The Night Mail

[newbryford]

1 hour ago, PMP said:

That’s ‘McDonald’s ist’.

 

Probably.

Other fast "food" outlets are available.

[newbryford]

3 hours ago, Compound2632 said:

 

Quite! (It is a "language kindergarten".)

 

 

Indeed, but are you equipped to deal with the philosphical discussion about your request that will follow?

 

Something along the lines of "Would you like to go large?"

Edited March 23, 2023 by newbryford
Typo

[Winslow Boy]

57 minutes ago, br2975 said:

.

I can safely boast that I have never purchased myself anything in a Ronald MacDonald's emporium.

 

Arr h so you might not have purchased anything yourself but that doesn't mean you haven't consumed something from Ronald.

[br2975]

13 minutes ago, Winslow Boy said:

 

Arr h so you might not have purchased anything yourself but that doesn't mean you haven't consumed something from Ronald.

.

Not quite - I have purchased items there, but solely for my grandsons - as it was (years ago) there post swimming lessons treat, started by their parents - so who was I to 'rock their boat' ?

[Winslow Boy]

15 minutes ago, br2975 said:

.

Not quite - I have purchased items there, but solely for my grandsons - as it was (years ago) there post swimming lessons treat, started by their parents - so who was I to 'rock their boat' ?

 

You see that's the sort of stunt that the younger generation pull, namely blaming someone else when it's quite clearly and unmistakably them to blame.

 

Nothing quite like a man with no principles when the chips are being consumed.

[Tony_S]

1 hour ago, Compound2632 said:

Indeed, but are you equipped to deal with the philosphical discussion about your request that will follow?

My son told me if he was tired after a day at university in Ireland he would sometimes buy his dinner from a Polish sandwich shop. While the assistant was assembling the sandwich, Matthew was convinced that the time it took was dependent on how interesting the conversation was. He said he had to say if he was too tired to discuss whatever philosophical or political issue was thought for the day. 

[Tony_S]

We seem to be safe for another year. Benfleet hasn’t made the “8 best places to live in Essex” list again. We don’t have “industrial style coffee bars” or “an artisan vegan-friendly gelato house “ unlike the top of the list Leigh-on-sea.

[Northmoor]

9 hours ago, Dave Hunt said:

It seems to me, and to many of my friends and colleagues, that one of the major failings in a significant proportion of the populace is that they are well aware of their rights (sometimes excessively and misguidedly so) but are either ignorant of their responsibilities or simply care not to address them.

Relating this to education/graduates and how I said earlier how many stupid people I met at Uni (I was always amazed by students in early 90s Liverpool, who thought they had it hard).  In a defence company where I worked for many years, there were more than a few grads who would loudly complain that after three years, they weren't senior project managers.  It never seemed to occur to them that an existing SPM would have to leave to create a vacancy and most of them had 20+ years experience, which enabled them to perform at that level.  The new grads just saw promotion as something that was achieved by ticking boxes.

 

9 hours ago, Compound2632 said:

On the other hand, as a term of abuse it can become a badge of honour, so I'm happy to declare myself woke. 

It wasn't until I left the defence industry after 20 years and joined TfL, that I realised just how white, male, middle-aged and middle class the defence industry was.  Working with such a diverse range of people since, has been a joy.  Looking back (not so many years ago), I can recall plenty of overt sexism and racist comments in defence companies and often by people in quite senior positions.  It is one of the things I am proud of my children's generation for; "woke" or not, theirs is a much kinder world than the one I grew up in.

[AndyID]

5 hours ago, Tony_S said:

Social media certainly made the spread of “alternative” viewpoints easier. Also it makes it easier for previously sensible broadcasters to find a “balanced” viewpoint commentator, allowing complete outliers in the rationality spectrum to have equal time with well qualified experienced commentators.  

 

Departing briefly from my usual political correctness I would describe it as providing a platform, in the name of free speech, to absolute raving loonies. 😄

[figworthy]

3 hours ago, br2975 said:

.

