[HTTP] Internal Server Error Stack trace: #0 [internal function]: SoapClient->__doRequest

Posted by David Hurst on November 19, 2010 None comments

If you’ve found this page, it’s likely you are working with a PHP SOAP Client and are getting the [HTTP] Internal Server Error Stack trace: #0 [internal function]: SoapClient->__doRequest error.

This error is usually an indication that something is wrong with the SOAP Server. If it’s a PHP Server script then it could be as simple as a parse error. These can easily slip through when working with SOAP, as you are not running the server directly and therefore wouldn’t see the parse error in the browser. The best way to find out what the problem is, is to look at the Apache error logs. Generally, the log on the machine that hosts the SOAP Client won’t be much use (unless the Client is on the same machine as the Server of course).

Apache error logs are usually found somewhere in /var/log – on a CentOS or RHEL server, the log will be /var/log/httpd/error_log. Check the location for your Linux distribution, then run this command (substituting the correct log file path of course):

tail -f /var/log/httpd/error_log

Now refresh the SOAP Client and watch for the error to appear. This should point you in the right direction and help you to fix the issue.

MotoGP 2011 Riders & Team Line-Ups

Posted by David Hurst on November 12, 2010 4 comments

With the 2010 season over and the dust settling on the Valencia testing, I thought I would list the line-ups and my predictions for MotoGP 2011. I’m probably completely wrong – feel free to add a comment with your own predictions.

Fiat Yamaha

The factory Yamaha team looks set to shine again in 2011, with a strong rider line-up and apparently a revised engine.

99. Jorge Lorenzo (SPA)
The current world champion will take some beating – Jorge has gone from strength to strength this season. Not only does he have talent in spade loads and a brilliant bike to ride, he has consistency, and that’s what wins championships.

Valencia test position & time: 2nd @ 1m 32.179s
My prediction for 2011: 2nd

11. Ben Spies (USA)
The 2009 World Superbike Champion (in his rookie year no less) had a good first season in MotoGP with the Tech 3 Yamaha team, finishing a respectable 6th. Now Ben has the faster factory M1 to ride, and it is highly likely that he will be pushing Lorenzo all the way in 2011. His 3rd place in the Valencia test bodes very well indeed.

Valencia test position & time: 3rd @ 1m 32.322s
My prediction for 2011: 4th

Repsol Honda

Honda’s factory team looks set to dominate the constructors title in 2011 with their line-up of 3 extremely talented riders.

27. Casey Stoner (AUS)
Casey hasn’t had a great time the last two seasons, with his illness in 2009, and his crashes in the 2010 season. A move away from the unpredictable Ducati to the super-smooth Honda was perhaps inevitable. Frankly, Stoner on a Honda is a frightening proposition and I cannot see him coming away with anything less than 1st place in the 2011 championship. This is borne out by his test times in Valencia, which really are stunning considering the fact he is getting used to a completely different bike.

Valencia test position & time: 1st @ 1m 32.066s
My prediction for 2011: 1st

26. Dani Pedrosa (SPA)
Dani had a good season in 2010 finishing 2nd in the championship, and had it not been for injury causing him to miss some of the end of the season, the gap between him and Lorenzo might not have been so large. Dani is the king of the race starts and he knows the Honda well, so you wouldn’t bet against him in 2011. I can’t see him being quicker than Stoner though.

Valencia test position & time: 5th @ 1m 32.497s
My prediction for 2011: 3rd

4. Andrea Dovizioso (ITA)
Dovi had a mixed 2010 season and seemed to be a little lacking in consistency, and he will be looking to improve on his 5th place in 2011. I don’t think he’ll manage it.

Valencia test position & time: 9th @ 1m 32.942s
My prediction for 2011: 6th

Ducati Marlboro

Everyone will be watching Ducati with great interest following their signing of Valentino Rossi for 2011, and with a new bike, it should be interesting. Rossi and Hayden both got to test “big bang” and “screamer” versions of the thumping V4, and it’ll probably be the “big bang” engine that makes the cut. Not the first time Rossi and Hayden have been team mates either.

