Author: Dave

Busch Gardens is Making Changes Pt. 2

Busch Gardens, Tampa Bay

In 1999, Busch Gardens opened its first Wooden Roller Coaster “Gwazi” and it was a massive undertaking. The Lion and Tiger themed ride consisted of two large wooden tracks fighting each other at every twist and turn simulating a wild brawl between a lion and tiger. As a native Floridian, I have ridden this ride many times and it’s still my favorite wooden roller coaster I have had the pleasure of riding. Over the years in the blistering sun, the track and wood took a beating and the ride became very rough to ride and often was inoperable due to needed repairs. The ride also claimed a human life when an elderly rider suffered a fatal heart attack while on the ride. On September 12, 2018 Busch Gardens announced they they would be completely rebuilding Gwazi from scratch and the ride is set to open in 2020.

What to Expect

Busch Gardens General Manager Stewart Clark stated that Gwazi was getting a new look that we “will be hanging on to your seats” Clark promises the once great Gwazi will be returned to its former glory and it will be another great and thrilling attraction to the already great theme park. If I had to guess what they might do is make Gwazi into a Hybrid Steel Coaster which blends smooth steel stracks and a wooden roller coasters base and look. It’s a relatively new concept that allows wooden coasters to easily invert and make all sorts of thrilling movements they could have done before. Six Flags Great America, just opened a Joker themed Hybrid Coaster to a resounding success.

Summary

Busch Gardens Tampa Bay is truly a great and underrated theme park. The company really goes above and beyond in wildlife conservation and treats every animal with the utmost regard. The park is very transparent with how the animals are cared for and enclosed and invite attendees regularly to behind the scene enclosure to see the day to day animal operations. Within the past decade, Busch Gardens is building a great name by adding great new and thrilling rides all while maintaining its dedication to the endangered african wildlife. The best part about the park is it’s usually pretty quiet and no waiting in lines for the rides. Do yourself the favor and book a trip as soon as you can. Have fun!

September 14, 2018
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay is making changes Pt. 1

Busch Gardens, Tampa Bay

Since it’s grand opening in 1959, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay has had it’s up and downs as a theme park. It struggled its first few years to find it’s identity and integrate more attractions along with the wildlife conservation platform. For years, it served as a petting zoo on steroids that also served great beers. for several decades, Busch Gardens was owned and operated by the Anheuser-Busch Company. When Anheuser-Busch sold the theme park to Seaworld Entertainment, a lot of new life blood was pumped into the park. It seemed like overnight the park added several new roller coasters and attractions, all while staying true to its conservation and wildlife preservation staples. As of September 12, 2018 Busch Gardens Tampa Bay has announced two more attractions that hopefully will keep attendance up.

The Tigris

Busch Gardens will open Florida’s tallest launch coaster in spring 2019, company officials announced Wednesday. The triple-launch, tiger-themed roller coaster called Tigris will hurl riders 150 feet into the sky, turn them upside down and swirl through curves at 60 miles per hour. Project manager Andrew Schaffer commented on the Tigris: “It’s going to launch you forward out of the station, up the tower. It’s going to stop and then come backward through the station and launch you backward up the other tower. You’ll get about three-quarters of the way up that tower and then come back down again and launch over 60 miles per hour one last time, forward through the station. And that will take you one last time up to the top of the ride, 150 feet in the air. Then you will have a slow inversion called a heartline roll.”

There are several similar types of these launch coasters scattered throughout the states, and they don’t seemed to disappoint the roller coaster enthusiasts. It’ll be a great addition along with the newly added Sheikra, Falcon Fury, The Cobra’s Curse, The Montu, and the legendary Kumba. Busch Gardens Tampa understands that people come for the animals, but come back for the roller coasters. We’ll Touch based on what else is being added by Busch Gardens in the next installment…

September 13, 2018
A New Step Forward in Bionics

The fine folks on Johns Hopkins Robotics Department are making unprecedented progress in “Mind Controlled Bionics” for persons with amputations and missing limbs. Using a breakthrough technology called Sensory Reinnervation, the human brain can easily and seamless interact and control the attached robotic limb. With this great technology though raises evolutionary and ethical questions on what the future holds. What can we expect as we close the gap between man and machine?

