Early Risers.

[NGT6 1315]

Well, I’ll call the wiring job about 95% done! 🤓
 

Having taken note of two unused live cables carrying mains power, it struck me that I wouldn’t actually need to touch the heritage wiring. I was planning to use a central RF switch module and a pair of remote light switches, and as the switch module required a constant power supply, the solution was quite simple.

 

So, I ran a few lengths of new cables to the various lamps in the room and connected them to the switched output side of the RF module. And in a welcome benefit to this solution, I can now use the former light switch wiring, reconnected to permanent power, for fitting even more outlets!

 

I feel so accomplished right now… 😃

[Dave Hunt]

Does books include copies of MRJ and the like? If so, I've got hundreds just in my study.

 

I was recently involved with clearing out Bob Essery's book collection and whilst I didn't count how many there were they amounted to quite a few estate car and small van loads.

 

Dave

[iL Dottore]

2 hours ago, polybear said:

....It would be a great concern to this Bear to send a pc to a repair centre/leave with a shop for them to repair, as they would have access to the hard drive and all that it contains (not that Bear has anything "dodgy" you understand...).  The risk of theft, fraud etc. etc. being too great in my book - or indeed adding any sort of hidden spyware etc.

No doubt as it's iD's work laptop he has such things well and truly covered;  I use separate back-ups on external drives so if my own laptop were to die and I couldn't fix it myself (and the hard drive was playing up) then it would be a new laptop (assuming a new drive wouldn't fix it) rather than taking it to a shop etc.

I had an external drive that died once whilst still under warranty - I used a program that over-writes all the data multiple times (IIRC the U.S. DoD quote something like 36 times) to ensure that it couldn't be recovered before returning it for a new drive).

Worry not, my Concerned Bear. My business laptop is encrypted and requires my index finger on the fingerprint scanner to open Windows and/or access the hard drive. Much of the work I do online (basically accessing cloud computing shared drives) requires two or even three factor verification for access. The only thing that they will be able to do is - once fixed - is fire it up and view the login screen, more without my index finger's fingerprint will not be possible (although I am sure that the NSA or GCHQ or Nachrichtendienst des Bundes would eventually be able to crack it if they wanted to),

 

Lenovo did actually contact me by phone this morning - we talked through the problem agreed that the hard reboot didn't work - so if I haven't heard from their local service provider by next Wednesday - I'll send it in to Lenovo. I really don't have concerns about that. Courier service, encrypted laptop and a company that would suffer reputationally if there are seen to be (for want of a better term) "sloppy" with customers' computers.

 

Sending my laptop into the Swiss Lenovo Service Centre - no worries; sending it in to the Russian or Chinese service centres - no $£%&%$=/ way!

[Tony_S]

27 minutes ago, iL Dottore said:

 

Sending my laptop into the Swiss Lenovo Service Centre

Was there an option for repair at home/place of work when you purchased it? 

[southern42]

' morning all from red dragon land.

Overcast - this seems to becoming the norm, lately. Little wind.

Outside 18C Inside 23.1C

Still some more catching up to do on here.

 

@andyram Hope your parents are well soon and the holiday arrangements work out ok, and you get to relax and* refreshed. And* congratulations on your promotion.

 

* And will I ever remember my junior school teacher's instructions: "Don't keep repeating 'and'." And "Don't begin a sentence with 'and'." I try.

 

Toot on the flute accomplished and I did remember the new tune from yesterday and better than expected. Things are looking up!  Hopefully, things will go as well with the muddling after lunch. If I can get the number plates on the last 3 boxes with flanged wheels, I can have a go at adding some weld lines - 6 each side x 6 boxes with flanged wheels = 72. <gasp!> I think I will just think about one of those boxes with flanged wheels for now!

 

Time to be thinking about lunch but a mugadecaf will go down nicely, first.

 

Hope your day goes smoothly.

