#2005 british gp

[skitskatdacat63]

2005 British Grand Prix - Juan Pablo Montoya, Fernando Alonso + Kimi Räikkönen(my personal post-race highlights)

+ Bonus Jenson Button

[iceman7raikkonen]

[kwisatzworld]

Valentino Rossi

British GP - July 22, 2005

©️ Clive Mason

[schumigrace]

fernando alonso | 2nd place | Britain 2005 | podium no.16

[bunnieshoneys]

Bit random, but what do you think of the whole rivalry thing (hard to call it a rivalry when 90% of it is Christian being a Jack Russell terrier to Toto in his own words (literally said this on camera in DTS btw which is so funny to me) between Toto and Christian?

i could write an actual essay about this omg

the first thing to note is that whilst on paper toto is the more successful team principal, i am of the opinion (begrudgingly) that christian is better at his job, lol. that being said:

toto and christian are the longest standing TPs on the grid right now, and its not even close. every other team within the last two years has had a team principal change, and three of those are for the upcoming 2024 season (haas, sauber, alpha tauri). wolff has been in since 2013, horner since 2005 (INSANITY.) Even vassuer, if you count his time at sauber, has only been on the grid as a TP since 2017.

the reason i say christian is better at his job is because christian has built RBR from nothing: wolff inherited a relatively successful operation from Braun GP/mercedes. With both prinicipals' longevity in the sport, it makes perfect sense that the fans and drivers alike rcognise their influence on the sport and their talent, thus more media attention to their management, and to their teams, who are the leading teams anyway in recent decades: RBR from 2010-13, merc from 14-20 and now back to RBR again. which, of course, makes for high stakes in the battle with each other (ferrari was merc's closest competitor during the dominant era, but RBR was still winning races with verstappen and ricciardo).

then, their demeanours play off each other well. both of them are not above playing dirty to get what they want, and its brilliant. toto's typical sort of austrian nonchalance paired with christian's smarmy brand of britishness is fab to watch, but they also definitely play it up for the media to some extent. its all about pressure: in the media, on the track, to the drivers, you get it. theyre always trying to push each other to admit something that they dont want to admit, whether it be a weakness or a cheating scandal. but they're also willing to team up against a common enemy (an illegal engine circa 2019 comes to mind).

they take digs at each other not for the sake of it, but to create headlines, which create pressure, which translates to track results. but, of course, mercedes and red bull can handle pressure in immense degrees. so it becomes this big thing.

im not going into 2021. im not doing it. but thn you obviously have lewis and max, probably the two best drivers of this generation, and both team principals have a long history with these drivers. christian has known max since he was a teenager, lewis has been linked with mercedes thru ron dennis since karting. and they would do anything to see their drivers get success that they think they deserve. (rip george russell, you'll have ur time when lewis retires). its rare, in f1, really, to see drivers stay at the same team for that long. max has been in rbr for almost a decade (not including his stint in toro rosso) and hamilton will be going into his twelvth year in merc in 2024. in the same time period, ricciardo has been thru four teams, sainz three teams, alonso four (if you count alpine/renault as seperate). so theres a loyalty there to their top drivers.

anyway. im not a merc or a rbr fan (forza ferrari siempre) but toto and christian are undoubtedly the greats of the paddock - their success is insane. and just like in the sphere of the drivers, naturally when there are two great personalities so close in performance at the top of the field, they're going to be pitted against each other, but they definitely lean into it a bit.

(i prefer toto, because i have a vendetta against RBR and everything is stands for and i think christians hypocrisy is worse than toto's, but i love watching them both annoy each other)

edit: dts often does christian a little bit dirty imo. hes hypocritical and annyoing, but that, in a way, is his job, and hes really fucking good at it. hes also a lot more competent than the show puts out, and equally agrees to film more than toto does so the viewpoint is somewhat biased.

[sageglobalresponse]

How Kemi Badenoch, 42, Grew Up ‘With No Running Water’ In Nigeria To Become Top Contender For British Prime Minister

Tory leadership hopeful Kemi Badenoch has gone from race outsider to a serious contender with the backing of Michael Gove and a promise to be the ‘fresh face’ the party needs after chaos of Boris Johnson’s premiership.

The MP for Saffron Walden, 42, who grew up in the UK, US and Nigeria, is known as a culture warrior with anti-’woke’ views on issues including trans rights that make her a hit among right-leaning members of the party.

The former equalities minister threw her hat into the ring with a plan for a smaller state and a government ‘focused on the essentials’ and won the support of Mr Gove, who said the party needs a leader with ‘Kemi’s focus, intellect and no-bulls*** drive’.

It marks a massive boost in profile for Ms Badenoch, a mother-of-three former banker who has only been an MP for five years and remains unknown to most of the population.

She admits her pro-Brexit views put her at odds with her husband Hamish, a Deutsche Bank banker and former Tory Councillor. The couple have three children – two sons and a daughter, who they keep out of the public eye.

Ms Badenoch was born in Wimbledon, south-west London after her Nigerian parents came to the UK so her mother, a professor of physiology, could receive medical treatment.

She grew up in Lagos where her father worked as a GP, although they spent time in the US while her mother was lecturing.

‘I come from a middle-class background but I grew up in a very poor place,’ she once said in an interview. ‘Being middle class in Nigeria still meant having no running water or electricity, sometimes taking your own chair to school.’

Ms Badenoch was born in south-west London after her Nigerian parents came to the UK so her mother, a professor of physiology, could receive medical treatment. Pictured, Kemi Badenoch (second from left) with (l-r) her brother, Fola, Kemi, her sister Lola and mother, Feyi

At 16, Ms Badenoch returned to London to realise her ‘dream’ of completing her studies in the UK and enrolled in a part-time A-Level course in Morden.

At the time Nigeria was in the midst of political chaos that impacted the economy. The family experienced poverty and Ms Badenoch’s father ‘scraped together’ enough money for a plane ticket and £100 for his daughter to start her new life.

To support herself, Ms Badenoch, who lived with a family friend, secured a part-time job at McDonald’s and picked up ad-hoc work elsewhere.

‘Most of the students were from ethnic minorities and the expectations for us were low,’ she recalled in an interview with the Independent. ‘The poverty of low expectations must change. Schools and teachers matter.’

The future politician enrolled at the University of Sussex where she studied Computer Systems Engineering, graduating in 2003.

This led to a job as a software engineer at Logica, followed by by a role as system analyst at Royal Bank of Scotland. She was later appointed as an associate director at private bank Coutts.

In 2009 she began a part-time law degree at Birbeck College and has also worked at the Spectator magazine.

Ms Badenoch joined the Conservative party in 2005, aged 25, and says there were two ‘lightbulb moments’ that persuaded her to stand as an MP.

The first was when she heard a speaker at the Hay Festival ‘claiming that ethnic minorities all suffer from institutional racism’.

She told the Independent: ‘The left and the liberal elite think they have a monopoly on the caring issues, whether it is diversity or refugees.

‘Of course we have a moral obligation to help refugees but what is important – and more difficult to do – is to look at what works when they come; can they find work? Do they integrate? Do they take on British values?’

The second came during the Make Poverty History movement in 2005 when she was struck by the arrogance of ‘white men thinking they can save Africa’.

