Test Equipment Anonymous

bd139 wrote: ↑Wed Jun 07, 2023 10:14 am

tggzzz wrote: ↑Wed Jun 07, 2023 7:48 am Sounds like you are angling for constructive dismissal in reverse That's what email trails and dictaphones in the shirt pocket were invented.

I've got enough ammo to be completely untouchable at this point

Don't forget GPS. That was invented so you could mark where the skeletons are buried

Well there is and there isn't. It depends on where you are culturally. Less government isn't a good idea. It's there to perform valuable functions in society.

That's what libertards conveniently and deliberately forget to consider and omit to mention.

What are problems are efficiency and corruption which is rife. My point is more that a lot of our existence is completely wasted on pointless procedural stuff to tick boxes that don't need to exist.

Yes and yes. One of government's prime responsibilities is to reduce unconstrained corruption and nepotism.

That needs to be reduced considerably. My time is not valued, but it is priceless to me.

Yes again.

I'm reminded of the value placed on SSSIs when planning roads and developments. While SSSIs are priceless in the important sense of the word, they become priceless in the monetary sense of the word. Hence it costs less in terms of compensation to route roads through SSSIs than around them. That isn't, unfortunately, only a theoretical effect I suspect it featured in several episodes of that well-remembered documentary, "Yes, Minister"

So... get rid of money then?

After all, its primary purpose in modern society is to allow stupid, greedy people to set their price on your most valuable commodity, as if they had a clue what your skills and time are actually worth.

mnem

bd139 wrote: ↑Wed Jun 07, 2023 6:32 am Oh I was ok on that. There was a SQL Server DBA in the group. He was top infidel lookalike.

DBA? Just asking to be sacrificed, that it.

tggzzz wrote: ↑Wed Jun 07, 2023 7:48 am Careful. Soon you'll be espousing that libertarian nonsense, "shared space" roads.

Or as I refer to them: "Free fire zones".

took asta out to pee last night at 9pm. smell of smoke was so strong that i thought one of the neighbors out back had a bonfire going. nope. it was smokey everywhere.

this morning we are in an orange fog. from the front porch we can usually see a cell tower and water tower about 2 miles away. this morning they are not visible, and houses only a couple of hundred yards away are hard to see. my eyes are itchy. it smells like dirty socks on a campfire.

WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU GUYS UP IN CANADA BURNING?

nixiefreqq wrote: ↑Thu Jun 08, 2023 11:43 am took asta out to pee last night at 9pm. smell of smoke was so strong that i thought one of the neighbors out back had a bonfire going. nope. it was smokey everywhere.

this morning we are in an orange fog. from the front porch we can usually see a cell tower and water tower about 2 miles away. this morning they are not visible, and houses only a couple of hundred yards away are hard to see. my eyes are itchy. it smells like dirty socks on a campfire.

WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU GUYS UP IN CANADA BURNING?

There's a big forest fire going on there, according to the news in the UK

Yup. Air Quality Alert conditions here for like a week; before that we had fires in BC (IIRC) doing similar. I'm taking Sudafed 3x a day rather than the usual 2x.

mnem


'tweren't me...

.

.

The smokey conditions were so bad yesterday that my eyes burned when outside.

MED6753 wrote: ↑Thu Jun 08, 2023 5:23 pm The smokey conditions were so bad yesterday that my eyes burned when outside.

Are you still in Highland or was your move further afield?

Cerebus wrote: ↑Thu Jun 08, 2023 6:30 pm

MED6753 wrote: ↑Thu Jun 08, 2023 5:23 pm The smokey conditions were so bad yesterday that my eyes burned when outside.

Are you still in Highland or was your move further afield?

I guess you haven't been following all the activity here.

viewtopic.php?t=134

MED6753 wrote: ↑Thu Jun 08, 2023 6:48 pm

Cerebus wrote: ↑Thu Jun 08, 2023 6:30 pm

MED6753 wrote: ↑Thu Jun 08, 2023 5:23 pm The smokey conditions were so bad yesterday that my eyes burned when outside.

Are you still in Highland or was your move further afield?

I guess you haven't been following all the activity here.

viewtopic.php?t=134

Oops, never mind. I misread what you wrote. Moved about 40 minutes south west of Highland in Middletown.

MED6753 wrote: ↑Thu Jun 08, 2023 9:19 pm Oops, never mind. I misread what you wrote. Moved about 40 minutes south west of Highland in Middletown.

Somewhere around Chestertown by any chance?

Specmaster wrote: ↑Fri Jun 09, 2023 9:38 am

MED6753 wrote: ↑Thu Jun 08, 2023 9:19 pm Oops, never mind. I misread what you wrote. Moved about 40 minutes south west of Highland in Middletown.

Somewhere around Chestertown by any chance?

The only Chestertown I'm aware of in NYS is way up in the Adirondacks in Northern NY. Here's a map. Highland is in the upper right by the Hudson River. Middletown is lower left.

