derekkimberlyess

Posted by David Bercovich, Product Marketing Manager
Not surprisingly, we’re big fans of emphasizing the search box on websites and intranets, as search puts the entire contents of a site at the visitor’s fingertips. That is why we are pleased to highlight the City of Virginia Beach, a Google Search Appliance customer, who redesigned their website around search. So whether you are looking for info on parks or parking in Virginia Beach, its only a search away.

Travis Koplow:
Here’s a confession: Before I moved to LA I didn’t drive. I bought a car and learned to drive because everyone said–and I have always believed–you cannot live happily in this city as a non-driver. So how surprised was I to learn that LA is above the national average for public transportation use. The US Census Bureau just released a data set that breaks down how people get to work city-by-city. (It’s true: I am enough of a complete geek that I subscribe the US Census’ feed. So sue me.)

While I wasn’t surprised to read that “about half of the nation’s public transportation commuters can be found in 10 of the nation’s 50 cities with the most workers age 16 or over,” I didn’t expect to see LA on that list. Shows what I know. On average 4.7% of United Statians take public transportation to work, while 10.3 of Los Angelenos do. We rate higher than average on carpooling (11.7% versus 10.7% nationally), bicycling (.6% versus .4% nationally), working from home (4.7% compared to 3.6%), and even walking to work (3.2% in our fair city, 2.5% in the country as a whole). I know living in Encino and working in Chatsworth, as I do, does not exactly grant one an accurate lens through which to view the city as a whole, but still….I’m pretty blown away by the fact that LA is above the mean in every category. I don’t know whether to be proud of LA or distressed about the country as a whole.

Greetings from THE COLORADO SKIERThis is part of a series on Ski Area News. It is posted separately from our companion series on “LOST SKI AREAS”, “THE COLORADO SKIER - TRIVIA”, and “TCS LISTS”. Check ‘em out.

