Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

This section allows you to view all posts made by this member. Note that you can only see posts made in areas you currently have access to.

1

General Car Chat / Car Tax Scaremongering

« on: 17 January 2025, 08:04:58 »

Noticed in my web new feed there's an everywhere increasing amount of clickbaity headlines about 'tenfold' cat tax increases for drivers of petrol and diesel cars...

The reality?

If you drive a car over 76g/km and are currently paying £10 A YEAR, there's a good chance it will rise to £110.

Sure, in percentage terms that's a hefty increase, but the reality is that it's the price of two coffees a month. If you can't afford two coffees a month, the reality is that you already don't own a car.

The other increase is for more expensive EVs so I really wouldn't worry too much about it.

2

General Discussion Area / LA Fires

« on: 12 January 2025, 10:01:18 »

Been sidetracked in Phoenix the last few days and got home to see the news.

Have been fortunate to spend a fair amount of time in LA last year, over a month in total, and usually have an explore around, including a few drives up and around the Pacific Palisades area... Last time in November was a particularly special day, and we drove from Beverley Hills along Sunset Boulevard down to the coast, literally chasing sunset.

Saw a news crew doing the same drive through Pacific Palisades immediately after the fire went through and I have no words

Apparently the local reservoir had been drained for maintenance but the water company hadn't bothered telling anyone.

3

General Discussion Area / Jeju crash.

« on: 30 December 2024, 17:01:11 »

Before it suffered the bird strike, the flaps were deployed and it was on a stable final approach and the only thing left to do was drop the gear and land.

After the bird strike, the only extra thing was to possibly pull the fire handle for that engine and shut the fuel off.

They'd have landed relatively normally into the wind had full wheel braking available along with the wing spoilers and everyone would have gotten off non the wiser.

Instead, they fly for another five minutes, raised the flaps and kept the gear up before attempting a belly landing with a tail wind and two people barely survived.

Either significant pilot error or murder/suicide.

And before anyone says anything about the mechanical condition of the aircraft, they had enough control to raise the flaps, fly past the airport, perform a 180° turn and crash along the runway.

The concrete reinforced berm across the runway might have been the final hole in the cheese*, but there were plenty of opportunities to not end up there.

*Reasons Swiss Cheese model. Also, without the berm, I suspect that every one would probably have survived except possibly the flight crew.

4

General Discussion Area / Biden.

« on: 02 December 2024, 16:33:15 »

The spiteful coot has out done himself.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/politics/2024/12/02/joe-biden-pardons-son-hunter/

I dread to think what else he's going to screw up in the next five weeks.

5

General Car Chat / A positive Jag review... Sort of.

« on: 24 November 2024, 18:17:10 »

https://youtu.be/bVN-eWbaSTg?si=WKbQMilxwH6Ssjc0

Only problem is that it's a five year old car and they've simply not moved forwards.

6

General Discussion Area / Good ol' Joe

« on: 20 November 2024, 12:41:28 »

Not content with being the worst President in history,

Allowing Zolensky to fire US missiles into Russia just to be spiteful makes the whole January 6th bo lax look like a tea party.

That stupid coot might just get everyone killed

7

General Discussion Area / Democracy at work.

« on: 06 November 2024, 07:51:41 »

Congratulations to the United States on the democratic election of the 47th President...


Donald J Trump.

8

General Discussion Area / Fag packet maths...

« on: 30 October 2024, 15:40:47 »

Er, I mean, budget...

Almost halving the threshold for Employers NI is a pretty effective way to totally opps over business growth. Which in turn will mean fewer people employed and will cost the State more in welfare whilst also reducing overall productivity and in turn revenue, not only for those businesses, but also the State by way of reduce tax income.

Cue a very slow, sarcastic hand clap.

9

General Discussion Area / Johnnydog (and others).

« on: 12 October 2024, 02:35:39 »

You are just tying to justify your unnecessary responses to simple questions about the part numbers for self levelling rear  shock absorbers. I posted a link to assist with that, but you have to fire in with your responses about different products that are not a suitable replacement in many ways, and not what the OP asked....
Incidentally, your initial post with the NOS and GLWT ( ) hadn't a smiley face - the smiley faces were posted in later replies.
What does trigger me is your condescending attitude, and your  back pedalling by trying to turn the situation around when you have been shown to be wrong, or there actually is another solution to the point in question.
I hope you are not as annoying to passengers whilst you are pushing that trolley up and down the aisle trying to sell tea and coffee.... 

Are you done?

75 previous posts on this thread, only six of which are yours, and only one actually of any constructive purpose, the rest focused on bashing me.

And, for the record, (not that I actually care what you think), but if my employer choses to sell some items on short haul flights, that's up to them. If people buy them or not makes no difference to my day.

Unless you're trying to imply something about me by way of my occupation...

