I see Top Gear are in trouble again. This time a car manufacturer, Tesla, are pissed off with how their car got treated on the show. Feeling it was made to look deliberately bad.
First up, I like Top Gear, it's good fun, Sunday night entertainment. But that's exactly what it is entertainment. It may get nominated in best factual program categories every year, but its basis in fact is a tricky one. The cars they test are generally done for comedic value, or to demonstrate models that let's face it, watching them on the program is the closest many people will actually ever get to one.
Top Gear is entertaining, and that's the main issue, I don't know all that many people who use it to help judge their next purchase, infact I can't think of one. People watch the program to see fast cars driven well and the presenters take on stupid challenges and take the piss out of anything and anyone they can, particularly themselves and each other.
One of Teslas main issues is that their electric car was depicted to only have a range of about 55 miles, They say this is as it was driven 'aggressivley'. Aggressively? On Top Gear? In a race? Round the test track? You say? The bastards. If they'd driven it like grandmas and got 250+ miles out of it, 1) nobody would have watched it and b) they would have complained they're misrepresenting the car as slow, when it was capable of keeping up with the Lotus it was racing against.
I'm not saying the presenters are warm to electric cars such as the tesla, they are generally old school petrol head types, but looking at it, the tesla was driven like any other car they are given, and they found a weakness. Not a weakness the everyday person would find, but one right up their street! I'd imagine they look the piss quite badly out of it, but that's top gear.
Personally I'd forgotten about the episode, no doubt I would have seen it on Dave at some point, but thank you tesla for bringing it into sharp focus once again!
I've noticed many electric car enthusiasts can be quite defensive and critical of any negative press or criticism their vehicles get. But sorry, that's life. People are not to like what you do, some people will cling on to what they know and struggle to accept you. Taking each one of these people with enough public profile to court wont but you respect, make a car they can't argue with, that impresses them... then you'll start winning them over.
Now I'm awaiting the next series,maybe Clarkson and May will have to make a flying car out of a mid 90s corsa with only £675 to spend in total, then drive it off a something to prove it flys. That'd be funny to watch, but tragic too.
Also please mind my spelling, the spell check on here appears to be buggered!
Thursday, 31 March 2011
Wednesday, 30 March 2011
I've got a new toy!!
I'm quite a gadgety, computery type of person (neither real words), and so there are few things quite as exciting as having a brand new toy to play with!! I'm proud to announce now is one of those times.
I had an old nertbook a while ago, which I used to death essentially, the pathetic battery life meant I had to carry the charger and eventually things got broken, tears were wept, a cupboard had new content and I was computerless on the commute to work. Which also coincided with a drop in productivity on this blog, I used to post in the mornings and then obviously couldn't (apart from on effort from the iPhone, what a chore).
Anyway, yesterday I popped down to my local electrical store (Currys actually...) and picked up my shiny new netbook!! I am now the owner of a Packard Bell dot s-can't remember the model number! Woo-hoo! Take a look, isn't she perdy (for a computer)?
So far so good too, all seems to run ok, quite quick, as it's new, the keyboard is taking some getting used too as it's bigger than the other netbooks, but smaller than the laptops. So it's whole new territory. My apologies in advance for the typos, unless I've already made them, then you have my retrospective apologies, you nitpicking bastard :)
Anyway, I'm sat on a bus in traffic, late for work due to an erratic iPhone, yesterday the alarm goes off an hour early, obviously BST/GMT confused. Today? Silence. I wake up 70 minutes late and.. oh dear.
Anyway I'm going to play with my new toy... Hmmm Firefox or Chrome, or shall I try IE9...
I had an old nertbook a while ago, which I used to death essentially, the pathetic battery life meant I had to carry the charger and eventually things got broken, tears were wept, a cupboard had new content and I was computerless on the commute to work. Which also coincided with a drop in productivity on this blog, I used to post in the mornings and then obviously couldn't (apart from on effort from the iPhone, what a chore).
Anyway, yesterday I popped down to my local electrical store (Currys actually...) and picked up my shiny new netbook!! I am now the owner of a Packard Bell dot s-can't remember the model number! Woo-hoo! Take a look, isn't she perdy (for a computer)?