‘This was the last straw for me. What has helped and is helping African countries is free trade and enterprise, not more aid and more virtue signalling,’ she continued.

She grew up in Lagos where her father worked as a GP, although they spent time in the US while her mother was lecturing. Pictured, Kemi, aged seven, with her grandfather in Nigeria.

After unsuccessfully running for the seat of Dulwich and West Norwood in the 2010 election – a contest won by late Labour MP Tessa Jowell – Ms Badenoch was selected as the Conservative candidate for Saffron Walden, a safe seat for her party, in the 2017 election.

She won and delivered her maiden speech in Parliament just a few weeks later. In it, she described herself as the ‘British dream,’ the African ‘immigrant who came to the UK aged 16 and who became a parliamentarian’ in one generation.

She also described the vote for Brexit as ‘the greatest ever vote of confidence in the project of the United Kingdom’ and hailed

Ms Badenoch has had a rapid ascent through the ranks of the Conservative party, including a post as equalities minister. She resigned from government last week.

After first announcing her candidacy in The Times, Ms Badenoch officially launched her campaign in a speech at the Policy Exchange think tank on Tuesday.

In a wide-ranging speech, Ms Badenoch attempted to add economic heft to her anti-woke foundations, with a slapdown of her rivals over their un-costed tax cut offers.

But she also lashed out at British businesses that focus more on social change instead of making money, as she laid out her free market credentials.

She said: ‘The ability to defend the free market as the fairest way of helping people prosper has been undermined. It has been undermined by a willingness to embrace protectionism because of special interests.

‘It’s been undermined by retreating in the face of the Ben and Jerry’s tendency.

‘They will say a business’s main priority is social justice, not productivity and profit.

And it’s been undermined by the actions of crony capitalists colluding with big bureaucracy to rig the system in favour of incumbents against entrepreneurs.’

The MP for Saffron Walden has the declared support of 15 colleagues, including recent Cabinet minister Michael Gove, who was at her campaign launch.

Standing in front of a union flag-patterned backdrop bearing the slogan ‘Kemi for Prime Minister’, she said: ‘In the debate we’ve been having about the future of our party and our country, there have been lots of promises to cut taxes.

‘I am committed to reducing corporate and personal taxes, but I will not enter into a tax bidding war over: ‘’My tax cuts are bigger than yours’’.’

‘For too long, politicians have been saying you can have it all – you can have your cake and eat it,’ she added.

‘But I’m here to tell you that that isn’t true – it never has been.

‘There are always tough choices in life and in politics: no free lunches, no tax cuts without limits on Government spending, no stronger defence without a slimmer state.

‘Unlike others, I’m not going to promise you things without a plan to deliver them.’

Ms Badenoch and her husband Hamish pictured with one of their daughters. The couple have kept their three children – two daughters and a son – out of the public eye.

Ms Badenoch said she would tackle the economic crisis by cutting spending on international aid, university student subsidies, and ‘superfluous support staff’ including well-being officers and diversity ‘tick-box exercises’.

She said: ‘While the priority of the £300 billion the Government spends on procurement should be value for money, in truth this is being undermined by tick-box exercises in sustainability, diversity and equality.

‘These are good things but they need to be done properly.

‘Why are we spending millions on people’s jobs which literally didn’t exist a decade ago, like staff well-being coordinators in the public sector?’

She added that she would ‘get the police to focus on neighbourhood crime’ rather than ‘waste time and resources worrying about hurt feelings online’.

The Essex MP is competing with prominent Cabinet faces including Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss, but she said her lack of experience is a ‘huge advantage’ because she does not come with ‘the baggage of so many of the decisions that have been made’ in recent years.

‘People want a fresh face, and they can’t have somebody who has been in Cabinet a very long time,’ she added.

Ms Badenoch said she has ‘a lot of respect’ for Mr Sunak and Ms Truss, but she is ‘not worried’ about running against them.

She said her Government would be guided by the ‘Conservative principles’ of a ‘limited government doing less, but better’ and a ‘strong nation state’.

Culled from Dailymail

[melchiorsencarney22]

Dr Greg's No Diet-diet Program And Products 5, Sandton, 2191

Together they have set a high normal of serious scholarship within the examine of architectural historical past in Johannesburg. In 1991, Mokgatle joined Eskom as a senior authorized adviser and moved up the ranks to be the first black particular person and first lady appointed as MD of the utility's transmission group, which she turned from lossmaking to worthwhile inside a year. She was involved with the restructuring of the Electricity Distribution Industry and chaired the board of the Holding Company. She has additionally been concerned in Energy Regulation in South Africa and was Deputy Chairperson of the Board of the National Energy Regulator. From 2003 to 2005 she was CEO of state rail parastatal Spoornet, now Transnet Freight Rail. The US president on the time, Ronald Reagan, came underneath fire for ignoring the rising AIDS crisis and when he finally addressed the epidemic — in 1987 — nearly 23,000 individuals had died of the disease. He met and married Mary Chambers in England, and dedicated the following fifty two years to caring for her - she was wheelchair-bound having being identified early in their relationship with a quantity of sclerosis. Ironically, Lonsdale himself suffered a stroke in 2010, which confined him to a wheelchair. His wife survives him, as do his two daughters and 6 grandchildren. Former Senior Lecturer in Physiology at Wits, Professor Ralph Ernest Bernstein died on 19 October 2013, aged 99. He held BSc (1934), BSc Hons (1936) and MSc (1937) levels, and an MBBCh (Cum Laude) (1940) from Wits. He labored part-time at University of Wisconsin and again on the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, where he accomplished a master’s in mechanical engineering. His marriage fell aside at this stage and Lance went to his grandparents in Italy to be raised as an actual Italian American. Dr Mankowski didn’t shine academically and left school a little bit of a dropout. He had a four-year spell at Fort Ord in the army (where he volunteered). There he met one or two mature younger males who inspired him to suppose about studying additional and an African American instructor who impressed in him a love of maths. She hosted countless University features during Ellison’s tenure as Dean and as Deputy Vice-Chancellor. She tirelessly provided editorial assistance during her husband’s 50-odd years as editor of the South African Law Journal. A stalwart of the Jewish neighborhood, Lissoos was a founding member of the Victory Park Synagogue and previously served the King David Schools and Jewish Board of Education. He lectured and wrote on subjects of Jewish and common historical curiosity and delivered the keynote tackle at the opening of the South African Jewish Board of Deputies “Jewish Johannesburg 120” exhibition in 2007. Amongst a number of papers which he wrote and offered, was one within the South African Medical Journal in May 1963. In 1963 he went to work for General Electric finally moving to British Rail the place he rose to the rank of Assistant Chief Mechanical Engineer primarily based in Derby. He later joined Brush where he remained till his retirement in 1991. Dr George St Ledger Warren (MBBCh 1942, Master of Surgery 1955) died in Parkmore, Gauteng in 2007, aged 91. Born in Johannesburg, Warren matriculated from Jeppe Boys High and studied medication at Wits, where he was president of the Students Representative Council, the Students Medical Council and a founding member of the squash club. He served as a medical officer in Italy during WWII and joined Anglo American as a medic thereafter. It was while working as a GP in South West Africa (Namibia) that he got interested in the emotional issues encountered generally practice. In 2004, he established Voiceless, an animal rights advocacy organisation, with his daughter Ondine. He was also a connoisseur of fantastic food and wine and cultivated friendships with many people who served him at their well-appointed tables. He also took a lot delight in the reality that he saw himself as the Austin household historian. In 2013 he was awarded a Gold Medal for his contribution to the university and community of Azaadville. In 1955, Dr Uys left for England together with his new bride Midge, a midwife. He spent three years at St Mary's in Manchester, and in the Canterbury and Isle of Thanet Group in Kent. He gained his MRCOG in 1958, and accomplished his coaching at King Edward VIII Hospital in Durban. Unlike his three brothers who joined their legendary father, Archie, in stockbroking, Ian chose to go into regulation. He joined I Mendelow and Browde in 1977, changing into a partner in 1981, and remained with the agency in its numerous guises until he joined Fluxmans in 2012. Nisbet grew to become a consulting engineer of the Anglo American Corporation in 1972, and a deputy managing director of the Gold Division in 1974. He joined JCI in October 1980, and was appointed an executive director in 1981 and chairman and managing director of its Gold and Uranium Division in January 1982. He was described as “a humble man of science and historical past, a trainer, a philosopher and a devoted husband and father”. Dr Beorn Cloete Uys (MBBCh 1952) was born in Amersfoort initially of the Great Depression. He moved freely in, and made contributions to circles the place the only value of entry was excellence and intelligence. Ramquar Ramasar was a life member of the South African Medical Association (SAMA). He recalled that at the first ever medical affiliation meeting that he attended, he, having sat within the entrance row, was advised throughout a break that he could not do so, and needed to have his tea in a separate room on the grounds of his race. He acquired the Dr KM Seedat Fellowship Award for long and dedicated service from the Family Practice Association in 1996. In his skilled capability he served as honorary medical advisor to the Natal Blind and Deaf Society and the Friends of the Sick Association (FOSA), an organization devoted to the care of sufferers with tuberculosis. He was additionally President of the Umzinto and Districts Indian Child Welfare Society. Dr Gregory Facebook This research proved to be the seminal work of his career, demonstrating the necessity to manage such fisheries on a multispecies foundation. He taught fisheries biology on the University of Papua New Guinea and started research into big clam progress rates. His analysis in this area contributed towards main aquaculture and re-stocking programmes of those near-extinct species. Dr Gonasilan Chetty (MBBCh 1992) died of a coronary heart attack on 10 August 2009, aged forty. Born on 26 April 1969, the previous Eastern Cape physician was a successful specialist in Johannesburg.