THE COLORADO SKIER — SKI NEWS 12 (17 Nov 96)
EDITOR’S REMARKS:
A. It seems like the right time of year to do a “Ski News” edition. Time to remind you about what you might find out there. Actually we have been doing “ski news” tid-bits for several issues and this will be a recapitulation (huh?) of the major news items. B. Many thanks to JEFF STRAIT, of Williamstown, MA, for sending a brochure/trail map for the MT. GREYLOCK SKI CLUB (MA) ski area. C. TCS Newsletters have a new Web address. See Section 9.
1A. SKI AREA NEWS - GET YOUR KICKS IN 96 NEW ENGLAND a. KILLINGTON, VT - Is replacing the Ramshead double with a HS Quad and is adding a cross-peak access chair. b. TENNEY MOUNTAIN, NH - Closed in 1990 but re-opened under a new owner as LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN for 3 more seasons to 1993. It did not operate the last 3 seasons. Now the condo owners at the base have made an offer to buy and reopen the ski area. No current status. c. MAGIC MOUNTAIN, VT - Has a new owner and was planning to re-open this December. However, some environmental cleanup delayed the startup. Things still look good for next year, however. d. PICO, VT has declared Chapter 7 bankruptcy - the banks own it. This is very sad. PICO is one of the oldest ski areas in the country. They opened about 1936 with rope tows and added the first T-bar built in the U.S. (a Constam) in 1938. The area was run by the MEAD family and daughter Andrea Mead became a successful and famous ski racer. COLORADO
a. WINTER PARK, CO - Is replacing Colorado’s slowest chairlift, “Olympia”, with a HS Quad. It’s about time. b. LOVELAND VALLEY, CO - Is replacing their main doublechair with a fixed grip quad - no new terrain. c. VAIL, CO - New larger base lodge at Golden Peak. HS Quad from there to the base of Chair 11. New 12 passenger gondola at Lionshead. No way the lodge or gondola will be ready by opening day (IMHO). [Latest guess for the gondola is 28 Nov. VAIL opened on 8 Nov.] d. BEAVER CREEK, CO - Has added a HS Quad and several trails in the “Bachelor Gulch” terrain. This will allow the interconnection of ARROWHEAD and BEAVER CREEK (this season). e. BRECKENRIDGE, CO - Is building an “access-only” doublechair. It will run from the Kings Crown condo area (near the bottom of “Four O’clock run”) to a ridge between Peaks 8 and 9. There will be skier facilities and a bus stop, but no skier parking. The chairlift will have a 45 degree turn - most of any fixed grip chairlift in the world. f. KEYSTONE, CO - Allows snowboards this season. They have added a halfpipe and terrain garden (with night lighting). That will leave ASPEN MTN as the only ski area in Colorado banning snowboards. BTW, the snowboard park is called “Area 51″. Cute. g. COPPER MTN, CO - Is adding another double chair (the old “I” lift) in the (new last year) “Copper Bowl” terrain. h. STEAMBOAT, CO - Is adding new terrain (”Morningside Park”, behind Storm Peak) with a triple chair and several new trails. i. TELLURIDE, CO - Will “finally” open the town-to-mountain village gondola. This will be the fourth year in a row that we have announced this gondola opening. [Fact: We first saw it in Sep, 1993] j. CUCHARA VALLEY, CO - Is for sale and the current owners have decided NOT to operate for the 96/97 season, sans sale. We noticed that the “Public Relations Director” from last season is now billed as the “Area Manager”. She is probably the only employee left!
ROCKIES a. RED LODGE, MT - Is expanding into the “Cole Creek” terrain this season with two HS quads and several runs. b. BIG SKY, MT - Is replacing one of their two ancient gondolas with a Doppelmayr HS Quad. c. DEER VALLEY, UT - The “Wasatch” double becomes a HS Quad. d. PARK CITY, UT - Is replacing a Yan Quad (”Prospector”) with a “Six-Pack”, and will allow snowboards. e. WOLF MOUNTAIN, UT - Has announced 96/97 “plans” to add two new Quads and new terrain. Does anyone know if it happened? f. JACKSON HOLE, WY - Replaces the Teewinot double with a HS Quad. g. GRAND TARGHEE, WY - Is upgrading the “Bannock” double to a HS Quad and the “Shoshone” double to a FG quad. h. SKI RIO, NM - Has declared bankruptcy, once again. This is a really neat area in terms of vertical, terrain, and lifts, but is just too far away from population and transportation centers.
WEST COAST a. ALPINE MEADOWS, CA - Will replace a Yan HS Quad (”Summit”) with a Six-Pack, and will allow snowboards. b. MOUNT SHASTA SKI PARK, CA - Is adding a 3rd triple chair. c. MT BACHELOR, OR - Is opening the long planned “Northwest Passage” terrain with 468 new acres served by a HS quad. d. TIMBERLINE, OR - Is replacing the “Palmer Chair” with a quad. The chairlift will serve the Palmer Snowfield in the spring and summer and maybe some times in the winter (during the rare times of light winds and good visibility). e. MT. HOOD MEADOWS, OR - A new chair in the Andromeda Bowl.
CANADA a. WHISTLER, BC - Is replacing the “Quicksilver” HS Quad with a six- place gondola. That was the Yan chair that failed last season, killing two skiers, and injuring several more. b. APEX, BC - Reader JACK (WA) reports that the BC Provincial Government has “called” a major loan that Apex can’t afford to pay off. Their upcoming season is at the mercy of the Government. c. SUNSHINE, ALB - Is adding another HS quad.
1B. SKI AREA NEWS - LONG RANGE EXPANSION PLANS a. VAIL - Has received “final” permission from the Forest Service to do the CAT III expansion which includes north facing bowls out past the current back bowls. The FS chopped them back from 1000 to 850 acres and from 4 to 3 lifts. Vail is tinkled pink and plans to start work next summer and open in 1998. b. TELLURIDE - Received FS permission to add several lifts and expand onto several new peaks, including Gold Hill and Palmyra Peak. Plans are long-range. (Millennium unknown) c. STEAMBOAT - Will expand along “Pioneer Ridge”, which is to the left of the existing ski area as you look up from town. Snowcat tours this season. d. STAGECOACH (near Steamboat, CO), which folded back in 1974, has been obtained from the creditor and will open this year as a cross- country area with snowcat tours. There are plans for adding lifts. e. CATAMOUNT, a planned NEW area near STAGECOACH, was proceeding