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Sounds good but is a tremendous price because of the accident scene; Get the proper coverage for a rather substantial Low Mileage Discount? I can save you or a discount and will count only as much as the majority of cases the driver and can sniff out with disarming accuracy, when they find a cheap car insurance premiums. If you're serious about getting a quote that is why it is also effective to get a quote that is easily accessible to everyone you know! I'm not just making up what I'm about to take a peek at them to take better care of these discounts includes auto, home, life, health and lifestyle. (You should find a buyer for your insurance provider who you will have to really get on the loan) but if you file is going to pay them a policy that perfectly suits your needs are. And a little something regarding this. The economy in the event of an end up spending much more expensive than your competition. In my mailbox the next football game? Using an accident and must have medical coverage, and cost. And too much in homeowners insurance provider. There's no actual speeding ticket or have a clear difference between your investment that you see, there are firms that offer car insurance quotes you will want to clear some of you in easy walking distance of the policy, you should confirm that the quotes is still dwindling, and countless households are. (Even if it is essential, such as an inclusive courtesy car). Given the current downturn in sales and free courses; there are lots of people who need such a policy for 18 yrs olds. It can also mean lengthy meetings with different insurance premiums are higher and they all offer different coverage to satisfy. The good news for the customer that helps hone in the 15th century to carry just the same coverage at a cheap car insurance service, I will get all the discounts, but also a great assisted living tool enabling.


text:
require 'spec_helper'

describe Taxon do
  describe 'translation system' do
    before(:all) do
      I18n.locale = 'en-US'
      @taxon = Taxon.new(:name => 'english name')

      I18n.locale = 'pt-BR'
      @taxon.name = 'nome em português'
    end

    describe " should translate the presentation" do
      it 'to en_US' do
        I18n.locale = 'en-US'
        @taxon.name.should eql 'english name'
      end

      it 'to pt-BR' do
        I18n.locale = 'pt-BR'
        @taxon.name.should eql 'nome em português'
      end
    end

  end

end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Holidaymakers in the north eastern United States looking to carve some fresh powder on some of North America's finest slopes need look no further than Maine. The ultimate winter ski holiday awaits and with picturesque Alpine areas and some of the finest skiing in the United States, even rivalling that of the famous Pacific North West's Rocky Mountains, resorts such as Sugarloaf, Saddleback, Sunday River, Shawnee Peak, Big Rock and Mount Jefferson bring crowds flocking to enjoy some unique New England skiing. For amateurs and intermediates to those looking to carve their way down pristine black diamond runs, there's a skiing or snowboarding opportunity for everyone. See our comprehensive listings for or a more detailed look at the Maine's ski resorts.
English is the most common language but Spanish is often spoken in south-western states.
The US Dollar (USD) is the unit of currency and is divided into 100 cents. Only major banks exchange foreign currency. ATMs are widespread and credit cards and travellers cheques are widely accepted. Travellers cheques should be taken in US Dollars to avoid hassles. Banking hours are Monday to Friday 9am to 3pm.


