Chip Vending Machine

Something interesting coming out of Australia for a foodie like me, a hot chip vending machine. Five years in development and the design company are attempting a global rollout after results are in from trials of the machines in Adelaide and Perth.

It works by using steam to reheat pre-fried and frozen chips, taking two minutes to deliver the product into a cup. On second thoughts, they don’t sound very appetising.

Another problem I have with the idea from the picture they look like fries, chips are normally thicker. They could be done under the trade description act for passing fries off as chips. I am waiting for someone to invent the pie and chips vending machine British style with real chips.

Not excited about Easter

New eggs on the block

I have never been a big fan of Easter Eggs, well that is a lie when I was a kid I was a fan.

Before I go off on one let me just say it is not about the chocolate, I love chocolate but why pay for a load of packaging and other crap. You pay £4 or £5 for a standard medium sized egg while a bar of chocolate of about the same weight costs £1, wake up and do the sums people. Some eggs are hollow while others have a treat, normally more chocolate like Maltesers but a small bag costs around 55p so a total cost of £1,55p that is a big saving.

£5 million pound egg

Josh it is coming to me how much I hate Easter it is just so tacky.

You could splash the cash on a £5million egg with not a flake of chocolate in sight.

If I were inclined to buy an egg I can assure you, it would not be the new Pot Noodle version or the Marmite chocolate egg. It goes with the territory these days messing with something simply by adding unusual flavours like Marmite. At Christmas, some food technician came up with the sage and onion doughnut.

What is the demand for these products? I envision hundreds of these eggs on sale in Pound Shop around the country after Easter at a reduced price of 50p or something 

End of topless page three???

First page three photo Nov 1970

Rumour has it the Sun newspaper has dropped its page three feature of the topless woman on the famous page. I say famous but of course, it is also infamous in the eyes of many, dated, and sexist.

The feature (topless) as appeared in the paper for around 44 years after a relaunch when Rupert Murdoch acquired the paper. It was not until the tabloid's first anniversary that topless models started to appear before that the glamour models were clothed.

I cannot say I remember the first time they appeared in the paper but I guarantee I took a sneaky look while walking home from the shop. It was not every day a young lad could see a full on pair of boobs, and nipple to. I am sure I would have been inquisitive. With the top shelve out of bounds until you were 18 years old it was the only game in town. However once you seen one or two the titillation is gone and to me it has always been just a page in a newspaper.

It’s not been officially announced the end of the topless shot on page maybe they are keeping their options open. There may not want to cede any kind of victory to the anti-page three brigade. There has been a number of protests, campaigners against the feature, with an online petition attracting more than 215,000 signatures. It would only be the printed edition according to reports the online paper will still have topless models.

Today in the paper there is no topless model baring her breast in The Sun but two young actress from the soap Hollyoaks running across a beach in Dubai, in their bikinis.

We are BLUE

We are blue again and all I can think is what a waste of 3 years or so of the rebrand. That’s what can happen when you have a foreign owner who just doesn’t understand football and the fans love for a club and its history.

Any owner can do what he likes once he has control of a club and it’s within the rules of the Football League. All you need is to pass the 51% ownership mark but you need the fans on-board for your plans to work. The meeting went well according to those attending. With everyone on massage even the clubs hierarchy seem to realise Blue was the way forward. However, in the end the decision was in the hand of one man, Vincent Tan.

I don’t think there is a Cardiff City fan who won’t have wanted to be a fly on the wall at today’s board meeting. Only as recent as Christmas Day on Sky Sports News, Vincent Tan was announcing forcibly “the Bluebirds were staying red” and was unmoved by the fans protests. Again the rumour mill is suggesting that the possibility of fans not renewing their season tickets in number and the record low attendance for the recent FA Cup game at the Cardiff City Stadium (4,194) had a bearing on the decision.

Waiting was hard I was just hoping it would go the right way so everyone could get behind a united and happy club. Our colours must return to a blue home kit with a prominent Bluebird badge the red kit can then revert to being the away kit.

