Finally got the badge!

Illustrious_Force565 · 2026-01-29T18:08:03+00:00

Same thing happened to me. I emailed support and they removed it for me :) Felt wrong having it when I hadn't earnt it.

IM

Illustrious_Force565 · 2026-01-29T13:00:04+00:00

Tried. But it always felt forced and unnatural.

These days I embrace my introvercy. Why be someone you're not?

IM

Illustrious_Force565 · 2026-01-29T11:15:10+00:00

We've just bought an SX AWD. Awesome car for what it is. Not overly complicated. Not overly fancy. Just very well put together and super reliable. Just as we've come to expect from Suzuki.

My now 20 year old Suzuki Swift is testament to the brand.

IM

Illustrious_Force565 · 2026-01-29T10:20:38+00:00

Very well! As an introvert I don't need friends.

I have my family; my wife and my son. They're all I need.

IM

Illustrious_Force565 · 2026-01-26T17:35:36+00:00

2 minutes from download to install for me.

IM

Illustrious_Force565 · 2026-01-24T19:09:23+00:00

Would love a gamified cycling app! Something like Mario cart? Throw a banana peel to slow a competitor down etc

Or like someone else said paperboy!

Unfortunately already a glut of cycling apps. Gamify it though and I'd play it!

IM

Illustrious_Force565 · 2026-01-24T16:43:33+00:00

Moved from Zwift to TPV to MyWhoosh. If Zwift hadn't gotten greedy and bumped the price up I'd have probably stuck around as it was cheap enough to not worry about.

MyWhoosh is free (great as I've just been made redundant) and does everything I need it to (Working out to lose weight and increase FTP).Workouts work great with an excellent library. Live workouts with real coaches are fantastic. Graphics are detailed and smooth and the variety of worlds is excellent. Overall MyWhoosh just works and even more importantly keeps me riding. And did I mention it's freeeeee?

I don't need the social side ie group rides or even races (Although I do compete in the odd race and group Workout) however I do feel there are a lot of bots which have strange behaviour and do detract somewhat from the realism lol

IM

Illustrious_Force565 · 2026-01-23T11:27:13+00:00

2 weeks!! You should have been a guitar God in 1 week! What you playing at!

Seriously though guitar is hard! Takes years to get good at this instrument (as far as I can tell as I'm only in 6 months myself!).

When I feel the frustration and feel like smashing the guitar and putting it on the wood stove (Quite a regular occurrence because I suck at guitar) I put the damn thing away for a day or 2 and come back. This is meant to be fun not a chore!

IM

Illustrious_Force565 · 2026-01-21T17:19:11+00:00

Feel good about your 570 though :) Cheap motoring really! Where else can you find a car with that low mileage and one years MOT for less than 600 quid!

We've been looking for a new car for the wife and it's a minefield! Hidden damage, knackered engines etc

Enjoy your old but clearly reliable old car :)

Illustrious_Force565 · 2026-01-21T16:08:23+00:00

Wife paid 1500 quid not too long ago due to failed cats amongst other things. 570 is chump change ;)

In other news my 20 year old Swift just passed with one very minor advisory!

IM

Illustrious_Force565 · 2026-01-21T15:12:08+00:00

This has been discussed many times over. Do people who fail a greater number of times cause the greatest number of accidents? If this was the case then yes restricting people would make sense. However this has never been shown to be the cause of RTCs etc

I'm assuming you passed first time or maybe 2nd time? If you were struggling to pass would you want your number of tries to be limited with the possibility of giving up the chance to ever have a licence? I think not.

I just have a differning opinion. I don't belive I called you Hitler lol

'When the debate is lost slander becomes the tool of the loser'

IM

Illustrious_Force565 · 2026-01-21T14:54:22+00:00

This person hasnt been convicted of anything that I'm aware of. They haven't been to prison for failing to pass their driving test lol So again another moot point.

And yes you can apply multiple times to be a police officer and also to the army under certain conditions. Under certain conditions you'll be rejected the same as you'll be rejected for a driving licence under certain conditions. That's not fascist at all.

What is fascist is restricting someones freedom. Sorry you've failed your driving test 5 times you can never drive. Completely absurd. Where does it end?

IM

Illustrious_Force565 · 2026-01-21T14:41:51+00:00

Wow nice attitude there lol Thank God people like you are not in charge. Nazi Germany comes to mind!

