Dario Franchitti - Why I Quit Racing

I'm a big racing fan. Any sport where there is serious risk every time you go out there, that's what I love. IndyCar is dangerous, in the same way as Formula 1, MotoGP and other sports where you reach speeds over 100 km/h on the warm-up lap!

One of the biggest stars in the motorsports world has definitely been Dario Franchitti. The IndyCar Series Champion in 2007, 2009, 2010 and 2011 he also won the Indianapolis 500 in 2007, 2010 and 2012. This guy knows how to race. This guy knows how to win too.

So why did he quit getting into a car back in 2013? After a massive crash he was told by doctors that he should just walk away from it.

As he says himself:

It wasn’t some big dramatic scene. I wasn’t devastated or anything. Besides, my sole focus was on getting better. I just wanted to be able to live my life normally again.

An awesome chap. Not too many people can be that cold and calculating. He'd been racing since the early 80's and, as he states in a recent interview, his parents remortgaged the house to get him through his first year in karting.

Jackie Stewart was key in helping him further his career, and Dario recollects his first meeting with Jackie:

"He was brilliant though. He put me at ease completely. We were doing a Christmas quiz, all the team, and one of the questions was about Stirling Moss. Jackie opened his suit pocket, pulled out his phone, flipped it down [and called Stirling] to double-check the answer. I thought to myself: 'Wow. This is the big time. Holy smokes.'" 

I can only hope that future drivers can be as magnanimous and gentlemanly as Dario.

kthanxbai!

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An Eclectic Music Mix

I'm not some 'gangsta' who wears his baseball cap back-to-front, nor do I know the different hand signals that the 'youf of today' show each other.

I do, however, know what music I like, and to complicate matters, not only do I like Elvis, Jonny Cash, Pomplamoose and Robbie Williams, but also Katy Perry, The Streets and One Republic.

An eclectic mix to say the least!

I recently heard again a great artist who is not as well known as those listed above;

Dan le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip.

No, I do not know why he is called that. I do know that he is a talented young man who has the ability to go far, and change many lives.

This is one of his hits from 2009;



Then there's this little beauty from 2008:



So, whats the difference in his music to all others? He seems to be honest, he seems to know what he is talking about, he seems to be talking to the world as a whole - and that's where he got me.

Oh, and YouTube in it's brilliance guided me to also watch this video, which I also liked a lot;




kthanxbai!

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Snooker Isn't Boring

Snooker is a funny old game. Unlike footballers or IronMen, you really don't need to be at the peak of fitness or cardiologically super. You just need to be able to use a stick to hit one ball against another.

Except, as with so many sports, an elegance and law of warfare has evolved in the sport.

If you don't know what 'Snooker' is, here are the basics:

A cue sport played on a baize covered table measuring  11 ft 81⁄2 in × 5 ft 10 in (3569 mm x 1778 mm), commonly referred to as 12 × 6 ft.

The game is played using a cue and 22 snooker balls: one white cue ball, 15 red balls worth one point each, and six balls of different colours: yellow (2 points), green (3), brown (4), blue (5), pink (6) and black (7).

The red balls are initially placed in a triangular formation, and the other coloured balls on marked positions on the table known as "spots".

The balls are then potted in order of points, one red, one colour, one red, another colour ball and so on.

Invented in India by British Army officers, it is popular in many of the English-speaking and Commonwealth countries, with top professional players attaining multi-million-pound career earnings from the game. The premier tournament in snooker is the World Championship, held annually in Sheffield, England.

The real beauty of the game can be seen here in this awesome video that had me clapping, gasping and smiling.

Enjoy!



kthanxbai!

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Turtle, E, Vince, Drama and Ari are back

You think I'm kidding? The TV show hat was pretty good no whas a movie coming out.

Entourage is back baby!!

Admittedly, it might be because none of the actors here have been in anything noteworthy since the show ended, but hey, maybe they've been in theatre. Or opera. Or advertisements. I just never saw them....



And here's another trailer for your delectation and delight:



kthanxbai!

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Video of Exhausted Soldier Who Refuses to Give Up Goes Viral

Its the end of a tough 12 mile road march. The finish line is in site but your legs just can't take you that last 100 feet.

There is a lot at stake. You've passed the other sections of the Expert Field Medical Badge; the written tests, the day and night land navigation courses, triage of casualties, perform basic first aid as well as more complex medical evacuation tasks. Then there are the Warrior Skills Tasks and the Communication Tasks.

The washout rate is 81% which puts fire in your guts to get it done. But it also allows that doubt to creep in and say that it ain't no big deal if you quit.

But you don't.




And thats what makes you different from the rest, and allows you to wear that badge with honor.


kthanxbai!

