If I am driving below the speed-limit I will gently accelerate to that, (if possible and safe to do so!) but will not break the limit for someone else.Often that seems to do the trick; but if not they will just have to wait until feasible and safe for the... moreIf I am driving below the speed-limit I will gently accelerate to that, (if possible and safe to do so!) but will not break the limit for someone else.Often that seems to do the trick; but if not they will just have to wait until feasible and safe for them to overtake.
Integrity and impartiality?The media might not make the accusation themselves, but do they report that others - especially governments - do so? Particularly so if they are trying to report properly, both sides of the bitterness. That is often extremely di... moreIntegrity and impartiality?The media might not make the accusation themselves, but do they report that others - especially governments - do so? Particularly so if they are trying to report properly, both sides of the bitterness. That is often extremely difficult or even dangerous, especially in a war; but necessary for we outsiders to understand what each side wants and why; what it is fighting for; and the journalists can only do that if the leaders feel they have some chance of being treated civilly and quoted fairly.NB: Understand, civilly and fairly. Those do not necessarily mean condone, accept or agree with them. less
No, not one. Not that I care.I know how to spell her name, though. :-)Welby's malapropism reminds me it was quite a while before I twigged that Jimi Hendrix wanted "to kiss the sky", not a bloke!And a friend confessed he was baffled why Police were signin... moreNo, not one. Not that I care.I know how to spell her name, though. :-)Welby's malapropism reminds me it was quite a while before I twigged that Jimi Hendrix wanted "to kiss the sky", not a bloke!And a friend confessed he was baffled why Police were signing about the TV news-reader Sue Lawley... until he realised it was "so lonely".While back in the Swifti epoch, my nickname for Dua Lipa is "Two Beers". Why? Move the letter "L" to the other side of the space. And no, I would not know any of her warblings either. less
Big out-of-town shopping-centres are not designed to be used by any other than well-off customers able to buy car-fulls of goods in one go.I don't know the range of those mobility-scooters but I am pretty sure they will take you more than a few blocks, on... moreBig out-of-town shopping-centres are not designed to be used by any other than well-off customers able to buy car-fulls of goods in one go.I don't know the range of those mobility-scooters but I am pretty sure they will take you more than a few blocks, on a full charge. I have just paused to look at what are available in the UK, reviewed by Which magazine. The selection I saw are in two classes. The more basic are very basic and open, not enclosed, with an rough average between them of about 8 or 9miles, and top speed of 4mph - that is because they are limited to being driven on the pavement, not the road.The higher class are rated up to 20-30miles range, top speed 8mph on the road (the legal limit is still 4mph on the pavement). How much shopping you can carry on it, is not clear! I would guess the one poked fun at above, is one of those latter Class. Very likely people needing to use these vehicles would shop mainly in smaller local stores, and perhaps order their essentials including food from supermarkets of... less
It would depend what it is and why it might "expire". That's usually a characteristic of blended materials like medicines and adhesives.Single chemical compounds and elements don't generally do that.Either way, they would most likely stay as poisonous as ... moreIt would depend what it is and why it might "expire". That's usually a characteristic of blended materials like medicines and adhesives.Single chemical compounds and elements don't generally do that.Either way, they would most likely stay as poisonous as they always were.
I don't know what would be America's oldest surviving family business but England's oldest is a butcher's shop in the town of Bridport. I can't recall the name as I don't live there, but I believe it was established in the 16C or thereabouts - maybe even ... moreI don't know what would be America's oldest surviving family business but England's oldest is a butcher's shop in the town of Bridport. I can't recall the name as I don't live there, but I believe it was established in the 16C or thereabouts - maybe even earlier - so possibly a contender for the world's oldest.
It's what they are called in Britain. I don't know if they have a different name in America. The basic vehicle is rather like a comfortable, battery-driven go-kart with similar stability but by no means speed, and some are fitted with a lightweight canopy... moreIt's what they are called in Britain. I don't know if they have a different name in America. The basic vehicle is rather like a comfortable, battery-driven go-kart with similar stability but by no means speed, and some are fitted with a lightweight canopy. That in Spunky's photograph looks just like one of those but with a rigid body.
