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

I will be pretty much AFK for the next few days, cells work, visitors, return of SO (bearing a copy of Jankaas 'Diskin', also trucks arriving with boxes of books, CDs records etc, Tuesday so I need to get some shells up. No tools or workbench so I'll need to get some. Fortunately we have a large Keller.

I'll try and reply later and also to do something for LTR1 to keep it active.

A few bits though:

LTR3: Definitely seems to have gone moribund. As with you no steely resolve needed to keep it so.

I am trying to disengage from the sharia thread since my perfectly harmless debate with psi has attracted the ire of a slightly dotty misandrist troll and I can't be bothered.

I am getting a bit worried since I seem to have attracted a small band of stalker who tend to pop up when i post.

Toynbee. I probably won't be able to watch though I thought La T's last appearance on the Moral Maze was rather underwhelming.

Kurust: A much more useful use of your time though I begin to wonder if fiddling about is of a greater attraction than riding.

OpenOffice: Here's the link

http://download.openoffice.org/other.html#en-US

whether its of a size that would make it a practicable download for you I am not sure.

Btw. I think when I was using dial-up I had a freeware download manager that allowed you to download large files in sections.

I can't remember much about it but I'll see what I canfind out.

must dash bs

I hope you enjoy your AFK time, they say a change is as good as a rest and from what I understand you will have lots to occupy you. My cousin lives in a flat in Munich and has access to a basement cell. I understand these are a common feature in mainland European buildings and jolly useful glory holes they are too. I'm sorry about your stalker(s) I don't know what to suggest apart from complaining to the dementors or getting a new handle.

Yes I remember Ms Toynbee last time out on The Moral Maze where she flagged herself up as being inconsistent on consensus. I can reveal to the world that it is possible to apply Kurust using an air brush. I had to do this to try and get at the oil feed pipes hidden behind the exhaust pipes. This is all prep work honest and I'll be on the road as soon as I've lubed the 500 mile items and applied a mist coat to my precious new chain. I may not be changing the bike for some time to come so I might as well look after it.

Thank you for the open office link. I know this is being cheeky and I know you are busy though I really would like to learn which file splitter you used before broadband? There is no hurry at all with this. OK the sun has come out time to get cracking with the red grease.

MDT

PS SO and I plan to visit a local transport show on Monday, perhaps the side-car people will be there. Who knows my bike phobe might be converted.

Passing through

Stalkers: Don't mind them. It's just a bit weird that when I post on a thread one or another pops up. Maybe its the after shave

File splitter: No problem. I'd already looked it up. The Windows one I used was:

http://www.snapfiles.com/get/freshdownload.html

but it is limited to Internet Explorer and Netscape. This seems a good alternative for Firefox.

http://www.snapfiles.com/get/freedownloadmanager.html

You will need to download them but they are quite small and should be achievable with dial-up

I have no direct experience of downloaders for Mac OS but I have managed to turn up these

http://www.pure-mac.com/dlm.html

http://www.freewarefiles.com/DownThemAll_program_20414.html

Though they a reshareware than freeware.

and this freeware one

http://www.freewarefiles.com/DownThemAll_program_20414.html

Another possible source as I said is in the CDs that you get bundled with specialist magazines:

Just for your records here's a link to one of the free Linux sites

http://www.linux.org/dist/download_info.html

I would try downloading from here until you get download manger sorted.

Hope this helps.


LTR3: They appear to have moved to the 'recession' thread.



Must dash on the town tonight but I have to be all polished up for tomorrow lunchtime.
bs

Morning rg.

Visitors still abed. Me abstemious. They not. Inadvisable to meet SO in state indicating dissolute behaviour in absence.

EU/change/foreign: Fear of change I think is definitely a cause. Xenophobia may be a more localised and cultural phenomenon.

cereberus: Since he and I tend to be on the same side we haven't really been that involved directly with each other though I have similar feeling about --IP Dave. The question is whether the FPTP system would have made a difference.

coalitions/bad thing: I am not sure we do disagree. Topic might be more relevant to our LTR1 discussion but I was thinking of it in pragmatic terms. If you are a minority party then joining a coalition might be the only way to get your hands on any of the levers of power. The Nucleggies for example might insist the introduction of PR as the basis of their forming a coalition.

