Early Risers.

[Coombe Barton]

6 minutes ago, Compound2632 said:

Grauniad

You are showing your age and reading preferences.

And so am I for knowing about it.

[Compound2632]

2 minutes ago, Coombe Barton said:

You are showing your age and reading preferences.

And so am I for knowing about it.

 

I was brought up on the Grauniad - undoubtedly a contributory factor to my poor spelling and hence marriage to a lexicographer. 

[DaveF]

I woke early and then managed to fall asleep again.  So far since breakfast I've been to do some shopping.  I found a couple of second books in a charity shop by authors I particularly like and a few bits and pieces in other shops.  As always the town was very quiet, I was able to park right by one of the shops I wanted to visit.

 

Then I went and had a look at the Quayside and saw several fishing boats, as it was near low tide it was not a good time to take photos, only their upperworks were in the sun.  That was followed by a quick look at the park and finally a stop in the small car park at the beach where I contented myself watching other people with their dogs and saw a couple of ships right on the horizon.

 

Next it will be coffee, while that brews in the cafetiere I need to find something to stand 2 pots of hyacinths on which will flower in a week or 2 in the living room.  I bought them today in the florists.

 

David

 

[TheQ]

¹¹The Manchester Gruinad surely....😄

That's annoying this thing lost the stuff I was typing and reverted to the previous message.

 

It's not as such the range that's my problem , but the time taken to sit around and wait for them to charge up especially if there's a queue, as there's a shortage of ev filling stations.

 

Then there's the cost of buying them...

 

1 hour ago, Coombe Barton said:

And on the Tyburn Road - Audi, BMW, Tesla and Land/Range Rovers are the pushy ones. 

It's noticeable that they don't try to intimidate a 40 year old battered Landrover fitted with bull bars and rocksliders. Unlike when driving the " Little Red Driving Machine"© Gwiwer.

 

Mooring Awl

Looóooooooooong awake, 5 hours solid sleep, 

Ben the I want out Collie arrived. He's just about back to normal now. A good patrol, under a blue Welkin, cool north westerly, slowing drying and firming up ground.

 

Made breakfast for SWMBO, Ben and me, then after seeing SWMBO off to her weaving event.

 

Had another hours sleep,

 

Went out to shed and found on Ben's ramp that the pva used 2 days ago had not set. So it's been brought in complete with carpet bits and evostick ( other impact adhesives are available).

During the last attempt at this missive they were glued, allowed to tack and pressed home. His ramp is now stood  pva frame facing the fireplace, carpet side away.

It will return to the workshop before SWMBO comes home, then next working on it day, it will get final prettying up. Before you lot getting to see it.

 

Right time to go upstairs for some muddling which should include acting like a ganger, I'll use the remaining evostick to glue it down , it will only go hard in the tin otherwise.

 

Time to climb those stairs.

Ah postie's just bin, first Christmas cards have arrived..

 

[southern42]

3 hours ago, monkeysarefun said:

 

 

Has the carpark been subject to some kind of Battle Of The Somme style bombardment?

 

You noticed, then!

But don't complain - itzafreeby carpark!

 

It looks like a waste disposal thing: <<Gotta bitta tar left? Go filla pot hole!>>

This happened frequently on our "High Street", with the consequence of even more and deeper pot holes appearing showing multiple layers of variable tar, until we got onto the council having found out that they had not done a programmed resurfacing 10 years earlier - it had never been resurfaced in our lifetime here (over 45 years) - and,  way hay, it got done. After a few years it is still OK. So, not all bad.

[southern42]

' morning all from red dragon land.

Sunny, breezy, 9.1C.

 

Running a bit late, today, having got a couple of small parcels ready for posting. The battery in the newish scales had gone so I got my old balance type out and googled the ounces into grams on the 'phone.

A pile of *C* cards to start writing out, now. Maybe, I shall put the box on and listen to some TV / video music at the same time, depending on what I can find.

 

It will be a mugadecaf and early lunch, first, then I should not need to be interrupted.

 

Take care. Be good. Don't panic!

Polly

 

[grandadbob]

To EV or not to EV, that was the question a couple of years ago and the answer was no.  Our nephew Richard owns an EV specialist dealership in Hampshire and has on a couple of occasions tried to convince me of the virtues of such vehicles.

