Have a good time everyone if you can. Back after Xmas.

Santa is preparing his reindeer for his epic journey around the world. You can track his journey here:
https://www.noradsanta.org/en/map

Meanwhile, have a safe and Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year.

I’ve not been on this forum long, but I’d like to wish everyone a very happy Christmas and New Year. I’ve not been well for over a week but hope to be able to get out and about soon.

that you've not seen before. Can be anything real or imagined.

To anyone who has or is suffering from flu, you have my sincerest sympathy. I’ve been poorly for over a week now. Haven’t been out. Can’t go out. I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy. I’ve been surviving on hot lemon and honey drinks. I really hope I’m fully recovered before Christmas 🧑‍🦳

Openreach has closed down the telephone exchange in Deddington, Oxfordshire. It is the first of 4600 telephone exchanges to be closed.

Just saw this in the Anything loop:

https://www.scooploop.com/thread/a-moving-piece-about-a-mother

A few of us went to a Moroccan restaurant last night.
The food was delicious and the staff as charming as you would hope.

I've attached some pictures from the Christmas lights in Windsor.
The crown is, (with others), strung across Peascod Street. The tree is at the top of Peascod Street next to the Queen Victoria Statue.
The lit wall is just along Thames Street (towards the Theatre Royal) from the tree.

https://www.scooploop.com/thread/butterfly-a7c00

Does anyone live in the Rayleigh, Hockley or anywhere local? If so, I’m sure you’ll agree that the Christmas lights/trees are outstanding. I only moved to the area recently but I’m extremely impressed. Ashingdon, my area, is adorned with household /business arrays of lights. Joyous and heartwarming.

This morning I received a text message from this random number:
07563 939434
the message was "Can I take a moment of your time?"

Would you reply to that?

...by Ryanair standards.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCgCuFv5u3c

https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/healthandlifeexpectancies/articles/lifeexpectancycalculator/2019-06-07

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=353376859373528

https://www.scooploop.com/user/JohnnyBee

https://www.scooploop.com/user/Brenda38

Charging an admin fee for using the counter instead of the self service.
My Post Office is inside a shop called TG Jones, so I don't know if it is them or the Post Office decision to add the admin fee.
Yesterday I went into the Post Office to send a calendar to a friend. We send each other one every year. I always use the self service screens. I thought great there is one free. There was a notes saying card payment only which was fine. I put the parcel on the scales and pressed Send an Item. Then I saw the message. "if you are sending to Northern Ireland or international destinations please go to the main counter". So I had no choice but to join the really long queue stretching into the main shop. Eventually it was my turn. Weighed it, handed it over, then the lady said the cost of postage "and an admin fee of £1.50". When I asked her what is the admin fee for? she said "it's for using the manned counter instead of the self service machines". She even joked that "it's not for me".
Decided not to argue with her that they had made the self service machine only useable for sending UK letters only.

https://www.facebook.com/reel/1154053963579043

...while I was there I tasted a botanical which was prevalent when I was a child. It is natural and is 30 to 50 times sweeter than sugar.

Any guesses?

....only available on the streaming service.
I've been noticing that some TV dramas are only showing the first episode on the broadcast channel, then if you want to watch the rest of the series you have to login to that channel's streaming or catch up service.
Recent examples are Lioness, which was shown on ITV for one episode, the rest of the series was only on ITVx. And last Saturday Channel 4 showed the opening episode of The Serpent Queen, the rest of the series is only on My4.
Got me thinking how many will think a series has been cancelled and don't realise it has moved to streaming only.

I would like to share this link with you
https://open.substack.com/pub/beyondbloomsbury/p/katherine-mansfield-a-fairy-tale?r=1ja7mn&utm_medium=ios

The Netherlands has been steadily closing prisons for more than a decade as crime rates have fallen and sentencing policies have shifted. Since around 2009, the country has shut down at least 19 facilities - now more than 20 - because there simply weren’t enough inmates to keep them full. A mix of factors contributed to the decline, including lower crime rates, shorter prison sentences, alternative punishments, and a strong focus on rehabilitation and reintegration rather than long-term incarceration. The result is a rare situation in which a modern country has more prison capacity than prisoners, leading to closures, staff retraining, and even renting out unused cells to other nations on occasion.
A little more detail on those factors...
Effective Rehabilitation Programs: The Netherlands has focused on rehabilitation rather than punishment, leading to programs that help offenders reintegrate into society, reducing recidivism rates.
Alternative Sentencing: The use of alternatives to incarceration, such as community service, probation, and electronic monitoring, has become more common, allowing individuals to serve their sentences without being incarcerated.
Social Policies: Broader social policies aimed at addressing the root causes of crime, such as poverty and education, may also contribute to lower incarceration rates.

