Good morning! Another rainy day. Oh well.
I have never had good handwriting. I cold never develop a smooth-flowing script. For notes, I usually just printed. The phone was my link to my family, never letters. My daughter has very nice handwriting, even having taken a course in calligraphy when she was younger. She's thirty now.
I realized that her generation will likely be the last in this country to use cursive writing, and deciphering it will become a lost art. I don't have a collection of old letters, but those who do might begin to think about transcribing them for family members yet unborn.
Fortunately for me, my Mom had me take a typing course in high school. Since I ended up as a software engineer, it proved to be a useful skill indeed.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Good Morning Diners. Zoe, biscuits and gravy please. Side of bacon, wheat toast, and a large orange juice. I'm hungry this morning.
Thank goodness its Thursday. Almost to the weekend. It's been an incredibly long week already. Finally sat down to "dinner" last night at almost 9:30. A nice bowl of cold cereal. Second night in a row for eating late, and tonight looks to be more of the same. Ugh. Come on Friday!
Got a pair of LL Proto 2K FA's in the mail yesterday (FA2/FB2). They look great. Can't wait to see how they run. I actually needed freight cars more than more locomotives, but I've always wanted a set, and couldn't pass them up.
The world is a beautiful place.
Ocqueoc Falls by Michael, on Flickr
Mike
Good morning Diners. A bowl of porridge please, Zoe. A shot of whisky to go with it as well.
Going to see groups, bands and solo singers.
Back in the day Dawn and I saw many artists. Status Quo and Rod Stewart being the biggest names we saw. A Canadian artist named Gordie West came over to the U.K. a few times and visited us at our house before or after a show he was at.
Cursive Writing.
Both Dawn and I were good at cursive writing. Now not so good as age rolls on. Dawn has awful writing now (she will admit it.) Her time as a Senior Lecturer signing off reports and examination papers at home; often into the early hours.
On the other hand, my daughter writes ever so beautifully. A pleasure to read whatever she does. Her cartoons are a delight as well.
Possibly will be back later.
Thoughts & Peace to All who Require
David
To the world you are someone. To someone you are the world
I cannot afford the luxury of a negative thought
I am sitting here listening to a 15 year old song called "Shall We Dance" by Oreskaband. It is a really cute upbeat song.
I took my youngest daughter to see this group when she was 11 or 12 years old. It was a great day, and she even got to meet the band after the show.
I really wish I could go back in time and do all that stuff over again. Back when a couple of tickets to a good concert could make them so happy.
Oh well, time marches on.
The World Is A Beautiful Place
-Photograph by Kevin Parson
See you all tomorrow.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.
Here there be cats. LIONS with CAMERAS
York1 BATMAN Back when my kids were in elementary school they announced they would not be teaching longhand anymore and it was replaced with learning computer coding and in grade three all the students were given laptops and got new ones every two years. My kids were the last group to learn longhand and already they find themselves having to help those younger than they are read some things in the workplace that are written in longhand. Being in education, this was a hot topic for me. Research has shown that learning to write in cursive (longhand) uses a different section of the brain than printing or keyboarding. Research also shows that children who learn to write in cursive have better developed memory and encoding skills. There are other learning processes that are also enhanced when children learn to write. These processes aren't developed when children use keyboards. We also switched over to all children taking laptops home, but while I was there, we also learned cursive handwriting.
BATMAN Back when my kids were in elementary school they announced they would not be teaching longhand anymore and it was replaced with learning computer coding and in grade three all the students were given laptops and got new ones every two years. My kids were the last group to learn longhand and already they find themselves having to help those younger than they are read some things in the workplace that are written in longhand.
Being in education, this was a hot topic for me.
Research has shown that learning to write in cursive (longhand) uses a different section of the brain than printing or keyboarding.
Research also shows that children who learn to write in cursive have better developed memory and encoding skills. There are other learning processes that are also enhanced when children learn to write. These processes aren't developed when children use keyboards.
We also switched over to all children taking laptops home, but while I was there, we also learned cursive handwriting.
Both my kids have beautiful cursive writing and mine is not too shabby either. I actually love writing in cursive. My wife on the other hand, well, no one can read what she writes, must be the Doctor coming out in her.
I wonder if the fact that when you look at your hand while writing and you don't look at the keyboard when typing has anything to do with how the brain is affected.
