Jump to content
UNRV Ancient Roman Empire Forums

caldrail

Patricii
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    6,246

  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    144

 Content Type 

Blog Comments posted by caldrail

  5. caldrail

    Posted

    Me? Old? (*splutter*) No, not old, just matured in oak vats for a hundred years or so for extra taste.

     

    Mind you, given my recent behaviour in singing very loudly at work (and the boss catching me with a silly baseball cap on, and attempting to traverse the north side of the pillow stack) one might question whether oak vats work.

  7. docoflove1974

    Posted

    Will the demand for health care increase with free access?

    The British experience suggests that it will. And of course that means the political need to maintain levels of care will become something of a bugbear.

     

    One of the biggest problems with our current health provisions is the 'lottery' aspect of it. Where you live dictates which services and treatments are available.

  8. docoflove1974

    Posted

    I must admit I've failed to understand why the americans are so hot under the collar over this issue. After all, we've had a national health system since WW2 (even if it is creaking with top heavy bureaucracy and an ever-increasing commercial element) and we do okay. From what you're writing, it seems that any sort of socialist mindset or decision-making is a foreign concept - quite literally. Fascinating. To me it seems then that America is the Land of the Free (especially if you can pay for it)

     

    Dare I say it - Is american politics evolving beyond it's founding pronciples? We've had a hearing-impaired democracy for some time now and although the modern 'can't hear you, sorry' attitude is contemporary, the old boys networks have always had a large part to play in British politics, often with decisions taken behind closed doors. Britain operates on a system of 'We're talking about doing X and Y when we get into power, so vote for us'. Until this health issue arose, it seems as if the Americans operated on a system 'We're going to do X and Y so don't vote for anyone else'.

     

    In a sense I have to laugh. For decades the British have moaned about US influence on our society, now it appears we're influencing the USA and they haven't noticed! :D

  9. caldrail

    Posted

    Spanish speakers? I thought Sir Francis Drake banned them from English soil? Oh well :D

     

    Actually no, I doubt there's much market for teaching Spanish in Swindon. Most Swindoners that travel to Spain find that shouting very loudly usually makes them understood to the locals, and if you're drunk, who cares about communicating?

  10. docoflove1974

    Posted

    The previous doctor looked more like a gangland thug didn't he? Okay Dalek, Urf says you're outta order. Me an' the boys is gonna sort you out....

     

    I do feel sorry for Daleks. They can't get any beach therapy at all... Let me explain...

     

    Boss Dalek - All daaleks will occupy the beach imme-diat-ely

     

    Dalek - We obey

     

    Boss Dalek - Beach invasion is not pro-ceed-ing to plan! Report!

     

    Dalek - We cannot grip beach ball. Cannot balance on skate-board. Unable to de-feat hu-mans at play

     

    Boss Dalek - Unleash our secret weapon! Destroy the beach! Ex-ter-minate!

     

    Police Dude - Okay boys, ah'm gonna have to stop this here party. Sign over there says no exterminations on a Sunday. Is that a raygun you got there? You got a license for that?

  11. docoflove1974

    Posted

    There's a tv program called Argumental we get over here, a sort of comedy panel show where people score points for humourous debates. The subject got around to Dr Who, that quaintly British take on science fiction and police telephone boxes. Apparently that particular programme, so the debator told us, is so awful that it could be set in Swindon and no-one would notice.

     

    I live in Swindon. Grey, dreary, ignorant, a true pimple of tribal warfare and lost civilisation.

     

    Trust me Doc, you're living in a paradise of exotica in the land of milk and honey. I envy you. On the other hand, I daren't travel to Austin and experience for myself the delights of your fast food eden for fear I'll lower the tone of the neighbourhood! :D

  17. caldrail

    Posted

    In my case it wasn't simply that I lost a familiar tool, it was the loss of files that I was relying on which is far more insidious. Computers can be replaced at the end of the day, it's only hardware. The data on them is a fragile collection of thoughts, memories, information, projects, and so forth, and losing that is far more heartbreaking.

     

    As it happens I've had a lot of help restoring data I thought was lost for good. I have lost some stuff which is causing me some real headaches, but via an old hard disk I had in the cupboard gathering dust I've replaced some of the older stuff. Never throw away a data store. Ever. You just never know...

  18. caldrail

    Posted

    Did you hear about the electrician who crossed the road? He shorted himself out....

     

    A scotsman, an irishman, and an electrician queued for a bus. The scotsman asked how much the bus ride would cost. The irishman asked where the bus was going. The electrician told them it wsn't plugged in.

     

    How many electricians does it take to change a light bulb? More than the estimate.

     

    Feel better? Laughter is the best remedy.... :D

  21. caldrail

    Posted

    Some extra clothes, a few odds and ends to assist me if I get into trouble out there, two flasks of water, and whatever waterproofs I deem necessary. Sorry, no rambo-esque blades. As for thick undergrowth, I either find an easier path or rely on heavyweight military surplus trousers. In theory there's other stuff I could sensibly carry, but by and large I avoid taking food. I do sweat a lot and digestion speeds up dehydration as well as risking indigestive misery during physical activity. In any case, I'm well fed (officially fat since my Newcastle visit) so going without eating until I get home isn't going to kill me.

     

    Now you might question the necessity of preparing for anything when I'm probably never more than a few miles someone's home. It might seem I'm carrying a lot (it weighs in at a modest 15 to 20 lbs) but I frequent trails that aren't often used in some of the more remote parts of the Wiltshire countryside, and since I'm usually alone out there, I prefer to have some options available to me should a problem arise. It isn't that it's actually necessary, but it's practise for those rare occaisions when I really do stretch my legs in wilder places.

     

    Besides, it all helps the fitness doesn't it? And there is a certain satisfaction in knowing that you can still 'cut it' and haul that gear (which isn't as heavy as a soldier might be expected to cart around)

×
×
  • Create New...