Early Risers.

[BSW01]

Goodnight all 

[Coombe Barton]

... and fighting the systems ...

 

https://johncolby.wordpress.com/2021/06/30/repeating-mistakes/

[The Stationmaster]

G'night all

[PhilJ W]

Goodnight all.

[laurenceb]

Night awl

[J. S. Bach]

Night Owl from the Piedmont.

[Pacific231G]

6 hours ago, Ozexpatriate said:

Bit of a generalisation there.

 

I'm sure I could find plenty of uncomplimentary opinions on British food. They would, like many sweeping generalisations, be uninformed.

It was my own experience of restaurants and diners in many parts of America I was thinking of. I have drunk very good American craft beers and have certainly enjoyed good food there. I have also endured poor food in Britain far too often. However, my general impression of oversweetened blandness and of quantity over quality was based on personal experience over thirty years and not on uninformed prejudice (My opinion of the coffee was partly based on a month working in an office in Arkansas. That wasn't really a criticism as  tastes do vary and I'm sure the average mediterranean would find my coffee watery! ) 

 

Edited July 1, 2021 by Pacific231G

[chrisf]

Greetings one and all

 

You lot are wonderful.  Many, many thanks for the profusion of kind wishes yesterday concerning the bone scan.  I have a consultation on 19th August with Professor Oncologist and will have to contain my anxiety until then!  The scan itself was I had expected – having to lie still for nearly half an hour while the machine moved very slowly from one end of me to the other.  If anything the three hours of boredom between receiving the injection that makes everything show up on the scan and the scan taking place was excruciating.  I should have realised that there would be nothing to do and it was my own silly fault for not remembering to take something to read – War and Peace, perhaps.  It did not help that the hospital restaurant was closed to members of the public.  Thanks, Covid, thanks a bunch.

 

Something else that did not help yesterday was the reluctance of my e-mail account to admit me.  After some fiddle and faff it seems to be OK now.  I suppose it is entitled to the odd off-day.

 

Others have observed the scant resemblance between the listings in the Radio Times and what is actually transmitted.  Now even the news bulletins are not sacrosanct.  Last evening the six o’clock news on BBC1 was curtailed to make room for more tennis.  When 10 pm came the news bulletin did not start because Andy Murray had not finished his match.  We live in interesting times.

 

Best wishes to all

 

Chris   

[iL Dottore]

18 hours ago, jonny777 said:

…Now onto a more intriguing subject... I am not sure why these petrol pumps need warning signs, unless I have missed something. 

 

At the risk of sounding like a “baby boomer“ cynic, I wonder if these labels are due to the fact that far too many will do anything nowadays to get their 15 minutes of fame on YouTube, Tik-To or the like

15 hours ago, Pacific231G said:

American beer certainly isn't. The same description could be applied to coffee there and the "cuisine" seems to be a case of the bland leading the bland (with added corn syrup!) .

11 hours ago, Ozexpatriate said:

Bit of a generalisation there.

 

I'm sure I could find plenty of uncomplimentary opinions on British food. They would, like many sweeping generalisations, be uninformed.

I don’t think that the above posted statement about American food is too much of a sweeping generalisation. I have spent many years living in the US and then later travelling to it on a regular basis for work and I would concur with that opinion. There is a lot of really good beer, wine and food available in the US but you have to know where to go for it otherwise the food is certainly bland and definitely over sweetened. Of course, this particular generalisation you could apply to most countries in the west: pockets of excellence surrounded by mediocrity.  Switzerland definitely can be found on that list: I have eaten incredibly well here in Switzerland (and with a concomitant price tag to match) but most the time the food is bland, uninspiring and pedestrian.  To the point where I, a merely competent amateur chef, can cook better food than most of the low and middle priced restaurants around here (not to mention the fact that nearly everywhere you go it’s the same bloody menu!)

9 hours ago, Gwiwer said:

…I truly don't know - and never did know - what caused people to turn in such directions.  Many of us have had turmoil and distress in our lives.  Some of the dossers would talk privately about their background though seldom about how and why they started drinking.  There but for the grace of <insert deity of choice, if any> go I.  And all of us.  

I think the misfortunes of these people are down to one combination or another of bad luck, an absence of family support (or any family worth the name, for that matter), mental illness, addictive personality and financial troubles.

