Early Risers.

[Tony_S]

50 minutes ago, andyram said:

unit was split into two from a single unit some time ago. Therefore it is fair to say that there is one pipe running from the mains supply to the building. This has been spilt after the meter.

Can the water company not put a meter on the cafe after the junction. They would pay their metered usage and your friends would be the difference between the two meters. There was something similar for Aditi’s parents property in Nottingham. 

[pH]

Ten days ago, gas was between C$2.20 and C$2.30 per litre. I’ve just seen it at C$1.66 per litre. What will it be tomorrow ? Who knows!

[iL Dottore]

9 hours ago, Dave Hunt said:

 

We had similar numerical grades ranging from 1 to 7 and like your ratings 7s were only ever awarded in exceptional circumstances but it appeared that Americans expected to get mainly 7s if they were to be seen as promotion material. One downside of the discrepancy between our and the USN/USAF systems was that reports for any RAF guys on exchange with the Americans were almost routinely regarded as being overrated when received by RAF personnel dept.

 

Dave 

My experience with the rewards system of the American affiliate of the parent company I worked for, was very much along those lines. One of my more cynical colleagues at the time said that the difference between the parent company (in Switzerland) and the American affiliate was that “when a team in the American affiliate managed to tie their own shoelaces it’s bonuses and celebrations all round, whilst at Swiss headquarters we are expected to do the impossible and if you got shot (so to speak) you just slapped a Band-Aid over the hole and carried on” .

Mind you, I can understand the American affiliate’s approach of setting very easy to attain goals: when the Swiss parent company bought the Californian biotech they already had their bonus system in place which was so set up that most employees were only guaranteed about 80% of their salary. And with the rest of their income being dependent on getting bonuses, their goals had a  ridiculously low bar to hurdle.  At the parent company, bonuses were above and beyond our guaranteed by law salaries, so our goals (pessimistic, realistic and stretch), were both more realistic to reach and very relevant to project objectives.

 

I am glad I now have my own company as I can set my own salary, rewards and bonuses. Yesterday, for example, I awarded myself a not insignificant bonus simply for bothering to get out of bed! 🤣

[iL Dottore]

8 hours ago, Ozexpatriate said:

I doubt it is geolocation Flavio - unless there is some sort of Swiss legislation forbidding unsolicited advertising.

It could well be something along those lines. The EU has some pretty stringent data protection laws and these ads may well fall under those laws ( inasmuch as the website has to harvest and use some of your personal data in order to provide the “targeted“ ad). However, I am basically speculating here.

7 hours ago, Ozexpatriate said:

One of the local channels has their 'sponsored content' afternoon show hosting a telethon for a shelter/rescue mission* - ghastly to watch or even ignore. ….

 

* A hot and a cot for the homeless for the price of proselytizing until they kick people out the next morning.

 

Unfortunately, it does seem that raising money for local charities is nearly always done in an extremely amateurish way. Sometimes this can be endearing, but a lot of the time it is very tedious and off putting.
 

But I can understand the need.  America does not have a very good record of providing support to the needy and seems to be at the opposite end of the spectrum to Britain where there is still a large percentage of the population that believes the government should provide pretty much everything (which in effect means abdicating responsibility for one’s self).

 

I would hope that we could arrive at a happy medium: encouragement of personal responsibility yet at the same time an effective safety net for those who truly need it.

[BoD]

6 hours ago, BSW01 said:

… in the 1930’s when the house first had an electrician installed!

How very convenient if ever you need to change a fuse.

I do hope that they’ve kept themselves up to date with current regulations.

[Barry O]

Ey up!

Yes @BoD.. makes me wonder a bit...watch out for a pm today about other matters.

 

Low lying clouds outside. Pah!

 

Headache has just about departed following the taking of some decongestant tablets and a fair bit of eyelid inspection. Hurrah!

 

I notice another shooting in America. When will the penny drop over there? 

 

In other news.. packing has been completed for my trip to the NEC from Thursday onwards this week. Not sure I will be able to help as much as I have in the past but I will give it a try.

 

I had a reminder from the NHS to book my covid booster and flu jab... disconnected system means that bit of the NHS is not connected to the bit that says I have had them.  (Just checked, all 4 jabs have been registered) However, today I have a phone interview with "Your Future Health" which has been set up by the NHS using a private company to produce joined up medical records.. well away from the consultants.

 

Time to drink my tea and drivel off into the rest of Wednesday. 

 

Stay safe !

 

Baz

 

 

[Grizz]

Morning All

 

Absolutely slashing down and quite windy here…..again…..track inspections in the rain again today….deep joy!  
 

