Early Risers.

[Ozexpatriate]

1 minute ago, AndyID said:

Last time I tried Trappist beer

I'm not necessarily a fan of the "saison" (farmhouse) style. There are many many different styles.

 

The Brunes, dubbels and trippels are wonderful.

[AndyID]

3 minutes ago, Ozexpatriate said:

Which one? Idalia or Franklin?

 

Idalia looks really bad for the Florida west coast. It has appeared out of almost nowhere and will land as a cat 4 overnight and into the morning with the surge perhaps around Tampa tonight. It wasn't even a hurricane yesterday. They're projecting a 9' surge at Cedar Key (north of Tampa).

 

Idalia. It's projected to head northeast then veer off to the east after leaving NC. Hopefully it will have lost a lot of energy by then but it could still be pretty nasty. I'd be inclined to get out while the going is good.

[iL Dottore]

1 hour ago, Ozexpatriate said:

One cannot study the history of western "civilization" and its rise to global dominance from (at a minimum) 1492 to 1865 without a deep contemplation of the odium of chattel slavery. It permeated everything.

But that has always been the case with all dominant cultures (Roman, Hellenic, Egyptian, Chinese Dynasties, the Shogunate etc). Until the advent of the Industrial Revolution, political and economic success was built (often literally) on the bodies of the poor, the disenfranchised and the enslaved (slave/serf/indentured servant) no matter where in the world that dominant culture was (is).

The importance of the Industrial Revolution for the betterment of mankind cannot be overstated. Although it has brought its own set of problems, overall  life for those at the bottom of the social pyramid today is considerably better than it was for that stratum of society even just 150 years ago. You can also argue that the Industrial Revolution and the resultant mass production of many formerly “bespoke” items democratised many of the privileges and pleasures of the ruling elite.
 

Take, for example, our hobby, model railways: once the exclusive province of those rich enough to be able to commission models from craftsmen and rich enough to have the leisure time to enjoy those models: mass production and social changes made possible by the industrial revolution means that both railway models and the leisure time in which to enjoy them are now accessible to nearly all.

[Ozexpatriate]

8 minutes ago, iL Dottore said:

Until the advent of the Industrial Revolution, political and economic success was built (often literally) on the bodies of the poor, the disenfranchised and the enslaved (slave/serf/indentured servant) no matter where in the world that dominant culture was (is).

Yes but. I'd add:

Quote

After the advent of the Industrial Revolution, political and economic success was built (often literally) on the bodies of the poor

Little changes, though I will happily accept your point that "the poor" are treated *somewhat* better by the modern world than their ancient counterparts.

 

Even our hobby is based on low-paid (by western standards) but skillful workers.

 

Even mobile telephones not unlike that @polybear is trying so hard to purchase were assembled in a factory where not that long ago they had to install suicide nets to stop the workers from jumping to their deaths because working conditions were so miserable.

 

EDIT:

 

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, liked to say (on more than one occasion I believe but certainly in 1968):

Quote

The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice

Which I find a hopeful perspective, and I think encompasses what you say.

 

Edited August 30, 2023 by Ozexpatriate

[iL Dottore]

32 minutes ago, Ozexpatriate said:

…Little changes, though I will happily accept your point that "the poor" are treated *somewhat* better by the modern world than their ancient counterparts.

I think that it’s a lot more than just “somewhat” better. For the most part poverty nowadays (certainly in the Western World) has become relative.
 

Unless you live, by choice or circumstance, on the very edges of society, you will have a plethora of things in your life that were once the province of those with money: clean clothes (and the means to wash them), regular meals, vermin free accommodation, an income of some kind (even if provided by the state), personal and/or public transport, access to medical care and the ability to enjoy leisure activities.

 

Certainly, the lower you are on the social totem pole the poorer the quality (and occasionally the absence of some of) the above  but you still have them (mostly) which is why I refer to poverty being relative. It’s when you read accounts like London Labour and The London Poor by Henry Mayhew (1840s) that you get a sense of what absolute poverty is like.

 

I think, without getting into politics, you could argue that what we need more of is “enlightened self-interest”. In other words “I get what I want, by ensuring that you get what you want”. A good, and possibly classic, example is that of a business owner who make tons of money selling “X” because he has a well paid, well motivated and well treated workforce that makes “X”

 

Unfortunately, too many have the attitude “I must win and you must lose”. We’d do well to abandon this zero-sum approach.

[monkeysarefun]

 

A storm passing through the suburbs just now as seen from work.

 

 

 

 

 

[jamie92208]

Good moaning from the Charente.   We had a pleasant evening yesterday picking sloes to make this year's batch of sloe gin.   This was half an hours work in a newly discovered area.   There are still two more patches to go to.

a pound and a quarter of sloes.

 

This morning I'm going to try and get a strimmer working then this evening we are having a BBQ with some friends who are coming over.

 

Jamie
h

[polybear]

7 hours ago, Hroth said:

Given that, there's almost no point in saving energy, is there.

