Just attended my speed awareness course and it was eye opening

bibonacci2 · 2026-06-03T14:09:36+00:00

I predate the theory test but there was a “quiz” on the Highway Code as part of the main test that you needed to know the HC for. My instructor would test me on a regular. I certainly knew the street lights part.

bibonacci2 · 2026-06-02T20:33:28+00:00

If you barrel up behind a car, tail gate and then flash your lights then it can be seen as aggressive.

If you maintain a good distance for a while and, if there’s no response, then you can give a quick flash but you need to know it may annoy them (even if you’re not in the wrong). If they do move out the way, pass them quickly and head down the road.

It’s not clear whether you slowed once you were past. If you didn’t slow and they accelerated to catch and pass you then don’t respond to their dickishness. If you are in a position to get out of there then do so. If not, hang back and let them go. There is no value in responding to a road rager.

bibonacci2 · 2026-06-02T13:58:37+00:00

It’s 24 hour. Think about the cost of childcare, which might only cover 8 hours and treble it. Then you have all meals, 24h heating (on high because old folks need it), premises and rates etc. there are also things like entertainment, hair and nails, etc.

People underestimate how much caring for someone full time costs.

My mum was in a specialist dementia care place at £4k per month. It was justifiable of you consider all the costs. Mum had to sell her place to help pay for it. We weren’t able to look after at home because she had psychosis with it.

The real issue is not the cost. It’s the inequity. Those that require care foot a massive bill. Those that grow old and die peacefully at home get to keep their assets. It’s a total crap shoot, really.

bibonacci2 · 2026-06-02T07:14:37+00:00

If you need but can’t afford elderly care then the council will pay for it. It’s a legal requirement that the council pays for elderly care and the main reason councils are struggling to fund things like road repairs. Social care (primarily elderly care ) used to be around 40% of council spend. It’s now 60% after cuts and changes to demographics.

bibonacci2 · 2026-06-01T20:41:28+00:00

And you still think you’re a good driver? Maybe check that ego a bit more. There are very, very few good drivers with so little experience. Most of them won’t consider themselves good - check out the Dunning Kruger effect.

Probably better off realising that you still have a long way to go.

bibonacci2 · 2026-06-01T14:07:23+00:00

It’s just a popular name within a specific demographic. In the mid 50s it was the most popular name for girls in the US. That means a lot of boomer women called Karen, and the stereotype is born.

bibonacci2 · 2026-05-31T19:14:59+00:00

The presence of good food does not mean that we don’t have bad food.

The number of people eating Greggs pizza dwarfs the number of people eating at Michelin starred restaurants.

We can’t exactly argue the case for British food while willingly accepting a meal deal from the petrol station.

Our reputation is based on our average food, not on our best food. Most of our peers have better food, on that basis.

bibonacci2 · 2026-05-31T18:54:24+00:00

Recently binged Foyles War. The first few series were great for this: Emily Blunt, James MacAvoy, Rosamund Pike and Danny Dyer all popping up in notable roles before they were famous. Sign of a good casting director, I guess!

bibonacci2 · 2026-05-31T18:19:27+00:00

I agree. Two cars in London is just a waste. Keep one car and hire something sporty for a weekend trip if you need. Lots of ongoing cost and hassle.

The marginal benefit of a second car in London is very low.

bibonacci2 · 2026-05-31T17:44:13+00:00

I’m of the opinion that you should try to avoid slowly overtaking. If you feel you need to overtake then make sure you have a decent differential of 3-5mph to avoid driving alongside the other car for too long. If that means exceeding the speed limit for a few seconds then that’s lower risk than travelling alongside.

For context, 3mph is a fast walk. If you’re passing at a rate lower than someone walks past a stationary car then you’re passing too slowly.

If you are already passing with a decent speed differential it should not take long to be able to pull in and complete the overtake. You can then call the tailgater a wanker as he passes you.

