More on bringing the internut into the 21st century and reducing the gap betweem offline law and order and online virtual anarchy. :)

This time, here is a politician's view on it, in the form of a letter response to one of the hysterical "waa, waa, waa" crowd populating the whirlpool forums on this subject.

Dear ["not thinking of the children" (name substituted to protect the guilty)]

Thank you for contacting me with your concerns regarding the Government’s clean feed internet filtering system. I am aware that the proposal for ISP filtering has attracted some criticism from those, like yourself, who are concerned that it will lead to censorship of the internet and to a slowing of internet speed. However, the Australian Government has no plans to stop adults from viewing material that is currently legal, if they wish to view such material.

I believe that freedom of speech is very important and the Government’s cyber-safety policy is in no way designed to curtail this. The Government wants to ensure that Australian parents can access a ‘clean feed’ internet service. This will be informed by the technology adopted in countries such as the United Kingdom, France, Sweden, Norway, Finland and Canada where ISP filtering, predominantly of child pornography, has been successfully introduced without affecting internet performance to a noticeable level.

The proposed ISP filtering policy is being developed through an informed and considered approach, including through industry consultation and close examination of overseas models to assess their suitability for Australia. We are committed to working closely with internet industries to address any concerns, including costs and internet speeds. These concerns will be carefully considered during the pilot and will further inform the Government’s cyber‑safety policy.

The internet is an essential tool for all Australian children through which they can exchange information, be entertained, socialise and do school work and research. The ability to use online tools effectively provides both a skill for life and the means to acquire new skills. However, while the internet has created substantial benefits for children it has also exposed them to a number of dangers, including exposure to offensive content. As such, parents rightly expect the Government to play its part in the protection of children online.

The Government has committed $125.8 million over the next four years to a comprehensive range of cyber-safety measures, including education, law enforcement and filtering. These measures include:· Education activities – funding to the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) to implement a comprehensive range of education activities;· Australian Federal Police (AFP) Child Protection Operations Team – funding to detect and investigate online child sex exploitation;· ISP level filtering – funding to develop and implement ISP filtering, including undertaking a real world ‘live’ pilot;· Websites / Online helpline – funding to ACMA to improve current Government cyber-safety website resources and to make them easier for parents to use, and to provide up‑to‑date information.

ACMA will also develop a children’s cyber-safety website to provide information specifically for children, and improve the online helpline to provide a quick and easy way for children to report online incidents that cause them concern;· Research – funding for ongoing research into the changing digital environment to identify issues and target future policy and funding.These initiatives will tackle the issue of cyber-safety from a number of directions to help clean up the online environment and to protect Australian children from the dangers of the internet now and into the future.

This approach acknowledges the key role parents have in the online safety of children, and provides them with the necessary information to assist with this task. This initiative also recognises that there is no single solution to ensure children can access the internet safely.Thank you for bringing your concerns to my attention. I hope this information is of assistance, and please don’t hesitate me with any further concerns.

Kind regards,
Melissa Parke MP
Federal Member for Fremantle

regarDS

"Waa, Waa, Waa, teh govamin R breakn teh interweb"

No, that's not me crying and pouting because the menu at McNet is being changed in order to match the healthier diet found in the offline world. I am But Of Course talking about all those unimaginative users who are getting hysterical at the thought of one way or another having to act more or less as responsibly when plugged into the internut as they do when they are busy obeying the laws of the land in the offline world.

In case you haven't heard or don't remember, our elected government (who I didn't vote for - well, other than a vote for Family First first, and the Evil Greens last) made a promise to all who elected them (all those "working families" busy wage slaving for double incomes to pay off their negative equity and too busy to have a parent at home being, well, A Parent, and so in dire need of KRudd and Co to be defacto parents to their children instead) that something would be done to make teh McWeb a safer place for the kiddies to be ... as well as bringing it more into line with the laws of the land in relation to illegal stuff and activities as the offline world.

