Right at this moment the streets around my house stink of ash. An hour ago you could hardly breath outside due to the marvellous Battersea Arts Centre being ablaze. It's about half a mile from my house and the people all around the area are all close to tears as this place was in the hearts of all that grew up around here.
Fire can be such a devastating force. Actually this is currently happening in my country:
http://www.cctv-america.com/2015/03/06/patagonia-forest-fires-may-be-worst-in-argentinas-history (http://www.cctv-america.com/2015/03/06/patagonia-forest-fires-may-be-worst-in-argentinas-history)
So far 34.000 ha (about 84.000 acres) of ancient forests have been destroyed and the fire threatens Parque Nacional Los Alerces (https://www.google.com/search?q=parque+nacional+los+alerces&biw=1252&bih=561&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=FloDVaf7E8vDggSNpYPICA&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAQ)
They say it was started intentionally. Sadly I suspect the fight is ineffective and even indolent.
Maybe even reintroducing the fire to the property agents that started it?..
That looks like a spectacular building. How sad that the great hall was destroyed as it looks like it was pretty lovely from the Wikipedia photos. The Glasgow Institute of Fine Arts was recently devastated also, with the beautiful library by CR Mackintosh pretty much destroyed. I expect they'll salvage what they can and restore/rebuild what has been damaged beyond that.
There are too many sad and horrific story's in the Newspapers, just thought this was a nice one from my village.
Tsk.
Tsk.
Not selling it as a tourist destination, to be honest.
An intriguing prospect, as "freedom fighters" expect a reservation in a special balcony of heaven.
I'm pretty sure they blaspheme the faith, so they're probably already covered in terms of applicable sins. I hope that if they do get to that heaven, the virgins are mean, pushy American Jewesses who will give them poo for eternity.;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
If there is a hell, I expect there will be a special circle reserved for terrorists.
http://www.theonion.com/article/god-angrily-clarifies-dont-kill-rule-222
http://www.theonion.com/article/god-angrily-clarifies-dont-kill-rule-222
I think you have misunderstood. God & Church are completely separate things.
Nope.
God = something people (created to) believe in, so that they can convince themselves that all people will get their due later.
Church = something created by some people to control other people, so that the controllers will get "their due" now.
Granted that there is an overlap in practice, but the principles are quite separate.
Always glad to help.
I think the whole country could really do without the general election this week as none of the parties are electable as they stand. Perhaps a cross party coalition is the best way to go.Dont allow any MP to reenter Parliament, things will carry on as norm
I have warned you lot before about voting for politicians. Not a sensible thing to do.
No they didn't.
Politician = person standing for office.
They aren't all malicious or morons, but they are all dangerous.
Don't. Just don't.
So it is (partially) your fault.
Thank you, but I can't take that much credit.Agree, I did switch sides as I thought the whole Conservative manifest / U turms / failure to stand up and debate and the out right non answering of questions put to her and her party were a PR cockerel up
I have to be honest, regardless of my, or anyone else's opinion of Mr Corbyn, I haven't felt so at ease voting for a labour leader since John Smith.
As I understand what has been reported so far, no-one has said that it fails regulations: in fact it passes all of the UK and Europe's requirements.
On the other hand, it catches fire, so it patently obviously isn't fit for purpose.
Sort of bring s the whole regulatory framework into question for me: what is the point of having rules about what you can use, if the rules allow (and therefore encourage) you to use stuff that will kill people in numerous different ways when you use it?
Which is precisely why the regulation is so important. Business can't be trusted to "do the right thing", it can only be trusted to "do the most profitable thing". We know and accept this, but the "thing" that they do must be legal. If the law is wrong/ inadequate, accidents happen.So agree
It is not possible for the government/ council/ homeowner/ contractor/ fitter - or even inspector - to thoroughly test all materials they use, they rely on the legislative framework, and then often use the cheapest legal material. If that certified legal material is flammable/ poisonous it is hardly their fault.
There is huge difference between what one ethical person, or a small ethical company, can and will do and what a profit-driven large-to-huge corporation will do. For the purposes of this argument "cost-saving" and "profit-driven" amount to the same thing, and "council" and "corporation" are interchangeable. Common sense has no place in corporate affairs: minimum standards that meet legal requirements are driving the bus.
It may be possible for the end-user to test all the materials for use. I doubt it - I have worked for decades in testing and it is a specialised sport, not something to be undertaken lightly by someone whose expertise is elsewhere: I am reminded of the match tester: "yes, this one worked" tells you nothing about the next one: the testing has to be interwoven with the manufacture (particularly with complex components such as cladding: how can you tell that the glue used in the manufacture of all the sheets that you bought is identical in composition and quantity to the glue in the sample(s) that you tested?), and this is not something that can be done even by the ethical workman. ... but putting that all aside, and assuming that it is possible, it is not cost-effective: relying on the (supposed) fact that someone else has done the testing is the norm - and is encouraged so to be.
It may well be common sense that you shouldn't use something flammable to stop a fire, but if the legal framework says that a particular component is OK (even if it is cheap), then how would you know otherwise? The fact that you can set fire to something in your backyard doesn't mean that it is inappropriately flammable under normal usage conditions - even in extreme conditions. Obviously people did the work, and I daresay it is possible that some of them complained, and I would even go so far as to say that some people may have given up or lost their jobs as a result of this protest, but
1) in general terms doing inappropriate but legal work that keeps bread on the table trumps common sense and ethics just about every time, but
2) it is probable that no-one working on the tower block cladding really thought - at the time - that they were making the building unsafer. Hindsight is, of course, a wonderful thing, and I wouldn't be greatly surprised if all the people that worked on the job now come forward one at a time to tell the world how worried they were at the time, and how inappropriate the materials, the bosses, and most of all the robbing bastards in the council were: but hindsight is often coloured by experience, and has a modifying effect on one's memory.
If everyone in the council was following the rules, and the materials used were certified as appropriate, then the legal testing regime is at fault.
Of course if anyone used materials that were not certified as appropriate, then everyone involved in that usage should be hung out to dry.
