text:
Usually the time on the trains passes by fairly easily by tuning into my iPod to shut the rest of the alien world out.
Sometimes I find myself thinking WAY too much.
Today I recalled an interesting quote from none other than a few spoken lines from the "Rush Rush" video by Paula Abdul.
"Can I ask you something? Have you ever been in love?"
--"If I was, I didn't know it. And you?"
"No. Isn't that terrible?"
--"Terrible? No, it just reminds you that we're all alone, that's all."
For some reason since what, 1991? I still remember those lines clearly. I actually paraphrased it in one of the songs I wrote way back then.
To make sure, I checked out the clip on youtube. It's not enough to consider it plagiarism, but those lines still affect me.
Hmm.. < insert pregnant pause >
One of the other things that crossed my mind is "What do I want to be when I grow up?"
Seeing that I don't feel like I've grown up yet, I still have some time left to find out.
Friday, 29 February 2008
Too Much Thinking On Trains
Usually the time on the trains passes by fairly easily by tuning into my iPod to shut the rest of the alien world out.
Posted by Jimmy In Japan at 11:31 pm 0 comments
Thursday, 28 February 2008
Yen Back? Cashback!
Today I mailed my 5000 yen cashback from Nikon for my lens purchase.
Let's see how long it takes to get it back into my hot little hands. While not a huge amount, it'll buy a LOT of Crunky.
I checked a previous post to see how long it takes for me to finish a four litre bottle of Shochu. I was shocked and surprised that it has been a month almost to the day. I maybe had a glass or two almost every night, so it sounds about right.
Japan is a great place for vices.
Alcohol and cigarettes are ridiculously cheap. I've lost a lot of weight since coming here, but I feel pretty good. I'm guessing that shochu has less carbs than beer, but it may have something to do with my changed eating habits and more active lifestyle these days.
I've done a massive cleanup of my hard drive and reclaimed over 50 gigs of space. Still, I feel like there's still some more to be had, so I'm going to do some more investigation to get even more if I can.
I bought some That's branded Taiyo Yuden DVDs for 2100 yen today. From what I've read on the internet, they are the best media you can buy.
If I can free up some more space I'm going to install music software. Living in Japan I feel inspired. It's about time to lay down some tracks. I found the chords to Rihanna's, "Umbrella". I must be have bored or something.
Don't get me wrong it's a great song. I've also been listening to some melancholy, folky Nick Drake tracks and "Lost & Safe" by The Books recommended by a friend.
The later is very different. It sounds a bit like a soundtrack with random soundbytes. Not quite songs, but perfect for a slow anesthetic to Tokyo's train trips.
Posted by Jimmy In Japan at 9:27 pm 0 comments
Wednesday, 27 February 2008
Join Us, Become One Of Us
The Yamanote line was absolutely packed this morning.
I don't know what it is, but lately I've had to really squeeze myself in to catch my train. I guess when in Rome.. There's always room for one more.
There was a strange train changeover at some small station along the way. It looks like there weren't enough passengers on the train I was on, so they made us all get off to catch the next one. Great..
I still had plenty of time to get to Yokohama though. I always give myself a good buffer to get to the office.
With a bit of time to spare I took a few photos with my new lens.
I couldn't resist and took some pics of the Joinus signs, and some places around the more populated side of the station.
The busy street next to the Vivre building.
The weird "Guggenheim"-like Bic Camera store.
The "Smoking Area" box next to the station. Too funny..
I'm really happy with the way the pictures are coming out. The pictures are mostly sharp, with some nice out of focus backgrounds.
The zoom is keeping me lazy and saving me from walking the small extra distances.
I saw this "Chorus Water" in the teacher's staff room. What next? Verse Water?, Middle 8 Water?
Before I left Yokohama I went to Don Quijote for some essentials.
The Shochu is finished so I bought myself another 4 litres (1880 yen, sweet..) It seems to finish so quickly.
I also got some Ghana chocolate for 69 yen, which is a fantastic price. No, I don't say "Ghana money", that's just silly.
Only Crunky can be spoken of in money terms.
Posted by Jimmy In Japan at 11:59 pm 0 comments
Labels: 18-200mm VR, Nikon D40x, Yokohama
Monday, 25 February 2008
Nikon A Lens And A Gundam
I'd thought she'd set her alarm early, but it was myself that made the mistake.
I accidently set my own alarm clock for 6pm instead of 6am. Lucky that. Today was going to be an interesting day.
Yesterday we finally finished the first Di Bella "Mocha and Caramel" coffee blend that my father brought here, what seems like aeons ago.
Now we can finally begin the Merlo Coffee that I brought back in the New Year. First thing tomorrow.
I missed out on my cuppa this morning. Instead I used another of Macca's free coffee coupons that I've managed to get my grubby mits on. They always look on the back now, punching some number into their sophisticated cash registers.
I'm sure they have a "Most Wanted" picture of me on their displays to check for overdue coupons. Foiled again!
After work I did the rounds of the camera stores to try to coerce the staff into giving me the best price for the 18-200mm lens I'm after.
I don't think salespeople here have heard of the concept of "making a sale".
Asking for a discount is akin to telling the person that you kissed their mommies. By the look on their faces it looks like I said the most offensive thing possible. They usually say "Best price!" Oh really..
In english, best price means cheapest in my language.
Another store basically blocked me straight away when I asked "Eigo?" (english), and they flatly said no. This was going to be a struggle.
Yodobashi were the most inclined to discount, but they are usually marked up an extra 10,000 yen anyway to compensate for any perceived sale price.
Feeling a bit down in the dumps, I walked into the UFO catcher closest to Macca's in Shinjuku East and tried my hand at another Gundam figure. It looked pretty easy and 100 yen a pop.
For 300 yen I got it, but I foolishly tried for his "brother" and lost 200 yen in the process. Dammit!
Seeing it was still fairly early, I made the decision to go to Akihabara to get the lens. At the moment there is a Nikon 5000 yen cashback on the one I want.
The cheapest price I could find online was 69,000 yen, but on the warranty card it had the date already filled in from the 17th of February, meaning the cashback wouldn't be valid on my purchase.
So, after trying Yodobashi here as well, I settled on Akihabara Outlet Plaza which had the next best price for 71,500 yen.
A bit more than I hoped for, but with the Nikon offer it's actually quite a bit less than what a lot of stores are selling this lens secondhand. Either way it's still much cheaper than current prices in Australia.
I did a few test shots. The focus hunts around a bit. I'm hoping it's just because of the low light in the apartment, or I'm trying to focus on something too close.
It's great that I can finally use auto focus, but after the cool fisheye perspectives, I feel like this one is a tad bit unsatisfying. I'll give my full judgement once I've had a good go at using it. It makes the camera quite a bit heavier too.
I didn't spend much time looking in Akihabara. The mission was just for the lens. I made my way back home straight after I got it. I was so tired.
All the pics on this post are using the new lens by the way. Hopefully I'll have something a bit more interesting to take pictures of.
Posted by Jimmy In Japan at 11:59 pm 0 comments
Labels: 18-200mm VR, Nikon D40x, UFO catchers
Tuesday, 19 February 2008
The Virtues Of P...ography Have Made Me The Man I Am Today
Hi me again,
Today I'm in the wonderful township of Fujisawa.
Now that I am in Tokyo it takes a bit longer to get here than when I used to live in Tomioka.
Now don't get me wrong, the school is kind of nice and the kids, god bless 'em are great. (I got them eating out of my hand. Oh, the power I have right now). It's just that it takes quite a while to get here, that's all.
The one good advantage, is that I don't have to get out of bed until midday, and that suits me just fine.
Before I made my way into the office I headed into Bic Camera and decided, since I had my camera with me, to try a "normal" lens on the camera that I'd bought. I also wanted to make sure the autofocus would work with a lens that had a motor.
My lens of choice was the Nikkor 18-200mm VR superzoom. The best thing apart from the zoom range is that this baby auto-focuses with my D40x because the motor is built into the lens.
While it's not as impressive as I'd hoped, it looks like a pretty good lens. From the reviews on the internet it's highly regarded. Maybe because of that it still has a bit of a high price tag.
The salespeople were kind enough to let me take a few snaps before my lessons. What do you think?
18mm self portrait. You don't want to get too close.
..like this. 200mm close up.
From far away.. (18mm)
..and close up. (200mm) You can see the same tripods in the 18mm photo above. Impressive. I guess it saves one from walking the same distance.
Decisions, decisions.
Right now I'm punch drunk happy with my fisheye.
As you can see from the picture at the top of the post, the results never fail to stand out (Look at the warped railing huh?) I'm going to try and hold out before forking over more money for stuff I don't absolutely need right now. I think the fisheye produces more than interesting results.
Oh, in the post title the missing word is "photography" Ok!?
Posted by Jimmy In Japan at 11:59 pm 0 comments
Labels: Fisheye, Fujisawa, Nikon D40x
Saturday, 16 February 2008
The Killing Spree
The intervention didn't work (ok, there wasn't one), and I still go to the UFO catchers.
I was still hankering for Wonka chocolate after we finished the Valentine's Day one.
I made a bee-line for the same Taito near Minato Mirai, but they weren't there anymore.
To my surprise I saw an ugly Lilo & Stitch doll at the bottom of one of the chutes so I picked it up. Another freebie! It was probably left there because whoever won it decided it was too butt ugly to take home.
I will probably end up donating it to one of the students.
I was a little peeved about the chocolate, so I went into Yokohama's Daiei supermarket and got some Meiji Black for 85 yen but it WASN'T enough. I was still unsatisfied.
I caught the train to Shibuya and proceeded to the Adores UFO catcher. There I saw WONKA chocolate! Again I played for it and I'm sure that I paid more for it than retail. (700-800 yen? *bah!*) The important thing is that it's mine... all mine.
At that point I should have went home but I foolishly went to the other Taito and saw a two cup espresso coffee maker. I spent 1400 yen getting it. Did I need it? No, I have one here at home. Oh boy..
How do you know when you are addicted to UFO catchers/claw machines?
1. You have a 1000 yen note broken up into 100 yen coins (just in case).
2. You play for things you don't need or really want because you are "sure it's easy to get in".
3. You watch other people have a go to make "strategies" for winning.
4. You play for the hentai dolls because they are kind of "sexy".
5. You go to the catchers at every spare opportunity to see if there's anything new in them.
It's ok if you don't think this is funny. I'm being serious! I'm sure there are many more "clues" for catcher addiction but these are all I could think of quickly enough to write this post.
You'd think with the gf away at her mother's, I'd be out partying, but no the UFO catcher monkey is well and truly on my back. I'll leave you with another Shibuya crossing photo with my new camera. Ooh, the pretty lights..
Why is there ALWAYS someone in the photo looking at me taking the picture? Hello, you've never seen anyone do this?
Posted by Jimmy In Japan at 11:44 pm 0 comments
Labels: Shibuya, UFO catchers, Yokohama
Friday, 15 February 2008
Open Space 2007
After work I took my camera to Miyama Camera to see if they could fix my small problem of a tiny hair and some spots on my viewfinder.
It's not a big thing. The marks don't show on the pictures so it's not on the sensor, but it has been slightly distracting. From forums I have read, it's very common and most people just ignore it.
It's still under its 14 (yes, that's fourteen) day secondhand warranty, so I thought that while I still had the chance, I'd see if they could correct it. I don't want to be doing anything stupid to a just bought camera that is otherwise working fine.
After quite a bit of effort the salesperson managed to get rid of the hair and most of the spots.
I did say that they were still partly there, but to be fair they would only be seen if you were really looking for them. I think I pissed him off a little, so I didn't push the issue too hard.
Later with the gf we made our way to Hatsudai near the Park Hyatt to the NTT Inter Communication Centre (ICC). Mistakenly I thought it was in the actual NTT building, but it's across the road in the Tokyo Opera City building across the road on the fourth floor.
This I found out after the gf got me to ask reception in english where it was. If we go to Italy, I'm going to get the gf to ask people in japanese for directions to see how she feels.
The Open Space 2007 is open until March 9th, 2008.
I really recommend going to this exhibition. It's like the science museum without kids. SUGOI!!
There's plenty of hands-on activities and eye candy.
Highlights were : An ice hockey amusement game where you are actually playing against yourself in a mirror!
Driftnet - create computer lightning with movement, very "sorcerer's apprentice" and..
Juggler, a real life animation done with lots of twisted metal and a strobe light.
It's hard to describe, so just watch the video.
Do yourself a favour and just go if you're in Tokyo. It's very cool.
Walking back (after pigging out on Yoshinoya), we found Yamaya, world foods and wine.
From the outside it looks like any liquor store, but I have now found a great place to get lots of yummy international food and best of all, real mango and peach juice! (and cheap alcohol, cheese etc).
