Sat - January 21, 2006
Good lord, is that the time?
Posts to this blog are becoming ever more erratic,
and for that I apologise. The demands of work, and writing daily for Nobel
Intent have that effect,
sadly.
Married life is going well, you will be pleased to hear. Marrying a woman who loves video games has it's definite benefits, although arguments over who's turn it is on the Xbox 360 have been known to break out. On that note, I have followed up my GT4 vs Forza review on Ars Technica with a review of Project Gotham Racing 3 , an absorbing game that looks stunning in HD.
Next week we're off to London for leg three of the world's most drawn out wedding, Elle and I are both looking forward to seeing everyone and catching up with friends. Armed with her pink Nintendo DS she should be able to stave off Hexic withdrawl pangs.
You can catch up with the last two outings at Withever, and I've been asked by several people if we have a wedding list. The answer is yes, and you can find it at Amazon .
Work is rather exciting at the moment, with results flooding in and some interesting findings that hopefully you will be able to read about in the literature soon.
Married life is going well, you will be pleased to hear. Marrying a woman who loves video games has it's definite benefits, although arguments over who's turn it is on the Xbox 360 have been known to break out. On that note, I have followed up my GT4 vs Forza review on Ars Technica with a review of Project Gotham Racing 3 , an absorbing game that looks stunning in HD.
Next week we're off to London for leg three of the world's most drawn out wedding, Elle and I are both looking forward to seeing everyone and catching up with friends. Armed with her pink Nintendo DS she should be able to stave off Hexic withdrawl pangs.
You can catch up with the last two outings at Withever, and I've been asked by several people if we have a wedding list. The answer is yes, and you can find it at Amazon .
Work is rather exciting at the moment, with results flooding in and some interesting findings that hopefully you will be able to read about in the literature soon.
Posted at 05:03 pm
Wed - November 16, 2005
Life rumbles on
Don't tell me there's nothing wrong with our
climate. The weather over the last two weeks has fluctuated from 22˚C and
sunny to 2˚C and rainy, and from calm and crisp to tornado warnings and
back again. And it's November! Now the cold seems to be here to
stay.
Wedding photos are up, for those of you who care. My personal favourites are these two:
Now, I promised more on the Mustang, so here goes.
Upon arriving at the car hire place near the airport, the man behind the desk offered me the choice of a convertible for a few dollars more, perhaps because we shared the same birthday. He mentioned it was a Mustang, and I had visions of one of the previous shape ones and started to regret the decision. Once we walked outside though, we were greeted with a very red and very new V6 convertible, complete with fake knock-off spinners on the wheels. God knows what they were there for, as you could clearly see the wheel nuts, but J Mays loves his pastiche.
Inside the car was dark. Very dark. The seat fabric wasn't too bad, but the plastics were all on the cheap side, and the driving position conspired to be both very high up and at the same time like sitting in a deep bathtub. The seat pitch adjusted, but only enough to lean you forward. None of this helped the visibility. Nor did the steeply raked screen, the thick A-pillars or the small rear window and masses of black hood.
Elle was a fan of the electric roof mechanism, having broken one too many nails on Mr Car's new roof, but even there the two manual catches were awkward to release. Nice big boot though.
Venturing onto the 5 on our way to In-n-out for the first stop of the day revealed that someone had been very clever with the exhaust engineering. The tepid V6 rumbled like a small block V8, but between its anaemia and the automatic gearbox, the noise that came out didn't really correspond to much forward momentum.
Changing direction was an interesting experience too. V6 must be ford code for "wallowy ride", and fast cornering was never to be the order of the day. I did try and get the tail out at La Jolla Village Drive, but even on bicycle tyres there would have been too much weight and grip for the engine to counteract.
Still, it wasn't all bad. It looked nice from the outside, the heater and AC worked very well even with the roof down, and the boot was very big. I'd never spend my own money on one, but if you liked the looks and cared not one jot about the way your car handles, then it could be the barge for you.
thumb-1.php
Wedding photos are up, for those of you who care. My personal favourites are these two:
Now, I promised more on the Mustang, so here goes.
Upon arriving at the car hire place near the airport, the man behind the desk offered me the choice of a convertible for a few dollars more, perhaps because we shared the same birthday. He mentioned it was a Mustang, and I had visions of one of the previous shape ones and started to regret the decision. Once we walked outside though, we were greeted with a very red and very new V6 convertible, complete with fake knock-off spinners on the wheels. God knows what they were there for, as you could clearly see the wheel nuts, but J Mays loves his pastiche.
