The White Rabbit

In my experience, that's about it... I signed up ages ago but am very inactive. I have occasionally been approached about jobs, nothing ever came of these. Though I noticed that one approach presumably confused me with another person of the same name as he was later listed as being in the role I was asked about. (Writing about gambling in Gibraltar, as you ask...). So it might have worked for him. I don't use social media much, this is the only one I'm involved in. I won't touch Facebook with a bargepole, it's not for me. I did a bit more social media (including Twitter 🙄) when involved in restoring a self propelled railway carriage but only for that cause, it didn't appeal on a personal level.

Someone I knew at university was a bit of an IT geek and he got himself a top of the range set up for virtually nothing by being lucky enough to pass a skip when an office was having a clear-out/upgrade of their IT. He asked and was told help yourself. I think he had to pay a little for some software but otherwise saved himself what would have been a sizeable four figure sum in today's money. Personally I use Freecycle, both to give away and acquire. The most recent acquisition is a dining room table, it had some very slight damage on one side but was easily repairable, I can barely find the spot now. Very nice condition, had for a couple of pounds' petrol.

I don't know how others feel but for me, one very effective method of making me perk up and pay more attention to my driving was a few bunches of flowers by the roadside. Particularly when combined with obvious accident damage. Cynically, I wondered if the authorities could buy some bunches of plastic flowers and put them at suitable locations as an accident prevention scheme - could be rather cost effective too, probably much cheaper than speed display read-outs or LED message boards on poles...?

My two-pennorth - is it a Stop or a Give Way junction? From how you've described it, if it's not the former then it ought to be. Not that I'm any sort of expert but it sounds like a junction where very slow speed and caution on emerging are called for. Can you save your footage as evidence? As well as a letter to the local authority or Highways Agency, it may be worth contacting the local media, if only to highlight to the relevant authority it's a dangerous situation. And if you can get an article or letter published online, then - should anything bad happen and the family/solicitors start searching for any indication the junction is 'dodgy', they can wave that as evidence it was a known bad junction and nothing was done. That is something the council or HA will know and you may find it easier to get something done before someone gets hurt. Being sneaky, should you be able to get two or three of your friends to write letters to the local paper or interest the local reporter to do an article, you could then write to officialdom and say several of us have spotted this/had near misses and it's been in the press, if someone gets hurt, you're going to get hammered...

My thoughts: Go with the prototype - have a look at all the photos you can find of something close and be guided by those. Have you seen 'foamboard'? This can be a lightweight option for baseboards - but - major caveat/warning - if not braced and reinforced, it can warp on exposure to waterbased [scenery] products/filler. I've bought from https://artdiscount.co.uk/collections/foam-board (other suppliers available). Polystyrene can be bought from DIY places in flat sheets of varying thicknesses - OK, it's much more expensive than re-using packing material but can be worth it for the precision of the cut. I used this for some models I built on a [commercial basis] and 'sandwiched' it between two layers of timber, ply/MDF I think, the top one with multiple bits cut out to allow for below rail/road scenery. Being polystyrene, you can excavate relatively easily. If you are not 100% about the location of things like track, you can glue the top layer on without any holes and use a mini-tool to cut the holes out later - though be aware you may need to guard against dust + fumes etc. when cutting. When thinking about the height of the deck from the water level, allow for winter rainfall and flooding. Below is a photo and sketch plan of an adaptation of the Wills 4mm scale plastic kit, admittedly for a standard gauge line but I have used for a OO9 line too, just I can't find the photos of either one (pah and turdycurses...) which I hope gives you an idea about heights - rail height above baseboard level was about 1.6 inches to the bottom of the rail/top of the [white] cross girders.

Your name vill also go on ze list ...

Wabbit here... I'll see you your wines and painters: 'Up, up and away...' https://bristolha.files.wordpress.com/2019/09/bha097.pdf and raise you '1848 - 1870* - hours and duties of Prussian Railwaymen'. I can't find a link to this one but it's an A5 booklet similar in style/size to the other title. Both were memorable titles in stock - albeit not best sellers - in the historical/archaeology section of a certain bookshop I used to run. Wabbit must dash - a couple of things to do before the rain arrives later, toodle-oo... * Not 100% about the dates, might be a little out.

Ah, that's what spoons are for!

