Patrick Dempsey is a Race Car Driver????

Dempsey enjoys auto racing in his spare time, having competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Rolex 24 at Daytona sports car race, and Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 off-road race. He was a co-owner of the Vision Racing IndyCar Series team and current owner of Dempsey Racing, which is presently racing two Mazda RX-8 cars in the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series GT class. He participates in this series as often as his schedule allows, as he is unable to race while filming a movie due to insurance issues. In 2009, he raced a Team Seattle Advanced Engineering Ferrari F430 GT in the 2009 24 Hours of Le Mans’s GT2 class, and finished ninth in class.[22]
Dempsey announced he would be in the 2011 Rolex 24 at Daytona along with other races throughout the season in a Mazda RX-8.[23] Dempsey finished in third place in the GT Class of the Rolex 24 at Daytona.

Dempsey race car in 2012
In 2012, Dempsey will compete in the Grand-Am Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge behind the wheel of an Aston Martin Racing-Multimatic Motorsports Aston Martin Vantage GT4, which, after 5 successful racing seasons in Europe, will be making its debut on American tracks.
Dempsey also formed the Dempsey Racing team which competes in the American Le Mans Series. The team fields a full-time Oreca FLM09 in the Prototype Challenge class as well as a Lola B12/80 coupe in the Prototype 2 class (with Patrick himself driving) from Laguna Seca onward.
Dempsey is also known to have a collection of sports and collector cars.

Source : Wikipedia

Brief Bio:

A lead driver and owner of Dempsey Racing, Patrick Dempsey is in his fourth full season of GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series GT class competition in the No. 40 VISIT FLORIDA/ModSpace/Construct Corps/Dempsey Racing Mazda RX-8 GT.  He co-drives with teammate and Dempsey Racing business partner Joe Foster, and the two have been racing together for seven years after first meeting when Foster was Dempsey’s racing school series instructor.  Dempsey is one of today’s top television and film actors and stars in ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy in addition to popular films such as Can’t Buy Me Love, Enchanted, Made of Honor and the upcoming Flypaper and Transformers: Dark of the Moon.

2011 – Joined Foster and teammates Charles Espenlaub and Tom Long in finishing a career-best third in the Rolex 24 At Daytona.  All four drivers led the race, including a career-high 28 laps led for Dempsey.

2010 – Joined Foster and teammates Espenlaub and Scott Maxwell for the season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona where the No. 40 Mazda RX-8 GT finished sixth.  The result was Dempsey Racing’s best Rolex 24 finish to that point, and also matched Dempsey’s previous career-best race finish.  Raced in only the year’s opening events while filming movies during the summer.

2009 – Finished a career-best sixth in Rolex Sports Car Series GT race at Mid-Ohio with Foster in the No. 40 Dempsey Racing Mazda RX-8.  Also joined Foster and Don Kitch Jr. in a ninth place GT2 finish at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

2008 – Contested nine Rolex Series GT races, earning a season-best result of ninth at Montreal with Foster.

2007 – Debuted in Rolex Series GT competition at Miller Motorsports Park with Foster and Espenlaub in the No. 40 Mazda’s first race.  Also ran seven GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge races with a series career-best finish of sixth with Espenlaub at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

2006 – Made five Continental Tire series starts.

Early Career – 2005: Racing included the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race in Long Beach, Mazdaspeed Miata MX-5 Cup and the Panoz GT Series.  Also competed in the Baja 1000 in a BC-class dune buggy.  2004: Competed in the Panoz GT Series as a graduate of the Panoz Racing School.  First competitive driving experience was a three-day Skip Barber Racing School course that was a gift from his wife.

Source: Dempsey Racing

Homemade Candied Yams (Sweet Potatoes)

Ingredients:

1 large sweet potato (yam)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions:

1) Dice sweet potato into medium sized chunks

2) Place diced sweet potato into a medium sauce pan. Cover the sweet potato with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for about 15 minutes.

