WBMT.....What baffled me today

WBMT seems to be exactly the right thread to post this in.

I'm not often lost for words .. BUT..I was when I read a newspaper article about a current TV reality game show in Russia hosted by Vitaly Milonov who is a Russian MP and notoriously anti-gay and is responsible for drafting 'gay propaganda' laws. It's like putting the fox in charge of the chicken coup. He once said that gays should be "sterilised and kept in kennels like cats" and that “homosexuality is disgusting. Homophobia is beautiful and natural” amongst a host of other derogatory comments. During the episodes Milonov tells contestants: “I hope that you will quickly figure out the gay,” as he makes a throat-slitting gesture. It's so absurd and clearly extremely offensive to gay people in Russia not to mention the fear they must feel if a controlled society like Russia allows such a programme that I decided to post it.

The show features eight men in a Russian country house and at the end of every episode they have to vote to eliminate the contestant they think is gay. They are subject to 'tests' and with the use of secret cameras, have to decide who to vote off. The challenges involves scantily-clad females who are paraded infront of the contestants :eek:and to 'help' further determine who is gay the contestants experience lap dances from men and women and a bizarre “hole-in-the-wall” task where the contestants put their hand through a hole and grope or spank whoever is behind that wall - either a man or a woman in underwear - and then guess the gender of the person they groped.:eek:

If they get it right the remaining contestants split two million rubles (about £21,000) between themselves but if they fail to do so, the gay contestant wins the prize which would naff off Milinov no end, I assume.

According to a poll by the Lavada Centre 1 in 5 Russians polled thought that gays and lesbians should be banned from society. Another :eek: from me.

To show that Lavada it's genuinely free from government influence I've added this copy/paste.from Wiki:

The Levada Center is a Russian independent, non-governmental polling and sociological research organisation and is widely respected for its objectivity and professionalism among academics and journalists in both the Soviet Union and the West. In the 1990s, the agency's polls gained a reputation for being very reliable. In 2013 it reported it received from 1.5% to 3% of its total budget from abroad. It was issued with a public warning that it would be eligible for listing as a 'foreign agent' under the recently passed Russian foreign agent law so it suspended foreign funding in 2013. On September 1st 2016 it published the results of a poll that had found a significant decline in support for the ruling United Russia Party..Putin's Party. Then Russian Justice declared that they were "performing the functions of a foreign agent" which barred them from work on the,t hen upcoming election. Levada's director stated that the designation may mean that Levada would be unable to continue its work as a pollster .The company's director said that ."This manifests the increase in internal repressions carried out by the country's leadership. If they won't cancel this decision, it will mean that the Levada Center will have to stop working, because you cannot conduct polls with such a stigma put on you."
 
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WBMT?
Car insurance,
Mine is coming up for renewal, my current insurer ( Hastings direct) put it up from £160 to £240.
Nothing had changed in the last year.

Time to go look at the meerkat ..
Best was £160 and a few pennies. ( so same as last year) from more than.
Worst was over £5,000 and I had to fit one of those safe driver box things.

Now, which one shall I choose :thinking:
 
Cobra said:
WBMT?
Car insurance,
Mine is coming up for renewal, my current insurer ( Hastings direct) put it up from £160 to £240.
Nothing had changed in the last year.

Time to go look at the meerkat ..
Best was £160 and a few pennies. ( so same as last year) from more than.
Worst was over £5,000 and I had to fit one of those safe driver box things.

Now, which one shall I choose :thinking:
Click to expand...

It was the same with my premium and I think one of the reasons was the change at the beginning of the year that stopped them giving a better deal..substantially better..for new customers.It's supposedly a level playing field now. Because of supply-chain issues for getting computer chips..I have to say computer rather than just 'chips' or some smart a*** will pull me up on it :) ....new cars aren't easily come by so that's fuelling the extraordinary rise in the cost of used cars leading to higher costs for claims which are now getting back to pre-pandemic levels. I suppose you could call it the domino effect.