[f1]

Bigger fish to fry: Hamilton welcomes jewellery reprieve before Monaco GP

Preparing for what is always a testing weekend on the streets of Monaco, Lewis Hamilton welcomed an FIA climbdown in a spat that is clearly becoming a tiresome distraction. The threat of Hamilton missing the race on Sunday due to the stand-off over whether drivers can wear jewellery under their race suits was lifted temporarily on Fridayy, with the sport taking a moratorium on enforcing the rule to examine ways to come to an agreement. The rule had been largely unenforced until this season when new race director Niels Wittich informed drivers he would be strictly applying the regulation for reasons of safety. He imposed a clampdown in Miami where checks were enforced to ensure compliance. Hamilton opposed the move, noting that he had piercings including a nose stud that could not be removed and that he had raced with jewellery all his career. The seven-times world champion pointedly observed that the rule made little sense given that wedding rings and bracelets were permitted, and his stance was supported by other drivers. He was given a two-race exemption to allow him time to remove the jewellery but he made it clear he had no intention of backing down. The exemption ended before this weekend’s meeting in Monaco but has now been extended to cover this meeting, Azerbaijan and Canada and will conclude before the British Grand Prix on 3 July. Hamilton welcomed the move on an issue he believed had already consumed unnecessary time. “The rule came in in 2005, we’ve all worn jewellery our whole careers in Formula One,” he said. “It’s not been a problem in the past and there’s no reason for it to be a problem necessarily now. It definitely is positive that we’re working with [the FIA] and I think they’re accommodating a little bit at the moment. But we shouldn’t have to keep on revisiting this thing every weekend. We’ve definitely got bigger fish to fry.” Lewis Hamilton tests his Mercedes during the first practice session in Monte Carlo. Photograph: Christian Bruna/EPA The intent is for drivers and the FIA medical staff to find a common ground to adjust the international sporting code so that jewellery can be worn in a way that is considered safe. The FIA have cited Romain Grosjean’s accident at the Bahrain GP in 2020 where his car was engulfed in flames as an example of fears where jewellery may cause problems in extricating drivers from stricken cars. Grosjean was fortunate to escape with only minor burns from what was a horrific accident. Hamilton however was pleased to put the issue behind him as he puts his energy into maximising his Mercedes team’s efforts in Monaco. “Honestly, I feel like there’s just way too much time and energy being given to this,” he said. “I’ve said everything I feel I need to say on it in the last races and that’s not what my focus is this weekend.” He and Mercedes will be hopeful of another strong weekend, having finally solved their car’s porpoising problem at the last round in Spain. Hamilton was consistently the fastest driver on track in Barcelona and put in a fine comeback from 19th to fifth after he was hit and took a puncture on the opening lap. Mercedes have struggled at Monaco in the past but there is some optimism that this time their car will be better suited to the slower corners. Current championship leaders Ferrari and Red Bull will almost certainly still be on top here. Charles Leclerc is confident Ferrari will go well at his home race in Monte Carlo – a meeting where has never finished – having shown great pace in Spain before an engine problem ended his race prematurely. With Red Bull’s Max Verstappen subsequently taking the win in Barcelona he has overtaken Leclerc in the title fight to move six points ahead. Red Bull have shown their best form in straightline pace this year so Ferrari may well be on top in Monaco. However qualifying as ever will be vital and more so than ever this year with the cars’ size and weight making overtaking enormously difficult. via Formula One | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/sport/formulaone

[maxemilianverstappen]

What are your fave photos of Kimi?

Firstly, this very dramatic shot... I love the black and white and the designs on his helmet and how that single visible eye of his is full of emotion. For me, this is an iconic photo and I have a similar one taken from a different angle on my camera roll, but it is in colour and I like this BW one more.

Simi, of course... This wasn't the first photo I saw of them that hooked me to their bromance. But look at the unintentional sensuality of this one. They both look breathless for each other and I am the gleeful cameraman watching them 😂

Then this one... He looks like a movie star here. The wind in his hair, the shoulders, the way he is sitting on the Ferrari he had just totalled... This looks just like a race poster from the 70's. Too bad I couldn't find it in better resolution.

Here is one I am putting up for purely aesthetical reasons... If he was on the grid today looking like this, he'd give everyone a run for their money. And he was in his prime as a driver, too... Chal who? Max which? Hey!

This one is here, because it sums up his attitude against life and Lotus!Kimi, ofc. God, I wish I had half of his level headedness.

Finns and their coffee! Rally!Kimi under the snow... This photo has such a dreamy quality that it always makes me stare at it for a little more than usual. What a soft guy! Angelic 😇

I like this photo a lot. We don't know much detail on their relationship, but once Kimi said he never had idols, but among the Ferrari drivers, he felt himself closer to Michael. He also considers Michael as his hardest rival and says he immensely enjoyed racing against him. I am sure it must have felt nostalgic to race against Mick, too.

