Early Risers.

[PhilJ W]

Top ten Darwin awards.

 

Edited September 20, 2023 by PhilJ W

[The White Rabbit]

Afternoon all,

 

Wet and windy oop 'ere again. Reasonably mild but the leaves blown in the face are unpleasant. Two deliveries so far today. One was a carful of things I'd better not mention. The other was about the size and weight of a toenail... definitely little and large! Yes, after a delay of only about four months, Rabbit finally got his grubby paws on a replacement time/date battery for the camera. A slight further delay while the packaging was opened and a liddle test - hooray! So a big thankyou to @BR60103 for the advice and information. 

 

Best wishes and positive vibes to those with parts which are sulking or painful or being used as a pincushion. Should anyone need a folding, easily concealable shovel for an escape tunnel (or mixing a very large cake mixture?) then I have one going spare. Just don't start under the stove - that's the first place they look. 

[grandadbob]

A'noon all,

 

Nice to have you visit Debs, I see you haven't forgotten how to punnish us!

 

Oven cleaning is going well but I've decided to give it another application of the gunk.  I rather like this stuff as it's a liquid spray rather than a paintstripper-like gel (Ovenmate), is doing the job just as well and is nowhere near as messy.  

The Boss is now feeling unwell and putting it down to her two jabs,  I'm still fine.

The promised rain has arrived and is chucking it down at the moment.

Won't get any muddling done as once I've finished the oven I note that there's a rugby match on offer at 16.45

[monkeysarefun]

1 hour ago, iL Dottore said:

I forgot to mention, at breakfast I was joined by one of these.

Now my spider isn't very fluent, but I did gather that she was asking how to get to Bear Towers. So, being an obliging fellow, I told her (and made her a little spider sized map).

 

If Bear is concerned, he can always call the Swiss police!

https://www.dw.com/en/swiss-police-called-to-remove-spider-from-bedroom/a-41245861

 

 

Swiss ladies seem to be spider magnets. Twice I've been part of a special team that has had to rescue ladies from spiders and both times they've been young Swiss backpackers,

 

or maybe Swedish come to think of it.

 

Anyway the first time was on an  end of school surfing trip up the coast with 5 mates. We stopped in at a caravan park halfway to Queensland on the first night and pitched our tent .  Nearby were said ladies in their tent. Just  before dusk screaming erupted from there and we went to check it out.

 

Turned out to be a bird-eating spider, which are     *&#&$*%^&%  MASSIVE.

 

Here is Harry Butler, Australian bush bloke of the 80's and a cultural  icon with one, they get very angry.    @polybear warning!

 

 

 

If there hadnt been Swiss/Swedish sheilas in distress present we'd have been running around screaming too, but someone had to man up, go in and get it out, so we had a vote and sent in Vincent Stead  who was the most expendable, He managed to flick it out with a stick and we were showered in thanks from the European ladies, but being simple Australian blokes we had no idea how to deal with that so we went back to drinking beer and setting light to each other with lighters like we'd been doing up until the interruption.

 

The second time I was driving past Sydney airport with my spider-phobic son when again, a different bunch of Swiss/Swedish ladies waved me down because the  hire  car they'd just picked up had a  huge Huntsman on the inside of the back window.  Luckily I had a long sleeved top on, so I was able to coax it onto my covered forearm, then flick it out onto the side of the road and off to safety in the grass, before getting back into my car and heading into the setting sun, leaving the Swiss/Swedish young ladies wondering at the identity of that spider flicking maverick. 

 

Edited September 20, 2023 by monkeysarefun

[Gwiwer]

3 hours ago, PeterBB said:

Until you metioned this I had no idea that the teacher training college was now part and parcel of Kingston University or of the change of name.  

 

Best wishes for your move next Monday.

Not the same university but being in very close proximity there is a lot mingling among students from both. Sometimes flat-sharing the same digs. 
 

St. Mary’s is a sports-oriented university with its academic side also pitched towards sport. For example their physiotherapy courses offer sports majors and one of our neighbours went on to post-graduate research into sports prosthetics. 
 

They are also known for training teachers, again often as sports coaches but alongside general teaching requirements. Two of our neighbours were (female) rugby players who studied coaching as part of their teaching degree. Another majored in trampoline. Others have been studying primary education and went straight into local schools as newly-qualified teachers. 
 

Kingston, a more typical vocational university offering a wide range of subjects and which was upgraded from a polytechnic, is only three miles away and is the local centre of all night-life so students from both unis always meet and socialise together. 

