Early Risers.

[tigerburnie]

Our deeds state I can't keep chickens, but I can keep pigs, SWMBO has however told me they are wrong and I can't have a pig............................................................

[Tony_S]

We can’t extract clay for making bricks. We did extract some that went in a skip though. Where I was brought up in Solihull there were bye laws about certain things like caravans and even outside TV aerials. 

[New Haven Neil]

Wimslow - because I'm an engineer, I need to know why.  And I will, in time.

[The Stationmaster]

2 hours ago, Barry O said:

The GPs have a list of people in their practice and are calling them forward for the jab. As some people are not registered at a surgery the NHS has to write to everyone @BSW01.. belt and braces to try to make sure everyone is covered.

 

Baz

How does the NHS know who to write to I wonder?  It must have an address to link to the name and age (and to presumably link to an NHS number?) and that information  would only be held by GP surgeries (who no doubt add it to some sort of national database if you've ticked the right box).  So if letters are coming from a central location that implies that it holds current details for everyone who has an NHS number and is registered with a GP.    I can see the sense in a belt & braces' effort to catch as many people as possible but equally it appears that somebody somewhere knows a lot more about us than we think they do (not that it worries me).

 

But if somebody has never registered with a. GP (especially if they weren't born in the UK and given an NHS number shortly after their birth was registered) how does the system know they exist and where they live?  It could only come from other national systems holding name age and address details such as the DVLA.

[PeterBB]

Everybody whose birth has been registered will have a recorded NHS number whether registered with a GP or not.  Those who do not have one are probably 'illegal' immigrants because they have 'gone underground' or refugees not yet through the system.  The 'two edged sword' is there to (try) to make sure that no-one is missed.

[br2975]

Yesterday, I had the first of my Covid vaccinations; and some folk tell me, Bill Gates can now monitor my every future move.

.

Of course, had Bill Gates had the sense, and time, he could have saved himself a great deal of expense, and been able to donate even more of his wealth to charitable causes.

.

But, by watching local authority cctv systems, and police ANPR databases, he would already know where I drive, the routes I take, and the speeds I maintain, and could watch me as I drive, and retrace my route through my SatNav..

.

Of course, I could try and confuse him, by taking the bus, but he would only have to monitor the use of my bus pass, through the TfW computer system, and watch the Cardiff Bus cctv pictures of my occupying the pensioners seats.

.

If I was really devious, and thought I could throw Mr Gates off the scent, I’d catch the train instead, using my traceable credit card to buy a ticket, then be followed by the railway station cameras, and the onboard cameras fitted to the train.

.

My Tesco card would tell Mr. Gates what I eat, what I drink, what I wear, what spectacles I use, even what paper I wipe my bum with.

He could learn what time, on what day I shop, how much I spend, and how I pay.

From the instore cctv he could actually watch me shopping, not just at Tesco, but Asda, Sainsbury, Aldi, Lidl, B&Q you name it.

.

But, what if I don’t pay by credit or debit card, he can’t follow me then. Oh no, well  who is filming you when you use the ATM, or when you go into your bank, building society or Post Office.

To break life’s monotony, Mr. Gates could dig into my family background, find out who my friends are, find out what I think, where I go, what my socio-political views are…..but he wouldn’t need to inject me, just call his friend Mark Zuckerberg and ask to look at my Facebook profile.

.

If Bill really wanted to know my innermost secrets, he could follow me online, through my IT footprint….Oh ! silly me, my PC has Microsoft, he already follows me.

From Facebook, Mr. Gates  will find out that I follow Cardiff City FC, and through my season ticket, know my bank account details, my address, where I sit in the ground, which matches I attend, both home and away, where I sit, and film me as I watch the match.

.

Of course, I could stay home and watch the football on TV, but then Sky would know exactly what I watch, what I record, who I phone and a myriad of my online information.

And, if the game wasn’t on Sky TV, Bill would soon find out, that I’d listened to the commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live, how would he know ?