Most, if not all, mobile phone networks offer "Pay As You Go" SIM cards. They are not pay as you go as we used to know them, they are monthly contracts. Payment is required whether the SIM is used or not and credit cannot be carried forward. The only advantage over a standard contract is there is no ongoing committment.

There is one exception. EE offer a Pay As You Go SIM. It is not advertised on the website and I had to ask in an EE shop. The minimum initial payment is £10. The SIM needs to be used at least once every three months to keep the credit.

The charge rates are a rip-off: 20p per text and 40p per minute for calls, but if it is hardly ever used it is a lot cheaper than paying every month for something you don't need.

Of all the different National Lottery games Euromillions Hot Picks has become a bit of a favourite. A slightly better chance of a win than Lotto Hot Picks and better payouts when you win.
I don't want this to seem racist but Asian shopkeepers in independent shops really struggle with what I'm asking for. And I would rather give an independent shop my money than a supermarket. Having said that, it was a woman serving in Sainsbury's kiosk who advised me of the clearest way to ask for my ticket.
I buy a ticket that has one number on one line, and two numbers on another line.
This is how I ask for the ticket:
"Can you do a Euromillions hot picks? " pause. "Can I have two lines" pause "One number on the first line. Lucky dip" pause. "Two numbers on the second line. lucky dip. Thanks".
It's unbelievable the different ways of getting it wrong they manage to do.
1. two lines with one number on both lines
2. two lines with two numbers on both lines
3. one line with three numbers.
4. a ticket that looked correct as it had one number on line one, two numbers on line two. but the numbers were, 1 on line one and 1,2 on line two. Not entirely convinced he had tapped the lucky dip button. but I accepted them.
5. Same retailer the next time printed out line one, 1, line two, 2,3.
6. Quite often get given two tickets, one with one number, one with two numbers. That's fine for me and I often tell them to do two seperate tickets if it looks like they are struggling and there is a queue forming.
7. Best one so far in a shop in Beckenham high street. He had just printed a Euromillions ticket for me, so I knew the lotto machine was working, but when I asked for my Euromillons Hot Picks ticket he said, "that game doesn't work".
I never get angry at them as they are trying their best. I think not many play that game so they are not used to the process of producing the ticket.

My Dyson is falling apart. What handheld (not push along) vacuum cleaner would you recommend?

https://uk.camelcamelcamel.com/

Just heard on the news that porch pirates are most active in November and December so if you're worried, please remember you can often choose to have your parcel delivered to a pickup point (shop, Post Office or locker) instead of to your home address.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0rpy7envr5o

...This is an extract from a National Public Radio (NPR) interview between a female broadcaster and US Army "Lieutenant General Corso" about sponsoring a Boy Scout Troop on his military installation.

Interviewer: "So, LTG Corso, what are you going to do with these young boys on their adventure holiday?"

LTG Corso: "We're going to teach them climbing, canoeing, archery, and shooting."

Interviewer: "Shooting! That's a bit irresponsible, isn't it?"

LTG Corso: "I don't see why, they'll be properly supervised on the range."

Interviewer: "Don't you admit that this is a terribly dangerous activity to be teaching children?"

LTG Corso: "I don't see how, we will be teaching them proper range discipline before they even touch a firearm."

Interviewer: "But you're equipping them to become violent killers."

LTG Corso: "Well, you're equipped to be a prostitute, but you're not one, are you?"

?End of the interview

....even though it had not yet done a poo.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4gpzxnl7l9o

A PLANE IS ON ITS WAY TO TORONTO , WHEN A BLONDE IN ECONOMY CLASS GETS UP AND MOVES TO THE FIRST CLASS SECTION AND SITS DOWN.

THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT WATCHES HER DO THIS AND ASKS TO SEE HER TICKET.

SHE THEN TELLS THE BLONDE THAT SHE PAID FOR ECONOMY CLASS AND THAT SHE WILL HAVE TO SIT IN THE BACK.

THE BLONDE REPLIES, "I'M BLONDE, I'M BEAUTIFUL, I'M GOING TO TORONTO AND I'M STAYING RIGHT HERE."

THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT GOES INTO THE COCKPIT AND TELLS THE PILOT AND THE CO-PILOT THAT THERE IS A BLONDE BIMBO SITTING IN FIRST CLASS, THAT BELONGS IN ECONOMY AND WON'T MOVE BACK TO HER SEAT.

THE CO-PILOT GOES BACK TO THE BLONDE AND TRIES TO EXPLAIN THAT BECAUSE SHE ONLY PAID FOR ECONOMY SHE WILL HAVE TO LEAVE AND RETURN TO HER SEAT.

