What a bummer!! Magic Mountain is on the chopping block

Good-bye Magic Mountain?
Six Flags puts six parks up for sale or closure

Source: Theme Park Insider
Six Flags announced plans Thursday to sell or close six of its properties, including the chain's once-flagship park, Magic Mountain, in Valencia, Calif.

In a press release issued after the U.S. stock market closed Thursday, Six Flags announced that it would sell the properties, to either a single buyer or multiple buyers, or that it might sell or redeploy the properties' attractions, to clear the land for real estate sale.

The six parks on the block are Magic Mountain, Elitch Gardens in downtown Denver, Colorado, Darien Lake near Buffalo, New York, Wild Waves and Enchanted Village outside Seattle, Washington and the waterparks Six Flags Waterworld in Concord and Six Flags Splashdown in Houston.

Long-time TPI readers are familiar with our coverage of Six Flags' financial struggles, and we predicted some of the parks would be going back in January. With Paramount Parks already selling out to Cedar Fair, one wonders what company will be able and willing to mount a bid to purchase the Six Flags parks. Real estate sales, alas, seem the most likely result for most of the parks. Magic Mountain, obviously, is the most viable park among the six, but Cedar Fair already has a Southern California park, in Buena Park's Knott's Berry Farm. The land underneath Magic Mountain would be worth many millions, even in SoCal's stalled real estate market, if no theme park company is willing to add this roller coaster haven to its portfolio.

Six Flags shares plunged, losing nearly a fifth of their value in after-hours trading, following the announcement.

Update: A comment I've made in a couple TV interviews since the story broke: It'd be ironic if Magic Mountain were sold off for real estate development, given that real estate development is the reason the park was built in the first place.

Magic Mountain was not always a Six Flags park. Its builder and original owner was the Newhall Land Company, the developer that built many of the communities around the park. Newhall Land thought it needed a big attraction to lure families over the pass from the San Fernando Valley into the Santa Clarita. So it contracted SeaWorld's designers and built Magic Mountain.

How ironic, now, that the park might fall victim to the success of the real estate market it was built to inspire.

The Stash Guardian!

- An exerpt from, “The Vermillion Infinity Watcher” by: Wennergen Luxley

The air was sticking like a wet blanket. The only thing that made it remotely bearable was a buzz.”Do we have a bag left?” Dad asked Tee. “Nah, we gotta go get some.” Tee replied. So off they walked, through the jungle and through that sticky sticky warmth that felt like a soaked sleeping bag. After a few miles walk through thick foliage they came upon their little clearing where they had hid the stash. “What the hell is that?” Tee said quite in shock. Dad replied, “What the hell does it look like ya dim-wit? It’s a porcupine!” And there sat a 45 pound porcupine guarding the stash. “Ya want me to shoot him?” Tee asked.”If you shoot him, I’ll shoot you!!” he answered with a most aggrivated look on his face. “He’s guarding our stash!! Why the hell would you want to shoot him?? Look, just keep watch, shut up and lemme take care of this.” Dad said.
He reached into the messenger bag he had slung around him and pulled out some sea rations. He opened the rations, mixed them up, and then made a shallow whole about 4 feet away from where the Porcupine sat. He put some leaves down and then put the food down. Afterwards he stepped back, meanwhile Tee is standing there with a very confused look on his face. After a minute of standing there, the Porcupine got up off the stash and walked over to where the food was. He sniffed it for a few seconds and then went right to town, chowing down what Dad figured to be the best meal the little guy ever had. Then softly and quietly he walked over to the little mound that had the stash waiting underneath. The stash was put in a burlap bag for safe keeping, Dad reached inside, pulled out a baggie, wrapped the burlap bag again and pushed it back down into the mound. He then put some leaves and sticks on top of it. After all this, he pulled out a little nug from the baggie and left it right on top of the mound for Mr. Porcupine to enjoy. Which he most certainly did. Now at this point, you can imagine the amusement and confusion that Tee had. Dad said, “Now why would you wanna go and shoot the guardian? See, if we just give him a little food, and some water, and a nug, we’ll never have to worry about anyone trying to mess with our stash!” Tee stood there and after a few seconds smiled deeply. “How the hell do you do that?” he asked Dad. Dad being quite the lover of all God’s creatures, said “If you respect it, [meaning the Earth] it will respect you.” So with a fresh bag they walked back into the jungles, back into the searing heat & humidity, back to the front lines, to try to bring another soldier back home.

