Ah, it's Christmas Eve. There is undoubtedly going to be little F1 news over the next few days, so we are keeping each other company in the comments and finding much more important things to talk about. Here are just a few of them.
- I finished the Lego-esque McLaren build I was given during the Sidepodparty. It was great fun, and I'm contemplating my next move. What F1 toys do you recommend? I am a grown up, honestly.
- A couple of people in the comments are worried that they're not feeling particularly Christmassy, and we're putting it down to the lack of good Festive content on the TV and in the news. Personally, we're listening to a few carols, but what do you do to get ready for that day?
- Apparently, we're going to Live Comment Santa. As Steven Roy pointed out earlier, we'll live comment anything, so why not this? I suppose he must be one of the fastest men on the planet, so he almost qualifies for Sidepodcast coverage. Doesn't he?
- If none of the above grabs you, then we're still revelling in the 12 Days of Christmas spectacular. I know we've been going on about it for days now, but it really was that good, so if you haven't heard it already, check it out now. And if you have, check it out again, because it's always good to have a giggle.
Happy Christmas Eve to anyone who partakes in such a thing. It's the first day of the holidays for me, so I intend to relax and have a good day, whilst working hard on behind the scenes SPC stuff as well. Let us know what you're doing and how you're spending your time. I'll see you in the comments.
9 and a half hours until Santa!!!
Is it just 9 and a half? Wow. Where does he go first?
Ah... someone the other side of the date line?
Seeing as it's now the 24th, I better post in here.
That Mark Webber challenge thingy I mentioned a few hours ago is on in a minute in the UK. Channel 4 at 02:15.
damn, it's freezing cold in the tv room. i'll put the heater on.
Well, apparently vension is not on the menu tomorrow at CFB Alert so we can assume that Santa managed to take off from around there. It is correc that that he starts unloadiing at Christmas Eve on the other side of the data line first but he needs to get there from the North Pole.....
We stand down our aircraft in the area as it would be a bit of a PR disater if there is a mid-air collision involing one of our aircraft with Santa's sleigh....
How Santa manages to dodge the Cowboys to the south of us is anyone's guess....
I think I can come up with a pretty good reason...
Not exactly a priority slot then...
Ain't it just?
They're climbing an enormous mountain at the moment. Oooh, I predict a biking accident soon...
:D
punctures already.
comedy falling. love it.
Well word here is that thier C-in-C has been annoyed with his last six Christmas Presents, and his seventh does not seem to be any different....
That "Robot Chicken sketch" just might come true....
I feel knackered just watching them!
*scoffs some more Celebrations*
ouch. that accident scene is a heck of a mess.
i feel sorry for the cameramen. they have to move as fast but with heavy equipment too.
poor mark :( it's good to know that he is on the mend now though. Does anyone know if he is in England/back at home yet? (he lives in England right?)
I was beginning to wonder if they had just glossed over the whole accident. He's not back in the country yet, did hear that he was looking to make it back by the end of the year, but that doesn't look possible now. He had a live link-up with the RBR staff at festive drinks-do they had last week.
ah that's cool :) thanks Dank.
is it wrong to be happy i knew the guy from neighbours?
Well I guess if you have a broken leg, and if Red Bull odes give you wings, then it is the best way of going about....
I'd been more impressed if they'd recruited 'Toadfish' or Harold Bishop to take part in the challenge though.
i'd stay up till 4am to see that.
So I had a really weird dream last night.
I dreamt I was on the Sidepodpannel and it was all going well. But for some reason the format had changed slightly and you had to buzz in with your answer. Two of the panalists were being a bit quiet and everyone was feeling a bit nervous about them as they were the special guests. Maybe they weren't getting it? The two special guests were Ayrton Senna and Phillipe Massa. I know that sounds weird this was a dream. Then the following conversation happened in one of the between question banter bits:
Senna: Sorry Phillipe and me haven't been joining in very much. Our English isn't so good for this kind of show.
Mr Christine: Don't worry Ayrt... Mr Senna your English is better than our Brazilian.
Christine: It's portuguese not Brazilian.
Alarm goes off!
So I think this means I'm officially Sidepodcrazy.
Alex, we all have crazy dreams but we don't necessarily make them public :)
I'm worried that he's driving a Force India. He'll be lapping one second slower on each street, and finish about January 4. "sorry kiddies but Santa had to save money this year and chose the wrong engine supplier..."
Yes why did I do that?
Oops
Why is your MacLaren mechanic on lying on his back, has he been on that wine?
Or is he rolling on the floor laughing at the Ferrari mechanics as they run after Massa in Singapore?
Go Santa!
Crazy Norwegians:
http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=1778399&server=vimeo.com&a
Because it's all part of creating the community vibe that makes SPC such a warm and fuzzy place :)
what a waste of a good pair of skis. I think they should have little parachutes on them so they drift down like the shuttle booster rockets.....
BBC news article about how the recession might affect F1. Nothing new in there really.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7791234.stm
It does add to the impression about what the BBC does best cross-selling promotion. There will, I predict, be a large number of news items about F1 tangentally, like this one, as we go through the next year. They like to keep these things as seeming relevent to the rest of the world. It's a very good thing for F1 in Britain this kind of stuff. Becuase it is that that stops the sport getting ghettoised.
So with Christine and Me off today what time do we think they will surface? Any opening bets?
Well I'm going to go for Christine 10am and Me 3pm!
They'll lounge around in bed. They need their 'me' time. :D
I'm guessing Christine at 11 and Me at 1. :)
Just listened to the 12th days of Christmas. I'm hoping Santa gets you all some singing lessons for Christmas :) Great work guys - it was hilarious!
The timing of that last line is one of the funniest things I have ever heard.
Is it just me if does Google Chrome not let you send emails on Hotmail?? I keep having to go back onto Firefox to use hotmail. :(
Nope, doesn't work with Hotmail. I've gone right off Chrome after reading some of the scaremongering about how much info Google collect.
i heard that too, but my firefox is being stupid at the moment, so i cant go back
Bye bye Schumacher?
Does anybody really know what his involvement is with the Ferrari team? I only ever seen him sat on the 'prat-perch' at a few races since retiring.
