Awesomes! Hurry up postie; fingers crossed it gets here just before my leisurely soak in the bath.

Christ, it's like a pro-ana website in here. Bunch of bloody fussy eaters.

live and let live with normal folk who like to ride

You've obviously not had one of your few decent local routes trashed by them. There's a world of difference between two human powered wheels and engine powered ones.

Thank the powers for a decent stage! I think LA has done superbly well – as has been said after four years off and 3 years shy of his 40th he is doing superbly well. To a total competitor like himself he'll probably be disappointed but out here in teh real world he is doing fantastically. What is really gratifying about this year's tdf is that there have been no big drugs scandals – maybe the biggest Lance effect has been the knowledge that the testing was always going to go into overdrive with him around – the French cycling authorities and press have never seemed to like or trust him.

What I'm really looking forward to is next year: Wiggins now knows he can compete and will probably "train his arse off" with GC as number one priority and Andy Schleck is coming on in leaps and bounds. Acers!

Life's a riot with spy vs. spy 😀

'We have a plan to save the world in four months by growing hemp. If we all started growing this plant we could be free, which is why they have made it illegal to stop people gaining freedom.'

Well, he clearly has a path that he's enjoying following. I can't wait to hear the response from the 'Turth' movement which, I suspect, will claim he was a deep agent all along and was out to discredit them 🙂

muddydwarf: good on ya for standing by him; I've had friends, relations and associates go down a variety of sticky paths and having someone there really makes a big difference to them. EVen in his darkest moments it will make a difference.

I used a bit of grass to hold it in place.

Lovely 🙂 Sticks, bailing twine all good too 🙂

No real bodges to my name. My most wished for one was during a 5 mile pedal home with just one crank arm attached. One pedal cycling. Sounds zen was actually shit.

danceswithcats: yes, I fully agree.

All I know is that it tore mother earth a new arsehole

I think she already has a sufficient number.

Steel hardtail with a deore/X5 groupset anyone?

Uhh lookout! That's what I got 🙂

Cheers 🙂

I know the Northwood Carr/Copy/Rowsley Woods fairly well but had never tried that BW; I'm not in a massive hurry to now!

when i hamfistedly typed, "with Black Down" i meant, "Back Lane down…" Again, I know Back Lane (not been for a couple of years tho') and enoyed it's rocky lower stretches. I'm half planning a route up there that will take me somewhere unfamiliar but I'm struggling to come up with something that will beat my tried and tested routes up there.

Mind you, having said that I wonder what the comparable £600 bike has.

And what is today's Deore worth comparison with? Six year old Deore, LX or what?

Hmm… rugby ball.

Cheers uplink – my boys will enjoy it 🙂

A nice article in the LRB on banking and the city

Some people will tell you that Marx is worthless (badum-tish) but he was actually pretty astute in his analysis of commodity capitalism – it was his 'solutions' that were a bit iffy – a great deal of his analytical work is still useful. Ernest Mandel's summary of his theory of money is quite good.

Edit: Oh! And Marx himself

Just found that on a map mugsys_m8 – it is well out of the way! There's a stone circle nearby that piqued my interest but my heart is set on the Annat/Achnashellach route

I don't see myself having much choice in terms of time/handiness. Having said that my missus and I should both be driving by then so a road trip might be in order. Plenty of time to plan it 🙂

and a bottle of Avon Skin So Soft (blue) to keep the midges at bay on the climbs

Aha! I was considering when the best time (Midge vs. weather) would be; I'll let my missus know to get some with her next Avon order 🙂

Thanks for the link too btw

Thank you. That looks unforgettable, truly superb. Thank you!

Thanks everyone – I worked out the right bit to turn off 'over the road' and had a great time mooching round. Cheers 🙂

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It was OK but having heard their bonkers first album (the one with the cover that is basically a Beatles album they've drawn on) I do get the impression they've mellowed with age…

Third Reich'n'Roll is probably my favourite of theirs but the whole apocalyptic bunnyman thing was meant to be awesome. I had a mate who went who raved about it for days. Cuoldn't make it myself and feel like I missed out

Very, *very* good 😀

Female midwives OTOH are clucking old busy bodies with a qualification in quackery.

Our female midwife (and previous experience in first marriage) was superb – focussed when necessary, inconspicuous at other times, really helped us so it's possible you were just unlucky.

