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What's made you grumpy today?
Finished up fixing the factory fluster cluck in New Jersey yesterday. It was a rough job and the new guy got quite the education from the Old Goat. New guy is driving me to the Philadelphia airport so I can fly back to Chicago. I get a text from my boss asking if I'm available for a phone call. That's never good. Because he planned poorly, I now have to cancel my flights, hotel, and rental car for next weeks work trip to South Carolina and warm weather. Instead, I now have to rebook everything and go back to New Jersey for a totally different nightmare.
Crud.
Crud.
Keep reminding them that you are retiring soon, sow the seeds of panic. There may be an opportunity to become a 'consultant', for reduced working hours, and higher rates. Or enjoy the retirement.
Carer for my partner just dropped the commode bucket, before she emptied it. (At least there were no solids) Clumsy woman, barges about like a mad elephant, slams all doors and drawers, generally careless.
At least I have a carpet cleaning machine, and am not out to work today. They are supposed to make my life easier.
At least I have a carpet cleaning machine, and am not out to work today. They are supposed to make my life easier.
The Panda Nut
Nutty about Pandas Infected by Panda virus and OPD
Yes it seems that the suggestions were written by a moron. Anyone starting to lecture me on this is going to get told in no incertain terms what they are and where to go!
I too have difficulty, and discomfort and adapt my driving and use of the car accordingly. As Its virtualy impossible to open the door of my car as mentioned above. any other way than with your right hand, I wonder about the mentality of the people responsible for the new code. This utter nonsense in unenforcable and will result in some lengthy challenges in court. If the police are foolish enough to start on this with me, my camera will be following them and filming them untill they sort themseles out!!
I have been a cyclist for over 60 years and have had the pleasure of being injured by people too thoughtless to look before opening the door. I have also been a motoryclist and been knocked off by drivers who appeared to not be able to see. I have driven HGVs and have a good awareness of the difficulty experienced by their drivers and the space required for them to operate. The code changes are a pathetic attempt to make up for the inadequate driving test standrds that allow people onto the road without any understanding. Driver training should involve sessions in an HGV and on a motorcyle (at least as pillion) for enough time for the issues to sink in. The current test lets people out without any probationary period or follow up assessment. Driving involves observation and care and civility. Far more use to introduce a rule to require courteous behaviour at all time when on the highway and introduce a points penalty for breaches where those charged would have to justify their actions and a totting up where say three such breaches might result in an endorsement. We all make mistakes and a more formal warnijng system would do more to tidy up standards than these new rules. The test should be made more substantive and compulsory fo;;ow up and reassessment introduced.
The idiocy of writing a heirarchy of road users into the code beggars common sense if. This is common sense and coupd be covered better by a general requirtement than such idiotic poorly thought out rules. You cannot go about running down cyclists and pedestrains any more than you can afford to try and make a heavy vehicle give way all the time on a wet or icy road. Its fine apparently for drivers to cut into someone elses braking zone and stamp on the brakes in front of an HGV or slowing caravan but that gets no discussion or mention at all.
No one who has not / does not cycle / motorcycled and with substantial experience like having driven a car for at least 100,000 miles and driven and passed an HGV test has any business being involved in the highway code in other than a consultative capacity. I don't think its hard to see how many properly qualified people there were in the production of this "stuff". The people responsible for this it should be disciplined and sacked for wasting public money. The department responsible should be disbanded and the head banned from public office!!
I shall continue to try my best to drive with restraint and respect for others and a good leel of obseration,and to give way where it is necessary and safe to do so. This will have far more benefit than trying in some manner to follow the changes to the code which does more to confuse than clarify anything much. I will not be lectured about how I open a door! i shall ontinue to get reassessed and tested every few years and hope to avoid causing accidents or impeding other road users.
I shall also continue to count cats eyes as I drive along, assuming of course that any are fitted! (1.2.3.4.5.6.7.8.9.PARTY,11,12, etc Its pretty clear that the powers that be dont really care about rules, either making sensible ones or following them.
That's the problem, some people have no common sense, health and safety gone mad to cover the minority of idiots in the world. It was oddly refreshing when working in China that they do have a much more common sense approach to things - you do something blindingly stupid, you get hurt (no so much in India, where other people's stupidity can kill you!).
