Look. I’ve tried to be careful about what I eat. For the last few flights I’ve eaten nothing that is a trigger. But I still fart like I’ve a gas cylinder up my bum (which for Ernies sake I’d like to say I haven’t).

Physics must be to blame. If the high altitude/reduced pressure can make a crisp bag blow up like a balloon surely, by default, it could somehow make my farts greater in volume?

I used to think it was just me. But the crisp bags have made me think otherwise.

I got bored and took it back. Lots of warning lights were flashing which bore no relation to the abuse the car was recieving.

All I’d done was rag it in a straight line and abuse the gear box.

However – ABS broken, ESP broken, Power Steering broken, Brake service warning lights on, Oil service lights on (ok that could’ve been me).

I go back to my original assertion. US cars are rubbish. They are far too brittle and fragile.

Sell the bike and spend the money on a cleaner.

I’ve never been charged for damage. I’ve taken a few back that are slightly worse for wear but tyres and knackered cooling systems are more difficult to blame on one driver.

LOL – that pretty much sums up some of the nonsense we’ve done in the past.

Had a mini van while over here a few weeks ago. Drove it in traffic for about 5 minutes using only 1st gear (got nowhere near the redline at any point) and it over heated.

We’ve also had – who can do the longest wheel spin contests in them in the past.

Childish I know. But fun all the same.

Does his breath smell like someone elses?

That’s the best indicator.

It thinks it’s mummy is carrying it in her mouth…..

I sold a set of stadiums on here years ago. Worked fine for a few rides and then went pop.

Replacing the bulbs was a no go on those things and I felt a bit bad for the buyer as he essentially now had a useless light.

I gave him half his money back.

It seemed fair.

There does seem to be a pattern here. Films of old do seem to have been capable of inducing nightmares in the people watching (American Werewolf certainly did for me).

My OHs daughter is mad about the likes of SAW, Hostel and the Human Centipede – but they’re all just gore fests.

Although – whoever posted up the link about the hooded man who makes you drown when you swim in lakes has just given me nightmares again (that still scares me!).

See – I get that. Salems Lot was scary – but would now be laughed at.

I guess the ultimate in this area is The Exorcist. It is pretty lame if look at todays gore fests – but it’s still a good scary yarn.

I’ll add the original Omen film to the list. Thats a proper scary film.

Ran over one in Swinley years ago.

Well, when I say ran over, it actually ran into the wheel, went round a couple of times making a very unpleasant thudding sound.

I’d managed to stop, but it just ran off. No damage to the bike but I kind of assumed Mr Squirrel went somewhere quiet to die.

I felt bad.

If it’d been a pigeon – I’d have been happy.

I met both of the brothers in Heathrow years ago and they were both thoroughly nice lads – nothing like the media would suggest.

[/quote]Brackets, Other, Division, Multiplication, Addition, Subtraction. Apparently. So, no.

Meh. I feel my childhood maths lessons with Mr English (ironic I know) are now wasted.

But I stick by my point that there’s no equals sign so no requirement to solve.

It doesn’t really matter. The equation is intentionally ambiguous so that the nerds of the world have something to discuss other than star trek.

Well, there’s no = sign in any of the ‘equations’ so they don’t sum to anything.

But BODMAS is Brackets Of….. There aren’t any brackets so you just execute left to right.

+1 for the stihl petrol blower and a builders bag.

I’ve got a very big oak in my garden and a petrol blower is ace. All garden tools should really be petrol powered – they’re just better…..

Hmmmm. People seem to want an explanation of my entry of Hope. So here goes:-

Hubs. They make a nice noise but are from cheap metals. I’ve had flanges (I do like that word) crack and deform. Axles bend. Freehubs deform.

I don’t get these issues (at least as often) with other brands.

Headsets. They’re expensive compared to a lot of competition and not any better.

Seat clamps. I’m heavy. Their clamps are seemingly not up to the job of keeping my seatpost in place.

Brakes. They fade like no others. Shimano XT are cheaper and better. Hayes are cheaper and just as good. I’ve had them repeatedly leak and the fittings deform when adjusted (and I’m quite delicate with spanners). Used to spend all my life fixing or bleeding the useless crap – haven’t used them for years now and have finally realised that hydraulic brakes can be fit n forget.

Perhaps if they stopped making things from cheese they’d be better.

Just because Hope charge a lot for their products does not mean they’re not cheap and nasty.

Aldi
Lidl
Asda
Argos
Hope

Or any other company that classes as cheap and nasty.

Hmmmm. I didn’t like mine.

BB was way too low. I found the angles uninspiring for steep stuff and it climbed awkwardly.

I brought it to replace a 2002 Patriot. I sold the Alpine after a short while dnd kept the Patriot.

I know it’s horses for courses – but I’ve ridden a few Alpines and never got on with any of them.

I think it’s feel. I couldn’t get out of my head that I was on my 5 heading down hill…..

Bailer twine and stop moaning.

Will you be wearing them at the time?

^ with regards to Shawshank and it’s ending. Was there something mildly camp about it? It always seemed a bit, well, “man love” to me…..