Evenin' awl, A busy day, hopefully I made some progress, from whackin' it to the Kafkaesque filth which infest our lives through to more honest activity making 'stuff' through working with one's hands to turn raw materials into a finished product. There are a few things round home which needed repairing/fixing, all being well I crossed a few off the list today. On the subject of food, particularly carbs, I saw: https://www.theguardian.com/food/2024/mar/26/forget-roast-mash-and-boiled-alternative-potato-side-dishes-kitchen-aide earlier. Nice to see some variety. Random thought for the day, why does some food taste better when cold and other dishes when hot? There must be a scientific explanation (I hope!) - but it'd be interesting to have a pointer as to why. Just as an example, my quiches are supposedly just as tasty hot or cold - though different - same story with my treacle tart, and I did some venison sausage rolls yesterday and they were tastier hot than cold (lunch today) though still very pleasant cold and my version of Gala pie (very crudely, pork pie with egg) is significantly tastier cold than from the oven. Any thoughts? ION... it's piddlin' down... again... hailstones earlier... pah.... I think I shall emulate Achilles and retire, sulking... G' night all...

... fallen doors not being rehung ...

Afternoon awl, Fine and sunny now but this am, the weather was alternating between grey and chuckitdarn and blue sky and wall to wall sunshine. Rather like one of those old fashioned weather forecast devices with good/bad weather figures which emerge depending on atmospheric pressure on Benny Hill style speeded-up timing. After lunch, the wind dropped and it's now rather pleasant outside. I shall head there shortly. A 'culinary' lunch had, as this am was a write-off for walking or garden pottering, I did a Chicken Parmigiana with triple cooked chips and runner beans. OK, OK, a 'posh' version of chicken and chips... 😉 Turned out just fine though. As others have said, it's the quality of the ingredients that makes the difference. And planning and timing help. It reminded me of a saying my postgrad flatmate of some years ago was fond of, 'I love it when a meal comes together'. Paraphrasing a certain Colonel Smith of a 1980s popular TV show... It could be pizza or cake for tea. I'll go and mark out a landing ground for Bear. ION, not much really... Plus one for the dislike of self-service checkouts, I don't think I've been through one without having to ask for human help - whether to approve an alcohol sale or because the IT has had a wobble, perhaps because I was using the wrong hand to scan the item... 🤔 I'll leave with a closing thought, courtesy Bill Watterson... https://www.reddit.com/r/calvinandhobbes/comments/hpd7e3/these_days_the_junk_mail_comes_through_instagram/

Your neighbours should pay your surveyor's costs as well as their own, whether you opt to choose your own surveyor or go with the one your neighbour is using. Without knowing the specific circs, two pieces of generic advice, talk to your neighbours and take pre-works photos of the 'site'. It would be prudent for someone in your neighbour's position to be diplomatic towards [you] and to ensure their professional advisers behave correctly and pro-actively. But ... in the world we live in, I wouldn't take things for granted.

I used a PC and [ordinary] inkjet printer. You can get reasonable resolution without needing anything expensive/sophisticated. I used MS Publisher and Paint shop pro and played around a bit - I'm not the world's best with IT so reckon most computer users could do something similar. In terms of 'source material', I photographed posters, picture frames and other household objects like vases with flowers, rows of books and children's toys (for the inside of windows rather than noticeboards) and scanned a few books and magazine covers (favourite copy of BRM for a table/dashboard anyone?) and then a little 'jiggery-pokery' later, had a sheet of things which were printed out onto decent high res paper or thin card. You can create your own posters, whether for chimney sweeps or railway excursions. This is a shop front which used some of my '4mm' pictures (modelling by Tony Jones for the Shipley club's Leicester South). I take various photos of local scenes, landscapes, dogs and vintage cars etc. which can be digitally inserted into various frames. And a close up of some of the pictures from my 'framed picture sheet':

Best not to be premature, heh?

AI isn't great at giving animals the right number of limbs - one (unposted) pic I had of a polar bear had two heads and five legs. The extras were unrequested, I wasn't havin a laff or dig at Bear! And it's given me three ears before now on a couple of occasions ...

OK Zebadee, it's a fair cop. I tried to post it yesterday but it fell between the cracks of RMW's tech issues - one [other] post got duplicated and this one was (I thought) lost, though it later surfaced today on the editor, so I amended it and tried again, forgetting about the time.

I've seen engravings at various viewpoints with basic maps and compass bearings/lines so you know what you're looking at. Or would be if the mist would clear. Occasionally with distances included as well. Useful and nice to see. ION... time for this picture again? Though it doesn't feel like it at the moment. Maybe later? I wonder if one of the 'dishonesty' offences cannot be applied or proven, whether GDPR could be used? If so, then that, the resulting media coverage and public reaction might enable a stop to be put to the practice?

