Happy Bubbles
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Posts posted by Happy Bubbles
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ok ok point taken, BUT what about the language situation going into another country, When i went to Costa Rica, very few menus and signs were in english, why is the USA the only country that does this? PC? All it does is cripples our country futher.
The USA is not the only country that does that. Japanese is the official language of Japan, but most road signs have English as well as Japanese. All the train lines and public transportation systems make announcements and write station signs in both languages, while tons of private businesses provide English menus and so forth. Except in the northernmost prefecture, Hokkaido, where a lot of that information is in Russian! This is in a country where over 98% of the population is native-born Japanese. They don`t do it because it`s PC - they do it because it makes good economic and social sense to make it easy for people to move around, spend money, and otherwise function smoothly in this country regardless of whether they`re fluent in the dominant language. How does making things easier for people "cripple" a nation?
Back on the subject of geocaching, almost all of the cache pages around here are written in English. Sometimes there isn`t any Japanese on the page, even when it`s clear that the cache owner doesn`t actually speak English. Many use automatic translations that produce "English" that`s almost incomprehensible. A cache on my watchlist provides the following English text with no Japanese text:
A turnip and a park are parks of 4,605 square meters in area that they are located in the north side along Utajima Toyosato line to run between Hoshin and Toyosato, and posted about 1,000 green in circumference and the west amusement place.Obviously the easiest solution for everyone is to have good translations available in both languages, but if that`s not possible I wish cache owners would stick to the language they`re most comfortable in. I`d rather have to translate some Japanese myself than have nothing to work with but some very messed-up English.
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You find that perfect spot, you develop hints and a description based on that spot, and it's 5 darn feet to close to another cache. This has happened to me with each of the 3 caches I have tried to hide.
Literally, 5 feet too close? If this isn't just hyperbole, 5 feet is always well within the margin of error in commercial GPS unit reception. You could just change the last digit of your coordinates without moving the cache and it would more than likely be just as easy to find. If our GPS units point us anywhere in a 20-30 foot radius, an extra five feet won't make much difference.
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Disable it. If you've "pulled the cache from hiding" and it's not there to be found, you should disable it so no one wastes their time looking for it. Owner Maintenance notes are for when you've done quick maintenance on-site and want the cache page to reflect that, but they aren't really necessary unless someone marked it "needs maintenance" and you want the attribute to go away.
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Searching by country or state returns results ordered by date published, so there are are always tons of unfound ones at the top of the list. http://www.geocaching.com/seek/nearest.aspx?state_id=4
the easiest way to do what the OP asked is using the "Search for nearest geocaches from your home coordinates (filter out finds)" links in your profile. those are available to basic members as well.
I think the OP wanted caches unfound by anyone, not just caches he hasn`t found yet. Hence the FTF comment.
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Finding information online and doing a couch-potato log is one thing, but what about virtuals that ask you to upload a picture? In my opinion, there`s no excuse for that. There`s no misunderstanding - it`s just cheating!
These lazy loggers are getting fun virtuals archived and ruining them for everyone! See this cache or this cache for examples. There are tons of virtuals with absentee owners out there that are still fun to visit and log. If it weren`t for these cheaters the caches could last a long time and be enjoyed by cachers for years to come, but instead they`re getting archived. Boo!
I wish I could adopt some of these orphaned virtuals!
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That looks like a string of DNA.
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"I shall not today attempt further to define the kinds of material I understand to be embraced within that shorthand description ["power trail"]; and perhaps I could never succeed in intelligibly doing so. But I know it when I see it."
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That`s horrible! It`s downright unbelievable - are you sure there`s no other explanation for how the grass might have died?
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I am a reviewer, and it's nearly impossible to review hypothetically and particularly from limited information.
If I were reviewing an actual cache submission, I'd have coords, maps and the ability to ask questions.
What you've described seems unlikely, unless the cache is on the train or in the ticket office.
Otherwise it seems unlikely that there's no other access.
The caches I`m thinking of are a series hidden on train platforms. Someone posted an SBA on them back in January, but there`s been nothing but smilies since then so I assume the reviewer and CO worked it all out in private. I was just wondering if the SBA-poster`s opinion is a common one.