There is huge difference between what.......
Last week I had to fire proof an RSJ I installed to comply with regulation. Have you ever tried setting light to an RSJ?
Before and after:
(https://preview.ibb.co/f7Tp4a/IMG_20170615_160203709_HDR.jpg)
(https://preview.ibb.co/cyamja/IMG_20170623_152549650_HDR.jpg)
that brings back memories of when I had my extension, failed at the first inspection for the RsJ not being fire proofed, yet didn't want to check if the extractor in the bathroom actually worked ???
such sadness in the world again.
to top it all Brucie has passed away :'(
Definitely not local but "Mugabe named as goodwill ambassador by WHO" http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-41702662 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-41702662)
I honestly dont know what to say to this.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-43396008 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-43396008)
Well S,Hawkins will now find out if there is a God or not ??
Some good news for me
In the next village there has opened a local brewery and over easter they have decided to open a pop up bar in their establishment. I od course had to show them my suppor so myself and wife trotted off to partake of a couple.
A very Nice oatmeal stout was drunk ;D ;D
So sad. Dinosaurs who were too trusting for their own good.
https://www.theonion.com/paleontologists-determine-dinosaurs-were-killed-by-some-1819577180 (https://www.theonion.com/paleontologists-determine-dinosaurs-were-killed-by-some-1819577180)
I'm about fed up with celebrities with no executive experience, and zero understanding of the nuances of governance running our country into the ground. West is a joke. I can't take him seriously. And maybe it's because I find the whole Kardashian universe exemplary of stuff that's seriously wrong with our culture, but I wish he'd just go back to being rich and annoying in other ways.
If his idiocy leaves us with another 4 years of Trump, we've been seriously considering emigrating and that would compel us to leave.
lockdown again :o
I sort of hate the way in this discussion, education is being treated as daycare, instead of, you know, the installation of knowledge into growing minds.
To leap in with an over-generalisation:
The issue, in these days of social media bully-boy gangs and "relative truth" is that "Americans" don't watch CNN: Republicans watch FOX, Democrats watch CNN. Democrats are appalled by the events shown on CNN, but Republicans aren't because they don't watch it (as they are convinced that they wouldn't believe it). Similarly for Fox (but the other way round, obvs.)
The BBC - along with al modern news media - suffers from the ailment that it thinks (because of the mostly unwarranted criticism of "bias") to be "impartial" it has to present both sides of an argument - even when one side is patently ridiculous. This leads to over-representation of minority and wacky positions.
It (with everyone else) also suffers from the cult of celebrity, where the "reporters" see themselves as the stars, and their interviewees as the supporting cast. They tend to the lazy point of view that the best way to the "heart of the issue" is provocative criticism: they seem to be relatively even-handed in their criticism, but that means that all parties are equally convinced that the criticism of their pet topics represents bias.
The BBC have resisted the glossy lipstick/ bouffant hair "celebrity presenter" approach to news rather better than the others (but not completely), and so are closer to "news" than the others.
In my opinion.
I know a lot of places have been criticising certain people's attitude to the lockdown and comparing one with another. Leicester, as we know, has been put back into lockdown due to their percentage of people testing positive accounting for 10% of the nation's count overall. I have heard it blamed on people their not distancing themselves from others and failures to follow the guidelines.The lockdown was approx 2 weeks too late, hospitals were full of "Minority" people 2 weeks after EID, first covid testing stations were put in Spinny Hill park which the local Asian community protested, Whilst videos of them playing cricket games and then the news of Sweatshops and refusal of closing them came into the national news.
To leap in with an over-generalisation:
The issue, in these days of social media bully-boy gangs and "relative truth" is that "Americans" don't watch CNN: Republicans watch FOX, Democrats watch CNN. Democrats are appalled by the events shown on CNN, but Republicans aren't because they don't watch it (as they are convinced that they wouldn't believe it). Similarly for Fox (but the other way round, obvs.)
The BBC - along with al modern news media - suffers from the ailment that it thinks (because of the mostly unwarranted criticism of "bias") to be "impartial" it has to present both sides of an argument - even when one side is patently ridiculous. This leads to over-representation of minority and wacky positions.
It (with everyone else) also suffers from the cult of celebrity, where the "reporters" see themselves as the stars, and their interviewees as the supporting cast. They tend to the lazy point of view that the best way to the "heart of the issue" is provocative criticism: they seem to be relatively even-handed in their criticism, but that means that all parties are equally convinced that the criticism of their pet topics represents bias.
The BBC have resisted the glossy lipstick/ bouffant hair "celebrity presenter" approach to news rather better than the others (but not completely), and so are closer to "news" than the others.
In my opinion.
I got fed up with it when I realised that it was pointless, and maybe counter productive. When you are preaching to the choir you aren't helping, and for a non-believer looking in it just confirms your prejudice.
... but as noted above, the alternative is to try to be even-handed, where even-handedness is ridiculous.
My recommendation would be to stop reporting things that are done purely for the sake of publicity: treat all "celebrities" the same, and confine them to the programmes to which they apply, not the news.
... the problem with that is the "news" channels are 24 hours, and have to have something to fill their time. It may be that the "news" organisations - and their sponsors/ advertisers - are "value-free" they don't care if what they report hurts or helps, they are in it for the bums on seats, so the more scandal they can find/ whip up the better for the ratings. I think that the BBC is slightly less prone to this, but only slightly less. (with the notable exception of the Kuenssbergs/ Pestons of this world, who would be right at home on a US 24-hour "news" show)
She's lovely. I'd forgotten who she was and then found this video of her.
https://www.cnn.com/videos/us/2017/11/22/erica-hill-reacts-charlie-rose-allegations-sot-ebof.cnn (https://www.cnn.com/videos/us/2017/11/22/erica-hill-reacts-charlie-rose-allegations-sot-ebof.cnn) BTW, not a day goes by that I want to madam slap Charlie Rose. What a moron. His show was just great and he screwed it up for all of us because he couldn't contain his own urges.
