Early Risers.

[grandadbob]

Well my plans for today haven't started coming together as out of the blue "somebody" decided there was a pressing need, nay urgency, to visit Dunelm Mill. Oh joy unbounded!  That's a good couple of hours of my life I won't get back (and a hundred and forty quid!) Still, I shouldn't grumble as there is a distinct possibility that Ally Pally cost me more than that. 

Edited March 27, 2019 by grandadbob

[beast66606]

12 hours ago, lightengine said:

It wasn't an error by the flight crew.  The flight plan had been given to traffic controllers for Edinburgh.  

The error was that nobody thought to tell the paying public.

 

If it had been Ryan Air they would have charged the passengers extra.

 

 

[beast66606]

Sad news about Debs dad, I knew him briefly some 40 years ago now (WOW !) - when I used to assist Debs sister who was a signalwoman  at a local box, I used to work the box while she chatted on the 'bus, occasionally we would go to her parents house for a cup of tea after the end of the shift or sometimes before if she was on lates. I've sent Debs a message on Facebook offering my condolences but will repeat the thought here.

 

 

 

[woodenhead]

15 minutes ago, beast66606 said:

 

If it had been Ryan Air they would have charged the passengers extra.

 

 

And blamed the passengers as well for getting on the wrong plane

[The Lurker]

19 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

Just as well Ronald Reagan wasn't so confused.

but Russian TV was. When they reported the incident, they showed a map of the south of Spain.

 

Maybe it wasn't accidental....

[Tony_S]

2 minutes ago, The Lurker said:

but Russian TV was. When they reported the incident, they showed a map of the south of Spain.

 

Maybe it wasn't accidental....

If the invasion had happened a few days later my brother would have been there. The company he worked for had a contract to install communications equipment at the airport. It was cancelled. 

[Ian Abel]

HUMP day, good morning all.

 

The client "let's all panic.." hasn't abated, instead it's getting worse. Looks like we'll be re-creating about 10% (or possibly MUCH more!) of the stuff I've built for them as they decide to completely upend the structures they've been happy with for the past 3+ years <sigh> <yawn>. At least it keeps me paid/occupied/out of trouble I guess!

 

On the "wayward flight", I had a brief discussion with Jemma (those new to ERs /unfamiliar, she's my daughter and a captain over here with Delta Connection), and she's totally amazed that it occurred.

Her comments included the fact that she has to coordinate with gate/ground staff, cabin crew as well as (obviously) her first officer, and they ALL have a schedule they are supposed to know - so they usually know where they are going !

Together with that and the normal announcements (over here anyway) both by flight crew regarding the flight # and destination, usually including en route weather and destination weather (which would be some sort of clue, wouldn't it?!?!?!) and also the cabin crew providing the same information, she said it'd be almost unbelievable that it would happen "here" (not to say maybe it hasn't??).

At least for the Delta world, flight plans/load sheet are also printed at the gate for the flight crew before they board and checked/confirmed even "if" they are supposedly already in the flight computers.

Given it wasn't operated by BA, rather contracted out, the contracted company (WDL Aviation) may need to review their training procedures???  YA THINK!

 

Far as cabin crew checking the boarding passes - I've not flown in the UK/Europe for ages so can't comment - BUT, here in the US cabin crew rarely ask/check if you're on the right plane simply because the gate agent has already scanned your boarding pass and short of rushing the gate (not advised ) it's nigh on impossible to get on the wrong plane. They will welcome you and ask/help if you are unsure of what seat you're in, but that's about it.

 

Major issue here this morning on the commute in... some strange bright object in the eastern sky had almost the entire driving public in apoplexy - "what IS IT, I CAN'T SEE!!!!!!"

Apparently almost none of the drivers own sun glasses and it seems none of the cars, except my rental apparently, are equipped with sun visors, must be another of those optional extras, like turn signals on an Audi/BWM

 

-1 and VERY SUNNY on the crawl in, expecting 8 for a high.

 

Carry on.

Edited March 27, 2019 by Ian Abel

[The Stationmaster]

Tesco visit completed and it really was 'just a few things' - she got 5 items off the shelves and I got three items (including the newspaper and 'Radio Times' in my case).  But on arrival home it was discovered that 'someone' had got the wrong kind of pasta, it's gone into a kitchen cupboard despite being 'wrong'.

