Early Risers.

[simontaylor484]

I am just taking a break from domestic engineering having a coffee then back to mop wielding. I have asked for a pinny. 

I do actually have an NVQ level 2 in cleaning that I got with the Council

It sits nicely with my other NVQ in traffic office administration 

As well as my other qualifications 

[NGT6 1315]

I'm still undecided whether I should catch the ICE service at 1523 back to Leipzig, or try the IC which runs about twenty minutes behind it on Friday afternoons. The latter would most likely be one of the new(ish) IC2 double deck formations (powered by a Class 146.5 or 147.5 locomotive) which I haven't tried as of yet. I actually haven't ridden anything except suburban trains on a few occasions since we moved to Leipzig!

 

And in fact, commuting by ICE isn't half bad, especially at the ungodly hours I need to get on my way. It's just 59 minutes for the Leipzig-Gotha section, and at these hours, ridership is usually fairly low, too. Certainly beats having to hit the motorway for two hours each way!

[Pacific231G]

3 minutes ago, simontaylor484 said:

All those coal reserves we have that are wasted all those power stations demolished in the dash for gas.

Gas should be left for heating homes and businesses not eaten by power stations 

 

Sorry for the rant but it just seems to me that UK Government whatever party is in power sells itself down the river 

That might have avoided some of the current short term problem but continued heavy use of coal worsens the looming problem of us making the planet relatively uninhabitable for us. It's not about "saving the planet", the planet couldn't care less what crawls about on its surface but we all have a very definite vested interest in maintaining its current state of habitability for as long as possible if not fo ourselves then for our children and grandhildren and their grandchildren.

 

Natural gas is of course a fossil fuel and in a couple of hundred years we've been burning carbon that's been laid down by natural processes  over millions of years so need to wean ourselves of all fossil fuels. However, coal is by far the worst of them and it's simple chemistry.

Coal is predominately carbon so C+02 = C02  whereas natural gas is mainly methane and CH4 +  6 02  = C02  + 4 H20. So burning coal produces, for the same amount of energy released, far more carbon dioxide.

The carbon dioxide released by burning hydrocarbons is still too much and we certainly can't keep pumping it into the atmosphere but in that respect using coal to generate electricity is far worse.

[BSW01]

Good morning everyone 

 

Well considering I’ve been up since 8:30 it has been quite a busy day so far. I hadn’t even started my breakfast when the window cleaner turned up, so I had to unlock the back gate before I’d even sat down. Once he’d finished and I’d paid him, I set off to the butchers for the weekly meat rations and a pork pie for dinner. That lot has now been put away and I’m just about to drop Sheila off to meet up with some friends for a coffee. In the meantime, I shall call and pick up my latest eBay purchase then head off to the Trafford Centre, it’s all go here isn’t it? 

 

Back later. 

 

Brian

[iL Dottore]

15 hours ago, PupCam said:

...I note from my phone that it took One Hundred and Twenty Six attempts to get through this morning!    Lucky I'm not ill ...

 

12 hours ago, polybear said:

 

Jeez....Bear's GP must be "By Royal Appointment" material compared to the shower Puppers' has to endure.  I may well (often) get into multiples of ten's - but no-where near those numbers.  And assuming I call around doors open-ish then I'm usually guaranteed a call back from the Doc as required on the same day.

Wow! In comparison I'm really spoiled. I can usually get through to the "Boy Doctor's" practice (my GP - long story on the name) on the first or (maximum) second call. Phone's picked up after a maximum of 8 - 10 rings (usually 3 - 5), every so often when the phone is picked up I'm asked to hold for a minute or two. And that's all that it is - a minute or two. Phones are answered 08:00 - 12:00 and 14:00 - 17:00. I can usually get an appointment within a week or two (if not urgent). Once, when concerned about the potential recurrence of a DVT (another long story), I called at 08:00 and saw the GP the same day.

In Switzerland we have the Bismarck Model of health care. Not perfect, but it works and outcomes are excellent...