Another iconic photo. Ron celebrates Kimi after he won Japanese GP 2005 in the final lap, having started the race from P17. In other photos from different angles it's so clear that Kimi smiles hugely, too. And it always warms my heart.

This beautiful car is Alfa Romeo Alfetta 158. Kimi drove this in British GP, in 2019. And would you look at this photo... It is like a still from a racing movie. He fits into the spirit of this car's history to a fault. And I am thankful Darren Heat caught and immortalized this frame.

And lastly, I want to choose this one. It is from Turkish GP 2005. He is the first winner on my home race. I watched this race live and I still remember my excitement, remember how I prayed the whole race for that Merc engine to keep intact and not burn. I was so happy after the race that the euphoria of it possibly lasted me for a month.

[race-week]

The History of the Mercedes F1 Team

I was inspired by the videos Sky showed during testing of the histories of Aston Martin and Alpine during testing so I thought I would do Mercedes, as this team has one of the weirder histories in F1, bear in mind I have just used the results from the train from Tyrell down to the present-day Mercedes team - so the two championships the original Mercedes team have aren’t included

Constructors Championships: 9 

(1971, 2009, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020)

Drivers Championships: 11 

(1969, 1971, 1973, 2009,  2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020) Jackie Stewart (3), Jenson Button (1), Lewis Hamilton (7), Nico Rosberg (1)

 Race victories: 148

Pole positions: 147

Fastest laps: 109

Tyrell Racing (1968 - 1998)

First entry: 1968 South African Grand Prix Races entered: 465 entries (463 starts) Constructors Championships: 1 (1971) Drivers Championships: 3 (1969, 1971, 1973) - Jackie Stewart Race victories: 33 Pole positions: 19 Fastest laps: 27 Final entry: 1998 Japanese Grand Prix

Eventually, in 1998 and in the face of dwindling form and ill health, Ken Tyrell sold his team to British American Tobacco, the team becoming British American Racing.

British American Racing and BAR Lucky Strike Honda (1999 - 2005)

First entry: 1999 Australian Grand Prix Races entered: 118 (117 starts) Engines: Supertec, Honda Constructors Championships: 0 (best finish; 2nd 2004) Drivers Championships: 0 Race victories: 0 Podiums:15 Points: 227 Pole positions: 2 Fastest laps: 0 Final entry: 2005 Chinese Grand Prix

At the end of 2005, Honda obtained 100% ownership of BAR from British American Tobacco, completing their ambition to become a full F1 manufacturer team. In addition, Jenson Button's Williams contract was bought out for US$30 million, and Button signed a multi-year contract with Honda.

Honda Racing F1 Team (2006 - 2008)

First entry: 2006 Bahrain Grand Prix Races entered: 43 Engines: Honda Constructors Championships: 0 Drivers Championships: 0 Race victories: 1 Podiums: 4 Points: 106 Pole positions: 1 Fastest laps: 0 Final entry: 2008 Brazilian Grand Prix

Honda suddenly exited the sport at the end of the 2008 season, unwilling to continue the Brackley-based team's $300 million budget and staff of 700 during the global economic crisis.

The team continued to work on the Honda RA109 for the 2009 season while Honda attempted to sell the racing team.

Ross Brawn bought the team for £1 in order to keep the team in the sport   

Brawn GP Formula One Team (2009)

First entry: 2009 Australian Grand Prix Races entered: 17 Engines: Mercedes Constructors Championships: 1 (2009) Drivers Championships: 1 (2009) - Jenson Button Race victories: 8 Podiums: 15 Points: 172 Pole positions: 5 Fastest laps: 4 Final entry: 2009 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

On 16 November 2009 it was officially announced that Daimler AG in partnership with Aabar Investments had purchased a 75.1% stake in Brawn GP (Daimler AG: 45.1%; Aabar: 30%).

It was rumoured that the partnership paid £110m for the 75.1%. The team would be rebranded as Mercedes GP for 2010. The remaining 24.9% stake is Ross Brawn's in partnership with Nick Fry. The team used the Brawn GP base in Brackley for its operations and Brawn stayed on as team principal until the end of the 2013 season.

 Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula 1 Team (2010 - Present)

First entry: 2010 Bahrain Grand Prix Last entry: 2020 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Races entered: 227 Engines: Mercedes Constructors Championships: 7 (2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020) Drivers Championships: 7 (2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020) - Lewis Hamilton (6) Nico Rosberg (1) Race victories: 106 Podiums: 219 Points: 5685 Pole positions: 120 Fastest laps: 78

[iceman7raikkonen]

[crazycollinmitchell]

Artificial Intelligence: A Brief History

Ancient Greek mythology included intelligent robots and artificial entities for the first time. The creation of syllogism and its application of deductive reasoning by Aristotle was a watershed point in humanity's search to comprehend its own intelligence. Despite its long and deep roots, artificial intelligence as we know it today has only been around for a century. The following is a quick rundown of some of the most significant AI events.

1940s * "A Logical Calculus of Ideas Immanent in Nervous Activity," by Warren McCullough and Walter Pitts, is published in 1943. The first mathematical model for developing a neural network was proposed in this publication. (1949) Donald Hebb offers the hypothesis that brain pathways are formed by experiences and that connections between neurons become stronger the more they are used in his book The Organization of Behavior: A Neuropsychological Theory. In AI, Hebbian learning remains an essential model.

1950s Alan Turing publishes "Computing Machinery and Intelligence" in 1950, suggesting the Turing Test, a method for detecting whether or not a machine is intelligent. Marvin Minsky and Dean Edmonds, Harvard undergraduates, create SNARC, the first neural network computer, in 1950. Claude Shannon publishes "Programming a Computer for Playing Chess" in 1950.

*

The "Three Laws of Robotics" are published by Isaac Asimov in 1950.

*

Arthur Samuel creates a checkers self-learning software in 1952.

(1954) In the Georgetown-IBM machine translation experiment, 60 carefully selected Russian sentences are mechanically translated into English.

At the "Dartmouth Summer Research Project on Artificial Intelligence" in 1956, the term "artificial intelligence" is developed. The conference, which established the scope and goals of AI and was led by John McCarthy, is largely regarded as the genesis of artificial intelligence as we know it today.

*

Allen Newell and Herbert Simon exhibit the first reasoning program, Logic Theorist (LT), in 1956.

John McCarthy creates Lisp, an AI programming language, and publishes his article "Programs with Common Sense" in 1958. The paper proposed the Advice Taker, a complete AI system capable of learning from experience in the same way as humans do.

* In 1959, Allen Newell, Herbert Simon, and J.C. Shaw created the General Problem Solver (GPS), a computer program that mimics human problem-solving.

*

Herbert Gelernter created the Geometry Theorem Prover program in 1959.

*

While working at IBM in 1959, Arthur Samuel coined the phrase "machine learning."

The MIT Artificial Intelligence Project was started by John McCarthy and Marvin Minsky in 1959.

1960s

*

John McCarthy establishes the Stanford AI Lab in 1963.

* 1966) The Automatic Language Processing Advisory Committee (ALPAC) report by the U.S. government details the lack of progress in machine translations research, a major Cold War initiative with the promise of automatic and instantaneous translation of Russian. The ALPAC report leads to the cancellation of all government-funded MT projects.

