Video Source:YouTube skierscup Channel

Sverre Liliequist triggers an avalanche and just when it catches up to him, mocks it with a backflip.

The Unexpected Pen Pal

As we approach our pruning day in the orchard I was delighted to see a posting by a high school buddy of mine.  I have not seen Mitchell since high school but like many, we connected on Facebook.  The funny thing about Facebook is that you can spend a lot of time looking for people you would like to get in touch with only to figure out there’s not a lot to talk about.  Oh it’s nice to catch up, see postings and photos of their activities, and political views seem to get a lot of play, but direct dialog is often fleeting.  But there is the occasional gem.  I would liken it to finding that old pen pal you never knew you had.

Mitch is one of those finds.  We didn’t “hang out” in high school but we knew each other.  And if it wasn’t for this seemingly frivolous and globally engrossing concoction called FB, our paths probably would have never crossed again.  But they did.  Mitch has turned out to be a wonderfully talented writer who has been working very hard (as all artists do) to get his work noticed.  And he has a crazy warped sense of humor that I connect to in ways I don’t fully understand, other than I thoroughly enjoy our dialog and reading his work.  So while many dismiss Facebook as a waste of time because of it’s obvious lack of intellectual content (I’m speaking in ratios here), I’m convinced that it’s all worth it if you can stumble into friendships that surprise you with an unexplained depth.

So back to the orchard.  I am including a link to a blog posting by Mitchell that paints a nice portrait of a grandpa and a grand daughter in the orchard, pruning on a cold winter day.  I hope you find it as touching as I did.  Nice job Mitch.  Keep ‘em coming.

http://www.buzzchomp.com/grandpa/

disneyanimation

Introducing a groundbreaking technique that seamlessly merges computer-generated and hand-drawn animation techniques, first-time director John Kahrs takes the art of animation in a bold new direction with the Oscar®-nominated short, "Paperman." Using a minimalist black-and-white style, the short follows the story of a lonely young man in mid-century New York City, whose destiny takes an unexpected turn after a chance meeting with a beautiful woman on his morning commute. Convinced the girl of his dreams is gone forever, he gets a second chance when he spots her in a skyscraper window across the avenue from his office. With only his heart, imagination and a stack of papers to get her attention, his efforts are no match for what the fates have in store for him. Created by a small, innovative team working at Walt Disney Animation Studios, "Paperman" pushes the animation medium in an exciting new direction.

Today in History (February 4, 1983)

Karen Carpenter Dies of Anorexia-Related Heart Failure

Anorexia nervosa was a little-known disorder during Carpenter's life, but her death brought it lasting media attention. Performing alongside her brother Richard as half of the Carpenters duo, she had become a successful pop singer in the 1970s. Behind the scenes, however, her obsessive dieting and extreme weight fluctuations took a toll on her health, straining her heart. She succumbed to a heart attack at the age of 32.

[TheFreeDictionary.com]

Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story is a 43-minute film about the life of Karen Carpenter. It was directed by Todd Haynes and released in 1987. It was withdrawn from circulation in 1990 after Haynes lost a copyright infringement lawsuit filed by Karen's brother and musical collaborator, Richard Carpenter. The title of the film is derived from "Superstar", their 1971 hit song.

Over the years, it has developed into a cult film and features into the Entertainment Weekly's 2003 list of top 50 cult movies. [wikipedia]

Balancing Stone Artist

Colorado artist Mike Grab creates astonishing towers of balanced stones using nothing but gravity, and his uncanny ability to find the natural balance of the stones. Grab says the art of stone balancing has been practiced by various cultures around the world for centuries evolving from simple curiosity “into therapeutic ritual, ultimately nurturing meditative presence, mental well-being, and artistry of design” < more >

GoPro Camera on Trombone

By David Finlayson

Trombone Silliness

Trombone slide POV with my GoPro sport camera yielded a rather silly clip of me playing my new Yamaha Xeno. I don't recommended trying this on music that has faster tempi! (Duration 1:46)

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