Litespeed

I don't know much about them but the blue bits look toxic.. I know they weigh about 10 kg and I hit them in the tinny all the time.

Yes they used the Mujahideen and that would piss Russia off. But as per usual their meddling created a nightmare of global proportion, they helped create Al Qaeda and they trained and armed the Taliban. In reality they Russians should be very happy overall for all the chaos, blood and treasure the US has befallen on themselves. I doubt Putin gave a damn about the body count of locals, as long as the US bleed.

A perfect example of why batteries will not be the big problem we face. It's acceptance by the naysayers that holds us back. These far cheaper packs mean home,farm, vechicle and other stationary applications become very affordable and will only keep getting better. It could also mean electric mining equipment and trains become far more viable. Weight of packs can be a absolute advantage, they need weight added anyway- eg loaders,tractors excavators etc. Also big developments are coming in ultra high density solid state batteries. Technology is not the issue it's the politics and vested interests that are the greatest threat.

The best are just green or blue but white is also good. Here it is.

Now that's proper Headbanger music.

Had two great nights in a row on the deck of a great friends houseboat . We are founding members of the "Procrastinaters fishing 🎣 club". We eat, chat, drink and view the giant aquarium nature provides. She has a solar light just above the water that does many colours but best is blue or green. Turn it on at dusk and wait for the best show in town. The marina is a gold mine for fish habitat and we have been training them to come each night for a viewing. The green attracts the plankton which attracts little Tailor, Garfish, squid, prawns and even Mantis shrimp arrive. Then the hunter killer subs of fish turn up- Mulloway ( Jewel or Jew fish). They cruise like lazy dogs then explode the water as they smash the little stuff. The acceleration they have is hard to believe. Small fish are jumping out the water for their lives often to land in striking distance of another Mulloway. In two hours tonight we saw hundreds of prey getting smashed by a gang of 10-12 Mulloways from 35-60cm. Still below the minimum 70cm , but impressive beasts. All perfectly lit for viewing from the deck, mostly within 1-10 feet in front of us. After seeing that, it's easy to understand finding fish and prawns on the deck, they jumped there. We just love watching nature at work, it's better than any movie. No fishing involved except for inspection of a huge mantis shrimp, which I netted. The Mulloway won't attack them unless by mistake. The Mantis Shrimp is a weird and deadly looking bastard and when swallowed would be stabbing the fish from the inside. Yes, one did stab my hand once and wow that bleed and hurt like hell..their stab or punch depending on the type is faster than the speed of sound and creates a ballistic bubble that explodes in front of them. It's enough to smash aquarium glass. Best show and perfect company

Sadly Red has been hospitalised for taking his wife at her word. Sadly, us blokes forget they never really mean what they say but sure are mean when we find out. I hope the bruises heal quickly

It's hard to argue with a dinosaur , all they can think of is dinosaur juice. It must hurt knowing extinction is their future.

The plastics in the cooling system can be a problem but really after 25 years should have been replaced ie new hoses, water tank and a radiator as well as replaced water pump and belts. These are all really consumables are are not expensive if you know where to shop, actually cheaper than a bloody Toyota. The gasket price is gold plated and clearly a rip off. Several USA based parts suppliers will do parts at 20% of the dealer price for the same OEM parts and deliver cheaply in less than a week. The market is huge so OEM parts are cheap over there. Here in Aus the cheapest is Tooleyimports.com.au at Frenchs Forest in Sydney, they import the parts direct at a fraction of normal prices. They do Mercedes and Audi/VW parts a well. Family owned and great people. Also great for advice. The half tank problem is probably the in tank pickup and filter been displaced or almost completely blocked, there is an additional filter in line under the car and a secondary fuel pump, these should also be checked. If the pressure drops the car will go to limp mode or stops to protect from leaning out and detonation. Yes, the electrics can be a bit crap at times, as can any car that age. The BMW owners forums are a great resource and solve lots of problems. Also the biggest issue is peeps never service and oil change as required and this can sludge the engine. The pcv should be replaced when they get old as this can be a issue for performance, oil consumption and causing excess pressure. A major cause of leaks. The biggest issue is lack of proper servicing as they get old and bought cheaply by peeps who abuse the poor thing and never change fluids etc. If it's a E39, ie 5s series it's one of the best handling luxury cars ever built and will never be repeated as everything got fat and heavy. They were very expensive new and are sophisticated and need proper maintenance like any thoroughbred should. I owned a 540i V8, it was a rocket ship and handled like a proper sportscar. A imported radiator OEM from the states cost me under $200 delivered via airmail, the local dealer wanted $1200. Exactly the same Behr product. Hope this helps.