Polly

 

 

 

Edited July 22, 2022 by southern42
one too many 's's

[TheQ]

Afternoon Awl, 

 E spinny thing, metal bits glued,

Eye test done, results in two or three weeks 

Ben I want a long walk Collie, was successful, he's now snoring in the corner.

Three off metal rods have arrived for e spinny thing.

Steadily going blind as those eye drops really take effect...

Time for an eye lid inspection because I can't do owt else at moment.

 

[DaveF]

 

Books - like many of you my house has books in every room except the bathroom.  I brought one of Mum's sets of bookshelves home and have since perchased more book storge - cubes for some every large books.  I have no idea how many books I have - the bookshelves all have books on top as well as being full.  I brought a lot of books home from Mum's flat although in the end several boxes had to go to charity shops - mainly historical novels plus her needlework and lacemaking books along with a few I already had copies of - mainly identification guides for plants and animals.

 

Yesterday was another enjoyable day.  After breakfast I drove the 3 miles or so to Old Hartley and parked in the little cliff top car park - when it is full there is parking space on the verge of the road to it, and it is all free.  I then walked along the clifftop path -actually it is now a little way inland because of the frequent cliff falls.  It passes a radio station, originally used for ship communications and some rifle butts dating back to WW1, but they are rapidly falling into the sea.  A little further on I had a very good view of St Mary's Island and its lighthouse - it is only an island some of the time, at low tide a causeway connects it to the mainland.

 

As I walked along I saw the Cullercoats lifeboat, a rib, travelling rapidly north.  It disappeared round the back of the island then turned toward the land and ended up alongside the rocks on the island.  Two lifeboatmen disembarked and went along to the island end of the causeway - it was about high tide, and helped a man back to the lifeboat.  I presume he must have got caught by the tide and spent the night on the island.  At that point I carried on with my walk as it looked as though everything was well in hand.  A short distance further on I reached the car park at the land end of the causeway and saw a line of cars from which Coastguards and rescuers were emerging and walking down to where the lifeboat would land.

 

Walking along the promenade I saw a number of birds, fewer than usual as the rocks were all covered by the sea but there were the usual terns and gulls.  When I reached the pond in the nature reserve I had a look from the viewing area, there was one adult coot and one young coot along with a heron.  Continuing my walk I went round the western side of the reserve where I got a better view of the heron.  Looking west there was a field with a lot of black headed and herring gulls, all with their heads tucked in, together with a few large brown birds - too dark for young gulls.  Eventually one moved and lifted its head revealing the typical very long beak of a curlew.  All the way there were wild flowers to see as well. 

 

I got back home for coffee after which I started to sort out the kitchen, moving the wine rack and tidying cupboards.  After lunch I went to Homebase to buy a couple of storage cubes to put some bits and pieces in and assembled them. On the way there, taking a detour, as my usual route has roadworks I noticed what looked like a giant spider on one of the arms of the wind turbine by the harbour.  After a moment I realised it was a man abseiling down from the top - I knew there was to be someone doing it for charity but wasn't sure when.

 

Then in the evening I listened to the Prom concert on Radio 3.

 

St Marys island 21st July 2022 - a very dull day.

 

David

 

 

Edited July 22, 2022 by DaveF

[polybear]

2 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

Nearly all of the volunteer firemen in the UK receive a retainer for which they are expected to answer the call whenever possible. Whilst on duty they are paid the same rate as the full time firemen.

 

A younger Bear would would to have been a Fireman.  I suspect that Bear being none too happy about heights may have been a show-stopper, however.  Turdycurses.

 

2 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

One of the SEERS members who died at the age of 97 a couple of years ago had four twenty foot containers full of books. It is only in the last few weeks that they have have been finally sorted and the majority found new homes.

 

Bear worked with a guy many, many moons ago who was into Big Band Music - and had "numerous" records as a result.  I did ask him how many one day...."Oh, about twenty thousand" he replied....

