Bought myself a first generation Lytro camera of Amazon a couple of days ago.... basically liked the idea, but not the price, for a while now......
Logic in buying was that the price has been slashes to a pittance of its former loftiness and I was hooked...
Very strange, long, little square box with the lens at one end and a tiny, dodgy, screen at the other...
May post specs/photos later but its easy enough to find these on line and, for the mo, this is just post is just to keep track of the learning curve of blurred and "what the F*** is that" photo's I'm taking whilst learning.
First day's were all pretty much useless as just snapping away to sort how you actually frame these "living" photos.... You do have to rethink things somewhat.... a sound knowledge of photography helps up to a point and then you start thinking in 3D and stuff just starts to work..
2nd day photo of the little fox bronze in the courtyard off the high street in Stowmarket seem the best to date... if you have not seen one of these before... just click on the snowman's belly to refocus on him.... drag your cursor around to move.. or just press play... Have fun.
Well that was fun getting the photo on here.... future ref... ignore the info on the Lytro page and just switch to HTML and enter embodied code.. switch back to Compose and its there.... (Useful info for other "Lytro" Blogger users - make sure you have a couple of text lines below the embodied code link or you cant enter any as the player just keeps kicking in when you hit enter to start new text line.. had to go back into HTML to add an extra text line below and then the Compose page worked as normal)
Well its been a few days now.. but the weather here is just.... wet...so not to many pictures.. still getting to grips with the composition and separation of subjects..
Danger... Mechanic's at Work...
Badger Motorcycles.... Doug (in front) is a very talented motorcycle builder... might be a small, out of the way, workshop but every now and then, amongst the bread and butter servicing etc, out rolls a work of art...
Kevin, looking on, has an idea or three on how to.... lets say "improve" his motorcycle... Will see if he lets me take a few shots of the finished bike...
The picture is starting to look right... several things going on, nice separation between subjects and plenty on things to click on... Minimal or cluttered shots do seem to work better than "middle of the road" ones
Might need to try a mono/tripod as leaning my hands are non to steady these days and the shot is not as sharp as I would like....
My little Sage Statue...
Nice sharp photo for a "just hold my hand near the ground and see what I get" shot
The Led light in front was better shown in another shot but this was the sharper shot.. Not a lot of depth but it does work well when you click on the trellis... so learning that contrasting textures and colour have an effect.
Realising that these cameras need good light for the best results so may well invest in an Led ring light... Might as well start with a cheap Chinese job of flea bay...
Have seen some very cheap little, square, Go Pro led/usb lights, not very bright but might just be enough in a macro situation...
20/12/2015.. Playing with the Photo Editor
Realising that there is a lot more to Lytro pictures than just point - shoot - publish...... The editor built into the desktop app is a vital part of the process.... The odd little, or sometimes major, changes can really enhance the photo...
The edit options seem simple but have such a vast effect on the picture that it can quickly become a mess.... but the "restore to defaults" button at the bottom means that nothing is ever unrecoverable so try everything form max to min.... see what happens.... and restore if it does not work....
For me the first option that simply just worked was "Tilt" and "Rotation". Tilt alters the front to rear
aspect and rotation alters the angle of the depth of field aspect.... example..
Using just the "tilt" option so the depth of field worked from front to back did not rally do anything for this shot but adding "rotation" so it worked from the bottom left corner of the shot to the top right hand corner and the whole thing really starts to come together....
Having the two blue items in focus along the, drawn to, eye line of the paving slab edge just. simply, looks better....
Don't worry about messing things up.... as maxing out the "temperature" setting. just to see what happened.... I ended up with this..
Now this might not be the best shot in the world but, for me, it just kinda works "as is"... Even though the original sky colour was a crisp clear blue...
Using "tilt" on this shot just did not work.. the post in the foreground just went really weird, almost hourglass, looking....
No post in this one... just for colour comparison...
Using The "crop" effect can usually enhance any photo, and it is no different with the Lytro
The original had, pretty much, the whole cross as a foreground.... but cropping down to highlight the discolouration/patina made it pop...
I know these are not the best shots in the world... but snapping away at anything that looks like it might work is the way to go with the Lytro... as you learn more by taking an everyday photo and making it a great one than you do by just trying for that perfect shot.. They will happen.... some because of your "eye" and some that seem nothing when you take them..... but make you go "wow" later....
And finally... for now.... What is level...
There was a car parked in front of the gate and I had to look into the Lytro's tiny screen at an angle... so I was not as square on as I thought....
But the more I look at it, with the intention of going back and taking a better shot, the more it works as the pathway trees are, pretty well, vertical...
Used tilt on this shot as, even thought the "gates" are in the same plain, it brought out.... emphasised the dates, and the sentiment, better.
One of my better photo's, to date, that show of the Lytro's capabilities....
23/12/2015 Out in the Sunshine
The main drawback, I find, of the first gen Lytro is the fixed 1/250 speed. I know there is a lot of latitude within the shot but on cloudy days, or shooting indoors, getting a nice bright colourful shot is far from easy.....
So with the sun shining bright in the sky today I went out to the Cafe at Onehouse, Suffolk.
Bad timing as it had just closed when I arrived.... much to the amusement of the owners... who are in fact, my neighbours....
Still quite like this shot..
Using "rotation" helped to shift depth of field axis so it runs from the top left corner to the bottom right.... It really separated the blue swing seat, making it the focal point, and was well pleased that you could still read the "lakeside" sign when refocused...
As for the lake itself.... its a small but very picturesque fishing lake.... So a shot just had to be taken...
Just set this to F16 as it looks good just as is.... but it does prove the point that.... if the lights right, so is the Lytro.... as the shot is only spoilt by my, slight, camera shake.... must get a tripod or graph on some steadier hands...
Well that's my shots to date... Hope you are having fun taking yours....
Sunday, 8 November 2015
Friday, 6 November 2015
50 Years of Motoring... Not so much a Guide to Avoiding Idiots... Rather a Series of Observations
50 years of avoiding the loonies out there.... don't know how... just, mostly, have....
Actually started driving cars at 8 and motorcycles by 9 years old so that's a couple more years to tag on... Oh the joys of growing up in a scrap yard... Didn't matter if you crashed because they were being scrapped anyway and its so much better to learn you craft out in the field than be a damn nuisance poodling about on the road, whilst doing kangaroo impressions..
First Observation... Confidence.
Driving a car or riding a motorcycle requires confidence... in truth the vast amount of experience needed to have to ability do either well is purely down to confidence.... you think you can and you can.. (self doubt kills you just as quickly as inexperience)
But the tricky part is the amount of confidence... to much and your over-confident and your in a ditch saying (Ill let you choose the comment - but my favourite is "well that did not go as planned")...
The right amount means that you get to where your going without falling off the road or into someone else.... And.... you learnt something new along the way..... i.e. you can rear wheel steer around that corner at legal speeds.. Its all about keeping it inside your natural abilities....
