Early Risers.

[The Stationmaster]

Well as our leader is asking everybody to 'stay alert' and behave with 'common sense' it would seem that he is p**ing against that proverbial hurricane as far as his former consitituency is concerned.  And this is allegedly a place inhabited by a goodly proportion of those in the above middling part of the social scale.  Hence on a walk of 0.9 miles in each direction and with 364ft + 387ft  total gain in elevation ASL together with of course the exact opposite in terms of descent ASL (the 387ft climb is of course on the homeward trek) plus in my case something like 45 minutes standing outside the surgery I noted the following of our fellow humans (assuming they actually were human)  -

 

c.50-55% wouldn't understand 'social distancing' even if you drew it out on the ground for them.  c.20% haven't got the faintest idea about polite behaviour when passing people of more mature years (and none of those had the first idea about social distancing).  The requirement to wear the equivalent of a face mask (or a face mask)  when visiting the surgery was totally ignored by a good 40%, most of whom would be of an age to receive a state pension and 90% of those were male so in a 'high risk' group.  Conclusion - even in a town which is largely 'middle class' it appears that common sense and altertness are limited commodities

[Tony_S]

Mike. I think the people partying in our road yesterday are clones of the,people you observed. 

[The Stationmaster]

On the subject of leave.  Ts I mentioned previously the lad who is WFH has a compulsory day of leave every Friday as does everybody throughout the company  who is WFH - irrespective of which country they live in or are based in. (some travel across borders to work every day in normal circumstances).  The logic of this seem pretty sound to me because if leave was not cleared at a sensible rate while folk are WFH etc the end of the year would see employers carrying a huge cost in outstanding leave.  This week the Good Doctor should have been on hols in Iceland plus accompanying me to Railex this coming Sunday - she is still taking her leave (she can be spared as the ward is relatively quiet at present) so it won't be outstanding later in the year.

 

As Rick pointed out a goodly chunk of leave in the railway industry has to be rostered (and very carefully managed when it isn't rostered) in order to keep the work covered and if leave isn't cleared when it is supposed to be then there will be an impossible backlog to clear once people are again able to go on holiday.  Definitely rough for some, probably rough for many, and never the best of things to take leave when you have nothing to use it for in terms of days out etc.  But unless it is carefully managed during teh preseent period businesses will return to full staffing with a huge millstone of outstanding leave round their neck which they simply won't be able to cover.

[The Stationmaster]

13 minutes ago, Tony_S said:

Mike. I think the people partying in our road yesterday are clones of the,people you observed. 

There were a similar bunch round the corner from us on VE day.  A neighbour posted a video of them on a local news website and after 30 odd folk had commented (all adversely about people ignoring social distancing) on it the webmaster said it had to be taken down because it was creating discord. and was picking on people.  La la land!

Edited May 18, 2020 by The Stationmaster

[Gwiwer]

22 minutes ago, The Stationmaster said:

probably rough for many, and never the best of things to take leave when you have nothing to use it for in terms of days out etc.

We have adapted to the need to fit around what I cannot change.  SWMBO has for some years and in both hemispheres been in a sufficiently senior position that she is mistress of her own destiny when it comes to taking leave and can pretty well have what she wants.  

 

The problem currently is what to do with two weeks at the back end of June.  It is not possible to go away - not even overnight - nor is that likely to change in the next few weeks.  We have both been at home every day for the duration save for the six hours or so in the morning when I am at the House of Fun.  Therefore we are disinclined to plan more time just hanging around the house.  We could hire a car and take days out - permitted within England now - but nowhere is open when we get there and we can only see one friend at a time (outdoors and 2m apart) if we were to attempt to visit others.  It is a trivial issue in the scheme of things but I have a quota of free rail travel which expires at the end of June and cannot be carried forward.  As that is technically a part of my pay package I am loathe to not use it.  It feels like ignoring £20 notes being given to you.   Hmmmmmm.  

 

In other news Neighbours (Upstairs) - she who is with child and her he - are leaving today.  For where we know not but they have cleared out and are currently engaged in an intensive deep-clean. We understand one of the Neighbours (Top Flat) is to move down into the room for a few weeks until she too leaves - in her case to teach English in Thailand.  That leaves the two other tenants who vanished abruptly when the university closed but who are returning for their final year so presumably staying on.  I received an email from our landlord's agent this morning detailing a number of forthcoming "movements" for our information because we are the only tenants with the gate code - granted on a trusted-tenant basis - and we can therefore open the vehicle gate as and when required for removals.  It saves the agent having to come 10 miles from their base just to unlock and re-lock a gate.  

