tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70990994327201845842024-03-06T05:26:48.634+00:00Going fast, getting nowhereMotorcycles, politics, literature, music, philosophy, humour, miscellany, custardRichardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15743685798068014455noreply@blogger.comBlogger1460125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099099432720184584.post-5196551050365545042016-09-07T10:15:00.000+01:002016-09-07T10:15:06.651+01:00Thank you and goodnightAll good things must come to an end, and I guess this applies to the mediocre as well. It has been 18 months since I last posted anything here, and that tells me that the blog no longer has a purpose. I never quite managed to decide whether this was a biking blog that mentioned politics, or a political blog that mentioned bikes. But both aspects have now had their day. This will be a long post, and a last post.<br />
<br />
I started writing in the days of Blair and Brown, when there was a lot to be angry about. When Cameron got elected, a lot of the fun went out of commenting. He was OK, didn't make too many stupid errors, and got on with the job. I didn't particularly like or trust him, but commenting was a bit like wrestling a blancmange. I think Theresa May is a good prospect. She has made the right noises and seems competent, so I will withhold judgement for a while. There's going to be a lot of fun to be had with the Corbyn thing over the next few months, but I think I will watch that from the sidelines.<br />
<br />
As I mentioned in the previous post, I have now sold the bikes (the ancient and well-loved XT went for a surprisingly reasonable sum to David Lambeth, who is currently restoring it out of all recognition as an Australian-type utility bike) and have purchased two semi-classic cars. The MX-5 was the first, and now I have an old Merc 190E as well. They are both of an age where driveway maintenance and repair are easy, and I am happy with that.<br />
<br />
On a personal level, I am still alive and kicking. I lost a lot of weight last year (and I really needed to) and this was very positive from a health point of view, and much improved my outlook on life. I put a bit back on over winter, but I am still a lot thinner than in January 2015 and I am much the happier for it. I have started cycling again, which has been like reconnecting with an old friend. One odd effect of the weight loss was damage to the peroneal nerve in my left leg (apparently it is protected by a fatty pad where it crosses the head of the fibula, and if this fatty pad is depleted by rapid weight loss, the nerve can get bruised). The result was a case of foot-drop, which lasted a year and which has only recently gone away. As it was starting, and before I realised I had a problem, I had a bad fall on my driveway, when I tripped over my own foot and fell heavily. This resulted in a massive tear to a tendon in my shoulder, which has meant severe pain and restricted movement for 12 months. Finally, I am seeing a specialist next month, so I hope there will be a positive outcome from that. At one point, I thought I might be unable to drive a manual car, so I sold the Mondeo and bought the automatic Merc. Of course, I am now able to drive without any problems, but I still rather like wafting about in the Teutonic Tank. I alternate between the Mazda and the Merc on a weekly basis, and the contrast is highly amusing. One week, it is racing changes and scurrying about like a demented go-kart; next week it is Haydn string quartets and letting the plebs overtake without concern.<br />
<br />
I still have a shopping list (it's like the bikes all over again, and Anna is distraught). A Morris Minor, a Citroen 2CV or Dyane, and I really have a hankering for an older Jag. (These are either very expensive or very cheap, and for the avoidance of doubt it is the cheap ones I would be looking at.) And possibly an old diesel Land Rover for the winter, although another classic Rangie would be nice, and ...<br />
<br />
Anyway, a word of thanks to anyone reading this. I had a lot of fun writing the blog, and I was always most grateful when people took the time to comment. I'm going to leave this open for a couple of weeks, and then close it for good. I'm still around, though. Email is disraeligears01@gmail.com if you want to stay in touch. I am on Twitter, but more as a reader than a contributor: @twistedteaspoon. I'm also on Facebook, but that's under my real name, so get in touch by email if you think meeting up there would be a good idea.<br />
<br />
Brexit, eh? Who'd have thought it?<br />
<br />
Sincerely, thank you all. It's been good.Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15743685798068014455noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099099432720184584.post-90034075961631669092015-03-10T08:34:00.001+00:002015-03-10T08:34:48.754+00:00Sod's LawI had the day off yesterday. I was up early, and it was a beautiful morning, so I got a plan together. Breakfast done, all washed up and put away, fire raked out and reloaded, wood fetched, shopping list assembled, shopping bags rounded up, coat on, all by 9.00 am. Excellent! And then it started to rain. When I got to Tesco is was a biblical downpour, I was home by ten, and the rain eased off to a steady drizzle, which lasted all day. So all the plans for outside jobs that I had lined up had to be shelved. It was a bit of a dismal day, really, sitting around waiting for a break in the weather.<br />
<br />
Today, by contrast, is beautiful - bright sunshine, a light hoar frost on everything, and the prospect (according to the lovely Behnaz on BBC Wales) of a dry and sunny day. And, of course, I am working tonight, so I will need to spend part of the afternoon having a nap. That's going to be difficult.<br />
<br />
Today's question: with a dribbling weirdo leading Labour, a weak charlatan heading the Lib Dems, a pub bore heading UKIP, and an incompetent hippy heading the Greens, why aren't the Conservatives a million points ahead in the polls? David Cameron looks the part, speaks well, and doesn't make many unforced errors, and superficially he should be streets ahead of the rest. And yet, apparently, it's neck-and-neck.<br />
<br />
To put it a slightly different way - if Cameron can't pull out a 20-point lead over the disaster that is Miliband, what use is he?<br />
<br />
For those ignorant of the BBC Wales news team, here is Behnaz. Just so you know.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/staticarchive/da384b7158b701112e1fc28b946b37e3f36c5908.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.bbc.co.uk/staticarchive/da384b7158b701112e1fc28b946b37e3f36c5908.jpg" height="320" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15743685798068014455noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099099432720184584.post-39727474987692149702015-03-08T14:41:00.001+00:002015-03-08T14:41:42.670+00:00Have I missed anything?Fourteen months since my last post, and twelve months before that for the previous one. Anyone would think I had given up! I almost did, to be honest. I got into blogging just as the last Labour government was entering meltdown, when there was rage to be had in every day's news. The election of the Coalition meant that politics became genuinely boring. It's not that everything was OK, far from it, but that it became increasingly hard to write about. With Blair and then Brown as PM, every day gave some reason to choke on your cornflakes. Cameron and Clegg, not so much. I wished the Coalition well at the start, and sincerely hoped that a combination of financial competence and a soupçon of good old Liberal social conscience might make a workable mix. I'm old enough to know better, I suppose, but now I am disappointed rather than angry, and disappointment is hard to work up into anything people might wish to read.<br />
<br />
There are a number of other reasons for my lack of attention to the old blog. The main one was getting an iPad. Handy little device, and very useful and portable. Perhaps too useful. It's great for surfing the net and doing emails, but not so good for blogging. Of course, I ended up taking the easy option and started using the iPad almost full time. The fact I can use the iPad in the living room where there is a nice woodburner, rather than the cold study where the lapdog lives, was another reason to put off blogging just a little longer.<br />
<br />
The demise of the excellent Google Reader was another factor. I had all my favourite blogs in there, and it was a simple matter to read the latest updates and go to visit the blogs to add comments and observations. The best substitute I could find for the iPad was a thing called Feedly, but the whole setup mitigated against participation. The blogging truism (interact with other people and they will interact with you) worked against me there. And of course, as they say about many things, the less you do something, the less you feel like doing it. So I semi-bowed out, more by laziness than actual intention.<br />
<br />
