barok

I think there are big differences in beginner slopes. Zwelly I am surprised that you didn't pimp your home mountain. Nozawa Onsen has an incredible beginner slope that is two lifts long, wide, well groomed, and has beautiful views. It is not in Hokkaido, but it is the best beginner slope I have seen. Hakuba 47 didn't really even have a beginner slope. I taught a couple J-girls at Noz and they had a great time, and learned how to snowboard (linking consecutive turns) in one day. When it snows, the snow is soft, and it can't be beat.

thrills OR comfort, either way you just gotta have a plan. If you are going for comfort, a good plan (finding the best deals and routes) can save you 50% easy. If you are going for thrills, a good plan can get you to the mountain when you want to be there with the right people, good food, nice place to stay if you need it, for little more than bare-bones budget, and to me pulling up to an empty lot and a mountain full of powder is the best piece of mind you can find.

Goals - got em written down somewhere backside 180's and 360's off big jumps switch backside 180's, 360's off of big jumps fronside 720's, 900's off big big backcountry stuff pull at least one of each of the following - misty flip, rodeo 540, backflip, frontflip pull corked 540's and other off-axis jumps jump 100 feet backside boardslide boardslide kinked rails gap to boardslide 360 to 50/50 on a straight rail learn about a million halfpipe tricks ride 100 days spend a month in British Columbia compete in the local halfpipe circuit get into pharmacy school

So I have noticed myself getting this feeling as of late, see if anyone can identify. I am just going about my daily business, when I make a decision to do something, say, cross the street - I look for cars, but I have already taken my first steps. I see the cars coming for me, but because I have already set myself on this course of action, I am powerless to turn back - It all culminates in this slow motion - "What the hell am I doing . . . I need to turn back . . . Why am I still running out into traffic . . . That car is coming right for me . . . Wow! I almost got hit by that car" kin

WOOOOOOO ! ! ! DRUGS ! ! ! The most popular recreational drug in America is Caffeine, by far. It is found in coffee and will wake you up. Number 2 would have to be alcohol, It can be found in beer. It makes you charming, strong, brave, and more attractive to the opposite sex. It is also known for making members of the opposite sex appear more attractive. After that you have marijuana. It can be found in marijuana. Effects include chillin' groovin' and a real stony heady buzz. It is basically a harmless drug, but can have adverse effects on people's motivation and ability

I am under the impression that prostitution is illegal in Japan - but that like so many other lawbreaking activities, it is ignored by the cops. Is this right ? Anyway. . . Gotta disagree with you badmigraine, not based on any personal experience, but saw a doc where a long-time porn industry worker was talking about all of the people that he has known and worked with, and how he doesn't even try to make friends in the industry anymore, because almost everyone he had known had as a result of their jobs, turned in to pathetic junkies and crack-whores. The guy just got fed up watchin

the yakiniku sauce is key, yo.

most common injuries amongst intermediate to advanced snowboarders are broken wrists. I knew a guy in Hakuba who had one of his forearm bones exit his hand after a crash off the big kicker on one of the last days of the season. Intermediate to advanced skiers have alot of head injuries, because they overshoot the landings of their jumps, and land all wrong.

If you could be anyone for a day, who would you be ? Now take that question and extend it into the past with Hindsight 20/20. If you could be anyone for a day, in history, who would you be and in what point in time/day of their life would you jump to ? and why ?

miteyak - maybe it is "aye" but I don't think so. But the situation to which I am referring would be one where people ask for a count of votes. "Who in this family votes in favor of moving to Nozawa ?" "I." "I." "I." "I." "Well, the I's have it then, pack up yer stuff." Ocean - Yeah I figgered some snakes and some flying insects, but not all of them. Whales - I think that depends on how you define jump - did you mean beach or breach ? I guess I don't know what breach is. If that was a typo - beaching doesn't fit my definition for jump. As for paper folding, I

yeah, I just got back here to the States - fat people, bad food (dare I eat my words), English language everywhere yah go in all of it's dialects and bastardizations, and yeah, rude service people. I miss Japan like a long lost friend, but the weather here is great!