So, yesterday, Smokes' junior, at the tender age of 17, passed his driving test at his first attempt. It also completed phase one of my plan to get free lifts home from the pub.good idea
Congrats to both of us then.
In a quashquash?
... buy the boy a Jag!
Congrats.
In a quashquash?
... buy the boy a Jag!
Congrats.
Congrats to your son, smokes! (and to you!) Now he can start earning his keep running errands and such (we'll just fail to bring up all the free tech support he provides).
He seems very capable and I'm not surprised to hear he passed, but you must still be proud. It's frustrating to have his college plans derailed by this pandemic. Are they having any on campus instruction in the fall?
Had to find and buy daughter a new motor last night or I should say she found the car.
First year of driving and she somehow rolled hers into a countryside ditch last sunday, was so deep that the police went passed her twice and dint notice the car.
She managed to climb out through the passenger window (as facing upwards) and scramble trough the brambles and thorn bushed, her legs are a mess.
Thankfully some kind women droves and stopped for her when the police turned up and then a ambulance by chance.
Not a phone call you want at 8pm sunday night after a few shandies.
Luckily her back is stiff and neck and the cuts is only thing wrong. Recovery chap said she was lucky to be alive as the car entering the ditch caused a dam stopping water escaping and if she was unconscious and no knew she was there then end of story, he produced a photo of another recovery where a similar accident causing the death of a person he attended as car on roof and no one knew lad was in it and drowned
As she drives like Miss Daisy it came as a shock.
Dreading the insurance bill next year for her.
Congrats to the wee yin.
That was deliberate trolling.
I'm not going to bite. I'm not even going to notice. No siree bob.
Yep, I'm mullered.
That's one way to be popular with your son's friends. ;)
That's one way to be popular with your son's friends. ;)
And unpopular with the missus! ;D
Nobody told the new granddaughter that she was due in December, so she arrived last week (25 weeks):
(https://www.dropbox.com/s/7g2h3ppbixmt7he/Baby.jpeg?raw=1)
I foresee months of pain and heartache for the new parents.
Nobody told the new granddaughter that she was due in December, so she arrived last week (25 weeks):firstly Congratulations on becoming a grandfather
(https://www.dropbox.com/s/7g2h3ppbixmt7he/Baby.jpeg?raw=1)
I foresee months of pain and heartache for the new parents.
"Plan"? Likely story.
... some hip phrases the kids use todayBecause there is a bunch of pelvic-related slang today!
But won't you miss having him at home?
Yeah, long-distance tech support can suck.;D ;D ;D ;D
Wish him well and good fortune from me! (but jazz it up with some hip phrases the kids use today)
smokes, I hope he thrives there, and I fully expect that he will. But won't you miss having him at home?
Yeah, long-distance tech support can suck.
;D ;D ;D ;D
Drove through Leicester yesterday and thought about you mate.buggar, could have had a shandie
buggar, could have had a shandie
a you kinda get over that sort of thing
I seem to be going through a phase where I am arguing with many organisations (is 3 "many?) that have chosen to pick fights with me. At first I was enjoying it as they were all in the wrong and I had evidence to support my case. Now I'm just tired of it all.
Or maybe I'm just tired.
You know you have gotten old when all your junk mail is for life insurance / funeral plans and a call from the doctors stating your flu jab is today ;D ;D ;D.
Waking up with new aches does it for me.every day my friend
Funnily enough I sort of do this in reverse: a few weeks ago I woke up and nothing ached. I panicked, as I assumed I must have died in my sleep. Then they started, and I breathed a sigh of relief.;D ;D ;D ;D
I'm not sure that Vin Diesel is suited to EastEnders.
Was this the show?Heaven forbid :o :o
https://news.sky.com/story/police-appeal-for-victims-of-fake-naked-game-show-to-come-forward-12159009
Put SkyGo on your mac/ iPad/ iPhone.
Can you "cast" it from your mobile devices to the big screen. Then it would be close to ideal.
During the great plague? The things that people consider essential - tsk.
I guess that you would be greatly surprised to know that my TV's have Apple TV's attached for casting purposes.
.... The TV in the bedroom is an LG and it's not so friendly ....
Never knew the bloke.;D ;D
Having a quick Google tells me that as a young naval officer he was asked to show a 13-year-old girl around Dartmouth, and they started exchanging letters. Today he would have been jailed for that.
Never knew the bloke.
Having a quick Google tells me that as a young naval officer he was asked to show a 13-year-old girl around Dartmouth, and they started exchanging letters. Today he would have been jailed for that.
Think anyone would notice
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-56726553 (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-56726553)
hope not near you smokes
I also have received the Free test, very fast delivery.
Ironic thing is "made in China" ;D ;D ;D ;D
Thought of you yesterday as I passed Leicester. Mind you, I had plenty of time to think as there was a bad accident near Brum that held me up for about an hour.M1 around Leicester is almost always shut with accidents.
Should've been on the tolled M6 which would have skipped it but stoopid "Waze" tried to save me monies.
M1 around Leicester is almost always shut with accidents.
Well Storm Arwen had me up in the night collecting dustbins rolling around the street and covering up furniture
In the garden.
Plus snow fell this morning ??? ??? We rarely get snow in Leicester 8)
Well Storm Arwen had me up in the night collecting dustbins rolling around the street and covering up furniture
In the garden.
Plus snow fell this morning ??? ??? We rarely get snow in Leicester 8)
Well, at least you have that fine cheese as consolation.
What can you say about the Downing street xmas party ;D ;D ;D ;D, funny yes but seriously what a disaster.
Handy site for those that are stuck in the middle of constructing their websites, and need an image (no names, obviously):
http://textfiles.com/underconstruction/
(I'm not sure that this is local news: moderators please feel free to move it somewhere more appropriate)
I knew builders were paid too much.
In real local news ... sort of, Thursday saw my final visit to the dentist for my dental implant program. I now have a marvellous set of upper gnashers that could grind rock - and with zero discomfort!
See, it WAS worth it after all.
Congrats on the new choppers. Perhaps you will have a nice steak to celebrate.