Not like, as some people do.... and Mr Hammond did..... say "I am a driving God" and then crash... mind you still love Mr Clarksons quote of " slide through those pearly gates... backwards and on fire..." which, again, you may well do through over confidence..
Or your under-confident and your siting at a T junction waiting for the road to be absolutely clear before pulling out, whilst behind you is a flotilla of horns going of...
Or you are afraid to drive in town... or even out of town... Motorways.... Narrow roads that have tight bends...... etc... etc.. etc...
Under-confidence limits your abilities and the enjoyment of motoring... It also increases you chances of saying "never had an accident but seen several in the rear view mirror"
One of my Aunts used to take her hands of the steering wheel and cover her eyes if she found herself going over 40.. I kid you not....
Second Observation... Skill/Technique
Again, in truth, confidence is all that is required to drive on empty, normal, roads... but skill is the thing you learn over time.... and you need when there is any other traffic, obstacles, potholes and sheep about..... (don't hit a cow.... you might not have allot of car left)
you cant rush it..... you will either have a crash or will cause one....
You cant buy it.... you can pay for lessons to speed it up... but have known more than a few people who have proudly said "this guy has no idea" when referring to an instructor .... because they think they know better.... That comment looks, real, good on a headstone as they, themselves, are the ones with no idea...
You can only learn up to your natural reaction speed.... The brain takes half a second to react to something new... So its mechanism to get round this is automatic reactions... you do something a few times and then the brain says "OK got that.. when I see/feel/hear that... I do this".... instantaneously and then takes it a step further and says "this is new but its similar to...." and the auto reaction kicks in.
First time the back end steps out its, shall we say, entertaining.... but the next you just turn into it without thinking... that's automatic reactions.... the more you drive/ride the more automatic it becomes.... and if your brain is wired right you can end up a stunt rider with ease.... well with a lot of practise and a mountain of cardboard boxes...
But if its not important to you to be a better driver/rider as motoring is "just a form of transit" then the brain gets bored and switches off the auto react and just goes into a lazy autopilot mode... which means when something happens out side your normal "comfort" range... you crash or crash into.
An example of all of the above is my personal pet hate number 23 (and yes there are anymore)...
Just watch a tailgater on the dual carriageway... easily recognisable by lack of distance to the car/bike in front of him and the brake lights are on when the one in front are not...
- Overconfident in Abilities and Reactions while Underestimating the Surrounding Conditions -
(To be honest you should never use your brakes on a dual carriageway... look far enough ahead... keep a sensible gap... and just lift you foot off the accelerator and, just, use engine braking)
Third Observation... Anger
Don't care how good a driver/rider you may be you get angry and your abilities go sky high but your survivability goes to zero..
Yes I have seen some of my friends ride faster and better than there natural abilities allow.. but you become focused... single minded... and that's just simply dangerous... deadly even...
If some moron pulls out in front of you and you don't need to brake then why get angry... If someone pulls out in front of me and floors it... could not give a monkeys...
If that moron pulled out and you did have to brake the just be glad you missed him as getting angry and shouting obscenities often just gets you rear ended because you forgot to move again...
If the moron pulled out and you hit him.... don't get angry... just get the phone out and photograph everything...... LISTEN.. don't verbalise... you will be £'s better off in the end... mind you you may need that punching bag hung up the garage when you get home...
Fourth Observation.... Indifference
Why do most accidents happen within half a mile of home or a workplace.... Indifference.... "I always turn here so why do I need to indicate!" being my pet hate number 16....
The "you should know where I'm going" brigade do my head in. Longest I ever worked at one place was 15 years... and always indicated to turn in... but, as there were thousands who worked at Cranes, hundreds, everyday, did not.... kept the factory nurse busy anyway...
Fifth Observation.... Perception
The ability to be aware of your surroundings... More and more drivers these days are not...
Pet hate number 19.... Slip Lanes..... especially the one at the bottom of the A140 where it joins the A14.... nearly been killed there on many an occasion....
I'm coming up the slip lane behind someone.... were doing 60/60+ already.... I look over my shoulder/in the mirror... to check the gap... and when I look forward again the car in front is braking.. violently..... THE LORRY CAN NOT DO 60..... but he still panics and brakes rather than just carry on onto the carriageway...
I'm swerving up the inside of him... the lorry driver is laughing his head off... and the car driver, now stopped, need five times the gap before he can pull out again...
A really good trick/habit is to assume that someone is going to suddenly appear and pull out of every junction you pass..... and the thing is to think "where can I go"... it that gate open... is the pavement clear... that hedge is softer than the brick wall... anything is better than hitting something head on..
And in truth I have had to resort to driveways a couple of times rather than have a collision.
Never ever think "it will not happen to me" for the universal truth that is "Its never if it happens... its simply when.."
Anyway as I said at the start.... Not a "survivors" guide just random notes of the journey..
Would I love to do another 50.. not sure... to many cars and to few major roads to run them on.... but its all academic really as I know the Fuchs' Dystrophy will kick in one day soon and that will be that....
Be careful out there....
P
Actually started driving cars at 8 and motorcycles by 9 years old so that's a couple more years to tag on... Oh the joys of growing up in a scrap yard... Didn't matter if you crashed because they were being scrapped anyway and its so much better to learn you craft out in the field than be a damn nuisance poodling about on the road, whilst doing kangaroo impressions..
First Observation... Confidence.
Driving a car or riding a motorcycle requires confidence... in truth the vast amount of experience needed to have to ability do either well is purely down to confidence.... you think you can and you can.. (self doubt kills you just as quickly as inexperience)
But the tricky part is the amount of confidence... to much and your over-confident and your in a ditch saying (Ill let you choose the comment - but my favourite is "well that did not go as planned")...
The right amount means that you get to where your going without falling off the road or into someone else.... And.... you learnt something new along the way..... i.e. you can rear wheel steer around that corner at legal speeds.. Its all about keeping it inside your natural abilities....
Not like, as some people do.... and Mr Hammond did..... say "I am a driving God" and then crash... mind you still love Mr Clarksons quote of " slide through those pearly gates... backwards and on fire..." which, again, you may well do through over confidence..
Or your under-confident and your siting at a T junction waiting for the road to be absolutely clear before pulling out, whilst behind you is a flotilla of horns going of...
Or you are afraid to drive in town... or even out of town... Motorways.... Narrow roads that have tight bends...... etc... etc.. etc...
Under-confidence limits your abilities and the enjoyment of motoring... It also increases you chances of saying "never had an accident but seen several in the rear view mirror"
One of my Aunts used to take her hands of the steering wheel and cover her eyes if she found herself going over 40.. I kid you not....
Second Observation... Skill/Technique
Again, in truth, confidence is all that is required to drive on empty, normal, roads... but skill is the thing you learn over time.... and you need when there is any other traffic, obstacles, potholes and sheep about..... (don't hit a cow.... you might not have allot of car left)
you cant rush it..... you will either have a crash or will cause one....