46. Valentino Rossi (ITA)
Arguably the greatest motorcycle racer ever and a worth world champion in 2009, but thanks to a broken leg only managed 3rd in the 2010 season. Still, even if he hadn’t had the accident, he wouldn’t have beaten Lorenzo, and at times he didn’t look much like the Rossi of old. Hopefully his planned shoulder surgery in the off-season will go well and he will be back to his best next year. Personally, I think he might find it difficult to compete with Ducati and that he should seriously look at moving to Formula 1 before that opportunity disappears. Still, you’d never bet against him…

Valencia test position & time: 15th @ 1m 33.793s
My prediction for 2011: 5th

69. Nicky Hayden (USA)
Nicky managed a 7th in 2010 and I reckon he’ll be there or thereabouts again this year. His being more familiar with the Ducati resulted in better test times in Valencia, which give a better indication of how the Ducati will perform next year.

Valencia test position & time: 6th @ 1m 32.583s
My prediction for 2011: 8th

Rizla Suzuki

How sad that Suzuki will only be running one bike in 2011. At least it will be an improved bike, if Alvaro’s test times are anything to go by.

19. Alvaro Bautista (SPA)
Alvaro finished 13th in 2010, and I reckon with a better bike under him a bit more experience he should be doing better in 2011.

Valencia test position & time: 7th @ 1m 32.738s
My prediction for 2011: 9th

San Carlo Honda Gresini

The satellite Honda team has an excellent talent in Simoncelli, and clearly a bike that is not far off the performance of the factory machine.

58. Marco Simoncelli (ITA)
One of the real rising stars of MotoGP, surely Marco will have a factory ride before much longer. His performances towards the end of 2010 were stunning, and his test times at Valencia show there’s more of the same to come. Simoncelli could be the real surprise package of 2011.

Valencia test position & time: 4th @ 1m 32.450s
My prediction for 2011: 7th

7. Hiroshi Aoyama (JPN)
Hiroshi had a reasonable season in 2010 finishing 15th, and he’ll be hoping for better in 2011, particularly since Marco is ably demonstrating the capabilities of the bike. I can’t see him doing much better though.

Valencia test position & time: 10th @ 1m 33.105s
My prediction for 2011: 14th

Monster Yamaha Tech 3

Ben Spies showed in 2010 what the satellite Yamaha bike is capable of, but it’s clearly no match for the factory machines, and with a relatively weak rider line-up, I can’t see 2011 being a great season for Tech 3.

5. Colin Edwards (USA)
Colin is getting on a bit now and it seems unlikely that he will have anything new to offer in 2011. Still a great rider, and may pull the odd surprise finish, but a mid-table finish is probably the best he can hope for.

Valencia test position & time: 12th @ 1m 33.325s
My prediction for 2011:  12th

35. Cal Crutchlow (GBR)
Cal is a new face in the MotoGP paddock having recently stepped up from World Superbikes. He’ll probably have found his feet by the middle of the season and finish more strongly, and I reckon he may even finish ahead of his team mate Colin.

Valencia test position & time: 13th @ 1m 33.483s
My prediction for 2011: 11th

Pramac Racing Team

Pramac have an all-new line-up for 2011, and hopefully they’ve worked some better reliability into their Ducati powered bikes.

14. Randy De Puniet (FRA)
Randy is one of my favourite riders with his flamboyant style. Often though, this costs him, like at Silverstone in 2010 where he wore his tyres out power sliding through the corners and saw his excellent position evaporate. It will be interesting to see him riding the Pramac Ducati, and assuming the reliability is there, I think he’ll have a reasonable season.

Valencia test position & time: 8th @ 1m 32.836s
My prediction for 2011: 10th

65. Loris Capirossi (ITA)
The elder statesman of MotoGP moves to Pramac from Suzuki and probably won’t see much improvement over his 2010 performance. Still able to cut it with the youngsters despite being in his forties. Respect!

Valencia test position & time: 14th @ 1m 33.740s
My prediction for 2011: 15th

Paginas Amarillas Aspar

The satellite Ducati team fared reasonably well in 2010, but stiff competition up the top will make it harder to make an impression in 2011.