As yesterday was dry and for the most part sunny, at least I managed to get the main part of the hay store roof on. 
 

Have a great day all.

 

ATB Grizz
 

 

 

 

 

[polybear]

8 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

@polybear Your lash up would have a H&S inspector in fits, I certainly wouldn't use it.

 

Lash up?  LASH UP??  Bear would like to point out that the entire system has been subjected to the most rigorous Computerised Mathematical Modelling Analysis (courtesy of a ZX81) and came up with the answer "It'll snow on Friday".  Panic over.

 

(Bear actually recalls when the old "Great Empire" was first playing with Mathematical Modelling (at least in the "modern" sense) and it produced so many answers that were so far off the ball as to be plainly complete B.S.  But as soon as it came up with an answer that was at least half sensible then all the Great Believers leapt on it and pronounced "The Model" to be a most wondrous and accurate Oracle of all knowledge.....),

And was it?  WIFAL.

 

Bear here......

A degree of MIUABGA today - to include insulating the outside tap in the front garden (I use pieces of foam pipe insulation cut n' trimmed, then held on with ty-wraps - I've yet to see a commercial product that gives confidence); the water supply for that tape is already isolated - I've still got to drag the washing machine out in order to get to the isolation valve for the garden tap - that's another job for today methinks.

I also need to plan the next M.E. Group project, as well as to start thinking about a paint scheme for the H/S/L - I'm thinking of doing the woodwork something other than white as I far prefer oil based paint but white has a nasty habit of discolouring thanks to the EU et all etc. stickin' their noses in and pronouncing that certain chemicals are far too dangerous to be used in paint (that's a Rant).  The discolouration happens faster when the paint is on a surface that doesn't receive much light - such as a H/S/L.  (That's why you may find the inside of a cupboard door turns cream but the outside is still white, even when painted with the same paint at the same time).

I may even get some more sanding done.  Maybe.

Bear gone.

[jamie92208]

Good moaning from a Charente  that is damp but not getting any wetter at the moment.  The good news is that we are still 120 miles from Ikea despite strong south westerly winds.

 

The ladt of the bush roots finally surrendered yesterday afternoon.  The area has now been raked over and left to the weeds for the winter.  This morning it's time to relight the fire then bring another week's supply down from the woodshed.  Thst 71/4 gauge railway is needed but for sone obscure reason the domestic authorities won't give planning permission.

 

This afternoon  we have the dubious pleasure of a trip to The Danglies for an appointment  with the diabetologue.

 

Regards to all.

 

Jamie

Edited November 23, 2022 by jamie92208

[iL Dottore]

9 hours ago, polybear said:

Bear here.....

 

In order to calm a nervous Puppers @PupCam a certain Bear has implemented the very latest full Health & Safety Protocols during filling and sanding activities conducted over the past few days......

 

Firstly, in order to ensure safe ascent & descent of the Access Equipment (ok, so it's a ladder......):

 

 

 - We have the latest hi-tech anti-slip retention device (ok, so it's a luggage strap.....):

 

 

But wait, that's not all.....

We also have the very latest in Embarkation/Disembarking Equipment (ok, so it's a Youngmans Hop-Up.....):

 

 

And in the event that the worst should happen, we have the very latest in Hi-Tech Impact Absorption Crash Protection Equipment......

 

 

There......nothing to worry about after all......

I see Bear has a death wish.

 

Don't Do It Bear!

 

If you buy the farm, where will Captain Cynical find another source of hours of innocent amusement?

 

Edited November 23, 2022 by iL Dottore
Typo

[Barry O]

now officially CHUCKINITDARN!

 

PAH!

 

@polybear I was using CSMP models and also good old Fortran for flight/stabilisation assessments in 1979 in St Evenage.. and worked with the guys who had the flight table.. and that all worked...

 

 

Baz

[grandadbob]

Good morning all,

Dull, dismal and damp here.  Rain is forecast to continue until this afternoon and it will be quite breezy.  8°C now, may reach 12°C.

We need more milk so a visit to Asda is required, Whether I walk or drive remains to be seen.  Rain and aching undercarriage will affect my decision.

I've had a garbled reply from my energy supplier "specialist" about my query and looking at my account online it seems they are doing something.  Gas charges are starting to appear but I'm still a very large amount in credit.  Can't believe it will stay like that.

Haven't sorted the car insurance yet but I've got another 3 weeks before it's due to renew.

Time for breakfast.

Have a good one,

Bob,

 

[TheQ]

This Company has a system that once everyone's assessments are in, the  whole set of results are shifted till the average result meets the average figure. They only use a 1 to 5 score system, a 5 needs special paperwork to confirm, so no one except top designers gets that.

