Re: Gizmos, Doodads and the placebo effect..
About three years ago I read a book by Grant Adams (creator of Dilbert) in which he wrote of something called the 'affirmation technique' - basically a belief that if you concentrate strongly enough on something you can affect the outcome. (For further thoughts on this, look up the 'Schrodinger's Cat' experiment on the web.)
This is beginning to sound weird, but bear with me.. About the same time as I read the book, my venerable Pug 305 Estate (230K miles at that time) developed a worrying clunking from the rear suspension, which was diagnosed by three main dealers as worn radius arm bearings (£700 job, sir..) I decided, admittedly feeling a bit daft, to give the technique a try, after all, it wasn't going to cost anything. So I wrote out 'The suspension problem on my car will go away' thirty times a day (recommended frequency!)
To cut a long story short, in about two weeks the sound stopped, and the suspension is still working efficiently three years and 60K miles later.
And no, I can't explain why.
Regards,
Peter.
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My fuel consumption will halve...My fuel consumption will halve... My fuel consumption will halve... Jenifer Lopez will find me irresistable...Jennifer Lopez will find me irresistable...Jenifer Lopez will find me irresisistable...
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Tom,
Please send me your telephone number
JL
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Tom,
Please send ME your telephone number.
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Look, if you're going to start fighting over me, forget it...
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Why can't people use their real names?
Alahu Akhbar.
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SCOTT Adams, I believe. Meanwhile Dogbert says don't take out the earplugs, whatever you do.
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Thanks, Growler-
You're right, Scott it is.
P
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My father many years ago used his own technique. His principle was he had bought the damn thing to do an job and do that job it bloody well would, and not answer back. Any failure on the part of his then car (and they were many, given the awful old bangers he used to buy) was regarded as a personal affront and a battle of wills. For example if the thing refused to start, or developed some irritating fault, he would get it going and in his words teach the damn thing a lesson. THis exercise was called "giving the car a Sergeant-Major's" doubtless borrowed from the days when he'sd have hapless erring recruits doing jankers on the parade ground. This generally consisted of thrashing the living daylights out of the thing down the bypass a few times. This also seemed to work, and the beast would frequently remain docile until the next problem popped up.
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Is that the same technique used on his Austin 1100 by Basil Fawlty in that episode of Fawlty towers - 'If you don't start I'm going to give you a good thrashing..'?
P
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A damn good thrashing, to be precise!
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Could well be, I never saw Dad actually use a tree-branch, but he certainly used phrases like "teach you a ****ing lesson, you ***tard" and other colorful regimental argot.
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As I believe you remarked to the recalcitrant car in that episode Basil, "what's the point of having you?"
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