quote:

---

Originally posted by Sir Kevin:
Why is the sky blue?

---

It isn't. It's diffuse sky radiation.
 

---

Posted by Gort (# 6855) on :
 
I thought it was because the sky reflects the deep blue sea.
 

---

Posted by Mamacita (# 3659) on :
 
I had an elementary school teacher who actually taught us that.
 

---

Posted by Campbellite (# 1202) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Sir Kevin:
Why is the sky blue?

---

Because the prescription for Zoloft™ expired?
 

---

Posted by captainchrism (# 11393) on :
 
Why does ice float in water?
When everything else becomes denser when it gets cold, why doesn’t water?
 

---

Posted by Eutychus (# 3081) on :
 
I'm sure that's an argument for intelligent design...

How is it that tea can appear to taste better out of some mugs than others?
 

---

Posted by Smudgie (# 2716) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Eutychus:
How is it that tea can appear to taste better out of some mugs than others?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by captainchrism:
Why does ice float in water?
When everything else becomes denser when it gets cold, why doesn’t water?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Eutychus:

How is it that tea can appear to taste better out of some mugs than others?

---

Not a tea drinker, but I much prefer to have my coffee in a porcelain or china mug/cup. If I am at home and someone makes me a coffee in a pottery mug I have to transfer it into one of 'my' mugs.
I can't drink coffee in Costa coffee shops because I can't bear drinking out of the chamber pots they serve it in.

However I like a 'cup of soup', or milky drinks in thicker, heavier mugs. I drink my coffee black, so I wonder if the thickness of the crockery has to reflect the density of the liquid being drunk?
 

---

Posted by Sir Kevin (# 3492) on :
 
My favourite mug for coffee came as a gift from Starbucks and I use it regularly as that is the brand I drink. However I drink tea from a traditional tea cup with saucer. It just seems to taste better that way!

Campbellite, aren't you glad I didn't ask why the ocean is green? I really did mean the question seriously as I deal with schoolchildren and have several nieces and nephews who may ask me someday. Thank you, Pigwidgeon for your reference and serious answer!


 

---

Posted by Jengie Jon (# 273) on :
 
Expanding on Curiosity killed.. . explanation it is indeed boomerang shape but the bend in the boomerang is +ve while the two ends are -ve. This means that they tend to build orderly patterns (i.e. ice is crystalline) but these patterns mean that boomerangs can not be compressed too much , the bend of one boomerang has to be below the ends of another creating space.

Jengie
 

---

Posted by Emma Louise (# 3571) on :
 
I've got a random question - why do we use soap?

Would having a shower in just water and rubbing yourself get yourself as clean (presumably no, but why?). Similarly I've always told kids who thought that they had "washed their hands" after going to the loo that it didn't "count" if they hadn't used soap... but why?

I assume somehow soap removes germs better, but if its all about the germies shouldn't we then all be using anti-bacterial soap everytime we wash?
 

---

Posted by Emma Louise (# 3571) on :
 
Following on from that, I remember having a random discussion at uni (years ago now - sigh) about blokes who religiously wash their hands after a poo, but never after a wee (they were trying to convince me this was normal after standing up and all that). Were they winding me up or is this common bloke-practice? And is there something in it? Is Urine more sterile or something and poo more soap-worthy?

Also... some people are allergic to soaps. Can they get away with just water or do they have to go and buy special soaps.

(This mind obviously has too much time to think about soap at the moment, maybe it follows on from my pregnancy induced manic-cleaning yesterday!)
 

---

Posted by Jengie Jon (# 273) on :
 
Soap is an emulsifier at least for some substances so it stops oily bits of dirt from just repelling water and staying on, so you need to do less scrubbing.

If you want to see this, put an greasy pan in a bowl of clean warm water, then add the washing up liquid.

Jengie
 

---

Posted by Enoch (# 14322) on :
 
Going back to tea cups, I'm not bothered whether they are china or pot, but I still, even now in 2009, very strongly prefer proper leaves to bags, even (or particularly) if it's different versions the same tea.

I assume we use soap because otherwise the dirt doesn't come off.
 

---

Posted by Eutychus (# 3081) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Emma Louise:
maybe it follows on from my pregnancy induced manic-cleaning yesterday!

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Emma Louise
Is Urine more sterile....

---

I used to know a man who was in the German army in World War 2. He said that the soldiers were instructed that if they were wounded and there was no immediate medical help available, they should put urine on the wound to disinfect it.

Moo
 

---

Posted by Hart (# 4991) on :
 
And the last answer on the previous thread was the answer to my movie question: thanks, Francesca!

As to Emma's questions: as for the shower, I think it has to do with non-water soluble dirt. If you have some kind of dirt on you that dissolves in water, it really would just come off with water. However, if you had something (eg. oil, grease) that wasn't, the water wouldn't necessarily take it off. Think of trying to clean a frying pan without washing-up liquid (washing-up liquid and soap are essentially the same chemically). The grease dissolves in the soap and then the grease-soap mixture dissolves in the water.

As for men's post-toilet washing habits, I'd wash after both, but I can see why people would be much more concerned to wash with soap after pooping than peeing, because of wiping. When peeing, there's no real need to get your hand particularly close to the pee, but after a poop, you need to to wipe properly.
 

---

Posted by Nicolemrw (# 28) on :
 
In answer to the urine question, yes, as far as I've ever heard, in a healthy individual urine should be sterile.
 

---

Posted by Malin (# 11769) on :
 
I've read urine is sterile when it comes out of the body (and useful to counteract jellyfish stings if desperate, the ammonia helps) - but presumably once it's left for a while it would attract bacteria?

And I really don't get why guys don't wipe after peeing (and then wash hands). What about the drips at the end? I presume men's boxers 'absorb' those?
 

---

Posted by Tea gnome (# 9424) on :
 
Mm. Also, I am given to understand that men use their hand(s) to um, aim with. Whilst urine is/should be sterile, what they're holding into certainly isn't. Hands should be washed.
 

---

Posted by Benedictus (# 1215) on :
 
This may more or less follow on from the soap conversation.

I have recently moved to the UK, and have some tablecloths with old food stains on (in?) them. The stuff I would normally try to clean them with I haven't found over here. What will get these stains out of the tablecloths that will not damage the cloth? Any suggestions?
 

---

Posted by Amos (# 44) on :
 
A) What would you normally use? Can you recall what its active ingredient was?
B) How old are the stains? Last night's supper, or something PreCambrian?
C) There are various products that are supposed to remove biological staining: I've used the one that comes in the bright pink canister with a fair degree of success.
D) Or, just for fun, visit your local Lakeland: they sell all kinds of washing stuff.
 

---

Posted by Benedictus (# 1215) on :
 
Closer to Pre-Cambrian.

I googled, Amos (Google is my bestest friend) and the one I would try first if I were in the states was half Biz and half Oxyclean. Does that equate to anything over here? So I don't have a foolproof US remedy or anything. Just other suggestions, using stuff I haven't seen here.
 

---

Posted by Smudgie (# 2716) on :
 
Bene, scissors might work
 

---

Posted by saysay (# 6645) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Smudgie:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Eutychus:
How is it that tea can appear to taste better out of some mugs than others?

---

I was wondering that only yesterday, after the Smudgelet AGAIN used a mug I don't like for my cup of coffee. I have V shaped mugs which are lovely for hot chocolate but horrible for coffee. I have other ordinary mugs which are perfect for coffee, but hot nice for drinking hot water from, and vice versa. Hot chocolate from a thin mug just doesn't taste right. How can the shape and thickness of the mug affect the taste of the drink?

(We won't discuss tea - abominable stuff!)

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Sir Kevin:
Why is the sky blue? ...

I really did mean the question seriously as I deal with schoolchildren and have several nieces and nephews who may ask me someday. Thank you, Pigwidgeon for your reference and serious answer!

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Curiosity killed ...:

quote:

---

Originally posted by captainchrism:
Why does ice float in water?
When everything else becomes denser when it gets cold, why doesn’t water?

---

Because of the shape of the water molecule. It's sort of boomerang shaped and moving around can fit more of them into a space than you can when you arrange them the way they want to go, which is in polygons neatly arranged.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by RooK:
...So, the soap grabs onto the molecules of, well, everything you rub it on, and rinsing in water helps rip away anything that isn't strongly bonded together.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Emma Louise:
... maybe it follows on from my pregnancy induced manic-cleaning yesterday!

---

To quote Monty Python, it's my belief you're nesting ...

On the subject of tea vessels, David would agree about proper china cups being better, even if you're making tea in the cup with a tea-bag, and I think he has a point. I remember seeing a wine-tasting programme once where they demonstrated that certain wines taste better out of particular glasses (champagne from flutes, red wine from big tulip-shaped glasses and so on), so maybe the shape/thickness of the vessel does make a difference.
 

---

Posted by Zappa (# 8433) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Roseofsharon:
I much prefer to have my coffee in a porcelain or china mug/cup.

---

Whereas I'm the opposite. Ah, alas ... there ends potential for a warm and symbiotic relationship
 

---

Posted by Emma Louise (# 3571) on :
 
Thanks for the soap answers everyone My curiosity is satisfied now!!

I will usually drink tea out of a mug. A large one. You just get more! However I do *love* tea from a china cup when there is a teapot nearby (ie there is more tea than just a little cup full, that's just disappointing), particularly when making an occasion of it, for example tea with a group of friends with cake, or out at a tea shop.
 

---

Posted by Lyda*Rose (# 4544) on :
 
I like drinking tea out of my beautiful, celadon mug. I don't think it's the thickness or shape. It's just so beautiful, it makes me happy.
 

---

Posted by Smudgie (# 2716) on :
 
Interesting - I think for me there's something in the thickness of the mug mirroring the thickness of the drink.

Here's another question that's got me pondering at the moment. Yesterday I spent half an hour in a detox cabin (oh bliss!) and was told that in so doing I'd lose more calories than spending twenty minutes working hard on a rowing machine. (ooh, tough decision!)

So my question is, how do they work out how many calories you burn working on a rowing machine and, likewise, how do they work out how many you burn sitting reading your book in a nice warm wooden cabin while being bombarded with infra-red beams?
 

---

Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 
Does anyone know a good website for secondhand cameras - I'm hoping to pick up a digital SLR kit. Or if anyone has an old one they don't want I could be interested if the price is right.

(I already have a compact and am looking to upgrade.)
 

---

Posted by aj (# 1383) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ariel:
Does anyone know a good website for secondhand cameras - I'm hoping to pick up a digital SLR kit. Or if anyone has an old one they don't want I could be interested if the price is right.

(I already have a compact and am looking to upgrade.)

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Benedictus:
Closer to Pre-Cambrian.

I googled, Amos (Google is my bestest friend) and the one I would try first if I were in the states was half Biz and half Oxyclean. Does that equate to anything over here? So I don't have a foolproof US remedy or anything. Just other suggestions, using stuff I haven't seen here.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Thurible:
Can pigeons swim?

In the cold spell a few weeks ago, I was having my morning fag break and noticed that the pond I usually sit by was frozen over. The ducks that normally grace it were nowhere to be seen but various pigeons were walking all over the ice. I realised that I'd never noticed a pigeon there before and assumed that the reason for it was that they couldn't swim. Is that the case?

Thurible

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Joyeux:
Changes in barometric pressure and/or temperature result in old injuries (wrenched ankle, knee, etc) hurting again. Why?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Joyeux:
Changes in barometric pressure and/or temperature result in old injuries (wrenched ankle, knee, etc) hurting again. Why?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Tea gnome:
Mm. Also, I am given to understand that men use their hand(s) to um, aim with. Whilst urine is/should be sterile, what they're holding into certainly isn't. Hands should be washed.

---

I can't believe this conversation!
 

---

Posted by Angel Wrestler (# 13673) on :
 
I don't have any answers for anyone now that the handwashing issue has been resolved. But I do have a question I've always wondered:

What's the difference between a grove and an orchard?

Why do we call orange groves, groves and apple orchards, orchards?
 

---

Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Thurible:
Can pigeons swim?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Thurible:
Pigeons, like raptors and song birds and such, just have those skinny little toesies that would get them nowhere.

---

And even then, many of them have some of those skinny little toes missing! Not, I once read, due to amputating accidents but due to some horrible, foot devouring virus endemic in urban pigeons.

Just thought you'd like to know
 

---

Posted by comet (# 10353) on :
 
your quote was me, rather than Thurible. FYI
 

---

Posted by Thurible (# 3206) on :
 
Indeed - not sure I'd use 'toesies'.

Thanks for confirming my suspicions.

Thurible
 

---

Posted by Joyeux (# 3851) on :
 
Thanks for those links, Lothlorien! After reading those articles I remember reading somewhere that injuries and/or natural changes (i.e. arthritis) can allow miniscule pockets of air into joints and other sensitive areas. Those air pockets then react to changes in temperature, barometric pressure, etc.

Oh, yeah. Exercise... Guess there's no getting around than.
 

---

Posted by Ricardus (# 8757) on :
 
Thanks Firenze and Lamb Chopped

quote:

---

Originally posted by Tea gnome:
Mm. Also, I am given to understand that men use their hand(s) to um, aim with. Whilst urine is/should be sterile, what they're holding into certainly isn't. Hands should be washed.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ricardus:
But surely no less sterile than the rest of the body? In fact, since the part of my anatomy that we do not mention in polite society only has contact with the insides of my undergarments, whereas my hands have contact with all sorts of rubbish, surely it would make more sense to wash my penis than my hands ...

---

quote:

---

I've said this before: your boxer-shorts region--from belly button to mid-thigh--is crawling with germs known as coliform bacteria. These bacteria originated in your intestine, and some of them are deadly.

---

quote:

---

Does anyone on The Ship know how I can reliably check out whether a UK-based Money Service Business (Bureau de Change) is legitimate and not about to go bankrupt?

My understanding is that MSBs are regulated by HMRC and not by the FSA. I can't find any lists published by HMRC which lists registered MSBs and I don't just want to take the company's word for it.

Thank in advance - I do realise this is very much a 'specialist subject' but I'm hoping that one of The Ships 10000+ members may have a clue.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Firenze:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Thurible:
Can pigeons swim?

---

No.

I remember walking by Leith docks on very still day - one in which the water was a perfect mirror. The only disturbance of its calm surface was a struggling pigeon, unable to swim, and too wet to fly.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Emma Louise:
I'd like to print off some photos. At the moment its probably about 100 or so photos, but at other times I'm guessing it will be more like 30.

Is it as easy to take the memory card thing to an ASDA store or is it cheaper to upload them to an online site and get them delivered? I'm still not used to the whole digital thing and realised we have tons and tons of pics but they're all on the computer !!!!

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Matt Black:
Why can't humans eat raw meat (as a general rule) like other animals?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Esmeralda:
What is the difference between an 'economic downturn', a recession and a depression? Is it just a matter of degree or are there acknowledged criteria?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Firenze:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Matt Black:
Why can't humans eat raw meat (as a general rule) like other animals?

---

Hand me that steak tartare...

I am sure that we could, it's just that cooking makes it taste more interesting.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Joyeux:
I have an optical mouse, and sometimes the cursor will move on the screen, even when the mouse itself is stationary. Why? This isn't a big deal; in fact, I find it quite amusing. I'd just like to know what causes this.

My optical mouse at home is wireless, and it happens. The optical mice on campus are not wireless, and it happens as well.

---

My laser mouse does this too. Sometimes it dances across the screen, and once it put a whole website into the wrong folder while I was uploading some files...

It only seems to do it when I'm on my laptop and using it on the arm of the settee, which has a self-coloured and slightly textured pattern - some bits are just a little shinier than others. I've assumed it was because it was responding to something in the pattern, but I'd be really pleased to hear a firm theory as to what's happening.
 

---

Posted by Joyeux (# 3851) on :
 
Further info on the cursor independent movement: it happens whether or not I use a mouse pad.
 

---

Posted by Lamb Chopped (# 5528) on :
 
I found at my old job that the same thing happened, and we traced it to interference from the monitor (being too close). I had a number of wireless thingies on my desk (keyboard, etc.) but can't remember exactly which were wireless.

Still, moving the mouse away from the monitor helped.
 

---

Posted by Gracious rebel (# 3523) on :
 
New question, for the UK peeps, about WiFi in Travelodge hotels. Going away to Scotland next week, and have booked cheap rooms in 3 different Travelodges. (we managed to book during one of their sales, so we have 4 nights away for £56!!) Debating taking the laptop along, to keep in touch, as there is WiFi available in the rooms, at a price. Has anyone used this before and do you know how it works? The website has minimal information in the FAQ, and if you use 'contact us' to ask a question, it says they can take 10 working days to answer, but we haven't got that long before we travel on Monday 16TH! It costs £5 an hour, £10 a day or £20 a week, so we thought we would book a week, so could use it every night. BUT as this will be in 3 different hotels, would this work? Does the service you buy only work in the hotel you book it for? Or can I use the same package at the next place as well?

I'm rather hampered by never having used public WiFi before, so no idea of the 'mechanics' of what is involved in activating the service. Maybe someone who was more familiar with using paid for WiFi would know whether it was even technically possible to pay for a week's service to be used in several different locations, or if is it tied to an individual wireless access point. (Even if noone has used it in Travelodges, that still may answer my question.)

Furthermore if anyone HAS used it in Travelodge, it it necessary to book it before your stay, or can you book it on arrival? If so is it the same price?
 

---

Posted by Drifting Star (# 12799) on :
 
My only experience of wireless internet in a Travelodge suggests that you should definitely contact them in advance and find out exactly how it works.

We arrived at one and asked, and the staff hadn't got the faintest clue as to what we or they needed to do. We had to give up and do without. That was a couple of years ago, and they may well have improved a bit, but if I were you I'd make sure I had as much information as possible in case I needed to explain it to the staff...
 

---

Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Matt Black:
Has it anything to do also with the fact that the raw meat we get in the supermarket isn't exactly fresh?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by sharkshooter:
Use a good laminate floor cleaner.

Check out this site, for example.

The key is to never, ever, let water sit on the floor.

---

Thanks, that will be worth following up. But how often would I need to use that kind of cleaner? I was thinking more about day to day week to week care.
 

---

Posted by Jengie Jon (# 273) on :
 
My own experience with wireless away was at a Premier Inn. If I recall correctly there was no need for the staff to know anything at all. The information on connecting was in the room and gave you a connection to a single site, at which you paid a toll by credit card and then told you how to connect to the rest of the internet which was via password.

Jengie
 

---

Posted by lady in red (# 10688) on :
 
New question that Mr Google doesn't seem to want to give me the answer to:

I'm getting on a flight on Thursday with hand-luggage only (Ryanair and too tight to pay for checked luggage when I'm only going for three days). That means I need to abide by the regulations on liquids and gels. Is make-up included? I think mascara is, but I don't know about foundation, lipstick etc. Does anyone know?

I'm going to the ballet in Rome and I want to be able to put a face on...
 

---

Posted by Rat (# 3373) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by sharkshooter:
The key is to never, ever, let water sit on the floor.

---

Or wee. Especially wee.

Oh sorry, did you think went without saying?
 

---

Posted by BroJames (# 9636) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Rat:
Or wee. Especially wee.

Oh sorry, did you think went without saying?

---

Maybe, but there is no harm in adding erm... depth and richenss to our information.
 

---

Posted by lily pad (# 11456) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by lady in red:
New question that Mr Google doesn't seem to want to give me the answer to:

I'm getting on a flight on Thursday with hand-luggage only (Ryanair and too tight to pay for checked luggage when I'm only going for three days). That means I need to abide by the regulations on liquids and gels. Is make-up included? I think mascara is, but I don't know about foundation, lipstick etc. Does anyone know?

I'm going to the ballet in Rome and I want to be able to put a face on...

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Gracious rebel:
<snip>

Furthermore if anyone HAS used it in Travelodge, it it necessary to book it before your stay, or can you book it on arrival? If so is it the same price?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Joyeux:
Hmmm... The mice at school are NOT wireless, although they are optical. I've had the drifting problem even when using a BLACK mousepad.

