Early Risers.

[BSW01]

Goodnight all 

[PhilJ W]

Evening all from Estuary-Land. Had a good evening at SEERS, watching the model trains go by. Next meeting is the AGM and as I am a committee member I'm duty bound to attend. Too busy to watch much TV today so I'll catch up on I-player tomorrow.

[PhilJ W]

Goodnight all.

[zarniwhoop]

Those who read TNM may have already seen this because I posted on the wrong topic. Nothing to do with parallel strips of metal, this is where I intended to post it. <sigh/>

 

When I was idly killing time looking at so-called news on my phone earlier this week I saw a lot of posts saying that iplayer apps were closing down, with a comment from the BBC that it was too expensive to continue. When I can be bothered, I've been using get_iplayer (on linux) to download things - quality often not brilliant, but good enough to watch on a computer monitor.

 

Having closed down all the other things I was doing, I thought I ought to stop installing the perl modules get_iplayer needs. But before that I gave it a try - working perfectly, including local news from Thursday evening.

[jjb1970]

Wasn't iplayer a key part of the BBC journey into the brave new world of on-demand viewing not long ago? I found it a pretty good platform but haven't used it for several years. We cannot access from here, it's easy enough to use a VPN but I can't be bothered as there is enough on other platforms. I like Korean TV, the content on Netflix and Disney here relies quote heavily on Korean content and I find the good stuff to be superb. Production values are extremely high and some of the stories are brilliant. 

[BR60103]

13 hours ago, monkeysarefun said:

NEVER  underestimate the power of a decent taunting.

 

b) never called my bluff by asking  me what a taunting actually involved..

Just threaten to have his figgins toasted.    (T. Pratchett,  Guards Guards)

 

[Ozexpatriate]

10 hours ago, Gwiwer said:

Which I choose to consider excessive in the extreme. 

It does help it to transit the pond intact.

 

At one point I had to dry out the contents of a set of red boxes from a larger manufacturer with which someone had played post office football. The ends were all wet and disintegrating.

[jjb1970]

The Accurascale packaging is a bit much, though as Michael says it does provide robust protection for the contents. For me it's not an issue as I don't buy that much but I can see that for those who order lots of models it would quickly add up to a very bulky set of boxes. That said,,packaging for models has been growing, and it seems that model producers have followed Apple in seeing packaging as part of the experience. The Hornby 9F packaging was very bulky, and the Rivarossi Big Boy packaging really is over the top in my opinion. I must admit I do like a nice box, I know it's just a box and what matters is what is inside but I do find well done packaging adds some 'feel good' factor to things.

[Ozexpatriate]

7 hours ago, zarniwhoop said:

I'm just writing this down to get it out of my system

The problem is that software is inexpensive to write and incredibly expensive to maintain. Relevant share-ware that finds it's way into 'mission critical' applications inevitably comes under some sort of fee-based system to keep it functional, one way or another.

 

I certainly saw this with Red Hat and SuSE. "Enterprise" operators were happy to pay for support - since that meant accountability.

[jamie92208]

Good moaning from the pre dawn gloaming.  The Hen House arrived safely and the driver was happy to reverse all the way up to the woodshed so I could unload it close to where I will assemble it, as the main box weighs over 30 kg, that's helpful. 

 

Then a very nice meal out at our favourite restaurant. 

 

Anyway some other small jobs to do today the something large and wooden to assemble. 

 

Ttfn. 

 

Jamie

[PupCam]

Morning!

 

I’m a real ER today.     It’s much too early …. 🤣

 

Back later,   TTFNQ

[polybear]

3 hours ago, jjb1970 said:

The Accurascale packaging is a bit much, though as Michael says it does provide robust protection for the contents. For me it's not an issue as I don't buy that much but I can see that for those who order lots of models it would quickly add up to a very bulky set of boxes. That said,,packaging for models has been growing, and it seems that model producers have followed Apple in seeing packaging as part of the experience. The Hornby 9F packaging was very bulky, and the Rivarossi Big Boy packaging really is over the top in my opinion. I must admit I do like a nice box, I know it's just a box and what matters is what is inside but I do find well done packaging adds some 'feel good' factor to things.

 

Bear is all for decent packing (though it does take up more room in the ever-diminishing diminished space in the Bear Cave Cabinets); I suspect that Manufacturers are rapidly learning that replacing models that arrive busted is a lot more expensive (and image damaging)** than using bigger & better boxes and getting a few less in Shipping Containers.

 

**Remember the Red Box Hush-Hush Saga not so long ago?  (Though that was also down to poor design) - Bear was one of the very lucky ones to receive a model undamaged.

