LenT

Quite right Malcolm - although of course he only actually owned one Jag, the other being a Ministerial car of which he had the use. However he never felt the need to apologise for enjoying the luxuries of success. Apart from being ‘Two Jags’ the other thing he himself thought he would be most remembered for was his reaction to being assaulted by the egg throwing Craig Evans. As a successful amateur boxer in his youth, he greatly enhanced his reputation by responding - most appropriately - with a straight left. 😊.

I have never been - and am never likely to be - a Labour Party voter. But there are several members of that political Party that I both like and admire. One such was John Prescott - Lord Prescott - whose death yesterday at the age of 86 has just been announced. Unlike some of the current crop of Labour ministers, John Prescott never felt the need to enhance his CV. He was very proud of his early career as a Ship Steward with Cunard and then equally modest about his genuine BSc in Economics at the University of Hull. The tributes today will be fulsome and well deserved and will come from those who represent the whole range of political opinion. I doubt we shall see his like again! ☹️

Milenco was getting complaints that the weight of the bar was marking expensively leather covered wheels. It solved the problem by supplying soft rubber pads shaped to fit the wheel and clip on to the lock. Unfortunaly they created a new problem! I found that these pads tended to drop off the lock before you could get it on to the wheel. I solved it by using a couple of cable ties to tether the pad to the bar - as I hope the attached photo demonstrates. I did this in case I wanted to return the item. I did come across another Milenco user who’d drilled a hole through the pad and then threaded a cable tie through it. It’s a much neater solution if you’re sure you’re not going to return the lock. I’ll copy it if my way ever fails! Here’s the location for the rubber pads: https://www.milenco-outlet.co.uk/security/milenco-steering-wheel-soft-pad-pair.html

Yes, I have tried that Salv. I then found I’d trapped my left leg and had to contort myself in a most unseemly manner to get out! I agree it’s the position the steering wheel naturally comes to rest, so maybe I should persevere. I’ll try moving my leg before fitting the lock! That might work! 😊

Indeed they are Phil. And there’s many a crash victim that owes their life to being cut out of their vehicle. But as you say, it usually starts with the roof in order to provide access. I would not fancy cutting in a confined cabin with the chance of the blade kicking back while trying to cut between the solid steel bar and the wheel spoke. In the interests of fellow members, I would normally offer up my own vehicle on which to conduct an experiment. Unfortunately, I have just had a stone chip repaired on the driver’s door and fear that cutting the steering wheel might render that investment pointless! 🤭

I think that certainly applies to the Stoplock, but I suggest that the Milenco is a tougher proposition. It has two steel pins which locate either side of a steering wheel spoke and then lock in to a very substantial steel bar. Just cutting the steering wheel wouldn’t free the Milenco. I think a thief would have to cut the wheel either side of the two pins and then cut through the spoke - which would not be a straightforward task. Not only would this be noisy and time consuming, it would also be quite dangerous in such a confined space. So it would surely also contravene Health & Safety Regulations. 😋 This is how I fit mine…

No need to question yourself, Paul. In my short experience of Lexus, I feel that they delight in placing some components in odd locations. Or in making them a little harder to replace. For example, when I went looking for my Tyre Pressure Monitoring System reset button, I ended up on my back in the driver’s footwell with a torch in one hand and the Manual in the other! I think it may be to do with the Japanese sense of humour.

Now that you’ve found the fuse box, Paul, I presume you’ll be looking for a permanently live feed for the dashcam. I have a BlackVue which is wired in by what they call a Power Magic Pro. Once the ignition is off, it supplies current to the dashcam in Parking mode. It monitors the consumption and disconnects the camera if the battery voltage drops below a preset level. I don’t know if Nextbase offers something similar - or indeed why the BlackVue product wouldn’t work just as well with a Nextbase camera. Anyway, here’s a link if it’s of interest. https://blackvue.co.uk/products/power-magic-pro/

I have a Milenco, which is one of only two steering wheel locks to pass a 5 minute attack test - the other being the Disklok. In the past I have had Stoplocks and Diskloks, but now feel that the Milenco is the best compromise for me in terms of convenience of use, its obvious visible deterrence and cost. Although if you’ve just spent a substantial sum buying a new Lexus, then the extra cost of a Disklok may not be significant - and I believe they are regarded as the gold standard in auto security. I’ve attached one test of steering locks that you may find helpful - there are many more online. https://www.whatcar.com/news/best-steering-wheel-locks/n26807

Of the process? Yes, I suspect she is. I wonder if we’ll be able to watch the proceedings over here? Turn it into a movie and it could be as influential as the 1939 “Mr. Smith goes to Washington”. Apparently, the Senate was never quite the same again!

