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Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Jul 13, 2021 19:58:16 GMT
Two weeks and you’ll all be back to running around naked, flicking each other with towels. If only. The non-nudity rules introduced to the Turkish Baths a couple of years ago are a source of irritation to many. A few whingers appeased at the expense of the health benefits of letting it all hang out. Had your dinner yet? Saveloy Tuesday has been postponed.
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Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Jul 13, 2021 19:39:45 GMT
Well they’ve relaxed the rules at the club, meaning I don’t need to book the gym, Turkish Baths, sauna etc There are still some reasonable social distance measures in place and some advice on behaviour. It will be interesting to see how the members behave. Two weeks and you’ll all be back to running around naked, flicking each other with towels.
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Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Jul 13, 2021 18:34:07 GMT
That looks like a neat bit of kit. I assume you won't have your LR finished for the show then, are you allowed to rock up in a pickup or do they make you camp in another field? At Appleby Horse Fair..
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Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Jul 13, 2021 18:32:51 GMT
Labour's problems are far more significant than just their leader. One of their problems is they keep underestimating Boris Johnson. Much as I don’t like him it does make me chuckle that he keeps winning and the left just can’t get their heads round it.
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Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Jul 13, 2021 16:16:52 GMT
I saw a new car the other day which I assumed from the styling was a new BYD or somesuch other Chinese travesty. But no, it was the new Mokka. This shares that look - I'm not sure that this new "General Lee" front end is a winner. The Mokka looks pretty good in my opinion.
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Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Jul 13, 2021 16:14:20 GMT
Starmer does appear to be incapable of doing any sort of job of keeping the Tories honest. Again why I thought they should have picked Emily Thornberry (not because I like or agree with her, but she'd have given Boris regular duffings-up with gusto and panache, which is surely what an opposition leader is supposed to do). Whether Boris is the best the Tories have to offer is up for debate. Either way a sorry state of affairs. The Tories would love Emily Thornberry as Labour Leader as she's completely hopeless.
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Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Jul 13, 2021 13:08:48 GMT
My friends in southern Italy confirm everyone there is bored with Covid, it's yesterday's news, Summer's here, no one's getting tested, they're out mixing in the piazzas and town squares and meeting for coffee. They have no idea what the number of positive cases are. Two observations on that: 1. that was indeed exactly how it was in Puglia when we were there last year - arriving from much more cautious central Italy we got quite the shock; and 2. it looks exactly like that in London at the moment (with the possible exception of the testing bit although when I mentioned that I'd taken a Covid test before going to the pub on Sunday everyone else looked at me like I'd landed from Mars). At work in Hartlepool (twinned with Puglia..) it must be similar. We're just going through an endless cycle of employees testing positive or being "pinged", disappearing for a week, and returning, only for someone else to test positive and the mad circle continues.
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Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Jul 13, 2021 11:53:10 GMT
Britain is testing far more people than any other European country and it's actively encouraging people who have no symptoms to go for a test - this massively skews the data and makes us look far worse than we actually are. www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/06/24/britain-punished-germanys-restrictions-mass-testing-strategy/" Britain is currently testing 10 times as many people as Germany at a rate of 14.52 per 1,000 people compared to 1.4 per 1,000.
Likewise, France is only carrying out 3.84 tests per 1,000, while it is 1.98 in Spain, 2.3 in Switzerland, 2.21 in Sweden and 3.11 in Italy
Britain is averaging about a million tests a day at present. Out of that we are finding about 10,000 cases a day – once the false positives have been removed and cases averaged over seven days. In contrast, Germany recorded just 1,136 cases on June 23, but tested 10 times fewer people.
We might expect that the proportion of people testing positive would not change on a given day if more or fewer tests were carried out. This supposes that if we cut our own testing down to Germany’s levels we would be seeing around 1,000 cases a day.
Likewise, France recorded 2,320 cases on Tuesday but is carrying out nearly four times fewer tests. If we assume the case rate would stay the same with more testing, increasing it would bring the country not far away from British figures.
In Spain, some 4,341 cases were detected on the same day, but it could be argued the country would be picking up 30,000 cases a day if operating on British testing levels " Look at the positivity rates of European countries and this becomes more apparent. According to the website Our World In Data, Britain is hovering around one per cent positivity, a touch better than France, Switzerland, Norway and Belgium which are all little over one.