To be continued …

See more progress on: Write my father's biography

lately....

A few years ago I was diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder (not to be mistaken for schizophrenia) Basically, BPD means one has a difficult time establishing and maintaining interpersonal relationships. Well that’s nice and all and maybe once upon a time it was true, but I must have outgrown this or something, because within the last 6 months I have acquired and made the most beautiful friendships. I love my friends so much and from what I understand and have been told, the same can be said for me. YAY!!!

Also in this time I have learned an incredibly crucial lesson to life. DO NOT JUDGE, LEST YE BE JUDGED!!! Not so long ago, the same people I am friends with now I used to be critical of, and then I stopped, started talking to them, most importantly I started listening to them, and once this happen I had the desire to keep listening and before you know it we’re like kin!! Its kinda weird how that works out, but still wonderful!!

I have also made what I would consider to be friends, thru 43t and you all have been so inspirational, so wonderful!! Can you tell I’m a happy bear…

Moral of the story: Never take your friends and or family for granted, and always consider what you can do for them, instead of what they can do for you. You will come to find that as you focus on their wants and needs, yours too becomes fulfilled!!

See more progress on: make more quality friends

Why I want to do this...

My Dad and I share a very close connection. My Mum would say that I truly am my father’s daughter. Both of us were born at 4:16am on a Friday. I don’t think that happens very often. There is a very long list of other coincidences that connect us together. Anyway, my Dad was in combat in Viet Nam with both the Army and the Marine Corp. (Two different tours of course) But he survived! 10 years ago he got prostate cancer, had it removed and still survived. Death has knocked on his door many a time. He answers and says, “No thank you, not today, maybe tomorrow, will you come back tomorrow?” Death says, “Perhaps, I’ll probably be very busy tomorrow, it’ll probably be a while before I can come back.” and Dad says, “Alright, but you know if you come back again out of the blue, I’ll probably tell you to come back later.” Death accepts this and goes on taking care of his business. I always imagine death as Grimm with his Jamaican accent, from The Grimm Adventures of Billy and Mandy (this is a cartoon on Cartoon Network for those of you unfamiliar)

My Dad has had one helluva life. Continues to have one helluva life. But its far more simple now. His stories are amazing! They sound like big fish stories, but his friends have told me stories that he hasn’t that were even more intense than the stories he’s told me. So I know they’re not big fishes.

I now have a tape recorder in the lounge room, so when he gets to tellin’ a new one, I press record so I can have it to transcribe later. I think that’s one of the most wonderful things. Having a parent who is your best friend, who you can talk with about anything and everything. A parent who has been through the ringer and came out clean on the other side just so they could talk about it with their children. Also its great because my husband and Dad have their own close connection as well. I couldnt ask for anything more!

To be continued!

See more progress on: Write my father's biography

Level of difficulty on a 1 to 10 scale - 10 being most difficult - yeah, this is a 10.

My Gramma once told me, “Don’t worry so much – you’ll grow worts on your face and whats worse, you’ll get these lines on your forehead that never go away.” She’s gone now, but I’ll never forget that. You may not get worts on your face, but I’m 24 and lemme tell you I already have those lines on my forehead that will never go away. So the only thing to do now is keep those lines from getting deeper and/or bigger. How? By not worrying so much. Its ok to be concerned, but worrying about something you can’t do anything about is a big waste of time. An expendature of emotions that’s completely pointless. It’s hard, but a goal I will be perpetually trying to achieve.

See more progress on: stop worrying about things I can't change

Have you watched the news lately??

My husband is sitting there watching the news… NBC news or something and I’m on the computer which is by the TV, but not so that I can see it, I can only hear it. I am listening to what is going on in the Middle East and tears begin to fall down my face. I think to myself, not again, not more of this…

An hour or so earlier we watched this documentary called “Global Warming – What you should know – with Tom Brokaw” and I thought to myself, this is really sad… The world is getting worse and worse by the day. I realized after watching this and listening to the news that I’m kinda scared to grow old. I know one should not live in fear, nor should they live in any other day but today, but its hard and then another thought occurred to me. If only I felt connected to those who want to make this world a better place to be, wait one good second, I do feel connected, I am not alone in this, there are others who are scared too, who are victims of political strife, yet encourage others to be compassionate, to be thoughtful of your fellow man and woman, no matter who they are. The Dalai Lama is one of those people, Hajush is one of those people, Venusian is one of those people. There’s lots of others out there too. By George I am connected, we are not alone!! EUREKA!!