 

1 hour ago, iL Dottore said:

The only thing that they will be able to do is - once fixed - is fire it up and view the login screen, more without my index finger's fingerprint will not be possible (although I am sure that the NSA or GCHQ or Nachrichtendienst des Bundes would eventually be able to crack it if they wanted to),

 

Hmmm.....if you are invited to take it into a repair centre and then play with their new circular saw whilst you wait then i'd get a bit suspicious if I were you.

 

Bear here....

The Bearmobile gleams again once more.  Big Tick.  Washing cars is a bit like repeatedly bashin' yer bonce against a brick wall.  It feels really good when you stop.

 

One of the neighbours left the street in a big black car for the very last time today 🙁 - not sure how many years she'd lived in the street but she used to sponsor a very young Cub when school were trying to raise money for something or other.  Her daughter & SiL still live in the house and have been caring for her for many, many moons; the house is one of only six (out of 40) that are still Council-owned and as a result she now faces the prospect of getting booted out - although the council will have to find somewhere else for them to live.

[simontaylor484]

Afternoon all

 

I massively slimmed down my book collection most of the fiction has gone apart from the full Sharpe novels. Most of my books come under the following headings

Railways 

Architecture and design mainly Bauhaus Arts and Crafts Charles Rennie Macintosh and Frank Lloyd Wright.

Gardening 

Military History 

They are all in storage in th garage to be moved in to the spare bedroom when it's ready

 

[southern42]

Oooooooo!

Some strange wet stuff is falling from the sky.

I wonder what it is!

Ah! It'll be the 5%! Nope! The 10%!

🌧️

Lunch done and pondering....

Best get on with it before the afternoon is done.

Transfers, here I come.  <haaah hmmmmmm>

[DaveF]

 

Going back to the topic of books I've just had a quick count, it's somewhere in the region of 2,800 of which about 600 have come from Mum's since she died. The number from her is counterbalanced a bit because I have got rid of at least 60 of my books recently.  I think another 500 of hers went to a charity shop.

 

I wonder if I have enough left to read?

 

Edited to add - I usually read 15 - 20 books a month, plus those I look at for reference - quite a lot.

 

David

Edited July 22, 2022 by DaveF

[Winslow Boy]

2 hours ago, polybear said:

 

A younger Bear would would to have been a Fireman.  I suspect that Bear being none too happy about heights may have been a show-stopper, however.  Turdycurses.

 

 

Bear worked with a guy many, many moons ago who was into Big Band Music - and had "numerous" records as a result.  I did ask him how many one day...."Oh, about twenty thousand" he replied....

 

 

Hmmm.....if you are invited to take it into a repair centre and then play with their new circular saw whilst you wait then i'd get a bit suspicious if I were you.

 

Bear here....

The Bearmobile gleams again once more.  Big Tick.  Washing cars is a bit like repeatedly bashin' yer bonce against a brick wall.  It feels really good when you stop.

 

One of the neighbours left the street in a big black car for the very last time today 🙁 - not sure how many years she'd lived in the street but she used to sponsor a very young Cub when school were trying to raise money for something or other.  Her daughter & SiL still live in the house and have been caring for her for many, many moons; the house is one of only six (out of 40) that are still Council-owned and as a result she now faces the prospect of getting booted out - although the council will have to find somewhere else for them to live.

 

Not necessarily Mr B as it is possible to 'pass' the occupancy on to the next of kin. I think there is a limit to the number of times it can be done.

 

How do I know this well a relative was in the same position and that is what occurred. It is one of the reasons that 'council' properties have become in such short supply. 

[polybear]

16 minutes ago, Winslow Boy said:

 

Not necessarily Mr B as it is possible to 'pass' the occupancy on to the next of kin. I think there is a limit to the number of times it can be done.

 

How do I know this well a relative was in the same position and that is what occurred. It is one of the reasons that 'council' properties have become in such short supply. 