So, here I am again. First thing to say is a massive thank you to the blogs on my bloglist. I have been through most of them to check, and I am still there on many people's blogrolls. Very kind and loyal, and I am not sure I deserve it. But thank you anyway. I have been reading you all, through Feedly, every single post, but when replying meant opening a browser and logging in and all that kerfuffle, I just moved on the the next one. Sorry.<br />
<br />
A quick update on the last 12 months might be in order. After changing bikes like most people change their socks, I ended up with two excellent machines - a Honda Hornet 900 and a Yamaha XT660R. Supposedly, one was for long-distance stuff and one was a daily driver. But it was never that simple, as both were great and capable machines, and many days featured a lengthy shall-I-shan't-I conversation until my head spun. Meanwhile, the old XT600E was SORNed, under a cheap Lidl tarpaulin behind the shed, and getting rustier by the week. Back in October I had a good long think. I had been riding bikes for 42 years, and had never had a serious accident. One or two clumsy tumbles at low speed, but nothing life-threatening. I started to wonder if it was time to cash in my chips while I was ahead. I had noticed my reactions getting slower, and I was finding oncoming headlights were affecting my vision more. It's quite possible to adapt your riding to take account of these things, and I did, but it was another question mark, And I will be quite honest here - winter was approaching, and the thought of fighting my way into waterproofs and cold-weather gear twice a day was not giving me any pleasure. In summary, biking was not as much fun as it used to be, and when something is no longer fun, you should stop. So I did.<br />
<br />
The bikes went on eBay and were sold for a modest loss in both cases. And then one of those curious coincidences that makes you wonder if there is some force working around our lives that we are not aware of: every time I went to Tesco I had to pass a car dealership, and there was a little sports car on the forecourt at a ridiculously low price. Convertibles are even harder to sell in the autumn and winter than bikes are, and after a test drive I offered the dealer a stupidly low amount and he accepted. It's a Mazda MX-5, a 10th Anniversary model from 1999, and it is a cute as a very cute thing with added cuteness:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQkUnPTkecOfGvfTTrA8BK0fd1zjEkuFnyJpZK1cj_LhFJGN3K1O4xfOBKmkmCfRApdG7CGzzwrM8m1yfpGQrC5_-0wK89BTy9hrCepCHFkTed-ijrQR84bccKg1xrIwrDzITcfxjZjno/s1600/iphone+oddments+oct+14+023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQkUnPTkecOfGvfTTrA8BK0fd1zjEkuFnyJpZK1cj_LhFJGN3K1O4xfOBKmkmCfRApdG7CGzzwrM8m1yfpGQrC5_-0wK89BTy9hrCepCHFkTed-ijrQR84bccKg1xrIwrDzITcfxjZjno/s1600/iphone+oddments+oct+14+023.JPG" height="298" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Superficially it's in VGC, but it's not been without its problems. However, I went into it with my eyes open, and I think I have got to the bottom of any issues, after the suitable expenditure of a number of beer tokens. I've spent as much as the car cost in getting it put right, but even so it has only cost me what I got for the bikes together, so I think I am winning so far. I was a bit apprehensive about Anna's reaction when I had sold the bikes and asked her what she thought about sports cars. She was delighted, which made it all a bit easier. Long ago, she had been the proud owner of an MG Midget, but had to sell it when she became pregnant and couldn't fit behind the wheel. She thinks the 5 is great - so much so that we are planning a holiday in it. It's a complete hoot to drive. Not a fast car by any means, but as nimble as a rollerskate. Every time I get in it, I smile, and that's what the bikes did, so it's all good. <br />
<br />
The XT, of which I am absurdly fond, is now in the garage space vacated by the 'proper' bikes, and will be given a massive amount of TLC and brought back to a good standard when I get the time. How long have I been saying that?<br />
<br />
In other news, I mentioned the possibility of a better job in my last, distant posting. I got it, and I am no longer a Security Man, but a Night Auditor. I do all the financial operations that have to be done when the tills are closed, and all the reporting for the following business day. I still work nights, but now it is 4 x 10-hour shifts a week, which is easier on the social life than the 4-on-4-off x 12 hours I was working before. My body clock is still scrambled, but in a kinder way. There was a small pay increase, but the great thing is that the job has a bit of challenge about it, and plays to my analytical and problem-solving strengths, such as they are. I quite enjoy it, so things could be worse.<br />
<br />
So that's me back in the blogger's chair, and if you are reading this it is because you stayed with me, for which I am absurdly grateful. I doubt if I will be posting every day, but I hope it will be more frequent than annually. Oh, and I have joined Twitter, more as an observer than a participant. It's mad.<br />
<br />
Sorry for the long post, but a catch-up was necessary. More to follow.<br />
<br />Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15743685798068014455noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099099432720184584.post-14657979315224375052013-12-25T07:27:00.002+00:002013-12-25T19:18:56.451+00:00Merry Christmas allTo all my loyal readers, if I have any left after such a period of inactivity, I wish a very happy Christmas. May you get everything you want or, failing that, everything you deserve.<br />
<br />
More apologies for the lack of posting recently. Things have been busy. There have been bike-related shenanigans, some car issues to sort out (including a mysterious tale of a brake caliper and a wheel bearing) and there may be a new job on the horizon for the new year. Also, I have had a big birthday (ending in a zero) which took a bit of coming to terms with.<br />
<br />
I won't be posting over the next few days, but as soon as the Christmas nonsense is out of the way I will be back.<br />
<br />
Take care and have fun.Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15743685798068014455noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099099432720184584.post-79504375955428053292013-11-03T16:55:00.001+00:002013-11-03T16:55:05.786+00:00Aye, Laddie!I can't remember ever learning to read. It was just one of those things that came to you, like walking or eating. I think I was fairly surreptitious about it too, as I surprised my mother with my facility for textual decoding (can you tell I used to be a teacher?) one day when I was about three years old.<br />
<br />
We were out for a walk somewhere (at a guess, Stanhope Park, in Darlington) and I needed a wee. I told Mum and she said I'd have to wait. But no, I said, there is a toilet here. No, that's not for you, she said. You can't go in there. But, but, I said, I can. Look, the sign says "Laddies"!<br />
<br />
OK, not perfect decoding of the double-consonant rule, but nearly there. I made her laugh, and she got her revenge by telling friends of the story when I was in my mid-twenties. And thirties.<br />
<br />
Imagine my surprise, therefore, when I was browsing Facebook recently, and came across this advert in the sidebar.<br />
<br />
Do they think I was born yesterday? Those are <i>gurls</i>. I know. <i>I'm nearly four</i>.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqTnoi2nvWHsEzP3WWvKYQZlKQoWNBD-rZA9MbJeX8NGlWboZCHOEoKsy0ssK43yZX7_1clydXgBaf2yJ4H2vRkCGV5U1u0_EsgXMqIAB9T40acjfWrYfRwzh4cetrA7a2EHAo-D2k460/s1600/Capture.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqTnoi2nvWHsEzP3WWvKYQZlKQoWNBD-rZA9MbJeX8NGlWboZCHOEoKsy0ssK43yZX7_1clydXgBaf2yJ4H2vRkCGV5U1u0_EsgXMqIAB9T40acjfWrYfRwzh4cetrA7a2EHAo-D2k460/s1600/Capture.JPG" /></a></div>
<br />Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15743685798068014455noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099099432720184584.post-24696669975317429772013-10-30T13:13:00.003+00:002013-10-30T13:13:53.092+00:00Comment policyRegular readers, both of you, may remember that a while ago I turned on word verification for comments to this blog. I was getting so much spam it was 'doin my ed in like', and turning WV on stopped it instantly. However, I know from my own experience that the Blogger WV thing is very irritating and clumsy. More than once I have written a fairly thoughtful and considered response on another blog, only to give up after six attempts to decipher some random squiggles in a box. My time has been wasted, the world will miss that particular pearl of wisdom, and the whole thing is unsatisfactory. I was very reluctant to turn on WV for my own blog, as I know how big a pain it is, and I have had some feedback from readers that it was putting them off commenting.<br />
<br />
But when you are writing and managing a blog in your spare time, spam is a real hassle and takes a lot of your attention away from where it should be, so I don't apologise for turning on WV until the tsunami of rubbish abated. I'm a bit of an innocent when it comes to these things, but the spam was increasing over time, and my guess was that the blog was getting on more and more spam lists as the spam comments were visible for a while until I got round to deleting them, and therefore appeared in some Greatest Hits in a database somewhere. My hope is that, now the blog has been silent for a few months, whoever does these things will have assumed the blog is no more and will have moved onto more fertile soil.<br />
