Early Risers.

[chrisf]

Good morning one and all

 

I spent much of yesterday slobbed out in front of the TV watching the election results unfold.  Suffice it to say that many will find little cause for comfort.  The fodder run yielded a nice bit of beef sirloin in steak form so that is Sunday lunch sorted.  In the evening I enjoyed the concert with Geoff Lakeman at the Abbey Theatre Studio, St Albans.  Also there were a former workmate from my time in Westminster 30 years ago and a fellow RMwebber and his wife.  How widespread indeed is good taste!  The drive home was impeded by speed restrictions and lane closures on the M1, made less worse by one more play of Geoff's CD which he kindly signed for me.

 

Today?  I could try venturing out into the jungle to see if weeds have sprung up already to mask the strawberry plants.  I need to put a cheque in the post as well.  Let's get breakfast over before any rash decisions are taken.  Before Monday I need to interrogate recipe books as Poorly Pal would like pork for lunch on Tuesday.

 

When typing the first paragraph I must have had the Crabtree filter on by mistake.  How else could the word 'Westmonster' have appeared?

 

Warm thoughts to all in distress

 

Chris 

[Donw]

Up a bit earlier today as I have two dogs to walk (about an hour) before driving to Taunton to get the Train to Reading where I hope to meet various friends at the ALSRM show.

 

Hope your day will be as good.

 

Don

[bbishop]

Ivan,

 

Face mask in the stables?

 

Off to Salisbury now for the South Western Circle meeting, then Lord's tomorrow.

 

Keep well all, Bill

[TheQ]

Concreting may be delayed, it's bucketing down out there,

 

Still I can keep warm by burning all the political leaflets coming through the door, it's perfect for the job as it's preheated by all the hot air they're producing....

[grandadbob]

Good morning all,

Rather a grey day here at the moment but forecast to brighten up later.

No shows for me today unfortunately - I thought of going to Reading but other things need doing including some rugby to watch today as the season heads towards the finishing post.

As I didn't garden yesterday I may do so today. There is the small matter of a new piece of trellis to fix and also some new plants to ..... plant. I've also been trying one or two cat deterrent measures because the little blighters keep depositing presents in my flower beds. The most successful deterrent so far is me chasing them down the garden shouting "B#gger off you little perishers." 

I have also tried a suggestion made on here on the "animal intruders" thread involving drops of Olbas oil on tea bags. I reeked of it yesterday and it certainly worked with The Boss because it stopped her from coming anywhere near me!

Please note cat lovers here that I actually like them as well and would not  harm them. The best solution would be to have one ourselves but there is resistance to that from a certain person.

More tea needed so back later,

Have a good one,

Bob.

Edited May 6, 2017 by grandadbob

[jamie92208]

Morning all from a slightly grey village. Off shortly to the monthly Men's Breakfast at church.   I probably won't need much lunch if it's up to it's usual standard.   Then some unspecified pottering this morning before helping Beth and others run the afternoon tea shop at church.   Many of my paperbacks will be on sale.   Not a lot else to report.

 

Regards

 

Jamie

[Barry O]

I watched a bit of rugby last night. An ex England scrum half got himself into a larger about the referee. Referees are clueless about what goes on in the front row...and the ex scrum half is just....clueless. he remarked that a tackle at neck height sliding down the body would have been ok last year but the law changes prevented it this year..Neck high tackle? Sure way for a sending off when I played...Mind you the laws have changed so much it's sometimes hard to see why a penalty has been given or not.

 

A bit cloudy this am, may need the thermals for umpiring methinks.

 

Ivan hope this mysterious attack on your body can be sorted asap

 

Enjoy your day everyone!

 

Baz

[Tony_S]

Morning all.

Overcast and about 10C.

I am still intending to go to the Billericay exhibition.

 

Tony

Edited May 6, 2017 by Tony_S

[Horsetan]

ExpoEM Bracknell next Saturday.

 

Ivan,

 

Face mask in the stables?...

It might have to be a gas mask....

[Coombe Barton]

Grey, chill, rain threatened. Returning caravan to storage today. At least we would be had I not forgotten to either switch off the 12 volt in the van or plug in the mains so that we can use the motor mover to get it off the drive. We park it nose in (and it's down a slope) to deter theft, although we do have the usual security devices.

[southern42]

' Morning all from red dragon land.

Sun's gone.  Cloudy but not raining and it looks fairly calm out there - but it could be (probably will be!) blowing at West Shore.

 

My father told me that Ford actually provided a number of shades of black. I don't think blackberry black was included, but that's the idea.

 

That brings to mind one of my art tutor's remarks when I was presented with the black blinds over the large main window.

 

"Look in the shadows,"  he said.  In other words it was more than just a single colour, although the black was hardly pitch black to start with.