 

In Bear County it's only the once - and that already happened many moons ago.  One of the reasons (apart from the very obvious financial carrot) that Bear purchased Bear Towers (right-to-buy n' all that) was I would've been in the same situation as the tenancy had already passed from B'sterd Bear (other less polite yet far more appropriate - and accurate - terms are available....) to Momma Bear.  

A work buddy wanted to buy the house he & his mum shared - she was the tenant; however it was all a bit of a scary proposition for her so never happened.  When she died the Council didn't believe that he'd lived there all his life and took a bit of convincing before they offered him an alternative - they offer three properties and you have to choose one; if you don't then they deem that you've made yourself homeless and you're on the streets.  So very soon after his mum died he had to leave his lifetime home and somehow fit the contents of a 3-bed house into a 1-bed flat (which of course doesn't work - so much had to go too); he also lost his garage so his classic bikes had to go too.

 

 

 

[45156]

19 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

I have an interest in Jack the Ripper and if your looking for conspiracy theories it is fertile ground, and thats without some of the crazier theories as to who he was or even who his victims were. I have my own theory but it goes against the accepted mantra even though it is more probable than some theories put forward.

My old friend Bill Perring wrote a fictional biography of Mary Kelly, which he self published - it is remarkably well written and well researched, and the conclusion as to who the ripper was really comes from Left Field - it's well over 500 pages, but makes a very very good read indeed - it is available on kindle - be aware that the kindle version is on two parts and you need to download both -   I've read it now several times, and have lent it to a number of friends all of whom have enjoyed it. 

 

Afternoon All

Shrewsbury visited, and carpet that we chose is going to be useless for what we want - in fact Carpetright have said that is is totally unsuited to use on the stairs and landing - of course, their recommendation is about twice the price.  After visiting, I got to Lidl to buy a bottle of Abrachan. 

 

Went into Shrewsbury, and got seriously delayed on the return by theA49 in three places - Shrewsbury bypass was rammed in both directions, and the traffic was seriously heavy all the way into the town as well - to the extent that the Park and RIde bus was diverted to a different route to avoid the congestion.  Then there was a set of contractor's lights at Church Stretton, and another round a TINY hole at Craven Arms, which caused about a thee mile tailback.  Running time was 1.5 hours instead of 45 minutes.

 

Other than that, not a lot is happening here - skipping has taken place and the usual generic greetings are offered.

 

Regards to All

Stewart

[Ian Abel]

POETS, however, taking the day off as we're headed norf to the Mrs family reunion!

 

Yesterday, quiet and nothing of note to report.

 

Today leaving soon for the 2.5hr drive to northern Minnesnota and a VRBO. Closest one we could find to the reunion locale, so another 45+ minute drive even further norf in the AM to get to the 11AM start.

As we're supplying the non-alcoholic beverages, the car is pretty much full of cans of various still, sparking water and soda (nothing I'll consume!) and two large coolers. We'll pick up the ice to fill the coolers tomorrow on the way from the VRBO to the reunion.

 

Jemma is driving separately as she needs to be back earlier Sunday, Trevor and Meagan aren't coming as they had already other plans for the weekend. At least that means they can come over and feed Bob the few times it's needed.

That's today and tomorrow accounted for then. A report of the reunion will follow Monday.

Sunday pretty much will be a late wake-up and driving back here.

 

The somewhat good news is that it should be 3-5 degrees "C" cooler where we're heading, so that'll be somewhat refreshing, so long as there's no plague of mosquitoes - that's pretty much STANDARD in northern Minn. so I'm not holding out much hope as it's prime time for the barstewards 😡🤯

 

Weather here 21 first thing and sunny, weekend HERE supposed to be 29 then 26 for the high, as noted expected to be 3-5 cooler where we'll be.

 

Right, pack and drive time...

[Gwiwer]

10 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

authoritarian and dictatorial regimes (no matter their politics) absolutely love bannng and burning books.

As evidence I offer “Fahrenheit 451”. Ironically a book itself but one in which the eponymous character was a fireman. “Fireman” in that setting being one whose task was to set fire to and destroy books. 
 