My son just sent a pic of himself by the pool in Hawaii, he is all scraped up from an electric scooter wipe out. One of his buddies from the movie industry added a pic of the kid having a major wipeout on the set of a movie when he was doing a little stunt work. He told him he should give up the stunt work and hire his own stunt double. He had two Pinacolodas going to ease the pain.
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
BATMANBack when my kids were in elementary school they announced they would not be teaching longhand anymore and it was replaced with learning computer coding and in grade three all the students were given laptops and got new ones every two years. My kids were the last group to learn longhand and already they find themselves having to help those younger than they are read some things in the workplace that are written in longhand.
York1 John
Good afternoon from the gorgeous West Coast. It has been T-shirt weather for two weeks now.
Just chatting with the kid, he is in Hawaii, they went to celebrate buying their condo. They will be moving in when they get back. He is 23, buys a condo, and goes to Hawaii to celebrate. He's doing okay.
Here we have a very pregnant Golden Retriever. She will start her bombing run in seven days. She has stopped eating very much as there is no more room left in there. I have been giving her lots of back massages which she loves. She is a highly trained dog and her pups are going to homes of owners that will do obedience trials. You will likely see a couple of them in the movies down the road.
Had a mega workout yesterday and the wife gave me the once over afterward. My body fat is at 12%. BP was 104/60 and my resting heart rate was 36. My VO2max has me in the mid-40s in physical age. Not bad for 65.
The Ukrainian refugees are starting to show up in Vancouver, not sure if we will get a call as we are kind of far away from services. Jobs are plentiful in and around Vancouver so sending them out to stay here is not top of list. But you never know, we have lots of room. They were showing some refugees already hard at work as extras in the movie industry.
I was watching a show yesterday on evacuation from urban centres in times of emergency and the masses of people scrambling to get out of different places throughout history. It sure makes me appreciate having food and water just outside the front door if needed. Evacuation for us is going upstairs to bed.
Good to see Kevin and Bear have returned.
York1 My mind just automatically thought Fahrenheit. Are we the only country still using it?
John the change has been interesting to witness. My parents were kind of 50/50 on adapting. My generation had/has no problems flipping back and forth between the two and can convert easily in their head. My kid's generation are full-on metric and chuckle at us when we revert to imperial.
Countries not using the metric system.
Back when my kids were in elementary school they announced they would not be teaching longhand anymore and it was replaced with learning computer coding and in grade three all the students were given laptops and got new ones every two years. My kids were the last group to learn longhand and already they find themselves having to help those younger than they are read some things in the workplace that are written in longhand. It is kind of similar to when we switched to metric, things transition slowly.
Well, before you are all asleep, I'll move to where my guitars are stored and play for a couple of hours and then it is the Vancouver Canucks vs Las Vegas. The wife is out for dinner tonight but has left me a 12oz rib steak to throw on the barbecue.
Kind of like last week's, only bigger.
All the best to all.
maxman
All this reminds me of the "feelies" in Huxley's "Brave New World". Theaters where the armrests interfaced with the customers to provide a full range of sensations.
John
Water Level RouteI've not heard of a taste TV before, but I have heard of them working on a smell TV before. That was back when 3D TV's were having a moment. Everybody thought scent would be the next big thing
I think they pretty well have smell TV perfected.
BroadwayLion And I used to live in Merrick! I went to the North School. We coulda been neighbors almost!
And I used to live in Merrick! I went to the North School. We coulda been neighbors almost!
Closer than you think. My family moved to Rockville Centre when I was 9, so only a couple of towns apart.
York: Love the doodlebug
Morning all. Day 2 of work and all day meetings. Keep the coffee coming.
Don - Specializing in layout DC->DCC conversions
Modeling C&O transition era and steel industries There's Nothing Like Big Steam!
Good morning, diners.
I have a busy day scheduled all the way to 9:00 p.m. tonight, so no layout work today. Since retirement, I don't like days like this.
drgwcsBack in the 80s there was a company called Mikros that produced a series of scents for the layout called olfactory airs. Yes they did a stockyard........ for some reason the company did not last long.
Out here in flyover country, you don't have to buy scents like that. When the wind blows from the northwest, you can open your windows and get the 'authentic' stockyard smell for free!
Like I said a while back, out here it's called 'The Smell of Money'.
I'll be back later today to read through all the posts in the diner. Thanks, everyone.
