Pushing The Envelope: female skier falls 1,000 feet

The human being has always pushed the envelope into and beyond the realms of danger. This is the sixth of various weekend postings displaying how restless Man is with the mundane and how he purposely crosses the threshold into danger willingly — and sometimes unwillingly.

From 6ABC.com:

On January 26th, pro skier Angel Collinson had a vicious wipeout while skiing in the Neacola Range in Alaska last spring. An aerial camera catches Collinson bouncing like rag-doll over 1,000 vertical feet before finally coming to a stop.

“The fall was absolutely terrifying – without question. You have no idea what you are going to tumble over and there is basically nothing you can do but hang on,” Collinson said. “This was a definitely a learning experience for me. Maybe 99 times out of 100, you can ski through that terrain, but when it does go wrong, it’s more high-consequence.”

Angels were monitoring because Collinson suffered — two jammed fingers.  That’s it.

“I’m okay, I’m okay.  Yeah I’m fine.  And I can go back up and get my shit too.  Like I’m fine.”

Right.  Since everything fell out of her backpack.

Lucky, lucky, lucky.

Oddly enough, Ian McIntosh said the same damned thing after falling 1,600 feet and likewise surviving.

November 5th, 2015, pro skiing veteran, Ian McIntosh, narrowly escaped with his life after what TGR Co Founder, Todd Jones, says “was the most terrifying crash I’ve ever seen.” While filming for Paradise Waits up in the Neacola range of AK, Mac dropped into a line he thought he had studied thoroughly enough, only to fall into an unseen five foot deep trench on one of his first turns. “From there, my slough took over and their was no way to stop, I pulled my airbag to help prevent against any possible trauma injuries as I tumbled to the bottom,” he said. While attempting to regain his footing, Mac lost a ski and cartwheeled over 1,600 feet in under a minute.

Apparently the Neacola Range in Alaska is popular with freestyle skiers.

BZ

P.S.

Please check out these other pulse-pounding Pushing The Envelope BZ Faves:

Part V: Black Devil
Part IV: Train Wrecks
Part III: Ghost Rider
Part II: Bas Rutten, Street Fighter
Part I: Parkour

Other episodes 6 here and 7 here and 8 here and 9 here and 10 here and 11 here and 12 here.and 13 here and 14 here and 15 here and 16 here.  Please check each and every one.  You will find them fascinating.

 

Bill Maher: correct about Islam

Bill Maher On Islam 2Bill Maher, despite his Lefty way, is correct about one thing: Islam.

He believes that Islam is a threat to the civilized world.

From Breitbart.com:

Maher: The More You Know About Islam, The More Afraid Of It You Are, Intolerant Christians ‘Really Aren’t a Problem’

by Ian Hanchett

HBO host Bill Maher argued that it isn’t true that people wouldn’t be as afraid of Islam if they knew more about it, “Actually, it’s the reverse” and that he wished liberals would “have the same enthusiasm for intolerance elsewhere in the world as they do for Christians here at home, who really aren’t a problem, because they don’t get really get their way” on Friday’s “Real Time.”

Maher, after referencing the covering up of nude statues in Italy during a visit by Iran’s president said, “I think people are mixing up two things, tolerance and capitulation.” He added, “It’s one thing to be tolerant of another culture, but this is our culture. You know, Christianity did have a problem with t*tties like in 1300, but we got over it. So, we shouldn’t change our culture to a more backward culture, should we?”

“I think people are mixing up two things: tolerance and capitulation.”

Maher added, “I think liberals have to stop insisting that the world is the way they want to it be instead of the way it is.”

Holy Mother of God, Maher just had an epiphany.  He used words directly from the notebook of Captain Obvious.  Words I’ve been writing, literally, for years about Leftists.

Bad out of my mouth, somehow acceptable out of his.

He (Maher) then pointed to folk singer James Twyman’s efforts to do a concert in ISIS-controlled territory to hopefully stop ISIS’ violence. Maher then argued, “[Y]ou cannot just insist that the reality that you think about in your head is the reality that exists in the world. After the San Bernardino attacks, we were off the next week, but I heard all over TV, this — everybody was saying, ‘If only Americans knew more about Islam, they wouldn’t be so afraid.’ Actually, it’s the reverse.”

It IS the reverse.  If Americans knew more about Islam — actually read the Koran, the Hadith, the surahs, — Americans would realize what Islam says is what Islam means.

My quote: “Islam is as Islam does.”