A New Step Forward

With Sensory Reinnervation, the brain can now be linked to a robotic prosthetic not just through control, but the person can actually have feeling in the robotic limb. In the case of Melissa Loomis, she lost her arm to a racoon bite. After loosing her limb, Melissa was the perfect candidate for the Sensory Reinnervation program. By way or surgery, Melissa’s nerves in her arm were re-routed to inside layers of the skin and the robotic prosthetic is attached accordingly. This gives Melissa feeling all the way down to the fingertips of the robotic limb and ultimately better control and a better quality of life. After the procedure, Melissa is now the only person in the United States that has feeling and almost full control in a robotic limb. This makes her truly the nation’s first Bionic Woman…

Summary

As we get more advanced in neurorobotics, questions will be raised. Can a bionic arm, out class a real one? Will we be able to simply “swap out” an old limb for a shiny metal one? As robotics evolve, we surely will evolve with it. As of now, these robotics are limited to medical use only. But as they progress and become smarter, stronger, and more advanced will other people want them? Lawmakers have already begun to bring up the issue that as humans become more mechanical, laws will have to change and reflect how we look at privacy and domain over these augmented bodies. Another issue is hacking. Can these limbs be hacked and ultimately controlled by someone else. Perhaps controlled to do things against the wearer’s will? These questions will surely arise as we step into uncharted territory in human evolution. It’s important to have the foresight now and look at safeguards for the future and posterity.

September 4, 2018
3D Printed Houses. The Affordable Home of Tomorrow.

3D Printed Homes?

On March 16, 2018 the Austin, TX Construction company ICON completed the first 3D printed home in the United States. The home has been deemed livable and passed all Austin city code compliances. ICON has unveiled the equipment and technology to build a 3D printed house in less than 24 hours for the average price of $4,000.00. The companies plan is to take the equipment to El Salvador to build a massive village full of affordable homes to help improve the countries living conditions. Icon has stated that in later development stages, the equipment will be able to complete a home in just under 12 hours. Based on everything we are seeing, this appears to be a game changer in affordable housing.

How it Works

Along with ICON, there are several other companies on the verge of mass printing homes. A large company in The Netherlands based in Eindhoven, is set to have the world’s first habitable community made from 3D printed Homes. The process is rather simple. A 3D printer is set up in the center of what will be the home and is filled concrete and other certified building materials. The foundation and walls of the home can then be made to fit any type of structure that is designed by the architect and programmed into the printers. Along with providing affordable homes, this process will also offset the Dutch cities extreme shortage of brick masons. The printed homes have apparently been exposed to rigorous testings for quite some time before getting the government approval to move forward for mass production.

Summary

It appears that these companies are making great headway with getting these homes ready for mass production. If so, in twenty or so years, homeless epidemics abroad and at home could be a thing of the past. It’ll be interesting to see how these homes hold up over time and see just how cheap we can build them. These things right here are why we must always push the technological envelope and ask “Why” instead of “Why Not”. At one time, being able to build cheap 3D printed homes was the fevered dream of a mad man. Now here we are standing on its doorstep, no pun intended.

September 3, 2018
Cyberpunk 2077’s new gameplay trailer

Upon first glance

We just watched 55 minutes of gameplay footage for CD Project Red’s new game Cyberpunk 2077. All we can say is…wow. The amount of detail that has been put into this game is not for the faint of heart. The developers has gone above and beyond to fully immerse you into this world. Set a in bleak dystopian future, you play as a fully customizable player making their way through a massive open world map of The Night City. The game is largely set as a first person shooter, but has a third party view when traversing through the city in your car.

What to Expect

Right out the gate, the gameplay throws you right into an action packed shoot ’em up scene. Follow an intense battle, you are escorted through a large apartment building and out into the city. Once you’re on the city level, you get an idea for how incredibly detailed the city. It’s absolutely packed with citizens, vendors, cops, etc. I have never seen that amount of people in an open video game before. It quite simply feels like you’re in a large metropolitan city. The people are just filler, each one them can have an interaction with you if you want. Many vendors flag you down for merch and everyone reacts to you in some way. After a quick mission, you are given some insane upgrades and then shown your car. You can traverse the city in cars motorcycles, and many other vehicle that you will encounter along the way. There also appears to be a wide variety of weapons, gear, and apparel that will assist you in different ways to further customize your player.

Summary

During the 55 minutes gameplay trailer, we saw a lot of stuff to be really excited about. Immense detail, flowing plot, and insanely fun action. We all loved CD Projekt Red’s Witcher 3 series which might actually be the best game ever made, and we really hope that they continue to improve on their good name. For all that is offers though, sometimes 1st person shooters just don’t do it for me? I’m super excited to play Cyberpunk 2077, but also a little concerned it might be a bust. Time will tell.

September 1, 2018
Oshkosh Air Convention. Add it to Your Bucket List.

The History of Oshkosh

Since 1953 the town of Oshkosh, Wisconsin has been home to the Oshkosh Airshow at the Wittman Regional Airport. It’s an annual week long air convention that host around 600,000 people and 10,000+ planes. Showcasing every type of plane you can think of from old warbirds, to the newest and most innovative planes to date. During the week long convention, There are countless Venders, workshops, daily air shows, and events that make it one heck of a weekend. The large number of aircraft arrivals and departures during the fly-in week makes the Wittman Field FAA control tower the busiest in the world for that week in number of movements. To accommodate the huge flow of aircraft around the airport and the nearby airspace, a special NOTAM is published each year, choreographing the normal and emergency procedures to follow. More than 4,000 volunteers contribute approximately 250,000 hours before, during and after the event.

