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(Created on 29th May 2016)

Vote #461

Question:

Well, this weekend saw the debut of the new Top Gear. I haven't seen it yet and am not sure when it is due to air in the US (that said, it may have already aired). The question though - will I like the new Top Gear?

Results:

Yes and No tied with 50% of the votes each from the following:

  • Yes (50%)
  • No (50%)

Analysis:

Well, Pinocchio has competition. Matt LeBlanc is definitely pushing to be the number 1 wooden puppet on TV. It's amazing how good you can appear on scripted TV with good looking counterparts, but live .... you got some work to do. Chris still thinks he's delivering The Big Breakfast or TFI Friday, but that's not really a surprise as it's his one presentation style. I did kind of expect that. What happened to Sabine Schmitz? She only featured in one small part of the show. They made a big deal about the fact that Matt LeBlanc is the first overseas host of the show - well, is Sabine not a host then. Bit of a shame given she's the only one that knows how to drive. I have to be honest, I was rather looking forward to her being a big part of the show.

The show actually aired one day later over here so we didn't have to wait long for it. I have to be honest with all the above said and the complete lack of originality in the show, I didn't hate it. I wouldn't go as far as saying I liked it, but I wasn't cringing and trying to decide whether or not to turn it off. So, for the short term at least, it's on probation. It seems there's the potential to take the show places and I guess we need to give Chris and Matt more time to gel together live. We'll give it the benefit of the doubt and see how it progresses, but if it doesn't progress much from where it started, it might not have much of a lifespan.

Comments:

1 comment
Rag
17:12:17
26th June 2016
I have to say that after four episodes, I'm quite hooked on the show. I do still think the first episode was a bit rough, but I've definitely become used to it. I guess it just goes to show that we really don't like too much change given that the format of the show hasn't really changed. I think the real reason is that I just like to watch super cars being driven. I'm probably more of a petrol head than I give myself credit for.

(Created on 5th June 2016)

Vote #462

Question:

Well, as strange as this may sound, I was signing baseball cards with a caricature of myself this past week. I know you won't believe me without photographic evidence so here it is:

Yes, I know this one isn't signed, but I don't wouldn't want your printing them out and selling them on eBay as knock offs would I? OK, so that's not the vote question this week. The question is - do you want an autographed baseball card with a caricature of me on it?

Results:

Yes was the clear winner with 100% of the votes from the following selection:

  • Yes (100%)
  • No (0%)

Pre-Result Discussion

Mr O
23:25:40
7th June 2016
Good to see a photo where they've finally got your head in proportion with the rest of your body

Analysis:

Of course you want one. You know you do! And it's that egocentric view that caused my head to increase in size compared to my body. Mr O did make me laugh with his comment - yes, it is perfectly portioned.

Comments:

0 comments

(Created on 12th June 2016)

Vote #463

Question:

Well, that two year cycle is upon us and we see the England soccer team once again trying their hand in a tournament. I'm rather disappointed already not to have seen Vardy take the pitch even as a substitute. I'm also somewhat confused as to why Kane was taking the corners. So comfortably settling into being an armchair critic then. Will England make it past the group stage of Euro 2016?

Results:

No was the clear winner with 83% of the votes from the following selection:

  • Yes (17%)
  • No (83%)

Analysis:

Wow! So I'm the only person that has faith in England then. I'm somewhat surprised at that, but it looks like I'm going to be right. Hard to see us not qualifying now, although I guess a defeat on Monday to Slovakia would do it if the other results went against us. Nice result against Wales even if the game wasn't the best I've ever seen.

Comments:

0 comments

(Created on 19th June 2016)

Vote #464

Question:

I'm really focused on heading back the UK on vacation, but have just realized that we've got the long 4th of July weekend coming up. William is going to be away, so I'm going to be on my own and I was wondering if I should go away somewhere. Should I head out for a short break over the 4th of July weekend?

Results:

Yes was the clear winner with 86% of the votes from the following selection:

  • Yes (86%)
  • No (14%)

Analysis:

Well, it seems like the popular vote is for yes, but I seriously doubt I'm going to figure something out that I want to do before next weekend. What's more likely is that I'll arrange to meet my buddy in a local bar for a couple of beers and do a couple of bird walks on the other days. We'll have to see - you never know, I may get my arse into gear.

Comments:

0 comments

(Created on 26th June 2016)

Vote #465

Question:

I probably should have done a vote last week about Brexit, but I missed out. That said, there's no time like the present to get caught back up. Will I be able to buy the UK by the time I go back in July or will the pound have stabilized?

Results:

Go on, buy it - you know you want to was the clear winner with 100% of the votes from the following selection:

  • Go on, buy it - you know you want to (100%)
  • Nope, the pound will stabilize (0%)

Analysis:

Looks like a unanimous decision that I should buy the UK. I guess it'd be quite funny to buy the country, put it back in Europe, then sell it. Quite a few people will be annoyed with that given they went to these lengths to come out. I have to be honest, it's getting quite boring listening to the pundits trying to figure out what the impact will be. Will the UK go into recession, will that bring Europe into recession and will that knock on to the global economy. It kind of sounds like we're going to end up in one of those positions where we talk ourselves into recession. Rather than being positive, companies will now cut spending based on “uncertainty”. The fact that they cut spending will fuel the uncertainty and make it a reality. Oh well .... I just got to figure out how to make money out of it I guess.

