About Me:
Single, over-60, SW England resident, with fairly wide range of interests & musical tastes - but I'd be no good in a pub quiz 'cos I know very little about TV, gadgets called i-something, competitive sports, many entertainments & "so-called celebrities!
Was on EP, but left it long before it closed. Won't touch Facebook & its ilk.
"Adult" themes: quite broad-minded, like nudity but not pornography. Against cruelty, and consider spanking as a game for consenting adults only.
A week later, but Thank You!Actually the English used to have a similar reputation with languages but increasing overseas business and social travel, and immigration from so many different countries, has largely broken that insularity down. Living ph... moreA week later, but Thank You!Actually the English used to have a similar reputation with languages but increasing overseas business and social travel, and immigration from so many different countries, has largely broken that insularity down. Living physically very close to several countries with very different languages helps, too. The French coast is only about 70 miles South from my home, and a mere 20 miles at the shortest (across the Straits of Dover). Across the North Sea, to the East, are Belgium, Holland, Germany and a bit more remotely, Sweden and Norway. Spain and Portugal are a bit further away, as are Finland, Russia and the Baltic States; though most visitors fly there or use cruise ships. What is noticeable that although English is perhaps the most widely-spoken of the world's languages by nations rather than populations; it's often American English and with affected American accents, even by people from countries that dislike the USA or American culture on pr... less
This has made me think of something I observed in a series of about 10 trips to Norway, spread over 20 - 30 years, with the last in 2013.Until the direct ferry service from England to Norway stopped c.2010, our route North from Bergen took us along ... moreThis has made me think of something I observed in a series of about 10 trips to Norway, spread over 20 - 30 years, with the last in 2013.Until the direct ferry service from England to Norway stopped c.2010, our route North from Bergen took us along Sognfjord then up and over the Turtagro pass which as I recall, lies at about 1500m altitude, in the Jotunheimen range. (Sorry - I don't think I can use here, the correct letters for one or two of the vowels.)That pass used to be on the snow-line, and was usually closed in Winter. Spring snow-ploughing left road-side snow-cliffs perhaps 3m high, with dirt-layers counting years. In the last few years of our visits these had gone; the numerous, small roadside lakes and pools no longer had ice-floes; and the snow-fields' lower edges were now significantly higher up the slopes. less
Don't think only of what you have in your home. The Internet and the huge corporations that have taken it over, rely on enormous servers that consume vast amounts of electricity, both directly by the electronics, and in the industrial-scale air-condi... moreDon't think only of what you have in your home. The Internet and the huge corporations that have taken it over, rely on enormous servers that consume vast amounts of electricity, both directly by the electronics, and in the industrial-scale air-conditioning needed to keep them cool.Don't become fixated on "plastics" either. The plastic case of your computer, phone or whatever is not a problem, apart from helping deplete the world's petroleum resources. The real problem is the waste of metals - some of them rare-earths - by users throwing electronic items away as ordinary refuse destined for land-fill. And I wonder how many of those rejected goods are perfectly serviceable but considered "out of date" or something similarly spurious? less
Hard to know in the British Isles because the climate is still fairly moderate anyway, and a full assessment really needs what we do not have: accurate records going back for at least a millennium! (Though we do know rather anecdotally that ther... moreHard to know in the British Isles because the climate is still fairly moderate anyway, and a full assessment really needs what we do not have: accurate records going back for at least a millennium! (Though we do know rather anecdotally that there were warmer times 2000 years ago, a very cold spell in the Middle Ages; and more accurately, another cold spell in the 19C.)Even so, the last few decades, which I admit is not a fair time-span, seem to have been marked by slightly milder Winters and a sort of blurring of the seasons.We seem also to be having more short-term bouts of (relatively) extreme weather, such as the last week's rains that have brought serious floods to parts of the English Midlands.A big problem is the fallibility of the human memory, which tends to focus on the unusual or bad without putting them in historical or chronological context or proportion. Hence my comment about proper records. less
Science and scripture neither prove nor disprove each other because they do very different things.Irrespective of the existence or otherwise of any creative deity, any faith's scripture simply details its founders' religious ideas. How closely you follow ... moreScience and scripture neither prove nor disprove each other because they do very different things.Irrespective of the existence or otherwise of any creative deity, any faith's scripture simply details its founders' religious ideas. How closely you follow those ideas is a matter of personal preference.You can believe in a god driving it all, but that simply asks "Who Makes It Happen"? - and obviously assumes a supernatural entity does, so considers the nature of that entity and how you might worship it. Science asks instead "How Does It Happen, And When?" - ignoring whether by any such entity. For obvious practical and social reasons, science does not and cannot try to "prove" any given faith's scriptures. Nor can or should religion try to prove science, because that is not its purpose and whilst you can still believe in a creative deity while understanding the science, any attempt to make them fit each other is likely only to result in an unholy mess that serves neither! First... less
I see! Well, you are more or a linguist than me.I don't know what sort of proportion of Britons do have a second language but we were all taught French at school, and some learnt other languages too, such as German. Foreign holidays have always ... moreI see! Well, you are more or a linguist than me.I don't know what sort of proportion of Britons do have a second language but we were all taught French at school, and some learnt other languages too, such as German. Foreign holidays have always been popular with us because we live so close to the European continent, with ferry and the Channel Tunnel links. In the last few decades British holidaymakers have ventured much further abroad: Americas North and South, Canada, the far East and so on.Consequently many Britons probably have a smattering of words, if only enough of the etiquette words, a few key phrases and an idea of numbers, to get by. The hosts do appreciate your efforts, even if they can speak English a lot better than you can speak their language.My girl-friend and I used a small convenience store in a rural town in the French Pyrenees, where there is a strong Basque or similar presence. We noticed the young man at the till chatted happily in that local language to one custome... less
I'd have thought that designing them to work within the home even during a power-cut would be a fundamental principle!Their purpose is to supply the home first, entirely alone or with mains help depending on demand and solar-panel output at the time.... moreI'd have thought that designing them to work within the home even during a power-cut would be a fundamental principle!Their purpose is to supply the home first, entirely alone or with mains help depending on demand and solar-panel output at the time. Feeding the national grid is secondary, and generally when the system is generating more electricity than the home is using.Hence the battery packs, even if only to run what is really needed during a power-cut (lighting and fridges, mainly). less
I don't think there is much difference between an amoeba and a bacterium except in size and possibly motility (though some bacteria can move by a flagellum). Both will react to stimuli but being single-celled, neither can be said to have a brain.I'll let ... moreI don't think there is much difference between an amoeba and a bacterium except in size and possibly motility (though some bacteria can move by a flagellum). Both will react to stimuli but being single-celled, neither can be said to have a brain.I'll let you decide where that leaves Lindsay Graham, a name unknown to me anyway....
"Guessing" and "allegedly" are not facts. The problem is that anyone friendly with a sex-offender risks being suspected of the same. Also it would be very hard or even impossible for the British Royal Family to suppress a scandal, because it does not have... more"Guessing" and "allegedly" are not facts. The problem is that anyone friendly with a sex-offender risks being suspected of the same. Also it would be very hard or even impossible for the British Royal Family to suppress a scandal, because it does not have that sort of power and attempting to assume it would create far more trouble than the original matter. Its members are not above the law either - Princess Anne collected one or two speeding fines in her younger days, and the Duke of Edinburgh escaped being charged after his recent motoring accident probably because he immediately surrendered his driving-licence. (He would otherwise most likely have been fined and had his licence endorsed, but not actually banned.)However, those are relatively low-key offences. It is dangerous for anyone in the public eye, no matter how innocent personally, to become too friendly with people who have had previous convictions for particularly unpleasant, deeply anti-social, serious crimes._+++BTW, I wonder if anyone els... less
LOL!Even if tries it, I can't imagine Italy will take much notice. If they do, they will probably only tell him to shut up. (What's the Italian for 'Please'?).After all, the UK Press all reported on Trump's comments on British politics recently - aft... moreLOL!Even if tries it, I can't imagine Italy will take much notice. If they do, they will probably only tell him to shut up. (What's the Italian for 'Please'?).After all, the UK Press all reported on Trump's comments on British politics recently - after a few days of waffle, everyone settled down and forgot about his silly interference.
Sodium and Calcium Hypochlorites are both common base chemicals for bleach and disinfectant. They are used for many purposes depending on dose rates and dilutions; and any additives to them such as surfactants and gelling agents: cleaning f... moreSodium and Calcium Hypochlorites are both common base chemicals for bleach and disinfectant. They are used for many purposes depending on dose rates and dilutions; and any additives to them such as surfactants and gelling agents: cleaning floors, sterilising water for drinking, sterilising babies' feeding-bottles, treating swimming-pools*. I don't know the case in question so I am puzzled how that incident happened. Was it actually the bleach itself in some strange way, or did someone manage to mix it with an acid, resulting in a reaction that liberates chlorine gas? If it was due to a disinfected food container or drink dispenser not being rinsed properly, I'd have thought the contamination immediately apparent by a very unpleasant taste even at very low concentrations, so you would instinctively not drink enough to be harmed even if it made you vomit.'Nice Jugs refers to buying sulphuric acid ( I always use British spellings) over the counter. I'm not sure it's as easy as it was, in t... less
There have been many. Stalin and Mao spring to immediate mind. (Mao, BTW, not Tse-Tung, because in the Chinese tradition the family name precedes the individual name.)Those two ruled for life.
