Driving and Drinking
Two points to make today. The first is that another celebrity has been injured during filming in a car at high speed.
This time, it was Ms Dynamite. I'm sure she has a real name but I'm not in-tune enough to know it, unfortunately. I know she's a singer and that I don't like her music much. She was appearing on a programme called The Race, which I didn't really see much of, but basically it involved a few celebrities training to become racing drivers. On the final race of the day, Brian Johnson - Bon Scott's replacement in AC/DC - managed to push her off the track at 100mph. She was then airlifted to hospital. I think it's a good thing, as rock music has triumphed over rap, or hip-hop or R&B or whatever it is that she sings. Even better was the fact that Brian Johnson went on to win the race.
But the thing is, within about 3 seconds of Richard Hammond's dragster coming to an upturned halt, the media and the critics were yelling from their soapboxes that Top Gear should be banned as it is irresponsible. Nobody as yet seems to be saying that about The Race. Top Gear, they say, glorifies speed and dangerous driving (not true). So what about The Race? It's entire purpose was to glorify speed in a competetive way, using novice drivers. I'm not saying Hammond was a pro, but he has certainly proved he was a top notch driver and has had plenty of experience. The real reason, of course, is that lots of people don't like Jeremy Clarkson and want him off air, because he doesn't agree with politicians, or global warming. And, or course, he inevitably turns out to be right with what he says. Top Gear, in it's current incarnation, must have made about fifty shows, probably more, with only one accident. The Race aired about 6 episodes, with two accidents. So which one is safer?
The second point is that it looks like the EU may actually do something good and popular, and banish import duties. I've long thought it daft that you can buy duty-free booze and cigs from abroad and bring them in in unlimited quantities (unlimited here being defined as "for personal use", which essentially means whether the customs officer got laid the night before and if he didn't he'll just take your car). But I've always wondered why we have to go through the hassle of actually going to the other country. Surely this is an unneccessary step? Well know, it seems, the EU agrees and you will be able to buy the aforementioned items from anywhere in the EU, only paying the duty in the country you buy from. This means a carton of 200 cigs could cost about £7 from the lowest bidder, instead of £5 for 20. A huge saving, and one that can be repeated on wine as well. A few clicks on t'Internet and your goods will be winging their way to you.
What I want is to be able to buy my petrol this way as well, but somehow I can't see that happening.
This is all, of course, fantastic. But Gordon Brown will be beside himself. He rakes in a fortune for his coffers on import duty (£4 for each pack of cigs for a start) and will no longer get that money.
So I fear the victory will be short-lived, as Mr Brown will certainly find some other way of stealing our money.
This time, it was Ms Dynamite. I'm sure she has a real name but I'm not in-tune enough to know it, unfortunately. I know she's a singer and that I don't like her music much. She was appearing on a programme called The Race, which I didn't really see much of, but basically it involved a few celebrities training to become racing drivers. On the final race of the day, Brian Johnson - Bon Scott's replacement in AC/DC - managed to push her off the track at 100mph. She was then airlifted to hospital. I think it's a good thing, as rock music has triumphed over rap, or hip-hop or R&B or whatever it is that she sings. Even better was the fact that Brian Johnson went on to win the race.
But the thing is, within about 3 seconds of Richard Hammond's dragster coming to an upturned halt, the media and the critics were yelling from their soapboxes that Top Gear should be banned as it is irresponsible. Nobody as yet seems to be saying that about The Race. Top Gear, they say, glorifies speed and dangerous driving (not true). So what about The Race? It's entire purpose was to glorify speed in a competetive way, using novice drivers. I'm not saying Hammond was a pro, but he has certainly proved he was a top notch driver and has had plenty of experience. The real reason, of course, is that lots of people don't like Jeremy Clarkson and want him off air, because he doesn't agree with politicians, or global warming. And, or course, he inevitably turns out to be right with what he says. Top Gear, in it's current incarnation, must have made about fifty shows, probably more, with only one accident. The Race aired about 6 episodes, with two accidents. So which one is safer?
The second point is that it looks like the EU may actually do something good and popular, and banish import duties. I've long thought it daft that you can buy duty-free booze and cigs from abroad and bring them in in unlimited quantities (unlimited here being defined as "for personal use", which essentially means whether the customs officer got laid the night before and if he didn't he'll just take your car). But I've always wondered why we have to go through the hassle of actually going to the other country. Surely this is an unneccessary step? Well know, it seems, the EU agrees and you will be able to buy the aforementioned items from anywhere in the EU, only paying the duty in the country you buy from. This means a carton of 200 cigs could cost about £7 from the lowest bidder, instead of £5 for 20. A huge saving, and one that can be repeated on wine as well. A few clicks on t'Internet and your goods will be winging their way to you.
What I want is to be able to buy my petrol this way as well, but somehow I can't see that happening.
This is all, of course, fantastic. But Gordon Brown will be beside himself. He rakes in a fortune for his coffers on import duty (£4 for each pack of cigs for a start) and will no longer get that money.
So I fear the victory will be short-lived, as Mr Brown will certainly find some other way of stealing our money.
posted by Nej at
1:15 pm
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