Telling it like it is

From CNN today (edited down to remove all the fat): The new Hummer H3, which is smaller than the H2 has a gas mileage figure of 19mpg. It still has the trademark poor visibility and ultra-truck-like ride and handling. It still has the nasty hard plastic on the dash and door panels. The power-to-weight ratio is going to be hard to swallow, even for true Hummer fans. Its 3.5-liter 5-cylinder engine produces 220 horsepower and 225 foot-pounds of torque. So basically, it's still a nauseous, boxy gas-guzzler. I have to ask : how is it possible for GM to keep building 3.5l engines that only have 220hp ? It just doesn't seem possible to get so little power from such a large engine. Our Subaru has 165hp stock from a 4 cylinder 2.5l engine. With a little tweaking, the same engine in the WRX can give 227hp and still return 24mpg. So 7hp more, 1 litre less capacity, and 5mpg more. Shit, the 2006 STi has 300hp stock from the same damned engine. I just don't get it. You have to be tryi...

Microsoft aren't easily put off.... Over the last 4 years they've sold 22 million X-boxes, yet managed to lose a staggering US$4bn (yes BILLION) on the project. And that's after the initial rumoured US$100M in development costs. That means they lost $181 for every Xbox they sold! And XBox only accounts for 16% of the games market. Now to you or I, losing a billion a year and having not even a fifth of the games market to show for it, would be a clear indicator to pack up and go home. But Microsoft saw it all as a giant learning experience, and plan to plow ahead and release the XBox360 in time for Christmas. I guess they want to get a running start before Sony hand them their asses on a plate. Again.

I think I might need glasses. Well technically - glass. As bizarre as it seems, given that I stare into a computer screen for 9 hours a day and have done since 1989, I think I'm getting far-sighted in my right eye. Tres weird.

The logic of war seems to be that if a belligerent can fight, he will fight. That leaders will not surrender until surrender is academic. How is a national leader to explain the sacrifice of so much for nothing? Frankie Goes To Hollywood. War. 1984. More true today than ever.

Winamp is on random play right now, and it just pulled "White Whisper" and "Forest Hymn" by Deep Forest off my hard drive. Major flashback to 5 years ago - our honeymoon in Mauritius. Mmmm........cool but sunny beaches.....nice people.....nice hotel.....sailing and swimming....... I can remember exactly the moment I told Paula where we were going for the honeymoon - I'd managed to keep it a secret for months. And I remember exactly her expression.