Knock, Knock. *squeaking* Wooden doors are being opened. Well hello there ...! Glad you popped by. Tea? Coffee? ehm ... soda? No? Hmmm ... News? Aaaa, I knew it! Let's see if I find some nice news for you today ... Please, take a seat, make yourself comfortable ... ah, yes, take your shoes off first, please ... all right ... where were we? Ah yes, the news ...
Good news! Timo is feeling better and today he took a "short" walk. Oh boy, this is really frustrating ... even a just-released-from-hospital-after-a-surgery-Timo is fitter than me!! Blame you carnival! Can't go to the gym tonight 'cause everything is closed! Tomorrow I shall hit the center and ... beware, Timo! :D I might not catch up with Mark, though ... *sigh*
Lewis said Formula 1 has become slower, however I think it is too soon to judge the new season, isn't it? Meanwhile Joe wrote an interesting article in which he compared F1 to wrestling. This made me chuckle, really, because a friend of mine went to this year's carnival as Hulk Hogan. He even dyed his moustache blond! That's commitment, if you ask me.
Ferrari has changed the name of their 2011 car for the second time: it's now called Ferrari 150° Italia. The time will show if it's a bella Italia ...
The final testing in a very much bella Barcelona kicked off. Uuuuu, exciting! I suppose Christine already is sharpening her .. errr ... keyboard? However, stick to sidepodcast.com and you won't lose a second of the Barcelona action!
For more F1 news from today visit Manipef1.com, an since you're already at Manipe's you might want to listen to his latest chat with our lovely hosts? A fantastic show, much to learn = you have to listen to it. Loved the cricket intro. :-)
Speaking of which: I hope you were more lucky than me, and didn't miss that England vs. South Africa thing. Boy!! I couldn't believe my eyes!
I was stuck at work, you know, battling with our new, totally incomprehensible, dumb, complicated and annoying software system. I was lucky enough to get to see the first half of The Match of All Matches. And yes, we won it. 3 -freekin'-1 at home. With a Dutch hat-trick. Just take a look at this Suarez's thing he's doing there (00:27 onwards) ... wasn't he sublime? Very much so! The best birthday present for King Kenny ever, if you ask me. He probably would have said the same, if you asked him.
Sorry? I beg you a pardon ...? You forgot to read the Tweets of the Week? What are you waiting for then, son? Hush, hush! Oh, but do not forget your shoes!!!! Oh, left already ... such a hurry ... But since he's gone ... :)))))))))
The doors are being closed very slowly ... *squeaking* ... Have a lovely daaaaaay!! The voice is dying away *shut*
Hi Tuesday, tea please. :)
:) :)
Just finished a long day of filming for @VerizonWireless...man acting is tough! No wonder @charliesheen has lost it... #notwinning
- @WillPower12
also seen in retweet somewhere..
Charlie Sheen fired from 2 and a Half Men. Show now known as 2 Men.
So Germany has a carnival as well? My sister says Spain did over the weekend and I'm sure Gavin mentioned something about Denmark. How come we don't have one, I want a day off :)
hehehehe!!
...the what?
hehe
Time for sleep, so see you but perhaps not til evening. Got plans to be productive on the blog tomorrow night too.
Good night
NightPat
Thank you for your email.
We are pleased to confirm your reservation with us and a full payment will be taken by this week.
My sincere apologies for the inconvenience caused.
Woohoo!
phew!
and with that. g'night.
Morning everyone :)
" I was stuck at work, you know, battling with our new, totally incomprehensible, dumb, complicated and annoying layout operating system
...the what?"
I changed it into Software system. Sounds better.
"So Germany has a carnival as well? My sister says Spain did over the weekend and I'm sure Gavin mentioned something about Denmark. How come we don't have one, I want a day off :)"
Only w few parts of Germany have carnival. Unluckily Cologne is the capital of carnival in Germany...!! Next to Düsseldorf and Mainz.
In Holland they have it in Limburg and Brabant.
I had to go to work and it wasn't nic eon the streets ... but now it's over!!!! till the next year ...
It's more of a kids' thing here. Copenhagen has a carnival in June though.
I've just seen photos of my friend from Trinidad and that carnival looks mental. He went to something called Jouvet: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%27ouvert
People get covered in paint and dance all night!
Morning all
Is twitter down?
Don't think so.
Ooh, it's back now
Think my client just coughed. Is back now
Think my O2 Internet is intermittent
Look at the Mclaren Nose!
Too excited! http://www.sutton-images.com/preview.asp?filename=dcd1108ma21.jpg
ooh it has a toomah
:-)
Another angle. WTF? http://twitpic.com/47efo6
Amy - are you seeing Joe on Wednesday before the GP?
I think I'm blind.
sure am, are you coming?
Measures load on the wing.
Not sure yet. I'm driving down on Wednesday.
ooh the long drive again. How many food stops this year? :D
Anyone else confirmed yet?
Indeed.
Williams had walrus, McLaren goes rhino :-)
Hehehehe. Yes I might have to ration my stops this time.
Pamela will be there too
New mclaren nose:
http://www.solarnavigator.net/animal_kingdom/cetaceans/beluga_whale.htm
OMG. Looks like a pimple - so tempting to pop it. :D
Hey Journeyer. How's the geography classes going? ;)
So do we call this Em's Nose now?
http://twitter.com/belugabeluga
Hey Gavin. Erm... geography classes? Not sure I can follow. :D
:-)
Turns out Joe wasn't entirely correct anyway ;)
AHH. Yes, indeed. I had to double-check to make sure I wasn't the one getting confused. :D
Just looked at Joe's reply now. He has a point too. :O
Barca testing live timing: http://www.msfree.gr/ms.php?id=19140
if you need lessons on Slovakia vs Slovenia, ask me :-)
I always forget which one you are - silly countries with similar names. It's not like there's a Denmark and Henmark is there?
Or Australia and austria
Oh wait.......
I am the one that played Kiwis at the world cup :-)
it wasn't until the world cup that I learned you are not a Hong Kong native :D
:D
Novak has only been on Facebook for about two weeks but he's using it to it's maximum :D http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10150208218061040
ah-ha! what's it called?
"I changed it into Software system. Sounds better.
ah-ha! what's it called?"
NGEN and Ihate it!
:D
ahh, never heard of it.
Phew! It's not SAP at least...
"NGEN and Ihate it!
ahh, never heard of it."
Luky you, Mr.C!! One of my colleague refused to work with it. hahaha Now it's funny ... On Sunday it won't ...
I meant "lucky" :-)
Cricket is an odd sport. I'm following the game here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/cricket/9414800.stm and it's supposed to be a live score, but it's all talk about naming stadiums after pop groups!
"Cricket is an odd sport. I'm following the game here: news.bbc.co.uk/sp…icket/9414800.stm and it's supposed to be a live score, but it's all talk about naming stadiums after pop groups!"
I am a cricket rookie, but love it already. Cannot follow every match, which is a shame. my work times hinder my sports education. haha :-)
Interesting. Nobody appears to be sponsoring the Autosport live feed but it's still free.
More major sports need to take place in Dubaiju :D
Hmm.
I was unimpressed by some of the attendances I saw on TV this year. I would have blamed you but you were in England at the time :D
I was given a floppy disk earlier - the only thing I can usefully do with it is use it as a cupholder ;)
Morning all.
I've got a box of 10 still in their box... ...because there's a Jordan logo on the box (it was from the time floppy disk company Imation sponsored the team in 2003).
Good morning.
Oh dear. Mr Valsecchi's just caused a red flag by crashing.
Awww, Glock: @MarussiaVirgin please update me with laptimes :-) I am bored
Hmmm.
@legardj: Malaysia GP organisers say they're planning a night race before contract up in 2015 to reverse trend of falling crowds.
Thing is, night races aren't the oddity they used to be. They'll just be the 3rd circuit to try offering it. And ultimately, it just makes them more similar to Singapore. If you think about it, won't that make it harder for them to attract crowds, not easier?
Also, in 2001 not showing live broadcast of the Malaysian Grand Prix helped increase crowd numbers. So the real problem is Malaysians prefer watching from the comfort of their homes (like lots of other people). A night race would make the TV even more compelling because night races look so much better on TV due to the flexibility of viewpoint they can have.
I will go back if I enjoy it this year, just because it's sooooooo cheap.
but yes if I had to pick a night race, I'd stick with Singapore. Way way way easier to be a night race in the middle of the city.
Malaysia is an oddity in that it's a good track, has decent races and yet no support.
http://joesaward.wordpress.com/2011/03/08/meeting-the-younger-generation/
Very nice article on the FIA Academy. Good on Joe to help them out... interesting way to test the drivers. :)
That's the main pull for people like you and me - going there for the weekend is SO dirt-cheap.
But I guess the question they need to answer is: how do I build enough interest in F1 to get people to go? Ticket prices aren't so much of an issue, IMO - the standard of living in Malaysia and the Philippines are roughly the same. If they provide a good enough show, people in the region who would watch in Singapore can decide to watch in Sepang too.
Very good point there. If they did a night race and they finished up at 9:30-10 PM, what time do the people get home? This isn't SG where they can be home in 30 minutes even accounting for long MRT lines. Makes the event less family-friendly.
