Early Risers.

[tigerburnie]

Morning, a rather dark looking morning, the sun has done it's usual trick rose over the sea horizon then climbed into the cloud and we may not see it again all day, missed a very good Aurora due to the flippin' clouds, mate further north on the Moray coast got some fab pictures. Waiting for Tesco delivery then the day is ours, no idea what we might do(apart from pig on biscuits if they haven't substituted 'em) Stay safe and well all.

[Tony_S]

2 hours ago, polybear said:

 

I was rather taken by the "Nuts and Bolts. File Photo" addition to the news article.  Somewhat stating the f.obvious methinks.

Quote

He is now reported to be in a stable condition, and is being monitored at KUH.

Hence the expression “shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted” 

[Tony_S]

1 hour ago, tigerburnie said:

no idea what we might do(apart from pig on biscuits if they haven't substituted 'em)

Our weekend croissants were substituted by “French breakfast pastry selection”. I said I wasn’t that keen on pain ou chocolat  (or raisin) but Aditi said it didn’t matter. I suspect she likes them!

Tony

[45156]

Morning All

 

Good to see the site working again- - thanks Andy, as ever.  It's only when here is't here that you miss it - and thought I am not quite such a frequent visitor I do like to be able to pop in - IMHO the "other" modelling forums just don't come close to this one.

 

As usual generic greetings are offered, as I have not been able to view or rate every post - but I do echo the good wishes for the missing ERs - you are all missed.

 

30747 has gone out with her friends to go to a jumble sale then on somewhere for lunch, and most probably Lords antoque centre at Ingleton - I am stuck with taking Lily to the vet's this afternoon - and packing some boxes, as the legal processes of buying and sellling of the respective houses has started.  Railway books seem to be favourite as there's over 1000 of them in various places, and the removal people have warned me already not to overload the boxes.

 

Once I get back, I have a nice bottle of Weston's cider chilling.

 

And for the musicians among us - and on my case, the very jealous musician, this came into my inbox this morning

 

 

[PupCam]

4 hours ago, polybear said:

So fellow ER'ers (and Puppers in particular) may be somewhat surprised to learn that Bear is to sign up for his very first Marathon

 

Bear is so behind the times ......

 

      ........ everyone knows they've been called Snickers in the UK for years!

 

3 hours ago, polybear said:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-northamptonshire-58767230

 

SFB then!

 

 

3 hours ago, TheQ said:

The tensile strength is almost the same 3620Mpa for Kevlar, to 3600Mpa for Dyneema, but Dyneema is much lighter, so weight for weight Kevlar is rated as 5X stronger than steel and Dyneema 15X stronger than steel .

 

From a sailing point of view Dyneema is much softer on the hands, can be safely tied in smaller knots, it floats..

From others points of view Kevlar is better at high temperature, but holds in water. 

Dyneema is softer, melts in high temperature, but is cool to wear.

 

Both having otherwise similar wear, abrasion and safety characteristics.

 

Don't now about Dyneema as I've never used it but Kevlar rope has been very useful.  

I also know that it's a Buxxer to cut, special Kevlar rope cutting  scissors were the best option.

 

Alan

[PhilJ W]

1 hour ago, Tony_S said:

Our weekend croissants were substituted by “French breakfast pastry selection”. I said I wasn’t that keen on pain ou chocolat  (or raisin) but Aditi said it didn’t matter. I suspect she likes them!

Tony

You've been outvoted then? Everyone knows that SWMBO votes count as two ordinary votes.

[PhilJ W]

The mystery of the missing sock has been solved! As I went to put my slippers on this morning I found it hiding in one of my slippers. How it got there however is an even bigger mystery. Socks seem to have a mind of their own. Where do all those missing socks go to? One theory is that they go to some sort of parallel universe, anyone got any ideas?

[Coombe Barton]

8 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

Socks seem to have a mind of their own. Where do all those missing socks go to? One theory is that they go to some sort of parallel universe, anyone got any ideas?

Socks are the larval form of Tupperware lids that don't fit anything

[Gwiwer]

4 hours ago, polybear said:

Bear is to sign up for his very first Marathon, thus becoming an instant Superhero

I hope it goes well.  They haven't been the same since they changed the name to Snickers

 

Seriously - having run several marathons including three Londons - it's not a step to be undertaken lightly and good training is everything.  Once in a big event the sense of occasion and common purpose carries you to an extent and is probably good for several miles-worth of effort.  Beware "the wall" though - the point at which you suddenly feel you cannot go on.  

