Early Risers.

[iL Dottore]

14 hours ago, J. S. Bach said:

....100% built in Japan; on a standard Civic (I looked at the sticker while waiting for something) the sticker stated that the only component built in Japan was the transmission. Very interesting....

I wonder if it has anything to do with perceived build quality and reliability? There was a period some years ago when my American friends told me that they found that the build quality of American cars (at the time) was so poor that they bought Japanese cars for build quality and reliability. 
Incidentally, I heard an amusing (apocryphal?) story about why there are so very few FIATs in the US. Many, many, years ago when Giovanni Agnelli (then running FIAT) was considering going into the US market, he was told that to do he would have to do all sorts of crash tests to meet DoT requirements, Agnelli refused saying “FIATs are designed to be driven, not crashed”

12 hours ago, roundhouse said:

Just ain't cricket without a decent brewery

Beer? Cricket? Shurely Shome Mishtake?*
Surely it should be Madeira Cake; Cucumber, Cheese (and other) sandwiches AND a decent Cup of Tea, otherwise it’s just not Cricket, old bean

* to quote Private Eye 

9 hours ago, BSW01 said:

...but home grown fruit always tastes nicer than shop bought doesn’t it?...

Indeed. Although no horticulturalist, I did read something about the reason for this which, to me, made sense: the gist of the article was commercially produced fruit and veg are grown for looks and resistance to handling and are fertilised and watered and sprayed with insecticide on a regular consistent basis, whereas with home grown, the varieties are, well, more varied and fertilisation, watering and the use of insecticide is more infrequent/intermittent and it is this irregularity that contributes to the better taste.

Make of that what you will.

8 hours ago, simontaylor484 said:

Sadly the bomb craters have gone Baz. Last time we went the airport was horrible and the queues for security and passport control were horrendous. We liked the island and people but the Airport put us off going again

Have you considered flying to mainland Greece (Athens) and then taking a ferry? It may take 7-8 hrs but overnight in a cabin could be a relaxing way to start (and end) a holiday.

3 hours ago, chrisf said:

.... yesterday's snack lunch was four fish cakes garnished with ketchup.  Plebby or what?

More like a culinary crime. Surely the only accompaniment to a decent fish cake is a squeeze of lemon and/or tartare sauce?

Of course, if these were the sort of commercially made fish cakes where - in the list of ingredients- “fish” is found near the bottom - just above emulsifiers, stabilisers and MSG, then smothering them (an appropriate word, methinks) with ketchup (if not brown sauce, curry sauce or any other sauce that has a flavour) is most certainly a suitable fate for them

Whilst I am not a food snob (I love simple “peasant” cooking and I am equally happy to eat good Cheddar cheese sandwich with a real ale as I am eating caviar on blinis washed down with Vodka) I am most definitely a food purist (i.e. do it properly with good quality ingredients or not all).

1 hour ago, polybear said:

.... a blood test for rheumatoid arthur has been arranged; co-codamol has been mentioned though I don't fancy the side effects.  I had Ibruprofen in the cupboard but that didn't help, and I'm aware that long term regular use isn't a good idea.

Is co-codamol a winner?

You poor bear. Arthritis is a real bu99er
To be pedantic, “Arthritis” is an umbrella term and includes osteoarthritis (aka Arthrosis), rheumatoid arthritis and gout - which is why you’re getting blood test - to help get a definitive diagnosis. Treatment differs according to type.

 

Thanks to Arthrosis, I now sport two titanium, steel and plastic knees and thus can speak fairly authoritatively on pain management (from both sides of the stethoscope - so to speak). As you might guess, I have had the full range of analgesics: from the serious heavy duty narcotics like fentanyl or (lower down the opiate hierarchy) tramadol,  to useful NSAIDs like ibuprofen or diclofenac (Voltaren). I still have a blister of tramadol, leftover from my last knee surgery, sitting in the back of my medication cupboard in case of a DefCon 4 pain situation: to date I have not used any since being signed off by my surgeon (quite some time ago...)

 

I have mixed feelings about cocodamol (paracetamol and codeine), it IS useful, but - personally - I would use it sparingly. Because of the codeine component there is a very, very, slight chance of addiction. Although, to be able to get high enough on the codeine component, you’d have to take enough Co-Codamol to first fry your liver with the paracetamol component. Thus dying from liver failure and not opiate addiction.

 

Long term NSAID use can be problematic and I find that - for me - ibuprofen is relatively ineffective. Instead of ibuprofen, I use diclofenac (75mg) in a slow release formulation. I take it at the start of a flare-up (Mr Arthrosis has an extensive property empire in my body), b.i.d. for about 2 - 3 days. This allows me to be pain free for quite some time afterwards (incidentally, studies have shown that if you take analgesia when you start to feel pain, and not when pain is at its peak, you end up getting faster and better pain relief and in the long term you use less analgesia). The use of diclofenac, whether in the slow release or normal formulation, on an “as needed“ basis could be something to raise with your doctor (is he/she a GP or a rheumatologist?)

