The totally off-topic thread

[Antoallison]

I'll drink to that Rooflyer - very well planned, but life has a way of throwing us curves .. bell or otherwise.

Do what I've done. 1. Stocktake of wine etc. 2. Realistic estimation of when I'll either drop off the perch or be told that I can't drink any more 3. Design consumption schedule as a bell curve - ramp up to a peak while still able to appreciate it, then drop back until you consume the last bottle the day before you fold your tent one way or another.

 

[Cossie]

I remember watching Leave it to Beaver when we first got our TV when I was a child. Must have been late 50s I think. I know we didn't have a TV for the Melbourne Olympics as we all trooped up the road (as in the whole school plus assorted people living in the area) to watch on a friend's. They had the first one in the neighbourhood. We also enjoyed Bonanza, Rawhide and Pick A Box.

My father made our first TV from a kit in the forerunner to the Electronics Australia magazine. Each month new parts would arrive and he would solder and assemble. At first it was the audio section that was complete, so we could listen to the TV but it didn't have a screen (crt, 21 inch), then great excitement when screen arrived.
It was Radio & Hobbies magazine and then became Radio Television & Hobbies in the mid fifties. He was a fitter and turner by trade, but also had paperwork for electric and telephone wiring and also dabbled in radio and TV stuff. He was in 'signals' during the war and that got him interested in radio, hi fi and the like.

I still have some of his original Radio & Hobbies magazines dating back to the thirties, a lot are moth/siverfish damaged and not really worth anything, but I can't bare to throw them out. I also have other gadgets that he built, radios, stereo amplifiers, turntables and loads of records that he collected over the years. The first house we lived in when we moved to Canberra had very few power points in the kitchen and he made a power board, this was long before they were easily available, pity he didn't start making those and selling them on. I still have the original one he built.

Sorry, waffling..........

 

[Antoallison]

People must have been so much more easygoing in those days - I can't imagine opening my lounge room and new black and white tV to the whole street now.

Yet we all invaded the first neighbour who bought a TV, in fact I remember there were two sittings - the kids from about 4pm and later the adults at 7pm.


Reaching way way back and dredging up some old memories we had a steady diet of ..

Mickey Mouse Club
Captain Pugwash
Bill and Ben
Andy Pandy
Torchy the Battery Boy
Sooty and Sweep
Mr Squiggle and Miss Pat
Clutch Cargo
Popeye
Noddy

but the favourite old cartoon for all avgeeks must be Roger Ramjet !

 

[Flashback]

I disagree. Some businesses need to remember who is keeping them in business and perform better. Refunds, once acknowledged, should be instantaneous.

Finally received a refund from AA for downgrade to Y (from J/F) after 4 months of hassling. Wasn't what I was told originally but it's like a lost cause trying to get anything more. It covered some of the cost of the phone call to get all the rebooking sorted etc. with not much change left. Oh well. No good will gesture from customer services either for having to spend 4+ hours on the phone trying to get the flights rebooked (had originally been downgraded all the way and rebooked 2 days later, which was not useful) and then chasing up several times as tickets weren't re-ticketed. C'est la vie! Don't sweat the small things.

 

[TomVexille]

The Torch is on fire again in Dubai. We saw it 18 months ago just after the first one.
View attachment 103189

View attachment 103190

That's a rather unfortunate name

 

[JohnK]

Nice try Nearest cross st is also a dead end to the left & 4km to next intersection.

Oh. Long way from civilisation?

 

[RooFlyer]

Gotta love Hobart. Check this out - platypus, downtown. Does seem a bit lost, though.

 

[Denali]

My father made our first TV from a kit in the forerunner to the Electronics Australia magazine. Each month new parts would arrive and he would solder and assemble. At first it was the audio section that was complete, so we could listen to the TV but it didn't have a screen (crt, 21 inch), then great excitement when screen arrived.
It was Radio & Hobbies magazine and then became Radio Television & Hobbies in the mid fifties. He was a fitter and turner by trade, but also had paperwork for electric and telephone wiring and also dabbled in radio and TV stuff. He was in 'signals' during the war and that got him interested in radio, hi fi and the like.

I still have some of his original Radio & Hobbies magazines dating back to the thirties, a lot are moth/siverfish damaged and not really worth anything, but I can't bare to throw them out. I also have other gadgets that he built, radios, stereo amplifiers, turntables and loads of records that he collected over the years. The first house we lived in when we moved to Canberra had very few power points in the kitchen and he made a power board, this was long before they were easily available, pity he didn't start making those and selling them on. I still have the original one he built.