HoL/Straw: I'm seem to recall that in the 2005 Manifesto NuLabour also promised a referendum on the House of Lords. I am not sure that any of the parties really want to reform the HoL with the possible exception of getting rid of the 'hereditaries'

Parliament: Mostly agree, IMO, the malaise has its roots in the emergence of the professional politician who, I suspect see their role only in career and 'snout in trough' terms. I heard on a feed that the police have decided that they can't prosecute the appalling Conway because the expenses system in the HoC is so shambolic that it is unclear whether he has broken the rules.

Soames: I think he typifies a typical Tory attitude that the upper classes, no matter how stupid, have a manifest destiny to govern we lesser breeds. Given the line-up in Mr Potato Head's Shadow Cabinet I wonder if much has changed.

reality: It's not called the 'Westminster Bubble' for nothing. Pity, that much of the media is also inside it.

LT3: As I said they seem to have migrated to the 'recession' thread. Good to see that my First Corollary of Godwin's Law has been vindicated again. I think I'll leave them to it. I can't be bothered.

'Evening Bx4

Many thanks for all of the links I plan to try one or two tomorrow when hopefully I get some time between jobs (domestic rather than salaried). I'm pleased you don't mind your stalkers. Perhaps they are fans? You describe them popping up – like in a mole whack game? I have been too busy for the MB and I note that you suggest some of the contributors to LTR3 have moved to the recession thread? I shall check this out later. I think I am posting a day or so after you so you would have had your night out on the town (on Friday?) and were all neat and tidy for Bx4 SO today. I hope everything went well. I will return to your "The pol bits" post. Believe it or not Rice Burner still isn't ready to return to the road though I hope to complete my prep tomorrow. Lots of brave bikers out on the motorway today in wind and hail.

MDT

passing through

linux download: 'I would try downloading from here until you get download man[a]ger sorted.' should read 'would *not* try'

One interesting I did notice on the site. There are versions that you can burn to a CD and run from it without the need for a multi-boot partition

Must dash

bs

'Afternoon Bx4

Hope all is going swimmingly? I've downloaded my first file using the first freeware link; many thanks again. This has taken most of the day and I'm about to test it out updating Tiger. Of course this has meant zero time to do anything else on the computer though Rice Burner only awaits a tyre pressure test and then it's road test time. The weather isn't encouraging though.

The notion of CD Linux solution is intriguing.

MDT

PS To the Mac...

Toynbee. Much better than TMM. My problem with AQ is the irritating twit of a chairman.

CBF600S: I am beginning to think that your avoidance of a new machine has more to do with your obvious predilection for mucking about with your old one. If you bought a new one how would you spent your time?

It occurs to me that this may be part cause of your SO's disenchantment with all things burner. Perhaps a shiny new low maintenance one would mellow her outlook somewhat?

IMO, I'm not sure a sidecar bolted on to current model would have a positive effect.

ragtop: We have agreed the purchase of an approved secondhand one. I am somewhat in the doghouse, not wholly ameliorated by the Greco Gambit, because of my disparaging remarks about the SO's earlier ragtop which was in fact a Lotus 7 S2 which she loved dearly. It was however unheated and yellow and this one will be neither.

Although this means some Euros will remain for Boxer 2 this is of little practical significance. Looks like we will be here till end of April and on return efforts will be dedicated to getting the boat back in the water.

It's not clear quite when we will return here, other than for short visits, so no immediate need for another boxer. The Luftwaffe S5 is still unsold, however.

