Early Risers.

[Peter Kazmierczak]

Re-cats, maybe Trump has a point.

 

I did some gardening this afternoon under the (still hot) sun. Removed brambles, put down some compost to improve the soil and covered it with straw-based mulch.

I go out a little later to admire my handiwork and notice that the mulch has been disturbed, with some "damp" patches.

I'vescattered a few pieces of slate which will (hopefully) deter the cats from doing their doings there.

Alternatively, I might follow Trump's and Vance's notions of what happens in Springfield...

[monkeysarefun]

https://worldtravelfamily.com/australian-animals-can-you-eat-them/

[jjb1970]

I am terrible at languages,  I find it difficult to make the effort to learn. I have a character fault in that I either do something or I don't. I picked up pretty good conversational Japanese when I spent a lot of time in Japan in the 90's and have picked up some Indonesian but I  wouldn't dignify either with any claims to be multi-lingual.

 

My wife and children are much better than I am, they are all genuinely multi-lingual. The boy is doing the international baccalaureate program (IB) and I think it's good that a foreign language is compulsory. 

[jjb1970]

On people around the world, I  find we are both more alike and more different than many seem to assume.

 

In my experience people everywhere love their families, want the best for their children, like to pursue hobbies and interests if they're fortunate enough to be in a position where life is about more than survival. And there are values which seem pretty much universal in most cultures, which may be why many of the world's faith systems developed some similarities for how we should live.

 

On the other hand people do view the world differently, the relationship between the individual and society can be different and taste is influenced by experience. 

 

And ultimately we are all individuals. That we may percieve traits associated with a society does not mean they describe individuals within a society, they are generalisations.

 

 

[Ozexpatriate]

9 hours ago, The Lurker said:

I was surprised that the need to speak English was a requirement in such an immigrant heavy country.

There is a reason for that. Australia has a long history of being very unfriendly to non-Anglos. It was even official policy for many, many years. A slice of the electorate cleaves to it still and from time to time influences outcomes.

 

The ten-bob Pom program was, in part, a conscious effort to outnumber the wave of Italians, Greeks and Serbs that in the post war chaos emigrated to Australia. The Continental immigrants met the definition of official policy at the time - but weren't preferred by many.

 

Plenty of corollaries in other English speaking countries.

 

Edited Saturday at 03:45 by Ozexpatriate

[Ozexpatriate]

6 hours ago, monkeysarefun said:

breakie

You're going to have to work on your 'Strine spelling. I assume that is meant to be brekkie. Rather than 'brakey' - as in "Achy Breaky Heart".

 

Also half of the expressions - like "on ya mate" sarcastically with an eye roll (like my sister does) when someone drives in an unsatisfactory manner. 

[Ozexpatriate]

7 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

"Local" English definitely is developing into unique language forms: whilst the words in themselves may be the same, how they are used, their meaning and how sentences are structured can vary wildly from good old "British English".

Wot's good old "Brit'ish English" then guv'nor?

 

Cockney? Scouser? Geordie? Ey up north York'sha? South Lundun? "Proper" home counties received pronunciation"? (Which is spoken only by a minority of the "English" and not necessarily even BBC presenters.)

 

All of these are historical. It's not remotely new.

 

There never ever was a 'standard' form of English but most people can make themselves understood if they make an effort - though there are many 'local' English dialects that are frankly incomprehensible - and that's not counting Scots speaking their approximation of English.

 

EDIT:

@pH likes to direct people to the late Robert MacNeil's "The Story of English" which first broadcast in the 1980s on PBS.  It still holds up. 

 

It would be nice for PBS to convert it to HD.  You can find it on YouTube but the video quality is dire. It looks like someone converted VHS and uploaded it.

 

Edited Saturday at 04:05 by Ozexpatriate

[Ozexpatriate]

4 hours ago, Peter Kazmierczak said:

Alternatively, I might follow Trump's and Vance's notions of what happens in Springfield...

I'm not sure I follow. It has led to bomb threats and school closures in the area.

[Ozexpatriate]

Honestly this disgusts me:

 

Quote

A Nevada judge has ruled that billionaire media mogul Rupert Murdoch and his family can hold a secret court battle over the future of his vast media empire behind closed doors.

...

Nevada offers one of the most private court settings for issues like family trust decisions, allowing parties and judges to lock the cases behind closed doors to such an extreme degree that their very existence is not even publicized on court dockets.

...

In a now-public docket, the case is only identified as “The Matter of the Doe 1 Trust, PR23-00813“.

 

Not for nothing does WaPo's masthead read "Democracy Dies in Darkness". The irony that someone who profits from the 1st amendment has a select judiciary in his pocket to hide from it, chokes.

 

Let us now revoke the "irrevocable trust".

