Safe as... Gilt?

Once upon a time,  treasury bond/gilt is as good as money,  but it is proven not that case...

Cromford Mills

We were reading the citizenship test,  they mentioned Arkwright.   I has no idea who he was,  but the Derbyshire natives do.   I have driven past Cromford Mills many times,  I finally stopped and visit,  exactly where Arkwright was.  

Hilly Matlock

So Matlock is hillier than I remember it!  I feel sorry for Danby. 

Lord Lieutenant

I finally know the difference between a Lord mayor and a mayor, and what a Lord Lieutenant do.  And today I shook hands with them.

Thirsk Yarnbombers

Instead of yarn bombing for decoration sake, Thirsk yarn bombers are advertising some charity by embroider the names on the article, less original.

Bye Bye Fiesta

Ford is stopping production of Fiesta.  I hope Danby is still supported.

Misty Moors

I was working in the Moors.   The mists don't lift till late morning,  how atmospheric. 

Virtual Viewing

It has always been a problem that oboy super wide lens can show the space correctly.   Obviously there are new 360 camera,  which I don't have.  Either way,  videoing is a good reminder. 

Bread in Loaf Tin

I have found a problem with baking bread in an oven, you may underbake it.  It looks great, you would not know it was wrong until it has been out of the oven for too long to remedy...

Covid Exposures

Sarah was tested positive during my visit.  Then there was a conference in London.  Fingers crossed...

Worst Catering Crime

The worst crime are not the most obvious crime, the worst crime is one that is hard to seek redress.  The obvious crime were poor food, poor service, even ill prepared food, you could remedy.  I went to a restaurant with a really poor soft drink system, everything tasted wrong, but it was hard to challenge.

Tea

I only just learnt the etymology of the word tea.  I always knew the Malaysian dish bak kut teh, which I thought were Malay words, but obviously they were Hokkien words, and teh was where the word tea came from.

Tree Seeds - Acorn and Conkers

So the campaign to pick seeds is back.  This year I was picking near my house, and I found a few oaks and conkers nearby.  It was quite successful.

Repaired Hoover

So I got the replacement head, it works well on carpet, less well on hard floor.  Overall it still picks up loads of dust and debris, so I guess it is as good as it could be without having to buy a new hoover?

Stottie Hole

I recently got some stotties.  I didn't know they have a hole in the middle.  I was told they are not always present.  I don't understand why there would be a hole at all. 

Tim Horton Breakfast

We sent to Tim Hortons for a breakfast on a whim. What a mistake. McDonald is better than them a country mile.

 

Now that I revisited my note, I will remmeber to get a coffee with cream, how it should be.

Small Bakery

I gave my custom to a local bakery.

Chocolate mousse, too almond, very rich. 

Mille feuille, just like the Kitchen Cabinet rightly point out, home made rough puff will never be as good as a machine laminated puff. Additionally, machine cut pastry will always has straighter edges.  I am not sure the icing sugar and the cacao powder was correct.

Toshiba Mysterious Failure

When I lost power, I first checked the power supply. It wasn't that, so I opened it up to check the connection, not that. Then I double checked, it recovered when I remove the battery. Battery dead short. Not having a battery isn't a big problem for home use, except if I turn the power off, I will have to update the time in the bios every boot up, I better get a new battery.

 

Slug's Nest

I have been looking for this slug, leaving trails all over the courgettes. The little thing slept in the flower!

 

Gambit

gambit noun 

gam·​bit | \ ˈgam-bət \ 

Definition of gambit 

1: a chess opening in which a player risks one or more pawns or a minor piece to gain an advantage in position 

2a(1): a remark intended to start a conversation or make a telling point (2): TOPIC

唐詩 Tang Poems

Tang poems mostly rhymes in Cantonese.   Something I am surprised people 1500 years ago also have the same moanings:  sadness,  love, friendship,  homesickness, nostalgia. 

周禮 Rites of Zhou

Another >2000 years old book.  It does not rhyme anything,  because it is just a list of government department and positions!   

詩經 Book Of Poetry

Book of Poetry is about >2000 years old.   Some of it rhymes,  in Cantonese,  most of it very boring. 

Cantonese Preservation

I came across this video,  it suggests Icelandic keeps reading the old literature, which was written in the old tongue,  that helps keep the old language alive.

I wonder,  if the key to keeping Cantonese alive,  in additional to write more in Cantonese,  is to read ancient Chinese text,  in the period where Cantonese was the pervaling tongue. 

Domestic Gas Stress Test

What would you do if we lose gas?  I do have a camping stove.  Meanwhile I should be more microwave ready. 

Tree Seeds in Leeds

I have been waiting for the seed drive to start.  I haven't seen the events for this year's seed drive, but at least they managed to send out the press release.  With it being false Autumn this year, I wonder if there is much seeds left.  I have definitely seen some acorns around.  Let see what we can do this year.

Life as Iron

Iron with atomic number 26 is the most stable but very much opposite of being buoyant.  It is solid, but it is not going anywhere apart from rusting away.  Maybe life does imitate nature, in this case, chemistry.  Which one are you?

Life as Plutonium

Plutonium is somehow less famous than its lighter cousin Uranium.  Both of them have an atomic weight of 90s, way below the Dunbar's number, and they are already unstable.  The slightest upset they will breakup violently.

Life as Hydrogen

The Universe was simply hydrogen.  Life is great as hydrogen, free, buoyant, dynamic.  Life as hydrogen molecules is also okay, two hydrogen bouncing together, free and buoyant.  No neutron, no baggage.  What kind of pressure one must face before becoming a helium?!  At least helium is still bouncing a bit.

Protective Slippers

Whilst unpacking groceries, I dropped something heavy on my foot, so I had to put my feet up all weekend, literally.  I wasn't wearing slippers at the time, but I am not sure slippers would have saved me.  Adequate PPE should always be considered when completing manual handling tasks...

Paella Sandwich

Paella sandwich has just got some free publicity from some Spaniards calling it heresy.  As it turns out, it has been around since 2010.