Early Risers.

[TheQ]

I used a loft mounted TV booster for some time as we are on the limits of TV reception being over 40miles from the nearest transmitter and at a low height... It did work.

Only when the analogue was switched off , and they boosted digital transmissions did we get a good signal without a booster.

Boosters are however not that reliable, they don't like the temperature extremes of a loft, and as they are of course sensitive to signals a nearby lightening storm may blow them while not affecting anything else..

[chrisf]

How do!

 

There are some desperate people about.  One seems to think that I bank with HSBC, for he/she/it sent me a text referring to a payment from my alleged HSBC account to someone that I may or may not know – Jones is such a common surname.  This sort of thing is so tiresome but it keeps me on my toes, I suppose.

 

Hotels in Paris – only one so far.  It was an Ibis somewhere near Bercy with unnecessarily compact rooms.  I was on a steam railtour, I mean endurance test.  In the fullness of time I may need to find somewhere within easy reach of Gare de Lyon for an overnight stop on my way south.  The trip concerned is very much an aspiration but appears feasible.  As for frog pubs, I have only visited one so far – the Frog and Rosbif, near Etienne Marcel station on Metro line 4.  The beer I had rejoiced in the name of Paris Lytic and was of suitably high octane.  I think there are six outlets in Paris and may check on www.frogpubs.com later.

 

Today should see the ironing done but don’t look too closely.  There will be a fodder run too.  Oh, the excitement.  Best wishes to all

 

Chris

[TheQ]

Mooring Awl, Inner Temple Hare, 593 /373.

A good nights sleep which I needed,  1 hour, 3 hours, 3.5 hours all in bed and comfortable...

 

Yesterday during the afternoon I could feel all the work I'd done on the weekend creeping up on me, joints and muscles.. not good..

 

Peering out of the bathroom window removing the hair that has fallen from the top of my head to come out of my face, I espied Mr Fox having a wander around the garden.. He seems young thin and very dark. The  Darkness may be because he was wet.. Wet ? Yep a very wet fog this morning, I could not see the corner in the garden which is 53 yards from the house.

 

Ben the  I'm staying tucked up in bed  Collie,  didn't move until time for patrol, he went charging down the garden , before doing a good search looking for Mr Fox, in a slow search pattern back to the house, leaving messages for Mr Fox... This is my garden...

 

Roads locally had water trickling down them having dripped from the trees..

 

I followed a white Vauxhall transit size van in.. Very gentle on corners, avoiding drain covers and potholes and a limited to 58MPH sign on the back door, I wonder what he was carrying?

 

One thing with HS2, is it's not Boris's vanity project, nor Mays, Nor Camerons , Not even Browns.. It dates back to the Blair.. If they built railways at the speed we do now, back in the 1830's, I think the first line from London to Manchester might just be being finished. They could build a line using a pick and shovel faster, than all the machinery we have now..

 

And So It's

 

Time to ... Continue with this weeks major system, though there's no hurry, it's a reserve, I have Identified some work for when it's finished on Wednesday.. Lots of manual resistance and ACI measurements today...

 

 

[Andrew P]

Well the promise of cutting the Lawn yesterday did not happen.

 

I knew the Car was a bit dirty from a drive in the Rain last week, but when I went out, I think EVERY BIRD in the Souf of this fair Isle had used it for target practice, and then come back to train it young to do the same.

So the Car was washed, I went out last night to put the Bin out, and guess what!they've been back already.

Edited April 20, 2021 by Andrew P

[polybear]

8 hours ago, monkeysarefun said:

Airfares start  around $400 return, not sure how that is compared before all this so I can't say if they are pricing it low to get business back, or high to recoup losses. Just converting that to pounds is a bit  meaningless given difference in cost of living  and wages so as a comparison that's about a quarter average weekly earnings here so based on that it would be 190 pounds return.

 

kia ora.