 

Today's addition to the 10 albums is a 1974 electronic epic.  Certainly not to everyone's taste but it represents an entire genre of music and remains one which I still enjoy quite frequently.  Without the need for any of the mind-altering substances which I was "advised" to try back in the 70s by the friends who introduced me to Tangerine Dream.  

 

 

[TheQ]

Outside of training camps I've never had a job where there wasn't some sort of restrictions. 

Currently,  one of us three,  the boss,  the deputy boss and me has to be on duty during a normal working day.  Since we don't have a deputy,  I'm shielding,  the Boss is well and truly lumbered.

We can't cancel  any leave we had booked  during isolating time.  So I'm about to lose the 1st June which I have off every year to recover from the 3 Rivers Race.

 

I've got the shed walls built,  tomorrow I'll do the roof.  Starting with the section of roof that's being built as per the plans. Then I have to cut off the remaining shards of asbestos roof,  so it will be protective gear time and make sure SWMBO and Ben  are not down wind.. Once done then it's time for me to bodge the shed roof onto the garage. 

 

 

[AndrewC]

3 minutes ago, Gwiwer said:

Today's addition to the 10 albums is a 1974 electronic epic.  Certainly not to everyone's taste but it represents an entire genre of music and remains one which I still enjoy quite frequently.  Without the need for any of the mind-altering substances which I was "advised" to try back in the 70s by the friends who introduced me to Tangerine Dream.  

 

 

You need to get your hands on Tangerine Dream, In Search of Hades. It contains a fantastic Steve Wilson remix as well as a whole second disk of additional unreleased material from the Phaedra recording session. 

 

As some of you know I'm a Big and I mean BIG Tangerine Dream fan. Current album count including the trees & leaves project is around 350. 

[Chris116]

2 hours ago, leopardml2341 said:

I wouldn't have said sorry, no reason to.

 

Those of a sensitive nature, stop reading!

 

Reminds of an 'occurence' with a woman (I couldn't use the term lady due to the verbal which was forthcoming) for whom I held open a door. I was lambasted for being patronising and condescending; my riposte was that I held the door open, as I would for anyone,  because I was polite and not just because she had a pair of t!ts. Game set and match, slam dunked in her own stylee.

 

Many years ago I stood up on a train when a pregnant woman got on and it was standing room only. To which she told me that I was being sexist, she was pregnant not disabled. So I barged past her and sat down again! The two ladies on either side of me both told me I had done the right thing and one said she would have slapped her rou d the face for being so rude if she had been in my position. 

 

 

[leopardml2341]

^^^ I simply attribute it to their own personal insecurities.

[Gwiwer]

13 minutes ago, Chris116 said:

Many years ago I stood up on a train when a pregnant woman got on and it was standing room only. To which she told me that I was being sexist, she was pregnant not disabled. So I barged past her and sat down again! The two ladies on either side of me both told me I had done the right thing and one said she would have slapped her rou d the face for being so rude if she had been in my position. 

 

 

I have seen that happen more than once.  It is a gesture of politeness and respect that one stands for one apparently less able to do so.  We have no way to know just how able or otherwise that person might feel about standing.  Nor indeed whether such a gesture might embarrass.  It occasionally does.  Across the TfL networks all priority seating is clearly labelled with icons resembling disabled, elderly and pregnant persons.  Priority seating is there for all who might need it.  Those of us trained in such things are also aware that not all disabilities can be seen and we watch for clues such as yellow cards, badges or lanyards.  

 

I remember how I felt the first time I was offered a seat on a crowded bus.  I might have been 45 or thereabouts but I was a good deal older than the schoolboy who kindly stood up and offered the seat.  There being no other takers in apparent need I took it and thanked him.  More recently I boarded a well-filled bus with my well-filled shopping trolley and asked a schoolboy occupying a priority seat if I might take that seat.  He grudgingly stood up at which point an adult female sat opposite stridently admonished me for "demanding" that someone "less able to stand" was "thrown out of his seat".  I asked the lad if he was OK to stand.  He assured me he was.  He and the other party appeared to have no connection so I ignored her with the contempt she deserved.  

