tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15074583337263471202024-11-06T03:00:14.947+00:00The things that puzzle and piss me off about the times in which we live. And occasional thoughts on the most engrossing sport in the world - Formula OneUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger436125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1507458333726347120.post-43339124206832868602017-10-29T18:54:00.000+00:002017-10-29T18:54:13.380+00:00

It always makes me sad to see the way Glasgow has lost so much of its character amidst the usual panoply of distressing modern life - shopping malls, boutiques, theme pubs, mobile phone shops and suchlike. But it is even worse when anyone considers that it could possibly be mistaken for New York. The nightmare is made even worse by this article in the iniquitous Mail Online telling of a film

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1507458333726347120.post-55555053110390809672017-10-21T02:50:00.000+01:002017-10-21T02:56:11.047+01:00

I sincerely hope that this article is just a typical example of how the Mail Online takes some silly little event and magnifies it out of all proportion. On the other hand if it does, in any way represent modern policing then we had all better stay at home with our doors locked - not only for fear of criminals but also for fear of the police themselves.Article Here

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1507458333726347120.post-25362849138438809822017-02-28T13:37:00.002+00:002017-02-28T13:37:37.465+00:00

It was a blatant attempt to extend what they naively call their prime time entertainment slot. Why ITV consider David Walliams to be prime time value is way betond me. His antics may keep an X-Factor audience amused but he is actually only another camp comedian - something that is, thankfully, past its sell by date. I find his toilet humour and puerile remarks that hint at anal sex tiresome

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1507458333726347120.post-21170451000554713312017-02-09T17:35:00.002+00:002017-02-09T17:48:36.464+00:00

I'm the first to admit I know sweet bugger all about football but I can spot an agenda when I see one. One of the current Twiiter trending topics in the UK is about somebody called Edward Woodward (I thought he was an actor but it seems someone with the same name has something to do with Manchester United). The subheading to the topic is that the previously mentioned Edward Woodward blames Brexit

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1507458333726347120.post-6939386388449423022016-12-31T13:40:00.003+00:002016-12-31T15:13:10.958+00:00

I make no attempt to deny that this item was inspired the recent article in The Spectator by Quentin Letts. My justification is that I've found this year to be particularly annoying and am fully entitled to write about it. It might be said that I'm so much older and therefore am more easily annoyed but that is neither here nor there really. So here, in no particular order other than the first,

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1507458333726347120.post-31733023729729735412016-12-18T15:48:00.002+00:002016-12-18T16:18:59.082+00:00

Channel 4s review lineup Aside from an all too short contribution from Lee McKenzie (looking provocative in a pair of black knee length boots), the show was entirely predictable and almost boring. Of course it wasn't really intended (at least I hope not) as a review of the year but rather as a review of the Lewis Hamilton Nico Rosberg rivalry during the season. It didn't actually work as that

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1507458333726347120.post-63158522036385288382016-12-14T11:34:00.001+00:002016-12-14T11:34:37.950+00:00

Jenson is currently only under contract to McLaren as a reserve driver and I'm sure he would love to drive for another season in a decent car. It's likely that McLaren would release him for a great deal less than Williams would want for Bottas. Let's face it you haven't got time to mess about and you really need a driver to be available for testing in a very few months - maybe even just as a

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1507458333726347120.post-75572492936449572542016-12-07T14:10:00.000+00:002016-12-07T14:10:35.099+00:00

"Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown" I've got rather tired of all the professional Formula One pundits rabbiting on about how Rosberg's decision to retire was a brave one. I think it was the most sensible decision he has ever made and, in fact, it borders on being a cowardly choice too. I realise that race commentators and journalists have to say pleasant things about the participants

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1507458333726347120.post-8231581212653013572016-09-12T15:57:00.000+01:002016-09-12T15:57:23.625+01:00

It doesn't seem to matter what sort of crime has been committed by these narcissistic women the Mail has to publish their duck faces. Personally I'd rather see a police identity picture of them up against a plain wall with a height ruler. The woman in my pic, Mandy Leacock, has been convicted of the particularly nasty crime of keeping a woman with learning difficulties as a slave over a period of

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1507458333726347120.post-88087089163016874682016-08-30T12:57:00.000+01:002016-08-30T12:57:39.538+01:00

The Mail Online frequently misleads in it's headlines, whether purposely or not I don't know, but this is one of the most blatant I have seen. Under the headline:- Devout Christian French teacher, 28, 'is pictured in Travelodge hotel bed after having sex with a pupil on prom night. A totally scurrilous article continues with the above picture which it claims shows a 28 yr old teacher having sex

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1507458333726347120.post-32912634538507471322016-08-29T17:55:00.000+01:002016-08-29T17:55:06.510+01:00

This article in the Mail Online about a fake policeman arguing with a birkini clad "muslim" woman on a Southend beach was, in fact, a stunt filmed by a YouTuber whose exploits are increasingly featured by the Daily Mail and labelled "hilarious" or as "social experiments" They are actually neither. They are simply videos to draw views of the Youtube site and reported in the Mail Online as

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1507458333726347120.post-39712632847205966312016-06-29T13:06:00.002+01:002016-06-29T13:06:51.652+01:00

Some of us voted to leave because we believe that this country should never have abandoned the Commonwealth in the first place. Those were countries that supported us throughout both world wars and our economy was in better shape when they were our trading partners - the clue is in the name - Commonwealth. Geddit? Personally I hate the implication that our reasons for wanting to leave are

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1507458333726347120.post-13349812319921642852016-06-19T19:29:00.000+01:002016-06-19T19:45:31.413+01:00

