Vagueness and the Aftermath - A sporadic diary

[Laxie]

Hi Mrs. Red!!!   

Hi Laxie
How are you, I trust you are well...
sorry for the delay in answering, watching 'Lost in Austen' it's on ITV 3
Zelley

My apologies for the reply as well, Zelley.  We headed out after I posted.  All is well on this side.  

Any chance we'll see you at the Blonde Bash?  Would be lovely to meet you again.  After months spent picking Red's brain about different topics in this thread, I've have a few questions I reckon only you can answer.  

Either way, hope all is well.  xx    

[Rod Paradise]

I saw two interesting things while out walking today.

First, a beautiful teazel plant. I used to love to find teazel, it's the bird catchers friend.

Why is that Red? I can't for the life of me think what they'd be used for.

All finches, (but goldfinches especially) love the teazel plant because its egg shaped spiky head is made up of hundreds of tiny pockets, each one containing a juicy seed.

(Take a close look the next time you see one, if you can turn the head over and bang the seeds out on to your hand, they are ready to eat. Try them, they taste like nuts and they are full of proten)

Teazel only flowers (and therefore produces the seeds) once every two years, So when it does, the birds will visit it every day until the supply is exhausted. This is where the bird catcher comes in.

If he spots finches feeding on teazel, he will wait until they leave and then go to the plant and pour a little birdseed onto each teazel head. This will fall into the little pockets and replenish the supply. while ever he continues to do this, the birds will return daily. Not only will they return, but their numbers will grow an more and more birds cotton on. Now comes the clever part.

The bird catcher cuts the teazel off at ground level, moves it a few feed towards a more secluded spot, and sticks it back into the ground. Now the teazel is shorter, and closer to a place where the bird catcher can work in peace, away from prying eyes. The birds continue to come and feed daily.

Eventually, the bird catcher has moved the teazel along with the ever growing flock, (sometimes several hundred yards) to the ideal spot. Not only that, but he has reduced it's height to just a few inches above the ground.

Now, one morning before dawn he goes to the location and sets up a clap net. (A simple affair consisting of a fine weave net that is thrown over the teazel by means of a sharp tug on a concealed line) Then he waits for the birds to come and catches anything up to 50 or so in one go.

The real beauty of this method is, If you are careful to spring the trap before all the birds have arrived, the latecomers will continue to feed every day and the flock will start to grow again, eventually allowing the bird catcher to take another batch.



 

Thanks Red - great description of the technique.

[kinboshi]

Does it work with the ladies too?

[sovietsong]

As part of my quest to become a football supporter I need to understand a few things. So, can someone explain, in simple terms, what a "Transfer window" is please?

Have you picked your team yet Red, or narrowed it down to 2 or 3?

Yes, I'm down to Leeds, Wednesday, and Forrest.

My word what a difficult decision. Personally if you have that choice I would drop Leeds. Nobody likes them and with very good reason.........their supporters tend to be a little bit full of themselves. Just because they have now found their true level in the third tier of football in this country does not mean this tendancy is not there.
A little typo with Forrest though they are a bit Gumpy...........no for true football pain and real support I think you have to support Sheffield Wednesday. The first ever winners of the Cromwell cup in 1868 a tournament with only four runners in it they won nothing between 1959 and 1991 and have won nothing since except for last seasons play off final. This is the performance of a real football team. Not many remember the glory years of 1903/4 or the rennaissance of 1929/30 Remember this Red, your football team are yours forever, take your time.

The exact reason you should pick Leeds, to brand a whole club by the actions of a few is so ridiculous i dont know were to begin. 

[kinboshi]

I like Leeds.  They're my second club.

[sovietsong]

Red have you ever watched 'Dog whisper', a mate of mine pointed me toward it and I must say its a cracking show, its very American in nature however Cesar, the dog trainer, is brilliant.  Its on everyday (i think) on sky 3 at 7pm till 8pm.  He visits people with difficult dogs explains where they are going wrong and gives little gems about how a dogs mind works and the way to get outstanding results even from the most difficult dogs.

Last night a dog that had become obsessed with rocks was featured.  The dog would chew rocks, attack them and pretty much focus on nothing else.  The poor thing would even hurt himself because of his uncontrollable desire! Cesar took the dog back to his house to live with his 'pack' for a few weeks, the transformation was amazing but brought about with such simple techniques.  He showed the dog how to be submissive and then after he had stopped going crazy for rocks he introduced a tennis ball and the dog was happier than ever!

Aside from the cheesy American bits its brilliant!

[sovietsong]

I like Leeds.  They're my second club.

I just think its shocking that people hate leeds from things that happened in the 70s, I wasnt even alive but we are banded together as 'Dirty Leeds'.