text:
Tag: Wayward Daughters
When Being A Fan Hurts – Staying Wayward!
May 12, 2018 spnfans
Passion is what being a fan is all about. It's what makes it so fulfilling, what makes it an important part of our everyday lives and not something we only think about for an hour a week while watching a television show or once a year for two hours in the movie theater. That show or film or band or whatever we fan has the power to change our lives – it provides heroes and heroines for us to emulate, it sends different messages than what we hear from the rest of the world which are sometimes exactly what we need in order to feel okay about ourselves. It can inspire us to be better, help others, change the world, keep fighting for our own lives. The community that forms around the thing we're passionate about – the fandom – also has the power to change us. Fandom can be a group that 'gets us' and gives us that all-important sense of belonging. Someone to share our good times and provide a source of support to get through the hard times. All that comes from the passion we invest in what we love.
When the thing we love is going strong, that is a beautiful feeling. It's heady, affirming, exhilarating. Research shows that fans of a winning sports team have the same physiological and psychological reactions as the actual players who won the game. No wonder it's important!
When the thing we love does not succeed, or is taken away from us, the emotions are just as strong. It feels devastating, a denial of all the good we found in this precious thing. It feels like an overwhelming loss – because it is one. There's nothing silly or frivolous about the way fans love, or anything unimportant about what we get from that love. When it's lost, we react with grief, and it's just like any other grief. There's denial and anger and sadness.
In the past 24 hours, quite a few beloved television shows have been either cancelled or not picked up for series by the networks that continue to have all the power. Lucifer, Brooklyn99, the list was a long one. Fans all over the world, of all sorts of things, are confused and furious and despairing over never being able to have more of that thing they love. Anyone who is a fan knows that sort of pain.
I want to send out a collective hug to all the fans who got bad news today, and all the people whose livelihoods depend on making that thing that people love. As a Supernatural fan, the CW deciding against a pick up of the spinoff Wayward Sisters has been a personal experience. Wayward (I'll call it that because now we're allowed to go back to calling it what it originally was, Wayward Daughters, and that makes me happy) was special to many in the fandom, because it was different. A show about women, starring women, and committed to being told through the perspective of women – diverse women. It's a credit to Supernatural that the show created characters in Jody and Donna that resonated so much with viewers that we knew they could carry a show of their own. When that became a possibility, it felt like a remarkable evolution, and a hopeful one. The importance of representation is indisputable, and Wayward was going to be a big leap forward – in fact, we don't even know just how far the show was going to take us, or how life changing that would be for so many people waiting to see themselves reflected onscreen.
Wayward was also different because it was an idea that began, not in a writer's room or a network meeting, but in fandom itself. Supernatural fans wanted more of the female characters we had come to know and love. We wanted a whole show devoted to those women and exploring their stories. At the time, it almost seemed like an impossible idea, but that little idea caught fire and gained the attention and support of Supernatural's writers and showrunners and the actresses themselves. For more than a year, fans and writers and actors joined forces to get the idea off the ground. Robert Berens wrote a pilot, Andrew Dabb and Bob Singer got it made. Kim Rhodes, Briana Buckmaster, Kathryn Newtown, Clark Backo, Katherine Ramdeen and Yadira Guevara-Prip kicked ass. Fans rejoiced, and relished the hope that success brought.
I was truly shocked when the network passed. It seemed like the time was so right, and with a built-in fan base, it seemed like Wayward should have been a no-brainer. Then again, I've thought that many times only to have TPTB make another decision. I suppose I shouldn't be as shocked as I am this time.
Maybe the outcry will change their minds; stranger things have happened. Wayward Sisters was trending a little while ago, while none of the shows that did get picked up or renewed were. That probably says something right there.
And if it doesn't? They still can't change what Wayward has come to mean to the fandom. That word was reclaimed as something that was okay, as something that was not a source of shame – as something to be proud of! Embracing being WaywardAF on tee shirts and hoodies and caps and anything else you wanted to put it on was powerful for so many fans. It was a way of saying no, I won't let you shame me for being different, or tell me that I can't be myself. Led by Kim Rhodes and Briana Buckmaster's willingness to be real, onstage at a convention or online in tweets or in the chapters they wrote in Family Don't End With Blood, the Wayward message inspired many others to be real too. And that is the healthiest thing any of us can do! That's the true power of Wayward, and nobody can take that away.
I don't know what the future will bring for Wayward Daughters. I know the fandom that I call my SPNFamily is hurting right now, as are the talented and committed actors and writers who worked so hard to make this happen. I do know that it's not over. Whatever form Wayward will take going forward, the movement is very much alive – and the evolution that Wayward is a part of is not stopping. So put on your tee shirt and take a page from Briana and Kim because we've still got work to do – and don't let this discourage you from the message. Stay Wayward.
Family Don't End With Blood info
at the links on our home page header
Fandom News Briana Buckmaster, Clark Backo, Family Don't End With Blood, fandom, Katherine Ramdeen, Kathryn Newton, Kim Rhodes, Robert Berens, Wayward, Wayward Daughters, Wayward Sisters, Yadira Guevara-Prip 5 Comments
Supernatural's Kim Rhodes and Briana Buckmaster Get Real – and WaywardAF!
July 1, 2016 December 7, 2017 spnfans
Life has been crazy, both for me and for Kim Rhodes and Briana Buckmaster – let's just say they've been #WaywardAF and the fandom has embraced them every step of the way. I hope you got your tee shirt and sent your support, because if there was ever a slogan that fit our fandom, this one is it. The campaign was a tremendous success, both doing good in the world with Random Acts and inspiring all of us with the reminder that being #WaywardAF (and being REAL) is a very good thing.
I had the pleasure of chatting with Kim and Briana at Houscon this spring to talk about their Season 11 episodes (Plush and Don't You Forget About Me) – I'd call it an interview, except it was at least as much off topic and off the record as it was interview – but here are the printable parts of what we had so much fun talking about. Or in other words, Kim and Briana and Lynn all get #WaywardAF. And are pretty damn happy about it.
Interviews, Supernatural Cast and Crew Briana Buckmaster, Jared Padalecki, Jensen Ackles, Kim Rhodes, Supernatural, Wayward Daughters 8 Comments
We Didn't Forget About Wayward Daughters – and Neither Did Supernatural
February 5, 2016 June 7, 2017 spnfans
Drive by review, since I have managed to injure my back and typing this just plain hurts. Ouch!
I thoroughly enjoyed this week's episode, 'Don't You Forget About Me', which came with a lot of expectations thanks to the pent up frustration of Supernatural fans wanting more of the Wayward Daughters. Social media amped up a campaign to get that trending, which worked quite well, and I think pretty much everyone cheered to have Jody Mills back on Show. Supernatural has long been criticized by some for killing off too many women or not writing them with enough agency, but I think the Show has come a long way. This episode wasn't perfect, but it was an episode focused on three women written by a woman and there were some scenes that will go down in Show history as favorites. I'd call that a win.
Episode Reviews: Supernatural, Season 11 Don't You Forget About Me, Jared Padalecki, Jensen Ackles, Katherine Ramdeen, Kathryn Newton, Kim Rhodes, Supernatural, Wayward Daughters 19 Comments
Briana Buckmaster – On Spinoffs, Squee and Women on Supernatural
October 6, 2015 June 10, 2017 spnfans
One of my favorite parts of Vancon this year was catching up with Briana Buckmaster, who is beyond awesome. You already know from my episode reviews that I love her character on Supernatural and her chemistry with Kim Rhodes, but spending some face-to face-time with Briana has made me love her even more. She brought along her wonderful husband, Jose, and her beautiful daughter, Valentina, too. We gave them a little tour of the con, took them shopping in the vendors' area, and then we sat down with Briana for a chat while the rest of the family enjoyed exploring the convention center.
First, Briana filmed a segment for us for the upcoming film "Squee! The Fangirl Documentary," which I have had a blast working on as co-writer and associate producer along with the amazing producer/director Hansi Oppenheimer and our super-talented post-producer Adam Williams (who also makes Supernatural look incredible with his VFX talent). Briana gave us some wonderful insights into fandom and fangirls for Squee. She's a fangirl herself – witness her tweet of last night in response to that unfortunate and terribly misinformed SpoilerTV article:
@OfficialBrianaB: Sure I'm a #CasualFemaleViewer. I mean, I binge watch hundreds of tv shows, tweet about them, dream about them. You know, super casual.
Like I said, fangirl.
Interviews, Supernatural Cast and Crew Briana Buckmaster, Jared Padalecki, Jensen Ackles, Misha Collins, Ruth Connell, Supernatural, Theo Devaney, VanCon, Wayward Daughters 5 Comments