 

In London I hit it at the same spot every time.  I was living in the east at the time and therefore was psychologically running towards home until about 18 miles in at the turn onto the Isle of Dogs.  At which point my brain kicked in and the aching body supported its opinion that I was now running "away" from home and should therefore stop.  I found the final six miles very much harder for that reason alone and with the pack thinning out by then there wasn't quite the sense of support among fellow runners.

 

It took until the final mile to get myself back into gear and really make a run to the line.  I  never gave up and I only walked about a half-mile on one occasion otherwise kept running between a few brief rest, refreshment and leg-massage stops.  I always finished what I started though never claimed a spectacular time.  My best was 3h 57m for London, with the others at just over four hours, and 3h 52 for a regional event with fewer runners.  But I can claim to have raced with the world's elite because in the London you are all in the same event.  Different starts (largely to accommodate the numbers and different paces) but the same race.  

 

Would I do it again?  I would love to.  With knees occasionally protesting under normal daily use and with asthma not getting any better I don't think it would be a good idea.  But I still have the dream that maybe there's one more in me somewhere, some day ....

 

Happy Weekend all.  Stay safe if the entertaining weather reaches you.  

 

 

[The Lurker]

Greetings all from a wet Sidcup - not a lot to report from here today. We’ve managed a walk before it got wet but I have got to go out again as I need cinnamon sticks for today’s tagine and had forgotten we’d run out. Fortunately Waitrose is only a 2 minute walk!

[Pacific231G]

1 hour ago, Tony_S said:

Our weekend croissants were substituted by “French breakfast pastry selection”. I said I wasn’t that keen on pain ou chocolat  (or raisin) but Aditi said it didn’t matter. I suspect she likes them!

 

OMG not a nationwide shortage of croissants. I've only got two left in the freezer. Since I haven't been able to actually go there for the past two years how will I survive without my Sunday morning petit dejeuner a la Français. Never mind petrol- this is getting really serious!

 

Good noontime all

Wet and Mis this morning. The nasty stuff with winds gusting to 28kts is due about now but hasn't arrived yet. I did manage a 2k walk earlier on, mostly to confirm, as I'd expected, that the local BP that got a delivery yesterday early morning has now run dry. I did get to fill up there at about 10AM yesterday but had to buy the posh E10 petrol. It's said to give better mileage which may be a bonus and  I can see some very boring driving at 60MPH (or whatever the best glide speed for a Ford Focus is these days) in my near future.  

Have a not entirely unsatisfactory weekend all.

[Tony_S]

Afternoon all.

The rain arrived as expected. I had just finished cleaning Aditi’s car. It isn’t exactly valeted but I have removed the moss and spider colonies. It is going  for a service and MoT on Monday so it needed to look cared for. Aditi didn’t want the garage to think it was an unloved car. Since August 2020 it seems to have done only 800 miles. So we have combined the usual annual service to coincide with the MoT. The car will get properly cleaned as part of the service. 
Tony

[Tony_S]

22 minutes ago, Pacific231G said:

OMG not a nationwide shortage of croissants

Our Waitrose order is “picked” at the nearest large store not a central warehouse so hopefully just a local issue. We will see what happens next week. We haven’t resorted to making our own yet. One thing may be in short supply soon. We both like a particular brand of fruity yoghurt. The factory burned down this week. 
Tony

[iL Dottore]

On 29/09/2021 at 22:33, polybear said:

 

… Now this one does fit Bear's requirements......

 

 

 

Captain Cynical does have a spare one of those he could let Bear have at a reasonable price. There is a tiny matter of a few cannon shell holes to patch and some blood to be sluiced out of the cabin, but these are minor points and can be overlooked given the wonderfully low price Captain Cynical is asking for it. PM him for details

On 01/10/2021 at 13:29, chrisf said:

….My surgery does not appear to believe that Professor Oncologist prescribed some steroids for me.  I know this because he asked me to arrange a continuing supply and they have refused - so far.  Well, why would they?  I am only the patient.  They have not heard the last of this.…

I would be most supportive if you went nuclear on them and threatened them with malpractice. Far too many GPs in the UK seem to be getting away with sub standard practice (if the comments on ER are anything to go by).   Perhaps it might be helpful for you to contact your oncologist, explain the situation and ask him to write a repeating prescription that can be filled directly at your local chemist.

On 01/10/2021 at 14:05, tigerburnie said:

..I didn't need any as I still have 3/4 of a tank. Coal man brought some coal though as we were low on that, stay safe all.

