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Posted on June 26th, 2008 by Phil.
Categories: Sports & Health.
In the wide world of surfing, size doesn’t t really matter. Who cares if you’re banging it out on four foot wind swell, or cruising a nice overhead point break on your longboard. What matters is how much fun you’re having in the water, and what the experience means to you. That is one of the most wonderful aspects of the surfing experience. It is whatever you make of it.
In the smaller, more elite world of big wave surfing, however, size is exactly what matters. The measuring sticks are always handy, and the bar keeps getting rasied. I don’t think it can go much further, barring peopel surfing tsunamis. The things these guys are doing today is absolutely fucking nuts - to put it mildly. I won’t get too much into numbers, dates and names - but rather just leave you with some images. I think these speak for themselves.
Bodysurfing at the Wedge, in two feet of water
Hawaiian madness at Jaws
Jaws strikes again
About to get dropped like a bag of dirt
Would you paddle into this?
View from the peanut gallery to the heaviest wave on earth - Teahupoo
Considered the largest single wave ever surfed, not in terms of height, but total raw power
The biggest wave on record occurred in Lituya Bay on the southern coast of Alaska in 1958. An earthquake measuring 8.3 on the Richter scale hit the area and shook loose an estimated 40 million cubic yards of dirt and glacier from a mountainside at the head of the bay. When the debris hit the water, a massive 1,720-foot wave was created and washed over the headland. That would’ve been a hell of a ride.
Posted on June 24th, 2008 by Myk.
Categories: Media & Entertainment, Travel & Leisure, History & Politics, Business & Finance.
I’ve been remiss in writing on VM lately…but fear not friends….we continue to look for random, intellectually stimulating, and fascinating pieces of information to share. Check out THIS link! It’s a section of www.newseum.org ’s site, which is a museum in DC that follows the history and development of journalism. The link takes you to today’s Front Page of 575 newspapers. Think about that…these guys compile the up-to-the-day info on what media outlets around the world are writing about.
For all those who lament the US media’s spin and banal topics, you can check out what the topics du jour are in Le Monde or the Moscow Times. The site also provides analysis of what newspapers are writing about on a given day (what’s interesting in many ways is what they are NOT writing about)…
So read all about it folks!
Posted on June 23rd, 2008 by Phil.
Categories: Travel & Leisure, Humor & Pop Culture, Definitions.
When she sauntered over from the bar with that sultry smile, I know exactly what she was looking to grab. It was right there out front, begging to be handled. She laughed as she carefully wrapped it around her head, my Persian Green Corneliani tie.
The moral of the story? Break out the accessories. If you’re out looking to get your game on, you need to be set to interact. Wear at least one article at all times that gets attention and makes an easy conversation topic. The hat that a girl takes off your head and tries on, the very unique amulet around your neck, a t-scarf. It doesn’t really matter what it is - maybe you’re a fiend for non-prescription eyewear - all that matters is that you have something people can see and use as a conversation starter.
The more interactive, the better, since a big part of the “hook” item is providing people with easy way to initiate physical contact. Borrowing someone’s hat or glasses is a fun and playful way to flirt.
Think about it, make your selections, and get involved.
Posted on June 14th, 2008 by Phil.
Categories: Science & Technology.
The brain needs care just like any other part of the body – but when was the last time you set aside some time to flex your frontal lobe? A study funded by National Institute of Health scientists found that memory, reasoning and processing speed can be improved by fairly simple ‘brain training’ in very little time. Moreover, they found that cognitive improvements persisted for at least five years.
After the age of about 30, the brain’s ability to function begins to deteriorate. Just like the rest of us, things move slower and begin to deteriorate. It’s important to keep yourself sharp, and traditional activites aren’t usually enough to do it. Even if you have an intellectually challenging job, are an avid reader, and play chess, you’re still going to be neglecting certain parts of the brain. And most of us do a lot less than that. Enter Lumosity.com.
