Early Risers.

[Coombe Barton]

... and the 90/10 rule ...

 

https://johncolby.wordpress.com/2020/10/03/history-from-old-boxes/

[The Stationmaster]

G'night all

[Coombe Barton]

42 minutes ago, PeterBB said:

 Cheques still have at the end xN new pence and that expensive change happened in 1970-71.

If you tried adding old style money (L:s:d) on a spreadsheet then I'm very grateful for decimalisation.

[Coombe Barton]

I'm very fortunate that between O levels, A levels and university we as a country moved from fps through cgs and kms and ended up at SI. I can convert quickly. And then having to go-back later for stuff from the oil industry stuff which was a imperial because of the American system ...

[Adam88]

1 minute ago, Coombe Barton said:

If you tried adding old style money (L:s:d) on a spreadsheet then I'm very grateful for decimalisation.

 

On the contrary, decimalisation and general metrication occurred slighty too soon for advantage to be taken of calculators and spreadsheets.  Were we still to use £sd then the spreadsheets, etc would have the functions already incorporated, after all they represent and display dates pretty well and they are much less structured.

[BSW01]

Good evening everyone

 

Like elsewhere, it’s rained here all day, it’s not been heavy rain, but it’s been constant! It’s still raining now, but it does seem to be easing slightly. If the seaweed twirlers have got it right, tomorrow looks like it could be dry, we’ll have to wait and see about that. 

 

We got up a little late this morning and then we were on the phone to Vickie and Ian for quite some time, so, I didn’t get chance to log in this morning. They both really liked the anniversary present we bought them. The present was a signed print by a local artist, depicting some of the landmarks in the ‘Sale’ area. It showed the Town Hall, (where they married last year) the pub where we all went to afterwards for the wedding breakfast. The road that they used to live on and finally some parks and other places that they used to take the kids to when they were toddlers. We were chatting for so long that I didn’t get to the workshop until almost 12 o’clock! I did intend to do some modelling, but I ended up carrying on with the re-organising that I’ve been doing all week. Another cupboard has been emptied, the items sorted out and then refilled so that all the items that are for a specific task are together, which seems to make sense, as before they were spread over 2 or 3 different cupboards. 

 

PeterBB. Happy anniversary to you and Mrs BB.

 

Goodnight all 

[PhilJ W]

Goodnight all.

[Barry O]

Goodnight to some,  evening to others and good morning to any Antipodeans!

Nos Da to Polly

Baz

[J. S. Bach]

Night Owl from the Piedmont.

[TheQ]

Mooring awl, 

Been awake for two hours, all those mozzie bites are irritating.. I've discovered two more bites on my hands and one on my right eyebrow near the eyelid that got bitten.

 

£SD was primary school,  the books still had farthings in them but they were officially  long gone, like rods poles and perches .  Farthings were still around though and the sweet shop would accept them.  Secondary school was metric.

When I did a year working at Bacton gas works,  it was a blast from the past as all the training manuals were imperial,  and even stated the atom indivisible. 

 

Time I think for to hit the snooze button... 

 

 

 

 

[BR60103]

We were taught the metric system in high school science. But when the country adopted it, the system was different.

SWMBO still converts anything metric to imperial and I have to convert the results back to read it on the meter or whatever.

 

In our motor home I have two stickers on the rearview mirror giving the height in meters and in feetninches.  When you're sailing along at 100 kph it takes too long to do the conversion of a warning sign.

 

[iL Dottore]

6 hours ago, PeterBB said:

Unfortunately canot follow this one up, as every time I think I would be interested in their comments, on entering the site they ask for money - a no no.

The Grauniad isn’t t behind a paywall, the “asking for money” is a standard pop-up whenever you visit their site and can be happily ignored (and article read....)

23 minutes ago, TheQ said:

...£SD was primary school,  the books still had farthings in them but they were officially  long gone, like rods poles and perches .  Farthings were still around though and the sweet shop would accept them.  Secondary school was metric.

When I did a year working at Bacton gas works,  it was a blast from the past as all the training manuals were imperial,  and even stated the atom indivisible. ....

I’m also old enough not only to remember pounds, shillings and pence, but also the occasional farthing turning up in little stashes of small change. I can work easily and happily in both metric and imperial measures. Although I do prefer working in metric for the simplicity of it.

