In Lieu of Mass Executions

Gut hating

When I downloaded the video used in the last post to drive "F," Win 10 put all of Drive F's files into a newly created Drive G, leaving the video as the sole occupant in Drive F.   This of course meant that all reference to programs in the Old Drive F are kaput.  Segue to this via my morning mail. “ About to install the Windows 10 April 2018 Update? You might want to wait a little bit longer Apps fingered in vanishing desktop snafu By Richard Speed 22 May 2018 at 15:34 159  SHARE ▼ Updated The troubled Windows 10 April 2018 update is facing another issue, with some users losing access to their desktop after installing the new code. The problem, which first appeared in a posting on a Microsoft support forum on 14 May, has gained a bit of traction over the last two days with users taking to social media as they go through the three stages of installing this update: frustration, fury and despair. The affected users report that after accepting the request to "restart and install" Windows 10 and waiting the requisite hour or so for the update do its stuff, users can find themselves staring at a blank desktop with no icons. An alarming message stating that the Desktop file could not be accessed is then shown. The error suggests that something fishy has happened at a system file level. [FULL] ” Too much hate not good for my soul.  I've been compensating by watching all the Top Gear reruns [AMAZON].  Seriously; I sleep like a baby every night after falling asleep during ... . [TIP: S11 E5 is the quintessential Top Gear episode because it offers a bit of everything including Liberal bashing].

Richard Hamilton --- again!

TOP GEAR AGAIN!

TOP GEAR It's BACK! As you may know, Amazon stepped in to rescue the lads after Jeremy, rather boorishly, punched a cheeky BBC producer, and was fired. I had pretty much stopped watching it anyway, because it had become a self parody.  The early shows, however, had so captured my soul that I watched the whole series (Netflix) something like eight times. And would still if the BBC hadn't yanked the first dozen, or so, series off the air.  I looked to see if I could buy them,without luck.  But, I digress. Amazon signed the boys up to do a Top Gear-ish series called "The Great Adventure."  From early clips I've seen ... not interested. But, as part of the package, Amazon offers the entire Top Gear shmeer.  Even some "Series 1, " that nobody on earth, evidently, had ever seen.  Here are some some of the steps that began to annoy the crap out of me, and a few winners. Look for the lead-in shown above (aircraft hanger).  A sign of quality. The very first time you hear the "Stig" intro begin "Some say he ....;" you have entered the beginning of crap zone. Early episodes showed edited clips of celebrities driving the "reasonably priced car." When they somehow thought is would be fun to see the whole 2 minutes, or so, the shtick drifted into yawner.  The celebrity interviews were pretty much jewels, every one. Watch them all. After a fashion, the audience grew from an intimate gathering of gear heads and their often lovely girl friends (that Jeremy would hit on),  to something akin to a Super Bowl crowd.  The producers did however round up the best lookers, and use them as front row scenery. The "NEWS" segment was, IMO, the best feature, but eventually scrapped. Sigh. The COOL WALL.  Pffft.

TOP GEAR 2

cinema à la carte

The Grand Tour Nee Top Gear The return of former Top Gear hosts Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May is one of the most eagerly anticipated events in the automotive world. Their new Amazon-backed show, The Grand Tour, has been teased endlessly for months, and live tapings are currently underway. Now, though, we finally know when we can see what the infamous trio has been up to. A video trailer on the Grand Tour's YouTube channel announced that the show will make its premiere on Amazon Prime Video on November 18th. The trailer shared doesn't reveal too much, but there's footage from the show's McLaren P1, LaFerrari, and Porsche 918 comparison test. Otherwise, the production looks incredibly gorgeous, which is exactly what you'd expect from this trio. The revamped Top Gear might have to step up its game for their next season. We're just happy we have two well-produced automotive shows to watch. Meh.  First, this is an Amazon production, which means it will evetually be watch for pay, even for Prime'rs. Second, I loved Top Gear, but by the end I'd pretty much stopped watching new epidodes, opting instead for re-runs of  earlier series.  Way more entertaining.  I hope I'm wrong though.  I do admire Richard Hammond's, and James May's loyaly to JC.

