January 2008 Archives

Renne McElroy - Producer

Think back to your childhood - you, your trusty yellow Tonka truck and a sandbox. Hours of fun shoveling and hauling dirt, intermittently enacting the sounds of excavation with your mouth as you dump the heaping box. Pushing it around as fast as your legs could go. It was you, your imagination and your truck.

Now imagine that rugged little piece of equipment on a tougher grander scale. About 32 feet high, roughly the size of a two- story house, with a dump box big enough to carry 96 Ford Explorers and the fuel capacity for a Chevy pick-up to circle the earth. The Caterpillar 797- B off road mining truck - is the biggest dump truck in the world. A 3550 horsepower engine, the largest truck engine in history and six 14-foot tires, two in the front and four in the back with enough rubber to tread 500 passenger cars.

There's no doubt that everything about this truck is huge, and shooting it seemed as big a task as building the actual truck. Our production schedule grew bigger and bigger as we narrowed in on how to coordinate the making of this enormous truck, our schedule and its parts. Six facilities across North America and four months of filming for a spectacular one hour show about a yellow 700- ton mining truck.

“U2 3D” is a unique cinematic experience that puts viewers within the pulsing energy of a stadium concert given by the world’s most popular band. Marrying innovative digital 3D imagery and 5.1 Surround Sound with the excitement of a live U2 concert – shot in South America during the final leg of their “Vertigo” tour – it creates an immersive theatrical experience unlike any 3D or concert film that has come before. “U2 3D” takes viewers on an extraordinary journey they will never forget.

Click the widget below to watch the trailer

Official Site: U23D.com

Julie Nelson - Producer

Winnebago is America's classic motor home, the ultimate King of the Road. And here in the small town of Forest City, Iowa, population 450, the Winnebago is born in the largest and most sophisticated production facility in the world. When I arrived to film the Winnebago factory, I was amazed at how the RV - a symbol of freedom, adventure, and wide-open roads - all starts in this quintessential small town.

The story of the Winnie starts more than 50 years ago, when the small town of Forest City was in trouble. Corn and hog farms were shutting down, and people were fleeing for work in Minneapolis. To bring industry back to the cornfields, John K. Hanson, a local furniture storeowner, enticed a California travel trailer manufacturer to come to Iowa. By the 1970s the company's nickname was "Winnebago-a-Grow-Grow" - and they were building 120 million dollars worth of motor homes. Today, Winnebago makes more motor homes than anyone on earth.

Greg Chapman - Research

On Wednesday, January 30, Nat Geo will be premiering Explorer: Inside Sumo at 8p et/pt. The show will not only profile one Japan's greatest traditions and cultures, but will also showcase what makes these gentle giants the athletes that they are.

Here is some information that I was given by a "super-fan" of Sumo Wrestling this morning:

The National Geographic sumo documentary shows a lot about professional sumo, especially their tournament in Hawaii in 2007. Well, in 2008, pro sumo wrestlers are holding another even bigger tournament in Los Angeles on June 7-8. This is a very rare chance to see pro sumo wrestling in the United States! The basic info is on SumoTour.com

-- Sumo Fan Man

Greg Chapman - Research

To all the Dogtown fans out there don't worry, more shows are on the way and are beginning to film as we speak! We have heard your calls, read your e-mails, and scoured through your letters. New episodes will be coming out later in the year and will be featuring the same heart-warming stories from one of the hardest working animal care centers around.

There will be some surprises that I won't give away just yet, but just know that you won't want to miss a single one. Stay tuned for more updates about the show and you'll be able to catch the replays of the first three episodes sometime in March, (I'll make sure to let you all know when they will air!).

Until then keep on talking to your family and friends about the show and let us know what you think!

Also many of you have asked how you can contribute. Here is the information that may help:

By Phone:
(435) 644-2001 ext. 4750

By Mail:
Please make your check payable to "Best Friends Animal Society" and mail to:
Best Friends Animal Society
5001 Angel Canyon Road
Kanab, Utah 84741-5000

Online: Click Here

Greg Chapman - Research

Viewers rejoice! New Fight Science episodes are coming and ready to pack a punch that is harder then the first. This Sunday (January 27) marks the return of Fight Science with two new episodes, Mixed Martial Arts and Special Ops.

That being said, a new Fight Science area has been launched on the channel's site. Included are videos, profiles of participants and the very, very fun Fight Science Game.

	Fight Science: Mixed Martial Arts
	Scientists try to determine the amount a force that a body takes during a Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight. Scientists will use the power from legendary fighter Randy Couture, former UFC Heavyweight Champion Bas Rutten, former UFC Lightweight Champion Tito Ortiz and two-time world submission grappling champion Dean Lister to determine how much force are behind the blows that these fighters take in the ring.
	Fight Science: Special Ops
	Unlike athletes, who prepare for a scheduled competition under controlled conditions, these elite soldiers must excel in ruthless situations that can become deadly without warning. Now these warrior athletes are put to the test by science and cutting-edge technologies to exhibit their maximum capabilities under the most adverse circumstances.

