I have not used one, but if you don’t have a audio interface (soundcard) with mic preamps then the Samson C01U USB might be worth a look.

I probably wasn’t as clear as i should have been:
big 4x4s are completely a fashion thing.

Your clear as a bell…you resent people being fashionable.

What about for getting round in the snow? What if you have 3 kids and a dog? What if you just like the high up driving position (which a lot of women appear to be keen on)?

Oversized cars use up more resources, pollute more, get in people’s way, and are often (not always of course) found indulging in anti-social behaviour like parking too close to the line thereby taking up two spaces etc.

‘Oversize’ is your opinion, they are smaller than Vans, bigger than Mini’s, who’s to say that’s oversized? Pollute more, I don’t read anybody complaining about the Defneders so revered here. Getting in peoples way? I really don’t see how a car being higher makes any difference? Nobody complains about estate cars.

TBH, all types of cars can be driven by idiots, I think people notice more when it’s a SUV, and IMHO, that’s rooted in jealousy.

For many (not all) 4×4 drivers, they like the image, and want to fit in with the other Mums on the school run

Agreed…but why all the hostility? I don’t see people gloating on forums about people with fashionable shoes/handbags/trousers getting stuck in the snow ( i know this was part of another thread, but hey).

As others have said – big 4x4s are completely a fashion thing.

…and from all I have read on this fourm over the last weeks, I don’t see that comment being anything other than a ‘jealously’ thing. All this hostility towards X5’s…where does it come from? I really don’t see anything beyond petty bitching directed at people who drive them. What is the problem with someone owning an X5? It’s a free country, people can drive what they like.

I’m there….it is!

As others have indicated, its totally pointless to get a recommendation, I’ve just bought new boots and had proper fitting and tried loads of different boots, the difference in fit is huge. My advice is visit a proper shop and get proper advice.

I’m based in South Notts and have not had a problem getting into town all week, they have been really good at gritting here.

We have just had our 3 child in an NHS hospital….once again, they f***ed it up. Can’t even bring myself to talk about it right now, but the NHS is so poor it’s heartbreaking. It’s not a money thing, it’s a competence and attitude issue.

I’m afraid I credit GP’s with a lot of ‘intelligence’ but wrapped up in so much arrogance that they cease to perform a useful function. TBH, for health problems i’ve had, I would rather have seen a nurse who listens then a doctor who technically knows his stuff, but won’t listen to the facts. It does not matter how much training a doctor has, if he won’t listen, it is impossible for him to make a judgement.

M_F – Hope things get better soon.

Not my cup of tea, but then I think flame top Les Paul’s are too much, so what do I know ;-)

If you like the sound, that’s the important thing.

Yeah…looking good!

Nice work Grumm, I think it looks really good. If I had to make a comment, it would be that I find the transitions on the homepage sideshow a little bit severe, and on a low spec. machine (Ion 330) they looked a little jerky. Other than that, looked really good.

Wish you all the best with the business, I’m sure it’s going to do well.

Thanks Tinners, it’s good to hear something positive about them. I still can’t decide….aggghhhh!

Oh Nooooo!!!

That’s the problem, if you read AVF’s, after an hour you will be sucked into a whirlpool of fear, suspicion and fanboy bullshit. Best of just buying a telly and take it back if it bugs you.

I think things are looking up (honestly) :D

Dunno, I had a Panasonic plasma and I hated it (picture ‘flickered’, although not everyone appears to notice it :-))

All TV’s have pro’s and con’s and IMHO, it’s usually the con’s which turn out to be much more important than the pro’s. People always focus on ‘1080p’ or ‘3’D features, but the reality is that they have a very small impact on viewing pleasure. Buzzing (Pioneer), Flickering (Panasonic Plasma), Backlight bleed (Sony / LCD), Image Retention (LG) all will piss some people off to a greater or lesser degree, so it comes down to what bothers you.

That’s why IMHO you should always buy from CostCo or JL, because if you don’t like it, they will help you get sorted.

Test drove one yesterday, pretty much what I expected. The seating arrangement and interior design looks really good. Can’t decide if I should to go for it or not, I might see how we go on when the baby arrives in our estate car. Interestingly enough, the back seats are not wider than on our Mondeo or a Golf.

I also looked at a CRV, which give it was similar price, looked like a plastic toy (although i’m sure they are cheap to run and totally reliable…)

Brassneck – you hit the nail on the head with those requirements!

How about a Skoda Yeti?

4 month wait, and not big enough boot, otherwise, the Yeti looks good.

yes, XC70 looks good, but only 5 seats. Might be an option though.

The X5’s look nice, but when I went to the BMW dealership the salesman took a look at me and obviously decided that I could not afford one, and was unbelievably rude. That makes me think, I’m not cut out for BMW ownership ;-)

I’m currently driving a front wheel drive Mondeo.

We looked at Karndean, but the fitters who came out were horrible :-(

What’s worng with floors 2 go? And where should i buy?

Real it is then!

Closing Time is pretty conventional by Waits standards, but it’s fantastic IMHO.

Allmusic.com would point in the right direction for other suggestions.

Setup is very important, the lighting and setup of TV’s in most mainstream retailers means it’s almost impossible to do a valid comparison.

I don’t think the McCanns did it, but I do think their parenting leaves a

lot

to be desired, and they have displayed huge arrogance over the whole affair (not based on tabloid reports, but based on interviews I have seen).

Stop moaning behind your agents back and say it to their face.

I think I did have a faily frank exchange of views with ours ;-)

IMHO All the major brands (including pioneer) have strengths and weaknesses, it’s really what attributes are important to you, so either spend 6months on AVForums researching, or buy from Costco and if something bothers you about the set, take it back.

They make £££ on selling the houses.

…but they also make money on financial services, so even though you have to pay a small fortune to get them to sell your house, they are more interested in additional spinoffs in selling mortgages to the prespective buyer than providing a good service to the seller.

Not got a very high opinion of them TBH. I think they must have worked very hard in the background to prevent their whole industry being washed away by the internet.

Bloody hell, that’s good. Might go and have a look at one.

Do XC90’s really do mid 30’s mpg? I’d like one, but I thought they were more like 27-29 to the gallon?

..it’s OK, I still think your awesome ;-)

Surf-Mat , i’m afraid that you are mistaken….

http://www.evo.co.uk/carreviews/evocarreviews/209169/ford_mondeo.html

Funny thing is, I have a Mondeo estate w/same engine and power output, and it does 29mpg average (I understand the ST engine is mapped differently). There must be scope for improving the economy with a remap?

Only ever used Crown, but TBH, not that impressed.

Yeah, that’s a good point. Lightroom is not cheap, although if your eligible for educational discounts the cost is c.£80

I’m just starting to use lightroom, looks really good for this type of thing. It’s very different to other Adobe products (and that’s a good thing IMHO :-))

I’m just starting to use lightroom, looks really good for this type of thing.