ION, Posh... my dictionary says: [adjective] smart, stylish, first rate; [verb] to smarten up, perhaps from slang 'posh money' (i.e. a dandy). The thesaurus lists: smart, elegant, ornate, stylish, fancy, fashionable, exclusive, select, classy, high class, rich, opulent, luxurious, up market, top drawer, grand, lavish, sumptuous, plush, ritzy, swanky, swish, upper crust, upper class, upmarket, aristocratic, la-di-da, fancy, genteel. Opposite: vulgar. Like many words, I guess it's shades of Humpty Dumpty linguistics, the precise meaning is often in the eye of the beholder mind of the speaker. It's not a word I use very often and not about food. 'Expensive', 'quality', 'intricate'/'involved'/'complicated'* dishes ... well ... perhaps but I'd probably be more likely to think of it when considering other people or locations/neighbourhoods. Maybe the sort of nouveau riche artificial characters a friend of mine calls pretentious prats? (A useful phrase which I have unashamedly borrowed). I think for me, 'posh' is a version of vulgarity by an ill judged OTT effort to put on unjustified airs and graces? And sheds - I still haven't got one! * e.g. souffles, meringues for me, I'm sure we all have our culinary 'betes noires'?

Evening awl, RMW has had a few wobbles for me over the last few days, duplicated pages, slow or no page-loading and the intermittent refusal to rate posts. It seems to be a known issue so I didn't raise it, I'm sure it's being worked on. On the subject of plants in pots (sort of!) I saw https://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/fed-up-isle-of-man-politician-plants-flowers-in-potholes-in-protest-at-disastrous-state-of-high-street-672453 earlier. It's not just Fraggle Rock, some roads near me are seriously dangerous as most drivers are driving round the holes - but some are about six inches deep FFS! Hit them at more than walking pace and I reckon there's a high chance something will break. Residential streets, well, the cynical could argue they are useful, slow cars down but holes that size in A & B roads? Yes, rant.... with all the rain we've had lately, I'll take my plastic duck along to one or two of the quiet ones and see about a snap.

One thing I've noticed about the recent food pictures - a lot of the cutlery is upside down. Irrespective of whether they show left or right handed/pawed subjects, the forks are pointing towards the diner. Is this a coded message that, in the creator's opinion, the subject is guilty of culinary crimes and his 'personal weapon' has been turned to face him, like a sword at a court martial verdict? Or is it a well observed trait of the subject - i.e. Uncle Rufus liked flicking his olives from a pizza at the other diners too?

How much? 😮 ION, our local garden centre sells some pots as frost proof. OK, probably England frost rather than Antarctic frost but we've had three outside for a few years and they are still intact and no visible cracks. It is unusual as it doesn't have a cafe - just good plants. The centre in the article il D quotes is not far from us, less than half an hour's drive away but I don't think I've been in. I think good food should appeal to most of the senses, visually appealing, smell nice and taste nice. In some cases, possibly sound nice but apart from certain breakfast cereals, I can't think of any foods off-hand that might comfort one's hearing. (Any offers anyone? 😉) I don't go overboard for 'artistic' food but appreciate the chefs giving some thought to presentation, if only because they take a pride in their work/product.

My proposition is that it's a different preposition. Dishes (supposedly) made by shepherds or by cottagers?

Morning all, Not an ER today, broken night. Maybe too many nightmares about t'fella near the castle of Aughhh... ? I saw https://www.theguardian.com/food/2024/mar/17/tom-kerridge-easter-recipes-shoulder-of-lamb-onion-tart-and-a-hot-cross-bun-bread-and-butter-pudding for those who may be fans or are toying with ideas for later this month. I've seen articles on that. For example, https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/may/15/the-big-idea-why-we-need-a-new-definition-of-junk-food and https://www.theguardian.com/science/2023/oct/10/addiction-to-ultra-processed-food-affects-14-of-adults-global-study-shows Also, perhaps my thought for the day, something else to consider? https://www.theguardian.com/science/2024/mar/06/people-who-eat-breakfast-high-in-refined-carbs-rated-less-attractive-study-finds I accept I could do more but I do try and eat food without artificial chemicals and which hasn't been highly processed. It's not always easy, for instance I use free range eggs but they are almost always commercially produced rather than 'farmyard free range'. The latter are a long way away from the commercial ones in taste and colour. And you can (almost) bounce them off concrete! Unfortunately my first supplier died, my second emigrated and my third had a nocturnal visit from Mr Fox and didn't want to restock. We have a covenant which says we're not allowed to keep poultry in the garden (a common one in England) and while I could bribe the neighbours with fresh eggs, should a Mr Cockerel start greeting the dawn with the typical enthusiasm of his kind, that goodwill would vanish like morning mist in the summer. Time to stop waxing lyrical and go and peel the potatoes...

Nope... 'fraid not. Old cousin 'blue-eyes' is in a different league to those amateurs.

Aye, that's him. One of the more ... um ... 'assertive' ... members of the family.