You cant buy it.... you can pay for lessons to speed it up... but have known more than a few people who have proudly said "this guy has no idea" when referring to an instructor .... because they think they know better.... That comment looks, real, good on a headstone as they, themselves, are the ones with no idea...
You can only learn up to your natural reaction speed.... The brain takes half a second to react to something new... So its mechanism to get round this is automatic reactions... you do something a few times and then the brain says "OK got that.. when I see/feel/hear that... I do this".... instantaneously and then takes it a step further and says "this is new but its similar to...." and the auto reaction kicks in.
First time the back end steps out its, shall we say, entertaining.... but the next you just turn into it without thinking... that's automatic reactions.... the more you drive/ride the more automatic it becomes.... and if your brain is wired right you can end up a stunt rider with ease.... well with a lot of practise and a mountain of cardboard boxes...
But if its not important to you to be a better driver/rider as motoring is "just a form of transit" then the brain gets bored and switches off the auto react and just goes into a lazy autopilot mode... which means when something happens out side your normal "comfort" range... you crash or crash into.
An example of all of the above is my personal pet hate number 23 (and yes there are anymore)...
Just watch a tailgater on the dual carriageway... easily recognisable by lack of distance to the car/bike in front of him and the brake lights are on when the one in front are not...
- Overconfident in Abilities and Reactions while Underestimating the Surrounding Conditions -
(To be honest you should never use your brakes on a dual carriageway... look far enough ahead... keep a sensible gap... and just lift you foot off the accelerator and, just, use engine braking)
Third Observation... Anger
Don't care how good a driver/rider you may be you get angry and your abilities go sky high but your survivability goes to zero..
Yes I have seen some of my friends ride faster and better than there natural abilities allow.. but you become focused... single minded... and that's just simply dangerous... deadly even...
If some moron pulls out in front of you and you don't need to brake then why get angry... If someone pulls out in front of me and floors it... could not give a monkeys...
If that moron pulled out and you did have to brake the just be glad you missed him as getting angry and shouting obscenities often just gets you rear ended because you forgot to move again...
If the moron pulled out and you hit him.... don't get angry... just get the phone out and photograph everything...... LISTEN.. don't verbalise... you will be £'s better off in the end... mind you you may need that punching bag hung up the garage when you get home...
Fourth Observation.... Indifference
Why do most accidents happen within half a mile of home or a workplace.... Indifference.... "I always turn here so why do I need to indicate!" being my pet hate number 16....
The "you should know where I'm going" brigade do my head in. Longest I ever worked at one place was 15 years... and always indicated to turn in... but, as there were thousands who worked at Cranes, hundreds, everyday, did not.... kept the factory nurse busy anyway...
Fifth Observation.... Perception
The ability to be aware of your surroundings... More and more drivers these days are not...
Pet hate number 19.... Slip Lanes..... especially the one at the bottom of the A140 where it joins the A14.... nearly been killed there on many an occasion....
I'm coming up the slip lane behind someone.... were doing 60/60+ already.... I look over my shoulder/in the mirror... to check the gap... and when I look forward again the car in front is braking.. violently..... THE LORRY CAN NOT DO 60..... but he still panics and brakes rather than just carry on onto the carriageway...
I'm swerving up the inside of him... the lorry driver is laughing his head off... and the car driver, now stopped, need five times the gap before he can pull out again...
A really good trick/habit is to assume that someone is going to suddenly appear and pull out of every junction you pass..... and the thing is to think "where can I go"... it that gate open... is the pavement clear... that hedge is softer than the brick wall... anything is better than hitting something head on..
And in truth I have had to resort to driveways a couple of times rather than have a collision.
Never ever think "it will not happen to me" for the universal truth that is "Its never if it happens... its simply when.."
Anyway as I said at the start.... Not a "survivors" guide just random notes of the journey..
Would I love to do another 50.. not sure... to many cars and to few major roads to run them on.... but its all academic really as I know the Fuchs' Dystrophy will kick in one day soon and that will be that....
Be careful out there....
P
Wednesday, 14 October 2015
Milestone...
Hi All
Thank you for reading my Blog....
It is now showing 999 page views....
So the first person to read this will be the 1,000th reader..
Congrats to you whoever you are because I never thought that it would reach 100!
Highest post by far is the Keis Chicane Heated Grips Review... Hope it helped people make up their minds on buying a pair or not.... I now I love mine...
Well here's to the next 1000
And a big THANK YOU to all my readers, as someone once said..
Thank you for reading my Blog....
It is now showing 999 page views....
So the first person to read this will be the 1,000th reader..
Congrats to you whoever you are because I never thought that it would reach 100!
Highest post by far is the Keis Chicane Heated Grips Review... Hope it helped people make up their minds on buying a pair or not.... I now I love mine...
Well here's to the next 1000
And a big THANK YOU to all my readers, as someone once said..
Wednesday, 9 September 2015
Quiet War and loss of Identity..
The loss of the little boy on the beach is saddening but no more so than the hundreds of others who have drowned and guilt is just one of the weapons being used by the sections, on both sides, of this "invasion" who have their own agenda.
All these men coming here.. how long before they demand there families follow.... they have already started to demand that women here cover their arms and legs..... they already ignore our values, already burn our religious texts and ignore laws they are fully aware of.
They see a society who's leaders are so far up their own backsides that the light of common sense cannot be seen and are just walking in.... no wooden horses.... no weapons, other than words, but time will tell on that one...
Don't really know what you call this... its not a cold war... its not a silent war.... its nearer to a quiet war where our values are slowly eroded by the cry of "it offends me" and we mutely give in... Not that the common man is being quiet but the more he complains the more he is being silenced by those who cant see past the £ sign.
I have always asked "why" (actually love the "5 Whys" idea started by Sakichi Toyoda) as the need to understand both side, the whole picture, of a situation is paramount in finding the best solution/answer...
There is war and oppression in some parts of the world and I can see the effects of this in the eyes of the few.... but not in the eyes of the many.... Those come more for financial reasons in increasing there income and reducing our resistance to the end game...
You must take more refugees, says the EU..... Why.... Why is this the only option.... Is it simply they are to scared to make another balls up like the WMD debacle and just accepting mass migration is an easier answer... because its not... Grow a pair and help them in there own country... Russia is...
You offer rewards for reaching the EU countries and then wonder why so many come... and keep coming, surly this must prove something about your flawed logic. You see a cheaper workforce.. they see a sugar daddy....
Karl Marx described money as the "Universal Pimp" and his description of how its used in control is eloquently put in his "Theory of Alienation"...... The modern day EU cannot see past money.... But the truth is that this quiet war is not about money its about total control... Yes you can pay a man a wage and you then control his worked hours... but he still has free time to enjoy however he see fit.... but if you can hook a man with a "religion" that controls his whole life and limits his perceived freedoms... well..... you end up with the worth and worth less.....
I am British but was born in England and never could understand why England does not have honour St George or the Union Jack in the same way in the same way that Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland honours their patron saints and flags.... But then I think.... where does our government get its funding from....