Like Dr. Birx, I too am looking forward to the Senate confirmation hearing of RFK Jnr! As for RFK himself….I suspect not so much. If Dr. Birx is involved I can imagine it will indeed present a unique and public opportunity to expose RFK’s beliefs to forensic analysis. BTW: Slightly puzzled by your reference to the date Nov 27. What year was that? Or - as is entirely possible - have I misunderstood it?

And possibly sooner than anticipated, Malcolm. I looked out of the window at 7am and saw a couple of inches of snow blanketing the landscape! It’s so totally unexpected that the BBC local forecast is STILL only aware of the possibility of ‘light rain’.

Very well put, Stephen! It’s a long time since a politician could unite a Nation by declaring that the only thing he could promise was… “…blood, toil, tears and sweat.” Now what works is the promise of a giant leap to the sunny uplands and an America that’s great again. Well, what’s not to like? When I have listened to Trump tub-thumping I used to wonder why he also wasn’t claiming to cure all known diseases and bring Peace on Earth. Now I am beginning to think he may be correcting that omission!

https://www.nbcnews.com/video/watch-dr-birx-reacts-as-trump-suggests-injection-of-disinfectant-to-beat-coronavirus-82518597530 A great find, Stephen! Clearly the highly regarded Dr. Deborah Birx had no illusions as to what Trump was suggesting. It would be interesting to know if she will feature in his new Administration….

In a nutshell, Marcus! The advantage of a democracy is that it enables the citizens to choose their law makers. The disadvantage is that they can only choose from those prepared to stand! I’ve long believed that voting in the UK should be compulsory for adults - but that the voting slips should have an additional box…None Of The Above! I think that many Americans found they had an invidious choice to make. After all, even our new Government managed to back the wrong horse!

Yes, I do recall that. Mind you, isn’t it called ‘fishing’ when British anglers do it? I think the only difference is that one group put the fish back; the other eat them! I only tried fishing once and fortunately for both the fish and myself...I didn’t catch anything. 🙂 Sorry, I don’t know what a Covid 19 shot is. I will say that no vaccine stops you contracting an infection, but it does mitigate its effect. Unfortunately, a BSc in Economics does not necessarily filter out a susceptibility to misinformation. The late James Randi would often demonstrate that the more highly educated a scientist was, the easier they were to fool.(cf Uri Geller). As a long-term supporter of Snopes, I’m delighted that you thought to cite them as I was able to refresh my aged memory of the Press Conference that Trump actually gave. Neither Trump - nor I - actually suggested that anyone should inject bleach. Here's one clarification from Snopes. Trump Didn't Advise People to 'Inject Bleach' to Treat COVID-19. But This Is What He Did Say | Snopes.com I certainly was in error in recalling a mention of 'drinking' bleach. But Trump did ask about injecting disinfectant. The bleach reference came from a journalist. Snopes cites this by Trump: "THE PRESIDENT: Right. And then I see the disinfectant, where it knocks it out in a minute. One minute. And is there a way we can do something like that, by injection inside or almost a cleaning." (My emphasis added) "Four minutes later, a journalist responded to Trump's disinfectant comments by asking whether there was any scenario in which cleaning products like bleach and isopropyl alcohol would be injected into people. Bryan replied first, (That’s Bill Bryan, head of the science and technology directorate at the Department of Homeland Security) saying: "No, I'm here to talk about the findings that we had in the study. We won't do that within that lab, our lab." (I suggest that Trump then picks up on Bryan’s correction and changes what he’d said a moment earlier. Or maybe had someone commenting via an earpiece.) "Trump then clarified his own remarks, adding: "It wouldn't be through injection. We're talking about through almost a cleaning, sterilization of an area. “ At no point in the media briefing did the then-president recommend that people inject bleach or other disinfectants into their bodies. He merely asked experts whether disinfectants could be injected to tackle COVID-19; a stance he later rowed back on when pressed by a journalist." Maybe I’m just an old cynic Phil (!) but to me saying “And then I see the disinfectant, where it knocks it out in a minute. And is there a way we can do something like that, by injection inside” sounds exactly like he’s talking about injecting disinfectant! Surely, even asking “whether disinfectants could be injected to tackle COVID-19” would strike most people as a rather bizarre question for anyone to ask! I can't imagine Margaret Thatcher asking such a question! But then she did have an Honours Degree in Chemistry! PS. If this post ends up looking like a typographical nightmare, I blame my computer!