Maybe the problem is me... I'm a technological disruption!

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Gracious rebel:
Thanks for the advice about WiFi in Travelodges. It turns out that I won't need to use it, due to the kindness and generosity of my boss who has lent me her USB mobile modem thingy that she is not using now that she has a broadband connection - it works anywhere there is a mobile signal, and it's brilliant.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by TonyK:
That's great - but I thought mobile phone internet access was rather expensive..

---

I pay T-Mobile £8.75 a month for up to 3GB of data transfer. The deal also includes unlimited Wifi access at T-Mobile 'hotspots' and 300 minutes of BT Wifi. That price includes some loyalty discounts but I don't think it's more than about £15 a month nowadays for the full package.

Like all mobile tariffs, it's a bit of a minefield. Some of the others available are enormously expensive but if you do your homework it can be very reasonable.
 

---

Posted by Emma Louise (# 3571) on :
 
Central heating is still a bit of a novelty to us... we were just wondering what people consider a "normal" room temperature to set the thermostat too. I'm quite aware this will vary widely -we'd like it lowish as that will be cheaper but we don't want to freeze either...

Just curious
 

---

Posted by lily pad (# 11456) on :
 
Is always 18 degrees at my house. I like to be warm.
 

---

Posted by LeRoc (# 3216) on :
 

quote:

---

RooK: More pedantry. Soap is a surfactant. Clumsily described, it works as a two-way grabber - one end bonds strongly to water (ionic), and the other end bonds strongly to anything-but-water (non-ionic). So, the soap grabs onto the molecules of, well, everything you rub it on, and rinsing in water helps rip away anything that isn't strongly bonded together.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by LeRoc:
I agree, but I always thought that it was also related to surface tension. Soap reduces the surface tension of water, enabling fat to dissolve in it more easily. Or am I wrong?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by LeRoc:

quote:

---

RooK: More pedantry. Soap is a surfactant. Clumsily described, it works as a two-way grabber - one end bonds strongly to water (ionic), and the other end bonds strongly to anything-but-water (non-ionic). So, the soap grabs onto the molecules of, well, everything you rub it on, and rinsing in water helps rip away anything that isn't strongly bonded together.

---

I agree, but I always thought that it was also related to surface tension. Soap reduces the surface tension of water, enabling fat to dissolve in it more easily. Or am I wrong?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Emma Louise:
Central heating is still a bit of a novelty to us... we were just wondering what people consider a "normal" room temperature to set the thermostat too. I'm quite aware this will vary widely -we'd like it lowish as that will be cheaper but we don't want to freeze either...

Just curious

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Zappa:
As a matter of interest, what is the Open Episcopal Church?

---

I think J Whitgift adequately answered that question in this post in Purgatory

dj_ordinaire summed them up quite well too about 2 posts later.

[ 14. February 2009, 17:36: Message edited by: Spike ]
 

---

Posted by Harperchild (# 14017) on :
 
Originally posted by Emma Louise:
_________________________________________________
Central heating is still a bit of a novelty to us... we were just wondering what people consider a "normal" room temperature to set the thermostat too. I'm quite aware this will vary widely -we'd like it lowish as that will be cheaper but we don't want to freeze either...

Just curious _________________________________________________

Usually, each room's radiator has its own thermostat, so the temperature you set the main thermostat to will regualte when the boiler goes on, but not necessarily what each room temp will be. We put our thermostat in the hall (it's a remote one, we can put it anywhere, inculding in the fridge (we were experimenting, ok??) so now it's balanced on the kitchen skylight windowledge. We set it at 19 degrees c, but occasionally put it further down, if it feels hot. My daughters' rooms, at the top of the house, with super duper insulation, are like saunas, despite having their radiators on a reasonable number. (most of the time) while the dining room at the back of the house - wooden floors with holes in - is distinctly chilly. As is my bedroom. The front room was pretty cold till we installed a bigger radiator - it wasn't the right size for the room.

any help?

[ 14. February 2009, 19:15: Message edited by: Harperchild ]
 

---

Posted by RooK (# 1852) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by The Rogue:
Why does running water not freeze? I dare say that if it were cold enough the river would but why, at common temperatures, doesn't it?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Emma Louise:
Central heating is still a bit of a novelty to us... we were just wondering what people consider a "normal" room temperature to set the thermostat too. I'm quite aware this will vary widely -we'd like it lowish as that will be cheaper but we don't want to freeze either...

Just curious

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by North East Quine:
Thanks, Jengie. That's a really helpful site. I was just blundering about, googling.

It was too big to be a black redstart, and it's the wrong time of year, and wrong area for a redstart.

The fieldfare is closest, but I don't think it was a fieldfare. It was more of a uniform pale grey. I originally thought it might be an immature collared dove, because it was the right colour, but smaller, sleeker and skinnier, and it didn't have the distinctive collar. However, even immature collared doves should have the collar.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Jengie Jon:
viruses (or should that be virii)

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quote:

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Originally posted by philip99a:
Hmmm.... very expensive, and I'm not at all sure it does a good job. My sister has an electric gadget, pair of carborundum wheels (made by Moulinex I think) which grinds away the knife eventually but produces a great edge!

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• Get Feeder Tray so seeds and such don't fall to the ground. That alerts mice and squirrels to their being food above.
• Put pepper in the food (birds don't taste it, unlike squirrels and mice)
• Get a Squirrel Guard to stop access.
• A Guardian is one way to deter pigeons, but they will try and swing the feeder to get food to drop out and onto the ground. If this happens it then tells mice and squirrels that there is food above. So if you can afford it try and get something like Yankee Dipper which will shut down for both squirrels and large birds.

quote:

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Try the RSPB bird identifier on their website. Handy tool that lets you click what you remember about the bird and it makes suggestions for what it might be? RSPB Bird Identifier Tool

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Thanks, Amber! I think it was a field fare. It was surrounded by snow. Perhaps the light bouncing off the snow made it appear paler than it really was.

For all you twitchers, we've had loads of waxwings this year. At one point we had eight in the tree in our garden. I've never seen so many, so close, before.
 

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Posted by Jengie Jon (# 273) on :
 
Another bird question. Are there any birds that breed in the southern hemisphere and spend their winter (our summer) in the Northern Hemisphere?

It just occurred to me that all the examples of migratory birds, I knew of seemed to be the other way around.

Jengie
 

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Posted by PrettyFly (# 13157) on :
 
When I read the Mallory Towers books by Enid Blyton (probably around 1990) the copies I owned had the most beautiful illustrations on the covers (and a few inside the books themselves). I stupidly got rid of my books and now can't find them with the same covers.

I'm pretty sure they were quite old copies when I had them, probably bought second hand. The pictures have a sort of 1950's feel to them.

The one I rememeber most clearly was the cover for Upper Fourth at Mallory Towers, which had a really pretty picture of a sunrise coming up over the lacrosse field. It was all very blue and yellow, pale but in an almost sparkling way.

Does anyone else remember these covers, or have any info about the illustrator?

Why, oh why did my mother let me get rid of them??
 

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Posted by Gracious rebel (# 3523) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by PrettyFly:

The one I rememeber most clearly was the cover for Upper Fourth at Mallory Towers, which had a really pretty picture of a sunrise coming up over the lacrosse field. It was all very blue and yellow, pale but in an almost sparkling way.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Qoheleth.:
What's with the 12 inch high temporary polythene sheet fences that sprout randomly around the verges of UK motorways? I'm assuming they're something to do with wildlife, but can anyone give a definitive answer, please? I'll try and (safely) post a pic, if we draw a blank.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Jengie Jon:
Another bird question. Are there any birds that breed in the southern hemisphere and spend their winter (our summer) in the Northern Hemisphere?

Jengie

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Sooty Shearwaters
 

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Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by PrettyFly:
I'm pretty sure they were quite old copies when I had them, probably bought second hand. The pictures have a sort of 1950's feel to them.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Gracious rebel:

quote:

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Originally posted by PrettyFly:

The one I rememeber most clearly was the cover for Upper Fourth at Mallory Towers, which had a really pretty picture of a sunrise coming up over the lacrosse field. It was all very blue and yellow, pale but in an almost sparkling way.

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Looks like you mean this one. No information about the illustrator sadly!

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Interesting... that picture does look familiar, but not like the one I was thinking of! I wonder... thanks anyway! Good site

Ariel - do you still have yours?
 

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Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 
Sorry, no, they went the way of these things, a few decades ago.
 

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Posted by Zappa (# 8433) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by PrettyFly:
When I read the Mallory Towers books by Enid Blyton (probably around 1990) the copies I owned had the most beautiful illustrations on the covers (and a few inside the books themselves). I stupidly got rid of my books and now can't find them with the same covers.

I'm pretty sure they were quite old copies when I had them, probably bought second hand. The pictures have a sort of 1950's feel to them.

The one I rememeber most clearly was the cover for Upper Fourth at Mallory Towers, which had a really pretty picture of a sunrise coming up over the lacrosse field. It was all very blue and yellow, pale but in an almost sparkling way.

Does anyone else remember these covers, or have any info about the illustrator?

Why, oh why did my mother let me get rid of them??

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quote:

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Originally posted by amber.:

quote:

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Originally posted by Jengie Jon:
Another bird question. Are there any birds that breed in the southern hemisphere and spend their winter (our summer) in the Northern Hemisphere?

Jengie

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Sooty Shearwaters

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quote:

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Originally posted by Gracious rebel:
Our UK Freeview box seems to have stopped working. You can still view a menu of all the channels, but they all say 'programme unavailable'. Its been like this for over a week. Assuming there is not a general problem with Freeview broadcasts (anyone care to confirm that they are still receiving it OK?) do I assume its time to replace the box? Tried updating the channel info, but still nothing.

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It may mean that your box is broken but first check that you are getting any kind of signal.
Is your aerial broke or the lead connecting your aerial to the freeview box? Can you still get analogue TV? If analogue TV is then it sounds like your freeview box is broken.

Though for a while I was getting a poor signal on the BBC muxes and the others channels were OK but what had happened was that the box was picking up the BBC channels froma different transmitter site than teh one my aerial was pointing to, and retuning fixed that.
 

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Posted by Gracious rebel (# 3523) on :
 
Analogue TV is working OK. The digital signal has never been brilliant here (we get some pixellation fairly often) but for all the freeview channels to have suddenly stopped, does perhaps seem to suggest there is a problem with the box.
 

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Posted by Melangell (# 4023) on :
 
Gracious Rebel, It would be worth trying the advice on p144 of the new Radio Times, about retuning your digibox. My DVD-cum-Freeview box seems to retune itself, but when I had a standalone Freeview box, it had to be reset from scratch when channel numbers changed. Just a thought...
 

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Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
Can any American shipmate tell me the metric weight of a stick of butter please?

Huia
 

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Posted by lily pad (# 11456) on :
 
Do you take answers from Canadians?

1 stick butter = 113.4 grams
 

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Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
I think it was a trick question. Of course none of us Yanks would know -- we don't know nuthin' about no metric!
 

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Posted by lily pad (# 11456) on :
 
I actually considered that before I replied just in case it was a test. We Canadians don't like to blunder into other people's conversations but we do like to be helpful. Such a stress to know what to do.
 

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Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
Sorry Lillypad - How could I have left out the Canadians? My brain was even less in gear this morning than usual. (Maybe it's giving up thinking for Lent).

Thanks for your helpful answer.

Huia
 

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Posted by Sparrow (# 2458) on :
 
Can anyone suggest where I can buy small inexpensive gift boxes? I am planning to try and make home made chocolates for some of my friends for Easter and need some pretty boxes to put them in, just big enough to hold perhaps 6-10 chocs each.
 

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Posted by Rev per Minute (# 69) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Gracious rebel:
Our UK Freeview box seems to have stopped working. You can still view a menu of all the channels, but they all say 'programme unavailable'. Its been like this for over a week. Assuming there is not a general problem with Freeview broadcasts (anyone care to confirm that they are still receiving it OK?) do I assume its time to replace the box? Tried updating the channel info, but still nothing.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Sparrow:
Can anyone suggest where I can buy small inexpensive gift boxes?

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quote:

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Originally posted by Rev per Minute:

quote:

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Originally posted by Gracious rebel:
Our UK Freeview box seems to have stopped working. You can still view a menu of all the channels, but they all say 'programme unavailable'. Its been like this for over a week. Assuming there is not a general problem with Freeview broadcasts (anyone care to confirm that they are still receiving it OK?) do I assume its time to replace the box? Tried updating the channel info, but still nothing.

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My usual response to this problem has been to unplug the box from the mains, wait for a few minutes then plug it back in, allowing it to reboot/retune.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Sparrow:
Can anyone suggest where I can buy small inexpensive gift boxes?

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quote:

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Originally posted by Dormouse:
What is the name of the music used in the original "Babe" film and currentrly used on the Thomas Cook ad on UK TV? I have the feeling it's an Irish song/hymn, but I'm not sure.

Does anyone know as Mr D keeps asking me everytime the ad comes on TV....

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quote:

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Originally posted by Malin:
I've read urine is sterile when it comes out of the body (and useful to counteract jellyfish stings if desperate, the ammonia helps) - but presumably once it's left for a while it would attract bacteria?

And I really don't get why guys don't wipe after peeing (and then wash hands). What about the drips at the end? I presume men's boxers 'absorb' those?

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quote:

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Originally posted by Malin:
I've read urine is sterile when it comes out of the body (and useful to counteract jellyfish stings if desperate, the ammonia helps) - but presumably once it's left for a while it would attract bacteria?

And I really don't get why guys don't wipe after peeing (and then wash hands). What about the drips at the end? I presume men's boxers 'absorb' those?

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quote:

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Originally posted by St. Gwladys:
I used to have Office 2000 on my computer, which didn't bear any resemblence to the instructions and I have been told it is obsolete. I now have Office 2007, and the screens and buttons on that bear no resemblance to the instructions either. Can antone help?

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quote:

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Originally posted by Jengie Jon:
I think this tutorial or this from Microsoft may well cover what you need to know.

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Thank you Jengie - I guessed someone would be able to help.

[Edit: UBB]

[ 01. March 2009, 05:29: Message edited by: Zappa ]
 

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Posted by Sandemaniac (# 12829) on :
 
Hsa anyone ever enquired of Lambeth Palace about a Victorian clergyman? How much information do they have, and how long do they take to reply?

I'm hoping to find where one was living in 1855, which turns out to be three years before Crockfords started. If he's in the same place in the 1851 census as 1861 then I probably won't need to try Lambeth, but I thought I'd ask here anyway, just in case I ever need to look for anyone else.

Thanks,

AG
 

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Posted by Sandemaniac (# 12829) on :
 
Although it doesn't answer my question, I suspect someone round here, surely, will find this useful: Clergy of the Church of England Database

AG
 

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Posted by BroJames (# 9636) on :
 
If he was an incumbent of a parish you might get your answer more quickly and easily from contacting the parish direct.

I'm not sure how centralised records were at the time, and it may be that Lambeth will refer you to the relevant diocese. Diocesan records may be held by the diocese, or have been passed to an appropriate county archivist for storage.
 

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Posted by Thurible (# 3206) on :
 
It may be worth contacting Fr Orford, the Archivist at Pusey House, Oxford.

Thurible
 

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Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Sandemaniac:
Although it doesn't answer my question, I suspect someone round here, surely, will find this useful: Clergy of the Church of England Database

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quote:

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Originally posted by Sandemaniac:
Although it doesn't answer my question, I suspect someone round here, surely, will find this useful: Clergy of the Church of England Database

AG

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This is actually the first place I have ever seen anyone with my name in history. Ever.

At least I have an idea of where the family was from originally.
 

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Posted by Sandemaniac (# 12829) on :
 
Wow - I think that's the first time in rather a lot of posts I've actually been useful!

Glad to be of service. I eventually found him in the same place in two consecutive censii (?), so didn't need to go as far as the Puseum, but hopefully people will keep finding this, and being put in the right direction.

Thank you, everyone!

AG
 

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Posted by Pottage (# 9529) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Sparrow:
Why is it no longer possible (in the UK at least) to buy bath enamel? Do they assume that no-one has an old enamel bath that they would rather repaint than replace? I have been to several hardware stores in the past couple of weeks but they don't seem to stock it or to be able to tell me why they don't.

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These people might be able to help, though perhaps you've tried them already if you've been making some enquiries.

A few years ago we used a company called Bath Doctor (or something similar) and they did a pretty reasonable job of respraying the bath and sink without carting it all away or anything. That wasn't "enamelling" as such though, but some sort of paint job. They did it within a day, but they used some professional spray equipment - I'm not sure how practical it would be as a DIY project (I'm hopeless around the house so didn't even entertain the possibility!)

We had no trouble with the result though, but we did move about three years later so I don't know if it's a very good long term product. I just tried to find the company to see if they still exist but couldn't, though this company is one of a number offering the same service.
 

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Posted by Sparrow (# 2458) on :
 
Yes, I know it's possible to get a company to do it for you, but you used to be able to buy the stuff and do it yourself, that was what I really wanted to do.


 

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Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 
You still can.
 

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Posted by Sparrow (# 2458) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Ariel:
You still can.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Sandemaniac:
Hsa anyone ever enquired of Lambeth Palace about a Victorian clergyman? How much information do they have, and how long do they take to reply?

I'm hoping to find where one was living in 1855, which turns out to be three years before Crockfords started. If he's in the same place in the 1851 census as 1861 then I probably won't need to try Lambeth, but I thought I'd ask here anyway, just in case I ever need to look for anyone else.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Sparrow:
Yes, I know it's possible to get a company to do it for you, but you used to be able to buy the stuff and do it yourself, that was what I really wanted to do.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Pulsator Organorum Ineptus:
Below 4°C, water starts getting less dense again and thus more buoyant.

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quote:

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Originally posted by mountainsnowtiger:
Is there a word for somebody who's been offered + accepted, but not yet taken up, a (fairly run-of-the-mill) job? (i.e. The equivalent of president elect, but more mundane - the deputy manager who's also the acting manager and has also now successfully applied for the manager's position, I don't really think of as the manager 'elect'.)

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I think blah-de-blah-designate is the one I've seen most.
 

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Posted by Sioni Sais (# 5713) on :
 
And now a question of my own to some of you in the U.S.A.

As we must all know by now the health services in our Great Nations are very different: most health care here is free at the point of treatment while most in the U.S.A is not; for the most part it is funded through commercial insurance schemes, often tied to employment.

As some of you may know our middle son had his appendix out about a week ago and it has been a rocky road since (he hasn't been in any great danger, but are still appreciated). He's been grumbling since about "this lousy NHS" so I'd like some idea of what it would have cost in the U.S.A. A rough figure will do, on the board or PM, I don't mind.

the menu is (so far)

Treatment and diagnosis in the emergency room
Diagnosis by specialist
Admission to pre-surgery ward
Moderately complicated appendectomy (general anaesthetic)
Admission to post-surgery ward
Three nights in ward, with (the notoriously basic) food and drink
Two home visits from district nurse to re-dress wound
Visit to see out-of-hours doctor at week-end clinic
Three visits to GP surgery
Readmission to post-surgery ward to see consultant with minor complicatiopn (wound opened up again): treatment again there.

I haven't included drugs and dressing for now, as these can be too variable.

It's quite a list: I doubt there would be any change from $6,000!
 

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Posted by Moo (# 107) on :
 
Most Americans are covered by medical insurance and don't pay their own bills, or pay only 20%.

The people who have no money at all don't pay anything.

The ones who get it in the neck are those who have some money and no insurance. Many of the uninsured are healthy people in their 20s who assume that they are unlikely to have major medical expenses. Most of them win the gamble; some lose big time.

