Early Risers.

[PhilJ W]

Goodnight all.

[monkeysarefun]

1 hour ago, Ozexpatriate said:

Sometimes the 'rules' feel quite arbitrary.

 

When they were completing the construction of the JOC near Canberra (Joint Operations Command - Our version of the Pentagon , if the Pentagon had been designed by the bloke who knocks up Bunnings warehouses) I had to go for a visit to install some gear.

 

 FIrstly  I had to join the queue of tradies at the temporary security office who had to put every single thing through the Xray scanner, even their  aluminium ladders.

 

A slight  design fault became evident to me by the fact that after I'd got my stuff scanned and  given the ok,  to get to the front entrance  I had to walk back through the car park right past  my car which  meant I could have loaded myself up with bombs guns knives venomous wildlife etc before going into the front door. 

 

The security man at the front desk wouldn't let me take an ethernet cable I needed into the building.  I asked him why not, he told me that I might be able to use it to connect computers together, I told him that that was exactly what I was going to do with it, still wouldn't let me through, I had to return to my car and put it in there, right beside the bombs guns knives etc.

 

Edited July 30, 2022 by monkeysarefun

[monkeysarefun]

2 hours ago, Ozexpatriate said:

Brian, they certainly are.

 

As the Portland television viewing area encompasses both northwest Oregon and southwest Washington, we have a double dose of primary campaign advertising. With redistricting in Oregon, we had an onslaught for the Oregon primary advertising back in April/May and we're now in the heart of advertising for the Washington 3rd district (southwest Washington) - in particular for the incumbent who is being aggressively "primaried" and her primary opponents.

 

I

 

 

They've shown a couple of the more loony ads here on the news, the RINO hunting one and similar ilk.

 

Well they are loony to normal people - in fact most are pretty disturbing at some level if you are sane.  Also disturbing is  that whoever makes them reckons they are perfectly pitched to lure voters.

Edited July 30, 2022 by monkeysarefun

[J. S. Bach]

Just for Bear;

Seen today leaving the motel.

 

 

Edited July 31, 2022 by J. S. Bach

[J. S. Bach]

Night Owl from the Piedmont.

[BR60103]

Many years ago (half a century?) our programmer had managed to bum office space in the IBM premises in Toronto.  He discovered that he could get into the car park for the company that shared the building and enter IBM from there without passing security.  His fun was to sign out every day without having signed in.

 

I've asked before:  Is elections the US's biggest industry yet?

 

[Ozexpatriate]

45 minutes ago, BR60103 said:

I've asked before:  Is elections the US's biggest industry yet?

I think you answered it last time - it certainly is for local television stations, pundits and the providers of vote counting equipment.

[jamie92208]

Good moaning from the Charente.  We had a cracking BBQ yesterday. 2 of us plus 8 friends, a proper charcoal jobby and it went well.  I need to make a large deposit at the bottle babk today.  A good time was had. Tbe younger kids left with their parents first, then the older one with his mum. We then had a good chat with Joan who is our age. All in all a very good afternoon/ evening.  Also the dog enjoyed himself exploring the garden.

 

Fortunately we don't see any election ads onnTV.

 

The market this morning.  Then dinnr at lunchtime so we can snack whilst watching the football at teatime.

 

That's the plan anyway.

 

 

[TheQ]

At the moorings Awl,

Last night was bring a plate night accompanied by a lecture by one of the club members about a relative of his who NHN might know about.. because the relative came from fraggle rock and is famous there.

 

Captain John Quilliam, one time first lieutenant of HMS Victory at Trafalgar.

Anyway here's the Wikipedia https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Quilliam which according to the lecturer in incorrect about his early life, because JQ spent some years working for a relative in Portsmouth dockyard, eventually being maintenance crew on laid up navy ships, before moving into the navy itself as an able seaman.  It was his depth of knowledge of ships that placed him above normal impressed men that enabled him to rise through the ranks.

 

Anyway there's a book about him. Favourite of Fortune by Andrew Bond, Frank Cowie and Andrew Lambert. £25 from Amazon or £15 from Abebooks ( still new). The club member is one of the Andrews but which one I don't know because he's just Andrew to us.

 

This was followed by bed time, ... Not good. Rain started at 00:30, very lightly,

Woke three times due to cramp, the third at around 04:30 was the worst I've ever had, both thighs, agony.. it was 15 minutes before I could stagger to the small room on the boat.

