Monday, June 7, 2010

Another Close to Another Term

Once again we are moving toward the end of a term, and as a result, this will be the now-legendary end-of-term posting. I’ll return again in a couple of weeks or so, but please enjoy this last post for the Spring 2010 term.

1. Via Ferrata: The idea of Via Ferrata grew out of World War I and II; soldiers developed means to cross mountain passes using a series of bolts and iron wiring that allowed mountain soldiers to climb areas that otherwise were impassable. Today, these same routes are used for technical hikers, mainly in Austria, Italy and other European places, and they are not for the faint of heart. Here is just one clip of a young woman walking the Martinswand: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AF8jW9vj3g&feature=related

2. The Dangerous Road: And again, well, you can do something similar on a mountain bike. Here are riders heading down the world’s most dangerous road, in Bolivia. There is no way I would even walk this, let alone ride at speed: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtUaherTC50

3. Ping pong! Hey, who doesn’t love seeing a phenomenal table tennis point: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtUaherTC50

4. Blue Cheer: well, bassist Dickie Peterson recently passed away, sad to say. I saw these guys back in 1969, with the MC5 and the Psychedelic Stooges, and it was by far the loudest concert I’ve ever attended. But you had to be there: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nU5uDozoSSM

5. Up: This is the trailer for a movie that is so good it hurts. It has one of the most poignant
beginnings you will ever see, and this is despite the fact it is a cartoon. There are no words at all in the first 10 minutes, but what happens is incredibly moving. I highly recommend this film: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkqzFUhGPJg

6. Ponyo: Of course, the true master of animation is Hayao Miyazake, whose past films include the astonishing Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke, among others. His latest film is just as good, Ponyo: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bskgNOXbdiE

7. Knowing: Let’s face it; I’m a science nerd, and I loved this sleeper of a movie, which was far better than it had to be. Here is the trailer for Knowing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxPQhm_Aq-E

8. Dr. Horrible: During the writers’ strike last year, Joss Whedon, creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Firefly and Dollhouse, used the time to fashion a new approach to marketing a program. He created Dr. Horrible’s Sing Along Blog, starring Neil Patrick Harris, Nathan Fillian and Felicia Day (who herself had created The Guild, from which Whedon got the idea for his program). It’s, to be sure, a real hoot, and here is the first act: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apEZpYnN_1g

9. Happy Trails for now, again: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcYsO890YJY

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