Info and forum posts by 'Corrach'

RE: Government wants to detain people indefinitely without trial

EDITED by fuming wife, who read this:

My wife told me to remove my statement, or I would get no tea.

She`s the BOSS :/

This item was edited on Monday, 28th February 2005, 19:26

RE: Can you name this SF book ?

That was quick.

Just checked that title on a book website and the description is accurate, thats it, thanks :D

RE: Echo, echo !

I wonder if its anything to do with these new popup adverts when you change a page.

I have an old windows 95 machine and find now my internet explorer coming up with system error messages after about three popups. Then the system cant cope and hangs up.

So its a battle to keep closing these popups without the error sign appearing :¦

RE: Echo, echo !

Yeh, I just did it twice, as it did not seem to go through the normal process, unless it was a lot slower than normal, so it looked like it had not worked ,so did it again.

RE: Smartcar

SAFETY ASPECTS

They are not big cars but a lot has went into their safety.

The drivers sits high up, the steering wheel pull away from you in the event of a crash, there is the steel tridon that is designed to be very tough.

A recent topgear special showed a remote controlled one going into a concrete barrier at 70 MPH (not recommended). Amazingly, the doors could still be opened, whereas another make of car was a wreck, Mind you I dont think any occupants would be in a good condition though, after that.

There are crumple zones also using the wheels as a cushioning device.

There are two airbags as standard, some models have side air bags as well,

Pretensioners on the seatbelts and ESP stability control, ie, skid prevention, and ABS as standard.

A lot have been put into the safety side of the car specifically due to it being small.

But as in the case of all cars and motoring, it is upto the driver to anticipate the road ahead and try to prevent accidents happening.

Can you name this SF book ?

My oldest son who is a SF nut, has his birthday coming up soon.

He loves old SF books, so I want to get him a specific one off Ebay, but I cannot remember the title, the author is well known, can you help ?

Story Description, as far as I can remember:-

An old man on Earth lives in a remote countryside house, a reporter starts sniffing around an unusual grave near the house, that has alien writing on the headstone, digs it up and finds alien bones.

It turns out the house is a transit stop for aliens on the way onward to their star destination, and earths destiny it tied into the running operation of the house.

Cheers,

RE: Smartcar

I`m now convinced the only possible reason anyone could have for buying one is the overwhelming desire to be `different`.

Your so right, and why not?

Why drive a Eurobox, where there`s an identical car like your own driving down every street every two minutes.

As for the price, well I agree its well overpriced for what it is, so I bought the wife a newish RHD secondhand one and saved two grand, Its great, More room inside than you think, tardis like, sitting in a high up position, looking down on the traffic in front like an MPV, it also has a bigger boot than you think, for the shopping,

My son and his wife even had a family tent and holiday gear with them, when they borrowed it for a weeks holiday, (maybe they even put the Smart in the tent with them :D )

I also seem to use it more nowadays as it returns 57 MPG, even with a lead foot.Its £75 road tax/year and the insurance is only group 2 or 3 for the PURE and PULSE models.

Its still a head turner after five years production, Most people that buy these cars are more out for the smiles per mile, rather than a trully pratical car.

So like new mini, we smarties think of it as more of a club, so a smart is for life not just Christmas :x

This item was edited on Monday, 28th February 2005, 13:31

RE: Life Aquatic FILM IS A DISASTER

Well I sat in the cinema on a Saterday, with only six people on seats.

This more or less tells how few people are interested in this fishy story.

Now I like the the old Goostbuster chappy, thats why I wanted to give it a chance, but this film is a total disaster.

Theres a lot of money put into it, a lot of good actors, a few good moments, but as for it being a comedy, there was a defening silence from all six of us :/

I would say, save your money, and if you have to see it, wait till you can hire it for a few squid.

RE: car manuals

At least you can get a manual.

