Be Excellent To Each Other

My wireless connector thingy at home (USB device plugged into my PC to make it connect wirelessly to my router upstairs) is being an arse. It gets rubbish speeds (the speed using the laptop is much faster) and habitually turns itself off.

Can anyone recommend a good one?

Indeed.

Also: I went for a cycle on Saturday, and was overtaken on the inside while trying to use a right-turn box. Twice. When did people start thinking this was acceptable? Cunts.

That's alright, isn't it?
I suspect I've got the wrong idea what a right-turn box is - do you mean a boxed junction?

I mean the bits of road in the centre reserved solely for turning right, not box junctions. I don't think it's alright.

I think I meant lane, not box:

So people we driving past on your left while you waited to turn right?
I suspect there's more of this missing (specifically, I suspect you meant "outside").

Or were you both in the filter lane, and he overtook you on the inside in that lane?

Malabar, do you mean that whilst you were trying to turn right, you got passed by a car to your left making the same right turn as you?

This was the basis, almost the exact same set up, of a case I read where a cyclist was doing just that and then he got skittled by a car. He died after suffering horrific head injuries, but there was something in the judgement that seemed to indicate that if he hadn't been hit quite so hard, and survived, his not wearing a helmet would be contributory negligence. SO wear a helmet, peoples.

Just as I'm coming to a stop at the end, and starting my wait to turn right, two people (on separate occasions) decided to overtake me on the left and swerve (quite wide, as they'd overtaken me too late) around the corner I was going to take.

That's about it, really. Is it really too much to ask of people to just wait behind me for a few seconds while I — the person in front, with right of way — do my manoeuvre?

Yep. That.

Aren't cyclists meant to stay on the left of those things, or is it just roundabouts?

[edit]It's just roundabouts.
[edit][edit]No it's not. They shouldn't have been able to go around you on the left (unless they drove over the "don't drive here" lines) because you should be hugging the left of the lane / road all the way through the manoeuvre. Bloody cyclists.
I wouldn't have driven around you though, I must confess.

Intercontinental version added. They're just as bad out there even though the other lanes are called passing lanes.

Nothing used to piss me off more than two minivans full of kids doing 50 side by side in a 65.

I may have a spare. Yours for free if I can find it.

On Thursday night I got a call from my boss changing my plans for Friday to come up to head office instead of normal field visits.

Got there for a 12pm meeting to find that myself and the other I.T. trainer are being put at risk of redundancy.

I know other people on here have gone through it. Feels shit doesn't it? Even though it's the job they're making redundant and not me, but I doubt there'll be any suitable alternative positions available, so I'm now on the job hunt.

Oh, balls. Sorry to hear it, chap. What sort of work will you be looking for?

Really sorry to hear that.

Sucks

Sorry to hear that Mr Russell. Hopefully they'll do there best to find you something else in the company while you keep looking.

Cheers guys.
Malabar: hopefully something IT based, but I've also come from retail and will go back if forced.
Zardoz: they've said so far there's only three positions available, and they're all in Newcastle (currently a 200 mile drive for me). If the salary wasn't there to match I wouldn't be able to relocate.

I mean, it might not even happen yet, but if it doesn't chances are it'll happen again down the line.

I only started the job in January.

Downsides - Money, Blow to self esteem, having to find another job.

Upsides - You won't have to go to Hull anymore.

Overall mate I think you're up.

Good luck Mr Russell.

Hope you find something soon.

Have you considered freelancing? It'd depend on your age and experience, but there's a lot of money to be made in freelance IT training.

The Green Man Festival has sold out in record time. No tickets left. Usually I buy mine at the start of July, but I was going to buy one this week and everything, having just got paid.

I really wanted to go too.

Anyone ever had any luck buying tickets on the net after these things have sold out? Unwilling to give up hope...

Sorry to hear that but... is that the festival that clashed with the Tinkers Rucksack meet?

Somehow I knew that would be the first answer... *sniffle*

I'm really sorry to hear about this twist of fate Pete.

Bummer dude. I joined a place up in Newcastle to be an Agile Coach, and was subsequently made redundant 6 months later! So I know know how it feels, the trainers are always the first to go!

It'll work out though, it always does

If you sit in the middle of the lane motorists are less likely to attempt shady overtaking manoeuvres & it makes you a bit more visible. Move back over to a car door's width from the side once you've made the turn. Bloody motorists

In other news check this awesome information picture thing. http://www.ouramazingplanet.com/infogra ... ench-0249/

Only just saw your second edit. The guys in both cases went well wide of a decent driving line to make the turn after passing me. I was in the middle of the lane; too far left and they'd have passed me on the right, but I guess these people would have tried to pass me regardless of my road position. Some people are just dicks.

I think the point is that you're meant to leave enough room for people to pass you on the right.

Do you know, I don't think you are. I think you are entitled, as a cyclist, to cycle in the middle of the lane just like cars and motorbikes etc.

I think that cycling to the left is just a courtesy (and in most cases saftey)

I think.

Malc

Have you seen how thin those lanes are? If I left room for people to overtake me, I'd be in the regular lane and my intentions wouldn't be known, and any overtaking cars would be well into the oncoming lane to get past me. People simply should not be overtaking me there.

It's in the Highway code to stay on the left. I know the highway code is just guidelines rather than rules though.

Oh, is that photo actually the junction?
Well, I can't see how thin it is, because there aren't any cars in it

Are horses meant to ride side by side? If not and I see them doing so am I legally entitled to drag them from their mounts and force feed them all the horseshit the filthy bastards leave lying all over the roads?

They can - they shouldn't ride more than two abreast and they should go to single file if the road "isn't very wide".
In general, they follow the same rules guidelines as bikes.

Bit harsh. Why not just beep your horn or clip their rear legs as you drift around them?

Because I've no beef with the hapless creatures, it's the snooty berks sat on top of them. I can count on one hand the number of times I've had any acknowledgement for making an obvious effort to give them room. Motorcyclists on the other hand seem to wave thanks as a matter of course.

I still need to get round to looking up whether it's illegal for riders to leave their horses' poo over the place - I have a horrible feeling it'll be exempt from the littering laws, and that the "fouling the pavement" laws will only apply to dogs. I'm desperate to give a good bollocking to the wastes of taxpayers' money riding around on their police horses rubbing themselves off on the saddles and having a nice chat and doing dick all policing.

Just grab the riders foot then.

Fucking cunts on bikes riding two abreast can get to fucking fuck. Really hacks me off, especially when I am on a bike myself and you have two dawdling ninnies in front of you.

The bike Po-po are really bad for that around here

You're allowed to ride two abreast, though, so the police can fuck off.
Sort of.

"never ride more than two abreast, and ride in single file on narrow or busy roads and when riding round bends"

Did The Last Guardian get mentioned at E3?

I've skimmed the Sony coverage probably the least of the big events but I didnt see anthing about it , or the rumored compilation disk of Ico and Shadow of the collosus

Hopefully they'll all be out when PS3s drop under the £100 mark.

Liver and bacon tonight. I knew I wouldn't get through frying the onions liver and bacon without eating. Good thing there was a spare piece of bacon. Made a nice sandwich

Liver and Bacon! Food of the Gods, it is! Well, the non-kosher Gods, at least.