Last Poster #6

[Gerry Seymour]

one thing I have not been able to do ever is about to happen: I will empty a bottle of throat spray before losing it!
And I might suck it up and go to the doctor. It's getting worse, not better

Take care of yourself. Whiskey with honey (hot) does wonders for the throat. Just sayin'.

 

[granfire]

I am working on it.

 

[AngryHobbit]

Of course! Absolutely! You make a great point, and ofcourse people still enjoy the old entertainment. Sometimes me and my friends like to visit Stonehenge to show our appreciation to the 70's and 80's.

Oh? Do tell! I want to participate.

 

[AngryHobbit]

Yard work, taijiquan, exercise and reading books....and if I want music, have a stereo that plays actual records, or I listen to the youngest play piano of viola...and if I get desperate I cold always play the didgeridoo or ukulele....kids today....take their technology away and they become catatonic.....you may not know this, but there was life before the internet

Yes, there was like before the Internet. But life for people like me was a lot harder because of our issues with social anxiety. There was also life before hearing aids and eye surgeries - but life for people with hearing and vision impairment was a lot harder. That's what I view technology as - a tool to make things easier for a lot of people. Including for people who want to complain about technology in a public forum.

 

[AngryHobbit]

Fall has fallen.
Maria Kuroshchepova on Instagram: “#autumninthewoods”

 

[AngryHobbit]

Happy #WorldBalletDay!

I love ballet because dance in general is one of the oldest forms of human self-expression, and ballet is one of the ultimate forms of dance. Plus, it's beautiful, and you get to wear sparkly things.

 

[AngryHobbit]

Do you think that is a generational thing? Social skills were something we were formally taught at home and at school. Too many people worry about stepping on little Johnny's toes now a days. The result is little Johnny does not learn how to handle adversity, gets upset and angry at the slightest thing, and mom or dad or some shrink ends up putting them on medication. A sad and vicious circle.

***Edit: WARNING!!! Grumpy old man coming out again.

I wasn't talking about social skills nor did I say anything about my issue and handling thereof was a generational thing. I have social skills - that is not my problem. They were taught in the Soviet Union too - at least when I was growing up in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. But my remark has nothing to do with the subject of social skills, which one can learn and control the usage of.

I am talking about something I cannot un-learn and cannot easily control. I have acute social anxiety, combined with five other symptoms associated with Borderline Personality Disorder. I have no idea what set of symptoms I might wake up with on a given day, and there are days when facing other people in person is an agonizing notion to me, which has a very real physical impact like a change in my body temperature, shivers, joint pain, migraine, and nausea. I have friends all over the world who know exactly what I'm talking about because they have a similar problem, so I am not unique in this. This too is not a generational thing - people like me have been around for as long as humanity existed. It's just that, in the past, we would often be dragged into social situation and told to stop being "standoffish" and "stuck up", when, in fact, we were sweating with anxiety and just wanting to go home and be alone. Now, I have tools to interact and be social on my own terms, without having to physically face a room full of strangers. Heck, even a room full of friends would be tough - but now I have a virtual room. I still meet with people in person, but now I can ease into it. I am not sure if this makes any sense to anyone who doesn't have this issue, so you'll just have to take my word for it.

 

[pdg]

Oh? Do tell! I want to participate.

Stonehenge was THE hippy gathering for the solstice.

Gone a bit different these days though, not even allowed alcohol on site for the event and not allowed to park anywhere near - supposed to use the buses laid on for it.

 

[dvcochran]

I wasn't talking about social skills nor did I say anything about my issue and handling thereof was a generational thing. I have social skills - that is not my problem. They were taught in the Soviet Union too - at least when I was growing up in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. But my remark has nothing to do with the subject of social skills, which one can learn and control the usage of.

I am talking about something I cannot un-learn and cannot easily control. I have acute social anxiety, combined with five other symptoms associated with Borderline Personality Disorder. I have no idea what set of symptoms I might wake up with on a given day, and there are days when facing other people in person is an agonizing notion to me, which has a very real physical impact like a change in my body temperature, shivers, joint pain, migraine, and nausea. I have friends all over the world who know exactly what I'm talking about because they have a similar problem, so I am not unique in this. This too is not a generational thing - people like me have been around for as long as humanity existed. It's just that, in the past, we would often be dragged into social situation and told to stop being "standoffish" and "stuck up", when, in fact, we were sweating with anxiety and just wanting to go home and be alone. Now, I have tools to interact and be social on my own terms, without having to physically face a room full of strangers. Heck, even a room full of friends would be tough - but now I have a virtual room. I still meet with people in person, but now I can ease into it. I am not sure if this makes any sense to anyone who doesn't have this issue, so you'll just have to take my word for it.

I was not singling anyone out. If it sounded that way, I apologize.

 

[AngryHobbit]

I was not singling anyone out. If it sounded that way, I apologize.

Not at all. I was just clarifying. I am with you on the demise of social graces - I think that should be taught, along with extensive reading and creative writing.

 

[AngryHobbit]

Stonehenge was THE hippy gathering for the solstice.

Gone a bit different these days though, not even allowed alcohol on site for the event and not allowed to park anywhere near - supposed to use the buses laid on for it.

