What have you done today thread?

[DefTrap]

I might try and nick an oirsh passport, as I'm sure my granny was born in NI (although hellishly difficult to track down a Smith), partly to wave as a proud flag of EU rights retention, but mainly to annoy my proper oirish mate.

[Mussels]

Dublin is still in Tier 5 so no one is in the offices processing applications for foreign birth certificates. So, my application and my Deed Poll (of which there is only one and it is not possible to get a duplicate ) have been in Dublin since January (I posted to the Irish Embassy in Paris in November)

I don't get the fuss about these, they aren't official documents and if you lose it just filll out another. You can have them notorised to give a bit more clout but it is still no more official than a scribble on the back of a fag packet.

[Taipan]

So this happened this morning, SEB is the Sheriff Dept version of SWAT:

211/417/459....area of 40th Street East and Avenue K....caller (security) states armed person broke into location, location is a large property with numerous metal buildings....sheriff enroute code 3
UPDATE: call taker states shots heard in background
UPDATE 2: caller states they fired shots back at DP
UPDATE 3: caller states there are three hostages
UPDATE 4: caller stating DP disconnected cameras unable to see any longer
UPDATE 5: Palmdale units enroute to assist
UPDATE 6: caller disconnected line, attempting to call back
UPDATE 7: DP described as a male black adult wearing dark clothing
UPDATE 8: deputies making callouts at house
UPDATE 9: possible suspect seen running from property
UPDATE 10: Lancaster deputies requesting more Palmdale units code 3 for containment spots
UPDATE 11: deputies advise two possible suspects came out of house
UPDATE 12: SEB enroute, command post being set up at Eastside High School
UPDATE 13: two suspects, unknown race both, both wearing black ski masks white new Chevy van unknown plate both possibly armed, demanded victim to open safe, property taken unknown at this time
UPDATE 14: caller advises he and three other workers are inside. Caller advises he isn't hurt, unknown about three others
UPDATE 15: additional person came out, appears to be cooperative, doesn't speak English.....person went back inside location now
UPDATE 16: caller states three hostages are two male Hispanics, and one male Russian
UPDATE 17: male now back outside and is cooperative, possibly doesn't speak english....deputies making contact and detaining now
UPDATE 18: all victims and security are accounted for and safe.....waiting on SEB response to show up from around county (7:30am)
UPDATE 19: expect road closures in immediate area
UPDATE 20: SEB now on scene, preparing to start clearing property and buildings
UPDATE 21: SEB still clearing buildings at scene (10:45 am)
UPDATE 22: SEB has cleared property and buildings, all road closures being picked up (12:25 pm)
UPDATE 23: no suspects located at premises

At the same time that all started to go down, this happened:

245GSV....Palmdale Regional Hospital....victim with gunshot wound to chest was just dropped off....sheriff enroute code 3
UPDATE: victim was shot four times, occured at unknown place and unknown time....deputies attempting to ascertain further
UPDATE 2: deputies following AMR code 3 to AVH with victim

This was the response at the first location, it's a known grow house operation.

You're never going to win the fight against crime with that lack of resources!

[Taipan]

2nd full day at work today, but at least i'm working from home. Sneaked off for a haircut this morning and got a call to pick my daughter up, which is a 70 mile round trip. I'm too tired to do anything now. Time for a power nap, then I shall return as the famed and revered image editor extraordinaire!

[Noggin]

Dublin is still in Tier 5 so no one is in the offices processing applications for foreign birth certificates. So, my application and my Deed Poll (of which there is only one and it is not possible to get a duplicate ) have been in Dublin since January (I posted to the Irish Embassy in Paris in November)

I don't get the fuss about these, they aren't official documents and if you lose it just filll out another. You can have them notorised to give a bit more clout but it is still no more official than a scribble on the back of a fag packet.

Well, it's a bit more difficult for me to sort out doing it again from here. At the time I sent it I wasn't in a position to get a notorised copy (although will do that in future!).

It may not have much 'clout' but my actual birth certificate no longer reflects my legal name. The deed poll does. So it is quite important given I'm living in a massively paper heavy bureaucracy!! LOL

[Noggin]

I might try and nick an oirsh passport, as I'm sure my granny was born in NI (although hellishly difficult to track down a Smith), partly to wave as a proud flag of EU rights retention, but mainly to annoy my proper oirish mate.

My Grannie's birth and death certs were fairly simple - the fact that she married an English bloke in Gibralter should have been tough but actually they were incredibly helpful there!! LOL

Damned glad McKinstry was easier to track down than Smith!! LOL

[Trinity765]

Conversations with my sons.

I invited spawn #2 to have lunch with me on my balcony today. It's still a little cold but we pretended it wasn't. I asked him what his idea of success was. He thought for a second and said "Being happy" and went on to name a few celebrities and family friends who seemingly had everything but were deeply unhappy and he messaged me an hour later to say "Some people have everything but they are completely selfish. Success isn't what you have, it's what you give back". I think he may be the only adult in the family.