 

 

Bear did convert to GBP - £222, accordinging to Alexa.  She also tells me Auckland is 1200-ish miles from Sydney, so whilst this airfare is more B.A. than Easyjet money it does sound pretty fair to this Bear.  £222 is certainly higher than a quarter average weekly wage in the UK - actually something like half, according to the 'net.

 

7 hours ago, BSW01 said:

The only downside to this method is the cellar floor is getting very muddy, but I can live with this, if the mess stays contained to just the cellar, meaning a lot less cleaning is required upstairs. 

 

 

 

Muddy?  Beware marauding Hippo's - and hide the cake tin.....

(This Public Information Broadcast was brought to you by Bear - feel free to show your appreciation by posting LDC.....I'm right out )

 

6 hours ago, The Stationmaster said:

The installer's view was that boosters are pointless if you aren't getting a strong enough signal in the first place because - as he explained it - a booster can't boost what isn't there to boost.   

 

if you can improve the gain on the aerial that is a different matter but indoor boosters, he explained, won't really help if you're getting a patchy or weak signal in the first place.

 

True, but a Booster will boost what signal is there....

Cynical Bear* suspects that Mr. Installer doesn't like boosters cos' they're a DIY fix, which doesn't put money in his pocket; putting up a bigger aerial most certainly does though.

 

Cynical Bear* has been boosted just in time for a planned meet-up today with one of Bear's work buddy's at lunchtime, in a B&Q car park dangerously close to a certain ex-employer of Bear's.  Buddy still works there - but only until Sept (Dec?) cos' he's banging out early too.  He positively revels in his job sorting and disposing of redundant cr*p, aka equipment that cost the taxpayer an absolute fortune - and some....plus a bit more....  The company won't realise what they've done until he's gone, but hey, HR know best....

On the downside this meeting will take place shortly before a visit to the Goober Vet, fortunately for just a check-up (I hope) but with the very nature of LDC being what it is you never can tell.

 

Hey, it's now only 07:18 and Bear's ready to go and get washed.  Bear has decided that the 06:30 alarm should now be 06:00 in order to get more done - I was awake before the alarm, so not a killer.  Yet....

[Andrew P]

The Lawn may be done today now, and then the Garden furniture jet washed Thursday or Friday ready for  a garden party on Saturday.

Its my Step Sons, / Twins, 55th Birthday, now this is where it gets a little crazy.

We can only have 6 in the Garden at any one time, so the 2 Boys and their wives are coming around Lunchtime. Then the 2 Step Daughters, / Twins, and their Husbands are coming around tea time. 

SO, 6 in the garden at any one time.

Had we decided to go to a Pub or Garden Centre, we could have ALL met up, and sat next to each other without a problem.

THE WORLD IS GOING MAD.

Edited April 20, 2021 by Andrew P

[Andrew P]

Sun is streaming into the lounge and I'm off for a walk.

 

Have a good day one and all, stay safe, keep well and keep talking the tablets. 

[AndrewC]

Greetings all from a sunny but cool boring borough. 

 

Good to see Dave's Dad getting his escape planned. Let's all hope it is option A: the closer one. 

 

Football: I'll stick to the mighty <cough> Wings of Welling. I can wander over to Park View road, watch the match, have a half time beer and still get change from £20. There are also a couple of good micro-pubs nearby as well as the Wings bar which serves real ale. 

 

For TV we've got a Sky dish even though it is line of sight to Crystal Palace from here. This was originally installed for our previous place which was in a bit of a valley and any other reception was dodgy at best. We just decided to keep it as at the time it was cheaper than cancelling the contract, although now the amount we watch is minimal and the channel package we have is the absolute basic. 

 

We've both noticed that Paris has changed a lot over the past decade or so. Far more accommodating for tourists from the far east it appears. As such English seems to have become more accepted. We have our preferred hotel near St Georges. Small, quiet, stupidly clean, and just a short walk to a little cafe which is both excellent value and doubles as a coffee roastery. mmmm coffee. The Frog bars are quite good for beer. Although I think there are now a couple which don't have their own on site brewing. If you know where to look there are some excellent craft beer places and taprooms in Paris. 

