CardiffGreens

Excellent news, just hope Belgium qualify for the WC now - so they'll be a Villa player in my Panini sticker book =)

What's yellow and travels at 60kmph on the tour? =P And lets now forget the idiots with the signal flares and carpet tacks last year...

Just seen Renshaw is to move from Belkin to OPQS next year - so a rebuild of the HTC days might be coming to a grand tour near you.

Without wanting to step on toes and interrupt someone else's discussion, there aren't any easy fixes - however I think a number of recent changes have culminated in causing a lot of problems with F1 - The over-reliance of aerodynamic grip is basically the killer, it's what caused a faster ferrari to be stuck behind Petrov's lotus in Abu Dhabi - the need to maximise speed through cornering has meant the development of diffusers and more elaborate exhaust systems, all these making sure any aero benefit is reduced to any slipstreaming car - engineers in F1 are more than aware of this, and are more than annoyed at the situation because they can't design cars to go fast enough and be able to run in dirty air to create the consistent close racing everyone longs for. I like the concept of DRS more than KERS - as it's a visible technology - you can see when it's deployed, rather than relying on some on-screen graphic to find that yes, Mark Webber's KERS has broken again. The problem with DRS is the ridiculous arbitrary nature of it, the situation of allowing someone to use it to pass, but not defend unless they're lucky enough to have a handy backmarker to enable the boost. The lack of refuelling has led to this situation of "race management" coming to the fore, something RBR have taken to the tee with their "get pole, banzai for 3 laps then turn down the engine and manage the gap" it's also meant that with Pirelli creating tyre compounds out of pink wafer biscuits that leading teams won't rely on contrary strategies - they'll simply cover each over if someone strays off the computer-determined fastest route. Constantly changing the regulations every season certainly doesn't help either, as each team spends the first 6 races shaking down before copying the magic silver bullet de jour. And while I'm moaning, that crazy "new" points system can sod off - 25 for a win.... Bleh. Apologies for the wall of text, should have taken this to the things that piss you off thread =P Edit, on a lighter note - everyone's favourite Max Chilton was asked to rate the season so far prior to the British GP, 8 out 10 he replied...

Caught most of the Of Monsters and Men showing earlier today, that made my day. It's been a slow day. Something odd about seeing The XX as a headline act mind - I loved the first album, but something about their set just seems odd - something about their music just doesn't lend it to "headlining". Edit - Figured out what it was that this reminds me of - keep thinking I'm watching someone redo Bill Bailey's sketch about Portishead composing the National Anthem...

Watching it, will be interesing to see whether Contador has gotten over his allergies for le tour and whether Froome can live up to the billing and pressure. Looks like Schlek has found some form just in time as well, so that could mix things up a little bit. Feel a bit sorry for the OGE bus driver on his first day (apparently) - but not sorry enough as I laughed like a mad man at it for 20minutes - and a shame that it was partly to blame for the lack of a decent bunch finish, but que sera sera...

Thought it was garbage today, considering the bruhaha that came about after Indianapolis in '05 it was ludricrous to continue that race - couldn't believe there wasn't a red flag to end it all. It's almost as if the FIA are longing for the days of the 70's and get someone killed racing - to keep that race/lottery going for the full distance after the events of last week as well is just mind boggling. But then again this is motorsport run by a prat in a pink suit who suggested that sprinkers would be a great addition. As it is, F1 can do one this season - don't think I've been so unmotivated to watch races as I have been this year.

(Somewhat O/T- but following on from the PS3 woes) From a GameFAQs thread PlayStation Europe just posted this on twitter to reticfy the "loading into a black screen" issue that's been reported. Plus, if you ever fancy booting your PS3 into safe mode again, that's the way to do it.

I'm awaiting Jonathan Davies' opinion on whether this is as big a step backwards as the potential Wilko call up was...

Got myself a beta invite for the relanch of FFXIV, hopefully it's not utter garbage like the original test was...

Think I might have to risk the wrath of the internet and invest in a #fullkitw****r away set, do love the colour of the away kit (says the man who's constantly trying to get his 5-a-side team to play in pink) - design is bonkers but something about it just works. Hopefully I'll be able to get my hands on a non-sponsored shirt like that awesome chequered nike effort =P

Are your Strava times in need of a little oomph? Are marginal gains just not doing it for you? Fed up with having to wait about while tranfusing blood? Do you feel the need to acquire as many virtual accolades as possible? Then you need digital EPO! - the handy way to cheat your way to the top without those pesky urine tests, secluded training camps or recovery products! --- Seriously though, what the hell?! I think some people need to re-evaluate their priorities if they need to boost their times like this =P

Number of games Crystal Palace have played in the premier league: 160 Number of goals scored by Crystal Palace in the premier league: 160 Number of points accumulated by Crystal Palace in the premier league: 160 And then they had to go and get promoted... Still I suppose they could draw every game next season 1-1...

Pretty sure he leaves that to Rosie47

..edited.. no idea how I managed to quote myself and leave a blank message...

Not to mention all those riders that were castigated for having the audacity of speaking out against doping during his cycling career. It's going to be interesting to see what he'll admit to though. Though I did see a ride of his up on Strava last week - with a fair few sycophantic comments of "you're still my hero" up there - so it'll be interesting whether the man on the street will really change their opinion on Lance. I wonder if they'll try and spin it to fit the "well everyone was doping, so it was a level playing field" fallacy. Also will be intriguing whether he mentions he never failed the 250/500/1000/1 million doping tests he was subject to.

This season reminds me in so many ways of the Middlesbore team that got stuffed full of kids, the great performances against some of the bigger teams that almost always ended in defeat, the utter ease that most teams employed a tactic of "score first, wait for comic implosion" to get results. And then the relegation, selling of all their assets and what 4 years later they're still starting as "prime promotion candidates" and they're still struggling to get out of the league. Having said that, I still think we'll say up (based on nothing more than hopeless delusion - I had expected a nice comfortable 2-0 today). But if not, que sera - I get to look forward to the Cardiff match after they manage to nause up promotion for the 50th season in a row.

So, finally took ownership of my shiny new one X+ last weekend (a long story as to why it's taken 6 weeks, but nevermind). Rather awesome all these fancy google things I never got to see on Gingerbread. Just wish Villa would start bucking their ideas up so I don't cry every time google now opens.

Unless scouting is some sort of euphemism for kidnapping, I can't see his help being of much use - the general consensus seems to be that it's not identifying players that's the problem =(

Just booted up Google now on my phone, noticed the Aston Villa vs Southampton card - so hit it and found it searched google for "Aston Villa Matches" - I only mention this as the search results don't list the midweek defeat anywhere. Seems like me, google have erased the game from memory =P

Nevermind, appears Jermaine Pennant got wind of everyone on the internet making fun of his use of naughty language in a fantasy football team and changed it,,,

Well, it'll keep the MoTD love-in for 'arry until the end of the programme at least. An away point at least (must profess I hadn't seen any of the game since I have just got back from work) - which keeps them mired firmly in the brown stuff. And what is it with us playing struggling teams so soon after they appoint new managers?

Odd, I noticed one earlier today with Nicola Adams on the front. As for the vote, 2 months ago I'd have said Wiggins, but having had the fallout from the USADA report on Lance's USPS days and Team Sky's attempt to rewrite history irked me no end. So I'd go for Mo.

Started playing Glitch[ again (ironically just as they announce the're closing it down in a fortnight.) - it is/was a browser based side scrolling "platformer" / co-operative game with quite possibly the most ludicrous sense of humour I've seen in a MMOG. And also Planetside 2. It's pretty. And pretty awesome.