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A snowmobile, also known as a sled or a snowmachine, is a vehicle designed for winter travel and recreation on snow. It is designed to be operated on snow and ice and does not require a road or trail but most are driven on open terrain or trails.
Older snowmobiles could generally accommodate two people, however most snowmobiles manufactured in the last twenty five years have been designed for a single rider. Snowmobiles built with the ability to carry two riders are referred to as "2-up" snowmobiles and make up an extremely small size of the market, commonly referred to as 'touring' models. They do not have any enclosures, except for a windshield, and their engines normally drive a continuous track at the rear. Skis at the front provide directional control.
Early snowmobiles used rubber tracks, but modern snowmobiles' tracks are typically made of a Kevlar composite. Originally, snowmobiles were powered by two-stroke gasoline internal combustion engines and since the mid-2000s four-stroke engines have also entered the market.
The second half of the 20th century saw the rise of recreational snowmobiling, whose riders are called snowmobilers or sledders. Recreational riding is known as snowcross/racing, trail riding, freestyle, mountain climbing, boondocking, carving, ditchbanging and grass drags. In the summertime snowmobilers can drag race on grass, asphalt strips, or even across water (see Snowmobile skipping). Snowmobiles are sometimes modified to compete in long-distance offroad races such as Trevor Erickson's #901 entry in the 2014 Vegas to Reno race (see "Snowmobile to Reno")
Early History
The challenges of cross-country transportation in the winter led to the invention of the snowmobile, an all-terrain vehicle specifically designed for travel across deep snow where other vehicles floundered.[1] During the 20th century, rapidly evolving designs produced machines that were two-person tracked vehicles powered by gas engines that enabled them to tow a sled or travel, initially at low-to-moderate speeds, depending on snow conditions, terrain and obstacles protruding above the snow like brush and trees. Where early designs had 10 horsepower (7.5 kW) two-stroke engines, there has been a move toward newer style 2-stroke and 4-stroke gasoline engines, some with over 200 hp (150 kW).
In 1915 Ray H. Muscott of Waters, Michigan, received a Canadian patent for his motor sleigh, or "traineau automobile", and on June 27, 1916, he received the first United States patent for a snow-vehicle using the now recognized format of rear track(s) and front skis.[2] Many individuals later modified Ford Model Ts with the undercarriage replaced by tracks and skis following this design. They were popular for rural mail delivery for a time. The common name for these conversion of cars and small trucks was Snowflyers.[3]
Multi-passenger snowmobiles
The origin of the snowmobile, or sled, as they are often referred to,[4][5] is not the work of any one inventor but more a process of advances in engines for the propulsion of vehicles and supporting devices over snow. It parallels the development of the automobile and later aviation, often inventors using the same components for a different use.
Wisconsinites experimented with over-snow vehicles before 1900, experimenting with bicycles equipped with runners and gripping fins; steam-propelled sleighs; and (later) Model T Fords converted with rear tractor treads and skis in front. In the first races held near Three Lakes in 1926, 104 of these "snowbuggies" started. Carl Eliason of Sayner developed the prototype of the modern snowmobile in the 1920s when he mounted a two-cylinder motorcycle engine on a long sled, steered it with skis under the front, and propelled it with single, endless track.[6] Patented in 1927,[7] Eliason made 40 snowmobiles. Upon receiving an order for 200 from Finland, he sold his patent to the FWD Company of Clintonville. They made 300 for military use, then transferred the patent to a Canadian subsidiary.
The Aerosani, propeller-driven and running on skis, was built in 1909–1910 by Russian inventor Igor Sikorsky of helicopter fame.[8] Aerosanis were used by the Soviet Red Army during the Winter War and World War II.[9] There is some dispute over whether Aerosanis count as snowmobiles because they were not propelled by tracks.[10][11][12]
Adolphe Kégresse designed an original caterpillar tracks system, called the Kégresse track, while working for Tsar Nicholas II of Russia between 1906 and 1916. These used a flexible belt rather than interlocking metal segments and could be fitted to a conventional car or truck to turn it into a half-track, suitable for use over soft ground, including snow. Conventional front wheels and steering were used but the wheel could be fitted with skis as seen in the upper right image. He applied it to several cars in the Royal garage including Rolls-Royce cars and Packard trucks. Although this was not a snowmobile, it is an ancestor of the modern concept.
The relatively dry snow conditions of the United States Midwest suited the converted Ford Model Ts and other like vehicles, but they were not suitable for humid snow areas such as southern Quebec and New England. This led Joseph-Armand Bombardier from the small town of Valcourt, Quebec, to invent a different caterpillar track system suitable for all kinds of snow conditions. Bombardier had already made some "metal" tracked vehicles since 1928, but his new revolutionary track traction system (a toothed wheel covered in rubber, and a rubber-and-cotton track that wraps around the back wheels) was his first major invention. He started production of the B-7, an enclosed, seven-passenger snowmobile, in 1937, and introduced the B-12, a twelve-passenger model, in 1942. The B-7 had a V-8 flathead engine from Ford Motor Company. The B-12 had a flathead in line six-cylinder engine from Chrysler industrial, and 2,817 units were produced until 1951. It was used in many applications, such as ambulances, Canada Post vehicles, winter "school buses", forestry machines, and even army vehicles in World War II. Bombardier had always dreamed of a smaller version, more like the size of a motor scooter.
Early models
Numerous people had ideas for a smaller personal snowmobile. In 1914, O. M. Erickson and Art Olsen of the P.N. Bushnell company in Aberdeen, South Dakota, built an open two-seater "motor-bob" out of an Indian motorcycle modified with a cowl-cover, side-by-side seating, and a set of sled-runners fore and aft. While it did not have the tracks of a true snowmobile, its appearance was otherwise similar to the modern version and is one of the earliest examples of a personal motorized snow-vehicle.[13]
Edgar and Allen Hetteen and David Johnson of Roseau, Minnesota, were among the first to build a practical snowmobile in 1955–1956, but the early machines were heavy (1,000 lb or 450 kg) and slow (20 mph or 32 km/h). Their company, Hetteen Hoist & Derrick Co., became Polaris Industries.[14]
Also in the mid-1950s, a United States firm built a "snowmobile the arctic area of Alaska that had the drive train reversed of today's snowmobiles with two front wheels—the larger one behind the smaller one—with tires driving an endless loop track". Little is known about this "snowmobile" meant to haul cargo and trade goods to isolated settlements.[15]
It was only in 1960, when engines became lighter and smaller than before, that Joseph-Armand Bombardier invented what we now know as the modern snowmobile in its open-cockpit one- or two-person form, and started selling it under the brand name Ski-Doo. Competitors copied and improved his design; in the 1970s there were over a hundred snowmobile manufacturers.[16] From 1970 to 1973, two million machines were sold, peaking at 500,000 sold in 1971.[16] Many of the snowmobile companies were small and the biggest manufacturers were often attempts by motorcycle makers and outboard motor makers to branch off in a new market.
Most of these companies went bankrupt or were acquired by larger companies during the 1973 oil crisis and succeeding recessions. Sales rebounded to 260,000 in 1997 but gradually decreased afterwards, influenced by warmer winters and the use during all four seasons of small one- or two-person ATVs.
Alpina Snowmobiles are manufactured in Vicenza, Italy, by Alpina s.r.l., a manufacturer of various on-snow implements that had been building dual-track snowmobiles since 1995.[17][18]
There are two manufacturers of dual-track snowmobiles. One is Alpina and the other is a Russian sled called Buran (Bombardier discontinued manufacturing its dual-track model, the Elite, in 2005).
- Models
Alpina manufactures one basic dual-track snowmobile design. In 2002 the Sherpa was introduced and is the model name for the four-stroke machine. Prior to introducing the Sherpa, Alpina offered a 2-stroke series designated the Superclass. The four-stroke Sherpa is currently the top machine in production.
The Sherpa and Superclass series shared the same basic dual-track platform, twin 20 in × 156 in (510 mm × 3,960 mm) tracks with dual skis up front.
Power for the Sherpa is supplied by a Peugeot in-line four-cylinder gasoline automotive engine. Superclass power is provided by a Hirth 2-stroke gasoline engine.
- Features
The Sherpa is designed as a working snowmobile for carrying supplies, pulling cargo sleds, pulling trail grooming implements, carrying several passengers, and negotiating deep snow.
Engine and transmission combination are designed to deliver optimum power to pull or carry large loads while top-end speeds are kept below 45 mph (72 km/h). The large footprint of the dual tracks and dual skis allows the Sherpa to "float" on top of deep snow and not sink in and get stuck.
Current markets
As of 2003, the snowmobile market has been shared between the four large North American makers (Bombardier Recreational Products (BRP), Arctic Cat, Yamaha, and Polaris) and some specialized makers like the Quebec-based AD Boivin, manufacturer of the Snow Hawk[19] and the European Alpina snowmobile.[16][20]
Higher-powered modern snowmobiles can achieve speeds in excess of 150 mph (240 km/h). Drag racing snowmobiles can reach speeds in excess of 200 mph (320 km/h).