James Allen's top 10 drivers of '08
1. Fernando Alonso
2. Robert Kubica
3. Lewis Hamilton
4.Felipe Massa
5. Sebastian Vettel
6. Mark Webber
7. Timo Glock
8. Kimi Raikkonen
9. Sebastien Bourdais
10. Heikki Kovalainen
That's an interesting one. He's on the engineers mailing list wrt some of the systems that they buy in, or so sayeth someone now :-)
Oh - and he 'sent' a lot of christmas cards to ferrari associates and suppliers this year.
Plus he's been in a fair few fiat adverts... and has apparently been filmed taking a fiat equiv. to a transit around the Nürburgring. Even if he's only *really* doing PR type stuff he's probably earning his keep (and given the number of 'consultants' employed by govt. and firms the world over for whom thats the main role...).
Yes. Absolutely definitely certifiably yes
I predict Santa will be at my house at about 11:30pm. He can't really do the whole going-down-the-chimney-at-midnight stuff because I've got a boiler at the end of mine and the fire will definitely be in. So what he does (or so I reasoned as a child) was that he turned up early and got my parents to help him unload the presents. The same happened to any child living in a house where going down the chimney wasn't practical, and then he'd be in a good position to start doing every house where the chimney was available at midnight. This also handily explained things like the lack of mince pies and carrots set out for Santa and his reindeer (no time to snack; the reindeer would have to make do with hay in the barn) and why some of the presents were larger than the opening for the boiler.
Of course, I had to go to bed extra-early on Christmas Eve as a result, but it seemed like a sensible compromise arrangement.
if we're still going to live comment Santa, he'll be on the east coast of oz in a minute...
midnight...Happy Christmas all!
I missed Santa. There's presents, but I didn't hear the big man on the roof. I think the headphones were turned up too loud.
You know it's the off season when we're live commenting Santa and making predictions on when Sidepodcast Towers will be awake.
Merry Christmas Scott.
Can I recommend possibly the bestest blog I've seen in quite a while? I can? Why thank you!
http://car-a-day.blogspot.com/
Chappy PAINTS a different picture near enough everyday.
Seeing as I only got up at 1, I reckon about 2:15 for 'me'.
Absolutely. But in a good way.
Oooh, he's off already?
http://www.noradsanta.org/en/home.html
Currently in Sydney :)
lol
we are following it at my friends.... it's.... interesting ;)
oh dear i don't feel christmassy at all...
What exactly is feeling Christmassy then?
you're taking odds on what time i wake up now?
morning / afternoon btw.
Of course.
Speaking of which, Alex was only 4 mins out. We're getting closer...
i.don't.believe.it.
Do you think Max Mosley regenerates?
That's a scary thought...
If you replaced that initial "r" with another letter, I say definitely yes :)
Santa is on the Wall of China as we speak. Any chimneys on there d'you reckon?
Just watched the great wall video, apparently he just goes along there to enjoy the architecture.
i don't know... feeling that it is christmas. I mean it just feels like a normal day. It normally feels different :P
Take me down, in a blaze of glory.
Afternoon all. woke up at ridiculous o'clock this morning, really, I don't do this early morning malarky. Then getting out of the house at quater to eight for a reason I could probably have snuck an extra hour in bed for. But my dad said no. Now have a headache for no apparant reason, though it could be the terrible tv christmas shows, Thank god for sky sports news
For once, I more or less agree with him, however, the fact you can put Bourdais and Kova up there compared to Heidfeld who got 4 podiums this year and kept his cool in the mad races, ahead of him baffles me. And I'm not being biased (well, a wee bit). Which leads me onto this seasons useless driver top 7. Excluding Super Aguri of course
7. Kazuki Nakajima (Only beating Rosberg since Nico got a podium in Aus)
6 Sebastian Bourdais (Oh come on, first half of the season he was useless)
5 Jenson Button
4 Nelson Piquet jr
3 David Coulthard
2. Adrian Sutil
1. Giancarlo Fisichella
In the Christmas Islands now.
How fitting
Since I'm in a list sort of mood right now.
Top 7 crashes of the season
7. DC and Bourdais at Monaco
6. Hamilton and Raikkonen at Canada (It was just funny)
5. Fisichella and Nakajima at Turkey
4. Nico Rosberg at Monaco
3. DC at Japan
2. Timo Glock at Germany
1. Timo Glock at Australia (He gets the top 2 crashes and Allen and still gives him 7th best driver)
Santa is at the Andaman Isles, I love that name, Andaman Isles
Cambodia now.
Nahhh, unlucky methinks.
I say:
6. Heikki (although can understand his troubles this year)
5. Kazuki
4. Giancarlo
3. David
2. Adrian
1. Nelson
Darn! R.G's got me listing now too... ;)
He was useless in the first half of the season, Australia he was poor and only got 2 points because everyone else crashed first. I agree that he was unlucky in Italy and Belgium, but thats about it, where was he in the other races?
The F1 Store is sending out marketing emails with £5 if you spend over £30. Don't think that will go far against my £15,000 helmet though.
oh course i disagree that Jenson should be on that list but never mind. I'll let you off since it's Christmas and all ;)
He was heading for a fourth in Australia before his engine failed and he had to settle for seventh. That was his first ever F1 race! He may have been helped out by the retirements but not as much as Rosberg or Heidfeld.
Try to remeber he was stuck in that STR2B for the first half of the season and getting the same results as Vettel. Yes, when the STR3 came along he couldn't keep up with his teammate, but that doesn't make him useless...
Vettel, yes, I'm not expecting him to be as good as him, but Vettel showed what the new car could do, and apart from Belgium and Italy, he was unconvincing in that new car.
And I'll have you know Heidfeld qualified 5th so that doesn't make his podium lucky. And in Canada, he was expected to do well, but finished dead last whilst Vettel, where the kid started last.
So you agree he wasn't useless in the first half of the season with the old car then?
He did an inteview with pitpass where he claimed the only time he felt happy with the STR3 was in Belgium.
Eh?
Compared to Vettel, not quite.
Bourdais was expected to do well in Canada, but underperformed, finished last of the finishers and got walloped by Vettel, was didn't even qualify
Kimi was expected to do well this season, and didn't, but he wasn't on your list ;)
Wha? Surely, if anything, Bourdais coped better in the old car?