 

 

Best wishes to all, hope your day is full of good stuff.

[AndyB]

Morning all and it's a bright but overcast day - if that makes sense.

 

Today's tasks include sorting out a strange smell in the washing machine drain pipe. Suitable chemicals have been purchased and I'm searching for appropriate PPE. 

 

Yesterday - finally - saw mum have her hearing test and a new prescription demonstrated. For a considerable time I've been having to shout to get her to hear, so it was quite emotional for me to be able to speak quietly to her and have her hear. To demonstrate whether it worked or not the audiologist asked her some questions, covering his mouth to prevent her lip reading.

 

Then I had a go....

Q1. "What is swmbo's name?"

A1. "No idea." 

  

 

The brand chosen allows phone and tv to be streamed straight to the earpiece with the aid of a couple of black boxes added inline with the telephone line etc. Remarkable how much technology has come along and how tiny the devices are. 

[emt_911]

Morning all. Late on parade as I couldn't be bothered to set the alarm.

 

A grey start to the day so any modelling will be done inside.

 

For those attending shows, enjoy and I hope that the wallet doesn't complain too much.

 

Have a good day everyone.

[Shedman5]

Morning, Back after a nice break overseas, so congratulations and commiserations as appropriate as I have missed ten days worth of posts.

 

Its been a interesting break as we had no internet/tv/radio ( which we knew before hand) or newspapers just sunshine,books and lots of good food.

 

I certainly have not missed all the politics/election news!

 

Grey here now after sunshine earlier this morning feeling a bit chilly in my opinion but the lawns need mowing and then hopefully time in the shed.

 

Enjoy your day folks

[New Haven Neil]

Morning.

 

Q, there are a lot of films made on Fraggle Rock, but that is the first one that actually makes a point that it is set here.  Our diverse scenery, the ability and willingness of authority to close roads etc as needed and certain tax advantages make it a good venue for the media.  Going right back to Waking Ned so many films featuring Manx scenes make no mention of it in the credits, or if they do it is so small you can't read it!  Until recently our Government owned a good chunk of Pinewood Studios!

[Horsetan]

Morning.

 

Q, there are a lot of films made on Fraggle Rock, but that is the first one that actually makes a point that it is set here. Our diverse scenery, the ability and willingness of authority to close roads etc as needed and certain tax advantages make it a good venue for the media. Going right back to Waking Ned so many films featuring Manx scenes make no mention of it in the credits, or if they do it is so small you can't read it! Until recently our Government owned a good chunk of Pinewood Studios!

Fraggle Rock also provided the backdrop for a minor, but neatly portrayed, film called The Boys and Girl from County Clare which starred Colm Meaney, one of the Corr sisters (Andrea, I think) and the late Frank Kelly.

 

The film credits did acknowledge Fraggle Rock, and some of the street scenes / architecture surrounding the ceilidh competition did look a bit like Ennis. I think the problem the filmmakers had with filming in Co. Clare itself is that the locations they might have wanted to use are now too developed and modern, not 1960s Ireland at all.

[New Haven Neil]

I met Colm Meaney when they were filming.  Nice bloke, just looking for a quiet life. He came into my post office/shop/filling station where I was Sub-Postmaster at the time (my first job here - it got me here!), and after they had left (heavies on guard!) the shop girl said 'that feller you were talking to looks just like Chief O'Brien off Star Trek'.  When I said it was him she almost fainted!  I've met other 'stars' who were a$$holes (Sting, anyone?), but he struck me as OK.

 

Edit for punctuation.

Edited May 6, 2017 by New Haven Neil

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. As I'm not getting plastered this morning I thought I might go to the exhibition mentioned by Tony. Problem is in the Railway Modeller guide all it gives is the name of the venue and the post code, which is ok for sat-nav users but I do not have a sat-nav. I think I can find the place using a good old fashioned map fortunately. GDB, would a dog be acceptable to the authorities? A friend of mine has a Jack Russel that absolutely hates cats and who now avoid her territory. So long for now, be back later.

[Mike Bellamy]

Phil

 

Go to Google and then top right there is a link to Maps. Click there and add postcode and you will get a detailed map of the location. You can also plan your route and print it off.

[Horsetan]

I met Colm Meaney when they were filming. ...

Very versatile actor. He was in some of the Roddy Doyle Trilogy films.

 

Edited May 6, 2017 by Horsetan

[Tony_S]

Phil

 

Go to Google and then top right there is a link to Maps. Click there and add postcode and you will get a detailed map of the location. You can also plan your route and print it off.

Once one is north of the A12 Essex rural postcodes can cover quite a large area!

The Galleywood Heritage Centre is marked on Google Maps though.

Edited May 6, 2017 by Tony_S

[Tony_S]

Aditi hasn't departed for Enfield yet.

