Are you looking for aerials and aerial stock video footage? If you or someone you know need aerials, then you should check out this collection of aerial stock video footage from Clipcanvas, or simply check out this fantastic aerial stock video clip from Malaysia. These are available for purchase, so you can buy this footage and use it in your own video production. Enjoy!

Wow, and I thought yesterday was quiet.  Today the silence was nearly deafening.  But that’s okay, here in 2010vanfan land there’s always something to talk about.  So now class, we are going to learn about aerials skiing!  Now, I know next to nothing about aerials, other than you need skis, a jump and a helmet!  So I’m going to learn about it and pass it on to you!

Steve Omischl, member of the Canadian Freestyle Ski Team

Aerials is a variety of Freestyle Skiing (hmm… already didn’t know that).  Freestyle skiing started in the 60’s as a combination of acrobatics and skiing.  In that time of wild experimentation and free love some folks weren’t terribly inclined to follow the traditional rules of skiing!  Freestyle skiing includes not only aerials, but also mogul’s and ski cross.  Moguls were introduced to the Olympics in Albertville 1992, aerials in Lillehammer 1994 and in our Olympics, Vancouver 2010 ski cross will be held for the first time!!  (I’ll save ski cross for another day!).

Here is what Vancouver 2010 says about aerials:

“Strategically, competitors determine their inrun location based on the type of jump performed, their own freestyle technique and the current environmental conditions. Correct inrun speed is critical to successful aerial performances and athletes can choose two of many different jumps that combine back flips and twists with differing degrees of difficulty. Athletes are judged on the quality of take off, height gained, form and body position, and how they maintain balance upon landing. All competitors complete two jumps in a qualification round. The 16 aerialists with the highest total scores from the qualification round move on to the final round. In the final round, competitors complete two more jumps in reverse order from the qualification results. The aerialist with the highest combined score from the two final jumps wins.”

There will be both men’s and women’s competitions that will take part up at Cypress Mountain in West Vancouver.  And I’m sure it’s going to be wicked cool fun to watch!  I really hope I can make it up to see some of the competition!

Alright, well, it’s late, and now that I know something more about aerials I think it’s bed time.  Don’t forget to send your suggestion for how I should celebrate “100 days of 2010vanfan“!!  The prize is fabulicious!  A Vancouver 2010 Pin Album for all of your favourite pins!  Cheers!  Santé!

So, when I tried to look up the Australian Winter Olympic team tonight, the first website that comes up is a site that let’s you know how much Olympic Athlete’s earn for medals that they win.  And that’s great!  But when I try to find the same information for Canadian Athletes, I’m stumped to come up with this information.  Maybe you all could help me out.

When I search Australia, I find out that in 2010, if you win an event that is pre-approved by the Australian Olympic Committee (a World Championship, a World Cup, or another international event at a comparable stand$20,000 for gold, $13,400 for silver, $10,000 for bronze and $6,700 for 4th place.  And coaches of these athletes win bonuses too!  $5,000 for gold, $3,350 for silver, $2,500 for bronze and $1,675 for 4th.  I truly believe this is wonderful!  The only question I have is “Do Canadians receive bonuses for their medals?”.  I had heard at one point that we were considering adopting this sort of program, but when I search, I can’t find any information on it.  Do you know the answer??  Please post a comment if you do!!  (Or email me at 2010vanfan@gmail.com).

Deidra Dionne! - photo by Peter Dejong, Associated Press

There was also sad news today.  Deidra Dionne, bronze medallist in Salt Lake City 2002 aerials, had to retire this weekend.  She has been diagnosed with a brain tumour, and while treatable, makes it too dangerous for her to attempt to compete at Vancouver 2010.  Deidra, who already has battled back from a training injury in 2005 which involved a bone graft from her hip to her neck vertebrae.  While I support your decision whole-heartedly Deidra, I hope you know how much Canadians will miss your spirit, determination, courage and smile!  Your bravery in the face of adversity is something that we should all strive for!