What I don`t like is the fact that some cars currently on the go. do not have a HAYNES manual available. An example follows:-

I bought the wife a Smartcar a year ago, a car thats now been in production for over five years with tens of thousands of these cars running around the UK and even more in Europe, yet HAYNES say that there is not enough owners that would be willing to buy a workshop manual from them, that would make it profitable.

So we have to rely on websites for info, and if stuck, go to the dealer :(

This problem is common to all `low production run cars` as they say.

RE: URGENT, please recommend your washing machine (around £200)

Thanks for all your advice, did not expect so many results,

Washing machines must be such an interesting part of your lives, so sad aint`it :B
But you do realise its a very essential item, after a week of washing socks by hand :/

Ended up with a Bosch machine, free delivery and free uplift of the old wreck, and no its not the wife :D

Once again, thanks.

RE: BATTLESTAR GALACTICA

Hey, I dont want any of those SPOILER thingies, so I will be very vague with my next statment, just in case you have not seen it, but those who have will know ;)

My favorite scene, is now re-enacted with my wife in bed.

Ocassionally I ask her to tie a red neon tube to her back, its electifying :D

URGENT, please recommend your washing machine (around £200)

Our trusty 15 year old washing machine just went kaput on Tuesday, with the inner and outer hubs deciding to become one mangled mess :/

I am now washing the whole familys socks and pants, Arrgh, as the wife refuses to deal with them.

We are going to buy a new machine this weekend.
Please recommend a good buy, and what shop ? around the £200 mark.

We need specifically a short wash programme, standard size , free standing under worktop, white colour, reliable machine.

RE: Francesco`s Venice

I think it was in four parts and he did not emphasise the MOSQITOS there, they are downright vicious, take lumps out of you.

If you ever go, take a mossie net with you, for the bed .

RE: need your help at interviews

We would like to contact your previous boss as a reference, is this satisfactory, yes or no ?

Arrrrrrrrggggggggghhhh he thinks (cold sweats) :/

RE: DVD Monthly Free Stargate Atlantis DVD

I was pleased with this error, because `38 minutes` is a very interesting episode with the spacecraft `cut in two` in the event horizon of the stargate.

I really wanted the disk for the Aliens V preditor scenes. interviews and info :D

RE: does anyone still buy vcr`s?

Yes, bought a recent new machine and plenty of blank VHS tapes.

Because I like taping TV if I am not in, and until the many variations of DVD recording are sorted out and an eventual winning format is found, I will just have to stick with VHS tape recording.

I got caught out with the loser in the Betamax Verses VHS tape formats, so this time I will wait and see.

Robots

Saw the trailer at the cinema, look pretty good. Robin Williams stars in it (voice).

Gives me an excuse to take the kids ;)

Wat ya think ?

RE: DVD copy protection strengthened

I can give you a good example on `copy protection` of CD`s

Mike Oldfields last CD had copy protection in europe but not canada.

I bought it in the UK and it did not work properly, I checked the Oldfield fan websites and they all had problems. So I demanded my money back from Virgin superstore and got it, saying I would never buy a copy protected CD again.

The websites told the fans (buyers) to boycot the album or buy it from canada.

The result was a disaster as sales plummeted on the album and Mike Oldfield has now said the next album will NOT be copy protected. We wait to see.

On a final note, I got the album from a freind who bootlegged it of a MP3 website., So copy protection helped me be more of a CD pirate, not less.

So the only answer if this DVD copy protection goes the same way, is to hit them where it hurts, in their pocket, and boycott the sods.

This item was edited on Monday, 21st February 2005, 22:27

RE: Does this come under If it sounds too good to be true then........

Loads of these kits on Ebay. Basically its a magnifying lens that you stick in front of the TV (which has to be upside down)

Yes I was very dissapointed in this kit as it said by hanging upsidedown during long films such as `The lord of the Rings` keeps the blood flowing to the scalp, giving you a full head of hair till your ninty years of age.

Bald as a bat now, Did`nt work :(

This item was edited on Monday, 21st February 2005, 19:27

RE:

If its to be held in Windsor, why not use Lego land ?