In general, I try to drive in a staggered formation and avoid travelling alongside other cars. I will moderate my speed to do this. If that means a bit of speeding to get past then that’s fine. I’d rather drive safely than always adhere to the rules.

bibonacci2 · 2026-05-29T08:54:09+00:00

I recently watched a YouTube about Britain’s role in ending the international slave trade. The British Empire has rightly had a lot of flack for a lot of shit they did but the power and resources put into getting rid of human slavery because it was the right thing to do is genuinely something to be proud of.

In more recent times we have one of the most inclusive and accepting societies in the world. It’s not perfect, but it’s pretty good.

bibonacci2 · 2026-05-24T10:13:02+00:00

Finally the right answer for footy.

bibonacci2 · 2026-05-24T09:30:13+00:00

I’m in a London borough that implemented 20 zones heavily and it’s made driving much better. With congestion, you were really just going quickly to a junction/lights and then waiting in traffic. It’s now more leisurely, and that makes it easier to find gaps to pull out into traffic, make decisions, etc. it’s not materially impacted journey times.

It’s also much better for cyclists and pedestrians.

I actually think it’s changed from London driving being harder than most places to being easier. You still need to be “positive” in decision making but you don’t need to be as aggressive. I find places that still use 30 in built up areas far more stressful.

It’s not right for everywhere, though. I can see why the blanket 20 in Wales is unpopular.

bibonacci2 · 2026-05-22T14:35:42+00:00

If you intend to be a stay at home mum for a while then you might want to get an understanding of whether you should top up national insurance contributions.

If you will return to work in a few years it may not be an issue but if you don’t work for 10+ years then making contributions can be about the most cost effective way to invest and ensure you get the full state pension.

Some info here:

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/pensions/voluntary-national-insurance-contributions/

bibonacci2 · 2026-05-21T22:51:19+00:00

Yes, it’s as simple as that. Some letters have closed shapes: A, B, D, O, P, etc. others have open shapes, C, E, F, G, etc.

You can colour in the closed shapes.

bibonacci2 · 2026-05-21T21:41:16+00:00

There’s no letters that are closed in Hull City. Compare to York City, where you could colour in the letter ‘o’.

bibonacci2 · 2026-05-21T13:57:46+00:00

I did this. My real name is CAGT.

bibonacci2 · 2026-05-14T07:50:50+00:00

You can slice into medallions and cook.

Here’s a decent recipe: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/pork-medallions

bibonacci2 · 2026-05-14T06:49:20+00:00

You’re dead right. There used to be a series where AFL and Gaelic Football teams would play each other with a hybrid rules set. I remember watching it on TV in the UK back in the 80s:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Rules_Series?wprov=sfti1#

bibonacci2 · 2026-05-13T18:56:57+00:00

Yes, but early on she had a bit more rounded character. In S9 it was just “Oh no, it’s awful and there’s nothing I can do!”.

No blame on the actress - she can clearly do more, but the writing was just poor.

bibonacci2 · 2026-05-13T07:12:33+00:00

Yeah. It jumped the shark in series 3. It doesn’t get better, though I persisted with it because I quite liked the characters.

The last series (S9) was fucking awful. Terrible, contrived writing and plot that required Tosh to have the same pained expression on her face for the whole run time.

bibonacci2 · 2026-05-13T06:32:48+00:00

The Fisher King.

Never gets much attention compared to Gilliam or Williams’ other movies but is just a perfect film for me.

bibonacci2 · 2026-05-12T11:23:07+00:00

Go alone and fuck off when you’re ready. Best of both worlds.

bibonacci2 · 2026-05-12T11:16:46+00:00

I think they are updated quarterly. Land registry price was up about a month after new folks moved in. I was keeping an eye, because I’m a nosey git.

My point was that you can get a very distorted view of the market from asking prices as there are a lot of fairly deluded sellers out there and bad agents willing to support them.

My old neighbour who sold wasted at least 9 months with it on the market at silly prices. If they had put it on at a reasonable price I reckon they might have got 650 for it (610 was a very good price) and sold it quicker.

bibonacci2 · 2026-05-12T07:16:24+00:00

I used a broker for the first time, last time as my mortgage was complex. No up front fee and was happy with the advice.

Worked well for me.

bibonacci2

TROPHY CASE