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Sniego reporteriai praneša apie didelius šalčius, padoriai krentantį sniegą ir sezono pradžią bei resortų atidarymus, tuo tarpu alpių karvių ganytojai, daug patikimesni už profesionalius meterologus, irgi žada gerą sezoną:

I spoke to my little oldman friend who lives up in the Alps on the Italian, Austrian boarder, he has never been wrong about the winters predicting the snow perfectly, because his cows depend on it. His forecast for this year is a very cold and snowy season with more snow than last year. So his cows will not be happy this winter as they cannot board:D

Ta proga padariau "galimybių studiją" ir nuodugniai peržiūrėjęs visų (!) nelankytų Austrijos, daugumos Prancūzijos, Vokietijos, Ispanijos ir netgi keletą Italijos resortų (Šveicariją palikau atskiram tyrimui), padariau toki savo būsimų tripų sarašą (visos vietos dar nelankytos). Pagrindinis akcentas visgi atiteko Austrijai, kuri siūlo bendra prasme ekonomiškesnį variantą (išskyrus pačius brangiausius, tokius kaip Ishgl).

I kategorija - gera ir prieinama net darbo liaudžiai
/ todėl patraukli mano įklimpusiems darbuose draugams (work is a curse of a drinking nation)

Mayrhoffen, Austrija. WSG (žr. aprašymą) duoda 8/10.

"Huge area, with great freeriding. Maybe the best park in Austria."
Offpise: Some
Top elev: 2500 m
Pistes: 157 km
Nors iš pažiūros nedidelis, autobusu jungiasi su kitais resortais netoliese:

"If you go here you have to check it all out - mayrhofen, gerlos, zell am ziller, hintertux (also glaciar), kaltenbach, ahorn, hochfugen etc theres so much more than just the penkenbahn and its all interlinked on the one pass - thats lifts, busses and trains!"

Šią kombinaciją taip pat rekomenduoja ir pažįstami "specialistai", kurie ten važiavo keletą kartų. Pliusai - vidutiniškos off-piste galimybes, vienas iš galimų trūkumų - didelės gaujos britų, atplukdytos atostogų paketų.

Iš tos pačios serijos,
Solden, Austrija. WSG (žr. aprašymą) irgi duoda 8/10.

"Solden is one of Austria's best all round all-year resorts, with great terrain. The biggest let down being the large number of skiers. Solden is well known, if not better known more for its party atmospehere that its mountain... quiet this place isn't."

Offpiste: yes
Piste: 147 km

II kategorija - pow heaven

Obertauern, Austrija. WSG duoda 8/10 (aprašymas čia).

It's definitely worth a holiday for people who like to smell powder every day and don't wanna hike too much... it's noted for its excellent snow record.

You can basically pick your spot and head off-piste whenever you see some powder, and then pick up the piste further down the mountain. If you’re in the know, or with someone who does then there’s some excellent areas where you’re almost always guaranteed to cut fresh tracks. A lot of these areas aren’t particularly hard-core to get to, but they are nicely hidden from your regular piste hugger.

There are also some epic freeride opportunities that you have to hike to, but make sure you’re with a guide or someone who knows the area and never forget your avalanche equipment.

Total ride area: 100km
Longest run: 4km

Zurs, Austrija. WSG - 9/10 (aprašymas čia).

Mažas, bet (tarsi) nesugadintas.

Zurs is without doubt, one of Austria's most spectacular resorts and could rival any in Europe when it comes to the type of terrain it has to offer. Its diverse and interesting slopes make it a great place to snowboard, offering powder fields and miles of pistes.

Ride area: 110 km.
Top elev: 2500 m.
Off-piste:Yes

St. Anton, Austrija. WSG - 10/10 (aprašymas čia).

Reziumė - puikus boardingas, bet resortas brangus (ir kiek snobiškas).

The best resort in Austria, with great freeriding for advanced and intermediate riders.
With steeps, deep powder, air, and trees on all sides of the mountain slopes, it’s hard to beat.