In contrast, Germany and Portugal are closer to two per cent, while Sweden is around three per cent and the Netherlands roughly seven per cent. Based on the above - looking at our data and discriminating against our country without equalising the base line is grossly unfair and completely unhelpful. If " case " data is to be used - they should be using the positivity rate and not " number of cases ". Now that the vaccination levels are so high in the UK, I have zero interest in the number of cases and couldn't care less if cases hit a million, just tell me the deaths, hospitalisations and the impact on capacity - anything else is just noise and used for cheap political point scoring. You'd never get a job as a reporter for the BBC with a sensible post like that. My friends in southern Italy confirm everyone there is bored with Covid, it's yesterday's news, Summer's here, no one's getting tested, they're out mixing in the piazzas and town squares and meeting for coffee. They have no idea what the number of positive cases are.
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Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Jul 13, 2021 9:27:13 GMT
For what it's worth - I hope you lot can all toddle off abroad as well so I don't have to deal with anywhere remotely decent in the UK being overrun with frustrated holiday makers. I can agree with that. Sitting by the pool in 30+ degrees sounds like a holiday from hell to me. Mind you I don't see the prospect of a holiday in stout boots and waterproof trousers as overly appealing either...... Try sitting by the pool in 30 degree heat wearing stout boots and waterproofs. Don't ask - the perils of booking on the internet while pissed.
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Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Jul 12, 2021 18:30:11 GMT
There's very little market for a phone that only makes calls. You might be better looking at a DORO phone if that's what you need. Amazon have a category called 'Senior Mobile Phones'....that's where the DORO phones are (£25) and you're right, I think that's where Mike should be looking. My mother has a DORO and finds it hilarious when it rings and all her friends pull out the same phone. Because of our defence contracts we all have to have iPhones running the latest OS. They stop working if there is a new software update and you don’t install it. Similarly none of the laptops will accept flash drives.
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Random
Jul 12, 2021 15:31:40 GMT
Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Jul 12, 2021 15:31:40 GMT
The crappy weather for some of the weekend seemed like the final excuse not to finish off installing the final bits of the new kitcen - tasks that I've been successfully putting off for an embarassingly long time (about 11 months). Anyway one of my least favourite things is fitting the door panel onto integrated appliances and especially dishwashers. You can usually adjust the fitting on a fridge or freezer door but the dishwasher always seems to be a 'one chance only' thing. I did it though and the fit is perfect. The only, er, slight problem is that the new kitchen is an IKEA one and those of you familiar with them might know that generally the carcases and doors on them are taller than, say, a B&Q one so you have a shallower plinth but the same height for th eworktop. That's not a problem until you get to the dishwasher where the door usually pivots quite high up so there's a large amount of IKEA door that hangs below the dishwasher's own door. It's at that point - all fully fitted with millimetric precision - that you find the bottom of the IKEA door fouls on the bottom part of the dishwasher beneath its own door meaning you can now only open the door about 1/3 the distance it normally goes, i.e. flat. Bugger. It was at that point I gave up and decided to take a nice, relaxing drive to Dundee to drop off the 430 in advance of its warranty work today I can tell you from personal experience that you need to take a slice off the top of the plinth with a jigsaw Yes, that's the way ours is installed. If you get down on your hands and knees you can see the cut out in the plinth to allow the dishwasher door to fully open.
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Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Jul 12, 2021 10:14:14 GMT
I was given a new iPhone SE with this job and it seems pretty powerful and not too big. They go for £400 on the Apple site so their an option if you don't want to spend a grand.
I love my iPad but I have to say the iPhone OS isn't a patch on Android. I much prefer my Samsung but as you say that's no interest to you.
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Jul 11, 2021 23:37:29 GMT
via mobile
Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Jul 11, 2021 23:37:29 GMT
Arse. Fair play Italy to get that many bookings and not one sending off.
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Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Jul 11, 2021 8:09:28 GMT
I love everything about it, perhaps with the exception of the colour..
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Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Jul 10, 2021 18:04:07 GMT
I like the idea of someone building a rugged but basic 4x4 and calling in "mousetrap" I'm sure Agatha Christie would approve, too And it would run forever..
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Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Jul 10, 2021 17:07:13 GMT
It’ll only be a pastiche if it’s uncomfortable to drive and breaks down a lot.
Also, if what you’re saying is correct, every Lamborghini is a pastiche of a Ferrari and old man Lamborghini should never have built his first car.
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Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Jul 10, 2021 12:34:46 GMT
I still dont quite understand how they've managed to basically copy the Defender without LR throwing a wobbly and whilst meeting modern emissions/ crash standards which LR said were the reasons the Defender could no longer be built. Have they done some sort of deal with LR for the rights to the design? Would JLR not be on a sticky wicket trying to assert design copyright over a design they basically nicked off Jeep?