It's like they've decided that the idiots are getting hurt and that wont chnage, so change the rules around them rather than solving the problem.
Like those walking across roads and junctions glued to their mobile phones, tapping and yapping away whilst listening to music via headphones, some being blinking great sound shielding ear muffs. Some cyclist are no better weaving in and out of traffic, headphones again, ignoring traffics lights when turning left or going onto pavement to cross junction to bypass the lights.
Then of course there are those motorist who flout the law, drive like wombats, distracted by kids, keeping an eye on kids by constantly looking to the back of the car or gazing into rear view mirror, using mobile phone, eating and drinking behind the wheel, .......
I've made driving errors, not many, which I have thankfully got away with during my 49 years of motoring and I care and take pride in my driving. I think it is the care and pride that most of us take that substantially reduces the potential for serious errors and also allows us the space and time to take corrective action. This is not going to happen with drivers who don't care, take no pride and don't think they are driving a killing machine.
I've been trying very hard to comply with the new regs, especially with regard to cyclists, some of who seem to have become even more aggressive than they previously were. I'm especially keen to avoid any sort of incident with one as the cards are now so strongly stacked against the motorist I fear there would be little chance of "winning". On our child minding days we travel out of the city just as the morning rush hour traffic is building up and return at the tail end of the evening rush - traffic is heavy. As well as watching out very carefully for cyclists, especially on my N/S where, in the dark and rain with poor or no front light, they are almost invisible, I've been paying particular attention to what cyclists are up to in these heavy traffic condition and whilst maybe two thirds to three quarters are behaving quite sensibly - with the one exception that many do not have adequate lights - It's still very noticeable that many disregard the red traffic lights. Typically they will stop on the red light - indeed crossing traffic would make it insane to proceed - but they will then set off when the pedestrian crossing lights go to green. Arguable I actually think this is not a bad idea as it lets them safely negotiate the crossing whilst the vehicles are held back but I have seen a few incidents where they have colided with unwary pedestrians and, of course, it is illegal! I'm also regularly overtaken by them coming back into town downhill through the Royal Holyrood Park- both on the inside and outside, and this is a single carriageway road (ie one lane both ways) This is a 20mph zone and I do appreciate there is actually no speed limit for pedal cycles but it's very dangerous practice and I've seen many "wobbly incidents". I really do think it's now time for cyclists to have compulsory insurance and for their vehicles to comply fully with some sort of yearly MOT - Brakes, lights and tyres at a minimum. Have you noticed how blinding these new front LED bike lights can be, especially when it's raining, if they are not properly aligned? They rival car headlamps for "blindability"
The other one which has given me problems is a couple of right turns I have to make from a very busy single carriageway main arterial road on to a minor side road. Both of these are right in town with heavy pedestrian footfall - one is next to an interchange bus stop - In both situations there is an almost constant stream of pedestrians making to cross the little side street I'm trying to turn into. As I understand the new rules I MUST NOT turn into either of these roads until, not only, is there no-one actually crossing but also no-one who looks like they are intending to cross. Previously I would wait for a large gap in the on coming traffic and then proceed to very slowly creep into the side street. Pedestrians always held back briefly to allow me to do this and there was not even a hint of danger or animosity - I always gave a "thank you" wave which was often acknowledged. All very pleasant and civilized. Now I've been having to wait with my right indicator blinking for some considerable time before I dare move as there is no gap in pedestrians. The main road I'm turning off is 2 lanes wide with the inside lane a bus lane so, at the times I'm there, the lane is active so people can't go round my nearside. The result is that a large queue builds up behind me and everything comes to a halt including at the traffic lights some 75 yards away because people do not expect the flow to be halted so stop on the junction. These very lights cause another problem in that the traffic coming towards me, which is very heavy at that time, often will not give way to me and piles up in front of me when the next lights go red so, when I could have gone because the pedestrian footfall briefly slackens, there's a stationary car blocking me. By now there are horns being sounded and rude hand gestures being made! Of course eventually I do get across but I find it so stressful I've mostly abandoned going this way - which is my most direct route - and go on through the heavier traffic and longer distance. Takes me about a quarter hour longer, (if the tram works light controls are in my favour). Last night I chickened out again and just went the long way round. Global warming plus anyone?