3) Remove the sweet potato from the water once it is tender, but still mildly crunchy. Combine sweet potato, cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar, olive oil and water in a medium sized skillet. Stir and sauté for about 10 minutes on medium-low heat.

4) Enjoy, once the sugar has caramelized into a thick black sauce and the potato is tender.
By: Josh Martin

History of Wrapping Paper – How to Wrap Video

Video Produced By: Real Simple How To

History of Wrapping Paper:

Before gifts were thought of being wrapped and put under a tree for children, kids would get a stocking (sock) of theirs, (the biggest they had) and find it filled on Christmas morning with fruit, candy, and perhaps a small toy.

In the early Victorian years gifts were wrapped in white tissue paper. Bows were made from snippets of ribbon and lace that could be found lying around the house. Sometimes paper pictures from a greeting card were added as extra decorations for wrapping. Even a piece of outside greenery was added to the gift box.

By 1903 gift wrapping was quite popular and in fashion, so the first printed wrapping paper was made which had green holly printed on it. Printed Christmas wrapping paper was actually developed by accident. Stores were selling white, red, and green tissue paper and selling out very quickly. The Hall brothers began to print their own and soon sales were as high as their greeting card business, hence, Hallmark card company.

By the 1920’s DuPont was making cellophane for decorative gift wrap and packaging material for food.

Today gifts under your Christmas tree can be found wrapped in many different ways, styles, and kinds of paper. Papers and bows of all kinds of material are used, and toppings for the gifts can be anything like; another gift, Christmas tree ornaments, bows, flowers, candy, or greenery.

Today neatly wrapped Christmas gifts can be seen in all corners of a room, some under the tree, on a sofa, on a mantel, stacked up high, or in a neat and decorative pile on the floor.

Perhaps You would Enjoy: The History of The Christmas Tree

Source: Love To Sew
Compiled By: Josh Martin

Mazda 2 road test

Who Stole My House? is a great children’s book that my little daughter and I enjoy reading together. It tells the story of a snail who takes off their shell to have a bath and then forgets where they’ve left it. A common problem, you can imagine.

Nature knows that the weight of a snail’s shell cannot be too heavy otherwise it would have disastrous consequences.

The same is true in car production and the engineers at Mazda have given it considerable thought with the Mazda 2, which weighs a tad over 1,000kg, almost 100kg lighter than Vauxhall’s Corsa.

That sack of spuds difference leads the manufacturer to claim that its 1.3-litre petrol five-door hatchback will return 56mpg as its lighter shell makes for a more efficient vehicle. All sounds good on paper and should mean that the 42 litre tank will see the car travel 500 miles.

A lighter body does mean that it feels a bit leaf-like in high winds or when a lorry overtakes. But overall it provides an enjoyable drive and its five-speed gearbox is smooth and decisive – among the best on the market.

Distinctive and attractive styling boosts the Mazda 2 package as you can in the video at testdrives.biz. It’s a good quality and well put together vehicle. But to me the rear wiper looks out of place and the rear washer could be better positioned as water seems to miss the wiper when cleaning the screen.

Source: Canada Free Press
Compiled By: Josh Martin
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Holiday and Christmas Tree Fire Safety

Decorating homes and businesses is a long-standing tradition around the holiday season. Unfortunately, these same decorations may increase your chances of fire. Based on data from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), an estimated 240 home fires involving Christmas trees and another 150 home fires involving holiday lights and other decorative lighting occur each year. Together, these fires result in 21 deaths and $25.2 million in direct property damage.

Following a few simple fire safety tips can keep electric lights, candles, and the ever popular Christmas tree from creating a tragedy. Learn how to prevent a fire and what to do in case a fire starts in your home. Make sure all exits are accessible and not blocked by decorations or trees. Help ensure that you have a fire safe holiday season.

Christmas Trees

What’s a traditional Christmas morning scene without a beautifully decorated tree? If your household includes a natural tree in its festivities, take to heart the sales person’s suggestion – “Keep the tree watered.”

