Early Risers.

[Andy Hayter]

Woke up this morning to a light dusting of snow lying in the valleys of the faux Roman tile roof.  When the sun came out this quickly disappeared but it is now snowing again and rather more heavily.  Food stocks for humans and cats at a healthy level.

Edited January 6 by Andy Hayter

[monkeysarefun]

1 hour ago, Hroth said:

 

I hope for Fraggle Rocks sake that there isn't a breeding pair. It'd be worse than having Mink.....

 

 

Don't know about that,  if you set up a breeding farm you could coin it selling the puppies.

 

 

 

Cruel to keep them so far from their native environment but.

 

 

 

Edited January 6 by monkeysarefun

[monkeysarefun]

There are regular stories here of travellers getting stuck in the  outback thanks to Google maps. Sometimes it ignores the 800km sealed road in preference to the 750km route through 4WD tracks, mining roads, , stock routes, etc:

 

https://www.carscoops.com/2022/08/family-gets-trapped-in-australian-outback-after-google-maps-reportedly-gives-bad-directions/

 

Other times it mistakes the name of a town , eg "Hammersley" for the name of the remote mountain range  that the town is named after:

 

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-08-16/google-maps-leaves-student-nurse-stranded-in-desert/102729818

 

More comically, the Blue Mountains is a vast area, but Google Maps has it at a random single point location, so anyone putting in Blue Mountains is led to a small dead end street 30km away from the major tourist destinations:

 

https://www.smh.com.au/technology/how-google-got-lost-in-the-blue-mountains-20171004-gytvdx.html

 

 

In all cases I'd be thinking that those involved need to take a spin  in the  room full of mirrors in order to have a long hard look at themselves if they just blindly followed the directions despite getting more and more obviously into a dangerous situation.  I know I'd be thinking  - "Hmmm, sealed road or dodgy track - I think I'll check the map again!"

 

 In the case of the Blue Mountains, you literally drive RIGHT THROUGH Katoomba to get to Dargan, surely they noticed all the signs saying "Three Sisters 200m"  etc!

Edited January 6 by monkeysarefun

[Ozexpatriate]

The origin of the word "bureaucracy" is French. They are the undisputed masters of it.

 

CNN: Francophone Belgian couple caught in bureaucratic struggle to prove they speak French

[PhilJ W]

Goodnight all.

[BSW01]

Good evening everyone 

 

My first task this morning after breakfast was to locate and retrieve our bins, thankfully they were only outside next doors garden wall, so not far to go. Whilst doing so, neighbours next door must have had the same idea. They enquired after Sheila, so we ended up chatting for about 5 minutes about the op etc. 

 

Sheila’s eye sight is continuing to improve, today she has been able to make my facial features out and she not frightened by that either! She has also spent the whole day downstairs without her eye guard, which again is another milestone in her recovery process. She’s still not happy about sitting around doing nothing, but to pass the time she listening to radio plays on the BBC sounds app. As for me, well I’m still pottering about doing domestic tasks, but then again, I’m only to happy to do so, so long as it means that Sheila can rest and recuperate. 

Edited January 6 by BSW01

[Erichill16]

Evening,

A bit under par today, a case of the trots followed by a migraine which may have been related. Anyway felling a bit better know but a bit tired. SWMBO is also a bit under the weather due to sniffles and having mil and nephews around really doesn’t help.

Mum sent a picture of yesterdays view from her veranda and fortunately the water has receded and the (tow?) path is now passable. Newark Castle is just behind the trees in the top right hand side of the picture.

[Erichill16]

Nothing else to report so 

Goodnight,

Robert

[BSW01]

Goodnight all 

[monkeysarefun]

2 hours ago, Tony_S said:

Also available in red…

 

 

 

    There's  NOTHING that a blown  LS1  can't fix! 

 

 

Edited January 6 by monkeysarefun

[Ozexpatriate]

There was some discussion some time back about bequests and model railway collections.

 

This pet food delivery commercial addresses that in an unhelpful way:

 

 

"You got a train set Todd".

 

[southern42]

' night all and nos da.

[BR60103]

There was a debate on grammar at a US political convention some years ago.  I think the gist of it was between

Taxes which restrict business shall be rescinded.

Taxes, which restrict business, shall be rescinded.

 

restrictive vs non-restrictive clauses, which I don't remember from school.

[Ozexpatriate]

1 hour ago, BR60103 said:

There was a debate on grammar at a US political convention some years ago.  I think the gist of it was between

Taxes which restrict business shall be rescinded.

Taxes, which restrict business, shall be rescinded.

 

restrictive vs non-restrictive clauses, which I don't remember from school.

And old boss of mine used to joke about how much lawyers are paid to argue about where to put the commas. That is a good example.

[roundhouse]

Morning from a now dryish Surrey.

