Early Risers.

[BSW01]

Happy birthday Bob

[Gwiwer]

31 minutes ago, Coombe Barton said:

Would more thinner layers be better. I do layers of cotton stuff and feel much less bulky for the same warmth. Learnt the principle from  hillwalkers

 

 

 

 

16 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

Evening all from Estuary-Land. Went into the kitchen a short while ago and it felt really cold. The thermometer is reading 20C though so it might be my walking in from a warmer room. Forecast is that its going to get colder next week but remaining dry.

 

As an outdoors worker and long-time casual walker I might know a thing or two about layering up for the weather.  Multiple thin layers are better than one thick one and natural rather than synthetic fabrics will keep you warmer.  Though they can be harder to get dry in the laundry or if you cannot avoid that downpour.  

 

I use two pairs of socks with thinner inside thicker, or more recently one pair of lovely soft (and thick) thermal socks.  My walking socks are pretty good too and don't need to be doubled up.  

 

The heating is set to 20.5C here, dropping to 14C between 8pm and 4am (so early because I'm a genuine ER).  That's a degree down on last year across the day.  With a smart boiler and thermostat the radiators feel just warm much of the time because the flat is kept at an even temperature.  This keeps the fuel bills somewhat lower than our previous boiler which pumped water around when asked and with the radiators set to a choice of "on" or "off".  20.5 is fine for sitting quietly providing the fabric of the flat and the furniture is already warmed.  

 

It beats coming in to a cold or searing hot place from a winter's day and having to either wait for the heating to take effect or know that you've burned fuel to keep an empty place overheated.   And the water's always a good temperature as well.  

Edited December 1, 2022 by Gwiwer

[jamie92208]

4 hours ago, Ian Abel said:

Happy solar orbit to @grandadbob

 

BIN day, BINs out and done fairly early.

Yesterday was another quiet one, punctuated by Brendan stopping over to retrieve Whitney.

 

Got a message late evening from Jemma that she's now qualified on the B757 and B767 - yay.

She has one more week of training starting in a few days to do the B767-400ER specifics in the sim and international operations stuff.

 

Today will be off to choir practice and pre-rehearsal happy hour later, so glad I've got heated seats and steering wheel on the new(er) chariot.

 

Considered S0DDING cold this morning IMHO, at -14c buqqering about with the BINs. It IS sunny but doesn't help much, high of -1c forecast.

 

Stay warm...

That's great for Jemma. Thought provoking though. My brother was flying 757(/767' for BA before he retired, 20 years ago..  

 

As to keeping warm, the tip I would give is to always make sure that, as well as multiple thin lsyets up top,  you wear thick soled footwear. If the soles of your feet are cold you will never be warm.  Don't ask me how I inow.

 

Jamie

[Winslow Boy]

31 minutes ago, jamie92208 said:

That's great for Jemma. Thought provoking though. My brother was flying 757(/767' for BA before he retired, 20 years ago..  

 

As to keeping warm, the tip I would give is to always make sure that, as well as multiple thin lsyets up top,  you wear thick soled footwear. If the soles of your feet are cold you will never be warm.  Don't ask me how I inow.

 

Jamie

 

And always keep your feet dry. 

 

Don't ask.

[polybear]

7 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

I've never heard a fox make a noise like that, obviously its being kept as a pet. 

 

It's wearing a collar.

 

3 hours ago, PupCam said:

 

I tried that.   That worked!    Well done Bear you are now officially an IT specialist (no salary increase unfortunately)

 

I'll settle for a Mutley** Medal.  And a big wedge of cake.....

(** when was Dastardly & Mutley, Whacky Races etc. last shown on the telly?  No doubt some t0sser has decided they're not p.c. anymore 🤬).

 

3 hours ago, pH said:

Rather than go off-topic in the “Chip engine” topic, I’ll post this here.

 

British chip truck:
https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/621778292282086030/

 

Canadian chip truck:

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4j7mESJuxko/TOUv5OiIj9I/AAAAAAAACxE/XueYUhMJt1g/s1600/IMG_0591%2BFL.jpg

 

 

Yeah, but let's see how easy it is to park the big 'un in London....🤣

 

Bear here.....

Another evening at the College Group; several tasks completed, with no sign of blood.  Tick.

 

In other news.....

