THEY DON'T MAKE THEM LIKE THAT ANYMORE!

They sure do not make things like they used to! As a youngster I would hear older folks say that and I would swear to myself I would never become "that old guy" but of course we all do in the end. Case in point; car design where, for the most part, these days they all look like they come out of the same mold because of the constant drive for cars designed by computers with ever better aerodynamics in order to get the best gas mileage.

That was not always the case of course, aesthetics took more prominence in a far greater number of design decisions in times gone past, and the Arrowhead car seen below certainly demonstrates that.

Designed in 1936 by W. E. Miller for Arrowhead Water and featuring a striking teardrop shape, round and wide in the front tapering to a point at the back, that was aimed at promoting the company's product by calling to mind a drop of water thus meeting the primary requirement of a marketing vehicle by providing a strong visual connection to the product being marketed.

According to Hemmings.com the vehicle was a great success but lasted only a single year as it was completely destroyed in a wreck in 1937.


Photo from the Pop Culture & Nostalgia Facebook page

PODRIDE - A BICYCLE/CAR CROSS-BREED

Mikael Kjellman's home grown means of transport, the Podride, is a rather quirky but kind of cool bicycle/car cross-breed.

BOSCH PARADE 2016

The annual Bosch Parade in the Netherlands is a water based parade of floats designed by professional artists and designers who collaborate with choreographers, composers, directors and a large number of volunteers named in honor of the 15th century Dutch painter Hieronymus Bosch.

JALAL'S 2016 PRANK COMPILATION

It seems that the Jalal brothers video pranks have caused some controversy along the way. They are of course "set ups"; I am surprised anyone would have thought otherwise but there are news stories of the brothers having problems with the authorities [this one among many].

As is almost always the case these days, in my opinion, those in authority are not able to get their priorities right, are ruled by the need for "political correctness" and are totally unable to accept a little harmless fun. At least that is how I see it; make up your own mind based on the sample video below or others on the brothers Youtube Channel.

SO JUST WHERE DO I GET THE PREFERENCES FILE FROM?

As some of you know I work in IT. It has been some time since I did any direct support but I do recall the fun days when I carried a pager and took Helpdesk tickets at all hours.

A quick web search will reveal hundreds of funny photos and stories related to IT support. It might be a bit of a "niche" area, perhaps mainly of interest to IT folks but I came across this the other day and now all I can think of is "Where in the heck can I download the Preferences File from?". It would clearly make solving computer problems a whole heck of a lot easier!

LIGHTNING STRIKES IN AMAZING SUPER SLOW MOTION

This amazing and beautiful video shows lightning recorded during a recent Florida storm. The footage is recorded on a high tech camera at 7000 fps and play back is 700 fps. The awesome power of nature in all its glory!

I'M HAVING A ROUND HAIR DAY!

PERSEVERANCE - A MOTIVATIONAL MESSAGE

We have all seen the motivational posters that have become an iconic part of the workplace. Do they actually work? Who knows?

Recently I was interviewing to fill a staff position and one character trait I look for is perseverance; the tenacity to go after it even in the face of difficulty and challenge. That character trait popped into my mind as I was watching a video on Youtube this morning. For some reason I then felt oddly motivated [pun intended] to create this motivational [or not] poster highlighting perseverance.



For the record the image is a screenshot from this video of an amazing "stand still" tornado.

SO YOU THINK YOU HAVE A HEAD FOR HEIGHTS?

I am no daredevil for sure but I thought I had a reasonable "head for heights" until I saw this. Crazy, daredevil, plain stupid? Make up your own mind!

LIFE STAGES

PHILOSOPHY IN THE 21ST CENTURY - THE MEANING OF LIFE

BULLDOG PUPPY ROLLS DOWN HILL. A LITTLE CLUMSY?

So here is this bulldog puppy enjoying a nice run when it falls and ends up rolling down a slope. Maybe a little clumsy? Do dogs get embarrased? If so surely this was a little embarrassing| Not so much - just keep watching!

SO THAT'S HOW COMPUTERS ARE MADE

Though I work in IT my area of expertise is very much software and not hardware. I recently came across this [on Reddit] which helped "fill in the blanks" on the hardware side.

BIZARRE BRIT SPORTS - TOE WRESTLING - SHIN KICKING

As some of you may know I am an expat Brit living in the USA. I have never been much for patriotism; seems to me where you are born is nothing you had any say in and while I can understand "pride" in accomplishments pride in something you have nothing to do with seems a little odd to me. That said this video depicting brave gladiators from my home country engaged in extreme and dangerous sports almost makes me "puff up my chest" with patriotic pride in the country of my birth. Or perhaps not!

THE MOST INTERESTING MAN IN THE WORLD

If you are familiar with the iconic Dos Equis advertising campaign featuring Jonathan Goldsmith as "the most interesting man in the world" you will "get this". If not it will likely mean nothing to you.


Meme generated at imgflip.

THE HUMAN POPULATION EXPLOSION

This very cool animation from World Population History certainly illustrates the extent to which our species is "taking over" the planet. Somewhat reminiscent of the spread of a virus! Notice how the Black Death decimated Europe in the 12th Century; wonder when we will see the next "natural correction"?

