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Just for fun: the random, useless announcements thread!
Well I had just got home from supermarket shopping and was putting the shopping away, when through the kitchen window a burst of colour crossed my line of vision ...So dropped everything, grabbed my phone and headed for the deck...
A pair of Eastern Rosellas made their presence felt.... in a colourful way...
@FleaMarket I was inspired by Shoshin. In fact, I always thought that skinny dip meant something else. I thought it was just to take a quick "dip" into the water (for some reason, skinny I translated to "rapidito", like a quick dip and out).
@Jeroen I have this app called Drops and they offer Sanskrit too. I'm between adding that to Japanese, or Ainu...
I have new neighbors. They accepted my housewarming gift of cherry tomatoes and have been quite helpful getting me out of bed in the morning so far. They are building a nest in the tree behind my house and seem to think my chimney is a toilet.
4
federicaSeeker of the clear blue sky...Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubtModerator
... any port in a storm...
Let's face it, we humans seem to think this planet is our toilet, so you can't blame them for giving shit back...
I did the same but unfortunately no leads @FleaMarket,... However, at times some locals attach plaques to wooden benches with a personal quote on them...
0
federicaSeeker of the clear blue sky...Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubtModerator
@Shoshin1 said:
Well just been over to Auckland, had an eye test and ordered my new glasses, "$895" (that's around half the return airfare to Europe)....
I have had the glasses I'm wearing for 4 years, or just over. Covid put an end to 'regular check-up' discipline. The result is, both my H and I have eye tests today. I will DEFINITELY need new lenses, and the frames I currently have can't be used, because otherwise I will be without glasses for 2 weeks or so...
The trip to the opticians for both of us is going to cost the best part of a grand....
Fortunately, they accept standing order payments...so we can split the cost into Monthly instalments, with no interest.... but hellfire....!
Well... Here they are! I ain't nuthin' if not a trendsetter...!
Humid and overcast on this morning's jolk, but very calm, next to no wind and calm sea...
As I was entering the shared driveway of the property I live on, a very large dog came bounding towards me, my heart started to race a little, I thought "Uh oh how am I going to get out of this?" then I heard its human companion call my name "Hi ......." and as the dog got closer I recognised it, (I don't wear glasses when jolking) it was Henry my friend's dog, it bound up to me and jumped up to say hi, slobbered all over me and nearly knocked me over....My friend's in Oz visiting his daughter , and his son is looking after his dog and had decided to take him for a walk near where I live...
I'm off to the city later to pick up my new glasses....I guess I'll do a bit of shopping too, while over there....
2
JeroenLuminous beings are we, not this crude matterNetherlandsVeteran
edited May 2022
Yes, my aunt also has a very enthusiastic and rather large dog, and whenever i go walking with her as i approach them i have to deal with his affectionate greetings. He doesn’t slobber but he does jump and put his dirty paws all over your jacket…
0
JeroenLuminous beings are we, not this crude matterNetherlandsVeteran
Anyone watch the Eurovision song festival? I understand (from family who watched) that Ukraine won…
federicaSeeker of the clear blue sky...Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubtModerator
@Jeroen said:
Anyone watch the Eurovision song festival? I understand (from family who watched) that Ukraine won…
Ukraine won, but it was a sympathy vote. UK came second, but would definitely have won - if Ukraine hadn't got the sympathy vote. But that's ok. All the songs are bloody awful and they're underpinned by fantastic light shows and crazy dancing. Not like it was in my day...
Australia was bizarre....
@Jeroen said:
Anyone watch the Eurovision song festival? I understand (from family who watched) that Ukraine won…
Ukraine won, but it was a sympathy vote. UK came second, but would definitely have won - if Ukraine hadn't got the sympathy vote. But that's ok. All the songs are bloody awful and they're underpinned by fantastic light shows and crazy dancing. Not like it was in my day...
Australia was bizarre....
Why on earth are Australia competing in Eurovision???!!!
0
JeroenLuminous beings are we, not this crude matterNetherlandsVeteran
@Jeroen said:
Anyone watch the Eurovision song festival? I understand (from family who watched) that Ukraine won…
Ukraine won, but it was a sympathy vote. UK came second, but would definitely have won - if Ukraine hadn't got the sympathy vote. But that's ok. All the songs are bloody awful and they're underpinned by fantastic light shows and crazy dancing. Not like it was in my day...
Australia was bizarre....
Why on earth are Australia competing in Eurovision???!!!
EXACTLY!!!
0
federicaSeeker of the clear blue sky...Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubtModerator
@federica said:
I mean... how fucking bizarre is this??
(He came 15th)
The whole thing is bonkers but each to their own
0
federicaSeeker of the clear blue sky...Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubtModerator
The Eurovision Song Contest is no longer about the song. That is almost incidental. It's just a political showcase, and a parade of people all vying for the most attention, by appearing in the most weird, eye-catching and controversial apparel.
