Early Risers.

[PupCam]

1 hour ago, Winslow Boy said:

Sorry Bear I was keeping it light-hearted but the departments consultant bobbed in, after doing a round on the golf course and insisted on giving you a diagnosis  

 

Surely that should be light-headed 🤣

 

57 minutes ago, Ozexpatriate said:

I have a hard enough time tracking the ISS with binoculars let alone a telescope. While its apparent speed is not 'meteoric' it does move fast.

 

With a telescope by the time I'm all set up with the moon, it has moved.

 

Most of the frames can justifiably claim "Nothing to see here".      Looks like another clear night, I've learnt that video mode is best kept for lunar and soar photography but I think I'm just too plain tired to have a go this evening.   Maybe I'll just step outside and watch it.   There is something amazing about seeing that tiny little dot travelling silently across the sky and thinking there are people in there.     I wonder what the atmosphere in there is like (no pun intended) since a certain "Special military mission"  began a year last February?

 

TTFN

 

 

[The Johnster]

3 minutes ago, PupCam said:

 

Surely that should be light-headed 🤣

 

 

Most of the frames can justifiably claim "Nothing to see here".      Looks like another clear night, I've learnt that video mode is best kept for lunar and soar photography but I think I'm just too plain tired to have a go this evening.   Maybe I'll just step outside and watch it.   There is something amazing about seeing that tiny little dot travelling silently across the sky and thinking there are people in there.     I wonder what the atmosphere in there is like (no pun intended) since a certain "Special military mission"  began a year last February?

 

TTFN

 

 

I imagine the subject avoided in the interests of general harmony.  They are, after all, all in the same (space) boat and it’s not in anyone’s interest to promote discord!

[Tony_S]

3 hours ago, polybear said:

The bike closer to the camera most definitely isn't WW2 era - 1970's (or possibly even 80's? at a guess) - CCM or Bombardier British Army Bike at a guess.

 

I thought it was a Harley Davidson.

[Gwiwer]

Evening all. We made it to Bournemouth. I had a slow start after a poor night but got myself going after breakfast. We expected - and got - a packed train down.
 

Several alcohol-swilling groups of yoofs and two groups of squealy-girl “pre-drinking” cruise passengers didn’t make for the most comfortable of journeys but at least the latter got off at Southampton.  So much for “Quiet Zone” then. And suitcases piled high in the doorways until the guard quite rightly demanded that those be kept clear. 
 

On the way back the train was lightly loaded until Southampton where we were joined by a group of loud, potty-mouthed boxers and companions. Of the ten of them I don’t think a single one used the F-word less than ten times. And the rest. 
 

People seem to have forgotten manners, respect and that not everyone needs to hear their every word. Particularly when every word seemed to start with F, C or referring to an intimate activity with the S-word. 
 

In between we enjoyed the dubious delights of Bournemouth’s taxi drivers (both of those involved were in so much haste that they were moving before Dr. SWMBO was even inside let alone seated and belted) and the slightly interesting Russell-Cotes Museum. That, I found, offered some interesting photographic possibilities and structure but all the horsey paintings were too much for my taste.
 

We had a picnic lunch on the beach at the pier which was all very pleasant, warm, busy without being crowded and mostly sunny. And we ambled back up through the Lower Pleasure Gardens.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[New Haven Neil]

2 minutes ago, Tony_S said:

I thought it was a Harley Davidson.

 

Agree - Developed from the Armstrong UK version.  All Rotax engines anyway!

[Ozexpatriate]

22 minutes ago, PupCam said:

There is something amazing about seeing that tiny little dot travelling silently across the sky and thinking there are people in there.  

Yes. It is a very bright dot compared to others.

 

22 minutes ago, PupCam said:

I wonder what the atmosphere in there is like (no pun intended) since a certain "Special military mission"  began a year last February?

They're pros. Hopefully its better than some of the social media nonsense from some individuals on the ground. It continues to be an issue in professional women's tennis - though I suspect that is probably more in media reports than the dressing rooms (hopefully).

