h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

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'Evening Bx4

I'm busy too; so not much time to look at the MB. The visitors have gone; time will tell if more per diems will result. They seemed friendly though that's the trouble with these occasions. Smiles are worn as a disguise. The award wasn't from Clint it was named after him (with heavy irony) for dimbulb emancipation. I consider myself a dimbulb and don't want to be bullied into Clint's church (I bet they believe in 'if you aren't with us you're against us')

How come JamesStGeorge can cope when the BBC can't? I guess the cost is in moderation. For now I've decided to stick with h2g2 and don't have a future 'home' in mind. I've heard of all the TV programmes you've mentioned though I currently only stick with Doctor Who. I thought The West Wing had finished? I occasionally catch In Our Time and Start the Week. I had no idea there were so many MBs dedicated to Religion and The Archers. Perhaps the thinking is that people who like those subjects aren't going to be trouble so less moderation is required.

The mini tanks were for people to sit in and drive. I have to admit access to a car as a burner alternative. I still hope to try for a test run during the weekend though I certainly wasn't ready today. When I have time I'll investigate starting a separate democracy thread. The start of the Bank Holiday (I hope you enjoy it too) has been spent mucking about with various flavours of Linux. I've been frustrated by issues of ownership. I have taught myself to use the ed tool (an ancient line editor) which circumvents the security!

Enjoy the weekend. I guess Bx4 SO is back by now which will be good.

BSY

I've just posted some news on the referendum debate here.... in case you wanted some 'light reading' The war continues - we are not defeated!!! http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/mbtoday/F5963509?thread=5163456&skip=1460&show=20#p63895642

SO: Sadly not: Return delayed till to-morrow. All that rushing about doing stuff

The guests: hope it pans out.

dimbulbs: Always and forever! No to the Enbrightenment!

car/burner: Are you a secret 4-wheeler? Hope the back is sufficiently good for a burner run. We are hoping to trial DB at weekend -weather dependent.

athwartships: Worked it out not looked up. Breadth basically. No idea what sternpost or counter is. Transomlight = fanlight(?).

JSG. In tekkie mode who runs his servers?

West Wing: It runs on one of the C4 cable/satellite channels. One of thos series loke Mash that you can watch again and again.

Democracy thread: I think you just do what you did to start this one.

Bank Holiday: Ours aren't always the same as yours.

Linux: Later. I don't think I have quite figured out your setup. is it the Linux ed tool


Mini-tanks: I had seen some robot min-tanks. Also you sometimes see some mini tanks lurking about around airports. The Japanese had one man mini-tanks during WWII.

Trevor: Trevor now claims to be a homeworker so not a Chartered Engineer or Russell university lecturer

Badly sucked in today. Hanging about because we hoped SO would get away.
bsy

vj

Yes I believe nige has gone over to persuade the Oirish. That'll work!

At one time it was argued that it could be turned into an issue over Bertie Aherne's trousering activities. Bertie's gone.

any Grandaughter2 has just phoned demanding a multiplayer C&C3 so I'm gone
bsy

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'Day Bx4

Hopefully Bx4 SO safely returned. A not so secret four wheeler am I. I'll also admit to being born again. The burner trial was successfully completed this morning. OK I was very nervous about the back and stalled on the ramp getting back to the shed. Did DB trial go well? Can you remind me what DB is Deutsche Burner?

No idea who runs (and pays for) SGs servers; perhaps it's advertisers? I used to enjoy M*A*S*H so I'll look out for West Wing. Linux is set up on its own drive. The issues I've had are getting the boot loader to recognise where the operating system resides. This I've sorted using ED (which I understand is an adapted Unix program) to circumvent the security protecting the boot file. Honestly it's a lot simpler and straightforward than I've made it sound. The other issue has been one of the swap file which I've doubled from the recommended 512MB to eliminate hanging (touch wood).

Trevor the home worker? Not surprised and must dash now. SO calls.

BSY

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Sorry Bx4

I was being thick.

Das Boot!

BSY

Evening rg

DB. I though you had invented a new name for the putative Boxer 2

I have managed to create a discussion called Democracy. I also created a phantom one called democracy and referendums.

Beautiful day here but unfortunately wind was not brilliant but we did mage a brief sail.

Glad you manage a run.

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Hi Bx4

Can't stop just now though I'll look out for the democracy thread later. I'm not sure what a phantom thread is - is this as my earlier phantom post [pointed to by pictogram] yet completely invisible? Wind very blustery here just now though not an issue during test run. (Hopefully RB will return to normal use by Tuesday).

Hope DB test possible soon

BSY

Morning rg

A strange event. I managed to unsubscribe to D&R but mysteriously this appears to have led to both your (today's) post and my reply have disappeared.

