Brendan I. Koerner's Blog, page 124

“Step Into My Dojo…”

This morning’s sumo-related post stirred up memories of another Hawaiian-born legend of the sport: Konishiki, aka “The Dump Truck.” Though he never attained the exalted rank of yokozuna—perhaps due to anti-foreigner prejudice among sumo’s elite—Konishiki never let the disappointment get in the way of his artistic ambitions. As evidenced by the above video, the truly gargantuan ex-wrestler is now a skilled MC, whose lyrics frequently refer to his love for Japanese culture:

Next on the menu, is a

Around the World in 3,287 Days

A Nepalese cyclist in the midst of a nine-year, around-the-world ride hits Ghana. The roughest part of Lok Bandhu Karki’s epic journey so far? Getting jacked in Malaysia:

The journey has not been without difficulties. “Courage keeps me going,” he says of his worst experiences in a journey, which has also been characterised by robbery in Thailand, Malaysia and Sudan.

“When my money was stolen in port Kelang of Malaysia, I had to work in a butchery for six days to earn ferry charge from Batam Island

March of the Fire Ants

The latest issue of Agricultural Research, a monthly must-read ’round Microkhan headquarters, contains an interesting nugget about fire ant immigration patterns. A Floridian entomologist who specializes in evolutionary genetics has concluded that our national fire-ant nightmare started with as few as nine queens, all of whom touched down in Mobile, Alabama, during the Great Depression. It is generally assumed that these early invaders, who originated in South America, stowed away in the vast lum

Scouting for Hawaiian Titans

The sumo world is saddened by the passing of Larry Loyes Kukahiko Aweau, the man most responsible for the sport’s “Hawaiian invasion.” A judo black belt whose cousin was among the first Americans to wrestle in Japan, Aweau spent decades combing the 50th state in search of sumo talent. His greatest scouting find was an ex-basketball player named Chad Rowan—a man now better known to history as Akebono.

Aweau met the teenage Akebono at a funeral, and was immediately struck by boy’s size and athletic

“Fat Styles Become a Stack…”

Headed downtown to meet with our trusted rep and discuss that frightening concept known as The Future. So we’re gonna outro with the best track off The Beatnuts debut album. Like all songs by the pride of Corona, Queens, the lyrics are definitely not safe for work, so please do not play within earshot of sensitive souls.

Also, can anyone identify the piano sample in this cut? Probably one of the most infectious riffs we’ve ever heard. Alas, our CD of this album seems to have disappeared somewher

Mongol Derby, Cont’d

In response to yesterday’s post about the rough-and-toughMongol Derby, one of the race’s brave competitors wrote in to ask for Microkhan’s support. So let it be known that from this point forward, we’ll be pulling for 26-year-old Hannah Ritchie to a) survive the race with nary a broken bone or crushed pelvis, and b) to be the first rider to pull into Kharkhorin.

Follow Hannah’s pre-race preparations here, and maybe kick over a few quid to the charity she’ll be risking life and limb for.

Vital Boost or Glass Ceiling?

As we walked across Little Senegal this morning, a throng of devout Muslim men got us thinking about Bangladesh. That may sound like a non sequitur, but our internal logic went something like this: Though most Islamic societies obviously feature male-dominated governments (note, for example, that all of Iran’s mullahs are male), Bangladesh’s two leading politicians are female. Why is that?

The answer obviously has a lot to do with family connections, as both Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia are tied

Speed Climbing’s Grey Eminence

Granted, in the clip above, the bloke on the right-hand tree gets smoked. But cut him some slack—when this video was shot, Guy German was 53 years old, with nothing else to prove in the world of timbersports. He is, after all, widely recognized as the greatest speed climber in history. And he’s still competing today, having just lost in the quarterfinals at the Aflac Outdoor Games.

The trick to his longevity, German says, isn’t necessarily prime physical fitness, but technological innovation—esp

Rescue Ops in the UTTR

The Air Force is currently combing the Utah Test & Training Range in search of a pilot whose F-16 crashed late last night. Even if the pilot managed to safely eject from the doomed aircraft, though, he could be tough to locate. As we previously noted, the UTTR is bigger than some states:

If you ever find yourself at the intersections of Skull Valley and Stark roads in western Utah, take a long peek out the car window. See that barren nothingness that extends as far as the eye can see? That’s para

Mongol Derby Disclaimer

The 1,000-kilometer Mongol Derby kicks off on August 22nd. Twenty-six equestrians are currently confirmed for the race, which runs between Delgerhaan (home to this awesome Genghis Khan statue) and Kharkhorin. More riders are expected to join the fray as the start date nears, but only those hardy enough to stomach the event’s heavy warning that survival is by no means guaranteed. Our favorite word of caution:

The nature of the Mongol Derby means that if you do fall off, the response time of the me