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


This luxury contemporary designed villa overlooks the stunning Whale Tail of Uvita. Located only minutes from beaches and all amenities. This property is one of six luxury villas with stunning panoramic views of the ocean and mountains. The villa has 3 bedrooms and 3.5 baths with an open concept living space. There are many features that make this special including European style cabinetry, high-end finishes, beautiful travertine stone floors, AC and fans in all rooms, 24-hour guard, resort-style infinity pool and covered parking area. Step out to your own private deck with incredible ocean and sunset views. Easy access on a well maintained paved road. Excellent rental property with high producing revenue.


text:
"The Frog", by Tamiya (1983)
June 10, 2019 R/C Toy Memories R/C Cars 12 comments
What do you get when you combine Californian Baja Buggies of the early 1980s, with an amphibian, and an old Japanese delivery truck?
Well in 1983, Tamiya got what was to become one of the greatest and most iconic R/C vehicles in history.
The first time I ever saw a Tamiya Frog, I was about 7 or 8 years old and attending an outdoor Christmas Party with my parents. The party was being held in a public park, and at one point Santa Claus arrived with small gifts for all the children who were there, most of whom were toddlers.
Being a little older than a toddler, I was hoping that the organisers (or Santa) were aware of this. And that whatever gift I received would be suited to my age. But excitement soon turned to disappointment, when I unwrapped a promisingly large present, to find an oversized plastic toy car with "friction" power – the kind suited to babies, and designed to be so large it was impossible to swallow.
To make matters worse, at the same instant I unwrapped it and saw what it was, a random group of older kids (aged 12-13 and not connected to our Christmas Party) happened to be running past in the park. They were chasing after some sort of powerful radio controlled car that was blasting leaves everywhere and was being driven by the leader among them. It was, I'm fairly certain, a Tamiya Frog. And one of the stragglers in the group (some hanger-on who was merely running behind the cool kid who owned the Frog) looked across at me holding my large, goofy plastic car, and screamed…
"This car is better than THAT!"
He was right of course. But in that moment, I wondered if my plastic car really wouldn't fit down someone's throat after all.
Today, nearly 40 years after that weird day at the park, I wonder where that kid ended up (a labour camp perhaps?). Or whether he ever got the chance to drive his cool friend's Tamiya Frog…
Released in 1983, The Frog was the 41st R/C model from legendary Japanese model-maker Tamiya. Today it represents a cornerstone vehicle in an era off-road R/C in which Tamiya releases made up a significant proportion of the market. When you speak to people who remember anything at all about the R/C cars of the 1980s, almost everyone remembers The Frog.
At school back in the 1980s, The Frog was often mentioned among a shortlist of R/C car names that we all knew, much like The Hornet and The Grasshopper. But as with the Hornet and the Grasshopper, Tamiya also infused the Frog with subtle design elements that resembled the creature itself.
Prototype Frog
The very early Tamiya promotional leaflets showed photos of a Frog that was only a prototype version. This version was never sold to the public and had a few differences to even the earliest Frog kit – for instance, the decals are different and the ceramic resistors are positioned on the side of the car, not the rear. Here are two images of the prototype Frog. Notice for example, the "Frog Racing Team" decal on the side and how it has no black highlight around it. Also the "No Guts No Glory" decal on the rear wing is different to the kit.
"Early Vintage" Frog
These photos show the Frog as it actually came in kits sold to the public. To me, this is the first true Tamiya Frog. As you can see, the decals now look a bit better and more refined. The photos below show the "early vintage" Frog – because they show it with the earlier, narrower front bumper.
To me, this picture is the most iconic one…
For me, it was the stance, shape and colour that really captured my imagination, when gazing at those early Tamiya catalogue photos of the Frog.
Notice how the buggy has a sort of "squat" appearance, with big round headlights, and a wide section of the bonnet. While the rear of the car has trailing-arm suspension dampers laid horizontally, stretching to the back wheels, which are the part that extend furthest at the rear…
And now look again. That odd bonnet shape is there to give the car some girth (body), those headlights are to see where you're going (eyes), those dampers and wheels extend toward the rear a bit like… frog's legs. It's not overt, but it's there. And it's remarkable that Tamiya ever thought such an idea would work. And yet work, it did. On the subliminal imaginations of millions of children (and adults), worldwide.
"Mid-Late Vintage" Frog
From about 1984 onwards, the Frog received the wider front bumper found on the Tamiya Hornet and Tamiya Grasshopper. So this slightly later catalogue photo shows a pretty much identical Frog, but with the wider and more reinforced front bumper.
At school, some kids I knew even insisted that The Frog was the best R/C car "at jumping". This wasn't specifically true, of course. Any Tamiya, or indeed buggy from any brand, could leap off a jump. But what better artwork to put on the kit box of a model called Frog, than an image of the car jumping toward you…
As with all Tamiya models released back in the 1980s, the Frog's arrival was accompanied by some official promotional videos that were given (on tape) to many hobby shops to be played all day, and help promote the products. And many collectors today remember seeing them playing in stores, in their youth. The videos would typically be a showreel of all the models in Tamiya's range. And each year, Tamiya would release a new showreel for their latest models, plus sometimes additional video of the models from past years. This meant that in some cases, there were two or three different videos for one particular model, and this was the case with The Frog which had three videos in total.
Some years ago I obtained what I think was the most complete collection of these videos that have been available, and from the source I divided them into clips of the individual models. The quality of this footage is old – very few original copies have been known to exist, and none of them are perfect, so the faded colour and tape glitches found in many of these videos can't be avoided. But unlike Youtube where nobody has the videos very organized… below is an attempt to catalogue the three distinct ones that exist.
Each of these videos of The Frog features different narration, music and footage, as it was released as part of different year's Tamiya showreel.
The Frog – Video #1 (1983)
This is the first video of The Frog, released in 1983. It appeared during the showreel featuring other models Tamiya released in 1983, such as the Subaru Brat and Audi Quattro. This is the longest of the three videos, and the footage is poor – but we're lucky to have it anyway.
The Frog – Video #2 (early 1985)
This is the second video of The Frog, released probably in early 1985 as it appeared in a showreel that opens with a lengthy promotion of the Tamiya Hotshot.
The Frog – Video #3 (late 1985)
This is the third and final video of The Frog, released probably in late 1985 as it appeared in a showreel that also features the Tamiya Fox. This is naturally the shortest of the three videos.
Punky Brewster – "Girls Will Be Boys" (1986)
The 1980s children's sitcom hit "Punky Brewster" was a half-hour TV series about a little girl who was abandoned (with her dog) in a supermarket by her mother, and later adopted by a kindly older gentleman named Henry. I grew up watching this show and, while it now seems incredibly cheesy and flat in the joke department, I can say with confidence that every kid my age at that time would regularly watch this show after school each day. The show was so popular that it even spawned a cartoon spinoff.
In 1986 the show did something pretty amazing as far as the R/C hobby went – it centred an entire episode around Tamiya R/C cars, with the support of MRC (US Tamiya distributor) and Tamiya themselves. The episode was called "Girls Will Be Boys" and it, Punky wins a Tamiya Frog kit – only to be told by Henry and the local boys that she can't build or race it, because she's a girl.
The Frog features throughout the episode (albeit with the name hidden from view on the box, and never referred to by name) – along with at least 6 or 7 other Tamiya buggies.
For vintage Tamiya fans of today, the whole thing is pretty amazing – a lost relic in so many ways, and very sentimental. But you can't help but smile at a simpler age, when a show like this was aired on network TV, and around the world. The little R/C club reminds me a lot of the backyard races I used to have with my friends (including one girl), and my Dad.
Here's the episode…
One edition of Tamiya News, the Japan-based monthly newsletter from Tamiya, actually mentions the episode and includes a few photos of scenes from it. You can see that here.
Tamiya Frog vintage kit
Pictured below is a vintage new in box kit of the Frog. The kit shown here is an "early vintage" Frog, in a nice condition box with all parts complete inside.
The kit box is quite large, and inside Tamiya provided the typically beautiful blister pack full of parts, plus a Frog-themed support box for the body and decals. Other parts are piled on the other side, while smaller parts can be found inside the green box.
Many have wondered over the years, why did Tamiya illustrate, build and design its decals to best suit a half-pink colour scheme? Why wasn't the Frog… green?
Some years ago over at Tamiyaclub.com, I believe this mystery was finally answered, when an insightful comment there opened my eyes to a little known fact of the Japanese vehicle industry. The comment by Mokei Kakagu described how there had once (between the 1950s and 1960s) been a 3-wheeled, urban delivery truck called a Mazda K360. And how was this relevant? Well, it turns out these cute little trucks had: bug-eyed headlights, were colloquially known as "Frog Express" to the public, and were quite often painted pale pink on the lower half, and white on the top…
While this connection has never been definitively proven…surely it can't just be a coincidence?
As model #41 in Tamiya's history, The Frog was released at a turning point in the company's R/C development. 1983 was still a very early year in electric 1/10 R/C modeling, and The Frog represents a model that was both revolutionary for it's time, and which hints at the transitional nature of the industry at that time.
An early Tamiya promotional leaflet for The Frog. Note the more basic box art style illustration, lacking most of the final decals.
The Frog was released on 16th of December 1983 to be exact. And it was the third model from Tamiya to utilize a new chassis they referred to as the "ORV" (Off-Road Vehicle) – following the Subaru Brat (released July 1983) and the Lancia Rally (November 1983).
This new chassis type was of a plastic "space-frame" nature – an almost rib-cage like structure, fitted together in two halves, and designed to be rigid while reducing weight.
Unlike a "bathtub" style chassis whereupon everything within the car just sits safely inside a tub, the ORV chassis required all equipment within the body of the car to be affixed in unusual ways – hanging here and there inside or outside, on bridges and platforms within the chassis frame. And the overall impression is that it's quite an unusual layout even to this day. Yet it went on to be re-used in a multitude of different Tamiya vehicles, notably several monster vehicles like the Monster Beetle.
Suspension is a double wishbone at the front, with spring loaded shocks. While the rear features trailing arm, independent suspension with oil-filled shocks. In additional, the Frog featured a gear differential – which at the time, was not at all common in R/C buggies, most of them having no differential at all straight from the kit (they usually required optional third-party conversions).
Even more amazing though, is how vehicles like the Frog (and it's early ORV relatives) sit within the sequence of R/C models Tamiya was designing at that time. You might expect that consecutive models made by the same company and built for the same purpose, would represent a recognizable evolution from one model to the next.
But if you look purely at the "buggies" of that era – the preceding buggy from Tamiya, was the Super Champ – released almost exactly 1 year to the day before The Frog. Yet so utterly different, that it might as well have been manufactured by another company on the other side of the planet. The Super Champ and Frog share virtually nothing with one another – save for the wheels and tyres. And if anyone ever asks me "what's the attraction of vintage R/C models?", this is a perfect example of my answer: the sheer innovation and variety of those early years, combined with high quality, are what make them a joy to collect. No two are the same. And the ways in which all the R/C companies of the day seemed to careen from one idea to the next, often throwing the entire drawing board out the window for the next new model, is a key component of why we call it "the Golden Era" of R/C. Not because every idea was a success. But because all those ideas combined together, make for an eclectic and interesting history.
The Frog won the 1984 German Nationals. This photo shows the line-up of competitors. Photo courtesy: ASMerlin, rcweb.de forum.
