gangzoom

I notice alot of people seem to be concerned about running costs of the Z due to petrol prices, and people are talking about getting 2nd cars, so I decided to work out some costs...

Z = 26mpg, daily miles 46, petrol 1.33 = £10.66 per day or £2550 per year (5 day week, 30day leave)

2.2 diesel = 44mpg, same miles and diesel price = £6.18 per day or £1550 per year

So driving the Z costs me about £1k a year extra in petrol, which when u consider all the hassell of running a extra car, extra insurance, tax and servicing costs, would i actually save any money?? More importantly the smile driving the Z gives me is 'pricelss'

On the otherhand if petrol prices hits £2.00 per liter (probably in a couple of years), my petrol costs would hit £4k per year, and even with a 45mpg car that works out as £2100 per year, hopefully by than the electric cars will be able to do more than 100miles per charge

When i was 9 my dad bought our first mac, a mac plus (it appeared in Star Trek IV!)

Been using Macs ever since (including buying a Umax Pulsar 1500 clone in 1997..Apple share were literally worthless back than), but in the last few years i've been thinking about switching to windows...used windows 7 at work and to be honest theres hardly any difference between Windows 7 and OSX i find it hard justifying paying over the top for the same hardware just because its made by Apple....

if you really want to use OSX you can always build your own "mac" for half the price of a Apple machine..http://lifehacker.com/#!5672051/how-to-build-a-hackintosh-mac-and-install-os-x-in-eight-easy-steps..of course you wouldn't get the "Apple" logo with the machine..which i understand these days are worth nearly the same as a Audi badge gram for gram

Another daily user, did think about a shed once but why bother, when the Z starts going wrong it'll be perfect excuse to trade up ...only problem been in nearly 4 years the only thing to go wrong was a cracked exhaust, at this rate i'll be in the Z for a while yet

00 - Datsun Cherry ( £500, broke down whilst trying hit 60mph on the M1)

03 - Peugeot 1.1 106 XN (present from parents, crashed into an Audi A4, carless for 18 months)

05 - Old shape Mondeo V6 ( bought with my first pay cheque after finishing university )

06 - DC 2 Integra Type R ( perfect weekend toy would love another one, no radio/aircon/sound proofing not good at 200 mile round trips on the motorway )

07 - 350Z ( still loving it... )

I had alot more confidence in my old DC2 integra type R than my 350z. I think the latest JDM civic type r shows just how good FWD cars are these days. If I had to swap my Z for the current focus RS I wouldnt be overly unhappy:-)

Just looking out at the snow outside my window and its building up nicely. Not sure whether to risk the drive to work or not. I have to be in work for 8am and usually leave about 7:30 to get there in plenty of time.

 

Never driven the zed in snow before (in fact never driven it in winter as only got it last Feb). Problem I have is my work expect me to be in no matter what it takes (trainee air traffic controller) so dunno what to do

 

Im considering leaving at like 6:30 in the hope that the roads are quiet so I can plod along slowly.. only other alternative is walk.. 8 miles

 

Or try and persuade my dad to let me use his shed..

 

Is it really that bad driving a zed in the snow ? :/

Are there any BMWs on the roads around you?? The way i see it if BMW drivers are able to get around than the Z is probably fine (assuming BMW drivers are N****S most of whoem probably don't even know they are driving RWD cars and naturally been a Z driver my skills are much better )

I've used my Z every day for work in the last 3 years, only got stuck once on a hill which even a range rover couldn't get up. The main roads are usually fine, and on the small roads you just have to be sensible. Apparently loads of schools were closed around my area but there really wasn't that much snow at all, i think the media is doing a grand job of scarring every one

I get through about £70 a week, thats using the Z every day, computer says 26mg which i didn't think was too bad, than checked my other halfs diesel civic...50mpg average for the same type of commute

when i first got the Z i noticed the same thing, i use to have an old Mondeo which use to mist up all the time, one day i opened the boot and found a small pound where the spare wheel should be I'm glad to say as yet i've found no such suprises in the Z

I've used my Z through the last 3 winters without every getting stuck...lots of side ways action at 15mph though I always found getting out of the drive the hardest, most main roads are usually clear, though a couple of years back no one bothered to grit the roads in hospital grounds....Ambulances are defintaly not designed to drift

Your pictures look good! just showed it my fiancee shes happy to for you to have go We can even give you some money for it, the venue if probably going to be cardiff city hall....so if your defiantly free early April next year give me a PM, and ill give the details for your first photoshot job

 

I have a passion for photography and i also cant stop thinking about the show i done with my brothers. I would love to do another few shows but its not up to me. I love photography but what options do i have without qualifications and experience? I dont know how i could make as much money as i can now. I know its not all about money but my situation requires me to make a decent living. I need to save for a mortgage.