Enter the ISP-Level Filtering System (a bit like what the likes of Blue Coat Systems do but on a national level. Here is a link about BlueCoat http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Coat_Systems )

The idea of it is to try and stop illegal material coming in, going around, or going out of the country via the internut. Sure, it is going to be difficult (actually, impossible) to get it working with 100% accuracy and without a degree of system overhead and impact, but does that mean it shouldn't be attempted ? Does that mean we should continue to persue, prevent, and prosecute illegal material and activity in the offline world of law and order only to make no attempt to tame virtual anarchy and lawlessness ?

It seems somewhat incongruous and hypocritical to me that most of us in Oz want to live in a safe country with law and order and are generally willing to act responsibly enough to make it work to a reasonable degree yet at the same time want "anything goes and damn the torpedoes" when plugged into the McNet.

Anyway, I am in principal, in support of attempts to bring into line online material and activities in Oz with the laws of the land which we have a responsibility and obligation to support if we really are interested in being worthwhile citizens.

Over at whirlpool's forums on the topic (see http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum-replies.cfm?t=1075390 ) I'm reading a lot of "they r taking away my freeeedom" type stuff, along with a whole load of frothy hysteria, but sadly, from this alleged typical representation of internut users, I'm not seeing much in the way of anyone willing to support the prevention of illegal material, nor even begin to think of ways to take our global communications systems to new levels that benefit the whole globe (such as those locked away behind the Great Firewall of China).

It really has become the McWeb/McNet for them ... and Baby Wants It Now !

Anyway, I must get back over to whirlpool and continue to try and reason the hysterical and fanatical back down to some sort of useful ground, so I'll close off this entry with a message posted to the yahoogroups ozltuae list last night.

SOQ

>>> richary: Not quite sure if he (derspatz) is just playing devil's advocate or not
>> derspatz: Not even in the slightest.
> richary: Yes you are proposing a Gibsonesque world where everyone can jack in wherever and whenever they want. Now let's look at the real agenda you are pushing as you always have.

Breaking down the Great Firewall of China ? Getting people to see a bigger picture ?

> Which I obviously can't bring up in WP (whirlpool).

Tis certainly pretty trigger happy on the "filtering" side at WP ! Thank goodness we can let our hair down a bit here. So, let's party ! :)

Somewhat ironic considering the topic ...

> The End Times are coming

Don't worry, Obama the Messiah will save you ... well, at least appear to for a while. :)

> in the meantime lets create as much destruction and chaos as possible

Ah, so THAT's why I'm continually giving what has amounted to many thousands of dollars to Israel so that their kids can be fed and clothed and their aged can be properly housed and have hot water and their soldiers can have warm clothing and care packages and Jewish believers in Yeshua Ha Mashaiach can be compensated for things being denied to them bytheir fellow Jews in their own country merely because they dare to say "hey, we got it wrong about our brother Jesus - He is our messiah after all and silly us went and got him killed ...".

You've gone and exposed my true motivation for my giving of my not so hard earned - I'm busy sowing the seeds of chaos and destruction so Jesus will come and rescue me sooner ! (rolls eyes)

If what you are suggesting is the case, then I must have one weird interpretation of Luke chapter 12 going ... especially verse 43..

> those are the fore runners of those times. Of course, you can't do that by being nasty to anyone or hurting them as that would be a sin.

Isn't living with/sleeping in the same bed as someone who isn't one's wife a sin too ? Whatever happened to in for a penny, in for a pound ?

> let's just do it by stirring the pot for a reaction. Or as it was put on WP, trolling. Subtle trolling of course, given your skills learnt here over many years. But I recognise it for what it is, as does Mark (Newton).

(sigh) and yet if I shared the same opinions as you or Mark and the wailing mostly selfish and ignorant masses expressing their irrational fears of having their daily poisons intake reduced, there would be no mention of stirring or trolling. Kinda sad (and telling) that a well reasoned, coherent, and consistent opinion that also happens to be at odds with the majority of participants in that thread, is chosen to be viewed as trolling or stirring, mind you.

Hmmm, who are the Fanatical Religious Zealots, now, Richary ?

