General Chit Chat

[Burnden Paddock]

See how viciously the Yanks treated BP (not least to routinely begin to call it BRITISH Petroleum all of a sudden) following the Gulf oil incident. They routinely lose out to European and Asian manufacturers nowadays. This could be seen as a great way to kill a major competitor off.

"Vorsprung Durk Technik" & all that.

Yeah. The Yankee bastards!

[TANGODANCER]

Deja-vu.

Was at a place on Bradley Fold Industrial Estate down Radcliffe Moor Road, this morning. Everything I once knew there has long gone. I was looking idly through the window at a two level building with a set of stairs that's now has a cafe on the top. Suddenly got the weirdest feeling as I realised I was looking at the entrance steps of the old Dobson and Barlow's Drawing Office that survived the demolition of most of the site. I last went up there some 45 years ago at the firm I worked at from leaving school. I got a mental image of the inside of the place almost like it was yesterday, even picturing one guy who worked in there. Felt really weird.

[TANGODANCER]

Some grossly overweight nut on mobility scooter rammed a woman and grabbed her "chest". His name...."Marshall Hart" ...kid you not. (Today's Bolton News)

[thebish]

ever wondered what the sound engineer actually does???

[Worthy4England]

Having bought a new studio mic last week. And having had various family members who've had a go at warbling down it. I can confirm it ain't half that easy.

[bobo the clown]

I've "done" lights and sound at a decent Am Dram place for years and can say that the sound deck, with probably 1,000 knobs, switches, buttons and slides 950 of them have barely been touched.

[thebish]

hahahahahahahaha!

[Harry Genshaw]

^ brilliant!!

[Burnden Paddock]

Some grossly overweight nut on mobility scooter rammed a woman and grabbed her "chest". His name...."Marshall Hart" ...kid you not. (Today's Bolton News)

I've known Marshall since I was a kid. His name never fails to raise a smile, neither does the sight of his mobility scooter going down Bury Road, whilst he puffs on a cigar. Having said that, he was always a bit of a wrong 'un and i'm amazed that the disability mentioned is chronic asthma (see the cigar reference). Not that this excuses his behaviour.

[bobo the clown]

No children or animals have been hurt in this story ;-

I'm a contact lens wearer. Have worn them 30 years and if i was told I couldn't wear them I'd have the eye op for new lenses. I fckg hate wearing gasses.

Exactly 4 weeks ago today my left eye began playing up. It happens maybe a couple of times a year. A minor infection. I don't use the lenses for a few days and piss & moan and get even more grumpy than normal (yes. It IS possible).

A few days went by & it wasn't clearing up and the vision was poor. I had an opticians appointment for the following week anyway so if it didn't sort itself out by then they could take a look. So 2 weeks ago yesterday I turned up at the opticians to explain I was 'having a bit of trouble'. Optician 1 takes a look, does a few things more than normal ... then asks some odd questions.

He then asked a senior colleague to take a look. He also asked quite a few odd questions and, at one stage inverted my eye-lid. That came very close to me punching him to be honest.

They said they thought there was an infection and that I should see an Optometrist. They gave me a letter to take to A&E and said they would need to call in the out-of-hours person if there were no staff in (it was around 3.30pm on a Friday). I turned up to Britain's worst A&E confident I'd be seen sooner than most as it would just be as & when the person arrived. In what is an entirely different tale of woe I eventually saw a non-optometrist after 9 hours waiting. It seems that the call I was 3 times told had been made had ... in fact ... not been made.

Various creams and drops were offered and an emergency arrangement made for 11am Saturday ... 2 weeks ago & two weeks after it all began.

She saw me and explained I had a scratch on my cornea (front of the eyeball) which had developed a bacterial infection and had let in a fungal infection which was enjoying itself at the rear of the eyeball. Various more quite strong creams and drops were given including the need for one to be applied hourly ... day and night ... for 48 hours. So wake every hour during the night. I was to see her again on the Tuesday. When i did she said she was "quite confident we'd got there in time to save it" .... " save it ? Save what ?" .... "the sight" she said, matter of factly.

Sh!t

I saw her on the Tuesday and though still not seeing well she pronounced that "well, we (we ??) aren't out of the woods yet but ..." good progress was being made. She gave me a slight change in prescription and said to return in 3 weeks.

Phew.

After a few days matters seemed to turn for the worse. The eye was more bloodshot than ever and the vision as poor as before. Seeing 2 different focus' out of your eyes gives you not only poor vision but is a he'll of a strain and plays havoc with your nerves. Also makes reading a niggle and driving more than a few miles .... & other than full light impossible.

I called and, to be fair, she saw me within an hour ... a week after the last visit. Prior to seeing her the normal eye-vision tests we will all know were done. I honestly couldn't even tell there was something to see at the very top of the chart. She walked the chart toward me before I could make out a fuzzy 'A' from about 5 feet.

She then did various unpleasant things ... said that the two actual infections were gone ... but my cornea was reacting to preservatives in the medication. She called around a trainee who was with her and showed her some marks on the cornea which were the result of this. Words like "you should note this as you'll not often get the chance to see it" were not as thrilling to me as they obviously were to them.

So. Now using more different meds I seem to be making some progress. I hope so ... as she explained that the next stage, if the calcium growths on my cornea didn't go naturally then she'd have to "work on them". "What does that entail ?" asketh I. I'd have to inject the eye, to freeze it, but while you were conscious and then with tiny grinders polish them down". You fckg what !?

She explained that "it was OK as they'd sedate me first .... oh & strap down my wrists and ankles to prevent me flailing out. Really !? So the sedation works well then.

So. This morning I'm convinced it's making progress. Does mind over matter actually happen ?

There. Enjoy your lunch.

[clapton is god]

^ kinell!

[Montreal Wanderer]

^ kinell!

^^ About sums it up. Good luck, Bobo.

[malcd1]

Seconded. Good luck. Doesn't sound great.

[twilight]

Aw poor you Bobo, hope you're ok soon

[bobo the clown]

Aw poor you Bobo, hope you're ok soon

Twilight. Your sincerity is overwhelming & shines through. Thank you !

[Worthy4England]

Aw poor Bobo, hope you're ok soon.

Seriously - hope it sorts itself out.

[Lost Leopard Spot]

This (^ I'm out of arrows, soz) should'a bin posted on the Man 'flu thread...

[Abdoulaye's Twin]

Bloody Hell Bobo. Hope you get it sorted.

[Bijou Bob]

Anyone got any idea why I am showing 3 new messages yet there's nothing in my inbox??

[CrazyHorse]

Try deleting some old messages....your inbox'll be full, it can only hold 100 messages.