Early Risers.

[Ozexpatriate]

3 hours ago, New Haven Neil said:

He's very.....bristle-y.

Yes, I had thought with a handle up the nether parts it could be used to clean the loo.

 

No offence intended to Mr. @polybear. It does look nicely renovated. 

 

Edited October 4, 2022 by Ozexpatriate

[BSW01]

Goodnight all 

[Ozexpatriate]

2 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

I had my annual eye test today.

As did I. No change in prescription. As the ophthalmologist told me last year, I will have cataracts in my future, (perhaps sooner than mum) but not for a while yet. 

 

With the dilating drops, I still can't see 'normally' more than two hours later. It was interesting on the way home how longer wavelengths were noticeably fuzzier - red traffic signal aspects were much blurrier than the green aspects.

[Ozexpatriate]

11 hours ago, jjb1970 said:

... the Northern part of Vietnam can be quite cold in the North (it's another big country).

It is - at least the north/south direction.

 

From north to south it is around 1,650 km, a little shorter than the distance from Seattle to San Diego (as the crow flies). Vietnam spans almost 15° of latitude - similar to London (51.5°N) to Málaga (36.7°N). 

[jjb1970]

The distance between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is something like 1150Km, it's a much bigger country than most realise. Another one is Indonesia, that's a huge country in terms of length across the various islands.

 

Another aspect of scale/numbers which is interesting to ponder is language. The six official UN languages are Arabic, English, French, Mandarin Chinese, Spanish and Russian. This leads many to assume these are the 'top 6 languages' but how true is that? Mandarin Chinese is spoken by a vast number of people as a first/native language, as is Spanish. English is spoken by a large number of people as a first/native language but really comes into its own by virtue of being the worlds de-facto global second language which people learn. Arabic is an international language spoken in much of the Middle East and North Africa. French is not an especially widely spoken native/first language but is widely spoken as a second language. However, Hindi is spoken by a vast number of people, as is Bengali. Indonesian/Malay (although the written forms differ because the roman written forms were codified differently by British and Dutch, the verbal forms are mutually intelligible) is another huge language in terms of native/first speakers (much more so than French) yet is largely unknown outside of SE Asia. The CIA almanacs are quite good on this stuff, for all I'm not a big enthusiast of such agencies (however necessary they are) their information digests can be excellent.

[monkeysarefun]

49 minutes ago, jjb1970 said:

The distance between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is something like 1150Km, it's a much bigger country than most realise. Another one is Indonesia, that's a huge country in terms of length across the various islands.

 

I find this site a bit of a time waster...

 

https://www.mylifeelsewhere.com/

 

 

[Ozexpatriate]

56 minutes ago, monkeysarefun said:

I find this site a bit of a time waster...

Similarly the "true size of" website, which compares the actual land mass area of countries when you move them around a Mercator's projection.

 

This is Vietnam contrasted with the British Isles:

 

Edited October 5, 2022 by Ozexpatriate

[Ozexpatriate]

1 hour ago, jjb1970 said:

The CIA almanacs are quite good on this stuff, for all I'm not a big enthusiast of such agencies (however necessary they are) their information digests can be excellent.

With the popularity of spy novels and movies, I think we forget that much of the work done by intelligence agencies is to provide (as objectively as possible) an understanding of world cultures for their government institutions and elected officials. Cloak and dagger espionage is not necessarily the primary focus.

 

These days of course electronics intercepts (chatter) have a valid national security interest.

[jamie92208]

Good moaning, it's still dark in the Charente snd it's not yet time to let the hens out. One of the bin lorries has just been and gone.

 

I'm off out with thectrailer today to pick up some concrete blocks thst will become bases for water tanks. Some timber will also be purchaded for a new pair of shutters. One set on the lounge are getting spongey, thanks to carpenter bees. That's a winter task.  The upside is that the blocks are near a railway line so some trainspotti g will be indulged in.

 

Regards to all.

 

Jamie

[iL Dottore]

7 hours ago, monkeysarefun said:

I'd question its lack of Asia-ness as much as its lack of snow, but then again we are in the European Song Contest so why the !(*#$* not?

 

  I'm increasingly under the impression that people like this are running things.

 

7 hours ago, BSW01 said:

Everyone has the right to be stupid, but I think some people just abuse the privilege!

According to s*d’s law: “every time you make something idiot proof, the universe builds a better idiot“

 

Truer words have never been spoken!

[iL Dottore]

3 hours ago, monkeysarefun said:

I find this site a bit of a time waster...

 

https://www.mylifeelsewhere.com/

 

 

But interestingly so.

It’s interesting to learn how many countries, known for proclaiming how great they are, actually compare across the board.

 

I think the only questionable evaluation the site makes is that of viewing a higher number of babies born/100’000 as a “positive” (green circle) comparison (e.g. In Switzerland, there are approximately 10.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2020. In United Kingdom, there are 11.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2020 - which was seen a plus [green circle] for the UK)

Edited October 5, 2022 by iL Dottore
Typo

[jjb1970]

On comparing countries, this is a chart I did on our world in data to annoy people at home in the UK and Europe, America etc. It's childish but that's the way I am. A big part of my job is GHG emissions and I get tired of people in the developed world blaming China, India etc for emissions without looking at which countries emit what. This figure is per-capita, i.e. it indexes emissions to population, since aggregate emissions tell you as much about the size of a country than anything else (it would be rather unfair to expect China or India to have the same aggregate emissions as Lichtenstein).