[polybear]

11 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

(furthermore, just in case you’re wondering, there’s no such thing as intravenous cake either)

 

Bear senses a business opportunity there...could be a game changer....

[Ozexpatriate]

Sadly, more flogging a dead horse.

 

CNN: Horse euthanized hours before Preakness Stakes after suffering injury, officials say

 

It makes me wonder if they are so overbred for speed that their structure - skeleton, musculature etc is no longer strong enough - like muscles too strong for bones (or similar).

[Tony_S]

19 minutes ago, New Haven Neil said:

 

Agree - Developed from the Armstrong UK version.  All Rotax engines anyway!

To be honest I only thought it was a Harley Davidson as that was the name on the side. 

[monkeysarefun]

9 hours ago, Hroth said:

 

Hardbound with dust jacket, 560 gloss pages.

 

Size: Portrait format 11.5" x 10" (29.2 x 25.4 for the Cm-ists) and "My God its HEAVY". Too heavy for the kitchen scales and I couldn't be bothered lugging it upstairs for the bathroom scales...

 

Its divided into parts, like Ancient Gaul.

 

Part the first: An introductive essay running to 48 pages or so with illustrations.

 

Sections for geographic parts of England:

 

North West

North East

East Midlands

West Midlands

East England

South and South East

London

South West

 

followed by an Index, footnotes, bibliography, credits and acknowledgments.

 

Individual photos are half and quarter page in size, some are full page, all well captioned and dated.  The ones I know about are accurate.  As noted elsewhere, most are townscapes though some of those are of railway interest. The photos themselves are clear and well printed.

 

I've not read the introduction (there's lots of words in it) and I've only looked through the North West section in any detail.  The contents look to be good source material for Pre-grouping and early Grouping townscapes.

 

Mine was well worth the £8.70 inc delivery that I paid!

 

 

8 hours ago, polybear said:

 

Many thanks @Hroth - Bear feels a spend approaching....

 

 

 

After reading the review I can say that if you are ever  after the same kind of thing but about Australia I can well recommend this one, 4.5 stars!

 

 

 

 

Its only available now from rare book sellers so yous cant all get a copy unfortunately.

 

2 hours ago, Ozexpatriate said:

The ghost of Rev. Spooner lives yet.

 

 

Shades of the ABC newsreaders  famous one   many years ago  "She was bitten on the funnel by a finger-web spider"

 

[Ozexpatriate]

1 minute ago, monkeysarefun said:

Its only available now from rare book sellers so yous cant all get a copy unfortunately.

Rare? I wonder how many were sold? That book was everywhere.

[monkeysarefun]

4 minutes ago, Ozexpatriate said:

Rare? I wonder how many were sold? That book was everywhere.

It was on my year 12 reading list!

[PhilJ W]

33 minutes ago, monkeysarefun said:

 

 

After reading the review I can say that if you are ever  after the same kind of thing but about Australia I can well recommend this one, 4.5 stars!

 

 

 

 

Its only available now from rare book sellers so yous cant all get a copy unfortunately.

 

 

 

Shades of the ABC newsreaders  famous one   many years ago  "She was bitten on the funnel by a finger-web spider"

 

This is on the same subject. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/202024062590

[BoD]

Evening all

 

We are recently returned from our sojourn to the western Highlands and Islands of Scotland.  I won’t bore you with details other than to say that the photo I posted the other day …

 

 

was probably one of the least picturesque I managed to take.  
 

I could also wax lyrical about the beauty and history of the place but I won’t.  If you know, you know.

 

I even managed to visit a couple of railway locations up there which have rekindled my mojo for my (those of a nervous disposition look the other way now) model of a West Highland Line scene. 
 

I will try and catch up missed posts but given your profligate posting I’m not sure I will manage. 
 

Slainte

[PhilJ W]

Evening all from Estuary-Land. No trouble from the arthritis today but the eczema is a bit sore but ointments have been applied and that seems to have helped. 

1 hour ago, Ozexpatriate said:

Sadly, more flogging a dead horse.