Lumosity is a scientifically designed ‘brain training program’ based on the concept of neuroplasticity - the brain’s ability to learn and physically adapt given appropriate stimuli. Lumosity’s brain games and exercises are engineered to train and improve your memory, attention, processing speed, and cognitive control. And better yet, they’re fun! Why melt your brain playing crap like Grand Theft Auto, training yourself to think and act like a criminal, when you can have a good time literally boosting your IQ.
The development and testing of the games were guided by some of the leading scientists in neuroscience, cognitive psychology and bioinformatics – and they work. Lumosity’s program has been shown to improve memory and attention in randomized, controlled clinical trials. And the site isn’t just a free for all. They have well crafted progams that guide you through short ten minute ‘workouts’, explain what the games do, and track your progress.
Here are examples of some of the games:
Monster Garden - Area of Cognition: Memory
Monster Garden improves your memory and attention with a spatial memory task. As your spatial and working memory improves, you will be able to navigate through progressively harder levels.
Word Bubbles - Area of Cognition: Processing Speed
Word Bubbles was designed to train and improve your processing speed and word-finding ability. The brain’s speed of processing is an important factor determining how quickly a person can think, take in sensory information, or conduct other cognitive processes such as remembering or comprehending language.
Birdwatching - Area of Cognition: Attention
Birdwatching improves attention and the ability to process visual information. These abilities are important in many everyday activities including driving and playing sports. The task gets progressively more challenging to accommodate your improvements in visual attention and processing speed.
Lost in Migration - Area of Cognition: Cognitive Control
Lost in Migration is designed to train and improve your cognitive control and reaction time. This task focuses on supressing your automatic - almost reflexive - responses, helping you stay focused on the greater goal.
Mental health is an important as physical health. One is meaningless without the other. What use is a Vitruvian body, without a Vitruvian mind? I recommend giving it a try while the service is still free. As they say… use it or lose it folks.
Posted on June 11th, 2008 by Mayur.
Categories: Travel & Leisure, Consumer Products, Business & Finance.
The recent US-led credit crunch may be hitting middle-class Americans hard. But one section of the population and the industry that serves them seem almost invigorated by the world’s economic woes – the super-wealthy and the businesses that serve them. A recent article in Newsweek indicated that 80% of the richest Americans – those worth $10 million or more – actually planned to increase their luxury spending this year. You add the moneyed Muscovites, and newly minted Indian and Brazilian billionaires to the mix and its magic!
So as the plebians hoard gasoline, cut-back on air travel and make Walmart their new favorite pastime, here’s what the billionaires are up to these days:
- They are buying products from brands that offer timeless-luxury: Bottega Veneta, Prada and Hermes: At Bottega, first quarter sales were up a staggering 31.5% while Hermes posted an impressive 13% rise.
- They are going bespoke: Mass luxury is now banal. Tom Ford’s made-to-measure suits, which range from $2,900 to $8,600, are going faster than Magnolia’s cupcakes. For a mere $90,000, Cartier’s nose will create a bespoke perfume just for you! Finally, it’s time to upgrade Casey and Bentley’s doghouse. “La Petite Maison” offers intricately detailed canine palaces featuring recessed and exterior lighting for $35,000.
- On holidays, they seek deluxe deprivation: Forget facials, mojitos by the pool and a rubdown. The people who have everything in life are now interested in putting themselves through hell. They will pay $500 to spend a chilly night at the ice hotel in Sweden. And for $3000 per day, Moscow-based Kniazev Event Agency gives the ultrarich a chance to be ordered around by former Marines and Special Forces veterans of the war in Chechnya during a 5 day bootcamp. Genius!
So, what are you waiting for? Buy that canine palace on a credit card. Some savvy bank will find a way to securitize and trade the AAA loan (using the doghouse as collateral…obviously).
Posted on June 11th, 2008 by Phil.
Categories: Philosophy & Spirituality, Science & Technology.
In this day and age, feelings of true accomplishment and satisfaction are not as easy to come by as they might have been in the past. No matter what you’re doing, someone else is most often already out there, doing it better. Great ideas are born only to find that they are the bastard clone of an idea already living and breathing elsewhere. Regardless of age or gender, finding that deep sense of pride can be elusive.
