Covergirl Car Insurance

Now that's clear thinking

noreply@blogger.com (Fuse) — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 14:24:00 +0000

With a car like this, losing your parking fund in the depths of your glove compartment will be a thing of the past. Made of completely see through parts – from the engine to the exhaust, the car in the latest Shell advert would be the envy of the road.

As long as you could find a woman's car insurance company that would insure it, car accident claims for those scratches you left while doing a dodgy park would be a thing of the past as visibility is so good; you couldn't fail to get it right first time.

Mud and bird splats could however prove to be a problem in a see though car and leaving valuables in your car would be like leaving them in a display cabinet.
However as a model car, it certainly is good to look at and certainly makes for a more interesting advert about oil.

From romantic walk to romantic road rage

noreply@blogger.com (Fuse) — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 10:18:00 +0000

Some years ago my then fiancé suggested that we take advantage of a fine spring Sunday to go for a drive in the countryside.

Things went well to begin with. We set out towards Oxfordshire on the A40 with the top down on his MG sports car and the wind whistling through our hair.

We had a clear run into the the Cotswolds and enjoyed a gentle, romantic-seeming stroll around Charlbury.

Afterwards we shared lunch in a heritage-listed pub and talked enthusiastically about what the glimmering future held for us. Feeling benevolent, I decided to let my fiancé have a few pints. After such a romantic day in Arcadian England, I was happy to drive back myself.

However, about half way through the return journey, he broke some rather crushing news. He'd been having, he confessed, not one, not two, but three affairs. He felt terrible he said, but his troubled upbringing meant that he had a pathological need for tactile love.

What a thing to break to someone who was driving, and at 70 mph! I was both inconsolable and incandescent and, blinded by a torrent of tears, pulled over at the nearest services and said in clear and graphic terms that the engagement was off and the relationship over; never mind his need to "clear the air" before we settled on a date for our big day.

Good thing I took this course of action: both ending the relationship and pulling over. A new car insurance survey has found that one in twelve people has suffered a car accident after arguing with a partner.
A psychologist says of "romantic road rage", "A driver's performance can be significantly affected by their emotional state.

"Being upset, angry or frustrated with a partner or lover is a sure-fire way to distract from safe and responsible driving,' she said.
"With personal issues racing through their mind, drivers are at risk of subconsciously releasing tension by driving fast, or on the other hand being distracted by their heartache."

And my one-time fiancé? Last time I heard, he'd just taken nostalgic walk in Oxford to remember old times and rue the day he lost the "love of his life".

Image © Wolfiewolf via Flickr under Creative Commons Licence

Doting husband buys undriveable £30k car for wife

noreply@blogger.com (Fuse) — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 15:12:00 +0000

Most husbands will buy their wives flowers for Valentine's Day, if they're lucky. However, one husband spent £30,000 on a new chrome-finished Mini for his wife, which she is now finding impossible to be covered for women's car insurance.

The builder bought the chrome car from a London showroom as a Valentine's Day gift for his wife. While he was able to get the car home from the showroom thanks to the week of free insurance, they have since been unable to take it off their drive.

Speaking of his shiny purchase, the 42-year-old said, "I've been left with the world's most expensive mirror. No one will touch it with a barge pole."

According to car insurance companies, the car is too much of a risk to insure due to the thieves it will attract and the scuffs and scratches which will be made to the soft bodywork.

Drink-driver crashes horse-drawn truck

noreply@blogger.com (Fuse) — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 09:44:00 +0000

Most people charged with drink driving have been caught behind the wheel of a car or some other motorised vehicle. However, one 62-year-old Polish man has been charged with drink-driving a lorry and a horse.

When the Polish driver's lorry broke down, he cunningly tried to use his horse to tow the vehicle to the garage for repair while he steered from inside the truck

The driver's adventure came to a sudden halt when he managed to steer the lorry into the path of an oncoming car before hitting a roadside railing which tipped the truck over.

Amazingly, no one was injured in the incident although the horse received an ear bashing as the driver tried to blame the accident on the poor animal.

The owner is now facing charges which include animal cruelty and drink-driving and will, no doubt, lose any chance of finding cheap car insurance.

