Early Risers.

[jamie92208]

Good evening all from a very warm Charente. It was 32 in the car this afternoon. Fist off, thoughts with NHN and his staff. How horrible.

 

Well the buildervand mate turned up this mirning and tge sitevof the new pool basevis nicely shutterred and levelled. Concete to be layed Monday. I got all sorts of admin tasks and some donestic engineering  this morning.  We are having visitors for lunch on Sunday so I am under orders as they say. This afternoon it was off to The Danglies to take Beth's car in for service. Ouch. We had a puncture whilst in England last year and they don't like having different makes of tyre on the same axle.  2 new tyres. Then a load of shopping, back to the garage and then back home. 

 

7 hours ago, Simon G said:

Had he said that to me, I would have been tempted to invite him on a gentle walk up Great Gable in December.  I suspect that might alter his opinions.  I recall a descent off Great Gable in the snow many years ago.  It was exhilarating and not for the faint hearted - basically running down a snow covered scree slope.

Quite a lot of German and Swiss climbers come a cropper on British mountains as they only look at my  at the height. The British combination of cold and wet iscalien to them. I assisted in helping some off the 3 Peaks area and saw some very badly equipped young Germans when climbing in the Cairngorms.

 

Regards to all.  

 

Jamie

[The Lurker]

Now to the next album on my list of those that have influenced me most.

 

8. “Electric” - The Cult. This was the album where an ostensibly goth band went heavy rock. I was a big fan of the first two albums, Native American influences and all; but this album was very different in sound and had many guitar solos. I had been publicly against guitar solos, particularly those of the endless noodling type beloved of prog or the ones that seemed to have no connection to the song as often found in heavy metal ( to my ears anyway). I had always like post punk and early electronic music where solos were generally eschewed, and so I had got a bit of stick off friends for playing tracks that had solos of any kind(“Assumed Sundown” by the Icicle Works sticks in my mind) but this was an album by a band I really rated and so I could finally allow myself to drop my prejudice! Stand out tracks remain “Love Removal Machine” and the song used by EasyJet last year “L’il Devil”. And so my music horizons could expand. I still don’t like too much superfluous soloing (Brian May, that is you) but I don’t have to rule all solos out. So now I do own Led Zep albums etc

[New Haven Neil]

Evening.

 

I can be less vague now that a few folk have been spoken to.

 

John, the actual owner/MD of Trackshack, who is my best friend, unexpectedly lost his wife, peacefully in her sleep last night.  Rough day.

 

Trackshack will continue of course, but the current difficulties of staffing levels and social distancing fade into insignificance while we come to terms with the loss. 

 

We hope to make inroads into the 4 working day backlog of orders we currently are maintaining this next week, but please bear with us if waiting.

[tigerburnie]

3 hours ago, southern42 said:

' afternoon all.

 

We have lovely beach weather here so I decided to put toot on the flute and tiddly headboards aside and get out in the garden.

That was all well and good until I stopped weeding.  Phew! Talk about hot!  So I retreated to the kitchen for a mugadecafcoffee & ERs.

 

Now, I have a question.  There is, surrounded by smaller weeds, some of nextdoor's crop of self seeding jungle forming plants!

Can anyone identify it for me, please?  I did search it but failed to find out!  I do not ever recall it growing in the vegetable garden when I was growing up.  I did think maybe something like beetroot.

 

 

Fitt   and   Elfie burning up...

 

Take care and play safe

_________

Best wishes

Polly

Looks very much like a brassica, broccoli or something similar

[pH]

7 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

Having visited the country on more than one occasion, I can assure readers that in the Netherlands, a mountain is anything above sea level!

 

I used to think that till my brother-in-law went to work there and started to find out more about the place and tell us various 'interesting facts'. Like, for example, that Holland has (at least by some older definitions) at least one mountain - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaalserberg .

[BoD]

On 28/05/2020 at 11:53, AndrewC said:

......I may get half way finished the first coat today. Weee. 

Most people use paint.

 

Edit : everything else pales into insignificance with Neil’s news.  Condolences to all affected.

Edited May 29, 2020 by BoD

[JohnDMJ]

 

37 minutes ago, roundhouse said:

No coffee machine apart from the kettle here. The only coffee that I drink is in beer.

 

Mine's a Franke 100C tap built into the normal kitchen sink arrangement. Works fine for me!

