F1 & #MH370

F1 has started. 2014 season bring big changes in the cars. I mean big as huge!

New models with less aerodynamics. Slower cars. Less power. And of the things that I consider make the the show: the sound of the engines. 

FIA made changes to 'improve' technological systems but that fact doesn't help. Teams that are trying to fix problems with tires, now are proving their cars in the season, because the pre-season wasn't in off to do it. This weekend is Malaysian GP, in Sepang. And I consider that if the circumstances continue as Australian GP, this season will be the stranger in the last years.

Changing the sportive topics, the most of the teams are giving a message during this GP "Pray for #MH370". 2 weeks and that flight is still disappeared.

Not a marketing strategy. A message to all the world. There's not a better place to do it: Malaysia, where the plane were. 

The following pics are taken from the official Twitter accounts of each team.

Moto GP - 2014 is the year!

Moto GP 2014 season has started. After some trainings in the beginning of the year the engines started to made it's fabulous sound (better than F1 ones this year).

First race was in Qatar. A nice circuit, called Losail, located close to one of the most expensive places over the earth.

This new season included many surprises in the machines and in the teams. The most important teams, the ones that represents the factories (Movistar Yamaha, Repsol Honda, and Ducati) with the best chances to win, taking into account that they have the last improvements in all the facts that concerns the good functions of each motorcycle.

Taken from MotoGP - Official Facebook page

A season full of good races will be an excellent scenario to watch and analyze a battle of real warriors. Marc Marquez in Repsol Honda will try to defend his first championship (2013). Dani Pedrosa, his team partner will do the best. In the other side Jorge Lorenzo in Movistar Yamaha will be the direct rival of Marquez. His team partner Valentino Rossi will be the star in the season. Why him and no the others? Just because he won more than 8 championships in Moto GP.

Taken from Movistar Yamaha GP

The battle started in the first race. Marquez and Rossi showed that the best will win. Just watch the following video to summarize that sentence.

Next race, Red Bull Grand Prix of the americas.

Lost Flight #MH370

Two important topics has marked the world juncture during the past two weeks. The ‘referendum’ that marked the separation of Crimea from Ukraine and the lost of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 that flew from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

On march 8 a Boeing777-200 of the mentioned airline lost contact with any satellite (commercial or military). 239 people including passengers and the crew were on board.

There are many theories about the incident with this flight. At the beginning of the investigation a kidnapping were the principal one. Two people that boarded the plane in Kuala Lumpur with false passports (according to authorities), were investigated but nowadays there’s not a conclusion about it. Other theories related with the pilots, with a route change, with a kidnapping onboard are related with the incident.

Authorities of Malaysia, Australia, Thailand, United States, Norway, and other countries are looking for a clue in the ocean. Its difficult know which route the flight took. It’s certain that the original route wasn’t applied.

Two weeks later the only thing that the world knows is that the flight never arrived in Beijing.

The last clue was that the Malaysian Airlines plane never arrive to it’s final destination.  

 

Oscars 2014. No just movies

Last verson of Oscars (Academy Awards) was a nice ceremony. Many good movies to reward, but I consider that the development of the ceremony is an important fact to mention. Two things marked the night.

The comedian Ellen DeGeneres broke up the record of retweets of a picture in Twitter story. In one hour she reached the top tweet that had US President.

@TheEllenShow twitter.com

A selfie is the most retweeted picture in Twitter. Many 'famous' people are trying to break up this record, but I'm sure it will stay for a long time.

Other thing to mention about this Movie Awards is that DeGeneres distributed pizza. She received a delivery of a real pizza dealer inside the theater. It can be a fact without sense. But it wasn't a common pizza brand. Big Mama's & Papa's Pizza is the name of that store that will remembered for a long time. Pictures can describe this.

Taken from Big Mama's & Papa's Pizza Facebook page

Taken from Big Mama's & Papa's Pizza Facebook page

Taken from Big Mama's & Papa's Pizza Facebook page

Taken from Big Mama's & Papa's Pizza Facebook page

More than the Super Bowl

Last SuperBowl (XLVIII), won by Seattle Seahawks, was a good game, with nice results in the sportive and in the background.

