Tea For Two?

As one of the few Englishmen in my office of over 400 employees I regularly get singled out for tea, Queen and Marmite based jokes.

Luckily I manage to respond to the Yanks about my 'local' pub being older than the US - by a century. That they kinda forgot to enter the First and Second World Wars. (I don't mention Vietnam - the politicians lost that one, not the warriors).

And then I mention Donald Trump.

Need I say more?

I am taking the mickey taking and turning it around for your benefit. So, for those of you who like a cup of tea or a fruit infusion I suggest you go to this website to see a variety of 35 Most Creative Tea Infusers

kthanxbai!

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Axis of Awesome

Have you ever heard of the band Axis Awesome? Neither had I.

Then a friend sent me this video that got me hooked on their comedy.

So i looked into them a tad more and found this;.

And this too;

Great stuff.

kthanxbai!

Amazing Card Trick

In the office today a co-worker replied to one of my sarky emails with an admonishment to chill out - and here is the video she said would blow my mind. And it is pretty good!

How he does it? I don't know. It really is quite amazing

kthanxbai!

How It Should Have Ended

Thanks to Peter over at Bayou Renaissance Man who showed me this website chock-a-block full of excellent videos.

kthanxbai!

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Formula 1 Blog

I've mentioned before that I am a Formula 1 addict. If you don't know what Formula 1 is, well, maybe you live in Swaziland, or are an American, well it is the ultimate in car racing. Not the ultimate in open-wheel, or 'The World Series' - but in the world.

Ever.

I watch races whenever I can, download those that I can't watch live, and listen to podcasts to explain to me what I miss.

There are 2 main podcasts that I listen to, Formula1blog.com and Sidepodcast.

Out of all the Formula 1 blogs out there, I only listen to these 2 - and why? Because they are run and presented by 'normal folk'. We can't really call anyone willing to wake at 2am to watch a car race 'normal'. Let's just call them, well, 'dedicated'.

Both of the podcasts sound like friends, sitting in a pub or living room, discussing the race.A discussion that is slightly too informed for me to join in with, but very interesting indeed.

In 2013 the USA will be hosting a race in Texas. The work started on the track a while back, but Formula 1 is about money, not being polite, or equal, but cold hard cash. They were waiting for the dosh to be on the table to tell the world that F1 would grace The Lone-star State with their presence.

Recently, Todd,  the main culprit (!) from Formula1blog.com has started writing for the Huffington Post in the UK and his writing is very interesting indeed. I highly suggest you pop over there and give it a look, I know I'll be following it very closely.


kthanxbai!

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Johnny Cash - We'll Meet Again

Without doubt Mr. Johnny Cash was one of his generation's greatest country singers. Classics such as Fulsom Prison Blues, Ring of Fire and Walk The Line as well as A Boy Named Sue - make us all tap our feet.



Johnny Cash (Image via RottenTomatoes.com)



His video (below) of Hurt, has over 35 million hits on YouTube. Astonishing!






And when you realise that his career took off with 'Ring of Fire' back in the old days of black and white TV!





I was listening to Mr J Cash on Grooveshark at work and after 2 hours of music I knew, I heard words that I recognised, but not in the way Johnny was singing them.

The original that I recognised -




And Mr Cash's version;





Which do you prefer?


 kthanxbai!

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Amnesty International calls to arrest leaders of Hamas

Yeah - I wish!

Over at Elder of Ziyon there is a very interesting article about Amnesty International and their 'original' and ;unique' way of looking at terrorism and murder.

Amnesty urges Canada to arrest and prosecute George W. Bush

From Amnesty International:

12 October 2011
Amnesty International today urged Canadian authorities to arrest and either prosecute or extradite former US President George W. Bush for his role in torture, ahead of his expected visit to Canada on 20 October.

“Canada is required by its international obligations to arrest and prosecute former President Bush given his responsibility for crimes under international law including torture,” said Susan Lee, Americas Director at Amnesty International. Image via Wikipedia

“As the US authorities have, so far, failed to bring former President Bush to justice, the international community must step in. A failure by Canada to take action during his visit would violate the UN Convention against Torture and demonstrate contempt for fundamental human rights.”

A failure by Canada to arrest former President Bush demonstrates contempt for human rights?

Image via Wikipedia I have never seen Amnesty urge any Western nation to arrest Mahmoud Abbas, whose Palestinian Authority has been found to - surprise! - torture prisoners. Similarly, I cannot find any Amnesty calls to arrest leaders of Hamas or other terror groups. (Egypt, for example, is a signatory to the Convention Against Torture and Amnesty did not urge Egypt to arrest any Palestinian Arab terrorist or political leader responsible for torture when they are in its territory.)

Amnesty, it will be remembered, has defended a supporter of the Taliban as a "human rights defender" and suspended an employee who disagreed.