Irrespective of whether you vote Republican or Democrat or anyone else, some of the Heritage Foundation's social rather than political or financial ideas are quite spine-chilling in their implicit bigotry and harshness. It's also clear, again by its own w... moreIrrespective of whether you vote Republican or Democrat or anyone else, some of the Heritage Foundation's social rather than political or financial ideas are quite spine-chilling in their implicit bigotry and harshness. It's also clear, again by its own web-site, that it would rather like to be the shadow power behind the USA's elected government.However, that's for you Americans to sort out. The OP was about "Digital Currency"; not self-interested talking-shops of single-issue campaigners and big-business interests. If that means the murky, fraud-ridden, unregulated gambling world of so-called "cryptocurrency" I am only surprised any government of any nation or any political persuasion has not banned it completely at least from their own bits of Internet. If it means a so-called "cashless society" a lot of people already behave that way, paying for the slightest things in ordinary shops by bank-card or "smart"-'phone. Those who advocate that, don't really think it through; though having written that view as a B... less
They are common in Britain, though perhaps not so covered-in as that, so I have seen plenty. They are limited to, I think, 8mph and are actually far more stable than they look.
I have a very modest block of shares from a previous employer but I let their managers look after them, including paying the tax (Income Tax?) due on the dividends.I do not understand such matters enough to try to handle stocks and shares, let alone pay t... moreI have a very modest block of shares from a previous employer but I let their managers look after them, including paying the tax (Income Tax?) due on the dividends.I do not understand such matters enough to try to handle stocks and shares, let alone pay the tax, myself. They were issued with a glossy booklet supposedly explaining them, but I gave up half-way down the first page of what read as if written by stock-brokers for stock-brokers. They hardly make me rich but usually pay a pleasant little nest-egg each year, and have more than paid for my contribution! less
I don't know the specific case or the tax laws relevant here, but on a general point it is common for opposing political parties in democracies to agree over some matters.
J.K. Rowling is British and unless she has moved abroad, lives in Britain, not the EU which is anyway not a nation but a bloc of over two dozen separate nations.Can't help thinking here is someone being persuaded by lawyers wanting to make lots of money, ... moreJ.K. Rowling is British and unless she has moved abroad, lives in Britain, not the EU which is anyway not a nation but a bloc of over two dozen separate nations.Can't help thinking here is someone being persuaded by lawyers wanting to make lots of money, to try to make lots of money from trying to stop people saying things with which she disagrees.Whether a civil law suit launched in France against anyone living in other countries can work, I have no idea; but I think she'd have a tough time trying to sue someone as rich as Musk, able to buy the most expensive lawyers in the USA. Or simply to buy her off.The lawyers of course, will make lots of money "win" or lose. less
Ah, but which "Launchpad Strategies", based where? USA or UK? Is this some US-owned group with different interest branches at home and abroad? Similar names for totally separate concerns in different countries are not unknown but the name is unusual and o... moreAh, but which "Launchpad Strategies", based where? USA or UK? Is this some US-owned group with different interest branches at home and abroad? Similar names for totally separate concerns in different countries are not unknown but the name is unusual and opaque. The only difference in name is that the American advertising and fund-raising company spells "Launchpad" as one word, the (apparently British ) property-speculator uses "Launch Pad". I do wonder just who Mr. Trump is or was paying as he is alleged? This is cut-and-paste quoted from Launchpad Strategies' own fancy but brief web-site:
Launchpad is a full-service Republican digital agency run by expert strategists who have spent decades managing and advising winning campaigns.
From running local races to electing the President of the United States, no task is too small or challenge too large. Our cutting-edge digital techniques and superior content strategies will net dollars for your campaign, amplify your message, and turn your supporters into voters.
You... less
Grandma and Grandad .Actually I never had much chance, and my siblings had none, to call one Grandad anything except in reference, because he died so early I hardly knew him. Our expanding brood continue the tradition but as far as I am aware I am ... moreGrandma and Grandad .Actually I never had much chance, and my siblings had none, to call one Grandad anything except in reference, because he died so early I hardly knew him. Our expanding brood continue the tradition but as far as I am aware I am not known as, nor have I been called, "Great Uncle", just "Uncle" . The first time my sister told me her daughter had had a baby, she said, "So now you are "Great Uncle !""Oh thanks," I replied. "Makes me sound like an elderly Womble!"