Thank you for the compliments, Rosie!I've always had an interest and enquiring mind in anything of science and engineering. Some of that answer was what I'd learnt at school, but most I've picked up from various books and places over the years.On the othe... moreThank you for the compliments, Rosie!I've always had an interest and enquiring mind in anything of science and engineering. Some of that answer was what I'd learnt at school, but most I've picked up from various books and places over the years.On the other hand ask me anything about sports and entertainments and I'd most likely be lost - I was never very interested in sports and a lot of entertainments and their stars.Also, if I hear or read anything technical or statistical in the News I think immediately, is that accurate? I trust most of the reports I use but though they are generally reporting accurately, they can only relay what they have been told, so sometimes it's the journalist's sources I question. Having said that, a lot of journalists do not really understand such things and skew the matters by bad reporting rather than deliberate distortion. Where di you learn those languages, especially Armenian? less
Whoever actually "admitted" it, I'd be very surprised if it was NASA, unless talking about something very specific not mentioned above!Forty-two years old, still in active service without maintenance, and still sending back information... Voyager Two, now... moreWhoever actually "admitted" it, I'd be very surprised if it was NASA, unless talking about something very specific not mentioned above!Forty-two years old, still in active service without maintenance, and still sending back information... Voyager Two, now following her Voyager One sister on their solo ways into inter-stellar space within the Milky Way, rather than as "just" passengers with the Solar System.I find it an impressive feat, and rather moving. A wonderful tribute to the scientists and engineers who designed and built these two probes and their launching-rockets, and navigated and tracked them across and out of the Solar System. less
I followed your lead - I cut and pasted the text - and this also answered why no 'A' cells either.It seem there were but like the 'B' size is now largely out of use, or limited to special applications. The B cell was apparently once used in portable ... moreI followed your lead - I cut and pasted the text - and this also answered why no 'A' cells either.It seem there were but like the 'B' size is now largely out of use, or limited to special applications. The B cell was apparently once used in portable radios using valves (pre transistor days).I can't recall their designations but I have not seen the once-common, larger size of rectangular 9V-battery for a long time. They were often used in portable transistor radios. The small version (PP 9 I think) is still plentiful, used typically in smoke-alarms.I have a compact l.e.d, head-lamp which can take a so-called "camera battery", designated CR17345 or 123 depending which bit of the label you read. This is of AA diameter but about 2/3 its length; and 3V instead of 1.5. An extension-tube allows using a standard AA cell with some loss of light output - but cheaper! less
Zuckerberg you mean?I don't know his politics but he has come over as arrogant - or a coward.The UK's Parliament wanted him to attend an all-party Parliamentary Select Committee investigating some aspects of social media, but he refused out of hand. He di... moreZuckerberg you mean?I don't know his politics but he has come over as arrogant - or a coward.The UK's Parliament wanted him to attend an all-party Parliamentary Select Committee investigating some aspects of social media, but he refused out of hand. He did attend a similar Committee organised by the European Parliament, but I don't think they managed to get anything very useful from him.Perhaps he knew that a PSC treats you civilly but consists of very bright Members of Parliament, probably with relevant professional knowledge for the particular committee's work, and they don't stand for any nonsense. It is not a Court of Law, but an information inquiry designed to help the Government and Parliament understand some problem of the time. A lot of people who might not have broken the law but were certainly close to it, have shown themselves up when quizzed by a PSC, publicly too as the hearing is normally open to journalists. So perhaps Mr. Z. wanted to avoid embarrassment! I think I agree - it... less
OK Rosie, I'll explain it.Coal is not used to fuel modern manufacturing plants, and is used a lot less for domestic heating, but it can be distilled by heating it in a closed vessel called a retort.That drives off the tar, gas and sulphur compound it cont... moreOK Rosie, I'll explain it.Coal is not used to fuel modern manufacturing plants, and is used a lot less for domestic heating, but it can be distilled by heating it in a closed vessel called a retort.That drives off the tar, gas and sulphur compound it contains and leaves coke, which is nearly pure carbon.Coke used to be used a lot as aheating fuel because if used in a properly-designed stove, it burns very slowly but gives off a great deal of heat.Coke's modern, main use is used in smelting iron-ore, i.e. chemically reducing the ore to iron. Iron ore is iron oxide (rust!), and in the fierce heat of a blast-furnace the carbon is not just the fuel, but it reacts with the ore to transfer the oxygen from that to itself, turning the carbon to carbon-dioxide.Iron is the base material for steel, and is also used as iron, in certain modified forms. Pure iron has particular magnetic properties that make it ideal for concentrating the magnetic field in electrical generators, transformers and motors. Cast-ir... less
Thank you!Coal can be burnt very efficiently and cleanly, in electricity power-stations; but the exhaust gases and still mainly carbon-dioxide and water-vapour.The sulphur dioxide it can emit, depending a lot on the nature of the actual coal used, is resp... moreThank you!Coal can be burnt very efficiently and cleanly, in electricity power-stations; but the exhaust gases and still mainly carbon-dioxide and water-vapour.The sulphur dioxide it can emit, depending a lot on the nature of the actual coal used, is responsible for the pollution called "acid rain". It was found to be the cause of trees in Scandinavia dying, having drifted with the prevailing Westerly winds across the North Sea, from power-stations in Britain. The problem was solved by installing equipment in which the flue-gasses pass through wet limestone. The water dissolves the SO2 to form sulphuric acid, which in turn reacts with the rock's calcium carbonate to form calcium sulphate, which occurs naturally as the rock Gypsum, useful as it is the base material for plaster.Of course, this also means having to quarry, crush and transport limestone as well as coal to the power-stations.====There is one use for coal that all the climate-change debate appears to miss (probably because most politici... less
I cannot remember when I last chewed gum. I know it was decades ago! Yes, it is a horrible habit.'One British gum-maker used to advertise it in magazines, with a drawing of smartly-dressed people in some high-falutin' business or social setting, captioned... moreI cannot remember when I last chewed gum. I know it was decades ago! Yes, it is a horrible habit.'One British gum-maker used to advertise it in magazines, with a drawing of smartly-dressed people in some high-falutin' business or social setting, captioned, Certainly not.... Below that, a second drawing showed the men from the first, outdoors, usually on a golf-course or game-bird shoot. Its caption was ... But here,then the sentence continued in small print, to praise the alleged benefits of using the product in such a setting. Both drawings gave an air of supposed sophistication, and the tree-sap chewers were always men, never women. less
I don't see how it would be feasible, technically, commercially or in personnel. For a start the world is trying to turn away from burning coal anyway.However....An open-cast pit that has not been back-filled and built over could be re-instated fairl... moreI don't see how it would be feasible, technically, commercially or in personnel. For a start the world is trying to turn away from burning coal anyway.However....An open-cast pit that has not been back-filled and built over could be re-instated fairly easily.A deep colliery would be very difficult and expensive to re-open. It would be flooded up the local water-table with vast volumes of water all needing to be pumped out and disposed of without environmental harm. Any equipment abandoned down there would be useless and have to be removed and replaced with new. Even the last active areas could well have caved in. (The rock strata sandwiching coal seams are not at all strong and coherent - or "competent" as geologists describe it.) Sinking a new mine anywhere into the same seams near such workings would be at risk of flooding from the old, especially if it strays into areas not well mapped. A break-though into a water-filled mine would be catastrophic for the miners, let a... less
'Fraid so, Rosie; at least it is when it comes to the IT trade. Facebook is a business, not a public service. The social linking service is indeed for its users' benefit, but its real clients are advertising-agencies, supermarkets and major on-l... more'Fraid so, Rosie; at least it is when it comes to the IT trade. Facebook is a business, not a public service. The social linking service is indeed for its users' benefit, but its real clients are advertising-agencies, supermarkets and major on-line retailers. They buy advertising-space on web-sites, but they also buy users' details so as to send them so-called "personalised" advertising - a concept as ugly as that adjective.(They are not alone. Supermarkets' so-called "loyalty" cards are for their benefit, not yours, and I refuse to have them. Some have also encouraged the development of something that might not have started, direct and instant advertising by phone message. It would read your phone's location and if you are close to the shop, automatically send a message telling you what's on offer that it decides from your purchasing history, would tempt you.)If Zuckerberg is a Republican and biases his site to that party, that would mean him censoring the Democrats or other r... less
The most common and widespread destructive events are probably storms, which can bring several effects.Severe earthquakes such as those affecting California and Japan, are concentrated in particular parts of the world, especially around the Paci... moreThe most common and widespread destructive events are probably storms, which can bring several effects.Severe earthquakes such as those affecting California and Japan, are concentrated in particular parts of the world, especially around the Pacific Ocean coasts.We are not in a "protected spot" in the Universe at all. We are too near to a middle-aged star for that - but if we were further away we would be too cold for life.The Earth is being bombarded with natural space debris (dust grains) but most of it is so small it burns up in the atmosphere, as you sometimes see as meteors. It is also bombarded with ionising radiation from the Sun, but most of that, especially at the highest and most dangerous frequencies, is blocked by the upper atmosphere. One effect is the aurorae, light emitted by charged particles from the Sun interacting with the Earth's magnetic field at very high altitudes.I can't see us being able to control the winds, but if we could it would risk serious uninten... less
I am no expert on the deeper levels o f computing - I use it but that's about all.Some of the changes made by firms like Microsoft allow for developments by the electronics designers, so might need altering to be compatible technically; but they also bloa... moreI am no expert on the deeper levels o f computing - I use it but that's about all.Some of the changes made by firms like Microsoft allow for developments by the electronics designers, so might need altering to be compatible technically; but they also bloat the software with ever fancier and gimmick-ridden presentations while cutting back on anything of practical use.Perhaps worst, they work on "It's not broken so let's break it then fix it" - and fix it so it's harder to use and won't run older files. less
A correspondent on another forum told me the power company wanted to trim trees that are too close to power lines but were prevented from doing so by environmental campaigners; apparently by legal action, not physical interference.I don't know if that is ... moreA correspondent on another forum told me the power company wanted to trim trees that are too close to power lines but were prevented from doing so by environmental campaigners; apparently by legal action, not physical interference.I don't know if that is true, but if so I wonder if the campaigners have spotted the irony?
I can only echo SpunkySenior's thoughts for the Californians losing their homes, farms, etc.Like Spunky, I live in a fairly benign area, the SW coast of England, where the worst we see are severe storms and very rarely, blizzards. The storms are often eno... moreI can only echo SpunkySenior's thoughts for the Californians losing their homes, farms, etc.Like Spunky, I live in a fairly benign area, the SW coast of England, where the worst we see are severe storms and very rarely, blizzards. The storms are often enough to cause isolated structural damage, and block roads and railways with fallen trees. (I was caught out by a blown-down tree only yesterday, forcing a detour of several miles.) Drought is the more serious problem, and it does not need unusually high temperatures for droughts; just no rain for too long.In early 1963, Southern England was hit by powerful and particularly large blizzards, causing serious disruption over a huge area. Sadly, two people died in a car trapped in drifts only a few miles outside the town; overcome by exhaust fumes from having the engine running for heat.Inland, some areas of England are prone to flooding from rivers. In one or two of the worst and most often affected, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (a marine-re... less
It would depend how high above the sea you are, not how far back from it; but the difficulty is that rising sea-levels mean the coast becomes eroded back more rapidly, in a sort of balancing act. In some places, including I think one or two parts of ... moreIt would depend how high above the sea you are, not how far back from it; but the difficulty is that rising sea-levels mean the coast becomes eroded back more rapidly, in a sort of balancing act. In some places, including I think one or two parts of Eastern England, the authorities have had to accept that "managed retreat" is the only sensible option, even without any significant sea-level rise, because the cliffs are not very high but are of very soft, friable rocks. There comes a point where building sea-defences only delays the inevitable.If you live on a coast with high cliffs in very strong rocks, the rising sea would take a very long time to cut the cliff back, so would affect mainly only those buildings or installations (harbours etc.) actually below the cliffs.If you live on an estuary backed by very low land, the sea might not reach that flood-plain, but because the overall base-level has risen the mean level of the river rises to compensate, so riverine flooding becomes more frequen... less
Mark Zuckerberg's published reason for not banning political advertisements because that would be censorship, is disingenuous to say the least.It would be censorship, or bias, if FB banned one party but not its rival.Banning all fairly and evenly, is not ... moreMark Zuckerberg's published reason for not banning political advertisements because that would be censorship, is disingenuous to say the least.It would be censorship, or bias, if FB banned one party but not its rival.Banning all fairly and evenly, is not censorship.Far more likely, it's just a matter of money. FB makes a huge amount of money from advertising fees, including those from political campaigns.