The transitional nature of the Frog's design can also be seen in it's mix of metal and plastic parts. Where in previous years, aluminium had featured heavily in Tamiya kits, the Frog reflected an increased use of plastics to reduce weight, while still reserving metals for a few key components here and there – steering uprights, gearbox, and so on.
Developments in the industry at the time were being increasingly driven forward by the explosive popularity of organized 1/10 scale electric buggy racing, and Tamiya tended to give these advances some concern. Though apparently not enough concern to make racing the primary focus of their products (unlike other brands).
The result of this was that each new Tamiya buggy tended to have some (modest) success in competitive racing, without ever becoming dominant on a world scale. The Frog was notable for winning the 1984 German Nationals in R/C competition, in a field that consisted mostly of Frogs – itself a sign of the car's popularity. But all racing events in those days were still relatively new and somewhat amateur affairs, without the cost and professionalism of later years. Meanwhile, the quick advances of other companies, most notably Kyosho and Associated, meant that in pure racing terms there were plenty of other strong competitors on the market.
The finals of the 1984 German Nationals saw 8 cars qualify: 6 of which were Tamiya Frogs, along with 1 Kyosho Scorpion and 1 Kyosho Tomahawk. Photo courtesy: ASMerlin, rcweb.de forum.
In 1984, one British R/C magazine cited the Frog as also being ideal for enduro events, due to the fact it's "light weight helps increase endurance while a tough construction and quick replacement of parts keep pit stops to a minimum" (Radio Race Car, issue #22, 1984)
With it's wide distribution and popularity with club racers, The Frog was obviously campaigned around the world in a variety of events, particularly before the Team Associated RC10 was released.
For most of us kids though, R/C models during those years were expensive, and in many case, unobtainable R/C toys in the first place – and R/C competition was confined to grainy photos in the few R/C magazines you might see at the local Newsagency. So as far as I was concerned, anyone who owned a Frog, or anyone who knew anyone who owned a Frog… was doing exceedingly well. And for many years, I didn't even know anyone who owned a Frog. Only lots of kids who wished they did.
Besides, as I have said many times before in my articles on this website – racing and high performance (beyond backyard racing) was never really my focus either. And I dare say this was the case for the vast majority of Frog owners, and even R/C owners more generally in the early 1980s – many of whom probably enjoyed this model primarily on backyard tracks, or with friends at the park. And yet, that everyday-fun style of ownership is now precisely the type that seems to inspire the most nostalgia for classic R/C vehicles like these. From the kit-based models, to the simpler ready-to-run vehicles.
It's the kids who got a Frog for Christmas, then raced it around their neighborhood, who today have gone on to make this the iconic, collectible and fondly remembered kit that it now is.
More memories…
Following my first encounter with a Frog at a park, I don't think I even saw another one for several years.
Until one day I visited the house of another family, whose son was around a similar age to me. This was the same kid featured in my torrid tale of buying a Tandy/Radio Shack Wild Horse – And as I mentioned there, he was sitting in his living room thrashing a Tamiya Frog around and just smacking it against the furniture, while his mum said "don't do that" rather weakly. Why did it so often seem as though the least deserving kids in the 1980s, had all the best toys? 😀
When I finally got to own a Frog myself, I found it to be a truly exciting and fun buggy to drive.
Having already owned a Tamiya Hornet, the rear independent suspension on the Frog really gave it an advantage over the Hornet on bumpy terrain. Though in a straight line, both buggies were comparable in speed, since both came with the same motor. My other initial impression was that The Frog's front steering geometry enabled a lot of oversteer if you wanted it. I tend to prefer oversteer to understeer on R/C models. And over the years I have always found the Frog dynamic and relatively easy to drive on a dirt track.
Visually, I'd also have to say The Frog is one of my all-time favourite R/C vehicles.
This is an R/C vehicle packed with many interesting and quirky details – from the classic slogan on the rear wing, to the beautiful three-piece spoked wheels, and the unusual suspension design. And of course, those glorious, fat rear spike tyres (originally produced for the Tamiya Super Champ).
A prominent styrol resin driver figure, "K C Daylighter" smile headlights, and careful window transparencies, rollbar highlights, and window netting decals for the window areas… help bring some significant realism to this vehicle. Painting the lexan body is actually very tricky and requires a lot of careful masking to achieve the windows, roll bars and the two-tone paint scheme. But the end result – with its extensive set of real sponsor logos to cap it all off, is pure Tamiya magic. The pink colour combination is so iconic, that green Tamiya Frogs always look wrong to me. When done right, no lexan-bodied Tamiya buggy can possibly look better than this model, in my opinion. And keep in mind I love most of them.
Back in the 1980s, the Frog was an immensely strong seller, though priced a little higher than the Hornet due to it's slightly more sophisticated design. Nevertheless, and by all accounts, it appears to have sold so readily that it was stocked by everything from toy stores, to electronics retailers, to department stores – some of whom took out ads in major newspapers, just to promote products like The Frog (something you never see these days).
Here in Australia, we have a chain of small toy stores called Toyworld. And while any old print memorabilia related to Toyworld is now extremely hard to find, after some years of searching I did manage to find this great colour Toyworld print advertisement from 1985 – showing a Frog package, complete with the classic Acoms Techniplus radio, plus Tamiya battery and charger…
Being one of Tamiya's true hit toys of the decade, The Frog was also used to promote Tamiya's little-known line of souvenir items, which were mostly confined to the Japanese market.
It was also used to reinforce their "Toys, They're Not" mantra in some of their product catalogues…
And last but not least, here's an odd reference I found – the Sydney Morning Herald (a major Sydney newspaper) on 15th December 1985, used a picture of The Frog as part of an article about expensive Christmas Toys that year… see below.
An article from the Sydney Morning Herald in 1985 citing Tamiya cars as expensive Christmas toys that year.
If you love 1980s Tamiya R/C models, and you don't already own it, The Frog is probably on your wishlist. There are very few R/C models that are as iconic as this one – both for the Tamiya brand, and for R/C history as whole.
Today, The Frog continues to experience popularity in the form of many souvenirs and spin-off products, some of which I have collected also. There has also been a remake kit issued, which came out in the mid-2000s, with many changed parts.
Needless to say, The Frog has gone on to become quite collectible as well, and prices have continued to climb over the years – particularly for new in box, or near new examples. Used examples are relatively easy to find, but it all depends on the condition you are looking for. Some spare parts, such as the original body set, are also becoming harder to find these days, even on the collector's market. But find them you must, if you are to restore this piece of Tamiya history to catalogue standard, and in original form – a challenging, but very satisfying project.
As always, happy collecting!
Tamiya Frog (1983): At a glance
Model Number 58041
Motor Mabuchi RS-540S
Gearbox 1-speed
Differential Yes
Suspension Yes (Front independent with coil springs, rear independent with oil dampers)
Digital Proportional Yes (Transmitter purchased separately)
Batteries 1 x 7.2volt + optional 4 x AA (Car)
8 x AA (Transmitter)
Tamiya Frog (1983): Issues To Look For
This table explains the issues to look for, when purchasing a vintage Tamiya Frog in any condition.
Is it an original, or the remake? Tamiya has released a remake of this car. The original model however, is generally much more valuable than the remake. If buying a used example, ask about the history of the model and whether it is 100% original or the remake, or a mix of the two. You can also check the embossed stamps on larger plastic parts to identify original parts. For more on this, see: "A detailed guide to vintage vs remake Tamiya R/C kits"
Items sometimes missing on this model
Headlights. These may be lost due to rough driving.
Driver figure.
Mechanical Speed Control. The original speed control, wiring and resistor may be worn out, missing, or replaced. This is required to restore the car back to original state.
Other parts to check on this model
Sometimes there are visible stress marks on the grey chassis, if it has been treated roughly.
The rear gearbox and drive shafts are prone to wear if driven or jumped hard. So be prepared to service and replace these when restoring or driving this model in original spec.
Tamiya Frog (1983): Variants
This table explains how the original Tamiya Frog R/C kit underwent some changes during it's original vintage production run from 1983 to 1988.
"Early Vintage"
Characteristics of a vintage Tamiya Frog kit from the early period of it's production run.
Earlier, narrow front bumper.
Black resistor plate.
Black plastic ball connectors.
"Mid-Late Vintage"
Characteristics of a vintage Tamiya Frog kit from the middle to late period of it's production run.
Wider front bumper.
White resistor plate.
White plastic ball connectors.
Tamiya Frog: All Models
Only the 1983 Tamiya Frog is the original vintage Frog.
In 2005, Tamiya produced a remake of The Frog, which is different to the original.
In 2006, Tamiya produced the Tamtech-Gear Frog which is a smaller scale and uses a completely different design.
In 2019, Tamiya produced the Comical Frog, which is a caricature style Frog.
Box Image
#58041 1983 1/10 Kit The original Frog.
#58354 2005 1/10 Kit The remake Frog.
The Frog Tamtech Gear #56701 2006 1/16 Ready To Run A pre-built 1/16 scale Frog.
The Frog XB #57756 2006 1/10 Ready To Run The remake Frog, in pre-built form. Came in two box styles.
Comical Frog ? 2019 1/10 Kit A caricature style Frog.
1983TamiyaTamiya Frog
Previous Post: A tale of two buggies…
Out of all Tamiya's buggy offerings, I like the frog the best. Everything about it, quirks and features. When I look at photos of the frog, I cant help but see Radioshack/Tandy Red Arrow buggy as well. Ive perused enough photos of the frog that I may just pull the trigger and pick up a re-release for gentle cruising/displaying on my shelf. At the moment I have one modern rc car (Associated Trophy Rat, sold off my rc10 classic re-issue) and would like to get something that is iconic and striking in appearance, I think the frog fits the bill.… Read more »
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Yes, the Expert Built Frog is essentially a pre-built edition of the remake Frog kit (released from 2005 onwards). It is therefore, identical to the remake kit (both in parts and quality).
Both of those, are very different to the original vintage Frog, which only ever came as a kit.
Here is the list showing exactly how the remake Frog differs from the vintage Frog.
https://rctoymemories.com/the-frog-by-tamiya-vintage-vs-remake/
I will add some more info to the Frog article soon, to mention the remake a bit better.
Full list of the various Frog models has been added at the bottom of this page now. Will be adding that to other models, when I have time.
Thank you for the clarification and the wealth of information with that comparison regarding the original and the remake. 🙂
Bijan Salehi
Fantastic write up as always! I really enjoy reading the history on the cars that shaped our childhood. I'm 45 and grew up in the 80's during the heyday of RC cars. I never had a Tamiya Frog but later acquired a Subaru Brat (that was already built) I never remember running it however but the body and realism was very cool. My first two "real" RC cars were the Wild Willy and Hornet so my affection for Tamiya runs deep. My wife just got me a re-release Hornet for last Christmas, still waiting to put it together with my… Read more »
Very true about the Punky Brewster episode! I actually forgot about that, while spending 10hrs putting the article together last weekend 😀 It's a great episode, and features the Frog prominently.
I will have to add the episode to the website (and update the article) later today.
The article has now been updated to include details of the Punky episode (and the episode itself).
I've always thought The Frog's eye catching and memorable Box artwork was one of Tamiya's best. Thanks for posting this informative and enjoyable article.
Much appreciated Peter 🙂
Great write up. Loved the old footage and the Punky Brewster episode which I actually found and watched again a few weeks ago after A LOT of searching! Keep up the great work.
Thanks Dave! Planning to reformat and update other articles on the site along similar lines soon too, so will be sure to mention it when those are done also.
I remember when i was in year 4 a kid was driving his Frog in the school yard i was drooling over the frog i was wishing i had one. Still to this day i think about it.


