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Saturday, January 12, 2008

From Tsunamis to Shoe Tossing


What is the difference between a Tsunami and a Tidal Wave?

Tsunamis are caused by an earthquake, a landslide, an exploding volcano, or even a meteorite impact which causes a large displacement of water resulting in a surge when it hits the coastline.

A Tidal Wave is a "shallow" water wave caused by the gravitational interactions between the Sun, Moon, and Earth.

In short - if it is as a result of the tides alone it is tidal, but if another force is involved it is a Tsunami ... simple really!

Why do we see shoes hanging over telephone lines? What does it mean?

The official term is called “shoe tossing”. They were originally "tossed" to indicate an area where a drug dealer would be doing his business, or to mark gang territory, however these days it’s become quite “the thing” to do and is considered the “new graffiti” and the shoes are like tag lines. You might find your shoes missing from your front verandah as some kids help themselves to your shoes for tossing – they don’t usually use their own shoes in these instances.


In the States it can be done to celebrate special occasions like weddings, graduations etc. You can also find “Shoe Trees” along the highways – there are 76 of them in the states and they look quite amazing. This one is in Nevada and has literally hundreds and hundreds of shoes hanging from it.






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