Very lucky free-faller & Ok ok that's enough rain!

Here's a story from the BBC about one very lucky free-faller

Exit-ing the aircraft (not the one in the pic) he is knocked unconscious by a collision with another parachutist.  The situation was spotted by a couple of his colleagues and one deploys his chute for him - - - a must watch video is in the article!




Another pretty cool video is the arrival at a scrap yard in Turkey of an old UK ferry The Pride Of Calais

The obvious idea is to get it as much "on land" as possible for the dismantling.
Neat bit of steering between 2 other ships which look to be holding it upright as it stops.  There's an amusing sideshow of a bloke with a camera who is in the shot for a short while!



This story covers what could have been a deadly encounter if any people were around at the time.

 A number of huge! rocks detached themselves from a rock face in Tramin Northern Italy and rolled down a slope before coming to rest.
One ploughed through a building while another stops just before it.  The blogger writing the story notes that where one rock stops in the vineyard there's another even larger rock from an earlier event
Once again another cool "aerial" video

Most people in the UK have had enough of our winter weather which this year has been decidedly wet!

Countless often distressing tales of flooded homes and businesses and a number of deaths have been invading our news media since the weather "turned nasty" just before the Christmas break

The Sun Newspaper though is leaning to a more spiritual resolution in its appeal to St Medard to stop the bad weather!
Its interesting to note that the Saint can also be invoked to end "tooth ache!"  Maybe our "pain" has some way to go before we see the green shoots of spring!  Having said that though the daffodil bulbs are appearing in the garden and the snowdrops look all ready to flower - - - hang in there!

One thing will never change though! and the express promises us another miracle cure for some ill or other.  This time they are trumpeting that a "cure" for Diabetes sufferers is "Within Reach" - - -
Nice to see Nigella smiling out form the front page again though!








Closer to home
I was working through the last of my set of shift patterns the other day and noticed that 2 of my website pics had stopped updating during the night.  The 2 black squares on the site with time stamps around 0250 kind of gave it away that something was amiss.
I texted Sally to ask her to reboot the PC but she reported that the "Netbook had lights but a black screen!"
Sure enough when I returned home the little machine was dead, well and truly.  No sign of a the hard drive making any attempt to surge into life when the "On" button was pressed.
I had bought the machine some years ago on a trip to Hong Kong it only cost me $700 HK about £70 but it has never crashed or given problems before

The Chinese symbols on the keys have always amused me!  Anyway, here's hoping its only the hard drive, I have bought a replacement on E bay and have a bit of software I'm hoping I can load! - - -

In the meantime I am using a really old desktop to keep the birdfeeder webcam and weather cam shots going.  I have always used the free version of Webcam XP5

but it is too CPU intensive for the old machine and makes it run at 100% for most of the time.  (great bit of kit though!)








 I played around yesterday with another freebie called Yawcam (Yet Another Webcam)

Such a simple interface and although the resolution is not quite as clear as XP5 I'm going to stick with this one.  CPU use is around 25% of the other model.  - - -

Enjoy the day

Follow this link to see  our weather website

Or this one just to see  the streaming birdfeeder cam

Olympic threat -world cup protest & Doubt is cast on my mystery customer blunder!

As the winter Olympic start date approaches the possibility of a terrorist attack  looms large!

A security operation is well in evidence as can be seen by this pic but UK officials are indicating an attack is "very likley".




The Russians are imposing a "ring of steel" around the Olympic venues using 37,000 troops to police the games.  Already pics of a suspected suicide bommber  Ruzanna Ibragimov

have been posted in hotels and the airport at Sochi although there are concerns that 3 others are at large




Things are not going well in the run up to the Football World Cup in Brazil there have been lots of world cup protests

with the word on the street "we dont need world cup" evident!






This harrowing pic of a child almost trapped in a car which has caught fire on the fringe of a demo is particularly dramatic

I guess if it gets even more out of hand the whole shooting match could be cancelled! I wonder what FIFA would do then?





The Daily Express brings things back into focus with another miracle cure this time for Arthritis Pain!


I feel sure they cracked a cure for that at least once a month last year!










