badmigraine
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Posts posted by badmigraine
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My Top Five Recommendations for revitalizing the Japanese snow industry and returning profitability to Japanese ski resorts.
1. DRIVE-IN MOVIE/CAMPGROUND-TYPE HOOKUPS
Let's face it. In today's economy and with the hodge-podge land use patchwork created by Japan's zoning laws, no big operator like Mori, Prince or Intrawest is going to come in to invest mucho dinero and transform an underdeveloped or rural resort base area into a purpose-built ski town along the lines of Whistler Village, Breckenridge or Park City. It would be a total waste of money and time...the point is, people want to spend LESS, not MORE, on a ski vacation.
So the great opportunity here is to build larger, auto-camp style parking lots with electric hookups in each parking place. You can rent a small electric heater to warm the inside of your car as you sleep inside.
Clean warm public toilets and coin-operated hot showers would dot the facility.
A satellite konbini would be erected in a tin prefab shed, selling everything from eyebrow tweezers to oden.
This way, the Japanese skier can spend all his/her money on clothes, mobile phones, pachinko, video games and go-kon. Skiing would become a cheap and easy weekend road trip with everyone secure in the knowledge that they can sleep cheap and warm in their car in a big auto-camp parking lot and still eat healthy at the local 7-11.
2. BUS IN SOME JUICY TALENT
I strongly recommend adopting a new resort policy whereby ripe, audacious Shibuya 109-building type gals are bused in for free, get reduced-price lift passes and can also stay free in some kind of dormitory. These gals would be required to spend the evening drinking and partying with patrons and resort-goers at a small, purpose-built Gas Panic-type bar/club at the base lodge area. The walkway from their dormitory to the bar would be kept free of snow/ice or even heated, because they will need to be wearing boots and miniskirts.
This modest scheme would not only attract hordes of stay-at-home-smoking young guys, but would also generate moist heaps of cash through sales of alcohol and bar food.
3. ON-SLOPE LOVE HOTEL.
This idea follows logically from idea #2, above. 'Nuff said.
4. CHANGE DATES OF FUJI ROCK FEST TO FEBRUARY
Let's face it: we've all been to a few of those summer music festivals held at ski resorts: Rainbow 2000, Fuji Rock, The Gathering, etc.
I didn't see any empty parking spaces then, did you?
Let's move all those music festivals to the winter, and re-legalize magic mushrooms for the duration of the ski season.
I feel this idea would attract a greater number of people to the resorts each winter.
It would have the indirect benefit of drowning out, if not fully obviating, the piped-in J-Pop that ruins the day for so many resort customers.
5. ADD JAPANESE SKI RESORTS TO THE "AXIS OF EVIL"
I feel this step would focus a great deal of media attention on Japanese ski resorts. This means busloads of journalists and media support teams, glaring lights and million$s of $$$ of free publicity for Japanese resorts.
After a short period of time, hundreds of thousands of US troops would build up at Japanese ski resorts, and all of these people would be paying customers on their vacation days and thus revitalize the local economy. If the rest of the world agrees, then NATO troops might also join and add to the boom effect.
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I'd like to go skiing in Japan, but I am trapped in Walled Lake, Michigan.
What are Japanese ski resorts going to do about that, then?
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http://www.tetongravity.com/clips/clips.htm
I would never do this.
But I will always be glad to watch it!
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Where does Cheeseman stand on this boycott of French wine and cheese?
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Guys, why don't we have pity on him and let him go nude except for black leather chaps?
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Yeah...
I know a lot of people who think the way I do. I wonder what is going on...the current government does not seem to reflect the opinions of the average citizen, yet with each passing day their reckless, bizarre position becomes more entrenched and irreversible.
On the other hand I think there are plenty of Americans who simply swallow whatever CNN or Fox News ("Fair and Balanced"...) says, without question. Sad to say but a lot of US citizens are very ignorant about anything outside of the US ranging from ancient history to current events.
Furthermore, they are easily manipulated by what seems to me to be ludicrously heavy-handed, broad-brush jingoistic media messages about Freedom and Mighty Resolve etc.
I've tried to have polite conversations about the background of the Iraq crisis, only to be shouted down aggressively in the most bullying, "Patriotic" way...including all the trite rhetorical bells and whistles that I thought two generations of movies and TV shows had de-bunked in this country: people actually say/really believe stuff like "...and so we've got to teach 'Them' a lesson" (ask who 'They' are and you are angrily accused of supporting terrorists); "THEY are all just jealous of our FREEDOM and LIBERTY"; "THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH OIL...THEY BOMBED US, ATTACKED US ON OUR OWN SOIL" etc. etc.
