Early Risers.

[TheQ]

I've got to go to the GPs tomorrow, to find out why I haven't been called for my annual diabetic review.

Haven't seen a doctor for several years, and as others have said seeing your nominated doctor is almost impossible.

[pH]

1 hour ago, iL Dottore said:

Physicians - as a group - tend to have the same outliers as any group of professionals (idiots and fools at one end of the spectrum, highly competent and highly regarded "super experts" at the the other).

Can I just say that, based on personal experience of medics in training, I wholeheartedly agree with you, and just leave it at that?

 

Our first family doctor here in Canada has been retired for quite a few years. I still see him occasionally around town, and we will sometimes chat for a few minutes. Many times (I must bore him with it) I have thanked him for the fact that he is responsible for me being able to still walk properly, never mind still play soccer at the age I am. 
 

Thirty years ago, I went to him with an ankle injury I’d got the day before. He diagnosed it as probably a badly-strained, perhaps torn, muscle and that it would heal with rest and maybe some strapping. Then he said “But just wait there” and went off to consult a book (pre internet days). That’s the bit I really thank him for - acknowledging that he maybe didn’t know everything he needed to know.  He came back, asked me to do a couple of foot movements, which I couldn’t do. He said “You’ve torn your Achilles tendon. Get yourself straight down to xxx hospital. You have about six hours to get it fixed. I’ll phone ahead and tell them you’re coming.” Two hours later, I was in the operating theatre and I don’t even limp now.

[Tony_S]

2 hours ago, Grizz said:

 

Yeah my earlier point was that Danes, Swedes and Norwegians refer to themselves Scandinavians. They generally seem quite happy with that term. Our family refers to itself as Danish or Danes and collectively with Sweden and Norway as Scandinavian. So why has this Nordic term recently showed up, especially on BBC stuff? 

Because the BBC article you quoted was about Sweden and Finland. I suspect that many news articles recently will have used Nordic as Finland has been involved , like Nato or border closing by Norway and Finland.

 

[Tony_S]

I have been to all the Scandinavian countries for holidays. I haven’t visited any of the non Scandinavian Nordic countries so far. First one will be this summer when we go to Iceland. We have flown over Greenland but that doesn’t count. I have seen the ferry from Helsinki arrive in Tallinn but that doesn’t count either! My son was in Helsinki at a conference and was waiting for a “special “ Russian visa to go  to a meeting  afterward in Kalingrad. As it turned up late he had already decided to go for a holiday in Estonia instead and used the ferry and returned to Helsinki to fly home.  Back then there were lots of Russians shopping in Finland. They could travel visa free. Rather different now the border is closed. 

Edited January 3 by Tony_S

[Coombe Barton]

... This is what I look like as a Viking – thinking of using it for my students to show them I mean business. ...

https://johncolby.wordpress.com/2024/01/03/sounds-of-the-season-2023-32-no-data-on-covid-submission-day-for-students/

[tigerburnie]

Before I trimmed my beard a bit.......................

[Grizz]

I guess it is ingrained from the DK view point that Scandinavia is the term used. It is the Crown countries with arguably the closest shared intertwined histories that refer to themselves as Scandinavian. 
 

I’ve also been to Norway, Sweden and Finland over the years. There are definitely closer similarities to Denmark, Norway and Sweden. But I would say generally not so much Finland. Perhaps it is fair to say that there might be some obvious similarities to the parts of North Norway, North Sweden and Finland where the three countries share land borders. 
 

Several years back we had an amazing adventure up there. We took snowmobiles out in a blizzard across the frozen lake where the three land borders meet. Brilliant fun blasting along, sock out, -20c. Happy days. I’ve yet to go to Iceland or Greenland. 

In the meantime the snow is getting deeper and blowing all over the place in Nordjlland. 
 

 

[Grizz]

5 minutes ago, tigerburnie said:

Before I trimmed my beard a bit.......................

