Tommy Caldwell’s dad introduced him to rock climbing at the age of three and by 16, Tommy was a world champion. For the last five years, Tommy has been attempting to climb a shear 3000-foot rock face that many consider the most difficult free climb ever attempted.

This is just a great story (via Facebook Stories).

With the end of 2012 rapidly approaching, YouTube have compiled a channel charting the top 10 trending vids of the year. You can check it out here, along with the bizarre mash-up below.

Towards the end of last month I was lucky enough to go to a preview event for the then upcoming first person slasher ‘Dishonored’. During the walkthrough, I was struck by the endless possibilities for creative, hilarious gameplay, although I wasn’t totally sold on the game as a whole.

Anyway, it’s been out for a couple of weeks now, and Battlefield 3 YouTube video legend birgirpall has had his way with it, with brilliant results. Incidentally, if you’re ever looking for a gaming related chuckle, his channel is well worth a watch.

It’s a wet and windy Tuesday, and the weekend has well and truly left us behind, so here’s a musical pick to help you through the week. “Madness” is the first single from Muse’s upcoming sixth studio album “The 2nd Law”.

Renewal: The very mention of this word causes irritation and apprehension amongst motorists across the land. Insurers have come under a lot of flak recently for their ever rising premiums, with the OFT calling the UK insurance market “dysfunctional”.

So, with this in mind, and my breakdown cover due, I eye my renewal letter with intense suspicion:

As you have been a Member of the AA for the past year you will qualify for our new Silver Membership when you renew. With this you get more breakdown cover at no extra charge, plus free extra benefits.

How lovely of them! It’s always nice to be rewarded for loyal custom, and at no extra charge! Wait, there’s a bit further down the letter:

…your payment details are shown in the box overleaf.

So, lots of extra benefits, at no extra charge? Well, not exactly: The adage ‘always read the small print’ most definitely holds true with the AA.

The price you’ve paid in your first year is for new members only, which for me, was £9.95 per month.  The renewal price quoted for me overleaf? £18.09 per month, nearly double the cost of my previous cover.  This is pretty far from no extra charge…

At this point it’s fair to mention that on calling their renewal team, and after complaining, I got this back down to just over £10 (with exactly the same extra benefits).

I left this experience however feeling as if the AA were trying to pull a fast one: Yes, it was stated in the small print, and yes, you should always read the entire letter front and back, but it did seem pretty poor on their part not to make this clearer both on the letter and at least within proximity to the price I was originally quoted a year ago on their website. Poor show, AA.

The folks at Airsoft GI have gone and teamed up with Northern Five Entertainment and produced a Left 4 Dead fan film, which towards the end turns into some strangely familiar, brilliantly geeky dream.  Or is that just my dreams?

Oh well. It’s pretty cool anyway.

So, these guys from Poland, they decided it would be a great idea to get 1,000 metres of rope, take it down in to a gold mine, and do the following.  ”Bat shit insane” was a phrase invented for people like this.

Still, awesome.

(Via Gizmodo)

Excellent stuff: Yet more bizarre awesomeness from Tom Ridgewell, the man who brought us the University of Lincoln adverts.

Another boring day.  Yet more procrastination goodness for you courtesy of The Oatmeal.