 

Speaking of doctors, I am now off to pick up a prescription from my GP, which we forgot to sort out when I saw him a day or so ago

 

And to all, may this Friday truly be a POETS day

 

iD

Edited September 25, 2020 by iL Dottore
Typo

[PeterBB]

Hi Guys,

 

Not sure how long I have been 'missing' but the last recorded page is 9006 so best wishes and condolences as hoped for, helpful or necessary. 

 

I had a call last night from Joanna, the late Jock's widow.  Is it really 4 1/2 years since he last graced theses pages with his help and advice?  -Yes.   Joanna is still finding it hard but is adjusting, more so because of the way she is able to remind herself from wishes sent to her of the esteem in which Jock was held by our community.  She sends her best wishes to all and trusts that Covid is not affecting us too much.

 

This end things have got a bit hectic in one way or another, progress on a recent project has slowed but still in mind and I doubt that ER catch-up is likely but the good news is that we are alive and well.

 

Catch up on followed topics also seems forlorn as there are many - apologies.

Edited September 25, 2020 by PeterBB
Spelling corrections.

[45156]

1 hour ago, polybear said:

 

 I did have a fight with a very large jar of beetroot a while back - the lid just would not shift and Bear just wouldn't be beaten

 

There is a trick which I have never yet found to fail - that is to get something (I use the sort of bottle oper thingie on the end of my tin opener) under the rim of the lid, then ease it up to break the seal in the jar until it clicks releasing the vacuum, and then it can be opened easily.

 

Morning All

 

Apologies, as ever, for absence, but I had to visit Barclays yesterday, and then 30747 wanted to visit some of the more distant charity shops, so that after jobs domestic, I didn't have time to get online.  Chrisf - I do agree that the "new and improved" format of the statements from the machine is a really retrograde step - but then, we customers are secondary to the bank - not vice versa.

 

Generic greetings are, of course, on offer to all ERs.

 

New boiler is, so far, working well, and Ian was very efficient, and did an excellent job of the fitting - probably a whole lot better than would have been done by a local plumber.  Only problem, and quickly resolved, was that he had left the boiler set on maximum heat output, and when we set it to come on at 5am yesterday, the bedroom was very hot indeed - but an adjustment to the heat settings resulted in a much more comfortable morning today. 

 

LASAR this morning.

 

Back tomorrow.

 

Regards to All

Stewart

 

 

[Andrew P]

7 minutes ago, PeterBB said:

Hi Guys,

 

Not sure how long I have been 'missing' but the last recorded page is 9006 so best wishes and condolences as hoped for, helpful or necessary. 

 

I had a call last night from Joanna, the late Jock's widow.  Is it really 4 1/2 years since he last graced theses pages with his help and advice?  -Yes.   Joanna is still finding it hard but is adjusting, more so because of the way she is able to remind herself from wishes sent to her of the esteem in which Jock was held by our community.  She sends her best wishes to all and trusts that Covid is not affecting us too much.

 

This end things have got a bit hectic in one way or another, progress on a recent project has slowed but still in mind and I doubt that ER catch-up is likely but the good news is that we are alive and well.

 

Catch up on followed topics also seems forlorn as there are many - apologies.

Hi Peter, Good to see you back on here, and nice to hear that Joanna has been in touch. Yes the last 4 1/2 years have flown by. I've been down here over 4 Months now, so one third of a year. I'm guessing the Clubroom is still Mothballed due to the age of the membership, you must be almost the youngest now, haha. 

Keep well and stay safe mate, regards to Susan as well of course.

[Coombe Barton]

I'd better not mention that three months today is Christmas Day.

[Tony_S]

Morning all.

It is showery here. We don’t have the gales forecast for the eastern side of the country yet. Possibly the rest of Essex will shelter us from the worst of it. As I type it had become really sunny.

I don’t think we will need much signing in to establishments. One trip to the chemist and a cash machine. Waitrose don’t deliver cash.

DPD will be delivering a parcel today. Not trains. A new CD player. Also a small package may arrive via Royal Mail. About 50 years ago I read in a model car magazine about the STP Paxton Turbo Indianapolis car. I was rather fascinated by it and tried to make a 1/32  slot car version. I think I tried carving balsa and various other modelling techniques but failed. I noticed recently that a body kit had been produced but was out of stock. Then I noticed the manufacturer (in Merseyside) had a website and said item was available.  I also ordered water slide transfers/decals from the US. They arrived very quickly.

 

Tony

[Tony_S]

19 minutes ago, Coombe Barton said:

I'd better not mention that three months today is Christmas Day.

