Early Risers.

[BSW01]

Good morning everyone 

 

There is a strange big yellow object in the sky, although it is accompanied by a large number of grey fluffy things! But by the look of the back garden, there must have been quite a bit of rain overnight. I shall shortly head off to the butchers for the weekly meat rations and a pork pie for my dinner. Then it’s off to the Trafford Centre, Sheila did say earlier in the week that she wanted to go with me, but she has changed her mind and is stopping in instead, which means I won’t be out as long now. 

 

There are no firm plans for the afternoon, but that can always change. 

 

Stay safe, stay sane, enjoy whatever you have planned for the day, back later. 

 

Brian

[tigerburnie]

Morning, we have had rain but it is now trying to brighten up a bit, waiting for Sainsbugs to deliver supplies, no idea what we may do later, take care all.

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. Decided to have an early night last night and slept for six hours solid and only woke up when the bladder protested. Arthur Itis was joining in as well but the Nurofen has put him to bed.

2 hours ago, Ozexpatriate said:

Do the pedestrians not have the right of way, irrespective of how much traffic there is?

They seem to think that they do but in law it is only at traffic light controlled crossings. Some though seem determined to get their Darwin awards such as the idiot who stepped out in front of me with a mobile glued to his ear. In Germany you can get an on the spot fine for not using a crossing if there is one within a reasonable distance, even if there's no traffic.

1 hour ago, TheQ said:

I don't think it's April 1st...

https://www.edp24.co.uk/news/beeston-bump-tallest-mountain-in-the-world-google-8259608

That counts as a mountain in Norfolk.

[Tony_S]

Morning all.

Not much happening. Only sounds are the from pigeons. It is a bit cloudy but not overcast. 
Tony

[J. S. Bach]

10 hours ago, pH said:

Hurricane Fred?

Doubt it, Fred was too far away and had no effect here. It seemed to be a local thunderboomer.

[leopardml2341]

Late on parade - but good morning all anyway.

 

South Derbyshire grey is not grey but a hazy sort of blue with warm sunshine - yay. Pity I'm having to sit at the keybored in the WFH location.

 

Today WILL be a POETS day - in fact if a certain C@ckwomble keeps annoying me it will become POVETS day

 

I have received confirmation that the order I placed last night is on its way

 

Back later, play nicely out there - even if being goaded into doing otherwise.

[southern42]

' morning all from red dragon land.

 

The yellow blob in the sky has popped its head out - but for how long?  

 

Glutton for punishment? Looking at the VW bus rear number plate, this morning, the letters look very dull so I enlarged the original image and managed to make the letters transparent. Then shrunk the image again! Next is to reprint...varnish...cut out...stick on bus...Methinks I'll "be seeing you"...Sometime.....!

 

Fitt  and  Elfie trying to stay calm...

 

Take care all and play safe. 

_________

Best wishes

Polly

[J. S. Bach]

59 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

 ...snip... crossing if there is one within a reasonable distance, even if there's no traffic. ...snip...

Who defines; or, what is the definition of "reasonable"?

[PupCam]

Clear Prop!

 

4 hours ago, chrisf said:

Professor Oncologist phoned me eventually yesterday.  The news is not as positive as it might have been but it could have been worse.  My PSA reading is up to 9, which is about double what it was last time.  In the hope of making me feel less forlorn he reminded me that this is nowhere near the 800 that it was when I was first diagnosed in 2015.  He has put me on additional medication and I will continue to receive the 12-weekly Zoladex jab.  Thank goodness for free prescriptions.

 

Sounds very positive to me @chrisf     As @polybear said much better than the other way round!

 

On 15/08/2021 at 13:37, PupCam said:

In my VHO "politeness" has absolutely no place on the roads because it effectively produces ad-hoc changes to the rules of the road that other users have no knowledge of.      If only people would stick rigorously to the rules (there there for a reason ....) then there is no, well far reduced, scope for confusion by all concerned and, if the worst should happen, a clearly defined responsibility.   Another soap box to climb off ....