A nice slab of tempeh, or some spiced roasted tofu might be a good alternative. We are having pasta with putanesca sauce and a salad for dinner tonight as it's my bday and it's easy.
Birthdays are always a bit of a faff for me. I try to keep them low key, but invariably I fail.
But congratulations on yours, ma'am.
One can only have so much frankincense and myrrh.
years of service coming to an end.
Management have finally sorted out the redundancies. 2 from Quality inspection out of 4
O well mustn't grumble and will soldier on ???
years of service coming to an end.I'm sorry, goldie. It's always better to go on your own terms and at a time of your choosing.
Management have finally sorted out the redundancies. 2 from Quality inspection out of 4
O well mustn't grumble and will soldier on ???
You have my sympathy: screw them for the maximum in termination payment.
I'm sorry, goldie. It's always better to go on your own terms and at a time of your choosing.
Start work Monday :o :o :o :oCongrats!
Start work Monday :o :o :o :o
A proper job, after all these years? Be careful you don't strain something!
Congrats!Thank you
A proper job, after all these years? Be careful you don't strain something!
Is it a career change sort of thing? Congrats either way.
It's easier for me to count the parts of me that I don't strain. And I'm not joking!
Glad you got something quickly. Hope it's a decent job and not just a necessity.I hope so, it seems a decent place, plenty of work and should sort me out till I retire in a few years (tic toc)
Back into engineering, better pay, similar work ish, But the best thing is 14 mins from my home so no car needed :) 4 nights a week. :o
That's useful. If you're on similar pay (or less but bolstered by your redundancy) then this seems like a blessing in disguise.
Welcome to my world.
This working malarkey is overrated ;D ;D
Welcome to my world.8)
There's always the Christmas party.
Visited number 1 son yesterday at Sandhurst.
A historical 200 year old dilapidated building.
Interesting place tohugh
Visited number 1 son yesterday at Sandhurst.
A historical 200 year old dilapidated building.
Interesting place tohugh
Another lift ;)
Schindler's lift?Yep but modernised
It's a reference to this post:
https://www.diasfora.co.uk/index.php?topic=3359.msg272113#msg272113
(which appears to have mysteriously disappeared, but is referenced by this one):
Job being advertised in London, Accommodation supplied with security (they don't see a lot though).
The saying “Keep your friends close; keep your enemies closer.” will apply
Any takers
Today, my application to the "Gas Safe Register" was approved. I can now legally blow poo up.
Today, my application to the "Gas Safe Register" was approved. I can now legally blow poo up.
It must be earthquake season. We've had 3 ranging from 2.5 to 2.9 (the latter closer to home) in the past 48 hours. I live near an active fault that hasn't had a major breach in 160 years, meaning it's overdue for a very large correction. So these little ones make us nervous.
That might have been me ... blowing poo up.
It's weird, I lived where six is, and I've lived down south.
Norcal takes earthquakes more seriously, despite equal risks.
Also they put rice in their burritos, which is wrong. Mission style burritos are wrong.
Hopefully, your parents will be ok, goldie. Where are they?
I've heard that pretty much everyone in Florida can expect a foot of water from the storm. That's... deeply troubling.
NOT nice and very dangerous.
ATM local paths being ripped up so someone can install internet cables, Guess its Sky ? but unsure.
Working nights I have been without sleep for a few days with the noise.
But worse when daughter came home from her work, the leching and looks and comments truly deserves a few words and reported them on Social media for what they are.
Had a visit and all sorted ???
Wow. What is it that Malcolm Tucker said? Something to the effect of "if you have to resign in a few weeks, it's because we screwed up, but if you have to resign after a year, well, that's on you."WHAT PM ;D ;D Never up to the job, last nights Vote on fracking and the bullying ( plus MP'S lying ) killed her off
Any thoughts about the PM you have "enjoyed" for the last six weeks and related insights into what the Conservatives may have been thinking? What's next?
Wow. What is it that Malcolm Tucker said? Something to the effect of "if you have to resign in a few weeks, it's because we screwed up, but if you have to resign after a year, well, that's on you."
Any thoughts about the PM you have "enjoyed" for the last six weeks and related insights into what the Conservatives may have been thinking? What's next?
It is not Liz Truss's fault that she is stupid and incapable but ambitious. It is the Tory members' fault that they elected an idiot, but they have a long track record in this. Rishi Sunak was available, and the MPs understood that he was capable of doing the job, but the stupidity of the electorate - or parts of it - and their vulnerability to wishful thinking and pie-in-the-sky promises cannot be underestimated (as we have seen in other major western democracies as well).
I agree that the Tories are bad, but I disagree that the other parties are less bad: I think they are all equally bad, because the system is completely and irretrievably flawed.
Being an opposition party is ridiculously easy; all one needs to do is to point out that what the party in power is doing is wrong, with no need to have an alternative that would work, let alone any fear of ever being asked to prove it. Liz Truss could have been a spectacularly good leader of the opposition, as her dreams could have been spouted with no possibility of being proven wrong - her downfall was to lead the party that was in power. The SNP is a very good example. In power they are clueless, as in opposition their sole policy was independence from England, and in power that remains their sole policy: even after their fellow country have voted against that policy in a referendum.
The only sensible candidate is (and was last time) Rishi Sunak. After the way he was treated last time, I wouldn't be at all surprised if he declined to put himself forward this time. I really, really, hope that he doesn't. Mordaunt is desperate for power, but is another Truss: Braverman similar (but even more obviously the wrong choice - her resignation was transparently manufactured by her to increase her profile). One day we will learn that tokenism doesn't do anyone any favours.
... but if they choose BJ again (or possibly even worse, Gove), then they have essentially acknowledged that they are unelectable.
The only sensible candidate is (and was last time) Rishi Sunak. After the way he was treated last time, I wouldn't be at all surprised if he declined to put himself forward this time. I really, really, hope that he doesn't. Mordaunt is desperate for power, but is another Truss: Braverman similar (but even more obviously the wrong choice - her resignation was transparently manufactured by her to increase her profile). One day we will learn that tokenism doesn't do anyone any favours.