Not a great spec, but it's a netbook, I'm going to use it for exactly what I'm using it for now and the 8 hour battery (believe it when I see it) means I'm not carrying the AC adaptor! A great spec isn't required. Yes I'm a couple of hundred pound light (not round the waist, still fat there!) but it's something I will use!
So far so good too, all seems to run ok, quite quick, as it's new, the keyboard is taking some getting used too as it's bigger than the other netbooks, but smaller than the laptops. So it's whole new territory. My apologies in advance for the typos, unless I've already made them, then you have my retrospective apologies, you nitpicking bastard :)
Anyway, I'm sat on a bus in traffic, late for work due to an erratic iPhone, yesterday the alarm goes off an hour early, obviously BST/GMT confused. Today? Silence. I wake up 70 minutes late and.. oh dear.
Anyway I'm going to play with my new toy... Hmmm Firefox or Chrome, or shall I try IE9...
Monday, 28 March 2011
A jolly holiday in Pontins!
I just been on a weekend break in Pontins Brean Sands just outside of burnam-on-sea, and to be honest it was quite enjoyable. The mini human we take places with us very much enjoyed herself both with the characters the park puts on and in Brean Leisure Park where she could happily have stayed for about a week.
The staff were helpful and friendly, especially at times such as check in, which with so many people arriving at once could potentially be chaos! The place had good facilities, sports courts, selection of food, pubs, playgrounds, bike hire etc. The staff put on a decent show, the dancing on the 'This is it' show on the Sunday was spot on, the singing... a good effort. The touring comedian was among the worst things I've ever seen though.
Even the entertainments manager was a good old valleys boy... tidy!
Prices were OK, food could be picked up cheap, the onsite shop was average and bar prices, by holiday camp standards mostly weren't thekick in the balls they could have been (£3 for fosters, 4 pts for £9.60 is a plus, £3.60 for Bow and £4.20 for desperado a minus)
Yes, the grabber machine things did make it too obvious they were cheating
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzE7TWzoaYw
But that's part of the fun... isn't it?
However the camp itself was... tired. Pontins has had it's money problems in the past (ewww I just linked to the Daily Mail, I feel quite dirty) which implies funds may not have been forthcoming to provide state of the art all singing all dancing stuff, but the quality of the accommodation was patchy at best. A selection of snap shots is below.
Overall it was a cracking weekend and fun was had by all, just makes you think how popular places like Pontins could become if the maintenance matched the attitude of the staff.
Oh yeah, why I remember, why can you never get a decent 3G signal in these places? Do mobile masts not reach the coast?? And don't get me started on yet another free wi-fi which is as much use as a sponge hammer.
The staff were helpful and friendly, especially at times such as check in, which with so many people arriving at once could potentially be chaos! The place had good facilities, sports courts, selection of food, pubs, playgrounds, bike hire etc. The staff put on a decent show, the dancing on the 'This is it' show on the Sunday was spot on, the singing... a good effort. The touring comedian was among the worst things I've ever seen though.
Even the entertainments manager was a good old valleys boy... tidy!
Prices were OK, food could be picked up cheap, the onsite shop was average and bar prices, by holiday camp standards mostly weren't thekick in the balls they could have been (£3 for fosters, 4 pts for £9.60 is a plus, £3.60 for Bow and £4.20 for desperado a minus)
Yes, the grabber machine things did make it too obvious they were cheating
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzE7TWzoaYw
But that's part of the fun... isn't it?
However the camp itself was... tired. Pontins has had it's money problems in the past (ewww I just linked to the Daily Mail, I feel quite dirty) which implies funds may not have been forthcoming to provide state of the art all singing all dancing stuff, but the quality of the accommodation was patchy at best. A selection of snap shots is below.
Generally the chalets themselves could have done with a little bit of money spent on them, new wallpaper to replace the rips, making sure every thing's in good condition, there was a string suggestion in the bedroom of damp, bothering the high proportion of asthmatics present. Other things as well just as the swimming pool(which once again was very good) changing rooms weren't the cleanest, or there was a swing missing in the main park. It's unlikely to be ware and tare as we're the first ones in that year (so who left the £1.38 electric credit... no idea) unless its last years ware and tear, in which case, you've had plenty of chance to fix it.
