And so were you - 10 things I think

10 THINGS I THINK

1. I’m supremely happy that Agent Carter is renewed for a second season. Television is still severely lacking in strong, female character-driven programs, so a show saved is very good news indeed. I reckon an eight episode run in between the two half seasons of Agents of SHIELD - as the first season of Agent Carter did - will be just fine.

2. After only 20K miles on the STI, it was time for some brand new tires. When you’ve got extreme performance summer rubber, my god do they wear out quickly. However, it was the perfect opportunity for me to finally sample a set of the sublime Michelin Pilot Super Sport tire. After only a few days of daily driving on them, I’m already infatuated with them. There’s just so much grip on offer, and as a bonus, rides better and quieter than the stock Dunlops as well.

3. I think the penalty Tom Brady and the Patriots got is quite harsh. Sure, he technically cheated, and deserved to be punished, but a four game suspension? A million dollar fine and a first-round pick docked for the team? The league absolutely put down the proverbial hammer, and it simply isn’t fair in my opinion. I highly doubt a slightly deflated ball has significantly affected the outcome of any Patriots game.  

4. Baffling as to why anybody on this side of the pond would give an ounce of care on the outcome of the United Kingdom general elections. It doesn’t affect any of us over here! On that same tangent, who gives a crap about a newborn royal baby? Haven’t you people got better things to worry about?  

5. I’m giddy as a schoolgirl over the announcement that the third Avengers movie will be shot entirely in IMAX, a format which I am a huge fan of. I’d gladly pay the extra bit of money to watch a movie shot in 70mm film: the previous five Christopher Nolan pictures, for example.

Obviously, it’s incredibly fortunate that there’s an IMAX theatre right here in San Francisco.

6. You really take for granted having a reliable car that doesn’t cost a ton of money to operate. I’ve got a student coworker who can’t yet afford such luxury, and the used car he’s bought has been giving him constant headaches (and attacks on the wallet). The constant barrage of a few hundred dollars here and there really takes a toll, especially for someone who can’t exactly afford it.

It’s definitely a privilege that I can drop $900 on a new set of tires and not bat an eye. Humbling, is what it is.

7. This recent celebration of “Dad Bod” in the media is an affront and sexist towards females. Let’s call Dad Bod exactly what it is: FAT. Why are women held to a skinny ideal while men get a pass?

8. This is a perfect example of why you shouldn’t blindly follow an ideology/political party: http://gawker.com/man-who-would-rather-go-blind-than-get-obamacare-now-go-1704019495

9. The two-hour Agents of SHIELD finale was fantastic. It was funny to see that even Coulson wasn’t immune to the Phase 2 traditional of having someone’s hand chopped off (an homage to Star Wars Episode 5). With SHIELD reunited under one roof, and Hydra largely eliminated (save Grant Ward and a few scraps), it’ll be interesting to see what sort of big bad enemy the writers will serve up for season three. I can’t wait.

10. I really hope the departed Top Gear trio of Clarkson, Hammond, and May ends up doing a show with Netflix. Not simply because it would be awesome to binge watch a season instead of waiting a week between shows, but the lack of adverts on Netflix allows the three absolute creative freedom, just as they’ve had at government-backed BBC. The ability to criticize and dress-down a particularly awful vehicle, without the fear of backlash from the respective manufacturer, is something I greatly admired about Top Gear, and in my opinion, absolutely integral to whatever new show the trio decides to do. 

Talking body - 10 things I think

10 THINGS I THINK

1. Agent Carter absolutely deserves to have more series made. The brief first series of eight episodes was spectacular, and of course I adore the performance of Hayley Atwell as the titular character. I'd be extremely disappointed if it gets cancelled, not the least of which television would lose one of the scant few female-led shows. 

I think the short episodes run rather than a full 22 episode order works well for Agent Carter. The story was quick and concise, and there was more value to each episode. I'd be quite alright if future series maintains it's position as the stop-gap between fall and spring halves of Agents of SHIELD. 

2. Speaking of Agents of SHIELD, it'll return next week, and I'm quite excited. Inhumans are likely to get introduced for the first time to the MCU, and how will the world of AOS tie in to the upcoming Avengers film? I'm glad the producers decided to split the season into two halves: there shouldn't be any weeks off for the show from now until the end of May.

3. Turbocharging and hybrid power is slowly enveloping the sports car world, leaving those of us who lust for high-revving atmospheric engines in fetal positions, awaiting for the inevitable to arrive. You know the moment has come when Porsche and it's preeminent sports car icon the 911 will soon feature turbocharged engines exclusively throughout its range, sparing only cars with a GT3 badge at the rear. 

As an owner of a turbocharged engined car, I understand very well the benefits: the power you can extract from relatively displacements, and the low-end torque that is so wondrous when punching it out of a slow corner. Manufacturers are turing to turbos because of emissions: scavenging exhausts gases that would otherwise be wasted energy is simply more efficient (read: more miles to the gallon, less expelled pollutants.) 

4. Enthusiasts' gripe with the turbocharged engine is the sound, or lack thereof. When you place turbines in the route of the exhaust tract, engine noise is naturally going to be muffled as well. It seems the majority of automakers have yet to figure out (or bother with) how to properly tune the exhausts of a turbocharge engine to make it not sound like a vacuum cleaner. 