... but if they choose BJ again (or possibly even worse, Gove), then they have essentially acknowledged that they are unelectable.
No rain for many months, then we got a really heavy downpour yesterday. We may have to start pumping out the basement. It's often either feast or famine here. It's also cold now and our heater is on the fritz. It comes on if you jump on the floor next to it. The repairman can't come until next Friday (a week from this Friday). He was here a month ago but didn't have the parts to repair it. Still charged us for the visit anyway.
Shame you couldn't tell him no parts, no pay.
I've had a couple of bad days with my daughter having a suspected appendicitis. I was in the hospital for 10 hours yesterday.
She had an ultrasound this moring and she's ok. It looks like it could be a false alarm as the pain has subsided.
Scary poo!
For most of that 10 hours you could tell they were convinced she had an appendicitis as all the signs were there. It was only when the paediatric surgeon examined her they she thought is might be something else more innocuous disguising itself as an appendicitis.Scary times bur all well now 👍👍👍👍👍👍
So far, it looks like she was right.
They should have just whipped it out anyway. Save trouble later.
I'll let you know when/ if that happens.
Glad it was not something serious, smokes, but did they offer an opinion of what might be causing the pain?
It's lucky I gave up eggs after my cholesterol issues as, apparently, the UK will have no eggs until after Christmas.
It's a mix of a massive outbreak of avian flu and something to do with rising costs.
It's odd: I haven't eaten eggs for months but now I know I cant get them, I really want an omelette.
Do you think it was a Johnny Carson like attempt to boost sales "Get eggs now, because soon you can't!"Could be, as the news are stating a shortage of turkeys this year due to bird flu.
(I'm referencing a Johnny Carson joke where he reported a toilet paper shortage. Shortly after the show aired, there was a toilet paper shortage)
So, there were craploads of eggs in Asda today so I'm also leaning towards goldie's conspiracy theory. Odd thing is that there are none in the convenience branches of supermarkets that we have locally.
I think I'm to unhealthily preoccupied with eggs.
People don't quit jobs, they quit bosses.So right
(https://www.dropbox.com/s/b4xiyvaf2imhijj/Frosty%20XJL.png?raw=1)
Is this the first frost you've seen this season, christ? It started in my area a few weeks ago, but only a few times so far.
Is this the first frost you've seen this season, christ? It started in my area a few weeks ago, but only a few times so far.
First in Gosport, certainly.Is this because I turned the snowflakes on?
That's certainly what I told SWMBO.
Your unit reminds me of mine. Not that tall yourself and a missus even shorter, but your male offspring are in a different weather system.🤣😂 so true
There is like zero gap. I watched a video on a similar model to try and get under there, but this one is frustratingly different.
I assume this is a gas stove, hence you don't just unplug and move it, right? It sounds like the only way is to turn off gas to the unit, detach from the gas supply, and move it away from the wall, tilting it forward. We have an old Wedgewood and there's probably new forms of life coming into being under there. I do my best to clean as far under as I can reach, but then... it's not a great design feature that makes this area inaccessible. When I googled for your problem, I just got all kinds of lame advice about how to clean under the stove. Yeah. Right.
I would just buy new scissors.
Congrats goldie! Looks like a fine man. You did a good job!I like to think so but ;D
I was in Alabama for the last "cold snap" in the nineties. Darned chilly.
So. The wife and I will be attending the coronation concert.
It's not really my thing but I think it would have been stupid not to accept the invitation.
I'm locked in to Sky for the foreseeable future: Stored on the Sky box SWMBO has a year's worth of Emmerdale, Casualty and Holby City to catch up on, and we can't transfer them to any other medium. She is catching up at a slower rate than episodes are being added (that, of course, is what led to the backlog in the first place).
If (when?) he gets re-elected, my prediction remains that he will suspend future elections "until they can be guaranteed to be fair". He will then pass power to his children á la Royalty.
He doesn't bother me personally, the fact that one of the USofA's major political parties - and their voters - kowtow to him does. In order to get their way on White "Christian" priorities, they are willing to stand in line behind him waiting for crumbs from his table, desperate for the votes that he will gat from the (aptly named) "base". Surely there have to be some sane Republicans somewhere over there?
I'm finding it hard to think of a country that has political stability?
Democracy only works when there is an agreement that the winner will represent the whole country: in recent times all of the major democracies have followed the leader in not following this model: "When I win I will only act for my team, and I will actively act against any opposition" appears great for the winning team, but is an unsustainable model for democracy. The only way from here is autocracy, which can be very stable (if unpleasant): ask North Korea.
Democracy is also - obviously to me, but apparently not to some politicians and their supporters - unsustainable if the participants refuse to abide by the result.
I don't vote - I have mentioned this before, but I don'r vote because there is no-one person that embodies everything that I think is needed, and voting for someone that I disagree with - even on only some things - is not something that I could do.
-- BUT --
What I find odd about British politics is that (in general) I prefer Conservative policies, but abhor Conservative politicians, and dislike intensely the politics of envy embodied by the Labour Party whilst actually quite liking some Labour politicians.
Go figure.
No chance. One of the things that has scared me is the Republican ability to equate inequitable facts: Democrats querying election results, but then conceding after a recount is not equivalent to continuing to deny the results of an election that you factually lost.
The Republicans as a body seem to have decided that the actions of Biden's son - as a private citizen - are as bad for the country as one of the two main parties completely ignoring the Constitution.
I don't vote -Knowing what the common people have gone through to get the vote in this country alone I hate this, BUT I agree with your sentiment.
Knowing what the common people have gone through to get the vote in this country alone I hate this, BUT I agree with your sentiment.
If people for once would refuse to vote in one general election to show their disgust
with politicians and the system.
But people being people 8)
The Times ("of London") has a token Republican writer or two - presumably for "balance". One of them (Lionel Schriver) wrote an article in defence of folk that vote for Mr Trump over the weekend. In it she notes that 45% of Americans don't think that Mr Trump is fit to be President, but that 46% of Americans don't think that Mr Biden is fit to be President.