THE BLONDE REPLIES, "I'M BLONDE, I'M BEAUTIFUL, I'M GOING TO TORONTO AND I'M STAYING RIGHT HERE."

THE CO-PILOT TELLS THE PILOT THAT HE PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE THE POLICE WAITING WHEN THEY LAND TO ARREST THIS BLONDE WOMAN WHO WON'T LISTEN TO REASON.

THE PILOT SAYS, "YOU SAY SHE IS A BLONDE? I'LL

HANDLE THIS, I'M MARRIED TO A BLONDE. I SPEAK BLONDE."

HE GOES BACK TO THE BLONDE AND WHISPERS IN HER EAR, AND SHE SAYS, "OH, I'M SORRY." AND GETS UP AND GOES BACK TO HER SEAT IN ECONOMY.

THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT AND CO-PILOT ARE AMAZED AND ASKED HIM WHAT HE SAID TO MAKE HER MOVE WITHOUT ANY FUSS.

"I TOLD HER, 'FIRST CLASS ISN'T GOING TO TORONTO."

A cowboy, who just moved to Montana from Texas, walks into a bar and orders three mugs of Bud.

He sits in the back of the room, drinking a sip out of each one in turn.

When he finishes them, he comes back to the bar and orders three more.

The bartender approaches and tells the cowboy,

"You know, a mug goes flat after I draw it.

It would taste better if you bought one at a time."

The cowboy replies, "Well, you see, I have two brothers.

One is in Arizona, the other is in Colorado.

When we all left our home in Texas, we promised that we'd drink this way to remember the days when we drank together.

So I'm drinking one beer for each of my brothers and one for myself."

The bartender admits that this is a nice custom, and leaves it there.

The cowboy becomes a regular in the bar, and always drinks the same way.

He orders three mugs and drinks them in turn.

One day, he comes in and only orders two mugs.

All the regulars take notice and fall silent.

When he comes back to the bar for the second round, the bartender says, "I don't want to intrude on your grief, but I wanted to offer my

condolences on your loss."

The cowboy looks quite puzzled for a moment, then a light dawns in his eyes and he laughs.

"Oh, no, everybody's just fine," he explains.

"It's just that my wife and I joined the Baptist Church and I had to quit drinking."

“It hasn't affected my brothers though." 😁😁😁

Friday 7th November 2025 before Remembrance Sunday

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lincolnshire-67358681

*
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOgIlCHNa0Y&list=RDhOgIlCHNa0Y&start_radio=1

... of a week or two ago, regarding the Traitor's Experience in Covent Garden, a celebrity journalist has taken part. Her report can be found here:
https://www.aol.co.uk/articles/did-traitors-live-experience-more-083520534.html

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4gpzynky88o.amp?fbclid=IwY2xjawN1bABleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETBic1p2cjg4QjExQ0lnbGE4AR79zv-3Qby5wWEW014sg4PBdR5Y_cr1GBP-FDu4ralODkdlYq4UkdZlME0cHQ_aem_PMiO4ThQ6MqKssU4FwvPvA
I should think so too. But I bet that`s the energy supply companies paying to write off that debt. Pity it isn`t Shell, BP, Chevron ect because they are the ones making the most money.And they get grants and tax-consessions too. Extraction and refining companies rake a lot more in than Ovo and Octopus and E.on ect.

Or should I say In the church

Saw a snippet of this story on tv last night

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy8vq5318dxo

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-global-warming-is-shrinking-earths-animals/?fbclid=IwY2xjawNzDiNleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHr6jzB2IP74mSsLZ4pQrXmUk-9q_cesam8m4PH1Ecb0CGigj8ag4euj5HHt1_aem_H_O81fR5pFQZHmS0MiGfLg

... and leave with something else.
Back in June I was referred to my local hospital's Opthalmology unit because I had conjunctivitis which was causing blurred vision. It turned out I had a corneal ulcer, also known as Rosacea Kerititis. A course of stronger eye drops and ointment was prescribed which finished a month ago.
This week was my follow up appointment and as everything now looks and feels normal, I was expecting to just go through the motions of one of the team to have a quick look and confirm the all clear.
This time I was lucky enough to be seen by the clinical lead. Usually you see a member of the team. First she told me my eye had greatly improved, then she said I have a new condition.
It is called Lagophthalmos. I now have another 3 months of daily ointments and eye drops.

Share your experience.

https://www.scooploop.com/loops/movie-madness

https://www.scooploop.com/thread/strange-message-on-tv-screen

Scooploop was down this morning due to its certificate expiring. This has now been renewed for only three months, which does not look good. So if there are members you want to keep in contact with, if you haven't already done so after a previous outage, now would be a good time.