Introduction

If you are looking for my amateur radio blog this isn't it. Every now and then I have something to say that does not fit in to what I want to post at CQHQ so that will be posted here. What you can expect to find here is my opinions on current affairs, family news and funny stuff that made me smile.

Thursday 5 August 2010

Comedy Awards 2010 *** VOTE Ed Byrne ***

Foster’s Edinburgh Comedy Awards 2010 *** VOTE Ed Byrne *** http://bit.ly/mm-comedy-god
There are so many good comedians out there who you could vote for but I am voting for Ed Byrne. Ed is out there on edge between mainstream comedy and alternative yet manages to pull it off without resorting to the gutter. Vote for him this time, he might be 'Byrned out' by next year.

Fosters lager - for when the real beer has run out.

Wednesday 4 August 2010

Twitchers in a Twitter

Bird watchers are one of a number of hobbyists who have taken the Internet to their bosoms and used it to its full advantage. They are perhaps second only to radio amateurs who use spots via what is know as the DX cluster to keep each other informed of where the action is. Bird watchers use a variety of Internet alerting systems via mobile telephones and email to tell each other when a rare bird is spotted in the wild. In fact Twitter was made for what folk these need.

Not surprising then when Balderton Brook in nearby Saltney suddenly became the most popular destination in Wales as information was Tweeted, emailed and sent by text that a rare bird had been spotted. The Purple Gallinule, also known as a grey-headed swamp hen, which is a type of Moorhen from the marshlands of France and Spain and the lily beds of Asia had not been seen in Wales for at least 100 years. Chester Zoo was informed but they denied it was one of theirs as did various local collectors. The bird was around for three days and by Sunday there where fifty or so Twitchers with there scopes, binoculars, cameras and other optical equipment trained on the little bird, but it did not seem to perturbed. That lead to a rumour that although this bird was not ringed it might be an escapee from some colection or other.

A local Councillor and renowned nut case was interviewed by the local press about the bird and said “Why has it come here? Because it likes Saltney!” When are they going to get that man a straight jacket is what I want to know. Surely even a bird brain does not go to Saltney because they like it? I mean what is there to like? Except maybe a rare bird or two.

Unfortunately for the Twitchers the bird had not come as they hoped from India but had escaped from a collector. Apparently two of the birds escaped from an aviary three weeks ago. One returned but the other was missing. The owner arrived and easily recaptured his prize much to the disappointment of the onlookers. The RSPB were on hand and once he had proved to them it was his bird they let him take it away. What a pity since this is the most excitement since 1786 when the brothel burnt down and naked ladies of the night ran out in to the street causing much amusement amongst the young men of the town and red faces all around.