I mused on this, and am firmly of the opinion (if it it true!) that the reason that 45% of Americans don't think that Mr Trump is fit to be President is down to the actions of the Republicans while in office (and while trying to get there) BUT the reason that 46% of Americans don't think that Mr Biden is fit to be President is also down to the actions of the Republicans while trying to get into office. The Republicans have been complaining with no real evidence at all about Democrat candidates - and their suitability for office - for the last three election cycles, where mostly the Democrats have been trying to get elected on their own merits. The Republican declared intentions have not endeared them to pretty much any one that can read, but Mr Biden (and prior to him Mrs Clinton) have had their route to office poisoned continually with unsubstantiated garbage. Surely it is only a matter of time before the Democrats are forced to adopt similar tactics, even if only in self-defence?
I fail to see how any one can be allowed to stand in a democratic election when they have freely declared their intention to ignore the result unless they win (and more, to note that counting isn't necessary, as they are bound to win). An underpinning principle of the democratic process is the agreement of all participants to abide by the result, and without that there can be no fair election.
I cannot for one moment understand how any Republican voter (let alone party apparatus) can even consider a candidate that has nothing but contempt for the democratic process. Can they not see that it is only a matter of time before the Democrats choose a similar candidate - how will an election work if neither side agrees to abide by the result?
The TNG turns 21 today.
...
He's better pass that effing re-sit!
Either The or T Is redundundant.
... it seems like only a year since he turned 20.
Man Flu has appeared :-[
Feeling ill is just the norm for me. If I woke up not feeling ill, I'd think something was wrong.
I'm sorry to hear you are unwell, smokes. I hope the docs can get to the bottom of the cause and help to turn things around for you.
Late news from w/c 09/10/23:QuoteBad week: trod on my belt buckle on Monday, and got half an inch of brass embedded in my heel (the curved bit in the picture)
(https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/57yenton1ea7mfas2nw1a/Belt-Buckle.jpeg?rlkey=yevja7ykgr10niau0dsz6x8lz&raw=1)
- pulling the brass bit out of my foot (while hopping on the other one) I have sprained my back. Badly. It was quite a strenuous pull, as it was curved, and it hurt like a hurty thing.
(Stop laughing at the back)
Today slammed my thumb in the Mondeo door, and it still hasn't stopped bleeding
(You - yes you - I said stop laughing!)
(I really hope I have used up my bad luck before Friday 13th! - ASDA is running out of Paracetamol)
SWMBO has a Mondeo. (One doesn't shut ones digits in a Jaguar door!)
You are on my Jag Forum? Well, who'd'a thought it. You may have noticed that their software doesn't allow self-deleting posts, irritatingly.
You are right - there was a staggering lack of sympathy! (Not that I deserve any, to be honest)
So the unicorn has a stalker!
That'll teach you not to laugh at your elders!
If only I knew a vet. I got three different levels of NHS person (none of which appeared to the untrained eye to be medically qualified) to glue my thumb back together. On the upside I was home after less than three hours.
PS: Of my two injuries (foot and thumb) the foot hurt considerably more, even though the thumb bled (a lot) more. As in several orders of magnitude.
... but the back is still giving me a really hard time after three weeks, after both of the actual injuries have fully healed. I think I may have cracked ribs.
That'll teach you not to laugh at your elders!
If only I knew a vet. I got three different levels of NHS person (none of which appeared to the untrained eye to be medically qualified) to glue my thumb back together. On the upside I was home after less than three hours.
Lambeth council are such thieves. I got a parking ticket yesterday when I correctly made out day permit was in the window. The warden photographed my vehicle illegally parked, but conveniently took the shots so the permit couldn't be seen.
It looks like I can't prove otherwise so I'll have to pay the £65 and hope I meet that politician in hell where I can pay him back with interest.
Lambeth council are such thieves. I got a parking ticket yesterday when I correctly made out day permit was in the window. The warden photographed my vehicle illegally parked, but conveniently took the shots so the permit couldn't be seen.
It looks like I can't prove otherwise so I'll have to pay the £65 and hope I meet that politician in hell where I can pay him back with interest.
can you not appeal and state that the photo of the screen is misleading
Is this something that would come up before a judge? Or are you dealing with heartless bureaucrats?
Can TNG investigate the images to verify the photoshopping? I'm wondering if there are local news outlets that might like to shame the local government with an exposé of this underhanded practice? That's beyond unethical, it's fraud.
send a nasty email with the bill payment
Can TNG investigate the images to verify the photoshopping? I'm wondering if there are local news outlets that might like to shame the local government with an exposé of this underhanded practice? That's beyond unethical, it's fraud.
I am writing to inform you that this Penalty Charge Notice has been cancelled due to an administrative error during the
issuance of this Penalty Charge Notice. No payment is due and the case is now closed.
QuoteI am writing to inform you that this Penalty Charge Notice has been cancelled due to an administrative error during the issuance of this Penalty Charge Notice. No payment is due and the case is now closed.
This, of course, wouldn't work as the council would claim it was a photoshop.They could do, but if you scroll the photo upwards all the info stating where / when the picture was taken is visible ( I'm sure photoshop hasn't the ability alter this, but please prove me wrong)
This, of course, wouldn't work as the council would claim it was a photoshop.
This, of course, wouldn't work as the council would claim it was a photoshop.
Perhaps if you sent them an email WHEN you first parked with the image of the permit on the dashboard, that would work, since it would be hard for them to argue with a date stamped email. You could produce it later if necessary. It's idiotic that they are resorting to this and it seems ripe for a news exposé.
Well first casualty of the XMAS period, As the wife is working most of Xmas she decided we would visit the local hostelry for a couple of beers.
So her friend turned up ( having just lost her husband to the big C) and the wine flowed in their glasses.
Needless to say the fresh air sniper targeted her on the way home.
Staggered home between myself and number one son. :o :o
NOT a pretty sight on the RING door bell. :) :)
With the storms hitting the UK, must grumble as only the back fence has been demolished. A bit like my bank balance to repair it >:(
I'm a little behind on the technology but for a virtual sexual assault to occur, doesn't someone have to have coded the ability to perform a virtual sexual assault? And if they did, what the ... were they thinking as they coded it?
