Early Risers.

[polybear]

9 hours ago, Winslow Boy said:

 

I like Denzel. He's a good actor.

 

This might come as a surprise so don't read this till after the film has finished e but the train gets stopped, he gets to retire and the female dispatcher gets promoted.

 

The film went downhill somewhat when it went round a hairpin bend on two wheels.....

(ok, so rather more than two wheels but I'm sure you get the drift).

I did rather like the bit at the very end where they said what happened to the main characters after the event - I just HATE films where you're left thinking "but then what happened?", almost as though the Film Company had run out of money and had to release the film anyway.

 

8 hours ago, Coombe Barton said:

Thanks - another source

All I want is flatpack units - I'm doing it myself anyway. And that was the price I got - and even then   - " 'ow much???!!!!"

I will be shopping round

 

Bear has late 2000 vintage Ikea Units in the muddlin' room that were flat pack and went together pretty well; Ikea Units are rather good for storage cos' they don't have a Service Void behind the back panel (something like 50mm IIRC) which means even more unbuilt kits can be stored 😁 - however it can make them a right PITA for Kitchens cos' there's no room for pipes behind the cabinets, meaning existing pipes have to be shifted or the cabinet modified.

 

Incidentally, for anyone pondering a Wickes Kitchen Installation just enter "Wickes Kitchen Nightmares" into Google;  IIRC there's a Facebook page with a similar title and rather a lot of p1ssed off customers - some of the photos left Bear thinking WTF IS THAT??  It seems that Wickes changed to a policy of the Fitters signing off an installation rather than a Happy Customer, which didn't help.

 

47 minutes ago, iL Dottore said:

I note with some dismay, @Coombe Barton experience (as recounted in his last post). It seems that, thanks to social media, we are now hearing - far too often - from the sort of people who would write to their local newspaper/council/MP in green crayon on lined paper. Instead of such missives being binned (as would have happened in the past), these bizarre and unscientific views get widely circulated and thus can influence the naïve, the vulnerable and the simple-minded.

 

Bear always recalls** the wise words of a certain Young Pup back in 2010/11, not long after Momma Bear died from The Big C:

 

"Google is your friend - but it can also be your enemy...."

 

Very true indeed.

 

(**Incidentally, Bear's memory from that time onwards is cr@p - which I put down to those events.  However, there is much about those events that I'd really like to be able to forget but can't - even small details.  It's a right b1tch).

 

Bear here.....

Up late, which is bad as there's wallpaper that won't stick itself on the wall (if only...).

Right, as @GDB would say....

"Bettagettamoveon"

Bear gone.

 

[Tony_S]

1 hour ago, iL Dottore said:

find myself dealing with a bit of a paradox: whenever I have a good night’s sleep (so more than about four hours), when I wake up, I always feel more tired than when I have a poor night’s sleep (four hours or less). Does anyone else have this intriguing problem?

Sounds familiar. I rarely have a poor night’s sleep but often wake up feeling tired! Going back to sleep after a cup of tea results in a short sleep that seems to,remove the tired feeling. 

[BSW01]

Good morning everyone 

 

Another bright and sunny start to the day here in the northwest corner of England. The current temperature is 1C, so if we had any frost last night it had long gone by the time I’d got up. My first task is a visit to the dentist for a check up. Upon my return, I shall change into my working clothes and spend some time in the garden as the patio could do with a clean, fab joy. 
 

Back later.
 

Brian

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. The hay fever is back so I've now got a wunny dose, this time of year its tree pollen. Apparently whats making it worse is that trees such as silver birch which release a 'cloud' of pollen are fashionable for new planting. Flowering trees such as magnolia and fruit trees and as such rely on insects to fertilize them are becoming fewer and fewer.

[Hroth]

10 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

Morning all from Estuary-Land. The hay fever is back so I've now got a wunny dose, this time of year its tree pollen. Apparently whats making it worse is that trees such as silver birch which release a 'cloud' of pollen are fashionable for new planting. Flowering trees such as magnolia and fruit trees and as such rely on insects to fertilize them are becoming fewer and fewer.