 

36 minutes ago, jamie92208 said:

Quite a lot of German and Swiss climbers come a cropper on British mountains as they only look at my  at the height. The British combination of cold and wet is alien to them. I assisted in helping some off the 3 Peaks area and saw some very badly equipped young Germans when climbing in the Cairngorms.

 

Regards to all.  

 

Jamie

 

It's amazing how climates differ from country to country; this can often catch the unprepared out with no warning. Mountains are one thing, Munros are another, but climate is a whole new ball park!

 

[pH]

6 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

Of course, we mustn’t stand in the way between a Premier League football player and his second or third Bentley, must we? 

 

Are the amounts paid to many footballers obscene? Of course they are. (I grew up three doors down from a guy who had played at international level for Scotland and who was by then working as an engineer, so things have certainly changed.) Is it the players' fault? In my opinion, only to a small degree. The problem, I think, is with support who insist on a winning team and team owners and management who 1) feel they have to keep the support happy and 2) want a winning team to satisfy their own egos.

 

Nobody is forcing teams to pay these amounts. If everybody said 'no' to players' (or agents') demands then players would not be paid these amounts. But some team says 'yes' and that becomes the basis for other demands. What are (multi-millionaire, admittedly) players supposed to say to billionaire owners offering this money? "It's OK, I'll play for half that, you keep the rest?".

 

If owners were serious about it, they could bring in a salary cap - most North American professional sports leagues have one. It can get very complicated. Many NHL teams have someone whose job is to squeeze evey possible dollar through the cap. Overall it works, at least partly because these leagues are the best in their world for a particular sport or even the only league. But of course, with football, if you manage that within one league, there are other leagues in nearby countries where there may not be a cap, so the dynamic becomes inter-league, rather than inter-club.

[JohnDMJ]

21 minutes ago, pH said:

 

Are the amounts paid to many footballers obscene? Of course they are. (I grew up three doors down from a guy who had played at international level for Scotland and who was by then working as an engineer, so things have certainly changed.) Is it the players' fault? In my opinion, only to a small degree. The problem, I think, is with support who insist on a winning team and team owners and management who 1) feel they have to keep the support happy and 2) want a winning team to satisfy their own egos.

 

Nobody is forcing teams to pay these amounts. If everybody said 'no' to players' (or agents') demands then players would not be paid these amounts. But some team says 'yes' and that becomes the basis for other demands. What are (multi-millionaire, admittedly) players supposed to say to billionaire owners offering this money? "It's OK, I'll play for half that, you keep the rest?".

 

If owners were serious about it, they could bring in a salary cap - most North American professional sports leagues have one. It can get very complicated. Many NHL teams have someone whose job is to squeeze evey possible dollar through the cap. Overall it works, at least partly because these leagues are the best in their world for a particular sport or even the only league. But of course, with football, if you manage that within one league, there are other leagues in nearby countries where there may not be a cap, so the dynamic becomes inter-league, rather than inter-club.

 

Please permit me to present a PERSONAL view about the (so called) "sport" of football:

 

22 over paid actors kicking an inflated pig's bladder around a patch of grass.

 

Whilst I realise that this opinion may not match that of many others, it is presented as my opinion and is non-negotiable.

 

Now I have that off my chest, what's next?

[AndyID]

56 minutes ago, JohnDMJ said:

 

It's amazing how climates differ from country to country; this can often catch the unprepared out with no warning. Mountains are one thing, Munros are another, but climate is a whole new ball park!

 

 

And even within a single country. The tree line on the White Mountains in New Hampshire is at 4500 feet. On the Grand Tetons in Wyoming, which are the same latitude, it's at 10,000 feet.

[Barry O]

biggest problem in Soccer (Football is a game played by 30 gentlemen on a pitch which has "H" shaped "goals are the "Agents" and, to some extent, the TV companies.

 

Neil, terrible news - our thoughts are with yo all at Trackshack but especially with the owner. If anyone gives you grief about deliveries get them to call me.. I can be very persuasive when I need to be!

