Comentarios sobre noticias curiosas y de todo pelaje que me voy encontrando por la red.
viernes, diciembre 30, 2022
Se buscan amigos para...
(Un texto de Molly Antigone Hall en el suplemento dominical de El Periódico de Aragón del 11 de agosto de 2019)
Buscar
amigos nos puede hacer sentir tan vulnerables como buscar pareja (“¿y
si no están interesados?”), pero todo es más fácil cuando se sabe que al
otro le gusta lo mismo. Así es en las aplicaciones creadas para hacer
amigos. Aunque todavía hay cierto estigma sobre las relaciones nacidas
en internet, sean románticas o de amistad, no debería ser así; el mundo
virtual también puede ser real. Y si bien las redes sociales no pueden
sustituir el cara a cara, permiten conexiones igualmente estrechas. De
la misma forma que usamos las redes para fortalecer relaciones
existentes, aplicaciones como estas pueden ayudar a forjar nuevas
amistades. Eso sí, pese a no ser para ligar, se pueden colar usuarios
con tal fin.
Amino
Ayuda a encontrar gente con los mismos intereses, con comunidades para amantes desde Marvel hasta el maquillaje. iOS y Android • gratuita • castellano y ocho idiomas más.
Meetup
Se trata de una plataforma para encontrar actos y reuniones
de lo que guste a uno: meditación, cenas, manualidades, intercambios de
idiomas o caminatas en la montaña. Ha sido descargada más de 10 millones
de veces. iOS, Android y
ordenador • gratuita, aunque los organizadores pueden cobrar a los
usuarios que asistan a su evento •Más de 10 idiomas, incluido el
castellano.
Patook
Esta red social es estrictamente para relaciones de amistad y
usa algoritmos para evitar que los usuarios liguen. Permite crear un
perfil a través de cuestionarios para relacionarse con amigos
potenciales y se puede ajustar lo que se busca para valorar rasgos
específicos: perfecto si busca un amigo que baile flamenco o una
compañera que hable portugués. iOS, Android y ordenador • gratuita • ocho idiomas, incluyendo castellano.
Next door
Next door (‘la puerta de al lado’ en inglés) es una red
social privada para el barrio, que se puede usar para conocer a los
vecinos, organizar acontecimientos, compartir recomendaciones o incluso
encontrar un paseador de perro. iOS, Android y ordenador • gratuita • en castellano, catalán y ocho idiomas más.
Timpik
Timpik es ideal para los deportistas, ya que ayuda a
encontrar partidos y compañeros con los que jugar al fútbol, pádel o
incluso al ajedrez. Fue creada por programadores españoles. iOS, Android y ordenador • gratuita • en castellano y cuatro idiomas más.
(Un texto leído en el XLSemanal del 18 de mayo de 2008)
Para proteger las memorias USB, hay programas que facilitan
la encriptación de los documentos. Véase Remora, un software gratuito (en
inglés, www.richskills.com), o los dispositivos que vienen ya preparados como
Data Traveler Secure (wwwkingston.com), […].
11 Outrageous Moments in Niagara Falls Barrel-Riding
(An article by Mark Mancini written at www.mentalfloss.com on 12th January, 2014 - it's been updated in 2021)
For
decades, thrill-seekers have fought the odds and common sense by going
over the world’s most famous waterfalls in rickety containers—a trip
that has claimed several lives. And, as such, is illegal. Here are a
handful of pioneers who tried it nonetheless.
1. Annie Edson Taylor Takes the First Plunge on Her 63rd Birthday
The strange custom of going down Niagara Falls in a barrel began with an elderly music and dance teacher
named Annie Edson Taylor. Hoping the stunt would make her rich and
famous, she had a customized unit made which included safety straps and a
breathing tube. On October 24, 1901—her 63rd birthday—her preparation
paid off when she survived her trip, only to wait 20 gut-wrenching
minutes for a rescue boat to nab the contraption. Unfortunately, she
achieved neither fame nor fortune and died penniless in 1921.
