Formula 1 takes Guardian for an organic spin

The Formula 1 season gets under way in Australia this weekend with the corporate spin machines reaching peak revolutions, and the paid-for-media are swallowing it lock, stock and barrel - literally. Today's Guardian is gushing in its praise of Jody Scheckter (left) - "Formula 1 driver turned farming evangelist in Hampshire" and journalist Matthew Fort promotes Scheckter's latest business enterprise with this purple prose:

There are other great organic farms in the country, but Laverstoke Park is more than just a place of agricultural production. It's a kind of university of organic production, a centre for experiment and knowledge. Jody Scheckter stands in front of his long barrows of compost. In the background, the sun dances on the grass on the gentle curve of a green field on which fat, healthy-looking sheep stand nose down, placidly lunching away.

I guess the Guardian simply didn't have space to write about South African born Scheckter's other business ventures, which include founding FATS Inc. Do take a trip over to their website, here is the executive summary from it:

FATS, Inc. (Firearms Training Systems) is a leading provider of simulated training solutions that improve the skills of military, law enforcement and security organizations around the world. FATS provides judgmental, tactical and combined arms training experiences, utilizing quality engineered weapon simulators.

The U.S. Postal Service purchased the first FATS training solution in 1984. FATS has created more than 1,200 training scenarios and 300 distinct simulated weapons. FATS has sold approximately 5,200 training systems in more than 50 countries worldwide.

The company serves U.S. and international customers from headquarters in Suwanee, Georgia, with branch offices in Australia, Canada, Singapore, Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

Elsewhere the website tells us FATS Inc "provides firearm training systems for law enforcement, military, and hunters," so all those "fat, healthy-looking sheep .... placidly lunching away " down on Scheckter's farm had better look out.

Now read about the Zeitgeist of the YouTube generation.
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