The inadvertent juxtaposition of these two sentences by our stripey feline friend had me thinking: the Germans managed to get an ersatz petrol out of coal during World War II, so why not utilise the same chemistry and technology to turn your coal scuttle into a top up for the car’s tank?  Once you get the production line up and running, you could make a fortune selling your ersatz petrol to all your neighbours!

On 01/10/2021 at 14:55, PupCam said:

…Why go to the GP's surgery just a couple of miles down the road for blood tests when you can drive ~30 miles to the local hospital?   Oh, I remember now; because that would involve actually being able to get into the GP's surgery .....    

Quite frankly, I think the fundamental problem is that GPs are paid by the number of patients on their books and not by the number of patients they actually see. Perhaps that should be reversed and maybe then my fellow ERs would get to see a GP when they actually need to.

1 hour ago, Gwiwer said:

I ….p to be undertaken lightly and good training is everything.  Once in a big event the sense of occasion and common purpose carries you to an extent and is probably good for several miles-worth of effort.  

Well done you! Mrs ID used to do marathon running (mostly half-marathons but she did do two full-marathons).  And I am very proud of her successes.
Once, preparing for a marathon to be run in Brussels, she did ask me to cycle with her during her training to “motivate her“. Unfortunately, donning the persona of “Gunnery Sergeant Sadistic USMC“ and yelling as I was cycling alongside her “you call that running fast?  My old crippled granny in a wheelchair can run faster than that“ was not taken in the spirit it was meant.

I felt wounded after her tongue lashing, after all it worked on Parris Island!

1 hour ago, Pacific231G said:

OMG not a nationwide shortage of croissants. I've only got two left in the freezer. Since I haven't been able to actually go there for the past two years how will I survive without my Sunday morning petit dejeuner a la Français. Never mind petrol- this is getting really serious!…

Well, time to start baking your own. The first few attempts will be tasty but look like the proverbial dog’s dinner, but once you get the rolling out and shaping perfected, you can knock up a batch of croissants every so often and freeze the ones you don’t immediately use.  Incidentally, there is a Swiss savoury version of the croissant called a schinkengipfel, Using puff pastry rolled into a croissant shape with a minced ham filling. A most pleasant alternative to the croissant.

I followed with interest the debate about the advertising banners appearing on our M web. I have never had such problems on either my company laptop or my iPad, Perhaps it’s because both devices so much protective software (and a VPN set up) that a humble ad doesn’t have a snowballs’s chance in hell of sneaking through.

iD

Edited October 2, 2021 by iL Dottore

[simontaylor484]

Afternoon all 

 

Those electric recliners are very heavy and take some shifting.

 

Bit of excitement this morning someone had dumped a car on the track behind the houses 2 police cars were in attendance and a recovery truck soon arrived and removed the car.

The rat traps had been triggered this morning one was a snail the other was a small rat the trap had caught his back end and was still alive a swift coup de grace was issued with a length of scrap wood.

 We then started to bang the last fence spike in it went down about 3 inches then stopped we pulled it out and it was bent like an umbrella handle we dug down to see what the obstruction was its a layer of crushed limestone. It's a job for the sds drill and various steels we got them out but it started to rain so we ended up clearing some more rubbish from the garage 

[JohnDMJ]

Good afternoon Awl, for it still seems to be so.

 

Shopping has been shopped and bathroom lighting problems have been identified and a solution found. Solution just needs to be rolled out to the other three fixtures.

 

1 hour ago, iL Dottore said:

I would be most supportive if you went nuclear on them and threatened them with malpractice. Far too many GPs in the UK seem to be getting away with sub standard practice (if the comments on ER are anything to go by).   Perhaps it might be helpful for you to contact your oncologist, explain the situation and ask him to write a repeating prescription that can be filled directly at your local chemist.

 

I have recently been advised to double a dose of one of my meds. Being a bear of little brain but of habit, I decided to wait for the next renewal to get the increased dose. However, this did not appease Nurse Cardio so when I presented for my recent blood test, I asked if I could have 7 days worth of the drug 'at the old price' so that I could keep my other meds synchronised for starting in conjunction. They acceded and I now have two lots of the aforementioned (1.25mg dose) for next week.

 

Sometime next week, i will order the full 2.5mg dose along with my multitude of other meds.

 

Elsewhere, I note that @Barry O is still about and keeping tabs on us!. Any absence on my part should be recorded as "Retired, Not Out"!