Which ties us neatly into the discussion of what are now more commonly called “firefighters” who in the UK now work for “Fire and Rescue Services” but who in Australia still work for fire brigades. 
 

Mention has been made of the differing conditions among those willing to risk all when the shout goes up. 
 

With demand utterly impossible to predict other than in broad terms it is in many cases only the larger towns and cities which support full-time firefighters who will be on-watch at the station at all or mist times. Soho in London is often quoted as the busiest station in the UK. Only the inner suburbs and City of Melbourne fall within their Metropolitan Fire Brigade area with continuous fully-paid cover. 
 

Most stations in the UK are supported or entirely staffed by retained firefighters who are

5 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

volunteer firemen in the UK (and who) receive a retainer for which they are expected to answer the call whenever possible. Whilst on duty they are paid the same rate as the full time firemen.

Patterdale is the quietest station I could find having attended just seven fires in most recent years though other calls may also have required their services. Clearly it is not an economic proposition to pay four watches (three to cover each 24-hour period plus one resting) against such a low demand. The adjacent stations are 16-24 miles and therefore as much as a half-hour blue-light run away. If you have a fire you don’t want to wait that long so the station is justified on the grounds of response times.  Firefighters are paid for service and a retainer as quoted. 
 

Melbourne’s MFB are all full-time career “fireys” working a constant-watch system and paid accordingly. But the great majority of the suburbs, and all of the major regional cities such ad Geelong, Ballarat and Bendigo, are covered by the Country Fire Authority who are the umbrella body for all other fire services across the State of Victoria. 
 

A few key stations are continuously attended with career fireys who (mostly) have no other job and are paid accordingly but at a lower rate than MFB. Our local station at Frankston was one such. But all others are staffed entirely volunteers. Meaning that a fire in the residential suburbs of Seaford or Chelsea might well require CFA members there to drop everything, head to the station and turn out but if it was too big a job they could request support from Frankston.  
 

CFA volunteers are paid expenses these days but this was not always the case. There is a lot of pride in being a member of the local CFA brigade, fundraising is regular especially in rural towns and the training is essentially the same as for any other firefighter. Volunteering as a firey is seen as serving your community and a rite of passage.
 

Very few Australian firefighters are female. It is essentially a male-only club. That attitude also existed in the UK but more progress has been made towards a gender balance and the acceptance that it is the best person, not the best man, who should get the job.
 

When the local CFA to where the Dragon-in-Law then lived had a female captain appointed certain others in the community - some of them her own volunteers - set fires deliberately hoping to prove her incompetent. They failed. 
 

CFA crews attended some of Victoria’s worst bush fires. They acquitted themselves most honourably and sadly in a few cases lost both equipment and firey’s lives.    

When you see news footage like this (NSW Rural Fire Service in this case) remember these people are probably all unpaid volunteers working for the benefit of their community.
 

In the UK they would at the least be paid as Retained Firefighters.   A different level of risk (at least for now) met with a very different tradition of tackling it. 

 

 

[Gwiwer]

Just now, Gwiwer said:

“Fireman” in that setting being one whose task was to set fire to and destroy books. 

Having followed the firefighting path above I can now follow the book-owning path. 
 

Dr. SWMBO is an avid, fast and retentive reader. In addition to the significant collection she owns for professional reasons and having now got a research doctorate to her name there are shelves of novels, romances, the almost-complete collection of Enid Blyton’s works and many more. 
 

I have always found reading to be a chore. There is a condition whose name I have never learned but from which I might suffer. Opening a page of print will swiftly result in my eyes closing. I read very slowly indeed at a rate akin to reading the page aloud. In consequence of which I own rather few books but do boast small reference sections related to various hobbies - photography, walking, Cornwall and its history being among them. 
 

Seven full-size Billi book-cases, with toppers, plus assorted others, line the walls Upon the Hill of Strawberries and a conservative guesstimate would suggest several thousand volumes are owned. Given the number disposed of when we left Australia we might at that time (and in a much larger home) have owned 10,000 books. That makes up for a few homes occupied by The Great Unread. 

