Recent Posts

1

Online quizzes / Re: Squaredle

« Last post by Pingu on Today at 11:39:47 am »

I played https://squaredle.com 04/25:
*54/54 words (+6 bonus words)
🎯 In the top 11% by accuracy
🔥 Solve streak: 28

2

OT Knowledge / Re: Mixer Tap regulations

« Last post by matthew on Today at 11:37:46 am »

It seems there's no legal requirement in UK to replace lead piping. Presumably introducing such an obligation would cause Daily Mail share price cancer.

Lead piping is another issue entirely. The water companies will replace lead pipes as they find them, up to the customers external stop tap as that is their limit of ownership. They have no powers to compel the home owners to replumb their houses, so instead they have to add ~1mg/l phosphate to the drinking water to control the solubility of the lead.

The crazy part is that the sewage works are being compelled to spend fortunes to upgrade the processes to remove phosphate (which comes from detergents and other sources as well as the drinking water dose) to reach environmental standards and prevent eutrophication. A little joined up thinking and long term investment in the lead removal rather than a simple to install dosing rig might reduce some of the pressures at the sewage works.

3

Health & Fitness / Re: Cross Training: Swimming

« Last post by L CC on Today at 11:23:58 am »

I bought a Garmin watch to track my swimming. (Instinct2 - it does pool, open water & e-bike which is why I upgraded from the 735xt)
It's not actually that great at counting and the user error is shocking! I have lost count of the number of times I finish a set to find I'm still paused. They're also rubbish if you're doing drills - kick pulls are non existent and broken arrow/catchup can give false positives.

(If I'm counting I don't count numbers, I count letters. So the first 2 lengths are apple, then banana, cauliflower, daikon... Much less likely to lose track)

I'm averaging under 1.45 / 100m for the main part of the session, down from about 1.55/2.00 in December.

My swimming lessons have got me from 3:00 to 2:45. 

4

The Pub / Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.

« Last post by Cudzoziemiec on Today at 11:20:36 am »

Which is pretty much the same thing. It's like "why do they run such a long train last thing on Sunday night?"

5

The Pub / Re: Tune Association II - Son of Tune Association

« Last post by rogerzilla on Today at 11:17:04 am »

Fun, Fun, Fun - The Beach Boys

6

Health & Fitness / Re: The health and fitness thread about random things

« Last post by T42 on Today at 11:16:05 am »

Don't believe a single reading.  Always take three over a period of time and the lowest will probably be the most accurate.  The first one is normally the worst... with a bit of 'white coat' effect.

Yeah. A couple of years ago the cardiologist inflicted a 24-hour BP holter on my because of a high reading during a consultation.  The graph obtained showed that as I drove the twisty, hilly road home my BP gradually dropped into the better-than-OK range and stayed that way until I was due to return the gadget. Just before they took it off it was out of the OK range again.

I treasure that graph.

7

The Pub / Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.

« Last post by grams on Today at 11:13:28 am »

There are about 7 different routes between the ends of the lines (Edinburgh and Glasgow). And that's just the ones in central Scotland.

I'd expect it's something more arcane about how many trains of what type they can keep overnight in which depot.

8

Health & Fitness / Re: Cross Training: Running

« Last post by toontra on Today at 11:05:34 am »

Do you think it is mostly the difference in impact?  I wondered if it might be more in the variability - that on a smooth hard surface you are repeating exactly the same movement every time, and wearing exactly the same points of cartilage, muscle or tendon over exactly the same range every time.  Whereas on a varied surface those movements will be irregular and so perhaps not hit the same concentration in one place over the run. 

Interesting point.  I'd have thought that modern decent running shoes would significantly mitigate the impact effect of tarmac so perhaps the answer lies elsewhere?

9

The Pub / Re: Tune Association II - Son of Tune Association

« Last post by Robh on Today at 11:03:45 am »

You Make Loving Fun - Fleetwood Mac

10

Phototalk / Re: Cheap but good point and shoot 35mm camera

« Last post by noisycrank on Today at 11:02:44 am »

I have a couple of XA2 s and a Mju 
One holiday we had a a black plastic camera competition. Everyone got one roll of film which I got processed when we got back and I picked the shot I liked the best. I think it was the Mju that won.