And that's assuming it's not bucketing down with rain...
They have significant investments in F1 - there's Team Lotus, and they have high visibility in two top-5 teams (Mercedes and Renault). So why don't they attract the crowds?
do people buy tickets then not show up? I was looking at the online ticket selector for the grandstand we are in and there wasn't very many seats left showing as available, yet I know from seeing that stand on TV that it never looks very full.
Which grandstand are you at? One possibility is that sponsors buy tickets in bulk before they're released to the public, then give it away to their business partners, family, and friends. Some are effective in using this (Petronas usually has a block or two full of people wearing their aqua green colors and waving Petronas flags), but I don't think most other companies really ensure that people use the tickets they're given.
Hmmm. Are McLaren just doing heavy-fuel runs today? They've done no better than a 1:28.9 today, which is 6.4s down on Webber's time.
That is slow. However, Button lost lots of running this morning.
I think it's called K1? The one at the end of the main straight at the first couple of turns.
So I read the headline that Wimbledon is going to be broadcast in 3D and went 'yeah yeah whatever, I don't have a 3D tv' but then I actually read the article (http://www.tennis.com/articles/templates/news.aspx?articleid=10947&zoneid=25) and it turns out it's going to be shown in 3D cinemas. I hope there is one in Melbourne, not because I want to watch in 3D, but because watching tennis in a movie theatre on a giant screen would be awesome :D
Could be a tactic to stop people procrastinating and buy the tickets early?
There's that too - the NZ Sevens has that problem...
The T1 grandstand? Yeah, that's never full. But then, I don't think sponsors get a lot of seats there, either.
Odd.
I don't get 3D. It doesn't make things better for me and it gives me a headache - with or without my reading glasses...
but we did buy ours early and there was tons and tons and tons and tons and tons and tons available then
3D isn't friendly to people who have 20/20 vision. My fiance's said as much.
3D can work if used properly (see Avatar), but it's usually overused nowadays.
my flatmate just bought a 50" 3D tv and after I mentioned that I'd never watched 3D TV before he put in the demo disc that came with it. It impressed me even less than 3D movies, I certainly won't be breaking into his room to watch his TV when he's not home :)
*who DON'T have 20/20 vision.
well, maybe this year is different?
maybe their 50% off sale might actually help
but didn't they have that before too? i could be wrong, though.
no idea, i had never looked at buying before this year :D
Singapore tickets will be purchased next weekend hooray!
So does that include myself who needs reading glasses? My wife has quite strong glasses (which she wears) and she's ok though...
The 3D TV's are worse than the movies, for sure.
I saw Avatar and Tron. My impression was that neither was improved by using 3D.
Not sure, TBH. I guess it just depends?
I've seen some of the 3D samplers in the local electronics shop and I couldn't spot the difference between them and the 2D versions.
I'm putting together a CV bundle with some of my best bits: http://bit.ly/eydLqy
I can only come up with five, and wondered if anyone had any other recollections of things I was particularly awesome at :)
you're asking us to trawl the archives?
They have to make themselves useful occasionally, otherwise what's the point of the archives? :)
Does it depend on what kind of job I would go for if I should use stuff like my blog on my CV?
Yes it does.
Absolutely.
Muuuch better.
1 Webber Red Bull 1m22.544s
2 Button McLaren 1m23.782s
In all honesty, i had no idea it was on untill the womens tournament was completly over and the mens was over halfway though.
There was zero promotion, at my end of town anyway
I think its a good idea for hear anyway, the day is culturaly more focused on the evening than on mid afternoon which is traditionaly speant at home, im not sure if malaysia is the same though
Afternoon folks,
Just dropped in to say Silverstone is absolutely lovely today. There's been some ace weather and lots of running, but things have quietened down a bit now.
McLaren's "test" nose.... reminds me of this... u-g-l-y!
http://twitpic.com/47g4ft
Today lets me bring you this:
http://theformulaoneandmotorsportsarchive.wordpress.com/2011/03/08/visiting-trackside/
Will pop back in a bit
I like this pic.
http://www.autosport.com/gallery/photo.php/id/13268304
Hi.
Nice one
I'm amazed McLaren need this rather odd-looking (and probably pricey) contraption just to figure out what Red Bull did without any outside help. The wonders of Adrian Newey never cease to amaze.
Make that a 1m29.9. Jenson now within 4 tenths.
AUTOSPORT also making the point that he's 2 seconds quicker than he was at the last test. I'm guessing McLaren's at least partially resolved whatever issues they had previously.
and 0.9s up Hamilton last time
Assuming its to do with the front wing, it may be to do with creating a bigger airflow split to help their sidepod channels?
Arent they using different (final) tyres at this test too?
Very possible. It's a completely new layout, after all.
They are, I think. But they're a lot closer now to RBR than they were last time.
It must be the magic nose!
read that as magnetic. a magnetic nose would solve almost all their problems except they'd always come second :)
It'd be like the NASCAR stuff.
...which they can't use at race weekends. :D
Here's my guess: they're using the magic nose to simulate the wing flexing going on at RBR. I'm guessing the system works and that they've managed to make the wing flex. Question is - will this help them figure out how to do it without using the system?
:)
They would have to remember to turn it off at monaco with all the armco :D
yup. red bull had the lump last year in testing remember.
Or its for red nose day :P
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/motorsport/formula_one/9417463.stm
they did? i don't remember.
Bahrain deadline: May 1
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/89789
I say it's not a question of if they want it. It's a question of can they run it.
I think they should schedule it for the end of the year, but have a backup ready so it can be transfered with a few weeks notice.
So you guys are saying the device is to push the wings down to simulate high speed flex?
And therefore verifying the windtunnel numbers?
Sounds like a plan. Seeing as nobody turns up anyway they could in theory do that.
That's what AUTOSPORT and Scarbs are saying.
big black bulge, plus cables. wonder if i can find a pic.
Paul Ricard? :D
i assume it's measuring the load.
Losail would be ideal, very close by and they dont seem to mind running races at midnight for european tv, im sure bernie would love it!
I hope that is it's official name.
oh yes. look familiar?
http://img811.imageshack.us/i/flex.jpg/
It looks like it's holding the front wing on.
i recall last year taking the mickey out of newey's cars always falling apart.
i'm not laughing anymore :(
It is quite possible that he is actually laughing at you instead.
It does - how does that push the wing down?
Adrian Newey is incapable of laughing. Last time he did, barge boards sprouted out of his cheeks...
it doesn't.
http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ1LSJ8Z2pXEAj6PsGdYsQ-oBshUS0EGqbU-rCr2RWez3F72CkN&t=1
i think that ones measures flex of the wing under load.
:(
Probably.
I see. The McLaren one looks like it pushes down though, or am I just confused?
#DammitJimImAMathematicianNotAnEngineer!
scarbs says yes, i have no idea.
:D
Newey - 6 WDCs, 6 WCCs
Brawn - 8 WDCs, 8 WCCs
The true geniuses of our era.
This idea is not new. Benetton raced such a wing in 1987
http://www.hiroboy.com/catalog/images/mfh-B187-tn.jpg
The Red Bull and Benetton B187 seem to be using cables in tension to either stop the ends of the wings drooping or to transfer the load from the end of the wings to the middle of the nose.
The McLaren is not using cables but metal stays which seem to be in compression rather than tension so would logically be pushing the wing down.
Glad you didnt include the bloke who could have split the difference between them :P
Ron Dennis 9 WDCs
Love those early Benettons!
Hang on. Missed one
84/85/86/88/89/90/91/98/99/08
10
they raced it?
surely mclaren can't race this now?
There are a lot more F1 rules now
In doing a little research i discovered Pirelli won the first WDC in 1950 with Farina
Considering it's a measuring device, they're not likely to try racing it...
I wrote F1 instead of front wing, but both are true i guess!
There were all sorts of things on wings then.
I doubt it. I would imagine it strays into areas that you can't put stuff in
They've even made some more this afternoon :(
lord above. anything significant?
Im not entirely sure, but ti think this means the front wing can only join the body at 2 places:
3.7.2 "Any horizontal section taken through bodywork located forward of a point lying 450mm forward of the front wheel centre line, less than 250mm from the car centre line, and between 125mm and 200mm above the reference plane, may only contain two closed symmetrical sections with a maximum total area of 5000mm2. The thickness of each section may not exceed 25mm when measured perpendicular to the car .
centre line"
To continue Steven's point,
Ron Dennis - 10 WDCs, 7 WCCs
Frank Williams - 7 WDCs, 8 WCCs
Jean Todt - 6 WDCs, 7 WCCs
The great triumvirate of team bosses of the modern era.
lord above. anything significant?
Yes. If the Safety Car is out, you can only use the pit lane for changing tyres unless the Safety Car's been sent through the pit lane. This means that pitting for repairs in such a scenario is now banned.
The pit lane exit will be green throughout Safety Car periods, leading to inevitable near-collisions, if not pile-ups, when a car leaves the pits into the "crocodile".
Up to two extra dry-weather tyre will be available "at some events".
