Early Risers.

[Coombe Barton]

Aylesbury ho tomtrrow

[Gwiwer]

7 hours ago, Hroth said:

Just had a chappie phoning me from a sub-continental call centre regarding my "Microsoft Computer".

 

"Good Afternoon!" quoth he.

 

Their clocks must be mis-set, it was barely 11:55...

 

Told him not to be silly and hung up.

 

My late father once took such a call. The caller, exactly as described above, strongly suggested his Microsoft Computer was causing problems for other users in the area  because it was infected. 
 
Dad never owned a computer in his life. For his last few years he did have an Acer laptop but never what would be commonly called a “computer”. 
 

He was always a master of telling people where to go and did so on this occasion with his usual aplomb. Which consisted of referring the caller to dad’s local police station if there was indeed anything amiss. And asking for the caller’s number so that they - the police - could call him instead. He also suggested that the caller should bend over with his head between his knees and then place it into which ever bodily orifice he saw. 
 

 

[Gwiwer]

4 minutes ago, Coombe Barton said:

Aylesbury ho tomtrrow

I could probably find a suitable candidate a bit closer than Aylesbury! 
 

 

[Coombe Barton]

7 minutes ago, Gwiwer said:

I could probably find a suitable candidate a bit closer than Aylesbury! 

I'm sure you could.

[polybear]

Bear here.....

A good day today.  I actually got off my little furry ar5e and went to the Railex Exhibition at Aylesbury/Stoke Mandeville Stadium - the first exhibition I've been to (not including Ally Pally earlier this year) probably since Scaleforum in 2019, just prior to the Woo Flu appearing.  Got to speak to a few interesting people, buy a few useful bits at good prices off the s/h stand and collect some bits I'd arranged to buy from someone on the Western Thunder Forum.  Some very nice muddlin' was in attendance as well.  Big Ticks.

Downsides?  Well the usual rather nice F/E Brekkies that used to be available from the Stadium Cafe prior to the show opening was conspicuous by it's absence.  Turdycurses.

I also (out of interest) checked out the price of a 99 Cornet (one flake) from Mr Whippy parked outside - now £3.50.  Bluddy Hell.  Is that "the norm" for such things now?

 

On the way home I was following another car on the M25, both of us doing 70; the car in front had a bike on the roof rack, stood upright and secured by the wheels via some sort of fancy securing mechanism.  Only it didn't.....one moment it was upright, the next it was leaning off the RHS of the car at maybe 100 degrees - the driver could've looked out his side window to see his bike doing a poor impression of an aircraft wing.  Fortunately it stayed in place long enough for him to get over to the hard shoulder PDQ.  It could've been "really interesting" if it'd come bouncing backwards towards Mickey at 70....

 

Bear gone.

 

 

[Gwiwer]

Further to those suspicious phone calls I took one once from a very Oceanic-accented female who clearly had scripts to read from but little idea of her target market.  

 

She was trying to sell me "Software protection" for a system I didn't use then and have never used since. It has never been loaded to any device I have owned.  But she insisted.  

 

As the conversation progressed happened to ask her whereabouts she thought I was.  "You are in your city, Sir" was the reply.  I bit.

- "And where is my city?"  

- "Your city is in your part of the nation, Sir".  

- "Yes.  And where are you located?"  

- "You are in your city, Sir, and I am there also"

- "How many people live in my city?"

- "Many millions, Sir, this is a large city"

 

At the time I was living in a modest Cornish town of 5500 souls.  Probably closer to 4000 through the winter.  "Many millions" was so wide of the mark I had to stifle a laugh.  I then followed with the words "I live in a very large city of 50 people.  We call it a village.  When I go to work there are only 49 people left in the village" (a statement more true of much earlier in life than it was at that time but hey) 

 

And I disconnected the call.  

[Gwiwer]

1 hour ago, polybear said:

I also (out of interest) checked out the price of a 99 Cornet (one flake) from Mr Whippy parked outside - now £3.50.  Bluddy Hell.  Is that "the norm" for such things now?

I hope you got a whole flake for your money

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-humber-65604580

[southern42]

' evening all from red dragon land.

 

More sunny weather, over the last couple of days, drew me into the garden as the flowers continued to open.

 

Record breaking size this year - both the peonies...

 

and the single iris have done amazingly well this year.

 

 

 

However, the lawnmower has broken down allowing the buttercups to wallow in all their glory.

 

And to the Chelsea Flower Show, one of my three voted-for gardens won the Peoples Award, namely: Feels Like Home, Rosemary Coldstream in the People’s Choice Balcony / Container Garden category.  👍

 

 

Edited May 27, 2023 by southern42

[TheQ]

Evening Awl,

Many groups of parallel bits of metal, transported, though not by the Landrover, that was towing a trailer of banners, high stools, Notice boards, many extension cables. And a few boxes of?

