Seemingly trivial things that cheer you up

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  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 25,812
    dennisn said:

    Just knowing that there are people out there who will spend 175 USD on Abbey Bike Tools chain tool. It has to be a sort of show off thing but who would they show it to and who would be impressed? I might be impressed if you bought a Jag or Rolls and drove it around but what will you do with a 175 USD bike tool? Carry it in your pocket to parties? I would venture to guess that almost 100% of the world's population would think you an idiot for buying this.

    I saw a wall mounted bike rack for £750. Take it that wouldn't float your boat either?
    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.
  • rjsterry
    rjsterry Posts: 27,703
    briantrumpet said:

    After right-wingers getting all upset about virtue signalling by BBC presenters, the wearing of poppies of all colours becoming part of the debate.

    https://www.theguardian.com/media/2020/oct/31/remembrance-poppies-drawn-into-bbc-row-over-virtue-signalling

    With an interesting view at the end:

    "Davie has faced criticism for using the phrase “virtue signalling”, which was first used in an article in the Spectator in 2015. Ironically, the fiercest criticism has come from the Spectator’s own literary editor, Sam Leith, who accused Davie of using “a fatuous culture-wars catchphrase”.

    “The term ‘virtue signalling’ is not an argument but a sneer,” wrote Leith. “When you say somebody is ‘virtue signalling’, you’re not bothering to commit yourself to an argument about whether the position they are taking is right or wrong. Rather, you are making a groundless and unfalsifiable presumption about their motive for doing so and using that as the supposed basis to dismiss the whole shebang. It immediately, lazily and arrogantly, frames any assertion of a moral or political principle as an act of narcissism.”

    Amen.

    And it's in the Spectator so it must be true 😏
    1985 Mercian King of Mercia - work in progress (Hah! Who am I kidding?)
    Pinnacle Monzonite

    Part of the anti-growth coalition
  • briantrumpet
    briantrumpet Posts: 17,941
    rjsterry said:

    briantrumpet said:

    After right-wingers getting all upset about virtue signalling by BBC presenters, the wearing of poppies of all colours becoming part of the debate.

    https://www.theguardian.com/media/2020/oct/31/remembrance-poppies-drawn-into-bbc-row-over-virtue-signalling

    With an interesting view at the end:

    "Davie has faced criticism for using the phrase “virtue signalling”, which was first used in an article in the Spectator in 2015. Ironically, the fiercest criticism has come from the Spectator’s own literary editor, Sam Leith, who accused Davie of using “a fatuous culture-wars catchphrase”.

    “The term ‘virtue signalling’ is not an argument but a sneer,” wrote Leith. “When you say somebody is ‘virtue signalling’, you’re not bothering to commit yourself to an argument about whether the position they are taking is right or wrong. Rather, you are making a groundless and unfalsifiable presumption about their motive for doing so and using that as the supposed basis to dismiss the whole shebang. It immediately, lazily and arrogantly, frames any assertion of a moral or political principle as an act of narcissism.”

    Amen.

    And it's in the Spectator so it must be true 😏

    It reminds me of how 'politically correct' was used as a weapon to try to stop discussion of how language affects the way we conceptualise the world around us. When I point out to pupils that the Black and White Minstrel Show was mainstream entertainment in the 70s, as was the song "Thank heaven for Little Girls" ("for little girls get bigger every day" etc), their jaws drop.
    https://www.facebook.com/unanglaisendiois
  • orraloon
    orraloon Posts: 12,697
    Listening to Lizzy Banks as a 'guest presenter' owning The Cycling Podcast. She is just so much better than that pair of waffle merchants Moore and Birnie. More Lizzy please.
  • orraloon
    orraloon Posts: 12,697
    Happy evening! Which is good given... y'know...

    Caught the 2nd hour of Elvis Costello co-presenting with Tom Robinson on 6Music. Such a good artist(e). Showing my age but rehearing his old stuff pressed my buttons, even those on my Green Shirt 😉, his recent material is v good and his attitude to life is bob on.

    Will catch up on the first hour shortly. Digital media is good.
  • Jezyboy
    Jezyboy Posts: 2,930
    rjsterry said:

    briantrumpet said:

    After right-wingers getting all upset about virtue signalling by BBC presenters, the wearing of poppies of all colours becoming part of the debate.

    https://www.theguardian.com/media/2020/oct/31/remembrance-poppies-drawn-into-bbc-row-over-virtue-signalling

    With an interesting view at the end:

    "Davie has faced criticism for using the phrase “virtue signalling”, which was first used in an article in the Spectator in 2015. Ironically, the fiercest criticism has come from the Spectator’s own literary editor, Sam Leith, who accused Davie of using “a fatuous culture-wars catchphrase”.