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Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Jul 9, 2021 14:59:07 GMT
I hope it's a success, I admire the bravery in setting out to do this and hundreds of people will be gainfully employed. Plus anything that isn't a bloody EV, plug in lie-brid or puny engined rolling road block gets my vote. Won't it be a bit of an anti-climax in that hundreds of French people will be gainfully employed in this? IF that's still the case then I'd quite like to see it fall on its arse and cost him a big pile of money, not least as a reaction to his trumpeting of Brexit and subsequent contrary decision to shift jobs and his tax status. It'd be nice to see someone stand by their principles for a change.... Why would we wish ill on a business that has invested so heavily in the UK, especially Scotland, employing thousands of people and paying large amounts of tax? Baffling.
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Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Jul 9, 2021 10:31:21 GMT
My experience of Ineos is that they are extremely business focussed and everything is geared to investment returns. They don’t do vanity projects. Yes but this does have all the hallmarks of a vanity project. Remember Jim Ratcliffe's the guy who has paid a fortune to have some completely shagged, initial production run Series 1 Landrover restored in 'as found' condition.Plus it appears he has taken to wearing a scarf with an open, tweedy jacket. Never a good sign That's not vanity that's just the madness that descends on middle age men when restoring classics. WRT the Grenafender: if someone never sets out to build a better mousetrap we'd never get better mousetraps.
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Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Jul 9, 2021 10:17:44 GMT
It is now but that age of car has the heated steering wheel button on the steering column just below the steering wheel adjustment lever. I had the car 2 months before I discovered it.
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Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Jul 9, 2021 5:40:03 GMT
As it’s now going to be made in France I suspect the French military and services will be big customers.
My experience of Ineos is that they are extremely business focussed and everything is geared to investment returns. They don’t do vanity projects.
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Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Jul 9, 2021 5:25:41 GMT
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Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Jul 8, 2021 19:35:52 GMT
we’ll there was that powdered orange juice, Tang, and a zero gravity toilet I suppose but I can’t think of anything else. I think Post It notes (or at least the peel-able adhesive used in them) and a ballpoint pen that can write upside down and / or in zero gravity also came out of the space programme. The Russians just used pencils in space to write with...... So did the US until they realised tiny fragments of highly conductive graphite from broken pencil lead was potentially causing mission critical short circuits. Hence the development of the zero gravity pen.
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Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Jul 8, 2021 19:05:37 GMT
Given the size, equipment, BMW 6 cyl powertrain and investment to be recouped - I can't see this being offered for less than £50k. I think as I said months ago - I think it will either be too utilitarian for the yummies or not utilitarian enough for those who need a work tool. I can see what look like cloth seats and door inserts in those pictures - I would have thought wipe clean vinyl was the requirement. It does say the interior can be hosed clean. I didn’t realise the old Defender managed to find 15,000 masochists a year prepared to buy it so I guess 30k a year buyers for this, even in excess of £50k, is not beyond the realms of possibilities.
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Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Jul 8, 2021 10:20:03 GMT
We have zero large ships as museums, HMS Vanguard was state of the art when she was scrapped after only a few years service. Would have made a great museum/cadet/recruit training ship. I know HMS Victory is still the flagship. Am I missing something with the 12000 ton large cruiser HMS Belfast museum ship on the Thames?
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Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Jul 7, 2021 18:32:50 GMT
The Australian National Maritime Museum in Sydney is well worth a visit for the tour of HMAS Vampire and the submarine HMAS Onslow. It’s unbelievable how so many men lived for weeks in such a small space.
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Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Jul 7, 2021 15:26:05 GMT
My AeroPress coffee maker, makes a perfect cup of proper coffee from ground coffee beans, it's portable too and comes away on holiday with me, all you need is hot water, ground coffee and a mug. Yes, I’m a similar vein I should have said “ a Rington’s teabag”
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Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Jul 7, 2021 14:41:31 GMT
I always thought it was Non stick Teflon that was developed by NASA for space. Do you need non stick sheets? I think Nasa developed a couple of things other than Teflon.... we’ll there was that powdered orange juice, Tang, and a zero gravity toilet I suppose but I can’t think of anything else.
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Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Jul 7, 2021 14:33:33 GMT
I'm pleased they've done the Leith extension, it was always planned but the Council made such a fuck up of the whole tram project they were trying to end it at St Andrew's Square to save money.
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Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Jul 7, 2021 13:54:48 GMT
I'm in full agreement with the high quality mattress. We've got a superking bed with a shockingly expensive mattress and sheets/duvet covers with an 800 thread count. It's as good as any hotel and well worth the money. Just add a Nasa certified duvet and your life will be complete! I always thought it was Non stick Teflon that was developed by NASA for space. Do you need non stick sheets? ive yet to find a portable aircon unit that is not too noisy for a bedroom. We sleep with the windows wide open but if I needed extra cooling I’d go for one of those lovely slowly rotating fans above the bed.
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