40. Hector Barbera
Hector still has time to improve in MotoGP, but I can’t see him doing much better in 2011.

Valencia test position & time: 11th @ 1m 33.168s
My prediction for 2011: 13th

LCR Honda

Randy made the satellite Honda bike look better than it probably is, and I can’t see Toni Elias managing to do the same. LCR will probably need to get used to being closer to the rear in 2011.

24. Toni Elias (SPA)
Toni comes back into MotoGP after a season out in Moto2, where he took the Championship. The big bikes are in a different league though and I think Toni may struggle in 2011.

Valencia test position & time: 17th @ 1m 34.800s
My prediction for 2011: 16th

Cardion AB Motoracing

I know less than nothing about this team and their rider, so I’m predicting a last place finish. The team is moving up from Moto2 and will be fielding a Ducati. Who knows what to expect?

17. Karel Abraham (CZE)
Karel placed 10th in Moto2 last season, so I can’t image he’s going to jump up to the big league and show the rest of them how it’s done. His test times in Valencia weren’t bad though, so this could be another surprise package for 2011.

Valencia test position & time: 16th @ 1m 33.793s
My prediction for 2011: 17th

The Casualties
Mika Kallio: will be racing in Moto2 for Marc VDS Racing Team in 2011
Aleix Espargaro: will be racing in Moto2 for Pons Kalex in 2011
Marco Melandri: will be replacing Cal Crutchlow in the Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike team for 2011, ending 8 years in MotoGP, where he managed an excellent 2nd place in 2005. Will no doubt be in the running for the World Superbike title in 2011.
Interwetten Honda Team: will be focusing on Moto2 for 2011, but plan to return to MotoGP in 2012.

The Support Riders
Alex de Angelis: replaced Hiroshi Aoyama for three races in 2010. Will continue in Moto2.
Roger Lee Hayden: replaced Randy de Puniet for Laguna Seca. Rumours are that Roger will be in Moto2 next year.
Kousuke Akiyoshi: replaced Hiroshi Aoyama for two races in 2010. No confirmed ride for the Japanese test rider next year.
Carlos Checa: replaced Mika Kallio for two races in 2010 and finished 3rd in World Superbikes. Will continue in World Superbikes in 2011.
Wataru Yoshikawa: replaced Valentino Rossi for one race in 2010. No confirmed ride for the Japanese test rider next year.

I’m not a celebrity, please get me out of here!

Posted by David Hurst on November 9, 2010 1 comments

The phone on my desk rings. It’s Pete. Haven’t spoken to him in a while and the poor man sounds frantic. Turns out he dropped an email to a BBC TV show called Instant Restaurants the previous day to register his interest in being a participant and they’ve phoned him back today to invite him to take part in a show being recorded that evening. Pete’s wife is ill and he needs a complete mug friend to take her place. I am that friend, or at least I am the first friend that was stupid enough to say yes.

So, with two and a half hours’ notice, I rush home to iron a shirt (well, in fairness, I rushed to the shop first to buy a new shirt, then rushed home to iron it), trim the mane and try and tease my barnet into something resembling presentable. A quick swig of courage, courtesy of Uncle Jack, and we’re on our way to some chap’s house nearby. Frankly, my gut is churning and I just know I’m going to end up regretting it.

The basic premise of the show is an amateur chef opening up his home as a restaurant for a bunch of complete strangers who at the end of the night will pay what they think the meal is worth. Apparently, “underground restaurants” are becoming something of a trend, and I must confess I had been tempted to give one a whirl since I saw Jamie Oliver doing something similar on his US tour. I hadn’t imagined that I might share my first experience on national telly.

“Let’s play it vanilla”, says I to Pete, “whatever we do, we don’t want to do anything that’ll end up on the trailers and be repeated for eternity on Dave”. Pete was more concerned by the fact that two blokes turning up together might look “a bit gay”. With action plan and avoidance notes thus decided, we booted over to the location and found ourselves in the middle of a housing estate, signing away all our rights on a TV contract, that rather worryingly included a clause to say that the production company was not responsible if we should in any way die during the filming of the show.

