Look Out Norfolk, Chris Packham Is Back Again!

[Smoggy]

We have just had a new washing machine delivered, went for an Ebac on the grounds of mostly UK made components and UK built and repairable,  the old one has shot bearings and a sealed drum  my plan is to have a damn good go at splitting the drum and leaving it bolted and selling with new bearings if I can, just didn't want to be without for the time it takes to do the job.

[Bikertov]

It never ceases to amaze me, how many young people (up to mid 20's) who we are meant to be saving the planet for, just don't seem to care (going by their actions).

The amount of that generation who throw away Bags 4 Life after one use, that throw things away because they don't quite work like brand new ("just get another one") rather than make do or mend, that wear so much disposable fashion.

Even my own children look at me like I am mad when I say to close windows when the heating is on, when I tell them to turn lights of, when I say not to drink bottled water, when I say it is OK to eat something a day or 2 after it's Best Before date.

 

[addicted]

Just more examples of how  true it is to say youth is wasted on the young!

 

Carole

[Vaughan]

1 hour ago, ExSurveyor said:

Grendal, I was thinking the same as I watched a very healthy black mink walking along the pontoon this morning, might explain the deminished levels of ducks around here.

You wait till they decide to make their nests for the winter, in the cushions on your boat!

[Smoggy]

What is this food waste I keep hearing of? Very little gets thrown out of our house unless it crawls out on it's own.

[rightsaidfred]

38 minutes ago, grendel said:

This of course doesnt mean we should sit back and do nothing, but if each person takes responsibility for their own actions, reduces their reliance on single use platics and tries to  avoid damageing our environment, then that will in my mind be far better in the long run than any enforced legislation might be, rather than setting unrealistic targets, or trying to rush things through. let us look back to look forward, take a cloth or string bag shopping for veg, just like my parents used to, when it comes to buying things I have more second hand stuff than new, I go to boot fairs, buy what I want there, if it breaks I fix it, not throw away and buy new (not that much these days is still fixable- but then I will buy older stuff that can be repaired.

I agree with most of that, we don't buy second hand but what we have we make last for years, we don't have the latest of anything only replacing items once they are beyond viable use, we also only buy the food and groceries we need using fresh produce wherever possible with no waste and no convienence food just as we did many years ago.

Fred

[FairTmiddlin]

2 minutes ago, Smoggy said:

What is this food waste I keep hearing of? Very little gets thrown out of our house unless it crawls out on it's own.

My food waste bin collected weekly contains nothing but used Tea bags.

[ExSurveyor]

14 minutes ago, Vaughan said:

You wait till they decide to make their nests for the winter, in the cushions on your boat!

Then Matron will have a pair of mink gloves for Christmas.

Fortunately we are solid without any soft canopy areas., all gelcoat and double glazing. 🤞

[Paul]

On 19/10/2021 at 16:06, FairTmiddlin said:

My food waste bin collected weekly contains nothing but used Tea bags.

such extravagance, do you not dry them and refill them?

 

[Bikertov]

1 hour ago, Paul said:

such extravagance, do you not dry them and refill them?

 

I use mine all day long, just keep topping up with hot water, before they are consigned to the bin ...

[marshman]

Hi Mark - I hope that mink sighting was in the S Broads, if if in the Broads at all! If it was seen in the N Broads could you please ring the sighting through to Broads Control and ask them to pas the sighting on to the Environmental Team at Yare House.

Particularly in the Ant Valley mink are actively tracked and if possible trapped -  for all of your jokes they are a nightmare, far more destructive than the otter and a bit like foxes, kill not necessarily for food but for the "fun" of it

[ExSurveyor]

38 minutes ago, marshman said:

Hi Mark - I hope that mink sighting was in the S Broads, if if in the Broads at all! If it was seen in the N Broads could you please ring the sighting through to Broads Control and ask them to pas the sighting on to the Environmental Team at Yare House.

Particularly in the Ant Valley mink are actively tracked and if possible trapped -  for all of your jokes they are a nightmare, far more destructive than the otter and a bit like foxes, kill not necessarily for food but for the "fun" of it

Hi Mm, It was reported to the Norfolk Mink Project, they have a trap in the marina so they are planning on re scenting it. Saw it again today.

[Vaughan]

9 hours ago, marshman said:

and a bit like foxes, kill not necessarily for food but for the "fun" of it

I quite agree - so does the otter.

It defeats all I say about having your boat well ventilated in winter.  If there are mink about and you have left a hopper window open, they will get in there.  Emerald Star Line used to have dreadful trouble with them on the Shannon, in Ireland.

[SteveO]

On 15/10/2021 at 08:36, batrabill said:

What’s “the other side of the story” on slavery? 
 

Opportunities to travel? Meet people from different cultures?

The trouble with the past, Bill, is that it is the past. We can't change it, we can only learn from it and vow never to repeat it. We are more likely to learn from it if it isn't continually reinterpreted, "curated" by those with a particular social or political angle or airbrushed away by removal of visible signs of anyone who had anything to do with it.

