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Twitch has some great channels – especially if you like watching things from other countries.

One of my early favorites was Game Center CX ゲームセンターCX. The Game Center CX Twitch channel ran about 19 seasons of the TV show. GameCenter CX was a Japanese TV show that featured comedian Shinya Arino (a member of comedy duo Yowiko). He plays old home console video games from previous decades (his own childhood) and usually attempts to get the game’s ending within a single day. It’s made more entertaining by the fact he’s not a very good player and the attempts consist of marathon sessions in which he is clearly past exhaustion. He picked up quite a following and he would do adventures playing at local game centers (arcades) in different parts of Japan – many in mom and pop candy stores. While the Twitch gccxstream channel is rarely live these days, you can always watch the archived seasons anytime you want.

A more recent favorites is the Midnight Sumo Twitch channel that broadcasts live competitions and replays of the previous matches in the current season. Sumo runs all year, but in several distinct tournaments that happen ever 2 months. They live broadcast (usually late evening US time) whenever there is a tournament.

During the live broadcasts, there is lots of commenting and folks helping the casual viewer know more about the sport, the reason behind the little rituals they use, see the between match vignettes, as well as getting to watch great Japanese commercials that happen during the normal commercial breaks. Excellent and fun way to watch with others.

Other fun tidbits are how people explain things like the ring announcer (yobidashi) in his unique outfit. The outfit is based on an old style Japanese workman’s outfit, with leggings and split-toed tabi-like boots. In keeping with that workman theme, he does many odd jobs around the arena.

If you’ve ever traveled, you’ve probably noticed that pilots, and a lot of seasoned flight attendants, all seem to use the same luggage. LuggageWorks makes the luggage that they use.

You’ve undoubtedly seen this bag, the Executive 22″ Rolling Bag. At $299, they aren’t cheap – but apparently the are THE word in travel bags.

A total solar eclipse is going to be passing over the United States in 2024, and I found this great site that has a great zoomable map of the path.

Update 12/2023:

Here’s a great article on where to best see the 2024 eclipse.

Solar viewing or watching one of the upcoming solar or annular eclipses requires knowing what you’re doing and getting the right eye protection from reputable sources.

I recommend using the NASA information page, which links to a page with reputable sources to buy viewing glasses and lens protection.

One of the things many young adventurers love to do is travel to Nepal and hike some of the amazing trails through Himalayan mountains. The popularity of these multi-day to multi-week hikes has lead to a more crowded and less authentic experiences of previous travelers, but you just can’t beat something like a week or two on the Annapurna Circuit.

You can also hike to Mt Everest base camp as well as often take a short trip up the nearby facing peak Kala Patthar to see both Everest and Lhotse (if the weather cooperates).

A third option is to go by helicopter. Sam Chui shows us that for about $1200, you can take an amazing few hour helicopter trip through these destintions:

1. Kathmandu (4,390 ft / 1,338m) 2. Lukla (9,380 ft / 2,860m) 3. Namche Bazar (11,290 ft / 3,440m) 4. Syangboche (12,402 ft / 3,780m) 5. Khumbu Icefall (17,999 ft / 5,486m) 6. Mt Everest (29,031 ft / 8,849m) 7. Kala Patthar (18,519 ft / 5,644m) 8. Cho La Pass (17,782 ft / 5,420 m) 9. Gokyo Ri (17,575 ft / 5,357m) 11. Hotel Everest View (12,729ft / 3,880m) 13. Lukla (9,380 ft / 2,860m) 14. Kathmandu (4,390 ft / 1,338m)

He recommends going in April or October when the weather is at its clearest and not so cold. He flies via Manang Air – who have a variety of packages.

Allan Su has traveled Iceland several times and gives a really great itinerary of how to spend 2 weeks (travel during June-Sept) visiting the amazing outdoor locations of Iceland. He hits both the famous/well traveled locations as well as lesser known but amazing attractions. He also gives a great set of advice on a number of handy resources from rentals to checking weather/travel conditions.

Links:

• Northbound vehicle rental
• Vedur.is for weather
• Road.is for travel information – especially for F-road (offroad) routes. Get conditions and when they open.
• SafeTravel.is – General travel information and conditions

I love to travel, but during Covid that was not really a thing. Even if you did travel, it was a very muted experience as most places you would visit were closed, severely restricted, and (my personal real goals) of interacting with local culture/food/people severely curtailed. Even in 2023 many cities are nothing like what they were pre-Covid, and I suspect that travel and tourism is going to look very different as we come back out of Covid.

Even with that, like many, I turned online. I have been amazed how many YouTube channels have 4k and higher video quality visits to just about anywhere in the world: Disneyland in Tokyo, Palace of Versailles, Assisi, St Petersburg Russia, inside the Great Pyramids, Chongquing cave shopping, etc. If you can imagine a place, someone has almost certainly done a very high quality 4k video walkthrough of it – or ride through of it.

Recently I started watching the various Sound and Light shows of the various Egyptian locations. I was inspired by a scene in the James Bond movie The Spy Who Loved Me which features the famous show at the Great Pyramids.

Philae, Temple of Osiris:

Karnak Sound and Light Show:

Great Pyramids:

The Scoppio del Carro (“Explosion of the Cart”) is a folk tradition of Florence, Italy.

On the morning of Easter Sunday, the 30-foot-tall antique cart (in use for over 500 years), moves from the Porta al Prato to the Piazza del Duomo. It is hauled by a team of white oxen festooned with garlands of the first flowers and herbs of spring. The cart is escorted by 150 soldiers, musicians, and people in 15th century dress.

Meanwhile, a fire is struck using the historic flints from Jerusalem at Chiesa dei Santi Apostoli. It is then carried in procession to the cathedral square by members of the Pazzi family, clerics, and city officials.

The cart is loaded with fireworks while a wire, stretching to the high altar inside the cathedral, is fitted with a mechanical dove (the “colombina”). Shortly thereafter, at the singing of the Gloria in excelsis Deo during Easter Mass, the cardinal of Florence lights a fuse in the colombina with the Easter fire. It then speeds through the church to ignite the cart outside. It ignites the cart, then speeds back inside the church. During all of these stages, the bells of Giotto’s campanile ring out.

The complex fireworks show from the cart lasts about 20 minutes. A successful display from the “Explosion of the Cart” is supposed to guarantee a good harvest, stable civic life, and good business.