Early Risers.

[Hroth]

1 hour ago, polybear said:

 

The locals in Tring got quite upset a few days back as well:

 

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/tring-internet-outage-down-rats-cables-openreach-bt-hertfordshire-b1098166.html

 

It screwed businesses (their card machines wouldn't work), working from home, phone calls.....

 

In other news.....

Kev the Carpet Fitter has just started nailing gripper rod....

 

Oh yes, and I've just heard from a Neighbour that a Developer has stopped building new homes in the Village (with 50% built on the plot) cos' they can't sell them.  Oh dear, how sad.....🤣

 

BG

 

 

The sad thing is that those affected immediately directed their "outrage" (as reported by the Standard) at BT/Openreach, who apparently swung fairly rapidly into action despite a property owner blocking their access to the affected ducting.  One wonders how much "resilience and asset protection" can be applied without higher bills for the consumer, or how an infestation of rodents can be predicted and allowed for?

 

Perhaps Tringites might want the cabling to be sheathed in poisoned ducting?

 

[PhilJ W]

I see on the breakfast news this morning the pub, The Crooked House that was recently demolished was apparently demolished without permission. There is a campaign starting up to have the pub rebuilt as was, crooked walls and all.  

[Hroth]

17 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

I see on the breakfast news this morning the pub, The Crooked House that was recently demolished was apparently demolished without permission. There is a campaign starting up to have the pub rebuilt as was, crooked walls and all.  

 

The fire and the ultra-rapid demolition really does make you wonder about the new owners motives!

 

[southern42]

' morning all (just!) from red dragon land.

Sun making an effort to appear between the clouds. 18.4C - very tempting to go and sit out if the sun peeks through for my mugadecaf, later.

 

Best wishes to Mrs. Baz. Hope all goes well.

Happy Anniversary wishes to Dave & Jill - enjoy. 

Congratulations on the move to Gwiwer and Mrs Gwiwer.

 

 

I returned, yesterday, after a few days spent visiting family over in East Anglia. Since I now have loads of stuff to do around the house rather than rabbiting on, here's a taster of our weekend away.

 

 

 

[petethemole]

12 minutes ago, Hroth said:

 

The fire and the ultra-rapid demolition really does make you wonder about the new owners motives!

 

Having been peripherally involved with a similar case,* I feared the worst as soon as the fire was reported.

*Local pub dating to c.1830, sold by the brewer to a developer who claimed he was going to refurbish it and put scaffolding up.  The council were approached to have it spot listed. Enter the local teenage arsonist (allegedly) and we had one burnt out pub, with handy scaffolding to demolish it. The frontage couldn't be done by machine as it was on a main road with no forecourt.  We did get an archaeological condition on the site but the cellar took up most of it.

[Tim Dubya]

Hot and sunny in  Baff.

 

I realised why I have rucksack, it's to stash all the summer clothing one needs for British summertime... wooly hat, extra layer and waterproof coat.

[iL Dottore]

Good News For The Generously Proportioned!
 

I get a weekly newsletter from Medscape (an online source for medical professionals curated and checked by medical professionals) and this week I learnt that a taskforce (Commission on the Definition and Diagnosis of Clinical Obesity) has decided that “obesity” no longer exists! This task force was composed of “60 leaders in the clinical management of obesity, including <representatives with lived experience* of obesity>”
 

instead, we now have patients who suffer from ABCD: Adiposity Based Chronic Disease. 
 

Now I freely admit I could (and would like to) loose several kilos, but now I suppose that this news is reassuring and life re-affirming: you see, I once was “a disgusting fat body“, then I became just “fat“ before becoming “obese“ (all terms, I would argue, that imply a certain amount of self responsibility), now, thank goodness, I realise that I am simply suffering from ABCD - so it’s completely out of my hands, cos I’ve got a condition, see (and has absolutely nothing to do with eating far too much, far too frequently, of far too many nice-but-not-good-for-you foods).