 

Today has had highs and lows.. door painted (and it looks great!), missing footstep for a loco can;t be found but we had a sit in the sun today.. topped up my Vitamin D1

 

Hope GDB is Ok! Likewise with BoD.. nice to hear from you Ian A,, worried about the situation in your home city  not helped by statements from PottyUS

 

Baz

 

 

[iL Dottore]

1 hour ago, New Haven Neil said:

...John, the actual owner/MD of Trackshack, who is my best friend, unexpectedly lost his wife, peacefully in her sleep last night.  Rough day...

I’m really sorry to hear that, Neil. Loosing friends can really be emotionally distressing, sometimes more than loosing a family member.

My condolences.

iD

[AndyID]

1 hour ago, jamie92208 said:

 

Quite a lot of German and Swiss climbers come a cropper on British mountains as they only look at my  at the height. The British combination of cold and wet iscalien to them. I assisted in helping some off the 3 Peaks area and saw some very badly equipped young Germans when climbing in the Cairngorms.

 

 

I've never forgotten this one.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cairngorm_Plateau_disaster

[brianusa]

14 hours ago, chrisf said:

 

 

I viewed with much interest the TV programme featuring the Duke of Cambridge and some footballers. .   Our future King is as fine an ambassador for mental health issues as we could have.  

 

Would that he was next in line; a young man well trained on the job, pretty wife, three nice kids including an heir and a spare.  Poor Charles is another Edward 7th, an old man waiting to replace his mother who might outlive her own mother, even  Charles himself if she keeps going!  Great Britain needs a young King, especially one who is with it and a favourite with the country as William appears to be.

     Brian.

[Chris116]

42 minutes ago, JohnDMJ said:

 

Please permit me to present a PERSONAL view about the (so called) "sport" of football:

 

22 over paid actors kicking an inflated pig's bladder around a patch of grass.

 

Whilst I realise that this opinion may not match that of many others, it is presented as my opinion and is non-negotiable.

 

Now I have that off my chest, what's next?

You missed out the two men waving flags and one man with a whistle plus the xxx number of fans who are supposed to sit down but don't know how to! A lot of the patches of grass are no longer even real grass.

[iL Dottore]

1 hour ago, pH said:

 

Are the amounts paid to many footballers obscene? Of course they are. (I grew up three doors down from a guy who had played at international level for Scotland and who was by then working as an engineer, so things have certainly changed.) Is it the players' fault? In my opinion, only to a small degree.

I think that one of the big problem in paying the Premier League footballers these huge amounts of money is that you are giving a lot of cash to very young men. At that age, probably understandably, a lot of money just means the ability to buy all kinds of self indulgent things; from trinkets like solid gold watches all the way up to expensive houses and - dare I say it – “trophy“ wives.  At that age, few understand (or perhaps even care) that wealth brings power, influence and - most importantly - freedom (A trivial example: if you are not wealthy and want to go to, say, Florida for a holiday you are constrained by having to go when the airlines are prepared to take you and how the airlines want to take you; whereas if you are wealthy you have the freedom to choose when and how you go to Florida).
Perhaps not understanding, or knowing, what wealth actually can do is why so many lottery winners burn through their winnings with a little to show for it at the end.

38 minutes ago, JohnDMJ said:

 

Please permit me to present a PERSONAL view about the (so called) "sport" of football:

 

22 over paid actors kicking an inflated pig's bladder around a patch of grass.

 

Whilst I realise that this opinion may not match that of many others, it is presented as my opinion and is non-negotiable.

 

Now I have that off my chest, what's next?

Or as another pundit put it “played by Gentlemen, watched by hooligans” Although this comment, authored back in the 70s (I think), seriously needs updating. Any suggestions?

[tetsudofan]

Back in Japan many, many moons ago I was out shop gazing in Tokyo and suddenly made an impulse buy - and returned home this:

 

 

Why I bought it I do not know but I did so had to give it a home and it remained with me until I left Japan twenty years ago. The penguin then got shipped (with my household goods etc. - it didn't have to swim on its own) to the UK and was put into semi-storage awaiting a time when it could be used here at home. It was not a simple change of plug, all the wiring etc. had to be changed as power in Japan is only 100volts. It went on my to do list

 

Yesterday I had an electrician in to replace some fluorescent tubes and other light fittings etc. with LED equivalents. When confirming with him which tubes were to be replaced we passed the penguin and I asked him if it could convert to current UK standards. He had a look at it and thought it was doable. He returned after lunch with all the necessary bits and pieces and had it done in minutes!

