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Post by Alex on Sept 8, 2021 13:47:19 GMT
Anyone see a McLaren 2007 situation on the horizon? I don’t as I think George will play the long(ish) game, being a ‘team player’ and learning what he can from Lewis and making sure he’s number 1 when Lewis moves on or if/when he has a pace advantage. I suppose the difference can be seen in the fact that the other player in 2007, Along, has remained in the sport for most of Lewis's career whereas Lewis will only compete with George for 2 or perhaps 3 seasons.
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Post by Alex on Sept 8, 2021 13:33:53 GMT
In which case wouldn't an increase in income tax be fairer as it would be paid by those who are not currently paying NI, including pensioners who are still working? It doesn't stop the lower paid being liable too but it would in some way level it out.
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Post by Alex on Sept 8, 2021 13:19:07 GMT
I think the point about wasting money on shit is a potentially important point that is missed. I dont include HS2 as I think it's a good investment that, if anything, is long overdue. But that's another argument! But perhaps given its multitude of failings the £30+bn spent on test and trace is a far bigger waste, as was the many millions spent on PPE that wasn't up to the required standards.
I can also see what you mean about merging the two taxes but I can't help wondering if the reason Boris will get away with this is because a lot of younger workers don't really look at their payslip other than the bottom line which tells them what they've ended up with. He could have sourced this money from increases to capital gains tax or inheritance tax but the people who benefit most from these not being touched are the elderly who actually go out to vote and the super rich who donate to the Tory party.
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Post by Alex on Sept 8, 2021 12:11:55 GMT
Garry I think you are likely making quite a wild assumption that the left hand had knowledge of the right hands existence!
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Post by Alex on Sept 8, 2021 11:10:58 GMT
OK so Jeff suggested someone would start a thread on this and as it's the biggest political news story for a while I thought I'd kick off the debate.
So is it fair? Well possibly. Is it political suicide? Absolutely not, the main beneficiaries are the old who vote and the biggest losers are the young who don't. Will it work? Time will tell. I'm concerned that any increased funding for care will quickly be gobbled up by rising costs of staffing and generally running care homes. I dont see this changing that or raising standards to any degree. I also dont fully understand how this stops granny selling her house. The line was that this means the max cost of care will be £86k. But if you haven't got £86k and your only asset is the family home the outcome is the same. I guess it leaves more behind for the kids to inherit. And how will it really help the NHS. Will it again just be gobbled up by extra running costs and the bureaucracy for which the NHS is famed?
As I'm no expert on this I'll leave it to others to decide how to answer the above poll.
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Post by Alex on Sept 8, 2021 11:00:19 GMT
Especially given that when they first started they went for a 2 German driver set up. But perhaps a reflection that they get more support from Briish F1 fans so getting in George keeps them on side. Maybe when Lewis hangs up his helmet they will look at poaching Mick Schumacher from Ferrari...
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Post by Alex on Sept 7, 2021 21:52:09 GMT
I can imagine the plan is that he will be a better wingman to Lewis next year and fend off Max to allow Lewis a run at title no.8 (anyone still really think he'll get it this year?). But if you think Valteri was somewhat disobedient at the end of the Dutch GP I can imagine George will take it to another level and quite happily take the fight to Lewis if the opportunity arises. He's an ambitious racer and all the respect in the world doesn't change the fact that if you have a title shot you take it as you never know how quickly your car can go from being best one season to an utter dog the next.
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Post by Alex on Sept 7, 2021 21:45:57 GMT
I remember BMIBaby well. Used them frequently. Newcastle to Exeter direct with LoganAir would be £440 and I would need car hire and that doesn't include parking or taxi to Newcastle. So the point is proven that right now rail or even air travel is not viable. Simply put if you can afford that sort of money or even the aforementioned £600+ for a rail ticket, you're probably the sort of person who can afford a car! What this also shows is that if the government want to get us out of cars to help them reach their goal of net zero emissions they need to make rail much cheaper. This is also needed so we don't make so many domestic flights. At the moment if I'm going to Glasgow or Edinburgh for work if costs less than £50 each way and even including the time to travel to the airport I can still be in either city for half 9. Rail, or indeed road, cannot match that. If the government does HS2 properly it should solve this but alas they seem to want to stop it at Leeds and Manchester.
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Post by Alex on Sept 7, 2021 20:24:48 GMT
I don't disagree with any of that. Like I said, I'm also in the camp of not wanting to give up personal transport and certainly EVs are not the solution or in any way net carbon neutral right now and won't be for some years yet to come. But at some point I believe that from a societal point of view the use of personal transport for all longer trips will diminish or become much more the preserve of the wealthy as the days of being able to own and run a cheap second hand car disappear. Part of the reason we need HS2 is to provide more people with that alternative means of travelling across the country.
I'm probably wrong so I'll happily accept an alternative argument on this. And as I say I agree that personal transport is by far my preference. I just can see it becoming a more expensive preference whether through taxation or general rising costs.
