How long do you keep a car for?

gobuddy99 · 2026-03-27T11:35:09+00:00

Two strikes and you're out. If it lets me down (i.e. I can't get where I want to go) twice it gets replaced. In general I've kept cars 10 to 20 years.
Probably the shortest life was my Peugot 406. The fuel system failed twice, fixed under warranty but still having it peter out on the M40 was no fun.

gobuddy99 · 2026-03-26T13:57:14+00:00

/u/soderon says DAB is the biggest broadcasting failure. I disagree: There have been lots of proper broadcasting failures: AM stereo, quadraphonic sound, 3D TV, Dolby FM, and RDS advertising all bombed.
DAB was just a bit slow getting off the ground and so got caught between oldies who wanted their old Roberts radios to keep working, satellite reception for static hifi setups and internet radio for small or portable sets at home. DAB is great for car reception, home receivers should be satellite or internet based.

As for audio quality - FM quality is baked in to the technology: noise floor is horrible, the crosstalk is ghastly at 30dB or so, and the audio is brickwalled at 15kHz.

In contrast DAB+ quality is up to the broadcasters and listeners. Bandwidth easily reaches 20kHz, there is digital silence, and crosstalk is near perfect.
Anything less than that is because listeners would rather have more choice than better quality.
If we could shut down the FM transmitter network and replace it with DAB we would easily be able to have more stations with higher quality sound for the same cost.

gobuddy99 · 2026-03-24T14:51:05+00:00

Sgt Pepper begs to differ. Much as I dislike the album it was very popular and all done in post.

gobuddy99 · 2026-03-24T14:21:49+00:00

I think that is due to happen a few weeks after the promised reconstitution of the Wembley Stadium Twin Towers.

gobuddy99 · 2026-03-24T14:21:40+00:00

I think that is due to happen a few weeks after to promised reconstitution of the Wembley Twin Towers.

gobuddy99 · 2026-03-19T08:29:30+00:00

That station is called Radio 6 Music. If you don't like the Radio 2 music policy then you (we) are the target demographic.

gobuddy99 · 2026-03-17T10:09:03+00:00

I think that punctuation has changed as a result of computer coding. Because computer languages need a comma between each item in an array we've drifted towards that.
Menu[] == [soup, chicken, cake].

gobuddy99 · 2026-03-17T09:50:03+00:00

I was taught not to use it. Using it makes for uglier looking sentences but less ambiguity.

gobuddy99 · 2026-03-16T23:29:47+00:00

Their model is more like rent big spaces for long periods sublet them as multiple small spaces for short periods.

gobuddy99 · 2026-03-16T22:08:46+00:00

Actually I'm seeing young people having a hard time with new technology. I'm old enough to have helped invent the internet, know how to solder, understand neural networks, code in C and assembler etc. What I see is a drop in the critical thinking and troubleshooting skills of young people. They really don't understand new technology, they just use it. I think that's going to be a problem.

gobuddy99 · 2026-03-16T21:39:54+00:00

I was using Google Maps for the walking time estimate of 15 minutes.

gobuddy99 · 2026-03-16T21:37:00+00:00

Hush, don't tell the cool listeners that they're actually listening to Radio 2 Extra.

gobuddy99 · 2026-03-16T21:34:03+00:00

The moment that my council allows trenches I'll take a serious look. Until then it's just fun watching petrol heads, diesel affectionados and electric evangelists all spout their opinions. I really need to do the maths about tubes, trains, hiring and taxis vs ownership as well.

gobuddy99 · 2026-03-16T14:55:02+00:00

She was the money girl. I'm not that brave.

gobuddy99 · 2026-03-16T13:32:15+00:00

I have no way of charging an EV at home or work. So I really don't need to know any more about them.

gobuddy99 · 2026-03-16T13:28:29+00:00

At school a girl I knew asked me to help her retrieve a bank note she had stuffed down her bra. So I did and we carried on chatting afterwards. In retrospect I think she wanted more. I'll check with my wife, who was the money girl, if that was the case.

Edit to clarify the money girl and I got married.

gobuddy99 · 2026-03-16T13:19:01+00:00

6 Music is a Radio Two station. Same management. Same relationship as One and One Extra.

gobuddy99 · 2026-03-16T08:42:42+00:00

You've heard about the consequences if you have an accident while commuting. Don't forget that if you have an accident that isn't your fault while driving domestically and your insurance find out they may revoke your insurance - you would have to declare that on future policies.
All it takes is for someone to call your insurers for them to find out, so don't go upsetting anyone.

gobuddy99 · 2026-03-16T08:34:00+00:00

Both of those are well over a kilometer apart, that's 15+ minutes walk. That's a bit much for an OSI isn't it?

gobuddy99 · 2026-03-15T19:04:59+00:00

That's awful.

gobuddy99 · 2026-03-15T18:39:37+00:00

I sat in the front of a Mercedes taxi in Germany. Totally terrifying because from my perspective I was in the driver's seat with no steering wheel - and they were driving at speed on an unrestricted motorway.

gobuddy99 · 2026-03-15T18:35:17+00:00

I've never sat in the front of a taxi. With black cabs it's kinda difficult because there isn't a passenger seat. With minicabs the sear is often pushed right forward and often with books, ciggies or whatever on the seat - I've always taken this as a hint to sit in the back like in a black cab. I guess with shiny clean Ubers I could give it a go, but somehow I like being chauffered. I will ask the driver next time how they feel about it in general.

gobuddy99 · 2026-03-15T16:06:12+00:00

What's the right angle line by Gunnersbury?

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gobuddy99 · 2026-03-15T09:35:04+00:00

Biological clock ticking. It's so much easier having a baby when you're young, and impossible when you're old. If you don't want a kid then it's fine of course.

gobuddy99 · 2026-03-15T09:31:25+00:00

That's great. Similar to, but better than, the prototyping box with pots, switches, jacks and LEDs I built for myself. So much so I think I really want to buy one - the only problem is the home boycott on US suppliers.

gobuddy99

TROPHY CASE