* (1969) The first successful expert systems are developed in DENDRAL, a XX program, and MYCIN, designed to diagnose blood infections, are created at Stanford.

1970s

* (1972) The logic programming language PROLOG is created.

* 1973) The British government releases the "Lighthill Report," which details AI research failures and results in significant funding cuts for AI initiatives. (1974-1980) Dissatisfaction with AI progress leads to significant DARPA reductions in research grants. Artificial intelligence funding is drying up, and research is stagnating, according to the ALPAC study and the previous year's "Lighthill Report." The "First AI Winter" occurs during this time.

1980s

R1 (also known as XCON), the first successful commercial expert system, is developed by Digital Equipment Corporations in 1980. R1, which is designed to configure orders for new computer systems, kicks off a decade-long investment boom in expert systems, essentially ending the first "AI Winter."

*

The ambitious Fifth Generation Computer Systems project is launched by Japan's Ministry of International Trade and Industry in 1982. The purpose of FGCS is to create a platform for AI development and supercomputer-like performance.

1983) In response to Japan's FGCS, the US government develops the Strategic Computing Initiative, which will fund advanced computing and artificial intelligence research through DARPA. (1985) Companies invest over a billion dollars a year on expert systems, and an entire sector called the Lisp machine market emerges to support them. Symbolics and Lisp Machines Inc. are two companies that make customized computers that run on the AI programming language Lisp.

1987-1993) As computing technology advanced, cheaper alternatives arose, and the Lisp machine market crashed in 1987, kicking off the "Second AI Winter." Expert systems became too expensive to operate and update during this time, and they finally fell out of favor.

1990s

During the Gulf War in 1991, US forces used DART, an automated logistical planning and scheduling program.

(1992) Japan cancels the FGCS project in 1992, alleging failing to reach the grandiose targets set a decade before.

DARPA terminated the Strategic Computing Initiative in 1993, after spending over $1 billion and falling short of expectations. (1997) World chess champion Gary Kasparov is defeated by IBM's Deep Blue in the 2000s

*

(2005) The DARPA Grand Challenge is won by STANLEY, a self-driving automobile.

2005: The United States military began to invest in self-driving robots such as Boston Dynamics' "Big Dog" and iRobot's "PackBot."

*

(2008) Google develops advancements in speech recognition and makes the feature available via its iPhone app.

2010-2014

*

On Jeopardy!, IBM's Watson beats out the competition.

(2011) Apple's iOS operating system introduces Siri, an AI-powered virtual assistant.

* In 2012, Andrew Ng, the inventor of the Google Brain Deep Learning project, fed 10 million YouTube videos as a training set to a neural network using deep learning methods. The neural network learns to recognize a cat without being informed what a cat is, ushering in a new era of deep learning funding and neural networks. (2014) Google's self-driving car passes a state driving test for the first time. From 2015 through 2021, Amazon's Alexa, a virtual home, will be available.

*

(2016) World champion Go player Lee Sedol is defeated by Google DeepMind's AlphaGo. The ancient Chinese game's complexity was seen as a significant barrier to overcome in AI.

* (2016) Hanson Robotics develops Sophia, a humanoid robot capable of facial recognition, verbal conversation, and facial expression, as the world's first "robot citizen."

*

(2018) Google releases BERT, a natural language processing engine that lowers hurdles to machine learning applications' translation and interpretation.

*

(2018) Waymo announces the Waymo One service, which allows consumers in the Phoenix metro region to order a pick-up from one of the company's self-driving cars.

* (2020) Baidu makes its LinearFold AI algorithm available to scientific and medical teams working on a vaccine during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic's early phases. The system can anticipate the virus's RNA sequence in just 27 seconds, which is 120 times faster than prior methods.

[tallstales]

Day 11 Haunted Places in New England (13 Days of Halloween)

New England is home to some of America’s oldest colonies and so it only seems natural that it is home to some old spirits. Let’s take a tour state by state of 13 of the most popular haunted locations in New England.

Maine

The Wood Lighthouse - Saco Bay, Maine

In 1808 a lighthouse was built in Saco Bay, Maine at the request of President Thomas Jefferson. That lighthouse, though full of history is not the infamous haunt that stands today. After falling to disrepair, it was replaced by a stone and granite tower that still stands today. it is in this newer structure that a violent tragedy would take place.

Based on reports, in 1896 a tenant renting the lighthouse or possibly squatting there, was approached by the landlord regarding the subject of paying rent. An argument took place which resulted in the shooting and death of the landlord. After realizing what he had done or possibly panicking over the consequences of his actions, the tenant went into the lighthouse with his gun and killed himself.

Keepers who have lived in the Wood Island Lighthouse since say that unexplained shadows frequently appear as well as unusual moaning sounds. Other reports say that sometimes locked doors fly open and gunshots are heard. The light was also know to turn on and off by itself. It became such a problem in fact, that in 1972 to save the lighthouse keepers from dealing with the possibly haunted light, it was replaced with an automated light.

Goose River Bridge - Rockport Harbor, Maine

A spirit with spirits can be found on The Goose River Bridge on Pascal Avenue near picturesque Rockport Harbor. The Goose River Bridge is allegedly haunted by William Richardson, a town resident who lived there around the time of the Revolutionary War. There are at least two stories about Richardson’s death that circulate to this day amongst the locals. The first is that British sympathizers murdered Richardson in 1783 because they were enraged by his drunken celebration of the American victory. The second is that he got so drunk celebrating the American victory that he fell from the Goose River Bridge to his death. Either way, if you catch a whiff of ale in the air by the bridge and happen to see this celebrating apparition, legend has it that he’ll offer you a drink from his pitcher. I wonder what the tab would be for 200 years worth of ale.

Vermont

Emily’ s Bridge - Stowe, Vermont

In Vermont there is another haunted bridge but one without a such a friendly spirit. If you travel through Stowe, Vermont it is likely that you will eventually pass over the Gold Brook Bridge. At least, that’s what your GPS will call it, but locals have renamed it something different. Emily’s Bridge has been nicknamed such after a tragedy befell the location. A girl named Emily had planned to meet her lover at the covered bridge, where they would then run away together to elope. According to the story, her beau man never showed, and a brokenhearted Emily commited suicide. The method has changed over time and story teller, some saying she hanged herself from the rafters of the bridge, others saying that she drove off the bridge in her carriage and others still saying that she flung herself from the bridge.

One thing that remains consistent are the experiences. Visitors have reported long scratch marks appearing on their vehicles, hearing footsteps and spotting a white apparition. Some pedestrians have even reported experiencing scratches along their skin. The most common thing among these witnesses? They apparitions and disembodied footsteps seem to be experienced by all types, but the scratches always seem to be inflicted upon men. Maybe Emily is still blaming her lover after all these years. Or maybe, her lover did show up on the bridge that day and Emily didn’t kill herself at all. We’ll likely never know.

University of Vermont - Burlington, Vermont

Established in 1791, the University of Vermont was the fifth university founded across New England. The school welcomes thousands of new students every year, but according to legend it seems like many of them never actually leave.

