Early Risers.

[Ian Abel]

HUMP day...

 

Yesterday relatively quiet, and the evening saw us at Jemma and Brendans for a very nice evening meal. Lasagna prepared by Jemma from the family recipe her grandma, the Mrs mother, had been making for "ever".

Nice review of their vacation in Scotland, pictures and an acceptable narrative from both of them. We may well visit Edinburgh and Scotland ourselves for our late summer/autumn vacation. Looking into details.

 

For those "struggling" with the inch+ of snow, we're now at 98 CONSECUTIVE DAYS with more than an inch of snow on the ground. Currently measured at 9 inches on the ground at the official measuring spot! Probably another 6+ inches coming in starting tonight/tomorrow, and more over the weekend also.

 

Somewhat calm before the storm here, -1c first thing and overcast, +1c the expected high.

 

Tally ho.

[jamie92208]

1 hour ago, grandadbob said:

@Tony_S I did once have occasion to slam the door on a salesman who after being told no thanks in no uncertain terms then had the cheek to put his foot in the door.  The door closed at the second attempt! 😉

I once had a do with an electric bed salesman.  I told him that he had 45 minutes before another visitor arrived but he didn't want to leave when the time was up.  I told him to go and he came and put his face near mine and said " IT's not your bank balance you should be thinking of it's that little lady through there".   By some miracle I didn't strangle him but his sample bed went through the door onto the lawn in 3 pieces in the next 20 seconds. he followed.  He quoted over £5K for the two beds.   We got a pair from a local supplier of better quality for £1200.

 

I found disability aids salespeople to be the biggest set of shysters and liars that I've ever dealt with.  Stairlift salesmen were on par with the bed man.  

 

Jamie

[The Johnster]

10 hours ago, jjb1970 said:

 

I am thinking more since the end of the Cold War, when NATO ran down much of it's conventional military force, including manufacturing capacity.

 

Vietnam is probably the most bombed country on earth, the destruction was staggering.

 

There have been examples of older style heavy war between peer opponents in the relatively recent past, probably the most notable example being the Iran - Iraq war of the 80's, but they have been out of sight and out of mind despite dreadful human loss and destruction.

 

There were plenty of parallels to WW2, including some of the most horrific ones, in the Balkans conflicts, but the geography out there is not conducive to set-piece trench-type battles.  A feature of the Iran-Iraq war was that both countries were oil-rich at the time and injured casualties from both sides were sent to Swiss privae hospitals to be patched up, sometimes the same hospitals and in adjoining beds!  The Americans were backing Saddam Hussein in those days (and we all know how far-sighted and prescient that turned out to be), and at one point the Iraqi air force had newer versions of some aircraft than the USAF did!

[45156]

2 hours ago, 45156 said:

Afternoon All,

 

The laptop has been in use for a few days as I priced all the railway book donations at home, and there are about 50 titles going off to Oxfam - probably a total value to them of £150 - £170, but rather than list 50 books on Ebay, with the chance of them not selling, and also the hassle of packing them and going to the Co-op every time one sells, I just can't be a*sed. 

 

Got to go out in the snow - at least it's not too heavy - as 30747 has a Dr appointment - she rang yesterday, and got a face to face with an actual GP (and a partner too) this afternoon - miracle.

 

Back tomorrow

Regards to All

Stewart

First two bags were deposited while awaiting 30747'ys prescription, and they have already been given a week no and shelved - so that's that.

 

30747 was very pleased to be seen, as she has a really terrible swelling on one finger, and the Dr lanced it, and prescribed antibiotics - it's a shame that it took her so long to decide to visit the Dr, as it was really quite bad.   The snow abated while we were out, but returned just after we got back - luckily we also got the shopping yesterday, so won't need to go out if it gets any worse, and also it's lucky that we decided to go up North last week, as this horrible weather appears to be pretty widespread.