Moo
 

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Posted by Jengie Jon (# 273) on :
 
Sioni Sais

Not a quote as such but just get him to read the costs on this discussion

Jengie
 

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Posted by Ferijen (# 4719) on :
 
I'd like to buy a filter for a Canon DSLR - its the model 40D. Its a present so I don't want to ask the person what they want, I just wanted something they wouldn't have already got (they've just got the camera so I'm fairly sure they don't have any filters yet).

Would any canon filters fit the camera? Or does it have to be lens specific, and if so, how do I tell what lens type the camera is? For example, I'm looking at
this

My idea of cameras are point and click, so I'm WAY out of my depth...
 

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Posted by rosamundi (# 2495) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Ferijen:
Would any canon filters fit the camera? Or does it have to be lens specific, and if so, how do I tell what lens type the camera is? For example, I'm looking at
this

My idea of cameras are point and click, so I'm WAY out of my depth...

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It depends on the size of the lens it's being fitted to. Different lenses are different diameters and you can't fit a 52mm filter to a 58mm lens.

Somewhere on the lens will be a circle with a line through it, and two numbers and "mm" denoting the size of the lens.

I buy a UV filter whenever I buy a new lens, especially as I do so much walking - if something's going to be viciously attacked by a tree, I'd rather it was a £20 filter than a £500 lens, because they have to be sent away to be fixed and it costs scary money.

Polarising filters are useful for photographing water, and things behind glass such as museum exhibits.

Star filters are great fun, and mean you can do things like this.

Soft-focus filters are good for portrait photography.

but before you can buy anything, find out what the diameter of the lens is.
 

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Posted by Jengie Jon (# 273) on :
 
Ferijen

The other option is if he already has a filter set like this, then to find out the make and get another filter in that range. There are I think only two brands that make square filters.

Jengie
 

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Posted by Sioni Sais (# 5713) on :
 
Moo & Jengie Jon,

Thanks for the information. Looks like I was at least 100% out! I'll let him know.
 

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Posted by Tea gnome (# 9424) on :
 
I have three extremely wizened apples. I do not have (yet) a composter or wormery to put them in.
If I was to hang them in a tree by their stalks, perhaps studded with some peanuts by way of a bribe, do people think that birds might eat them?
TG
 

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Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
Do you have a piece of ground you can toss them on? That way, birds, mice, worms, insects and molds can all feed off them.
 

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Posted by Tea gnome (# 9424) on :
 
That's a good point, I'm going for a walk this afternoon, so will take them with me. I didn't want to throw them near the house, cos it doesn't take much for people to start squeaking about rats and public health.
TG
 

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Posted by Keren-Happuch (# 9818) on :
 
How long is it reasonable to expect a duvet case to last? Our set has been in use less than 8 years and it seems to be disintegrating. The company's website goes on about "quality that lasts a lifetime", which suggests something longer to me.
 

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Posted by Carys (# 78) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Keren-Happuch:
How long is it reasonable to expect a duvet case to last? Our set has been in use less than 8 years and it seems to be disintegrating. The company's website goes on about "quality that lasts a lifetime", which suggests something longer to me.

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When I visit my parents, the duvet cover I use is one I used as a child, and might even go back before that. Even the one I've been using to save on heating downstairs dates back to when I started uni which is 11 years ago now.

Carys
 

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Posted by Ferijen (# 4719) on :
 
Thanks for the filter advice Rosamundi/Jengie Jon - the filters have arrived by post and are perfect
 

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Posted by Dormouse (# 5954) on :
 
We have 2 duvet covers which were wedding presents - they're not used continually (yes, we change our duvet covers occasionally!) but they're still going strong. We're celebrating our silver wedding anniversary next year.

[ 21. March 2009, 13:18: Message edited by: Dormouse ]
 

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Posted by Tree Bee (# 4033) on :
 
Do you mean the casing of the actual duvet, or a removable cover?
If the former, my first duvet lasted 25 years as well.
8 years seems a poor show; I'd contact the company to complain.
 

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Posted by Keren-Happuch (# 9818) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Tree Bee:
Do you mean the casing of the actual duvet, or a removable cover?
If the former, my first duvet lasted 25 years as well.
8 years seems a poor show; I'd contact the company to complain.

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I mean the removable cover. The pillow cases are also wearing out.
 

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Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 
Duvet covers do wear thin after a while and the pattern fades - part of that is due to whatever they put in detergents these days as much as daily wear and tear and the spin cycles of washing machines.

(From personal observation, things don't seem to last half as long when put in a washing machine as they used to in the days when I washed everything out by hand and hung it on the line in the garden to dry.)
 

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Posted by Matt Black (# 2210) on :
 
Is it true that if you don't close you eyes when you sneeze, they will pop out, or is that just an old wives' tale?
 

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Posted by Angus McDangley (# 11091) on :
 
Its an old wives tale. One theory is that we close our eyes when we sneeze to prevent the debris which has just come out (at a fair rate of knots) from entering our eyes - although I would have thought that the direction of the nostril and the speed of the expelled air argues against this. It is in fact possible to sneeze with your eyes open -- some people train themselves to do it and some can do it naturally. I don't know of anyone who has popped their eyes while sneezing with their eyes open.
 

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Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :
 
We still regularly use a duvet cover we got for a wedding present 35 years ago, and sometimes one we inherited from my mother-in-law which is probably older. That one is very thin and faded now, and the seams have had to be re-sewn in places. Its matching sheet has worn through, though.

I guess that fabrics back then were more robust, but frequency of laundering, along with water temperature and harshness of the detergent must have some effect in the long term .

Oh, and I line-dry, which is probably kinder, judging by the lint I've seen collect in people's dryers.
 

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Posted by Jengie Jon (# 273) on :
 
I should be able to do this without asking but I am failing hopelessly.

I am a maths graduate, with a second degree in statistics and an active statistician but it is over twenty years since I was at University and Chaos was then something "cool" people looked at in their final year project or you used to get pretty posters for you bedroom

I have kept half an eye on it since but I would like to read a decent overview. Can anyone recommend one for a numerate but out of practice mathematician?

Jengie

[Just to boggle the mathematicians among you further my brain is programmed for pure mathematics and applied is definitely less preferred]
 

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Posted by Keren-Happuch (# 9818) on :
 
I'm trying to solve a puzzle and failing miserably. It's intended for children but in German, so as a lot of the others have been trick questions, I suspect I may be missing something in the phrasing. Can anybody help? I'll put the question in German and English!

"Was wiegt eine 60 km/h schnelle Torte, wenn es um zwölf Uhr mittags 26 Grad warm ist?"

"What does a 60 km/hr cake weigh if it's 26 degrees (C) at 12 noon?"


 

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Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 
I'm guessing that "schnelle Torte" is a culinary term and there may be some pun I haven't got.

(I just googled for "schnelle Torte" and found a recipe which Google helpfully translated from the German, and I must share this with you:

Quick Cake
1 pc Cake Soil
250 ml Whipped Cream
Jam to taste
Any kind of fruit

Preparation: The soil cake with jam rake. Two-thirds cut fruit and cake on the floor, the rest very small cut and set aside. The cream (whipped) up the chopped fruit under stress and on the ground distributing cake.

Presumably, at 60 km per hour...)
 

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Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
For some reason, this reminds me of going into a cafe somewhere in the Rheinhessen for Kaffe und Kuechen, and pointing to a cake in the window as the one we would like to sample.

'Ah' cried the waitress 'but it is not here!'

It transpired that it was an artificial cake. But it left me with the suspicion that there is an alternate-reality cake metaphysic going on in German culture, which the above recipe confirms.
 

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Posted by Dormouse (# 5954) on :
 
I don't think this counts as a Homework question...

I teach English to a 14 year old and at the moment I am trying to encourage him to write in sentences that make sense. Each week I give him a fairly open story title for him to write about. I am running out of ideas... The ones I've given which I can remember have been:
My Exciting holiday (going to Provence & meeting friends)
The Lost Dog (It was unloved and ran away)
The Naughty Little Cat ( It bit dogs)
Treasure Island (I wait with bated breath for this one to arrive)

My brain is dead at the moment & I can't think of any vague, open but easily understood titles, that give opportunity for a glimmer of imagination (One can hope...)

Can my dear ShipMates help with possible titles?
 

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Posted by Flausa (# 3466) on :
 
Is there a biological or evolutionary purpose/reason for pain in childbirth? If so, why is it only inflicted on the female of the species and not the male? (Or should I just console myself with the whole Eve and the serpent spiritual purpose?)
 

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Posted by Ringtailed Lemur (# 8288) on :
 
If we're assuming a purely evolutionary point of view, we had a pay off between a very large brain and pain/danger in childbirth. Women's pelvises are simply too small for the size of brains we have.

Evolution has tried to compensate by such things as giving birth to relatively less developed children and giving them skulls that are not fused during early childhood allowing the skull to squeeze a little during birth. This in turn has meant that we have to look after our exceptionally vulnerable children for much longer. Hence why we normally only have one at a time. It's also been suggested that this might be a reason why humans often are monogomous, although there are plenty of cultures in antiquity and modern day in which monogamy is not the way that has developed.

There is also a theory floating around by Timothy Taylor that we are attracted to people with similar size of head to us in order to make childbirth easier.

Timothy Taylor's "Prehistory of Sex" is a good and easily readable book if you want some more of the current acedemic thinking. He's an expert in prehistoric sex, death, cannibalism, and arhcaeological theory...
 

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Posted by leonato (# 5124) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Jengie Jon:
I should be able to do this without asking but I am failing hopelessly.

I am a maths graduate, with a second degree in statistics and an active statistician but it is over twenty years since I was at University and Chaos was then something "cool" people looked at in their final year project or you used to get pretty posters for you bedroom

I have kept half an eye on it since but I would like to read a decent overview. Can anyone recommend one for a numerate but out of practice mathematician?

Jengie

[Just to boggle the mathematicians among you further my brain is programmed for pure mathematics and applied is definitely less preferred]

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quote:

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I teach English to a 14 year old and at the moment I am trying to encourage him to write in sentences that make sense. Each week I give him a fairly open story title for him to write about. I am running out of ideas...

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quote:

---

Originally posted by Flausa:
Is there a biological or evolutionary purpose/reason for pain in childbirth? If so, why is it only inflicted on the female of the species and not the male? (Or should I just console myself with the whole Eve and the serpent spiritual purpose?)

---

The big heads are a reason, if not a purpose. Mine's two standard deviations off normal, so I can't wear hardly any hats (and my son is already wearing his father's). There's a reason he was C-section. (and I was a 24 hour labor...)

Me, I want to know: What the heck are hymens for? I can't think of a decent reason for them, either from a biblical or an evolutionary point of view. (and before someone tells me it's so men can know who's a virgin, I hasten to point out that this benefits the woman in no way).
 

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Posted by Ringtailed Lemur (# 8288) on :
 
It's not really any good for that surely anyway? Too many ways it can break naturally.
 

---

Posted by Mamacita (# 3659) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Lamb Chopped:
Me, I want to know: What the heck are hymens for? I can't think of a decent reason for them, either from a biblical or an evolutionary point of view. (and before someone tells me it's so men can know who's a virgin, I hasten to point out that this benefits the woman in no way).

---

quote:

---

... retention of the hymen is not unique to humans. It occurs in horses, whales, moles, mole-rats, hyenas, and perhaps other animals. (In the great fin whale, in fact, the hymen is not completely destroyed until childbirth.) Why? We haven't got a clue.

---

quote:

---

I teach English to a 14 year old and at the moment I am trying to encourage him to write in sentences that make sense. Each week I give him a fairly open story title for him to write about. I am running out of ideas...

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Keren-Happuch:
I'm trying to solve a puzzle and failing miserably. It's intended for children but in German, so as a lot of the others have been trick questions, I suspect I may be missing something in the phrasing. Can anybody help? I'll put the question in German and English!

"Was wiegt eine 60 km/h schnelle Torte, wenn es um zwölf Uhr mittags 26 Grad warm ist?"

"What does a 60 km/hr cake weigh if it's 26 degrees (C) at 12 noon?"

---

OK, the trick was that if you get all the other questions right you never get to this one and it's all nonsense. I liked the "schnelle Torte" recipe though.
 

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Posted by Sparrow (# 2458) on :
 
I’m trying to google something but it’s difficult when you have no idea what it’s called!

I know you can get a sort of secure storage box with a self-locking lid, that you keep outside your front door for the delivery of parcels that are too big to go through your letter box when you are not available to answer the door. The postman puts the package inside the box, the lid automatically locks when it is shut and you unlock it with a key. Any thoughts?
 

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Posted by Jengie Jon (# 273) on :
 
Hippo box?

Actually I Googled parcel delivery box. It was the first one that came up.

Jengie
 

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Posted by Tea gnome (# 9424) on :
 
Can anyone tell me...
What is the description for time measurement?
So pounds and ounces = imperial measures,
Kilos, metres etc = metric.
What are seconds, minutes and hours?
Do they have a name?
Someone asked me today, and I was momentarily speechless, but it's something I feel I *should* know.
TG
 

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Posted by Seraphim (# 14676) on :
 
In origin the divisions of time measure are Babylonian as I recall. I don't think they bear that name though. The Egyptians made some contributions too...but other than calling it "Time" or "Time Measure" I can't say.
 

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Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
Chronology? Chronological measurements?
 

---

Posted by Albert Ross (# 3241) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Emma Louise:
Does anyone know where I could buy a silver puzzle ring (cheaply!). I've found them online but if I could see one in real life that would be even better. Anywhere in london? Do the mainstream shops sell them?!

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Emma Louise:
Does anyone know where I could buy a silver puzzle ring (cheaply!). I've found them online but if I could see one in real life that would be even better. Anywhere in london? Do the mainstream shops sell them?!

---

I have one, Emma. You are welcome to try it out. Pop over anytime!
 

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Posted by sheep (# 14693) on :
 
Okay, this has been puzzling me for years...Why is it that I often get a horrible headache after I drink white wine but not after I drink red?

(My first post in Heaven, BTW!)
 

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Posted by Lothlorien (# 4927) on :
 
Can't answer your question Sheep, but welcome to the Ship. Have a good look around but don't venture too close to Hell's action or you might find yourself BBQ'd.

All we like Sheep... ?
 

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Posted by R.A.M. (# 7390) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Tea gnome:
Can anyone tell me...
What is the description for time measurement?
So pounds and ounces = imperial measures,
Kilos, metres etc = metric.
What are seconds, minutes and hours?
Do they have a name?
Someone asked me today, and I was momentarily speechless, but it's something I feel I *should* know.
TG

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Jengie Jon:
Hippo box?

Actually I Googled parcel delivery box. It was the first one that came up.

Jengie

---

That's it! Thanks.


 

---

Posted by Astro (# 84) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Tea gnome:
Can anyone tell me...
What is the description for time measurement?
So pounds and ounces = imperial measures,
Kilos, metres etc = metric.
What are seconds, minutes and hours?
Do they have a name?
Someone asked me today, and I was momentarily speechless, but it's something I feel I *should* know.
TG

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by sheep:
Okay, this has been puzzling me for years...Why is it that I often get a horrible headache after I drink white wine but not after I drink red?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Seraphim:

quote:

---

I teach English to a 14 year old and at the moment I am trying to encourage him to write in sentences that make sense. Each week I give him a fairly open story title for him to write about. I am running out of ideas...

---

Here are some ideas:

The World Beyond the Door
The Secret Room
If It's Tuesday, Why Am I Flying?
A Day In the Life of Adam Underbed
Dirt Diving and Other Stupid Sports
Eye in the Gutter
Label, the Uninvited Boy
Charlie's Magnificent Chest Hair
Party of One
Following My Shadow
It Stinks, It's Greasy, It's Fun

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Curiosity killed ...:

quote:

---

Originally posted by sheep:
Okay, this has been puzzling me for years...Why is it that I often get a horrible headache after I drink white wine but not after I drink red?

---

You and me both - the only conclusion I've come to is that I react to something in white wine that isn't in red. I can drink normal quantities of red wine with normal effects, but a single glass of white wine can take me out for days. However, I am allergic - the list is long and boring - so it's not an unreasonable assumption for me.

---

quote:

---

Whereas my face and neck get blotchy red when I drink wine. Apparently it's a reaction that has something to do with enzymes... harmless except that I look like I'm schnockered when I'm not. And my family mocks me mercilessly.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by sheep:
Okay, this has been puzzling me for years...Why is it that I often get a horrible headache after I drink white wine but not after I drink red?

(My first post in Heaven, BTW!)

---

Welcome (as said elsewhere).

Kuruman (unfortunate enough to be married to your present e-interlocutor) reacts with migraines to either red or white. This has the unfortunate impact of meaning that he to whom I usually refer by use of the perpendicular pronoun is forced to consume a double share.

However one bears (bares ) one's crosses with alacrity and a plumb.
 

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Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Zappa:
However one bears (bares ) one's crosses with alacrity and a plumb.

---

Presumably a plumb line, whereby you can ascertain if you are still perpendicular. Which you do with aplomb.
 

---

Posted by Campbellite (# 1202) on :
 
Americans have the Constitutional right to bare arms.
 

---

Posted by Campbellite (# 1202) on :
 
Or is it the right to arm bears? I keep forgetting.
 

---

Posted by Otter (# 12020) on :
 
I'm so confused, I thought it was the right to bear arms . . .
 

---

Posted by Campbellite (# 1202) on :
 

 

---

Posted by Zappa (# 8433) on :
 
Excuse me for a moment, while I wipe a bath-load of coffee spray from my screen.

There, that's better ...

... wanders of with alacrity, coffee-soaked plumb line in tow.
 

---

Posted by PrettyFly (# 13157) on :
 
Ok, I have a question (which is, of course, why I'm here).

I regularly take a multivitamin which has 100% of one's daily allowance of just about everything. More of some, less of others. It doesn't, for example, have 100% of calcium, but I think I probably make up the rest in my natural diet.

However, I just noticed that it contains what seems to be a very small amount of magnesium - 50mg which is apparently only 13% of the daily allowance. And having checked to see which foods magnesium is found in naturally, I'm pretty sure I don't get anywhere near 100%.

So my question is, firstly, does anyone know why they would add so little of something which sounds so important? And secondly, would it be advisable to take an additional magnesium supplement to make up for it?

I know the Ship is not the place for medical advice; I'm really just looking for general information and wouldn't do anything silly without consulting a professional.
 

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Posted by Emma Louise (# 3571) on :
 
I've always been curious about vitamin suppliments in general- whether they are necessary/work etc or if everyone should take them!

However - my question was...

Does anyone have a newspaper from 16/02/09 - ideally in the UK but one from elsewhere would be fun too. I don't expect anyone has but it would be fab to keep forever a paper from my little one's birthday. Is it possible to get them anywhere?
 

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Posted by The Galloping Granny (# 13814) on :
 
I'd love to know: is it just me/my Mac?

Using Safari, when I'm on the Ship reading a discussion, if I click on the filecard/ID icon at the top of a post I get a second page with the info, and can simply click it off with the red dot and I'm back where I was.

Using Firefox, the second screen doesn't happen, and the only way back to where I was after I've read the info is via 'History', as there isn't even a usable back arrow.

And secondly, if I have to use Firefox, it won't 'Jump to new posts' – only way is by choosing the last page and scrolling down. Safari jumps very nicely.

Does anyone else have these problems?
 

---

Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Emma Louise:
Does anyone have a newspaper from 16/02/09 - ideally in the UK but one from elsewhere would be fun too.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Emma Louise:
Does anyone have a newspaper from 16/02/09 - ideally in the UK but one from elsewhere would be fun too. I don't expect anyone has but it would be fab to keep forever a paper from my little one's birthday. Is it possible to get them anywhere?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by PrettyFly:
So my question is, firstly, does anyone know why they would add so little of something which sounds so important? And secondly, would it be advisable to take an additional magnesium supplement to make up for it?

I know the Ship is not the place for medical advice; I'm really just looking for general information and wouldn't do anything silly without consulting a professional.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Drifting Star:
Galloping Granny, both of those work very nicely on Firefox with XP.

