Things you've always wanted to know......

[Algarve Hammer]

Anyway, painting etiquette:

Gloss the skirting, then emulsion the walls; or

Emulsion the walls, then gloss the skirting?

It depends on how good your cutting in skills are, but I would gloss the skirtings first and then paint the walls, as it's easier to remove emulsion from gloss than the other way round.

Alternatively, claim you're no good at painting and get the wife to do it.

[Cuenca 'ammer]

start frm the top and work down..

you can always get paint tape to run over the skirting if necessary.

The case for skirting first is that if you paint the latex over the gloss it wipes off easier.

Did loads of painting in my time, and was always told (and did) ceiling, walls skirting.....

same with doors, start at the top as gravity will pull the paint downward...

[sendô]

Alternatively, claim you're no good at painting and get the wife to do it.

The deal we seem to have in my house is she paints it if it's indoors, and I do it if it's outdoors.

That seems like a good deal, until you're up the top of a rickety wooden ladder cutting in under the guttering.

[pablo jaye]

I’ve been sat in the garden over the past few mornings and evenings watching the swifts fly around munching away on insects and it got me wondering how high insects can actually fly, as the swifts seem pretty high.

[prophet:marginal]

I’ve been sat in the garden over the past few mornings and evenings watching the swifts fly around munching away on insects and it got me wondering how high insects can actually fly, as the swifts seem pretty high.

I think the more developed insects, such as bees and wasps can fly at pretty surprising heights, as it happens, but that's nothing on spiders.

I read recently that scientists are pretty sure that spiders use electrical currents in the air, so as to fly, often for miles and miles. I hadn't known that it was in fact Darwin who first posited the idea that spiders could 'fly', because, when he was voyaging around Patagonia, his ship was suddenly concerned in seeing spiders literally out at sea, on the wind.

Back to the present day, spiders have clued up sufficiently, it is believed, to find the closest high point, such as the roof of a house, or the top of a tree, when its stormy weather, with a lot more electricity in the air, and spin a long piece of silk that then conducts electricity to not only give them lift off, but also allow them to navigate where they want to go.

That's almost devious!

[the celestial insect]

I think the more developed insects, such as bees and wasps can fly at pretty surprising heights, as it happens, but that's nothing on spiders.

I read recently that scientists are pretty sure that spiders use electrical currents in the air, so as to fly, often for miles and miles. I hadn't known that it was in fact Darwin who first posited the idea that spiders could 'fly', because, when he was voyaging around Patagonia, his ship was suddenly concerned in seeing spiders literally out at sea, on the wind.

Back to the present day, spiders have clued up sufficiently, it is believed, to find the closest high point, such as the roof of a house, or the top of a tree, when its stormy weather, with a lot more electricity in the air, and spin a long piece of silk that then conducts electricity to not only give them lift off, but also allow them to navigate where they want to go.

That's almost devious!

I have no idea whether that's correct. I don't care. It was quite beautiful to read.

[Tenbury]

I’ve been sat in the garden over the past few mornings and evenings watching the swifts fly around munching away on insects and it got me wondering how high insects can actually fly, as the swifts seem pretty high.

I would think the hotter the air (and I'm told it's been pretty hot) the higher it will rise , so all the insects will get caught up in it and be up with the swifts.
More importantly to me, aren't swifts fabulous? It would seem that the numbers here this year have at least stabilized after many years in decline, and this year all the conditions have been excellent for them.

[pablo jaye]

The chirping of swifts is a great summer sound, far better than the squawk of gulls and magpies.

[westham,eggyandchips]

In the last week 2 people have said that it was the government that "encouraged" people to buy diesel cars.

I don't remember this. Was that really what happened?

[sendô]

In the last week 2 people have said that it was the government that "encouraged" people to buy diesel cars.

I don't remember this. Was that really what happened?

Yes, road tax was recalibrated against CO2 output of cars, with diesels generally giving out less than petrols.

I had a 2.0L A4 in 2011 that was £30 a year road tax.

[delbert]

In the last week 2 people have said that it was the government that "encouraged" people to buy diesel cars.

I don't remember this. Was that really what happened?

Basically, yes.........

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-41985715" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/ca ... ax-harmful" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/ca ... t-ban-2040" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Mayday]

The chirping of swifts is a great summer sound, far better than the squawk of gulls and magpies.

Ahh but nothing beats the sound of a Wood Pigeon. The perfect summer sound.

[Shy Ted]

Ahh but nothing beats the sound of a Wood Pigeon. The perfect summer sound.

Dove's beat that monotonous Wood Pigeon sound of "whose talking b*llocks, whose talking b*llocks, b*llocks"

[The Old Man of Storr]

We've got Eider Ducks down in our bay - I just love their call , the Frankie Howard of the Bird World .


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[Shy Ted]

We've got Eider Ducks down in our bay - I just love their call , the Frankie Howard of the Bird World .


[youtube]<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tCxOH1zHmNc" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>[/youtube]

I like them, if only pillows that made that sound.

[westham,eggyandchips]

Why do people say "I took an Uber"

I always thought Uber was just an app that enables to get an unlicensed taxi/cab?

[prophet:marginal]

The chirping of swifts is a great summer sound, far better than the squawk of gulls and magpies.

Ahh but nothing beats the sound of a Wood Pigeon. The perfect summer sound.

Magpies kind of chatter, don't they, almost like they're laughing at their own jokes. Parakeets also grate on the ears a bit.

The humble blackbird 'round here sings his own song, which often seems like he's asking his mate(s) a question, the way the song 'goes up' at the end. I like to sit in the garden, just listening to them all.

But one bird, it may be a starling, has a call which sounds like something metallic striking a piece of stone, almost off the range of what you might expect a bird's throat to be capable of. Any ideas?

[Tenbury]

Could be a starling ( more obvious in winter ,when there's more around). My previous place was surrounded by common and we heard that sound pretty regularly.....from the aptly named stonechats. !

[prophet:marginal]

I reckon starling is the more likely of the two. We get a fair selection, here, even in London, but I don't think we've had the honour of a stonechat in the garden. Cheers

[Johnny Byrne's Boots]

USA voter registration.

I keep reading "registered Democrats" and "registered Republicans". Do you have to say which way you'll vote when registering to vote? Can you change your mind without re-registering? Can you say "I want to vote but mind your own business?"

All this assumes that voter registration is what I think it is, namely like in the UK where you have to fill in a registration form in order to be eligible to vote.

All help gratefully received.