blog

RE: Virgin Atlantic complaint

Fri, 18 May 2012 04:30:16 +0100

Alan:
> <semi seriously>
> I've heard tales of booking passages for up to a dozen pax on cargo ships
> <google>
> ah! here's a start http://www.freightervoyages.eu/

I can't see it listed but the RMS "St. Helena" certainly used to take
passengers, the officers seem to get the pick of the most attractive (and
desperate) ones, though. I used to avoid going aboard to earn money, I certainly
wouldn't consider parting with cash to sail with the poxy thing.

> They even do this for JKB:
> http://www.freightervoyages.eu/Voyages/K%20Europe/KST-01.htm

Yup, I've worked on that one for a week at sea while there were passengers
aboard, they were escorted round the noisy bits[1] one day while we were
wrestling with one of the Rustons. I hope they enjoyed it but plowtering round
the North Sea for a week changing batteries on navigation buoys without
(contrary to what it says in the blurb) any trips ashore is not something I'd
want to spend that amount of money on.

[1]aka "Disneyland"; this disnae work, that disnae work, &c.

--
JKB.
I don't mind the forces of evil, if they bring me closer to you...

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Re: Eek!

Thu, 17 May 2012 23:57:30 +0100

On 18 May 2012, at 01:54, "Ian Ellison" <ian-at-ianellison.org.uk> wrote:

>> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DBhKaedPTtTg&sns=3Dem
>>=20
>> Ferrari/taxi interface in downtown Singapore..
>=20
> Do us a favour and warn people when it's a snuff video.... I don't like
> watching such things!
>=20

The content of the video would have been the same whether the people had die=
d or not and there's nothing inherently distasteful in it. Outside of the in=
herent level of Internet voyeurism anyway.
It will make you look every time you cross a green light though.
But lorries if you were traumatised by the viewing=20=

Casey Stoner's career

Thu, 17 May 2012 23:54:07 +0100

Retiring at the end of the season:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/motogp/18108872

God, he's a miserable bastard.

--
Smite the Unbeliever

ObBike: It lives!

Thu, 17 May 2012 23:26:35 +0100

When the thtorm was at it's height, I threw the thwitch (igor had the =
night off), and nothing happened.

Then I thwaped around the plug leads to the V&H cylinders (marked up, =
but I got them wrong the first time round)

And nothing happened.

Then I thwapped wound the feeds to the coils (marked up, but I got them =
wrong the first time round).

And the 600 lives!

Ok, it idles at 2k5 rpm, but that's left as an exercise for the weekend.

rgds, Alan
--=20
=93The reaction is self-sustaining=94

Re: Virgin Atlantic complaint

Thu, 17 May 2012 23:22:12 +0100

Gene Rankin wrote:
> So, within an hour of making the purchase I e-mailed them to request
> rescission. I get an automated 'do not reply' reply. Three or four
> hours later I check their site and my mail, only to find (1) no
> appearance of those purchased miles on my account and (2) no response,
> so I emailed them again and pointed these facts out. I get another
> automated 'do not reply' reply.
>
> That was last evening. Anything today? Zip, zero, niente, nada. No
> response, no appearance of the purchased miles. If I hear nothing by
> tonight, and if my credit card's been billed, I'm gonna object to the
> billing with Visa. Then I'll find a way to use those remaining miles
> (as well as those I acquire with the present tickets) however I can
> and then be done with Virgin Atlantic.
>
> Their "rewards" programs are bogus, their amenities are a shadow of
> their former selves, their prices are no better than anyone else's,
> and they will not fly to & from Chicago between mid-October and early
> May. We've made a point of flying with them whenever possible, but
> never again. This trip's the last with them.

Welcome to Virgin. They give themselves up to six weeks to respond. If
they don't, then you can resubmit your enquiry and wait a further six weeks.

Their postal response time is, as yet, unknown: three years and counting.

