brianusa
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Posts posted by brianusa
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1 hour ago, polybear said:
Prawn Salad? PRAWN SALAD?? You call that Dinner?
And Mrs. P lets you get away with THAT??
Yours,
Shocked, of Bear Towers
We would call it an hors d'euvre or befores🙂
Brian
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6 hours ago, tigerburnie said:
as I looked down at the speedo as I was slowing down, it showed 160mph, so I can hardly complain................................
A favourite topic. Our driving, it seems to me that the police are a little over enthusiastic back home. On various occasions on holiday I am always surprised at the number of cameras and 'traffic calming' devices that hinder the right of way. Not that we are free of them over here, but there isn't the number seen in the UK. Freeway speeds are generally posted at 70 mph but that transcends into 80/85 quite frequently. It would appear that if traffic is flowing, the highway patrol turns a blind eye except for the excesses, so it would appear they don't want to interrupt traffic if all is going well. So we can drive comfortably without fear of tickets which makes driving more easy and pleasurable. OTOH our local council has deemed it necessary to lower the city speed to 20 for in town streets at the behest of
the mothers of the town!
Brian
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Good stuff! As I can remember the Cornish Alps from way back, your representations are excellent. Being half Cornish, any modelling of the area is a joy to see!
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1 hour ago, Ozexpatriate said:
A small minority of enthusiastic frequent purchasers I suspect.
WA is a Blue state! Has been for years and has just had an election where blue Dems were reelected once again. Generally it votes against for what anything Red states vote for. It looks to be the same this time so its a reliable thorn in the oppositions side. There are a considerable number of gun shops around though who seem to do good business. Personally I dislike guns intensely, but if some get their jollies that way, so be it. I would hate to have someone take my trains away!
Brian
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Ventured downtown for the first time in a while. Crowded with touristi along with the local farmers market crowd, so slow along the waterfront but it was nice to see people enjoying our high summer weather in GH.
Brian
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By way of change our hot spell has returned to normal with a nice cool breeze cooling us all off, which saves on the Air Con. Trouble is, its supposed to get hot again later in the week. But its nice to have the windows open for fresh air for a while!
Spent the afternoon catching up on the EMs and listening to Classic FM - ideal summer day - Busy doing nothing, working the whole day through, trying to find things not to do! Uncle Remus😉
Brian.
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21 hours ago, Kelly said:I thought I'd post a quick update as I've not been on here for a while.
A couple of weeks back I got rid of the frame at long last and I'm now walking with the aid of a pair of crutches. I can get around most of the house now, though stairs are still a challenge.
However, today I managed to get down the stairs without going on my bum, though I needed Richard's assistance to steady me as the boot is a bit wobbly on the steps, I no longer have to slide myself along the landing on my bum to get to the stairs at least as I can at least lower myself down now I've regained some strength. I still need to go up the stairs on my bum, pulling myself up backwards though as there is no rail on the left side to grab onto to stabalise myself. I won't be attempting the stairs without Richard being home however as I'm rather anxious about the whole stairs thing!
In general I'm doing well and getting there.
I know how it is, having been there recently! I got rid of the 'frame, zimmer, walker', and now hobble along with a walking stick. I think I may be stuck like this from now on sadly, but its always good to see others improving.
Brian.
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Rant away! Call it what you will but life is ever changing whether we like it or not. Just think how much attitudes have changed in our lifetime, for good or bad and it seems to have speeded up in the last few years. Sadly a lot of world citizens haven't and live their lives accordingly and the biggest problem seemingly, is both sides are uncompromising. My age group endured WW2 for starters while moderns have not had total war brought upon them. Certainly some have died in war in a foreign field but the homeland has escaped the horrors of blitzes and the threat of invasion so they know not better,
Values have changed with the prosperity that most enjoy, we are healthier, wealthier and invariably better educated. This has been made by possible by higher education values enabling the citizenry to acquire wealth and invest for the future. Sometimes it means leaving town for a job or even leaving the country; but one is usually well rewarded for the effort and worth a try.