It seems that an 85 year old woman waited 14 hours for an Ambulance after she broke her hip, and then a further 26 hours in the back of the Ambulance before she could be unloaded into A&E.  Bluddy appalling.

 

And finally.....

From BBC News:

A Florida woman has sued the makers of Velveeta Shells and Cheese, claiming the dish takes too long to make.

The Kraft Company markets its microwaveable cups as "ready in 3.5 minutes" but Amanda Ramirez says it takes longer.

The $5m (£4.2m) lawsuit claims the time advertised does not include preparation time - opening the lid and sauce pouch, before adding water and stirring.

Kraft Heinz Foods Company described the lawsuit as "frivolous".

"We are aware of this frivolous lawsuit and will strongly defend against the allegations in the complaint," a company spokesperson told the BBC.

In the lawsuit, which was filed in a Florida court last month, Ms Ramirez's lawyers claim she paid more than she would have had she known the truth.

 

FFS.

 

And finally finally.....

Bear's Funny Fridge Magnet Award goes to:

(Naughty Word Alert):

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/314240007491?hash=item492a29fd43:g:7OkAAOSwfGJjb9fX&amdata=enc:AQAHAAAAoHu4IEqpy/qwNtYNrITMv+y8WC+mCZ597O+O9/N8N9DMWW1vwVKeeFI4npHzx4I9jRQXEsdA+OL6nKT7f14gzNME5VI16wbMEDtLM3hIV9yfVWo8IEinq10eMMbdLCPNbrJ9eqeKtC71B7E1Nzo+7U1xmWMyNUR6ByoZHfTfWJkU80Ot712OYFcxpWTSztBrcXFER8d4Km2ni5HwZf9WwUk=|tkp:Bk9SR_LN1vuZYQ

[Ozexpatriate]

3 minutes ago, polybear said:

A Florida woman has sued the makers of Velveeta Shells and Cheese

Been all over the late night comedy circuit in the last couple of days. It's meritless and I would be very surprised if even a Florida judge agrees to hear the case.

[monkeysarefun]

4 minutes ago, Ozexpatriate said:

Been all over the late night comedy circuit in the last couple of days. It's meritless and I would be very surprised if even a Florida judge agrees to hear the case.

 

Aileen Cannon seems to be the go-to FLA judge for dodginess.

[Ozexpatriate]

Weather forecasters teased us with possible snow falling (not sticking or accumulating) this morning. It wasn't going to happen and didn't. It was grey and damp early and at one point in the early afternoon there were snow flurries for about five minutes - then the sun came out.

 

Partly cloudy and about 3°C right now.

 

I have my thermostat set to about 18°C in the morning and evening with a setback in the middle of the day (to about 15°C*) and at night - I like to sleep under the covers in a cool room. This can get chilly in the afternoon, but if I feel cold I turn the (gas) fireplace on.

 

* It doesn't get that cold, it just stops the furnace from coming on.

[Ozexpatriate]

6 minutes ago, monkeysarefun said:

go-to FLA judge

Florida Southern District, Federal Court.

 

Civil cases would be heard by a state court.

[Erichill16]

Evening All,

Happy Birthday GDB, hope you had a good un.

Been a funny day here. Hovis has gone to sils for the day and is having a sleepover with Sydney. Though she’s only been with us a matter of days the house does seem empty.

Going back to an earlier post, as a teenager I discovered a lump under one of my nipples but didn’t mention it to anyone until I plucked up courage to speak to dad. Within a couple of days I’d seen my gp, a consultant and had the lump removed. Fortunately it was found to be non malignant which was obviously a great relief to all.

Spent much of the day at the old premises sorting out years, nay, decades worth of junk from the attic. Still got to decide how to get rid of it. I had thought about having a little display cabinet at the new premises showing some of the old artefacts I knew we had. Unfortunately I didn’t think we’d have enough to fill a cabinet so didn’t bother but boy have I found some bits that would have made an interesting display.

Anyway,

Goodnight. 

 

[PhilJ W]

Goodnight all.

[BSW01]

Good evening everyone 

 

Well, today has been one of those days when things just don’t go to plan! It all started when I went to put a watch on this morning, the one that I’d recently had a new battery fitted. When I picked it up, it had stopped, the battery was only 7 months old and I expected it to last me a bit longer than that! Luckily I’d kept the guarantee I got when it was replaced, so that was my first port of call when I went to the Trafford Centre. The guy was very apologetic and replaced the battery and pressure tested the watch FOC, result! 

