The Night Mail

[Joseph_Pestell]

21 minutes ago, Hroth said:

Shock Horror!

 

If the strike is not settled, we may run out of Irn-Bru!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-66455140

 

Not that it'll affect me, I can't remember ever consuming the stuff...

 

 

 

I had never tried Irn Bru in my 66 years of life. But just recently, my curiosity got the better of me. Not a good experience.

[AndyID]

1 minute ago, Joseph_Pestell said:

 

I had never tried Irn Bru in my 66 years of life. But just recently, my curiosity got the better of me. Not a good experience.

 

Like fine wine, it's an acquired taste.

[Joseph_Pestell]

No, it was nothing like a fine wine. Tried plenty of those (not so many as I would like) and never had a problem.

[Phil Parker]

1 hour ago, NHY 581 said:

 

 

Nice to see common sense has finally prevailed. The initial course of action was simply wrong. 

 

Rob. 

 

 

 

So nipping a potentially problem topic in the bud gently instead of letting it blow up was wrong? Applying the same rules to a poster that have been applied in the past is wrong?

 

TNM is a public forum. Anyone can land on it. They don't know the context, they don't know the people. I have to guess where a topic is heading and work out how it can be deliberately misconstrued. There are a number of people on Facebook, known to both Andy and I, who would love to post screenshots taken out of context claiming this a a hotbed of racism. It isn't IMHO, but I won't give them the ammunition, hence my original post. Most people got that.

 

If that happens, you can waive goodbye to the forum. Andy and I will be out of our jobs, the troublemakers will be happy, the rest will shrug their shoulders and walk away. 

 

I do have some ideas to get around this, and will discuss them with Andy when he gets back from holiday. I don't think giving this thread the level of privacy you want to allow a freer level of speach is impossible, it's just not in my skillset.

 

After that, I promise to leave RMweb, delete my account and not come within 100 miles of the members day, where I am sure I'm very much not wanted. I've booked a chat with my boss to talk about removing moderation from my role, it was changing anyway, so that's no great problem. 

 

Hopefully, this can be sorted, although I suspect not to everyone's satisfaction. 

[Willie Whizz]

Have you tried the alcoholic version?  It’s called an “Aperol Spritz”, which you have to mix from the eponymous liqueur plus soda water and prosecco. An acquired taste, yes perhaps, but I for one have acquired it!

[Happy Hippo]

Friend Gordon had been restoring an old Ford Popular. I recently discovered where he got it from. Rumour has it that it was used as a very slow getaway car, when some of the local tearaways  stole some sherbet dabs from the Aberflyarff newsagents. It was abandoned by the line and was never recovered.

 

That famous local crime fighting duo, Rolley and Gunstone, are still looking into it, and an arrest in the Roath area of Cardiff, is said to be imminent.

[Dave Hunt]

6 minutes ago, Phil Parker said:

After that, I promise to leave RMweb, delete my account and not come within 100 miles of the members day, where I am sure I'm very much not wanted. I've booked a chat with my boss to talk about removing moderation from my role, it was changing anyway, so that's no great problem.  

 

That’s unnecessary in my opinion. There was a problem, it’s been sorted out, everyone involved has learned something from it and because of that it is unlikely to arise again. Obviously other problems may arise but given moderation and a reasonable measure of flexibility and goodwill they can be solved.

 

Dave

[Happy Hippo]

One of yesterday afternoon's task was to install the foot crossing across the entry to the colliery sidings and to finally get the hand lever fitted to the sidings point.

[AndyID]

8 minutes ago, Phil Parker said:

 

So nipping a potentially problem topic in the bud gently instead of letting it blow up was wrong? Applying the same rules to a poster that have been applied in the past is wrong?

 

TNM is a public forum. Anyone can land on it. They don't know the context, they don't know the people. I have to guess where a topic is heading and work out how it can be deliberately misconstrued. There are a number of people on Facebook, known to both Andy and I, who would love to post screenshots taken out of context claiming this a a hotbed of racism. It isn't IMHO, but I won't give them the ammunition, hence my original post. Most people got that.

 

If that happens, you can waive goodbye to the forum. Andy and I will be out of our jobs, the troublemakers will be happy, the rest will shrug their shoulders and walk away. 