Road test/ weather: Spoke to a friend who lives in central England and she said they had a quite heavy snowfall. I am sure that the road test will be passed with flying colours and no more mucking about will be necessary.....probably

enjoy show tomorrow.

bs

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'Mornin Bx4

I too think the avoidance of a new machine has much to do with the satisfaction I get from mucking about with the "old" one. Actually it's not that old, just four years yet this winter has been cruel. Having spent hours addressing issues I'm loathed let it go. Also aside from the money issue (there is a tempting interest free deal if I take up a shinny new bike before the month end) I feel I am only now starting to feel as one on the road with Rice Burner. Plus because it is based on older bike technology I'd miss all the taps, levers and adjustments to fiddle with. I'd really miss the carbs. I take your point about SO disenchantment though can you see me wanting to catch up with a C4 soap (sorry I don't even know what it's called). The thought had crossed my mind to bolt on a sidecar with a TV screen like they have on buses these days (tongue firmly in cheek).

Your "attack" the Seven: I've "wanted" one ever since it starred in the title sequence of "The Prisoner". My father always said it was a motorcycle on wheels. Fear not - I'll never buy one because my frame is too big. There was however a fat boy version produced by Caterham. Also the Seven explains why Bx4 SO likes spanner juggling as these machines had a home build option. Bx4 SO must have been very hurt to part with her Seven hence you need to show sensitivity.

That said I'm sorry that the Boxer 2 project will be put on hold. I notice your attention is drawn back to more exotic fare in air force blue...

Yes the weather was volatile yesterday in the West Midlands/South West, I've lost count of how many times Rice Burner was pulled in and out of its house dodging showers and the wind was everywhere. SO and I have decided not to go to the show as the weather is still set cold and wet, also we have too much else to do. I shall lock off the computer for another session of "mega" downloads up to 100Mb (though I notice the latest Apple updates are more like 500Mb,it's a broadband world) thanks to your first link, which works with Firefox as well as IE).

Happy thumbing though rag top ads.

MDT

PS I have Pol bits and LTR1? to respond to.

Morning rg. Two or three days off. I'm not involved in current bit bust 'on call' which is a nice way of still giving me the pd. Just as well truck arrive to-morrow with much stuff - mostly from the loft and never unopened boxes from byre.

New machine: Glad you have come clean but I still think a new one might prove tempting to your SO.

The ragtop 7 attack: I rememember 'The Prisoner too. Not an attack too. It was not attack as such. For me if I am going to be out in the wind and the weather I would rather be on a burner than hunched in a minimalist four wheeler.

I have shown your comments to the SO ad she says that you clearly have considerably greater sensitivity on this matter than I do and confirms that it was a 'home build'.

Boxer 2: An additional per diem event seems unlikely until late summer/early autumn so mostly short trips here before then so there is really no urgent need for it until later. Actually, I wouldn't had much opportunity to use it this time. It's more the not having the option that irks.

Moreover, we will have the boat in the water and is even more fun than the burner so I am not too fussed

Airforce: I no its unrealistic and I will almost certainly end up with someting two wheeled and sensible. Its not just the R5 but I also like the boxer trike whose photo I posted.

It occurs to me that the SO might be persuaded that the latter is an alternative to the quad..........

ragtop 2 ads: The SO with her usual impressive efficiency has located a reputable dealer who specialises in VW approve second hand jobs. We are going to view this afternoon

Weather: Sorry to hear about show-sounds like it might have been interesting

I have been somewhat sucked into 'The cardinal and the cow-headed man thread' on which blue has reappeared. Trying not to get to sucked in. I have firmly resolved to avoid LTr3 and subsequent threads.

LTR1: No answer necessary mostly a rant about dementors and partly to keep it open. Will attempt a serious reply to your posts on it later in the week.

rely on computer bits later.
bs

Ragtop: It's silver.

Linux CD: I presume you need a data area on hard disk. Might download it if I have time:

Apple downloads: Which download manager are you using?

I spoke to somebody today who said you can by CDs from Apple that contain OS updates

Good PCs: A word of caution a lot of the package low (and some cost PC's have 'proprietary' features or motherboards with almost no upgradeability.

I taught myself to build my own (except for portable) and with a bit of careful selection of parts you can build a good machine fairly cheaply.

