Essential Jobs for Christmas

[french frank]

Sign of the Pigeon?! Conan Doyle?

No, LeMartinPecheur (above)

That pigeon was after the lovely grain, no doubt

Oh, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho

[teamsaint]

No, LeMartinPecheur (above)

Oh, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho

Looks like the pigeon didn't polish off the grain though.


Nice project, FF.

[EdgeleyRob]

Essential jobs for Christmas ?
I've just checked with 'er indoors and she says yes there are some,but not to worry as she's got them in hand.

[Padraig]

You in trouble ER?

[EdgeleyRob]

As usual.

[Padraig]

Thought so.
(I have ordered the flowers).

[umslopogaas]

Dutch Elm Disease is caused by a fungal pathogen that blocks the conducting tissues of the tree, causing wilting and rapid death. It is spread on the mouthparts of the elm bark beetle, Scolytus scolytus (and to a lesser extent on those of its sibling, S. multistriatus). These beetles feed on the bark of elms. In so doing, if the elm is diseased they pick up contaminating spores of the fungus and fly away to feed on other elms, thereby contaminating them too. This is an unusual disease, because it has an unusually efficient vector (dispersal agent). Since the vector beetles are uniquely attracted to the trees they infect, a tiny initial infection is immediately spread to every other host in the area.

Brighton and Hove were long spared because they are surrounded by many miles of elm-free South Down hillsides, which the vector beetles were unable to cross. But alas, eventually they did and the elms of B & H proved no more resistant than any others.

The elms those of us old enough to remember from our youth (pre 1970s) will never return. DED does not kill trees outright, but it does reduce them to scrubby hedgerow.

But look out for your elms! It is not impossible that a mutation will occur among the survivors that will enable the carrier to resist the disease. The elms may rise again. Evolution is a wonderful process.

I once read that the three greatest thinkers of the last two hundred years - in other words, the great awakening of rational thought - were Marx, Darwin and Freud. I cant cope with Marx and I have tried hard to understand Freud, but Darwin I think is someone I can approach. Evolution through natural selection of the best survivors in a world of pure savagery. That makes sense to me.

[EdgeleyRob]

Thought so.
(I have ordered the flowers).

You can't win.
Offer to help and you're in the way,or 'I can get it done quicker myself'.
And yet sitting listening to music or watching football on the telly is not an option.

[french frank]

There is, of course, still elm available to buy as timber, mostly - I think - from harvested dead trees. But this little stool does seem to date from the time when elm was chosen for specific purposes. I've googled "elm stool" and I can't see one with an oval seat, rather than a round one - Arthur would be able to say what that meant ...

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

...there are no displacement activities, just doing what you want rather than what others think important .... and if you want proof that it is not displacement consider the enthusiasm with which such designated activities are undertaken .... imho that is ... [i also believe that there is no such thing as procrastination just an argument about scheduling &c]

lovely stool bet it will be gorgeous when it gleams!

[amateur51]

There is, of course, still elm available to buy as timber, mostly - I think - from harvested dead trees. But this little stool does seem to date from the time when elm was chosen for specific purposes. I've googled "elm stool" and I can't see one with an oval seat, rather than a round one - Arthur would be able to say what that meant ...

"Ah well now you've put me on the spot .. I wonder if I just ... there it is .. can the camera pick that up there? .. can you see that? I'd say that means that some craftsman, the man who made this apparently plain little elm stool, it's elm of course, made it lovingly ..." etc etc.

He was spotted at our school sports day one year. I pursued him at a distance from various angles before making my move and asking for an autograph. He was semi-pleased but said "Don't tell anyone else - I don't want to be bothered"

[Padraig]

[i also believe that there is no such thing as procrastination just an argument about scheduling &c]

OK then! Learn this for Christmas (for the grandchildren)To the tune of Jingle Bells:

Ó, Bualadh bos, bualadh bos, bualadh bos go léir
(Clap hands, clap hands, everybody clap hands)
Tá Daidí na Nollag ag teacht chugainn, anuas an simléar.
(Father Christmas is coming to us down the chimney)
Ó, Bualadh bos, bualadh bos, bualadh bos go léir
Ta Daidí na Nollag ag teacht chugainn, anuas an simléar.

O boolay bus boolay bus boolay bus go lyayer
Ta Daddy na Nullog ag tchaght huggin anooas an shimilair

Don't forget to clap your hands, and let me hear that Ó!

[Nick Armstrong]

I don't really follow what this thread is about....

[french frank]

I don't really follow what this thread is about....

It is on Platform 3. Each post is to be taken as an entity, in and of itself: small but perfectly formed, and not necessarily relating to anything else, anywhere.

[teamsaint]

I don't really follow what this thread is about....

its about displacement activity.
So you can read about it and be indulging in it, (or could if it actually existed, which we now learn it doesn't) at the same time, which is , or would be, rather neat.

I recommend Stephensons, BTW.