WHAT ATTRACTED YOUR ATTENTION TODAY?

[Big Kev]

Normally I don't answer the phone Kev but the mistake I made was to answer it because I thought it might be about vaccination. She rang me again this morning to warn me again.

I think you'll be waiting a while for a vaccination all, how long did youwait for your flu jab call?

[PanBiker]

I never enter into conversation with them Kev. I just hang up.
Very few things really wind me up these days but this sort of scam based on fear hits the button. Imagine the number of people who will fall for this because internet access is so important to them.
I hope they get what they richly deserve...

That's why I use the call screening facility that comes with my phone package, not had a 'cold call' for a few years now.

Same here Kev, one press and they are history, free service as well with TalkTalk. You can manage all the features online as well.

[Big Kev]

I think the majority of providers offer it as a free service, it's certainly made a difference here. I presume the TalkTalk offering works the same as Sky? If I haven't already pre-programmed a number in (online) and that number calls, gets through the screening process, I can then listen to the message they've left. I then have the option to press * to add the number to my list and accept the call, press 1 to accept the call once only or just hang up. The automated calls don't stand a chance as they can't manage to leave a message so don't get past screening.

[Stanley]

You're both right and yes I should do something but for some reason I have never done it.

[Tizer]

We have that service too and it's a great benefit.

[PanBiker]

Who do you get your phone service through Stanley?

[Stanley]

Talk talk Ian.

[PanBiker]

You have all you need then. Go into your account online and navigate to the telephone bit. You should get a list of available services. Some are chargeable but many of the bits are free including the call guarding etc. Just tick the boxes of the services you want adding. White and blacklists can be managed online or you can just add nuisance callers with a button press.

[Stanley]

[PanBiker]

When you have set it up you will still get the nuisance calls until your blacklist has learned or been taught by your rejections all of your foes. Conversely just add friendly callers to friends and family with a button press when they next call. If you do this they will only be asked who they are once.

[Tizer]

Imagine finding this on your Christmas tree - I wonder if they had a pet budgie?!...
`Bird of prey rescued from indoor Christmas tree perch' LINK
Police were called out to a deal with an unusual festive intruder - a sparrowhawk on the top of a Christmas tree. The small bird of prey flew into a house in Ellon, Aberdeenshire, on Tuesday afternoon. The police called for backup from the local North East Wildlife and Animal Rescue Centre (New Arc). The sparrowhawk was released back into the wild, none the worse for being an "unusual" Christmas tree decoration. Police Scotland said it was "definitely a change from a partridge in a pear tree".
[Are the police now trained to make up puns for their news releases? ]

[Cathy]

40CD5EAF-DBC9-437F-B1C4-21817D76B03B.png

[Stanley]

"Are the police now trained to make up puns for their news releases?"
Yes Peter. Same initiative is training the weather forecasters to use words like 'soggy'.

[Tizer]

Cathy, you're koala beats my sparrowhawk! I wonder what will be next?

`Dancing starling spectacle caused power cuts in Scottish village' LINK
`An engineer investigating mystery power outages in a Scottish village has discovered they were caused by a spectacular murmuration of starlings. Villagers in Airth, near Falkirk, were bewildered by the brief early-evening interruptions to their power supply. Initially power firm SP Energy Networks was also unable to explain the problem. But their engineer Neil McDonald finally solved the mystery when he spotted thousands of birds "dancing" on overhead power cables. The starlings were causing the lines to bounce and the power to trip between them, causing power cuts of just a few minutes in about 50 local homes..'.

[Cathy]

I know Tize but I didn’t want to say, so I just put the pic up there...
Gosh imagine finding a Koala in your living room, on your Christmas tree. Wonderful.
Pity we aren’t allowed to cuddle them any more.

[Stanley]

But when I was in Oz a lady told me that unless specially trained Koalas were the last thing to want to cuddle because apart from the ticks and fleas they were notoriously bad tempered.

[Cathy]

Oh gosh that’s right, you’d never go too close to a wild one, unless it was in trouble and needed rescuing, then you call the right people to come.
And that would most likely be an animal rescuer or fireman etc, with all the right gear.

[Marilyn]

Not so aggressive when thirst drives them to find any water available, such as after a bushfire. You still can’t cuddle them, but they are ever so grateful for bottled water.
I had a special delivery from the postman today...he was dressed in a Santa Suit. It was a Christmas card from Cazza! We happened to be outside trimming the garden when he turned up. ( he looked slightly bedraggled, but he had had a busy day I think). It has been many years since I last said “ Thankyou Santa”

[Tizer]

What grabbed my attention is the appalling state of Manchester's police force!

[Stanley]

Me also Peter. See THIS BBC report on the resignation of the chief constable. I note Ms Patel's despicable political attack on Andy Burnham immediately the news broke. She reckons he should resign as he has responsibility for the police. The woman forgets that the ultimate responsibility is hers. Everybody has awkward questions to answer and the first response should have been sympathy for those members of the public who have been let down for years by the erosion of levels of service due to cuts imposed from Westminster.
Can anyone remember the police slow-handclapping T May when she spoke to their annual conference as Home Secretary and told them they were failing after they complained about cuts?

[Tizer]

Have you got your Christmas edition of PE yet? MD has a long piece on covid which is excellent. I loved the bit where he whinged about people who claim vaccination is harmful yet will expose their bodies to cocaine that has been brought into the country in somebody's rectum.

[Stanley]

Yes Peter, that bit caught my attention as well! He's good isn't he. I take notice of him and Sue..... (although Sue says she doesn't need him I think the cocaine gag would have suited her!)
I've never liked the hot milk you were always offered in hotels with your coffee. I suspect because it had been kept hot too long and had that sterilized milk taste. What I have found out is that this doesn't apply to milk that has been given a quick blast in the pot before adding the coffee. Only a small thing but an improvement and your coffee is hotter.
Today is the shortest day. From now on we can watch the days lengthen as the cold strengthens.... But at least it's pointing the right way!

[Stanley]

The number of people shopping. I was one of them doing veggie shopping after hearing the CEO of Tesco saying there would be shortages of fresh vegetables. I knew what that meant, a run on sprouts! (Probably the least likely vegetable to be scarce as I think they are all grown here!

[Marilyn]

Gosh it has been hard to respond to OG for days now. One logs in, responds to a topic, only to be told that their log in is not appropriate. There is something wrong. I don’t know if you have been invaded again.
Yes, you will find a BIG change in food prices once you exit EU.

Stanley, how many times have I mentioned we pay up to £3 for a Cauliflower, and you come back with 49 -79 p?

[Stanley]

At the moment our problem here could be anything to buy, not the price. Anything that comes from Europe is going to be AWOL for a while.