Its Good Friday and boy, today's Bucket Babe really does make this Friday
extra Good! Shes the popular voice on SA's first visual radio station
and her 'Double Ds' slot really does draw the listeners and viewers.
Shes an avid sportswoman so you know shes keeping her self fit and has
the beauty and brains to match. Her nickname is "Disi" but her stunning looks leave you dizzy! Anyway less yadder from me here's...
Diana Fensham
My name is Diana Fensham but I'm pretty much only known as Disi
Fensham. I was born in Port Elizabeth, where I went to school and was
sport mad from the first day I got there. Throughout my school career I
participated in almost every sport possible (except netball), playing
provincial tennis, hockey and golf. I moved to George, and joined the
Fancourt Golf Academy while I studied a Bcom Accounting degree at NMMU (
George Branch), where I graduated and continued to play golf. I played
women's provincial golf for the Southern Cape Ladies Team and continue
to play socially today. Through the golf I was exposed to the media side
of life, as the “Golf Nurse” in a SuperSport Golf show, Ultra Simple
Golf, and this is when I fell in love with a camera and had my head set
that I would become a presenter. My lucky break came last year when I
moved to Joburg and the incredibly talented and legendary Sasha
Martinengo decided I would fit in well as his co-host on Gearz on Ballz
Visual Radio. My job is pure happiness and every day is the best, I work
with the most amazing people and am so blessed to be where I am. Catch
Sasha and I on Gearz , Monday to Friday, 12:00-14:00 and then for the
most entertaining hour of the day 14:00 to 15:00 where Ian F joins us.
Listen Ballz Radio at www.ballz.co.za on your computer , go to ballz.mobi on blackberry or download the app on other phones. That's pretty much me at the moment:)
1. Hot girls and hot cars go hand in hand, what ride would you like to see yourself in?
I
am actually driving the most gorgeous car at the moment and I am
totally in love, its a Fiat 500 Cabriolet. Its a pinky/purple colour and
my goodness do i feel good driving it, its super sexy.
2. What sandwich are you most likely to make for me? and will it be toasted or plain?
mmmm,
I'm a sucker for avo so I would have to say a chicken, avo and rocket
plain sandwich with a touch of mayo. If i was making it for myself it
would also have hot english mustard on it, but i know not everyone is
into the fiery, eye watering taste so ill spare your taste buds and eyes
today.
3. What type of music gets your booty shaking?
Theres
one answer to this question….DANCE music. I love a night out to shake
the booty, its even better when my boss and host of Gearz on Ballz
radio, Sasha Martinengo, is playing the tunes in a club.
4. Dream cover shoot?
Gosh
I have no idea, I'd say it would have to have something to do with
sport and a bikini. If you know of a mag who enjoy that kind of thing,
please let me know:)
5. If given a choice, full time model or full time executive, what would you choose?
Ive
had lots of fun and enjoyed the modeling I've done, and I am a Bcom
Accounting graduate, but right now I am a full time radio presenter and I
am living my dream.
6. Everyone loves popcorn (well I think they do) whats your topping/ sprinkle of choice?
I'm a plain salt girl, totally addicted to salt.
7. Anyone holding that hand yet? or is it available?
haha, there is a man holding the hand and he's been holding it for a couple of years now:)
8. Growing up you must have had someone you aspired to be, so who is your role model?
It
sounds so cliche but I have to say its four people, my parents and
brothers. I've been brought up by the most incredible parents and have
had the most supportive brothers and they've made me who I am today.
They are my rock and I aspire to be the people they are.
9. Obviously being a female you would love fashion, favorite label or designer:
I
always try to look my best but I am not the biggest mall girl. I was in
Thailand last year and loved shopping because I was walking the streets
and buying clothing. Personally, I enjoy the sporty look and bright
colors, so Puma and Loudmouth are great brands. For dresses I am pretty
chilled, whatever looks good, sexy and fits well on the bod I'll buy:)
10. Which city is your dream party destination:
Ibiza
is right up there but my dream party is definitely Tomorrowland, its
one that needs to be ticked off on the Bucket list (and hopefully soon).