Kellers we are lucky ours covers the area of the house. and is quite well equipped. Its split in two so Im going to turn half into a little wood-shop. I don't really need that much kit to build shelves.

Hope that given non-attendance at show has got the riceburner ready to roll.

I seem to have caught up.

pol
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'Mornin' Bx4

Levers of power: I see what you mean; a quid pro quo for the Clegg. He needs to perform a fine wire balancing act where success is dependant on Labour delivering on a promise. I'm sure the Clegg has access to a history book though has he read it? I think there is something odd about saying to the electorate "vote for me and you will mostly get what the other bloke you can vote for is offering".

The parties really don't want a challenge to their supremacy. The best arrangement for them is the current one where the winning party can stuff the red benches with cronies. Offering democracy however plays well at the polls. The hereditaries have mostly been replaced by new placemen who are equally as unpopular with Joe Public. This is especially so when the going rate has been touted within memory.

Conway would have been pelted with rotten vegetables in another age. Again the fault of the system is that our representatives write their own rules.

"… no matter how stupid, have a manifest destiny to govern we lesser breeds…"

I know you were referring to Cameron's silver spoon brigade though I think Labour and the Lib Dems also project an arrogance that says "we know what's best for you". The only way this will change is a transfer of power to Joe Public. I can't imagine any of the big three ever more than talk about it. As you say the press are happy for them to "get on with business" on our behalf. LTR1 migration / "First Corollary of Godwin's Law": I don't have the time or the inclination to participate at the moment.

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When I look at a new machine I think about what it will look like in five years hence. The current tendency for powder coating produces images of rusty blotches down the line. Yes the SO would see more of me in the mean time. I appreciate the Bx4 SO comments that you passed on. If the chance of a per diem event moves into Autumn/Winter you may have the opportunity to consider a new model boxer. I agree a boat is a lot of fun; I gave up sailing years ago (time again) though this was always of a simple nature.

Boxer trike for quad? Surely this depends on what is the intended use? If "off road" is the goal then the quad would win every time. I hope the ragtop viewing went well. I think missing the transport show was a good thing as there really was too much else to do in the house. Rice Burner was sidelined and will now await a good dry Saturday to finally venture a road test before returning to commuting duty.

'The cardinal and the cow-headed man thread': Whilst I was intrigued with the notion of this thread, in my present visor down mode, I haven't even visited. I will make a point of visiting LTR1 today.

Apple downloads: I have discovered that the limit is 25.6Mb using the built in software. I have also discovered that by grabbing the URL I can use the prime XP package you told me about to download the required file and transfer it back to the Mac via a USB stick. The OS is now fully up to date, I've had a glitch on the security update (I downloaded the wrong file) though this will hopefully be resolved this week. Stuff like Java and Quicktime updates I don't need as these deal with broadband functions which I don't have. I'll bear in mind the possibility of buying updates from Apple. I'll also note that cheap PCs aren't necessarily good PCs. I once went through five modems on a Time machine. No wonder they went bust. I admire anyone who can build their own PC I sadly lack the patience these days. Luckily my present (major chain) PC and Mac (touch wood for both) have been as good as gold. The only real problem areas have been maintaining a dial up connection and printer issues.

Keller: With climate change being topical this is just the thing to keep cool (provided the house is on a hill).

MDT

morning rg

Sadly the arrival of the truck has been delayed, a problem with ferries, it seems.

So plan to set up a basic wood- shop today for shelf building. I reckon I can get by with a bench, power drill, router, dowelling jig, vertical/ horizontal demountable drill press and a few hand tools.

Nucleggies: Probably the general issue is one for our LTR1 debate. But in PR systems coalitions tend to be the outcome. That's what produced the Lib/Lab coalitions in Scotland.

I find the NuCleggies current stance odd to say the least. Suppose we had a hung Parliament with the NCs holding the balance of power then a support deal involving the introduction of PR would be in the NCs interest.

Might be of course that the NCs have to act as if they might independently gain power. An exercise in VOTER THEORY perhaps

Me/other bloke: LTR1 again probably but probably true with current 'clone' party situation. Might be different with PR where a choice might be meaningful.

hereditaries: There are still quite a few. I seem to recall that the LT referendum was not the only one promised in NL's manifesto.