Inside the car was dark. Very dark. The seat fabric wasn't too bad, but the plastics were all on the cheap side, and the driving position conspired to be both very high up and at the same time like sitting in a deep bathtub. The seat pitch adjusted, but only enough to lean you forward. None of this helped the visibility. Nor did the steeply raked screen, the thick A-pillars or the small rear window and masses of black hood.
Elle was a fan of the electric roof mechanism, having broken one too many nails on Mr Car's new roof, but even there the two manual catches were awkward to release. Nice big boot though.
Venturing onto the 5 on our way to In-n-out for the first stop of the day revealed that someone had been very clever with the exhaust engineering. The tepid V6 rumbled like a small block V8, but between its anaemia and the automatic gearbox, the noise that came out didn't really correspond to much forward momentum.
Changing direction was an interesting experience too. V6 must be ford code for "wallowy ride", and fast cornering was never to be the order of the day. I did try and get the tail out at La Jolla Village Drive, but even on bicycle tyres there would have been too much weight and grip for the engine to counteract.
Still, it wasn't all bad. It looked nice from the outside, the heater and AC worked very well even with the roof down, and the boot was very big. I'd never spend my own money on one, but if you liked the looks and cared not one jot about the way your car handles, then it could be the barge for you.
thumb-1.php
Posted at 04:31 pm
Wed - June 29, 2005
Sven rocks.
I must say, I do love this new car. It would have
been uber-handy if I still lived in San Diego, a perfect vehicle to take
surfboards and friends to the beach. The Momo gearknob I added has an
unfortunate side effect that Mr Brook might be familiar with - when leaving the
car in the sun on a hot day, and they're all hot days here now, the aluminium
does tend to get a little hot. It also says Subaru on top, as the Saab branded
one (exactly the same in all other regards) was an extra $50. Hey, you have to
acknowledge your roots, after all.
We're off to Indy again this weekend, for the Ars Staff meeting, and that should take care of the 1000 mile running in period. 7000 rpm, here we come!
We're off to Indy again this weekend, for the Ars Staff meeting, and that should take care of the 1000 mile running in period. 7000 rpm, here we come!
Posted at 10:50 am
Sun - June 19, 2005
US GP Farce
Fuck the FIA, and fuck Ferrari too. We left after 20 laps, I couldn't see the point in watching two red cars, one of whom wasn't allowed to overtake, and then a fight for last place between the dire Jordans and the rubbish Minardis. If the FIA thinks today's fiasco was a good way to increase support for F1 in the US they're sorely fucking mistaken. I'm fucking furious and we only drove 300 miles. I feel terrible for the guy behind me from Alaska, or the couple from japan next to us.
Tony George will be giving me a full refund, and perhaps if it costs him enough he'll make our collective displeasure known. More likely this will spell the end for the US GP, ticket sales were declining anyway, and between this and the race fixing by Ferrari (them again - who'd a thunk it?) a couple of years ago, I doubt this event will remain on the calendar much longer.
Posted at 08:22 pm
Fri - June 17, 2005
Meet Sven Takahashi
Why the name? He's half Swedish, half
Japanese.
Quantrell Saab came through for us, and now we needn't rent a car to take to Indy.
The clutch and gearchange are a bit sloppy compared to the Miata, and having to keep it below 4000 rpm for the next 1000 miles is going to suck. The roadtrip+ gets some interference, and there's no tape deck, so my ipod sounds a bit crackly sometimes, but other than that, I couldn't be happier. I even dig the 16" wheels, although the Potenza 92as have to go.
Quantrell Saab came through for us, and now we needn't rent a car to take to Indy.
The clutch and gearchange are a bit sloppy compared to the Miata, and having to keep it below 4000 rpm for the next 1000 miles is going to suck. The roadtrip+ gets some interference, and there's no tape deck, so my ipod sounds a bit crackly sometimes, but other than that, I couldn't be happier. I even dig the 16" wheels, although the Potenza 92as have to go.
Posted at 12:39 pm
Wed - June 15, 2005
Indy calling
We're off to Indy for the GP shortly. The new car
I've not written about for fear of jinxing it still hasn't arrived, and that
makes me a sad panda. Maybe it will arrive tomorrow in the nick of time.
Will write more soon, honest.
Will write more soon, honest.
Posted at 05:33 pm
Sun - April 24, 2005
5.53.061
Before anyone asks, no, I haven't seen the GP yet.
Here in the US, it's normally on SpeedTV. This season, CBS (many say that
stands for Can't Broadcast Sports) bought 4 of the races, San Marino being one
of them. But the good people at WKYT, the local excuse for a CBS affiliate,
decided instead to spend the entire day broadcasting a fucking telethon for a
hospital. Lets just say if they thought this would be a good way to get new
viewers, they've guaranteed I'll not be one of
them.