[monkeysarefun]

1 hour ago, Ozexpatriate said:

It was even official policy for many, many years. A slice of the electorate cleaves to it still and from time to time influences outcomes.

 

 

The White Australia Policy. "Two Wongs don't make a white" as a Federal minister once stated. And he was on the left....

 

On arrival new immigrants had to undergo a dictation test. In any language chosen by the immigration official.  "So, you are albanian?" Just dictate this Japanese paragraph for me"..  Sorry, you failed! 

[pH]

57 minutes ago, Ozexpatriate said:

…

@pH likes to direct people to the late Robert MacNeil's "The Story of English" which first broadcast in the 1980s on PBS.  It still holds up …

Thanks - saves me from doing it again! 😛

Edited Saturday at 04:51 by pH

[jamie92208]

8 hours ago, Dave Hunt said:

 

When in the 80s and 90s I was involved with training Saudis on the Tornado F3 at Coningsby, the students, who were mostly minor royalty or other noble stock, were housed in married quarters rather than having to slum it in the Mess with us of the great unwashed. They were four to a house and had cleaners in every day. The cleaners told us that the number of empty whisky bottles and bacon wrappers they had to tidy up was amazing.

 

Dave

It was much the same on police training courses except that the majority of students had to avoid the religious police. 

7 hours ago, polybear said:

Bear here....

 

Today has seen Bear waking with a sore throat...five days after getting off a plane....😱

Fortunately a Wooflu test proved negative, so that's a Huge Tick; I thought I was all lined up for a repeat of the post-Lisbon saga.  As luck would have it the SF has faded throughout the day, so that's another Tick.

 

Today's fun has included a visit to the Ear Lowering Specialist, the Druggie and the Co-op; Tick.

 

I've also wrestled (several times...) with the idea of purchasing a certain object of desire that's 493mm long (Two-Tone Green with SYP).  Whilst the Tokens required made it somewhat of a bargain price it was still "an investment" (it'd almost pay for a nice Apartment for a week in Krakow, for example);  the thing that stopped me pressing that final "Buy It Now" Button was knowing where in Bear Towers I'd actually find a place to display said object of desire once in a display case.  So I haven't....and a quick check a few minutes ago revealed that only blue ones remain now - which is another reason not to.  That was close.....

 

Fellow ER'ers may recall Bear's dismay a week or so ago when a certain person at the W/H vandalised a framed Ltd. Ed. print signed by Terence Cuneo in order to re-use the Frame 😡; fortunately friends at the W/H were able to rescue the print intact - Bear now has it safely in his paws at Bear Castle:

 

 

And here's the Mouse (a trademark inclusion on Terence Cuneo Paintings):

 

 

The Painting is entitled "Stabling for Giants" - the Loco Depot, Boulogne.  Do any fellow ER'ers know what Choo Choo's appear in the painting?

 

Other fun for today has included washing 😐, ironing (oodles of) ☹️ and changing of the sheets on the Beary Pit.  Deep Joy.

 

Not sure what fun awaits Bear over the weekend - I very much suspect it'll be MIUABGA....

 

ION.....

 

A New Cafe (the only one) has appeared a few doors down from the Co-op in the Village of Bearsville; a quick recce earlier revealed an extremely impressive-looking LDC in the Cake Cabinet - whilst a (Bear-sized) slice exceeds the price of a complete LDC from the Co-op I do feel that further investigation and testing is justified before too long.  English Brekky Tea is a bearable £1.90, incidentally; snagger or bacon baguettes etc. etc. also feature on the menu.  I reckon they could be on a winner.

 

And Finally....

 

As of this morning it seems that Bear tips the scales at the same weight as prior to Hols in Krakow - so that's a definite Tick.

 

BG

 

 

PH has answered your question.  The 141R's in the centre were the first French steaI saw in 67 when two of them pulled our boat train from Calais to Amiens.  

 

Must dash now, off on my travels. 

 

Jamie

[Barry O]

Ey up!

 

Off for a day out plating with something a gentleman called the Reverend Denny built many moons ago...

 

Listened to a tape owned by a friend of his grandfather. He was born and raised in a village near York. The dialect was strong but I could understand it after years of listening to pit yacker and Yorkie. My colleague didn't have a clue..

 

Time for my mugatea.

 

Have a great day!

 

Baz

[polybear]

7 hours ago, rockershovel said:

I've never knowingly eaten cat, but I've certainly eaten goat and horse.

 

The English regard horsemeat with disgust but there's nothing special about it. I wouldn't choose it but it's unremarkable. 

 

Venison is a hit-and-miss meat. Good quality venison, well hung and cooked is a delight ... but that's an important qualification. 

 

The one truly disgusting meat I've encountered is whale. Imagine a coarse, heavily marbled beef, smelling and tasting strongly of shrimp... nasty.