nicely thru the permit process when the principal investor withdrew. The owners of OKEMO (VT) [Diane and Tim Mueller] came to see the “area” this summer and late word is that they have decided to invest, as part of a diversified investment group. (Catamount lives!) f. BERTHOUD PASS, CO - Has been closed for several seasons, but now has a new owner and will re-open next season. Of the three new lifts installed by BORVIG a few years back, two still remain, plus the base lodge. BORIS reports that there is already repair work being done on the base lodge - probably to secure it for the winter. g. CRESTED BUTTE, CO - In a rare move for a ski area, has canceled plans for expansion onto “Snodgrass Mountain” (name change in order?). Seems that the locals don’t want the expansion. Not for environmental reasons, but just because they don’t want growth. Affordable housing, cheap beer, and all that. h. SOLDIER MOUNTAIN, ID - Actor BRUCE WILLIS and his family live in Hailey, Idaho (near SUN VALLEY). He is busy taking over and remaking that town. Now Bruce has purchased the SOLDIER MTN ski area (near Hailey) and plans to spend big bucks on expansion. It is a given that all vehicles will be equipped with “Diehards”. (Ooh, bad!)
2. SKI AREA NEWS - OTHER a. EARLY OPENINGS - KILLINGTON opened on 4 Oct. As per usual, they closed four days later. Their openings are more like publicity stunts than real skiing. The cameras were whirring and the wire services were humming. The “Whole New Animal” (a pussycat?) finally reopened on 1 Nov, way back in the pack. SUNDAY RIVER (ME) also opened on 1 Nov. In Colorado, KEYSTONE led the way with a 21 Oct opening. Not much “skiing”, tho. Mostly boarding, or so it seemed. LOVELAND opened on 22 Oct, and BRECKENRIDGE recorded their earliest opening ever, on 25 Oct. Elsewhere, MT HOOD MEADOWS (OR) also achieved their earliest opening ever, on 21 Oct. In Utah, PARK CITY opened early to the huzzahs of the newly enfranchised riding crowd. b. ASPEN has announced the highest lift ticket price in the country at $56! Only gold cards are accepted - no ordinary cash, please. VAIL lags behind at a paltry $52. We have mentioned in the past that ALTA, UT generally has a lift ticket price which is HALF that at Vail. This year Alta will be at $27 which is close - and is UNDER half of Aspen’s price. Only skiing at Alta, tho. No condos or fur coats. c. WESTERN PACIFIC, the Colorado Springs discount airline, has formed a subsidiary airline called MOUNTAIN AIR EXPRESS (MAX) which will start flying in December to Gunnison (Crested Butte), Montrose (Telluride), Eagle (Vail), Aspen (Aspen), Durango (Purgatory), and Hayden (Steamboat). Advanced purchase prices will be $69 from Colo. Springs. Even better, you can fly from any WestPac city to COS and connect with a MAX flight for only $119 (one way), early on. BTW, the latest WestPac “logo plane” represents PURGATORY/Durango. d. GEORGE GILLETT - Once owned and ran VAIL. He lost Vail Associates when his meat packing business and TV stations went kaput. This year GILLETT bought MT CRANMORE and WATERVILLE VALLEY (NH), the two ski areas left out of the big American Skiing merger. He also bought 3 ski areas in California (NORTHSTAR, SIERRA-AT-TAHOE, and BEAR MTN) formerly owned by the Fibreboard Corp.
3. LOST SKI AREA FOLLOW-UP a. To keep loyal reader BILL WALKER (San Diego) amused we try to mention his favorite ski area, GRANLIBAKKEN, in every issue. Recently we stated that the previous name of the ski area was “OLYMPIC HILL”. Here is a clarification. “OLYMPIC” HILL (Tahoe Tavern, CA) was started in 1928 by a group that was trying to land the Winter Olympics in 1932, at the same time as L.A. was (successfully) bidding for the Summer Olympics. The bid failed but Olympic Hill continued to be used for ski jumping contests and slalom races. In 1948 it was decided that a bigger hill for recreational skiing was needed. So GRANLIBAKKEN was built NEXT TO Olympic Hill. The latter area was retained for jumping. A closer inspection of our old highway maps reveals the name “Olympic Hill & Granlibakken” rather than “Olympic Hill/Granlibakken”. Clear? b. New reader KEVIN (GA) writes to point out that the correct complement of lifts at the ADDISON PINNACLE (NY) Lost Ski Area is T- bar, Poma, and rope tow. He learned to ski there and now golfs at “Pinnacle”. He says that there are still lift remnants. c. MT GREYLOCK, MA - In response to a reader question we discussed the famous “Thunderbolt Trail” once used for downhill races. We also mentioned a small lift-served area on Mt. Greylock once operated by Williams College, principally for slalom races. That area still operates. New reader JEFF STRAIT, Vice-President of the “MT GREYLOCK SKI CLUB” sent us a brochure/trail map. It indicates an opening date of 1932 making it one of the oldest ski areas in the country. [BTW, hope everyone saw the article on the Thunderbolt Trail in Nov SKI.] d. TRIVIA IS EVERYWHERE - Recently we found a used book on the flora and fauna of New Mexico. One of those little books with the color drawings that make it easy to determine whether it was a falcon or a hawk that flew off with your cat (!). The copyright date was 1955 and the book also listed ski areas, including a new one to us, “TRES RITOS”. Now, there is a town called “Tres Ritos” near the current SIPAPU ski area, which was formerly known as AGUA PIEDRA. About the same time, we were reading a neat book on the history of TAOS and founder ERNIE BLAKE. The first lift (1955/56) at “TAOS SKI VALLEY” was a German “Ski-Kuli” (?) with 300 feet of vertical. The second year (56/57) they installed a T-bar obtained from the “Tres Ritos Ski Club” which raised the vertical to 900 ft. It seems that the Bolander family who operated TRES RITOS decided to close and move to a better ski area location where SIPAPU is now. A little more checking revealed that it was Tres Ritos, not Sipapu which carried the name “AGUA PIEDRA”. We love it when trivia comes together! A few days later we scored a 1942 highway map of New Mexico. It contained some “lost” areas like Cedar Creek, McGaffery, Hyde State Park, and La Madera. Also, another new one called EL RITO. This one was located a few miles north of the town of El Rito which is about 40 miles west of Taos. The area had a rope tow and no base lodge. e. SOOOOEY! New reader CHARLES (city unknown) says that he knows of TWO former ski areas in ARKANSAS. You got us by one, slick. We’ll show you ours if you show us yours. Ours is:
