Early Risers.

[Tony_S]

1 hour ago, Pacific231G said:

One probably just needs a new PSU fan

Is it possibly full of fluff and just needs a clean?

[Gwiwer]

12 hours ago, Coombe Barton said:

Alternatively

 

And then there’s Safety Chicken …..

 

 

[Gwiwer]

1 hour ago, Coombe Barton said:

There's a tradition in Mousehole for 23rd December

http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/cornwall/hi/people_and_places/history/newsid_8390000/8390344.stm

Also available in an entertaining children’s version. “The Mousehole Cat” by Antonia Barber presents things from a feline point of view with the gale into which “Old Tom” (Bawcock, though not named as such in her book) sailed to feed the village is represented as the Great Storm Cat. 
 

Also available as a video and occasionally shown on the idiot-box somewhere. 
 

 

Edited December 20, 2021 by Gwiwer

[PhilJ W]

I am really p!ssed off with UPS. They told me by e-mail this morning that they would deliver a parcel today. So I rearranged an appointment and put a few things off so that I could be in all day to wait for it. A short while ago I went back to the notification to check on progress only to find that 'Out for delivery' had been replaced by 'delivery rescheduled'. No other communication has been received from UPS with regard to delivery. The only way to communicate with them is through their website which is a load of carp, last time I tried to use it after jumping through several hoops I ended up on the page I started. They don't give out a phone number for enquiries giving the impression that they'd rather not have customers contacting them.

[Dave Hunt]

8 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

I am really p!ssed off with UPS. They told me by e-mail this morning that they would deliver a parcel today. So I rearranged an appointment and put a few things off so that I could be in all day to wait for it. A short while ago I went back to the notification to check on progress only to find that 'Out for delivery' had been replaced by 'delivery rescheduled'. No other communication has been received from UPS with regard to delivery. The only way to communicate with them is through their website which is a load of carp, last time I tried to use it after jumping through several hoops I ended up on the page I started. They don't give out a phone number for enquiries giving the impression that they'd rather not have customers contacting them.

 

Try customer services on 03457 877 877

 

Dave

[PhilJ W]

10 minutes ago, Dave Hunt said:

 

Try customer services on 03457 877 877

 

Dave

Thanks Dave. I'm afraid that is as useless as their website, instead of press button 1, 2 or 3 etc. You are then put through to a robot, you then have to speak out what your query is, fortunately it understood on the second time of asking. Thats when the fun starts, they  (it?) asks for the tracking number. After reading it out clearly and carefully no less than three times it still couldn't understand what I said so I gave up.

[PupCam]

Afternoon All!

 

10 hours ago, BR60103 said:

I don't usually mention things like this, but Monday is my 75th birthday.

 

Shamelessly stolen from the Bear ....

 

Happy Birthday 

BR60103 

 

7 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

Anecdotally, there’s something to be said about letting young children go outdoors and get grubby and mucky - at least in terms of building up the immune system.

 

Just like the old days when we all used to clear off for the day to go and "Play down the park and go down to the station for a bit of spotting" with the strict instruction to be back for tea at 5 o'clock.      Can't do that these days!

 

Anyway, as the old saying goes*,   "A bit of muck never hurt anyone"

 

* I suspect that might not be a 100% accurate!   

 

But on balance getting a bit mucky was probably beneficial for 99.9% of the population.

 

6 hours ago, TheQ said:

Much thought of finishing the trailer and of where to lose weight on the boat, as is predictable, it's getting harder to find where to remove weight.. I can identify 10kg immediately, but after that....

 

How's this for a bit of "Out of the Boat" thinking (see what I did there?)

 

Could you apply a very thick layer, say 6 to 10mm,  of some low density material  (can't quite think what at the moment) on the outside of the hull to increase it's volume relatively significantly effectively increasing its potential displacement by a suitable factor thus restoring the waterline to where you want it?