Chairman Mehmet Dalman is asking the fans show a respectful level of respect to Vincent Tan. Sian Branson, of the supporters’ group Bluebirds Unite, said, “I think we can show Vincent Tan how great we can be as fans and how great this football club can be. They asked me, ’What do you think the atmosphere would be if we went back to blue?’ I said, ’You won’t see a party like it in this city.’

“We’ll have a march and I’ll walk up the front of that march with a banner saying: ’Thank you Vincent Tan’ if we go back to blue. We’ve still got to wait but I’m positive.”

Most if not everyone was happy with Vincent Tan acquiring the club but for the rebrand and a few crazy appointments. Football fans can be demanding when I comes to their club. Tomorrow the Bluebirds will run out as the Bluebirds after the Football League gave their permission.

Fingers crossed for the meeting at the CCS

Like all Cardiff City fans I will have my fingers cross the news will be BLUE after tonight’s meeting between the club and fans. Rumours abound on social media that the outcome will be a U-turn on the rebranding.

 

The press are saying owner Vincent Tan will be attending the meeting but it is unknown if he is flying in or video conferencing. It is important he listens to how the majority of the fans feel. A selection of around 40 fans who are from various Cardiff City supporters' organisations have been invited to a meeting with chairman Mehmet Dalman and chief executive Ken Choo and possibly Tan. On the agenda the rebrand and club finances.

 

When the word ‘consultation’ is bandied about, it does not bode well or overly excite me that a decision will be made tonight. The best I believe we will get is a maybe and a load of old flannel I just do not see him in the mind for a change. However, if he is looking to sell the club he will need a united club and the fans to invest there money.

 

Season tickets sales for this season are down and there is a new campaign to not renew for next season, which could damage the club even more. The take up on the red team shirt and other red merchandise has been poor and hit the club financially. While the club are struggling, a number of budding entrepreneurs have stepped in selling unofficial blue merchandise filling the gap left by the club.

Lonely night for some at the CCS

Game live on BBC 2 (Wales) from 7:30pm

Never fun being a Cardiff City fan these days but I bet the hierarchy at the club were wishing for better opponents for tonight’s third round FA Cup game.

 

Colchester the visitors were never going to be a big draw but throw in fans in the mist of protests and the game live on TV the attendance will be a record low if media reports are accurate. Reports in the press yesterday suggest only 2,000 tickets have been sold for the game. The club have their fingers crossed for at least a crowd of 4,000 still lower than the lowest at the Cardiff City stadium, the 5,545 gate for a League Cup tie against Dagenham and Redbridge.

 

If true, the club must be hoping for a record on the night walk up crowd but I cannot see that happening. Maybe the club should have come up with some kind of a gimmick like free entry for the game.

 

Having been a Cardiff City fan for over thirty years, I have never felt so much apathy towards my club not helped by decision made by the owner of the club. I think we were all happy on his arrival but the old saying ‘never count your chickens’ really came home to bite us big time.

 

The rebrand was never going to work and even with all the protests Tan is entrenched in his belief red is lucky and sells in the Far East/Asia. He should be more interested in the East/West/South/North of the Cardiff City stadium we are the people who put our money into the club while those in the Far East support the likes of Manchester United. Yes some have embrace the rebrand but not has many as are against it and even when Tan looks out from the directors box he blanks the sea of blue.

 

The demise of Malky Mackay as manager led to the arrival of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and the only credential I could see he had was he played for Manchester United and later was reserves team coach. I discounted is time in Norwegian football, not the strongest league in the world even with the success he achieved.

 

Handpicked by Tan after Solskjaer was the lesser-known Russell Slade with no Championship experience let alone Premier League. The fans were crying out for Tony Pulis to take over the reins of the club. He had the experience in bucket loads but a reputation to be his own man not someone needed at the club.

 

I was talking to my Dad (86 years old) about the game and he could not remember the last time he missed a home FA Cup game. Tonight he will be watching the game from the comfit of his armchair saying it is not a protest but I think it is. Still from my armchair I will be wishing a Cardiff win.