Recently in Videos Category

I discovered Tom Scott's web site recently and, after writing this entry yesterday, thought one of his videos would fit in perfectly. His other work in the Things I've Made section are also worthy of your time.

Enjoy!

Edit: I've now realised that I haven't just discovered him - I knew I knew the name from somewhere. Tom is behind the UK arm of Talk Like A Pirate Day, which I've mentioned before here, here and here (with a broken image). Also, International Talk Like A Pirate Day is on the 19th September and is a Saturday this year.

Via: Tom Scott

As you must know by now, I am a huge follower of Formula One. I started watching the sport in the black year of 1994 during which Ayrton Senna and Roland Ratzenberger died. The injuries caused to them forced the sport to introduce various safety measures over a period of time, the overall shape, styling and safety of the cars now are a world away from how they were 15 years ago, as you can see below. Focus especially on the area around the cockpit and the driver's head.

However, despite all the safety improvements, accidents can still happen. Henry Surtees was killed a few weeks ago when he was hit on the head by a stray wheel from an accident, and Felipe Massa was injured when a spring left Rubens Barrichello's car ahead of him on the circuit. This BBC video excellently explains what happened and shows just how far the sport has come.

Freak accidents will always happen in Formula One, and in any motor sport. The key thing is what is taken away from them, what is learnt. The sport took many lessons from 1994, let's hope it can learn from these two incidents.

Now then, in less than three years time, London will begin its hosting of the 2012 Olympic Games. It might be a little bit rubbish compared to the well prepared and astonishingly brilliant Chinese games of last year, but let's face it; it's the only chance in my lifetime that such an important worldwide event will happen in this country. We may be chosen to host the Football World Cup in the future and we already have been chosen to host the 2015 Rugby World Cup with come matches being played at Elland Road which I can see from my house! However, the Olympics is the biggest event in the sporting calendar for so many more people.

The official 2012 site is an every changing beast and I haven't spent a massive amount of time looking at it recently. However, I had a quick glance today and came across the webcam section. There are 18 cameras spread across the building sites and they take single images every hour. These images are stored and can be put together to create a wonderful time slip film.

My favourite is the aquatics centre which will have a 2,800-tonne wave-shaped roof. (The Beijing colour changing aquatics centre was one of the most beautiful sights of the last Olympics, however...)

Take a look. Things are quietly coming together.

I adore comedian, musician and wizard-a-like Bill Bailey and so found this brief interview with him a lovely insight into what makes him tick.

With the challenge of guaranteeing a laugh a minute, comedian Bill Bailey tells the BBC's Matthew Stadlen about music, the joys of foamed milk, his mastery of languages and a love of wildlife.

I found the audio to be a little quiet though so be ready to strain your ears.

Link (will open in a new window): Five Minutes With Bill Bailey

Via: BBC News.

This year's Monaco Formula One Grand Prix will mark 70 years since the first race was held in the principality.

For all the changes that have occurred over the decades, however, there will still be lunatics driving cars much faster than you can ever hope for.

Here are two clips of old races in Monte Carlo from 1929 and 1955. Just fabulous.

The Simpsons have changed their opening title sequence for the first time since 1989. And it was well overdue. I really like it.

Now, as you may or may not know, I adore Formula One. I visited the British Grand Prix at Silverstone in 2004 and thoroughly enjoyed myself.

Silverstone has hosted the race regularly since the start of the F1 championship in 1950 and every year since 1987; it alternated with Brands Hatch between 1964 and 1986, and with Aintree between 1955 and 1962.

However, it was announced on 4th July 2008 that Donington Park will be the host to the British Grand Prix for 10 years from 2010.

At first glance, given the geography of our country, I should be delighted by this as it makes it more accessible for me. But the sheer amount of history that has taken place at Silverstone, its wonderful layout and passion that it fills people with will be missed.

Work has begun to alter Donington; £100 million worth of revamp is taking place:

• The pit lane will be moved from its current location to what is presently the Starkey's Straight, with a brand new paddock constructed on the inside of the track at this point and Coppice corner being reprofiled to accommodate the new pit entry.


• The realignment of the straight means that the current Esses will be replaced by a slight left-hand kink, with the Melbourne Hairpin instead becoming the circuit's first corner.


• The track will also be extended, with a new infield loop constructed. Rather than taking the current left-hand hairpin at the end of the Melbourne Loop, the revised circuit will continue straight on into a sweeping downhill left-hand bend and then a new hairpin, before climbing back towards the current pits straight.

Yesterday, the BBC released a simulation of the new circuit created on the racing game, rFactor. It looks like an old-style 'proper' circuit - not a Mickey Mouse one like Singapore, or Bahrain. One that fits into the traditional European view of what a racing track should look like.

You can view the BBC video here.

Time will tell if the alterations take away the character of Doninigton, or whether moving the British Grand Prix can save the famous name in the long run. But Britain, along with Monaco, Italy and France deserve a Formula One race to preserve the heritage of the World Championship, and it doesn't matter whether it is held at a slightly run down, weather worn place or a brand spanking new establishment. It matters that it can produce some good racing. Silverstone has delivered that in spades over the years; can the new Donington do the same?

I came across this site today, showing what I assume to be a promotional video for a snowmobile type machine from 1926. Just what we need in Leeds right now!

The design is a work of pure genius.

Enjoy!

Original link: www.liveleak.com/view?i=568_1233111054

The New Standards are an American group built up of John Munson (Trip Shakespeare and Semisonic), Chan Poling (The Suburbs) and Steve Roehm (Billygoat, Electropolis).

They are a trio of bass, piano and vibraphone - which sounds like it shouldn't work, but my God it does!

They've been around a good while, since 2005, and perform their favourite songs in their own style - a sort of jazzy, rock soul thing.

Their albums, The New Standards and Rock and Roll, are totally fabulous and well worth a listen to. Some tracks are available to hear on their site (linkage). Stand outs are their arrangements of Hey Ya by Outkast and Britney Spear's Toxic.

Below is a YouTube video of The New Standards playing Trip Shakespeare's Snow Days at their 3rd Annual Holiday Show at The Fitzgerald Theater 2008.

Beyond excellent.

Quite funny guy called Demetri Martin, although I don't get the guitar. Contains some strong language and takes up 14 minutes of your life.

[via AndrewTatham.com]