Today KFC began national sales of its much talked about Double Down "sandwich". It made international news when it was launched for the very first time in the USA in April 2010. What it essentially is, is two original recipe chicken fillets that are used in your Colonel burger but in between they stuff a slice of smoked chicken, 2 slices of cheddar cheese and two helpings of the Colonel dressing. Basically its a burger with no bun! Genius! The one served in SA is different to that sold overseas, as they serve bacon with theirs and since majority of the KFC branches are Halaal and Kosher they have opted to use the smoked chicken slice in stead. Many will question nutritional value of such a meal but then again people aren't going to be ordering this on a daily basis, I for one cant wait to sample it as I was salivating looking at the tweets on my TL today! It proved to be such a hit that #KFCDoubleDown tag was trending across South Africa. It sells for R44.90 and is the perfect meal if you're flippin hungry, looking for a carb free meal, cure for a moerse hangover or just want to enjoy some good and tasty!
He is no doubt one of the rising stars in EDM, having many chart toppers and sell out gigs Hardwell is becoming one of the best out there. The Dutch DJ otherwise known as Robbert van de Corput just killed at Ultra Music Festival in Miami, being just his second time at the festival he was featured on the mainstage on both occasions with the likes of Tiesto. This track featuring Amba Shepherd isnt one of his latest but still is one of my favourites.
Today Michael Owen announced his retirement from all forms of football at the end of this season, over the past few years he's bared the brunt of many jokes and a lot of hate. Admittedly I was one of them that poked fun at him many a time, whether it be his comments on twitter or his lengthy spell spent on the bench at his last two clubs. Did he deserve it? Well to many Liverpool fans he was known as "Judas" taken from the bible, is he who betrayed. He betrayed Liverpool fans by joining our arch rivals Manchester United but do you blame him?
Lets take a look at what happened, in the 2004/2005 season Liverpool FC went through a change of management whereby Rafael Benitez was brought to Anfield to take charge of England's most successful club. Michael didn't wish to be part of this change as he felt the club was sinking and it was time for him to bail. He was one of the most successful strikers at the club and a darling to many, his child like looks still make him seem like the 18 year old that stepped onto the worlds stage in the France WC 98. Real Madrid made an offer and Rafa didn't stop the player as we sold him to the Spanish giants.
His career at Real wasn't all that he hoped for as he sat there at the end of the season having to watch his former team mates partake in what was to be the greatest final of all time, in Istanbul Turkey. After just one season in the LaLiga he made his way back to England to join Newcastle United in the hope to reignite his career and make the call up to the national team for the Euros. He enjoyed a lengthy spell in Toonside but it wasn't all that successful especially with trouble at management level with the clubs owner and the numerous changes being made, eventually his contract ran out and he became a free agent.
Now at the age of 30 and past his prime, not many top flight clubs would consider signing a player like Owen, he would be lucky to get offers from a mid table club but low and behold, whisky breath came knocking. Having come through the academy at LFC and spending 8 years with the club in the Premier League, he knows all too well of the rivalry and when he signed ,it left a very bad taste in many supporters mouths. How could he do this to us? How could he join the dark side and help them surpass the record held by LFC of 18 league titles? It just didn't bode well with many, including me.
At the end of the day, its business. Like I said there wasn't a chance in hell that a top flight club would come seeking his signature but the (Red) Devil did. Steven Gerrard said in an interview not long ago that Michael called him up when he got the offer and said Owen did what he had to do, he had to look after his career and signing for Man Utd was the best he could get. It came at a price but it was a price he was willing to pay...I'm sure Utd make it up to him in cash. He spent most of the last few seasons on the bench before moving over to Stoke City at the beginning of this season. Seems like he'll be keeping that position as he didn't feature much in their starting 11 so far.
It still leaves me a bit angry to have seen him join United, players who are loyal to the club know better but to completely shun him would be wrong. There are many times he brought a smile to my face as much of my early memories of Liverpool were with him, Fowler and Gerrard. The goals he scored, the runs he made and the pride he brought to the club will never be forgotten and writing his name in folklore as he famously helped Liverpool overturn a 1-0 deficit against Arsenal at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff in what was the first time a FA Cup final was held outside England. That still remains the best memory I have of him.
