No updates??

Have any arrests been made yet??

Forum taken down as evidence….

Philby
Had a boss once who changed a couple of things in a report I did for the organisation's Board and then replaced my name as the author of the report to his

Blunt??

Sui – That's so far from the mark that it is not even funny

As far as I'm concerned, those two constructions mean exactly the same thing.

Possibly. To a critical audience, possibly not.

"The carriageway is 7.5 metres wide."

Is this established fact, opinion, estimate, conjecture, annecdotal??

"The carriageway measures 7.5 metres in width."

For one additional word this statement conveys a totally different meaning. The cynical / unconvinced reader will now want to seek out the appendices with the verifying survey / data / measurement that backs up the statement.

Say hello to d e e e p sh!t

In fact, you're so deep in now, that you might as well forward your line manager's response to the MD as well…
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No, no, don't do that….

See, if there's a reason, I don't mind. I just think he sould have taken a moment to share that thinking with me

Hmmm – a good boss would sit down and go through a report review and explain why they have changed or want you to change bits… that's the way that you learn, and the boss / organisation benefits from your increasing capability.

BUT, some bosses are quite happy to maintain a differential between them and you. If they explain to you how to write a good report, you might soon end up doing it better than them: good for you, good for your clients, good for your organisation – and good for your boss if it enhances their team capabilities… but bad for a small minded boss who wants to keep you in you place.

He's not (necessarily) being petty.

Stating that a value has been surveyed, measured, reported, or analysed as x, y, or z gives a whole lot of additional meaning, without the use of a lot of extra words… it gives the reader confidence – it helps to convince a perhaps sceptical audience of the strength of your argument.

Reviewing technical reports is the bane of my life. It seems to take grads about 5-10yrs before they learn to compose a good technical report.

A technical report needs to be concise and precise. The least possible words should be used to convey the greatest possible meaning and with clarity.

There should be no room for "reading between the lines" – that's the space were the lawyers make their money, because the meaning that you want to convey may not be the meaning that a reader takes from your writing – and that reader may not be your client it may be (and often is)a third party who might not appreciate, or care, about the brief that you were given…

I am forever trying to convince other people that the quality of writing is as important as the quality of the science or engineering content in a report. The report is the shop window, it may be all that the client gets for a very substantial fee. If the spelling, grammar and construction is poor, the report will give the impression that the content is also poor – even if it is not…. and that's before we get to unintentional changes of meaning resulting from poor English….

Try this

S-Max is a really nice car. First one for a while that I wouldn't want to be without.

Nice to drive, great feel of space in the cabin with the big front window, decent performance (even though we've only got the 1.8 TDCI), 50+ mpg on the M way, 45+ as a general average.

Few minor niggles on build quality and dealer service. Clutch went at just over 20k and turbo pipe at 40 odd. Both done under warranty though, and without too much haggling

ETA – We'd previously had a mixture of hatches and estates. Althought he estates offered sufficient space, it really was the grandparent visits that swung it for the S Max. Very anti-social inviting them up and then going everywhere in two cars…

is it a chrsitian school?

not supposed to be…

Ok, thanks to everyone for answering my question.

So, the answer lies in the meaning of lies – ie there being the intent to deceive etc, therefore they are not actually lying. I retract.

They can't be lying if they don't know the difference between truth and untruth, or if there is no unequivocal validation of what is true.

In truth, the street evangelists annoy rather than offend – but that is down to me, rather than their message.

But I do take offence at my kids' primary school constantly pushing Christian teachings to the exclusion of everything else. And yes, in my view that could be measurably harmful (in terms of a child's eductaion)

and Junkyard, yes, offensive

Incidentally calling someone a liar puts you in a ideal position to be sued for libel.

Unless they are a liar?

Well, there's the rub. Religious groups seem to enjoy the protection of historical precedent.

To my scientifically educated mind, being told that I will not die, but will rise again, would appear to run contrary to all the known facts on living organisms – ie, based on our (quite extensive) knowledge it is actually untrue.

Another for the Deviant. Rode up (and down 😀 ) Snowdon in mine.

No desire for more laws…

I just get the feeling that I'd be asked to "move along" if I went down the city centre at lunchtime and started talking at people through a big megaphone.

Would the council tolerate the BNP giving a frank explanation of their true views on immigration?

Well, you've got me on a legal technicality….

But in terms of principles, some groups seem to be able to get away with making what appear to be quite fanciful statements, whereas others are required to base what they say on facts or at least some convincing evidence

Haven't seen Briko shades for a while.

Used to wear a pair of Briko Stingers way back – for riding and skiing. Mirrored blue lenses for the malevelont housefly look.

Still have them somewhere, but the wearing of such outlandish eyewear is banned by the wife…

…these look almost normal without the mirrored lens

Haven't read all of the above (yet), but I have started riding a steel framed road bike I built in the early – mid 90s.

The ride is absolutely sublime. As on antoher thread on here, the only thing I can compare it to is a Lucky Strike Ti HT (obviously the bikes are very different, but the subtley and balance of the handling is similar)

AGREE although I remember it as a 3hour film

The full TV mini-series is far, far better – although not much suited to fans of all out action.

The mini-series has the space to capture the crushing boredom and rising tension of long periods of inactivity, bad weather and no contact with the enemy.