What to do, what to do

Want to take a ride in a B-17 flying fortress? Wanna see daily and nightly Airshows with the best pilots our country has to offer? The list of attractions and events the convention puts on is pretty immense. Depending on your level of aircraft interest and skill level, you can do just about anything your heart desires. Attend a workshop on flying during the day and see a nightly concert in the evening. Because the convention has grown to such a massive scale and consist of the largest accumulation of wealth in the country, many companies such as Boeing and Ford unveil new prototypes and have incredible exhibits. If you have the means, we recommend you fly your plane to the airport and campout under the moon and stars next your plane for the week.

Summary

If you have any interest in aviation and/or flight, this is a must attend event for you. Most people who attend Oshkosh Airshow for the first time, go back every single year because of the massive scale of planes and event to see. The event is almost always held during the last week of July in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. There has been some talk or relocating the convention to accommodate the insane number of visitors but for now it’s held at the Wittman Regional Airport. Wheels up, y’all!

September 1, 2018
Top 5 Most Popular American Muscle Cars

Our Top 5 list and the movies you’ve seen them in.

Here is list of the top 5 most popular and most desired American Muscle Cars. If you ever wanted to restore an iconic muscle car that you once saw on television, it’s probably one of these.

Number 5, 1957 Chevrolet Bel-Air

As one of the most notable and iconic muscle cars, the 57′ Bel-Air has been featured in almost every movie under the sun, including “Dr. No”, “Happy Days”, “Sin City” and “Mad Max”. Restoring one of these will sure make your pops proud! Being so popular finding an unrestored Bel-Air isn’t really a problem and you can get one relatively cheap.

Number 4, 1968 Chevrolet Chevelle SS

As seen in “Dazed and Confused” and “Jack Reacher” the 1968 Chevelle SS is amongst the most popular muscle cars. For most people when they hear the term muscle car, this is the car that is pictured in their head. Iconic and simply beautiful.

Number 3, 1970 Dodge Challenger

Made famous by the “Fast and Furious” franchise, along with “Cannonball”, “Dukes of Hazzard”, and “Bullit” the 1970 Charger is one of the fastest and meanest muscles cars made. Usually equipped with a 425 HP Hemi Engine, fews cars ever manufactured could outperform this beast.

Number 2, 1958 Plymouth Fury

Or more commonly knowns as “Christine”, the 58 Plymouth Fury is one of the most sought after American Muscle cars. Made famous by the Stephen King novel, the “Original Speed Demon” became an overnight sensation when it became possessed and started running down innocent people…

Number 1, 1968 Shelby GT 500

Did you really think it would be any other car? This is it, this is the big dog. Made popular by “Bullit” and “Gone in 60 Seconds” the 68 Shelby is the most identifiable and recognizable American Muscle car ever made. Everyone wants one and a lot of folks have them, but when you see one they immediately turn your head. Equipped with a monsterous 500 HP Shelby Engine, this baby is the pinnacle of speed and beauty. the American Magnus Opus if you will.

Summary

All of these cars are great in their own right along with all of the unmentioned American Muscle Cars. True treasures of the past and relics of a different era. If you ever get the honor of restoring one of these cars, do it with pride as the folks who came before us did. Also drive safe. The reality is most of these cars for all they carry, do not have any safety features and are incredibly dangerous.

September 1, 2018
Spiderman PS4 Swings Into Stores Next Week

Here Comes Spiderman!

The Sony exclusive Spider-man game for Playstation 4 releases on September 7, 2018 and I think we’re all anxious to zip around NYC as Spidey. After watching a fair amount of gameplay at E3 2018, Im excited but I also have my reservations. To get an idea and feel for the game, we need to look at the game developer Insomniac Games. Insomniac has put out some pretty decent games such as Ratchet & Clank and Fuse to much success but can they deliver and please Marvel’s unrelenting fans?

What to Expect

Insomniac released an opening cinematic 6 minute trailer at E3 and folks went nuts. The opening scenes show many of Spiderman’s greatest foes such as Rhino, Vulture, Electro, and Scorpion all breaking out of a Maximum Security Prison as Spidey tries to subdue all of them. The ending of the cinematic shows Spiderman getting a serious beatdown by the villians and ends on a bit of a cliff hanger. The trailer has some combat gameplay spliced in with the cinematic and it all looks pretty decent and smooth.