Here I want to mention the work of the brands that did a good job during the game. In Social Media and in Advertisements. Here commercials done. Just 30 seconds or 1 minute to do the best.

Toyota.

Budweiser.

GoPro.

Wolkswagen.

Best GRAMMYs

The music is one of the most important things to live. Maybe yes, maybe no. But good music helps to live a good day, that's true. Listen good music is a good thing. Listen good musicians is great.

When the best musicians in the world meet together is a moment to remember and to live, no matter if you're watching it in TV. Last sunday, best musucians now meet in the GRAMMYs 2014, in Staples Center. The best I've watched.
Maybe I'm not the expert to comment it, but I can say that the show I watched was amazing, was nice.

Many things happened and those things should be remembered in the next years.

Ringo Star and  went to stage together. Wothout words.

Pahrrell, Stevie Wonder and Daft Punk gave us a nice show!

And the best show in the night for Imagine Dragons with Kendrick Lamar.

The winners of the night: Lorde with Royals and Daft Punk with Get Lucky.

Some facts: Pharrell's hat -> http://perezhilton.com/2014-01-26-stevie-wonder-daft-punk-pharrell-grammys-2014-performance

Daft Punk dress.

And 30+ pairs celebrate their wedding.

*Pictures from Google

Dakar 2014

Last saturday (january 18th) Rally-Raid Dakar finished it's 2014 edition. In South America as the immediatly past years. During it's 34 years, 6 were developed in South America, in four countries (Argentina, Chile, Peru and Bolivia). This year all countries except Bolivia. And other important fact is that quads start running in South America, not in Africa.

This year's edition was the most difficult since Dakar arrived in South America, according to drivers. Long days (jan 5 - jan 18) marked the routes that cars, bikes, trucks and quads crossed. More than 400 participants and the best machines did a good competence. More than the half of competitors left the race.

In cars, MINI (with Xraidteam) were the leaders during the whole Dakar (the most). Drivers like Peterhansel and Roma (winner) lead all the race. Sometimes Sainz try but MINI were the best. 

In bikes Coma (KTM), Despres (Yamaha) and Barreda Bort (Honda) were the absolutely leaders. Coma won the race with a totally domain.

Finally in Trucks, Karginov (Kamaz) won. Kamaz won the last years, except 2012 (Iveco).

In quads, finally other pilot different of Patronelli Brothers could won. Ignacio Casale from Chile did it.

*Videos by #Dakar @dakar (http://www.youtube.com/dakar)

Taken from www.dakar.com

2014

Looking forward, 2014 will be an important year for many reasons around the world. Starting with politics, many countries celebrate it's presidential elections. Topics like Iran, North Korea, Syria, Cuba, and north Africa will be exposed and will be the center of world's edge.

In sports, Soccer will mark an important point this year. Starting with the FIFA World Cup in June, in Brazil. Also soccer will include all the preparation against the world cup. An interesting UEFA Champions League and important players that will be known during the world cup. Sports will includ World Winter Games that will be developed in Sochi (Rusia). Formula 1 will have an important year (taking into account the changes in the teams) and Moto GP will be exciting (Lorenzo vs Marquez will be a good scenario).

In technology, Smartphones will mark an important year for Apple, Android and Windows. Blackberry will try to stay in the top. So will be amazing to pay attention for it. CES 2014, in Las Vegas, showed the good start of this year.

Many other things will be done this year. So This and more topics will be analyzed in this blog.

Keep connected!

Juan.

Reality that surpasses fiction

Picture taken of Capatin Phillips in Facebook

By this days, in movie listings, there is a movie that tells a true history that is happening nowadays, and that happened some years ago.

Starring by Tom Hanks, Captain Phillips tells the history of a cargo ship (property of a big Shipping company) that is kidnapped, by 'pirates' in the sea close to the called Africa horn (Somalia). The movie has an excellent production. Effects and all the actors develop great secenes.

But there's a huge problem. People are taking big ships (using guns), that contains hig value goods. Then the ask for money (big quantities) to leave free the ship.

In the movie, US Navy did a good job to liberate the ship. But in the real life, when the ships arrive in the costs?

The article below describes the pracy actions.

