Early Risers.

[bbishop]

Good afternoon all,

 

Having been lurking here for sometime and seeing that I get mentioned in despatches from time-to-time thought it about time I said hello.

 

In view of the fact that we are travelling out to Brussels on Eurostar on Tuesday  and will be enjoying the comfort and gourmet breakfast catering provided (not) in Standard Premier by Eurostar Bill can be assured that sock inspection will be carried out before check-in - we have standards to maintain!!!!

 

Keith

I went to the hospital, to find that I had found the wrong bag, yes green with brown piping but apparently there was a larger green bag with brown piping in her loft. Bit of a strop. Then the invalid decided to pack seven week's belongings into the bag. Another strop when I told her to sit down and that I would pack for her. "Men can't pack!"; "No D*****, if I can pack my layout into my car, I can pack your bag." I won. Bag packed.

 

Up to John Lewis to buy a suitcase, then collected the invalid's clean smalls from her neighbour, presently in the suitcase. Don't worry, Keith, will be replaced by my socks before Tuesday.

 

Bill

[Happy Hippo]

I always think what a shame it is that there isn't more of a 'crossover' in manufacturers' offerings.

So many little toy cars - wrong scale, so many model soldiers - wrong scale, and so on.

 

I'm having problems populating an 00 zoo.

After two years of looking, the only scale animals I've found are: Giraffe, Hippo, Rhino, Camel, Elephant.

I cannot speak for the other species, but I do try to please!

[Ian Abel]

Hi Ian,

 

We've had hardly any snow here (N. Idaho) too, and it's been quite mild.

 

There seems to be a common misconception by some people in the UK (OK, OK, I said "some") that we live in the frozen northern wastelands. I'm less that 100 miles south of the border with Canada, but I'm at the same latitude as Zurich!

What a difference a thousand miles (or so makes) makes...

Being in the middle of the country we truly ARE in the frozen northern wastelands  enjoying (questionable term) a direct hit from most of the arctic blasts heading down from Canada in the winter, compared to the relatively warmer air you get from being nearer the left coast.

 

For the "viewers" to give them context, average weather descriptions;

1) Idaho (Boise just as a reference point)

    Over the course of a year, the temperature typically varies from 22°F (-5.5C) to 92°F (33C) and is rarely below 7°F (-14C) or above 100°F (38C).

    Snowfall averages 19 inches (48 cm), but typically falls in bouts of 3 inches (8 cm) or less

2) Minnesota (Minneapolis again as a reference point)

    Over the course of a year, the temperature typically varies from 7°F (-14C) to 83°F (28C) and is rarely below -11°F (-24C) or above 92°F (33C).

    The average annual snowfall in the Twin Cities is 45.3 inches (115.1 cm), with an average of 100 days per year with at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) of snow cover.

 

Minnesota can quite reasonably be considered a frozen northern location (wasteland is going a bit far!!  ), whereas Idaho is a rather more considerate climate

[Happy Hippo]

Lunch time saw the arrival of my brother and sister in law to Rome, ahead of the Italy v Wales match tomorrow.

 

This afternoon we visited the Trevi scaffolding.........

 

I kid you not! No water or fountain, just plastic sheeting and scaffolding!

There was only a short queue to go across the walkway and admire the scaffolding at close quarters, which we did. And mighty impressive it was too. Then we enjoyed gelato outside the colloseum before venturing in for a closer look.

 

Early to bed prior to the walk out to the stadium tomorrow morning (ko 1330: 1230 UK time).

 

Dragons are all fired up, Welsh pinafores starched and ironed; and of course voices in tune.

[bbishop]

Guys,

 

I am having problems with my television, which is (say) fifteen years old; as was it's predecessor. Firstly, the freeview box has to be rebooted every time I use it (a five minute interregnum) and recently the television has lost vision on a random basis (last time one minute before the end of the Wales - Ireland game). So a new TV (including freeview) will be obtained, maybe in the John Lewis summer sale). Something on or about 30". Can anyone recommend a reliable make? Something that will last another fifteen years.

 

Bill

[Smiffy2]

I always go for Sony (expensive), but that said I bought a 40" 'Manager's Special' in Sainsbury's for £250 to use in France, and it's a little cracker. 

 

I'd suggest trawling the comments on Amazon.

[Coombe Barton]

John is at one close to Aston but not Aston. Though he has mentioned moving to a new site. That part of Birmingham is very educationally endowed.

In July we're moving into the Curzon Building, named for Curzon Street Station, which still stands (at least, part of it does) the first Birmingham Station.

 

http://www.bcu.ac.uk/about-us/maps-and-campuses/city-centre-campus/phase-2

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curzon_Street_railway_station

Edited March 20, 2015 by Coombe Barton

[bbishop]

Those of you who look at Continental Modeller will spot my name in the April mag. The reason is there will be an article on my layout (Höchstädt) in the May magazine. I've submitted some words and the photos were taken by Andrew Burnham.

