What bemused you today?

[Oldboy]

1. There's no mileage in "weather will be pretty much standard for the time of year" so the extreme stories always get "reported".

2. Is this the same panel of experts that said we were going to have the hottest summer for years and that last winter would be milder than normal?

3. Scotland and the North to be colder than the rest of the country?  In Winter?  For real?  Yeah, I remember that from geography O level.

4. Up to 30 inches of snow?  So that would include 29.8 inches?  And also zero inches?

5. "The news follows Britain being hit by Hurricane Katia just last month".  Follows as in "happens after".  Yep, things wok like that.  Autumn weather happens and then people start discussing what winter will be like.

6. No, Britain was not hit by Hurricane Katia.  We were hit by post tropical cyclone Katia.  It had lost a LOT of its energy by the time it got here - as hurricanes tend to.  Hurricanes feed off warm water and the Atlantic is pretty famous for not being warm in autumn.  There were a couple of hurricane force gusts but that's very very different from a hurricane.

In other news....it's lazy journalist season again.....

If this is as accurate as the forecasts I've been checking all summer to see what the weather will be like when we're at an event...prepare for a mild winter

From Net Weather:
Following a lot of stories in the media this week, we felt it would be useful to clarify the situation with regard to snow this October and November.

At this point in time the Netweather long range forecast (which was updated earlier this week) is pointing toward temperatures in October being close to or perhaps slightly below average, with November currently forecast to be cooler than average.

Typically October will bring some snow to the hills and mountains of northern Britain but rarely does it bring any low level or widespread snowfall, with the forecast being for temperatures to be close to average, at this stage there is no reason to suggest that anything out of the ordinary is likely, and any forecasts of widespread snow during October have not been made by Netweather.

Into November, snowfall is less rare and recent years have shown that even lower levels can see snow - particularly later in the month. With the current forecast showing the potential for temperatures to be below normal, this could indicate the increased risk of more widespread snow - but at this range there is no way to accurately predict whether this may be the case and should it occur, when it may happen.

Netweather's long range forecasts are updated once a month and look purely at climatic features - such as whether or not a month is likely to be warmer or colder than average or whether it is likely to be wetter or drier than average. From this it's possible to derive some conclusions as to whether a particular weather type (such as snow) is more or less likely but it's only at much shorter range that specific day to day conditions can be forecast with confidence. 

[greypoint]

Why can't things be left alone?

My email system provider has told me with great delight that they've upgraded the system. All I can see that is different is that everything that was there is still there but somewhere else, so I'll have to spend the next few months getting used to it.

And why would I want to 'Follow us on Faece Book' when I can contact anyone I want to on Email and vice-versa? I get enough inane chatter nowadays on the TV without actively seeking out the sad Eleanor Rigbby's on what I believe are called social networks?

One bit of good news is that GCSE students are to be marked on spelling, grammar and punctuation. That'll make a few teachers quake in their boots!

Just run this through the spellcheck before I post it.

I assume you're not with talktalk then - no $%£"* email access again on tiscali accounts and they've taken off the online contact it seems - they suggest you email if you have a problem....if I could *&^&£$% email I would'nt have a problem!!
    Fortunately I can contact the people I need to email via facebook messaging - so it does have its uses 

[ABERS]

Surrey CC Highways Dept.

We've got more potholes than the surface of the moon and we're told there isn't any money in the kitty to fill them in, except for the Olympic Cycle road race route for next year's shindig.

Eight libraries are to close unless volunteers come forward to man them.

What happens today? Workmen invade our road and pull up all the perfectly serviceable lamposts and replace them with new ones

[skellum]

Surrey CC Highways Dept.

We've got more potholes than the surface of the moon and we're told there isn't any money in the kitty to fill them in, except for the Olympic Cycle road race route for next year's shindig.

Eight libraries are to close unless volunteers come forward to man them.

What happens today? Workmen invade our road and pull up all the perfectly serviceable lamposts and replace them with new ones

Same thing happens up here. A gang of County Council workers turned up and resurfaced the pavements that were also perfectly serviceable and ignored the potholes in the road inches away...   Potholes throughout the country which were a result of last years severe weather have yet to be repaired and now we are heading for winter again so by this time next year our roads will be equal to those of a third world nation.

