Happy Saturday, everyone! All the important F1 types are in Singapore at the moment. Since Singapore is supposedly the new place for getting deals done, I thought I'd spend this post explaining the weird and wonderful business world of F1.
How Business is Done in F1 (with a cow)
Everyone understands how cows work as a commodity, right? The farmer owns the cow, he sells the cow to a burger guy, the burger guy sells burgers. Bearing that in mind, let's use the cow to explain the bizarre business setups within Formula 1.
The Rights to F1
Formula 1 is the FIA's championship, but Bernie runs the commercial side. In a bizarre move, the FIA sold Bernie the rights to run F1 for a century for a ridiculously low price. That meat smells rotten to me.
The Rights to Host a GP
Here the Cow represents the circuit and the farmer must sell his own beef (F1 tickets). To sell his beef, the farmer must first pay Bernie for the rights to sell that beef and hope that he can sell enough beef to make back the price of the right to sell beef. Not complicated at all.
Pay Drivers
Here, the farmer provides the Cow, which represents the car. The pay driver pays for the right to help the farmer sell the beef, but the farmer still takes all the beef profits. The pay driver just really, really loves cows.
TV Rights
The BBC and Sky Sports are both paying to sell beef, but Sky get to sell the burger fresh from the griddle, whereas BBC have to wait til the lunch rush is over and can sell the cold, leftover meat.
FOTA Bargaining Power
Ecclestone owns the Cow, but FOTA have all the burgers. They reckon they can scare Ecclestone by making their own cow and selling fresh beef. Good luck with that.
The Rights to F1
Lotus Renault GP want everyone to think they have a Cow. They fought for the rights to own a cow. But, for now, all they can legally do is name their Sheep, Mr Cow. Mr Cow the Sheep.
I hope that cleared things up!
So all F1 business deals are a load of bull?
Oh my
They have narrowed it down a little. Target area is now Africa, Australia, and Canada plus some water
http://twitter.com/#!/UARS_Reentry/status/117384075735609344
Goodness me. I remember being very amused by the world in terms of a cow when I was at school.
Holy cow.
Surely Team Lotus should be the sheep, then Renault the donkey or something.
I still have a lot of work to do before I can leave flat :( BOOOO
I think I might subscribe to the Steven method and go to bed at 1 and do the rest in the morning. That way, if it all goes wrong it's all your fault :)
So to sum up, Stuart, are you suggesting that Eccelstone "milked" everyone with his dealings? :p
Sounds like a free practise game. Which farm animal is each team
It is going to end up being my fault anyway
Milked them and fed them bull
I've given you plenty of warning :)
I've just been bitten by a spider. Moving house is definitely evil. I'm giving up for the night!
Spiders in this country don't bite. Their mouths are tiny
Live tracking data for the satellite of doom
http://www.ustream.tv/channel-popup/theweatherspace-news
Yes they do!!
because of course, canada is near australia right?
It's a shame REM split up because i'm thinking one of their songs would be appropriate right now.
Never heard of such a thing. Why did you sit there and let it do it?
Americans are not great at foreign geography
"Fall on Me"?
I've got a mark like a fly or something has bitten me. It crawled on me, I noticed it and just as I was flicking it off, it bit me.
"The End Of The World"?
Yes, that's exactly the one I was thinking...
"Bad Day"
"Aftermath"
"Everybody Hurts"
"Bang and Blame"
"It's the End of the World as We Know It"
they really cornered the apocalyptic death from above soundtrack market
Expert on 5 live says satellite will land between 3am and 7am GMT.
And they wrote a song called "Lotus" for the F1 market (when Lotus weren't in the F1 Market)
did they really say "land"?
Well the bits that don't burn up will land. They are predicting 26 pieces will make it all the way down and the biggest piece weighs over 300 pounds.
:)
That makes me think of pilots on approach. I hate when they say "we'll be on the ground in 20 minutes." I really wish they'd say "landing in 20 minutes".
Sad but true.
:D
I thought you had stopped speaking to me because I fell asleep on Sunday night at half time. I woke up just as they announced the unbelievable final score
wha? Noooo.
The comments kind of broke and I couldn't post anything, so I tried to say that and went to bed. My students told me about the final score. What a weird and amazing game. It's like everyone was getting used to playing again.
I used to work for an American company. A colleague went to North Carolina to inspect and sign off some new equipment at a plant belonging to the company. Day one he was asked to speak to the team he was going to be working with.
He said he was from Scotland and someone asked where that was. Scotland is the top part of Great Britain and the mainland is just above England.
Where is Great Britain?
It's a group of islands off the north west of the mainland of Europe
Where's Europe?
