Big J

The image hasn't loaded and I'm terrified to open the link! ?

Now you're just lowering the tone! I could have happily gone through the day without learning about another man's seminal volume! ? ?

It's a real premium option, but the Peltor Ws Alert XP is superb. It's a full bluetooth telephone headset, and the noise cancellation is excellent, so you can operate machinery and have a conversation at the same time. They work with Google Assistant too, so you can say "Listen to Foo Fighters Colour and the Shape on Youtube" and it'll play it. Battery lasts about 50-60 hours, I'd guess. About £300 though. I've had mine 2 years, they've had huge amounts of use and they are in perfect working order.

With frosts every night at the moment, I would imagine that you could make a fairly strong case for wood for heating as a necessity.

It's day 2 social isolation mania setting in! ?

I'm considering selling my body for a bit of extra cash but the 2m social distancing is an issue. I'm not called "Big J" for nothing, but even I have my limits. ?

In the coming weeks, a lot of husbands and boyfriends may lament the lack of bush trimming, but be very careful about how you raise the issue, or full lockdown may ensue.

I had a 395XP at the time as well and it was a much more capable saw. It's out of production now, but I still wouldn't recommend the Makita.

I would rate the 7910 as a much better saw than 9010. I wouldn't have a 9010 again. It's just too slow and heavy.

This is an unnecessary escalation. Unnecessary because if a significant proportion of the population weren't moronic, we wouldn't be in this situation. I swear a third of the population woke up yesterday, looked out the window, thought "ooh, it's a lovely day, I'll go to the beach/national trust property/scenic place, it's Mothers Day". And now here we are. I work in total isolation in a forest environment. I get into my car on my drive, in isolation, speak to noone and don't stop enroute and don't get within 10 metres of anyone all day. I shall continue to go to work until forced not to. My timber goes out on a lorry, where the driver works in isolation and goes to firewood retailers, who largely process in isolation. As usual, a minority showing ill judgement has ruined it for the rest of us.

I am. I'm heading over to Hampshire for a forestry site visit with one of my chainsaw operatives and my younger daughter (no nursery). My cutter lives in virtual isolation in the woods anyway, and being a forestry site, it's extremely easy to keep your distance.

Christ. Again, I'm so sorry to hear this. It's the worst of the current lock down in society is being unable to be where you need to be at the hardest of times. All strength to you all.

I'm so sorry to hear this. Awful enough in normal times, but doubly so at the moment. Thinking of you and your family.

You just have to work through it! When I was 17, we had a New Years eve party at my house. I drank half a dozen cans of something awful like Carling, and we got gatecrashed by friends from the other end of the village, so we decided to return the favour. I was drunk-ish, but still responsible enough to lock the door and felt OK. During the 15 minute walk, I somehow drank half a bottle of some awful cheap American whiskey, and the last thing I remember was running down the lane past the church with my trousers round my ankles, falling over in the snow, face first. Apparently, I somehow made it to my friends house, chundered on the stairs and was promptly evicted, being put outside on the step in the snow. At some point someone called my mum, who was so worried about me that she stayed in my room next to me all night and I couldn't keep water down until 19:00 the next day. I found out that pineapple juice tastes just as nice on the way back up as it does on the way down. Orange juice, not so much. So the moral of the story is that everyone has a "I don't like whisk(e)y because...." origin story. It's how you wean yourself back onto it that is the real measure of a man (or woman!). For me it was Jura. That's your gateway whisky. Stick to the west coast malts and you'll not go wrong

No, just neat. I never have water or ice or anything else with my whisky. If you want to rehome your bottle and you're passing Cullompton, I'll happily help! ?

I find Highland Park to be too sweet for me. With the odd exception, I'm really just an Islay man. I've stepped up to cask strength now, and unfortunately that's somewhat ruined more delicate bottles for me now. I can say (somewhat proudly) that my wife appreciates a good dram too, and will happily enjoy cask strength Islay drams neat too

I'd say the Ardbeg Corryvrecken is even better, but I don't come across it too often. I'm just on poverty spec Laphoaig Quarter Cask at the moment. It's a noteable omission on an otherwise well considered bulk buying list.

I was actually using the term in an almost endearing fashion. It's just hilarious how combative you get when you're on your own. I prescribe a course of Ardbeg Uigeadail forthwith!

(I should add, I completely agree with you about not exaggerating the severity of the infection in kids)

Touche! ? It's just a notable and marked change in your demeanor. At home, you're all sweet and fluffy, building cribs for your bairns and what not. And then you go offshore, and I'm pretty sure you'd pick a fight with your shadow! ?

Now then! Stop falling out you lot or I'll come over there and sneeze on you! I'm not infected (to my knowledge), but for a split second you'll be reaching for that bogroll stash. ? And Andy, I can tell you're offshore again! ? When you're at home, you're pretty mellow, but when you're offshore (or confined in quarantine in a hotel room), you always adopt the persona of level 3 bellend, even on the rare occasion that you're actually making a good point! ?

I'm wondering if we can get around this by the fact that we have a limited company, and both my wife and I are employees? I'm not expecting the state to pick up any tab for me (as I can still work, for now), but by shutting down the schools and nurseries, my wife's productive capability within the company is reduced to not much above zero with two kids to care for, and I would expect (if it's being offered) her to be paid the 80% of salary. For reference, that's £1600/month. Christ knows how the government plans to process all of these applications?

I haven't, but I did find weightlifting really, really helped, but I just overdid it and hurt my elbow tendons. Taking it easy this time.

And how exactly is that a change for you Stephen?! ?

Given that we're most of us going to have a fair bit more time this year with the escalating shutdown of society, how are you all planning to use your time constructively? For me, I've been suffering with my back for a long time, and the only time it's been OK in the last 13 years was when I was weightlifting a couple of years ago (but I overdid it and injured other bits of myself). I'm going to work on a balanced and moderate exercise regime, with cardio and resistance training to generally improve my quality of life. This will hopefully sort my back. I'm going to teach my girls German too, and hopefully improve my own German too. I'd like to start learning Swedish too as we have family there. Nothing especially original, as there must be thousands of people wanting to get fit and learn another language, but it's what I'll attempt