Christmas trees account for hundreds of fires annually. Typically, shorts in electrical lights or open flames from candles, lighters or matches start tree fires. Well-watered trees are not a problem. A dry and neglected tree can be.

Dry Tree vs. High Moisture Tree Fire

This dramatic clip illustrates what happens when fire touches a dry tree and a properly maintained, well-watered tree.

Selecting a Tree for the Holidays

Needles on fresh trees should be green and hard to pull back from the branches, and the needles should not break if the tree has been freshly cut. The trunk should be sticky to the touch. Old trees can be identified by bouncing the tree trunk on the ground. If many needles fall off, the tree has been cut too long and, has probably dried out, and is a fire hazard.

Caring for Your Tree

Do not place your tree close to a heat source, including a fireplace or heat vent. The heat will dry out the tree, causing it to be more easily ignited by heat, flame or sparks. Be careful not to drop or flick cigarette ashes near a tree. Do not put your live tree up too early or leave it up for longer than two weeks. Keep the tree stand filled with water at all times.

Disposing of Your Tree

Never put tree branches or needles in a fireplace or wood-burning stove. When the tree becomes dry, discard it promptly. The best way to dispose of your tree is by taking it to a recycling center or having it hauled away by a community pick-up service.

Source: F.E.M.A.

Compiled By: Josh Martin

2012 LA Auto Show — Mazda Press Conference

Video Produced By: Mazda USA

By David Undercoffler

November 29, 2012, 1:13 p.m.

The family sedan marketplace has become a brawl, with Honda’’s Accord, Nissan’’s Altima and Ford’’s Fusion all newly redesigned and looking to unseat Toyota’’s Camry as the best-selling car in the U.S.

Mazda joined the fray Thursday with the introduction of the 2014 Mazda 6 sedan at Los Angeles Auto Show.

The car will be available with one of two new engines, gas or diesel, both designed for efficiency and foreshadowing company plans for future models.

““Our Los Angeles announcements are only tips of the iceberg,”” said Jim O’’Sullivan, president and chief executive of Mazda North America. “”The best is yet to come.””

The gas model will go on sale in January. It features a 2.5-liter, four-cylinder engine making 184 horsepower and 185 pound-feet of torque. It routes power to the front wheels through either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission.

Mazda says it doesn’’t yet have fuel economy ratings, but expects to be the best in the segment. That means Mazda 6 will have to beat the 27 mpg city, 38 mpg highway rating of the current non-hybrid leader, the Nissan Altima.

In the second half of 2013, Mazda will offer the 6 with a 2.2-liter turbo-diesel engine. The company has yet to release horsepower and torque figures, but the diesel will be available with the same manual and automatic transmissions as the gas car.

Both models will have an available system Mazda calls i-ELOOP, a regenerative braking system that stores captured energy in a capacitor, rather than a battery, and electric motor. Mazda says this allows the system to be smaller and lighter, further enhancing the car’s efficiency. The energy this feature captures will be used to power electrical functions such as air conditioning and the stereo.

Other options available on the 6 will include an in-dash TomTom navigation system, alloy wheels, LED lights, and a Bose stereo system.

Mazda also used the L.A. Auto Show to show off a more powerful engine option on the 2014 CX-5 crossover SUV. It’’s essentially the same 2.5-liter four-cylinder unit that will be in the new 6 sedan, and it makes 184 horsepower and 185 pound-feet of torque.

It will be available only with an automatic transmission on Touring and Grand Touring models. Fuel economy will be rated at 25 mpg in the city and 32 mpg on the highway for front-wheel drive models and 24/30 for AWD models.

By adding this more powerful option to the CX-5 lineup, Mazda addresses one of the few complaints we had when we tested the crossover in April. That model had the smaller 2.0-liter engine, making 155 horsepower and 150 pound-feet of torque. Its handling was easily the most engaging of the segment, but engine sacrificed power in the name of efficiency.

The 2014 CX-5 will go on sale in January. Pricing has not yet been announced.

Source: Los Angeles Times
Compiled By : Josh Martin