.

Because Alexa told him !

.

I had thought I’d given Bill Gates the slip, but he tracked me on my I-phone, and tablet.

.

So, if by vaccinating me NHS Cymru have been the tools of Bill Gates, in his efforts to monitor and regulate the future life of an overweight, right of centre, loud-mouthed, opinionated pensioner, what he didn't realise is, he’s at the far end of a long queue of others who have been monitoring and regulating my life, from the police, local council, Nat West and Santander, through the Nationwide, Tesco, Asda, Cardiff City FC, and Sky TV ………………. etc etc

.

Of course, being born on in a long glass tube on Tattooine, raised as a Jedai knight by a Time Lord on Galifrey and tasked by Zeus to teach the tenets of QAnon, none of these  conspiracy theories relate to me.

 

Or, as Jim Royle would say….”conspiracy my arse !”

[The Stationmaster]

11 minutes ago, PeterBB said:

Everybody whose birth has been registered will have a recorded NHS number whether registered with a GP or not.  Those who do not have one are probably 'illegal' immigrants because they have 'gone underground' or refugees not yet through the system.  The 'two edged sword' is there to (try) to make sure that no-one is missed.

Quite agree but how do they know where I live 70 odd years after I was  given my NHS number?  

Although in my case the address is the same now as it was then but that isn't the case for most people and i've moved twice since I was given my NHS number.

[Andrew P]

Its STILL weeing on the Souf Coast.

[Winslow Boy]

42 minutes ago, New Haven Neil said:

Wimslow - because I'm an engineer, I need to know why.  And I will, in time.

Now young man I was not have a dig at you. I was merely pointing out that chasing the rabbit down the hole is not good for you. I realise that as a fully paid member of the greasy monkey brigade - other primates are available, your professional pride has been impinged upon but it is only a chainsaw.

 

Oh and by the way it is Winslow, with an 'n' not Wimslow. Not that I'm at all perturbed by you lack of 'digit' dexterity as you are knocking on and we do have to look after those of a more senior nature.

[PhilJ W]

Afternoon all from Estuary-Land. The rain seems to have stopped for now but it will be back thats for sure. When the batteries of BEV's are replaced the old batteries are not scrapped but used as electricity storage. Bus companies with electric buses use the old batteries removed from their buses for storing off peak electricity and then re-charging overnight when demand is at its peak. Even after that its only when the batteries are completely worn out that they are reprocessed into new batteries. As for replacement batteries I wonder if its viable for BEV owners to lease the batteries and the battery companies replacing them every two or three years.

Edited February 16, 2021 by PhilJ W

[Coombe Barton]

21 hours ago, Ian Abel said:

As Ozexpat noted, I always post the temps here in lovely Minnesota in "C" for the benefit of most of the ERs using that as the norm/standard.

Secondarily I have generally used it personally here from my aviation background (private pilot only...) and the fact that with my daughter now a pilot all her references are in "C" regardless. Confuses the daylights out of friends when they're in our car as I also have that providing "C" temps 

Consider us a "C" anomaly in the very "F" country

Only a few countries use Fahrenheit as their official scale: the United States, Belize, Palau, the Bahamas and the Cayman Islands. 

Interesting only because Jacob Rees-Mogg's companies are registered in the Cayman Islands

[New Haven Neil]

6 minutes ago, Winslow Boy said:

Now young man ....snip<....as you are knocking on and we do have to look after those of a more senior nature.

 

Make yer mind up! 

[jonny777]

35 minutes ago, br2975 said:

Yesterday, I had the first of my Covid vaccinations; and some folk tell me, Bill Gates can now monitor my every future move.

.

Of course, had Bill Gates had the sense, and time, he could have saved himself a great deal of expense, and been able to donate even more of his wealth to charitable causes.

.

But, by watching local authority cctv systems, and police ANPR databases, he would already know where I drive, the routes I take, and the speeds I maintain, and could watch me as I drive, and retrace my route through my SatNav..

