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Mr Ice-ni

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Everything posted by Mr Ice-ni

  1. Gay, I agree with your comment about Shine but unsure of the connection. John
  2. Shame he was out just short of 300. With only 2 days to go I doubt whether there was time for him to get to Sir Len's record anyway. [6] I see that the World's Greatest Living Batsman has, allegedly, criticised Cook for slow scoring - methinks a touch of pot and kettle there. With the umpires taking the players off every time a cloud was spotted over Scotland the declaration could not have been delayed much longer. As for taking play into day 5 the English bowlers seem determined to help out. John
  3. Shoot looters, shoot those throwing petrol bombs, spears, slabs of concrete etc at police, fire fighters and ambulance people, clear crowds with bulldozers. I would suggest martial law but the army is wasting it's time and my money elsewhere. Softy of N Lot
  4. The first car that I can remember my father owning was a Hudson Terraplane, no idea of year or model. This died just over the brow of a hump backed bridge near the Four Ashes at Takely. Next was a ?1953 Humber Hawk. The most interesting feature being the brakes declining to work during and just after heavy rain. Following an excursion through a hedgerow and field it had to go. Then a brand new car, a 1957 Ford Zephyr. The seats were covered in shiny, see-through plastic with a most unpleasant odour on a hot day. I blame this for my bouts of car sickness. Not the most reliable of cars it was a *** to start in damp weather. Finally cured by hanging a low-wattage light bulb switched on in the engine bay whenever the car was not in use. One of the front windows would stick in the closed postion - turing the handle without effect until suddenly the window crashed down but it didn't break. In 1962 my father began his love affair with Mercedes-Benz that lasted till his death in 1980. 1956 220A ???? 220S ???? 220 SE 1966 230SL with (in my opinion) a pointless auto gearbox When I passed my driving test and bought my first car with my father's words loud in my ears "from now on you will always have your hand in your pocket". My own cars were a motley bunch beginning with a 1953 Ford Popular E93A, sit up and beg, 1172cc side valve engine, 3 speed gearbox and top speed of about 50 mph even if pushed over Beachy Head. The 450/17 cross ply tyres made for interesting driving on greasy roads. Combine this with rod operated brakes and I quickly learned to think ahead (most of the time). The best undoubtedly was a 1971(?) BMW 2002 bought in 1978. The limiting factor in cornering being the nut holding the wheel. Much to my father's disgust it would beat his 230SL easily from a standing start, out corner it  though my car started to run out of puff at 70mph or so. Sadly in 1980 it developed an irritating intermittent electrical fault that proved impossible to track down so it had to go. The best value buy was a 1989 Peugeot 305 that I bought from a firm of liquidators in 1993 for just £400. Though pretty rough it was fixed for another £400 and I drove for over 50,000 miles over the next 4 years, finally selling it for £800. John
  5. Some sources quote that as the original - taken from a play wot Shakespeare might have wrote - (see Wikileaks). In the following passage, the "letters" refer to instructions (written by his uncle Claudius, the King) to be carried sealed to the King of England, by Hamlet, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, the latter being two schoolfellows of Hamlet. The letters, as Hamlet suspects, contain a death warrant against Hamlet, who will later open and modify them to instead request the execution of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Enginer refers to a military engineer, the spelling reflecting Elizabethan stress. There's letters seal'd: and my two schoolfellows, Whom I will trust as I will adders fang'd, They bear the mandate; they must sweep my way And marshal me to knavery. Let it work; For 'tis the sport to have the enginer Hoist with his own petar; and 't shall go hard But I will delve one yard below their mines And blow them at the moon: O, 'tis most sweet, When in one line two crafts directly meet. After modifying the letters, Hamlet escapes the ship and returns to Denmark. Hamlet's actual meaning is "cause the bomb maker to be blown up with his own bomb", metaphorically turning the tables on Claudius, whose messengers are killed instead of Hamlet. Also note here, Shakespeare's probable off-color pun "hoist with his own petar", i.e., flatulate, as reason for the spelling "petar" rather than "petard" Here endeth the Eng Lit lesson John  