I remember when some magazine was pushing second life and their "virtual" conference was crashed with dildo copters. One wonders how the reporting victim would have reacted to that.
Same time, I remember Strange Days, and the creepy, greasy voyeurism and Ralph Feines playing a "memory dealer". The dark end of poo is inevitable with this tech, and the alternative is the legless metaverse.
As to being behind on the technology, be glad for that.
A fallout mod was disrupted by a diaperfur being part of the project and implying they "hid" something bad in the mod. I honestly don't want to know what the skunk hid, but I know for damn sure I wouldn't install a mod that implies a hidden payload.
That's just awful. We are also sick of the local crime sprees and are regretfully having to move away because of it.
The house next door to me is up for sale - bargain at £500,000.
Include a Jag ???
Then it would be £600,000.
I'd have thought a discount would have been more appropriate.
Is that the Florida Gillingham, or the California one?
Mother went in hospital Friday with suspected Pneumonia, Started seeing, children and people in coffins and at one point a circus troop. Very confused all the time. Doctors put her on a "Doll" list (cannot leave hospital and security would prevent her leaving the ward) due to her state
Had a Cat scan Sunday and found out she has advanced dementia. Doctors have said when she may improve in her usual environment ?
What a kick in the face out of no where.
Wife and daughter being fantastic as work in same hospital, Angels both of them and in fact the staff are great.
:-\ :-\
With some irony an old twit from Hillary Clinton is circulating, in which she said that you shouldn't elect someone that you wouldn't trust with your dog.
The general public are not the target for the current crop of "Republican" politicians, their core (if not only) audience is the large body of Americans that are fed up with "progressive leftism"; the same body of people that truly and deeply believe any and all conspiracy theories, and don't care for democracy because it lets the woke-left dominate thinking through the deep state and subversion of the media. And for those people she absolutely definitely is leader material. As far as they are concerned, she has the courage to do things that are unpopular with the pinko-commie-fags, and the strength of character to stand by her beliefs. I find it odd that the same constituency that supported and fuelled McCarthy currently prefer Russian leaders to elected American ones.
These "Republicans" are betting the farm on that core audience outnumbering the rest in a count, so that they can permanently subvert democracy in their favour.
True - I should have said "outvoting in an election", rather than "outnumbering".
Again - her supporters have the memory of a goldfish and so believe what she says; and they have completely forgotten the original statements: and because they have been conditioned to disbelieve the "lame stream media" they ignore those statements when the LSM repeat them (and in fact consider that it must be false, because it is in the LSM).
... and to her, her supporters are all that count because they will re-elect her. (How can they not, when the opponent is an "America-hating pinko-commie cigarette"?)
We're just breaking in the grandson as a lawn mower. Higher rates than I remember from my youth, but saves me putting sun tan lotion on!
I wish he lived closer as the weeds here are out of control. The weather has been lovely and the weeds are super happy. At least it rained a few days ago so they're not so hard to pull.
There is nothing obliging hundreds (thousands?) of politicians to continue to support a felon, or tens of millions of people to vote for a felon, though: people never cease to amaze me.
I am reminded of a quote that I once heard (I have changed the gender, to protect the identity of the speaker):
"He shouldnt be allowed to run...If he wins, it would create an unprecedented constitutional crisis. In that situation, we could very well have a sitting president under felony indictment and, ultimately, a criminal trial. It would grind government to a halt"
There is nothing obliging hundreds (thousands?) of politicians to continue to support a felon, or tens of millions of people to vote for a felon, though: people never cease to amaze me.
I am reminded of a quote that I once heard (I have changed the gender, to protect the identity of the speaker):
"He shouldnt be allowed to run...If he wins, it would create an unprecedented constitutional crisis. In that situation, we could very well have a sitting president under felony indictment and, ultimately, a criminal trial. It would grind government to a halt"
I don't think that a felon is allowed to run, here.
I blame the internet.
He'd run anyway.
Honestly, I truly blame the internet.
I was listening to this really insightful analysis of the shift in British politics that mirrors what's happening in the U.S. Hopefully, you can get it to stream there. https://www.newyorker.com/podcast/the-new-yorker-radio-hour/is-being-a-politician-the-worst-job-in-the-world (https://www.newyorker.com/podcast/the-new-yorker-radio-hour/is-being-a-politician-the-worst-job-in-the-world)
I'm currently repairing the Minister of State for Security's roof. Two things I have to avoid are: talking politics and red dots appearing on my overalls when I'm up on high.
Wow. Did you have to get security clearance to do that?
Generally speaking MPs are just regular people living in regular houses.
The debate was not fun. Lying madman vs grandpa with a cold and a stutter. Moderators did no fact checking so Trump was free to lie his ass off, which he did with the usual ranting bluster. Biden is a smart and capable politician but he came off as past it, so we are all living in fear of having another repeat of Agent Orange. Lord help us.
Hot Dog Eating Contest Crowns Patrick Bertoletti as New Men’s Champion
Mr. Bertoletti emerged as the winner after the 16-time champion Joey Chestnut was barred from the July 4 spectacle. In the women’s contest, Miki Sudo ate 51 hot dogs, a record....
Patrick Bertoletti, 26, from Chicago, snagged the men’s title — or, in the parlance of Coney Island, the Mustard Belt — by eating 58 hot dogs in 10 minutes.
...
“With Joey not here I knew I had a shot,” he added, in reference to Mr. Chestnut. “I was able to unlock something and I don’t know where it came from.”
Indeed, despite his absence, Mr. Chestnut loomed large over Thursday’s proceedings. He was forced to part ways with the contest last month after he signed an endorsement deal with Impossible Foods, a rival to Nathan’s that makes vegan hot dogs.
Many viewers tuned in year after year just to watch Mr. Chestnut go through a pile of hot dogs like a wood chipper. News of his departure from the contest was met with the sort of public anguish one might expect for a major-league baseball player, not a man who ate 62 hot dogs in 10 minutes last July 4.
