[The Duke]

I’m sort of with Dave, the US is full out attack mode agaist Chinese trade, untill the deals get sorted (or the world ends), there is going to be alot of calateral damage.

I don’t trust any media outlet, Especally the American ones, so the whole story could just be some sort of smear campaign. Though I’m not sure why, as it smears the effected (point of contact) companies just as much as th manufacturing one.

The US gov has all but banned Huawei and xiaomi. maybe it’s a play to bring back production to the USA. Try and stop the apples of the world using chines oems. Tbh I can’t keep up with trumps games. I don’t think he can. Imagine being his pa.

[The Duke]

Octavia or Leon would be my choice (well was). But I doubt it will drop your premiums, may even raise them given the entry level has twice the power of the ka.

French was trh best chose for me years ago, I got a 4 year old 36k (or 46k) 2l diesel laguna estate for 4k from a Renault dealer. It was a business lease before it was traded in. Lasted me 7 or 8 years. Scrapped it cos I stink at looking after cars, at 160k  just like my river before it, all thd electrics was slowly dying. The last mot cost about 300, then a month later the clutch went.

Maybe a swift (non sport) may fit your bill, but it’s not much of a space upgrade on the ka, in the boot department.

A 1.4l astra, megan or focus, would probably strike a good middle ground, there are 10 of 1000s of them, so cheap, and parts plentift, a family sized boot, rear doors and should be middle of the road insurance price.

The megan 1.5l deisel is superb too. I honk fords is either 1.4d or 1.6d.or they all do a 1.4is petrol, but is get the deisel given they get a real world 60mpg (rated about 75). The petrol will get you probably what the ka does. Around 35/40mpg. So fuel will go so much further. With will soon offset any primium a desil has. (if they still carry a premium.

If your lookin at 5 year old, if your like me you’ll be keeping it till it’s worthless, so sell on value shouldn’t be relevant, cos in 20 years you won’t be able to give a deisel away. In about 4 years, if your after second hand, and don’t Travers London every day, there is going to be some fantastic bargains on offer. That fools today are purchasing new. Fool is harsh, uninformed is better.

If I was you I’d start by picking what class of car, ie focus or Mondeo class. Let’s say focus. So I’d go though auto trader, pick out reg plates from the entry level 1.4l petrol of the focus, megan and astra. Then run them through the insurance companies for price. Then I’d do the same with the deisels of the three. Then crunch the numbers and you wants. If you get two that are equal, but the one thst you find prettier.

Ive always fiend no matter the price point, cars buying is all about compramise.

[The Duke]

@d-dan sorry I count confused. A bit side tracked one could say. Hope your card sorts itself out.

Years ago my wife was with TSB and she had a few card sent out that never arrived. In the end she had it posted to the brach. That’s was a terrible bank bank then, I can’t recall what, but she had a about a year of small issues, that lead her to move to Halifax. Mainly cos I banked there. She now uses Tesco for her daily banking and is happy with it. I tried to tempt her to monzo, but she don’t like change.

[The Duke]

I just use a Halifax one. The same one I’ve had for about twenty years. I just use it for fuel and more expensive purchases,for the added protection. I don’t use it as a credit card, I pay off all credit usally the day of purchace, I’m not a fan of credit. To the point of a phobia.

I Originally got to boost my credit rating, and it’s now making a petrol card. (even though I drove diesels for 15 years I still haven’t broke calling it petrol).

I probably should get some sort of cash back one, but usally I only spend about 140 a month on fuel. Maybe 210 on a busy month. About £70 a tank atm. ?

It’s good to see the PO taking passwords more seriously. My Halifax one is about 15 (mixed up as you outline). I use last pass to manage my passwords. All my serious accounts use LP to generate passwords.

Though if you don’t want to use last pass, writing it down is a good second best. It won’t do no harm, and a random PW written down doesn’t mean anything to anybody except you.

If you want to copy and past it often, and don’t want the PW on your PC in plain sight, thaigjif you kit had it in an onsure document, it would be safe too, you could encrpyt a doc with it in. Thou at that point you may as well you tje likes of last pass etc… They are free after all for basic entry. I pay the £12 a year to LP even though I don’t really use the advanced stuff. It’s more a kick back, to keep them going.

[The Duke]

I just use a Halifax one. The same one I’ve had for about twenty years. I just use it for fuel and more expensive purchases,for the added protection. I don’t use it as a credit card, I pay off all credit usally the day of purchace, I’m not a fan of credit. To the point of a phobia.

I Originally got to boost my credit rating, and it’s now making a petrol card. (even though I drove diesels for 15 years I still haven’t broke calling it petrol).