Edited April 12 by polybear

[Barry O]

Ey up!

Lots of people off to sunnier climes from Leeds Bradford. Why are Aitbus A321s so much quieter than Boing 737s??

 

Lots of things to sort today. Two zoom meetings to organise, info regarding a cricketbissue to sort, some bills to sort (and I await a refund from Trans Pennine Express for a strike cancelled trip.)

 

Cricket around here is heading for a disaster zone due to.. rain.. loads and loads of it. Most of the Leagues are hoping to start on the May Day Bank Holiday weekend.. no chance...

 

I must also check the preparations for taking an object based on Chapel en le Frith (Central) to Bristol... only paperwork received on that so far is... a Risk Management questionnaire..  wonder when joining instructions will arrive??

 

Still feeling  less than well following my trivandrum fall at Easter. Everything is slowly heeling.

 

Time to finish my tea and gerronwithit!

 

@polybear her indoors has sorted a lot of donations this week. One had nearly 90 very nearly or actually new items of very clean clothing.. seems like Easter weekend was clear out weekend..

 

Baz

Edited April 12 by Barry O

[New Haven Neil]

Yes it is far too early, Puppers.

 

12c and breezy/windy once again, and damp but not currently raining.

 

It is OF's brunch day, so no doubt it will rain soon.  Not sure what else is on the cards, the decoderiser didn't arrive (although bills did - pah) so no progress on the forbidden things.

[polybear]

Bear here.....

 

...Who woke at 3-30am 😒 and never really got back to snoozybearland proper-like afterwards.  Poo.

I climbed the little wooden hill last night with the full intention of getting up at 04-30 for yet another early morning piddlin' in the pool silliness session; I decided that changing this to a G-Word Session (but not at 04-30....) at the front of Bear Towers (the first this year) would be (a) more productive, (b) needed doing, (c) meant Bear got a lay-in, and (d) much cheaper (no seven quid entry fee or motion lotion used).  Tick.

 

So that's today's this morning's plan sorted.

I also need to order a new "kicking around in" watch 😒 as my current one has died at long last😢 despite having a new battery.  Poo.  So that'll be a session searching The Big River - expanding strap, analogue, easy to read, date would be nice, cheap......oh yes, and hopefully a brand I've actually heard of.....

Previous searches have shown that the shopping list isn't all that easy to achieve after all - few have dates on; those that do are £ more - and particularly during Hospice Days (loading & unloading the vans + general 'umpin & dumpin') there's real scope for it getting knocked & scratched (and worse).

 

Right, time to get a wriggle on....

 

BG

[polybear]

27 minutes ago, Barry O said:

Ey up!

Lots of people off to sunnier climes from Leeds Bradford. Why are Aitbus A321s so much quieter than Boing 737s??

 

Boing's tend to rattle a lot - and more drag wot wiv all those loose panels hanging off....

 

27 minutes ago, Barry O said:

@polybear her indoors has sorted a lot of donations this week. One had nearly 90 very nearly or actually new items of very clean clothing.. seems like Easter weekend was clear out weekend..

 

Baz

 

The Warehouse had 400 donations in 4 hours on the Saturday; some kind member of public went into one of our shops (selling the better stuff) with a Coffee and managed to spill it all over a rail selling new (as in bought-in by the Charity, not donated) Ladies Clothing .....an accident, but they just turned around and cleared off.....🤬.  Result - loads of new stock ruined.  T0sser.

 

The shop selling the top-end donations has clothes in that still have the original sales labels intact - so never worn; I saw some yesterday when delivering - labels with £120  original price tickets were common.....

 

It also has a lot of very  nice china dinner sets etc. at a mere fraction of what they must've cost originally - Wedding Presents that were never (or rarely) used perhaps.

 

 

 

 

[TheQ]

Mooring Awl,

3 hours sleep, short awake 4 hours sleep so a good one for me.

 

Took Ben the sleeping Collie out, he was happy enough but I found it darn chilly, there's a strong cool wind out there, 29mph, the seaweed inspectors says a warm south westerly, this is at the moment a North westerly.

Supposedly it's supposed reach 20 to 21C out there according to the TV weather womble, but the online weather site says a more realistic 17C in the late afternoon.

The ground shows no sign of drying out yet, still a soft brown firm mud.

 

Poo sticks have arrived from the NHS, I think I'll leave that till Monday.

 

When we cleared SWMBOs Aunt's stuff we found a rack of clothing still labeled unworn, too big for swmbo unfortunately.

