Nothing In Particular

[shane]

They choose BT because they are the biggest UK ISP, and will give them the biggest number of hits. Some of them also say they’re from different ISPs, so be wary.

The flip side of this is that when I have to make outbound calls to customers about their broadband, a lot of them refuse to take the call. We always advise them just to call back on the normal number.

It breaks my heart the number of calls I receive from customers who have fallen for these bastards. I had a lady in her seventies querying a call she had just received telling her that we would cut her off if she didn’t allow them access to her computer. Afterwards she became suspicious and called me to check if we’d called her. While she was talking to me they emptied her bank account.

For every thousand calls they make, they only need one or two to fall for it to make it worthwhile.

BT ran a survey last week which showed that 38% of the population had received one of these calls in the last month. That’s a lot of people....

[pre65]

Late Saturday night my uncle finally passed away, he had pancreatic cancer,

Sorry to hear your bad news Mike.

My condolences.

[Mike H]

Thanks, chaps, funeral on the 16th. Been making plans to stop over (it's Crawley so 6 hr drive from here).

Re scam calls - lately it seems I've been getting a load from "Energy Green Deal", Googled it, "who called me" etc. sites have it logged as scam or nuisance call, or "silent" (no one there). I only know cos my call blocking phone logs the calls and if I look at the list from time to time. Is on the permanent block list now.

[Ray P]

Just across the water from Shane territory today! After this morning's bike ride, as it was still early (the benefit of a 7am start) and the sun was shining we jumped on the train, headed down to Plymouth and walked some of the Cornish coast path to Cawsand and a little of the Rame peninsula. A splendid day out and I think I'll sleep well tonight.

[jack]

Cawsand/Kingsand are excellent. I used to race Hobie cats in Cawsand bay as a teen/into 20s- used to have a flat in Fort Picklecomb...

My sister and brother-in-law had a cottage in Cawsand - he was captain of HMS Sovereign, a nuclear fleet submarine and was based in Plymouth for a while, before moving to Faslane...

Wonderful area - Mt Edgcumbe, rame head and all that coast is lovely.,...

[shane]

Just across the water from Shane territory today! After this morning's bike ride, as it was still early (the benefit of a 7am start) and the sun was shining we jumped on the train, headed down to Plymouth and walked some of the Cornish coast path to Cawsand and a little of the Rame peninsula. A splendid day out and I think I'll sleep well tonight.

With a suitable pair of binoculars you’d have seen my daughter walking the dog around the cliffs above Gara Point.

Glorious down here the last few days.

Strangely, I’ve never explored the other side of Plymouth Sound. One of those things we keep meaning to do but somehow never get round to.

Cawsand/Kingsand are excellent. I used to race Hobie cats in Cawsand bay as a teen/into 20s- used to have a flat in Fort Picklecomb...

My sister and brother-in-law had a cottage in Cawsand - he was captain of HMS Sovereign, a nuclear fleet submarine and was based in Plymouth for a while, before moving to Faslane...

Wonderful area - Mt Edgcumbe, rame head and all that coast is lovely.,...

Did you ever do the passage race from Plymouth to the Yealm, Nick? A friend and I used to sail a Hornet which was reasonably quick in its day, but as we rounded the Mewstone we’d meet the cats on their way back home! Don’t remember any Hobies, so I guess they weren’t around yet. Mostly Tornados, Unicorns and a couple of C-class IIRC.

[Ray P]

Strangely, I’ve never explored the other side of Plymouth Sound. One of those things we keep meaning to do but somehow never get round to.

Do it Shane, even if only the once. Catch either the Cremyl or Cawsand ferry and just walk from where you disembark.

Mt Edgcumbe is great once you get beyond the Plymouth riff-raff - they don't stray too far from the pub at Cremyll or their bonfires (aka barbecues) at Barn Pool. Personally, if there's time, and it's running, I prefer the Cawsand ferry as it gives you more options.

[Ant]

Been puzzled for the the last couple of days as to where my bass has gone. And why the image was skewed to the right.
After I jazzed up the speakers with their nice new outfits there was something not right.

Turns out, that in the left hand speaker, the piece of damping material (alright, abit of carpet) that was on the back wall of the cabs behind the driver had fallen off and was laid across the back of the driver. And the wool fill in the base had shifted in both of them while I was manhandling the cabs into position. It was all at one side. That'd do it.
It did all sorts of odd things, and put a hole in the response, and unbalanced things completely.

Nigel came all the way from Wales to see us today, he must have wondered what on earth the sound coming out of the rig was supposed to be......

Note to self: fix things in place properly.....

[Dave the bass]

........... (the benefit of a 7am start)...............

Morphine explain why thats a bad thing quite well...

[Ray P]

Morphine explain why thats a bad thing quite well...

I can see why they're called morphine, I'd be asleep early every night....

[ed]

Morphine...always awesome....much missed hereabouts...

[Dave the bass]

I can see why they're called morphine, I'd be asleep early every night....

Ooooof!

Morphine were Awethumne, our-Ed is right.

[jack]

You know when stuff just seems to conspire against you?

SWMBO is not well, I'm struggling to get fit again and I seemed to have some time to get to the workshop and maybe, just maybe, make something...

So I go into the workshop for the first time in maybe 2 1/2 years, sit down and notice something odd...

The floor is a bit... bouncy...

Now, I may be lardy, but not to excess, so I go into the cellar and have a look at the joists...

NOT PRETTY. If you are of a faint disposition, look away...

Each of the 15 joists has woodworm and wet rot and is giving way. You can pull chunks out of them with just your fingers - a penknife slips in up to the hilt with no problem... It's like they were made of balsa..

So, instead of actually doing something that's fun and might enable me to "show & tell" at Owston, the next week is going to be spent grovelling in a damp cellar replacing joists...

Gave me an excuse to buy some Acrows though... I've always wanted Acrows... (they arrive tomorrow.. )

[chris661]

The floor is a bit... bouncy...

Now, I may be lardy, but not to excess, so I go into the cellar and have a look at the joists..

Better to find out now, though. Good catch!

Chris

[jack]

Ta. So I'm a bit unsure of how to proceed...

I'll stick in the Acrows with a huge 6"x6" beam I have lying around in order to keep everything in place for the moment.

The joists are 2"X5"x310cm so those will be replaced with pressure treated timber.

However, the floor above is completely covered with carpet and about a tonne of tools and stuff. Access to the top of the floorboards is tricky.

I can cut through each end of each joist, then knock them out with a club hammer. That will leave the floorboard's nails sticking out which I can then cut off... The new joist then slots in...

However, the floor will then no longer be attached to the new joists...

I could pocket screw from the underside, but that risks the end of the screws poking out of the carpet... plus, there would be a couple of 100 to do... I have a small jig for that, but might be overkill...

Decisions, decisions...