 

One awkward moment always sticks in mind.  When Father-in-Law was still with us he was sometimes able to leave his care home and travel into the city (of Melbourne) accompanied by SWMBO and myself on the trams.  We boarded the return tram one day at the terminus to find it already well filled including a young woman sitting in the priority seat.  SWMBO asked if FiL might take that seat.  She stood and as she did so it became apparent that she was in the later stages of pregnancy and really might have needed the seat.  Oops.  The unseen problem with FiL was that he lacked any sense of balance as the result of a serious brain injury and at 125kgs was a liability to himself and others if he fell.  

 

Sometimes it seems that you can't win.  

[The Lurker]

Greetings all from Sidcup where the blue sky is partially covered by cloud.

 

Social distancing seems to be continuing sensibly in this part of the boring borough, although our newish neighbours "Wayne and Waynetta" have installeda picnic bench in their front garden and seem intent in sitting at it with all comers. He, as you may have guessed from the epithet bestowed upon him, is exceedingly large and presumably fairly high risk.

 

We have similar little names for quite a few of our neighbours; before Wayne and Waynetta lived there, the Tweenies were in residence (because the house at the time was quite twee). Next door to them are the Lifeboats, and next door to them Loner. Beyond that used to live Maureen and Monkeyboy. You'll note that they are all over the road from us. We refer to the neighbours on this side of the road by their actual names.

 

and now the music. I have not been able to find links like Rick has done.

 

 the first album i chose was First and Last and Always by the Sisters of Mercy - this was the soundtrack to my student days, and for many years after. It still makes my top 10 albums. The second album does not but nevertheless was very influential in the growth of my music taste;

 

2. Rio - Duran Duran.

This was the first album I bought and played to death. In many ways it actually led to the interest in goth music - some of the early goth music is surprisingly close in style to the New Romantics, Before this, my loves had all been what I had seen on top of the pops and ranged from Showaddywaddy to Souxsie and the Banshees via Depeche Mode John Foxx and Tubeway Army.

[Ian Abel]

Moaning all, another Moanday in seclusion...

 

Weekend was a variety, some panic client work, some necessary items to collect and some sitting doing crosswords and jigsaw puzzles amid a generally wet and windy weekend.

The rental property now has a resident squirrel in the attic, services arriving tomorrow to attend.

 

The primary inhabited property has been invaded this AM by the crew who are going to solve the back yards drainage problem and landscape the back yard (garden/lawn in UK parlance). Really looking forward to this as the pond created when it rains is getting rather old!

 

No garden railway work accomplished this weekend due to the weather <sigh>

Appears we "may" have wrens nesting in one of our small bird houses under the rear eaves, quite fun to watch then come and go

 

Much nicer here today 11 first thing and heading for 18, partly sunny and a light breeze.

 

Stay safe - most of the US is hell bent on avoiding that advice it seems

 

[iL Dottore]

2 hours ago, 45156 said:

...Dark Side Of The Moon - Having heard it on my friend's £20,000 hi-fi, off a vinyl copy which is an original but has been kept pristine, there are things going on that I've never heard on any other system or source - it is utterly stunning - my CD copy is just on the plus side of mediocre by comparison...

I totally agree. The first time I heard Dark Side of the Moon was on a high end electronic manufacturer’s stand at the Fiera Di Bologna  When they most kindly allowed this then 16 year old spotty teenager to hear most of the quadraphonic vinyl pressing of Dark Side of the Moon on quadraphonic earphones (plugged into a very, very, very, expensive quadraphonic sound system that they were selling).  On a pristine, virgin-vinyl, pressing of Dark Side of the Moon played on a very high and sound system the album is just layers and layers on layers of amazing sound and music. TOTALLY THE DOG‘S DANGLIES!

1 hour ago, AndrewC said:

..some of you know I'm a Big and I mean BIG Tangerine Dream fan. Current album count including the trees & leaves project is around 350. 

Wow, and I thought I was a fairly dedicated Tangerine Dream fan. But with only 60 of their albums, I am very much a dilettante, novice, Tangerine Dream enthusiast.

