Early Risers.

[PhilJ W]

Goodnight all.

[BSW01]

Good evening everyone 

 

The weather has been good today, I didn’t even need to put a jacket on when I walked to the butchers this morning, although I seemed to be the only person out, who wasn’t wearing a jacket. 

 

Once all the shopping was done, I sat myself down at the dining room table and continued making the corridor connections. I finished the 15 that I’d started yesterday and started another 18, hopefully they’ll get finished tomorrow. 

[BSW01]

Goodnight everyone 

[polybear]

6 hours ago, Tony_S said:

I have installed a security camera on the back of the house today. It had a little solar panel so it didn’t need a power supply and it connects wirelessly for images and sound. 
First job was to release the ladders secure fixings. This required squirting with oily stuff. A couple of years ago I found I couldn’t lift the ladders but was fine today so the tablets must be working! Screwing the camera and solar panel to the wall was easy, modern drills make light work of our bricks. Then it became IT problems. I had tested the camera and it had connected to the WiFi mesh disc in the dining room. When on the wall outside it still tried to connect to that one but it was a weak signal. The internet help system wasn’t helpful about forcing a device to use another nearer WiFi disc but I remembered when all else fails “turn something on and off” so I turned off the WiFi disc in the dining room, the camera found a better signal and I could turn the disc back on again. 
We had been using an internal camera in the dining room to observe the back garden but I moved that in to the utility room to  observe the back door. 
The loft was entered briefly to put a leak sensor in place under the tank that leaked earlier this year. 
 

Your new camera sounds interesting - can you pass on any details about make etc. and performance please?  Also your leak detectors - Bear’s current ones are no longer available

[PupCam]

I was going to have an early night but just before I did I saw on a Faceache group mention of a new (to me) astrophotography stacking program (ASIVideoStack if you're asking).

 

I thought I'd install it and give it a quick go using a video of Jupiter from January this year, the only night so far this year that I've managed to get any imagery at all really.

 

Anyway, the stacking was extremely simple and seemed to work quite nicely.    Post-processing was done in my current favourite, AstroSurface although I think the new software can do the post-processing too.

 

Whether the results are any better or worse who knows but seem quite pleasing to Pupper's eyes! 😀

 

 

Not bad really for a cheapy, cheapy telescope on a wobbly mount.

 

Night Awl

 

 

Edited 7 hours ago by PupCam

[Ian Abel]

3 hours ago, PupCam said:

 

I bet that was good!

 

 

Honestly, it was amazing. Even given it's really only Jeff now and a collection of musicians, all of whom were outstanding, having seen them three times now;

1981 here as the "real" ELO

2019 here as the Jeff Lynne's ELO

and this year

all were great concerts, unfortunately (though I understand as he's as old/older than me!!) the last tour, I'd love to see it again.

 

The light show/video is first class and he has a new "trick" where he times "Last train to London" at 9:29 to match the first line in the song. Missed it by a minute but who's counting  😲😀

 

 

 

[Debs.]

3 hours ago, BoD said:

Today I discovered that when a rake of uncoupled wagons is hit hard enough, the basic principles of Newton’s cradle apply.  Even in 4mm scale. Just saying.

 

 

Darn those Newtonian dynamics!🫣 

 

Here's sending support right back at you 🤗 or then again, that's probably just adding to the problem! 😊

[monkeysarefun]

 

 

Another sign of summers approach  - the Cicadas are emerging from their burrows.

 

This one was on my front path just now.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Back in the day there was  no such thing as Pokemon cards so along with Scanlon bubble gum Footy cards,  little 1970's Aussies  used to collect  cicadas instead.

 

They came in a variety of colours, each with  their own name,  some of which  I can still rattle off:  Black Prince, Golden Emperor,  Floury Baker,  Double Drummer, Greengrocer and  Yellow Monday among others -  .and were of varying value as Playground Currency  depending upon their rarity.

Edited 4 hours ago by monkeysarefun

[zarniwhoop]

14 minutes ago, monkeysarefun said:

 

 

Another sign of summers approach  - the Cicadas are emerging from their burrows.

 

This one was on my front path just now.

 

 

 

 

 

 

There were no such thing as Pokemon cards so along with Scanlon bubble gum Footy cards,  little 1970's Aussies  used to collect  cicadas instead.

 

They came in a variety of colours, each with  their own name,  some of which  I can still rattle off:  Black Prince, Golden Emperor,  Floury Baker,  Double Drummer, Greengrocer and  Yellow Monday among others -  .and were of varying value in Playground Currency  depending upon their rarity.

