A visible deterrent that doesn’t shout that you have something worth stealing inside is good. It’s ideal if they don’t even attempt a break in.

We have a german shepherd but as he cost more than my car so I’m not sure I can say he’s good value!

Some sort of Colt?

Nice.

Land Rover – 165
Jaag – 240
Chainsaws, strimmers etc. = 15?
Corrado – 160, but it’s not running
Golf – 90, as above
944 – 165, as above
I’m also presently broken.
Erm.. washing machine – 1/8

So I’ve got as much bhp laying about that I can’t use than that which I can, that’s wrong.

420 useable / 415 unuseable. I won’t count the washing machine..

People are given the impression that they can have, indeed they deserve, it all, everything. A sense of responsibility and reality seems hard to find now.

The people of the west only have all the luxuries that they do because we depend on someone in a far away country to work for nothing and live in real poverty for us.

Hold yer horses, which generation did you buy your house in?

The one when a house was only 2-3x average salary?

The ones with tax relief on mortgage interest?

The ones with 110% mortgages?

Or the one with <2% wage growth for almost 10 years, average house prices at 10x salary, credit crunches, and high youth unemployment?

I think you missed the point. He’s talking about how to save not how much to spend.

Christ on a bike, if that’s hard saving I had to do it pretty much my entire adult life.

+1

It’s a different world. The BBC really get to me. For all their supposed love of the nitty gritty of working class life they are firmly middle income/class and it always shows.

I have nothing against anyone because they have more money than me, that would be retarded. However when someone is so wrapped up in their own way of life that they can’t be bothered, or just don’t want to, open their eyes and see poor people it does make me feel violent.

I left home at 19, I’d come from very little and worked since I left school, earned enough to have a car and eat well. I have f==ked up numerous times since but know that I’m the only one who will sort it out, so I do.

My youngest brother is 28 this year. Still lives with Dad. He is a precocious, overcompensating, work-shy, insecure little prick. He has never had to work to support himself and everything he has comes from other peoples hard work. I told our Dad frankly that he should make him pay at least pay the (very reasonable) rent or tell him he can live elsewhere but no, he thinks it will **** him up.. I disagree strongly.

Everyone’s different but chances are anyone who has not had to earn their way and put in the effort will not only never learn to do so but will never appreciate the help/advice/breaks that they’re offered.

Mollycoddling has ruined the chances of my brother actually being a man.

Boom Operator?

Oh and there’s a Mrs Fanny Box buried in a graveyard near here. I did take a photo of the gravestone.

On the credits to Alien vs Predator there’s a Thomas W*nker.

I can’t remember what he did on the film, maybe it’s in the extras..

When I suffered from clinical depression my life was already a bit of a mess but got much worse, not enough work, too many drugs etc… Fortunately by the time I was at my lowest point I had nothing but my bike and the clothes I was wearing left to lose and was eventually able to affect in one fell swoop a complete and total change in my environment, job, lifestyle, associates everything.

From my perspective, I feel for you because I see you can’t throw it all out and start again. I had no dependents then and although I felt sorry for myself at the time in hindsight I was very lucky in that respect as I got a clean break.

What I’m trying to say in a rambling sort of way is that the misery is not worth it. There are many different people who need teaching, not just kids in schools. If you want to stick with teaching you do have options, please take one before you really can’t get out of bed in the morning. The darkness will suck you down quicker than shit so please stick a finger up to it, kick it in the head and put yourself in a better position, one you deserve to be in.

I’m not being flippant, a f==k you attitude is all that gets me through much of the modern day bureaucracy that’s forced upon us all. I see depression as the enemy, it’s always watching and waiting, I take the fight to it.

Yeah I second colp on the remap. A chip is a one size fits all jobby, it may give you what you want but maybe not. A proper tune by someone who knows that particular engine type is just in a different league.

Tuning boxes, don’t, just don’t.

Working out whether the cambelt is broken or not should take 5 minutes.

If the rest of the van is good then it may well be worth getting it fixed. I don’t like pouring money into cheaper vehicles but then if you already own it then at least you know what its problems are.

Most Vivaro’s I see for spares or repairs have engine trouble..

If that’s a dig at Dyson, then they aren’t made in China either!