It could have been an excellent race - should have been. This new track has a blindingly fast straight and some decent overtaking places. And these things might have overshadowed my disappointment that a European GP couldn't have been held somewhere recognisably European. I mean just how exactly is somewhere that used to be a part of Russia now considered to be in Europe. Ok I know that

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1507458333726347120.post-65093717753941142142016-06-15T17:50:00.001+01:002016-06-18T00:27:00.710+01:00

For the benefit of anyone who may be influenced by the opinions I express here, I must point out that I am well aware that I will be dead before the worst results of this country leaving or remaining in the EU become apparent. It's a factor which influences my vote in only a minor way but one that is only fair to point out. One further, slightly anarchic, influence is that I would dearly love to

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1507458333726347120.post-74692737053554849892016-04-04T13:27:00.000+01:002016-04-04T13:27:41.959+01:00

Right down to the wire I had hopes that Channel 4 would manage to replicate their coverage of horse racing in the way they would cover Formula One - albeit without the constant referencing to ladies fashion. As in most things in life I was doomed to disappointment. As I said here after the Australian GP, the main disappointment was Steve Jones (although maybe disappointment is the wrong word as

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1507458333726347120.post-81165939810852554802016-03-21T16:50:00.000+00:002016-03-21T16:50:17.814+00:00

I used to look forward to the opening race of the Formula One season in Australia, not just because it was that, but also because it gave me something to watch in the early hours of the morning. But since Channel 4 has taken over it seems the latter will apply no longer. I can only assume that the reason they have elected to ditch the live coverage is due to advertising revenue issues and of

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1507458333726347120.post-38129515285965825662016-01-31T03:21:00.000+00:002016-01-31T12:03:29.353+00:00

I find it rather sad. Why don't women see themselves in the way that men do. Of course I know the old story that they don't do it for men and they do it for themselves but do people really see themselves so differently? Take Nancy here for instance. I recall she took a lot of stick when she split from Sven-Gören Eriksson and during her subsequent affair with Trevor Nunn and I've also seen her on

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1507458333726347120.post-51995788054752057152015-12-21T19:07:00.001+00:002015-12-21T19:07:56.333+00:00

Well I don't know for certain and neither will anybody else unless the BBC releases the figures for the viewers votes which I doubt will ever happen. Of course it is easy to claim 'a fix' when your favourite doesn't win - mine was Anita Rani who presented a level of drama, storytelling and energy unmatched by the others. She was also possibly the only one without some kind of formal dance

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1507458333726347120.post-56350468672580822902015-12-06T17:22:00.000+00:002015-12-06T17:22:28.937+00:00

Not least because, in my pedantic view, when translated into reasonable English it actually means - "You are a Muslim, brother"Not what was intended of course but it does underline the naïveté of the people who retweet it on Twitter as if it is some kind of salvation and will prevent mass slaughter coming to our own streets. Recently I had an exchange with a fellow Twitterer whose somewhat

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1507458333726347120.post-7653264514715944512015-11-16T02:43:00.000+00:002015-11-16T02:43:11.727+00:00

..... certain aspects keep coming up which annoy me to the extent that if I don't get my feelings down I will have a fit. I suppose I understand why politicians have to have their say - they cannot really appear to have no feelings on the matter but why can't they just say things which make sense and omit the utterly pointless posturing. I heard Obama making a televised speech on Saturday in

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1507458333726347120.post-79112820999198075242015-09-07T14:43:00.000+01:002015-09-07T14:43:43.924+01:00

I'm pretty sure that calling this, the first Strictly show of 2015, a launch show is as erroneous as describing it as being 'live'. The sink show would be more appropriate if less grammatical. The Beeb must have decided that the only way to give Strictly a decent death is to cause it to lose it's current viewer popularity. And the way to achieve that is to give it a dull as dishwater 'celebrity'

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1507458333726347120.post-2678382163900065322015-06-19T12:39:00.002+01:002015-06-19T12:39:53.079+01:00

In the long running saga of Jeremy Clarkson's dismissal (sorry, contract non-renewal) as the host of Top Gear, it now transpires that he was offered his job back last week. This is in spite of the BBC statements that Jeremy had crossed some sort of line and that there cannot be one rule for one person and another for another(or some such meaningless drivel). I've no doubt that the job offer was

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1507458333726347120.post-47060038822408396762015-06-10T16:33:00.000+01:002015-06-10T16:33:22.908+01:00

The only real drama in Sunday's Canadian GP was the groundhog which crossed the path of the oncoming procession of cars on the track. I don't understand why some of the teams think that allowing refueling might be a cure for the current level of ennui amongst the fans. While it's true that a couple of the drivers were told that they should "lift and coast" to save fuel, I really don't think that

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1507458333726347120.post-67958404234879698412015-05-29T13:43:00.003+01:002015-05-29T13:43:51.744+01:00

The press for reasons known only to itself has adopted the habit of deeming those unfortunate people rescued from sinking vessels in the Mediterranean, to be migrants. But surely a migrant is someone who has arrived in one country from another. A person in the process of fleeing from a country is a refugee. Or has my dictionary updated itself without my knowledge?

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1507458333726347120.post-28015296473826350212015-05-29T12:27:00.001+01:002015-05-29T12:27:38.169+01:00

One of the most stupid articles that I have seen this week was one that drew unfavourable comparisons between Sepp Blatter (boss of FIFA) and Bernie Ecclestone (boss of F1). I would like to say that there is FA difference between them but that would spoil the point of this little item. Because it is my contention that the difference between them is actually the indisputable fact that Sepp Blatter

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0