It's no good comparing him to Vettel every time. There's a big difference between being Vettel and being useless.
Santa's in Kazakhstan!
once he figured out how to get past lap one, yeah.
I wanna go to Kazakhstan. :P
I hear it's meant to be "veery niiiiiice".
lol every since i saw it on long way down i've wanted to go there.
you were being serious?
I only know one person who has ever been there. He came back with a wife.
:) yes... but then again i really want to travel.
well i won't be coming back with a wife ;)
I don't think it is compulsory. It's not some ancient tradition which will cause offence if you refuse.
He's up Mount Everest now!
:D
haha
I just love the idea that NORAD does this.
:)
He was a close 8th.
We could go on all night, lets just say I don't think Bourdais is the best option for Toro Rosso, and maybe you do
I only want to go to New Zealand and maybe some of the Pacific Isles, and then I'm happy.
Santa is currently in Myanmar. Hope he doesn't say too much there or he will be under house arrest for the next 20 years
Your on fire tonight arent ya Steven
I'm kinda hoping Santa hasn't actually crashed into the Indian Ocean
Just read on another site someone I know parked in a disabled space. When he hopped out of the car a traffic warden asked what his disabilty was he replied Tourettes now **** off
It's unfortunate news folks. Due to financial difficulties, I think that for the first time since we discovered it in '97 or 98, me and my time will not be going to the Autosport Show. Ah well, always 2010. :(
LMFAO! :D I should try that!
Me and my dad, I mean :P
Couple of Montagny-related items here - Franck made number 30 in the Autosport Top 50 Drivers of 2008 and 4th in the top 20 Le Mans Prototype racers.
Secondly, whilst in the Budgens near my dad's house I saw a Burgundy in the wine section that was actually called Montagny :D
Don't worry, looks like he's a fast swimmer. :P
Budgens? BUDGENS? Those still about? Was there a Rumbelows next-door by any chance? :-)
:D
Great joke, but he shouldn't be parking in a disabled space - they do exist for a reason y'know. :)
7-11 have been rebranded as Budgens
Lord nows why?
you should email autosport and tell then their prices are preposterous. suggest you're thinking of starting a boycott on a well known f1 site (and one that's referenced by wikipedia nonetheless).
[knows]
Very good point actually. In this economic crisis, the least they could do is bring the prices down to help people out and attract more visitors. At those prices, I'm thinking this year's show isn't going to be all that packed as it has been in previous years. On top of that, it's not just the ticket prices. It's £8 to park, plus petrol and possible accomodation if attending both days AND money for food if need be. Not everyone can afford all that.
I might just do that.
Mind you, if I do I'll need some help on what to say :P
Bah. Just roasted some chestnuts and found most to be inedible. They were quite old, but it's annoying all the same.
On an open fire?
if we watch for long enough, do we think santa will give away the location of the island from lost? or don't they deserve any presents?
No, using our George Foreman Grill (aka the George Formby grill: "turned out nice again").
NORAD does say he's probably functioning in a different time-space continuum to the rest of us, so he should be able to find it.
Oh. Doesn't have quite the same ring to it :)
Quite how anyone can prolong their stay to two days amazes me!
I filled in a survey a few weeks after this year's event and categorically stated that the price for the ticket was too damn expensive and they should look into it. To rub some salt in my wound, they even had a question which read 'If we were to offer your friends free tickets, do you think they would go?'
Have they? Have they chuff.
I emailed both Autosport and Haymarket and even suggested a decent marketing-ploy to retain subscribers: give them vouchers for money off the tickets.
Get a response? Did I heck.
a very smart idea. there's a huge lack of joined up thinking going on in that organisation.
why not "bring a magazine" for a discount? double the money off if you bought the bumper xmas issue?
I wonder if there's a phone number. Might get something out of 'em that way.
box office: 0844 579 3188
I meant Autosport themselves but I guess it's a start. :P
http://www.haymarket.com/autosport/autosport_magazine/default.aspx
I triple dare you to phone the Editor when he returns from Christmas :-D
ian france is the show's director and his number is: +44 (0) 20 8267 8308
seconded :)
Talking of funny retorts, I caught a bus back home from town yesterday, an old lady of about 70 (or more) was chatting to people as they waited to board the bus, she recounted a story about a bus driver who had been less than kind to another old lady who was walking with the aid of a zimmer frame.
The bus driver said to her that she couldn't come on the bus with the zimmer frame because she would be too slow to board, and, because she really needed someone to help her on and off the bus this was a safety hazard.
The woman telling the story said she told the driver that this was no way to talk to an OAP, but was told to "mind her own business". Quick as a flash, the old dear told the driver that he'd better stop being unkind to the diasbled as one day, he may be in need of a zimmer frame "and by the look of you, it'll be sooner rather than later"
It's great to see that even as you get older, slower, losing some of your abilities you don't have to lose your sense of humour.
Santa went to the ISS! All my Sidepodworlds collide.
Autosport Big Xmas Quiz anyone? :D
http://journal.autosport.com/2008/xmas/quiz.html
200 questions! That should keep ya busy :D
I have a comment in moderation :/
Found it. A Quiz!!
login required tho.
ha! well i certainly know the first one :)
One down, 199 to go. Better get google and wikipedia fired up :P
Ah bah humbug, need an autosport subscription.
Pesky little b...
one day i'll get an autosport subscription..
there's indycar questions in there. i'll need more than google.
compared to the trade show, the price is actually worth it.
Brains?
Santa is on the Antarctic now. Brrr.
hmm... well, i'll see what dad says. i'm not holding my breath tho...
There's some in there which require you to be some kind super-statistical nerd!
Give me a taster of a question?
A sneaky peek at the first question:
Should we sing it?
Unfortunately, I can't get past that one because on multiple choice questions they can't decide whether to use numerals or text. It's seriously annoying.
surprised they didn't go all the way and write it se7en.
Is question 2, How many podiums did Heidfeld get?
:D
:D
57. WTCC: How many drivers at Macau were carrying the maximum success ballast of 70kg?
Seven
10
13
Sweet god, erm 10?
