[Who did Kagura yesterday?]

Really envious of you guyz still at it at this time of the year in THIS season.

 

Those pix are pretty sweet - 2m + ???

 

Hell out west here it didn't even peak at 2m this year - anywhere!

 

No time (or money) for the long hauls.

 

Sigh!

[How to protect the snowboard base]

As Samurai said - hot waxing and dribbling it over the edges is the way to go.

If you haven't got the time or equipment, that "nasty" spray wax is surely better than nothing.

 

I used it a couple of years back and the base & edges were fine in December. But you need to get that stuff off before doing a real wax again.

G'luck

[Onsen at ski resort prank (very funny!)]

The concept merits a chuckle -

 

But, sorry I don't find putting people in unexpected potentially dangerous situations funny in the least.

 

Witness the first guys backward roll - an ugly neck-snapper waiting if there ever was.

 

Too much of this anal slapstick masquerading as humour on Japanese TV.

 

The 3 stooges did it generations ago - to themselves, but inflicting physical abuse on the innocent for laughs has surely had its day.

 

Nyuk, nyuk, nyuk!

[A falling snow]

This season it's a very appropriate sign.

 

I think we had a falling snow last week.

 

I wasn't sure coz it disappeared so quickly.

[What is this fella?]

Bushy - no insult intended.

 

But from the angle the foto was taken, I'd swear he's one of the razorback clan snorting around back of Broken Hill.

 

Altho a tad cleaner.

[What is this fella?]

Bushpig - or a relative of.

[Snowboarding's introduction/acceptance in Japan?]

Bushy -

Was up over New Years. 2days Mizu, 2days Utopia 1day Tengoodstones. Caught the end of that first real dump of the season - but then it friccin rained and warmed up an....and....AND!

 

Haven't been back coz too much money to throw away and timing wise missed the dump of last week.

Altho had a cold turkey sniff at the lil' dinky Tokushima Ikawa course with the kid. New snow & relatively few peeps for a freezing Saturday. Just a bit boring after 15mins.

 

BTW when I was at Mizuho in Jan. asked 2 lots of foreigners if any of them was a bushpig or knew one. Errr.....no.

 

Next time.

[Setsubun]

Bean there...!

[What do you have more of in your house than 9/10 SJers wouldn't]

I'm not sure about "More of anything" but in the "Least of anything" category I think I'd be neck & neck in the cash - you know the dosh, moola, coin, yen department.

 

I'm open to all donations to reverse this state of affairs and get me into the Most league.

[Another exciting ski poles question]

Poles apart, Poles apart.

[Ski Pics from the Northern Flatlands!]

For us ice skating/rock-hopping out west here that's cruel.

 

I'm surprised the moderators didn't snuff those pix for causing undue suffering.

[maintenance question - rust in the edges/base of a ski?]

In the world of edges,

 

RUST NEVER SLEEPS.

[Snowboarding's introduction/acceptance in Japan?]

Bushy - Still is!

 

Tenguston is a boarder free zone on weegenz.

 

Atmosphere is like "Hey, everyone must be working today, coz this place is em-pi-tee."

 

But across the hill at Mizuho it's like,

"Shit look at that guy he's using 2 thin boards"

"No, no - that's called skiing. Some old people do it do keep their joints from freezin'up"

[Public Enemy]

Thanks for the info.

 

Sam - I read some of the epic forums from time to time. Good stuff!

 

As always everyone has their personal leanings. For me handling well on not so good surfaces is paramount.

My 6 yr old K2 5000's didn't chatter (much), held a good edge on ice, turned the breeze, and dealt pretty well with the lumps. I never had to work em too hard - they did it!

I wouldn't want to go to anything that at least couldn't cut it with them.

 

I was always inclined to think that a true mid waist would be struggling a little on the harder stuff, but EBC's experience is not so.

 

I think I'll go that way. Just got to convince my better half that new ski's are more important than the winter fuel bills, finishing the fence, new roof for the carport, car shaken in March etc, etc...???

[The longest hangover]

January 1st, 1996 until January 7th.

 

First New Year with the prospective in-laws.

 

Beer, wine, sake of unknown quantities together with a dose of food poisoning made being alive unbearable for 3 days, terrible for 3 days and a little better than dead for 2 days.

 

I never want to go there again.

[Good movies you've seen recently]

Finally caught up with da vinci code.

 

Hard tale to tell.

 

Far too much "stuff" to deal with in 2+ hours.

 

All a jumble.

[Public Enemy]

EBC gave a good rap on her Public Enemy sticks which got me interested.

Wangel online have got last years model for ￥29000 and my size.

Just a couple of queries - in reality as I'm out west, I'm not going to be doing much skiing off piste or in deep powder (lucky to get shallow) or playing parks.

So in the opinion of others, would I be frustrated just cruising the mountain? I love turning and how would their widish footprint behave on piste (crud ~ freshies)for such?

I wouldn't hesitate if I was skiing central or north.

Any comments appreciated.

[TR: full moon winter camping in hakuba]

EBC - thanks for that great tent shot.

Looks so good that you'd think it was set up for a beer CM.

[Swiss Vs Japan]

Cheese?

 

No contest. Swiss - holes and all - shames the rubbery wax of Japan.

[1st slides]

Been off line for quite a bit, but just a few words re the first slides of the year.