Closer to home
I was approached a couple of times today at the fun factory by a manager asking if I worked on the day the mystery customer visited recently and we scored less than 100%.
The managers take on the story is that it was not me "Mike" but "Mike" the second in command of the shop!! who failed to score the maximum!
Jumping on the band wagon I have sorted out any future "confusion" by adopting "Mick" as my name on the badges we wear on our uniform !!
Its quite a nostalgic move really as I only became a Mike when I left the Army.  I had joined "The Prudential" and was told I couldn't be Mick as it would cause confusion as they "already had a Mick at the Chesterfield branch"
In doing the research for my book everyone I contact calls me Mick so I guess its hardly a backward step!

I noticed a job going in the HR Office today and wondered if I might "throw my hat in the ring" Mmmm - - -

Enjoy the day

Follow this link to see  our weather website

Or this one just to see  the streaming birdfeeder cam

Princess pushy writing a book! & Free speech not allowed at work!

I've always though Princess Michael of Kent was a bit of an oddball.  Her appearance on the front page of the Sunday Express only confirms my suspicions

Ok it could all be a misquote and taken out of context etc etc but the text from the story inside the paper makes me convinced she's lost the plot

This interview on Canadian TV sounds like a good bit of "book promotion" but i fear she might be further out in the cold than she was before back home ! - - -




A kitten video worth a watch is this one I cant get a pic from the video but the cat is one of those with the ears folded permanently back so it looks really cute!  - - -

Talking of the weather this story says its going to be more rain on the way

We really are getting such a wet winter and there's plenty of time left for it to get even wetter.  the forecast indicates its going to get colder so we might even see some snow!




I really must stop including the Bieber boy in my blog

The text of This story has a bit of a sinister edge to it.  Mention of steroids and then ignoring his management team who want him to go "Check into rehab"  Rehab at 19 years old!  this can only end in tears! - - - -







Closer to home
Yesterday was one of the big garden birdwatch days

The only trouble was the weather wasn't playing.  For the most part it was a windy rainy day and in the afternoon we had a bit of a storm and the birds just didn't visit the garden.  We though we might give it another go on Tuesday -  - weather permitting! - - -







Down at the Fun Factory (Matlock Sainsbugs) I looked at a piece of info on a notice board and it was from the "A good place to work team" ok I am far toooooo! old to believe in all the corporate bullshit but it makes the kids feel that the company cares so i guess it might have some good points.  Tucked away at the bottom of the report was a piece about "Social Media" and mention of not discussing colleagues on social media sites.
Ok I can buy that because there is a lot of bullying on "those sites" but I couldn't quite believe the next bit.  It indicated that "Disciplinary action may be taken against colleagues who discus Sainsbury's on social media sites"  It would appear then that "free speech" is "not an option" if you work for the company !  - - -

Enjoy the day

Follow this link to see  our weather website

Or this one just to see  the streaming birdfeeder cam

Oh Justin!

A petition has been launched in the US to deport Justin Bieber.  With his latest antics of driving under the influence and without a valid licence you would have thought they would have kicked him back to Canada right away!
This story  however relates he has had massive support from his "army of beliebers", here's a pic of his army camped out next to his front gate

Not much room for more "supporters!"   Should you wish to support the petition here's the The Link  !!!!!! - - - lets hope they deport him to Canada!

Great job if you can get it Royal website seeks housekeeping assistant!

An advertisement for a, well you could say a general dogsbody, but what a place to wander around doing your "duties" - - -

This story would take a bit of swallowing, Genetically modified tomatoes

Stuffed with antioxidants, that's the reason for the funny colour! The "scientists" tell us this "could" note the word "could" improve the nutritional value of everything from ketchup to pizza topping - - - - -  - - - oh yeah!?  

Ok millions of £s spent on this pretty cool building called "The Shard"

Looks great on the skyline but its apparently not a hit! its hige potential has not been realised a year on from its opening - - - - - mind you with a architect called Renzo Piano are you surprised!  - - -

Enjoy the day

Follow this link to see  our weather website

Or this one just to see  the streaming birdfeeder cam

Bieber driving under the influence! & I mess up with the mystery customer

The Canadian bad boy Justin Bieber is in trouble again

Driving under the influenceDrunk in charge of a vehicle! strange though he was in a rented yellow Lamborghini? You would have thought he had enough opf his own to go "drag racing" on the street.
He apperently admitted to drinking and smoking marijuana as well as driving with an expired licence.
This latest encounter comes after he was arrested after pelting his neighbours house with eggs!  Sounds like he needs his mum to slap his legs!