[The Johnster]

Some of the white stuff on the mean inner-city streets, but not settled on roads or pavements.  Cardiff has it's own microclimate due to being sheltered by hills South, West, and North, and if we've had an inch, it means that the rest of Wales is buried!  What we've had is pretty wet and lumpy and not the nice powdery stuff at all, but there will be kids locally who up to about five years old who have never seen snow before!

 

The media is full of 'Arctic blasts' and 'blizzard conditions', but even up on the Beacons where it can get a bit scary this is gross exaggeration and nonsense.  Real Arctic conditions would shut us down completely, and cause megadeaths in freezing houses with no electricty or gas, and even the really big falls that lasted months in 1963 were not 'Arctic' in any meaningful sense.  The Squeeze is Polish, and talks about blizzards that kill fit young people walking even short distances home from the pub, and is a wonderful combination of contempt for our 'pussy' winters and refusing to go out in them...

[Sidecar Racer]

2 hours ago, New Haven Neil said:

 

  The JW's do call on occasion,

 

 

 They seem to have stopped that around here , instead I  recently received a

letter with all the usual chat in it .     😁

[New Haven Neil]

3 minutes ago, Sidecar Racer said:

 

 They seem to have stopped that around here , instead I  recently received a

letter with all the usual chat in it .     😁

 

Yes, we've had that now aswell - all goes to light the woodburner.  Not seen the neat clean-cut American Mormon boys for years though. Ferry costs must have put them off.

[polybear]

2 hours ago, grandadbob said:

I actually put this in the door at one time but it still didn't stop them although since Covid we've rarely had a cold caller.

 

 

 

Bear has taken the liberty of re-writing it, purely in the interests of saving paper & ink you understand....

 

NO COLD CALLERS!

So F... O..

[Hroth]

2 minutes ago, polybear said:

 

 

Bear has taken the liberty of re-writing it, purely in the interests of saving paper & ink you understand....

 

NO COLD CALLERS!

So F... O..

 

Brief and to the point.

But how has the Foreign Office upset you so badly?

 

[Coombe Barton]

... And now it’s snowing and I’m about to drive home ...

https://johncolby.wordpress.com/2023/03/08/drifting-down-but-hanging-round-longer/

[TheQ]

1 hour ago, PupCam said:

 

 

Bearing in mind the number of "establishments" that did not exist on OS maps when observation from ground level or the air clearly indicated they were there I wonder if that was because of their classification at the time I wonder? 🤔

 

 

Good book that.  I bought a copy in the Southwold Bookshop last time we were there.   Amazing the number of "phases" (no Radar related puns intended) that Orford Ness had!

 

 

TTFNQ

 

I was actually looking at some photocopies of OS Maps yesterday, the official released copies of the time RAF Neatishead is missing at whatever date . On all the copies from the 1940s to today now being released, RAF  Neatishead has magically appeared.

I've also seen a USSR issued map of Norfolk... RAF Neatishead was on there anyway!!!. Along with all the other RAF bases.

 

Just had a re look at the issued maps of the time. It took 30 years to cut short a road that RAF Neatishead was built over, ( it became our access road to the  back gate) and I notice the latest issue online it's gone missing totally. On Google earth the road's still there, but has been obstructed where it starts!!

 

I've been in the Southwold book shop, SWMBO had a wander round town while I went to the unmentionable show at the nearby St Felix School. After I'd been to the show we went on another wander. Sadly that show is no longer with us, it was one I really enjoyed.

[BoD]

5 hours ago, Tony_S said:

I think the JWs may have stopped calling since Covid. 

We have had a couple of nice handwritten letters since though - sent via Royal Mail too rather than hand delivered.

 

Edit Sorry - didn’t realise things had moved on to a new page and others had already mentioned this.

Edited March 8, 2023 by BoD

[PhilJ W]

The s*&^"% sciatica will not go away and I can barely walk. Its probably due to the wet stuff falling from the sky.

[pH]

4 hours ago, Gwiwer said:

Please tell me this  (mRNA) doesn't mean what more than one person claims it does.  "Mixed Ribonucleic Acids".  In other words the collective gene pool from an unspecified number of persons mixed into what is then injected into others.  Most definitely not.  