 

I get runny eyes and unaccountable bouts of sneezing. Antihistamines don't stop it, just reduce the intensity!

 

I like magnolias, I must look into getting one for the new house. There was one in the garden of the old house, which came into bloom some three weeks after the ones at the bottom of the road.  A 40ft difference in elevation (mine was higher and more "exposed") probably accounted for that!

 

Edited April 4, 2023 by Hroth
edit because I posted before typing anything. And then spelin....

[PhilJ W]

24 minutes ago, Tony_S said:

Sounds familiar. I rarely have a poor night’s sleep but often wake up feeling tired! Going back to sleep after a cup of tea results in a short sleep that seems to remove the tired feeling. 

I had a good five hours + last night but woke up at 06:15, so I had to debate going back to sleep or getting up. I chose the former and as a consequence didn't wake again until gone 8.

[PhilJ W]

1 hour ago, TheQ said:

SWMBO's late aunt and uncle used to go to Malta every winter , it was cheaper to pay for bed and breakfast in a hotel there, than keep the heating on all winter in the UK.

When I visited Malta twenty years ago I was seriously considering buying an apartment out there where I could spend a few months in the winter and let it out to holidaymakers during the summer. At the time I was hoping for a redundancy/early retirement but that fell through so the apartment didn't happen. That holiday was in March and about 75% of the hotel residents were UK senior citizens on B&B for three months. 

[New Haven Neil]

Mornid.  Slightly less snod this morning.  Still cream crackered.  Managed a couple of naps after Mrs NHN went to work, but still really tired.  

 

iD so so correct about folk's inability to actually understand, or even skim, science etc.  I worked with an intelligent man, really good IT skills, accountancy etc who really, really was convinced about the flat earth thing, all based on an atmospheric anomaly from the Victorian era.  As for moon landings....#sigh#...it got very tiresome.

 

The day is currently unassigned, so I think I may ride the ancient electric railway to Laxey for a light lunch and a touch of railway observation, garnished with a lot of people watching.

 

 

[TheQ]

3 barrows of rabbit spoil moved so far, 6 saplings of up to 2 inches diameter cut down and put on the bonfire.

 

 We had a small magnolia that was here when we moved in, it was only around 7ft high, then it died. Whether or not it was anything to do with being planted on the site of the 3 or 4 outside toilets of the former pub on this site I don't know.

 

I like magnolia, and some time might get some more.

 

Lots of heavy lorries delivering building materials going down the road to beach , someone down there is having major work done.

[The Lurker]

Greetings all from a sunny LBG - blue skies out of the windows look great. It was frosty in Sidcup when I left the house this morning. Still coughing but not as much  as a few days ago - having said that yesterday evening my throat and chest were very tickly - but I managed a reasonable night's sleep.

[BoD]

2 hours ago, TheQ said:

The failures of many HMG military contracts, are caused by the men from the ministry repeatedly changing the specifications during development. 

One of the (many) reasons that the two Scottish Ferries are years late and millions over budget was that there was an element of design/redesign as-you-go. Apparently this was actually catered for in the original contracts.

 

Not so long ago the press reported, in the way that they do, that all the electrical cables on the ship were too short and had to replaced.  What they didn’t explain was that in one of the re-designs/reshuffles the transformers and switchgear had to be moved. Not far… but enough to cause the problems..

[petethemole]

2 hours ago, TheQ said:

I suspect Pete the Mole and I would spend time on Malta wandering around the many historic sites there.

Indeed, all periods from prehistoric to WW2 in a fairly small area.  I remember reading Grand Barrage by 'Gun Buster' when I was 11, a (slightly propagandist) contemporary account of the AA defence of the island.

 

I'm beginning to feel the effects of tree pollen, mainly random sneezing and a slightly blurry left eye, which will get worse as summer proceeds and clear up come September.

 

I'm in the process of demolishing the small 8' x 4' shed which was getting rotten.  A new roof would have done if it was being used as a garden shed but it's mainly used for storage and stuff was suffering from the damp.

