I used to work in a university and had a meeting with two academics. One turned up in fleece, shorts and hiking boots and the other was in a full three-piece suit, pocket watch and cravat.

They got on like a house on fire and were close colleagues for years.

Dummies Guide for general knowledge!

Ffs. Ignore this lot. It’s bloody amazing. We’ve been to Windsor and Billund. Windsor is bigger and more spread out so do expect a lot of walking. Also, standard theme park advice – start at the far end and work your way back. The lego fries are ace.

I did a ‘managing difficult conversations’ course back in’t day and this was the example. It was focused on a manager having the conversation but basically the lessons were:
– have some empathy – it’s a pretty nasty thing to hear
– get to the point – don’t waffle or hint
– take some responsibility – “I’ve noticed”, not ‘lots of people have mentioned’
– find out if there are any underlying reasons
– ask if there’s anything that can be done to help

DT78 – Member
As I’m the only one who has a Scooby what is going on this might be interesting.
…
30 secs in get asked random question, further random questions so you end up talking all over the topic rather than the structured planned approach…

ABC!
You’re there to give your message. That’s what’s important and what they need to hear. If random qs come up:
Acknowledge – thanks for the q, give a short answer if you can, then…
Bridge – ‘that’s related to my point because’, or ‘i’ll touch on that later in the conversation..’
Continue with your message.

Media training 101 – politicians do it all the time but always forget about the ‘acknowledge/ answer’ bit so they just look arrogant and bluster on.

If you get it right, you look confident, unflappable and able get your message across effectively

Gravitas isn’t a ‘thing’ – it’s something others perceive, so it’s about how you come across. Obvious first step is to ask what they think you’re missing.

I think key elements are capability, integrity, communication, confidence, listening skills, empathy and, regrettably, looking the part.

“If any of you has reasons why these two should not be married, speak now or forever hold your peace.”

Jamie – Member
I’m proudly xenophobic.

After watching the documentary with that Ripley lady, who wouldn’t be?

What’s Sigourney Weaver got to do with this?

kimbers – Member
When asked how long that would take, he agreed it’s years, rather than months, so would take way longer than a Parliament to actually derive any value.
imagine planning long term rather than just looking to make yourself look good for the next election !!

But McDonnell said that they only put in the manifesto what they will deliver within the term of the Parliament. There’s setting a vision and including a policy promise and he’s not clear about the difference.

ransos – Member
Most of which was incurred by…..oh. Hold on. Erm.
Awks. As the kids say.

It was a Tory idea, enthusiastically embraced by New Labour. I’m not sure why that’s awkward for Corbyn & McDonnell.

Shadow Health Sec said on the Today programme that we needed all those lovely shiny new buildings as “in the 90s many hospitals and schools were still in Victorian buildings”. He went on to say that most PFI contracts did give value for money but a small number were costing too much. His proposal was to go through every PFI contract out there and assess VFM. When asked how long that would take, he agreed it’s years, rather than months, so would take way longer than a Parliament to actually derive any value.

Seems it’s another meaningless headline policy

kimbers – Member

silly that they are not debating brexit, but its all the Tories can talk about and look what its doing to them.

That’s because the Tories are (just about!) in government and Brexit is the most important issue in government for decades. It’s easy in opposition as there’s no need for firm policies other than those which will win over undecideds at the next election – hence renationalising the railways.

Labour is in a mess over Brexit – McDonnell fudged it this morning as ‘building a consensus within the party’ – and they’re taking the opportunity to avoid the difficult questions this week.

Thanks – the Harveys one is nice.

Background:
I was riding round Keighley yesterday (ugh) and thinking that there are some amazing road climbs around there and it would be really handy to have an instant view of the ascent of each climb by overlaying the roads onto some colours – eg:

Most climbs start at 80-100m, the biggest finish at 350m. It would be great to easily see which roads top out at 350m, 300m, 250m etc etc without having to find contours.

Oh my. Look at the cast list!

I’d suggest 2 key things if buying used:
1) Do you need/ want discs?
2) Will you use the bike for anything other than racing? – look for guard/ rack mounts etc if you want to commute/ tour, etc.

The darn sarf bit might be a problem but my first two ‘mountains’ both fit the bill – Pen y Ghent (Dales) and Catbells (Lakes).

Both ~4-5 miles in total, 1,500’ish ascent and look spectacular.

Edit: Also Win Hill (Peak)?

Superficially tidy (but don’t open any cupboards as the resulting avalanche of clutter can maim or kill)

Is it wrong that the garage is the tidyest room in the house?

chakaping – Member

Have they made the course so flat to attract all the sprinters who swerved the vuelta? The finishes have been good at least.

I heard that they design the route to mirror the Worlds course to try to attract contenders for the Worlds. I hope this is true as otherwise this isn’t exactly the best showcase of what Britain has to offer cyclists!

Timothy Taylor’s Boltmaker
Saltaire blonde
Duval
Adnams do an amazing earl-grey infused lager and this has reminded me to investigate whether they do online orders!