Been hearing this track for a while but never really took note of it until Martin Solveig dropped it at UMF in Argentina. It's a mad track and credit to Tommy Trash who is best known for his remixes, Aston Shuffle I haven't heard much of but if they keep producing sounds like this, they will go far.
Well I got into the kitchen recently and made something different. There's only one type of bird I'm used to eating and that is chicken, I've tasted duck once or twice but never took a liking to it and the same goes for turkey but this time I decided to tackle a bigger bird. Ostrich, now its not like any bird meat you've seen, to start off its red and the package it comes with puts me off because it looks like its soaked in blood but I decided to go ahead and try it anyway. They say the meat is pretty healthy for you, its lean and doesn't have much fat. Here's how I went about cooking it.
Ingredients.
Ostrich fillet (200-400g)
1tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp brown sugar
2 tsp olive oil
2 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp English mustard
1 tsp golden syrup
thyme
1 tsp Robertsons Italian herbs
Extras
1 carrot, cut into strips
green beans, cut into long strips
1 large potato
half cup of milk
salt and pepper
Method
Mix ingredients in a bowl (besides the fillet), once everything is mix, massage it into the fillet. Once done, cover with cling film and pop it into the fridge. I let mine marinate over night so the flavour soaked in. Now to cook it, heat up a frying pan with some olive oil, make sure its nice and hot. We're not going to cook it, just seal it, so fry on one side for about 1 minute, then turn and seal for 1 minute. Once you're done, put the fillet in an oven tray along with what ever juice was left in the pan and from the dish it was marinated in. add your strips of carrots and green beans and cover with foil. Pop it into a preheated oven at 220 degrees. Allow to cook how you desire, I let mine get well done, it wasn't as dry as I expected and it still retained load of moisture.
I also made a smooth mash potato, boil the potato till its cooked. Mash in a bowl, add the milk and salt and pepper to taste. Keep on mixing till its nice and smooth.
I also made a quick cheese and spinach sauce, equal quantities butter and flour in a hot pan. Wait for the mixture to brown, add some milk while keep on stirring. add some cheddar cheese (I think this is the best cheese to use in a sauce). Once its thicken, take off the stove and add some chopped spinach and stir it in. Pour the sauce over the fillet while eating, it really is an awesome side! Enjoy.
Well today's choon isn't a choon, its a music festival and not just any music festival, David Guetta described it as "the biggest party on planet earth". It really is one of the best if you're a EDM junkie like myself. Yes I know theres Tomorrowland but UMF has always been in my books as a must visit event before I kick the bucket, this year would have been ideal since it stretches over 2 weekends, making it the biggest dance festival ever. With Miami as its backdrop, the is no better setting for this and with it coinciding with Miami Winter Music Conference, most if not all of the top DJ's are present. It starts this weekend and the line ups are insane! Take a look at last years after movie and you'll see what I mean.
Geneva is no doubt the biggest and most popular motorshow of the calendar. Motor manufacturers save their best for this show and that is why it has the most unveiling's of high end cars. This year was no different, all the big names were present to show off their latest, greatest and powerful machines and there were some surprises by some. Aston Martin had a good few models on display, the Bertone Designed Rapide was one that caught the eye and the Jet which is a concept station wagon. Over on Koenigsegg's stand, the Agera S Hundra was causing quite a stir whilsts Bugatti had yet more varients of the Veyron. Toyota lifted the sheets on the 86 drop top which was spotted in Cape Town not long ago, the two tone interior looks stunning so I hope they keep that for the production model. Another car that will be hitting our shores soon is the A45 AMG, its an abosultely stunning redesign of the model and sure to set the hot hatch market alight. Now from all that the show had to offer, here is my top 5 picks.
5. 2013 Porsche 911 GT3
The GT3 has always been my favourite of the Porsche line up, besides it being a track car, it just looked the part. The new model has the subtle yet defining looks of the new 911 with the extra beef that comes along with the GT3.
