Results tagged “birmingham mail” from Birmingham Mail - Technobabble

Wheelman
XBox 360
Midway
£39.99

GRAVEL-voiced baldy Vin Diesel has been ubiquitous on the Freeview channels recently plugging this driving fest, delivering the line "I'm Milo Burik. I'm a Wheelman." as if he's gargling napalm.

Not exactly famous for costume dramas, Diesel is associated with the Fast and the Furious franchise, and is himself a keen gamer.

Set in the unusual location of Barcelona, the 'plot' involves infiltrating the local underworld to gain information about a huge robbery which is set to take place in the near future.

Unsurprisingly most of the detective work involves driving sports cars as fast as possible (I don't remember Miss Marple taking the same approach).

A new ultra-unrealistic move called the 'airjack' involves somehow leaping from your car, hundreds of feet, landing in an enemy vehicle and taking over.

A bit different to Grand Theft Auto's yank open the door and pull the driver out, and not, I would say, any improvement.

There are some amusing glitches whereby you can plough straight through a brick wall but get stuck on a cardboard box.

It's a competent big dumb driving game, but doesn't really bring a great deal new to the genre.

71 per cent

Hollywood 'legend' Ashton Kutcher is the first person to break through the million barrier for followers on Twitter.

He was shortly followed by CCN's breaking newsfeed half an hour later.

So what, you might ask, has Mr Demi Moore got that is so much more interesting than all the other celebrities who are taking part in the micro-blogging phenomena.

I must, at this point, make a confession. I did myself start to follow Ashton (left) on twitter (his 'handle' is aplusk) purely for nasty journalistic reasons.

I wanted to do a blog on the pointlessness of so much which is posted on twitter (and let's be honest, posts of the 'just had toast for breakfast', 'I'm tired', and 'I'm in Tesco' variety assume a colossal level of interest on the part of your followers, and also, I hesitate to add, indicate a huge ego on the original poster), so I picked Ashton purely on the basis that he seemed such a pointless Hollywood actor that it was likely to be full of such air-headed nonsense that it would make for a top posting.

You'll also have noted that such a blog hasn't appeared, and I suppose, that also reveals the reasons behind his Twittering success.

The key, as Alistair Campbell might say (see blog below) is authenticity. He genuinely updates the posts himself, and conducts conversations various other stars, as well as his wife Demi, allowing any follower an insight into his life.

He hasn't fallen into the trap of getting one of his flunkeys to update it on his behalf, purely using it as a cold-eyed marketing tool.

Aussie actor Hugh Jackman (right) came a cropper when he posted: "Having lunch on the harbor across from the Opera Center. Loving life!"

The twitter community wondered at the use of the word "Center" instead of "House" in relation to Australia's most famous building, but also at the American-style spelling.

Turns out some underling in the US typed it in for the Wolverine star.

Similarly rapped 50 Cent and pop singer Britney Spears (as if anyone thought she did it herself...!) have been unmasked as having their accounts 'managed' by staff members.

So the lesson is - do it yourself and keep it real (kids).

Follow me on twitter for updates.

Good old Jeremy Clarkson, who is the subject of a new Youtube clip doing the rounds, likes to think of himself as a bit of a prankster and wind-up merchant.

Traditionally we refer to Jezza as a 'motormouth' in the Birmingham Mail, usually when writing stories about his latest insult to our city.

Never mind that he's trousered enormous amounts of loot from his 'MPH' shows at the NEC.

No, Jezza hates the city, and region in general, having said the Brummie accent makes "everyone sound subnormal".

He's had a go a restaurant - Simpsons - which is the pride of Brum, and described nearby Wednesbury as "the worst place in the world."

And on hearing that MG Rover had gone under, his first reaction was 'good'.

So I think we can take a small amount of pleasure from the fact that he's become so famous that he can't even go to the toilet without practical jokes being played on him.

At the Mallorca Classic Car Rally on March 21 2009, pranksters piled tyres in front of the portaloo door forcing him to kick his way out.

So I think we can take some cold comfort from the living hell that multi-multi millionaire Clarkson's life has become in the public eye (ok, well, probably not but we can only hope).

Follow me on twitter for updates.