June, 2008
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I feel the need, the need, for speed
Posted on June 28th, 2008 by ray.
Categories: General Blog.
Hah hah, I make no secret of my disdain to the application of speed cameras/traps in the UK, where the police will be hide away on deserted stretches of motorway rubbing their little hands in glee if they can catch someone doing 75 in a 70 zone rather than accident black spots, but every now and again I read something that makes me chuckle. This is one of them:
—–
“Two traffic patrol officers from North Berwick were involved in an incident whilst checking for speeding motorists on the A1 road last May. They were using a hand-held radar device to trap speeding motorists on the Edinburgh to London trunk road. One of the unnamed officers used the device to check the speed of an approaching vehicle, and was surprised to find that his target had registered a speed in excess of 300 miles per hour. The £8,000 radar then seized up and could not be reset by the bemused policemen.
The radar had in fact latched on to a NATO Tornado aircraft in the North Sea, which was taking part in a simulated low-flying exercise over the Borders and Southern Scotland.
Following a complaint by the Chief Constable of the Lothian & Borders Police force to the RAF liaison office, it was revealed that the officers had had a lucky escape. The tactical computer on board the aircraft not only detected and jammed the “hostile” radar equipment, but had automatically armed an air-to-ground missile ready to neutralise the perceived threat. Luckily the Dutch pilot was alerted to the missile status and was able to override the automatic protection system before the missile launched.
Lothian & Border Police Department have declined to comment, although it is understood that officers will be advised to point their radar guns inland in future.”
—–
La de da
Posted on June 28th, 2008 by ray.
Categories: General Blog.
I brought a few tickets for last night’s £46,000,000 Euro Millions Lottery. It turns out I won sweet fuck-all though. More annoyingly, there was one person who got all the numbers somewhere in the world. The bastard. I’m sure I would have spent all that money so much better than them, as my greed and lust for money has had so much more thought put into it. I bet it was won by some sad old twat who’ll be saying “I’ll not move house, it won’t change me. I’ll just leave it in my bank and die and it will all go to a dog’s home somewhere”
Ah well, at least not winning means my life expectancy is probably more than six months now, as I doubt I would last long otherwise.
Back to reality, the plan today is:
- Clean my bike at one of those jetwash thingies
- Put the tax disc on my bike
- Nip to the bank to chase up the welcome pack for my premier account (I want my black card!)
- Write to my uncle in Ireland to let him know when I’ll be there (he doesn’t have a ‘phone)
- Book car hire for Ireland
- Check with the repair company about our car they’re picking up on Monday (make sure they are coming to my work to sort it
Should keep me busy.
I always need to get out at some point soon (tonight would be good) as I’m feeling a bit stir-crazy and need to socialise somewhere other than the gym. Preferable somewhere that sells beer.
Any of you biatches up to anything?
Updates
Posted on June 26th, 2008 by ray.
Categories: General Blog.
I’ve knackered my neck from weight lifting today. Nothing major really, just a horrid muscle ache whenever I turn my head right, but reason enough to let it recover - so may give the gym a miss tomorrow if it’s still playing up which I think it will be.
Working Saturday and then Sunday it’s off to Notts to slap the Three store for my phone they will not/cannot repair and hopefully a spot of lunch while we’re in our fair city as well.
Life on Mars, y’all
Posted on June 20th, 2008 by ray.
Categories: General Blog.
I watched the pilot of the American version of Life on Mars last night.
I can understand in a way that they wanted to adapt it to an American audience, as naturally not many American’s are going to be familiar with modern day UK - yet alone seeing the 70’s UK, but evenso - it’s just so wrong 
You just cannot replace Philip Glenister with Colm Meaney (he played Mile O’Brian in Star Trek TNG and DS9 in case you don’t know the name) .
Added to which, the story and plot is the same - just Americanised, so you know what’s going to happen anyway in the first episode if you’ve seen the UK version - it’s just not as funny and well, a bit shit.
The sacred cow, Siberia, the place to be, the K the L the F…
Posted on June 19th, 2008 by ray.
Categories: General Blog.
I have the title for this post because that bloody Scooter song is playing every day I get to the gym. It irritates me, to the point where I might don the iPod again each morning - though I do natter to my playmates so it could be unsociable. Hmmm, Scooter or be an Emo?