Over the years, many homes were bought and absorbed into the campus. One of these homes is now the Counseling Centre. Once owned by Captain John Nabb, the building still seems to house his spirit. Staff of the Counselling Centre say that he is still there and makes himself known by knocking over buckets and slamming doors and windows. The nearby Public Relations building is also said to be haunted by its former resident John E Booth who is said to make various banging noises all over the building. But it doesn’t end there. The most haunted house on the campus is said to be The Bittersweet House where many people have reported seeing full body apparitions. It is believed that one of the ghosts there is Margaret Smith who was widowed at a young age and spent the rest of her life as a recluse until she died in the house in 1961.

Not all of the ghosts at the University of Vermont are former residents, there is reported to be a far more tragic spirit in the Converse Residence Hall. A young med student called Henry is reported to have committed suicide in the building in 1920 and many say he is still there, manifesting himself in the form of poltergeist activity.

With all of these separately haunted buildings on campus, I would say this makes the university of Vermont the most haunted place to visit in Vermont and probably a paranormal investigators dream!

New Hampshire

The Mount Washington Hotel - Bretton Woods, New Hampshire

The Mount Washington Hotel was built by Joseph Stickney from 1900 to 1902 and for a time was the largest wood structure in New England. Sadly, Stickney wouldn’t get to spend much time in his hotel as he died a year after completion, but surprisingly he is not who is reported to haunt the place. Instead the hotel is allegedly haunted by his widow Carolyn.

Soon after the death of Carolyn in 1936, hotel staff began seeing strange things around the hotel. Reports were made of her descending the stairs for dinner, as well as lights inexplicably turning on and off all over the hotel. Photographs have also been taken by the staff with the shadowy figure of an elegant lady looking through the windows or standing behind them. Carolyn’s old room, number 314, is reported to be the most haunted room in the hotel. This isn’t at all surprising considering some of her furniture including her four-poster bed is still in use in the room.

The Chase House - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

The Chase House in Portsmouth, New Hampshire was built as a home for orphaned children. As you can probably guess, it has some spooky tales to tell regarding the ghosts of little orphans some may be more gruesome than you’d expect. The most reported ghost to haunt the premises isn;t the result of a tragic illness or accident but of a poor young girl who hanged herself in her bedroom. Her apparition is seen wandering the hall and in her old room and there have also been reports of disembodied screams from within the room. Doors in the building have also been known to lock or unlock on there own and the electricity allegedly turns on and off as well.

Massachusetts

Danvers State Hospital - Danvers, Massachusetts

The Danvers State Hospital opened in 1878 as the Danvers State insane Asylum. The impressive Gothic architecture shapes the building like a bat with expanded wings and makes for a sufficiently eerie exterior. Underground tunnels weave beneath the building to up the creep factor of the interior as well. But what’s really scary here is the history. Typical of asylums for the period, Danvers housed more patients than they should have causing poor treatment and overcrowding. Historians belief that Danvers may have been the birthplace of the prefrontal lobotomy. Unfortunately that’s not where the mistreatment of patients ends. There was a distinct lack of adequate care and treatment with those actually receiving any sort of treatment being subjected to brutal methods such as shock therapies, drugs and straitjackets from the staff as well as your more average human violence like beatings and rape from inmates and staff alike.

The hospital was closed in 1985 and was left completely abandoned. People interested in the paranormal would try to enter the building but with no success. As of 2005 you can now live on the property in renovated or completely new apartments and condos. That being said there are still graveyards for patients. if you walk down a hill you will come across many markers, most of them remain nameless. Hopefully the rent is cheap?

Lizzie Borden Bed and Breakfast - Fall River, Massachusetts

“Lizzie Borden took an ax and gave her mother forty whacks. When she saw what she had done, she gave her father forty-one.” So goes the catchy rhyme that anyone from New England is sure to have memorized. Whether or not Lizzie actually killed her parents is a matter that is still debated today, but you can stay in the very house where the couple met their gruesome fate. The Lizzie Borden house is now a bed and breakfast and museum and is also said to be very much haunted.

Guests lucky enough to snag a reservations at this constantly booked up B&B can sleep in John V. Morse room, where Lizzie’s mother was murdered. Downstairs visitors can see the couch where her father died. Overnight guests get an extensive tour that lasts about an hour and half of the house including the basement and a full of history and the murder case. To those who don’t want to sleep in the room where someone was ax murdered, the museum also offers a 50 minute tours visitors.

Those who have decided to stay the night have reported hearing a woman crying, heard unexplained noises and have even woken up with scratches all over their bodies. Also frequently reported are the apparitions of Lizzie herself as well as the murdered John and Abby wandering the home.

Hawthorne Hotel - Salem, Massachusetts

The Hawthorne Hotel in Salem, Massachusetts has been ranked as one of the top 10 haunted hotels in the United States. It was also recently investigated by The Atlantic Paranormal Society, better known as TAPS or The Ghost Hunters.

Since its opening 1925, the Hawthorne has collected numerous ghosts. Witnesses have reported hearing what sounds like a child crying incessantly when there are no children around. Guests in room 325 have felt the sensation of someone’s hand touching theirs when no one is there.

The ghostly figure of a woman is also known to wander the 6th floor hallway. Others claim to have seen the woman enter different rooms as well and more still report a feeling of unease on the entire 6th floor and a restless presence that appears to pace the room according to guests who have stayed in Suite 612 of the hotel. Other guests in 612 that have not seen the pacing spirit report to hear footsteps in the room as though someone is pacing back and forth.

A more comedic report, at least to me, is from a guest who claimed someone had managed to get into his room when he heard the sink running and the toilet flush in his bathroom. After being shown there was no way anyone could get into his bathroom the man was resigned to the notion it was a ghost, and he was ok with that notion. I don;t know if I would be ok with that notion but to each their own. It is Salem after all and though this building is relatively young, the history of the city cannot be overlooked.

Connecticut

The Sterling Opera House - Derby, Connecticut

Built in 1889, The Sterling Opera House in Derby, CT is said to be one of the most haunted places in New England. The hauntingly beautiful Opera House remained open until 1945 and served as host to a slew of famous performers such as Bob Hope and Harry Houdini. Today, all that are left to perform or attend are the spirits.

There have been a number of paranormal investigations in the opera house over the years and the evidence gathered during them has included children talking or singing, shadowy spectors, light anomalies and the sudden appearance of child-sized handprints. Although most of the activity seems to center around children, some say that the building is also haunted by the spirit of Charles Sterling who the building was named for.

Dudleytown - Cornwall, Connecticut

Unlike some of the other hotspots on our list, this haunting consumed an entire town! Dudleytown was a village that was once said to be under a terrible curse. The Village was founded in 1738 by The Dudley Family who is the one who were the victims of the apparent cursed. You would think the curse would have ended when all of the Dudleys died soon after settling in Dudleytown, but it is said that the curse went on to infect the rest of the village. After the last Dudley died, the population of the town began to rapidly decrease with death... and it wasn’t a plague or sickness.

No, the deaths were violent in nature. Accidents and suicides wreaked havoc as well as a higher than average number of cases of insanity. The village was completely abandoned in the 1800s and now all that remains are the foundations and some stone ruins. Though access is rarely granted to the remains of this village by its current owners, guests to the ruins report that many of the former residents are still there in the form of ghosts. Many say that when entering the village there is a strong sense of dread. Some have seen orbs of light and unexplained shadow figures in the area.

To add to the strangeness, all visitors seem to notice the same unsettling thing. Though this is an area of overgrown forest, there are no birds or animals to be seen or heard. I think that’s enough warning for me to stay out!