((there was another server down)

So here we go again.

D&R: No need to look. No content except setup announce and puzzlement over phantom status.

Weather: Bad Your way I gather. Excellent here:

http://www.wunderground.com/webcams/Budgie/1/show.html

(a few klicks from us)

and wind improving.


For you a day of linux, HofL reruns or the joys of Kurust, perhaps. For me to boat or to bike. Choices, choices

hi rg:

It has been decided. The SO , after another (untypical) 'oiled' event last night has decided to have a quiet afternoon at home.

As I have no wish to do a Chichester its for me

bis später

hi rg

Afore I go

I appear not to be wholly in control today having just thought my previous post had been disappeared from our 'Morning ' thread

I agree we should use this one for our ongoing debate. I have extracted the following quotes from two of your posts which (prior to the 'teller diversion) seem to summarise where we are:

In much the same way as a Direct Debit mandate except instead of money being taken out of a bank account a vote is counted in an election or referendum.

'A further instruction from the vote owner to the Electoral Commission could see the vote being taken back or ceded to another third party to do with as it pleases. The third party could of course be the government.

It might even be possible to nominate one's vote to track whatever parliament decides on any issue thus letting politicians "make that decision for them".'

and

'To my mind the most popular party should always form the executive. They always have the option to form a "government of all the talents". Post election coalitions where principles are abandoned to gain power should be as welcome as Labour's topical fudging of their manifesto commitment. It's not realistically possible to force minor parties to stick to their principles (what use a recall election here?), it would be refreshing however if this could come to be seen as the norm in political behaviour.'

Thanks for the link to LTR2 or LT33. I had not been aware the debate was continuing.

I feel I should remind you of the House Rule' of this discussion that the LT is 'off piste'.

You could start another conversation on it and invite the refugees from LTR 2/3 to join in.

definitely now

I'm gone
bsy

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Now I'm becoming confused. It seems your posts appear on both Democracy and 'Morning. I wonder if we can only have one conversation at a time? I don't know. Anyway time to start thinking about soup...

Hope you and Bx4 SO got to sail under that glorious blue sky?

BSY

Evening rg

confused: Not to worry. It was me that was confused.

I got crossed wires and ported here from LTR1 instead onto new democracy thread. When I realised I just cut and pasted from here.

Sail: We didn't. As I said in an earlier post the SO had a second (untypical) oiled event on Saturday night and decided to have a quite day in.

I didn't fancy doing a Chichester though its technically possibly since we have self steering gear fitted.

But the wind is very light and DB is in its class quite a massive boat so its not at its best in fairly light winds. We had a short sail on Saturday but we the wind wasn't up to the two day trip we planned

So I got in a couple of long runs on the boxer instead.

I am beginning to detach from the Today board and have quit the Message thread. Got bored when it turned into a Nulabour 'conspiracy.

I see that I have a reply outstanding to your original mini-tanks post

bsy

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'Morning Bx4

I'm sorry, having looked at the blue sky on the webcam, I thought it enough to change Bx4 SO's mind about an excursion on DB. Myself as the weather got worse I played with Linux - breaking it at one point and fixing it myself by deleting a newly (machine) written modem control file using the 'distress' boot mode. I can get the modem to dial with Linux though the handshake always becomes shaky. The console report tells me that two files can't be written to because I am not the owner. This is turning into a theme. Like Windows I am not allowed to be administrator of 'my' own operating system! BTW I now realise that Chichester means George takes the helm.

As you say, as the wind was too light to be of use, Boxer was perfect compensation for a sailing trip missed. There isn't much to go at on the TMB. Busby2 seems to be on the offensive on LTR (sorry I don't know what number). They seem to lament the lack of democracy in driving the EU in general forward whilst suggesting membership of the Euro wasn't what it's cracked up to be for the likes of Spain. There is a fuss in the news about road tax on older cars going up. It seems to be the way these days that if the 'poor' are affected by a tax rise then back bench pressure can get it reversed. Yet if the toys on the drive are a measure of wealth then my friends with 'poorly paid' jobs are doing very nicely thank you. It may seem like jealousy on my part (and I won't defend myself on this point) it is but an observation on how the tax and benefits system can make things appear.

Anyway I'll get back to drying out after the wettest commute of the year.

BSY

Morning rg

Like you I am up early this morning though in my case not from necessity

I appear to be falling somewhat behind in replying to some things in your posts so I have decided to stick them in at random as I go along.

mini-tanks: As you might have guessed this has prompted another (albeit desultory) search of t'interweb thingy. Nothing much turned up yet except 'paintball tanks':

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paintball_tank

yawtists: They are indeed strange people. The SO's papa, from whom we inherited DB, was one. They don't really sail as such and their 'yawts' are always spiffy.

