Funny article on time travel in the Trek universe

As a longtime Trekker, I appreciated this... Tuesday Morning Quarterback, a football columnist for ESPN, gripes about the overuse of time travel in the Star Trek universe, and his guide to Star Trek time travel lists pretty much every way characters have traveled through time on all the shows and movies. Go to this link and scroll about 3/4 of the way down. This is funny, and makes fun of Trek while still being respectful to the beloved franchise.

Anong the examples: Can you point out where these are from?

• "To travel 78 years into the future, fall into a mysterious naturally occurring band of energy that grants wishes."
• "To go exactly three days backward in time, 'cold start' the warp engines."
• "To travel 300 years into the past, follow an enemy starship that is able to open 'time windows.' After destroying the enemy ship, seeming to strand you in the past, return to the future by flying really fast while the captain says something like, 'Now we'd better return to the future.' "
• "To travel 400 years into Earth's past, fly a spaceship whose engine overheats. To return to the future, fly directly into an atomic bomb test in New Mexico in 1947."

Date Day! HP6 and the Search for Chick-Fil-A

Today was our first real "date" since Liam was born in April. We hired a babysitter, went to the movies and grabbed a late lunch. Then we got back to the house, put Liam in the car and had an interesting evening...

First of all, the movie! "Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince" was nothing but great, as I expected. I know this sounds corny, but we have gotten to know these characters so well in the books as well as the movies, so watching this was almost like getting together with old friends and catching up. The acting, effects, and story didn't disappoint. Jim Broadbent as Horace Slughorn was a great addition to the cast, and Michael Gambon as Dumbledore seems to get better with every movie. Also, this movie was 2 1/2 hours, but it went by really quickly. (Compared to Transformers 2, which was the same length, and just plodded along). David Yates' directing was great, and I am glad he is staying on to do the last two films. Finally, it was great to see a Quidditch match again! My only gripe, which Jaci brought to my attention, and I definitely agree with, is that the narrative didn't flow as well as it did in Part 5. Steve Kloves, who wrote the screenplay for movies 1-4 returns for this movie, but maybe they should have kept Michael Goldenberg, who wrote the screenplay for 5. This was the first time Jaci has been to the movie theater since Liam was born, and I am glad it was a worthwhile outing for her.

Then, with Liam in the car, it was on to lovely York, about a 25 minute drive due west. I wanted to go to Gloria Jean's Coffee, which sells K-cups for my Keurig coffee maker (best father's day present ever!) and since Lancaster doesn't have a Chick-Fil-A, we would stop there for dinner. I don't really understand this, because the Park City Center is a pretty big and busy mall. It even has an Apple store. Yet in the food court, there are three Chinese restaurants, and no Chick-Fil-A. We really like Chick-Fil-A, because their food is good, and it is pretty healthy by fast food standards. All of their sandwiches have fewer than 500 calories. As far as I am concerned, they are much better than Sub-par, I mean Subway, the other fast food chain that claims to be healthy. Unfortunately, they accomplish this with lunchmeat that contains 90 percent water and 10 percent unidentified, artificially flavored meat-like substance. Overall their sandwiches have as much flavor as a block of styrofoam.

Anyway, we went to the York Galleria, which was on the east side of York (closer to us), and hit Gloria Jean's and Walmart for office supplies for Jaci's new job. We went to the food court and found no Chick-Fil-A. After a call to 411, we found out that it was actually in the West Manchester Mall, on the other side of town. We figured that we were already out here, so what's another 15 minutes. So we get to this mall. It was getting late, so Jaci and Liam stayed in the car, and I went in. What an odd sight this mall was. First of all, there was a Walmart next to a Macy's. Also, more than half of the stores were vacant, so this was a semi-dead mall. Of course, the Chick-Fil-A was on the opposite side of the mall from where we parked, so it was a 10 minute walk to get there. Finally, I get there, and the line extends out of the store. Apparently, from conversations I overheard, it was crowded because a movie theater was down the hall, and people snuck the Chick-Fil-A food into the theater. Can't say I blame them. I finally get my food. It was getting dark, and there were some weirdos wandering about, so I walked pretty quickly to get out of there. Internet research has told me that the vacancies (many stores relocated to the newer, nicer Galleria) and young punks at the movie theater have given this mall a bad reputation. Locals call it the West Rapechester Mall. Because I value my life, and I want my son to grow up with a father, suffice it to say that the next time I have a craving for Chick-Fil-A, I will head the other direction to Downingtown. And I really hope they build a restaurant somewhere in the Lancaster area.