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Post by Alex on Sept 7, 2021 13:52:25 GMT
But perhaps more people need to ask themselves how often they actually do those longer trips. No point complaining that an EV can't make it from London to Cornwall if you only do that journey once a year.
I think that a bigger picture view of long distance travel needs to be taken by all of us going into the future, especially with climate change starting to bite us in the bum. Most of us on here (including myself) wouldn't dream of using the train for such a holiday but that's because we have ICE cars which can provide us with the transport we need at much lower cost and are night and day more convenient. But if we had better long distance rail links and were willing to take on a hire car once we arrived it could be done. But right now there's no incentive.
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Post by Alex on Sept 7, 2021 9:42:58 GMT
Something small and nippy is probably the obvious route. If you can't go very fast then you want something that's fun at slower speeds. Your price range gets you quite easily into a less than 10yr old Panda/C1/Fiesta/i10 etc. At that price don't worry about mileage, just focus on condition.
The wife has always liked her Panda but its engine bay is so small it's an utter bugger to work on! Even a basic oil change is a pain in the arse. If you want to do a bit of home spannering but also would like to continue having some skin on your knuckles then this is something worth factoring in to your choice.
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Post by Alex on Sept 7, 2021 9:35:29 GMT
Its difficult to say whether I do enough miles to make the fuel card BIK worth it. I take the pragmatic view that I don't have to do any calculations each time I pop to the shop and I look at the overall tax on my car which is approx £180/m which for a new, fully maintained and insured car is a bargain.
If I moved to EV that would drop to less than £200 a year which is beyond bargain. Its an absolute steal! (Based on current monthly BIK of £13 for an EV with a £40k list) But you are right to point out how many people forget this when they moan about how much it costs to charge.
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Post by Alex on Sept 7, 2021 7:35:53 GMT
Range isn't a major issue for me in most instances because with my current working pattern it would be rare for me to drive 200+ miles a day and if I was going from the SE to one of the major cities up north (Manchester, Leeds, Newcastle etc) I'd go by train rather than sit on the M1 or M6 for hours on end. But there are times when that isn't possible so an EV that does about 200 miles will need charging en route.
That's OK in principle but with the current charging infrastructure that means considerable downtime compared to an ICE car. Its for this reason that our company won't allow us to choose EVs as our company cars. It is a policy that is under regular review and I do think that in 2-3 years time it will change. It also requires a rethink on how our 'fuel' is paid for. Currently we have unlimited used of fuel cards and pay BIK on this. Moving to plugging in cars at home will require a rethink of how this is paid for and what the company pays for. Luckily for me its not my job to work that out!
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Post by Alex on Sept 6, 2021 10:51:50 GMT
Saw a Skoda SUV with a 71 plate outside a neighbours house. It was the bigger one but I can't remember what they call it other than something beginning with K. He's always got nearly new Skodas outside his house so I presume he works for the local dealer.
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Post by Alex on Sept 2, 2021 20:37:38 GMT
Biden does come across as incredibly meek and unsure of his own words at times. I know Trump didn't always say things that most sane people would consider to be normal but he did at least mean what he said and wasn't afraid to say what he thought. Sometimes it was the ramblings of a madman but that's largely because his mouth was muttering every thought as they were being thought without processing them first. A bit like our own esteemed leader.
The point is that with Trump you knew where you were even if you didn't necessarily like it. With Biden I find it hard to know if he even believes his own words and he doesn't come across as strong or decisive. More importantly he doesn't come across as presidential and that is a weak position for the US to be in.
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Post by Alex on Aug 30, 2021 18:19:43 GMT
My father in law has a 63 plate 320i which looks almost identical to that one and he rather likes it. Of course that means that it is starting to look a lot older than a 2018 car should.
Agree that some choice options should be sought but is Pro Nav a deal breaker bearing in mind Apple CarPlay and Android Auto give you real time navigation via Waze or Google maps?
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Random
Aug 20, 2021 22:32:32 GMT
via mobile
Post by Alex on Aug 20, 2021 22:32:32 GMT
Best way to get decent at climbing is to climb hills. They can't be avoided around here. 1000 feet of climbs is small. I feel boosted mentally already after just three rides. Thats the other side effect of exercise, the feeling of wellbeing. I've got a lot on my plate right now with my youngest daughters mental health problems but going to the gym and on long walks on weekend mornings really helps me keep my head above water mentally.
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Sean Lock
Aug 20, 2021 22:29:58 GMT
via mobile
Post by Alex on Aug 20, 2021 22:29:58 GMT
I spotted him a couple of years back going for a run near Primrose Hill. Must admit he wasn't a go-to comic for me but when I did see him, usually on a panel show, he always come out with some cracking jokes. It's sad to see him pass of such an illness.