[The Lurker]

Greetings all from a grey and fairly non-descript London Bridge.

 

Firstly condolences to Debs, and best wishes to all others suffering.

 

I will take note of the tips on driving on the wrong side of the road. We're looking at a fly-drive in the US this summer. At the moment we are getting to grips with an automatic, having never driven one before. That will help with driving in the states.

 

We're doing advance reccies for secondary school for Younger Lurker. Most of the local ones are far too large which we feel would overwhelm him. His anxieties are such that this would probably prevent "access to the curriculum". This he is currently managing very well, although his inability to infer and imagine is starting to show in English. We'll put him in for the 11+ (not least because he likes to fit in) but even if he passes, we may not send him to grammar. We are still battling the education authority for unilaterally and illegally reducing the funding on the conversion from statement to EHCP and he will need funding wherever he goes. He is in year 5 so we havea while to sort it but that time will go very quickly. Oh well!

 

 

[grandadbob]

Yippee! Decoder fitted and it works. Probably the easiest and quickest fit I've ever done notwithstanding the 8 screws that need removing and replacing.

Just had a bit of lunch so I  might now go back upstairs and play with it some more.  (The Deltic before anybody comes up with the usual sort of comment!) 

[woodenhead]

44 minutes ago, The Stationmaster said:

Tesco visit completed and it really was 'just a few things' - she got 5 items off the shelves and I got three items (including the newspaper and 'Radio Times' in my case).  But on arrival home it was discovered that 'someone' had got the wrong kind of pasta, it's gone into a kitchen cupboard despite being 'wrong'.

How can pasta be wrong - it's pasta

 

There are shapes yes, but it doesn't impact flavour, or was it the wrong colour?

 

I remember when you used to have to buy the Radio and TV times, now I just click on the guide to see there it little of interest on the TV - Netflix and iPlayer pretty much give me enough.

[TheQ]

Yippee, originally the Chinese system had an error of 192 ppm, and we are looking for at 0ppm or at least less than 10ppm. After work on it previously we got it down to 48ppm, today after taking a plug in unit off, taking off and cleaning 4 nuts and washer which had flux on them from a PCB they are attached to. we have acheived......1ppm.

 

Now all I have to do is re-run 6 hours of programme that used that plug in unit.. problem at the moment ... it want to carry one from my previous tests not back at the begining..

 

It's noisy again, they are banging around in the boiler room next door, meanwhile the AC man has been in for the final survay before fitting the new AC next door.

[TheQ]

18 minutes ago, woodenhead said:

How can pasta be wrong - it's pasta

 

There are shapes yes, but it doesn't impact flavour, or was it the wrong colour?

 

I remember when you used to have to buy the Radio and TV times, now I just click on the guide to see there it little of interest on the TV - Netflix and iPlayer pretty much give me enough.

whole wheat pasta,

refined wheat pasta,

rice pasta,

Spelt wheat pasta,

There are more, all with different flavours.  thats without going into "flavoured" pastas

 

Edited March 27, 2019 by TheQ

[Tony_S]

32 minutes ago, The Lurker said:

Greetings all from a grey and fairly non-descript London Bridge.

 

Firstly condolences to Debs, and best wishes to all others suffering.

 

I will take note of the tips on driving on the wrong side of the road. We're looking at a fly-drive in the US this summer. At the moment we are getting to grips with an automatic, having never driven one before. That will help with driving in the states.

 

We're doing advance reccies for secondary school for Younger Lurker. Most of the local ones are far too large which we feel would overwhelm him. His anxieties are such that this would probably prevent "access to the curriculum". This he is currently managing very well, although his inability to infer and imagine is starting to show in English. We'll put him in for the 11+ (not least because he likes to fit in) but even if he passes, we may not send him to grammar. We are still battling the education authority for unilaterally and illegally reducing the funding on the conversion from statement to EHCP and he will need funding wherever he goes. He is in year 5 so we havea while to sort it but that time will go very quickly. Oh well!

 

 

My first experience of driving in the US and an automatic was emerging into a torrential downpour after collecting the car from a multi storey car park in The centre of Boston. We survived and I have had automatics since!