Finally, they are utterly absorbed in the most trivial things, pouring their emotional and philosophical lives into TV shows, sports contests, popular music and entertainment...they've grown up that way and seem to exist as adults in a child's world of Teams and fantasy football/baseball leagues...a totally idiotic perspective when we are racing down a path to war and creating an environment where other countries now announce their plans to beef up nuclear arsenals. Check out the CNN website on any day to see the absurd juxtaposition of horrifying news about nukes, war, Bin Ladin, N. Korea, etc. right next to fat-filled news of entertainers, sports stars, character assassination ploys or lurid crimes. It's surreal.
Everybody knows we have a terror problem in the US and many other countries. Now what is the best way to reduce/prevent terror attacks in the long run?
Maybe I am an idiot, but I never figured it would be "blow up a few truly nasty Arabs while killing some innocent ones too, including women and children." That's cutting off your nose to spite your face.
Another thing: you know that sneering tone in which statements of Arab terrorists are reported in English..."with Allah's blessing we will turn the heathen's land into a sea of fire..."
Is that really qualitatively any different from the arch-Christian righteous statements of Bush about the "Axis of Evil" and "God Bless America" and all that?
I wonder if there isn't some guy in Iraq who snorts when he sees Bush's quotes translated into his own tongue.
Sheesh.
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Zooks, since you bring it up, let me just say I had to stop using gators because their tails get in the way onslope and at lunch in the lodge they keep trying to eat the other skiers.
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If you buy the right acid-washed drainpipe-leg jeans, you can dispense with the gaiters and duct tape, no problem.
Just tuck those straight tight legs right into the old boot there friends.
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Re what Bob said, above...it's really strange to me, too.
There aren't any choppers here in rural Michigan, but whenever I see the news or what this-or-that American politician said, it seems more and more like some weird hawkish shortsighted group of right-wing bastard corporate frontmen have highjacked the entire country...
I am terrified at what is going on, and each day the headlines are more and more incredible. It's like we are in a totally absurd, different world than existed less than two years ago.
Check out today's zinger, below... I couldn't believe this petty, snotfaced posing...it has always been my understanding that a politician's ONLY goal is TO GET RE-ELECTED. What bugs me these days is what they think they have to do/say to get re-elected...is this stuff really what the American people want? Is the majority of American people really this tragically duped, ignorant and unredeemable?:
"WASHINGTON - Some members of Congress are suggesting the United States impose trade sanctions on France and withdraw U.S. troops from Germany to retaliate for opposition to U.S. policies on Iraq, the Washington Post reported Wednesday.
House Speaker Dennis Hastert has told associates he would like to target bottled French mineral water and wine, the paper said.
"France and Germany are losing credibility by the day and they are, I think, losing status in the world," the Post quoted House Majority Leader Tom DeLay as saying. "They are walking a fine line that is very dangerous."
Hastert has instructed Republican colleagues to determine whether Congress should pass laws that would new impose health standards on bottles of Evian and other French waters, the paper said. "
Have a nice day.
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Keep those pics, Mogs! Build up that documentary evidence.
One of these days we are going to get our revenge and stick it to them!
It's a conspiracy!!
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Yaro, two things:
First, what is stopping you from getting the knee sussed out? At least find out what you are dealing with.
Second (and this is just me), I'd rather have a broken leg than a blown ACL.
NOTE: I don't think you have a blown ACL, I am just illustrating what I feel is the lesser of two evils--a broken bone, which heals 100% and within about 6 weeks, vs. ligament damage, which requires surgery and extensive rehab and is rarely 100%...
Does ya haves medical insurance? Hie the to a medical man or hottie medical woman...
Zwelgen you're right on with the hottie rehab component. Motivation!
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I posted this on a different BBS a couple of days ago.
I and my wheelie board bag had a spot of trouble checking into NorthWorst last October (Tokyo to Detroit).
"What's in the bag?" they asked me.
"A lot of stuff...clothes, books, personal items, shoes, a snowboard..."
"SNOWBOARDS ARE 15,000 YEN EXTRA"
"Uh...so if there were no board in this bag, then no fine? The bag itself is OK?"