MONEY WISE Super expensive, but worth the money just for the slopes.

Backcountry/off-piste:great
Total ride area: 161 miles

Serre Chevalier, Prancūzija. WSG - 10/10 (aprašymas).

One of the best resorts in France. Great freeriding with powder and full-on, freestyle terrain. Shame it's pricey and packed with skiiers.

ON THE SLOPES Fantastic - best in France
OFF THE SLOPES Very, very good
MONEY WISE This is not the cheapest of resorts, but it's worth every penny.

Top elev. 2850
Ride area 155 miles
Once you’ve shredded all the trees you can head to La Grave (žr. žemiau) in just 30 minutes, and Montgenevre isn’t far from Briançon.

III kategorija. Extreme pleasures:)

La Grave, Prancūzija. WSG - 8/10.

Jei neklystų, čia tas legendinis kalnas, kuris beveik neturi trasų (tiksliau, viso 12 km trasų), ir galybę off-piste:

When the snow falls, this mountain has 7,100 vertical feet of drops, couloirs, cliffs, gullies, chutes, steeps, trees and crevices. This mountain isn't child's play so never ride alone. This is basically only home to die-hard extremists, with a few snowboarders who can hold their own. Still, the lack of skiing tourists simply quarantees no 'battle of the freshies' with untracked powder for days.

Real good atmosphere, full of people who are all about the boarding.

IV kategorija. Best kept secrets.

Cerler, Ispanija. WSG (aprašymas čia).

Big trouble free off piste faces in Spain? Yes yes yes! Cerler is one of the biggest surprises you’ll ever have in your snowboard life. Sitting close to the highest peak in the Pyrenees, Cerler is not what you’d expect from a Spanish resort.

This great resort has heaps of major terrain: tight, open trees to weave, extreme drop-offs to get the adrenaline going, big bowls, countless banks and gullies, super-fast flats to push the hair back, hits everywhere, and a giant, natural funpark - all located next to a few unassuming, old-fashioned French villages (with a hint of the new here and there).

Ride are: 71 km
Top. elev: 2630 m
Backcountry/off-piste: yes

Sainte-Foy, Prancūzija. WSG duoda 8/10.

Fantastic freeriding when there's fresh snow.

A snowboarders dream, but who knows for how much longer?
On the road towards Val d’Isere and Tignes from Bourg St Maurice, there’s a small turning to the left. This place with good snow has a hallucinatory feel.

Backcountry/off-piste:Yes
Tiesa, trasų tik 27 km, bet užtat aplink jokių kitų žmonių, tik besiganantys kalnų ožiai. Čia toks paįvairinimas kitą kart varant į Tignes.

Ką tik baigiau žiūrėt pirmą BBC kultinio serialo "Life on Mars" sezoną. Jėga!

Jei trumpai pristatyt siužetą, tai Mančesterio kriminalinis detektyvas Sam Tyler papuola į avariją ir nubunda... 33 metus praeityje. "Arba išprotėjau, miegu komoje ir sapnuoju, arba tai kelionė laike", galvoja Sam, bandydamas surasti priežastį, kodėl jis čia, industriniuose Mančesterio 1973-iuosiuose.

Kiekviena serija - tai nauja istorija, kurioje herojus susiduria su kietais septinto dešimtmečio policijos darbo metodais, iki detalių atkurto 1973-ųjų Anglijos vaizdais, kitokiais visuomenės įpročiais, užsispyrusiais kumščiais mojuojančiais kolegomis, ir - savo ateitim, praeitim ir dabartim.

Žiauriai geri visi personažai, scenos, kostiumai, bet svarbiausia - užmušantis britiškas jhumoras ir geras soundtrackas. Daug tokio biški istorinio funky geek shit, nuo 2 litrų alaus skardinių, atidaromų atsuktuvais (tokios išties buvo!) iki senovinio britiško akcento. Ypač man patinka, kad daug scenų vyksta mėgstamiausiame serialo herojų pube, kur rastafari barmenas atlieka  draugiško šamano vaidmenį.

