I would strongly recommend Joss Stone if you have not really listened to any of her stuff before. I bought the first two albums a while back and never really got into them but recently they are amongst my favourites.

Beth Orton is a "no-brainer".

A recent find is KT Tunstall, I really love here slower acoustic tracks. Also, and I am a bit suprised by the following as R&B isn't really my thing, but Alicia Keys and Erykah Badhu demonstrate it at is best and simplest without the "overproduction and pop" of the ubiquitous music that is played on the radio/TV all the time.

Not one on your list – but close to it although at the more expensive end. Audi A3 Sportback.

Build quality and finish is just about the best you can get in the low end premium market. Its a joy to drive although mine is the 2.0T FSI Quattro version. The front wheel drive only ones are less so. Faultless (so far!) – 4 years. I like the size – obviously not an estate but a lot more space than the equivalent 3 door (v. poor) and more than my previous golf. Seems relatively cheap to service – although perhaps that is just a trend with newer cars and variable service intervals – but so far has cost considerably less than my old Golf and previous Civic and far less than my expectations. No doubt Audi will manage to live up to its reputation in this regard at some point in the future! I would admit it is not really a looker

Re the cost of private health care, then when I worked in New York my health insurance cost close on 12k USD per annum IIRC. That was close on 10 years ago for a single bloke with no pre-existing medical conditions (at the time).

I was somewhat shocked to say the least!.

I would have to admit the Docs on the few occasions I called on their services were very thorough – but literally everything was charged for (as you can understand given the business model) and came fully itemized on your bill like an accountant's "activity based costing" wet dream. Right down to how many vials of blood they took.

I have had both excellent and not so excellent care under the NHS. Like all walks of life there are people who excel at what they do, those who do OK and those who underperform

Gizzard Puke – Member
Me and my willy used to get into all sorts of trouble until I discovered that a side affect of anti depressants was zero sex drive……everybodies appy!!

This is a common problem with the SSRIs as serotonin inhibits orgasm (they appear to affect the threshold for ejaculatory and orgasmic responses). Thus leading to either delayed ejaculation (can be a good thing within reason!), inability to ejaculate/orgasm and/or "willy" desentivisation where orgasms just do not feel that pleasurable or intense.

There are other anti-depressants that do not interfere with sexual functioning. The most notable is Mirtazapine. This is very unlikely to result in any sexual dysfunction and may in fact enhance it.

The downside is in many people Mirtazapine results in very significant weight gain (i.e not just a few pounds). So no one would want to f*** you anyway then 😆

Trazadone is another AD that shares some of the properties of Yohimbine (an aphrodisiac) and actually brings orgasm forwards. Trazadone, (I believe) is rarely used as a primary AD these days

prootlet – Member
You can get holiday back at our place but you have to have a doctors sick note…
On the plus side if you're sick after a holiday its just counted as sickness. That seems to happen to me fairly often thinking about it …

This is what we do, but we obviously monitor sickness pre/post holidays closely. Think I am about to test it tomorrow, been on leave since 18Dec but came down with Manflu over the new year.

New York. Worked and lived there for 3 years just before Sept 11. Had a fantastic time, single and in my early 30's and was paid obscene amounts of money which I needed and spent. Not great for biking.

Although I loved my time there I could never see myself going back. Happy now with a relatively tranquil existence in SW London.

Although, if an opportunity came up the the two places I would love to stay for a while are Vancouver or Sydney but that is just wishful thinking. Been many times on extended business trips but never lived there.

I have done a few around Surrey. One was not very challenging (Woking), other than it been a complete mud fest which made it hard work. The others in the Surrey hills have been fairly challenging (in a down south sort of way!) but not technical rides.

I like the idea of just turning out if you feel like it – not a great one for plans.

I have been virtually tee-total for the last 10 years. Have a beer or glass of wine perhaps 2 or 3 times a year, but often go months on end or sometimes over a year without a drink.

Whole host of reasons, age, lifestyle, health etc.

Can't say I miss it in the slightest and was probably one of the easiest things to give up.

Count me in – been on medication for pretty much all of 2009 and put on 30lbs as a result. Need to get things back under control.

Now – my medical knowledge is not all it could be but I am sure that being a drug smuggling scum bag is NOT a symptom of bi-polar disease.

Could very well be. During a manic phase it is certainly possible that someone may display that sort of extreme risk taking behavior. During manic phases sufferers will often make grand plans and take high risks. The idea of smuggling drugs to make a lot of money easily could very easily be seen as a perfectly rationale thing to do by someone in an acute manic phase.

I think you will also find that it is a dis-order rather than a disease. 🙂

Naim are supposedly launching a UnitiQute on 7th January. There is very little information about it yet on-line.

Initial descriptions say it is pretty much like the Uniti but without the CD and therefore you would hope it cost somewhat less.