 

I do have some ideas to get around this, and will discuss them with Andy when he gets back from holiday. I don't think giving this thread the level of privacy you want to allow a freer level of speach is impossible, it's just not in my skillset.

 

After that, I promise to leave RMweb, delete my account and not come within 100 miles of the members day, where I am sure I'm very much not wanted. I've booked a chat with my boss to talk about removing moderation from my role, it was changing anyway, so that's no great problem. 

 

Hopefully, this can be sorted, although I suspect not to everyone's satisfaction. 

 

Hi Phil,

 

What I try to do (although I often fail) is not to say anything that I would not say to a total stranger if I met them in person. That's important for those of us living in the US. There are a range of extreme positions on just about everything here and even if one assumes they are on the same page as everyone else they could be in for an unpleasant surprise. There are topics here that I will never bring up with my neighbors even though I am on good terms with them and they probably do likewise with me.

 

Anyway, please hang in there.

AndyID

 

 

 

 

[Willie Whizz]

I still don’t know what the original fuss was about, but I’ve now seen enough to offer this comment. 
 

You go on a ‘moderated’ website, you play by the Moderators’ Rules. If you don’t like them, don’t play. It is no secret to anyone regularly on RMWeb that the moderation in general can occasionally seem a little bit … shall we say, sensitive … (especially to what it perceives as criticism); but it is not usually intrusive, and ‘warnings’ are usually given when a thread is getting near the edge of what in the Moderator’s eyes, rightly or wrongly in the Poster’s eyes, is acceptable. I can live with and work with that, given the great value to be gained from being on here. 
 

There have been times over the years that I’ve felt like indulging in a small “flame war”; but knowing how it will end I tend to back off. Being a moderator is a thankless task even on a comparatively benign site like this, and I would be very sorry to see anyone feel they ought to give it up. 

[NBL]

9 hours ago, MrWolf said:

 

Unfortunately, nowadays we are subject to certain rules and publicly must conform to one world view, even when we know that it's not the truth.

 

I do a little consultancy work on a voluntary basis and a while back was asked to attend a meeting to give my thoughts and share my experiences with representatives of NGOs and law enforcement.

At the last minute I was told that the focus of the meeting had been changed and I was no longer needed.

A bit of digging revealed that the hosts feared some might find some of my views contentious and that my "lived experience" may be less valid than others because it has been skewed by "damaged thinking"...

 

Perhaps I should go for re-education, Comrade?

 

To cap it off, someone who had been trying to talk me into managing a new social enterprise (For free of course) sent me a text which went like this:

 

Hi Rob, I see you rang earlier in the day. I was on my way to (Redacted) for a workshop which finished about 5pm. Am on the train back to (Redacted). I won't be going to the (Redacted) and the next 5 Mondays, as it makes it too long a day for me. 

There's been some stuff going on for me these last few weeks and I've needed to focus on it to deal with it. 

A few aspects of our dealings with each other haven't been chiming with me and to go forward we'll need to sit down at some point and redraw some of our 'terms of engagement!' so hopefully we can communicate much more effectively. You're an interesting guy, Rob, but if you want to keep friends there's got to be more room for them.

Good luck tonight and I'll be in touch shortly. 

Cheers, (Redacted)

 

Basically I had demolished a number of his ideological preconceptions with documented evidence to the contrary and proved beyond all doubt that I wasn't "Uneducated", simply because I disagreed. That's another favourite weapon for those who are running out of rational arguments.

 

I didn't even bother to dignify the message with a response. I don't think that anyone has ever tried to call me in for a friendship appraisal, like I was some sixteen year old office boy. 

 

"Chiming"... Straight out of the Oxford dictionary for patronising g!ts....

I recently interviewed for a job, I wasn't successful.  I asked for feedback and was told that although I scored highest out of the interviewees, my reference to "he" and "she" in scenario examples showed that I would not fit in the company due to my gender prejudice.  I should have referred to them as "They".  

 

I put it to the person giving me the feedback that those people may prefer to be known as "He" and "She" and not "They" to which I received no response.

 

It was a large, well known company, who it seems would rather employ someone who ticks the boxes rather than someone with the skills to do the job.