It wasn’t, if I want to dig at Dyson I’ll be blatant about it. As it is all I know they’re not made in the UK anymore.

Dysons work pretty well but there are better, cheaper and more reliable machines out there.

He got screwed over by some eu regulations, and he had a point, iirc something to do with energy efficiency of vacuum cleaners.

Because saving energy is getting screwed over, why?

According to a truly thrilling trade magazine article James Dyson complained that the EU tests for vacuum cleaner energy efficiency were unfair and prejudiced against his companies machines in particular.

He reckoned that because Dyson vacuums don’t lose suction as they fill with dirt that all the machines with conventional bags should be tested half full to give more accurate results.

He did actually go a bit further and accuse “the Germans” of trying to get back at Britain for “the war”. That’s a better basis for accusing him of bigotry than his views on the single market.

I will try to dig out the magazine.

Dirt Devil 103.

It’s not cordless but is all the better for it. Light and powerful with a proper belt driven brush and washable bag/filter. You can get hose attachments as well.

You won’t get a new one but at 20 odd years old mine still has more life left in it than most brand new vacuums. You can buy most spares for them even now. Oh yeah and it’s made in the USA, not china.

I work on Dyson machines regularly and think they’re overrated, overpriced tat.

Just like a Tikka Massala, but it’s a little ‘otter

Did you have the local curry, a Tarka Massala?

I grew up poor, but was taught practical stuff, repairs, engineering etc.

I bought most of my cars under £500, in fact the last three didn’t add up to that much together. If they become uneconomical to repair I sell as much of them as I can before scrapping them.

I did 15K miles in my last Golf which, apart from normal servicing parts, mot and tax, cost me £300 over that mileage. It’s sat waiting for some love as I’m running a Jag I bought, repaired and moted for under £400, it would sell this week for £2k.

It’s a PITA way of doing things but I like it.

I use a Megger meter to test for earth leakage on stuff that’s earthed.
Visual check on double insulated.

If it’s not been designed to be moved around frequently then it’s not portable and doesn’t get tested.

I’ve seen pass stickers on fridge/freezers, washing machines and even a cooker hood, nonsense.

I guess the previous testers thought it better to be safe than sorry, especially if they were charging by the hour…

Yeah I hear that. I don’t think I know how to take it easy, it does feel like I’m missing out sometimes.

brakeless, fixed track bike

Cripes. That makes me and my bikes look decadent, full respect to you. There is a set of ridgid forks about I could borrow for that 20″ build (a 456 evo) I mentioned..

I’ve seen a Napier Deltic piston ashtray which was pretty cool.

Is the block a Rover?

I won’t have a microwave in the house, don’t like them. I have to repair them at work sometimes and I like that even less. 2000VDC running around in there, no thanks.

+1 On the Flying Goose sauce, lovely stuff. That along with Encona original and Cholula are always in the cupboard here.

RZA
Biz Markie
Thes One
Slick Rick
Guru

No genre “dies”. Just because the radio or tv isn’t pushing something doesn’t mean it’s gone. Look at all the (mostly crap) “heavy” metal that was being used in loads of films after The Matrix. It got lots of airtime, cos it sold. Then a decade later metal comes back from the dead. No it didn’t, it was always there, it was just marketable again, and worse for it.

I like hip hop and I love death metal and personally I’m happier when they’re not popular so trendy w—–s who are now “metallers” for a month because Linkin Park is in the charts don’t think I’m into what they are. I’m just a bloke who loves moshing.

Davidstow chedder. There’s usually other cheeses in the fridge but there’s always Davidstow.

Or “davvid-stow” as the cretin-who-should’ve-known-better on the M&S advert said.. I only heard that second hand, there’s a reason I don’t watch TV.

Anything gas will be a lot of money to have repaired thanks to all the regulations associated with it.

I don’t work with gas, only electric stuff as it’s not economical to get set up for gas. We charge under half the prices quoted above.

EDIT: That said we do replace electrical and mechanical parts on gas appliances as long as it does no involve touching a single gas carrying component. Ignitors would normally be seperate from the gas lines themselves but then if you’re getting quotes from a Gas Safe registered company they will charge Gas Safe registered prices regardless.