Next, we were filmed “arriving” at the house, complete with some awful banal dialogue that Pete and I made up on the spur of the moment which would have been a cringeworthy moment had it ever made the final cut. The whole time we were there I though that we were going to be completely stitched up. “Stand closer together”, said the rather lovely Australian camera lady, “trust me – it doesn’t look as close on camera”. I practically had my tongue in Pete’s ear.

We were greeted (after I had been filmed pressing the doorbell about 20 times) by our “waitress” for the evening, who was thoroughly delightful and had somehow been arm-twisted by some friend of a friend of the chef to do the job. I thought she was very professional actually, and the most authentic restaurant experience of the evening. The rest was not so great.

The “chef” had cleared his front room and set out a couple of tables, complete with plastic chairs of the kind my arse last graced during my English Lit exam. The room was rather sterile and the rack of lighting equipment and cameras hardly added to the atmosphere. Anyway, the waitress duly served us some of the wine that we had brought with us and we sat whispering to each other waiting for our fellow guests to arrive. These comprised three middle-aged ladies, who joined our table, and three local lads with proper thick Somerset accents.

To start we had a choice of scallops or a mushroom salad. Seafood is rarely my first choice when dining out, so mushrooms it was. Nicely cooked they were too, however the salad comprised mainly of raw onions swimming in vinegar was not to my taste. Some considerable time later, we were given the choice for the main course of either more seafood or lamb. After seafood, the meat I am least likely to order is lamb, but faced with this choice, I had to go with it. As it turned out, I really enjoyed it. The veg was well cooked (if a little cold on the plate) and some of the lamb was delicious. Some of it was raw. I did my best, but when your dinner is eyeing you dolefully from the plate and bleating gently as you spear it with your fork, it doesn’t do much for appetite.

It was at this point that I picked up some of the floppy raw meat and made some rather predictable gag about a talented vet being able to bring the thing back to the land of the living. A camera was duly stuck in my face and I was made to repeat my gag, which was nowhere near as amusing the second time around. Thankfully, this toe-curling moment missed the edit, as they focused instead on the hair one of my fellow diners found in her desert.

I chose apple sponge with custard (or as Masterchef insist on calling it, ‘creme Anglais’ – yo Wallace, we’re in England not France and it is called custard) for desert. This was OK, although it certainly wasn’t a sponge. Lovely stodgy cake, yes – sponge, no.

By this time, fully 3 hours had passed since we first came in. Now, I’m in favour of lingering over a good meal with pleasant company, but this was a bit long even by my standards. Finally, it was time for an on-camera interview… in the garden… in November… at night. I was cold. I managed by some sheer fluke not to sound like a complete tool, and then parted with more money than I really wanted to for the meal, because I’m a snob and didn’t want to seem like a skinflint on national telly.

All in all, an interesting experience, that thankfully very few people that I knew ever watched.

I think next we should try to get on Bargain Hunt. I reckon I would really suck at that.

Ubisoft – error: This CD-Key has been used already

Posted by David Hurst on October 12, 2010 10 comments

Last week I bought The Settlers 7 – Paths to a Kingdom for my Mac. It’s a game released by Ubisoft, who seem to have introduced a copy protection system that requires you to register an account with them online and tie your game activation code to an online account. The principal benefit for the gamers is that you can play the game without having the DVD in the drive, and you are allowed to install on multiple machines (but only use one copy at a time). That’s great, but there’s also the huge disadvantage in that there is no resale value for the game on the used market, and let’s face it, game trade-ins is a pretty huge market.

“This CD-Key has been used already”
I was somewhat surprised to be faced with this message when trying to install my game. I bought it new from a shop and removed the security seal myself, so how exactly has my CD-Key been used already? Has anyone else been faced with this error message when installing a brand new game?

Slow/non-existent support
I submitted my support request via the Ubisoft Solution Center three days ago, and so far I have received nothing apart from an automated acknowledgement. I don’t find this sort of response time acceptable for an issue that effectively prevents me from using the product I have purchased and now own. I have provided all the information Ubisoft will need to resolve my request, including a scan of my shop receipt and my manual with clearly displayed CD-Key.