[Phil Parker]

8 minutes ago, Willie Whizz said:

Being a moderator is a thankless task even on a comparatively benign site like this,

 

Thanks for this, but can I ask that we leave the moderation discussion for a few days. I have an idea how we can fix this, and stop it happening again, but these have to wait until Andy is back on Monday.

 

In the meantime, I need to make some stuff for the pages of BRM and so can't be watching the discussion all day. If you want to rant more, PM me. If this all gets too heated, I'll have to lock the thread and I really hate doing that, but I simply can't be staring at a screen today. Thanks.

[Happy Hippo]

22 minutes ago, Dave Hunt said:

 

That’s unnecessary in my opinion. There was a problem, it’s been sorted out, everyone involved has learned something from it and because of that it is unlikely to arise again. Obviously other problems may arise but given moderation and a reasonable measure of flexibility and goodwill they can be solved.

 

Dave

And on that point, having left it a little time for contributors  to catch up and make their own observations, we will now put this to bed.

 

So, no further comments about moderation etc.

 

Thank you all.

[Oldddudders]

Meanwhile, back on Planet Earth, I saw the ENT consultant surgeon yesterday. Sadly he had not been provided with the x-rays taken in June - and nor had I - but he had a look and a feel around my throat and pronounced himself happy to remove the lump from my thyroid, as well as the parathyroid that has been misbehaving. He offered me 4th September and I jumped at the chance. In theory it is one night in hospital. He aims to have the lump analysed while I am still asleep, and if there is anything nasty, may then remove the thyroid completely. Medication can compensate for its loss, evidently. 

 

This means I will not be in the UK in time for my surviving brother's 70th birthday bash, but that will hardly spoil the party, and will avoid a difficult situation with my late brother's widow, who has cut us off for unspecified reasons. The real down side is that I won't see Sherry until 13th September when she arrives here. She is currently on stage nightly in the two-week run of Dad's Army. Last night the audience was 169, which is not bad. 

 

The ability of the French to respond so quickly to a condition that is not life-threatening is brilliant. In theory, Clinique Du Pré is a private facility, but in fact it operates with the state seamlessly, and the whole event shouldn't cost me very much - if at all. 

[monkeysarefun]

1 hour ago, Tony_S said:

A BMW I think. M series?

 

 

I know it isnt but it looks somewhat reminiscent of the aftermath of the Bentley GT that Top Gear used in the Northern Territory.  It wasn't damaged but had to be completely stripped down to its parts so  the fine red bulldust could be removed from inside everything, then stone chips repaired and the lot resprayed.

 

 

 

The Before picture

 

 

 

 

[newbryford]

10 hours ago, J. S. Bach said:

 

A Hippo in a Chinook?? 

 

More under than in?

[Oldddudders]

Talking of coloured Bentleys, I saw one the other week, in a sort of turquoisy-blue metallic, and it was a hideous SUV. In line with recent comments about BMW owners, it was parked outside our cheap hotel all weekend - Travelodge.  Travelodge where, you ask? Crewe, where they make Bentleys....

 

In fact we were picked up from the hotel to go to the dance extravaganza by John, who used to work at Bentley, and who expected his grandson to do the same. He may yet do so, but he is about to start his second year at college in Manchester, so if he goes to the car-maker, he won't be spending much time on the shop floor, as John did. 

[MrWolf]

1 hour ago, NBL said:

I recently interviewed for a job, I wasn't successful.  I asked for feedback and was told that although I scored highest out of the interviewees, my reference to "he" and "she" in scenario examples showed that I would not fit in the company due to my gender prejudice.  I should have referred to them as "They".  

 

I put it to the person giving me the feedback that those people may prefer to be known as "He" and "She" and not "They" to which I received no response.

 

It was a large, well known company, who it seems would rather employ someone who ticks the boxes rather than someone with the skills to do the job.

 

Yet people got all offended when I suggested that we refer to everyone as "it" to save any confusion....

[Northmoor]

On influencers:

 

1. The percentage of people calling themselves an influencer who can actually earn a living doing it, is probably less than 2% of the total.  You don't get to hear of the people who hire an expensive car for a few months, buy some expensive clothes and accessories then waltz around asking for free stuff, while earning NOTHING.  You don't get to hear about their red bills from credit card companies and the hire car company seizing the Bentley either, or the individual's return to their suburban housing estate home from where they go and try to earn a normal living like anyone else.