One of my favourite TD live albums is Poland, whilst Thief and the album which sets William Blake’s poetry to TD’s music (I forget the title) are my favourite studio albums 

Although TD have always been amazing, despite the changes in personnel (although I still prefer the Schmoelling, Froese, Franke line up [spelling?])

Edited May 18, 2020 by iL Dottore
Spelling

[The Stationmaster]

52 minutes ago, The Lurker said:

 

 

Social distancing seems to be continuing sensibly in this part of the boring borough, although our newish neighbours "Wayne and Waynetta" have installeda picnic bench in their front garden and seem intent in sitting at it with all comers. He, as you may have guessed from the epithet bestowed upon him, is exceedingly large and presumably fairly high risk.

 

We have similar little names for quite a few of our neighbours; before Wayne and Waynetta lived there, the Tweenies were in residence (because the house at the time was quite twee). Next door to them are the Lifeboats, and next door to them Loner. Beyond that used to live Maureen and Monkeyboy. You'll note that they are all over the road from us. We refer to the neighbours on this side of the road by their actual names.

 

If I were to conjure up names for the very nice lady and her two daughters (in their early 20s) who live next door I'd probably be arrested for something or other should the names escape my lips.

[Chris116]

4 minutes ago, The Stationmaster said:

If I were to conjure up names for the very nice lady and her two daughters (in their early 20s) who live next door I'd probably be arrested for something or other should the names escape my lips.

Now you have us all wondering what you have come up with for them!

[Rugd1022]

A'noon all,

 

Happy to report that round our way something like 95% of folk out and about are managing to adhere to the social distancing rule, of those that aren't I've noticed that most are walking round in a bubble, transfixed by their mobile phones or by whatever's playing through their headphones.

 

On a musical note, and a sad one at that, her indoors has just reminded me that it's forty years ago today since Ian Curtis of Joy Division died. This year it's also forty years since we lost Peter Sellers, John Lennon and Steve McQueen. Doesn't time fly...?

Edited May 18, 2020 by Rugd1022

[laurenceb]

5 hours ago, leopardml2341 said:

I wouldn't have said sorry, no reason to.

 

Those of a sensitive nature, stop reading!

 

Reminds of an 'occurence' with a woman (I couldn't use the term lady due to the verbal which was forthcoming) for whom I held open a door. I was lambasted for being patronising and condescending; my riposte was that I held the door open, as I would for anyone,  because I was polite and not just because she had a pair of t!ts. Game set and match, slam dunked in her own stylee.

 

Had one of those; said "I hope you are not holding the door because I am a woman" I replyed "Are you" and walked off

[J. S. Bach]

11 hours ago, jamie92208 said:

 ...snip...

High Tide Green Grass, The Strolling Bones

 ...snip...

Jamie

I have that one but just for a song or two. I believe that it might have released with several different versions/album covers/titles as my version has slightly different artwork than others I have seen, although  the track listing/order is the same.

[roundhouse]

I remember a work colleague who one day offered a seat to a woman thinking that she was pregnant. She got the right hump with him as she wasn't. but just a rather strange large shape. Since then his daughter always made him sit by the window and she take the aisle seat. When my other half heard of this she made me do the same. However on one occasion a pregnant woman asked loudly in the carriage who would give her a seat, so no one else offered I did. She never said thankyou and got off at the next stop a short distance away and the juggle to get back out of the seat past my other half, again with no thanks.

 

Anyway back to more current affairs, we went out late this afternoon to Sainsburys but there was a queue across the car park at a time when normally there is no queue. We weren't going to wait an hour to get in so went to Morrisons in Reigate. No queue and no one person per household restrictions. A little bit more cramped in there but we got what we needed and also for Mum.

 

had an email form brother in HK today. Looks like I will have to drop his two kids at Heathrow in a couple of weeks time as he's hoping to get them home. Mum is going to be missing them a lot after the last 7 weeks.

 

A good result in the garden today with two tree stumps dug out.  The garden trains have been running all day.

[J. S. Bach]

7 hours ago, AndrewC said:

 ...snip...

 The one hotel. (Singel Hotel) refused to allow a rebook, refund, or voucher, despite pressure from Captain Obvious. 235€ wasted, as the hotel is open and taking bookings but we have no way to get there. ...snip...

If you paid with a credit card,try working through them to get the charges reversed. Just a thought.