Might as well come out with it: tomorrow I get an extremely cheap travel pass.Happy birthday!
Absolutely don't like the fact!
Heh. You OLD!
Happy birthday!
"running gloves"?
"running gloves"?
I'd be more worried about my middle finger. It's an essential tool for putting pesky Jag drivers in their place - especially when they belittle my quoshquosh.
Hopefully the dog is current on rabies shots. But infection is a risk so I'd ask my nurse wife about it. I hate people who refuse to take responsibility for their dogs. I love dogs but the people who own them are awful sometimes.
Hopefully the dog is current on rabies shots. But infection is a risk so I'd ask my nurse wife about it. I hate people who refuse to take responsibility for their dogs. I love dogs but the people who own them are awful sometimes.
quoshquoshes were made to be belittled by Jaguar drivers. It says so somewhere in the Highway Code.
1) Astronomer
2) It has an elliptical orbit around the sun, and having measured its course that orbit can be calculated with very precise accuracy; and in this case it is a big-ass ellipse that takes 80,000 years to do one lap. (80,000 years ago wasn't when it first appeared, that is the last time it appeared locally)
3) Collisions: to quote Douglas Adams: "Space is BIG. You just won't believe how vastly, hugely, mind-bogglingly big it is. I mean, you may think it's a long way down the road to the chemist's, but that's just peanuts to space". The chances of two objects bumping in to each other really aren't that high, so any given comet can circulate for a very long time before it hits something.
4) No, I haven't seen it, neither will I look - all celestial objects are a marvel, I don't really consider any one to be more special than any others. Saves me having to run out and check whenever something new happens. I will, however, look up if something is on a collision course!
If there is life out there capable of getting here to play, then the impact will be similar in principle (although orders of magnitude different) to when the Europeans arrived in the Americas. The indigenous population won't stand a chance. In all SciFi versions of this scenario, somehow the Tau'ri are the best, brightest, and strongest race in the universe: common sense says that this is complete balls.
tl;dr: I don't think earth's "leaders" will pose any threat to "visitors".
other intelligent life
I hope my family do the same for me when I need it.
(... but not before then!)
I hope my family do the same for me when I need it.Me too.
(... but not before then!)
It's happened before, I hear.
Not sure I'd ever eat the communal anything. Ever.
Sharing, not communal.
Pretty sure that 7 loaves and 2 fish being "shared" between 5000 would involve at least some regurgitation.Son has the virus ATM. last about 24hrs but does dent your appetite
... for some values of "locally".
golly! This (https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14323111/architect-stabbed-putney-home-murder-investigation.html) is the architect (was) for the contract I am currently working. I have to liaise with him occasionally about sizing. Shocking stuff especially as I know who killed him (the police aren't releasing that info, obviously).
This is just terrible. I'm sure it's traumatic for you. And you'd think it would be safe in that area of London, especially given the real estate prices. How awful.
Off the record, it was his TNG that done it. He'd had problems, apparently.
I remember him trying to convert Racton ruin for living in.
Will your contract go ahead with a new architect?
(... if not you will have some time to work on your website!)
Presumably he was brought up in architecture before CAD existed.
... but you were right about smoking.
Architecture was better before CAD existed. And, smokes, I'd hold onto those drawings. I don't know much about the architect, or about the project (presumably a residence?) but sometimes the drawings go into archival collections for future study. Too many working drawings get tossed and they often contain valuable information about the process of construction and various adaptations/adjustments that took place.
As someone that did Technical Drawing for a year or two in high school I would have to say that there is a bit more pride involved in getting a pencil drawing off of the drawing board compared to getting a printout from some CAD package or other. Similarly I still use a fountain pen.
Precision is definitely overrated when compared to craftsmanship, otherwise Rolex or Patek Philippe would have gone out of business; and I am not quite sure that Michelangelo would be seen as quite so special if he had just pasted a few Stable Diffusion generated pictures on the Sistine ceiling.
In fact, it will introduce forgetfulness into the soul of those who learn it: they will not practice using their memory because they will put their trust in writing, which is external and depends on signs that belong to others, instead of trying to remember from the inside, completely on their own. You have not discovered a potion for remembering, but for reminding; you provide your students with the appearance of wisdom, not with its reality. Your invention will enable them to hear many things without being properly taught, and they will imagine that they have come to know much while for the most part they will know nothing. And they will be difficult to get along with, since they will merely appear to be wise instead of really being so.”
I don't discourage technology but I acknowledge that technological advances aren't all good news. I lived through the introduction of personal computers into the workplace, and saw a measurable degradation in the product produced because of what the technology enabled: We - as software engineers - were supported by technical authors, draftsmen, a typing pool, etc., etc., etc. so we coded, and scribbled notes, they then produced the documentation to a professional standard. The typists produced legible text, from which the authors produced English, the draftsmen produced high quality illustration to supplement the text. All of them were trained in what they did, and they (mostly) did it well. The PC (or Mac in my case) arrived, and the management said to us "you can produce your own typing in WordStar or whatever, do your own pictures in MacDraw or Paint". They then made all the support staff redundant, as they were unnecessary. This led - as any idiot could have foreseen - to a plummet in the quality of documentation, as people with no grasp of grammar (or spelling!) and with no training in illustration requirements or techniques were producing the stuff. It also led to a massive drop in the productivity of the coders, as they now spent most of their time agonising over the generation of a product that they weren't hired for, weren't trained for, and didn't really understand.
Not really technology's fault, blame totally rests with the management, but technology was definitely the enabler.
Similarly CAD enables untrained gibbons to produce unachievable drawings with minimal thought and no expertise: a trained architect could use CAD to assist, but could/ should be able to produce designs without electronic assistance. FLW could doubtless have used AutoCAD, but I'm not sure that it would have improved Falling Water.
Which I think goes a long way to explain your new President. He promises (in a roundabout way, and in colourful prose) to roll back all this touchy-feely nonsense which has allowed feelings to overrule common sense, and appeals to the inchoate rage that a huge number of people feel about how the world is going to hell in a hand cart.