I’ve done a few weeks now of non-stop intensive cardio so broke my routine this week to start including weights. I used the machines at first but it’s pretty apparent that it’s my upper body strength that needs allot of TLC, especially my ticeps and pecs. There’s just a big mismatch in how many weights I can lift using different groups and I need to balance that out. As such, I’ve moved onto the free weights so getting through allot of reps on these now.
Will give it a few weeks to see if there’s any noticlble improvement, though I suspect there will be as it’s more likly I’m just not using these muscles enough currently.
Money for nothin’ and your chicks for free
Posted on June 16th, 2008 by ray.
Categories: General Blog.
The bank had been bugging us for one of those “account reviews” for some time, and seeing the Long Eaton branch of Lloyds now opens on Saturdays, we went along. In all honesty I wish we had done this months ago, as it’s easy to forget that allot of the advisor’s at the banks really do know their jobs very well. I think I associate meetings with banks like parent’s evenings at school.
After the initial meeting, they had some good ideas so we came back the following Friday to go through everything with the mortgage advisor and other account manager. Four hours later, we pretty much got it sorted. The end result is we’re streamlined some loans, redone the mortgage, got rid of a horrible loan (we never knew how horrible until going through the figures more), upgraded to a Premium Account, cleared the credit card, redone all our mortgage protection and critical illness covers and a host of other things as well.
In my simple terms it means our money will be going further, we’ve freed up some funds, we’re not paying as much on purely interest, we don’t have cards and loans dotted around the UK but all managed with our bank and our credit rating will make creditors cream their pants.
The major bonus to all this of course is that in upgrading to a Premium account, we get black debit cards. Rawwwwk!!
Sky Broadband
Posted on June 12th, 2008 by ray.
Categories: General Blog.
Oh well, the deadline I gave Sky to respond to my complaint passed at midnight yesterday.
I had no letter sent to me, nor fax, nor email. Even though I specifically requested their response in writing I never even had a telephone call which I would have accepted if it was to just advise they were delayed in responding.
They now leave me with no other choice but to take legal action against them.
Some companies love doing things the hard way, don’t they?
Ruinart
Posted on June 11th, 2008 by ray.
Categories: General Blog.
I don’t know if this is “up anybody’s street”, but World Service Restaurant in Nottingham is holding a Ruinart Champagne Dinner on Thursday 19th June.
I would normally jump at this opportunity, but I can’t make it that night
Their email as follows:
—– snip —–
Ruinart is the oldest and most prestigious champagne house ever. We have arranged for Vivek Menon from Ruinart itself to come and talk about the Champagnes during the meal, which will complement each of the dishes we have devised.
Canapés
2 Glasses N.V. R de Ruinart, Brut, Reims
* * *
Appetiser
Essence of tomato & basil
* * *
Pan fried Halibut with Spinach and Steamed Clams,
Parsley Butter Sauce
1 Glass N.V. Ruinart, Blanc de Blancs, Reims
* * *
Slow Roasted Suckling Pig with Rosti Potato,
D’argen Prune, Vanilla Sauce
1 Glass 1996 Ruinart, Brut, Reims
* * *
English Strawberry Trifle
1 Glass N.V. Ruinart Rosé, Reims
* * *
Coffee and Bitter Sweet Chocolates
Bits and Bobs
Posted on June 11th, 2008 by ray.
Categories: General Blog.
I fall out of bed in the mornings and go straight to the gym, and get showered and shaved there after my workout before going to work. The trouble is I normally need a shower to wake myself up properly - so it’s now becoming routine to forget something each day while I’m still half asleep and there’s normally at least one case of having to go back into the house after I’ve locked up.
It doesn’t help when I have to carry with me:
My gym bag with my towels, toiletries and most of my work clothes to change into afterwards
My lunch (which I don’t trust putting in the gym bag from experience where the tupperwear leaked before)
My shirt for work on a coat-hanger (again, not in my gym bag as I don’t want it creased)
My laptop bag
Wallet, Phone, Car Stereo Face Plate (normally in the side pocket of my gym bag as I’ve run out of hands by this point)
Today I got to the gym and then remembered my fucking wallet was at home still, along with my gym card.. So off I drive back home, by which point there’s little point in going back to the gym before I’m due at work, so got showered and changed at home and then straight off to work. What a wasted morning.
