Electric cars can help an overpopulated city have a bit less pollution, but the planet as a whole - not so much, if not worse IMO.

My country now gives incentive for "renewable" power sources. So people with money put dams on small, beautiful mountain rivers, and make small power plants. This destroys the mountain rivers/streams, kills all the fast water inhabiting fish (trout I think is the English name). Even affects the surrounding forrests.

Similar thing happens with wind-turbines - haven't seen it for myself, but was told they tend to decimate flocks of birds, who don't see the fins. They even make them with some whistles, to allow birds to notice them, but then you have noise pollution.

Solar panels - they take a lot of room, and have a limited life span - not sure how eco-friendly their production is.

Coal - no need to even explain that.

Nuclear power plants - these seem like the most eco friendly, in terms of pollution per MW produced. As long as there are no disasters and the waste is stored safely and properly.


All those sources are either time, or/and resource limited. Electricity is produced, then converted to charge batteries. Then converted again to run an electric car engine from the batteries. With losses at each transformation (smaller, or larger). OK, when the electric car is run in a busy street it doesn't pollute then and there. It did use pollution to charge the batteries, but that came from hundreds of miles away. It will affect the ecosystem and the climate, probably, but the busy city street will be a bit cleaner, more "eco".

Batteries need to be replaced from time to time, even the rechargeable ones don't last forever. This also creates some waste, and takes effort to re-use what can be re-used, so there's a bit less waste. But there is waste.


Banning private cars, with good quality public transport and bicycle infrastructure are a sensible, long term option. For several reasons. Same, unfortunately, goes for motorcycles as well. Though we needn't fear, common sense is dead and buried. I would expect my son to get to see cars/motorcycles run by humans outlawed, for "safety concerns" though.

I was speaking to a guy at my local bike meet today who said he used the plug type repair same as these, the repair bit was ever so slightly proud of the tyre for a few days after the fix. He set off from the lights one time a bit spirited like and it ripped the repair out of the tyre. I guess they are only supposed to be a temporary fix like, but I thought I'd mention it as something to bear in mind.

They are - "mushroom" type patches, put on the inside of the tyre are safer. This is a "limp to a vulcanizer shop" solution IMO.
I also carry a similar kit with the tools, patches, glue, CO2 cartridges, but use a hand pump - like a real man!   
Did anyone mention carrying a spare valve? I think it's not a bad idea.

 

Cheering for the Croatian neighbours tonight, sorry guys.

Though last night I cheered for the Belgiums. Not because I hate the French more, just so I could (hope to) watch England fight with France for the 3rd place. 




On a more serious note - great job by Southgate. The way England plays, as well as for finally learning how to shoot the penalties. 
French are the team I'd put my mony on for winning the cup, but I'll be cheering for Croatia, or England - whoever reaches the finals of the two. Still, would really love to see a (former) Yugoslav team win a world cup for once. If we hadn't been stupid enough to destroy our (former) country and divide it into 6 small private run ones, it would have made a terrific national team if nothing else.

They have relatively high number of speed cameras that take photos. So they're trained to go by the speed limit. On top of the fact that they're bloody Germans, of course.

They are mostly considerate drivers and it's generally a nice place for riding.

I got 46, but I got one wrong through being too courteous to other road users (when to stop using High Beam if you're being overtaken at night), one because I don't use Park and Ride and one because if I don't travel outside England, what does it matter that I won't see a Traffic Officer?!
I also sent them a complaint about one question because I think it's poorly worded:
It asked "What can you do to be seen more easily when you're riding at night?" and gives the following answers:

A. Use your headlight on dipped beam
B. Wear waterproof clothing
C. Keep the motorcycle clean
D. Stay well out to the right

I selected D and was told:

"You selected D, the correct answer was A
 
"It's vital to make yourself as visible as you can. Use the correct lights on your motorcycle. Wear reflective clothing and a light or brightly coloured helmet. Fluorescent clothing is effective in daytime, but won’t show up as well at night. Most high-visibility clothing will have a combination of fluorescent and reflective materials."

I think this is badly phrased. It is a legal requirement to use headlights at night, it's not something I "can" do, it's something I *must* do.

I selected D because, apart from that, positioning to the right was the best option to ensure that I am visible and less likely to be lost in "visual clutter" on the left of the road.

Of course, wearing Hi Viz is the best option (as well as making sure that my lights are working and clean), but that wasn't offered as an answer.

In Serbia, the law says to use "high" (long?) beam lights at night at all times - it is obligatory - EXCEPT: in urban areas, when there's oncoming traffic, or being behind another vehicle - closer than 200 m.

There are also "summer" bike clothes - with mash - so that air can cool you, along with protectors.

Leather offers better protection when sliding in a high speed crash - for all else (including comfort), Goretex is better IMO.

What's a car?


Are they those big things that are constantly driven by psychopaths out to get me?

A jewel of Yugoslav engineering:

I understand the idea of a scott oiler that it virtually constantly washes the chain as compared to a low fling wax type lube that will hold dirt and use a s a grinding paste, which is why the need to regularly clean. But I just don't like the ugly cable ties and the oil up my side wall and over the swing arm and up my boots and down Sharp Halls sweeping driveway.     

Didn't have any boot problems. Nor anything noticeable on a garage floor. But the bike's side does get some. For me it's a good trade off for not having to clean and lube the chain.

Makes a noticeable difference to the FZS600, but that's a carb bike that otherwise runs rich. Not sure it works for a FZ6

Some claim noticeable gain in higher RPM (and power) range, with some loss on low revs torque. I just love and notice the sound of the open exhaust pipe.

But as said earlier we all discriminate, but we should not blanket discriminate in a negative way about a section of society or individual that we do not know.