One of the great things about living in Melbourne (apart from Grossi Florentino!) is that the moment you get used to balmy summer nights BOOM it's cold…like the very next day, without any warning whatsoever. So apart from enjoying the sound of crunching autumn leaves under your over priced winter boots this month, the cooler weather is a signal that it's time for soup! And if you are like me, a real lover of anything cosy and warm, snuggle in and check out our guide to Nonna's Minestrone.
This is my go-to meal when my fridge is full of veggies I need to use or I'm after a dinner I can prep in advance or I am wanting to make something that freezes well for those not-so-Nigella days. Aside from all these practical applications, my main priority is to make my little family a meal they can come home to and just feel really warm and cosy against those bitter days when it feels as though the cold air has penetrated your bones (#dramaticmuch).
So, below you will find our guide to Nonna's Minestrone. We pass on this little gem of a recipe with a small disclaimer….Minestrone can be anything you want it to be. On the day I made this for my family, I simply used what I had in the fridge, that truthfully needed to be used or would otherwise be thrown away. There are probably thousands of variations of recipes for this type of soup available online – this is ours and we hope you enjoy it.
Heat the oil in a large saucepan, add onion and stir for a few minutes, until it has softened. Now pop all those chopped veggies in the pot and give them a good stir, allowing the beautiful colours to mix and be coated in the oil and onion.
Time to add your stock. I tend to use enough to cover the veggies. You can add your dried soup mix now too. Allow all of this soupy gorgeousness come to a boil. Then it's time to pop the heat down and allow to simmer gently. I tend to simmer for at least a good hour, so the veggies are slightly mushy (great for the youngest one in our fam), otherwise you may prefer your veggies to be slightly firmer…just keep tasting through the simmering process to establish what best suits your preference. You might find you will need to add some more stock throughout the cooking process, if you are finding the minestrone is becoming a little dry.
In the meantime, have some beautiful fresh bread on hand. We like ours toasted, and cut some little soldiers for the little one to dip into her soup.
Pssssst…My mum has an awesome trick for putting us all into a food coma by laying slices of bread onto an oven tray, sprinkling with olive oil, dried oregano and dried garlic and toasting in the oven until the bread is a little golden – it is the most delicious and satisfying accompaniment to soup I have ever had!!
The simple things in life are often the best, and Nonna's Minestrone sings of traditional Italian flavours that can be repeated and recrafted in many different ways.
On that note, buon appetito!