.

Of course, I could try and confuse him, by taking the bus, but he would only have to monitor the use of my bus pass, through the TfW computer system, and watch the Cardiff Bus cctv pictures of my occupying the pensioners seats.

.

If I was really devious, and thought I could throw Mr Gates off the scent, I’d catch the train instead, using my traceable credit card to buy a ticket, then be followed by the railway station cameras, and the onboard cameras fitted to the train.

.

My Tesco card would tell Mr. Gates what I eat, what I drink, what I wear, what spectacles I use, even what paper I wipe my bum with.

He could learn what time, on what day I shop, how much I spend, and how I pay.

From the instore cctv he could actually watch me shopping, not just at Tesco, but Asda, Sainsbury, Aldi, Lidl, B&Q you name it.

.

But, what if I don’t pay by credit or debit card, he can’t follow me then. Oh no, well  who is filming you when you use the ATM, or when you go into your bank, building society or Post Office.

To break life’s monotony, Mr. Gates could dig into my family background, find out who my friends are, find out what I think, where I go, what my socio-political views are…..but he wouldn’t need to inject me, just call his friend Mark Zuckerberg and ask to look at my Facebook profile.

.

If Bill really wanted to know my innermost secrets, he could follow me online, through my IT footprint….Oh ! silly me, my PC has Microsoft, he already follows me.

From Facebook, Mr. Gates  will find out that I follow Cardiff City FC, and through my season ticket, know my bank account details, my address, where I sit in the ground, which matches I attend, both home and away, where I sit, and film me as I watch the match.

.

Of course, I could stay home and watch the football on TV, but then Sky would know exactly what I watch, what I record, who I phone and a myriad of my online information.

And, if the game wasn’t on Sky TV, Bill would soon find out, that I’d listened to the commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live, how would he know ?

.

Because Alexa told him !

.

I had thought I’d given Bill Gates the slip, but he tracked me on my I-phone, and tablet.

.

So, if by vaccinating me NHS Cymru have been the tools of Bill Gates, in his efforts to monitor and regulate the future life of an overweight, right of centre, loud-mouthed, opinionated pensioner, what he didn't realise is, he’s at the far end of a long queue of others who have been monitoring and regulating my life, from the police, local council, Nat West and Santander, through the Nationwide, Tesco, Asda, Cardiff City FC, and Sky TV ………………. etc etc

.

Of course, being born on in a long glass tube on Tattooine, raised as a Jedai knight by a Time Lord on Galifrey and tasked by Zeus to teach the tenets of QAnon, none of these  conspiracy theories relate to me.

 

Or, as Jim Royle would say….”conspiracy my arse !”

 

Just wait until they switch on the 5G phone mast near you......

 

 

[PhilJ W]

22 minutes ago, Coombe Barton said:

Only a few countries use Fahrenheit as their official scale: the United States, Belize, Palau, the Bahamas and the Cayman Islands. 

Interesting only because Jacob Rees-Mogg's companies are registered in the Cayman Islands

He is a distant cousin I'll have you know. Unfortunately I'm from the poor side of the family.

[Erichill16]

1 hour ago, Tony_S said:

Aditi asked did I have any preference for main course prior to pancakes? I suggested more pancakes but that wasn’t the correct answer. I think we will be having a mushroom (we have many mushrooms it would seem) risotto then pancakes. 

We usually have stew and pancakes followed by a sweet pancake. We both like pancakes!

 

[Gwiwer]

1 hour ago, Tony_S said:

My nephew has been Covid jabbing in Brighton at weekends.  I will ask if he has had anyone  from the north in the clinic. 

Neighbour (Upstairs) has returned from her extended enforced Ch*****as vacation within the past hour. 
 

“Home” (with grandparents in her case) is in Surrey. 
 