 

Mrs mole is recovering well from her hip replacement and is eagerly awaiting her new Motability car, which will be easier to get into.  The previous car is still here, being used to store stuff from the shed.

 

 

[PupCam]

Morning All!

 

20 hours ago, polybear said:

Also, being able to look back at a job and think "I did that" is priceless.

 

You don't get that with RTR kitchens.    Whoops, wrong thread ......

 

13 hours ago, AndyID said:

For my sins I was managing the joint development of a chip with a little outfit called Intel. The business guys were still arm-wrestling over the contract when both engineering teams had completed their designs 😄

 

Unfortunate when the design doesn't meet the finally agreed spec/contract and a couple of "Sharp Suites" pat themselves on the back for a contract well won.

 

8 hours ago, polybear said:

Bear always recalls** the wise words of a certain Young Pup back in 2010/11, not long after Momma Bear died from The Big C:

 

"Google is your friend - but it can also be your enemy...."

 

What?  This one?      It's the sort of thing I would say but unfortunately I have absolutely no recollection of saying it!    Mind you, I can't remember what I had for breakfast either!

 

Long seated things that I most definitely can remember (which I won't detail here) are all associated with unpleasantness of one form or another.   The most recent, significant of such events pre-dates Bear's trauma by a few years and are associated with the last few months of Father Puppers' life in the local hospital and his passing.   Why didn't I say more than I did?  Why wasn't I more insistent that the care he was receiving was carp inadequate? etc etc etc    

 

Maybe that's why I get so wound up with my recent health related experiences (and have 33 pages of A4 typed notes detailing everything 'cos I sure can't remember every twist and turn)?

 

In Other News

 

Replaced a dipped beam bulb in a visitors Fiesta this morning.   A car clearly designed for manufacture not maintenance .....

 

Did I mention I've got the Beeza's cylinder barrel back from the friend that's honed it for me?   Re-assembly can commence although those gudgeon pin circlips are right little so-and-so's to get in!

 

TTFNQ

Edited April 4, 2023 by PupCam
Use the correct word Puppers!

[southern42]

15 hours ago, Tony_S said:

Matthew went to a Geography Conference for students in Malta during the Christmas holidays.  The delegates were housed in a Scout hut. There was no heating. One day there was  an excursion to Gozo. I don’t think Matthew or his friend Wendy fancied the look of the sea so sat in a cafe all day planning the next conference. That was in Seville. 

 

I remember being at work (way back in my working days), in the depths of winter, and getting an email from the Rollercoaster, Alton Towers, aka the Bay of Biscay. He was out on a Research Vessel doing some marine science technology stuff, though not a lot of it by the sound of it!

 

[jjb1970]

On science and anti-science, I think the attitudes we see are symptoms of a much deeper malaise.

 

Many people have lost trust on the traditional media and have migrated to 'alternative' news, which in many cases is providing even more blatant confirmation bias than the regular news (which is bad enough). There's a famous comment ascribed to G.K.Chesterton - When Man ceases to worship God he does not worship nothing but worships everything. I think this could be adapted to say that when a person ceases to believe information from official sources and the media then they believe anything.

 

And the real problem is, there are perfectly sound reasons why people don't believe official sources of information and the media. I've no idea how to fix that one.

[jjb1970]

1 hour ago, BoD said:

One of the (many) reasons that the two Scottish Ferries are years late and millions over budget was that there was an element of design/redesign as-you-go. Apparently this was actually catered for in the original contracts.

 

Not so long ago the press reported, in the way that they do, that all the electrical cables on the ship were too short and had to replaced.  What they didn’t explain was that in one of the re-designs/reshuffles the transformers and switchgear had to be moved. Not far… but enough to cause the problems..

 

The shocking bit of that whole mess is that the difficult bits of the design (i.e. the LNG fuel system) were done for Fergusons, and the difficult bits of the gas system were built by their suppliers. So their bit was pretty much looking after the easy stuff. Now yes, it takes a lot of skill to design and build a ship, but we're talking about naval architects, marine engineers, production engineers, metallurgists, welding specialists etc whose job it is to know how to do it. I couldn't fly an airliner or perform any sort of surgical procedure, but I expect airline pilots and surgeons to know their business. 

