Tidbits I

There are a few wonderful little stories I've picked up off the interwebs over the last few days.  Nothing worthy of a full write up, but definitely enough for a mention.



Slashdot has spread the word about an ABC News story on the new DEATH RAY in Las Vegas.  Sadly, this isn't some sort of crazy stunt by the latest super-villain-themed hotel on the strip.  Vdara, one of the latest hotels to open on Las Vegas' famed strip, was built in a c-shape.  As a result, at certain times of the day/year, the entire hotel acts like a giant parabolic mirror which amplifies the already powerful desert sun to a small portion of the hotel's pool area.  ABC reports that some hotel guests are suffering from "severe burns."  I love engineering errors that are completely unintended side effects.  I guarantee if someone designing the building had asked "Will this glass facade focus the sun's rays and cause burns?", they would have been laughed out of the office.



Jaunted reported last week on a story from the UK about a couple who were rather suddenly kicked out of a Blackpool hotel for giving a bad review on Trip Advisor.  Apparently, they were half-way through their stay when the hotel manager stormed into their room demanding that they leave.  The police were even called to evict the couple.  It gets better: the evicted man was a cancer patient on his first vacation after finishing chemotherapy. Talk about a publicity nightmare...



The Chicago Blackhawks revealed their new Stanley Cup rings last week.  After looking at the new design, it's pretty obvious that Chicago has been waiting a long time for the cup to return.  The ring weighs 91 grams (3.2 ounces) and contains 404 gemstones totaling approximately 8.0 carats.  I'm not sure if it's impressive or just gaudy.



According to Jaunted, Ferrari World in Dubai will be opening by the end of this year.  For around $60 USD (and a plane ticket to Dubai) you can experience the following Ferrari-related rides:

• Formula Rossa
• The world's fastest roller coaster (apparently somewhere between 125 and 150 mph)
• Acceleration to maximum speed in 4 seconds using an aircraft carrier launch system
• G-Force
• Designed to simulate G-forces by taking you 100 feet up and then propelling you vertically straight back down.
• Fiorano GT Challenge
• Duelling coasters
• Cars look EXACTLY like an F430 Spider
• Speed of Magic
• A slower flume ride
• Simulates being shrunk and travelling through a Ferrari engine

Nothing more interesting from me for now.  Hopefully I'll manage to find something new to rant about soon...