Sorry, Alexa free zone, hard luck hun.......Special filters turned on and checked fully functioning.
For crying out loud....It's been a while since I regularly blogged and I'm betting most of the Millenials have now fallen into The Matrix with a G4 phone stuck on their lughole, but those that are still standing and barely breathing they seem to be talking to some sort of virtual assistant......"Alexa turn off the light," "Alexa turn on the heating," "Alexa what are we having for dinner?"
Worst of all "Alexa entertain my kids cause I'm so bloody lazy and want to eat potato chips watching another box set on my 60" LED-Plasma-HD-Multi surround sound-TV.....So much Netflix...So little time....
If you are reading this thank goodness theres someone left with a heart beat....and a soul.
Tonight I'm going to present a rather interesting fact about old rubber.
It came to my attention as I was servicing the front wheel of one of my old Honda motorsickles...Off with the tyre to remove all that nasty rust that builds up on the rim inner. Indeed it is a wheel I've owned now for 45 years....a wheel I haven't removed the tyre off for what must be 40 years...Oh, the tyre is still good. Honest it is, plenty of tread and no perish on the sidewalls. Probably bought this tyre whilst still an apprentice and now nearing retirement....who would have thought that, as they say when buying a dog or a hamster- 'A tyre is for Life' A lifelong commitment to cherish and be cared for.
A pedigree too....Dunlop K70.... Best you could back in't old days.
Anyway back to the story, pulled the inner tube after levering off the extremely hard as wood tyre I was amazed at how heavy it was. Surely 1970s air was the same weight as nowadays even counting for the smog? Must be the rubber....where's my weighing scales?
Old rubber, complete with 5 patches weighing in tonight at 600gms
Young pretender, complete with puncture weighing in tonight at 400gms..
Now sometime during the last 40 years Mr Chinaman or Mr Malaysia has shaved 30% material from the inside of present inner tubes......another 40 years and our year 2058 motorcyclist might as well use a ballon!!! Don't say I didn't warn you all....Thin skins..No good fa' nobody!!!
Oh blimey look at the time, beer o'clock.....Let's get that tube and tyre refit on the old Honda and send Posh up ta' off licence for a 4 x pack of Boddingtons..(Cream of Manchester for all you non Yorkshireshire'ers) and a cream pastry...