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Would you consider a cache that requires you to buy a train ticket to be "commercial?" Say the cache isn`t accessible by any other means, and the cheapest ticket is 120 yen, about $1.33. Do you think this would be a violation of the guidelines? If you were a reviewer, would you publish such a cache? If you found such a cache and felt it was a guideline violation, would you post an SBA?
From the guidelines
Commercial caches will not be published on geocaching.com without prior approval from Groundspeak. A commercial cache is a geocache listing or geocache which is perceived by Groundspeak, Groundspeak's employees, or the Volunteer Geocache Reviewers as having been submitted to geocaching.com with the principal or substantial intent of soliciting customers or generating commercial gain. The geocache is presumed to be commercial if the finder is required to go inside a business, interact with employees, and/or purchase a product or service, or if the cache listing has overtones of advertising, marketing, or promotion.Personally, I think it`s technically a violation of the letter of the guidelines, but not blatant enough to warrant an SBA. What do you think?
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I got it right away! My mom has a cache that uses the same puzzle. Hers has had 66 finds in almost six years - not as many as the the regular caches hidden in the same area, but still a decent enough number to show that ftf hunters aren`t the only ones who will find a puzzle cache!
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Steps to take when you feel your log has been wrongfully deleted:
1. Contact the cache owner and politely ask why your log was deleted. Log the cache again after removing the content they objected to.
2. If your log is deleted again, log once more with an extremely simple log - "TFTC." is the most common. If possible, upload a picture of your signature in the log book.
3. If even your "TFTC" log is deleted and you did in fact sign the logbook, write to contact@Groundspeak.com
4. Put the cache owner on your ignore list!
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You can post a note on the cache page. That way future finders will know it's fixed, even if the "needs maintenance" attribute won't go away.
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How do you keep the streak going when there's no way of getting a signal do to say, a weeks worth of thick clouds like eastern Mass had last week? Do you just pick out lamp posts by Google maps?
Actually, clouds don't affect GPS reception. That's an urban myth. The signal goes right through them!
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I'm trying to include some Japanese text on a TB log. ( http://www.geocaching.com/track/details.as...af-86a470d46765 ) I want to say "よおこそ、日本へ！” and I'm copying the Unicode from the site I've always used for all my Japanese logs. ( http://www.pinyin.info/tools/converter/chars2uninumbers.html )
But when I hit "submit" I get an error page;
Server Error500 - Internal server error.
There is a problem with the resource you are looking for, and it cannot be displayed.
Help!
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If it were me I'd be tempted to go there again, find and sign the dry log, and then log my find online. The only text of my log would be "TFTC," and I'd add two photos - one of my log on the current cache, and one of me holding the wet log. If that got deleted, I'd use the contact@Groundspeak address.
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But i am actually looking for a id numbers 17.48140218 and 30.84951490. sorry i wasn't clear before. i dont know if they have decimals or not.
I think everyone's confused. What ID numbers are you talking about? Those are longer than any cacher ID numbers; http://www.geocaching.com/profile/?id=3084951490 http://www.geocaching.com/profile/?id=1748140218 produce nothing.
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Where can you find Geocaching id numbers on geocaching.com not on the forms.
What's with the angry face?
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I would put a TB in a PM cache only if the TBs owner was clearly a premium member. It would suck to see your bug dropped someplace but be unable to visit the cache page to see what kind of place it`s at.
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I just read a description of a brand-new cache that makes me feel uncomfortable. It`s not near me and I have no intention of finding it, nor do I want the powers-that-be to take any action on it; I'm just interested in reading a civil forum discussion about what is and is not appropriate on a cache page.
The cache is hidden in Okinawa, Japan, and it is hidden in honor of a Marine who died on Okinawa during WWII. The cache description contains a lengthy summary of his actions during the battle. The citation contains some far-from neutral language, telling about "boldly blasting near-by cave positions and neutralizing enemy guns as he went," and how "Inspired by his courage, every man followed without hesitation, and together the intrepid Marines braved a terrific concentration of Japanese gunfire" and later "he instantly attacked, waged a furious battle and succeeded in killing many of the enemy and in forcing the remainder to cover in the caves."