Snowmobiles are widely used in arctic territories for travel. However, the small Arctic population means correspondingly small market. Most snowmobiles are sold for recreational purposes, in places where snow cover is stable during winter. The number of snowmobiles in Europe and other parts of the world is low, but growing.
Snowmobiles designed to perform various work tasks have been available for many years with dual tracks from such manufacturers as Aktiv (Sweden), who made the Grizzly, Ockelbo (Sweden), who made the 8000, and Bombardier who made the Alpine and later the Alpine II. Currently there are two manufacturers of dual-track snowmobiles; Russia's Buran and the Italian Alpina snowmobiles (under the name Sherpa).
An odd version of snowmobile is the Swedish Larven, made by the Lenko Company of Östersund, from the 1960s until the end of the 1980s. It was a very small and basic design, with just an engine in the rear and a track. The driver sat on it and steered using skis on his feet.[21]
All modern snowmobiles are powered by either a four- or two-stroke internal combustion engine. Historically, snowmobiles have always used two stroke engines due to their reduced complexity, weight and cost, compared to a similarly powered four stroke. However, four stroke powered snowmobiles have been gaining popularity steadily in the last fifteen or so years, and manufacturer Yamaha producing four stroke snowmobiles only.
The first snowmobiles made way with as little as 5 horsepower (3.7 kW) engines, but engine sizes and efficiency have improved drastically. In the early 1990s, the biggest engines available (typically 600-650cc range) produced around 115 hp (86 kW). As of 2010, several snowmobiles are available with engines sizes up to 1,200 cc, producing 150+ hp, as well as several models with up to 1,000 cc engines producing closer to 180 hp (130 kW). Recently, some models are turbo-charged, resulting in dramatic increase of engine horsepower. Snowmobiles are capable of moving across steep hillsides without sliding down-slope if the rider transfers their weight towards the uphill side, a process called side-hilling.
Mountain sleds permit access in remote areas with deep snow, which was nearly impossible a few decades ago. This is mainly due to alterations, enhancements, and additions of original trail model designs such as weight, weight distribution, track length, paddle depth, and power. Technology and design advances in mountain snowmobiles have improved since 2003 with Ski-Doo's introduction of the "REV" framework platform. Most 2-stroke mountain snowmobiles have a top engine size of 800 cc, producing around 150 hp (110 kW), although some 1,000 cc factory machines have been produced. These may not be as popular as many 800 cc models outperform them due to weight and an increase of unneeded power.
Cornices and other kinds of jumps are sought after for aerial maneuvers. Riders often search for non-tracked, virgin terrain and are known to "trailblaze" or "boondock" deep into remote territory where there is absolutely no visible path to follow. However, this type of trailblazing is dangerous as contact with buried rocks, logs, and frozen ground can cause extensive damage and injuries. Riders look for large open fields of fresh snow where they can carve. Some riders use extensively modified snowmobiles, customized with aftermarket accessories like handle-bar risers, handguards, custom/lightweight hoods, windshields, and seats, running board supports, studs, and numerous other modifications that increase power and maneuverability. Many of these customizations can now be purchased straight off the showroom floor on stock models.
Trail snowmobiles improved in the past 15 years as well (many of them borrowed from endeavors to produce winning mountain sleds). Heavy "muscle sleds" can produce speeds in excess of 100 mph (160 km/h) due to powerful engines (up to 1,200 cc stock, and custom engines exceeding 1,200 cc), short tracks, and good traction on groomed trails. Sno-cross oriented snowmobiles often have an engine size cap of 440 or 600 cc, but lighter machines with redesigned stances, formats, and weight control have produced extremely fast and quickly accelerating race sleds.
Environmental impact
The environmental impact of snowmobiles has been the subject of much debate. Governments have been reacting slowly to noise and air pollution, partly due to lobbying from manufacturers and snowmobilers. For instance, in 1999, the Canadian government adopted the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, but the set of rules governing pollution emissions for off-road vehicles was only released in January 2005.[22] Another example of regulation, only four-stroke snowmobiles are allowed in Yellowstone National Park since a bylaw was recently passed to minimize CO2 emissions and noise.[23] In Yellowstone, snowmobiles account for 80% of total hydrocarbons emissions and 50% of carbon monoxides emissions in the winter. This is just less than 2% and 1% respectively of the overall annual pollution within the park. Snowmobiles are only allowed to be ridden on the unplowed roads used in the summer and riding off the roads is prohibited. This accounts for less than 1% (0.002%) of the park area.
Most snowmobiles are still powered by two-stroke engines, although Alpina and Yamaha have been using four-strokes since 2002 and 2003, respectively. However, in the last decade several manufacturers have been successful in designing less polluting motors, and putting most of them in production. Yamaha and Arctic-Cat were the first to mass-produce four-stroke models, which are significantly less polluting than the early two-stroke machines. Alpina offers a 4-stroke EFI engine equipped with a catalytic converter and dual oxygen-probe. Bombardier's E-Tec two-stroke motors emit 85% less pollutants than previous carbureted 2-strokes. Polaris has developed a fuel-injection technology called "Cleanfire Injection" on their 2 strokes. The industry is also working on a direct-injected "clean two strokes" that is better in terms of NOX emissions.
Independent researchers, undergraduates and graduate students participate in contests to lessen the impact of emissions from snowmobiles. The Clean Snow Mobile Challenge is held yearly at Michigan Technological University regrouping the entries from universities from across United States and Canada.[24] Some of the participants in recent years have been the École polytechnique de Montréal with a Quasiturbine engine[25] and students from École de technologie supérieure of the UQAM with a less polluting two-stroke engine using E85 and direct injection.[26]
Maximum noise restrictions have been enacted by law for both production snowmobiles and aftermarket components. For instance, in Quebec (Canada) noise levels must be 78 decibels or less at 20 meters from a snowmobile path.[27] As of 2009, snowmobiles produce 90% less noise than in the 1960s[20] but there are still numerous complaints.[28] Efforts to reduce noise focus on suppressing mechanical noise of the suspension components and tracks.[27] Arctic Cat in 2005 introduced "Silent Track technology" on touring models such as the T660 Turbo, Bearcat, and some M-Series sleds. Ski-Doo has since then also used comparative "silent track technology" on some models.
The use of aftermarket exhaust systems ("cans" or "silencers") is controversial. These replace the stock muffler with a less restrictive system that is usually claimed to increase power output of the engine. However, these aftermarket exhausts are often much louder than those from the factory, with only some being slightly quieter than a completely open, unbaffled system. Most, if not all, local snowmobile clubs (that maintain and groom trail systems) do not recommend them due to noise. Local and state authorities have set up checkpoints on high-traffic trails, checking for excessively loud systems and issuing citations. Typically these systems are installed on 2-stroke powered machines (giving the distinctive "braap" sound), however in recent years aftermarket companies have released silencers for 4-stroke models as well.
Importance in isolated communities
Since the invention of snowmobiles, isolated communities of northern North America have always had a demand for them. However, the early snowmobiles designs were not economical or functional enough for the harsh environment of northern North America. Joseph-Armand Bombardier started producing the Ski-Doo in 1959 at the request of a priest.[29] The priest had inquired Bombardier to make an economical and reliable means of winter travel.[30] The Ski-Doo greatly changed life in northern North America's isolated communities, where Ski-Doo replaced sled dogs by the end of the 1960s.[31][32] The Ski-Doo also greatly improved communication between isolated communities.[33] Snowmobiles are also called "Snow Machines" in some areas of Alaska.
In northern North America, historically, isolated communities depended on dog sledding and snowshoeing as their primary method of transportation for hunting during the winter months. The Ski-Doo allowed trappers to travel greater distances faster, allowing them to expand their hunting grounds.[33] Prospectors, mining companies, foresters, backcountry cabin owners, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Canadian Army also found snowmobiles very effective because they were the most economical method of transportation of small loads.[31][34]
Joseph-Armand Bombardier's tests of Ski-Dog proved that snowmobiling was fun and snowmobiling became a new form of outdoor recreation.[34] People who once sat dormant throughout winter were now given the opportunity in more outdoor activities.[35]
Economic impact
According to the International Snowmobile Manufacturers Association, snowmobilers in Canada and the United States spend over $28 billion on snowmobiling each year. This includes expenditures on equipment, clothing, accessories, snowmobiling vacations (lodging, fuel, and food), maintenance and others. Often this is the only source of income for some smaller towns, such as Bralorne, British Columbia, that rely solely on tourism during the summer and winter months.[36] Once a booming gold mining town, Bralorne is now a very small town with a population of 60,[37] and it is relatively inaccessible by car in the winter.[38] The economy relies on visits from snowmobilers, who contribute to the economy by spending money on gas, food, and hotels.[39]
Accidents and safety
As a result of their inherent maneuverability, acceleration, and high-speed abilities, both skill and physical strength are required to operate a snowmobile.