If you have had similar problems, please leave a comment.

ZDNet loves Microsoft, hates privacy (and is not averse to providing misleading information to support their cause)

Posted by David Hurst on September 17, 2010 1 comments

I happened upon a ZDNet article about Internet Explorer 9 today. What drew me in to have a read was the post title: “Internet Explorer 9 beta review: Microsoft reinvents the browser”. Wow, thought I. Have Microsoft done something groundbreaking with their new browser?

Simple answer: no. They just caught up with the other guys, optimised it a bit, added hardware acceleration and made it look like Google Chrome. Apparently, it even supports standards. Yep, you read that right – a Microsoft browser that properly supports standards. Web professionals around the world will probably need to hold off breaking out the Champagne though, because IE 6 – 8 will linger around like a bad smell for many years to come, and we’ll still be writing and re-writing CSS and doing silly Javascript hacks just to get our standards compliant code to look right on IE.

What struck me as odd is the way ZDNet positively orgasmed over the browser and made lots of unfavourable comparisons with other browsers. They particularly seemed keen to highlight the fact that Google Chrome has no hardware acceleration, as though rendering complex 3D scenes and animations through a web browser is a commonplace occurrence.

Then I clicked through the various screenshots on offer, and found these two:

ZDNet: Code required for IE9 rounded corners

ZDNet: "Code required for IE9 rounded corners"

Fair enough. That looks like straightforward CSS – the same code that can be used on Chrome / Safari to do the exact same thing.

And then…

ZDNet: Code required for rounded corners in Chrome 6

ZDNet: "Code required for rounded corners in Chrome 6"

Hang on a minute! That’s the exact same piece of code expressed in explicit notation. This is complete misrepresentation by ZDNet in some half-arsed effort to prove that IE9 is somehow better than Chrome. ZDNet need to wake up and join the 21st century, where web developers have been happily applying rounded corners in standards compliant browsers for ages. Perhaps they should consider hiring someone who actually knows a bit of CSS before they publish this kind of pure arse gravy.

Naturally, I felt the need to remonstrate and post a comment on the post – an action that (surprise, surprise) required registration. I duly therefore went through the registration process, taking care to de-select all email newsletters and junk mail options – I don’t want my inbox bombarded with articles from this lot, because I now don’t trust a word they say.

You can imagine my annoyance then when I got an email confirming my newsletter subscriptions with ZDNet. Yes, they completely ignored my wishes and privacy, and decided to send me their junk mail anyway!

Unbelievable. But, it gets worse…

I naturally logged straight back in to the site to change my subscription preferences, but found I was unable to do so, without giving ZDNet loads of personal information first!

This kind of contempt for user privacy is perhaps to be expected from an organisation the publishes complete falsehoods in order to support a product they favour. I guess Microsoft has them on the payroll.

Use ZDNet at your peril. They probably sell your data to the highest bidder… and the lowest… and every bidder in between.

Liverpool: death of a football club

Posted by David Hurst on September 17, 2010 None comments

Four games into the new Premier League season and Liverpool sit proudly at position 13 in the table. One scraped win, two draws, and a thumping at the hands of Manchester City is not the start we were looking for. Roy Hodgson came in, with much hype regarding his credentials, and has not yet demonstrated any great ability in the transfer market or much tactical genius on the pitch. Still, Liverpool’s plight cannot be wholly placed upon Mr Hodgson’s shoulders when the real lack of vision, conviction and direction comes from the vacillating members of the board of Liverpool Football Club.

The problems are simple:

  1. The club does not have a team capable of competing for the title.
  2. The club is saddled with massive debt.
  3. There is no significant investment with which to buy players.
  4. The stadium is too small and cannot generate enough revenue to keep up with the likes of United, Chelsea and Arsenal.