The last paragraph In the quote above indicates how rapidly science, medicine and technology can go out of date. Of course, there are universals - such as gravity, the krebs cycle and so on, however there are a lot of very clever people doing their very best to find “exceptions to the rule“, which is how we move things forward. I can’t remember who said it, or the actual quote, but someone once said something along the lines of: “when an elderly and distinguished scientist says something is possible, he/she is generally right; when an elderly and distinguished scientist says something is not possible, he/she is generally wrong”. There is a lot to be said in favour of the idea that human progression has been the result of two driving forces: the urge to show someone that they are wrong and sheer laziness. The first has lead to things like powered flight (the experts said “It couldn’t be done”) and the second to things like printing (why spend weeks painstakingly hand drawing letters, when it can be done in minutes with moveable type?)

Up very early due to some corporeal unpleasantness, something that has improved although I still feel ropey. So, not feeling 100% at the moment, thanks to to Mr Arthrosis, Miss Insomnia and that ever popular double act - the intestine twins (large and small). Nothing that can’t be fixed with drugs (and sex and rock and roll - to paraphrase Ian Drury).

Enjoy the day.

 

[Barry O]

Her indoors woke up..so I am now awake..Pah! She is making a mugatea..good!

 

Baz

[chrisf]

Greetings one and all

 

I had a distressing telephone conversation yesterday with a friend.  She is 87 years old, awaiting surgery and scared to go anywhere because of that ruddy virus.  In all other respects she is one of the most sensible and level headed people I know.  I hope to pay her a visit in the next few days.  At least she is in distinguished company being scared.  A certain president of a certain United States has has the bejasus scared out of him.  Serve him right, say I.  We may never know but perhaps it would have been possible for our beloved media to raise awareness of the virus without bringing about what amounts to hysteria.  Of course there is a need for caution, not least because even after nearly seven months of  living with the wretched thing we do not know quite what it will do next, but surely we do not need to walk on eggshells or have it rammed down our throats morning, noon and night?  Perhaps the word 'overkill' is unfortunate but it may not be quite the best way of getting the nation on side.

 

In the near certainty that I will need to find another way of spending C*****mas I spent an hour or two yesterday afternoon googling.  From this a possible solution has emerged.  Knowing my luck, by the time I know for certain, three weeks hence, it will no longer be available.   It amazed me that so many hotel rooms are already taken at that time of year, very much off-season, and I am taking this as an omen! 

 

This morning I shall have the TV coverage of the London Marathon playing in the background while I do other things.  Later I may play the new CD that came yesterday.  The playing time of just over 37 minutes is about half of what will fit on the disc.  This does not impress me and I hope the music does.

 

Best wishes to all

 

Chris

Edited October 4, 2020 by chrisf

[TheQ]

Mooring awl part 2,

It's a chucking it down outside,  which can here without moving from the sofa,  which may explain why Ben the awake Collie hasn't yet tried to get me up and out there. 

 

I'm planning to make the missing piece of wood for the alley entrance but I've realized its unlikely I'll be able to clad it,  as the wood already there needs to be dry and sealed before cladding. 

Then to Garage sorting,  ready for shelf construction. 

 

But first I need breakfast.. 

 

 

 

[Gwiwer]

Morning all

 

A true ER for a Sunday. I am awaiting the supermarket delivery. Owing to the return of that Ruddyvirus slots have suddenly become rarer than rocking-horse manure; our preferred Friday 4-5pm has had to become Sunday 7-8am. 
 

Sun day it is not. It is still very wet. At least I have a muggertee while I wait. 
 

Last night’s little indoor picnic was lovely. A candle-lit meal of salmon, beef, individual quiches and a selection of tasty salads followed by a cheeseboard plus scones, jam and cream. 
 

Now then Waitrose - where are you?  My eyelids are objecting to being open. 
 

 

[Barry O]

Ey up!

Being as how it is a Sunday I may be tempted by a bacon and black pudding sarnie for breakfast.. question is..do I also incled an egg?? Decisions, decisions...

 

Have a good day here on Planet Earth..stay safe !

Baz

[polybear]

19 minutes ago, Barry O said:

Ey up!

Being as how it is a Sunday I may be tempted by a bacon and black pudding sarnie for breakfast.. question is..do I also incled an egg?? Decisions, decisions...

 

Have a good day here on Planet Earth..stay safe !

Baz

 

The egg sounds like a plan, but dump the Hockey Puck first

 

Bear is trying to get sufficient enthusiasm/bravery/stupidity to start clearing one side of the modelling room ex. upstairs bedroom so I can lift a section of floor.  The job isn't made easier since I had to clear quite a lot from downstairs as a part of the kitchen refurb, which of course got stored in the......

