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Post by shades on Feb 1, 2020 7:00:50 GMT
How Old Is the Month of February?The month of February did not originally exist in the ancient Roman calendar. The winter season was a period without months, and the calendar consisted of only ten months. February was added, along with January, around 700 BC, so that the calendar would reflect a standard lunar year of 355 days. February became the second month of the year around 450 BC, although it was initially the last month of the year. The monthly quiz is back: an easy one! Who said the music died in this month and on what date?
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Post by Bean on Feb 1, 2020 7:44:10 GMT
I've got Don McLean's American Pie in my head now, and I know he says February (which is quite obvious given the month we're in now or you wouldn't be asking!), but I don't have a specific date for the plane crash he's referring to. I also don't know if he coined the phrase or just sang about it? I won't cheat and google, I'll see if anyone else knows!
(Cutting it a bit fine there, Shades!)
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Post by bazookagoof on Feb 5, 2020 21:33:20 GMT
Just received a spam e-mail with someone trying to get information and it was too funny not to pass along:
I am Emilio Hidalgo Campos the Principle Attorney of a renowned law and auditing firm here in Spain. I was contracted to audit the accounting section of some firms in Spain. This audit in line with government policies and account reconciliation became necessary following the current European Economic crisis which Spain happens to be one of the most pretentious countries with the Euro Zone.
During my audits, I discovered several dormant accounts due to inactivity. some of the said account has been dorm.ant for over a decade as the initial owner of funds HAD PASSED AW.AY. Against this backdrop, I decided to contact you in order to confirm whether or not you know or are related to the deceased family? This is because from our preliminary findings, your and one of the deceased happen to bear same surname and common heritage.
I expect your response to enable me send you more informations.
"I am Emilio Hidalgo Campos. You killed my father; prepare to die."
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Post by 3piggles on Feb 5, 2020 22:09:07 GMT
February 3, wasn't it? I used to know all the words to that song. I think it's funny how the calendar came into existence. I'm kind of glad that's pretty much settled now, though we still have a multitude of different calendars in use
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Post by Bean on Feb 6, 2020 9:52:11 GMT
Sorry, I didn't get that Baz, but see it's a Princess Bride reference? So my husband would get it!
Note to self: Before commencing a short burst of comedy dancing to amuse oneself, be mindful that the house opposite has lots of workmen on the roof who can see into the house rather well.
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Post by 3piggles on Feb 6, 2020 20:51:45 GMT
Hahaha, love the lack of structure to the letter, almost as if the writer wanted the recipient to think he was foreign, but wasn't. No one who works for a law firm in any country writes such a terrible letter in English. Phishing!
I wasn't aware, as I purposely did not watch the impeachment hearings, that Utah Senator(R) Mitt Romney spoke out quite strongly against 45, calling for his impeachment. Romney admits to being extremely religious, and actually used god as his reason for calling for impeachment. He also said he expected a backlash from 45 and his henchmen, which will include Mitch McConnell, Lindsay Graham and others who never planned to impeach 45, and were just going through the motions.
While I've never been a fan of Romney, because he's so religious, to an extent I call and extremist, I was happy when he didn't become president. I have to give him credit where due, though, and applaud his willingness to take an extremely unpopular stand among republican senators, and speak in favor of impeachment.
The Iowa Caucus, which for those who don't know what it is, is basically a representation of delegates from each places, chosen by the parties(Democrat or Republican), to vote for the person to go on the presidential ballot in November. The Iowans don't actually vote in a primary election. Our presidential primary is Tuesday, Feb. 11. For some reason, New Hampshire insists on having the first in the nation presidential primary, which causes people from other states to get all in an uproar over NH setting the tone for the country, etc. It's not true, but for whatever reason, some people find it as important to not have NH have the first in the nation primary, as NH feels it's important to have it. I think the every state should have a primary, all on the same day, get it done and over with!
So far our storm hasn't amounted to too much. We were going to get our taxes done today, but the preparer cancelled because of the forecast. Monday, instead. I still have to get my absentee ballot for the primary, which we were going to do after we got our taxes done, today, so we'll have to make a special trip to the town offices tomorrow, again, depending on the weather.
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Post by bazookagoof on Feb 6, 2020 21:42:47 GMT
Sorry, I didn't get that Baz, but see it's a Princess Bride reference? So my husband would get it! Note to self: Before commencing a short burst of comedy dancing to amuse oneself, be mindful that the house opposite has lots of workmen on the roof who can see into the house rather well. The whole e-mail sent to me was pure comedy gold, but I thought that name warranted a Princess Bride reference.
When I started commercial maintenance, we were working in a 6 story building across from a residential high rise, and on one floor a woman would go about her daily "Jazzercise" routine for several weeks, finally pulling her blinds when she noticed a dozen construction workers gazing dreamily at her from across the street.
