The Sky is Falling Complaint Thread

richardandtracy

Near Biggin Hill one summer I was on my Suzuki 550, going faster than really sensible for the lane and hit a Pigeon. Well, the bike did. It slammed between the front forks and hit the oil cooler radiator hard enough for the breast meat to be sliced between the fins of the radiator. Couldn't pick them out in the lane, and by the time I got home the meat was cooked. Took one heck of a time to clean the radiator. Regards, Richard.

Kinich

TJohn said:

Kinich said:

Now over here in the UK we don’t have that many big scary animals, not unless you wander into the wrong pub on Saturday night but that’s another matter altogether, anyway back to the plot. back in the last century I was working in Cambridge and whilst making my way home one evening, a journey of some 25 miles or so I had a somewhat disturbing encounter with a pheasant.

Now you’re thinking, pheasant? A pheasant isn’t a particularity scary bird in anybody’s book, but this particular pheasant launched itself from the grass verge at the side of the road just as I came out of a corner doing 50mph or so and the pheasant is coming for me at head height, again not that scary you might think, but the thing was I was on a motorbike at the time and a pheasant in the face at those sort of speeds is not something to take lightly, luckily despite the panic I managed to duck down just far enough so that the kamikaze game bird bounced off the top of my helmet rather than me taking it straight to the face, I managed to stay upright and on the bike (quite a feat for me, I’ve fallen off a few), somewhat shaken I pulled over a bit further down the road to take a few deep breaths before continuing on my way.

I am actually quite partial to a bit of peasant, sorry I mean pheasant, now and again but interesting fact for those not from the British Isles picking up any roadkill you are responsible for killing is classed as poaching, however the next person along can happily and quite legally help themselves to a free lunch.

That's probably a law designed to discourage motorcyclists from intentionally killing birds by driving into them at dangerous speeds.

It's the real reason motorcyclists travel in packs, the scout out the front to scare the game, the next couple to take them out and the rest to collect the meat for the barbeque.

WinterMoon

Kinich said: Now over here in the UK we don’t have that many big scary animals,

You have badgers, though. Norwegians are terrified of badgers, because "everyone knows" that they attack on sight, bite onto your leg, and don't let go until they feel the bones shatter. In British culture they always seem to be portrayed as these benevolent woodland creatures that just belong, so I assume they don't have that reputation over there?

Richard Haseltine

WinterMoon said:

Kinich said: Now over here in the UK we don’t have that many big scary animals,

You have badgers, though. Norwegians are terrified of badgers, because "everyone knows" that they attack on sight, bite onto your leg, and don't let go until they feel the bones shatter. In British culture they always seem to be portrayed as these benevolent woodland creatures that just belong, so I assume they don't have that reputation over there?

No, they get blamed (and culled) for spreading bovine TB but generally people think they are cute and benign.

kyoto kid

...unlike North American Badgers.

LeatherGryphon

Never mind.

 

 

NylonGirl

Both pictures look like what would hatch out of one of those cocaine pidgeon eggs.

Richard Haseltine

https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/wildlife/badgers

It doesn't sound as if most badgers are a threat, not just the UK ones https://wildexplained.com/blog/are-badgers-dangerous/

carrie58

richardandtracy said:

Near Biggin Hill one summer I was on my Suzuki 550, going faster than really sensible for the lane and hit a Pigeon. Well, the bike did. It slammed between the front forks and hit the oil cooler radiator hard enough for the breast meat to be sliced between the fins of the radiator. Couldn't pick them out in the lane, and by the time I got home the meat was cooked. Took one heck of a time to clean the radiator. Regards, Richard.

 I'm not sure but I might have you beat ,was riding a beach cruiser bicycle to work ,not going very fast either had a morning dove land right in front of my front tire....... no time to stop, ran over it's stupid feathered a$$ ,when I looked back to check it ...ummm yeah not so good ,could have plucked it and grilled it ...... but didn't .Another time had one try to land on the hood of my car while I was driving at 35mph .......morning doves just aren't that smart I think

 

richardandtracy

Never had that sort of thing, glad to say. The pigeon is the only vertebrate I'm certain I killed. There have been a number of occasions when I've had doves fly out of the hedges in front of me and frantically fly down the lane about 5ft in front of my vehicle, going several hundred yards in a panic before thinking to get some altitude. Crazy critters. Regards, Richard

DanaTA

Every now and then a bird flies right through my path when driving on the highway at 55mph or 65mph.  Sometimes going down the main road in my neighborhood at 40mph.  I think they are playing "Chicken".  It happens to often to be coincidence.  One time, one of them bounced off the hood, but didn't seem to be hurt...but how would I know?

NylonGirl

Ah yes, the hood bouncers...

richardandtracy

Diving our Mercedes Sprinter I had a Pheasant burst out of the hedge and didn't quite get enough lift. It hit the top edge of the windscreen with a massive WHUMP. No damage to the screen but there was a grease mark on the screen. Every detail of every feather was visible in the mark, as was every tiny detail around the Pheasant's bottom in exquisite detail. Learnt more about Pheasant anatomy than I wanted. Regards, Richard.

NylonGirl

I had this odd dream that David Haseltine was on Baywatch and Richard Hasselhoff was deleting all my posts.

Richard Haseltine

NylonGirl said:

I had this odd dream that David Haseltine was on Baywatch and Richard Hasselhoff was deleting all my posts.

That would certainly have wrecked the show's ratings.

kyoto kid

...non complaint:

...daily email volume has dropped off dramatically  since Wednesday.  Need to enjoy it while it lasts.