I'm having my civil ceremony in Cardiff next April, haven't booked a photographer cos our photographer for the main wedding wants ridiculous amounts just for an extra 1-2 hrs because the civil is on a different day...i was going to do photography my self, but given the fact am getting married thats probably not going to work Your welcome to have a go at taking some photos if you like, got any pictures on the web around ..you can even use my Camera (Cannon 450D, got a couple of lens in addition to the kit lens, hopefully will have an external flash gun by next April)

I've still got my iPhone 3G, did have an iPhone 4 pre-ordered but when i went to collect it couldn't face paying $600 for a phone My contract is now only $15 a month and didn't really want to be paying $30-35 for 2 years (which works out as still paying over 500quid for the phone). The GPS on the 3G is pretty rubbish compared to my TomTom, and also it drains the battery in a matter of hours, i think the iPhone 4 has better GPS, but personally i think a even a cheap TomTom does the job much better.

Still my iPhone 3G is amazing, really dont know how i use to get by without it, i think the HTC Desire is pretty good too, i wouldnt buy one simply cos i've been brainwashed by Apple. Best thing to do is try both phones, and get the one that works for you the best (i wouldn't bother picking one over the other based puerly on their GPS apps)

Yeah do yourself a favour and don't whore the transitions, there's nothng more irratating than someone whos just learned to use PP and think's their amazing, as their actually irratating as ****.

 

A nice simple mellow background colour which does not detract from the text or message your putting across, and I would normaly only put bullet points in PP and use them to remind me of what I want to say, as what your saying is the presentation, PP is just a visual aid.

Completly agree

 

I tend to do the following;

 

No more than 8 lines text per slide (actually i rarely use more than 4).

 

When your presenting, dont just read what's on the slide, the information on the slide should only complement what your trying to say.

 

Memorise that your going to say, not having to look at notes or the slide means you can keep eye contact with the audiance more, which is nearly always a good thing.

 

Try to get the audiance involved if possible...and it at all possible put some "humour" into the slide, possibly some thing topical...but this can go totally worng

 

Actually the best presentation i went to was froma a Proffesor from one of the big London hospitals, he turned up to teach us some complicated stuff on kids kidenys, than he realised he had forgotten his memory stick, than proceeded to give a 1hr talk totally off the top of his head which was absoutly fantastic

When you first finish medical school you spend a few years (2-3) doing lots of different jobs usually in 2-3 different hospitals before you can train in a specific field. Though some people think thats a pain i quite enjoyed doing lots of different jobs. (i did things like cardiology, lab based work, accident emergency, and i will never forget my 4 month job in open heart sugery )

If your seriously considering doing medicine, i wouldn't even bother thinking about physiotherapy..your quickly get bored and frustrated and always wonder "what if"..I'm now training to be a kidney consultant, so dealing with kidney transplants, dialysis, and generally dealing with some pretty sick people on the intensive care unit. My fiancee is doing cardiology, she had to work hard to get a training post, and she loves it too. We both have been qualified for 5 years, so its actually not that a long time...so if you reckon you can put up with the work than defiantly go for it

There lots of health /sport releated jobs out there, but the only way to become any sort of doctor is to go through medical school. The standard undergraduate medical course is 5 years and requires A-level Chemistry, Math, and physics (If i remeber correctly you need at least a B grade in chemistry and A grade in math). Competition for most courses are pretty strong, when i was going for my medical school inteviews it was about 10 interviews per place (Applications pre place i think as about 50). There are now "fast track" course for people who may have other degrees but want to get into medicine, these are usually 4 years long, but these courses are even more competitive.

I've been qualifed for 5 years now, and though i have to do some stupid hours (like working 24hrs shifts) i woudln't want to do any thing else

ugly arse

Very ugly!!!...still 348 bHP, that getting on been nearly 100 Bhp more than my Z...now if only they redesigned that rear end I might have to make a quick trip to the Infinit dealer

I doubt doing the wheels or making the paint perfect is going to add any value to the car, and be realistic about how much your going to get. you have remember brand new the Z was only £27K, a early E46 M3 which was a £40K+ can now be had for not much more than £10K, and as much as i love the Z the M3 is simply a much better car.