5 amusement/theme parks I really want to visit

My final post after my Hersheypark experience. After riding a bunch of great coasters, I want to hit the parks and ride as many top-ranked coasters and record holders as I can. With a small child, it will probably be a very long time before I make it to all of these parks.

If anyone has any opinions or experiences about any of these parks (or other parks), please share them!

1. Cedar Point, Sandusky, Ohio

This is the undisputed coaster capital of the world, with 17 roller coasters. Among the highlights are the Magnum XL-200. Built in 1989, it was the first coaster to break the 200-foot barrier, and it is still supposedly a great ride. Dwarfing this ride is Millennium Force (pictured), which boasts a 300-foot drop at an 85-degree angle. I have heard accounts about people blacking out on this coaster. Even more intense is the Top Thrill Dragster, which launches riders to a staggering 120 mph, before they climbing straight up 420 feet. Of course, what goes up must come down. I don't know if I would be able to handle this one yet.

2. Universal Studios/Islands of Adventure, Orlando, Florida

I have already visited these parks, but I was too much of a wuss to get on any of the coasters. In Islands of Adventure, I hear the Hulk coaster is an incredible ride, Dueling Dragons are a lot of fun, and there is supposedly a roller coaster being built at the park's Harry Potter themed area now under construction. The Universal Studios park has The Mummy, which is supposedly one of the top-rated indoor coasters, and the brand new Rip, Ride and Rockit coaster, which has the world's first non-inverted loop. Google this coaster and you will see what the non-inverted loop looks like.

3. Kings Island, Mason, Ohio

This is another large park, with 15 coasters. The main reason I want to visit this park is for The Beast. When this coaster opened in 1979, it held virtually every record- it was the tallest, fastest and longest. At 7,359 feet, it is still the longest coaster in the U.S., and the ride experience is almost 5 minutes. Among the elements are four tunnels, and two big drops (135 and 141 feet.) The 141 foot drop is a gradual 18-degree drop, but it is a helix that starts out slow, and gradually goes faster and faster until it seems like the coaster is hurtling out of control. It is supposedly one of the most memorable moments on any coaster.

4. Six Flags Great Adventure, Jackson, N.J.

This park is horribly crowded, and I have heard many stories about the park's less-than-savory clientele (line jumpers, New Yorkers, etc.) Still, it boasts a trifecta of what could be three of the greatest coasters on the planet. Nitro is a 230-foot behemoth that is very similar to Apollo's Chariot at Busch Gardens Europe, currently my favorite coaster. Second is El Toro, which many say is the world's best wooden coaster. It is a staggering 181 feet tall, and the first drop is a steep 76 degrees. Many have said this is the best first drop on any coaster. El Toro rockets along at 70 mph, but is silky smooth thanks to prefabricated construction (meaning it is put together in large pieces as opposed to being hammered together by hand, like most woodies). Last but certainly not least is Kingda Ka. At 456 feet and a max speed of 128 mph, it is the world's tallest, fastest roller coaster. Again, I am not sure I can hack this, but it would be nice to brag to people that I have ridden the record holder.

5. Holiday World, Santa Claus, Indiana

This is supposedly one of the great smaller parks, similar to Knoebels. According to the park website, the reasonable $40 admission gets you free parking, free sunscreen and free unlimited soft drinks. It has three of the world's top ranked wooden coasters: The Voyage, The Raven and The Legend. In Amusement Today magazine, The Voyage received more votes than any other coaster, wooden or steel, as the world's best coaster. The coaster has a 154-foot drop, and boasts 24 seconds of airtime, a world record.

Hersheypark v. Dorney Park

Since I have been to the two major theme parks in SE Pennsylvania, I thought I would compare their strengths and weaknesses and figure out which is the better park. Here goes.

Admission: Dorney Park is about $42 for an adult ticket, Hershey is a whopping $52. Parking is $10 for both parks. You can find discounts for both of these parks at different grocery stores and fast food restaurants around the area. Hersheypark is a little bit larger overall, but both parks have a lineup of world-class coasters and both tickets include admission to the on-site waterpark. Because the economy is so lousy and everyone is trying to save money, I will give the edge to the less expensive Dorney Park.