Have the model number and serial number ready when you phone the repairers. You’ll find them on the rating plate, a little silver sticker/badge that’s almost certainly around the main oven door aperture. Check for other numbers as well, Electrolux group have a PNC code, Bosch an FD.. number etc.

A good firm will ask you several questions before calling out to try and diagnose the fault. Having all the details as above will save them time and you money.

Twot amuses me no end.

Oh definitely, if you only have to brake gently it at least gives them a chance to stop. 2 seconds is an absolute minimum anyway.

I don’t get half the tailgaters I used to. I got a boring middle aged Jaguar this year and the attitude I get compared to driving my old boyed up VWs, 205s and such is a world apart.

My better half is American and she said when she first came to the UK it wasn’t the swearing that surprised here but the way friends take the piss and call each other names without trying to offend.

She’s white and strangely (to my mind) the casual racism surprised her as well, but then this is Cornwall, place is chock full of honkies..

Regarding tailgating, an advanced motorist instructor advised me to move over.

Getting out of their way is definitely the safest option. The best place for someone so ignorant that they don’t realise they have no way of stopping if you do is far away from you.

People are not properly taught how to drive, simple as. Someone who has just passed their test can parallel park and know what some signs mean but that doesn’t mean that they know how to read the road and traffic or handle a ton or so of machinery when things don’t go how they expect. Hell you can’t even go on a motorway until you have a full license, by which time all compulsory training has ended. It took me longer to qualify as a tree surgeon than as a car driver and many times the money. I was a bad driver and I am not qualified to call myself a good one now but I am infinitely better. Experience can’t be taught but but the roads are full of people young and old who are unsafe at any speed, it’s not right.

My wife is maimed from a Transit going into the back of our car years ago and tailgaters gave me red mist in a way that kinda worried me sometimes.

I have had my collar felt in regard to expressing my pugilistic rage (Raffles ref.) and have realised that I’m then the loser. Better to be calm and really show how you feel.

Example: bloke followed me so closely for several miles of A road that I couldn’t see his bonnet in the rear view. I ignored him best I could and concentrated on the road in front. When we got to a small roundabout I stopped, opened his door, took his keys out and chucked them over the hedge. Told him the error of his ways and that he was lucky I was reformed, then I drove away, whistling.

But you can, and will, make it as good as you are able to.

That’s not failing anyone.

Most of them want power at any cost. To my mind that accounts for most of their actions.

It’ll be the last thing you’ll want to do, but look after yourself. The simple fact is, if you fall over you’re no use to anyone else. Ride your bike, do what ever you need to do to stay sane, and don’t you dare feel guilty or selfish about it.

I second that. I’ve been fully supporting and caring for my wife for 7 odd years now trying to get medical treatment for her cranial nerve damage. Just because she has it worse than me I try not to forget myself. It’s difficult and I still feel heartless sometimes but on balance it’s better to stay as functional as you can.

My thoughts are with you.

Had home made curry last night, big black dog-smelling log today

I like them. Long Play recorders can fit nearly 3 hours on a disc at decent quality and 5 and a bit at lower quality. Great for the car. Not convenient to put music on compared to mp3 players though..

Let me know if it becomes available. EDIT: too slow..

Check out: http://www.minidisc.org/index.php

The software is for NetMD, a quicker way of putting stuff on the discs.

You started that one with your cover up suggestion!

You started it, what exactly would anyone be trying to cover up? Lorry hits bridge, bridge collapses. Hundreds of witnesses.

There’s a big difference between a conspiracy theory and questioning the, what so far in this case appears to be, speculation that’s being published as fact. My opinion on the incident is of course purely speculative as well.

I suppose my first reaction when I hear “conspiracy theory” is to think that asker of a question is being written off as nut who wants to find a conspiracy, that’s my angle and to be fair I know I’m wrong about that sometimes.

Please don’t start with the conspiracy theory line. Sometimes people are wrong and sometimes they lie for their own interests, the news and authorities included.

It does look like dust on the arm. I suppose it’s possible that the driver suspected he was over height and thought that crawling along the hard shoulder would be the safest option. But something just doesn’t sit right. I’d like to see the camera footage, out of curiosity more than anything

EDIT: I started writing that after the first reply

By the way I’m not a lorry driver..