what I have learned today.

[Snakehips]

Argentina which remains the world's single biggest debtor to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), owing $46bn (£38bn) has an  economy minister.

[Snakehips]

A Russian anti-war protester who became a symbol of resistance to the Kremlin has died in a mysterious fall.
Local media said that Olga Nazarenko had now died in hospital after a “fall from a height” two weeks ago that was described as an accident.

No surprises there then.

[Snakehips]

But on a lighter note, there is a 'user' on Instagram called    ...   owlsoftheday  ... 

I urge you to check it out.

[Cudzoziemiec]

That the phrase "Bob's your uncle" refer to a real uncle Bob and, unsurprisingly, nepotism. Tory nepotism, in fact.

The British phrase 'Bob's your uncle' is thought to have derived from Robert Cecil's appointment of his nephew, Arthur Balfour, as Chief Secretary for Ireland.[76]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Gascoyne-Cecil,_3rd_Marquess_of_Salisbury

[JefO]

Old smart phones make a good alternative to a pocket camera - ideal to take on bike rides - saves getting your good phone out to take photos while riding (thus avoiding the risk of dropping your lifeline on the tarmac).

With the apps all removed and given a factory reset, they can work well and don't present a data security problem if lost, but they are slimmer than pocket cameras.

[Mr Larrington]

Today I are mostly learning that TV's Tomasz Schafernaker “loves llamas”.  The dirty sod.

[Regulator]

Today I are mostly learning that TV's Tomasz Schafernaker “loves llamas”.  The dirty sod.

Ah... Tomasz

(click to show/hide)

[Kim]

That wave-style bicycle parking stands are a thing, and the 5-bike version is not to be confused with an M-type stand intended for two bicycles.

[Tim Hall]

That the surface of the "computer table" is made of wood and not, as thought, piles of misc bank statements, receipts, dust and shit.

<feeling smug, recycling bin full>

[Canardly]

Chuckle......rings a bell here. 

[Asterix, the former Gaul.]

We have the world’s oldest suspension bridge..


Apparently Sam Brown was sitting in a cave watching a spider when he came up with the idea..

[sam]

Today I are mostly learning that TV's Tomasz Schafernaker “loves llamas”.  The dirty sod.

Ah... Tomasz

(click to show/hide)

(click to show/hide)

Alpacas with attitude

[rafletcher]

That there is a cat called Archie that frequents the A&E department of Stoke Mandeville hospital.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1046399815766046/?locale=en_GB

[Kim]

All the best hospitals have a cat.

[Peter]

As do the worst; just a less efficient one.

[MattH]

The longest manned flight was two blokes flying round and round the desert starting from Las Vegas in 1958. 64 days, 22 hours, and 19 minutes in a little Cessna, with food, water and fuel being passed up from a truck on the ground that they speed matched.

https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2008/march/pilot/endurance-test-circa-1958

[Kim]

As do the worst; just a less efficient one.

 

[Ham]

That there is a cat called Archie that frequents the A&E department of Stoke Mandeville hospital.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1046399815766046/?locale=en_GB

Apparently someone had a stroke when they saw him, at least they were in hospital.

[rafletcher]

That during storm Ciaran, in souther Britain, the boiling point of water was nearly 2C lower that the norm, due to extreme low pressure.

[sam]

That I can be right about something I haven't the technical expertise to pronounce upon.

Gutters were recently redone on our long term rental. Builder removed the top half of the soil pipe, which had previously followed a fair way up the slope of the roof, because he said it was in the way. Replaced it with a vertical pipe, pvc atop the old cast iron. He said it was the legal height, but I had a bad feeling about this, thinking whoever had done it the way it was had probably done it for a good reason.

I didn't even know what a soil pipe was until last week.

The day after the builders left we got a bad smell in the house. Fortunately it dissipated, but I just knew it was the new pipe. When you live in a place for 20 years and a problem crops up right after work is done, it's not a big leap of logic, is it.

Got the smell again a few days ago. We figured the fact that both days were windy might have something to do with it; a very local weather system that the previous pipe been configured to thwart.

Landlord sent a drainage expert (happy to stop by on a Sunday!) who has just confirmed my suspicions.

[Tim Hall]

Cuckfield,a village in West Sussex, is an independent state.

The state was established by a Unilateral Declaration of Independence in 1966,  in response to the annexation of the land used for the annual Donkey Grand National at Whiteman’s Green (which had been used to raise funds for the local community).

MAYOR’S ELECTION
Held on the third Friday in October, the Mayor’s Election prides itself on being completely and openly corrupt – whichever candidate buys the most votes is declared the winner and elected as the next Mayor of The Independent State of Cuckfield.
Votes cost 1 penny each

https://cuckfieldstate.org/

[mrcharly-YHT]

Blackbirds sometimes have black beaks.

[Jurek]

That there's a village in Durham called Pity Me.

[Mr Larrington]

My grate frend gNick has lived there for years.

[L CC]

That there's a village in Durham called Pity Me.

It's not really a village- it's an extension of suburban Durham. I'm in the middle of trying to buy a house there.

Quaking Houses, however...