What would I be trying to imply (if that was the case, which it wasn't)? I was just wondering if you are as abrupt and generally less than helpful to the passengers / customers during your working day as you are on here.
If you are reading something into it, then maybe I have touched a nerve? Take a step back and just look at your attitude on here, and maybe you can come out of it as a better person. I'm not the only person on here that thinks your whole attitude stinks, but there's just the handful of OOFers that make their observations regarding it known.
Anyway, I'd rather get back on topic about the original question about the part numbers for self levelling GM shockers rather than get a slap on the wrist ( ) from admin for being naughty.....

I wasn't going to respond to this, but...

For someone who has never met me, you are making some incredibly baseless judgements against my character and work ethic.

Sure, you can disagree about how other people might answer queries here on the forum or even with what posts, but our only interaction is within the context of this forum and much of that is you criticising something I have posted or the apparent manner in which it's posted or simply because I posted it. The constant back and forth is draining and unnecessary.

I have a suggestion...

If someone posts a question and someone posts something that you don't agree with, rather than taking the time to post something derogatory, "Helpful as ever " and nothing by way of alternative suggestions or clarification for example, try posting something more constructive such as actual suggestions/solutions.

Perhaps then we can move on and maybe even rekindle some of what this forum was meant to represent.

10

General Car Chat / It's a Bini adventure...

« on: 03 October 2024, 06:07:45 »

The MOT failure creates a bit less of an adventure and a bit moreof a conundrum...

Immediately requires both front control arm bushes, cat back exhaust and headlight adjustment.

Advisories for three brake pipes and pads all round.

Nothing unreasonable for a 19 year old car with 145k miles under it. But...

The headlights are a non issue. Likewise the exhaust, that's a holed back box and a half decent exhaust is about £150. The minor advisories are again not a big deal... Pads are a service item and the pipes are sectioned from the factory and accessible.

The only big item is actually the control arm bushes. They can be pressed out/removed in situ and replaced with poly ones, (like the Omega fronts), but you have to disturb the 145k ball joints to get the arm out to have any access. The alternative is to drop the subframe. Which creates its own issues, but either way it's basically going to need both arms, inner and outer ball joints, the failed bushes, drop links and hardware. And that is working on the hopes and prayers that nothing snaps.


So the question is, is it worth putting the time and money, probably £5-600 and 2-3 days on the drive, into a car that cost £400 six months ago and might be worth a grand with a year's ticket?

Or do I instead put the car as is and the cash into another unknown car with a decent MoT

The parts list for the exhaust and control arm bushes is about £550 which is about half the cost of the TCM that the proper car needs.

The car owes me nothing, and has been surprisingly entertaining to drive, but it's not the easiest thing to get in and out of and is quite tiring to drive.

It an adventure alright 

11

General Discussion Area / The Vice Presidential Debate.

« on: 02 October 2024, 03:16:31 »

Whether it matters or not, it's unlikely to be mentioned elsewhere so for the record:

A quick fact check about Minnesota Law regarding live birth post abortion as signed by Tim Walz...

https://thedispatch.com/article/claims-about-children-born-alive-after-abortion-attempts-in-minnesota-are-true/

Either he didn't read it before he signed it or if he did, he didn't understand it.

And credit to JD Vance for not asking Tim Walz why he thought that was when Tim Walz made the observation that almost all the gun crime in Minnesota was in fact teen suicide

This was a reasonable debate compared to the gaslighting that was the so called Presidential 'debate'. One thing that stood out is that Tim Walz is apparently running to be reelected as Governor of Minnesota rather than Vice President.

12

General Car Chat / The Car That Zigs...

« on: 27 September 2024, 18:22:00 »

https://youtu.be/GroBoMxt73A?si=Wn0NWwlDkjjsOzLL

$3,800 for a one owner 43k mile Omega, er, Catera...

13

General Discussion Area / The Mickey and Minnie Show...

« on: 11 September 2024, 13:49:21 »

What a shit show that was.

"Mr Trump, you're an asshole, Madam VP, isn't he such an asshole!"

Sure, he could have responded better to some of the points but if Kamalala was in any way competent or had a shred of self respect then she would have had an actual debate with actual questions rather than a rerun of her interview a couple of weeks ago.

Whatever that was this morning, it was an affront to the process and to journalism itself.

14

General Discussion Area / Where do we go from here?

« on: 06 August 2024, 02:32:16 »

Riots and looting never achieved anything positive or useful. Smashing up everything smacks of spoilt brats' temper tantrums. If you have an issue with illegal immigrants, do something about it on the beaches or in the Channel...

How many people involved in this travesty actually bothered to vote?

How long before we face curfews, lockdows, or worse, martial law?

15

General Discussion Area / Good news for Wales

« on: 16 July 2024, 13:02:34 »

Second first minister this year has resigned.

Which is nice.