What I am finding even more disturbing about what I am seeing at WP, is a spoilt, selfish, "it is mine by right", and "how dare I be required to do/sacrifice/lift a finger", "what do you mean by 'responsibilities'" attitude, along with utter apathy in relation to do anything other than complain.

The spirit in there isn't about pioneering the internut into something new and better that benefits us all ... it is instead all about having what basically boils down to having a McNet to go along with every other Mcthis'n'that the Gen-likewhatevers are all about these days.

Things that make me go "Bah."

Things that also inspire me to calmly address with a basic logical yet visionary approach that exposes the fanaticisms being expressed for what they are and instead attempts to bring things back to a useful middle ground.

> But you are pushing the wrong barrow. As I recall from many years ago of bible studies it is the destruction of Israel that will bring about the rapture.

You're not trying to teach your grandma how to suck gravel there are you richary ?

> And think about the possibilities. Hypothetically a Muslim based party gains control of the Senate and deems Christian sites unacceptable. Well damn, you guys have already let the technology in so all of a sudden every Christian webpage is on the blacklist. Bad luck, you have made your own grave so lie in it. Yes it's an unlikely scenario but once the technology is in place then anything is possible.

And this is supposed to bother me because ? You do remember that you are talking to someone who finds very little (if anything) to be sacred in this world, and someone who not only isn't an idolatrous book worshipper, but rather is a self confessed book burner as circumstances dictate, along with someone who wrote message filtering and processing software for FIDOnet ?

"Empire" - Echo Mail Packet Incisive Record Extractor and all that. :)

Considering that and remembering the kinds of things I was vocally against back in FIDO days of LTUAE and the other echos, it should be of no surprise to you that I would in principal be in support of Government control of illegal material online (and more besides), so there really is no need to be making silly appeals to a notion of "I'm trying to bring about amageddon" ...

Besides, I've nearly ALWAYS been about working towards the return of Yeshua Ha Mashaiach for Him to do His "rule with a rod of iron" thing (ie, more filters), but these days I've settled upon helping Israel with my finances as being the most effective way of achieving it.

> Of course until your dream of a free from any interference "cyberspace" is possible. So instead of criticising the freedoms we have now, why don't you get off you backside and try to help design it?

You missed the suggestions I've already made about using short-hop wireless devices independent of ISPs and telcos (etc) to constantly packet forward distributed net style ? On the amateurish pirate/stealing side of things, maybe something could be made to piggyback on the mobile network in the short term by way of behind the scenes development.

Oh, and that's the other problem I'm having with most of the "waa, waa, waa" brigade on WP.

The scary lack of imagination.

Ah, that's better. I've been feeling so stifled for free and unfettered expression over the last few days at WP.

Cheers richary, for flipping the cap on that one. :)

regarDS

Der Ratte Attack stage 2 complete ...

More fine weather, more second thoughts, and at last a chance to break out the matt black rattle can again. I changed my mind about the path some of the wiring and the engine vent-2-pod plumbing took. For those who know what I'm talking about, you can see that the vent (lower right corner) now goes straight up and then over to the left, level with the frame, and then hits the T junction to go back to the pods. This should stop any condensating vapour from pooling. The wiring looked very messy but now most of it is tucked up out the way at frame/seat level and just the bare minimum heading south to the battery and solinoid, etc.

Aside from the fact that rear guard has now got rattle canned, and the battery sled wood doesn't look like wood anymore now it is painted, notice anything strange towards the top left ? Where has the shock absorber gone, and WTH is bolted there instead ? See next pic. Heh.

Okay, this is called my "claytons" suspension, so named because it is the suspension you have when not having suspension. A bit like the drink by the same name. It is essentially two bits of flat bar bolted between the existing shock mount and a spare hole on the old seat/guard mount, and then the stock shock firmly bolted closer to the latter than the former, giving me pleasing 28cm distance from old centre to old centre where formerly it was near 35cm.

