You think he would have learned...

"A Pietermaritzburg man - dubbed by the Road Traffic Inspectorate the "Silliest Driver of the Year" - appeared briefly in the Camperdown magistrate's court outside Pietermaritzburg on Monday.
Kennedy Msimang was not asked to plead on two counts of speeding and two of drunk driving.
Msimang was apparently trapped while driving a BMW cabriolet at 168 kilometres an hour in mid-December.
A week later, he was again trapped on the same stretch of road, this time apparently speeding at 179 kilometres an hour.
The unlucky Msimang was allegedly in another BMW bearing the same vehicle registration plate as the cabriolet.
Msimang's drivers licence has been suspended and he was released on bail.
He will re-appear in court on January 21. Read more

Since replacing the wiper arms on my 94 Mondeo 24v, I've found that as soon as I exceed 90mph (i know, I know) with the wipers on, there's a terrible vibrating noise at the top of the cycle.

Any ideas anyone? Read more

I wish to thank all the contributors for offering advice on my old diesel Escort which was experiencing problems in starting(understatement)

My friend has now managed to get it going and its running okay. He says it was a combination of things, and that the problem may have emenated from my excess use of the throttle when originally trying to start it.

Anyway if any of you ever require any assistance or advice on antiques, jewellery, watches or clocks, do not hesitate to E-mail us, and we will be pleased to help. Read more

I would like to buy an old Lexus LS400. What terrifies me is catalytic converters. I have never owned a car that had one and don't want to. I think that all Lexus's had them from new as standard even before the legislation that made them compulsory.

Here are the questions:

1) Were Lexus's ever produced without Cats. If so to what date?

2) If they were not would it be legal to remove the Cat from a pre-legislation registered car and replace it with a non-Cat exhaust.

3) If 2) is possible would I get such an exhaust for a Lexus or woud it need to be specially made?

Advice appreciated.

Stuart. Read more

From yesterday's Sunday Times

THE British have enjoyed a leap in IQ unmatched by anybody else in the developed world over the past 60 years, a study has revealed.
James Flynn, a professor at the University of Otago in New Zealand and a leading authority on intelligence quotient, says he has found an ?exceptional and unappreciated? rise.

Last year the professor announced a worldwide increase in IQ after demonstrating that we are generally brighter than our parents, but are outwitted by our children. He suggested that the complexities of modern life were stimulating the brain.

Now a comparison of data from thousands of tests in universities and the military in 20 countries has shown that this so-called Flynn Effect is greatest in Britain, with a 27-point increase in average IQ since the second world war.

While differences in the way countries measure IQ make it impossible to compile a league table of intelligence, America?s average score has risen by just 24 points since 1918.

Much of the British advantage comes from speaking English, the standard tool of communication in commerce and culture.

The British also benefit from IQ-boosters such as lower truancy and better nutrition than in America.
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Ehere this wretched professor must have been looking for comparisons I don't know. Since he speaks from NZ, possibly he has people confused with sheep.

Absolutely nothing I experience on my occasional trips to UK support these assertions, from airline checkin attendants through car rental agents and oh-mi-god those call centers. And definitely not many of the drivers I encounter. These columns' contents support the contention that idiocy remains a thriving human condition. Read more