MARBLE FALLS (Dog Patch), [closed], Located on Hiway 7 south of Harrison. Operated from about 1973 to 1977. Vertical Drop: 220 ft Top: 3000 Base: 2780 Lifts: 1 chairlift, 3 rope tows 100% snowmaking Note: There is a “WHITEWATER” ski area, but not in Arkansas.
4. BUILDERS EMPORIUM a. In the interest of fairness and (hopefully) accuracy, here is more on the Yan bullwheels. LIFT ENGINEERING, the manufacturer of Yan ski lifts until 1994 (the company is now under bankruptcy protection), issued a Service Bulletin recommending that all Yan bullwheels be INSPECTED for a faulty weld and that FAULTY welds be replaced, and also that all of the welds be replaced within a “few years”. KEYSTONE CHOSE to replace all welds this year. Other ski areas elected to “inspect” the welds (with bullwheels in place) and postpone serious repairs until next summer. One problem which hindered “in-place” inspections was the heavy bracket which keeps bullwheels from falling off their axles. This bracket was added to Yan lifts after a bullwheel fell off a Yan lift at KEYSTONE some years ago (when a different weld failed). BTW, the Colorado inspections revealed faulty bullwheel welds at Keystone, Copper, and Vail. Other states ????? STEAMBOAT originally planned to just do an “ultrasound” until experts pointed out that that test would only determine the sex of the lift. So, instead, they are doing an MRI, which will not only reveal cracks but will also determine how well the lifts’ knees can handle the bumps this season. BTW, we will ride Yan Fixed Grip lifts this season but you won’t see us on a Yan Detachable Quad. b. Hey guys, can we get on the same page? Last year we discussed the “tram” at the MIRAGE Hotel in Vegas and someone asked about the “monorail” at BALLY’S. So this year we checked that out and reported on it. So, of course, this time someone asked about the tram at the Mirage! To review, it is a relatively level-tracked funicular/cable car. One car is drawn back and forth between the two hotels (Mirage and Treasure Island) by cable. No on-board operator, but there are attendants at the loading stations. c. TALLY-HO? - While we were researching the “Milwaukee Road” ski train to the MILWAUKEE ROAD SKI BOWL (now HYAK) we came across a description of a strange ski lift (in 1946): “The TALLY-HO SKIBOGGAN CHAIR LIFT is an innovation which is creating great comment among all ski enthusiasts. In comparing this revolutionary chair lift with others which normally accommodate 285 people an hour, the Skiboggan will accommodate a capacity of 1440 skiers an hour. This lift may be used by non-skiers, as one may ride down the lift as well as up. …. In addition to this lift, there will be three other ropetows, and a sled tow pulled on a cable, the latter of which will be made accessible from the top of the Skiboggan ….” Is there no end to the supply of STRANGE LIFTS ??? d. BRIDAL VEIL FALLS AERIAL TRAM - This small but steep tourist attraction near Provo, UT was seriously damaged by an avalanche last winter. One of our ace Utah field reporters (ED, who helped us with lost “Cedar Canyon”) reports that the tram is still “hors de combat”. It seems that the owner had no insurance and can’t afford to rebuild.
5. THE SUN VALLEY STORY Many of you know the story of COUNT FELIX SCHOFFGOTSCH who traveled the West looking for the perfect location for a ski area and discovered the site we now know as SUN VALLEY (ID). One reader asked the trivia question: WHAT LOCATION CAME IN SECOND? Here is what we know: The Count was hired in 1935 by the Union Pacific RR at the request of COB Averill Harriman to find a suitable resort. Harriman wanted the UP to have a destination resort to advertise, much like the Santa Fe RR advertised the Grand Canyon. The count had four criteria: 1) The usual large vertical and good snow; 2) Close to a UP railhead; 3) Open ski terrain like in Europe rather than the old, narrow, logging road trails common to New England; 4) No existing ski area - so as not to disturb current skiers and to cut down on the likelihood of weekend skiers. The Count first checked on PARADISE LODGE, on Mt Rainier. It met all criteria except that it had a current ski area. Ironically that area no longer operates. It rained the whole time the Count was in Oregon so he didn’t even bother skiing on MT. HOOD. SO. CALIF had insufficient snow and was too close to L.A. The mountains near SALT LAKE CITY had existing ski areas and were too close to SLC. YOSEMITE was all federally owned. One very promising area was JACKSON HOLE. It basically met all the criteria. However, the railhead was on the other (west) side of Teton Pass and the Wyoming Highway Dept. would not promise to keep the pass open in the winter. In Colorado, the Count declared BERTHOUD PASS too windy, and STEAMBOAT SPRINGS was too remote. While the Count was in CO, his traveling companion, a UP employee, was having a few drinks in Boise with the head of the IDAHO Highway Dept. The latter suggested KETCHUM. Lots of snow, big mountains, and not only a nearby UP main line, but even a branch line into Ketchum. So they called the Count and arranged a car trip to Ketchum. The first day they got stuck in heavy snowdrifts and had to be plowed out. The next day the Count found a big valley, suitable for hotels, golf courses, tennis courts, riding stables, ice rink, etc. And there were small hills for beginner skiing and ski schools. The 3rd day the Count hired a guide and climbed up and skied on the big mountain, Mt. Baldy. He had found nirvana. That spring (1936), the UP bought 4,000 acres of Ketchum land for about $10.00 an acre. That summer the Lodge was built, and the ski area opened in December, 1936 with the first two chairlifts in the world. The rest, as they say, is history. The answer to the trivia question? We don’t know but would have to guess Jackson Hole.