It is my hope that one day the pendulum swings in the other direction and all will be well. If every human on this Earth focused on that one hope, this world would be well and all the inhabitants would be too. Never underestimate the power of hope, compassion, and good thoughts. Today though, I’m gonna remember that I am connected with all those who want to make this place better to be in. And I’m not going to fear tomorrow because tomorrow isn’t here yet!

See more progress on: feel connected to others who are striving to improve the world

Easier said then done, but I try

I was driving to the San Fernando Valley from the Antelope Valley and its Saturday, I’m thinking the traffic shouldn’t be that bad, oh contrare mon frare, it was bad, reminds me that I still live in Los Angeles County where the traffic is bad no matter what day or time it is. Anyhow, I found myself getting a tad aggro with the people that are either tailgating me or driving 40 mph in the fast lane, so I say things like, “what are you doing idiot??” and then as quickly as it leaves my mouth is as quickly as I reprimand myself. “STOP DOING THAT!! Stop calling people names, you don’t know them!!” By the end of the day I noticed that I was able to control that impulse, and afterwards when having to go somewhere I yet again restrain myself, because everyday I am trying to have good thoughts, and say good words, and do good deeds, life is too short for anything else!

See more progress on: Live by "Good Thoughts, Good Words, Good Deeds"

Today...

Today I went hiking with a friend of mine and it was the most wonderful hike ever! In Malibu, off of Corral Canyon, a mile in from the beach is a hiking area called Solstice. Solstice Canyon There was cottages there that burned down in 1982, so the place has this real surreal feeling to it. There are waterfalls there and pools deep enuf to swim in. I didn’t have the clothes and what not to go swimming but it was amazing!! Anyway, while we were there I saw these periwinkle blue butterflies, and when they closed their wings they became white!! There were also Monarchs there and Tiger Swallowtail butterflies… I told my husband this and he had the brilliant idea of adding on a terrarium the size of a bedroom. It would be filled with tropical vegitation, be climate regulated and then I would put butterflies in there. Build a piece of the outside onto the inside! A sanctuary of sorts! Butterflies are so peaceful!

See more progress on: plant a butterfly garden

I was told...

That my Dad and husband are going to try to make this happen next month for my birthday but we’ll see. Its something I’ve always wanted to do. My Dad and I went to the AV Labor Day Sky Parade a few years ago and ever since then I’ve been wanting to do that. I bought a video camera (the dvd handicam) so that when I do go I can get some amazing aerial footage and shots. Can’t wait!

See more progress on: ride in a hot-air balloon

Unico - A lost memory recovered

When I was 5 or 6, Disney channel was free. Luckily we had cable. I was addicted, watched the Mickey Mouse Club every night practically. One day almost 20 years ago, they played this anime film [Unico in the Island of Magic]. I had never seen anything like it. It started an instant appreciation for anime. Later I would discover Hayao Miyazaki and Osama Tezuka, the creator of Unico, also the creator of Astroboy.

One night not too long ago, like a few weeks ago, I had a dream about Kuruku, the super-villian of Unico in the Island of Magic. I could see his big round body, his eyes, and the chopped off fingers. I didn't know at the time his name was Kuruku, and I was hardly sure that the villian was even real, or perhaps a figment of my imagination. I think its because I had not run into anyone who had any idea what I was talking about. So the next night, for two hours I feverishly looked to find out what happened to that film. I had no idea what Unico's name was. No idea what the film's name was, not a clue as to who directed it. I just remembered Kuruku and Unico being this cute little Unicorn that made everyone happy. After an hour and a half I started finding results. There are a few sites out there dedicated to him and the films. My favorite of all the fan sites is Fujikoma.com/Unico After seeing this site a flood of memories came back and I'm happy. Happy to know that I wasn't suffering from some sort of delusion and happy to know that others out there remembered the little guy and decided to build their own websites. I haven't been able to find the film to buy it. But soon, very soon I will take the memories to the next level, by watching a film I thought I would never see again. Its a rare anime, but video rental places, from what I have been told, will sell them. I just have to get out there and look.