Good luck.
--
Gordon

Re: Virgin Atlantic complaint

Thu, 17 May 2012 23:14:56 +0100

On Thu, May 17, 2012 at 5:07 PM, A <alanixion-at-googlemail.com> wrote:
> On 17 May 2012, at 19:59, Gene Rankin wrote:
>
>> So I'm sorting out our travel to Yurrup for Abigail's graduation
>> prezzie,
>
> By boat?
>
> <semi seriously>
> I've heard tales of booking passages for up to a dozen pax on cargo ships
> <google>
> ah! here's a start http://www.freightervoyages.eu/
>
> They even do this for JKB: http://www.freightervoyages.eu/Voyages/K%20Eur=
ope/KST-01.htm
>

Unfortunately, she's Gainfully Employed=C2=AE for much of the summer, and
can only get free from July 28 through August 14, so not enough time
for a slow boat to anywhere. :-(

--=20
"I was so much older then, I'm younger than that now." =C2=A0Bob Dylan said=
that.

Re: Virgin Atlantic complaint

Thu, 17 May 2012 23:07:08 +0100

On 17 May 2012, at 19:59, Gene Rankin wrote:

> So I'm sorting out our travel to Yurrup for Abigail's graduation
> prezzie,

By boat?

<semi seriously>
I've heard tales of booking passages for up to a dozen pax on cargo =
ships
<google>
ah! here's a start http://www.freightervoyages.eu/

They even do this for JKB: =
http://www.freightervoyages.eu/Voyages/K%20Europe/KST-01.htm

rgds, Alan
--=20
"All men will be sailors then. Until the sea shall free them."

MINBR

Thu, 17 May 2012 22:51:09 +0100

A bit late as I've been too busy to get near a computer for more than a few=
minutes lately=2C but I must let all Ixies know that=2C having waved a sad=
bye-bye to the Guzzi V11 Ballabio a couple of weeks ago I swapped a suitab=
le number of beer vouchers for IanE's Ducati ST2 last week. I still haven't=
investigated the charging problem (probably the suspected stator) or reall=
y done anything with it yet=2C but I hope to get into it soon. Looking forw=
ard to riding a Ducati again=2C a totally different animal to the Guzzi alt=
hough they are both 90 degree vee twins.=20
=

Re: parking permits for motorbikes

Thu, 17 May 2012 22:14:02 +0100

Each council has different rules. some allow free parking in residents' bays=
, others do not.
you might find this useful
http://www.motorcycleparking.com/parking_london.shtml

c.

Sent from my iPad

On 17 May 2012, at 14:27, "mike newton" <bikermike.n-at-googlemail.com> wrote:

> Hello the list
>=20
> on roads controlled by parking permits in London what are the general
> rules about bikes? do they need permits, are they only allowed to park
> in bike bays?
>=20
> Mike
>=20

Re: Yoohoo!

Thu, 17 May 2012 21:07:35 +0100

On Thursday, May 17, 2012, Neil The~Hippy wrote:

> On 17/05/12 08:53 PM, Katrina wrote:
>
> You calling me old? :-)
>>
>
> I'm old too

I'm not old.

>
> Still got 20 months to go before I can retire,
>> although no plans to do so at the moment.
>>
>
> My god, stay a copper longer? So what are they benefiting you with to make
> you stay?

It's fun :-(

>
>> It's nice to be back, even though I haven't yet quite got back into the
>> habit of actually checking in!
>>
>> Most folk have got into the habit of ignoring Neil letching, but WOW
> ETC.....

I'll give you that one Neil, but thats the last one, eh? Otherwise I'll set
my McSatan on you [1]

Katrina

[1] I could deal with you myself, but hod probably just enjoy it!

Re: Yoohoo!

Thu, 17 May 2012 21:01:06 +0100

On 17/05/12 08:53 PM, Katrina wrote:

> You calling me old? :-)

I'm old too

> Still got 20 months to go before I can retire,
> although no plans to do so at the moment.

My god, stay a copper longer? So what are they benefiting you with to
make you stay?
>
> It's nice to be back, even though I haven't yet quite got back into the
> habit of actually checking in!
>
Most folk have got into the habit of ignoring Neil letching, but WOW
ETC.....