[jamie92208]

Good moaning from the rather Maritime part of the Charente.  We certainly had a storm yesterday. Somevof the liquid sunshine even found it's way into the kitchen, so I've just rung the roofer.  Apart from that yesterday went to plan. I bought the cordless drill and Beth made 19 jars of green tomato chutney. The apples ini it came from either our tree or those ofva couple of expat neighbours.  As I am the only chutney  eater in the house I am looking forward to sampling it in mid November.  I even got some more of the shed floor cleared. My first winter task is to paint the rest of the floor in the main part of the shed. Today I may be sealing the cleared part with dilute pva.  We had two good video chatscwith various offspring yesterday. Martin's future bil is still in hospital but wife and daughter seem to be doing OK.

 

It's not actually raining at the moment so we are off to the market. I can here shoting outside so the Chasse is out.  I saw two lots of hunters yesterday but also saw deer and the lovely site of a Hen Harrier quartering a field looking for dinner.

 

Regards to all.

 

Jamie

 

[Barry O]

Lummy...it is sunny here...at the moment..

 

Garden pond may be pumped out later...

 

@polybearBlack pudding is a good source of Iron..helps the blood.

 

Baz

[AndrewC]

Greetings from the soggy remains of the boring borough. 

Wet, wet, wet and not that crappy boy band either. Too wet for me to start cutting the osb for the shed's replacement interior lining.  Too wet to cut the new shed roof insulation. Too wet for SWMBO to plant the several hundred bulbs that arrived this week. 

Seems the idiot developer/owner next door failed basic physics at school. The replacement roof over what was the wash house doesn't have sufficient slope to drain. I'm looking down at at least 4" of water in their new roof paddling pool.  

 

Yesterday we fell down the Netflix rabbit hole. Ended up binge watching the whole series of American BBQ Showdown. The new Krups draught beer dispenser was put through its paces as well. Today will be mostly..... who knows. 

 

Enjoy the day. 

 

 

[tigerburnie]

Morning, still raining, though not cold, but does not look like the kind of day for doing much, we have all summer been avoiding the masses by going out in the week and staying at the weekends, now the weathers changed, we might be able to venture out at the weekends as well. Had the food delivery last night, eight o'clock when it was heaving down with H2O, poor delivery driver looked like a drowned rat, he was still cheerful about it all though. I will see what the day brings, take care all and keep dry.

[BokStein]

Morning!

 

Having seen puddles lakes in places I've not seen puddles before, my guess is that there has been a little precipitation recently!

 

£sd - a wonderful mix of bases 12 and 20 (21 if you can stretch to guineas!). Where would sport and the railways be without imperial measurements?

 

Cricket pitch = 1 chain (22 yards)

Railways: 80 chains = 1 mile

Horse racing: 1 furlong = 10 chains, 8 furlongs = 1 mile.

 

As for weight, bases abound!

 

16oz = 1lb

14lb = 1 stone

8 stone = 1 cwt (hundredweight)

20cwt = 1 ton.

 

At least with the SI system, Napolean did not get his way with 400 degrees in a circle!

[Erichill16]

Morning All,

Just had my breakfast of cornflakes but with the banter about cooked breakfasts I wish I hadn’t. SWMBO hasn’t had a good night so still in bed but I remember her saying we could walk to the local shopping centre today where there is a cafe/bar/bistro that does a good gluten free cooked breakfast. Perhaps by the time she stirs and we’ve walked there it will be lunchtime and the breakfast is of the ‘all day’ variety. We may get wet getting there but it will be worth it.
The ‘ruddy’ virus doesn’t ‘scare’ me personally but an outbreak at my pharmacy scares the poo out of me. Concocting a business continuity plan and keeping it updated makes my anxiety  worse. I’m not sure the staff at the pharmacy really understand the gravity of the situation. One of the issues I have is that two member of staff live in the same household and another two are mother and daughter so if one of the them gets caught I’m going to loose two members of staff. Three of them have elderly parents and visit them every day and the manager has two boys at junior school. I not keen on employing people related to other members of staff for other reasons but now there’s an extra one. We had to write a contingency plan a number of years ago but none of us actually thought we were ever going to need it.

If we’re going to walk down to Fox Valley for a cooked breakfast I’d better try and raise SWMBO from her slumber.

Thanks for listening and speak tonight,

Robert

[Northroader]

Good god!, people are already up, we took a look outside, and stayed in bed.