Tour de France 100
Posted: Tue 2 July, 2013 Filed under: Domestic, Health, Television Leave a comment »Once again, it’s Tour de France time, and this one is the 100th race.
I’ve written about TdF before, but as always I’m just in awe of the people riding in it. Just taking part is a mind-boggling endeavour, let alone the achievement of winning the damn thing.
As always, it’s the final bits of each stage that I find truly gobsmacking – that these cyclists have already been cycling for three or four hours, up mountains etc., and still finish the stage with a sprint finish. I find that just awesome, and I can’t honestly think of another sport – or even really any other cycling event – where that happens. It’s not just endurance, it’s that mental and physical strength, the determination, and the pure physicality of that final surge, I think it’s amazing.
Stalker TV Ad
Posted: Sun 17 March, 2013 Filed under: Advertising, Cynicism, Marketing, People, Television, Thoughts, Weirdness 1 Comment »At the moment, Santander have a set of adverts ‘starring’ Jensen Button, Jessica Ennis and Rory McIlroy. Suffice it to say, they’re pretty creepy…
Seriously, what crack-headed advertising exec ever thought this would be a good idea? To have sporting ‘celebrities’ effectively invading the homes and lives of everyday people, and stalking them? I can’t even understand how it’s going to portray bankers and banking in a positive light.
Indeed for me all it does is serve to make me actively not want to use Santander for anything. Ever.
(Although, on a more cynical note, it does amuse me that Santander are also paying to have the logos for Nike and Adidas all over their ad)
Acid Attacks
Posted: Sat 19 January, 2013 Filed under: 1BEM, Charm School, People, Television, Thoughts, Weirdness 1 Comment »Yesterday I watched the Channel 4 documentary “Saving Face” about Dr Mohammad Jawad, a renowned plastic surgeon who provides pro bono work rebuilding the faces of Indian women who have been the victims of acid attacks by their husbands.
Yeah, attacks with acid – usually sulphuric – being thrown in their faces. Seriously, what the absolute fuck?
I know women in India aren’t treated with the same accord as in the UK and other countries – but seriously, what kind of mindset is there that makes it OK, indeed ‘the done thing’, to disfigure your partner ? What the shit?
It’s just totally beyond me, I simply don’t understand the process that makes this kind of thing OK.
(And yes, I do know – but don’t understand – the philosophy that one’s woman/partner is just a possession, an object you can choose to keep, throw away, or burn to fuck with acid. I know the philosophy, but still, it’s just wrong. )
The Hotel, Channel 4
Posted: Sun 13 January, 2013 Filed under: Charm School, Customer Services, Cynicism, People, Television, Thoughts 2 Comments »On Channel 4, they’re currently showing a new series of “The Hotel”, about the Grosvenor Hotel in Torquay.
In many ways it’s absolute road-crash TV, the sort that makes you think “What were they thinking when they agreed to this?” . All the people portrayed are just horrendous, total idiots. Indeed, it’s so bad that you wonder if it’s not completely staged, one of these ‘scripted reality’ shows like “Only way is Essex” etc. Indeed, I’m not yet fully convinced that it’s not.
There are a couple of reasons I’m more given to believe that it’s just stupid people with no clue and no insight into how they appear. They are :
- I’ve worked with several people who have exactly those levels of self-delusion and stupidity. (Funnily enough, all in that same industry)
- The media coverage that the hotel did end up getting sold to new owners
All told, it’s another of Channel 4’s excursions into excruciating people and teeth-grinding situations.
Masterchef Australia
Posted: Fri 23 November, 2012 Filed under: Domestic, Television, Thoughts Leave a comment »Over the last few weeks, I’ve really got into Season 4 of Masterchef Australia on Watch. I’ve liked the UK Masterchef series, but the Australian version is very different, and much more enjoyable. (and addictive)
It’s indefinably Australian in feel – while the food is (obviously) of significance, there’s a secondary priority, that of teamwork, of ‘mates’, and I think that’s what makes it as a series.
Indeed, in one particular ‘pressure test’ the two combatants ended up working together, making the entire task work, and that teamwork and friendship was rewarded with the fact that neither person was removed from the competition. (And one of that pair actually goes on to win the competition)
I don’t watch many of the so-called ‘reality’ programmes (Hell, I’m not even sure Masterchef falls into that category – it’s more competition, I suppose) but I can’t deny, I’ve really enjoyed this series of Masterchef Australia.
Masterchef
Posted: Mon 24 September, 2012 Filed under: Design, Domestic, Food, Media, Television Leave a comment »While I like the UK Masterchef when it’s on, I find I prefer the Australian version. I don’t know exactly why, I just do.
This week, I’ve been watching it, and found a chef who actually does stuff I really want to try – if only for being really inventive and clever.
The chef is Peter Gilmore from the Quay restaurant, and he comes up with some amazing things…
Last year’s challenge was his Snow Egg
And this years was a beautiful chocolate dessert, the eight-texture chocolate cake, which I’d just love to try…
Wild and Free
Posted: Fri 10 August, 2012 Filed under: Animals, Stupidity, Television, Thoughts Leave a comment »Last night, Channel 4 had a documentary on the 2011 Ohio “Exotic Animal Release” called “America’s Animal Hoarder“. It’s not easy viewing, but it’s worth seeing.
It’s an amazing documentary, reflecting an episode I’d actually not heard about. Basically, Terry Thompson, a veteran of Vietnam, had amassed (legally) a collection of wild/exotic animals – Lions, jaguars, tigers, bears and more. On October 18, 2011, Thompson released his animals, and committed suicide. No-one really knows why – he’d been in jail, he was in debt, and (from the sound of the documentary) he had significant – and known – mental health issues.
In Ohio, there’s no law about the keeping of exotic/deadly animals. Thompson had also been a licensed “Class 3” firearms dealer (among other things) which allowed him to sell automatic firearms. He was a known “hoarder” – of vehicles, animals, anything.
It’s a really disturbing documentary, particularly if you happen to be an animal lover, or a fan of (particularly) big cats – and I qualify on both. They had to be shot dead – there was no other alternative, no way to tranquilise 50-60 animals and keep them safely. All the existing pens had been cut open – Thompson had cut the wire fencing, not just opened the doors.
The final toll was
- 8 tigers
- six black bears
- two grizzlies
- two wolves
- one macaque monkey
- one baboon
- three mountain lions
- nine male lions, and
- eight lionesses
You just can’t imagine having to kill that many rare animals – and knowing there’s no choice.
Really really sad – but as much of an indictment of Ohio law (and in some ways American laws in general) as of one individual with such obvious issues. Very, very sad.