This illustration doesn't say anything at all about virtue or whether countries are good are bad, it effectively tracks the state of economic and industrial development of a country. Those countries which industrialised in the 19th century have emitted the most, those late to the party were emitting next to nothing by comparison until very recently. However, I do use it to suggest to people that before blaming developing countries for burning coal etc and feeling virtuous it might be worth looking at who made the problem. If you visualize the area under each line as indicating cumulative per-capita emissions you start to understand why people in the developing world get so annoyed when we start hectoring them. Which isn't to deny that all countries need to shift to low GHG emission economies.

 

 

[Ozexpatriate]

This quote on hurricane damage in Florida (regarding Sanibel Island which was overtopped by the storm surge) struck me:

Quote

“There are a lot of places that are not livable. There are places off their foundation, and it’s very dangerous out there,” Briscoe said. “There are alligators running around, and there are snakes all over the place.”

It's not surprising of course. The 'gators and snakes are as displaced as the human residents and most of their prey is likely gone (for now).

 

CNN: Hurricane Ian’s death toll rises as crews in Florida go door to door in search for survivors in decimated neighborhoods

 

[The Lurker]

20 minutes ago, iL Dottore said:

But interestingly so.

It’s interesting to learn how many countries, known for proclaiming how great they are, actually compare across the board.

 

I think the only questionable evaluation the site makes is that of viewing a higher number of babies born/100’000 as a “positive” (green circle) comparison (e.g. In Switzerland, there are approximately 10.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2020. In United Kingdom, there are 11.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2020 - which was seen a plus [green circle] for the UK)

although some of the statistics seem to be selectively presented. In the UK vs Netherlands, it's a positive that you see more coastline in the UK (and not a lot else) whereas that does not even come up in the vs Switzerland (and neither does you'll get to see a whole load of beautiful mountains in Switzerland).

[Ozexpatriate]

13 minutes ago, jjb1970 said:

If you visualize the area under each line as indicating cumulative per-capita emissions you start to understand why people in the developing world get so annoyed when we start hectoring them.

Area under a "per-capita" curve is meaningless. Area under a "total emissions" curve is directly relevant to your point about historical emitters. It is the total mass in the atmosphere that is relevant.

 

What is interesting in the "per-capita" curve is the dramatic reduction since ~2020 for many western offenders.

 

The gulf oil states and a couple of island outliers* (using oil for electricity and water desalinization) are the worst per-capita offenders.

 

For example, New Caledonia is 1.6x the US, Curaçao is 3x, and Palau is 3.5x.

 

Edited October 5, 2022 by Ozexpatriate

[The Lurker]

14 minutes ago, jjb1970 said:

On comparing countries, this is a chart I did on our world in data to annoy people at home in the UK and Europe, America etc. It's childish but that's the way I am. A big part of my job is GHG emissions and I get tired of people in the developed world blaming China, India etc for emissions without looking at which countries emit what. This figure is per-capita, i.e. it indexes emissions to population, since aggregate emissions tell you as much about the size of a country than anything else (it would be rather unfair to expect China or India to have the same aggregate emissions as Lichtenstein).

This illustration doesn't say anything at all about virtue or whether countries are good are bad, it effectively tracks the state of economic and industrial development of a country. Those countries which industrialised in the 19th century have emitted the most, those late to the party were emitting next to nothing by comparison until very recently. However, I do use it to suggest to people that before blaming developing countries for burning coal etc and feeling virtuous it might be worth looking at who made the problem. If you visualize the area under each line as indicating cumulative per-capita emissions you start to understand why people in the developing world get so annoyed when we start hectoring them. Which isn't to deny that all countries need to shift to low GHG emission economies.

 

 

There has to be a certain amount of sympathy with those nations which have developed later because, let's face it, we destroyed our forests long ago, etc. I

 

But I am interested in a couple of things in that chart - China is increasing at a vastly rapid rate and has overtaken the UK which is declining rapidly on a per capita basis, and also that Brazil is declining at present.

 

But looking the other way around, firstly China has a population of enormous magnitude and that means its current emissions are of far more impact than much smaller countries because of this, secondly although the cumulative figures are not good reading, the earth was absorbing CO2 at a rate that at least masked if not actually prevented temperature rise until at least the 1950s (let's face it, the early worriers/warriors re a warming planet were still warning about a new ice age coming in the 1970s - sometimes the same people, which kind of diluted the impact they wanted to make), and thirdly, we know a lot more now than we did in the 1950s. The Clean Air Act which started reducing pollution here was of course nothing to do with climate change, it was all to do with getting rid of pea soupers and the attendant health problems.

 

Edited October 5, 2022 by The Lurker

[Ozexpatriate]

1 minute ago, The Lurker said:

that Brazil is declining at present

Except that the data presented excludes "Land use change". When you include deforestation burning for Brazil their emissions picture changes radically.

