The AH Coffee Shop and Reading Room 04: Come On In

[NotWise]

Thank you for the French tip!

I had French toast for breakfast. I guess that'll be my Bastille Day celebration.

Oh yes, I now remember you mentioned that filming. What makes your town so film-able?

A big tax incentive is part of it. The area is also very diverse, so they can film a large number of settings without going very far.

The film business started slowly, but it's growing quickly now. It's promoters claim that we have the largest skilled support community between LA and NYC, and that doesn't surprise me. Now we also have the studios to go with them.

While there's a lot of filming done here, production is still usually done in LA.

 

[Handley_Page]

' What a difference a day makes '
It has in my attempts to photograph a flower (a yellow Rose, planted last year).
And the colour is wonderful !

Meanwhile a decent mug of tea is welcome

 

[TxRad]

Afternoon all. Fresh coffee and a hot kettle are available.

Today has been a family day. Visitors in and out. I've had my clothes on more than off.

 

[ThisNameIsntTakenYet]

I spent a decent chunk of the day editing for other writers. Also thought I'd "quickly whip up a little script to give me insight into the contest rankings", which as usual was a gross underestimation of the amount of time it would take to program. Oh well, at least it works now and I learned a few new things, so it wasn't all wasted time.

Learned by running it that I'm currently number 21 or so in the rankings for the Nude Day contest, which out of 91 stories isn't bad at all for my first try. Didn't expect to win anyway, so I'm more than satisfied already.

Also, Wikipedia is fascinating and I've spent the majority of my evening doing research for my Summer Lovin' story. Pretty productive Sunday all in all.

 

[Handley_Page]

Lazy day even though I should have gone to the grocery store. Maybe tomorrow (I've said that for a week now).

Your pardon, Madam, but did you say "lazy" ?
Has your condition eased recently (OCD or similar?)

Films and TV shows. It's a growing business, and in the parts of town I live in or drive through there's almost always something filming. I'd never seen anything like that big reflector, though.

Part of the neighborhood near my office will be shut down Monday to film a couple scenes for "Army of the Dead." It's the second time this summer some production has shut down part of the neighbourhood.

How is/are those affected by such goings-on compensated, I wonder.
After all, if your office is shut so they can do some filming, how is your firm supposed to do business ?


But its time for coffee. . . .

 

[NotWise]

How is/are those affected by such goings-on compensated, I wonder.
After all, if your office is shut so they can do some filming, how is your firm supposed to do business?

I don't know how they're compensated, but I assume they are. My office has never been shut down by filming. Something for research, I guess.

 

[Lori_the_Hoosier]

Hey HP, are you as happy as Will is with England's cricket World Cup win? The boy is walking around with that smug 'we wunnit' expression pasted on his phiz but he's still not completely sated, so I've got to be supportive cricket widow and sit through T20, The Ashes series and all the nonsense that goes with that, and the Sri Lanka, NZ, and Ireland ODI's, then the international tours start in September, 63 ODI's, 31 test matches, and 61 Twenty20 through to April, and the ICC Women's T20 World Cup in February, I'd be better off cloistered in a nunnery, it'd be more fun...

 

[Rustyoznail]

Hey HP, are you as happy as Will is with England's cricket World Cup win? The boy is walking around with that smug 'we wunnit' expression pasted on his phiz but he's still not completely sated, so I've got to be supportive cricket widow and sit through T20, The Ashes series and all the nonsense that goes with that, and the Sri Lanka, NZ, and Ireland ODI's, then the international tours start in September, 63 ODI's, 31 test matches, and 61 Twenty20 through to April, and the ICC Women's T20 World Cup in February, I'd be better off cloistered in a nunnery, it'd be more fun...

Tell him cricket’s not important...

(Ducks for cover and hides as everyone in the Commonwealth bays for blood.)

Russ

Hey, I’m Australian. I would have preferred India over anyone else.

 

[Lori_the_Hoosier]

Tell him cricket’s not important...

(Ducks for cover and hides as everyone in the Commonwealth bays for blood.)

Russ

Hey, I’m Australian. I would have preferred India over anyone else.

The gospel according to Will states that cricket is the basis of life as we know it throughout the known universe, and anyone who can't bowl a leg-break, off-break, or inswinger should be strapped to a tree and publicly flogged. I didn't say he was rational, just dedicated...