I consoled myself with a day spent at the Green Hell, and managed to cheer up:
I consoled myself with a day spent at the Green Hell, and managed to cheer up:
Posted at 06:27 pm
Tue - March 1, 2005
GT4 is out!
After months and months of delays, Gran Turismo 4
finally came out last week. Obviously I've been playing it a lot. As a friend
remarked yesterday, it's not so much a car game, more a game about cars, a
sandbox. The graphics are very good, and the Nurburgring is a lot of fun. I'm
slowly getting the flow of it, best time so far is a
7.33.something.
There's also a photomode, which allows you to take high res snapshots and save them to USB drives.
I used to have a car just like this one.
There's also a photomode, which allows you to take high res snapshots and save them to USB drives.
I used to have a car just like this one.
After months and months of delays, Gran Turismo
4 finally came out last week. Obviously I've been playing it a lot.
As a friend remarked yesterday, it's not so much a car game, more a game about
cars, a sandbox. The graphics are very good, and the Nurburgring is a lot of
fun. I'm slowly getting the flow of it, best time so far is a
7.33.something.
There's also a photomode, which allows you to take high res snapshots and save them to USB drives.
I used to have a car just like this one.
Arty shots of the RUF Yellowbird
Laguna Seca in a Ruf RGT
Old School DTM car
Impreza 22B
BMW M Coupe at the Nurburgring
There's also a photomode, which allows you to take high res snapshots and save them to USB drives.
I used to have a car just like this one.
Arty shots of the RUF Yellowbird
Laguna Seca in a Ruf RGT
Old School DTM car
Impreza 22B
BMW M Coupe at the Nurburgring
Posted at 11:49 am
Wed - January 26, 2005
A shiny new hat.
Yesterday my replacement roof arrived. No more
ripped and decaying vinyl, no more opaque rear window, no more having to unzip
the window when putting the top down. For less than the price of a factory
replacement I decided to treat myself, and the car, to something a little
better. A glass rear window,
sans
zipper, and in Sunfast fabric, which looks nicer and should be a bit quieter
too.
I'll provide pics when it's on the car.
I'll provide pics when it's on the car.
Posted at 09:30 am
Wed - October 20, 2004
Button to stay at BAR
After all the tooing and froing, Jenson Button has
been told by the contract review board that he has to stay at BAR next season
and he had no right to go sign a contract with Williams.
Yay!
However, the British GP is looking less and less likely to return thanks to Bernie's desire to make even more money on a race that he's already been paid for.
However, the British GP is looking less and less likely to return thanks to Bernie's desire to make even more money on a race that he's already been paid for.
Posted at 01:41 pm
Mon - August 23, 2004
Bleary eyed
Apparently I managed to sleep through 3 alarms
this morning. I must have been busy having strange dreams about Antarctica and
F-15s. It seems I'm not the only one feeling the effect of Monday morning
People who know me may have heard, in the past, my disparaging tones when the subject of Harry Potter came up. "I'm too busy to read those" I'd say, or "Philip Pullman does it better". Well, I finally cracked. This weekend I read the first 4, and I've got the last one waiting for me at home, all courtesy of our great local library.
Finally, a moment of silence for Philippa's Mini.
Oh, I might have been premature in blaming the infamous t-shirt thief for my missing NIH shirt.
People who know me may have heard, in the past, my disparaging tones when the subject of Harry Potter came up. "I'm too busy to read those" I'd say, or "Philip Pullman does it better". Well, I finally cracked. This weekend I read the first 4, and I've got the last one waiting for me at home, all courtesy of our great local library.
Finally, a moment of silence for Philippa's Mini.
Oh, I might have been premature in blaming the infamous t-shirt thief for my missing NIH shirt.
Posted at 09:07 am
Thu - May 27, 2004
For once they didn't stop me
It was a lovely drive to work today - almost no
traffic, a bit overcast but warm enough to have the top down, making the most of
my short time left in this delightful
microclimate.
I cut may way through Rancho Santa Fe, listening to NPR, planning the day's experiments and marvelling at the contrast between the greenish grey of the road and the vivid blue blossom collecting at its edges, the highlights of the yellow stripe down middle, the greens and browns and bursts of coloured flowers. A much better commute than sitting on the 49 bus in pouring rain.