Oops, I read it as being 40 minutes west of Highlands, in Middletown so posted that into GoogleEarth and it took me to Middletown on the Connecticut River, and there is Highlands just to the northwest, like a suburb of Middletown, and then I just estimated a 40-minute drive from there in a southwest direction

Specmaster wrote: ↑Fri Jun 09, 2023 12:09 pm Oops, I read it as being 40 minutes west of Highlands, in Middletown so posted that into GoogleEarth and it took me to Middletown on the Connecticut River, and there is Highlands just to the northwest, like a suburb of Middletown, and then I just estimated a 40-minute drive from there in a southwest direction

Yes, there is also a Middletown, Connecticut so an easy mistake for someone not familiar with the region.

MED6753 wrote: ↑Fri Jun 09, 2023 12:47 pm Yes, there is also a Middletown, Connecticut so an easy mistake for someone not familiar with the region.

Understandable, but if the mistake had put you in Jersey you'd quite reasonably take it as a slur on your good name and character.

Cerebus wrote: ↑Fri Jun 09, 2023 2:50 pm

MED6753 wrote: ↑Fri Jun 09, 2023 12:47 pm Yes, there is also a Middletown, Connecticut so an easy mistake for someone not familiar with the region.

Understandable, but if the mistake had put you in Jersey you'd quite reasonably take it as a slur on your good name and character.

Absolutely since I don't speak Pig English nor smell like a sewer.

Ehhh..... Jerseyites aren't all that bad... though we did escape Burlington when I was still but a toddler...

mnem

Thought it was about time to post a few photos of the new car, on the way home from the dealers, in Mansfield, I managed to get almost 67mpg from it without trying and if the other drivers had achieved the same results, it would give a theoretical range 960 miles per tankful 66 litres. Instead when I refuelled on the way home the computer predicted 870 miles, a huge increase over the old car, and it too was a 2 litre engine with the same sized tank.
Couple that with a VED of only £35 a year and its ULEZ compliant so that's all good.

So how much are you upside-down $$$-wise vs the old one?

If it really is that much more economical, you think it will pay for itself before it's the same age/mileage?

mnem

mnementh wrote: ↑Sat Jun 10, 2023 12:25 am So how much are you upside-down $$$-wise vs the old one?

If it really is that much more economical, you think it will pay for itself before it's the same age/mileage?

mnem

You know, I think I'll be £ in pocket with this one after all. After the first crap valuation of my old car, my insurance company took over the claim on my behalf and we agreed on a final value of £10,000 for my old one, the new one cost me just £10,500 and is 3 years younger. What's the catch I hear you cry, the mileage, my old one was 79,000 and the new one is 138,000 but has a full service history, had everything done by the book, comes with 10 months MOT, just had new brakes, full service, gearbox service, aircon service, new cambelt and water pump, new N/S headlight and a new N/S rear light and also only costs me now £35 a year VED as opposed to £180 and the next service is not due for 2 years because of my mileage. So if the accident never happened, I'd be paying out for another service, £300, another cambelt and water pump change £700, a new MOT and also a further £180 VED all at the end of August so you can see, it all looks to be smelling of roses

Oh, and the best bit is that I paid £12,500 for my old car, 6.5 years ago so putting all the running costs to one side, it has only cost me £385 a year in deprecation so not too shabby for all the luxury motoring I've enjoyed, and now I have it all again with some extra toys thrown in.

Congrats on the new car Specmaster

Got myself some new wheels as well this week. ULEZ and congestion charge exempt, not an ICE, easy to park, low insurance cost

Just using it as a shopping cart here, mostly off the roads (joy to C40 / C9 route / local parks / river)

bd139 wrote: ↑Sat Jun 10, 2023 9:25 pm Congrats on the new car Specmaster

Got myself some new wheels as well this week. ULEZ and congestion charge exempt, not an ICE, easy to park, low insurance cost

... easily nickable[1], bugger all use for transporting boat anchors from fields near junctions on the M5[1], too cosy when your daughters are passengers, and the potholes will turn milk into butter on the journey home.

[1] I have a Brompton, which largely avoids the nickability problem: either you store it under your desk or bend it into a pretzel before chaining it to railings. Potholes are really entertaining, though.

[2] or, as might happen tomorrow morning, from church halls and car parks where the locals have too much Pb and Cd in their diet.

Oh hell no to the Brompton. I borrowed one from a colleague years ago for a weekend. I would never ride a foldable. As for nickable, I have a fairly hefty D lock with separate cable and insurance. It's not an expensive or difficult to replace bike (Halfords < 400 quid) so I would not be devastated if it's nicked.

But boat anchors; indeed. I reckon I could get a 465 on each side of the pannier rack...

bd139 wrote: ↑Sat Jun 10, 2023 10:39 pm Oh hell no to the Brompton. I borrowed one from a colleague years ago for a weekend. I would never ride a foldable.

Foldables inherently have more compromises than standard bikes.

I like mine as a commuting bike and a London bike, since I can take them on trains, coaches and tubes without anybody complaining.

As for nickable, I have a fairly hefty D lock with separate cable and insurance. It's not an expensive or difficult to replace bike (Halfords < 400 quid) so I would not be devastated if it's nicked.

But boat anchors; indeed. I reckon I could get a 465 on each side of the pannier rack...

You're in the flatlands; you might change that attitude if you lived in Highgate or Hampstead Heath!

Pairs over the rear wheels aren't so bad, provided the tyres/wheels can cope and you don't need to deviate in an emergency - e.g. someone steps out in front of you or attempts to door you.