Whichever set of nice crystal glassware the local charity shop has.

Blue collar republicans like national health care. They just don’t know it’s national health care and think they are protecting the limited public health benefits they have by campaigning against “Obama care” etc.

A few weeks ago I wandered down to our local river for some peace and a beer. It’s a popular spot on long summer nights and there was a group some way down the bank having a little fire and grilling some food. After a while one of them approached and offered me something to eat. I wasn’t hungry. It was a youngish guy and he clearly had something on his mind. Turned out he was concerned for me and wanted to make sure I was OK. Was really touched.

Two weeks ago I was volunteering with British rowing for Brit Champs. Most/ all of the volunteers were parents/ rowers/ British rowing except for two uni students who just wanted to do something a bit different. They were fab.

(Was hugely proud of ASRA who had crews in the five final races on the Saturday.)

Making one thing that covers everyone’s wants is tricky. I’d focus on making “buffet” style meals that can be served cold as for me it’s about the time together. A few different salads, pizza, as your likely not to have big dishes do chicken (or whatever) but in three different styles (eg, baked, a stew and fried).

Outstanding. Should be a classic Micheal Spicer (room next door) out of that.

Do the schools do the full course?

Yep, watching the crews get to opposite Fulham’s grounds at race pace  and then accelerate for the finish was just brilliant. Having gone to everyone one of their races apart from the first I am in awe at the commitment of the kids and the coaches.

Love the stories everyone.

That’s really cool @bunnyhop

I’m really proud of my youngest. They started rowing in August last year declaring they just wanted to do the social rowing stream. Raced their first heads in November, were selected to represent their region for JIRR, were the youngest rower on the Thames for Schools Heads of the river (as part of a J16 crew). In a couple of weeks they’ll be racing at the British Championships and a few weeks ago were at Eton Dorney for Schools Champs.

They train so incredibly hard with such commitment forgoing lots of things their friends take foregranted; navigating hotels and long journeys and the emotions that come with elite sport. They have spent nearly 3 weeks away from home at competitions in 4 months. They’re 14.

In traditional STW style (and half in seriousness, half in jest). Sounds like the ideal scenario for an Ami. Technically a quad-cycle so bike related.

With all due deference to the medics on the thread (and yes I’d absolutely be listening to them) I ended up being monitored for 24 hours as an emergency admission to hospital a year or two back. I was pleasantly surprised at just how accurate my garmin optical sensor is for heart rate.

Not sure about the SE but we buy second hand iPhone 12s for our staff (there’s a mini that is about the size of an SE). Work well paying an average of £260 per phone in very good or excellent condition with 128gb memory. Will save you a bit on having two devices.

Really proud of my youngest. They attended a try to row week long course at ASRA last August  in Aberdeen (an amazing club). Two weeks ago they competed on the Thames at the Schools Heads (same course as The Boat Race). Today they are going on a week long training camp in Poland. In three weeks they will race for Scotland. They race as part of a J16 crew. At 14 they have had to learn how to be self reliant, that older kids might not quite see you as a peer, and that they absolutely deserve their seat in the boat. Anyone doing sport at that age at an elite level is amazing.

Elgin? Nairn? Moray coast. Has a decent climate and access to transport links. 

@tjagain sums it up nicely. The other known weakness in Scotland is the lack of capacity (knowledge and skills) in large scale public procurement. Again this is an investment issue I’d argue.

A decent bloke too by the sound of it

https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2023/oct/30/matthew-perry-took-me-to-aa-why-saving-people-mattered-more-to-the-star-than-friends

Can I be controversial and suggest using the WordPress theme and then using the elements available in the editor? It has plenty going for it. I like laying out pages and posts first.

CougarFull Member
Start job hunting. You’re being managed by cretins and nothing good will come of this.

Don’t disagree but I’d say be careful of that as a great deal of middle managers are mediocre as and it could just as easily be a frying pan fire thing etc

Think that’s a really good idea. I’d love to do that. Am a bit far away sadly.

I know I wildly speculated on the last thread about CRC/wiggle that signa might try to use them as some sort of bucket, to dump the wider group’s losses into a UK based business maybe. But could that be what they’ve actually done?

They way you phrase it makes sound a bit tinfoil hat, but that’s pretty much what’s happening

Sainsburies had something a week or two back. Highland park I think. 

There are some decent Caol Isla expressions for 40 if you look for something not big name.

Really all single malts are blends. Only the single barrels are truly unblended.

there was a trend for younger whiskies through the noughties partly as a result of new distilleries opening. I’m not a fan. If you like Caol Isla I can recommend the peated rum from McNairs (I think). It has a similar quality (not taste but profile). 

My daughter was bullied at school. It came out one evening and I said I’d talk to her teacher. The next day she came home and said it’s all sorted. Turned out she got two boys suspended. Don’t know how but there’s been nothing since.. 