    “The term ‘virtue signalling’ is not an argument but a sneer,” wrote Leith. “When you say somebody is ‘virtue signalling’, you’re not bothering to commit yourself to an argument about whether the position they are taking is right or wrong. Rather, you are making a groundless and unfalsifiable presumption about their motive for doing so and using that as the supposed basis to dismiss the whole shebang. It immediately, lazily and arrogantly, frames any assertion of a moral or political principle as an act of narcissism.”

    Amen.

    And it's in the Spectator so it must be true 😏
    The moment you agree not only agree with something in the spectator, but also find it articulates a general feeling you have had but haven't been able to explain.

    I guess that's why I did numbers at university!
  • bompington
    bompington Posts: 7,674
    This always cheers me up: despite cold (3º) heavy rain and wind, the first sight of snow on the hills above my commute this morning.

    Here's what it looks like (not my pic, just the first one from today found on Twitter)


  • shirley_basso
    shirley_basso Posts: 6,195
    edited November 2020
    Whereabouts are you again bomp?

    I was in Abeedeenshire last week and just saw the odd flurry of snow, nothing settling.
  • bompington
    bompington Posts: 7,674
    shirley_basso said:

    Whereabouts are you again bomp?

    I was in Abeedeenshire last week and just saw the odd flurry of snow, nothing settling.

    Angus. My commute takes me along the southern edge of Strathmore, which any geologist would be able to tell you is the Highland Boundary Fault: on the south side low hills up to about 450m, on the north side foothills rise to the Highlands proper - the hills of the Angus glens are the nearest, but on a good day you can see Schiehallion (1083m, 64km away), Ben Lawers (1214m, 71km), Glas Maol (top of the Glenshee ski centre, 1058m, 35km) and Lochnagar (1155m, 40km). Ben Vorlich, at 76km, is the furthest point I've been able to make out, but there may be other points further away just peeking over the nearer hills*.

    I like my commute.


    *https://www.peakfinder.org is a really good timehole if you're at all cartographically inclined: it shows the entire panorama, labelled and everything, from any point, but obviously it's hard to find everything you can see in the course of an entire route. The furthest visible hills may be 90km or so away.
  • bompington
    bompington Posts: 7,674
    I should maybe get on with some work now. :(
  • shirley_basso
    shirley_basso Posts: 6,195
    Nice! My parents are at the foot of Bennachie so great views of the Cairngorms from up there. Glenshee and Lecht are ridable but about 100 mile round trip. Funnily enough it's not as hilly as you'd think - more akin to south downs than the Alps!
  • orraloon
    orraloon Posts: 12,697
    edited November 2020
    Ben Atchay! Wherabouts? My parents, now departed, lived in Inverurie. I had some good rides on the forest roads around and about Bennachie. Xxxx, not been back that way in 4.5 years... time goes on and on...

    Edit: 'whereabouts' should of course have read as 'furryboots' 😊
  • shirley_basso
    shirley_basso Posts: 6,195
    edited November 2020
    Burnhervie! Done lots of lovely riding around there over lockdown. Mainly out west. God it's beautiful (photos which will cheer you up to follow)

    Edit maybe not as I can't seem to upload photos onto my usual hosting site
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,602
    People pretending to be American rednecks and posting in cliched vernacular to prove that they really, genuinely are what they say.
  • pinno
    pinno Posts: 51,377
    bompington said:

    blah...blah...blah...

