When did I move to Seattle ?


I have been watching the TV crime series “The Killing” and I think that it has been raining or just plain damp in every episode. Since it is predominantly damp here and has been for the last few days I was beginning to think I had been transported………to Seattle.

Mind you, they must have very soft rain. In some of the shots, typically Richmond’s campaign office, the rain is streaming down the glass ceiling and windows.

When that amount of rain falls on my conservatory I can’t hear myself think.

How I Stay Healthy


squirrel looking for food

I’ve found the simplest way to stay healthy is to keep breathing. I tried stopping once. Not a pleasant experience.

Two other great tips for keeping healthy are to eat plenty of food and wash it down with lots of liquids. preferably of the alcoholic variety.

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Lessons Learned Early


Never give a rifle to your sister. This is a significant and painfull lesson that I learnt.

Pop! (73/365)

Admittedly the rifle was one of those spring loaded cork guns. Right about now you may be asking yourselves how does a cork gun impart a painful lesson ? Well the story goes like this. Me and my friends were playing cowboys and indians in the garden of our house in Lewes. My sister had convinced us boys that she should play too. So big brother does the right thing and lets her have the rifle. I'm creeping around the corner of the canyon (brick wall) when I am confronted with one of them pesky injuns (sister) holding a stolen winchester (cork gun) rifle. Thats it, I'm a gonner. All Big Chief Sitting Bull has to do is pull the trigger. Thats when my sister hit me with the rifle. Right, slap bang on my forehead. Lesson learnt. I have never, ever, given her a rifle since that time. So far, after 40 plus years, my skull is intact.

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If I Could Have Dinner Anywhere…


enseigne du restaurant “Chez Clément”

Oh Wow. There have been so many good restaurants in so many cities. If I had to choose then I think the venue would have to be Chez Clement on the Avenue des Champs-Élysées. I would be dining with my wife and we would have a table in the main window area.. The time would be about now so that it would be a nice warm spring evening and the table would be open to the street with the Arc de Triomphe a short way off. A beautifully illuminated backdrop for a spot of people watching. The food would be irrelevent. We have eaten here with friends and last year we took my granddaughter to Paris and of course made a certain that we ate here again. They served her a fabulous chicken dish, presented in a very ornately arranged crepe. The food is always very good here. I would recommend a visit if you are ever in Paris….. http://www.chezclement.com/

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Would I Rather Be a Great Singer or Dancer?


In the early pearly morning…

Of the two I would prefer to be a great singer. To be able to emotionally move other folks just by singing has to be one of the greatest gifts one can receive. And no instruments required, other than the human voice. I know dancers can show emotion in their movement but I have yet to see a dancer that actually moved me to tears. On the other hand, I have become watery eyed on many occasions when listening to a really great song. Sometimes it will be the words that move me. Sometimes, it is the manner of the singing, which is why music and song transcend national/language boundaries.

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What I Can't Leave Home Without


The front door key. Because without it I can't get back in. More to the point neither can my wife. Typically I drive her to work so if I forget the front door key we are both locked out as her key is on the ring attached to her car keys. Sorry, is that too obvious.

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Will I Ever Go Back to School?


I actually enjoyed my latter years in school but to answer the question…… NO

No I won't be going back to school. I don't think I have the stamina. Just trying to keep my grandchildren in school is proving to be a momentous task. The schools in this area leave a lot to be desired and as a nation I believe we have lost focus, educationaly.

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Who exactly is the “wee man” Fergie ?


The “wee man” is the hero of thousands of youngsters ….. ROONEY

The “wee man” is the one who is setting such a poor example to the youth of this country ….. ROONEY

The “wee man” is the one who cannot control himself in a public place ….. ROONEY

Oh, and the “wee man” is the big boss man who hits out at someone who speaks out and says what many of us are thinking ….. Alex Feruson

Alex Ferguson defends Wayne Rooney by hitting out at ‘wee’ police chief | Mail Online.

Philips Streamium – MC-i250 Help Please


I have  a Philips Streamium MC-i250 . It is a bit of an ugly duckling by modern-day standards and the functions are a bit clunky having been around since 2003.  It has, for the most part, been trouble-free but now has a significant problem that I would like to resolve.

Basically,  it won’t retain its WiFi settings.

I have effectively carried out a Factory Reset so that I have had to carry out the initial set up and provide all the WiFi parameters. It quite happily accepts everything that I provide. Then promptly forgets it all.

Consequently I cannot connect wirelessly and I am stubbornly refusing to run an ethernet cable to the unit.

Currently I am using a Pinnacle Soundbridge unit plugged into the Aux port of the MC-i250 to give me my WiFi connectability. But I had to steal that from my hi-fi in the lounge. So not ideal.

So is there anyone out there that has encountered this problem on this unit ?

Any polite suggestions gratefully accepted.