All such groups of items are now standing on their own two many feet, except for two guest items arriving in the morning.

I could have gone to the MRC to collect stuff much later, there was a lot of sitting around waiting, much of which I spent perusing my own group of parallel bits of metal. This brought about another minor visit by the black dog, as I spotted several things needing more work, correction, or just do it again.

during set up I turned to move a stool. Unfortunately I turned but my boot gripped the floor. So my foot didn't, my right ankle has reason to complain...

 

STill trying to work out an easy way of disassembling, reassembling, transporting a planned group of parallel bits of metal. The overall shape of it is fairly unusual which may cause difficulties.

 

We are promised bacon butties in the morning during set up time.

It may be I'm on car park duty, that's if the car boot sale is on In the field behind the hall to stop the buyers using the hall car park.

 

Muggachoccy gone mee too.

[pH]

Returning for a minute to the subject of referendums and democracy, this 1970 British movie:
 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rise_and_Rise_of_Michael_Rimmer

 

(which I think should be much better known than it appears to be) ends with a very pointed view on participatory democracy. 
 

It’s one of a group of movies that I think should be shown on broadcast TV in the run up to any significant political event such as an election, as a counterpoint to what the politicians and parties are producing. Others I would include are ‘The Candidate’ and ‘Bob Roberts’.

Edited May 27, 2023 by pH

[polybear]

Bear here....

When I crawled out of my Pit at 6am I was greeted by the sound of an Alarm low battery warning chirping every minute or so.  Turdycurses.

The smoke alarm in the Lounge?  Nope.

The Heat Alarm in the Kitchen?  Nope.

The Conservatory?  Nope.

The Hall or Landing?  Nope.

The Muddlin' Room?  Nope (x2)

The Little Bedroom?  Nope.

It won't be the one in the Bear Cave, cos' that would've driven Bear mad all night....

How about the one in the Airing Cupboard - or maybe the flood alarm in there?  Nope.

Another two flood alarms in the upstairs loo?  Nope....

Of course all this involves various disconnections of batteries/waiting to see if it chirps again etc. etc.

So it must be the flood alarms in the kitchen...I think there's three in there.  Doesn't sound like it's from there though - and two of those are behind kitchen cabinet plinths underneath the base units, so a bitofapig to get to.

RattinPigginTurdycurses.

And the answer?  None of the above.

I eventually discovered it was the Carbon Monoxide Detector in the Lounge (it's on the Mantlepiece, partially hidden by one end of the Telly).  At last.

And were the batteries low?  Nope.

The Alarm was one of those 10 year jobbies - so at the 10 year point the display showed "End" and the chirping commenced.......

So it looks like Bear is now shopping for a new CO Alarm.  Poo.

There may be a Rant there ........

[Hroth]

5 minutes ago, polybear said:

When I crawled out of my Pit at 6am I was greeted by the sound of an Alarm low battery warning chirping every minute or so.  Turdycurses.

 

At least it wasn't a forgotten fire alarm that had been "put in a safe place"* with an active battery.  We could hear the beggar bleating away but never found it until well after it had expired...

 

 

* "...in the bottom of a locked filing cabinet stuck in a disused lavatory with a sign on the door saying ‘Beware of the Leopard.”**.  Well ok, not the disused lavatory, but the rest was accurate!

** Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

 

[Winslow Boy]

52 minutes ago, southern42 said:

' evening all from red dragon land.

 

More sunny weather, over the last couple of days, drew me into the garden as the flowers continued to open.

 

Record breaking size this year - both the peonies...

 

and the single iris have done amazingly well this year.

 

 

 

However, the lawnmower has broken down allowing the buttercups to wallow in all their glory.

 

And to the Chelsea Flower Show, one of my three voted-for gardens won the Peoples Award, namely: Feels Like Home, Rosemary Coldstream in the People’s Choice Balcony / Container Garden category.  👍

 

 

 

Anyone asks why the grass not been cut tell them it's No Mow May either that or you like buttercups.

 

Very good year for Iris germanica. One at the front of the house is flowering it's heart out. Peonies not yet out here but should be good as they have plenty of buds.

[BSW01]

Goodnight all 

[PhilJ W]

Goodnight all.

[southern42]

1 hour ago, Winslow Boy said:

Anyone asks why the grass not been cut tell them it's No Mow May either that or you like buttercups.

 

I think the excuse term, now, is being ECO(logically) friendly. 

😂

[southern42]

' night all and nos da.

[monkeysarefun]

The continual rumble of heavy metal on the nearby main road this morning  reminded me it was the local primary school fund raising day. The standard school fete with rides and stalls and so on has gone the way of the dinosaurs here to be replaced with displays of things that run on dinosaurs -  a  car and bike show. 