 

3 hours ago, TheQ said:

Cockwomble of the month award goes to ... The car that decided to stop on a mini roundabout to let pedestrians cross, there were already long queues of traffic in all four directions and he stopped the lot... Where was this... Effin clown town of course..

 

My case is well and truly rested .......

 

3 hours ago, polybear said:

And now the NHS App has logged me out....

 

So I log in again...and get a blank blue screen.  Why isn't there a "Scream" emoji?  Beam me up, Puppers....preferably into a nice padded cell surrounded by cake.....

 

 

I hate the relentless  march towards (actually, I think we've already arrived!)  the answer is "you do it on the App" now, what is the question?     Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrhhhhhhhhhh! 

 

On a related theme I had occasion recently to seek motor insurance from another supplier ie the jokers who were my current provider had put the premium UP despite the fact the car has been on the drive for most of the last year.   As the same supplier were not willing to re-consider their corresponding home insurance renewal invitation recently I went elsewhere and decided not to even bother giving them the opportunity to have another go with the car policy - good plan as it turned out!   Anyway, I started going through an online application for one of the "you won't find us on comparison websites"   and got to the how long have you had a full licence question Answer = 40+ years.   And what month did you get your full licence?  I can't remember, it was 40+ years ago and I didn't have my licence (still a paper job ) to hand.    Anyway, without that essential piece of useless information I couldn't proceed so they lost some potential business.    On to a comparison website having rooted out the licence "just in case" and 20 minutes later I had a new policy with a well known (as opposed to never heard of which was a fiver cheaper) that was 50% of the price of the renewal for being a mug  loyal customer.

 

TOP TIP:   Just before I completed the transaction with a voluntary excess of £250 added to keep the premium down they gave me the opportunity to check different voluntary excesses. 

 

So I thought I'd just see what difference £150 would make.  Answer = no difference, oh that's good!  

What about £100?  No difference!  

What about £50? No difference! 

What about no voluntary excess?  NO DIFFERENCE!!!!! 

 

Guess how much voluntary excess I plumped for

 

2 hours ago, Barry O said:

 

@polybear the app allows you to book appointments (but not at the Marie Celeste) and do repear prescriptions. The covid certificate, if delivered on paper from the NHS,  has no end date the electronic one on the app has a date which updates as it goes along.

 

Our GP's used to have the online appointment which was very handy for so many reasons (most of which involved not having to be spoken to like a little school kid via a pre-recorded message, play Appointment Bingo or talk to the receptionists).

 

Unfortunately that useful facility became a victim of Covid ......

 

1 hour ago, TheQ said:

That would be interesting on the NDR, where you can approach the roundabouts at 70MPH, there are no signs to lower the speed limits at the roundabouts..

 

 

 

 

 

That looks like "NFN" to me.    

 

Unfortunately it also look like "Normal For Everywhere Else" as well.     There are far too many muppets out there for my liking.

 

21 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

They seem to think that they do but in law it is only at traffic light controlled crossings. Some though seem determined to get their Darwin awards such as the idiot who stepped out in front of me with a mobile glued to his ear. In Germany you can get an on the spot fine for not using a crossing if there is one within a reasonable distance, even if there's no traffic.

 

It's such a shame that there are so many forms to fill in and more significant implications if you help natural selection out.  

I think this is a great shame, if they are using the road they should be as attentive as all of the other road users should be IMHO.   Starting to see more and more electric scooters shooting around in all directions on the highways now - it will all end in tears!

 

Have a good day!

 

Alan

 

 

 

[PhilJ W]

Just now, J. S. Bach said:

Who defines; or, what is the definition of "reasonable"?

Its actually stipulated in the German equivalent of the highway code the distance from a crossing but I can't now recall what it is. 

