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BUGGA dot NET – Your home for information on Beer, Cars and IT

  • Google Maps – Australia

    Google now has high resolution images for Australia availeable. They worked just before I posted this, but now seem to have disappeared. I could even see my house 😀

    M

  • Alienware : The Best Custom Built Gaming PC for the Ultimate PC Gamer!

    Comes with Hyperspace too but most importantly decent performance and the artwork is not sucky. Impressive.

    Does not look like the Australian store has this one 🙁 boo hiss!

  • Woah does it ever take an eternity to begin the installer. It uses all the 3500 plusses of power provided by the Athlon64 powering my machine, and eats up lots of RAM requesting more. I hope that its WinCE/PocketPC/Smartphone development capabilities exceed 2003. VS2003 feel’s very beta-y even in full release.

    Now I’m just waiting on them to be sending me my XP64 bit which was ordered about 4 weeks prior to VS.NET-05. Meh, such is life.

  • FOX SPORTS | Formula 1 | Schuey wins six-car fiasco (June 20, 2005)

    Forumla 1 is dead – Killed by the governing body FIA with michelen tyres as the weapon.

    Well its not really dead, but the beaurocratic mess that is FIA and Forumla 1 now days is sad. I think that FIA have forgotten what F1 is about – its not about technological advancement – F1 tech does NOT make it into road cars (rallies and similar events in europe do though) its about fans watching extremely fast cars go round tracks extremely quickly. Its not a good thing for the fans with the rediculous rules imposed by FIA. I suppose that teams who have vast budgets are about to develop better cars than those running on smaller budgets and the Ferrari winning nearly everything in the last 5 years is not the best thing, but is the solution something which causes 7 teams – 14 cars not even able to START the race good?

    If something this farcical happens again, a better solution is required – shorter race, allow tyre changes with points not being awarded to those who changed tyres? Something to keep the fans entertaind!

    I’m glad I didnt bother staying up for this one!

    M

  • The ICC in conjunction with Cricket Australia have today released a standard code of conduct for Backyard Cricket.

    1. GENERAL RULES
    1a. Can’t Get Out First Ball: Curious rule introduced to give the token unco ******** a reprieve. Smart-ar5e batsmen use it to hone their reverse sweep; which becomes interesting when smart-arse bowlers use it to hone their beamer.

    1b. Caught Behind (auto wikky): Since no one has the desire or the reflexes to stand in the slips cordon, an edge onto the back fence constitutes instant dismissal. Has signalled the death of the late cut.

    1c. One Hand, One Bounce: This popular innovation (When a fielder can dismiss a batsman by catching the ball in one hand on the first bounce) is essential to the very fabric of the sport. Importantly, it means a game can be organised with a minimum of players. Note that this rule only applies when the fielder is holding a beer in their other hand.

    1d. No LBW: When no umpires are available (or trustworthy), the only option is to can the LBW rule altogether, ensuring cagey batsmen shuffle across the crease as is test driving a Zimmer frame.

    1e. Six And Out (Then Fetch It): Introduced to combat space and energy restrictions. It’s rumoured to have been initiated by a hapless bowler living alongside a pack of Rottweilers.

    1f. Standard Over: All veteran backyard bowlers know that the standard length of an over in backyard cricket ranges from anything between 10-12 balls. You only relinquish the bowling duties when questioned by any fielders or opposing team members. But only after the standard response of “Two to Come”.

    2. ESSENTIAL ITEMS

    2a. Esky: Strategically placed at the bowler’s end, the esky is the shrine, the fuel, the Richie Benaud of backyard cricket – because it holds the beer.

    2b. Balls: A minimum of 3 tennis balls is advised, as there’s always some smart-arse who delights in tonking them over the fence (see rule 1e). Advanced exponents use electrical tape around half the ball to give it more swing than Austin Powers.

    2c. Dog: Preferably of Kelpie or Heeler extraction, so it can field every ball, including those that disappear under the house or thorny bushes. The downside is that they produce more slobber than a 14 year old male Penthouse reader. The upside is the dog will sleep for 3 days straight afterwards.