---

quote:

---

Does anyone have a newspaper from 16/02/09 - ideally in the UK but one from elsewhere would be fun too. I don't expect anyone has but it would be fab to keep forever a paper from my little one's birthday. Is it possible to get them anywhere?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Emma Louise:
Does anyone have a newspaper from 16/02/09 - ideally in the UK but one from elsewhere would be fun too. I don't expect anyone has but it would be fab to keep forever a paper from my little one's birthday. Is it possible to get them anywhere?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by The Galloping Granny:
I'm keen on www.jigzone.com – can't do it with Firefox but it's fine with Safari. Same thing, I guess.
GG

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Drifting Star:

quote:

---

Originally posted by The Galloping Granny:
I'm keen on www.jigzone.com – can't do it with Firefox but it's fine with Safari. Same thing, I guess.
GG

---

Jengie made me think - there is a Firefox add-on called IE Tab which I use to check the appearance of webpages in the dreaded Internet Explorer. There was a time when I needed to use it for the occasional website that wouldn't function in Firefox (which doesn't seem to happen any more on XP). It's very easy to use - once it's installed you just right-click on the tab you want to change, and choose 'switch rendering engine'.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Lothlorien:
Granny, I visit that site regularly, it's a good procrastinating tool, and have no problems with my Mac.

I used to get a new puzzle emailed every day but seem to have dropped off their list for that. Have you tried that or is it when you are trying a puzzle that you have problems?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by The Galloping Granny:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Lothlorien:
Granny, I visit that site regularly, it's a good procrastinating tool, and have no problems with my Mac.

I used to get a new puzzle emailed every day but seem to have dropped off their list for that. Have you tried that or is it when you are trying a puzzle that you have problems?

---

I'm writing this from the home of procrastination.
No, haven't done a daily puzzle. Only one a day? I have a look at what's on offer and avoid subjects that don't appeal. After a month at Matarangi there are plenty to catch up on when I'm back on broadband. I try to beat the 'average time' and usually can but my hand isn't very steady and it sometimes takes more than a moment to push a piece into place.

With Firefox the pieces tend to break apart as I move them. Weird.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ariel:
Does anyone have any advice on how to photograph a church interior without using flash, so that I get the interior coming out nicely, but the stained glass windows aren't hopelessly over-exposed?

---

quote:

---

c.1400, in kenebowe, perhaps from phrase in keen bow "at a sharp angle," or from a Scand. word akin to Icelandic kengboginn "bow-bent." Many languages use a teapot metaphor for this, such as Fr. faire le pot à deux anses "to play the pot with two handles."

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Otter:
You start out with a range of exposures in your images, kinda like you get with automatic exposure bracketing on some DSLR's, but wider.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Sandemaniac:
On a similarly dictionarial theme, has anyone got an online Oxford English Dictionary sub? I'm trying to reference "wellum" (a large drain under a road, and possibly an East Anglianism) for something I'm writing, and have had no luck finding a definition thus far. Google disnae help.

I could go into work and do it from there, but I've got better things I could do in the time it will take to get there and back, and it's raining!

Thanks,

AG

---

quote:

---

1. Welham
Notts. Wellun 1086 ( DB ). ‘(Place at) the springs’. OE wella in a dative plural form wellum

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Jengie Jon:
Galloping Granny

I wonder if the add on All in One Sidebar might not be a work around for change options.

Also you might like to change your tab setting. I must admit I am a coward at this and don't really know how to do it but something like Tab Mix Plus might allow you to do this. There were some nice tab addons early on which unfortunately do not work with newer versions of Firefox. I set mine up using one of those so can not speak for Tab Mix Plus.
Jengie

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Celtic Knotweed:
Is there a UK football club with a longer name than Inverness Caledonian Thistle (28 characters, including spaces)?

OK, possibly the full name of LlanfairPG's club..., but we're really thinking league/whatever the Conference is called this year sort of level.

Also, is there a shorter one than Celtic?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Wet Kipper:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Celtic Knotweed:
Is there a UK football club with a longer name than Inverness Caledonian Thistle (28 characters, including spaces)?
...
Also, is there a shorter one than Celtic?

---

I have asked this for you in the Football Thread in Heaven - it might get a more attentive audience.

---

Thanks Wet Kipper, not really being a football bod, I'd forgotten there was a Circus thread on it!
 

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Posted by Figbash (# 9048) on :
 
Okay, I have a question. What is a powerball? Amazon keeps telling me I ought to own one, but when I followed the link to their 'powerball store' it didn't explain what they did. It appeared you were expected to already know.

So what is one and what is it for?
 

---

Posted by Lamb Chopped (# 5528) on :
 
Oh, the lovely straight line.

Around here, anyway, "powerball" is some sort of state-run lottery.
 

---

Posted by Ags (# 204) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Figbash:
Okay, I have a question. What is a powerball? Amazon keeps telling me I ought to own one, but when I followed the link to their 'powerball store' it didn't explain what they did. It appeared you were expected to already know.

So what is one and what is it for?

---

Here is the website with info. It's basically a gyroscope inside a sphere, with a little cord to pull which starts it spinning. You then have to hold it in your hand and contort yourself in interesting ways to keep it spinning. Mr Ags was bought one for Christmas. It's supposed to help with strengthening arms/wrists/hands etc. When I tried to use it I discovered I have a very short attention sp


 

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Posted by Horseman Bree (# 5290) on :
 
As I understood things, "convection" describes the movement of unequally-heated fluids ("hot air rises, cool air falls").

An ordinary oven works on this basis: heating elements low down, hot/cool air movement to distribute the heat.

So why are ovens that have a fan to distribute heated air called "convection" ovens?

And what does one call the "normal" oven, now that the proper word has been misappropriated?
 

---

Posted by Figbash (# 9048) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ags:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Figbash:
Okay, I have a question. What is a powerball? Amazon keeps telling me I ought to own one, but when I followed the link to their 'powerball store' it didn't explain what they did. It appeared you were expected to already know.

So what is one and what is it for?

---

Here is the website with info. It's basically a gyroscope inside a sphere, with a little cord to pull which starts it spinning. You then have to hold it in your hand and contort yourself in interesting ways to keep it spinning. Mr Ags was bought one for Christmas. It's supposed to help with strengthening arms/wrists/hands etc. When I tried to use it I discovered I have a very short attention sp

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Sandemaniac:
On a similarly dictionarial theme, has anyone got an online Oxford English Dictionary sub? I'm trying to reference "wellum" (a large drain under a road, and possibly an East Anglianism) for something I'm writing, and have had no luck finding a definition thus far. Google disnae help.

I could go into work and do it from there, but I've got better things I could do in the time it will take to get there and back, and it's raining!


Thanks,

AG

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Sandemaniac:
On a similarly dictionarial theme, has anyone got an online Oxford English Dictionary sub? I'm trying to reference "wellum" (a large drain under a road, and possibly an East Anglianism) for something I'm writing, and have had no luck finding a definition thus far. Google disnae help.

I could go into work and do it from there, but I've got better things I could do in the time it will take to get there and back, and it's raining!

Thanks,

AG

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Horseman Bree:
As I understood things, "convection" describes the movement of unequally-heated fluids ("hot air rises, cool air falls").

An ordinary oven works on this basis: heating elements low down, hot/cool air movement to distribute the heat.

So why are ovens that have a fan to distribute heated air called "convection" ovens?

And what does one call the "normal" oven, now that the proper word has been misappropriated?

---

There are three general modes of heat transfer: radiation, conduction, and convection. In most regular ovens, the primary modes are radiation and conduction. There is relatively little air motion circulating through the oven space (or, there should be, unless it's leaking lots of heat energy out), and the cold object inserted for cooking will maintain a boundary layer of cooler air that acts to resist conduction.

So, the point of "convection" ovens is to cause a forced draft inside the oven volume that strips away the cooler boundary layer around the victim and allows the hotter air to transfer heat more directly.

But you're essentially right: they would more accurately be called "forced draft" ovens.
 

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Posted by The Galloping Granny (# 13814) on :
 
Or for hoi polloi who like single-syllable words, how about 'fan ovens'?
(Notice how I omitted the 'the' for the sake of high pedantry)

GG
 

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Posted by Penny Lane (# 3086) on :
 
I will soon be flying (within the US) for the first time since acquiring a laptop. Any special hints from seasoned travelers that will minimise problems going thru security with a laptop?
 

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Posted by Lots of Yay (# 2790) on :
 
Don't put any explosives or drugs in it.

And have it easily accessible - they (often? usually?) have to go through the x-ray thing by themselves, not in a bag. I carry mine in a neoprene sleeve in my backpack - it's easy to get out and easy to put back. Important for not causing a traffic jam or getting flustered once you've made it through the barrier.

I have heard about having to take batteries out for security checks but have never been required to do that myself. It's usually pretty easy to get batteries out anyway.
 

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Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
It's VERY important that you remember that you have had to take it out of your bag, and that you have to pick it up and put it back in your bag afterwards. Otherwise, you will have the same sick feeling my dear husband had, of going to unpack his laptop at his hotel, realising it wasn't there and remembering that the last time he'd seen it was when he removed it from his bag at security....

He got it back the next day! But it meant a trip back to the airport when he could have been doing something more interesting.

The nice people at security assured him he wasn't the only one to have done this.
 

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Posted by Rat (# 3373) on :
 
I am normally asked to boot up laptops when I go through security in the US. I don't know why, this doesn't happen to everybody - I genuinely suspect that I'm on some list somewhere. (On internal US flights I am also usually required to reclaim my check-in luggage and unpack it in front of a security guard. I have been known to have to take my outer clothing off for searching too, though nothing more intimate than that, thank goodness! Nevertheless, I avoid flying in the US!)

Anyway, sorry for the digression. Booting up your laptop is a possibility, though the logic of that escapes me - surely it is not beyond the wit of terrorist masterminds to fashion a laptop that both boots up and harbours explosives?
 

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Posted by Adeodatus (# 4992) on :
 
Don't odd questions pop into your head sometimes? I've a couple I've been pondering recently, for no very good reason.

One: In the UK (and, I think, Europe), our "daylight saving time" runs from about the end of October to about the end of March. But this means we only get two months of dark evenings before the winter solstice, but three months after. Does anybody know why we do it like this? - it seems to me that it would meet half-way those who want to do away with it altogether if we moved to the lighter evenings around the end of February.

Two: I don't want to sound curmudgeonly about this, but we're often told to "save water" these days - you know, turn off taps while you're brushing your teeth and so on. But can anyone tell me how it helps someone in London (let alone sub-Saharan Africa) if I, in soggy Manchester, turn my tap off? I mean, my saving water doesn't get any more water to those drier places - we don't even have a national water distribution system, let alone an international one.
 

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Posted by Sioni Sais (# 5713) on :
 
On the question of Daylight Saving Time, in Britain "British Summer Time" runs from the last weekend in March to that in October, and in that period the clocks are advanced an hour from GMT so we get lighter evenings. In the early seventies it was tried all year round but it was still dark in Scotland at 10 am (yes, dark, not just a bit murky). I think the figures showed that it saved lives on the roads but it was dropped. Maybe it's worth another look.

Now on to water. It's true that water isn't being made any more but our problem, and especially London's problem, is that water is being taken from aquifers at a rate greater than they refill. If the pipes taking used water were reliable then that wouldn't be so much of a problem but I think something like 3% of London's used water just leaks away, and this takes centuries to get back to the aquifers from which it came in the first place.
 

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Posted by Hugal (# 2734) on :
 
On London water. It is true that a lot just leaks out of old pipes. London Water (or whatever they are called these days), say they are replaceing all the old pipes. That is great but at the moment we have to put with leaking pipes and great big holes in the road.

I am from Preston a very rainy town, and we were always still told to save water.
 

---

Posted by Rat (# 3373) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Sioni Sais:
Now on to water. It's true that water isn't being made any more but our problem, and especially London's problem, is that water is being taken from aquifers at a rate greater than they refill. If the pipes taking used water were reliable then that wouldn't be so much of a problem but I think something like 3% of London's used water just leaks away, and this takes centuries to get back to the aquifers from which it came in the first place.

---

quote:

---

In the early seventies it was tried all year round but it was still dark in Scotland at 10 am (yes, dark, not just a bit murky). I think the figures showed that it saved lives on the roads but it was dropped. Maybe it's worth another look.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Adeodatus:


One: In the UK (and, I think, Europe), our "daylight saving time" runs from about the end of October to about the end of March. But this means we only get two months of dark evenings before the winter solstice, but three months after. Does anybody know why we do it like this? - it seems to me that it would meet half-way those who want to do away with it altogether if we moved to the lighter evenings around the end of February.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Qoheleth.:
What's with the 12 inch high temporary polythene sheet fences that sprout randomly around the verges of UK motorways?

---

I noticed some new, rather permanent, structures of similar form on the Bedford bypass this weekend. Sorry - no camera. Memo to self: go on photo-fence-safari next weekend.
 

---

Posted by mountainsnowtiger (# 11152) on :
 
Question about British dialects which has just occurred to me (also posted on the Little Britain thread in All Saints):

I currently have the joy of living in an area where good things are "canny", bad things are "a chew on", things happen "of a morning/evening" (even in semi-official documents like care plans) and "mams" have "bairns" (hardly ever do I hear these creatures referred to as "children" at my work place). I love it

(I'm in the North East of England for any non-Brits scratching their heads at this point.)

At work, my colleagues almost always tell each other that they're just nipping out for a "tab" - I think I've very occasionally heard it referred to as "a smoke", never as a fag / ciggie / cigarette / whatever.

Is this another piece of NE-specific language, or is it a general British colloquialism and I just haven't worked in enough places where cigarette breaks are frequent and need to be anounced (care environment for ppl with high-support needs = staff need to know when the number of staff inside the building has just gone down from 4 to 3)?
 

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Posted by Hart (# 4991) on :
 
For me a "tab" is either someone from England's second oldest university, or a rather more potent drug than tobacco!

At school, we did use to call cigarettes 'tiggers' at one point, but I think that was just us. I got completely blank looks when I first went up to uni and asked if someone could "sub me a tigger."
 

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Posted by Surfing Madness (# 11087) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by mountainsnowtiger:


At work, my colleagues almost always tell each other that they're just nipping out for a "tab" - I think I've very occasionally heard it referred to as "a smoke", never as a fag / ciggie / cigarette / whatever.

Is this another piece of NE-specific language, or is it a general British colloquialism and I just haven't worked in enough places where cigarette breaks are frequent and need to be anounced (care environment for ppl with high-support needs = staff need to know when the number of staff inside the building has just gone down from 4 to 3)?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by mountainsnowtiger:

(I'm in the North East of England for any non-Brits scratching their heads at this point.)

---

I'm jealous. Let me know when there's a parish vacant.

[/Tangent]
 

---

Posted by welsh dragon (# 3249) on :
 
How does one address the Dalai Lama in polite correspondence, please? (form of address, your grace, honour, majesty, eminence, holiness, celestial radiance, that sort of thing)
 

---

Posted by rosamundi (# 2495) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by welsh dragon:
How does one address the Dalai Lama in polite correspondence, please? (form of address, your grace, honour, majesty, eminence, holiness, celestial radiance, that sort of thing)

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Pigwidgeon:
Or, less formally, Hello Dalai.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by rugasaw:
Does one need a social security number to file taxes in the United States?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ariel:
Similar but not quite. It was bigger than that. The coils were like a belt that encircled him, back and front - basically he'd have had to put it on over his head to get it on. But I expect it belongs to the same family and is a close relative.

(I bet he's popular with his neighbours...!)

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Adeodatus:
Two: I don't want to sound curmudgeonly about this, but we're often told to "save water" these days - you know, turn off taps while you're brushing your teeth and so on. But can anyone tell me how it helps someone in London (let alone sub-Saharan Africa) if I, in soggy Manchester, turn my tap off? I mean, my saving water doesn't get any more water to those drier places - we don't even have a national water distribution system, let alone an international one.

---

quote:

---

Why do so many 'ready meals' (at least in the UK) now come with an obligatory splash of chilli oil?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by BroJames:
Some guidance is available here. There are two factors to take into account: first the individual fitting will have a rating in watts, and shouldn't be used with bulbs so as to exceed that rating; secondly, the circuit overall shouldn't be overloaded. Your lighting circuit is probably rated for 5 amps so it shouldn't be loaded with more than 1200 watts of equipment. So, for example, three fittings each with 5x100W bulbs would be too much. Provided the total potential load doesn't exceed your circuit capacity and the bulbs don't exceed the fitting rating you should be all right.

---

Thanks BroJames. If I understand you correctly then, assuming I don't leave all the lights burning in every other room in the flat (I don't!) I should be ok with a ceiling light fitting with, say, 3 bulbs of 75watts each (which is what I estimate I want?

I'm not including table lamps in the above as they run off the main sockets.
 

---

Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
Of course if you use CFL bulbs you can get a lot more light for much lower wattage.
 

---

Posted by Wiff Waff (# 10424) on :
 
Incandescent bulbs are getting harder to find these days - we use all CFLs and have no complaints at all.
 

---

Posted by Wesley J (# 6075) on :
 
Question:

I'm trying to buy fairtrade and/or organic food if ever possible, and am only using refined sugar very rarely. (I find it doesn't have that nice crunch of raw sugar.)

The last batch of organic, non-fairtrade brown sugar (Brazilian Jacutinga) I bought seems to have a very strong smell and taste of its own, not unpleasant certainly, but not really what I want in my tea; I'd love to experience the luvverly taste of my tea selection with only a hint of added sweetness.

Could it be that unrefined cane sugar taste different from sugar-beet? Or is it the organic vs non-organic that makes the difference? Or perhaps it's just grown in a different place, or is it of a different type? (I guess I'll go back to the fairtrade Paraguay one I had before.)

Many thanks for your comments, Ship's expert chefs.
 

---

Posted by BroJames (# 9636) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Sparrow:

quote:

---

Originally posted by BroJames:
Some guidance is available here. There are two factors to take into account: first the individual fitting will have a rating in watts, and shouldn't be used with bulbs so as to exceed that rating; secondly, the circuit overall shouldn't be overloaded. Your lighting circuit is probably rated for 5 amps so it shouldn't be loaded with more than 1200 watts of equipment. So, for example, three fittings each with 5x100W bulbs would be too much. Provided the total potential load doesn't exceed your circuit capacity and the bulbs don't exceed the fitting rating you should be all right.

---

Thanks BroJames. If I understand you correctly then, assuming I don't leave all the lights burning in every other room in the flat (I don't!) I should be ok with a ceiling light fitting with, say, 3 bulbs of 75watts each (which is what I estimate I want?

I'm not including table lamps in the above as they run off the main sockets.

---

I am not an electrician, but this seems OK, and you are right to exclude table lamps plugged into the power circuit. Depending on the size of your flat you may have more than one lighting circuit - a look at your consumer unit (formerly known as a fuse board by us oldies) should tell you that.
 

---

Posted by bush baptist (# 12306) on :
 
Would anyone have any suggestion for an address to write to Helen Roseveare, author of Give me this mountain?
 

---

Posted by Hart (# 4991) on :
 
If google hasn't worked, write c/o her publisher (address will be in the book).
 

---

Posted by bush baptist (# 12306) on :
 
Thanks, Hart. I haven't actually got a copy of the book, but will try to track one down this weekend.
 

---

Posted by Lyda*Rose (# 4544) on :
 
Does anyone have an URL to that website that tells about all the secret phone numbers and tricks to speak to a person who can actually do something for you when dealing with a many menued corporate phone wall?
 

---

Posted by BroJames (# 9636) on :
 
Is it gethuman.com?
 

---

Posted by pimple (# 10635) on :
 
How does Flickr work? Is it idiot-proof? Really idiot-proopf? Pimplidiotpruf?
 

---

Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by pimple:
How does Flickr work? Is it idiot-proof? Really idiot-proopf? Pimplidiotpruf?