2. Bobby Leach and the Deadly Orange Peel
Irony,
thy name is Bobby Leach! This British circus performer repeated
Taylor’s death-defying antics in 1911. Though battered and bruised, he
lived to tell the tale … only to die of medical complications after slipping on an orange peel 15 years later.
3. Charles G. Stephens Goes Out on a Limb
Charles G. Stephens was the first casualty
of Niagara’s dangerous sport. Believing it would make his trip safer,
the middle-aged barber tied his right arm to the specialized
vessel—which is all that was found of him after it broke apart.
Stephens’ severed appendage received a proper burial at a nearby
cemetery.
4. Red Hill to the Rescue
Between 1910 and 1942, if you wanted to follow in Taylor’s footsteps, William "Red" Hill Sr.
was the man to see. Though he never tried besting the falls himself, it
was Hill who rescued Leach and tried to warn Stephens about his
treacherous barrel. An accomplished stuntman in his own right, Hill most
notably ventured through the deadly Niagara whirlpool in 1930, securing
his place in the Daredevil Hall of Fame.
5. Jean Lussier Has a Ball
Barrels
just don’t cut it for some adrenaline junkies. Enter Jean Lussier of
New Hampshire. Hearing of Stephens’ plight, Lussier decided to forego
traditional methods and invested his life savings in a gigantic rubber ball.
The summer of 1928 saw thousands of spectators gather to witness its
maiden voyage. Lussier’s journey was a triumphant success and he decided
to stay in the region, selling off pieces of the historic sphere to
eager tourists.
6. The World’s Luckiest Turtle
George L. Stathakis may have sealed his doom
by telling the press that if he didn’t survive his upcoming ride over
the falls, his pet turtle, “Sonny Boy," who went with him, would live on
to tell their story. Lo and behold, the fortunate reptile made it out
alive—which was more than could be said for his owner. Sonny Boy,
however, declined to comment.
7. Victory In Canada Leads to Disaster at the Astrodome
https://youtu.be/OGOhNPhtLqM
The above news bulletin was filmed in July 1984, after 37-year-old
Canadian Karl Soucek cascaded down Niagara’s Horseshoe Falls.
Unfortunately, his efforts to replicate the feat at the Houston
Astrodome that winter turned deadly
when he crashed onto the rim of the water tank he was supposed to land
in after a 180-foot drop, fracturing his skull and crushing his abdomen.
8. Super Dave Can’t Be Stopped!
Who was the first man to go over Niagara Falls twice? Unsatisfied with his first barrel ride in 1985, John “Super Dave” Munday returned to give it another go in 1993.
9. “Say ‘No’ to Drugs!”
Educators,
take note: There are easier ways to denounce substance abuse than
climbing into a 3000-pound steel barrel and dropping down a waterfall.
This ill-conceived strategy belonged to Peter DeBernardi and Jeffrey Petkovich,
who became the first duo to take the Niagara plunge in 1989. Inscribed
on the side of their bright yellow cylinder was the helpful slogan
“Don’t Put Yourself on the Edge—Drugs Will Kill You!”
10. David Copperfield’s Televised Escape
https://youtu.be/4DcxK19Lx9E
“Over the years, a number of people have tried to survive going over Niagara Falls in a barrel,” magician David Copperfield
said in a 1990 TV special. "Many died trying. But guess what? I don’t
plan on joining them.” His elaborate performance, involving chains,
flames, and a helicopter, can be seen above.
11. Of Parachutes & Jet Skis
Like DeBernardi and Petkovich, Robert Overcracker
wanted to raise awareness about a pressing issue: homelessness. Knowing
a Jet Ski would attract more attention than a boring old barrel,
Overcracker rode over the peak before plummeting to his death when the
specially-designed parachute he’d brought failed to open.