 

CNN: Horse euthanized hours before Preakness Stakes after suffering injury, officials say

 

It makes me wonder if they are so overbred for speed that their structure - skeleton, musculature etc is no longer strong enough - like muscles too strong for bones (or similar).

So its not only dogs and turkey's that are bred into freaks.

[PhilJ W]

Goodnight all.

[PhilJ W]

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-65657415

[BSW01]

Goodnight all 

[Ozexpatriate]

25 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-65657415

Very short on the circumstances of how that man who died was attacked.

 

There was a recent 'problem dog/owner' situation in Portland where a dog was involved in two attacks (a person and another dog). Neither was fatal.

 

On each of the last two days I was harassed by the same dog during my walk. It was on a leash and being walked by a woman (who I have guessed to be the carer for a young man). I see them often and they have another dog with a really nasty temperament - it is a large dog, but short and stocky and is probably the scariest looking dog I have ever seen. I avoid them all by keeping my distance, usually staying on the other side of the street.

 

Its (newer) canine companion looks like a breeding experiment gone wrong - sort of a shaggy labradoodle but way too tall. It seems to have learned to bark aggressively (without provocation) from the other dog. On each of the last two days it has broken free of its walker's grasp and run up to me barking. When I stare it down it doesn't quite seem to know what to do and runs back to its walker - so far.

[Two_sugars]

It's been a beautiful, sunny day , today  with a light breeze from the sea . . .stayed at 15c in Horden, 15c in Hetton, and a heady 19c in Durham . . . .

After a bit of shopping (Durham) spent afternoon in my friends garden,(Hetton) then back home for tea and a quick nap before picking me Marra up for a acoustic session in my kitchen . . . 

 

It's been pleasant.

 

Goodnight all, sleep well.

 

John

[monkeysarefun]

8 hours ago, southern42 said:

The sight of a deep red colour across the garden tempted me out with my new camera aka 'phone into Pollenland earlier this afternoon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

May I offer a friendly suggestion? It looks like the phone has picked up something slightly behind the flower to focus on. When you have the flower on the screen, try tapping on it where you want the focus to be, depending on the phone model it should lock focus onto that point  so even if you or it moves it'll stay sharp.

 

ALso, playing around by setting it to whatever Portrait mode it has  can help by  blurring the background. I just did a quicky demo  of a poorly lit  rose in a vase in the kitchen using the those two tips:

 

 

Sometimes Portrait mode will attempt to focus on the subjects eyes which can be an issue if its not people you are shooting  but the tapping on the screen thing will override it. Thats said, it seems quite clever at working eyes out, even on a post-bath Gary The Parrot, I let the portrait mode find its own focus to see if it would find  parrots eyes , turns out it seems able to!

 

 

 

[Ozexpatriate]

7 minutes ago, monkeysarefun said:

try tapping on it where you want the focus to be

The "spot focus" will also be a "spot exposure" - so the exposure settings will change based on where you tap. It's simple and brilliant. Far easier to use than any serious camera I have owned.

[jjb1970]

Computational photography is incredible, exposure accuracy using multiple exposures which are then integrated gives results that just aren't possible with film. 

[jjb1970]

On crews from two particular countries being cooped up together, that was a matter of huge concern to shipping companies as both are major suppliers of seafarers to international shipping. Although there have been a few horror stories the great majority of crews seem to co-exist reasonably well and problems have been the exception rather than the rule. The main problem for shipping companies, to their surprise, was not managing crews to avoid fights breaking out, splitting them up, replacing one half or the other things which they expected to face but rather where to repatriate them at the end of their tour. Many of them have been asking for extensions to avoid going home, but there's a limit to how long you can let someone stay on-board. A few of the shipping companies I am familiar with have identified third countries which are willing to accept them where they can spend their leave. The problem wasn't Russians, apparently they're largely protected from being drafted, but it seems many of the Ukrainians were frightened of being drafted as soon as they arrived home.

[BR60103]

I think that one of the Doctor in the House books or movies treated automated diagnosis.

The James Robertson Justice character was subjected to it.  One question was "When was your last period?"   Somehow his answer led the the diagnosis that he was pregnant.