Gah, why do they do it!?
exactly my point :D
Maybe they have no '7' key?
Why could they write '57' then?
and no 'T' key?
How could they write the 'T' in WTCC?
Errr... They do that bit with a different computer?
Your theory is falling apart a bit... :D
Maybe they did it so people didn't confuse it with a 1. Which I find rather ridiculous if that's true. That's an massive understatement, isn't it? :P
Maybe it's an I in disguise? :P
:D
So they expect you to answer the questions but not tell the difference between 7 and 1?
:D
So, here's something for everyone: What are you guys all expecting/wanting for Christmas? Personally, I'm not expecting anything since we've just moved house and spent quite a bit on new appliances and flat pack furniture. Plus because of this economical downturn, just being with family is gonna be enough :)
How about you guys? Is Me expecting a gearbox to go with his cog? :P
we already did our pressies on the show. and i ate bibendums before the show ended.
A new PSP, since I catestrophically dropped mine about a month ago.
I'll be honest, I'm amazed I survived a month without it.
Is it a multiple choice question?
LOL! Was Bibendum's marshmallows or something? :P
Thankfully no :D
I think the options are:
seven
10
13
I hope they were, I think I missed that bit
it was chocolate coins :P
I'm not expecting any of them for christmas, no... :P
I would have thought marshmallows would have been more appropriate since Bibendum is kinda like Mr Pop 'n Fresh :D
correct. i can't be trusted to shop on my own.
Thought you said you had eaten bibendum...
First you have him hanged, then you eat him. Honestly...
Lego shop?
:D
Mr C was seen in public, oh sweet god!
It is considered good journalistic practise to write single digit numbers in letters. Why I don't know.
Has to be in context though. You shouldn't write two in one style and the other a different way.
Autosport are concerned about that?
plus, it's a quiz.
I think it is so that you don't think a digit is missing
but i do... the 7!
:D
How about:
a) Seven
b) X
c) 13
?
Are trick questions allowed?
Santa slowly making his way up Africa
It's not a trick question.
To be fair, i'd say that's pretty fast. :P
It's all relative, some would say that 3 times speed of light is fast, others....not so fast..... :P
He is in Iraq now. Tin helmet time
And now he's in Moscow?!?
His navigation is like ours.
santa has a g1?
did he forget to turn on international roaming too :P
I wouldn't put him down that badly.
And while he is in Moscow. Go Spartak!
He did end up on the ISS
Moscow looks a lot better in that vid than it does in reality
CGI does wonders :)
I've discovered i dont have any anti-virus software, is that bad??
oh and one continuation of my "can max mosley regenerate?" question, thats who the new dr who is!!
Neither do I, but then I have a Mac, so it's good :)
I know of several people who don't use anti-virus on Windows, they simply take care where they go on the Internet and keep their machines patched up to date.
Who's his new sidekick?
Actually, lets not go there...
Well even Bernie would be marginally less annoying than Catherine Tate
i thought she was great!
BTW, Christine I have just sent you an invite to the MacHeist Christmas giveaway - some free Mac stuff for the holidays. Anyone else interested should go to macheist.com :)
Oh.My.God! :-|
The original Christmas special with her was awful. I found her more tolerable in the series, and I did like that she wasn't blatantly in love with him. A new dynamic between the pair.
not as good as others, but still good
Great line on have I got news for you. What does Max think of the recesession. He's strapped for cash
:D
oh f1 on have i got news for you... laughing about Mika atm...
Mika on hignfy. :D
Damn i might have just missed it! What was he on there for?
He was asked if F1 needs to cut costs and then there was silence for about a minute...
...then he said "yes".
:D
this - http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/playlive/bbc_one_london/
great idea. ta.
evening *hic*
hiiiiiiiiii.
blame my bro. he came bearing an awful lot of christmas cheer :p
How many times have you said cog today?
Hey Spikey
Can you remind me of the trigger words?
hehehehe.
evening RG. so - looking at the title, I take it that peeps are following santa on norad?
i'm drinking as it is, you want more?
:) hey
Yup. He's heading round Africa right now. :)
trigger words. I think Mr C's were cog and.............Max?
Christine's were Lewis, Hamilton and rubbish, I think
we never would have guessed :P
and exactly.
He better not miss out Newcastle, or even worse go to Sunderland, cos if he does, there gonna be riots at the pole, screams of 'SACK SANTA' newspapers caliing him incapable, unsuitable for the job, and it leaves the board of directors to give him the vote of confidence.
DRINK
someone said 'rubbish' today, and i shouted drink at them. i've never had a whole room look at me with blank and slightly concerned faces before. :)
:)
so basically, a nightmare scenario would be "Exactly, Lewis Hamilton is rubbish!"
That would have to be worth a PINT of wkd lol
:D
"...and Max said to Lewis Hamilton, 'exactly how rubbish is this cog?'"
:D
class, Andy. sheer class!
The break will do us good. :P
I'm still sober. Waiting for the children to pass out^W^W go to sleep.
From past recognition, they won't fall asleep until they've seen santa, or a fat guy in a red dressing gown with a fake beard bought at the local Aldi.
And not until a photo is taken and put on drop.io.
are they allowed to open one pressie before bed? if it's midnight?
we werent when I was a kid. scarred for life.
:)
:D haha
I didn't usually
lol i was never one to get all excited about presents. i have never got up early on Christmas day orhad trouble sleeping on Christmas eve, i always slept until at least 9am, apparently.. god i was a boring child ;)
No, they aren't. They wrapped their presents to me and each other a couple of days ago and then got upset when I told them I didn't want to open my present until Christmas Day. At least I know what it is now :) Our youngest told me to open my present so he could open one of his. Poor lad.
Budgens? BUDGENS? Those still about? Was there a Rumbelows next-door by any chance? {Dank}
There's a good one in Sheffield. I got many a nibble for for staving off post-swimming-club hunger pangs. I've never heard of Rumbelows.
Alianora had a nibble at Budgens. The mind boggles......
I emailed both Autosport and Haymarket and even suggested a decent marketing-ploy to retain subscribers: give them vouchers for money off the tickets. {Dank}
They did do that buy-one-get-one-free offer - they just didn't publicise it well enough.