Maher finishes:

“I just hope that the civics guidebook in Sweden is more persuasive than the Koran, but I doubt it is.”

There is actually a difference between Leftists, as wacky as they are.

At least Bill Maher doesn’t advocate the silencing of those to don’t believe in his philosophies, unlike many professors in various “advanced” US educational institutions.

Such as Melissa Click, a professor who “wanted some muscle” to her location so she could keep a student photographer from documenting a college protest.  Click has since had third degree assault charges filed against her and been suspended from the University of Missouri.

I very seldom watch him, but I support Maher’s right to say what he wishes.  I draw the line at the bulk of collegiate Leftists and students who want to entirely stave off any discussion in the slightest conflict with their beliefs. They can’t countenance dissent.  Their upbringing, coddling and fragile little egos keep getting in the way.  They are frothing over with unwarranted and inflated self esteem.

Bill Maher Let Him Speak

At least Maher believes in free speech.

BZ

Bill Maher On Islam

 

Thursday GOP debates: who “won”?

GOP Debate, Fox, 1-28-20161. Small Table Debate:

The small table debate, held first, was moderated by Bill Hemmer and Martha MacCallum and consisted of Carly Fiorina, Mike Huckabee, Rick Santorum, and Jim Gilmore.

There is only one clear winner: Carly Fiorina.  Period.  The three others simply need to go away as rapidly as possible.  I think that may be a self-fulfilling prophecy within, say, two weeks max.  None of them are going to pull Iowa.

2. Main Debate:

In the second debate, Bret Baier, Chris Wallace and Megyn Kelly moderated, and the big table cast included Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, Ben Carson, Jeb Bush, Chris Christie, John Kasich, Rand Paul and Jim Gilmore.  Who?

As expected, Gilmore was entirely unimpressive.  One must also question his sanity as, at this late stage, he somehow thinks he has a chance at becoming the GOP nominee for president.

Kasich was acidic and unlikeable.  Carson was likeable but vastly over his pate.  Paul is going nowhere.  His fans are even more annoying than he is.  All three need to go away.

Christie was the healing assembler he’s tended to be in the past.  I could live with Christie.  “The days of the Clintons in public housing are over.”  “That is why you need the Washinton-to-English converter.”

The focus this time around revolved around the nascent sorting-out of Cruz and Rubio.  Both made points.  Both were confronted by Megyn Kelly with prior statements in conflict with their current positions.  Both stammered and both came through. Conventional wisdom is that Rubio is ascending.  I go along with that.

Jeb Bush did well overall; certainly better than previous debates.  But Bush is still who he is, a squish.  I will not put another Bush in the White House as I will never put another Clinton in the White House.

I am biased.  I just like Cruz.  He’s extremely smart and even pisses off Republicans because he is single-minded.  Yes, Cruz got bopped, Cruz got testy, Cruz got booed.  Cruz had his opportunity to shine more, but didn’t quite pull that off.  Call me wacky.  I am biased.

My top three descend in this order:

  1. Cruz
  2. Rubio
  3. Christie

Statistics from a current Drudge Report poll post-debate.

Drudge Report GOP PollCruz #2, Rubio #3.

Finally, did Trump leaving the debate affect the results?  In terms of the debaters themselves, not so much.  Ted Cruz got the insults out of the way early.  However, for Fox News, they now state Thursday’s FNC debate was the second highest rated telecast in the channel’s history with 12.5 million viewers.  Conventional wisdom said this wouldn’t occur.  Though not present, the moderators and debaters still mentioned him.  And people say the “entertainment” factor of Trump was missed.

But one thing most definitely: Trump would not have cared for the way Megyn Kelly would have gone after him, if her tenacity with Rubio and Cruz was any indicator.  Megyn Kelly can indeed shred.

Did Trump pull off his tactic?  In a word, yes.  I don’t think he “lost” anything by not attending.  But I still enjoyed the debate because it was substantial and topic-driven for the most part.

BZ

 

Thursday GOP debates: First Debate

Donald Trump NOT In Thursday 1-28-2016 Debates1. Small Table Debate:

The small table debate, held first, was moderated by Bill Hemmer and Martha MacCallum and consisted of Carly Fiorina, Mike Huckabee, Rick Santorum, and Jim Gilmore.

There is only one clear winner: Carly Fiorina.  Period.  The three others simply need to go away as rapidly as possible.  I think that may be a self-fulfilling prophecy within, say, two weeks max.  None of them are going to pull Iowa.

More after the main debate.

BZ