 

Obesity is indeed a complex condition but except in very rare cases, there’s a greater or lesser personal responsibility component.

 

* I always view task force members described as “representatives with lived experience (of obesity in this case)” with great scepticism as these “representatives” (often self-appointed) are frequently activists and often the shrillest and not infrequently the extreme ones to boot (in the “body positivity” and “plus sized” communities some extremists claim that a doctor telling a morbidly obese patient that “if they don’t loose weight, they’ll die” is <hate speech>

[pH]

55 minutes ago, Hroth said:

 

The fire and the ultra-rapid demolition really does make you wonder about the new owners motives!

 

A couple of years ago, there was a fire which destroyed a quite large (as in footprint), old and ramshackle building in a prime location in the centre of town. My son remarked that fires like that let you know your town has arrived in the real estate agents’ “highly desirable” category.

[polybear]

28 minutes ago, iL Dottore said:

Good News For The Generously Proportioned!
 

I get a weekly newsletter from Medscape (an online source for medical professionals curated and checked by medical professionals) and this week I learnt that a taskforce (Commission on the Definition and Diagnosis of Clinical Obesity) has decided that “obesity” no longer exists! This task force was composed of “60 leaders in the clinical management of obesity, including <representatives with lived experience* of obesity>”
 

instead, we now have patients who suffer from ABCD: Adiposity Based Chronic Disease. 
 

Now I freely admit I could (and would like to) loose several kilos, but now I suppose that this news is reassuring and life re-affirming: you see, I once was “a disgusting fat body“, then I became just “fat“ before becoming “obese“ (all terms, I would argue, that imply a certain amount of self responsibility), now, thank goodness, I realise that I am simply suffering from ABCD - so it’s completely out of my hands, cos I’ve got a condition, see (and has absolutely nothing to do with eating far too much, far too frequently, of far too many nice-but-not-good-for-you foods).

 

Obesity is indeed a complex condition but except in very rare cases, there’s a greater or lesser personal responsibility component.

 

* I always view task force members described as “representatives with lived experience (of obesity in this case)” with great scepticism as these “representatives” (often self-appointed) are frequently activists and often the shrillest and not infrequently the extreme ones to boot (in the “body positivity” and “plus sized” communities some extremists claim that a doctor telling a morbidly obese patient that “if they don’t loose weight, they’ll die” is <hate speech>

 

Now we'll have Doctors saying "You're suffering from ABCD"

Patient:  "What's that?"

Doc:  "You're Fat....."

 

I wonder just how much that totally pointless name change has cost?

Give it a few years and someone will decide that ABCD is offensive so they come up with another name instead.

How's that for cynical?

[Hroth]

Eventually people will be diagnosed as suffering from "Alphabet Syndrome"....

 

I wonder how the Radio Doctor would address such modern illnesses?

 

My maternal grandmother always had two books on her bedside table, the Bible and "The way to better health" by the Radio Doctor...

 

Edited August 9, 2023 by Hroth

[jamie92208]

4 hours ago, Hroth said:

 

Don't get wound up about garages.  Nature abhors an empty garage!

 

Nature also abhors any flat surface that's clear for more than 5 minutes. 

 

Jamie

[Hroth]

9 minutes ago, jamie92208 said:

Nature also abhors any flat surface that's clear for more than 5 minutes. 

 

Jamie

 

Also called "floor filing"...

 

[jjb1970]

I'm no slim jim, but the great bulk of overweight people are so because of a sedentary lifestyle, or they eat too much (the health effects in many cases compounded by eating unhealthy food even if the calorific intake was balanced) or some combination thereof. Which means that for most of us its a lifestyle choice and the result of our own decisions. Personally I have no issue with people enjoying life and accepting the implications but we all have to take responsibility for our own choices. Not long ago the big message from health agencies was that obesity was one of the principal causes of avoidable morbidities and premature death, it being associated with all sorts of undesirable health consequences, and that we needed to be more active and/or eat more healthily. Now that is fat shaming and being obese is just as healthy as eating salad and being an avid sports enthusiast. Like many things, it's gone from a perfectly sensible idea that overweight people shouldn't be bullied or shamed to a position of encouraging unhealthy lifestyles as being just as good as healthy choices, I'm guessing people won't be expressing gratitude for being encouraged to be unhealthy a few years down the line if they're facing major health issues which could easily have been avoided.