I *might* mention this story to Mrs Heathen later to see what her reaction is (today is a very hormonally charged day so I'm not taking any chances) but I suspect that she'll recognise a grain of truth in the 'rite of passage' angle. She had gas and air right up until the last hour when she had pethidine (sp?). She absolutely refused any suggestion of an epidural as she thought it would disconnect her from the process. Actually, I think that pretty much covers it and I shan't be asking her anything later (except, perhaps, "Another chocolate, dear?")

Heh. It has to be Wonkies then. My missus is now intrigued by just how rude their legendary rudeness can be. Other options are much appreciated for the other night. Many, many thanks.

Incredible String Band perhaps falls into that category. Not sure if I actually 'like' it tho.

I love ISB but then the whole household do too 🙂

If you like rudeness as a part of your "service"!

Lol. Just as I remember it then 🙂

Other recommendations taken note of, thanks.

great stuff, thank you 🙂

Do Half Man Half Biscuit count

Love HMHB 🙂

I was outed in another thread as a old crusty/hippy and my musical tastes are suitably non-mainstrem. I'm guessing tho' that the OP doesn't simply mean obscure (so I won't be flaunting my Dr.Brown ltd vinyl or Wobble Jaggle Jiggle Band cassettes (which is just as well as the **** gave up the death ages ago).

So, by 'off teh wall' i'm guessing the OP means "challenging," which I'm taking to mean what UI'm listening to when my missus says, "Will you turn that off, ffs!"

so..

Current 93[/url], Acid Mothers Temple[/url], Sunn o))), Les Rallizes Denudes, United Bible Studies

They thought it was kinda cool at the end though

heheh, at the end of what? The counselling? 😀

"A Lively Porky Prime Cut"

🙂 A bit of an off day for porky!

LOL @cinnamon_girl. The mind is boggling. ❗

HeathenWoods you are a hippy/crustie/goth and I claim my £10 HMV record token

Lol, i'll give you a fiver, I was never a goth. I wash too often these days to get a serious crust going but hippy? Well… there is that cloud of patchouli that follows me everywhere…

The 70's were where it was at

Hawkwind, Ash Ra Tempel, Sabbath, Stooges, Amon Duul (I +II)? Can't argue too hard 🙂

lol 🙂 it was the 70s ones that disappointed me. i thought, "Yeah, Hawkwind, Gong, Sabbath, Here & Now," they're *bound* to have 'em. No joy. I guess a lot of the punk 7" singles will do though.

mid 80s to early 90s. I foolishly went down the path of CDs after that only to be recently reunited with vinyl pleasures 🙂

Skimming through the first few that I've come across turned up the following (I couldn't be arsed digging out the 7"s)….

Loop – Fade Out a: 'Tearing your soul apart' b: 'From beyond with a heart of darkness'
Moonflowers – Get Higher a: 'Take drugs and ****' b: 'Spiritual leaders of the nation'
Wizards of Twiddly – Independent Legs a: 'Drat and Double Drat' b: 'Mind the Gap'
Hawkwind – This Is … Do Not Panic a: 'Don't Read This Play It' b: 'When Yo Panic Get Hawkwind' c: 'Do you know the code' (one track on this side – Stonehenge Decoded) d: 'Watching the grass smoke ????' (again, one track – Watching the grass grow) – Porky
Sonic Youth & Lydia Lunch – Death Valley '69 a: 'Ray Gun or Manson It's the Same Thing' b: 'The S.Factor was OK on the day' – Porky
Inner City Unit – The Presidents Tapes a: 'Thanks to all our fans' b: 'Chas and Di go rind and rind with Porky' – Porky

What surprised me was how few actually had run-off messages. Most were 'signed' by the cutting engineers, bigger labels tended to have machine cut stuff with typeface serial in the run-off but not that many had yer actual messages. Anyways… A bit of info on Porky

Missed it all but thanks for the highlights/summary 🙂

Cheers 🙂

nreak=break. damned fat fingers

Great finish by Voeckler. Nice break from the nreak, if ya see what i mean

Me. If I feel like crap or the weather’s too horrid I’ll take the bus(es). In theory, I should be leaner and fitter but the plan seems not to have worked.

No worries, if you need train times, lemme know as i have a magic computer and the biggest train set in Wolverhampton to play with! :o)

Lol, well, until me or my missus passes our driving test I may be calling on your services. cheers 🙂

kinda666 – that’s what I’d been planning as a way there but *very* reassuring to have confirmation, ta 🙂