Sorry, waffling..........

Not waffling at all! Brilliant post. Thank you for sharing.

 

[Bindibuys]

Oh. Long way from civilisation?

Yes John, no street lights for me. 15km drive for any groceries. LOVE IT !!

 

[JohnK]

Yes John, no street lights for me. 15km drive for any groceries. LOVE IT !!

I know you love it. Very peaceful and only 2 hours from Sydney.

 

[Bindibuys]

Except right now I am in QF Dom lounge having dinner.

 

[love_the_life]

....

Sorry, waffling..........

Not in the least. Fascinating.

 

[love_the_life]

Yes John, no street lights for me. 15km drive for any groceries. LOVE IT !!

Not close enough to the coffee shop for me :shock:

 

[RooFlyer]

Not close enough to the coffee shop for me :shock:

5km for me.

Nespresso machine.

 

[Steady]

Nespresso machine.

Totally off topic - wasn't coffee being discussed

 

[anat0l]

One big change I've noticed is the epidemic of hugging and kissing that goes on with secondary school girls these days.

I can understand some 'eagerness' after say the Xmas holidays but since the previous day at school?

Has social media/reality tv re-educated the western world over the last 20-25 years perhaps?

They are constantly bombarded with this image in the soaps/reality tv so it is now the new-normal.

Not sure about an "epidemic".

Hugging I get - kissing is probably a bit much unless said two people are an item (and then it's a question of where they kiss). It could also be cultural (and frequently is air kissing, then) or could well be copied from TV. After all, that whole kitschy thing of "mwah" in all sorts of evolutions has been around for ages.

A hug is not only a "greeting" but also a sign of comfort and assurance, usually exchanged between students when one of them is not feeling the best. I have no problem with this; this aspect of hugging has been - perhaps unfairly - somewhat commoditised, ie. you can go to gatherings where people just hug each other, or you can pay for hug therapy (and no, the latter is supposed to be markedly different to the world's oldest profession!)

 

[anat0l]

I was in Rome and some-one made a beeline for me in a plaza, with open arms, wearing a 'free hugs' T shirt. I'm not sure if they spoke English or not, but they were left in no doubt that I wanted them to go forth and multiply and if they touched me I'd job them. Thankfully stopped about 5m short of target.

Fair call. Being Rome, far from a free sign of human trust and goodwill, it could have been a ruse to rob you.

 

[drron]

Believe me when conveying bad news as I unfortunately have to do too often a hug means a lot.

 

[perthjay85]

Oh really? I have had nothing but good luck with Aami motor insurance, only needed it once and I wasn't at fault but it was fixed within 10 days and Aami was pestering the body shop for updates.
My partner, on the other hand, has had a fairly horrible experience with RAC wa.

It is all subjective at the end of the day really.

Following up with a huge positive with RAC WA,
The better half avoided a 3 car pile up the other morning by stopping, then the car behind her didn't stop in time and pushed her into the car in front (also knocked the dash camera plug out) so no proof. RAC were charging us the excess until they contacted the driver in front who said that our car was pushed into his.

Thankfully RAC came good and removed the excess and we now get a hire car.


Also a not to others the Kia Optima Gt cannot find the rear seats from within the car only via the boot. It's a huge PITA if someone has crushed your boot.

 

[JohnK]

My mother is sorting through her house and gradually getting rid of things. She has a friend living in another town who visits and takes things for her to go to the op shop in her town. Last time it was a pile of shoes and assorted kitchen ware. I boxed a tea set when I was there last time and it's in the cupboard with my name on it. I don't particularly like it but my parents bought it in momiry if my grandmother so I couldn't really refuse it. There is very little in Mum's place that I really want - maybe the family tree and a few old photos.

My mum has collected many things over the years. All quite valuable. More like a dowry for my brother and I. Up until recently both sons single.

Mum is very talented when it comes to knitting and crocheting. She has crocheted many landscapes which have been framed and are around the house. Some of the frames used were worth a couple of hundred dollars 20-30 years ago. And then all the table cloths she has crocheted. Unbelievable how she found the time to do it all.

While I am alive no one can touch these things. After that my daughter will have everything.