Not sure if there is equivalent in any other activity. Nearest I can think of is the sort of 'pseudo-biker' who owns a touring boxer but uses it to go to the shops.

While setting up our newly acquired DAB/CD combo with ipod docking station (no I don't own one) I caught a bit of Today where weekend yawtists were trapped in the French Channel ports by striking fishermen. I shouldn't laugh.

Pipes. Do you sit in your shed/garage puffing it. I was coerced into giving up smoking many years ago and my only pipe is a somewhat specialised water one.

Linux: I am most impressed by this new endeavour. I don't really muck about with mine it's heavily modified (not by me) version that I need for my 'non-retirement'.

Your life seems to be taking on whole new areas of endeavour, HofL, Linux. I hope the chain adjustment programme is not being neglected.

West Wing. Was 2100 sat on More4 now 0010hrs sun. I should buy boxed set as I did with Mash and Northern Exposure.

DB excursion: Strangely weather your way would have been better. Anyway I had a really good couple of runs. If you sail hard as we tend to do then you get wet anyhow.

TMB: Strange at the 'end of days' of that the gegners are still pursuing the same old agendas, 'mass immigration', multiculturalism, etc., etc.

I find that although I object to the closure on principle I am not too fussed in practice. I think the obsessive posting by the 'one trick ponies' on their idee fixe irrespective of topic had pretty much ruined the board anyhow.

I don't think the EU is democratic at the moment but it is slowly becoming more so whereas, IMO, the UK is becoming less so.

Euro: What can I say? The per diem and the quarterly share out has just come in and........

Fuel tax; I agree about it having a differential effect on poor. I'd go for something based on emissions and engine size myself.

Envy on the drive: I think people with the upmarket cars are being somewhat conned.

You keep seeing 'desirable' models in ads showing the being driven in various vehicle-free wide open spaces while for the majority the reality is a commute on crowded roads.

I blame the idiot Clarkson.

Drying out: I thought the weather was supposed to have changed your way

Still absolutely cloudless here but the wind is now down to 13 kmh.

As a consequence I am assigned gardening duty today (transplanting vegetable seedlings)

Hope back continues to improve and the burner's little house is snug and toasty again.
bs

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Hello again Bx4

Many thanks for asking about my back, you do better than SO at remembering these details. Yes it still hurts a bit and I am able to move far less than normal though it is massively better than this time last week. My only riding error this morning was an uncertain U turn at the end of the run though I blame seeing the headlights of a car behind me (some 250ft away) for putting me off. Or it could have been rider error…

The mini-tank shown in your link as a Funtrak is the kiddie as best I remember though in the C5 show it was fitted with laser cannon. Yes I see a lot of BMWs in 'Ewan and Charlie' configuration riding on perfectly asphalted roads. I'm going to cut this post short as duty calls! More later.

BSY

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'Afternoon Bx4

I have one of those DAB CD thingies. I could plug an iPod into it via a 3.5mm jack plug but don't bother. Too bad about the Yawists being strike bound. I think Old Whitey is right. The French are much better than us at organising chaos and disruption. They are more in charge than we.

I suppose I could sit in the shed puffing on my pipe. What an image that conjures. Let's put it this way – I'll bear that plan in mind. I did adjust and lube the chain about a week ago, given the back issue (lack of riding) it should still be OK… Was Northern Exposure the programme with the Moose in the title sequence?

Good point about the sailing – one does get wet. I well remember a girlfriend getting dunked into the brine. Funny she didn't stay long.

It is little surprise that the last days of the MB will be the salad days for the old agendas. I don't know how the BBC can have the cheek to say that posting to 'have your say' will be made easier. Do they mean an extra link from the Today front page? 'HYS' is 'low rent' in comparison to what we will soon lose. HYS = Gegner heaven. I agree the most frustrating thing about the 'soon to be old' TMB was the lack of topic discipline.

If the EU is becoming more democratic it certainly doesn't feel like it. I think this is partly because media coverage is still behind the curve. As you say the UK is if anything becoming less democratic for a number of reasons. No doubt we will revisit these on the Democracy thread. I still have a nagging fear that h2g2 will also succumb to the economy knife and we'll be encouraged to 'have our say'.

No doubt the Euro can work (witness B2) though I can't see it being adopted in this UK parliament. Will there be a referendum? What do you think?

I agree there has long been a gulf between TV commercials showing fast clean cars on deserted roads and the grim reality we face every day here in the bustling South. I don't blame Clarkson; he's just tapping into the zeitgeist. Remember most of his programme is filmed on an airfield.

Hope the veggie works are done and dusted.