I think the role of luck, both good and bad, does play an important role here. We have all done something stupid during our life (it would seem that the decade between 15 and 25 years of age is definitely “the age of stoopid”), But most of us have had the good luck that - whatever the stupid thing we did - it didn’t have serious consequences for ourselves. Some are not so lucky.

And so the downward spiral begins….

11 hours ago, brianusa said:

Sadly most of us are concerned about the outcome of scans which can be life changing.  I prefer not to worry as it puts one at a disadvantage right from the start…..

Brian.

A sound approach, Brian. I always take the attitude that whatever the doctors are searching for is either there or it isn’t there and there is F***all I can do about it.  So best get the test over and done with and, if there IS anything there at all, the earlier it is found the easier it is to deal with!

Let’s hope ChrisF has a good result…

8 hours ago, polybear said:

 

Bear recalls a certain young doggie (and fellow ER'er)  saying to me some years ago:

"Google is your friend - but it can also be your enemy"

For that reason I specifically stayed away from searching for info when I had the Big C scare last chrimbo…

Mr P Bear is definitely “smarter than the average bear“ with that approach. Differential diagnosis can sometimes be challenging at times even when you: a) are not personally involved (i.e. it’s someone else and you can be dispassionately analytical), and b) have a full panoply of lab tests, scans, and other assessments providing one with hard data.
 

Consulting Dr Google because you have a pain your side “just like Uncle George, who then died suddenly at the Christmas dinner table” is not a good idea…. 

It’s not like fitting a kitchen, DIY does not work in this instance.

5 hours ago, Pacific231G said:

It was my own experience of restaurants and diners in many parts of America I was thinking of. I have drunk very good American craft beers and have certainly enjoyed good food there. …

As I posted above, you can eat and drink extremely well in the US, but (and it’s a big but) you really need to have insider knowledge (or an insider’s guidance) to find the really good places.

 

Surprisingly, the one place in the US where I didn’t find a good place to eat was New Orleans. I think, primarily, because I didn’t have time to research good restaurants nor did I have any colleagues from the area who could have pointed me in the right direction

5 hours ago, Pacific231G said:

…I have also endured poor food in Britain far too often. ….

At the risk of sounding very cynical, I am not surprised.

 

Given the combination of “chips with everything“, “it’s gotta be cheap“ and an innate culinary conservatism, the fact that you DO have a great places to eat in the UK illustrates how far Britain has progressed - in culinary terms - since I was a grubby skoolboy in the UK in the 60s

 

I was listening to a repeat of BBC Radio 4’s The Food Programme yesterday and the topic was the food of James Bond (in the novels at least) and a restauranteur - who is also a big Bond fan - stated that the food Bond enjoys in the books (oyster stew, stone crabs, avocado vinaigrette…) whilst not unusual today, were then (in the 50s - when the books were written) very much the province of a wealthy few…

5 hours ago, Pacific231G said:

…and not on uninformed prejudice

I’ve always wondered about that phrase, as it implies informed prejudice is better (and perhaps it is). Human nature being what it is, I wouldn’t be so cavalier as to quickly dismiss prejudice, cliché and stereotypes - if analysed carefully they reveal tiny nuggets of (sometimes unpalatable) truth.

 

Finally, after waxing philosophical, I offer my best wishes to all those being poked, prodded, jabbed and scanned for health reasons. May the results of your trials and tribulations be positive (or negative - depending on the test)

 

iD

Edited July 1, 2021 by iL Dottore
Typo

[pH]

Lytton in BC set all-time Canadian temperatures records on each of the last three days. It was evacuated this evening as a fast-moving wildfire approached it. The fire is now in the village and a second fire is also approaching:

 

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bc-wildfires-june-30-2021-1.6085919

 

[TheQ]

Mooring Awl, Inner Temple Hare, 521/326

Not a good night just couldn't get off to sleep to start with, so the total was 4.5 hours, 3 +1.5 not good.

 

Ben the happy collie was  bush following the scents round the garden, I wasn't so happy it started off in a drizzle and turned into light rain, it's also so chilly the house central heating came on..

There was a strong north easterly yesterday off the north sea that cooled things down a lot.

 

What ever Boris announces the company has said it will continue with the current way of working until at least September.. Not that that affects me.

 

Of foods I noticed on the Tesco discounted food fridge a Chicken Schwarma , the discounted price £2:74!! This is for a tiny thing nothing like the size of the freshly produced ones in Saudi. For same cost of a Schwarma in Saudi today (I've just looked it up) which is more like a boxed meal with chips and dipping sauce and large Pepsi, is less than that.. 

