WHAT ATTRACTED YOUR ATTENTION TODAY?

[Wendyf]

Make sure you pack the first aid kit Maz!

[Moh]

I do the packing Maz - the only time I left part of it to hubby he forgot his insulin, - fortunately there was a good farmacia nearby which got him some.

[Marilyn]

Aye...done.
That comes under the general heading of things to pack, Wendy.
In other words, I pack all food, drink, cooking stuffs, fridge contents, first aid kit ( well supplied with sticking plasters and antiseptic cream), bedding, towels, etc.
What I don't do is personal items.
He is an adult, and should know what he needs. ( I don't share my toothbrush with anyone)

I notice the fishing gear has been packed. How can any reasonable person feel sorry for a man who forgets to pack his underwear when you have to sleep with his fishing rod stuck up your nose in the confines of a caravan?

[Tizer]

Last year I forgot my reading glasses on holiday and paid for my mistake with sore eyes and lots of frustration. I tried buying a pair from a chemist's shop but none were any use to me. Now I have a spare pair kept in the suitcase. I always have a spare pair of my main varifocal glasses in the car glove box but I hadn't thought about what a hassle it is to have no reading glasses.

[PanBiker]

I got my last readers from Specsavers on a two for one deal so I got my second pair as sunglasses. I cant do my crosswords or puzzles when I'm on the beach otherwise. I can't lay for long, I would rather be doing something, so its puzzles or poking about in the rocks or surf, latter to keep cool if on a hot beach in foreign parts.

[Tizer]

My days on holiday are all spent `exploring', so no reading during the day except for maps and museum text boards which I can manage with the standard varifocals. I don't like reading with varifocals, it doesn't seem to suit my eyes. My reading on holiday is in the evening, books about the local area and novels for relaxing.

[Stanley]

That doing five hours in the shed welding was not the most sensible thing. Everything has slipped back a notch! I am going to have an easier day today.....
(Mind you, considering my limitations I like what I have done.....)



A quick check says they are square. More searching investigation/adjustments come next......

[Marilyn]

Making yourself a pair of ski boots?

[Cathy]

Ski boots? No no they are definitely Flippers!
(Maybe Stanley is secretly planning to join you and Mr Feb for the weekend)

[Stanley]

Engine beds dears! You'd soon get fed up of having your feet shod with these!
It dawned on me this morning that I haven't heard a single April Fool joke this morning. The BBC had an honourable tradition of April Fool stories but today's climate of fear and suspicion might be damaging the tradition.

[Wendyf]

Leicester Blue cheese flavour crisps? Just heard that story on radio 4.

[Tizer]

I'd forgotten it was April 1st and didn't bat an eyelid at the blue Leicester cheese story on the radio. Nothing surprises me these days. There was an architect talking about the `Pringle curve' being the biggest advance in modern architecture - was that another bit of foolery or a genuine piece. I'd believe either, we've already got shards and pumpkins etc! And the government seems to attempt April Fool jokes most days.

[Stanley]

Javid spouting platitudes for the workers at Port Talbot?

[Stanley]

Watched F1 quali yesterday. They've changed the rules and I suspect they will soon be changing them again....
Tried unsuccessfully to buy white embrocation at chemists in the town yesterday. Nobody had any and evidently it's a prescription item now..... I found horse liniment on the web......
Heavy filing woke my right shoulder up. I begin to suspect I am getting old......

[Tizer]

".. I found horse liniment on the web...."
I've just looked at the liniments Amazon page that you linked elsewhere on OG. Never mind horse liniment, they've got `Tiger Balm' for sale - if it's for tigers it should be stronger than horse liniment - just what you need!

[Cathy]

What about Goanna Oil? Hehe

[Tizer]

You've forced me to look that up on Wikipedia, Cathy!
"Because the goanna regularly eats snakes (often involving a fierce struggle between the two), they are often said to be immune to snake venom. The goanna does eat venomous snakes, but no evidence found suggests an actual poison immunity. Other stories say that the lizard eats a legendary plant, or drinks from a healing spring which neutralises the poison. This is immortalised in Banjo Paterson's humorous poem "Johnson's Antidote". Possibly related to the above poison immunity, goanna fat or oil has been anecdotally imbued with mystical healing properties. Aborigines traditionally used goanna oil as an important bush medicine, and it also became a common medicine among Caucasians in Australia's early days. Said to be a cure-all, and possessing amazing powers of penetration (passing through metal as if it were not there), it was sold among early settlers like snake oil in the Old West of North America."