Chis Evans' Clarkson's Replacement

June 2015: Evans announced as Clarkson replacement Chris Evans is confirmed as the new host of Top Gear after Jeremy Clarkson is sacked for punching a colleague. Evans signs a three-year deal – but ultimately managed only six episode April 27, 2016: Heat Street sounds the alarm Heat Street, which launched just a few days earlier, raises the first warning signs about Evans’s past, revealing that a former colleague was planning to speak out about his alleged habit of exposing his penis to women at work. May 7: Alleged victim speaks out Just days later, the former colleague of Evans who had previously mentioned his alleged bad behaviour agrees to tell her story in full. May 23: Complaint made to police An allegation of sexual assault dating back to the 1990s was made to the Metropolitan Police on May 23rd – though it only became public today. May 29: First episode of Top Gear airs, promptly flops The first episode of the new series aired, pulling in disappointing viewing figures. The ratings would continue to slide all season, drawing in fewer than 2 million people with the July 3 finale. July 4: Investigation confirmed, Evans quits I always thought Chris Evans was a wanker. I miss (the real) Top Gear. Here's the full poop.

Top Gear Redux

TOP GEAR; Can I Go Home Again? House of Cards cost Netflix $100 million for two seasons but Amazon’s deal is truly mind boggling. The new show will premiere at some point in 2016, it will be produced by Andy Wilman and it will be even more outrageous than anything they ever did on Top Gear. [FULL] (Tip to Tommy Lee Smith) It was my early understanding that the deal was with NetFlix; Amazon is not good news.  More and more I've found that any series streamed by Amazon  will cost you $$ after the first season, even if you're a Prime subscriber, whereas NetFlix productions are always top notch and free.  That aside, there was no bigger fan of Top Gear than me.  I watched the entire series on NetFlix about five times.  When BBC withdrew the original two or three years, which were for me the best, I lost heart. After 100+ episodes the lads had become a parody of themselves, and I doubt this newest rendition will catch my fancy.  We'll see, but I shan't spend a farthing on any of it.

TOP GEAR NEWS

Top Gear producer to sue Clarkson Producer punched by Jeremy Clarkson is suing the former Top Gear host and the BBC for racial discrimination.  WTF? Lawyers for Clarkson and the BBC attended a closed-door hearing with Oisin Tymon's legal team at a London employment tribunal on Friday. “Clarkson will be joined by his erstwhile Top Gear co-hosts Richard Hammond and James May on a new show for Amazon Prime, to be broadcast next year.’” The case centres on "verbal abuse" that accompanied a physical attack during which Clarkson struck Tymon in March. Clarkson, who was dropped by the BBC following an internal inquiry, will front a new show on Amazon Prime. The inquiry, headed up by Ken MacQuarrie, found Mr Tymon was subject to an "unprovoked physical and verbal attack". A statement by the BBC said: "We will be responding to this claim, but will not be commenting further at this time." [Full story] After inquiring about the "for racial discrimination" charge that is not further explained, my confidential source suggested it's "because the Americans use the race gambit  with great success these days. There's big money there."

Michelle Jenneke races a Nissan GTR

Nissan GTR Vs a Woman Top Gear Festival Sydney Josh Wells

Clarkson's Back?

Boys Will Be Boys

Jeremy Clarkson to 'start again' with new car show We don't know where or when, but Jeremy Clarkson will return to television with a new car show.   The news comes by way of his Sunday column in The Times, and helpfully summarized by Britain's The Week. Whether he'll enlist Richard Hammond and James May to join him on the venture is one of the many unknowns about the project, but given that neither is under contract to the BBC, the idea of "the lads" sharing a stage again is hardly inconceivable.    (Via DougM) Again, I think Top Gear had pretty much run its course, although I'm a huge fan of Jezzer, Hammond and May. I think if they scrapped the by now stale celebrity/medium priced car race around the track bit; and the by now stale Stig (especially the "Some say he's ... ) bit, it could be a hit anew. Stig could be replaced with German driver Sabine Schmitz doing  punishment spankings, or being  spanked herself.  While she's nude.  You can do that on Brit telly. My favorite parts were the round table where the lads discussed the news and criticized the nanny state for mucking things up.  The "race" segments are mostly by now predictable and boring.  On the other hand some, like the race to the North Pole, Source of the Nile, Vietnam and USA, etc. segments are classic, so there's that.  I would watch. What are your format ideas?

