View From The Conservatory


I haven’t done one of these for a while. Mainly because I’ve been tied down with work when I have been sitting here. So here I am with a little break.

Whats happening in the garden ?

Well right now we are inundated with tits and pigeons. With temperatures only just rising to zero at noon the poor little birds are busy raiding the feeders. It’s nice to watch them flitting from bush to feeder to tree and back again.

Mind you the pigeons are just like vacuum cleaners. Once they get on the bird table they just fill up on seed and don’t let anything else get a look in. So every once in a while I just stand up. The pigeons are so twitchy, that is all it takes to cause them to fly off and give the rest of the bird kingdom a chance.

Have you noticed how much static you can build up during these crisp, dry, cold spells ?

Got myself one hell of a belt from my laptop this morning. Or maybe I gave it one. Even so the crack that sounded was impressive.

What am I listening to at the moment ?

Well I finally got my Streamium talking to the internet again. Had to plumb it in using an ethernet cable. Not ideal but at least my Soundbridge is back in the lounge attached to the HiFi. The Streamium is still not talking to my PC, YET !!! So I can only listen to my CD/MP3 collection when I am sat close to the PC but I will prevail.

So right now I am listening to Radio Lewes Why ? Well mainly because it appeared on the Streamium as “popular” but also because I used to live in Lewes and felt some distant allegiance. Distant because I was only seven when I moved away.

What do I think of the station ? Well it was worth a listen. No annoying DJ chatter. They play an eclectic mix of musical styles including Penguin Cafe Orchestra, Elvis Costello, Amy Winehouse, Little Boots and…. well you see what I mean.

It’s great music to have playing while I am transferring all my files to my new works laptop. In their inimitable way they, work, have given me a great piece of kit with all the basic apps that everyone needs. However, in my role there are a number of specialised apps that are unique and so I have to install them myself. And there are the innumerable files that I have created over the last two or three years. That in itself is a voyage of discovery. There is an app supplied that does the transfer. I ran that last night, took around two hours. Trouble is it hid the files on the new machine because Microsoft has changed the file/folder names between Windows XP and Windows 7.

Kate Rusby on Radio Lewes, what a fabulous voice she has. Really tears at the heart strings.

Time to go and get something to eat. I hear eggy butties calling.

 


I make no apology for re-blogging this. I know these are US posters but the sentiment of them and this blog applies to just about any country. Certainly the patriotism that is missing in America is also missing from the UK.

Also I just plain like the posters.

n7qvc's avatarN7QVC's Christian Blog

WW II Posters Found"

I know some of you are too young to recall these posters and WWII, but they were a part of some of our lives and others who are now "older than dirt". These are great.

Pass them along, especially to your older e-mail friends.

I wonder whatever happened to this kind of thinking.

I got a lump in my throat when I read this. I "grew up" thinking: patriotism, it is the AMERICAN way! I am glad to see that somebody saved them. The statement at the end says it all!

~These were our parents ~

What in God’s name have we let happen?
I guess we are the last generation to see, or even remember anything like these!

Whatever happened?

It’s called…………………………
Political correctness (or "re-education") happened,
Lack of God’s name happened,
Lack of personal responsibility happened,
Lack of personal integrity and honesty happened,
Lack…

View original post 90 more words

Zombies take over Portsmouth’s streets


This is not new news. You only have to go in to the city anytime Pompey are playing at home. You see hoards of them marching towards Fratton Park.

Zombies take over Portsmouth’s streets in chilling film series – East Hampshire – The News.

Dentists


Dentists are not my favourite people.  I guess they probably aren’t at the top of anybodies list. Goes with the territory.

Today they dropped to an all time low in my estimation.

I was due to have a wisdom tooth extracted this morning. Having made the , long overdue, appointment. After much nagging from Gerry.  I had prepared myself for the potential pain to come.

On arrival at the surgery I was informed that the dentist was on her way. They didn’t know where she was, but she was coming. So I sat in the waiting room.

Tick tock….Tick tock….. time passing slowly, not even the TV on to provide a distraction.

Then I am informed that the missing dentist has sent a text to the practice manager.

She’s in bloody Roumania. Nobody knew she was going. The surgery has a whole week of appointments, including mine, but no bloody dentist to service them.