JeroenLuminous beings are we, not this crude matterNetherlandsVeteran
I remember that album, really liked Common’s ‘The Corner’… some pretty decent tracks on it.
0
JeroenLuminous beings are we, not this crude matterNetherlandsVeteran
This one…
1
federicaSeeker of the clear blue sky...Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubtModerator
Am I the only one who thinks the word 'bucolic' sounds more like a negative temperamental trait, rather than a description of an idyllic, pleasant pastoral scene?
English, you've broken me!
Morena @Bunks...nice sunrise photo...I take it the temperature has dropped first thing of a morning...
It was quite cold first thing this morning when I left for my jolk...As I jolked along then beach I spied a Heron who was playing a game of bobbing hide and seek, where I had to guess where it would appear next...
Havent been on here for sometime but wanted to share something with older members who may remember me.
I had my (postponed by the pandemic) graduation ceremony for my Batchelor degree on Friday. Was a nice break from Masters things and a nice excuse to go back to my old Uni town. Didnt let the awful British weather ruin it either!
Well last week I spied some rodent droppings on the deck, and one on the carpet by the sliding door leading to the deck...First I pre baited with bits of peanut , when the peanut disappeared, I set the live cage trap but lock down the hook so it wouldn't release the trap door and put more bits of peanut in and around the trap...after the peanut had been taken I unlocked the hook and baited the hook with peanut , plus I was feeling generous so added a piece dark chocolate too...and this morning...Viola.....
Rattus rattus or its more common names roof rat, ship rat, black rat (however I only come across them with grey fur like this one)...Their home range is normally around 50 metres, so on my way for my morning jolk, I released it away from any residential area...however in the wild, cats, stoats, weasels, and birds of prey, will prey on them ...survival of the fittest I guess...
I will set the trap again just in case it has relatives close by...
1
JeroenLuminous beings are we, not this crude matterNetherlandsVeteran
Wow you are quite competent with your wild animals @shoshin1 … i’d be calling the local council rat service, who would probably put down poison, not very buddhist of me i know, but i am not so fond of rattus
@Jeroen said:
Wow you are quite competent with your wild animals @shoshin1 … i’d be calling the local council rat service, who would probably put down poison, not very buddhist of me i know, but i am not so fond of rattus
My background is in urban pestology @Jeroen ...so dealing with the so called pests, I have years of experience...The company I ran offered a pesticide free service, I think at the time (this is going back twenty odd years) we were the only company in Aotearoa who offered such a service...
My pest management days are over, well apart from dealing with my own pest problems...
However from a kinda Buddhist approach, I give the rodents three choices, the first, they can go into a live cage trap and be set free, or, two be killed using a snap trap and the last is be poisoned by using an anticoagulant rodenticide...Fortunately for this one it took the first option....Wise choice....
2
JeroenLuminous beings are we, not this crude matterNetherlandsVeteran
It’s funny how sometimes these things come back to haunt us… I used to do graphic design, before I went into software development, and now my cousin is taking up graphic design and I am giving tips…
Welcome back @TheEccentric - congrats on the graduation
2
federicaSeeker of the clear blue sky...Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubtModerator
@Shoshin1 said:
Well last week I spied some rodent droppings on the deck, and one on the carpet by the sliding door leading to the deck...First I pre baited with bits of peanut , when the peanut disappeared, I set the live cage trap but lock down the hook so it wouldn't release the trap door and put more bits of peanut in and around the trap...after the peanut had been taken I unlocked the hook and baited the hook with peanut , plus I was feeling generous so added a piece dark chocolate too...and this morning...Viola.....
Rattus rattus or its more common names roof rat, ship rat, black rat (however I only come across them with grey fur like this one)...Their home range is normally around 50 metres, so on my way for my morning jolk, I released it away from any residential area...however in the wild, cats, stoats, weasels, and birds of prey, will prey on them ...survival of the fittest I guess...
I will set the trap again just in case it has relatives close by...
Their homing instinct is way more than 50m. It is in fact, anything up to 2 miles. Because rats tend to live in family units, other 'family' members will send signals out, such as calling or scenting, venturing far afield themselves to encourage the missing family member to follow their homing signals and return.
The sewers of London have rats. It's a maze of different channels and pipes, and rats travel far afield to find food and shelter.
I don't know about NZ, but in the UK, rats are officially recognised as vermin and it's illegal to release a wild rat back into the wild.
Check with your local authorities.
@federica the home range (the area regularly frequented by an individual) depends on the environment and situation... Yes research has shown that rats can travel great distances (they are also good swimmers)... but in an urban environment their home range is 'normally' from 30 to around 120 metres (from nest site to food source) ...females generally have a smaller home range...Rats in particular are neophobic ( fear of new objects/change in the environment) they tend to be creatures of habit and familiarise themselves with their surrounding, bearing in mind the further afield a rat has to travel from their nest to a food source the more at risk they are from predator attack...