You did well to get it for £160 assuming all things being equal.
 
JohnC6 said:
You did well to get it for £160 assuming all things being equal.
Click to expand...
Yep, nothing has changed at all,
but as I noted elsewhere, that chubby little Tenor, has been telling every one, (Via TV ads) that premiums are likely to fall this year..
Lying little Welshman :(

Curiously, I was thinking of a change, so searched for a few possibilities, but anything remotely comparable is an extra £100 - £200
I guess I won't be changing anytime soon.
 
This morning I had a short conversation with one of the receptionists at my dental surgery this morning. The kindly dentist gave me a temporary filling about 18 months ago after I'd had three permanent ones over a week or so...just to give me a break. I think she felt sorry for me..It was done quite quickly.

I said.. "I'd like to book an appointment to have the temporary filling I had about 18 months ago replaced with a permanent one"

She took my details.

I said.."I think it was Sinead who did it. I think I've got the name right. She was getting married the following week"

Looking at her screen...the receptionist said.. "Yes, it was Sinead and she hasn't changed her name"

:rolleyes:
 
WBMT?
( and most days TBH)
My tits.

When I get a few mins, I'll stand by the window, watching them entering the nest box,
They come from some distance away.
They come in at twice the legal speed limit, in through a hole barely larger than they are,
with a backstop just a few inches away.

They must have a very efficient ABS system, to save them from flat noses!
 
Cobra said:
WBMT?
( and most days TBH)
My tits.

When I get a few mins, I'll stand by the window, watching them entering the nest box,
They come from some distance away.
They come in at twice the legal speed limit, in through a hole barely larger than they are,
with a backstop just a few inches away.

They must have a very efficient ABS system, to save them from flat noses!
Click to expand...

Good job they only have tiny beaks ...
 
Cobra said:
WBMT?
( and most days TBH)
My tits.

When I get a few mins, I'll stand by the window, watching them entering the nest box,
They come from some distance away.
They come in at twice the legal speed limit, in through a hole barely larger than they are,
with a backstop just a few inches away.

They must have a very efficient ABS system, to save them from flat noses!
Click to expand...
Those birds are a real wonder of nature.......in many ways beyond the understanding of man........... ;)


PS we have one nest box that the Blue's have shown continued but intermittent interest in, including nest material going in!

The other nest box is the Great's domain and appears, perhaps?, to have young being fed??? Time will tell as to whether we actually see any youngsters out & about....if we are even privileged to see them in the garden :)
 
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Box Brownie said:
PS we have one nest box that the Blue's have shown continued but intermittent interest in, including nest material going in!
Click to expand...
Its curious you say that, I have had several pairs checking it out over several weeks, each time it seemed to be abandoned.
The last one I heard "tapping" the inside testing the integrity of the box ( I never knew they did that, till someone pointed it out)
They spent days filling it with nesting material, then nothing.

I saw a bumble bee going in an out a few times, so I assumed they had taken it over ( not uncommon)
The last couple of days, or so, there is one in and out continually ( as above)
so I can only assume that there are finally chicks in there.
Its been a bit of a rocky ride...

And to think if I had still been working I'd have missed all this, along with the hedgehog party :)
 
Cobra said:
WBMT?
( and most days TBH)
My tits.

When I get a few mins, I'll stand by the window, watching them entering the nest box,
They come from some distance away.
They come in at twice the legal speed limit, in through a hole barely larger than they are,
with a backstop just a few inches away.

They must have a very efficient ABS system, to save them from flat noses!
Click to expand...

The blue tits in our box sometimes do the same.

I think their wings provide a very good braking system. Years ago when I hand fed robins and great tits I was surprised by the force generated by the wings of such small birds.

We are hoping our tits will be successful but they have attracted the interest of next door's cat. Fortunately the box is inaccessible to the cat but any fledged young are going to be vulnerable and our terrier who knows all cats are called 'targets' can't be on duty all the time.

