SDQDI

While I understand your point here M6 I've often thought that the middle of the lane might be safer as it makes the car slow up and go around also it is more visible than scooting along the fog line, whereas riding along the fog line (as I do) tends to let cars think it's ok to do 100 straight past and nearly tickle your handlebars. I do understand the need for cyclists to be more considerate but remember a car might have a bad bike experience once a week or once a month depending on where and how often they drive whereas a bike can have a bad car experience on each ride and as has been said who comes off worst when things go south.

Arguing about the idiot rates in cycling compared to cares is a bit silly. In my experience there are idiots in everything and the ratios are about the same wether it is cycling, driving or flying and thankfully those that are idiots are the minority (albeit the most visible for obvious reasons) and to tar a whole sport or group with the one brush is simpleminded. I always used to think cyclists were stupid and had no right to the road but last year I bought a bike to get fit (yeah yeah I know doesn't look like it worked) and road on our quiet roads every evening for about 5 or 6 months, and it opened my eyes to a lot of things. I road in daylight as well as after dark and the roads around home are in the country and fairly quiet with a couple of feet of tar outside the fog line, I always tried to stay outside the fog line and always had bright flashing rear red lights (even in daylight) and the different car reactions were eye opening. The majority would pull into the other lane or partly move over and give me plenty of room (extremely rare to have a car from both directions and if I did I always pulled off, yeah I'm a chicken) but there were a few who seemed to come closer and a few that just held their line and didn't pay me a thought. Towards the end of that time I felt a LOT More comfortable riding at night as you could tell when a car was coming from behind and I'd just get off the road, it took longer but felt an awful lot safer. I road into town a few times and enjoyed it but I dred the thought of riding in a city and take my hat off to those that do. So basically I know there are some idiot cyclists but spare a thought for the majority and try to give them all a bit of room and remember they all have no doubt had to put up with some idiot car/truck drivers in their time. They do have just as much right to be there, most would own cars too and pay just as much tax as the rest of 'us'. And maybe have a try of it yourself as has been said it is good exercise and it will open your eyes to e other idiot road users out there.

http://reneweconomy.com.au/2013/solar-energy-in-the-australian-outback-at-8ckwh-44381 Ok I googled it

I'm not going to get drawn into this argument but I wanted to bring something up that might be of interest to all. While living out at hillston I heard of a small scale 'power station' being trialled in the lake cargelligo area. It was basically a group of towers with graphite used as a heat bank and to heat this tower they had them surrounded by concave mirrors which were on the ground and focused the sun on the graphite towers. I never got an opportunity to go and look at it but talked to a few that had and they were quiet impressed by it. I'm not sure if it is still running I would love for someone that had seen it in operation to tell us about it. The idea of the graphite (not sure but think it was compressed into brick like form.) was that it was able to withstand and hold high temps which was used to boil water on demand.

This is nearly more fun than reading a jab thread:bash:

:doh:Seriously Andy do we need another off topic political conversation?

? That link seems to have it as a cat 5 or am I missing something with the number in the middle? Hope all works out for you all up that way:lightning:

We had the best rain we have had in years last week 3 or 4 days of nice steady rain just shy of three inches for the week:ecstatic: and today is a beautiful day with the thermals pumping up their little clouds. I'm thinking of getting 'horny' (hmm better try and think of a better nickname suggestions would be appreciated) out of the shed and going for a run this evening:plane:

Beautiful time of the year here to, with it being so dry there hasn't been many days you couldn't fly. Sorta makes for a bigger fuel bill:no: (I'm a farmer I gotta have a whinge about something:wink:)

I agree 100% Kyle. I think that we should bring back a version of national service inasmuch as someone on the dole should be made to serve in the defence force in some way or another (obviously we can't expect everyone to be happy bearing arms but there are plenty of other jobs to be done and this would help in several ways, 1, these people would be getting training on the job which would make them more employable 2, gives something back to our country instead of just a blank check 3, actually gets them out of the house and doing something useful Now I know there are quiet a few people who are rightly on the disability pension but there is way to many rorting the system and they give people with a true disability a bad name. I know quiet a few disabled people who even though badly impaired still work as much as they can because they don't want to be a burden to the country and go on the pension (obviously some need the pension and are truly unable to work). Just my ten cents worth,

I agree with most of that Kyle except for the bit saying roughly 90% of us have common sense:amazon: take the zero off it and you will be a bit closer to the mark:cheezy grin:

I like flying Flying is fun

I love these threads that bring the aviation community together:bash: And for those with (as mentioned in another thread) a humour bypass that was tongue in cheek/sarcastic

When I lived out west we did our shopping in Griffith and they had a policy for troublemakers it was the three S's Shoot, Shovel and Shut up. (Was actually told this by detective when asking what we could do about trespassers) But on a serious note the first step would obviously be make your disapproval known to said work'mate' and if that didn't change his/her attitude then next step would be to take it to management and if that all failed maybe a look in the job classifieds? (Not an easy thing to do in a lot of situations but work is a lot better when working with a good team and maybe a new team would suit you?) doesn't seem fair when you aren't the problem but if your management isn't willing to help you when times are tough chase better management Blunt instruments give a lot more satisfaction:poking:

Sorry planedriver that is a picture of the readymix sign Pudestcon was talking about earlier in thread just thought I would post the pic.

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