In theory, in Space and safely away from a planet's or star's gravitational field, you could as Nice Jugs says, accelerate an object indefinitely. Well, to be accurate, to the speed of light, which is the Universe's speed-limit. It would no... moreIn theory, in Space and safely away from a planet's or star's gravitational field, you could as Nice Jugs says, accelerate an object indefinitely. Well, to be accurate, to the speed of light, which is the Universe's speed-limit. It would not disintegrate because every part of it is moving together.However, "in theory" because acceleration needs a constant energy source. If that stopped in mid-flight the object would continue but at the speed reached when the "engine" stopped; until affected by something in or near its path.It is hypothesised that anything that fell onto a black hole would be torn apart as it approaches the dead star forming the "hole", but that and the falling object's speed there, are effects of the black hole's own, extremely powerful gravity. less
It was unusual, that Norwegian fire, but it was not quite in the dead of Winter. My pen-friend lives on the West Norwegian coast, where the Autumn weather is more often cold and wet before the frost and snow arrives.I can't see how ars... moreIt was unusual, that Norwegian fire, but it was not quite in the dead of Winter. My pen-friend lives on the West Norwegian coast, where the Autumn weather is more often cold and wet before the frost and snow arrives.I can't see how arson as you suggest would help anyone. Recently I read an article from 2017, in the Journal of the Royal Geographical Society, that said the Western States had been seeing more, and more frequent strong, dry, cold winds from the North West. Have you noticed this where you are, or via news and weather reports? less
I accept as you say it being your opinion, but I don't understand why you insist they are dangerous - even ignoring that anyway it's not the roads but drivers who are dangerous.There must be very many thousands of roundabouts all over the UK, many built a... moreI accept as you say it being your opinion, but I don't understand why you insist they are dangerous - even ignoring that anyway it's not the roads but drivers who are dangerous.There must be very many thousands of roundabouts all over the UK, many built a long time ago; from Motorway junctions with the "ordinary" roads (the r'bout itself is formed by bridges above or below the motorway, not of course, on it), via joining dual- and single-carriageway A-class roads, down to small "mini-roundabouts" comprised of a low, white-painted hump on the asphalt in town-centres and housing estates.There is a definite technique, taught by driving-schools and advanced-driving courses, for negotiating them; but if roundabouts were genuinely as dangerous as you claim they would be the site for the majority of road accidents, and would have been replaced decades ago.Driving on any road is hazardous, but excessive speed, reckless over-taking and pulling out of side-roads without looking, are among the main caus... less
I intend hanging on to WIN 7 as long as I can. I have another computer, isolated from the Internet, loaded with XP .Microsoft is driven by two things only - money and power.
From all the night driving I've done, I'd say the forgetfulness is usually the other way round and single-way: forgetting to dip the lights when approaching another vehicle, but often reverting to full beam too early. So having dazzled the other driv... moreFrom all the night driving I've done, I'd say the forgetfulness is usually the other way round and single-way: forgetting to dip the lights when approaching another vehicle, but often reverting to full beam too early. So having dazzled the other driver by not dipping your ultra-intense lamps until only quarter of a mile away, you then blast his peripheral vision with a bright flash as you pass! In fact I can't see how you could forget to put the main beams on in full darkness with no traffic approaching, because the difference between dipped and full is so great.I deliberately do not revert to full beam until a little past the other, so I can see if another car is approaching by the glow even if around a bend, but have unfortunately sometimes dipped late. Occasionally that's when taken by surprise thanks to the other's lights being hidden beyond a local summit or blind bend, but it might be an early sign of tiredness: not good. In fact driving when too tired is now illegal, so it's a sign to ... less
They were not invented in the days of horse-drawn wagons, but well after cars and lorries became the norm and the lingering equine traffic was already obsolete.You might consider them dangerous but there is no objective reason why they should be more haza... moreThey were not invented in the days of horse-drawn wagons, but well after cars and lorries became the norm and the lingering equine traffic was already obsolete.You might consider them dangerous but there is no objective reason why they should be more hazardous than an ordinary cross-roads, and that is on major roads too, not minor ones. Some can be confusing by having several exits and poor lane marking easily hidden by other vehicles, especially when at least one of the roads is a dual-carriageway. A few are over-complicated (one notorious example, in the English town of Swindon, soon became called "The Magic Roundabout"!). Generally though, they are far safer than plain junctions, because you round them or give way in one set direction. My commuting route involved 6 full main-road roundabouts plus a smaller "mini-roundabout". I never found them a problem. In 2012, two were replaced by traffic-lights with short dual-queue lanes, allegedly to suit "The Olympics" by allowing manual control.&n... less
The matter is too serious for clowns like Greater Thunderbolt and the Extinct Rebels.I am fed up with hearing the Press and politicians pay so much attention to that over-virtuous Swedish lass, instead of the professional scientists and engineers who actu... moreThe matter is too serious for clowns like Greater Thunderbolt and the Extinct Rebels.I am fed up with hearing the Press and politicians pay so much attention to that over-virtuous Swedish lass, instead of the professional scientists and engineers who actually know energy from power, heat from temperature, etc;, and why clichés like "zero carbon" and "renewable energy" are silly.Aunty Greta is NOT a scientist or engineer. Just a naive, set-up teenager no-one dare tell to shut up, go home and start to study science; and not come back until she has gained a serious reputation with a slew of peer-reviewed papers on her specialist subject, be it Quaternary Climate Oscillations, Anthropological Influences on Present Climate and Weather Systems, or The Marine and Engineering Hydrodynamics of Tidal Turbines for Electricity Generation. less
Glass and ceramics are the longest-lasting materials, and are sufficiently inert to be safe in the soil or the sea. They are anyway made from natural minerals. Glass is only fused sand (silica); ceramics are fused clays so are metal-silicates, but th... moreGlass and ceramics are the longest-lasting materials, and are sufficiently inert to be safe in the soil or the sea. They are anyway made from natural minerals. Glass is only fused sand (silica); ceramics are fused clays so are metal-silicates, but their metals are chemically locked up very firmly. These are followed by certain metals, depending partly on the conditions.Plastics in general covers a huge range of materials, and most have not really been around for long enough to know if or how they degrade fully in all conditions. Especially so for the thermo-setting plastics and the synthetic resins, though some degrade slowly in sunlight.I recall reading in a book about the church, when Sir Basil Spence designed the new Coventry Cathedral (in the 1950s I think) he wanted to stand certain of the interior columns on glass spheres. However, the manufacturers could not give a 500-year guarantee! less
The smarter way is for the system to be overhauled and made more resistant to the weather!I have not heard of anything like it happening in the UK, but a couple of years ago my pen-friend in Norway told me they had fires in December, set by electricity li... moreThe smarter way is for the system to be overhauled and made more resistant to the weather!I have not heard of anything like it happening in the UK, but a couple of years ago my pen-friend in Norway told me they had fires in December, set by electricity lines breaking under the weight of accumulated ice, and sparking on grass and heather dry from an unusual Autumn drought.
Tried it. A disaster. Hated it. Rejected it.I'd bought a new computer with WIN 7 Pro installed - the one I am using now. About a year after purchase, MS introduced WIN 10, with all the hype you'd expect, including offering it f... moreTried it. A disaster. Hated it. Rejected it.I'd bought a new computer with WIN 7 Pro installed - the one I am using now. About a year after purchase, MS introduced WIN 10, with all the hype you'd expect, including offering it for free for quite a long time.Eventually I tried it, but was careful to use the small, discreet "Custom Install" mode rather than the big glaring "INSTALL NOW" or similar, which installs software giving Microsoft basically open access to your computer, or your use of it. I'm not sure which.I was not impressed.Shallow, gimmicky, scrappy presentation. Nothing obvious so hard to find. No decent editions of the applications (Word, Excel, etc.)Worse, it deleted all my web-site registrations, about 7 or 8 of them I think.Its only improvement was a better photo-filing system, allowing thumb-nails so avoiding needing 'Review'.Luckily MS offered a reversion option so I followed that to re-install WIN 7 (I wonder if the only significant differences were in scree... less
Once needed 11 stiches in my hand, sliced by a jagged bean-tin edge when I was trying to open it with a worn-out can-opener.One place I am VERY careful is in my workshop though. One or two of my machines would have your fingers off and eat them for breakf... moreOnce needed 11 stiches in my hand, sliced by a jagged bean-tin edge when I was trying to open it with a worn-out can-opener.One place I am VERY careful is in my workshop though. One or two of my machines would have your fingers off and eat them for breakfast before you can say Oops!, if you are careless with them.I had an angle-grinder pull itself out my hands when the disc caught on the edge of the steelwork I was cutting up. That was frightening, and the smaller type, not the big ones builders use for cutting paving-slabs. I have used one of those larger ones, once, but never wanted to use one since. They are big and heavy, very powerful brutes for use held in the hands. less
Caving - though arthritis then knee replacements have now limited me considerably. I used to enjoy walking too but this has also become very constrained.Model-engineering.A bit of pottering about in the garden, which certainly won't win Royal Horticultura... moreCaving - though arthritis then knee replacements have now limited me considerably. I used to enjoy walking too but this has also become very constrained.Model-engineering.A bit of pottering about in the garden, which certainly won't win Royal Horticultural Society awards!'Internet? This is my only "social media " site though I use discussion and information sites dedicated to my hobbies. I refuse Facebook, Twitter, Whatsapp etc., outright. Watching the television...? Easy - I have no television!
Caving, though I can still manage modest trips. Arthritis then having both knees replaced so I can't kneel fully folded any more, plus general loss of suppleness, means I can no longer negotiate awkward crawls or squeezes easily, or sh... moreCaving, though I can still manage modest trips. Arthritis then having both knees replaced so I can't kneel fully folded any more, plus general loss of suppleness, means I can no longer negotiate awkward crawls or squeezes easily, or short climbs safely.
Beaches tend to be nude unless covered with washed-up sea-weed after a storm...Oh sorry, you mean the people on the beach!Right, to respect Element by answering the question properly.....Yes, I would feel comfortable, because I'd be going there to be nude... moreBeaches tend to be nude unless covered with washed-up sea-weed after a storm...Oh sorry, you mean the people on the beach!Right, to respect Element by answering the question properly.....Yes, I would feel comfortable, because I'd be going there to be nude anyway. (There is an unofficial clothing-optional beach a few miles from home, and I used to visit it fairly regularly on Summer afternoons after work.)
I don't know how many were already on mine when new, but it kept displaying messages about "New 'apps' ready for down-loading now".As they did not tell me what they were, I ignored the messages. I do not accept unsolicited software of unknown ty... moreI don't know how many were already on mine when new, but it kept displaying messages about "New 'apps' ready for down-loading now".As they did not tell me what they were, I ignored the messages. I do not accept unsolicited software of unknown type and purpose; be it by portable telephone or broadband. Within months after buying what was my first and had become my last so-called "smart" 'phone, I took it out of service and eventually managed to sell it.
The way he's going, no-one will trust Donald Trump - friend or foe.I know what you mean by "no heart and soul", but he seems to have little grasp on reality either.
Errrrr... Other people?Anyway, it is alleged that the instrument is meant to be a Telephone (The clue is in the name! :-)."pre-loaded "apps" ". Can you remove them or are they locked in place?
The so-called "smart" 'phone I owned for a few months was so difficult to use I had to search the Internet for instructions that might tell me something useful. They did - but also regarded the telephone part of it almost as an accessory rather than prima... moreThe so-called "smart" 'phone I owned for a few months was so difficult to use I had to search the Internet for instructions that might tell me something useful. They did - but also regarded the telephone part of it almost as an accessory rather than primary role!