Dave
 
Tringa said:
The blue tits in our box sometimes do the same.

I think their wings provide a very good braking system. Years ago when I hand fed robins and great tits I was surprised by the force generated by the wings of such small birds.

We are hoping our tits will be successful but they have attracted the interest of next door's cat. Fortunately the box is inaccessible to the cat but any fledged young are going to be vulnerable and our terrier who knows all cats are called 'targets' can't be on duty all the time.

Dave
Click to expand...
Squirrels too will take newly fledged blue tits as I’ve seen near my nest box. The fledgling couldn’t, or didn’t know enough to, fly to another tree so only fluttered from branch to branch. Reminded me of film I’d seen of Pine Marten hunting a squirrel ㋡.
 
Tringa said:
I think their wings provide a very good braking system
Click to expand...
Indeed they do. As some people know, I flew Birds of prey for years, for sport and work.
When you have a falcon returning to the glove at around 60 miles an hour and landing as light as a butterfly, you begin to appreciate
exactly how agile they really are. Of course some are total arses, and don't apply the air brakes just because they didn't want too, it does sting a bit especially the larger species, every single one a character :D

Tringa said:
We are hoping our tits will be successful but they have attracted the interest of next door's cat.
Click to expand...
My next door neighbour has blue tits every year and has had for many years, the box is high up on their garage wall.
It seems it fell off a few days ago, , no harm done thankfully,it was put back up and they are still feeding the young.
I found it strange that the box had actually fallen off the wall, until I saw a magpie, trying to get its head in the box.
I assume that the extra weigh and force had pulled it off :(
 
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Along the bottom of our front door and the pcv panels to each side there are four rectangular slots just an inch or so long and each was sealed with a plastic bung. Today when I left the house I noticed that all four had been smashed off leaving just the snapped sharp plastic locater pegs sticking out.

What could have done that?

Best guess is I suppose that the window cleaner who was here a couple of days ago must have for whatever reason wiped the bottom of the door area and smashed them off... if that would be even possible. Anyway. I bought a tub of stuff from ASDA and sealed them all up.

It's a mystery.
 
woof woof said:
Along the bottom of our front door and the pcv panels to each side there are four rectangular slots just an inch or so long and each was sealed with a plastic bung. Today when I left the house I noticed that all four had been smashed off leaving just the snapped sharp plastic locater pegs sticking out.

What could have done that?

Best guess is I suppose that the window cleaner who was here a couple of days ago must have for whatever reason wiped the bottom of the door area and smashed them off... if that would be even possible. Anyway. I bought a tub of stuff from ASDA and sealed them all up.

It's a mystery.
Click to expand...

We’re the bungs still there so you could inspect the damage?

Seems very unlikely for a door but it could be rats or squirrels. I’ve had 2 wheelie bins gnawed by squirrels at different times but they were being used to store poultry feed. They were completely unsuccessful because they chose to gnaw at the lid handles (easy bit) so the hole got them nowhere. :)
 
sphexx said:
We’re the bungs still there so you could inspect the damage?

Seems very unlikely for a door but it could be rats or squirrels. I’ve had 2 wheelie bins gnawed by squirrels at different times but they were being used to store poultry feed. They were completely unsuccessful because they chose to gnaw at the lid handles (easy bit) so the hole got them nowhere. :)
Click to expand...

No, no sign of the pieces but I think it must be very recent as I cleaned up the front of the house a few days ago and scraped weeds out of the block paving including at the front door step so I'm sure I would have noticed as I'd have been looking straight at that area. The protruding snapped debris was sharp and spot clean and there was nothing in the holes like dust, leaves or anything. TBH it looked like it had just been done. I can only think someone snapped them and picked the front plates up to hide the evidence...???? and the only people who I can think of are the window cleaner crew. But really I have no idea what's happened or how.
 
woof woof said:
Along the bottom of our front door and the pcv panels to each side there are four rectangular slots just an inch or so long and each was sealed with a plastic bung. Today when I left the house I noticed that all four had been smashed off leaving just the snapped sharp plastic locater pegs sticking out.