[PhilJ W]

Afternoon all from Estuary-Land. The builder has been in this morning and started tidying up but the back garden. They also found a dead fox in the soon to be demolished shed. I have notified the council and awaiting a callback from them. I had noticed a fox hobbling about with a damaged leg, I'm wondering if thats the one in the shed.

[southern42]

2 hours ago, TheQ said:

A choice for school meals? Never heard of it. You got whatever sludge was put on your plate and had to eat it..

 

I was most fortunate in that both primary and secondary schools I went to had pretty much the kind of dinners  we had at home - though pink custard was definitely a school only thing - was well cooked, tasted good to very good with the occasional I don't like whatever - semolina and tapioca, in particular.

College was good in the days when they not only supplied breakfast (not one I had very often - too lazy to get up early enough!), lunchtime dinners, and evening suppers, they also served coffee and tea at break times in between, even at the weekends for the few that remained on site. At my first teaching school, dinners were excellent and introduced me to Kromeskies - aka pigs in blankets, bacon wrapped soseges. I do not remember dinners at my second teaching school so maybe I went home for lunch or I starved. No memory of school lunches there, whatsoever!

 

As for choice - you had it, went without, or left it.

 

 

[AndyID]

1 hour ago, Andy Hayter said:

 

 

A degree of over-sensitivity on your part perhaps?

 

It is very common  for nations to have their own names for countries and cities.

 

You might be surprised to find out what we and the locals call:

 

Bergen - Mons in Belgium

Genf - Geneva

Breslau - Wroclaw in Poland

Koenigsberg - Kaliningrad (Russian enclave)

 

All of the above are German names for the places named.

 

Edimburgo is Spanish for a place you might be able to guess in Scotland but where did the "m" come from?

 

 

As for Hrvatska, I doubt most non-Slavic speakers could pronounce it let alone realise it is Croatia.  Ditto Srbija - Serbia.  Some of the name changes are undoubtedly due to pronunciation problems.  

 

But you touch on one of my bug-bears with "Marsez", where I assume the "z" is supposed to represent the "s" that does not  exist in Marseille.  

 

Then there's Aix-la-Chapelle.

[grandadbob]

Oven done and The Boss is very pleased with the results.  It's not quite like new but not far off so it'll do.  Multiple Brownie points have been awarded.

 

 

I used this stuff and will certainly get some more when I run out. 

 https://www.espares.co.uk/product/es869865/professional-ovengrillbarbecue-cleaner-spray-

 

Got the worst off fairly easily although hard baked stuff and the racks needed some elbow grease with a steel scourer but overall I think I prefer it to Oven Mate.

 

I made a quick visit outside whilst the rain paused in its persistence and put our bins and next door's out just in time as it's now chucking it down again.

 

Muggatea now with a biscuit (or two)  and in a little while it will be rugby & beer o'clock.  What more could a GDB want?

[tigerburnie]

3 hours ago, Tony_S said:

Oh dear. Thank goodness they hadn’t pasta way. 

Groan button.......................................GROAN BUTTON..........please...........................

[tigerburnie]

3 hours ago, The Lurker said:

It's a historic thing. the names of countries and cities have been anglicised for centuries; newer or less important places (historically) weren't familiar enough to get anglicised. Not just French place either; it would not surprise me if half the places in the old Hanseatic league have anglicised names. We certainly anglicised the pronunciation of places in WWI  - the Wipers Times being a a famous example. And other words too; allegedly "plonk" came from "plink plonk" which in turn was from "vin blanc".

 

As you say the French do it too with Londres and Douvres and Pay de Galle, L'Ecosse, Les Pays-Bas, l'Allemagne, amongst others. 

and Les Ros Beefs.......................................

[Ozexpatriate]

10 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

I’m usually OK when it comes to reading simple foreign language signboards (saída, dalje, sortida, uitgang etc) providing it’s written in “Western” letters; if it’s in a language using a different character system (出口, बाहर निकलना, مخرج, Выход) unless I’ve done some serious preparation, I’m stuffed.

Israel is very well organized in that regard. All the highway signage is in Hebrew, Arabic and English.

[Ozexpatriate]

3 hours ago, The Lurker said:

We certainly anglicised the pronunciation of places in WWI  - the Wipers Times being a a famous example. And other words too; allegedly "plonk" came from "plink plonk" which in turn was from "vin blanc".

And "claret" from clairet that was extended to any Bordeaux wine whatever the relative pellucidity* of the wine. There are a bunch of 'old' English wine terms (like hock**) that wine merchants tend to avoid these days.

 

* Transparency / translucency

 

** From Hochheimer, today Riesling.

 

Then there's valet and fillet where in the US, French (ish) pronunciations are used.