Just in case that was a genuine request for information, and since no-one else seems to have answered it, it is not “Mixed Ribonucleic Acids”. It is one of the three types of RNA - messenger RNA:
 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RNA

 

The mechanism by which mRNA vaccines work is fascinating (to me, at least).

 

(EDIT - Sorry, I missed IL Dottore’s earlier reply.)

Edited March 8, 2023 by pH

[polybear]

I wonder if the family feel that justice has been done?  At least one bear most definitely wouldn't.

 

"At Nottingham Youth Court on Wednesday, he was handed a 12-month referral order"

 

"The boy was also disqualified from driving for five years.

Both of his parents have been given a six-month parenting order and ordered to pay the prosecution costs of £85 and a victim surcharge of £26".

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-64892358

[polybear]

Two very lucky guys:

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-us-canada-64894083

[Sidecar Racer]

1 hour ago, BoD said:

We have had a couple of nice handwritten letters since though - sent via Royal Mail too rather than hand delivered.

 

 

Yes , mine was hand written but then obviously photocopied .

[Ozexpatriate]

The local weather didn't want to feel left out with all these stories of English snow, so per forecast, this morning saw persistent light snow for an hour or so, mostly during my walk, with no accumulation (temperatures were above freezing).

 

March snow in the valley is unusual here.

 

Another 'atmospheric river' is forecast to bring lots of precipitation (including more snow at altitude) to California later in the week. We should be on the edge of it here and remain in a rainfall year deficit of about 43mm of precipitation.

[Ozexpatriate]

4 hours ago, grandadbob said:

I actually put this in the door at one time

People here are content with a discreet "NO SOLICITING" sign. It seems to work. I get very few callers but should put one up. The bulk of callers represent solar power installers. The roofers telephone.

 

I have not seen any JWs in a long while but they regularly send literature in the mail.

2 hours ago, New Haven Neil said:

Not seen the neat clean-cut American Mormon boys for years though.

I live two doors away from an LDS Ward meeting house*. Many of the people in the neighbourhood are LDS and I never have any missionaries from them.

 

* Quite different from the Temple. There are two LDS temples in Oregon. They are only used for *special* services, like weddings and baptisms. Non-LDS people are not permitted in the temple sanctum.

 

Based on my daily walk through the carpark the missionaries seem to have a Tuesday morning meeting at the meeting house. They drive almost identical compact utility vehicles like the Nissan Rogue and Chevrolet Equinox, which I presume are owned by the church. A step up from the push-bikes I remember seeing in the old days.

 

 

Edited March 8, 2023 by Ozexpatriate

[PupCam]

Well today hasn't been a complete washout at Puppers Towers.   

 

I rustled up some code to provide the beginnings of a display for the crank position indicator this afternoon.   A basic degree scale and pointer has been crafted from graphics primitives (lines, text etc) and after sorting out a slightly perplexing hiccup (it helps if you read the correct digital input when waiting for something to happen) it even appears to work!  OK, the "crankshaft simulator" otherwise known as a coffee stirrer is a bit crude but it's good enough for testing 😀.

 

The display will be refined to also include a digital indication of the crank angle for accuracy and also to indicate the correct ignition timing point.  The deluxe version could perhaps even monitor the contact breaker points to detect exactly when they open although that's slightly difficult with magneto based ignitions?     I also thought about providing a little animation of the crank rotating and the piston & conrod going up and down although the only real benefit of doing so would be to provide some coding amusement.  It wouldn't bring anything to the party as far as actually checking the valve timing and setting the ignition timing.   Oh well, we'll see.

 

 

Look at that!    It's 8:00pm - I think it's time to get ready for bed.

 

TTFNQ

[polybear]

21 minutes ago, Ozexpatriate said:

People here are content with a discreet "NO SOLICITING" sign.

 

It tends to refer to something rather different to double glazing salesmen in the UK.....

[Ozexpatriate]

2 minutes ago, polybear said:

It tends to refer to something rather different to double glazing salesmen in the UK.....