Richard has posted a multitude of videos on YouTube regarding these contraptions and how good they are.  Here's one showing how "easy" it is to get from one end of this island to the other quickly:

 

 

However I'm sticking with petrol and my current vehicle is my "forever" car until age or failing eyesight etc cause me to cease driving.  Oh and TBH I couldn't afford one anyway even though he did offer to do me a good deal!

 

Edited December 16, 2023 by grandadbob

[PupCam]

Morning!

 

14 hours ago, polybear said:

 

A3 & M25 on a Friday evening?  Mad......

 

Easy, come back Friday morning.     Going down was a nightmare as the M1 appeared to be closed from J13 to J10 and solid, black on Traffic England.     It took an HOUR for us to use the alternative route (A6) and get from one side of Luton to the other.   It was strange (and rather nice) when we finally managed to get on at J10.   Look in the rear view mirror and there was absolutely nothing at all to see!

 

7 hours ago, jjb1970 said:

I'm a big advocate of EVs, but even as an EV liking tree hugger I can find some of the proselytising by the true believers annoying. The reason I'd love a car like a Tesla 3 isn't to save the world (if it's about saving the world travel less, walk, use public transport, buy a bicycle) but because it urinates all over petrol powered cars performance wise until you reach hideously expensive exotica (and even then the power/torque characteristic of an electric motor is better than an ICE in my view) and does it while being extremely practical, comfortable and is remarkably good value given what you are getting. However, EVs are still not a universal solution for everyone and we shouldn't pretend they are. 

 

My emphasis but that statement nails it.    Yes, EV's are a solution (they have been for ~100 years in various forms) but they aren't, certainly in their present battery form, the UNIVERSAL solution that the muppets would have us believe because neither the vehicle themselves, their use-cycles or the infrastructure to support them are suitable.

 

5 hours ago, monkeysarefun said:

Yeah you'd be feeling all King Of The Road etc until you run over a stick or whatever and your car explodes into a ball of flame and all the cars you just left at the lights drive past you pointing and laughing.

 

https://www.drive.com.au/news/video-tesla-model-3-catches-fire-after-debris-punctures-electric-cars-battery/

 

 

Shades of the tragic accident to Concorde all those years ago.   Not that I'm comparing that fabulous, iconic aeroplane with Musk's electric driving box!

 

4 hours ago, polybear said:

Beary Conclusion?  Shivverin' has a lot going for it....

 

Keep the heat on Bear, it's only money and you can't take it with you.  Nothing more miserable than being persistently cold and/or hungry.    So I suggest; heating on, a big bowl of curly fries all finished off with a big hunk of LDC as you consider Templot Plan #284B.

 

4 hours ago, monkeysarefun said:

I did end up going for a bumble or whatever @PupCam calls it in the ute. I ended up down at Wollongong.

 

It's a bimble if the journey has no specified destination or purpose, a chug if "you are going somewhere for something".   While we are on the subject, a chug maybe in the offing for tomorrow for breakfast although the destination is still TBD.

 

Of course, if the vehicle is a mere youngster (say ~50 years old) and capable of a bit of speed then both a bimble and a chug can become a thrash.

 

3 hours ago, Ozexpatriate said:

I'd suggest that's a distinction without a difference. I don't know what caused the petrol car fires I saw to ignite - they were parked in car parks just like the cars around them and seemed to spontaneously combust*. They didn't explode. Everything just burned - really hot with lots of black (probably toxic) smoke and scorched nearby cars. They burned too fast for the firefighters (who arrived quickly) to make a difference. Left a black charred mess - not even a green globule**.

 

I disagree and would suggest that the distinction is very clear;  petrol and diesel are merely fuels and will not combust on their own unless something else provides the conditions for them to do so (elevated temperature above flash points, sparks etc).    Lithium batteries in particular are very susceptible to spontaneous combustion due to latent damage whether that be from actual physical damage, damage through use brought about through incorrect charging/discharging or their own degradation through use.      I've got a little test for us.   I'll go and stick a screwdriver through the side of a tank of diesel, you can stick a screw driver into the side of a Lithium battery.   Good luck ....

 

Of course, once a vehicle is on fire the other combustible material in it cares not a jot as to "where the flame came from that set fire to it" so it is entirely irrelevant IMVHO.