4. Rolls-Royce Wraith
Not going to start with how its pronounced because I am not entirely sure myself but what I can tell you it is one bad ass car! Rolls Royce's are made for one to be driven in, this one is a luxury coupe, something you'll picture a member of the mafia driving around in. Its got plenty muscle under the hood but more than enough comfort inside that's fit for the Queen!
3. Mclaren P1
The P1 is Mclarens ultimate supercar, the British company took a lot of its inspiration behind this car from its formula one division in the quest to make it the best drivers car for both road and track. It certainly looks the part, styling is similar to the MP4-12C but given an extreme twist.
2. Lamborghini Veneno
I dont think many expected this, especially from the guys from Italy. All of us waited in baited breath for the company from Maranello to unleash their beast to the world but in a shock turn of events, Lamborghini left most of the crowds jaws on the floor with this one. Its their most powerful car and only 3 of them will be made at a hefty price tag. Obviously they're already sold but not like we could afford it anyway.
1. Ferrari LaFerrari
The men from Maranello teased us over a period of months with sneak peeks of the car that takes over from the Enzo. The F70 or as we know now, "LaFerrari" was finally shown in all its glory and my word was it worth the wait. Yes the name seems kinda not thought of but it epitomizes what the company is. The V12 engine pushes out a staggering 936bhp! The car looks amazing and its everything a Ferrari fan had wanted.
Motorists in SA don't have much to be happy about today, the petrol
price has just gone up by 81 cents a litre and the price of brent crude
doesn't look like dropping as the demand for it world wide increases,
also just recently during his budget speech, Finance Minister Pravin
Gordhan indicated that there will be a rise in the CO2 TAX which means
car prices are going to go up. With all of this happening, last weeks E
Mobility Summit held by BMW SA in George couldn't have come at a better
time. During the week, groups of motor journalists, bloggers,
environmentalists and members of various government departments were
called in to listen and give their input on the way future for the motor
industry as a whole. We were also given the opportunity to drive some
of the alternative energy powered vehicles which included the 3 series
and 5 series Active Hybrids as well as the full Electric Mini E and 1
Series ActiveE. We also learnt more about BMW i and what it had to
offer.
Proceedings kicked off at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in
Oubaai where we were attended a presentation by BMW SA's Guy Kilfoil and
Edward Makwana on their Active Hybrid models. The current line up
consists of 3, 5 and 7 series, all of which have the same drive train
that is a 3 litre, 6 cylinder petrol combustion engine along with the
hybrid electric motor which is situated above the rear axle of the car.
The large lithium ion battery sit just behind the back passenger seat
ensuring not much space has been taken up in the cabin and still has
ample space in the boot. Things that stood out for me was obviously the
large petrol engine, given that hybrid electric vehicles are meant to be
eco friendly and cut down on carbon emissions as well as saving you
cash at the filling station, why would BMW opt to put a 3 litre engine
and not a smaller one?
Guy was quick to tell me that BMW has always had a
rich history in performance cars, so instead of compromising on
performance they decided to see how they could use it with this
technology, plus who am I to argue when the cars claimed consumption on
eco mode is said to be 6.4L/100km, that's miles better than my current
2.0 petrol car which averages around the 9L/100km mark. Another feature
that caught my eye was 'e-boost', in other hybrid vehicles you either
driving with the electric engine or the petrol engine, with the e-boost
feature on BMW's Active Hybrids, the cars intelligent hybrid system
realises when the petrol engine is taking strain therefore it activates
the electric engine to help out thus alleviating the strain from the
petrol engine. This works like a dream when going up hill as I will
explain to you shortly. Other key features are energy regeneration from
braking, similar if not the same technology used in F1 where by kinetic
energy is generated when braking.