 

Man from Wickes expected to deliver some decking material today. The downside is the boards are coming from their supplier which means they could take another week to arrive. The weekly fruit & veg delivery is also expected this morning. 

 

No word on the supposed new job offer. Even the recruiter is baffled by the potential new employer at the moment. I've now filed the whole thing under "time waster". 

 

That's about all for now. Enjoy the day. 

[jamie92208]

Good moaning from a positively tropical Charente, 8 degrees when I went to let the girls out.  Various small jobs got done yesterday and I also managed to contact our financial advisors after over 2 weeks of attempting that task. I thought that they had been taking lessons from Dr's surgeries  in the UK. Anyway contact has been made. It seems that our savings are safe but they haven't updated their website with alternative  phone numbers.  

 

In the evening Beth spent an hour chatting to her friend who had just gone back to work after furlough. Then I had a half hour Zoom rehearsal for my preseyation for the G0G next week. A very useful exercise, sorting out how to make the best use of the technology.  

 

This morning the supermarket awaits then the G word has been mentioned. 

 

Dave H, I hope that you get some good news about your dad. Baz, a move sounds expensive especially  with the contents of your loft.

 

Regards to all.

 

Jamie

[Joseph_Pestell]

1 hour ago, chrisf said:

How do!

 

There are some desperate people about.  One seems to think that I bank with HSBC, for he/she/it sent me a text referring to a payment from my alleged HSBC account to someone that I may or may not know – Jones is such a common surname.  This sort of thing is so tiresome but it keeps me on my toes, I suppose.

 

Hotels in Paris – only one so far.  It was an Ibis somewhere near Bercy with unnecessarily compact rooms.  I was on a steam railtour, I mean endurance test.  In the fullness of time I may need to find somewhere within easy reach of Gare de Lyon for an overnight stop on my way south.  The trip concerned is very much an aspiration but appears feasible.  As for frog pubs, I have only visited one so far – the Frog and Rosbif, near Etienne Marcel station on Metro line 4.  The beer I had rejoiced in the name of Paris Lytic and was of suitably high octane.  I think there are six outlets in Paris and may check on www.frogpubs.com later.

 

Today should see the ironing done but don’t look too closely.  There will be a fodder run too.  Oh, the excitement.  Best wishes to all

 

Chris

 

In Paris, more traditional hotels are available in great numbers and often a better option than the modern rabbit hutches.

 

My parents used to break their rail journeys at the Hotel du Musee, a bit downstream on the Seine from Austerlitz. Walkable from Gare de Lyon if weather OK.

[Barry O]

Ey up!

Off to see Dr Eldest Herbert today. This should help to satisfy the electronic brain of Beastie as it is telling me that I need to put some "new fuel" in the tank. Pah!

 

Nice morning here at the moment. Let us hopenit stays that way!

 

Lets hope our missing ERs are all fine..

 

Positive thoughts to all!

Baz

[New Haven Neil]

Morning, also tropical here by Jamie's system of measure, 9c!

 

Our second day of freedom will be marked by an extraordinary general meeting of the old farts bike club, we can't wait until Friday so are having a breakfast get-together this morning to practice.  Then a run out somewhere for more coffee.  And talk crepe all morning of course.

 

Our local TV mast is about 2 miles from us, we get little more than static from it - trees in the way, low lying land, low lying house.  So we get our terrestrial signal from Northern Ireland, which is....awful.  The content, I mean. Depressing.

 

We also have whatever channels we can get for free from Sky, using a card we have had for 18 years.....I suspect not having a telephone line plugged in to the box keeps it live!  We can get what passes for local news on Sky which is from BBC Manchester, we do get an occasional mention when they have something unpleasant to say about us.  They don't do positive news.  We also get about 40 channels on Freeview on the NI signal, but they come and go frequently for some reason.  The DVR gets a lot more than either TV, it must have a more sensitive receiver.