You might think that such inactivity (whole episodes IIRC) would be detrimental to the overall production. It is not. The tension, dirt, sweat and anxiety of men living at the end of their nerves pervades your living rooms – and when the depth charges do go of, you think your house is being attacked…

… it also allows for far more detailed and subtle character development than you get in a film (even a long one like the cinema version of das Boot). By the end you feel like you have a real connection with the crew.

Bob Peck – Edge of Darkness

I remember that on TV – very good drama series.

Also from a TV mini series Jurgen Prochnow's utterly believable protrayal of Herr Kaleun in Das Boot

I like Guy Martin.

they may want to add subtitles though 😆

Tinners – they normally have Welsh Blacks up on the Garth. They're pretty soft, but as said above, very curious, especially the youngsters: bullocks, steers and heifers. Quite often they'll run at you. Best thing to do is stand your ground and make like you're bigger.

Jam first.

Cream gets dolloped on after with a teaspoon.

Can't believe there are folks that would suggest otherwise. How the hell do you get jam to spread out on top of the cream – unless you're some sort of skinny latte freak who doesn't put enough cream on.

By estimate rather than measuremetn (that would be too anal…), you should be looking at quarter to half inch of jam, with a good inch of cream on top. I'd challenge anyone to get the jam to spread over anything like an acceptable amount of cream.

I guess they must be tight in Devon – the phrase used by my old Cornish farming relatives comes to mind "tight as a duck's arse"

… and yes – Golden Syrup is loverly with clotted cream on top

That's crying out for a full set of Campag though. Japanese components on an Italian bike? Sacrilege!

I know, I know – went for the Shimano shifters at the time as I wanted to try STi levers…

Brakes are fine now – blocks / rims seem to have either bedded in or worn off any surface oxidation (??) or dirt. A couple of rides in and they developed a good bite. Rear locks up if over enthusiastic, and stoppies are the order of the day on dry surfaces!

Lemonheads cover of "Different Drum"

Original by one of the Monkees??

Also covered by Sussanah Hoffs from the Bangles

It seems to have been a very good year for horseflies.

UK Horse fly species

If you're not familiar – high stealth level for undetected landings and very painful bite which often causes swelling and discomfort

Orangey stuff is normally glass / silicate based. Have analysed orangey fibrous lagging quite a few times and never had a positive on asbestos fibres reported back.

Right to use a mask anyhow. Impossible to rule out asbestos and the glass fibre / silicate stuff is not the best thing for your lungs…

Anyway, what's not to like about devolution?

Plenty of examples where states devolve a lot of power to regional "states" or autonomous / semi-autonomous regions.

About time there was a Cornish Assembly….

England,Wales,Northern Ireland and Scotland all joined the United Kingdom as equal nations and if the people of any one of those nations vote to leave the United Kingdom they can do so.

Not the way it was taught when I did history….

There not wrong when they talk about the "Austerity Olympics" 😆

I bet they could use that loop for the mtb events as well…

Pace – no welders though

3" Magnum Alphamax * should do the trick

* Legalities etc could vary depending on juristiction…

Ah that's nice that is, no need to do anything to it, apart from just get on it and ride the bloody thing!

Look at that. Far more elegant and refined than today's stuff. Classy.

Thanks –

get on it and ride the bloody thing

– that's exactly what I am doing, and very much enjoying 😀 😀

no need to do anything to it

Well, the saddle needs to go back half an inch, and maybe the nose needs to point down a smidge…

… oh and those eggies need to come off 😆

For xc they are probably as good as, or better than, anything around now – unless you want to go down steep or steppy stuff.

I've recently craked an Airborne Lucky Strike. Very long, old school xc race geometry. During the same period I was also riding a Pace 305 and Anthem X.

The Lucky Strike was quicker everywhere except on techy downhills (where it was a very scary ride). Pace and Anthem are both far faster DH, but the Pace especially, doesn't even get close to the same climbing times.

Act all sleepy and lethargic when your boss is around.

Claim caffeine withdrawal symptoms and threaten a lawsuit that it was your employer that got you addicted in the first place by providing free proper coffee.

Our loft is insulated with about 2" thick matting, how do you know if its asbestos?

In a residential setting it is probably a Rockwool type silicate based insualtion. How old is the house, and does the insulation have an orangey colour to it?

Artex, on the other hand, was one product used domestically that did contain asbestos.

Finally got around to setting up image hosting – so a few pics of an old
road bike…

Image quality and upload courtesy of phone

That doesn't sound right rkk01. I had two weeks at statutory pay, about £100 a week I think it was. That was last July. I was glad of the two weeks, it flew by.

Quite possibly – our firm offers full pay…

REPORT IT

There are three main types of asbestos:

crocidolite – blue asbestos
amosite – brown asbestos
chrysotile – white asbests

Use of crocidolite and amosite was banned in ACMs (asbestos containing materials) in 1985. Chrysotile was banned in 1999.

Asbestos cement products (roof sheets, drainage products etc) often contain chrysotile, but can also contain amosite. These products are low risk compared to lagging (ie loose insulation fibre) because the asbestos fibres are bound in the cement matrix. Where these products are "in use" they can be retained as long as they are in good condition and are managed – ie there is a formal system to assess condition etc. (The duty to manage does not apply to domestic situations – unless rented, in which case the landlord / agent have responsibility)

However, fly tipped waste materials are / will be subject to accelerated damage, erosion and potential fibre release – and of course, the fly tipping itself is a criminal act.

There is some debate over the relative dangers of chrysotile, but most bodies agree that there are dangers associated with the material – and in any case, there is nothing to say that amosite is not present.