 

In Other News:

 

I'm getting more and more disappointed with my little local hardware shop.    It used to be brilliant; load of bins of useful hooks, screws, nuts, bolts, washers etc etc all at very reasonable prices.    This morning I popped in as I wanted 16 Terry Clips and some big screw hooks so that I could add "Super Tidy Shed Technology" to the new shed.     Most of the useful bins and buckets are gone or empty and have been replaced by bagged items on pegboard hooks.   Well, sorry, I'm not paying £3 for two Terry clips particularly when I need sixteen of them and he only had three packets!

 

So a trip over to Biggleswade was necessary to visit Wilkos with the potential of Homebase if desperate.   Anyway, Wilkos came up trumps at  80p each was far more palatable!    Anyway I cleared them out of big screw hooks and the Terry Clip tray was looking pretty sparse too when I left

 

Have to say, it's good to walk into the shed now and not trip over the pile of forks, spades, apple pickers, rakes etc.

 

Alan

 

[grandadbob]

A'noon,

Multiple Brownie points have been collected and the kitchen is now extremely clean although TBH and IMHO  it wasn't that dirty but you can't tell some people that! 

Good news from next door is that their PCR tests are negative and they haven't got the lurgy so Herself can stop worrying for a while.

Nearly time for a muggatea and a biscuit (or two).

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 20, 2021 by grandadbob

[simontaylor484]

Afternoon 

 

The smoke alarms are now all fitted powered up complete with 9v battery back up.

Broken plug socket in kitchen replaced the screws retaining the socket were FUBAR so nipped to Wickes to get some 40mm electrical screws they didn't have any so ended up buying 100 of the bl00dy things from Toolstation. Although I did get 2 light pendants from Wickes at half price the ones with braided cord to use with squirrel cage bulbs. I can now foresee a trip to Heals at Redbrick Mill to get the bulbs.

Mean while to say Simon is pi55ed off would be a slight understatement one of the missing Hermes parcels has been returned to sender after we hadnt collected it from the Parcel Shop it had been diverted to. I had been into the parcel shop on Wednesday to check if they had anything in for us and they hadnt I watched the guy check the system. The tracking hadnt changed to say it was at the delivery point either. I have raised a case with PayPal anyway. Amazon continue to deliver reliably an xmas gift for me from the kids arrived another box of Wago connectors 

[Pacific231G]

4 hours ago, Tony_S said:

Is it possibly full of fluff and just needs a clean?

First thing I looked at and no. It's not turning at all.

Anyway the chap did get back to me and it's with him. At the moment on the other machine he cant find anything wrong with the HDD but I've asked him to do a soak test.

Edited December 20, 2021 by Pacific231G

[J. S. Bach]

And a big HAPPY BIRTHDAY to BR60103.

 

Edited December 20, 2021 by J. S. Bach
To correct a spelling error.

[TheQ]

Ohhhh they've fixed the descending white bar, now I've got 3/4 of the screen to see on an android tablet.. 

They Just need to fix the permanent video taking a quarter of the screen in the bottom right and I won't have to use an add block browser.

[polybear]

 

2 hours ago, PupCam said:

Afternoon All!

Shamelessly stolen from the Bear ....

Happy Birthday 

BR60103 

 

 

Is nothing safe these days?  Expect letters from Bear's Lawyers......

 

2 hours ago, PupCam said:

How's this for a bit of "Out of the Boat" thinking (see what I did there?)

 

Could you apply a very thick layer, say 6 to 10mm,  of some low density material  (can't quite think what at the moment) on the outside of the hull to increase it's volume relatively significantly effectively increasing its potential displacement by a suitable factor thus restoring the waterline to where you want it?

 

 

How's about polystyrene ceiling tiles?  That should do the trick.  If stickin' tiles on the Space Shuttle is good enough for NASA......

 

1 hour ago, simontaylor484 said:

Amazon continue to deliver reliably an xmas gift for me .......

 

As if by magic.....

 

 

In other news....

Bear's intended wall prep activities became Bear's "remove old skirting and architrave activities"; the skirting was a right pig cos'

(a) Let's play "guess where the screws are....."

