In todays news...

[KungFooBob]

Fake news.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-62065524

Women can't ride motorcycles, they're too easily distracted by kittens.

[Count Steer]

Fake news.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-62065524

Women can't ride motorcycles, they're too easily distracted by kittens.

There's a glitch in the matrix.

[Taff]

If you’re heading up a creek, you must have some form of propulsion.

They're usually tidal

noun
a narrow, sheltered waterway, especially an inlet in a shoreline or channel in a marsh.

Looks like I was talking in American. Or was I thinking of a gulch?

Nah, This is a Gulch

[Horse]

This was his reply to my request for more info - basically what others have said here -

I think selling a house sooner rather than later is deffo the best idea. we had a weird spike during covid ... I genuinely don't think prices can go anywhere but down..

S-i-Law lives in Cornwall, where there was a massive boom, partly due to the work from home opportunities. That bubble (balloon?) burst a few months ago. Prices are being reduced, properties aren't selling. For comparison, two years ago there would be an offer on the day a place went on the market.

And it's a change that's heading up country.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-62065524

The number of women taking an interest in motorcycling is on the up, according to the British Motorcyclists Federation (BMF) and Women's International Motorcycle Association (WIMA). But why is the number accelerating? These women share their experiences of the thrill of the open road.

Maybe people teaching and selling motorbikes are more open to teaching and selling to women

If so, about bloody time too. There have been awful stories about how women have been treated in dealerships. I'd hope that I haven't been part of any obstructive training problems.

[Count Steer]

If so, about bloody time too. There have been awful stories about how women have been treated in dealerships. I'd hope that I haven't been part of any obstructive training problems.

Reminds me of the time I went in to the dealers to talk about buying a bike and said to the sales chap who is getting into the 'configuration' and 'extras' spiel:

'Well, Alex, there's just a slight problem with the missus'.

He says 'Yeah, not uncommon, they're often a bit concerned, bring her in I'll use my powers of persuasion'.

I say 'No mate, you don't understand, she says we have to have that one' as I point at the one standing proud in the showroom window.

Never seen a woman bike sales person at a bike dealership but my preferred sales contact at the car dealers is...so there's some progress.

[Noggin]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-62065524

The number of women taking an interest in motorcycling is on the up, according to the British Motorcyclists Federation (BMF) and Women's International Motorcycle Association (WIMA). But why is the number accelerating? These women share their experiences of the thrill of the open road.

Maybe people teaching and selling motorbikes are more open to teaching and selling to women

If so, about bloody time too. There have been awful stories about how women have been treated in dealerships. I'd hope that I haven't been part of any obstructive training problems.
[/quote]

I can't imagine you have been.


I have probably written this before but I went to a Blackbird Bash years ago, although by then I was on the TLs. There was a guy at this one that I'd not met before and he didn't know what I was riding (partly cos on a supermarket run, I went pillion on a mates BB!!)

The second evening a few of us were sat around a little fire chatting and this fckwit piped up as a 'motorcycle trainer', he was full of 'it'!! I rarely got involved with fireside conversations but at one point he told a tale of having a female trainee turn up on a bike that she could get one foot flat on one side and the other side she was on tiptoe (think it was a GSX600 of some sort). He refused to teach her because the bike was too big and sent her home until she bought a smaller bike

At this point, half the guys I knew around the fire shuffled back!!! Until the Monster, I've never been able to get both feet flat on the ground, apart from the 125 I started training on; not the 500cc I did direct access, the zzr600, BB's, blade, TLs, not even the 390 Duke!! So I pointed out that had the instructor had the same attitude when I learnt, I wouldn't be there. "Aaah, but you are obviously determined to ride a bike, so you would have got a smaller one and learnt".

Well, I wouldn't, cos I was a fair sized unit then (yes ok, moreso than now!! LOL) and littler bikes were not comfortable for me - I couldn't fold my legs up to get my feet on the pegs of a 400 I tried!! LOL. And, if someone had been so negative when I started, I don't think I'd have gone back to it

He was adamant that it wasn't 'right' to teach a woman to ride if she couldn't touch the ground flat with both feet on the bike! (Didn't have the same thoughts about men, because they 'were different')

By this point, most of the guys (that I'd known for a long time!!) had got up and walked away.


I rarely get angry enough to row, but bloody hell this guy empitamised everything I'd experienced at dealers or the occasional fckwit at a bike meet. So I was bloody angry!!

Not just for that poor woman, but because this arrogant fckwit was at a Blackbird rally where approx half the guys riding those bikes, mostly two up with full luggage could barely get one foot flat on the ground, let alone two!!! I did point that out but obviously he stood by his behaviour, but also avoided me for the rest of the rally


I also suggested that if he was half as good as he said he was as an instructor, he should have taken the time to show her how to handle her dream bike, not told her to sod off because she was stupid to have bought 'the wrong' bike


And yes, I do understand that flat footed is safer. But the instructor where I did my training had no issue with me not being flat footed and after the test gave me some really good tips on what to do, for example when the camber rolls away too far etc. I very very rarely put my left foot down in the uk. And yes, that meant that I didn't use the rear brake very often, but I did get very very good at hill starts off the front brake


Hopefully he was a rare breed!!

[Noggin]

If so, about bloody time too. There have been awful stories about how women have been treated in dealerships. I'd hope that I haven't been part of any obstructive training problems.

Reminds me of the time I went in to the dealers to talk about buying a bike and said to the sales chap who is getting into the 'configuration' and 'extras' spiel:

'Well, Alex, there's just a slight problem with the missus'.

He says 'Yeah, not uncommon, they're often a bit concerned, bring her in I'll use my powers of persuasion'.