Coasters: This was a tough one. Hershey has 11 coasters, Dorney has 9. Both parks have an older woodie (Thunderhawk/Comet), and Dorney's Thunderhawk is the better of the two. Both have a great inverted coaster (Talon/Great Bear) and Hershey's Great Bear has the slight edge. Dorney is the only park with a 200-foot hypercoaster (Steel Force), and it's an awesome ride. Hydra: The Revenge is a great floorless coaster, which Hersheypark does not have. Hersheypark has limited space, so they had to be a little more creative. Storm Runner is a crazy launch coaster and is a wild, intense ride. Fahrenheit has a 97-degree first drop that goes beyond vertical, and is the best coaster in the park. Also, Hersheypark is the only of the two parks to have modern wooden coasters. Lightning Racer is one of the top woodies I have ridden, and I didn't ride Wildcat because it is supposed to be really rough. Finally, Dorney Park got rid of the Laser and replaced it with a stupid shuttle coaster. Because of its variety of coasters that can please casual coaster riders and daredevils alike, Hersheypark wins by a nose.

Other Rides: Dorney Park has 59, Hersheypark has 62. Both parks have a decent log flume, and a "shoot the chutes" ride. Dorney's White Water Landing has some theming before the big drop. Hershey's Tidal Force has no theming, but is really tall at 100 feet and has a great drop. Both rides will get you completely drenched. Both parks have a good assortment of kiddie rides and what I like to call "spin n' puke" rides (scrambler, pirate ship, rotor, anything that involves repetitive motion.). Dorney has a dedicated kid-themed area called Camp Snoopy. It also has a great River Rapids ride that is long, well-themed and very entertaining. Hershey tore their river rapids ride down to make room for a lazy river and wave pool. Even though Hershey boasts more water rides, Dorney's Wildwater Kingdom is a very large water park with lots of great slides and a long lazy river. The non-coaster rides are easily won by Dorney Park.

Lines: No contest here. During my visit to Dorney, lots of people were in the water park, so there was little to no wait on all of the coasters. Even Steel Force. There was a short wait (10-20 minutes) for the water rides (log flume, White Water Landing). I visited Hershey during the week, and the line times ranged from 5 minutes for Lighting Racer to over an hour for Fahrenheit. Also, there were signs at Fahrenheit for a single riders line (My wife didn't have the stomach for that one), but it was not open! Boooooooo! Thankfully, I encountered no line jumpers at either park. We got through Dorney in half a day and rode each coaster several times. Hersheypark was an all-day affair, and I could only ride each coaster once. Without question, Dorney Park wins here.

Food: Both of these parks have mediocre, overpriced food. If you want a park with delicious food that is reasonably priced, travel about 2 1/2 hours to Knoebels, a great park located in the middle of nowhere. Anyway, both parks have decent sit-down restaurants. I give an edge to Hersheypark because of a better variety of eateries (Subway, Dunkin Donuts, etc.)

Theming and landscaping: Dorney Park is a lot cleaner than it was in previous years, but it still looks rather plain, and there isn't much theming anywhere. Hersheypark is divided into several loosely themed areas, the hilly terrain and waterways throughout the park are scenic, and the landscaping is done well. A dixieland band was making its way around the park, and I made sure to give a shout out to the trombone player. Hersheypark is the easy winner here, but its theming still pales in comparison to Disney, Universal and Busch Gardens Europe.

Staff: Employees were consistently polite and friendly at both parks. The ride ops at Dorney seemed to do a better job getting people on and off the rides. One more complaint, considering the crowds and long waits I experienced at Hershey, they could have filled all the seats on the coasters. I saw Great Bear return to the station with two empty seats in the front row! Another person in line jokingly said that they must have fallen off during the ride. The only ride ops at Hershey who seemed to know what they were doing were on Tidal Force, the shoot the chutes ride. Dorney Park is the clear winner here.

Overall score: Dorney Park 4, Hersheypark 3. Dorney Park wins because of its short lines, semi-reasonable admission price and a good lineup of non-coaster rides. However, I highly recommend both parks. Hershey has a great lineup of coasters, and is very family-friendly. It is busier because many tourists from around the nation visit Hershey, while Dorney is marketed more as a regional park. As for the future, Dorney just had its zoning laws changed, so look for some taller, faster coasters to be built. Hershey is pretty much out of space, so they will have to do something drastic, like expand into the massive parking lot and build a garage, in order to expand. With the economy in its current state, I don't see that happening anytime soon.