[Image © Sark 2007 via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence]

Distraught dog owner's despair over pooch's stolen coat

noreply@blogger.com (Fuse) — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 10:33:00 +0000

Any discerning dog owner will want their prize pooch looking hot to trot with an outfit that perfectly coordinates their own.

However, one dog owner in New York was outraged to discover that her four-legged friend's outfit had been rudely stripped off her dog's back, leaving the poor white terrier in the nude.

The crime came about after the complacent owner tied up her westie outside a supermarket while she bought her weekly groceries. However when she returned to her dog, she discovered that its green wool coat, with leather trim and belt, had vanished.

Speaking of the travesty, the distraught dog owner said that the dog's coat was worth $25 (around £16) but was grateful that he wasn't wearing his Burberry coat at the time which is worth a lot more.

[Image © Randy Son via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence]

Wouldn't it be nice if the world were chocolate?

noreply@blogger.com (Fuse) — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 14:20:00 +0000

"Wouldn't it be nice if the world were chocolate?" These lyrics from the Cadbury's advert sum up our sentiments here at the CoverGirl women's car insurance office exactly.

Wonderfully, this dream is beginning to be realised thanks to the work of a group of Chinese confectioners who have been re-creating some of China's most famous landmarks out of chocolate.

While many have been given the opportunity to walk the wall of China, none have had the chance, or indeed the desire, to taste it, until now.

Made from solid dark chocolate bricks stuck together with white chocolate 'cement', the wall is the stuff of chocoholics' dreams and no doubt will be a huge attraction at the World Chocolate Wonderland exhibition where it is currently on display.

Although the replica is no where near full size – at 10 metres long it is just a mere dwarf compared with the real thing, it is a pretty impressive miniature with its life-like crumbling section at one end.

Also included in the display is a mini-army of 560 chocolate replicas of the famous Terracotta Warriors standing to attention on a layer of chocolate flakes.

Aimed at encouraging the Chinese to eat more chocolate, an impressive 80 tonnes of it has been used to create the mini masterpieces in the hope of getting some chocolate sales out of the billion-plus consumers in China.

Perhaps a similar idea could be used in the UK with vegetables to encourage the chocolate and fast food-loving Brits to try some more of the green stuff. We want to see Tower Bridge made out of Aubergine!

[Image © Darwin Bell via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence]

Brums brace the brrr to build igloo masterpiece

noreply@blogger.com (Fuse) — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 17:07:00 +0000

If you have a few moments to spare in between searching for women's car insurance and making mugs of hot chocolate in this cold weather, perhaps you might like to try your hand at making an even bigger igloo than the makers of this one managed.

Built by two friends from Frankly Beeches in Birmingham, the 8ft high igloo took three days to build and comes complete with a living room and standing space as well.

The friends even braved the cold to spend a night in their icy creation which helped them hit the spotlight in local and national news.

With the snow in most places now beginning to melt, wannabe igloo builders may have to wait another 30 years for the next big freeze before they can try to build rival versions.

A micro pig is for life, not just for Christmas!

noreply@blogger.com (Fuse) — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 14:43:00 +0000

Stumped as to what to get your best friend for Christmas? How about a micro-pig?

Micros pigs are the latest pet fashion accessory to rock the celebrity world with the likes of Paris Hilton, Victoria Beckham and Charlotte Church all said to have one.

Regardless of their notoriety for stench and mud-bath desires, these teeny tiny pigs are fast replacing their mini doggy equivalents as the ultimate must have fashion accessory

However, wannabe owners should remember a micro-pig is for life and not just for Christmas!

[Image © Olddanb via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence]

Super Santa Ski Jump!

noreply@blogger.com (Fuse) — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 10:32:00 +0000

As well as the bounty of cakes, chocolates and mince pies, Christmas time in the office brings with it a whole host of free Christmas downloadable games which wing their way round the company.

Every year the theme of the games change just slightly- and new and even more quirky Christmas related gaming is invented.