Clarkson OUT; Oye!

"Another Fine Mess"

Top Gear producer 'won't press charges' against Jeremy Clarkson [...] The physical altercation lasted "around 30 seconds and was halted by the intervention of a witness," said the report's author, Ken MacQuarrie. As a result, the BBC's director general, Tony Hall, said he would not renew Clarkson's contract. "For me a line has been crossed," he said on Wednesday. [Full Story] For them what care, Top Gear's Jeremy Clarkson was fired as host of BBC's Top Gear.  He evidently "lost it" and beat the crap out of a BBC producer.  Show producers say they will replace Clarkson and continue Top Gear with a new format.  First, no, they cannot replace Clarkson.  Second, who cares?   There can be no bigger fan of the show than me, but JFC, by now the show is nothing but a parody of itself.  They're re-doing the same "road shows" and there's scant difference between the look and speed of today's cars and those of 2002.  Maybe that was Clarkson's way of putting the show out of its misery.  I don't know what producer Oisin Tymon did to provoke Jezzer, but I suspect he's one of the BBC flaming Liberals  that he detests so much.  Well Done Jezz. I've long felt that you and Richard Hammond are destined to do the movie "Another Fine Mess;" the life story of Oliver and Hardy. Now's the time.

Top Gear Fun

Jeremy Clarkson with Michael Fassbender

Top Gear Cars

art is everywhere

ASIDE:  Yes, I'm still watching Top Gear (BBC) on Netflix. My 5th or sixth cyle.  Why?  I don't know. I mean, that works out to 95 8-hour days of  it!  It obviously has a salutary effect on me, else I wouldn't.  The cast in the newer series do seem to be a parody of themselves; there's only so many times you can drop caravans on more caravans, or race across deserts in £1500 Porches; but I carry on anyway.  The "golden years" had this opening sequence (right), and ended (I think) with the annoying  "Some say he ... The Stig" introduction meme.  Strange thing is, I'm now watching the 2004 episodes, and for the first time, one of the cars (the "NEW" Golf GTI) looks dated.

Jeremy's Slippery Slope

“

Slippery Slopes I suspected .... More RUH ROH After 21 years in a marriage that weathered rumoured infidelities and plenty of career controversies, Jeremy Clarkson is heading for a second divorce. In a week in which Clarkson was severely reprimanded by the BBC over alleged racist language, his wife Frances’s decision to seek a divorce will be another dent in the ego, and the bank balance, of the famously bullish Top Gear presenter.   BUT WAIT! There's more PC S**T Top Gear is to be investigated by Ofcom following complaints presenter Jeremy Clarkson used a racist term, it has been announced. An episode of Top Gear, broadcast on BBC Two on March 16, showed Clarkson using the word "slope", as an Asian man walked over a bridge in Burma. The scene led to a complaint of ''casual racism'', with Clarkson accused of referring to "people of different races in pejorative terms". The complaint will now be investigated in full by watchdog Ofcom, which will consider whether the broadcaster breached its codes. Jezza is, as you know, someone I very much enjoy, and respect.  This is the very sort of crap he rails against on Top Gear, and now it appears they think they've got him.

”