Having switched from the radio to my iPod, I was dawdling at a stop sign when my ears and mirrors were filled with 6 litres of Italian symphony. One of the benefits of an open car is that your senses are exposed to far more - the smell of freshly cut grass and orange blossom, the noises of cars around you. I craned round in my seat to be confronted with a gleaming black Enzo.
Oh my,
I'd seen pictures of the car before, usually in red, and it always left me cold. Angular lines everywhere, the uncomfortable styling around the door, not really my thing. But in the flesh, or carbon fibre, it had presence. I pulled over and waved him past, better to hear that engine note. Bloody hell was it quick. A gear shift, and the engine note hardened, the car seemed to warp a hundred yards down the road.
I followed him for a few miles, through a lovely sweeping, uphill section, pedalling my miata as fast at it would carry me, until I noticed a motorbike with his light on way, way back down the hill.
I was about to try to get a great 3/4 shot, when I noticed, with some relief I may add, that the cop on a bike was behind the Enzo, not me, and was gesturing for him to pull over.
Perhaps the cop just wanted a better look, although I think it was the same lawman in tights that pulled me over a couple of weeks ago, so I fear the worst for the driver, but then if one can afford an Enzo, one surely factors in the cost of speeding tickets.
I wonder if they have Enzos in Lexington?
I cut may way through Rancho Santa Fe, listening to NPR, planning the day's experiments and marvelling at the contrast between the greenish grey of the road and the vivid blue blossom collecting at its edges, the highlights of the yellow stripe down middle, the greens and browns and bursts of coloured flowers. A much better commute than sitting on the 49 bus in pouring rain.
Having switched from the radio to my iPod, I was dawdling at a stop sign when my ears and mirrors were filled with 6 litres of Italian symphony. One of the benefits of an open car is that your senses are exposed to far more - the smell of freshly cut grass and orange blossom, the noises of cars around you. I craned round in my seat to be confronted with a gleaming black Enzo.
Oh my,
I'd seen pictures of the car before, usually in red, and it always left me cold. Angular lines everywhere, the uncomfortable styling around the door, not really my thing. But in the flesh, or carbon fibre, it had presence. I pulled over and waved him past, better to hear that engine note. Bloody hell was it quick. A gear shift, and the engine note hardened, the car seemed to warp a hundred yards down the road.
I followed him for a few miles, through a lovely sweeping, uphill section, pedalling my miata as fast at it would carry me, until I noticed a motorbike with his light on way, way back down the hill.
I was about to try to get a great 3/4 shot, when I noticed, with some relief I may add, that the cop on a bike was behind the Enzo, not me, and was gesturing for him to pull over.
Perhaps the cop just wanted a better look, although I think it was the same lawman in tights that pulled me over a couple of weeks ago, so I fear the worst for the driver, but then if one can afford an Enzo, one surely factors in the cost of speeding tickets.
I wonder if they have Enzos in Lexington?
Posted at 01:30 pm
Thu - April 8, 2004
Time to go? But I've only just found a mechanic...
One of the things I've been missing most since I
moved out here was a good mechanic. Someone you could trust your car with.
Another petrolhead. Reasonably priced. Convenient. Little and Pace in Lambolle Place was who I
could trust to sell my Ka when I moved, who I could send it to when it fried its
clutch late one night on the A23. Pictures of someone racing a Golf Mk 2, toy
cars aplenty, a wall of keys. I thought I'd found a worthy replacement here.
Dennsted's were great, but all the way out in El Cajon.
Taking your car into the shop means you need to be able to go home, and then come back later, without your car. Not that bad in London with the tube. More problematic in San Diego. After the unfortunate hose bursting incident, it went to somewhere in Encinitas, but they loosened the fan belt.
Yesterday, I dropped my car off at Allen's Wrench. Not a bad name for a mechanics. Good reception and office area. I left my car with John after asking him to look at a few things and got a lift to work. I always dread taking my car for a service. Suppose all is not well. Fluid changes and new pads become a blown head gasket or suspension failure. I got a call that afternoon, and like I feared, new rotors were needed. Thankfully the rears were OK, but better brakes are always a good thing, and I was prepared, financially.
This morning I went to pick the car up, having spent the evening at home waiting for my freshly tuned car. The engine would be sweeter, the brakes better. A pleasant chat with John and some of the other patrons and the car was mine again. Inside the front wheels, the shine of a new pair of discs. and the knowledge that the next hundred miles have to be gentle. I didn't notice much being better until the way home. The squeak from the rear right going uphill is gone. The engine seems smoother, a slightly deeper growl, a little more push. Stopping still requires some sympathy for the metal, but the signs are good. Ticking contentedly in the garage as it cools down, it's a shame I'll have to repeat this process all over again when I move. I wonder what I'll find in Lexington...
