The perils of navigating the internet…

C.E. Grundler

For years, New York Harbor has wrapped up summer with a lively and entertaining event known as the Great North River Tugboat Race and Competition. Each year I hope to attend, but inevitably find myself working on the boat rather than out on the harbor enjoying the festivities. Eventually this will come to pass, but thanks to the wonders of the internet I can still take a peek at the Tug Parade, tug race, Nose to Nose & Line Toss Competitions:

For more on the festivities, check out Tugster's blog:

http://tugster.wordpress.com/2011/09/04/nyc-tugboat-race-2011-a/

http://tugster.wordpress.com/2011/09/06/nyc-tugboat-race-2011-b/

http://tugster.wordpress.com/2011/09/07/nyc-tugboat-race-2011-others-fotos/

But this peeking leads to a new problem. The internet in general, but worse yet, Youtube. You all know what I mean. You start by viewing one video, then click another, and the next thing you know, more time than you care to admit has passed. Don't get me wrong. Youtube can be a wonderful resource for research. Want to see how to humanely deactivate a cat? Looking to verify that a point blank shot directly to the head with a flare gun is by no means fatal, (though a sure candidate for the Darwin Awards)? Sadly, a search for "shot with flare gun" yields About 1,470 possibilities; a number of them are by people who felt the necessity to test this on themselves while friends(?) filmed the results. (I'll omit the link to that one, but it's easy enough to find.) Have a strong stomach? You can review techniques for field dressing a deer. Lots of them. (Links omitted.) Want to see… you name it. Chances are, if you can imagine it, someone else already has as well, no less recorded it on video and posted it for the world to see. Including a few videos I'd label under 'fun boat tricks', such as:

High speed lobster boats, and yet more lobster boats in a hurry, (not to mention a WTF at 53 seconds in), impressive docking – No twin screws.    No bow thrusters.   No stern thrusters. Just skill.  And speaking of skill, this one is pretty impressive as well.

The trick to Youtube is not letting it draw you in. Find what you need and get out quick… or at least, what you need, (four or five videos you don't,) and then get back to work!

 

Share on Facebook