If anyone needed any more evidence of the twisted priorities of Amnesty International, this pretty much seals the deal.

kthanxbai!

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It Takes A Big Pair

When life hands you lemons we tend to moan a bit, complain to friends and family, and get on with things.

This guy steps it up a notch and really lives his life.



Well done young man!!



kthanxbai

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A rather sad and tragic article about our troops 'over there'.

It's not about innocence lost or about becoming men - it's about the truth behind the recruiting poster. And I guess, the truth behind the politics.

Upper Gereshk: The Helmand plan meets tough reality

By John CantlieGereshk Valley, Helmand

After 10 years in Afghanistan, foreign troops can claim successes in the notorious province of Helmand - but a vicious guerrilla war still rages in the Upper Gereshk valley, which US marines are in the process of handing back to British forces.

It has only just turned 07:00 and it's already pushing 35C (95F). The three litres of warm water you drank at dawn have already soaked into your flak vest.

Image via Wikipedia

The patrol advances slowly, inching through poppy fields like their lives depended on it. Suddenly a massive explosion rips through the air less than 50m behind. The Taliban have booby-trapped the right-hand gate of the compound with a grenade and an IED (improvised explosive device) during the night. By chance we exited by the left gate.

"Well good morning to you, too," grunts a marine.

Tough Reality continued

kthanxbai!

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Sesame Street meets Glee

Glorious and gorgeous!

Glittering Glee and salacious Sesame Street have gathered their group of generic artistes  to generate this generational gap gutting clip.



Yeah, I gsuck at this.

kthanxbai!

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Steve Jobs RIP

It's very sad to hear that Steve Jobs, the creator and leader of Apple Inc., has passed on this evening.

He changed the world for the better, both in the creation of products that make life easier, but also in the way he treated his employees and the company as a whole.

Rest in peace sir.

Apple Success?

Really? No-one in marketing saw the possibilities of the name for the newest iPhone?

Is the latest 'iPhone 4s hit'?

Come on guys!!

Blackadder the Fifth? Me likey!

According to the British tabloid newspaper, The Mirror, the star of the Blackadder series, Rowan Atkinson, has hinted that season 5 might be in the offing.

Image via Wikipedia
The amazingness that was Blackadder combined humour with history and real emotion. The final minutes of the final episode of season four still brings tears to the eyes of grown men (allegedly...)

Recognisable faces in the cast picture include Stephen Fry of QI and everything clever, Tony Robinson from Time Team and of course that nice young chap Hugh Laurie from that medical show you might have heard of, now what's it called? Home? Building? No, I remember - House...

Image via Wikipedia

So a rather large 'huzzah' for bringing back the Blackadder series!! 

kthanxbai!

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Funny Things

You know what I like? Funny things. Yeah, crazy I know but that's just the way I roll.

This particular video made me laugh a heck of a lot!



Whereas this video - well it struck home!



  Enjoy!! kthanxbai!

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So Rosh Hashana is just around the corner so I thought I would share with you a few of the ways my friends and colleagues having been sending wishes around the interwebz;

How to conduct yourself in the synagogue

Dip Your Apple - Fountainheads Rosh Hashanah

The Maccabeats - Book of Good Life (free MP3)!

Have an amazing Rosh Hashana!!

kthanxbai!

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I'm Proud.. Kinda

I say it in my description above and I'm not ashamed of it - I live in Israel.
Image via Wikipedia
The mere fact that I think you might have a problem with me because of where I live actually speaks volumes itself.

And this Australian article really helps to explain it:

Anti-Semitism the real issue that dare not speak its name

A YEAR or two ago, I took a taxi from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv. It was a brilliant sunny day and all around me the hills were green, as we passed a prosperous Arab village, a beautiful kibbutz, a bit of jangled traffic.

The taxi driver was English, an English Jew who had found a better life in Israel - better pay, less anti-Semitism, safer streets, an easy air commute to his daughter in England, but close to other relatives in Israel, and lots and lots of sunshine.

Read more from the article here...

kthanxbai!

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Challafax or Halalifax Canada?

Image by Getty Images via @daylifeJust saw this and thought it was the funniest thing I've seen in a long while.

Image by Mez Love via Flickr

Jon Stewart really is a very funny young chap.

But I wouldn't get him tattooed on my arm though!

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook

kthanxbai!

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Brilliantly smart-ass responses to completely well-meaning signs

The funniest thing about this site? People have actually invested time and energy in coming up with these answers.

LMAO? You betcha!



And the link is here: Brilliantly smart-ass responses to completely well-meaning signs

kthanxbai!

As I sit here listening to the names of those who were murdered on September 11th 10 years ago, being read out by survivors, I think of Frank Bennet Reisman who died that day.

