Vagueness and the Aftermath - A sporadic diary

[RED-DOG]

Typhoon's Post reminds me. Why are "new" potatoes so called? All potatoes are new. There is not much call for second-hand potatoes, surely?

"Young" or "Old"would be better.

Actually, I was in DTD yesterday and 'Rastaman' ordered a burger and they brought it out with chips.  He didn't want the chips (and hadn't ordered them), so I took them off his hands.  Second-hand potatoes in that case...

You're just being spudantic.

[kinboshi]

Typhoon's Post reminds me. Why are "new" potatoes so called? All potatoes are new. There is not much call for second-hand potatoes, surely?

"Young" or "Old"would be better.

Actually, I was in DTD yesterday and 'Rastaman' ordered a burger and they brought it out with chips.  He didn't want the chips (and hadn't ordered them), so I took them off his hands.  Second-hand potatoes in that case...

You're just being spudantic.

A chip off the old block...

[kinboshi]

Interesting 'facts' on wikipedia:

The annual diet of an average global citizen in the first decade of the twenty-first century would include about 33 kg (or 73 lb) of potato. However, the local importance of potato is extremely variable and rapidly changing. It remains an essential crop in Europe (especially eastern and central Europe), where per capita production is still the highest in the world, but the most rapid expansion over the past few decades has occurred in southern and eastern Asia.

and

China is now the world's largest potato-producing country, and nearly a third of the world's potatoes are harvested in China and India.

[tikay]

Congrats on 500 pages Tom.

Outbreaks of pedantry & dross interrupted only by great story-telling. You needed a second wind to get there, but you are back up to speed now.

Here's to the next 500 pages, may they be half as good.

[typhoon13]

Typhoon's Post reminds me. Why are "new" potatoes so called? All potatoes are new. There is not much call for second-hand potatoes, surely?

"Young" or "Old"would be better.

Aren't they the earliest potatoes from a crop - hence the term 'new'?

Early. med, and late.

New tates are the first liftings of the earlys.

The first proper new tates we will see this year will be Egyptian or israeli imports.

Looks like we have to bow to superior knowledge guys.

When it comes to potatoes, typhoon knows his onions.

Before some clever Harry says Toms new tates could of been the early variety, early variaties dont store, late varieties have much thicker skins and will store especially in cold storage.

[RED-DOG]

"Outbreaks of pedantry & dross"

Dross.

You know when metal is molten? well dross is that scum of impurities that forms on the top.

Before the metal is poured or cast, the dross is skimmed off and dumped in a corner somewhere.

When it cools, it turns into a sort of grey powder which rusts within hours. A shovel full weighs about two hundredweight. It is the most useless substance known to man.

When I was collecting scrap iron with my dad, we used to call in at the foundries and get some dross. This was never a problem, they were glad to get rid of it.

We couldn't sell it of course. but we could mix it with the proper scrap (When and if we found some) It was virtually undetectable.

All these years later, I'm still padding things out with dross.

[tikay]

"Outbreaks of pedantry & dross"

Dross.

You know when metal is molten? well dross is that scum of impurities that forms on the top.

Before the metal is poured or cast, the dross is skimmed off and dumped in a corner somewhere.

When it cools, it turns into a sort of grey powder which rusts within hours. A shovel full weighs about two hundredweight. It is the most useless substance known to man.

When I was collecting scrap iron with my dad, we used to call in at the foundries and get some dross. This was never a problem, they were glad to get rid of it.

We couldn't sell it of course. but we could mix it with the proper scrap (When and if we found some) It was virtually undetectable.

All these years later, I'm still padding things out with dross.

Oh, make no mistake. There's quality in dross if you know where to look.

I never knew that was where "dross" derived from, though I doubt it's "the most useless substance known to man".

[Dingdell]

Congrats on 500 pages Tom.

Outbreaks of pedantry & dross interrupted only by great story-telling. You needed a second wind to get there, but you are back up to speed now.

Here's to the next 500 pages, may they be half as good.

Can you make them 'as good' please Tom - no half measures please. TY.

[RED-DOG]

These are the taters I'm talking about. (Just found these in the cupboard)

These ones are from Asda but theyre the same thing.

Click to see full-size image.

[typhoon13]

M Peer another salad tate.

I see they have started sprutting.

[kinboshi]

"Outbreaks of pedantry & dross"

Dross.

You know when metal is molten? well dross is that scum of impurities that forms on the top.

Before the metal is poured or cast, the dross is skimmed off and dumped in a corner somewhere.

When it cools, it turns into a sort of grey powder which rusts within hours. A shovel full weighs about two hundredweight. It is the most useless substance known to man.

When I was collecting scrap iron with my dad, we used to call in at the foundries and get some dross. This was never a problem, they were glad to get rid of it.

We couldn't sell it of course. but we could mix it with the proper scrap (When and if we found some) It was virtually undetectable.

All these years later, I'm still padding things out with dross.

Oh, make no mistake. There's quality in dross if you know where to look.

I never knew that was where "dross" derived from, though I doubt it's "the most useless substance known to man".

No, that's Kev.

[trafficjam]

Congrats on 500 pages Tom.

Outbreaks of pedantry & dross interrupted only by great story-telling. You needed a second wind to get there, but you are back up to speed now.

Here's to the next 500 pages, may they be half as good.

I love this thread and read it every day - Red Dog you are my fav poster!

[RED-DOG]

So this is my attempt to fix the dripping tap. (Real plumbers, look away now)


First, turn off the water at the stop-tap, which is conveniently located underneath the mobile. (In an emergency, I could get to it within 20 minutes).

Click to see full-size image.

[Karabiner]

I hope the moles have nothing to do with this...

[RED-DOG]

Next, I removed the little plastic cap from end of tap to expose fastening screw. Then I realised that tap is so close to the wall of the shower cubicle that I can't get to the fastening screw. I can't even see what type of screw it is.

I fetch Mrs Red's mirror from the bedroom to have a look.

Click to see full-size image.