Yesterday I saw a great display of Ravens defending the nest against a predator. A white bellied Sea Eagle 🦅 cruised along above a Ravens nest on Bull Island and came way too close- 50ft. So the parents went on the hunt, they chased it relentlessly for 5 mins and had the big eagle on the run. The eagle kept trying to get to the nest, the Ravens were clearly prepared to die if needed to protect the family. Eventually it flew away after been repeatedly beaked midair. Clearly the eagle could win against one Raven but two prepared to die if needed was too much. Such great parents and brilliant team work.

I sometimes row or kayak but normally pull the cord and motor in. But you can bet when it storms the outboard will complain.

I have replaced every normal bush in may euro cars with them and had no issues at all. They were a famous brand and came with the grease and implicit instructions it must be used. Handling was also greatly improved.

Only 500m from mooring to dock. Yes the swell can get big, but I am generally sheltered except from - south. I am well protected by Bull island. My 'ship rides well so it's not bad. I am in a deep part of the passage and that helps a lot. Swell approx 50 cm at worst today, tomorrow?

Here in Port Stephens it's changed from a scorcher weekend to southerly low. So lots of rain and wind for several days. Only a pain when using the tinny to get ashore.

Those red suspension bushes look like they collapsed from lack of lubrication. They all need the special grease supplied in the kit to be used. Lube the inner and outer surfaces and ensure the contact points on the suspension are smooth. Have seen this before.

Deaf as a door nail Just you, me and the gate post. Flat as a tack Gives me the tom tits ( the shits)

Like a rat up a drainpipe. Fair shake of the sauce bottle Pass the dead horse Flat as a lizard drinking

War , politics by other means When the weapons appear the law falls silent.

That would be agent 86 and 99 Get Smart Yes day late dollar short

The israeli idea is similar but long travel suspension and floor dropping ability. Similar but for off-road.

Possibly

Ok, Let's develop a specifications list. Blank sheets really are the best start. I suggest a skateboard style design with individual wheel motor modules that also do suspension and steer. These designs are already coming to market. Quadruple redundancy, simple and efficient. This frees up the design and greatly reduces cost by buying off OEMs where possible. Skateboard design allows anything from a van/bus, ute, wagon or even a car. It also provides full independent 4wd with no power transmission systems bar the wheel motors. Traction control, regeneration braking. Independent adjustable suspension in height - this allows instantly variable suspension and power at any wheel to suit the terrain or on road conditions. That allows a comfortable ride and sporty/safe handling. It also reduces greatly the structural requirements to put up with the normal pounding a rugged old design needs. This allows for a far lighter overall structure over any current model and still meet specs. It should be no more than 1500kg as a basic affordable machine. It is scalable by design to allow larger range and weight load options. It should not try to compete with the huge expensive high utes, it's not. But will take a far larger load in back and easy to unload. And can cover areas hard work for a trad ute. Loading height is 300mm or less with suspension dropped to allow easy and safe loading of stuff/bikes/ sheep or hay bales etc. No big ramps required, they are simple plastic slide outs. Can be side load as well. These features are a step change in on farm OH&S to reduce injuries. It's a new way of moving stuff easily around a farm, not breaking ya back and the family can get to town. The extremely low loading height means animal management is far easier and no supporting ramps with side cages etc are needed, assuming nice beasts. Walking a calve onboard is easy. Plastic panelled and cheaply easily customisable/ reconfigurable. An alloy structure with inbuilt roll bar of high strength alloy steel. Normal safety features. It does not look like a ute but more a very short bonnet vw tray back in shape, but modern and a ultra low long tray that can still raise to normal heights. The wheels are at the ends for extreme approach and depart angles. This also maximizes load space. It looks pure form is function, as we expected a 2025 design would be back in the last millennium. Sorry no etchings as done on a $100 tablet.

Just a new way of saying bugger all in the time allotted and give them a chance to think about the crap they say. The ABC needs to stop taking shit and push them to answer properly. The interviewer should retort " I know it's a good question, that's my job, yours is too answer them, not Parrott me". Just a subtle change can make a big effect.

You might not have a choice.