At an NSS Convention around 2004 or 2005, a caver showed a first look at
the work that cavers had done helping the film-crew of the BBC special on
caves
Planet Earth - Season One - Episode 4
It was on a large projection screen in front of about 50 cavers ( probably
720p ), run
daily thru the convention.
( I am fairly certain the caver providing the program was Alex Sproul )
We were flabbergasted. Most of us had never seen a cave documentary in
720p nor
on a big projector screen. This was all months before it aired
publically.
I had looked forward these past 10 plus years to someday purchasing the
program
on Blu-Ray, and getting a large 1080p tv.
Fast forward to today, 2017.
This program is available on Netflix. ( I guess this is old news ).
Anyways, that is reason enough right there to shop around and find a good
deal on a 1080p tv, if you are still living in the 2000's ( the noughties
?? ). Prices have really come down in the past few months, and if you
are willing to
risk buying a "clearance item" tv, you can get a 55 inch for $ 300 or less,
especially
if you are willing to skimp on features, or get an off-brand like Insignia
or TCL.
I have no idea how the program displays up-scaled on 4K tv.
I would guess watching it in 1080p
on a giant 85 inch screen would be cool. The prices of those are around
$ 800 plus tax.
For those of you who have never watched it, it would be a good grotto
program. Some
grottos if not all have access to a projector and screen.
Hopefully someday, our esteemed colleague and godfather of speleo-VR will
make a similar
show for the next generation of cavers.
While I have your attention ( assuming I still do ), my tentative road-trip
to Monterrey is already turning out to be a clusterph*ck.
Please do not read any further:
I have an official appointment with the clerk at the Mexican Consulate
Office in the morning, to get a permit. The last time I tried that 10
years ago, they denied me, as they still had me in the computer for a
failed return of vehicle permit. So I am not optimistic, I can get a
vehicle permit, and they are requiring a $ 400 deposit, which is something
I can not afford in anyway shape or form. So if they were to deny me,
all the effort made thus far ( nearly 9 man-hours dealing with AAA
insurance and my credit union ) plus the $ 58 fee will be in vain. But
even with all that uncertainty, that is not the drama that has already
unfolded. My # 1 goal was just to provide safe passage to my beloved
estranged-wife so she could go to Monterrey for Thanksgiving for only the
2nd time in 22 years. But she insist, that I sit like a bump on a log
with her family and attend a wedding and a quincenera and a funeral and all
her old classmates, etc. I told her, she is the Apollyon in flesh and
blood, and that there was no way in Abaddon, that I was even having a
conversation about my inclusion in her wacko itinerary. So that
leaves us going on 2 separate trips in 2 separate vehicles, something that
neither of us can afford to do. Plus it is not safe to drive alone in
Mexico, not that it would be much safer with just the 2 of us. There
is little to nothing I could accomplish driving my Sequoia alone into
Mexico, and even though one might imagine my impaired mental state, I am
not that messed up. I would be more likely to hitch-hike or take the bus.
So that leaves me with a Plan B. I have to be in Arlington on Sunday
to drop off my daughter for the week with the wacko Locklear family. Then
I have to rush back to Houston and work Monday and Tuesday, and possibly
Wednesday morning. Meaning, theoretically, I could still go somewhere
for Thanksgiving. Caving does not seem to be an option, though. I
would be better off to be realistic and try a short day-hike somewhere.
I am fairly certain that a sane person in my shoes, would just stay home
and watch Netflix and play with their really cool Linux computers, and
finish tweaking their business web-page.
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