<br />
So, WV is OFF for the time being. Comment all you like, magnifying glasses not necessary. If the spam returns, I will have another think. It has been suggested that I allow comments from registered users only, which would solve the problem, but might bring others in its wake. We shall see.<br />
<br />
If anyone has any bright ideas, let me know - in the comments :)<br />
<br />
Here's a poster to make you laugh.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG0-BGfBFhVwfT_d89cYDSe6-2LE6CSXxHNw9ug-j9TleQoFqVyUtn5pO7Oa-htmZfL5E0AUwpJmvEC-ouWiW53EKyZfdevf9g4I4ev5nCWEE1kH0ap-q1GKmbSWLKri_uQyk122DGrp4/s1600/trouble+ahead.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG0-BGfBFhVwfT_d89cYDSe6-2LE6CSXxHNw9ug-j9TleQoFqVyUtn5pO7Oa-htmZfL5E0AUwpJmvEC-ouWiW53EKyZfdevf9g4I4ev5nCWEE1kH0ap-q1GKmbSWLKri_uQyk122DGrp4/s400/trouble+ahead.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15743685798068014455noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099099432720184584.post-14690314257306905722013-10-28T20:00:00.000+00:002013-10-29T08:44:51.920+00:00Fleet updateFor those who are interested ...<br />
<br />
I had to move everything about yesterday to clear leaves and stuff from my usual storage locations, and I ended up with all three bikes on the driveway, and I thought it would be an ideal photo opportunity. There's one new addition to the fleet since the last bike-related post here.<br />
<br />
Here's the chorus line:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjok8HILqc2NCVOUzbrwzyXMeytjqT3mGGR1qWf2x0PGz9ANhskRzAMeGcLXNM0_nue9OBJuQgxj5bHIsW2qyr846ODAssCNSyAuYgPHQOwJVpCayPor_noBp_CEFWnRRTGKmXDH1FfW_E/s1600/silly+women%252C+mixer+and+3+bikes+005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjok8HILqc2NCVOUzbrwzyXMeytjqT3mGGR1qWf2x0PGz9ANhskRzAMeGcLXNM0_nue9OBJuQgxj5bHIsW2qyr846ODAssCNSyAuYgPHQOwJVpCayPor_noBp_CEFWnRRTGKmXDH1FfW_E/s320/silly+women%252C+mixer+and+3+bikes+005.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
From left to right:<br />
<br />
<b>Yamaha XT660R</b>, 2006, fully functional, road legal, the commuter and everyday reliable workhorse. Previous owner rode it to Romania and back (from his name on the V5, I think he was visiting relatives) and I intend to give it a similar workout before too long. Not to Romania, but further than the Severn Bridge, for sure.<br />
<br />
<b>Triumph Trident 750</b>, 1994 (but an early VIN, probably made in 1992), one of the early Hinckley revival Triumphs. Bought because I could no longer credibly be the Chairman of my branch of the Owners' Club without owning a Triumph, and this was a very cheap eBay purchase in May. Bought (more or less) to say I had one in the shed, and perhaps to keep with a view to long-term restoration. In fact, it is a superb bit of kit, and I am hooked. It had 52k on the clock when I got it (53k now) and it is not without its faults, but it is rideable and goes pretty well for an old girl. I'm now focusing on a gradual improvement schedule. The immediate stuff has all been done, and I am now onto the refinements (hollow laugh).<br />
<br />
<b>Yamaha XT600E</b>, 1995 (but made in 1994), SORNed, no tax, no insurance, no battery as of yesterday. A triumph (heh) of mid-90s tasteless colour vandalism - pale green, lilac and white. The puppy I cannot abandon. Long-term, it's going to get money spent on it and made fantastic, but short-term it's under a cover behind the shed. I found an interesting nest of spiders in the air intake yesterday. Not at the top of my priority list, but when time and funds allow, it's getting the treatment. I have a lot of lurve for this bike.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjulc9ZcJC4mTizelop8OAAFFfFyyYFbIbxF4MF3hHqwN0TKRRptrTbBWeEZoe5snEgnW0YgNKI6M1jjPBk68r8dRCLfWbkTezevKfU9Fh1TihlwZ5ZXbbKkLczxcnO_mSM3gOawluOHzA/s1600/silly+women%252C+mixer+and+3+bikes+008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjulc9ZcJC4mTizelop8OAAFFfFyyYFbIbxF4MF3hHqwN0TKRRptrTbBWeEZoe5snEgnW0YgNKI6M1jjPBk68r8dRCLfWbkTezevKfU9Fh1TihlwZ5ZXbbKkLczxcnO_mSM3gOawluOHzA/s320/silly+women%252C+mixer+and+3+bikes+008.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Ah, choices.Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15743685798068014455noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099099432720184584.post-37987004104276255682013-10-28T10:54:00.001+00:002013-10-28T10:54:51.795+00:00Night visitorsA little while ago, I gave in to a long-held wish and bought myself a trail camera. If you haven't seen one of these, it's a camera which straps to a tree or mounts on a post, and works off a PIR sensor, with IR illumination so it can take shots in the dark. It can take either stills or video, or a combination of the two, and is fully weatherproof. It's made in woodland camouflage colours and runs off AA batteries. With an extra battery pack, it can be left for up to six months and will capture any object that is warmer than the background. This is the one I got - an American LTL Acorn Scouting Camera Ltl-5210A:<br /><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://stuntcams.com/shop/resources/little-acorn-trail-scout-camera/little-acorn-12mp-trail-scout-camera-mounted.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://stuntcams.com/shop/resources/little-acorn-trail-scout-camera/little-acorn-12mp-trail-scout-camera-mounted.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Padlock? It would prevent theft of the SD card, but not the camera, which is held by a nylon strap</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
So far, I have had some mildly interesting results, although I have to say that the camera's performance is slightly disappointing. Picture quality is modest (about as good as a cheap smartphone) and the range at night is only about 5m - that is, an object needs to be within 5m to trigger the camera, although it will capture an image up to about 15m, with the outer limits quite faint.<br />
<br />
I have set it up at various places round the garden over several nights, and results have been getting better, so I imagine that with practice I can get some interesting images. So far, I have discovered that Rescue Cat is an early bird as well as a midnight rambler:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJunOpoC6VWh2NOyWT9MCPu_O43n1NogfikxjVHYUKYRjsteWXVSdhenX9MKSfYiFkJDXbxn_ojgjEn-ukKtLJZL-R9W5KSNqXHlrzxj0bJ6ecRpwRQd0U-SAXhpVvqAy_yVfc1SBrKoI/s1600/IMAG0001+%25286%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJunOpoC6VWh2NOyWT9MCPu_O43n1NogfikxjVHYUKYRjsteWXVSdhenX9MKSfYiFkJDXbxn_ojgjEn-ukKtLJZL-R9W5KSNqXHlrzxj0bJ6ecRpwRQd0U-SAXhpVvqAy_yVfc1SBrKoI/s320/IMAG0001+%25286%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Monarch of all she surveys</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
and that the cat that the people in the cottage next door swear they know nothing about is a regular visitor:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggakI94BCD0fae1iT0uoRtpVaIpP7DFocDrE7StLL2tRfOkKkxNoIWTtX2nSz9wMxHo8Hl07aSZl4RxVJxvj8iBTJi6lhThmql6G0hMJ1DSItvwSVCZmuBUfegl5yEFufyTY2dCyXnGtM/s1600/IMAG0005+%25283%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggakI94BCD0fae1iT0uoRtpVaIpP7DFocDrE7StLL2tRfOkKkxNoIWTtX2nSz9wMxHo8Hl07aSZl4RxVJxvj8iBTJi6lhThmql6G0hMJ1DSItvwSVCZmuBUfegl5yEFufyTY2dCyXnGtM/s320/IMAG0005+%25283%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We call him 'Pink Cat' and he really is pink, well, pinky-beige. Not in this photo, though</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
But the best of all is an answer to the question: Who has been leaving the small black turds in the middle of the lawn? When Bonkers Dog was alive, he would regularly come home with lovely doggy aftershave in the form of stinking black streaks on his neck. Now we know why:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4j1sPaS2z2Nozg6R2gWWCajkRHp0xLy78UdDWlFpqARlX2zQ7ocWWIOUTJo1AmGPT3e5iB4vwmHuH2HgcJzUUgqHepzXyGKV0MxbXN49uhmynFpURYxkw3VYifJXtV0t9U1vBwRRzS10/s1600/IMAG0013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4j1sPaS2z2Nozg6R2gWWCajkRHp0xLy78UdDWlFpqARlX2zQ7ocWWIOUTJo1AmGPT3e5iB4vwmHuH2HgcJzUUgqHepzXyGKV0MxbXN49uhmynFpURYxkw3VYifJXtV0t9U1vBwRRzS10/s320/IMAG0013.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don't mind me, I'm just off for a quick dump</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5zZyQEdQo1uDLG_E4DaV-5p_-yS2b2YONHVcYHQ7dfzuWBWwn3NSohEwzQezkzkR8LdXALEzzhIzsFmNQGgmhyphenhyphenNZ_zvnKmu-3uPvN1V_zzwNZwE-gB9418-13GA0JhJq2u4QzQjOtOJQ/s1600/IMAG0001+%25289%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5zZyQEdQo1uDLG_E4DaV-5p_-yS2b2YONHVcYHQ7dfzuWBWwn3NSohEwzQezkzkR8LdXALEzzhIzsFmNQGgmhyphenhyphenNZ_zvnKmu-3uPvN1V_zzwNZwE-gB9418-13GA0JhJq2u4QzQjOtOJQ/s320/IMAG0001+%25289%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Need to find the exact spot for maximum impact</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitWAjKidyV1pr-6hfiOcB7XT9iDp4WA3vKBNrtzQz1URYJg88GqNBb5Vp3s_J1Ow4Aaf0CabK4Xpa2fpdn-ioQR_RXUwxxZRM-piTbK0TdDQHobCE4_WBL2amMll5A2GqNkjHeOR43kyo/s1600/IMAG0001+%252810%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitWAjKidyV1pr-6hfiOcB7XT9iDp4WA3vKBNrtzQz1URYJg88GqNBb5Vp3s_J1Ow4Aaf0CabK4Xpa2fpdn-ioQR_RXUwxxZRM-piTbK0TdDQHobCE4_WBL2amMll5A2GqNkjHeOR43kyo/s320/IMAG0001+%252810%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Got it. Exactly on a line between kitchen door and compost bin, hur hur</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I know of several places where badgers run, and the next step (after satisfying the fox curiosity) will be to put the camera deep in the woods for a few nights and see what transpires.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15743685798068014455noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099099432720184584.post-73060363764626590722013-10-28T08:52:00.001+00:002013-10-28T08:52:39.643+00:00The 'Storm' that wasn'tHere's a thought.<br />