Last year the most popular in the office was a snowball throwing game with the aim of taking out as many penguins that filled the scene as possible. This year however, the latest game that is set to take the CoverGirl office by storm is 'Super Santa Ski Jump' which involves helping Santa impress the judges by collecting as many stars as possible as he completes his ski run.

While it's possibly not the most advanced game (collecting the necessary stars simply involves pressing the space bar), it is strangely addictive and offers some light relief from the search for women's car insurance. So give it a go yourself.

Don't drop it!

noreply@blogger.com (Fuse) — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 09:19:00 +0000

Have you ever bought a new mobile phone? Of course you have - you've probably had loads.

In sixteen years of mobile phone use I have had five handsets in total. I have only ever bought three of my own free will as the first two were cast offs, so I have effectively had one phone every 3.2 years.

I can't remember buying the first one, but I quickly discovered that unless my phone was of a clam shell design I would be making all sorts of transgressional phone calls from my back pocket, so avoided the traditional shape from a fairly early stage. My second phone purchase was natty silver clam and when you opened it, it emitted a "swoosh" sound just like the communicators used in retro star trek shows - a la Captain Kirk and Sulu.

When that one finally died, I opted for a VGA camera phone in metallic pink and although the pictures were rubbish - I've had no real complaints about the rest of the phone's features.

Then, yesterday, I had a little accident. Suffice it to say that mobile phones and water don't mix and my little mishap means I am very likely to need a new one.

As it is Christmas, I decided to look for a new model on the internet to avoid the mobile phone shop madness that ensues during the festive build up. I thought it might make things a bit easier, but lo and behold after only five minutes of searching, my brain was fried and I now have no idea whether I want 3G with a qwerty keypad or a touch screen with stylus. Do I need expandable memory and is it important for me to be able to Tweet at all times - well I just don't know!

I found a phone I liked the look of and mistakenly then looked at the reviews - the various disgruntled customers swiftly informed me that it didn't come with a USB cable and what was the point of expandable storage if you couldn't store MP3s anyway. And one reviewer even proffered that it was cheap and plasticky - well of all things to be that's pretty despicable, I'd say.

The upshot of my surfing is that I don't know what to do. Shall I wait to see if my doused phone dries out and will go on to give me another 18 months of use, or should I just cut my 'pay as you go' losses and opt for a monthly tariff with a free top spec phone? If only you could help me out of this dilemma, dear reader I would be so grateful. Now, if my phone were working you could text me, couldn't you!

Image © barnoid via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

noreply@blogger.com (Fuse) — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 09:26:00 +0000

Be not alarmed, women drivers, on reading this blog, by its abysmal attempts at literary parody, nor by the strange news here related.

You may possibly wonder what this is all about; fortunately, I, myself, as the master of this blog am in a position to be able to reveal to you what has brought about this unusual, effortful and strangely sub-clause-rich mock-letter.

In short, it is the revelation, brought to my attention by a news source no less grave and reliable than that provided by the British Broadcasting Corporation, that Pride and Prejudice, known to all as a masterpiece of 17th century literature, is being re-worked, as an adaptation of a contemporary novel - indeed, a parodic bestseller - into a film that will be known as Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.

Whether I will condescend to adopt to enjoying the measures of this art, I am undecided. I understand the genre of parody and think it unlikely that this film will be faithful to every event of the original narrative; but, should such a genre agree with your inclination, I see no reason why it might not be enjoyed as a bit of good fun.

However, if the idea arouses in you feelings of abhorrence and seems close to sacrilege; pray, stay away from crowded multiplexes this coming summer, lest the film should offend you and disturb your delicate sensibility.

I must now mention that I have, after all, decided that I will endeavour to see the film; it will star Natalie Portman, a fine actress and a most respectable lady. I will only add that she's exceedingly fit, innit.

God bless you.

Image © blakespot via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence

I learned to drive in a Bentley - I wish

noreply@blogger.com (Fuse) — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 13:36:00 +0000

I learned to drive in my mum's Rover Metro and my driving instructor had a Ford Fiesta - not exactly luxurious cars, but they did the job.

However, if you're Paris Hilton's little brother you might expect a bit more from your first car, and Daddy Hilton did not disappoint.

