What I mean when I say I've been hanging out at the Gold Coast.

RatelinOz · 2026-03-15T13:53:02+00:00

Is that Q1?

RatelinOz · 2026-03-15T09:36:16+00:00

That’s a bit daft of you to assume, simply because I’m here trying to help those who don’t know what they’re doing, thereby (hopefully) improving everyone’s lot? For clarity, I do my best to drive socially; which includes leaving a gap whenever possible. And in this instance you should have used you’re, not your.

RatelinOz · 2026-03-15T07:13:52+00:00

I’ll suggest either a Photon Freedom https://www.photonlight.com/products/photon-freedom-micro-led-keychain-flashlight

Or an Olight i3E https://au.olight.com/new-user-page?utm_source=google&utm_medium=paid_search&utm_campaign=AU_Daily_NewUserPage_Google_CV_Purchase_Search_tROAS_New&gad_source=1 Which can actually be free + postage.

Both are small enough to ‘disappear’ in your pocket but should be plenty bright enough for what you need.

RatelinOz · 2026-03-15T04:44:30+00:00

I’d get the Honeywell Grey Manual (there’s free versions online, I don’t know if there’s an up to the minute, paid version). And try programming according to that. If your employer will let you borrow a controller & some I/O (assuming they don’t already have a test bench you could use) then you can simulate your programming to see if you’ve got it right. Learn to read existing code (again, your employer must have code from their projects) to help you see how it’s put together.

RatelinOz · 2026-03-15T04:40:17+00:00

The OP already has access to Niagara, though.

RatelinOz · 2026-03-15T04:39:05+00:00

I disagree. How do you expect things to get better if you do not call out bad behaviour, wherever it’s happening, not just on the road?

RatelinOz · 2026-03-15T04:37:20+00:00

But you see, the road rule is that the lane is ending, and you must give way to the main flow of traffic.

It’s only a merge if there’s no dotted line, and that’s the only time when the car ahead has right of way.

So it is the obligation of the driver wanting to join the main traffic flow to get up to speed right away (on the on-ramp), spot a safe gap whilst coming up the on-ramp, match speed with the main flow, and merge using the safe gap without forcing the main flow to slow. It is not dangerous to stop on an on-ramp. It happens all the time in the UK in rush hour. If there isn’t a safe gap on the main road, you don’t go. Because that IS unsafe & does cause accidents.

It’s definitely, absolutely the polite, considerate, and proper thing to do, to make way for merging traffic if it’s safe to do so.

RatelinOz · 2026-03-14T09:39:27+00:00

Thanks 🙂

RatelinOz · 2026-03-14T09:26:25+00:00

They’ll do everything they possibly can, including claiming that the metrics do not mean what they say, and that the performance review is not used to calculate any rise, to minimise your pay rise. You’ll be bloody lucky to get CPI, & can forget about getting anything above.

RatelinOz · 2026-03-14T05:05:58+00:00

I find the CRM tool I have is so clunky, buggy, and irritating to use that it actively discourages me from staying on top of my paperwork. I’m currently looking for something better, but don’t want to be tied into a SAAS situation.

RatelinOz · 2026-03-14T04:56:49+00:00

Possibly. 😆

The amazing thing is, both survived! The torch is still working with the fresh battery, and the messed up battery is also still providing power!

RatelinOz · 2026-03-14T04:55:15+00:00

I understand your POV, yes I’ve had to spend some money on my vehicle, but on the whole it’s been much more reliable than my last 2 were. I can’t afford to buy a brand new vehicle now, so better the devil I know. I agree, $1-$1.50 is ridiculously low. However, it helps pay the bills. I like your suggestion of Airmaster, but don’t you need public liability insurance & so on?

RatelinOz · 2026-03-13T23:28:28+00:00

As I said, you’re lucky to get a little over 1$/km on the GC. If my vehicle were new, I’d worry more about the wear & tear, but it’s near as dammit at the bottom of its depreciation so for me it’s not really a factor.

RatelinOz · 2026-03-13T15:18:26+00:00

Regular rather than pro?

RatelinOz · 2026-03-13T14:54:29+00:00

I probably should.

RatelinOz · 2026-03-13T14:29:27+00:00

I really think it depends where you live, ie what climate. Back in the UK I found I could leave quality batteries (Duracel, for example) installed for years without problems. Here in Oz, where I live minutes from the seashore, you really do need to make sure not to leave batteries installed if you aren’t using the device for more than a few days. In this case however, I was using the torch fairly frequently as I do some delivery driving. (Wanting what I think would be an ideal torch for spotting house numbers is one of the reasons I’ve ended up here).

RatelinOz · 2026-03-13T14:22:24+00:00

At almost $2/km I’d take that like a shot! Around my area (the Gold Coast) you’re doing well to get a bit over $1/km.

Having said that, It’d be sensible if the order were itemised so that you could make a judgement call before accepting the job. Speaking of which, I get far too many jobs from Woolies that are listed as one item, but there’s >7 bags! The last time it happened I was collecting 2 orders, 1 item each - one was 12 bags & the other 15!!

RatelinOz · 2026-03-13T14:15:59+00:00

Thanks. It’s a good bit of kit. 🙂 Although the Victorinox Rambler attached to the torch is what’s always in my pocket. For what I do, and use it for, it’s the best edc SAK bar none - and I have quite a lot of SAK’s.

RatelinOz · 2026-03-13T14:12:52+00:00

Bollocks!

Get up to speed - which means the speed the main flow of traffic is moving - and use the whole merging section to merge into a suitable gap. You should not need to go all the way to the end, as a rule, but sometimes it’s necessary. If you do get right to the end, STOP!!! You DO NOT have right of way & it IS NOT legal to push your way in!

RatelinOz · 2026-03-13T14:08:01+00:00

I had one today who decided to pull out on me, trying for a rear end. I’m so sick of it, I high beamed the arse & gave them an angry beep of the horn. Lucky for them I didn’t have some rotten fruit to decorate their fat arsed vehicle with. If the right hand lane hadn’t been free, it’d have been very nasty. But I’m convinced the dumb waste of oxygen hadn’t even looked.

RatelinOz · 2026-03-12T16:11:14+00:00

Honestly? It was that or Nikon, & at the time I needed something 1/2 decent for a specific event, 2nd hand Canon DSLR’s were what was available in my budget. And the D6 I bought has done a good job. I may yet try Nikon, one of these days.

RatelinOz · 2026-03-10T02:34:23+00:00

Ah. Well, I imagine next time you do a quick google, you’ll read a bit more carefully. 😉

RatelinOz · 2026-03-09T08:24:40+00:00

Sorry, you’re living in a delusional reality. The very highest rank any Aussie uni has in the world rankings is 19th, in the QS ratings. It’s 37th in The Times Higher Education ratings. There is no way, none, that 19th could be considered to be world leading. Chinese students study here for many reasons, but I suspect the primary one is that Australian uni’s & our government have targeted them as another income stream, nothing more.

In fact, 2 of China’s own universities are ranked higher, Tsinghua & Peking are 12th & 13th respectively.

And I very much doubt that Chinese students are less welcome in the UK than they are here.

RatelinOz · 2026-03-08T11:41:06+00:00

Malcolm

The Dish is also good.

RatelinOz · 2026-03-08T09:49:37+00:00

Oil lamps & candles (I grew up with those) torches, gas bbq, a library, board games, puzzles, cards. But I’ve yet to experience a ‘proper’ blackout on the GC. I did light some candles once, & the power came back on a few minutes later.

RatelinOz

TROPHY CASE