 

Soon after the rain eased, so it was waterproofs on and head to the club facilities for SSS. Soon as I stepped into the dory the heavens opened again. Normally I'd put the tea urn boiler on before going to the showers but... I'd left the keys to the kitchen on the motor boat...the other side of the river...

So SSS, dory back to the MB, swap wash kit for keys. Back to the club house, boiler on, and I've interrupted this typing to get muggacoffee number 1.

 

Ah it has just stopped raining, though the forecast is for it to continue till 11:00.

 

Ah just got back to forecast and its been updated rain to stop by 10:00 which is good because racing starts after that.

Northwesterly, 10 to 16 mph which is good though at the moment it's a southwesterly.

Low tide 09.15 

The above means we'll disappear up river with wind and tide, but struggle to get back to the club house.

 

Time for muggacoffee number 2.

[polybear]

10 hours ago, Ozexpatriate said:

Not being a US citizen, their competitors at Northrop-Grumman (who were a customer) had to escort me to (though not in) the toilets whenever I visited them.

 

Bear has been in numerous establishments where such escorting is necessary, though one usual reason is because you have to go thru' one or more doors with security swipe locks on so once you exit an area you're then locked out and can't get back in again - hence the escort.

 

7 hours ago, southern42 said:

 

Ah! The portable BBQ!  What every good yachtsperson needs on a club cruise. Drop anchor, pump up the tender and load up, row ashore, find a sheltered spot (preferably in sunshine) and light up keeping upwind of your neighbour's one, and enjoy your evening meal and fellow sailors' company.

 

Lots of memories of BBQs on sandy and rocky beaches. Some favourite ones  (some beaches* not during the bird breeding season):

 

 

A work buddy (we'll call him "Kev") was into flotilla sailing holidays in the Med. where such beach barbies are common; on one such holiday Kev was talking to the Flotilla Captain and he happened to mention that another of his workmates had "done the Fastnet".

"What's his name" asks the Captain - "I probably know him"

"It's G******** " says Kev

"Not that F****** W*******!" says the Captain, and then immediately apologies.

 

"That's fine", says Kev.  "You obviously do know him"

Kev was quite impressed that he'd travelled a 1000+ miles, met a perfect stranger and the guy had formed exactly the same conclusion of G******** as he had 🤣

[Barry O]

Ey up!

Mizzl8ng here but due to stop about 11 when the Herbert's arrive. 

 

Sleep was a bit hit and miss due to pain in my knee and foot cramps. Pah!

 

No cricket games to umpire until next Saturday..  hurrah! But loads of admin work to do.. pah!

 

Hopefully @chrisfis enjoying Sidmouth.

 

Need to organise an online meeting for a group of friends.. last one was run over by... a cricket meeting....

 

Mugatea time!

 

Baz

[polybear]

Bear here....

Alexa tells me it'll be lots of clouds and thunderstorms over Bear Towers; the Met Office tells me the chances of rain are 10%.  Huh?

 

Fun for today includes adding decorators caulk to various areas of the cupboard under the stairs, adding the top coat of self-levelling floor compound to the lounge floor and taking a look at/sanding the skirting that was removed from the cupboard - hopefully it'll all come up ok and can be painted & re-used again as it'll save a few LDC vouchers.  I also have some alcove shelving to ponder and plan.  I also suspect a wedge of cardboard (a.k.a cornflakes packet) behind one of the door hinges in the conservatory may be called for as the hot weather is causing the door to stick a little.  Turdycurses.

Bear gone....

[Ozexpatriate]

38 minutes ago, TheQ said:

Captain John Quilliam, one time first lieutenant of HMS Victory at Trafalgar.

Anyway here's the Wikipedia https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Quilliam which according to the lecturer in incorrect about his early life, because JQ spent some years working for a relative in Portsmouth dockyard, eventually being maintenance crew on laid up navy ships, before moving into the navy itself as an able seaman.  It was his depth of knowledge of ships that placed him above normal impressed men that enabled him to rise through the ranks.

 

Anyway there's a book about him. Favourite of Fortune by Andrew Bond, Frank Cowie and Andrew Lambert. £25 from Amazon or £15 from Abebooks ( still new).

With a biography in print to reference, you could fix the Wikipedia article. Did you ask the lecturer why he had not done this already?

 

The citation suggests there was a newspaper story on him in the Isle of Man Times, 21 October 1950, page 7

[TheQ]

6 minutes ago, Ozexpatriate said:

With a biography in print to reference, you could fix the Wikipedia article. Did you ask the lecturer why he had not done this already?