    2d. Rubbish Bin: It would be nice to think you can clean up your own mess, but in reality the bin makes a perfect set of stumps.

    2e. Bat: Boasting multiple scratches and dents, and no grip left on the handle, it’s usually of 1980’s vintage with a single scoop, with a fake signature of Allan Border or Merv Hughes providing added backyard cult status.

    3. CODE OF ETHICS

    3a. Stumps: The game draws to a close when, i) Your host finally cooks the snags after the barbie has run out of gas, ii) Macca hits the last ball onto the road and it disappears down the drain (not withstanding rules 1e and 2c), iii) You can’t get that batsman out with any type of bowling pace or spin, or iv) Your girlfriend cracks the sh1ts and wants to go home because you “become a ****” when you hang around with your mates.

    3b. Flower Damage: Any respectful male will cringe and help hide the fact that you have just topped your girlfriend’s petunias. Somehow, the universal threat of a week-long drought bonds the male species.

    3c. Spilt Beer: Ideally, the offending batsman should apologise profusely and offer to replace the vanquished stubbie. Fat Chance. The feat prompts sh1tloads of laughter, and the usually triumphant “Get me one while you’re at it!”

    3d. No Running Between Wickets: Every backyard cricket specialist should know this phrase, “The words fun and run don’t go together.” Just ask Arjuna Ranatunga. Besides, how the hell are you supposed to run in thongs?

    3e. Courtesy Call: Always invite the chicks to have a bat. They usually say no, but on the odd occasion, they do take a grip of the willow. You can bowl a couple of dollies to her so she can hit before ending this freakish sideshow with a yorker. Most chicks hold a bat as if they’re chopping wood, and they bowl as if throwing left-handed. And they can’t handle yorkers. Still, someone has to make the salad.

  • I found this many moons ago somewhere on the great big wide internet and have posted it here for the sake of posterity – enjoy.

    Rules that apply for the life of the car

    • * When the engine is cold (below the first 3 white marks at the base of the temp gage) rev the engine to at least 2,500 rpms.
    • * When the engine is warmed up (above the first three white marks) Rev the engine to no less than 3,000 rpms.

    The reason for this is to keep the turbo on boost, clear the VNT guide vanes and apply firm pressure to the rings for optimal sealing against blow-by gasses. The rings need the boost to seal since its a turbo charged engine, babying the engine is detrimental and will lead to issues with compression if done so for very long.

    First 1,000 miles

    Keep rpms below 3,800. Avoid steady rpms. Frequent firm application of power is strongly recomended up to 3,800 rpm. Avoid the use of cruise control so that you naturally fluctuate the power with your foot.

    1,000-5,000 miles

    Use the full 5,100 rpm power range. Avoid steady rpms. Avoid the use of cruise control. Frequent application of full throttle is recomended to help seat the rings. City driving is ideal for breaking in a TDI due to frequent stops and acceleration. Once you get to 5,000 miles change the oil and perform your first service per the manual

    5,000-10,000 miles

    Use of the cruise control is ok at this point since most of the initial break in has occured. Continue to use occasional full throttle accelerations to continue to seat the rings. You will notice the engine become slightly louder during this phase due to less friction from the engine breaking in (normal for a diesel to become louder under lighter loads). If your going on a long drive and you are using the cruise, every so often step on the peddle to accelerate up about 20 mph then coast back down to your preset speed.

    10,000-60,000

    This is when the rest of the break in occurs. The engine from the factory will check out with about 475psi of compression pressure out of the crate. It will take at least 60,000 miles to reach the peak pressure of 550psi. For the most part once you get to 10,000 miles your compression will be around 510psi meaning that most of the break in has occured.

    60,000-the life of the motor

    The engines I have seen so far using a 5w40 oil are maintaining 550 psi of compression pressure with over 200,000 miles on the odometer. The owners have followed the advice above and do not have any oil consumption issues. This also means that with the higher pressure the engine is more efficient returning optimal fuel economy and reduced smoke output.