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Monty and Python Are Back

George, Ringo and Mike are back in a weekly sitcom all about 2 love-torn lovers who.... wait, wait, wait, wait

Terry, Micheal, John, Eric and the other Terry are reuniting to do a live stage performance of some of their best skits.

'Monty Python Live' was their previous stage show that ran in the The O₂ in London in July 2014, of which, the DVD is dedicated to Robin Williams.

So what can we expect of the troupe who hit the headlines in the 60's and 70's with their cutting edge humour and funny walks?



They seem very chummy, considering how long it has been since they appeared together last:



Sadly the Today Show seem to have no clue what they have in store when they have 5 Pythons in one room.



kthanxbai!

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New Music Evolving

My big thing recently, apart from the family and work, of course, is music at work.

I sit in an awesome office with some of the nicest chaps on the planet, but sometimes I just need to crawl into my own headspace and think.

YouTube is an upcoming platform for music (but I digress)  as is SoundCloud and Grooveshark. Facebook is one of the more unusual places I've gotten latched onto a new singer, and in this instance at least, I am very happy I did. as it led on to another talent and then another!

My first surprise was when Garbage (left), a band I have always loved, posted a video on facebook of Kawehi covering one of their classics. I had to listen and was impressed:



After I had listened to it a few times I let it play in the background and then it led to another awesome artiste, KHS:



So whats next?

I'll keep you updated, unless, of course you have some music for me to listen to! Post it in the comments...

kthanxbai!

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There's A New Kid In Town

Monty Python, Benny Hill, The Two Ronnies and Tommy Cooper are all great British comedy acts. Today we have international super stars such as Ricky Gervais, Eddy Izzard and of course, Craig Ferguson.

Yes, I am a big Craig Ferguson fan-boy. His books are amazing. His 'to-camera' pieces are heartfelt and awesome in their logic, and he seems to be just a nice man! So when it was announced that he was going to stand down from his nightly I felt very sorry for whomsoever was going to fill his shoes.

Let me get this straight right now, Craig is exceptionally talented, and it's not just me who thinks so Robin Williams, of blessed memory, thought he was astounding too


Who to choose? So much talent out there!

The key person must be an up and coming comedian who has guts, can be funny in person, yet can lead a team of writers, producers and the audience, into a funny place, and stay there every night of the week.

There are not many people out there who could do that: Jerry Seinfeld, Ray Romano, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler. These are people who have already proved themselves in one way and another, so they're not hungry any more. And even if they are hungry Jon Stewart is in need of a replacement soon!

The network turned to the UK and found a very funny, very young man, who, it seems, is highly capable:




It looks to me that Tom Hanks likes him too.

This James Corden is a keeper!


kthanxbai! Jumblerant

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SkyMall is dead. Long live Skymall

To misquote the late, great, Mark Twain "The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated". 

Happily this isn't in connection to me, but about the beloved and adored, if not respected, SkyMall catalogue.

Whenever I have gotten onto an internal flight in the beautiful US of A, I have always searched for the SkyMall catalogue. It fills me with wonder at the ludicrousness of the items in it. 

Do you want a Bigfoot garden ornament? They have it.

Or a glow in the dark toilet seat? They have it.

Whats that? I didn't quite hear you. You want a Bigfoot garden ornament for Christmas? They have it.

In light of all of the above, do you know anyone who would appreciate, let alone pay for, an Armadillo Beverage Holder? Well, they've got that too.

Thanks SkyMall. 

http://www.skymall.com/

You rock. 

kthanxbai!

Jumblerant

Star Wars or Star Trek?

'And yea, for the internet was created. Thusly the Geeks and the Nerds did celebrate. And they asked, forsooth, one timeless question; Star Wars or Star Trek?'

Its the age-old question that still needs answering! So where can we get answers? We can go to Wikipedia, the place where all answers are stored, with the page 'Comparison of Star Trek and Star Wars', or if the World's Encyclopedia doesn't give you the answer, we can go to Business Insider, and their article about why supremacy goes to Star Wars.

Still not satisfied? Gizmodo.com has a great article about the different warring abilities of each side. I think the real answer is actually in each of us, and that is where Science Fiction wins!

Some awesome fan fiction video footage that sheds a visual light on the argument:



Personally, I'm off to read MHI another time, its may not be Star Wars or Star Trek related, but it is awesomeness in print.


kthanxbai!

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Hi-Tech and Not So Hi-Tech

A wearable defensive exoskeleton is the stuff of science fiction in some of our greatest stories. These garments are as varied as Batman's cape, King Arthur's armour and Iron Man's... well, whatever it is he wears.

So why can't our brave soldiers have such awesomeness when they go into battle? Now they can:



And then we have the sad demise of Radio Shack. A store I frequented even though I have never lived in America!