Snowmobile injuries and fatalities are higher compared to those caused by on road motor vehicle traffic.[40][41] Losing control of a snowmobile could easily cause extensive damage, injury, or death. One such cause of snowmobile accidents is loss of control from a loose grip. If the rider falls off, the loss of control can easily result in the snowmobile colliding with a nearby object, such as a rock or tree. Most snowmobiles are fitted with a cord connected to a kill switch, which would stop the snowmobile if the rider falls off; however, not all riders use this device every time they operate a snowmobile.
Swerving off of the path may result in rolling the snowmobile or crashing into an obstacle. In unfamiliar areas, riders may crash into suspended barbed wire or haywire fences at high speeds. Each year a number of serious/fatal accidents have been caused by these factors.
Each year, riders are killed by hitting other snowmobiles, automobiles, pedestrians, rocks, trees, fences, or falling through thin ice. On average, 10 people a year have died in such crashes in Minnesota alone, with alcohol a contributing factor in many cases. In Saskatchewan, 16 out of 21 deaths in snowmobile collisions between 1996 and 2000 were caused by the effects of alcohol.[42][43] Wrestler Lindsey Durlacher died in 2011 following surgery for a broken sternum he sustained in a snowmobile accident.[44]
Fatal collisions with trains can also occur when a snowmobile operator engages in the illegal practice of "rail riding", riding between railroad track rails over snow covered sleepers. Inability to hear the sound of an oncoming train over the engine noise of a snowmobile makes this activity extremely dangerous. Collision with large animals such as moose and deer, which may venture onto a snowmobile trail, is another major cause of snowmobile accidents. Most such encounters often occur at night or in low visibility conditions when the animal could not be seen in time to prevent a collision. Also even when successful, a sudden maneuver to miss hitting the animal could still result in the operator losing control of the snowmobile.
A large number of snowmobile deaths in Alaska are caused by drowning. Because of the cold weather in many parts of Alaska, the rivers and lakes are generally frozen over during certain times of the year in winter. People who ride early or late in the season run the risk of falling through weak ice, and heavy winter clothing can make it extremely difficult to escape the frozen water. While a snowmobile is heavy, it also distributes its weight at a larger area than a standing person, so a driver who has stopped his vehicle out on the ice of a frozen lake can go through the ice just by stepping off the snowmobile. The next leading cause of injury and death is Avalanches, which can result from the practice of Highmarking, or driving a snowmobile as far up a hill as it can go.[45][46]
Risks can be reduced through education, proper training, appropriate gear and attention to published avalanche warnings. In some areas of Western U.S. organizations provide avalanche training; some which are free. When going by snowmobile, it is recommended that a rider have a helmet and a snowmobile suit.
Types of races
- The International 500 is a large racing event held annually in Sault Sainte Marie, Michigan. It is a 500-mile (800 km) race on a track, with the current purse being in excess of $40,000. It has been running since February 1969.
- Drag racing is common with snowmobiles year-round, with summer and fall often with grass or closed-course (asphalt or concrete) drag strips. The largest event is Hay Days in North Branch, Minnesota, on the first weekend following Labor Day.
- The World Championship Watercross or snowmobile skipping races are held in Grantsburg, Wisconsin, in July. The snowmobiles are raced on a marked course, similar to motocross courses, without the ramps and on water.
- The Snocross racing series are snowmobile races on a motocross-like course. The races are held during the winter season in Northern United States and Canada. One of the largest in New York is the Northeast SnoX Challenge in early January in Malone, New York, and run by Rock Maple Racing and sponsored by the Malone Chamber of Commerce.
- Snowmobiles are used for ice racing. The racing is held on an "Ice Oval" track. The World Championship Snowmobile Derby is held each winter in Eagle River, Wisconsin.
- Alaska's "Iron Dog" is the longest snowmachine race in the world. It is 2,031 miles (3,269 km) long and runs from Big Lake to Nome to Fairbanks. The name refers to dog mushing, long popular in Alaska.
- Vintage snowmobiling is the racing of vintage snowmobiles and has grown in popularity as a sporting event on the Canadian prairie and in America.
- The World Championship Hill Climb competition is held in Jackson, Wyoming, at the Snow King ski resort each year in March.
See also
- ↑ Smowest Magazines (2002). "Snowmachine". Retrieved 25 March 2009.
- ↑ U.S. Patent 1,188,981
- ↑ "Snowflyers Replace Dogs in Frozen North" Popular Mechanics, December 1934
- ↑ University of Oregon Slang Dictionary (2002). "Sled". Retrieved 25 March 2009.
- ↑ sledspace.com (2008). "Sledspace – Snowmobile Community". Retrieved 18 April 2011.
- ↑ "Lame hunter invents swift motorized sled". Popular Science: 62. December 1928. Retrieved 21 March 2013.
- ↑ Eliason, Carl J.; et al. "U.S. Patent #1650334". Retrieved 21 March 2013.
- ↑ "The Propeller-Driven Sleigh". SelfSite. 26 July 2005. Retrieved 2008-09-10.
- ↑ Valeri Potapov Translated by: James F. Gebhardt (1998). "Soviet Combat Snowmobiles". The Russian Battlefield. Retrieved 2008-09-10.
- ↑ "Enjoying A Snowmobile At Full". Journal-a-day. December 18, 2006. Retrieved 2008-03-01.
Not only are snowmobiles popular in the United States and Canada, USSR has their very own version of the snowmobile, which can be seen in the Aerosani. Aerosani, when interpreted, intends "aero sleigh." The Russians usage this propeller-powered snowmobile for delivering the mail, patrolling the metes, as well as for recreational intents.
- ↑ "Soviet Aerosani RF 8 (for 3D Studio Max)". Vanishing Point. Retrieved 2008-03-01.
An aerosani (Russian: aerosani, literally 'aerosled') is a type of propeller-powered snowmobile, running on skis, used for communications, mail deliveries, medical aid, emergency recovery and border patrolling in northern Russia, as well as for recreation. Aerosanis were used by the Soviet Red Army during the Winter War and the Second World War.
- ↑ On this site, they tell you to go to Snowmobile when you search for Aerosani
- ↑ Aberdeen American News 1914-02-04
- ↑ "Polaris Company history". Archived from the original on July 18, 2007. Retrieved 2007-08-11.
- ↑ "American Snowmobile Ends Need for Dogs in Arctic." Popular Mechanics, March 1954, p. 114
- 1 2 3 "Industry Highs and Lows". Musée J-Armand Bombardier. 2003. Retrieved 2007-04-23.
- ↑ Alpina s.r.l.
- ↑ Alpina North America
- ↑ "Snow Hawk". AD Boivin. 2003. Retrieved 2008-09-05.
- 1 2 "Snowmobiling Facts". International Snowmobile Manufacturers Associations. 2006. Retrieved 2007-04-23.
- ↑ "Larsen Klubben". Retrieved 2007-10-08.
- ↑ "Vehicle and Engine Regulations". Environment Canada. Retrieved 14 November 2013.
- ↑ "Cleaner, Quieter Snowmobiles Approved For Use In Yellowstone National Park This Winter" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on July 10, 2008. Retrieved 2014-03-03.
- ↑ "Clean Snowmobile Challenge". Keewenaw research Center. Retrieved 2007-05-01.
- ↑ Erwan Chapelier, Christian De Figueiredo and Pascal Prado. "Moteur Quasiturbine" (in French). École polytechnique de Montréal. Retrieved 2007-04-29.
- ↑ "Motoneige écologique". Club étudiant scientifique (in French). École de technologie supérieure de l'université du Québec. Archived from the original on 2007-09-29. Retrieved 2007-05-01.
- 1 2 "Les ravages de la motoneige". Émission Découverte (in French). Société Radio-Canada. Retrieved 2007-05-01.
- ↑ "Étouffons ce bruit agressant" (in French). Comité de protection de l'environnement de Québec. Retrieved 2007-04-30.
- ↑ Reich, Leonard S. (July 1999). "Ski-Dogs, Pol-Cats, and the Mechanization of Winter: The Development of Recreational Snowmobiling in North America". Technology and Culture. 40 (3): 484. JSTOR 25147357.
- ↑ Reich, Leonard S. (July 1999). "Ski-Dogs, Pol-Cats, and the Mechanization of Winter: The Development of Recreational Snowmobiling in North America". Technology and Culture. 40 (3): 484. JSTOR 25147357.
- 1 2 Jozic, Jennifer. "Transportation in the North". Northern Research Portal. Retrieved 5 November 2012.