---

It's even Pigwidgeonidiotpruf.
 

---

Posted by monkeylizard (# 952) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by pimple:
How does Flickr work? Is it idiot-proof? Really idiot-proopf? Pimplidiotpruf?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Wesley J:
Question:

I'm trying to buy fairtrade and/or organic food if ever possible, and am only using refined sugar very rarely. (I find it doesn't have that nice crunch of raw sugar.)

The last batch of organic, non-fairtrade brown sugar (Brazilian Jacutinga) I bought seems to have a very strong smell and taste of its own, not unpleasant certainly, but not really what I want in my tea; I'd love to experience the luvverly taste of my tea selection with only a hint of added sweetness.

Could it be that unrefined cane sugar taste different from sugar-beet? Or is it the organic vs non-organic that makes the difference? Or perhaps it's just grown in a different place, or is it of a different type? (I guess I'll go back to the fairtrade Paraguay one I had before.)

Many thanks for your comments, Ship's expert chefs.

---

Ok, that one's been answered since, for which I say kindly thanks - it appears that quite unlike refined white sugar, brown unrefined one may very well come in a range of tastes and scents, depending on where and when it is grown.

So, more foodstuff to play and experiment with then. Nice!
 

---

Posted by Jengie Jon (# 273) on :
 
Alright another book request. I am trying to make sense of a variety of sociologist writing about church history. It is interesting to say the least. What I would like at the moment is a decent history of the Christian Church in the British Isles from 1700 to the present day.

What it must not be is a history of the Anglican (or any other denomination for that matter) Church with the others tacked on. Also it should not be a history of where English Church history is treated as normative with the rest of the British Isles treated as secondary with minor adaptation. Nor should it be a history of where Scottish Church history is treated as normative with the rest of the British Isles treated as secondary with minor adaptation.

If one book won't provide that could people suggest a good English Church History and a good Scottish Church History for this time.

I am not a historian but with my reading I am increasingly suspecting English Scholars of making Scotland in their own image and visa versa. What I want to do is to draw out two time lines so I can map the different paths.

Jengie
 

---

Posted by BroJames (# 9636) on :
 
For English Church History of the twentieth century I would recommend Adrian Hastings: A History of English Christianity 1920-2000. Given the thickness of this book I am not confident that it will be very easy to find one volume covering the period - even for England alone or Scotland alone - which would give a 'decent history'.

If you do find a decent book for Scottish Church History over that period I would be very interested to know about it.
 

---

Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
I keep checking for an answer to your question, Jengie, because I, too, would be interested in a good overview of Scottish church history.

Several years ago I did the OU course, "Religion in Victorian Britain" which covered a lot of ground in both English and Scottish church history for that period, but had the annoying habit of using Anglican words assuming they would be readily understood, and then carefully explaining Scottish terms in words of one syllable.
 

---

Posted by Lyda*Rose (# 4544) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by BroJames:
Is it gethuman.com?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by mousethief:
We have a chipper-shredder with a one-cylinder, four-stroke engine. It has taken to backfiring something fierce, and we wonder what if anything, with our meagre engineering skills, we can do to stop this. Would replacing the spark plug help? Replacing the air filter? Or do we just need to haul it to the shop?

Thanks.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Qoheleth.:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Qoheleth.:
What's with the 12 inch high temporary polythene sheet fences that sprout randomly around the verges of UK motorways?

---

I noticed some new, rather permanent, structures of similar form on the Bedford bypass this weekend. Sorry - no camera. Memo to self: go on photo-fence-safari next weekend.

---

Now found the answer to my own question.

So, as no-one here seemed to know the answer, behold I give you Newt Fencing .

That's better.
 

---

Posted by monkeylizard (# 952) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by mousethief:
We have a chipper-shredder with a one-cylinder, four-stroke engine. It has taken to backfiring something fierce, and we wonder what if anything, with our meagre engineering skills, we can do to stop this. Would replacing the spark plug help? Replacing the air filter? Or do we just need to haul it to the shop?

Thanks.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Qoheleth.:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Qoheleth.:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Qoheleth.:
What's with the 12 inch high temporary polythene sheet fences that sprout randomly around the verges of UK motorways?

---

I noticed some new, rather permanent, structures of similar form on the Bedford bypass this weekend. Sorry - no camera. Memo to self: go on photo-fence-safari next weekend.

---

Now found the answer to my own question.

So, as no-one here seemed to know the answer, behold I give you Newt Fencing .

That's better.

---

quote:

---

[...] Originally posted by Lots of Yay:
I am amazed that there are 35 products available in the newt fencing section of that website.

And I love the slogan(?): Wildlife Fencing - Outstanding in its field. Surely that would have to be intentional??

---

Took me a moment to get over the image of newts indulging in the chivalrous sport of fencing!
 

---

Posted by Seeker963 (# 2066) on :
 
OK we're moving to the US and we've bought a house and we're looking to get a bundle for telephone, broadband and television.

From searching the internet, it looks to me like Windstream is the only provider of land-line telephone service in the area. The only other bundle provider is Time Warner Cable with internet-only telephone and I have no idea how this works.

Have people had experience of these providers? Is there anything to look out for? Does internet telephone substitute for a land-line? (Part of me wonders if we're setting up house from scratch if we just get cellphones instead.)

If you order a certain speed broadband, do you get it? At the moment, our provider is supposed to be providing 'up to' 8Mbps but we actually get 1.8Mbps. I ask because Windstream has options for slower or faster internet speeds.

TimeWarner Cable distinguishes between HD TV and ordinary TV; I thought all television had to be HD by July?

I might think of some other questions later!
 

---

Posted by Amanda B. Reckondwythe (# 5521) on :
 
All TV has to be digital but not HD. If you have a high-density TV set, you should order HD; otherwise there's no point.

Usually one or two providers have a monopoly in the area. I don't know anything about Windstream, but at least Time-Warner is a recognizable name. You might want to do some research (Google is your friend) to see what the general consensus is about the quality and reliability of each provider.

Cellphones are great for home use until you have to dial 911 (the emergency services number). My understanding is that the 911 system can track the address of where the call is coming from, but not if the call is placed on a cellphone. There may be times when you have to dial 911 but are unable to give the operator your address (for example, you are choking on something and can't talk, or someone broke into your house and you don't want them to hear you talking on the phone).
 

---

Posted by Seeker963 (# 2066) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Amanda B. Reckondwythe:
All TV has to be digital but not HD. If you have a high-density TV set, you should order HD; otherwise there's no point.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Amanda B. Reckondwythe:
Cellphones are great for home use until you have to dial 911 (the emergency services number). My understanding is that the 911 system can track the address of where the call is coming from, but not if the call is placed on a cellphone. There may be times when you have to dial 911 but are unable to give the operator your address (for example, you are choking on something and can't talk, or someone broke into your house and you don't want them to hear you talking on the phone).

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Amanda B. Reckondwythe:
Cellphones are great for home use until you have to dial 911 (the emergency services number). My understanding is that the 911 system can track the address of where the call is coming from, but not if the call is placed on a cellphone.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Hennah:
LM - not sure where you are, but if you're a UK shipmate, registering with the Telephone Preference Service should filter out these sort of calls. If you're non-UK there should be an equivalent...?

---

To continue to derail my own question...This list doesn't stop existing companies calling you. We get a call about once a month from a company with whom we had a loan ages ago.

Also, at one point, my husband started a small business and the telephone number somehow got listed as the fax number. We got phone calls in the dead of night from fax machines - presumably trying to send advertising materials through. There is nothing like the phone ringing at 3:00 in the morning if you want to try to induce a heart attack.
 

---

Posted by Leetle Masha (# 8209) on :
 
Oh you poor soul! What agony!

I find that with real, existing companies, if they identify themselves, all I have to do is say to them in firm tones, "You Know, I Am On The Do Not Call List. Please Do Not Call Here Again."

They get scared and they stop calling.

But if they're not legit, or if you are currently doing business with them, they will call, hopefully not at 3 a.m. What a shame you got that fax number!

I have a phone no. that is one digit away from a large chain store that sells linens and bath products. I often get calls where somebody just didn't take care when dialling, asking me if I have Egyptian cotton bath towels or lace tablecloths, and sometimes, if I'm not paying attention, I'll say "Yes" and then not know quite what to do when they start giving dimensions and asking prices....
 

---

Posted by mousethief (# 953) on :
 
One of my uni professors invited his (very small) class to a reception at his home, with the instructions that we MUST rsvp, and he would only say that his number was one digit off the number of the Radio Shack at Northgate (local shopping mall). We all made it. (ETA: and no, we didn't have to call 10 people; nobody made a misplaced call.)

[ 29. May 2009, 04:32: Message edited by: mousethief ]
 

---

Posted by RooK (# 1852) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Campbellite:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Amanda B. Reckondwythe:
Cellphones are great for home use until you have to dial 911 (the emergency services number). My understanding is that the 911 system can track the address of where the call is coming from, but not if the call is placed on a cellphone.

---

I believe this is only true of some of the older (and cheaper) cell phones. Most of them now DO have GPS tracking.

---

Regardless of GPS capabilities, the approximate location of an active cell phone can be determined by the cell network. At the coarsest, the system at least knows which tower you are connected to. However, most cell towers have directional antennae arrayed around them in 15° increments, allowing crude triangulation. This is true for the phone being on, not necessarily in a call. This is how some phones were able to have urban mapping functions even without GPS.
 

---

Posted by Astro (# 84) on :
 
A lot of these callers (if not all) withhold their number. In the Uk it is possible to block all calls from withheld numbers but beware of that because a number of legit organisations block their number. For example the local hospital does so if you block withheld numbers you will not be able to receive any calls from them.

Actually since it is possible for the number dialed to be that of an organisations main switch board or even their call centre I can see no reason why anyone should be allowed to withhold their number.
 

---

Posted by The Kat in the Hat (# 2557) on :
 
Can anyone help with this?
We project the words to hymns. I would like to keep within copyright law, so am trying to track down the copyright address for Bryn Rees, who wrote "The kingdom of God is justice and joy" to ask permission to use his hymns. Everywhere I have looked on the internet just says "Copyright: Bryn Rees" or "Copyright: Morfydd Rees" (He died in 1983), but no address. Does anyone know how I can contact the copyright holder?
Thanks
 

---

Posted by lily pad (# 11456) on :
 
It is in our hymn book. The copyright holder for the words is Mrs. Olwen Scott and for the music it is Paul Bateman. As I am a Presbyterian, I must let you know that the name of the tune that we use is OUT SKERRIES.

Paul Bateman's address is given as 134 Conway Road, London, UK, N14 7BJ. No address is given for Mrs. Scott.
 

---

Posted by The Kat in the Hat (# 2557) on :
 
Thanks, It is in our hymn book (Hymns & Psalms), but they have Bryn still as the copyright holder. We are not reproducing the music, just the words onto the projector, but it is not covered under CCLI (as far as I can see), so I think I need to write direct to the copyright holder, but how, if there is no address??
There are a few others that I am also trying to find. As a last resort I suppose I could go via the publisher of the hymn book, but isn't there an easier way?
 

---

Posted by lily pad (# 11456) on :
 
Do you have hymn books in the pews? If you do, then you are probably okay.

I can't find an address for Mrs. Olwen Scott but I have found three other references to her holding the copyright. You could send an inquiry to the address you do have for the music writer and ask what to do. Contacting the hymnal publisher might work too.
 

---

Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Hennah:
LM - not sure where you are, but if you're a UK shipmate, registering with the Telephone Preference Service should filter out these sort of calls.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by The Kat in the Hat:
Thanks, It is in our hymn book (Hymns & Psalms) ...As a last resort I suppose I could go via the publisher of the hymn book, but isn't there an easier way?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ariel:
[...] Which is why I stopped using the answering machine, because I got fed up with coming home to find messages from recorded voices saying "Hi! You've just won a cruise to Florida!" and going on pretty much until the tape ran out.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by The Kat in the Hat:
As a last resort I suppose I could go via the publisher of the hymn book, but isn't there an easier way?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by The Kat in the Hat:
am trying to track down the copyright address for Bryn Rees, who wrote "The kingdom of God is justice and joy" to ask permission to use his hymns.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Wesley J:
For at least two weeks, however, I haven't been able to catch that as live stream any more, and despite the correct URL address (http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/ram/lwg2.ram). It seems that the Beeb, for whatever reasons, is broadcasting Radio 4 FM and 'Book of the Week' now at 9.45am even on LW, when they used to switch over for 15 minutes.

Has anyone else had this problem online? Thanks.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Wesley J:
A question for BBC Radio 4 LW listeners:

If I can, I love to listen to the 'Daily Service' on Radio 4 LW, via the internet.

---

You need to visit the Daily Service's own web page.

Daily Service

This has links to let you listen to the last five programmes. I am listening to today's service as I type so I know it works.
 

---

Posted by Wesley J (# 6075) on :
 
Thanks, Carys and Peter Owen.

I am aware that I can listen again, and I knew it hadn't disappeared entirely - it's the livestream FM to LW switchover on the LW weblink posted above that isn't happening anymore. If my assumption is correct, then any LW programmes different from FM should not be availabe in streaming now.

Can't test that today though, because there's no cricket nor anything else different from FM, at least if I've correctly read the schedules.
 

---

Posted by Carys (# 78) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Wesley J:
Thanks, Carys and Peter Owen.

Can't test that today though, because there's no cricket nor anything else different from FM, at least if I've correctly read the schedules.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by The Kat in the Hat:
Thanks for that, I didn't think of looking in Mission Praise.
We could use the hymn books, and may have to for those songs for which we can't get permission, but a large part of our congragation do like looking up to the projector for the words. My understanding of copyright says that we need permission to reproduce words in any format.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Emma Louise:
but when you add on the insurance waiver etc it isn't that cheap.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by lily pad:

quote:

---

Originally posted by The Kat in the Hat:
Thanks for that, I didn't think of looking in Mission Praise.
We could use the hymn books, and may have to for those songs for which we can't get permission, but a large part of our congragation do like looking up to the projector for the words. My understanding of copyright says that we need permission to reproduce words in any format.

---

Do check on that. The rules here say that we may project the words without additional permission as long as we have purchased copies in the pews.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Wesley J:
A question for BBC Radio 4 LW listeners:

If I can, I love to listen to the 'Daily Service' on Radio 4 LW, via the internet.

For at least two weeks, however, I haven't been able to catch that as live stream any more, and despite the correct URL address (http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/ram/lwg2.ram). It seems that the Beeb, for whatever reasons, is broadcasting Radio 4 FM and 'Book of the Week' now at 9.45am even on LW, when they used to switch over for 15 minutes.

I have already complained to the BBC, but haven't received a reply yet - though they're normally quite good.

Has anyone else had this problem online? Thanks.

---

Forgive me, dear Shippies: If anyone'd be willing and try the RealPlayer link (to BBC Radio 4 Longwave) above from 9.45 to 10.00am BST (8.45 to 9.00am GMT), weekdays, I'd be very grateful.

If you can hear the Daily Service there and then (you know, that Christian thingy of singing hymns, scripture reading and praying and stuff ), that'd be as it should then.

Feel free to PM me, or post your quick comment.

Sorry for insisting: but it's the immediacy and live reaction to daily events from a Christian worship point of view I find very refreshing. - Thanks muchly!
 

---

Posted by Wesley J (# 6075) on :
 
Ok, update on my 'Quest for The Live Daily Service' on Radio 4 LW: I've googled for "BBC Radio 4 LW live stream" and on one non-BBC website (!), I've actually found a LW livestream link that works:

quote:

---

rtsp://rmlive.bbc.co.uk/bbc-rbs/rmlive/ev7/live24/radio4/live/r4lw_dsat_g2.ra

---

quote:

---

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/ram/lwg2.ram

---

however continues to broadcast FM, of which I shall inform them now.

Many thanks for your help! The matter's closed for now!
 

---

Posted by monkeylizard (# 952) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Seeker963:
OK we're moving to the US and we've bought a house and we're looking to get a bundle for telephone, broadband and television.

---

First, the Internet phone. This is using IP Telephony. Basically, you use normal telephones in your house including the jacks, but the connection to the outside world goes through your cable/DSL modem instead of traditional telephones wiring. Just assume it's magic.

Second, cell-phone only. This is becoming increasingly popular since most people now have cell phones. I use mine at home because it's in my pocket and the normal phone is across the room. The downside is that few plans offer unlimited local minutes. My wife makes a LOT of local calls, so I keep a normal line. If not for that, I'd be cell-phone only. And as RooK said, the 911 problem no longer really applies. You may need to take international calling rates into consideration as well. The per-minute rates on those are usually lower on traditional phones, but you'd need enough savings to offset the cost of the traditional phone service (whether that's though a phone compnay or bundeled from the cable company doesn't matter)

Third, Television - The conversion to digital happens this month. If you're going to have cable, then you don't need to worry about this at all. It only impacts people getting their TV for free over the air with an antenna. With cable or satellite, you can use any TV you want without needing a standard-to-digital converter box. The cable compnay will probably provide you with a set top box that does all the converting you'll need. There is no forced conversion to High Definition. HD is entirely optional. It would just mean that the cable company would provide some of your channels in HD instead of digital. There is no point in paying for HD signals unless you have a TV capable of displaying HD signals (an HDTV).

If you'll be buying a new TV once you arrive, I suggest you get one of these. There's no point in wasting money on a new TV that's not HD. If you'll be TV shopping on a budget, I've seen a lot of standard tube TVs (the big cube kind as opposed to flat panels) in yard sales on Saturdays around here.

Fourth, Cable Internet - I think you'll find it to be about the same here. "Up to 8Mb/s" means exactly that...up to. Each individual home will vary greatly depending on how many other homes are on the same run of cable and how much each of those homes is using.

Finally, providers - The products have become so standardized, especially within a single market, that most people shop on price alone if they even have a choice. If a cursory Google search doesn't turn up loads of bad press about one or the other, then shop on price.

[ 02. June 2009, 18:29: Message edited by: monkeylizard ]
 

---

Posted by PrettyFly (# 13157) on :
 
Ok, I think I've hit a language barrier.

I'm trying (in the US) to buy something that I (a Brit) know as a box file. It's sort of like a shoe box but flatter and wider - the right size for paper documents, in fact, that can then slide under a bed or bookcase etc.

Extensive searching on Amazon won't bring them up, I just get big boxes, so I googled for images and got exactly what I want - but all on British websites.

So take a look at the link - do you 'mericans call these by some other name??

Box Files
 

---

Posted by lily pad (# 11456) on :
 
I would generally store papers in a Banker's Box or file box. A check of the Staples website shows that something that looks very similar and is called a binding case. Staples Binding Case, Letter #2 Item Number 19223
 

---

Posted by monkeylizard (# 952) on :
 
A low profile Banker's Box might do the trick.
 

---

Posted by monkeylizard (# 952) on :
 
I also found one on Amazon
 

---

Posted by PrettyFly (# 13157) on :
 
Ooh, thanks! That would do the trick. I was, in my typical girlishness, hoping for a pretty one, but needs must

Thanks again!
 

---

Posted by Drifting Star (# 12799) on :
 
Can anyone tell me where to look (preferably some internet-y magazine-y type place) to find out what sort of hand/shoulder bags might be deemed to be cool and acceptable by thirteen year old girls?

First hand knowledge would be good too!
 

---

Posted by amber. (# 11142) on :
 
Sugar magazine is one of the best selling magazines for teenage girls, and has a selection of articles about handbags. Enjoy!
 

---

Posted by Sparrow (# 2458) on :
 
Can anyone help me track down a recording of a particular piece of church music - the Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis from the Short Service by Thomas Weelkes.

I've tried googling it but all that I can find is the sheet music. The only DVD that comes up on Amazon has been discontinued.
 