    Gorgeous part of the world. Been up Schiehallion by road (Cal Etape) and by foot.

    seanoconn - gruagach craic!
  • bompington
    bompington Posts: 7,674
    Ah yes, the etape cal where the publicity makes a big deal about "climbing Schiehallion" when they mean "ride past the car park at the bottom"


    (TBF it is a half decent climb)
  • morstar
    morstar Posts: 6,190
    bompington said:

    Ah yes, the etape cal where the publicity makes a big deal about "climbing Schiehallion" when they mean "ride past the car park at the bottom"


    (TBF it is a half decent climb)

    That’s one of the peculiarities of cycling. If you only ever saw mountains in the context of cycling, you’d think a col was a mountain. Not the low point between them.
  • Charlie_Croker
    Charlie_Croker Posts: 1,699
    morstar said:

    bompington said:

    Ah yes, the etape cal where the publicity makes a big deal about "climbing Schiehallion" when they mean "ride past the car park at the bottom"


    (TBF it is a half decent climb)

    That’s one of the peculiarities of cycling. If you only ever saw mountains in the context of cycling, you’d think a col was a mountain. Not the low point between them.
    Interesting, so a Col is a saddle, I'm still learning :)
  • TheBigBean
    TheBigBean Posts: 20,646
    edited November 2020
    Charlie_Croker said:

    morstar said:

    bompington said:

    Ah yes, the etape cal where the publicity makes a big deal about "climbing Schiehallion" when they mean "ride past the car park at the bottom"


    (TBF it is a half decent climb)

    That’s one of the peculiarities of cycling. If you only ever saw mountains in the context of cycling, you’d think a col was a mountain. Not the low point between them.
    Interesting, so a Col is a saddle, I'm still learning :)
    Same as a pass e.g. Khyber pass

  • thistle_
    thistle_ Posts: 7,155
    dennisn said:

    Just knowing that there are people out there who will spend 175 USD on Abbey Bike Tools chain tool. It has to be a sort of show off thing but who would they show it to and who would be impressed?

    When googling "Abbey Bike Tools" to see what the fuss is about, that one of the search results is Wiggle's Lifeline toolkit for £29.99, and it includes a chain tool.

  • veronese68
    veronese68 Posts: 27,337
    https://www.musicradar.com/news/is-this-black-sabbath-cover-by-king-crimson-guitarist-robert-fripp-and-his-wife-toyah-the-oddest-tribute-of-2020?utm_content=buffera4fc0&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=buffer-musicradarfb
    Kinesis Pro6
    Marin Nail Trail
    Cotic Solaris
  • bompington
    bompington Posts: 7,674
    So far in November - 4 days commuting, 2 in shorts


    (wouldn't be so cheering, or for that matter remotely trivial, in the skiing season)
  • capt_slog
    capt_slog Posts: 3,946
    veronese68 said:

    https://www.musicradar.com/news/is-this-black-sabbath-cover-by-king-crimson-guitarist-robert-fripp-and-his-wife-toyah-the-oddest-tribute-of-2020?utm_content=buffera4fc0&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=buffer-musicradarfb

    How bizarre. :) as was 'smoke on the water' just down the page.


    The older I get, the better I was.

  • pinno
    pinno Posts: 51,377
    'Music radar'. now there's a thing.
    Is there BR doppelgangers lurking in there in a parallel universe?
    seanoconn - gruagach craic!
  • veronese68
    veronese68 Posts: 27,337
    pinno said:

    'Music radar'. now there's a thing.
    Is there BR doppelgangers lurking in there in a parallel universe?

    I didn't venture into the forums to see if there's a Brexit thread.
    Kinesis Pro6
    Marin Nail Trail
    Cotic Solaris
  • pinno
    pinno Posts: 51,377
    veronese68 said:

    pinno said:

    'Music radar'. now there's a thing.
    Is there BR doppelgangers lurking in there in a parallel universe?

    I didn't venture into the forums to see if there's a Brexit thread.
    Phew. We may not have saved you.
    seanoconn - gruagach craic!
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,602
    Discovering that my daughter's boyfriend, who moved in with us just before we had our lockdown, enjoys cooking and is very good at it. We had the best roast dinner I've had in a long time yesterday.
  • ballysmate
    ballysmate Posts: 15,921
    Pross said:

    Discovering that my daughter's boyfriend, who moved in with us just before we had our lockdown, enjoys cooking and is very good at it. We had the best roast dinner I've had in a long time yesterday.

    Did you mention that to Mrs Pross?
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,602
    ballysmate said:

    Pross said:

    Discovering that my daughter's boyfriend, who moved in with us just before we had our lockdown, enjoys cooking and is very good at it. We had the best roast dinner I've had in a long time yesterday.

    Did you mention that to Mrs Pross?
    Yes, she said the same. She doesn't like cooking and we've tended to go to my parent's for Sunday dinner most weeks since we've been married.
  • ballysmate
    ballysmate Posts: 15,921
    Your old dear will have to up her game then :D

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