- ↑ Percy, E. C. (May 1972). "The Snowmobile: Friend or Foe?". The Journal of Trauma. 12 (5): 444–6. doi:10.1097/00005373-197205000-00023. PMID 5061609.
- 1 2 Reich, Leonard S. (July 1999). "Ski-Dogs, Pol-Cats, and the Mechanization of Winter: The Development of Recreational Snowmobiling in North America". Technology and Culture. 40 (3): 485. JSTOR 25147357.
- 1 2 Reich, Leonard S. (July 1999). "Ski-Dogs, Pol-Cats, and the Mechanization of Winter: The Development of Recreational Snowmobiling in North America". Technology and Culture. 40 (3): 489. JSTOR 25147357.
- ↑ Reich, Leonard S. (July 1999). "Ski-Dogs, Pol-Cats, and the Mechanization of Winter: The Development of Recreational Snowmobiling in North America". Technology and Culture. 40 (3): 494. JSTOR 25147357.
- ↑ ISMA (International Snowmobile Manufacturers Association)
- ↑ "All About Bralorne". Retrieved 5 November 2012.
- ↑ "Getting to Bralorne". Retrieved 5 November 2012.
- ↑ "Business in Bralorne". Retrieved 5 November 2012.
- ↑ Hortemo GS, Brattebø G, Hellesnes S (April 1990). "[The snowmobile—only for fun? Registration of snowmobile accidents in Western Finnmark 1988–89]". Tidsskr. Nor. Laegeforen. (in Norwegian). 110 (10): 1196–8. PMID 2333642.
- ↑ Landen MG, Middaugh J, Dannenberg AL (1999). "Injuries associated with snowmobiles, Alaska, 1993–1994". Public Health Rep. 114 (1): 48–52. doi:10.1093/phr/114.1.48. PMC 1308343. PMID 9925171.
- ↑ Beirness DJ (2001). "Alcohol involvement in snowmobile operator fatalities in Canada" (PDF). Can J Public Health. 92 (5): 359–60. PMID 11702489.
- ↑ Stewart RL, Black GB (April 2004). "Snowmobile trauma: 10 years' experience at Manitoba's tertiary trauma centre" (PDF). Can J Surg. 47 (2): 90–4. PMC 3211931. PMID 15132460.
We identified 480 injuries in 294 patients, and 81 (27.6%) of these patients died. Collisions accounted for 72% of the injury mechanisms. Of the injuries sustained, 31% occurred on roads. Excessive speed was a risk factor in 54% of patients, suboptimal lighting in 86% and a blood alcohol level greater than 0.08 in 70%.
- ↑ http://www.themat.com/section.php?section_id=3&page=showarticle&ArticleID=23674
- ↑ "Avalanches kill more snowmobilers than skiers". Retrieved 13 January 2014.
- ↑ "Avalanche deaths in the United States: a 45-year analysis.". Retrieved 13 January 2014.
- Descarries, Eric. "Autoneiges Bombardier: Des patenteux perpétuent la tradition". in La Presse. Monday, March 13, 2006.
- MacDonald, Larry. The Bombardier story: planes, trains, and snowmobiles. Toronto: J. Wiley, 2001.
- SLEDtv.org – Snowmobile Television – Snowmobile Statistics
- CBC Digital Archives – Bombardier: The Snowmobile Legacy
- Carl Eliason's snowmobile story and his Patent
External links
|Wikimedia Commons has media related to Snowmobiles.
- How Stuff Works – Snowmobiles
- Environmental Impact Studies
- The International Association of Snowmobile Manufacturers


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The New Yorker, July 17, 2000 P. 68
Short story about a woman and her daughter in an upscale hotel for foreigners in Thailand. The husband and father of the family is a metallurgist who is gone for six weeks in Hunan. The woman muses about the possibilities of meeting "interesting women" while traveling. Indeed, poolside at the hotel (which has a library that includes the OED), she meets a woman named "Silver," who, at fifty, is a fading beauty. Silver, as the name implies, is kind of a wishy-washy New Ager. The next day, despite having expressed her misgivings about Silver to her daughter (who is 12) the previous night, the protagonist goes on a tour of nearby New Age spas with Silver. They go to two different spas that feature enemas and spiritual cleansing. Silver meets an interesting woman who runs the second spa, and they return to the hotel with the protagonist who, upon returning, is overjoyed to see her daughter and be free of Silver. She doesn't see Silver again after this return, as Silver leaves to go to the spa: "Island Wellness Center." The protagonist and her daughter await the return of her husband.

subset: commoncrawl


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The LandLeader® network is the largest network of exclusive real estate professionals that specialize in farm, ranch and recreational real estate across North America. Our members are elite licensed real estate brokerages and agents that exclusively represent various types of properties across the country, including rural land, recreational properties, hunting and fishing properties, farms, ranches, timber land, luxury homes, waterfront properties and large tracts of land. LandLeader® professional land experts are the leaders in their exclusive territories and continue to represent their clients' properties with trust, integrity, and a deep knowledge of land values.
Our exclusive brokerage members represent land for sale, farms for sale, waterfront properties, timberland, recreational land, legendary ranches, hunting land for sale and more. Whether you farm, ranch, hunt, fish or just enjoy land ownership and the outdoors, our brokerage members are the best in their markets. The LandLeader® marketing platform promotes the best and most exclusive farm, ranch and recreational properties available on the market today. Our marketing efforts do more than showcase properties on our website. We strategically promote our members' properties through a complete marketing plan, including listings on hundreds of websites, national television commercials, magazines, email newsletters, social media, internet ads, catalogs and a complete marketing plan. With hundreds of excellent brokerages selling land in over 35 states, the LandLeader® system promotes thousands of properties for sale. No matter your pursuit, no matter your goals, we're here to help you find your perfect property!
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Brokers and Agents: Interested in joining the LandLeader® network? Give us a call (844) 281-4301.
The Land Leader, LLC is a marketing agency and listing service that promotes our members real properties and services. For more information, please contact us at (844) 281-4301.


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"Going up against the Cisco Cius tablet, Avaya is entering the tablet PC space with a device designed to make unified communications and collaboration via voice, video and text easier than before. The Avaya Flare Experience is an Android-based tablet device with an 11.6-inch HD multi-touch LCD screen," writes ChannelInsider's Chris Talbot.
"With a built-in 5MP camera, Wi-Fi connectivity, a 10/100/1000 Fast Ethernet port, dual microphones, stereo speakers, USB ports and a three-hour battery, the Flare Experience is one of the few tablet PCs designed specifically for the enterprise market, which means it will come into direct competition with Cisco Systems' Cius business tablet, and to a lesser extent, the Dell Streak and Apple iPad," Talbot writes.
Click the link below to read the full story:
Avaya Flare Experience Tablet PC Takes on Cisco Cius


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McKinley Museum Spotlights Stark County
Near the foot of the McKinley Monument, Stark County Historical Society has gathered interesting information and memorabilia regarding the surrounding area. as well as the life of William McKinley. The bust of McKinley greets visitors outside the building.
As you enter the lobby of the McKinley Museum in Canton, Ohio, a sign with a quote caught my eye. It was a word of advice to young people from President William McKinley:
"Young men and women, what your education will be and do for you depends upon yourselves."
Within these walls is quite an extensive history of the Stark County area including leading enterprises, such as Belden Brick, Dueber-Hampden Watch Company, Erie Canal, Hoover Vacuum, Pennsylvania Railroad, and Timken Company just to name a few. Henry Timken founded Timken Roller Bearing Company in 1902 and his entrepeneur vision was grounded in this type of thinking:
"If you have an idea which you think is right, push it to a finish. But above all, don't set your name to anything you will ever have cause to be ashamed of."
McKinley Museum had many interesting exhibits throughout, too numerable to mention. Here are a few things that caught my eye on a recent visit.
One fascinating display showed a clock tower made by Dueber-Hampden Watch Co with a sign "Accurate to the Second." That was way back in 1889! By 1890 the company was producing 600 watches a day in Canton, Ohio and had over a thousand employees. They used 14 karat gold in their watch cases and had 17 jewel movement, quite advanced for their time. This company was sold to a Russian company in 1927 and twenty-one former employees went to Russia to teach them their craft. One report is that their machinery is still being used in China today.
The Hoover Vacuum provided a display that attracted lines of children. While seated in a chair, they pressed a button which created enough suction to lift them well off the floor. The Power of the Hoover! It is very fitting to be highlighted here as the first upright vacuum was invented by a department store janitor, James Spangler, in Canton back in 1906. He just happened to show it to his cousin, Susan Hoover, who in turn shared it with her husband. "Boss" Hoover bought the patent from Spangler, hired him as Superintendent, and slowly began the switch from maker of leather-goods to vacuum manufacturer. The slogan: "It beats..as it Sweeps…as it Cleans" brought the Hoover Vacuum to the forefront.