<br />
There were dire predictions over the past few days of a Great Storm coming to the South of the UK, a great storm to rival the humdinger we had in 1987. Ground already soaked, trees still almost in full leaf, therefore massive flooding and trees torn up and flung about like matchsticks. Or something. Over the days, the predictions of the route the low would take started with Pembrokeshire and Cornwall taking the brunt of the storm when it made landfall, but the predicted route was later thought to be a little further South. Nevertheless, winds of 95 mph were predicted, damage to trees and property, flooding and mayhem.<br />
<br />
I'm not one to over-react to scare stories, having over my life found most of them to be unfounded. But yesterday I got the bikes under cover, the garden furniture in the shed, the bins indoors and everything moveable lashed down. The forecasts were serious enough to overcome my basic laziness and Pollyanna optimism.<br />
<br />
There was some rain in the night, and it was a bit windy. I haven't read around the news sites yet, and I imagine some places had it much worse, but for Pembrokeshire it was all a bit of a let-down.<br />
<br />
This isn't a Daily Mail-type "why can't these fools get it right?" rant. I accept that most people act in good faith and sometimes people get it wrong. I don't blame Michael Fish for the hurricane, and I don't blame the surgeon who missed seeing my Father's cancer at a stage where it might have been treatable. I don't blame the forecasters who predicted murder and mayhem for my neck of the woods last night, either. They simply got it wrong. I kept an eye on things with the BBC weather service, the Met Office and a couple of weather apps on the phone, plus a Facebook feed from someone called Winter Weather 2013-14, and they all told the same story. As the people concerned are experienced meteorologists, and the computers are presumable the best you can buy, this leads me to believe that the models are faulty - or at least much less accurate than the meteorologists think they are.<br />
<br />
And that's the point. I'm told on Sunday afternoon that it's Armageddon by Sunday night, and it isn't. How can I believe that these same people and models can predict what the weather is going to be like in 2050?<br />
<br />
(And yes, I am not an infant and I know that weather is not the same as climate. But weather is how climate manifests itself in the same way that woodland manifests itself in individual trees. If you are predicting climate, you are also predicting the specific weather conditions associated with that climate.)Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15743685798068014455noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099099432720184584.post-64882395682894604442013-10-27T16:39:00.002+00:002013-10-27T16:39:37.170+00:00The Beast That Will Not DieI'm sitting here, chuckling in disbelief.<br />
<br />
I was working last night (remember, when most people got an extra hour in bed, night workers got an extra hour on their shift, chiz) and got a few hours' sleep this morning. This afternoon, I had promised Anna that I would get everything outside the house tidied away in preparation for the coming storm. I got the wooden garden furniture in the shed, lashed down various bins, tables and barbecues, and performed the 3D jigsaw of getting both 'proper' bikes into the garage. It was a very tight fit, and I had to tunnel out, but they are in there.<br />
<br />
Which left the old XT. To remind anyone who is remotely interested, I got a newer version in January and took the XT off the road with the vague intention of restoring it, or perhaps rebuilding it as a 'special' after a thorough overhaul. January was the last time it went on the road. It was wrapped in a waterproof cover and left. Around April time, I took the covers off to check it was OK and tried to fire it up. It started first time. Back went the covers, after I had patted it and made soothing noises. Anna is a bit pertickuler about important lifestyle artefacts (she refers to them as 'junk'), so the XT went under a waterproof cover and was hidden behind the shed. Before I did this, I drained out as much fuel as I could and then ran the engine until it died. The idea is to leave the carbs empty of fuel so that it doesn't evaporate and clog everything up with varnish.<br />
<br />
As the bike is parked under some trees, I went to move it to a safer place for tonight. The waterproof cover had ripped to shreds, although the bike underneath looked fine. Just for a laugh, I thought I would try to start it. I knew there was no fuel in there, and I was pretty certain that after six months of inactivity (and almost a year without any significant charging) the battery would be dead as a dead thing. It was new when I bought the bike in 2008,and 3-5 years is considered to be a reasonable life expectancy. With regular use.<br />
<br />
Ignition on, fuel on, try to start it. The starter churned away but nothing happened. Then I remembered I had drained the fuel, so I switched it to reserve in the hope that a few drops might have been retained in the bottom of the tank.<br />
<br />
Rur-rur-rur ... doff doff doff doff ...<br />
<br />
I laughed out loud. I rode it round the garden and twice round the house. Everything worked perfectly.<br />
<br />
I have put it somewhere safe, away from falling branches. It's no longer insured, and any serious damage would realistically make it not worth repairing. It has convinced me (I was wavering, I admit) that it deserves some lurve, when I get the time and funds.<br />
<br />
It reminds me of that marvellous Top Gear stunt with the Toyota Hilux. The bike seems to be indestructable.<br />
<br />
Happy days.<br />
<br />
Good luck if you are in the path of this nasty weather. My advice: go to bed with a pint of Scotch and pull the covers over your head.Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15743685798068014455noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099099432720184584.post-68074512265096633872013-10-22T21:53:00.001+01:002013-10-22T21:53:48.068+01:00Here we are again, happy as can be ...I haven't posted anything here since May, almost exactly five months ago. As with all relationships, the longer you leave it, the harder it is to get in touch again, and I was on the verge of writing a single, elegaic post and closing for good. I can see three reasons for my lack of output, one technical, one organisational, and one psychological.<br />
<br />
Firstly, I bought myself an iPad. Anna and I had been talking on and off about getting one for a while, and one day we just slapped ourselves in the face, stopped pretending we were rational adults with a active sense of deferred gratification, and went to Curry's, where two iPad 3 devices were duly purchased. Now I am far from being an Apple fanboi, but for a limited set of functions, the iPad is a brilliant bit of kit. Youtube, reading mail and forums, playing simple games, basic websurfing - all very quick and convenient. Stuff that needs a proper keyboard, image handling, cut and paste, maybe not so good. Blogging really needs the functionality of a 'proper' computer, but when the proper computer is in another draughty room, away from the hearth and the kitchen, it's easy to stick with the simple stuff.<br />
<br />
Secondly, I used to get a lot of blogging done during the quiet periods during my night shifts. Earlier this year we underwent a massive organisational change, mainly the removal of an entire layer of the department, and I found myself no longer managing a team from the warmth of the office (and enough quiet time to get <i>quite a lot done</i>, as it were) but out on patrol or doing security-type things. I have no problem with this, as I rather enjoy the work and being outdoors, but it does mean that computer time in an office without someone looking over my shoulder all the time is virtually nil.<br />
<br />
Psychologically, I think that blogger's ennui has caught up with me too. While Labour were in power, every read of the daily papers supplied enough rage material for a couple of good posts. In common with most people I speak to, or read on the web, I have been massively disappointed in Cameron and his chums. But the old anger isn't there; it's been replaced by a shrug and a massive yawn.<br />
<br />
