The General Chat Thread (2016-2022)

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SatNavSaysStraightOn said:
We're forecast 43°C or 44°C for this week. Not looking forward to it. I've told hubby today that he has to have to BBQ up and running by the end of today so that I can cook outside in the morning. All our meals this week are cold soups. I don't think either of us fancies anything even vaguely warm.


I had no idea it could be seen that far away. Sydney is totally surrounded by fires. Most of the Blue Mountains are badly burnt to the west and north of Sydney and the only other side, south, are 'our' fires.

The one close to where we used to live is nearly under control. All they could do was create an area already burnt to prevent the bush fire from burning any further. Now it is a case of waiting for it to run out of things to burn!

The one on the coast is still out of control but the coastal road is open again (as in getting to the coast rather than the one that runs along the coast). That at least means the main towns now have fuel and food again. They were running out of both but ironically had a mountain of fresh fruit and veg (but masses of 1 thing) that was going bad because it was growing and still being picked but they couldn't get it out. The road to the coast is very windy and steep. The sort of thing that lorries crawl up and cyclists go faster than the lorries (though we've yet to meet any cyclists on it it is the sort of road we cycled when cycling around the world and yes, we've overtaken (or rather undertaken) lorries going up hill before now on our expedition bikes when we were super fit). It's not the best road to drive and certainly not one you drive tired. The first time we drove it we passed a fatal road accident. Most are fatal because if you go over the edge, well there is nothing there to catch you until you hit the tops of the trees below.

But yeah, these fires are really bad. But the up side is that once all of this has burnt off, the place will be a lot safer because there will be nothing to burn for some years to come and many species of plants need the fires in order to self seed or for those seeds to germinate and regenerate the natural bush. It appears to be similar to what happened to Canberra a while back only this time it is Sydney that has the problem.

There haven't been any fires south of Canberra in the Snowy Mountains that were devastated all those years ago and they have had just as little water. It leaves you wondering/pondering the wisdom in preventing bush fires and not having areas that have been pre-burnt in winter to give barriers to massive fires like these. Back burning used to be common and created natural fire breaks that stopped the spread of massive bush fires like this.

Sadly there will only be more to come this season as we have barely started the bush for season yet.
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:( so much devastation
 
The complete picture, didn't bother with the edge pieces.
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Took about 3hrs
 
It's snowing! If the storm breaks just right, we've got several inches in store by morning! ❄️
 
caseydog said:
I have that one, but I like the George C. Scott version better. I watch it EVERY year.

CD
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I like that one, except for David Warner as Crachitt. I like him, but he's not...woeful enough.

I prefer the Stewart one because it feels more like they went back to the source material, where a lot of other versions feel more like they're remaking a previous filmed version, instead of the text, if that makes any sense.

Both versions have excellent supporting casts for the most part as well.

If you're a fan of the story, FX is debuting a new one that really plays up the horror aspect. It's set to premiere Dec 19th. Really anticipating that one.
 
morning glory said:
detroitdad would be interested to hear this... he is an avid poker player
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The concensus is the card draws are rigged.
SatNavSaysStraightOn said:
They've revised Saturday's temperature. I'm so glad I love Star Wars... we're at the cinema Saturday afternoon. I doubt we'll eat out though. We'll have some food sent to our seats during the film instead.

Thursday is now a cooler 42°C,
Friday is 40°C, but Saturday had been increased to 46°C. No amount of theses :heat: is going to express anything other than horror at that temperature.

I hope they are way off the mark and it gets changed yet again, soon.

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Forecasts of this nature are not going to help anyone or the fires at all.
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Have you been following the Mandalorian On Disney streaming?
If you’re a SW fan it’s for you.
We sub’d early and it’s $5 a month. Free if you have Verizon in the US.
 
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TastyReuben said:
I like that one, except for David Warner as Crachitt. I like him, but he's not...woeful enough.

I prefer the Stewart one because it feels more like they went back to the source material, where a lot of other versions feel more like they're remaking a previous filmed version, instead of the text, if that makes any sense.

Both versions have excellent supporting casts for the most part as well.

If you're a fan of the story, FX is debuting a new one that really plays up the horror aspect. It's set to premiere Dec 19th. Really anticipating that one.
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Thanks for the heads up. I love the story and the different productions versions.
Also Ballet Companies versions of the Nutcracker too.
Makes my Christmas.

Sister is still messing up the Shortbread. Maybe time for an intervention. That is the triple crown of Christmas IMHO.

I think Sis is leaving out the butter and sugar.
Her shortbread comes out like that Hardtac biscuit WW1 soldiers ate in the trenches and hammered tent spikes with. It had to soak in boiling soup for an hour before it became edible.

Building blocks of the Allied Armies.
 
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Dive Bar Casanova said:
We

Thanks for the heads up. I love the story and the different productions versions.
Also Ballet Companies versions of the Nutcracker too.
Makes my Christmas.
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Every year, we do a Christmas-themed event. Most years, we just alternate between seeing The Nutcracker or A Christmas Carol. This year, though, we're going to see A Charlie Brown Christmas projected on a movie screen while the local orchestra plays the music live.

One of the more unusual things we've done - we saw a live version of A Christmas Carol, played by actors in Klingon makeup and costumes, presented in Klingon (with subtitles), and the story had been modified to reflect a more Klingon-appropriate viewpoint. It was outstanding.
 
I'm stopping my voluntary work in a kitchen. As many of you know I'm a professionally trained chef, but I also have a few serious disabilities. And recently I've been diagnosed with a fourth auto-immune condition, namely Astma. And that's making it really hard for me to work in a kitchen, I just can't deal with the loads of steam and heat because my breathing becomes too laboured.

So unfortunately I can't work anymore, but I am lucky to have a very supportive husband who'll help me find a way to set up some kind of business at home. From now on my life will be centered much around the home, it already was but now my voluntary work at the soup kitchen restaurant stops too.

I am ok with it, it was getting too hard for me so I am just glad I have a great husband who helps me through this.
 
TastyReuben said:
Every year, we do a Christmas-themed event. Most years, we just alternate between seeing The Nutcracker or A Christmas Carol. This year, though, we're going to see A Charlie Brown Christmas projected on a movie screen while the local orchestra plays the music live.

One of the more unusual things we've done - we saw a live version of A Christmas Carol, played by actors in Klingon makeup and costumes, presented in Klingon (with subtitles), and the story had been modified to reflect a more Klingon-appropriate viewpoint. It was outstanding.
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Every Christmas Eve, I go to church -- my one time per year. I usually go to my sister's church, which is a big Texas mega-church. They do some pretty big things for Christmas Eve. About five or so years ago, they had a concert of Christmas music by William Close and his Earth Harp. Wow, it blew my mind.

You need a very large auditorium, because he turns the whole room into a string instrument, with strings around 100 foot long. A Texas mega church works just fine.

If you ever get the chance, go see his show.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrjcOpq_Nw0


CD
 
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