Royal Military Tattoo

There is something about watching a precision unit performing drill.  The sheer amount of practice necessary for the individual and the unit to perform the sheer amount of movement and choreograph is very impressive.  On my bucket list is a trip to Edinburgh to watch a tattoo.

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The word "Tattoo," is derived from "Doe den tap toe", or just "tap toe" ("toe" is pronounced "too"), the Dutch for "Last orders". Translated literally, it means: "close the (beer) tap". The term "Tap-toe" was first encountered by the British Army when stationed in Flanders during the War of the Austrian Succession.
The British adopted the practice and it became a signal, played by a regiment's Corps of Drums or Pipes and Drums each night to tavern owners to turn off the taps of their ale kegs so that the soldiers would retire to their billeted lodgings at a reasonable hour. With the establishment of modern barracks and full Military bands later in the 18th century, the term Tattoo was used to describe not only the last duty call of the day, but also a ceremonial form of evening entertainment performed by Military musicians.^[1]
Although the first Tattoo in Edinburgh, entitled "Something About a Soldier", took place at the Ross Bandstand at Princes Street Gardens in 1949, the first official Edinburgh Military Tattoo began in 1950 with just eight items in the programme. It drew some 6000 spectators seated in simple bench and scaffold structures around the north, south and east sides of the Edinburgh Castle esplanade. In 1952, the capacity of the stands was increased to accommodate a nightly audience of 7700, allowing 160,000 to watch live performances each year.

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Visit the Tattoo Shop where you will find an exciting range of Scottish gifts and merchandise, together with Tattoo branded clothing, CDs, DVDs and much more. 
» click here to find out more

The 2012 Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo

In 2012 (3-25 August), Edinburgh once again hosts one of the World's most spectacular entertainment events as The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo draws together a host of creative talent from four continents to pay sparkling tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee and the year of Creative Scotland.
This will be the 62nd extravaganza to be staged at the Scottish capital's ancient Castle - a spectacular and inspiring backcloth for this remarkable and internationally acclaimed event.  With innovative production, heart-stopping sound, imaginative graphics, state-of-the-art lighting and specially commissioned fireworks, the 90-minute show is set to captivate a large cosmopolitan audience.    The line-up of nearly 1000 performers includes hundreds of musicians, pipers, drummers, singers and dancers, as well as one of the World's most sensational percussion groups: Switzerland's Top Secret Drum Corps.
As ever, the emphasis is on sheer scale, colourful tradition, music, movement and spectacle with the show looking forward to delighting an international crowd with a rich story and setting.
The world-renowned display unit from the Norwegian Armed Forces - His Majesty The King's Guard Band and Drill Team - will deliver an extraordinary display of discipline and precision, whilst dancers from home and abroad are set to provide exhilarating and inspired performances, drawn firmly from the Scottish tradition but with a contemporary edge. 
A strong Commonwealth contribution includes pipe bands and performers from Australia, Canada, South Africa and New Zealand, as well as elements from further afield.  
As always, the exciting programme will include the unforgettable music of the Massed Pipes and Drums and the Massed Military Bands.  Among the many bands taking part will be The Royal Regiment of Scotland and a stunning Combined Band drawn from The Royal Navy, Army and the Royal Air Force. 
The show will be brought to an emotional and poignant close each evening as the Lone Piper, high on the castle ramparts, plays a haunting lament.

Programme subject to alteration

2013 Mustang Shelby most powerful production car.

I am a former Ford Employee when Ford was forced to shut down my Taurus plant, I didn't relocate to Kentucky like my fellow Ford Employee and found employment in the Aviation field not far where my Taurus plant used to stand.   Ford treated me well in a bad situation and I bear them no animus.  I kept my Ford Stock when it was really low and refused to sell.  I was proud that Ford didn't take the bailout like the other domestic automakers.  I owned a 1986 Mustang and drove it for 5 years on the autobahns of Europe, that was fun.  I want to own a Mustang again and a Shelby is on the top of my dream list.

2013 Ford Shelby GT500 rated at 662 hp, for the love of all that’s holy

Speaking to a gathering of Mustang and Shelby fans in Los Angeles last week, the chief engineer of the upcoming 2013 Ford Shelby GT500 let slip the car's official stats: 662 hp, 631 ft-lbs of torque, and enough miles per gallon to avoid the gas guzzler tax. We've managed to confirm the numbers and add a few more that shows Ford will soon create not just the most powerful street-ready Mustang ever, but the most powerful sports car from any Detroit automaker.

For those who may get confused by the permutations of Shelby, Cobras and Mustangs on the market, the 2013 Shelby GT500 will still be rated below the altered Mustangs built by Carroll Shelby's own Shelby American shop, which can be tuned up to 1,000 hp. But it's still enough for the full factory-warrantied Ford to beat not just any Chevrolet Camaro, but the Chevy Corvette ZR1 and even the claimed 640 hp from the V-10 in the revived 2013 SRT Viper.

Jamal Hameedi, chief engineer for Ford's SVT division and the man in charge of the Shelby, told the gathering that the 2013 would get fuel economy of 15 mpg in the city and 24 mpg highway, for 18 mph combined -- a sufficient level to avoid a federal gas penalty, and 5 mpg better than the Chevy Camaro ZL1. He also said the GT500 has enough torque to snap to 60 mph in first gear; how it keeps from shredding tires at every stoplight remains an open question.

Ford shared with us a few other notes about the Shelby: It's still claiming the most powerful production V8 in the world, although Koenigsegg would disagree about what defines "production." Unlike the peaky engines of years past, 90 percent of the GT500's power from the supercharged 5.8-liter V8 is available between 2,000 revs and its redline; at just above idle, it's making nearly as much torque -- 395 ft-lbs -- as the Camaro SS makes at its peak.

One other tidbit, according to the Team Shelby forums: The engine runs so hot and requires so much cooling that the GT500 will do without any front grille. At a top speed supposedly near 200 mph, who would notice it's gone?

Ford also sent over this graphic showing the power curves of the Shelby. Viper who?