Rhode Island

We’ve already visited my home state of RI on our haunted location hunt this week but here are two bonus locations for our tour of New England!

The Breakers Mansion - Newport, Rhode Island

The Breakers is one of the most popular tourist attractions and wedding venues on Aquidneck Island, but it has a haunted history. This mansion was originally the summer home of Cornelius Vanderbilt II, who was a member of the wealthy Vanderbilt family. It is said that Vanderbilt’s wife, Alice, was known to roam throughout the building, even after her death in 1934. Her spirit has been seen on multiple levels of the house in fine dresses from the golden age. other witnesses have reported the feeling of being watched or followed by something they couldn’t see.

The family currently living there says that Alice is a near constant presence but they will not allow any ghost tours or investigators because they believe she has a right to her own home and they don’t want to disturb her.

Seaview Terrace - Newport, Rhode Island

Closing out our list is the Seaview Terrace in Newport, Rhode Island. Also known as the Carey Mansion, Seaview Terrace is located on Ruggles Avenue in Newport, RI. This historical landmark dating back to 1907 and was a filming location for the gothic horror TV show, Dark Shadows. But it doesn’t just look creepy, the mansion is said to be one of Rhode Island's most haunted locations. Many believe the hauntings that take place here are attributed to whiskey magnate Edson Bradley and his wife Julia. Witnesses have reported apparitions, strange sounds, temperature drops, disembodied footsteps and the sound of a broken organ playing on its own. These odd happenings earned the mansion its own episode of Ghost Hunters.

Though several ghosts are thought to remain in the mansion, the most prominent spirit said to haunt the property is the original owner’s wife Julia Bradley.

Julia loved her home and had no desire to leave it. When Edson wanted to move to from Washington DC to Newport, they had the entire mansion disassembled and rebuilt in Rhode Island, a process that took nearly two years to complete. Julia passed away only a few years later and it seems she still doesn’t want to leave. Her ghost is often seen playing her favorite Estey organ.

One year after Julia’s death, the mansion became an exclusive all-girl summer boarding school, renamed Burnham-by-the-Sea where incidences of smoke detectors going off for no reason, bottles flying off desks and radios turning on and off by themselves were often reported. Others have experienced various strange noises like phantom footsteps, disembodied voices, banging, and even shadows jiggling door handles.

[mhenvs3000-20]

Not feeling well? Here, have a dose of nature.

Nature is a cure. A cure for what exactly? Well, that’s hard to say. Not because I have trouble finding an answer for what nature might be a cure for. Instead, it’s hard to say because I have trouble not saying “everything”.

Photo of an artistic representation of nature as a cure. The plants are cleverly placed in a standardized pharmaceutical pill container. Retrieved from here.

My personal guiding ethic as a nature interpreter is that nature is a cure. Richard Louv, based on our readings during the course, seems to agree. He invented the term “nature-deficit disorder” because of research he has performed that spans over a decade. He’s studied how there are physical, psychological, social, spiritual, and environmental consequences from having a “nature-deficit disorder” (Beck et al., 2018, p. 50). Louv’s work includes effects on children (2005), adults (2011), and entire communities (2016).

My beliefs are in line with Louv’s because I have witnessed the healing power of nature through my own experiences. Spending time in nature and learning about the details consistently reignites me and makes me feel at peace. The stresses of modern life melt away when I am engulfed in nature. It’s the best medicine I have, but I’m aware that’s my own subjective experience.

Photo of Hamilton Pool, USA. Seeing this in person blew me away and it was the moment that I began to see nature as magical. Being here for a brief moment healed me from poisonous psychological mind states that are an inevitable result of modern society. Retrieved from here.

In my opinion, experiencing things for yourself is much more valuable than scientific data proving something. This is because science is always behind. It takes years to perform a flawless experiment that has conclusive evidence. Additionally, science can only study a few variables at a time by definition, since scientific experiments rely on altering one variable at a time for the purpose of establishing cause and effect relationships. In real life, there are infinite variables. Therefore, science is powerful, but I always make the argument that our own experience is far more valuable because we can reach conclusions faster.

So, my opinion that nature is a cure is not founded on scientific principles. Of course, there are some scientific experiments that can demonstrate why nature helps with certain illnesses such as the ones Louv carried out (Beck et al., 2018, p. 50). But, when I say nature is a cure, I mean it is a cure that exceeds beyond what science can definitively confirm in the foreseeable future. 

This is why I feel responsible for sharing nature with the world. I think our current society has a twisted perversion with science. Science is the modern God. As a scientist myself who has been studying biology for the last half decade, the problems with science are clear to me. I feel a personal responsibility to stop this perversion and make people realize that science should not be our primary guiding principle.

It’s a nuanced idea that I want to share with the world. That nuanced idea is not meant to take away from the power of science and its incredible utility, but to help differentiate the power of science versus the longevity of conclusive data. To put it simply, a real scientific finding that has practical application to our lives and is irrefutably correct usually takes a long time. A really long time.

Through nature interpretation, I can bring this idea to people. For example, I can show people the amazing scientific discoveries related to bees such as how they communicate through sophisticated dances that are similar in precision to a modern GPS. I can outline how honey is made, what constitutes it, and how honey can be synthetically made through chemistry. I can share discoveries related to global bee species decline as a result of several factors such as neonicotinoid pesticide usage and climate change. But, I can also be honest about the limitations of science. I can say that we don’t really know what the answer to bee decline is. I can even say we don’t know if we need an answer. Perhaps, the bees can decline and nature will smoothly go on because other species will take its place. Perhaps, some plants that heavily rely on pollination may go extinct and be replaced with other ones. Is every “problem” worth solving? Dinosaurs, mammoths, and countless other species have gone extinct, but Earth remains. Nature always has a way of balancing everything in a beautiful and harmonious way that humans have historically never managed to do properly. They stopped forest fires in British Columbia, only to now purposely have controlled fires because they realized the positive biodiversity effects of forest fires (British Columbia Wildfire Service, 2010).

Nature interpretation is a way for me to tie all these complex ideas together into presentations that can bring genuine peace to people. People can leave an interpretative session with me realizing the power of nature and its harmonious ways.

I’d place emphasis on explaining connection. How everything connects together in a seamless fashion that is infinitely perfect. How the tree produces a seed and wraps it up with a fruit. How an animal will enjoy the nutrition of that fruit, but how that indirectly helps the tree reproduce by dispersing that seed as a result of eating the fruit. How that seed will eventually thrive as its own tree and continue the cycle. The cycle of never ending perfection.

All we can do is relax and enjoy this perfection, if only for a brief moment. We can breathe in the oxygenated air and feel grateful for nature. We can bask in its power and energy just like we love to bask in the sun. Then we can get back to our busy lives of obligations and responsibilities, but recharged with a potent kind of energy that is capable of worldly success.

As Robert Frost wrote originally almost 100 years ago (2000),

The woods are lovely, dark, and deep. But I have promises to keep. And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep.

[References for entire post included by clicking below]

References

Beck, L., Cable, T., and Knudson, D. (2018). Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage for a Better World. Urbana, IL: Sagamore – Venture Publishing LLC.