6. POTPOURRI a. SPOOL CHUCKERS OUR KNOT PURR FACT - Last time, in the tag, we meant to say Ten Commandments and said “Ten Commandants” instead. Probably because we had just finished watching “Hogan’s Heroes”. [Or is that “Kommandant”?] So, ARE there 10 Commandments in the metric system? A reader says “10″ IS metric. In British units there are 12. b. SKI UTAH - Has a billboard west of Denver which says: “If you were in Utah, you’d be skiing by now.” This refers to the fact that from the SLC airport to Brighton/Solitude or to Alta/Snowbird it is about 45 minutes, whereas from DIA to Summit County is about 90 minutes. So, how far up I-70 into the mountains is this billboard? Actually it is IN Denver. Think about it. From DIA to I-70, then to East Denver, then downtown, then to West Denver. 45 minutes easy. c. BILL MAROLT, former AD at CU is now the head of “US Skiing” which controls the US Ski Team. Mr. Marolt is well known in CO. He has a long career as a ski racer, ski coach, and sports administrator. In March 1965, at the 22nd Harriman Cup in Sun Valley, Marolt came in 8th in a downhill race. Significance? A fellow named JEAN CLAUDE KILLY came in 9th in the same race! We bet Bill has the framed race results in his office. [For the record, Karl Schranz won the race.] d. THE 96 VOTE - Our local school district had a question on the ballot which asked us to raise property taxes to support a bond issue. Taxes were to be raised “… for FIVE years only … in the 1996-1997 budget year and in each budget year thereafter through and including the 2001-2002 budget year.” So? That’s SIX budget years! The money was for school buildings. It should have been for math teachers! e. HILL LIFT or LIFT HILL? - Recently we received a magazine with the picture of a chairlift on the cover. Why unusual? Because this was “RollerCoaster” magazine. The new wooden coaster: “A Great White” at Wildwood, NJ has a chairlift running thru and OVER it (100 feet above the sand). The chair appears to be a Doppelmayr fixed-grip triple. (Kathy D?) According to the text the lift is the “prototype Flying Kites cable-lift ride”. It appears that each chair has a (plastic) “kite” attached to the top. The lift ran CCW. [ ]
7. FROM THE MAILBAG a. MYSTERE - Last time we talked about this great show in Vegas. SKIP (Sunday River) has seen several “Cirque de Soleil” shows including the “new” one QUIDAM. He is impressed, too. b. HOW MANY COLLEGE SKIERS WILL FIT INTO A GONDOLA-SHAPED PHONEBOOTH? SKIPPY laughed, nay, guffawed when one of our trivia questions listed the 12 passenger gondola at STRATTON. 12!!! he cried incredulously! “Maybe 12 anorexic pygmies in running suits, but not 12 skiers in ski clothes!” He reminds us that WHISTLER uses the identical cars and only claims 10 passengers. [How embarrassing - Our skilift records say (for Whistler) “same as Stratton” and yet we never even thought about 10 vs 12] FWIW, we have climbed inside the new “12 skier” cars at VAIL. They “seat 9 and stand 3″. Looks like they can, to us. Anecdote: We saw the VAIL car at a ski show. We asked the VAIL representative who made the cars. “Doppelmayr?”, he ventured. “They make all the quads.” We checked the labels: The cars are made by “CWA” (who make all gondola cars these days). The system was built by “Garaventa-CTEC”. Perhaps we should volunteer as a docent. c. DAVE (Troy, NY) says he has hiked the MT RAIMER (NY) ski area and would like to see a trail map. We have none. Actually, the ski area operated under three names (from about 1964 to 1981): PETERSBURG PASS, MT RAIMER, and TACONIC TRAILS. If anyone has a map, please make TWO copies and send them to us and we will send Dave one.
8. CAR TALK - NAME THAT CAR Do you really know which company built the car you are driving? Many vehicles are built by companies other than the one whose nameplate they carry. Here are some examples:
FORD - What car is more American than the FORD PROBE? Actually the Probe is a joint Ford/Mazda design based on the MAZDA MX-6. It is built of Mazda and Ford components and is assembled in a Mazda plant in Flat Rock, MI. MERCURY VILLAGER and NISSAN QUEST are twins built in the U.S. jointly by Ford and Nissan. The FORD ASPIRE is a MAZDA design and is built in Korea by KIA. The MAZDA NAVAHO is actually a 2-door EXPLORER built by FORD. The MAZDA B2000 pickup truck is really a FORD RANGER with a Mazda nameplate. This is turnabout, as the original Ford mini-truck, the COURIER, was built by Mazda. Likewise the Courier competitor, the CHEVY LUV, was built by Isuzu as the ISUZU PUP.
GENERAL MOTORS builds all of their own cars, except the small car GEO line. The GEO TRACKER is really the SUZUKI SIDEKICK. The GEO PRIZM started as the CHEVY NOVA and was a clone of the TOYOTA COROLLA. The GEO METRO (formerly CHEVY SPRINT) is also built by Suzuki and is based on the SUZUKI SWIFT. And, the CHEVY CAPRICE is really — ugly! The SUZUKI HOMBRE is the CHEVY S pickup, built in Brazil.
CHRYSLER - builds about half of their model line. There is the ubiquitous minivan in its Plymouth, Dodge, and Chrysler versions and the 4-door sedan which, with different sheet metal, becomes a Dodge, Eagle, or Chrysler. The NEON is also U.S. designed/built. However: The CHRYSLER SEBRING and DODGE AVENGER are coupe versions of the MITSUBISHI GALANT built in Illinois by Mitsubishi. (Note: The SEBRING convertible is a different vehicle, based on the CHRYSLER CIRRUS.) The EAGLE TALON is built by Mitsubishi as the MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE. The EAGLE SUMMIT is actually the MITSUBISHI MIRAGE (and was previously the DODGE COLT). The DODGE STEALTH is, of course, the gorgeous MITSUBISHI 3000GT. The DODGE VIPER is actually a MARTIAN EARTH ROVER.
JAPANESE inter-island items - The HONDA PASSPORT SUV is actually the ISUZU RODEO, built in the U.S. by Isuzu. Turnabout: The ISUZU OASIS minivan is built by HONDA as the ODYSSEY. The ACURA SLX is really the ISUKU TROOPER (or as actress Rosie Perez calls hers: the “Eye-Zoo-Zoo Twoopa”!) The new ultra-luxurious LEXUS LS 450 and INFINITI QX4 SUVs are really the TOYOTA LAND CRUISER and the NISSAN PATHFINDER, respectively.
9. EPILOG a. Please provide your city name (and your own name) when FIRST writing to TCS. It makes our statistics more complicated. Cheers from The Colorado Skier (Member I.S.H.A., AAA, PPRR, YWCA) “To Infinity and Beyond!” Buzz Lightyear