And now that I’m crying, I’m going to say good night, bonsoir, for tonight.  For every Olympic dream achieved, there are many more lost, and tonight is for them…

]]> http://razorfoot.wordpress.com/2009/09/22/bau/ Tue, 22 Sep 2009 20:40:56 +0000 Neubert http://razorfoot.wordpress.com/2009/09/22/bau/

Bom galera, eu sei que meu ultimo post foi em 31 de maio, estive afastado por motivos pessoais, motivos esses que já se foram há algum tempo e eu estava esperando algo interessante pra postar e assim retornar à atividade.

O nome do post é Baú, pois irei falar de uma música que eu sempre ouvi, desde moleque e por sinal foi um dos primeiros rocks que eu tive contato e me fizeram gostar desse tipo de música.

Navegando pela net encontrei um site chamado “Songfacts” que tinha a interpretação da música por fans, é bem diferente do que eu realmente pensava ser e acho que todos deveriam dar uma olhada:

A música é Aerials [Toxicity] – System of a Down

“Essa música é a respeito de como as pessoas perdem suas identidades e se tornam como todas as outras.

“Life is a waterfall,we’re one in the river, one again after the fall.” (A vida é como uma cachoeira, nós somos aqueles no rio, somos aqueles mesmos depois da queda) – Nós todos começamos iguais e terminamos iguais..

“Swimming through the void, we hear the words,we lose ourselves, but we find it all.” (Nadando pelo vazio, nós ouvimos vozes, nos perdemos, mas encontramos tudo isso) – No decorrer da vida, nós ouvimos lições, ensinamentos, mas ignoramos, nós esquecemos quem realmente somos na bagunça de procurar uma vida estética e material.

“‘Cause we are the ones that wanna play, always want to go, but you never want to stay.” (Porque somos os que querem jogar, sempre querendo ir, mas nunca querendo ficar) – Nós sempre queremos sair na cena, lutamos pelo que queremos, mas nunca ficamos satisfeitos quando conseguimos.

“And we are the ones that want to choose, always wanna play, but you never wanna lose.” (E somos aqueles que querem escolher, sempre querendo jogar, mas nunca querendo perder) – Nós queremos e queremos, fazemos o que for necessário pra conseguir, mas se acontece algo errado, a preocupação é se manter inocente.

“When you lose small mind you free your life.” (Quando você perde a mente pequena, você liberta sua vida) – Quando paramos de ver “imagens”, nós realmente teremos controle das nossas vidas.

“Life is a waterfall, we drink from the river then we turn around and put up our walls.” (A vida é como uma cachoeira, bebemos do rio, nos viramos e construímos nossas paredes) – Nos pegamos, pegamos e pegamos, no final não devolvemos nada. Isso mostra como as pessoas são ambiciosas, maldosas e desconsideradas. “

Interessante:
Pra quem já conhece a música, a versão completa dela possui um ritual muito estranho e que não tem nada a ver com rock, muitas pessoas já falaram várias coisas sobre isso, mas a explicação é que se trata de uma música que se toca em rituais de funeral na cultura Armênia.

fonte: http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=2652

     I would like to begin by introducing myself.  My name is Cory Fritzinger and I will be bringing you new and exciting news from Alpha Factor periodically.

     This month’s topic is the Alpha Factor Virtual Pro Shop, also known as the “Aerials” line.  Our Aerials website (www.alphafactoraerials.com), offers a variety of items ranging from: leotards to biker shorts, scrunchies to water bottles and all sorts of fantastic accessories in between.  With everyone’s busy fall schedules, we at Alpha Factor make it quick and convenient to purchase those much needed practice leotards online.  In 3 easy steps you can have access to the Aerials site:

                               1.  Go to www.alphafactoraerials.com

                               2.  Choose your state from the drop down menu.

                               3.  Choose your Gym Code.

If your gym is not listed, log in as a GUEST!  We will then make sure that your gym is assigned a Gym Code in the near future.  Look for our “Back to School” and “Holiday” editions of our Aerials catalogs coming to you soon!

COACHES:  For more information on how you can benefit from Alpha Factor’s Virtual Pro Shop, please contact us at 1-800-8ALPHA8.