I walk down the high street and it starts to rain.. I keep walking.... been wet before... Will be wet again.... but all around me are people running for doorways, shops, anywhere to hide... whereas 30 years ago the majority would have still been walking with me....
What happened....
Posted a Mail Online page from June 2006 on my face book page the other day... the one reply I received, from a friend, was "Its only the mail. All credibility of reports is officially null and void if it has Daily Mail written above it".... But, in this case, there is very little deviation from what Rear Admiral Chris Parry actually said..
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Last updated at 10:33 12 June 2006
Britain and Europe face being overrun by mass migration from the Third World within 30 years, a senior Royal Navy strategist claimed yesterday.
In an apocalyptic vision of security dangers, Rear Admiral Chris Parry forecast 'reverse colonisation', where migrants become more dominant than their hosts.
He said the seeds of the problem were spiralling population growth and environmental destruction.
In the competition for resources, many would flee their homelands and head en mass for better places such as Britain.
The Internet, cheap foreign travel and free international phone calls would hasten the demise, he said, because new migrants would stay connected with their homelands rather than assimilate into the host country's culture.
His prognosis is that Western civilisation faces a threat on a par with the collapse of the Roman Empire after the 5th century invasion of Rome by the Goths, the East Germanic tribe.
And he said the process could start within ten years with African pirates attacking yachts and beaches in the Mediterranean.
Admiral Parry is head of the Ministry of Defence unit tasked with identifying future threats to Britain's security.
He said: 'Globalisation makes assimilation seem redundant and old-fashioned.
'The process acts as a sort of reverse colonisation, where groups of people are self-contained, going back and forth between their countries, exploiting sophisticated networks and using instant communication on phones and the Internet.'
Admiral Parry, 52, an Oxford graduate who was mentioned in dispatches in the Falklands War, warned in a presentation last week that the world was heading for a cataclysmic security breakdown.
Although it would start in the Third World, the instability would seep into the West via the Mediterranean.
'At some time in the next ten years it may not be safe to sail a yacht between Gibraltar and Malta,' he warned.
He predicted that as flood, water shortages, agricultural decline or starvation strike, the most dangerous zones would be Africa, especially the northern half, and the Middle East and central Asia.
The flash points would also be regions affected by radical Islam.
With rural areas of Third World countries falling into ruin, millions would be forced into towns and cities, with the result that large metropolises such as Mexico City face becoming ungovernable.
In an effort to control population growth, some countries might be tempted to copy China's 'one child' policy, but with the widespread preference for male children this would produce a ratio of boys to girls as much as 150 to 100.
'When you combine the lower prospects for communal life with macho youth and economic deprivation you tend to get trouble, typified by gangs and organised criminal activity,' he said.
He pinpointed 2012 to 2018 as the period when the current global power structure was likely to crumble, with the United State's superpower status challenged by the rise of nations such as China, India, Brazil and Iran.
Admiral Parry, whose slogan was 'old dog, new tricks' when he commanded the attack ship HMS Fearless, delivered his vision in the presentation to senior officers at the Royal United Services Institute in London.
He did not claim all the threats would come true, but warned what was likely to happen if problems were not addressed by politicians.
Lord Boyce, a former Chief of Defence Staff, said of the analysis: 'Bringing it together in this way shows we have some very serious challenges ahead.
'The real problem is getting them taken seriously at the top of the Government.'
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
How much of this sounds "about right" to you....
Never really bothered me about mixed marriages in the 60's and 70's, although there was a lot of hate going around about it in those days.... The heart wants what it wants....
My brother had a really close nit group of friends, one of whom had a black girlfriend.... this was no problem until he wanted to marry her...
Could not believe how quickly his "friends" turned on him... My brother would only see him quietly as he did not want the others to know....
Me... Well we had a Great Dane at the time... So I took him for a walk across town, good 4 miles I recon, to see them... Still remember the look on her face when the door opened.... priceless, as they say.
I went because it was the right thing to do. They really were in love and are still together now...
But what I see happening today I'm not so sure about... I have said above about the migrants demanding there families be brought over but there is also those who have come to find brides here for the express purpose of diluting faith...
The slow globalisation of Islam by marriage is just another tool being used by a religion that can't even agree within itself on the correct interpretation of its "book".
All these men coming here.. how long before they demand there families follow.... they have already started to demand that women here cover their arms and legs..... they already ignore our values, already burn our religious texts and ignore laws they are fully aware of.
They see a society who's leaders are so far up their own backsides that the light of common sense cannot be seen and are just walking in.... no wooden horses.... no weapons, other than words, but time will tell on that one...
Don't really know what you call this... its not a cold war... its not a silent war.... its nearer to a quiet war where our values are slowly eroded by the cry of "it offends me" and we mutely give in... Not that the common man is being quiet but the more he complains the more he is being silenced by those who cant see past the £ sign.
I have always asked "why" (actually love the "5 Whys" idea started by Sakichi Toyoda) as the need to understand both side, the whole picture, of a situation is paramount in finding the best solution/answer...
There is war and oppression in some parts of the world and I can see the effects of this in the eyes of the few.... but not in the eyes of the many.... Those come more for financial reasons in increasing there income and reducing our resistance to the end game...
You must take more refugees, says the EU..... Why.... Why is this the only option.... Is it simply they are to scared to make another balls up like the WMD debacle and just accepting mass migration is an easier answer... because its not... Grow a pair and help them in there own country... Russia is...
You offer rewards for reaching the EU countries and then wonder why so many come... and keep coming, surly this must prove something about your flawed logic. You see a cheaper workforce.. they see a sugar daddy....
Karl Marx described money as the "Universal Pimp" and his description of how its used in control is eloquently put in his "Theory of Alienation"...... The modern day EU cannot see past money.... But the truth is that this quiet war is not about money its about total control... Yes you can pay a man a wage and you then control his worked hours... but he still has free time to enjoy however he see fit.... but if you can hook a man with a "religion" that controls his whole life and limits his perceived freedoms... well..... you end up with the worth and worth less.....
I am British but was born in England and never could understand why England does not have honour St George or the Union Jack in the same way in the same way that Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland honours their patron saints and flags.... But then I think.... where does our government get its funding from....
I walk down the high street and it starts to rain.. I keep walking.... been wet before... Will be wet again.... but all around me are people running for doorways, shops, anywhere to hide... whereas 30 years ago the majority would have still been walking with me....
What happened....
Posted a Mail Online page from June 2006 on my face book page the other day... the one reply I received, from a friend, was "Its only the mail. All credibility of reports is officially null and void if it has Daily Mail written above it".... But, in this case, there is very little deviation from what Rear Admiral Chris Parry actually said..
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Britain faces mass migration, warns Admiral
By SAM GREENHILL, Daily MailLast updated at 10:33 12 June 2006
Britain and Europe face being overrun by mass migration from the Third World within 30 years, a senior Royal Navy strategist claimed yesterday.