What this means is if you've got an honest manager and you are not a superstar to get a 4, you're screwed as you get below average pay rises.. Every section is a separate pool, I'm in with all the top designers, which are like hens teeth, so they all get superstar assessments, so they can get the pay rises to keep them here.. Which means I'm doubly screwed... Anyway who cares.... in 14 working days I'm gone.

 

Mooring awl,

3 hours sleep then 1 hour ish bits of sleep between waking up to turn over as the lower side got painful..

 

Ben the already at the Door Collie was somewhat in a rush to get out.. But then he only had a wander around the lit area and did a bit of watering..

 

Skies were clear and it was chilly but no Ice, I suspect from the general soggyness and puddles to maximum that rain hadn't been long in clearing.

 

No sign of gouges in the tarmac on the bridge, so I guess it was a true bottoming out by the low loader not a dig in the front edge of it.. That bridge was cleared at around 20:00 the other around 21:30 according to the papers. The local bus company said they couldn't go any further without a boat. So passengers were being dropped off at the entrance to Wroxham,  which means those living at the far end of Effin clown town had a 2 mile walk  (the foot bridge was open).

There are a lot of boat movements around at the moment, a big hire yard on the southern rivers has closed for hire and gone over to boat building only. the biggest yard of them all has bought the fleet and they are on the northern rivers. a few days ago a fleet of about twenty hire boats proceeded up the rivers in convoy, I guess this one was resident in shed in a non drivable condition.

Most of the above drivel has been typed while a 2 Amp shunt warms up, tis almost there.

 

Time to measure it.

 

[New Haven Neil]

Boy oh boy am it rainin'.

 

I have to go out in a moment to recover the wheelie bin and that of a disabled neighbour, I may be some time.

 

A quick update on the nephew, he's taken the kids to a relation's 'in another county' for a long weekend break, to let the dust settle.  The kids appear OK, nothing has yet popped up in their behaviour to cause concern other than it had already been noticed they had been very keen to get in daddy's car when being collected from mummy's house - this has been obvious for some weeks.  Daddy puts in 110% to the kids, he's full on with them.  Mummy, well....you can guess.

[Winslow Boy]

2 hours ago, Barry O said:

Ey up!

Yes @BoD.. makes me wonder a bit...watch out for a pm today about other matters.

 

Low lying clouds outside. Pah!

 

Headache has just about departed following the taking of some decongestant tablets and a fair bit of eyelid inspection. Hurrah!

 

I notice another shooting in America. When will the penny drop over there? 

 

In other news.. packing has been completed for my trip to the NEC from Thursday onwards this week. Not sure I will be able to help as much as I have in the past but I will give it a try.

 

I had a reminder from the NHS to book my covid booster and flu jab... disconnected system means that bit of the NHS is not connected to the bit that says I have had them.  (Just checked, all 4 jabs have been registered) However, today I have a phone interview with "Your Future Health" which has been set up by the NHS using a private company to produce joined up medical records.. well away from the consultants.

 

Time to drink my tea and drivel off into the rest of Wednesday. 

 

Stay safe !

 

Baz

 

 

 

I've had a request also but was pondering about whether to respond.

[Winslow Boy]

54 minutes ago, New Haven Neil said:

Boy oh boy am it rainin'.

 

I have to go out in a moment to recover the wheelie bin and that of a disabled neighbour, I may be some time.

 

A quick update on the nephew, he's taken the kids to a relation's 'in another county' for a long weekend break, to let the dust settle.  The kids appear OK, nothing has yet popped up in their behaviour to cause concern other than it had already been noticed they had been very keen to get in daddy's car when being collected from mummy's house - this has been obvious for some weeks.  Daddy puts in 110% to the kids, he's full on with them.  Mummy, well....you can guess.

 

Well that's good news at least. The poor women has obviously been ill for some time then. Whilst not wishing to make light of it let's hope she's able to get better for there sake as she is there mother and no child wants to have a poorly parent.

[New Haven Neil]

2 minutes ago, Winslow Boy said:

 

Well that's good news at least. The poor women has obviously been ill for some time then. Whilst not wishing to make light of it let's hope she's able to get better for there sake as she is there mother and no child wants to have a poorly parent.

I agree totally - as does Steve.  Although mum chose to leave him, he is insistent that she still takes the part of their Mother.  Initial diagnosis has been worrying, but not for discussion here.

[TheQ]

The Temperatures done a little downwards wobble.. the rains arrived outside..

