Happy New Years

[rowan]

We're getting those kinds of temperatures with summer storms tossed in. There was an extremely violent one the other night. Hardly slept at all.

Meanwhile, Greece is ablaze, half of India's under water, and the Japanese are being baked alive...

[Galfon]

That's why these Isles ain't that bad to hang out in...always scope for a bit of creekit between the kick-and-runabout seasons end and start.

[rowan]

That's why these Isles ain't that bad to hang out in...always scope for a bit of creekit between the kick-and-runabout seasons end and start.

My experience of Britain is that the south isn't so bad, from the Midlands downward; not much different from Wellington, in fact, despite being quite some distance further away from the equator. But once you get north of the Midlands it's generally pretty rotten, very very wet and winters that really chill you to the bone, despite there being little in the way of snow.

[Galfon]

Heathrow Airport = latest hotty, 35C today.
just pipped by Faversham in Kent at 35.3C.
The West coastal areas ( all the way oop) tend to be quite mild in Winter thanks to the Gulf stream.

[rowan]

Must be time to don the swimsuits, socks and head-hankies and make for the beaches!

[Galfon]

In California the fire season has started with gusto - about 20 live fires raging currently, fire-whirls n'all.
The Carr fire looks a beast.
Hobbit homes could be the future..
'It's because of Climate change...'..no sh!t Sherlock.

[Galfon]

Into the August cauldron - possible record buster for Europe this weekend, somewhere in Iberia.
Worrying news that the Brussels Sprout harvest might be affected by all this.
Anyway, originally named 'Sextilis' because it was the sixth month in the original Roman calendar ( about 700 BC, it became the eighth month when Jan and Feb were added to the year.)
The original calendar consisted of 10 months which ran for 38 cycles, each forming a kind of eight day week ended by religious rituals and a public market.
So - another useful Roman invention.. the Weekend..
The originally ignored winter period was later divided into two new months. 

[rowan]

We're getting low 30s which is not unusual but the humidity has been stifling. I passed out a week ago and just woke up

[Galfon]

... the humidity has been stifling. I passed out a week ago and just woke up

never knew a week's disallowance from this organ could be so traumatic..

[rowan]

Let's just say, I get to sit with the cool kids at the back of the bus now

[morepork]

It's been low to mid 30s every day for two bastard months. It briefly gets down to the low 20s between 10pm and 9am, then climbs back up to sweaty underpants level. Just fuck off.

[rowan]

We're getting low 30s which is not unusual but the humidity has been stifling. I passed out a week ago and just woke up

Flash floods in the north of the country and an entire season's hazelnut crop washed out to sea. Practically nothing else on the local news today...

[rowan]

Such fun, watching your life savings get practically slashed in half in one day.

But that's okay. They have their dollars. We have our God . . .

[Galfon]

Hazlenut whirls were one of the best in the box.

[rowan]

Hazlenut whirls were one of the best in the box.

Expect a price-hike on this season' Turkish variety. Most of ours are floating around in the Black Sea right now. There's even an island of them somewhere, apparently.

[Galfon]

Squirrels are incredibly resourceful when it comes to food, but raft-building is probably beyond them at this stage....mind you, it just takes one.

[rowan]

Squirrels are already on the job . . .

[Galfon]

Nutkin's Crew have done this, back in the day..never write them off.

[rowan]

Well, if the squirrels are looking for nuts, they should just hang around on this forum . . .

[Galfon]

Global standards now apply - Autumn storms / deep depressions are now called 'Tropical Storms'..
First one of the season called 'Ernesto' on it's way for weekend.Nut catchers in position..hosepipe ban on hold.

[rowan]

We have a week's holiday coming up during which everybody slashes an animal's throat and donates the carcass to the poor in remembrance of Ibrahim's willingness to sacrifice his son to Allah. Up until a few years ago I'd invariably hit the Greek Islands during this break, but now I prefer to just stay home and chat with you guys on the RugbyRebels forum Besides, with the exchange rate what it is I'd practically have to draw out my life savings just to buy a cup of coffee anywhere in the euro zone right now. & the Turkish resorts will all be packed, hotels full and restaurants overcharging wildly...

We are also commemorating the Izmir earthquake today, which killed 17K by official estimates (40K generally considered more realistic) 19 years ago, mostly in the gecekondus (apartment buildings put up quickly without proper permissions) of Izmir and the outskirts of Istanbul.

[Galfon]

Looks like your new iPhone needs to go on hold now with the tit-for-tit sanction palava on the back of the detained Pastor.The lira's snook back a bit but who knows what Mr T has up his sleeves..
no foreign travel, no telly, no dough -just as well RR is still accessible to support your sanity eh..

[rowan]

No phone either. They cancelled my sim card because I hadn't put any money on it for two months. Seems like extortion to me. & I also noticed that my credit was being drained out of the phone even when I wasn't using it. Probably a put thousands into that phone over the years without ever actually using it. Modern technology is finding new and amazing ways to suck money out of us. The days when you just went down to the technology store and bought a TV or phone and that was that are long gone.

[Galfon]

computer infested, no phone, stuck on-shore ? - as long as they haven't stuck an alcohol-ban on you there is good cause to not be too miserable...but if you have wasps they will be competing for the contents of your glass about now, just to keep things real.

[rowan]

Don't drink either. All I need is a few strong coffees in the morning and this ol' chat forum to keep me happy So strap in, because I've got the whole week off while the locals run around slaughtering sentient beings to show how religiously pious they are