"SNOWBOARDS ARE 15,000 YEN EXTRA SIR"
"So if I take out the board, the bag is OK, no fine?"
"SIR BOARDS REQUIRE SPECIAL CARE SO WE HAVE TO CHARGE EXTRA..."
Twenty minutes and two tantrums later, they dropped the fine and we moved on to the next gambit.
"PLEASE SIGN THIS SIR." The paper said:
I have received my luggage in damaged/partially missing condition because I failed to properly pack and/or mark fragile items. I hereby waive any and all claims against NW Airlines and release NW Airlines from any liabilty under contract, treaty or otherwise.
"Uh...excuse me...this says I've already received my luggage from you in damaged condition, but I haven't even checked in yet...are you planning to damage it?"
"SIR EVERYONE HAS TO SIGN THAT BEFORE GETTING ON THE PLANE. IT'S UP TO YOU. YOU CAN'T GET ON IF YOU DON'T SIGN IT."
I thought about throwing another tantrum, but I really needed that first bloody mary. So I signed the paper "Ronald Reagan" and sailed through directly to the bar.
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You guys are goofs, all dupes of corporate marketing campaigns. You don't need all that "technical" gear.
Disgusting vintage snow wear or jeans and a snorkel parka are the shizz-nit...and you better figure it out FAST or else be an onslope dope!
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Here in Detroit the average traveler is a shockingly obese waddler well in excess of 130 kg.
So 67 kg me and my slighly-over-the-limit bag weigh much, much less than these staggering fatties, even if said fatties have zero luggage--not ****** likely.
Yet I am the one that would have to pay a fine for "excess weight".
And some poor sod sitting next to these giant bobbling-brisket tubs of lard would have a flabby gut spilling over the armrest into their seat.
My stepsis once sat next to an elephantine monstrosity who put up the armrest and refused to put it back down. When the stewardess was called over to mediate, it was discovered that the armrest could not be put down...the uncontrollably sprawling guts of this fatty prohibited it.
What a world.
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Pot gives me a crushing headache and makes me feel brain-damaged, totally introverted and unhappy. I hate the stuff!
Many years ago, it used to make me laugh and feel good. But as I got older the effect gradually became 100% awful. Now I would never even do one puff.
Actually, this is the typical pattern for me for almost every recreational drug. It starts out amazingly fun, but over time my body seems to turn it into unpleasantness.
Right now, I am feeling that way about BOOZE. One beer and I just want to be alone or take a nap. More than one, and I can feel the hangover begin even as I am drinking it...
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I believe marijuana should be legalized and taxed just like ciggies and booze.
As for trying to rehab the image of marijuana by touting its medical benefits and the utility of hemp, forget it. That will never work. Nobody wants to hear about that. Marijuana is mostly a pleasure drug and should be accepted as such.
As for the medical utility of marijuana, I know it works for some things.
When my mother was having extensive chemotherapy, she was constantly nauseous/throwing up, and foods took on strange tastes (e.g., sweet melons were horribly sour and salty etc.). She was wasting away and the docs were alarmed.
She tried an array of anti-nausea and similar drugs but not only did they fail to work, but they also had other unpleasant side effects. Mom didn't need that crap, she was hurting so bad as it was.
A neighbor brought over some marijauna, mom smoked a small bowl or two, then sat up in bed and ate a small meal and felt fine and happy for hours. No puking. No nausea. Food tasted much better. The correct medical term for this is "The Munchies".
It continued to work well for her during her chemo.
I know a couple other people who have found it is the best remedy for this or that medical problem.
I am sure some people use the "medicinal purposes" argument merely to enjoy the recreational effects of pot.
Too bad they have to stoop to this gambit thanks to the ignorant short-sightedness of a schoolmarmishly prejediced legal system that demonizes this particular substance while allowing other equally "harmful" substances to flood the market with ads and products.
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Given the lack of powder days here in Walled Lake, Michigan I sometimes spend a jolly day finding new things to try on the slope to keep myself entertained.
I tried to make a rule to do at least 10 fakie runs per day, and actually did it one day.
It was like going back to being a beginning boarder...sudden slap-down falls, endos, inability to turn when I wanted to resulting in excessive speed then a slam-down...
Screw that!
Then I tried a more mellow stance--12 degrees front and 0 degrees back. I could ride fakie much better, but because my legs were trying to move as if I were still running my usual, very forward stance, my knees got constantly torqued and afterward they clicked and hurt for a couple days.