On 07/10/2021 at 00:55, Ozexpatriate said:

For years I have observed that most motorists here choose colours for newish vehicles from a very limited palette - white, silver/grey, black, and sometimes maroon. Of course there are other colours (particularly in some makes like Subaru which is very popular here), but cars in these colours appear to be much less common.

 

Some of this of course is a bit of the Henry Ford, "Any customer can have a car painted any colour that he wants, so long as it is black" and cars purchased from a dealers' lots will be in inoffensive colours.

 

Generally speaking I am not a fan of the ubiquity of white, grey/silver and black vehicles. Having said that, what I have found myself noticing recently is 'new' grey colours.

Grey may be a "new" colour for mass market cars, but the idea of a grey coloured car is not exactly new. Ian Fleming's James Bond (the books, not the films) had an inordinate influence on me when I was a spotty teenage. And on the matter of cars, Fleming wrote:

“Bond had the most selfish car in England. It was a Mark II Continental Bentley that some rich idiot had married to a telegraph pole on the Great West Road. Bond had bought the bits for £1,500 and Rolls had straightened the bend in the chassis and fitted new clockwork—the Mark IV engine with 9.5 compression. Then Bond had gone to Mulliners with £3,000, which was half his total capital, and they had sawn off the old cramped sports saloon body and had fitted a trim, rather square convertible two-seater affair, power-operated, with only two large armed bucket seats in black leather. The rest of the blunt end was all knife-edged, rather ugly, boot. The car was painted in rough, not gloss, battleship grey and the upholstery was black morocco. She went like a bird and a bomb and Bond loved her more than all the women at present in his life rolled, if that were feasible, together” Ian Fleming, Thunderball.

Such was the influence of the Ian Fleming books that I have always hankered after a Bentley - matt battleship grey was an option but not a "do or die" (incidentally, the Mark II Bentley Continental is an Ian Fleming invention).

1 hour ago, Pacific231G said:

That might have avoided some of the current short term problem but continued heavy use of coal worsens the looming problem of us making the planet relatively uninhabitable for us. It's not about "saving the planet", the planet couldn't care less what crawls about on its surface but we all have a very definite vested interest in maintaining its current state of habitability for as long as possible if not fo ourselves then for our children and grandhildren and their grandchildren.

 

Natural gas is of course a fossil fuel and in a couple of hundred years we've been burning carbon that's been laid down by natural processes  over millions of years so need to wean ourselves of all fossil fuels. However, coal is by far the worst of them and it's simple chemistry.

Coal is predominately carbon so C+02 = C02  whereas natural gas is mainly methane and CH4 +  6 02  = C02  + 4 H20. So burning coal produces, for the same amount of energy released, far more carbon dioxide.

The carbon dioxide released by burning hydrocarbons is still too much and we certainly can't keep pumping it into the atmosphere but in that respect using coal to generate electricity is far worse.

Of course, the best option would be to invest in nuclear power - improving current reactor design, researching nuclear fusion and phasing out coal and gas powered electricity generation (wind, wave and thermal generation are great and enviromentally friendly - but not sufficient in themselves to power the country. Having said that, the idea of carpeting the Sahara Desert with solar panels is an intriguing one). Unfortunately, there are some limitations on nuclear power - most people don't understand it and - in Britain it could well end up being run by Crapita or some other "stellar" service provider.

One final point, life on earth has survived at least 5 mass extinction events (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extinction_event), so we are unlikely to kill off the planet. But what we will do - unless we make some signficant changes - is make life untenable for us humans (although I suspect some species like cockroaches will do just fine...)

Edited October 8, 2021 by iL Dottore
Typo

[Barry O]

Parcel delivered at 11:30. Sids law meant I was inside the layout in the loft. Luckily our postie is aware of how long it takes to get down to the front door.

 

The parcel contained a new tablet.. just got to load it up with bits of apps etc.

 

Mugadecaf now required!