I still would love to visit someday - it is probably still a place of power.

 

[Steve]

OH DO YA, very cool! Yeah I've been roasting for years! Started with a popcorn popper then upgraded to a Behmor (and more recently added the 'Plus' updated panel for manual control) which has served me very well for years. Even modded it up to have a temp probe directly inside the drum for more accurate temps.

I mainly get my beans from Coffeesnobs, who are a dealer of Behmor roasters, the owner has a good relationship with Joe Behm.

But have tried a few other sources like DiBartoli and another fellow who got specialty grade beans with his Co-op. Only specialty coffee I roast. Soooo much to learn haha. Have you been roasting long?

A few years. I generally roast by ear. I like a darker roast, so generally go just barely to second crack and stop. The time varies based on the beans, but I’ve found that I have to trick the roaster by telling it I’m roasting a lbs, but doing only 1/2 lbs at a time. Otherwise, the behmor won’t let the roast go long enough.

 

[Steve]

I still would love to visit someday - it is probably still a place of power.

My wife and I were there in March. Went to the UK to celebrate our 25th anniversary. Very cool. We were there before it opened to the general public and got to walk inside the rings. Really neat.

 

[dvcochran]

Not at all. I was just clarifying. I am with you on the demise of social graces - I think that should be taught, along with extensive reading and creative writing.

Agree. I have always been a reader.
I am Uber left handed. All my life I have written with my paper either upside down or past 90°. Try as my parents did they could not change it. Back in the day we all used big 3 ring binders which were often in the way. I remember some teachers having an issue with me taking my paper(s) to write. Once they saw how much worse my writing was with the paper left in the binder they let it slide. I guess my writing could always be called "creative".

 

[_Simon_]

A few years. I generally roast by ear. I like a darker roast, so generally go just barely to second crack and stop. The time varies based on the beans, but I’ve found that I have to trick the roaster by telling it I’m roasting a lbs, but doing only 1/2 lbs at a time. Otherwise, the behmor won’t let the roast go long enough.

Ah yep I used to roast by ear too, can get awesome results still for sure. Ah nice, yeah I prefer a medium-ish or light-medium roast, but this one I did was for filter brewing (V60, Aeropress etc) so went much lighter. Got an espresso machine so most of my roasting is usually for that. This one is super light... an Ethiopia Sidamo Kilenso Mokanisa (natural processed, hence why the roast looks fairly blotchy and uneven, but never has a detrimental effect in the cup).

Once I started monitoring temps and using manual heat control it felt like I was a newb again haha, had to go a fresh start with learning! Main thing is just working on consistency for me.

And yes that is a good workaround trick!

Any particular origins/countries you like beans from? I tend towards Ethiopians (Harrar, Sidamo, Yirgacheffe), Colombians, not so much Brazil. I generally like the fruitier array of coffees [emoji14]

 

[pdg]

I still would love to visit someday - it is probably still a place of power.

Shout if you do, pop in for a cup of tea The summer solstice is traditionally the favourite, but there's a growing and compelling case for it having more significance during the winter solstice.

And if you like neolithic or early iron age sites, there are loads around here. Stonehenge gets all the glamour, but actually getting inside the fence is a vanishingly rare event.

We've got Avebury, Danebury, figsbury, a bunch of barrows (long and round...) Much of the area has signs of early habitation and ceremony.

Or go even earlier and pretend to be a pillar at woodhenge.

 

[pdg]

My wife and I were there in March. Went to the UK to celebrate our 25th anniversary. Very cool. We were there before it opened to the general public and got to walk inside the rings. Really neat.

Special access visit?

Normally got to book those months in advance to get a place, but March is a bit outside the usual tourist season. Must've got lucky if you weren't booked.

 

[Xue Sheng]

Speaking of fading away....

 

[Steve]

Ah yep I used to roast by ear too, can get awesome results still for sure. Ah nice, yeah I prefer a medium-ish or light-medium roast, but this one I did was for filter brewing (V60, Aeropress etc) so went much lighter. Got an espresso machine so most of my roasting is usually for that. This one is super light... an Ethiopia Sidamo Kilenso Mokanisa (natural processed, hence why the roast looks fairly blotchy and uneven, but never has a detrimental effect in the cup).

Once I started monitoring temps and using manual heat control it felt like I was a newb again haha, had to go a fresh start with learning! Main thing is just working on consistency for me.

And yes that is a good workaround trick!

Any particular origins/countries you like beans from? I tend towards Ethiopians (Harrar, Sidamo, Yirgacheffe), Colombians, not so much Brazil. I generally like the fruitier array of coffees [emoji14]

I like the Ethiopian coffees, but have had really good beans from elsewhere in Africa, as well, that are robust enough to hold up to a darker roast (like Burundi, Rwanda, and Kenya).

 

[Steve]

Special access visit?

Normally got to book those months in advance to get a place, but March is a bit outside the usual tourist season. Must've got lucky if you weren't booked.

It was part of a booked day tour. Drove out of London very early, spent the morning at Stonehenge and the afternoon in Bath. Was a nice day, though Stonehenge was the highlight. There were about 20 people in the group, and the weather was cold, but very clear, so we got several great pictures.