Comments for clivemurray.com http://www.clivemurray.com I play the guitar, you know Fri, 16 May 2008 16:34:55 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 Comment on Give It Away by Ross http://www.clivemurray.com/2008/05/12/give-it-away/#comment-89744 Ross Mon, 12 May 2008 12:58:01 +0000 http://www.clivemurray.com/?p=678#comment-89744 Freecycle.org is another good resource... I saw a request recently for a working PC, as the chap had been made redundant and needed something to aid job-seeking. I bundled a few parts together, installed Kubuntu and handed it over. Warm, fuzzy feelings all round :-) Freecycle.org is another good resource… I saw a request recently for a working PC, as the chap had been made redundant and needed something to aid job-seeking.

I bundled a few parts together, installed Kubuntu and handed it over.

Warm, fuzzy feelings all round :-)

]]> Comment on It hates me by SteveF http://www.clivemurray.com/2008/05/09/it-hates-me/#comment-89442 SteveF Sun, 11 May 2008 05:07:37 +0000 http://www.clivemurray.com/?p=677#comment-89442 I'm right here with you Clive. Can play some of the songs on GH3 on real guitar note perfect, put a GH3 controller in my hand and I can't even play half way through them on hard, never mind expert. I’m right here with you Clive. Can play some of the songs on GH3 on real guitar note perfect, put a GH3 controller in my hand and I can’t even play half way through them on hard, never mind expert.

]]> Comment on It hates me by Evil Dave http://www.clivemurray.com/2008/05/09/it-hates-me/#comment-89418 Evil Dave Sat, 10 May 2008 11:35:26 +0000 http://www.clivemurray.com/?p=677#comment-89418 I am terribly disappointed that he didn't then do what any true rockstar would have done, and smash the guitar through his telly. I am terribly disappointed that he didn’t then do what any true rockstar would have done, and smash the guitar through his telly.

]]> Comment on It hates me by clive http://www.clivemurray.com/2008/05/09/it-hates-me/#comment-89376 clive Fri, 09 May 2008 19:25:49 +0000 http://www.clivemurray.com/?p=677#comment-89376 @Dan: I used to think like that - "What's the point when I can play the REAL guitar???" Then I tried it. Astonishingly addictive! --c. @Dan: I used to think like that - “What’s the point when I can play the REAL guitar???”

Then I tried it. Astonishingly addictive!

–c.

]]> Comment on It hates me by Dan http://www.clivemurray.com/2008/05/09/it-hates-me/#comment-89351 Dan Fri, 09 May 2008 15:51:57 +0000 http://www.clivemurray.com/?p=677#comment-89351 Never saw the point in GH...you can't beat a bit of "trouser flap" from having a cranked 4x12 behind you. Steve Vai said his kids beat him hands down on GH3!....Enuff said. Never saw the point in GH…you can’t beat a bit of “trouser flap” from having a cranked 4×12 behind you.
Steve Vai said his kids beat him hands down on GH3!….Enuff said.

]]> Comment on It hates me by Ross http://www.clivemurray.com/2008/05/09/it-hates-me/#comment-89313 Ross Fri, 09 May 2008 11:02:12 +0000 http://www.clivemurray.com/?p=677#comment-89313 Glad to know it's not just me :-) It *really* rankles me (great word, rankles) to see kids playing note-perfect, "Expert level" renditions of "Spirit of Radio" or somesuch - and it's not (just) sour grapes. If they invested as much time into playing *real* guitars as they did the PS3/Xbox; they'd be absolutely astonishing... Glad to know it’s not just me :-)

It *really* rankles me (great word, rankles) to see kids playing note-perfect, “Expert level” renditions of “Spirit of Radio” or somesuch - and it’s not (just) sour grapes.

If they invested as much time into playing *real* guitars as they did the PS3/Xbox; they’d be absolutely astonishing…

]]> Comment on “Falling Down” moment approaching re petrol prices by Nige http://www.clivemurray.com/2008/04/29/falling-down-moment-approaching-re-petrol-prices/#comment-87499 Nige Sat, 03 May 2008 22:35:20 +0000 http://www.clivemurray.com/?p=676#comment-87499 Fuck knows what the 'poor' gits with the V8 standard engines have t ocontend with! The additional thing that has got my goat today is the discovery that they have abolished the 2006 build-year limit on the road tax. Oh great. So if you are doing the sensible thing and driving an older car such that it does not have to be recycled (with onward environmental cost) and then replaced by some piece of shit shipped tax-free from a country that is Kyoto exempt (with onward environmental cost), then you are penalised by having to pay tax at £455 per year. Fuck off. This devalues the car by £1,000 and will likely trigger a a rush on scrapping cars ... to where, exactly? Now I am a pragmatic chap, but with this shit going on, I am royally glad that Labour got bum-fucked the other night. Anal pain to Brown and Darlng. N. Fuck knows what the ‘poor’ gits with the V8 standard engines have t ocontend with!