I imagine that having a child is the ultimate means to that end, but popping out munchkins left and right isn’t terribly practical. My humble advice is to build something. It doesn’t need to be much. A birdhouse, a birthday card, a mixed CD, a framed photo montage… Anything your heart desires.
It may not hold up to Michelangelo’s David, but that’s not what matters. The simple act of creating something new and unique, something that you didn’t buy or have made for you, is of endless value. Go ahead, see for yourself.
Posted on June 9th, 2008 by Phil.
Categories: Philosophy & Spirituality, History & Politics, Definitions.
No one ever learns as much from their successes as from their failures. It is failure, not success, that makes us who we are. Failure builds character, failure fosters appreciation and respect, failure is the pathway to greatness.
Most billionaires have at one point gone bankrupt, most great athletes have lost more often than they have won, most businesses major businesses have struggled before they have prospered, most artists have been shunned before being sought after. Failure is a teacher.
Some of failures previous students:
• Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard’s early failed products included a lettuce-picking machine and an electric weight-loss machine
• Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team
• Ray Krok failed as a real estate salesperson before discovering the McDonald’s idea.
• Walt Disney was fired by the editor of a newspaper because he had “no good ideas”
• When Thomas Edison was a boy, his teacher told him he was too stupid to learn anything
• R.H. Macy failed 7 times before his store in New York caught on
• Albert Einstein was four-years-old before he spoke and was advised many times to drop out of high school and university
• Steven Spielberg dropped out of high school in his sophomore year and when he was persuaded to come back, he was placed in a learning disabled class. He lasted one month.
• Henry Ford’s first two automobile businesses failed
• F. W. Woolworth got a job in a dry good store when he was 21, but his employer would not let him wait on customers because he “didn’t have enough business sense.”
• Winston Churchill had a reputation as a dunce, failed the entrance examination at prep school, failed the entrance test to Sandhurst Military College twice.
• Charles Darwin was voted the “dullest boy of the year”, and his poor performance in school forced him to give up plans of a medical career.
• Lord Keynes failed so many times in his economics class that the Principal had to send for his parents.
The list could go on indefinitely. The one common thing that makes these failures famous, however, is that the people involved dusted themselves off, learned from their mistakes, and found their success. Failure can be a brutal friend, but it must be embraced and valued. It is the flip side of the coin, and one cannot exist without the other.
I can tell you without hesitation that I would not be who I am today without the massive failures that I have encountered. I am thankful for all of them. To quote the late, great Dicky Fox – “To be honest, in life I have failed as much as I have succeeded. But I love my life, I love my wife, and I wish you my kind of success.”
Posted on June 7th, 2008 by Phil.
Categories: Media & Entertainment, Travel & Leisure, Philosophy & Spirituality, Philanthropy & Environment, Science & Technology, Arts & Literature, Sports & Health, Humor & Pop Culture, Coming Events, Storytelling.
On August 25th, 2008, Burning Man will open its gates. The week that follows will mark the peak of the year for many people, as Black Rock City one again rises like a phoenix from the ashes. For the week that it exists, the Black Rock City (the remote city that is Burning Man) is Nevada’s fourth largest city. Nearly 50,000 inhabitants gather in the middle of a dry lakebed to create something truly unique - a shining jewel on America’s tarnished soul. Once the event is over, the entire city vanishes without a trace, leaving only the memories, friendships, and the promise of things to come.
To some of you reading this, just the mention of the words “Burning Man” is enough to send a happy and mischievous tingle down your spine. To others, he subject is not too clear. If you asked 100 people what they thought Burning Man was all about, I’m sure you’d get a 101 different answers. Some would speak of freedom, personal expression, and universal acceptance. Others would rave about the art, music, and amazing characters they encountered. Many would tell stories of friends made, relationships formed or strengthened, and personal breakthroughs achieved. These are all threads of the same fabric, one that envelopes everyone who sets foot on the playa.