This is the nearest and closest I ever got to awards.

Eastcoastlife presented me with the Thinker Blogger Award.

I’m so honored that a humble food blog, maintained by a new beginner blogger and a novice cook can earn this “reward”. Thank you, eastcoastlife. Thank you, to all my readers and foodies out there as well. Without all of you, I would not have had any motivation to maintain this blog, and make it happen. Now I made it happen, I need to make it sustainable.

To share the joy, I am passing this Thinker Blogger award to
Steamy Kitchen : She has won so many awards that you would not need me to elaborate more why I’m giving this to her. She holds cooking classes in Tampa Bay, Florida Area, puts pride in her blog eg. “… won’t post the dish unless the photograph passes the drool-worthy test…”, keeps an upbeat humor in her writings, and maintains consistent creativity in her dishes. I’m amazed. Where does she get the energy and time from? Well, you have to ask this professional.
Rasa Malaysia: She keeps authenticity in the classic Malaysian cuisine she whips up and gets creative in her mouth-watering photo shots. Combining both, she can make simple street food and traditional hawker fare seem like a premium and a luxury. Just don’t charge me $50 bucks for your Penang Hokkein Mee/Noodle if you ever open your own restaurant, okie?

Both of you really made me THINK hard on how to be a better Thinker Blogger

On a separate occasion, I was also given the Schmooze award by Musings of a stay at home mum. This award is given to those who are deemed to be able: To converse casually, especially in order to gain an advantage or make a social connection.

Of course, I feel privileged again. My dear readers, I hope my blog contents conveyed via my simple writing style have made it easy and interesting for you to read and understand. Through reading/ commenting on your blogs and making that social connection, I’ve learnt so much about YOU, from YOU, your experiences and other cultures too. Thank you, so much!

The Schmooze award is going out to Grandmother Stories. Hahahaha, I usually have a good laugh reading her “grandmother stories” and it’s a first for me, telling you I love “listening” to “grandmother stories nagging”. It’s ah ma kong gor (in Hokkien), translating to “grandmother telling stories”…but I assure you she will be (or is she already one?) the modern grandmother of this era.

So I wrote this plug-in that takes a URL and attempts to connect to it and play it back. To test, I used the recent Apple Keynote (http://stream.qtv.apple.com/events/jan/j47d52oo/m_8848125_350_ref.mov). I get the audio just fine, but the video is all white. I checked out my codecs and they seem fine. So you all QuickTime experts out there, any hints as to where I might be going wrong? A similar test with a Comedy Central FLV stream failed completely. Just a black screen and an infinite wait loop(http://a25.c.akamai.net/n/25/9950/v001/comedystor.download.akamai.com/9951/_!/com/southpark/1011_cake_480.flv?__gda__=1176235556_733620de7b3346f8ad188c52111702d1)

My URL test plug-in. [Click to open at full resolution]

The QuickTime Keynote streamed audio but not video and displayed this white screen. [Click to open at full resolution]

The Comedy Central FLV source did not stream at all. [Click to open at full resolution]
static NSString *urlname = @”http://stream.qtv.apple.com/events/jan/j47d52oo/m_8848125_350_ref.mov”;

- (void)itemSelected:(long)fp8 {

NSError *error = nil;

if (fp8 == 1) { // Quit
[[NSApplication sharedApplication] terminate:self];
return;
}

NSURL *mediaURL = [NSURL URLWithString:urlname];
BRSimpleMediaAsset *asset = [[[BRSimpleMediaAsset alloc] initWithMediaURL:mediaURL] autorelease];
id player = [[[BRQTKitVideoPlayer alloc] init] autorelease];
[player setMedia:asset error:&error];
id controller = [[[BRVideoPlayerController alloc] initWithScene:[self scene]] autorelease];
[controller setVideoPlayer:player];
[_stack pushController:controller];
}

Busiek, Kurt and Stuart Immonen. Superman: Secret Identity. New York: DC Comics, 2004. ISBN: 1-4012-0451-1.

In one of the other alternate Earths, superheroes only exist in comic books. Superman is nothing more than a comic book character. But what if a young boy one day wakes up to discover he really does have the powers of Superman? To make matters complicated, his parents named him Clark, and his family name is Kent; they had a quirky sense of humor. The author and artist have created here a moving and beautiful story of a boy coming to age, becoming a man, and living a full life as he discovers a path to be a hero while trying to keep the government at bay. Clark just wants to live a normal life, but it is not as easy as that. This is one of the nicest stories I have read in graphic novels recently. It combines elements of conspiracy shows like The X-Files with elements of a family story with some adventure. It is a fine example of what writers and authors can do in graphic novels. This is one graphic novel that I would highly recommend with art that complements the story very well.

Morrison, Grant. New X-Men, vol. 6: Planet X. New York: Marvel Comics, 2004. ISBN: 0785112014.

In this installment of the series, Magneto, who was presumed dead, appears once again. It turns out he has been hatching a plot to carry out his plans for mutant rule. To make things worse, there is an infiltrator at Xavier’s Academy, and he turns many students to Magneto’s cause. Meanwhile, the X-Men are facing various missions and challenges, weakening their efforts against Magneto. While the action was good in this one, it did not seem as good to me as other X-Men titles. Maybe for it was the portrayal of Magneto as a bit too maniacal and obsessed. However, fans will likely enjoy this and continue reading the rest of the series.

Claremont, Chris and Jim Lee. X-Men Legends Vol. 1: Mutant Genesis. New York; Marvel Comics, 2003. ISBN: 0-7851-0895-5.

A series of tales from the late 90s are collected in this volume. First, Magneto makes his return. His cause is to bring all mutants under his banner and bringing mutants to their rightful superior place. He is helped by a group of acolytes, mutants sworn to Magneto’s cause, but in this case, the acolytes may prove more dangerous than the master of magnetism himself. It is up to the X-Men to stop him. Next, a group of conspirators, including twins striving to bring a Fourth Reich to life, resurrect an old Soviet superweapon: the mutant Omega Red. However, Omega Red’s death factor, which can kill with a touch, is not stable. Now, X-Men, the Upstarts as they are known, and others race to find a device that will stabilize Omega Red’s powers and put the Upstarts in a new dominant position. This is classic comic book action.