I think I will take Robbie for a walk before venturing off to darkest Essex (north of the A12).

Tony

[The Stationmaster]

Morning all,

 

Various domestic tasks completed and off to Reading shortly dropping herself in town on a hunt for material (sewing room is still present) then I'll be down to Rivermead, should be a good show (might turn out to be an expensive one as there looks to be some good trade presence.

 

Herself enjoyed her birthday dinner out last night and as I paid for it  the brownie points store is in reasonable health but it no doubt will depend on what comes back in the shopping bag (If anything - you never know what might tempt ).

 

Enjoy the rest of your day

[BlackRat]

Afternoon all.

 

Op went very well, now taking it steady at home for a few weeks..........plenty of time for perusing that Cameo Layouts book!

 

Thank you all for the well wishes.

 

Nelly

[iL Dottore]

Afternoon All, long time no see.

...Propofol is not the same general anesthesia drugs - I have heard it called conscious sedation, but you don't remember or feel a thing. It does not have the same after-effects as general anesthesia. There can be complications but properly supervised I've had positive experiences with it.

According to the anaesthesiologist cousin-in-law there are two types of sedation: the first where you aren't awake and don't feel a thing, and the second where you are and you don't care! Make of that what you will.

 

Peter, thank you.  I would not disagree with you as to the correctness of the English term.  It is reassuring that someone else is trying to defend the language against the erosive forces that batter it with unremitting constancy.  However, it seemed to me that the American term was more expressive in the context.  Had I been a little more conscious when posting I might well have used 'inquest' instead.  Serves me right for having the radio on all night ...

 

Chris

Hmmm! "post mortem" just means "after death" and can cover a multitude of different examinations - including the GP certifying that life is extinct. However, it is commonly used to refer to a full internal and external examination of the body to determine cause of death. Autopsy, on the other hand, refers specifically to the internal and external examination of a human body to determine the cause of death and can be either a clinical (hospital) autopsy or a medico-legal autopsy (as in "Quincy" for those who remember that far back). A Necropsy is the same done on an animal (and no comments from the back on how many of last year's autopisies should be reclassified as necropsies!).

 

Whilst on the subject of slaves. Do not forget the Barbary pirates that raided countries up and around the North Sea and captured thousands of sons, husbands and brothers from coastal villages. The majority of these males never returned home to their families and died in North Africa were they had been put to use building fortifications amongst other things.

As others have pointed out, slave owning goes a long, long way back and I cannot think of any culture or civilisation that hasn't relied upon slavery at one point or another in their history. Thus I get a bit sick and tired of all those going on about how "the white man...". Slavery has always been a pan-race, pan-national, pan-religion activity. And even had the Europeans not been involved in buying slaves from Dahomey or Zanzibar, the Arabs, Ottomans and Berbers would have kept the trade going...

Sheesh, I really get annoyed at those who parrot historical and scientific half-truths, especially if done to fit to a political agenda - as was the case with Lysenko, under Stalin.

 

Todays boring dog tail tale:  Lucy can be most endearing. Yesterday morning I took the doggies out to the Dog Club for the usual morning runaround & training and, as is the case on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, the 9 a.m. dog trainer turned up about 08:15 to start setting up. And - as always - Schotty and Lucy start running around barking furiously. Given that I have been training the beasties to sit and stop barking on command (albeit with - at present - many repetitions of the command), I commanded them to stop - which they eventually did. However, Lucy kept on barking well after Schotty stopped. So I commanded her to stop again, at which point the dog trainer said said "typical female, must always have the last word" and barely had the last word been uttered than a tiny "woof" came from Lucy sitting behind me.

 

 

Job hunt continues to lead me down lots of blind alleys: promising interviews and then a "thank you, no thank you" Bu99er! But on a positive note, the diet proceeds apace and I have now lost 20Kg (only 14 more to go), although I don't really feel either any different or any better (Mr Arthrosis has come to stay and brought his extended family) a hitherto neglected and unusable area of my wardrobe has opened up for use (I can be a natty dresser if I so wish).  So 14 more weeks on the diet (at average loss of 1Kg/week) and I'll be a happy camper!

 

 

Finally, on the subject of being a Happy Camper, I shall certainly be so next Friday as I meet up with some of the usual ER old lags at the PoS in Shoreditch. It'll be the usual mix of oldsters who are "remnants of the Empire", "legends in their own lunchtime", "helping the Police with their enquiries" and "wanted dead or alive" As Obi Wan Kenobi (almost) said: "The ER Meet Up. You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. We must be cautious".

 

And on that cheerfully self-deprecating note I bid you all a splendid weekend and for those ailing Gute Besserung

 

iD

Edited May 6, 2017 by iL Dottore