 

Baz

[PhilJ W]

4 minutes ago, iL Dottore said:

Of course, the best option would be to invest in nuclear power - improving current reactor design, researching nuclear fusion and phasing out coal and gas powered electricity generation (wind, wave and thermal generation are great and enviromentally friendly - but not sufficient in themselves to power the country. Having said that, the idea of carpeting the Sahara Desert with solar panels is an intriguing one). Unfortunately, there are some limitations on nuclear power - most people don't understand it and - in Britain it could well end up being run by Crapita or some other "stellar" service provider.

One final point, life on earth has survived at least 5 mass extinction events (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extinction_event), so we are unlikely to kill off the planet. But what we will do - unless we make some signficant changes - is make life untenable for us humans (although I suspect some species cockroaches will do just fine...

There is a safe(r) form of nuclear power, thorium. The waste products are less toxic as well, no such nasties as plutonium. Also a thorium power station does not need a complex and time consuming process to shut down in an emergency. 

[NGT6 1315]

Right, we could leave earlier due to an instructor having become ill, so I'm en route now!

 

Definitely acquiring an autumnal feel around these parts now. I was thinking about a soup of cheese, mince and leek this weekend on account of that.

[Tony_S]

Afternoon all.

We have had some rain this morning which was slightly unexpected. We had managed to sort out another car boot/back seat load of recycling and rubbish for the tip. I went by myself as a I had an email mentioning a pre ordered object had been dispatched yesterday by Parcelforce. No mention of whether it was Parcelforce 24 or 48 and no tracking provided. So Aditi stayed in just in case.  Something else with very detailed tracking is quite interesting. I ordered a couple of large reinforced storage bags using Amazon Prime. They started their journey near Madrid, cleared Spanish customs , cleared UK customs in Derby and have now left Castle Donnington and will I suspect arrive here via Basildon on Sunday. They are to store the Christmas tree components in. They are in bin bags in the loft at present and are awkward to move and store. The surveyor who checked the loft wasn’t bothered by where they are now as they are well away from any possible areas of solar panel wiring.  We haven’t used the tree for a few years but don’t want to chuck it away in case our nieces ever spend Christmas with us. 
Tony

[Gwiwer]

8 hours ago, NGT6 1315 said:

Moaning awl. Too frellin' early!

Sir - this is ER's  and we are among transport professionals who are accustomed to rising at the most unearthly of hours in order to get others from bed to work ..... 

 

But yes it was dark and mizzly this morning as Autumn spreads her foggy fingers across the lands.  Not as pleasant as it was a few weeks ago at the same hour.  And to ice the cake the early morning train to the House of Fun failed to run owing to the absence of a member of the crew.  Luckily I live on a "rounder" line with a train in each direction offering an instant Plan B most of the time.  

 

It's POETS Day.  I wasn't able to celebrate though a colleague did so.  Departing some 15 minutes before the rostered time, signing off (contrary to the rules) at the due time but departing on a train for home a good ten minutes before then.  He may be asked questions on Moan-day as Miss Management was watching.  The day was significantly quieter than the previous four probably accounted for by those who are working-from-work on selected days all selecting today to not do so   The recent petrol-situation upturn in rail traffic has otherwise continued for which the accountants are probably grateful even if those squeezing aboard some trains are not.  

 

A package arrived from Padstein this morning.  I use the moniker from choice as it contains "afternoon tea" for tomorrow created by the Stein Dynasty in that small Cornish town.  It has also had quite a bumpy ride but everything is intact - just upside down, jostled together and with scones and sausage rolls having attempted a mating dance at some point!  They were prised carefully apart and will be fine though not quite of the normally-approved shapes.  It's all part of the anniversary package.  Dr. SWMBO and myself would like to thank all who kindly offered their congratulations and (in some cases) messaged us off-site yesterday.  It is very much appreciated.  

 

 

 

 

 

[simontaylor484]

Afternoon all 

Its like summer here sunny not a breath of wind although the wind turbines at Hook Moor on the side of the A1 are turning very lazily.