Not only has this given me a much lower and more comfortable ride, especially now I can rest at traffic lights with both feet flat on the ground AND have bent knees, but also made the ride so much easier to control - the handling has vastly improved. Who woulda thunk !

Due to certain angles and bulkiness, the shocks are under a little sideways stress but I can live with that in the short term - the shock covers make it look worse than it actually is, but it is hidden from certain critical eye by the saddlebags anyway.

Yes, I am on the look-out for shorter shocks and have even made a trip to the local bike wreckers in search of them, but they are somewhat elusive in this neck of the woods so I'm going to have to wait to do it properly but in the mean time I am quite happy to do it Ratte Style.

Which is what I also had to do to the kick-stand. Left at it's stock length it pushed the bike over the wrong way. Not very useful, and the centre stand is a chore now things are so much lower - also not helped by the fact that I've also dropped the front forks near 3cm in the triples. So, off came the kick-stand, out came the angle grinder and welder, and half an hour or so later, most of it spent muttering about the reduced conductivity aspects of a badly rusted welding lead clamp, a shorter kick-stand came into being.

Yup, my ratty guestimations had made it a bit on the short side and the bike now had a bigger lean going on than a politician coming out of the Parliment House bar after a long Friday lunch. So, more muttering and more welding saw the stand grow the necessary 1cm it needed to look good whilst also being functional, as well as prevent the draining of battery fluid from the lowest corner. Seriously, I am amazed how much angle you can put on this bike when lowered before it even thinks of having a lay down.

So, that is how the beasty now looks without the saddle bags and side panels. Yup, got the beasty all nekked in time for summer. You can see I finally got around to stretching the gaitors down and hose clipping them. The sticker ? It says "Support the Royal Flying Doctors" which is a charity I like to support and promote the support of. It won't mean much to you if you are outside Oz mind you.

And once again with bags on. Stage 2 over. Can there be a stage 3 ? Maybe. I've been tossing around the idea of enclosing the top third or so of the rear wheel by adding removable covers to each side of the guard. Sure, the bags do that to a degree already, but I don't like that gap showing between the wheel and the rear of the rear guard, which is why I wanted to go for a wheel hugging guard in the first place. Too bad I've had to abandon that idea for the time being.

Anyway, just say no to shiny expensive ridable things. Make cheap and matt black your friend instead. Trust me, more fun is to be had with something you're not worried about taking an angle grinder to than something you don't want to get wet, have to keep clean and polished, and costs you a fortune in insurance every year.

Riding should be about fun and feeling free, so buy yourself that rather than yet another possession that makes you yet more of a prisoner.

Ratte IS the new black.

regarDS

Burbles and Wobbles ...

A quick post-note to the last entry where I mentioned that after a day and a half of throwing various tools and lumps of wood etc at Der Ratte, it still looked more or less the same as when I started and merely smelled worse due to a good fish oiling.

I have now discovered that removing the stock air-box and replacing with the Pods makes a simply marvelous difference. Not only in the get Up and Go department, but also in the 'hey, that sounds Good" section too. I'm sure those of you who have done similar are nodding their heads knowingly.

What a beautiful burble now emits when cruising, and what a satisfying 'hey, I'm here, get out of my way" volume increase when opening up the throttle ! Who would have thunk that such a simple change could make a bike so much more enjoyable to ride !

The economy seems to be better too ... I've already gone over 20 kilometres over where Der Ratte usually starts coughing for a switch over to reserve, but still no sign of cutting out.

Okay, that is the Burbles" side of this blog entry done.

Now for the Wobbles. Nope, nothing to do with Der Ratte.

I was reading with some interest today as to how quickly ice is melting away in the Northern Hemisphere due to this current cycle of natural global climate change we are being blessed with.

Glaciers are retreating at a fast rate of knots even in most Northern Greenland, Arctic ice is soon going to be no more, permafrost in Siberia (etc) is becoming swamp, millions of tons of driftwood and scary amounts of defrosting mammoth meat is finding its way down Northern rivers after being released from previous frozen areas, etc, etc, etc.