Article By The Economist (Nov. 2nd 2013)

PIRACY remains a concern for ships passing the Horn of Africa, even though the number of incidents has plummeted since 2011, when armed protection was beefed up on board many large vessels. The topic grips the public imagination. Witness the success of “Captain Phillips”, a film in which a vessel captained by the actor Tom Hanks is hijacked by Somalis. Yet the pirate economy is poorly understood. A report*, to be released on November 4th by the World Bank, the UN and Interpol sheds new light.

The authors interviewed current and former pirates, their financial backers, government officials, middlemen and others. They estimate that between $339m and $413m was paid in ransoms off the Somali coast between 2005 and 2012. The average haul was $2.7m. Ordinary pirates usually get $30,000-75,000 each, with a bonus of up to $10,000 for the first man to board a ship and for those bringing their own weapon or ladder.

During operations, pirates spend with abandon. Interest rates on loaned goods and services are high: $10 of mobile-phone airtime is charged generally at around $20. The men on the anchored ships also pay up to three times the market price for qat, driving up prices on the coast. “With piracy everything became more and more expensive,” complains a fisherman-turned-pirate. Some locals (including former pirates) offer services to potential and actual victims of piracy, for instance as consultants, negotiators or proof-of-life interviewers. Some of these “companies” openly advertise their services, sometimes contacting victims directly.

Financing pirate expeditions can be quite cheap by comparison. The most basic ones cost a few hundred dollars, which may be covered by those taking part. Bigger expeditions, involving several vessels, may cost $30,000 and require professional financing, This comes from former police and military officers or civil servants, qat dealers, fishermen and former pirates. They take anywhere between 30% and 75% of the ransom.

Chile looking forward

Elections in Chile, next sunday november 17th, are important in several ways.
Current president, Sebastian Piñera, did good things during his time in the Palacio de la Moneda.Obviously with many critics but he moved Chile to be a referent of South America as a leader (can say as Brazil).
Michelle Bachelet (former President) want to return. She was a good president forsure. She started in a good way that engine called Chile. Nowdays many factories conquered the continent and Bachelet  started that fact.

Picture: emol.com

There are many questions about the new chilean president. Maybe she will be a good president? she will be a 'neutral' pole, talking about left or right in South America? Why she? because the possible president will be a women.

South America is changing year by year and many presidents want to stay as leaders. Argentina, Ecuador, Venezuela, Bolivia presidents are doing that. If Bachelet win, she will stay many years? Probably not, but its important to mention that she is trying to be president for third time.

Chile is looking forward, not back as Venezuela, but the elections will tell what the chileans want.

The Washington Post Sold

After this important newspaper was sold it's impotant to know why.

This was published in The Washington Post on august 6

Washington Post publisher Katharine Weymouth presented her uncle, company chief executive Donald E. Graham, with a once-unthinkable choice at a lunch meeting at downtown Washington’s Bombay Club late last year.

The paper was facing the like­lihood of a seventh straight year of declines in revenue, with one preliminary budget estimate showing the possibility of $40 million in losses for 2013. And despite years of heavy investment in new digital offerings, there was little sign that robust profits were about to return, she reported.

That left three choices, Weymouth told Graham. The family could continue presiding over the gradual decline of the newspaper they loved. They could move more aggressively to cut the paper’s staff more deeply than ever, hoping that they could return The Post to sustained profitability by sacrificing its longtime excellence.
Or they could sell, cutting ties to one of America’s iconic news organizations after four generations of family control in the hopes that The Post could thrive again under a new, deep-pocketed, civic-minded owner.
That meeting triggered months of remarkably quiet maneuvering for a company that ordinarily prides itself in dragging other people’s secrets into the light. Eight months after Weymouth first raised the possibility, Graham arranged to sell The Post to Amazon.com founder Jeffrey P. Bezos in a $250 million deal — after two key face-to-face meetings with a man who has scant journalistic experience.