Vladimir may well be pleased, but I wonder if this time the sweet nothings are actually from Ankara. After all, a NATO country like Turkey might want to buy arms from the country that runs NATO, America.... even if to use against the Kurds who were on the... moreVladimir may well be pleased, but I wonder if this time the sweet nothings are actually from Ankara. After all, a NATO country like Turkey might want to buy arms from the country that runs NATO, America.... even if to use against the Kurds who were on the same side as America, in fighting ISIS. If so though, we have an odd situation where the Russian Federation is fighting alongside forces from another state that is also semi-Fascist, against the Kurds whom Turkey calls "terrorists", while belonging to an organisation it (the RF) distrusts and which is run by a democratic nation whose President seems to like anyone who does not like democracy. less
Is that an admission the condition of their equipment is generally so poor it can't withstand winds that are probably not unusually strong for the region, then?
No, I don't think it does at all.What counts is how the developments are used, and 'twere ever so.It is true that you can at least partially mask lack of genuine talent with, for example, pitch-correctors, artificial reverberation and sampling; but if tre... moreNo, I don't think it does at all.What counts is how the developments are used, and 'twere ever so.It is true that you can at least partially mask lack of genuine talent with, for example, pitch-correctors, artificial reverberation and sampling; but if treated properly most other new inventions add to the aural pallet available to composers. They always did.Many of the so-called, and indeed actual, Classical composers were not slow in exploiting newly-invented instruments and improvements to existing ones. I think it was Haydn, for example, who wrote a concerto for the inventor of the new-fangled valved trumpet.I believe Richard Wagner went one better, by inventing a variant of the horn to give a particular timbre to some of his operatic parts.In the 20C, the development of good-quality amplification meant music-hall and cabaret singers no longer had to bawl their heads off, but sing in a natural voice. This was paralleled by improving studio equipment and recording quality. Bing Crosby w... less
About Me:
Single, over-60, SW England resident, with fairly wide range of interests & musical tastes - but I'd be no good in a pub quiz 'cos I know very little about TV, gadgets called i-something, competitive sports, many entertainments & "so-called celebrities!
Was on EP, but left it long before it closed. Won't touch Facebook & its ilk.
"Adult" themes: quite broad-minded, like nudity but not pornography. Against cruelty, and consider spanking as a game for consenting adults only.
Unwanted striking-though of part of message, appearing automatic... moreUnwanted striking-though of part of message, appearing automatically when I press Send: reason and how to remove it, please? (Tried "Help" but that's all artificial FAQs, so no help!)
A review on the radio this morning, of the day's papers, touched... moreA review on the radio this morning, of the day's papers, touched on the tale of a woman who smashed her children's iPhones, with the result that their family became much happier, more cohesive and communicative.It also produced two other, conflicting third-party results; one promoting wanton waste, both sharing a theme of utter childishness and stupidity. One of these results was a (sadly predictable?) barrage of insults and abuse on social media. The other was confessions of similar actions, with some owners admitting to throwing their instruments under vehicle wheels (did they clear up the mess?) or into canals (more litter - a few prosecutions would not come amiss).By all means get rid of the device you felt apparently necessary to own in the first place, but wouldn't it far more constructive to sell it, or at least give it away, than wantonly destroy a costly, perfectly serviceable, instrument someone else could use, and perhaps use rather more sensibly?For the record, I have a basic port... less
Generally I ignore the side-bar ads though I know they pay ... moreGenerally I ignore the side-bar ads though I know they pay for the site. However I couldn't let this go without comment.It was a list of assorted suggested uses for the well-known water-repellent, WD-40, shown by its Material Safety Data Sheet to be a mineral-oil based mixture.As wells as the ingenious and the blindingly obvious ideas, the advertising feature suggested using it as an adjunct to toilet cleaners, and for cleaning shower-heads. In other words, squirt mineral-oils down the drain, despite consistent, highly publicised warnings not to do so at all from chemical manufacturers, regulatory bodies and water companies!Come on AnswerMug, get that nonsense off the site and advise WD-40's manufacturers that some ignorant advertising company is promulgating a highly irresponsible (and in some countries possibly illegal) misuse of their chemicals. less
Such as portable telephones? Bounced into buying a brand new por... moreSuch as portable telephones? Bounced into buying a brand new portable telephone - I need only to make voice calls and text messages, and then briefly and infrequently; I am not one of those teenage girls who spend all day acquiring RSI by tap-tap-tappety-tap on little blocks of plastic. Nor do I believe in walking round supermarkets and into pedestrians by concentrating on shouting at a block of plastic glued to the ear. - I ended up with a nightmarish contraption, an LG something-or-other: the model label is inside, found only by taking the back off and removing the battery.Its text feature is better than the old multi-letter press-buttons, but that's about it....It took me a while to find instructions (see above on identifying it, as I'd lost the packaging), but these revealed the telephone aspect is only peripheral. LG lists it as an application rather than main function.It's also bulky, so less portable than the previous generation, at about twice the area; and surpri... less
I quote from an item on the BT Internet's news service:"Accordin... moreI quote from an item on the BT Internet's news service:"According to NetMarketShare, Windows 7 remains the most popular operating system on PC, with 44.81% of the market share in February 2018. WIndows 10 is slowly increasing but still comes in second with 28.19%. "I do not question the statistics, but does anyone else see the flaw? You will if you are not so taken in by advertising blurb that you fail to realise what is carefully concealed.
A typical board track-game has a single, rigid route of numbered... moreA typical board track-game has a single, rigid route of numbered squares, controlled by die throws, with certain actions given in some squares - e.g. "Snakes & Ladders". One track from start to end even if you must return somewhere, miss a turn or advance N squares, etc. as ordained when landing on those given pointsNow set the game on THREE separate, identically-sized, rectangular boards of 3:2 proportions; EACH marked off into 6 squares by a longitudinal centre-line and two cross-lines at thirds length. Label the boards (for this question on the game's geometry) A, B and C. Label each meeting-point of line and edge, 1 - 6, consistently on all 3 boards so every "port" is unique, A1 to C6.Do that with the individual board in landscape mode; 1 on the left-hand end, number clockwise so the RH end is 4, round to 6 at bottom left. All 3 boards the same apart from identity-letter. The track is drawn on these lines such that when one board is set against the othe... less
I've known MS operating systems since Microsoft-DOS (Disc ... moreI've known MS operating systems since Microsoft-DOS (Disc Operating System) days: I've used DOS, 3.1, 5, NT, XP (I think MS' best), now 7, and have had an unfortunate brush with 10.Also used briefly, a SUN computer giving a half-way house between command-line and windows (not "Windows TM") screens; and my first PC was an Amstrad with CP/M O.S. BTW the windows "graphical user interface" as it was pretentiously called, was IBM's invention, not µSoft's Has MS lost its way with WIN-10 though? -- The home-page of my ISP, BTInternet, always has links to sets of instructions to deal with all sorts of obviously common WIN-10 problems that should be minimal or non-existent if the system was designed, written and tested properly before publication. -- A correspondent on another forum tells me his computer often freezes with the floods of WIN-10 automatic "up-dates" over which the user has no control - to be fair he also said the Internet speed is ver... less
Unless of course you want to buy something!However... Unless&nbs... moreUnless of course you want to buy something!However... Unless the company is Hewlett-Packard and you want to buy their printer cartridges because the blighters have programmed their printers to reject refills and third-party ones. I've tried their sales web-site - it does not work.Definitely though if the printer has suddenly decided to crop randomly, images put into documents; and you'd like the manufacturers' help in putting it right. (This is what inspired me here - I found the HP Printer sites b++++y useless and very patronising, so marked its customer-satisfaction questions one-star only and told 'em so in the 'Comments' box.)Definitely if you wish to solve a service problem with an ISP (BT in my case).Or need help with specialist software that does work, but you can't understand how to use particular features because the officially-written pdf manual doesn't tell you, and the supposed training CD contains curious errors that result in you deleting the exercise it's had yo... less
As a club committee-member preparing for the AGM I took every ca... moreAs a club committee-member preparing for the AGM I took every care to save my Report as a Word document (.doc) so the Secretary and others can collate it with other Officers' Reports. So what did M-Soft do? Only converted it automatically to a b++++y docx image! I can't even edit it, if I wanted to, on my own PC because it's now read-only and in only WordPad. It took me ages to find it because Windows had saved it as a so-called "down-load" even though on the originating PC, and not in my chosen directory and folder. If I want to convert a docx file to a doc format for further editing or collating, I'd have to pay an expensive subscription to Adobe for the converter - I don't trust Adobe anyway because its Flashplayer for a start, never loads properly. Over £30 a month I think, for something I'd need only a few times a year. This was never previously necessary - saved files stayed as you chose, in the folder you chose. It's a scam! less
Answering another question just now, I scrolled down to the ramm... moreAnswering another question just now, I scrolled down to the rammel that infests the bottom of the screen below the AnswerMug window. Among the usual collection of insignificant rhubarb necessary only to fund AM, was this gem I quote as accurately as I can. Below a portrait of a smiling, attractive woman was the caption: "Top Ten Dating Sites In Abbotsbury"Abbotsbury is a village in West Dorset (England), famous for its Swannery; but whether it is the dating capital of Britain, I cannot say.Who the Hell designs these advertisements? less
I'd not heard Breitbart (sounds German) until a guest on today's... moreI'd not heard Breitbart (sounds German) until a guest on today's BBC Radio 3's Private Passions briefly mentioned being viciously attacked by this "outfit" he called it, after he had given a lecture by invitation on the International Law aspects of climate-change, to the UK's Supreme Court.Our Supreme Court is the UK's top appeals court. It is not the same as the US one although misleadingly copying the name, and until recently was The Law Lords, judges also sitting in an advisory capacity in the House of Lords, but separated fairly recently for clearer separation between Parliament and Judiciary. Cases that reach that high, beyond Appeal Court level, may well test the Statute Law as well as the facts of the individual case. Further of course, these lawyers may have to advise Parliament on international law: the UK is a signatory to and active in, an enormous number and range of treaties, organisations and agreements. The guest was the British barrister Philippe Sands, a leading expert o... less
I need to establish if one particular UK agent for a particular ... moreI need to establish if one particular UK agent for a particular software company, is still trading.I tried to e-post to him a simple sales question, but it bounced, and I can't determine if that means the address no longer exists.I need only to ask the software firm itself two basic questions: "Is ...... still one of your UK agents; if so is the e-post address I'd used, current?"You'd think they be pleased to help what might mean another sale, but no... Customers do not matter to the IT trade beyond the purchases. After that you're on your own and if you have problems with the quality of the goods or services, or you need technical advice ... tough.I have tried the publisher's own web-site but it carries no contact details whatsoever. Lots of product ads; but no phone number, no e-mail address, no postal address. Instead, as with so many other IT and telecomms firms, it fobs you off with a list of set technical questions and a supposed "users' forum" (these admit... less
I've had problems with e-posted 'Word' and 'Excel' files being c... moreI've had problems with e-posted 'Word' and 'Excel' files being converted to a strange default file-type signified by an 'x' after the normal suffix. These are locked, un-useable images.I need occasionally to collate reports etc to help me at a club's committee meetings. These arrive as e-post attachments from different people so in a mixture of styles, software editions and files, but I want to put them in one neat style in one document I can print and archive properly. Today I tried to save two, both .pdf files so images unreliable to print, and difficult or impossible to edit, place in or render compatible with, proper documents.However, whatever handles pdf files offers saving them in several other forms including ".doc", even offering British rather than US English, though that would not have mattered there. Only, the "Convert" button merely opens a sales page expecting me to pay £££/month to subscribe to an outfit called Adobe for what should be a basic MS-"Wi... less
Come on someone, put me out of my misery! Well, all right, ... moreCome on someone, put me out of my misery! Well, all right, it's not that dramatic and certainly not serious. I'm just intrigued, in a totally light-hearted way.So:What on Earth is that Sandra & Woo cartoon at the head of the page about?We see a young woman who, to use the correct, modern Claire in the Community lingo, seems to suffer from Acute Species Dysphoria; and her boyfriend, a nut-cake addict who believes he can cast magic spells with ordinary cutlery. I hope the so-called "religious right" don't get him - you know, the supposedly-grown-ups who had severe attacks of the vapours over the children's Harry Potter stories. Go on - I don't get the joke! Does it refer to an American children's game or something?:-)))PS: Claire in the Community: a BBC Radio Four situation-comedy that started as, and still is, a newspaper cartoon strip, about a team of urban social-workers and their own personal problems, sorry, "issues". Claire is the team-leader who prissily spouts all the rig... less
Like many sites this is partly supported by companies placing ad... moreLike many sites this is partly supported by companies placing advertisements in the margins of the Home and other pages. Some are eerily local to you as user: one waffles about " Opticians... " apparently threatened by some technical development in their trade. I saw one regularly on EP, telling me things like "Sarah lives four miles from you" - it was a lie of course, but it opened a dating-site that showed it knew roughly I live, within perhaps 50 miles anyway. The advertising-agencies use your approximate location bought or gleaned from the web-site. One though, advertised a "Simple trick to see if you've ever had PPI" (Payment Protection Insurance, usually for mortgages.) I know I do not, and when I did I was not a victim of a miss-selling racket the banks ran for a while, but I selected it out of curiosity. My security software 'Bulldog' promptly leapt up, snarled at it as dangerous, and blocked it.Possibly, Bulldog is very wary of anything mentioning money on non-https web-sites ev... less
What's happened to the location in the profiles? The profile for... moreWhat's happened to the location in the profiles? The profile form asks for it but it no longer appears on the public information part. Or have I missed something?