   I have treat the Mrs to a chippy dinner today using the funds saved from my cancelled Morrisons cafe breakfast yesterday. 

 

The postie brought a mixed bag this morning a refurbished 64mb usb stick I ordered via a well known auction site. One of mine and the apprentices job is to download a sat nav update from Volvo. In this case I will be the apprentice.

The downside of the post is a tax demand for over £500 for the last tac year so I have that to sort out on Monday by my calculation I should be owed tax back I paid tax through Paye and am taxed on my pension payments.  The letter is written in gobbledygook and contradicts its self

[The Lurker]

Greetings all from a Sidcup, which like TonyS's neighbourhood has seen some unexpected drizzle.

 

Belated congratulations to Mr and Mrs Gwiwer - and I hope they enjoy the afternoon tea. We had a breakfast box from that emporium as a treat last year and very nice it was too.

 

We learned today that our MP, James Brokenshire succumbed to the big C. He seems to have been well liked in the echelons of power. I walked past him once, because he like me was depositing some or all of his children at the same school as Younger Lurker used to go to - and where Mrs Lurker works. I believe one may still attend that school. So, if nothing, else, his children attended the local state primary school. This means in the fullness of time that we shall have a by-election in this part of the Boring Borough, although I doubt there will be a shock result; this seat has been blue for many many year, most of which time it was occupied by Ted Heath.

[45156]

6 hours ago, AndrewC said:

There is an offshoot to Murphy's law that explains parcel arrivals. Not necessarily the latest possible time but the latest & most inconvenient time that is least expected. 

if you are on the toilet.

My HP printer has died, so I ordered a new one (well unused and returned) as I want the same model and make, as I just bought two new ink cartridges for the present one, and I begrudge giving them away as they cost me more than a printer does- HP304 has been replaced on the current models by HP305!

 

Anyway, got one off Ebay - estimated delivery Tuesday next.  Got an email off UPS this morning, saying that my parcel was due to be delivered TODAY between 8.30 and 12.30.  Good job I had gone out at 7.55 this morning then, and the email was timed at 8.20.  Got home around 11.30 (30747 was at Drs for a blood test arranged yesterday, and also her pneumonia jab) and no parcel and no missed delivery card.  Checked the UPS website - there is no real time tracking, and it appears that the "help" staff don't have it either, as all they said was "it's on its way".

 

Was on the toilet at about 1.15pm when ding .  Then I got an email saying my delivery had been delivered, and then after that, another advising me that the delivery had been "recheduled" to up to 7pm,  And it was not a UPS operative, at least he wasn't wearing a uniform, and he was driving the inevitable white van, not a UPS liveried vehicle - I didn't know UPS sub contracted any delivery work.

 

In other news, came down this morning to a small flood under the fish tank, so we need another one - Ebay here we go again.  Still, I've sold nine rolls of William Morris wallpaper that I bought some years ago at Boundary Mill for £2.50 each for £100 plus carriage. 

 

In yet other news, our Indesit washing machine decided last night that it didn't like the balance on the load that was in it, and having spun it twice, would NOT embark on the final spin.  It took a 30 minute (27 waiting and 3 of talking) to the Indesit helpdesk to get it to stop trying to spin, and then to reset itself for the next load - and I was left with a sopping wet duvet cover which luckily just went into our old spin drier bought for a fiver at a car boot sale, and which i won't get rid of as it is good for such emergencies.

 

No musical offerings today.

 

Generc greetings, of course are offered.

Regards to All

Stewart

[polybear]

1 hour ago, The Lurker said:

Greetings all from a Sidcup, which like TonyS's neighbourhood has seen some unexpected drizzle.

 

 

Of the yummy variety?