---

Posted by mousethief (# 953) on :
 
It's hard to tell if this one is what you want -- the description is pretty minimalist. But this one definitely has a Magnificat and a Nunc Dimittis by Weelkes -- whether or not it's from the short service I can't tell. But presumably you can listen to the samples and see if it sounds right.
 

---

Posted by Sparrow (# 2458) on :
 
Thanks, but no, that's not the right one.

The one I am looking for is from the "Short Service".
 

---

Posted by BroJames (# 9636) on :
 
I've found this CD of Weelkes's cathedral music. Any good?
 

---

Posted by Sparrow (# 2458) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by BroJames:
I've found this CD of Weelkes's cathedral music. Any good?

---

That looks like it, that's the one that Amazon said was discontinued. Thanks a lot!


 

---

Posted by Izzybee (# 10931) on :
 
I know this is a strange question with potentially quite a few answers (or no answer at all, depending on how you look at it), but how long does it generally take in the UK from having an offer accepted on a house to moving in? In this instance there's no chain, so I'm really asking about all the paperwork, surveys, etc.
 

---

Posted by Sparrow (# 2458) on :
 
It varies enormously depending on the situation, also you don't mention your financial situation; do you require a mortgage? Because if so they will insist on a survey (in addiiton to your own building survey) which will take time. If you don't need a mortgage, that will make things a lot quicker.

If there are no hitches, e.g. with the building survey (an essential) I would estimate approx. 8 weeks. I have just moved and it all went through pretty quickly, partly because the sellers needed to move quickly and their solicitors did everything in their power to keep things moving along.
 

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Posted by Izzybee (# 10931) on :
 
Thanks! Actually it's not me who's moving - it's my brother and his family. It's me who's trying to figure out whether I'm going to be able to see them in their new house while I'm over in the UK this summer without actually asking them and putting more pressure on an already pressure situation - this is their first ever opportunity to buy a house and they are excited beyond all imagination. They have worked long and hard for this opportunity and I'm so proud I could scream!

Yes they will need a mortgage, so I'm thinking I might not see them moved after all.
 

---

Posted by Moo (# 107) on :
 
Do bumblebees make honey? I think they don't, but I can't see why they spend so much time on the lavender blossoms next to my porch.

What are they doing with all that pollen/nectar?

Moo
 

---

Posted by RooK (# 1852) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Moo:
Do bumblebees make honey? I think they don't, but I can't see why they spend so much time on the lavender blossoms next to my porch.

What are they doing with all that pollen/nectar?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Moo:
Do bumblebees make honey? I think they don't, but I can't see why they spend so much time on the lavender blossoms next to my porch.

What are they doing with all that pollen/nectar?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by PeteC:
Ok, here's a new one. I thought of posting it in Hell, but decided there might be a reason.

These days, many, many people and catering kitchens love balsamic vinaigrette. They cook with it, pour it over everything. It's often the only choice offered for Train or airplane salads.

I find it foul, nasty and bitter. Won't touch it at all, even if the salad is the only part of a meal I can eat.

But I've seen people pouring it on - and lapping up excesses with a spoon, for God's sake.

Explain.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by PeteC:
These days, many, many people and catering kitchens love balsamic vinaigrette. They cook with it, pour it over everything.

---

quote:

---

Otherwise, people opperating bars or restaurants, de-glue your hand from the neck of that bottle with the Duke of Modena on it. Morever, don´t, I repeat, DO NOT, reduce it to a syrup and doodle on plates.
If you´re artistic, or think you may be, ask for help. There are other substances for you to try out, like charcoal and paper. Hopefully, you won´t expect us to eat those.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by RooK:
As Niven has postulated, niches tend to be filled. To this end, due to the extreme variety of human dietary potential, it seems sensible that some demographic would be endowed with a palate more appropriate for the appreciation of offal.

---

Such as Friday partiers who like menudo of a Saturday morning?
 

---

Posted by Mamacita (# 3659) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by basso:
As chance has it, I saw this rant just this morning.<snip>
It had to be said.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Mamacita:

quote:

---

Originally posted by basso:
As chance has it, I saw this rant just this morning.<snip>
It had to be said.

---

Basso, that is priceless. Thank you.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Jengie Jon:
But have a squiggle of Brown Sauce over your fried eggs is common up north.

---

It sounds as if that product is imported from America, but I've never heard of it. What's it like?

Moo
 

---

Posted by Jengie Jon (# 273) on :
 
Its not imported from America but to America. It is made by HP (now in Holland but until recently in Birmingham, the reason for using an American one is at present there is a boycott it some parts of the UK so the normal UK address aren't displaying it). Its a brown sauce, thick, fairly savoury but spiced as well, somewhat like Worcester Sauce but not as strong, like ketchup in thickness and I'd guess a fair amount of sugar but that is not obvious from the flavour.

Jengie

[ 18. June 2009, 11:27: Message edited by: Jengie Jon ]
 

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Posted by Moo (# 107) on :
 
Does anyone know how to remove dried slug slime from an umbrella? I left it open on the porch to dry, and now it has a trail across it which is not water-soluble. The fact that the fabric is treated to be water-resistant may complicate matters.

Moo
 

---

Posted by monkeylizard (# 952) on :
 
Perhaps rubbing it with a dry laundry or dishwashing powder? I seem to recall that adding water to the slug goo just makes it worse.
 

---

Posted by Chorister (# 473) on :
 
If the umbrella can take it, then rubbing it with something mildly abrasive (eg. pan scourer) might work. I use this method on my carpet after the resident slug goes for his nightly walk, and it works well.
 

---

Posted by PeteC (# 10422) on :
 
I take it fingernails don't work? If they do, wash your hands thereafter.


 

---

Posted by Moo (# 107) on :
 
Thanks.

I'll try the fingernails first.

It's a brand-new umbrella, so I hope I can get rid of the stain.

Moo
 

---

Posted by Zappa (# 8433) on :
 
In the mean time I could lend you one of my chooks - to make sure its doesn't happen again. They love slugs.
 

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Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
Don't go there Zappa. Slug slime and chooky poo could be a horrendous combination.

I know we have some birdwatchers on the Ship so I'm hoping someone can help.

I'm thinking of buying some binoculars for birdwatching around the estuary. What specifications would be best (and what do they all mean?) Is there anything I should avoid if looking at second hand ones? Any other information you think might be helpful to a novice?

Thanks.

Huia
 

---

Posted by monkeylizard (# 952) on :
 
I do some backyard astronomy. Different spec needs, but same principals apply.

Binocs come with a 2 number specification, like 7x35 or 10x42. The first number is the magnification. The second is the diameter in mm of the front lenses. Higher numbers here mean more light gets in for brighter images.

Don't assume that brighter = better for birding. In daylight, binocs with a high diameter will let in too much light and magnify it into your eyeballs like a mean kid cooking ants.

All binocs also have a Field of View (FOV) but not all of them list their FOV in their spec sheet. It's either reported as the degrees of the angle that's visible from side-to side, or the horizontal distance visible from 1000m. So If you were 1000m away from a tree line, and had binocs with a 95m FOV, you would be seeing 95m worth of that tree line. Higher = wider, so you see more area, but usually comes at the expense of magnification.

If you're more or less stationary and have a wide open area, then something with a high magnification is better. If you're going to be in deep woods or otherwise limited sight distance, a wide FOV is usually better.

For a beginner, sport/compact binocs are a good choice. They're usually lightweight and have a nice balance of the above specs. The weight is important because your arms will get tired holding up heavy binocs. They're also pretty useful at other tasks like sporting/music events. You may eventually graduate up to the more specialized models, but you'll keep using the lightweight compacts as a backup or for a birding companion.

Bushnell's "Power View" line is fairly popular and is available in sizes like 8x21, 12x25, and 10x32.

I recommend a budget of under US$50 for your first pair. After using those for a while, you'll get the feel for what's lacking. You can then upgrade to something with specs that better fit your needs like a different FOV, advanced poro prisms, coated lenses, different magnification, different weight, etc.

Stick to name-brands. They really are better.

[ 19. June 2009, 14:52: Message edited by: monkeylizard ]
 

---

Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
Wow Monkeylizard, thank-you - that is helpful. I'm going to print it out so I can study it.

I remember how heavy some binoculars are, so I think the lightweight ones may be agood place to start,

Huia
 

---

Posted by Hart (# 4991) on :
 
Can anyone recommend me a camera? Here's what I want:

-- optical zoom. 4X, 3X at a push.
-- face detection for focusing; multiple automatic modes (like twilight, portrait, etc.).
-- small enough to fit in my pocket.
-- Looking to spend $200-$250.
 

---

Posted by TonyK (# 35) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Hart:
Can anyone recommend me a camera? Here's what I want:

-- optical zoom. 4X, 3X at a push.
-- face detection for focusing; multiple automatic modes (like twilight, portrait, etc.).
-- small enough to fit in my pocket.
-- Looking to spend $200-$250.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Hart:
Thanks all -- that Sony one looks perfect. Do you recharge it by plugging it in somewhere, or do you need a separate charger for the battery?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Hart:
Thanks all -- that Sony one looks perfect. Do you recharge it by plugging it in somewhere, or do you need a separate charger for the battery?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Hart:
can I use the docking port to charge it without connecting it to a computer?

---

Yes.

And I concur about making sure you have at least a few gigs of memory - it makes life easier.
 

---

Posted by TonyK (# 35) on :
 
Should have added - read the product description in Amazon, or on the Sony website, carefully. I've just noticed that this camera uses HD resolution and interfaces to an HD TV using a (not supplied) HDMI cable. Might want to look at some of the other models in the range too.
 

---

Posted by Hart (# 4991) on :
 
Thanks for the extra info all, sounds perfect. I think I'm about to toddle off to Amazon to make a purchase.
 

---

Posted by Lots of Yay (# 2790) on :
 
I have my second Canon Ixus (this one is the 80 IS -my previous one was the 70) and I'm very happy with it. The only reason it's my second is that I lost the first. My brother has one a few years older than mine and it is also excellent.

It has lots of automatic modes (my favourite is "kids and animals"), lots of effects, plus you can configure it to do most things in manual mode. Comes with a wall charger, very good battery life, uses SD or SDHC cards. I haven't used the software it comes with - I just iPhoto.

Oh yes it comes with a tv cable (not HD) too.

Second edit: and has a mini-USB computer connection. This is good because lots of things have mini USB ports and hence if you lose your cable you quite possibly have another one that fits.

[ 21. June 2009, 05:48: Message edited by: Lots of Yay ]
 

---

Posted by The Galloping Granny (# 13814) on :
 
Another happy Sony Cybershot user.
It came with a wall socket charger and 2 spare batteries. I always carry the spare charged batteries.
 

---

Posted by amber. (# 11142) on :
 
Might be a strange question, but does anyone know exactly what you have to do to start a Formula One car? I'm pretty sure there was a Top Gear explanation by Richard Hammond, but can't find it online, and I'm also fairly sure that it's an immensely tricky procedure with the modern cars to get them to the right temperature etc first. Anyone know where to start looking for that info?
Many thanks
 

---

Posted by booktonmacarthur (# 14308) on :
 
This might help you in your quest regarding F1 cars.
 

---

Posted by amber. (# 11142) on :
 
Alas no. Looked at those, but it's about driving the cars, not starting them up. But thank you for the link
 

---

Posted by booktonmacarthur (# 14308) on :
 
Dang. Ok glad to off helped as much as possible!
 

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Posted by BroJames (# 9636) on :
 
There's some discussion about this on the AUTOSPORT Bulletin Board. Any help?
 

---

Posted by Zappa (# 8433) on :
 
Some CDs have a long silent break after the final track, and then another track un-noted on the cover and un-enumerated on the readout - that is to say if the final listed track i e.g. track 13 there is a long (say two minute) period of silence and then another track. Natalie Merchant has a classical cello track at the end of Tigerlily, and Natalie (maybe it's in the name ) Imbruglia has, paradoxically, the title track (though it is listed) long after the rest of the music on her Left of the Middle. Anyone know why?

[ 25. June 2009, 05:42: Message edited by: Zappa ]
 

---

Posted by Dormouse (# 5954) on :
 
Eggs in microwaves... I enjoy a boiled egg in the morning but struggle to get the consistency just right. I came across a "Microwave Egg Cooker" - a dinky little pot, with lid, into which you crack the egg and pop in microwave for about 40 seconds. It isn't perfect, as microwaves cook from the inside out and hence the yolk isn't runny, and the white is, but it is OK.

My question is: sometimes there is a loud bang! and the lid flies off the pot and the microwave is spattered with half cooked egg. Sometimes it's fine. So
a) Why does it go bang?
b) Why does it only go bang sometimes?
c) Is there anyway I can stop my egg from exploding?
 

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Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
Hard yolk/runny white sounds bleuuuugh.

You could adopt the method favoured by the landlady of lodgings my mother had, sometime in the 1940s. Very nice boiled egg every day, and always a brown one. Then discovered she put them in the teapot when she made the lodgers' brew of morning. Tea sat and stewed, eggs cooked - result!
 

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Posted by Lamb Chopped (# 5528) on :
 
Mr. Lamb used to pop a couple (shelled) eggs into the rice cooker, nicely nestled in the rice. Turn the thing on, go away, and come back to find hard boiled eggs plus rice--Add soy sauce and get a tasty (but veggie-less) dinner!
 

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Posted by Lots of Yay (# 2790) on :
 
That would probably be the yolk membrane exploding Dormouse. You need to make sure the yolk is well and truly not intact when you microwave eggs.
 

---

Posted by Sparrow (# 2458) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Dormouse:

My question is: sometimes there is a loud bang! and the lid flies off the pot and the microwave is spattered with half cooked egg. Sometimes it's fine. So
a) Why does it go bang?
b) Why does it only go bang sometimes?
c) Is there anyway I can stop my egg from exploding?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Dormouse:
....
a) Why does it go bang?
b) Why does it only go bang sometimes?
c) Is there anyway I can stop my egg from exploding?

---

quote:

---

Help please. Last Christmas I bought from the Book Depository a book to teach children knitting. It had clear illustrations and text and lots of small, attractive projects to learn from. I paid about $14 AUS when here it was over $30.

What I'm looking for is something to help a young child learn to sew. Similar clear text etc.

My granddaughter turns 7 next week. She's a very bright girl, very good at maths and mathematical concepts, precise with measuring and handwork.

She's been desperate for two years for a sewing machine. Her parents have bought a small basic model, straight and zigzag only.

I'm putting together a package of attractive remnants, threads, pins, boxes of buttons, special scissors etc. All in a storage box.

But I'd love any recommendations re a basic book geared to a child. Machine sewing, not wool embroidery etc.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Zappa:
Some CDs have a long silent break after the final track, and then another track un-noted on the cover and un-enumerated on the readout - that is to say if the final listed track i e.g. track 13 there is a long (say two minute) period of silence and then another track. Natalie Merchant has a classical cello track at the end of Tigerlily, and Natalie (maybe it's in the name ) Imbruglia has, paradoxically, the title track (though it is listed) long after the rest of the music on her Left of the Middle. Anyone know why?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Zappa:
Some CDs have a long silent break after the final track, and then another track un-noted on the cover and un-enumerated on the readout - that is to say if the final listed track i e.g. track 13 there is a long (say two minute) period of silence and then another track. Natalie Merchant has a classical cello track at the end of Tigerlily, and Natalie (maybe it's in the name ) Imbruglia has, paradoxically, the title track (though it is listed) long after the rest of the music on her Left of the Middle. Anyone know why?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Zappa:
Some CDs have a long silent break after the final track, and then another track un-noted on the cover and un-enumerated on the readout <<snip>> . Anyone know why?

---

"Artistic" reasons comes to mind as a generic answer, but mostly it's just the artists and/or the engineer having a bit of fun. Sort of like the hidden easter eggs in some computer software (MS Excel has some famous ones). The hidden track is often something more personal than the tracks of the main album (Like Merchant's cello solo) and showcases the individual talent of the artist rather than the whole band or another song-writer's work. Sometimes extra tracks are hidden waaaaaaay deep and only play after 10+ minutes of silence, or can only be accessed on a computer (even audio only-tacks, not just video).

Carlos Santana's Supernatural has a great one with some awesome guitar work.

ETA - Cross post with LP

[ 25. June 2009, 13:22: Message edited by: monkeylizard ]
 

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Posted by monkeylizard (# 952) on :
 
Close LP, but Zappa is reffering to Hidden Tracks and not bonus tracks.
 

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Posted by The Galloping Granny (# 13814) on :
 
Every time I travel behind a bus that has a promo on the back in the form of, say, a still from a TV show, I wonder how in the world a giant photo is transferred to the body of a bus. Any clues? I'm even tempted to go to the bus company and ask please may I see it being done.
GG
 

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Posted by Lamb Chopped (# 5528) on :
 
I believe they do something akin to shrink wrapping. The brain boggles at how this works, though. maybe a really big, big hair dryer?
 

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Posted by monkeylizard (# 952) on :
 
I'll assume you're referring to something like this and not just a printed board in a mounted frame.

If so, it's a vinyl wrap. Baiscally vinyl wallpaper applied to a vehicle. It's installed a lot like window tint and can be removed with special solvents that dissolve the vinyl, restoring the vehicle to its normal painted state ready for its next vinyl wrap.

Here's a video of someone applying it to a van.

[Edit fer spellin]

[ 26. June 2009, 03:11: Message edited by: monkeylizard ]
 

---

Posted by Kelly Alves (# 2522) on :
 
Random thought today:

Our "month" has a cosmological/ natural basis: it follows the progress of the moon, more or less. Does our seven day week have a similar cosmological/ natural logic, or is it a construct?
 

---

Posted by monkeylizard (# 952) on :
 
Kelly, Does this answer it?
 

---

Posted by Kelly Alves (# 2522) on :
 
Wow, quite thoroughly, actually. The Africans had a four day week?

Should have thought to check Cecil. Thanks.
 

---

Posted by Zappa (# 8433) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by lily pad:
They are Bonus Tracks. It is to get you to buy the album. More information about them here.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by monkeylizard:
I'll assume you're referring to something like this and not just a printed board in a mounted frame.

If so, it's a vinyl wrap. Baiscally vinyl wallpaper applied to a vehicle. It's installed a lot like window tint and can be removed with special solvents that dissolve the vinyl, restoring the vehicle to its normal painted state ready for its next vinyl wrap.

Here's a video of someone applying it to a van.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Hart:
Can I put the songs from my ipod onto both of these (the desktop in a month or so and then the new laptop a year later) and manage my library on them or is there some restriction on the number of times I can move songs about?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by The Galloping Granny:
Many thanks – the video is a really good answer to a longtime puzzle.

GG

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by mountainsnowtiger:
Is there any good way of comparing network coverage in a geographical area for different mobile phone companies in the UK?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by mountainsnowtiger:
Is there any good way of comparing network coverage in a geographical area for different mobile phone companies in the UK?

(My phone is falling apart, so I probably want to buy a new one sometime. But a bigger problem than my phone falling apart is that the reception where I'm living currently is appalling - not good when tutors, employers, etc need to get through to you. Just to complicate things, I'm probably going to be moving in a couple of months time. Argh.)

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Hart:
A question for people who know Chicago: You're staying in a hotel really close to Grand-Red, you have a car, you're going to a White Sox evening game. Do you drive or take the metro?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Wet Kipper:
Twitter - does adding your mobile phone mean you'll always get texted the updates from those you follow, or is there a way to update from your mobile without getting text every time a friend gets bored?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by RooK:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Hart:
Can I put the songs from my ipod onto both of these (the desktop in a month or so and then the new laptop a year later) and manage my library on them or is there some restriction on the number of times I can move songs about?

