Are the CSL’s real or copies, I think they really do set the car off !!!

Was that advertised on Pistonheads ? I think I saw it in about November.

Best way to get a job is to get some skills that are in demand.

I know this sounds a bit chicken and egg, but it does need to be. Find out what people want and study/practice it.

Bazzer

I bought a Z4MC in November, it’s ace. Thirsty, but ace.

Tell me more, what spec, colour etc

Where did you get it from, did you go BMW AUC or private ?

Yep if you want to do weekends away etc then the 7 is not ideal. I know people do it but its not my idea of fun either.

I reckon the Boxter sounds good then, for no other reason than it seems you really want one and that’s a good enough reason to buy a sports car :-)

I am considering a Z4M coupé at the moment. I would really like a 996 GT3 but cant bring myself to spend that much on a car any more, even though I know it will probably loose less money then the BMW. I have wasted loads of money on cars in the past and I have told myself I would not do it again, but it is hard :-)

I drove a Boxter S about 5 years ago and it was really nice and sounded great.

If you really just want a fast rewarding car to drive and you don’t need any practicality consider a 7 style car as BearBack suggests. A Caterham or a Westfield will give you great performance for your money and you will probably not loose much on it when you come to sell it.

I used to do lots of track days in my Westfield Megabusa and those turbo nutter jap barges that Elfin likes didn’t stand a chance :-)

Bazzer

Iron Horse Sunday.

Very low bottom bracket which has caught me out, other than that great.

On some tracks I still expect the pops and clicks that were on MY copy, even when I hear them played on the radio :-)

I remember getting to the record shop early on a release day to ensure you got your copy and it didn’t sell out before you got it :-)

That is excitement for you :-)

Yep Princess bride is one of my favourite films.

Don’t know of anyone who has seen it who does not like it.

After all its got “swordplay, giants, an evil prince, a beautiful princess, and yes, some kissing”

Back to the original topic you could look at parallels between software engineering and other kinds of engineering. We ‘outsourced’ our bulk manufacturing many years ago, but we still have a manufacturing business in specific very high tech areas

Would totally agree with that, we are still a very creative nation.

Bazzer – can you imagine having an apprentice? I think apprenticeships are great but like I say, not sure it’d work for IT. In any case there is usually a strong process of mentoring and review for graduates which amounts to the same thing just organised differently.

I guess my work is not strictly IT, its an engineering environment and there used to be apprenticeships. A mix of on the job training and part time HNC/degree. I think this could work very well for some people. Trouble is today is it would be seen as second best to a route straight to university at 18, even though it could produce better engineers at the end of the day.

Last two companies Ive worked for have a massive on-site presence by a Indian “outsourced” resource. Im sitting now surrounded by about 100 Indians working on a dev project. They outsource, but then just fly the guys here to work at the customer’s premises.

That does make more sense from the point of view of getting the job done and obtaining resource. Though when we did this it was no cheaper than hiring local resource when expenses were taken into account. Reason we did it was lack of suitable local resource.

What type of development is it by the way ?

Why couldn’t the tax on petrol be a little more fair. My car is economical with low co2 why should I pay the same fuel tax as someone who has a v8 range rover with does less than 8mpg?

You car produces the same amount of C02 for every litre of fuel you burn as every other car.

So you do pay less tax as you use less fuel !!!!

Why couldn’t the tax on petrol be a little more fair. My car is economical with low co2 why should I pay the same fuel tax as someone who has a v8 range rover with does less than 8mpg?

You car produces the same amount of C02 for every litre of fuel you burn as every other car.

So you do pay less tax as you use less fuel !!!!

Poor quoting above I meant to quote molgrips comment.

Yes, but not entirely sure it’d work in software development.

Think they may have called it an….apprenticeship.

See my experience over the last 15years has been really positive. I have always had work (Contractor like you) and I have done pretty well financially out of it too.

I sometimes think I would like a job that is more people orientated, but I enjoy engineering enough to not worry about it too much.

Interestingly I bought a set of hope hoops with DT 5.1d rims which are machine built and a set of hand built 823’s on Pro II’s

Mate of mine is really interested in wheels and has an unhealthy attention to detail. He wanted to see what the competition was like.

He said the machine built Hope Hoops were pretty much perfect, very true good and extremely even tension, in fact one of the best builds he has seen.

The hand built Mavics (by a renowned company) were pretty average.

Could just have been luck with the Hopes, but who knows !!!

Bazzer

Think they may have called it an….apprenticeship.

Totally agree with this, I think a return to proper engineering apprenticeships would be a great thing.

At the moment businesses don’t seem to be prepared to pay to develop the skills they require then moan when they are not available.

I think people are realising that cheap does not mean value.

I have worked with teams in India and Russia and there are additional costs involved with outsourcing that are not initially obvious.

To maintain quality and correct direction, you probably need one local engineer for every 5 outsourced engineers. We also found that when engineers go back home their productivity seemed to drop to about half that of when they are on site.

I also worked on a project that after an overrun and overspend of two years was still not finished and was canned. I am pretty confident that the initially more expensive on shore quote given by people who had first hand experience of the problem would have completed a working solution in a sensible time scale.