 

Matthew had four years in Junior school.  One was fine, one was spent just doing SATs preparation and the other two he had totally hostile and uncooperative teachers who would not implement the very simple advice from the Ed Psychologist and denounced us as “pushy parents”.   Quite a few of Matthew’s classmates did sit the 11+ but he didn’t. I knew the local grammar schools and he would not have coped. He did sit the exam for the other nearby “selective” comprehensive but didn’t pass. 

His secondary school wasn’t hostile or unkind just unimaginative and reluctant to support anything other than handwriting practice. We were told we had unrealistic aspirations about his ability. They were brilliant at supporting his epilepsy condition though. 

As long term readers know, he scraped into the sixth form and everything went well academically thanks to a good support system that actually worked to enable students to achieve. At university the support was quite pro active and Matthew just had to convince them that being allowed to use a laptop for exams was fine.

Doing research in advance is rather sensible but do try as many sources as possible. Sometimes a schools “reputation “ good or bad isn’t deserved in reality. Then of course a change of head can have an effect, again positive or negative. Nowadays there is the complication of Academy status and mergers etc.

I hope you find the right school for Younger Lurker. He does have the advantage of supportive parents it would seem. 

Tony

[Tony_S]

21 minutes ago, TheQ said:whole wheat pasta,

refined wheat pasta,

rice pasta,

Spelt wheat pasta,

There are more, all with different flavours.  thats without going into "flavoured" pastas

 

Some pasta shape variations seem better with certain sauces. A “bolognese” type sauce served with tagliatelle seems nicer to me than with ordinary spaghetti, the sauce sticks to the pasta. If an Italian recipe suggests a specific pasta I would use it . 

[woodenhead]

45 minutes ago, TheQ said:

whole wheat pasta,

refined wheat pasta,

rice pasta,

Spelt wheat pasta,

There are more, all with different flavours.  thats without going into "flavoured" pastas

 

 

16 minutes ago, Tony_S said:

Some pasta shape variations seem better with certain sauces. A “bolognese” type sauce served with tagliatelle seems nicer to me than with ordinary spaghetti, the sauce sticks to the pasta. If an Italian recipe suggests a specific pasta I would use it . 

Well I like spirals with everything

 

The wife has gluten free alternatives

 

Next you'll be telling me that bolognese isn't the only sauce.

[peach james]

22 hours ago, AndyID said:

A few people have ended up in Sidney Nova Scotia rather than Nova South Wales but that's a bit different from the BA fubar.

 

 

Or Sidney, BC instead of either...  

 

James

[rockershovel]

Reverting to the subject of believing everything you read in the papers, I’ve just seen a little-reported sidelight on the current story about “NASA only having Large size spacesuits”. 

 

It seems that the other woman had made an EVA a day or two earlier, using a Large size suit she had previously been fitted for. Following that exercise, and based on things you only find out by actually using equipment in its design environment, it was decided not to repeat the EVA. There WAS a second Medium suit, but it wasn’t mission-ready, so someone else went instead. 

 

So it would seem that NASA/ISS simply acted in accord with established procedure, the task was achieved by personnel and resources available and generally, no lasting harm resulted... but it doesn’t make such a good story, does it? 

 

 

[Barry O]

While the wind is cool the sun has been glorious. Had a pint of local beer with lunch stinky bay ipa..unfiltered and unpasteurised.  Very drinkable.

 

Now catching up with a bit of eyelid inspection.

Baz

[PhilJ W]

Afternoon all from Estuary-Land. When I went to the States on a fly-drive I didn't have too much trouble driving on the right, probably because I had done a lot of driving on the continent. One incident sticks out though, when leaving a gas (petrol) station I looked to my right instead of my left, fortunately a horn blast from a vehicle approaching drew my attention and there was no accident. I was on my own, it does help to have another driver in the passenger seat.

[lightengine]

2 hours ago, rockershovel said:

Reverting to the subject of believing everything you read in the papers, I’ve just seen a little-reported sidelight on the current story about “NASA only having Large size spacesuits”. 

 

It seems that the other woman had made an EVA a day or two earlier, using a Large size suit she had previously been fitted for. Following that exercise, and based on things you only find out by actually using equipment in its design environment, it was decided not to repeat the EVA. There WAS a second Medium suit, but it wasn’t mission-ready, so someone else went instead. 