Might finally be able to finish a few projects that have been on hold for months, even years. 

richardandtracy

NylonGirl said:

I had this odd dream that David Haseltine was on Baywatch and Richard Hasselhoff was deleting all my posts.

Would have been even worse if it was Micheal Heseltine (AKA Baron Heseltine, one time Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, or 'Rambo') as the actor, so things could have been worse.

Regards,

Richard

Sfariah D

I dreamt that I was a mushroom girl and stuck under a bed.  I was afraid everyone was ignoring me because they didn't like me.  I wanted to ask if I got any mail but was too afraid.

Also the dorm room I was in was more like a bunk bed not a dorm room.

Sfariah D

I somehow dropped a box of cereal all over the floor of the kitchen.  It caused me not to be able to have breakfast today.

WinterMoon

Sfariah D said: I dreamt that I was a mushroom girl and stuck under a bed. 

It sounds like that dream escaped from my head. I'm sorry!

I had a strange dream where I planted a bag of mixed seeds, and some of them hatched small animals.  

NylonGirl

WinterMoon said:

Sfariah D said: I dreamt that I was a mushroom girl and stuck under a bed. 

It sounds like that dream escaped from my head. I'm sorry!

I had a strange dream where I planted a bag of mixed seeds, and some of them hatched small animals.  

I think that dream may have escaped from the thread I killed.

Drip

carrie58 said:

richardandtracy said:

Near Biggin Hill one summer I was on my Suzuki 550, going faster than really sensible for the lane and hit a Pigeon. Well, the bike did. It slammed between the front forks and hit the oil cooler radiator hard enough for the breast meat to be sliced between the fins of the radiator. Couldn't pick them out in the lane, and by the time I got home the meat was cooked. Took one heck of a time to clean the radiator. Regards, Richard.

 I'm not sure but I might have you beat ,was riding a beach cruiser bicycle to work ,not going very fast either had a morning dove land right in front of my front tire....... no time to stop, ran over it's stupid feathered a$$ ,when I looked back to check it ...ummm yeah not so good ,could have plucked it and grilled it ...... but didn't .Another time had one try to land on the hood of my car while I was driving at 35mph .......morning doves just aren't that smart I think

 

Try ducks! Just as stupid as pigeons, but bigger, and the cloud of feathers is more colorful.

Richard Haseltine

richardandtracy said:

NylonGirl said:

I had this odd dream that David Haseltine was on Baywatch and Richard Hasselhoff was deleting all my posts.

Would have been even worse if it was Micheal Heseltine (AKA Baron Heseltine, one time Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, or 'Rambo') as the actor, so things could have been worse.

Regards,

Richard

I thought his nickname was Tarzan? I did once have to be very clear that we were not related, when I was having a check-up and he had annoyed the NHS.

DanaTA

Drip said:

carrie58 said:

richardandtracy said:

Near Biggin Hill one summer I was on my Suzuki 550, going faster than really sensible for the lane and hit a Pigeon. Well, the bike did. It slammed between the front forks and hit the oil cooler radiator hard enough for the breast meat to be sliced between the fins of the radiator. Couldn't pick them out in the lane, and by the time I got home the meat was cooked. Took one heck of a time to clean the radiator. Regards, Richard.

 I'm not sure but I might have you beat ,was riding a beach cruiser bicycle to work ,not going very fast either had a morning dove land right in front of my front tire....... no time to stop, ran over it's stupid feathered a$$ ,when I looked back to check it ...ummm yeah not so good ,could have plucked it and grilled it ...... but didn't .Another time had one try to land on the hood of my car while I was driving at 35mph .......morning doves just aren't that smart I think

 

Try ducks! Just as stupid as pigeons, but bigger, and the cloud of feathers is more colorful.

Many years ago, when I was in 7th or 8th grade, a teacher told us about a town in Texas that used to have an annual parade with turkeys.  Every year, they would pray that it wouldn't rain...because if it did, the turkeys would look upward and try to drink the rain, and choke or drown.  Now...that's stupid!!! 

richardandtracy

You're right. Tarzan it was. Knew it was something inappropriately macho, just remembered the wrong inappropriately macho name.

Don't envy you having to explain to the hospital staff. Not nice when you're suffering from associative nomnative guilt.

Regards

Richard

Sfariah D

Is it bad I use Ai to see what I would look like if I lost a bunch of weight?

LeatherGryphon

Weight I can lose.  In fact, my recent hospital vacation helped greatly (and I've kept it off).  But losing years, is a bit harder.  The wrinkly man in the mirror, looks nothing like the exciting leather clad character in my photo album.  But he still has his memories.  Wheee...  Note to self: Time's gettin' short to write that book.

 

WinterMoon

The Confessions of a Leather Gryphon?

Does anyone remember those t-shirts from the 90s that said "I'm fat. You're ugly. I can lose weight." 

NylonGirl

LeatherGryphon said:

Weight I can lose.  In fact, my recent hospital vacation helped greatly (and I've kept it off).  But losing years, is a bit harder.  The wrinkly man in the mirror, looks nothing like the exciting leather clad character in my photo album.  But he still has his memories.  Wheee...  Note to self: Time's gettin' short to write that book.

 

You probably shouldn't just expect to die or assume it will happen soon. That might cause you to stop doing things that keep you alive. And there are some jobs we shouldn't just "quiet quit".

Sfariah D

I am missing 5 cupcakes.  Was it the housemate's BF who took them?  or did I sleep walk and ate them while asleep?