(And it would have been better had it been valid on Paddock/Gold tickets rather than just the standard ones, so it turned out to be no use to me).
Santa has hit southern Europe, also called Palermo, Italy.
Alianora had a nibble at Budgens. The mind boggles…… {Spikey - 2 comments ago}
Why? I didn't realise there was anything mind-boggling about it - a nibble is a perfectly valid noun (meaning "something small that can be eaten in a few bites (or nibbles)")...
that lou thing happened to you too. what did you do?
Are we calling it the 'lou thing' from now on?
According to the great all knowing fount of knowledge that is Wikipedia, Rumbelows closed down in 1995 with most of the stores being sold to Escom, the German computer company. Escom went bust the following year.
ah yes, bit what were you nibbling? If I remember rightly, Budgens were good for most things, groceries to household items.
Somehow, I cant see a post-swim nibble on a teatowel that satisfying!
oh blimey. Stella kicking in.............
It has a name!
I think I edited the quote after clicking on the text. My mistake I think.
so it isn't just me.
so, it is just me.
for some reason I cant do the "lou thing" :(
Eureka?
me neither, been trying for three days.
you're special.
Tried what andy said?
no, that's just the school :P
yeah. i can intentionally balls it up. but lou's being extra careful and it's still going haywire.
57. WTCC: How many drivers at Macau were carrying the maximum success ballast of 70kg?
Seven
10
13 {Scott Woodwiss quoting the Autosport quiz}
I sense this is taking house styles* a little too literally...
* - The student paper I proofread at university had a rule that any number below 13 had to be in words and any number 13 and above had to be in numbers. Strange things would result from this...
that's not a bad thing
Whats the doohickey link and i'll try and do it.
blimey - i havent looked at that yet
http://www.sidepodcast.com/realtime/
Do tell
Lets all try and balls up the quoting!
What are you guys all expecting/wanting for Christmas? {Scott Woodwiss}
As an absolute minimum:
Brinsigr by Christopher Paolini
The Tales of Beedle The Bard by J.K. Rowling
Two tops for work
I know I'm getting the above because my parents asked me for my opinion on them before purchase. However, they always manage to surprise me with something both thoughtful and unexpected, so I await with happy anticipation what it will be this year.
Official - it's not just Lou.
ooooo this is good
useful, but flaky is how i'd describe it.
My suggestion, when quoting someone. Make sure that the last bit is </blockquote>
i just don't see why it does it. i don't often edit comments so that can't be it... i was wondering if it had anything to do with the fact sometimes i start my comment straight after the quote, and other i start it on the line below, but it doesn't seem to matter...
what would I like for Christmas.............my shoulder to be fixed so I can drive properly - AND get the bike out!!
That's what i'm doing ;)
This is commenting straight after your quote
It is considered good journalistic practise to write single digit numbers in letters. Why I don’t know. {Steven Roy}
The excuse I was given at the paper I proofread was that single-digit numbers were better in digits because they were quicker to read, and vice versa. Personally, I think it just meant there was less typing for journalists' tired fingers (which given how much typing most of them had to do, was not such a bad goal in itself).
Did that include talking about the year 13 eleven ?
It was on the comment earlier.
I've decided, I don't really like doohickey that much
:D
Chrome related?
tis ok, it's there as an option.
back to normal here..........not sure about the doohickey thing just yet.
Methinks it's better for reading then commenting.
I love the 'Lauda, Coulthard, Liuzzi, Truilli'
What I was thinking...
Hmm, aye
Good thinking Andy
Santa's in Germany!
could be, if i'm the only one using it, and the only one it happens too.
Eek, getting closer.
quick r&d survey then...
why?
i tested in chrome and couldn't repeat the issue :(
are they allowed to open one pressie before bed? if it’s midnight?
we werent when I was a kid. scarred for life. {Spikey}
I always had to be in bed before 11:30 when I was a child. The excuse being that, since Santa would catch fire if he tried coming down our chimney, he had to come early to give my parents time to help him unload the sleigh - and he wouldn't want any children watching because they'd slow the task up and other families wouldn't get their presents in time.
Always worked for me - until I was 19 and deemed old enough to be allowed to stay up. And I still try to go to bed before midnight, even if it was a close call last year (I go to bed at 11:58pm...)
ok it's just me then... i'll keep an even closer eye on what how i comment..
Its all fiddily when it comes to commenting, whilst in the lauda, coulthard, liuzzi, trulli you've got a simple box to write in. With that you have to click reply then quote what you want, very fiddly. But the text is bigger and easier to read, which helps more
When it's busy (like now) I use the lclt, when it's not I just comment from the site. It was useful when there were lots of busy discussions going on at the same time, but now the daily posts are around, that happens less.
I tend to go to be 11:30 on a christmas night anyways. Normally cos Christmas Eve shatters me when I have to drop off presents to reletives and so on.
ah yes, bit what were you nibbling? If I remember rightly, Budgens were good for most things, groceries to household items.
Somehow, I cant see a post-swim nibble on a teatowel that satisfying! {Spikey - 40 comments ago}
I don't think the branch I frequented did teatowels. About the only non-edible items I remember them doing were Autosports and magazines carrying somewhat less salubrious material.
My usual post-swimming snacks tended to be cobs with bits of vegetables in them, yoghurts, raw vegetables and/or confectionary.
cool. of the two which comment box is preferable - the one that displays html, or the one that hides it?
I just got that. :)
gotya, cheers.
The one that hides it, you get all confuggled and that with html.
Alianora. that sounds like some serious snacking....... when I used to run, I just used to eat whatever I could get my hands on!
ta.
Do tell... {R.G. - 24 comments ago}
Things like times appearing as 7:thirty pm. Or "the 5km, where runners have to run for five thousand m" (I believe the latter was hacked out of the article on the grounds that it was pointless, but nobody told the writer off for dumb writing because it was deemed compatible with house style).
Pity, I'm just trying to convince people not to use it really. :)
@Alia - I see, Don't particularily want to write 7:thirty. Looks messy
Did that include talking about the year 13 eleven ? {Andy Taylor - 28 comments ago}
No - 1311 is all one number, so that wasn't a problem to the paper. Times and distances, on the other hand...
erm... because?
