Trade Secrets

Discuss anything interesting but not remotely Countdown-related here.

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Gavin Chipper
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Re: Trade Secrets

Post by Gavin Chipper »

Marc Meakin wrote: Fri Jun 19, 2020 5:34 pm
Marc Meakin wrote: Thu Jun 18, 2020 4:49 pm
Gavin Chipper wrote: Sun Jun 14, 2020 6:46 pm Instead of snacking on unhealthy potato crisps, trying Yushoi. They're much healthier and actually taste quite nice. The "plain" flavour have 19.4 grams of protein per 100 grams, compared to 6.1 for Walkers plain. And they're baked rather than fried. I'm not going to pretend they're better than good crisps, but for a daily thing rather than a special treat, I think they work very well.
Just bought some yushoi.....will give my feedback in due course
Very nice.... Low calorie high protein .
Pea based snacks sounds a lot worse than what they tastes like
Success!
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Re: Trade Secrets

Post by Fiona T »

Found this today

https://www.reddit.com/r/Unexpected/com ... rrier_bag/

I haven't been so excited since I learned to fold a fitted sheet. :D
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Ian Volante
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Re: Trade Secrets

Post by Ian Volante »

Fiona T wrote: Wed Aug 19, 2020 11:47 am Found this today

https://www.reddit.com/r/Unexpected/com ... rrier_bag/

I haven't been so excited since I learned to fold a fitted sheet. :D
That's great until the person opens a drawer full of them. Clearly a lack of understanding about bags for life!
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Re: Trade Secrets

Post by Marc Meakin »

Ian Volante wrote: Wed Aug 19, 2020 11:51 am
Fiona T wrote: Wed Aug 19, 2020 11:47 am Found this today

https://www.reddit.com/r/Unexpected/com ... rrier_bag/

I haven't been so excited since I learned to fold a fitted sheet. :D
That's great until the person opens a drawer full of them. Clearly a lack of understanding about bags for life!
How do you fold a fitted sheet ?
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Fiona T
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Re: Trade Secrets

Post by Fiona T »

Marc Meakin wrote: Wed Aug 19, 2020 4:04 pm
How do you fold a fitted sheet ?
LMGTFY ;)
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Re: Trade Secrets

Post by Gavin Chipper »

Jon O'Neill wrote: Wed May 12, 2010 9:04 am I'll start: don't use cotton buds for cleaning your ears. They are useless. Use Bic pen lids. They're sturdy so you can scrape all the wax off the ear walls, or whatever you call it, they won't fall off, they go in the perfect depth (for me) before it starts getting uncomfortable, and they're cheap as hell.

Image

Over to you.
I took this one stage further today. I had something in my eye which I couldn't get out after being out on a run. It wasn't in the normal place where things end up - under the bottom eyelid where it might migrate to the inner corner. No, this was under the upper eyelid towards the outer corner, and if anything it seemed to be getting more and more out of reach, like it was going to disappear into my brain. I gave up with it for a bit and came back to it, hoping that it might have become more accessible, but I couldn't even see it at all! I could then make it out when I lifted up my eyelid as much as I reasonably could and looked down. Anyway, doing that created a gap, but there was no way my finger was going to get close to it, so I managed to get it with the Bic without touching the sides. Unfortunately I've now got a load of earwax in my eye.*

Don't try this at home.

*Obviously not.
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Re: Trade Secrets

Post by Marc Meakin »

Gavin Chipper wrote: Mon Sep 21, 2020 5:10 pm
Jon O'Neill wrote: Wed May 12, 2010 9:04 am I'll start: don't use cotton buds for cleaning your ears. They are useless. Use Bic pen lids. They're sturdy so you can scrape all the wax off the ear walls, or whatever you call it, they won't fall off, they go in the perfect depth (for me) before it starts getting uncomfortable, and they're cheap as hell.

Image

Over to you.
I took this one stage further today. I had something in my eye which I couldn't get out after being out on a run. It wasn't in the normal place where things end up - under the bottom eyelid where it might migrate to the inner corner. No, this was under the upper eyelid towards the outer corner, and if anything it seemed to be getting more and more out of reach, like it was going to disappear into my brain. I gave up with it for a bit and came back to it, hoping that it might have become more accessible, but I couldn't even see it at all! I could then make it out when I lifted up my eyelid as much as I reasonably could and looked down. Anyway, doing that created a gap, but there was no way my finger was going to get close to it, so I managed to get it with the Bic without touching the sides. Unfortunately I've now got a load of earwax in my eye.*

Don't try this at home.

*Obviously not.
The best cotton wool earbud have a corkscrew tip
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Jon O'Neill
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Re: Trade Secrets

Post by Jon O'Neill »

Gavin Chipper wrote: Mon Sep 21, 2020 5:10 pm
Jon O'Neill wrote: Wed May 12, 2010 9:04 am I'll start: don't use cotton buds for cleaning your ears. They are useless. Use Bic pen lids. They're sturdy so you can scrape all the wax off the ear walls, or whatever you call it, they won't fall off, they go in the perfect depth (for me) before it starts getting uncomfortable, and they're cheap as hell.

