The General Chat Thread (2016-2022)

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

A better question might be if they actually try Welsh food on St David's day or English for on St George's day, Scottish on St Andrew's day or Irish on St Patrick's day?

 

[sidevalve]

Why not ? Maybe I'm an old cynic but I doubt it.

 

[Kake Lover]

you lot are funny. It was the end of our 3 week topic about the Chinese new year. The children have learnt to retell a story. They have had a Chinese restaurant in the roll play area, cooking each other food, taking orders on the phone and practising writing (scribbling really but it gets them practicing pencil control.) we did a dragon dance this afternoon and they all had a turn with some chinese instruments. They have been' writing ' their letters in a big tray of dry rice with a chop stick. They have been challenged to build the great wall of china out of lego.
Next week we start a new topic about icy regions. As it's my first year in the nursery, I can't tell you what we are doing yet.
They get plenty of chances to eat good food as our school cook is excellent. The children tell their mummies that her curries are better than home!

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Just back from another of those drive 4 hours, see some relatives over lunch and afternoon, drive home again only home involved collecting 2 new chooks... These are to replace the 2 chicks once the chicks go to their new home. At least 1 chick will be leaving us, in still not certain on the sex of the other but we need to spread our rooster a bit thinner! So not seeing anything around here (wrong time of year and way too hot) I looked further afield and found an elderly couple who needed to clear out some of their several hundred chooks due to her decreased mobility! They have cows, sheep and goats as well... Plus geese and a dog and a cat or two... So she had compromised and sold 15, which is one of her flocks! Right now they are in the chook house with the others but in the pet carrier. I can't move them to the Guinea pig cage because there's a wild hare in there that we have rescued at the moment. It is recovering from something, not sure what could be a paralysis thick but it is slowly regaining control of one of its rear legs. Had it not shown any improvement inside 24hrs we would have done the only thing possible but it had recovered really well and 3 days on is almost ready for release, though I'm not certain it will ever fully regain control but hares are not captive animals and much longer and it will give up and die like a light switch being flipped sadly. we'll give it a test in the inner chook enclosure tomorrow and hope like blazes...

Right, long day, time for bed. But it's still 28C outside. Inside is worse.

 

[Lullabelle]

On Wednesday afternoon 1 of the guys at work was taken into the office with the director of compliance, door closed. He left the office then a bit later shuffled past us before 5pm as usual and said 'bye', we both replied 'cheerio' as we always do. Thursday morning he didn't turn up, the FD told us he had been taken into the office to be informed his position within the company was being made redundant. That was a huge shock, the IT guy took his computer and meetings were had to sort things out. It just happened so quick, I am not surprised he has gone, to be honest I am surprised he lasted this long, it is just that there were no signs, it just happened. I liked the guy but he didn't do himself any favours.

 

[Morning Glory]

So she had compromised and sold 15, which is one of her flocks! Right now they are in the chook house with the others but in the pet carrier.

Did I read this right - you just bought 15 chickens?!

 

[sidevalve]

On Wednesday afternoon 1 of the guys at work was taken into the office with the director of compliance, door closed. He left the office then a bit later shuffled past us before 5pm as usual and said 'bye', we both replied 'cheerio' as we always do. Thursday morning he didn't turn up, the FD told us he had been taken into the office to be informed his position within the company was being made redundant. That was a huge shock, the IT guy took his computer and meetings were had to sort things out. It just happened so quick, I am not surprised he has gone, to be honest I am surprised he lasted this long, it is just that there were no signs, it just happened. I liked the guy but he didn't do himself any favours.

An odd one that - to be gone so quick only gross industrial misconduct [as it is termed] might be an excuse. Unless they gave him a pay off in lieu of notice I suppose.

 

[classic33]

An odd one that - to be gone so quick only gross industrial misconduct [as it is termed] might be an excuse. Unless they gave him a pay off in lieu of notice I suppose.

Or the company is making large scale redunancies, due to a partial take-over. ie, certain sections have been taken over!

Not that odd. It'd be a case of Who's next? And watch this space next month!

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

, drive home again only home involved collecting 2 new chooks

Did I read this right - you just bought 15 chickens?!

No you didn't read it correctly.

An odd one that - to be gone so quick only gross industrial misconduct [as it is termed] might be an excuse. Unless they gave him a pay off in lieu of notice I suppose

In IT you never leave someone in a post (or on site) after they have been made redundant. You pay them their months notice and they are on gardening leave, end of story.
There is simply too much damage they can do to the network if they know it is coming (leaving by anything other than their own choice that is) and put bluntly we can get into anyone's files, anywhere and do anything if (and I'll emphasise if) we wanted to.

We don't because we are usually worked off our feet, too busy, want our jobs and generally would actually like a reference at the end of the day. But if you make an IT engineer (of any form) redundant, they go home immediately after that meeting. Even working till the end of the day is unusual.

 

[classic33]

Fair enough and good luck to them if they do - just that we seem to be losing so many old recipes of our own and many people appear to think our food consists of baked beans and chips [ok I admit a bit of exaggeration but it makes a point - try asking around a local school]. Dozens of things originated here - even good old apple pie is not American [for example] but there are a shocking number of people that believe apples originated there . It's just a bit sad really.

The number of people who don't realise that chips, as in fish n'chips, actually require spuds to make them from.

That includes the frozen sort, but how some of them are made is something else.

 

[Lullabelle]

An odd one that - to be gone so quick only gross industrial misconduct [as it is termed] might be an excuse. Unless they gave him a pay off in lieu of notice I suppose.

He is 'in the process of being made redundant but I suppose not coming back is the right thing, it would be very awkward.

 

[Yorky]

That includes the frozen sort, but how some of them are made is something else.

Not that it's of much interest to me, but what are some of them made from?

(Excluding those French/Belgian things, of course)

 

[classic33]

Not that it's of much interest to me, but what are some of them made from?

(Excluding those French/Belgian things, of course)

55%+ by law potato. Normally the substandard ones. Beaten into a mulch(all the eyes sink to the bottom), skimmed & drained before being forced through an extruder.

If you're wondering about the percentage, don't forget many will have an outer coating in place.

 

[sidevalve]

In IT you never leave someone in a post (or on site) after they have been made redundant. You pay them their months notice and they are on gardening leave, end of story.

As the guy didn't appear to be in IT it still seems a bit odd unless A - he was expecting it or B - they did give him time off in lieu [ or possibly a payoff I suppose]. Just sacking someone on the spot needs a LOT of evidence. Redundancy - possibly
but there is usually something "in the wind" and everybody gets to know something might be happening.

(Excluding those French/Belgian things, of course)

What are they made from ??

 

[Elawin]

55%+ by law potato. Normally the substandard ones. Beaten into a mulch(all the eyes sink to the bottom), skimmed & drained before being forced through an extruder.

If you're wondering about the percentage, don't forget many will have an outer coating in place.

Yuck! Although I do keep a pack in the freezer for emergencies. Had some the other day. I'd forgotten how awful they taste compared to the real thing.