The solution is also simple: money. I’m sorry, but that’s the way it is. The beautiful game is now the hunting ground of uber rich investors, with a Premier League club being the ideal bauble to grace the portfolio of the world’s billionaires. No longer is it enough to bring youth players through the system, nor is it even possible. Big clubs can’t afford to give the game time that young players need in order to progress. This means they go on loan at lower league clubs, playing a lower standard, never progressing fast enough, and eventually get auctioned off to a life in League 2. On the rare occasion where a young homegrown starlet breaks into the multi-national ranks of a Premier League club, they just get stolen away by United, Chelsea, City etc. for a fraction of what they will one day be worth.

So, trying to bring players through doesn’t work. What choice is left? Money. Until every club has a super wealthy oligarch owner, we won’t see any sort of equality in the league and unless the FA and Premier League actually do something to restore the game, then we won’t see any return to the “beautiful game” (nor indeed any chance of an England team that can cut it on the world stage).

So what do Liverpool do? They need a new stadium – and not some crappy American football stadium that adds hardly any capacity, like current owners Hicks and Gillett are proposing – a stadium of similar capacity to Old Trafford (if the current plans go ahead, New Anfield will still be 15,000 seats behind Old Trafford). Further, Liverpool owe around £237million to the Royal Bank of Scotland with a penalty of £60million due if it is not repaid by October 6 2010. Finally, the club needs serious player investment if it is to compete at the highest level.

The choice for Liverpool then is clear. Get a new owner, preferably one that is dripping in money and doesn’t need to borrow all the money required to buy the club. Enter Kenny Huang.

Mr Huang offered to buy out Liverpool’s American owners, pay off the Royal Bank of Scotland loan, fund the new stadium and provide significant investment for players before the end of the transfer window. Perfect. Except it isn’t, because Mr Huang got fed up with waiting for Liverpool FC’s retarded board to make a decision, and subsequently withdrew his offer. I don’t blame him.

Liverpool brought in BA boss Martin Broughton as Chairman earlier this year to help facilitate the sale. A guess a quick sale would not be in Broughton’s personal interests – presumably he gets paid more, the longer it takes.

So, there is no money to pay back RBOS, which means re-negotiating terms, which means hefty financial penalties. There is no money for players unless we sell, and the transfer window has long since shut. Which world class players did the club acquire? One. Joe Cole. A great signing, for sure, but when you consider Yossi Benayoun and Javier Mascherano left, the club is down overall, and still without a world class striker to partner Torres.

Will the stadium ever be built? Who knows?!

Pretty soon Gerrard and Carragher will be past it, and Torres will get fed up with the lack of trophies. What’s left then? A mid-table club that’s what. And if the debt doesn’t get sorted out, then Liverpool will be playing in a lower division faster than you can say “Leeds United”.

Pope Benedict UK Visit 2010

Posted by David Hurst on September 14, 2010 1 comments

I’m not a Catholic, but I can understand why Catholics might be excited about the first papal visit to the UK in almost 30 years. What I don’t understand is why he’s bothering to come here. Since Henry VIII formed the Church of England, this country hasn’t exactly been a centre for Catholicism. And, despite the country being nominally Christian, the vast majority of the public are agnostic and have little interest in religion.

I am one of the few with an interest in religion and have spent many years studying the bible. What I have never found in the scriptures is any kind of reference to any one man being placed in charge of the faith of others. Catholics claim that the apostle Peter was the first Pope. If that really were the case, I ask whether they could ever imagine humble Simon Peter rolling around in the popemobile, draped in expensive garb and jewellery? Would Peter have charged people £25 for a “pilgrim pack” to gain entry to his services (yes, the Pope is actually charging an entry fee)? Can you imagine Jesus doing this?

No, Peter and Jesus Christ ascribed all glory to God, and devoted their time freely to preaching about God’s Kingdom. There was never a charge and there certainly weren’t any “pilgrim packs” on sale for the Sermon on the Mount.

Apparently, ticket sales are slow, and I’m glad that people aren’t buying the tickets. I’m sick of seeing religions making obscene profits out of their adherents. It’s no different to the money changers that Jesus threw out of the temple in Jerusalem. You can’t buy your way into paradise – Jesus told us that. Maybe the Pope needs to spend a bit more time reading his bible and a bit less time being a businessman.