Image

Over to you.
I took this one stage further today. I had something in my eye which I couldn't get out after being out on a run. It wasn't in the normal place where things end up - under the bottom eyelid where it might migrate to the inner corner. No, this was under the upper eyelid towards the outer corner, and if anything it seemed to be getting more and more out of reach, like it was going to disappear into my brain. I gave up with it for a bit and came back to it, hoping that it might have become more accessible, but I couldn't even see it at all! I could then make it out when I lifted up my eyelid as much as I reasonably could and looked down. Anyway, doing that created a gap, but there was no way my finger was going to get close to it, so I managed to get it with the Bic without touching the sides. Unfortunately I've now got a load of earwax in my eye.*

Don't try this at home.

*Obviously not.
That is horrific.
I hope this ends the one-upping.
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Re: Trade Secrets

Post by Matt Morrison »

yeah that's fucking horrible gevin
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Re: Trade Secrets

Post by Marc Meakin »

Defo wear a visor rather than a face mask indoors at least, i e. at work
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Re: Trade Secrets

Post by Callum Todd »

Marc Meakin wrote: Wed Sep 23, 2020 12:38 pm Defo wear a visor rather than a face mask indoors at least, i e. at work
One bonus of the visor over the face mask is that it stops you doing stupid shit like shoving pen lids in your eyes.
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Re: Trade Secrets

Post by Adam Gillard »

I like to add a slight honey taste to otherwise plain cereals like Shreddies (with milk). To do this normally requires copious amounts of honey in the bowl to retain the slightest taste in each spoonful. I've found that if you dollop a small splodge of honey on the spoon instead (either side) then it tends to gradually disappear as you work your way through the bowlful and you still have a honey taste right through to the end, having only used a blueberry-sized amount.
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Re: Trade Secrets

Post by Gavin Chipper »

Turn off the internet on your phone (e.g. just put it in flight mode) when you want to play a game that has annoying adverts. Kills them off.
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Re: Trade Secrets

Post by Matt Morrison »

It's a good idea and probably would have been really useful a few years back. I think mostly these days they keep a small cache of adverts they can show when the connection to the server fails. But yeah, will still work with some.
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Re: Trade Secrets

Post by Ian Volante »

Matt Morrison wrote: Sun Jun 12, 2022 8:28 am It's a good idea and probably would have been really useful a few years back. I think mostly these days they keep a small cache of adverts they can show when the connection to the server fails. But yeah, will still work with some.
Works perfectly on the Scrabble app as long as you turn it off after opening a game.
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Re: Trade Secrets

Post by Marc Meakin »

Is there a foolproof way of reading Telegraph and Times articles without sudscription
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Gavin Chipper
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Re: Trade Secrets

Post by Gavin Chipper »

Marc Meakin wrote: Tue Jun 14, 2022 3:40 pm Is there a foolproof way of reading Telegraph and Times articles without sudscription
Sometimes the same article is on multiple sites. So when you go to an article you can only see part of, copy and paste part of what you can see it into Google and you might find a free version.
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Re: Trade Secrets

Post by Phil H »

Marc Meakin wrote: Tue Jun 14, 2022 3:40 pm Is there a foolproof way of reading Telegraph and Times articles without sudscription
With the Telegraph you can usually do a quick CTRL + A when the article opens - before the paywall appears - and then paste into Word or whatever.

Unfortunately The Times seems not to have left this loophole open.
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Re: Trade Secrets

Post by Gavin Chipper »

Gavin Chipper wrote: Mon Sep 21, 2020 5:10 pm
Jon O'Neill wrote: Wed May 12, 2010 9:04 am I'll start: don't use cotton buds for cleaning your ears. They are useless. Use Bic pen lids. They're sturdy so you can scrape all the wax off the ear walls, or whatever you call it, they won't fall off, they go in the perfect depth (for me) before it starts getting uncomfortable, and they're cheap as hell.

Image

Over to you.
I took this one stage further today. I had something in my eye which I couldn't get out after being out on a run. It wasn't in the normal place where things end up - under the bottom eyelid where it might migrate to the inner corner. No, this was under the upper eyelid towards the outer corner, and if anything it seemed to be getting more and more out of reach, like it was going to disappear into my brain. I gave up with it for a bit and came back to it, hoping that it might have become more accessible, but I couldn't even see it at all! I could then make it out when I lifted up my eyelid as much as I reasonably could and looked down. Anyway, doing that created a gap, but there was no way my finger was going to get close to it, so I managed to get it with the Bic without touching the sides. Unfortunately I've now got a load of earwax in my eye.*

Don't try this at home.