John Oliver, a fellow Brit, has an interesting view on how the fall of such a great company has been taken by the American media. NSFW!!



And then, after all this technology, a man flies from up on high and lands without a parachute. Exceptionally low-tech...



kthanxbai!

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Cody Lovaas - Still A Rising Star

A while back I wrote about the very talented Cody Lovaas, and that he was a rising star. After last weeks post about music stars of today having a decent head on their shoulders, I decided to look him up on YouTube.

His new, original songs seem to be as good as anything else out there, if not better, so I am surprised that he isn't getting more attention:







What do you think?


kthanxbai!

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I'm No Rocket Surgeon

Kids today don't know how good they have it;

They do get some things though, and I'm impressed to see that their cynicism against the fashion and advertising industries is more than a flash in the pan.

Colbie Caillat - Try, 38,350,678 views on YouTube



And of course, All About That Bass - 'every inch of you is perfect from the bottom to the top'



Meghan Trainor, All About The Bass 567,890,447 views on YouTube.

Yes,

Half a BILLION views. Her message is definitely getting across.

kthanxbai!

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Super Bowl 2015 Lip Sync

The Super Bowl is over and we each have our own feelings about who on, and how they won. To me, nothing sums up the Big Game better than this awesome lip sync battle.

Will Ferrell is wearing the required slouch-on-a-couch wear whilst Kevin Hart is still casual, but respectful in jeans and a t-shirt. Jimmy Fallon, as a true elder statesman of late night TV, is wearing a suit.

With a mere 185,000 views so far, I'm happy to sit back and watch it go sky-high.





And then there is this little gem of an advertisement. A call to 'wham bam thank you dam' all the dams in America.

Weird, but interesting nonetheless:



Oh, and if you want to see a lip sync fail of somewhat epic proportions, please allow me to introduce to you, Ms M Carey:



kthanxbai!

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I Don't believe in Coincidence

I smiled when I saw the title of this youtube film and then smiled a lot more when I got to see the whole thing:



So that was fine, and I nearly moved on to other pointless things, when i saw this cartoon in my inbox:

Which made me think that there was a sign out there for me to share it with you all.



kthanxbai!

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Happy New Year, 2015

Well it is finally here, 2015 has touched down, so as we always do, lets look back to see what happened in the past on 1st January...

[Cue swirly background and hippy music from the '60s. Then realise that 1985 was but 30 years ago and realise just how old you are...]

January 1st 1892, the immigration station on Ellis Island in New York Harbor opened. The gateway to the United States for so many millions of hopeful immigrants, this would be the first landfall for the immigrants from wars in Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

January 1st 1985, the UK's first phone call from a mobile phone.

Michael Harrison, the son of Vodafone's first chairmen Ernest, nipped out from a New Year's Eve party to make the historic call, using the mother of all bricks: the Transportable Vodafone VT1.

January 1st 2003, Joe Foss, the leading fighter ace of the US Marine Corps in WWII passed away. 

Mr Foss was a 1943 recipient of the Medal of Honor, recognizing his role in the air combat during the Guadalcanal Campaign. 

In October 1942, VMF-121 pilots and aircraft were sent to Guadalcanal as part of Operation Watchtower to relieve VMF-223, which had been fighting for control of the air over the island since mid-August.

On October 9, Foss and his group were catapult launched off the USS Copahee escort carrier and flew 350 miles north to reach Guadalcanal.

The air group, code named "Cactus", based at Henderson Field became known as the Cactus Air Force, and their presence played a pivotal role in the Battle of Guadalcanal.
Foss soon gained a reputation for aggressive close-in fighter tactics and uncanny gunnery skills. 

Foss shot down a Japanese Zero on his first combat mission on October 13, but his own F4F Wildcat was shot up as well, and with a dead engine and three more Zeros on his tail, he landed at full speed, with no flaps and minimal control on the American-held runway at Guadalcanal, barely missing a grove of palm trees.

On 7 November his Wildcat was again hit, and he survived a ditching in the sea off the island of Malaita. 

In postwar years, he achieved fame as a General in the Air National Guard, the 20th Governor of South Dakota, President of the National Rifle Association, and the first commissioner of the American Football League, as well as a television broadcaster.

What I find truly amazing about Mr Foss, is that he was a decorated fighter pilot who shot down 26 enemy aircraft. His name became folklore in wartime USA and still, all of his decorations when put together come to this;

So whenever you see someone strutting around your local mall or high street wearing much, much more than this, be aware that there is the faintest possibility that they are fakers - stolen valor merchants.

kthanxbai!

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New Star Wars Film - Teaser Trailer Part 2

You think I'm crazy? Its a trailer for crying out loud! How many minutes in our lives can be dedicated to the new Star Wars Film trailer?