So things tailed off a bit. But the other day I got a shock. My reading list hasn't changed much, and I still check in daily with my favourites. And there I was reading Julia's <a href="http://thylacosmilus.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/chalk-another-one-up-for-darwin.html">offering</a> one day last week and what should I see but a link to mine.<i> </i>I haven't checked my blog stats for a while, and I had rather assumed that interest would have withered somewhat, so I was surprised and gratified that someone had actually remembered this small and inconsequential blog. I think that was the kick I needed. Thank you, Julia.<br />
<br />
All's well here, in fact remarkably so. Anna's health is still poor, but seems to be improving slowly. Rescue Cat continues to be both needy and passive-aggressive at the same time. There have been some big changes in the bike fleet, some news on tyre choices for the Mundaneo (winter tyres are the way to go, apparently), and there's still plenty to get enraged about. And I have purchased a trail camera - of which more later. Thanks to everyone who wrote to ask if I were still alive, and offer condolences, whisky or links to amusing websites. I am flattered that anyone remembered, and I can assure you that I am in reasonable health and still gainfully employed.<br />
<br />
Posting will resume forthwith.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, here's a Nice picture to keep you going. Snarf.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtiVj_EHgpbgTAzKQoWlU7hrVMAlBMB7N1OOEuMr8RuHDbRXvj2O2YsMYUaCCLDnAULzUBIsQVu6T_I083gT1sijEZp7sUPKPUZ25x_E_m2mTVVbbVlVW3EQNjPbXP07_5MtQ8avyv3Ts/s1600/nice-beach_1909152b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtiVj_EHgpbgTAzKQoWlU7hrVMAlBMB7N1OOEuMr8RuHDbRXvj2O2YsMYUaCCLDnAULzUBIsQVu6T_I083gT1sijEZp7sUPKPUZ25x_E_m2mTVVbbVlVW3EQNjPbXP07_5MtQ8avyv3Ts/s400/nice-beach_1909152b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15743685798068014455noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099099432720184584.post-88778646583743538102013-05-25T20:36:00.000+01:002013-05-25T20:36:24.777+01:00PrioritiesAn off-duty soldier is hacked to death in a London street. In a sign of the urgency of the police response, the forces of law and order have been quick to <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-22664835">spring into action</a>:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
A number of people have been charged after allegedly offensive comments were made on social media websites.</blockquote>
Now, I have been following the reactions on Facebook, and some of them have not made pleasant reading. In fact some of them have made me despair of the low standard of logic and reason of my fellow countrymen. Some have been spiteful, nasty, ignorant, violent and - of course - utterly counterproductive.<br />
<br />
But it will not have escaped anybody's attention that in the aftermath of what must be one of the most horrific murders any of us have heard of, it is the people making the 'incorrect' response who are the first to be punished.<br />
<br />
Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15743685798068014455noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099099432720184584.post-15265465893786039232013-04-22T10:38:00.000+01:002013-04-22T10:38:39.192+01:00Thundersprint 2013I spent the weekend at the <a href="http://www.thundersprint.com/">Thundersprint</a> bike festival, and I am still here to tell the tale. Just. No accidents, just close to hypothermia by the time I got home.<br />
<br />
The ride up to Anglesey along the We(s)t coast and through Snowdonia was brilliant. Bright sunshine, dry roads and, if not actually <i>warm</i>, then not bone-chillingly cold. I checked out the location of the Travelodge I was staying in, and then did a slow ride through Bangor (checking out scenes from my University days, and shocked to see the Students' Union building had been demolished) and across the Menai Bridge* onto Anglesey. I took the coastal route and got to the <a href="http://www.angleseycircuit.com/">racetrack</a> at 2 pm, the scheduled time for meeting <a href="http://nikoscosmos.blogspot.co.uk/">Nikos</a>. This fine gentleman has been to many of the previous Thundersprints when they were held in Northwich, and in fact it was he who suggested that I might find it interesting.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfxTvEbVVCgnpiVevvU0io732r2kkmp8ByBfM99UGdeSmnSPpAieqE5z2vsf5lDk-EcMTuHU2r0CkWu3t2Or0XL8CQYHL3kytbqJEQ-Ti7TJsSdD-PSR54kbhzZa4aoHIhyphenhyphen86YuI_upMs/s1600/thundersprint+2013+017+websize.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfxTvEbVVCgnpiVevvU0io732r2kkmp8ByBfM99UGdeSmnSPpAieqE5z2vsf5lDk-EcMTuHU2r0CkWu3t2Or0XL8CQYHL3kytbqJEQ-Ti7TJsSdD-PSR54kbhzZa4aoHIhyphenhyphen86YuI_upMs/s320/thundersprint+2013+017+websize.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All this man's fault</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I had no idea where to go, and ended up in the camping area next to a burger van, as you do. I kicked my heels for half an hour (and had a burger, obviously) and then sent him a text message. Of course, he had arrived at the ordained time and gone straight into the business of scrutineering and form-filling. After a brief and ill-tempered mix-up at the gate to the paddock (apparently I had not received the required pass in the mail, and could not proceed without it, but I couldn't get to Race Control to get one as I didn't have a pass to get in) I negotiated the admin on foot and brought the bike in to be scrutineered. It passed, and I got a sticker which will remain on the little fly-screen for a long time, I imagine.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheLWIEK5TcLV1LjCzdLEmWhh6TEtqdY2TfVhytzXEugYtxer5ehxo6hDWn9Aqjg2XDlezku1ooBovJp8JLehxAU3vGoTZ3DtQRlnTsJxodvoXHXgu_084Kl3JFwqv9o3ZO8pPJ23qXo10/s1600/thundersprint+2013+018+websize.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheLWIEK5TcLV1LjCzdLEmWhh6TEtqdY2TfVhytzXEugYtxer5ehxo6hDWn9Aqjg2XDlezku1ooBovJp8JLehxAU3vGoTZ3DtQRlnTsJxodvoXHXgu_084Kl3JFwqv9o3ZO8pPJ23qXo10/s320/thundersprint+2013+018+websize.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Race plate overkill - most had an A4 sheet in a polypocket, I had an aluminium confection made out of part of an old Land Rover side-panel</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The event had been running from the Friday afternoon, and there were hundreds of caravans, campervans and tents, but the paddock area was creepily quiet. Traders were doing very slow business, and it was a bit like a ghost town. We mooched around for a bit, had a coffee, checked the weather forecast for Sunday (not good), had another coffee, and then went back to the mainland for a meal.<br />
<br />
Sunday dawned fair but the sky threatened rain. We packed up and made it to the circuit by 8.00 am, and things seemed a little more lively. We parked the bikes up and attended the riders' briefing, and then watched the practice sessions. And it started to rain. And rain. Bloody hell, it rained. I was wearing full waterproofs, and ended up walking round with my helmet on to keep my head dry, envying (for the first time ever) the guys in one-piece PVC suits - <i>nul points</i> for style, but a gold medal for comfort. By 11.00 am, my suit was soaked through, and my feet were standing in pools of water. Yes, that is a 'waterproof' suit and 'waterproof' boots, which work well in everyday use, but seemed not to cope with an Anglesey downpour.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwcl4seaGYi7x0ErqiZtd0SJ3OfF8cOTSW8oFnLk1mWb01pRSOznnsAQRHbe8Ao7y2CsNF5NXHYmP33Scp6vHF4QIBWpRUCOCW7cJ7jEIp2x9TKhwK9WjPNNxO0ShmPk5Oj0gLnLyUahA/s1600/thundersprint+2013+023+websize.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwcl4seaGYi7x0ErqiZtd0SJ3OfF8cOTSW8oFnLk1mWb01pRSOznnsAQRHbe8Ao7y2CsNF5NXHYmP33Scp6vHF4QIBWpRUCOCW7cJ7jEIp2x9TKhwK9WjPNNxO0ShmPk5Oj0gLnLyUahA/s320/thundersprint+2013+023+websize.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lining up for practice, umbrellas optional</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Watching the practice sessions was fun, although no-one was pushing very hard in the conditions. Bikes ranged from early Nortons and Velocettes to 60s Tritons, 80s slab-side GSXRs and modern kit like Hayabusas and Speed Triples. One guy was doing very well on a Harley Sportster, which sounded awesome. The rain kept speeds modest, but the soundtrack was seductive.<br />
<br />
