WHAT ATTRACTED YOUR ATTENTION TODAY?

[Stanley]

I think the answer was almost a yes!
The fact that the gas lighter I rescued died permanently yesterday so I am back on the old faithful a patrol Zippo.
I thought the denouement of last Monday's episode of Missing looked familiar. It was Sealand Ranges near Neston. The last time I was there was in 1954 when I shot Marksman. Those were the days when I could see....

[Big Kev]

I can help out but it won't be until the tail end of next week, my shift rotation starts today.

[PanBiker]

Thanks Kev, I'm hoping not to be available by the end of next week but I will give you a shout if I'm still here and not sorted.

No roof access required at all just up to the eye on the gable. It's the remote end that has failed not the business end that is tied back to my chimney stack. It's failed because I used cable ties to fold the ladder line into a loop, it's been open to the elements for around 5 years and the ties have broken.

[Stanley]

Our spell of wind. We haven't had a good wuther for a long time. ( I got 'wuther' from a friend of mine when we were on a trip across the moor to what is supposed to be the Bronte's Wuthering Heights. It was windy and she said that she enjoyed a good wuther on the moor.)

[chinatyke]

News that my youngest daughter is fit enough to travel back to Los Angeles next Tuesday and my wife will get back home next Wednesday. I'll have to take a photo with me so that I will be able to recognise her.

[Stanley]

Good. Things are falling back into place China......

[Big Kev]

My 'middle' offspring has been working on a project for the last year or so writing, and performing, original songs with a new band, U-matic. Following the tragic demise of Allan Parkinson, at the 2017 Bands on the Square, he wrote a song called Square and it's being played on the BBC on Saturday evening.

They've released their debut single and video today as well. This is Architect by U-Matic, hopefully it'll do well.
https://youtu.be/1Juru1HSof8

[Stanley]

How nice it is to have a quiet washing machine. It means I can have it on the go at 3 in the morning without annoying anyone. This is a good start to the day!
See THIS BBC report on the takeover of Sky by Comcast for £30billion. I distrust the creation of these enormous companies, especially in communications.....

[PanBiker]

I whole lot better than Murdoch and still does not make them as big as Amazon or Netflix who they are in competition with.

[Tizer]

Have a look at the pics in this...
`'Cat Grandpa' goes viral for napping with shelter pets' LINK

[Stanley]

Ian, that remains to be seen......
Tiz, loved the link..... Totally non-controversial and human! I like cats and so does Jack. There is a black one at the bottom of the row that goes with him when he pees on the grass.....
A visit from Jess and Mo, they brought two additions to my Maasai warrior outfit from Kenya.

[chinatyke]

Aren't you supposed to look fierce? How nice it is that people think about us old people.

I have 2 students at weekends to help them with their English studies. One has just turned up with a box of moon cakes, a box of grapes and 3 pomelos. His Aunt made the moon cakes.

It is Mid Autumn Festival tonight and moon cakes are traditionally eaten. It's a bit like Harvest Festival celebrations but the moon is very significant in their legends and celebrations.

[Stanley]

Full moon and a solstice here as well China. I think the Kenyans think I am quite serious enough, Mo's dad told me that the kids had told him about me and he thinks my record is impressive. Nice.

See THIS BBC report on the start of the enquiry into the 30 year old scandal of contaminated blood. The more cynical amongst us will say that the reason why the government has been so dilatory and stingy with compensation is that the longer they wait, the fewer the claimants. Judge Brian Langstaff can force witnesses to attend and this will almost certainly include the then ministers and senior people who were in charge of the policies.
Reports that a German representative might be invited to next year's Cenotaph ceremony on Armistice Day have triggered some knee-jerk reactions. I can understand that some veterans could be upset but it's 100 years ago. How long do we wait before we acknowledge that the past must be buried as we go forward into a new world?

[Tizer]

I can understand that some veterans could be upset but it's 100 years ago. How long do we wait before we acknowledge that the past must be buried as we go forward into a new world?

Those TV programmes about the German and British model aeroplane enthusiasts working together is proof that many younger folk can put the past behind them. But there will always be others who harbour grudges. Fear of the other, and all that brings.

China, I note the attractive packaging. Do the Chinese put as much effort into beautiful packaging as do the Japanese? I don't mean just individuals exchanging presents but commercial products too. The Japanese companies regard packaging design as art, not just technology.

[chinatyke]

China, I note the attractive packaging. Do the Chinese put as much effort into beautiful packaging as do the Japanese? I don't mean just individuals exchanging presents but commercial products too. The Japanese companies regard packaging design as art, not just technology.