[southern42]

18 minutes ago, jamie92208 said:

Nature also abhors any flat surface that's clear for more than 5 minutes. 

 

Jamie

 

Funny you should say that - I have just had my mugadecaf out in the sun...

or, rather, I have just spent the last hour pulling up weeds, long grass and ivy.

[jjb1970]

Mrs JJB is down with a bout of flu (not COVID, all tested and negative) so I'm on domestic duties and keeping kids entertained. I just went with them to see the latest Mission Impossible movie at the cinemas to give my better half some peace and quiet and it's a splendid film, long (almost three hours) but pure entertainment which kept all three of us glued to the screen. I know Tom Cruise has his critics (and how does he look so young?) but as an actor I think he is great, his films tend to be produced to extremely high standards and are designed to entertain. In today's world there's a lot to be said for that.

[Tony_S]

2 hours ago, Hroth said:

One wonders how much "resilience and asset protection" can be applied without higher bills for the consumer,

Not a lot more. I don’t totally understand BT’s pricing structure but I got a 4G add on device from them last year. By taking it my service charge was cheaper than not taking it. Very special offer. If the broadband goes down, I retain connectivity via the EE network. No idea how fast it is but probably enough for essential stuff.  

[PhilJ W]

Afternoon all from Estuary-Land. Just been pottering about today doing all those little 'put off' jobs around the house. Trouble is when you've done one you find two more.

[TheQ]

Afternoon Awl,

Visitors came, visitors did a lot of talking, while SWMBO taught needle felting. I handed out radar museum and our next muddle railway show leaflets. One is bringing visiting nephew to our show..

I trimmed back brambles and nettles, got a bit enthusiastic and moved a double bin cupboard used for gardening stuff, cleared back the jungle around that. That partly clears the way for a future foot path.

 

Visitors left, wanting to come back another time probably September.

Had a muggacoffee, went back out, muntjac was munching on the stuff I'd cut.. please do,  it saves me moving it to the next bone fire.

 

Got out mower out, cut the areas I could now get to without brambles attacking me.

All the above to the sound of a big yellow mower cutting the barley two fields away. It's all gone silent at the moment so they're refueling or they've broke it, the biggest field, the one  around us, they haven't started yet.

 

Ben has been limping most of the morning, he has had extra wanders around the garden with the visitors, so it's been decided not to give him a long walk today.

 

I'm now consuming a Doom bar, Ben is asleep on the cold floor, tis hot out there..the official temperature is 21C but the area in front of the mobile home is a sun trap, so it's a lot hotter that that.

[PhilJ W]

23 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

I see on the breakfast news this morning the pub, The Crooked House that was recently demolished was apparently demolished without permission. There is a campaign starting up to have the pub rebuilt as was, crooked walls and all.  

Also the heaps of soil that prevented the fire brigade from accessing the site didn't stop the demolition machinery.

Edited August 10, 2023 by PhilJ W

[Gwiwer]

Onwards. And upwards. 
 

Generic greetings will I hope be acceptable for anniversaries and other events in the very recent past. 
 

We had so little traffic on the way down that we arrived 90 minutes earlier than planned and had to wait a short while for our agent, who was working the Saturday specially, to arrive. We were presented with a card from the previous owner, a bottle of bubbly falling-down water from the agent and a “Welcome to St Just” bag. We bumped into the previous owners not an hour later; they still live nearby and her father is one of our new neighbours. 
 

A lot of measuring was done before retiring to The Commercial for the night. And a very comfortable night it was with good food at both ends of it. 
 

