Cool Side Tattoo On Boston University Swimmer

Found via the Michael Munhall Photography blog, this BU swimmer has an awesome side tattoo! Check out the blog for more photos from the America East Conference Swimming and Diving Championships, and some from a Navy v. Army gymnastics meet.
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Surfrider Project "Rise Above Plastics" Video

I found this video on SCAQ Blog and quickly emailed it to @TravelinMike who is currently doing an internship with Conservation International. I think this video is increbs powerful considering its short length. Very concise and effective!

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KAW Blog Goes Down For Wordpress Transfer

Oooh baby! Kast-A-Way Blog is experiencing some problems right now while it's being transfered over to WordPress and hosted on the retail domain. I hope the powers that be get everything figured out as soon as possible. I don't wanna be "that guy" who calls to bug the web designers in the middle of fixing a problem.


Yikes, I never realized how much I take cascading style sheets for granted!
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The Whole Story Behind Sasquatch At Winter Nationals

I came across this bizarre picture on the DiveMeets.com photo gallery from the 2010 USA Diving Winter National meet at OSU. After posting a question on the USA Diving page on Facebook, I got a reply with a link to the whole story.

Turns out, Sasquatch (or "Sash") is the focus of a kidnapping prank war currently going on between Purdue and OSU divers. Get the full story here on DiveMeets.com, with more pictures of Sash stomping on the Purdue pendant or disrespecting an OSU sweatshirt.
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Mule Robot "Big Dog" Reflexes Demonstration

I just heard about the pack mule robot "Big Dog" from an episode of Skeptics Guide to the Universe podcast. Holy shit! Seriously, this robot is being designed by Boston Dynamics as a cargo-carrying robot for the military.




It's still in development, but this reflex demonstration looks eerily animalistic - like a dog or horse catching it balance.

After you finish the video above, watch this spoof of a Big Dog beta test... I'm still laughing! Great find Mitch.
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Coate Water 1920's Diving Platforms

Coate Water is a park in England that was built in 1820 as a feeder reservoir for the Wilts and Berks Canal. It was sold to the Swindon Corporation as a leisure facility in the early 1900's, and the diving platforms were built circa 1920. The platforms were in use until the 1950's but are no longer used for safety reasons.

Now, the platforms are a photogenic landmark in the Coate Water park.

I think it would be fun to re-create something like this! Diving platforms completely surrounded by water - a swim-up diving area in the middle of a deep reservoir.
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FINA Releases Updated Degree Of Difficulty Table

Found via the Springboards And More Diving Blog, it looks like FINA recently released a newDD table. The new table includes DD calculations for new, more difficult dives that were previously thought to be beyond the limits of human capability. Now, as the international difficulty of dives increases - these "super difficult" dives are now included in the chart.

As stated on Springboards And More:
"With the newer and increasingly more difficult dives being performed in international competition as well as the rumors of "super difficult" dives being attempted in the farthest corners of the world, it was time that FINA updated the Degree of Difficulty Tables." (source)
The new chart is also available online from FINA.org. As Steve points out, the highest calculated DD provided is for 309 Reverse 4 1/2 sommersault pike from 3m springboard: an astronomical 4.8!
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