This was the original hand-sewn 45 star American flag that hung on the front porch of McKinley's home during the 1896 presidential campaign. During his famous "Front Porch Campaign", McKinley made himself available to the public every Sunday afternoon on the front porch of his home. Usually he was seated in his rocking chair from which he talked to 750,000 people who stopped by. Some say he shook hands with up to a million men from that front porch scene. This campaign appealed to the average voter, who found themselves drawn to a candidate that stayed true to his roots.
Rooms were redesigned to look very much like the ones of long ago with their Victorian furnishings. A touch of some form of music was often in evidence as that would have been one of their main means of entertainment. In the parlor, you had an opportunity to listen to talking figures of William and Ida McKinley. Notice that he does have on his symbol, the red carnation.These plastic figures are activated by sensors when you enter the room.
The Hazlett Theater is a fine spot to give your feet a rest and watch some old films from days gone by. Here you hear about the campaigns of William McKinley and get to have an inside video tour of the Memorial.
There weren't enough hours in the day, so sadly missed the show at the Hoover Price Planetarium where visitors view the solar system and beyond. They say it is like traveling to space without leaving the ground. Unfortunately, didn't make it to Discover World either where dinosaurs and early American Indians welcome visitors to Natural History Island, Ecology Island and the new spot, Fascination Station. Looks like a return visit is in order.
The McKinley Museum is located in downtown Canton, Ohio just off I-77. Take Exit 105 for OH 172, then turn right on 7th Street NW. Take the first left onto McKinley Monument Drive where the Museum is located to the left when facing the memorial. Enjoy a little piece of Ohio history.


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Story highlights
Venezuela's foreign minister says the United States is trying to interfere in elections
He says his government is cutting off contact with a top U.S. diplomat
The United States has denied recent allegations of plots to destabilize Venezuela
Venezuela is cutting off contact with a top U.S. diplomat, the country's foreign minister said Wednesday.
Foreign Minister Elias Jaua said Wednesday that his country's representatives would no longer be talking about improving U.S.-Venezuela relations with Roberta Jacobson, U.S. assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs.
Jaua accused the United States of trying to interfere with Venezuela's upcoming presidential election and criticized comments Jacobson made about the April 14 vote in an interview with Spain's El Pais newspaper.
The United States has been denying a steady stream of accusations from top Venezuelan officials since President Hugo Chavez's death on March 5.
"The United States categorically rejects allegations of any U.S. government involvement in any plots to destabilize the Venezuelan government or to harm anyone in Venezuela," State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said on Monday.


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The now-trendy concept of Big Data usually implies ever-growing hordes of data, including unstructured info posted on Facebook and Twitter, and ways of gleaning intelligence from all of it to create business opportunities. The concept, however, also carries with it risks for anyone opening up about themselves on the Internet and raises questions about who exactly owns all this data.
Big Data is associated with technologies such as the Apache Hadoop distributed computing platform and is prompting some technology companies, including IBM, to make major acquisitions. But the term "Big Data," claims GigaOm analyst Derrick Harris, is a bit of a misnomer; it's really about data from different sources, including social networks and even cell phones. "It's coming from sensors, it's coming from computers, it's coming from the Web," he says.
[ Read InfoWorld's primer "The big promise of Big Data." | See how IBM views Big Data in Eric Knorr's interview "A conversation with IBM's Mr. Big Data." | Learn about the emerging BI and Big Data trends in depth with InfoWorld's interactive iGuide. ]
The strong interest by both IT and business units in Big Data is "about being able to harness it, and it's about being able to do something with it" -- in essence, analyzing it, says Harris. "The great thing about Big Data is we accumulate this amount of information and we have systems in place where we can use that for good," such as analyzing human genome information or making government data available, says Mozilla developer evangelist Christian Heilmann. Business analysts can study large data sets by renting servers for an hour, using technology such as Hadoop, he says.
Given that growing interest, it's no surprise that vendors are starting to make moves to take advantage of Big Data. Harris cites IBM's recent $1.7 billion acquisition of Netezza, which offered data warehouse appliances. Meanwhile, Teradata is buying data warehousing startup Aster Data Systems, which offered advanced analytics and management of unstructured data.
Mining the social networks' Big Data Companies such as Echo and Cloudera are seeking their niche in the Big Data and social network data spaces. "The Big Data play right now for these big multi-million-dollar companies is around activity data," says Chris Saad, vice president of strategy at Echo. Both enterprise IT and individual users are sure to see a growing menu of Big Data services available as data gathering grows in prominence.
For example, serving ventures such as media companies and ad agencies, Echo StreamServer pulls in social media data relevant to a client into a single stream. Echo, which cites companies such as Reuters as customers, captures data about clients on sites such as Twitter and Facebook, as well as from the client's own sites. The clients can then create real-time experiences out of the data, Saad says. Clients get a "big unified data set" to develop applications such as forums and live blogging.
Cloudera offers its own distribution of Hadoop that serves as a platform for data management, and its Cloudera Enterprise provides large-scale data storage and analysis. Amr Awadallah, Cloudera's CTO, says the Hadoop distribution enables organizations to collect and combine social data and store it in a centralized data store. Users can then run MapReduce jobs to analyze this data for insight and factors such as new relationships.
But who owns the data? Mozilla's Heilmann views Big Data as any information accumulated on the Web -- any real-time data. But who specifically owns this data? "That's a very loaded conversation," he says.
"I think it's dangerous right now that the speed and beauty of these interfaces [on sites such as Facebook] make people give information away without realizing that they have done it," Heilmann says. For example, people can upload photos of themselves intoxicated and a potential employer can view them for at least some time afterward.
"You have a real problem deleting anything from the Internet," Heilmann stresses. "As soon as you put it up there, it will be cached, it will be copied somewhere else. You should be very mature about what you put online."
GigaOm's Harris says ownership of the data depends on circumstances. "Certainly, the companies generating it own the data," he says.
Although there is publicly owned data on the Web, Facebook and Twitter, for their part, own the data their users generate, Harris notes. And Big Data concepts such as data marketplaces have resulted, for example, in firms analyzing Twitter streams for a month at a time, Harris says. "There's a lot [of data] that's just available out there if you could harness it" and analyze it.
Cloudera's Awadallah says the question of who owns unstructured data is a hard one to answer. Data such as customer purchasing information in Apple's App Store belongs to Apple, he says. And although Google gives users to the right to delete data, it still owns the data itself, he adds.
Thus, the Data Portability Project for porting of social network data promotes the notion that users own their own data and social networks should make it easier for users to move it around. The effort has produced an initiative that aims to get sites to disclose what users can do with their data once it has been uploaded, says Saad, who in addition to his Echo job is co-founder of the Data Portability Project.
Still, Saad notes that in some cases users share ownership and custody of their data with the online services they use. "It's kind of like money in a bank. You own the money but you are basically giving it to the bank to safeguard for you and potentially use on your behalf," he says.
The issue is not just about privacy. One of the tenets of Big Data is to analyze data from multiple sources to identify trends, business opportunities, market shifts, potential customers, customer sentiment, and a lot more. When Big Data tools analyze information available on the Web, do they really have the right to do so without permission of the owner?
"It really depends," Saad argues. "If you're publishing on the public Internet, I think the social contract is such that people expect their data to be polled and crunched and indexed and used." On the other hand, "it's a little difference when Facebook, for example [is] expected to be a private network and it continues to push the boundary of what part of your information is made public. That's when it's violating the social contract."
This story, "Big Data mining: Who owns your social network data?," was originally published at InfoWorld.com. Follow the latest developments in business intelligence at InfoWorld.com. For the latest business technology news, follow InfoWorld.com on Twitter.
Read more about business intelligence in InfoWorld's Business Intelligence Channel.


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In the late 1950s, psychologist Milton Rokeach was gripped by an eccentric plan. He gathered three psychiatric patients, each with the delusion that they were Jesus Christ, to live together for two years in Ypsilanti State Hospital to see if their beliefs would change. The early meetings were stormy. "You oughta worship me, I'll tell you that!" one of the Christs yelled. "I will not worship you! You're a creature! You better live your own life and wake up to the facts!" another snapped back. "No two men are Jesus Christs. … I am the Good Lord!" the third interjected, barely concealing his anger.
Frustrated by psychology's focus on what he considered to be peripheral beliefs, like political opinions and social attitudes, Rokeach wanted to probe the limits of identity. He had been intrigued by stories of Secret Service agents who felt they had lost contact with their original identities, and wondered if a man's sense of self might be challenged in a controlled setting. Unusually for a psychologist, he found his answer in the Bible. There is only one Son of God, says the good book, so anyone who believed himself to be Jesus would suffer a psychological affront by the very existence of another like him. This was the revelation that led Rokeach to orchestrate his meeting of the Messiahs and document their encounter in the extraordinary (and out-of-print) book from 1964, The Three Christs of Ypsilanti.
