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Having vented my spleen.
Does not have to be too recent.
Chet Baker
Keith Flint
Noam Chomsky.
Pete Seeger.
John Snow the bastard.
John Snow the bastard.
... but.... he knows nothing
Edit: A few from me:
Robin Williams
Bruce Dickinson
Prof. Iain Stewart
Just got back from a Chvrches gig, so tonight, for me, it's Lauren Mayberry.
Bruce Dickinson's not cool. He's awesome, but he's not cool.
Terry Pratchett, he was cool. Started out, let's be honest, as a total hack knocking out unfunny fantasy pastiches. Found a voice, and what a voice, then built and populated a world. Then once he became ill became a huge force for alzheimers awareness, research and support, and absolutely fearless in the right to die debate. Cool.
Also, when I'm gambling I like to have a safe bet and a wild card so I'm also going with Macklemore, mostly because Downtown and its video are genius. But I like his style in general, he reminds me of MC Tunes.
How recent is 'recent'. For me it is Dr Martin Luther King jnr. I was lucky enough to be present when he made his most famous speech. Unfortunately I have no recollection whatsoever, just an assurance from my mum that I was there back in 1963.
I don't know how much of the true personality we get to see, but Tom Hanks seems like a decent person
Prof. Sue Black
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/profiles/5mg3lGX2qnzBrctXkTPfQ9S/professor-sue-black-obe
Peter Ustinov
Alan Bennett
Ayrton Senna
Brian cox and bill nye.
Prof David nutt gets a mention too for sticking to his guns in post, in the face of an ideology based brief.
Fred Dibnah
Agree with steveoath, Prof.Sue Black. Heard her on Desert Island Discs, an amazing person. The programme is well worth a listen but be prepared to be shocked and upset at her description of her work in Kosovo.
Super Hans
Dara O'Brien
Rory Stewart
John Snow
Boris Johnson
Victoria Cohen Mitchel
That pilot who landed on the Hudson river.
Jocelyn Bell Burnell.
Brian cox and bill nye.
The actor Brian Cox is most definitely cool. The other one is a fud.
As a devoted fan of the infinite monkey cage, I'd have to disagree
Keith Flint?! That almost cancels your Chet opener.
Bruce Dickinson rocked a mullet for 30 years, he's barred.
I'd probably second Tom Hanks
Obvious, but Steve McQueen sweated cool from every pore.
Prof Hawkins is pretty cool, the universe theory chomping, multi-lover pleasuring, wheeled genius.
Wilco is unfeasibly cool. And the living embodiment of cool......
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Wilko Johnson
Fred Dibnah
Brian Blessed
Brian Clough
Potentially controversial...
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And for her attitude...
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Ernest Shackleton (explorer b.1874)
Edward Pellew (naval officer b.1757)
James Cook (explorer b.1728)
William Bligh (naval officer b.1754)
I might be stretching the 'recent' thing a bit! Here one to bring it up to date
Mark Beaumont (adventurer b.1983)
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Richard Feynman
Glen Gould
Jacob Bronowski
Raymond Baxter / James Burke
Paul Newman. Basically the complete modern man. Multiple acting awards, multiple championships as racing driver, HUGE philanthropist, political activist, impossibly handsome, hugely talented, master of his own destiny and general all round nice guy.
This thread really proves how dorky MTBers are. Does anyone here actually understand "cool"? 😀 8)
Edit: Flying Ox & Binners maybe
Peter Cook
Jimi Hendrix
John Belushi
Vaughn Bode
Paul 'aroe' Barlow
geordie - guitarist for killing joke. i win.
Eddie Mabo. A friend RIP.
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Guy Martin
You can end the thread now 8)
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Eric Brown
Andy Kaufman
John Peel
Steve Mcqueen
HW Tilman
Thom Yorke
Laird Hamilton.
All Vulcan bomber pilots and crews
When Sonny Bill Williams flew out of Australia in secrecy to take up a deal with French rugby side Toulon, there was no more hated individual in sport.
He was branded a traitor and topped polls for the most unpopular person in the country. He was banned from the NRL and had to pay $750,000 to the Bulldogs to get out of his contract. Since then he has won two World Cups with the All Blacks, won a national boxing title, married, became a father and won an NRL title with the Roosters.
More than that, the sporting world has seen the person that SBW is. There have been small things that he has done in the public eye; his offer on Twitter to give World Cup tickets to refugees and, of course, the way he leapt to a young fan's aid when he was tackled by a security guard and proceeded to give him his medal was seen by the world.
In the background to all of that SBW had made a decision to go to visit children in refugee camps in Lebanon. He was first shown vision of what children in those areas were enduring before the World Cup when he was given a virtual tour of the camp.
It doesn't mention his conversion to islam, or the fact that he was a bit of a shit before it. One example of religion being a positive influence. He's not a world changer but certainly someone I admire for doing stuff he doesn't have to. High hopes for him after rugby.
Honestly, I could easily bring this thread to a close by naming Canada's Prime Minsiter from 1968 until 1984, Pierre Trudeau.
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Well, if we're doing Canadian politicians, I nominate [url= http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/harjit-sajjan-badass-canada-defence-minister-1.3304931 ]Harjit Sajjan[/url].
Well, if we're doing Canadian politicians, I nominate Harjit Sajjan.
Respect to bencooper for knowing more than one Canadian politician. For extra credit - name a single Belgian one 🙂
Tim Gould, the greatest unsung rider Great Britain has produced...
Kieran Hebden aka Four Tet and Dan Snaith aka Caribou.
Norbert Dentressangle
VR46
Leonard Cohen.
Clint Eastwood.
The Beastie Boys.
Vanessa Feltz.
Elon Musk
Steve Irwin
The first dude to knock a bit out the Berlin wall on telly.
Nelson Mandela
Tony Benn
Paddy Ashdown
Steve Irwin
Aneurin Bevan
Rick Jolly
Sid 'prof' Watkins
Ayrton Senna
And Valentino Rossi.
I think they're all cool in different ways. Cool to me anyway 😉
Ernestine Shepherd, fitter than a butchers dog, redefining "getting on a bit"
a truly inspirational woman.