 

 

 

 

[polybear]

Bear's Bullsh1t Bingo of the Day:

 

NASA Employee being interviewed on Telly last night, following their escapades flying a wokka on Mars.  Her title?  "Ingenuity Project Manager".  Hmmm.....

 

Or:

Sign outside an Indian Covid Vaccination Centre, which reads:

".....the BKC Covid Vaccination Centre will be non-functional temporarily until further orders".

What's wrong with "Closed"?  Hmmm......

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-56797689

[BSW01]

Good morning everyone 

 

The sun is shining, the current temperature is 7C. Meanwhile, Sheila is runny around like a blue @rsed fly getting ready to go for her hair cut! She’s very excited! As for me, I’ll be back down in what Sheila calls ‘Middle Earth’ removing some more of the cellar ceiling. Before I start, I’ll take out the 3 bags that I’ve already filled and stack them on the patio next to the fence, this should give me a bit more working room. I’m hoping at the end of play today, that I’ll have filled another 3 bags. When I say he bags are filled, they aren’t filled to the top, but filled enough so that I can lift and carry them, they are actually just over half filled. If I put anymore I need them I’d never shift them at all. 

 

Stay safe, stay sane, enjoy whatever you have planned for the day, back later. 

 

Brian

[jonny777]

Dry and sunny again here in North Somerset.

 

Yesterday was very depressing, for reasons I cannot explain or fathom. Visited the garden centre for a few supplies, but they seemed not to have many items, and their prices appear to have doubled in the last few weeks. 

 

Tried to cheer myself up with cider, but that seemed to make things worse, especially when I found that in the process of morphing from itunes into apple music the software had 'lost' about 80% of my music. I have now managed to get everything back, but only because I found a mobile phone backup file on my external HD and managed to import from that. 

 

Fitful night's sleep due to after effects of cider on my restless brain. Let's hope today is an improvement. 

[Winslow Boy]

59 minutes ago, New Haven Neil said:

Morning, also tropical here by Jamie's system of measure, 9c!

 

Our second day of freedom will be marked by an extraordinary general meeting of the old farts bike club, we can't wait until Friday so are having a breakfast get-together this morning to practice.  Then a run out somewhere for more coffee.  And talk crepe all morning of course.

 

Our local TV mast is about 2 miles from us, we get little more than static from it - trees in the way, low lying land, low lying house.  So we get our terrestrial signal from Northern Ireland, which is....awful.  The content, I mean. Depressing.

 

We also have whatever channels we can get for free from Sky, using a card we have had for 18 years.....I suspect not having a telephone line plugged in to the box keeps it live!  We can get what passes for local news on Sky which is from BBC Manchester, we do get an occasional mention when they have something unpleasant to say about us.  They don't do positive news.  We also get about 40 channels on Freeview on the NI signal, but they come and go frequently for some reason.  The DVR gets a lot more than either TV, it must have a more sensitive receiver.

 

 

 

 

Well that'll teach you for living in 'foreign climes'. 

 

Oh and leave BBC Manchester alone. It does a very nice job of negativity. You get your own channel if you want run it down.

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. A bit foggy again this morning but its now lifted to thin cloud. Reception was terrible here when I moved in 32 years ago so a booster was necessary as there was no cable or satellite back then. As it was the London stations were the worse due to high ground and tall buildings interrupting the signal. It was easier to point aerials south towards the Maidstone transmitter. When I lived in Burnham-on-Crouch I tuned into Anglia and BBC East so I had the aerial pointing towards Ipswich or Norwich, I can't remember which. So when I moved in I had an aerial pointing north installed. It was almost the opposite direction to Maidstone so I could get the Medway programs as well. To get the London programs I had to have a second aerial at right angles to the first. This was the one that required the booster and even then it wasn't perfect. A few years later the aerials were damaged in a storm but by then I was on the internet but relying on BT lines so that was slow so I opted for fibre optic cable for everything, phone, TV and internet. I still have the transformer from the booster, it gives a 12 volt DC output so it might be useful some day. Now off to run a bath, be back later.