 

Todays work , Lots of 10G resisters, and during the waiting time, amendment of spreadsheets to include new tests on the major systems, I think, when included in the programme, this is going to give me 2 to 3 hours extra work each time..

 

Oh someone mentioned having to reenter the RMweb password details, we've just had a Office / Win 10 update at work and I've had to enter several passwords..

 

Time to Check the company spam..

 

 

[Barry O]

WHITE RABBITS.. socially distanced for possibly the last time?

 

Seems like the departing students organised a street party inHeadingley last Saturday..gee thanks a bunch...

 

Ww have things to do today.. herself is off shopping, then off volunteering,  i am off for a haircut followed by ..........

 

Glad to hear the scan has been conducted @chrisf.  At least you have a date for the results, I still await a discussion with Sister Drac about mine.

 

We watched a bit of cricket last night, i visited the railway club then we watched a bit of tennis. 

Stay safe!

Baz

[Barry O]

Ah.. a double message .. RMWeb obviously coughed...

Baz

Edited July 1, 2021 by Barry O

[jamie92208]

Good moaning from a cool but not raining Charente.  First off very glad that Robert got good news. Chrisf, sorry to hear that you have to wait  nearly 2 months for your results. I always take a book and usualy a couple of magazines to such appointments. I hope that the results are good.  

 

The shopping got done yesterday and then not a lot. Beth had a bad dip in her blood sugar at lunchtime and slept after making sure the levels were on the way back up Whilst she slept I spent 2 hours putting dates on scanned pictures. I then made a fish pie for tea that went down well.  

 

This morning there are various tasks to complete. I'm then off trainspotting for the rest of the day, what a nice thought. It's our first chance to have an evening at Poitiers since the curfew was lifted.

 

As to Dr Google, it's a curse. We have one friend who is addicted to it and then ignores the advice of her doctors with her own weird theories. More worryingly she is now doing the same to their dog. It is not nice to see.  She then complains about the vets bills whilst ignoring their advice.

 

Regards to all.

 

Jamie

Edited July 1, 2021 by jamie92208

[Sir TophamHatt]

I've decided that, while I have very loosely followed the football, I do feel a little left out at the moment, especially in office cultures among males (although perhaps some of that is stereotyped -but then it's accurate and true in my position!).

I have absolutely no interest in football whatsoever.

Most if not all sports aren't really of interest to me - I just don't enjoy them, watching them or partaking in them.

But I guess that's my choice.  Happy with a good book or inspiring film.

[Andrew P]

Well this is the warmest and brightest morning for many a day, and so I intend to make the most of it, POSSIBLY donning my shorts for a walk once I have thrown some wet tap stuff over my wonderful body.

 

Have a good day one and all, say safe and keep well

[BSW01]

Good morning everyone 

 

Another dull start to the day here in England’s northwest. Like yesterday, there is very little wind (outside) but it is already warmer than this time yesterday, it’s already 14C and set to get even hotter later. As I mentioned yesterday I’ll be spending most of it in the garden planting yesterday’s purchases and moving stuff around, so I’m going to be a little busy. Work in the new storage area floor will have to wait until weekend. 

 

Stay safe, stay sane, enjoy whatever you have planned for the day, back later. 

 

Brian

 

 

[Ozexpatriate]

Today (still the end of June) the State of Oregon lifted all CoViD-19 restrictions. Businesses still have the ability to insist on masks, and masks remain mandatory on public transport (a Federal requirement). 

 

The seven-day average of daily new cases state-wide is 180. The number is gradually decreasing. 52% of the whole population (including children under 12 who are ineligible for vaccination) is fully vaccinated. We are apparently very close to the (somewhat arbitrary) target of 70% of adults with at least once shot. The mass vaccination locations have all shut down.

 

The average daily case rate is the same order of magnitude as June 21, 2020 when cases were increasing in our, then, second wave (of four). This does not make me confident that this pandemic, here at least, is really over.

 

Case rates of SARS-CoV-2.Delta are increasing dramatically in other parts of the country where vaccination rates are lower.

 

Edited July 1, 2021 by Ozexpatriate

[AndrewC]

Good moaning all from the boring borough. 

