Journal Entries
Anyone interested in joining a new cryptocurrency?
Posted Sep 18, 2020
I am sending you 1π! Pi is a new digital currency developed by Stanford PhDs, with over 8 million members worldwide. To claim your Pi, follow this link https://minepi.com/smokehammer and use my username (smokehammer) as your invitation code.
Yes username a total steal from here (sorry Hoo - never have been any use at these)
Just a bit of fun. No pressure
Discuss this Journal entry [1]
Latest reply: Sep 18, 2020
O happy days!!!
Posted Jun 7, 2019
Well, that was amazingly worth it.
I had always previously been against making a claim for mis-sold PPI - that old chestnut - as back in the day I'd had a couple of things with PPI on but had quickly realised it was useless to me as I (back then) was on rolling temporary contracts and working in universities I had very generous sick-pay if necessary (turns out this is rare - and there was me thinking we had no perks).
So I was never going to even bother. But a random conversation with my daughter-in-law in January persuaded me. She was using a claims firm as 'even if I get a few hundred quid it's worth it, and if I didn't use them, I wouldn't do it at all.
The last bit in particular struck me...I would never do it myself and any PPI I had would definitely take some hunting down.
So I found the cheapest (but 'reliable' via internet reviews) I could find and filled out their forms with every financial institution I had ever had dealings with and - randomly put my wife's name down on it too as we have a joint account these days. That last bit seemed a bit pointless as our bank had written to her a few years ago suggesting she complain, she did, and got £2500 from it. We even had a tetchy argument about it when they started writing to her as it was too much bother to fill her forms in and stuff.
So anyway.... in the last week we've had...
Me £14,000ish
Her £13000ish
(net!)
In compensation.
So worth it then 
The really weird bit - is that her compensation this time came from that very same bank. Seems they swizzed her the first time.
Glad I paid it now - best bank account of all time. 
Discuss this Journal entry [4]
Latest reply: Jun 7, 2019
The wonders of modern technology
Posted Mar 3, 2019
Just reunited a lost wallet with its owner via facebook messenger and email. 
Our friends found the wallet, messaged me on FB as it contained a student ID card for Cardiff Uni. I asked who it was so I could email them. Did that and got a reply saying he needed it now as he couldn't get into his halls without it. So I had to then find our where my friends were and direct him there. It wall worked excellently.
Couldn't have done that back when I was a student. I guess these mobile phone thingies might be more useful than some give them credit for sometimes 
Discuss this Journal entry [4]
Latest reply: Mar 3, 2019
Read Tolkien (go and look at the website for the upcoming film of Lord of The Rings it looks good biggrin ),
Posted Feb 7, 2014
Really, one day I'm going to *have* to update my homepage. This is now stunningly out of date 
Discuss this Journal entry [5]
Latest reply: Feb 7, 2014
Let it blow, let it blow let it blow.
Posted Nov 3, 2013
Well I'm starting to not bother to journal about Audax now as it's becoming the norm rather than anything special these days but yesterday was one of definite note.
200 km Ride in South Wales, the Transporter 200, so named as it used to involve a little jaunt across the Transporter bridge in Newport which is rather more like a cable car ride across the river than a bridge as such. Sadly since 2 years ago the bridge is closed in the winter and so you have to just ride past and admire it now.
It's only a minor part of the ride now - it's reputed to be an 'easy' 200 as it's largely flat. But this rather ignores two monster climbs in the Brecon Beacons. Wentwood just before Usk and the famed 'Devil's Elbow' south of Sennybridge - the latter being the signature climb and one I'd not done before since I failed to get onto the Dragon Ride sportive last year.
The ride itself would probably have been just another audax but we were faced with 'challenging' weather conditions. In audax-speak it would probably have to be described as 'a bit damp' and 'somewhat breezy' But this really means there were repeated and sustained torrential downpours and 'a bit breezy' means winds gusting up to 60 mph and getting slightly worried that you were going to end up under a fallen tree.
Before we got to the beacons proper I was indeed rather pleased to be in the shelter of hedges and trees and even more pleased that if the trees were going down (a real possibility) then they were being blown away from me . All this was tinged with a nagging fear that I was soon to be attempting to crest an exposed mountain top as we took on the Devil's Elbow.
Now climbing isn't my strong point in cycling as I'm too large to be an Albert Contador but I was EXTREMELY chuffed to make it up the steep and relentless switchbacks of the Devil's Elbow despite headwinds to make your eyes water and gusts that were literally blowing the more lightweight guys and gals off their bikes. This was my best climbing performance to date - if I can do that monster in those conditions I am now more determined than ever to make the slopes that have defeated me now.
So a dreadful set of conditions to attempt a 126 mile cycle but I survived and am very very pleased with my performance 
I seem to have finally learned to pace myself also as I am in better post-ride condition than ever and my time was actually quite a lot faster than most of my recent rides. A fine days cycling even if the weather was very far from fine.
Discuss this Journal entry [3]
Latest reply: Nov 3, 2013
Orcus
Researcher U94957
Write an Entry
"The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a wholly remarkable book. It has been compiled and recompiled many times and under many different editorships. It contains contributions from countless numbers of travellers and researchers."