And that's the key: turbocharging is inevitable, therefore manufacturers need to allocate the appropriate research-and-development funding towards sound engineering. The sort of noise a car makes is one of it's defining characteristics; it's why people are so drawn to the rocky, gargling roar of a small-block Chevy V8, or the high-pitched screaming howl of an LF-A V10.

Engine sound - real, actual engine sound - simply can't be ignored by sports car manufacturers any longer (looking at you, BMW.) 

5. I used to poke fun at Derrick Rose and his propensity to get hurt, but now with the news of him needing yet another knee surgery, it has gotten quite sad. I genuinely feel bad for him, and it's a great shame because Rose's cranky knees stole from us a great talent that was bound for many great things. Now, we may never find out. 

Warriors fans must be ecstatic that Steph Curry's ankles are no longer a concern as they once were. 

6. Honda has fired its CEO, Takanobu Ito, due to the whole of the Takata recall fiasco (amongst other issues), and I applaud it greatly. As an auto enthusiasts, I was happy to see Ito go because for the longest time he absolutely gutted anything remotely sporting or innovative within the Honda conglomerate. 

Acura had a rear-wheel drive platform, a brand-new V8 engine, and a V10-powered NSX replacement practically production-ready, but those programs got the knife. There were never a successor to the wondrous S2000 roadster nor the RSX coupe, and the present Civic Si is a shell of it's former high-revving glory. Instead of a company run by engineers, it was overrun by accountants. 

The incoming CEO needs to take a page from their rival Toyota and inject some sport back into their product lineup. The new turbocharged 2.0-liter four, the 8-speed dual-clutch gearbox, and the soon-to-arrive NSX replacement is a good start. Time to keep it going. 

7. I take great offense to Apple's new skin-tone emojis. The one that's suppose to represent Asian skin-color is simply too yellow. We are NOT THAT YELLOW. Heck, I'm can be so pale at times that I'm a lighter shade that a few of my white friends. If my friends use that particular emoji when texting, I'm going to assume they've got jaundice and they need me to take them to the emergency room immediately. 

8. It's taken over a decade, but Bugatti has finally sold it's final copy of the Veyron hypercar. 450 cars in all, each carrying the hefty price of well over a million dollars. 

In contrast, it probably took Ferrari less than a month to sell out all 499 copes of its LaFerrari hypercar, each, like the Veyron, also costs around a million dollars. And buyers don't even call Ferrari to purchase one; Ferrari will contact you if it deems you qualified.

The power of the Ferrari brand. They truly are the automotive equivalent of Apple. 

9. The Oscars may have run a bit long, and NPH was out of its elements as a host (he's not one for comedy, I'm sorry), but the speeches salvaged the show. Patty Arquette's rousing speech for women's pay, John Legend and Common's passion for equal justice, Graham Moore's succinct "stay weird, stay different" rally cry, Alejandro Iñárritu's plea for fair treatment of undocumented immigrants, and Meryl Streep's heartfelt introduction to the In Memoriam segment. Those were all spectacular proses, and highlights of an otherwise dull award evening. 

10. Finally, Mayweather will fight Pacquiao on May 2nd, and I'm very much looking forward to it. It's our generation's Ali v. Frazier, one I'm definitely not going to miss out on as a sports fan. It will be the first instance that I'll be paying good money for a pay-per-view event. 

Yellow it's you - 10 things I think

10 THINGS I THINK

1. Tough week for death of famous persons. Just before 2014 was to expire, the great thespian Edward Herrmann succumbed to brain cancer. Then, this previous weekend ESPN pioneer Stuart Scott past away, also due to complications from a long battle with cancer. 

Cancer is just awful, and it doesn't discriminate. Pieces of my childhood was lost with the passing of Herrmann and Scott. May they rest in peace. 

2. Je suis Charlie. The cold-blooded assassination/terrorist attack of those French cartoonists is an absolute affront to artists the world over, no matter the tool or medium. Free speech should always be free. I hope the people responsible get captured and served justice soon. 

3. John Boehner criticized President Obama's threat of vetoing any Keystone Pipeline legislation by saying the executive branch doesn't care about building American infrastructure. Well, neither do you and your party, Speaker. Last time I checked, our roads, highways, and bridges are still in subpar condition. And didn't the GOP oppose any high-speed rail legislation? 

4. Agent Carter is a brilliant, brilliant piece of kit. Two premier episodes in I am already hooked. Of course, Hayley Atwell is simply 'hnnggg'.

5. Now can we please get a stand-alone Black Widow movie? Not one to criticize the great Kevin Feige, but come on already! 

6. Carlos Ghosn, the crème de la crème official of the Renault-Nissan automotive empire, bears a hilarious resemblance to one Mr. Bean. Can't believe I haven't realized it until recently.  

7. It is well worth it to purchase Grand Theft Auto 5 again for next-generation consoles. The sheer depth and quality of the visuals do wonders for immersion into the world and the gameplay. A mere double-dip money-grab, it is not. I am immensely looking forward to the next installment - isn't it about time Rockstar reimagine a European city?

8. I think I'll have to give up coffee on a regular basis. Obviously, I am not happy about this - I love the stuff. At least I can still have tea. 

9. After a murderous few months on the wallet, as November and December is wont to do every year, suffice to say I am desperately waiting on those W2s so I can file and get my well-deserved tax return. 

10. Sorry, anybody that don't live in the San Francisco Bay Area, but mid 40's is considered "freezing" for us. You can take your high and mighty it-is-actually-freezing-where-i-am-at attitude and shove it. Hard.