 

Bill

[AndyID]

What a difference a thousand miles (or so makes) makes...

Being in the middle of the country we truly ARE in the frozen northern wastelands

Could be worse - you could be in North Dakota!

 

We're not even in the same time-zone as Boise. Idaho is almost two different states. I find the weather here to be very agreeable. As you say, the Pacific moderates it a lot. We are at 2000 feet - it is warm enough to swim in the lake in the summer, but not so hot that we need A/C in the house. Winters are cold enough to produce just enough snow to make it beautiful, but not so much that it becomes a pain in the neck!

[Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71]

Guys,

 

I am having problems with my television, which is (say) fifteen years old; as was it's predecessor. Firstly, the freeview box has to be rebooted every time I use it (a five minute interregnum) and recently the television has lost vision on a random basis (last time one minute before the end of the Wales - Ireland game). So a new TV (including freeview) will be obtained, maybe in the John Lewis summer sale). Something on or about 30". Can anyone recommend a reliable make? Something that will last another fifteen years.

 

Bill

 

....we stick with Panasonic....excellent and reliable quality.

 

Dave

[lightengine]

I got a 42" LG wifi from JL, well happy with it.

[emt_911]

Dragons are all fired up, Welsh pinafores starched and ironed; and of course voices in tune.

This one is certainly fired up. Hope you enjoy the game and we get the right result

[Judge Dread]

Bearing in mind all the safety advice given out this morning on viewing the eclipse, I ventured out to see what I could see. As I suspected, it was overcast over Hull just like the last time in 1998.  Whilst the sun was "screened" by the overcast I could actually look at it and so propping my camera on a gate post this was the result.

[Purley Oaks]

I am having problems with my television, which is (say) fifteen years old; as was it's predecessor. Firstly, the freeview box has to be rebooted every time I use it (a five minute interregnum) and recently the television has lost vision on a random basis (last time one minute before the end of the Wales - Ireland game). So a new TV (including freeview) will be obtained, maybe in the John Lewis summer sale). Something on or about 30". Can anyone recommend a reliable make? Something that will last another fifteen years.

 

Bill

Panasonic for me - our 42" is 8 years old and no problems... yet...

Mal

[iL Dottore]

Guys,I am having problems with my television, which is (say) fifteen years old; as was it's predecessor. Firstly, the freeview box has to be rebooted every time I use it (a five minute interregnum) and recently the television has lost vision on a random basis (last time one minute before the end of the Wales - Ireland game). So a new TV (including freeview) will be obtained, maybe in the John Lewis summer sale). Something on or about 30". Can anyone recommend a reliable make? Something that will last another fifteen years.Bill

I would go with Sony. We have had a Sony in Mrs iD's den for about 15 years and it still works beautifully. We recently bought a Sony for the holiday hovel, the model got quite a few good reviews and was at an attractive price (I forget the model, PM me if you're interested Bill and I'll dig out the details).

 

Incidentally AVOID the all-singing, all-dancing TVs with built in video camera and microphone. These are to allow you to video chat/Skype via the TV when the TV is being used to access the Internet, apparently these can be hacked and activated even when the TV is "OFF" (although for most people putting the TV in stand-by/sleep mode [no picture/sound/blank screen] is considered as "OFF", apparently it isn't). So if your TV normally resides where you also appear déshabillé (or worse), if you are unlucky your off-off-duty wear (or lack of) may appear on YouTube. Quelle horreur

 

Also avoid 3D TVs and curved TVs, the first was a fad and few programmes are transmitted in 3D and are getting fewer, and the second brings minimum advantages over a flat screen and at a premium price (as you may have guessed , I did some research before buying the Sony for my hovel)

 

Panasonic is also a good brand (I have diverse Panasonic bits of gear), but I think Sony has the edge

 

iD

Edited March 20, 2015 by iL Dottore

[roundhouse]

We bought an Internet ready tv some years ago. Luckily no camera but as my other half watches TV all the time when we are in there's very little chance of the Internet being accessed on it!!!

Edited March 21, 2015 by roundhouse

[Ian Abel]

Could be worse - you could be in North Dakota!

 

We're not even in the same time-zone as Boise. Idaho is almost two different states. I find the weather here to be very agreeable. As you say, the Pacific moderates it a lot. We are at 2000 feet - it is warm enough to swim in the lake in the summer, but not so hot that we need A/C in the house. Winters are cold enough to produce just enough snow to make it beautiful, but not so much that it becomes a pain in the neck!