In short, billions of tons of frozen water accumulated in various heaps in the North, is following the path water best likes to travel, and is flattening out into the form of less cold wet stuff wot boats can float on.

All good as far as I'm concerned ... we're merely returning to the way things were back when Greenland was more hospitable to the Vikings and the like.

But what is happening at the better end of the globe ? That place South of the land of Oz where yours truly lives, loves, and laughs from ?

Apparently ice at the Antarctic is getting thicker. A bit like all those Environtologists of the Church of Environtology who are running around telling all who will listen to their religious nonsense (and be taxed for the privilage) that the sky is falling and it is all our fault.

Ok, here we get to the wobble part.

Anyone got any kind of idea as to how much ice has to turn to water (with accompanying changes in water tempurature and current directions, etc) in the far North in comparison to how much water has to turn to ice in the far South before this spinning mis-shappen ball we live upon must naturally see a change to its axis wobble due to weight redistribution ?

regarDS

One of those Ratte days ...

Ever have one of those morning when you jump out of bed bright eyed and bushy tailed all eager and ready to carry on with where you left off on yesterday's work, then when you go out and take a look at it you realise that you just hate most of what you actually managed to get done the previous session ?

That was me this morning. I looked. I pondered, then I put on my beret, pulled the cork out of a bottle of red with my teeth and took a swig, cut myself some cheese with my belt knife and ate it off the blade, then put on my best French accent and stomped around telling myself off saying things like "merde, sacrebleu, what waas ayee thinkin, thees is sheet. non, non, thees will not do at all, escargot but this rat weel not, now feex it beforrr I taunt you a second time".

I took a look at the tail-light cluster, slapped my forehead and said "non, non, you eediot". I looked at what I was doing with the rear-guard and proclaimed "your mother wears army boots and your father sucks elderberries, you silly canigit".

I decided that the only thing I had done right was the bit of bar that the tail-light was bolted to, and the removal of the air-box and all. Sigh. So, back to the drawing board. First I decided to remove the tail-light again, turn the bar it was mounted on slightly, then raise the rear-guard up to meet it. I drilled and bolted it (yes, I did remember to put some rubber spacers inbetween the bracket and the guard). I had to turn upsidedown the mounting I had made for the battery end of things but same holes worked, so all cool. Back to a fixed guard rather than swingy one.

Okay, that looks a bit better. Note that the shocks and exhaust is off at the moment. The plan to trial a Hard-Tail look and feel rather than head straight away for shorter reach shocks. Next was to rebolt the tail-light cluster back to the mount bar I made yesterday, this time use some rubber spacers and put a third bolt into the guard at the top so the thing can't fall/be pushed forward. Deem it a case of removing temptation. Heh. The two holes in the guard to the right of the light are for bolting the seat back on. Yep, that means all my clever bending and bracket making yesterday was in vain. Sigh.

What else does Der Ratte need ? I'll give you a hint. The Best boats are made of this stuff and apparently witches who weigh as much as a duck are made of it too. Give up ? WOOD ! Yes, not only have I added MORE plastic to a motor cycle, I have now also added wood. You will see it better a few pics down. It has been incorporated as a base for the battery to rest on.

What are you looking at in this next pic ? Ah, a bit of Ratty cleverness I hope ! I've replaced the stock airbox with these pod filters, but what to do with the engine vent that usually feeds into the airbox ? I figured "why not split the feed up and direct it into each pod ?" What I did was drill a hole in the center of each pod and thread a couple of outboard engine fuel fittings through from the inside (with an o-ring on each) then push it into some suitable hose and then clamp. Lurking to the lower right of the photo you can see a white T junction. This is on a hose that connects up with the engine vent. See where this is going ?