What could have done that?

Best guess is I suppose that the window cleaner who was here a couple of days ago must have for whatever reason wiped the bottom of the door area and smashed them off... if that would be even possible. Anyway. I bought a tub of stuff from ASDA and sealed them all up.

It's a mystery.
Click to expand...
No idea how or what snapped them off.,.......

But I think they are, in a sense, decorative caps that also act as moisture vents. Therefore I wonder if sealing them might be counter productive :thinking:
 
Box Brownie said:
No idea how or what snapped them off.,.......

But I think they are, in a sense, decorative caps that also act as moisture vents. Therefore I wonder if sealing them might be counter productive :thinking:
Click to expand...

I don't know but I'm not going to worry about it as the seals went a long time back and it really should all be replaced. The sealant would I suppose be easy enough to dig out but I've no idea where I'd get replacement caps from.
 
Tringa said:
Is anyone going to pay that much for a camping chair?
Click to expand...
"Oh yes, dahling, they are raather naice, aren't they? Only a hundred and fifty smackers from the dearest little online shop..." :naughty:
 
Tringa said:
This advert I saw earlier - https://www.outdoorclothing.co.uk/equipment-c153/camping-c237/furniture-c167/chair-zero-high-back-p18776?utm_source=309_Save_an_extra_10_on_Helinox_with_code__HELI10&utm_medium=email&utm_term=5408_https://www.outdoorclothing.co.uk/equipment-c153/camping-c237/furniture-c167/chair-zero-high-back-p18776&utm_campaign=309_Save_an_extra_10_on_Helinox_with_code__HELI10

Why would any company stock these? Is anyone going to pay that much for a camping chair? I was also a bit baffled by the 'saving' in the ad. I can't imagine a £0.05 saving is going to encourage anyone to buy.

Dave
Click to expand...

The same people who pay £200 a night to stay in one of those 'unique b&bs' in the series on BBC2?
 
Jannyfox said:
The same people who pay £200 a night to stay in one of those 'unique b&bs' in the series on BBC2?
Click to expand...

Yes. I am surprised about how much people are willing pay.

For me a B&B or a self catering is a means of getting to an area I am interested in and all I want is for it to be clean, safe and in the right location. I couldn't give a monkey's if something has been cleverly converted and for which I might be asked to pay silly money.

Dave
 
Tringa said:
Yes. I am surprised about how much people are willing pay.

For me a B&B or a self catering is a means of getting to an area I am interested in and all I want is for it to be clean, safe and in the right location. I couldn't give a monkey's if something has been cleverly converted and for which I might be asked to pay silly money.

Dave
Click to expand...

Just depends what is important for you - some like to have nicer beds, better rooms etc... and for some thats design, especially if for a special occasion.
 
woof woof said:
I don't know but I'm not going to worry about it as the seals went a long time back and it really should all be replaced. The sealant would I suppose be easy enough to dig out but I've no idea where I'd get replacement caps from.
Click to expand...
They're to let out water and are called called weep holes you can buy packs of replacement covers for a few pounds.
 
tarric said:
They're to let out water and are called called weep holes you can buy packs of replacement covers for a few pounds.
Click to expand...
mj4456 said:
I need a couple, any links to a supplier, Ta.
Click to expand...

I saw these on Amazon... Are these them? These are for windows, are door ones the same size? Questions... questions...