 

Yet despite nicknames (like champers etc) people make an effort to pronounce Champagne.

[TheQ]

Postie man arrive about an hour and a half late.

Packages inspected.

Very happy with hinges, will attach a leg tomorrow to plan for construction.

 

107, radio GPS. Arrived all ok,

I've screwed the head unit to the plastic  mount ,

Reviewed again, the fitting instructions on line. The paperwork is pure what's in the box.

The review camera cable is 26 ft long!!!

Had a look at several you tube videos of installation, I must admit several I'd be ashamed to put out.

All sorts of mistakes in the work shown..

Hopefully install tomorrow.

 

[Ian Abel]

I'm baaaacckkkk..... 😀

 

AWOL for far too long! 

Originally a vacation in northern Minnesota, quite delightful.

Visited the always popular lift bridge and watched shipping arrivals and departures, ventured to the Lake Superior zoo, nicely done and quiet since we were there post-school return time. 

Wandered up the north shore of Lake Superior to the Split Rock lighthouse and also wandered through the Superior National forest.

Australia exhibit at the zoo

 

Coast guard awaiting entry to the canal/port and lift bridge

 

Split Rock lighthouse

 

Some happy couple at a Superior National forest scenic overlook

 

Once home it was a case of NOT all quiet on the Western front (well, Eastern really as the client is on Long Island).

They chose me being away to decide to finalize some new reports they want/need - been busy working on that little lot!

 

We've also had a 6th Anniversary gathering for Trevor and Meagan, and I have achieved the 10yr. anniversary at the job.

 

Weather has been a mixed bag, mostly a little cooler, but still not much precipitation.

 

Today 16c and sunny first thing, 31c for the high.

 

Onward.

 

 

[DaveF]

 

I mentioned I had to go out this morning, it was to the funeral of the sister of one of the churchwardens.  She had been in a care home for some years but often came to the Thursday morning service so I met her from time to time though I am not sure how many of us she really recognised in the last few months.  As funerals go it was good.  I was going to wear my suit which I last wore for Mum's funeral last year.  When I got it out I realised I couldn't bear to go to another funeral in it.  I now have to decide whether I will ever want to wear it or whether it should be got rid of and buy a new one if I ever need a suit again.

 

I was back home in time for a late coffee, since then I have done some tidying and clearing in the garage prior to altering and moving some metal shelving.

 

I don't have anything planned for the rest of the day, later on I'll see if there is anything on TV or I may just read and have an early night.  I think the Covid jab may be "catching up" on me, I feel very tired, achy and mouldy.

 

David

Edited September 20, 2023 by DaveF

[Ian Abel]

24 minutes ago, Ozexpatriate said:

Israel is very well organized in that regard. All the highway signage is in Hebrew, Arabic and English.

Wot, they didn't include Welsh!!! 🤣

[Hroth]

53 minutes ago, Ian Abel said:

Wot, they didn't include Welsh!!! 🤣

 

If they included Welsh, then all speed limits would have to be reduced to 20mph*....

 

* 32kph in new money

 

[polybear]

Bear here.....

 

Today?  Wall to wall muddlin'.....

Progress?  Slow.....

Joy included cleaning up some bits called "wubbleyooeyeearns" (I think I spelled that right....) and forming & soldering iddydiddlytitchybits** (the sort that ping off into oblivion at a moment's notice, never to be seen again).  This didn't happen on this occasion, but I've certainly got the T-Shirt for previous occurrences.  Fortunately the designer has provided plenty of spares, so he wasn't a complete 'sterd after all.

 

(**Not the smallest bits I've had to deal with on this kit though; that honour goes to other parts - of which there were "rather a lot", many of which were sacrificed to the Carpet God at Missenden Abbey.  They must've been about 2mm long, 1mm wide and had to be folded into a U-shape before soldering.  Language?  Filthy).

 

I also took delivery of a new small oak side table to go in the Beary Lounge - I've already got one the same and this new one will prove very useful; less than half a Deltic seemed a good deal as well.

 

I also managed to sell something on the 'bay (a very niche engineering item) that I've been trying to flog for a Buddy for a loooong time, with not so much as a sniff; I'd got it listed at eighty quid start and someone offered a slightly cheeky fifty quid - we split the difference in the end.  Buddy will be pleased I'm sure.

 

ION......

 

One down, one to go.......😢

Watch this space.....

 

Bear gone.

 

 

[Nicktoix]

7 hours ago, Barry O said:

I like parmos and schnitties. Middlesborough is well known for Parmo availability inthe UK.

 

Prefer mine with salad and fries.

 

Good news is..Baz is getting better. Viral infection is root cause!