After the presentation we were handed over the keys to
our chosen hybrid and given the map to our destination of Oudtshoorn, a
lovely 120km route which had a little bit of everything to showcase the
cars versatility in any driving environment. I drove the 5 series Active
Hybrid on the journey there, having not driven a hybrid car before I
wasn't sure what to expect, it felt just like a normal car but when I
reached cruising speed of 100kph and the drive train switched from
petrol to electric, I watched in awe as the revs completely dropped and
silence filled the cabin. The large screen displayed a graphic
showing that the car was now using the electric motor, also when I
braked it had an animated graphic to indicate kinetic energy was being
created. The car itself felt solid and well balanced even though it had
another motor in the back along with a very heavy battery pack, it
didn't lack power at all as when the road cleared up and I had the
opportunity push, it picked up speed with ease.
Coming back to the
'e-boost' I spoke of earlier, there were some hills to climb en route to
the destination, climbing up hill I noticed the automatic gearbox
didn't down change to accommodate for the car going up hill but rather
the electric motor and petrol engine worked in tandem to get the car up
the hill at the cruising speed I was doing, no increase in revs and no
strain on the combustion engine at all. Once at Oudsthoorn, we freshened
up, chatted briefly about our experiences with the car and those who
had the 5 series swapped with those who had the 3 series. Now having the
same drive train but in different bodies, the 3 series would have more
kick than the 5 but I was left completely speechless at how much more
better it was to drive, not to say the 5 series was bad but on the
whole, the 3 series seemed more fun, more nippy and more agile to
maneuver at high speeds. I am honestly considering this as my next
car...if I have adequate funds that is.
The day ended of with a presentation from Guy Kilfoil,
the GM of Communications at BMW, with the EU's 2020 target of 95 grams
fleet average per manufacturer drawing every so closer, would hybrid be
enough? Hence the topic of his talk BMW i, its a sub brand of the
company which could become the reality of the motor industry in the
future as it focuses on producing cars with low or zero emission output
with the use of sustainable technology. He took us through the history
of BMW's attempts at producing a car which used an alternative power
source, the first of which was the 1602e that was produced in 1970 to
coincide with the Munich Olympics. The car had a power output of 32kW
and a range of 30km, not much I know but it was the start of a long
journey that brought us to the i3 Concept Coupe. What is the i3? Well
its BMW's attempt at what it envisages the car of tomorrow will be, the
shell is made from light weight carbon fibre which will be mass
produced to cut cost of the product in a plant that will have a low
environmental footprint, in fact every plant that will be manufacturing
these cars will be self sustainable and not have a large impact on its
surroundings. So not only are the cars good environment but so are the
facilities that they're being made in. The base of the car will house
the lithium iron batteries and it will be protected by an aluminium
frame. The batteries will be the most costly part of the car so its good
to have them well protected, from there the team have designed a cabin
to give the driver and its occupants enough room for comfort and
maneuverability. Seeing that this is a city car, the driver will be
seated higher than a normal car to improve visibility as they have to be
alert for any on coming dangers.
Being a technologically advanced car,
it has to keep up with the latest trends and in doing so BMW have come
up with the connected drive feature, where by you can communicate with
your car via your mobile phone. It can give you updates on when your car
is fully charged, the integrated software allows you to receive
locations and will direct you via the GPS, you can search for places of
interests near to you and when giving directions, it will chose the
shortest route to save energy. In future with the help of cities, one
could book parking spots in the city via your phone so one doesn't have
the to hassle to find parking.
Lets divulge in the i3's specifications, the electric
motor over the rear axle generates 125 kW/170 hp and impressive torque
of 250 Nm from a standstill and a small turning circle combine to
deliver pleasingly dynamic driving characteristics. The BMW i3 Concept
accelerates from 0 to 60 km/h in under four seconds and from rest to 100
km/h in less than eight seconds. It has a range of about 160km, which
is perfect for city running around. To charge the battery using a
conventional plug outlet, it will take around 6/8 hours to fully charge
but if you have provision for a three phase outlet, the car could be
charged in as quickly as 30 minutes. Of course one doesn't just plug it
in like a conventional device, the car will come with a wall mounted
unit which BMW will send a specialist to assess and then decide on which
option is best to be installed, that is three phase or normal single
phase.