Conway: A member of the only group (apart possibly from capitalist 'fat cats') who can decide their own expenses, salaries, pensions and perks.


silver spoon brigade/ others. The difference I would argue is that the former are trained from birth to believe in their manifest destiny. Otherwise agree.

Press: I think that R4 and particularly today are guilty of treating politics as theatre.

LTR1: LTR3 surely? They have now popped up on the 'Cardinal and theCow-headed Man' thread. Their behaviour seems peculiarly obsessive to me.

I didn't really want to get involved in the CatC thread but the usual B-movie mad scientist mind set irked me. So I thought I'd give them a few science lessons









I find the Nu

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'Afternoon Bx4 (in D)

I was sorry to read about the delayed truck. At least the 'basic' workshop can be set up. This seems a long way up from basic to me.

I agree that coalitions tend to be the outcome in PR systems. I think that mini coalitions should form around specific policies. Thus the largest party forms the executive whilst individual issues are dealt with according to where support resides in the chamber. I know this is a pipe dream because politicians like to play at power and wheel and deal themselves into coalitions intended to last a parliament. This isn't necessarily the best thing for Joe Public IMO and is certainly not what he votes for.

Perhaps for the Clegg PR isn't top priority? Perhaps after the LD experience in Scotland and Wales he doesn't think it's the best thing for his party? The LDs certainly like to act big. I appreciate that there isn't an obvious choice at the moment in this age of the clone. That said it is not obvious to me that devolution has rendered a galaxy of choice.

I agree with your "trained from birth" observation. I'm really pleased you took time out to educate fellow posters on the Cardinal thread. If the media weren't to treat politics as theatre how would they serve us? I can't help but conclude that by giving up our power every election time we exclude ourselves. We are not allowed to decide anything henceforth so why peddle detail to us when we can do almost nothing with it?

hi rg

ragtop: The SO has tootled of with the visitors to get tools (though I doubt workbench will fit.

rice burner: the saga of the rb is beginning to sound like a mechanical Tristram Shandy.

quad/trike: Not - sure boxer trike seems to be more powerful than most road legal quads. Of course I am biased.

boxer 2: Not sure about option of new model. I have come across reports that BMW has 'lost its way' with current designs. I haven't really checked this out but it might be that an 'approved' second hand one. Also cheaper which would make the SO more amenable.

Of course as she is moving to a state of more transport options than me so she doesn't have a leg to stand on. Especially since she doesn't really need a quad

boat: We inherited our current one from SO's Dad. I learnt 'blue water' sailing when young on a clapped out 18 footer (not ours) which if there had been the equivalent of an MOT for boats wouldn't have been allowed into the water let alone out of the harbour.

I suppose that if push comes to shove it's the water rather than the road for me. I seem to have a preference for living a close to the sea as possible.

Downloads: Glad its going well. I hope you have a flat fee access package rather than time online charging.

Broadband/narrowband: I don't know what it is with Britain. The South Koreans are developing a country wide broadband network and I have a friend who lives in deeply out back Australia and they have just got broadband

Time/Cheap PCs: Time see to have been a particular bad choice. I never owned one but had problems with a motherboard (manufactured by the usually reliable Gigabyte) of theirs that I bought.

It's not only cheap proprietary machines that are the problem. I have very reliable old Dell used for multiboot 'traditional' OS (DOS,WfW, W95, W98) but I cant upgrade it because its mobo has a 'special' power connection.

You can't probably avoid thes problems with even good proprietary machines but, IMO, you always need to look at how upgradeable additional memory, faster CPUs etc.

PC build: Not much patience needed. I can knock up the hardware in a morning. I suspect your lack of patience has more to do with your 'engagement' to the riceburner than anything else

printer issues:?

Keller: We are on a 'rise' from the river so no immediate problems.