The weather is slowly changing for drier. Perhaps I'll be able to nail the burner roof back on later…

BSY

Evening rg

Back: As I told you I once spent a few weeks sleeping on a board and crawling about on my hands and knees. So I feel a certain sympathy.

The SO might show greater concern if you hadn't done the 'soldiering on' thing.

riding error: I wonder if your new interests are distracting you.
somewhat

laser tanks: I did turn up this:

http://www.kitsune.addr.com/Rifts/Rifts-Pre-Rifts-Vehicles/SD_Stingray_III_Light_Tank.htm

which has a coaxial laser weapon as an option. There is also a PRC tank that has one also but it is not a mini-tank.

Ewan and Charlie. I watched it briefly but I got bored. I'm not to impressed by 'solo/duo' travelogues with a huge support team lurking in the background. Much more impressed by Ted Simon's 'Jupiter's Travels'

http://www.jupitalia.com/Jupiter.html

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Jupiters-Travels-Ted-Simon/dp/0140054103/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_a

Stranded Yawtists: It's terible isn't it.

Weirdest Yawtist thing I ever saw was in Hamburg. There are a couple of really big artificial lakes in the centre called the Alsters.

just after the SO and I moved there, first time around, we were going to Streit's on the Jungfernstieg and we saw some yawts about the same size as DB going round and round in circles

DAB thingy: Its more like the docking stations you used to get for portable computers. There is a slot in the top that takes the ipod.

I must confess that the ipod (like the mobile phones) is not a technology I have adopted though I did buy one for one of the grandaughters. I get the general principle about downloading music tracks onto it - but when you turn it on does it play a random selection?

Sheds/pipes. If you are not allowed to smoke it in the house where do you do it in bad weather.

Northern Exposure: The moose - that's right.

Getting wet. Actually DB has a high freeboard so in normal weather if you sail sedately you wouldn't get a drop of brine on your blazer or peaked cap.

However, If you look at the DB link I gave you earlier:

http://www.yachtsnet.co.uk/archives/moody-40-primrose/moody-40-primrose.htm

There is a picture that bears the legend

'Photograph of similar yacht from Moody's brochure (being driven rather harder than most cruising owners would choose.'

For 'cruising owners' read 'yawtists'. That *is* not remotely being driven hard. It's flat calm and looks like an estuary. pah!

Salad days. It's a strange phenomenon. On reflection as I said I object to the principle of the closure but the fact doesn't bother me.

I enjoyed a few of the threads and I'll miss a few of the posters. But otherwise, I don't really give a fig.

HYS. Dire I agree. Ironic that the main Today Board still proudly proclaims 'We want to hear your thoughts and opinions on what’s currently in the news'. Not.

Topic discipline: I agree I quite enjoy the off topic riffs and banter but, IMO, when people shoehorn their pet obsessions into every thread then it is perhaps time to 'immanentise the eschaton'.

What finally did it for me was that there was a thread about the whether the NHS should concentrate on preventative or curative medicine and within 20 posts it had be hijacked by the usual obsessives.

I sort of lost interest after that.

EU democracy: A slow process but the EU parliament is slowly increasing its remit. IMO, could go a lot faster but you have to beat the nation state mindset of the Council first.

Euro: I think you're right it won't be adopted any time soon. Nor will there be a referendum,IMO.

UK democracy: Agree and the Democracy thread

h2g2: It might but it's not really BBC. It seems to run on a server at Brunel University.

Clarkson: Your right hes only a divot who has plugged into the zeitgeist. Strange that the new 'eco-aware ' BBC still runs it.

Aerodrome. It's a hoot - '0-60 in a femtosecond' cars and the only place you can really drive them is on an derelict aerodrome.

Bustling South. I hadn't pegged your way as particular bustling compared to say the South-East.

Veggies. Mostly Chinese and herbs today. Tomorrow, peppers, courgettes, toms and salad stuff.

Nailing: I had anticipated something more along the lines of Japanese nailess joints

bsy

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'Afternoon Bx4

I'm just stopping by to say hello. I'm AFK rather a lot just now it may be a while before I can post.

BSY

afternoon rg

away:

No problem. I hope some of the reasons are pleasurable rather than flakturme related.

I should be AFK at the moment doing more 'pricking out' and I am in deep, deep trouble for not doing so.

Unfortunately I have been sucked into winding up EOO ( someone whose utter dimbulbery make even us look bright) though technically that is old-leftie's game

If wind improves the SO and I are planing a long sail to visit some friends on Arran so I may be AFK for a while.

So post when you can. The end of days for the Today board will give me a chance to reflect further on your 'democracy' points.

If we don't touch base for a few days then have a good weekend, burner weather and an improving back.

I want a wind.

bsy