You are not the first person today to mention this!
Aditi was wondering if she should order a turkey crown from a local supplier as she would be disappointed if Waitrose substituted whatever she wanted. I can’t imagine we will be going anywhere or having visitors over the Christmas holiday.  Aditi does like (probably more than I do) a fairly traditional Christmas lunch. I have mentioned before her uncle (lives in California) arriving at very short notice one year, announcing her would like a traditional Christmas meal but not turkey as he had that at Thanksgiving. I did mutter something about swan not being available and bought a goose.  As the uncle had arrived lots of Aditi’s other family came as well so as well as the goose based lunch there were pescatarian and vegetarian options too.  MiL kept trying to assist and had to be removed from the kitchen. However, Aditi’s brother was (and still is) great, he just said “tell me what you want doing” and he did it. 

Tony

[Joseph_Pestell]

44 minutes ago, Coombe Barton said:

I'd better not mention that three months today is Christmas Day.

I think you'll find that Boris has cancelled it.

[Compound2632]

6 minutes ago, Joseph_Pestell said:

I think you'll find that Boris has cancelled it.

 

He strikes me of more of a cavalier than a roundhead so that's unusually broad-minded of him.

[TheQ]

His hair appear t0 be thinning which isn't a surprise in that job... he'll be a round head soon enough..

[Coombe Barton]

6 minutes ago, TheQ said:

His hair appear t0 be thinning which isn't a surprise in that job... he'll be a round head soon enough..

ARRRRGGGHHHHHH! Boris with a comb-over! NOOOOO!!!!

 

[TheQ]

Several Schools closed due to flooding, one not a mile from here, power outages all over the place. The other end of this building has the buckets out, and we've got a 2 year old new roof..

I Blame Boris.. for the yellow rain and wind..

Edited September 25, 2020 by TheQ

[Joseph_Pestell]

10 minutes ago, Coombe Barton said:

ARRRRGGGHHHHHH! Boris with a comb-over! NOOOOO!!!!

 

 

No danger of that. I don't think Boris knows what a comb is for.

[Compound2632]

Just now, Joseph_Pestell said:

 

No danger of that. I don't think Boris knows what a comb is for.

 

Lack of attention to detail.

[simontaylor484]

Morning all

Cold and wet and windy here.

 

Polybear have you thought about getting one of the devices to aid opening jars with poorly paws some are like a silicone rubber cone you put over the lid to aid grip.

 

 

[Andrew P]

Off to Alton Models in a mo, I not to spend to much.

[BoD]

2 hours ago, Coombe Barton said:

I'd better not mention that three months today is Christmas Day.

 

 

Edited September 25, 2020 by BoD

[grandadbob]

PB, we got one of these years ago and it's come in very useful for The Boss and also me on the odd occasion when my grip fails me.

 

https://www.lakeland.co.uk/7706/Jarkey-Screw-Top-Jar-Opener?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI8o3Fso2E7AIVi8_tCh20JQUbEAYYASABEgKWfvD_BwE&src=gfeed&s_kwcid=AL!49!3!456457690750!!!g!!&ef_id=EAIaIQobChMI8o3Fso2E7AIV

 

Similar items also available from Amazon

 

Edited September 25, 2020 by grandadbob

[The Stationmaster]

22 minutes ago, grandadbob said:

PB, we got one of these years ago and it's come in very useful for The Boss and also me on the odd occasion when my grip fails me.

 

https://www.lakeland.co.uk/7706/Jarkey-Screw-Top-Jar-Opener?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI8o3Fso2E7AIVi8_tCh20JQUbEAYYASABEgKWfvD_BwE&src=gfeed&s_kwcid=AL!49!3!456457690750!!!g!!&ef_id=EAIaIQobChMI8o3Fso2E7AIV

 

Similar items also available from Amazon

 

That looks good - far better than bashing a sharp knife poiint through the lid.

[TheQ]

I bought SWMBO this one,

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Kichwit-Arthritis-Opener-Stainless-Steel/dp/B01M14TVC6/ref=sr_1_11?dchild=1&keywords=jar+opener&qid=1601031988&sr=8-11

it worked very well..

She's not got arthritis, just weak hands,,

 

Now she's put it somewhere safe.....

 

 

[The Stationmaster]

G'day all,

 

Rather grey outside at present but shining sun is promised for 'later', whatever 'later' might actually mean.   Thearthritis in my hands tends to be sufficiently convenient to only happen relatively infrequently and then in only one hand at a time - which allows me to use the other hand to massage fingers  etc so they all point in the correct direction instead of imitating the Circle Line.   It can sometimes be a right nuisance when trying to open things because having gripped the top of a jar etc the fingers sometimes have to be prised off it and straightened - all part of tempus fugitting.