I probably should get some sort of cash back one, but usally I only spend about 140 a month on fuel. Maybe 210 on a busy month. About £70 a tank atm. ?

[The Duke]

Dave Rice wrote:

I’ve met Dwynne, he was kind enough to show my daughter and I around Bangor when she was looking at going to University there (she is). He and his family have helped us on other occasions I won’t go into here. He is a very kind and generous man and I don’t think I’d be insulting him by saying I think he falls into the “old fashioned copper” mould. Not a Dixon of Dock Green , they never existed, but someone who cares deeply about the community he served and gets immensely frustrated when things get in the way of that. Personally I also feel his frustration having to clean up after the self imposed mistakes of others and that being seen as “your job”. It’s not enough to say well that’s what you’re paid for, it’s not. It takes time away from what is your job and that is improving the lot for everyone in your sphere of influence. Ed is right, it’s the politicians we need to be looking at. I’m reading Bill Bryson’s The Road to Little Dribbling: More Notes from a Small Island. If you want an impartial view of how his adopted country has changed in the last 20 years read this (it’s quite funny too). Why can we no longer afford, or it seems care about, the little things we once took for granted, never mind the big things. Then there’s the lack of personal responsibility for your actions, or inaction.

No body insulted Dave. I went out my way to put that straight  in post two to say the same. It was more a go at trh current situation of the view of the police officers and their attitudes.

Richard, I tend to agree with some of  even most of your view, for teens and upwards. But found it strange in a 7 or 8 year old. Given they don’t break crimes or have a notion of them. It’s not till older when the police make them selfish know to you you on a personal level. I can recall being about 13 or 14 when I got to know which cops was good that was nic, and which was offloading pot for instance, and the ones that would go ones that would take your pot and pocket it.

I smoked a lot of pot in high school. Though stopped at 16 and when I come out of service, couldn’t, I just made me sick. I hear today’s stiff is about 10x as strong as the stuff from the 90s also.

[The Duke]

dwynnehugh wrote:

Duke – I’m not really surprised that you call my comment ‘pompous and arrogant’ – unfortunately your later comments seem to suggest that you live live in some ‘rose tinted world’ where everything is hunky dory. The reality is so different. Perhaps that hole in the road should be filled in by a police officer – after all someone could put the job in front of them. Your drains are blocked – call ‘999’ – will they send ‘Dyno-Bobby?’ With the attitude you display to the police I am certainly not surprised that so many officer nowadays display the same arrogance that you show. Whilst I’m sure that all officers will take heart and strength from your ‘paid by the public’ comment – would it come as a surprise to you to know that officers are members of the public and also contribute as well?

@d-dan scroll to the bottom, I doubt the first bit will interest you. You’re tagged again where my reply to you starts.

I wish, my world is far from rose tinted, sometimes it’s more a square room you can’t escape from. it’s a mixture of hospitals and doctors, mixed with sleepless nights, holding a family together and making sure bills are paid. everyone has their battles. I could make shit up if you like, and say my world is awful blah blah blah.. (I literally couldn’t think of somthing to make up) but this isn’t Facebook, so added drama is not needed or wanted here. My ‘world’ is probably very similar to yours, given we live relative close to each other. However your comment just highlighted why people have such a low opinion of police officers today. Then you have got sarky about it! I didn’t put no one down. If you read through my history it’s rare I’ll put anyone down or call them names or be rude for hat matter. Main reason I don’t see the point.

I don’t blame you for today’s perception of the police, you servered probanly in the days when the police was still respected. but many offerss today, the rotten ones that stick out in areas, and the ones that make the news, just spoil it for the 10x good ones. (one rotten egg make the whole place stink).

I do know there is a bunch of ‘dodgy’ officers in my area, but only though my older children. I’d don’t venture far past my local in the village. Never have done since we moved here in 2003iirc. Just as when I was young we know all the ‘ok’ officers, and then there was the ones that had other interests outside of policing. I here it’s still the same there today. Which is sad given it’s an open secret. But given I know the chief of police dines, actually published pictures on the echo in the 2000s,whith one of the biggest gangsters in the northwest. Two of the 3 partners met a grizzerly end. What type of signal does that give the local public, and what stsderd does it also set for officers? Not a good one. (that is 100% true, but I won’t give names in a public forum).

The police role today seems to be a job and not a vocation for many. That may come down to job insecurtiy from budget cuts, or it may run deeper, I don’t know. What I do know is not a lot of people have a high opinion of the police as a whole, and that remark just summed it it in one sentence. For me it wad really bad form.

