:: Morgan ::

:: Wednesday, December 24, 2003 ::

This used to be one of my favourite sites for downloading good software to try out. They seem to have tools for everything and you can either find a free app or download a trial version. I'm pleased to see that it doesn't seem to have changed. Internet - Download.com - Free downloads, shareware, and more.
:: David 7:30 pm [+] ::
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As you can see I update this blog fairly regularly. The last stuff that is actually appearing on the site is from November 2002. This is mainly because I have been busy trying to get other blogs with different features up and running. Visit http://morgan-family.info and look at the links I have you'll see what I've been up to.
:: David 8:14 am [+] ::
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Just visited the Odford English Dictionary. Go for it Steve you might change the language yet. Some of the entries are actually quite funny - well worth a visit.

Also found quite by accident this blog. I hope you got the job at Iron Mountain. Nice chatty weblog using Greymatter. A definitely worth trying blogging app. Easy to install and very versatile.
:: David 12:53 pm [+] ::
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I have now succumbed to the dreaded kerb-dropping syndrome. I live in a short cul de sac, used by mothers dropping kids at school and commuters for all day parking. Wouldn't be too much of a problem if one neighbour didn't have three or four cars. He parks two on his drive and the other in front of my house. This means that, frequently, my wife has no where to park close by and loads of heavy shopping. We've given in and are now having the kerb dropped and the garden paved over. Why is this such a disaster - it could add £5,000 to the value of the house? Firstly, we lose the front garden with all its flowers and the small lawn. It looked really nice when the flowers were in bloom. They'll be replaced by a few plant pots. Secondly, and far worse, is the environmental impact. The more driveways that are created and the more garden that is paved over the greater the risk of flooding. If you have a proper garden the rain takes some time to drain away and heavy rain fall won't necessarily cause flooding. Pave over the garden and the rain runs away very quickly. If sufficient people do this then the local drainage system is overwhelmed and even light showers begin to cause local flooding. Don't ask me what the answer is - I had to make a decision based on my own circumstances. It may be that in future local councils don't permit paving of gardens or they restrict the type and size of area. Who knows?
:: David 1:53 pm [+] ::
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Apologies for not getting around to my second story. Apparently there are about 500 deaths due to roadworks in the UK each year. So why don't we have cameras to catch these bastards who are creating these roadworks. In percentage terms roadworks, and the people who create them, must be killing more people than speeders. ..and if it saves one life! So no more roadworks!!

More seriously. To the lady I almost met on on the link road between the Egham roundabout and the Junction 13 roundabout "Next time you try to change lanes look first and if you are going to apologise for being a dangerous lunatic then move back into your own lane first!"
Modern myths: Motorcycles can appear from nowhere - they CAN'T they were always there you just didn't look!
Modern mysts2: Motorcycles are not permitted to filter - they are and it's perfectly legal. They just have to look to make sure some gormless twat isn't ging to pull out with out bothering to either look or indicate. Next time you feel like pulling out without looking, or indicating, just imagine a 44 ton artic is coming - now pull out you bastard!

This morning's M25 - a slight shower of rain and the motorway is blocked solid from J9. Two accidents, one on each carriageway. When it rains why not drive slower and leave a little space - but no they still drive nose to tail and haven't a chance when the slightest thing goes wrong.


:: David 8:43 am [+] ::
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Now it's time to get serious. I ride a Honda VFR800 almost everyday and travel to and from work along the wonderful M25. I'm lucky I never have to stop because of traffic and I've only had one accident on the motorway. Some idiot in a car changing lanes without indicating or looking. As a result of my biking and the need to travel in and around the South East I am naturally interested in stories about traffic, accidents, roadworks and other road related issues. I think I can express my views here and hopefully strike a cord with anyone who reads them. Comment if you wish - agree or disagree - don't be abusive, I'll simply delete your remarks. OK so two stories today. Both sparked by stories in today's Daily Mail (UK right wing tabloid)

Story 1: Over the weekend there was a coach crash on the M25 near Slough, in which 5 people were killed, including the driver and his mate. Consider that the Motorways in UK are said to be our safest roads(see http://www.learn2live.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/General/Comment.htm for an interesting perspective on this claim.) and that they are amongst the easiest for speed cameras to be used on to catch speeding motorists, and raise a little extra revenue. The justification for the speed cameras is that they improve road safety and if they save only one life etc. etc. Well it seems to me that if the so-called safety experts are so keen on saving that one life that we ought to be examining our policy with regard to safety barriers on the motorway. In the accident above the coach rolled down the embankment before coming to rest on its side. A year or two back we had a Land Rover driver coming off a motorway and ending up on a railway line and causing a number of deaths. There were calls at that time to bring in more barriers where there was a possibility of vehicles going on to railway lines. I'd like to see things going further. We should look at introducing barriers to prevent the risk of vehicles plunging or rolling down any embankment off a motorway. I've been trying to find some statistics on motorway accidents where vehicles have gone down an embankment after the accident. Unfortunately, no luck so far. I did, however, find this interesting websites with some comments by Cybertrucker. You may want to have a look at his site after reading this http://members.tripod.com/~Cybertrucker/speed.htm, I certainly will. As a motorcyclist I'm very interested in schemes which threaten to take control away from the rider so Mr Cybertrucker has an interesting point and one which, perhaps, should be studied further.

...to be continued. Story 2 will refer to the 500 deaths a year supposedly caused by roadworks
:: David 1:43 pm [+] ::
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Well now that I'm getting the hang of this there is no excuse for not getting on and doing something with it. In a previous job I used to travel extensively and partly for my own amusement and partly to assist with my job I used to take many photos. I'll try to post some of the better ones here. Who knows you may recognise some of the places I've visited.

One of the first photos I'll try to let you see is a school photo from about 1961, I was 11 at the time and had only travelled outside Coventry once. Here we go click on the link Dave aged 12. If you recognise yourself in the picture then get in touch.
:: David 11:21 am [+] ::
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