When I read this cache description, I can`t help but recall my own experience visiting Okinawa and the Peace Memorial Park and other monuments there that show the other side of the war. The Japanese high school I teach at takes an annual trip to Okinawa, and every year the students are moved to tears by the stories they hear about kids their age and younger who were conscripted into a battle they did not want to fight and killed by marines like Major Henry A. Courtney, Jr. The Himeyuri no To is a particularly poignant monument to the students of a girls' school who were drafted to be nurses and all slaughtered when an American grenade destroyed the "near-by cave position" they sheltered in. My students come away from their trip talking about the value of peace and how important it is to never forget the horrors of war. I wonder what they would think about this cache description? What other Japanese would think? How the Okinawan survivors of the Battle of Okinawa would feel about it? How would reading such a thing affect their opinions of caching, cachers, and Americans in general?
Conversely, how would most Americans feel about a cache hidden in Hawaii in honor of a Japanese soldier who died killing Americans at Pearl Harbor? Words like, "bold," "intrepid," and "He gallantly gave his life for his country" were often used in reference to kamikaze pilots at the time. But modern Japanese generally avoid such language; a decades-long backlash against the militarism and imperialism that led to the war has resulted in a general public inclination towards pacifism, and the ones who glorify the actions of WWII era soldiers are usually part of a radical fringe minority.
This cache to me seems very distasteful, and disrespectful. There is a large American military presence on Okinawa, and it is a source of significant tension between Japan and America. The local population complains that the Americans are disrespectful of Japanese laws and culture, and has been agitating for a reduction in the American presence, while Washington and Tokyo have been doing their best soothe the Okinawans and make the American military presence less obnoxious. This cache seems antithetical to the spirit of peace that the Okinawan government seeks to promote, and potentially insulting to the local people. To me, it doesn`t seem like an appropriate cache for a guest to hide in a foreign country.
Does it violate the guidelines? They read "caches perceived to be posted for religious, political, charitable or social agendas are not permitted. Geocaching is supposed to be a light, fun activity, not a platform for an agenda." While at first glance hiding a cache "in honor of those Marines who went above and beyond" does not seem like a social agenda, when viewed in the broader context of US-Japan-Okinawa relations it seems like a very politically-charged statement.
What do you think?
Is it tasteful?
Is it a guideline violation?
Would you publish this cache if you were a reviewer?
Would you publish a similar cache for a Japanese soldier at Pearl Harbor?
The text of the cache description:
This is my first cache hide in Oki. It is starting out full of Travel bugs and coins. I have another series just like this outside Camp Pendleton, CA. This series will all be ammo cans hidden in honor of those Marines who went above and beyond. Semper Fidelis!The President of the United States takes pride in presenting the MEDAL OF HONOR posthumously to
MAJOR HENRY A. COURTNEY, JR.
UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS RESERVE
for service as set forth in the following CITATION:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as Executive Officer of the Second Battalion, Twenty-Second Marines, Sixth Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces on Okinawa Shima in the Ryukyu Islands, 14 and 15 May 1945. Ordered to hold for the night in static defense behind Sugar Loaf Hill after leading the forward elements of his command in a prolonged fire fight, Major Courtney weighed the effect of a hostile night counterattack against the tactical value of an immediate Marine assault, resolved to initiate the assault, and promptly obtained permission to advance and seize the forward slope of the hill. Quickly explaining the situation to his small remaining force, he declared his personal intention of moving forward and then proceeded on his way, boldly blasting near-by cave positions and neutralizing enemy guns as he went. Inspired by his courage, every man followed without hesitation, and together the intrepid Marines braved a terrific concentration of Japanese gunfire to skirt the hill on the right and reach the reverse slope. Temporarily halting, Major Courtney sent guides to the rear for more ammunition and possible replacements. subsequently reinforced by twenty-six men and a LVT load of grenades, he determined to storm the crest of the hill and crush any planned counterattack before it could gain sufficient momentum to effect a break-through. Leading his men by example rather than by command, he pushed ahead with unrelenting aggressiveness, hurling grenades into cave openings on the slope with devastating effect. Upon reaching the crest and observing large numbers of Japanese forming for action less than one hundred yards away, he instantly attacked, waged a furious battle and succeeded in killing many of the enemy and in forcing the remainder to cover in the caves. Determined to hold, he ordered his men to dig in and, coolly disregarding the continuous hail of flying enemy shrapnel to rally his weary troops, tirelessly aided casualties and assigned his men to more advantageous positions. Although instantly killed by mortar burst while moving among his men, Major Courtney, by his astute military acumen, indomitable leadership and decisive action in the face of overwhelming odds, had contributed essentially to the success of the Okinawa Campaign and his great personal valor throughout sustained and enhanced the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.