A further quick visit to the cottage took place on Sunday before we drove back. That was in far better weather and somewhat heavier traffic. 
 

As we crossed Bodmin Moor in bright sun and a light breeze - totally contrasting with the outbound trip - I spied a rather rare car coming toward us. You don’t see Manx cars on the roads of England all that often and never before in Cornwall that I can remember. But there it was. A mustard-coloured something wearing the distinctive moniker of W88 MAN.  The only Manx car I can recall seeing on English roads belonged to a university friend who hailed from Onchan and drove MAN 700N. 
 

Driving manners were very good until we reached the M5. Having checked the traffic apps the M5/M4 route looked much clearer than the A303 which was showing a 40-minute delay to pass Stonehenge. Not unusual. Just frustrating.  So I took the motorway option and encountered numerous lane-weaving high-speed antics of the sort you might see if you watch Motorway Cops or similar on the idiot-box. 
 

We might have said something about “their licence not mine” but that presumed they even had one. 
 

We hit traffic. Solid non-moving traffic at Bridgwater. There were faster patches in it but it was stop-start until well beyond Bristol on the M4. I reckon the motorway can take 15 minutes longer anyway given clear roads but uses more fuel as there are more miles to cover at higher speeds. In the end that choice of route took an hour longer than a cleat A303. But we knew the A303 was not clear so maybe we were quits. 
 

A lot of driving. With a lot more to come. The removal is now booked in. I also have to drive a round-trip with a hired van to move the layouts and stock boxes. And the Little Red Driving Box has a one-way trip to make to its new home carrying His Furship. 
 

No garage. But there is a block-built slate-roof shed with roof lining inside and no trace of damp. Guests will be welcomed (to both the cottage and the shed!) from early in 2024.  Our first visitor called by on Saturday; a long-time friend from Penzance who has herself recently inherited a flat. She had been the owner’s cleaner / home-help for around 20 years but was utterly amazed to receive a letter from the executor of her estate with the news. 
 

Good things happen in Cornwall. Including us having had (thus far) one of the quickest and easiest house-purchases anyone can think of. 
 

I’ll keep you posted. 

[Gwiwer]

2 hours ago, pH said:

A couple of years ago, there was a fire which destroyed a quite large (as in footprint), old and ramshackle building in a prime location in the centre of town. My son remarked that fires like that let you know your town has arrived in the real estate agents’ “highly desirable” category.

I’m not sure the owners of the prime seafront location hotels recently destroyed by fires in Eastbourne and Brighton would agree. However desirable residential property might be there 

[Barry O]

ey up!

 

 

Slight alteration to plans for her indoors (and many thanks for all of your supportive messages.. it really is very helpful at what is a very trying time.

 

Mr Consultant has decided to scrub teh Ultrasound today as a CT scan is now scheduled for tomorrow..

 

I am off to Birmingham tomorrow (her indoors does not want me to go to the CT scan.. just in case...

 

Time for a mugadecaff and a bit of eyelid checking as i managed  4.5 hours sleep last night.

 

TTFN

 

Baz

[Barry O]

And belated weddiing Anniversary to Dave and Jill!

 

Baz

[Ian Abel]

Thoughts go out to Mrs Baz hope the news is good, happy anniversary to @Dave Hunt and his Mrs, and congratulations to @Gwiwer and the Mrs on a new Kernow home.

 

Not much to report from yesterday, work continues at a slow pace.

The ONGOING fight with the new PC build continues, as MANY of the sites I visit/applications I use require login verification AND manage to determine I have a new PC "somehow", so continuing to spend time shuffling for credentials before logging in again <sigh>

 

12c and sunny first thing, 24c the forecast high. Maybe one or two light showers later but only a slight chance, a decent rainfall would be welcome.

 

Tally ho.

[TheQ]

https://www.yachtsandyachting.com/news/265170/Horning-Sailing-Club-Regatta-Week-2023