THE WORLD'S SMALLEST PRODUCTION AUTOMOBILE

Tired of trying to park in the crowded city streets, need better gas mileage? Then take a look at the Peel P50, the world's smallest production car [2010 Guinness Book Of Records].



The Peel P50 is a three-wheeled that was originally manufactured from 1962 to 1965 by the Peel Engineering Company on the Isle of Man. There was no reverse gear but there was a handle at the rear that allowed the very lightweight car [130 lbs unladen] to be physically maneuvered when required. There was one door, one wiper and one headlight and the Peel achieved a gas mileage of around 100 mph. It sold for around £200; according to usinflationcalculator.com and exchange rates as of 051416 that equates to around $2240 today. Only about 50 Peel's were produced of which around half are thought to still exist but:

You can own a Peel!

In 2010 Peel Engineering Limited began manufacturing Peels again and, while described as a limited edition, the company's website [as of the time of writing] indicates they can still be purchased. Though faithful to the original the new Peels do have updates to make them "street legal" in the 2010's including a reverse gear. Both petrol and electric models are available.

However if the Peel "is you" you should note that they do seem a little pricey for their diminutive size with the petrol model running £12999 plus tax; the electric model is £600 less. To register your interest you can contact the compaby on their website, call them on +44 207 097 5119 or email info@peelengineering.co.uk.

For a better look at the Peel here is a 2008 BBC TV Top Gear feature on the Peel; check out the parking at BBC HQ!

SO YOU WANT TO GET AWAY FROM IT ALL?

Most of us from time to time get the urge to spend a little time "away from it all". The island of Elliðaey, located in the archipelago of Vestmannaeyjar to the south of Iceland looks like it would provide the perfect spot for that "hermit" experience.

According to travel.spotcoolstuff.com the island was inhabited by five families some 300 years ago but, over the next two centuries, life on the island became more and more impractical and the last permanent residents of the island left in the 1930's.

Move forward to 1953 and the Elliðaey Hunting Association built a lodge on the island for its members to use.

Unfortunately that weekend getaway is probably not actually going to happen for most of us because unless you are a member of the Elliðaey Hunting Association or are friends with some one who is [and we all are - right?] you can't stay in the lodge though for those intrepid enough it is possible to visit the island on a boat tour from the main island of Heimaey.

So, for the perfect secluded getaway or at least the dream of the perfect secluded getaway, check out these photos. The first, by Chris Zielecki, gives an idea of just how secluded Elliðaey actually is [Chris' original photo is on Flickr], the second by Diego Delso [CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=37347785] provides a stunning panoramic view of the island and the third is an edited version of Diego's photo that provides a closer look at the area around the hunting lodge.

AMAZING PEOPLE DOING AMAZING THINGS

Amazing people for sure but "amazing things"? That I am not too sure about; maybe there is a fine line between amazing, brave, daredevil and just plain stupid - or am I just a wuss?

TIGER WOODS, THE 2005 MASTERS & LEGO BY JARED JACOBS

Apparently anyone who follows golf - I do not - would recall Tiger Woods' chip-in birdie on 16 at the 2005 Masters. Jared Jacobs gives us a rather different perspective with, of all things, Lego. I am clearly in the wrong job; not sure I would have the patience to create this but even if I did I certainly would not have the time.

In your life have you seen anything like that? #TigerWoods #VerneLundquist #PGA

A video posted by Jared Jacobs (@goldyeller) on May 10, 2016 at 7:03am PDT

NBC'S NEXT BIG SERIES - THE VICE PRESIDENT

So Trump is the presumptive Republican nominee for the 2016 US Presidential Election. Having made his name in real estate AND reality TV maybe he needs to look to the latter for a VP that can help him actually get to the White House [and - at risk of my getting "flamed" - I know I should never talk politics here] while I am not particularly enamored of the idea of Hilary may the good Lord help us all if Trump moves from Trump Tower to Pennsylvania Ave.

Survivor is a popular and longtime reality show where the basic premise is this - how do you persuade people you have maligned and "pissed off" to vote to give you the prize! Richard Hatch for VP anyone?

So, continuing the TV Theme perhaps NBC's next big series could be a spin-off of "The Apprentice". You know the show, people get given a task each week and then Trump gets to "fire" the worst performer. Perhaps a collection of VP "candidates" with tasks like "persuade" a group of women to vote for a misogynist, "persuade" Latino voters that he was just joking when he called Latino Immigrants "Criminals" And "Rapists" and so on. I would watch!

MAGNETS & MARBLES BY KAPLAMINO

Kind of mesmerizing and incredibly creative. Can't imagine the patience required to set this up.

THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU FART IN A SMART CAR!

The picture says it all! This picture was all over the web back in 2012 with many sites adding their own logo and tag lines implying they were the originator. Me; I have no idea where it came from - if you know let me know so I can provide proper attribution.

For some reason and despite my usually awful memory I never seem to forget this; not too sure what that actually says about me but probably nothing good!

STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN - OR NOWHERE - OR ???

I just knew those plane tickets were too cheap!

ONE MAN'S VERY LUCKY DAY

There are benefits to having a guardian angel looking over your shoulder. I figure this guy had the whole heavenly host working on his behalf. It's a military funeral [Polish I think] and he is one of the soldiers firing off the gun salute. He is standing in the front row of two, third from the left. The guy behind him aims a little low and actually shoots the hat off his head. Talk about a close call.