The People’s Palace and the Doulton Fountain because…

Because – why not?

I passed this view the other day, and it occurred to me that the changes in pandemic lockdown criteria meant I was passing it from a completely different viewpoint from that which had become ‘normal’ over the past year plus.

My usual  route had been down on the courtyard seen in the view, probably in the dark, and probably speeding through the deserted area on a bike.

Even on the odd time I cut through in daylight, the fountain wasn’t flowing – it was kind of nice to hear and see it in operation. If only it had been a little sunny, instead of a little grey.

People’s Palace and Doulton Fountain

Isn’t it a shame that the foolishness and/or moronic behaviour of a few means we can’t enjoy this fountain as it was originally conceived, without the low wall and metal fence around it?

Solvent bottles: seemed like a good idea – wasn’t!

I seem to be having a run of mini-disasters (stuff that just doesn’t go smoothly, or as expected) and just found yet another ‘surprise’.

I’ve had some proper solvent dispenser bottles shuffling around the bench, begging to be used, and I thought a recent increase in utilisation of solvents like acetone and alcohol would ideal to give them a renewed sense of purpose.

Solvent Bottles

I haven’t used them for such evaporative liquids before – just lesser stuff like paint solvents (white spirit) and even water. The containers help prevent spill and smells.

If you’re not familiar with them, see the pic – the lid is flips up and down, and is held in place by a spring. When raised, it reveals a shallow well, fed by a siphon tube in the centre. Pressing down on the well moves it against a spring, and the displacement (only a couple of mm) forces  liquid up the tube and into the well, where it can be collected on a cloth, or cotton bud. Excess drain back into the bottle, while a little always remains in the shallow well.

Obviously, there is no proper seal on these pumps, but I always thought the small clearances (and lid) were enough to keep the liquid contained.

Liquid perhaps, but definitely NOT vapour.

While the loss of light chemicals due to evaporation may be negligible if these are in constant daily use, the same is not true for an occasional user.

I filled two of these bottles back around April, both to about halfway – the small one with acetone, the tallest with 99.9% alcohol (IPA).

I hadn’t used them for a while, and got a nasty surprise when I did last night – the acetone bottle was all but empty (less than 2 ml), while the alcohol bottle had dropped from half to quarter full.

That’s more than I can live with – so they (or the alcohol at least) have been decanted and retired, returning to water duties for paint.

A pity, as they do their dispensing job quote well, and are more convenient than screw top bottles.

For some silly reason, even though I knew they did not have proper seals, I expected considerably better from dispensers sold specifically for those evaporative solvents.

Glad I keep the benzene in a brown glass bottle, outside!

 

 

Helicopter rides – the perfect gift for Trump supporters

So many things make me think of Trumptards when I see them, but I never thought I’d see one that would make me want to buy them something – until I saw this happy helicopter joyrider.

So much better than opening the door and kicking them out during the flight.

It may not be as satisfying and enjoyable, but has the advantage that the rest of the cult members can’t point the finger at you.

When they land, all you have to do is whisper “Trump has just been reinaugurated” into their ear (making sure no one else hears you) – and they do the rest! 🙂

When Trumtards Celebrate

High Street corner – (a while) after the fire

I’ve been trying to get into Glasgow during daylight hours for weeks now, and failing miserably for various reasons – some not even under my control.

I gave up last night, and just grabbed one of the pics I’ve been trying to catch – the razed site of the former Holroyd Gallery after the fire which destroyed it, and the Old College Bar, on High Street.

I know it’s just a piece of spare ground now, but it should still be noted, as it is eventually going to be the site of a high rise development.

So, the view won’t be there forever.

It was already getting dark, and I had the ‘wrong’ camera, but I pointed it anyway, and made a best effort.

Frankly, better than expected (once processed) with some shadow features coming out, although I hesitate to use the word ‘detail’. No way anything is going to be cropped out of this, and used for another pic.

Former Holroyd Gallery High Street Corner

I need to keep the ‘Note to Self’, and get back there in daylight to collect some more views, before they’re gone for good.

Internet Explorer – always dependable

Never changed apparently, right up to the end…

Remember what I said about ‘Useless Cycling Activists’?

As a regular cyclist, I simply no longer have any desire to be assumed to be a supporter of ‘Cycling Activists’.

There are decent people working away quietly out there, but as soon as I hear an irritating whining noise in my ears, then it’s probably the useless activists playing their same old broken records, again.