 

A couple of months ago A Certain Bear run a little experiment to see how much I'd save by using the shower for a month (no, not continuously...) rather than having a wallow (no, not with Hippo...); bearing in mind the boiler at Bear Towers is a late 1980's Baxi Bermuda Back Boiler (reputed to be "somewhat inefficient") rather than a modern Combi or System Boiler with computerised wotsits I figured it'd be quite a saving.  Wrong.

The saving was less than a fiver a month.  I'll admit it was a bit unscientific as I still don't have working smart meters (past caring now - they can poke 'em) so could only go by the difference in price on the bill at the end of the month (meaning other factors could've had an effect).

When you take into account that many modern boilers seem to be running on borrowed time after 15+ years (and may well have needed at least one ££ computer bitty replaced in that time) I reckon I'm still doin' ok.

 

5 hours ago, monkeysarefun said:

 I haven't cooked them at home but I've had them a ta bush-tucker themed night, they do taste very nutty.

 

 

 

Where's the Barf Button??

 

🤮

[TheQ]

Mooring Awl 

5 hours sleep and then.... Nothing more.

Ben the I want out Collie appeared and we went for a stroll. There were some rabbits in the distance but Ben didn't notice. He had his nose to the ground following a scent. The daft squirrel has been leaving my nuts everywhere, up to 50 yards from the tree.. 

 

Grass is wet because it rained on the way back from the MRC last night. 100% Blue Welkin, light wind from the west and is supposed to go round to the north west if it does then the bone fire will be lit.

Noticed the slightly bigger blue driving machine has a soft rear left, attention to that will be first thing this morning.

 

I've been prevailed upon to produce a small unmentionable unit of parallel bits of metal, not only that it's French!!!!

it's size is limited by a requirement to fit in the little red driving machine. A rough measure gives us 36in wide, 30 in deep 20 inch high. A proper measure will take place shortly. Other requirements are; using lots of leftovers I have, light weight, easy to set up, and cheap.

 

Plans for today,

Tyre,

Measure,

Bone fire ,

Maybe dig for more slabs.

 

 

 

 

[grandadbob]

Good morning all,

Blue sky and sunshine at the moment.  Cloud, sunny spells, scattered showers possibly thundery all forecast for later.

Currently a cool 12°C and might reach 21°C.

A bit more work done in The Shed yesterday, vegetation and trees being plonked on added to the layout.  Much more still to be done along with more fencing that needs to be obtained/made, there's a road to build, building kits to sort out etc etc. The list seems to be endless.  Doesn't help that I keep stopping to play with the toys but after all that is the main  purpose of the project.

This morning we are visiting a garden centre and The Boss has offered to buy me breakfast.  That's a pleasant surprise. On our return I may have to "plonk"  some real vegetation before I return to The Shed.

Have a good one,

Bob.

[jjb1970]

My issue with a lot of the arguments over historical injustices is that I can't help wondering about some of the motivation. For some it is a useful way to channel outrage to avoid it being directed at contemporary issues, or as a way to justify modern political ideas on the back of past events. Depending on political motivation I can't help feeling it is more about being a useful tool in contemporary politics than genuine concern over historic injustices.

 

Slavery and colonizing others were both wrong. Most empires achieved positives but it doesn't alter the fact that they were built on the back of subjugating others and invading other lands. Even in Singapore which has a nuanced view of the British empire there's no regrets about independence. 

 

Racism should have no place in any society, but the unfortunately it is still rife. During the pandemic Mrs JJB was at the receiving end of some appalling comments directed at Chinese people. She's not even Chinese (ethnically yes, but she's never been to China and has no great love for the PRC) but I suspect to the sort of people externalizing such unpleasant views 'they all look the same'. SE Asia is a powder key of inter-racial strife which at times has exploded into mass killings, such as the Indonesian genocide following the 'year of living dangerously' when Suharto took power in a coup backed by the western world as part of the anti-communist cold war struggle.  

 

So I have no issue with highlighting the injustices perpetrated in the past and fighting against racism, but do wonder why this often coexists with indifference to current awful conditions, racial injustice and continued efforts to treat poorer countries as not much more than colonial possessions. If people want to feel outrage I can't help feeling it'd be better directed towards what our great leaders do today and the complete debacles they've helped create around the world.

[PupCam]

Morning All!

Firstly condolences to @Weeny Works on their sad loss.

 

A run to the Super Sausage (liquid refreshment only today) is planned this morning.   As it is some distance I think it’s a job for the AJ.    I don’t think my fillings would survive the run on the Girder/Rigid Beeza!

 

The radiator valve should arrive today apparently.

 

I’m also eagerly awaiting the delivery of a travelling steady for the Myford and the next batch of Arduinos but no ETA for those yet.

 

Back later with luck.

 

TTFNQ

 

 

 

[BSW01]

Good morning everyone 

 

Once again, it has rained overnight so everywhere and everything is wet, so the likelihood of any work ON the workshop is unlikely, pah! My first task is a walk to the surgery for my 12 weekly hormone injection, which as you all know is the mainstay of my cancer treatment. My appointment is at 9:20 and as it’s only a 15 minute walk, I should be home before 10. Once back, I’ll make ma muggertea and head to the workshop, if the window frame is dry, I may attempt to give it a coat of paint, if it’s not, then I’ll do some more work IN the workshop. 
 