A late(ish) start to the season all round, no more so than here in the West. Spent 5 days in Hiroshima & Shimane on barely passable snow. This time last year was cutting the cream cheese on the same slopes.

But can't complain, had a buzz with other families for 2 days and enjoyed with the wife & kid for the remainder.

Just a few noted points:

-ive:

- boarders and skiers lines really are poles apart no more apparent than on congested slopes due to resorts not fully open. No finger pointing, but esp learning boarders really do have a blind side that can create real problems. I watched from a lift an almost scripted comical situation where 2 boarders - 1 goofy - on either side of a widish (60+m) course, slid closer and closer to each other, completely unaware of each others presence to finally collide back to back in the centre of the course. Didn't look good.

- a boarder who wiped out near us waiting right on the margins - read tree line - does his backward rollover to get upright again(wadda call that), edge shaving my kids face by only 10cms.

- a kid skier who obviously can't turn (or stop quickly) runs into the back of my wife. We were practising turns on the course edge away from the grems, but...? Where were the parents - Ha bloody Ha.

- a wanky skier tries to change sides of the lift over his daughter, AFTER the lift is moving. What a cock up. Where was his parents???

- on already painfully thin snow, why do boarders who haven't got the confidence to go straight down over icy patches or steeper sections, grade the shit out of the slope baring grass & dirt. I'm sure they're oblivious to it all. Skiers bogganin' down definitely don't do the same damage. Everyones gotta learn but get it right before moving onto inter & above slopes.

 

+ives:

- so nice to get out of the city and into the mountains.

- so good to finally accept that skiing for me is not about me and my mindset. Enjoying with friends, taking it easy, watching the kids (10 of 'em)have fun and getting a big buzz out of them improving.

- skiing over the mountain with my daughter (8yrs). She follows me, sometimes I follow her, she sings as she slides - a joy.

- having an 11 0'clock beer and a 1:30 wine at break time. Takin' it sleazy.

- restaurants became non-smoking. Woooo-blooody-Wooo! Yes! The days of poisonous incubators gone?

- the generally good feelings of all riders towards ea other on the mountain. Conditions were not the best at all 3 resorts, but generally people smiling, friendly and creating a good atmosphere.

- and to Stingy Mizuho (Shimane pref) for giving the first semblance of a long awaited discount package of any sort - stay at the local onsen - nice rooms/cottages - on a week day and you get free carparking and 2 days lift ticket for the price of one. Saved us 3 about ￥17000.

 

Now it's dumping and we are home, but hope to get amongst it again soon(???)

[Bikini Parade planned for Sydney mosque.]

l'sp - you're quite right in your mark on "tolerance". It inherently manifests itself in negativity, although the degree decidely depends upon the user & context - as are 1,000's of other "loaded "words in the English language.

 

Anglo-Saxon is always one such word that intrigues me. It was once a term used in reference to the historical merging of 2 societies/cultures and the resultant bretheren(esses). Now it seems it is a common term of villification.

 

And for extra loading add White.

 

Apparently the term loosely identifies the native English speaking nations - but I doubt many pure Angle / Saxony descendants exist. I myself tend to connect with the plaided ones of celtic origin.

 

RagD - I agree, as many would, the issues at hand are far deeper and complex than "simple intolerance"

 

To expect humankind to display a global acknowledgement, understanding & acceptance (is that loaded?) is possibly beyond the realms.

Witness the daily savagery wielded by peoples of their own ilk/communities/societies upon each other and sadly the future prospects of harmonious relations draws further and further away.

 

But I think, as Ragd so well stated, living in liberal (is that loaded?) societies affords us the opportunity to attempt to discuss and debate and hopefully right some of the wrongs and inequalities.

 

Theocracies of all bents historically haven't been able to provide such tolerant (ooops) worlds.

["The Ashes starts tomorrow!"]

Thanks again SG

 

Listened for 3.5 days while making and painting a garden fence and gate.

 

Time slipped by smoothly.

 

And the ABC commentary was so much better than all the commercial stations broadcasts/telecasts I recall of years ago.

 

My reception was pretty spot on all the time.

[Bikini Parade planned for Sydney mosque.]

Histrionics, Semantics ....tics aside, Mantas call is on the money.

 

The said Hilaly's intent, while only truly known to himself, is fairly open to critical analysis & definition based on a predictable pattern of inflammatory comments espoused over a good many years.

 

The luxury of speaking liberally in a liberal society (with such liberties not so forth coming in his beloved homeland) attracts the greatest liberty of all - that is to be as equally liberally condemned.

 

When, within the borders of a liberal country, a cartoon was displayed causing angst to Muslims, the resultant furore resulted in massive demonstrations, destruction and even death.

 

A few bikinis on show - not my line, but hardly a call to arms.

 

Mr Hilaly is peddling his intolerances on borrowed time and the tolerant ones have been pretty well damn accepting - up til now.

[Vid for LE Spu die kartoffel]

Farq - Thanks for that.

 

Cool watching with unhyped musik.

 

And verticals?

 

Jeez - looked like chuting the Eiffel.

 

Ahh - Refreshed.

["The Ashes starts tomorrow!"]

Bushy & SG - you know you have made life very difficult.

 

Before I could just check the live scoreboard.

 

Now, being so weak-willed, I'm confined to the chair, waiting for the sun to pass over the yard-arm, to have my 1st drink at the cricket.

 

And I've got a million other more productive things to do - read must!

 

But- Hey, Thanks.