 

Would Bear eat:

 

Cat?  Nope - ever

Goat?  Well I only vary, vary rarely eat Lamb (as in years ago) - I'd think of Goat as cheapo Lamb.  So only if there were genuinely absolutely nothing else - I'd rather have a plate of veg or bread n' jam.

Horse.  Nope - ever.  That's Black Beauty or Trigger, that is.

Venison?  That's Bambi, that is - see "Goat" above.....

Snails?  Oh no...

Frogs Legs?  Oh no....

Foie Gros?  Definitely not, on the grounds of dreadful Animal Cruelty.  Should be banned worldwide.

 

2 hours ago, Ozexpatriate said:

Also half of the expressions - like "on ya mate" sarcastically with an eye roll (like my sister does) when someone drives in an unsatisfactory manner.  like a Drongo.

 

There - corrected it for you.....

 

1 hour ago, Ozexpatriate said:

Honestly this disgusts me:

 

 

Not for nothing does WaPo's masthead read "Democracy Dies in Darkness". The irony that someone who profits from the 1st amendment has a select judiciary in his pocket to hide from it, chokes.

 

Let us now revoke the "irrevocable trust".

 

I'm less than impressed with this:

 

"Timberlake has been ordered to pay a $500 (£380) fine with a $260 (£200) surcharge, do 25 hours of community service and make a public safety announcement outside court."

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cm2n2m10g6do

 

Wonder if he'll be asking for time to pay?

 

16 minutes ago, Barry O said:

Ey up!

 

Off for a day out plating with something a gentleman called the Reverend Denny built many moons ago...

 

 

Would that be with a certain Lecturer of "special courses" 😉 by any chance?  If so then A Certain Bear is rather jealous.....

[polybear]

Bear here....

 

Today?  Dunno.  I could go a-wanderin' (involving a short choo choo chuff chuff spark spark ride), though Bear does have some sort of minor lurgy (as in minor sore throat/bit sniffy/occasionally coffy); whilst that definitely isn't any reason in itself I'm also wondering if I CBA or not.  I've certainly got enough to keep me amused at Bear Towers - a minor tidy of the Sh*d is in order, as is a somewhat bigger sort/tidy of the Muddlin' Room - some stuff needs to be relocated to more appropriate places in order to free-up space intended for a L*yout (sometime.....).

 

I also need to do a ruthless (and some) sort out of the Beary Wardrobes - this weight-loss lark is all well n' good but it does mean that a lot of stuff (much of it hardly worn) has become a bit "tent like" for Bear's liking; it makes sense therefore to have a sort-out.  Sadly the next stage will involve Deltic Tokens, the shedding of....(see what Bear did there?)

 

Time to wriggle....

 

BG

[Winslow Boy]

1 hour ago, Barry O said:

Ey up!

 

Off for a day out plating with something a gentleman called the Reverend Denny built many moons ago...

 

Listened to a tape owned by a friend of his grandfather. He was born and raised in a village near York. The dialect was strong but I could understand it after years of listening to pit yacker and Yorkie. My colleague didn't have a clue..

 

Time for my mugatea.

 

Have a great day!

 

Baz

Always thought we should make you White Rose lot take an English test before we let you cross the border. Better yet if we made you pay for it as well, none of you would want to come over anyway.

[rockershovel]

There certainly is a "Standard" form of English - the "King's English" at present writing - which is the spoken and written language in which the law of the land is codified and enacted. 

 

It isn't new. The Kings of Wessex and Mercia, from Alfred to Edward the Confessor instigated the practice, using the language of the time. The Norman and Plantagenet monarchs Kings who followed spoke French but the Tudors didn't. Henry VIII was only able to instigate the project of "The King's English" because English was already generally spoken at all levels of society. 

 

It was a deliberate act of social unification, by which he ended the chronic dynastic warfare of the times. He created the foundations of our times; his badge, the red-and-white Tudor rose, still appears in our Royal iconography. 

 

It's all very well to bleat about him as a "rather nasty dictator" but he was a man of his time. Violence was endemic and he was the biggest dog in the pack. He was a deeply religious man, but that didn't extend to subordination to the secular influence of Rome.

[Grizz]

Morning All

 

Well at least I think that it is morning. 
 

Mrs Grizz very kindly made the Mokkas this morning, as I am still somewhat exhausted from yesterday. Actually it is more that I’m totally ‘Garbage Trucked’….. I have a headache behind the eyes / in the sinuses….that worsens the pain when I breathe in. Mrs Grizz’s helpful suggestion was ‘Well stop doing it then….”….bless her.