Yes they are pests and carry diseases, (thanks to human waste), contaminate food, destroy furniture and clothing, their gnawing habits can causes fires when chewing on electrical wiring, they gnaw through plastic water pipes causing damage, they have been known to bite humans and even kill in some cases the list goes on and on...
I should also point out there an eradication programme going on on the island, which includes rats stoats, weasels feral cats, there are a number of kill traps set throughout the island plus bait stations ( containing anticoagulant rodenticide) which are regularly monitored by volunteers and property owners...
But they are also sentient beings, they know fear and feel pain and deserve compassion ...hence why I choose to give them options... live cage trap, humane kill snap trap and as a last resort anticoagulant rodenticide...
Venus and the moon were my meditation partners this morning...
It was a chilly wintery jolk this morning...
however, the day has turned out sunny and warm...
3
federicaSeeker of the clear blue sky...Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubtModerator
My fervent wish is to live near the sea...oh, to be able to swim all year round!
Comments
Well I had just got home from supermarket shopping and was putting the shopping away, when through the kitchen window a burst of colour crossed my line of vision ...So dropped everything, grabbed my phone and headed for the deck...
A pair of Eastern Rosellas made their presence felt.... in a colourful way...
Beautiful clear Mr blue sky morning, however there's definitely a wintery chill in the air ...
I have finals in 2 weeks. Psychology finals. AHHH!
I've told myself if I pass them all I will skinny dip early in the morning by the Playa del Ancla.
good luck @Kotishka
I have told myself if I pass by the Playa del Ancla, watch out for naked psychologists … they might be zennists … 😉
Uh oh, I have a feel> @Kotishka said:
Best of luck 🤞
I didn't realize this was such a common interest here!
Good luck and good effort @Kotishka
Google Translate is adding Sanskrit. Will wonders never cease.
@FleaMarket I was inspired by Shoshin. In fact, I always thought that skinny dip meant something else. I thought it was just to take a quick "dip" into the water (for some reason, skinny I translated to "rapidito", like a quick dip and out).
@Jeroen I have this app called Drops and they offer Sanskrit too. I'm between adding that to Japanese, or Ainu...
I have new neighbors. They accepted my housewarming gift of cherry tomatoes and have been quite helpful getting me out of bed in the morning so far. They are building a nest in the tree behind my house and seem to think my chimney is a toilet.
... any port in a storm...
Let's face it, we humans seem to think this planet is our toilet, so you can't blame them for giving shit back...
9 C degrees this morning, mist coming off the water...
Would you have any more info on this quote or the author? I really like it but my googling was inconclusive.
I did the same but unfortunately no leads @FleaMarket,... However, at times some locals attach plaques to wooden benches with a personal quote on them...
Well... Here they are! I ain't nuthin' if not a trendsetter...!
Humid and overcast on this morning's jolk, but very calm, next to no wind and calm sea...
As I was entering the shared driveway of the property I live on, a very large dog came bounding towards me, my heart started to race a little, I thought "Uh oh how am I going to get out of this?" then I heard its human companion call my name "Hi ......." and as the dog got closer I recognised it, (I don't wear glasses when jolking) it was Henry my friend's dog, it bound up to me and jumped up to say hi, slobbered all over me and nearly knocked me over....My friend's in Oz visiting his daughter , and his son is looking after his dog and had decided to take him for a walk near where I live...
I'm off to the city later to pick up my new glasses....I guess I'll do a bit of shopping too, while over there....
Yes, my aunt also has a very enthusiastic and rather large dog, and whenever i go walking with her as i approach them i have to deal with his affectionate greetings. He doesn’t slobber but he does jump and put his dirty paws all over your jacket…
Anyone watch the Eurovision song festival? I understand (from family who watched) that Ukraine won…
I think I got it all out. 🙏🏽
Ukraine won, but it was a sympathy vote. UK came second, but would definitely have won - if Ukraine hadn't got the sympathy vote. But that's ok. All the songs are bloody awful and they're underpinned by fantastic light shows and crazy dancing. Not like it was in my day...
Australia was bizarre....
Why on earth are Australia competing in Eurovision???!!!
Apparently Eurovision is really popular in Australia, so they asked to join, and the committee said ok.
Hmmmmm....maybe I move in a different crowd.
EXACTLY!!!
Make that both of us!
I mean... how fucking bizarre is this??
(He came 15th)
The whole thing is bonkers but each to their own
The Eurovision Song Contest is no longer about the song. That is almost incidental. It's just a political showcase, and a parade of people all vying for the most attention, by appearing in the most weird, eye-catching and controversial apparel.