Taking your car into the shop means you need to be able to go home, and then come back later, without your car. Not that bad in London with the tube. More problematic in San Diego. After the unfortunate hose bursting incident, it went to somewhere in Encinitas, but they loosened the fan belt.
Yesterday, I dropped my car off at Allen's Wrench. Not a bad name for a mechanics. Good reception and office area. I left my car with John after asking him to look at a few things and got a lift to work. I always dread taking my car for a service. Suppose all is not well. Fluid changes and new pads become a blown head gasket or suspension failure. I got a call that afternoon, and like I feared, new rotors were needed. Thankfully the rears were OK, but better brakes are always a good thing, and I was prepared, financially.
This morning I went to pick the car up, having spent the evening at home waiting for my freshly tuned car. The engine would be sweeter, the brakes better. A pleasant chat with John and some of the other patrons and the car was mine again. Inside the front wheels, the shine of a new pair of discs. and the knowledge that the next hundred miles have to be gentle. I didn't notice much being better until the way home. The squeak from the rear right going uphill is gone. The engine seems smoother, a slightly deeper growl, a little more push. Stopping still requires some sympathy for the metal, but the signs are good. Ticking contentedly in the garage as it cools down, it's a shame I'll have to repeat this process all over again when I move. I wonder what I'll find in Lexington...
Posted at 11:31 pm
Sat - March 6, 2004
Australian GP
Well, that was the start to the season I've been
hoping not to see. Ferrari domination and lets face it, it was a boring
race.
If I hadn't been starved of F1 for the last few months I might have had a nap. Still, it was good to be able to see the live telemetry on the F1 website.
Had to laugh at Kimi going out, and being outclassed by DC before that. Perhaps he'll manage to find a drive for next year?
And god, do I hate the bloody Italian national anthem. It takes about 4 hours to sit through and sounds, well, Italian.
If I hadn't been starved of F1 for the last few months I might have had a nap. Still, it was good to be able to see the live telemetry on the F1 website.
Had to laugh at Kimi going out, and being outclassed by DC before that. Perhaps he'll manage to find a drive for next year?
And god, do I hate the bloody Italian national anthem. It takes about 4 hours to sit through and sounds, well, Italian.
Posted at 11:39 pm
Mon - January 5, 2004
Back once again
Well, I'm home again, after a flying visit back to
the UK for the holidays. A fun trip, if a little hectic, with many people and
places to see and so little
time.
Christmas eve saw me feeling evil, and not for the usual reason of being blind drunk with Jamie and Mike. A 24 hour bug descended that left me awake, shivering and throwing up all night. When Elle arrived 2 days early as a surprise I first thought I was delirious and hallucinating.
Father Christmas was very generous this year. I have a shiny new watch that I've bored everyone silly with. I had a surprise visit from Elle, and some cool t shirts. I've even now got the original, pre-SE star wars trilogy on DVD. Take that Lucas!
I had a chance to compare the small car offerings from Mercedes Benz and BMW. Whilst the A Class is very nice inside and offers a commanding driving position, high above the rest of the world, it's got vague steering and it feels like it's going to roll if you go round a corner too fast. The new mini on the other hand is great fun, marred slightly by very grabby brakes. Great switches (especially the toggle switches), a fast demister and comfy seats, it would have been better with a real (as opposed to self shifting) gearbox.
Tomorrow I'll tell you all about my flight home.
Oh, and congrats to Mike for submitting his thesis.
Christmas eve saw me feeling evil, and not for the usual reason of being blind drunk with Jamie and Mike. A 24 hour bug descended that left me awake, shivering and throwing up all night. When Elle arrived 2 days early as a surprise I first thought I was delirious and hallucinating.
Father Christmas was very generous this year. I have a shiny new watch that I've bored everyone silly with. I had a surprise visit from Elle, and some cool t shirts. I've even now got the original, pre-SE star wars trilogy on DVD. Take that Lucas!
I had a chance to compare the small car offerings from Mercedes Benz and BMW. Whilst the A Class is very nice inside and offers a commanding driving position, high above the rest of the world, it's got vague steering and it feels like it's going to roll if you go round a corner too fast. The new mini on the other hand is great fun, marred slightly by very grabby brakes. Great switches (especially the toggle switches), a fast demister and comfy seats, it would have been better with a real (as opposed to self shifting) gearbox.
Tomorrow I'll tell you all about my flight home.
Oh, and congrats to Mike for submitting his thesis.
Posted at 05:22 pm
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Published On: Jan 21, 2006 05:05 pm
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