It is only mid-April, but 2013 has already been a busy year for wingsuit-BASE jump athlete Alexander Polli. He kicked off the new year with a unique practice flight:
Most recently, he pulled off an historic first, flying at over 150 mph through a narrow passage in a mountainside. This dramatic feat led to this CNN feature story:
My kids tire of my always telling them that the best way to get good at ANYTHING is to practice, practice, practice. Regardless, they occasionally enjoy when I show them what others accomplish by combining a strong personal interest with countless hours of commitment. Enter BLACK, a Japanese yo-yo world champion.
First, let me say that I have been a huge fan of Aaron Sorkin ever since I fell in love with West Wing. His writing style is unmistakable, providing rapid-fire inspirational and insightful dialogues among various intelligent characters. And he is unafraid to be honest.
This was on display in spades with last year's opening scene of his latest creation, Newsroom, an HBO series. I believe every American should watch this scene, especially starting at 3:07.
Last month a couple of young Russian photographers made headlines for scaling the pyramids at Giza and shooting photos of the surrounding landscape. In order to preserve these ancient wonders, such climbs are strictly forbidden. The daredevils escaped unnoticed, and then brought down all sorts of public condemnation on themselves by making the photos freely available on the Internet.
I agree that the young men should have gone through proper channels for their project rather than taking it upon themselves to risk injury and property damage with a clandestine operation. However, I don't think anyone can deny that the powerfully unique images they captured are awe-inspiring. They should certainly help re-vitalize public support for preserving, studying, and protecting these and other treasures of human society.