The speed limit under the Safety Car now applies for two laps instead of one.
You need to add in Colin Chapman. If only to show hewon more WDCs thanTodt
They are going to make a logo to promote road saftey.
If there was one thing road saftey really needed it was a logo...
I thought it already had one?
what if your front wing fell off in an accident that brought out the safety car??
why?
Apparently you've got to go round without a front wing until the Safety Car peels off...
No idea. The entire document is streaked with lack of forethought :(
Why? Why do they complicate things so much. Either close it or open it!!!
I agree. Mad rush back onto the track.
Presumably because they don't want everyone to run out of tyres ten laps before the end of the race. I would love that to happen once because that would end all this ludicrously soft tyre nonsense
well that's sutil's season screwed right there.
:)
That is like an FIA tag line
FIA - streaked with lack of forethought
:) :)
I love the idea of soft tyres, Bridgestones were just too hard.
Sounds great if everyone runs out of tyres with 10 laps to go. It would make for a ridiculously entertaining finish!
I think this is just a case of miscommunication. I don't think race control is going to penalize someone who had to pit to get their car fixed. I suspect the rules on safe driving will override whatever's written here.
Because it's the FIA and the governing body would have to shrink a lot if it went down the simplification route.
Soft tyres are fine. Randomly issuing fixes without thinking them through isn't.
Just like the old safety car rules had a bit that overrided the other bit at the end of the Monaco Grand Prix?
It just means every time you get an interesting battle on track one of them is going to disappear into the pits before there can actually be any overtaking.
Yup. Silly crazy rules.
Not that harder tyres gave Alonso more chances to pass Petrov...
Agreed. Proper tyre management will mean drivers will have to drive properly and know when to push, just like the good old days...
I want tyres that go the full race distance. Race on the track. Pit stops that take a front runner and stick him behind someone in 12th ruin racing
If I've learned anything in F1, it's that they probably will have to take the most perverse interpretation of the rule at least once before the problem is fixed. And that sooner or later someone with power to inflict penalties will...
That's because you hate pitstops though.
If we have to have them to get people to pass then so be it. No more absurd grands prix like Abu Dhabi please!
That was a combination of bad aero:mechanical ratios and great driving by Vitaly.
I think it is more because I love racing. Artificially shuffling positions ruins racing and forced pit stops are artificial.
They need to sort the cars and the tracks and they will never do that as long as people accept all the fake stuff.
if they removed the fake stuff, i'd give up watching long before they get around to fixing the cars and the tracks.
Even though some of the fake stuff is reducing the excitement?
I love racing too. But I also know that F1 has a serious overtaking problem that we keep getting told will be magically fixed every year and never is.
Do you want to know why I didn't bother doing any post-race blogs last year? With the tyres as they were, they would do 10 laps, change tyres and then just cruise to the finish coz they couldn't overtake. Only rain and the bad surface at Canada (which is kinda the same issue) broke that deadlock.
First and foremost I want to see overtaking, but if that's not the case, I want to see different teams solve the strategy problem in different ways. Then I can get my teeth stuck into some proper analyses!
f1 was exciting with refueling. so says i.
i missed out the 'more' in that sentence. sorta still works though.
agreed.
It's obvious to me that Bernie asks Tilke to make tracks that are stupidly safe, look good on TV and have enough slow fiddly bits to satisfy the sponsors. Add that to the fact that big wings and Airboxes make great banners and you would be foolish to think that would be changed. It would cost Bernie and co. too much money!
That is why we are stuck with them. TV viewing figures dictate what we get. Until they drop there will be no change
F1 was exciting before refuelling too, when cars had crap tyres and big turbos with no forced pitstops.
maybe, but i like 05-09 the best. am not against trying reverse grids, shortcuts or sprinklers either. as you say, anything but abu dhabi. ever. again.
Afternoon guys. Great to see we're going to start the season not actually knowing how long the season will actually be #fail
And to complete the circle, the TV viewing figures are so badly mangled that it's theoretically possible to generate the worldwide F1 viewing figures with only 3.8 million people...
we don't?
05-09 was pretty good and had loads of good races. I'm also partial to anything before 1994 too...
All I'm saying is on sidepodradio I had the button idea that something random happens in the race when Charlie presses a button like wet track, etc
I'm ahead of bernie's ideas!
That is a bit rubbish, but according to the regulations the FIA has to give the circuit until 3 months before a potential new date to confirm in these situations. If it's not yet ready to take a decision either way, its hand cannot be forced.
It will never get fixed as long as they keep wings on the car and downforce dictates performance. The cars are too fast as well.
A race is the simplest form of sporting competition. A bunch of competitors start somewhere and go somewhere else as fast as possible. It shouldn't need loads of analysis to figure out what happened. I shouldn't need to have a live timing screen to try and figure out which of two drivers who are two miles apart is really in the lead
Well the deadline for bahrain has been pushed back until may. so we wont know if we actually have a bahrain race or not for another few months.
No. Bahrain and the FIA won't agree on whether it gets a 2011 date (or when it will be) until the start of May now.
:(
:)
I don't think F1 is nearly as popular as it's made out to be. Sure, loads of people in the UK love it and everyone knows about it, and there are a few other countries with that level of passion but everywhere else it's a very niche sport with not much coverage afforded to it.
I don't think it's a billion people or whatever Bernie says it is!
ah.
Also Jean and the Bernster said that we'd definitely know before the first race
#morefail
i still miss it. #sorrysteven
It wouldn't. They just don't have the imagination to see it. I remember when we could not give up tobacco sponsorship because the sport would die. Last season the biggest name in the sport with tobacco sponsorship got its butt kicked by a team that did not exist ten years ago
I don't mean that. I like to decipher why a driver chose a certain strategy and if he made the right call. I think tyre management will be very important this year and I forsee a few exciting finishes because of it.
Rain in Spain falls mainly on Turn 1 again
Are you trying to make me cry?
:)
Yes - on the the circuit please!
It's all your fault. WHy don't you write a blog post saying the people running the sport can only do it for 4 years then retire
And has MASSIVE backers who want their name in lights everywhere.
Without the coverage the companies wouldn't bother. And on that note, Firestone have pulled out of Indycars...
A few years ago he claimed the annual TV audience was more than the population of the world
:D
I see some good race ruined by it. I can see two drivers fighting for a place and one of them having his tyres go on him. Is that exciting or anti-climax?
By a fizzy drink company, at that. :D
He's claiming 1.88 billion but FOM claim 527 million. The 3.8 million people assumes the higher of those figures, assuming each person watched all the F1 sessions throughout (a "new viewer" is counted every 15 minutes for the same TV).
the problem I see coming is with tyres that don't last we'll never know it the adjustable rear wing improves the show. no one will get close enough.
Or alternatively, one driver who took care of his tyres catches another who wore his tyres out. Is that exciting? I say yes.
It's exciting, because for years, drivers had to manage their cars so that they would not break down or run out of tyres etc, like Mansell in 1986 or Villeneuve in 79. Otherwise it's just sprint racing and that won't work when you have the cars in their current form.
Both of those figures are for the combined viewing figures for the whole season for all sessions. The latter figure dropped 8.670% on a per-race basis between 2009 and 2010.
Exactly. But it shows that the people running the sport either can't see what is in front of them or have an agenda not to. If they could not see that tobacco was unnecessary and negative then their views on everything else are equally questionable
the speculation about who's goes first and how long until they go, could be quite exciting.
I reckon it's a hundred million at most.
What the heck is that?!
Agreed, but Bernie likes money too much and he's too old to act risky.
Because Jean Todt's already promised that but is doing plenty enough damage in the 18 months he's been there so far :(
Read on, sir!
Ohh carrying on reading the comments answers my confusion :D
The adjustable wing is fake. It won't work in any conditions. The drivers won't let it
Dividing the lower figure by the number of races there were last year is less than a hundred million - 27.737 million to be precise. Worldwide.
I agree. Which is why tyre strategy is so important - more so than any other factor this year.
If they were still using Bridgstones they would have been getting close enough, similar to last year when one car was stuck behind the other.
You should have watched the races in the late 80s when the fuel tank size was slashed and drivers were driving to a +/- fuel indicator. Instead of racing they had an economy drive and it was dull. This will be the same
I agree to an extent but not if the tyres are like quali tyres and only last a very short time. If they have race long tyres then keeping them working is interesting
The cars have to be within 12 metres for the wing to be of any help, even in optimal conditions. So the cars would need to be able to get within two-thirds of a second of each other if the corner was a (relatively slow) 60 km/h one. Aero prevents that from happening, never mind the drivers!
There were a lot of good races in the 80's though.
Lasers to shoot the car in front
It'll be like Melbourne 2005 all over again (where the tyres could probably have done a whole season, never mind the race), without the satisfaction at the end of Fisi winning...
Nothing like the damage Max has caused, IMO.
But then 2005 had races like the Nurburgring where it was exciting watching to see if Kimi would make it...
Doesn't help cheer me up when we could have had Ari Vantanen without Max interfering on Jean's behalf :(
Except one wonders if Ari was a true candidate, considering his friendship with Mr. Todt...
