Early Risers.

[Grizz]

Happiness. Well it could be ideally pin pointed for me as the following. 

 

No mobile phone (or any other means of contacting the outside world). Sitting my living room in Nordjlland, with a couple of cold ones, watching old Black and White films, whilst doing some muddling….with no one else home….for 3 years. Perfect. 

[monkeysarefun]

36 minutes ago, Grizz said:

 

The best we can manage on a good day is a Sparrow. This guy looks like he is used to having his photo taken. 

 

 

 

He's waiting for his almond.  Step 1 is stare through the window.

 

Step 2 if I ignore him staring through the window is to start throwing things off the outside furniture, stopping between each item to see if I'm watching.

 

Step 2 continues until I give in.

 

I've posted this here before, but this is one day of security camera footage that shows the feathered mafia and their standover tactics perfectly.

 

 

 

[Gwiwer]

18 minutes ago, monkeysarefun said:

 

 

We have burnout competitions. You don't.

Official and unofficial.

 

Many areas I knew of seemed to have the hoon element who would happily do burnouts anywhere and everywhere.  Often in the smaller hours of the morning when anyone within earshot would be awoken by the screeching of tyres and possibly assaulted by the smell of burning rubber.  

 

There have been competitions for the biggest and best circles on freeways for instance.  

 

Hopefully never to be emulated on the motorway network of the Untidy Kingdom, 19th-most-happy-nation-on-the planet, home to a large number of canines of colour, girt by sea though we don't boast about it and currently freezing the lactating apparatus off its upright inhabitants and the spheroids off metallic simians.

 

Stay as warm as you can.  Take care on the now-freezing flood waters.  

[TheQ]

Ah but we have mice that tidy up for us..

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-67902966

[monkeysarefun]

4 minutes ago, Gwiwer said:

Official and unofficial.

 

Many areas I knew of seemed to have the hoon element who would happily do burnouts anywhere and everywhere.  Often in the smaller hours of the morning when anyone within earshot would be awoken by the screeching of tyres and possibly assaulted by the smell of burning rubber.  

 

There have been competitions for the biggest and best circles on freeways for instance.  

 

Hopefully never to be emulated on the motorway network of the Untidy Kingdom, 19th-most-happy-nation-on-the planet, home to a large number of canines of colour, girt by sea though we don't boast about it and currently freezing the lactating apparatus off its upright inhabitants and the spheroids off metallic simians.

 

Stay as warm as you can.  Take care on the now-freezing flood waters.  

 

 

 

The 2024  Burnout Grand Masters was just run at Summernats this weekend. Winner was Ozzie  folk hero Lynchy in  an NA ("naturally aspirated") Corolla.

 

   A Toyota  - Thats how multicultural  and inclusive we are these days. 

 

 

[Hroth]

9 minutes ago, TheQ said:

Ah but we have mice that tidy up for us..

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-67902966

 

Those ruddy widdling mice again....  😒

 

[monkeysarefun]

15 minutes ago, TheQ said:

Ah but we have mice that tidy up for us..

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-67902966

 

 

A mouse chewed through my DSL cable last Friday night . It  didn't then solder it back together again, so despite that heart-warming video I reckon that  mice generally are crap at fixing things up.

 

 

Actually pants off to Telstra, my "Provider", who texted me shortly after it happened to say that my internet connection was disrupted and I was running on the backup link. All I knew was I was watching something on one of the streaming services and it hung for 30 seconds or so before resuming so I assumed it had just been a glitch and I'd still be in that ignorant happy state if they hadn't got in touch with me. 

 

Anyway the text said to turn it off and on again and check the cable. I did the first bit but not the second, just assuming that the cable couldn't be an issue. . The next day I got a text saying they could still see  that there was a   problem,  had I checked the cable? So I replied that I had,  so they asked  did I want someone there during the week or on the weekend?  I said weekend and he turned up on Saturday morning, checked my modem and within  2 seconds  pointed to the cable that just had 6 inches hanging out of the modem, the rest apparently bitten through and lying on the floor.......

 

 

 

But anyway, the service this time  was a vast improvement on the previous issues,  when it would be  me experiencing a fault then having to phone them up and be on hold for ages,   so 5 stars. 

 

(Round two of Fruit Bat fighting going on in the Apricot tree  next door!)

[Grizz]

7 minutes ago, monkeysarefun said:

(Round two of Fruit Bat fighting going on in the Apricot tree  next door!)

Strange that I had it my head that you live in a quiet and idilic part of the world. Whereas it appears that there are birds trashing your belongings and bats fighting next door. 

[Hroth]

The Amadroid struck this afternoon!

 

I'd been having a light lunch while the radio burbled quietly.  Picked up the tablet when it pinged to find that a delivery I was awaiting had been "delivered".

 

Behind the bins.

 

The bu@@er hadn't even bothered to ring the doorbell (just checked, its working) or tap on the door.  Just dumped the item, took a snap of it nestling forlornly behind a bin and did a runner...