At the end of the day (it gets dark..) the chalet was just a place to go and the other stuff was tolerable, but thy seems small touches, which fair enough would have to be carried out on a large and cost producing scale, that could help restore the companies image a little better and maybe make sure there would be a full house more often.
Overall it was a cracking weekend and fun was had by all, just makes you think how popular places like Pontins could become if the maintenance matched the attitude of the staff.
Oh yeah, why I remember, why can you never get a decent 3G signal in these places? Do mobile masts not reach the coast?? And don't get me started on yet another free wi-fi which is as much use as a sponge hammer.
Friday, 18 March 2011
Merthyr Tydfil
Well it's taken a while but I've got to 50 posts on here, including a rather lengthy break in postings. Hooray! You can't see this but I'm sat here with a party hat and about to pull a party popper... on way own. It's a sad sight...
Anyway...
I thought I'd dedicate this 50th entry to my home town of Merthyr Tydfil. For a small town in South Wales, the town has a large reputation, and it's not a good one. Through some media outlets (stand up sky news) the town has been vilified as one of the worst places in the country.
The town has problems don't get me wrong, stats don't lie and it somehow has managed to earn the titles of such things as teenage pregnancy capital of the UK (lost that one now), benefits capital of the UK. But it's not quite the hellhole of disrpute some people would have you think. First up, news companies love stereotypes, so typically if Merthyr is to be shown on TV, or people used for any purpose, they are portrayed in the image that already exists.
If you believe the many news articles you'd think nobody here works, nobody knows how to get to Cardiff, everyone lives in a council house and commits petty crime to fund various habits and support their 6 kids. While areas could conform roughly to some of that, there are many more that don't, nice areas. One thing you'd notice that even in the 'less desirable' places, which lets face it every town or city has, there's usually strong senses of community even here. Meaning they may not be so bad anyway.
I'm not denying there are gulfs between areas locally, I like to think I live in one of the nicer ones, but within a mile or two you'd find potentially the least desirable area of all.
Don't me wrong there are plenty of workshy gobshites round happy to pick up whatever they can get and not work. But equally there are people who go out and work hard. There are people, such as myself, who spend time on the disaster area of a train system or bus system commuting to Cardiff to work. Please don't tar the whole town with the sky-news-desperate-need-for-a-story brush.
I have no doubt the town will continue to have it's flaws blazed over the TV at every convinient opportunity for years to come. Yes unemployment is high, we lost factories by the bucketload. Those workers can't magic up new jobs. Many of them lost industries which has been all they've ever known.
Nobody speaks about the reneavations to the town centre, the decent leisure centre and facilities, the extensions and improvements to the hospital, but a borded up house on the gurnos has 6 cameras camped outside while some smug Londoner stands outside reporting every time new unemployment stats are released.
Maybe that's a part of the problem. Organisations such as sky news need somewhere to make an example of, but the people in many parts of England wouldn't stand for it being them. So they need somewhere out of the way... somewhere in Wales, somewhere with some bad stats going on. Bingo!
Merthyr may be many things, and a shithole may be one, by it's also home.
Anyway...
I thought I'd dedicate this 50th entry to my home town of Merthyr Tydfil. For a small town in South Wales, the town has a large reputation, and it's not a good one. Through some media outlets (stand up sky news) the town has been vilified as one of the worst places in the country.
The town has problems don't get me wrong, stats don't lie and it somehow has managed to earn the titles of such things as teenage pregnancy capital of the UK (lost that one now), benefits capital of the UK. But it's not quite the hellhole of disrpute some people would have you think. First up, news companies love stereotypes, so typically if Merthyr is to be shown on TV, or people used for any purpose, they are portrayed in the image that already exists.
If you believe the many news articles you'd think nobody here works, nobody knows how to get to Cardiff, everyone lives in a council house and commits petty crime to fund various habits and support their 6 kids. While areas could conform roughly to some of that, there are many more that don't, nice areas. One thing you'd notice that even in the 'less desirable' places, which lets face it every town or city has, there's usually strong senses of community even here. Meaning they may not be so bad anyway.