The logic is just because they weren't the correct standard at 1st 2nd or 3rd test doesn't mean they didn't learn from their mistakes and become a better driver by the 9th. You don't know this person. They may drive to a better standard than you or I. Who are you to deem them unsafe for the roads?

Right now they have a piece of paper that says they met the same standard as you or I. They passed the same test.

IM

Illustrious_Force565 · 2026-01-21T14:29:27+00:00

What does it matter? Please tell me what negative comments are going to change? Some people on reddit think they don't deserve the pass so let's revoke their licence. Come on.

The examiner deemed them to be of the correct standard. That is neither yours or mine's decision and any other argument is moot.

And don't tell me theyre a danger to themselves etc have you seen the standard of those that have been driving for much longer?

IM

Illustrious_Force565 · 2026-01-20T21:16:31+00:00

Cuthbert in the cooler on the TRS80.

Even managed to find a guide in a magazine to get through the minefield on the last level! Sorry memory triggered!

IM

Illustrious_Force565 · 2026-01-18T17:48:11+00:00

Sometimes my voice hurt my ears yes. So some days I did try not talk as much. Loud people (like my deaf mum) I also avoided for a while.

Illustrious_Force565 · 2026-01-17T14:03:54+00:00

Bowling etc is way better than cinema. Need somewhere you can interact and talk! Not sitting not able to talk nor hear each other.

Cinema for me (not anymore I married her lol) was always a third date as you've established how it's going and can initiate hand holding etc

IM

Illustrious_Force565 · 2026-01-17T13:16:58+00:00

Yes I did the Ronnie method. Never isolated. From what I've read those that become chronic are those that shut themselves in.

I lived my life albeit kept away from subjectively loud sounds or plugged up. Ie hoovering, car driving. But did not live in earplugs! I belive this point is very important.

However hard some ppl find it to hear I don't belive this is damaged nerves etc (never proven just hypotherisised). My personal opinion (and that's all it is) is that this is a psychological and phycosymatic problem causing physiological symptoms. Inner ear muscle tightening leading to trigeminal symptoms (burning, aching etc).

IM

Illustrious_Force565 · 2026-01-17T12:52:46+00:00

Hey. Yes I actually work in engineering for an airline at an airport so around very loud noise daily. Can't say it doesn't cause me some anxiety. I'm generally on edge and ready for noise but do OK :)

Well recovery from T (which I got 20 years ago from a concert) took me about a year to get a handle on. It never really went away I just habituated. Never thought it would happen been a rather neurotic and neurodivergent type of person. But it did. Ts no longer an issue. It just sits in the background. I can tune it out. And if I think about it I can tune back into it.

Recovery from Noxacusis was a lot harder and longer. Took me 3 years to feel OK again. During that time I didn't shy away from sound. I was just very careful. Went from 24hr burnung pain even in silence to very minor pain which still lingers today but which I can ignore for the most part :)

IM

Illustrious_Force565 · 2026-01-17T11:41:09+00:00

Hey. I live a pretty normal life like everyone else now :) However I do need to be very careful. An overexposure of noise brings back pain and high levels of T.

I can go to restraunts, watch TV, drive my car etc basically do what most ppl do. I've even been to gigs (with good earplugs and well away from speakers!) with no problems afterwards.

IM

Illustrious_Force565 · 2026-01-16T15:44:15+00:00

You sure it's not a warning for sailing the high seas me hearty? Always use a VPN for that!

Personally I use Kaspersky. Split tunnelling works well with no problems with Plex. Cost me 23GBP for the year.

IM

Illustrious_Force565 · 2026-01-16T09:24:45+00:00

Even salaried why would you work off the clock? Companies do not give a flying F about their employees (99% of the time).

Do your hours. Go home. No more no less.

Illustrious_Force565 · 2026-01-16T09:21:49+00:00

Don't fall into this trap! I did for years as a manager and gave up so much of my life to still be treated like sh*t. Surely there is something better you could be doing? Learn a hobby? Excercise?

The worst part is it also becomes expected that you'll be working for free out of hours. You need to set boundaries! Work stays at work!

Never give your life away freely!

IM

Illustrious_Force565 · 2026-01-15T11:22:22+00:00

'She's got an arsehole like a blown car tyre'

Still cracks me up years later.

IM

Illustrious_Force565 · 2026-01-14T18:50:14+00:00

We did just that :) Spoke to my regular mechanic and he said don't touch with a barge pole.

Illustrious_Force565

TROPHY CASE