Land Rover 101 Forward Control

Once upon a time in a land far away I owned this. It’s a Land Rover 101 Forward Control.

Land Rover 101 Forward Control

Land Rover 101 Forward Control

The vehicle was previously owned by the British Army and I picked it up from a dealer in Leeds. It was then given a spring clean, including converting it from left- to right-hand drive and 24V to 12V electrics. New fittings included Bostrom suspension seats and Sparco five point racing harnesses.

Land Rover 101 Forward Control

Land Rover 101 Forward Control

The steering was heavy. Very heavy. Reverse parking it was a bitch in London but at least other traffic always gave way. Even taxi drivers.

Land Rover 101 Forward Control

Land Rover 101 Forward Control

The 101 was designed to be air-portable so all the body panels only took a couple of minutes to remove. The tilt and frame also came off leaving not much more than the floor and front panel. Possibly the ultimate convertible.

Land Rover 101 Forward Control

Land Rover 101 Forward Control

Some owners went a bit further when customising their 101s. This beauty is from the film Judge Dredd

The 101 as seen in Judge Dredd

Public domain image courtesy of Wikipedian pschleut.

I’ve only recently discovered these old photos. If I find any more I shall add them to this post. As always, high resolution images are available if you click on the thumbnail images above.

openSUSE vs Windows 7

Desktop customisation: openSUSE13.2 vs Windows 7 Starter edition

The starter edition has little in the way of options. You can move the taskbar and that’s about it. You can’t even change the desktop wallpaper.

Windows 7 Starter edition

Windows 7 Starter edition

 

The openSUSE desktop is endlessly tweakable. Here’ a grab of the same cheap netbook computer running openSUSE 13.2

openSUSE 13.2

openSUSE 13.2

Click the thumbnail images for a full size view.

About Cuba

“The Cubans must be slightly irritated at appearing on a list of terrorist states, given that the country that produced the list has formulated more than 300 plots to assassinate their president.” – Mark Steel

“Remember, we’re not supporting the Cuban economy, merely burning their fields.” – Kinky Friedman on cigars

“Ironically, Reagan’s official rationale for his Grenada assault was that Cuban commies were on the island. This is ironic because the Cubans are still there. Reagan brought war to the island, then left, the Cubans came back and, far from being a menace, have helped the impoverished Grenadians with such basic needs as building a new hospital. If any members of Ollies tourist brigade get sick, they could be treated there for free. Now there’s a lesson in international relations: Make health, not war.” – Jim Hightower

Vegetarian noodle soup

Vegetarian noodle soup

Vegetarian noodle soup

There is no hard and fast recipe for this dish. It varies every time I make it. Here’s the basic version:

Required for two large servings:

Four cakes of dry noodles.
Large saucepan.
Seven cups of water.
One bag of frozen vegetables.
Assorted herbs and spices such as:
Chives, Moroccan mix, Thai mix, ABC sauce, Massel “chicken” or vegetable seasoning, Ayam satay powder, black pepper, dry fried onions.

Method:

The seven cups of water go in the saucepan and place on cooker.

As the water is heating add the frozen veg. Add the herbs and spices. Amounts are whatever you fancy but a heaped teaspoon of each is a good starting point. Give it a good stir.

When the water has reached boiling point add the four cakes of noodles and separate with a pasta hook.

Boil for another two to three minutes.

Serves into large bowls.

Garnish with more dry fried onions and chives.

Variations:

If you like it more soupy you can add another cup of water. Likewise if you like it more noodly add another cake.

This recipe is probably vegan too. Check your ingredients to be sure.

Lots of other herbs and spices work with the basic recipe. Experimentation can be rewarding. I add chili sauce to mine, for example.

Grated cheese, added while serving, is another variation.

Total preparation and cooking time should be less than ten minutes.