All clubs have/or have had hard tackling players and fans that fight or cause trouble, doesnt mean the whole club is rotten to the core. 

[Acidmouse]

We were voted the most hated club in the country last year, not bad for a 1st Div team

[RED-DOG]

Red have you ever watched 'Dog whisper', a mate of mine pointed me toward it and I must say its a cracking show, its very American in nature however Cesar, the dog trainer, is brilliant.  Its on everyday (i think) on sky 3 at 7pm till 8pm.  He visits people with difficult dogs explains where they are going wrong and gives little gems about how a dogs mind works and the way to get outstanding results even from the most difficult dogs.

Last night a dog that had become obsessed with rocks was featured.  The dog would chew rocks, attack them and pretty much focus on nothing else.  The poor thing would even hurt himself because of his uncontrollable desire! Cesar took the dog back to his house to live with his 'pack' for a few weeks, the transformation was amazing but brought about with such simple techniques.  He showed the dog how to be submissive and then after he had stopped going crazy for rocks he introduced a tennis ball and the dog was happier than ever!

Aside from the cheesy American bits its brilliant!

Yes, I've watched it, and the subtle truth is that for the vast majority of his cases, he's training the owners, not the dogs.

[RED-DOG]

American presidential election campaign speeches. (All parties)

If you didn't look at the pictures and didn't speak the language, you would swear you were listening to a clown entertaining a room full of children.

I don't blame the candidates its the game you have to play over there these days to get elected.

I think you may have a point.

[RED-DOG]

As part of my quest to become a football supporter I need to understand a few things. So, can someone explain, in simple terms, what a "Transfer window" is please?

Have you picked your team yet Red, or narrowed it down to 2 or 3?

Yes, I'm down to Leeds, Wednesday, and Forrest.

My word what a difficult decision. Personally if you have that choice I would drop Leeds. Nobody likes them and with very good reason.........their supporters tend to be a little bit full of themselves. Just because they have now found their true level in the third tier of football in this country does not mean this tendancy is not there.
A little typo with Forrest though they are a bit Gumpy...........no for true football pain and real support I think you have to support Sheffield Wednesday. The first ever winners of the Cromwell cup in 1868 a tournament with only four runners in it they won nothing between 1959 and 1991 and have won nothing since except for last seasons play off final. This is the performance of a real football team. Not many remember the glory years of 1903/4 or the rennaissance of 1929/30 Remember this Red, your football team are yours forever, take your time.

The exact reason you should pick Leeds, to brand a whole club by the actions of a few is so ridiculous i dont know were to begin. 

Right. I do have some sympathy for Leeds and thier supporters, after all, I have a lot of experience of the majority being judged by the actions of the few.

Your dad is a Leeds supporter Sov, I'm sure he doesn't want to be judged like that, and yet he continues to judge me like that.

Well I'm willing to take a chance if he is. I will support Leeds, if, perhaps next year sometime, you and your dad will shake my hand and take me to see a game.

If not, I will understand completely. I will go for Wednesday and still be happy to call you my friend.

[Snatiramas]

I like Leeds.  They're my second club.

I just think its shocking that people hate Leeds from things that happened in the 70s, I wasn't even alive but we are banded together as 'Dirty Leeds'.

All clubs have/or have had hard tackling players and fans that fight or cause trouble, doesn't mean the whole club is rotten to the core. 

Hmmm this is really tricky. When I worked for Packard Bell we were the club sponsors at Leeds. I went quite a lot. There is history. I know many splendid Leeds supporters but if you were picking a team to support for the rest of your life my advice would be out of the three to pick Wednesday. Never heard anybody say a bad thing about them other than their own supporters and those from Sheffield United.

My rugby team are hated by just about every other rugby teams supporters in the UK. They are successful and insular. People do not like success in this country though it may be that this antiquated attitude is changing. When I started watching the Tigers there were only a couple of hundred in the ground. Now there are 18000 and it sells out for nearly every home game. We are described by fans of other clubs as arrogant but I remember as a kid just praying that I would see Leicester score a try against Coventry. Not win, just score a try. Just like any supporter of any club it just doesn't matter what anybody else thinks. It is MY club.

[RED-DOG]

This little hedgehog has taken up residence at Chez Red.

(Now there's irony for you)

[Colchester Kev]

Cook it obv.

Is it true that you bake them in mud and then when you take the mud off, all the spines come off and its edible ?

[RED-DOG]

Cook it obv.

Is it true that you bake them in mud and then when you take the mud off, all the spines come off and its edible ?

I'd like to say yes Kev, but the truth is I don't honestly know, I've never seen done. We used to gut and skin them like any other animal and then spit-roast them on the fire.

I don't particularly like them myself, too fatty.