Sadly not all can jump on this bandwagon and there are some countries that in spite of the worlds progress will never be able to offer anything but poverty, corruption and poor governance as they have done since time began, Almost!
Another rant - hopefully not anti PC!
Brian.
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14 hours ago, iL Dottore said:
Good morning all,
Another almost unbearably hot day awaits – fortunately I am not working so I can avoid the attic office for the moment.
Ian Abel’s comment about Murder in Provence being “slow“ is perhaps an interesting reflection on the sort of pacing in film and television we have come to expect after years of Marvel Comic spinoffs, programmes and films aimed at the young male demographic. I think that by today’s standard, classic films as diverse as Alien, Ice Cold in Alex, and Cool Hand Luke would be considered “slow”.
The current cultural landscape – which seems to be ever more frenetically paced, vacuous, enthralled to “the politically favoured minority of the week” and absent of introspection - I would argue is turning into a barren wasteland. You don’t have to be a Jean-Paul Sartre to conclude that so much of our cultural heritage that so heavily influenced and was reflected in film, theatre, literature and art of the past has been dumped. Back then even “lightweight“ comedy – such as Morecambe and Wise – assumed that the audience would know who Wordsworth was or how Grieg’s Piano Concerto should be played - a shared cultural heritage.But nowadays, it seems that even if the literati do grudgingly acknowledge “the male, pale and stale” writers and artists of the past – such as William Shakespeare – the work has to be “updated“, “made relevant“ and “decolonialised“. An approach which is destroying culture for the masses. Why would anyone who likes Shakespeare, Verdi or any one of a myriad other much loved playwrights and composers, willingly spend good money and go to the theatre not to be entertained but to be preached at? And as for anachronisms - don’t get me started…. We’ve gone far beyond the amusing faux-pas of wristwatches on Roman Soldiers to the absurdities of forcing representations of historical events (or historical drama) into today’s cultural and political landscape’s straightjacket.
Yes, that is a rant!
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We recently had $700 worth of refrigerant put in the system - it used to be a lot less!
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2 hours ago, Ozexpatriate said:
I was expecting the HVAC people between 10:00 and noon. I had just finished showering around 8:30am when the telephone rang. Apparently the new fan unit did not arrive but they are expecting it in a shipment today. They are now scheduled to arrive between 8:00am and 10:00am tomorrow.
Ironically, (likely intentional scheduling) one of their trucks was in the street a couple of doors down. (The same company installed all the HVAC equipment on my end of the street.)
Today sees a push of onshore marine air. It is less hot but more humid and we're expecting a high of 32°C. Onshore flow had started last night and I was able to get temperatures inside down a little bit.
The laws of thermodynamics being what they are, it is amazing just how stubborn an insulated thermal mass is. Even when I get temperatures down, they bounce back to around 27°C quite quickly. That's still better than 30°C.
We need a strong onshore airflow today to scour out high altitude wildfire smoke from a large fast-growing wildfire 400km / 250 miles away (as the smoke blows) on the Oregon/California border. The sky was hazy and pale and the sunlight had a very slight orange cast.
Just in time for the great cool off! Its a more normal day here in GH tempwise, much to the relief of everyone including the cat. Although the air has just kicked in at 75 Degrees!
Brian.
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1 hour ago, Ozexpatriate said:
Not being a US citizen, their competitors at Northrop-Grumman (who were a customer) had to escort me to (though not in) the toilets whenever I visited them.
I've never had any escorts to the toilet but I've always managed to find my way! The current elections would have put me off getting involved in politics; this year has to be one of the worst so far and they seem to be getting worse and worse each year.
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Thanks for all the input on this insignificant remnant of the Southern main line.
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Where's 'Mallard' these days? Haven't seen any of his posts for a while!
The CRS reports that the Friary stub has been cut back to the maintenance depot so no more docks traffic or specials to the loop.
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22 minutes ago, Ozexpatriate said:
but alas, discussion of politics forbids.
Michael, you must be the only honest adherent to this clause.🙂
C'mon do tell, drop a hint at least!
