What are you wondering now?

Looking at the video and the islands location, however, its completely possible the island has a CSB microclimate and doesnt freeze.

There are cold-hardy palm trees.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trachycarpus

If I really could make better money panhandling.

Actually, Japan spans climate zones from humid continental to humid subtropical, from Canadian-like Hokkaido to Hawaiian-like Okinawa.

I looked into going to work as an English teacher in Hokkaido at one point. Beautiful, but too cold for me come winter. But finding something further south was harder.

Martoo lives up in Hokkaido, I believe. I haven't talked to her in ages...


I'm wondering if I'll be cleared for work by Monday...

Good luck, Koji!

What exactly just exploded a couple of blocks down. That was a big boom and there are a lot of responders out.

What exploded?

Two houses and a truck.

If my lifemate and I can get our backup wedding plans going without too much hassle. Unfortunately COVID threw a gigantic monkey wrench into our wedding plans and any big celebrations are most likely postponed until next year.

So we are thinking just a very small gathering of our closest family and friends close to home this year, and then a big party for the extended family next year. Her first idea was one of my favorite pubs where the owner said they could "set aside some space for us" and I said umm...no effing way!

Like hey...that's where we go to drink good brews and relax...and as much as I like their beer I don't fancy the idea of getting married in a place full of random intoxicated weirdos! So thank the high ones she's agreed to something small and private.
We'll see how it goes...

What the hell is that mystery smell...?

It smells like a three-day-old corpse... and coffee grounds. I wonder if something died on the roof under the HVAC...

And there are ZERO flies...

Triffids. It'll be triffids

Great. My house is now a science fiction double feature...

Just out of curiosity; am I the only one having problems with Wikipedia? The search-bar on the front page seems to have lost the select language option, it's like it just decided that "obviously you'd always want to conduct your search in the language of the country you're in!" But... now…

Front page, meaning this!

Where's a good place to get a quality balisong.

Who came up with the names for large groups of animals?
Some of those are just downright silly...

@Kojiyumi wrote:

Where's a good place to get a quality balisong.

As memory serves, Balisong originated in the Philippines. I had a family member who was into them years ago and ordered one directly from there. It was beautiful and of exceptional quality, but also fairly expensive. There were lots of lower quality knock offs everywhere and he had some of those too, but the handmade one was the best of the bunch by far.

I'd look for one that was made in the Philippines by hand if you want quality, but it probably will won't be cheap.

@IceTooth wrote:

@Kojiyumi wrote:

Where's a good place to get a quality balisong.

As memory serves, Balisong originated in the Philippines. I had a family member who was into them years ago and ordered one directly from there. It was beautiful and of exceptional quality, but also fairly expensive. There were lots of lower quality knock offs everywhere and he had some of those too, but the handmade one was the best of the bunch by far.

I'd look for one that was made in the Philippines by hand if you want quality, but it probably will won't be cheap.

Yepyep! I got a practice one for now, though. I'm going to work at getting better at flip tricks so I don't lose fingers or life-fluid while playing. But I do eventually want one that is both well-balanced for tricks as well as will hold a real edge for self-defense. Yay for them being legal here. They aren't in quite a few states.

Sounds like a plan! I think I still have one somewhere...my brother gave it to me when I was a teenager and permanently dulled the blade so I wouldn't cut myself while practicing.

They were banned in California years ago so we had to give up the hobby soon after we started.  And they are probably illegal where I live in Washington now. Nice that you live in Arizona...knives...guns...all good there. I lived up in Yavapai County briefly some years ago...never saw so many gun racks on vehicles in my life.  

Although this is coming from a guy who had a gun rack (with rifles in it) in his bedroom during high school.

Wondering where my Great Great Grandmother is hiding. I finally got some old records in the mail and found out her real name and then I started researching. I know where she was living when she had two of her children...but I know that she wasn't born there.

I've searched through probably 2500 birth records in a nearby village where her family surname is common. Building family trees of people I think were her relatives...and then I also have DNA matches to people who also have that surname in their family trees. Their ancestors were from the same little village and I feel like I'm so darn close...but I still haven't found her birth record.

I know you're out there...I know I'll find you soon enough but this mystery is really putting me to the test. Thankfully I have another session with a professional genealogist tomorrow who should help me find a few more clues...    

Silly Great Great Grandmother. Stop hiding!

*is entertaining to follow this*