 

Wandered down to see what was on offer, surprisingly big crowds made clear photos difficult, but here's a few highlights.

 

A sporty Fiat Abarth

 

 

A Bolwell Nagari. Kind of Australia's version of TVR, the Nagari has a 5.8litre Ford V8 in its fibreglass body.

 

 

A Purvis Eureka. A '70's Australian kit car, suitable for a Veedub motor or 2 litre Ford from memory. 

 

 

A 1970 Ford Falcon 350GT HO Phase 3. One of 200  made to racing specs because manufacturers had to race "production' cars at Bathurst.

In its time it was the fastest 4 door car in   the                                      world     (as Clarkson would say)  but you wont hear that in the rest of the world where they bang on about Mercs etc. 

Worth close to a million dollars  now assuming its an original and not repro-ed from a lesser 1970 Falc. 

 

 

1967 Holden Monaro. The original Monaro body shape, Holdens answer to the Ford Falcon for Bathurst before the Toranas took over.  This ones been 21st centurised with fuel injection. 

 

 

 

I just  liked this.

 

 

 

2 Gratuitous bike pics,  I have no idea about bikes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 28, 2023 by monkeysarefun

[Ozexpatriate]

52 minutes ago, monkeysarefun said:

... it was the local primary school fund raising day. The standard school fete with rides and stalls and so on has gone the way of the dinosaurs here ...

But where are the Lamingtons? 🙁

[Ozexpatriate]

Recent ID card conversation compels me to share this story I saw recently:

 

CNN: Please wear clothes in your digital driver’s license photo, Georgia officials urge

 

Submitted without comment.

 

Edited May 28, 2023 by Ozexpatriate

[jamie92208]

Good moaning from a warm Charente.  The car was showing 30 yesterday afternoon and the pool was a lovely 29 when I was cleaning it.  Almost all the plum blossom has now been sorted.  Market this morning after breakfast and dog walk. 

 

Ttfn. 

 

Jamie

[Erichill16]

Morning All,

Another poor night’s sleep,again not helped by the heat and again featuring really weird dreams.

Anyway, after sorting dogs, nephews and sundry jobs out in the morning work progressed outside in the garden. SWMBO, despite the painful foot,  finished off the patio cleaning while I mowed the lawn. After that an hour or so on the book and then tea. I was thinking of doing a bit of the m word but fell asleep whist listening to the football on the radio. By the time I’d taken Hovis for her evening constitutional it wasn’t worth getting the toolbox out.

Not sue about todays tasks. 

[TheQ]

2 hours ago, Ozexpatriate said:

Recent ID card conversation compels me to share this story I saw recently:

 

CNN: Please wear clothes in your digital driver’s license photo, Georgia officials urge

 

Submitted without comment.

 

[TheQ]

I'm late, I'm late for
A very important date.
No time to say hello, good-bye,
I'm late, I'm late, I'm late
I'm late and when I wave,
I lose the time I save.
My fuzzy ears and whiskers
Took me too mych time to shave.
I run and then I hop, hop, hop,
I wish that I could fly.
There's danger if I dare to
Stop and here's a reason why:
I'm over-due, I'm in a rabbit stew.
Can't even say good-bye,
hello, I'm late, I'm late, I'm late.

[pgcroc]

@polybearBear here....

When I crawled out of my Pit at 6am I was greeted by the sound of an Alarm low battery warning chirping every minute or so.  Turdycurses.

The smoke alarm in the Lounge?  Nope.

The Heat Alarm in the Kitchen?  Nope.

The Conservatory?  Nope.

The Hall or Landing?  Nope.

The Muddlin' Room?  Nope (x2)

The Little Bedroom?  Nope.

It won't be the one in the Bear Cave, cos' that would've driven Bear mad all night....

How about the one in the Airing Cupboard - or maybe the flood alarm in there?  Nope.

Another two flood alarms in the upstairs loo?  Nope....

Of course all this involves various disconnections of batteries/waiting to see if it chirps again etc. etc.

So it must be the flood alarms in the kitchen...I think there's three in there.  Doesn't sound like it's from there though - and two of those are behind kitchen cabinet plinths underneath the base units, so a bitofapig to get to.

RattinPigginTurdycurses.

And the answer?  None of the above.

I eventually discovered it was the Carbon Monoxide Detector in the Lounge (it's on the Mantlepiece, partially hidden by one end of the Telly).  At last.

And were the batteries low?  Nope.

The Alarm was one of those 10 year jobbies - so at the 10 year point the display showed "End" and the chirping commenced.......

So it looks like Bear is now shopping for a new CO Alarm.  Poo.

There may be a Rant there ........

 

Some Fire Stations will do a free inspection of your property and give you advice on what is required. Some also give and fit smoke/fire detectors or carbon monoxide alarms. 

You would have to check the FS in your area.