When leaving my Mum's house later I heard someone shout something and looked up to see spawn #1 lolloping up the road towards me. "I'm drunk!" he announced with a big proud smile "I've been drinking in the garden of the Long Arm of Wilmerington" which when translated into sober is The Long Man of Wilmington, a pub close to my Mum's. "Have you been to work today?" I asked, "Yes" he says "You can ask my boss". "That's ok, I don't need to ask your boss" I tell him. He then says very loudly "In that case you can ask my Mum!!!". Off he wobbled up my Mum's garden path - he'll be sleeping it off in her spare room then.

Things seem to be returning to normality

[asmethurst99]

Had a haircut and a beer last night - Algerian barbers next to our house literally grab you as you walk by "haircut my friend ?"

Woke up to sustained gunfire - somebody emptying a clip in the park next to us ....













Actually it was fireworks celebrating the beginning of Ramadan .

[ZRX61]

Changed the fill valve in roomies crapper tank, she's been complaining about it whistling for a few months. The diaphragm in the doodad goes bad & causes a really annoying whistle.
Which brings up the question:
Do they still use ball cocks in the UK or have they upgraded to these:
https://external-content.duckduckgo.com ... f=1&nofb=1

[Skub]

Ballcocks in our house,I can't speak for a modern build.

[Mussels]

Changed the fill valve in roomies crapper tank, she's been complaining about it whistling for a few months. The diaphragm in the doodad goes bad & causes a really annoying whistle.
Which brings up the question:
Do they still use ball cocks in the UK or have they upgraded to these:
https://external-content.duckduckgo.com ... f=1&nofb=1

Both, the new smaller cisterns don't really have room for a ball valve.
I used a valve like that a few years back for a cold water tank. Poxy thing got limescale on it and stuck in the open position.

[Yambo]

Do they still use ball cocks in the UK or have they upgraded to these:
https://external-content.duckduckgo.com ... f=1&nofb=1

All of ours are like that with some variations for manufacturer. The best ones available are French. We have a ball cock on the swimming pool sump though.

As for limescale, our water here is very hard and limescale is an ongoing problem. There's lots of de-scaler around though but it's probably far too potent for the UK and definitely way too dangerous for Californicate -it's basically hydrochloric acid. I buy in in 5 litre containers and throw some in the toilet cisterns every few months to stop them getting manky. It has other uses too but that's for another episode.

[Taipan]

Changed the fill valve in roomies crapper tank, she's been complaining about it whistling for a few months. The diaphragm in the doodad goes bad & causes a really annoying whistle.
Which brings up the question:
Do they still use ball cocks in the UK or have they upgraded to these:
https://external-content.duckduckgo.com ... f=1&nofb=1

Replaced out ballcock set up for one of those when the bog was moved to an internal wall and there was no outlet for a traditional overflow. I think most newer properties have that set up and external overflows are only for header tanks?

[gremlin]

Get rid of ballcocks and 1970's-style, plumber-based, innuendo-laden comedy will suffer and that will be the beginning of the end....

[Taipan]

Today I have photographed pages from Homer, Iliad 1488, Thuycydides, Historia Belli Peleponnesiaci, 1483 and Plaustus Comoediae 1495. Good job I didn't drop any of them really...

[Mussels]

Changed the fill valve in roomies crapper tank, she's been complaining about it whistling for a few months. The diaphragm in the doodad goes bad & causes a really annoying whistle.
Which brings up the question:
Do they still use ball cocks in the UK or have they upgraded to these:
https://external-content.duckduckgo.com ... f=1&nofb=1

Replaced out ballcock set up for one of those when the bog was moved to an internal wall and there was no outlet for a traditional overflow. I think most newer properties have that set up and external overflows are only for header tanks?

External overflows used to be a legal requirement so people would easily spot if the valve was faulty, it was changed a few years back to allow overflow to go down the pan. Now if you use the less reliable device in a modern toilet you are less likely to spot a problem but water meters mean the water companies aren't bothered anymore.

[Horse]

Now if you use the less reliable device in a modern toilet you are less likely to spot a problem but water meters mean the water companies aren't bothered anymore.

There are concerns that many water-saving dual flush set-ups actually leak and waste water

[Noggin]

Drove to the valley this morning for an ultrasound, no lump and (even better cos it'd be a miracle) no baby!

Came home via my friends chalet to do some French study but damn it's just tooooooo cold in there whilst they are away - everything including the heating is turned right down. Lasted an hour and a half


But, I did go looking for, and found, a cheese called Comte but the 'old/vintage' one. People keep telling me "it's just like cheddar" so I'm up for trying it. I don't believe them. But need to try before saying they are wrong!!


Now, some more (different) study in my lovely warm little apartment and then a French lesson online later!!

Might make fried rice for tea as I have some stuff that needs using up and will go really well in fried rice

[Ditchfinder]

Nah comte is quite smoky - a bit dutch like to me.

Cantal is not far off a cheddar but make sure you go for the more aged stuff - entre-deux I think it's called

[formula400]

cycled North London hill
clean house for viewing
watched some cycle racing
did some washing


living the dream me