Jerry_Atrick

Wow. That is some story and a great example of working together to solve a problem. Uf a lot more people took that route, the world would be a better place! Is it public housing you're against, or the way it is administered? Only asking because 95% of tentants nto showing serious problems is not bad, but for those that do, there is little recourse. To me, it smacks of governments deflecting their obligations by giving the right power to the right enforcement (and remediation) organistations to accomodate the need for public housing and keep the public safe when things don't do wrong. For example, if it was a privately owned and tenanted house, would the police have been able to deal with the problem more effectively because of the pwoers they have under normal criminal law (notwithstanding the issues with that, too)? Why should public housing tenants be afforded more rights than a private tenant when it comes to things like conduct? Sounds like you can set yourself up as a docu-drama producer, director, and cameraman. 😉

It cuts both ways to be honest. I joined a major Aussie party whe I was 16 with a glint in my eye and determined to change the world for the better. I rose fairlyy quicly locally to president of the branch (no real big deal), but on the selection committe for the local MP candidate (bigger deal) and state confereence delegate for both young movement and normal movement. Like any organisation, there are going to be differences of opinion, and I quickly learned what I thought was the right thing was not necessarily what others throught was the right thing, even amongst people with very similar ideologies. What i then learned was that many times, those differences of opinions were often helped by serving vested interests arising from the most unlikely places, some not even to do with monetary gain. Still, "untained and pure in thought", I contnued a bit more, arguing (alledgedly on fact) why this should change or that should remain, etc. until one evening meal, which I will never forget, but broke the camel's back and I quit politics forever. It is now coming to 50 years ago (ouch) and I even remember some of the names. But I will never forget the laminated fake wood round tablles atop black metal frames on that red patterend carpet preferred by local Chinese restaurants at the time. I was chomping on a beef and black bean sauce dish, talkng to someone I looked up to and whom I thought we were almost ideologically joined at the hip. He was regaling his victoriy in achieving some outcome by virtually bringing a local organisation to its knees, and in achieving that outcome, straddled that organisation with immense debt and put its future in doubt. When I challenged him on the prucence of such a tactic, given that iof that organistion fails, the very people he fought to ensure a short term outcome for will long term lose, he conceded he was driven by, let's say, a personal relationship with someone, and a personal vedetta of another. I will never forget the perniciously serious but triumphant expression on his face as he told me this. I have written on these forums abut this before, but it was a stark lesson on life.. I should have moved to Burke or somewhere similar.

People seem to lap it up.. George Orwell 1984 style

Chinese scientists make lithium battery breakthrough, doubling energy density | The Independent https://share.google/2PZSRzB1lql4apLHq

The cowardly lion (al la Whizz of Oz)

The ones that will be in real bewilderment are those that have bot of the above.

Game set and match

Pinball machine

It will be because a late harvest grape will have a higher concentration of sugar, which will effectively fortify the wine when left over a period of time.. is sort of what I learned ages ago. The are normally sweeter wines to start with.

There's a line there, but even I'll refrain from using it..

Gripe of the week... I went to Waitrose to get my go to summer red - Yering Station Pinot Noir. It is certanly quaffable - and then some. Problem is, Waitrose no longer stock it.. and have replaced it and a few other decent Aussie wines with crap - Yellow Tail shite, that makes Jacob's Creek look like a very decent wine. Bagoonies, I say... Although, my partner has the taste for Yellow Tail's jammy roo, which is admittedly lower in alcohol these days (12.5%) Shriaz, I think, but it does taste like jam.. and too sweet and sickly for me. There was a Koonunga Hill Shiraz, at about £13-ish; and a couple of other decent Aussie reds but over-priced for the UK market, anyway. So, I thought, I haven't had a Fluerie for many years - a French medium bodied style, so went the the Frog's section of the shelves. There wasn't much French stuff there either, and by De Boef (I guess for the UK market) go to of anything French that isn't in the super expensive class, followed by Lous Jadot had all sold out. But there were a couple of Flueries of unknwon labels - at least to me - that were there. One was a £9 bottle, and the other was £10 - marked fdown from $13. Well, I thought I may was well give that a try, At home now, towards the end of a 30 degree summer day and outside looking at the extended sunset which will take anouther 2 or so hours, and this is a very nice drop. So while the Gripe aboutd the Yering Station, which at normal price is the same as this one at normal price (I only buy it occasionally, and only when on sale, which was usually marked down to around £9), is still there, it has subsided a little. But.. I just looked at the label.. 15% alcohol content by volume!!! WTF, I didn't realise I was buying a port. I know in Aus, it is (or was for a while) harder to get good uality grapes thanks to drought and disease. But, FFS, fixing a wine at 15% is blooody ridiculous. I am already feeling off my mammaries just thinking about it. Still, there are plently more people far worse off than me complaining about the amount of alcohol in a bottle of wine.