Historical fiction is tales about invented people around real events, possibly with some real people thrown in to maintain the context or to pose "what if?" themes.Fictional history is a self-contradiction, since it needs the entire setting, characters an... moreHistorical fiction is tales about invented people around real events, possibly with some real people thrown in to maintain the context or to pose "what if?" themes.Fictional history is a self-contradiction, since it needs the entire setting, characters and events to be invented and does not even need be credible as it is... fiction!Futurist fiction is similar, though some does use real places for its settings. The further ahead the projection the wilder it can be but one of the best and least wild novels I have read, set in eight centuries' time, is Robert Harris' The Second Sleep - not a space-ship or flying car in sight, nor any car of any sort indeed; and set in a fictional village not far from the real city of Exeter (where one scene takes place) in the real English county of Devon. less
I've had that many blood tests and vaccinations over the past decade I've more or less lost my fear of needles, but I still don't look! I usually make a bit of a joke about it when the nurse says "Relax", asking why they always say that when about to stic... moreI've had that many blood tests and vaccinations over the past decade I've more or less lost my fear of needles, but I still don't look! I usually make a bit of a joke about it when the nurse says "Relax", asking why they always say that when about to stick something in you!One of the tricks was by a nurse giving influenza jabs. He'd keep talking, then say "Little scratch. All done!" - but he'd already done the injection while talking so you didn't notice it.
Aircraft pilots and train drivers might find such a range helpful. Two miles is a very small distance in flying, and if you driving a train at 90-odd miles per hour the further ahead you can see the better! (Though the drivers are still expected to keep t... moreAircraft pilots and train drivers might find such a range helpful. Two miles is a very small distance in flying, and if you driving a train at 90-odd miles per hour the further ahead you can see the better! (Though the drivers are still expected to keep to time even in thick fog on a moonless night when as one graphically told me, you can barely see the rails in front of you but are still doing 120.) Two miles is not ever so far at sea, either. The offshore-area part of the Shipping Forecast for the seas around the British Isles gives: Area(s) wind direction and force, precipitation conditions and an approximation of visibility.E.g. "Wight, Portland, Plymouth. South to South-West. 3 to 4. Fair. Good." That patch covers about half of the English Channel.It can sound a bit odd when the weather's bad: "South-West 6 gusting to Gale Force 7. Showers. Good."The inshore and weather-station reports' greater detail includes visibility in Nautical Miles. I don't know how that is measured by the automatic weath... less
Indeed!There were far more manufacturers, most were largely independent, and the trade in complete cars was much less international.Now there are far fewer makers, in big groups, assembling very similar products with only cosmetic differences between many... moreIndeed!There were far more manufacturers, most were largely independent, and the trade in complete cars was much less international.Now there are far fewer makers, in big groups, assembling very similar products with only cosmetic differences between many of the models.Though it doesn't stop their shady business of giving common parts designation-numbers unique to each model they fit, and pricing them accordingly....
They survive by co-operation and eking out the two foods, each man eating about the same amount of each product and sharing the occasional fish they catch....Then they are rescued and once ashore, the stress-relief overwhelms them and each attacks the oth... moreThey survive by co-operation and eking out the two foods, each man eating about the same amount of each product and sharing the occasional fish they catch....Then they are rescued and once ashore, the stress-relief overwhelms them and each attacks the other over "cultural appropriation".
I had no idea of this until I read the thread and the citation.I can see why it ought not be called "the Holocaust" because it warps the meaning in a rather distressing way, but I'd always understood it was Jewish survivors who had started its use. Maybe ... moreI had no idea of this until I read the thread and the citation.I can see why it ought not be called "the Holocaust" because it warps the meaning in a rather distressing way, but I'd always understood it was Jewish survivors who had started its use. Maybe I was wrong on that point.Wasn't one of the original Hebrew aims to end the practice of sacrifices and "burnt offerings", that had been inherited from older religions?I am normally very uneasy about the Orwellian trend to rename or redefine even quite innocent words lest someone be upset, let alone specific coinages, but perhaps this is an exception, and the word Shoah, or Shoan, ought take over.In the end though, although some Jews do find "Holocaust" the wrong term, what matters is the remembrance. less
Every living thing is timed to die at some point: it's really only trees that outlive us!Yes, it may be able to prolong life significantly but at what cost and what would the quality of that life? Would it anyway only raise the risk of being eventually ki... moreEvery living thing is timed to die at some point: it's really only trees that outlive us!Yes, it may be able to prolong life significantly but at what cost and what would the quality of that life? Would it anyway only raise the risk of being eventually killed by human agency, including possibly social collapse or even war?I do not know how widespread this is but there are now said to be couples anxious not to breed because they fear for any offspring's future.