Next you can see the pods now clipped onto the carbs and the twin hoses being fed by the T junction and the hose leading down from near the guard then across near the bottom of the battery and back to the engine. I've relocated the indicator relay to up under the seat on a bracket using the twin square thingumijigs mounting point. The other mounting point is the new earth. The regulator is now bolted direct to the guard. The starter solenoid is mounted on the side of the battery strap/bracket. And there is The Wood. :)

Next is a look from the other side, providing a better view of The Wood, the regulator, the pod and engine vent feed, and how I've secured the battery. I basically bolted the original battery strap thingo to a stainless steel angle that formerly was the wet end mount point for a boat echo sounder. All the holes were in the right places - ie, regardless of where the holes were, I compromised to use them rather than try and drill new ones and destroy more drill bits. Anyway, this lovely bit of stainless steel has been secured by four stainless steel self-tappers into the bottom of The Wood, and the original battery thingy first bolted with nylocs to a bit of mild steel bar, then that bar nylocked to the stainless steel ex-echo sounder bracket.

Why did I put the whole thing on The Wood ? It actually acts as a sled to give access to the battery should it need removal as there is not enough room to swing the door open on the original thingy. The sled is merely secured with two bolts (and nylocs) to the metal tray underneither and I reckon The Wood looks much better than yet more metal, and I'm sure the battery will be healthier on it.

Oh well, there went the light again. Sheesh, where did a day and a half go ? Here is a last shot before the side covers go back on again. "WTF ?" do I hear you exclaim ? "You do all that and then put the covers back on ? Anyway, how can they go back on with the pods and the fact that the top mount points have been removed ?"

Why ? Coz I'm not quite ready for Der Ratte to go nekked yet. I want to get it lowered and re rattle can matted first. On the lowering side of things, I did bolt on a bit of tube with holes at 9" centers to see what Der Ratte felt like when that low and that rigid.

It was scary. To start off with, it was a LONG way down from off the center stand, and the side stand was useless - it wanted to push the bike over rather than hold it up. I liked the sitting position, but even without riding it, it was painfully non-flexible. Worse than that, LSCP, (the gorgeous girl who has been my Life Style Choices Partner for the last six years) didn't want to go pillion and see how it was. Not a good sign. Like I said, scary. :(

I still want to do it though, so I think I'll just have to bite the bullet and go for some shorter shocks. The default ones are 13" centers, so I guess a 4" drop is too far. Maybe an 11" will be the go ? In the meantime, I adjusted the defaults to the sloppiest/weakest/lowest they can be. I was even considering taking to the springs with an angle grinder to drop them a bit more, but there is no way back from that kind of mod and it doesn't help with the UP bounce. sigh.

And here is the final short for the day just prior to me slinging the saddle bags back over again ... making it look like I hadn't done a damn thing for the last day and a half. Heavy sigh. See, the side covers fit just fine with the pods ! How did I put the covers on ? Simple, the bottom bits went into their usual slot, and the top bits I just cable-tied to the top frame. Chuckle.

End result ? Cosmetically it virtually looks just like it did a couple of days ago, but it smells far worse due to a liberal dosing with good old fish oil in preparation for some more rattle can matt black. No doubt my neighbours hate me again for that. Heh.

Anyway, what a Ratte of a day. How was yours ? Accomplish much ?

regarDS

Ceasefire over. Der Ratte Attack Stage 2 continues ...

I was confronted with the prospect of a day of beautiful weather upon crawling out of my bed around midday today. My first 4 day break after near a month on the new shift pattern with the new contract, so it was about time I got to treat myself to staying up Really Late, and then similarly sleeping in Really Late too.

So, what to do ? Do I put the boat in the water and go for a cruise down river ? Or do I do some more damage to the CX500 Rat in the making ?

Having decided that because too many folk were getting used to/accepting of the increase in fugliness I have already inflicted on an ugly by default motorbike, it was now high time I resumed hostilities against the rideable metal, and see how much more fugly I could make it.

So I figured that the river could wait, coz it was time to break out the Made in China safety boots, angle grinder, drill, rusty mild-steel bar, blunt drill bits, striking devices of various sizes, weights and shapes ... and the odd cuss word.

First to do was to rip the seat off again and then the rear mudguard. This meant that the stoplight and number plate cluster had no where to go. Hmmmm, time for the first bit of rusty mild steel bar !

