Formula 1 gets a taste of dirt-track racing

It's not often that one sees a Formula 1 car purposely take to the dirt.

But Red Bull, ever the promoters of the unorthodox, did just that in showing how its world championship-winning car performs on the under-construction Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, which will host a Formula 1 race next year. And by "under construction," we mean dirt, a long way from the smooth asphalt that make F1 cars the most fearsome on Earth.

World of Outlaws, you have nothing to fear.

Gum chomping drive you crazy? This might be why

Anyone who knows me very well knows I can't stand people who chomp their gum or otherwise create a lot of drama while chewing. 

Some people close to me have told me I need to let it go, but I must say I broke out a huge smile this week when listening to a "Soundcheck" podcast about a disorder called Misophonia that's, you guessed it, a formal recognition that over-the-top chomping is a public health threat. 

I kid -- kinda. I think it's somewhat silly to formalize what I consider a personal quirk. Then again, I think I have my "problem" under control, so others who go off the deep end may indeed need professional help. 

What's comforting is I know I'm not alone, as this follow-up "Soundcheck" segment attests (you can listen to the first show above and the listener comments below). 

Preview of 'Public Parts'

Prolific blogger and digital media sage Jeff Jarvis will be releasing a new book later this month and he's posted a preview online. 

"Public Parts: How Sharing in the Digital Age Improves the Way We Work and Live" is Jarvis' second book, following his popular "What Would Google Do?"  

The emphatic tone in Jarvis' introduction to "Public Parts" (read it below) should come as no surprise to those who read his Buzz Machine blog or listen to him weekly on "This Week in Google." Jarvis argues privacy is the new currency and one worth trading freely as we rapidly transform as a global culture. 

Love him or hate him, Jarvis will make you think, and for that I'm grateful. 

Public Parts by Jeff Jarvis - Read the Introduction