Thumbtack’s service offering

Began using this new social business tool from Thumbtack, which effectively allows you to publish your services and prospect for work. It seems a slick and good first version for helping people to identify people and companies to conduct services and do good work for fair prices.

Is this a kind of airbnb for tradesmen?

Guillaume Nery

Sunday morning dive film for you. World champion free diver Guillaume Nery special dive at Dean’s Blue Hole,

The deepest blue hole in the world filmed entirely on breath hold by the french champion Julie Gautier.

“Guillaume Nery and myself decided to use our time during a freediving competition at Dean’s Blue Hole (deepest blue hole in the world) to make a short movie. Since a long time Guillaume wanted to make the link beween freeding and base jumping. Our goal was to emphasise on esthetic images and innovative camera moves.” Julie Gautier

It asks you to submit yourself to the peacefulness of the sport and be in sync with nature.

Yosemite Odessa Lake

Liking this sketch. Reminded us of those now famous pen and ink shots from the beloved Lake District artist, Alfred Wainwright.

Yosemite Odessa Lake

It looks to be a great day in New York City for venturing out into the wilds. Follow these great explorers (consider climbing).

High Voltage Powerlines

In 2002, the Smithsonian Institute’s National Air and Space Museum produced an IMAX film called “Straight Up: Helicopters in Action.” A brief clip from that film shows in extreme close-up how a high voltage cable inspection is performed by a lineman on a helicopter.

The unnamed lineman narrates his job description against the incredible aerial backdrop. No harm in touching 4.16 kV high voltage power lines once the helicopter has equalized with the power line.

Hoovering high in the sky closing in on segments of line needing service observation. “Courage is not about not being scared. It’s about being scared and doing it anyway”.

There’s only 3 things I have ever been afraid of: Electricity, Heights and Women and I’m married too.

Sport is simple

howies

Originally wrote this back in 2009. Still a refreshing idea.

Howies are on to something with this print campaign. In a world that’s increasingly disenfranchised by the economic struggles, bitter foreign wars and a sense that big government is part of the problem, a return to simplicity is a strong message. It’s a brand that is daring, albeit with a simple bold message of peace & tranquility.

Galicia Coast

Galicia, a mountainous region of Spain with a rugged coastline combining high cliffs (some of the highest in Europe) with beautiful sand beaches.

Great surfing and write up recommended here:

Away from the few populated areas you will find stretches of beach all to yourself, even in summer. Most breaks are beach/point breaks with a few reefs located in the N of Galicia and a good spot, Patos (close to Playa America) in the SW. Exploration will pay off whatever time of year. Climate can be frustrating in Winter especially with high winds and rainfall.

Earn the “Great Outdoors” badge. If this were karate, I’d be a black belt.

Teddy Roosevelt

It’s worth remembering the poetic words of Teddy Roosevelt:

“It’s not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or when the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions and spends himself in a worth cause; who at the best…

…knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and who at the worst if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory or defeat.”

Base Jump

base

“BASE” is an acronym that stands for the four categories of objects from which one can jump: Building, Antenna, Span, and Earth.

The most famous BASE jumping bridge is the New River Gorge Bridge, WV. Earth refers to large natural formations – cliffs, canyons, fjords and gorges.

Standing atop Brazil’s iconic Christ the Redeemer statue in January 1999, stuntman ‘Fearless Felix’ Baumgartner braced himself for what was to be the world’s lowest BASE jump at 29 metres (95 feet).

kawasaki z750

Curious seat design.

Everything works just fine on the Z750 unless the road’s bumpy, you’re heavier than average or you ride hard. The unadjustable front’s too soft and the rear is too harsh – and twiddling the shock’s four-step rebound adjustment makes next to no difference.