Just pretend the prawn cocktail crisps are tomato crisps, i’m sure that’s what the flavouring on the ingredients list on the packet says anyway.

Here and Jims Beer Kit, occasionally lurk at Fixed Gear Gallery forum, started looking at Edinburgh Fixed Gear, though heehaw happens there. Also Bikeradar Pro Race le dopage scandals and lance-bashing, and the Girls in Knitwear thread in Cake Stop.

allthepies – Member
Time travel is impossible. Otherwise we’d be overun with visitors from the future blabbing about where they’d come from.

Depends, maybe a tiny bit in the future these scientists had paved the way for time travel only for that volcano in the other thread to whoof it all away

It is pretty astounding though. And the mind boggles at the measuring – 0.00000006 seconds (!!!!) faster than expected with the particles arrival being detected by bricks with an ultra-sensitive covering. I really hope another team can verify it with a similar experiment.

I can make a decent cuppa though haven’t a clue about faster than light sub-atomic particles.

Was just a thought. I wonder if they’re the kind of super-intelligent scientists that have trouble switching on a kettle though! Faster than light particles – yes; make a cuppa – er, eh?

All sounds pretty fab. Though did they measure distance point to point on the map, whereas if they’re doing it underground wouldn’t the curvature in the earth shorten the distance a fraction which could account for the seemingly ‘faster’ speed? I’m sure they’d thought of that though.

bobbin cycles has a good range

I’ve got a photo of the fixie so I may post it in the spotted thread of the edinburgh fixed gear forum. It could be art students or gentlemanly fun. I met TJ a few years back, doesn’t look like him, don’t know what anyone else looks like though SBZ lives nearby I believe

They’re out the puddle and deflating the duck. The sheep in the field don’t seem too concerned.

I know folks who like Dunoon, but we’ve been to Lochgoilhead quite a few times. Argyll Holidays[/url] has self catering at several locations including Dunoon and Lochgoilhead. For Lochgoilhead there’s the option of staying on Drimsynie Estate or in an apartment in the village itself. Not too expensive, and it’s a stunning place and we’ve always found it nice and relaxing. Plenty walking and biking options. Website usually has good special offer deals going too.

We’ve already watched Wall-e this morning with a cuppa and it’s not gone 0800 yet.

I’d echo uplink there, enjoy the mornings. Elmo’s world is on at 6.35am on C5. Or go for an early morning walk with them. We do that often, and it’s great being up and out before everyone. Also lets my wife get a longer lie.

Can’t offer any real advice, but you’re not alone. Our 4 year old has always been a crap sleeper, and like yours is one of those kids that just doesn’t need much sleep. She goes to bed around 9 and is up at 6. If she goes to bed earlier, her sleep is terrible. She’s like the Duracell bunny.

If your son is 5, has he started school? Has that made any difference? Small consolation is that in 8 years you’ll probably have the other problem and won’t be able to get him out of bed in the morning, bloomin teenagers.

Every kid is different, and while others proclaim ‘ours goes down at 7, and wakes at 7’ is great for them it’s not a one method works for all. Doesn’t help when you’re knackered though.

Why don’t those call centre workers ‘only do a job’ which doesn’t involve intruding on my privacy?

Maybe it’s the only job they could get, or was on offer? I totally understand your point of view though, but for me I just don’t get that wound up by it. Anyone important will phone on my mobile, the house phone can always get unplugged or ignored, or youngest daughter can answer it, she’s good at screening calls – even screens out family sometimes which is useful

I always think I’d like to wind up a cold caller, but guilt gets the better of me – they’re only doing a job, and possibly not that great paid a job in the grand scheme of things, without getting grief from me. It’s only if they’re cheeky or such like that I’ll start back at them. Also never verify stuff to anyone claiming to be the bank (or any company even), I know who I am, they should prove who they are and that they should be speaking to me.

No.2 especially likes Build Your Wild Self[/url] though not much fussed about other computery stuff. It’s New York Zoos and Aquariums so must be educaitonal.

I’ve got a few of the cheapo Tesco and Morrisons ones (1L capacity) – they’re fine for what they are at that price. Liquid inside isn’t kept as hot as I’d like, but were fine for a mid-point drink on the holiday drive during the summer.

I’ve got a couple of Coleman flasks (1L and 0.75L) that are simply superb with the liquid still piping hot a day later. However, they’re 15 years old so no idea what the current ones are like.

Only thing I’ve found is that I’ve been less impressed with flasks with the fancy pour systems for either pouring or keeping the liquid nice and hot – much prefer the simple screw cap flasks, with pour grooves in the side.

Hey rightplacerighttime, I wasn’t having a go at you or the studies you were linking to or their findings, sorry if it came across that way. i’ll probably read through it all again later when i’m on a computer and not my phone.

There are parents who let their kids sit in front of a telly from the moment they get in from school to the moment they go to bed and wonder why they don’t sleep right or for younger ones why they’re bouncing around like nutters before bedtime. Most would agree that’s far from ideal. A little bit of telly though likely won’t prove catastrophic, again for me it’s a question of balance and as parents we are the ones who are the ones to ensure a balance.

And then there’s the teenage hormones that turn them into zombies when all we can do is support them through it and realise it’s natural and all of them go through it.