[jjb1970]

On runaway train movies, I remember the 1980's movie with Jon Voight, set in Alaska. That was a classic, I never realised it was adapted from a 1960's idea by among others Akira Kurosawa of 'Seven Samurai' fame.

[BoD]

I received an interesting letter from British Gas this morning regarding the account at my mum’s old house.  
 

It was last January that she passed away and, thankfully, winding up her affairs went quickly and smoothly.  I seem to remember one of the last payments I made was for her electric and gas. Nothing out of the ordinary I thought.  This morning’s letter said that as they didn’t send the final bill within so many days I was due compensation. Further, as they didn’t pay that compensation within so many days they owed my more compensation.  The cheque is in the post.  As it is nearly a year since I wrapped everything up, this has come totally out of the blue. It didn’t even cross my mind at the time that they had been particularly tardy in any way.  
 

Mum’s parting shot will treat us to a nice lunch out when it lands.

[southern42]

' morning all from red dragon land.

 

A bit of noise next-door, this morning. New neighbours are adding a driveway on the far side of their house and putting up a wall in place of the gate on our side.  That means the public right of way, running right in front of us to their house, will be no longer. No pedestrians passing all the time setting off the door watch ( "Motion detected at the front door" ) every time someone walks past.

😁 <<BFG Big Fat Grin>>  

 

Another BFG, 😁 this morning.  The next song for my flute is going to be a big step up, so I started, a few month ago, by learning to SING the notes by name ("sa, ri, ga" etc,}* first, note by note . Yesterday, I had a go at singing the first line at double speed, then double again from memory. Wow, that worked. This morning, off the cuff, I played the tune, with sa ri ga, etc  in my head, just blowing lightly across the hole to see how I would get along. No problem. Wow! I thought. So, I played it again, but properly. WoaH! I thought, and played it again! No music in front of me and not a note wrong!  I played it twice more, even giving it a bit of expression. It sounded as if I had been playing it for ever!

Not only was it another BFG, 😁  but a cracking great laugh-out-loud in disbelief! It looks Like my progress is all mapped out now - SING-GING! If it works for them...

 

I had better get playing singing...

 

Take care. Be good. Watch out for those off-the-cuff moments!

 

Polly

 

[DaveF]

A glorious sunny day here so I have been out, you will find out where tomorrow.

 

Yesterday started with the usual housejobs and washing (and later ironing) but before coffee I had time for a very pleasant walk along the promenade where I bumped into an old friend I haven't seen for ages so we had a catch up chat.  Even with a sweater and a warm fleece it was cold in the wind.  I was back home again for coffee and a read of the latest Countryfile magazine - I don't always agree with all the articles - I suspect I know a bit more than some of the writers about some of the plants and animals, but it is still a good read and makes me question my preconceptions.  Then I apply scientific thought to some statements.

 

I decided to move some furniture a little bit in the living room that that the sofa is now at a better angle for me to sit and watch TV.  It also moves it out of a draught if the doors are open for any reason.

 

After lunch I gave the greenhouse glass a good clean, it looks a lot better now and I am sure the plants will appreciate the extra light.  It took less time than I expected.  Then the evening passed by as usual.

 

The roadworks (really pavement works) for the Virgin fibre cabling are getting nearer, I wonder which day(s) I will probably not be able to get my car off the drive?

 

David

 

 

 

[polybear]

 

3 hours ago, New Haven Neil said:

iD so so correct about folk's inability to actually understand, or even skim, science etc.  I worked with an intelligent man, really good IT skills, accountancy etc who really, really was convinced about the flat earth thing, all based on an atmospheric anomaly from the Victorian era.  As for moon landings....#sigh#...it got very tiresome.