 

In other news:

 

Bear has completed Stage One of the car cleaning mission - all the "shuts" given a super duper clean (hatchback, doors, bonnet, fuel filler flap, plus the easy bits of the engine bay); also all four alloys - outside & inside faces.  For those of a sad persuasion the hatchback shuts looked like this when the light clusters were removed:

 

 

- And now look like this:

 

 

#GetalifeBear  

 

And finally....

It seems that Hermes are to appear "between 5pm and 7pm".  Hmm, we'll see....

[The Lurker]

2 minutes ago, polybear said:

 

Of the yummy variety?

 

Sadly of the wet variety. Younger Lurker fiercely guards his weekly LDC.

[polybear]

33 minutes ago, The Lurker said:

Younger Lurker fiercely guards his weekly LDC.

 

A very wise Cub.  He'll go far.....

[polybear]

6 hours ago, Pacific231G said:

That might have avoided some of the current short term problem but continued heavy use of coal worsens the looming problem of us making the planet relatively uninhabitable for us. It's not about "saving the planet", the planet couldn't care less what crawls about on its surface but we all have a very definite vested interest in maintaining its current state of habitability for as long as possible if not fo ourselves then for our children and grandhildren and their grandchildren.

 

 

And what do the Chinese Government do?

China power cuts: Coal miners ordered to boost output, say reports - BBC News

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-58839894

 

 

Bear's "Why didn't I?" moment of the day:

 

Buy Tesla shares last October (fifty bucks a share) - now at 782 bucks a share....

Edited October 8, 2021 by polybear

[PupCam]

Evening All!

 

 

More skirting board fixing today but not a lot else really.    I will own up to nodding off after lunch today.  All this DIY takes it out of a "Compromised" Puppers.

 

I note @polybear skills at car valeting and one has to marvel at his attention to detail.    Once again, after he's finished his own vehicle he can come round here and do Mr & Mrs Puppers' 4 wheeled vehicles.    I'm just wondering if he's done the additional 2 wheeled vehicle qualification because, if so, I've got some further jobs for him

 

Going back to yesterday's "Computing Nostalgia" theme, I've re-visited  a favourite website this afternoon.

 

https://www.hpmuseum.net/index.php

 

They used to do some cracking kit and I've been known to use and treasure a very wide range of their electronic test equipment over the years.     

 

Having been "extremely disappointed"   (Understatement of the Century TM)  by the heap of junk of an HP All-in-One  Printer I had the misfortune of purchasing  a number of years ago, which kept accusing me of purchasing counterfeit cartridges (which I had not) and then proceeding to consume all the ink from those genuine cartridges performing various "Deep Cleans" to try and make the B thing print  I WILL NOT BE BUYING ANY MORE HP "STUFF".     I managed to extend the life of the  Gold coloured fish printer a bit  when I finally ditched the highly expensive HP cartridges and added a Continuous Ink System to it but it were a right mucky business.     

 

Anyway, never again.     Mr Hewlett & Mr Packard must be turning, nay, spinning in their graves.  

 

Toddle Pip!

 

Alan

 

 

 

 

[Tony_S]

1 hour ago, polybear said:

For those of a sad persuasion the hatchback shuts looked like this when the light clusters were removed:

It does look as if the space behind the light clusters is part of the roof drain system.

[Tony_S]

I contacted the retailer who sent my parcel yesterday to ask which Parcelforce service it had been sent by and they replied that it was out for delivery and sent the tracking number. I was able to see the route the van took all over Benfleet. It seemed strange but the driver explained that he has various timed pickups to make as well as deliveries. He was only 5 minutes into the predicted delivery hour I was given.

[simontaylor484]

Bu99er after on hold 30 mins plus I finally got hold of inland robbing you

Looks like I do owe them various expletives have been deployed at least I can pay it instalment otherwise the x**s sponduliks are going for a Burton.

 

Looks like I will be going trick or treating, penny for the guying and Carol singing and Bob a job week to pay for it. 

 

 

[Ian Abel]

Afternoon all, POETS and about to do just that!