Condolences to @Weeny Works 

 

Back later.
 

Brian 

[DaveF]

A bright sunny and cool morning, down to 9C last night.  I am up, jobs done after a poor night's sleep.  At least I know why - my hay fever sems to have stopped so I decided not to take any more antihistamines (cetirizine in my case) a couple of days ago, so for a few nights I will wake even more than usual, I may also itch a bit.  However I always feel better without them in the long run.

 

Meanwhile the chest improves though I still get short of breath from time to time but the O2 level in my blood is now back to normal. I am still not trying to do too much or I run out of steam!

 

This morning I will have a short ride to the nearest garden centre and have a slow stroll round thinking of plants I might buy in a bit.  I may also decide to have a coffee.  Their cake portions tend to be quite large so I may settle for a chocolate biscuit.  Then it will be back home, do some more reading and perhaps make a start on sorting through the spare plant pots to decide which are worth keeping - I can do that sitting down quietly.

 

Thanks to Two_sugars (John) for the comment about steroids after doxycyclin - if I ever need it again I'll mention the steroids to my GP and see what she says - I think they mighht have been helpful.

 

David

 

[polybear]

Bear here....

Up at pretty silly o'clock again (0500) thanks to No. 1 number 2.  TC's

 

Today sees the deep clean of the muddlin' room finished off (dead easy), followed by a D.C. of The Bear Pit.  Getting there.

 

I'm waiting to hear back from the EE Store to find out if my phone purchase has been successful - the CC website suggests it should be, but.......

 

BG

[New Haven Neil]

Morning, from a rock that has one more sleep until squatter leaves.

 

As life returns to normal here after the racing, the post-mortem will take place of the altered timings of the event - the racers hate it, the marshals hate it, the fans hate it, Govt. says it is a great success and will refuse to return to the old format.  Was ever the case.  It is the opinion of many it is deliberate to run the event down prior to stopping it, and from discussions I have had with many visitors they won't be coming back unless things change, thus fulfilling the wishes of some.  Of course many businesses large and small depend upon these events, so there will be a scrap looming.

 

ION - not a lot.

[Hroth]

The Gas Man Cometh....

 

Or rather, its "Smart" meter day!

 

The bod arrived and did a visual site inspection and pronounced it good to go and that all the gubbins can be shoehorned in. So first the documentation of serial numbers and meter readings, then all the new boxes...  Apparently the leccy will be off for 40 minutes or so while that bit of shoehorning occurs.  At least I've got some real books to keep me occupied while that's going on!

 

Its not so much about energy saving, more that it'll save my knees come meter reading time.

 

 

Edited August 30, 2023 by Hroth
a bit more...

[Tony_S]

13 minutes ago, Hroth said:

Its not so much about energy saving, more that it'll save my knees come meter reading time.

I have no complaints at all about our smart meters. One thing confuses me though. The gas and electric meters send our consumption numbers to the energy supplier. The meter also registers the amount of electricity we export to the grid. The supplier can see that figure too but every six months we have to send a photo of the export reading before being issued with a cheque! Photos and cheques seem odd, unless,of course it is designed to be awkward. I suspect the department that deals with export payments has no links to the billing department!

[jjb1970]

Our meter is still read by a meter reader on a regular basis. The philosophy here seems to be to maintain a lot of what might be derided as low value jobs which can easily be automated or abolished as deliberate policy to support societal cohesion and provide opportunities to those less well positioned to get more demanding jobs. For example even though the MRT is all ticketless (only stored value or contactless bank cards) which work using automated barriers all MRT stations are staffed with ticket offices and still have platform staff. For various reasons (not least the underlying tensions in a multi-ethnic country in a region where those tensions often become very unpleasant) the government places a very high priority on societal cohesion and stability. 

[PhilJ W]

Condolences to @Weeny Works.

[Tony_S]

24 minutes ago, New Haven Neil said:

that has one more sleep until squatter leaves.

When I was young we lived for a few years in Somerset. So many relatives came down from the Midlands to stay with us. 
MiL told me that when she was a child her father would rent a house in Mussoorie for the summer to avoid the heat. Certain relatives were known to drop in “while passing” and stay for over a month. 

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. The tree surgeons are back this morning massacring the three remaining trees. One of them there is little left except the main trunk. Again they are ash trees and they are very thorough in clearing any debris so perhaps they do have ash die-back. No problems sleeping last night and just a few grumbles from the joints that soon passed when I started moving about. A parcel has just arrived which contains items that should not be mentioned here and is about to be opened, be back later.

Edited August 31, 2023 by PhilJ W

[Hroth]

Leccy back on, now for the gas...

 

Or, not the gas. The meter to be installed was faulty so the gas component has been put back until one is available.

 

Hey ho...

 

Edited August 30, 2023 by Hroth
update

[Tony_S]

I bet P&O really appreciate Britannia being called a ferry!

[grandadbob]

Me too Tony.  We've been on that "Ferry" four times and really enjoyed it and have booked again for next year.

Edited August 30, 2023 by grandadbob