First order of business. In this report I have frequently referred to myself as the “Muse of Misinformation,” because I rarely fact check my sources. In a recent report I spoke of an email I received from a friend indicating that Mr. Rogers had been a Navy Seal. Apparently this is far from the truth, and one of my Twelve Loyal Readers set me straight. The email about Rogers was an urban myth, and apparently, Rogers never even served in the military. I’m not sure about Lee Marvin and Bob Keeshan. I guess I should know better by now, because I have fallen prey to these internet myths before. Cass Elliott from the Mamas and the Papas did not choke to death on a ham sandwich, either. There are entire websites devoted to debunking urban myths and internet prevarication. I remember years ago receiving a video which appeared to show corn kernels being popped by the microwave radiation from cell phones. That too was smoke and mirrors. Of course this is just another reminder to me that one cannot always trust the information one receives. While held to somewhat higher standards, the news media makes mistakes as well. I have often heard or read “facts” about some breaking news story which ultimately turn out to be completely wrong. And “the truth” as reported by CNN and Fox News is likely to be vastly different. If anyone treated this weekly nonsense like a hard news I’d be amused, because I’m more moron than Morrow. Just so we‘re clear.
Regarding this week’s picture, last summer I wrote an article about the experience of being attacked by seagulls, and it happened again last weekend. Putting about in my little dingy while exploring a rock island near our house, I heard the familiar war cry, and before I knew it, two seagulls were playing Kamikaze with my boat. As happened last year, they were protecting their newborn chicks, and this time I had my camera handy to shoot a good picture of the chicks. They looked pretty new. I’m no fan of seagulls, but these chicks were so ugly they were cute.
In the news there were out-of-control wildfires in Colorado, floods in Florida, more bloody conflict in Syria (are we calling it a civil war yet?), and of course Prince Philip’s bladder infection, but last Friday night the big story was Nik Wallenda. Heir to the throne of the famous Flying Wallendas, and grandson of Karl Wallenda, who plunged to his death while performing a high wire stunt in Puerto Rico back in the 70s, Nik thrilled millions of watchers as he walked the high wire across Niagara Falls. While many have gone over the falls in various contraptions, some not so successfully, this was history in the making. According to an article I read in the National Post - and again, I have not checked the facts elsewhere - nine people have walked across the Niagara Gorge on a high wire (none since 1896). One guy allegedly did it with a washing machine strapped to his back and when he got to the middle, did a load of laundry ... I’m serious, that’s what the article said! Hey, I read it on the internet, it must be true. Too bad there was no video back then. I think Wallenda is the first to cross the Horseshoe Falls. I watched the whole show Friday night, including the two hour build up recounting the top twenty daredevil stunts. Hey, give me a break, we’re into summer repeats. I couldn’t believe some of the stunts I watched. One guy on a dirt bike jumped to the top of a ten storey building using a giant ramp, then dropped back down onto another ramp to ground level. Another guy in a wing suit jumped off a cliff in China and flew through a narrow tunnel. That guy had previously had a serious crash, so that stunt was all the more hair-raising. Still another thrill seeker strapped himself to a jet propelled wing contraption and flew in formation with other jets. And I think I’m being brave when I put extra jalapenos on my taco.
For me, the strangest part about Friday’s high wire stunt was to listen to Wallenda talking to the media while he was in the middle of the stunt. The guy is straddling a high wire, facing swirling winds and heavy precipitation, and there he was talking about the special high wire shoes his mother made for him. Apart from the daunting challenge of actually doing the stunt, Wallenda faced an uphill battle just getting the necessary permission to proceed. It took him around two years to obtain approval from the U.S. and Canadian authorities, and about $1.3 Million to pull the stunt off. There was much discussion about the various challenges he faced, including the potential for a Peregrine falcon attack (I hear they’re even worse than seagulls). I think Nik Wallenda wins this week’s Tenacious Daredevil Award. Funambulist - a new word for my vocabulary.
And for future reference, I don't mind when my readers correct me. It means someone is actually reading this weekly report and, in my opinion, it is an honor to be read.
Written by Jamie Oppenheimer c2012 ALL RIGHTS RSERVED
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