Mind of a Demon on CBS

by Erik Olsen on

You might remember the podcast we did a while back with ocean explorer Fabien Cousteau. Fabien, the grandson of famed explorer and documentary personality Jacques Cousteau, discussed the making of his film The Mind of a Demon, a documentary account of his efforts to better understand the behavior of Great White Sharks through the very novel use of a shark submarine. Cousteau himself rides in the submarine, which has several cameras mounted inside, and he pilots the shark sub among wild Great Whites in Mexico.

Well, this whole story, which features some absolutely amazing footage (yes, I’ve seen it) is showing on CBS on Wednesday, June 28, and I highly recommend you watch it. If you want to whet your whistle, go over to the CBS site here and check out some video clips, photos and a nice write up of Fabien himself.

Put this on your calendar.

Shocku Mag

by Erik Olsen on

If you haven’t had an opportunity to check out Shock Magazine, well, you should probably just take a peek. Parental discretion is advised since what’s here is not really suited for young minds and eyes to see. But there is some rather interesting video here, including this one of a motorcyclist who east it and then barely crawls away alive. Then a later crash is…well, the whole thing is just nasty. But you can’t take your eyes away.

How to Roll a Kayak

by Erik Olsen on

Of all the things a paddler must know (other than your basic forward stroke…and how to watch out for boats…and how not to get hit by a killer whale), the roll is probably the most important. Of course, I’m talking more about river kayaking than touring, although knowing how to roll a touring kayak can certainly come in handy. The roll is a rough move. I learned how to do the Eskimo roll in a pool in college, and then took to the nearby rivers and improved my technique. Though I do have to say I soon immigrated away from river kayaking and into touring and never really had a good, solid roll.

But if I were to get back into it, and if you’re interested in learning how to roll, or at least reading a site that provides some tips that you might employ when you next get into a boat, you should check out this very well-done HOW-TO and video on rolling.  The article is written by Kent Ford, the creator of the infamous Kayak Roll video.

Madrid to Kiev

by Erik Olsen on

I love it when people put up sites to chronicle their epic trips. These sites are often both useful travel guides and vicarious glimpses into another person’s daily life. Some of them are done better than others, and many are crap, especially when people don’t post frequently or neglect to post photos, which are half the fun. Well, a traveler named Lee is following in the footsteps of Director Werner Herzog…well, sort of. He’s kind of following the off-hand advice of Herzog who said that to become a filmmaker, you should forget going to school, but take a long walk, say, from Madrid to Kiev. Hence the name of his site, Madridtokiev.com. And so apparently, this trip, which we get to see through dispatches and some video, is Lee’s excuse for film school. Good luck to him.

Friday Funny: The Singhsons

by Erik Olsen on

As if the Simpsons itself isn’t funny enough (probably the funniest, best show in the history of television IMHO), sometimes the Simpson satires are also a hoot. We posted about the real-life Simpsons from Britain a while back, a creepy, amazingly accurate flesh and bones version of the intro. Now take a look at a Simpsons knock off from India. Called The Singhsons, even Apu is gong to giggle at this one.