In an apocalyptic vision of security dangers, Rear Admiral Chris Parry forecast 'reverse colonisation', where migrants become more dominant than their hosts.
He said the seeds of the problem were spiralling population growth and environmental destruction.
In the competition for resources, many would flee their homelands and head en mass for better places such as Britain.
The Internet, cheap foreign travel and free international phone calls would hasten the demise, he said, because new migrants would stay connected with their homelands rather than assimilate into the host country's culture.
His prognosis is that Western civilisation faces a threat on a par with the collapse of the Roman Empire after the 5th century invasion of Rome by the Goths, the East Germanic tribe.
And he said the process could start within ten years with African pirates attacking yachts and beaches in the Mediterranean.
Admiral Parry is head of the Ministry of Defence unit tasked with identifying future threats to Britain's security.
He said: 'Globalisation makes assimilation seem redundant and old-fashioned.
'The process acts as a sort of reverse colonisation, where groups of people are self-contained, going back and forth between their countries, exploiting sophisticated networks and using instant communication on phones and the Internet.'
Admiral Parry, 52, an Oxford graduate who was mentioned in dispatches in the Falklands War, warned in a presentation last week that the world was heading for a cataclysmic security breakdown.
Although it would start in the Third World, the instability would seep into the West via the Mediterranean.
'At some time in the next ten years it may not be safe to sail a yacht between Gibraltar and Malta,' he warned.
He predicted that as flood, water shortages, agricultural decline or starvation strike, the most dangerous zones would be Africa, especially the northern half, and the Middle East and central Asia.
The flash points would also be regions affected by radical Islam.
With rural areas of Third World countries falling into ruin, millions would be forced into towns and cities, with the result that large metropolises such as Mexico City face becoming ungovernable.
In an effort to control population growth, some countries might be tempted to copy China's 'one child' policy, but with the widespread preference for male children this would produce a ratio of boys to girls as much as 150 to 100.
'When you combine the lower prospects for communal life with macho youth and economic deprivation you tend to get trouble, typified by gangs and organised criminal activity,' he said.
He pinpointed 2012 to 2018 as the period when the current global power structure was likely to crumble, with the United State's superpower status challenged by the rise of nations such as China, India, Brazil and Iran.
Admiral Parry, whose slogan was 'old dog, new tricks' when he commanded the attack ship HMS Fearless, delivered his vision in the presentation to senior officers at the Royal United Services Institute in London.
He did not claim all the threats would come true, but warned what was likely to happen if problems were not addressed by politicians.
Lord Boyce, a former Chief of Defence Staff, said of the analysis: 'Bringing it together in this way shows we have some very serious challenges ahead.
'The real problem is getting them taken seriously at the top of the Government.'
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
How much of this sounds "about right" to you....
Never really bothered me about mixed marriages in the 60's and 70's, although there was a lot of hate going around about it in those days.... The heart wants what it wants....
My brother had a really close nit group of friends, one of whom had a black girlfriend.... this was no problem until he wanted to marry her...
Could not believe how quickly his "friends" turned on him... My brother would only see him quietly as he did not want the others to know....
Me... Well we had a Great Dane at the time... So I took him for a walk across town, good 4 miles I recon, to see them... Still remember the look on her face when the door opened.... priceless, as they say.
I went because it was the right thing to do. They really were in love and are still together now...
But what I see happening today I'm not so sure about... I have said above about the migrants demanding there families be brought over but there is also those who have come to find brides here for the express purpose of diluting faith...
The slow globalisation of Islam by marriage is just another tool being used by a religion that can't even agree within itself on the correct interpretation of its "book".
Sunday, 23 August 2015
Sena 10C Thoughts and Ongoing Review Update 6th May/2016 - Update 10/09/2016
Purchased a Sena 10C helmet intercom/camera unit yesterday from The Adventure Bike Shop.
Been using a Sena SMH5-FM for a couple of years now.... mainly for GPS and music.... not really one for phone calls while riding/ driving as you should focus on the road and not.... well you choose... hair/make-up/dinner/on tonight the list is endless, unlike your life expectancy if you keep a phone to your ear while driving.
The 10C is about twice the size of the SMH5 but its by no means big or bulky.... there are two mounting option in the box... a simple stick on pad which you slide the 10C into so alignment is critical as there is no rotational adjustment with this option... strangely enough after looking at the "lines" of the helmet... (Shoei Neotec) fitting it parallel to the base worked perfectly.... the 10C itself has 30 deg of "horizon" adjustment to keep the video "level".... The sticky pad option means the unit sits really close to the helmet so unlike the Go Pro its hardly noticeable as a camera....and the "sticky" was my preference with the SMH5....
After my first test ride/video I realised that the pad cannot be placed forward enough on the helmet, being a flip front, so the view ended up being more left hand side than middle of the road due to the helmet curvature...
So... I removed the sticky pad and fitted the 2nd option of the narrower, bulkier, clamp on unit
that has 360 deg vertical adjustment.... and surprisingly this only adds about 10mm to the mounting width... Camera alignment looks more centered but will not know until testing tomorrow... now it clamps on adjustments will be simpler. As a comment you can point the camera rearward but you cannot flip the picture, so it will record upside down...
As the cabling for the 10C is the same as the SMH5-FM I just plugged in my existing mic/speaker set up, rather than faff about, so will be keeping the new, boxed, ones as spares.....
First, real, problem... lovely little shortcut/cheat sheet for the "which button do I push/hold" but nowhere does it mention that when connecting to a computer you have to turn it on (all I ever needed to do with the SMH5) and then turn the camera on too to access the SD card.... might be a simple thing but had to check the forums to find this out because the Sena updater, on my laptop, had recognised it and updated the firmware.... but no "drive" was showing up on screen.
Second, possibly a, problem... The Sena android app... nice little page full of slide buttons that let you know/adjust the state of the camera but no live view.... so there is no way to check the "framing" of the video/photo..... not a good idea Sena... sending a photo to the app/phone for alignment purposes can't be that difficult... even a low res black and white would be better than nothing...
Third, sooner or later it will be a, problem.... there is a little rubber protective cap for when you are not using the camera but the lens is not replaceable and there is no cover/ protector when in use...
Early days and not edited down anything yet... so will be adding thoughts and vid,s etc as I go
Reading a few comments about the Sena 10C from around the web and many people are complaining about the battery life when using the camera being far less than spec...
Initially slow charged mine via the laptop, as i think a fast initial charge is never a good idea, and have now recorded nearly three hours of video..... What I did find was that the camera turned itself off at around two hours.... It has an auto off feature that kicks in at 20% battery level so the intercom keeps working rather than you have a "dead" unit..
But half an hour later, when i had stopped, I checked the battery level and it was showing 3/4 full.... So I turned the camera back on again and recorded another 1/2 an hours worth of video...
Repeated this once more until the camera would not stay on with an indicated 25% battery left..... guess it might be more to do with the way the camera drains the battery.... sort of a deep discharge problem... and, who knows, once the battery has been through a few charge/discharge cycles it might even get better...