Image via Wikipedia

I had no connection to him in 2001, but since I wrote this article on September 11th, 2009, I have him in my heart. 

Rest in peace, Frank.

kthanxbai

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• New York Marks Moment of Silence, Families Read Names of 9/11 Victims - Fox News (news.google.com)

Queen Google

Blogger has a new interface so for now they're safe. I'm not quite up to moving to Wordpress yet. But the second they muck it up - I'll be soooo gone!

And for your delight and delectation today? Google. Yes Mr. Google and his elves have created quite the splendiferous logo for today's celebrity birthday - Mr. Queen (not Steve Mc - Freddie Mercury).

Which, when clicked, gives the most amazing song and cartoon  dance routine I've seen for a while - here;

kthanxbai!

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Summer 2012 - A Disaster Ahead

With the Middle East in turmoil, Colonel Gaddafi running away, Turkey attacking the Kurds with helicopters and Israel with diplomacy, London's Burning (and not the TV show!) and Greece is about to slide down t bankruptcy, I can already foresee next summer's disaster.

And may God have mercy on our souls.

kthanxbai!

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Are You Crazy?

Its been a while I admit but this got me riled.

Actually pretty annoyed.

And I can hope that it only starts people thinking, both in and out of Europe.





And yes - I was raised in the area of Walthamstow.

kthanxbai!

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Too Much Murder?

Like any red blooded young chap who owns a TV in 2011 I get to see a lot of murders on TV.


There are some great detailed  detective work in some of the amazing shows in the list below, which I have put in order of which ones I am addicted to the most at the beginning;


Sherlock, NCIS, Morse, Justified, Memphis Blue, Frost, The Glades, Bones, Bergerac, CSI, CSI Miami, CSI Hoboken, Taggart, CSI New York, Law + Order, Criminal Minds, The Protector, The Closer, Dexter

Image via Wikipedia

Danny Cohen, who I respect tremendously, in his position of head of BBC1 in the UK, who create a myriad of high class detective shows,  was recently quoted in the Daily telegraph as saying shortly before the latest rush of detective shows hit our screens, there’s simply too much of this crime stuff on the telly. “One of the things I want to do,” Mr Cohen, the network’s youngest-ever controller, explained helpfully, “is to broaden the palette a bit.”

Interesting attitude. Is it for the TV show makers to decide what people see or is it up to the viewing public? Admittedly the most watched shows in the US and UK are not dramas or murder shows but are in fact the talent shows where 'normal people' get to strut their stuff.
Image via Wikipedia

So should we be watching reality murders? Are we already watching too much murder on tv? The infographic below, and more importantly, it's popularity around the world in 2011 as opposed to 2001 - might lean us towards an answer;


The original can be found at www.forensicnursing.org 

kthanxbai!

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Some Great Reads

I like me some Vietnam stories. I don't particularly enjoy the fighting part of it, generally I don't believe half of what I read. I do like reading about the helicopters over there and how these guys went into the breach, time after time.

Image by colincookman via Flickr

There aren't many instances that I can think of where you get to see the same events but through different sets of eyes. Even 9/11 with photographers and videographers and eyewitnesses didn't see things significantly differently.

So I was pleasantly surprised when I stumbled upon 2 books in my personal library (ooh, doesn't that sound fancy?!!) where a pair of slick pilots had flown together, got shot at together and had told the tales differently.Image by javaczuk via Flickr

'Lest We Forget ' by William Meacham is a fantastic read about Huey pilots in The Nam doing a wide variety insane and ridiculous operations to save their buddies on the ground. Meacham was an enlisted man and worked his way up to become an officer which probably explains his rather more rigid and focused views on certain matters within the book.

What blew me away was that he brought W T Grant up to speed when he first arrived in The Nam. W T Grant wrote his book 'Wings of the Eagle' about those first flights and those very hair-raising (aka insane) missions.

Its not just me who is raving about these books, I'm just a few years behind the others!

I strongly suggest you get your hands on one of these books - they are well worth a read. Or two.




kthanxbai!

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Going Full Circle

I've been floating around the interwebz a fair bit this week and the most impressive thing I found for your delight and delectation is exceptionally close to my last posting Piff The Magic Dragon.

But its darned good.

Do you know how he does it?



Answers in the comments below please!

No seriously, I want to know how he does it!!

kthanxbai!

Piff The Magic Dragon

A rather hilarious young magician out to impress Messrs Penn & Teller.



Hat tip to Damn Cool Pictures



 kthanxbai!

I Do Like Me Some Angry Birds

Way back when, (well in mid-May) I mentioned just how much I like the game Angry Birds.

 

 

Angry Birds & Pomplamoose was a favourite post of many people.So here is proof that I am not a complete nutter;

 I guess its not 'proof' as such. It just shows that I'm not alone!