Above picture is the planned new rear-guard. Gunna make it so it swings up and down with the wheel rather than the wheel swing up and down into it. Except there won't be any swing having decided to Hard-tail it anyway.

Take a last look at current battery position on the airbox, and the old rear-guard on the ground to the far lower right. Note the handy holes at the end of the Harley sissybar. See where this is going ?

Ok, you can see that I have my Made In China safety boots on. This is important. So too is taking the guard from off the angle grinder. Safety First, Folks ! Then it was a case of bashing a right-angle into a bit of mild steel bar, roughly marking off where the number plate finished and leaving enough for the other end to be bashed over when cut. After the cut, a quick score with the angle grinder makes for an easy bend. A bit of drilling, muttering and cursing while looking for non-blunt drill bits, and yowser, the following was soon possible. I was a little bit worried for a moment that the stop-light and number plate cluster could easily end up pointing towards the ground with a bit of a push ... and it probably could if one had the mind to do so. Heh. Anyway, then it was time to break out some more mild-steel bar and do some crafty bending in order to provide a new way of holding the seat on now that the rear-guard was gone. Note hurled to the ground drill bits. Heh++

Seat now securable, time to get the new rear-guard on. Before that though, it was at last time to remove the battery and air-box ready for the new plans for that to come later. Here is a pic of the airbox gone and most of the electrics swinging in the breeze and my crafty front mount for the seat involving a stainless steel bit of bar held onto the frame with some hose clips.

Next is a view of how one end of the rear-guard is now secured to Der Ratte. I found a stainless steel bit of angle in my boat stuff, so after more muttering and cursing while trying to drill it (don't you just HATE how stainless steel can kill a dying drill bit in no time flat ?) and a few thumps with a hammer to bend it over even further (I jammed it into the boat trailer to do that) it was simply a case of a stainless steel bolt and nyloc nut cushioned by a rubber washer between the guard and the bracket, then another stainless steel bolt and nyloc between the bracket and the up-and-coming battery tray that came pre-equiped with a suitable slot for proper centering.

Yes, I realise that this anchor point will have to change if I don't hard tail things, but I'm determined to give it a go for a week or two. Alternative is to drag the welder out and tack an anchor point mid swing arm under where I've currently bolted it ... or better still, loop it with a large U bolt ? Did that make you shudder ? Yes, I realise I'll have to rethink certain clearances too. Nothing that can't be sorted out with an angle grinder and a bit of muttering.

In that above pic, you can also see my front seat mount a bit better. Maybe I'll weld it on, maybe I won't. Anyway, I ran out of daylight, so more tomorrow ... gotta have it back on the road by the end of the day. Will break out the matt-black rattle cans another day. The fish-oil spray will need a day or two to dry out and set properly anyway.

While I'm repositioning all the electrics in that area I'm going to make a point of doing away with every connector and solder every join instead.

I call that the "take off and nuke it from orbit - it is the only way to be sure" approach. :)

regarDS

Sea Fever

I must down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by,
And the wheel's kick and the wind's song and the white sail's shaking,
And a grey mist on the sea's face, and a grey dawn breaking.

I must down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied:
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.

I must down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,
To the gull's way and the whale's way where the wind's like a whetted knife;
And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover
And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick's over.

- John Masefield (1878-1967).
(English Poet Laureate, 1930-1967.)

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

And Jesus was a sailor when he walked upon the water
and he spent a long time watching from his lonely wooden tower
and when he knew for certain only drowning men could see him
he said "all men will be sailors then, until the sea shall free them"
but he himself was broken long before the sky would open
Forsaken, almost human, he sank beneath your wisdom
like a stone.

And you want to travel with him,
and you want to travel blind
and you'll think maybe you'll trust him,
for he's touched your perfect body
with his mind.

- Leonard Cohen. "Suzanne"

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-Enjoying today's moments shared in this split infinity I hope ? Anyway, here is Der Spatz thought for the day:

Avast, me Hearties, howest faireth thee one and all ?