[leopardml2341]

12 hours ago, leopardml2341 said:

Evenin' folks.

 

I think I'm failing the ER bit of this thread......

 

Wil try and make a post tomorrow morning, that's if work doesn't get in the way (again).

 

On a separate note @andyram seems to have been in absentia for a while, hope you're ok mate!

 

Stay safe, sleep well and stay sane.

Well that failed!

 

Been awake since 06:00 and at work since 07:30.......

 

Anyway - mornin' all

[Tony_S]

Morning all.

It was misty earlier but has now become quite sunny. I have my second Covid jab to look forward to later this morning. I have my mask ready and my little card with the the first jab details. When I had my first jab it had been snowing and the pavement was slippery. 
We had our ballot papers arrive a few days ago. We have had candidate leaflets from one party but nothing from the others. I do look forward to reading them and giving marks out of 10. 
I hope Dave finds out soon where his Dad is going. 
Tony
 

[Tony_S]

Neil mentioned only getting local news if something bad happened. Our Sky BBC1 channel is BBC East so we get lots of stuff about criminal behaviour in Norwich. Before the analogue shutdown our best digital signal came from Kent so we had news about evil deeds in Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells. Our terrestrial aerial points at Crystal Palace so we get the London signals. For some reason the BBC News HD channel is on a low power multiplex thingy so used to be a bit flaky this far away. I replaced the expensive “well known brand” aerial cable with £2.99 one from eBay and all seems fine now. We still have a Sky box with sports and movies.  I was going to get rid of it but Aditi suggested delaying the decision until the end of the pandemic. 
Tony

[The Stationmaster]

G'day all,

 

more sunshine so it should be a pleasant walk doen to teh surgery for jabbing tomorrow if the weather continues as forecast.  and yes, I do know where my little card is

 

As for hotels near the Gare du Lyon Mrs Stationmaster and i stayed in one many years ago which on reflection was probably too near so it attracted the wrong sort of custom.  Very clean and a nice breakfast of the French sort but the various noises overnight convinced us that we were probably staying in a place which made more money from very short lets for 'knocking' purpose than it did from overnight guests.  I used to regularly stop in a somewhat ancient looking hotel in Mainz  (which was very handy for the Hbf)  whenever I had meetings in Frankfurt and although I doubt the interior had been refitted since the post-war clean up it definitely wasn't a knocking shop - that was just round the corner and readily identified by a big neon sign outside 

 

Bear to note that as the installer actually installed the booster for the multiple feeds (ion his recommendation) I don't think he had anything against such things.   As Tony has noted some of the digital signals can get a bit flaky at times and this appears to be down to transmitter problems or outages rather than anything else.

 

I hope things come good, or at least improve, today for Dave's dad and that he is moved to teh right place.  The NHS  get it right sometimes so hopefully this will be one of them.   Hoping to that gordon's progress continues on an upward curve.

 

Have a good day everyone and stay safe (if those around you allow).  Alas I see the stable door into Britain from India is also falling into the being bolted after the beast has already entered category - not clever once again.

[Gwiwer]

5 hours ago, polybear said:

£222, accordinging to Alexa.  She also tells me Auckland is 1200-ish miles from Sydney, so whilst this airfare is more B.A. than Easyjet money it does sound pretty fair to this Bear

Trans-Tasman air fares have never been bargain-basement.  Considering the fact that it was for some years possible to fly between one Aussie Capital city and another for as little as $19 (and occasionally even less) it was never the same to Noozilland.  I think I paid about AU$350 each way Melbourne - Auckland back in 2000 with Air Middle Earth New Zealand.  The same year I flew Melbourne - Adelaide and back for $19 each way albeit not at peak times.  I think it was the 5am flight out of Melbourne and 9pm back.  

 

Speaking of Aussies - G'day you's all.   A ripper here with the sun shining down and the barbie stoked and ready to go.  There's a slab of tinnies in the bar fridge and ten bags of ice in the bath to cool yer own.  