 

Grrrrrrr...

 

And even better, its NOT what I ordered, so its going straight back!

 

Edited January 8 by Hroth
update

[monkeysarefun]

22 minutes ago, Grizz said:

Strange that I had it my head that you live in a quiet and idilic part of the world. Whereas it appears that there are birds trashing your belongings and bats fighting next door. 

Fruit bats roost down near the  local river and  each evening head out to  Sydneys  outskirts where there are fruit orchards.

 

On a cloudy night you can see them against the grey and its like watching thousands of bombers heading off  to bomb jerry or something.

 

 

 

The baby ones  are furry and cute, but harbour scary viruses that mean that although their orphaned young (being a native animal and therefore protected)  get cared for like this

 

 

 

 

The bat Lyssa Virus  and the  Hendra virus that they can harbour makes  COVID look like a bit of a sniffle.

 

AS for the birds, there's always Mrs Beetons 1909 cookbook.

 

 

Edited January 8 by monkeysarefun

[PhilJ W]

Afternoon all from Estuary-Land. It started snowing a couple of hours ago and for a while it looked as if it would settle. But now, although it's still snowing its beginning to melt on hard surfaces. Just as well I decided to stay indoors today.

[grandadbob]

A'noon all,

I have suffered visits from the dark animal over the years, the worst being when I was at work but a change of job helped that for a while and then taking early retirement almost banished it completely.  I do however occasionally still get  a problem and there are two or three things that can trigger it,  particularly if they occur at the same time.  Touch wood things have been reasonably good for a while.

 

On a happier note it's been a bit hectic here.  Went for walk and it was bit "fresh" out but I enjoyed that.  Came home and started trying to sort out the travel insurance and while I was on my mobile The Boss walked in with the landline saying the hospital needed to talk to me in a hurry.  The upshot is that my tests have come back OK and I'm fit for surgery. Somebody has had an op cancelled and there's now room for me so would I like my hernia procedure tomorrow?  Oh yes I would, thank you very much. A couple of calls have been made to sort out transport and I will heading for the hospital at 11.00 tomorrow.  

 

Oh and we've had a few flurries of sleet.

Edited January 8 by grandadbob

[monkeysarefun]

2 hours ago, Gwiwer said:

girt by sea though we don't boast about it

 

 

Oi! In what other situation have you ever encountered the word "Girt", except when proudly singing the Aussie National Anthem?

 

As Adam Hills said - do the cops ever go "Come on out with your hands up , we have the place girt!" ?

 

As to burnouts,the  lack of suitable UK sourced stock capable of pulling  a decent one off has been addressed by of all people, Elon Musk who has added  a  "Burnout" button to some of his Teslas.  This is not to be confused with the "burst into flames for no obvious  reason" option, but does seem a little bit too  try-hard, IMHO.

Edited January 8 by monkeysarefun

[zarniwhoop]

3 hours ago, BachelorBoy said:

 

Nine of them are monarchies.

 

 

Apart from those that are. Hint: Look at the nordic countries and the Netherlands, also Luxembourg.

[monkeysarefun]

19 minutes ago, grandadbob said:

A'noon all,

I have suffered visits from the dark animal over the years, the worst being when I was at work but a change of job helped that for a while and then taking early retirement almost banished it completely.  I do however occasionally still get  a problem and there are two or three things that can trigger it,  particularly if they occur at the same time.  Touch wood things have been reasonably good for a while.

 

On a happier note it's been a bit hectic here.  Went for walk and it was bit "fresh" out but I enjoyed that.  Came home and started trying to sort out the travel insurance and while I was on my mobile The Boss walked in with the landline saying the hospital needed to talk to me in a hurry.  The upshot is that my tests have come back OK and I'm fit for surgery. Somebody has had an op cancelled and there's now room for me so would I like my hernia procedure tomorrow?  Oh yes I would, thank you very much. A couple of calls have been made to sort out transport and I will heading for the hospital at 11.00 tomorrow.  

 

Oh and we've had a few flurries of sleet.

 

 

Good luck!

[Hroth]

4 minutes ago, monkeysarefun said:

 

 

Oi! In what other situation have you ever encountered the word "Girt", except when proudly singing the Aussie National Anthem?

 

As Adam Hills said - do the cops ever go "Come on out with your hands up , we have the place girt!" ?

 

As to burnouts,the  shortage  of suitable UK sourced stock capable of pulling  a decent one off has been addressed by of all people, Elon Musk who has added  a  "Burnout" button to some of his Teslas.  This is not to be confused with the "burst into flames for no obvious  reason" option, but does seem a little bit too  try-hard, IMHO.

 

Gurt and Daisy? 🤪

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elsie_and_Doris_Waters

 

Not that I remember them, but its the sort of thing my granny used to mention...