But more than happy with the total recording time I ended up with before having to recharge the unit... so to all with a 10C.... the auto off on the camera might be like a fuel gauge... whats on the gauge might not be whats left in the tank...
Still having lots of wind noise so need to play a bit more with the mics location - its hidden in the left hand cheek piece padding at the moment but might give the boom mic a try...
First try did not work so.. second go round...
Short video to test quality and "how do you put music on these things"
Video works in the preview but cannot see it on the published page... please let me know if you can/cannot see it..... and if you can the quality has really dropped from the uploaded file so may end up with a link to the original... P
Time lapse Video...
Recorded a "Ride home including shopping" video using the time lapse feature. You have a choice of 1 or 10 seconds and tried out the one second option first..
The results looked pretty sharp but do think that the one second time frame only really worked in the slower sections and feel that the 10 sec option might just end up as a blur at normal road speeds...
So the first one is saved at half speed (equalling the 0.5 second option that the Sena Prism has)
And the second is at the, pre-set, one second rate....
So which do you think is better?...
Its not as simple as "lets just turn on time lapse" as you really need to understand what end result you are actually after... A nice slow cruise down a country lane may well come out better than a blast....
Sena don't do a car mount for the 10C yet, a missed opportunity in my opinion, but using the "sticky" mount with a dash type holder would work..
But if your pointing it out of, say, a hotel window I'm sure that you will get some amazing extra holiday memories..
Update 06/05/16
Been having a bit of trouble with the sound recording..
The initial problem being sorted by fitting the 10C speaker set up supplied in the box... Guess there wired different to the "5" set up that I had left in the helmet, thinking... same fitting so I'll use 'em...
Have just found that the wires are damaged at the mounting point... must have caught them somewhere... So a new set is on the way from Amazon.. (Amazon Prime is worth it for just the next day postage... let alone the videos and music...)
Above is a good still shot that shows what can be achieved by pressing the photo button as you trundle along (many I have taken don't show the number plate quite as clearly)....
Really want to try a remote but no not like the unit that clamps onto the grip... Poorly thought out placement if you have short fingers... so will see if a wristband one turns up on eBay...
A better idea, to me, may be just a simple box with three buttons on it that mounts over top of the left-hand switch gear... The three buttons being an intercom push on push off (with led) - a video push on push off (again with led) and a photo button (with a led flash/flashes to confirm photo taken)...
You could have a fourth button for the intercom or volume but once you set/activate these you don't often change them...
Update 10th Sept 2016
Not used the camera as much as I thought I would... It is brilliant as a "record the evidence" camera but the videos captured on my last holiday I did not feel good enough to post..
Had been hoping a firmware update would improve the overall image quality but none have to date..
It's not that I regret buying the 10C as it does exactly what I bought it for... Record the idiots and speed up the insurance claims...
Its just that I am considering buying a second camera for better/sharper quality images... Like the newer Garmin virb unit, as have a Zumo 350 and the Go Pro units are superb.... just don't like the "box" style shape... so will have a look at the latest group of "lipstick", with remote viewer, type units...
Would I buy another 10C... Yes... for all its short comings... its always there... intercom, radio, Mp3 and camera... It's part of my helmet now and I would not take it off, apart from when I use it hand held...
Happy Snapping Folks.
P
Been using a Sena SMH5-FM for a couple of years now.... mainly for GPS and music.... not really one for phone calls while riding/ driving as you should focus on the road and not.... well you choose... hair/make-up/dinner/on tonight the list is endless, unlike your life expectancy if you keep a phone to your ear while driving.
The 10C is about twice the size of the SMH5 but its by no means big or bulky.... there are two mounting option in the box... a simple stick on pad which you slide the 10C into so alignment is critical as there is no rotational adjustment with this option... strangely enough after looking at the "lines" of the helmet... (Shoei Neotec) fitting it parallel to the base worked perfectly.... the 10C itself has 30 deg of "horizon" adjustment to keep the video "level".... The sticky pad option means the unit sits really close to the helmet so unlike the Go Pro its hardly noticeable as a camera....and the "sticky" was my preference with the SMH5....
After my first test ride/video I realised that the pad cannot be placed forward enough on the helmet, being a flip front, so the view ended up being more left hand side than middle of the road due to the helmet curvature...
So... I removed the sticky pad and fitted the 2nd option of the narrower, bulkier, clamp on unit
that has 360 deg vertical adjustment.... and surprisingly this only adds about 10mm to the mounting width... Camera alignment looks more centered but will not know until testing tomorrow... now it clamps on adjustments will be simpler. As a comment you can point the camera rearward but you cannot flip the picture, so it will record upside down...
As the cabling for the 10C is the same as the SMH5-FM I just plugged in my existing mic/speaker set up, rather than faff about, so will be keeping the new, boxed, ones as spares.....
First, real, problem... lovely little shortcut/cheat sheet for the "which button do I push/hold" but nowhere does it mention that when connecting to a computer you have to turn it on (all I ever needed to do with the SMH5) and then turn the camera on too to access the SD card.... might be a simple thing but had to check the forums to find this out because the Sena updater, on my laptop, had recognised it and updated the firmware.... but no "drive" was showing up on screen.
Second, possibly a, problem... The Sena android app... nice little page full of slide buttons that let you know/adjust the state of the camera but no live view.... so there is no way to check the "framing" of the video/photo..... not a good idea Sena... sending a photo to the app/phone for alignment purposes can't be that difficult... even a low res black and white would be better than nothing...
Third, sooner or later it will be a, problem.... there is a little rubber protective cap for when you are not using the camera but the lens is not replaceable and there is no cover/ protector when in use...
Early days and not edited down anything yet... so will be adding thoughts and vid,s etc as I go
Reading a few comments about the Sena 10C from around the web and many people are complaining about the battery life when using the camera being far less than spec...
Initially slow charged mine via the laptop, as i think a fast initial charge is never a good idea, and have now recorded nearly three hours of video..... What I did find was that the camera turned itself off at around two hours.... It has an auto off feature that kicks in at 20% battery level so the intercom keeps working rather than you have a "dead" unit..
But half an hour later, when i had stopped, I checked the battery level and it was showing 3/4 full.... So I turned the camera back on again and recorded another 1/2 an hours worth of video...
Repeated this once more until the camera would not stay on with an indicated 25% battery left..... guess it might be more to do with the way the camera drains the battery.... sort of a deep discharge problem... and, who knows, once the battery has been through a few charge/discharge cycles it might even get better...
But more than happy with the total recording time I ended up with before having to recharge the unit... so to all with a 10C.... the auto off on the camera might be like a fuel gauge... whats on the gauge might not be whats left in the tank...
Still having lots of wind noise so need to play a bit more with the mics location - its hidden in the left hand cheek piece padding at the moment but might give the boom mic a try...
First try did not work so.. second go round...