Top Gear Legacy

At The Cinema                            Top Gear—It Just Keeps on Giving  “ Hurry up- you're getting married in 30 minutes- we're gonna be late! Okay Okay - I'm almost ready That was your boss.  If you don't have the new plan on his desk in 60 minutes,  he said don't bother at all Okay Okay - I'm almost ready [Answering machine] For the love of god man, I  know you're in there .  There's smoke pouring out of your windows!  GET out of there! [Thought bubble] Okay Okay - I'm almost ready We've all been there.  The book that's so gripping that you CANNOT put it down.  A television equivalent is the BBC's SPOOKS (or MI5).  Netflix has 10 series (11 is current). BBC says you can watch every episode here, but I'll be damned if I can get one started.  Has the BBC blocked the colonies?  Anyone know? . By the By, this is another beauty I was introduced to by celebtities that drove the reasonably priced car on TopGear.  Others include, Doc Martin, *Little Britain (David Walliams), Anything with Jimmy Carr, Rob Brydon, Steve Coogan, and the Incredible Ranulph Fiennes.  *Little Britain was sort of ca-ca early on, but it developed until, by the end, I was howling in anticipation of what I knew was coming.  Not for everyone. Oh my, while I was assembling this post, el-jefe sent me this "Thank you, Jeremy" moment. Here's more 13 Moments That Show How The BBC's Biggest Star Is Also Its Brashest I freely acknowledge that, if I lived in GB, I'd know that some or all of these people are the same left-wing drum beaters who've have left me unable to enjoy American movies and telly.  Don't tell me.  Please. ”

Let's make something perfectly clear ...

INSIDER: Thing that's annoyed me for over a year—of the five choices, Meat Loaf's Bat Out Of Hell should have won Greatest Driving Song of All Time in 2005.

Crap & Go

GREEN CLAP Clap & Go! “ The basis is a three-wheeled, 250cc trike, with a specially built toilet as the seat. It's important to note that the contraption does not (necessarily) run on the rider's (*ahem*) leavings. Rather, the vehicle runs on livestock waste, or waste water. The toilet-derived seat is just a rather blatant advertising device. [full] Reader dimitras sent the link, adding " it's you !"  Well, no;  it's Top Gear's invention. .       → ”

The Jenson Interceptor Gambit

It’s a time of peace, love and karate kicks as the lads try out the reborn Jensen Interceptor What begins as a nostalgic look at the Jensen Interceptor ends with the boys making thier own 1970's style detective show.  I nose-milk every time I see it. * If the video isn't working you can watch it here.

Top Gear Distractions

"A cast of thousands" This is hilarious.  As you know, I love Top Gear.  Just last night I finished episode 130 (last available)  and will begin my fourth circuit around.   Anyway, one of the things I've noticed are the  disproportionate number of  very, very attractive young ladies standing (the audience stand) behind the presenters.  That they're just "plain folk" adds to the fantasy quotient [ahem].  So look what I just stumbled on. A Most distracting audience member meme (with 1553 pages and counting).  It's so hard to be original anymore, wot.

Sabine Schmitz

Catharsis Ein petal on der metal If I was in high school today, and day dreaming about a fantasy girl during chemistry, it would be Sabine Schmitz. In December 2004, Schmitz gained recognition in the United Kingdom after appearing in the BBC television show Top Gear with presenter Jeremy Clarkson. After Clarkson (under her tutelage) set a lap time of 9 minutes 59 seconds around the Nürburgring in a Jaguar S-Type diesel (Season 5, Episode 5), she castigated his best lap with the comment "I tell you something, I do that lap time in a van". She did a lap in the Jaguar S-Type, and set a time of 9 minutes 12 seconds, beating him by 47 seconds. > The Van The Attempt Nerver Seen Still Shots

TOP GEAR (UK) NEWS

Catharsis TOP GEAR- NEW EPISODES!! CLAP CALP CLAP

“ As you are prolly aware, Top Gear (UK) is my go-to feel good place of all time.  There were 117 episodes available on NetFlix (and Amazon).  Because I husbanded them (rationed to watching just one a day), I squeezed better than 3 months out of the series.  I am today on episode 111 of the second go-around.  Which meant I had only a week left.  Last night I noticed the NEW EPISODES alert on my (NetFlix) recently watched icons.  HFS!  I looked,  and indeed there are seven heretofore unseen (by me) treats in store (don't  watch Top Gear on BBC- America, they trim a good 22 minutes from each episode).  Brilliant! By the by, I'm reminded of a question I've been wanting to ask.  By what convention are we, here in the US,  proscribed from watching  media from other countries?  Who decided that?  And, why? In my case I'm referring to BBC-UK.  I know you can download nearly unfathomable software to make the BBC think you live in Chelsea, but why is it necessary? It's Un-American! ”