It's possible to be friends with someone personally and completely disagree with them on a professional basis. Even if he wasn't a true candidate (and I think he was), his ideas suggested he'd have been better as President than Jean.
Looking back, the what-ifs of that situation continue to intrigue me today.
Speaking of which, Lukeh, has Ari gotten back to you this year? :)
The problem is not getting close enough but getting too close. They have to be over a second behind the car in front. The guy in front is just going to trail brake to keep the gap below a second. I read somwhere that the difference in speed with the win flattened is 9mph which is about 14 feet per second. They are only going to be allowed to use it over a 300 metre/900 feet section. Assume they are travelling at 180 mph/ 250 ft/s. You have 4 seconds in that section and the car behind has to make up a second before it in contact with the car behind. They have to make up 250 feet plus the length of the car plus a margin in front. Doesn't add up.
bugger.
Knew I forgot something.
By then the teams had got used to what the compound could do and increased their demands on it accordingly, and even then it took a big mistake on Kimi's part to generate the tension.
Some great ones but there were one or two years where they slashed the fuel load and they were dull
This will make Joe happy:
Liuzzi: HRT deal imminent
We would have been a lot better with Ari
Clever choice from Hispania :)
He definitely was a real candidate
And Christine
I'm not so sure TBH.
Is anyone else getting these really stupid mclaren catalogue emails?
I have had loads lately. Is James Allen sending them?
Nope
So why did he stand?
But won't outbraking the guy in front allow you to make up the distance? A fraction of a second's difference in braking in F1 makes a world of difference.
PIng: http://mrschristine.com/2011/03/08/the-rubiks-clock/
When I spoke to him he was really let down by the clubs who promised to vote for him. I don't blame him for losing at all.
If the corner is 60 km/h (relatively slow), it would have to make up a third of a second on braking and the initial part of accelerating alone to make the pass work. That's a relatively slow corner in F1 and the faster the corner, the more time would have to be made up before a pass became possible.
I think that Todt made a deal with him to use Ari to smoke out the opposition to the FIA and their way of doing things.
So you get the impression that he was standing in good faith? Problem is, with all due respect to him that he is a politician...
Here's what I'm thinking. It's not like we see zero passes in F1, there is some passing. I think the whole point of the wing is just to ever-so-slightly improve the overtaking ratio. It will just help those borderline cases that could've worked had they had a little more help. Actually, this plays beautifully into the hands of those who proposed it because they don't want to make overtaking too easy either (which some have said could happen).
That said, I still think this is way too artificial.
You can't outbrake him if you can't get close enough to him. You need to be level or very close to level to outbreak. Any leading driver is going to force the catching driver to go outside and outbreaking on the outside is difficult anywhere
Put it down and walk away now!!!!!
There are stats out there about overtaking ratios, I think Clip the Apex did some. It will be interesting to see what he comes up with...
Noooo!!! For the love of God, bury it like Jumanji!!!
Of course. I think he had a really clear view of what he wanted to do with the FIA, with his interviews on TV and with how he addressed the problems he felt were bringing down the FIA under Max. Can't argue with his political background in the sport but on the same type of argument if people's histories and backgrounds are going to affect their chance at winning then what can you make of Jean Todt causing one of the most controversial moments in the history of F1? For me Ari's politician nature is no different to his cause than to what you can make of Jean's history at Ferrari.
It's still a shame he lost but I really do think he really stood in good faith though.
Todt was always Max's guy anyway. He didn't need a stalking horse.
I assume this is Bernie doing the same as he did to Balestre. Bernie told Balestre that a load of clubs were going to vote for them but he had convinced them all to vote for Max
It won't help because it can't be used unless there is a one second gap.
It is
Isn't it if the gap is less than one second though?
Smash it with a hammer first in case you are tempted to dig it up
Unfortunately this isn't going to improve the overtaking ration at all, unless the Loewes hairpin is the corner preceding an overtaking zone (which it won't be because the subsequent straight is too short). Aero is such that all other passing would have happened anyway - mathematically, no case, however borderline, will be helped by this device. Meanwhile we have a much more complex wing that's more prone to failure and also in danger of being manipulated by the FIA.
The only way this could play into the hands of those suggesting it is if they want more manipulation accusations, more expense and/or more accusations that the FIA/F1 doesn't know what it's doing.
OK then. Perhaps my cynicism of the FIA has clouded my judgement here then?
I am confused with this stupid thing
I think everyone has their own personal view of these things much like you would with politics, and much like politics, it's hard not to treat such things with cynicism at times.
I understand Max did that himself in the 2009 election. He knew a handful of leaders well enough to make certain locally-important things contingent on their support of Jean and bad-mouthed Ari in the press just to make it clear that anyone voting against Ari would be disapproved of.
Wise words, Sir Lukeh :)
The first race is Australia, which has always seen good passing. So I think any judgment on the new rear wing will have to be reserved until Malaysia at the earliest.
Wasn't this suggested by FOTA, though?
Hehehe. It's not mine.
It didn't make me angry, I just don't understand it at all.
The maths would have to be radically different for the wing to be effective though. Also, Malaysia's not bad for overtaking and China often sees rain, so final judgement should wait until Spain really.
It's not supposed to make you angry - else it wouldn't trick you into trying to finish it ;)
It trashes your brain. It is impossible to get the slightest grip on.
It did. Doesn't mean they'll get the bulk of the flak for any failure though ;)
would it annoy you if i did it this evening?
They will blame the FIA for bad implementation, have another fan forum, come up with a load of fluff and then try something else completely hairbrained that skirts around the issue again.
There, now you've it the nail on the head. It doesn't actually matter if the rear wing works or not because it isn't really about a rear wing. It's actually about a set of rules determining when a driver can press a button or not and they are too complicated to follow.
you should do it live, so we can watch you. :D
YES!
i'm not THAT quick!
don't worry, we have time on our hands. ;)
Nope. I am immune to the clock now. Occasionally I am tempted to get the cube out again but the clock has never tempted me since I chucked it in a corner a couple of days after I bought it
What's a statistically relevant increase in overtaking to justify the rear wing given that the tyres have changed, double diffusers which were not part of the OWG's plans have been banned and KERS is back?
It shows how ridiculous the FIA are. They have a new tech reg I can't even remember the basics of despite being obsessed by the sport for years. They have a points system where I no longer know how many points the drivers in 2nd and 3rd get.
That's the question, isn't it? That's the danger of doing too many things at once.
It's impossible to measure as there's too many variables at play here.
I've gotten over the points system. 2nd gets 18 and 3rd gets 15. Probably because they use it everywhere now and MotoGP has a similar pointscale.
The Moto GP system is far more sensible and is a standard system that has existed in various categories for years.
What makes it so different to the F1 system?
The steps between positions make sense
25
-5 20
-4 16
-3 13
-2 11
-1 10
Logical and sensible
Doesn't mean I absolutely agree with it. I would like bigger steps between positions but at least there is a logic to their's
Funnily enough, all I remember is 25-20-16. Never saw that logic, but now that you've pointed it out, it makes sense. :)
Main downside of their system for me is the value of the points. Points go down to 14th out of 17 bikes on the grid this year, whereas F1's goes down to 10th out of 24 cars on the grid this year.
There is another one a lot of championships that has similar logic
20
15
11
8
6
5
4
3
2
1
I prefer that one because the steps are a little bigger for the top positions
I like this one a lot. :)
O-KAY. Where did THAT come from?
1 Perez Sauber 1m21.176s
2 Webber Red Bull 1m22.544s +1.368
3 Button McLaren 1m22.910s +1.734
4 Heidfeld Renault 1m24.735s +3.559
5 Di Resta Force India 1m25.039s +3.863
*Does super happy dance*
I don't care its only testing.
:D
Makes you wonder why F1 just didn't pick that one up rather than the mess they have
RG's dreams I assume
I'm guessing they wanted to keep the points gap small for a closer championship.
:D :D
Hahaa.
solid engine, reliable KERS, plenty of sponsorship... Sauber should be handy this year
It appears it wasn't my dream, just my nightmares: http://twitter.com/#!/5LiveF1/statuses/45152681022599168
Ahhh. Too good to be true, then...
Still, it would've set him 4th, which isn't bad at all.
He was just using a short cut.
I mean had his S3 been 2.4s slower, anyway...
awwww... wasn't going to even mention the possibility of missing the chicane in deference to you
#sidepodspace
Great picture of the sun. Check out the link to their top pics of last year in the text
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2011/03/08/seriously-jaw-dropping-picture-of-the-sun/
Pingle: http://sidepodcast.com/post/mark-webber-leads-first-day-of-final-testing-in-barcelona
#sorryRG
Ping: Spies, Lies and Foul Murder... http://www.vivaf1.com/blog/?p=5948
Nice article.
Hahah, I love it when automatically generated shortlinks on tweetdeck turn into a wierd coincedence :) of all the things in the world!
Hehehe!
:D
Oh I just came here to post that! Awesome in the traditional sense of the word.
Wow, that was a mammoth journey home
Cup o'tea and then prepare for the tower of pancakes. Oh yes!