Žodžiu, 10 balų, dabar negaliu sulaukt, kol parpumpuos antrą ir paskutinį sezoną. O dabar eik i torrentosferą ir parsisiųsk pats: abiejų sezonų torrent'as čia.

Nes kaip sako vienas virtualiai pažįstamas britas, "jei nesi matęs šio serialo, su tavim išvis kalbėtis neverta."

Charming.

P.S. Šiemet amerikiečių ABC televizija perdarė šį serialą, kiek teko matyt ištraukų - lievai. Na, bet ko daugiau galima tikėtis...:)

Jean Painlevé was Jacques Cousteau before Jacques Cousteau. A “biologist, fetishist, filmmaker and aquanaut,” as well as a Surrealist-manque, he filmed underwater creatures two decades before his fellow Frenchman. Some of that footage - of starfish, shrimp and sea horses giving birth - wound up as a film, with a soundtrack by Yo La Tengo. “They are mysterious, dreamy, sexy and frightening, all the things the Surrealists wanted to be,” Sarah Boxer wrote.

Straipsnis NY Times.

Jutūbe netikėtai atradau, kažkam šovė į galvą Painleve video ištraukoms uždėti Current 93, vienos mistiškiausių 'siuro' grupių, kurios anksčiau daugiau klausydavausi, dainą. Gražu. (Kažko freeflux'as man nenori dėt klipų į postą, jei nerodo, linkas čia)

Per pažįstamus ir bendraminčius iš FOAM gavau informaciją apie jų (tiksliau, jų draugų) organizuojamas workšopų serijas Tinker.it!, skirtas visaip kūrybingai ir meniškai panaudoti mikrokontrolerį (arba galima ir mandrai pasakyti, pvz. Open Source Hardware Prototyping Platform) Arduino. Iš esmės tai leidžia pajungti eilę daviklių ir suprogramuoti elgseną, kuri generuotų atsakus ir kontroliuotų įvairius išorinius įrenginius. Taikymai - (ypač) nuo meninių projektų iki robotų ir automatizacijos.

Kame pontas? Tame, kad mikrokontroleris pigus (apie $20), lengvai naudojamas, opensourcinis. Jį galima naudoti net kaip web serverį! (Žinoma, web serverį šiandien galima paleisti jau ir ant mobilkės).

Trumpai iš pristatymo:

Arduino is an open-source electronics prototyping platform based on flexible, easy-to-use hardware and software. It's intended for artists, designers, hobbyists, and anyone interested in creating interactive objects or environments.

Arduino can sense the environment by receiving input from a variety of sensors and can affect its surroundings by controlling lights, motors, and other actuators. The microcontroller on the board is programmed using the Arduino programming language (based on Wiring) and the Arduino development environment (based on Processing). Arduino projects can be stand-alone or they can communicate with software on running on a computer (e.g. Flash, Processing, MaxMSP).

Čia pilnas workshop'ų aprašymas (PDF). Jei kas dirbat su moksline/menine/technine institucija, kuriai būtų įdomu, duokit žinot, suvesiu tiesiogiai.

P.S. Paskaitinėjęs, radau, kad apie Arduino jau rašė (ir naudojo) tiek Make, tiek Wired, tiek Slashdot:

It's simple, very hackable, Mac- and Linux-compatible and it's a true free/open source design, so they don't have a monopoly on it and you can buy compatible boards from other sources or DIY!

Sylvan housing reaches new heights with these wonderful dewdrop shaped Treetents by Dutch sculptor and designer Dré Wapenaar.

Daugiau - Inhabitat.

(Ačiū, Tomsons)

When Daniel Everett first went to live with the Amazonian Pirahã tribe in the late 70s, his intention was to convert them to Christianity. Instead, he learned to speak their unique language - and ended up rejecting his faith, losing his family and picking a fight with Noam Chomsky.

Pilnas straipsnis Guardiane (ačiū Gedui)

Juan, get in touch, I can't reach you.
You know you won your rum.
It's time to pick it up.
In Granada.