 

So it would seem that NASA/ISS simply acted in accord with established procedure, the task was achieved by personnel and resources available and generally, no lasting harm resulted... but it doesn’t make such a good story, does it? 

 

 

So there was nothing in the rumour that the colour didn't match her handbag, the pattern didn't match up, the fabric was too hot for the Spring and she thought her bum looked a bit big in it?

[jamie92208]

Evening all, just got back from a quite good presentation on French Income Tax at a local Ladies group that Beth attends, Partners became honorary ladies for the day.  This morning the tyre got fitted and I got the Volvo's tyres checked.   4 new ones needed, That's a big hole in the monthly withdrawal limit on the bank card (That's a French thing) so I'll probably pay by cheque next Tuesday.   I then refitted Beth's wheel and even managed to re-attach the Get U home wheel securely under the boot.   Using an instruction book in French plus pictograms is a wonderful experience.   

 

As to driving an automatic for the first time, our Police Instructor, who too us out in a Triumph 2.5 PI, told us all to tuck our left legs back against the seat till we got used to it, to avoid any possibility of hitting the brake with the clutch foot.  Apparently his false teeth didn't like hitting the edge of the dashboard. The advice worked.  

 

Jamie

[grandadbob]

26 minutes ago, jamie92208 said:

 

As to driving an automatic for the first time, our Police Instructor, who too us out in a Triumph 2.5 PI, told us all to tuck our left legs back against the seat till we got used to it, to avoid any possibility of hitting the brake with the clutch foot.  Apparently his false teeth didn't like hitting the edge of the dashboard. The advice worked.  

 

 

Exactly what I was told many years ago when I first drove an auto. Glad The Boss doesn't drive as she often mixes up left and right!

On driving on the wrong side of the road back in the late Sixties my best friend at the time lived near Gatwick airport. Late one evening he was returning home and encountered a foreign gentleman coming round a blind bend at speed on the wrong side and they had a head on. Both he and his young sister were hospitalised and sadly she suffered life changing injuries. It's one of the reasons I've always avoided driving abroad.

 

[Gwiwer]

Evening all

 

Pasta comes in three varieties: twistellati, tubellati and tanglytelli. 

 

In other news the Hill of Strawberries yesterday received a tersely-worded and slightly vague email from the commercial landlord advising that the entire block is “potentially to become an investment sale”.  At this stage with tenants in situ though there are no guarantees offered that such will continue to be the case. The Resident’s Association, local press and our Member for Things Political (Sir Vince Twisted-wire) have been alerted. 

 

Options might be that the block is gutted, renovated and re-let as luxury flats securing much higher rents. Or that the university  who already house some students here might be the new owner and seek to have it as a hall of residence drunken misbehaviour. 

 

We await developments. 

 

Sorry to learn of Debs’ father passing.  Every good wish to her. 

 

 

[81C]

8 hours ago, The Stationmaster said:

Morning all,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCJc-J7edks

I'm interested to learn that Mr Black Rat also pursued his trade locally with the Thames Valley bunch as the art of driving along the dotted line is regularly practiced in our neck of the woods.  Most worrying are the g folk who like to maych it to their vehicle centre line - very neat but somewhat unnerving when they're coming towards you.

Have a good day one and all

I was driving a HGV down a lane and some feckwit came the other way in the middle of the road I moved over and was on my side and stopped just inside the white lines Feckwit got his car written

 off I could not get over anymore or I would have ended up in a ditch when I got out and checked he was OK as he had lost the entire o/s of his car the wings and doors got ripped clean off

I said what's your game I was on my side of the road he pipped up I thought you could have done the decent thing and moved over then he said why are you laughing at me I showed him the ditch

and it dawned on him he could have been killed, he got nicked for undue care which suited me I thought he would have been killed in that  tin box Triumph Herald which could have been his coffin. 

Well the Stir Fried duck breast were well received by SWMBO tonight I needed the brownie points as a visit to the toy shop for another set of 4 coaches is overdue. 

Our new sofa's will be arriving Saturday the old one's are being collected by my youngest daughter for her flat which the landlord has agreed a affordable price for her and SiL to buy other Items of

 furniture have been collected by her big sister.

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