I’m 34 and I still find farting funny. Sad, a little pathetic, bit oh so true.

Oh and as for the head under the duvet stunt… Never funny…

Oh it is. It really is.

I think they are one of the finest pieces of automotive engineering ever to grace our highways

Mboy – route not yet planned but sociable pace (esp. considering my recent lack of riding and consequent lack of fitness), probably three hours-ish.

It’s all fixed now, I can strain it as much as I like :-)

Er, no, I just have a bog standard ‘pod.

I reckon it would. The entry limit must be there for a reason (police/council permission, liability insurance etc) so if folks started to just rock up on the day to a significant extent then it may threaten the whole thing.

If you want to ride the course, we can do it the week after, I’ll need the training anyway.

Good shop – The Jolly Brewmaster
Bad Shop – Wetherspoons

I figure that if I can’t get up it on the 32, I’m going that slow anyway that I’ll walk. I call it cross-training.

I also think that the need to repay a debt caused by your actions, to both the aggrieved/bereaved and society as a whole is an important part of making society sustainable.

I agree, but does prison do that?

The alternative is a little like the Catholic sacrament of confession – you can act as badly as you like as long as your truly sorry and confess your sins. That might be OK for God (or god depending on your perspective) but it makes life very difficult for everyone else.

Hypocritical Catholic bullsh1t is a topic for an entirely separate debate.

I’m good, thanks.

I’m not denying that all these examples are ‘bad things’, I just question what purpose prison serves in some cases

Take the driving/texting example. What stops you from doing it (assuming you don’t) –
a) the thought that you might injure or kill yourself or someone else, or
b) the fact that if you do you’ll go to prison?

I’d say that for most people its a), so sending people to prison does not serve as a deterrent to others.

If the shifter has a name (Attack, Rocket etc) – yes

If it has a number – no

You’re assuming that everyone would give that much of a **** about having caused the loss of a life.

True, that’s the bleeding heat liberal in me.

You could argue that no crimes should be punished as ppl will feel bad about doing them, which is punishment enough.

That’s a pretty tenuous extrapolation of what I said.

There may be some circumstances where no punishment is deserved but NEVER for all circumstances.

That’s pretty much my point. But which circumstance is which?

I thought so

Penny Lane

Isn’t that a place, rather than a person?

How about you got into a brawl and kicked the living ***** out of them and they died as a result?

Or how about you set fire to a building to cash in on the insurance without knowing there was someone in the building?

Or maybe you killed someone while driving a car over the limit or while using your mobile phone.

I see the second two as different to the first. In the first, you knew what you were doing would injure the person, and you should have been aware that it could lead to their death.

In the second two you had no intention to cause harm. The fact that you did cause harm would (should) haunt you for the rest of you life.

Then again, I’m in danger of entering into a heated debate with a Turner, and I know that’s never wise… ;-)

When you’ve got it off, replace it with a Connex one. Much better design.

Cast No Shadow (Oasis) – Richard Ashcroft

and it’s a little known fact that I was the inspiration for Right Said Fred’s “I’m Too Sexy”

I think it means ‘he was needed every day’ (and I think it’s quotidie), but I could be wrong.

You may as well.

Ones I’ve done that I’d heartily recommend:

The Gap
The Quantocks
The Forest of Dean (esp. Sheldon’s FoD Killer Loop)

and, whilst low on the gnarl factor but high on the excellent way to spend a day factor, a summer’s day Cotswold tour wiv da STW Cotswold Massiv. Aiiit.

Ah, changing mat, I like it.

The garage has already had a bike-fettling makeover, I painted the floor with garage floor paint.

No problems with Virgin here

It was a bit tenous as well. They didn’t need to do the traverse, the chopper could have just dropped them on the other side.

All in all, it’s a bit sh1t. Gave it a go last week and last night, shan’t be watching any more.

As above, Chester nice bit pricey.

Roadie-wise, Cheshire is wonderful. Oodles of rolling lanes in attractive rural landscapes. Even some decent hills if you look in the right place. For extra distance/hills you can link into the Peaks or North Wales.

Colnago – no, but I saw it for sale in Edinburgh Woollen Mill

Hora – Magic Numbers. I like it

Still, no-one’s come close to Daniel O’Donnell on the pan pipes

I had one, it didn’t bounce at all, in fact it climbed really well.

I assume you mean one like this (this isn’t mine):

Revs on mine at 130mm. Smashing.

Bimbler – wrong thread fella ;-)

djglover – that’s a close second

I’ll be honest, I have respect for the man who has strength enough in his convictions to pit a Mk2 Escort against a Ferrari in the looks stakes. You’re wrong in the head, but I admire your integrity :-)

Keep up Captain :-)

WHo could forgot the AMC Pacer:

Death of Marco Pantani recently. First half inspiring, second half sad and pretty condeming and overall, I thought, a bit dull.

I’ll see you all, and raise you the Talbot Matra Rancho:

This

Blood River by Tim Butcher seconded
French Revolutions by Tim Moore seconded/thirded
A Short History of Almost Everything by Bill Bryson seconded (indeed, anythng by Bill Bryson)

or, for a tale that makes you feel incredibly insignificant and awestruck by the resilience of the human spirit, South, by Ernest Shackleton

The non-contributory final salary pension scheme. It’s pretty much the only thing keeping me here.

I looked at Songbird, but it feels a bit early yet (no ripping, no video etc)