E-posted notifications. These used to have direct links to AM - ... moreE-posted notifications. These used to have direct links to AM - you still had to sign in but at least the links worked. They no longer work. The most recent was from Just Asking, and reads "Click here to reply / profile / 145." It is not a link, and I have not been able to find the message on Am itself.The message does not tell me how to find "/profile/145". It does not tell me whose profile. Why have those links been cut and why do notifications still carry an instruction to use them?Member IndexThe list is and always was purely random by default, but offered Aphabetical and Recent sorting options. You could find individuals on the Membership list by choosing "Alphabetical", estimating which page number carrying the name, then homing in from there by the page-number arrows. Why have these index options been removed?
X less
A week later, but Thank You!Actually the English used to have a ... moreA week later, but Thank You!Actually the English used to have a similar reputation with languages but increasing overseas business and social travel, and immigration from so many different countries, has largely broken that insularity down. Living physically very close to several countries with very different languages helps, too. The French coast is only about 70 miles South from my home, and a mere 20 miles at the shortest (across the Straits of Dover). Across the North Sea, to the East, are Belgium, Holland, Germany and a bit more remotely, Sweden and Norway. Spain and Portugal are a bit further away, as are Finland, Russia and the Baltic States; though most visitors fly there or use cruise ships. What is noticeable that although English is perhaps the most widely-spoken of the world's languages by nations rather than populations; it's often American English and with affected American accents, even by people from countries that dislike the USA or American culture on pr... less
This has made me think of something I observed in a series... moreThis has made me think of something I observed in a series of about 10 trips to Norway, spread over 20 - 30 years, with the last in 2013.Until the direct ferry service from England to Norway stopped c.2010, our route North from Bergen took us along Sognfjord then up and over the Turtagro pass which as I recall, lies at about 1500m altitude, in the Jotunheimen range. (Sorry - I don't think I can use here, the correct letters for one or two of the vowels.)That pass used to be on the snow-line, and was usually closed in Winter. Spring snow-ploughing left road-side snow-cliffs perhaps 3m high, with dirt-layers counting years. In the last few years of our visits these had gone; the numerous, small roadside lakes and pools no longer had ice-floes; and the snow-fields' lower edges were now significantly higher up the slopes. less
Don't think only of what you have in your home. The Internet and... moreDon't think only of what you have in your home. The Internet and the huge corporations that have taken it over, rely on enormous servers that consume vast amounts of electricity, both directly by the electronics, and in the industrial-scale air-conditioning needed to keep them cool.Don't become fixated on "plastics" either. The plastic case of your computer, phone or whatever is not a problem, apart from helping deplete the world's petroleum resources. The real problem is the waste of metals - some of them rare-earths - by users throwing electronic items away as ordinary refuse destined for land-fill. And I wonder how many of those rejected goods are perfectly serviceable but considered "out of date" or something similarly spurious? less
Hard to know in the British Isles because the climate is still f... moreHard to know in the British Isles because the climate is still fairly moderate anyway, and a full assessment really needs what we do not have: accurate records going back for at least a millennium! (Though we do know rather anecdotally that there were warmer times 2000 years ago, a very cold spell in the Middle Ages; and more accurately, another cold spell in the 19C.)Even so, the last few decades, which I admit is not a fair time-span, seem to have been marked by slightly milder Winters and a sort of blurring of the seasons.We seem also to be having more short-term bouts of (relatively) extreme weather, such as the last week's rains that have brought serious floods to parts of the English Midlands.A big problem is the fallibility of the human memory, which tends to focus on the unusual or bad without putting them in historical or chronological context or proportion. Hence my comment about proper records. less
Science and scripture neither prove nor disprove each other beca... moreScience and scripture neither prove nor disprove each other because they do very different things.Irrespective of the existence or otherwise of any creative deity, any faith's scripture simply details its founders' religious ideas. How closely you follow those ideas is a matter of personal preference.You can believe in a god driving it all, but that simply asks "Who Makes It Happen"? - and obviously assumes a supernatural entity does, so considers the nature of that entity and how you might worship it. Science asks instead "How Does It Happen, And When?" - ignoring whether by any such entity. For obvious practical and social reasons, science does not and cannot try to "prove" any given faith's scriptures. Nor can or should religion try to prove science, because that is not its purpose and whilst you can still believe in a creative deity while understanding the science, any attempt to make them fit each other is likely only to result in an unholy mess that serves neither! First... less
I see! Well, you are more or a linguist than me.I don't know wha... moreI see! Well, you are more or a linguist than me.I don't know what sort of proportion of Britons do have a second language but we were all taught French at school, and some learnt other languages too, such as German. Foreign holidays have always been popular with us because we live so close to the European continent, with ferry and the Channel Tunnel links. In the last few decades British holidaymakers have ventured much further abroad: Americas North and South, Canada, the far East and so on.Consequently many Britons probably have a smattering of words, if only enough of the etiquette words, a few key phrases and an idea of numbers, to get by. The hosts do appreciate your efforts, even if they can speak English a lot better than you can speak their language.My girl-friend and I used a small convenience store in a rural town in the French Pyrenees, where there is a strong Basque or similar presence. We noticed the young man at the till chatted happily in that local language to one custome... less
I'd have thought that designing them to work within the hom... moreI'd have thought that designing them to work within the home even during a power-cut would be a fundamental principle!Their purpose is to supply the home first, entirely alone or with mains help depending on demand and solar-panel output at the time. Feeding the national grid is secondary, and generally when the system is generating more electricity than the home is using.Hence the battery packs, even if only to run what is really needed during a power-cut (lighting and fridges, mainly). less
I don't think there is much difference between an amoeba and a b... moreI don't think there is much difference between an amoeba and a bacterium except in size and possibly motility (though some bacteria can move by a flagellum). Both will react to stimuli but being single-celled, neither can be said to have a brain.I'll let you decide where that leaves Lindsay Graham, a name unknown to me anyway....
"Guessing" and "allegedly" are not facts. The problem is that an... more"Guessing" and "allegedly" are not facts. The problem is that anyone friendly with a sex-offender risks being suspected of the same. Also it would be very hard or even impossible for the British Royal Family to suppress a scandal, because it does not have that sort of power and attempting to assume it would create far more trouble than the original matter. Its members are not above the law either - Princess Anne collected one or two speeding fines in her younger days, and the Duke of Edinburgh escaped being charged after his recent motoring accident probably because he immediately surrendered his driving-licence. (He would otherwise most likely have been fined and had his licence endorsed, but not actually banned.)However, those are relatively low-key offences. It is dangerous for anyone in the public eye, no matter how innocent personally, to become too friendly with people who have had previous convictions for particularly unpleasant, deeply anti-social, serious crimes._+++BTW, I wonder if anyone els... less
LOL!Even if tries it, I can't imagine Italy will take much notic... moreLOL!Even if tries it, I can't imagine Italy will take much notice. If they do, they will probably only tell him to shut up. (What's the Italian for 'Please'?).After all, the UK Press all reported on Trump's comments on British politics recently - after a few days of waffle, everyone settled down and forgot about his silly interference.
Sodium and Calcium Hypochlorites are both common base chemicals ... moreSodium and Calcium Hypochlorites are both common base chemicals for bleach and disinfectant. They are used for many purposes depending on dose rates and dilutions; and any additives to them such as surfactants and gelling agents: cleaning floors, sterilising water for drinking, sterilising babies' feeding-bottles, treating swimming-pools*. I don't know the case in question so I am puzzled how that incident happened. Was it actually the bleach itself in some strange way, or did someone manage to mix it with an acid, resulting in a reaction that liberates chlorine gas? If it was due to a disinfected food container or drink dispenser not being rinsed properly, I'd have thought the contamination immediately apparent by a very unpleasant taste even at very low concentrations, so you would instinctively not drink enough to be harmed even if it made you vomit.'Nice Jugs refers to buying sulphuric acid ( I always use British spellings) over the counter. I'm not sure it's as easy as it was, in t... less
There have been many. Stalin and Mao spring to immediate mi... moreThere have been many. Stalin and Mao spring to immediate mind. (Mao, BTW, not Tse-Tung, because in the Chinese tradition the family name precedes the individual name.)Those two ruled for life.
AH-HAH!. Thank you Tom and Slatibartfast!That clarifies it. The ... moreAH-HAH!. Thank you Tom and Slatibartfast!That clarifies it. The original quote missed that vital qualification!