 

However, I got back home, I was told that the kitchen skin or kitchen tap was leaking as water was coming out of the cupboard AND the toilet was blocked! Jeez, I can’t leave the house for 10 minutes without sh!t happening! But, after a quick look under the sink and I could clearly see that the leak was waste water no the fresh water feed to the tap! So, I put the shopping away, then had a quick look at the toilet. Thankfully, that was an easy fix, I just needed to use the big brush to shove the blockage through! 

 

I then changed into my work clothes and headed back to the kitchen! Before I could do anything, I had to empty the cupboard, jeez there was a lot of crap under there, it took what seemed like forever to empty it. I then got Sheila to sort out the contents, as whilst I was emptying it, she kept saying, oh, I didn’t know I had that and oh, I wondered where that had gone etc, etc, and I wasn’t definitely wasn’t putting all that scccchhhhtuff back in the cupboard. 

 

Once empty I could see what the problem was, it was a joint on the waste pipe! Somehow or other (ain’t me, coz I don’t put stuff in there) someone had been knocked and was now leaking slightly, not a lot, but enough to make a mess. Thankfully the joint wasn’t broken, so I then removed, dismantled and cleaned all the pipework and joints before shortening it slightly so that it SHOULDN’T hopefully get knocked again. The pipe fittings are the compression type, so I gave it all a good clean I reassembled and refitted it all and then tested for leaks, which thankfully there weren’t any. This is definitely just a temporary fix. 

 

By now it just gone 2 o’clock, well past dinner time, so I cleaned myself up and had a very late dinner. After that I made a list of what I need to replace the waste pipe and went to the plumbers shop and bought what I needed. I’ve gone for new solvent fittings this time, the plan is to replace the whole lot next week. 

 

Needless to say, we had to call Charlie and cancel his visit, much to my dismay and I was very disappointed, but it had to be done. Anyway, we’ll see him and his siblings as well as Vickie and Ian, as they are all coming round on Sunday for a buffet dinner. 

[BSW01]

Goodnight all 

[jjb1970]

If you are serious about going outdoors in the cold there are some excellent technical fabrics and garments which are very lightweight. They're often made into very close-fitting garments and you can wear regular clothes over them without looking odd. They're not cheap but they're well worth checking out if you enjoy walking and outdoor pursuits in the colder months. 

[jjb1970]

I found the below map interesting, it illustrates the Republic of China (Taiwan) Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ). The media keep running stories with lurid headlines about Chinese fighters and bombers entering Taiwan's air defence zone. In a sleigh of hand sadly typical of the media they consistently use headlines which will lead many readers to assume the Chinese air force is violating Taiwanese territorial integrity, and then in the article include a disclaimer that they did not enter Taiwanese airspace. 

 

[Ozexpatriate]

16 minutes ago, jjb1970 said:

The media keep running stories with lurid headlines about Chinese fighters and bombers entering Taiwan's air defence zone.

Not that I've noticed.

 

It was reported that 22 PLA fighters crossed the "median line" of the Taiwan Strait in August (after a controversial visit to Taiwan by the US Speaker of the House). Additionally 11 ballistic missiles were fired into the South China Sea around Taiwan - one of which (reportedly*) overflew Taipei. 

 

* Based on trajectories published by the Japanese Ministry of Defense.

 

The PLA Air Force published a map of their intended drills. Two of the areas were very close to each of Taipei and Kaohsiung.

 

I haven't noticed much reporting here since then.

[jjb1970]

28 minutes ago, Ozexpatriate said:

Not that I've noticed.

 

It was reported that 22 PLA fighters crossed the "median line" of the Taiwan Strait in August (after a controversial visit to Taiwan by the US Speaker of the House). Additionally 11 ballistic missiles were fired into the South China Sea around Taiwan - one of which (reportedly*) overflew Taipei. 

 

* Based on trajectories published by the Japanese Ministry of Defense.

 

The PLA Air Force published a map of their intended drills. Two of the areas were very close to each of Taipei and Kaohsiung.

 

I haven't noticed much reporting here since then.

 

I keep getting MSN and FB links to these headlines. They are always careful to insery a disclaimer about halfway into the article but use misleading headlines.

[Ozexpatriate]

For fans of "Raiders of the Lost Ark", the last scene in the "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny" teaser trailer is hilarious. (Hopefully it's not the best scene in the movie.)