"Unless laughing or learning, try looking forward more to where you are going than to where you have already been. Don't sacrifice too much of the future merely for the sake of a past probably best forgotten."

regarDS

Hangin' around for The Rainy Days.

A break from machinery for the moment. Time for a waffle. This one is inspired by the plight and challenges faced by most of us in Oz society in its current form. The stuff being endlessly repeated in our news media with no apparent happy ending in sight.

Yeah, "Rainy Days and Mondays always get me down" type stuff.

The secular humanist society promoted in these ~enlightened~ (~ = sneer quotes) times by the likes of Dawkins, most of standard left-wing academia, and the public school system is clearly showing the kind of fruit it bears, and the grafting going on exchanging branches within the same tree ain't going to make it any better either.

Lately I've been personally lamenting the plight of our young, our brethren in remote Aboriginal communities, and the apparent sickness of the soul of our whole nation. I have been wondering what it would take to turn people around and if such a turn around will happen.

I know I can be extremely negative and critical of the time and age we have no choice in partaking in, and I am generally and usually of the view that not much can be done about it and that it is better to hasten the end rather than patch up something doomed to fail.

However, I am also reminded that we are not abandoned nor forsaken and that the proliferation of hopelessnes, pointlessness, wickedness, and all the things reported in our news media, etc, although are very distressing observations and relatities for any parent, are still serving a useful purpose and aren't impossible to turn around.

Part of the useful purpose I reckon, is that it serves as an example to Dawkin's crowd that they are just plain wrong, wrong, wrong about most things and that their brave new world built upon subjective morality and base self interest is doomed to failure that can easily be extrapolated by what we are currently already seeing. I won't go on. Heh.

Not impossible to turn around ? See: http://www.welshrevival.com/ from which I'll quote a tiny bit from the "history" section.

SOQ

"a storm had hit the churches yet for so many it was a storm of love and power which completely transformed their lives.

People were changed in so many ways. The crime rate dropped, drunkards were reformed, pubs reported losses in trade. Bad language disappeared and never returned to the lips of many – it was reported that the pit ponies failed to understand their born again colliers who seemed to speak the new language of Zion – without curse and blasphemy – even football and rugby became uninteresting in the light of new joy and direction received by the Converts.

Colliers and tin-men of the working classes expressed their joy in so many ways – so many original prayers

But perhaps the song that captures what most of these felt was a song sung by Sam Jenkins a tin plate worker from Llanelli – a song translated at the time from English to Welsh – Can y Rebel “Am Achub hen rebel fel fi” - "For saving an old Rebel like me"."

EOQ

You see, I'm reminded that in the final days before God is obliged to step in an put things right again with mankind having been given all the chances due a rebellious child by a patient parent, the promise is to pour out His Spirit on all flesh - and when that happens, I reckon the likes of the Welsh Revival will be small potatoes !

Apparently during the times of Welsh Revival, people were even falling over in the streets overcome with a sense of their need of God's love and forgiveness. Imagine the turn around and return to hope in remote Aboriginal communities should that happen ? Same too in our city's "night spots" ?

How long does it take to turn people around ?

Surely but a blink of an eye once the choice is made ?

On a more secular level, look how easy it is to shape the public view of an entire nation if not tongue ? A couple of newsprint articles, a bit of 6 oclock news time, then the odd collection advertisements, and wallah ! Done !

I reckon BRING ON the last days outpouring of the Holy Spirit as prophecised by Joel (2:28) ala "It will come about after this That I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; And your sons and daughters will prophesy, Your old men will dream dreams, Your young men will see visions."

"After this" ? After what ? Heh. I'll let the interested go look that one up ...

Anyway, Dawkins and crowd not withstanding, I'd rather see us all, especially our young and our Aboriginal brethren, and our leaders under the influence of the Holy Spirit rather than what seems to be the norm at the moment.

That kind of Rainy Day (regardless of what day it falls on) certainly won't be getting me down.

Other than on my knees in thanks that is.

regarDS