       I hope everyone has a wonderful month.  Stay tuned for next month’s blog.

Sincerely,

Alpha Factor

“The Company That Cares”

Dreaming is such a wonderful thing. It lets our mind unfold in an entirely hopeful fashion. No fears of failure or negativity. It seems that the older I have grown, the more I dare to dream. It unleashes an incredible amount of energy. When I dreamed off the arctic in the past it was the thoughts of a wast unspoiled wilderness filled with resilient life. A landscape so unknown and big, that my imagination could run free creating a fascinating sense of wonder and desire to explore. As wilderness is shrinking around the world, we need such wilderness, that is not  disrupted with mines and drilling rigs. We need it, to simply give our mind and spirit the Freedom to Roam!

By the hundreds of thousands members of the Western Arctic Caribou Herd fill valley after valley, Nikon D3x, 24-70mm f2.8

Barren Ground Grizzly wandering the edge of the Arctic Refuge. Nikon D3x, 600mm f4 VR lens

Far away from the centers of our civilization lies a land of wonder, where hundreds of thousands of caribou roam the plains, where myriads of birds migrate to rear their chicks and where the kingdoms of grizzly and polar bears meet. It is America’s vast Arctic, far removed from the rest of the world, but heavily affected by humankind.

Thousands of murres gather on pools on the ice awaiting the nesting season on the nearby cliffs; Nikon D3x, 70-200mm f2.8

A large lead opens in the Chuckchi Sea between Pt. Hope and Cape Lisburne; Nikon D3x, 24-70mm f2.8

For many years environmental organizations have fought for the protection of the Alaskan arctic, but as the energy crisis worsens, pressure is driving Congress to open this wilderness sanctuary to oil drilling and mining operations. As part of my Freedom to Roam project in connection with the Blue Earth Alliance and Braided River Books, I am  working to produce photographic material in support of the Arctic Conservation Campaign. With compelling imagery I hope we can reach Congress and the general public by showing a true portrait of a land often called a “barren wasteland”.

Sea ice landscape at the edge of the lead. Nikon D3x, 14-24mm f2.8

A polar bear roams the edge of the packice in the Chuckchi Sea. Nikon D300, 200-400mm f4 + TC/E 1.4

After spending many months on the ground amongst hundreds of thousands of caribou, nesting birds and barren ground grizzlies in 2008, I realize, that the only way to cover this massive expanse of land is the aerial perspective. So in 2008 I started to plan a major “Arctic Aerial Expedition”, as part of the 2009 work on the Freedom to Roam project. The goal was to show wildlife in their environment, offering a true representation of the way animals depend on this interconnected ecosystem. My goal was to document the retreating sea ice, the platform for seals, walrus, birds and the polar bear as well as to document the 3 major caribou herds of the arctic slope.

I want to invite you to follow my blog as I am going to share with you some of the amazing experiences I had over the last weeks photographing Alaska`s Arctic. Please pass the info on to friends who are interested in wildlife, conservation, Alaska and photography.

Our support plane above the migrating Caribou

After flying hours below the layer of fog we see a silver lining at the horizon. We need to put the plane down on a gravel bar and set up camp for the night. My pilot Ken wants to look for a spot where we can get out of the wind. We are fighting a stiff breeze of 20 – 30 nots on the nose of the plane.

As we are flying further inland, the sun finally breaks through the layers of fog. In the far distance I see the brooks range. Dark clouds are hugging the mountains and create a dramatic backdrop for photographs. We follow a river drainage south as I see a group of caribou in the riverbed heading to climb a steep snowbank  to join their group up on the extended plains, where food is plentiful.

We swing around with the plane while I keep an eye on the group running up the step snowbank seemingly without effort. I am trying to caputre the images struggling to keep the horizon straight in the viewfinder while the pilot goes into  a steep bank and balances out the gusts of wind. After hours of flying through bad weather, there it is: A few seconds of action in wonderful golden arctic light.

Aerials are an integral part of any well rounded Geographic Information System. Aerials can be used as a great base to provide a context for other data, as part of a quality control effort, or as the source to create new data.