If you go out the south exit of Shinjuku station and keep heading south towards Park Hyatt you'll see it on the right hand side of the road about 1km down the road.
We got three litres of mango juice (and one peach and grape) for 138 yen per litre, and some babybel cheese. Sampleman had some soy milk samples and said "good!"
For good measure we went to Krispy Kreme for doughnuts before heading home.
Along with the free one waiting in line, I bought two. The gf bought three. She said two were for her mother, and just one for herself. Yeah, right.. She makes me laugh.
Oh, by the way I got the "sister" penguin for the gf. Just 500 yen!
Posted by Jimmy In Japan at 11:33 pm 0 comments
Thursday, 14 February 2008
Valentine's Day Is Over
The curious thing about Valentine's Day is that it's the GIRLS who give the sweets to the men! Weird, but we can't complain can we?
Retailers never fail to cash in on yet another excuse to free us of our hard earned yen.
I was in Yokohama today when I saw Pocket Mart's "Valentine's Day" stalls inundated with women buying chocolates.
I'm told that in some cases the girls use it as an excuse to stuff their own mouths full of chocolate goodness, but maybe I'll believe they are DOING THE RIGHT THING and giving us the sweetness lacking in other areas.
At work I got two Lindt balls from a student which was really sweet (literally). Only one student though. When I got home I went halves with the gf.
Speaking of the gf. Even though the men don't give anything to the girls, I thought it strange not to give anything (We are supposed to return the favour on "White Day" in March).
I made my way through the streets and saw some more of the penguins the gf loves in the Club Sega.
It's funny, "Hentai girls" - bad, "Penguins" - GOOD! If I have any support of my habit, it's the pursuit of "happy feet" to keep the gf happy.
I got the staff to move it but the initial position was not that great.
Later he moved it enough to give the claw a little more leverage and tip it in. He advised me to grab it around the neck. I ignored his advice and nudged it in with one of the claw hands. Only two tries and 200 yen *ka ching!*
I wanted to get some Wonka chocolate as a secondary "gift", but they charge a ridiculous, at least 525 yen for a bar of Aussie chocolate.
I thought I'd win in at the Taito near Minato Mirai and save some money. I wasn't doing that great on this one. My mojo sucked and it took 700 yen! That was with the "give away" position from the sympathetic staff on my last try.
The gf was stoked with the penguin, but wanted a "sister" for the other penguin. *sigh* She liked the chocolate though.
OH... She made me some muffins with choco drops on top for my gift. Tasty.
I guess I will get the other sister tomorrow in Shinjuku.
Posted by Jimmy In Japan at 11:59 pm 0 comments
Labels: Yokohama
Monday, 11 February 2008
The "Lost In Translation" Hotel
Today is National Foundation Day and therefore yet another japanese public holiday. Yay for me!
After doing some "100 yen day" supermarket shopping, we went to the Chiyoda library.
They had a lot of great CDs (and DVDs too) to borrow.
I thought I could use the library card I already had, but I needed to get a separate card for this library.
Their borrowing card looks a lot cuter with two ducks on the front. kawaii.
I borrowed out a "best of" David Lee Roth, Kelly Clarkson and Jaco Pastorius. David Lee Roth?
Yes, I'm afraid so.
From there we went to the Yotsuya library where I unloaded the John Mayer, Scissor Sisters and a Rolling Stone magazine.
The Scissor Sister's CD really didn't do it for me. I don't know whether it was because the music was gay, or just really samey and well, boring.
We'd planned to go to the NTT building in Hatsudai for an interesting (and free) exhibition, but it looks like they weren't open on this public holiday.
With my "fisheye" camera I took a lot of interesting photos today including this turtle walking up the side of this building.
Until I get a normal lens, expect to see a LOT of fisheye-d pictures.
Instead we made our way to the nearby Park Hyatt and Metropolitan Government Office buildings.
The Hyatt is well known for being the hotel with the great view in "Lost In Translation".
We made our way up to the same floor as in the movie but we didn't go into the same bar. Ordering something would have stretched our budget more than I can afford.
Still, we managed to get a great view out the window on the same floor.
On the way back down we were both feeling really hungry so we stopped into Macca's for Big Macs, chips and drinks. Even with all that our hunger was not satisfied, so we had a choco pie and an apple pie. That didn't really help things. Macdonalds bad!
In the same building we checked out the Conran shop. What was really bizarre was that they were selling Star Wars lightsabers! This is a homewares store. What the..?I couldn't resist and gave them a try. They were about 24,100 yen and yes, I'd love to have one. Sadly, it'd be impossible to bring back to Australia though.
The line for the Government observatory was too long for our liking, so I took some cool photos surrounding the building.
One of the naked lady statues in the circular courtyard area.
THIS is art.
Love that fisheye. You will learn to love it too.
Here are a few more I did in Kabuki-cho, Shinjuku.I have no idea what goes on in the establishment behind me.
An atmospheric shot as it's getting dark around Shinjuku.
Here you can see Takashimaya Square and the "Empire State Building", otherwise known as the NTT DoCoMo building.
Posted by Jimmy In Japan at 10:06 pm 2 comments
Labels: Fisheye, Nikon D40x, Shinjuku
Saturday, 9 February 2008
Yokohama Fisheye
Since I was in Yokohama, I decided to take my new camera combo with me and shoot a few pictures off before (and after) lessons.
As soon as I arrived I headed out the west exit of Yokohama station and took a picture in the west direction facing my school.
You can also see More's building and Tower Records on the right, and the Yodobashi Camera building to the left of the Kirin sign.
From there I headed south to the more interesting main shopping area of Yokohama and took this photo.
It looks like I don't have to mess around with the manual focus much. With the lens so wide I can pretty much leave it at infinity and it has a good focus on everything. I was almost thinking I should have got the more expensive D80, but it looks like I'm getting my head around this camera ok.
I also took a few pics in the teacher's staff room and they turned out alright as well.
To finish off I wanted to do a night shot. So what not better than the Taito UFO catcher near Tokyu Hands?
Lucky I took this picture fairly early on. Not long after it started snowing again.
Posted by Jimmy In Japan at 10:04 pm 0 comments
Friday, 8 February 2008
Jazz Camera
You knew it wouldn't be long before I had to have a camera body to match the lens I bought yesterday.
Today after work I had in mind to go first to Map Camera and then Miyama Syokai. Apart from your Bic and Yodabashi Cameras, these are the two most prominent camera shops in Shinjuku.
Although Map Camera have a sale on at the moment, the prices were still a little high for my liking.
At Miyama I weighed up my options. It took ages to decide. One of the sales people put a secondhand Nikon D40x for 30,000 yen freshly on display. I was a little surprised. This is a great price.
Kakaku show it for about 55,000 yen, and Australia's prices are about $930.
He said it didn't have all the accessories, but the only thing missing is a CD (in japanese) and a USB cable that I already have so it's a great deal.
I tried a D80, but for some reason the view finder looked blurry no matter how much I adjusted it. A D80 has more features, most of all an autofocus driver for the lens I bought.
This may turn out to be it's greatest weakness. But at more than double the price I can't justify it. This camera has the same 10 megapixel quality and it's smaller and lighter.
The fisheye is a cool lens. Check out this picture. The picture cover all FOUR walls of the living area of the apartment!
I will also get a proper lens that autofocuses from the lens sometime. Maybe a nice 18-200mm VR superzoom. I think the manual focusing is going to drive me nuts. Good practise I suppose.
From Shinjuku I hot-stepped it to Ginza for a free jazz show INSIDE the station.
There was quite a big turn out. It would have been better in a larger viewing area, but the singer and guitarist were pretty good to listen to.
We walked around Ginza. We got some Azuki, butter bread and the gf got some expensive tea.
My back was killing me from carrying around my teaching material and camera stuff. I couldn't wait to get home.
Posted by Jimmy In Japan at 11:59 pm 0 comments
Labels: Ginza, Nikon D40x, Shinjuku
Thursday, 7 February 2008
Something Fishy
Man, do I have a funny story to tell.. This will crack you up.
Today I bought a fisheye lens. Get it? No?
I actually don't have a camera to connect it yet. Drum roll please and cymbal crash. Funny huh?
I have been thinking for quite a while now to get a SLR camera to document the interesting sights of Tokyo.
Crazy as it might be, I love the fisheye effect on photos and this was my primary motivation. And dang, I need a hobby in this place. Any other excuse to procrastinate, I will find it!
If it keeps me away from the evil UFO catchers it will pay for itself.
Another day off, another day in Akihabara.
I don't know why I gravitate here. I'm eternally in search of my inner geek. I like looking in electronic stores, touching all the shiny toys and yes, the catchers here are always interesting, but I didn't play any of them today.
Google Earth is really coming in handy. It must have been hell to find addresses before internet maps were available. With the help of my GPS phone, I found the places painlessly.
I got the secondhand lens in Sofmap. Yes it's used, but it's in good condition I think. I think I annoyed the salesperson in english a bit, making sure the lens wasn't scratched (it had just a smudge). He must've thought I'd try to bring the price down further. He looked a little surprised when I said I'd take it.
The original price for the lens was 63,800 yen and it had a 10% off sticker bringing it down to 57,420 yen (about $600). I know that's a lot, but in Australia it costs about $1100! So, I suppose if I ever get bored of it, I should be able to sell it for the same price I hope.
I was feeling guilty buying it (That's from my mother by the way. Thanks mama). I still had in mind to buy a memory card mainly for my phone, but it looks like it will be doing double duty for photos as well. I thought to get an 8GB card, but they're 10,500 yen. I settled on a 4GB one for 4000 yen. The bigger card will be half the price in a few months anyway.
So now I'm going to look for a well priced Nikon SLR. Either the D40 or D80 is on the cards. Only the later will auto focus with this lens, but I have to see how much I'm willing to spend. I don't want to spend too much on this new "hobby".
Stay tuned.
Oh. I picked up my watch yesterday by the way. The clerk said a whole lot of words in japanese ("we didn't do anything"?) I just said, "watch ok?" and he said it was. That's good enough for me. So far so good. I'm going to be treating it with kid gloves from now on. I'm sick of bothering them, and I'm sure they are sick of seeing me too.
The cheese is also now finished finally. It was growing an beautiful exotic green mould so I made the decision to make a super size omelette with about 500 grams of cheese. All I can say it was cheesy all right. The salami helped too of course.
The gf isn't back yet. I can't wait to tell her about my new purchase. She will be so happy for me.
Posted by Jimmy In Japan at 10:54 pm 0 comments
Sunday, 3 February 2008
Building A Theremin on a Snowy Day
Last night we went to Oh Calcutta, an Indian Curry "all you can eat" restaurant.
And eat I did. For 1050 yen each I got myself stuffed more than a taxidermied animal, feeling like any sudden interruption would invoke a technicolor yawn onto the streets of Shibuya. I couldn't even look at food displays of other eateries.
One of the other teachers told me earlier in the week he had built a theremin from a kit within, Otona No Kagaku ("Science for Adults"), a japanese science magazine.
It was 2300 yen at Book 1st, a bit much but I bought it anyway. For some reason I got an extra 1 yen back in my change. Weird.
Today was snowing A LOT. You have to be careful what you wish for, because I could have made that snowman I wanted to make last time.
Instead, it seemed a good time as any to put together that crazy theremin.
All the pieces were neatly packed in the styrofoam box.
It wasn't too hard to put together. The only thing missing was a screwdriver to put all the bits together. I ended up using my swiss army knife.
The pictures were well detailed, the instructions of course in japanese. It's like putting a PC together, or maybe Lego.
All the pieces could really only go in one way. Some of the screws wouldn't go a deeply in their threads but they held on ok. I couldn't put in the last screw with my knife.
I didn't have any batteries so we scrounged around the apartment, taking them from the aircon and TV remote controls. At first the sound was really quiet until I worked out where the volume was.
It's not the most musical sound. More like what an intoxicated robot would make. As you can see the gf is more wrapped up in her newspaper than my musical masterpiece.
Reluctantly we went out. The gf wanted to go to the Yotsuya library, and I wanted to get some batteries from the 99 yen shop.
Outside the snow was building up. It felt uncomfortable trudging along the iced footpaths. Water was making its way into my obviously not waterproof shoes soaking my socks.
After the library, we went up to the 9th floor concert hall for a good view where we could see the snow falling over Tokyo.
Making our way back we found 198 yen Haagan Daaz cups in the supermarket. That's really cheap so we picked up six of those.
Sampleman tried some mandarin pieces and decided it was good.
From the 99 yen shop having got the batteries, we went home and feeling drained we had a cat nap for a while.
It's so cold. Samui!
Posted by Jimmy In Japan at 10:07 pm 0 comments