I'm not denying there are gulfs between areas locally, I like to think I live in one of the nicer ones, but within a mile or two you'd find potentially the least desirable area of all.
Don't me wrong there are plenty of workshy gobshites round happy to pick up whatever they can get and not work. But equally there are people who go out and work hard. There are people, such as myself, who spend time on the disaster area of a train system or bus system commuting to Cardiff to work. Please don't tar the whole town with the sky-news-desperate-need-for-a-story brush.
I have no doubt the town will continue to have it's flaws blazed over the TV at every convinient opportunity for years to come. Yes unemployment is high, we lost factories by the bucketload. Those workers can't magic up new jobs. Many of them lost industries which has been all they've ever known.
Nobody speaks about the reneavations to the town centre, the decent leisure centre and facilities, the extensions and improvements to the hospital, but a borded up house on the gurnos has 6 cameras camped outside while some smug Londoner stands outside reporting every time new unemployment stats are released.
Maybe that's a part of the problem. Organisations such as sky news need somewhere to make an example of, but the people in many parts of England wouldn't stand for it being them. So they need somewhere out of the way... somewhere in Wales, somewhere with some bad stats going on. Bingo!
Merthyr may be many things, and a shithole may be one, by it's also home.
Wednesday, 16 March 2011
Top Spin 4
Ok, something different. I'm trying to post this via the medium of iPhone. Knowing auto correct as I do, please accept my apologies for the seemingly stupid/random typos it will contain.
Anyway, Friday is an exciting day for a tennis loving geek such as myself. It sees the release of Top Spin 4 on the 360 (other versions are available). Now of the main tennis games produced only really 2 are any good Top Spin and Virtua Tennis. It's a very similar split to Pro Evo and FIFA in that one tries to be realistic (Top Spin, FIFA) while the other is more 'arcadey'. On both sets on franchises I'm with the more realistic ones, Virtua Tennis is fun but it's just all a bit... Throwaway.
In Top Spin I like the career mode, which apparently now is even better. It plays very nice, from the demo anyway, but sadly the real player roster andcreal tornament listings are a bit sparse (no wimbeldon again :() with just as many 'legends' as current players. Thanks but I'd rather the current ones. It also includes a solitary Brit (World #5 Murray) while Virtua Tennis has 2 with the pretty random inclusion of Laura Robson. Not that I was expecting more, I hardly think the somewhat lacking talents of Jamie Baker, Richard Bloomfield or Jamie Ward deserve inclusion...
So come Friday I will wander to gameand lay my cash down for Top Spin and I'm pretty sure it'll be good fun to play. At least it will be a bit of variation from the almost unbroken run Fallout: New Vegas I'd getting in the drive at the moment.
That choice is a bit of a strange one, I never got on with Fallout 3. I don't know if it was the location didn't engage me, the game felt like a chore, or what, but I didn't like it. However, despite being a very very similar experience New Vegas has got me hooked. I find myself being careful with reputations, the setting is nice, I was genuinely looking forward to getting to Vegas itself and wasn't disappointed when I did. It's all good, well not quite all. There are still pull your hair out annoyed sections and bugs aplenty (although the major ones have been fixed) for example while repairing a powervstation HELIOS One last night I encountered a flying piece of scrap metal while seemed to be gravitationally attracted to me. I mean I'm not denying I'm a bit fat but I don't deserve my own moon!!
Anyway, once I done with New Vegas I may venture back to 3. Maybe now I'm familiar with the game more it'll click a bit better, but chancescare it won't.
Top Spin first anyway.
Anyway, Friday is an exciting day for a tennis loving geek such as myself. It sees the release of Top Spin 4 on the 360 (other versions are available). Now of the main tennis games produced only really 2 are any good Top Spin and Virtua Tennis. It's a very similar split to Pro Evo and FIFA in that one tries to be realistic (Top Spin, FIFA) while the other is more 'arcadey'. On both sets on franchises I'm with the more realistic ones, Virtua Tennis is fun but it's just all a bit... Throwaway.