 

3 hours ago, jamie92208 said:

A 19 year old fully depreciated vehicle that can cruise at 70 whilst doing 48 mpg on the motorway probably had a lower overall carbon footprint than many newer supposedly greener vehicles. It just suits our circumstances. 

 

Another excellent and spot on statement @jamie92208.     This is the reason why the various "early scrappage" schemes are a total nonsense and a cynical person such as myself would suggest that they are intended to a) keep the manufactures and the economy going and b) mislead the unthinking into believing they are saving the planet.  They are not, the carbon cost has already been spent and in most cases the actual benefit in energy reduction in use (i.e. the difference between old and new) will never outweigh the carbon cost of the completely new item.     Yes, scrap and re-cycle when the item is truly at end of life but don't try justifying your (that's the Royal your not you Jamie!) new car by claiming you are saving the planet when there is plenty of life left in the old one.      I'll jump off my soapbox now.

 

ION

 

The quiet before the storm.    Junior Puppers and the Junior Junior Puppers are coming over later for dinner.    I believe Santa maybe parading down the road after nightfall on the back of an old farm trailer later so that will cause much excitement and a sudden loss of all my loose change when a yellow bucket gets shoved through the front door by on e of Santa's helpers.

 

I had an invitation to go on a chug over to Hitchin this morning.    I declined because it doesn't look very inspiring out there today.     Perhaps I'll do some more fiddling with Jupiter.

 

TTFN

 

[Barry O]

Laser.. laser..  headache?.. yep! Eye watering? Yep!...

 

Time to have a paracetamol or two....

 

Baz

[iL Dottore]

17 minutes ago, PupCam said:

Keep the heat on Bear, it's only money and you can't take it with you.  Nothing more miserable than being persistently cold and/or hungry.    So I suggest; heating on, a big bowl of curly fries all finished off with a big hunk of LDC as you consider Templot Plan #284B.

Well said, Puppers.

 

If The Bear keeps up this overly financially prudent (aka “tight fisted”) approach to life, when he heads to that great ice-floe in the sky, there will be oodles of cash in the Beary Bank Account, most of which (in the absence of relatives) will end up in the hands of government. Who, undoubtedly, will spend it on things our dear @polybear would not approve of.

 

But if the bear wants to shiver in his shed, as his numb paws fumble at Templot, happy in the knowledge that the money he saves will, upon his demise, go to fund “decolonising patriarchal railways through the medium of dance”, then so be it.

 

I for one will ensure that (after making a very, very generous air-tight, government-proof, provision for Mrs iD and doggies), I die penniless: the last few pounds going on a superb single malt whisky that I will finish before shuffling off this mortal coil.

 

D****d if I’m going to leave anything to the Government!

 

[Hroth]

24 minutes ago, grandadbob said:

To EV or not to EV, that was the question a couple of years ago and the answer was no.  Our nephew Richard owns an EV specialist dealership in Hampshire and has on a couple of occasions tried to convince me of the virtues of such vehicles.

Richard has posted a multitude of videos on YouTube regarding these contraptions and how good they are.  Here's one showing how "easy" it is to get from one end of this island to the other quickly:

 

 

However I'm sticking with petrol and my current vehicle is my "forever" car until age or failing eyesight etc cause me to cease driving.  Oh and TBH I couldn't afford one anyway even though he did offer to do me a good deal!

 

 

Interesting.

 

Now I appreciate that Top Gear is an entertainment programme, nothing is done scientifically and that Clarkson hams it up for the camera, but one of their stunts was to drive a diesel Audi A8 from London to Edinburgh, and back (800 miles), on one tank of fuel, which was apparently achieved. Then there was the Basel to Blackpool stunt, where Clarkson drove a diesel Jaguar X358 on the proverbial one tank without any particular economy tactics for most of the journey.

 

I know, huge pinches of Siberia are required to take the results as completely genuine, but the main point is that even if refuelling was required, a 5 minute stop would solve the problem, not a longer wait for recharging to be accomplished.

 

I'll stick with my Yeti until it dies from natural causes, the mot is too costly to rectify or the government/insurance/road tax/lack of fuel/my health drives it off the road!

 

Of course, if I won the lottery (fat chance)...