British Columbia Wildfire Service. (2010). British Columbia Wildland Fire Management Strategy. Retrieved from https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/public-safety-and-emergency-services/wildfire-status/governance/bcws_wildland_fire_mngmt_strategy.pdf

Frost, R. (2000). Stopping by woods on a snowy evening: For SATB choir and keyboard. London, Ont: Jaymar Music.

Louv, R. (2005). Last child in the woods: Saving our children from nature-deficit disorder. Chapel Hill, NC: Alqonquin Books of Chapel Hill.

Louv, R. (2011). The nature principle: Human restoration and the end of nature-deficit disorder. Chapel Hill, NC: Alqonquin Books of Chapel Hill.

Louv, R. (2016). Vitamin N: The essential guide to a nature-rich life. Chapel Hill, NC: Alqonquin Books of Chapel Hill.

[calebomotundeofficial-blog]

Lewis Hamilton's First World Champion Title - Caleb Omotunde

Everything seem to indicate the World Champion Title would be won by Felipe Massa, when he crossed the GP Brasil finish line in the first place, but the title slipped away due to Lewis Hamilton overtaking Toyota’s Timo Glock, securing the fifth place at the finish line.

Lewis Hamilton, overtook the Italian Giancarlo Fisichella in a risky maneuver, took fifth place and drove the McLaren pits to the vibration, especially the father, brother and girlfriend, who accompanied the race. From then on, the race became a bitter monotony with Hamilton holding the position, with no close rivals threatening him.

In front, Massa only controlled the advantage to get the tenth career victory, the second in Brazil, but that would not be enough to take the cup. With eight laps to go, the rain gave a new face to the GP. The drivers were forced into the pits, Hamilton dropped to fifth and, with two laps to go, Sebastian Vettel outperformed the English, throwing him to sixth place, which gave the title to Massa. But just a few turns from the end, the McLaren rider overtook Timo Glock and took the title.

HISTORY WAS MADE

At 23, Hamilton became the youngest champion in the category, beating his challenger Fernando Alonso, who won his first title in 2005 at the age of 24. He is also the first British champion since Damon Hill in 1996.

For the first time since 1989, when Alain Prost defeated Ayrton Senna in the title fight despite having only four wins against six of the Brazilian, the championship was not won by the driver with the most victories - the British added five this season to Massa's six.

McLaren has yet another reason to celebrate, as the last title a rider that had won was in 1999 with Finnish Mika Hakkinen.

History was made! It was the first World Champion title for Lewis Hamilton!

[grantmkemp]

Born 84 years ago today, 9th December 1934, Dame Judith Olivia Dench. In Britain, Dench has developed a reputation as one of the greatest actresses of the post-war period, primarily through her work in theatre, which has been her forté throughout her career. She has more than once been named number one in polls for Britain's best actor. My colourised picture from a black, and white promotional still shows Dench in the 1959 TV series "Hilda Lessways" (adapted from the Clayhanger family novels by Arnold Bennett), and according to "Lost U.K. TV Shows Search Engine", this series is believed to be lost. Dench was aged just 25, and this was her first television appearance.

Through her parents, Dench had regular contact with the theatre. Her father, a physician, was also the GP for the York theatre, and her mother was its wardrobe mistress. Actors often stayed in the Dench household. During these years, Judi Dench was involved on a non-professional basis in the first three productions of the modern revival of the York Mystery Plays in 1951, 1954 and 1957. In the third production she played the role of the Virgin Mary, performed on a fixed stage in the Museum Gardens. Though she initially trained as a set designer, she became interested in drama school as her brother Jeff attended the Central School of Speech and Drama. She applied and was accepted by the School, then based at the Royal Albert Hall, London, where she was a classmate of Vanessa Redgrave, graduating and being awarded four acting prizes, including the Gold Medal as Outstanding Student.

In September 1957, she made her first professional stage appearance with the Old Vic Company, at the Royal Court Theatre, Liverpool, as Ophelia in Hamlet.

She remained a member of the company for four seasons, 1957–1961

The 1966 BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles was made to Dench for her performance in Four in the Morning and this was followed in 1968 by a BAFTA Television Best Actress Award for her role in John Hopkins' 1966 BBC drama Talking to a Stranger.

Dench made her debut as a director in 1988 with the Renaissance Theatre Company's touring season, Renaissance Shakespeare on the Road, co-produced with the Birmingham Rep, and ending with a three-month repertory programme at the Phoenix Theatre in London. Dench's contribution was a staging of Much Ado About Nothing, set in the Napoleonic era, which starred Kenneth Branagh and Emma Thompson as Benedick and Beatrice.

She has acted with the National Theatre in London where she played an unforgettable Cleopatra in Antony and Cleopatra (1987). In September 1995, she played Desiree Armfeldt in a major revival of Stephen Sondheim's A Little Night Music, for which she won an Olivier Award.

After the long period between James Bond films Licence to Kill (1989) and GoldenEye (1995), the producers brought in Dench to take over as the role of M, James Bond's boss. The character was reportedly modeled on Dame Stella Rimington, the real-life head of MI5 between 1992 and 1996; Dench became the first woman to portray M, succeeding Robert Brown.

In 1997, Dench appeared in her first starring film role as Queen Victoria in John Madden's teleplay Mrs Brown, which depicts Victoria's relationship with her personal servant and favourite John Brown, played by Billy Connolly

In 1999, Dench won the Tony Award for her 1999 Broadway performance in the role of Esme Allen in Sir David Hare's Amy's View.

In January 2001, Dench's husband Michael Williams died of lung cancer. Dench went to Nova Scotia, Canada, almost immediately after Williams's funeral to begin production on Lasse Hallström's drama film The Shipping News, a therapy she later credited as her rescue.

A major hit for Dench came with Joe Wright's Pride & Prejudice, a 2005 adaptation of the novel by Jane Austen, starring Keira Knightley and Donald Sutherland.

In April 2006, Dench returned to the West End stage in Hay Fever alongside Peter Bowles and Belinda Lang.

Dench appeared opposite Cate Blanchett as a London teacher with a dedicated fondness for vulnerable women in Richard Eyre's 2006 drama film Notes on a Scandal, an adaption from the 2003 novel of the same name by Zoë Heller. A fan of Heller's book, Dench "was thrilled to be asked to ... play that woman, to try to find a humanity in that dreadful person".

Dench returned to the West End in mid-2009, playing Madame de Montreuil in Yukio Mishima's play Madame de Sade.

In 2011, Dench starred in Jane Eyre, My Week with Marilyn and J. Edgar

In 2013, Dench starred as the title character in the Stephen Frears-directed film, Philomena, a film inspired by true events of a woman looking for the son which the Catholic Church took from her a half-century before.

In 2016, Dench made Olivier Award history when she won Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her role in The Winter's Tale, breaking her own record with her eighth win as a performer

In July 2019 Judi presented a 2-part nature documentary series for ITV called Judi Dench's Wild Borneo Adventure in which she and her partner travelled across the island, looking at its remarkable wildlife and efforts by conservationists to preserve it for future generations.

Dench was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 1970 Birthday Honours and Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in the 1988 New Year Honours. She was appointed Member of the Order of the Companions of Honour (CH) in the 2005 Birthday Honours. In June 2011, she became a fellow of the British Film Institute (BFI).

This is my colourised version of a black, and white promotional still from "Hilda Lessways", broadcast in 1959

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