Saw an absolute "beauty" last night. Waiting at other temporary traffic lights, which are there to control traffic one way through the Mayhem that is the tram works, I was aware of a "strange" double headlight approaching quite quickly from behind. It zipped past on my inside and swerved across the front of my car - I always stop so I can just see the road surface where the rear tyres of the car in front are in contact with the road, so he/she had enough room to do this - It was an electric scooter with a double headlight, but no rear lights, It was somewhat larger than ones I've seen before and it had a seat! It went straight through the red light, through the pedestrians at some speed, across the newly laid tram lines, evaded some more pedestrians (who, of course were crossing on a green man) and disappeared at surprising speed, down the street opposite. Doesn't matter what rules/laws you enact, you'll never stop idiots like that - Far more dangerous than the "idiots" of old who would ride noisy motor cycles, at least you could hear them coming!
PS. I never take a green light to mean "GO" I always look both ways before lifting the clutch pedal!
The other one which has given me problems is a couple of right turns I have to make from a very busy single carriageway main arterial road on to a minor side road. Both of these are right in town with heavy pedestrian footfall - one is next to an interchange bus stop - In both situations there is an almost constant stream of pedestrians making to cross the little side street I'm trying to turn into. As I understand the new rules I MUST NOT turn into either of these roads until, not only, is there no-one actually crossing but also no-one who looks like they are intending to cross. Previously I would wait for a large gap in the on coming traffic and then proceed to very slowly creep into the side street. Pedestrians always held back briefly to allow me to do this and there was not even a hint of danger or animosity - I always gave a "thank you" wave which was often acknowledged. All very pleasant and civilized. Now I've been having to wait with my right indicator blinking for some considerable time before I dare move as there is no gap in pedestrians. The main road I'm turning off is 2 lanes wide with the inside lane a bus lane so, at the times I'm there, the lane is active so people can't go round my nearside. The result is that a large queue builds up behind me and everything comes to a halt including at the traffic lights some 75 yards away because people do not expect the flow to be halted so stop on the junction. These very lights cause another problem in that the traffic coming towards me, which is very heavy at that time, often will not give way to me and piles up in front of me when the next lights go red so, when I could have gone because the pedestrian footfall briefly slackens, there's a stationary car blocking me. By now there are horns being sounded and rude hand gestures being made! Of course eventually I do get across but I find it so stressful I've mostly abandoned going this way - which is my most direct route - and go on through the heavier traffic and longer distance. Takes me about a quarter hour longer, (if the tram works light controls are in my favour). Last night I chickened out again and just went the long way round. Global warming plus anyone?
Saw an absolute "beauty" last night. Waiting at other temporary traffic lights, which are there to control traffic one way through the Mayhem that is the tram works, I was aware of a "strange" double headlight approaching quite quickly from behind. It zipped past on my inside and swerved across the front of my car - I always stop so I can just see the road surface where the rear tyres of the car in front are in contact with the road, so he/she had enough room to do this - It was an electric scooter with a double headlight, but no rear lights, It was somewhat larger than ones I've seen before and it had a seat! It went straight through the red light, through the pedestrians at some speed, across the newly laid tram lines, evaded some more pedestrians (who, of course were crossing on a green man) and disappeared at surprising speed, down the street opposite. Doesn't matter what rules/laws you enact, you'll never stop idiots like that - Far more dangerous than the "idiots" of old who would ride noisy motor cycles, at least you could hear them coming!
PS. I never take a green light to mean "GO" I always look both ways before lifting the clutch pedal!
My oldest grandson managed to plug the supposedly "Unpluggable Toilet" last night, with what we call a "Super Turd". Unplugging it wasn't fun, nor was it pretty. Actually, it was kind of scary when the "Super Turd" broke loose and splashed back up at me. Loud words were said when the auger twisted and sprung out of the turd water, spraying the bathroom walls, and me. Ick!
Jeez, what are they feeding this kid?
Jeez, what are they feeding this kid?
Historically we'd dig a pit. No flushing, so no clogging. When nearly full, cover it up, dig another. And i bet the grass grew well above it. Unblocking toilets is called progress.
I grew up with outhouses. Also a hand pump in the backyard. The only time outhouse was a problem was when one of the cats decided to spring forth a litter below the two holer.
