Farewell To A Great Actor and Racing Driver

Paul Newman, American Racer, 1925-2008

I was very sad to hear that Paul Newman, one of my favorite actors of all time, had lost his battle with cancer yesterday. He will be missed by many. I found this article and thought it was appropriate:

By Steven Cole Smith : Date posted: 09-27-2008

Paul Newman's profession was acting, but his passion was racing. He has died at age 83 after a battle with lung cancer that had been well-documented in many of the tabloids these past two years, but he faced his illness the same way he lived his life: quietly, and with dignity.

Arguably the most talented of the celebrities-turned-race drivers — and inarguably the most successful — Newman raced sports cars at Daytona, Le Mans and Sebring. He began racing rather late in life because, he said, "It's the first thing that I ever found I had any grace in. I'm not a very graceful person."

Newman said his favorite sound was "a V-8 engine,"

He Lost It at the Movies
Paul Newman first got serious about motorsports in 1968 while making Winning (1969), which revolved around the 1968 Indianapolis 500, but he wasn't really able to begin racing until four years later. He picked up his basic skills in a Lotus Elan, purchased an ex-Bob Sharp Datsun 510, then finally took an ex-Group 44 Triumph TR-6 to a hard-fought class championship in the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) run-offs at Road Atlanta in 1976. SCCA race fans at his home track of Lime Rock Park began to wear T-shirts with the slogan, "Paul Newman Has Skinny Legs."

Newman said, "I was never a great driver — I started racing when I was 47 years old — but I got to be pretty good. I was a pretty good driver for about five years."

Read more...http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Features/articleId=132426?tid=edmunds.il.home.photopanel..1.*#2

An Upsurge in Kenya Road Accidents

22 September, 2008. The Nairobi Chronicle reports...

An upsurge in road accidents in Kenya has led to calls for the return of John Michuki to the Ministry of Transport. Motoring analysts however say that the Michuki rules did not work because they merely focused on punishing bus and matatu operators.

Scores of people have died on Kenyan roads in recent weeks. Most of the accidents involve minibus taxis, popularly referred to as matatus. Other accidents involve long distance buses and trucks plying the roads between the port city of Mombasa and the interior.

Deaths from road accidents may surpass the 3,000 fatalities a year mark that was the norm before the Michuki rules of 2004. The rules were introduced by Kangema legislator, John Michuki, who was the Transport Minister at the time. The Michuki rules forced all commercial vehicle owners to install speed governors set at 80 kilometres per hour. On city roads, the speed limit was enforced at 50 kilometres per hour.

Read the entire article by clicking this link:
http://nairobichronicle.wordpress.com/2008/09/22/michuki-rules-did-not-work/

Frustrations of Driving in Nairobi, Kenya

If anyone has had the pleasure of driving in Nairobi, you will understand what I'm talking about. Not only are you constantly trying to second guess the next move of the vehicle in front of you, behind you and beside you, but you also have to be on high alert for matatus (public service vehicles) always trying to cutting you off.

And God forbid that a vehicle breaks down on the road or someone has a fender bender or accident in front of you! This of course blocks traffic flow and two lanes of traffic suddenly turn into five or six lanes, as impatient drivers try to figure out a way to get past the jam.

Those drivers, off course, meet oncoming traffic head on, and before you know it you are stuck in a gridlock situation that could go on for hours. You sit in the traffic jam wondering how much money you are wasting in fuel. Of course, with current fuel prices as high as they are, this could mean a lot.

If you are concerned about the environment and global warming, you wonder how much carbon emissions are being released into the atmosphere as you watch large lorries puffing out large clouds of smoke.

Should we even mention the frustration of how much time is lost sitting in your vehicle trying to get from A to B? I don't know about you, but my patience is growing thin!

What are your thoughts?

Security Tip

There was an incident in the Nairobi suburb of Karen area recently whereby a gang followed people into their gate and invaded their home. They were roughed up quite a bit, but avoided further injury because they had sufficient cash on them to appease the robbers. Remember that it's a good idea to always keep some cash on you at all times and at your house in case you are a victim of robbery. Smaller denominations are useful as it makes the amount look more than it is.

Robbery Alert

A new strategy has been used by robbers to attack motorists in Kenya. The robbers create a fake 'accident' scene by stalling a vehicle at a narrow section of the road. Another car is placed strategically on the opposite direction to make it appear as if the owner is offering help to the driver of the stalled car. As other motorists drive up to the point, the robbers strike. This has been reported in Nakuru, Nairobi and Nyahururu. If you come upon such a a scene, try to reverse and get away. Report to the nearest police station.

Glen Edmunds Safe Driving Tip

Riding the clutch is dangerous! We see this with many of our students at our driving school. Drivers tend to rest their foot on the clutch pedal, instead of off to the side. This is a very bad habit, as it allows the thrust bearing to spin continuously, and can lead to premature failure of the bearing. This of course will result in clutch failure.

The thrust bearing is only designed to run for a few seconds at a time when you are engaging gears. Keep your foot off the clutch while driving and instead place it on the foot rest or the floor until you need it.

Watch your tyres!

There has been a spate of tyres being stolen from residential compounds in the Karen area. It is important to note that these vehicles did not have car alarms or wheel locks. Please notify your askaris so that they are aware of this.

The last 10 days there have been reports in the Karen/Langata area of residents being following into their drive ways on their way home from work in the afternoons. They are in a non-marked car (usually white) and claim to be from the city council. They demand money from you saying that you haven't paid this bill or that. And if you don't pay them on the spot, they will take you to the police, etc. The best way to avoid this type of incident is to make sure you aren't being followed into your compound. Keep a close eye in your rear view mirror to make sure someone isn't following you. If you slow down do they slow down? If you speed up, do they speed up? If you think you are being followed, do not go home! Call your local security company or the Police Hotline (020 - 240 000) and inform them of your situation. Alternatively you can drive to the nearest police station or parked security vehicle. Just as a regular precaution, you can also phone your askari in advance and tell them that you are on your way home and to make sure he opens and closes the gate quickly behind you and to not let any other vehicles come in behind you.