Our new 2009 aerials were flown between 11:20AM and 12:30PM on April 17th, 2009. They are 4 inch resolution meaning each pixel correlates to 4 inches by 4 inches (16 square inches) on the ground. Our new aerials are the highest quality I have ever worked with. They are on-par with the best aerials available today. Below is a table comparing some of the variables between the 3 main aerials we use here at the Port.

Below are 2 images showing measurements of one side of each pixel.

2005 Pixel Measurement

2009 Pixel Measurement

This is all great, but how does this correlate to the real world? Below are the 3 images of the Administration Building Parking lot. As you know the parking lot was recently repaved and reorganized.

March 2008 .3 Meter Resolution

2005 Half Foot Resolution

April 2009 Four Inch Resolution

Along with our parking lot there have been other changes on or around the Port tidelands since 2005, including the new Hilton between the Convention Center and Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal.

Left 2005 - Right 2009

We have set up a web application where Port employees can examine the new aerial photos. You can get to this web application by clicking on the 2009 Aerials button at the PortGIS Resource Center. They are much larger images and therefore take a second or two more to render on your screen. Feel free to turn on and off layers in the “Map Contents” area. We hope to include them in the other PortGIS applications shortly.

CoolOldMap Zen

My body still hurts…

On the weekend, Wifey and I decided to tackle the Aerials class held by SwingIt.    It was fun and physically challenging – trying to co-ordinate with each other to flip Wifey around.   Shane and Ruth had obviously been doing these for a while and practising because they did them nice and clean.

Aerials are weird..  it’s not all strength.  It’s a lot of timing between each other, and also the mental “I can do it” attitude…  which for some unknown reason I was lacking a little.  Not good!   No accidents, but I think our aerials could’ve been smoother and more successful.

Whoa are we feeling it now!  For the past 2 days, we’ve been hurting all over…

Just so I don’t forget what they look like! (we didn’t take any class review video) -

Hourglass

Hip flip

Backpack

Similarish to this but entry from side by side charleston

Flip from guy lying down (what is the name for this?)

24 seconds into this:

Frankie Manning Dancing at the Saratoga Savoy Diamond Dance

I just found out that the great Frankie Manning died this morning from complications of pneumonia.  

Frankie Manning was a legendary Swing dancer and choreographer, known for revolutionizing the Lindy Hop. Among many other things, he is famous for performing the first aerial step that quickly became a standard part of the Swing dances. Frankie continued to tour the world dancing, teaching, and choreographing right up until the last year of his life.  One month away from his 95th birthday, thousands of people still flocked to see him and help celebrate his annual birthday bashes in honor of the man that has brought so many smiles and happy memories to generations of people. He has received many honors, including having his shoes showcased along with other dancing greats like Fred Astaire.  

I have had the honor to dance with Mr. Manning twice in my lifetime.  It  is so amazing to be able to take a class from such a pioneer in the dance world.  He is one of the nicest men I have ever met and he will never be forgotten.

A nice tribute page with an area to share Frankie Manning experiences: http://www.saratogasavoy.com/lilfrankie.html

His personal website with a link to his autobiography: http://www.frankiemanning.com/ 

You will be greatly missed.

Supported Phones-N95 8GB etc

Download Aerials Feature Pack 1

Download Aerials Feature Pack 2

Life is a waterfall,

We’re one in the river,

And one again after the fall…

Swimming through the void

We hear the word,

We lose ourselves,

But we find it all…

Just heard via a colleague that the old Wavefinder works once again with XP ! Evidently it’s been possible since the introduction of service pack 3. In truth I  thought it was permanently broken , but evidently not!   (The Wavefinder  stopped working when SP2 was introduced to Windows  XP) . Well I fired up the old sample on my Shuttle machine, first installing Psion Wavefinder V1.4 software.  Not much joy at first. So had a thought to try the Windab front end. Success, but unfortunately it crashed after about 20 minutes use. This might be hardware issue to be fair as I’m running an old early working sample. Still it proves that there’s a chance of running it. The Windab front end can be found here: http://www.simans.net/

Psion Wavefinder DAB Radio

System of a Down “Aerials”… 

Hello my little pumpkinfacekittycats,

I’m home! I really don’t like stories that start with “gee, I haven’t really updated this thing in a while, so I’d better write something already…”, so let’s just leave it for now.

