My latest obsession is...

[HarperPR]

Here's a thread for those things you love and think others should try - food, drink, shop, etc whatever your latest obsession is.

To start off. Munchie people try M&S's Organic oat bars with raisins, cranberries, strawberries & apricots. Very juicy (the strawberry bits are lush!), incredibly more-ish. Probably full of calories, but yummy! £2.49 for 5.

[wobbly bob]

you'll get chubby! great!!!

[Travellerman]

No particular obsessions per se, but I do have a tendency to gorge upon things unavailable elsewhere when I return here. :D

Current favourites include Eccles cakes, gypsy tart, custard tarts, and Double Deckers... not all in the same day, every day of course.

(this might not be entirely true!)

[HarperPR]

Who's this 'gypsy tart' then? Do we know her?!:biggrin:

[Travellerman]

Hmmmmm, well winter approaches and we all need something to 'curl up' with :D

[fuzzytnth3]

A cargo bike...

Recently my car died and I've decided to not replace it, do my bit fer the planet etc. The only thing I'm finding is a bit tough on my fixed gear bike is carrying a lot of shopping so my solution is the cargo bike, you also get trike cargo bikes with two wheels at the front for added stability (see below). Not only can they carry shopping you can also carry people in the wheel barrow bit at the front.

I want one so bad I may have to go to Denmark to buy one and ride it back! :)

http://l.yimg.com/g/images/spaceball.gif

http://homepage.mac.com/fuzzytnth3/trapdoor/cargotrike.JPG

[HarperPR]

Can't you get them here?

I have seen one or two in London. I wouldn't mind going in the front!:D

[fuzzytnth3]

Yup you can buy them in the UK http://www.dutchbike.co.uk/ but they start at £1000 so I was hoping to make a holiday of it and get one secondhand (with the help of a Danish work colleague) and hopefully save my or at least spend the same amount of money but get a nice wee trip out of it. Plus it appeals to my thrawn nature to go to all the trouble of cycling to the ferry and then cycle from Newcastle back to Dunfermline with it.

Josie Dew (writer /chef and cyclist) rode Lands End to John o'Groats and onto Orkney on a Wheelchair bike (looked like a conventional bicycle after having nose-dived into the back of a conventional wheelchair) with her camping gear plonked in the wheelchair seat in front of her. She said it was the hardest thing she ever did and she's done a lot of cycling!

Down in London there is a cycle courier who use cargo bikes.

http://www.zerocouriers.com/

Of course the cheapest option for me would be to get a wee trailer instead but then where would my Granddaughter go?

[Bob Jacobs]

I think the bloke riding that bike should be done for using his mobile phone while riding it (in charge of infants in the front, by the looks of it).. Damned irresponsible!

Bob

[aspwatterson]

I think the bloke riding that bike should be done for using his mobile phone while riding it (in charge of infants in the front, by the looks of it).. Damned irresponsible!

Bob

Yeah !
And no seat belts!

andi :biggrin:

[NoCelebrity]

Probably pumping waste methane into the atmosphere too!...:biggrin:

[aspwatterson]

Probably pumping waste methane into the atmosphere too!...:biggrin:

Yeah ! One day it will be illegal to fart in public because of the methane footprints you pollute the planet with. I'm still of the opinion that Guy Fawkes night / fireworks should be banned purely from environmental points of view let alone social considerations. God I sound like a grumpy old curmudgeon these days don't I? Bring back hanging I say! That would make Johnathan Ross behave himself!

chrs
andi :wink:

[NoCelebrity]

Yeah ! One day it will be illegal to fart in public because of the methane footprints you pollute the planet with. I'm still of the opinion that Guy Fawkes night / fireworks should be banned purely from environmental points of view let alone social considerations. God I sound like a grumpy old curmudgeon these days don't I? Bring back hanging I say! That would make Johnathan Ross behave himself!

chrs
andi :wink:

It seems in America we have fireworks for every holiday, graduation, big parties, hangnail removal... What about the good old days when it was just on that big holiday when we celebrated our independence from... never mind:biggrin:

I used to think fireworks were something special. That was back in the good-old-days when we in America mostly banned the death penalty (on a state-by-state basis). Now it's all twisted around...

I think it's a crime that man wasn't wearing a bicycle helmet! The kids should probably be wearing life vests in case he accidently drives into the Thames!

[fuzzytnth3]

I think the bloke riding that bike should be done for using his mobile phone while riding it (in charge of infants in the front, by the looks of it).. Damned irresponsible!
Bob

a) its Copenhagen,more laid back than Dylan in the Magic Roundabout.
b) the kids get seat belts with their seats in the front.
c) he was pedaling slowly through a quiet park
d) I knew as soon as I posted this that someone would point out the moby. I had an alternative photo (this one (http://homepage.mac.com/fuzzytnth3/trapdoor/cargo2.jpg))but I decided to go with the one above as I had seen more silly things being done with or on bicycles while in Copenhagen such as a guy riding a bike with a huge suitcase resting on his handlebars and it kind of summed up the laid back approach.