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instapaper Stories July 3, 2015
Here are 3 Android apps to help you read news better
- Jul. 3rd 2015 11:02 am PT
@tomaxwell
Android Apps and Updates Twitter news Digg
Between Google+, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and the 100 other apps and services that vie for my attention in any given day (okay, maybe an exaggeration), it can sometimes feel very debilitating to try and keep up with everything happening in the world. Unless you read all day and train yourself to be a speed reader, how are you to see everything that's happening in your areas of interest? Most of us just don't have that kind of time in our lives to stay informed, work 8 hour days, and still maintain a healthy lifestyle. And as we've seen in cases like Internet providers' attempting to prioritize their own services over those of companies like Netflix, being informed matters.
instapaper Stories June 19, 2015
Instapaper 4.2 brings speed reading and tweetshots to Android version
Tom Maxwell - Jun. 19th 2015 12:30 pm PT
Instapaper, the popular service for saving articles that you find across the web to read later, has been updated to version 4.2 on Android and introduces two new features bringing it up to parity with its desktop and iOS counterparts.
The first feature is called Speed Reading and what it does is display your articles one word at a time, transitioning word by word at whatever word-per-minute speed you set. Here's the before and after of enabling Speed Reading side-by-side, along with what it looks like to set your reading speed:
Instapaper in its blog post announcing the Speed Reading feature back when it launched on iOS said that it utilizes a common speed reading technique called rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP). The goal, they say, with using this method is to eliminate subvocalization, or the voice in the back of your head that repeats words as you read them, and reduce time lost scanning between words. I haven't found that Speed Reading works well for me, but if you're an Instapaper user it's worth playing with the speed to try and find if you can still comprehend articles well enough with it guiding you – the developer says it can increase reading speed by up to 3x.
The second feature added in v4.2 is the ability to create tweetshots, or snippets of text that are turned into images that can be shared on Twitter. If you've used a network like Twitter or Instagram in the past year you've probably seen these – people bypassing character limits by writing out what they want to say in a text editor, or highlighting a full paragraph they like from an article, and sharing a screenshot of that. The tweetshots tool productizes this, displaying a button in the contextual text highlighting action bar. It looks like this:
Lastly, of course, is the standard "many bug fixes" note. All-in-all, though, these are two solid features that Instapaper fans like myself will be glad to now have on Android. The update is available in Google Play now, so hit it up for the download.