Each to their own, OT 😉

So far, the only changes that are coming in are, IMHO, fairly reasonable. Anyone over 70 will require a medical at each license renewal. It will incude cognitive, eyesight, and checks for heart disease, and some others where is you suffer acute episode, it could be curtains for you and anyone on the road around you. I think it is eminently sensible and it forces you to get your health MOT (MOT is the UK equivalent of RWC). which is free for over 40s.. which canhelp diagnose issues anf fix them before it is too late. A licence lasts 10 years here.. and after 70, three years; so every three years after 70 you will have to get a medical - ant it is free at point of service. On another note, the UK CAA is implementing exercise based cardio vascular ECG testing as there has been an uptick of heat problems in air linked to accidents for older people.

We all have GPs.. they can be given the minimum requirements to maintain a licence. They can sign us off once a year, or if they deem more regular check ups required, do so accordinglly.. Just make sure you book your check up 3 months in advance so you can get seen.

It's about finding the right balance between the carrot and the stick. History tells us the pendulum between them swings but never seems to stop where it should. But don't ask me where the balance should be.

Sorry.. that made me laugh

Same

I must admit.. bit of an odd choice for a family event

I don't suffer hearing loss, but I use air pods for listening to music, pod casts and the like. They are the better model of air pods I got for a small fee when buying the daughter her student discounted apple stuff. Their noise reduction is first class and their sound reproduction is as good as I have ever heard. And I use them with a cheapie Samsung android. .

Look on the bright side (pardon the pun).. they got the shower bit right.

Hmmm. 10% increase in spews usually means a 21% increase in drag, doesn't it. If that is the case, won't your engine need more a corresponding amount more fuel to produce the power to rev ay 2750RPM with the additional drag? It's vertainly noit linear, and therefore there will be an increase > 10% in the fuel mixture to pump into the engine to get the revs to 2750. If the car is stationary and the gear in neutral, then getting to 2750 rpm doesn't take anywhere near the fuel as it does when at speed.

C'mon fellas.. You don't get like that withoout watching every penny.. Also, I am guessing it is a bit about pride. He comes across to me, at least, as an egotistical SoB.

Back to celebrating positives. Yesterday was a humid hazy day. Today was slightly hazy, but dry, and got to 29 degrees. Yesterday, took the lad into town and had a wander.. He has a new phone, and, @red750, it takes great shots. Had lunch with him and mozeyed on back home, walking the dog; worked on my next project (sold the web site prototype for about $500 - was not much whe you consider I put in over 300 hours on it - but it's a hobby). This morning, while spraying the weeds (which was well overdue), the daughter rocked up from an overnight house party. She's not a big drinker at all, but has come up with a clever solution to avoid the peer pressure of driniking.. She takes lots of cans of beer to the party.. opens them, and takes a swig (one at a time), and "forgets where she left them" (hidden). So, while everyone else was asleep, we nipped oout for a quick breakfast.. Back at home, took the K9 for a 6 mile walk (he did about 16).. Do I want to go to work tomorrow - even working from home? Nope.. (hopefully more on that soon).

My riding instructor back in Aus, who was previously a mechanical engineer had a saying about Harleys: "Yesterday's technology and tomorrow's prices". I am not into those sort of cruisers so can't comment.. I checked Bikesales.com.au, and there were three Virago 1100s dated '96 and '97 and about $5k - $6k.. Not too bad for a worhtless bike, but paled into insignificance compared to about $15K = $20K for the same year Harleys that at least looked similar. How much of that is brand value v qualoty bike? I have no idea. But I would still love a Goldwing... I think their market is slightly different to Harleys.. I don't have tattoos 😉 I have only had Japanese bikes, and I love them. Even the cheap Kawasaki er-6f I had took a hell of a lot of abuse befire it finally decided it was going to cost me more than what a better bike was worth to fix up. Unfortunately, VFR750s fall foul of the ULEZ emmisssions, which means it will cost me £12.50/day top ride it in London (Same as an old FJ55 spewing all of those emissions). Otherwise, I would get one as they were simply bullet proof. Back in Aus, I may get one.