  • Now that the weather is cooling off in the Southern Hemisphere, specifically Adelaide, SA – now is a good time to make some premium home brew stouts.

    The yeasts used in stout production like cooler weather and its easier to warm up the fermenter if it the weather is cool than to chill it in hot weather.

    Visit your brew shop and get bubbling away today!

  • Dear Nissan Skyrine drivers,

    I am referring to the rear wheel driven non AWD Godura(Godzilla)/34 aka Povvo model version here. An Audi “S” is fitted with the quattro system and some wonderful electronics from the mad scientists who ovbiously inhabit the labs at Bosch, oh and the fools at Audi take all this cool kit, grab a normal car (S3 is derived from A3, S4 from A4 and so on) and shove all this wonderful kit into it along with a rediculously specc’d engine for the car.

    What this means in practical terms – well your rear wheel driven car will have some issues in the wet namely tail happiness on gear changes, also your car is not really all that more powerful than mine, and unlike you I dont have a big head that demands I must cut other people off to ensure that they stay behind me and then proceed to box someone in on slow moving traffic. This gets annoying after several repitions, and means that I will look for an opportunity to get past you when one presents itself. Another thing, the availability of my torque (the stuff that means my power that gets to the ground) is available in the big fat power band and I can pull like a steam train in third, whilst laughing my arse off at your antics whilst you need to wrestle with your gearbox trying to keep in those 50rpm or so where its actually doing something other than making excessive noise from your recycled milo tin of an exhast. Attempting to launch with rev’s in the wet for your vehicle is not something I reccomend, I am able to get my power to the ground and be happily sitting quite some distance infront of you watching each gear change as you seem incapable of putting power down smoothly. (This i am quite against as it is not safe to do on public roads – if you wish to drive like a moron – go to the race track – mallalah perhaps?)

    And a last thing – roundabouts in the wet – watching you understeer in then oversteer out is just scary, as I am sure that you would be mostly happy to blame me for your personal failing as a driver and I would be labeled as the hoon, please dont try to keep up with an S series car again.

    Should you see an RS branded Audi car. Crawl under your doona, suck your thumb and go to sleep for you will kill yourself should they not be as happy as my to ignore your foolish antics and decide to take you on.

    M

  • When: 9:45AM for 10:00AM departure, Saturday 18th June

    Where: Harbour Town carpark.

    Depart Harbour Town, turn left onto Tapley’s Hill Road.

    Turn right onto Anzac Highway, left onto Colley Terrace, and left into Jetty Road for a fully sick re cruise. (May be pointless and lacking ladies to impress, depending what time you start the cruise)

    Turn right onto Brighton Road. Stay on Brighton Rd up the hill until it becomes Ocean Boulevard. Turn left onto Majors Road.

    Follow Majors Road to the T-Junction with Main South Road. Turn right into South Road, and stay on it briefly until the Y-Junction with Chandlers Hill Road. Take the left into Chandlers Hill Rd.

    Stay on Chandlers Hill Road, until you take a left into Sugarloaf Road, which quickly merges back into Main Road.

    Follow Main Road into Chandlers Hill. After you cross Oakridge Road, there is the Main Rd/Cherry Gardens Road T-Junction, go ‘straight’ off of Main Road into Cherry Gardens Road. That intersection can get confusing.

    Stay on Cherry Gardens Road until the T-Junction after the Golf Course, at which point you take a right into Ironbank Road.

    Have some fun on Ironbank Rd until it becomes Sturt Valley Road. At the end of Sturt Valley Rd, take a left into Avenue Road, which will take you down into the back of Stirling.

    Stop for coffee in Stirling?

    Head home down the freeway, and regroup at Burnside Village.

  • Do you want a $50,000 software package used for sites such as iTunes and formerly the Dell Store and Greater Union’s Australian website. It now comes with XCode 2.1 and requires OS X 10.4 but its FREE.

    Got a mac, get Tiger (Max OS X 10.4) and download XCode 2.1 today!

    M