Talking to a colleague, "lets call her Debs!  at work she told me her sister came home form work to find she had had burglars.  Usual stuff taken laptop, ipad etc.  The boys in blue were really on the ball though, being able to lift the scumbags fingerprints they caught him the same day.  This story from Sky News tells us the 20 worst burglary hotspots in England.  A home insurance "expert" says just because somewhere is a burglasry hotspot doesnt mean its not a nice place to live!   - - --

Welsh storms  have revealed a stone age landscape according to this story from the BBC

This is the "after pic" from the article with the "before" one showing just a flat sandy beach.  The remains of trees 6 thousand years old were exposed when a section of the coast was "pushed back" 50 feet.
Great video - - -


This story from the Mail - I like  this one.  Andrew Woodhouse tackled 2 burglars, or should that be "bunglers"  trying to relieve him of his livelihood.  Breaking the legs and an arm of one Bungler and sitting on the other until the cops arrived, the prosecutor said he had committed "an unreasonable and unlawful assault"

The whole thing went to trial and thank goodness the jury "cleared him" in 20 minutes.  It is nice to note though that the CPS who brought the prosecution said "We respect the Jury's decision on this matter"


Bungler one with 2 broken legs and broken arm










Bungler 2 with drink and dog, he's the one on the left - - -











Closer to home
At the fun factory (Matlock Sainsbugs) yesterday I discussed with a colleague, "lets call him Glen" The less than 100% score (81.5%)of the latest mystery customer visit. It had been 2 Sundays ago and the narrative of the report indicated it could be either Glen or me!
Sure enough today I was approached by the store manager and although he said "no problem, great service" although I had been been "down scored" because I didn't ask the customer if I could show him/her to the product they asked about.

You can usually "read" if the customer is asking to be shown or will just accept directions so I had badly misread this one.
I immediately changed my opening statement after the obligatory "hello there" and now repeat the item in question and say "would you like me to take you to it or will directions be ok?"

A little later a customer asked me where the eggs were and I chanted my "lines" at him.  "Oh directions will be ok" he replied.  "Behind you" I said and went back to my task! - - - !

Enjoy the day

Follow this link to see  our weather website

Or this one just to see  the streaming birdfeeder cam

A long doggy tale & stacking the wood

Behold the canine centipede

The dogs owner was taking a panoramic pic of his garden when the dog wandered through the shot.  The result is a dog with multiple legs and curving body!





A very long article on Quartz about the Bitcoin

The leader though is my point here.  So many people seem to be relieved of their bitcoins by cyber raids on the supposedly secure "bitcoin wallets"
An investment not for the feint of heart methinks - - -

A nun in Italy  has a baby and no one appears to have asked the question "who's the father?"

The story is peppered with quotes like Nun: "I did not know I was pregnant. I only had stomach pain" Local Pastor: Don Fabrizio Borelio believes that the nun is telling the truth unaware of her pregnancy"
The only bit that appears to make any sense is a quote from a study of "virgin birth" claims:  "researchers need to take into account the possibility of fallible memory on the part of respondents"  Mmmmmm - - -

A tragic tale of a young boy going to a rave then taking ecstacy and dying later in hospital.

 This story by Sky News is repeated across the media with some reports of 3 young men arrested for selling drugs at the rave which the police shut down in the end.
The Mail  coverage of the story starts with the young mans parting comment to his mother before the rave, "I love you mum I promise I wont die" Such a strange thing to say. Another comment from a teacher describes him as "Bright articulated and talented" - - -

Closer to home
Yesterday proved a little more agreeable weatherwise with the early fog giving way to patchy cloud and some weak sunshine.
Time enough though to take stock of the remaining pile of wood which is the other half of our winter garden decking project

This pic shows the pile and the site of the second decking area.  The wood which was delivered wet through anyway has failed to dry out at all even though it was covered with plastic sheeting.