For the Cavalcade (which Nick and I were riding in), we were promised a gentle ride round three laps of the 'International GP' circuit, i.e. all of it, following a pace car and limited to 30-40 mph. Given the sodden track, I was more than happy with that. We set out following several cars - an orange Lamborghini, a Lotus Esprit, and ... a Bond. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjrNNPRziWp-mw9lL7PJovIR89WOL6q-trwrk-SWJvN03Say3zIbGWePElayQ4hNgWbTe_YdQfP240Q6Bn9uAdjyg-vJ6C7HXvRewg7uxz_hOtUBtjDROBERp1v2AHlVxlys6kgveFs-8/s1600/thundersprint+2013+027+websize.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjrNNPRziWp-mw9lL7PJovIR89WOL6q-trwrk-SWJvN03Say3zIbGWePElayQ4hNgWbTe_YdQfP240Q6Bn9uAdjyg-vJ6C7HXvRewg7uxz_hOtUBtjDROBERp1v2AHlVxlys6kgveFs-8/s320/thundersprint+2013+027+websize.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We have been expecting you, Mr Bond ...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We had spotted this vehicle in the paddock, a Bond Minicar of 1964 vintage (boasting a 250 cc engine! and four seats!! and 55 mph!!!) and had a gentle nostalgic chuckle, not realising that this was part of the let's-not-have-anyone-killing-themselves strategy. The cunning trick was that nothing could overtake the pace cars, and the Bond was putting out so much blue smoke that no-one could see to overtake anyway. I think the biggest number I saw on the speedo was 38. I'm pretty sure we only got two laps, but it was good fun anyway - my first taste of riding on a proper track, and something to tick off the lifetime list. I could be persuaded to do this again.<br />
<br />
We spent a bit of time afterwards looking round the trade and club displays in the paddock. I snapped a lot of interesting bikes (well, interesting to me, anyway), but I thought I would share just two: a BSA B31 from the 1940s, a 350 cc rigid-framed classic I yearn to own, with no idea why -<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF6m6_EDuwMu3-gmnwZkXrkY2ZE4Zp0LUYFmYWRrvdRAdWntWvJFOUWnbv5QPLOX5Bw0IfxYNTKIAlm-CST1AkOVw79Fb6y2xY7UyegvYGxC3N8adQloAVVciR56Uj5Ma2K2Qc0Q1nngE/s1600/thundersprint+2013+029+websize.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF6m6_EDuwMu3-gmnwZkXrkY2ZE4Zp0LUYFmYWRrvdRAdWntWvJFOUWnbv5QPLOX5Bw0IfxYNTKIAlm-CST1AkOVw79Fb6y2xY7UyegvYGxC3N8adQloAVVciR56Uj5Ma2K2Qc0Q1nngE/s320/thundersprint+2013+029+websize.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
and a remarkable Honda VFR750 converted to diesel power (why would anyone do that, except for the <a href="https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/George_Mallory">George Mallory</a> reason?) -<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEFFjHw4sGiacUNPiUeXa-0TeL_mpSieZFUrE_XYqa0PPWGz_CmDUNWBuMFFSJXH7dYtnJ-zxLwglGw7GEOD8jomJ1tWR3lgN5yJ4e-JFta5tRe0kbIcP23rb9WENyp3UdLfl9ZRMGbE8/s1600/thundersprint+2013+035+websize.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEFFjHw4sGiacUNPiUeXa-0TeL_mpSieZFUrE_XYqa0PPWGz_CmDUNWBuMFFSJXH7dYtnJ-zxLwglGw7GEOD8jomJ1tWR3lgN5yJ4e-JFta5tRe0kbIcP23rb9WENyp3UdLfl9ZRMGbE8/s320/thundersprint+2013+035+websize.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Note the elegant frame fabrication</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Note rain blurring the lens - it really was throwing it down by this time.<br />
<br />
We pushed out bikes out of the paddock and returned to the Little Chef on the A55 for a regroup, hot drink and a farewell. I managed to get my visor dry (rain on the inside isn't wipeable) but a quick recce in the Gents revealed that I was wet down to my underpants and socks, which didn't bode well for a 170-mile ride home. But the scenery made it worth it.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3qs5SQkbVkxiZ8SxUC4x9Jr6VTtqLRD4ftW0j7dbs8TWzadiO2dOleeYIHylbw4IEDcu92806hw2m7bG5TqlweWXUe-m64VB369TUzLOHY14LSeLnVK_l7AdVUgazSZ0xDVRbQrYdElA/s1600/thundersprint+2013+042+websize.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3qs5SQkbVkxiZ8SxUC4x9Jr6VTtqLRD4ftW0j7dbs8TWzadiO2dOleeYIHylbw4IEDcu92806hw2m7bG5TqlweWXUe-m64VB369TUzLOHY14LSeLnVK_l7AdVUgazSZ0xDVRbQrYdElA/s320/thundersprint+2013+042+websize.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eastern end of Llanberis Pass - road tracks up the hillside and vanishes</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqT03FR-VJx3V_K47P88K0oHivV55LhNShEPXhd51g9jyEt7QS-O-YLIfH2MVajgZiU9ornXPL0Vj6PEm9wb4ekbJob9JOi2_4av4Z8GQGT3nhKpkECP_nsE_4W5qvoSpbMfEg0GqC8BE/s1600/thundersprint+2013+043+websize.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqT03FR-VJx3V_K47P88K0oHivV55LhNShEPXhd51g9jyEt7QS-O-YLIfH2MVajgZiU9ornXPL0Vj6PEm9wb4ekbJob9JOi2_4av4Z8GQGT3nhKpkECP_nsE_4W5qvoSpbMfEg0GqC8BE/s320/thundersprint+2013+043+websize.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pen-y-Gwryd Hotel, planning and training base for the 1953 Everest expedition **</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihb9HQZ3v2wTDUmJEoaLcEbTDKC-U3wVPjP11gOg5fDrBxJrC3xbtKxIJCd5H5hInQHMBsXXdrAx-B8_owJgFYN9XQ6_m-KfAZiHtS4unxehtrbWrF6n2TrT9yCxtLR5rgI9-NwtKgyqU/s1600/thundersprint+2013+047+websize.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihb9HQZ3v2wTDUmJEoaLcEbTDKC-U3wVPjP11gOg5fDrBxJrC3xbtKxIJCd5H5hInQHMBsXXdrAx-B8_owJgFYN9XQ6_m-KfAZiHtS4unxehtrbWrF6n2TrT9yCxtLR5rgI9-NwtKgyqU/s320/thundersprint+2013+047+websize.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Random goat crossed the road in front of me. Big lad, he was</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVZACGMjcLIhvgKwxDNIf7LzVrADwpMVf_FOFiXN5Yog586Y8RYsRKnSnFdB9etcfINlAxPiUoRH-_gtieCxbqQ6r-sXoiNon6po-U1aXUbDhUQHtlxSV6FfrsC5vOIhGVTRliIyFIY7M/s1600/thundersprint+2013+050+websize.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVZACGMjcLIhvgKwxDNIf7LzVrADwpMVf_FOFiXN5Yog586Y8RYsRKnSnFdB9etcfINlAxPiUoRH-_gtieCxbqQ6r-sXoiNon6po-U1aXUbDhUQHtlxSV6FfrsC5vOIhGVTRliIyFIY7M/s320/thundersprint+2013+050+websize.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Llyn Gwynant looking moody</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Eventually, the rain eased and bike and rider were happy.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl8n1qWWmbd_49WgL1sgeexbRNk6Q3hIL13Lq9oybF0QZJlxl5CP9uCzrJYZdSxg1DQZsNTgfNxyuuoz2sgYHWTFSnfh_tNqTT8yoGbT_Havvge9ASrsfGniY0851l_kxV0wrorCPPFsM/s1600/thundersprint+2013+061+websize.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl8n1qWWmbd_49WgL1sgeexbRNk6Q3hIL13Lq9oybF0QZJlxl5CP9uCzrJYZdSxg1DQZsNTgfNxyuuoz2sgYHWTFSnfh_tNqTT8yoGbT_Havvge9ASrsfGniY0851l_kxV0wrorCPPFsM/s320/thundersprint+2013+061+websize.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">XTR in its natural habitat - B road and great scenery</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT8mLRo54tJBZGWpI3ahzrKf6YUqVqupyQIrL-jsd-hnUmZawx07Y1q1iNPa7PqYU8OtNNljQ9VNvaMLAAxE4ZRAgPuKeSjm2f0pqx6miTxnhYEFtbDZYCk2PCnKKWj9nFvEdxEzk8skE/s1600/thundersprint+2013+064+websize.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT8mLRo54tJBZGWpI3ahzrKf6YUqVqupyQIrL-jsd-hnUmZawx07Y1q1iNPa7PqYU8OtNNljQ9VNvaMLAAxE4ZRAgPuKeSjm2f0pqx6miTxnhYEFtbDZYCk2PCnKKWj9nFvEdxEzk8skE/s320/thundersprint+2013+064+websize.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love this place</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
By the time I got home, the wind had dried my outer layer off, but my inner layers were still wretchedly wet and I was cold to the bone. I was in bed by 10.<br />
<br />
In all, a very enjoyable weekend, with good company and some great miles travelled. The XTR wasn't problem-free, with a slight issue with stalling in traffic. I think I may have caused this by some ill-considered adjustments a few days ago, but I reversed them before I set off home and had no problems thereafter. On the journey up to Anglesey, the bike managed 74 mpg, which pleased my inner Scrooge. First long trip, all good.<br />
<br />
Finally, a slow-synchro shot of the XTR in the Travelodge car park - mainly because I just discovered this setting on the camera and was having a play. I like it.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBOQk-EI9V8rCb3mRgtfwHt0vF1_CtONcZMck52R2saAGZAFhMrtZXCoWf5QmCuu84ybwZpyRS3aaGfhUVwm8N2JfQKQmVVQJzzjNujz7dub4S2sb7J5Ku8wBur_2JdxU_8qbrlVxSsAg/s1600/thundersprint+2013+007+websize.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBOQk-EI9V8rCb3mRgtfwHt0vF1_CtONcZMck52R2saAGZAFhMrtZXCoWf5QmCuu84ybwZpyRS3aaGfhUVwm8N2JfQKQmVVQJzzjNujz7dub4S2sb7J5Ku8wBur_2JdxU_8qbrlVxSsAg/s320/thundersprint+2013+007+websize.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">* Factoid: One of my very few claims to fame is that I once exceeded the speed limit on a UK road by a factor of five. The Menai Bridge used to have a speed limit of 15 mph, because of its narrow lanes and stone pillars. One day I got a good run-up off the mainland-side roundabout and gunned the old Jawa for all kit was worth across the bridge, and then piled the brakes on hard for the roundabout at the other end. I briefly saw 75 mph on the clock. The limit is now 30, which halves my achievement and makes it even harder to convince random strangers that I am totally bad-ass. Thanks, Gwynedd County Council.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">** The mountain where George Mallory perished in 1924, long before anyon</span><span style="font-size: x-small;">e thought of putting a diesel in a VFR750. Only connect.</span>Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15743685798068014455noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099099432720184584.post-85771340013341366602013-04-20T06:55:00.001+01:002013-04-20T07:30:14.300+01:00Pam Ayres needn't worryCourtesy of <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-22228151">Boston Police Department</a>:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
CAPTURED!!!</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The hunt is over<br />The search is done<br />The terror is over<br />And justice has won. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Suspect in custody.
