Viper Crash & More Rally Stories
As promised, I found the videos of the Viper crash in Morocco from last year that I mentioned in my blog a few days ago. Unfortunately, the videos may be protected from downloading due to their sensitive/graphic nature.
Here are some pictures of the Viper:
Viper Pre-Crash

Post-Crash

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Bullrun 2005 & Gumball 2004
Bullrun 2005 is starting in Los Angeles on April 29th. They will be looping through San Francisco and Aspen. It should be great fun, but something tells me getting out of Los Angeles on a Friday night will be hell. Maybe we can have police helicopters trying to chase us down much like the Las Vegas to Los Angeles run from a few years back. The entire run will be filmed and rumor has it that parts will be shown on MTV.
On a serious note, I’d like to do one more rally before starting rotations in September. Maybe there will be something between July 4th and September 2nd which I haven’t heard about yet. Otherwise, it’s off to Europe for me.
Thought I’d post this letter for your enjoyment… where is my registration form?
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Pixar Studios Tour
Great article on a visit to Pixar Studios by Moriarty from aintitcool.com. Sorry if the pictures don’t load.
THE INCREDIBLES At Pixar
The last Wednesday morning in February, I caught the 8:00 AM flight from Burbank to Oakland, then took a taxi to Emeryville, where a drive-on pass was waiting for me under my covert spy name, Drew McWeeny, allowing me to enter the headquarters of Pixar for the very first time. This is something I’ve wanted to do for quite a while, so despite the ungodly early hour, I was full of energy.
I was the first person from the group of journalists to arrive, giving me plenty of time to look around the lobby, which is actually a gigantic football-field length atrium, the centerpiece of the entire building.
Protected: Ferrari 360 Modena Review
Koenigsegg CCR Smashes World Record
On February the 28th 2005, at 12.08 local time, the Koenigsegg CCR broke the production road car speed record, achieving a new official top speed of 388 (387.87) km/h at Italy’s Nardo Prototipo proving ground. Although naysayers will say that the car is supercharged and the Mclaren F1 was normally asperated, it is still an impressive feat. That day, a little over a week ago, was what Koenigsegg owners and investors had been waiting for since the first prototype design was seen.
Comparison chart results at Nardo/Prototipo for Production cars:
1. Koenigsegg CCR 388 km/h (242 mph)
2. McLaren F1 372 km/h (232 mph)
3. Ferrari Enzo 355 km/h (222 mph)
4. Porsche Carrera GT 334 km/h (209 mph)
4. McLaren Mercedes SLR 334 km/h (209 mph)
5. Lamborghini Murcielago 330 km/h (206 mph)
Car Set-up:
Standard road car fuel, Standard CCR Michelin tires, Standard ride height of the car, standard engine configuration, standard wheel geometries, standard gearbox, standard clutch, standard brakes, standard over boost pressure from the superchargers.
All that basically means is that the car can be bought today and achieve the exact same feat without any modifications on the owners part.
I know a few people chimed in to say that the 9ff Porsche beat the Mclaren record in January before the Koenigsegg therefore the 9ff was the first to achieve this feat. However, 9ff is not a major manufacturer but instead is a small tuner shop which deals with modified Porsches. Although, 9ff is a registered manufacturer in Germany as per their laws, they would have to go through the process of verifying their status before their runs could qualify in this category. As of now, the Guiness Book of World records has replaced the Mclaren F1 record with the Koenigsegg CCR record.
The only car that I see coming out that could challenge the CCR’s record is the 1001 horsepower Bugatti Veyron 16/4. When will the VW group will get their act together and release the car into production? The car enthusiast world hopes that it’s sooner rather than later.
iPod Rant & More
This iPod craze makes me laugh. There are so many people out there today carrying around their piddly music collections on an ipod which the fashionably wear on the outside of their clothing or at least try to show off those shiny white ear buds. It’s actually sickening. I mean, when I wear my next Dolce & Gabbana suit, I’ll make sure to leave the tags on or better yet, I’ll have a HUGE D&G logo across the front and back of the jacket. Oh and my Salvatore Ferragamo loafers, we’ll just leave the tags on those too. The Clive Christian No. 1 Pure Parfum (probably the world’s most expensive fragrance), well, I’ll duct tape the bottle to my D&G suit so you can both see it and smell it. Anything left? Ya sure, eyeglasses, watches, cuff links, neckwear, long coats and the list goes on. Since when is an iPod a necessary accessory that must be displayed to the world?
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Microsoft Fights AIDS Using Spam Filters?
Man the number of posts from me is crazy. I have to work on this, but oh well, this should be even more interesting. It seems like Microsoft is trying to help in the fight against AIDS. Yes Microsoft. I’ll let this excert explain.
IDM.net.au reports:
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An Australian researcher working with Microsoft through its Microsoft Research arm (MSR), has pioneered promising new ways to combat the deadly HIV virus with software typically used to analyse large computer databases and complex digital images, or to separate spam from legitimate email.
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CO Pulse Oximeter
Remember in physiology they told us about the potential for wrong saturation readings from a pulse oximeter when dealing with patients with CO poisoning? This new product looks to be revolutionary. Okay, that is a big word, but it should help give us better readings.
From the press release:
Masimo Rainbow SET employs revolutionary sensor, hardware and software designs that are able to collect more information noninvasively than previously believed possible. With the introduction of Masimo SET(R) (Signal Extraction Technology) in 1996, Masimo solved the problem clinicians faced with inaccuracy and false alarms associated with pulse oximetry due to patient motion, low perfusion and other challenging conditions. Now, with Masimo Rainbow SET, Masimo ushers a new era where carbon monoxide and potentially other vital parameters can be safely and accurately monitored continuously and noninvasively.
In addition to Rainbow SET’s current ability to noninvasively monitor the level of carbon monoxide in the blood, Masimo’s engineering team is utilizing the additional data delivered by the Rainbow technology platform and sensors to qualify and document an array of new potential measurements and applications. The Masimo Rainbow SET platform has been developed with the intent to deliver accurate monitoring of parameters like methemoglobin (SpMet(TM)), and fractional arterial oxygen saturation (SpaO2(TM)), all measured noninvasively.

Masimo Rainbow SET employs revolutionary sensor, hardware and software designs that are able to collect more information noninvasively than previously believed possible. With the introduction of Masimo SET(R) (Signal Extraction Technology) in 1996, Masimo solved the problem clinicians faced with inaccuracy and false alarms associated with pulse oximetry due to patient motion, low perfusion and other challenging conditions. Now, with Masimo Rainbow SET, Masimo ushers a new era where carbon monoxide and potentially other vital parameters can be safely and accurately monitored continuously and noninvasively. 