Thank you for the compliments, Rosie!I've always had an interest... moreThank you for the compliments, Rosie!I've always had an interest and enquiring mind in anything of science and engineering. Some of that answer was what I'd learnt at school, but most I've picked up from various books and places over the years.On the other hand ask me anything about sports and entertainments and I'd most likely be lost - I was never very interested in sports and a lot of entertainments and their stars.Also, if I hear or read anything technical or statistical in the News I think immediately, is that accurate? I trust most of the reports I use but though they are generally reporting accurately, they can only relay what they have been told, so sometimes it's the journalist's sources I question. Having said that, a lot of journalists do not really understand such things and skew the matters by bad reporting rather than deliberate distortion. Where di you learn those languages, especially Armenian? less
Whoever actually "admitted" it, I'd be very surprised if it was ... moreWhoever actually "admitted" it, I'd be very surprised if it was NASA, unless talking about something very specific not mentioned above!Forty-two years old, still in active service without maintenance, and still sending back information... Voyager Two, now following her Voyager One sister on their solo ways into inter-stellar space within the Milky Way, rather than as "just" passengers with the Solar System.I find it an impressive feat, and rather moving. A wonderful tribute to the scientists and engineers who designed and built these two probes and their launching-rockets, and navigated and tracked them across and out of the Solar System. less
I followed your lead - I cut and pasted the text - and this also... moreI followed your lead - I cut and pasted the text - and this also answered why no 'A' cells either.It seem there were but like the 'B' size is now largely out of use, or limited to special applications. The B cell was apparently once used in portable radios using valves (pre transistor days).I can't recall their designations but I have not seen the once-common, larger size of rectangular 9V-battery for a long time. They were often used in portable transistor radios. The small version (PP 9 I think) is still plentiful, used typically in smoke-alarms.I have a compact l.e.d, head-lamp which can take a so-called "camera battery", designated CR17345 or 123 depending which bit of the label you read. This is of AA diameter but about 2/3 its length; and 3V instead of 1.5. An extension-tube allows using a standard AA cell with some loss of light output - but cheaper! less
Zuckerberg you mean?I don't know his politics but he has come ov... moreZuckerberg you mean?I don't know his politics but he has come over as arrogant - or a coward.The UK's Parliament wanted him to attend an all-party Parliamentary Select Committee investigating some aspects of social media, but he refused out of hand. He did attend a similar Committee organised by the European Parliament, but I don't think they managed to get anything very useful from him.Perhaps he knew that a PSC treats you civilly but consists of very bright Members of Parliament, probably with relevant professional knowledge for the particular committee's work, and they don't stand for any nonsense. It is not a Court of Law, but an information inquiry designed to help the Government and Parliament understand some problem of the time. A lot of people who might not have broken the law but were certainly close to it, have shown themselves up when quizzed by a PSC, publicly too as the hearing is normally open to journalists. So perhaps Mr. Z. wanted to avoid embarrassment! I think I agree - it... less
OK Rosie, I'll explain it.Coal is not used to fuel modern manufa... moreOK Rosie, I'll explain it.Coal is not used to fuel modern manufacturing plants, and is used a lot less for domestic heating, but it can be distilled by heating it in a closed vessel called a retort.That drives off the tar, gas and sulphur compound it contains and leaves coke, which is nearly pure carbon.Coke used to be used a lot as aheating fuel because if used in a properly-designed stove, it burns very slowly but gives off a great deal of heat.Coke's modern, main use is used in smelting iron-ore, i.e. chemically reducing the ore to iron. Iron ore is iron oxide (rust!), and in the fierce heat of a blast-furnace the carbon is not just the fuel, but it reacts with the ore to transfer the oxygen from that to itself, turning the carbon to carbon-dioxide.Iron is the base material for steel, and is also used as iron, in certain modified forms. Pure iron has particular magnetic properties that make it ideal for concentrating the magnetic field in electrical generators, transformers and motors. Cast-ir... less
Thank you!Coal can be burnt very efficiently and cleanly, in ele... moreThank you!Coal can be burnt very efficiently and cleanly, in electricity power-stations; but the exhaust gases and still mainly carbon-dioxide and water-vapour.The sulphur dioxide it can emit, depending a lot on the nature of the actual coal used, is responsible for the pollution called "acid rain". It was found to be the cause of trees in Scandinavia dying, having drifted with the prevailing Westerly winds across the North Sea, from power-stations in Britain. The problem was solved by installing equipment in which the flue-gasses pass through wet limestone. The water dissolves the SO2 to form sulphuric acid, which in turn reacts with the rock's calcium carbonate to form calcium sulphate, which occurs naturally as the rock Gypsum, useful as it is the base material for plaster.Of course, this also means having to quarry, crush and transport limestone as well as coal to the power-stations.====There is one use for coal that all the climate-change debate appears to miss (probably because most politici... less
I cannot remember when I last chewed gum. I know it was decades ... moreI cannot remember when I last chewed gum. I know it was decades ago! Yes, it is a horrible habit.'One British gum-maker used to advertise it in magazines, with a drawing of smartly-dressed people in some high-falutin' business or social setting, captioned, Certainly not.... Below that, a second drawing showed the men from the first, outdoors, usually on a golf-course or game-bird shoot. Its caption was ... But here,then the sentence continued in small print, to praise the alleged benefits of using the product in such a setting. Both drawings gave an air of supposed sophistication, and the tree-sap chewers were always men, never women. less
I don't see how it would be feasible, technically, commerci... moreI don't see how it would be feasible, technically, commercially or in personnel. For a start the world is trying to turn away from burning coal anyway.However....An open-cast pit that has not been back-filled and built over could be re-instated fairly easily.A deep colliery would be very difficult and expensive to re-open. It would be flooded up the local water-table with vast volumes of water all needing to be pumped out and disposed of without environmental harm. Any equipment abandoned down there would be useless and have to be removed and replaced with new. Even the last active areas could well have caved in. (The rock strata sandwiching coal seams are not at all strong and coherent - or "competent" as geologists describe it.) Sinking a new mine anywhere into the same seams near such workings would be at risk of flooding from the old, especially if it strays into areas not well mapped. A break-though into a water-filled mine would be catastrophic for the miners, let a... less
'Fraid so, Rosie; at least it is when it comes to the IT trade. ... more'Fraid so, Rosie; at least it is when it comes to the IT trade. Facebook is a business, not a public service. The social linking service is indeed for its users' benefit, but its real clients are advertising-agencies, supermarkets and major on-line retailers. They buy advertising-space on web-sites, but they also buy users' details so as to send them so-called "personalised" advertising - a concept as ugly as that adjective.(They are not alone. Supermarkets' so-called "loyalty" cards are for their benefit, not yours, and I refuse to have them. Some have also encouraged the development of something that might not have started, direct and instant advertising by phone message. It would read your phone's location and if you are close to the shop, automatically send a message telling you what's on offer that it decides from your purchasing history, would tempt you.)If Zuckerberg is a Republican and biases his site to that party, that would mean him censoring the Democrats or other r... less
The most common and widespread destructive events are proba... moreThe most common and widespread destructive events are probably storms, which can bring several effects.Severe earthquakes such as those affecting California and Japan, are concentrated in particular parts of the world, especially around the Pacific Ocean coasts.We are not in a "protected spot" in the Universe at all. We are too near to a middle-aged star for that - but if we were further away we would be too cold for life.The Earth is being bombarded with natural space debris (dust grains) but most of it is so small it burns up in the atmosphere, as you sometimes see as meteors. It is also bombarded with ionising radiation from the Sun, but most of that, especially at the highest and most dangerous frequencies, is blocked by the upper atmosphere. One effect is the aurorae, light emitted by charged particles from the Sun interacting with the Earth's magnetic field at very high altitudes.I can't see us being able to control the winds, but if we could it would risk serious uninten... less
Thank you for raising this. The UK news tends to concentrat... moreThank you for raising this. The UK news tends to concentrate on natural disasters in America and some tropical countries, but little else.
I am no expert on the deeper levels o f computing - I use it but... moreI am no expert on the deeper levels o f computing - I use it but that's about all.Some of the changes made by firms like Microsoft allow for developments by the electronics designers, so might need altering to be compatible technically; but they also bloat the software with ever fancier and gimmick-ridden presentations while cutting back on anything of practical use.Perhaps worst, they work on "It's not broken so let's break it then fix it" - and fix it so it's harder to use and won't run older files. less
A correspondent on another forum told me the power company wante... moreA correspondent on another forum told me the power company wanted to trim trees that are too close to power lines but were prevented from doing so by environmental campaigners; apparently by legal action, not physical interference.I don't know if that is true, but if so I wonder if the campaigners have spotted the irony?
I can only echo SpunkySenior's thoughts for the Californians los... moreI can only echo SpunkySenior's thoughts for the Californians losing their homes, farms, etc.Like Spunky, I live in a fairly benign area, the SW coast of England, where the worst we see are severe storms and very rarely, blizzards. The storms are often enough to cause isolated structural damage, and block roads and railways with fallen trees. (I was caught out by a blown-down tree only yesterday, forcing a detour of several miles.) Drought is the more serious problem, and it does not need unusually high temperatures for droughts; just no rain for too long.In early 1963, Southern England was hit by powerful and particularly large blizzards, causing serious disruption over a huge area. Sadly, two people died in a car trapped in drifts only a few miles outside the town; overcome by exhaust fumes from having the engine running for heat.Inland, some areas of England are prone to flooding from rivers. In one or two of the worst and most often affected, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (a marine-re... less
It would depend how high above the sea you are, not how far back... moreIt would depend how high above the sea you are, not how far back from it; but the difficulty is that rising sea-levels mean the coast becomes eroded back more rapidly, in a sort of balancing act. In some places, including I think one or two parts of Eastern England, the authorities have had to accept that "managed retreat" is the only sensible option, even without any significant sea-level rise, because the cliffs are not very high but are of very soft, friable rocks. There comes a point where building sea-defences only delays the inevitable.If you live on a coast with high cliffs in very strong rocks, the rising sea would take a very long time to cut the cliff back, so would affect mainly only those buildings or installations (harbours etc.) actually below the cliffs.If you live on an estuary backed by very low land, the sea might not reach that flood-plain, but because the overall base-level has risen the mean level of the river rises to compensate, so riverine flooding becomes more frequen... less
Mark Zuckerberg's published reason for not banning political adv... moreMark Zuckerberg's published reason for not banning political advertisements because that would be censorship, is disingenuous to say the least.It would be censorship, or bias, if FB banned one party but not its rival.Banning all fairly and evenly, is not censorship.Far more likely, it's just a matter of money. FB makes a huge amount of money from advertising fees, including those from political campaigns.
In theory, in Space and safely away from a planet's or star's gr... moreIn theory, in Space and safely away from a planet's or star's gravitational field, you could as Nice Jugs says, accelerate an object indefinitely. Well, to be accurate, to the speed of light, which is the Universe's speed-limit. It would not disintegrate because every part of it is moving together.However, "in theory" because acceleration needs a constant energy source. If that stopped in mid-flight the object would continue but at the speed reached when the "engine" stopped; until affected by something in or near its path.It is hypothesised that anything that fell onto a black hole would be torn apart as it approaches the dead star forming the "hole", but that and the falling object's speed there, are effects of the black hole's own, extremely powerful gravity. less
It was unusual, that Norwegian fire, but it was not quite in the... moreIt was unusual, that Norwegian fire, but it was not quite in the dead of Winter. My pen-friend lives on the West Norwegian coast, where the Autumn weather is more often cold and wet before the frost and snow arrives.I can't see how arson as you suggest would help anyone. Recently I read an article from 2017, in the Journal of the Royal Geographical Society, that said the Western States had been seeing more, and more frequent strong, dry, cold winds from the North West. Have you noticed this where you are, or via news and weather reports? less
I accept as you say it being your opinion, but I don't understan... moreI accept as you say it being your opinion, but I don't understand why you insist they are dangerous - even ignoring that anyway it's not the roads but drivers who are dangerous.There must be very many thousands of roundabouts all over the UK, many built a long time ago; from Motorway junctions with the "ordinary" roads (the r'bout itself is formed by bridges above or below the motorway, not of course, on it), via joining dual- and single-carriageway A-class roads, down to small "mini-roundabouts" comprised of a low, white-painted hump on the asphalt in town-centres and housing estates.There is a definite technique, taught by driving-schools and advanced-driving courses, for negotiating them; but if roundabouts were genuinely as dangerous as you claim they would be the site for the majority of road accidents, and would have been replaced decades ago.Driving on any road is hazardous, but excessive speed, reckless over-taking and pulling out of side-roads without looking, are among the main caus... less
I intend hanging on to WIN 7 as long as I can. I have another co... moreI intend hanging on to WIN 7 as long as I can. I have another computer, isolated from the Internet, loaded with XP .Microsoft is driven by two things only - money and power.
