I’m going away for a while. Posts will continue on here, as they always do when I go away for a while.
I would hate to leave you hanging.
In the meantime, normal (work) life continues without me. And it goes a little something like this:
I’m just at that first red peak, descending happily into the yellow zone at the moment.
Which explains why this post is so very brief.
Reading FC, Berkshire’s biggest football club, announced Dutch ex-defender Jaap Stam as their new manager yesterday.
There was a press conference, as there always is.
Filming was done, as it always is; photos were taken, as they always are.
This is my favourite:
Well shot, Vagner Vidal. Well shot.
The only partially hidden logo is that of Reading’s chief sponsor, Thai energy drink company, Carabao. They’re quite an interesting lot:
In Thailand, home of the world’s leading energy drinks, this type of beverage was made to provide replenishment for lost energy. Carabao adheres to these basic principles and has therefore positioned itself as an energy drink for those who need replenishment.
Good plan.
Carabao’s position is based on the philosophy of its founding partner, Mr. Aed Carabao. Aed Carabao is a popular folk singer in Thailand who the vast majority of Thais regard as “The voice of the people”
The outspoken Aed Carabao, who Carabao Energy Drink is named after, started his movement in 1976 by creating emotionally gripping songs titled “Songs for Life“. Fame and popularity have not undermined the singer’s grassroots spirit. Understanding the hearts of his fellow men, Aed Carabao is always there to sing and speak up for the people.
Right. And if you thought that Mr. Aed Carabao was interesting, you shouldn’t overlook the drinks brand’s other founding partner “remarkable entrepreneur” Sathien Setthasit. He saw a gap in the Thai-German microbrewery market and went for it:
The first Tawandang German Brewery was launched in 1999 from an initiative to create the first Thai-German microbrewery in Bangkok that served original German beer with Thai food.
Niche.
But the rest, as they say, is history.
Here’s a question from the cookbook king:
Yes. Yes, they did.
And, what’s more:
South Africa were a major disappointment under new coach Allister Coetzee and new captain Adriaan Strauss, looking lethargic for much of the game, but Ireland cared little as captain Rory Best hailed his side’s “massive physical performance”.
Awkward.
Have you maybe tried some bread?
Here’s a HUGE satellite image of southern Africa, taken by NASA last week as the cold front swept over us:
It looks ok at this sort of size, but you’d be foolish not to go and have a play on the original version here – merely to see if you can spot your place of residence.
If it’s in Cape Town, though, that seems unlikely. Because cloud.
That’s the average speed in miles per hour of Northern Ireland’s Michael Dunlop as he obliterated the previous lap record around the Isle of Man TT course earlier this week.
Such is the enormity of this achievement that the organisers have decided to publicly share that lap of the usually hugely copyright-bound racing. It makes for some scary, but compulsive viewing.
Do yourself a favour and find 17 minutes to watch this.
Length of circuit:
37.733 miles (60.725 km)
Lap record:
16 minutes 58.254 seconds
= average speed of 133.393 mph (214.675 km/h)
Absolutely mental!