 

 

[PupCam]

6 minutes ago, iL Dottore said:

I for one will ensure that (after making a very, very generous air-tight, government-proof, provision for Mrs iD and doggies), I die penniless: the last few pounds going on a superb single malt whisky that I will finish before shuffling off this mortal coil.

 

Many, many years ago just after I'd become a real member of staff at the GE one of my contemporary colleagues always used to state that his aim was to die owing a £1M, a lot of money in those days (come to think of it it's still quite a lot of money).   I was extremely puzzled (aka naive) at the time and suggested that surely he meant to say that he had a £1M when he died.   He pointed out the futility of having a lot of money when you were dead and the fun to be had with other people's money.    If it weren't for my moral compass I could see a lot going for his idea 🤣

[polybear]

5 hours ago, monkeysarefun said:

Has the car park been subject to some kind of Battle Of The Somme style bombardment?

 

That's actually one of the better ones......

 

2 hours ago, jjb1970 said:

I know fire suppression onboard vehicle carriers is a huge concern in the vehicle carrier segment of shipping. Put aside some of the media scare stories, I work very closely with some of the big vehicle carrier operators (them and the big container lines pay my salary) and fire safety in the event of an EV  fire actually is a major worry for them.

 

That said, petrol and diesel are hardly harmless. Aside from the fire risks they're really rather nasty in exposure terms and with contact. Providing technical support to maritime administrations was part of my job for a few years, it was a sideline consulting service my employer offered but quite lucrative for them. I would estimate over 90% of the cases sent to me were engine room oil fires, it's not a nice way to go. I don't suppose many ways of dying are nice but being barbecued always strikes me as especially undesirable. 

 

Something several friends have commented on is that after switching to EVs they rarely clean their wheels anymore as there's virtually no accumulation of brake dust.

 

Maybe they'll have specialist ships and start transporting the batteries separately?

 

1 hour ago, RobAllen said:

There’s just something about that price bracket and market segment isn’t there?

 

I’ll get an EV when my current car is life expired. As long as it has a 3+ hour range, I’ll be fine as I no longer want to spend more that that long in a car without a break. 

 

If Bear were to consider one they'd have to be:

• A similar price to ICE cars
• Capable of easily doing the longest journey that Bear would contemplate - there and back
• A battery life of at least 20 years - guaranteed

[polybear]

[jamie92208]

2 hours ago, Coombe Barton said:

And on the Tyburn Road - Audi, BMW, Tesla and Land/Range Rovers are the pushy ones. 

Maybe my knowledge of geography is limited but I thought that a lot of people, e took the road to Tyburand didn't returnn. 

 

 

22 minutes ago, iL Dottore said:

Well said, Puppers.

 

If The Bear keeps up this overly financially prudent (aka “tight fisted”) approach to life, when he heads to that great ice-floe in the sky, there will be oodles of cash in the Beary Bank Account, most of which (in the absence of relatives) will end up in the hands of government. Who, undoubtedly, will spend it on things our dear @polybear would not approve of.

 

But if the bear wants to shiver in his shed, as his numb paws fumble at Templot, happy in the knowledge that the money he saves will, upon his demise, go to fund “decolonising patriarchal railways through the medium of dance”, then so be it.

 

I for one will ensure that (after making a very, very generous air-tight, government-proof, provision for Mrs iD and doggies), I die penniless: the last few pounds going on a superb single malt whisky that I will finish before shuffling off this mortal coil.

 

D****d if I’m going to leave anything to the Government!

 

My plan was always to leave the kids a big overdraft and a huge phone bill  as those seemed to be their aims in life at the time. 

 

Jamie

[grandadbob]

Of course another advantage of a petrol car is that if you do run out of juice you can walk to a filling station and get a gallon.  Don't think that would be quite so easy in an EV.  🤔

Edited December 16, 2023 by grandadbob

[grandadbob]

As you may have realised by my presence here for the past hour or so I have been released from "assisting The Boss" duties and she's now making some lunch.  The even better news is that there's lots of rugby on the box today and the first match kicks off in 10 minutes.  That's the rest of my afternoon sorted then. 😁

[polybear]

1 hour ago, PupCam said:

Keep the heat on Bear, it's only money and you can't take it with you.

 

So I suggest; heating on, a big bowl of curly fries all finished off with a big hunk of LDC as you consider Templot Plan #284B.

