WHAT ATTRACTED YOUR ATTENTION TODAY?

[Tripps]

I don't often do conscious irony - too subtle for me.

Tripps, don't forget trans!

That was meant to be implied in the "maybe there will be a follow up" phrase.
Too subtle perhaps.

Remember the Nescafe Gold ads which developed a life of their own.

My attention has been attracted to many aspects of modern British life lately. None of them affect me directly here in 'Midsomer Mel' but making me think a lot. I may come back with some thoughts.

[Tizer]

We look forward to hearing them!

[Stanley]

Indeed, and I suspect David's views will coincide with ours Peter. Are we getting old and predictable?
What got me yesterday and today is how our weather can change. It's warmer outside this morning than it was inside the workshop the day before yesterday when we had the wind and frost. Outside temperature has risen 20C almost.

[Big Kev]

Can I borrow a 96 and 15/16 spanner?

20210217_105257.jpg

[Stanley]

Can't imagine what you'd need nuts and bolts that size for! The biggest nut I have seen was about that size, possibly bigger and was for holding a ship's propeller on its shaft.

[Tizer]

Perhaps the size was due to a reverse of the type of error I've just written about on the Jokes thread here: LINK

This is good to watch - I hope we see more examples dealt with in the same way!
`Trump casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey, demolished' LINK

See this OG page for a link to NASA's countdown on the landing of Perseverance rover on Mars: Perseverance

[PanBiker]

Perseverance has now landed on Mars and is transmitting it's first images from the engineering cameras. Flawless landing sequence, fantastic to watch it live.

[Whyperion]

Can I borrow a 96 and 15/16 spanner?
20210217_105257.jpg

Generally used in bridges. more secure than rivets I understand

[Whyperion]

Never heard of Primp !

Anyway

I'm fascinated by the current major Tesco TV and Radio advert. I've studied it with care, but can find no 'woke' element to it at all. That's very unusual these days, and quite disturbing.

There are no BAME characters at all. They are pushing big 30 day aged sirloin steaks5:

I wonder if that is related to a lack of restaurant trade and build up of cattle in the farm trade.

[Stanley]

I've looked at THIS BBC report. What a wonderful achievement. I'm so glad it worked. Now for the moment the little green men turn up and offer to clean its windcreen.

[Tizer]

There are great graphics in that report, especially the one that shows how `rover's onboard computers successfully diverted the landing to the smoothest ground (blue) and avoided more hazardous ground (red)'. The later diagram showing the possible former lake and its shorelines is interesting too because, as they mention, that's where rare stromatolites are formed in lakes and seashores on Earth, some of the earliest life forms after bacteria.
--------------------------------------------------------------

I got the link to this coffee web site from an NZ friend... Coffee Has normal coffee lost its kick? Are you finding it hard to focus? We were, so we formulated this powerful new coffee beverage to help you get more out of your day. Containing scientifically researched nootropics and superfoods, this coffee will help with: jitter-less energy, mental clarity, laser-like focus, reducing cognitive fatigue...etc.

I'd never heard the word `nootropics' before! See this Wikipedia page: Nootropics Nootropics (noh-ə-TROP-iks) (colloquial: smart drugs and cognitive enhancers) are drugs, supplements, and other substances that are claimed to improve cognitive function, particularly executive functions, memory, creativity, or motivation, in healthy individuals.[1] While many substances are purported to improve cognition, research is at a preliminary stage as of 2021, and the effects of the majority of these agents are not fully determined.

[Stanley]

I see that '"scientifically researched nootropics (Coined in 1972 by Dr. Corneliu E. Giurgea, derived from the Ancient Greek words νόος (nóos, “mind”) and τροπέω (tropéō, “to turn”)) and superfoods" will transform my day. Why do I automatically sheer away as my crap detector whines at the back of my head?

[Tizer]

I suppose the people selling nootropics are the equivalent of serpentes oleum sellers?

[plaques]

These snake oil people are everywhere, the problem is trying to unravel where the real benefit starts and stops. Vitamin C is one that keeps popping up in medical reviews, anything from general well-being, curing colds to mega doses stopping sepsis. With Covid it appears to be vitamin D. I'll stick with the vaccination.

[Stanley]

Swigging Cod Liver Oil every morning can't be doing any harm.....

[Big Kev]

Granddaughter clock chiming 4 minutes early. Strange behaviour, it's keeping good time but the chimes are early...

[plaques]

Granddaughter clock chiming 4 minutes early. Strange behaviour, it's keeping good time but the chimes are early...

Mine were 10 minutes out but fortunately the fingers weren't keyed to a position (a squared finger drive or similar) so I waited until it chimed the hour and then moved the fingers to suit. But there again for 4 minutes are you bothered.

[Big Kev]

Nah! I can live with 4 minutes. It's nearly 100 years old so there's going to be a bit of wear...

It's a square drive, with no adjustment.

[Tizer]

In one of Terry Pratchett's novels he describes Old Tom, the large bell in the clock tower of Unseen University. It's clapper fell out long ago but it sends out sonorous silences regularly on the hour.

[Stanley]

My Vienna Regulator keeps good time Kev and its chimes used to be fine but now it chimes 12 on every hour. I never hear it, I am used to it. It just means that it needs winding more often but that's OK as I wind it every evening anyway.

[Tizer]

This reminds me of the time we viewed a bungalow with a very large two-door double garage. When the agent took us from the house through a joining passage and into the garage it appeared to be one enormous room and no sign of garage doors. On the inside all four walls were covered in plasterboard and there were floor-standing kitchen-type cupboards around three sides. The agent said it had be turned into a games room. The house was owned by a policeman and it left me wondering if it was really used for `special' secret police use!
`Cannabis found by off-duty Essex police officer during house viewing' LINK

[Stanley]

"When trying to sell your house and your estate agent is bringing an off-duty police officer for a viewing, it's probably best you remove your cannabis,"
Never a truer word Peter.
Boeing getting into trouble because of engine failures on its 777 aircraft. Japan have banned it from their air space. Funnily enough Boeing have agreed with Japan's demands, Pratt and Whitney are getting the flak as it is their 4000 engine that is failing. (LINK)

[plaques]

Far too early to lay any blame but the initial assessment looks a bit fishy.

The FAA is meeting representatives from the engine firm and Boeing.

The initial finding of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is that most of the damage occurred in the right engine, where two fan blades were fractured and other blades also impacted. The main body of the aeroplane suffered only minor damage.

The fan blades hadn't broken but still looked intact. So who else has hollow fan blades?? Rolls Royce. When caught with your hand in someones pocket Shout Thief.

[PanBiker]

Happy Birthday Kev.

[Wendyf]

Happy Birthday Big Kev.