---

iTunes can be installed on multiple machines, and you can sync your iPod with each of them. There is a limit on the number of active machines using your particular account, and though this number is vague it is certainly greater than two. Songs with DRM can be tricky, and may screw your use of them across machines. I recommend, whenever possible, to use non-DRM format versions for exactly this reason.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by ecumaniac:
Things that I have purchased from iTunes, I make a backup CD of them (an old-fashioned audio CD, that is) and then if need be I could re-rip them later on.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Hart:
A question for people who know Chicago: You're staying in a hotel really close to Grand-Red, you have a car, you're going to a White Sox evening game. Do you drive or take the metro?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Smudgie:
Similarly, does anyone know whether St Johns Wort is suitable for a 12-year-old? The labels on homeopathic things never seem to tell you anything.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Smudgie:
This is not, repeat not, a request for medical advice!

Having been told yesterday by my doctor that I'm coping too well to be prescribed antidepressants, I'm wondering if there are any homeopathic remedies other than St Johns Wort that can help me cope with the rollercoaster of emotions and demands which my life seems to be just lately. St Johns Wort makes my eyes go funny as a side effect, and I certainly don't want anything which will make me sleepy or endanger my ability to work, drive or care for my son. But I'm guessing there may be something out there which might just help me relax in the in-between times rather than simply hitting the Baileys, especially as I know it's going to get harder again before it gets easier.

Similarly, does anyone know whether St Johns Wort is suitable for a 12-year-old? The labels on homeopathic things never seem to tell you anything.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Adeodatus:
...St John's Wort can react with other medication. I'd check out with your doctor before taking it yourself or giving it to anyone else.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Smudgie:
I'm wondering if there are any homeopathic remedies other than St Johns Wort that can help me cope with the rollercoaster of emotions and demands which my life seems to be just lately.

---

You might ask your doctor to check your vitamin D levels. If you are deficient in vitamin D (and most folks are, if they live north of Boston), it can exacerbate anxiety and depression. Getting adequate calcium can also help your emotions. Most of us don't get enough of either one.

As others have said, exercise -- especially aerobic exercise -- is good for improving mood. There are good studies that show it's as effective as an antidepressant for mild to moderate depression.

Massage therapy is also good. So is yoga -- the deep breathing that you do at the beginning and end of a yoga session is amazingly calming. In fact, if you can manage to practice slow deep breathing, even without the yoga workout, that alone can help keep your emotions steady.

I know people who have gotten good results with the Bach's Rescue Remedy that someone else mentioned. Fish oil, which has also been mentioned, is also very good. You may have to take it a month or more to really see the effects, though.

Sunshine in the middle of the day may help. If you can't get mid-day sunshine, talk to your doctor about a light box. Most people don't need them in the summer, but some benefit from them year-round, depending on how much time they can get outside.

Also, watch your sleep. Emotional roller coasters become much more intense with lack of sleep.
 

---

Posted by Lamb Chopped (# 5528) on :
 
Chamomile or catnip tea for anxiety. If you're not allergic, a nice fluffy CAT on your lap helps as well.
 

---

Posted by Smudgie (# 2716) on :
 
Thank you all for your responses.
I take extra vitamins and had to abandon fish oil tablets due to an allergy to them, though I force feed the latter to my son in the hope of stimulating his brain cell.
Massage therapy would be lovely but, as mentioned, rather pricey and at the moment my free time is rather limited, which also means getting myself incredibly organised in order to start getting more exercise again too. But I think the "doing things for my wellbeing" side is something I know about and actually do cater for as much as possible, whereas the sense of being fed up of the feelings and wanting a break from them, and wanting to feel stronger in dealing with the little things too, is what I was hoping antidepressants might do.

It is situational depression - as my doctor said, "The emotions you are coping with are precisely what I'd expect you to be coping with under the circumstances and I'd be a bit concerned if you weren't. You need to feel these emotions rather than numb them". In fact it's really more stress than depression.

So I think trying out the Bach Rescue Remedy would be a good next step. Can't face cutting down the alcohol, though.

(Sorry, can't help the virtually-teetotaller's response to that suggestion - I may be stressed but I'm still prone to the giggles )
 

---

Posted by Lamb Chopped (# 5528) on :
 
Speaking of the giggles, one of the best I've found is to get a heap of comic strip books, whatever floats your boat, just so as it makes you laugh--and go through one per night. I go for Calvin & Hobbes, myself.
 

---

Posted by Qlib (# 43) on :
 
I'm not a big fan of rescue remedy myself, though I know many who swear by it.

St John's Wort is not such a good idea in summer, especially for anyone with fair skin - it increases the risk of sunburn. It has other risks too and I wouldn't recommend it for the Smudgelet, but a professional herbalist might tell you different.

Even if you can't afford a massage, you can add a few drops of whatever oil to some baby oil and DIY massage areas you can get to - legs and feet are good. Jasmine is recommended for depression.If sleep is a problem, lavender is good. The advice about drinking lots of water is good,and absolutely essential after massage.

Herb teas -some people recommend lemon balm and chamomile. Sleepy tea, made by the 'todaywasfun' company, is great, but finding a stockist has defeated me - it's mostly sold in tins with threee others (including Happiness tea) but these are useless IMHO).
 

---

Posted by RooK (# 1852) on :
 
Exercise endorphins are good; I think adrenaline is better. Best of all, in my opinion, is combining both.
 

---

Posted by Hart (# 4991) on :
 
I agree with Rook. I psychologist friend of mine once explained this to me by saying that evolutionarily we're adapted for flight-or-fight responses: when we're stressed, our body gets ready for physical exertion. If we don't get any exercise, that gets frustrated (just like chewing gum, readying the stomach for food, and then not giving it any), so we feel worse.

Endorphins really are my favorite 'drug'.
 

---

Posted by Jengie Jon (# 273) on :
 
But adrenaline and getting a higher adrenaline is actually driving your "fight and flight" response into overdrive.

If you are in a long term stress situation doing that can lead to a weird thing where your blood sugar starts fluctuating widely. Add sugar to adrenaline and you have a pretty toxic recipe. You get a temporary high due to the adrenaline and sugar, you then can hit a blood sugar low that can in some people send you into the danger zone for hypoglycaemia. I know a friend whose done it.

Jengie

[ 10. July 2009, 22:17: Message edited by: Jengie Jon ]
 

---

Posted by Qlib (# 43) on :
 
But surely JJ, exercise uses up the adrenaline and releases those amazing endorphins, so you shouldn't then get the blood sugar problem?
 

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Posted by The Galloping Granny (# 13814) on :
 
I've been persuaded to write the story of my childhood for the grandchildren and I'm really getting into it – yesterday I scanned a whole batch of photos from old family albums.

So far I'm seven years old and it's wartime.

So can anyone – or their Mum or Dad – complete this rhyme?

Whistle while you work
Mussolini made a shirt;
Hitler wore it
??? tore it
Whistle while you work
 

---

Posted by Hart (# 4991) on :
 
Chamberline, apparently
 

---

Posted by The Galloping Granny (# 13814) on :
 
I think we might have sung "Churchill tore it".

My memory works slowly. Maybe kids knew about Churchill but not Chamberlain's 'piece of paper".
 

---

Posted by Mamacita (# 3659) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by RadicalWhig on the "Arh! Flies!" thread:
Having just come home from three weeks away, I have returned to find that there is a swarm of big black flies in the house (not of plague proportions, but there are enough to be really annoying).

They are slow and dopey, but really fat and ugly. During daylight hours I managed to sweep as many as I could find out of the window, but after dark there are more and they are buzzing around the light.

The house was cleaned thoroughly before we went away, and was cleaned again before we got back. It was spotless when I walked through the door, and I can't find anything smelly or disgusting that might be attracting or breeding the flies.

If anyone can help, my questions are:

(i) What could be causing this fly-festival?

(ii) What can I do about it?

(Having spent a long time in Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Spain, and other hot places, I'm quite used to dealing with flies, but these critters are different - they are bigger, slower-flying, and really stupid.)

---

quote:

---

Aha! I found our handy "questions thread" buzzing around on Page 2, so I'll just swat this post in its direction.

Mamacita, Heavenly Host

---

quote:

---

I grew up in a stone farmhouse that, every summer, attracted just the flies you describe...which would die en masse in our attic, They terrified me as a young child. In the case of our house, the warmth of the stonework, combined with tiny chinks in the mortar, seemed to attract them into the house; certainly not our or my grandparents' (the original homeowners') housekeeping. When my parents moved to their retirement resicence, a modern vinyl-siding cottage in a wooded area -- no more flies.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Dormouse:
Smudgie: re massages being very expensive (true)

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Smudgie:
Having been told yesterday by my doctor that I'm coping too well to be prescribed antidepressants, I'm wondering if there are any homeopathic remedies other than St Johns Wort that can help me cope with the rollercoaster of emotions and demands which my life seems to be just lately. St Johns Wort makes my eyes go funny as a side effect, and I certainly don't want anything which will make me sleepy or endanger my ability to work, drive or care for my son. But I'm guessing there may be something out there which might just help me relax in the in-between times rather than simply hitting the Baileys, especially as I know it's going to get harder again before it gets easier.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by ToujoursDan:
I have been to lots of lands, but I have to say that the flies in Australia (Sydney/Newcastle area) are the worst I have encountered. Their big, slow, won't leave you alone and actually follow you down the street.

I have always admired the patience of my Aussie friends and say TBTG that the flies we have in North America have ADD.

---

quote:

---

(*ironically kiwiland had its own variety that simply fly around and around and around in the dead centre of inside living spaces ...)

---

At less intense concentrations, there will be one fly... you finally kill it... and immediately there is one again...)
 

---

Posted by Zappa (# 8433) on :
 
Ah, that pesky doctrine of resurrection
 

---

Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
Does anyone know of any online site which gives the value of money long ago in today's money. (UK sterling)

I.e. I want to know what a salary of £x in the 1920s would be worth now, and if someone left £Y in their Will in the 1930s, how big a legacy would that be today? Failing that, a site giving average house prices over the last century would be helpful.

I've found a couple of American sites, but I'm looking for something British.
 

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Posted by BroJames (# 9636) on :
 
This Exeter university site might point you in the right direction.

[ 23. July 2009, 12:17: Message edited by: BroJames ]
 

---

Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
Brilliant! That's just what I was looking for, and the explanation about the difference between RPI and average earnings was very helpful.

Thanks!!
 

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Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
My boss (aka my rector) gets wondering about strange things sometimes. He's wondering which, if any, of the Oxford University colleges is/are Roman Catholic.

Google has been no help.

Thanks!
 

---

Posted by Jengie Jon (# 273) on :
 
They are almost certainly still permanent private halls, so you get [url= http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Benet%27s_Hall,_Oxford]St Benet's Hall Oxford[/url], Campion Hall Oxford and Blackfriars.

My guess is that some maybe considering becoming a full Oxford College. However Manchester and Mansfield (Unitarian and URC) only became full Colleges as opposed to Permanent Private Halls relatively recently (i.e. in my life time). Regent's Park(Baptist) remains a Permanent Private Hall.

Jengie

[ 30. July 2009, 20:43: Message edited by: Jengie Jon ]
 

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Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
Wow, eight minutes for a response -- thanks, Jengie Jon!

We did look up Campion, which didn't seem to be a real college. And I couldn't determine whether Blackfriars was or not.

I shall pass this on. Maybe I'll get a raise.
 

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Posted by Drifting Star (# 12799) on :
 
Does anyone know how to get the smell of cigarettes off a book? I bought a secondhand but supposedly 'as new' book from Amazon, and it looks perfect, but smells terrible. It's not worth complaining because it was very cheap, and I want it anyway, but I can't read it at the moment because of the smell.

Is there a magic solution?
 

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Posted by Josephine (# 3899) on :
 
This page has a lot of ideas. They generally fall into three categories: dryer sheets, baking soda, and newspaper. I haven't tried any of them, but they're all inexpensive to try.

You could also call your local public library. They must have a few tricks for removing odors from books.
 

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Posted by Drifting Star (# 12799) on :
 
Thanks Josephine - the baking soda sounds as though it would work. It removes smells from fridges, anyway! I might try the newspaper one first as it's less messy, though. I'll give the dryer sheets a miss, as I think I would find that smell just as bad as the cigarette smoke.
 

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Posted by The Galloping Granny (# 13814) on :
 
What are dryer sheets?
 

---

Posted by mousethief (# 953) on :
 
Okay whilst sitting at a traffic light today, I saw that the large truck (lorry) next to me had some kind of plastic do-whatsits on or around its lugnuts. These do-whatsits were like teardrops or ice-cream-cone shapes of flat plastic with a lugnut-shaped hole in the fat end, beneath or pushed down to the base of the lugnut. The pointy end of each was pointing to the next lugnut over (clockwise, if that matters).

What are those for?

PS dryer sheets are sheets of papery fabric (or fabricy paper) impregnated with smelly chemicals that one puts in the tumble dryer with one's clothes to (a) reduce static electricity, and (b) transfer the smell to the clothes.

[ 04. August 2009, 21:24: Message edited by: mousethief ]
 

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Posted by The Galloping Granny (# 13814) on :
 
Depending on whether I boarrd the ship from Safari or Firefox I get a different picture for Mystery Worshipper on the home page. I wonder why?
 

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Posted by Brother William (# 14936) on :
 

quote:

---

Okay whilst sitting at a traffic light today, I saw that the large truck (lorry) next to me had some kind of plastic do-whatsits on or around its lugnuts. These do-whatsits were like teardrops or ice-cream-cone shapes of flat plastic with a lugnut-shaped hole in the fat end, beneath or pushed down to the base of the lugnut. The pointy end of each was pointing to the next lugnut over (clockwise, if that matters).

What are those for?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by The Galloping Granny:
Depending on whether I boarrd the ship from Safari or Firefox I get a different picture for Mystery Worshipper on the home page. I wonder why?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Brother William:
I came to the conclusion that they were there to enable a quick visual check of the wheels - to make sure none of the nuts had worked loose, meaning the wheel might come off.

A conclusion I haven't checked out, but it satisfied my curiosity anyway!

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Otter:
If it was fine to begin with, I suspect you're doomed to a bald reindeer skin. You may be able to slow down the shedding by putting it somewhere where it is subject to less wear - hanging on a wall, instead of using it for a rug, say.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by chukovsky:
I'm trying to work out how much my recent broken arm cost me/us in the UK versus how much it would have cost with the HMO we were using in the US.

---

quote:

---

I can't tell what my treatment has cost the NHS

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by chukovsky:
But if you never claim on your US health insurance, it might not be such a bad deal (compared to taxes paying for the chronically ill, too).

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Adeodatus:
Government departments aren't renowned for their openness about the costs of the services theu run.

---

Yes they are! You can get pretty complete breakdowns of the entire government healthcare budgets of both the USA and the UK online. Its all there. Its the private providers who are secretive.
 

---

Posted by ToujoursDan (# 10578) on :
 
I'm preparing for holidays in Argentina and Uruguay - specifically Buenos Aires and Montevideo.

Has anyone ever been? Any tips I should know?

I only know a few phrases in Spanish and am pretty crap about learning languages (though I am decent in French now). I am trying though. Can an English speaker get by on tourist Spanish?
 

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Posted by Izzybee (# 10931) on :
 
Not asking for legal advice, just asking if I nedd legal advice. Hosts feel free to delete this if it's deemed to overstep the bounds.

Mr. Iz was hit by a car yesterday in Washington DC. He was crossing at a crosswalk with the "walk" sign and the car concerned made an illegal left turn and hit both him and his co-worker. He got taken by ambulance to the ER and no bones were broken alhough understandably he's in quite a bit of pain.

Do we need a lawyer? We'd really rather not have to deal with it, but everyone we meet keeps telling us to talk to someone - including the lady who does the medical billing for our doctor's office. She seems to think without a lawyer we'll have trouble getting his ER bills paid.

Anyone ever been in the same situation? I've got no idea what to do, quite frankly.
 

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Posted by Lamb Chopped (# 5528) on :
 
Do you have the driver's information? And did the police take a report? (If you say "no" to the police, call them ASAP and get it done.)

Also, I don't know what health insurance, if any, Mr. Iz has, but it would be worth calling them and talking to a manager. His own insurance will have a vested interest in er, shoving off as many medical bills onto the offending party as possible, and may offer you quite a bit of help and advice.
 

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Posted by Izzybee (# 10931) on :
 
The driver's information is in the police report (which I guess answers both questions). My job tomorrow is to make the 110 mile round trip to go pick up the report, which apparently can only be picked up by a real live person. The guy was apparently charged with a laundry list of stuff.

I hadn't thought about calling our health insurance company, but it's something I'll definately try. Heck - I need all the advice I can get right now.
 

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Posted by Lamb Chopped (# 5528) on :
 
Then here's some more. See if they will release the report to your LOCAL police station, who can then hand it over to you in due and proper form. Or set your insurance company onto them to obtain it--"Vee haff vays to make you talkkkkkkk." It worked for us!

Do you have any idea whether the idiot had insurance? If not, he'll get the book thrown at him, but you may be out of luck. Unless your own driver's policy, some work-related policy, or one of those bizarre credit card thingies, has a clause covering this kind of accident. Never hurts to check.

Oh, and if in the end it all comes down to a personal civil lawsuit--which we'll hope not--be sure he's GOT something for you to take before wasting the $ on suing him. If he's financially "judgement proof," you might as well save your lawyer's fees and let the state take it out of his hide. I'm not completely sure how you'd find out his financial status, though--I've a friend who's a bill collector, but they apparently have privileged status or something...

[ 21. August 2009, 01:16: Message edited by: Lamb Chopped ]
 

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Posted by Lamb Chopped (# 5528) on :
 
Ach! forgot. If you DO decide to make the trip, call them first and make them swear in blood that it will be there, ready and waiting, for you upon arrival. AND that someone will be present to hand it to you. I discovered that my local station hands out reports when the fancy strikes them--so you have to find the sweet spot between Emergency 349 and coffee hour.
 

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Posted by chukovsky (# 116) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by ken:

quote:

---

Originally posted by chukovsky:
But if you never claim on your US health insurance, it might not be such a bad deal (compared to taxes paying for the chronically ill, too).

---

No, that is almost the worst possible comparison from the US point of view! A taxpayer who never uses healthcare is paying the full whack. They pay more than a UK taxpayer on the same income would. But they are getting nothing in return.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Lamb Chopped
Do you have any idea whether the idiot had insurance? If not, he'll get the book thrown at him, but you may be out of luck.

---

If he is found guilty, which I gather is a foregone conclusion, you could ask that he be required to pay restitution as part of his sentence.

Moo
 

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Posted by Keren-Happuch (# 9818) on :
 
I have 2 jersey cotton nighties which have picked up an inexplicable painty/solventy smell from somewhere. Just after washing and hanging in the sun the smell fades but it gradually builds up again in the cupboard or in the course of being worn. I've tried washing them in bicarb which is supposed to remove smells, but it didn't make a lasting difference. Do any of those fabric freshener things actually remove smells or just mask them? And does anybody have any suggestions on how to get rid of the smell properly??
 

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Posted by Hebdom (# 14685) on :
 
KH, you could try dousing the nighties in a weak solution of eucalyptus oil - say 1 teaspoon in a bucket of water. Leave for 3 or 4 hours, then rinse and hang out on the line. I have no idea whether this will work but eucalyptus oil works wonders in all sorts of situations. Here in Oz I use a pre-wash scrub which is eucalyptus based and it is brilliant.

Good luck with it.
 

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Posted by Hebdom (# 14685) on :
 
On second thoughts.... (sorry for double posting)

One teaspoon may be a bit much, have just checked my bottle of eucalyptus oil and it says one capful (which would be about a teaspoon) to a washing machine full of water.

The smell of eucalyptus oil evaporates fairly quickly if you find it too strong.
 

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Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
IME, Borax is good for removing odors from clothing. Directions should be on the box.

(I don't know what it may be called in other countries; but it's a white powder, used as a laundry booster. In the US, the brand is "20 Mule Team Borax". I think it *might* be manufactured by Arm & Hammer.)
 

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Posted by Aelred of Riveaux (# 12833) on :
 
Does anyone know if there are any special regulations concerning sending tea from the UK to the USA? I want to send a small packet (about 100g) of either loose tea or teabags occasionally as a gift, and wondered if there needs to be customs clearance or permission to send foodstuffs etc.

