My Daily Banana

Photo of the Day:

 

Novenber 2004,
our holiday on Lanzatote

Event of the Day:

27th July 1586

Sir Walter Raleigh brings the first tobacco into England from Virginia

They should have burned him at the stake on a pile of tobacco, but then it wasn't until the industrialization that cigarettes became available in masses to everyone. 

The industry didn't stop at that; they put substances into the tobacco to make it burn evenly, to prevent the cigarette from extinguishing, to make them taste cool (i.e. menthol, whiskey and such rubbish), to make them milder. They put filters into the cigarettes and told their customers, that the dangerous tar and nicotine would be filtered out; in the advertisements they suggested, that smoking was cool and grown up. 

Let's say, the industry did everything to make more people smoke more cigarettes. 

There should be a law that makes the tobacco industry pay for all the medicinal costs caused by smoking, and not only for the active but also for the passive smokers.

Birthday of the Day:

27th July 1944

Bobbie Gentry

Country singer from the United States. 

I remember in the sixties she had a TV series, a music program in which she sang. Friday evenings I watched it and dreamt of America the land of the music. Hard to imagine really; I was a hard rock fan and the songs she sang were country and western. Her most famous recording was "Ode to Billie Joe" from 1967.

Died on this Day:

27th July 2003

Bob Hope

The British born American comedian died at 100 years.

Thoughts:

My car may be small, but I don't need more. It takes me where I want, I can keep my Akubra on my head so the inside room is enough.
Last year we went on holiday to Berlin and the Isle of Usedom; there were two pushbikes on the back and luggage for two weeks  plus us in the car; so you can't say the cars too small.
Mostly, I'd say 99% of the time I'm sat alone in the car so why pay for more seating? It only means driving more weight and air through the country side. 

It wasn't cheap, it cost me just over 20K, but what did I get for my money a bodywork that won't rust (plastic), automatic transmission, headlights and wipers, it has a/c, convertible top and does 54 miles to the gallon. Beat that Fraser!

I drive 90 kilometers a day to and from work, that's 56 miles; that means at a price of EUR 1,50/litre petrol I have a weekly cost of around EUR 35 plus another five to ten for private use. On top of that there's EUR 400 to 500 a year inspection and tire costs. When I think of it; a car is expensive: on top of my list there is the loss in value to think about and in the first four years it's at least two-thirds of the new price, so in my case too much!!!:-((

Another four or five years and I'll get rid of it; I just need the car for commuting to work and when that episode in my live is over the car will be dispensable. Then I'll get a Vespa for us!

That was funny; I went from praising my vehicle to damning it in one paragraph. That's what happens when analyzing something too intensely.

My last bike,
I bought it in 2004 and sold it shortly after to equipt my firm

This is the bike I sold to buy the 2004 model Yamaha R1
It had quite a bit of power too; 150 hp
I once chased a BMW on the autobahn and passed it doing 270 km.p.h.
Speed was my passion, not the high speed on the autobahn, but corner speed (I've got a few scars to show it to)

 Now I settle for the Smart Car with its 84 hp. I drive an average speed of around 80 on the country roads; that's quick enough for me.