what I have learned today.

[Legs]

I used a torque wrench for the first time today. I set it to 22 wotsits and was surprised how easy it was to attain that torque. That means in all probability that I've been a serial over-tightener in the past

That's quite a bit - what were you tightening?     Ease of use is, of course, related to the length of the bar on the wrench . . . what size wrench were you using?

Behold, my pedal-wrench-inna-scaffolding-tube:

Now we’re torquing…

[Mr Larrington]

Fortunately I have to venture into the badlands saarrff of the Lea Bridge Road on Thursday anyway so I can take a detour to the FruitCo place in Stratford to let them work their pome-stylee magic on said slab.  I don’t trust myself to attempt to replace it myself, having form for breaking iPods while trying to upgrade their internals.

[Jurek]

I used a torque wrench for the first time today. I set it to 22 wotsits and was surprised how easy it was to attain that torque. That means in all probability that I've been a serial over-tightener in the past

That's quite a bit - what were you tightening?     Ease of use is, of course, related to the length of the bar on the wrench . . . what size wrench were you using?

Behold, my pedal-wrench-inna-scaffolding-tube:

Now we’re torquing…

Voila*
*aka spanner/willy waving

[Mr Larrington]

Today I are mostly learning that Satan really does skate to work.  That’s Miroslav Satan, who is captain of the Slovakian ice hockey team.

[Ham]

All about the origins of chess, courtesy of Irving Finkel (no, he is NOT Wowbagger OTP)

https://youtu.be/UO0_ahE2Bxs

I apologise in advance if watching his videos on cuneiform and the like occupies more of your time than you expect.

[Cudzoziemiec]

Who Mr Bojangles was. Maybe! He's dead too.

[Kim]

That Ed Sheeran tribute acts are a thing.  Courtesy of the Camping & Caravanning Club.

[Mr Larrington]

Who Mr Bojangles was. Maybe! He's dead too.

DJ Random played me His Bobness' cover of Mr. Bojangles just before dinner time.  Wah and, moreover, Spook!

[ian]

That in Taiwan you have to hand-deliver your rubbish to the bin men as rubbish isn't allowed to touch the ground. The lorries cruise around playing Für Elise to let you know it's time to take out your rubbish and hand it over.  It's what Beethoven would have wanted.

[Cudzoziemiec]

Is that because the rubbish would get dirty on the ground? Or the ground would be contaminated by the rubbish?

Or maybe it's just for the sake of the binmens' backs and an excuse to play Beethoven in the street.

[ian]

I presume it's to stop rubbish and bins cluttering up the street. Apparently, they've been doing it for decades, and now everyone associates Für Elise with their garbage.

[phantasmagoriana]

That in Taiwan you have to hand-deliver your rubbish to the bin men as rubbish isn't allowed to touch the ground. The lorries cruise around playing Für Elise to let you know it's time to take out your rubbish and hand it over.  It's what Beethoven would have wanted.

I love this, though I'm not sure I'd appreciate having to run around after musical bin lorries with bags of rubbish. Different tunes are available, apparently - but here's Für Elise in all its glory.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7DPXpqp9e4

[CAMRAMan]

I used a torque wrench for the first time today. I set it to 22 wotsits and was surprised how easy it was to attain that torque. That means in all probability that I've been a serial over-tightener in the past

That's quite a bit - what were you tightening?     Ease of use is, of course, related to the length of the bar on the wrench . . . what size wrench were you using?

Quite a short Jobsworth/Planet X one. I was tightening the housing bolts on the motor on my ebike.

[Cudzoziemiec]

That in Taiwan you have to hand-deliver your rubbish to the bin men as rubbish isn't allowed to touch the ground. The lorries cruise around playing Für Elise to let you know it's time to take out your rubbish and hand it over.  It's what Beethoven would have wanted.

I love this, though I'm not sure I'd appreciate having to run around after musical bin lorries with bags of rubbish. Different tunes are available, apparently - but here's Für Elise in all its glory.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7DPXpqp9e4

Urrrrrrgh! Horrible tone.

[Canardly]

The term Gormless is descended from the Norse 'Gaum' meaning attention.

[Efrogwr]

The term Gormless is descended from the Norse 'Gaum' meaning attention.

I've seen it spelled as  "gaumless" in publications from the Yorkshire Dialect Society, based (I think) on research by Stanley Ellis of Leeds University.

[T42]

"19c: variant of obsolete gaumless, from gaum understanding," sayeth Chambers.

You can see how southrons would have stuck in an R instead of the U to make it match their addled RP fantasies.

[ElyDave]

there is quite a lot of north/south dialect originating in Danelaw vs Anglo Saxon and then Norman, such as field vs garth, ill vs sick, bairn for child etc.  It always surprised me how much of the language in Scandiwegia resembles that from both Scotland and Cumbria where my parents live.

[Cudzoziemiec]

That Gil Scott-Heron's father played for Celtic.

[T42]

Played what? No, don't bother, I can guess.

[robgul]

Halfords sell car screen wash in scented versions - why?   

AND I'm hoping to learn how to open the bonnet on my car today    (it's nearly 3 years old but for obvious reasons mileage is very low, only just about 11,000)

[Ham]

Halfords sell car screen wash in scented versions - why?   

So it isn't so obvious when they are taking the pee?

[Mr Larrington]

Halfords sell car screen wash in scented versions - why?

To avoid having you motor-car smell like a distillery?  The pukka VAG stuff that Trans City Car Centre insists on stuffing a bottle of in my boot every time the FAFC goes in for a service smells so strongly of boozahol that Lt. Col. Larrington (retd.) once asked me whether I had fallen off the wagon

[T42]

Our last car but one came with screen wash that smelt like vermouth.  Never did find out the brand, but I was sad when it ran out.

[CAMRAMan]

Cinzano?