 

Result, one LED penguin to UK electrical standards. Looking at what he did I could have done it myself but left it for him to do it as I don't like playing around with electrical things..... unless they are 12 to 24 volts.

 

Keith

 

PS: the Mr. Whippy in the picture is a money box......

[Coombe Barton]

Doctors not Martyrs

 

https://johncolby.wordpress.com/2020/05/29/memories-and-missing/

Edited May 29, 2020 by Coombe Barton

[Erichill16]

Evening All, 

thanks for those who have expressed support and I can confirm that I’m now in a better frame of mind. To acknowledge what has been said I would like to add the following. 
I’m certain the lady involved was ‘Karen’ she seemed to know all about my job/profession/business and knew exactly what her rights were. Don’t you just love it when some one tells you your job? 
Im not sure how many peoples lives I’ve saved but I like to think I’ve helped many patients get the most out of their treatments. My manager probably saved someones life earlier  in the year when a patient collapsed in the pharmacy. Her heart had stopped so he gave cardiac massage whilst the ambulance arrived. She was in hospital for a month or so but has now been released into the community. 
Unfortunately (for us) we are not able to ‘ban’ patients we have a contract with the local CCG. We must provide service without due delay regardless. Many years ago I told a patient not to come to my pharmacy again when she questioned my integrity but she complained to the CCG and I was reprimanded and reminded of my duties and responsibilities. Very degrading. Im sure if Karen decides to go down the same route I’m going to be ‘in trouble’.  I can see it now. Karen was very unwell and not in contol of her emotions and the medication wasn’t helping. She was in a very fragile state.  I should have been more sympathetic and understanding. All b0ll0cks!!  Like with crime and justice it all gets turned on it’s head.

In the UK we have several services to help patients will their meds. Two that come to mind are ‘medicine use review’ and ‘new meds service’. Which obviously being NHS services are free. (at the point of delivery)

Regarding savings someone’s life I vividly recall an incident a few years ago when my Sil was very seriously ill hospital needing an urgent liver transplant. She would be leaving the hospital with a new liver or in a wooden box. Anyway, her consultant came round and said to a nurse in his entourage that her salt intake was to be reduced to an absolute minimum in order to reduce her bloating. He then said it want her to have 2 soluble paracetamolS four times a day. I just had to but in. Eight soluble paracetamol tablets contain the maximum daily recommended amount of sodium. He said if there was a problem the hospital pharmacy would notify him. I said I am a pharmacist and I’m notifying you. 
Next time I saw him he said I was quite correct. Well surprise, surprise. It does make you wonder how long he’d been prescribing soluble paracetamol but then again you don’t want to know. Anyway Sil got a transplant and is doing well.

Sorry about the ramble,

keep well,

Robert

Robert

 

[pH]

57 minutes ago, JohnDMJ said:

 

Please permit me to present a PERSONAL view about the (so called) "sport" of football:

 

22 over paid actors kicking an inflated pig's bladder around a patch of grass.

 

Whilst I realise that this opinion may not match that of many others, it is presented as my opinion and is non-negotiable.

 

Now I have that off my chest, what's next?

 

I recognise that is your opinion, and therefore equally as valid as any other.

 

Can I give another opinion, in no way presenting it as superior to your own, merely as an alternative:

 

A variable number, ranging between 16 and 32, depending on conditions and other commitments, of over-60 (up to 80+), unpaid (in fact paying for the privilege) "gentlemen" getting 3 hours in total of exercise each week kicking an updated version of the pig's bladder around a well-maintained field of grass (or artificial turf field in harsher conditions). Many of these "gentlemen" do not get any other form of serious exercise and are really feeling the effects of the suspension of this activity during this covid shutdown.

 

 

[Gwiwer]

Evening all,

 

Firstly our thoughts go out to Neil and his friends on Fraggle Rock.  Sometimes there seems no justice in this world and sometimes no words seem suitably comforting .....  

 

A warm day here has included the planting of six lavender bushes which, in turn, involved the discovery that the "soil" of the garden beds is a thin layer atop builder's hardcore.  I dug out the mortal and broken remains of perhaps twenty house bricks in the course of digging six modest holes.  The reward was a very satisfying bottle of Hicks in the afternoon sun listening to Runrig and watching the birds enjoying early summer weather.  