And, for contrast, from the Okinawa Prefectural Peace Museum:
In late March 1945, a fierce battle such as has rarely been seen in history took place on these islands. The "Typhoon of Steel" that lasted for ninety days disfigured mountains, destroyed much of the cultural legacy, and claimed the precious lives of upward of 200,000 people. The Battle of Okinawa was the only ground fighting fought on Japanese soil and was also the largest-scale campaign of the Asia-Pacific War. Even countless Okinawan civilians were fully mobilized.A significant aspect of the Battle of Okinawa was the great loss of civilian life. At more than 100,000 civilian losses far outnumbered the military death toll. Some were blown apart by shells, some finding themselves in a hopeless situation were driven to suicide, some died of starvation, some succumbed to malaria, while other fell victim to the retreating Japanese troops. Under the most desperate and unimaginable circumstances, Okinawans directly experienced the absurdity of war and atrocities it inevitably brings about.
This war experience is at the very core of what is popularly called the "Okinawan Heart," a resilient yet strong attitude to life that Okinawan people developed as they struggled against the pressures of many years of U. S. military control.
The "Okinawan Heart" is a human response that respects personal dignity above all else, rejects any acts related to war, and truly cherishes culture, which is a supreme expression of humanity. In order that we may mourn for those who perished during the war, pass on to future generations the historic lessons of the Battle of Okinawa, convey our message to the peoples of the world and thereby established, displaying the whole range of the individual war experiences of the people in this prefecture, the Okinawa Prefectural Peace Memorial Museum.
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Ok my curiosity overtook me and I did the image google search for "belly button jewelry" Don't do it - just don't do it. Off to bleach my eyes out too now. Why didn't I listen!
Arrggggg. I looked. The problem with a statement like that is it virtually encourages you to look.
Meh, I looked. It's just a fat woman, no big deal. The other people on the page were pretty attractive, though.
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Yeah, I pretty much agree with you, Wolverine. I usually try to hide my caches so that a muggle won`t spot them but an experienced cacher can find them quickly, and I tend to write explicit encrypted hints that make it even more obvious. For me as a cache owner the fun is keeping things secret from the muggles, not stumping other cachers. This is especially the case for my hides that are well off the beaten path; if someone comes all the way out to one of my hides, I want them to walk away with a smile.
Should I archive my traditional and "hide" an Earthcache on top of it?
in EarthCaches
Posted
I`ve got a traditional hidden at a place that I think might be a good Earthcache. GC1DRHD I get very few visitors to this cache, since it`s pretty far off the beaten path, and I`m trying to figure out how to get more visitors to the area. I figure the Earthcache icon might draw a few, especially since there are so few Earthcaches in Japan. My traditional is not that good - just a magnetic micro under a bench. I hid it as a way to share the nifty site, rather than trying to make it a spectacular geocache hide. If I`m already advertising the site with my traditional hide, should I not bother with making it an Earthcache? If I do get an Earthcache approved, should I archive the micro or leave it there? What`s normal in cases like this?
Should I:
Just leave it as a traditional?
Archive it and replace it with an Earthcache listing?
Keep the micro and list the Earthcache, making it a two-fer?