Although by no means common, Christ conventions have an unexpectedly long history. In his commentary to Cesare Beccaria's essay "Crimes and Punishments," Voltaire recounted the tale of the "unfortunate madman" Simon Morin who was burnt at the stake in 1663 for claiming to be Jesus. Unfortunate it seems, because Morin was originally committed to a madhouse where he met another who claimed to be God the Father, and "was so struck with the folly of his companion that he acknowledged his own, and appeared, for a time, to have recovered his senses." The lucid period did not last, however, and it seems the authorities lost patience with his blasphemy. Another account of a meeting of the Messiahs comes from Sidney Rosen's book My Voice Will Go With You: The Teaching Tales of Milton H. Erickson. The renowned psychiatrist apparently set two delusional Christs in his ward arguing only for one to gain insight into his madness, miraculously, after seeing something of himself in his companion. ("I'm saying the same things as that crazy fool is saying," said one of the patients. "That must mean I'm crazy too.")
These tales are surprising because delusions, in the medical sense, are not simply a case of being mistaken. They are considered to be pathological beliefs, reflecting a warped or broken understanding that is not, by definition, amenable to being reshaped by reality. One of most striking examples is the Cotard delusion, under which a patient believes she is dead; surely there can be no clearer demonstration that simple and constant contradiction offers no lasting remedy. Rokeach, aware of this, did not expect a miraculous cure. Instead, he was drawing a parallel between the baseless nature of delusion and the flimsy foundations we use to construct our own identities. If tomorrow everyone treats me as if I have an electronic device in my head, there are ways and means I could use to demonstrate they are wrong and establish the facts of the matter—a visit to the hospital perhaps. But what if everyone treats me as if my core self were fundamentally different than I believed it to be? Let's say they thought I was an undercover agent—what could I show them to prove otherwise? From my perspective, the best evidence is the strength of my conviction. My belief is my identity.
In one sense, Rokeach's book reflects a remarkably humane approach for its era. We are asked to see ourselves in the psychiatric patients, at a time when such people were regularly locked away and treated as incomprehensible objects of pity rather than individuals worthy of empathy. Rokeach's constant attempts to explain the delusions as understandable reactions to life events require us to accept that the Christs have not "lost contact" with reality, even if their interpretations are more than a little uncommon.
But the book makes for starkly uncomfortable reading as it recounts how the researchers blithely and unethically manipulated the lives of Leon, Joseph, and Clyde in the service of academic curiosity. In one of the most bizarre sections, the researchers begin colluding with the men's delusions in a deceptive attempt to change their beliefs from within their own frame of reference. The youngest patient, Leon, starts receiving letters from the character he believes to be his wife, "Madame Yeti Woman," in which she professes her love and suggests minor changes to his routine. Then Joseph, a French Canadian native, starts receiving faked letters from the hospital boss advising certain changes in routine that might benefit his recovery. Despite an initially engaging correspondence, both the delusional spouse and the illusory boss begin to challenge the Christs' beliefs more than is comfortable, and contact is quickly broken off.
In fact, very little seems to shift the identities of the self-appointed Messiahs. They debate, argue, at one point come to blows, but show few signs that their beliefs have become any less intense. Only Leon seems to waver, eventually asking to be addressed as "Dr Righteous Idealed Dung" instead of his previous moniker of "Dr Domino dominorum et Rex rexarum, Simplis Christianus Puer Mentalis Doctor, reincarnation of Jesus Christ of Nazareth." Rokeach interprets this more as an attempt to avoid conflict than a reflection of any genuine identity change. The Christs explain one another's claims to divinity in predictably idiosyncratic ways: Clyde, an elderly gentleman, declares that his companions are, in fact, dead, and that it is the "machines" inside them that produce their false claims, while the other two explain the contradiction by noting that their companions are "crazy" or "duped" or that they don't really mean what they say.
In hindsight, the Three Christs study looks less like a promising experiment than the absurd plan of a psychologist who suffered the triumph of passion over good sense. The men's delusions barely shifted over the two years, and from an academic perspective, Rokeach did not make any grand discoveries concerning the psychology of identity and belief. Instead, his conclusions revolve around the personal lives of three particular (and particularly unfortunate) men. He falls back—rather meekly, perhaps—on the Freudian suggestion that their delusions were sparked by confusion over sexual identity, and attempts to end on a flourish by noting that we all "seek ways to live with one another in peace," even in the face of the most fundamental disagreements. As for the ethics of the study, Rokeach eventually realized its manipulative nature and apologized in an afterword to the 1984 edition: "I really had no right, even in the name of science, to play God and interfere round the clock with their daily lives."
Although we take little from it scientifically, the book remains a rare and eccentric journey into the madness of not three, but four men in an asylum. It is, in that sense, an unexpected tribute to human folly, and one that works best as a meditation on our own misplaced self-confidence. Whether scientist or psychiatric patient, we assume others are more likely to be biased or misled than we are, and we take for granted that our own beliefs are based on sound reasoning and observation. This may be the nearest we can get to revelation—the understanding that our most cherished beliefs could be wrong.
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- "The Rosebud Principle" - Acidemic
- "Anniversary 30 - Reprise: Thief" - It Rains... You Get Wet
- "Clash of the Cults - Nolan and Fincher" - Cinema Styles
"Like The Blair Witch Project in 1999, Paranormal Activity proved that you don't need big special effects to deliver big scares. And unlike BWP (which I still consider to be brilliant), PA had more showmanship to offer, injecting more audience-pleasing jump scares into the mix. I love the rinky-dink, handmade quality to PA's brand of funhouse tricks (like the Ouija board that bursts into flames) and I love that they've carried that quality onto the rest of the series."
- "Paranormal Praise" - Dinner with Max Jenke
"This is a dark movie to be sure, not offering any hope outright, except in the process, the idea that despite the likelihood that it will all end badly, there are people out there who try to defend the helpless. Whether they're effective or not is another story. Sometimes they are, although even when they succeed, there are others who can't be helped. All in all, you have a compelling picture of two human disaster stories that have been kicked around enough to be able to deal with most anything, except the possibility that they won't achieve their purpose in the world. There is hope in the effort, there's also tragedy and futility, and at the end we find truth which only presents more dilemmas and possibilities."
- "Narc" - Criminal Movies
- "Trancers (1985)" - Director to Video Connoisseur
- "Miami Vice (2006)" - Ferdy on Films
- "'All Men Reach and Fall...' Oliver Stone on History, Mythology and Redemption: Alexander Revisted: The Final Cut" - Sergio Leone and the Infield Fly Rule
- "Frantic (1988)" - Icebox Movies
- "Television Review: Salem's Lot (1979, Tobe Hooper)" - Junta Juleil's Culture Shock
- "Faces and Names: Paul Thomas Anderson's Devotion to Character" - Moon in the Gutter
- "You Might As Well Live" - Mr. Peel's Sardine Liqueur
"Personally, the film walks that always difficult fine line in an introductory hero film balancing excitement, character and origin story like a circus performer on a tightrope and the trick is a sight to behold. Johnston succeeds beautifully as we hold our breath. With such a sure and steady hand on the project it's interesting how Johnston often receives backhanded compliments regarding his work as if he stumbled upon good luck. He may not be Christopher Nolan, but his work is solid as it is here in Captain America: The First Avenger."
- "Captain America & The Invaders" - Musings of a Sci-Fi Fanatic
"Jennifer Eight never lived up to its potential and as a result it is almost forgotten today. Instead of two narratives beautifully weaved, Jennifer Eight is two films fighting each other: the dramatic narrative hurts the mystery and vice versa."
- "Jennifer Eight (1992)" - Quiet Cool
- "Summer of Satan: The Devil's Rain" - The Agitation of the Mind
- "The Jacket (John Maybury, 2005)" - The Blue Vial
- "Ordinary People" - The Cooler
- "The King of Wilmington - The Night Flier (1997): Why Turn Into a Bat When You Could Fly A Plane?" - The Lightning Bug's Lair
"Black Rain's world is as teeming with visually fetishist detailing, and fascination for the textures of cultural cross-pollination in an urban setting, as Blade Runner, a world of high technology and colossal capital stricken with moral rot and criminal chimera. The mood also matches the sodden, clammy anxiety that underpins Nick's relentless, kick-'em-in-the-teeth drive to nail Sato and redeem his soiled manhood and professional pride. The film as a whole is a design classic, laden with that very late '80s blend of streetwise grit, video-clip chic, and gamy, expletive-riddled boldness."