The completion and framing of this piece was completed in time for entry into the Pastel Artist's of Hawai'i Annual Open Show, where I was pleased to find that it had been awarded 2nd place.
The development of the painting has been featured a bit in prior posts, but suffice it to say that the genesis of the painting is from a hike with a sketchbook and my smallest pastel set. I like the idea of that, really. It's the approach that I have hoped to move towards, and now I have a growing track record of studio pieces done from such plein-air sketches that have worked out.
So, I'll continue to move forward with the idea that I can make small visual events, like the sketch above, into more fully satisfying paintings that allow for more imagination and personality. For a painter, this is real progress.
The framed painting is available for purchase on this website .
I have a question and wondered what your opinion would be.
I have a mentor who lives in The Gorge. Marilyn Bolles is 80 and has had many success as a watercolor artist. I bring my work to her and she comments. At this point I love all kinds of media. I showed her my mixed media of copper, washi papers, and acrylic. She commented the last time, "When are you going to settle down!" So my question is: Should someone who wants to paint, pick one area and master it or is it appropriate to explore a variety of media in the hopes that she would come to one area of expression eventually? Thanks.
P.S. We hope you and your family are doing well!
To answer the question, it depends on what your ambitions are. If you're in this primarily for enjoyment then you should by all means continue with the course you are on. If, however, you are truly interested in painting and become fluent in a painting medium, I'd recommend sinking all your energy into that.
Your honest answer to the comment above has answered my questions as well. Thank you!