I once went to Lords to watch him play (he plays for a charity MCC team, The Lords Taverner's) and spent a lovely afternoon being chatted up in the pavilion by Devon Malcolm (who's gigantic; I'm only just 5 feet tall, and this guy is at least 6'3") and Sachin Tendulkar, who Will worships as a god, although Will lost his cool when Geoffrey Boycott, whom he can't stand, tried to underwhelm me with his personality; Will felt he needed to impress on the guy just how much he didn't want him anywhere near me, hand-gestures and some robust Anglo-Saxon-ism's were employed to drive his point home...

 

[Handley_Page]

Hey HP, are you as happy as Will is with England's cricket World Cup win? The boy is walking around with that smug 'we wunnit' expression pasted on his phiz but he's still not completely sated, so I've got to be supportive cricket widow and sit through T20, The Ashes series and all the nonsense that goes with that, and the Sri Lanka, NZ, and Ireland ODI's, then the international tours start in September, 63 ODI's, 31 test matches, and 61 Twenty20 through to April, and the ICC Women's T20 World Cup in February, I'd be better off cloistered in a nunnery, it'd be more fun...

I am delighted that we won; I'll be in a delirium if we win the Ashes (seriously important stuff, that).
Those for whom this is gibberish are directed to HERE, where they may get something of the flavour.

Tell him cricket’s not important...
(Ducks for cover and hides as everyone in the Commonwealth bays for blood.)
Russ
Hey, I’m Australian. I would have preferred India over anyone else.

Russ, I don't think you could duck far or fast enough.

The gospel according to Will states that cricket is the basis of life as we know it throughout the known universe, and anyone who can't bowl a leg-break, off-break, or inswinger should be strapped to a tree and publicly flogged.
I didn't say he was rational, just dedicated...
.

I quite agree with the theory, although I was, at one time, reckoned to be 'useful' bowler.


But now it's time for a cup of Tea on the Lawn.

 

[NotWise]

I don't know how they're compensated, but I assume they are. My office has never been shut down by filming. Something for research, I guess.

I looked it up. Businesses can ask for compensation from the film company, and getting a city permit for filming requires that the requests be satisfied.

 

[TxRad]

It is Moanday and I have a smile on my face. What is wrong with this picture?

Cricket? A black or brown insect that lives in the yard that makes noise by rubbing body parts together. In humans those would be screams of ecstasy.

Maybe fresh coffee will sort things out.

 

[Javahead]

It is Moanday and I have a smile on my face. What is wrong with this picture?

Cricket? A black or brown insect that lives in the yard that makes noise by rubbing body parts together. In humans those would be screams of ecstasy.

Maybe fresh coffee will sort things out.

Now I’m never going to hear a cricket without thinking “screams of ecstasy”.

Between the local crickets and frogs it sounds as if we have a regular orgy going on most evenings.

I needs lots of coffee to get that image out of my head. Black and strong, please.

 

[Lori_the_Hoosier]

I am delighted that we won; I'll be in a delirium if we win the Ashes (seriously important stuff, that).
Those for whom this is gibberish are directed to HERE, where they may get something of the flavour.




Russ, I don't think you could duck far or fast enough.




I quite agree with the theory, although I was, at one time, reckoned to be 'useful' bowler.


But now it's time for a cup of Tea on the Lawn.

It takes a certain kind of mad English-ness to worship cricket the way he does; when we still lived in Woodstock, he'd rise at his usual ungodly hour every Saturday morning and drive all the way down to Magdalen College School in Oxford to spend hours practicing his batting technique in the cricket nets there. I never bothered going with him, a good sleep was my preferred entertainment option, followed by watching a faucet drip or teaching cats to swim...

 

[Handley_Page]

It takes a certain kind of mad English-ness to worship cricket the way he does; when we still lived in Woodstock, he'd rise at his usual ungodly hour every Saturday morning and drive all the way down to Magdalen College School in Oxford to spend hours practicing his batting technique in the cricket nets there.
I never bothered going with him, a good sleep was my preferred entertainment option, followed by watching a faucet drip or teaching cats to swim...

Good for him, Lori !

Incidentally, was it one of yours that won the 10-m sprint a year or two back ?

 

[TxRad]

Mad English-ness covers a lot of ground.

Fresh coffee for the evening crew.

I'm thinking hot wings for supper.