The police are there to serve the public, paid by the public. But they rearly come across as liking them. I can only imagine it would be the best job in the world if it wasn’t for the pesky public. (a bit of Scrooby doo there to lighten the mood lol)

I didn’t mean to offend you, and I apologise for that if I did. I just thought the sentiment was insensitive at best. But I stand by the ‘thankyou is the pay cheque”.

I personally like manners, and do use them all the time, so I would, and did, thank the police officer on the day I collected my wallet from the station (since closed). He was a nice man and told him what a surprise it was, thanked him and had a quick chat, asked about the finder then left. Happy with my local plod office, and he may of been happy to help. If not I don’t see why you’d want to serve.

I can imagine how discrintled one may get if somekne walked in and took their property in an entitled way, grunted and walked out, some people are arses, that’s for sure. But sill no reason for to then not give a dam about every other person’s lost items. It’s a bit hypocritical of me actually, given I’m saying don’t judge the public backed on the bad one, but follow the norm in disliking the police for the ills of a few. But I’m not paid to serve the police.

I know it’s not the polices job to even return missing goods, and it’s just some secutery that types out a letter, so the station is just a glorified collection point, when it comes to lost goods, (not stolen).so it’s a non entity of a question in reality. But that wasn’t what spiked my interest your comment. It was more the distrain the sentence implies. I don’t really care about the lost property issues.

Police was respected when I was a kid, today it seems kids are scared of the police these days. That doesn’t make a rose future, respect trumps fear everytime. My daughter now ten, I realised was scared of the police when we I first took her to a football game. I asked her why and she couldn’t explain it, and I always tell her, like my other kids, they are the good guys. Hand on heart, I’ve never slagged a police officer or police in general,in front of the kids. Also one time I got a parking ticket. My girl thought I’d go to prison if I didn’t pay it. I thought was sweet at the time, but then with the football incedent it got me a little worried. Thaogh she does like the police officer that visits the school. I’ve not met the new pc the old one retired last year, he was a nice old guy.

I’m now opting out of this convosarion regarding the police. My opinion is now known as is yours. No need to fall out over it. If we all had the same opinions life would be a boring run for is all. Here is a hug ?

@d-dan hope your cards turn up quick. I had a friend that only last week he found out, cis I got him online, that his ex has second card in his account he never knew about, and has been taking about about 500 a week since they spit in March. That’s going to be fun for him. To make it worse that was his only bank account, so when he cancelled all cards to the account, he has been with out access to his money for a week. (yourkshire bank).

You may want to look at a Monzo account, for you daily spending life, it’s a real step forward for 21C banking. I can send you an invite if youre interested, so you can jump the que.

This is why I should stay off the Internet when I can’t sleep. *sigh*. Sorry to anyone that read all that.

 

[The Duke]

“I don’t lose stuff because I care about it” is such a pompous and arrogant answer. My local police station  was happy to send me a letter and was very nice about it. Shame it no longer exists. It was closed about the time they had my wallet handed in. My missing wallet may of pissed them over the edge lol. I can imaging the police officer, going metal, “right F-it, these un caring barstewadrs do not deserve me, I quit” lol. Such an arrogant reply. Do police not get taught compassion, and a bit of manners.

Give a police officer is paid by the public to serve the public, they should just do whatever job is put up with them. And they don’t need a thank you, I’d give one as I have manners, but ultimately their thank you is called wages. The task in hand shouldn’t matter what it is, you should just get on with it, not matter how repetitive, or meaningless the officer finds it. As at the end of the day no one cares. That’s the issue with many officers, most just don’t care, usless or are bent.

I rearly interact with PO I’m my area, except one who I know hates his job, that I drink with (traffic cop) , but the tales form back home get worse as the years go by.

We had an old head mistress with an attitude just like this. She banned parents from cantering school grounds because she didn’t like to them moaning about school issues. It’s a shame as she was at the for 30 years, she was retired on medical issues. We seen it coming.

Just remember the thank you, paid for your home and to raise your family. Not a bad thank you after all.

 

[The Duke]

Yes Chris, my lad lost his monzo card last month, 2 days and it was here. And all we had to do was open thr app, “freeze’l” the card, and hit, order new.

About ten years ago my wallet dropped out of my pocket getting into my car, (in kwicksaze carpark) , as soon as I realised it took me ages to cancel my cards over trh phones, etc before my new cards arrived, a letter from trh local police station turned up saying they had my wallet.

A lady had handed it in, all money still there. Sadly she never left her name or number so I couldn’t thank her. Still had to wait for the new cards.

