Danny vs. the internet: August 2011

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Melbourne Australia named "World's most livable city"

Pronounced MEL-BIN. I've been there twice and couldn't agree more. Absolutely fantastic city. The weather (I love wind), culture, food (LOTS OF GREEK AND ITALIAN FOOD!), the beer (James Squire Brewery, you're welcome for the plug), etc etc etc. I used to always describe the center/metro part as very similar to Manhattan below 14th street. Great place. Cheers!

Ok, time for a beer

Source -> http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=CNG.dc48197753e5ad6c206aaf62361bb407.141&show_article=1

Related. I guess the cursing thing is over with? -> http://www.dannyfinnegan.com/2011/05/fining-aussies-for-swearing.html

Porsche 911 GT3...possibly perfect

and it doesn't even have a Turbo!

image source -> Jalopnik

TRG takes on Road America from TRG on Vimeo.

This weekend? -> http://baltimoregrandprix.com/ Just saying...

Surfing with Fire

Clickable link -> http://youtu.be/f2HoZ4cU1r4

Pretty much exactly what it sounds like

Source -> http://www.youtube.com/user/redbull

Earlier (related-ish)links -> http://www.dannyfinnegan.com/2011/08/street-surfing-probably-not-greatest.html
http://www.dannyfinnegan.com/2011/01/surfing-jaws-at-night-holy-crp.html

The Evolution of the Mobile Phone

I love infographics (recurring theme here), and I miss my Nokia 8260.

(Skip to 0:25 in)

Clickable link -> http://youtu.be/pD254JDQAJU

Tomb of the Unknowns during Hurricane Irene

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.261349963889120.71300.109701809053937&l=8e798c8e75

Source -> http://www.thehighdefinite.com/2011/08/ever-vigilant/

Related -> http://www.anysoldier.com

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

More Hurricane Pics

These are from East Norwalk, CT

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More from Buzzfeed.com

1

Main St. in Margaretville, NY.
2.
Greenwich, Connecticut. Image source.
3.
East Lake Road in Woodstown, New Jersey. Image source.
4.
Princeton, New Jersey Transit train station. Image source.
5.
Governor Cuomo's car in Margaretville, NY. Image source.
6.
Route 12 is broken in 5 places on Hatteras Island, N.C. About 2,500 people are stuck on Hatteras Island because of this. Image source.
7.
One of the few American elms remaining in New York City was downed in Brooklyn. Image source.
8.
A woman walks along Highway 12, the main road that connects Cape Hatteras National Seashore to the mainland in North Carolina.
9.
Bob Bianchini an engineer from the public works department, out for a safety inspection, is slammed by waves and storm surge pounding the boardwalk and the beach in Asbury Park, New Jersey.
10.
Patchogue, New York. Image source.
11.
Fleischmanns, NY. Image source.
12.
Ocean City, Maryland.
13.
Route 100 in Vermont. Image source.
14.
Margaretville, NY. Image source.
15.
Billy Stinson comforts his daughter, Erin, as they sit on the steps where their cottage once stood in Nags Head, North Carolina. The home, built in 1903 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, was destroyed by Hurricane Irene.
16.
Tannersville, Greene County, NY. Image source.
17.
Mendon, Vermont along Route 4. Image source.
18.
Windham, NY. Image source.
19.
Windham, NY. Image source.
20.
Wilbur's Point in Fairhaven, Mass.
21.
Jackie Sparnackel has to abandon her van and her belongings after she ventured to check out the storm-damaged pier in Frisco, N.C.
22.
Vermont.
23.
Windham, New York. Image source.
24.
Harwington, Connecticut. Image source.
25.
Destroyed water tower in Cary, North Carolina. Image source.

The Land Rover Defender is... dead.

After the brief NAS run of the Land Rover Defender, there was always talk, year after year, that Land Rover would bring it back to US shores. Turns out that talk just was silenced. Below are the 2 official concept photo shots of the new DC100 Defender Concept. I understand WHY they felt a need to do this, but that doesn't mean I have to agree with it. Realistically, I'd love to hear a case for how its actually different than the Freelander/LR2.