Hello all, btw
Nice co-incidence
HeyBassano
Does anyone know when the shuttle and ISS are visible tonight? THe NASA sightings area has been down for the last half hour at least. I have a feeling it is around 6:40 but the two may not be visible at the same time
Alex, I was going to send you a message.
Do you and fourstar fancy a traditional St Patrick's pint after work next Thursday?
Someone on twitter said 7:10, I think
Thanks
The twitter ISS thing tweeted me saying 6:11
There is a twitter ISS thing?
http://twitter.com/#!/twisst16/status/45148392128655361
It tweets you to let you know when the best sighting is and at what time based on your area. There's more here:
http://twisst.nl/
Arrggghhh! We've got no eggs in the house!
Mmmmmmmmmm pancakes
I had to stop off to buy flour on the way home.
Don't know what I'm going to do with the other 1.25Kg of it though
What a great idea
protected :(
WolframAlpha says
London: http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=View+ISS+from+London
Scotland: http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=View+ISS+from+Scotland
[Scotland may be an issue today, apparently]
http://bbc.in/erUSF1
:D
NASA sightings is back up. It says 6:40.
What is your location on twitter Lukeh because that is what generates the sighting times?
It bases it by whats in your bio, all I have in my bio is Wales and that seemed to work ok. It was spot on yesterday
heheeh
Try this http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/sightings/
Does anyone know if Boston Red Scott is on Twitter or any tother form of social media?
Pick UK on the panel on the left and follow the instructions
Just had the same thought.
#nothere
Just having a bizarre conversation with my 2-year old about 'what she did in mummy's tummy'.
Played pass the parcel apparently.
It would explain morning sickness I guess.
:D
Who with?
With a liver or kidney, I guess
Her brother apparently (who then hung around for 2 more years with nobody to play with)
I have days where it feels like someone's doing that to me though usually it's my own fault :D
He must have been so lonely but probably enjoyed the extra legroom
and he always won
:D
Great post.
Thanks
#sidepodspace
I have a feeling that Lukeh is right and NASA is wrong. The tracker shows where the station and shuttle are in real time and gives you live telemetry. Just now they are around Australia so in 40-50 minutes they should be here. At 6:40 when NASA says they should be visible here they will be around Australia again.
Lukeh > NASA
http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/tracking/
That comes as a surprise? :-)
Woohoo!
The only other option I can see is that it may be visible one orbit later at around 7:40 but there is no way it can be visible at 6:40
Hello all, how are we today?
I have had a day envelope 2000 letters, glad to be home ;)
As you can see enveloping all those letters has destroyed my coherence
Hiya janna, good to hear that opportunity to be postman's pat apprentice is going well ;)
hehehe
I am so pleased it is not my brain. I couldn't make sense of that and didn't know why
I wonder if the ISS is late on schedule you'll get an announcement played around the whole world like you do at the train station when a train is delayed
"Stand clear of the solar panels, mind... the hatch"
Mclaren's winglet behind the mirrors
http://yfrog.com/gzq8n9j
:D
Flügels are desperate for a return
you know a word is a happy word when the word itself actually smiles
Another great example of how the FIA can't write rules
*twitch* railway station (I know it's not important but I'm a pedant)
They need a 'no sticky out bits' section
Awww
Is there a difference?
#Curious
*bing bong*
Plus in wales janna you get the message said out loud twice. Once in gibberish...
...then again in Welsh. ;)
:D
:D
Not at all. It's just one of those things, it's supposed to be railway station even if common usage is train station. It's so unimportant but you know how stupid things can annoy you.
#sidepodspace
The space shuttle is due to land tomorrow at 11:47 Eastern/16:57 UK. There are only two more after this...probably so you don't want to miss this.
?
hehehe :lol:
Has Lukeh confirmed that time?
Not train station, railway station
I get like that with words too. Like when people say addicting.
Addicting?!! Addictive!
I can confirm I will probably be eating my tea then so they'll have to move it again
i don't remember the last time i used the word railway.
isn't: train station, train track, train?
like, bus station, bus?
This would explain the aborted launches in the past. Lukeh popping into Gregg's when he should be counting down
The Americans use that I think
i guess that should be: bus station, road, bus. not really the same at all.
I don't call it a bus station.
Granted, I can't exactly put what I do call it as this is a family friendly site. But still!
All times are unofficial. Awaiting official confirmation by Lukeh
It annoys me sooooooo much. During my A2 course I even had to write an essay about words like that and it was just a full on rant.
It got a B.
That is only the first window so it would be unusual for NASA to hit that
I concur
They should go for a long stop landing so they can go for a later window and catch out the other spaceships in the sky
Fernandos landing is priority though, obviously
Normally there is a second option one orbit (hour and a half) later
assuming france let's us, we might be talking to joe this evening. questions as always, are welcomed: http://sidepodcastwiki.com/Questions_for_Joe
Just, London misses him :(
aww.
Has his broadband been fixed or will he be sitting in McD's
LUKEH!!!!!!
Wheb are people supposed to be watching the sky?
Le Big Mac :D
When not Wheb
I seem to remember it is called Le Royale in France. Which is odd given how they treated their Royales
That's a quarter pounder
[Metric system]
Have you not seen Pulp Fiction? It's all explained you know
Not... this... conversation...
Gaaaah!!!!
Nope
?
Something I said?
it makes perfect sense once you know what goes into the burgers
You really should
And Reservoir Dogs
When the movie came out, that's ALL I heard every time I went for a burger for like, 2 years :(
:D
Agreed. And From Dusk Till Dawn. Didn't like the Kill Bills that much though.
how often do you go to mcdonalds? i thought your internet was ok?
Written not Directed
[Robert Rodriguez did]
Not just McDonalds - and I didn't have internet in 1994, I had a crappy 286!
Yep, forgot when you corrected me last time ;) Still a great film though!
Luxury
Not a patch on this place
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bassanoclapper/3484739068/in/set-72157617354930434/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bassanoclapper/3483914901/in/set-72157617354930434/
It was awful and outdated by then, but we couldn't replace it!
Indeed
And I go to McDonalds once every 6 months - I'm more a Burger King or KFC person as they are in the shopping mall 600m from my house (while McDonalds are only in town)...
i was kinda joking.
Fast food is serious. ;)
I suppose you could say to McDonalds that "Burger King is faster than you" :D
Very serious.
That's where they get the meat from!
by subway is now faster.
Lukeh
What time did you have for the ISS?
*but
Where's Montoya when you need him, eh? :D
Call for any rankings submissions.
broken headping?
Cant see anything despite clear sky :(
Wait i think i see it! Its huge though O.O
Yep
There's a whole one of those in Denmark - hidden down a side street in the middle of town!
No that's just a really really low plane. At the exact time the ISS said.
#unfortunatetiming
just the f1 get well video from me. and nick getting in the car on the same leg should lose him all his points :)
Looks a bit light to see the ISS. Way too cloudy here to see anything.
Webber for disagreeing with Bernie's silly ideas
Most drivers always get into the car from the same side
Negative point sfor Ferrari for changing their car's name... again
but on the same leg?
Team Lotus for getting Rob Sinfield to the Malaysian Grand Prix even though the supposed air stewardess flight was cancelled because Sir Richard Branson pulled out: http://twitter.com/#!/MyTeamLotus/statuses/44842853108690944
And for the horse whisperer post
Jenson, Lewis and McLaren for the Red Nose Day video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RrTwqfYqKw
wow!
Yes. If you stand on the left of the car you have to go in right leg first or you would be facing backwards
Should be plus points for that!
...
...
oh
-1000000 for branson. I'm never buying branson pickles again.
Ferrari should only ever get negative points
How many people just stood up to try that?
That'll show him.
Didn't he pull out because he was injured?
heheh
Wasn't specific, Anna said scheduling.
:D
I thought an injury was mentioned a couple of weeks ago
He broke his leg skiing.
You can double foot jump in
Not that I advise it. You may end up going down the car like super mario on a pipe.
That is difficult because the seat is not flat for landing and you look really stupid when you fail
Rob Smedley gave @lookingspiffy an autograph, here's the post but I can't find a pic: http://badgergp.com/2011/03/barcelona-testing/
Also Mercedes are going to make Teddy Bear merchandise this year (aww): http://badgergp.com/2011/03/new-merchadise-mercedes-gp/
Trying to channel Hesketh?
Tweet from Jake:
... Bunch of pre-season films on BBC site, starting with this-http://bbc.in/f4hcnd
May as well!
Link that works http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/9418556.stm
Oh, it's not geolocked!
A studio!
F1 needs a studio!
Woohoo
The MOTD one?
Agreed :D
yes
Gary Lineker has more money than them, he can host MOTD in his mansion
Its the one they use for all sports.
fact.
Nooooooooooooooo
plus points for managing to drop the word "Kafkaesque" into a press release
Eddie's hair gets spikier every season
It's not right - nobody is walking in front of the camera and I can hear the words because there's no engine noise...
:)
His wig you mean?
Changes with the aero rules. It's how they come up with the regulations
Brundle - McLaren's new car is a mess
How many pancakes constitutes dinner?