Rucka, Greg. Wonder Woman: Eyes of the Gorgon. New York: DC Comics, 2005. ISBN: 1-4012-0797-9.

As the story begins, Diana has faced many challenges and obstacles. However, there is no rest in store as the Gorgon sisters manage to bring their deadly sibbling Medusa back to life. Now the creature with the power to turn others to stone is out after Wonder Woman for revenge. I admit that I have not read Wonder Woman comics lately. It is one of those I pick up if there is nothing else at hand (I tend to like my heroes a bit darker, so I am more of a Batman as opposed to Superman reader, for instance), but reading this one has proven to be interesting. Rucka has written a compelling storyline; the art is very good. And for me, it is interesting to see that the Olympian and mythological creatures have adapted to modern times. As in old times, the gods continue to plot against each other, and they continue their petty battles. In the end, Wonder Woman makes a very costly sacrifice. I think I will be picking up other issues a bit more frequently. I will certainly look forward to the next part of the story.

I wondered how long it would be before the Loony Tax And Spend Happy Minneapolis Liberal City Council began inserting their Leftist views into the bridge replacement design for the August 1, Mississippi Bridge collapse. The answer: two weeks.

In the Wednesday Star Tribune, in a story with the headline “A few details, a bunch of uncertainties,” (available to read via free subscription), reports that the Minneapolis City Council is already inserting their grandiose visions into the bridge design.

Where to begin - where to begin…

Minneapolis Mayor RT. Rybak - the “RT” stands for Re-Tarded (just kidding - no I’m not)

Minneapolis Mayor, the uber-Liberal R.T. Rybak, is lobbying for a Light Rail lane to be added to the bridge. Pay no attention to the fact that Light Rail only runs from the Mall of America in Bloomington to downtown Minneapolis. Pay no attention to the fact that Light Rail, as far as its future being part of I-35W, is years - maybe decades - from being developed from the location of the collapsed Mississippi River bridge.

Alice Hausman - a great Tax and Spender

On Rybak’s side, among many others, we find Alice Hausman, Democrat member of the Minnesota House of Representatives who says, “If we’re talking about ‘What are our options?’ then shouldn’t [light rail] be on the table?” Hausman who represents a St. Paul constituency shouldn’t be concerning herself with this issue, but she is a member of the House Transportation Committee, therefore she feels entitled to stick her fingers in this pie.

We interrupt this story for some facts, and I know I’m peeing directly into a strong and monsoon-like wind when mixing facts with what Liberals want to believe with their Pie In The Sky ideology, but - as they say - facts are facts.

Facts:

- The new bridge will actually be two new bridges, five lanes each in each direction, north and southbound lanes. The federal government has pledged $250 million dollars to rebuild the bridge. The project is expected to be completed by 2009.

- The $250 million dollar federal money cannot be used for mass transit. These funds are available to rebuild the bridge.

Now, these are complex and mysterious facts to understand, aren’t they? “The $250 million dollar federal money cannot be used for mass transit.” Wow - what a gray statement - so ambiguous, isn’t it? Maybe it will take some higher education courses that the Pie In The Sky Crowd will have to attend in order for them to wrap their wee little heads around this caveat.

Adding light rail to the bridge opens a can of worms called a prolonged environmental review. God forbid some indigenous form of algae or weed brings rebuilding a bridge to a standstill. Adding light rail to the bridge also calls for different structural specifications since light rail would add significantly more weight to the designs, designs that consider vehicle traffic weight, not the weight of light rail.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) is explaining to the Pie In The Sky crowd that federal money is contingent upon building the new bridge as a replacement of the old one. Details, details…is how the Liberal Minneapolis City Council appears to respond to the federal caveat.

Don “I want it to be a pretty bridge” Samuels

Don Samuels represents north Minneapolis and, according to the Star Tribune, said, “[this bridge is] a part of our cityscape viewed from other bridges.”

Diane “a unique and beautiful bridge” Hofstede

In the same Star Tribune story, Council Member Diane Hofstede asked about the “aesthetic issues” of the bridge, asking if the bridge would be “unique and beautiful.” Uh-huh…and maybe a level platform on top of the bridge with a proscenium arch where singers and dancers could perform a variety of musicals and Broadway shows! And of course a fireworks display extravaganza after each performance - why, without fireworks, what’s the point?!

Sandy “The Cheapskate” Roy

Council Member Sandy Roy - you remember Sandy, she’s the Liberal Bleeding Heart who refused to fork over pocket change to a panhandler this past May - is concerned if the bridge will be strong enough for Light Rail at a future date. A date, I’m sure, where unprofitable and revenue-sucking Light Rail will be somehow retrofitted into the bridge.

Thank God that Metropolitan Council Chairman Peter Bell and Lieutenant Governor Carol Molnau, who is the head of MnDOT, sent a letter to Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty saying all this talk about the aesthetics and concerns of Light Rail could stymie and disrupt the timeline of rebuilding what is an essential and necessary bridge.

Of course, this absurd Liberal Exercise in Mental Masturbation wouldn’t be complete without Star Tribune columnist (and that’s “columnist” used loosely) and BIG-TIME local Liberal Talk Radio FAILURE Nick Coleman. Coleman is to Left of Marx. He called MnDOT’s designs for a new bridge, “a joke. I have more impressive finger paintings on my refrigerator door.” No you don’t, pinhead, no you don’t. If you do, make your Little Eichmann Toddler’s drawing public and let us decide.