Is it a serious proposition? It seems a very chancy experiment with low useful yield. Clouds by their nature are ephemeral so all that salt will just come back as salty rain and snow, or as fine crystals.Also, even the blackest-looking storm-clouds are pu... moreIs it a serious proposition? It seems a very chancy experiment with low useful yield. Clouds by their nature are ephemeral so all that salt will just come back as salty rain and snow, or as fine crystals.Also, even the blackest-looking storm-clouds are pure white on top so already reflecting a lot of solar radiation back upstairs. It's not visible light that needs reflecting but infra-red (heat). Ideas like this have been around fro decades, sometimes leading to a lot of utter twaddle drifting around the antisocial-meejah about conspiracies and the like, but in fact the influence on the weather would be small and local, and on the climate generally, probably miniscule. The environmental cost of processing the salt and spraying it on the clouds would probably considerably outweigh any short-term advantage. As a rough guide to the scale of things, a big, fair-weather cumulus cloud weighs thousands of tonnes (total of its myriad water-droplets). The energy being transferred or converted in an ordinary temperate-zon... less
If you mean cycles in geological spans you need start in powers of tens of thousands of years for Ice Age glacial/interglacial times alone. Those will continue whatever effect we have on the Earth and its climate within mere human history terms. The last ... moreIf you mean cycles in geological spans you need start in powers of tens of thousands of years for Ice Age glacial/interglacial times alone. Those will continue whatever effect we have on the Earth and its climate within mere human history terms. The last glaciation lasted around 100k years and is considered as finished in our terms around 12ka - although it hasn't really as we still have a lot of terrestrial and sea ice. This was well before recorded human history, let alone ships. There were people around at the time but they would have found it relatively easier than we would to cope with natural climate changes, which are slower than we are seeing now. They could and would simply have migrated to more comfortable regions. Astronomical cycles such as the Earth's axis precession and the behaviour of the Sun are of course outside our control, as are the planet's Magnetic Polar wanderings and reversals.Continental Drift is not cyclic but nothing we can do that will affect that and its consequent earthquakes and v... less
If they are anything like the common ants we have here they will have come and gone within a few days. The flight is their mating and exodus ritual, and they have wings for only that purpose.
Regimes like that are normally careful to ensure continuity. The President and top politicians are only caretakers for the time being, but in Iran the real power is by a top cleric and his clique, not political administrators.
The site cannot "accuse" someone of being two people but I take it you mean users affecting two (or more) different personae?That should be spotted by the user's URL, unless he or she is careful to use different ones - and does not slip up and accidentall... moreThe site cannot "accuse" someone of being two people but I take it you mean users affecting two (or more) different personae?That should be spotted by the user's URL, unless he or she is careful to use different ones - and does not slip up and accidentally mix messages. If so then it should be easy to deal with but it need care if the messages are from genuinely different people sharing the sending instrument. Other users might sometimes multiple identities by similarities of topics and style - including common spelling errors. less
That was 4 months ago so have you sorted out the problem now?The appliances you use will (or should!) have their power ratings marked on a label. Although a.c. electricity is not easy when you start diving into such questions as impedance and inductance, ... moreThat was 4 months ago so have you sorted out the problem now?The appliances you use will (or should!) have their power ratings marked on a label. Although a.c. electricity is not easy when you start diving into such questions as impedance and inductance, and I don't pretend to know their mathematics, simply dividing that rated power in Watts by the mains voltage in Volts will at least approximate the current in Amperes; but some appliances can momentarily draw a higher current as they start. Circuit-breakers are not normally made to be adjustable. How is your house wired? Ring-mains or spurs? That may affect the maximum draw in any one room.Do the appliance plugs have their own fuses of appropriate rating as a first-line defence? One of those breaking by overload will not necessarily stop the circuit-breaker tripping as well, but at least it shows the fault is within the appliance it served. less
Those watery precautions are all very well if you can keep them watered, but forest and grass fires are spread by blown embers as well as through contact, and they can be blown for a long way.
No - I have no television.I do though sometimes hurl cries at the radio of "rubbish" or "never mind keeping it under review - what are going to do ?", or, "they don't have the guts!" (to answer the question or defend themselves).