Several factors allowed the deal to come together with relative speed. They included a long-standing friendship between Bezos and Graham, 68, an executive steeped in traditional newspaper publishing who had become a respected elder for a newer generation of tech magnates. Bezos was among the most successful of those, and the two men had on several occasions traded insights on their businesses.
“The Post is his baby,” Weymouth said of Graham. “He was not going to give his baby to anybody who he thought would not care for it properly.”
But also propelling each step was his reluctant acceptance that continuing to own The Post — so long synonymous with the Graham name — probably meant years more of cuts, with significant profits perhaps never returning for the family or the company’s other investors. He long has demanded that each of The Washington Post Co.’s divisions — including ones focusing on education, cable television and other markets — stand alone as viable businesses.
“You wouldn’t mind losing money if you thought you were building toward something two or three years from now, but that was not what Katharine was saying,” Graham recalled. “She was saying the decline in revenue was going to go on, so, you know, the only choice was lose money or cut costs. . . . It’s certainly an option to lose money for three or four years. The question was what would happen in three or four years.”

Continue reading...

 

The Economist on Internet

LeMans 2014

Last LeMans 24 hours race was simply nice. The best version in the last years. Audi won with a great car and after a hard race. But the only fact that darkened the race was the death of a pilot starting the race: Allan Simonsen.

Property of Audi AG/FB

Back in Costa Concordia

More than a year after Costa Concordia crash in italian sea, near Giglio island, the trial against the captain Francesco Schetino will start soon. More than 5 people dead and one of the newest ships around the world dumped in the sea are more than arguments to take a decision in Costa Concordia`s accident.

This 'incredible' story started on janury 13th 2012, when Costa Concordia were in Meditarranean sea. Starting the night a maneuver by the captain Schetino did the ship became so close to the island. The big ship ran aground Giglio island and there started a huge emergency. They were close to the island, an advantage to save quickly many people. But the process of evacuation were slow.

Schetino left the ship fast, many witnesses told. And navigation failures are the most probably arguments against the captain.

Costa Concordia's story is incredible but it happened.

The ship robably will be rescued after a long process. Read here how. 

Image AFP - Getty Images- BuzzFeed

Picture by Flippo Monteforte - Getty Images - BuzzFeed

Image by Stringer/Reuters - BuzzFeed

Montmeló!

Spanish GP, last weekend was a new start of this 2013 F1 season. European stage has started and off course it's different from the first part that included races in Australia and Asia.

The quali in Montmeló was kind of surprise. Mercedes did a good job with Rosberg 1st and Hamilton 2nd, and after both of them Vettel, Alonso and Räikkönen.

But the race was different. Tyre strategy was the most important fact and since now will be an important aspect to analyze inside each one of F1 teams before each race left during 2013.

Picture property of FIA in FB.

Results of Spanish GP:

1. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1:39:16.596 
2. Kimi Räikkönen Lotus +9.3s 
3. Felipe Massa Ferrari +26.0s 
4. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull Racing +38.2s 
5. Mark Webber Red Bull Racing +47.9s 
6. Nico Rosberg Mercedes +68.0s 
7. Paul di Resta Force India +68.9s 
8. Jenson Button McLaren +79.5s 
9. Sergio Pérez McLaren +81.7s 
10. Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso +1 Lap 

Picture property of Ferrari in FB.

Senna

Always is good to remember drivers that did good things. And in this case, Ayrton Senna is a driver who ended his life driving a car.

This video is to know more about this Formula 1 'star'.

Venezuela's worst decision

Venezuela took the worst decision in a date that will be remarked for a long time: april 14th.

On that date many citizens of that Country went to voting centers. Half of the Country looking for a real change after Chavez's death and the other half looking to continue Chavez's ideas with a candidate who said all the time that he will be like Chavez.

That day, after the elections, the results were very tight. The difference between the most important candidates were small.

Finally 'Chavez's candidate', Nicolás Maduro, won.

But he really won?

TIME Magazine Video

'Opposition candidate', Henrique Capriles, said that the reaults were a fake and he asked the Electoral Council to make an audit of all the votes. But the answer of that state organ was to give a certification to Maduro immediatly, ignoring the words of many people in Venezuela.

The worst decision was taken in Venezuela. A President who talk insulting always the people that aren't with him. And not only the President, all his ministers, the president of the Supreme Court, the president of the National Assembly.

The Guardian Video

World agenda for April

In a post of march 13th (march historical month) was explained why march impacted the world. 

But nowdays, in april 2013, is important to say that april can impact in a bigger way the whole world.