Visit the site here: NGCFightScience.com
Play the game here: NGC Fight Science: Black Belt Quest

Related Posts:
Kicking, Punching and a Podcast

A lot can be said about a people coming together to battle one another. But it would be all speculation unless you are directly involved in a group like the Dog Brothers. People from all walks of life have come together to create a group that not only is therapeutic for some, but also a way for people from all paths in life to join one another in the spirit of camaraderie. Below are people that may be like you, your co-worker or even a loved one.

My name is Marc, but at least twice a year I go by the name Sheep Dog. For the past five years I have been a part of the Dog Brothers Pack. For each of us the reason we fight is different and I can only talk about my feelings and motivation. Fighting at a gathering is the physical manifestation of a mental process. For me that mental process is about overcoming seemingly impossible obstacles. There is an amazing liberation in combat that can only come when you face the real chance of injury. All other things happening in your life take a back seat, for that moment there are no distractions, no concerns, or worries. There is only you and another person, and for two minutes you and he will fight.

When you fight at a gathering the idea of no winners, no losers, no judges or rules allows total freedom from ego. You only fight yourself, if you get hit it is because you were in the wrong place at the wrong time. If you are overwhelmed by your opponent it is because you failed to train as hard as they did. It is a place where you take sole responsibility for yourself.

Everything I do at a gathering is a learning experience, and of all the experiences, learning how to fight is the one I value least.

- Marc, Police Officer

Roan Grimm - Member

It all started innocently enough. One fine day in April 1995, a friend and training partner told me about a tape he'd just rented called 'Real Contact Stickfighting - Power'. "Check it out, man, they fight for real," he said.

There's no way they were actually fighting, I thought. They can't be. I mean, I had already been training for several years in the Filipino martial arts and I knew how dangerous a stick strike could be. A single stick hit to the wrist would break bones. A hit to the knee would cripple. A hit to the head would kill. There's no way they were fighting for real. I rented the tape, threw it in the VCR and hit play.

They were fighting for real.

Greg Chapman - Research

Greetings everyone and happy Friday! As we head in to the holiday weekend, I wanted to let you know that the new National Geographic Channel Videos area has been launched on the site with some new features that blow away our older video area.

First and foremost there are five different channels to choose from and potentially more on the way. The first five channels - Animals & Nature, Exploration & Adventure, History & Events, People & Places, and Science & Technology - are directly linked with clips that you would see from some of your favorite shows. The final channel, Nat Geo Wild, is where you'll find clips not only from Nat Geo's natural history films, but also clips from the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS).

Right now hundreds of videos are loaded and ready to be viewed, with more being added every week. What's different with these videos are the capabilities that allow you to seamlessly share with your friends, embed videos wherever you want, and the ability to play the clips fullscreen .

What else is left? Well that is for you to decide. Nat Geo Channel's Digital Group wants to hear what else you would want to see here and what other type of content you are dying to have at your fingertips. Just post a comment here and it will be passed along to them.

Rob Englehardt - Executive Producer/Director of Photography

Police Tech reveals the most cutting edge technologies used by law enforcement today and features new prototypes that will be employed in the near future. This is the real life "Robo-cop".

We traveled around the country, examining different technologies being used by police departments. In Ohio, we visited the Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy where our host, Dave Young, took part in high-speed pursuit training. He started with what looked like a video game, but it was a state of the art, virtual reality, simulator called Patrol Sim. Three high-resolution plasma screens create a 210-degree field of view and simulate the patrol car's front windshield and two side windows. The $100,000 machine gives trainees a chance to practice dangerous pursuit scenarios in the safety of the classroom. Once, Dave mastered the Patrol Sim we went outside for the real thing.

Greg Chapman - Research

Clay in marketing passed along these photos to me and I couldn't help but be pretty amused. And If you have read other postings by me, you have come to realize that there isn't a lot out there won't amuse me. But I will say I enjoyed the video that is out there of Hippo Dude and makes me miss when Trigger Happy TV was on the air.

Anyways, if you're having a bad day or simply looking for some laughter in your life, check out Hippodude.com and try and figure out who exactly Hippo Dude is.

Greg Chapman - Research

Looks as if the decision to add Polar Bears to the endagered species list under the Endagered Species Act has been delayed.

According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service the delay is due to a backlog of work in the department, not any scientific data yet to be released. However environmental groups opposed to the delay suspect that delays are political, and not scientific. These groups are looking towards the final lease sale, (slated for February 5), of oil and gas development in the Chukchi Sea as the cause.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service deny these claims and a final decision is to be released within the next thirty days.

Read the article here

Greg Chapman - Research

Photographs from AP/Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, HO

An Australian couple in New South Wales found a Python in deep trouble after it ingested four golf balls that had been used to coax a hen to lay eggs, (see above). Upon finding the struggling python where the golf balls once laid, they rushed it to the veterinarian for an emergency Golf Ball-ectomy. If you get a chance, check out the article. Its a quick, but interesting read from NGnews.

They also have a link to the video.