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Post by 3piggles on Feb 7, 2020 22:05:38 GMT
I have to wonder if she didn't want those construction workers gazing dreamily at her, lol Who lives in a city and does pull their blinds?
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Post by Bean on Feb 8, 2020 9:29:00 GMT
I'd assume that if you're not the type of person to nosy into other people's windows, you might just forget that other people could do the same! Especially groups of workmen...!
When we were in Amsterdam, no one seemed to use curtains, so in the evenings there were all these scenes of families and groups of friends eating, drinking and chatting as you walked down a street. But no one really peers in there (aside from neighbours waving to one another).
I'm currently hoping those workmen turn up today (even though it's Saturday) to put the new roof tiles on our neighbours' house (they've stripped it and put the lining on, but no tiles yet) as we're due an awful storm tomorrow!
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Post by 3piggles on Feb 8, 2020 20:59:58 GMT
Did the roofers do the roofing tiles on your neighbors roof? I hope so. I think there are some very different mentalities in Europe than in the US, just as you mentioned about how the Swiss raised their children v how they're being raised in England. I don't know what makes some one lecherous, but there seem to be so many of them, and so many rapes and assaults, people using everything from Alexa to baby monitors to invade peoples privacy, etc., having that barrier of privacy is almost imperative in the US. If nothing else, someone will be walking around looking in windows for what's worth stealing. We are the capital of porch piracy, and home invasions, so again, every type of privacy/security is imperative in the US. I look in peoples windows, when we're driving at night, but I look to see how they decorated their rooms, lol
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Post by Bean on Feb 9, 2020 7:45:11 GMT
Ha! Have you even knocked on a door to ask where they've got something?
There are still no tiles on the neighbours' roof, so I'm crossing my fingers for them! There's been such a fuss made of this storm, but so far it doesn't seem too bad - it's really windy and pretty unpleasant, but nothing out of the ordinary so far.
We were supposed to be going out with some friends who were up from London last night. They were due to travel back home today in time for work on Monday, but were contacted yesterday to say all the trains bar one (for which there'd be a £50 supplement) were being cancelled today? So they had to travel home early. That's not a normal occurrence. (My husband and I went out anyway!)
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Post by amber89 on Feb 10, 2020 20:53:57 GMT
Some more consistent updates from my side. Paperwork: It's such a pain. The process is still not finished and i am locked into waiting. Without the yellow health card i cannot apply for digital signature. Without a digital signature i cannot have internet banking, cannot apply for a student's financial aid and a lot of other things. Overall, the whole thing starts to really annoy me. It's so much more complicated than in Vienna. Job: I have started again the intensive writing & sending of applications. So far little (no) luck. But i am here for only two weeks. I am not yet panicking. Of course, I would like to have it settled asap, for my own peace of mind. I am not really keen in consuming all of our savings. Copenhagen is expensive... The rents are much more expensive compared to Vienna (with 40% more expensive). Otherwise, food is comparable in price. My new place: Well...this was the biggest shock for me. I wasn't expecting much and i knew that I will need some time to get accustomed to the change. In Vienna i had a nice, two room flat, very nicely furnished. But what i found in Copenhagen was much below even my lowest expectations. The bathroom i was told though, that it looks much better compared to what my husband had during his exchange semester in the UK. From the storage point of view, there is much more space than i expected. The room is on the ground floor and i also have a door towards a shared garden (luckily i don't need to mow the lawn or trim the hedges). The room is warm enough (but i also came packed with warm clothing and shoes), though drafty. I still need to find a solution for that. The WiFi is soooo bad, i can't even have a decent Skype call with my husband and the LAN is unstable also. I am waiting for a package from home with a router and a modem, maybe i will solve this issue also. The room is located outside of Copenhagen, almost halfway between the University and the city. I have a direct bus to the campus and two direct buses to get to the city (and one even direct to the airport). Before: I think that the lack of a carpet and curtains and the fact that the furniture looks as if every previous student left something behind were the things that really marked me the most. The first thing i did after moving in was to go to IKEA and buy carpets, curtains, pillows, mattress coverings and some decorations, to make everything a bit more alive. After: The kitchen: The kitchen is shared with 17 other people. Generally it is clean (if one can ignore the smell of fried fat) and fully equipped. I do not like though sharing and personally i keep very high hygiene standards, something that i cannot guarantee if the kitchen in shared. I also hate washing dished (at home i had a deal with hubby, so that i don't do dishes). In conclusion i haven't yet cooked in that kitchen and i doubt that i ever will. I do really miss a nice, warm meal. University life: It's a bit too early to say. I share some courses with the girls that i met during the intro week. I am currently trying to figure out an institute for a project that will hopefully lead to a thesis option. I still have the possibility to do the thesis back in Vienna. The campus life though, seems much more lively than in Vienna. In addition, the university itself is encouraging students to join clubs and do volunteering work. Something that in Vienna was not encouraged at all; it was seen as a waste of time. The campus also has 4 bars where every Friday at lest there is a party. The food is much better and cheaper than in Vienna, more variate, filling and option-rich. That's how my plate usually looks and that is only what i like to eat, the options are even more variate. I really like the cold buffet at the Uni canteen. They also have a hot buffet, but i haven't tried it so far; the cold one is too inviting For such a plate i pay around 4 EUR, something what in Vienna would cost 6 EUR. That's all for now. Will post again soon (hopefully)
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Post by bazookagoof on Feb 11, 2020 0:09:20 GMT
The kitchen: The kitchen is shared with 17 other people. Generally it is clean (if one can ignore the smell of fried fat) and fully equipped. I do not like though sharing and personally i keep very high hygiene standards, something that i cannot guarantee if the kitchen in shared. I also hate washing dished (at home i had a deal with hubby, so that i don't do dishes). In conclusion i haven't yet cooked in that kitchen and i doubt that i ever will. I do really miss a nice, warm meal. Ugh, I don't know if I could ever handle sharing a kitchen with that many people! When I had an apartment, I had a two bedroom place but no roommates. I have no issue leaving other people's property alone, but I get in a real bad mood if I find that someone else has taken from my food supplies.