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subset: commoncrawl


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"[Snow rollers] occurs when snow, moist enough to be cohesive, is picked up by wind blowing down a slope and rolled onward and downward until it either becomes too large or the ground levels off too much for the wind to propel it farther. Snow rollers vary in size from very small cylinders to some as large as 1.5 meters long and more than 2 meters in circumference."
If it's snowin' I'm goin'
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Tax Relief in Disaster Situations
Authored By: Internal Revenue Service
Special tax law provisions may help taxpayers recover financially from the impact of a disaster, especially when the President declares their location to be a major disaster area. Depending on the circumstances, the IRS may grant additional time to file returns and pay taxes. Both individuals and businesses in a presidentially-declared disaster area can get a faster refund by claiming losses related to the disaster on the tax return for the previous year, usually by filing an amended return.


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Perfect conditions - sun, very little wind and a receptive Hoylake links - meant players were able to take full advantage but the former world number one took some time to get going.
That was not the case for Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy, who blazed a trail to the top of the leaderboard at six under with two holes to play.
Woods bogeyed his first two holes - he began with a dropped shot when he won his third and last Claret Jug on this course in 2006 - but clawed things back with an impressive back nine.
The 14-time major winner, playing only his second event since a back operation in March, reached the turn in at one over after holing a 12-foot birdie putt on the par-five fifth but then proceeded to card five birdies in six holes.
It was a run spoiled only by a bogey at the 454-yard 14th after finding the left rough off the tee, eliciting a swear word for which Woods has become all too famous for in recent years.
A 40-foot birdie attempt at the 17th brushed the edge of the hole and, after encountering one or two disturbances from a phalanx of photographers as he attempted to reach the par-five 18th with his second, he closed out with a 69 after escaping with par from a greenside bunker.
Considering his two previous rounds were a 74 and 75 as he missed the cut at the Quicken Loans National last month, Woods will have been pleased with his day's work.
He maintained his policy of avoiding driver on every tee except the 577-yard 16th - the hole where he used the club as he famously won the Claret Jug by getting it out of the bag just once in 2006.
The American stated he had come here to win and having got a start there will be fewer people doubting that assertion now.
"I knew I could do it. That's why I was telling you guys it was so important for me to play at Congressional," he said.
"I'm getting stronger, I'm getting faster, I'm getting more explosive.
"The ball is starting to travel again and those are all positive things.
"At Congressional I made some terrible mistakes mentally. My decisions weren't very crisp and I wasn't decisive enough.
"Today was totally different and consequently I shot a better score."
McIlroy began as one of the favourites and he lived up to that billing with some brilliant approach play giving him plenty of opportunities to go low.
He almost holed his mid iron at the second and that set the tone as he picked up two more strokes to reach the turn at three under.
Birdies followed at two of the par fives - the 10th and 16th - and the 447-yard 12th to edge one stroke ahead of Italian Matteo Manassero.
A cluster of players posted four-under 68s, including Sergio Garcia, Jim Furyk, American Brooks Koepka and Italian brothers Edoardo and Francesco Molinari, with Woods in an even bigger group a further stroke back.
McIlroy did not pick up any shots over his closing two holes but crucially did not drop any either after coming up short of the 17th green and finding a greenside bunker at the last but still signed for six-under 66 to post the new clubhouse lead.
He knows, as does everyone else, that the real test comes on Friday as he seeks to cure a second-day syndrome which has seen his PGA Tour-leading first-round scoring average of just under 68 consumed by a second-round average almost five shots worse.
"Any time you shoot 66 at the Open Championship, you're going to be pleased," he said.
"We had perfect scoring conditions out there this morning. There wasn't much wind early on and there were plenty of opportunities to make birdies and I was able to take a few of them.
"It's another great start and, yeah, looking forward to getting back out there tomorrow.
"Whenever I go out and play on Thursdays there's not really many expectations. You're going out there and you're trying to find a rhythm and you're just trying to play your way into the round.
"When you go back out on Friday after a good score you know what you can do, so you're going out with some expectations compared to Thursday.
"I think I've just got to approach it like that, and start off trying to hit solid shots the first few holes and play my way into the round, just like I did today."
Of the big-name players in the afternoon groups, world number one Adam Scott birdied the fourth and eagled the par-five fifth to move to three under while in the group behind England's Lee Westwood almost holed his approach to the par-four third as he moved into red figures.
Two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson was two under after birdies at the fourth and fifth but playing partner and defending champion Phil Mickelson played the first five holes in regulation.
However, Ernie Els, who won the Claret Jug for the second time at Royal Lytham in 2012, had a disastrous start as he hit a spectator with his opening tee shot and proceeded to three-putt from 18 inches after firing his first attempt past the hole and hastily failing to sink the return with the back of his putter to card a triple-bogey seven.


