Important Talus Announcements!

I have some important talus-related announcements this week.

First, the long-overdue announcement about pronunciation.  I had always considered myself somewhat of a talus expert, and yet it turns out that I'd been pronouncing the word wrong!  You probably have been, too.  The word is pronounced "TAIL-us."  Seriously.  Yes, it's weird.  I am still not used to it.

This is earth-shaking news in the world of Talus Slopes.  To help us cope with the sense that everything we knew is wrong, here is a photo that reminds us that life will go on, and so will talus.  This photo is talus from 1899!

Photo from the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library

Second, once again, I no longer blog for beer!  My fellow "iron blogger" has stepped out of the competition after raking up a debt of, I believe, 4 beers.  I need to cash in.

Would anyone else like to join into an iron blogger blog-for-beer pact?  Just let me know!  Remember, threatening me with owing you beers is an excellent way to keep high-quality Talus Slopes content coming to you every week or two!

From Dru!'s flickr photostream

Lastly, you should go check out my brother's blog.  Cole and his friend Simon have created a blog about adding tasty foods together in order to make gross foods.  It's called "If You Like A..." You suggest disgusting combinations, and they post a video of themselves making and eating said combinations.  Here is the first video they posted:

Check it out by clicking here!

Extreme Cold: Wim Hof and Tummo

This week, I learned about a guy who can withstand extreme cold.  Here's a picture of him during what I can only believe must be normal bathtime for him:

(from the Guinness World Records)

This man is Wim Hof, and he gets cold professionally.  He holds the world record for being immersed in ice, 1 hour and 44 minutes.  He is known as the "Iceman."  He likes to go running and hiking wearing only a pair of shorts.  He ran a marathon north of the Arctic Circle wearing only shorts.

(from urbanslot's blog)

He also holds the world record for distance swimming beneath ice: 55.5 meters.  You can watch the video of him setting the record here:

He tried to climb Mount Everest wearing only shorts, but he failed due to a foot injury of some sort.  My favorite quote from Wim Hof is this: "Edmund Hillary's ascent of Mount Everest was a testament to human achievement; my climb of Mount Everest in my shorts will be a monument to the frivolous, decadent nature of modern society."

That's a pretty funny reason to do something.

Wim Hof practices the Tibetan meditation practice of Tummo, which somehow creates body heat.  There have apparently been some studies that show people's fingertips getting warmer during this meditation.  Something about chakras.  But who am I to question it, when the practitioners can do things like this:

(from http://www.yogallimite.com/ via Wikimedia Commons)

(from care2.com)

Wim Hof uses Tummo to adjust his "mental thermostat" and keep himself warm while he climbs mountains barefoot, wearing only shorts.  He wins the Talus Slopes hardcore award of the week.  Here's to you, Wim Hof.

(from thewondrous.com)