Much excitement Chez 6000 today as I discovered a new website. And yes, it’s suitably nerdy, so you’re going to love it too.
Right, so you know when you are passing the harbour in Cape Town or looking down at it from the Mountain? [Joburg readers will have to try to imagine the scene, it's like looking down at a pool of acid drainage from a mine dump, but with ships and a higher pH]
Anyway, you know when you do that and you see all the ships and you wonder about what they’re doing there and where they’ve been?
Well now you can find out, thanks to MarineTraffic.com. And what’s more, you can see which ships are on the move and where they are going.
Some green ships and a red ship off Agulhas this evening.
And should you wish to impress your friends with your impressive knowledge of all things nautical, all you have to do is click on a boat and you get all sorts of “interesting” info about the vessel in question:
Which is all well and good, but which does require you and your friends to have a sea view from your office. Or to have your laptop on the beach. And that’s not ever so helpful.
If only there was an app for your phone so you could have the information to hand, wherever you were.
And of course, there is: for Android (QR code below), for iPhone and not for BB.
Perhaps it sounds rather dull, but it’s actually quite addictive. Soon you’ll be tracking tankers, cargo ships, German Navy vessels and mysterious “Unspecified Craft” around our shores. And because it’s free, you can try it risk-free and simply delete it for a full refund if you’re not completely satisfied.
You’re welcome.
The Pick n Pay Cycle Tour Coffee Table Book post
This all started with a comment on a post here a few weeks back. The comment was unrelated to the post in question and it had the commenter’s cellphone number on it, so I didn’t publish it. It was merely a means of making contact with me [you can do that by email here].
Here’s the comment, with the cellphone number removed:
To which I politely responded:
Bing! Incoming:
I had to read it twice just to make sure I’d read it right the first time. Then I had to go away, have some coffee, have some more coffee and read it again. I was unsure how to respond.
For new readers, who may not know my feelings on the Cape Argus Pick n Pay Cycle Tour (and cyclists in general), here are some few soundbites from this blog (all of which can be seen in context by clicking the links):
All of these are topped, however, by the annual hits-fest that is the Those Cape Argus Results In Full post, written for Argus Day 2009 and which is a MUST READ. Especially each Argus Day when it gets MUCH READ.
If only Richard had done that first.
I thought it was about time I did as Richard said and let him know my thoughts. To that end, herewith my response to him, post coffees and re-reading:
But hey, what do I know? Maybe Richard’s book is actually an honest appraisal of the Cycle Tour – accepting that there are negatives with the positives, that there are tales of annoyance alongside the tales of achievement. Maybe this is going to be a watershed moment among the plethora of blinkered, sycophantic books about the wonders of the Cape Argus Pick n Pay Cycle Tour.
Or, er… not:
And so it ends.
My name will not be in print on coffee tables across the world.
Again.
On a serious note, if you feel that you may have something to contribute to Richard’s book, I am happy to put you in touch with him and him with you.
Just make sure your story has at least three superlatives per sentence, ok?