Short video to test quality and "how do you put music on these things"
Video works in the preview but cannot see it on the published page... please let me know if you can/cannot see it..... and if you can the quality has really dropped from the uploaded file so may end up with a link to the original... P
Time lapse Video...
Recorded a "Ride home including shopping" video using the time lapse feature. You have a choice of 1 or 10 seconds and tried out the one second option first..
The results looked pretty sharp but do think that the one second time frame only really worked in the slower sections and feel that the 10 sec option might just end up as a blur at normal road speeds...
So the first one is saved at half speed (equalling the 0.5 second option that the Sena Prism has)
And the second is at the, pre-set, one second rate....
So which do you think is better?...
Its not as simple as "lets just turn on time lapse" as you really need to understand what end result you are actually after... A nice slow cruise down a country lane may well come out better than a blast....
Sena don't do a car mount for the 10C yet, a missed opportunity in my opinion, but using the "sticky" mount with a dash type holder would work..
But if your pointing it out of, say, a hotel window I'm sure that you will get some amazing extra holiday memories..
Update 06/05/16
Been having a bit of trouble with the sound recording..
The initial problem being sorted by fitting the 10C speaker set up supplied in the box... Guess there wired different to the "5" set up that I had left in the helmet, thinking... same fitting so I'll use 'em...
Have just found that the wires are damaged at the mounting point... must have caught them somewhere... So a new set is on the way from Amazon.. (Amazon Prime is worth it for just the next day postage... let alone the videos and music...)
Above is a good still shot that shows what can be achieved by pressing the photo button as you trundle along (many I have taken don't show the number plate quite as clearly)....
Really want to try a remote but no not like the unit that clamps onto the grip... Poorly thought out placement if you have short fingers... so will see if a wristband one turns up on eBay...
A better idea, to me, may be just a simple box with three buttons on it that mounts over top of the left-hand switch gear... The three buttons being an intercom push on push off (with led) - a video push on push off (again with led) and a photo button (with a led flash/flashes to confirm photo taken)...
You could have a fourth button for the intercom or volume but once you set/activate these you don't often change them...
Update 10th Sept 2016
Not used the camera as much as I thought I would... It is brilliant as a "record the evidence" camera but the videos captured on my last holiday I did not feel good enough to post..
Had been hoping a firmware update would improve the overall image quality but none have to date..
It's not that I regret buying the 10C as it does exactly what I bought it for... Record the idiots and speed up the insurance claims...
Its just that I am considering buying a second camera for better/sharper quality images... Like the newer Garmin virb unit, as have a Zumo 350 and the Go Pro units are superb.... just don't like the "box" style shape... so will have a look at the latest group of "lipstick", with remote viewer, type units...
Would I buy another 10C... Yes... for all its short comings... its always there... intercom, radio, Mp3 and camera... It's part of my helmet now and I would not take it off, apart from when I use it hand held...
Happy Snapping Folks.
P
Tuesday, 11 August 2015
Merry Doh... Cool Sunglasses... Short GW2 Story..
Merry Doh was pissed... She had fought hard to win those sunglasses... and now they lay there... smashed....
Oh she had certainly smashed the Ogre that had smashed the sunglasses.... but there she was looking down at them in despair.
Do you know how hard it was to get these she screamed, to the sky.... try killing the mega destroyer.... without them.... your retinas... toast....
Fluffy, simply, preened himself beside her.....
You're not helping either.... but he just ignored her and carried on grooming himself... well a panther has got to look good to, after all....
She liked fluffy....picked him up in the eternal battlefields... not usually a world verses world player but on the day she found him she was glad she had...
Well I suppose its back there again, she thought, hate that hell hole... damn lava really dries out my hair...
Better swing by the Royal Terrace, maybe MF some stuff to make gold for supplies... couple of star cakes be handy too...
The Mystic forge (or Massive Toilet as its more often called) can reward you with some excellent items even a precursor for your legendary but more often than not it just churns out junk...
Merry remembered one go round where she put in four knights gloves only to get a knights glove back....of the same level...
Buy 4 get 1... now that's the sort of offer the merchants would love to be able get away with..
She pulled the Royal Pass out of her pack and instantly she was standing in the forecourt of the terrace.. Quick check with the Seraph Tinkerer, repair armor, then up the ramp to the forge and crafting areas.
Merry put a few lesser blues in and got a named great sword, which was promptly sold...
Had a bit of a clear out in the inventory to.... Not a cook so that can go and that... Hmmm Omniberries.... better not... they'll just end up on my hips..... I'll stick with the star cakes...
As she now had funds she decided to waypoint straight to, rather than gate and run across the map, to the furnace that is Mount Maelstrom..
The only saving grace in all this was that she had already helped the merchant there so it was not a case of clearing out all the Fire Spiders before he could sell to her.... should be a simple in and out this time...
But Merry arrived at the magmatic waypoint just as it was shutting down because the Fire Elementals were storming into the camp... damn should have checked the timer on this....quick visual found two commanders here... brilliant.... no problem then as lots of cavalry arriving soon....
She was a fighter not a leader... loved to help.. loved to run around and support anyone in need so was always glad when others took up the commander role..
But it did mean that she would stay and have another go round with the Mega Destroyer as he pops up not long after these Ele's are cleared...
Merry dived in with a great sword combo and body parts start coming off every where... Fluffy takes out another coming up behind her and then a Zerg just whirls straight past nearly taking her head off....
Zerg's... pile in hot... fall over dead.... that always made her laugh...
She might take longer using the PVT stuff but she took less damage to, and using the Celestial accessories gave her an edge, as they offered health benefits she would not otherwise have...
Not so many turned up to help so it took a while to clear the camp..... but, at the end. she wandered over to Blork and bought a new pair of sunglasses.... nice, similar, but just not the same..... Still looked very cool when she wore them....
Guardians have there polished helms... Thieves there leather ones ..... but none looked as cool as Merry in those sunglasses....
Time for the tunnels.... the Mega Destroyer awaits...
Oh she had certainly smashed the Ogre that had smashed the sunglasses.... but there she was looking down at them in despair.
Do you know how hard it was to get these she screamed, to the sky.... try killing the mega destroyer.... without them.... your retinas... toast....
Fluffy, simply, preened himself beside her.....
You're not helping either.... but he just ignored her and carried on grooming himself... well a panther has got to look good to, after all....
She liked fluffy....picked him up in the eternal battlefields... not usually a world verses world player but on the day she found him she was glad she had...
Well I suppose its back there again, she thought, hate that hell hole... damn lava really dries out my hair...
Better swing by the Royal Terrace, maybe MF some stuff to make gold for supplies... couple of star cakes be handy too...
The Mystic forge (or Massive Toilet as its more often called) can reward you with some excellent items even a precursor for your legendary but more often than not it just churns out junk...
Merry remembered one go round where she put in four knights gloves only to get a knights glove back....of the same level...
Buy 4 get 1... now that's the sort of offer the merchants would love to be able get away with..
She pulled the Royal Pass out of her pack and instantly she was standing in the forecourt of the terrace.. Quick check with the Seraph Tinkerer, repair armor, then up the ramp to the forge and crafting areas.