That aside one of the motivations we had for outsourcing was not cost initially but the lack of suitable local resource.

As an aside we had some Indian and Russian engineers on site as part of an extended team and they were great. They were clever good engineers and very nice with it.

So I don’t think it will spell the end of on shore development.

Bazzer

PS just to clarify I mainly work in embedded software rather than web site or PC software. So this brings with it its own challenges when out sourcing.

How much does the Reverb weigh compared to a Gravity dropper ?

What colour is it at the moment ?

If you mean Toyo T1-R then I use them on my Octy Vrs Estate I like them quite good wet and dry. I get pretty much 20K out of a front set and 40K rear.

I don’t drive slow but I am not sliding around either.

Hope this helps.

I have been with ticket2ride and they were fantastic had a great holiday.

Wife went as well and I think she enjoyed it :-)

Bazzer

SBZ that’s the biggest load of rubbish I have heard (at least today :-))

That 98K could be his house for all you know !!!!!

I think some of you guys are mixing up healthy with home cooked.

Home cooked is generally tastier, but not necessarily healthier.

I may not be expensive to eat a healthy diet, but you can eat an unhealthy diet cheaper.

I spend circa £20 on fruit a week to go with my pack lunch and the odd bit at home. I could by crisps a lot cheaper.

Vegetables are the same, they used to be a lot cheaper they are extortionate now.

But for the life of me I can not understand why anyone would consider a Macy D a treat !!!!

Bazzer

WCA

My work is mostly (all) in the UK with VAT registered companies. All I do is fill in a spreadsheet and send it to my accountant too, they send me the figures to put in each box on the VAT form.

My accountant costs IRO £95 + VAT a month which includes my tax return , end of year accounts and electronic filling of all the various gubbins that need doing.

Certainly for me it makes sense as its a fair few quid over the year.

The FRS scheme makes things really easy, in fact if you opt for cash accounting, you can get all you need for a VAT return from your bank statements.

Bazzer

Only go VAT registered if you are buying a lot of equipment or you have to because you beat the upper limit. Both unlikely for IT consulting for 3 months.

Why ? if you go on the “Flat Rate Scheme” FRS its free money !!!!

Bazzer

5’11 and the all important 1/2″ I ride a soul in a medium.

Bazzer

If I was going to do the Ring, I would probably go on a closed to public day with a company like Bookatrack. But is it really a lot better than a day at Angelsey, Cadwell or Oulton Park ?

I had a big off in a TVR at Castle Coombe and put my mate in hospital. For years after that I ran the 7 without a passenger seat, so I didnt have to say no to people wanting passenger rides. It can all go wrong I was lucky that day as it really was a big crash and my mate was OK in the end.

spa? What did the climb out of au rouge feel like?????

It feels like you need more power :-) Even though the Kemmel straight is long the slight up hill means lower top speeds than you would expect.

I could just about touch the rev limiter in 6th in my car before braking which was about 130MPH at the time. It was a 7 style car with a Hayabusa engine.

I turbo’d the Busa to 300BHP and added taller gearing in a bid for 150MPH down the Kemmel, but never went back once it was all done.

Would rather ride my bike now :-)

Bazzer

Funny I was a track day junkie for about 5 years doing about 10-12 days a year. I never fancied the ring as I thought it would be just like driving on a road and would be really hard to learn it.

I have done Spa a few times and its awesome, had a real it does not get better than this moment the last time I went.

Baz

Went to Val D’Isere for premier Neige a few weeks back and off again on Thursday if Gatwick is open for business.

(do people like bazzer really exist? You know, in the real world? Or are they internet bots programmed to spoil any sense of humour the internet may have? They bloody annoy me anyway.)

Original story was really funny so see I do exist and I do like a joke :-)

I’d have left her where she sat, no advice. Reward idiocy with the contempt it richly deserves.

It was just not funny, There are a lot of people involved in outdoor sports with this attitude, if your crap at something then you should stay at home. I guess these people were born good at everything.

Yes, she’s far less likely to cause an accident while stationary.

Funnier :-)

Bazzer

I’d have left her where she sat, no advice. Reward idiocy with the contempt it richly deserves.

And the world would be a better place for that would it ?

Bazzer

I have a Osprey Switch 26 for skiing and its a great pack and very nicely made with good functional touches.

For the bike I have used a wingnut for about 3 years, its comfy but only one internal pocket. Its just about worn out now as well.

Bazzer

I was hoping to get them to repair a motherboard on one of my Laptops.

I know what the problem is on my board but requires BGA soldering, they claim to be able to do that, so they do seem to be fully kitted out.

Bazzer

ART, how much you looking for the Sunday and where are you based ?

On a serious note, its a disgrace that FIFA are not using there power for good. They should have knocked back Quatar and told them they would have got the world cup if it were not for their laws discriminating against minority groups and its agaist FIFA’s ethical principals to award it too them.

Bazzer

http://www.laptoprepairspecialist.co.uk/

Hope this helps