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Hundreds of frenzied teenagers mobbed pop star Justin Bieber as he arrived in New Zealand, knocking down his mother and stealing his hat as he was rushed through the airport to escape the fans.
The heartthrob Canadian singer tweeted his 2.1 million fans Wednesday to report: "Finally got to New Zealand last night. The airport was crazy. Not happy that someone stole my hat and knocked down my mama. Come on people."
The star's mother, Pattie Mallette, tweeted that she was "OK" after being pushed over by rampaging fans at Auckland Airport.
"Thanks for all ur support!! I'm ok thank you!!!," she wrote.
He earlier told fans that he wanted to sign autographs and have pictures taken. But police and security had to shut the opportunitydown because fans were pushing.
The frenzy followed similar scenes in Sydney, Australia, earlier in the week, where police canceled a Bieber concert after surging crowds crushed some fans. The most serious injury was a fractured kneecap.
A similar situation occurred at a mall in Long Island, New York, in November. Bieber's free concert was canceled at the 11th hour when hundreds of fans stampeded after a reported sighting of the teen star.
In New Zealand, a mob of mainly teen girls screamed their welcome and swarmed toward Bieber, 16, at the airport. Escorted by security, police and minders, Bieber quickly left the airport out a side door.
A waiting black SUV whisked him away from the frenzied crowd, leaving some sobbing with disappointment.
After Bieber's departure, teen Tory Shaffett said she was having trouble breathing.
"Oh my god, he was so amazing and beautiful. I can't believe I saw him," she told reporters.
Bieber bungy jumped off Auckland Harbor Bridge on Wednesday and posted footage on his Twitter account.
Related Content from AccessHollywood.com:
VIEW THE PHOTOS: Young Hollywood Heartthrobs!
VIEW THE PHOTOS: Young Hollywood Starlets!
PLAY IT NOW: Justin Bieber Talks Performing On 'Saturday Night Live': 'I'm Really Excited'
PLAY IT NOW: Access Exclusive: On The Set Of Justin Bieber & Sean Kingston's 'Eenie Meenie' Music Video
MORE ACCESS ON THESE TOPICS: Justin Bieber - Young Hollywood - Music - Twitter - Pop


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Media Management, Strategic & Integrated
Lohre and Associates offers Professional Graphic Design, Commercial Photography, Web Design, Web Development, Content Creation, Media Scheduling, and Public Relations skills to the Greater Cincinnati Area. Though we are specialists in Industrial Advertising and Industrial Marketing, our Cincinnati marketing firm has a broad range of business to business and business to consumer clients.
Learn more about our Creative Services and Marketing/Advertising Experience
11223 Cornell Park Drive | Suite 301 | Cincinnati, OH 45242 | Phone: (513) 4-MEDIA-9 - (513) 463 - 3429


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Welcome to www.sweetpeahelston.com the online home of Sweet Pea Floral Studio in Helston. Here follows our range of beautiful flowers, bouquets and arrangements available for same day delivery in Helston. We use the finest high-quality flowers in our arrangements, many sourced locally from our Cornish suppliers. We buy British flowers whenever we can. If you're looking for something very specific feel free to give us a call on 01326 572243.You can securely order flowers online from here and we offer hand delivered flowers same day all over Helston. If you require to send flowers nationally or internationally we offer full worldwide flower delivery via our membership with Direct2florist.
Below is a selection of flowers that can be delivered the same day in Nancegollan if ordered by 2.00pm (depending on stock levels). We can also deliver flowers the same day in the following areas Ashton, Boskenwyn, Breage, Burras, Camborne, Carleen, Berepper, Bodilly, Bolitho, Boquio, Boscadjack, Boscreege, Boswin, Brill, Broadlane, Carnebone, Chyanvounder, Chynhale, Chyvarloe, Constantine, Crahan, Crelly, Crowan, Crowntown, Curry, Degibna, Drym, Garras, Germoe, Gunwalloe, Cove, Gwavas, Gwenda, Gweek, Halwin, Helston, Hendra, Lezerea, Lowertown, Manhay, Mawgan, Medlyn, Mellangoose, Nancenoy, Nantithet, Pengersick, Polladras, Polpenwith, Polwheveral, Ponjeravah, Porkellis, Porthleven, Prospidnick, Releath, Rinsey, Rosevear, Seworgan, Sithney, Tolcarne, Tregear, Treloquithack, Trenear, Trenwheal, Tresoweshill, Trevena, Trevenen, Trew, Trussall, Wendron and many more. Please call us on 01326 572243 to see if we can deliver flowers in your area.


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Home Remodeling Contractor in Orleans, MA
Have you just purchased a home in the Orleans area and you'd like to make some immediate improvements? Are you looking to do some upgrading or remodeling on your home or property that you've occupied for a long time? Remodeling your home is a great way to improve the value of your property and make your home more comfortable and enjoyable to live in. Maybe you'd like a big, beautiful new kitchen, or a spa-like master bathroom with luxurious tile flooring and surrounds?
Mike's Remodeling and Handyman is a home improvement and remodeling contractor serving the Cape Cod area of Massachusetts including Orleans. As an owner operated company we work directly with homeowners, property managers and landlords to help them fix up, remodel or renovate their properties. We specialize in kitchens, bathrooms, basements, decks, landscape construction and more.
For those homeowners with smaller projects they just want done right, we also regularly take on smaller projects that other contractors seem to dismiss as "not worth their time". We certainly value our time but we also realize that there are many homeowners who just don't want a huge renovation, they just want something small and meaningful. Mike's Remodeling and Handyman would be happy to work with you.
Projects We've Completed
Home Improvement Services Orleans MA
Home improvement projects can be as small as repairing a few rotten pieces of wood on your deck or porch, to completely remodeling your bathroom, landscaping your property, or even building a new custom deck. Mike's Remodeling and Handyman service can also complete projects such as custom carpentry work, drywall repairs, window and door replacements, painting and more. When we work on your home improvement project you can be sure you'll receive a high quality finished product, with a company that follows through with what they say.
Property Repairs and Rental Unit Repairs Orleans MA
Own a rental home, townhome or apartment in the Orleans, MA area? Do you need the help of a local contractor that you can trust? As a landlord and rental property manager himself, Mike Ferrante the owner of Mike's Remodeling and Handyman know's first hand the damage tenants and neglect can cause to a rental home. We offer numerous handyman services to landlords and property managers who need quality home repairs and improvements completed within short time frames and for a fair price.
Basement Finishing and Remodeling in Orleans MA
Basement Finishing is a great option for homeowners looking to increase the amount of usable space within their home. Finishing your basement will literally double your usable space and also contributes to a higher resale value of your home which is attractive if you are planning to remodel and move.
Mike's Remodeling and Handyman provides several different Basement Finishing services such as Drywalling, Flooring, Basement Rental Suite Construction, Home Office Construction and More.
Kitchen Remodeling in Orleans MA
Remodeling and Renovating the Kitchen in your home is a great way to get that beautiful chefs kitchen you've always wanted. If you have a large family or you love to cook for and entertain guests then a new modern kitchen remodel will give you many years of enjoyment out of your home and increase it's resale value.
Mike's Remodeling and Handyman can transform your kitchen with several different remodeling options such as installing new kitchen countertops, new kitchen tile flooring, or even custom tile backsplashes. We can build a new kitchen island, build new kitchen storage or even built-out your kitchen if you'd like to make it larger.
Bathroom Remodeling in Orleans MA
Bathroom Remodeling or Renovating is arguably one of the best remodeling investments you can make in your home. Bathroom remodeling consistently offers one of the highest returns on your investment out of many other home remodeling projects. From remodeling that tiny hall bathroom to remodeling the basement bathroom or even our master bathroom our team has you covered.
Mike's Remodeling and Handyman can help you turn your bathroom into that private and luxurious experience you'd expect from a 4 or 5 star hotel. Custom tile or stone showers, barrier free showers, aging-in-place bathrooms and more.
Handyman Services in Orleans MA
Do you have a growing list of small home improvement projects someone just never seems to get around to tackling? With our Handyman services we specialize in completing honey-do lists and all of the little handyman items and repairs that can slowly build up around the household if nobody is attentive to them.
If you'd like to have an estimate for a professional to get the work done once and for all then Mike's Remodeling and Handyman Service is an excellent solution.
Why Choose Mike's Remodeling and Handyman?
When you choose Mike's Remodeling and Handyman to work on your home you aren't just getting another home improvement contractor. You're taking on a partner with a vested interest in improving your home or property and making it a better, safer, more comfortable and enjoyable place for you and your family to live.
If you are planning a home improvement in the Orleans, Massachusetts area then consider contacting Mike's Remodeling and Handyman to request an estimate for your project.
We'll treat your home as if we were working on our own. We won't leave any trace of our presence and you'll only be left with a fantastic memory of the remodeling process and some beautiful new improvements to your home.
If you'd like to schedule your home remodeling estimate please give us a call (781) 983-4636 or fill out our contact form and we'll get right back to you.