Her gp’s were offered tests at Excel (over 30 miles), Stevenage (over 50 miles and much more using the M25 rather than central London) or York  (polar-bear territory).  So a 60-something mile round trip by car, including a two-way crossing of the Woolwich Ferry, it was. 
 

Hey ho. But job done (at least for the first round) and it means Neighbour can be allowed back onto her university site for her finals. 
 

 

[TheQ]

Me thinks NHN should threaten the chainsaw with being turned into a moped, that would fix it...

 

The Guy in the outer lab, who became a diabetic a couple of weeks after me. just came in a happy bunny, he's just been phone to tell him he's got the jab tomorrow at his local surgery..

Unfortunately He lives 25 miles south of me,  so I'm still waiting...

Edited February 16, 2021 by TheQ

[New Haven Neil]

It will get fixed, especially given the price of gas here (about double UK IIRC) we need the chainsaw in action for preparing next winter's fuel!  The log pile has been weathering for a year so now needs cutting into burner size lengths and splitting some to give variation - wood mark 5 or below   It'll be fine to burn by November.

 

All I can say is I never did like two strokes!  Nowt but trouble.

[Winslow Boy]

37 minutes ago, New Haven Neil said:

 

Make yer mind up! 

I was being polite.

 

I could have said 'now then you old codger' . But as I was brought up on the correct side of the Pennines we were taught to treat the old and befuddled with a modicum of leniency. Please note other ways of treating the old and befuddled are available.

 

Speaking of which have you repaired your chainsaw yet?

[br2975]

43 minutes ago, jonny777 said:

 

Just wait until they switch on the 5G phone mast near you......

 

 

Wibble !

[New Haven Neil]

2 minutes ago, Winslow Boy said:

I was being polite.

 

I could have said 'now then you old codger' . But as I was brought up on the correct side of the Pennines we were taught to treat the old and befuddled with a modicum of leniency. Please note other ways of treating the old and befuddled are available.

 

Speaking of which have you repaired your chainsaw yet?

 

It awaits delivery of a very small (not far away) but expensive (for what it is) part, that Stihl themselves helpfully do not make available. As I said, bloody two strokes!

[Winslow Boy]

26 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

He is a distant cousin I'll have you know. Unfortunately I'm from the poor side of the family.

So no over sees bank accounts then?

[Winslow Boy]

1 minute ago, New Haven Neil said:

 

It awaits delivery of a very small (not far away) but expensive (for what it is) part, that Stihl themselves helpfully do not make available. As I said, bloody two strokes!

Me thinks it would have been easier- possibly cheaper- to get a man in. I believe Poles are the go to foreigners for such things, so I'm told.

[polybear]

6 hours ago, New Haven Neil said:

I enjoyed Chris's description of pancake production and consumption, as that is as close as I will get to them - I absolutely love them, with lemon and golden syrup (do I hear the patter of PolyBear feetses?) but as that is a killer combination of sugar and carbs for the T2 diabetic, strictly off limits. Pah, as the saying goes. 

 

 

Not this Bear.  You can live on 'em, but Bear doesn't bother - munch nicer things to munch on; have I mentioned Lemon Drizzle Cake?

 

Bear doesn't like sanding....filling....sanding....filling......

Bear shot himself earlier - with the sauce bottle.  It has a flip top lid that is a real pig to flip...and managed to push the trigger in the process.  Blood (ok, tommy sauce) everywhere.  Just a flesh wound fortunately - I should live....

[Tony_S]

33 minutes ago, Erichill16 said:

We usually have stew and pancakes followed by a sweet pancake. We both like pancakes!

 

Our dinner plans have changed. We will still be having pancakes (probably with lemon juice and a small amount of sugar or possibly maple syrup. However the risotto is cancelled. We have just had a substantial lunch so will have something like soup before the pancakes tonight.  Tomorrow I have been told we will have mushrooms in buckwheat pancakes. Half a bag of buckwheat flour was revealed earlier and we don’t want to waste it.