Well, no pooch and no communication with the owner(s) over the weekend. Missus and I had canceled all our weekend plans so we'd be home to welcome Buster. This is starting to feel like the Free Fiat 124 debacle all over again. Next weekends plans can't be canceled. Oh, well.
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- Mar 2, 2015
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- 542
- Points
- 160
Can someone, at the very least, kick Putin really hard in the nuts?...
Watching him talk recently, he just looks more like a puppet for those running the show
Driving home last night, from visiting both our boys and their families out to the south of the city, A warning message flashed up on the mini display between the speedo and rev counter - or is it "technically" a Tachometer? It said something like "pressure difference detected left rear tyre". There was no obvious detectable symptom, and the traffic was very heavy, so I drove on for maybe a mile during which time she tried to "frighten" me by illuminating the little exclamation mark yellow warning light in the main the gauge cluster. Having managed to find a place out of the traffic stream, I pulled over and visually checked the tyre. It looked absolutely fine so I continued driving home but stopped a couple of times for more visual checking. The weather was absolutely terrible with rain/sleet teaming down so I didn't feel inclined to investigate in more detail. The tyre still looked fine when we got home so I briefly stuck my pressure gauge on it to find it had lost about 1.5 to 2psi since I last checked it maybe a fortnight ago. It was still chucking it down so I just locked the car up and went indoors.
This morning I checked the pressure again and it was showing 2 psi pressure loss - basically the same pressure I got last night (so it's showing 33psi rather than the 35 I set it to when last I blew it up) I checked the other tyres and both fronts are on 38psi - as they should be - with the O/S/|R showing 35psi - as it should - and the N/S/R still on 33psi. I'm very puzzled because I don't think a wheel speed variation sensing TPMS would be sensitive enough to pick up on this.
It had been snowing lightly all the time I was doing this but, just as I finished, the snow stopped, the clouds cleared and the sun came out. So I took the wheel off and closely inspected the tyre but found nothing - which was a great relief as the N/S/R was renewed very recently due to a non repairable puncture and has done less than 1,000 miles! I then pumped it back up to 35psi - only took about 8 strokes of my foot pump. I also looked closely at the ABS wiring and plug but could see no sign of it having been disturbed (say by the likes of a stone etc). Although I'd be expecting an ABS warning light, not just a tyre pressure warning light if there was a wheel sensor problem. Doesn't hurt to take a look though.
Mrs J's sister is staying just now and we are taking the whole extended family to Pizza Express for their tea this evening. - not all in the one car! The TPMS warning display is easily reset via the dash screen with a button push and a couple of stabs at the touch screen, so I'll reset it before we set off for Pizza Express and hope it doesn't come back! I briefly wondered if it's because the TPMS doesn't like having a Falken on the N/S/R with the original equipment Bridgestones on the other 3 (I'm soon to replace those 3 with Falkens too) However I'd have expected it to flag the light up as soon as I put the new tyre on it, not after about 800 miles or so.
So, fingers crossed for the trip to the pizza restaurant. I was just reflecting that back in the mid 60's, when I was an impoverished student studying Motor vehicle repair and maintenance, The then future Mrs J and I used to save up all our pennies and splash out on a visit to Pizza Express in the Fulham Road. Happy carefree days!
This morning I checked the pressure again and it was showing 2 psi pressure loss - basically the same pressure I got last night (so it's showing 33psi rather than the 35 I set it to when last I blew it up) I checked the other tyres and both fronts are on 38psi - as they should be - with the O/S/|R showing 35psi - as it should - and the N/S/R still on 33psi. I'm very puzzled because I don't think a wheel speed variation sensing TPMS would be sensitive enough to pick up on this.
It had been snowing lightly all the time I was doing this but, just as I finished, the snow stopped, the clouds cleared and the sun came out. So I took the wheel off and closely inspected the tyre but found nothing - which was a great relief as the N/S/R was renewed very recently due to a non repairable puncture and has done less than 1,000 miles! I then pumped it back up to 35psi - only took about 8 strokes of my foot pump. I also looked closely at the ABS wiring and plug but could see no sign of it having been disturbed (say by the likes of a stone etc). Although I'd be expecting an ABS warning light, not just a tyre pressure warning light if there was a wheel sensor problem. Doesn't hurt to take a look though.