"Best Guess" from the latest issue of Land Rover World, roughly 100% better than the official concept above

MY Defender

I'm reminded of a quote by the great Richard Hammond "A Land Rover would never turn up to collect an Oscar, it'd be far too busy doing something important somewhere for someone". Somehow I'm not sure that applies here.

Source -> http://www.insideline.com/land-rover/land-rover-reveals-defender-concept-ahead-of-2011-frankfurt-auto-show.html

Earlier links -> http://www.dannyfinnegan.com/2010/11/new-favorite-transformer-im-aware-that.html
http://www.dannyfinnegan.com/2010/10/great-land-rover-defender-ad.html
http://www.dannyfinnegan.com/2011/03/is-that-one-of-500.html

Picture from City Island, NY

A friend of mine who is a newscaster for news 12 Long Island posted this, I thought I'd share.

City Island, NY

Totally unrelated other than the location, This is a great movie -> City Island

I'd watch it

Clickable link -> http://youtu.be/qLp4FhDAfQk

Street surfing, probably not the greatest idea

I'll admit I definitely did things like this in the past, but on record I have to say its a terrible idea and you could be killed. A bunch of guys in Salisbury, MD (not normally known for its surfing spots) decided to use the flooding near a road to their advantage, see the video below.

clickable link -> http://youtu.be/NJxHaCEpCJ0

Source -> http://jalopnik.com/5835307/watch-street-surfers-catch-a-wave-on-irenes-floods

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Related surfing news, check out this inflatable wetsuit for big wave (larger than street puddles) and tow in surfing.

The idea for it came when surfer Shane Dorian was surfing and fell off his board. He was pushed approximately 25' below the surface and held there by 2 more waves as he tried to swim skyward and nearly drowned. It works just like an airplane life preserver. Pull a cord and CO2 will instantly inflate a bladder behind the wearer's head, pulling them to the surface.

From the article:
The V1 is not yet commercially available, and there is no word yet on when or whether it ever will be, or if it will only be distributed to the world's elite big wave riders. I think it would be criminal for Billabong not to release this into the wild, eventually, but I'm not convinced that it couldn't use some refinements first.

Billabong V1 Wetsuit from Billabong USA on Vimeo.

Here's Shane Dorian in action, Waimea Bay

clickable link -> http://youtu.be/k1QMjn8Wu_E

Source -> http://gizmodo.com/5828253/the-wetsuit-designed-to-save-lives-in-big-water
Via http://mustangsurvival.com/

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Hurricane Irene over

***Updated again***
Starting to clear up, more pictures from Hurricane Irene hitting the east coast.

My 'rents on Long Island are being told a few days until their power should be restored.

Cold Spring Harbor, NY

Big ass tree, North Shore Long Island, NY

Schuylkill river - Conshohocken, PA

Conshohocken, PA

Astoria (Queens), NY

North Shore of Long Island

This creek was at least 7' higher 24 hours ago (outside Philly)

***Updated***

I'm adding pictures of ~~effected~~ affected areas as people send them to me.

Asbury, NJ beach

Near Asbury Park, NJ

Oh the humanity!

Long Island Sound on the CT side, 1 hour 30 min before high tide (earlier today)

Same part of CT, Long Island sound approaching, notice the Bunny on the bottom left

South Shore Long Island, waist deep

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Simultaneously we're hearing that it was overblown and that damage is widespread... Those 2 aren't normally compatible. Outside of Philly the local creeks/brooks/streams became rivers around 10pm last night. Flooding is/was pretty widespread here. The actual rivers (Delaware, Schuylkill, Brandywine, Lehigh etc) in this area will probably be rising for the next few days as rainwater travels down from the mountains.

As of writing this there have been 11 confirmed deaths, some from drowning in a vehicle washed away while crossing an overflowing stream, others from falling branches/trees.

Power could be out for a while -> http://bo.st/oeMx1v