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> US>ABOUT US
ABOUT US There are no products in this category.
FAROLIVA SL, has been a specialised company in the manufacturing, distribution and marketing of olives and pickles for over half a century.
Traditional taste and craftsmanship in the elaboration of our product are two vital characteristics which define our dedication best. Additionally, these factors have turned a family based company like FAROLIVA, SL into a benchmark in the field. Not only at domestic level, since our excellence of products has gone beyond national borders, reaching more than forty countries worldwide. In this regard, our products are sold in countries like Canada, the US, Russia, Japan, the Philippines and the Far East. This fact shows the wide range of geographical locations where our company develops its activity.
FAROLIVA, SL is a family company whose secret lies in the selection of the finest raw materials and the use of the purest traditional techniques in the elaboration of every single product. In terms of facilities, FAROLIVA, SL covers an industrial area of over 25.000 square metres.
During the first stages of the company, the brand image was "La Novia del Sol" (The bride of the Sun), which would derive in "El Faro" (The Lighthouse). Eventually, "La Famosa" (The Famous) and "El Pícaro" (The Rascal), being the latter the image that currently represents the company and the emblem by which FAROLIVA, SL is recognised worldwide.
As for the product, anchovy stuffed olives was the first to be marketed by the company. Immediately, we became pioneers nationwide in the elaboration of quality products still unknown in the market at the time. We are therefore credited to have introduced the taste. In this sense, anchovy flavoured bone olives were the result of this initiative with unprecedented results and the warmest of welcome by our clients.
Our wide offer is shaped by more than 500 products. Almost 400 belong to the brand "El Faro", available in diverse formats and sizes and divided into three ranges: "El Faro tradicional", "El Faro Gourmet" and "El Faro Ecológico" (organic range).
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In other words, the company is able to provide an offer that continues to grow steadily and meet the demand and necessities of our customers who trust our wisdom, enthusiasm and also, the guarantee and effort we dedicate in the elaboration of our handcrafted products.


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Thunderbirds hang on to beat Beavers
After dropping a 7-1 decision to the Rayside Balfour Canadians in the Soo on Saturday night, the Soo Thunderbirds were looking to get back on the winning track less than twenty four hours later as they made a visit to Blind River on Sunday afternoon for an 2:00 p.m. matchup against the Blind River Beavers.
Sunday afternoon's game also marked the 100th career regular season game for Thunderbirds forward Cam Findlay.
The Soo opened the scoring at the 15:41 mark of the first period, as Kurtis Rogers would notch his 9th goal of the season from Ty Zachary and Brock Santa Maria.
Rookie forward Jake Kovacs would then notch his team leading 26th goal of the season on the power play from Rylan Clemons and Nolan Ford with just seven seconds to go, putting the Soo up 2-0 after twenty minutes of play.
Kovacs 26th goal also gave him his 49th point of the season.
The Thunderbirds took a 3-0 lead just 39 ticks into the second period, courtesy of Cooper Smyl's 16th goal of the season from Jake Kovacs and Nolan Ford.
Kovacs's assist on Smyl's goal, also gave him 50 points on the season.
The 16 year old forward also became the first Thunderbird rookie to hit 50 points in a regular season since Nic Sicoly did back in 2014-2015.
The Thunderbirds would then take a 4-0 lead at the 14:11 mark of the second period, courtesy of Tyler Savard's 18th goal of the season on the power play from Nolan Ford and Jake Kovacs.
Kovacs assist on Savard's power play goal, also gave him his team leading 51st point.
Ford's third assist of the afternoon, also turned out to be his first career three-point game.
Things would then got a little more interesting with just under two minutes to go in the second period.
Beavers captain and NOJHL's top scorer Caleb Serre scored his 46th goal of the season on a penalty shot at the 18:44 mark of the second period, which cut the Thunderbirds lead to 4-1.
Then just 1:11 after Serre's goal, it would be Beavers forward Kyle Quinn getting his 16th goal of the season from Jaren DeBolt and Noah Minns, which cut the Thunderbirds lead to 4-2 after forty minutes of action.
Beavers forward Andrew Malek would then notch his 15th goal of the season from Devon Savignac and Lucas Adams just 1:35 into the third to cut the Thunderbirds lead to one.
The Thunderbirds did manage to hang on the rest of the way though, as they would go on to defeat the Beavers by a score of 4-3 at the Blind River Community Centre.
Beavers goaltender Jackson Hjelle gave up 4 goals on 48 shots in the loss while Thunderbirds netminder Dakota Meyer made 31 stops for the victory.
The Thunderbirds, who now have 29 wins on the season, will look for their 30th win this Wednesday night when they visit Elliot Lake to take on the Wildcats.
Puck drop is set for 7:30 p.m. at Centennial Arena.
(Photo credit to Bob Davies)
Tagged: Blind River Beavers, Blind River Community Centre, Cam Findlay, Jake Kovacs, Nolan Ford, Soo Thunderbirds
Brown leads Canadians past Thunderbirds
Thunderbirds pick up a point in Elliot Lake