Nov 16 2009 Gnarly: Two Kite Surfers Jump British Pier
Two extreme sporters used particularly gusty winds today to fulfill their live's dreams: to jump Worthing Pier in West Sussex, England, on kite-boards. It's time to dream bigger, brahs!
Jake Scrace, 25, and Lewis Crathern, 24, had been planning Monday morning's jump for three years but had to wait for perfect weather conditions.
They took off from Goring to the west side of Worthing in gusts of wind that were more than 40mph, and had two helpers on the beach. The pair said the jump was quite hazardous and should not be attempted by amateurs.Mr Crathern said the jump was "epic".
"It was everything I've lived for - amazing," he said.
Everything you've lived for, nice. And here I've been living to destroy my body with booze and die young. But, you know, jumping over a pier with a kite, that's something too. *snicker* Pussies.
Two kite surfers jump over pier [bbcnews]
Thanks to And and 2MechanicalArms, one of which may or may not be a robot.
Jan 18 2009 Anybody Seen My Foil Helmet?: UFO Destroys Wind Turbine, Aliens Make Off With A Piece
The alien apocalypse is upon us! Those other-worldly asslovers have already started sabotaging our power systems, starting with most crippling -- yes, the wind turbines.
The facts: The turbine suffered a catastrophic failure at night around the same time many locals reported "glowing spheres" in the sky. The manufacturer says the turbine was built to withstand extreme conditions. And the blade that snapped off still hasn't been found.
That's right folks, we can finally add destruction of property and theft to the long list of rectal crimes aliens have committed here on Earth. Apparently the little wonk-eyed bastards hate renewable energy and just all around jerks and litter bugs. Which, honestly, I've been trying to tell you all for years. Remember the time I woke up with a burger wrapper and Styrofoam cup in my ass? Exactly.
Breaking: Aliens hate wind power [dvice]
Aug 11 2008 The Telemegaphone Is Now Accepting Calls
The telemegaphone is a combination telephone and megaphone, hence the clever name.
Telemegaphone Dale stands seven meters tall on top of the Bergskletten mountain overlooking the idyllic Dalsfjord in Western Norway. When you dial the Telemegaphone's phone number the sound of your voice is projected out across the fjord, the valley and the village of Dale below.
Telemegaphone Dale is wind powered and self-reliant. Recently however, the weather has been exceptionally calm in Dale and there has been a massive amount of people calling.If the Telemegaphone doesn't pick up, just give it a few hours to recuperate and try again. Sorry for the inconvenience.
Awesome -- finally somebody who will listen to me. Hello, Dale? Are there any pretty birds around? TWEET TWEET! Here birdy birdy! How's the view? Is it as awesome as I'm imagining? Is there a rainbow? I bet there's a rainbow. There is, isn't there? Shit, was that just Bigfoot? Haha, made you look. Quick, a unicorn! Jesus, you're gullible. *flush* What? No, I'm not calling from the bathroom. Wait, don't hang up! I need you. You're my only friend. You and the woodland creatures are all I have. Will you stay on the line until I fall asleep? Please? Okay, now let's so goodnight at the same time. Ready? Goodnight! Oh, you were off, let's do it again. Hello? HELLO?
Thanks to Abraham, the OG Emancipation Proclamater.
Jun 25 2008 Rotating Skyscraper To Be Built In Dubai
A rotating skyscraper is slated to be built in, wait for it -- Dubai! The structure, designed by Italian architect David Fisher, has floors that can each rotate independently of one another. Allegedly the building will be powered entirely by wind and solar energy via outer solar panels and wind turbines between the floors. I'm curious to see how that works out. I'm also curious how you and your neighbors decide who gets the ocean view and when. I'm guessing it involves threats and/or a good amount of weapon brandishing. Condos are currently going for about $3,000 per square foot but don't bother calling to ask -- I already did and the bastards aren't selling 1' x 1's.
Hit the jump for a VIDEO including some computer animations of the buildng and an interview with the architect.
Continue Reading " Rotating Skyscraper To Be Built In Dubai "
Nov 26 2007 New 'Kite' Used To Harvest Wind Energy
Architect Laurie Chetwood believes that kites will play a key roll in future "green" energy generation. Chetwood's brainchild, the Wind Dam, is scheduled to go up over Lake Lagoda (Russia) in the coming months. He is convinced the concept will be a hit, stating it's "highly effective at capturing the wind because it replicates the work of a dam and doesn't let the wind escape in the way it does using traditional propellers." Basically the Wind Dam is a "75-meter kite with multiple tethers used to funnel wind into a turbine, creating juice." Sounded good until then didn't it? I'm all about green technology, but I think this guy has got his head in the wrong place. Juice? Juice is easy to make -- you just squeeze some damn fruit. We need electricity damnit.
Oct 19 2007 New Vampire 2 Wingsuit For Skydiving
It's a bird! It's a plane! No, it's just some dildo in a Vampire 2 Wingsuit from Phoenix-Fly. The suit was designed to slow your free-fall from 111-139 mph to 37-59 mph thanks to the lift created -- allowing you to fly around and enjoy the view longer. It costs $1,250. Now I've been jumping out of planes for awhile now, and I've never worn one of these. They're lacking in style. And I'm all about jumping in style. Which is why I sport a Superman cape. I'm practically the Man of Steel. Sure I'm lacking the superpowers, good looks, and pretty much everything else, but I've got the cape. And the cape, my friends, is a good start.
A picture of a scary looking man who has clearly shit the suit and a video after the jump.
UPDATE: Another video added (thanks Skroonk) that shows some idiot in one of these things trying to touch a mountain while flying around.
Oct 18 2007 Artificial Tornado In Mercedes Benz Museum
The Guinnes Book of Records verified that the artificial tornado in Germany's Mercedes Benz Museum is the world's largest man-made twister. It's 34.43 meters (~113 feet) tall, and contains approximately 28 tons of air. It takes 144 jets about seven minutes to produce. It was created to suck smoke out of the building and save lives should a fire start. In the picture, carbon dioxide is being sprayed into the bottom of the tornado to make it visible. It's awesome, and I'm thinking about modifying my bathroom exhaust fan to produce something similar. I don't really understand the science behind it or anything, but I'm pretty handy with power tools. Okay, so I'm not very good with power tools. I can swing a hammer. Fine, I'm lying. I can wield a screwdriver with the best of them though. The vodka and orange juice version at least.
A bigger version of the picture after the jump.
Continue Reading " Artificial Tornado In Mercedes Benz Museum "
Aug 20 2007 Wind Powered Phone Charger
Orange, a U.K. based telecommunications firm is dropping the Orange Mobile Wind Charger. It, um, charges your cell phone with the power of the wind! Amazing. Reminds me of that time I developed a perpetual motion machine, the wind powered windmill. Brilliant really. I'm not totally sold yet, but maybe you are. Are you a hippie? Do you smell like patchouli? If so, get one of these bad boys, strap it to the basket on the front of your bike, and you'll be the talk of the commune. You may even get lucky with a chick that doesn't shave her legs or armpits. Go you!
Wind Powered Phone Charger [PC World]