Superficial – Member
the magazine top bras…

Snigger

It’s a bit depressing really and, like the person caught with their hand in the till that says ‘it’s the first time I’ve done it’ – no, it’s the first time you’ve been caught doing it. There’s definitely a suspicion that this is a cultural norm.

Not so much the romance but I think Hell or High Water ticks most of the boxes. And Jeff Bridges.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2582782/

This flew over me yesterday:
http://www.examiner.co.uk/news/you-see-huge-plane-over-13526079

It was a monster

It’s about what you want from work – personally, if I’m learning new stuff, working with a wide range of people and I feel that I have some expertise and am valued, then I’m prepared to put up with a level of stress and crap.

I find being bored and working solely for the salary infinitely more stressful. I had a job where the need was “keep it alive” and was basically told to do the bare minimum. It brought out the worst in me and I had to get out to save my sanity!

My dad had a colt czc turbo convertible. It was hilarious fun

We love north Norfolk – beaches, treetop playgrounds, boat trips, little steam trains, pottering villages and nice pubs. Holkham estate and beach are great for kids.

I don’t think it’s a run. Putting the pace and distance together, it’s longer than most peoples’ marathon training runs at marathon pace for a 2:30 runner.

That means that it’s either marathon race pace for about the top 0.5% of club runners (which they wouldn’t do for that distance unless it’s a race) or an easier run for a genuine elite.

It’s either Wilson Kipsang or a guy on a bike.

finbar – Member
all live on massive farms in Leicestershire

He said north 😉

Whatever’s comfortable for the traditional post-disco punch-up. I’d suggest some of the season’s finest from Superdry or Crosshatch. Or a selection of classic pieces from Sports Direct.

Also, you wouldn’t want to get gravy from the pies on your new clothes, so some sort of bib is advisable.

CaptainFlashheart – Member

Any?

Ah, um, ahem. Forgot about that one.

I’d still love a Klein of any variety!

Shook Rolf Harris’s hand once.

Also met Paolo di Canio, of referee-pushing-over (and fascism) fame.

Yes yes yes!

You’ve talked a lot about what she wants – and I agree with those saying you need a proper conversation with her.

I haven’t seen anything about what you want from this – it’s your baby too. What would you like to see? What relationship do you want with your child in 10 years?

I have to do this for me and my team. I think there are 3 routes:
1) I’m in the right role – I have stuff to learn in my current role, I enjoy it and there’s room to develop, etc etc
2) I’m interested in moving to a similar role elsewhere in the organisation – same level but extending skills more broadly
3) I want to move to the next level upwards

Something for everyone here I think?

prototype plasma arc furnace thyristor rectifier

Possibly the greatest combination of words ever. Dickens, Bronte(s): you got nowt on this guy.

A work colleague had one of these and it was his pride and joy until it broke down. And then again. And then again. 3 breakdowns (properly stranded by the side of the road), all gearbox-related.

He got rid and now has a VW Toerag.

He loved it when it was working though.

Edit: but that’s a sample of 1 and he may have got a duff one, etc, etc.

Diamond also proposes geographical explanations for why western European societies, rather than other Eurasian powers such as China, have been the dominant colonizers,[2][6] claiming Europe’s geography favored balkanization into smaller, closer, nation-states, bordered by natural barriers of mountains, rivers, and coastline. Threats posed by immediate neighbours ensured governments that suppressed economic and technological progress soon corrected their mistakes or were outcompeted relatively quickly, whilst the region’s leading powers changed over time. Other advanced cultures developed in areas whose geography was conducive to large, monolithic, isolated empires, without competitors that might have forced the nation to reverse mistaken policies such as China banning the building of ocean-going ships.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guns,_Germs,_and_Steel

Geography and history, innit. For thousands of years we’ve been fiefdoms, city states and then countries based on geography and resources. Transport and technology have rendered most land borders irrelevant, but not the Channel, which puts GB literally and symbolically apart from ‘Europe’.

From a slightly different perspective I’m reading Team of Rivals at the moment: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Team-Rivals-Political-Abraham-Lincoln/dp/0141043725

It’s about how the Republican party came into being, how Lincoln ended up the nominee and then President and how slavery and secession were the backdrop to the politics of the whole era. It’s about how he formed his cabinet and then led the North through the Civil War.

theotherjonv – Member
… your foreskin rolling right down and then continuing to roll round like a roller blind – like in the old Tom and Jerry cartoons

😯 I must have missed those cartoons

I went for a ride with one of my Directors – he’s small and light and slower on the flats but flew up climbs like he had a motor. I dragged him along the flats and he waited at the top of the climbs.

We had fun and agreed in a moment of madness to ride the Tour de France Yorkshire stages for charity. Turned out he had more endurance than me too but I have the routefinding ability so we again evened out and we raised over £2k.

We’re now friends too, not just Director/ lackey.

The secret Thunderbird 6 coming in to land – you can see the runway markers on the fake lake surface.