 

 

 

[Erichill16]

3 hours ago, jjb1970 said:

 

I find it genuinely sad how Boeing went from arguably the most respected airframe manufacturer in the world to being a laughing stock in the space of a decade or so. For years now they've been lurching from disaster to disaster, and the way they handled the Max crashes was utterly shameful.

Its reported on BBC that the plane has had least 2 depressurisation  incidents in the last couple of weeks and the plane has  been ‘diagrammed’ not to fly over sea while the problems is resolved.

I wonder if the passengers were aware of this restriction? And what about the crew, what did they know?

What a state of affairs, almost criminal in my eyes. 

 

[monkeysarefun]

24 minutes ago, Hroth said:

 

Gurt and Daisy? 🤪

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elsie_and_Doris_Waters

 

Not that I remember them, but its the sort of thing my granny used to mention...

 

 

 

 

 

If you google "girt" you get a whole lot of nonsense, especially from the Collins dictionary crowd  who reckon its all about girdles and  measuring stuff.    Which is bulldust, its about being surrounded by the shark-filled ocean  as we all learned as young Australians when they taught us the new  national anthem after all the girt fanatics voted for "Advance Australia Fair" in the 1977 referendum, cruelly beating Waltzing Matilda which came in in second place.

 

 

Adam Hills, as I mentioned before, poked fun at the word, but did do his best to transform the national anthem from dirge to  rock song, by re-imagining it as done by  recently discussed imported Geordie  Musical legend  Jimmy Barnes, borrowing  the traditional Barnesy ode ":working Class Man".

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 8 by monkeysarefun

[Barry O]

"Gurt"  is used in Barnsley to replace wife/girlfriend/woman...took ages for my mate (who's job moved to Barnsley) to realise this...

 

Baz

[Tony_S]

1 hour ago, Hroth said:

just checked, its working)

One thing that happens here more often than in years gone by is “checking the doorbell” still works. The security camera shows that some don’t even bother. Royal Mail do ring and rattle the letterbox flap. 

[Hroth]

6 minutes ago, monkeysarefun said:

 

 

If you google "girt" you get a whole lot of nonsense, especially from the Collins dictionary crowd  who reckon its all about girdles and  measuring stuff.    Which is bulldust, its about being surrounded by the shark-filled ocean  as we all learned as young Australians when they taught us the new  national anthem after all the girt fanatics voted for "Advance Australia Fair" in the 1977 referendum, cruelly beating Waltzing Matilda which came in in second place.

 

 

Adam Hills, as I mentioned before, poked fun at the word, but did do his best to transform the national anthem from dirge to  rock song, by re-imagining it as done by  recently discussed imported Geordie  Musical legend  Jimmy Barnes, borrowing  the traditional Barnesy ode ":working Class Man".

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Its because it sounded cultured and poetic.

And now you're stuck with it....

 

Its all a bit Boaty McBoatface, or Brexit.  Never trust a referendum for something important!

 

Gosh!  Doesn't Adam Hills look young!

 

[Gwiwer]

42 minutes ago, monkeysarefun said:

In what other situation have you ever encountered the word "Girt"

All the time here.  

 

As in "Girt big 'un" for anything large.  

 

🤣

[zarniwhoop]

23 minutes ago, Erichill16 said:

Its reported on BBC that the plane has had least 2 depressurisation  incidents in the last couple of weeks and the plane has  been ‘diagrammed’ not to fly over sea while the problems is resolved.

I wonder if the passengers were aware of this restriction? And what about the crew, what did they know?

What a state of affairs, almost criminal in my eyes. 

 

That's not their only problematic model. Just before that there were reports that they want to have the Max 7 exempted from safety rules to allow it to fly https://interestingengineering.com/culture/boeing-737-max-back-in-spotlight-faa-safety-exemptions-raise-questions

[jjb1970]

26 minutes ago, Erichill16 said:

Its reported on BBC that the plane has had least 2 depressurisation  incidents in the last couple of weeks and the plane has  been ‘diagrammed’ not to fly over sea while the problems is resolved.

I wonder if the passengers were aware of this restriction? And what about the crew, what did they know?

What a state of affairs, almost criminal in my eyes. 

 

 

That could be expensive, I know we criticize the litigation culture of the US which is increasingly seen in the UK and other countries but if this is anything like how it sounds in reports then the airline and possibly  Boeing deserve to be taken to the cleaners.

[monkeysarefun]

4 minutes ago, Hroth said:

And now you're stuck with it....

 

Its all a bit Boaty McBoatface, or Brexit.  Never trust a referendum for something important!

 

Although I was too young to vote, I do remember the referendum. 

 

Without delving into the Australian political landscape at the time I do seem to recall that the labor leader Gough Whitlam favoured "Waltzing Matilda".

 

To many he was a loony leftie so they chose the other option out of spite. (Although under his administration we got free health cover, free university education, all those  1970's  Ozploitation movies  that had boobies in them due to generous tax incentives to  the arts,   and a burgeoning   recognition of aboriginal land rights).