[TheQ]

Afternoon again,

In my late school days a friend's dad was very into classical music. He had a room built specially for it, a very expensive room as it  was it "tuned" for the music, it also had to bridge some historic ruins found when the foundations were dug.

The access was down a long corridor lined both sides floor to near ceiling with LPs, the room had a very expensive player in and some huge speakers.. and a gentleman's arm chair...

 

More thoughts and playing with bits for the spinny thingy has occurred, some nylon bearing have been ordered for the bobbins have been ordered .

 

15 minutes to heading for the MRC get some muddling in before the quarterly meeting.

[PhilJ W]

1 hour ago, 45156 said:

My old friend Bill Perring wrote a fictional biography of Mary Kelly, which he self published - it is remarkably well written and well researched, and the conclusion as to who the ripper was really comes from Left Field - it's well over 500 pages, but makes a very very good read indeed - it is available on kindle - be aware that the kindle version is on two parts and you need to download both -   I've read it now several times, and have lent it to a number of friends all of whom have enjoyed it. 

My thoughts on Mary Kelly are also left field. For one thing I am pretty certain she was not a Ripper victim and her murder was made to look like it was a Ripper killing.

[polybear]

47 minutes ago, Ian Abel said:

.......and a VRBO.

 

That'll be a Vacation Rental by Owner.

@PupCam  Note to Puppers:  Today's answer was presented by Alexa.  Just thought I'd mention that.....😎

 

In other news.....

This afternoon's fun consisted of the Post Office ("No sir - you won't need a large stamp for that card - an ordinary one is fine"  😀), the Chemist and the Co-op.  How's that for exciting?

 

It seems that "The Great British Bake-Off" has developed into "TGBBO - The Musical".  Oh dear.

[zarniwhoop]

12 hours ago, TheQ said:

I've just scan read that article "When Scotland was Jewish" and it's one of the biggest loads of carp I've ever read..

Carron iron works near Falkirk set up on the English border in 1759? That hadn't been the English border since the treaty of Perth in 1266 and in physical fact for some years before that..

Carron is a Jewish name? b******ks it's an English language corruption of a Gaelic name Carrann, and well attested.

The ancestry of the Stewart's is unknown? It's well documented for over a thousand years.. I could go on...

Yes, those are all part of the  '[expletive deleted]' items. OK, I didn't know about the Treaty of Perth, but many of the stories of Scots names in that PDF fall into that category. What I found more interesting (it's been some months since I finished reading it) were the links to a particular building, in Glasgow if my memory serves, and references to the Celtic church.

 

But given that it seems to come from appallachia, and to claim that the local grouping generally regarded in wikipedia as 'mixed race' (I forget the name and don't want to go there) were jewish, after my initial 'WTF were they smoking?' I concluded that it probably came from drinking some bad moonshine.

[PeterBB]

1 hour ago, Gwiwer said:

I have always found reading to be a chore. There is a condition whose name I have never learned but from which I might suffer. Opening a page of print will swiftly result in my eyes closing. I read very slowly indeed at a rate akin to reading the page aloud. In consequence of which I own rather few books but do boast small reference sections related to various hobbies - photography, walking, 

No idea of the condition but know it - the best user of this tecnique I knew was Dad - he basically picked up a book and ZZZ leading to a shout on one occasion from my niece "Grandads gone to sleep" when he was reading to her.  We all of course laughed.

[simontaylor484]

I have had a bit of eyelid inspection this afternoon trouble was I couldn't move when I woke up

[Coombe Barton]

... Sitting in their courtyard I spied some geraniums. Would have been rude not to photograph them, especially as the camera needed exercise. ...

 

https://johncolby.wordpress.com/2022/07/22/postcards-from-the-periphery-2022-01/

[simontaylor484]

A lot of fiction books I read I buy from charity shops and then return them for them to sell on