I think it's time to find out
*rolls up sleeves*
Ping: http://sidepodcast.com/post/a-bumper-week-for-drivers-on-christines-rankings
EJ - McLaren should scrap the new car and build a new one
Ejiot
Mum fed me 4 and it filled me up!
I think it's the number of courses you can make out of them that really matters
Here: http://twitpic.com/41i5pj
Amateur! :)
only 4?
the bbc don't appear to have any additional content though. no pictures from testing? nothing to analyse?
:D
I am no competition with most edible and drinkable devices :)
Just the lads having a chat
having this discussion just before the fourth and most important test seems like a waste of everyone's time
They need Scarbs. If they are going to have a studio they need to use it
I remember now. Motor Sport Magazine's last podcast featured Martin Whitmarsh, who had a great dig at Eddie Jordan:
I think it is interesting to hear what they have to say. I wish they had done one after each week of testing
the beeb need to make this preview thing a regular show. enjoyed that.
Scarbs is a smart dude.
after being the operative word, not at the start!
The next video will debate whether Lotus have the correct shade of green to qualify a fast car, how Jean Alesi winning the Canadian GP of 1996 has affected the safety car rules in 2012 and why Lewis Hamilton's chinstrap beard is going to shake the rules of the sport to the core
#irrelevantchat
that program is how the flying lap should be.
Bit of a difference in budget and resources!
still, that's a show i could watch. even eddie wasn't that annoying (presumably the benefit of being edited).
Alesi won in 1996? That's news to me. ;)
I think they need a studio show between races to analyse the last one and preview the next. Give Scarbs a ten minute slot to do tech stuff/Matchett chalkboard type thing and you have a great 40-60 minute show
Noooo!
I took a stab at it. But it was a risk I sadly fell short on :cry:
over-exaggerating mclaren skipping thursday aren't they? mclaren are still doing a 4 day test for goodness sakes!
TFL tends to be 2 or 3 entirely disconnected interviews rather than chat and banter. He needs more interaction between his guests
Studio and a few people talking. Exactly the same.
Sidepodchat does a better job at generating a buzz between the people than TFL.
haven't really watched an episode properly, but the bbc show seemed far more relaxed and self assured about the information being delivered.
And other ping: http://sidepodcast.com/post/a-big-fall-for-one-name-in-team-rankings-this-week
He was annoying. His anti-McLaren diatribe is wearing thin. 2 years ago he said their car should be scrapped because it would never be competitive but Lewis ended up winning races in it. Now before testing is over he is saying they should scrap the car and start again. He doesn't seem to learn.
I have no idea how he ever ran an F1 team. I can only assume Ian Philips ran it and all EJ did was BS sponsors.
less annoying then.
And they are not the only team not doing 4 straight days
I think because they know each other better. It helps they are all in the same place and presumably had a chat beforehand
Did you see my quote above about Whitmarsh?
Jordan thrived on theatrics, gadfly instincts and acting (and talking) by the seat of its pants. EJ did all three and thus offered an example to everyone else on the team - an example that worked.
He said KERS would never get on pole and win too
I find him incredibly annoying. If I find him that annoying after an 8 minute vid after a three month break I dread what it will be like by mid-season
Lewis Hamilton is a difficult bloke to predict, especially for Eddie Jordan, whose crystal ball has always been of distinctly limited functionality...
Yes but his anti-McLaren thing goes way back. He honestly believes he ran his team better than McLaren run theirs.
just skip pre/post race gumpf.
I can think of other team bosses to whom that would apply, but yes ;)
But I like all the others and I crave information
i just read the comments :)
We need an anti-EJ program to block him out when necessary
is there an app for that?
When I heard it I thought the quote was squarely aimed at EJ;)
Given that McLaren and Jordan ran/run their teams on opposing philosophies, that's hardly surprising. Each would consider themselves philosophically better than the other irrespective of what an objective observer would make of the runnings of their respective teams...
:D
Surely the results would suggest one is better than the other
sidepodcastcomments - listening to eddie jordan so you don't have to.
I think it's there to try to compensate for a lack of Bahrain, given that the BBC hadn't allocated anything special for the tests.
Test specimen good. Proceed
Don't recommend that too much or we'll start having to nominate someone to listen... :P His mum?
Also HI :D
I can't believe I forgot to get Nick to make me more pancakes....!!!
good plan!
Results are objective; philosophies are subjective. One cannot make a ruling on a subjective matter based on objective evidence.
I volunteer Steven :)
Maybe it should be me, since I like listening to Eddie Jordan and am already a Sidepodder...
You don't want to read those comments. Besides I can't type with my fingers in my ears. Maybe we need speech to text to see if the computer can bear to listen to him
One in my household (because it will be stuffed full of vegetables, rice and possibly meat). No amount of pancakes without savoury accompaniments can make dinner where I live, though two large ones with lots of orange make pudding.
Isn't that a crepe?
Which came first from the same mixture - pancakes or Yorkshire puds?
According to Mum it's only a crepe if it's done in a crepe pan. Her appropach is to make the pancake exactly like a pudding pancake except that it gets the filling put in it after cooking (she's even been known to put orange juice in it if the combination of food indicates that would work).
And I must learn to type slower because my browser nearly locked up trying to type in all that :(
My pans aren't bad but I wouldn't say they were crepe :)
Mum uses a wok...
Oooooh I got an offer from Lancaster Uni :D
Sadly it's all wrong like my other one was.... Can't anyone read what you've written on the form!?!
Oh dear.
Now you're just being greedy
Hehehe I have 4/5 now. Just missing (what are the odds...) any communication from my first choice :D
You'd think so but apparently it depends on the luck of the draw...
Which is?
Result!!
They are going to educate you?
Warwick :cry:
University of Management
[well is is for our managers]
That's the one... I want maths with management. Want want want.
Can always go and do an MBA there or something eh :P
Do you think I can send Nick on this programme?
http://bbc.in/iffeqO
You should make him watch it every day
Will they teach him refrigeration skills?
Sky at Night 700th episode repeat just about to start on BBC4 for those who missed it first time round.
brian may!
#stillhaventgotoverit
Depends if you ever intend to live together, I guess.
He is a serious astronomer.
Heats last pancakes and prepares to sit in front of tv to devour them
he's the smartest afro I have ever seen
And definitely the smartest guitarist I've heard :)
I mean he's the smartest guy with an afro I've ever seen. That came out wierd.
Sounds like a great plan. I don't think I'd be very popular though....
I found it pretty cool when I was going to watch Sunshine last night on DVD and realised on the DVD menu it has the obligatory audio commentaries with Danny Boyle and then the one with the cast but then there's another one with Brian Cox! Am so tempted to watch it with him commentating tonight.
Patrick Moore looks animatronic
That was a different program
They probably get him out of the same freezer as Bruce Forsythe, right?
Otherwise known as the BBC Props Dept
Evening folks
Good evening!
But which shelf???
HI Leigh
How was Silverstone?
The old and dusty one?
Hey buddy!
Hi Ali,
How are you this evening?
Well, he's quite hammy so it would have to be near the top
Glass of wine, chocolates, writing the daily, good times ;)
As long as it's not raw!! No raw above cooked!?
Am reaching critical mass. Lemon juice counts toward your 5-a-day right?
Hey Leigh
Really good. Gave me a good feeling and some ideas as to how I'm going to work out the season.
Hello Mr Goat
:)
Hi Bassano
Has he been cooked?
Ham is cooked or cured
:D
A crocodile can't stick it's tongue out?
http://twitter.com/jakehumphreyf1/status/45207541986234368
Today I learned eamonn_holmes has a potty mouth, Hyde Park is beautiful in the spring sunshine, and a crocodile can't stick it's tongue out.
How much of it have you drunk? It's 125ml for a portion (unless it's concentrated, then I'd need to know the ratio and it would be a lot less)
Crocodiles have tongues?
Ah, OK. Topmost shelf then ;)
Yep. So does chocolate
Yes. We don't see them very much for good reason.
Great
Maybe you meant a whole big raw ham? #ignorantvegetarian
Does the chocolate have fruit in it? (I had a chocolate bar recently with about 10 cherries embedded into the bar).
They have mouths so I always assumed they had tongues.
You can't see them while running away?
That's still 'pig' in my eyes unless it's bacon shaped
Chocolate is made from cocoa and it grows on trees
They do but apparently they can't stick their tongue out :P
My point is that if it had fruit in the chocolate, there would be 2 of the 5-a-day, not just 1 ;)
True :D
Or Chilli Chocolate. Yum
I ate cocoa beans on holiday - well, you don't eat the beans, you suck the yummy fruit pulp around the outside of them. And it tastes nothing like chocolate!
The sun becomes 4 million tons lighter every second. That is incomprehensible
You know testing is back when your twitter timeline goes back into multiple of hundreds
I don't believe the world's population could fit on the Isle of Wight. Their stats are dubious :)
Oh Nick I take it all back....
I actually watched that programme. The man is annoyed that his baby is blocking his view of the playstation :P
I imagine the fruit that the coffee bean comes from to be quite tasty too. What an odd world where we discard the fruit for it's seed
Should be easy to calculate. Standing a person occupies 2? square feet so is the Isle of Wight more than 12 billion square feet
2 square feet?? Not if you squash in??