*Obviously not.
A few days ago I got a fly in my eye and it was really stuck. And out came the Bic. Job done. It was either that or leave it to its own devices. And that was not happening. Sure, they say that they always come out by themselves eventually, but I couldn't get on with my day knowing that that hideous thing was in my eye.
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Re: Trade Secrets

Post by Fiona T »

Death by teardrops.

Remind me to give you a cotton bud for such emergencies next time I see you.
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Re: Trade Secrets

Post by Gavin Chipper »

I'm not sure a cotton bud would have been much better than my finger, which failed spectacularly.
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Re: Trade Secrets

Post by Paul Anderson »

If you're not supposed to pick your nose, why are your nostrils finger-sized?
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Re: Trade Secrets

Post by Marc Meakin »

Apparently you can cook almost anything in an Air Fryer that you would put in a conventional oven.
Saves money etc...
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Re: Trade Secrets

Post by Gavin Chipper »

If your rucksack has two zips for a single compartment, when you close it, don't have them both at the top in a symmetrical manner. Have them down one side. Otherwise it's possible that your rucksack will work its way open, especially if you ever have to break into a run at any point, like for a bus or something.
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Re: Trade Secrets

Post by Gavin Chipper »

Lesley Hines wrote: Mon Nov 22, 2010 10:38 am
John Bosley wrote:
Gavin Chipper wrote:
Didn't quite catch that - can you say that again?

Going through temporary traffic lights when they are on red and sticking anything at all in your ears are both equally dangerous, but neither are illegal.
Sticking anything in your ears isn't illegal, but going through red temporary traffic lights is. (Law changed in 1994.) If you get nicked for it, you do not have to say anything, but it may harm your defence if you do not mention, when questioned, something which you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence. "I read it on the Countdown forum" is not an acceptable defence.
I'm just wondering (and have been for 12 years apparently) how it could ever have come about that it would have been legal in the first place. Was it some loophole or was it explicitly decided to be like that?
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Re: Trade Secrets

Post by Marc Meakin »

Gavin Chipper wrote: Thu Dec 01, 2022 11:07 pm If your rucksack has two zips for a single compartment, when you close it, don't have them both at the top in a symmetrical manner. Have them down one side. Otherwise it's possible that your rucksack will work its way open, especially if you ever have to break into a run at any point, like for a bus or something.
Sometimes if it's an unused outer compartment I seldom used to zip it properly, but I do now as every time I did someone would say your ruck sack isn't zipped properly and I'd have to take it off and check
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Top Tips, Cheats and Life Hacks

Post by Marc Meakin »

As if you don't get enough of this shit on FB.

Anyway, I recently watched Life of Pi at a Matinee at my local theatre, I had a crappy seat with a restricted view.
Five minutes before the performance I got moved to a much better seat as they were largely unsold and it looks good for the performers ego if it appears full.

I should add this only works on a midweek matinee during term time
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Re: Top Tips, Cheats and Life Hacks

Post by Gavin Chipper »

This is a similar thread btw.
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Re: Top Tips, Cheats and Life Hacks

Post by Mark James »

Top tip for theatre designers. Don't build theatres that contain areas with restricted views.
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Re: Top Tips, Cheats and Life Hacks

Post by Fiona T »

Mark James wrote: Fri Dec 01, 2023 9:33 am Top tip for theatre designers. Don't build theatres that contain areas with restricted views.
Yeah the Romans had this nailed
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Re: Top Tips, Cheats and Life Hacks

Post by Marc Meakin »

Mark James wrote: Fri Dec 01, 2023 9:33 am Top tip for theatre designers. Don't build theatres that contain areas with restricted views.
Irony is it's The Marlowe Theatre about 6 years old (rebuilt)
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Re: Trade Secrets

Post by Paul Worsley »

Aluminium foil is recyclable, but don't put individual pieces in your recycle bin.

Instead, screw it up and keep adding to it, until it is about the size of a tennis ball, then place it in the bin. This way it will be detected and reused at the recycling centre.

Don't do this with aluminium foil that has been contaminated with animal fat etc
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Re: Trade Secrets

Post by Marc Meakin »

If you buy a headtorch that had a lithium battery in order not to have to ride blind on country roads all of a sudden, charge it up daily I barely go 30 minutes from 1 charge (2 journeys to work)
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Marc Meakin
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Re: Trade Secrets

Post by Marc Meakin »

Wait until next week and buy next year's advent calendars at half price
It might benefit you storing them in a freezer though as sell by dates won't be next December
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Re: Trade Secrets

Post by Gavin Chipper »

I don't know if anyone actually needs this advice, but people are often depicted as straining when they are struggling to go. But anyway, never strain. Pulse.
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Re: Trade Secrets

Post by Marc Meakin »

Gavin Chipper wrote: Sat Feb 10, 2024 7:40 pm I don't know if anyone actually needs this advice, but people are often depicted as straining when they are struggling to go. But anyway, never strain. Pulse.
Or eat pulses.
Apart from the occasions I've been hospitalised for an operation I've never had a problem though I'm a huge coffee drinker
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