 

[ishtat]

The gospel according to Will states that cricket is the basis of life as we know it throughout the known universe, and anyone who can't bowl a leg-break, off-break, or inswinger should be strapped to a tree and publicly flogged. I didn't say he was rational, just dedicated...

.

Basis of life - of course it is. The only time I had second thoughts was when my wife told a group of female friends that heaven for her would be waking up in the morning and finding Michael Holding in bed next to her - with a smile on his face. Every one of the women present agreed with her. Hmmm.

I played until well past it - but I once bowled a chinaman to Ian Botham at the Taunton County ground. They are still looking for the ball, but I maintain that if Taunton had longer boundaries he'd have been caught.

Will will enlighten you as to what a chinaman is.

 

[Lori_the_Hoosier]

Basis of life - of course it is. The only time I had second thoughts was when my wife told a group of female friends that heaven for her would be waking up in the morning and finding Michael Holding in bed next to her - with a smile on his face. Every one of the women present agreed with her. Hmmm.

I played until well past it - but I once bowled a chinaman to Ian Botham at the Taunton County ground. They are still looking for the ball, but I maintain that if Taunton had longer boundaries he'd have been caught.

Will will enlighten you as to what a chinaman is.

Will tells me it's a deceptive left arm wrist, leg-spin delivery, but Wisden, the most boring magazine in the world, 'Sump-Plug & Drain Overflow Weekly' is positively riveting by comparison, disallows the term and has officially banned it; somehow it seems a mouthful to say 'Oh I say, what a classic unorthodox, slow left arm, wrist spin delivery!', 'Chinaman' rolls of the tongue, and it's a lot bloody easier to say...

He also likes to tell the story of the BBC commentator commenting at one of the Test Matches at Edgbaston in the 70's, and came out with the classic 'insert foot in mouth' moment when he blurted out 'and here at the crease, we see the batsman's Holding, the bowler's Willey... (Michael Holding & Peter Willey)

Hubby once told me about an incident at a Taverners match at Lords when he was batting and Shane Warne was playing wickie for a 'rest of the world team' behind him, and called out 'Hey Will, why are you so fat?' and Will replied 'because every time I shag your missus she gives me a biscuit...'

I've been told it's Warney's fave insult, he trots it out every match, Will says this is known as 'sledging', friendly insults calculated to put a player off his game. It didn't stop them getting shitfaced together in the pavilion after the match, though.

 

[rubysubrosa]

"Russ, I don't think you could duck far or fast enough."
Ha!

Taken, how does one write a script like that?

 

[NotWise]

Taken, how does one write a script like that?

How are your programming skills?

I've monitored contests manually before, but even I didn't think it was worth the work.

Taken's comment made me think about it, and it seemed not hugely difficult; pull the story titles and the links to authors pages from the contest site and extract the score from the authors page given the story title and/or link to the story. Sort based on the score, and produce it in any convenient format.

Maybe more easily said than done, but so far it's a very simple script (using bash).

 

[rubysubrosa]

How are your programming skills?

I've monitored contests manually before, but even I didn't think it was worth the work.

Taken's comment made me think about it, and it seemed not hugely difficult; pull the story titles and the links to authors pages from the contest site and extract the score from the authors page given the story title and/or link to the story. Sort based on the score, and produce it in any convenient format.

Maybe more easily said than done, but so far it's a very simple script (using bash).

My programming skills are next to null.

Thank you for making me feel slightly more educated on the topic!

 

[Handley_Page]

I spent some time yesterday reading my books about setting up my camera to take some pictures of the Moon.
The clouds got in the way !

Time for a coffee

 

[oggbashan]

I spent some time yesterday reading my books about setting up my camera to take some pictures of the Moon.
The clouds got in the way !

Time for a coffee

I just assemble my Russian Photosniper and take pictures:

 

[PoisonPen33]

I have to laugh - my story’s antagonist is a budding NBA superstar on a historically underachieving team. While the story says he’s got a shot to take them to the championship, my basketball friends all say THAT’S the most unrealistic thing I’ve written!

*passes on the Coke for a glass of cold ice water in this damn heat*

 

[TarnishedPenny]

I just assemble my Russian Photosniper and take pictures:

Many years ago, one the way to a photo shoot, I made the mistake of walking into a bank with a home-made version of that slung over one shoulder.

I can laugh about it now.