A Grand Prix grumble: Having just watched the Malaysian Grand Prix I am now going into full 'grumpy-old-man-it-was-all-much-better-back-in-my-day' mode. You may be surprised that a man such as myself who has never, not even in my youth, taken the slightest interest in motor cars, should actually be somewhat taken with Grand Prix motor racing. But once, back in a previous life - I have several of those indicating a less than straightforward career path! - I attended several Grand Prix in my capacity as the boss of a Transit van towing a trailer on which sat a BRM racing car once driven by Jackie Stewart. Yardley, the fragrances company, had decided to move into the men's market with aftershaves and all that other ghastly, smelly stuff blokes splash on all over, and our job was to visit nearby cities in Europe and dish out leaflets and free samples before going to the track on Sunday. Of course, there have been huge changes in Formula One racing since those days -the ancient name of BRM will give you a clue as to how long ago it was - but one change stands far and away above all others - these days no-one is killed! Obviously this is 'A Good Thing' but the fact is that in some indefinable way it has taken an essential element out of the sport - a bit like drinking a dry martini without any gin. I tried to remember all the names of the drivers who died during the few years when I was a dedicated fan of the sport but I simply can't recall them all, well over a dozen, anyway. I'm glad they don't die any more but today it has become all too controlled and managed with pit-line bosses telling drivers how to drive. I'd like to have seen them trying to tell Graham Hill that!
I'm shocked Shocked is shocked! Even by my convoluted standards that heading is a corker of elliptical complexity, particularly if, like me, you have never heard of Ms. Michelle Shocked. This lady is, or was, the doyen of Left-wing idols 'over there' whose career was helped enormously by photos of her being arrested at various, er, 'right on' demos beloved of the American Left. But alas, Ms. Shocked opened her mouth and instead of squawking one of her tedious songs (no, I've never heard her sing but I just know these things, trust me!) she provided her audience with her opinion of gay marriage ending her mini-rant, according to The American Spectator, thus:
The folk-rock singer then joked, “If someone would be so gracious as to please tweet out ‘Michelle Shocked just said from stage: God hates faggots.’”
Cue the instant cancellation of the remainder of her tour. I'm shocked, I tell you, shocked!
Oil on troubled American waters: This brief report via Bloomberg contains some seriously good news:
U.S. crude oil production in the fourth quarter will exceed imports for the first time since 1995, as booming fields in North Dakota and Texas put the nation on track to surpass a quarter-century output record.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration, the research arm of the Energy
Department, said domestic crude production will be 2 million barrels a day
higher than imports at the end of 2014, as oil from outside the U.S. is forecast
to drop late in that year.
“This projected change is primarily because of rising domestic crude oil production, particularly from shale and other tight rock formations in North Dakota and Texas,” the agency said in a “Today in Energy” note posted on its website.
Two thoughts occur: First, will Obama in his blunderingly stupid, anti-oil way contrive to turn the spigots off; and second, when will 'Dim Dave' drop his green trousers, bend over and take his punishment for spending zillions on utterly useless windmills instead of driving ahead with shale oil exploitation in the UK? Jest askin'!
Kerry is a Klot: Sorry, can't avoid corny alliteration, I mean 'clot', of course, and a potentially dangerous one at that. According to Jonathan S. Tobin at Commentary, Obama seems to have aquired some slight understanding of 'the bleedin' obvious' when it comes to the absolutely non-existent chance of an Israeli/Palestinian peace deal anytime in what looks like the next millenium! However, John Kerry, the new Secretary of State, is hell bent on writing his name in the history books for something other than telling 'porkies' about his service in Vietnam. The man sounds deluded and, given the nature of his 'jarb', downright dangerous, too!
