Ken Block is back

And this time, he’s in an 845hp, custom built 1965 Ford Mustang. It growls. And he’s taking it for a spin around LA.

Set to HD, turn it up loud and enjoy.

I’m no expert on cars, but I can appreciate the beauty of the machine and the skill and the sounds of this hyperbolic, crazy show.
Look past the endless sponsorships, enjoy the tyre smoke and the subtle nod to OJ Simpson. And the Jane’s Addiction track at the end.

Gymkhana Eight needs to be set in Cape Town – can you even imagine?

(h/t El Presidenté)

Trying Serial

Despite my veritable smörgåsbord of podcasts, I’ve found myself a little short of listening material of late. I’m not sure if I’m spending more time listening or more time in the car or even if the podcasts in question are getting shorter.
Maybe it’s a combination of these things, maybe it’s none of them. Like I said, I’m not sure.

Either way, it seems that I am short of podcasts. And that’s something that needs remedying.

Step forward, then, Serial – the podcast that everyone is currently talking about. As far as I can work out, Serial is popular because it’s popular, rather than any other reason right now. It’s very not me, but I’m going to give it a go with an open mind because I’m fed up of downloading crap and then having the choice of either sitting through the crap or not having a podcast on. And I’ve been very careful to not read about what Serial is about, because then I won’t be swayed. There are now eight episodes downloaded onto my phone and there’s a weekend of Cape Agulhas to play them at.

I’ll let you know.

Manx Radio Webcams

A couple of the Manx Radio Webcams have been replaced with new, shiny webcams with better resolution, and it means that the views across Douglas Bay are tugging at my heartstrings with even greater force than previously.

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Yes, it’s grey, cold and stormy, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t want to be (suitably clothed and) wandering along the clifftops there.

There are webcams in Douglas, Peel and up at the Bungalow and you can view them all here.

B’s

A superb weekend, with Braais, Boerewors, Burgers, Beverages, Beagles and Brandy. We partied hard, played hard and we’re already regretting it. Next weekend promises Beaches in addition to all those other things. It also promises to Be a Bit more Beaceful, which is pretty much the same as Peaceful, but fits the narrative of this Blog post.

Context is the natural enemy of the narrative.

And who wants to upset the narrative?

Certainly not me.
Certainly not after this weekend.

I just need my Bed.

John Lewis Monty The Penguin Christmas Ad is… awwww!

After last year’s very pretty, hugely popular, but factually inaccurate, hibernating bear and Lily Allen combo, John Lewis had to work hard to come up with their 2014 Christmas ad. They’ve done well:

That’s Tom Odell on the music, a cover of John Lennon’s Real Love. And it appears that Monty is some sort of tall Fairy Penguin, either that or he’s been popping the growth hormone pills a bit. He might just have tall parents, I suppose.

Well, either that or he’s an Adélie penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae), but then that changes the whole romantic nature of the ad, because Adélie penguins are horrifically violent when it comes to sexual congress.

Either way, it’s another big hit for the UK retail chain and purveyor of really good quality Sony Bluetooth speakers (personal recommendation).

You’re going to love it.