When I needed a jacket to convert for wearing with a kilt, we raided the local charity shop, an as new tweed jacket was obtained for about a £5.. I looked it up, it was still in current production, so it definitely wasn't Old, new price £300ish.

 

Time I got the blazer on its museum day...

 

[BSW01]

Good morning everyone 

 

It looks like it’s about to start raining soon, I hope it holds off until I’ve been to the butchers! After that, WE are going to the Trafford Centre to pick up some click and collect items, these will be birthday and Christmas presents for the girls! This trip will no doubt take up the rest of he morning! 
 

After dinner, the rest of the day is mine, so a little scribbling with pencil and paper to work out the electrical circuit diagram for the 3 way point will be done. 
 

Back later. 
 

Brian

[DaveF]

A dry morning with a small patch of blue sky to the north.  Last night's forecast suggested rain later, this morning says a bit of drizzle then dry but cloudy and still mild.

 

I woke at 06.30 and decided to have 5 minutes more, the next thing I knew it was 08.15 so I quickly got moving and have just about caught up.

 

The next task is to look at the roadworks map to see which roads are open and do not have long delays before deciding what to do.

 

David 

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. Again not a bad night last night, only one callout from bladder control at what time I didn't note but six hours plus in the land of nod. @polybear If you're looking for a new watch I would recommend a Citizen. My watch is the second one of that make and it's now about five years old and the previous one lasted more than twenty-five years. What is more you never have to renew batteries as they are self charging via a photo-electric cell fitted in the face. On my previous one the only replacement needed was the leather strap. 

Edited April 12 by PhilJ W

[Hroth]

Back again...

 

Only away 5 days, I'll leave catchup for when I've been out for bread, milk, etc!

 

Watches?  I'm currently using a Pulsar Kinetic, which works like an old fashioned autowinder but for a quartz movement and must be nearing its second decade at least.  Its had a couple of straps and I might get a new strap soon to keep in reserve.

 

For "formal" use I have an oblong Rotary with a Millenium hallmarked Sterling silver case.  The interior is nothing to write home about...

 

[monkeysarefun]

 

Another day of weather brilliance here, low twenties so it felt a little bit Autumny but there was not a cloud to be seen again. Apart from last Friday when I got 170mm dumped on me in 12 hours the weather has been lovely lately.

 

And brilliant weather is pretty much the forecast over the weekend, which is good because on Sunday I'm off to Beverly Hills! 

 

  Which is in fact a suburb in Sydney which is playing host to the Holden Car Owners Club  car show. It does have palm trees so it looks  a bit like the LA version that stole its name, but there's fewer Kardashians.   The ute needs a run, its been sulking under its hailproof cover for the last 6 weeks or so.

 

Speaking of actors, I'm typing this from the first quarter break in the AFL Bombers V Bulldogs game, who are matching each other goal for goal at the moment. . An ad came on  during the break, it was  for our much-loved local telecommunications company and I thought - "jeez that bloke who's playing the old fella looks remarkably like the bloke who played PC Garfield in The Bill way back then".

 

So I invoked Google  and discovered that  Huw Higginson   had the wit to move here back in 2014 and now lives in trendy inner-Sydney Balmain, so it probably WAS him.

Edited April 12 by monkeysarefun

[polybear]

Bear here......

 

Three hours in Bear's postage-stamp sized front garden (ok, so it's 2nd Class Large) has apparently equalled a 1/4 of a mile....I'd be less knackered if I'd gone piddlin'.....

It looks a lot neater less of a Tram-smash than it did; still the lawn to cut yet - but I'll do that tomorrow methinks.

Postie has just delivered a book from the bay that a neighbour wants - the listing says Vol. 1, the book says Vol. 2....tw@ts.

 

Right, Beary din dins time methinks.....

 

BG

[monkeysarefun]

Half time at the footy, I'm bowing to the popular vote so  this is the last one, I'm naming it   "ER backlash".🙂

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 12 by monkeysarefun

[Tony_S]

4 hours ago, polybear said:

Previous searches have shown that the shopping list isn't all that easy to achieve after all - few have dates on; those that do are £ more - and particularly during Hospice Days (loading & unloading the vans + general 'umpin & dumpin') there's real scope for it getting knocked & scratched (and worse).

If you are prepared to have a resin strap the cheap Casio (pictures on Argos website) are tough. They do slightly more expensive ones with expanding straps but I don’t like those (hairy wrists!). They keep time really well. When I broke the one I had used at work for years I did replace it with one of the Casio G shock which is solar powered and gets gps time signals. But the £9.99 one is fine!