 

Of mountains I have climbed a few.  I thoroughly enjoy the challenge though have no wish to "climb" using ropes and pitons.  Climbing is strictly on two feet and - as necessary - supplemented by two hands.  Snowdon is modest on a world scale but was my first 3000' footer.  I have since reached the summit of several of Australia's rather taller peaks though not Kosciusko which is their highest.  Neither have I given in to using the railways to either Snowdon (Wales) or Perisher (NSW, Oz).  When in Austria we also managed to reach a summit above the village of Burseburg though I have no idea of the name; if it helps the ski-lift was the Paludbahn though that only went to the top of the groomed piste.  Being in the Alps I suspect we were somewhat higher than Snowdon.  It has been far too long and I really need to get out and get the boots on again when circumstances allow.  

 

It always strikes me as odd that many hills which one goes up are called Downs and many others upon which one hopes to stay upright are called Fells   

 

In other news Former Neighbour (Upstairs) is returning from Dorset tomorrow in order to re-commence her Year 1 teaching career on Monday.  Two chairs and the picnic table on our lawns can be arranged 2m apart and will allow a long-awaited catch-up.   She returns to the flat near the egg-chasing stadium currently in use for virus-testing and for which I have been paying her rent in her absence due to her inability to earn and ineligibility for furlough.   Having never had our own little ones I view that as a modest contribution to the future education of the next generation and a good use of funds which might otherwise have been spent on a family of our own.   

 

Ocado arrived on time with 100% of our order and the BBQ pack arrived with a very friendly driver who greeted me by first name rather than the usual "Parcel, mate" or "For you" which typifies the non-food deliveries.  We now have enough BBQ fodder for several such events.  If anyone chooses to remind us of the "no BBQ" clause in the tenancy we shall point out Boris's words and say "He told us it was OK" .....   

 

The night darkens.  For those of us up before 5am it is time to hit the sack.  I wish all a good and peaceful night's sleep.  

[jamie92208]

21 minutes ago, iL Dottore said:

 

Or as another pundit put it “played by Gentlemen, watched by hooligans” Although this comment, authored back in the 70s (I think), seriously needs updating. Any suggestions?

I think that the original quote was that Rugby is a game for hooligans played by Gentlemen and soccer is a game for gentlemen played by hooligans.

 

Jamie

[Gwiwer]

2 minutes ago, jamie92208 said:

I think that the original quote was that Rugby is a game for hooligans played by Gentlemen and soccer is a game for gentlemen played by hooligans.

 

Jamie

And golf is a game played by people wound up twice as much as the ball they are trying to hit.

[Coombe Barton]

Rugby is a game payed by gentlemen with odd-shaped balls.

[polybear]

4 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

The computer chap said that the problem with the other computer was probably that it just needs a clean inside so when the other one is back I'll take it in. In the meantime I will have to use it sparingly giving it a break every hour or so.

 

4 hours ago, TheQ said:

Some years ago,  I had a PC which suddenly started failing,  it was a build of fluff on the processor fan...

Blame those in the Avatar... 

 

I have a yearly reminder on my pc to drop the back panel off and hoover the dust out of the fan and intake grill.  Dead easy to do.

 

26 minutes ago, iL Dottore said:

I think that one of the big problem in paying the Premier League footballers these huge amounts of money is that you are giving a lot of cash to very young men. At that age, probably understandably, a lot of money just means the ability to buy all kinds of self indulgent things; from trinkets like solid gold watches all the way up to expensive houses and - dare I say it – “trophy“ wives. 

 

I wonder how many of those wives would be on the scene if hubby was a bin man?  Answers on a postcard.....

 

11 minutes ago, Erichill16 said:

Unfortunately (for us) we are not able to ‘ban’ patients we have a contract with the local CCG. We must provide service without due delay regardless. Many years ago I told a patient not to come to my pharmacy again when she questioned my integrity but she complained to the CCG and I was reprimanded and reminded of my duties and responsibilities. Very degrading. Im sure if Karen decides to go down the same route I’m going to be ‘in trouble’.  I can see it now. Karen was very unwell and not in contol of her emotions and the medication wasn’t helping. She was in a very fragile state.  I should have been more sympathetic and understanding. All b0ll0cks!!  Like with crime and justice it all gets turned on it’s head.
 

 

Do you need/enjoy the job, or would you rather spend your day railway modelling.....