Day 2 commenced with us being split into 3 different groups, all
taking turns to test drive the electric powered cars, whilst the other 2
groups were in different workshops listening to presentations and
discussing the pros and cons of the electric vehicle. The cars we were
driving were the MINI E and the BMW1 Series ActiveE, both models formed
part of the largest consumer trial in the world where by customers in
Europe and the USA purchased these cars and used it for their day to day
needs, whilst giving feedback. The customers in the USA had a common
problem with the range of the vehicle as the distances they had to
travel were remarkably more than what their European counterparts had,
so they had to recharge the cars more often. Both models we had to drive
were flown in from Germany so both were left hand drive cars, there
wasn't a problem driving them but it required a bit more concentration
having the steering wheel on the other side. The first thing that
strikes you is the silence, there is no big noise when starting up, no
revs, just start put it in drive and go! Much like a golf cart....but a
bigger more fancier golf cart. I drove the 1 series first and was blown
away at the torque and power the car had, where it was on a flat road or
climbing up a hill there was no sense of sluggishness as it just kept
going. One thing that was very evident and impressed me a lot was when
you let go of the accelerator, the electric engine immediately begins to
regenerate power by slowing down the car and practically braking for
you without using the brakes. This will save you tons of cash on brake
pads since there will be hardly any wear and tear on them. I managed to
take the car to 120kph with ease, on take off the car is no slouch and
it achieves speeds with not much difficulty so it would make it perfect
for day to day driving. I swapped the BMW for the MINI which was their
first prototype so the 1 Series is more refined, there was a clear
difference with the MINI seeming more raw. Its acceleration was more
quicker and its regeneration braking was more abrupt but with its size
and weight, all of this made things more fun for the driver. You were
able to build up speed quicker and could brake later going into bends
knowing that the car would slow down much faster.
After a spin around the area it was time to hand back the cars and
attend my only workshop due to time constraints. I attended the one held
by Deena Govender of BMW, he is heading up BMW i in SA and was very
frank from the beginning. This is new waters they're treading in and
they require input from every possible area to help them understand what
the potential buyer of the i3 would want in the car, what problems they
could experience and what would make them chose this car over another
one. One of the key characteristics with the i3 is its weight, because
of its carbon fibre shell, the car weighs 600kg's less than the 1 series
ActiveE which would make the car much quicker. The next question was
safety, if the i3 was involved in an accident, with 80% of the car being
carbon fibre, how safe will the occupants be? Many of us watch F1 and
see how drivers walk away from high speed crashes, carbon fibre is known
to absorb most, if not all of the impact, yes it will shatter into a
million pieces but having absorbed most of the collision, the passengers
will remain safe. With a range of 160km, it doesn't give one the option
to travel long distance so BMW have thought of a solution. When
required, you could take your i3 into the showroom and exchange it for a
petrol or hybrid model of your choice to use for the required journey.
Obviously one cant do this every weekend and a structured plan will be
worked out allowing you so many turns per month and a limit on what
model vehicles to chose from.
Overall it seems that BMW have thought of almost everything but one
can only know for sure when the car is introduced into the market and we
have not long to wait as the global launch of the production model is
in mid 2014 and first sales of the car in SA will be towards the end of
2014. There will be two models being sold, the i3 and the i8. The i8 is a
performance hybrid car that made its movie debut in Mission Impossible:
Ghost Protocol, everything Tom Cruise used in that car will be reality
in the production model I'm told. The car is a cruiser and not really
designed to be a city car, hence it has the hybrid drive train, BMW are
currently conducting hot and cold weather testing with the car and it
was spotted in the Western Cape in camouflaged livery. This may be where
the future is heading for cars in general but not for BMW, with the
increase demand in electricity which caused the drastic rise in price,
one cannot rely on electricity to power cars of the future. BMW's
ultimate goal lies in Hydrogen, it has zero emissions as cars which run
on it produce water vapour. The problem for now is finding a way to
store it as it needs to be used in liquid form, seeing the massive
strides they've made in E Mobility, I can foresee them doing the same
with this venture.