Comments:

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(Created on 3rd July 2016)

Vote #466

Question:

Keen followers of the website will have noticed that I've taken up my birding walks in order to get some exercise whilst enjoying the outdoors. This means that I've started reading the birding posts again to see whether anything interesting has been spotted. I have to say that there's quite a lot of activity right now, but one post in particular caught my attention. Which of the following was keenly spotted by a fellow twitcher that caught my attention?

Results:

The Goodyear Blimp was the clear winner with 75% of the votes from the following selection:

  • California Condor (0%)
  • Eurasian Collared-Dove (a.k.a. dovey) (25%)
  • Golden Eagle (0%)
  • Hooded Warbler (0%)
  • Least Bittern (0%)
  • Lilac-breasted Roller (0%)
  • Osterich (0%)
  • The Goodyear Blimp (75%)

Analysis:

Well, there have been sightings of a hooded warbler and least bittern that have created quite an interest. Additionally there were sightings of “dovey” that had several people interested as well. It was, however, the reported sighting of the Goodyear Blimp that indeed caught my eye. Yes, this was actually reported on a birding site, along with its identification number. I wonder if the identification number was included in case others thought they saw the same one. Clearly “bloody great big balloon” is not sufficient detail. I wonder if Mr O figured out the answer as it was the Goodyear Blimp returning from the NASCAR race at Sonoma. Something he may have been able to work out if he could have been bothered.

Comments:

0 comments

(Created on 10th July 2016)

Vote #467

Question:

It's time for us to get intimate again! I need to talk to you about “feminine itch”. I seem to be constantly watching adverts for products that help feminine itch. I wasn't 100% sure what it was so I googled it and ... well, it's more or less exactly what it sounds like - an itchy vagina. The cause of said itch can be varied, but the result is the same. But I got to thinking that this is a bit weird as you don't generally see women having a good old scratch of their vagina and on the other hand, blokes are invariably relieving gonad itch. I could be wrong on this (I've not searched it), but I'm not aware of their being products to ease “masculine itch”. Do you think Bouncing Billy's Bollock Balm to bathe your balls in and stop masculine itch is a million dollar idea?

Results:

Yes and No tied with 50% of the votes each from the following:

  • Yes (50%)
  • No (50%)

Analysis:

A mixed response then. The EBR voters are not quite sold on Bouncing Billy's Bollock Balm. Well, the good news is that I didn't go out and register the patent so I'll leave it up to someone else to pick up the idea and run with it.

Comments:

0 comments

(Created on 17th July 2016)

Vote #468

Question:

I'm sure it hasn't escaped everybody's notice that there's been a gaming phenomenon release. Pokemon Go has taken the world by storm and has millions playing it. Well, millions trying to play it as it's bloody impossible to log on at peak times. The release of a highly popular and addictive game means I have a new hobby. Chasing a 10 year old around parks while trying to catch rage Pokemon. Obviously running an extremely high traffic site like EastBayRag, I know a thing or two about dealing with large server volumes and I could have probably taught Niantic a thing or two. Do you think Pokemon Go would have had a more stable release if they had hired Mr O to do some system testing for them?

Results:

Yes was the clear winner with 57% of the votes from the following selection:

  • Yes (57%)
  • No (43%)

Analysis:

Got to laugh, the servers seem to be stable this weekend and I'm stuck inside sick so not able to play. Yes, of course, Mr O would have made sure everything was functioning smoothly before they went online. To be honest, I'm not sure anyone would have predicted the amount of people that would have downloaded the game, but hey ... they didn't use Mr O, so they had problems.

Comments:

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(Created on 24th July 2016)

Vote #469

Question:

There's only one question spinning through my mind, whether or not to attempt my trip back to the UK this coming Wednesday, but I'm not going to ask that as the question. I'm failing miserably at trying to take emotion out of that equation - the desire to want to go back versus the reality that I'm not well enough to make the trip. Instead, I will ask a question around an article I just read on the BBC website about an endangered butterfly being saved by a small bog in Lancashire. Why is my head giving me images of a bloke with a flat cap walking to his outhouse at the bottom of his garden to look after butterflies?

Results:

Because that's what a small bog in Lancashire is was the clear winner with 75% of the votes from the following selection:

  • Because you're mad (0%)
  • Because you're fixated with (and on) toilets (25%)
  • Because that's what a small bog in Lancashire is (75%)

Analysis:

Indeed, a small bog in Lancashire is an outhouse at the bottom of the garden. And there is a very dedicated man with one of said outhouses that is lovingly nurturing butterflies.

Comments:

0 comments

(Created on 31st July 2016)

Vote #470

Question:

Looks like I've found myself in hospital again due to the same old same old. So, how many doctors will stick their finger where the sun don't shine during this hospital visit?

Results:

6 was the clear winner with 50% of the votes from the following selection:

  • 0 (17%)
  • 1 (0%)
  • 2 (0%)
  • 3 (0%)
  • 4 (0%)
  • 5 (17%)
  • 6 (50%)
  • 7 (17%)
  • 8 (0%)
  • 9 (0%)

Analysis:

Believe it or not, the answer is zero. Yes, I think I've finally got to the stage where my arse is no longer interesting. My guess is that they've figured out what they're going to find up there so no need to check. Interestingly they did a CT scan instead. Possibly a little more expensive than the finger, but hopefully provides additional information for diagnosis.

Comments:

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