[J. S. Bach]

8 hours ago, The Stationmaster said:

 ...snip...

As for those big US diseasals I can tell a Jeep from an SD and if it isn't a PA or a PB I'm not over interested in the 'covered wagon' generation but I do like Class 59s which are in many respects a sort of descendant with their car body appearance although they're a shrunken SD underneath.

Have a good day one and all and stay safe.

I believe that the 59 is basically an SD40-2 wearing a different dress to the ball. The 40-2 was/is a very successful design; some are still in service with the big railroads (I occasionally see them here on the NS), a lot have entered the secondary market on shortlines and regional carriers.

[leopardml2341]

Evenin'all.

 

Last day of holiday so I'm going back to work tomorrow for a rest , still at home though.

 

More work done in garden, now to design mi shed...

 

Hope everyone is well and today brought pleasant things, environmental, emotional or material.

 

Time for mi tea now; will probably check back later, but in the meantime stay safe, stay well and keep yer distance  

 

[tigerburnie]

Many moons ago a bra burning nut job gave me an uncalled for foul mouthed outburst, my reply was "think very carefully before you reply, but if a bloke spoke to me like that I'd punch him in the face, so how far do you want to take this equality?". It turned round and stomped off without saying a word.

Edited May 18, 2020 by tigerburnie

[Happy Hippo]

7 hours ago, woodenhead said:

Going for a walk is a lot easier now, I don't have to make way for people, they make way for me!

 

You will find a lot of people treat you like you have the plague, shield their children from you, cross the road or simply jump into bushes to avoid you.

 

Social distancing:

 

We have a shared drive, and all three families observe social distancing despite all being at home all the time!

 

Yesterday a car pulled onto the drive, the driver got out and approached me.

 

I didn't know him at all, but he was lost and looking for a house which happened to be further down the lane.

 

Now I am always giving directions to the lost or confused but this gormless Telf, not satisfied with being directed, was getting closer and closer.

 

I retreated towards  the garage and had to ask him to stand back three times before he got the message.  My next move would have been to deploy the boat hook I have and physically repel the boarder.

 

I still offer my seat on the bus to those I feel need it more, and I've never been bad mouthed for it:  Perhaps I'm lucky.

 

The one incident that does stick in my mind when I was the recipient of some thoughtful priority seating, was back in 1979 and I was in a leg plaster and on crutches, trying to get up the platform to find to second class seat on a Paddington to S Wales train.  

 

Being rush hour, I was being overhauled by most passengers, and there was little realistic chance of getting a seat.

 

The guard saw me struggling up the platform, walked up and directed me into a first class carriage where he found me a seat.

 

I pointed out that I didn't have the correct ticket, but his reply was it was at his discretion who sat where, and that I obviously needed the seat.

 

'Besides' he said, 'You are obviously in the forces, (he must have noticed the haircut and the Bergen rucksack) and my son is currently in Londonderry.'

 

 

[Ozexpatriate]

7 hours ago, Shedman5 said:

Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement. 

It's funny how often this court case comes up. This is so often presented as a example of frivolous law suits run amok but people often change their minds when they are exposed to the facts of the case and the policies and procedures of the corporation are examined. (I know I did.)

 

In the original case, (Liebeck v. McDonald's Restaurants, 1994), Stella Liebeck was 79 years old and suffered third degree burns in her pelvic region. She was hospitalized for eight days and required skin grafting. (She would die about 12 years later at 91.) The argument made by her legal representation is that there was no reason for the coffee to be deliberately served scalding hot (82–88 °C) when it was intended for immediate consumption. The combination of the serving temperature and the environment of being served through the drive through window was dangerous. 

 

The trial discovered that:

Quote

Other documents obtained from McDonald's showed that from 1982 to 1992 the company had received more than 700 reports of people burned by McDonald's coffee to varying degrees of severity, and had settled claims arising from scalding injuries for more than $500,000.

The case revolved around McDonald's policies willfully demonstrating conscious irresponsibility toward customers' safety. It gained notoriety because of the original, large jury award, but everyone seems to forget that the judge reduced the award to $640,000. (Medical damages were $160,000.)

 

An interesting note in the Wikipedia page is the following:

Quote

The New York Times noted how the details of Liebeck's story lost length and context as it was reported worldwide.

 

Edited May 18, 2020 by Ozexpatriate