How about Union Pacific McKeen motor car M-29 pulling two stock cars northwest of Grand Island, Nebraska:
MisterBeasley We had moved to a Long Island, New York, suburb called East Meadow.
Your mother would have had a cow if she knew that you lived next to a tiger!
Greetings from Chicago. Been here since Saturday for a conference. Taking Amtrak back to Dodge City this afternoon. Been a fun trip; will elaborate more when I get back.
Good morning
That burning coal aroma is awfully good. An even more preferable favorite of mine was a freshly treated creosote bridge.
Mixed with the smell of the Chocolate Factory from my childhood across the tracks was even better
hon30critter A couple of those scents like 'Cedar Wood' or 'Pine Forest' would actually be quite acceptable in our house. 'Leather' might be interesting too.
A couple of those scents like 'Cedar Wood' or 'Pine Forest' would actually be quite acceptable in our house. 'Leather' might be interesting too.
gmpullman I've heard of coffee-table layouts but this one has class... Paul_Jones-Blended by Edmund, on Flickr Canned_burgers by Edmund, on Flickr
I've heard of coffee-table layouts but this one has class...
Paul_Jones-Blended by Edmund, on Flickr
Canned_burgers by Edmund, on Flickr
I've often thought of building a Z scale coffee table. Just a simple compressed figure 8 with a bridge, rock cliffs, pine trees and a half inch piece of glass on top would be cool.
I've never heard of or seen canned hamburger patties before
Now my life is complete
https://youtu.be/nZoyE1B7HHA
Audio of Sam's second Beef commercial from the 70's.
TF
Good morning everyone. Chloe, coffee and a cheese danish please.
BroadwayLionBe careful, I got Harry Potter with me!
Charlie, we just bought our first bag of seed for the year. My wife keeps a feeder in the yard, but isn't always on top of keeping it filled. Still, it draws birds in (and squirrels) and we like that.
Kevin, that looks tasty!
drgwcs, not only is that list of scents, um, amazing, what's more so in my mind is the fact that someone thought it was a great idea!
Ed, what a serene photo of your depot. Looks like a wonderful place to be on a cool night.
Dave, that's a new one! I've not heard of a taste TV before, but I have heard of them working on a smell TV before. That was back when 3D TV's were having a moment. Everybody thought scent would be the next big thing.
NorthBritThe different smells when you close your eyes and know where you are.
My youngest had her first varsity soccer game last night. It was frustrating to watch. The team was outplayed and deserved to lose, but the officiating was clearly skewed to the home team (we were visiting). My daughter scored what would have been her teams only goal, but the ref waved it off for reasons unknown as no penalty was called. Her shot hit the crossbar, ricocheted down to the ground, crossing the goal line in the process. It had a back spin on it at this point and the backspin made it bounce back out. Maybe somehow the ref didn't see it hit the ground and bounce up and back out???? Even the other teams goal keeper acted surprised when he didn't call it a goal. Later, the other team had a corner kick that went through our keepers hands and one of our defenders was there and kicked it away from our net. They called it a goal, but my daughter was right there next to the action and said it clearly never crossed. There were a lot of ticky-tac penalties called on our team and very obvious penalties they were committing (tripping, shove in the back, etc) that weren't being called. My nephew played at the same place during his season in the fall, and my sister-in-law said it was the same thing when they were there. Disappointing.
Top of the page! Yummee!
How about I open a FRESH can of tastee hamburgers from Swift Premium
Party Style!
Cheers, Ed
A shock to the system!!!
Dawn said yesterday "When you go what do you want to happen to 'Sovereign Street & Clarence Dock'?"
Well that 'hit me in the stomach'. To be honest I am not really bothered what happens to it.
Then I thought maybe the grandchildren would want a part of it; maybe not.
I thought some more. There is quite a lot of items 'that will come useful later'. That stuff has been around for some time and really has to go. Therefore a clear out is to begin.
Today I start!
A coffee first.
Good morning Diners. Glad to see it was busy here thrugh the night.Tea and toast please, Janie.
The different smells when you close your eyes and know where you are.
The countryside. At the coast. In a City. At sea on a ship. All a magic in their own way.
Dawn showed me an advertisement from the 1970s. An electrical store was having a sale. They were selling televisions, telephones, cameras and a host of other gadgets.
