Interesting little facts...

[Taipan]

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[Cousin Jack]

I was prompted to look it up as I saw a motorbike being mauled by a bear on a FB European motorcycle tour group. It looked like it was trying to get at something in a pannier so my advice would be don't carry snacks if you're wandering off the beaten track.

That makes sense. In most of the NPs in the USA they tell you not to leave food, or even food wrappings in cars overnight. We saw one 4x4 that had not heeded the advice, a grizzly can and will rip a car door open just to get to some sweets.

[Horse]

Do they eat motorcyclists? I need to know soon, I am off to Spain in September and may need to upgrade my insurance.

If you're going hiking while there, the best things you can do is to deter them and also learn to recognise that they're possibly in the area so you can avoid disturbing them.

Deter: use noise to warn them, so they're not surprised, by hanging small bells on your clothes. Apply peppermint oil too.

Recognise: identify their droppings. Easily recognised as it smells of peppermint and contains small bells.

[Count Steer]

Went for a hike up one of the cross-country ski trails in Banff and happened upon a toilet block (why it was out there in the woods I dunno) - on the door was a sign suggesting you don't just charge in....

(I can't really remember but there was probably a door latch of some sort but they're pretty canny them bears. They were all over the place, small ones not grizzlys, even sat in small groups on the grass verges at the roadside. I assume people would throw 'treats' out of the car window Did a hike around an old/historic site of interest - an old mining settlement - and you really had to keep your eyes open and make a bit of noise.They're supposed to be mainly nocturnal but they seemed pretty wide awake during the day and definitely not all hibernating!).

[Taipan]

Went for a hike up one of the cross-country ski trails in Banff and happened upon a toilet block (why it was out there in the woods I dunno) - on the door was a sign suggesting you don't just charge in....

(I can't really remember but there was probably a door latch of some sort but they're pretty canny them bears. They were all over the place, small ones not grizzlys, even sat in small groups on the grass verges at the roadside. I assume people would throw 'treats' out of the car window Did a hike around an old/historic site of interest - an old mining settlement - and you really had to keep your eyes open and make a bit of noise.They're supposed to be mainly nocturnal but they seemed pretty wide awake during the day and definitely not all hibernating!).

My Aunt and Uncle lived on Vancouver Island in Canada. Feeding bears would really get you in trouble as they then associated humans with food. They had a saying, "A fed bear is a dead bear" as that's what often ended up happing to them if they kept approaching humans.

[Count Steer]

Went for a hike up one of the cross-country ski trails in Banff and happened upon a toilet block (why it was out there in the woods I dunno) - on the door was a sign suggesting you don't just charge in....

(I can't really remember but there was probably a door latch of some sort but they're pretty canny them bears. They were all over the place, small ones not grizzlys, even sat in small groups on the grass verges at the roadside. I assume people would throw 'treats' out of the car window Did a hike around an old/historic site of interest - an old mining settlement - and you really had to keep your eyes open and make a bit of noise.They're supposed to be mainly nocturnal but they seemed pretty wide awake during the day and definitely not all hibernating!).

My Aunt and Uncle lived on Vancouver Island in Canada. Feeding bears would really get you in trouble as they then associated humans with food. They had a saying, "A fed bear is a dead bear" as that's what often ended up happing to them if they kept approaching humans.

Wish I'd got relatives on Vancouver Island. They'd be sick of the sight of us! I could happily up-sticks and live there.

[Taipan]

Went for a hike up one of the cross-country ski trails in Banff and happened upon a toilet block (why it was out there in the woods I dunno) - on the door was a sign suggesting you don't just charge in....

(I can't really remember but there was probably a door latch of some sort but they're pretty canny them bears. They were all over the place, small ones not grizzlys, even sat in small groups on the grass verges at the roadside. I assume people would throw 'treats' out of the car window Did a hike around an old/historic site of interest - an old mining settlement - and you really had to keep your eyes open and make a bit of noise.They're supposed to be mainly nocturnal but they seemed pretty wide awake during the day and definitely not all hibernating!).

My Aunt and Uncle lived on Vancouver Island in Canada. Feeding bears would really get you in trouble as they then associated humans with food. They had a saying, "A fed bear is a dead bear" as that's what often ended up happing to them if they kept approaching humans.

Wish I'd got relatives on Vancouver Island. They'd be sick of the sight of us! I could happily up-sticks and live there.

Sadly they are long gone now and regrettably I never got to go and see them, despite the open invitation. My stupid pride wouldn't let them pay for me, despite multiple offers, and i couldn't afford it back then, so I never went. I have hardly any regrets in life, but not seeing my Aunt and Uncle and indeed Vancouver Island is one of them.

[Taipan]

2 interesting facts about me.
1. My knob is as long as 2 Argos pens.
2. I'm barred from Argos.

[slowhare]

Have you seen the clip of Richard Feynman explaining how magnets work?

His point is, you can get deeper and deeper into the physics but at some point you always reach a level where you have to accept "they just do".

It's the same with electricity IME

In my head, I can hear him now. He is one of my favourite physicists ever, bar none.

An extraordinary chap greatly missed.

Richard Feynman was not the genius he’s made out to be.

[Taipan]

Siri has Harry Potter commands. "Hey Siri, lumos" turns the torch on and "Hey Siri, Nox" to turn it off. Also "Hey Siri Assios" followed by the app name you want it to open.

[Yorick]

Siri has Harry Potter commands. "Hey Siri, lumos" turns the torch on and "Hey Siri, Nox" to turn it off. Also "Hey Siri Assios" followed by the app name you want it to open.

I didn't understand any of that

[Taipan]

Siri has Harry Potter commands. "Hey Siri, lumos" turns the torch on and "Hey Siri, Nox" to turn it off. Also "Hey Siri Assios" followed by the app name you want it to open.

I didn't understand any of that

Do you need a hand to tie your laces?

[Yorick]

Siri has Harry Potter commands. "Hey Siri, lumos" turns the torch on and "Hey Siri, Nox" to turn it off. Also "Hey Siri Assios" followed by the app name you want it to open.

I didn't understand any of that

Do you need a hand to tie your laces?

I've never used Siri and never seen Harry Potter

And no laces in me flip flops

[Mr. Dazzle]

Siri has Harry Potter commands. "Hey Siri, lumos" turns the torch on and "Hey Siri, Nox" to turn it off. Also "Hey Siri Assios" followed by the app name you want it to open.

Tiepin's iPhone tomorrow:

It's "open WHATs app" not "open what's AAAAPP".

[Cousin Jack]

I am beginning to worry that the younger generations are losing track of what is real and what is imagined.

[Slenver]

never seen Harry Potter

FYI, they're books

[Yorick]

never seen Harry Potter

FYI, they're books

Never seen the books

[KungFooBob]

What about Harry Pita, the chili saucerer?

[gremlin]

Siri has Harry Potter commands. "Hey Siri, lumos" turns the torch on and "Hey Siri, Nox" to turn it off. Also "Hey Siri Assios" followed by the app name you want it to open.

I didn't understand any of that

Me neither. I suspect it's because we're not 12 year olds who believe in wizards, spells and the existence of unicorns*....



*I was going to type 'and the non-existence of transsexuals' to be all edgy, satirical and topical, but then thought the better of it given the shenanigans of the past few weeks on 'ere.

[Demannu]

Discovered that bee venom does not make a very good cosmetic filler when injected around the eye socket!