 

 

1.  3 Months is a Deltic....🤣

2.  Hmmm....Puppers could be onto something there......

 

42 minutes ago, iL Dottore said:

Well said, Puppers.

 

If The Bear keeps up this overly financially prudent (aka “tight fisted”) approach to life, when he heads to that great ice-floe in the sky, there will be oodles of cash in the Beary Bank Account, most of which (in the absence of relatives) will end up in the hands of government. Who, undoubtedly, will spend it on things our dear @polybear would not approve of.

 

The Gov?  Oh no it won't - I've already made sure of that.  Those B'sterds are gettin' now't.

[PhilJ W]

Morning/afternoon from Estuary-Land. I didn't fall out of the pit until nine this morning and spent even more time faffing about so I'm (very) late. Not a lot to do today, just as well. 

[Coombe Barton]

... Dreckly – bit like mañana but with less urgency. ...

https://johncolby.wordpress.com/2023/12/16/sounds-of-the-season-2023-14-covid-virus-spread-in-recent-maps/

[PhilJ W]

4 hours ago, Compound2632 said:

There's an interesting series of articles on EV in the Grauniad:

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/nov/20/do-electric-cars-pose-a-greater-fire-risk-than-petrol-or-diesel-vehicles

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/dec/01/do-electric-cars-have-problem-mining-for-minerals

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/dec/09/stranded-electric-car-ev-range-anxiety-charging-network

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/dec/16/are-electric-cars-too-expensive-to-tempt-motorists-away-from-petrol-and-diesel-vehicles

If I was able to afford it I would opt for a self charging hybrid for my next car. When it comes to EV fires I would like to see it recorded by make/model. At the moment it seems to be mostly Tesla's, is that because they are more likely to catch fire or just bias? 

Edited December 16, 2023 by PhilJ W

[Tony_S]

32 minutes ago, grandadbob said:

Of course another advantage of a petrol car is that if you do run out of juice you can walk to a filling station and get a gallon.  Don't think that would be quite so easy in an EV.  🤔

I probably will keep the Evoque (petrol engine version) until it becomes uneconomic to do so. It is very suitable for the longer journeys we still do. If we stopped having holidays where we drive long distances I suppose we might get rid of it but hopefully that may be a while yet. For the trips we use the Fiesta (Aditi bought it in 2012 to drive to work in East London ) we could probably use an electric car without the slightest range anxiety. . However the Fiesta  isn’t expensive to run and maintain. If either car for some reason needs replacing then we will make a decision about electric vehicles. I am not sure how much difference it would make that we have solar panels and storage batteries. For 3/4 of the year we can run the house off our system but looking at the requirement for the Tesla in the video Bob shared we wouldn’t be powering a car from that, perhaps in the summer the surplus we presently export would top up a car. @grandadbob’s nephew’s video was interesting. I would have definitely have been exhibiting range anxiety but if I were doing that journey there would have been one or possibly two overnight stops where charging could take place. I do look out for charging facilities as we travel about, just out of interest. There were quite a few for instance at Fleet Services this year, but cars were queuing as some were  waiting for the services to have an improved power supply and others were faulty. 
Tony

[Sidecar Racer]

12 hours ago, monkeysarefun said:

In theory, the outback is the perfect location for EV charging stations, using the over-abundance of solar that is available.  I assume there would be nothing else at these locations though, (apart from maybe a toilet and a bbq?)  no shop and so on to while away however many hours it takes to charge your car up. I picture a line of EV drivers waiting their turn while they gradually collapse one by one  from the heat due to being too scared  to use their air-conditioners.

 

 Do away with any need for static recharging stations with a handy  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genset_trailer

[BachelorBoy]

1 hour ago, polybear said:

 

You do seem to be a sucker, Polybear, for dubious claims expressed simplistically and emotionally.  

 

Lithium ore is not mined "artisanally" like the picture shows. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[polybear]

55 minutes ago, BachelorBoy said:

 

You do seem to be a sucker, Polybear, for dubious claims expressed simplistically and emotionally.  

 

Lithium ore is not mined "artisanally" like the picture shows.

 

Just one of many links on the net:

 

https://www.mining.com/us-government-includes-li-ion-batteries-in-list-of-goods-produced-by-child-labor/

 

- admittedly for Cobalt ore - but used in Li-ion Batteries.

Edited December 16, 2023 by polybear