Cannonball Run

This Wired article on the real life crusade of one man to make his own Cannonball Run (drive NY to LA in under 32 hours, and avoid "smokey"!) is a great read!

Colin: I hope that last great road is a dirt one.

I was saddened to hear that World Rally Driving Legend Colin McRae had died, with his young son and friends in a helicopter crash last month. Kind of like Steve Irwin's death, it seems incongruous to lead such a 'dangerous' life, and then to pass in such a fashion.

I have a soft spot for Colin, ever since Colin Mcrae Rally on the Playstation. Loved that game, found it a little less "tiring" and a lot more  "edge of your seat" than the F1 games which required intimate course knowledge and constant concentration at higher levels. You could throw Colin's Subaru around in the rally game, and you always had your navigator to warn you of corners.

Thus I blame Colin for my love affair with the Subaru Impreza. His rally game started it, and the love was later fostered by Grand Tourismo, and then turned real as the only two cars I have ever bought off-the-lot new have been a 1998 and a 2002 Subura Impreza. Sadly, they have both been non -turbo, I could never justify buying a STi/WRX but I always looked at them with an envious eye, and avoided them for my driver's license sake.

To Colin: thanks for the love of rally, Impreza, and my appreciation of cars that can corner.

I Will Pay Money For This

I haven't paid full price for a CD in years, choosing to cherry pick songs from friends or online stores. Mainly, I have a large enough library to keep me busy most of the time, and find the RIAA's lobbying, incessant scare mongering and desire to charge me money even when I hum a tune abhorrent.

But, as a devout Radiohead lover, I will pay very close to full price for their upcoming album In Rainbows, and it's innovative distribution and pricing method. As I see it, I am not only getting my money's worth for a great band who I know will get a better share of my cash, but I am also donating to a fund that will hopefully promote the accelerated decrepitude of the record label cartels and their lobbying arm, the RIAA.

Hooray!