And now for something completely weird ....
https://www.indy100.com/tv/weirdest-eurovision-performances-all-time
An old classic...
I remember that album, really liked Common’s ‘The Corner’… some pretty decent tracks on it.
This one…
Am I the only one who thinks the word 'bucolic' sounds more like a negative temperamental trait, rather than a description of an idyllic, pleasant pastoral scene?
English, you've broken me!
Nice cloud formation on this morning's jolk...
Good morning beautiful people from my bathroom window
Morena @Bunks...nice sunrise photo...I take it the temperature has dropped first thing of a morning...
It was quite cold first thing this morning when I left for my jolk...As I jolked along then beach I spied a Heron who was playing a game of bobbing hide and seek, where I had to guess where it would appear next...
Today is:
https://mindfulnessbox.com/world-meditation-day-is-may-21/
Beautiful rainbow over the property this morning...
Hey everyone. Hope y'all have been well.
Havent been on here for sometime but wanted to share something with older members who may remember me.
I had my (postponed by the pandemic) graduation ceremony for my Batchelor degree on Friday. Was a nice break from Masters things and a nice excuse to go back to my old Uni town. Didnt let the awful British weather ruin it either!
Well last week I spied some rodent droppings on the deck, and one on the carpet by the sliding door leading to the deck...First I pre baited with bits of peanut , when the peanut disappeared, I set the live cage trap but lock down the hook so it wouldn't release the trap door and put more bits of peanut in and around the trap...after the peanut had been taken I unlocked the hook and baited the hook with peanut , plus I was feeling generous so added a piece dark chocolate too...and this morning...Viola.....
Rattus rattus or its more common names roof rat, ship rat, black rat (however I only come across them with grey fur like this one)...Their home range is normally around 50 metres, so on my way for my morning jolk, I released it away from any residential area...however in the wild, cats, stoats, weasels, and birds of prey, will prey on them ...survival of the fittest I guess...
I will set the trap again just in case it has relatives close by...
Wow you are quite competent with your wild animals @shoshin1 … i’d be calling the local council rat service, who would probably put down poison, not very buddhist of me i know, but i am not so fond of rattus
My background is in urban pestology @Jeroen ...so dealing with the so called pests, I have years of experience...The company I ran offered a pesticide free service, I think at the time (this is going back twenty odd years) we were the only company in Aotearoa who offered such a service...
My pest management days are over, well apart from dealing with my own pest problems...
However from a kinda Buddhist approach, I give the rodents three choices, the first, they can go into a live cage trap and be set free, or, two be killed using a snap trap and the last is be poisoned by using an anticoagulant rodenticide...Fortunately for this one it took the first option....Wise choice....
It’s funny how sometimes these things come back to haunt us… I used to do graphic design, before I went into software development, and now my cousin is taking up graphic design and I am giving tips…
Welcome back @TheEccentric - congrats on the graduation
Their homing instinct is way more than 50m. It is in fact, anything up to 2 miles. Because rats tend to live in family units, other 'family' members will send signals out, such as calling or scenting, venturing far afield themselves to encourage the missing family member to follow their homing signals and return.
The sewers of London have rats. It's a maze of different channels and pipes, and rats travel far afield to find food and shelter.
I don't know about NZ, but in the UK, rats are officially recognised as vermin and it's illegal to release a wild rat back into the wild.
Check with your local authorities.
@federica the home range (the area regularly frequented by an individual) depends on the environment and situation... Yes research has shown that rats can travel great distances (they are also good swimmers)... but in an urban environment their home range is 'normally' from 30 to around 120 metres (from nest site to food source) ...females generally have a smaller home range...Rats in particular are neophobic ( fear of new objects/change in the environment) they tend to be creatures of habit and familiarise themselves with their surrounding, bearing in mind the further afield a rat has to travel from their nest to a food source the more at risk they are from predator attack...
Yes they are pests and carry diseases, (thanks to human waste), contaminate food, destroy furniture and clothing, their gnawing habits can causes fires when chewing on electrical wiring, they gnaw through plastic water pipes causing damage, they have been known to bite humans and even kill in some cases the list goes on and on...
I should also point out there an eradication programme going on on the island, which includes rats stoats, weasels feral cats, there are a number of kill traps set throughout the island plus bait stations ( containing anticoagulant rodenticide) which are regularly monitored by volunteers and property owners...
But they are also sentient beings, they know fear and feel pain and deserve compassion ...hence why I choose to give them options... live cage trap, humane kill snap trap and as a last resort anticoagulant rodenticide...
Whatever they choose I guess it is karma ...
Winter's cold is gradually replacing Autumn's coolness...Beautiful sunrise this morning..
Venus and the moon were my meditation partners this morning...
It was a chilly wintery jolk this morning...
however, the day has turned out sunny and warm...
My fervent wish is to live near the sea...oh, to be able to swim all year round!