Thread 7 - TalkLair: “In fact it’s an oblate spheroid”

[Kucinghitam]

Continuation of previous threads (thread 6).
The new lair of JTT escapees is all cosy and homey; we have truly settled here. Outside, the garden is blooming with spring flowers. Inside, the hearth is glowing, pictures are up on the walls, rugs are down on the floors (and assorted pets curled up on them).

We just won’t mention the gnawed bones of our prey over there in the corner of the cave…

DeanVolecapeAKAelderberry · Today 14:11

The discussion of the book elsewhere included a link to a feature on a windmill house he owns, and I HATE it.

The original windmill building is pleasant enough, but the 60's institutional stick ons are blooming awful.

Mr T has made the robins a present, a little hideaway for their worm dish that only they can go into, so the blackbirds don't scoff the lot in ten seconds. There's a hinged flap for practicality. He's called it The Worm Palace. The robins are using it and started going in and out straight away.

Lucky robins!

I like mid century decor, but mid century houses are usually designed for the things people do in houses. Meet each other, entertain, study, do hobbies, cook, clean, chat, store their stuff. That house doesn't look as though it would work at most of those - there's no flow of movement, the tiny cramped bedrooms and barely adequate bathrooms don't speak of comfort. The preposterous fireplace seems syptomatic - it's a child's illustration of a theory of design, not a house you could actually live in.

And those curtainless windows on that very exposed site make me shudder. At least the garden (very nice, I agree) has a wall to buffer the wind.

The worm palace

There’s lots I like about that house but my personal bugbear is about upstairs kitchens: I want to be able to walk straight out into my garden without carrying stuff down a flight if stairs to get there.

@Tricyrtis2022 I love the worm palace!

I do feel the name is misleading. All those poor worms, gazing around proudly saying 'look at our lovely palace, isn't it comfy, all for us' and then the robin arrives . . .

…and the robins think 'look at our lovely palace, isn't it comfy, all for us' and then the sparrow hawk arrives.

That reminds me, there was a lovelyt battle in the sky over the field at the back of the house yesterday, three rooks, one unfortunate buzzard.

I liked Jolyon's walled garden but can't help wondering if that's where the fucker battered that poor fox to death.

Ooh I'm glad the Vermeer exhibition film is good, as I'm booked to see it on Monday night and then I'm going to the real exhibition next week. Excited by both.

That house could be lovely but it just isn't. I wonder why they didn't make lovely circular rooms in the old windmill, and I also wondered what all the cars were doing parked by it. I read that Jolyon has done 13 tweets is response to the review, to show that he really didn't care, but I'm blocked so can't read them.

I like a lot about his house. He's a wanker, but his house is okay. I agree about the upstairs kitchen thobut. If you have outdoor space, and the outdoor space there is gorgeous, then you want to be able to access it through your kitchen and living areas or what on earth is the point?!

But yeah, that must be where he killed the fox, the absolute fucker. I was a bit taken in by the Good Law Project when it started but I saw the light quickly enough. Thankfully.

Somewhere on here I posted the link to the high-res images that the museum sent with our tickets, in a vain attempt to stop people taking bad phone photos. Did you see that? If not I'll have a rummage in my emails and re-post it.

I found most of this article just annoying but when she's describing the effect the paintings have on you, it's absolutely spot on: https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2023/apr/16/how-vermeer-made-me-a-social-success-for-the-first-time-ever

Excellent robin feeder. I've had to do similar to keep the magpies off my windowsill worm dish, but mine is much less fancy - just a couple of bits of metal mesh lashed together with string.

I read that, @SqueakyDinosaur . I find it really depressing that people were taking photos instead of just looking. Does anyone think that their photo will equal the feeling of the paintings or hi res photos?! I remember a million years ago when we used to mock Japanese tourists photographing everything, but at least with actual cameras. We've not just become what we mocked. We're worse.

I have issues with that mocking too because it was clearly more than borderline racism. At least global idiocy has allowed me to mock all colours, creeds and cultures. I'm a very irregular photographer because I know that 99% of the time I can buy a better postcard of an area than any photo I could take. I mostly photograph cats and friends when we're having a happy moment. We had a sixth form unofficial reunion just before lockdown in 2020 and there were lots of group photos which I'm grateful for now was two of my classmates have since died. I found out about one yesterday. We were together from the age of six to eighteen and seeing her again was a joy. I am beginning to worry that the reunion was a bit Final Destination and we're all going to die one after another.

That Vermeer film exhibition sounds most excellent.

Re: tourists photographing everything, I recall visiting the Louvre about 25 years ago and finding an enormous multinational crowd around the Mona Lisa... all busy taking photos of it.

I confess to being very fond of taking photos, but (I hasten to add) not at the expense of actually experiencing stuff.

Some concerts are now requiring phones to be locked in a pouch for the duration. Maybe exhibitions need to go the same way.

My sweet boy is two today. It feels like he went from a little kitten to an almost fully-proofed 5.5 kg loaf overnight. He’s the best thing that ever happened to me even if he did knock over a washing up bowl full of water earlier and truly taught me the meaning of love. Happy birthday Kasper 😼😻

My cats will be 9 years old tomorrow, and I might have forgotten if I hadn’t seen your post Cyan! Tomorrow is also the 9th anniversary of the mighty Bean’s death.

Kaspar is such an adorable pudden. I don't know Oscar's birthday, but his eighth anniversary of coming to live with me was at the start of the month.

I'd spotted a sore patch on the back of the poor little stray cat in the garden, and spent nearly a week luring him nearer and nearer with food before I got him into a dog crate and off to the vet. I really thought he'd run away after his stitches were out and he was released, but no. Worming, neutering, and dosing with antibiotics (plus I suppose regular meals, clean litter tray and warm bed) seemed acceptable, and we've lived happily ever after. He's an adorable pudden too.

Kasper is a beautiful cat. It fascinates me how we can fall so deeply in love with non-humans, I felt the same about our dog and grieved his death far more than any human's I've known. I'd have been happy to spend the rest of my life with him by my side.

Lovely story, elderberry. Oscar was lucky to find you.

Happy Purrthday, Kasper! I love the way he poses and looks as though he's having his portrait painted.

I used to have a cat (called Flea, after the guitarist on the Red Hot Chilli Peppers rather than after his inhabitants) who was the same colour as Kasper. He was a beautiful cat too - sadly died at only 15 :-(

Happy birthday Kasper!

Happy birthday to Kasper, a very handsome cat!

I’m a bit surprised they are allowing photography in the Vermeer exhibition. Plenty of museums don’t (including places some of the works are borrowed from, I would think). In some places even photographing the label (often useful as a speedy way to remind yourself of something you want to look up again later) will get a reprimand from the invigilators. I’ve also been to museums where drawing is forbidden.