[polybear]

Well it seems the good 'ol NHS App still won't play - and I'm not the only one:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-54958785

 

One "fix" involves resetting the phones' location and privacy settings....for which you need the passcode.....which I don't have because I was given the phone.  Looks like this Bear will be reliant on the paper certificate.....

 

Not only that, Bear has just installed the new Asdamobile sim card (Voadaphone network) instead of the previous on on the (very nice) EE network.  Hey, guess what?  Yep - the signal in Bear Towers is sh1te   So unless they can come up with a fix (highly unlikely) then it looks like another swap is needed - and Bear will lose his existing credit

 

In other news:

Bear has cleaned down the upvc door & frame separating kitchen & conservatory using standard thinners from the car paint supplier (no - it doesn't melt the plastic).  Bear is now floatin', man...floatin'; I just passed Puppers on finals on my way up....

 

And Asda has just suggested changing some "APN" settings....for which I need a passcode.... - turns out this is for internet, which I don't need on the fone......

They seem to think that the signal on 2g, 3g and 4g for my postcode is "good".  Well, come and try it in Bear Towers, buddy.  And you'd better bring cake.  And lots of it....

Just waiting for their next nugget of useless suggestions...

Ah, here we go....

"yes is see , this is why you are facing unstable coverage , by Monday 5pm this will be done"

- Basically they are blaming it on having migrated to the new network today.  Sounds like complete B011ox to me, but ever-helpful Bear will play their little game until Monday......

 

Bear is in Rant Mode, by the way.....

[laurenceb]

When I am waiting for a bus outside sainsburys in Burton I often see people dodging through traffic trying to claim their Darwin award when if they used the crossing they would have walked a shorter distance!

[polybear]

14 minutes ago, PupCam said:

On a related theme I had occasion recently to seek motor insurance from another supplier ie the jokers who were my current provider had put the premium UP despite the fact the car has been on the drive for most of the last year.   As the same supplier were not willing to re-consider their corresponding home insurance renewal invitation recently I went elsewhere and decided not to even bother giving them the opportunity to have another go with the car policy - good plan as it turned out!   Anyway, I started going through an online application for one of the "you won't find us on comparison websites"   and got to the how long have you had a full licence question Answer = 40+ years.   And what month did you get your full licence?  I can't remember, it was 40+ years ago and I didn't have my licence (still a paper job ) to hand.    Anyway, without that essential piece of useless information I couldn't proceed so they lost some potential business.    On to a comparison website having rooted out the licence "just in case" and 20 minutes later I had a new policy with a well known (as opposed to never heard of which was a fiver cheaper) that was 50% of the price of the renewal for being a mug  loyal customer.

 

TOP TIP:   Just before I completed the transaction with a voluntary excess of £250 added to keep the premium down they gave me the opportunity to check different voluntary excesses. 

 

So I thought I'd just see what difference £150 would make.  Answer = no difference, oh that's good!  

What about £100?  No difference!  

What about £50? No difference! 

What about no voluntary excess?  NO DIFFERENCE!!!!! 

 

Guess how much voluntary excess I plumped for

 

 

May Bear enquire as to what firm Puppers went for?  I'm about to do home insurance, and car insurance is imminent.....

[leopardml2341]

41 minutes ago, laurenceb said:

When I am waiting for a bus outside sainsburys in Burton I often see people dodging through traffic trying to claim their Darwin award when if they used the crossing they would have walked a shorter distance!

In fact I nearly 'took one out' the other day - captured for posterity (and investigation if needed) on the good ole dashcam. Trouble is, however un reasonable the pedestrian's behaviour or road sense (after all pedestrians are road users and have obligations outlined in The Highway Code) the poor driver (or cyclist) is always deemed guilty until proven innocent.

 

Years ago, a then girlfriend  was knocked down by a car and suffered a broken leg (entirely her fault - which she admitted) but the driver was hauled over the coals for it nonetheless.

