Conditioned Reflex -- Image Shiritori Started (#145)

(#144) Unavoidable adult circumstances → "Jo" → Conditioned reflex

I don't know if he's the conqueror of the end of the century or whatever, but
is there really such a thing as 'look over there' in a fight?

--That is the fault of you for emitting such amateurish killing intent.

The village chief of a village known as the "Village of Non-Resistance."
If the village chief wins a best-of-three game of 'look over there,' the Fist King and his men will pass through the village without taking anything--

That was the promise made, a match with the survival of the village on the line, but in an unexpected turn of events, Raoh's slap in the first round was a smash hit!!

...No one knows what happened to this "Village of Non-Resistance" after that...
(￣∀￣)

...Well, at least the village chief must have been replaced. With just one slap from Raoh, his neck went 'swish' like a magic trick by The Napoleons lol

By the way, I casually mentioned "The Napoleons' magic trick" as if everyone knew what it was, but for those who might be wondering, "What is a Napoleons' magic trick?" (・_・)?—let's first take a look at a magic trick by The Napoleons.

Hmm♪ That's a stable, classic performance (o^-')b♪
In a normal year, in another month or so, there would have been opportunities to see it on New Year's comedy specials (￣∀￣)

It's already been a year since Mr. Balto Koishi passed away. Thinking that I can no longer hear this witty banter makes me feel quite lonely (T＿T)

Once again, I pray from the bottom of my heart for the repose of the deceased's soul m(__)m

That aside, the heavy snow-related information ticker that appeared at the top of the screen just as the magic trick was ending, specifically
「Heavy snow in the Tokai region; record-breaking heavy snow in Nagoya City; Gifu, Sekigahara Town 53 cm」
was something I was strangely curious about, so I looked into it a bit.

As I researched, it turned out that this video was from a live broadcast of NHK's "New Year's East-West Yose" in 2002, so it was quick from there.

According to Japan Meteorological Agency data, the heavy snow from January 2nd to 3rd resulted in a snowfall of17cmin Nagoya City. To a Hokkaido native accustomed to snow, it's at the level of "it snowed quite a bit, huh♪," but 17cm in Nagoya, where there isn't usually that much accumulation, must have been a record-breaking heavy snowfall (￣∀￣). It's a difficult situation to have early in the New Year.

Also, seeing the ticker that felt mechanically added after Nagoya's "record-breaking heavy snow" with "Gifu Sekigahara Town 53 cm," I thought, "No, no, this is the snow that should be making much more noise!" (≧▽≦)... but when I thought about it carefully, Sekigahara Town(*1)is a basin sandwiched between mountains to the north and south, and it was originally a heavy snowfall area (^^ゞ💦... I realized.

Even so, 53cm is pretty tough... I thought, so I looked up Sekigahara Town this time, and it recorded a maximum snow depth of91cmthis February (≧▽≦)

Sekigahara Town, how terrifying ( ﾟДﾟ)!

This winter, the central Hokkaido region where I live was hit by the heaviest snowfall in history. I'm usually used to shoveling snow, but I've reached the point where I want to say, 'No thank you' to it already 🙅‍♂️. I wonder how it will be this year... (￣～￣)

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Conditioned reflex, as it is called, is famous for the experiment conducted by the Soviet physiologist Ivan Pavlov, commonly known as 'Pavlov's dog'.

When you give a dog food, it salivates while eating.
On the other hand, if you ring a bell when there is nothing, the dog has no reaction, as if to say, 'What is this?' (・_・)

Here, we perform a conditioning of ringing a bell when giving food, and repeat it many times.

Then, even if you ring the bell without giving food, the dog, which previously had no reaction, will start to salivate even without the food—

Well, this is what is called a conditioned reflex.

Everyone learns about this experiment and its meaning in junior high or high school science class, so I think an explanation is unnecessary, but there are things that people think they understand but actually don't.
That is, the term 'conditioned reflex' is used for reactions that occur unconsciously and automatically.

In other words, in the case of the opening image, Raoh slapping the village chief is not strictly a conditioned reflex.

Of course, if Raoh had a dangerous instinct pre-programmed to reflexively strike at any round-glasses-wearing old man standing in front of him while grinning, that would be a different story. But unless that's the case, it might be better to call this learning—a quick reaction to sensed killing intent—rather than a conditioned reflex.