Brian.
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7 hours ago, monkeysarefun said:Despite Australia being the largest exporter of LNG in the world*, this winter we had a period of energy shortages because the previous geniuses' in charge hadn't thought to legislate to reserve enough for domestic use, while also putting a stick into the spokes of alternative energy development.
*QatI-onar and the US also claim this statistic , depending on which report you read!
Major incident on I-5 during rush hour tonight - a truck carrying LNG burned and shut down the road for a few hours. Also, a ferry hit the dock in Seattle which will put it out of action for days. More chaos as it will hinder many commuters to add to their. misery
Otherwise, its another hot over 90 degree day here in GH with another tomorrow. This is getting old!
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The line past the loco maintenance facilities has been severed which cuts off the access to what remains of the Southern line to the terminus at Friary and which included the branch to the docks, is no longer part of the network. Some of my earliest memories include catching the morning train to Waterloo, actually Surbiton where we alighted, when visiting relatives there. All that remained until recently was a loop for the docks line, on the site of the former goods yard!
Brian.
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13 hours ago, iL Dottore said:
Fahrenheit?
Celsius?
Kelvin?
Rankine?Delisle?
Newton?
orRéaumur?
You do need to be a bit more specific, dear fellow. We need the units so that we can commiserate accordingly. We’d look a bit silly saying “oh gosh, that’s hot” when it’s actually 90°K (- 183°C. -297.67°F)
p.s. most of the above temperature scales have been around for a while, so can be considered “old”
Sheer laziness! It would mean I have to get up and read the thermometer which is all of a metre away on the wall!🙂
Brian
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Another over 90 old degrees in GH! Another one tomorrow and until the weekend when it breaks and back to the normal 70 or so. Town has been busy with tourists trying to negotiate the miniscule roundabouts that have proliferated and tend to slow traffic rather than speed it up.
Leave the A/C on for a while yet to cool the upstairs!🙂 Cats gone to bed so we shall soon follow
Brian.
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On 21/07/2022 at 15:56, St Enodoc said:
Funny isn't it? One of my favourite liveries is BR lined black with red name/numberplates.
Each to their own!
Perhaps its an age thing! I was a fully fledged train spotter before 1948 and probably resented any change. It was OK for the other Big Three to go their own way but not my GWR!😇
Brian.
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32 minutes ago, Ozexpatriate said:
In the Western US, there is a wide variety of airtankers used for firefighting, up to the 'very large airtankers' (DC10s).
I'll raise you; an old 747 was seen in the last inferno, Most impressive low flying technique for such a huge plane.
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There are so many euphemisms for death and dying these days that being dead almost sounds good! You pass, so it would seem or Be with Jesus or Taken by the Angels. However you are just as dead with out all these niceties either in the fiery pit, an expensive coffin or pine box. Death is as real as birth and life itself; its just that we don't know of it and perhaps just as well!😧
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For some reason, I can't get to like Manors in black. Whether its the lining or the red name plate, I still see GW green! Same goes for Halls similarly decorated. Black, traditionally was always for goods engines especially when they got a bit grubby as it didn't show much difference. A polished 'namer' painted green and all the brass though, sets it off as befits a noble breed of locomotives🙂!
Brian.
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14 minutes ago, Barry O said:Hecreckons the worst to fly in were Marauders.. the best..Mossies
Early on in my time in the US, I lived in San Francisco and used to fly back home on charters. One of the gathering places for British expats was a pubby Bar called the Edinburgh Castle. There was a fairly large contingent of ex RAF that met there and they were always dropping old RAF slang, like 'gone for a Burton, jolly good show, etc'. All wore their ex raf ties of course and badges on their blazers; some even had handlebar moustaches!🙄
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Early Risers.
in Wheeltappers
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Never used crutches and use a walking stick/cane on the stairs. Crutches are a bit of a pain so just a stick is more easier as like you, we still rely on a bannister which can be used to haul yourself up or a firm grip going down. It gets easier as time passes! Good luck🙂
Brian.