After rigging a bit of wood between the 2 old pergola posts I stacked up the wood less the fence spindles and some ordinary fence posts in an attempt to dry it out a little

After sitting in the breeze and what sunshine we did see yesterday I cloaked it "with vents either end in plastic before the foretasted rain came hammering down after dark.  It'll be another week before we attempt to assemble it and we're hoping it might dry out a little!

Enjoy the day

Follow this link to see  our weather website

Or this one just to see  the streaming birdfeeder cam

Corrie in the news again & decking project half finished

Apart from William Roache's (Ken Barlow) antics from Corrie being splashed all over the newspapers, the actual programme sparked a fierce debate with the suicide of its character Hayley in last nights episode.

I cant remember the last time I watched the programme although I have been an avid follower in the past.  Sally switched on the programme and we watched Hayley's demise, no doubt along with millions of others
The "Right to die" & "Assisted suicide" debates are already raging with the pros and cons of doing such a thing.  The house of Lords is set to have a "hearing" (?) on the issue in May. - - -

Junction 2 on the M40 Motorway, not the most likely place you would find a Wetherspoons  pub?

Here it is in all its glory.  The article trots out the results of "a survey" to prove that the idea is "at odds with public opinion".
To me the concept seems a little odd but i guess its only because its not been done before - - -



Foxes? cuddly brown thing running round an urban environment or chicken killer out herein the countryside.  Whatever you think about them here's a story about one with a satellite collar attached  recording that it walked 40 miles away from its home.

The BBC Nature article relates that "Fleet" was probably pushed off his dominant male perch in his group by one of his sons and this started his quest for another territory.
A TV programme is scheduled about tagged foxes BBC2 Tuesday 22 Jan 8pm.


Another Foxy story uncovers a picture of a suspected burglar ! The well known "springwatch" presenter has a webcam running to cover the activities of urban foxes.  The footage however caught a would be burglar skulking around, he was apparently disturbed trying to enter the house and fled .

The police are "Delighted" with the picture although I don't think the subject will agree! - - -





 There's coverage of the weather problems France are having  similar to our own recent flooding

Here's a pic of "The Grotto" at Lourdes  awash with water rather than pilgrims. This BBC story  has a video of people being rescued form local hotels in Lourdes as well as comments by locals of never seeing it like this ever before.  The shot at the end of the vid shows a river with the water speeding down it at an incredible speed. - - - global warming!

Closer to home
The sunny aspect of the previous shots from our decking project seemed a million miles away as we worked to complete the first half of the job.
Yesterday dawned very foggy and although we glimpsed the sun through the gloom, once or twice it never cleared all day and the temperature was only in single figures.
However after freezing fingers and toes we pronounced the job "Done" around 1600 and scurried inside to record the temp as 0.4c!

Here's Sally trying to warm up just before we finished.  Most of the wood was frozen having been soaking wet when it was delivered.  The spindles for the little fence bits had to be hit with a hammer to separate them!
The end result though we both agree is great and we are looking forward to lazing in the summer sun on it.
Today's job is to stack all the wood for the other half of the project so it might have a chance of drying out before we attempt to build the other decking!

Enjoy the day

Follow this link to see  our weather website

Or this one just to see  the streaming birdfeeder cam

Jamaican bobsleigh team?! & decking antics

The film "Cool Runnings" immediately springs to mind when you see or hear the phrase Jamaican Bobsleigh Team 
It would appear though that the unlikely idea of a Team from Jamaica competing in the next Winter Olympics might just be a pipe dream if the 2 man Team cannot get some much needed funding.  With only a little over 2 weeks to go before the games begin the £25k they need seems it all might just end in tears - - -

The tales of our wet winter continue to make the newspapers.  This Mail article is however accompanied by pics from photographer Matilda Temperley who lives and works in the Somerset area affected by the floods - - -

Lark or an Owl ? asks this BBC article about how you wake up in the morning or can stay up late at night
The theory is that "its in your genes", isnt everything!!!.  You can however adjust your own trait to cope with having babies who obviously have no intention of falling in with your idea of Lark or Owl! - - - lots of facts in the story - - enough to send you to sleep!