 

It all started six weeks ago when Mrs Grizz remembered that we had to use up some tickets for Le Shuttle by the end of September. So we found a day that we, the family unit of 4, were all free. Friday 13th…

Many years ago number 1 cub and I discovered a lovely small Belgian town called Beernem. He and I often stopped there on our way back and forth home to DK, although Mrs Grizz was never with us. So she suggested that we base ourselves there, have a quick trundle round, then take the train into Brugge for the day. 
The last time I was in Brugge was around 35 years ago, so I had forgotten what a beautiful city it is. It is like stepping back in time. 
To make a full day out of it we left Grizz Castle at 03:15 (up at 02:30), driving cross country to Folkestone, returning to the castle at 23:58.  I am exhausted. We had a really lovely family day out. 
 

A few photos….

 

 

 

Hopefully I feel better later. There is a whole bunch of muddling to be done…..just got to get the energy and motivation. 😂

 

Have great day all….

 

ATB Grizz

[TheQ]

Whale meat again, don't know where don't know when..

 

Whale meat again, still some spare, God knows when
It won't be "Whale meat again", some lucky day
Keep smiling through whale meat dumplings and stew
Whale burgers, too, and whale en flambé

It's been there for weeks, and the damn carcass reeks
Surely won't last too long...
But when they get one more whale in their net
I'll be singing this song, oh:

Whale meat again, going spare, lost my brain
If I eat whale meat again, I'll go insane

 

Mooring Awl,

5.5 hours sleep, short awake 2 hours sleep, this doing nothing is tiring business....

 

Could barely see Fife to day, very misty and drizzly,

A small raptor landed on a neighbours fence, it sat there for some time.. possiblely a Kestrel.

 

What am I not going to do today.

No idea..

Time for muggacoffee number two.

 

 

[DaveF]

A brightish morning.  I have to go to a RNLI coffee morning at the Methodist church  to collect the raffle prize I won with the tickets I bought last Saturday while having coffee at the lifeboat station.  I wonder if I'll have to buy another set of tickets today?

 

Apart from that I don't think I'll be going far, I feel quite stiff.   There is a model to finish and a book to read.  The garden may be left alone today unless I put in the new posts and wires to support the raspberry canes, then I could remove the temporary bamboo canes.

 

David

[tigerburnie]

On language, well I have communicated in French and even bit of Japanese, but now it's a bit of Fifer, Doric and Bridie Muncher sort of English.....................ya Ken?

[tigerburnie]

I don't so much now, but I have been a hunter/gatherer most of my life and eaten a lot of things not usually on the menu.......anywhere. I was part of a shooting syndicate which had the rule if you shot it you had to eat it, the idea was to stop gung ho shooting anything that moves kinda deal. Well the farmer had problems with Grey Squirrels, so "tufty pie" was consumed, along with Rook pie, which was quite nice. Pigeon is now widely eaten as are Rabbit and Hare, game pie or soup is most acceptable. Never keen on strong gamey food, so Red Deer is off the menu, but Roe/Fallow were ok, not knowingly eaten Muntjac or Chinese Water Deer. Wild Boar was disappointing, rather bland I thought compared to Pork. Pheasant, Quail or Partridge nice, wild Duck less so, did try Rat, but I will leave that to Baldrick.............. Will eat most fish, Pike being a particular favourite and Flounders and Dabs are nice seafood. Shellfish I like, not so keen on the Whelks though, rather tough, Crab and Lobster and Langoustines superb and I think I have either caught or shot pretty much all of those myself.

[Coombe Barton]

7 minutes ago, tigerburnie said:

Wild Boar was disappointing, rather bland I thought compared to Pork

Nearest I get to wild boar is the sausage rolls from Gloucester Services. probably agree with you about the taste as the non wild ones seem better, but that is probably down to the cheffing.

Nearest I get to deer is when venison is in the reduced section of Sainsbury's. 

[BSW01]

Good morning everyone 

The sun is shining, the skies are mainly blue, but there are a few white clouds about and there’s little or no wind, so it looks like a lovely day to be outside. So, today, I’m going to take another step along the recovery road, I’m going outside to do a couple of light jobs in that garden. No gardening as such, but I’m going to clean and top up the bird feeders and then do a little tidying up in the workshop, so that when Charlie comes round next week, we can at least find a space to sit at so we can get on with our respective projects. I’d love to get stuck into the dead heading etc, but I’m still not allowed to lift heavy objects, so it’s best to not get tempted and leave things as there are for another week or so, perhaps next weekend I’ll give that a go. However, I can see if the apples are ready for picking, I’ve already picked the apples from the ‘Red Devil’ apple tree, as they are an early variety, the ‘Braeburn’ apple tree is a late variety, so I don’t really expect them to be ready just yet, it’s usually October-November before they are ready. 
 

Back later. 
 

Brian 

[Coombe Barton]

Plan for today - getting the bum off the sofa is the first step, then we shall see ...