Back to monzo, thr good thing if you set up android pay (probably applies to Apple too), you can freeze the card, if you don’t have it, then simply unfreeze it, as your in a que, pay by android pay, and then re freeze the card. So your never out of a card. That’s what my lad did.

Since I lost my my wallet, I’ve since always had a spare wallet with cards in it to a differnt account that I can use as a back up. Also since before that incedednt, (wife not replacing card) I have mastercard that lives in the car that is used for fuel only, (with trh number in the glove box, for anyone that’s borrowed the car), thst too doubles up as a spare if I forget my wallet.

However these days I quite often don’t carry a wallet as I rely on my phone, so I’m finding I have to fall anck on the ‘car card’ quite often, simple cos not having a wallet is becoming the norm.

I wish Google would let its users users pick a limit. I’ve been hoping they would become a bank, even if a solimole one, where I charge it with money so that they don’t have to obay the cards limitations. I here (not sure if true) apple pay in some situations let’s you go abuve £30. For that feature alone, I’d may be willing to swap side. For them that have known me long enough no that’s a big statement for me.

 

[The Duke]

Amazing to thing the police are paid by the public. A terrible attitude to have.

[The Duke]

I was reading about this earlier ed. Apparently Apple and others will to talk on record have been swapping oun the known effected servers over the last couple of years. At trh time apple at least blamed the swaps on upgrades, and contract endings. Apparently the cia, doj and fbi have also been using infected hardware too.

Though I’d bet this story is just the top of the iceberg.  tbh what does anyone expect. You use the Chinese to build the most advanced parts produced, then we all act shocked when they turn said tech against us.

Always going to happen. This isn’t the first and won’t be the last.

[The Duke]

I will do, don’t you worry about that. I can get one of the lads from the pub to chuck in a new pcb for the price of a pint.

[The Duke]

Oh and then at the end, he took the fuse out of the isolator switch and said, I don’t know why you have a 13amp fuse in that. I said that’s the one thats been on it since it was plumbed in. He just when hmmmm…

Super annoyed.

[The Duke]

My plummer came, not our usual guy, and he was a right arse. Blamed me for my pcb blowing.

Cos I took off the thermometer (on/off) reciver to check it was or want that. He wouldn’t have it that I hadnt tried to wire it in my lself and blown it. I then explained to him I knew the what wires was what (it’d only two, (an up/down 24v) and a power. And said, I haven’t even plumbed it back in all I did wad remove it, cos it want working. And the old fart just said, I’ve heard that a million times!

Anyhow,he said he could fix the board and hell have it back tomorrow! Hasn’t half annoyed me.

[The Duke]

My plummer came, not our usual guy, and he was a right arse. Blamed me for my pcb blowing.

Cos I took off the thermometer (on/off) reciver to check it was or want that. He wouldn’t have it that I hadnt tried to wire it in my lself and blown it. I then explained to him I knew the what wires was what (it’d only two, (an up/down 24v) and a power. And said, I haven’t even plumbed it back in all I did wad remove it, cos it want working. And the old fart just said, I’ve heard that a million times!

Anyhow,he said he could fix the board and hell have it back tomorrow! Hasn’t half annoyed me.

[The Duke]

Tippon wrote:

Steve, have you done the usual checks? Boiler’s plugged in and the gas is on? Water pressure is ok? I’ve got loads of boiler manuals here if you want a copy of yours. My uncle’s a plumber, so I’ve backed up copies of hundreds of the bloody things ?

Thanks for the offer, but I don’t the checks, presher is where it should be, and it’s give out hot water, so there is gas and power.

By reading the manual it seems the two wires that went into the heating on off switch, is a 24v high and low wire. Touching the two together should start the heating. That’s what my plummer said when I was speaking to him over the phone. There is a seperate wire that gave supplies 240w to the switch too, but that is just to power the switch as it’s a remote transmitter.

Touching the wires together give nothing, and Testing the wires with a multimeter, it they seem dead, put I could be testing that bit wrong. Anyhow today I need to dismantle the kitchen wall cupboard that hides the boiler perfectly. Which is open top and bottom for air flow. I did a good job on that. About the only thing mind. Lol

 

[The Duke]

I will from now on. first time this boiler has had issues. I think it was 11 this summer. So a decent run. May be time for a new one (sigh) but I suppose they are more efficient.

[The Duke]

You know what I ment. All looks the same to me.

Sensoring whole parts of….

[The Duke]

Which is worse a boycott of a news papers, or sensering hole parts of the Internet.

All just as bad as each other.

[The Duke]

Only by about 500 words give or take. 6300 vs 5800 of the previous one.

[Author]

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