--
Neil The~Hippy http://www.hippyweb.me.uk

Re: Yoohoo!

Thu, 17 May 2012 20:53:29 +0100

On Thursday, May 17, 2012, Russell Brown wrote:

> Quoth ukifulc.....
> >> Katrina Sent: 16 May 2012 19:34
> >> Subject: Yoohoo!
> >>
> >> So how is everyone? [1] Missed you :-)
> >>
> >> Katrina
> >
> >Katrina? Katrina who?
>
> Dunno.... there used to be a Katrina round these parts. Can't be the
> same one though - she'd be enjoying a Gold Plated(TM) retirement by now.

You calling me old? :-) Still got 20 months to go before I can retire,
although no plans to do so at the moment.

It's nice to be back, even though I haven't yet quite got back into the
habit of actually checking in!

Katrina

>
> --
>
>

RE: VOSA arsch

Thu, 17 May 2012 20:21:35 +0100

Chas:
>
> Well since you asked.....
>
> I've been hearing rumours that proposed euro legislation will ban custom
> bikes. I assume that this is the anti tampering proposals that are winging
our
> way. The only way I can see them being a problem for full on custom builds
is
> if the SVA is going to be scrapped. Do you know if the SVA is going to
still be
> with us in a couple of years time?
>

Take a look here for a less alarmist view of the impending legislation:
http://www.righttoride.eu/?p=9616 I don't profess to know who has the
correct view or, if this article is correct, whether we can trust the
commission not to ratchet down the restrictions as soon as the basic
legislation is in place but it may not be all doom and gloom.

K.

Fallen Riders Memorial Ride

Thu, 17 May 2012 20:16:22 +0100

Dying to Ride Memory Ride and Fallen Rider Memorial 2012 I am the founder o=
f Dying to Ride. Dying to Ride is a non profit Motorcycle Awareness Groupfo=
unded in 2010=2C soon=2C after my husband Rob Mills was killed while out fo=
r a ride onhis motorbike. Since then=2C I have been working hard to gain su=
pport and media coverage to promote motorcycle awareness among drivers of o=
ther vehicles on our roads.

Dying to Ride has organized our annual Memory Ride=2C which will hold the 1=
st Annual Memorial for Fallen Riders on the 9th June 2012. There will be a =
memorial stone laid at the rides first stop=2C which is the Robin Hood Inn =
on the Military Road. The ride will then head South to Squires Caf=E9 Bar i=
n Leeds=2C (Newthorpe Lane=2C Newthorpe=2C South Milford=2C Leeds=2C West Y=
orkshire=2C LS25 5LX) for a Motorcycle Awareness Presentation=2C and the 1s=
t Annual Memorial for Fallen Riders=2C live music from Night Train and a ni=
ght of camping. More info is available on the ride webpage at http://dyingt=
oride.org/2012run.htm
=

Virgin Atlantic complaint

Thu, 17 May 2012 19:59:31 +0100

So I'm sorting out our travel to Yurrup for Abigail's graduation
prezzie, figuring on flying VA Chicago-London, then Eurostar to Paris
& back, spending time in Paris and the UK in August. I made my own
reservations on-line and paid for my ticket ... but I have not quite
as many ff miles as are needed to get two companion tickets, so I went
on-line and bought the requisite number of miles. Then went on-line
again to get reservations using the ff miles ... only to discover that
no seats are available for the dates of my flight, nor within a
reasonable bracket either side.

So I called up their customer service line and, after working my way
through the options, talked to a real person, asked if there was any
way I could get two seats on the dates needed. He went away, came
back after a while and said it was not possible ... but that the fees
tacked onto the ff seats were such that I could simply buy tickets and
actually spend less money. Without actually trying to score two ff
seats there's no way for me to verify the truth of the assertion, so I
took him at his word. After all, he works there, right?

So then I asked to rescind the purchase of 4,000 ff miles, as there
was no longer a need for them. He went away again, came back to say
they "had no procedure" for that, but gave me the email address of
another customer service office.