 

I'm curious to see them explain how Indy is fighting Nazis in 1969!  There are hints in the Wikipedia page.

 

[Ozexpatriate]

Watching the eruption of Mauna Loa with some interest I noted that television news tonight (in a network segment and in local copy) has stated that lava is flowing at 1 mph toward the major highway (from Hilo to Kona) bisecting the island of Hawai'i. 

 

Yesterday the flow was 3.6 miles from the highway. Keen students of arithmetic might notice the discrepancy.

 

In their daily update, the USGS states that the lava has reached relatively flat terrain and the lava flow is at 0.025 miles per hour (40 meters per hour) and that this morning (Hawai'i time) the flow was 3.4 miles from the highway.

 

It's a bit of an indictment on critical thinking in news reportage.

 

[J. S. Bach]

4 hours ago, Ozexpatriate said:

Been all over the late night comedy circuit in the last couple of days. It's meritless and I would be very surprised if even a Florida judge agrees to hear the case.

Hey, you are talking Florida judges here! 😙

[grandadbob]

Good morning all,

Dry here and it will be cloudy to start with but we may get some sunny spells and scattered showers.  Quite cool at 4°C rising to 8°C.

Up early at about 5.30 thanks to being woken at 4.30 by a CO alarm in the kitchen beeping to tell me that the batteries need replacing so had to get up and do that as it was so annoying.

Many thanks for all the birthday wishes.  I had a quiet day but we have some family visitors tonight and a fish and chip supper is planned.  Thanks to the postal strike over the past 2 days I only received two birthday cards from The Boss and friends next door.  I suspect there will be more today.  However I did receive my presents to myself thanks to DPD delivering on time and am now in possession of half a dozen lovely little coaches from a Liverpool emporium.   I may get to play with them test them later but this morning I'm taking the car for a service and its first MOT.  As the garage is in Epsom they're doing it while I wait but it could be a couple of hours.  I think a walk to a cafe for breakfast may well be on the cards.

Time to take tea to Herself as she has just indicated that she wants a cup.

Have a good one,

Bob.

Edited December 2, 2022 by grandadbob

[AndyID]

2 minutes ago, grandadbob said:

Up early at about 5.30 thanks to being woken at 4.30 by a CO alarm in the kitchen beeping to tell me that the batteries need replacing so had to get up and do that as it was so annoying.

 

Not a lot of people know that alarms are legally required to issue low-battery warnings between 1 and 5 AM. Same thing applies to false alarms.

[Barry O]

Ey up!

 

Ffatchy pog here this morning.  Herself is off for a weekend of being the conductor/musical leader on a 2.5 day course this afternoon.. a bitnof "me' time beckons this weekend. Yippppppeeeeedddddoooo!

 

I am liking "Baz Ball" with the England cricket team.. I know it as "see ball, hit ball!" But, who cares its very exciting to watch.

 

Now for my mugatea... I hope @chrisfis OK...

 

Baz

[jamie92208]

7 hours ago, Erichill16 said:

Evening All,

Happy Birthday GDB, hope you had a good un.

Been a funny day here. Hovis has gone to sils for the day and is having a sleepover with Sydney. Though she’s only been with us a matter of days the house does seem empty.

Going back to an earlier post, as a teenager I discovered a lump under one of my nipples but didn’t mention it to anyone until I plucked up courage to speak to dad. Within a couple of days I’d seen my gp, a consultant and had the lump removed. Fortunately it was found to be non malignant which was obviously a great relief to all.

Spent much of the day at the old premises sorting out years, nay, decades worth of junk from the attic. Still got to decide how to get rid of it. I had thought about having a little display cabinet at the new premises showing some of the old artefacts I knew we had. Unfortunately I didn’t think we’d have enough to fill a cabinet so didn’t bother but boy have I found some bits that would have made an interesting display.

Anyway,

Goodnight. 

 

Somewhere like Beamish might well be interested.

 

Belated birthday wishes to GDB.

 

Jamie

[New Haven Neil]

Morning, 7c and dank but not wet out, OF's bike ride may happen.  Nothing remotely near on the pleut-o-dar.

 

Miserable night, hips just not happy at all, Mrs H jumped ship to the huffy bed, as I was so restless.  Quite why it wasn't me instructed to do so is not known, that's the more usual scenario.

 

Thoughts about @chrisf Chris too.