Yes, 15-year-old Conrad Hilton III was let loose in a $200,000 Bentley, albeit with his dad by his side ready to grab the steering wheel, as he took to the streets of Beverly Hills for a quick driving lesson.

Still, when you've got an estimated fortune of $300 million sitting in the bank, as hotel magnate Richard Hilton is reputed to have, then the odd dent in your Bentley is not much to worry about now is it?

And I'm sure the father of five hopes his youngest heir will fare better on the roads than his older sister who ended up spending 23 days in prison, in June 2007, after an arrest for drink-driving.

Good luck Conrad - the lenses of the world's press are upon you.

Image © stuckinseoul, via flickr, under Creative Commons Licence

Cole's curls are not so worth it after all

noreply@blogger.com (Fuse) — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 09:38:00 +0000

After fronting L'Oreal's TV commercials and becoming the latest "Because I'm worth it girl", you would have thought the people at L'Oreal would have chosen a celeb whose curls are actually their own.

But the news that Cheryl Cole's radiant and shining locks are actually extensions adds a slight touch of irony to the advert -- how can someone with fake hair promote a shampoo brand?

With stars such as Beyonce, Eva Longoria and Penelope Cruz also in the line up to be L'Oreal girls, Cole is unlikely to be the only one guilty of not having her own hair.

While a tiny disclaimer does flash up during the advert for about two seconds revealing that her hair is styled with hair extensions, it still seems very deceitful using someone with fake hair to pull in more customers. I think I shall be sticking to the Herbal stuff instead.

119 candles on a cake

noreply@blogger.com (Fuse) — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 16:21:00 +0000

Sorry, but this is a sadblog.

The world's oldest woman has died at the grand old age of 119.

Ana Maria Perez died in hospital in Mexico from pneumonia, a Government spokesperson announced.

Sadly for Ana, she was never properly recognised as the world record holder because, despite holding a bona fide birth certificate stating her date of birth as 22nd June 1890, local officials had been unable to raise the necessary funds to facilitate the visit of a Guinness World Records' representative who could authenticate the entry.

Ana first came to the attention of Colima State's Institute for Attention to the Elderly when their representatives were visiting her 77-year-old granddaughter who needed their help. When the elderly woman told them she had a live grandmother the personnel were shocked and decided to search her out.

Despite not receiving the record breaker's title, the centenarian did get a visit from Mexico's President, Felipe Calderon who recognised her special age last year.

The reigning oldest person in the world, as recognised by Guinness, is Japan's Kama Chinen, 114, who received the title after Gertrude Baines from the US died in September. She was 115.

Image © Rob Lee via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence

The true chocolate car

noreply@blogger.com (Fuse) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 12:32:00 +0000

Now, I know when I put "car" on my Christmas list and leave it for my boyfriend to find, I know I am in for either a big disappointment or a hilarious joke in the form of a toy car wrapped almost to look like jewellery, or maybe that perennial side splitter, an Audi R8 branded key ring, wrapped in a gigantic box, with the message "The car comes next year!"

But, if he's going to take the low cost route to buying me a car he could at least make sure it's made of chocolate. If he manages to take the hint and buy at least one gift that I would truly appreciate it would be the chocolate sports car on sale at a well known high street confectionary outlet.

The sleek bodywork is totally edible, the cocoa coloured upholstery is a sight to behold, and although the white chocolate headlights might not illuminate the road very much, they would certainly give me a high-beam smile!!!

And like all those footballers' WAGs I would want a sleek bit of personalisation to make the car truly my own. Forget embroidered love hearts in the headrest or a number plate saying "8A8E 22", I would want my car personalised with a white chocolate love ditty that came straight from his own imagination. Actually, forget that - he's probably safer just getting my name iced on it.

So, there we have it - one Christmas gift done and dusted. I wonder what he'll make of the next item on the list - "Mulberry bag".

Image © WTL photos, via Flickr under Creative Commons Licence

Mumba vs Carey - It's all about the kettle drums

noreply@blogger.com (Fuse) — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 12:37:00 +0000

It was very early in November, maybe even still in October, when I heard the first Christmas song on the radio. Played by Scott Mills on Radio 1, it was Mariah Carey singing All I want for Christmas.