Let’s face it, we’re all trying to do our best by our kids and that’s what counts. It’s not fair for me to judge another parent on their decisions and choices in the same way it’s not fair for another parent to be judgemental about our parental decisions. No one’s perfect and there’s always going to be things you’d like to have done differently, in the same way our parents probably think. Unless there’s abuse or neglect parents are probably doing just fine.

Our youngest spent her first year of talking sounding like peppa pig before a scottish accent developed. Now 4, she goes around trying to sound like Captain Jack Sparrow and declaring ”why is the rum always gone?”

Books are considered great for kids, most would agree, but any kid sitting around reading all the time isn’t getting balance in the same way a kid spending all their time on computer games isn’t. You also get good books and crap books for kids. Balance.

It’s all a question of balance, there’s nothing wrong with a gadget if it will be played with, child or adult. A gadget bought for the sake of buying a gadget or because their or your friends have one that ends up sitting unused is just a crap choice of present, not the gadget’s fault, in the same way that other tat that aunties, uncles, etc.buy at christmas often go unplayed with. If someone thinks they’ll get an ipod touch for their child it could be a great present or an expensive shelf filler. With some careful thought they should hopefully have an idea which. I know my 4 yo would get loads out of an mp3 player, but wouldn’t dream of getting her a netbook or ipod touch or a handheld games console thingy as she simply wouldn’t be interested. Though a light sabre, you should have seen her face light up the first time she fired up one of those.

When I were a lad me and my brother shared an old tape player for listening to the wombles tunes , etc. No doubt that was cutting edge gadgetry at the time, it even had a red record button. It was well used and played with.

Now my 4 year old wants an ipod for christmas – we’re going to get one of the cheaper similar looking mp3 players. Thing is, we know she’ll use it for playing all her disney tunes that she loves to sing along to. Kiddy cd players break too easy and she can easily flick between songs on our mp3 player or phones already. Way I see it is work out why they’ve asked for it, will they use it and is it affordable.

I also had a zx spectrum when I must have been bout 9 as a joint christmas present with my brother as I imagine perhaps many here did? Nowadays the equivalent would likely be a netbook or a smart phone. It’s what just different times and stuff has progressed.

we also played outdoors, in the woods, climbed trees, etc. It’s not the gadgets, it’s the parent attitude towards them and how they’re played with. How many parents sit for ages messing about on smart phones in front of their kids instead of playing with them?

Beersmith info[/url]

BIA Brewer[/url]

BIAB part of Jims Beer Kit Forum

Haven’t tried it myself yet, though would like to. Seems a hell of a lot less faffy than full all-grain; much simpler, less equipment, more relaxed, Aussie style.

Brew in a Bag method? Taken off in Oz, and starting to over here. Less equipment needed so less outlay at the start, especially if just switching over to all-grain.

It’ll be a child’s next time …

A cute one for balance

Bit more my kind of old skool, and uplifting for me.

And remember watching Frank Sidebottom on No. 73. Now that was classic saturday morning kids telly.

Did anyone watch the other Max Headroom show, set 2 minutes in the future or something with Matt Frewer who played Max Headroom in a live action role. Used to be on through the night on Channel 4 or something.

EDIT: 1987 – 1988 “In the near future, an intrepid investigative TV reporter does his job with the help of his colleagues and a computerized version of himself.”

Castle Campbell

now singing in my head the ditty:

“The Campbells are coming you ken by the smell;
the dirty wee [sweary ‘B’ word] are running like hell”

That Gibraltar pic is ace, and it’s been an age since I read Magician.

Menstrie Castle

And a bit of history:

“Menstrie Castle, a three-storey castellated house, was home to a branch of the Clan MacAllister who anglicised their name to Alexander.

Sir William Alexander (1557 – 1644) was to become 1st Earl of Stirling in 1633. In 1626, he had been appointed as Principal Secretary of State for Scotland and entrusted with the establishment of a Scottish colony in Nova Scotia in Canada.

He advised King James VI to found the Order of Baronets of Nova Scotia as a money making scheme. For the payment of 1,000 merks, new baronets were granted a 16,000 acre estate in the developing colony. The scheme failed and in 1631, Charles I ceded the lands to Louis XIII of France, and ordered the 4 settlers to burn their buildings. After the failure of the scheme, William died bankrupt in London in 1644. His embalmed body was brought North and interred in the family vault in the High Kirk of Stirling.

There are still about 100 Baronets of Nova Scotia in existence. Many of them are descended from ancestors who once nominally owned territory which they would never see.”

The library also used to be there when I were a lad.

Cheers all, guess we’ll pop to the shop for some basic kit and whap it in the sea and see what transpires. We can always get fish and chips on the way home. She caught a 7 inch plaice on holiday with her bare hands and wants to do it properly now.

velo solo have the disc mount hubs and lots more lovely bits.

A fine piece of architecture opting for the windowless approach, The Gunner, Muirhouse, Edinburgh. Although I’m sure it’s due to be flattened.

Sam Smiths pub problems? Sam Smiths[/url]

Good beer, shocking central management by all accounts

Reminds me of one of these

Scotland, no holiday for me. Sitting in a team meeting, oh man.

Have to admit I’ve been toying with the idea of building a half-fat bike (just somemthing else to ride/play with and haven’t the pennies for a full version). However, seeing the other half-fat bikes with big tyre up front, thinner tyre at back, that look doesn’t appeal – so is the thinner tyre at back so you don’t have to worry about messing with chainline and stuff to avoid having the chain rub against a chunkier tyre? Is there a tyre width when this starts causing a problem?