The totally off-topic thread

[Denali]

So pretty!!! Gorgeous and congratulations to all

 

[Bundy Bear]

Checking to see if anyone is attending ANZAC Day services around Australia or the world.

Trying to work out how to get to the Brisbane ANZAC Day service which has a start time of 4:28am.:shock:

 

[Denali]

Checking to see if anyone is attending ANZAC Day services around Australia or the world.

Trying to work out how to get to the Brisbane ANZAC Day service which has a start time of 4:28am.:shock:

Im not. Im a bad person.

 

[Denali]

Every now and then, I go through my health fund benefits to find what I can still claim/has a claim balance. Previously found the Tens machine we bought was applicable for pain management so that was a win.

My husband cant claim his swimming pool entry fees because only swimming lessons apply to under 17 are covered but our local swimming pool now has a gym (which is covered) and gym membership includes pool access. Going to save about $500 per year

 

[wandering_fred]

Originally Posted by Bundy Bear

Checking to see if anyone is attending ANZAC Day services around Australia or the world.
Trying to work out how to get to the Brisbane ANZAC Day service which has a start time of 4:28am.:shock:

I'll be playing with the local brass band for the ANZAC Day service. Note the word DAY. The dawn service is reserved for the lone cornet player impersonating the bugler. I need to be there just before 1000 as I use my age as excuse to avoid marching.

So check to see if there is a service at a "normal" time.

Happier wandering????

Fred

 

[wandering_fred]

Subscription required if you decide to read too many articles !!!!

Happy wandering (perhaps assisted by the product being discussed)

Fred


Given the rate of posting about the products of grapes, I thought a few members would be interested in the following:



http://www.economist.com/news/books-and-arts/21721120-writers-oenological-discoveries-first-lesson-wine-appreciation-learning?fsrc=scn/fb/te/bl/ed/studyingwineoenology

 

[whatmeworry]

Checking to see if anyone is attending ANZAC Day services around Australia or the world.

Trying to work out how to get to the Brisbane ANZAC Day service which has a start time of 4:28am.:shock:

Melbourne has an assemble time of 4:30am but the service proper doesn't start till 6am. Plus their are extra early public transport trains to the CBD and city trams for tomorrow.

https://www.ptv.vic.gov.au/news-and...ay-shrine-dawn-service-tuesday-25-april-2017/

Early trains, trams and buses will get you to the Shrine of Remembrance in time for the Dawn Service.

• 5.45am: Pre-amble address will commence
• 6am: Dawn Service commences
• 6.30am (approx): The Dawn Service concludes

 

[straitman]

But that's the problem. It's just mirth and humour you are spreading, not knowledge. While as I believe you work in IT which relies on rationality, quantum theory and practice to function, not medieval alchemy, how unfortunate that you are not prepared to learn even a modicum of science to counter and enlighten medieval thinking.

Such 'beliefs' are dangerous for society and leads to things like the anti-vac campaign, denial of climate change and much more. May as well join the Senator from Qld on the crusade trail.

You left one line out.

"In your opinion"

I'm sorry you feel that way but you're wrong. Just because you don't understand something doesn't mean that it didn't happen and doesn't happen. You keep saying that we (humans) don't understand DNA when we actually have a pretty darn good handle on how it works. In fact that understanding of DNA is why you have a daughter right now. Science is pretty amazing hey. Without science that wouldn't have even been a possibility. But go ahead, keep trashing the people that allowed you to start a family.

John didn't trash any people he simply stated that he has another opinion.




I see a common theme here of people who have strong opinions but are totally intolerant of the opinions of others.

Please remember that this is a discussion for everyone and everyone is entitled to an opinion even if individuals do not agree with that opinion.

 

[Denali]

First time I've seen the TV show, An Idiot Abroad, and to be honest I don't blame the guy for being a misery guts.

I'll be miserable too and hate where I am if I had to go through what he does.

I know that's the point of the show, him being miserable, but it makes me judge his idiot friends more.

India has no appeal for me but Petra looked amazing.

 

[Pushka]

We had the complainers from hell on our table on QM2. In the past we've had some wonderful conversation but this one was either walking on eggshells or getting frustrated with the belligerence.

1. I said it was a shame we weren't going to India. She said we were - Sri Lanka. I suggested they were different countries but she said what's the difference - they are both full of Indians. (We had an Indian lady at our table)

2. Lodged a complaint with a ship tour operator because she was answering too many of the Aussies questions and ignoring her but she had paid exactly the same money as the Aussies and deserved more attention.

3. Lodged a complaint with Maitre D because somehow the chef was causing issues for the wait staff (she didn't know what was happening - she just lodged the complaint)

4. Complained that love_the_life and I had been rude to her - I can only think that my Sri Lanka is not India comment upset her - and love_the_life had barely had a chance to speak to her.

5. Held her hand up to love_the_life at one time to stop her talking

6. Had a very lengthy discussion with another head waiter over something else that we couldn't quite catch what the issue was.

7. Galle in Sri Lanka - she pronounced it as Galley. We all said Galle but she said we (6 of us) were wrong and she was right.

8. Conned a small jeweller on the wharf in Sri Lanka by saying another vendor was charging $100 for a bracelet and this vendor had reduced it down to $130. Now there is haggling of course, I do it too, but this bordered to me on being too much.

9. Had a bullying way with staff that was covered in treacle niceness and always with the underlying menace that she would complain if they did do her every whim.

The crew member on our table recognised us at breakfast one morning and said 'I will introduce you to a nice British couple this morning'. Our evening whinger was likewise a Brit so her comment was rather apt.