 

On the subject of beer and food, I long ago read an article about how companies dumb down things to appeal to the widest possible customer base. Ray Kroc understood this and the great American blandwich (Big Mac) was born. The Colonel's secret recipe is mostly salt, pepper, and flour with a few others mixed in. Beer is the same. In the US you can get some amazing beers. Bloody strong ones too. However, the boring p*sswater still has the bulk of the market share as it is inoffensive and bland. (see also Carling, Carlsberg, Heineken et al) We won't go into the rather suspect methods used by the big boys to try and control shelf space and bar selection. 

 

As for ownership of breweries it can be a hobby on its own like trainspotting. Eg, Molson/Coors also owns Sharps. Your pint of Doom Bar is now brewed in Burton. So called craft beers are being picked off. Beavertown & Brixton = Heineken. Camden = InBev. Fuller's & Meantime = Ashai. Fourpure = Lion. The list goes on. Even my favourite 2 Dutch brouwerijs have succumbed. De Molen & Het Uiltje are now part of Swinkels. (Barvaria) 

 

mmm getting thirsty. Coffee first, then maybe a coffee stout for lunch. Enjoy the day. 

[jonny777]

A grey and misty start in North Somerset, but the low cloud is thin and looks as though it will break up as the sun gets higher in the sky; and we will have another warm and humid day like yesterday. 

 

A few thunderstorms developed over the Welsh mountains, and I could see the clouds building up, from one of our bedroom windows. They did move south then southeast but fizzled out before they reached here. 

 

Sympathies go out to those in NW USA/SW Canada who have had temperatures in the high 40s C over the last few days. The culprit appears to be a blocking high in the NE Pacific which has disrupted the jetstream in that area and cut off the normal west to east flow of air from that part of the Pacific. I have trouble with high 20s C, and high 30s would render me completely incapable, so I hate to think what 49C must be like. However, the block does seem to be eroding slowly and normal service looks like arriving by early next week in that area.  

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. Good to hear that @chrisf's scan went well and he hasn't irradiated half of Milton Keynes. Bin day today with the lesser spotted glass and bottle wagon in full voice to start the dawn chorus. Arthur Itis was everywhere this morning but made himself scarce once I started moving around. I forgot to mention that Tess Coes had a batch of bread pudding in yesterday so I snaffled one, I did contemplate grabbing two but that would have put my BG into orbit. Me and bread pudding are like @polybear and LDC. When it comes to looking medical matters up on Google the only time I've done that was to check the side effects of some prescribed medicines. Some of my medical problems are down to drugs used to treat something else and if I had known of the side effects I would have asked if there was an alternative. Bearing in mind that most if not all drugs have side effects which could be worse with any alternatives.

[The Lurker]

Greetings all from Sidcup where the sun is showing its face through the clouds and I did spot some blue sky earlier - first time for a while.

 

Glad that Robert's results were all clear and I hope that Chrisf is able to forget all about his until he gets comforting news in August.

 

On American food, I quite enjoyed quite enjoyed most of what we ate in the US but I did notice that almost everything was sweeter than we are used to here, even the bread. Mrs Lurker was more critical than I but my tastes lean more to the spicy than hers. I also noticed that the food was sweeter in South Africa more than 20 years ago. I wonder if it is a function of eating out in those places whereas obviously I do not eat out as much when I am in this country? Having said that I don't recall noticing the same in other countries, not even Canada.

 

I had some good craft beer in both US and Canada but I also enjoyed some of the local wines with my meals. BC wine was an eye opener - I have never seen that here whereas Washington state sauvignon blancs and California wines generally have been here and widely so for many years.

[Tony_S]

Morning all.

It is a pleasant morning here, sunny but not overly warm. I have my first diabetic review appointment with the practice nurse today at lunchtime. This is at the surgery not by telephone. 
I am not sure what else is happening, Aditi moved our usual food delivery from today to Friday evening. 
Tony

[tigerburnie]

Morning, it's a hot one already, grass cutting delayed until it cools down later, a bit too bright for fishing, so might go out with the camera instead. The car visited the garage and the mechanic couldn't find anything wrong, whilst coming down a very steep mountain road I applied brakes to get round the right angled bend at the bottom and a rather unpleasant grating noise occurred, we surmise the calliper might have stuck on momentarily, but all seems to be working find, so no muddling tokens were required. Stay safe all and enjoy your day.

[leopardml2341]

1 hour ago, AndrewC said:

On the subject of beer and food .......

 

As for ownership of breweries it can be a hobby on its own like trainspotting. Eg, Molson/Coors also owns Sharps. Your pint of Doom Bar is now brewed in Burton.

....and it is nothing like what it used to be - in  fact it's carp!