Vegas & The Aftermath - Diary

[tikay]

Thanks Rod. I was pretty sure the "third duck" was a specific species, guess I got it wrong.

Did some more digging - there are sites where they try to identify the mallard crosses (geeks) http://www.gobirding.eu/Photos/HybridDucks.php - they even have pics of Egyptian Goose/Mallard crosses (I'd not have thought that likely).

I now think it's a domesticated descendant of the mallard called a call duck

The Call duck is a lively, charming little bird with a small body and short bill. The name originates from the Dutch word \'kooi\' meaning trap. They have a high-pitched call which carries over a long distance. The ducks were used by hunters to attract wild ducks towards traps or shooters. The tame ducks were tethered at the entrance of the traps and the more \'calling\' the ducks did the better.

The Call duck is a direct descendant of the Mallard duck although through selective breeding they have shorter bills and a smaller body. Call ducks were very rare in the first half of the century but have recently become very popular and now win more duck championships than any other breed.

Traitor ducks effectively.

Ahh, now it sort of makes sense to me, thank you. I have an odd filter in my head which sometime rejects stuff for no apparent reason. Love the expression "traitor ducks"!

Mallards, as you well know, of course, are shocking randy buggers, & will & do mate with almost anything, dead or alive, & commonly "gang rape". Collectively, Mallards across the world are destroying many species of ducks by cross-shagging, as I understand it. That would, perhaps, explain the Egyptian Geese/Mallard crossbreds. I still don't quite recall the Egyptian Geese @ Luton Hoo looking quite like these.

Thanks for that "identifier" website, too. Bookmarked.

[tikay]

Was interested to read this: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2103193/The-Wembley-aquariums-Thierry-rebuilds-6m-home-make-va-va-room-storey-5-000-gallon-tank-300-fish.html Thierry Henry wants to knock down his London House & rebuild it with a 4 story fishtank rising through the building. A bit 'bling' but I must admit I'd love to have it (but not pay for it obv).



Best tanks I saw outside of an aquarium were at my mate's house in Bermuda, he'd 2 200 gallon tanks that he and his brother used to keep specimen seas fish & raise them to the point the Aquarium could use them as exhibits. Helps when you live on a small island with schools of the buggers around you though.

Eye-popping!

Do the maths stack up - does a 40' x 15@ tank hold 5,000 gallons? Does the technology exist in glass making to build such a thing? That's a hell of a sheet of glass, 40' high, 15' wide.

The biggest I have seen is in the Reception of the Mirage Hotel, in Vegas. Very impressive.

Click to see full-size image.

The height  wouldn't be a problem, a float line will run continuous for years, basically giving you an endless piece of glass.
The trouble is the width, not sure there is a float line over 3.5 meters wide.

( says in the article though that Henry's tank will actually be 4 separate tanks, made from plastic)

Ooh, fine knowledge of float glass production there Mr Fan. At 3 metres width, it would take some transporting, too.

You been to Pilkingtons @ St Helens, to see the glass produced? Incredible sight.  The silica sand from which glass is made is also quite an interesting topic. Glass, in fact, is as deep & interesting as concrete. Time for a glass story, soon, though I expect you'll soon see through it.

[tikay]

Tomorrow, more duck & bird photos, plus train photos, Railway Station photos, & some London sights. Bet you can't wait.

Same time, same place.

[Chili]

Tomorrow, more duck & bird photos, plus train photos, Railway Station photos, & some London sights. Bet you can't wait.

Same time, same place.

 

[EvilPie]

Ooh, fine knowledge of float glass production there Mr Fan. At 3 metres width, it would take some transporting, too.

You been to Pilkingtons @ St Helens, to see the glass produced? Incredible sight.  The silica sand from which glass is made is also quite an interesting topic. Glass, in fact, is as deep & interesting as concrete. Time for a glass story, soon, though I expect you'll soon see through it.

You know it's only 3m wide if you hold it the right way round right?

[Machka]

Bob Nudd ftw

Best memories are from childhood fishing holidays in caravans. We used to have a static on a fishing site in Skeggy and would go every other weekend in the summer. My best fish was about a 6-7 lbs carp that I caught when about 14 and  needed some help to land it. I also managed about a 2 1/2 to 3 lb Perch which is a real beauty.

