tivoli_mike

From what I have seen, they hang out frequently at the Freeway Park downtown ( amongst other places ).

Omigod, the guy second in from the left...he's wearing....COTTON! Get those jeans off him! He could die at any moment!

The bald and the bold!

That is why you don't do that in the summer. Don't forget the various remains of gumbie hikers.

Well, I do remember that game ( or at least one like it ). Was after a line brawl. ALthough you never go done to less than three skaters a side. Of course some of the old timers at the game love talking about the time the Tri-City Americans attacked the crowd with their sticks or when there was Chainlink instead of plexiglass... old time hockey <sigh>

Don't mess with Canada, of course it is always open season on Toronto

Other than the fact they are in two different leagues and at two different levels of hockey. Makes for nice line of BS though... tivoli ( t-bird season tix holder for 14 years)

"Noah, how long can you tread water?" -paraphrasing a classic Cosby routine

hell, I have seen a pop machine over the edge in Erie. I am glad I wasn't under it...

Perhaps a visit from the "spray squad" is in order.

Now the man he shot is having a heart attack, probably because of birdshot lodged in there

group sex talk WASHINGTON - Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia's recent speeches have ventured into some surprising territory, with the staunchly conservative father of nine joking about sexual orgies. Scalia is known for a biting humor and is entertaining on the talk circuit and on the bench during the court's argument sessions. He raised some eyebrows with a speech this week at Harvard University, however, with a comment about the number of people needed for group sex and the jest that "sexual orgies eliminate social tensions and ought to be encouraged."

At the Santa Claus Sports Institute in Lapland, a group of elderly Finns leap around on climbing frames, swinging on the swings and bouncing on a see-saw that is more of a people launcher than anything I remember from my days on the playground. It is the latest Finnish wheeze to get people more active. The University of Lapland has been researching how to make activity more playful and pleasurable and is convinced that elderly people would benefit from joining in with the children in the local park. A team at Rovaniemi Polytechnic studied one group of 40 people, aged between 65 and 81, and found there were significant improvements in balance, speed and co-ordination after just three months of larking about on the climbing frames and play equipment. Given that more than a third of elderly people say they are nervous moving about because of a fear of falling, these are statistics that interest people working with senior citizens. Mental health There are also other areas that it is harder to measure. Most of the subject group said they felt better mentally because of the exercise and empowered when they managed to overcome a problem piece of equipment. And while many said they were initially worried about appearing foolish, that seemed to disappear fairly quickly. Irmelin Roskila, 63, said she had started out feeling like "an elephant walking on a narrow beam". Three months later her lap time had gone down from more than a minute to 17 seconds. "Even in everyday situations when I'm walking around I will now try out playground equipment. It has opened up new possibilities, not just physically. I wish others could see this," said Irmelin. Generational play And this is one reason why the Finnish playground manufacturer Lappset is now selling the idea of "3 generational play". All of its playgrounds are to be built to be used by all ages and it is seeking to transform our view of who should use a playground No longer will dad be allowed to sit quietly and read a paper while his child dangles from the monkey bars. Now, dad will have to clamber on to the equipment as well. It is not an idea that will appeal to everyone, especially some local authorities and, I imagine, some children. Many fear that corpulent, inactive parents will simply fall off the swings and see-saws and sue the council, or aggressive teens and 20-somethings will drive the toddlers from the park and vandalise the equipment. Indeed, the Finnish manufacturer has found that it has to make its equipment extra sturdy for the British because of the levels of vandalism. It seems it simply does not occur to Finnish youth to destroy things that are built for their pleasure. There are also cultural barriers. In tests on groups from different countries, the Germans were found to be fondest of having the generations play together. The French seemed to prefer to control children. Observation of French playgrounds showed that the children were often under constant supervision, parents frequently cleaned the dirt from the children's' hands and ensured they did not play with toys that had been brought in by other children. The British were the most laissez-faire. But overall, the Scandinavians seemed to be more relaxed about rough and tumble. Interaction Quite what this means is a bit of a mystery. Perhaps it means the British are admirably comfortable about allowing children to learn for themselves, or maybe we're a nation of "deadbeat dads" who cannot be bothered to look up from our Sunday papers. But behind all this is a view about childhood and neighbourhoods and what can be done to improve them. The team at Lappset feel that making the playground a cross-generational meeting place will help the generations understand one another better and create a better social feel to neighbourhoods. The more we can be encouraged to interact with neighbours on a wobbly walkway, the more we will learn to appreciate and trust one another. Given the declining levels of trust in British society and the comparisons with the Finns and the Dutch, it is an issue that is beginning to concern policy makers. BBC news

website for invasive and exotic plant control and info Kudzu, though, is the one that gives me the willies...

state site info on knotweed

Hmm, Where's the Climber's plate? "climb hard, spray harder!"

Full Report STEAMBOAT SPRINGS - A 52-year-old man assaulted a teenage girl after a collision between the girl and the man's daughter, according to police. Randal Berg of Littleton was arrested Sunday for the assault in which he reportedly punched the 16-year-old in the back and head. The teenager told police she ran over Berg's 7-year-old daughter's skis with her snowboard and then the two fell to the ground. Berg saw his daughter on the ground and began attacking the snowboarder, according to Steamboat Springs Police Captain Joel Rae. The snowboarder told police she was apologizing to the 7-year-old when Berg attacked her. Police say Berg hit the girl repeatedly in the back of the head. The teen was wearing a helmet. A group of witnesses intervened and separated Berg from the girl, police said. The witnesses also corroborated the girl's story, according to police. After being separated from the snowboarder Berg launched into a tirade and threatened "to (expletive) kill" the snowboarder, police said. The snowboarder was able to descend to the bottom of the mountain and walked away without serious injury. Berg was taken to Routt County Jail and booked on charges of third-degree assault and disorderly conduct. He was released Monday on $1,000 bond. He is scheduled to appear in Routt County Court on Feb. 14. The accident occurred near the base of the ski mountain, where Steamboat Springs police have jurisdiction. Rae said he has never heard of such an incident. "There are fights and misunderstandings, but never have I seen anything with that kind of rage in my law enforcement career," the captain said.

Yep, comes down in my father's family ( Dutch and then Normandy )... having seen anything yet , but my father starting showing it in his 50s so hopefully I have a few years.

Was walking the dog around the neighborhood and noticed several trees were already budding and sending leaves and blossoms, my tulips are already coming up as well....

This is Canada - they'll just restrict you to 1 a month. Or raise the taxes on them. Isn't there a 10 month waiting period for it.

Beh. Time for some hockey. Go Leafs!

time to bump the mounties' thread

Need a pic with a pithy caption? Looking to squelch an argument with a humorous image? Want to call someone a whiner with a manatee? Add your own!

Hey all, Have to head to Tucson in late March for a wedding, may have some time for a half-day of cragging ( AM ). Anything nearby worthing hauling a rope and rack for?

He he. I always enjoyed my time in the darkroom. or getting my roll onto the spool so I can develop the negatives. Making the contact sheet. Of course walking into a full darkroom and discharing my Nikon SB-15 flash was always fun