I kid you not
I was so amazed by the final score that I wanted to find video to see how it happened but I was too tired
He seems to be more of an idiot than most of us.
I really want to stay up and see where this satellite hits but I have a feeling it will disappear from radar and it will be a day or two before anyone knows where it is. Unless of course it kills loads of people
or they...whatev.
Embarrassing.
That was the whole group.
I have been to that same plant and many of them including senior intelligent people had never left the state. Some had been to South Carolina but it was too different for them
Part of me wants to ask you to identify all of the states or something to prove some kind of point, but that's silly and not really relevant. There are loads of people here (and elsewhere, I guess) who are very parochial or regional with no knowledge or desire of any knowledge of anything outside of their little world. I couldn't live like that, but for many it makes them comfortable.
I just find it very odd that the richest nation on the planet has so few passport owners.
It took me ages to figure out why America is so insular then it hit me. It's the history. European countries all evolved as the results of wars, border disputes and people heading off into the world to plant flags and claim foreign lands.
American history is all about people leaving foreign lands to arrive there to find a better life. So if you have people from all over the world heading there because it is better why would you think the rest of the world has anything to offer.
Interesting to think about that. That seems really reasonable. Plus with such a huge country with such diversity of landscape and climate we can move around and experience lots of very different types of living and people and still be in our own borders.
I've been playing state-naming games now. :)
Oh, this is a little harder with no borders. http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/USA_Geography/USA_G1_1024_768.html
20 minutes - only 20 minutes? - Someone needs to spend a little more time in the traffic holding pattern for JFK, then... Landing in 20 minutes, Jesus, what priority then! How did you mange to get onboard Air Force One? :p
I chose a random amount of time. :)
Exactly. All lpgical really. And of course the American media is constantly feeding people info that America is great and foreigners are trouble.
I did that before. I was reasonably good but two or three states were nowhere near where I thought they were
"you ain't from these parts, are ya...."
*click click*
Where is my umbrella.......?
Only 1 in 3200 chance of a person being hit
Better chance than the lottery, and I was hoping to win that!
That great if you have any ticket numbered from 1 to 3199, not so great if your ticket is number 3200....
My friend has been trying to get rid of her car because she hates it. She parked it under that biggest, least stable tree for the hurricane and next to the lake hoping for it to be flooded, but no luck. If she can get a chunk of this thing to hit it she'll be thrilled.
Good to know.
:-)
I bet the insurance does not cover being hit by lumps of satellite
:)
Hmm, if that thing lands in Buffalo, NY, and if the Bills win a football game, will the local bullalo news channel actually mention the satilite landing in Buffalo?
Doubt it.
Satellite due to splat down in a little over an hour.
Just discovered it was launched 20 years ago on space shuttle mission sts48
Any idea which Oil Tanker it is supposed to hit?
They are still just as vague. Current orbits cover Canada, Australia and Africa
Still tracking http://www.ustream.tv/channel-popup/theweatherspace-news ?
And
http://spaceflightnow.com/uars/status.html
30 minutes till UARS re-entry.
We may as well talk on here. More characters allowed. I mean, look at us. (nyuk nyuk)
:D
So nobody's covering this on TV, so twitter and the feeds it is.
I guess TV will only get interested if it does some damage
It will not be cover on American TV as there is little chance of it hitting US soil and you mention how poor American's skill in geography is.
It is not within 50 miles of their community, it might as well as hit the moon....
What's up with the house icon?
http://www.ustream.tv/channel-popup/theweatherspace-news
So the ocean is tuned in, then. :)
It is a home site of day/night overhead shots, so that you can track it from the local ground.
With luck, you can watch it strike the camera...
aha. Thanks. I thought it was some kind of twisted game "here's your house...will it hit there??"
:D
Looks like the satellite is not that keen on coming down. NASA reporting that it is experiencing lower aero drag than expected and could take longer to re-enter than thought.
A 20 year old satellite with DRS?
Newey's got his hands in everything.
But my lunch break will be over soon!
And I'm exhausted and need to go to sleep. Hurry up satellite!
Sounds like NASA forget the Imperial to Metric conversations again.... Anyone remeber that Mars probe that crashed into the surface at six times the expected speed because NASA used to the incorrect Units of speed?
Next perigee(low point of orbit) is north of NZ east of New Guinea. Lots of sea round there if it happens
Yep. More than one. Years and years of meetings and no-one asked what units people were talking about
Funny, this thing reminds of Jean Alesi doing lap after lap after lap until he ran out og gas and dropped down to to earth too....
Can't remeber which race that it was but Flav want to shoot rubber, then real bullets at Alesi....