[Cathy]

Good on 'ya Tise. Yes it's definitely supposed to be 'a cure all'.
I can just see the old wild west caravan with the supposed doctor selling his cures. Roll up, roll up.

We have Emu Oil as well, for aches and pains.
Never tried either of them myself you understand.

[Stanley]

Nearly bought some Dog Oil at Shambles, very popular rub. In the end I got some Arnica oil and mixed my own rub, the last of the White embrocation, Arnica oil, Comfrey oil, Po Sum On, Olbas and topped up with oil of Terebinth. Smells lovely....
See THIS for a report from the Guardian of the leak of the 'Panama Papers. Leaked from a law firm heavily involved in tax avoidance mechanisms, some legal some suspected to be otherwise. Said to be bigger than Wikileaks. I suspect we shall hear more of this......

[Stanley]

See THIS for the latest assessment of the Panamanian leak. As I forecast it is a massive exposure of the way the wealthy can pay for secrecy in their financial affairs, some perfectly legal but others definitely criminal. David Cameron is said to be 'tight lipped' after revelations that his father used offshore funds to avoid tax for thirty years. It turns out that the leak surfaced a year ago and has been kept secret while journalists all over the world helped to analyse them. One such was Richard Brooks who is a former tax inspector and works on tax affairs for Private Eye. It;s significant that he was a prominent witness on BBC Panorama's programme last night. It's also significant that before the leak was made public, in the latest PE, there is another article on the impending sale of the Land Registry and the poor quality of the results they are issuing in searches. There is also the small matter that the information will no longer be free to the public. Go to the Private Eye site to see their latest results of the search for land holdings in the UK financed by anonymous off-shore money. This is directly related to the leak.
The question is, how much movement will we see in efforts to plug these loopholes in tax law. On previous evidence a cynic would predict that the US will take action and the UK will issue lots of aspirations but no actual move towards improving the situation. Remember that one of the major tax havens is the British Virgin Islands.... The clue is in the name and the governing of the jurisdiction!
We have known for a long time that this was going on. Now we have hard evidence. Will anything significant result from the leaks. My opinion is don't hold your breath, this would be an attack on the most powerful in society. They are the ultimate rulers of our democracy......

[PanBiker]

The Jackdaw pair on Ash Grove have settled on the middle terracotta pot for their nest, after inspecting for about a week they are now fetching sticks every few minutes.

[Tripps]

Re - the Panama Papers. Interesting to note that this company Mossack Fonseca, which represents over two thousand companies. is only the fourth largest in the field.

[Stanley]

You've been digging David.... good man. It doesn't surprise me because in these matters, like so many other fields, we are only allowed to see the tip of the iceberg. I am quite sure that we are only getting to know a fraction of the shenanigans....
How my back is improving after doing nothing but watch paint dry. I shall be having another easy day today. Keeping up with the Aspirin and super-rub! Such a relief to have only minimal pain now, I am less miserable!

[Stanley]

The continuing improvement in my back. I know I have been whingeing a lot of late but believe me, if your back isn't right it dominates your life. It's getting better slowly, due no doubt to my seeing the light and giving it a chance by resting and keeping warm.
Thomas Piketty's latest interview on migration and the economy of Europe. The man is worth taking notice of. See Politics Corner.
The nasty cold showers we got yesterday. We were very close to snow! Sleety horrible stuff...... I saw a lad repairing a sign on a shop and commiserated with him, not the best day to be up a ladder doing work like that. I've been in that position myself and never forget those who have to work on regardless of the weather.

[Marilyn]

Out in the "boondocks" camping and had to smile when told at the little country store that "today's newspaper doesn't arrive until after 1pm, love"....followed by..."but come back before 1.30pm, love, or they will all be gone".