Are you saying chocolate is wrong?
The advantages of something being quite large...
148 sq miles
Someone do the conversion, I'm about to go into a pancake coma
What if people stand on top of one another? Perhaps with the help of multiple stories?
No, nor is coffee. Just strange that the fruit is thrown away. For coffee, I know this is true, don't know about cocoa fruit
That's less than 18" x 18"
Subway is now bigger than McDonald's, measured by number of branches...
So the Isle of Wight is 4.1 billion square feet. I think Steven has given the people a generous amount of room each though. We said stand not sit :P
Then you just need a tiny island with a massive skyscraper. I'm not sure that was the point :)
5280 feet per mile means about 2.5 million square feet per square mile so about 370-380 million square feet on the Isle of Wight. Thats a bit less than 12 billion
Both of which are bleeaaach and unhealthy though
;)
Actually, the seven millionth person is expected to be born this year
billionth
The Isle of Wight is 2,803,783.385 ft² . So there'd need to be a six-story building across most of it to accomodate everyone.
Some of subway stuff is healthy. Not necessarily edible though
That too
Subway is ridiculous.
I am out by a factor of ten. Alison was right with 4.1 billion
How so
Am not a fan, just curious
You go in and choose a sandwich, say a BLT, and then go along the line answering questions like: Do you want bacon? Do you want lettuce? Do you want tomato?
Uh...
Yes, the pod is discarded because it's not ripe when the seeds are harvested. If the pod was ripe on harvest, the seeds would result in low-taste chocolate.
Something's gone a bit wrong there I thiink. It's definitely well into the billions (american)
Ya wanna go large? :)
That does sound silly though
Been once, never went back. Crazy idea for a shop.
Can we all form some sort of human pyramid?
I already said that. The problem was I did a very rough count in my head and missed a zero off the end. The rest is just calculation error
Isn't a billion standard now, internationally?
1000 million
I quite like Subway. McDonald's? Not so much...
Why don't we just spread out all over the planet. Oh wait we already did
I like Subway. It may still be unhealthy but it is nicer than McD.
Yeah I guess it is. That's not what I learnt at school. I may have had militantly anti-American teachers though..
Evening btw
Can we not just go somewhere other than the Isle of Wight?
World's most expensive passenger ferry, pound per mile
[or used to be]
Yep
Damned silly because we are getting into really large numbers and a million million being a billion would make life easier
I'll pluck for the Colonel
Hey Pat
I've never had an experience like that - only get asked "Do you want cheese and toasted?" "What veg would you like?" (which for some reason is never "vegetables) and "Sauce?"
Pun not intended :)
I think that works better with the other fillings... choice of cheeses etc..
In Australia, I think everywhere is legally obliged to offer everything with a cheese & bacon option. At least, it feels that way
Yeah that or Pizza Hut. :) If you're going for mass-market burgers I'll have Burger King.
Amusingly I've only ever visited one branch with any cheese options - everywhere else it was cheddar or cheddar. This doesn't seem to be a very standardised chain!
Australian subways try and cover your Subway in avocado... Weird.
I also can't get over the beetroot in burgers thing.
They may have changed their process to be more sensible, I haven't been for a long time. Creating a sandwich from scratch would be fine, or asking for extra bits and bobs would also make sense, but I objected to being asked if I wanted bacon in my BLT :)
evening pat
Shudders. Pizza Express for me
They're franchises a lot of them I think. Like there isn't universal acceptance of vouchers etc.
I know, that's grim
I think you may have been served by an idiot :)
I think it's pot luck depending on which branch you use. Look for a "recruiting new manager" ad before trying yours again...
Good evening!
Hut's new Italian-style ones are nice, had some the other day
Hi Leigh, how was Silv?
Very possible :)
They must ruin 100% of all shirts.... Do you need a burger shirt or something? I can't think that a juicy permanently staining vegetable in a burger could ever be a good idea :P
Oh I think the Yeovil one has 2 or 3 but I'm not sure. Not real cheese, the square stuff.
Domino's is my preference among the chain pizza places, but my favourite pizza place is BB's in Sheffield. Lovely huge pizzas with plenty of flavours, surrounded by staff on whom I can practise Italian and lots and lots of Ferrari memorabilia.
Interesting and good fun. Some ideas fermenting
The fact they have an Italian style pizza when it comes from Italy shows why I don't go there :)
You get square cheese? It all seems to be in triangles when I visit...
Ohh yes could be. Tesselated. :)
At least it's not liquid cheese
Ooooh good word.
Ah no it is American, so it was all that deep pan 'fill you up with too much base'.
I visited one place which issued me with a book of vouchers that didn't accept them for the same order next week - because it turned out they'd decided to do that offer as standard. Confusion ensued...
If the server can remember to do that, of course. Some of those serving me can't.
Now I'm hungry and want a footlong and the nearest Subway is 20 miles away. :)
Will settle for whatever I find in the freezer.
Base and cheese is why I like pizza. I ♥ bread
Proper pizza is served by the metre [for a group, obviously]
Sorry for starting this :hides:
Roman pizza has no tomatoes, that's an odd one
I do like that. Italians make pizza square. It rocks.
Not Ancient, just from Rome, I mean
If it has cheese, I can live with it...
Hehehehe
I don't like tomato at all so there's no complaints. I use a bit of passata or something to make it a bit moister though and help the topping stick on.
It's quite like a large open cheese toasty on flatbread.
Ooh, Calzone. Those are lovely too
I like the sound of that :)
Alison, did you see the counterfeit Chinese goods website we were laughin at yesterday?
http://www.knockingoff.com/amusing-duck/
Pancakes postponed until at least Thursday :(
NO :D :D :D
NIIIIIIICK!!! Get me one now!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WyWWAgtjYc
Shrove Thursday sounds odd
What happened to using the eggs up by Ash Wednesday?
You mean Ash Friday? :-P
Is that after Good Tuesday?
Not to be confused with Rubbish Thursday
Does to me too, but tea's taking too long to cook, I'm in Italian class until late tomorrow and even Thursday's a question mark due to swimming club.
I thought that was 18 months ago?
Which is after all the Happy Mondays
Just trying to find something on Pitpass and I've noticed something I've never noticed before.
You know they like to try to protect their efforts by preventing you from selecting text? Well it also prevents you from the selecting the (therefore useless) search box.
It's not even like the method works reliably - Opera copies text quite handily.
Yep
Didn't know anyone used that site any more
It's still quite popular.
an occasional necessity - the only alternative was crash.com
I don't know what's funnier - that, or that no one's even noticed and bothered to tell them. :P
so is GMM's output!
Oh dear
I assume you can't fill in the feedback form either :-D
Prevalent and popular are not the same
some think it's the gospel truth
Some think "Mike Lawrence" is a real journalist
Not my week for online shopping
I found out my McLaren shop voucher that came with membership, expired on New Year's Eve :(
Probably because of the number of people who can access right-clicking the normal way at that site and therefore had forgotten that once upon a time Pitpass wasn't like that...
Silliest part is, if you view the page source, you can copy the text from there anyway. :D
Anyway, off to bed for me. Good night, folks. ;)
Most Pitpass contributors at least think before writing stuff - the General Metadata-combing Machine doesn't.
night J
Night Journeyer
Yes. Hardly the greatest amount of effort needed to do something.
Goodnight!
You say that...
"According to the German press today, an article in weekly magazine Der Spiegel reports..."
Third-hand news??? :-)
Night
now that's impressive
With translation thrown in
Crash then cited Pitpass - fourth-hand!
blog it
;)
#notMrC
then I'd be the fifth part of the chain :-D
you can also be the 6th if you repost it later while citing yourself
I thought the daily might want to be the 6th
Tweet that you read a great post by Mav
the daily can be seventh heaven
according to me, according to crash, according to pitpass, according to some german publications, according to Der Spiegel...
according to Der Spiegel (and without all the go-betweens) Formula One "operates in a moral vacuum" - I'm assuming that's not a well-meaning hoover
That's hardly news
just think how much downforce they could generate from it
it'd solve the mysteries of hypespace
Off to a non-IMAX cinema for the first time in nearly 3 years on Friday.
Found out The Adjustment Bureau is a Philip K. dick story
Hello again. Choir rehearsal went well. I assume from all the swearing on Twitter than things are not going well in the Nou Camp
Arsenal just lost
Thanks :(
Hi Janna,
Sounds like you had a fun evening
They are going well for Barcelona and RG too I expect
Sounds like they tried to walk it in...
It was fun. We are rehearsing for a concert of American songs. It makes a change from Oratorios
Sounds like biscuits ;)
:)
Good stuff
was a stupid refereeing decision though, where do Barcelona get them from?
I gathered from the digital outrage
Don't forget Barca had a 1st leg goal disallowed, 1st leg penalty not given and 2nd leg penalty not given, didn't have it their own way.
Yeah and Barcelona were a far better team. Referees are really poor these days!
I don't like Arsenal enough to argue their defence :-)
I agree and I expected Barcelona to win but the decision to send off Van Persie was silly.