Actually it's 4 numbers, I mean yeah I know, but you say 'thirteen eleven'
Just because. :)
I tend to go to be 11:30 on a christmas night anyways. Normally cos Christmas Eve shatters me when I have to drop off presents to reletives and so on. {R.G. - 11 comments ago}
That's understandable. I feel a bit weary from sorting out decorations and helping deliver presents to my brother's family, but somehow being here re-energises me :)
Today, I feel shattered since I got up at 7:forty five. Murdering me
I used to stay up for ages on Christmas Eve. I guess its the grown up in me that doesnt get excited any more........
However, you lot bring the kid out in me! cant think why :p
Hehe. I see a new trend developing here.
Alianora. that sounds like some serious snacking……. when I used to run, I just used to eat whatever I could get my hands on! {Spikey - 10 comments ago}
Ah well, I was in the swimming club with a view to being better at swimming galas. Having done them at quite a high level before that point, I'd had some decent nutritional advice and learned to tailor my snacks according to how much energy I needed and whether I could expect a proper meal any time soon. (Sometimes I ignored the advice though, hence the confectionery).
The other thing was that I looked for discounts a lot because I wanted my student loan to last. That was how I had enough at the end of my course to do a City and Guilds teaching course and the First Aid Instructor course - and treat a good friend with a low baggage allowance to the C&G teaching course as a thank-you present...
sidepodtime?
What, 15 minutes late. Twenty three: thirteen
:D
:D
Oh god, Santa's in Norway. Thats a boat ride away from Newcastle.
I've just remembered that one year I was given Scalextric for Christmas and in those days when you purchased electrical equipment you didn't always get a plug attached. My father had thoughtfully put a plug in the box, but hadn't thought that I might try to wire it up. He caught me just as I was about to plug it in - luckily I'd wired it correctly.
Pretend to sleep!
But he knows.
Are you scared?
It's worked for me before... ;)
Alianora - sounds like some serious training then. Are we talking the getting up at silly-o-clock every morning?
Admittedly, when I was in training then yes what I ate was very important, but in the winters it was just the thing to stuff as many calories as I could!
He's in Amsterdam!
Yes, since a boat ride from Norway to Newcastle actually takes a night, so he won't get here until about 8: sixteen tomorrow morning
Well that means you know something about Santa that most of us here also know...
would Santa know if we put out clocks back?
He's on SantaTime though.
my friend was scared of Father Christmas when she was younger. she made her mum met him on the village green cause she was too scared that he would come into her room :)
10 am here with summer time so you kiddies in UK have 59 minutes to get to sleep.
hehe.
certainly the offseason as Christine mentioned 10 hours ago :)
even the a1gp is not on for a few weeks. what are we supposed to do?
morning scott.
I've just realised, most places hes going here can be accessed from South Shields/Hull ferry terminals.
No racing, CHRISTMAS IS RUINED.
Oh wait, I'm getting the season review, all is well.
It feels very strange saying that.
But hullo Scott.
As I think Dave Allen said - All year we tell children to be wary of strangers and then tell them that when Santa comes into their room that they have to pretend to be asleep.
your getting the season review? didn't you hear that a sidepodcast mug is much better for f1 fans ;)
if Santa knows who has been naughty or nice, I think he'll know if you're fiddling with the clocks.
Yes, but I hurt my back for missing the ITV one, so Im not risking it again.
:D
lol thinking of Santa quotes....... I always remember the Red Dwarf Episode "Backwards"
Santa - what a bast*rd! comes down the chimney and steals all your favourite toys!
HAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA
That the Portuguese government are after him for breaking and entering?
Plus, if you put your clocks back, you'd have to wait even longer
You have a good point there, RG.
R.G (The Rob Smedley loving BMW nutcase) said:
would Santa know if we put out clocks back?
Plus, if you put your clocks back, you’d have to wait even longer
yes, but it means we can chat here for longer without feeling guilty :)
but if you hurt you back, you can sit back at home with a nice mug of hot choc or tea or whatever ;) sounds better than watching a season review to me :P
I watched it in one go. Not sure whether I should be proud of that or not... ;)
I think we need some sidepodcast slippers.
In honour of Christmas, I'd like to mention Krampus who was evil St Nick's helper. These days in places where i live in Italy, and other alpine regions, men dress up as these freaky ork like creatures and go around and torment the locals with chains or whip type things. funny, but they can get a little enthusiastic sometimes and hurt people. More info and a slideshow here. I promise to take some photos next year...
Wouldn't it be even better drinking out of a Sauber mug of hot chocolate watching the season review, with sauber slippers in my sauber dressing gown in my sauber chair.
Man I need to get all this stuff.
haha :)
He's in Paris!
erm... good for him? ;)
Lets hope he doesn't get lost.
that would be funny :P
A new approach for me.
It's easily done!
love to see the reindeer take on the arc de triomphe
Sauber or sober?
Do you think he'll pop in and see Max at the FIA? Or would Krampus be more his thing (says LittlePurpleGoth)?
trust me, it feels pretty strange for me to be here with this time shift too. i am used to being 1 hour ahead but 11 hours ahead of gmt is a strange territory for me. we have our relo invasion in an hour or so and i am supposed to get back in the kitchen...
I should have meant
Krampus who was St Nick's evil helper. oops.
He's giving the F1 drivers their presents now...
Monaco?
Sauber, of the great BMW Sauber, previously ran by Peter Sauber 1993 to 2005 before being bought by Dr Mario Thiessen of BMW
This is Father Christmas we are talking about, not St Nick Heidfeld
how did you guess? :P
Aye
switzerland?
He likes the glamour too, ya know.
And ruins it by going to Andorra
Mystic Andy :)
he's been to Switzerland already
Make what you will
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article2069184.ece
oh. was lewis naughty or nice?
Now there's an image :) I think we should call him St Nick next season...
(I know who Peter Sauber is lol - was merely making a social comment.)
No wait - that's me who is trying to drown myself.....slowly lol
Yay.
He passed rather quickly
well, if he will try and cheat.
haha yes, he only needs to grow his beard a little more..
RG - that sun article is well funny! reminds me of a joke we played on my brother many years ago :p
hehe :)
St. Nick Heidfeld? Will having the BMW towed by reindeer be allowed?