- "Black Rain (1989)" - This Island Rod
- "Out of Sight" - Only the Cinema
- "Forgotten Films: O.C. & Stiggs (1987)" - Technicolor Dreams 70
- "Cult Movie Review: Mad Max (1970)" - John Kenneth Muir's Reflections on Film/TV
- "Megaforce" - Lost Video Archive
- "The Modern American Horror Film: Subtext and Text: Day of the Dead" - Son of Danse Macabre
- "DVD Review: Thundarr the Barbarian (1980)" - Space: 1970
- "The Unseen #62: Morvern Callar" - Things That Don't Suck
- "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)" - The Film Connoisseur
- "Dead Alive (1992): or, Kicking Arse for the Lord" - Mad Mad Mad Mad Movies


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Tue Jan 03 2012 18:58:
We're still sick around here. John was nice enough to sleep with Dalton the last two nights, since he now gets to sleep on a comfy hotel bed with no sick kids. I took Dalton on my errands today, and he conked out when we got home. He eventually woke up enough to ask for and eat half a piece of bread and play on the floor with Maggie for a little bit. Poor thing.
I guess that's about it!
I guess that's about it!


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Guilty As Stim: Chris Hayes Digs Up Devastating Video Of Paul Ryan Stimulus Hypocrisy
Newly-minted vice-presidential candidate Paul Ryan was already having a bad first week of running-matery when he told a reporter that he "never asked for stimulus," only to be later confronted with letters in which he did exactly that, letters in which he extolled the job-creating virtues of stimulus funds. On Sunday morning's Up with Chris Hayes, host Chris Hayes dug Ryan's shovel-ready hole a little deeper with some devastating archival videos that show Ryan arguing for stimulus more forcefully than any Democrat.
With the Romney/Ryan ticket already losing the fight they knew they were going to have, they needed this stimulus story like they needed a knife in their Granny's necks. When Ryan told an Ohio TV reporter that he "never asked for stimulus," however, he opened a can of worms the size of Cleveland. Ryan also told that local reporter that he "opposed the stimulus because it doesn't work."
As it turned out, Ryan had secured tens of millions of dollars in stimulus funds by writing letters praising the program. Ryan's office explained that he was just trying to help some of his constituents out…with something that he says "doesn't work."
That's pretty bad, but "a constituent made me do it" is the kind of answer that might satisfy people, especially the Ryan-enthralled mainstream media. Enter Chris Hayes, who set the table with a 2010 clip of Ryan blasting "borrow and spend" policies as a failed experiment, followed by some Bush-era clips of Ryan forcefully advocating for those exact kinds of policies, while also acknowledging that unemployment often drags on in a recovery. The fact that Paul Ryan is making arguments in these clips that could serve as campaign ads for President Obama isn't the most surprising thing about these clips, though:
What is surprising is that, while Romney, Ryan, and the Republicans are running around attacking the President's economic record, no one on the President's side is making these arguments this well. Despite the fact that the stimulus did exactly what it was promised to do, and the fact that the President's job creation record since the Bush Effect wore off is pretty damn good, the President and his team have downplayed them because the political media has made the calculation that those aren't winning arguments, that if things are still bad, people don't want to hear how much worse they could have been. However, flat poll numbers for Romney following recent poor jobs reports would seem to indicate that people get that argument, to some extent.
As Hayes and panel also pointed out, it's not as if 2002 Paul Ryan came to Jesus after passing several stimulus packages under President George W. Bush. In 2009, he voted in favor of a competing $715 billion Republican stimulus package.
Liberals are often too enamored with hypocrisy arguments, though, as Hayes mentioned at the start of Saturday's show (but fir different reasons). The notion of hypocrisy strikes at the character of the hypocrite, rather than at the ideal they're not living up to. In my view, these arguments obscure the real problems with Republican views and policies, which is that they're wrong.
Don't judge Paul Ryan and Mit Romney on whether they have always thought the same things they do now, or even on whether they magically, coincidentally changed their minds when Barack Obama became president. Listen to what Ryan said in 2002, or what Romney said in 2004, and what they're saying now, and decide, for yourselves, which of them makes more sense.
In 2002, Ryan said "What we're trying to accomplish is to pass the kinds of legislation that, in the past, have grown the economy and gotten people back to work," which is true, and verifiable. Now, he insists the stimulus didn't work, despite the fact that he wrote letters indicating the opposite, and despite the fact that the stimulus did exactly what it was designed to. Ignore the hypocrisy, and focus on the fact that Paul Ryan is beating himself in this argument.
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U.K. Plans 'Growth Bonds' to Tap Into Savings, Independent Says
Functionally, this would be the same as 'ordinary' govt deficit spending on the same goods and services, and likewise add to GDP and add to the economy's savings of net financial assets, to the pence.
U.K. Plans 'Growth Bonds' to Tap Into Savings, Independent Says
June 6 (Bloomberg) — U.K. Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne hopes to persuade households to invest billions of pounds of savings in new government "growth bonds," the Independent reported, citing unidentified people with knowledge of the matter.
Tax breaks would be offered and cash raised would be invested in projects such as toll roads, green energy and housebuilding, the newspaper said.
The government might lessen risks for small investors by underwriting a proportion of any potential losses, the Independent said.
A "senior government source" told the newspaper cash-rich households have nowhere secure to put their money and be guaranteed good returns because interest rates are low; growth bonds would provide them with an investment opportunity and boost the economy at the same time.


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Fertility rites: The ultimate trump card
Distilled to a slogan, politics of late goes something like this: "I'm more fertile than you are."
It seems fecundity is emerging as the best argument for public office, policy or even citizenship. What was once an unconscious appraisal — Is this person strong, healthy and vital? — has morphed into the sort of explicit review one usually associates with an X rating.
While male politicians have always strutted their stuff as a demonstration of virility and strength, most women until recently have had no such comparable public measures. Managing a household wasn't viewed as favorably as, say, the ability to pitch a ball over home plate.
Lately, a strange shift has occurred among female politicians as they have resorted to flexing their womb-manhood. Rather than try to out-man the men, women have begun to celebrate — or exploit in some cases — their higher purpose.
This brings us unavoidably to Sarah Palin, who reminded us recently that fertility is the ultimate trump card.
To be fair, Jeb Bush started it. He was attempting to explain the need for immigration reform as an economic argument. That is, we need an influx of immigrants — WHO TEND TO HAVE LARGER FAMILIES — to counter native-born Americans' low birthrates. Our current rate isn't sufficient to keep our nation's economic engine running competitively.
This is a legitimate argument, most forcefully advanced by Douglas Holtz-Eakin, Republican economic adviser and former director of the Congressional Budget Office under George W. Bush. Alas, Jeb Bush inartfully said we need immigrants because they are more "fertile," which sounds an awful lot like, "Hotahmighty, those people can't tie their shoes without getting pregnant."
One is permitted a certain number of verbal pratfalls in public life, a bit of latitude Palin should appreciate. But Mama Grizzly came roaring out at Bush during a speech at one of those confabs where faith-and-freedom lovers assemble to flex their moral superiority. She not only scolded the third Bush for speaking in such terms but reminded the audience of her own bona fides in the matter.
"I say this as someone who's kind of fertile herself."
As though anyone could forget.
In an earlier speech in May at the Conservative Political Action Conference, Palin drew applause with a quip about her marital virtuosity. For Christmas, she gave husband Todd a gun, and he gave her a gun case for the four-wheeler, and ...
"He's got the rifle; I got the rack."
Oh, chortle chortle.
Palin is nothing if not fertile. Or perhaps more accurately, she is nothing if she isn't fertile.
The most flauntingly fecund female politician in American history, Palin made the most of men's imaginations as John McCain's running mate — even winning over the fantasies of the politically opposed. Most memorable of these was Christopher Hitchens, who, though no Palin fan, once confessed to me: "Even I have wondered what it would be like to change her expression."
Hitchens knew how to be provocative and/or insulting while still seeming courtly, a gentleman's art nearly lost with his passing. Only the other Christopher — Buckley — does the same as well.
In this era of low art, one finds comfort at least in the knowledge that fertility passes, and so, one hopes, do those who insist on attention to their procreative histories. Which, I hasten to add, recently includes former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
When challenged about the difference between late-term abortion and the killing of babies who survived late-term abortions at the hands of the convicted murderer Dr. Kermit Gosnell, Pelosi hid behind the skirt of her own bassinet.
Rather than answer the question, she invoked her five children and declared any discussion of abortion "sacred ground" to her Catholic sensibilities.
Fecundity, apparently, triumphs over moral reasoning.
Most likely, Pelosi is deeply troubled by what her politics requires and what her Catholic mother-heart tells her is true. The real reason she avoided the question is because there is no good answer. The atrocity of late-term abortion and post-abortion murder is a matter of moments.
And though Palin's pro-life position is more palatable in the harsh light of Gosnell's killing chamber, her coquettish reminders that her field is still tillable diminishes her credibility as anything other than a one-liner comedienne.
Perhaps Palin recognizes this herself and is auditioning for her own show. She may have a fertile future as an entertainer, though Honey Boo Boo will give her a run for her money.