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Michael Lucas has never shied from controversy. Whether as the preeminent gay-‐porn auteur of his generation or as an independent-‐minded social commentator and op-ed columnist, Lucas has built a career out of breaking taboos.
In his new documentary, "Campaign of Hate: Russia and Gay Propaganda," Michael Lucas teams with director Scott Stern to shine a light on Russia's homophobic state of affairs and law against "gay propaganda." As most of the world moves forward toward gay equality, Russia is seemingly heading backward. Antigay sentiment and legislation are spreading rapidly throughout the country and there are ominous signs of much worse to come. Violent attacks against Russian gays are more and more common. Videos of young LGBT people being taunted and tortured have been widely distributed on the Internet. Nearly any public discussion of gay equality is a crime.
"Campaign of Hate: Russia and Gay Propaganda" is a compelling call to arms featuring sobering accounts from LGBT Russians and their families and terrifying facts about the Kremlin's long- term, intensifying atmosphere of hate.
Michael Lucas believes the Russian government is looking for a new enemy to distract its people from real problems like corruption and unemployment. "The scapegoats used to be the Jews," he says, "but most of them left after the collapse of the Soviet Union. And so the Russians have moved on to the LGBT community, which coincides well with Putin's cynical campaign of Russian nationalism.
According to this line of attack, homosexuality is a sign of Western decadence. "And therefore an enemy of traditional Russian values," Lucas adds.
"Campaign of Hate: Russia and Gay Propaganda" is currently playing at film festivals throughout the world. The DVD is also available for purchase on Amazon.com.
"Campaign of Hate: Russia and Gay Propaganda"
From our media partner EDGE


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Daisy Award - Nominate a Nurse
DAISY is an acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune System. The Daisy Award Foundation was formed in November 1999 by the family of J. Patrick Barnes who died at age 33 of complications of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP). As Patrick's family brainstormed what to do in his memory, the one really positive thing they could hold onto from the experience of his eight-week hospitalization was the skillful and amazingly compassionate care he received from his nurses - even when he was totally sedated. When Pat died, his family felt compelled to express their profound gratitude to nurses for the work they do for patients and their families every day.
Nationwide Children's Hospital staff, as well as patients and families, can nominate an extraordinary nurse using the links below.
Daisy Award recipients are recognized quarterly and winners receive the national Daisy Award sculpture, a Daisy Award pin and certificate as well as Cinnabon rolls (a favorite of Patrick's).
Patients, Families, Visitors and Friends
Have you or someone close to you received care from a wonderful nurse? Tell us about him or her! Fill out a Daisy Award Nomination form to nominate your nurse.
Nationwide Children's Hospital Employees
Do you work with an exceptional nurse? Tell us about him or her! Fill out a Daisy Award Nomination form to nominate your co-worker.


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Thank you! I hope everyone has had a merry and good Christmas!
Happy holidays, everyone!
I've been super busy with family stuff, but I will get back on track with posting once January hits.
Hope everyone had a good Christmas.
No worries. Tis the season to be too busy to post.


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|2007-03-16, 04:39
|Link #181
After all the hype I heard about this series, I was very disappointed when I finished it the other day. The animation was BEAUTIFUL, the music was wonderful, the plot COULD HAVE BEEN awesome (I liked the concept), but the writing and the characters were awful, unrelatable, and FLAT FLAT FLAT!
No I'm not trying to disrespect Air fans or be rude, I'm posting because I'm disappointed, I feel like I got cheated. Kanna was easier for me to relate to than Misuzu and even her death wasn't that sad - all the females were typical H-game cardboard females... I know this was an H-game beforehand and while it was well-written for an H-game, I think it should have had the bar raised much higher before it became an anime. I feel like the music and lovely animation were wasted on this series, and that someone with a more capable writing staff should throw the H-game aspect of it out the window, and rewrite the whole thing over again with more realistic or at least relatable characters, instead of cardboard H-game barbie dolls...
Phew OK I'm done venting now. Like I said, I just felt cheated with this series, it had such potential...like, I want my time back cheated.
|2007-03-17, 18:07
|Link #182
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Portland, Oregon
Age: 48
Likewise for the other characters...are they happy, normal, fully-rounded human beings? Of course not. But can they serve as archetypes expressing some of the different types of brokenness that can exist in people in the real world? Absolutely.
|2007-03-18, 19:44
|Link #183
I see what you're saying, but I guess what I meant is most people who have tough lives/are broken (that I know) don't really act like Misuzu, especially acting five years below their age - I felt Misuzu was too childish to be a reasonable character, but I've been reading about something called Moe (which I hadn't heard of before) and that may explain Misuzu and many of the females in this series. Like I said, it's just how I felt, I didn't find Misuzu believable, but this is my first anime based on an ero-game, so these may be archetypes I'm unfamiliar with. Thanks for giving your opinion - I wanted a response to see what it is people see in the Air characters.
|2007-03-18, 21:09
|Link #184
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Portland, Oregon
Age: 48
Well, certainly not everyone responds to trauma that way, but some (speaking from personal experience) do.
Here's something else to consider, from within the story itself:
Spoiler for Shouldn't be a spoiler for anyone reading this thread, but just in case:
|2007-03-18, 23:08
|Link #185
Arcadia of My Youth
I'm currently in the process of playing the game and wow, it's pretty massive. You have a tough job, KyoAni, to summarize the whole game into 13 episodes and you still managed to deliver. Kudos to you! Though you would have done better if episode 13 wasn't a stupid recap... I still can't forgive you for that.
The thought of a more faithful adaptation done in 24 episodes still haunts me to this very day. AIR feels more poignant to me personally compared to the new Kanon so I would love to see that.
|2008-01-22, 11:50
|Link #186
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: ALASKA!!! W00t! I'm BACK FINALLY!!!!
Age: 32
I was wondering if anyone who's familiar with plot and literature could comment on AIR's plot structure. I found it quite unique and non-standard. It has tons of sub-plots, and lots of plot twists, however, the most unique things were its retelling of the Dream Arc story, which effectively rewrites it as you're going along, and how it tells you the backstory in the middle, which ends up carrying over into the Air Arc. Since the Summer Arc is being resolved in the Air Arc, that effectively means that you have both the Air Arc's plot and the Summer Arc's plot going on at the same time. What makes this even better is that each plot development has a different meaning depending on whether you take it from the context of the Summer Arc plot or the Air Arc plot! So, by the end you have a plot going on on 3 different levels.
1. on the level of the Dream Arc's plot, which is now being resolved,
2. on the level of the Air Arc, where Sora's perspective adds a very satisfying "everything fits together!" feeling, and completely rearranges the Dream Arc's plot structure with its new information.
3. on the level of the Summer Arc plot, which is being resolved in tandem with the Air Arc, and whose conclusion contrasts with the Air Arc's conclusion.
Anyone else have any info?
Last edited by Ziv; 2008-01-22 at 12:00.
|2008-02-12, 23:34
|Link #187
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Good Ole' Kentucky
Age: 34
Yeah the multiple story thing sort of reminded me of The Fountain (if anyone has seen that...a very touching film). IMO it was definitely one of the better of the shorter anime/mangas. Normally I can't stand anything unless it has a fairly high episode count, since that normally entails plot and character development. But after watching the first couple episodes I was definitely impressed and enjoyed the series a lot. I, as well, could see the lead female in a lot of the people I've known in life. The perspective made it for me though, I'm probably going to just go out and buy it to add to the collection whenever I get the money.
|2008-02-17, 01:12
|Link #188
Winged Girl in the Sky..
Join Date: Feb 2008
Omgosh! ^ ^ You too! I watched AIR Summer; AIR TV (Anime series) and AIR (the movie). Rewatching AIR (anime series)...----everything suddenly made more sense! ^ ^
|2008-03-13, 10:48
|Link #189
ho hee~
|2008-10-20, 09:13
|Link #193
Suigintou Follower
I gotta watch them again once my sadness over the ending disappears lol
|2008-11-18, 19:03
|Link #194
Here's a long version of the OP sequence:
|2008-11-20, 21:01
|Link #195
Wiggle Your Big Toe
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Milwaukee
Age: 29
|2020-09-01, 02:29
|Link #196
is this so?
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Gradius Home World
rewatched episode 6:
rewatched today
Michiru likes burger. :3
Minagi is a member of the astronomy club. She says it is a very selective club. She is the club president, because she is the only member. Also, she is proud of her height, because she thinks tall people are closer to the sky.
feeling sad for Minagi. Her mom is crazy.
|2020-09-20, 04:53
|Link #197
is this so?
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Gradius Home World
2019 calendar.
Misuzu look beautiful in casual clothes.
|bishoujo, drama, key, kyoto animation, seinen
|Thread Tools