UK Bank Holidays 2011 / Public Holidays 2011 for England, Scotland and Northern Ireland

Posted by David Hurst on September 9, 2010 None comments

England and Wales Bank Holidays and Public Holidays 2011:

3 January – New Year’s Day Holiday
22 April – Good Friday
25 April – Easter Monday
29 April – Royal Wedding
2 May – Early May Bank Holiday
30 May – Spring Bank Holiday
29 August – Summer Bank Holiday
26 December – Boxing Day
27 December – Christmas Day Holiday

Scotland Bank Holidays and Public Holidays 2011:

3 January – New Year’s Day Holiday
4 January – 2nd January Holiday
22 April – Good Friday
29 April – Royal Wedding
2 May – Early May Bank Holiday
30 May – Spring Bank Holiday
29 August – Summer Bank Holiday
26 December – Boxing Day
27 December – Christmas Day Holiday

Northern Ireland Bank Holidays and Public Holidays 2011:

As per England and Wales, plus…

17 March – St. Patrick’s Day
12 July – Battle of the Boyne (Orangemen’s Day)

Another reason why I hate Windows – automatic restarts

Posted by David Hurst on September 5, 2010 4 comments

Due to leaving my MacBook Pro and my Ubuntu netbook at work, and the fact I can’t be bothered to walk upstairs to use either of the Macs up there, I have been sat on the sofa, watching TV and browsing eBay on a Windows Laptop. Google Chrome is open and loaded with about 18 tabs of items I want to look at in more detail.

However, dinner time arrives and I leave the laptop open on the sofa and head off to enjoy some Lasagne. By the time I come back, Windows has taken it upon itself to download an update, apply it and restart my computer without saving anything.

How do people put up with this crap? I should be the one to decide whether my computer is to be restarted or not. This stuff doesn’t happen with OS X or Linux.

Just one more reason why I hate Windows.

The Stig – the (not so) great unveiling

Posted by David Hurst on September 2, 2010 None comments

I enjoy watching Top Gear. Not as much as I used to true, but that has more to do with the retarded pre-pubescent humour than Mr Stig being unveiled. Frankly, the news coverage of this underwhelming event has been way too excessive. I mean, come on… we all knew that there was a guy under the helmet, and many would have had a reasonable stab at guessing his identity. Clearly, it had to be someone with racing experience (and probably not a huge amount of success if he has time to show up at the Top Gear test track throughout the year), so finding out that it is former Formula 3 driver and movie stuntman Ben Collins is hardly a shock.

Nor is it a shock that the BBC should have sought an injunction to prevent the disclosure of Stig’s identity. “The Stig” is not the same as Ben Collins the man. Rather, “The Stig” is a character and the intellectual property of the BBC (and its license payers), and Mr Collins presumably agreed to play along with the secrecy element of the character. The BBC should not be prevented from protecting its assets, provided such preventative action is sensibly priced and with good cause, simply because it is license payer funded.

All that said, I don’t really think this is as much of a disaster as Top Gear’s Andy Wilman asserted in his recent blog post. As he put it himself:

“Everyone who’s ever worked on Top Gear has kept the Stig thing a secret, and the person who wears the suit has signed confidentiality agreements to do the same. So talk about what you like in your own life, but not the bit you agreed not to. Your word is supposed to mean something.”

So where exactly is the problem? Mr Collins has surely breached contract, therefore the contract is at an end. It is time for white suited Stig to be shot off the end of an aircraft carrier in a knackered old Jag, and for a new Stig to arrive in a new colour suit (red or silver maybe?). The Top Gear viewers will love it! In fact, Ben Collins has just written half an episode of the new series for you, and generated huge amounts of publicity for the show.

Really, whilst it must be hugely irritating for the TG team, everybody wins. Ben and his publishers HarperCollins may well be cashing in the BBC’s IP, but the BBC has the opportunity to re-invigorate the show with a new Stig and move on… until the new Stig decides to publish his memoirs that is.

Now, regarding the new Stig – my suggestion would have to be Valentino Rossi, if you can tempt him away from Ducati and stop him doodling on the helmet of course…