Kathleen Parker writes this column for The Washington Post. Email: email@example.com.


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Pot plant limit could be trimmed by legislature
BOSTON — Massachusetts cannabis cultivators, recently legitimized by the legalization of marijuana, could soon find themselves having to cut back on the size of their home grow operations.
The Legislature — which along with Gov. Charlie Baker has already delayed full implementation of the legalization law by six months — is expected to amend the law approved by voters in November, with a higher tax rate on marijuana sales at or near the top of the list of likely alterations.
But Senate President Stanley Rosenberg, during an interview on the Merrimack Valley's WCAP radio Tuesday morning, suggested the Legislature will consider reducing the current home growing limit of six marijuana plants per adult or a maximum of 12 per household.
"It's legal now to have 12 plants in your home, but the advocates understand that this is likely to be debated in the process," Rosenberg said. "According to the people who know a lot more about this than I do, they say that for someone who knows how to truly grow these plants and once you master it — which is not all that hard — 12 plants would produce about 30 marijuana cigarettes a day." He added, "I mean it's just it's a very large quantity to have in your home at any given time."
Asked to clarify whether the Senate president supports a reduction in the number of plants that can be legally grown, a Rosenberg spokesman said the Senate leader is "still doing his homework and will await the recommendation of the Marijuana Committee."
Peter Bernard, president of the Mass. Growers Advocacy Council, said Rosenberg's estimates do not jibe with his own experiences as a medical marijuana grower.
"The reality of it is that the average single home-grown plant is going to yield one to two ounces. A talented grower could maybe get four or five ounces out of one plant, but we don't have a lot of those in the commonwealth," Bernard said. "Most of the people who are going to try this are going to try and fail. Those who do succeed will average about two ounces a plant, and it takes about six months to grow beginning to end."
So, Bernard said, someone cultivating the current maximum of 12 plants in their home may be able to produce a few pounds of cannabis over the course of a year.
"If people think 12 plants will fuel a criminal enterprise -- sure, they maybe could make a few bucks off friends and family -- but it's just not realistic," he said. "Twelve per household is not unreasonable."
Jim Borghesani, a spokesman for the Yes on 4 coalition, told the News Service that the groups that worked to legalize marijuana "adamantly disagree with any attempts to reduce" the number of cannabis plants a resident can legally grow.
"That would be a huge mistake and I think it would clearly disrespect the will of the voters. The voters were well aware of the at-home grow limit that was in the initiative and they voted for it by a very solid margin," Borghesani said. "Our home-grow limit is more restrictive than Colorado's and the Legislature should not take any action based on no data that I can see, whatsoever, to justify such a move."
The Massachusetts State Police did not respond to a News Service inquiry Tuesday about whether the agency has encountered issues with marijuana home growing since the practice became legal on Dec. 15.
Bernard, who said he knows of thousands of cannabis cultivators across the state, said he has tried unsuccessfully to get a meeting with Rosenberg or House Speaker Robert DeLeo to share his insights and experiences with growing cannabis before the Legislature acts.
"I think that they should get out there and see how some of these home grows look or talk to people who have," he said. "I know what the reality is from my own first-hand experience. I'm more than happy to share that with them and I've tried."
As the Legislature's work this session ramps up, Rosenberg said any changes to the marijuana law will be made with the input of a full complement of the law's supporters and detractors.
"There was a model for how they negotiated changes in the law out in Colorado. I've asked them for that material, they provided it and we're going to use a similar type of process," Rosenberg said, referring to a Colorado task force report that detailed the steps to full implementation of that state's marijuana laws. "The stakeholders belong at the table, both people in favor and opposed, so the DAs and the sheriffs and the criminal justice folks will be in the conversation, the medical people will be in the conversation. But we know we have to get this done."


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By: Clydette Powell, MD, MPH, FAAP
It was the best of times; it was the worst of times. January 12's earthquake, epicentered in Port-au-Prince, killed over 200,000 people, but also mobilized one of the largest humanitarian disaster responses in the Western Hemisphere in the last 60 years. As Medical Officer at USAID/Washington, I was part of that response.
They lay in adjacent incubators – two of Haiti's newest citizens – one born in Port-au-Prince, the other born on a ship in the harbor. Both premature, weighing in at some three pounds. Catherine was born one day before the earthquake. Barely 24 hours old on January 12, 2010, Catherine and her mom were suddenly homeless. Her mom could not breastfeed, and Catherine became dehydrated and ill. After days of wandering the streets of Haiti's capital city, Catherine's mom was found by a medical triage team who sent them both to the US Navy hospital ship, the USNS COMFORT, which had just arrived in the harbor. On board, Isabella Rose, her incubator neighbor, had just been born by C-Section. Her mom had been severely injured during the earthquake, and went into premature labor. Again, another triage team sent Isabella Rose's mom for emergency obstetrical care on the USNS COMFORT, and Isabella Rose took her first breaths on board a US Navy hospital ship.
On the evening of January 12, I had seen the broadcasts of the earthquake's devastation and the misery it brought to people of a country where I had worked for USAID on numerous short term assignments since 2001. Without hesitation, I volunteered to be part of USAID's response to this disaster. Being the civilian-military liaison for our Health Office within the Bureau for Global Health, the medical officer in the Infectious Disease Division, and a member of the Haiti Health Team provided the foundation for quick deployment. Invited by the Commanding Officer to serve on the USNS COMFORT, I sailed down with its crew and found myself in several roles, including as neurologist in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, when Catherine and Isabella Rose arrived.
Our USAID/Haiti Health team, themselves survivors of the earthquake, and our team on board the COMFORT quickly established communication links. We worked in tandem to triage, transport, and care for the most severely injured. During the course of two months, the ship-based and the land-based teams collaborated in the care of over 1,000 patients. More than 2,000 helicopter flights transported patients and teams between ship and land. Public health priorities and support for the stewardship role of the Haitian Ministry of Health became daily (and nightly) discussions of both the ship and USAID land-based teams. As the relief effort grew, so did the complexities of patient management, the coordination of care, and the optimization of public health disaster relief responses. Yet on a microcosm, there were still the Catherines, the Isabella Roses, and other children—the displaced, the orphans, some likely restaveks—and injured adults, all of whom sought emergency medical care on board the USNS COMFORT.
As I look back to one year ago, representing USAID in the Haiti earthquake response generated in me a renewed sense of patriotism, increased admiration for our USAID/Haiti team, greater esteem for the US Navy, lasting gratitude for my medical and public health skills, and an even deeper respect for the Haitian people. In the worst of times/best of times perspective, Catherine received her angel wings, to use the Navy parlance, but Isabella Rose bloomed. One of Haiti's newest citizens, she became a symbol of her people's resilience, and a tiny testimony to the effective collaboration of USAID, the US Navy, and the non-governmental organizations when all things can work together for the good.


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3 dead after tornado hits NW Ark on New Year's Eve
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — A tornado fueled by an unusually warm winter air sliced through parts of northwestern Arkansas early on New Year's Eve, killing at least three people, injuring several others and knocking out power to thousands of homes and businesses.
Three people died in Cincinnati, a hamlet of about 100 residents about three miles from the Oklahoma border. Washington County sheriff's dispatcher Josh Howerton said the storm touched down near the center of the community. He said "lots of injuries" were reported, and officials in nearby Benton County said the storm injured two people and damaged five homes there.
Several flights to and from the Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport at Highfill, in Benton County, were delayed or canceled Friday morning as officials worked to clear storm debris littering the runway.
The region has been bracing for severe weather for much of the week. Gulf moisture riding southerly winds pushed temperatures into the upper 60s and 70s on Thursday — ahead of a cold front expected to drop temperatures into the teens by Saturday morning.
"Anytime you have a significant change in air mass there is going to be unsettled weather marking the two different air masses," said Joe Sellers, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Tulsa, Okla.
Rick Johnson, the deputy emergency manager for Washington County, said the same storm system caused damage in nearby Tontitown, but emergency responders had trouble reaching the damaged areas because of downed power lines.
The Tulsa weather office issued a tornado warning for Cincinnati and area towns at 6 a.m., nine minutes before the storm hit.
Later Friday morning, in south-central Missouri, baseball-sized hail was reported north of Mansfield in Wright County.
"This storm system has been showing significant signs that it could develop," said Chris Buonanno, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in North Little Rock who was monitoring the storms as they moved deeper into Arkansas. "Conditions are favorable for seeing a severe outbreak.
"In the winter you don't always have the instability" that would allow tornadoes to develop, Buonanno said. "This time, we have the instability."
According to records from the Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Okla., Friday's tornado fatalities are the first in the nation since Sept. 16, when a woman hit a falling tree while driving in Queens, N.Y., and a man was killed in his home at Belleville, W.Va.
The deaths push this year's count to 39 nationally, and to 5 in Arkansas.