[TheSignalEngineer]

3 hours ago, TheQ said:

That would be interesting on the NDR, where you can approach the roundabouts at 70MPH, there are no signs to lower the speed limits at the roundabouts

When I worked at Bletchley, so long ago it seems like a former life, we graded the MK roundabouts as 2nd, 3rd or 4th gear depending on the approach alignment.

The speed limits were such that the main road was say 60mph with a 30 mph local road on each side of the roundabout. There were 60mph signs on the local roads at the approach so in theory you could come up at 30mph, accelerate to 60mph going round it then brake to 30mph on the exit to another local road. A great playground for boy racers.

[southern42]

17 minutes ago, leopardml2341 said:

In fact I nearly 'took one out' the other day - captured for posterity (and investigation if needed) on the good ole dashcam. Trouble is, however un reasonable the pedestrian's behaviour or road sense (after all pedestrians are road users and have obligations outlined in The Highway Code) the poor driver (or cyclist) is always deemed guilty until proven innocent.

 

Years ago, a then girlfriend  was knocked down by a car and suffered a broken leg (entirely her fault - which she admitted) but the driver was hauled over the coals for it nonetheless.

 

Some years back, I was on my way to work, and walked the short distance to the level crossing even though there was no traffic at that point.  As I pressed the pedestrian button on the traffic light, a car came up, lights changed, car stopped, I stepped onto the crossing and car took off(!) missing me by inches. When I got to work, it took me half an hour or so to get over it. I'm still here...just one of a few narrow escapes...

 

[New Haven Neil]

Well it is still dry in the northern prairies here, but apparently it is persisting down elsewhere on the rock.

 

The afternoon's excitement will be a ride on the 500V DC transport method to the Big City (where re-opening scheduled for today of the rebuilt, ie ruined, promenade - 3 years - has been delayed yet again) to meet Mrs NHN from work.  Then a ride back!  It's all go I'll have you know.

[AndrewC]

 Greetings all from the boring borough. My staycation continues. Wednesday we commiserated not being in Brugge ( I know, I know, stop whinging about it already) by enjoying the delights of the remaining 2 Low land establishments in Central London. Sadly the Dutch beer café in Earl's Court doesn't seem to have reopened and the Belgo chain collapsed during the first lockdown. 

 

I've got the covid passport on my phone. The app was simplicity. Maybe those big bear paws just can't manage to type those tiny little letters.  I'm being smug and just teasing. My GP moved to it for appointments and repeat prescriptions just before lockdown so I've been using it for a while anyway. The latest update seems to have cured the constant log off issue. Good thing I've got it as the little cards aren't valid for anything and I've needed the app's QR code a few times now. Extra geek points for me also managing to merge the certificate with the French app and put it in my Apple wallet as well. That means no digging about or logging in. Just refresh it at my leisure every 4 or 5 weeks. 

 

Baz's tales of drains and things reminds me of a story from an old and now passed on mate of mine. His mum lived on a rather large bit of land south of Calgary. One of the mobile providers wanted to build a cell tower on the land. She refused, and after a lot of legal wrangling and attempted compulsory purchase attempts, they settled on a neighbouring plot. Trouble was they still needed access across her land for the cabling. Again she said go forth and multiply. They attempted to bypass this by tunnelling under the short section of her property. When this was discovered, mate got one of his friends to dig through the cable run and they poured a "foundation" for future development. I'm sure the story had a bit of embellishment but the thought of digging up an illegally placed cable & fibre optic run and then blocking the route from future attempts with a concrete barrier is rather entertaining. 

 

Time I was off to the pub. Meeting up with people I haven't seen in almost 2 years. Vax passport and a negative antigen test at the ready. (one of the gents is immune suppressed and the other is a carer for his 96 year old mum) 

 

 

[Barry O]

Much fun today as our neighbours next door or of to Norfolk today. "What's all this about boating holidays?" He said.. no  clue as to how far away it is...