Now, don't get me wrong - this particular tune is certainly my favourite Christmas tune, but when it was still 20 degrees outside and I hadn't even dug out my scarf and mittens, it just seemed wrong.

Especially as this particular version is not the best recording out there.

"Ooooh! Controversial", I hear you cry - well in my opinion, Samantha Mumba made a far superior version with excellent kettle drum usage and a far more bouncy feel to it.

And how did I come across the Mumba cover, you may well ask. Well, a couple of years ago I asked my partner to buy me a Christmas music CD, as the old compilation I had on tape did not have the Mariah Carey track on it. So, on a late night shopping expedition, deep in December, he braved the twenty minute queue in HMV (other CD stockists are available) and got me a three CD collection of all the Christmas ditties I could ever wish for - except for the Mariah Carey song.

When I opened the gift on Christmas morning and ran straight to my CD player with the express intent of playing All I want… I searched the track list for Ms Carey's name, but it wasn't there. I searched again and found the track, but, horror of horror, it was sung by Samantha Mumba and I was devastated.

"Didn't you check it?" I said, a bit too melodramatically, as if my world were about to collapse.

"Yeah, but I couldn't remember whose version you wanted," he answered.

And at this moment, the track came on. I listened, we all listened; the entire Christmas day household of mums, dads, children, grandchildren, aunties, uncles, grandparents and the woman from next door to Auntie Win all listened. And thankfully, I liked it and the more I listened to it, the more I liked it.

Now… it is my favourite Christmas song - but I still don't want to hear it in October.

Image © shekay, via Flickr under Creative Commons Licence

La-Z-Boy chair for lazy girl living

noreply@blogger.com (Fuse) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 09:58:00 +0000

If getting out of your armchair to pop to the shops is more than you can muster in these cold winter months, why not make a bid for the motorised La-Z-Boy chair that is soon to be put up for auction in America.

Powered by a lawn mower engine, driving this motor is never going to get you in trouble for speeding and means that you can cruise to the shops without leaving the comfort of your chair. And thanks to its nice and sedate speed, you could even bring along your cup of tea without the fear of it spilling.

The chair has been put up for auction by Minnesota police after its original owner was caught driving the chair while drunk.

As it comes complete with a stereo, you can even sing along to a bit of Madonna on your way to the supermarket.

Take away my morning coffee and I'll show you the elephant

noreply@blogger.com (Fuse) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 11:13:00 +0000

For my husband, stumbling, bleary-eyed into the kitchen at 6am to make coffee in nothing but his boxers is part of who he is. It may even be the foremost reason I love him. He's been doing it for nearly a decade and without my morning coffee, there is a strong chance I would still be enjoying a lie-in that started at the turn of the millennium.

However, there is a now a possibility that divorce could be on the cards after it was revealed that a 29-year-old American man has been arrested for doing the same thing - well, nearly the same thing.

The father-of-one faces up to a year in jail for public indecency after a woman spied him making a break-of-dawn coffee in his own home in nothing but his birthday suit.

The dad told Fox news, "Yes I wasn't wearing any clothes but I was alone, in my own home and just got out of bed. It was dark and I had no idea anyone was outside looking in at me.

"I never had a conversation with anyone, never saw anyone. Didn't cross my mind, came and got coffee. I mean if I stood and seemed comfortable in my kitchen possibly it's natural. It's my kitchen."

And, although my husband always makes his coffee in his boxers, they aren't exactly the acme of high fashion; one pair have been around since before we were married and it's a safe bet that to most eyes they'd be more offensive than his unadorned skin.

I'm not a morning person. Until I drink my morning coffee I look like a wrinkled old elephant. It pains me to open my eyes, let alone open my mouth, before 10am. Desperate times call for desperate measures: I've just ebayed my husband a bathrobe; I fear it's the only thing that can save our marriage.

Image © felix francier via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence

Some Burberry for your baby?

noreply@blogger.com (Fuse) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:00:00 +0000

Having always dreamed of having a personal shopper to seek out those fashion gems for me, I have to admit that I was more jealous than shocked when I heard of the toddlers that are assigned their own personal shopper and have £8000 splashed out on them for a new wardrobe.