 

Great!

 

BUT fluid around my heart needs to be drained (nope not the blood stuff!).

 

That will be done tomorrow.. all being well. Senior doctors and junior doctors are on strike but they are still here in Cardio. One patient visited by a professor this morning. Fascinating listeneng to him mentoring a couple of junior doctors. Very good delivery and approach.

 

Guy next door to me is to receive a pacemaker. He sees no reason to stop smoking 20+ cigarettes a day...give me strength! But,as he has breathing problems he will have to wait until next week for his op.

 

Time for lunch methinks!

 

As an aside, inthe North East some councillors became "life time professional" councillors. Generations followed that path to a cushy living. Eventually the brighter locals twigged that they weren't interested in anything but themselves. Giant clear out occurred.. Good!

 

Baz

That fluid is probably Laphraoigh.

Nick

[PupCam]

 

5 hours ago, The White Rabbit said:

Rabbit's suggested Politics/Sociology exam question: 'If a person has more laws in their society/country than they can remember, they have too many of them. Discuss *, with particular reference to the principle that ignorance of the law is no defence.'

 

* Though perhaps not on RMW ... 😉 

 

I know it's true but I've never understood how that could be unless it was expected that every citizen was legally trained which is clearly ludicrous.  Perhaps all laws should be repealed and replaced with a few sensible generic ones like "Play nice, don't steal (in any form) , don't hurt things, don't damage stuff etc .  Well, you get the picture.

 

1 hour ago, polybear said:

Today?  Wall to wall muddlin'.....

Progress?  Slow.....

Joy included cleaning up some bits called "wubbleyooeyeearns" (I think I spelled that right....) and forming & soldering iddydiddlytitchybits** (the sort that ping off into oblivion at a moment's notice, never to be seen again).  This didn't happen on this occasion, but I've certainly got the T-Shirt for previous occurrences.  Fortunately the designer has provided plenty of spares, so he wasn't a complete 'sterd after all.

 

(**Not the smallest bits I've had to deal with on this kit though; that honour goes to other parts - of which there were "rather a lot", many of which were sacrificed to the Carpet God at Missenden Abbey.  They must've been about 2mm long, 1mm wide and had to be folded into a U-shape before soldering.  Language?  Filthy).

 

 

Talk is cheap.  We need photos!

 

 

[Gwiwer]

4 hours ago, southern42 said:

  7 hours ago, TheQ said:

A choice for school meals? Never heard of it. You got whatever sludge was put on your plate and had to eat it..

Absolutely. You sat there until you had eaten it forfeiting the rest of your lunch break if it took that long. More than one person had to hastily excuse themselves to return what they had been effectively forced to eat. Allergies and intolerances were not (apparently) known or accepted. 
 

The same was true for school milk. Those ⅓-pint bottles which arrived early in the morning and which were distributed crate by crate to classrooms.  Where they sat for a few hours warming up to a sickly tepid temperature and emitting that equally sickly warm-milk smell when opened.  Sometimes they were frozen; sometimes they were so warm the milk was off. 
 

School dinners. 
 

“Curry” was the worst. Minced beef floating in a green-coloured liquid and which somehow contrived to have hard bits which always felt like minced bone. And congealed severely over-cooked rice. Liver and bacon was also to be avoided if you could; rubber and fat would have better described it. The dessert was usually some sort of steamed pudding or “crumble” (a misnomer - it could not be crumbled no matter how hard you tried) with a wipe of dark red goo that was supposed to be fruit. And served with “custard” which was so thick - and thickly skinned - that it stayed in the bowl when inverted. And it was dark yellow. Usually. 

[Adam88]

Most of our school dinners were pretty good but occasionally you would get one which had been constructed rather than cooked.

[Coombe Barton]

... Today teaching. Nine o’clock means nine o’clock, people, not nine for nine thirty. ...

 

https://johncolby.wordpress.com/2023/09/20/zoe-figures-not-updated-who-concern-and-not-turning-up-on-time/

[New Haven Neil]

Eeuww that was a wild night last night, torrential rain and howling wind.  Outside.  Still, if it didn't rain it would be odd here without lakes, although everything is rather full looking today, the river at the back of the campsite is fair whizzing along and full to the edges.  It was almost dry two days ago.

 

Last night tonight then home in the morning, ferry should be back on, it will be heaving due to yesterday's cancellations, but we have booked seats.

 

Then a fortnight's camping washing to face, and the camper to clean as she has become very muddy outside and a little used looking inside.  Bit like me but the other way around.

 

Nice to see Debs call by, and I have been in frequent contact with Baz by other means.  Hope tomorrow goes well mate.