I don’t know the one about the Asian community, but he certainly repeated false rumours about immigrants. In this case it was a pet-eating claim referencing Haitian immigrants in Ohio! https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/trump-pushes-baseless-claim-immigrants-eating-pets-rcna170537 I think Trump must be the most poorly educated President in my lifetime. He’s worryingly susceptible to making totally unsupported claims. During the Covid pandemic I recall watching him pronounce that he had it on good authority that drinking bleach was an effective form of protection. Well, it would certainly be a distraction!

Very timely thread this, as my 15 year old, self propelled Honda Izy is now showing signs of rust worm attack on the deck - and the start of a rattle in the engine. So I’m looking to replace it, although I’ll probably wait until early in the New Year rather than have it spend the first part of its warranty period just sitting in the shed. But replace it with what? I’d be happy with another Izy, if they’re still around. Except…about five years ago I asked the lad who’d been servicing it if he’d like to sell me a new one? He said he could, but I wouldn’t like it! He claimed the build quality was inferior to my old version and I’d be better off maintaining my old one - which I did! But I think I’ve done the last cut of the year and it’s time to reconsider. A neighbour, who has an identical Izy and a slightly larger garden, is recommending one of the new battery mowers on the basis of them being much lighter - and having been impressed by his son’s. Unfortunately, I do need a self propelled item and it has to be about 41 cms cutting width - which seems to make them substantially more expensive than the petrol equivalent. Another option is suggested by my noting that a local supplier has a suitable reconditioned Hayter on offer. Another excellent machine that we’ve owned before - and might be worth snapping up while available. So I’ll be interested to see what other folk here decide.

Thanks Brent. Happy enough, in fact, to have him return next Tuesday to sort out another couple of blemishes. So more about that later! 😊 Now I’m sure that many here - possibly including yourself - would have sorted it out themselves with a sheet of Wet&Dry, a tin of filler and a couple of spray cans. But I suspect those days are behind me and I don’t want to risk making the situation worse. I hope it’s helpful information for anyone else in the same position.

You’re quite right Dan. But more importantly, Dealers should know the dangers posed by metal dust caps! As I mentioned early on in this thread, I discovered that I had one metal dust cap when I tried to remove it and discovered it was corroded solid onto the valve. A helpful passerby tried to remove it - and snapped the TPMS valve off, resulting in a trip to a nearby tyre retailer and £75 for a new valve. I too then got a new set of plastic caps. If someone’s determined to use metal ones, make sure they’re well greased. Failing that, a touch of Vaseline will do the job.

I think you’ll find you fit in very well here Paul. 😊

President-elect Donald Trump on Thursday picked Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an anti-vaccine activist who dropped out of the 2024 presidential race and endorsed Trump, to lead the Department of Health and Human Services.

And had been involved in de-accounting Nigel Farage! How would that have affected her image? At least we don’t have a Minister for Health who actively promoted anti-vaccine conspiracy theories! Who would be stupid enough to appoint someone like that! 🤔

So on the face of it, Stephen, another instance of Pot v Kettle! Although now we can indulge in the game of assessing which lies are the most egregious! And if that even makes a difference in principle. However,I don’t recall Johnson ever calling the Opposition ‘liars’ or ‘scum’ in or out of the House - and requiring the Speaker to intercede. More importantly I suggest in this case is what - if proven - Reeves claimed as her CV when initially appearing before the Labour Selection Committee? Would she ever have become an MP in the first place?

I recently saw a recording of Reeves addressing a business conference during which she laid great emphasis on her previous experience as an ‘economist’ in the banking sector. If this claim is now show to be in any way false by a previous - and senior - employee of Lloyds Bank, then it’s going to take some explaining by her! I am somewhat surprised that only now are the claims in her CV appear to be being challenged. I would have thought that applications for references to her various employer’s HR departments would have set the record straight. Or just as significantly, a refusal to corroborate them. I believe that some mutterings by previous coworkers may have surfaced earlier on ‘social media’, but rather like the Essex Police visit to Allison Pearson to accuse her of a ‘non crime’, this has the feel of a story that is now going to run and run. With her past history of all the odium that this individual previously directed at Boris Johnson as an ‘inveterate liar’ I suspect that they’re already queuing up for some world class score settling.