The 1000 Day Holiday

Im now much poorer, but the very happy owner of a full kit of Kitesurfing gear.

3 Best Kites:
Yarga 9, 13 & 17 meters
Best Bar & Lines
Underground FLX 142 cm board
Prolimit Harness
Pro Tec Hemlet

Now I just need a van to cart it all around in, and some wind please!

Flag this for Jan 06!
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Russia
This is the heart of James Bond territory, with more than one movie depicting the tuxedo-clad skier being chased across a snowy landscape by skidoo-riding, machine-gun-wielding baddies. Visitors may not experience as much excitement, but Russia is the ultimate in Eastern European skiing. Partly because you can’t get there – at least not without connections.
Visas are still required, and a letter must be extended through a tour organisation that has the necessary contacts. But as the current favourite spot for professional skiers and snowboarders, it’s certainly worth a look. If it’s good enough for them, it should be good enough for you.
Look at a map and you will find Europe’s highest mountain range, the Caucasus, featuring Mount Elbrus, easily outstripping Mount Blanc at 5642 metres as Europe’s highest mountain. It’s a wild place, bristling with mountains over 4000 metres.

Czech Republic
Like the rest of Eastern Europe, the people of the Czech Republic are warm and friendly, but winters are cold. Daytime temperatures hover around -15C to -20C, dipping further at night. This may jeopardise any nocturnal disco-dancing outfits, but translates into excellent snow conditions. Cold, dry temperatures maintain the snow cover and, unlike other ski areas near the moist coast (think west-coast Canada), snow is reliable and fresh snowfalls result in powder champagne.
The main Czech resort is Spindleruv Mlyn in the Krkonose (Giant) Mountains near the Polish border, about two hours’ drive north of the capital, Prague.

Romania
Skiing in this part of the world once meant battling archaic lift systems, sleeping in barns and finding rental equipment that was little more than a plank of wood and chicken wire. Simply put, heading downhill here required more than a drop of Dutch courage and some weighty logistics.
But the times they are a-changing. Capitalism has arrived, possibly more important than democracy, and money talks in many languages. In ski language it has meant lift upgrades, ski area expansions and sleeping arrangements involving linen-covered pillows instead of pallets of hay.

Bulgaria
It’s hard to spot the locals for all the English descending here every season. Their increasing numbers have made this the flavour of the month and it is for one reason: it’s ridiculously cheap. As in Romania, a three-star hotel for seven nights with breakfast and dinner costs from $390.

Poland
Poland boasts one major ski resort, Zakopane, which bid for the 2010 Winter Olympics – unsuccessfully. While it has some good runs, it still has a way to go. The town has a long history and features every stage of the past century on its streets, from old haunts of Polish intellectuals to the ugly communist apartment blocks and the more recent addition of Burger King.

Slovenia
The major resort, Kranjska Gora, is tucked in the border between Austria and Italy, giving it an international flavour all its own. The Austrian ski field of Nassfeld is only an hour away, and Treviso in Italy a simple 30-minute drive.

Lying in the valley that separates the Julian Alps to the south from the Karavanke Range in the north, the resort is small. So small that the ski school employs most of the off-duty police officers (they could issue you with a speeding ticket).

Slovakia
The eastern part of what used to be Czechoslovakia is fairly unknown as a general tourist – let alone a skiing – destination. But mountains dominate the landscape – 80 per cent are higher than 750 metres – and bears, lynx and wolves are some of the unexpected locals. A bonus here is empty slopes. The skiers are mostly Russians intent on committing crimes against ski fashion (think 1970s ski clothes that were actually made in 1970, with leather ski boots) rather than heading downhill.

Full Article

A bit delayed.

But rocking nite with S & the girls. They really do put on a great show.

some great freestyle action, and it was a good thing to go to the Monday nite concert which avoided the throngs of 10 year olds.

Wired News: Inventor Rejoices as TVs Go DarkTV-B-Gone enables you to switch off almost any TV set from the push of a button on your keyring.

Simple, yet effective.

A camera with a phone, not a phone with a camera!

I have been awaiting the time that a >3MP camera is released that includes a Cellphone.

It looks to have arrived!

WOrld’s first Camera phone with 3megapixel and 3x optical Zoom.

yummy.

Are you a lefty?

Do you want a society where everyone gets the same, blah blah blah utopia.
Free everything… dont have to work if you dont want, “can’t” and still get enough to live +vice/s (alcohol, gambling, drugs, smokes, wants)
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Question: how can you implement this personally on a large scale? What is your circle of influence?

Answer? hmm maybe I can give a coin here a buck there, and vote Leftism.

Question: Is being financially sucessful evil or bad?
eg driving a Porsche, having a big house overlooking the water, whatever.

My Answer: No.

Why?
because as you are right now. how big is your circle of influence.
Say you sponsor a kid in africa, buy a badge for some charity day, and volunteer a day of your time to a cause.

Lets say that all your pro humanity donations/effort = $600/yr.

Example of increasing your circle of influence:
A woman who is a counsellor, liked to donate 2 hours a week to pro bono cases.
2hrs * 48 weeks * $50/hr value = $4800 benefit for humanity.

She decided instead of leasing a consulting room in a clinic, established her own clinic.
as a condition of the sub leases to other counsellors she required that they all do a minimum of 2 hours a week pro bono work.
the result:
8 counsellors * 2hrs * 48 weeks * $50 = $38400 = 800% increase in clircle of influence.

Now there is no way that she could personally create a $38400 circle of influence for her causes.

Then add the indirect value added:
profits from the clinic can pay for her improved lifestyle. Porsche, whatever. It can also be used to increase her circle of influence even more. as she can direct the profits use.

But that doesn’t happen in real life:

Is Bill Gates bad? One of the richest men in the world.

Come back to me when you have donated $23 Billion USD to causes you believe in.

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2003-11-21-big-gates-charity-total_x.htm

What is bill gates circle of influence:
Aids, Earthquakes, Famine, TB, Underpriviledged……….

Rant 3:
that dollar you give to the dude on the street with his little box out in front of him, while he’s curled up asleep.

Is this helping form a positive feedback loop?

i.e will this positively reinforce change?

No: dude gets to sleep, gets money = 0 effort : a little return
No: looses selfesteem because he is relying on peoples pity.
No: doesn’t gain many/any new relationships or education by interacting with others.

Now take the example of the magazine: The Big Issue
You may have seen homeless people selling these.

The model: it costs $3 for you to buy it (retail).
it costs them $1.50 (wholesale = 100% profit margin)

Does this have a positive feedback loop?

Yes: creates higher level interaction/relationships with a wide circle of people within their community.
Yes: rewards them for their efforts. more effort = more reward
Yes: Promotes an understanding of basic business principles.
Yes: Increases confidence and self esteem

all in all, it gives the opportunity to the vendor to change their life.

I buy these, they are actually a very good read.

other note: Ill give to anyone putting in effort. Singing, dancing whatever. As long as theres effort involved.

Bloody leftys.

Was a wicked gig, totally rocking. And very impressive to see the Hordern sold out.

Now can’t wait for this weekend: Black Eyed Peas

And considering: Groove Armada on the 30th.

Is 3 Concerts in a month excessive?

and the Leprechaun was standing on his bed, smacking at the fireplace in his room with a broom asking me if there was a hole in it that the mouse could get in from.

Running around the house looking for something to ‘board up’ the fireplace with.

and generally being a little scaredy cat.

Then finally leaving to stay at his GF’s place, cause hes not sleeping if something can get into his room.

tee hee hee

So I now have 2 tickets to Faithless.

Yay,
the Gig is going to rock!
Just have to palm off the second ticket now.