 Oh, and there's a movie coming out too.


 

kthanxbai!

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Simply A Great Ad

As the blurb at the top of the blog says 'Bringing you interesting articles, pictures and views from around the Blogosphere and the Interwebs'.


Probably the best ad I've seen in the past 6 months. Try and work out what product the ad is for before the clip ends.


Enjoy! 



The Exorcist from MrPrice2U on Vimeo.




kthanxbai!

The Good, Bad & Ugly* of long-distance scooter riding

An internet chum of mine just went on a rather amazing 24hr trip. He attempted a 1,000 mile trip in 24 hours. On a scooter.

Here are some quotes:

Image by sigma. via FlickrIt doesn't matter how old you are or how fit you think you are, riding a scooter for 24 hours (or anything close to that long) is physically demanding. The word 'grueling' comes to mind now that I'm on the other side of it.

A good chunk of my ride took me through two of the more inhospitable sections of desert in the world (the Negev and Arava). Twice!

'Nuff said! Read more about it and maybe donate to his cause. I know I will...



kthanxbai!

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Allan McNish

In my last, earth shattering, blog post 'Twitter, iPhones and Fast Cars' which caused furor in the world of... well, nowhere really.

Anyway...

I have always been a fan of motor-sport so it was interesting for me to see this week that 'Le Mans 24 hour' was trending on Google, Twitter and YouTube.

YouTube? Here's why:




At the time of writing, this clip had over 2,400,000 views. Nice.

And the funky thing for me? I've been in touch with Allan McNish in the past, discussing Formula 1 stuff on Twitter.

Weird to see someone you 'know' going through such a crash.

kthanxbai!

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Twitter, iPhones and Fast Cars

I do love me some fast car action.

I have been a fan of Formula 1 for over 25 years (OMG!!) and I can always be tempted to watch some of the feeder formulae too.

There are some great Formula 1 blogs out there. I personally think that Sidepodcast and Formula1blog.com are two of the leading ones. In fact is was Sidepodcast's latest announcement that brought me to write this blog entry.

I follow Formula1blog.com's Todd aka 'Negative Camber' and Grace via my iPhone, and their weekly podcast.

And on Foursquare.

And Twitter.

And I comment on their forums and website.

Sidepodcast have just launched a great App for the iPhone which brings you the latest Formula 1 info as written and read. And they have a seriously awesome SERIES of weekly podcasts. And they have live race coverage. And tweet like crazy.

Image by lukehmuse via Flickr

Hey Toto, we're not in Kansas any more. Waving a flag and wearing a Ferrari top just isn't gonna cut it as a fan. This is some serious technology that's being used here - and all for free (to the end-user) and all created by fans without any advertising or business model.

This surely is the way the world is going. And as always, its the 'little people' with a passion who lead the way.

You heard it here first...


kthanxbai!

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Politics and Music

We all know that Bono and Sir Bob Geldof have changed the face of charity and giving throughout the world.

But what do we do when a band or group we like suddenly takes a stand against what you believe in? Its confusing for me for sure.





Their music seems more hollow to me now. For no other reason, well, none that I can think of.

Thoughts?

kthanxbai!

Blah blah blah

I know I've been talking a bit much about the bloggers who I follow and admire but i just wanted to share these with you as they brightened up my day;

The Breda Fallacy: 

I'm going to go open carry now. And maybe get an ice cream cone.

I mean come on - how cool is that phrase??!!

And then we have Joe, delicate, wouldn't hurt a fly, cute as a fluffy bunny Joe, and his sharing of a 'recipe' email over here - 'Can he Really...' (Well worth a read)

Kristen over at We Are THAT Family has an exceptionally interesting chapter in her family's life going on now. You can kind of guess what by the first line of her latest post; We leave for Kenya, Africa in 5 days. FIVE.


All great people, all just living 'normal' lives and sharing it with us.


I love the blogosphere! 


kthanxbai!

Peace in The Middle East?

A nice idea from Pajama Media.

Its so crazy - it might just work!



kthanxbai!

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More Amazing Bloggers To Follow

I've started a new job recently and as I am now at the computer 25 hours a day I have been somewhat remiss on keeping up with 'mon bloggage'.

I dipped into Google Reader today and stumbled upon 3 insanely different blogs which I regularly read and smile at. What they had to say made me think about who I am, or more specifically, what I read to improve myself.

Here are the blogs;

• The View From North Idaho - Last day at Microsoft
• We are That Family 
• Chopper Chick 
• The Brick Man

And I'd just like to add that Blogger really is beginning to pish me off. I have tried repeatedly to change the font and layout of this and previous posts to no avail.

I am seriously considering moving over to WordPress because of it. What do you think? Good or bad idea?

kthanxbai!