Not that there’s anything wrong with man love. It did seem to spoil an average film some what though.

Lost in Translation is a good example of what I meant really.

It was hyped by the critics – and was awful and dull.

I don’t mind the ‘pop’ films on here. So Star Wars – yes the films are pretty dull, but they were never hyped.

Avatar did seem to win the plaudits of proper “filmys”. Same as Black Swan, Lost in Translation, English Patient…….

They’re all awful – yet somehow we get duped into watching them cos some critic said they were great.

But – can I add ANY film by Quentin Tarantino to the list. I’ve not really enjoyed anything he’s done and I can’t stand his insistence on cameoing in films. If you had him, Bin Laden and Hitler in a room and had two bullets – I’d shoot QT twice to make sure.

Blair Witch was rubbish.

I do travel a lot and BA seem to have these “rave” films on their in flight entertainment system.

I’ve done two returns to San Francisco in the last three weeks and the list hasn’t changed between flights.

So I watched:-
Super 8 (utter crud nasty disney ET nonsense)
X-Men First class (made no sense on relation to the other films as Dr X gets crippified as a young man, not an old slap head)

Flying home tonight I intend to watch GnTs being drunk and that’s all.

Watchmen was crap (is there an anti blue people sentiment here?).

I quite liked Shrek 1 though.

I guess a lot of this comes down to the Oscars. Most of these gash films get at least nominated – but they get nominated by filmy types, not the beer swilling masses that watch them.

They do trap mud and I’ve also had one (on a mates bike!) disintegrate mid rid and they are an arse to get off trail side.

It is personal choice – but for me the potential pay off from the fairly limited protection it offers (as said above, bent mechs in spokes are far more destructive than the chain down the back of the cassette) ain’t worth the hassle.

I had an early Sub 5. It’s heady mix of 5″ at the rear coupled with a truly horrific 80mm manitou front fork and v-brakes was amusing.

It died in Switzerland when the front shock mount disappeared into the frame.

Apart from the mismatched suspension, lack of general strength and useless brakes – it was a great bike.

And if you like Bourne movies try SALT. Excellent

What? Salt is a truly awful film. I watched it on a flight from Newark to San Francisco recently and was so bored I had to resort to taunting the fat, ugly american sat next to me.

I saw the latest X-men film on a recent flight and it was great – right until the end when Xavier became a cripple years before he did in the proceeding films – which was a let down.

Good films:-
Easy Rider
Blood Simple
Get Carter

That really is it……

Top music. Dark side of the moon is still on of my most played albums.

And I love picking up a guitar and playing along to their stuff.

Top band 🙂

Not quite the same but Freddie Star once farted in a queue I was in.

I’d like to see a group test of all the MTB mags available in the UK. It would really help me decide which to buy.

Yes along with no votes for women, slavery, hanging, persecution of homosexuality, etc etc.
I’m sure you think these are all “great” too.

Well, it’s more of the public nature I object to (clearly I don’t mind people feeding their children in private).

Votes for women – don’t really care, probably just adds random static to the result.

Slavery – needs defining. I have an admin and a large team. They are sort of my slaves.

Hanging – a good idea in certain cases.

Homosexuality – love who you want but I don’t want to have it, well, thrust in my face when you start getting physical (but that’s kind of true for Heterosexuality as well).

I did ask that people didn’t get me started on breast feeding. Now look where it’s all ended up.

I do appreciate the fact that many, many of the people on here shop in cheap supermarkets and, therefore, have reduced moral and social standards.

I like to think of myself as a defender of correctness.

Victorian values they may well be – but they were good enough for a time when Britain was truly Great.

First class facilities are very nice. So changing in there is not an issue.

OK – breast feeding.

I once worked with a true Earth mother of a nurse who insisted on feeding her (seemingly always hungry) off spring any time any where.

For instance – she once popped the little parasite on whilst we were out at a nice restaurant meal with work. It made a few of us uncomfortable and the sound of slurping and belching put most of us off our food.

She did similar at a friends wedding with the result that on the video all you can hear is the hungry chompings of a baby sucking teet.

Now – I do understand that babies need to be fed. But FFS go somewhere quiet and less obvious to do it. If I stared at a ladies assets normally I’d get slapped – so why pull them out and latch a baby on and expect me to like it.

The “it’s natural” argument doesn’t work. So is weeing and poohing – neither of which I want to watch.

Personally I believe it’s a statement on behalf of most women.

Someone recently breast fed a baby sitting next to me on a plane. And YES, I did ask her to stop.

Clearly the moral fibre on this site is not as strong as it could be.

And YES – it was INAPPROPRIATE. As is breast feeding in public (don’t get me started on that).

For information it was the First Class / Gold lounge South.

As for whether it had been a young lady or not – it doesn’t matter. One can be both aroused and outraged at the same time.

You are loosening the stem clamp first?

A nice verdejo actually…..

MartynS. There’s a time and a place for everything. This was neither…..

Why did I watch?

To make sure he got dressed again?

He was right in my direct line of sight and I was too lazy to move.

Think of the children!

Naked on a beach is one thing.

Down to your grundies in the first class lounge is another.

I need some more champagne to get over the shock!