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Random
Aug 20, 2021 21:41:43 GMT
via mobile
Post by Alex on Aug 20, 2021 21:41:43 GMT
Bugger me Mark that doesn't sound like staring off gently! But that might be a reflection of how long it is since I last went out on my bike. Trouble I have is that every road out 9f the village in any direction is a NSL road with bends and most drivers around here have no idea how to safely overtake cyclists.
Fair play to you though, if it works and gets you fit then that's gotta be a good result. Aside from anything else, being fit is the one thing that will at least help to ensure you live to a ripe old age and when you do pass on have people refer to your life as a good innings. - not that I hope you're anywhere near that time of life just yet.
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Post by Alex on Aug 13, 2021 11:05:54 GMT
Sorry Bob, didn't mean to snap, it's been a very tricky and stressful time of late and I perhaps overreacted as I know you like to take the Mickey sometimes. Tbh there are a lot of teachers, including some my wife works with, who haven't stepped up to the plate and indeed some schools haven't offered the support they should have. But my wife spent all of lockdown delivering several live lessons a day and being a science teacher, most of these she had to plan specially because of course you cant do practical and lab work over zoom. So she really has been working her arse off for her students throughout and is now utterly knackered.
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Post by Alex on Aug 13, 2021 5:33:24 GMT
You could make a few days of it and drive down visiting a few other places along the way such as Great British Car Journey in Derbyshire (I think Bryan's been there and said it's quite good) or the British Motor Museum at Gaydon, perhaps even take a trip to Caffeine and Machine.
As others have said theres quite a few hotels near the circuit although whether your wife is willing to slum it at a Travelodge next to Maccie D's is another matter! Find a nice country hotel though or perhaps somewhere in Stratford or Leamington Spa.
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Post by Alex on Aug 12, 2021 23:25:45 GMT
I really do hope your tongue is firmly in your cheek on that one Bob. Only partly. Well perhaps if you were married to a teacher who works her fingers to the bone for her pupils and puts in a ton of effort to differentiate her lessons so all her pupils can access them, takes time to rewrite lessons for pupils who have to stay home to isolate and has had one of the hardest years of her working life you wouldn't be so quick to take the piss.
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Post by Alex on Aug 12, 2021 20:14:10 GMT
I really do hope your tongue is firmly in your cheek on that one Bob.
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Post by Alex on Aug 12, 2021 11:19:18 GMT
Mightily impressive to get those results and congratulations to them. Hearty congratulations that he has a Dad who can pay for it. My fees were based on my parents income which were high enough that I was charged the full amount but low enough they couldn't afford to give me anything. At least the fees were only a grand a year when I went.
I spent my three years working at Spoons during term time and taking on lots of temp jobs during the holidays but I had a lot of fun doing that and still have a number of friends from my days working at the pub although I do wonder if I'd spent less time working and more time studying I might have achieve a better end result than my Desmond!
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Post by Alex on Aug 8, 2021 7:01:22 GMT
You never cease to amaze me Mark but fair play to you that looks like it'll provide plenty of fun on the green lanes. A V8 Disco with no rust will be heavily sought after so shouldnt lose any of its value once you've enjoyed it so as long as you can maintain it at reasonable cost you could actually make some money on it in a few years.
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Post by Alex on Aug 5, 2021 19:11:30 GMT
That is annoying. Could be worth getting the suspension checked as there could be some unseen minor damage that doesn't affect the day to day drive but leads to an MOT failure later on for excessive play.
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Post by Alex on Aug 2, 2021 22:13:13 GMT
Thinking about it, I cannot remember seeing the pits open until AFTER the restart so, how does that work? It was because, unlike the actual race start, the formation lap was classed as a race lap therefore they were all in their rights to dive into the pits. Having just one car starting might well have been an interesting talking point but it made F1 race management look all a bit silly. If Lewis had taken it upon himself to pit too there'd have been no one on the grid and the race director would have a face full of egg!
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Post by Alex on Aug 2, 2021 20:49:25 GMT
There is an issue with the cost cap and component caps having an unfair effect on teams involved in non fault collisions. An interesting point made by Red Bull regarding the grid penalty for Bottas being 5 places is that they'll likely need to put a fourth power unit in both their cars with each incurring a 10 place grid penalty as a result. I know that penalties are based on the incident not its consequences but I can understand how Red Bull feel hard done by.
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Post by Alex on Aug 2, 2021 11:56:50 GMT
That was one hell of a mess up from Merc. I've never seen a restart with just one car on the grid. Would it not have made more sense to get all the cars changed to slicks before the restart? I'm sure there's rules which say they're not allowed to change tyres during the black flag period but having one car on the grid looked utterly ridiculous and surely a complete absence of common sense. Maybe its the issue of allowing cars to elect to start from the pits. If there's nothing wrong with the car it should be on the grid.
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Post by Alex on Jul 31, 2021 11:38:12 GMT
Doesn't look bad and is quite competitively priced. Might take a closer look next year when the Ioniq goes back.
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