  6. [quote user="Bugsy"]'hoisted  by your own petard' Seems appropriate don't you think [:D] . [/quote]  Though "Hoist with his own petar" might be thought to be more accurate. John
  7. [quote user="Christine Animal"] This is all getting so ridiculous, it seems a lot of people are losing interest now. [/quote] Not me, I lost interest before page 1. John
  8. So the old joke culminating in the line "No, we're not redecorating, we're moving" is based on fact and not just religious stereotyping. John
  9. Having met Debs  I was wondering around in a daze all day - luckily OH who finds things for me to do wanted help in making confit of duck and I was allowed to send silent good wishes all day without much interuption. My thoughts still fly to both of you and will until we get the OK. Di, who enjoyed Debs company on her itchy feet tour. Love also from John who is not at his best as the wet weather has set off a crap reaction with his Osteo Arthritis. Love and good wishes to you both OH
  10. [quote user="sweet 17"] Riff-Raff, I guess you have hit the nail on the head. Mind you, if you woz a midwife like wot I woz in the 1970s and you worked in Luton and you didn't know any Urdu and you want to say, can you please remove your knickers, it's a bit difficult if you have to wait for a child or a husband to appear who will translate for you. Otherwise, it's a bit of a tug-of-war with yours truly trying to remove the woman's knickers and she trying to keep them firmly on[:D] [/quote] Even if you could say "can you remove etc" it isn't much help when you mean "will you". John
  11. [quote user="sweet 17"] Mind you, in those days you had to have a pubic shave AND an enema and they were the difficult bits to explain if your Urdu is not up to scratch.....[:D] [/quote] Never heard that bit described as an Urdu - but one lives and learns. John
  12. Just to confuse matters even more, my womb and falopian tube/ovary removal was done with keyhole surgery and I was back at work in 3 and a half weeks - very naughty but I was a contractor and never got paid if I did not work. No driving for 3 months but when I consulted the surgeon about what I could do as I felt so much better, his secretary who had had the same op said she went back to work for him after a month so she did not see a problem (he was on holiday). It all depends on the factors and size of the organs to be removed. My fibroid, although nasty was small and so I avoided a large operation but did get a large transfusion of blood which I think got me through the recovery really fast. It was the last thing I wanted and had signed for no transfusions BUT they waited until I was back in my room and told me that I had to have all the blood or I would be in bed for 3 months as I had lost so much. This shows that we all have different problems and different solutions all under one heading. Er indoors
  13. But would it make more sense for China to lend € to the US? It's the old gamble on interest rate differentials vs x-rate at repayment time. John
  14. Having nursed my mother through ovarian cancer till her death in her 40's, her sister dying of breast cancer (I must add that neither of them went to the GP with even advanced symptoms because our family has always been riddled with these cancers and they did not believe that treatment had improved) it was assumed that I might have whatever it was that was causing it - I of course being bloody minded got cancer of the top of the cervix (not found in smears) and it was decided that I had the version of the gene that is specific to one racial minority. I did not have a hysterectomy (only because the UK Consultant had a record of killing women so could only do small ops and he did not forward me (yes, I have that confirmed as he was struck off/retired on full pay) just loads of tests on a regular basis but I knew that nothing found ovarian cancer early enough to be 100% sure. I then got a weird fibroid which caused a hemorrage and I would not let them operate unless they whiped the whole lot out - which after some arguing they did. I was 50 and on HRT as my hormones had gone to pot due to the treatments etc. I stopped the lumps and cysts in my breasts by not wearing a bra and have mamo's every other year. I came off HRT when I came to France by choice but it was horrid. I have been told that once you get to about 55 your risk is the same as anyone else for breast cancer - I am just under 65. I have two female grandchildren and also this gene can effect men - I have two sons. Genes, shmeans, who knows what it means - mainly to me I wanted the womb, cervix and ovaries out. I would worry about the boobs. Whenever you have your menopause it can be missed as you have no symptoms or you can be like me and forget how to get dressed in the mornings. It happens to all women in different ways. If you know you have a risk of ovarian cancer think long and hard and what ever your decision it will be the right one for you. God Bless - er indoors