 

 

Bear has heard rumour that there are those who believe the World revolves around all things Great Western.  Now that is weird.....🤣

 

1 hour ago, southern42 said:

A bit of noise next-door, this morning. New neighbours are adding a driveway on the far side of their house and putting up a wall in place of the gate on our side.  That means the public right of way, running right in front of us to their house, will be no longer. No pedestrians passing all the time setting off the door watch ( "Motion detected at the front door" ) every time someone walks past.

 

 

Doesn't that mean there's a risk that Mr & Mrs Public will object to the loss of "their" right of way, with grief and expense incoming as a result?

[Winslow Boy]

1 hour ago, southern42 said:

' morning all from red dragon land.

 

A bit of noise next-door, this morning. New neighbours are adding a driveway on the far side of their house and putting up a wall in place of the gate on our side.  That means the public right of way, running right in front of us to their house, will be no longer. No pedestrians passing all the time setting off the door watch ( "Motion detected at the front door" ) every time someone walks past.

😁 <<BFG Big Fat Grin>>  

 

Another BFG, 😁 this morning.  The next song for my flute is going to be a big step up, so I started, a few month ago, by learning to SING the notes by name ("sa, ri, ga" etc,}* first, note by note . Yesterday, I had a go at singing the first line at double speed, then double again from memory. Wow, that worked. This morning, off the cuff, I played the tune, with sa ri ga, etc  in my head, just blowing lightly across the hole to see how I would get along. No problem. Wow! I thought. So, I played it again, but properly. WoaH! I thought, and played it again! No music in front of me and not a note wrong!  I played it twice more, even giving it a bit of expression. It sounded as if I had been playing it for ever!

Not only was it another BFG, 😁  but a cracking great laugh-out-loud in disbelief! It looks Like my progress is all mapped out now - SING-GING! If it works for them...

 

I had better get playing singing...

 

Take care. Be good. Watch out for those off-the-cuff moments!

 

Polly

 

 

One hopes they've applied to the local council to do that,  because if they haven't all it will is a disgruntled walker to complain and the proverbial will start flying.

[iL Dottore]

The topic of kitchens is rather a sore one at Schloss iD.

 

When we bought the house, it was empty – the then current owners having already moved into their retirement flat – which meant we could happily refurbish the house without either ourselves or our possessions getting in the way.

 

For the kitchen, I wanted to have stainless steel cupboards and countertops as well as any professional kitchen equipment that could fit in to such a small place. This was vehemently vetoed by Mrs iD (and believe you me, you don’t know what “vehement” IS until Mrs iD does it to you ☹️).
 

Why? I don’t know. It’s far too small to be a live-in kitchen (so no need for all that comfy, cozy, farmhouse kitchen look), it’s even too small to be an eat-in kitchen with a breakfast nook. Furthermore, I do 99.9% of the cooking not Mrs iD….
 

So we ended up with the usual domestic style kitchen with maple fronts and the usual “looks good, is expensive, but is totally useless“ kitchen equipment that is usually fostered onto domestic consumers (there is almost a happy ending to this sad tale of woe: about a decade ago, I was able to swap out the hob and the fridge to hard-to-find* domestic units which were much closer in terms of functionality to their professional counterparts [even then Mrs iD asked if I really needed a fridge that went down to 2°C])

 

After my retirement, refurbishment of the kitchen and bathrooms is on the books and I think there will be some serious negotiating over the outfitting of both (I still want my professional kitchen)
 

It could well go to DEFCON 4 and who blinks first…..

 

* hard-to-find as in hidden away in the back of the catalogue and not promoted by the kitchen outfitters..

Edited April 4, 2023 by iL Dottore

[iL Dottore]

12 minutes ago, polybear said:

Bear has heard rumour that there are those who believe the World revolves around all things Great Western.  Now that is weird.....🤣

What’s even weirder are those people who believe that trains can be clean, comfortable, fast and on time AND TICKETS DON’T COST AN ARM AND A LEG!!
 

Sheeesh, some people will believe anything…

[Dave Hunt]

20 hours ago, 45156 said:

Islay malt fans - a quick heads up - Morereasons are offering Smokehead for £26 a bottle  - gentle it isn't.

 

They've also got Talisker Skye at £25.

 

Dave