_{(Photo: Oscarsson via flickr. Thanks Oscarsson!)}

Gal kas norit sudalyvaut cyberpankeriu konferencijoj :)

Šiaip įdomios jau iškeltos temos, pvz apie Albert Speer (žr. posto apačioj).

O čia - pilnas call for papers (PDF).

- - -

We cordially invite you to submit a proposal for the Tickle Your Catastrophe! conference, which will take place from 6 to 7 March 2009 at the Vooruit Arts Centre,  in Ghent, Belgium, during the arts festival The Game is Up! How to Save the World in Ten Days (from 4 to 14 March 2009). This conference is a joint initiative of the NGE (Dutch Aesthetics Society), Ghent University, the KASK (Ghent Royal Academy of Fine Arts) and Vooruit. Check out our website on www.catastrophe.ugent.be

Programme:

Whereas the twentieth century was dominated by political extremism and (coping with) trauma, it is the fear of the inevitable and complete catastrophe that reigns at the beginning of a new century.
Although worst-case scenarios have always been part of our cultural identity, the catastrophe has taken on a different form at the beginning of the new millennium.

<...>

Tickle Your Catastophe! doesn’t want to wallow in doom and pessimism, but wants to question our idea of a catastrophe and the role it plays in philosophy, art and science today. As the title of this conference suggests, we want to give this concept ‘a kick up the bum’ in order to discover how the catastrophe was and is represented in art and philosophy.

Starters:

To face this many-headed monster, we start with the introduction of two antagonistic images of our downfall. We use them as a starting point, to stimulate our mind, as something to go on, or never to return to.

1# The Svalbard Global Seed Vault

<...>

2# Albert Speer’s ruin value

As the chief architect of the Third Reich, Albert Speer designed Germania, the future capital of the new world. Speer tried to mirror Hitler’s power in his architecture. Hitler wanted the ruins of his empire - should it one day collapse – to rival those of the ancient Greek and Roman empires, and remind future societies of its past grandeur. To meet with these demands, Speer developed the theory of the ruin value: by using the right materials and construction methods, you can ensure that today’s grand buildings will become tomorrow’s sublime ruins, after the downfall and decay.

The idea of the ruin value is a complex and dark, but also powerful metaphor. If the seed vault raises questions about art, philosophy, and science as strategies to survive the inevitable catastrophe, then Speer’s ruin value celebrates the aesthetics of destruction, where beauty, knowledge, and culture can ultimately be found in decay. It conveys a dark vitalism: it is a perverse antidote for the catharsis of forgetting and our mortality, a Pandora’s box. The vision of the ruins of the apocalyptic landscape after the catastrophe paves the way for an ode to decay, for a rebellious aesthetic of the downfall, a therapeutic revolt by mutilation, an orgy of destruction.

much still remains unknown about the sequence of events that led to war. But as the true facts slowly emerge, they raise many questions not just about Georgia’s actions, but also about western policies towards the region, and how the conflict was presented to the western public.

Daugiau - Businessweek straipsnyje.

(Ta, Aivars)

Gaila, per vėlai sužinojau apie lapkričio 6 dieną LUNI paskaitą su R. Kundrotu ir A. Lyva, kurie netiesiogiai, per pažįstamus ir per savo tekstus turėjo man ir mano muzikiniam skoniui nemažos įtakos. Tekstai - tai "Pasvirusio pasaulio" knygos ir žinoma, žurnalas Tango, kurio kiekvienas numeris paslaptingais keliais - per Vilniaus noiso kolekcionierių Saulių, su kuriuo kas porą savaičių keisdavomės įrašytomis kasečių dėžęmis, per "Kauno Bombos" Vaidą, Šarą, per "Sumirimo" festivalius - atsirasdavo ir pas mane.

Gal kada nors bus galima šias paskaitas parsisiųsti kaip podkęstą, o kol kas skaitau LUNI patalpintus straipsnius apie Barą ir to paties Tango žurnalo istoriją.