 

The citation suggests there was a newspaper story on him in the Isle of Man Times, 21 October 1950, page 7

I suspect the impressed story is so ingrained in local folklore it would just get changed back.

 

The Norfolk Broads page had a battle for some years with the broads authority changing it to a National Park, and those that know removing it. Eventually it was settled with being a member of the national park family which it is,. But it isn't a national park.

 

I've found a picture of Blue moon playing with the big boys yesterday.

 

Start of the first race I think..

I see a line of brightness appearing on the horizon.

 

Edited July 31, 2022 by TheQ

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. There was a drop of rain last night but you wouldn't think so as it still looks like a desert out there, except that its very muggy. Now off out for a few hours, be back later

[iL Dottore]

IS THERE NO END TO THE TORMENT?

 

Breakfast in Germany…

Assorted Charcuterie? ✔️
Cheese Board? ✔️

Assorted Breads? ✔️

Assorted yoghurts, granolas & cereals? ✔️

Warm Bacon? ✔️
Dry “scrambled” eggs? ✔️
Baked beans…. Baked Beans???

 

Not what you expect to find in a Teutonic breakfast. And there wasn’t even any black pudding, fried bread or (if you have to) hash browns to ameliorate the horror!

 

I may need to drink excessive quantities of great German beer to blot out the memory…

 

Bouncing back from this apocalyptic scenario I managed to get by on a simple bacon sarnie (no brown sauce!) and a ham roll - washed down by copious amounts of hot brown liquid masquerading as coffee.

“World class, 4-star, breakfast buffet” my ****!

[Tony_S]

10 minutes ago, iL Dottore said:

“World class, 4-star, breakfast buffet”

The beans are what make it world class instead of just German. The last hotel we stayed at in Austria did a very nice breakfast, though it claimed to be 5 star. 
 

[grandadbob]

Good morning all,

Dull and dismal and quite breezy here and rain in the form of heavy thundery showers are a possibility this afternoon.  Of course it's going to rain as a BBQ is scheduled chez GDB.  It won't be the first time I've erected a large umbrella to keep me dry whilst cooking.  I've got a large gas thingy which is handy as today we have 10 expected including 2 veggies and a vegan.  The vegan stuff will probably be cooked indoors on the hob/oven but the veggies aren't precious about "cross contamination" and I will do my best to keep their food in its designated grill section.

We had a splendid time last night and many compliments were handed to The Boss about her cooking.  Quite right too as she worked bloody hard and it was a great meal. 

Most of the clearing up has been done apart from a multitude of glasses that need washing so "GDB had best be about it."

Oh look, widget says expect light rain in 3 hours,

Have a good one,

Bob.

Edited July 31, 2022 by grandadbob

[Gwiwer]

8 hours ago, Barry O said:

Hopefully @chrisfis enjoying Sidmouth

Absolutely. It’s about time he had a good festival and spent time among like-minded souls enjoying the music and culture they love. 
 

We went to Sidmouth once. It was a day trip when we lived up the road in Beer so probably 1998. It was ok. The only act I remember was the “fake” Steeleye Span; Maddy Prior had left the band (though returned later) and her replacement simply wasn’t up to the job.  Disappointment would be a polite word. 
 

We enjoyed the huge Port Fairy folk festival in Australia over the years. Our first visit was by train and bus from home - a five hour journey - carrying everything. After that experience we drove down. Our final visit saw us as just about the only true campers left on the field; it had become a Winnebago festival where you were judged on the size and condition of your motorhome rather than going for the enjoyment of the event. 
 

We remember with no fondness at all the trailer toilets and showers - always provided by a chap going by the name of Mouse - in which you enjoyed no privacy whatsoever. Showers were scalding or freezing, you disrobed / dried and dressed along one side of a semi-trailer, inevitably bumping butts with others, and nipped under the next available sprinkler which were installed along the opposite side.  SWMBO literally bumped into one of her old university lecturers whilst both were buff naked.  The ladies / gents “arsenals” (Mouse always referred to them as Urinals and Arsenals) were screened only by curtains which flapped in the breeze.  
 

It was what it was. Alternatively you could sweat it out for three days under the Australian sun and inside tents where temperatures could reach well into the 40-degree range even with the sides fully opened. But you couldn’t avoid nature especially after enjoying a cheap meal at the curry truck!  
 