So, within an hour of making the purchase I e-mailed them to request
rescission. I get an automated 'do not reply' reply. Three or four
hours later I check their site and my mail, only to find (1) no
appearance of those purchased miles on my account and (2) no response,
so I emailed them again and pointed these facts out. I get another
automated 'do not reply' reply.

That was last evening. Anything today? Zip, zero, niente, nada. No
response, no appearance of the purchased miles. If I hear nothing by
tonight, and if my credit card's been billed, I'm gonna object to the
billing with Visa. Then I'll find a way to use those remaining miles
(as well as those I acquire with the present tickets) however I can
and then be done with Virgin Atlantic.

Their "rewards" programs are bogus, their amenities are a shadow of
their former selves, their prices are no better than anyone else's,
and they will not fly to & from Chicago between mid-October and early
May. We've made a point of flying with them whenever possible, but
never again. This trip's the last with them.

--=20
"I was so much older then, I'm younger than that now." =C2=A0Bob Dylan said=
that.

Remote bike diagnostics

Thu, 17 May 2012 19:57:19 +0100

Hello the list!

A foaf has bought a varadero 125. It is now apparently not running
right. Starts ok then won't rev and cuts out. Would the panel think
I'd be right in suspecting old fuel and clogged carbs? (do '08 125s
still have carbs?)

thanks
Mike

RE: new porsche

Thu, 17 May 2012 19:19:06 +0100

On Behalf Of fizzy

> A friend of mine as part if his mech eng degree studies worked on this
> stuff in the early eighties. He reckoned the answer was a small turbo
> charged diesel optimised for maximum efficiency at a constant speed.

English Electric Napier Deltic Class 55..? [The engines were relatively phy=
sically small & light.]

I wondered about a gas turbine system, keeping enough batteries to allow yo=
u to suitably manage the turbine, while having drivability, and smart enoug=
h electrics to simplify the mechanics. (eg no separate output turbine. Alte=
rnator is the motor to spool up the compressor for starting, sort of thing.=
) [Fifi - yes. Sort of.]

Mark=20

Memory boost Re: MIRR

Thu, 17 May 2012 19:02:09 +0100

On 17/05/12 03:06 PM, Gene Rankin wrote:

> ....and very few total clangers.

Aargh, that makes me remember summat _very_ different
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HArUmqqiL0s
(noisy etc)
--
Neil The~Hippy http://www.hippyweb.me.uk

RE: Eek!

Thu, 17 May 2012 18:54:01 +0100

> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhKaedPTtTg&sns=em
>
> Ferrari/taxi interface in downtown Singapore..

Do us a favour and warn people when it's a snuff video.... I don't like
watching such things!

Portable DVD players

Thu, 17 May 2012 18:42:05 +0100

Any of you care to give an informed opinion of good, or to be avoided,
portable DVD players? Something that can stand up to 5 year old kid
use and suitable for use in a car (so 12V power input essential). A
couple of minutes on Amazon shows a few names I recognize who are
known to make decent kit, for under =A3100, plus a host of names I've
never heard of before.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/LG-DP581-Portable-Player-Battery/dp/B003OQTRSS/ref=
=3Dsr_1_1?s=3Delectronics&ie=3DUTF8&qid=3D1337274795&sr=3D1-1
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sony-DVPFX770B-CEK-Portable-Player-7-inch/dp/B00504=
DWQA/ref=3Dsr_1_2?s=3Delectronics&ie=3DUTF8&qid=3D1337274795&sr=3D1-2

Up 'til now my kids have been using a couple of Fineslate Android
tablets but I've come to the conclusion that they're pretty shit
(sorry James). I can't be arsed with the geeky hit and miss of
ripping DVDs and file sizes present a problem and the tablets are
quite horrid to use, very unresponsive. They were cheap, they've
served a purpose, but they just don't cut the mustard as a video
player which is what the kids use them for by far.

ObBike - it was nice out today :-)