I say 'No mate, you don't understand, she says we have to have that one' as I point at the one standing proud in the showroom window.

Never seen a woman bike sales person at a bike dealership but my preferred sales contact at the car dealers is...so there's some progress.

The big one in Bristol used to be awful to try and even get a sales person to talk to a woman. Even when they turn up on a bike and in the correct kit. Bloody useless and seriously off putting for anyone that didn't have someone around to help them find the right dealer to help

[irie]

I think selling a house in the UK now is a mistake because it's pretty much the bottom of a dip in the market. If you can sit it out for a year or two I think you'll make a far larger profit.

[Noggin]

I think selling a house now is a mistake because it's pretty much the bottom of a dip in the market. If you can sit it out for a year or two I think you'll make a far larger profit.

From what I've been told here and from over there, it's unlikely to be a year or two and it definitely isn't the bottom. But they could be wrong. Not sure I'd want to risk it if I had somewhere there to sell - but then I have no financial buffer!!

[irie]

I think selling a house now is a mistake because it's pretty much the bottom of a dip in the market. If you can sit it out for a year or two I think you'll make a far larger profit.

From what I've been told here and from over there, it's unlikely to be a year or two and it definitely isn't the bottom. But they could be wrong. Not sure I'd want to risk it if I had somewhere there to sell - but then I have no financial buffer!!

To the contrary, (global) money supply has increased so dramatically that it can only feed into higher prices of all assets. But hey, just do what iccky says, he evidently believes in the benign nature of increasing money supply.

[Noggin]

I think selling a house now is a mistake because it's pretty much the bottom of a dip in the market. If you can sit it out for a year or two I think you'll make a far larger profit.

From what I've been told here and from over there, it's unlikely to be a year or two and it definitely isn't the bottom. But they could be wrong. Not sure I'd want to risk it if I had somewhere there to sell - but then I have no financial buffer!!

To the contrary, (global) money supply has increased so dramatically that it can only feed into higher prices of all assets. But hey, just do what iccky says, he evidently believes in the benign nature of increasing money supply.

TBF, it's not Iccy that I was thinking of but if he agrees with the friends here that have said the same (Brits with property in the UK and financial markets work background) then yes, I would do what they suggest!!

[irie]

From what I've been told here and from over there, it's unlikely to be a year or two and it definitely isn't the bottom. But they could be wrong. Not sure I'd want to risk it if I had somewhere there to sell - but then I have no financial buffer!!

To the contrary, (global) money supply has increased so dramatically that it can only feed into higher prices of all assets. But hey, just do what iccky says, he evidently believes in the benign nature of increasing money supply.

TBF, it's not Iccy that I was thinking of but if he agrees with the friends here that have said the same (Brits with property in the UK and financial markets work background) then yes, I would do what they suggest!!

Group think.

[Count Steer]

I think selling a house now is a mistake because it's pretty much the bottom of a dip in the market. If you can sit it out for a year or two I think you'll make a far larger profit.

From what I've been told here and from over there, it's unlikely to be a year or two and it definitely isn't the bottom. But they could be wrong. Not sure I'd want to risk it if I had somewhere there to sell - but then I have no financial buffer!!

It's a tough one. If you take the cash out of a house, what do you do with it? Bond markets are getting shredded, put it under the bed and watch inflation/devaluation reduce the value, buy funds hoping you're buying on the dip and wait it out? It's a different game for an owner as opposed to investment traders, traders are usually short term, churning stuff looking for a margin every day/week etc.

Bricks and mortar still has attractions in a recession - demand will remain for houses in the right places (higher interest rates won't affect some buyers).

If it's generating rent/income, and the owner can take a long term view, a house in Cambridge looks a pretty solid bet to me. Worst scenario is being forced into a sale at a time not of your choosing. (I'm assuming there's no mortgage on it but even then it's probably better than some current investment options, particularly if it's fixed rate).

[irie]

There's widespread fashionable group think about the state of the UK economy, the latest mini [sic] budget, possible difficulty in serving UK bond payments, sterling weakness and so on.

To put things into perspective about 70-75% UK bonds are denominated in sterling so the UK govt will have no difficulty servicing them.

And in any case, sterling is not weakening in isolation, it's actually the US Dollar strengthening which can be seen from the following two charts.

[JackyJoll]

And in any case, sterling is not weakening in isolation, it's actually the US Dollar strengthening which can be seen from the following two charts.

It would be clearer if the two graphs used the same scale on the vertical axis

[irie]

And in any case, sterling is not weakening in isolation, it's actually the US Dollar strengthening which can be seen from the following two charts.

It would be clearer if the two graphs used the same scale on the vertical axis

They can't use the same scale, they are different currencies. But it is perfectly clear that the issue is the increasing strength of the US dollar.

Here are two more currencies, for example.

[Count Steer]

By my calculations the £ has dropped against the €. About 6.5% in a month. (It's dropped against the yen and rupee too). So while others have fallen vs the $ the £ has weakened more.

[JackyJoll]

And in any case, sterling is not weakening in isolation, it's actually
They can't use the same scale, they are different currencies. But it is perfectly clear that the issue is the increasing strength of the US dollar.

They could use the same scale. They are both relative to 1:1.

One graph has increments of 0.02. The other has 0.05.

[JackyJoll]

By my calculations the £ has dropped against the €. About 6.5% in a month. (It's dropped against the yen and rupee too). So while others have fallen vs the $ the £ has weakened more.

Yep.

[Cousin Jack]

Not so long ago UK politicians were devaluing the £ to make us more competitive.

Economics is basically a pretense of knowing what will happen next. You are better off casting runes, or examining chicken entrails for clues.