 

After several MORE hours sorting the mess left by "unknown actors", which included the realization that part of the system was never restarted on JANUARY 2019, following an upgrade!!  Not sure whether to be more annoyed at the yahoos responsible OR the folks that SHOULD have been using that part of the BI (Business Intelligence - PAH!!) but obviously haven't even bothered to look since then, let alone TELL ME!  Asshats! and every expletive @AndrewC can muster.

 

That was enough for me so went shopping with the Mrs for the Oktoberfest spread we're providing for our travelling companions - they're off to Arizona for their winter home in a week, so we're doing a bash - authentic German bratwurst, sauerkraut, German potato salad, pretzels and German Oktoberfest brews...

 

16 and overcast when I started fumbling with the client MESS, same now but a high of 23 expected.

 

Hope the weekend starts well for eveyrone - POETS, POETS, charge...

[PhilJ W]

Afternoon all from Estuary-Land. Nodded off in the chair this afternoon and woke up with a stiff neck but that has now subsided.

1 hour ago, PupCam said:

Evening All!

 

 

More skirting board fixing today but not a lot else really.    I will own up to nodding off after lunch today.  All this DIY takes it out of a "Compromised" Puppers.

 

I note @polybear skills at car valeting and one has to marvel at his attention to detail.    Once again, after he's finished his own vehicle he can come round here and do Mr & Mrs Puppers' 4 wheeled vehicles.    I'm just wondering if he's done the additional 2 wheeled vehicle qualification because, if so, I've got some further jobs for him

 

Going back to yesterday's "Computing Nostalgia" theme, I've re-visited  a favourite website this afternoon.

 

https://www.hpmuseum.net/index.php

 

They used to do some cracking kit and I've been known to use and treasure a very wide range of their electronic test equipment over the years.     

 

Having been "extremely disappointed"   (Understatement of the Century TM)  by the heap of junk of an HP All-in-One  Printer I had the misfortune of purchasing  a number of years ago, which kept accusing me of purchasing counterfeit cartridges (which I had not) and then proceeding to consume all the ink from those genuine cartridges performing various "Deep Cleans" to try and make the B thing print  I WILL NOT BE BUYING ANY MORE HP "STUFF".     I managed to extend the life of the  Gold coloured fish printer a bit  when I finally ditched the highly expensive HP cartridges and added a Continuous Ink System to it but it were a right mucky business.     

 

Anyway, never again.     Mr Hewlett & Mr Packard must be turning, nay, spinning in their graves.  

 

Toddle Pip!

 

Alan

I have a Lexmark laser printer. The colour cartridges cost twice as much as HP but are four times the size. What is more when they run out you can buy bottles of ink and refill them yourself. As refilling the cartridges can be messy most just buy replacement cartridges.

[New Haven Neil]

Well the bike ride after brunch in the bright lights of Ramsey was fairly gentle, and short by usual our standards - we did sit on Scenic Laxey prom consuming coffee and talking bol....cobblers for an hour though, but the tide was coming and and it got a bit splishy-splashy with fine spray so there had to be a bike washing event upon return to NHN towers.  Salt spray and alloy engines do not play well together.  Only 5 out today, 3 Triumphs (modern ones), a Victory (huuuge US Harley type thing) and my BMW.  With working indicators, topped up the blinker fluid this morning.

 

Then a ride on the MER to the seething metropolis of Douglas to meet Mrs NHN from work at the Horse Tram Sheds (well the office above them in reality - fleet management) for a ride back home together.  She's not pleased, a crew have wrecked one of the fire engines in her care (she looks after the 'blue light' garages mostly, and the odd train), crashed into a ditch on a shout. Written off.  Luckily it wasn't one of the three week old ones....there would have been blood.....

[Barry O]

it would appear that I have "Covid Nose" (not covid Toes).. doesn't stop it itching for the last 18 months or so with no apparent explanation.

 

I hope that my flub jab tomorrow is given by one of the diabetic team.. may be the only way to talk to them .

 

Baz