I’m a firm believer that Karate is a great thing for kids. And otherwise let your lad talk, don’t always try to fix everything, but create opportunities (which it sounds like you’re doing). Oh and talk to the school.

I was not dog person until one day 2 years ago Layla was presented as a fait accompli. As Nick said plan to plan around the dog. I can’t bear to put Layla into a kennels which has meant that my ability to travel and stay away from home has reduced. Working from home or being flexible about where you work from is a big advantage. We offer our employees the opportunity to bring their dogs to work. And having dogs around the office has generally been well received. 

I like my edified d12. It’s great. Not hugely loud but good enough sound quality for me.

Formal complaint, to the alarm company.

Inform the social work team (even if you have no social worker).

 If you’re mum was sworn at (verbal abuse) then file with the police.

Not a dr. But from experience of low dose and you feel ok go to Drs and have a meds review. Same for the omeprazole. It’s meant to be short to medium term from memory not long.
I found getting a dog helped lift my mood. But part of that is the walking etc.

The 100+ rare Scottish apple varieties we have planted some of which will shortly be making their way to Craigievar castle.

@frankconway

uhm black americano is already tautologous as an americano is black. The other option is a latte (yeah come at me coffee snobs you’re wrong and anyway an americano is Pooh)

Brickbat

Why? Like so much in this thread it doesn’t count because it’s not irrational.

Absolutely Bunnyhop, couldn’t agree more.

Hey Matt, in terms of time taken I’ve found the train to be very helpful for getting work done. Admittedly you probably aren’t going to spend long talking to people but I get a lot of written work done. And creative thinking. Time spent travelling by train isn’t wasted for me. Whereas flying was entirely wasted time (for me).

Looking forward to your next update. Really enjoy following your rides through an area I know little about but pass through fairly frequently.

A friend of my partner offered to take the kids to Manchester for the weekend. They’ve had an amazing time. (We live in Aberdeen so not a quick jaunt.) It’s something we would really struggle to do because of work.

One other. I’m guessing that you haven’t been offered additional communication tools.
Does he have a phone or a tablet?

If he does or you have one he can use then they make a really good avenue for communicating complex feelings simply when we feel threatened, trapped or misunderstood. Really because they depersonalise the situation/ or more accurately are indirect.

When he is feeling unstressed ask him how he could use a tablet to communicate with you. This could be showing you an image or writing a message. It is then up to you to take time to listen to him by asking him leading questions that are generated by the interaction. Many young people don’t have all of the language they need to express themselves and worry they won’t be listened to or understood. Importantly encourage the use of images as part of the communication process of this helps (ie just because someone is verbal don’t discount using images).

Couple of things

But first massive respect to you and your wife.

When you speak to him do you face him? If yes try standing near him looking where he is looking not facing him.

As previously his distress is real and may be in part a response due to autism spectrum behaviour but from your description could be anxiety/ stress caused by trauma. The kind of control behaviour that he is showing is completely understandable if you have had no control. So, give him control. When my daughter stopped eating we stopped eating around a table and started watching tv. This meant the food wasn’t the focus and so she could eat on her terms.

Similarly think about how choice is offered. For eg. Your room needs to be cleaned I can say “go clean your room” or I can say “how can I help you clean your room” this again changes the focus from the room being cleaned to offering choice. Again with my daughter we don’t leave it as an open question but rather say “this will happen, would you like it help in format A or B” as too much choice is over whelming.

@convert Tate has his hooks into people well beyond the teenage boy demographic. He and folk like Peterson hold a far broader appeal then has been credited. Toby Young/ Laurence Fox and the free speech union all sit on the same end of the spectrum of reactionary, regressive thinking. Tate and brand share a very similar mode of operation – that of the radical cult. Similar conversations around de-radicalisation as were had over a decade ago could and should happen today.

What a brilliant thing to do. Go for it.

One issue that Brexit has brought to such activities is the need for additional paperwork if you are bringing bikes with you. I think there was a thread here recently regarding a scout group and their kit.

None at all, but this is about biological males wanting to compete with biological female

This is a not unsurprising misconception of the issue. Mostly a product of fear, but also a product of a lack of consciousness.

The number of male to female transitions is small. The number of those who transition who want to compete is vanishingly small.

The issue of competition also exists for non-binary and female to male.

My youngest identifies as non-binary. They are getting into rowing in a serious way. And already the question of where they compete is on the horizon. So, before they even begin they are worrying about whether they will be allowed to compete. And all because of an ignorant and divisive social and cultural war designed to marginalise.

Things to do. The Natural History Museum. Also wandering around Greenwhich by the river.

Thank you for sticking your neck out @stwhannah it means a lot.

Azalea Banks. She has some fairly explicit lyrics about adventurous activities between the sheets. And I’m pretty sure she’s one the young people listen to.