F1 Canadian Grand Prix

The practice and qualifying are completed and there's only a few hours left till this one kicks off.  Should be a great race and since it's in North America at a 'normal' time.  NBC Sports Network coverage kicks off at 1:30 pm this afternoon, thirty minutes before race time.  Just switch over to NBC at 2 for the live race coverage.

F1 Canadian Style - A Visitors Guide

  Today was one of the most historic circuits on the F1 season but the next race will be the first chance to see the action here in North American.  In just 14 days, June 6 to 8, the teams will be at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, Canada.

  The circuit was originally constructed in 1978 and has hosted just about every form of motor sports since them.  The layout utilized for F1 is a 4.361 kilometer course with 13 turns.

  Tickets are still available (http://www.circuitgillesvilleneuve.ca/home) and are anywhere for $45 dollars for a general admission on the practice days to $560 for a three day pass with seating in the Grandstand 1.  Several packages include seating in different locations for the practices and back in the main grandstand for the race but those packages are going quick.  There are also several high end hotels offering room and ticket packages but some of these are well over $2,000.

  At the Monaco Grand Prix, Team Mercedes continued to dominate but the real action was between Lewis Hamilton and Nico  Rosberg.  The tense between the two started during the qualify and a move by Rosberg that prevent Hamilton from completely what was on track to be his fastest lap.  Because of this Rosberg took pole position and Hamilton came in second.  Rosberg ran an error free race and kept the lead from start to finish.  It will be interesting to see how this inter team rivalry continues into Canada.

Top Gear top tips: How to survive the Polar Vortex

Top Gear top tips: How to survive the Polar Vortex;  Top Gear's Polar special part 1 - Jeremy, James and Richard attempt to race from North Canada to the North Pole, a 450 mile journey.

Busting the speed kills myth

  Great video regarding artificially low speed limits as revenue generation and not for safety.  While focused on issues facing Canada, virtually all of the points raised are applicable to the US.  In the video, he states his two key points as: 1) The roads are safest when everyone is traveling at the same speed and in the same direction and paying attention 2) The majority of motorists drive at a speed they consider reasonable, and safe for road, traffic and environmental condition.  Posted limits which are set higher or lower than dictated by roadway and traffic conditions are ignored by the majority of motorists.  He even cites a study that shows raising speed limits actually lowered traffic accidents. 

   The lower speed limits create unsafe conditions by causing cars to pass on the right and drive too closely together.  Governments and insurance companies make money from low speed limits and have come to depend on that income.  I especially like his last statement "Speed still kills your pocketbook because the government ignored the best scientific advice the were given after spending piles of your tax money to get it.

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   If you enjoy this video and agree with the message, I'd also recommend checking out the book "Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do (and What It Says About Us)"

  In the mean time, I'd recommend a good radar detector and possible laser jammers.