This is a bit like a plot from a James Bond film. Rogue satellite takes out Soviet aircraft carrier. They assume the Americans nuked it and you have a Mexican stand off with all the nukes in the world on red alert
I remember the incident but I can't remember where
We both know that this is covered in one of Christine's 365 F1 story books.... :)
UARS to fly over Washington State and southern Alberta in 30 minutes if it doesn't land before that
I know NASA can never do launches to schedule but crashing to Earth due to gravity on schedule should be more reliable
*waves at the satellite*
It's just about flying over me now.
Head down just in case. I blame CERN. If they had not blown apart the laws of physics it would be down by now
To: Steven Roy
From: NASA
Re: Schedules.
Sorry, Steven. We at NASA have used the wrong time scale - Sidepodseconds to measure units of time.
there's something there about the speed of light, but I'm too tired to think. Plus it's nighttime and pouring rain right now.
Should have used Andronov time units
:)
NASA reporting UARS may be down ....or not
http://twitter.com/#!/NASA/status/117456509104947200
I wonder how many stories we will hear about midwesterns and hillbilles trying to shoot down the satellite, thiniking its the Alien Mother Ship....
Update: "This is like watching paint dry" now replaced with "This is like waiting for UARS to break up."
Ok, not really, 'cause at least we get a map with a blip on it with UARS.
I need to sleep. I hope it goes well and no one gets hurt. Be funny if it fell next to Stig's African cousin driving Oliver, seeing as it's heading to Africa now.
I saw it. I didn't know what it was so I dun shot it
Hammond took Oliver home with him
Good night.
It's nowhere near Hammond's. :)
Good night again.
Good night
He flew it to England
I know.
Good night for real(z).
Night Kai....
Do let the satellites drop in on you while you are asleep....
Good night
You know, a piece of NASA space junk falling on some poor Africian native might be the great opening for the next "The Gods Must Be Crazy" comedy movie.
Stories coming in saying the satellite is down in Quebec. 'Fireworks' with 3 bright objects reported over Alberta
Anything of subtance or reports from the GMM of spaceflight?
From spaceflight:
0458 GMT (12:58 a.m. EDT)
NASA says the agency is working to confirm the re-entry location and time. It will provide an update shortly.
Okay, so NASA heard it may have landed...
Quite a few sources saying Quebec but they may be repeating earlier comments. One saying between Africa and Antarctica and another seeing debris clouds in Chennai, India even though that was thousands of miles off its flightpath
They are undecided
Reputable source reporting no sighting over South Africa so it went down somewhere between the middle of Canada and the south Atlantic
That would keep her awake all night
I am sure she would have had her tinfoil hat on
Maybe Kai built an underground bunker with an endless pool for this sort of thing...
Surely the point of an endless pool is the view. An endless pool in a bunker is a waste unless of course it is a bunker with a view
Well, it can be done...There are more than a few bunkers along the Normandy Coast with quite a Commanding view of the Channel.....for example.
:D
From Spaceflight Now:
I just can not help but reflect on what we said eariler about American not knowing geography.....Maybe it will not take NASA so long to find their space junk if they knew where to look....
It's a falling object. It is only gravity vs air resistance. It's path should have been planned well in advance
I think they messed up earth's gravity by using 9.81 feet per second squared instead of the correct metres. The thing is proability billions of miles off course and heading to crash into the sun....
Seeing loads of funny tweets about how NORAD can track Santa but can't track 6 ton of satellite that is/was bigger than a bus.
It looks like it is down in Canada
From NASA
We're still waiting for #UARS Done! confirmation. If debris fell on land (and that's still a BIG if), Canada is most likely area.
I think it is a safe bet it hit Canada
He's easier to track. He lives at the North Pole. Everyone thinks North Geographic Pole but it is actually the Magnetic Pole. The Canadian Air Force has to send cargo planes to CFB Alert (North magnetic Pole) not to keep scientistics supplied but actually to keep 9 reindeer, two humans and a ton of eleves supplied. Weather Station Alert is just a cover is so that the naughty kids do not chuck their lumps at coal at Santa...
Fine but travels faster than light speed to visit every house in the world
OK way past time for bed. No doubt NASA will eventually find out where their satellite is.
At least now they are prepared to say it is down although they don;t know where but probably Canada if it hit land
Night Steven. I too am going to am going to bed now.
At the pool, crofty is here too :)
and now crofty has gone and paul is here (performance report: not drowning) clearly the pool is the place to people spot.
Great daily! :D
Good morning everyone!
Just downloaded Don Quixote for iBooks, for free.
6488 pages. W00t!?
How well do you know your Formula 1 history?
The book That'll be the Day: 365 F1 Stories takes a look at significant moments or quirky happenings on this day in Grand Prix history. Can you guess what event the following describes?