(b) Let's dig the filler out of the screw heads - and slots....

(c) Let's discover those rusty slotted screws that were tightened to Middle C thirty-odd years ago don't wanna shift....

(d) Pass the Impact Driver, Puppers......

(e) Let's play "one screw decides to play hard-to-get half way out...."  Pass the mole-grips, Puppers.....

 

Activities were interrupted by the Granite Worktop Supplier phoning to check I'm now a happy bunny following the blemish repair on Friday (I am).  Only then they went and spoiled it by mentioning that the balance (a BIG balance - ending with three zero's) is now due; any hopes that they'd "forgotten" was indeed a hope too far.  Pass the tissues, Puppers.....

 

Then it was play "let's hunt for the chrimbo cards that normally live on a certain wardrobe shelf...but weren't".  Fortunately they did turn up - in the bottom of the wardrobe - and all were written and posted, so that's another job done. 

[Ian Abel]

Happy birthday @BR60103

 

Various unacceptable apologies for the AWOL-ness of myself...

 

It goes like this... We'd planned for a couple of years to host a "National Lampoon Christmas Vacation" movie night/party. 

We're unashamed cult members of the movie as are a LOT of our neighbors. COVID killed the first planned one last year, but this year...

 

So, Friday was taken as a vacation day to get everything we needed for 13+ adults and 4-6 kids  as far as eat, drink and be merry!

We felt like we needed a couple of days off, JUST GETTING THE SHOPPING!

then moving furniture and arranging the family room for viewing and getting the bar and food table organized, PLUS the outdoor lights and a special blow-up "Eddies RV" for the front lawn. Then onto the actual event - starting with food and drinks, distribution of the movie QUIZ, and a showing of the movie. That followed by more food, drinking and generally fun time. We managed to get to bed at 0130 SUNDAY morning. Spent all day Sunday cleaning up and recovering 

 

Today still rather slow, but "working" and the house is ALMOST back to the way it should be...

 

Cold weekend overall and cold today with -11 first thing and a -2 high and sunny forecast. Another overnight at -11 coming up.

 

Carry on.

[PhilJ W]

Afternoon all from Estuary-Land. So as today was not completely a waste of time I finished reading 'The Gropes' by Tom Sharpe. I had thought I'd read all of his novels but I must have missed this one, his last. That and the fact in his later years  the time between his novels grew longer might have something to do with it. No news yet as to when my parcel will arrive, its still showing 'will be delivered at a future date' on their site.

[Coombe Barton]

... “Trust in politicians had decreased, but trust in scientists and health professionals has increased.” Professor Susan Michie, Director of Centre for Behavioural Change, University College, London. Interview on BBC News Channel ...

 

https://johncolby.wordpress.com/2021/12/20/dissing-the-scientists/

[TheQ]

The bear is lucky. The skirting boards in this house are held on by  these.

 4 inch ribbed nails and lots of them..

[iL Dottore]

9 hours ago, polybear said:

 

…Bear noticed a Chrimbo collection box on the counter of the local chippie on Saturday - wishing "All Our Customers A Happy Christmas".  Well it seemed only fitting to leave them a Chrimbo Tip after providing Bear with his scoff on numerous occasions throughout the year.  So I donated a slip of paper with the words "Try dropping your f. prices" neatly scribbled on it.  Seemed only fair…. 

Ye Gods!

What can one say. Either you are one mean-spirited tightwad, or you’re just winding people up. 

And I thought that Bears were the very epitome of rotund generosity. Possibly not in this case. 

p.s. you do know that prices are no longer in £-s-d and you can no longer buy a pint and get change back from half-a-crown? 

[Tony_S]

1 hour ago, Pacific231G said:

First thing I looked at and no. It's not turning at all.

I had to look at one like that once for a colleague. I said I would check and if necessary replace the power supply. However removing the power supply revealed it was full of brick dust rather than fluff.  I cleaned it all out and it was fine. Her husband had been doing some DIY near her PC. 