From all the night driving I've done, I'd say the forgetfulness ... moreFrom all the night driving I've done, I'd say the forgetfulness is usually the other way round and single-way: forgetting to dip the lights when approaching another vehicle, but often reverting to full beam too early. So having dazzled the other driver by not dipping your ultra-intense lamps until only quarter of a mile away, you then blast his peripheral vision with a bright flash as you pass! In fact I can't see how you could forget to put the main beams on in full darkness with no traffic approaching, because the difference between dipped and full is so great.I deliberately do not revert to full beam until a little past the other, so I can see if another car is approaching by the glow even if around a bend, but have unfortunately sometimes dipped late. Occasionally that's when taken by surprise thanks to the other's lights being hidden beyond a local summit or blind bend, but it might be an early sign of tiredness: not good. In fact driving when too tired is now illegal, so it's a sign to ... less
They were not invented in the days of horse-drawn wagons, but we... moreThey were not invented in the days of horse-drawn wagons, but well after cars and lorries became the norm and the lingering equine traffic was already obsolete.You might consider them dangerous but there is no objective reason why they should be more hazardous than an ordinary cross-roads, and that is on major roads too, not minor ones. Some can be confusing by having several exits and poor lane marking easily hidden by other vehicles, especially when at least one of the roads is a dual-carriageway. A few are over-complicated (one notorious example, in the English town of Swindon, soon became called "The Magic Roundabout"!). Generally though, they are far safer than plain junctions, because you round them or give way in one set direction. My commuting route involved 6 full main-road roundabouts plus a smaller "mini-roundabout". I never found them a problem. In 2012, two were replaced by traffic-lights with short dual-queue lanes, allegedly to suit "The Olympics" by allowing manual control.&n... less
The matter is too serious for clowns like Greater Thunderbolt an... moreThe matter is too serious for clowns like Greater Thunderbolt and the Extinct Rebels.I am fed up with hearing the Press and politicians pay so much attention to that over-virtuous Swedish lass, instead of the professional scientists and engineers who actually know energy from power, heat from temperature, etc;, and why clichés like "zero carbon" and "renewable energy" are silly.Aunty Greta is NOT a scientist or engineer. Just a naive, set-up teenager no-one dare tell to shut up, go home and start to study science; and not come back until she has gained a serious reputation with a slew of peer-reviewed papers on her specialist subject, be it Quaternary Climate Oscillations, Anthropological Influences on Present Climate and Weather Systems, or The Marine and Engineering Hydrodynamics of Tidal Turbines for Electricity Generation. less
Glass and ceramics are the longest-lasting materials, and are su... moreGlass and ceramics are the longest-lasting materials, and are sufficiently inert to be safe in the soil or the sea. They are anyway made from natural minerals. Glass is only fused sand (silica); ceramics are fused clays so are metal-silicates, but their metals are chemically locked up very firmly. These are followed by certain metals, depending partly on the conditions.Plastics in general covers a huge range of materials, and most have not really been around for long enough to know if or how they degrade fully in all conditions. Especially so for the thermo-setting plastics and the synthetic resins, though some degrade slowly in sunlight.I recall reading in a book about the church, when Sir Basil Spence designed the new Coventry Cathedral (in the 1950s I think) he wanted to stand certain of the interior columns on glass spheres. However, the manufacturers could not give a 500-year guarantee! less
The smarter way is for the system to be overhauled and made more... moreThe smarter way is for the system to be overhauled and made more resistant to the weather!I have not heard of anything like it happening in the UK, but a couple of years ago my pen-friend in Norway told me they had fires in December, set by electricity lines breaking under the weight of accumulated ice, and sparking on grass and heather dry from an unusual Autumn drought.
Tried it. A disaster. Hated it. Rejected ... moreTried it. A disaster. Hated it. Rejected it.I'd bought a new computer with WIN 7 Pro installed - the one I am using now. About a year after purchase, MS introduced WIN 10, with all the hype you'd expect, including offering it for free for quite a long time.Eventually I tried it, but was careful to use the small, discreet "Custom Install" mode rather than the big glaring "INSTALL NOW" or similar, which installs software giving Microsoft basically open access to your computer, or your use of it. I'm not sure which.I was not impressed.Shallow, gimmicky, scrappy presentation. Nothing obvious so hard to find. No decent editions of the applications (Word, Excel, etc.)Worse, it deleted all my web-site registrations, about 7 or 8 of them I think.Its only improvement was a better photo-filing system, allowing thumb-nails so avoiding needing 'Review'.Luckily MS offered a reversion option so I followed that to re-install WIN 7 (I wonder if the only significant differences were in scree... less
Once needed 11 stiches in my hand, sliced by a jagged bean-tin e... moreOnce needed 11 stiches in my hand, sliced by a jagged bean-tin edge when I was trying to open it with a worn-out can-opener.One place I am VERY careful is in my workshop though. One or two of my machines would have your fingers off and eat them for breakfast before you can say Oops!, if you are careless with them.I had an angle-grinder pull itself out my hands when the disc caught on the edge of the steelwork I was cutting up. That was frightening, and the smaller type, not the big ones builders use for cutting paving-slabs. I have used one of those larger ones, once, but never wanted to use one since. They are big and heavy, very powerful brutes for use held in the hands. less
Caving - though arthritis then knee replacements have now limite... moreCaving - though arthritis then knee replacements have now limited me considerably. I used to enjoy walking too but this has also become very constrained.Model-engineering.A bit of pottering about in the garden, which certainly won't win Royal Horticultural Society awards!'Internet? This is my only "social media " site though I use discussion and information sites dedicated to my hobbies. I refuse Facebook, Twitter, Whatsapp etc., outright. Watching the television...? Easy - I have no television!
Caving, though I can still manage modest trips. Arthritis then h... moreCaving, though I can still manage modest trips. Arthritis then having both knees replaced so I can't kneel fully folded any more, plus general loss of suppleness, means I can no longer negotiate awkward crawls or squeezes easily, or short climbs safely.
Beaches tend to be nude unless covered with washed-up sea-weed a... moreBeaches tend to be nude unless covered with washed-up sea-weed after a storm...Oh sorry, you mean the people on the beach!Right, to respect Element by answering the question properly.....Yes, I would feel comfortable, because I'd be going there to be nude anyway. (There is an unofficial clothing-optional beach a few miles from home, and I used to visit it fairly regularly on Summer afternoons after work.)
This post was edited by Durdle at October 14, 2019 3:32 PM MDT
I don't know how many were already on mine when new, but it kept... moreI don't know how many were already on mine when new, but it kept displaying messages about "New 'apps' ready for down-loading now".As they did not tell me what they were, I ignored the messages. I do not accept unsolicited software of unknown type and purpose; be it by portable telephone or broadband. Within months after buying what was my first and had become my last so-called "smart" 'phone, I took it out of service and eventually managed to sell it.
The way he's going, no-one will trust Donald Trump - friend... moreThe way he's going, no-one will trust Donald Trump - friend or foe.I know what you mean by "no heart and soul", but he seems to have little grasp on reality either.
Errrrr... Other people?Anyway, it is alleged that the instr... moreErrrrr... Other people?Anyway, it is alleged that the instrument is meant to be a Telephone (The clue is in the name! :-)."pre-loaded "apps" ". Can you remove them or are they locked in place?
The so-called "smart" 'phone I owned for a few months was so dif... moreThe so-called "smart" 'phone I owned for a few months was so difficult to use I had to search the Internet for instructions that might tell me something useful. They did - but also regarded the telephone part of it almost as an accessory rather than primary role!
Vladimir may well be pleased, but I wonder if this time the swee... moreVladimir may well be pleased, but I wonder if this time the sweet nothings are actually from Ankara. After all, a NATO country like Turkey might want to buy arms from the country that runs NATO, America.... even if to use against the Kurds who were on the same side as America, in fighting ISIS. If so though, we have an odd situation where the Russian Federation is fighting alongside forces from another state that is also semi-Fascist, against the Kurds whom Turkey calls "terrorists", while belonging to an organisation it (the RF) distrusts and which is run by a democratic nation whose President seems to like anyone who does not like democracy. less
Is that an admission the condition of their equipment is general... moreIs that an admission the condition of their equipment is generally so poor it can't withstand winds that are probably not unusually strong for the region, then?
No, I don't think it does at all.What counts is how the developm... moreNo, I don't think it does at all.What counts is how the developments are used, and 'twere ever so.It is true that you can at least partially mask lack of genuine talent with, for example, pitch-correctors, artificial reverberation and sampling; but if treated properly most other new inventions add to the aural pallet available to composers. They always did.Many of the so-called, and indeed actual, Classical composers were not slow in exploiting newly-invented instruments and improvements to existing ones. I think it was Haydn, for example, who wrote a concerto for the inventor of the new-fangled valved trumpet.I believe Richard Wagner went one better, by inventing a variant of the horn to give a particular timbre to some of his operatic parts.In the 20C, the development of good-quality amplification meant music-hall and cabaret singers no longer had to bawl their heads off, but sing in a natural voice. This was paralleled by improving studio equipment and recording quality. Bing Crosby w... less
StrictChristianParenting
Why does correcting have to be by violence? And if that's a quote, no, I don't accept the say-so of unknown Late Bronze Age tribal elders!
September 1, 2016
tate99
Greetings Tate99 from a fellow Briton (S> Dorset) and nudist!
Best Wishes,
Durdle.
July 29, 2016
MistyGoddess
Welcome to AM - and to a goodly number of us interested in spanking whether we advocate or oppose it in reality or think it best kept as a game for consenting adults!
Best Wishes,
Durdle
(also in UK)
July 29, 2016
timothy in London
Thank you for the compliment, Timothys Knickers. I should say I am not a full cross-dresser but like occasionally to wear a nightdress or miniskirt, at home only. Much of the time, if warm enough, I like to be nude or nearly so.
Best Wishes,
Durdle.
May 17, 2016
Capes
Hello Capes.
Welcome to Answer Mug!
Durdle here: 64 nearly, also a Briton (in Dorset), here similarly.
My profile groups list gives you some idea of me but I am happy to chat on many other topics too if they interest me and I feel I know enough about the topic. I will add that despite the implications I don't like the idea of spanking children, especially with any weapon, but feel the traditional spanking has a place for adults, as long as it's consensual!
Best Wishes,
Durdle.
July 30, 2016
VPLUK
I don't even try to look convincing - I don't cross-dress often and than only partly, in the home. liking the feel of the garments. Sometimes sleep in a nightie.
July 29, 2016
Marc
Not so much a comment as a question, Marc. I am uneasy to say the least about spanking children but what of adults feeling they need similar punishments in a therapeutic way?