For real laid backness / insanity though checkout this movie (http://homepage.mac.com/fuzzytnth3/trapdoor/motorcycle_texting.wmv)

[aspwatterson]

A few years ago students from Cardiff Uni started their own bike transport business [not sure if it's still going] and they would hang out touting round the Railway Station next to the taxi cabs and charge peanuts [not literally] for cycling people around in versions of pedal powered charabancs. Brilliant enterprise which should be encouraged all over methinks!

chrs
andi :auto: [Have we got any bicycle smilies Paul?]

[fuzzytnth3]

I think it's a crime that man wasn't wearing a bicycle helmet!

Why? A helmet isn't going to help him if he cycles into a canal. If a car hits him even at 30mph it's not going to protect the rest of his body. A friend of mine (wearing a helmet) was hit by a speeding motorist, my friend now has a mental age of a 10 year old and still hasn't regained the ability to walk some two years later. The helmet didn't survive the initial impact and so when he rebounded off street furniture further down the street he had no protection.

A helmet will protect him from injury if he falls off under his own volition but he is riding a tricycle slowly ie no more than 6mph through a park. Copenhagen is pretty flat but the best speed I saw a cargo bike do around town was 10 to 15mph. So I don't see much potential for a speeding motorist to be a hazard in a quiet park.

There is an argument that with all the safety features around nowadays that people take more risks as they think the safety devices will protect them. Whereas if you don't wear a helmet you will ride accordingly. In the case of my friend he choose to wear a helmet but as the car driver was being selfish and thoughtless of other road users the helmet didn't make much difference due to the speed the car driver was going at. I had a low speed impact with a car (due to him doing the classic "I didn't see you") despite being lit up like a christmas and wearing a bright yellow "safety" jacket, since then I generally but not always wear a helmet. The ocasisions when I don't are when I have assessed the risks and made a choice to not wear a helmet as the risks are low enough not to warrant wearing a helmet.

Look at the cycle couriers of New York many ride bikes which have no brakes other than the fixed gear with which they control their speed (just as I do when racing on the velodrome) and they ride accordingly (albeit in some cases pretty outrageously/horrendously ie like this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_jUk8q923c)) but hey if they remove themselves from gene poll through their own choices then I'm not going to moan about it, as long as they don't take out or injure some innocent person in the process.

Climbing off soapbox now :leaving:

[wobbly bob]

aren't cycle helmets made of polystyrene? and therefore...floaty? so, if he did drive into the canal...

anyway, back to obsessions..... electricity pylons! make of that what you will! i'm gonna mention it next time i see my shrink!

[HarperPR]

Dark chocolate Hob Nobs!:wink:

[HarperPR]

anyway, back to obsessions..... electricity pylons! make of that what you will! i'm gonna mention it next time i see my shrink!

He might be more interested in the spoons...and the Abba records!:biggrin:

[NoCelebrity]

Climbing off soapbox now :leaving:

Ooops! I forgot the sarcastic smilie emoticon. Hope you enjoyed the opportunity to vent. I really would prefer people use their own common sense when it comes to personal safety, without government intrusion.

Just imagine the tax bill putting everyone who doesn't wear a helmet into bicycle safety rehab! :rolleyes:

[critch]

Ooops! I forgot the sarcastic smilie emoticon. Hope you enjoyed the opportunity to vent. I really would prefer people use their own common sense when it comes to personal safety, without government intrusion.

Just imagine the tax bill putting everyone who doesn't wear a helmet into bicycle safety rehab! :rolleyes:

Well that's it isn't it!?

I've often thought that the NHS is fundamentally flawed. I'm not saying I want it scrapped, I'm definately pro the whole idea, but if you take it to it's logical extreme it just doesn't work!

If you imagine that the NHS saves lives, which it does, then the average age people live to increases. Therefore, the more each person costs the NHS in treatment. Hence the funding must increase by the same amount increasing the tax bill on the working - as old people don't work. The logical way of fixing this is to increase the retirement age - which has happened!

Unfortunately, this argument is based around the same argument against Insurance schemes such as in the US, and excuse my ignorance, I don't know a huge amount about it, but, as people retire, they can no longer afford the premiums for the health insurance, so end up at their most vulnerable time without it!

Is it right to let some one die because they can't afford the treatment? Well on a humanitarian point of view, no. On a darwinian evolution point of view, yes! But then, these are recent situations we have created ourselves - and if we start selecting upon our criteria who can live on who can make the most money, are we creating a society that is then unfit for the next set of conditions that might occur?

Who knows. I'm about to get banned now for going off topic....! Sorry Paul!

[wobbly bob]

Dark chocolate Hob Nobs!:wink:

Mmmmmmm.... got to agree with you there!

[wobbly bob]

He might be more interested in the spoons...and the Abba records!:biggrin:

right, i think it's time to draw the moderators attention to your bullying, now...!


:biggrin::wink:

[HarperPR]

right, i think it's time to draw the moderators attention to your bullying, now...!