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Before the youth of America fooled around at drive-ins and necked on Lover's Lane, they coupled in canoes. Boatloads of them. In the early 1900s, canoes offered randy young guys and gals a means of escape to a semi-private setting, away from the prying eyes of their pious Victorian chaperones.
"To go canoeing on the weekend was pretty much what you did with your best girl," says canoe enthusiast and collector Roger Young. "There weren't a whole lot of motorcars around at that time. You could go bicycling, but to go out canoeing was the thing." These canoes weren't your typical summer camp variety; they were designed for afternoons (and evenings) of stylish leisure. Most boaters accessorized them with pillows, lanterns, and picnicking supplies. Some even customized their canoes with built-in phonographs — floating boom-boxes for the paddle set.
Adolescents took to the waters with the urgency of salmon fighting their way upstream, spawning a veritable canoe craze, particularly in places like Boston along the Charles River and at Belle Isle, near Detroit. While any canoe would do, companies such as Old Town and White marketed "courting canoes" specifically designed for waterborne lovebirds. "These boats usually had long 4-foot decks and an 8-foot elliptical or oval cockpit," says Young. "The woman would sit in the bottom of the canoe on cushions with her parasol to shade her from the sun, while her gentleman in his boater hat would paddle and probably croon to her. Or she might read poetry to him." Make no mistake; these were wild times.
"In its heyday," continues Young, "thousands of young and even older folks would turn out in these popular areas, so many that it was often said you could cross the river without getting wet simply by stepping from canoe to canoe. There were even policemen patrolling by canoe as 'morality enforcement,' making sure that everyone remained upright and reputations remained intact."
In 1903, before the trend really took off, a "Boston Herald" article scoffed at the effectiveness of puritanical boating ordinances: "It may not be wicked to go canoeing on the Charles with young women on Sunday, but we continue to be reminded that it is frequently perilous…The canoeist arrested for kissing his sweetheart at Riverside was fined $20. At that rate it is estimated that over a million dollars' worth of kisses are exchanged at that popular canoeing resort every fine Saturday night and Sunday."
A 1904 souvenir brochure for the Charles River area emphasized its natural beauty and praised the healthful benefits of boat trips, interspersing scenic photographs with lines of poetry. The pamphlet began, "If you are fortunate enough to be canoeing at sunset…and to spend an evening on the river during a concert or an illumination, to see the canoes appearing one by one, tastily decorated with Japanese lanterns, to hear the sweet tones of a passing guitar or the strains of some glee club floating down stream, you can very easily imagine yourself in Fairyland." If the make-out potential of a canoe date wasn't clear enough, accompanying advertisements for no less than 10 different chocolate companies drove the point home.
By 1912, in Minnesota, the undisputed lake capitol of the U.S., canoe permits and rental spaces were off the charts. The Minneapolis Parks Department's 2,000 permit spaces were almost maxed out, and the city was having a tough time enforcing its 12 a.m. lake curfew. A "Minneapolis Tribune" story reported that, "misconduct in canoes has become so grave and flagrant that it threatens to throw a shadow upon the lakes as recreation resorts and to bring shame upon the city." Regardless of the curfew, a lot could happen in the dark hours between dusk and midnight, inspiring park police to patrol the lakes for inappropriate behavior on motorized boats equipped with spotlights.
As further proof that canoeing had become a hotbed for teenage delinquents, in 1913 the Minneapolis Parks Board refused to issue permits for canoes with unpalatable names. Local newspapers published some of the offensive phrases that slipped past the board the previous summer, including "Thehelusa," "Kumomin Kid," "Kismekwik," "Damfino," "Ilgetu," "Aw-kom-in," "G-I-Lov-U," "Skwizmtyt," "Ildaryoo," "Win-kat-us," "O-U-Q-T," "What the?," "Joy-tub," "Cupid's Nest," and "I Would Like to Try It." The commissioners unanimously agreed to outlaw phrases lacking obvious moral and grammatical standards, though a few of these clever pre-text-message abbreviations clearly had them scratching their heads.
Meanwhile, the drama was heightened by a frenzied headline printed by the "Tribune" in June of 1914: "Girl Canoeists' Tight Skirts Menace Society," it wailed. In the article itself, F.C. Berry, a supposed park expert on recreational features, warned of the dangers narrow skirts posed to female boaters — in the event of a capsize, they'd be unable to swim.
Whether or not any actual drownings were attributed to tight skirts, safety wasn't the top concern for most canoers; a boat's ability to hold two passengers, preferably side by side, was generally of higher priority. Though the Minneapolis Parks Board attempted to institute an ordinance requiring opposite sex couples (over age 10) to sit facing each other, public outcry helped to quickly repeal the restriction.
By 1916, the canoe-courting trend was widespread enough to warrant mention in a musical comedy called "Tres Rouge" by Jay Gorney, which included a song called "Out in My Old Town Canoe." But this floating, petting paradise would not last. "When motorcars became more available in the early '20s, courting in canoes sort of fell off," says Young. "Guys were getting into their Model Ts or Model As and going off with girls for a Sunday drive instead of canoeing." And what went on in the backseats of those cars? Well, that's a whole different story.
(Thanks to Roger Young, Dave Smith, Shorpy, Newton Conservators)
This post originally appeared on Collectors Weekly. Republished with permission.
Want to see your work here? Email us!
Image via Three Lions/Getty.


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Students who already hold a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution may apply to North Carolina Central University for a second baccalaureate degree.
Applications should be submitted to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, along with a nonrefundable $50 application fee. Applicants must also have an official transcript of all previous college work sent to the Admissions Office from their previous institutions. See the catalog section "degree requirements" for additional information on second baccalaureate degrees.
North Carolina Central University
(p) 919-530-6100
1801 Fayetteville St.
Durham, NC 27707


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2 killed trying to help others in 5-vehicle crash
Two people have died in central Kentucky and a third person is charged with aggravated drunken driving after a five-vehicle wreck on Interstate 75.
Kentucky State Police identified the people who died as 22-year-old Meredith L. Buscher of Richmond and 30-year-old Jeffrey Campbell of Louisville. The Lexington Herald-Leader says they were struck Sunday evening after leaving their cars to try to help others in the crash.
Police arrested 56-year-old Bryan M. Mangan of South Bend, Ind. He is also charged with driving on a suspended license and was taken to the Madison County jail.
Police said Buscher and Campbell had left their cars to assist others when they were struck by another vehicle.
Another man, 41-year-old Clifford H. Steinhauer of Fort Thomas, was in serious condition Monday at University of Kentucky hospital.


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Yet another Strikeforce fighter has been booked for his UFC debut as six-time Strikeforce veteran Caros Fodor (7-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) meets Sam Stout (18-8-1 MMA, 7-7 UFC) at UFC 157.
The bout was first reported by The Canadian Press' Neil Davidson and later confirmed by UFC officials.
UFC 157 takes place Feb. 23 at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., and features a main event women's bantamweight title fight between champ Ronda Rousey and Liz Carmouche. The night's main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on FX and Facebook.
Fodor vs. Stout is expected to take place in the evening's preliminary card.
A Washington-based fighter who trains with Matt Hume's AMC Pankration, Fodor has been fighting professionally since 2009. He made his Strikeforce debut in 2010 and earned a unanimous-decision win over Ousmane Thomas Diagne. He would ultimately build a five-fight win streak in the promotion by defeating names like Justin Wilcox, James Terry and David Douglas before losing via third-round submission to Pay Healy at this past March's "Strikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey" event.
Fodor was expected to face Josh Thomson at a planned Strikeforce event this past September, but that card was ultimately scratched when the planned headliner fell through.
Meanwhile, 14-time UFC vet Stout looks to rebound from a UFC 154 loss to fellow Canadian John Makdessi via unanimous decision.
A five-time "Fight of the Night" winner, "Hands of Stone" can always be counted on to bring an aggressive, strike-first style to the cage. Stout hasn't dropped back-to-back UFC fights since 2008, when he came up short against Terry Etim and Rich Clementi in successive appearances.
For more on UFC 157, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.
(Pictured: Sam Stout)


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From Wikipedia: "The gardens opened in 1828 as the private Royal Belfast Botanical Gardens. It continued as a private park for many years, only opening to members of the public on Sundays prior to 1895. Then it became a public park in 1895 when the Belfast Corporation bought the gardens from the Belfast Botanical and Horticultural Society. The Belfast Corporation was the predecessor of Belfast City Council, the present owner."
Please enjoy this series of panoramas of the Belfast Botanic Gardens on a Spring evening in April. The park is very popular for all sorts of activities and events, such as concerts, or just relaxing.
This one is near the Ulster Museum.
There are 24 panoramas in total, some yet to be uploaded. These should hopefully be accepted for display in Google earth, so you can fly over the park, then fly down to ground level to check out the view.
I will be adding more later of the interior of the Palm House and
For more information on the Botanic Garden, see Wikipedia:


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Nintendo 3DS XL announced: has bigger screens, better battery life
Update: Nintendo of America has announced official release details for the US. The system is named the Nintendo 3DS XL in the US; 3DS LL is for Japan.
Nintendo has announced a redesign of the 3DS. Primarily, the Nintendo 3DS XL is larger than the original. The top screen now measures 4.88 inches, while the bottom screen measures 4.18 inches. Both screens are approximately 90 percent larger than in the original 3DS. Because of the larger design of the system, it will feature better battery life than the original. However, do note that there is no second analog stick, meaning a new Circle Pad Pro must be designed for this revised system.
The larger system will be available in two colors: red and blue. The XL will be available at retail on August 19th for $199, the same day as New Super Mario Bros 2. The system will also include a 4GB SD card to encourage purchases from the Nintendo eShop.