And me with mine! 
Genuinely me…in all my Grizzliness. 😂

 

[jjb1970]

Finland is very different from Denmark, Sweden and Norway (well, apart from the Swedish speaking bits). I find the attitudes between the other three share something in common with those between English, Scots and Welsh people but the Finns are outside that. I like Finland, on the surface the people can look miserable but they often have a very dry sense of humour which is great. Home of one of the world's most successful large engine builders (Wartsila).

[skipepsi]

I had ablack beard like that then I married it is white now...

[jjb1970]

Just packing the bags for the journey back to the Clapham Junction of international shipping. Flying on tomorrow evening's Air China flight to Beijing then on to Singapore,  should be an A350 then a 787. Been a nice holiday, it's nice to get away to the cold and enjoy being frozen. 

[Tony_S]

52 minutes ago, Coombe Barton said:

what I look like as a Viking

I took a photo of one in York recently.

 

[Gwiwer]

11 minutes ago, skipepsi said:

I had ablack beard like that then I married it is white now...

Sunbleached. As I say of mine. 

[Grizz]

2 minutes ago, Tony_S said:

I took a photo of one in York recently.

 

Mmmmm…..He doesn’t look very happy. In fact he looks like he is deep in thought or possibly concentrating….perhaps that wicker effort is the Viking privy? He appears to be holding on for dear life…..probably some ‘well seasoned’ slightly gone off fish left over from the ‘Away Day to Yorvik’…..

[Gwiwer]

Evening all

 

A busy day today starting with breakfast shared with friends. Remarkable that in a small town, midweek in winter one has to book a table for breakfast but they often turn away as many as they seat. And so it was today. The unbooked can wait on the sofa if there’s a table vacating without a subsequent booking but even that only holds another four. 
 

We booked. And thoroughly enjoyed great food as always chez Café Dog & Rabbit. 

 

We all trooped back to the Distant (Signal) West in blustery but sunny conditions. I had to leave the party soon after owing to a number of commitments. 
 

I called into PZ police station to record last night’s event and had the details taken by a lovely empathetic PCSO. They couldn’t offer to do much but it is on record in case Nastywoman strikes again or already has a history with them. 
 

A quick stop in town to pick up foam-board was followed by a lengthy wait at the tip as everyone was recycling their excess of seasonal wrappings. And stuff. And then onto the awl-inspiring club for several hours. 
 

The Sainsbury’s run was completed on the way home making it five stops for the trip and efficient use of the fuel. 
 

Dr. SWMBO had received a call from Victim Support, as had I, during the afternoon and said they were “really very nice and understanding”.  But again there’s not much more that can be done about a potty-mouthed individual letting rip however hurtful it was to the innocent party. 
 

She had a major anxiety attack during the evening and has taken herself off to bed with a promise to call “someone” in the morning. Hopefully a GP or NHS111 who can refer to suitable support. 
 

It’s way too soon for bed here. I’ll sit and contemplate fitting the new smoke and heat alarms which arrived today. To replace the ones marked “Replace by 2016” which we inherited with the purchase. 
 

And it is still windy ……..

[Grizz]

Just got this belated Christmas present from our friends, who live a couple of villages away. 

This is a thing….wood cutting the Scandinavian way, in this case Norwegian. I’ve done years of this, if I added it all up. I find that a good steady supply of Øl is the key…lots of it is better. It is definitely a thing though. Generally I think it is a bit like the need for most men, at some point in their life, to own a shed. It could be said to be therapeutic, especially when couple with Øl.

 

 

Edited January 3 by Grizz

[PhilJ W]

4 hours ago, Ozexpatriate said:

There appears to be an effort to remove the "Dark Ages" label. Despite illuminated manuscripts the relative paucity of written records doesn't make them 'dark'.

 

Wikipedia says this on "Medieval"

Or if you prefer - "post classical".

