The fight for the Christmas number one this year has somehow been turned into something interesting. It's unfortunate, but it's become a phenomenon of sorts - it's not about music, but then, the Christmas number one hasn't been for a good few years, hence the point and importance of this event.
Time for a song.
Felipe Massa's horrific yet simple accident is about to set the 'motorsport is dangerous' motto into overdrive. A week after the unfortunate death of Henry Surtee's, in an eerily similar incident (although in his case, it wasn't a spring that entered the cockpit, it was a complete wheel!) - it's going to get looked at, and some action will be taken.
However, what's in my mind is the age old lost opportunity for the last minute superstar here. In other championships, Indycar or NASCAR for example, 'for the sake of the sponsors', some random visitor in a race suit holding a racing licence would get shaved, suited, thrown in front of iRacing for a bit - taught his sponsors names and thrown out there to start from the back (and invariably retire it in a couple of laps).
In F1, we used to have that too.
We don't now. Why?
Firstly, now that qualifying's over, there is no time for any new driver to get acquianted with the car. With no Sunday morning warm up to even try out the driver to see if he's got a chance of snatching 18th, there's too much risk involved.
The longevity of the car's another issue. With engines and gearboxes having to last so long, there's actually a detrimental benefit to Massa's drivers championship challenge (what little's left of it, with Red Bull & Brawn with an invisible grasp on it) - to have some new driver wreck the machinery in his first go.
The only benefit to Ferrari would be to deep end race test an almost ready driver. In the case of Ferrari though, they don't have any. Massa was already their last dip into the barely race ready pool of drivers - a rare tactic from the scarley squad, who generally let other big teams develop the talent, and then lure them across with the really cool company car and wads of $$$. So basically, Ferrari don't have a driver in waiting who isn't already starting in the race, surprisingly from pole position with a feather-weight entry.
The last 'quick get your suit on drives' appear to be honourarily owned by Anthony Davidson (BAR Honda) and/or Ricardo Zonta (Toyota - if you count a DNS, as it was that infamous US Grand Prix) in 2005.
I guess it's just one of those things we've lost with the way the rules are - but something I'd quite like back if we can.
Just an awesome track that's about to be released here.
The Temper Trap - Sweet Disposition
I heard Michael had grumbled about the lack of promotion by Paramount in awards ceremonies etc. for this movie - who cares...if it's a good movie, it'll sell itself.
I heard Megan Fox complained their was too much action and not enough dialogue - and heard Michael's rather dismissive response about her afterwards - I initially disagreed with both of them, Transformers is an action movie, it shouldn't have a mass of dialogue - but Bay's comments that he knows how to make movies is a little bit ambitious - the only 'very good' classification I'd give to any of his movies is The Island, which funnily enough hasn't performed commercially as well as many of his others - but hey, when is a good film necessarily a commercial one?
Anyway, I now sway to Megan. Though there's too much human dialogue (when were people the point of Transformers!?) there's just no robot dialogue whatsoever. The only characters who get any amount of development are 'The Twins' and I read they're already slammed for being racist stereotypes.
What is The Fallen? Where did that come from? Is he really only named for the pathetic double meaning that could be interpreted?
The Decepticon's are barely named let alone speak in this movie. Everything that was nearly there in the first movie was just left for dead in the production of this trash.
Then - there's the good old question of product placement. Lara Croft 2 saw Angelina running around with every piece of Panasonic technology under the sun, and that was the first marker in my mind that some movies will be ruined by this.
Transformers just about got away with it. There were way too many GM vehicles, but at least there was a slight redress with Barricade, the top Decepticon car being a Saleen/Ford Mustang.
Now - way over the top. All the Constructicons were GM vehicles, we introduce Sideswipe (why just Sideswipe!?) and instead of a Lamborghini (Countach in the old days, a Murcielago would be perfect now) - he turns up as Corvette Stingray 'concept' (how good a disguise is a concept anyway?).