 

In other news it's Drinks with the Chairman of the Resident's Association later this arvo afternoon - socially distanced and outside - so I'd better scrub up a bit.  After which it's a Ruby for tea.  press the shirt and defrost the curry for dinner later.  

 

 

Edited April 20, 2021 by Gwiwer

[iL Dottore]

14 hours ago, Dave Hunt said:

Had a phone call today from the hospital to say that Dad has been declared medically fit for discharge. He still can't get out of bed, walk or even stand unaided,...

Whilst it is extremely good news that your dad is getting better, Dave. I would seriously contest that hospital’s definition of “medically fit“ 

When I had bilateral knee protheses inserted, I was kept in hospital until I could walk, by myself, with the aid of crutches.  It was still necessary to have assistance to get out of bed (only because I couldn’t, at that time, bend my knees without significant pain), but when I was discharged I went straight to an orthopaedic rehabilitation unit for further care.  In all, I was under medical care and/or supervision for the best part of a month.

Let’s hope you can get your dad placed in a place best suited for both of you.

3 hours ago, polybear said:

.....NASA Employee being interviewed on Telly last night, following their escapades flying a wokka on Mars.  Her title?  "Ingenuity Project Manager".  Hmmm.....

Captain Cynical would say that the more impressive the title, the less power the holder has (and - more than likely - the less able they are). Furthermore, lately in the Anglo-Saxon world there has been a lot of job title inflation (especially in the US).  Thus, with job title inflation Mr P Bear would be a “Senior Vice-President Ursine Patisserie Evaluation and Disposal” (instead of a “cake scoffing bear”)
 

I note with dismay that some stupid Congresswoman has run her mouth off about the current trial of George Floyd’s killer, to the point where the Judge was moved to say that her spouting off risked a mistrial being declared. 
 

Mike (The Stationmaster) reported on a London hotelier bemoaning that no Brits are staying in his £350 to £5000/night hotel. Mike neglected to say which hotel this was, but I suspect that it is one of those London Hotels that are über-luxurious and are stayed in by sports stars, movie stars, oligarchs and the like. And when someone pays £350/night or £5000/night for a suite they expect a level of service most of us can only dream of (and that takes staff - who have to be paid). For Mrs iD and I to even contemplate that sort of nightly expenditure (£350/night) then it really has to be amazing.

 

One thing I have concluded, from various posts on ERs (and from personal experience) is that although the UK has amongst the highest property price in Europe, if not the world, UK salaries are - quite frankly - abysmal. I once was contemplating applying for a senior position in the first European affiliate to be opened by this Japanese company. I decided not to apply as the salary would have been half what I was earning at the time and with the added drawback of very high accommodation costs and higher taxes overall (actually, it might have been more-cost effective to have taken a hotel room on a long term basis than to have rented a flat). And I would have been one of the better paid employees.....

 

And speaking of work - time to get the rear-in-gear and earn some Whisky tokens.

 

iD

 

[TheQ]

Ingenuity is just the stupid name they have given to the helicopter, so they are really just saying,  "helicopters name" project manager..

 

Criminal Behaviour in Norwich.. never.. Except the stabbing a  couple of days ago.. one of the lowest crime rates in the UK...

What's today's head lines?... A rave..., a house built in a modern barn, a drunk driver, affordable homes to be opened, a concert....

 

Meanwhile the future deputy head of lab, has obviously got permission from his SWMBO, after their visit to Norfolk over the weekend, as he has accepted the job.. He'll probably be arriving in June.. Just 9 months from the current head of labs retirement.. So he has a lot of learning to do in a short time...

 

Orange shed today, tiles maybe, if they have what I'm looking for, Several sheets of OSB..

 

 

 

 

[J. S. Bach]

5 hours ago, BSW01 said:

Good morning everyone  ...snip... but filled enough so that I can lift and carry them, they are actually just over half filled. If I put anymore I need them I’d never shift them at all.

Stay safe, stay sane, enjoy whatever you have planned for the day, back later.

Brian

Bags are cheap, your back is not.