 
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Tringa said:
This advert I saw earlier - https://www.outdoorclothing.co.uk/equipment-c153/camping-c237/furniture-c167/chair-zero-high-back-p18776?utm_source=309_Save_an_extra_10_on_Helinox_with_code__HELI10&utm_medium=email&utm_term=5408_https://www.outdoorclothing.co.uk/equipment-c153/camping-c237/furniture-c167/chair-zero-high-back-p18776&utm_campaign=309_Save_an_extra_10_on_Helinox_with_code__HELI10

Why would any company stock these? Is anyone going to pay that much for a camping chair? I was also a bit baffled by the 'saving' in the ad. I can't imagine a £0.05 saving is going to encourage anyone to buy.

Dave
Click to expand...

I suppose someone will buy these. We have a couple of chairs that fold up and go in a cylindrical bag, I think they were £10 each.

Ours look like these, but were cheaper.

 
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Fuel prices; I thought they had come down but not at the pumps. Could be wrong. BUT...

Tesco locally was 165p for unleaded. 35 miles away in Peterborough (35 miles) it was 161p - How and why, same geo, same retailer, I doubt beans or bread are more in one than the other???
 
Next one.. Flies...

Have a few in the kitchen in these warm months, normally 3 or 4. So i go round and splat them. A but later on there are another 3 or 4. Do they social distance. Why is it always 3 or 4 at a time, surely some days it would be 1, others 8 or 10?
 
cambsno said:
Next one.. Flies...

Have a few in the kitchen in these warm months, normally 3 or 4. So i go round and splat them. A but later on there are another 3 or 4. Do they social distance. Why is it always 3 or 4 at a time, surely some days it would be 1, others 8 or 10?
Click to expand...
Does splat mean squash? I remember an account of a rail traveller in Anatolia swatting an unfeasible number of flies (he was keeping count) until he realised he was only stunning them and they quickly recovered and re joined the fray :LOL:
 
sphexx said:
Does splat mean squash? I remember an account of a rail traveller in Anatolia swatting an unfeasible number of flies (he was keeping count) until he realised he was only stunning them and they quickly recovered and re joined the fray :LOL:
Click to expand...

Oh no, they are certainly dead!!! Normally still lying there!
 
cambsno said:
Fuel prices; I thought they had come down but not at the pumps. Could be wrong. BUT...

Tesco locally was 165p for unleaded. 35 miles away in Peterborough (35 miles) it was 161p - How and why, same geo, same retailer, I doubt beans or bread are more in one than the other???
Click to expand...

Thought you might be interested in this article dated today. A paragraph from it.

Luke Bosdet, the AA’s fuel price spokesman, pointed out that drivers would be £2.75 a tank worse off now had the chancellor not cut fuel duty in March. He added: “[The chancellor] hasn’t been helped by a fuel trade that, despite a 16p-a-litre fall in petrol costs that coincided with the spring statement, couldn’t even pass on the full 5p fuel duty cut and the 1p VAT reduction that it brought with it.”

UK petrol and diesel prices: latest fuel costs explained | Auto Express

Petrol and diesel prices are constantly fluctuating, below we explain why and map out everything you need to know to save money at the pumps.
www.autoexpress.co.uk www.autoexpress.co.uk
 
cambsno said:
Fuel prices; I thought they had come down but not at the pumps. Could be wrong. BUT...

Tesco locally was 165p for unleaded. 35 miles away in Peterborough (35 miles) it was 161p - How and why, same geo, same retailer, I doubt beans or bread are more in one than the other???
Click to expand...
I get the impression with all forecourt fuel prices it is 'all' down to proximity competition.

In the case of the supermarkets I surmise they will be a little cheaper than the likes of BP, Shell etc where they compete geographically but where there is no other supplier within say 1.5miles they will be closer to mainstream prices.
 
A Sunderland football fan wants to travel from Sunderland to London to watch his team play Wycombe Wanders in the League 1 play-off on Saturday .

The cheapest prices showing on The Trainline on Monday had a one-way journey from Sunderland to King's Cross on Friday for £83, and on Saturday for £69. From Newcastle it showed the same route for £79 on Friday, £54 on Saturday.