May be worth a look?

I thought the Spesh HT frames came in 17, 18 and 19in frames anyway?

I also find it a bit worrying that you say you have been to a shop and came away with the view that either a 17.5in or 19in would be OK. I would be going to a different shop, especially seeing that you are 5'11" which IMO does seem tall for an 17.5 in race frame?

My reach front/rear of saddle to the centre of the bars measured along the top tube is the same across all my bikes, HT, FS, Road and CX. Don't have a big FS or LT hardtail so all my bikes are towards the racier end of the spectrum.

Looking at your CX bikes may give you a guide as to what total effective TT length you require, then taking into account an ideal stem length and seat post lay back you may get a better indication if one size is really a better fit than another.

Your wife and matey are unlikely to end up on the wrong side of town – unless they fall asleep on the subway and end up in the Bronx or Upper Harlem! Conjures up images of the first chapter of Bonfire of the Vanities

I lived in Manhattan for a number of years. It is a a lot safer than London IMO and probably most UK cities, I and would happily walk around the streets all day and all night.

Personally, I wouldn't bother with an organized guide. It is an easy city to navigate and all the obvious tourist places are very easy to find and get to/from etc. Just get a decent guidebook.

In terms of places to eat, then New York has literally 1000's of good neighborhood restaurants in all the major residential parts of the city, which is pretty much everywhere in NYC.

Remember New Yorkers (or rather Manhattan folk) eat out several nights a week. Any place that is bustling with locals is always a good place to start.

The only places I would not look to eat at are around Times Square / Broadway. I expect there are some very decent places (pre Theatre Broadway dinners etc), but this is definitely where perhaps most of the tourist hotels are concentrated.

I didn't think you were supposed to peel it – I never do. Just eat it or fry it?

Are the pics supposed to have that blueish/purplish hue or is that the effects of the snow/winter light. Looks cool … 😆

Bought myself 6 new inner tubes today and even those had to go on the credit card. So no – no new bike for me this Christmas!

I used to have a Golf and now have an A3 Sportback – More space than a Golf without going the full hog and getting an estate. There is not a lot more space, but enough that it makes getting bikes in and out much easier.

Meets 3 of your 4 criteria, but to be honest I have a top end one and it is far cheaper to service etc than my 2001 golf.

Thanks everyone. Some good recommendations so far, a colleague also mentioned Pan Haggerty.

Food wise Cafe 21 and Pan Haggerty look like good places to start as they are very near where I will staying.

Grainger Room etc when I learn to find my way around. So far all I see is airport, taxi and office.

Sadly, riding will not be an option.

Nay chance, but I was born and raised in St. Helens so I had very good grounds for leaving as soon as I could. It really was and is a proverbial sh1t hole, and I lived in one of the better areas!

Isn't this just a list of which shops have spent (the most) money on cytech training courses in the last twelve months?

The Skeletal Family supporting the Sisters of Mercy in Sheffield (1983/84 ish)

As far as I can tell the BA CEO's salary doesn't seem particularly high and very possibly not even in the top quartile for UK FTSE 100 companies?

Just look at the CEO salaries of all the 'high street brands' Tescos, Vodafone, Barclays – all are well over £1m pa with very generous cash and share bonuses.

Relativity works at all levels. Yes, to me £750k is a lot of money, and probably more than I will earn in my remaining years until retirement, but in the context of being a CEO for a blue chip like BA probably only "fair to middling"

I have just spent a couple of days working at one of our regional offices where a lot of our IT people are based.

It has been quite an eye opener, almost like working for another company, in so many respects. Sounds like he would fit in well at our place. 😆

Also Pearson's in Sutton, but again this is more of a Roadie shop.

KT Tunstall – Drastic Fantastic

Why? Why would you want one rather than a standard 34t?

It looks like either a very brave or very foolish move for a union leader to take their members into strike action in an industry that is forecast to lose $11 billion dollars in 2009 with no sign of any return to profitability until 2011 at the earliest.

You may not be comparing like with like. A return fare may have a number of restrictions or penalties (e.g. changes and refunds).

One way fares may be fully flexible (e.g. 100% refund either pre or post travel date and possibly with no admin fee).

It will also depend on which carrier you are looking at – some carriers have a simpler one way standard pricing model although this is less common on long-haul routes.

Technically you may be in breach of contract if you buy a return fare for the purpose of a one way trip.

Barca's one of the good guys – I wouldn't worry.

PJay – you are right, OCD is an anxiety disorder, hence the reason why SSRI type anti-depressants are sometimes prescribed as part of a treatment plan.

I could be, and most probably am, completely wrong about the single focus bit – that is probably just more to do with the way it is portrayed in the media.