:biggrin::wink:


Yer love it really!:wink::reddevil:

[Bob Jacobs]

A proper publicly financed health system is a prerequisite of a civilised society.

[aspwatterson]

A proper publicly financed health system is a prerequisite of a civilised society.

And likewise the opportunity of euthenasia and controls on population growth; otherwise, globally it ain't sustainable the way it's going. Finite resources equals finito.

andi

[wobbly bob]

Yer love it really!:wink::reddevil:

bang to rights!:wink:

[wobbly bob]

And likewise the opportunity of euthenasia and controls on population growth; otherwise, globally it ain't sustainable the way it's going. Finite resources equals finito.

andi

roaming death squads, anyone...?

[HarperPR]

Does anybody watch The Home Show, C4, Thursday, 8pm? My latest crush: George Clarke *sigh*. There is something about that boy that is eminently fanciable, which is funny as I don't usually go for guys with northern accents. He just seems like such a nice guy (and a very good architect) and has a lovely sense of humour. I have been watching each week with a smile on my face! He also seems to show a genuine warmth and rapport with the home makeover participants. He tweets too - just how he comes over on't telly. All nice and cuddly *sigh*!

(do I need a doctor here?!)

[wobbly bob]

i watch it. i like it for different reasons, though.

also hooked on property snakes and ladders with the perpetually pregnant sarah beenie. love seeing all those 'property developer' chancers coming unstuck!

[wobbly bob]

I don't usually go for guys with northern accents.



well, thanks a lot!

[HarperPR]

i watch it. i like it for different reasons, though.

also hooked on property snakes and ladders with the perpetually pregnant sarah beenie. love seeing all those 'property developer' chancers coming unstuck!

I tweeted George and asked him if he'd do my place next series, but I couldn't pay him. He responded 'no cheque might be a problem'. Wondering if I could pay him 'in kind'?:wink:

I watch Sarah Beeny too - for different reasons though.:biggrin:

[HarperPR]

well, thanks a lot!

Nothing personal! Don't go for accents at all, probably because they just make me want to try them out myself.

[aspwatterson]

SNM say no more senora sayonara youtube is my obvious obssess at the mo!

SNM
andi

[telemonster]

well, thanks a lot!

also gutted!

[telemonster]

I tweeted George and asked him if he'd do my place next series, but I couldn't pay him. He responded 'no cheque might be a problem'. Wondering if I could pay him 'in kind'?:wink:

I watch Sarah Beeny too - for different reasons though.:biggrin:

you mean you fancy her?:wink:

[telemonster]

maybe i could do your house for you...:wink::wink:

[HarperPR]

you mean you fancy her?:wink:

No. Follow the plot: Wobbly said he watched The Home Show but for different reasons to me (ie not cos he fancies George), then I said...and so on!

It's gonna be a good Home Show tonight. The home owners hate what he does to their house. Think there's tears and tantrums - not from lovely George *sigh* though!

[telemonster]

great! i'm in!!:D

[HarperPR]

Did you see George *sigh* last night? I'd think I'd have felt a tad peeved too if I'd forked out over 120k and got no wardrobes and no en suite! George said this morning he should have just taken their original 70k and done them a nice loft and left the rest!

Best bits of show, where he was welling up (ah, bless) and when he donned the tight white t shirt and hard hat and started knocking the wall down. I like a man who's good with his hands!:biggrin:

[Travellerman]

My latest obsession is....

Nikwaxing all my boots, shoes and goretex :D Yeah, what a great summer this is... not :(.

[HarperPR]

What's nikwaxing? Is it like what you do to your chest, Trav?:wink:

George *sigh* update. We're now on intimate tweeting terms. And, he sent me a tweet with 3 kisses. Nothing else. *sigh* Sadly, I don't think this fine romance will go further: his wife and 3 kids probably wouldn't like it (THREE? How did he find time to begat all those? He only looks about 25!), and he does it with everyone, well responds. 6'2" and as big in flirting as in height! On his website he personally replies, at length. Ahh, he just seems lovely. Am going to set up an interview for later in year with him, just before his next series (Restoration Man) airs.

(I think I'm still suffering post flu fever, ie still delirious...:wink:)

[Travellerman]

What's nikwaxing? Is it like what you do to your chest, Trav?:wink:

That's right, just like in the Bruno movie :D (seen it yet?)

[HarperPR]

No. Should I? What about AntiChrist...?!

[Travellerman]

Actually, I wouldn't bother with Bruno. What's AntiChrist?

[HarperPR]

What's AntiChrist?

Lars von Trier.

Controversial!

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/so-is-antichrist-any-good-ndash-or-pure-evil-1760708.html

[Travellerman]

Ah... I'm so out of touch these days. Seems like a lot of hype to me, might be best to wait until it's on DVD. :D

[HarperPR]

Meanwhile, back to George *sigh*. He's 35, a Gemini, 3 kids under six, he's not gay but says that lots of his gay friends say they wish he was :D