While I was dressed in Mothercare's best or even my brother's hand me downs at times, these tots are wearing the likes of Dior, Juicy Couture and Fendi – labels that I only dream about wearing.

Inspired by mini stars such as Suri Cruise and the Jolie-Pitt clan, designer dress for toddlers has really taken off in the last few years and more and more yummy-mummies are flocking to the likes of Harrods and Selfridges and readily parting with their cash for the chance to bag the latest Carvellis couture for their young ones.

Apparently, even when they are as young as three they have opinions on their style, however, surely this is just to do with the colour of the cloths, and whether they feature their favourite cartoon character rather than if it has a designer label or not.

For the excessively rich and childless, I've heard Juicy Couture do a range for dogs as well...

Thanks Stephen, you're really sweet but I'd prefer the cash

noreply@blogger.com (Fuse) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:58:00 +0000

I may be the wrong woman to judge, after all, the closest I've ever come to having a flash car is owning a Red Ford KA - red cars are faster, right? - but if Manchester City footballer Stephen Ireland was my boyfriend, I'm not sure I'd be that delighted to discover he'd spent nearly £300,000 buying me a car for my birthday.

It's not that I would object to having that kind of money spent on me, it's rather more that spending a six-figure sum on a pimped up car seems like an essentially boyish thing to do. It just doesn't seem imaginative or empathetic. It's like instead of asking himself what his girlfriend really wants, Ireland has just gone for the Premier League equivalent of Homer buying Marge a bowling ball for her birthday.

With £300,000 I could pay off the mortgage, treat myself to some expensive make-up, a whole new wardrobe, a decent motor and long holiday in Barbados. And let's face it, what's the likely resale value of a garishly done up Bentley with "To Jess, Love from Stephen" stitched into every seat? I'd rather diamond earrings, any day.

Call me cynical, but premiership footballers aren't usually of the unerringly faithful breed. If Stephen were to ditch me or cheat on me, I suspect the enormous car would put men off. Aside from that it would look decidedly silly parked in front of my modest little terraced house. Being worth 30% more than the value of my home, it would hardly make me look prudent either. I would feel like the CoverGirl for flippant excess.

Yes, perhaps I am being cynical. Maybe it truly is a gorgeously romantic gesture. Sure she's going to have to fork out a hefty sum for her car insurance, but at least the gift will, according to a friend of the couple, do what counts and infuriate the other Wags, "He's thought of absolutely everything. The other soccer Wags will be jealous for sure when they see Jess cruising around."

Hooray for winter

noreply@blogger.com (Fuse) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 15:19:00 +0000

I recently saw an article in The Times entitled 26 reasons to be glad its autumn and far be it for me to criticise, but some of their 'reasons' struck me as a little lame - all apart form the black tights, really - I mean "N is for Nail Polish"! Honestly,any self-respecting female driver out there knows nail polish is for Christmas Day, birthdays and weddings only, so it is not, by rights, an autumn thing at all.

And with this in mind, here at CoverGirl we had a quick think about 'winter wonders' and came up with our top five cold weather treats (we don't have quite as much time to spare as the Times' journalist - we're busy with cheap women's car insurance, naturally).

Wintery reasons to be cheerful
5. TV scheduling - We don't care which camp you're in, but Strictly Come Dancing and X-Factor are a Godsend for those dreary winter weekends when you can't be bothered to fight through the rain to go to the pub, club or cinema. And if you do go out - you can always watch the dancing/singing hopefuls strut their stuff again, at your leisure, on a PC.

4. No more fake tanning - Ok, so it almost goes hand in hand with the black tights issue, but summer mornings are blighted with daily applications of your 'hint of a tan' generic moisturiser, so winter comes as welcome relief as it's officially good to be pale in November.

3. Candles - Copious candlelight every night is good for warmth and cosiness in the CoverGirl compendium of winter wants.

2. Long hot bubble baths - with candles, of course - need we say more.

1. Hot chocolate with whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles - ooh er! And with winter food and drink treats firmly in mind, thank goodness also for baggy jeans and big check shirts to cover the cold weather pounds you might just put on.