I hope it wasn't really as big as it looks (about the width of my hand in diameter). If they are that big, I'd worry about them a lot more than the horses.

[iL Dottore]

Good Morning,

Breakfast is served:

Their "American" breakfast consists of two types of sausage, scrambled eggs, ratatouille (yep!), leek soup, a croissant, two mini milk bread rolls, a slab of white bread and a chocolate cookie kind of thing! Coffee, roasted tea and yoghurt with assorted fruit compotes were available as well,

 

Kinda Weird 

[roundhouse]

Thats a different type of American breakfast to those we have had. I often go for the sausage links hash brown (the loose shredded potato variety) and buttermilk pancakes. Its the Dennys hash browns that I particularly like. 

 

Currently my adrenalin is running full steam with the deadline for having it ready for Barrow show next weekend so in the shed working on the layout when a little face appears in the full height glass doors. A young fox staring at me.

[Ozexpatriate]

6 hours ago, Sidecar Racer said:

Looking at the Hakodate port I see there is an active container area , the thing that stands out

as a possible docking area for the train ferry's is that there is a section of three rail tracks that

would likely be about right for the ferry's  layout and the alignment looks right . I know we are

talking 80 years ago but some things can be adapted rather that fully changed

Very plausible. I like it - particularly since the current ferry terminal is immediately south of that location:

[Ozexpatriate]

5 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

use-by-date bingo

California is banning "sell by" and clarifying "use by".

 

Quote

California Gov. Gavin Newsom recently signed Assembly Bill 660, making California the first state to ban inconsistent but common labels on packaged foods,

 

The new law requires that all packaged foods use a uniform labeling system by manufacturers to indicate their freshness by July 1, 2026. Manufacturers must use the phrase “best if used by” to inform peak quality and “use by” to communicate product safety. The phrase “sell by” is banned.

My emphasis. A good move I think.

[Ozexpatriate]

5 hours ago, monkeysarefun said:

Tis a long weekend in NSW, its Labour Day

North of you HM CIIIR is having yet another birthday.

[Ozexpatriate]

4 hours ago, PupCam said:

Not bad really for a cheapy, cheapy telescope on a wobbly mount.

Fantastic! Which of the four Galilean moons is hiding?

 

Is Europa the bright/big one?

 

Io top right maybe?

 

Edited 3 hours ago by Ozexpatriate

[Ozexpatriate]

1 hour ago, iL Dottore said:

Kinda Weird 

Yes. A sort of pan-Western fusion breakfast more than American, but I imagine "American == pan-Western" anyway in Japan.

 

How much does the big US (and English) hotel "Japanese breakfast" offered on breakfast buffets match-up?

 

(It's usually something like poached salmon + steamed/sticky rice + miso soup).

 

Edited 3 hours ago by Ozexpatriate

[iL Dottore]

36 minutes ago, Ozexpatriate said:

Yes. A sort of pan-Western fusion breakfast more than American, but I imagine "American == pan-Western" anyway in Japan.

 

How much does the big US (and English) hotel "Japanese breakfast" offered on breakfast buffets match-up?

 

(It's usually something like poached salmon + steamed/sticky rice + miso soup).

 

I'm staying in the OMO5 Tokyo Gotanda by Hoshino Resorts - aimed at the younger traveller. So the breakfast is either "American" or Onigiri.

 

In other Japanese hotels I have been in, the "Western" breakfast has encompassed almost every "western" dish you can think of: from moules mariniere to sausages to hash browns (although I've never seen baked beans - sensible people the Japanese). The full gamut of Japanese breakfast dishes are also provided - though the sour pickled plums are an acquired taste.

[monkeysarefun]

4 hours ago, zarniwhoop said:

I hope it wasn't really as big as it looks (about the width of my hand in diameter). If they are that big, I'd worry about them a lot more than the horses.

 

 

They are about large thumb size,   however the noise they emit can exceed 120dB at close range.....

Edited 1 hour ago by monkeysarefun

[Barry O]

Ey up!

 

Avoided watching the kickball last night by doing some more damage fixing of broken muddling projects. That didn't go well either.

 

In the hotel near Lords (the Danubius) you used to see a lot of Japanese tourists. Breakfast time used to be interesting... a plate with scrambled egg, sausage, jam, toast and various "hot and cold puddings" was a real eye opener.

 

I would like to visit Japan, her indoors is not so sure but.. you never know.

 

Today has very little planned so I just need to drink my mugatea and engage wiggle mode.

Have as great a day as you can!

 

Baz

[jjb1970]

Western food in Asia is like Asian food in the West. You can find authentic stuff but most is adapted to local tastes. Western but not as we know it.