July 29, 2016
harbourboy
Hi Harbourboy.
Welcome... come on then, elucidate on your specialist subjects!
Best Wishes,
Durdle.
July 30, 2016
Steve Tomms
Hello Steve.
UK too - Dorset in fact. And like to be nude or, occasionally, in panties.
As for human behaviour - yes, I agree it is fascinating... and bewildering at times, frustrating at others, but never the same twice!
Best Wishes,
Durdle.
September 16, 2016
Uncle UK
Welcome to AM, Dominic, as one of the rather few fellow-Britons on here (I live in South of England). I am not sure about the spanking of children, though I've nothing against adults being spanked if they wish, erotically or as therapeutic punishment.
Regards,
Durdle.
September 6, 2016
NudiSuzie
Hello NudieSuzie.
Thankyou - would love to be your friend!
Best Wishes,
Durdle.
August 31, 2016
Tawser22
What's your take on adult, consensual, spanking?
September 9, 2016
RB1954
May I ask, what is your take on adult, consensual spanking, e.g. in a "DD" relationship or as a sort of punitive therapy?
September 9, 2016
harry
Hello Harry.
Greetings from Dorset!
Lubrication by Beer - definitely. Naturism - Oh yes. Spanking - well, I don't support genuine CP but have been fascinated by it since boyhood, and later by the adult-fun variety.
Chatting - I can be chatty!
Best Wishes,
Durdle
July 28, 2016
french_delph
Hello French_Delph.
I don't favour spanking children but if it must be done I think it must be by hand only, and only enough to make the point. Am interested in spanking generally and think it has a place for adults who feel they need a little discipline and punishment.
Best Wishes,
Durdle.
July 30, 2016
fatherfigure
I'm probably of similar age to you then, my fascination with spanking goes back to boyhood but no I don't think the world would be better for beating children! And yet...
Adult, consensual spanking - fine, and it's odd that now I feel I ought receive the occasional, belated spanking, firm hand not weapon, I did not receive and would not have wanted in boyhood, for immature failings I believe originated at that time!
Best Wishes,
Durdle
July 29, 2016
Legion
Hi Legion!
I reckon your Miss Hamilton might have done me some good! (Doubtless others too!)
Cheers,
Durdle
July 30, 2016
Michael
18 and 20. Adults, with the full choice of protection from assault by law.
September 1, 2016
Stonehenge43
Hello Stonehenge.
Welcome! I'm 64 and an ex-EP user but left it when parts of it started to become really sleazy or stupid. My profile gives a fir idea but I'm happy to chat about a wide range of subjects in which I am interested or can give reasonably knowledgeable facts or opinions.
You mention Adultmug. I know what you mean. I ignore the worst, some of which I find unpleasant, but do dip into some of the other threads on it. I'm slightly bi and interested in nudity and adult-consensual spanking, so am not quite a shrinking violet.
I did make one or two penfriendships (e-mail) from EP but they've fizzled out, thanks to losses in house moves, changes of computer and perhaps laziness by me!
How about you? Your interests, music etc?
Best Wishes,
Durdle. (after Durdle Door).
July 30, 2016
Eva amirhom
A sad story, Eva. Yes, you were wrong to do what you did but you have realised that, not everyone in the world will hate you, and I hope you will find forgiveness and happiness.
Durdle.
July 29, 2016
Stonehenge43
I would be very happy to chat about whatever we find of mutual interest, but I can't send a private message unless I add you as a friend first. may I do so, please?
regards,
Durdle
September 9, 2016
sjf47
welcome to AM and its Naturist section!
AM Male, 63 and live in Dorset.
Cheers,
Durdle
July 28, 2016
Pofan1201
That's not "spanking" , that's whipping, and cruel! What effect did it have on you in adult life?
August 14, 2016
Pofan1201
Hi Pofan.
Interesting: many people who admit they were beaten severely as children become adults either wanting to give or receive similar in games between consenting adults, or are turned off spanking and CP entirely.
You evidently became sexually submissive, but were you aroused by either the whipping or the submission at the time or in remembering it later?
Sorry, I'm not quite clear by what you mean as a "switcher" - switching between what?
I appreciate bare bottoms including my own as well, but unfortunately mine has aged with me and is now a bit soft and sagging.
Regards,
Durdle
August 15, 2016
Pofan1201
Thank you very much Pofan. Would love to be friends with you!
Best Wishes,
Durdle.
August 15, 2016
Elshara Silverheart
Thank you for the compliment Elashara. I'm not sure what it means, but please do tell me what in particular influenced you.
Best Wishes,
Durdle.
June 9, 2016
sp4sp4
Hello Sp4sp4. I too was on EP, though I left it well before it folded. "Drawn too deeply." I know the feeling. I think I was tempted too far into some EP fora, so am becoming fairly selective on what I view on here and chosen "stop following" on some already. Is this why you've not listed any groups? You have a point, using private e-mails.
Best Wishes,
Durdle.
September 16, 2016
Stuart
Hi Stuart. Thank you very much for your greetings, and have mine to you!
I oppose real CP but have been interested in spanking since boyhood, and have enjoyed quite a few gentle, erotic, spanking games.
Best Wishes,
Durdle.
September 16, 2016
Aaron
I couldn't agree more about being naked, Aaron!
Joanne1966
Love to be in a night-dress or nude. I like Sharon1717's comment too!
September 9, 2016
Sophronius Pupoid
Thank you very much for your comment! Sophronius.
Yes, my nickname is from Durdle Door. One of my sisters held her wedding-reception at Pennsylvania Castle, well before it reverted to a private house. The new owners have hosted garden fetes there though.
'Moonfleet' was one of our set books at school, and I remember the passage about the two leading characters escaping from Ringstead (I can't remember if that name was used in the book) by using a very steep cliff path. That path, or an equivalent, exists, up White Nothe, some 400 feet high, and someone showed it me a few years ago. I was glad to have climbed it, but I found it frightening and would not care to try it again!
The normal path from the car-park to that area of beach is gentler and not at all exposed.
I suppose I'm nearly local! Our family moved to Weymouth in 1959, when I was 7, when Dad's work was moved.
September 22, 2016
Nudistdad
Hello and Welcome, Nudistdad.
I'm single but not a father (seem to be collecting quite a tribe of first and grand nephews & nieces though!); but like you enjoy being nude around the home. There is a naturist beach not far from me, and I used to visit it fairly often, but I have leg problems now that make the long, steep path to it a bit too much. Can still be undressed at home, as I am now, though!
Best Wishes,
Durdle
August 14, 2016
Donny
I oppose using CP on children - especially the sort of gratuitous violence with assorted weapons described on the site - but what is your take on adult-only, consensual spanking, be it erotic, for some sort of punitive therapy or stress-relieving, curiosity or indeed to reprise personal or vicarious past experiences?
Regards,
Durdle.
September 9, 2016
caned4doz
Hello Caned4doz.
Overlapping (!) interests. I'm not as educated as you. Don't smoke, but do drink (moderately) and not religious. Am interested in science and have a wide range of musical tastes though can't play an instrument. Fitness more by walking and manual work and play than by speed!
I too am interested in discipline and do have regressive tendencies and sometimes feel I ought to be spanked for my immature faults.
July 29, 2016
caned4doz
Hello Caned4Dozen.
Thank you for the Friend request - certainly! This site is confusing - I've not managed to work out how the Friends and Messages parts work!
Anyway I think this part is public. For example I can see the messages between you and Forever shorts, on this page. AM does not seem to have a private-message system, at least not obviously so. All it does it let you separate individual conversations from the forum section.
I will say I oppose genuine CP - some of the accounts on this site are of frankly appalling cruelty. Yet it was seeing one or two real instances at school, and finding descriptions and images in history-books, that nurtured my interest.
The regressive streak I said I have surfaced really quite recently, in my 50s I think, although I had experimented with self-spanking since "discovering" it in my teens - when no doubt I had a rather more smackable bottom than now, had the right circumstances to introduce me to spanking fun, come along!
August 1, 2016
caned4doz
I advocate discipline - a system of behaviour - but not in its euphemistic malapropism for corporal punishment of children. However I believe for a consenting adult, there need be no bar beyond sensible, individual boundaries to being spanked ( or slippered or caned) appropriately in a therapeutic or punitive sense, as well obviously as purely erotically. In the last situation it might even be a foreplay activity. Similarly, some adults find release in being under regressive discipline, with or without physical punishment.
(Discipline and punishment are NOT synonyms: the latter is for wilful breaking of the former.)
September 7, 2016
Cravingyourtouch
Welcome Cravingyourtouch.
Mot only the women of the household who would benefit from a little suitable discipline at times!
Regards,
Durdle
(in Dorset)
July 29, 2016
spanko28
Do you like adult (consensual) spanking too?
September 9, 2016
NaughtyNicola
About You: sexiest lingerie a gurl can find - indeed, and very nice too!
September 1, 2016
NaughtyNicola
A pleasure Nicola - and I like your profile picture too!
September 7, 2016
NaughtyNicola
Not a full cross-dresser myself and I've few femme clothes, but I like to sleep in a nightie now and then, or wear something at least like a loose-fitting miniskirt. Love to be nude, too! The long-legged lass in that Timothy's Knickers pic fg5 you've commented on, looks as if she's about to be spanked!
September 7, 2016
Killkenny11
That's two of us from Dorset , then, Kilkenny!
Welcome to AnswerMug!
Cheers,
Durdle - and I won't need to explain my inspiration for that nick-name.
July 29, 2016
SJS
Hello SJS
I'm uneasy about the idea of spanking children - discipline yes, punishment or at least a reprimand if they break that discipline yes, but need it be physical punishment? If it does I would hope it be by hand only, not weapons as some parents seem to think clever, and only enough to make the point. What of adult, consensual spanking though! I can see that as therapeutic or stress-relief, and eminently suitable for someone who is of middle-age upwards but rather immature or regressive.
Regards,
Durdle
(Dorset - as the nickname may have suggested!)
July 30, 2016
tonyparker1
Hello Tonyparker1
Thank you for the invitation.
I too was on EP but abandoned it a few years ago. I'm a little older at nearly 64, also short and slim, well, nearly slim. Slightly bi, and enjoy being nude though knee troubles limit my excursions such as to an unofficial naturist beach not far from my South Dorset home. Also interested in spanking fun.
Various interests and fair range of musical tastes.
Best Wishes,
Durdle
(my nickname is from a feature on the Dorset coast.)
July 29, 2016
tonyparker1
Hello Tonyparker.
I thought I'd left a message but it doesn't appear here so perhaps I didn't.
Anyway your Profile Information describes me too, almost exactly - I am 64, and with a slight tummy.
I live in S.Dorset - hence my nick-name (from famous coastal feature).
Welcome to AM!
Best Wishes,
Durdle
July 30, 2016
softlywaking
Thank you for the compliment, Softlywaking.
Regards,
Durdle.
June 14, 2016
missspanking
Welcome to AmswerMug, Missspanking.
No shortage of people here interested in spanking, whether approving or not of beating children, or are like me, approving only of adult consensual spanking.
Best Wishes,
Durdle
July 29, 2016
2Pink1s
Thank you for that brief private chat this afternoon. It was unexpected and I enjoyed it though I don't really understand how to use it.
Best Wishes,
Durdle.
Loading ...
