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Have You Seen This? Moab's BASE jump waterslide
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I love waterslides, but I'm not sure I want a go on this one. Maybe I need some BASE jumping lessons first. - photo by John Clyde


MOAB, Utah So I had this awesome slip and slide as a kid called Crocodile Mile. In my little kid brain, it was a mile long with a picture of a crocodile with its mouth open at the end of the slide. It was as amazing as it sounds.

Truth is I think the slide itself was maybe 14-feet long and the crocodile part broke after we used it once, but still, I loved that thing. While I have fond memories of a slip and slide, I don't think I'm ready for this slip and fly down in Moab.

This video from GoPro shows Marshall Miller and his friends as they set up a slip and slide at the edge of a cliff in Moab and use it as a launch ramp into a free fall. The video is impressive and I know I will never have the courage to do this. I am OK with being a coward. I have no real issue with admitting that my daredevil attitude ends at the fake crocodile's mouth on my Crocodile Mile.

We can watch this and get our own little rush as Miller and his friends plummet back to earth, but please remember that these are professionals and this is a dangerous activity. I think we're all smart people here, but for real, this is super dangerous. These people know what they're doing. In other words, don't take your Crocodile Mile down to Moab with a homemade parachute and give this a shot yourself.
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Have You Seen This? Street musician slays with clarinet
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Better than almost every face-melting guitar or drum solo. - photo by Facebook video screenshot

THE BIG EASY — Yeah, yeah, we all know that New Orleans is stuffed to the gills will incredible musicians.

But knowing that fact and then hearing that fact are two different things. You can step into any number of jazz clubs on any given night on Bourbon Street, and you’ll probably be impressed with virtually every act. Or you can sit at home on your comfy couch and watch this featured video.

In the video, you’ll see a woman who is in the groove. She is swinging hard, and wailing on her clarinet with a practiced expertise that makes it sounds so easy.

From note one you’ll be drawn in; your appreciation will grow with every second, and then your face will melt off when you realize how incredible she really is.

If you’ve never played a woodwind or a brass, you may not know everything that comes with a performance like this. Lung capacity and breath control are huge factors in keeping your notes clear and loud, and hitting those high notes is especially difficult.

So when this woman hits that high note and holds it for several seconds, you know you’re dealing with an exceptional musician. It means she has worked hard for years to develop skill on top of her natural talent, and we get to benefit.

It kinda makes you wonder how we let people get away with mumble rap and autotune when talent like this exists in the world.

I wish this video were longer, and I wish I had more information about this woman, but as it is, we’ll just have to appreciate the little flavor of New Orleans jazz posted by the Facebook group Clarinet Life.

Street musician killing it on clarinet

She must have lungs of iron! Its inspiring hearing the upper registers being played so well.

Posted by Clarinet Life on Tuesday, December 11, 2018

Martha Ostergar is a writer who delights in the ridiculous that internet serves up, which means she's more than grateful that she gets to cruise the web for amazing videos to highlight for your viewing pleasure.
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