Indeed - however having said that, my daughter went to UND and after getting her degree was there an additional 2+ years at UND as a flight instructor to build her hours, we spent MANY VERY cold weekends up there over the years she was there, and this (Minneapolis area) is luxury compared to the bitter winters in Grand Forks!!!!

[gordon s]

As men age, we start seeing more of the medical world, which nowadays seems to include an increasing number of women as our physicians and therapists. 

 

My family doctor recently referred me to a just-out-of-medical-school female urologist.  I saw her yesterday and she's absolutely drop-dead gorgeous as well as unbelievably sexy.  

 

She told me that I must stop w*nking.

 

I asked her why.  

 

She said, "Because I'm trying to examine you..."

Edited March 20, 2015 by gordon s

[bluebottle]

As men age, we start seeing more of the medical world, which nowadays seems to include an increasing number of women as our physicians and therapists. 

My family doctor recently referred me to a just-out-of-medical-school female urologist.  I saw her yesterday and she's absolutely drop-dead gorgeous as well as unbelievably sexy.  

She told me that I must stop w*nking.

I asked her why.  

She said, "Because I'm trying to examine you..."

 

Such is my cleanliness of mind that I wondered at first why you'd censored "winking" (which was still amusing in expurgated form!)

[108]

AndyiD's mention of his short channel hop reminded me of a flight I had in student days. Mum and dad paid for me to stay in Paris all one summer holiday break (think I might have mentioned this before!) and a 'student' flight was duly booked. I hadn't realised at that point that most of the journey (called a flight on the tickets!) would be aboard a coach. Dad dropped me at Victoria and from there I went all the way to Lympne on the coast in Kent, where the turbo prop plane took to the air by flying off the top of a hill, spent a few minutes in the air, and touched down at Beauvais (where the R101 crashed!), over fifty miles north of Paris. It was then coach to destination! Some flight, but as has been said before, you get what you pay for!

Hope POETS day passes without any more bad news from our digital friends,

Kind regards,

Jock.

If you book a flight from Dublin to Paris you will be cordially (not) decanted at Beauvais. This is their idea of a Paris airport!!!!!

 

The eclipse was a bit of a damp squib here. 100% cloud cover until it was almost passed.

 

Our office* adjoins the HQ of Astronomy Ireland. Cue lots of people in the car park waiting with bated breath.

 

(100% cloud cover was not in the script.)

 

Luckily there was a cloud break just before the mutiny started.

 

All ended peacefully.

 

P

 

* in the very loosest terms. Dump with a view of an industrial estate would be closer to the truth.

Edited March 20, 2015 by 108

[AndrewC]

Idaho is a strange state. The northern panhandle has aryan nations compounds next to some of the nicest people you could hope to meet. The southern part of the state is full of Mormons. Hayden Lake is known as Hatred Lake. Athol is renamed . Had far too many good times in Sandpoint and Coeur d'Alene. Either way they're on the west side of the continental divide so the weather is mild in comparison to NE Montana and the northern plains states.

[Tony_S]

Bill,

TV advice. Buy it from John Lewis!

We have a Sony. I would buy another. Ours came out just before Smart TVs but it has a Mac mini attached to it should any processing tasks be required.

Tony

[Jock67B]

Evening all,

Nice to meet you (in the digital sense) Keith, especially as a friend of Bills. Bill, it sounds like you will need your break from the 'invalid' who appears to like trying to get you to jump through hoops!

DD, Mick's zebra idea is pretty good - I've seen some pretty good Alsatians in 00 but can't remember where, and thought that you could make a wolf pack with a touch of paint. The wolf compound at Colchester Zoo is popular!

Richard, I hope the match goes well for you and your family and hopefully free from the violence we often see at soccer matches in that wonderful city!

This bug is calling me to the big white throne again, so I'll wish you all a good weekend - we've got number one son coming down to lunch from London on Sunday so I shall doubtless be preparing a roast!

We've had Sony for some years now and the big one on the wall is particularly good because the screen has been treated somehow to repel dust! We've also had Panasonic over the years. It is prudent to pay that little extra for the top brands, as they do seem to last!

Kind regards,

Jock.

G'night Pete! G'night all the other disappointed eclipse watchers out there!

Edited March 20, 2015 by Jock67B

[The Stationmaster]

G'night all.

[AndyID]

Idaho is a strange state. The northern panhandle has aryan nations compounds next to some of the nicest people you could hope to meet. The southern part of the state is full of Mormons. Hayden Lake is known as Hatred Lake. Athol is renamed ######. Had far too many good times in Sandpoint and Coeur d'Alene. Either way they're on the west side of the continental divide so the weather is mild in comparison to NE Montana and the northern plains states.

As I am Scottish it's obvious that I am a close relative of Mel Gibson. The US is a very strange place. In many respects it is still locked in 19th century thinking. But I really don't want to turn this into a political thread.