Positive discrimination is good and healthy and wise.
Negative discrimination is bad unhealthy and stupid.

Agree, but not completely. Discrimination is an important survival tool. I'll talk from my background and country (know that best and fewer foccers could get offended   ).

When I wear colours of my football club, and see a group of Red Star (or Partizan) Belgrade supporters, I can expect to get beat up. It's pure prejudice - not all the supporters would bother, want to, nor agree to go into N to one fight, but significant portion of them are.

Same goes for gypsies - at least in my city. You don't want to leave things not very well locked in their neighbourhood. However racist it may sound, in equally poor parts of the city with population of white people, the crime rate is lower.

I've had some experience with Swiss people. First thing that struck me was how "naive" they were - even the obviously intelligent and university educated people. Then I had realized: those people come from a country where no one tries to trick you (at least the standard Serbian tricks, like charging double to foreigners who don't know the prices, selling faulty goods as good, avoiding taxes etc...).  Had they stayed here long enough, I'm sure they would have quickly caught on.

Another example is the police. They have to guess what can be expected of a person and how to approach them the first time they see them. Good, experienced cops often judge that very quickly. They are among the most prejudiced people you can find, but the prejudice is (at least with the competent ones) based on lots of experience.


Not sure how much role is played by society, background, how much is down to genes - but there are certain group traits that can be expected - until proven otherwise, at least that's the way I see it. The main problem, IMO, is when one is not aware of their prejudice and can't let go, even when they get to know the concrete person they interact with.


In my country there have been (civil?) wars and lots of hatred in the past few decades. Hungarian minority in my city has been opressed (not as much as Croats and Muslims in other parts of the country, but not nice). I have always been against that (went to lots of anti-government protests - whatever could be done, whatever the risk). On (more than) one occasion I sat at a "Hungarian" cafe with a Hungarian friend. After some chat, a girl had asked for my name. One of the people said out loud "that's a Serbian name!?!" Most were very reluctant to even talk to me afterwards. Works similarly the other way round - once some guys had started hustling a friend for "speaking in Hungarian" - after I had stepped in it was like "oh, they're with you - you're one of ours - no problems" and they left.

Most people like to be treated well. With respect. Most expect that. When encountering rude situations (like from the previous passage) - those are the things they tend to talk about with their friends. No one will bother to mention: "I was treated normally". But the bad stories are told over and over. That deepens hatred and the prejudice. And it's often rooted in true, first hand experience.

It's a difficult thing to be wise about IMO. What is good, what is bad prejudice/discrimination? I was raised to judge people on what they do. Not on what they say, even less based on their colour/religion etc. Still - if I were given a choice: for an hour, in my garage, would you rather leave a gypsy, or a swiss alone - both of them you've never seen/met before, you know nothing else - I'd go with the swiss. As for drinking - bosnians, or scotts. 

As for the gender discrimination - I don't see that women are discriminated for being women - as if people don't like that fact. What is the case is they often (majority, or at least a large enough percentage of women) tend to put family first. People expect that from a female worker even at the job interview. When/if they get hired, I'm yet to see a hard working woman not being paid more than less hard working man. At least in my city.

Gary, from an very popular old tv show called " Only Fools and Horses".

That's the pronunciation! Spot on!   

Thats why I pointed it out, was pretty sure you did not realise what the word means nowadays.

Yup. Reminded myself of Mr Bean in America.   

Quote from: Slaninar on 27 March 2018, 06:16:04 am

The greatest inequality is not between genders, but between classes. But you can't complain about that AND live in a capitalist country. It's like complaining about the heat in Africa.

In THIS country (UK) I think the biggest issue (threat) are the "ethnic minorities".
They are coming here planting their seed, pushing their (third world) religions, then screaming racist when one of us "white" people criticise.

We have someone who just recently joined our team at work - he disappears off to the "prayer room" several times during the working day (about 20 minutes each time) - I didn't even know we had a payer room!! He never stated this was part of his daily ritual, when he came for the interview, plus from our perspective its another excuse for him to do nothing and slope out of the office.

They will happily isolate their daughters for getting into a relationship with someone outside of their "religion", for disrespecting their family (honour), yet the Males in these families will happily go around (in the UK) grooming "white girls"... then get a slap on the hand by the law, as this country is so PC and afraid to appear racist (back where we started).

It's a plague that will only get worse - yet lets all bury our heads and pretend its not happening (from the man on the street, establishments, to the law).
They are here to "enrich" society??? They refuse to contribute or interact with society, building up "communities" in towns and cities. Then we mock EDL !

Unfortunately, I've had the "pleasure" of living in a city that had it's population double in a relatively short period, mostly by refugees. Same nation, religion, but mostly from rural areas, with different mentality. And it wasn't very nice, in spite of relatively small differences.

It also depends a lot on the number (and percentage) of "incomers", as well as how you integrate them into society. A man I know who had worked all his life in Austria had an Austrian coleague comment, dead serious, in a friendly manner, something like: "I can't believe you really are a Serb, you are so nice and hard working!"   

As for complaints, some are OK, some are bullshit. Don't see any problems with grooming "white girls". Isolation for "getting into other religions" is bad IMO, though you could give a questionnarie to your friends:
1. "Do you hate/dislike Muslims"?
2. "Would you mind your daughter marrying a Muslim?"
And see the number of people answering with no, then yes. 

So being weary of "strangers" is not only a Muslim thing - the more primitive a culture, the more extreme it gets though I think.

For the worker - I'd say that in an 8 hour work day, having several 20 minute brakes can help if the job requires concentration.

This book was eye opening for me, in terms you reap what you sow:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Crusades_Through_Arab_Eyes