You mean lawyers who don't practice before the bar? 😉

 

I understand what you mean, but I would have thought people would use something of similar purpose like "NO CALLERS". 

 

Edited March 8, 2023 by Ozexpatriate

[The Johnster]

There are some advantages to life on the mean innercity streets, and one of them is that nobody in the 12 years I have lived in this flat has ever knocked on my door to sell me double glazing, electric beds, vacuum cleaners, 'we're in the area, do you want your driveway resurfaced' or any such nonsense.  We get occasional Jehovahs, and very enthusiastic jolly and rotund African ladies from the local gospel (I rather like these, and see how long I can engage them before the smile fades and I am threatened with eternal damnation in the nethermost pits because I'm an atheist living unapologetically in 'sin' and seek no forgiveness for it, go up the pub sometimes, and don't go to church.  If you are and atheist there is no such thing as sin.).  I think Mormons called once. 

 

A Jehovah came around once with a wife and two kids in tow, so I broached the subject of the limited number of the Faithful that are to be allowed into Paradise according to them, and pointed out that, statistically, they each had about a 7% chance of making the cut.  The kids looked up, a bit shocked at the news, and he looked daggers at me, obviously in for an uncomfortable evening of interrogation from them.  Served him right, in my book!

 

If you were a doorstep salesman needing victims with diposable, you'd look at my street and move on; there are clearly better pickings on the other side of Newport Road (Penylan).

[polybear]

4 minutes ago, PupCam said:

Well today hasn't been a complete washout at Puppers Towers.   

 

I rustled up some code to provide the beginnings of a display for the crank position indicator this afternoon.   A basic degree scale and pointer has been crafted from graphics primitives (lines, text etc) and after sorting out a slightly perplexing hiccup (it helps if you read the correct digital input when waiting for something to happen) it even appears to work!  OK, the "crankshaft simulator" otherwise known as a coffee stirrer is a bit crude but it's good enough for testing 😀.

 

The display will be refined to also include a digital indication of the crank angle for accuracy and also to indicate the correct ignition timing point.  The deluxe version could perhaps even monitor the contact breaker points to detect exactly when they open although that's slightly difficult with magneto based ignitions?     I also thought about providing a little animation of the crank rotating and the piston & conrod going up and down although the only real benefit of doing so would be to provide some coding amusement.  It wouldn't bring anything to the party as far as actually checking the valve timing and setting the ignition timing.   Oh well, we'll see.

 

 

Look at that!    It's 8:00pm - I think it's time to get ready for bed.

 

TTFNQ

 

What's the gadget the crankshaft simulator coffee stirrer is stuck to?  Looks like a pot. or a stepper motor.  Is there scope here for circular devices requiring accurate alignment (repeatably, using a stepper motor....) to fine tolerances ** whilst at the same time showing the position on, say, a control panel?

 

**I'm sure Puppers can see where bear is going with this......

 

[The Johnster]

6 minutes ago, Ozexpatriate said:

You mean lawyers who don't practice before the bar? 😉

 

I understand what you mean, but I would have thought people would use something of similar purpose like "NO CALLERS". 

 

 

I suspect that is is about as effective as asking the postman not to deliver junk mail.  He has to do this, the mail has been paid for and his job is to deliver it on behalf of the King, whose property it is while it is in his postal system.  He can be dismissed for not delivering it, and, make no mistake about this, I know people who have been!  In any case, while we all know what we mean by junk mail, I challenge anyone to precisely define what it is, and exactly which items the postman should deliver and which not; it will come down to what you want delivered, which might well be different in detail to  what I want deliverd and completely unworkable as an instruction to postmen.  'NO CALLERS' would, if taken literally as read, mean no callers of any sort, so no friends or relatives, no mail, no deliveries of stuff you have bought and want. and no undertakers to remove you from the propety when the time comes, which might concievably arise because the doctor took the instruction literally, which in practice introduces enough wobble room for anybody to decide on the basis of their own preferences that they are not a caller in that sense, and knock on your door.  Where do you draw the line?