[The Lurker]

Greetings all from Sidcup where I see the sun just working its way through some yellowy-grey sky into the blue.

 

Today I have been moaned at by Mrs Lurker for having the temerity of registering my positive covid test on the NHS website, giving her an alert. I think it is because her alert is linked to the school account so people there get a ping too. Not that I have been anywhere near any of them. Apparently no-one does that anymore.

 

Anyway more WFH of course today and at the moment I feel OK, a reasonable night's sleep and a mild cough. All in all, it appears that the vaccinations and the general drift towards less nasty disease means I have probably managed to get away with it somewhat!

[TheQ]

Mooring awl,

A very poor nights sleep 3.5 hours and then... Not a lot, woke with forepaws complaining and spine, they still are now. Just couldn't get comfortable.

All joints feel very stiff and hard to move at the moment.

 

Could feel spine against the seat in the landrover  all the way into work today.

 

Ben the I sorta want out Collie, started moving as I put my boots on today, he ventured about half way down the garden and seemed quite happy until he could hear the Deer rut calling in the distance.. Clear skies, light dew,  fairly dark..

 

Saudi winter games isn't quite as daft as it sounds.. Up in Tabuk we often had snow in the morning in the winter, Tabuk was only at 2500ft , up at Khamis Mushait it's nearly 7000ft. Even out at Riyadh in the desert the day time temperature in January is only 20C. (2000ft asl)

 

Spent a lot of waiting time yesterday researching a future project, discovered in the time period I'm interested the wind pump was replaced by a steam pump, (which later was replaced by a diesel pump, which is now an electric pump) me thinks that gives the excuse to have both a steam pump and a windpump operating.. Unfortunately neither seems to have been photographed, which is strange because the steam pump survived in ruins till the 1970's.

 

Fought my way into the company working hour programme, every time you enter, having put your password in, it then sends a number to your email address, you then have to type that into it again. Also they keep changing the icons around and the Icons are quite small. So you have to play hunt the Icon through several pages before you can actually book 1 days holiday (For the landrover MOT).

 

Time to... Wait, this progamme has about another 3/4 hour to run..

 

 

 

[BoD]

1 hour ago, iL Dottore said:

e.g. In Switzerland, there are approximately 10.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2020. In United Kingdom, there are 11.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2020 - which was seen a plus [green circle] for the UK

Oooh, at last something we can beat someone at.  Let’s make it our National sport and start a World Cup in it. Or if not World Cup at least a Eurovision sh@g contest.  That way monkeysarefun can join in too.

Edited October 5, 2022 by BoD

[Barry O]

Ey up!

 

Slept in..... First time in a long time.

 

Now time for shark wielding and house cleaning.

 

Have a great day!

Stay safe!

Baz

[DaveF]

 

Just a note at the start of my day to say thanks for the useful comments about diet after my post yesterday.

 

One thing I didn't mention is the conflicting advice depending on whether you speak to someone about possible diabetes, gut problems or those dealing with cholesterol.  If only one could obtain advice which didn't "improve" one condition at the expense of possible "worsening" of others.   

 

When I took Mum to see her Crohn's nurse consultant she always discussed my gut with me as she said it tends to run in families.  She said it is a good idea to keep a food diary whenever you think you have a problem as it is rarely one food alone which causes problems.  I have found it is always a combination over a period of time, often started by eating something on a different day from usual so it intereacts with some other food.  

 

I always check what is in food I buy, especially anything ready prepared.  I also eat out very rarely as I can never be sure what will be in the food.

 

All I wil do is continue to eat but at the same time make sure I get a somewhat better blance than recently. At least I know why my diet changed and how to get it right.

 

Lastly a quick question.  I can eat raspberries but not strawberries.  Any idea why one upsets me?  I can only think it is because strawberry seeds are on the outside where they can diectly touch the gut wall.

 

David

 

 

 

 

[BSW01]

Good morning everyone 

 

Well the overnight rain has stopped falling, but everywhere is very wet, so I will be staying inside today. On Sunday I bought another brace of small storage units drawers for the workshop, so I will assemble them today. Other than that I’ve nothing else planned for the day. 

 

Back later. 

 

Brian

[PhilJ W]

2 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

But interestingly so.

It’s interesting to learn how many countries, known for proclaiming how great they are, actually compare across the board.

 

I think the only questionable evaluation the site makes is that of viewing a higher number of babies born/100’000 as a “positive” (green circle) comparison (e.g. In Switzerland, there are approximately 10.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2020. In United Kingdom, there are 11.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2020 - which was seen a plus [green circle] for the UK)

Those figures should not be taken in isolation. I looked at the UK compared to Germany which showed similar figures with more babies in the UK than Germany. But both countries have an ageing population and Germany also has a shortage of care places for its senior citizens so in that context a greater birth-rate is not a bad thing. 

Edited October 5, 2022 by PhilJ W

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. Arthur Itis was having a go last night so I took a couple of Nurofen in the early hours that soon quietened him down. Still a bit late in waking up because of that and feeling quite chipper this morning (but its not likely to last).