Certainly for gifts packaging is part of the product and is very decorative and elaborate. Red colour packaging confers good luck in China. I don't know if they are on a par with Japanese on normal product wrapping though, ordinary goods you buy in a supermarket have 'normal' commercial packaging, nothing special.

[Marilyn]

The tiny frog that fell from beneath my Wheelie Bin as I was taking the bin to the kerb for rubbish collection tomorrow.
I swished it into the garden with a jug of water. I could see some birds circling and wanted to get him under some cover or he would be lunch. Such a cute wee thing, he was.

[Stanley]

Nature red in tooth and claw..... I hate the bits of wild life programmes where one animal is killing another. I know it's life but......
Later.... Read THIS and reflect on the fact that outsourcing the Probation service to private contractors is yet another Grayling initiative that has failed to the extent that all the contracts are to be terminated. Only problem is that our present leaders are going to go down the same route but with tighter contracts. Why not take it back in house? The old system had problems admitted but these were largely caused by underfunding leading to lack of staff. Despite this it performed far better than the present contractors.
The reason of course is that it devolves responsibility (Not me Guv) and lets funding be cut even further.

[PanBiker]

Yesterday, we collected half of the communal pig and brought it back to Barlick. Divided between ourselves and our lad Jack it is now safely stowed in various cuts in our freezers.

Spotting various constituency comrades at the Labour Party Conference, one has already been given the opportunity to speak on one of the debates.

[Tizer]

Nature red in tooth and claw..... I hate the bits of wild life programmes where one animal is killing another. I know it's life but......

I'm like that too, and people like us are liable to get called `sissy'. I also dislike the way TV producers always want to hit us in the face with violence, blood, anger. Have you seen how every time that Bodyguard programme gets mentioned in the papers or on web sites there's a picture of a bloke with his face covered in blood. Even on the archaeology programmes they take every chance to show men hacking at each other with swords.

[Stanley]

I understand Tiz. I never had any problem with the harder elements of real life, it's the gratuitous need programme makers have to shock in order to gain attention. There's a sort of logical excuse for it when showing animal behaviour but it still distresses me to see animals struggling to survive. Silly I know, I have no problems with untold trillions of harmful microbes being destroyed in my body by my immune system but there you are, it's part of the human condition.

[Tizer]

I never cease to be amazed by senseless behaviour that causes problems or distress for other people and seems to be getting more common year by year. Perhaps there's just more ways and opportunities for people to behave in a silly way these days? Here's an example:
`Royal Mail: Stop posting crisp packets without envelopes' LINK
`Royal Mail has stepped into a row between campaigners and crisp makers Walkers - by urging people posting empty packets to put them in envelopes. Campaigners asked people to post the non-recyclable plastic bags and "flood Walkers social media with pictures of us popping them in the post". Royal Mail is obliged by law to deliver the bags to Walkers' freepost address. But without envelopes they cannot go through machines and must be sorted by hand, causing delays. A Royal Mail spokesperson said: "We strongly encourage customers not to post anything into the postal system which is not properly packaged. "Crisp packets can't go through the machines, they are not normal mail items therefore my hardworking colleagues need to manually sort them, which adds to time."

Another example closer to home for me is the people who are parking their cars in front of our house blocking the skip so the men doing our garden landscaping can't get the dumper in place and deliveries can't be made as close to the garden. You'd think those people would be concerned about their cars - they can see the skip and work going on.

[Tizer]

Panbiker should enjoy this one, it links up to radio...
`World War II bombs 'felt in space'' LINK

[PanBiker]

Interesting link Tiz. I would assume the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombs by their nature of energy release over a full range of the radio spectrum and beyond would have had an even greater effect than conventional explosives. Notwithstanding the devastation on the ground the upper atmosphere must have suffered as well. No doubt there will have been studies done particularly during the testing of later devices and the proliferation of the same.

[Tripps]

Check this out -

US National Anthem

[Stanley]

Tiz, this phrase made me smile "This caused a small but significant depletion in the ionosphere above Slough". Reminded me of Betjeman come friendly bombs and fall on Slough.... I saw that his grand-daughter recently presented his collected works to the town and apologised for the line.
David, shades of Helen Shapiro..... I wonder, is it good for her?
I have to admit that I am biased. I mistrust blind patriotism, even more now that Trump endorses it. I have always believed that when someone wraps themselves in the flag it's a bad sign.......