A number of the "horrors" of the First World War are debunked in this BBC story
I'm sure lots of us have seen the programmes and films of the conflict but the facts of this article indicate it "wasnt as bad as its portrayed! Not something you would like to experience yourself though! - - -

Red wine and chocolate can beat diabetes says this Sky News article, its on the front page of the Daily Express as well so it must be true! lol
Both items it appears have plenty of "flavanoids" which help in type 2 diabetes help the body to regulate sugar levels.  Once again lots of facts in the article - - - I'm all in favour of those "falvanoids" though! - - -









Closer to home
The weather was once again with us and the decking project proceeded apace!

Here Sally finishes off the securing of the deck boards

While a little later in the day as the sun prepares to dip below the valley rim I test drive a glass of red wine brimming with "flavanoids!"

Enjoy the day

Follow this link to see  our weather website

Or this one just to see  the streaming birdfeeder cam

A great shaggy dog story & That's what neighbours are for!

Alex Duval Smith writing for the BBC in Mali should get an award for writing this serious but amusing shaggy dog story  

A must read! The story recounts a travellers lost hound a series of "dodgy encounters" and a final reunion with the traveller who returns to Mali from France to pick it up.  mind you there's a great throw away line at the "tail" lol of the story!  - - - 

Here's a great "advert" for "Google moon" unwittingly (i think) covered by the Mail.  A "Mystery object" is shown to be on the moon surface or more to the point partly hidden by its location seemingly in a "hole" 

The end of the article also covers an iguana found on Mars! - - - 

"the rise and fall and rise of the mini-supermarket" details how the big boys of food retail are cashing in on their current policy of opening convenience  stores.  You might have seen them, one Tesco version in particular opened nearby Chesterfield took over a failed pub on the edge of some urban sprawl and is making a fortune. It comes as no surprise though when the projected takings in these convenience stores are projected at £46.2Bn by 2018.  Not covered by the story though, spare a thought for the "colleagues".  With a small number of staff and longer permitted opening hours I guess the possibility for staff being "asked" to cover "others absences" will be greater - - - - 

Closer to home 

The decking project looked to be a bit of a wash out yesterday so I attempted to make it less like a mud wallow by spreading a bit of black plastic sheeting around.  The weather however was reasonably kind so I stacked up all the various bits of "pergola timber" on the loosely laid decking boards before returning to the house looking for my "labourer". 

Alas Sally was elbow deep in one of her favourite pastimes, baking and a tray of biscuits was in evidence through the oven portal.  

I therefore returned to the project site and laid out all the various ancillary equipment, screws,nuts and bolts etc, to be used on a promised "brighter day" (today) on Sunday before returning to the house. 

Just after dinner last night (Saturday) a neighbour, knocked on the door with a nasty looking wound over his left eye, this "brush with the edge of a door" was not though the cause of his concern.  He had been escorted by Sally on Friday to hospital for a "treatment" and told to return there should any "problems" occur. 

On Friday around 1830 he appeared at our door asking to be taken back to hospital and I duly obliged and we sped across "the tops" over to Chesterfield Royal Hospital.  3 hours later we returned with the advice of "take paracetamol" being the solution.  The reader may detect a hint of sarcasm here! I blogged not long ago of a ridiculous day spent languishing in that hospital without any resolution to my problem so have little confidence in it, however I digress. 

Sally volunteered this time and around 2115 she disappeared into the night over to Chesterfield to a clinic that the 111 operator had directed our neighbour to.  At this facility an hour later they decided he should return to Chesterfield Royal and Sally sped across town to A & E there.  It was getting rather late and so being a Saturday the A & E department had its "usual clients" with their "boys in blue escorts" so not a place you would volunteer to spend any more time than is necessary.  

A mind numbing wait ensued and it was decided when he was finally seen that he should remain in hospital overnight.

A weary Sally returned at 0210 (Sunday morning) and we "chewed the fat" about the incident for a while before retiring!  Should they not have kept him in on the Friday was my take!  - - - Ah well that's what neighbours are for.   

Enjoy the day

Follow this link to see  our weather website

Or this one just to see  the streaming birdfeeder cam