Mrs J's sister is staying just now and we are taking the whole extended family to Pizza Express for their tea this evening. - not all in the one car! The TPMS warning display is easily reset via the dash screen with a button push and a couple of stabs at the touch screen, so I'll reset it before we set off for Pizza Express and hope it doesn't come back! I briefly wondered if it's because the TPMS doesn't like having a Falken on the N/S/R with the original equipment Bridgestones on the other 3 (I'm soon to replace those 3 with Falkens too) However I'd have expected it to flag the light up as soon as I put the new tyre on it, not after about 800 miles or so.
So, fingers crossed for the trip to the pizza restaurant. I was just reflecting that back in the mid 60's, when I was an impoverished student studying Motor vehicle repair and maintenance, The then future Mrs J and I used to save up all our pennies and splash out on a visit to Pizza Express in the Fulham Road. Happy carefree days!
This - the Russian invasion - is so sad to see. Can't we all just behave like grownups? Many people will die. Appalling and horrific as that is there will be many more who suffer the most terrible conditions and abuse, I feel sick when I think of all the poor innocent children who will suffer and not understand why - The most terrible things always happens in wars no matter how much principled people try to intervene. I'm not a person of conventional religious conviction but I find myself imploring any power that may be to please intervene in this and stop it!
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It's just horrible to see this happening over and over.. Western countries invading 3rd world dictatorships - I understand that's obviously with a wish to better the general conditions in the countries, but it's not that much different to what's happening now, is it..?
That said it's still unfathomable that it happens.. What's next?
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My 40bhp Seicento 900 did about 55mpg going (literally) flat out on the M6. It had to because Stoke to M56 is a race track. It might have done better round town but I doubt it.
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Coof arrives the worst virus we have ever seen (ignore Spanish Flu).
"temporary" personal freedom restrictions including lockdowns are used to control The Coof.
Freedom of speech curtailed. If you talk carp you get called out but even that is banned.
Illegal immigrants are escorted across the channel and put up in hotels at government expence when they know what simply adds to the pull factor.
Gas pipelines are closed in USA increasing prices worldwide.
USA opens it's southern border causing a humanitarian crisis. But the media ignore the pain and suffering caused.
US Feds uses night flights to secretly move selected migrants around the country. But true or not, we can't discuss that.
Violent protests and riots by *LM are allowed to persist nobody gets arrested. Trucker protests about lockdown restrictions causing no harm to anyone are put down violently.
Coof Omicron arrives and all the media can do is talk up "infection" rates, because death rates have plummeted. Nobody is allowed to suggest that the original really was a bio-weapon and the last is the antidote. That would not be nice.
The virus has burnt itself out, but those laws allowing instant personal freedom restrictions are still in place.
Ukraine increases it's shelling of the mostly Russian Eastern enclaves.
NATO stands by while Putin stacks up his forces outside Ukraine.
Putin rolls in the tanks. Nothing is done to stop him.
Western governments apply half assed "sanction"s to a few Russian mafisosi (sorry) oligarchs. Putin laughs.
What next? China invades Taiwan? Another far worse engineered virus? Putin keeps moving Westward?
Update on my TPMS woes. Reversed out onto our wee road and paused for a moment to reset the system (all tyres correctly pressured) - I did this so the car would be moving forward whilst it registered the new rotational values. The warning light went out, hurrah! Drove out to the Pizza Express on the edge of town (half way meeting point for us and the boys with their families) Happily no light showing! Unfortunately wee our grandaughter was sick half way through the meal (impressed us all by making it to the loos so no mess to clean up, well done girl!) so, looking white as a sheet, she went home with her mum in their car leaving me to drive my son and his wee lad back out to their house in Midlothian when we'd all finished. Foul weather with rain sleet and snow so the car is now absolutely filthy again and it's due at the garage tomorrow morning at 08.00hrs for MOT. Weather tomorrow is forecast to be fine so I'm resolved to get up at first light and, if it's dry, I'll give it a quick hose down and wipe off with my noodle mit. Very pleased to be able to report the TPMS light is behaving itself. I'm still puzzled as to why it lit up though - please just stay off until after the MOT tomorrow. I'm not actually sure if it would fail for showing the tyre pressure light?
