The Ferris Files

Men’s Journal story: Fighting to Keep Fit

For this assignment, I took on five aggressive martial arts in order to answer one question: If you want to get fit, which martial art is best?

I took classes and one-on-one instruction in Mixed Martial Arts, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Muay Thai Kickboxing, Karate and Krav Maga, with a little Tae Kwon Do for good measure. My personal all-around favorite was Muay Thai, though each art had its own allure. Read on to find which would suit you best.

Tough Call: The Real Story Behind a Climb Gone Wrong (Podcast)

When I climbed Mt. Aconcagua, the highest mountain in South America, I brought a satellite phone and kept a daily audio blog so I could wow my friends. Then things started going awry.

“Tough Call” appeared this fall in Smith Magazine, where you can read Part I and Part II. But really the tale is best told in person, and that’s why I made it into my very first podcast. Sit back and enjoy the whole 30-minute story.

Three options:
1) Download as an MPEG-4 (best for iPods and iPhones, and includes  photo slideshow)

2) Listen here (audio only)

3) Stream it on your own browser at: http://theferrisfiles.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/Tough-Call.mp3

Haven’t I Seen You at Starbucks?

A hot commuter cup reveals that our relationship with throwaway food containers has reached a new level of intimacy. Read the blog post.

Message in a Bottle

What happens to our trash once it disappears down the storm drain? That’s the question I had for Captain Charles Moore when I met him in L.A. last year on an assignment for Sierra magazine. Turns out our trash travels thousands of miles and makes trouble for fish. And humans, too. Read more.

The Other Running Mate

One day I walk into the gym and there’s Barack Obama, running on the treadmill. I kid you not. So I did what any red-blooded American would do and got onto the elliptical machine next to him. Read the blog post.

Surf the Line

Damian Cooksey is the first man ever to do a front flip on a slackline, which is kind of like a tightrope but much more wobbly. I went slacklining with Damian to see what all the fuss was about.

Click on the video, or read the blog post.

A Glacier Savior?

I encountered these penitentes — strange, Dr. Seussian ice structures that exist in parts of the Andes mountain range and almost nowhere else — while climbing Mt. Aconcagua, the highest mountain in South America. While reporting the story for Sierra magazine, I found that their fanciful but heat-trapping design may help prevent the glacier itself from melting.

Read more.

The Evolution Will Be Televised

Move over, nature specials; the Age of Green Television is upon us. Here’s a guide to the shows that make planetary heroism fun to watch.

Best and Worst of Times for the Ocean

I visited Washington, D.C. to cover the Blue Vision Summit, a gathering of ocean scientists and ocean activists, and rarely have I been so depressed and inspired in the space of a single speech.

Read the blog post.