The additional thing that has got my goat today is the discovery that they have abolished the 2006 build-year limit on the road tax. Oh great. So if you are doing the sensible thing and driving an older car such that it does not have to be recycled (with onward environmental cost) and then replaced by some piece of shit shipped tax-free from a country that is Kyoto exempt (with onward environmental cost), then you are penalised by having to pay tax at £455 per year. Fuck off. This devalues the car by £1,000 and will likely trigger a a rush on scrapping cars … to where, exactly?

Now I am a pragmatic chap, but with this shit going on, I am royally glad that Labour got bum-fucked the other night. Anal pain to Brown and Darlng.

N.

]]> Comment on “Falling Down” moment approaching re petrol prices by Ross http://www.clivemurray.com/2008/04/29/falling-down-moment-approaching-re-petrol-prices/#comment-86992 Ross Fri, 02 May 2008 15:54:10 +0000 http://www.clivemurray.com/?p=676#comment-86992 Nige, thanks for that - I can now justify buying a V6 Jag :-) Only downside is that I fill up once every 6 weeks (and get 500 miles to the tank)! Nige, thanks for that - I can now justify buying a V6 Jag :-)

Only downside is that I fill up once every 6 weeks (and get 500 miles to the tank)!

]]> Comment on “Falling Down” moment approaching re petrol prices by Nige http://www.clivemurray.com/2008/04/29/falling-down-moment-approaching-re-petrol-prices/#comment-86126 Nige Wed, 30 Apr 2008 09:50:01 +0000 http://www.clivemurray.com/?p=676#comment-86126 I was talking to my sister (BP) about this. The tax structure in fuel is insane. BP is taxed at 80% of the value of the crude oil as it comes out of the ground. Then, when they sell either the refined or unrefined oil, they are charged another 40% corporate sales tax. Then, if someone deigns to make the stuff into petrol, the consumer is charged another 85% in tax. Then, remember, that BP is the biggest company in the UK and its staff all get hammered for the usual income tax as well. That's a lorra, lorra tax! Let's remember too that in 2005 Shell made no profits at all in its retail division, and the trend of very, very low profits off forecourt sales of fuel continues. Now, companies like BP have to make big profits as they play a big, big game in terms of investment in finding new oil and development of new fuel technologies to ultimately replace oil. That said, I accept that they are not blameless in the fuel price issue, but we would do well to remember the colossal amount of money that is taken in tax from the point at which the oil is in the ground until the point you burn it with your accelerator pedal. The UK government is never going to step in to do anything about BP and Shell while they are coining it in to that degree. Ross, did you know that it costs me the same to fill up a V6 Jag as it does for you to fill that 106 (only I have to do that every week!). I was talking to my sister (BP) about this. The tax structure in fuel is insane. BP is taxed at 80% of the value of the crude oil as it comes out of the ground. Then, when they sell either the refined or unrefined oil, they are charged another 40% corporate sales tax. Then, if someone deigns to make the stuff into petrol, the consumer is charged another 85% in tax. Then, remember, that BP is the biggest company in the UK and its staff all get hammered for the usual income tax as well. That’s a lorra, lorra tax!

Let’s remember too that in 2005 Shell made no profits at all in its retail division, and the trend of very, very low profits off forecourt sales of fuel continues.

Now, companies like BP have to make big profits as they play a big, big game in terms of investment in finding new oil and development of new fuel technologies to ultimately replace oil. That said, I accept that they are not blameless in the fuel price issue, but we would do well to remember the colossal amount of money that is taken in tax from the point at which the oil is in the ground until the point you burn it with your accelerator pedal. The UK government is never going to step in to do anything about BP and Shell while they are coining it in to that degree.

Ross, did you know that it costs me the same to fill up a V6 Jag as it does for you to fill that 106 (only I have to do that every week!).

]]> Comment on “Falling Down” moment approaching re petrol prices by Ross http://www.clivemurray.com/2008/04/29/falling-down-moment-approaching-re-petrol-prices/#comment-85793 Ross Tue, 29 Apr 2008 13:27:03 +0000 http://www.clivemurray.com/?p=676#comment-85793 Grrr... don't get me started. Obscene as they are, the vast majority of oil companies' profits aren't generated by the forecourts... ...sadly, neither the Tories nor LibDems are pledging to cut fuel duty, so Messrs Brown and Darling (surprisingly) haven't mentioned it. My little 106 diesel (don't ask) now costs £50 to fill up - a year ago, it was only £37. And we still have road tax. Harrumph. X-( Grrr… don’t get me started.

Obscene as they are, the vast majority of oil companies’ profits aren’t generated by the forecourts…

…sadly, neither the Tories nor LibDems are pledging to cut fuel duty, so Messrs Brown and Darling (surprisingly) haven’t mentioned it.

My little 106 diesel (don’t ask) now costs £50 to fill up - a year ago, it was only £37.

And we still have road tax.

Harrumph. X-(

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