Then there's the 'twins' - initially both transform into HALF A VAN each! (wtf? - do they fight over which half of the horse they want to be?) - they then adjust themselves to transform into another pair or urban street concept vehicles from Chevrolet.
The plot is ever thinner than the first movie, yet manages to be 20 minutes longer. The effects are good, but that's about it. Urgh, avoid. I'm happy for the Transformers franchise to finish now, I'll wait for someone to make it into a TV series again.
Apparently, plays on Spotify, legal Napster etc. may one day be included in the UK charts.
So far, the official charts have always been driven by those who at least make the effort to fork out cash for product - even if it's just digital data these days.
Airplay charts exist here and there, but who cares what some DJ decides to play to you? Now, if what I decide to listen to for free gets included, I'm worried that I may tread more carefully with what I click.
Unfortunately - I think we'd start to be 'rickrolled' whilst clicking on Spotify URI's, expecting to hear something we want to hear, but end up listening to something else. That won't be good...not good at all.
I guess I shall say now...I don't approve! in fact, who gives a crap about the charts anymore, I'd rather have a random top 40 anyway of what's just generally out.
There - I've redefined music. Easy huh?
I'm getting set for my first Le Mans!
The British Touring Car Championship has put together a daring set of regulations for new cars to be introduced in 2011 and over a two year period phased in to be the specification that all cars should be running to. The threat being that if you're still running an old car, it will made to be not competitive by extra weight carried etc. - the exact same threat which was levied should anyone still be running the past set of regulation cars now.
First of all, we know that tactic worked. Within a very short time frame, the BTC-specification cars which were introduced in 2001, were very quickly replaced with S2000 (World Touring Car) class cars. This year, the only exception is Martin Johnson's almost ancient Astra Coupé, which is predominantly the last placed car anyway.
These new regulations have apparently been approved and agreed with all of the teams (that's one in your eye, Mr. Max Mosley) - but there's a strong point of debate as to why these rules exist.
The first benefit, is that a new build car will be substantially cheaper than building a brand new S2000 specification car, due to standardised parts etc. Still the key question remains, who will be building these cars?
In these harsh times, with motor manufacturers folding or selling up - the budget and commitment just isn't there for manufacturers at the moment. In 2010, for the first time in it's history, the BTCC will become a full independant championship with not one manufacturer paying for their cars to be on the grid - after stalwart's Vauxhall's withdrawal.
There are a number of teams currently competing, who certainly have the infrastructure to build new cars. Team Dynamics, who became the first independant team to take the overall championship in 2005 with a self developed Honda Integra built to BTC (2001) regulations - and now run a S2000 specification Civic - again, their build.
West Surrey Racing - currently under the Team RAC banner - whom presently field a pair of BMW 320si's (who've not had a BMW factory entry in the BTCC since 1995), had originally developed the MG-ZS for the BTCC in 2001.
Triple Eight, currently running a self built S2000 specification Vauxhall Vectra (with Vauxhall backing) - and of course the Astra before it to BTC rules - and Arena has just turned up with it's own Ford Focus.
Is that enough to field a full grid? No.Does it matter. Not really, as the S2000 cars (and presumably even the existing BTC cars will still be permitted for a good few years).
The rules will also introduce turbo charged petrol engines - diesel's will be banned (no problem here, the only diesel is the ailing BMW 120d run by Team AFM), and more controversially, rear wheel drive - which means no one will be developing BMW's for the championship.
A key reason for this move is to jump the gun on the WTCC. The FIA is currently debating new regulations for the WTCC, and it's clear from the squabbles already taking place, that this spat will more than likely see some of the very few manufacturers in the World Championship leave due to the ongoing row over diesel/petrol, RWD/FWD and car weighting schemes.