I'd planned to watch the NZ v France game as I thought it would be a close one, but overslept. Just started watching from the 2nd half kickoff. NZ killing them!
I'm off out for golf in a bit.
Gooood morning sidepodpeople!
Hello. I have a passport! Korea, here I come :)
yay!
See, today is a good day.
Moving house is not fun. I'm not finished #blamesteven
You have my deepest sympathies. I am still traumatized by the move from 3 bedroom, double garage, to 2 bedroom with single garage in April
It's also mymums birthday... I'm supposed to be popping in on my way. All very stressful!
At least it's Saturday :)
the kind people at the first aid tent have cured my headache :D
hurrah!
yay! I am trying to not be excited this weekend about that as i feel bad for pamela but it was quite exciting watching people at the paddock entrance thinking "that'll be me soon!"
and i didn't get burned at the pool and found a shorter route to the track from the hotel. Very good day.
I've picked up my passport from the post office. Hurrah!
today I've managed to go for a swim and do lots of widths in peace and quiet, go shopping that I've needed to do all week but couldn't, and still manage to get home to find a package i've been waiting to arrive which means that a birthday is all sorted for #confidential ;)
and now it's gorrrrrgeous outside and we haven't even started the day's F1 yet. So yes, definitely in agreement with very good day :D
well done! I only did 1 length in the pool and i surfaced right in front of Di resta and i felt bad as he had quite a "leave me alone" face going on :D
hehehe! :D
he was with his girlfriend so my first WAG sighting this weekend. Hoping to spot Catherine tonight :D
Right! GO GO GO! I will be driving when qualy starts. If you see me before then, slap me.
Wonderful!
boy george!
Enjoy a little something from the Sidepodcast back catalogue.
- F1 People - Jackie Stewart
Originally published 8 November 2007.
gino is here. Ugh.
Have you met with F1 Wolf?
nope. Just went to 7 Eleven and rode down in the lift with crofty and then back up with Timo though. I like this hotel :)
NASA say UARS satellite is definitely down somewhere. Despite it being down for more than 12 hours they still have no idea where the bits landed
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/uars/index.html
:o!!!!!! did you say hi to them?
I live the line "the satellite passed from the east coast of Africa over the Indian Ocean, then the Pacific Ocean, then across northern Canada, then across the northern Atlantic Ocean, to a point over West Africa."
O.K. so we are now playing Where in the Wolrd is UARS. On the other hand it's a 50 word way to say "orbit". put THAT on a triple word score!
There were reports of it burning up over Alberta and one report of debris landing in Quebec. If nothing hit Canada then it is in the north Atlantic somewhere
Evening all!
Here is a Dr Who PING
http://toata.co.uk/index.php/2011/09/227-doctor-who-watch-closing-time/
Is that still running? This series seems to have been running for 18 months
Last episode next week, there was a 3 months or so break in trhe middle of this series
Who has a 3 month break in a series?
A lot of American shows do it now, split the season into two halves over the year
Seems like an odd concept but I can see why it works
It works a lot better with US shows as most seasons are 20+ episodes there and it makes it last the year. Dr Who is only 12 episodes so it doesn't make much sense to me
A 3 month break in a 12 week series seems extreme
Evening
Hi Jackie
Had a good day?
Okay, not brilliant but not terrible either. You?
Not so bad but not greatly fascinating.
Hopefully the race tomorrow will make things more interesting
I didn't enjoy quali at all, maybe I'm losing interest in F1
It was a pretty dull session. I haven't seen anyone say they were overly impressed by it.
I like strategy but I really don't like the let's just sit in the garage and save tyres thing
They've been mainly dire all year. Half tempted to enjoy a nice lie in when it comes to Japan.
Japan will hopefully be one of the better ones
I think the system is the problem. For me there was absolutely nothing wrong with 12 laps in an hour. That way every position on the grid could change in the last minute and the whole hour built to a climax. OK occasionally there was 15 minutes of empty track but it was a vastly superior system
At least you can enjoy watching them attack Suzuka
Suzuka qualifying has only bad memories. Mainly because 09 was the only one I was ever awake for.
In fact, when I think about it, I've not really enjoyed this year at all, DRS has a lot to do with that for me, I don't like the artificial aspect to it
You need new better memories then
I don't like the artificial stuff and DRS is as artificial as it gets but I have enjoyed most of the races. Spa was way too fake for me though. I loved Nurburgring because they all ran the same tyres for the first 90% of the race and not a single pass was made in the DRS zone. It was a genuine straight race until the tyre switching for the last few laps
sorry for the delay, but it's been a bit of a long day. Here is the new daily :) - http://sidepodcast.com/post/daily-25th-september-2011
and now, sleep :)
Night Lou