Can't have Rudolf anyway.........the red light's supposed to be at the back........
and it's supposed to flash........
Haha :D
Oh come on, he's went back to Africa
telling ya, he has a g1 :)
He's just teasing now...
I'm bored, and in usual tradition, am heading off to be at 23:thiry. Goodnight everybody and have a fantastic christmas morning. I hope you all get what you have been asking for. Merry Christmas all!
And if the idiot flies past Newcastle he is dead.
Night R.G. and Merry Christmas to ya :)
Nice festive message for us. :)
G'night R.G.
Or he has decided that the UK has been Naughty
He's been zig-zagging all night - drunk again. Well, he does have a mince pie and a glass of sherry at every stop :)
night night R.G. - have a goody :)
night r.g.
nice work if you can get it.
"I'm not going anywhere near you lot! You elected Boris!"
It does explain why you never see him the rest of the year though.
Mr. C.
Sherry? you dont look the sherry type to me .........
You've seen him?!?
you've seen him?
That would be London, not the UK. You can't blame everyone for Boris.
Having said that, I would have voted for him on the sole issue of getting rid of the bendy buses.
@ Lou
are you feeling a bit more christmassy?
His words, not mine... :P
but they aren't gone yet.
Actually, I was kind of thinking about the lot to the right of boris' lot...
LPG gets political... vbg :-)
I would have just for a laugh.
ok - look was perhaps the wrong word to use.
sound?
I mean........ how many sherry drinking pandas do YOU know?
He is phasing them out though which can't come soon enough in my opinion.
Only on Sidepodcast would that question be asked... :P
just wondering. little purple goth. to the RIGHT of Boris?
oh good lord............
yeah i am, kinda... i mean i'm looking forward to seeing my family etc tomorrow. i suppose it's all this santa live commenting ;)
:D
Did you ever think when you casually suggested a place to comment on the races that it would end up like this!?
well...
no opposable thumbs........he could never get the bottle open!
lol nope, am glad i did though :)
If you did then I'll hand all the Mysticness to you.
I think she means the current government.
Christine said:
yeah i am, kinda… i mean i’m looking forward to seeing my family etc tomorrow. i suppose it’s all this santa live commenting
Did you ever think when you casually suggested a place to comment on the races that it would end up like this!?
So this Live Comments thing is Lou's fault?
Cheers, madam. havent had as much of a laugh as this in AGES!
*hugs & snogs* :)
uh oh, mum has just announced she does not feel well, and feels like she might be getting flu... go job we have lots of lempsip in the house ;)
bit early for that isn't it.
i haven't told you all how much i love you yet?
So basically, most of us came here to comment on a race and sort of hung around a bit?
lol your Mysticness is safe, for now :P
I can't quite think of Father Christmas as the sherry drinking sort...
... although anyone who works with elves year round and has flying reindeer must have a fairly healthy Spendrups habit (well, IKEA do claim to be a supplier to St. N), topped off with Absinthe at certain seasonal points.
pretty much, yup.
*hic* I looooove you alllllllllllll *burp*
you're my besht mate, you areeeeeeeee
Can't get rid of ya :)
Love it. You could offer to cook Christmas lunch/dinner tomorrow, but instead you will force your poor mother from her sickbed and
dose her up with paracetemol based remedies.
Doing by the username alteration going on.. would it be safe to say that Asterix is read and digested by certain SPC peeps?
Um - that sounds a lot like 'I'm tired will you get off the computer and go to bed so I can wrap your presents and put them under the tree'
'Me' Andy's getting moderated again...
Nearly said Modded, and then remembered that I'm the one with holes in this house rofl whilst he's hopelessly vanilla...
I think I've been moderated for mentioning the active constituent of Lemsip.
lol no it's an 'i'm ill' cause i'm in my room ;) so it wouldn't bother her if i'm awake :P
According to Sidepodtime, which is 15 minutes late, it's already Christmas Day! :D
Ah - so does this mean that you are cooking tomorrow then??
15mins late and it is already christmas day? do you mean early?
Who wants to pull a cracker?
Fast... fast....
rolls eyes :-)
Probably I dunno :P
"At the third stroke, the sidepodtime sponsored by Relentless Sidepodcast Panda-Cosworth Racing will be..."
Alianora - sounds like some serious training then. Are we talking the getting up at silly-o-clock every morning? {Spikey}
I wasn't quite that serious at any point. The early morning sessions only took people who were a little faster than me (one of my friends does go to two early-morning sessions a week, and only stopped doing the third when university got in the way).
For most of the time since I started doing galas, I've done two (evening) sessions per week. However, there was one year when I did four sessions, including one day when I did an afternoon session followed by an evening session. Frenetic but fun.
Silly-o-clock in the morning is reserved for galas themselves and F1 watching.
Incidentally, the nutrition stuff I picked up from my first England training session back in 2000. About the only useful thing I got from it, I might add, since I spent half the session in the pool being cold and the other half attempting to warm up - in two-length stints separated by two minutes. Not the way to a good performance...
He's in London! Woot!
Maybe he likes Boris after all...
oh god! i hadn't thought of that.... i'm sure my Nan and Aunt will help me.... at least i hope they do :P
Sorry Lou, looks like he missed Kent :(
hey - who is up for a sidepodcast outing to see Alianora swim?
How much does it cost for a panda these days anyway? lol
Yes, since a boat ride from Norway to Newcastle actually takes a night, so he won’t get here until about 8: sixteen tomorrow morning {R.G.}
What have I started here?!?
oh dear... never mind. :D there is always next year :P
So he's not coming to Brighton then? Oh well, there's always next year...
Use it as leverage for the Autosport show and karting...
(btw, the 'would you dad like karting thing' earlier was a poor attempt to say that you could get your dad to have met everyone then, and then they wouldn't be strange random-people-off-the-internet types anymore...)
