Oyuki kigan

well, i'm not that interesting of a guy. I gotta do something...

personally, i find it an effective way to get people to read a post. And while you are at it, may i also suggest this article written by Bill McKibben, scholar in residence at Middlebury colledge and founder of 350.org The Physics of Copenhagen Why Politics-As-Usual May Mean the End of Civilization December 08, 2009 By Bill McKibben Source: TomDispatch Bill McKibben's ZSpace Page Join ZSpace Most political arguments don't really have a right and a wrong, no matter how passionately they're argued. They're about human preferences -- for more health care or lower

Originally Posted By: ger OK, try petitioning Harper. is that a joke? as for the effectiveness of Avazz, they have had some suprisingly good results. And anyone who thinks i'm full of gloom and doom needs to read some Derrick Jensen

it really doesn't matter sometimes, depending on the grooming standards of the starlets

Can we go with the more Earth-friendly option of having him piggyback us and our gear up on opening day?

Japanese TV, the banal mix of entertainment with supposed 'news', endless 'oishiiiiiiiii's and sexism makes my not happy. Most of the porn is rather predictable as well.

Originally Posted By: SKI Give us a smile will you Oyuki? just as soon as i am back on snow, my friend. Thats all it will take.

Um, i don't know about you, but two shitty winters in a row, along with 3 in the past 5 is disturbing to say the least. Hakuba still not open with no big dump in sight. Global warming is getting me down. As we speak, the talks in Copenhagen are deadlocked, and Japan has a chance to take the lead and do something to save the talks with the Hatoyama initiative. If you give a rat's ass, please go here and add your name to the petition http://www.avaaz.org/en/hatoyama_initiative/?cl=394049144&v=4801&signup=1 Thanks

Originally Posted By: thursday I'm used to the bar. And if they're gay, then so be it.

What? The listening was the easiest part for me. The last one (the sci-fi scene with the girl running off to the prototype fighter) was pretty funny, not whar i was expecting. having said that, the rest was hell. I'll be happy if i get even 50%

Originally Posted By: Jynxx Leaving the forecast aside, Do you guys reckon that the start of the season (Japan), by this I mean consistent snow condition, is about a couple of weeks behind compared to say, 20, 10, or 5 years ago? Or rather you would say, it is not consistent anymore. Up till 20 years ago I would say there were always snow at X'mas time and if we got snow early in Dec, it was WOW. We would go then and see the snow build up. And this year, which counts the most and on topic - I think it's weird ! - It snowed in mid Oct~ early Nov in Tirol, where locals told me they ha

In 30 years on the hill, i can only remember 2 times when I've seen someone fall out of a lift, and i beleive both had safety bars. the problem in both cases wasn't them falling off, it was someone getting on improperly and clinging to the lift as it went up.

Until yesterday, there was almost no snow to the top of Happo, but this morning it was down to below the top of the gondi

Um, no. Winters 20 or 30 years ago were consitantly colder and snowier. Japan as well as North America. In Fukushima, there are houses with 2nd story exits for getting out of the house when snow would bury the first floor. Now those areas get about a meter or so. Ask around and most old folk in nagano probably remember ice skating on ride paddys when it would get cold enough. same with the pond in Stanley Park in Vancouver. Not happening anymore. Growing up in Canada, the season would start mid-November at places like Fernie. Our own town had a local hill as well, but nowad

J-pop makes me want to eat my ears

Friggin Jiminiy Cricket again, now anyone who puts down Burton is some kind of small-minded,self-righteous self-proclaimed "hardcore" snowboarder? maybe thats true for a tiny percentage of people, but for anyone who has been in the sport for a while has seen burton turn from the largest and best company into simply the largest. back in the day, all of the boards were made in Canada, vermont, or austria. Now most are made in China, with a few high-ends being still made in developed countries. Their boards used to be tough AND high performance. Now they are made to last a season (a

Originally Posted By: rider69 As a snowboarder, there is nothing worse than switching your board to head to the park. The fish isn't going to do anything in the park. That means bringing 2 boards to the mountain or heading home to change the board. The fish does one thing well only. Good Frickin Jimminy Cricket, Why would you ever venture into the park on a powder day anyways? Are you Japanese? Sarcasm aside, rockered boards seem to be great at handing most conditions fairly well. The only place i've heard complaints is if you are riding at high speed and/or conditions were y

Me? I was never on JET. But i am finished with full-time teaching, if thats what you mean. I teach 2 times a week now at some Elementary schoolz

I'll use one if i', just cruising alone, playing int he park or something, but not if i'm riding with friends. I'm mixed on the powder riding thing. Sometimes i li¥ove the sound of nature and the PHOOOMPH of turns, but i also tried a powder day riding to old dub and reggae, and it was amazing too.

Blew out my knee in Hokkaido, landibg flat off of a small jump. Screwed me for a few years, but not that painful. Just made my knee wonky. Worse was the first time i seperated my shoulder trying a switch straight air over a 30 foot table. Lost my balance, went down, and immediately as my hand went to my shoulder i was like 'wait, where did it go?", accompanied by shock and nausea. But was only out for a few weeks. Last season may have been the worst. In the 47 park was hitting a little, 3 meter kicker all day. At the end, while doing a straight air, somehow went off my toes a li

Originally Posted By: Mamabear The makers reckon they give a lot more power and control in your turns The only time you really need that much more power and control (over a normal set-up) is if you are banging gates or really, really trying to carve hard. Same with stiff boots. They give you more support for more aggressive riding, but also (as others have pointed out) are not forgiving when you fall, and your leg tweaks more at the knee because your ankle won't bend. I prefer slightly softer boots myself, i din't give up skiing so i could go back to walking like Frankenstien

It especially sucks when i have a father trying to tell me to teach their kids the 'techniques' to pass their badge tests, and i have to flatly reply that i am not JSBS certified, and specifically do not teach it because it goes against my religion. It is very, very weird to try to convince a father to let his kids have 'fun' on a ski hill as opposed to 'training'.

Originally Posted By: Mamabear What about the binding lifters/elevators? The makers reckon they give a lot more power and control in your turns - does anyone use them? no, only the carvers. Freestyle boards are made to flex, and big plates under your bindings prevent that. They are more suited to alpine. Which is suited to strictly hardpack. So if thats all you do, then try 'em out.

Originally Posted By: thursday OK, what's a badge test Badge tests are a uniquely Japanese creation (well, North America and NZ doesn't have them, not sure about Europe) They are basically applying martial arts-style thinking to skiing and snowboarding, except they aren't belt rankings, they are badge rankings. So that you, in all your competitive glory, can try to figure out just where your place is in the increadibly dull and poinltless pecking order of carving nazis. I can kind of see its appliciations to the french-ski instructor technique-otaku people, but to snowboarding i

the lack of understanding what the "A" and the "M" signify in the concept of ATMs Tons of singles riding up the lifts during busy periods Badge tests