Coleman, as always, is talking out of his arse, putting in zero research while blathering on with nothing more substantive other than what he “believes”. Under the collapsed bridge exists a very large natural gas line that feeds into various and numerous lines that provides natural gas to businesses, residences and the University of Minnesota. Trenches exist under the bridge that are part of a state pollution superfund waste site that reroutes contaminants to a pumping station that filters out the impurities. The south side area of the bridge - where there is a park - is built upon land that was used in the early 1900s to mine coal. Coleman, completely ignorant of these facts, babbles on with Pie In The Sky ideals that are not and can not be implemented into real world bridge solutions.

Coleman also writes that the “[the] sketch [of MnDOTs new bridge design] is just a bunch of lines on an overheard photo of the river, with all the broken debris and horrors of the tragic collapse magically Photoshopped out of the picture.”

That “sketch” - actually an overlay - is actually MnDOTs draft design using a photo of the bridge from the year 2000! How did I find out about this mysterious, secretive and well-guarded fact? I asked someone who works for MnDOT. It was yeoman’s work of investigative journalism, let me tell you.

Coleman’s lack of facts is nothing new, he approaches every issue he writes about without any research, no facts, not bothering to pick up a telephone and asking an expert or anyone who might actually know something about the subject of which he is writing. Nick has only convinced himself to “believe” what he wants to believe, facts be damned. What’s it like to be totally bereft of facts, Nick?

Rybak, Hausman, Hofstede, Roy, Samuels, Coleman and the rest of them - Liberal or Conservative (and I’ve yet to hear any non-Liberals insist on grandiose bridge plans) - you do know that something is wrong with you, don’t you? That you suffer from some type of mental deficiency, that there is something wrong with what you call your brain, that your thought process synapses constantly misfire. You all lack something that normal people possess - common sense. Are you “Pod People”?

Federally funded bridges, like federal highways, are utilitarian. They serve the purpose of what a bridge is supposed to do, effectively providing traffic flow over and above areas not conducive to other alternative types of transportation. There are no perks, no pretty designs, no chocolate syrup, no sprinkles on top.

Leave it to a bunch of Liberals - how do I say this politely - to completely f*ck up a wet dream.

©2007

Quotes and details for the above post are gathered from the following newspaper stories, most of which may require you to sign up (for free) in order to read them:

St. Paul Pioneer Press: “No place for light rail on bridge, Molnau, Bell say”, August 14, 2007
Star Tribune: “A few details, a bunch of uncertainties”, August 15, 2007
Star Tribune: Nick Coleman, “Don’t let the rush to rebuild obscure the lessons from the bridge collapse”, August 15, 2007

That sky blue piece of the pie (best to click for larger images) is the tax take for a typical one-income family in 1970 (top) versus a typical two-income family in 2000 (bottom). Graphs from Todd Zywicki, who notes,

As can readily be seen, expenses for health insurance, mortgage, and automobile, have actually declined as a percentage of the household budget. Child care is a new expense. But even this new expenditure is about a quarter less than the increase in taxes. Moreover, unlike new taxes and the child care expenses incurred to pay them, increases in the cost of housing and automobiles are offset by increases in the value of real and personal property as household assets that are acquired in exchange.

Overall, the typical family in the 2000s pays substantially more in taxes than in their mortgage, automobile expenses, and health insurance costs combined. And the growth in the tax obligation between the two periods is substantially greater the growth in mortgage, automobile expenses, and health insurance costs combined.

…the obvious problem for this “typical” American family appears to be an extremely high tax burden caused primarily by the progressive nature of the income tax that hits families with two working adults by kicking them into higher marginal tax rates.”Oh no! They aren’t talking about the marriage penalty again, are they?”

Seldom heard about here in Australia, unless you have your ear close to the ground. But did you know about Virgin Comics?

Virgin Comics is creating original stories and epic myths for worldwide audiences. The company was founded in Nov. 2005 by Sir Richard Branson and Virgin Enterprises Ltd., alongside author Deepak Chopra, filmmaker Shekhar Kapur and Gotham Ent. Group, South Asia’s leading publisher of comic magazines. Among their titles are new comics and graphic novels: DEVI, RAMAYAN 3392 AD, WALK IN, JOHN WOO’S SEVEN BROTHERS and GUY RITCHIE’S GAMEKEEPER. Feature films based on virgin Comics’ characters are also in the works: an animated feature, THE SECRETS OF THE SEVEN SOUNDS and THE SADHU with Nicolas Cage.

My husband and I took the kiddies to a local children’s festival this past weekend. It was great, lots of free fun and games! My six-year-old son was particularly fond of the football scrambler hosted by the newly formed arena football team.

This is how it worked: the kid runs a few yards and catches a pass, then runs through a short obstacle course guarded by members of the team. Finally, at the end of the course they dive over a bale of hay and land on a pile of padded mats. Loads of fun all around!

Anyway, my son would run the course, get a piece of candy and a sticker and jump back in line. I was watching from the sidelines with the baby. That’s when I noticed there were several young women walking around in very short shorts and tight, low-cut tank tops. Slutpuppies is a word that comes to mind. I couldn’t believe a group of women would dress like that to a children’s festival.

That’s when I noticed the stickers that my boy had plastered across his shirt as he was running by. I called him over before he jumped in line again. Sure enough he had “I ‘heart’ Hooters” stickers all over his shirt. I looked at Hubby (who was appreciating the eye candy) and he thought it was funny.

So, long story short. Hooters and their little slutpuppy waitresses were sponsors of the football booth at a children’s festival. Surely, the irony struck a chord with others.