I can safely boast that I have never purchased myself anything in a Ronald MacDonald's emporium.

 

I'll admit to one visit.  In mitigation, it was in 1981, and I don't think it was known outside of London, so us non-metropolitan types were innocent as to what it was.

 

Adrian

[AndyID]

2 hours ago, polybear said:

 

The fries are ok -

 

Not just OK. Excellent if freshly made, and great to chomp in the car after a hard day skiing 😄

 

They are actually not so easy to replicate. I did find an article by a guy who went to some trouble to produce reasonable facsimiles.

 

Of course those of us in Idaho do know a thing or two about spuds.

[Northmoor]

3 minutes ago, AndyID said:

 

Not just OK. Excellent if freshly made, and great to chomp in the car after a hard day skiing 😄

 

They are actually not so easy to replicate. I did find an article by a guy who went to some trouble to produce reasonable facsimiles.

 

Of course those of us in Idaho do know a thing or two about spuds.

I'd be impressed if he actually used a fax machine.

[J. S. Bach]

4 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

I'll still not be a fan of that establishment.

Going in to such an emporium is a last resort.

 

3 hours ago, polybear said:

The fries are ok - as are the burgers if you ditch the burger bit.....

....but only in an emergency

Oddly, our bus drivers rated Mickey D's in the top three or four for coffee; they should know. The others were 7-11, Circle K, and (I think) Dunkin' Donuts. I happen to like McD's breakfast burrito, but that is about all.

 

Edited March 23, 2023 by J. S. Bach
To do a minor edit.

[Oldddudders]

Higher and further education has always been a puzzle to me. Unlike most, I knew in my early teens I wanted to work in the railway industry, albeit I never wanted to be an engine-driver. So, leaving skool at 17 (I was a year ahead, having passed my 11+ a year early) with a couple of A Levels, I settled in for the next 38 years. My twin brothers left the same skool 6 years later and went to uni at Cambridge and Durham. I share the experience that some enormously ordinary people in recent years turned out to be graduates, one holding a doctorate indeed (she was very pretty and had splendidly thick legs - ooh). I am happy to sign up to all sorts of modern good ideas like equality, but find myself somewhat lacking in understanding about gender-neutral, which is increasingly trendy in a primary skool near you, I learn.

 

The '80s were all about 'Go for it!', which begat Me, Me, Me!, barrow-boy traders in the City and the entitlement syndrome. Living in French rural isolation shields me from much of the outfall. 

 

Meanwhile, back on Planet Earth, Sherry's car was examined for the banging noise at the rear - and found to have two broken springs. A worry at 6 years/28k miles? Garage-owner Simon says he had a similar-aged Fiesta in a few weeks ago for the same issue.

[Tony_S]

16 minutes ago, AndyID said:

 

Departing briefly from my usual political correctness I would describe it as providing a platform, in the name of free speech, to absolute raving loonies. 😄

That was more or less what I originally was going to write but for some reason didn’t. I was going to list a few of the things I consider daft that even get discussed but worse seem to be gaining believers. In the past a few people would get together and discuss stuff, now it gets out on podcasts. One of the relatives (by marriage, not genes) used to appear on American local radio programs discussing various weird topics. I listened to the internet feed of the station and the rest of the broadcast was really awful stuff. 

[Tony_S]

37 minutes ago, Oldddudders said:

Meanwhile, back on Planet Earth, Sherry's car was examined for the banging noise at the rear - and found to have two broken springs. A worry at 6 years/28k miles? Garage-owner Simon says he had a similar-aged Fiesta in a few weeks ago for the same issue.

What is the pot hole situation like where Sherry lives? They are dreadful round here this winter, and it hasn’t even been that wintery . Avoiding one pothole, just leads you into another. It must be awful for motorcyclists. 