Depending on your definition of slavery, I think we have generally reached the conclusion that slavery is a bad thing, the exceptions being those "modern slavers" who seem to occupy a blind spot in our society. This is happening here and now, largely ignored by the very same people who have been making such a noise about historic slavery via social media,   demonstrations and mob removal and defacement of public statues over the last few years. One can only wonder why they are focusing on things they can't change rather on on those which they could if they but had a will to do so.

[batrabill]

14 minutes ago, SteveO said:

Depending on your definition of slavery, I think we have generally reached the conclusion that slavery is a bad thing, the exceptions being those "modern slavers" who seem to occupy a blind spot in our society. This is happening here and now, largely ignored by the very same people who have been making such a noise about historic slavery via social media,   demonstrations and mob removal and defacement of public statues over the last few years. One can only wonder why they are focusing on things they can't change rather on on those which they could if they but had a will to do so.

What on earth is your evidence for this statement?
Who are “they” and what evidence do you have that they are ignoring it?

It seems hugely more likely that those who are involved in this issue are much more likely to be sensitised to current issues than the average person. 
 

This is a classic example of Whataboutism. 

[SteveO]

31 minutes ago, batrabill said:

What on earth is your evidence for this statement?
Who are “they” and what evidence do you have that they are ignoring it?

It seems hugely more likely that those who are involved in this issue are much more likely to be sensitised to current issues than the average person. 
 

This is a classic example of Whataboutism. 

I should have thought it quite obvious that the "they" to whom I refer are those people who are making the most noise about historical slavery but I hear nothing from them on social or any other media about modern slavery.   Where are the pressure groups and demonstrations against people trafficking, sex slavery or any other modern manifestation of this abhorrent practice? I can only conclude that these so-called "sensitized" people are much more comfortable with focusing on the past because the past doesn't argue back or offer violence.  

I had to look up "whataboutism" as I do not deal in "flip" political terms, but I find your use of the term in this context offensive. I am merely pointing out that if one truly wanted to do something about slavery they would focus on  the here and now rather than revisiting the past.

[HEM]

On 19/10/2021 at 08:30, Vaughan said:

Have you ever tried buying fresh asparagus from those little roadside caravans in Norfolk?  I only did it once!

Asparagus is almost on the same level as religion in Germany, often served with boiled potatoes & smoked ham.
That certainly one meal I've grown to enjoy here - delicious.

However frozen asparagus (available in many supermarkets including Lidl here) is very good, avoids the work of preparation & we've never had a "wooden" stem.

[CeePee1952]

37 minutes ago, HEM said:

Asparagus is almost on the same level as religion in Germany, often served with boiled potatoes & smoked ham.
That certainly one meal I've grown to enjoy here - delicious.

However frozen asparagus (available in many supermarkets including Lidl here) is very good, avoids the work of preparation & we've never had a "wooden" stem.

Brings back memories!  One of my favourites when I was stationed/living in Germany was Schweinshaxe with Spargel and boiled potatoes! 

Chris

[batrabill]

2 hours ago, SteveO said:

I should have thought it quite obvious that the "they" to whom I refer are those people who are making the most noise about historical slavery but I hear nothing from them on social or any other media about modern slavery.   Where are the pressure groups and demonstrations against people trafficking, sex slavery or any other modern manifestation of this abhorrent practice? I can only conclude that these so-called "sensitized" people are much more comfortable with focusing on the past because the past doesn't argue back or offer violence.  

I had to look up "whataboutism" as I do not deal in "flip" political terms, but I find your use of the term in this context offensive. I am merely pointing out that if one truly wanted to do something about slavery they would focus on  the here and now rather than revisiting the past.

Whataboutery

:the technique or practice of responding to an accusation or difficult question by making a counter-accusation or raising a different issue.

"all too often, well-intentioned debate descends into whataboutery"

 

Example. Person protest at statue of Slaver. Person on internet says “But what about Modern Slavery”

Quite hard to be offended if something is so obviously accurate. 

[rightsaidfred]

1 hour ago, batrabill said:

Whataboutery

:the technique or practice of responding to an accusation or difficult question by making a counter-accusation or raising a different issue.

 

Now where have I seen that used many times in the past 

Fred

[grendel]

very similar to the straw man argument, where the question raised is never answered but deflected into another question or topic.

[Vaughan]

5 hours ago, batrabill said:

Whataboutery

:the technique or practice of responding to an accusation or difficult question by making a counter-accusation or raising a different issue.

I which case, I wonder what your intervention on this thread about slavery, had to do with Chris Packham?  Even I can't blame him for that!

 

[HEM]

6 hours ago, CeePee1952 said:

One of my favourites when I was stationed/living in Germany was Schweinshaxe with Spargel and boiled potatoes!

THB I avoid the Schweinshaxe!  But there are plenty of nice things to eat here.

We cook a mixture of German & UK meals (my wife is from Northern Germany).

I made "Pork Chops in Cider" this evening and very tasty it was too. 
 

[Wussername]

Oops! We're going off piste again.

[LizG]

7 hours ago, CeePee1952 said:

Brings back memories!  One of my favourites when I was stationed/living in Germany was Schweinshaxe with Spargel and boiled potatoes! 

Chris

Didn't really like spargel when I ate it although I like asparagus!!! This is seriously off topic but......he's back at Wild Kenhill for autumn watch shortly ( which is in Norfolk)