Finally heard from the other party’s insurance yesterday regarding my car. All seemed fine and said I would get a call from their repair centre in Nottingham which I did later that afternoon. Apparently they can’t fit my car in until the last day of the month which is piss-poor. The car hire company also want a hefty deposit from me for the use of a loan car whilst mine is in for repair. This is all pretty shit considering I’m not the one at fault here. Going to have to call the third party’s insurance and explain that I’m not waiting until the end of the month, and whilst I will pay an excess on any hire car - I’m not forking our money even if it is just a deposit - it’s their customer who’s screwed up my car, so they should be giving me as little grief and inconvenience as possible.
On other notes, I’ve been catching up on films:
War - Enjoyed
Crow 3 - Utter Shite
Shrooms - Utter Shite
Golden Compass - Enjoyed
3000BC - OK, but not really going anywhere
Diary of the Dead - A bit crap really. Would probably have been worse but anything is good after seeing the Crow 3
Wild Hogs - Took it for what it was and really liked this
AVP2 - It was what I expected I suppose, so can’t grumble. Needed more predators though!
Blade Runner: Final Cut - Still an awesome film
Donnie Darko: Directors Cut: Only started watching this, not really in the mood for it yet
What else is happening? Well today I had a voicemail from Derbyshire Police, so instantly thought “shit, what have they found out?”. Besfore I set about wiping my hard drive, I remembered it was regarding an email I sent a while ago querying their motorcycle RTC and fatality statistics.
For anyone intrested, I’m starting a one-man crusade to get some proper representation as these statistics are being used to justify the extra police resource being targeted solely at bikers and is also pushing insurance premiums up all round. I’m sure everyone’s heard how X% of bikers are killed each year, despite bikes only making up Y% of the traffic on the roads, blah blah.
My quarrel is that “motorcycles” are used to describe all two-wheeled vehicles with engines, and there’s a helluva big difference between a fully licence rider on a fully faired bike wearing fully armoured leathers and boots and a teenage knobhead who’s only done a CBT ragging a scooter around built up areas wearing only a grade B helmet and a tracksuit and trainers (or a suit for all the office workers buying scooters). All I want is a breakdown between motorcycle and Scooters, as there is a big difference between the riding habits, riders and vehicles themselves, especially when the overwhelming majority of RTC’s are in built up areas often under 40mph which is pretty much the sole hunting ground for scooters (bikes are also on motorways, country lanes and other national speed limit areas).
When/If I get these figures, then I want to make it a bit more public, so writing to my MP and a few letters to local papers. Whilst this is to get some unjustified pressure of my back being a biker, it also might encourage the powers that be to address some of the problem areas as well and offer some more training past the basic CBT, especially as 125’s nowadays are considerably faster than they were 20 years ago.
Anyway, I’m waffling
Cars
Posted on June 9th, 2008 by ray.
Categories: General Blog.
About two weeks ago a woman reversed straight into the side of our Focus whist it was sat stationary at a junction. Her insurance paid out and we got it sorted in the end, but there was the hassle of having to deal with her insurance company who were buggering us about by not giving us updates for when we would get our car back, trying to fob of off with a crap courtesy car etc. Still, all over and done with.
And then on Saturday whilst I was working on my bike in our front yard, I hear lots of shouting and lound scraping and crunching noises. I look up and see a car driving along with it’s passenger door falling off into the road. They had driven out of the pub next door and for some reason unknown to me the passenger door was not shut and came open and wedged against one of the residents cars in the street, and subsequently got ripped off it’s hinges from where the car never stopped, trashing the wing of the resident’s car in the process.
And three guesses which resident’s car it was that they damaged…
Yep, it was our Fiesta. The replacement we got after we got rid of our old Holda Civic. Had it less than a week before someone crashes into it.
Got all their insurance details so here we go all over again.
I’m awaiting a call from the other driver’s insurance which I haven’t had yet, so will be casing this if I don’t hear by lunchtime.