So what kind of cars will we see? Well, the plan seems to be to get the cars back to saloon car shapes, as seen during the BTCC golden era of the mid-late 90's. This is a logical point to acheive this. At the moment, Britain is in love with the hatchback, and no manufacturer is likely to want to try and promote anything but one - but since their won't be any, it's down to the independant's to put forward whichever car they want to run.
Undoubtedly, some will try and seek out some manufacturer assistance. Arena and Team Dynamics are known for grabbing manufacturer assistance with their development and budgets behind the scenes. Failing that, teams will run the most logical car for the championship. Dynamic's proved before with the Integra, that sometimes the non-obvious car can be extremely competitive.
From the UK car market, possibles:
- Alfa Romeo 159
- Audi A4
- Chevrolet Cruze
- Chrysler Sebring
- Citroen C5
- Dodge Avenger
- Ford Mondeo
- Honda Civic Hybrid
- Honda Accord
- Hyundai Sonata
- Kia Magentis
- Mazda 3 Saloon
- Mazda 6
- Mitsubishi Lancer
- Peugeot 407
- Renault Mégane
- Renault Laguna
- SEAT Exeo
- Skoda Octavia
- Subaru Legacy
- Toyota Avensis
- Vauxhall Insignia
- Volkswagen Passat
- Volvo S40
Looking back to adoption of mass rule changes in the past. In 2001 - Super Touring was kicked out and the new BTC-specification rules came in, just before the European Touring Car Championship came up with the similar but slightly different S2000.
In that year, Vauxhall was the only manufacturer to stay on from the year before, with Peugeot rejoining run by VLR - and an independant Alfa Romeo 147 car driven by Dave Pinkney - and that was it! Peugeot came with three cars (which dropped to two from the next race) - and Vauxhall had four cars and went on to win 25 of 26 races that season. We can A. Be thankful Vauxhall are out from next year, and B. That these rules won't be enforced in one hit, and that S2000 cars can continue for a number of years.
In 2004, TOCA allowed in S2000 cars, which saw some uncompetitive Honda Civic's and BMW's turn up, as well as RML's attack with a pair of SEAT Toledo's for Rob Huff and Jason Plato. This system of allowing the cars in and equalizing performance until the championship was ready to switch to S2000 entirely worked far better, and is the same approach here.
The Terminator franchise comes back with what is supposed to be the first part in a new trilogy.
This movie's basic concept is pretty much what you always wanted as a kid - one totally set in the future. This was of course, what we're not meant to have.
Christian Bale being cast gives them film some 'before you see it' credibility - but director McG's past catalogue of both Charlies Angels movies, and TV series Fastlane - not to mention the fact that I'd first heard of his name as the director to the Offspring's Pretty Fly For A White Guy, spells 'this is going to be shit' all over it before you get through the door.
Throw in king of ham, Michael Ironside (who'd already starred alongside Bale in that crazy dedication to eating indie thinker, The Machinist) - a couple of other no-namers - no Arnie, no Linda Hamilton...surely the razzies need to get ready?
BUT
It's actually damn good! It's no T2 - but then it was never going to be. Bale's role, played like a slightly shoutier one of that in Reign of Fire, is the John Connor we all believed Kyle & Sarah's son would be from the original Terminator.
Sam Worthington actually shares the screen time pretty heavily with Christian - the smaller stars don't get an unnecessary amount of screen time either - e.g. John's wife Kate. If you looked at their characters from T3 - you'd believe they'd had a guts transfusion from each other. Elfman's score, here and there it's classic action movie Elfman - but with some very nicely borrowed cues from Brad Fiedel's original scores.
Quite a surprise, quite fun - maybe T5 can be to Terminator Salvation what T2 was to Terminator. Now I'm allowed to start getting my hopes up!
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W♥M said:
i haven't seen the movie, but i heard it's a pretty action-packed blockbuster... i'll wait for the dvd :) read more
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[this is good]Good to see I was not the only one who likes to watch my F1 Live!The reward was a Great... read more
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