Strange Animals

This creature is most probably the creation of an environmental problem. Children at a nursery in Weston-super-Mare, England spotted the three headed frog hopping in the garden.
BBC News

The blog famous cyclops kitten, Cy was first thought to be a joke photo manipulation. Living only for a day, It had only one eye and was noseless. News.com

The most infamous headless chicken, Mike wowed the world by living for 18 months which indefinitely entered it into the Guinness World Records. It could still live becuase most of his brain stem and ear was left on his body.
Mike The Headless Chicken

Nope this is not photoshop manipulated. A female polar bear named Pelusa turned purple after she was given a special treatment to clear up a skin condition. This has attracted crowds at the Mendoza City Zoo in Argentina. The fur has returned to normal after a few days.NW Botanicals

Genetic mutation called 'feather duster' of a parakeet. Green Apple

Dolphins has taken a pink hue in the Pear River Delta situated between Hong Kong and Macau. It is not known why they are pink in colour but several assumptions include the lack of natural predators or the pink colour is a byproduct of blushing to regulate body temperature. 2 Dolphins

The two-month old animal, named Cham Leck which means 'strange,' was given to monks at a local pagoda by a farmer who feared the six legged cow would bring him bad fortune. Steve Quayle

The hooded seal has a large elastic nasal cavity and when fully inflated resembles a large black ruber ball. They are large aggressive mammals that can exceed 3m in length and 400kg in weight. Canadian Museum Of Nature

The large ocean sunfish vies for the title of strangest fish in the sea. It has an almost circular, flattened body. It weighs up to 2 tons and 3m long. The head is almost a third of the whole body length. Earth Window

If you had your facts about the Siberian tiger being the largest cat, then you are wrong. The liger is the world's largest cat, a cross breed between a male lion and a female tiger. They exhibit conflicts between the social habits of the lion and solitary habits of the tiger.Wikipedia

The Hanger

I live out in the Antelope Valley, lots ah dust, lots ah wind, lots of empty nothin’... But when there’s something, its ah cool something, its Air Force Bases and lots of planes, C-130s and Stealth Fighters. So I want to open a jazz club called, “The HANGER” and accordingly it would be built in a big open arched ceiling airplane hanger. The interior would be much like 1940 – 1950s era specific architecture, design and decoration. Very “Art Deco” & “Streamline”. Smooth Curves, Bright contrasts, Open spaces and a trumpet being played to melt your ears right off, in the spirit of Miles Davis! Anyway, its my vision, I’ve had it for years now! Consider yourselves in on the gig, if I ever get it open, you just send me a reply and first time cover charge and drinks are on the house! It’ll be quite a few years though, so you’ll have to be patient with me!

PS: There will be lots of plants… bamboo and orchids! I love Plants!!!!

Psssst: The ceiling will be made off a very strong plexiglass type material so that you can see the stars whilst your dancing to the music!

See more progress on: open a jazz club

Family ties that bind in an obligatory sort of way

So I’ve been on the outs with my family for a number of years now. Black sheep right here folks, all the way. So we have alot of differences, what family doesn’t right? Well, today I spoke to my mum and told her that I don’t like the way she and my step dad have singled out my husband and I. I asked her why she did that? “It’s not very godly.” I said indignantly. (My parents are very um – Christian. She completely agreed with me and said that her behavior was terrible. She felt so bad for being neglectful. She told me she was going to talk to my step dad and get to the root of all this and figure out why they’ve been so stand-offish! I really feel like I stuck it to her and him for that matter. Don’t get me wrong, when my Mum feels bad it makes me feel worse, though she feels bad on the count of me, I know that doesn’t seem like it makes any sense, but I love my Mum very much and I wanted to figure out why we were on the outs with them and so I think I’m making some headway here – hopefully in a few months I can come back with a reply, stating that I know longer am the black sheep of the fam, but you never know… Sometimes things get a little better and then a lot worse or the other way around you never can tell…

But hey, if its like that for you – stick it to ‘em!!

See more progress on: Stick it to The Man