The combat and overall gameplay looks very similar to Rocksteady’s Arkham Series, which is considered the greatest superhero game franchise to date. I don’t blame Insomniac for taking a lot from Rocksteady, the model works. The fighting system was great, and Batman and Spiderman have comparable smart tech that can be upgraded throughout the game. Insomniac also is kind of ripping off Rocksteady with the storyline of the hero having to track down all of his enemies throughout the game as side missions. Im sure we’ll have a lot of Avenger easter eggs, and hopefully maybe one or two of them will make an appearance and help Spidey out in the game?

Summary

To be honest it does appear that Insomniac has taken a good bit from Rocksteady, but I’m perfectly content with a Spiderman based Arkham game. One thing that I did notice about Spidey traversing NYC was that his movements did not appear very smooth. In my opinion, web slinging should be the games cornerstone and has to be perfected for the game to be successful. The way Rocksteady has Batman gliding and dive bombing through Gotham was insanely smooth and well executed. If Insomniac is going to take as much from Rocksteady as they have, they should also take those great mechanics for swinging around the city. Overall the game looks pretty decent and I will definitely be playing the crap out of the game regardless, but my spidey-sense is telling me that we might be disappointed with the one.

August 30, 2018
Red Dead Redemption 2 is Almost Upon Us

Something Red and Dead this way comes.

On August 9, 2018, Rockstar released its first gameplay trailer of RDR2. On first glance it appears that they expanded and improved on everything that made RDR great, while simultaneously sticking close to its roots. With integrating new technologies and new graphics to a great gameplay model , I’m expecting another home run for Rockstar.

What to expect

I think I speak for the general gaming community we I say we all loved Red Dead Redemption. I know I probably put around 300 hours into that game just hunting for pelts. Upon seeing the new gameplay trailer, the first you’ll notice that is that is taking place years after the first RDR and it’s now around the turn of the century. Rockstar’s main goal with the sequel is to provide not just a massive open world game but a deeper, more detailed, and more immersive gaming experience. You’ll play as Arthur Morgan, the head of a notorious outlaw gang who has to deal with the ending of an era as society becomes more civilized. In the trailer we can see that Rockstar has created an incredibly detailed world that appears to incorporate every type of topography from deserts to mountains to swamps. And if I know RDR there will be a plethora of dangerous wildlife accordingly. Some added wildlife we can see at first glance were alligators and desert reptiles. The look of the overgame looks amazing, and there were some great shots of sweeping valleys and ranges in the trailer provided.

Summary

I know it’s easy nowadays for us to overhype games and expect to much from gaming developers. They keep pushing the envelopes and we keep demanding more when they do. It appears that Rockstar has put a lot of effort into keeping Red Dead 2 tied to its roots, which is important. Bringing us back to a time forgotten and offering a view into a developing and chaotic time in American History. Throw in a great soundtrack comparable to the first and I think we’ll all be very satisfied with the end result. They have my Pre-Order.

August 29, 2018
The “Dyson Hot+Cool Link” air purifier is pure gold!

The Dyson Hot+Cool Link Purifier

Dyson’s new air purifier is quite simply the best air purifier system currently on the market. This “Certified Asthma and Allergy” friendly purifier is yet another giant step forward for Dyson, which has always been on the cutting edge of home cleaning technologies. The purifier system equipped with a HEPA filter, uses smart technology to auto-monitor your home’s air quality and cleans accordingly. Using a steady stream of air, this purifier operates effectively and efficient to erraticate 99.7% of allergens and dust particles in your home. With the ability to purify, it additionally blows hot or cool air to your discretion. But with all great things, there is a price…Coming in at $599.99, this air purifier can pack quite a punch to your wallet.

How it works

The Hot+Cool Link has a triple functionality that purifies year-round, cooling fan in summer and powerful heater in winter. Dyson also recently added the capability to work with Amazon Alexa for added convenience. The equipped HEPA filter removes 99.97% of allergens and pollutants as small as 0.3 microns including pollen, dust, mold spores, bacteria and pet dander. The second filter layer with active carbon captures household odors and organic compounds such as paint fumes and other gases. The system is Certified Asthma and Allergy Friendly and was awarded the “Quietmark Accreditation”. For the smart home lovers, the Dyson Link app provides real-time air quality reports and allows you to remotely control your machine from your smartphone even when you are not home. The purifiers “Auto mode” automatically incorporates air quality, sleep timers, and night-time mode. With its beautiful yet functional design, it’s easy to clean has no spinning blades for all those little fingers or paws that may be in your home.

Summary

In conclusion, Dyson really knocked it out of the park with this one. With all it’s functionality and effectiveness, it really does make it a must buy for any smart home or allergy prone household. Some downsides to this system though are the price and since it’s not incorporated into the HVAC system itself, you would need to purchase a few of these for your home for it to effect the entire household. Me personally, I would have one for the master bedroom and one for the living room. This would serve most of its purpose without completely breaking your wallet. Dyson does have several smaller operations of the system for less money, but of course with less features.

August 29, 2018