HOUSEHOLD TIPS NOT FOUND IN WOMAN'S WEEKLY

[PanBiker]

Ordinary socks with trainers and shorts, that's another no no for me unless they are sports socks.

Anyway enough of this triviality, I have a household tip:

Check equipment model numbers properly before ordering spare parts.

[Big Kev]

Stanley is recognised as a stylish fashion icon but I was referring to GQ magazine https://www.gq.com/story/socks-with-sandals-is-cool-now

[Stanley]

I favour Leather Birkenstocks personally...... And I have a nice pair of artisan made leather sandals as well which are great, both bought in California of course....
When it starts to rain after a dry spell, don't complain. Just look at the cracked ground and be thankful!

[Tripps]

When it starts to rain after a dry spell, don't complain. Just look at the cracked ground and be thankful!

...and impress your friends with the use of the word Petrichor

[Stanley]

I didn't know about that David. I remember the smell.....
Today's tip; it's very satisfying when you solve a little mystery. This almost always happens as a result of asking a silly question so never be afraid of doing it!

[Stanley]

Today's tip is to ignore national and international matters and concentrate on the small things in your own life. You may feel slightly guilty at times but on the whole it's better for you! If you are warm and dry, well fed and at peace with the world you are lucky. Never forget it....

[Cathy]

Sometimes you just have to do your own thing in your own time. I call it Cathy Time.

[Stanley]

Exactly Cathy! And never feel guilty about it, it is good for you. I used to live with a woman who had been brought up in the belief that to be idle was sinful. Unfortunately this tended to make her confuse activity with action and I have never seen anybody worse at producing to deadlines. I have always liked the concept of slow, deliberate activity, it is usually the most productive.

[Tizer]

Tripps, thanks for the link to the word petrichor, which I'd never come across before. I hadn't heard the word geosmin either although I'm very familiar with the smells due to spending so much time gardening, observing nature, and collecting rock and mineral specimens. I learned from microbiology lectures in the 1960s that the mouldy, earthy smell was due to chemicals released by the Actinomycetes fungi living in soil and water. The smell and taste occurs also in fish like carp that have lived in muddy water. The clays in soil and mud are very good at absorbing, retaining and releasing other molecules which of course is why they find many uses in industry, such as in catalysis. I've always believed that life probably first began by molecules coming together in the clay molecular lattices - so it's not too fanciful to say we came from clay!

[Stanley]

What a lovely insight into your brain Tiz. Isn't it wonderful that we all have different experience and memory banks... As David says, it makes OG such good value!
Petricors are a good start for today's tip. Keep your eyes and ears open and latch onto anything that attracts your attention. I have an example in Climate change this morning.

[Tripps]

we all have different experience and memory banks..

Indeed. I sometimes compare my memories with others, and marvel at the detail the others have. I made a quick visit to the North East a few weeks ago, and went to Blyth for old times sake. Despite have been there on many occasions - I didn't recognise the place at all! There were large buildings in the town centre that I didn't remember.

I also popped into Newbiggin-by-the-Sea, having seen it mentioned on here. Just a quick look. I think the days when you could drive into a town, park up and have a wander round are gone.

[PanBiker]

Free parking on the big car park at the top end of town, I'm sure you found that.

[Stanley]

Heavy weather at Newbiggin. The sea front must be on sand, the ground shook when those waves came in. The spray was going over the houses on the cliff in the background. Happy memories of Jack the old pitman!

[Tizer]

That's like a good day at Dawlish!

[Tripps]

Free parking on the big car park at the top end of town, I'm sure you found that

It was a very brief visit- and to be fair there were a couple of small car parks just off the main road. I just was curious about the place since it was mentioned on here, and I was close by going to Ashington. I'll bear that in mind for net time.

[Stanley]

I love watching big storms coming in Tiz!
Today's tip: If you have a septic tank that needs reviving, drop a dead cat in.

[Tizer]

Is that why they have a cat at No.10 Downing Street - kept there just in case it needs throwing into T May's office?

[Stanley]

You've no doubt heard of 'The Dead Cat Bounce', a stock market term for the dull thud of a falling stock hitting rock bottom with no chance of a responding rise.....
If a pothole outside your back gate annoys you and there is no chance of Council Action.... Fill it yourself and be at peace!

[Stanley]

Today's tip. Don't be fooled by the fact that you suddenly appear to be wealthy when, by an accident of the calendar, two monthly pension payments come in the same bank accounting period. Remember that next month you will not get that payment. It's a classic gumption trap!

[Tripps]

If a payment is made every four weeks then there will be 13 per 52 week year, so one calendar month each year will have two payments. The rest will have one. That's what I find anyway - I don't think there will be any blanks.

[Stanley]

You may be right David, I shall report next month.....
Today's tip. Remember the vast legions of brave and dedicated people who fought for Universal Suffrage. Don't waste your vote, exercise your right to have a say!

[Marilyn]

We do...in a couple of weeks time, Stanley. ( we get fined if we don't vote!)

[Stanley]

Not a bad system actually!

[Tizer]

A lot of people won't know what these elections are about, what with the local and the EU ones so close together. We haven't had any official information and I guess it's all left to passive transmission now - web pages and newspapers - rather than an official letter through the door. There's very little attempt to get people to make the effort of voting here.

[Stanley]

I suspect the vast majority of people have no concept of the history of suffrage and don't recognise that it is a hard won right which should be protected. It isn't in politician's interests to educate people, all they want is for voters to blindly follow them and not ask questions. Unfortunately for the politicians my reading of history and experience has brought me to the stage where I know more than they do about politics and real life. I am appalled at times by the levels of ignorance they demonstrate. I always remember Blair turning up at an archaeological dig in Durham which was looking at evidence of Vikings for a 'photo opportunity' and from the questions he asked and his evident surprise it was obvious he didn't have any idea about how the Vikings had got here and the effect they had on us. As far as I was concerned that was valuable information about his education and interests!
So today's tip, when all else fails, read the history! It may give you some clues as to what is actually going on! It's not a road map but tells you something about how real life actually works!