I am not sure I would describe someone being "anal" and displaying "OCD behaviors" as the same thing although I am going to struggle to put my perceived differences into any coherent sentences on a forum.

I guess I would see being "anal" as a broad personality trait that reveals itself in a multitude of contexts both personal and professional at home and at work etc.

Whereas, my limited knowledge of OCD is that is is predominantly very focussed on a single issue (e.g. hand washing etc), is very personal and centered on themselves with an underlying fear that they will come to some direct harm.

I would describe myself as suffering from mild OCD. Double, triple, quadruple checking that windows and doors are locked is my weakness. Unlike GaryLake I can't put mine down to day dreaming etc. I know very well I have closed the windows and already checked twice but I will still go back for a third or fourth time.

Mine is part of a much wider anxiety/depressive/bi-polar/some other psycho label of the day disorder and in the grand scheme of things is perhaps the least of my worries!

DavidB – Member
My notice period is one year

Works both ways, mine is 6 months, which I know gives me some security if I were to be made redundant, so long as the company doesn't completely fail.

I would have thought with a notice period of one year, most companies would go down the gardening leave route?

Are employees under any obligation to tell their employers where they are moving on to?

I have a first in mathematics – do you think that means I can have first dibs 😆

flip – how long did it take from order to delivery?

Also, which 853 tubeset did you go for and why?

The last time I looked I thought there were 3. 853, 853 oversized and 853 pro oversized? All a bit lost on me – although I can guess what oversized means

This Mortal Coil – It will end in tears

Pics please. 😆

An excellent choice. I have been drooling over the Rourke pictures on the website for long time now. I would love one but then I would also love an Enigma.

Presumably that was not a a bog standard paint job. All the ones I have seen have been far simpler two colors max.

Would love to hear how it rides and how it compares with what road bike(s) you are currently riding.

I agree with Mick about the wheelset although I loved my Kysrium ES's. Once had two pairs and sold them both for reasons I will never understand 🙄

Hi,

Hard to judge these things as we only have two of your measurements and everyone has different preferences etc.

However, I am 5'8 with a 30 inseam and would consider myself as having long arms and reach in proportion to my height etc.

But, looking at the geometry figures, a Kona Dawg 18in, has close on a 24in TT which I would way find too long unless perhaps using a 70mm stem?

Try before you buy. If it we me buying it for myself I would be looking at the 17in and even then with a 90mm stem it would be as long as my 17.5 (M) Epic XC "race" bike.

I have just been on the standard 5 day 40mg a day course for an asthma flare up, second time this year. Use the purple Seretide for maintenance.

Typically I have found that the first dose of Pred pretty much brings my peak flows back to normal. They de-stabilise my mood and make me irritable and agitated – probably not helped by being Bi-polar.

In my previous experiences once the Pred has cleared up the inflammation, the asthma has been well controlled with just using my Seretide. Not this last time though and my Asthma is still unsettled – fine for a few days and then not so great and then OK.

My GP had given me some Singulair to try – but I have not tried it yet waiting to see if it settles down.

I am still exercising but it seems hard for the first hour or so and I feel tight chested at the end – but when I take my peak flows after riding they seem pretty much as normal. Suspect it is down to Anxiety.

BillMC – Member
I was at a lecture given by the happiness/wellbeing guy at Harvard (Tal Ben Shahar) on depression. They treated patients in three groups: one on drugs, one group on drugs and execise, one group on exercise only. The group that clocked up the best recovery levels was the exercise only group. I would also add 1 hour of broad daylight per day…and it can't be saved up.

Interesting. Do you know whether this guy a serious academic or a quack. I can see he has lots of books and publications etc?

Can I assume that improvements were measured objectively using something like DSM-IV? What were the mean improvements in each group etc. How was each group selected etc? Was this covered in the lecture?

But assuming all this mundane stuff was addressed then I would have two observations or questions

1/ Before the study where was the overall group positioned relative to some objective measure of depression? This has a significant bearing on the validity and usefulness of the findings (i.e. we found that for a group of mildly depressed people exercise was as effective as drugs – well no surprises there or that it was a consistent result across the entire spectrum of depressive illness)

2/ What hypothesis did the guy present as to why those on "dual therapy" drugs and exercise faired worse than those on exercise only? At face value these results seems to suggest that the drugs impaired their recovery rather than playing a complimentary role to exercise. This is somewhat counter-intuitive.

I am genuinely interested – not trying to be smart ar$e.

Gary

cinnamon_girl – Member
I have a new Rega CD player. My hearing is rubbish due to subjecting my ears to live rock music on a very regular basis, mainly in my yoof. Everything has to be played loud.

Is there anything I can do with my ears to ensure that they will appreciate this fine piece of equipment?

Thank you so much!

Yes, buy a NAIM amplifier for them. 😀