Cause royalty in the 21 Century is just as artificial as the plastic bricks.

Get shot of all these royal gits and send them to a country that wants such an antiquated idea :D

RE: DVD copy protection strengthened

You can easily buy a mains powered scart cable that has an amplifier and filter in the input scart connector, that gets rid of all the `builtin distorsions` produced, if you try to copy it.

Makes a perfect copy.

Theres always a way ;)

RE: Deep Space Nine

Still the best Star Trek series out of the lot.

Loved the Ferengi episodes, but not the `parallel universe` ones (a bit cheap skate using the same actors in two parts :( )

RE: Its the end of the post as we know it

My biggest greif with the Post office, is deliveries that dont turn up, even with recorded delivery.

So far this month, I have lost a package with a CD in it, and at least one letter that I know was posted to me, that did not turn up either.

The postman that delivers to my house needs glasses, as a lot of my mail ends up with the neigbours, and I get theirs.

Postmen do not seem to have any pride in their work anymore :(

RE: how popular (or common) is your name...

I was just thinking, my old mans name was Hector. A very hard name to live up to.

Now that name used to be very common in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, as well as the mainland, but no longer it seems. Wonder why?

Mind you if you go to South America, there must be over two million Hectors on the go :D

RE: peer2peer porn question?

Simple solution to internet at home.

I keep the computer with the internet connection in the living room so I can superviise the kids unintensionally ;)

It can also be locked off with a key lock on the phone socket, if an adult is not there.

There is another older computer upstairs, but has no connection and they can use that for homework, data storage and other computer programing activicties.

RE: how popular (or common) is your name...

I was the only one on my Island born for twenty years with the name Corrach, Mind you it is my middle name, as who want to shout to their kid, "Corrach your dinners out"

It took me a long time to find out the meaning of the name but here it is :-

Corrach // adj. rough, uneven; unstable < Ir. `You`ll never get a tractor across that bog -- it`s too corrach`.

so thats me to a tee..... rough, uneven and unstable :p

RE: UK Police visit Diana`s death scene again

Not while a lot of the public think the Murders (opps , sorry ) Deaths were very fishy :/

RE: Buying a new car - Toyota - how much can you expect to get knocked off the price?

You could try the import dealers on the internet, but you will not get more than 10% - 15% off the list price, and you may encounter risk / problems that make it not worth the hastle.

Another thing to consider is the devaluation on this jeep, 52% back after 3 years, so thats a loss of £10k, or over £3.3k a year.

Why not consider personel leasing if your buying a car above £20k.

It works out a lot cheaper now than privare buying and the car is serviced, insured and no grief if damaged, as you get another.

Downside is: car has to be returned to hirer after the lease.

UK Police visit Diana`s death scene again

Metropolitan police officers are piecing together the findings of a high-tech "reconstruction" of the crash which killed Diana, Princess of Wales in Paris.

Photographers and surveyors used specialist laser equipment to scan the Pont d`Alma Tunnel - the scene of the 1997 tragedy.

The images will be turned into a 3D computer model of the scene, to be used in the inquests into the deaths of Diana and Dodi al Fayed.

The model, which will use new technology not available at the time, will "enhance understanding of the factors which may have contributed to the collision", a police spokesman said.

Diana, Dodi and their chauffeur died after their Mercedes crashed in the tunnel after leaving the Ritz Hotel on the morning of 31 August 1997.

The following investigation concluded that driver Henri Paul had been drinking and was driving at high speed. But his parents say they are not convinced that the blood sample used to judge his alcohol level was their son`s.

An inquest into the Princess`s death opened in the UK last year but was adjourned for the then Scotland Yard Commissioner, Sir John Stevens, to begin an investigation into the accident.

RE: Where can I buy 3d glasses from.

These red and blue specs give you a spliting headache.

I tried to watch that Spy kids 3D and had to leave the room feeling queasy :(