Edited March 23, 2023 by Tony_S

[Tony_S]

I can’t remember when I last went into McDonalds. It must have been when my order included a Happy Meal. I am not convinced Matthew really cared about the burger, but he did like the little toys. 

[pH]

23 minutes ago, J. S. Bach said:

Oddly, our bus drivers rated Mickey D's in the top three or four for coffee; they should know.

Years ago, when I was still commuting by bus, Vancouver and the surrounding municipalities had an unexpectedly large dump of snow, starting in the early afternoon. Snow clearing equipment had to be prioritised to hilly areas, with the result that the route I travelled on, being relatively flat, did not get plows. So the journey home was very slow. A couple of hours into a 20km journey, the bus driver pulled up outside a McDonald’s and announced over the PA that we had 20 minutes before he would be moving on. The restaurant handled a whole bus load in that time. Needless to say, the driver did not have to pay for his food and got a heartfelt round of applause as we started off again.

[Happy Hippo]

I had to change the rear springs on a Vauxhall Astra.

 

Remarkably easy to do.

 

Not so easy was the front spring(s) on my Fiat Punto.

 

I learned some new words that day.

 

This was exacerbated by the decision to change both the front springs: I worked on the principle that if one had gone the other was probably not going to be far behind!

 

I've just about given up on doing my own repairs now.

 

I just weep when I get the bill from the garage🤣.

[Winslow Boy]

7 hours ago, Compound2632 said:

 

Present social medium and company excepted, you would say.

 

There's always one who has to point out the b*&£#+g obvious isn't there.

 

You are dismissed.

[Winslow Boy]

2 hours ago, Tony_S said:

We seem to be safe for another year. Benfleet hasn’t made the “8 best places to live in Essex” list again. We don’t have “industrial style coffee bars” or “an artisan vegan-friendly gelato house “ unlike the top of the list Leigh-on-sea.

 

So any houses for sale then?

[SM42]

Broken springs are a phenomenon that has plagued the European car market for some years. 

 

It is I believe caused by building to a price and not finishing the spring like what they used to, to save a few pennies on  each corner. 

 

European makes ( iincluding those under an American umbrella) tend to be worst affected by all accounts. 

 

The Mazak rot of the car industry if you like

 

Andy

Edited March 23, 2023 by SM42

[SM42]

As far as a certain US fast food outlet with a Scottish sounding name goes I have partaken several times. 

Once way back when it was new and I  was in short trousers ( what's all this salad stuff?) Once for breakfast as it was all that was around and several times for ice cream

 

In fact we have a branch within walking distance and occasionally we will wander down after dinner for pudding.  

 

About the best thing they do in there in my opinion.

 

Andy

[Winslow Boy]

4 minutes ago, SM42 said:

Broken springs are a phenomenon that has plagued the European car market for some years. 

 

It is I believe caused by building to a price and not finishing the spring like what they used to, to save a few pennies on  each corner. 

 

European makes ( iincluding those under an American umbrella) tend to be worst affected by all accounts. 

 

The Mazak rot of the car industry if you like

 

Andy

 

Wasn't there an announcement, not a very loud one I think, a couple of years back that a batch of springs were defective. It was something to do I think to do with the metal that had been used.

[AndyID]

13 minutes ago, SM42 said:

Broken springs are a phenomenon that has plagued the European car market for some years. 

 

It is I believe caused by building to a price and not finishing the spring like what they used to, to save a few pennies on  each corner. 

 

European makes ( iincluding those under an American umbrella) tend to be worst affected by all accounts. 

 

The Mazak rot of the car industry if you like

 

Andy

 

IIRC it's usually caused by corrosion. Once a bit of rust sets in stress tends to concentrate there and non-uniform bending eventually results in metal fatigue.

 

Morris Minors had a habit of breaking their front torsion springs. They were exposed to the elements. The original VW Bugs also used torsion springs both front and rear but they were completely enclosed in tubes and I never knew of any that failed.