You can tell we're Honda fans. :P
:D
:-(
But you do get some lovely sunrises in compensation
If only I was awake for them... :P
lol he wouldn't come with me anyway ;) but he is a little too old for karting, plus it's not really his type of racing. He used to do a bit of rallying when he was younger, round the Romney Marsh i think. but i think dad might let me go after all... i can still be 'daddy's little angel' when i need to be :P
:D
I make it 2 minutes in real time until Christmas :D
just thought i'd come by and wish you all the best for "tomorrow". Merry Christmas folks :)
i make it 1 :D
Now 1 minute :D
You lot had better go to bed or Santa wont stop at your house!
i love the way we now need to make it clear that it's real time :P
Merry Christmas Everyone *hugs all round* :)
Happpy Christmas :D
He didn't anyway... :P
Meeeeery Christmas!
Go Santa!
There it is! The Sidepodclock has struck midnight! Happy Christmas everybody! :D
merry christmas one and all xx
he is damn stupid if he comes down our chimney :P we have the fire a light tonight ;)
hey - who is up for a sidepodcast outing to see Alianora swim? {Shhhhpikey - 2 comments ago}
This could be interesting. Largely because unlike the karting, I wouldn't have the luxury of four months to sort out the arrangements. I'm lucky if I get three weeks' notice of these things since the World Games debacle*.
The upside is that entry is free (panda** or human). The downside is that spectator space varies a lot according to the venue - and the next gala I expect to be at, the 2010 DSE East Midlands gala, is currently a moveable feast because the old venue in Mansfield isn't available (not sure why).
Even so, I suspect that the organisers would be delighted at the free publicity because the sorts of galas I attend rarely get any significant attention. A Sidepodcast live commentary session would easily attract more eyeballs than the usual press outlets for galas at this level would. Even photography permission would not be so difficult to come by...
* - Long story. Suffice to say that the FIA is not the only sporting organisation whose rules make little sense on first reading...
** - Going in a panda suit is a bad idea because the venues are typically sauna-like in temperature and humidity. me may want a less cumbersome disguise for such an event, if only for the sake of his health.
:D
:D
:)
You could always stay up :-)
Birds started to sing the dawn chorus at 2h38 two nights ago... Sadly I don't think that the sun was coming up, more that the lights on the A$"! had finally gone back on (turned off for a couple of days whilst they put in 'average speed cameras' yeah right!) and the poor things thought the sun was coming up!
aww, kisses and everything :P
:D
Alianora......
Oh well, it was only a slightly tipsy idea :)
You lot had better go to bed or Santa wont stop at your house! {Jeremy - 11 comments ago}
It's OK. Dad tells me Santa has been, come and gone, having delivered the presents. I'm still being good and not looking at them, but the fact that he pulled off the present delivery trick without me hearing a thing means that I can't have got in his way. Which is good.
Merry Christmas everyone
Merry Christmas everyone :)
we have the fire a light tonight ;) {lou - 11 comments ago}
You and me both! Luckily in my case, I think he used the back door instead. (I say "think" because he'd have had to climb over a pile of junk and the sofa to get in through the front door, and I think I'd have heard that much racket...)
But where are the pandas?
oooooooooooooooooooo Santa HAS been! heeheehee
Santa's gone to Iceland :)
i tried to find one with pandas.. but it was turning into a long search ;) play it and look at a pic of a panda :P
I'm not sure we need lyrics for that song. :)
ROFL
it was the first one there. lol you guys are piccy :P
:D
Alianora……
Oh well, it was only a slightly tipsy idea {Shhhhpikey - 5 comments ago}
I think it's a good idea. It'll just need some thought to make it workable. I quite like the idea of having a few extra people come to support us - especially as my team has a reputation to keep as the noisiest one on the UK disability swimming circuit!
oh my......... I have been playing with Google Earth.....
theres a santa tracker! ha!
Great idea. :D
Well - I have now broken into my present to myself (OK, so Andy openned the plastic wrapping :) ) a large box of Bendicks Bittermints (mmmm, dark chocolate.... mmmm, mint....).. and I'm going to eat at least 2 because then I'll have had one more than the last time I got a box of these as a 'present'...
Merry Christmas everyone {Christine - 8 comments ago}
Seconded (or, judging by the comments, thirded).
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?ref=cat3_gallery_5&listing_id=16472651
Some Christmas pandas for you.
It's funny how we've managed to talk about nothing motorsport related for hours.
Excuse me... that one deserves a good drubbing...
(Surely he's pickier than that!)
Andy - thats too funny!
Yay! :)
I wonder why Norad chose Dundee?
LPG (excuse me but I cant be arsed to type it all now :P)
you saying that Santa is some drugged up old model / singer (apparently) ????
talk about shatter the illusion.........
we have mentioned motorsport ;) -
thats a very tenuous link!!
Nick Heidfeld was also mentioned earlier, and Karting.
Isn't there a NORAD or American listening thingy there?
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=JW3BEB7MG8U some christmassy pandas for you.
And the following comment was about Brighton sunrises.
You lot really are piccy. :P
isnt the main british listening post at fylingdales (excuse spelling)
Nothing wrong with Brighton Sunrises...
Couple of nice ones here http://lovemagick.wordpress.com/2008/12/18/i-saw-the-most-incredible-sunset-2day/
Did you mean picky? /pedant mode off
its christmas day, i've just finished watching lead balloon and i want to go to sleep...but im not tired! boo
Maybe he meant JPEG - Justifiably Pedantic About Grammar
Oops
I was just testing you.
That is in Yorkshire. The closest thing to a listening post I am aware of in Scotland is the cold war era radar installations on the north coast of Scotland. That is a long way from Dundee.
:) I like that. Plus brings us back to pandas - eats shoots and leaves...
Justifiably Pendantic Especially (about) Grammar
In Australia, we use Wombats - eats roots and leaves
The sunsets deserve more recognition. :)
That works a little better if you know your Aussie slang ;)
Steven Roy - so there aren't any of the golf ball sites in Scotland?
So apart from Daventry and Cheltenham, that's the lot then!
no wonder Santa missed Wales :P
right gang, time to head off to bed I think.
I hope all of you have a fantastic holidays, and I look forward to chatting more soon :)
(PS - you are ALL bonkers. wonderful!!)
noted.
night spikey.
Night Spikey.
Goodnight Shhhpikey. Dream the dream of the green fairy....
Night Spikey. I think the word you were searching for is eccentric :)
Night Spikey.