Back to my original stance.
The next project: mount my bindings switch (right foot forward) and see if I can ride that way.
I'm guessing I'll be better at riding switch fakie than plain old switch.
See how much fun you can have in Michigan?
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Hey, man, sorry to hear you tweaked your knee, that's no fun. My advice is to baby it because when you hit 50 or so, you will be glad you did. You sound like you already know about knees, but here's my two cents' worth...
If you really must continue your on-snow activities this season, then how about at least putting a supportive brace on the knee and also try to strengthen the leg muscles as much as you can to help protect the joint from any further damage?
Frankly speaking, you should maybe end your season now (!!!) to rest and see what happens, or quickly have that knee examined by an orthopedic doc. The doc will manipulate the joint to find out what does and does not hurt, and depending on the result, may recommend an MRI scan to get a clear pic of what is going on inside it (x-rays show mostly bone, and do not show much soft tissue such as cartilage and ligaments).
You could have a bruised or sprained joint, in which case you should rest it then slowly rehab to make sure the supporting muscles stay strong.
You may have torn cartilage (what posters above refer to as "meniscus"). In the case of a minor tear, you may choose to do nothing as it will not significantly affect your life...sometimes waiting a year to see how it goes is a good idea. Why have unnecessary surgery?
If the knee continues to be a problem or if the tear is large/obtrusive, then you'll probably need arthroscopic surgery (where they insert small needle-like tubes in your knee and snip out the hangnail-like tear). Recovery time is quick (1-2 weeks to get walking again) and you should be 100% again in a couple months, provided that you do your rehab RELIGIOUSLY.
You may have a stretched ligament (as you mentioned), in which case a doc would prescribe rest and limited motion for 6 weeks or so. The ligament will tighten itself back up. It will absolutely NOT heal while you continue boarding and jumping etc...and the longer you wait to rest it for the several weeks required, the less likely it is to tighten up properly when you eventually do. Also, using the knee when one of the ligaments is hyperextended causes other damage due to mechanical instability...try loosening the lug nuts on a car wheel, then driving around. Same idea here with knees.
You may have a partial or complete ligament tear, but that seems very unlikely because you would notice more mechanical instability in the joint and probably have much more swelling and pain. Arthroscopic surgery could again be used to fix a ligament tear, though the recovery time is months, not weeks...again, doing rehab to restore full range-of-motion and muscle strength is crucial.
Seems like most pro boarders and skiers have blown one or more knee ligaments, then rehabbed back into shape. Let's wait 40 years to see how all these knees fare into retirement age. Not too well I would think.
I saw a chick run the slopestyle at the X Games last week with a completely blown ACL. The announcers said she'd been staying off the snow as much as possible because she wanted to compete in the X Games even with the injury...she did a fine run and landed a huge jump, finished the course then collapsed and had to be helped off. So much for that knee. I hope it was worth it.
If you want to play doctor, check out this link for some hints on self-diagnosis of knee injuries: Heal, Brother!!
What kind of insurance do you have?
Are you in Tokyo?
If so, I can recommend a great orthopedic doc not far from Shinjuku. She is an avid skier and speaks more than enough English to get by. Though a surgeon by trade, she would never do an unnecessary surgery and emphasizes rehab, patience and care. I saw her for a severely sprained elbow in '97, and again for a torn cartilage (meniscus) in my knee in '01.
I heard the "pop" and got the tear while trying to teach Mogski how to do moguls on a snowboard. For a couple months I had symptoms much like yours: sometimes the leg would lock painfully or not extend or bend all they way...there was constant clicking, locking and popping...I was sure I needed surgery to fix the problem, I was a long way from home, and the sun appeared dark in my eyes.
However, I talked to some acquaintances who'd blown out an ACL (a knee ligament sometimes torn by skiers who fall backwards over their ski tails, or by boarders who land hard on the flats) and/or had their knee smashed playing soccer. Both they and the Net suggested that 6 months is considered "not much time at all" in the life of a knee, so I waited...
I did some surfing over the summer that initially bothered the knee by forcing a different and extended range-of-motion, but must have built flex muscle tone. After a few weeks the knee felt better than ever. It occasionally catches, twinges or aches, but that I can live with. I certainly don't need any surgery right now. Arthro surgery is no big deal and I can always have it later on if I need to.