By the way, another thing that people often think they understand but don't is the fact that there is no such thing as a reflex nerve.

'That guy has good reflex nerves (o^-')b♪' should technically be said as
'That guy has a fast reaction speed (o^-')b♪'.

Of course, it's enough to just know that, and even if someone actually says,

'That guy has good reflex nerves (o^-')b♪', saying things like, 'No, no 👆. If you're going to say that, it should be 'fast reaction speed.' There's no such thing as a reflex nerve.'

is a bit of a nitpicky and unpleasant way to behave (￣o￣)💦

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Today is November 22nd. It's 'Good Couple Day' due to a wordplay ＼(^o^)／.
...Well, for a single person like me without a partner, it's just a day where I think, 'It's kind of nice to have two matching numbers' (*´∇｀*)♪... (・_・).

Aside from such a somewhat empty story, in terms of the season, that thing is coming soon.

'An act that consumes a significant amount of physical strength the more you do it, and leaves you with a dull pain in your lower back the next day'
Writing it like that might be misunderstood ^m^, but it's a winter routine that we Hokkaido residents cannot avoid—shoveling snow ⛄.

As I mentioned at the beginning, last season was a record-breaking heavy snowfall winter, with Sapporo City recording 182cm in February, one of the highest levels in recorded history.

The town where I live also recorded 172cm, the highest in its history. During the peak in February, local buses were stopped for over a week, and trash collection didn't come for over 10 days. It's been a little over 10 years since I returned to this area, and it was my first experience with such heavy snow affecting civic life to this extent; it was that shocking of a winter.

When the snow shoveling season begins, every day starts with waking up at 4 AM to shovel for the first time. Sometimes it snows nearly 100cm in a single day, so in those cases, it's no exaggeration to say that the whole day is spent just shoveling snow (lol).

To make that depressing snow shoveling a little more enjoyable, I started an experiment a few years ago. That is, when I do some hard snow shoveling, I give myself a reward after I finish👆.

One piece of fruit (usually an apple or a mandarin orange) and a Marusei Butter Sandwich.

This is a modest yet blissful reward♪(*´∇｀*)♪

By the way, Rokkatei's Marusei Butter Sandwich is a classic among classics, standing alongside Ishiya Seika's "Shiroi Koibito" as a top-tier souvenir from Hokkaido. The sweetness of the rich cream and the tartness of the raisins are just exquisite(o^-')b♪ The texture of the cookie sandwiching that cream is also irresistible, with a moist yet crumbly feel(≧▽≦)♪

What is especially worth noting is that for me, who is in a state of allergic Russian roulette where any food I put in my mouth can become an allergen if I'm unlucky, this is a miraculous treat that I have never once reversed in over half a century of living☆ That is this Marusei Butter Sandwich.

I usually buy the 20-piece box, which costs 2,600 yen (tax included), so it's by no means cheap, but in terms of cost-performance for the taste, it's totally reasonable.

I wake up in the morning or look outside during my lunch break. I estimate the approximate amount of snow shoveling needed based on the snow piled up on the garage eaves.

It's going to be a job.
Once I decide that, I start preparing quickly. I put on the hood of my down vest, wear light-shielding goggles if it's daytime, put on gloves with fluffy linings (*2), and place the fruit and Marusei Butter Sandwich on the dining table. Preparation complete.

Now, off to battle.

As for whether I've started salivating just by seeing snow falling as a result of repeating this snow shoveling with a reward, I'll leave that to your imagination(￣∀￣).

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Today's closing song is "Koda Kumi" with "Ran-hansha (Diffuse Reflection)"

This is a track from her 2nd album, "grow into one," recorded when her face was a bit puffier than when she debuted (lol), but before she was known by the epithet "ero-kakkoii" (sexy and cool) in society.

Personally, I think her songs from this early period were the best...

Oops, it's already this late tonight.
I need to get the shovel and snow pusher ready soon...

With that said,
I hope that tomorrow, as many people as possible
will be able to go through their daily routines rhythmically and have a pleasant day✨

■ Bonus

　This is the vehicle before the current one in this image shiritori train (144th car). If anyone felt curious about the title "Question ④" and the joke image on the bottom right, please take a look when you have some time.