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'Afternoon Bx4

OK everything is set for Rice Burner to re engage with the road except a tyre pressure check. I do however want to do a shake down on Saturday when it doesn't matter if it doesn't start (even though it has never let me down yet) so that I have time to clean and check everything over again to make sure everything is tight. I agree that this would all seem strange to any car owner who has strayed here.

I fully understand the lure of the sea will trump the road every time. A note of caution: I did hear on Today some time back that Labour were thinking whether to tax houses more heavily if they enjoyed a sea view. A pound to a penny says that they wouldn't stop there and any countryside home would attract a premium: The politics of townie power?

Computers: One of the side effects of no broadband is that, for the routine text rich applications I use, power is not a problem. The lack of broadband is the controlling factor so I have no urge to upgrade processor or memory. The dialup connection is not on a clock though each session is limited to two hours hence the 25Mb or so limit using conventional download managers.

The Time machine was the most unreliable computer I have ever owned; a bad choice indeed. If I were to build a computer I'd get a friend of a friend to do it for me. Coincidentally I met the chap this morning and he was at a loose end…

Printer Issues? Did I not relate the peanut shanty?

Keller: I'm pleased you are on higher ground.

BDT

afternoon rg

truck: late tomorrow early next day apparently. Since I am at work I wont be too involve most 'stuff' going into Keller.

Basic tools: I did consider a wholly manual option, chisel, mallet, tenon saw, etc. However the SO pointed out that she really would like the shelves this side of Hogmanay.

Executive: LTR1 really but I suspect this won't work because coalitions allow minor parties to get hands on levers of power and some influence on policy decisions.

Clegg/PR/Scotland. I'm not clear what the NCs current 'strategy' is. The y formed a coaltion with Labour in the SP when Labour was the had the most votes (albeit a minority) but didn't opt to go into coalition with either Labour or the SNP after the last election.

The reason for not doing so with SNP is because the latter promised a referendum on independence which is no-no for the firmly Unionist NCs. I have no idea why they did go into coalition with NL.

I think the general principles are more LTR 1 material

Educate: The strategy was to create glazed eye response by discussing the science rather than the 'Frankenstein Effect'

I was particularly proud of the 'rho-zero' cybrids.

It's all true of course and the material *was* intended to be useful to the few odd poster, like blue, who might actually bother to look at the facts

I see the thread is descending into full First Corollary 'gegnerism and hashishimfurrinerphobia. Time to bail out I think.

LTR3. A bit of a failure on the steely resolve front for both of us

evening rg

tyre pressure check; see subject line

Tax/seaview We will fight them on the beaches. The next thing is that people who have builded on flood plains will be taxed for their closeness to a boating lake.
PC power. Strangely you don't need a high spec machine for broadband I used a 550mhz dell with a 250K memory stick for years. I find that if you build/buy machines 'behind the curve' its often the most economical choice.

I need one high performance machine for graphics/number crunching but otherwise not. However, its beginning to look like the demands of this are beginning to outstrip the processing power of available pcs.

The high end PCs seems mostly to be in demand by the fps gamer.

2 hr limit: I think this is down the ISP withdrawing your assigned IP address and not the download manager as such.

Time: Never met anyone who had a good word to say about them.

The chap: I appreciate that nothing should interfere with the imminent launch (3/4 days and counting). If you are going to rely on the chap make sure he isn't using bottom end components

Peanut shanty: Indeed you did. I thought you might have run into more technical difficulties. Driver incompatibilities rather than introduced foreign legumes.

High ground. I doubt if the consequence of global warming will have an effect in my lifetime.

Back to work in the morning. The SO has offered to drive me but I don't want to encourage her and I enjoy the harbour ferry.

I got quite excited when she said the quad might be not be a good idea. Visions of trikes/early purchase dashed when she mentioned something about kits. I hold you responsible if this proves to be other than a wind-up.
bs

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'Evening Bx4

"...A bit of a failure on the steely resolve front..."

I enjoyed both posts, which I will return to later, meanwhile a further bout of computer lockout awaits. Steely resolve not required when discussing five-year-old tachograph regulations.