I had it once in college for a different problem, and damn did I get some great painkillers!
Anyone here ever tried Percodan?
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Jeez Ocean, that sounds right up my alley. I am dying to try out an Alpine setup. A demo would be the perfect introduction.
I likes to ride fast and slice it up with my edges, to the astonishment of beginner/intermediate skiers lying prone upon the crest of the newfallen groomed hardpack snow...
If I were still in Japan, I would definitely take you up on this kind offer. And bring my full body armor too so there would be no excuses for not committing 100% to each turn!
I hope you go and let us know how it feels when a soft-booter gets hard!
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Yeah, drop bombs on the problem with heroic and mighty patriotic resolve. That's sure to stop terrorism. I can already see how well this approach is working. Soon, "the terrorists" will realize their mistake and we can get back to our peaceful democratic lives like before. Why did nobody realize this before? If you're not supporting this, you are supporting "the terrorists" because I learned from TV and CNN that there is no other way.
The sooner we "act decisively" the better off we'll be. I'm tired of pantywaist hypothetical bleeding-heart discussion about which group or dictator we allegedly supported in the past with covert ops, weapons and funding, or why countries with some of the world's greatest most valuable natural resources remain essentially medieval kingdoms or faux-theocracies governed by rich manipulative oil family barons like their Daddy before them (er, no reference to our great President intended here...he was elected fair and square without help from oil, defense and multinational corporate contributions and neither he nor his Daddy nor his brother the Governor of Florida has ties to the petroleum industry or religious right...anyone can be President of the US and we, a democracy, have no rich family dynasties as the Kennedys and Bushes prove).
It's plain that these US-haters are simply jealous of what we have--Freedom--and that is why we grossly obese energy-gobbling super-sized Americans are somewhat unpopular in the mud huts and dysenteric markets of the Arab and African world for example. These people just don't get that we Americans will take a Patriotic stand for Freedom and fight for it. If the rest of the world knew this, they could sleep much better.
On the domestic front, I'm comfortable that the President has my best interests at heart. Shame on anyone who opposed his first major proposal after getting elected: "Oil Drilling in the Alaskan Wilderness".
Have a nice day
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A subscription to Blunt kept me sane for my first few years in Japan...what a great magazine that was.
I remember their practical joke tips column. One gag in particular involved freezing vomit into flat patties. Then, on a hot summer day, you'd find a car with the window cracked open a half-inch or so, and slide in the frozen vomit patty. It would thaw out on the seat and when the owner came back he'd wonder how there could possibly be puke on the passenger seat of his locked car.
Larry Flynt Publications picked up Blunt in the late 90's and it did not appear thrive in that culture. The people involved just kind of moved on, though you still sometimes see good articles by Nathan Yant in other mags.
I was thinking the other day how basically crappy and incestuous today's snowboard mags are. You have Snowboarder and TW Snowboarding...the same old interviews with this month's bro-brah pro and a thousand ads with a pic of some pro rider and the name of a binding, board, goggle, watch, coat, etc.
Sure would be nice to hear something other than this cozy corporate propoganda. In many ways it is as rigidly sterile, programmed, fake and lilly-white as Friends and Beverly Hills 90210. Nothing against fictions--they are what put gas in my tank--but a change would be nice.
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My player's got Blood for Blood, Aereogramme and the Del McCoury Band in it right now.
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The Tokyo company where I worked had a department that handled sales in the Arab world. A number of Japanese salarymen in that department sported facial hair--extremely unusual at such an ultra-conservative, old-style Japanese company. When I complimented them on their individualistic look, they shook their heads and explained:
"In our sales territory, clean-shaven men are considered homosexuals. Therefore, we must grow beards for the company's sake."
What a world.
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If you like Jackass, check out the CKY series (try searching Amazon.com). Bam Margera and his buddies were making these even before Jackass ever aired, in the grand tradition of the worst moments of the old Whiskey and skate vids.
Advice for boarders who try skiing again
in Snow talk, trip reports, Japan avalanche & backcountry
Posted
After 8 seasons of boarding, I'm about ready to give skiing a try again.
When I gave up skiing in the late 80's, it was long thin 190s and boring as all heck.
The clothes were better than now though.
Has any snowboarder on this site gone back to skiing after a long absence?
What was it like? Was your skiing different than before you took up boarding? What about all this newfangled gear?
Any tips on technique, equipment or style for that first day back on two planks?