Malcolm 0-6-0

How about Court Short ........

The film of the article is currently available on EweTube .......

The latest news I've heard is that the Secret Service has just increased the height of the walls of his play pen to save them from having to throw the toys back in ........ I was impressed by the way that the US networks cut away from the overnight (my time) Kayleigh McEnany press conference when she started with the now boring grab bag of false assertions about fraud etc. Looks like the US press is getting some pleasure out of demanding that Trump stick to facts rather than unsubstantiated assertions. In any case I thought that McEnany had quit some weeks back due to her husband joining the ranks of the Republicans who have disowned Trump. But back to the now infamous Giuliani press conference at the Four Seasons the expression on his face when the reporter completely blind sided him with the announcement about the Pennsylvania win for Biden was priceless. Let's face it even Nixon managed to depart the White House with more dignity ..... Oh well the perils of populism - after you've voted for the free beer candidate you always find that they're a one trick pony.

Apparently you can find the instructions at quite a few jumble sales ........... I'll go now ........

That press conference was one of the funniest things I have ever seen. Peculiarly apt as a dispenser of manure held a press conference in a place that sells it.

A question if I may - is that brick bordered L shaped flat area with the boat, the drums and the baulks on it the imagined remains of demolished building or purpose built area? The vertical shot makes it stand out while it isn't so noticeable in an oblique or level shot. The lobster pots are looking good.

The LNWR equivalent of Boadicea's chariot .........

Those new pots are so much better than the resin examples. A bit more rust, some scraps of wilted seaweed, ropes and very small beads to represent floats will make them extra realistic.

I envy your ability to keep carpet fluff out of the mechanism ............

In my day job I have to deal with people through the written word. No matter how simply I express something I remain amazed at the number of people who will not read something or, if they have, they then contact me to ask for an explanation. Functional illiteracy is a huge problem for society. Schools are loathe to give up on students (looks bad for the teachers) so they'll keep them until the minimum school leaving age requirement is met and let them go with a certificate that says they've completed that requirement. What it means in many cases is that they have simply been at school for whatever number of years is the legislative requirement. It isn't cynicism on my part just a recognition that that is how the system works. Also in today's virtual world of communication all they need is the capacity to look at pictures and be sharp enough to follow what the majority are doing. But then I suspect that human society has always been that way. Most tertiary education now turns out people educated in vocational skills rather than intellectual skills - witness the huge range of courses built around business management, marketing, design, advertising, media etc. In the not too distant past tertiary institutions were turning out people trained to think logically and apply scientific methods to their professions. Things like business practice, marketing, accounting and the others I mentioned etc. were things that any halfway ambitious 14 year old apprentice shop assistant picked up by learning on the job. Our current economic development did not come about because of people in marketing or business management, it came about through the application of complex scientifically derived data in a range of disciplines. We could save on education costs across society and still achieve the same economic results if we just accepted that vocational courses which are the main product of our tertiary institutions were replaced with simple apprenticeships. Young people would then be able to select their own level of achievement rather than suffer constant embarrassment by having to compete with the few who do have the ability to comprehend complex ideas. The best and brightest would still maintain the input needed to keep our economies and society moving on, while the rest would be fitted into whatever jobs their skill levels allow. Which is actually how it works out now - the saving would result from admitting the reality and stop the diversion of vast sums of money into needless tertiary education in subjects that don't need it, and concentrate that money in the subjects that do matter.

No need to apologise - the real spelling is even more strange than your misspelled version. I suspect it's aboriginal for "can't decide between beef or mutton tonight"

It's actually Woolloomooloo .......

Caps are wonderful things aren't they. The top and the way it rises and flairs out is the vestige of military caps where all that extra surface was part of the protection against being cleaved in twain by the odd angry sword wielding dragoon. I agree that the minimal peak or visor does look like an NCO's parade ground cap. As a broader and off topic question (off topic here!!!! I hear you say) one wonders why a perfectly good eye shade was reduced to the point where it just didn't work and looked a bit silly.

Interesting either the pic is distorted or he (and the carriage) were employed by Rowland Emett ...........

Is it my imagination ? I have noticed that there is now no Google dog poo disfiguring the bottom of my screen. Did someone in Google Marketing decide that pooing on your intended customer base was not the bright idea that young Tyrone Khloe (a fresh young marketing twenty something new hire with ambitions) claimed? Perhaps the bad character reference I gave Google finally filtered down from Malfeasoncey in Human Resources.

Keep that up and Hilda may appear ..........

And in the ultimate advertising irony when we are being bombarded with these intrusive Google ads I just had one pop up to advertise mobile malware ........

I don't mind so much if Big Brother is listening, it is just that I have mentioned office chairs only once that I can recall. Whereas I have often mentioned to anyone who'll listen that I would really like a few million dollars - I don't get swamped with bloody ads offering me a few million do I? So all I can say is that Big Brother simply isn't doing its bloody job ......... So BB if you're all you are cracked up to be pull your finger out and do your job properly. And no I'm not the least bit interested in a "NewChic Military Tooling Jacket", that isn't anywhere close to what I have just demanded !!!! Is carrying on conversations with Google's automated advertisements a sign of impending mental failure .........

So the answer to greener grass and the perfect lawn is the acquisition of a pack of hounds - the real downside of that is that given the amount of poo produced you wouldn't be able to see the lawn, let alone walk on it ...... Back to the discussion of dog poo in the form of Google ads I just noticed something really uncanny, if not spooky. Yesterday while on the phone (landline) to someone who is doing some work for us (the people who pay my salary) I idly mentioned that my office chair was uncomfortable. Today I am being inundated with ads for comfortable office chairs. Big Brother would seem to have all marketing opportunities covered.

Well in the interests of scientific verisimilitude I'm seeing it also.

I was impressed how the posting of a complaint re the Google advertisements segued almost seamlessly into a discussion about dog poo. Does this mean I will now see Google ads on my nature strip, or will the bots that run Google will get the hint?

Dear Mr Hayter I am informed that you were inadvertently directed to our Department of Obfuscation and Impenetrability. Please let me offer our laughably sincere apologies for any inconvenience and frustration you may have felt. In future please contact our Department of Ignoring Customer Inquiries. They are especially trained to deal with annoying people like yourself and can really make life unpleasant if you keep this importuning and whining up. Yours Sincerely indecipherable signature Global Manager Marketing Google

Decisions, bloody decisions!!!! why why me? ......... do I have to do it now ........

Whatever the fish, could I have double chips ..........

G'day Frank - let me say that as a supporter of the democratic process a person is entitled to their views and to vote accordingly, but when the results of that vote demonstrate an ill choice was made then this might indicate that some review of one's initial opinion might well be in order.