Karen’s recent post on the eruptions of Mount Merapi in Indonesia, which has been rumbling for weeks and throwing off lava streams and gas clouds, the locals there are trying a unique tact to placate the gods in the mountain. They are going naked.
Now, I remember the good old days when all you needed to satisfy the gods was a virgin or two. Not today. It seems the gods swing both ways.
Here’s a bit of news that both divers and military equipment fans can both rejoice over. The US Navy last week sunk an 888-foot U.S. Navy warship into the cerulean waters off the coast of Florida. The ship is a massive vessel, and is said to create the largest artificial reef in the world. Of course, the ship was drained of its harmful fluids and fuels before being sunk, or you can bet the environmental folks would have had a conniption. Pretty neat, though. The ship will sit in some 50 -100 feet of water, making it an ideal diving spot…that is, once fish in the area discover what a great place it is to swim, mate and hang out. The ship, called the USS Oriskany, or the “Mighty O” has a fair bit of history behind it having seen battles in two major wars and several other conflicts.
OK folks, here’s your chance to participate in history. zefrank, whose antics haven’t been on my radar screen for some time, not since he helped me improve my dance moves, has got a fine little film asking all of humanity to take part in one of the greatest human efforts ever undertaken: to make an earth sandwich. Filled with gleefully funny bits and even a song, this video will not only have you laughing till your stomach cramps, but you might also feel, as I did, the need to immediately run out and buy some bread (as I didn’t).
(via Boingboing)
So there we were hailing the recent achievement of Mark Inglis, who climbed Everest with no legs, and not soon after we have some guy doing the same thing at the ripe old age of 70. Well, we’re not totally sure about this, but it seems probable. Or a least a mountaineering company claims that it happened, that they sent up a 70-year-old Japanese guy named Takao Arayama, who, if he summitted, thus bested Yuichiro Miura, also of Japan, who reached the summit a wee bit younger on May 22, 2003.
What’s up with Everest thsee days? Is this like a walk in the park or what?
Ah California. Having just returned from ten days in the sunshine state (wait, or is that Florida…damn, I always forget…although let me say for the record that California kicks arse over Florida, by several orders of magnitude), so yes, having just returned from California I can say without reservation that the place is a glorious, gaping expanse of travel opportunity. Seriously, I was just in So Cal for a week or so, had to work like a dog, but still managed to go horseback riding in the Hollywood Hills, went to the beach, paddled in the ocean and had many a delicious taco (and several Double-Doubles at In-N-Out as well).
I wish I could have stayed for another month or so and just taken my sweet time to go up the coast savoring tacos, the open road and many bottles of Gatorade. And one thing I might have done on the way up, I think, is checked out Gold Country. Yes, when people think of gold in the hills these days they more often picture
Of course, while you’re up there, you’ll have to take in wine country as well.