Why Rock, Paper, Scissors is incorrect
http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/30Yspc/www.cslacker.com/images/funny/signs/billboards/paper_vs_rock/
I don't know if it is as a result of my tweeting but Sky at Night is now on the iplayer. I have never been able to find an episode there before
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00z9n1z/The_Sky_at_Night_700_Not_Out/
Right, I need sleep. Night folks
Sounds like Andy T was right
This picture of the sun was just tweeted by qikipedia. It's odd
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2011/03/08/seriously-jaw-dropping-picture-of-the-sun/
:)
I found pancakes my freezer, they just happen to contain duck and hoi sin sauce.
It has magic properties. You are the third person to mention it today.
the article has a link to some top space pics of 2010. Well worth a look too
nice
I love that flavour :)
Sorry for repeating other comments
You are right about the other work, really great
No problem with repeating it. Clearly Pat hadn't seen it before. I have never objected to multiple posting of good stuff
:)
exactly - if it's good, make sure everyone sees it!
my credit card is letting me down again, one of the criteria to buy Olympics tickets is that your Visa can't expire before September 2011.
Grr.
I hope I can rely on my friend to do all the buying instead :)
I'd seen links when at work but didn't have time to check, and had completely forgotten about them by the time I got home. :)
That is just crazy
I'm feeling poor anyway since Pan Pacific said they would take "full payment" this week and I didn't know if that meant actual full payment or just the deposit like they're meant to take.
I'd prefer full payment to get it out of the way, but it really will empty my account :(
It's bad enough that is can only be Visa
Stoopid
Use an Instapaper bookmark.
The more I learn about the Olympics the less I like them.. and I like them a lot. Apparently if you volunteer to be a steward or helper, as someone at work is being interviewed for on Friday, you are given vouchers for McDonalds.. this for what is supposed to be the beacon of health and fitness around the globe.
Instapaper rules
My credit card is Visa and my debit card is Mastercard so I generally have 'one provider only' deals sorted. Except for stupid expiry dates grrr.
thats nothing new, McDonalds has been a major partner of the Olympics for years. I guess you don't HAVE to spend the vouchers on a burger.
What's Instapaper?
Are there Visa pre-pay things allowed?
I guess so
I thought it was just me
It's a bookmarking service. You add the bookmark to your browser and when you see a page you want to read later, it saves it to a page where you have a list of articles - kinda like an RSS feed.
I use it for stuff I can't look at at work and for help writing the Daily ;)
I didn't know your name was Instapaper? :P
Like bookmarking but you can read back your links in easy to read text only style. Ideal on mobiles too when you are offline
:D
Thanks for the info guys, will look into it.
Do you use that for dailies too gavin?
Yep, it's a great idea. I have sub categories too. Makes it easier to decide later what I want to include or not...
It is incredibly useful. Use it to mark stuff through the week ready for Friday :)
Why is life never simple. All I want to do is download something, add it to my iPod and go to bed to watch it. First of all Twitter is playing up & didn't deliver the message, now iTunes won't see my iPod. Technology hates me tonight :(
If you guys click this link, what do you see? http://runkeeper.com/user/RubberGoat/profile
That's what I do too. It's a great tool for remembering those cool links you see and want to add later!
Now you do sound like an Arsenal fan ;)
21, 162, 6072
And some other stuff
Seems to be a fitness log with comments on the activities you've been doing
OK good. That means I can link to it and you can see how unfit I am at cycling ;)
OOhh and links to maps showing where you've cycled. Looks interesting
Is it too much to show the maps?
No, I like it, especially and I don't know Copenhagen at all (and I'm nosy)
Ok, it stays then ;)
Noble reckons Bahrain have until May 1st to decide to reschedule race.
6 weeks or so to fix a country?
What's the link to Amy's running blog?
Mmm, Runkeeper.
Are you using it too?
Does your computer know the iPod is plugged in?
Started this year, yes. I loves it.
Oh I see now from your site. It's great and really interesting to see how quick you were where. I haven't been able to run with it yet though!
It does now. I unplugged it and started again, twice, and it's finally deigned to recognise it and sync.
The Fitness Classes look really interesting too.
That's because I'm here now :)
x1 bumper joe show is in the can.
(hearts) mr joe!
You mean x2 smaller joe shows.
2 Joe shows?
or that. although it could easily have been x3 parts. sooo much to talk about. who knew f1 generated that much news in three months?
Thank you. Can you get Twitter to work properly too?
Has a quick look in her daily posts and on twitter but can't see a link
amysrunning.posterous.com
http://amysrunning.posterous.com/
cool either way :)
I think I'd better go to bed. 'Night all, sleep well
Night Janna
Thanks for the link Pat & Christine :)
Night Janne
Not sure
Night Janna
Anyone know who linked my site at iRacing? I'm getting amazing traffic..
I can check...
ooh yes I should link it to my twitter
members.iracing.com/jforum/posts/list/1457762.page
ta :)
I'm not a member so I can't see it.
that didn't work
members.iracing.com/jforum/posts/list/1457762.page
Went to write up some notes about the Bathurst 12 Hours for a forthcoming blog post (yes, very late). Opened up my notes.
"words about Bathurst"
Helpful.
Just sent you a tweet but the pic is here: http://www.twitpic.com/47ll1t
Very cool, thanks :) :)
Good work :)
How do I insert a Twitpic for the Daily post? Is it better just to use Flickr?
I just uploaded it to imageshack when I did it on Monday, did the trick.
Just found out the U.S. have remade Being Human
Why, oh why...
http://post.ly/1ik6v
because American audiences will relate better if the main character is a coach and it's called Pucks.
:D
good man. yay for awesome calendars.
Too true
You guys must be getting pretty good traffic too. Although you've got a lot of other good stuff too so it might be hidden among that. :D
true story. also i think there's a wordpress uploader somewhere in the admin pages. i haven't used it but i think amanda got it to work.
not a clue, but it's on the sidebar, dashboard and also on f1 minute. we like to spread ourselves thinly :)
In other news, iRacing is hardcore.
Do they take it a bit seriously?
No, that's mostly ok (however you MUST do some oval racers where the guys from the south of the USA start talking - it's ace).
You need to devote yourself to this game. You cannot just pick up and play it. You need to spend hours and hours of practice and setup work just to hope to be competitive.
I have been playing sims with a wheel for over 10 years now. I know what to do, when I go karting I am pretty handy. However, I turned up for a Star Mazda race at Brands Hatch the other day. I have a feel for the car and I know the course.
I was 6 seconds off the pace. I ended up binning it in the vain hope I could go faster. I don't have time to get to the level the others do, which is frankly astronomic. There's a World Championship and everything!
Daily's done - I uploaded the pic to Flickr. Here's a couple I didn't use...
Sunrise from the Metro Station: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rubbergoat/5510734236/
Bikes outside a shop: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rubbergoat/5510734702/
All three pics taken with the iPhone 4 and edited in Camera+
you took those? wow, they're fab.
Cheers ;)
Oh. I was hoping to pick it up one day, casually.
I've seen championships sponsored by NASCAR, GrandAm and IndyCar too. But I thought there were several levels and you could hop in anywhere..
Very nice!
Well there is a fun level but it's very limited. Mazda MX-5's, Legends cars etc. There is a fun F1 series and a NASCAR one but it's too limited...
There are. I am at C-Level, that's two levels after Novice and D-Level. You progress by being a safe driver and I haven't won a race since novice level (December 2009).
I must admit that the serious level means I haven't played it much at all - if I have been playing racing games it's been ones I can just play for a few minutes and be happy (rFactor, Richard Burns Rally, Need For Speed Shift, F1 2010). But I have actually found that I have gone off all games lately, no matter what system. I'm not even playing wii!
Ah right.
Can you drop back the competition level gets too high, at least until you catch up?
Same. Just seem to find other things to do.
Yes of course. But I want to be racing Indycars, F1 cars and all the 'proper' series. Skip Barber cars are lots of fun, but they are also slow...
Way past bedtime, night folks
See ya mate
Night Bassano
See ya
Whoa. @TinaDaheley is having a very bad day:
I wonder if maybe some of the fast ones are stuck lower down because they aren't 'safe' by the standards of the game. Or is that hopeless optimism. :)
oh no!
Who doesn't save a document for 5 hours
Well the safety ratings work on collisions (both parties are deemed at fault too). You can appeal but it's useless - I got taken out once so I did, and they just brushed it off. All I wanted were the safety points, not to get the other guy banned or anything.
How that works when they have a Jetta and a Ford Falcon Touring Car series is beyond me though.
Crazy!! I save my work about every 10 minutes?
I doubt I ever go more than 2 or 3 minutes
that's a lesson we all have to learn.
well... maybe not that harshly.
Autosave is everyone's friend, especially if the program supports versioning.
And a NASCAR series too. Rubbin's racin'. :)
Not in iRacing it isn't. You can be crap like me and progress so it's often pointless to defend or attacj - if you have a collision the penalty is too large,
Sounds a bit like me then...
The penalties in many games can be too high, some games you clip a chicane a bit too much and you get a penalty
The word for that is stupid.
They only just figured this out?
Where in Pitpass is this? I can't find it...