Another table mate had been on the ship and needed a hair cut. Our complainer was a hairdresser and had brought all her gear and said she would cut it for him. The next day was a port day and clearly he had made a beeline for a hairdresser at the port as it was much shorter at dinner. No way was he going to let her loose on his hair (and you would never guess from her bobby pinned frizzy hair that she was a hairdresser)
Yet they were away 2 nights out of ten.

And she did prove to be the topic of conversation amongst the rest of our table when she wasn't there.

 

[Denali]

Seriously, Pushka, you're a better person than me. I would have asked for a new table.

 

[love_the_life]

I think it was the dogmatic attitude that did if for me. It didn't matter what was said, she would always know better. For example our dinner companion visited the Khoo family clan temple (one of the main tourist places in Georgetown) on a day tour. When i mentioned that Rachel Khoo, the British cook with her own BBC TV show was part of the family the response was,'Never heard of her, not British."
Wine buffs here will cringe to hear that the couple had asked for glasses of ice cubes to add to their white wine and these were supplied every night :shock:

 

[Pushka]

Seriously, Pushka, you're a better person than me. I would have asked for a new table.

Well, we did discuss how much fun you would have had reporting all this to AFF.

The dining room was full so chances of a table change weren't all that good. It was an unusual cruise like that.

We were pretty biatchy when they weren't there.

They refused to have drinks in a sheltered cabin with our table mates and insisted they come up to theirs which had a proper (glass) balcony. And then drank the awful Pol Aker. At least love_the_life lashed out on Bolly.

The final laugh point was them having a glass of ice chunks they lavishly put into their wine each night.

There was a show about Brits living on the coast of Spain and love_the_life tried to google what it was called. Kind of like Housewives of .... series. Total lacking in class but obviously wealthy.

I think it was the dogmatic attitude that did if for me. It didn't matter what was said, she would always know better. For example our dinner companion visited the Khoo family clan temple (one of the main tourist places in Georgetown) on a day tour. When i mentioned that Rachel Khoo, the British cook with her own BBC TV show was part of the family the response was,'Never heard of her, not British."

Oh yeah. Forgot that. If she hadn't heard of it then it couldn't possibly exist.

 

[love_the_life]

Boy you are quick Pushka- I was just edited my post to add the ice cubes and you posted first!
You forgot that she was a gem trader.....on eBay.

I'll put the claws away now

Think the TV show is A Place in The Sun (a bit like Escape to the Country)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Place_in_the_Sun_(TV_series)

 

[mrs.dr.ron]

Seriously, Pushka, you're a better person than me. I would have asked for a new table.

QUOTE: Pushka "The dining room was full so chances of a table change weren't all that good."


That's why I like Silverseas - opening dining - you can sit with different people every night or have a table for 2 - the choice is yours !

 

[love_the_life]

Most cruise lines I have been on have an open dining option but Cunard has fixed. That said, every other time I have been on them all the people on my tables have been great. This one was a doozy though.

 

[Denali]

I would have called her Mrs Bucket, until the rest of my table mates started doing it as well.

All very juvenile but they put ice in their wine. I don't ever drink wine and would have judged that.

 

[Cossie]

First time I've seen the TV show, An Idiot Abroad, and to be honest I don't blame the guy for being a misery guts.

I'll be miserable too and hate where I am if I had to go through what he does.

I know that's the point of the show, him being miserable, but it makes me judge his idiot friends more.

India has no appeal for me but Petra looked amazing.

There are many good places to visit in India and having travelled there quite a lot I can see how people may be put off.
However in my opinion Jordan is well worth a visit, there is more to see than just Petra, Madaba is well worth quite a bit of time on its own. It's unfortunate that Syria is in the process of self destruction, glad I saw a few parts of it when I had the chance.



There are other places in Jordan worth visiting, Amman is a bit forgetable, but Jerash is definitely on the list of places to see, so much history, you can't go wrong.

 

[anat0l]

There are many good places to visit in India and having travelled there quite a lot I can see how people may be put off.
However in my opinion Jordan is well worth a visit, there is more to see than just Petra, Madaba is well worth quite a bit of time on its own. It's unfortunate that Syria is in the process of self destruction, glad I saw a few parts of it when I had the chance.

...

There are other places in Jordan worth visiting, Amman is a bit forgetable, but Jerash is definitely on the list of places to see, so much history, you can't go wrong.

...

Jordan looks like an amazing place for history. I can't imagine going to those places without a guided tour or the like (just have to find one that won't take you for a ride, with or without "baksheesh"). A shame it is prime near a war zone, might put one's passport at risk and, being (East) Asian looking, I'm likely to stick out like a sore thumb... or even a target.


As for ice in wine, it is something that may horrify many wine drinkers, but it is a practice, probably more particularly amongst cultures who want to drink wine but the climate is too hot, there isn't a fridge handy or the ice bucket / ice with water bucket / ice with salt water bucket is not available. The main idea, of course, is that one attempts to not put too much ice in the wine nor let it melt too fast to dilute it (although because the melted ice intermixes with the physical character of the wine, there is some loss there, unless you're merely quaffing for quaffing sake). Also, when wine is mixed in a drink, like a spritzer, it has ice normally added to it (but at least now the wine is mixed so we're already moved right past "purity").

 

[TomVexille]

As for ice in wine, it is something that may horrify many wine drinkers, but it is a practice, probably more particularly amongst cultures who want to drink wine but the climate is too hot, there isn't a fridge handy or the ice bucket / ice with water bucket / ice with salt water bucket is not available....

Oh, like QLD??