 

I'm not sure what the pub mentioned by Ian would do with me because I don'y t have a 'phone which does 'apps'. (it's bad enough trying to understand how the 'txt' bit works).  So would I be refused entry if I can't log on, or whatever, to track & trace?  It's almost worth going to a pub to be refused entry so that I can then complain loudly about them to whoever I care to complain - maybe they'd lose their licence if I made enough noise?  As ever the law of unintended consequences has its interesting aspects.  But, like GDB, I haven't been in a pub this year as I refrained from attending a lunch meeting at The Imperial in Exeter in February because I had a nasty cold, our subsequent meeting would have been in Wokingham but the lockdown put an end to that;  I somehow doubt that our Christmas Lunch meeting in Pompey will be taking place either.  So thus far, based on the normal 'call' for the kitty  for each meeting I will have saved £60 by the end of the year because the Stoke Gifford meeting was also cancelled - some clouds do have a silver lining.

 

Talking of silver linings, or rather more accurately white exterior lining of part of my head, I am informed that I face an imminent shearing session which will presumably bring an end to my efforts to imitate the occasionally wild appearance of Christopher Lloyd in 'Back To the Future'  (and to certain of the neighbours giving me peculiar looks).

 

Have a good day everybody and stay safe

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. The parcel I was expecting arrived about 40 minutes ago so I can now get a few things done. Mr. or more likely Mrs. Fox has been digging holes in the back garden overnight, Two in the so-called lawn, in the bald areas to be re-seeded so just a case of filling them in but starting with a few bits of broken tile/glass. The third may be a bit of a problem as its between the new shed and a shrub and is rather large and this I suspect is in preparation as a nursery den so this is going to be filled with the broken tile/glass first.

4 hours ago, polybear said:

 

My hands started getting painful a couple of months or so back, just four months into early retirement .  The doc suspects arthur, though I did have a fight with a very large jar of beetroot a while back - the lid just would not shift and Bear just wouldn't be beaten; I do wonder if it's a very bad strain, though it's been two months now..... 

A blood test for rheumatoid arthur has been arranged; co-codamol has been mentioned though I don't fancy the side effects.  I had Ibruprofen in the cupboard but that didn't help, and I'm aware that long term regular use isn't a good idea.

Is co-codamol a winner?

 

I take paracetamol if Arthur Itis is bothering me but I will take co-codamol of an evening because the effects last longer though I find it slower acting than paracetamol. I try to take as little of any medicine as possible so I only use either sparingly.

2 hours ago, grandadbob said:

I've got a bit of Arthur Itis in my hands but have also got Dupuytren's Contracture in a couple of fingers.  One in particular on my left hand is sometimes quite painful and wakes me up at night and needs a bit of force to uncurl it although I can't straighten it completely.  It's not bad enough for long enough (yet) to require pills.

I have exactly the same problem and I just thought it was Arthur Itis. I'll have to have it checked out.

59 minutes ago, Coombe Barton said:

ARRRRGGGHHHHHH! Boris with a comb-over! NOOOOO!!!!

 

He can join his mate Chump and have a syrup stitched in as well.

 

[PhilJ W]

1 hour ago, simontaylor484 said:

Morning all

Cold and wet and windy here.

 

Polybear have you thought about getting one of the devices to aid opening jars with poorly paws some are like a silicone rubber cone you put over the lid to aid grip.

 

 

I have a device inherited from my parents that has opened every lid that I've used it on. Its a simple straight flat bar with a hook at one end and a sliding ratchet. I just hook it over the lid, pull the ratchet so that it grips the lid and then it acts as a lever.

[New Haven Neil]

4 hours ago, PeterBB said:

Hi Guys,

 

snip<

 

I had a call last night from Joanna, the late Jock's widow.  Is it really 4 1/2 years since he last graced theses pages with his help and advice?  -Yes.   Joanna is still finding it hard but is adjusting, more so because of the way she is able to remind herself from wishes sent to her of the esteem in which Jock was held by our community.  She sends her best wishes to all and trusts that Covid is not affecting us too much.

 

 

 

 

Co-incidence time.

 

Earlier today I was perusing an old 70's 'Bike' magazine in the 'library' (TMI), and in the back pages was an advert for 'Jock Kerr Developments' tuning and parts - this being 'our' Jock's father!  We had many an e mail conversation about that time in his life, and bikes in general, I was able to send him a lot of TT photos of old bikes that he was very grateful for.  I miss him.... such a nice bloke.

[New Haven Neil]

'Old Farts' bike club was encouraged out by the sun, four of us had a little trundle out afterwards, this is the Point of Ayre, the northern-most tip of Fraggle Rock, a rather wind swept location.  Stena Line ferry en route from Heysham to Belfast in the background, and you might just be able to make out the lake district hill in the background mixed in with the cloud on the horizon.

 

Three new Triumphs and NHN's 30 year old BMW!