[BSW01]

Good morning everyone 

 

Well it’s been chuckinitdarn here most of the night, but it stopped about an hour or so ago. So once again, I’ll be staying inside, where I’ll continue working on the new access hole. Hopefully the last of the brick work will be added and I can do the pointing on the reverse side of the hole I filled, which shouldn’t take long. Once that’s done, I’ll measure and cut the timber for the floor support beam, it’s not really needed as the flooring above seems quite firm, but I’ll put it in anyway. I’ll also add foam to both sides of the bottom edge, (just like the support beam above the hole linking phases 2 and 3) just in case I hit my head, because it hurts like hell, don’t ask me how I know!  

 

Back later. 

 

Brian

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. It was quite bright here this morning but is now persisting down but its not predicted to last. A few of the usual noises from Arthur Itis when I got up this morning but he's quiet now.

1 hour ago, New Haven Neil said:

A quick update on the nephew, he's taken the kids to a relation's 'in another county' for a long weekend break, to let the dust settle.  The kids appear OK, nothing has yet popped up in their behaviour to cause concern other than it had already been noticed they had been very keen to get in daddy's car when being collected from mummy's house - this has been obvious for some weeks.  Daddy puts in 110% to the kids, he's full on with them.  Mummy, well....you can guess.

A similar situation with my friends wife. She upped sticks and walked out to be with her 'sugar daddy' without so much as a 'goodby' to the kids. His two youngest who both have learning difficulties were devastated. The daughter who was about 14 at the time with a mental age of 8 also has severe autism and she went completely off the rails attacking her siblings and father on occasion.  She is now in a residential home since she turned 18 and sadly has been assessed as not being capable of living independently. His son who was 8 at the time but with a mental age about half of that was traumatised, often bursting into tears and clinging to his dad. They both seem to have got over the trauma now but not completely. His (now ex-) wife's sugar daddy was in his late 70's. They went to live in Spain were he had a stroke. His family took over his affairs and promptly threw her out leaving her penniless and homeless. She is now back in the UK, her brother paid for her ticket to come home and she's now been homed by social services.

[jamie92208]

My barter for the morning has bern done.  First off the 4 barrows of logs were briught down to the verandah.  Stacking them neatly by the front door has been declared to be well above my salary grade. I just loaded and pushed the barrows. About a kilometre walked in all. Then as the rain got heavier it was off to the Marchet's farm for a successful  bit 9f bartering. 6 freshly made mince pies for a bale of straw.  This rural economy is good. Now it's coffee and cake time.

 

Jamie 

[DaveF]

It's dull and wet here this morning, I had a very short walk, if it brightens up I might go out again later on.

 

Yesterday it felt quite raw with a north easterly wind bringing in a few showers first thing.  Just after breakfast I saw a snow bunting land in the garden.  It looked all round for a couple of minutes and then flew off again.  A lot of blackbirds have arrived from the continent in the last few days with their black beaks, they are exploring the local gardens.  When I went to check the flat there were at least six in the garden.

 

I had a walk on the beach, no interesting shells but a lot of bits of startfish, especially brittle stars as well as parts of the common ones usually found in rock pools.  They must have been damaged in the recent rough weather.  There is a slo a lot of seaweed washed up on the sand and several eider ducks weere bouncing up and down on the waves just inside the harbour entrance.

 

The solicitor rang me to discuss progress on the flat sale.  Everything is now signed by both sides, we are now waiting for the buyer to talk to his solicitor to suggest a copmpletion date.

 

I felt tired in the aftrenoon as I'd not slept well again so I sat and read and then sorted out some photos to put on the web in due course.  Tghen evening passed as usual with music, TV and reading.

 

David

[TheQ]

HMm I'm a paid up member of the forum and adverts have started turning up😡

[Tony_S]

33 minutes ago, TheQ said:

HMm I'm a paid up member of the forum and adverts have started turning up😡

Check the “Theme” drop down option at the bottom of the page. It should be set to your subscription theme. It used to occasionally wander. Also the forum has been dropping logged in status occasionally for me, I think it happens when the iPad leaves some standby state. Easily recognised by the Permissions statement. 

Edited November 23, 2022 by Tony_S

[Tony_S]

I did a call appraisal survey for the bank call yesterday. Straight zeroes except for the woman we eventually got transferred to, who I rated as 10. 
I don’t think I have ever experienced such incompetence (apart from final person) from a major financial business before. “Would I recommend them to friends or family?” We’ll certainly not to friends, and on careful reflection not even family. 
I did check last night and I was able to do the usual transfer to have enough money to pay our other banks credit card!