Last time I mentioned this subject, I noted:

Cycling activist are probably doing more harm than good nowadays.

That post was raised after I noted their latest childish effort, where they spayed silly slogans on the road along a section of cycle route I use fairly often.

An act which I cited as proof of their stupidity – since the only people who will see this nonsense are cyclists on that route, nobody else!

Paint Is Not Protection

It seems I’m not the only one irritated by these morons, and wish they would go away and stop generating hostility.

I guess they would have to be Trump supporters, if this was the US.

I’ve been turning off before reaching the section of road they vandalised, so haven’t seen it for a few weeks, but as I had to head into the city centre last night, saw that all those sad little examples of stencil art had been over sprayed to obscure their message (thank goodness, I no longer have to look at the words every few metres). I just wish I could afford to splash out on a few cans of spray paint if these should reappear – but you may notice I rely on a bike to get around, or walk.

Hopefully, my benefactor will still be around if they do return.

I wonder… might Glasgow Council have sent someone out to obscure these illegal signs?

They are illegal, with no approval of their design, use of approved lettering, or authority for their positioning. Really. All road signs have to be approved.

ALL the pirate signs now look like this.

Paint Is Not Protection Fixed

It IS the same example, I was just more interested in how the ambient (under street lighting) looked compared to flash.

Why the saucers never stay

The nice ones just shake their heads (or whatever they have) and leave quietly, sadly noting “Can’t cure stupid”, while hoping they weren’t noticed.

The invaders U turn as fast as they can, and hope we don’t follow.

Remembering Trump on 9/11

Always first, Donald J Trump.

Trump 9-11

Catapult?

I guess somebody noticed I was feeling forgiving about the hassle of posting video links on WordPress irritating system today, and thought I might do more than one.

So, they were right, this time.

This is NOT a drill!

Gave up on the video clips after WordPress screwed with inserting them and just made it too awkward.

But…

This is worth the effort 🙂

I found a River clyde oddity pic – but what was it?

A few weeks ago I posted pics of an old outlet on the River Clyde, emerging into the river from the riverbank at Dalmarnock (from behind substantial reinforcement and protection), and doubtless once a source of what would now be considered horrendous direct discharge of polluting chemical waste into the river. Fortunately, all those 19th century have all been razed.

I found that when having a bit of an idle wander while trying to spot a feature I had come across a few years ago, and wanted to take a better pic of (and I’d forgotten where that first pic had been safely filed away, so I could get my hands on it if I ever needed it again – putting things in safe place, a great system).

By chance, I just came across that first pic, so can write the post I intended to a few weeks ago.

I’m not sure of the exact location, other than it’s got to be somewhere along the side of Downiebrae Road, and its beginning at Cuningar Loop.

Getting a precise location was one of the reasons for having that wander to find/see it again.

Unless I’m missing something in front of my nose, it looks as if it has been removed.

That said, I will keep looking around the area, just in case my memory is playing tricks, and it’s actually nearby, but not where I thought.

Clearly some sort of frame or support, unfortunately that seems to be all that is left – with no other hardware or surrounding items to give any clue as to its purpose.

I zoomed into the view, and while this has provided a little more detail, there still doesn’t seem to be enough to give any more clues.

I’ve also looked into historic mapping of the area, and historic records of surviving features, but none of those sources seem to show anything installed on the riverbank in this area – so I’m stumped for now.

The first pic is just for location and setting, and gives an idea of size compared to the undergrowth.

I couldn’t make out any remaining evidence of a path or clearing – and the greenery was so thick that nothing could be seen through (for location clues).

River Clyde Dalmarnock Oddity

It’s roughly the size of an ordinary doorway.

Note also the presence of the two horizontal metal bars fixed towards the bottom of the aperture – so a person could not have walked straight through this feature, nor could any object have been dragged or pushed through. A person would have to have stepped over the bars, and objects would have to have been lifted over.

In the original, full size image, the bars appear to be fixed in place, with nuts on the end – but this is pushing the zoom detail.

River Clyde Dalmarnock Oddity Closer

My first thought had been some sort of support for a light rope way, to move items across the river – but the structure seems too light to support much weight, and there are no holes in the top bar, indicative of something being mounted there.

I suspect it’s for something fairly obvious – however, that function is not obvious to a late 20th, or early 21st, century mind.