Today I am tasked with Domestic Engineering whilr Dr. SWMBO heads off to Sonething Slightly Interesting in Eton. She visited the Wallace Collection yesterday which she enjoyed but which I would have found terminally boring. 
 

Yesterday was a good ‘un. First exhibition since the arrival of the Chinese Market Virus.  Well attended, well received and I had a lot of interest in the weathering work. It was particularly good to note the diversity; plenty of fathers / grandfathers with young boys but also a goodly number of younger adults including many from our ethnically-diverse communities.  
 

The Twickenham club also laid on a goodly bbq for members and exhibitors afterwards. Full marks. 
 

Twickenham & District MRC’s O-gauge “Addison Road” layout on show. A pre-grouping Kensington Olympia which I believe is going to Warley later this year 

 

Please Explain - or tea without biscuits - as a turntable incident is dealt with at Northwick. A OO layout also owned by the club

 

Petroc Quarries - a superb O14 micro layout which reminds me, and its owner, of the old Penlee Quarry railway beyond Penzance which we both knew well.  
 

Some of the weathering display set up using the former Penhayle Bay viaduct

 

Just one of many items which started the day clean but ended it dirty 

 

Edited July 31, 2022 by Gwiwer

[New Haven Neil]

2 hours ago, TheQ said:

At the moorings Awl,

Last night was bring a plate night accompanied by a lecture by one of the club members about a relative of his who NHN might know about.. because the relative came from fraggle rock and is famous there.

 

Captain John Quilliam, one time first lieutenant of HMS Victory at Trafalgar.

 

 

 

Indeed NHN does.....local hero.

 

https://manxnationalheritage.im/news/quilliam-statue-on-the-move/

 

I'm also distantly related to Fletcher Christian!  His grandfather, IIRC was from the branch of the family on Fraggle Rock - I did say it was distant!  My Mum's maiden name was Christian.

 

In other news, sunny and 21c dans le rock, and who knows what the day will bring after yesterday's deluge - we were at the agricultural show of course - soaked.

 

 

[Gwiwer]

8 minutes ago, New Haven Neil said:

My Mum's maiden name was Christian.

I once worked with a chap whose surname was Christian. We joked about what his Christian name might be.   🤣
 

The joke rebounded when he revealed that he was in fact Christian Christian!  And at the same time he was neither because he also shared the fact that he was an atheist. 
 

 

[Barry O]

Still mizzling here but bbq is fully cleaned and checked. Table and chairs are clean, garage floor has been swept (in case we have to bbq out of precipitation. Herbindoors has started her tomato and red onion salad.. beerbis ready.. Dr Eldest Herbert is on a train to Leeds.. youngest Herbert is mucking out his other half's horses.. its all com8ng together.

 

BUT the away team captain has complained to the League about the Tie yesterday. As his team had achieved "par" score he reckons they have won.. nope to win you need par +1. As a Scorer as well as an umpire I thought that I had got him to understand that .. but no.. he is still hoping for a win....

 

Baz

[grandadbob]

Still haven't washed the glasses..  There are mutterings of "time's flying" and " weneedtogettamoveon."  I think the latter could be the title of my autobiography.  Talking of books our vegan will not be attending the BBQ as he is currently writing another book (I think this one is about Anne Boleyn) and his deadline is fast approaching so he too "needstogattamoveon."

Right,  glasses will be attended to once I've finished my coffee and after that the BBQ can be uncovered (mine is clean and sparkling although the spiders may have been busy)  and garden furniture will need dusting down and de-cobwebbing.

[polybear]

3 hours ago, TheQ said:

I've found a picture of Blue moon playing with the big boys yesterday.

 

 

 

Which one is it? 🤣

 

In other news.....

Caulking - Tick.

Floor Levelling - Tick.

Now to sort (or at least improve) the conservatory door - hopefully.....

 

And finally.....

Seems sensible to This Bear:

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/10-fine-for-an-nhs-no-show-says-rishi-sunak/ar-AA108zFk?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=343c676d2d5e406b818975f3b169f668

 

 

[BSW01]

Good morning everyone 

 

We ended up sleeping in this morning, didn't get for breakfast until 10 o'clock. 

 

Anyway, the weather is looking pretty dodgy, so I've gone to the workshop and I'll make a start on some more delay circuit boards. 

 

5 years ago today, it was my last day in the office, boy where did the time go? Do I miss it, do I f..k!

 

Back later. 

 

Brian