Unpopular - sure, unappetizing -possibly, but somebody please tell me, what the hell is sooooo scary about human cloning. Is it the human organ farms complete with rows encepholatic clones hooked up to matrix-like life-support baths , or the legions of hyper-obedient super-soldiers that has everybody's imagination up in arms? maybe I just answered my own question.

Always with that paper folding thing. I have folded many a piece of paper in half 8 times, even folded a few pieces of paper in half nine times. Think about taking a 100m long piece of toilet paper, seperate it so that it is one ply, then you go 50m 25m 12.5m 6.25m 3.125m 1.5625m 0.78125m that is 7 folds. are you telling me you couldn't fold a piece of 128-ply toilet paper that was almost a meter long in half ? I think it would be easy, and if not, just get it wet, and she'd fold at least two more times. and yeah, I would be surprised to see plenty of animals jump - worms, snakes, slugs

Good stuff ! ! Is music yer full time thing ? How is bizznizz ? I found it to be tough - I was a promoter for 5 years, and I found that it was impossible to work a job in the business with any conviction whatsoever if you don't absolutely love what you are doing. but I guess as an artist, you probably try to get away from the biz aspect of things as much as possilbe ?

Going back home. . . tomorrow. Reason - pharmacy school - or at least that is the plan. Probably will come back to live in Japan again, when I get the chance, but for now, I am homeward bound. Had a lot of fun in Japan, my year here exceeded my (very high) expectations. Had fun on the message board as well, and will of course continue to post. Bye everyone ! !

As Gavin`s car careened wildly around the fourth switchback, swiping the guardrail and then swinging back towards the rocks, barely making the turn, I looked over to find my friend slouched over the wheel, cold passed out. I punched him in the head, in an attempt to get him conscious again, no good ! ! ! We were headed for the next turn. . . car accelerating no guardrail drunk driver fast asleep In a last desperate attempt, I replaced the Barbara Streisand`s Greatest Hits CD that was in the automobile`s pumped up sound system, with Svendla`s CD, which I had snagged at the la

So yeah, what are some good souvenirs ? What have you bought here in Japan, or anywhere else for that matter, that has been truly appreciated. Alcohol seems like an obvious choice to give to men, but what about women ?

That`s weird, I had the same dream as both of you. . . but 2 people can`t have the same dream can they ? And if they can, then can somebody have the same dream as 2 other people, even if one of them is dreaming about the other one ?

Come on you guys - you know the answer to your own questions. Why don`t the bars, restaurants, hotels in tipping countries just raise their prices and pay the staff properly ? Because competitive pricing is the way such businesses attract customers. And I`m sure that in America, such a practice would be seen as communist. Your not a . . . communist are you db, kamo ?? Advertising competitive prices and screwing their employees is the way that these businesses run. Other kinds of business scrape their customers - not aimed at you db, but from a customer`s perspe

It`s not that hot - I mean has it even hit 30 C recently ?

the list of celebs waiting to get on is huge. mind you this is heresay.

it sucks here.

I think it has been a pretty mixed bag throughout the years - some weeks you get a great episode, some weeks its mediocre. Recently they have been coming up with just crazy ideas, because the Simpson family has done everything. I like those episodes when they abandon all grip on reality.

Weegeoff - Me watching my own news? Better than you pulling it out of your magic hat. A quick websearch will reveal . . . ta da . . . On March 24, 1999, NATO launched an attack on Yugoslavia, making good on a long-standing threat to strike if Serbs refused to sign a peace plan for Kosovo. The assault included air- and sea-launched cruise missiles and bombing runs by American, German and French aircraft. And for the record, I never supported the US invasion of Iraq. I think the whole thing sucks. Dead 14 year-old kids included. As this kid was killed in a raid, he was probably j

I just wouldn`t buy anything second hand from a store with a name like hard-off.