Merry put a few lesser blues in and got a named great sword, which was promptly sold...
Had a bit of a clear out in the inventory to.... Not a cook so that can go and that... Hmmm Omniberries.... better not... they'll just end up on my hips..... I'll stick with the star cakes...
As she now had funds she decided to waypoint straight to, rather than gate and run across the map, to the furnace that is Mount Maelstrom..
The only saving grace in all this was that she had already helped the merchant there so it was not a case of clearing out all the Fire Spiders before he could sell to her.... should be a simple in and out this time...
But Merry arrived at the magmatic waypoint just as it was shutting down because the Fire Elementals were storming into the camp... damn should have checked the timer on this....quick visual found two commanders here... brilliant.... no problem then as lots of cavalry arriving soon....
She was a fighter not a leader... loved to help.. loved to run around and support anyone in need so was always glad when others took up the commander role..
But it did mean that she would stay and have another go round with the Mega Destroyer as he pops up not long after these Ele's are cleared...
Merry dived in with a great sword combo and body parts start coming off every where... Fluffy takes out another coming up behind her and then a Zerg just whirls straight past nearly taking her head off....
Zerg's... pile in hot... fall over dead.... that always made her laugh...
She might take longer using the PVT stuff but she took less damage to, and using the Celestial accessories gave her an edge, as they offered health benefits she would not otherwise have...
Not so many turned up to help so it took a while to clear the camp..... but, at the end. she wandered over to Blork and bought a new pair of sunglasses.... nice, similar, but just not the same..... Still looked very cool when she wore them....
Guardians have there polished helms... Thieves there leather ones ..... but none looked as cool as Merry in those sunglasses....
Time for the tunnels.... the Mega Destroyer awaits...
Sunday, 9 August 2015
Rules of the Road....
First rule of the road.... Everyone else is an idiot...
Second rule of the road...... Your an idiot for going out on a
road full of idiots...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Another scorcher of a day... So it's out on the Uly again....
Headed up to the north Norfolk coast via Thetford and Swaffham.... so a bit of a convoluted route to the Kingfisher cafe on the coast road in Wallcott and the, nearby, Happisburgh light house.
Started out as a nice ride but the ever increasing traffic and decreasing levels of driving ability did detract from this somewhat....
Caught up to one guy, early on, who was a "40mph is my speed"... so 40 he did... in 50mph limit roads... along 60mph roads...... and through 30mph villages.....
As I was using the "shortest route" option on my Garmin it was taking me down all the back roads... which is always my preference.... but up in Norfolk the driving is a bit last century....
Now I can live with the locals going slow because, at least, their consistent.... and they don't swerve away when you pass....
But the Tourists who are trying to avoid the permanent queue that is the coast road, in summer, or any main road in that area, are a different story...
4x4's barrelling towards you expecting you to go up a bank to get out of there way are common, as are the "lets blast down this narrow "straight" road n screech to almost a standstill for the slightest of bends" brigade... found more then a few of both types today
First real idiot, though, was a nice X5 (bl**dy ugly things) driver who was so impatient that when the car in front of me slowed to let a car pull out he overtook the pair of us... luckily the driver pulling out must have been a local cos he had not even started to move before the X5 flashed past in front of him.... No idea what the X5 driver was thinking off but he was one very lucky man...
And when coming back along the A140...... I came across (I so want to say massive here) idiot number two
Long queue of cars n me behind another "Mr 40 mph" on the Suffolk "50mph" half of the 140... Not to many cars coming the other way so, slowly, people overtook him....
Were down to three cars behind him then me just as we hit the Mendlesham straight section.... So I gear up to follow the other cars past....... when he slows down n indicates to turn in next to Scholar...
Can see his "high level" lights through the windscreens of the cars in front of me...
But Mr "I've got a flash Audi" behind me just pulls out and passes the lot of us...... He needed a bit of the grass to do this mind you.... because "Capt slow" had started to turn... He stopped.... Mr Audi did not... He just disappeared off into the distance... probably to get home for a clean pair of skids... Idiot... lucky, lucky idiot.....
I'm watching in front of me but he must have started past us the instant he saw no oncoming traffic down the straight as a second later and he would have been rolling down the road, or over the hedge....
Nearly bought a the new Sena 10c helmet cam the other day... wish I had now as posting video's of today's events would have been fun.
Hmmmm... Maybe I'll get one tomorrow...
Second rule of the road...... Your an idiot for going out on a
road full of idiots...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Another scorcher of a day... So it's out on the Uly again....
Headed up to the north Norfolk coast via Thetford and Swaffham.... so a bit of a convoluted route to the Kingfisher cafe on the coast road in Wallcott and the, nearby, Happisburgh light house.
Started out as a nice ride but the ever increasing traffic and decreasing levels of driving ability did detract from this somewhat....
Caught up to one guy, early on, who was a "40mph is my speed"... so 40 he did... in 50mph limit roads... along 60mph roads...... and through 30mph villages.....
As I was using the "shortest route" option on my Garmin it was taking me down all the back roads... which is always my preference.... but up in Norfolk the driving is a bit last century....
Now I can live with the locals going slow because, at least, their consistent.... and they don't swerve away when you pass....
But the Tourists who are trying to avoid the permanent queue that is the coast road, in summer, or any main road in that area, are a different story...
4x4's barrelling towards you expecting you to go up a bank to get out of there way are common, as are the "lets blast down this narrow "straight" road n screech to almost a standstill for the slightest of bends" brigade... found more then a few of both types today
First real idiot, though, was a nice X5 (bl**dy ugly things) driver who was so impatient that when the car in front of me slowed to let a car pull out he overtook the pair of us... luckily the driver pulling out must have been a local cos he had not even started to move before the X5 flashed past in front of him.... No idea what the X5 driver was thinking off but he was one very lucky man...
And when coming back along the A140...... I came across (I so want to say massive here) idiot number two
Long queue of cars n me behind another "Mr 40 mph" on the Suffolk "50mph" half of the 140... Not to many cars coming the other way so, slowly, people overtook him....
Were down to three cars behind him then me just as we hit the Mendlesham straight section.... So I gear up to follow the other cars past....... when he slows down n indicates to turn in next to Scholar...
Can see his "high level" lights through the windscreens of the cars in front of me...
But Mr "I've got a flash Audi" behind me just pulls out and passes the lot of us...... He needed a bit of the grass to do this mind you.... because "Capt slow" had started to turn... He stopped.... Mr Audi did not... He just disappeared off into the distance... probably to get home for a clean pair of skids... Idiot... lucky, lucky idiot.....
I'm watching in front of me but he must have started past us the instant he saw no oncoming traffic down the straight as a second later and he would have been rolling down the road, or over the hedge....
Nearly bought a the new Sena 10c helmet cam the other day... wish I had now as posting video's of today's events would have been fun.
Hmmmm... Maybe I'll get one tomorrow...
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