</blockquote>
<br />
Good to see that even Boston's finest have poetry in their souls.Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15743685798068014455noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099099432720184584.post-54832916610190414402013-04-20T06:36:00.001+01:002013-04-20T06:36:48.510+01:00PlaytimeIn about an hour I am setting off to go to the <a href="http://www.thundersprint.com/">Thundersprint</a>, described by the Telegraph as "Brilliant bike gathering and sprint meeting" and by the organisers as "Europe's biggest and best motorcycling festival". It's held this year at the Anglesey Race Circuit, and entry includes three laps of the course. It's strictly non-competitive, of course, but I do get a race number and as I have never ridden on a race track before it should be quite a laugh. Hard to think of a less appropriate bike for a race meeting than the XTR (perhaps a full-dress GoldWing) but we'll give it a go.<br />
<br />
It's looking like a good day for a ride, with a clear sky and light winds. Tomorrow for the return leg is promised to be wet and cold, so I will be dressing for the worst, not the best. I'm looking forward to meeting <a href="http://nikoscosmos.blogspot.co.uk/">Nikos</a> and perhaps some other like-minded folk up there, and pics and a report will surely follow in due course.<br />
<br />
Now, where's that First Aid kit ...Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15743685798068014455noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099099432720184584.post-17914261483197875602013-04-19T03:30:00.000+01:002013-04-19T03:30:01.143+01:00InhabitantsImagine, if you will, an animal like a polar bear. Now reduce it to a height of three or four feet, and colour its pelt a dirty shade of pinky-beige. And let it move silently about the landscape at dusk or after dark, sometimes upright and sometimes on all fours, visible from a great distance in the monochrome moonlight of the infrared, pale against the pale fields, dark against the woods.<br />
<br />
They tend to move slowly and travel alone, occupying the spaces outside our fences and settlements, and if you go abroad at night, one may creep up on you from behind. They are not necessarily harmful, but they certainly make you feel nervous, and <i>stories have been told ... </i> Present or not (and they may be, or may not; you won't know until it is too late), they make you look over your shoulder constantly, and quicken your pace until you find safe haven behind a wooden door or within a sturdy garden gate.<br />
<br />
These creatures have populated my dreams tonight. It's not the first time, although it might of course be part of the dream - that I have had the dream before. Who knows?Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15743685798068014455noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099099432720184584.post-44752080627430912013-03-11T18:01:00.001+00:002013-03-11T18:03:48.184+00:00Every man has his PryceSo Huhne and Pryce are both <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21737627">going to prison</a>. I'm pleased.<br />
<br />
For the avoidance of any doubt, this is not because he liked to drive fast. In the grand scheme of things, speeding is not such a big deal for me. I've done it, you've done it, and unless we have been very unlucky no-one has been harmed as a result. But perverting the course of justice is a very big deal. It strikes at the very heart of a democracy, and it deserves exemplary punishment. If Huhne had taken his fine and points, he would have lost his licence, which would have been inconvenient. I doubt if anyone would have decided not to vote for him as a consequence, which it would seem was his big fear. If anything, we might have felt more kindly-disposed towards him. One of us, and all that.<br />
<br />
But he couldn't take the idea that he might be punished like the rest of us. He reckoned he was too important than that. And now he is going to prison. Good. As Richard Nixon could have told him, it is <i>never</i> the original offence that does for you; it is <i>always</i> the cover-up.<br />
<br />
Learn the lesson, politicians and celebrities: take your medicine and move on. The rest of us don't really care, unless you suddenly start to behave like the rules don't apply to you. Then we think you're a prick, and will rub our hands with glee as we watch you slide.<br />
<br />
So Huhne is a politician and a liar - but I repeat myself. Nothing new there. It's Pryce who has come out of this the worst. Perfectly happy to go along with the scheme (marital coercion, my arse) until he leaves her and she wants revenge. The contents of the revealed emails couldn't be clearer. And I reckon that Isabel Oakshott has a few questions to answer, too. She virtually talked Pryce into it, almost an <i>agent provocateur</i>. Another lesson for the pols and celebs - never trust a journalist. It's the story they want, not justice. (I enjoy reading <a href="http://www.fleetstreetfox.com/">Fleet Street Fox</a>, who makes a good case for her profession, but reality tells me that she is in a minority.)<br />
<br />
A plague on the lot of them.Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15743685798068014455noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099099432720184584.post-87817269112738420452013-03-11T06:00:00.000+00:002013-03-11T06:00:11.421+00:00Free Gift for Smokers<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiJv1zfcMOK5Uw6r6viRspzTSW3z-bvlUh6aqFbffyCpHx_Ss-9jUNBH-e5bw1JP9eRglYTHBwRYeUR2NI41SrtiH_nzq8xBCQY3ZD-HJJTKWOVmAWAgnzdVQvPbetjLnXsFNZ9srFw-0/s1600/gold+block.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiJv1zfcMOK5Uw6r6viRspzTSW3z-bvlUh6aqFbffyCpHx_Ss-9jUNBH-e5bw1JP9eRglYTHBwRYeUR2NI41SrtiH_nzq8xBCQY3ZD-HJJTKWOVmAWAgnzdVQvPbetjLnXsFNZ9srFw-0/s1600/gold+block.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Library picture, obviously</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Ha, that got your attention!</div>
<br />
I was clearing out a cupboard last week, and I came across a relic of my pipe-smoking days. It's a reasonable quantity of tobacco - Gold Block, The Aristocrat Of Pipe Tobaccos - five 50g pouches, total 250g, never opened, still in a sealed box. I must have bought it on the ferry one year and put it away for later, only for 'later' never to arrive.<br />
<br />
I was going to chuck it in the bin, but I hate throwing anything away that could be useful to someone, and then I thought of you guys.<br />
<br />
I have no idea how old it is (it is six years since I touched any kind of tobacco), but the box has never been opened, so the baccy is still sealed in its pristine little hermetic pouches. There isn't a 'best-by' date on it (was there ever such a thing?), but I don't recall tobacco going off in storage very much, not when it has no exposure to the atmosphere or daylight. But I don't know. Your risk. <a href="http://underdogsbiteupwards.wordpress.com/author/legiron/">Leg-Iron</a> could probably advise; he seems to be the go-to man on tobacciculture.<br />
<br />
Worth about £50 at current prices. And it may not even have the health warnings on it (the box doesn't), so it is officially harmless.<br />
<br />
Anyway, it's free to the first person to claim it - I will tell you how much the postage cost, and you can make an equivalent donation to the charity <a href="http://www.helpforheroes.org.uk/">Help For Heroes</a> or the <a href="http://www.rnli.org/">RNLI</a>. Fair?<br />
<br />
A week, and then it's in the bin.Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15743685798068014455noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099099432720184584.post-69916137429290592782013-03-11T03:00:00.000+00:002013-03-11T03:00:03.838+00:00U+03C9: Greek Small Letter Omega<span style="font-size: x-large;">ω</span><br />
<br />
OK, I give up on this one. Following recent heartache about a deluge of smelly spam to this blog, I recall that I have noticed one feature of a couple of the early spam posts: somewhere in the post, there would be a Greek omega character (ω) in place of a 'w' in one or more of the words. Once I had noticed it, I started to look for it, and pretty much every one had an omega somewhere in it.<br />
<br />
Now, I don't have enough brains to be able to rack them properly, but I did get out the magnifying glass and a pair of tweezers and fiddle with them a bit. And I can't for the life of me work out why this should be. Is it an attempt to create words that will be readable but unrecognised by spam filters? Or are all the spammers, English-illiterate though some of them are, all closet Greek scholars, channelling Thucidides?<br />
<br />
Anyone?Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15743685798068014455noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099099432720184584.post-68786841293482769252013-03-10T21:26:00.002+00:002013-03-10T21:29:18.790+00:00Eggs, Bacon, Sausage, Beans ...(Obligatory Monty Python reference.)<br />
<br />
The enabling of the Captcha word verification thing seems to have been 100% effective. In the last 48 hours I haven't had a single spam comment. On recent experience, I would have expected between 50 and 100 spam parcels to arrive in my inbox in that time, all to be read (quickly, but carefully, just in case there is a diamond among the turds) and deleted. It's not that the process took very long to accomplish, it's that I had to do it at all. And there was the additional disappointment of seeing eight new items in my email, looking forward to reading either an interesting comment or a kind email from a 'regular', and seeing a whole column of 'anonymous'. Perhaps it's a little vain or selfish, but I value comments and emails relating to the blog, and even after nearly three years blogging I still get a slight rush when someone bothers to put finger to keyboard in relation to something I have said.<br />
<br />
I'm going to give it a week or two and then disable the WV thing. I'm hoping that I will have fallen off someone's list of 'easy' blogs and perhaps some kind of normality will return. I'm just hoping the spammers don't read this paragraph.<br />
<br />
Regarding Captcha itself: yes, it is an abomination, but it works. The WV system needs to be difficult enough to delay and deter commercial commenters, whose whole effort must hinge upon banging off comments across the blogosphere by the thousand, and yet not be so irritating and/or impossible to deter someone writing a genuine comment. So far, I think Captcha have the balance wrong. If I have written a comment on someone's blog, I don't mind going through a mild set of hoops to 'prove I am human', but Captcha can be so impenetrable that it needs several attempts to get it right - and after this, sometimes the text of the comment has disappeared*. When this has happened, I have rarely got the energy to start all over again. I give up and have a cup of tea instead. I don't blame anyone who feels the same way. But I can't deny that it has put an effective barrier up against non-genuine commenters, and for that I am grateful.<br />
