More Olympic Mindgames

Don't know what the The Daily Mail and its online version are up to. They seem to be trying to undermine the British Olympic athletes and make up new ones at the same time.

Last week, they were having a go at Zara Philips for only coming second! - the paper's front page was worse and that was after attacking the Opening Ceremony. One of my Facebook friends found that - I bet Fox News were having similar thoughts - another odious, right-wing, propaganda-and-half-truths media organisation.

Next, although admittedly (presumably) with her consent (to promote her autobiography), they've got Victoria Pendleton down as some sort of scheming, womanising, ruthless person.

Today, however, they have a story about another Olympic Gold Medal winner - 30 year-old Elizabeth ‘Betty’ Haig, or, more specifically, her 1.5 litre Singer Le Mans sports car - were you worried that this post wasn't getting car-related?That's not her in the photo, by the way, that's some woman who works for The Savoy - it is the car, though.

The story tells of how they crossed Europe battling border-guards to win the Motor-Rally Gold - beating those nasty BMWs into the bargain - it doesn't actually say that last bit but that is definitely what the writer is thinking.

Anyway, quite an interesting story.

Pity I don't believe it.

I can't find any evidence of a Motor Rally Gold medal at the 1936 Olympic Games. Even the official Olympic Website doesn't mention it - Britain only won four Golds that year - not like this year eh!?

Apparently, motorsport was a demonstration event in the 1900 Olympics - maybe they should reinstate it - Britain does particularly well at sports where you compete sitting down.

They did have some "Art" Gold Medals in 1936. Maybe that is where the Mail is getting confused, although it was an Italian, not a Brit who won gold for his "Sulky Driver":That is a statue of a man driving a two-wheeled cart called a "Sulky" - it's not an Audi driver who has got a gob on.

Like the Mail story I commented on last month, this Mail story also goes on to shoot off at a tangent. Last month's went off on a rant about BMWs, this one's gone with Sat-Navs.

Maybe they should try for a shooting Gold.

The Mayor of London is a Buffoon

But a very likeable one.

Again, I can't agree with his politics but the people of London seem to appreciate them - unless they have just fallen for his personality - but that's their business.

He was always very funny on Have I Got News For You? and suitably amusing as the celebrity guest on Top Gear and he is always good value for money when interviewed by Jeremy Paxman - but then Jeremy Paxman loves to interview an idiot.

The reason I am discussing Boris today, after discussing his old school-chum yesterday, is this story about him using glue to catch pollution on the streets of London. It seems a bit expensive and far-fetched to me but they claim it is producing results. I'm not scientifically qualified to comment (not that that usually stops me) so read the article and draw your own conclusions.

I suppose that I'm only really mentioning it at all because it is a good excuse to print a picture of Boris. That can be a bit of a problem choosing because there is never a picture of Boris that doesn't make you smile - check these out.

Sometimes you just see a picture and want to publish it...which relates to this story. Check out the video on that too - it is brilliant!

Sat Naff

Yet another story from my new Aussie source www.caradvice.com.au.

Only trouble is - I don't think it's true.

I don't like being let down by my news sources. This comes in the wake of the shock of this month's Top Gear magazine NOT having an advert for Seat on the back page. This must be the first time in many, many years that this has happened. Certainly the All Old Top Gear Magazine from 2004 had a Seat ad on the back. An even older copy I have from 1999 has a Mazda ad on the back but we're talking a minimum of 7-years worth of Seat ads here.

And what have they put there instead? - a flamin' perfume or after-shave ad! I don't take any notice of them - the TV versions are particularly grating. Usually black-and-white and full of very pretentious people you really wouldn't want to meet. Anyone fooled by these ads must be very shallow and very gullible.

Anyway, as Ronnie Corbett would say - I digress.

The story that led me to start wittering on here is about three women who let one of these thingslead them into a lake where they nearly drowned.

It seems far-fetched that even a woman driver (only joking!) would drive into a lake. Even at night, the headlights would show up a large mass of water where a road should be.

The other suspicious thing is that this is supposed to have happened in Washington, Tyne-and-Wear. And yet there is absolutely zero mention of it on the BBC North-East Website, nor on the sites of the Sunderland Echo or Newcastle Chronicle - nor anywhere else on the Global Interweb so how on Earth did a reporter in Oz get hold of the story?

I suppose it does reinforce the need not to blindly rely on Sat-Navs though. It's not as though we haven't been warned...

Not that everyone follows such warnings...
Anyway, what's wrong with good old-fashioned maps and following signs?