Edited October 2, 2021 by JohnDMJ

[Barry O]

I have, as mentioned previously, taken on a "Volunteer" post in the cricket world... anyone good at platting fog?

 

Baz

[Compound2632]

16 minutes ago, Barry O said:

anyone good at platting fog?

 

Weaving it into braids or covering it in thin sheet metal?

[chrisf]

2 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

 

I would be most supportive if you went nuclear on them and threatened them with malpractice. Far too many GPs in the UK seem to be getting away with sub standard practice (if the comments on ER are anything to go by).   Perhaps it might be helpful for you to contact your oncologist, explain the situation and ask him to write a repeating prescription that can be filled directly at your local chemist.

 

Since I wrote this I have a received a copy of the letter that the oncologist sent to the surgery.  It will be quoted when I next contact the surgery.  I expect no further difficulty.

 

Chris

[TheQ]

Afternoon Awl,

Exceedingly soggy here, the rain arrived earlier than forecast, as I was eating a well provided for buffet lunch at the R.A.D.A.R. museum.

An extremely Interesting day was had, especially the morning and afternoon lectures.

 

I took a set of drawings and documents for the AI24 ADV Foxhunter radar and gave them to the museum. They were overjoyed to get them. They have a ADV cockpit, but had no information on the RADAR..

The only full time member of staff is the lady manager, complete with an Australian accent. As she was extremely busy with the visit, I didn't get the chance to find out further details..

 

I met a friend of mine from the past, we were on the same shift for several years at RAF Neatishead, but the last time I'd met him he was at RAF Leuchars near St Andrews as Warrant office I/C a RAF regiment Rapier engineering section. While I visited Leuchars to install test equipment as a civilian about 1990.

 

The oldest visitors were both 97, both has served at RAF Neatishead during WW2, Betty I've known for over 40 years, as she used to serve in Horning paper shop well into her 80s..

 

Interesting fact from the the lectures .. which of the UK armed forces went ashore on D-Day on all the beaches, UK, Canadian and USA???

 

The RAF, complete with a Type 14 RDF for each beach... RDF? Radio Direction Finder, the original British name for RADAR. Several men did not make the end of the first day...

[polybear]

4 hours ago, Gwiwer said:

Seriously - having run several marathons including three Londons - it's not a step to be undertaken lightly and good training is everything.  Once in a big event the sense of occasion and common purpose carries you to an extent and is probably good for several miles-worth of effort.  Beware "the wall" though - the point at which you suddenly feel you cannot go on.  

 

Bear's interest lies in Marathon cake-eating sessions.  A "Wall" doesn't exist, as I never feel I cannot go on.....

 

4 hours ago, Gwiwer said:

My best was 3h 57m for London, with the others at just over four hours, and 3h 52 for a regional event with fewer runners. 

 

 

Bear's best time was 17h 26m, after which the cake ran out.....

 

[TheQ]

As for cutting Kevlar , yes it's a pain, proper cutters needed. Cutting dyneema is difficult, so generally you don't, you use a hot blade to cut it. Then use a strong lighter, or hot flame the melt the end solid to prevent fraying.

[polybear]

2 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

Quite frankly, I think the fundamental problem is that GPs are paid by the number of patients on their books and not by the number of patients they actually see. Perhaps that should be reversed and maybe then my fellow ERs would get to see a GP when they actually need to.

 

Adopting a policy whereby GP's are paid by the number of patients they actually see would probably mean you'd only get 5 seconds instead of the current ten minutes.....

Yours,

Cynical Bear

 

(Incidentally, I wonder how many patients a GP now deals with (counting telephone appointments as being the same as a face-to-face appointment) compared to pre-pandemic levels?

[simontaylor484]

I m still laughing at the c*ckwombles following the cement tanker. The first transport company i worked for used to run a lot of those Feldbinder trailers on ash from Drax power station to Thermalite at Thatcham.it would have been amusing if they had followed one. They were usually marked up as Non Hazardous Product on the emergency placards cement and lime tankers usually carried irritant markings.

How the hell they thought it was a fuel tanker I dont know 

[PhilJ W]

Afternoon all from Estuary-Land. Had some more spam e-mails this afternoon. One was titled 'Subscription in formation'. I can't imagine anyone being stupid enough to fall for these scams unless they're the same people who follow cement tankers around. There was an anonymous tanker delivering supplies to Tess Coes at Pitsea a couple of days ago, no fuel company or any other markings on it. Tea has brewed, be back later.