[Hinfrance]

I'm sure this is some kind of universal truth.

The main road through town is like a tank testing ground - lumps and bumps everywhere. Seriously needs redoing.

Last weekend we went to visit a friend who live just outside a small village pretty much in the middle of nowhere. Yet from where the 'c' road branches off of the 'b' road it has been resurfaced for about 6 kms. And it was fine anyway.

[Beaux Reflets]

That is what happens when Departments are not working together.   - Chits and signed Contracts with 'costs for failure to honour' and the public is left like mushrooms growing in the dark. Happens almost everywhere in 'developed' countries 

[Markulous]

Can't remember whether I've told this before (but it bears retelling). Strange rattle in car so when I went to garage to meet OH who was having an MOT done on hers, asked garage to take a look (what can I say? She was late so had the time! Wimmin!). Just as well they checked as a big chunk of main spring had fractured off (hence the rattle) with the remainder, now with no restraint, threatening to boing up through the wing! So we can't go in my car - but they lend me one of theirs and with my cheery "Her car won't fail, so we'll be back later". Fateful words as my mobile rang - she had exactly the same problem in the same spot - fractured main spring!

As an afterword to this story - her car started making suspension squeak type noises a couple weeks later. Seems the Citroen 3rd party springs are a POS - so we sprung (sorry!) for the manufacturers' version at twice the price. Glad to say mine was an original VW part in the first place!

As the garage said: roads are so poor that suspension faults are common. Glad to say my current alloys aren't too bad - had a Cooper S which leaked air from one tyre - slight distortion of the wheel (from pothole) had distorted the usually circular wheel allowing air to continually leak out - tyre had to be glued on (as it was still brand new!). Glad to say I got rid soon after (the long list of faults was growing tiresome - closest I'll ever come to having a BMW and it was too close!)

[bones615]

WBMT - motorcycle oil pressure + me being an idiot. Gave the bike a service,  oiled the mating surfaces for new oil filter, wound it on, started engine, revved engine, gave it some more and covered the garage in oil. Some how the rubber from the old filter had stuck to the bike so the new filter had wound against it and not sealed properly. My fault i should have looked properly rather than just felt the smooth surface, pretty impressive pressure/ spray though, and I will always have the stain on the wall to remind me to check next time.

Simon

[Oldboy]

WBMT - motorcycle oil pressure + me being an idiot. Gave the bike a service,  oiled the mating surfaces for new oil filter, wound it on, started engine, revved engine, gave it some more and covered the garage in oil. Some how the rubber from the old filter had stuck to the bike so the new filter had wound against it and not sealed properly. My fault i should have looked properly rather than just felt the smooth surface, pretty impressive pressure/ spray though, and I will always have the stain on the wall to remind me to check next time.

Simon

Just thrown some paint on the wall and you will have an oil painting...  

[Oldboy]

I hardly get any Spam and in the last twelve months only received about three. Today I got 14!!!! 

[Graham]

  The good Mrs G dragged me off to one of those car boot things this morning.

             How do people manage to accumulate such a mass of useless junk in the first place? It was like a festival of bad taste!
                          Graham.

[ABERS]

Whilst reading about the 'Cuts' protest march in Manchester that the Asst. Chief Constable Tweeted a statement on the police force Twitter site.

How can he or his force be taken seriously?

[Beaux Reflets]

Whilst reading about the 'Cuts' protest march in Manchester that the Asst. Chief Constable Tweeted a statement on the police force Twitter site.

How can he or his force be taken seriously?

I guess its just another 'street' in the Internet neighbourhood 

[spinner]

Whilst reading about the 'Cuts' protest march in Manchester that the Asst. Chief Constable Tweeted a statement on the police force Twitter site.

How can he or his force be taken seriously?

No doubt some young hip, P.R. guru talked them into it. I'm sure if celebs are doing it, it must be ok.

[Oldboy]

  The good Mrs G dragged me off to one of those car boot things this morning.

             How do people manage to accumulate such a mass of useless junk in the first place? It was like a festival of bad taste!
                          Graham.

Did you buy lots of stuff then?