Thanks for your help.
 

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Posted by Izzybee (# 10931) on :
 
My wonderful mum and several wonderful friends of mine occasionally throw some tea in the post to me and it's never been a problem. I think meat and seeds/fruit/veg is what they're looking for, customs wise.
 

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Posted by monkeylizard (# 952) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Izzybee:
Mr. Iz was hit by a car yesterday in Washington DC. <snip>Do we need a lawyer?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Izzybee:
My wonderful mum and several wonderful friends of mine occasionally throw some tea in the post to me and it's never been a problem. I think meat and seeds/fruit/veg is what they're looking for, customs wise.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Nunzia:
I'm trying to remember a Spanish word I once heard, that means the crusty bits of rice at the bottom of the pot.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by monkeylizard:
to make it look really good.... a grout saw and some new grout. Followed by a sealant.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Moo:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Emma Louise
Is Urine more sterile....

---

I used to know a man who was in the German army in World War 2. He said that the soldiers were instructed that if they were wounded and there was no immediate medical help available, they should put urine on the wound to disinfect it.

Moo

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by mountainsnowtiger:
Is putting a mattress directly onto the floor (instead of onto a bed-frame or divan base or whatever) inherently bad

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by mountainsnowtiger:
Is putting a mattress directly onto the floor (instead of onto a bed-frame or divan base or whatever) inherently bad for:

1) The person sleeping on the mattress?

and/or

2) The life and quality over time of the mattress?

If so, why?

Or, to put it a different way, do bedframes serve any purpose other than aesthetics and making it less far to bend down in order to get into bed?

---

It creates storage space, and prevents foot injuries by giving you less toe-stubbing area (I am 6'3 and clumsy, so this is a big deal for me). Also, it makes it easier to move the bed if you need to move the bed away from the wall.
 

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Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 
No bedsprings. Put it on the floor and you're putting the mattress directly onto a hard flat surface, and you'll probably feel it. Don't move around too vigorously, you'll definitely feel it.

Also the aforementioned dust mites will be able to climb straight in from the carpet.

It hasn't killed anyone and I survived it myself for some weeks, but it wasn't as comfortable as it might have been. On the plus side, if you have a tendency to move around a lot in your sleep or fall out of bed, you don't have far to fall. The down side is that you can sometimes wake up on the carpet, with your face in the pile, and close-up carpet doesn't usually smell too nice or do your skin a lot of good.
 

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Posted by mountainsnowtiger (# 11152) on :
 
But non-divan bed-frames don't have bed-springs either?

(I think overall the replies here are confirming my original ideas about moving into a not-very-furnished flat i.e. get new, decent-quality, shop-bought mattress asap; get some kind of bed-frame, costing as little as possible (*keeps an eye on ebay*), at some point in the next few weeks or months.)
 

---

Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by mountainsnowtiger:
But non-divan bed-frames don't have bed-springs either?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by monkeylizard:
credit scores are used as a cheap/fast way to do underwriting. We use them (among other things) in the insurance world to set rates. However, we are more than capable of doing a manual underwrite if requested or required. Ask the bank to manually underwrite the loan and stop being so lazy. It takes more time to do it that way, so they don't normally offer it.

Manual underwriting involves looking at a person's income, savings, current debt and total net assets. Then they decide how much of a risk you are and from there can decide to offer you their services or not.

On the other side, a credit rating can be established once you have regular bills like utilities, and you pay them on time every time. One late payment can kill your rating.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Otter:
Talk to your banker, explain your credit problem, and see if you can get a low-limit bank-issued credit card that doesn't have exorbinant intrest rates. You can use it judiciously and pay it off promptly to help build your credit rating.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Seeker963:
Does it harm your credit rating if you pay off your balance in full every month? Some people have told me that this prevents you from actually borrowing and that therefore it doesn't go toward your credit rating. This seems wacky but then the whole system seems wacky.

---

Normally, no. Your rating is built from ratios of debt to things like your net assets and your total available credit. It then moves up and down based on total amounts in those ratios, any late payments, and the total volume of credit activities. Even current balances apply towards the debt part of those ratios. Paying off the card balance in full is not going to hurt your rating, and IMO it's critical for financial success. Debt is bad in personal finance.

It used to be that a debt:limits ratio of 20% was enough for a good rating, but that's closer to 10% now. So if you have a total credit limit available to you of $10,000, carrying more than $1,000 to $1,500 at any time on those cards is generally bad for your score. That includes the current balance, not just outstanding.

It is true that some card issuers (really lousy ones) cancelled some accounts over the past year where the card holder never carried a balance. But by and large, this is not a problem. Whether you pay interest or not, the card issuer still makes money on every transaction you make in the form of fees charged to the merchant.
 

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Posted by Tea gnome (# 9424) on :
 
Where would you look for information on UK waters? It's information such as tidalness, currentyness, and shippingyness that I'd be interested in. Is there somewhere like the met office but for the sea?
 

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Posted by kingsfold (# 1726) on :
 
UK tides according to the BBC. It also has links to the shipping forecast (also available on Radio4 IIRC), inshore water & coastal forecasts, sea temperatures and other such links.

This site also seems to have some potentially useful links, as does this .

No idea about how you find out about shippingyness though!
 

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Posted by Tea gnome (# 9424) on :
 
Brilliant, thanks
 

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Posted by kingsfold (# 1726) on :
 
So what are you planning?
 

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Posted by Tea gnome (# 9424) on :
 
Planning? Moi? *assumes look of calculated innocence*
Just looking and thinking for now
 

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Posted by Jack the Lass (# 3415) on :
 
So, evil MS Word (*spit*). I somehow seem to have managed to switch something on that I can't switch off, and because I don't know what it's called I can't search for it in the help section. Basically in every space there's a • and every time I enter there's a ¶, which makes it really difficult to read. What is that called, and how the hell do I switch it off again?

(I was typing and must have leant on one of the control or alt keys or something in the middle of my word, as it suddenly just appeared, and now it is the default state for all documents )
 

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Posted by mountainsnowtiger (# 11152) on :
 
Which edition of word?

In Word 2007, under the 'Home' tab, there is a button with the symbol-which-you're-getting-when-you-press-enter on it, which turns the feature on and off. It also works via Ctrl key plus enter key plus 8/* key.

It's labelled as "show/hide paragraph marks and other hidden formatting symbols" so I'd use that as your basis for searching Help if you've got an older version of Word and the above options don't work.
 

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Posted by Tea gnome (# 9424) on :
 
It's in the 'paragraph' section. (sorry, I have different version) but one of them (in the drop down list) should have that backwards P symbol on it, and that will click off the punctuation markers.
 

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Posted by mountainsnowtiger (# 11152) on :
 
(I believe the feature is designed for the benefit of people wot are having to type things very, very perfectly for neat final copy and therefore need to check they haven't e.g.accidentally put two spaces rather than one between some words, etc.)
 

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Posted by Otter (# 12020) on :
 
It's also useful when there's some wonky bit of formatting in that's making a mess of things that you need to find and delete to allow your absent sanity to return.
 

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Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
I have the formatting tool on all the time when using Word because you can see what else is there. It winds most other people up and I try to remember to turn it off before e-mailing a document back.
 

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Posted by RooK (# 1852) on :
 
The formatting marks in Word were the only way an anally retentive person (such as myself) could stand to use it. Sure, it's fine for pounding out blocks of prose, but then so is the text editor. No, the formatting is the thing, and Word keeps Trying To Help, and by doing so often gets in the way - the format marks reveal the underlying issues definitively instead of having to guess at them.

Or something. I've actually abandoned Word. And word processing as much as possible, to be truthful.

Most of the time, I concentrate on the simple text. When I need to care about formatting, I use HTML. When I need to worry about it being printed on horrifically inefficient sections of smashed and bleached wood pulp, I export to PDF. Fuck you, Word, and your hateful pandering to smooth-brained morons and your multitude of crimes against aesthetics and functionality.
 

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Posted by RooK (# 1852) on :
 
I should have posted this instead.
 

---

Posted by Zappa (# 8433) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by mountainsnowtiger:
(I believe the feature is designed for the benefit of people wot are having to type things very, very perfectly for neat final copy and therefore need to check they haven't e.g.accidentally put two spaces rather than one between some words, etc.)

---

Yup, tiger, that's my understanding of it: - JacktheLass, I used it often in the late stages of presentation-checking my thesis (I use 2002, though, where I turn it on and off on the Options tag). But you're right, it can totally throw the pagination if you are working in Print View, and can play absolute havoc with footnotes, indexes and things. One such error caused my supervisor from hell to throw many "fucking idiot what have you done" epithets my way
 

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Posted by Jack the Lass (# 3415) on :
 
Thanks everyone, that's really helpful.

quote:

---

Originally posted by RooK:
I should have posted this instead.

---

Funnily enough that's exactly what TME says each time I've asked him something techy since the cartoon appeared
 

---

Posted by BroJames (# 9636) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by mountainsnowtiger:
get some kind of bed-frame, costing as little as possible (*keeps an eye on ebay*), at some point in the next few weeks or months.)

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by RooK:
The formatting marks in Word were the only way an anally retentive person (such as myself) could stand to use it. Sure, it's fine for pounding out blocks of prose, but then so is the text editor. No, the formatting is the thing, and Word keeps Trying To Help, and by doing so often gets in the way - the format marks reveal the underlying issues definitively instead of having to guess at them.

---

quote:

---

I've got a study full of books to clear. A lot of them are left over from old GCSE and A Level courses; they are good scholarship but a little dated now (Barrett on John, for example). It seems a shame to throw them away, but I can't use them at all. Does anyone know an institution that might be glad to have them?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Jack the Lass:
I was only thinking yesterday how vastly superior WordPerfect always was to Word ...

---

I was always (always!) a Wordstar person myself. Wordstar for DOS. Then someone came out with some sort of Windowy thing and I though "what a bunch of crap that is ... it'll never take off" (I thought the same about CDs when they hit the shops )
 

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Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Jack the Lass:
I was only thinking yesterday how vastly superior WordPerfect always was to Word - even now I'd take the DOS version of WordPerfect in a heartbeat over Word. Ah happy days, when I never wanted to throw the computer at the wall like I do All The Damn Time now.

---

quote:

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Originally posted by The Galloping Granny:
Do old posts disappear altogether into cyberspace?

My daughter's fallen prey to a conspiracy theory about children's vaccinations. I'd have loved to refer her to a thread on the subject (The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few – in Purg 21 December 2008) but it no longer exists.
Or does it?

Desperate GG

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Originally posted by The Galloping Granny:
Do old posts disappear altogether into cyberspace?

My daughter's fallen prey to a conspiracy theory about children's vaccinations. I'd have loved to refer her to a thread on the subject (The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few – in Purg 21 December 2008) but it no longer exists.
Or does it?

Desperate GG

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Originally posted by PeteC:
Robert Armin in AS:

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I've got a study full of books to clear. A lot of them are left over from old GCSE and A Level courses; they are good scholarship but a little dated now (Barrett on John, for example). It seems a shame to throw them away, but I can't use them at all. Does anyone know an institution that might be glad to have them?

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Originally posted by Sparrow:

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WordPerfect (remember that?) used to have one very simple key "reveal codes" which switched all those marks off and on.

It still does. I have WordPerfect (long may it wave! but how long, O Lord?).

The faux "reveal codes" of Word reveals about 10 percent of them. As I am reminded, EVERY FREAKING DAY at work.

[ 07. September 2009, 17:06: Message edited by: Lamb Chopped ]
 

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Posted by Jengie Jon (# 273) on :
 
That is because Word doesn't really use codes. Rather a document in Word is a series of instructions to the computer that will output the text in the required form.

You used to be able to see these by going into a Word document with a text editor. At least once I have managed to rescue a long document that way. The guy had managed to put in a circular loop and therefore the document was every loading.

Jengie.
 

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Posted by Wesley J (# 6075) on :
 

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Originally posted by Smudgie:
A question for all you toy railway addicts from a concerned Smudgelet. Does anyone know whether the move by Hornby towards digital systems will mean that his current track and trains will be obsolete and that any new ones he buys in the future will be incompatible with them? Dare he keep expanding his collection or would he be better to save his money and start only collecting digital ones?

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Originally posted by Smudgie:
A question for all you toy railway addicts from a concerned Smudgelet. Does anyone know whether the move by Hornby towards digital systems will mean that his current track and trains will be obsolete and that any new ones he buys in the future will be incompatible with them? Dare he keep expanding his collection or would he be better to save his money and start only collecting digital ones?

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Originally posted by Gracious rebel:

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Originally posted by The Galloping Granny:
Do old posts disappear altogether into cyberspace?

My daughter's fallen prey to a conspiracy theory about children's vaccinations. I'd have loved to refer her to a thread on the subject (The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few – in Purg 21 December 2008) but it no longer exists.
Or does it?

Desperate GG

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I know someone's already posted a google cache of the first page of this thread, but I've now found the original thread in Oblivion here

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Originally posted by jacobsen:
Textbooks

Aren't there charities which collect books for third world schools?

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Originally posted by Robert Armin:

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Originally posted by jacobsen:
Textbooks

Aren't there charities which collect books for third world schools?

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That's what I thought - but I don't know their names, or how to contact them.

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Originally posted by Sparrow:
Does anyone have any advice about how to get a leather jacket cleaned?

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Originally posted by Loveheart:
Can someone satisfy my curiosity and tell me if Jehovah's Witnesses ever call at vicarages/rectories/presbyteries?

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Originally posted by Loveheart:
Can someone satisfy my curiosity and tell me if Jehovah's Witnesses ever call at vicarages/rectories/presbyteries?

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They've done it here, more than once - it says 'Rectory' on the gate.
 

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Posted by Sister Mary Precious (# 8755) on :
 
Yes, They came to home of our priest and his wife filled with glee, directed them down to the basement where the priest and the senior warden were busy making home made wine.
 

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Posted by Margaret (# 283) on :
 
I think they're supposed to, because everybody deserves to know the Truth (as they call it), and that includes those who make their living preaching false religion (that's everything that isn't the Truth). Besides, members of the clergy are at special risk, because I believe they're going to be the first to be killed at Armageddon. So really it's the duty of a kind humane JW to make sure they have a chance to know the Truth
 

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Posted by Joan_of_Quark (# 9887) on :
 
At the weekend a friend told me she was visited several times by JWs when living in a rectory in the UK - it was a new build, not right next to the church, but had a big sign identifying it.
 

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Posted by Loveheart (# 12249) on :
 

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Originally posted by Margaret:
Besides, members of the clergy are at special risk, because I believe they're going to be the first to be killed at Armageddon.

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Really? I'd better warn my vicar at MP this morning then!


 

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Posted by Jengie Jon (# 273) on :
 
I have a couple of insurance policies, which I took out a while ago. On one I have misplaced the documentation (maybe two) on a third I never had full documentation.

They provide my emergency provision for expensive risks e.g. loss of employment due to health problems.

What I would like to do is get a copy of the cover, so that in an emergency there is information on them primarily for others.

All the clue I have is the direct debits are clearly on my current account.

How do I start finding this out?

Jengie
 

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Posted by BroJames (# 9636) on :
 
My direct debits like this all have reference numbers which I think are/relate to the policy numbers.

Might it be worth phoning your insurance provider(s) with these numbers and seeing if they can trace the policy and provide you with documentation?
 

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Posted by Eutychus (# 3081) on :
 
Calling literary shipmates. A colleague is trying to trace the original of an Oscar Wilde quote. A back translation from the French would be something like: "I take care of public taste. I fight against it". Does anybody recognise what the original English is and where it is from?
 

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Posted by DagonSlaveII (# 15162) on :
 

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How is it that tea can appear to taste better out of some mugs than others?

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Originally posted by Matt Black:
Why can't humans eat raw meat (as a general rule) like other animals?

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Any ideas of something slightly unusual to give them (does not have to be the same for both) for about twenty pounds.


Jengie [/QB]

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Originally posted by Sparrow:
Does anyone have any advice about how to clean the grout around discoloured bathroom tiles? I have some of the stuff which you repaint on top after you've cleaned them, but the advice is to clean them first and nothing seems to shift the stains. I've tried Cif and other similar products but no luck.

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Originally posted by Og, King of Bashan:
[QUOTE]Originally posted by mountainsnowtiger:
[qb] Is putting a mattress directly onto the floor (instead of onto a bed-frame or divan base or whatever) inherently bad for:

1) The person sleeping on the mattress?

and/or

2) The life and quality over time of the mattress?

If so, why?

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Originally posted by Moo:
I used to get huge numbers of flies in my attic every fall. Some one told me they were cluster flies, rather than ordinary house flies. I would vacuum up at least thirty corpses every day. There was nothing up there for them to eat; I guess they just wanted to get in from the cold.

I bought one of those gadgets that emit sound the insects don't like. It never worked with any other kind of insect, but it did get rid of the cluster flies.

Moo

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Originally posted by PeteC:
Ok, here's a new one. I thought of posting it in Hell, but decided there might be a reason.

These days, many, many people and catering kitchens love balsamic vinaigrette. They cook with it, pour it over everything. It's often the only choice offered for Train or airplane salads.

I find it foul, nasty and bitter. Won't touch it at all, even if the salad is the only part of a meal I can eat.

But I've seen people pouring it on - and lapping up excesses with a spoon, for God's sake.

Explain.

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Originally posted by Eutychus:
Calling literary shipmates. A colleague is trying to trace the original of an Oscar Wilde quote. A back translation from the French would be something like: "I take care of public taste. I fight against it". Does anybody recognise what the original English is and where it is from?

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Originally posted by Eutychus:
Calling literary shipmates. A colleague is trying to trace the original of an Oscar Wilde quote. A back translation from the French would be something like: "I take care of public taste. I fight against it". Does anybody recognise what the original English is and where it is from?

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Whenever people agree with me I always feel I must be wrong.

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Originally posted by Joan_of_Quark:
At the weekend a friend told me she was visited several times by JWs when living in a rectory in the UK - it was a new build, not right next to the church, but had a big sign identifying it.

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Originally posted by North East Quine:
Is a "traditional farmhouse recipe" for mango chutney plausible?

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Originally posted by North East Quine:
Is a "traditional farmhouse recipe" for mango chutney plausible?

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Yes, indeedy! Around my home town, you would find several "traditional" mango chutney versions. Mangoes from green to ripe are used, and you could probably find something that would be tasty to almost everyone! (Barring the non-mango eaters, whom we love, because that means more mangoes for the rest of us.)
 

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Posted by Wesley J (# 6075) on :
 
Ok, daft question, but perhaps of interest to some in the electronics department. And yes, I came up with this very late at night...

A loudspeaker's or headphones' function can in some cases be reversed, and these devices made to work, more or lost successfully, as microphones. So instead of emitting sound waves, they react to these and make them available for recording.

Would this reverse function in theory also be possible for at least certain TV or computer screens (or any screen at all)? And couldn't cameras, at least in theory, also project video images? Some explanation would be welcome, in whatever detail.

Many thanks.
 

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Posted by RooK (# 1852) on :
 

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Originally posted by Wesley J:
Ok, daft question, but perhaps of interest to some in the electronics department. And yes, I came up with this very late at night...

A loudspeaker's or headphones' function can in some cases be reversed, and these devices made to work, more or lost successfully, as microphones. So instead of emitting sound waves, they react to these and make them available for recording.

Would this reverse function in theory also be possible for at least certain TV or computer screens (or any screen at all)? And couldn't cameras, at least in theory, also project video images? Some explanation would be welcome, in whatever detail.

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Originally posted by Wesley J:
Wow - thank you! Interesting. And food for thought.

Still, in theory, the lens mechanism in a camera appears to me as somewhat related to lenses used for projecting light (as in a data projector). I imagine they're not too different, though perhaps not easily reversible, like you're saying?

Thanks!

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