Oh my Padwan, have so much to learn, you do:

Stephen Colbert




This Star Wars fan has already inked one of the new characters onto their leg, forever

And then there is of course, the reaction to the new lightsabre:

kthanxbai! Jumblerant

Gangnam Style Breaks YouTube

You may have noticed that I have been a tad heavy on the posting of videos recently, and no, that is not going to change in the near future! In fact, as I was scrolling through my Google+ account today I stumbled across something that I found very interesting.

Gangnam Style by PSY has the highest number of views of any YouTube video. Ever.

So many views, in fact, that Google had to rewrite the code for the YouTube counter!

Whilst they rewrote the code they also put in a fun little 'doohickey' that spins the number like a one-armed bandit.

So Gangnam Style now has..... wait for it.... 2,151,949,101 views. 

Yes. 2 BILLION views and counting. 

That is literally phone number numbers where I come from.

Here is the video in case you want to go and check it out yourself;

kthanxbai!

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New Star Wars Film - Teaser Trailer

Those of us  born in the late 60's and early 70's will no doubt remember the 'original' star wars series of 3 films with Mark Hamill, Sir Alec Guinness and that little known actor, Harrison Ford.

After many 'interesting' versions of what went before such as the sadly unforgettable Jaja Binks or the exceptionally appalling acting by Hayden Christenson as Darth Vader, we are apparently into a new generation AFTER Star Wars IV - VI.

Here is the UK trailer;



So here are some comments from friends of mine on Facebook, regarding the trailer:

LP: Just watched the new Star Wars trailer. Got a little over excited and wet myself.

AS: IT'S HERE!!!!!!!!!

HR: MIND EXPLODING I AM A CHILD.





It's nice to have a major film launch that isn't out to sell itself, but let's the audience do that to itself!

If you want a break down of the trailer and what we can assume or learn from it, look at what Empire magazine has written about the teaser trailer or what io9.com call A Shot for Shot Dissection

Here is the Lego stop motion option, with added, humourous subtitles:



Let me be the first to state categorically that I am sure there will be people sleeping outside cinemas soon for the release of the film itself, in December.

2015.

kthanxbai!

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Longmire Lives!

Longmire, the modern-day cowboy film that was A&E's second most popular show last year (after Duck Dynasty), is going to have a new lease of life under the most auspicious of hosts, Netflix.

I doubt very much that anything I wrote had anything to do with it, but hey, I can dream!

Netflix, by the way, now have at least one new customer - moi - who will be paying a lot of attention to whatever adverts Netflix puts my way.



According to Engadget.com:

"the show's demographic is much older than most A&E shows, but Longmire had the highest viewership of any scripted series on the channel. If you aren't familiar, the plot centers around rural Wyoming sheriff Walt Longmire and his crime-fighting chronicles based on the novels of Craig Johnson -- including a series-spanning search for his wife's killer. The set of new episodes will air in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand when they stream next year."

So I'm getting old I guess...

kthanxbai!

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Man Kills His Girlfriend

Its the age old story; boy meets girl, girl likes boy, they start going out against their parents wishes, girl jilts boy, boy savagely murders the girl and hides the corpse.

So whats the story here? Why do we care? Quite simply, because it just doesn't add up.

From those amazing chaps at NPR who brought us This American Life, we have a new show, a weekly updated serial, called Serial, that instead of being a self contained hour of interesting stuff, continues from week to week.

In my mind, this is in the finest traditions of story-telling, going back to Chaucer's tales which flowed into one and another, or to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes, where there was one chapter a month in a magazine. Books could, and did, go on for years!

In 'Serial' Sarah Koenig reports on different aspects of the murder, the way the case was handled, the things that were missing from the trial and tries to jog peoples' memories, 15 years after the fact.

It truly is an interesting series and one that I cannot recommend highly enough.

As always there are those who would try to take away from the hard work, and they are quite funny too! Why not make up your own mind by downloading the series so far here and listening to it on your non-brand MP3 player?

You can also see maps, letters and photos of the story so far - here.

kthanxbai!

Jumblerant

Post publish prose: Further reading about the Serial serial can be found here on Mentalfloss and on Mashable

Life-changing Technology

Just looking around my desk at work I have my iPhone charging, my laptop charging whilst running on 3 screens, my Pebble smart watch charging and of course, my cappuccino which is recharging me!

Where is technology taking us? Nobody knows. Some claim to know but even they can be exceptionally wrong so here is a variety of people's uses of modern technology. FOr what they want to use it for;

Google Glass everyday use:



The amazing new uses for GoPro cameras:



And of course - my last blog post, below, about how plastic technology is slowly choking the planet to death - you know, to keep this light and fun...

kthanxbai!

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