Even if you hate Christmas music, you’re going to love this

Sean Quigley is quite the enterprising young man. An 11th grade student, Quigley arranged and composed this version of Little Drummer Boy, then starred in the video that he also edited and directed.

Oh yes, and he also played all the instruments.

And sang it.

The energy and emotion in this video is really rather surprising, especially for such a young and unknown musician.

Hat tip to TheNextWeb Shareables

kthanxbai!

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Formula 1 - Easy Driving

A friend of mine and I were chatting the other day over a pint of wine... and I found out that he used to be an F1 fan but stopped when he started working on Sundays.

I tried to update him about the goings on in the sport and tried to explain to him just how much more technologically challenging the driver's role is today.

Here are 2 views of how the steering wheel in an F1 car creates challenges for the driver.

kthanxbai!

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Christmas is around the corner!

Yeah - until you saw the title you had forgotten - right?

So here are a few things I want for Christmas, after World Peace and an end to poverty...

kthanxbai!

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Stephen Lynch - funny man

I was just listening to some groovy tunes on grooveshark.com at work. Chilling away as I checked certain aspects of our agency's 65 website. I decided to draw away from my normal diet of Country & Western as I was finding myself dreaming of the wide open plain and riding a horse.

My good chum Daniel Benisty did an amazing cover of Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen;

So I decided to listen to a few more covers of the self same song.

Then I started listening to a refreshing live song. And I giggled, then I laughed, then I had to lift myself off the floor;

Then I started listening to his album, The Craig Machine, and found some real gems -

Enjoy - and drop me a line if you have some funny music I can listen to on my commute.

kthanxbai!

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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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