Conference back40::soapbox

    'Natural Born Killers' sums the the Media and their existence for me.
    

    Grrr, can't let this one rest...   Here is an example why I abhor the
    media and what they represent:
    
    As some of you know, I work outside of DIgital in the Amusement
    Industry, and am one of the country's leading experts on roller 
    coasters.  Yesterday I was on-hand at Coney Island in N.Y.C. to help
    celebrate the ride's 20th anniversary of being saved from the wrecking
    ball (the ride was actually built in 1927, but almost snuffed it in
    '75).  Many coaster experts were on hand to ride, and the media were in
    attendance.
    
    So, Channel 4 from NYC turns on the cameras to interview me.  They
    first ask me about the history of the ride, and the significance of the
    event.  THEN they go on to ask me about the *safety* of the ride,
    trying to tie in a story from an accident which occured a couple of
    weeks ago on an indepenently owned/operated spinning ride at Coney (no
    one was killed in the accident, but the ride basically fell apart from
    metal fatigue while in motion and sent 14 riders to the hospital).
    
    Needless to say, I was _p!ssed_ that they were trying to interject this
    story into the Cyclone's spotlight when it had NOTHING to do with the
    coaster at Coney!!  That was a ride at a different park, under a
    different owner, and just a different ride altogether.
    
    My answer was basically that -- reiterating that Coney Island is a
    boardwalk park, consisting of three amusement areas containing many
    rides owned and operated by indepenent amusement vendors, and while I
    couldn't speak for what happened on the Hell Hole ride, that could
    vouch that the Cyclone coaster was in-tact and completely safe to ride,
    adding you're more likely to lose your life traveling down the BQE to
    GET to Coney Island than you are to ride the Cyclone proper!
    
    (Grrr)
    
    /Buck
                                                                

    Buck... how does that song go...
    
    Kick em when they are up...
    Kick em when they are down....
     
    "Dirty laundry" that song sums it up.
    
    OJ case is getting to be like Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey.
    Thank gawd we dont have to see Susan Smith case.
    
    Lynne 
    

>>    As some of you know, I work outside of DIgital in the Amusement
>>    Industry, and am one of the country's leading experts on roller 
>>    coasters.  

	Just curious! Is the Amusement industry job your part time job? while
you work full time at Digital?

	How are these theme parks doing? Heard the other day in Radio that 
every Six Flags had record crowd this year! 

	But let me tell you some of the giant ones are scary! Everytime I am 
just about to roll down, I always wonder what happens if that bolt decides
to play a trick on me!

    His Amusement industry job is Digital?   :)
    
    ...Tom
    
    

    OJ Simpson.
    
    No more need be said about most of the media.  Absurdity is too tame a
    term for this media boondoggle.

I'm sure Mr. Buckley will agree that the roller coaster industry
has its ups and downs.

    I agree with what you're saying for the most part, but I don't
    think we can blame it on OJ or Susan Smith; this lies squarely
    at the feet of the media.
    
    On one hand so many of the local TV stations have the "up-links"
    so we're not just getting the news thru 3 major network channels.
    All these local stations are trying to compete with the "big boys",
    so I think this is where the practice of "sensationalizing" really
    started to happen.  Now, no one is willing to take the high-road
    and keep it just a news story.
    
    Buck,  I'm glad you had the chance to make it clear that you were
    not going to sensationalize the other occurrence.
    
    

    Yes Gerald, but they are apparently back on track.  

    I can see it coming......."OJ - the ride"
    
    
    Buckmeister...it this a great idea or what. You can have the coaster
    going through a fake courtroom with audio animated figures of OJ,
    Marcia, judge Ito etc. It could be one of those suspended jobbies ;')

    re: "OJ - The Ride"
    
    Hilarious!  But it shouldn't be a coaster, it should be one of
    those slow Disneyesque "dark rides".  Or maybe even better,
    something like the old "Carousel of Progress" that takes you
    through different animatronic scenes in sequence, starting with the
    murder scene, through the hearing, the prosecution and defense
    of the trial, the verdict, and the jailing/freeing of O.J., along
    with any ripple-effect reaction from the general public.
    
    Chris

    re: "OJ -- The Ride"
    
    >Hilarious!  But it shouldn't be a coaster, it should be one of
    >those slow Disneyesque "dark rides".
                             ^^^^^^^^^^
    
    Didn't Time Magazine get into hot water around this very same issue?

    >> Didn't Time Magazine get into hot water around this very same issue?
    
    Eh?  :-)
    
    Isn't "dark ride" the term used for those slow rides where you
    get into one of those 2-to-4-seaters and then you slowly travel
    on a track through a dark room full of various things to see?
    It's been so long since I've been to Disneyworld...
    
    Chris

    I like that "Carousel of Progress" idea, that is great! I cant
    just picture it HAHAHAHA!!! a' la' Disney???
    
    Buck no way, someone came up with the OJ ride idea HAHAHAHA!!!
    
    

    
    OJ - the ride .......

    Won't that involve a Bronco or sumptin'?

    Oh Yes!! Like the Indiana Jones ride at Disneyland! They can use a
    Bronco instead:-)

    
    On Global News last night, anchor Mike Anscombe took a few minutes out
    of the newscast to apologize to viewers and to the weatherperson,
    Susan Hay, for a remark he had made the previous night.  At one point
    during Wednesday's newscast, he told her to "sit there and look pretty."
    
    Now, Susan wasn't offended, because this was simply part of the banter
    that normally passes back and forth between them off air.  She has, 
    herself, said this to him many times, and he picked it up from her.
    
    BUT, the station received A LOT of calls regarding the remark, and
    Mike offerred a genuinely heartfelt, unscripted apology for what he
    considered to be a lapse in good judgement.
    

 Did Ms Hay apologize for not being offended?

    Do they get any calls when she says it to him?

    
    .19
    
    I'm not sure if she's ever said it to him `on air' or not.
    
    Although, if she had, I'm sure there wouln't have been many, 
    if any, calls.
    

    The PC Police strike again!
    
    My realtor first came to our house and upon showing me areas where 
    the house needed improvement.  After I made a remark she would say,
    "Jack, quit acting like a husband!"  Sort of implying that men don't
    think clearly in cases like this.
    
    I got a real laugh out of this.  I get annoyed sometimes with peoples
    ability to laugh at themselves.  Grow up people! (generic)
    
    -Jack

 >> Did Ms Hay apologize for not being offended?
    
    Excellent!  :-)
    
    Chris

Mike was just telling it like it is. I doubt very much that
Susan Hay (who is a very pretty blonde) has much in the way
of a meteorlogical background. 

    
    "Sit there and look snarfable".