Instead he's booked these flights..£51 for two flights and a hostel in Menorca, with breakfast.

He said ""It was £161 one way for a direct flight to Gatwick and I just kept looking until I saw the £23 flights to Menorca"

The cheapest prices showing on The Trainline on Monday had a one-way journey from Sunderland to King's Cross on Friday for £83, and on Saturday for £69. From Newcastle it showed the same route for £79 on Friday, £54 on Saturday.

Mr Jelly's flight from Newcastle to Menorca on Thursday [today as I post] cost £12.50, while his flight from Menorca to Stansted the following afternoon was £10.50.


www.bbc.co.uk

Sunderland fan says Wembley via Menorca route cheaper than train

Sunderland fan James Jelly says he paid £51 for flights and a hostel to get to the play-off final.
www.bbc.co.uk www.bbc.co.uk
 
JohnC6 said:
A Sunderland football fan wants to travel from Sunderland to London to watch his team play Wycombe Wanders in the League 1 play-off on Saturday .

The cheapest prices showing on The Trainline on Monday had a one-way journey from Sunderland to King's Cross on Friday for £83, and on Saturday for £69. From Newcastle it showed the same route for £79 on Friday, £54 on Saturday.

Instead he's booked these flights..£51 for two flights and a hostel in Menorca, with breakfast.

He said ""It was £161 one way for a direct flight to Gatwick and I just kept looking until I saw the £23 flights to Menorca"

The cheapest prices showing on The Trainline on Monday had a one-way journey from Sunderland to King's Cross on Friday for £83, and on Saturday for £69. From Newcastle it showed the same route for £79 on Friday, £54 on Saturday.

Mr Jelly's flight from Newcastle to Menorca on Thursday [today as I post] cost £12.50, while his flight from Menorca to Stansted the following afternoon was £10.50.


www.bbc.co.uk

Sunderland fan says Wembley via Menorca route cheaper than train

Sunderland fan James Jelly says he paid £51 for flights and a hostel to get to the play-off final.
www.bbc.co.uk www.bbc.co.uk
Click to expand...

Now I'm confused. The only people I know with the surname of Jelly (like me), are Gooners WTF is he doing supporting Sunderland? I thought that was imprinted on your brain at the point of birth, even my Niece is a Gooner.... I know Sunderland play in red & white, but he's got a few wires crossed!! (Mind you, at least he may have something to celebrate at the end of the season....)
 
WBMT?
Toasters.

Mine gave up the ghost, so I went on line looking for a mid range one.
Who's have thought there were so many ?
After reading the reviews of the likely candidates, I was truly baffled.
In the end just brought a load of the images up on my screen and threw a dart at it and chose that one..

Ps I hope new monitor searching isn't quite so baffling.
 
Cobra said:
WBMT?
Toasters.

Mine gave up the ghost, so I went on line looking for a mid range one.
Who's have thought there were so many ?
After reading the reviews of the likely candidates, I was truly baffled.
In the end just brought a load of the images up on my screen and threw a dart at it and chose that one..

Ps I hope new monitor searching isn't quite so baffling.
Click to expand...


Yesterday our Bosch /Tassimo coffee machine (uses coffee pods) carried on spewing the cofffee out of the pod holder despite me taking the nozzle etc out and giving it all a clean.It wasn't blocked,anyway. Two years three months ago (as per the receipt) it was reduced from £90 to £38 so, I bought one and put it in the attic . Today, I retrieved it and can now resume my daily cup of coffee.

I did the same with the Delonghi (4-slot) toaster we have..It cost £90 and we got it reduced to £50 at Currys. We have another, also in the attic, we got at that reduced price. Today they are £109. Every now and then they come on offer at that price BUT never when your own breaks down :D

It's a great way of saving money because these items don't seem to last as long as they used to. Best to try them at the time of purchase, though..re the guarantee.
 
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