 

He also asked (no letter or otherwise) about access by his "builder" mate to do the wall faibg our dining room window. In a cunning move said ok as the guys putting in the new fence at the front may need to step onto your land while fixing the concrete posts. Once bitumasticked the fence should be a great dam.

 

Herself has gone off to play medieval music at a friends so.. I am allowed to muddle the afternoon awa..too wet for the g word.

 

Baz 

[TheQ]

Norfolk.. from Yorkshire.. Generally 4 to 5 hours, unless north North Yorky then you can add another hour.. Especially if he's  going to the boaty bits down here.. He will love the A17 on the way...

Need I warn the sailing Club?

 

Second major system now warming up for it's cross checks..

Next weeks major system is cancelled due to a panic getting some orders out.. that means 2 major systems the following week.

So I've started the Thermometer, no hurry now, I've plenty of time next week..

39,999.691 ohms next measurement..

 

We have now got a recruit for the software job he starts in a couple of weeks,

2 more for Deputy Head  were interviewed.. No go on them but at least they answered basic Ohms law questions correctly..

One has been selected for round 2 in the factory, while the boss is enquiring of head office, about the experienced guy overseas, to see what difficulties there would be..

 

100,008.062  Ohms..

And... that will be it for this week, I have time sheets and things to do..

 

Yours to hire on the broads.. £1857 a week next year..

 

PS that's cheap for a boat of this size.. it could be just short of £3000..

 

 

 

Edited August 20, 2021 by TheQ

[BlackRat]

5 hours ago, laurenceb said:

When I am waiting for a bus outside sainsburys in Burton I often see people dodging through traffic trying to claim their Darwin award when if they used the crossing they would have walked a shorter distance!

When I first read it........ I thought it read you often see people dogging....!

 

Im off to Specsavers.....

[Ian Abel]

POETS, we're doing that

 

Yesterday, memorial service was very moving albeit unfortunate that the choir/schola had to gather for the first time to celbrate the passing of one of our own

In the evening we had our choir "get-together" and a very enjoyable sing-song out in the open  - good to see so many we've not seen for 18 months or more.

 

Today - took Jemma to the airport, "it's complicated!!"

She's off on a 3-day trip, but MAY be required to work Monday. That's the day we plan to drive her car to Grand Forks to start the 3-day event that is moving her and Brendan back here. If she got extended over Monday to work and had her car at the airport, I'd not easily get to Grand Forks as I'd have a hard time getting a plane seat. Leaving it here, I'd drive her car and she could get a jump-seat ride up there... anyway, only a small chance that'll happen but we didn't want to risk it, as I need to be there no later than Tuesday AM to rent the truck

Also, today, the "gas man cometh" continues, they're at our part of the street, see below;

blocking most of our drive while drilling the hole where next doors line is!

This appears to be a very large "sucking machine", flexible pipe and appears to simple SUCK the ground up where they want the hole, assisted with a wand providing water to soften the area

 

Numerous, trucks, JCBs and other machinery plying the streets all around.

 

Nothing planned so for for the weekend. I'm sure "things" will materialize though, they always do

 

21 sunny and hazy to start, 32 the expected high, though cooler highs for the weekend, only 24-26.

 

Enjoy the start to your weekend.

[simontaylor484]

6 hours ago, J. S. Bach said:

Who defines; or, what is the definition of "reasonable"?

The legal definition of the reasonable person was set out in case law in the UK in the Twelve Trees case where the Judge defined it as " The Man on the Clapham Omnibus" I can't remember the date of the case but it was around the time of the First World war 

[simontaylor484]

For the next installment of the decking saga we have decided to go with a different colour stain as the original is too light a colour. Do not fear dear reader the original stain will not go to waste I have some planters to make with the off cuts of decking that I will stain with the original colour 

[PhilJ W]

Afternoon all from Estuary-Land. Not much to report this afternoon, haven't done anything much today. Certain magazines arrived today concerning the forbidden subject here even though its12" to the foot scale.