My fav spot was behind a little church at Wainfleet, I could sit there for hours, even now.

Do you still fish, Phil?

I'm toying with taking it up, the solitude would be awesome.

I'm also more & more keen to buy one of those big f*** you 750cc motorbikes, too, imagine touring the west of Scotland on one of those, & it would beat the traffic in London, which I find a bit of a pain.

Ooohhhhh......

Thanks, tikay, a really evocative photo. I never even knew you had a lad!

[Machka]

Thanks Rod. I was pretty sure the "third duck" was a specific species, guess I got it wrong.

The Egyptian Goose, what a goose I am - Tom & I saw these at Luton Hoo last spring, but I never recognized them this time round. Damn memory.

Tom - thanks for the cropping. Yes, "much better". Still seems like cheating though.

Ralph - thank you & your untrained eye. 37 attempts & I got there!

This is what I think when I take photographs. 

I always keep the pictures exactly as they are taken, the only real exception is if I'm altering for a specific reason, creating a collage, removing unsightly litter from grass when printing a picture etc.

[tikay]

In case you missed it, or even don't care, LilDave almost literally crushed the field on Day One of his $2,000 entry Omaha Tournament in Los Angeles overnight.

".....Seriously I do actually have loads of chips, blinds 300-600 and I have about 160k, 21 left and that equates a little below 10% of the total chips inthe room. 8 paid $44k ftw......"

The Staking thread is here.....

http://blondepoker.com/forum/index.php?topic=56487.0

Stakers with an interest include Doobs, Alright Jack, Titty, AndrewT, Mully, Dan Morgan, Claypole, & redarmi.

Thing is, can the boy finish the job?

[tikay]

So you think it is cold here?

This was the River Danube, in Serbia, yesterday.

Click to see full-size image.

Click to see full-size image.

[Machka]

So you think it is cold here?

This was the River Danube, in Serbia, yesterday.

Click to see full-size image.

Click to see full-size image.

You really get around with that camera of yours!

[tikay]

In the absence of a "Day" Corry in lesser diaries, today is Pancake Day.

It is not just celebrated in the UK, either, it's also marked as far away as Australia & the Philippines. Apparently.

In Catholic & Protestant countries, it is known, supposedly, as "Fat Tuesday". WTF? 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shrove_Tuesday

Vinni's first helping is being prepared here.

[tikay]

Thanks for the various replies on the Jason Somerville story yesterday.

I was testing the water, as I want to cover the story on tonight's Show as part of a new feature, "Top Ten Poker News Stories of the Week".

Quite a brave one for a somewhat conservative channel, but the big boss said yes, so we will be covering it. 

Spam? Probably, but an excuse to tell you that tonight's guest will be none other than James Atkin, aka MC, the Rapper chappie.

Here's James with his lad, & at work, both photos nicked from his blog.

Strange fact - we are not allowed to post Photos of children, or anyone under 16, on the Forum next door, nor can we have Studio Guests under the age of 25 if they plan to talk about poker.

[Dingdell]

Great pics - that pond near MK would give you about 20 different species to shoot (take pics of) plus a lovely little duck house. 2 birds will be landing in Euston tonight - one very sparkly, amazing plumage and Irish in descent, the other unknown parentage and less glammed up.....

Hoping for an easy journey as we emigrate to the south for the night. Fingers crossed that we don't encounter any cross winds, diversions or the M4. I think Euston is pretty simple though tbh.

Blatant spam 

http://blondepoker.com/forum/index.php?topic=56378.120

Thank you - as you were.

[david3103]

Hmmm, so Shrove Tuesday, or Pancake Day falls in the middle of Eating Disorder Awareness Week...

Like crime in a multi-story carpark, wrong on so many levels.*







*Stolen from Tim Vine

[The Camel]

What must this stunning beautiful & majestic house-boat be worth? A million?

Click to see full-size image.

Click to see full-size image.

Click to see full-size image.

Stunningly beautiful?

I think it is perfectly awful.

Not enough money in the world to get me to live there.