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ESL Job Feed is the most eclectic and broad source of ESL jobs and teaching positions available worldwide.?ESL Job Feed publishes links to ESL Job postings from a variety of sources including TESall, Total ESL, Yahoo!/Monster, Guardian Jobs, Chronicle of Higher Education, craigslist, TESOL Org, TEFL and many more. From conversation schools for beginners to university positions for teaching veterans,?ESL Job Feed is your source for English teaching positions worldwide.
Teach English in Spain: Public Schools in Madrid and Murcia
Date 2018-04-09 15:04:13 Location : Europe
The relation with the schools and the placements are fully managed by the local government. The program provides participants with support moving to Spain, initial training, and advice on every day practical non-school-related matters. The conditions and requirements are different depending on the region participants choose:
Region of Madrid
16 teaching hours per week
4 consecutive teaching days
€1,000 monthly stipend
Mostly rural and pueblolocations
Requirement: university degree
Deadline: April 20th
Program length: October 1st to June 28th
Region of Murcia
15 teaching hours per week
4 consecutive teaching days
€850 monthly stipend
Cities of Murcia and Cartagena
Requirement: high school diploma
Deadline: May 1st
Program length: October 1st to June 28th
Requirements to Participate
There is no age limit and Spanish skills are not required to participate. However, there are some conditions candidates must fulfill to take part in the program:
Be native-level English speakers
Be citizens of a country where English is the official language
Hold a university degree in any subject (for schools in Madrid) or a high school diploma (for schools in Murcia)
What's included?
Job placement ensured (rural or pueblo location in the Madrid area, or cities in Murcia)
Pre-departure assistance: help with the visa application process and opening a bank account before arriving
Welcome Document: tips, advice, and practical tools to find permanent accommodation, among others
Help with the police registration process
Health insurance (EU citizens living in Europe)
Orientation in the region where participants are placed: initial training and meeting with other participants
Access to a multimedia platform with lessons, resources, and information (only in Madrid)
ConversaSpain emergency support while in Spain
Certificate of completion at the end of the program (issued by the Regional Education Authority)
Paid school holidays (Christmas, Easter, and local festivities), except for the summer period
Activities will be held under the supervision and guidance of school teachers
Four different programs available
"I would recommend the experience with ConversaSpain as it was great to have a guaranteed placement and the support before coming to Spain was very helpful. I chose the immersion week option and was very happy. It gave me a good introduction to some of the main sites of Madrid, but more importantly allowed me to meet some other people in our program who I have remained friends with in my time here", Grant H., participant in Madrid.
Fees and Available Options (they vary according to the regions):
Basic: €850 in Murcia / €1,250 in Madrid
Basic + TEFL certification: €1,350 in Murcia / €1,750 in Madrid
Basic + Spanish Language and Culture Immersion Week: €1,350 in Murcia / €1,750 in Madrid
Basic + Spanish Language and Immersion Week + TEFL certification: €1,850 in Murcia / €2,200 in Madrid
The Role of a Language and Cultural Ambassador in Spain
Participants could deliver conversational English lessons to students or staff, encourage oral practice in English, explain the culture of their own country, help in other subjects (such as science, art, P.E., history, or music), assist with pronunciation and grammar, prepare students for oral exams, and collaborate with teaching staff in creating teaching materials and planning lessons. The specific activities and tasks depend on the school.
Language Assistants in Public Schools help teach English to Elementary, Middle and High School students. This is a supportive role, thus they aren't in charge of entire classes and aren't responsible for grading or discipline.
Assignment: Selected candidates will receive the details of their specific school placement two months before starting at the school. With our advice and support, it has proven to be more than enough time to get accommodation in the area sorted out. Age-group preferences are considered whenever possible (we cannot guarantee specific placement preferences).


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Lou Myers, A Different World Actor, Dies
The West Virginia native, who had a long career in film, TV and theater, was 77
TV, film and stage actor Lou Myers, best known for playing Mr. Gaines on the sitcom A Different World in the '80s and early '90s, has died at 77.
Myers passed away at the Charleston Area Medical Center in his native state of West Virginia after battling pneumonia for several months, TMZ.com reported.
Myers was born in Chesapeake, W.V., the son of a Cabin Creek coal miner, according to the Charleston Gazette. After attending West Virginia State University, he got his first acting break as an understudy in the Broadway play The First Breeze of Summer.
He went on to appear in more than a dozen films, including How Stella Got Her Groove Back and The Wedding Planner.
On television, he had roles on ER, JAG and NYPD Blue, but is best remembered for playing Vernon Gaines on A Different World, which was a spin-off from The Cosby Show.
On Broadway, Myers appeared in productions including Oprah Winfrey's The Color Purple and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. He won an NAACP Image Award for his portrayal of the Stool Pigeon in the play King Hedley II.
An accomplished piano player, Myers also sang jazz and blues with the touring company of Negro Music in Vogue.
He is survived by his mother, Dorothy Jeffries, 95, a son, Melvin Myers, and two grandsons, Brayden and Christian, the Gazette said.


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Big Day Out line-up announced
AMERICAN rock superstars the Red Hot Chili Peppers and the Killers will headline the 2013 Big Day Out music festival for what festival co-founder Ken West has described as ''a rebuild from the ground up'', following the blighting of this year's event by cost-slashing and the departure of co-founder Vivian Lees.
The line-up for the 21st instalment of the January national music roadshow was released on the festival's website at 12.01am today and is the first presented with the US-based festival company C3 Presents.
The 2013 event sees the return of full line-ups to Perth and Adelaide - which this year missed Kanye West because of cost-cutting - but Auckland is now cut from the tour.
Other big names among the 37 announced for next year's national tour (city-specific acts will be added later) include the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Vampire Weekend, Band of Horses, Foals, Animal Collective, B.o.B, Sleigh Bells and 360, as well as first-time visitors such as new buzz roots acts Alabama Shakes and Gary Clark Jr among the 20 acts new to the BDO.
More than 20 acts on the bill will drop new albums between now and festival time, including the Killers (with 15 million album sales), who release their fourth in September.
Read more at Brisbane Times


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Custody hearing held for boy handcuffed in basement of home
Kansas City police say boy appeared 'frail' when they found him
A protective custody hearing was held Thursday for a teenage boy found handcuffed to pole in the basement of a Northland town home.
Kansas City police said they discovered the "frail-looking" boy in a darkened basement in the 4000 block of North Wheeling Avenue on Monday afternoon.
The 17-year-old told police that he had been kept in the basement since being taken out of school in September.
Authorities requested that the boy be held in protective custody until a hearing next month.
KMBC's Peggy Breit reported that the boy told the court that he was happy staying with his foster family. He described making pizza and watching news reports about his case.
The boy left with the foster parents. He will be starting school again next week in another high school.
Breit said the boy's father left court under a barrage of questions from reporters, but did not say anything.
The teen's mother was not at the hearing, but told the court she would like to be considered for custody.
A juvenile officer said there were possible issues with that. They said the boy told his mother when visiting her last summer that there had been severe issues in his father's home. The officer said when the father denied doing anything wrong, the mother did not nothing else, even as problems in the house got "considerably worse."
Another hearing in the case is scheduled for next month.
One of the people looking out for the boy is a court-appointed special advocate, or CASA volunteer. Last year, there were 4,000 children under court-appointed supervision in Kansas City and CASA volunteers were appointed in 1,300 cases.
CASA said abuse and neglect cases are rising nationally, but Kansas City's rate of increase is faster than the national average.
When a child is removed from a home, CASA and foster parents are trained to emphasize that the child is now in a safe environment where they will no longer be hurt. They also said it's important for the child to know that the situation that they had been in was not their fault.


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The detours and construction on East Main Street are the result of a Kutztown Borough project to replace an out-of-date water line and improve water pressure for emergency and residential services.
Since April, East Main Street in Kutztown has been under construction to replace an old galvanized steel water line and system which has been in place since the 1940s.
The old 4-inch galvanized steel line running beneath East Main is being replaced with a new 8-inch copper system and the connections to local residences, businesses and fire hydrants are also being updated. The old connections were susceptible to cracking and leaking, and indeed, upon pre-replacement inspection, many were found to already be in a state of disrepair, according to Kutztown Borough Wastewater Plant Manager Dale Kramer.
'When we got in there, some of these connections were already cracked or leaking,' said Kramer.
During an interview with Kramer, who is in charge of the project, and Gabriel Khalife, the Borough Manager, they said that the $1.7 million project was contracted out to engineering firm Spotts, Stevens, & McCoy, Inc.; which does most water projects in Kutztown.
As is standard practice, Spotts, Stevens, & McCoy was contracted to do the work because they proffered the lowest bid, said Kramer.
The borough is aiming for a completion date of Sept. 30. This fits in with their project timeline for a road improvement project scheduled to take place in 2015-2016.
'We want to make sure that the project is complete, the system is working fine and the road has a chance to settle before we go and fix the road,' said Khalife.
When asked for comment about the value of this project to the community at large, Khalife and Kramer came up with the following four reasons.
'The line was just old,' said Khalife, and 'improving it and its connections will allow for improved fire protection.'
During the ongoing project, which has initiated detours along the stretch of East Main leading up to the ramp for Rt. 222 towards Allentown, Fire, police and school buses have been granted increased access due to necessity.
Secondly, 'Improving the connections will allow for more reliable residential connections and better drinking water pressure for these buildings,' said Kramer.
Thirdly, the retrofitting of the old galvanized system to copper 'should drive up property values along East Main,' said Khalife.
Finally, there will generally be an improved water pressure throughout, allowing for a better supply to residences and a more efficient, cost-effective system, according to Kramer and Khalife.