2. Creating am image of wealth is arguably more important for these people, than actually having it.  Not so long ago I was overtaken on the M4 by a Lamborghini with adverts on the side for some sort of crypto currency investment.  I'd not risk 50p on that investment, but would bet considerably more that the driver's "company" which promotes that investment, pays for the Lambo at £10k/month.  It's probably a cost-effective way of embedding the message in the gullible that crypto currency equals wealth.

3. The sellers of some products and services - the obvious ones like hair, beauty, clothes and accessories - will make good use of influencers who are watched by their target market (usually young women desperate to look like about 50% of other young women).  Other businesses s are less impressed at random people approaching them,  announcing how terribly famous they are and asking for free stuff.  There was great story a few years ago about a South Manchester(?) restaurant who finally lost patience with one influencer who asked via their Facebook page for a free meal.  The owner's response went viral - often forwarded by other restauranteurs - and could be summarised as:

"This is a business.  Even my own family pays for their food in this restaurant. Get lost".

[Happy Hippo]

44 minutes ago, newbryford said:

 

More under than in?

Much more preferable than flying inside, which is a bit of a squeeze.

 

Underslung you get the wind in your face, which allows you to scent out a cake at great range.  Plus you get an unrivalled view of the surrounding countryside.

 

It does have it's drawbacks.

 

The net gives you a diamond pattern suntan, which might work for certain Vipers, but certainly not hippopotami. 

 

Then there is flying in adverse weather.  Rain is fine, but flying through hail is a very much overzealous exfoliation technique.

 

 

[jamie92208]

2 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

Friend Gordon had been restoring an old Ford Popular. I recently discovered where he got it from. Rumour has it that it was used as a very slow getaway car, when some of the local tearaways  stole some sherbet dabs from the Aberflyarff newsagents. It was abandoned by the line and was never recovered.

 

That famous local crime fighting duo, Rolley and Gunstone, are still looking into it, and an arrest in the Roath area of Cardiff, is said to be imminent.

I take it that holding my breath for the announcement of the arrests might not be good for my health. 

 

Jamie

 

PS, glad to see you back here. Le Patron. 

Edited August 11, 2023 by jamie92208

[Dave Hunt]

1 hour ago, Happy Hippo said:

And on that point, having left it a little time for contributors  to catch up and make their own observations, we will now put this to bed.

 

So, no further comments about moderation etc.

 

Thank you all.

 

Transgressors will be subjected to a tail twirl....

 

....and that makes hanging and flogging pale into insignificance.

 

Dave

[iL Dottore]

1 hour ago, monkeysarefun said:

 

 

I know it isnt but it looks somewhat reminiscent of the aftermath of the Bentley GT that Top Gear used in the Northern Territory.  It wasn't damaged but had to be completely stripped down to its parts so  the fine red bulldust could be removed from inside everything, then stone chips repaired and the lot resprayed.

 

 

 

The Before picture

 

 

 

 

Man, that's one fugly Bentley.

 

It used to be (at least according to one 60's writer*) Rolls Royces were for footballers and "pop stars" whilst Bentleys were for "Gentlemen" and the styling reflected that.

 

Of course, Bentley is a business and goes where the fat wallets are.....

 

But even so....

* Ian Fleming in one of his James Bond Novels, IIRC

[polybear]

3 hours ago, Hroth said:

Shock Horror!

 

If the strike is not settled, we may run out of Irn-Bru!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-66455140

 

Not that it'll affect me, I can't remember ever consuming the stuff...

 

 

 

When I worked in a Shipyard in Glasgow the locals in the yard got thru' tons (gallons?) of the stuff - the pile of empties was a sight to behold; I was told that the empties (which apparently had a deposit on them) would be collected en-masse and the money went to charity.

[PhilJ W]

38 minutes ago, iL Dottore said:

Man, that's one fugly Bentley.

 

It used to be (at least according to one 60's writer*) Rolls Royces were for footballers and "pop stars" whilst Bentleys were for "Gentlemen" and the styling reflected that.

 

Of course, Bentley is a business and goes where the fat wallets are.....

 

But even so....

* Ian Fleming in one of his James Bond Novels, IIRC

The current Rolls Royce looks like something a pimp would drive.