Trouble is like all Diesels mine included all the torque comes in one big lump, when you get it right but when you are off the turbo and nothing happens

The Honda engine isn't turboed...which is quite rare in the world of diesels, you can just about pull away in 3rd gear on the flat without too much problems

The latest criteria shes mentioned is that it can't be any older than an 06 plate

 

She is dragging me to look at a Civic Type-S tomorrow

Its not all that bad, my otherhalf has one and if i recall the 2.2 diesel puts out 250Ib of torque compared to the Z's 260 or so Also if its the 5 door version its absoutly massive inside, we managed to fit our selves and my parents + all their luggage with ease when their car broke down on the way back from heathrow...hers also have all the gadgets like voice activated sat nav, auto lights/wipers, dual climate control, and even a little display to tell you which doors are open (I'm easily impressed)

Just dont expect it to drive like a Z, the brakes are terrible, it rolls around corners, and you can definatly tell its a diesel....on the other hand i only drive it on the odd occassion, my other half loves it, doesn't attract any attention (which for her is quite important), costs next to nothing to run and insure (compared to the Z), and even when i drive it i can manage 50mpg with ease

I don't tend to trust my trip computer much, but every time i boot it i do see the fuel needle visibly drop....i find the best cure for this problem is not to look at the fuel gauge, and fill it up as you need ...at one point my local garage owner said i was one of his favourite customers and use to give me a free miniroll every time i filled up

I was on my way to a Honda dealer to trade in my Type-R against a S2000, saw a Z parked up at the Nissan garage, thought it looked pretty cool, went in to have a quick look.....1hr later the deal was done

 

So no I'm looking into mortgages, rates, prices etc and trying to get my head around it all!

 

Let me know when you get your head around it, and than you can may be explain it to me...i just had my annual mortagage statement come in, some how my 2.99% mortagage translates to paying £5 of interest for every £1 repayed which to me work out as 500% interest...and i got to do it for another 24years

Any Plasma screen can get "Burn in" (which essentially ruins the TV), even the top end £2K+ Pionner Kuro are not immune...i know because i did this to mine

The latest Panasonics are pretty good, but be aware there are issue with Panasonics claimed black levels:

http://www.avforums.com/forums/plasma-tvs/1266197-2009-panasonic-plasmas-black-level-problems-after-1000-hours-part-5-a.html....Panasonic are trying to do an Apple, and claim that changing black levels is "normal" and a design feature

At the same time LCD will never be as good as an plasma at displaying motion and blacks (unless you have mega bucks to spend on local dimming LED backlight LCD TVs).

Actually personally i've yet to find a so called "flat screen TV" to out perform my parents old 32inch Sony CRT in terms of motion, contrast, colour accuracy

Not too sure about the 3D stuff yet, most current 3D TVs use "active" shutter glasses, which are £150 a pop, there are passive 3D TVs out but not many (using polarising glasses like in the cinema). Also HDMI 1.4 which supports 3D is only just been rolled out, since most of the current AV equipment is only HDMI 1.3 compliant, if you want a full 3D set up your need new AV receivers, blue ray players, and even cables...which is all going to cost, but i guess thats why the AV industry is pushing 3D so hard

On the other hand home projector technology has come on leap and bounds, for £500 you could have a 96inch screen, HD ready (and possibly 3D compliant)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Optoma-DW318-Projector-widescreen-Ready/dp/B00337CXVQ/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1279986369&sr=8-3

My beady eye never fails

 

Is that how all scorpions are? Looks like it needs to be about 3/4 inches further out....

 

The Scorpion tends to follow the line of the rear bumper, I will ask Gang for a better photo…

I actually quite like the way the Scorpion doesn't break up the curves of the back end will try to do more photos but need to give the Z a clean first (as i promised Andy yesterday)

If i had £30K + to spend and be willing to put up with running costs i'll be getting one of these in a flash;

http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/1891200.htm

So much a nicer car than a M6 (IMO), and probably will not depreciate any more....I know some people just dont like 911s but the 996 is such a bargain at the moment... infact if i wasn't getting married i probably would have got one by now