The holidays are a tough time for a lot of people, and I’m happy to say I’ve survived them. A lot of wonderful things happened to me during these times– there have been wonderful visits and wonderful gifts– and I feel I have been really blessed to have all these wonderful, caring people around me. That said, there have been 3 deaths in the family last month and I can’t help but feel a little heavy hearted by these events– maybe not so much for myself as on behalf of other members in my family who are hurting. I don’t like to see people sad. They try to hide it, but I can feel it. I’m not going to write any more on the subject, because I don’t want to make you sad. Generally, I don’t like to write in Squirrel Power when I’m sad. This is not the place for it. Be happy.

It is good to be home again and getting back into the swing of things. I did my first circus class back after the holidays yesterday, and despite all the drugs I’ve taken since and the hour long massage I had yesterday, I have to tell you, I’m feeling it still. Right now I’m covered in clove oil under my sweats (you should try this– it feels really nice!), I’ve got the oven open and turned up really high to make it nice and hot in here, I’ve got a cup of tea on the go, and soon I’m going to do a little yoga in here and try to get some movement back in my arms and legs. It will get better. It always does.

I love you all, and I can’t wait to hug you really hard when I can lift my arms again.

xoxoxox
Squirrel Power

It is suspected that up to 8 million Americans will be left without any on-air television after the switchover to Digital in 6 weeks. 

The Digital switchover is now going to become evident in the US.  The short-term notice has caused nationwide panic over how they are going to be able to switch their TV aerials in this 6 week period until the TV channels change all of their transmissions to Digital frequencies. 8 million Americans are thought not to be able to switch over in time and this will effectively stop their viewing pleasure. A new aerial will need to be purchased in some cases so that the boxes will actually work, a very high inconvenience. 

The Obama Administration, being ’sworn in’ just under 2 weeks away, have pushed for a change in the date of the Feb 17. turnoff.

In Britain, the gradual switch-off is being evident with the final switch-off in 2012. This system is starting to show that it can work and people are not dissatisfied by this. 

This issue will need to be dealt with swiftly by the new government as it has the pressing issue of the Global Credit Crisis to deal with as a growing concern for countries around the world.

[Edit: I've just been informed that advance tickets can be had at http://www.ladycircus.com. Payment via paypal]

Sadly, I haven’t been back to The House of Yes since the rather awkward time I crashed it. I was invited back, and apparently I’m not averse to crashing random venues (like a STALKER), but I haven’t been back since. Not even since the place went all officially open. I kinda had a lot of things on my plate, things I’m still working down, and I didn’t really want to add to it and get further in the hole. Plus, I’ve just been feeling kinda tired. Just plain tired of it all. I think it’s the winter blahs. Whatever.

I’ve heard good things from the wires, however. Nice things about the aerial space, about the sound, about the vibe, about things in general. Things that make me want to go back and visit (and not just crash, although I’m not averse to that again) and see the action. And today I got a little birdie in the emailbox that tells me when. I’ll see you there on Friday (assuming there is a way to get advanced tickets, otherwise you can find me outside being all sad that it’s sold out).

~The Rusted Gun Saloon~

Times are tough in this tumble-weed town,

but the lovely Ladies do what they need to do to get by.

‘Til one day a surprise rolls into town

and turns this scene right upside down.

Join us for

a lively and tumultuous tale of high-stakes love, jealousy, and devotion.

A full production that brings together live music and circus in the sky and on the ground.

Where: The House of YES

342 Maujer Street

Brooklyn, NY, 11206

( L to Grand-Cross street Morgan Ave. and Maujer St.)

When: Friday January 16 and Saturday January 17

Time: Doors at 9pm, show at 930, seating is limited

Tickets: $25 dollars includes gourmet hors d’oeuvre

This event is a fundraiser for <<<The Sky Box>>> Aerial Theater