The intention of Burning Man is to generate a society that connects each individual to his or her creative powers, to participation in community, to the larger realm of civic life, and to the even greater world of nature that exists beyond society. BM is radically inclusive, so its meaning is accessible to anyone willing to make the journey. The touchstone of value in its culture will always be immediacy: experience before theory, moral relationships before politics, survival before services, roles before jobs, embodied ritual before symbolism, work before vested interest, participant support before sponsorship.
One way to begin to understand Burning Man is to look at the website: burningman.com, another is to look at its guiding principles:
Radical Inclusion
Anyone may be a part of Burning Man. We welcome and respect the stranger. No prerequisites exist for participation in our community.
Gifting
Burning Man is devoted to acts of gift giving. The value of a gift is unconditional. Gifting does not contemplate a return or an exchange for something of equal value.
Decommodification
In order to preserve the spirit of gifting, our community seeks to create social environments that are unmediated by commercial sponsorships, transactions, or advertising. We stand ready to protect our culture from such exploitation. We resist the substitution of consumption for participatory experience.
Radical Self-reliance
Burning Man encourages the individual to discover, exercise and rely on his or her inner resources.
Radical Self-expression
Radical self-expression arises from the unique gifts of the individual. No one other than the individual or a collaborating group can determine its content. It is offered as a gift to others. In this spirit, the giver should respect the rights and liberties of the recipient.
Communal Effort
Our community values creative cooperation and collaboration. We strive to produce, promote and protect social networks, public spaces, works of art, and methods of communication that support such interaction.
Civic Responsibility
We value civil society. Community members who organize events should assume responsibility for public welfare and endeavor to communicate civic responsibilities to participants. They must also assume responsibility for conducting events in accordance with local, state and federal laws.
Leaving No Trace
Our community respects the environment. We are committed to leaving no physical trace of our activities wherever we gather. We clean up after ourselves and endeavor, whenever possible, to leave such places in a better state than when we found them.
Participation
Our community is committed to a radically participatory ethic. We believe that transformative change, whether in the individual or in society, can occur only through the medium of deeply personal participation. We achieve being through doing. Everyone is invited to work. Everyone is invited to play. We make the world real through actions that open the heart.
Immediacy
Immediate experience is, in many ways, the most important touchstone of value in our culture. We seek to overcome barriers that stand between us and a recognition of our inner selves, the reality of those around us, participation in society, and contact with a natural world exceeding human powers. No idea can substitute for this experience.
If that sounds like something that interests you, you should learn more - but the clock is ticking. Planning for Burning Man is a year round commitment for many, and jumping into the fray at the last minute is nearly impossible. More so, the preparation and anticipation is a huge part of the experience.
So give it some thought, and if you’re ready to get involved, meet me out in the desert this August, and see for yourself. Dive in, the water is warm and welcoming.
Posted on June 4th, 2008 by Myk.
Categories: Philosophy & Spirituality.
Those of you who know me know that I believe we create our realities. As happy or as miserable as you are today, you are responsible for it. Another way of saying it in a non-new-agey way is ”We either make ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves strong. The amount of work is the same.” I leave you with a passage my mom sent me a while back:
Thought that is projected, now thinks. So it’s not possible to separate the thinker from the thought, because the thinker thinks a thought, and then the thought thinks and becomes a thinker, and then the thought, that was a thought that is now a thinker, thinks another thought, which becomes a thinker, also. And so, there is a constant summoning of Life Force. Now, a thought that is thought longer becomes Thought Form. A thought that is thought upon by many, becomes Thought Form. A thought that is thought upon by many, in a very clear undiluted fashion, as from Nonphysical Perspective where there is no resistance, becomes physical matter. That’s why the physical universe is a by-product of the Nonphysical attention or focus. So, the Nonphysical Energy that created this physical mass from the Energy of the Universe, the mass itself, now becomes a thought that is thinking, that is attracting the Energy.
Excerpted from a workshop in Los Angeles, CA, on Sunday, August 2nd, 1998 All Is Well
Read that again and see if it makes sense…if it doesn’t, read it again. If you consider it long enough, and superimpose it upon your life, it will.