I have enjoyed dancing in the past, long ago leaping about to rock & pop so no set moves, common-time only, no co-ordination or any skill needed at all! Though my opportunities are rare I enjoy folk-dancing, or barn dances, often called "ceilidhs".I think... moreI have enjoyed dancing in the past, long ago leaping about to rock & pop so no set moves, common-time only, no co-ordination or any skill needed at all! Though my opportunities are rare I enjoy folk-dancing, or barn dances, often called "ceilidhs".I think adopting the Gaelic name a rather pretentious recent development if used outside of Scotland. I'm told too, by a folk-music enthusiast, that genuine ceilidhs do not have callers for the steps, either, because everyone is expected to know them for each dance introduced. Presumably you need attend dancing-classes if you want to take part in the events.Whereas at a barn-dance (more likely held in a village-hall or a pub function room than a barn!) you are not expected to be a brilliant dancer, and anyway folk music and dances are very fluid, not rigidly set in books and classes. So each dance is introduced by the caller describing each move, sometimes walking a volunteer couple through it to demonstrate, then calling each move as it comes in the dance itself. I do... less
Graham - that's fairly common.Ross - rarer although I have known two separate people, one with that as surname, the other as Christian name.Jacob - stretching the point somewhat as the surname version normally ends with a 's'.
A few daffodils out. Buds just starting to appear on the two Honeyberry bushes. A frog croaking this evening.I've also seen one or two flies and moths about in recent weeks.Those in my back garden, but further afield the snowdrops are in bloom, while a co... moreA few daffodils out. Buds just starting to appear on the two Honeyberry bushes. A frog croaking this evening.I've also seen one or two flies and moths about in recent weeks.Those in my back garden, but further afield the snowdrops are in bloom, while a couple of weeks ago I saw with a few hundred yards, a patch of snowdrops, a patch of daisies and some elder blossom all out; the last above another shrub still bearing its Autumnal fruit!(Location: Southern England)
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.
Scotland's devolved government has just announced laws to contro... moreScotland's devolved government has just announced laws to control the poorly-defined "American XL Bully" breed of dog, England having already done so (I am not sure about Wales and Northern Ireland).This strain, I think still not defined and recognised by the Kennel Club, was bred to be dangerous by default. With the kindest care and training in the world, any dog can attack other animals including humans; usually unpredictably, but unlike most recognised breeds this is one is specifically aggressive and unstable. Individuals of it have already killed at least two people in England. So it is now illegal to breed new ones, or to import, sell, give away or abandon existing ones. They have to be kept very securely, and must not be un-muzzled and unleashed in public. Predictably Scotland's wish to differ from England created a delay allowing it to become a re-homing destination for the creatures; as its own Parliament has acknowledged.Just why are such animals bred? Obviously money for the breeders, if there is a ma... less
Model Engineer magazine, originally published with & Electrician... moreModel Engineer magazine, originally published with & Electrician in the title, is as its name implies, for a readership with a lay but reasonably broad grasp of engineering principles and related science.The latest edition (Vol.225 No.4643, 17 July 2020) publishes two extracts from its early-20C predecessor; the first on international affairs, the second on the "Enviroment" as it was not called then.'1) Fulsomely praising the technical inventiveness and ingenuity of what he called the "Chinese race" the editor commented, ".... The prospect of China becoming the workshop of the world is, perhaps, too remote to contemplate, but that China may be someday a formidable competitor in things mechanical is worth a passing thought." The date? 1904. (ref. ME&E Vol.XI No. 179; 29 Sept. 1904.)Particularly prescient for the magazine's modern readers, since most of the small lathes and other machine-tools now sold to model-engineers are made in either Taiwan or the People's Republic... less
Just For Interest. Try it from your existing knowledge. No cheat... moreJust For Interest. Try it from your existing knowledge. No cheating by looking it up! Please: No publishing answers until I have given them in due course, to be fair to anyone else trying seriously to test or extend their own knowledge. 25 Basic Science Questions with an environmental slant, now you have saved the planet and whales, achieved zero-carbon by last Michaelmas, and are walking everywhere with a paper shopping-bag-for-life autographed by Aunty Greta.
No trick questions but some are worded slightly indirectly; most are simple , some obscure; but all are of upper school- or interested lay- level. I am of course aware there are Answermug users with a far deeper, possibly professional, knowledge of these subjects than mine! I would also agree that whatever is or is not happening in the world, we cannot be complacent. World-wide we are heading for very serious difficulties whatever those turn out to be; and as some of these questions suggest, neither the problems nor "ob... less
'Tis the time of year for ghost-stories, real and fictional myst... more'Tis the time of year for ghost-stories, real and fictional mysteries, myths and the like - ancient and right up-to-date. Test your own knowledge with these ten questions, just for fun ! (Hint: not all are "paranormal".1) In Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, the first manifestation experienced by Ebenezer Scrooge was;
a) Eerie echoes from the cellar, from him slamming his front door,
b) The face of his deceased business partner, Jacob Marley,
c) The face of his deceased father.