  15. Oops, just suffered a serious senior moment. On reading that Mark Ronson had attended the funeral I thought "but he can't, he's dead", then realised that it is Mick Ronson who couldn't go. It must be the heat. John  
  16. We live in a strange world when we forget that many great past writers/musicians took then legal drugs and no one cared. Sherlock Holmes was portraied as a drug addict in the books and Queen Victoria - like many women in her times was taken with Laudenum (opium I think???). Victoria is supposed to be the first woman to have heavy sedation in child birth. (I don't mean gas and air!). Some of us inherit an addictive personality but are lucky enough not to mix in circles where the real stuff goes round - Crack is supposed to be totally addictive at first use as heroin can be. We are all in charge of ourselves but for some, one try and they never own themselves again. I remember reading a diatribe against someones alcoholic father - He died, she said as I knew he would, with a glass of whisky in his hand, drunk at 78. He fell dead to the floor. I am trying to find a better way to go - but then each to their own poison. One of my friends will not even use toothpaste with flouride (might give her cancer etc) but has a hangover every day - we are all different. Amy knew what Amy wanted and it was out of this life. It is not ideal for everyone. My daughter was given 3 weeks to live at birth and has celebrated her 40th birthday this year - very disabled but very determined to make the best of everything, her holiday in France was almost all spent in Figeac Hospital - no language problems as she has learnt to sign for her deaf friends and sign language is universal. Perhaps the wrong people get the brains and others get the determination to make life good for all around them. I don't know but I hope Amy is content now. Each person is their own person and I would not compare her to anyone - May She Rest in Peace. Er indoors.  
  17. [quote user="Mr Coeur de Lion"] She wasn't even that good imo. Certainly not in the same league as other rock stars that died the same age and way. [/quote] But she will be now - traditionally death is a good way to get to #1. John
  18. [quote user="nectarine"]what a terrible waste of a talent ... surely a warning to others about how dangerous illegal drugs really are.[/quote] I suspect that rather more die from legal drugs e.g. nicotine and alcohol than from illegal ones. As for AW, it was her choice to waste her talent. John
  19. It seems the word police dislike the word for "child born out of wedlock". John
  20. Why should Z welcome the bastard with open arms? Z and M hardly need another toaster or an extra pair of sheets. John
  21. [quote user="Quillan"] I do believe that most people are basically honest. [/quote] Please send me me your rose tinted specs. Most people are thieves. Office biro taken home, personal phone calls at work, personal letters in the post tray are all examples of theft, taking a day off sick when you are not but somehow these don't count or do they? John
  22. Having been unlucky enough to have a step-father who was high up in the police lodge and also a Chief DI in the CID - nothing but nothing would amaze me. The only question I have is why do Royalty or near Royalty always have top spot? In the US Bush was a mason, wonder how many MP's are? And anyone who tells me they are a force for good [:D] well you would wouldn't you??????? I know what went on and I saw the gifts that came in when things went the way people wanted them to go. Er Indoors
  23. sweets There are 2 recipes on TF. I think that I made Jennie's (I can never remember or find the table to convert cups to European measurements). Good luck. John
  24. The second batch of fig jam was bottled in a mix of recycled jars. The pics/designs on the lids suggest 2 x Aldi grilled red peppers 1 x sweet/sour gherkins 1 x Bonne Maman giant jam jar Not as sweet as the first lot - probably because I reduced the sugar content to 1:3. sweets, I have a recipe for fig chutney somewhere but it is well hidden so suggest that you try Googling. There are still some unripe figs on the tree so I may well go into chutney mode in the next few days, failing which it will have to wait until 2nd crop in Sept/Oct. Hopefully I will not have to buy any more jars for the foreseeable. For once my hoarding seems to be paying off. John
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