In Top Spin I like the career mode, which apparently now is even better. It plays very nice, from the demo anyway, but sadly the real player roster andcreal tornament listings are a bit sparse (no wimbeldon again :() with just as many 'legends' as current players. Thanks but I'd rather the current ones. It also includes a solitary Brit (World #5 Murray) while Virtua Tennis has 2 with the pretty random inclusion of Laura Robson. Not that I was expecting more, I hardly think the somewhat lacking talents of Jamie Baker, Richard Bloomfield or Jamie Ward deserve inclusion...
So come Friday I will wander to gameand lay my cash down for Top Spin and I'm pretty sure it'll be good fun to play. At least it will be a bit of variation from the almost unbroken run Fallout: New Vegas I'd getting in the drive at the moment.
That choice is a bit of a strange one, I never got on with Fallout 3. I don't know if it was the location didn't engage me, the game felt like a chore, or what, but I didn't like it. However, despite being a very very similar experience New Vegas has got me hooked. I find myself being careful with reputations, the setting is nice, I was genuinely looking forward to getting to Vegas itself and wasn't disappointed when I did. It's all good, well not quite all. There are still pull your hair out annoyed sections and bugs aplenty (although the major ones have been fixed) for example while repairing a powervstation HELIOS One last night I encountered a flying piece of scrap metal while seemed to be gravitationally attracted to me. I mean I'm not denying I'm a bit fat but I don't deserve my own moon!!
Anyway, once I done with New Vegas I may venture back to 3. Maybe now I'm familiar with the game more it'll click a bit better, but chancescare it won't.
Top Spin first anyway.
Tuesday, 15 March 2011
Social Networking!
As I've mentioned previously I'm a member of a few Social Networking sites, namely Facebook and Twitter (I'm sure my MySpace account still exists, still with 1400 shite garage bands begging to be added or linked or whatever it was called back then, tough!) I enjoy using Twitter, not so much Facebook, as a wise man/woman once said, "Facebook is the people you went to high school with. Twitter is the people you wish you went to high school with." For the record, it wasn't me (as if) and I have no idea who it was but I see where they're coming from!
I'm not planning on joining anymore, and I don't like the features that many of them employ. When I write posts on either, or even on here, obviously I don't mind people knowing what I think, but I'm not overly fussed about giving out where I'm thinking it from. Step up foursquare, which essentially is geotagging yourself at all times. Magic if you need an alibi, potentially a disaster if it announces you're out, even miles away and burglars take the opportunity. Also as Facebook, which is mildly popular nowadays I hear, does this as 1 feature among many, what's the point?
Moreso, when I read Facebook entries, I honestly don't give a rats ass where these people are. There's a fair chance the more mundane status updates already give up a considerable amount of info. "In Bed, nite xx" yep know where you are etc. Same for twitter, plus if I've just tweeted something rude about someone nearby (as I did today) I don't want someone doing a proximity search (very easy to do) to then point this out so I get some extra attention. I suppose I could be nice, but no damn it, that's not what my 6 followers want!
It's SXSW at the mo, traditionally the birthplace of many interesting stuff such as this, including Twitter and foresquare (if I vary the spelling its bound to be right at least once). That many geeks in a concentrated area is the perfect for several things, mainly Felicia Day doing panels, and launching new apps. So, no doubt by tomorrow there'll be something new again, maybe this time it'll take a photo of you as you post and really give away what you're doing and where you're doing it!
P.S. To the person who decided that a badly timed backspace should work the same as the browser back button... Fuck you. To the person who decided this blogs editor autosaves every time you so much as look at the keyboard, thank you.
I'm not planning on joining anymore, and I don't like the features that many of them employ. When I write posts on either, or even on here, obviously I don't mind people knowing what I think, but I'm not overly fussed about giving out where I'm thinking it from. Step up foursquare, which essentially is geotagging yourself at all times. Magic if you need an alibi, potentially a disaster if it announces you're out, even miles away and burglars take the opportunity. Also as Facebook, which is mildly popular nowadays I hear, does this as 1 feature among many, what's the point?