2) In 1917, two young English girls took photographs of fairies widely acclaimed as genuine by photography experts and others including Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Did they?
3) What is so unique about the sea area often called the ‘Bermuda Triangle’, to lead to its reputation?... less
The following are all genuine quotes from a mail-order household... moreThe following are all genuine quotes from a mail-order household gadgets catalogue, dated, "Christmas 2019". The prices are reduced by 20% in that edition, with the full price also given in the booklet, as legally required. See how many flaws you can spot in them, and identify them: none are above school-level physics. One statement is correct but simply a definition, the rest are all dubious to say the least. If you counting, some are repeated from item to item, but I counted around 10 specious statements. 1) and 2) are from the section's introduction.So spend almost £162 and you, your family and your precious electronic equipment will all be safe... won't they? '1) “… noticed your mobile phone gets hot during long calls? The heat is actually thermal radiation… several types of radiation that it emits. …. All … personal electronic devices … emit harmful radiation” '2) The lab-tested shielding membrane built into ... less
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?
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Regan Porter
Welcome Regan.
Would you like to tell us a little more about yourself - interests etc?
Regards,
Durdle.
July 30, 2016
Regan Porter
Was on EP myself but left it after parts of it became just too sleazy & stupid.
Was blocked by one contributor after I'd revealed his was a front for a commercial alien-and-conspiracy outfit who were so terrified of being exposed as the fraud it pretty obviously was, that most of its web-site home page was an aggressive (and probably meaningless) legal threat notice against attackers etc.!
September 1, 2016
Mukydaz
Welcome Mukydaz!
Curious - I oppose spanking children yet now 64 sometimes desire a traditional OTK, hand spanking (no weapons) as I might have but did not receive (or want!) in boyhood, for failings persisting from that time (1950s-60s).
Best Wishes,
Durdle
July 29, 2016
Mukydaz
I regard punishment as a result of being naughty, rude or whatever, i.e breaking the discipline that is the behaviour code designed to help a child grow up decently; and punishment is not necessarily physical. In fact preferably not physical, and certainly not with any sort of weapons others on AM gleefully boast of using on even very young children. Punishment means penalty or sanction of any type, not beating!
I would guess that if you are going to spank someone in punishment the hand should suffice to make the point, especially when combined with the general air of humiliation and powerlessness, even if you don't pull the pants or knickers down.
I imagine too that a spanking would have to be reasonably calm and controlled so it doesn't spill over into a frenzied attack or mere cruelty - but I deplore the practice I have seen described, of delaying the punishment.
I suppose that a traditional spanking is satisfying in being fairly quick and over-&-done with; no dragging on in bitterness for days as might be involved by cancelling some treat or party or day-out.
How does one avoid the risk of becoming aroused by the private prurience of pants-down punishment spankings?
As I say it is odd that I don't like the idea of spanking children but sometimes feel I need to be spanked as a 1960s boy, bottom bared by a sincere disciplinarian, as he or she would have spanked me some 50-odd years ago.
Best Wishes,
Durdle
July 29, 2016
Bez
Thank you very much for the compliment of a Friend Request, Andy - I accept!
Best Wishes,
Durdle.
July 29, 2016
Bez
Thank you Andy. Despite a lot of development Weymouth is still generally pleasant, but for the moment at least it's no longer a cross-Channel port. The Council spent a fortune and worked hard to repair the harbour wall for the fast-catamaran ferry that had been operating for quite a long time - then the company bought a new boat to big for Weymouth Harbour, and moved to Poole!
Cheers,
Durdle
July 29, 2016
nmom
Nmom - it's a beautiful country, Norway, especially if you explore both inland and the fjords (most British tourists only go on the coastal cruises and don't see the interior).
Fascinated by spanking since a boy, when I certainly would not have wanted spanking, and oppose beating children... Yet now in early-60s want sometimes to experience the decades-late but appropriate firm hand - not weapon - for failings originating from boyhood; as a sort of therapy or punitive relief,
Best Wishes,
Durdle.
July 29, 2016
Sprklingwind
You should find friends on here... It helps to join a few groups of interest.
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