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Ricardo Lamas nearly had a shot at the title, he said, after his win streak hit three in the UFC's featherweight division.
But plans changed, and instead, he's still right there on the doorstep. In his way is Erik Koch, his opponent on Saturday at UFC on FOX 6. The winner could very well be next in line for a shot at the title.
To get there, though, Lamas believes he'll have to not only win, but put on a killer performance in the opening fight on the main card.
UFC on FOX 6 takes place at United Center in Chicago – Lamas' backyard as a longtime resident of Chicago's suburbs. He and Koch got the nod as the final main-card spot over the likes of fellow Chicago-area native Clay Guida in his featherweight debut against Hatsu Hioki.
"Whenever you get a finish and put on a great fight, it gets you closer to that next shot," Lamas on Tuesday told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio). "You could win 10 fights in a row, but if you're not performing and winning every one by decision and it's a boring fight, the UFC really isn't going to give you a shot right away. You've got to prove yourself and really improve every time you go out there."
In his three-fight streak since merging over from the WEC, Lamas (12-2 MMA, 3-0 UFC) has a knockout of Matt Grice in his featherweight debut, a "Submission of the Night" win over fellow streaking 145er Cub Swanson at UFC on FOX 1 and, in his lone fight of 2012, an upset of then No. 2-ranked Hioki.
Now he gets a meeting with Koch (13-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC), who will make the trip to Chicago from just up I-94 in Milwaukee. Like Lamas, he should be bringing a crowd of supporters with him for his first fight since a September 2011 win over Jonathan Brookins.
"Things are going to get really rowdy in our fight," Lamas said. "I'm bringing a ton of people. He's right next door, so I'm sure he's bringing a bandwagon of people, too. I think we could definitely have a 'Fight of the Night' right there."
And that would be the type of fight Lamas believes the UFC wants to see before advancing the winner to the next level. Champion Jose Aldo defends the 145-pound title against former lightweight champ Frankie Edgar next week at UFC 156. So the timing is right for the Lamas-Koch winner to advance to meet the winner of that fight for the strap.
Koch was, at one point, booked to meet Aldo for the title. But he got injured and Edgar was moved in for him. Then Aldo got injured and the title fight was delayed until next week in Las Vegas.
But even Lamas said his lengthy layoff, since this past June's win over Hioki, came because the right matchup wasn't working out.
And he said he was close to a shot at Aldo, himself.
"I did have a fight booking – they came to me and offered me Frankie Edgar (at UFC 155)," Lamas said. "But that fell through when Koch got injured. They came to me with an opportunity to fight Jose Aldo, but they changed their mind about that one. So I was left in limbo a little bit."
But perhaps the delay was worthwhile with Koch as an opponent. If good things come to those who wait, a win over Koch on Saturday might mean very big things for Lamas later this year.
"I wanted a fight that made sense – I've been stuffing up the competition every time, and I really wanted a top contender to fight," he said. "The top five guys are either already matched up or injured. But then they came to me with Erik Koch. I just had to sit around and wait for the right fight that made sense."
For more on UFC on FOX 6, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.
MMAjunkie.com Radio broadcasts Monday-Friday at noon ET (9 a.m. PT) live from Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino's Race & Sports Book. The show is hosted by "Gorgeous" George Garcia, MMAjunkie.com lead staff reporter John Morgan and producer Brian "Goze" Garcia. For more information or to download past episodes, go to www.mmajunkie.com/radio.


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Comments From Our Community…
- My child is making excellent progress. Very happy with ethos of school. Very dedicated staff – excellent leadership team.
- Very happy with my son's development at the school. Great staff, lovely school with a lovely atmosphere.
- Best decision I made.
- Very pleased with my son's progression in his speech, as this was my biggest concern coming into a new school.
- He loves coming in each day.


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|Yum! This pie had perfect texture!
Nick Malgeiri is one of my favorite bakers and cookbook authors. Staying true to his version, was the way I chose to go, for the most part. His Pasta Frolla was easy to put together in my food processor and rolled out easily. I then made the filling with a few very miner changes. I added a bit less prosciutto and, included chopped sun-dried tomatoes. That's it! This pie was not labor intensive. Both the dough and filling can be made ahead. I am saving this Pizza Rustica to serve to my family on Saturday. I read that you could freeze it by cooling it to room temperature, and then wrapping it well. It can stay frozen for up to a month. Let the pie defrost at room temperature and then, reheat uncovered, in a moderate (350 degree F) oven until completely warmed through. Happy Tuesday, everyone!!
For the recipe, see Baking with Julia by Dorie Greenspan. You will also find it on Emily's blog, Capitol Region Dining, and Raelynn's blog, The Place They Call Home, as they are co-hosting this weeks pick. There's also a video of Nick and Julia making the pizza rustica together, which is fun to watch. And please check out the other bloggers who are baking along at TWD.
|Chunks of butter added to the flour mixture for the Pasta Frolla
|The dough coming together
|Mixing the cheeses with the sun dried tomatoes and prosciutto
|Roll out the dough
|Ready for the oven
|The lovely Pizza Rustica
|Light and delicious!


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Clubster named Product of the Year by BoardRoom Magazine!Posted on December 17, 2012
The BoardRoom magazine "Excellence in Achievement" Awards is the only private club industry award that recognizes the clubs' business partners. BoardRoom magazine's industry peers review and select these outstanding suppliers and consultants, which represent various aspects of course and club operations.
Winners, each year, are selected for overall excellence in their respective fields, achievements, innovation, vision for future growth and continued impact on private club operations.
"Each of the recipients of the BoardRoom magazine "Excellence in Achievement" awards are clearly leaders in their respective industries," said John Fornaro, publisher of the BoardRoom magazine.
Download the article hereThis entry was posted in Clubster News and Events, Development News, Social Media and Private Clubs. Bookmark the permalink.
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Interesting question on human mistakes was posted on the DBA Managers Forum discussions today.
As human beings, we are sometimes make mistakes. How do you make sure that your employees won't make mistakes and cause downtime/data loss/etc on your critical production systems?
I don't think we can avoid this technically, probably working procedures is the solution.
I'd like to hear your thoughts.
I typed my thoughts and as I was finishing, I thought that it makes sense to post it on the blog too so here we go…
The keys to prevent mistakes are low stress levels, clear communications and established processes. Not a complete list but I think these are the top things to reduce the number of mistakes we make managing data infrastructure or for that matter working in any critical environment be it IT administration, aviation engineering or medical surgery field. It's also a matter of personality fit – depending on your balance between mistakes tolerance and agility required, you will favor hiring one individual or another.
Regardless of how much you try, there are still going to be human errors and you have to account for them in the infrastructure design and processes. The real disasters happen when many things align like several failure combined with few human mistakes. The challenge is to find the right balance between efforts invested in making no mistakes and efforts invested into making your environment errors-proof to the point when risk or human mistake is acceptable to the business.
Those are the general ideas.
Just a few examples of the practical solutions to prevent mistakes when it comes to Oracle DBA:
Some of the items to limit impact of the mistakes:
Both lists can go on very long. Old article authored by Paul Vallee is very relevant top this topic — The Seven Deadly Habits of a DBA…and how to cure them.
Feel free to post your thoughts and example. How do you approach human mistakes in managing production data infrastructure?


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Shared Use Paths
New guidelines that will cover shared use paths
Shared use paths provide a means of off-road transportation and recreation for various users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, skaters, and others, including people with disabilities. In its rulemaking on public rights-of-way and on trails and other outdoor developed areas, comments from the public urged the Board to address access to shared use paths since they are distinct from sidewalks and trails. Shared use paths, unlike most sidewalks, are physically separated from streets by an open space or barrier. They also differ from trails because they are designed not just for recreation purposes but for transportation as well.
In response, the Board is supplementing its rulemaking on public rights-of-way to also cover shared use paths. The proposed rights-of-way guidelines, which address access to sidewalks, streets, and other pedestrian facilities, provide requirements for pedestrian access routes, including specifications for route width, grade, cross slope, surfaces, and other features. The Board proposes to apply these and other relevant requirements to shared use paths as well. This supplementary rulemaking also would add provisions tailored to shared use paths into the rights-of-way guidelines.


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WTB's Weirwolf is a high-volume, fast-rolling tire that climbs like an angel and descends like its hard-charging namesake, Mark Weir. Its terraced side knobs and evenly spaced center knobs grab onto the trail and never let go. The Weirwolf's Lightweight casing is nimble with quick acceleration, but it doesn't shy away from taming ferocious rock gardens, ripping through corners, and making every trail your playground. WTB's TCS tires deliver the ride benefits of tubeless tires with the reduced weight of a non-UST tire, so you get the best of both worlds.
Conditions: Dry to Damp/Hardpack to Loamy
Size: 29 x 2.3
Front and rear compatibility
This is a folding tire
Part Numbers
|Store SKU