Moreso, when I read Facebook entries, I honestly don't give a rats ass where these people are. There's a fair chance the more mundane status updates already give up a considerable amount of info. "In Bed, nite xx" yep know where you are etc. Same for twitter, plus if I've just tweeted something rude about someone nearby (as I did today) I don't want someone doing a proximity search (very easy to do) to then point this out so I get some extra attention. I suppose I could be nice, but no damn it, that's not what my 6 followers want!
It's SXSW at the mo, traditionally the birthplace of many interesting stuff such as this, including Twitter and foresquare (if I vary the spelling its bound to be right at least once). That many geeks in a concentrated area is the perfect for several things, mainly Felicia Day doing panels, and launching new apps. So, no doubt by tomorrow there'll be something new again, maybe this time it'll take a photo of you as you post and really give away what you're doing and where you're doing it!
P.S. To the person who decided that a badly timed backspace should work the same as the browser back button... Fuck you. To the person who decided this blogs editor autosaves every time you so much as look at the keyboard, thank you.
Monday, 14 March 2011
Japan - help not take advantage
I would think by now everyone is familiar with the happenings in Japan. If not... how, but pick a news service any news service and et voila. Honestly I can't see how anyone could think of the situation as anything but tragic, loss of human life, lives scarred etc. But there are people.
Anyone who could use a situation like this to their advantage is someone how needs a punch to the throat. But some of the things flying round the internet make me sick. So far I've heard:
What kind of person would use a situation like this to their advantage? What kind of person falls for it? First up any religion or cult that would try and use it to recruit is the lowest, they'd make the BNP look like well reasoned individuals.
But equally who'd respond to them? Who thinks 'by gosh they're right, clearly as Japan haboured homosexuals they deserved to get wiped, I better sign up!'? Maybe some scared people initially, but they'd wise up sooner rather than later. Leaving who? I honestly think we've advanced as a species to the point where we'd know better. I am sure I don't know anyone that stupid, but people must exist.
Don't get me wrong, most, probably all, major religions have acted appropriatley. But these stupid fucking extremists...
As for the karma people, what goes through these sick peoples head? Places like facebook (where I've seen such material) and twitter give everyone a voice that can be heard, unfortunatley some knuckledragging morons are far ignorant to deserve this kind of voice. To think people were celebrating this event essentially being pleased it happened makes my blood boil to all new all kinds of new degrees.
There are dozens of ways we can help by donating. Whether it be via the British Red Cross site by text (Over in North America at least), I encourage everyone that if they can help do so. I'd hope for help if the roles were reversed.
Anyone who could use a situation like this to their advantage is someone how needs a punch to the throat. But some of the things flying round the internet make me sick. So far I've heard:
- It's vengeance from God for the people of Japan living immoral lives, some kind of Noah's ark 2 maybe. No doubt adding that if everyone follows the religion they're backing they will be saved, or potentially they're next.
- It's karma for previous events, with Pearl Harbour being mentioned more than once
What kind of person would use a situation like this to their advantage? What kind of person falls for it? First up any religion or cult that would try and use it to recruit is the lowest, they'd make the BNP look like well reasoned individuals.
But equally who'd respond to them? Who thinks 'by gosh they're right, clearly as Japan haboured homosexuals they deserved to get wiped, I better sign up!'? Maybe some scared people initially, but they'd wise up sooner rather than later. Leaving who? I honestly think we've advanced as a species to the point where we'd know better. I am sure I don't know anyone that stupid, but people must exist.
Don't get me wrong, most, probably all, major religions have acted appropriatley. But these stupid fucking extremists...
As for the karma people, what goes through these sick peoples head? Places like facebook (where I've seen such material) and twitter give everyone a voice that can be heard, unfortunatley some knuckledragging morons are far ignorant to deserve this kind of voice. To think people were celebrating this event essentially being pleased it happened makes my blood boil to all new all kinds of new degrees.
There are dozens of ways we can help by donating. Whether it be via the British Red Cross site by text (Over in North America at least), I encourage everyone that if they can help do so. I'd hope for help if the roles were reversed.
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