 

What a week and a bit it has been travelling around by train. Our plans allowed plenty of redundancy in them as normal these days and that paid off very well with us getting to our destination each day on time apart from Birmingham to Penzance which took nearly three hours longer but it did the job of keepeing us out of pubs for that time as we did need a day without much beer. The day we departed Penzance trains were up creek with our planned train cancelled,so we went for an earlier train but that got delayed ECS from Plymouth into Penzance and hence driver had a 20 minute rest break making us 40 late into Taunton. At least we then made our planned train to Bristol.

Yesterday the trains home were on time but it felt like crossing various lakes around Keynsham, Pangbourne and near Guildford.

 

Now back working on the TT scale layout ready for next weekends show. and maybe a week beer free although I doubt that will actually happen.

[jamie92208]

Good moaning from the Charente.  We had a good evening at a friend's house with a large group of her French and Brit neighbours.  Good company and good food. Oh there was also a Queenslnder.  She was also good company. Married to a French chef. 

 

The market calls this morning then we are offtode. Iver two beds thst we are giving away.  A meal isbei g given in return. 

 

Jamir

[iL Dottore]

There was a most enjoyable little book about grammar that came out a few years ago called “Eats Shoots and Leaves” - with a paragraph or two that explained how a comma can make a big differences to the meaning (“eats, shoots and leaves” vs “eats shoots and leaves”). It was a light read which had the benefit of sprucing up one’s grammar.

 

After decades of preparing material that will be reviewed by the FDA, I’ve adjusted (more or less) to the necessity of using US English. Nothing wrong with US English per se, but correct spelling (e.g. coloUr not color) and punctuation (comma before <and>, really?) would not go amiss 😁🤣 But unless I had to use US English, I stubbornly stuck to “British” English - hAematology instead of hematology, aluminIum oxide instead of aluminum oxide and so on. I even preferred to use the ligature æ if I could (e.g. Cæsarian section). Perversely pedantic, I know.

 

As I’ve mentioned before, I love the English language and I also love reading. This combination of linguistics and wide reading does allow me to have a lot of fun with writing things. Most of the time this also means I write coherently, succinctly and clearly, but it also means I can obfuscate, mislead and be provocative with ease 😳🤣

 

On a final linguistic note: I’m currently working with a great team based in the United States; I have no idea how it began, but every so often I give my American colleagues an “English Lesson” - in which I instruct them on some of the finer examples of British colloquialisms.
 

Colloquialisms such as “muppet”, “chuffed”, “dodgy” and “throwing a wobbly” were some of many explained - of which a few have turned up in our teleconferences (e.g. “I’m chuffed that they finally updated the document”).

I’m wondering whether or I should introduce them to that useful bit of slang “The Dog’s B******s” (aka “the dog’s danglies”, “the mutt’s nuts”, the canine’s gonads”), but I’m not quite sure if they’re ready.

 

Edited January 7 by iL Dottore
Typo

[Grizz]

Erm…did I miss something in early December or is Poly Bear missing in action? 

[Hroth]

8 hours ago, monkeysarefun said:

 

 

 

    There's  NOTHING that a blown  LS1  can't fix! 

 

 

 

Does it play tunes through those horns above the engine?

🤔🤪🤣

 

[monkeysarefun]

11 minutes ago, Hroth said:

 

Does it play tunes through those horns above the engine?

🤔🤪🤣

 

 

 

I think you're confusing it with YOUR car.

 

 

 

 😛

 

 

Edited January 7 by monkeysarefun

[Barry O]

16 minutes ago, Grizz said:

Erm…did I miss something in early December or is Poly Bear missing in action? 

He has been for some time. @PupCamdid contact him .. he hoped to get back to ERs once he managed to lock the black dog away.

 

Baz

[Grizz]

8 hours ago, monkeysarefun said:

 

 

 

    There's  NOTHING that a blown  LS1  can't fix! 

 

 

It strikes me that there must be mountains of surplus car bonnets (hoods) in Australia…..just saying.

[TheQ]

9 minutes ago, Grizz said:

Erm…did I miss something in early December or is Poly Bear missing in action? 

I believe a black dog has walked past and he is taking a break.

 

Mooring Awl,

A very bad night's sleep, very broken up,.slight headache due to that.

 

Ben the I'm just awake Collie took me for a patrol , after a while following scents he found one of his tennis balls so we played with that for a bit.

 

It's dull dark and windy, forecast gusting 23 actually gusting over 30mph.

 

Time I moved to get breaky, as it's sailing day, which will be interesting as we've not sailed at this new 0lace with this direction of wind.

[Hroth]

Just now, Grizz said:

It strikes me that there must be mountains of surplus car bonnets (hoods) in Australia…..just saying.

 

Not just the bonnets, but pretty much whatever was originally underneath them too...

[Barry O]

Ey up!

 

I have reinforced the lock and chain on my particular Black pooch despite historical items which are remembered at this time of year. 

 

I am in London for a meeting on Wednesday. The tube is "closed" due to a lack of "action" from some of the "work" force.... could be people don't bother going I to London..  less people .. less trains.. less maintenance.. less workforce required......

 

Time to drink my tea and venture off into the world.

 

Baz