Yes, Hooray for Winter and all its joy.

Feeling sleepy? Don't forget your mind-reading, sleep-preventing baseball cap!

noreply@blogger.com (Fuse) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 10:57:00 +0000

If you have caught yourself drifting off at the wheel late at night, you wouldn't be alone. Falling asleep at the wheel is one of the biggest causes of car accidents and despite government campaigns to target sleepy drivers; it is still a major problem, especially on the motorways.

However, the invention of the SmartCap could change all this and they could even become standard wear for truck drivers if they prove a success.

With clever brain-scanning technology, the SmartCap detects when you're falling asleep by reading your brainwaves. If it thinks the driver is getting sleepy, it sends a message to a computer screen in their cab, which flashes an alert, warning them to take a rest.

Whether this is some made up fantasy invented to catch out the gullible like myself, or whether it is actually a real invention, the SmartCap could prove a brilliant invention. However, for it really to be a success it would need to be brought out in different styles and colours so that you could coordinate it with whatever you were wearing.

Does your car have a name?

noreply@blogger.com (Fuse) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 08:17:00 +0000

According to a survey, 88% of female drivers give their car a name compared with less than half of male drivers. This news doesn't really come as much of a surprise given that all my female friends' cars have names compared with only a sprinkling of my male friends.

However what I have noticed is the difference in the types of names that each sex will go for. While us women tend to stick to rather cutesy names like 'Kitty the Ka' which embarrassingly was the name of my first car, men on the other hand like to go for more ironic or comical names like 'the shed' or 'the beast.'

Swear words also often seem to be at the forefront of male motorists' choice of car names. A male colleague's car has a name so offensive that it can't be repeated and I know of several others who have chosen names that some might deem rather derogatory towards women.

Number plates also prove good sources for picking names for cars. My partner's new car has become known as 'the black goat' thanks to a registration plate including the sequence 6OTE and the black colour of his car.

Shockingly, writing this blog has made me realise that my new car is still in need of a name. As a Corsa it should by default be called something beginning with 'c' like Clarissa or 'Cora' however until I think of something more original, I will have to stay within the 18% minority.

I am a football manager

noreply@blogger.com (Fuse) — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 09:57:00 +0000

We have a fantasy football league going in the CoverGirl office and when asked at the beginning of the season whether I would like to take part, at first, I declined. Then I thought about it - it's no more than shopping for men - so, I decided, I could do that.

My tactics were simple, my goal keepers began with G, my midfielders with M, my defenders with B (not enough defenders' names began with D I'm afraid) and I had a rough mixture up front of Tevez, Torres and Jones.

I gave them the gaudiest kit I could, called them the "We're So Pretty" team and I thought I'd just leave them to get on with it and see what happened.

But then, other members of my family joined the league in thinly disguised attempts to beat me and it was decided, in the office, that we should each pay a league fee to facilitate a winner-takes-all prize fund. Now I find myself, frantically looking through the football sites to find out who my defenders will be defending against and judiciously poring through the players to see who would be a suitable transfer candidate.

In short - I'm hooked. It's almost fascinating me as much as women's car insurance. I did say, only almost.

Cattle stampede creates cowboy showdown at local supermarket

noreply@blogger.com (Fuse) — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 15:14:00 +0000

Perhaps mistaking a petrol station for the Wild West, two cows stampeded through a petrol station shop closely followed by two cowboys.

Like something out of a John Wayne film, the runaways from a passing parade left shop workers and spectators stunned as they were rounded up and herded out from the shop by cowboys.

Although not something you would usually expect to see at a petrol station, apparently escaping cattle are quite a common site in the area during the parade. Last year a bull managed to run through a walk-in bank, but escaped before the cowboys were called in.

It is uncertain what the cows were hoping to find in the shop - perhaps this week's copy of Heatmagazine or maybe a chocolate bar or two.

However, according to spectators the cows were very unwilling to leave and it took a while for the cowboys to successfully herd the two out of the shop.

Maybe they wanted to finish reading up on the latest Katie and Peter divorce saga?