hourly capacity of 800. The structure will stand 103' tall, and the ride arms will reach a height of 125' during the two minute cycle. This is the park's second S&S Power ride, the first being the four-tower Power Tower, which debuted at Cedar Point in 1998 at over 300 tall. That ride, like Skyhawk, uses compressed air to give the ride its power.


Admission to Cedar Point will be a little more affordable next year. For the first time since they introduced a pay-one-price ticket plan in 1970, general one-day admission will be lowered by $5 from $44.95 to $39.95. Junior (under 48") and Senior (Age 62 and up) pricing, which was reduced to $9.95 in August, will stay in place for 2006. Prices for Starlight (evening admission) and Ride & Slide (two day, two park combo) tickets have also been reduced.
The most interesting price reduction, however, is within the park. In 2005, Cotton Candy was $3. The same stick in 2006? 25 cents! Other park foods may, and hopefully will be, reduced in price. Hopefully lower soda prices (preferably less than $2 for regular size/bottle) will follow.