<br />
Please keep the comments coming, though. If the thought of going through Captcha appals you, pop your comment in an email (under Contact, top right) and I will publish it for you. That's far less work for me than ploughing through hundreds of turds each week. I appreciate each and every (genuine) comment.<br />
<br />
<i>* see comments to the<a href="http://goingfastgettingnowhere.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/sorry-about-this-but.html"> previous post</a> for a suggestion from Microdave on how to beat this if you are a FireFox user.</i>Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15743685798068014455noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099099432720184584.post-82666630549695241522013-03-10T10:56:00.001+00:002013-03-10T10:56:25.651+00:00Mothers' DayIf you have got a Mum, give her a hug and say thanks.<br />
<br />
One day, you'll wish you could and won't be able to.Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15743685798068014455noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099099432720184584.post-70799902136299447502013-03-09T22:13:00.001+00:002013-03-09T22:13:41.561+00:00As a Shakespeare fan, I can't help myself ...... whenever this programme comes on BBC Wales:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWhr_z8DUHFTpbHaBa774sDHVZsD6i_wOMVgQF13XZA5BJsydQR0W-v35IjgkLVxYfUosndL6tTgZuWEAwIYrCDVFGZswUN_NTw3sDXQpe41sWKxBNB_qzvpjpxOi5KO7Ic2DN8CM6B1c/s1600/scrum+v.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWhr_z8DUHFTpbHaBa774sDHVZsD6i_wOMVgQF13XZA5BJsydQR0W-v35IjgkLVxYfUosndL6tTgZuWEAwIYrCDVFGZswUN_NTw3sDXQpe41sWKxBNB_qzvpjpxOi5KO7Ic2DN8CM6B1c/s320/scrum+v.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
All I can see is "Scrum The Fifth".Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15743685798068014455noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099099432720184584.post-47445567347978213172013-03-08T22:56:00.000+00:002013-03-08T23:18:28.753+00:00Sorry about this, but ...... for a limited period, I am going to require verification for all comments. Yes, that means the dreaded Captcha.<br />
<br />
I have had a growing spam problem over the last few months. Some posts seem to have been attracting the spammers like flies to a corpse. I have had the Blogger dashboard set to pre-moderate posts older than 14 days, and most of spam comments have been on older posts, so I get notification of the comment and can delete it rather then publish. Kind of, I get to read all the crap so you don't have to. However, recently some sub-14-day posts have been attacked by the semi-literate moronati, and the comments have all made it to the front page. I've had to spend a bit of time tidying things up.<br />
<br />
This is not acceptable to me. I run this blog for my own pleasure, and I hope my readers get some kind of twisted amusement out of it too. I do not run it so that unknown wankers can use it to advertise payday loans, online casinos and diet pills. I have turned on comment moderation, but while this means that spam posts can be caught before they get published, I still get notification of them. Currently, I am reading and deleting probably 50 a day. I have to read each one, as I have a couple of valued commenters who only ever post as 'anonymous' for reasons best known to themselves, and I would hate to delete a valid and wanted response because I was too lazy to go through them individually.<br />
<br />
The only solution is to re-activate the horrible Captcha filter. It is an abomination, it's true, and I know that it will put people off commenting. It puts me off, so I can't assume my readers will feel any differently. But if I have Captcha in place for a week or two, perhaps the spammers will decide that I'm not worth bothering with. I didn't have a problem a few months ago, and perhaps the situation will revert to the <em>status quo ante</em>.<br />
<br />
Some of the blogs I read have a system where the first comment only is moderated, and after that you can comment all you like. I'm not sure if this is a WordPress feature or some other platform, but it seems like a good idea. I know that Blogger doesn't offer this, so if I can't resolve the situation otherwise I will have to consider moving the blog to another platform. This would be an enormous pain in the generative parts, but at the moment I am totally fed up with the spam situation, and I need to sort it out one way or the other.<br />
<br />
So, if you do decide to leave a comment, I'm afraid that you will have to get the magnifying glass out and complete the Captcha algorithm before you can do so. I am going to revert to moderating only older posts, so if you can stand to go through the Captcha hoops, your comment will appear immediately. And if your comment does reach the blog page, you will get double points for persistence, and my undying gratitude and respect.<br />
<br />
One tip: if you have written a longish comment, before you hit the button do a Ctrl+A, Ctrl+C to copy the comment to your clipboard. It has been known for comments to disappear after 2-3 attempts at Captcha, and it's possibly the most annoying thing that can happen to a thoughtful individual. It has happened to me many times, and most of the time I don't bother re-writing the comment. I just move on. That's not what I want for you guys. <br />
<br />
I'd be very happy to have your feedback on this, by the way. Email me at the usual address.<br />
<br />
Thank you for your patience.Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15743685798068014455noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099099432720184584.post-70404437000975238022013-02-17T23:30:00.001+00:002013-02-17T23:30:49.205+00:00A little game for you<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIEHgvj6QQiqqjuoeXLlVHdkAVhsNFL3xW5BqikALTUQ9wToqmdFOvcQcUEcvkfwSAutG4J1J38aJPVimm8cju6gtbqjn6KOyy9mWMwAAMhQmUdB73i36FAwFqz5VNe1hfRSRCsX5V_xQ/s1600/e+numbers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIEHgvj6QQiqqjuoeXLlVHdkAVhsNFL3xW5BqikALTUQ9wToqmdFOvcQcUEcvkfwSAutG4J1J38aJPVimm8cju6gtbqjn6KOyy9mWMwAAMhQmUdB73i36FAwFqz5VNe1hfRSRCsX5V_xQ/s320/e+numbers.jpg" uea="true" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Following on from the last post about food and its sources, I will let you into a little game I play when I am in the supermarket.<br />
<br />
There are three things which are routinely added to the food you eat, and which ought to be avoided where possible. These are artificial flavourings, artificial colourings, and preservatives. If a product is advertised as free from any of these, you can bet your life that <em>what is not being said</em> is the real story. You can translate the advertising or packaging as follows:<br />
<br />
NO ARTIFICIAL FLAVOURINGS!!!<br />
Full of artificial colourings and stuffed with preservatives.<br />
<br />
NO ARTIFICIAL COLOURINGS!!!<br />
Flavours from a chemistry lab, and it won't rot in a million years.<br />
<br />
NO PRESERVATIVES!!!<br />
But the colourings and flavour all begin with the letter E.<br />
<br />
I say this on the basis that the manufacturers know that artificial additives are unpopular, and therefore if they were able to claim (honestly) that the product was made without a certain type of additive, they would do so, and in capital letters and a snazzy font.<br />
<br />
Check the ingredients list on the side of the packet for the additives not mentioned in the headline. You will see I am right.<br />
<br />
<em>OK, confession: white (undyed) smoked haddock doesn't taste the same. Guilty on this one.</em>Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15743685798068014455noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099099432720184584.post-37599998069248298162013-02-17T23:13:00.000+00:002013-02-17T23:13:03.394+00:00Horse Sense<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqSmZjhtfKqzECLre-Rlo01nac7Qvyf5emhymVZl_CYhxSObJoCi72og_6DnbB4mrd3HaxkIg7Cf7P3HAXmrcU2f7B_mf7RgZp_QIhpMMFNvvJQHohNosMHgg8Q8L2G7M4nktePrJmYdY/s1600/mad+horse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqSmZjhtfKqzECLre-Rlo01nac7Qvyf5emhymVZl_CYhxSObJoCi72og_6DnbB4mrd3HaxkIg7Cf7P3HAXmrcU2f7B_mf7RgZp_QIhpMMFNvvJQHohNosMHgg8Q8L2G7M4nktePrJmYdY/s320/mad+horse.jpg" uea="true" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
There are a few things I would never countenance eating, which in other parts of the world are considered delicacies - dog, brains, eyeballs and blowfish come to mind - but horsemeat isn't one of them. I may well have eaten it (consciously, that is) when in France, although I can't remember doing so. But I have no moral or gustatory objection to it. Dobbin is a vegetarian, after all, and there can be no logical objection to turning him into a nutritious snack after his days are done, as long as you are happy to eat his sister the cow, and his rather dim cousin the sheep.<br />
<br />
That is not my problem with the 'horsemeat scandal', as the BBC keeps calling it. My problem is this:<br />
<br />
If you are selling something as beef, and you don't even know that it really is beef, what the hell else don't you know? Organic? No preservatives? Free-range? British made? All these things are taken on trust by the consumer, and if the food industry can get it so grossly wrong over the actual type of meat in a product, we can surely have no confidence in any of the other claims made about it.<br />
<br />
Anna and I made the decision many years ago to eat less, but to eat better quality. We don't always stick to it, but usually if we have meat it is from the local butcher. If you buy beef there, he can name the farm it came from, and it will be within a mile or two of home. There is a good feeling to this; not only are you supporting a decent local business and local farmers, but the quality of the meat is beyond reproach. And because of the personal contact with the butcher, the trust thing is still there. If he said the steak I bought was from the field to the left of the A40, third one along, and the cow was called Primrose, I would believe him.<br />
<br />
As a nation, we have got into the habit of shovelling anything into our mouths as long as it is cheap, and it's got to stop. Good food is never cheap, but it is always worth the price.Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15743685798068014455noreply@blogger.com3