[polybear]

55 minutes ago, TheQ said:

The bear is lucky. The skirting boards in this house are held on by  these.

 4 inch ribbed nails and lots of them..

 

Ah yes - the dreaded Annular Ring Shank Nail; very popular with makers of wooden pallets etc. cos' once in you just can't get the bvggers out without giving yourself a hernia.

Bear's Tip of the Day:

Never stand on the end of such a nail whilst wearing slippers.  It'll sting next morning.

 

37 minutes ago, iL Dottore said:

Ye Gods!

.......or you’re just winding people up. 

 

Now would Bear do that......

 

37 minutes ago, iL Dottore said:

And I thought that Bears were the very epitome of rotund generosity. 

 

'Tis true.  Just beware Marauding Hippo's....

 

37 minutes ago, iL Dottore said:

p.s. you do know that prices are no longer in £-s-d and you can no longer buy a pint and get change back from half-a-crown? 

 

Bear could mention that a former owner of a certain finescale model railway supplies emporium used to (in a previous business life) bill his customers in Guineas (that's £1.05 - and we're talking BIG bills here).  Why?  That extra 5p in every pound made a rather worthwhile difference.

As for Bear, well I can just about recall £-s-d; the tooth fairy used to visit  with a sixpence in exchange for a tooth under the pillow.  Seemed a pretty poor swap to me.

I wonder what the going rate is now?  Any takers?

 

Incidentally (and in Bear's defence), what's the going rate for a large chip roll & sossie down fellow ER'ers local chippies?

Edited December 20, 2021 by polybear

[grandadbob]

Don’t know about prices of chip  roll and sossie but last Saturday went to our local chippie for the first time in about 2 years and nearly had a heart attack. Two pieces of cod and two portions of chips set me back £19.40!  The portions were huge, in fact we could only eat one lot of chips between us and the quality was excellent but not sure we’ll be making a regular habit of it.

 

Just checked their prices and sausage, chips and buttered roll would cost £6.30

Edited December 20, 2021 by grandadbob

[Coombe Barton]

6 minutes ago, grandadbob said:

Two pieces of cod and two portions of chips

But were they happy British fish?

[grandadbob]

Who knows John but they were lovingly cooked by a very large Turkish gentleman. 

[Pacific231G]

12 minutes ago, polybear said:

 

Bear could mention that a former owner of a certain finescale model railway supplies emporium used to (in a previous business life) bill his customers in Guineas (that's £1.05 - and we're talking BIG bills here).  Why?  That extra 5p in every pound made a rather worthwhile difference.

I believe that racehorses and horse racing prizes are still in Guineas (105p) .The guinea is no longer legal tender but, since a gold guinea is worth several hundred pounds just as bullion, you'd be daft to try.

According to the Royal Mint the guinea, which was gold and introduced at the time of the restoration, was supposed to be worth twenty silver shillings but fluctuations in the relative values of silver and gold made it worth as much as thirty shillings. It was rationalised at 21 shillings in 1717 until 1816 when it was replaced by the pound which was worth twenty shillings.

I know that barristers used to present their bills in guineas and the extra shilling paid their clerks (the Bob Crachit) .

The name comes from the gold having come from Guinea so probably connected with activities from the period we'd sooner not be reminded of.

[Pacific231G]

19 minutes ago, grandadbob said:

Don’t know about prices of chip roll and sossie but last Saturday went to our local chippie for the first time in about 2 years and nearly had a heart attack. Two pieces of cod and two portions of chips set me back £19.40!  The portions were huge, in fact we could only eat one lot of chips between us and the quality was excellent but not sure we’ll be making a regular habit if it. 

The best chippie I know in W. London - it's in Heston- is run by a Hong Kong Chinese family  and the prices are significantly less than that.  probably about £15-16 for two portions of fish and chips.

Seafish have a comparison table of average prices for a portion of fish, chips and mushy peas

https://www.seafish.org/promoting-seafood/fish-and-chip-industry-support/fish-and-chip-portion-comparisons/