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Post by 3piggles on Feb 11, 2020 3:22:49 GMT
I wouldn't want to share a kitchen, either, as I've done that. The others were clean enough, but each put things back in different places.
The room is pretty bare bones, but you've added so nice color, and the rugs soften the overall look. It reminds me of my high school dorm room,only we didn't have private bathrooms.
You're definitely not going to starve on that food. Very filling 🤗 I'm glad you found a place with decent, reasonably priced food.
Keeping all digits crossed for you to get the paperwork done, and to get a job. I'm sure it's stressful not having even a small income.
Interesting how the mentality in Vienna differs from that in Copenhagen. Germanic v Scandinavian, maybe. Just very different approaches. Would volunteering at the right place get you a job, or why pay for what they can get for free?
I'm glad you're settling in, and really hope you get your wifi and LAN working to your satisfaction 💝
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Post by Bean on Feb 11, 2020 8:15:29 GMT
I get in a real bad mood if I find that someone else has taken from my food supplies. Especially if it's those Cheese-It things?! I don't think I've ever shared a kitchen with that many random people either! Only five people one year at university, and a few of those were washing up reluctant too... (The flats were demolished a couple of years after we graduated which probably gives you an idea of what kind of state they were in, even when clean! It was a fun year though!) It's a shame the kitchen situation will put you off cooking, but it sounds like you can get some reasonably priced meals out now and then. You've definitely livened your room up a bit, and hopefully it'll feel more cosy as you settle in, especially if you can find a solution to that draught! It's quite a change moving from a two bedroomed flat, so I can see why it's thrown you a bit. It sounds like you're doing so well with so much to contend with! I hope you can get the paperwork sorted soon as it must be a real headache not being able to do everything you need to do. Thanks for the update!
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Post by 3piggles on Feb 15, 2020 2:48:54 GMT
I have a pair of 3s 🤗 10 p.m.
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Post by Bean on Feb 15, 2020 7:43:37 GMT
Brrrr chilly! And a bit cooler than I'd like indoors too, but your heating bills will be much lower!
Everyone's bracing themselves for Storm Dennis, and hoping it won't bring too much rainfall to already saturated areas. It's the flooding that causes most of the misery.
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Post by 3piggles on Feb 15, 2020 13:16:46 GMT
8 a.m. No pairs. Not even a royal flush, but also no wind. I'm going to turn up the heat a couple of degrees to take off the chill. I don't know if our propane and home heating oil are any more expensive than yours, but when they only fill the tank when it's down 85%, and the bill is $500-600, we'll wear warm clothes. I've tried repeatedly to get the oil company to give us a budget, but they never respond? Dennis? Last thing you need is another storm! I really hope it's not too bad. You people haven't caught a break for a while 😢 Also, I know Wheekies is on term break this next week. Lots of people wanting to travel and do things. Good for the economy.
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Post by Bean on Feb 16, 2020 9:04:40 GMT
How long does the tank last you?
Oooh that is chilly! Storm Dennis is passing over, but it's definitely weather to avoid going out in if you can! Lots of flights had to be cancelled again - not the ideal start to the school holidays as so many people go away, but what can you do. I think our river level has now peaked, and although there were flood warnings again, it hasn't flooded which is a relief. I think there are quite a few local independent businesses that will just give up if flooding becomes more frequent.
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Post by 3piggles on Feb 16, 2020 21:57:17 GMT
We've never used a whole tank, which is 485 gallons, but we can get a fill up every month from January through March, which is painful, then nothing again until August. It's about how much heat/hot water we use, and that varies seasonally. I'd just rather pay a certain amount every month, and not get hit with high bills.
Chilly again Thursday and Friday, overnight. Single digits F, but not below 0.
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