Starting because Venezuela will reapeat presidential elections. There are many candidates (in the paper) but only two candidates can win: Nicolás Maduro and Henrrique Capriles. The first one claims to be the successor of Hugo Chávez. Chávez probably said that he wanted Maduro in the presidency, but to be his successor? Maduro says many things everyday, and day-by-day he invents stories that sounds fanciful!

Capriles is the same candidate that competed with Chávez during the last elections in october/2012. He is the chance for a change in Venezuela. Next sunday Venezuela will decide if they want a change or something that can be worst that Chávez. (Why? because Maduro doesn't have proposals. Maybe some in a paper).

In the other hand, april can impact in a bigger way because North Korea Leader Kim Jong-un decided to threaten South Korea and United States with his alleged nuclear force.

Jong-un is claiming that he can attack in any moment. He doesn't measure his words...

Cover (april) The Economist printed edition

Malaysian GP. Many things to remember

F1 Malaysian GP in Sepang was a particular race.
At the end 1-2 for Red Bull Racing. Good! But that podium was to forget.

"Sebastian Vettel led home a commanding Red Bull 1-2 in Sunday’s 2013 Formula 1 Petronas Malaysia Grand Prix, but rarely have television viewers witnessed such tension between a driver, his team mate and team management en route to the podium. Vettel’s controversial pass on Mark Webber, despite having been told to hold station, netted him 25 points and the championship lead. As to its impact on relationships within the team - and on the German’s reputation - only time will tell. We take a team-by-team look at how things unfolded at Sepang..." Taken from formula 1 web page.

And this is the answer of Red Bull Racing in its web page: "As advised on Sunday, this situation will be dealt with internally.

It’s worth noting that this is not an entirely new situation for us. At Infiniti Red Bull Racing, we have two drivers who both want to win races and Championships and this has been the case since Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel started driving together in 2009.

Together, the driver pairing of Mark and Sebastian has achieved 35 wins, 80 podiums, 13 one-two finishes and six FIA Formula One World Championships. This successful period includes some spells of intense on-track rivalry between our drivers.

Each incident has been managed in our own way behind closed doors and this will be no different."

Property of DHL

To remember! Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) stopped in McLaren's pit stop (his last team).

Mercedes also did a good job. 3-4 at the end  of the GP.
Lotus with a 6-7 showed they are doing good things!
Alonso 2nd in quali, out in the second lap.

Albert Park feedback

Australian GP, the first F1 race of the year can be described as a good one. Maybe some surprises but it's important to say that the ones that end in the front did the things good!

Starting by Kimi Räikkönen in Lotus! He is one of the best drivers during the last years. Some years ago he went to NASCAR in USA, but the truth is that he should be in the top teams of F1.

He won Australian GP because of two reasons. The 1st one is the work done by his team, good strategy with the tyres and the fuel, but the 2nd and the most important is his way of drive. He knows how to drive when no one is infront, when he is in the first place of the race.

Then Alonso and Vettel, in second and third positions, develop a good race. Probably they where the favorites but Räikkönen with Lotus are prepared to be favorites too. It's importat to say that Ferrari and Red Bull Racing race did a good job during the race. Was a hard race, starting by the rainy quali.

Picture property  Iceman - Kimi Räikkönen

Was the first race of the long season and nothing was written. Sepang, in Malaysia, is comming, is a different race and is another story, starting by it's characteristics.

Picture property FIA

F1 2013 season Ready!

First Formula 1 Grand Pix is ready to start in Australia. 11 teams and 22 drivers.

Check all the info for each team

Red Bull Racing: Sebastian Vettel  Mark Webber  Official

Ferrari: Fernando Alonso  Felipe Massa Official
McLaren Mercedes Jenson Button Sergio Pérez Official
Lotus Kimi Raikkonen Romain Grosjean Official 
Mercedes Nico Rosberg Lewis Hamilton Official
Sauber Nico Hulkenberg  Esteban Gutierrez Official
Williams Pastor Maldonado  Valtteri Bottas Official
Force India Paul di Resta  Adrian Sutil Official
Toro Rosso Daniel Ricciardo  Jean eric Vergne Official
Caterham Charles Pic  Giedo Van Der Harde Offcial
Marussia Jules Bianchi  Max Chilton Official

Picture property of FIA

Picture property of FIA

Picture property of DHL