So morning wasted.

The Compulsory Drugs Test


I received this by e-mail from a friend. It was, apparently, written by a British Soldier- What he says makes a lot of sense!

I work, they pay me. I pay my taxes and the government distributes my taxes as it sees fit. In order to earn that pay , I train for war and eventually deploy. I am required to pass a random urine test… for drugs, with which I have no problem. … What I do have a problem with is the distribution of my taxes to people who don’t have to pass a urine test. Shouldn’t one have to pass a urine test to get a benefits cheque because I have to pass one to EARN IT for them? Please understand that I have no problem with helping people get back on their feet. I do on the other hand have a problem with helping someone sit on their arse drinking beer and smoking dope. Could you imagine how much money the government would save if people had to pass a urine test to get a benefit cheque? Please pass this along if you agree or simply delete it if you don’t. Hope you will pass it along though, because something has to change in the UK !!!

Mum’s anger after Hampshire police order her car be towed away in insurance row – A Cautionary Tale


I for one am pleased that the police in this country have access to Car Tax, MOT and Car Insurance Details and that this access is helping them to get dangerous and illegal cars off the roads.

However the experience of Lee-Ann Taylor has exposed a flaw in the system. A flaw that has left her £150 out of pocket.

The computer systems indicated that she was not insured even though she had taken out insurance the day before being stopped by the police. As they were not able to confirm her cover and she was not able to show documentary evidence her car was impounded. Hence the £150 fee to recover her car.

Now she is left with the police spokesperson suggesting that she see redress from her insurance company whilst the insurer is suggesting she chase up the police for a refund.

All because the computer systems are not real-time i.e. her insurance details went live 6 hours after she was stopped. Not entirely satisfactory.

Although you are warned not to keep your documents in your car ‘It would seem sensible to keep insurance documents or at least your reference number with you when driving.’

Mum’s anger after Hampshire police order her car be towed away in insurance row – Law and Order – The News.

A Pair Of Little Cuties


Question: What is absolutely certain to put a smile of your face ?

Answer: Spending time with your Grand Children and Great Grand Children

Brooke

On Wednesday evening Claire (granddaughter) and Brooke (great-granddaughter) came visiting, stayed for dinner, and left us plum worn out. Brooke is a proper little dynamo.

She has more energy than the Duracell Bunny and likes to use your’s truly as a cushioned climbing frame or, on occasion, as a trampoline.  Brooke is teething so tends to dribble a bit. At least that was the only reason for my shirt and trousers getting wet. This time.

On Sunday we met up with Keeley (granddaughter), Chris (grandson-in-law) and Summer (great-granddaughter). Summer is another little bundle of energy but being older she is a little more selective about how she expends it. Summer also has a secret smile.

Summer

The sort of smile that says “I know you are watching me and I have you right where I want you”

Young Summer decided that you don’t just eat an Eton Mess with a spoon. Oh No. What you do is pick out the meringue with your fingers. Then what you do is dunk it in Grandads custard. Methinks there is a dish missing from the kids menu.

Later on you would not believe how much fun can be had with a handkerchief playing ‘hide ‘n’ snatch’  and then having a ‘tug ‘o’ war’.

It only took us 30 mins to get home but apparently Summer was fast asleep before we got there.

After we settled down with a cup of tea we were ready to join her in the land of nod.

Up to 340 homes could be built on Waterlooville farmland –


Whoops there goes another green field site in the Waterlooville area.

And once again the planners are letting the developer get away with squeezing houses into a greenfield site without worrying about what it will be like for both the new and the existing residents in the area.

This proposal is truly crazy. 340 Homes with only a single road access. A road that will link to what is already a very busy road. I can see that the new junction will be a place to avoid at peak times.

340 homes will mean at least 700 cars and where are the jobs to support the folks that will move in ?

Up to 340 homes could be built on Waterlooville farmland – Politics – The News.

And another article can be viewed HERE

Five men to stand trial over attack on Waterlooville police officer – Throw The Book At Them


Five men attack a policemen going about his business investigating criminal damage that they had perpetrated.

I hope the judge makes an example of them and gives them all custodial sentences.

Five men to stand trial over attack on Waterlooville police officer – East Hampshire – The News.