In 2022 all those gadgets can be found on one I-Phone.
Back later
drgwcsFound a copy of the ad- If the stockyard smell was not acceptable how about trying gasoline, heated tar, volitile solvant, clorine bleaching chemical or the ever popular choices of nitrobenzine or naphthaline? Still wondering how this company could ever go out of business??
That's interesting drgwcs.
I read recently about a Japanese scientist who is developing a method for virtual tasting. He has built a machine that dispenses combinations of various chemicals that stimulate our taste buds. Theoretically you would be able to look at a food item on your TV and then put a small shot of the proper chemical combination into your mouth and experience the taste.
You never know what's around the next corner!
Cheers!!
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
SeeYou190The only smell that is "railroady" to me is coal smoke.
I mentioned to my wife a few years back how I miss being around steam locomotives and the burning coal.
That Christmas I got 400 lbs. (181 Kg.) of lump, soft coal that I occasionally burn in the caboose stove or the stove in the "depot". I love that woman
Depot_mood by Edmund, on Flickr
A toasty coal fire, a smoky, aged Scotch a good railroad book and I'm pretty much set for the evening
I do recall many hot summer days along the right-of-way absorbing the fine scent of the oozing creosote. Still the same bituminous base, though.
hon30critter drgwcs Back in the 80s there was a company called Mikros that produced a series of scents for the layout called olfactory airs. Yes they did a stockyard........ for some reason the company did not last long. Hi drgwcs, I'm not surprised. My wife is very supportive of the hobby but somehow I think she might draw the line at having the house smell like a stockyard! I don't even think I could sell her on coal smoke. Dave
drgwcs Back in the 80s there was a company called Mikros that produced a series of scents for the layout called olfactory airs. Yes they did a stockyard........ for some reason the company did not last long.
Hi drgwcs,
I'm not surprised. My wife is very supportive of the hobby but somehow I think she might draw the line at having the house smell like a stockyard! I don't even think I could sell her on coal smoke.
Found a copy of the ad- If the stockyard smell was not acceptable how about trying gasoline, heated tar, volitile solvant, clorine bleaching chemical or the ever popular choices of nitrobenzine or naphthaline? Still wondering how this company could ever go out of business??
SeeYou190I am making spaghetti, meatballs, and garlic bread for dinner.
This turned out great.
drgwcsBack in the 80s there was a company called Mikros that produced a series of scents for the layout called olfactory airs
Yuck.
The only smell that is "railroady" to me is coal smoke.
hon30critter Hi Mike, That's hilarious! Having good smelling models is kind of counter to this month's Diner theme. I have often wondered why nobody has come up with DCC controlled smells. Certainly the smell of burning coal would interest a lot of modellers, but the true smell of a stock car would be very entertaining! Or maybe not! If we did that then some idiot would want to simulate the smell of an open offal car on a hot sunny summer's day! Maybe just the burning coal! Cheers!! Hope I didn't spoil your lunch! Dave
Hi Mike,
That's hilarious!
Having good smelling models is kind of counter to this month's Diner theme. I have often wondered why nobody has come up with DCC controlled smells. Certainly the smell of burning coal would interest a lot of modellers, but the true smell of a stock car would be very entertaining!
Or maybe not! If we did that then some idiot would want to simulate the smell of an open offal car on a hot sunny summer's day! Maybe just the burning coal!
Hope I didn't spoil your lunch!
Back in the 80s there was a company called Mikros that produced a series of scents for the layout called olfactory airs. Yes they did a stockyard........ for some reason the company did not last long.
Good evening everyone. I had a good day at work. I made it the whole day without feeling bad, and I feel pretty good now. I think I will be at 100% tomorrow.
I hate being sick. This was just a touch of something, but it was still bothersome.
Thanks for all the well-wishes.
I am making spaghetti, meatballs, and garlic bread for dinner.
I will be back later.
Good Evening,
Cloudy with drizzle here and about 35F.
Took the tax stuff to the accountant today and picked up more birdseed. We had at least 100 redpolls in the yard today. Yesterday a female piliated landed on the suet log when I was outside no more than 10' away. Seemed to know where to go so expected was the same one that was here last fall.
Glad to see Bear has returned. Guess he couldn't resist a log filled with honey.
Have a nice evening,
CN Charlie
Anybody want to ride this train. You might meet TIGERS out here!