I watched "Digging for Britain" on BBC2 earlier this evening. On there they described "Early Medieval" as from 410 to 1066. The term "Dark Ages" was coined by the early Christians because the period in question was largely none Christian. However as shown in the program where a cemetary contained both Pagan and Christian burials the term Dark Ages would be inappropriate.

[Tony_S]

22 minutes ago, Grizz said:

Mmmmm…..He doesn’t look very happy. In fact he looks like he is deep in thought or possibly concentrating….perhaps that wicker effort is the Viking privy? He appears to be holding on for dear life…..probably some ‘well seasoned’ slightly gone off fish left over from the ‘Away Day to Yorvik’…..

Definitely the privy. Moss was handy. I think when the  Jorvik museum first opened it had suitable smells. I didn’t notice. There was some of the evidence on display to show that the Viking diet probably caused some discomfort. The coprolite had its own Wikipedia page.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lloyds_Bank_coprolite

Tony

 

[PhilJ W]

Evening all from Estuary-Land. Dinner tonight was liver and bacon, with mash and onion gravy of course. The dessert was the remains of the stollen cake. I will have to venture out tomorrow for more supplies, the usual bread, milk and eggs and some dinners for the rest of the week.

[jjb1970]

When thinking of the dark ages or early medieval period many European people tend to ignore (or are unaware) that it was the golden age of Islam and a period of Great learning in the Islamic world, that the Eastern Roman empire continued and that many cultures outside Europe were thriving (the Tang dynasty period was a great era for arts and learning in China for example).

[jjb1970]

I am proud to announce the launch of Honest JJB's Low Cost Medical Services, making private healthcare affordable for the riff raff!! Yes friends, by eliminating all unnecessary and frivolous extras such as anaesthetics, operating theatres, trained staff and hospitals we can pass the savings on to our valued  customers. All surgical procedures are carried out by our fully trained medical operators, who have passed our rigorous 2 day training program, you can relax knowing that we are not regulated and are not registered for tax. Just look at this testimonial from Marjorie Hetherington whose husband Stan was one of our pre-launch trial customers-

 

When Stan complained of bad guys after a fiery vindaloo and 14 pints he saw an advert for Honest JJB's on the wall of his turf accountants and thought it worth a try. Within five minutes of clearing our payment Honest JJB's medical operator had diagnosed excess pressure on the brain and treated it by hammering a chisel into Stan's head to relieve it. Unfortunately Stan died of natural causes as a result of blunt trauma to the head during the treatment but Honest JJB were so nice and told me he'd have felt no pain, I recommend Honest JJB's to anyone needing medical help.

 

You can't argue with a testimonial like that, Honest JJB's Low Cost Mecical Services, the Poundland of healthcare!

[Grizz]

JJB I’d hurry up and copy right that idea…before someone in the UK free market economy sees it a viable business model / instruction manual. 

[Hroth]

1 hour ago, Tony_S said:

Definitely the privy. Moss was handy. I think when the  Jorvik museum first opened it had suitable smells. I didn’t notice. There was some of the evidence on display to show that the Viking diet probably caused some discomfort. The coprolite had its own Wikipedia page.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lloyds_Bank_coprolite

Tony

 

 

The "Lloyds Bank" coprolite.

 

A remarkably well named piece of sh*t!

 

[Grizz]

Errrrr…JJB ….just a thought……you’re not part of a government think tank on the quiet? 

Edited January 3 by Grizz

[zarniwhoop]

I (finally) caught up with an earlier Digging for Britain this evening - apart from the (sensible, IMHO) change to the terminology (you mean our knowledge of the past has increased in the last 60+ years ? - who would have thought it!) I was surprised to find out that the normans conquered Cumbria under William II - I'd never thought about when that was incorporated into England - I knew it was separate several hundred years before that, but I guess I'd never thought about what happened to it in the intervening period, and had assumed that saxons or vikings from the East coast had overrun it.

 

Truly, my knowledge of history is not as comprehensive as I would like.