Same here. I've been using them at home and work for years and they are absolutely fantastic; we've probably got well over 100 and it's rare for one a year to break and even then it's usually just the lid.

I think they've been very clever in how they manage their range. I generally use the 12L and 18L boxes, but I don't need to remember any dimensions because a different profile box would say be 11L or 19L. All you need to do is remember the capacity and it'll be the right matching box.

https://www.diamineinks.co.uk/products/diamine-30ml-archival...

> Waterproof archival quality fountain pen ink in Blue-Black. Initially writes Blue, then oxidises to Black over time as it bonds to the paper. Traditionally used to record births, deaths & marriages.

And from another source :-

> Permanent archival blue-black ink based on an iron-gall formulation, as used by registrars and the clergy for official documents.

> Iron gall ink formulations have been used for around 1,500 years, and many of the world's most historic documents have been written using it. This ink will remain legible for hundreds of years.

> Please Note: This is an iron-gall ink, which contains particles that can clog fountain pen feeds. It's also acidic, which can damage steel nibs. Use with caution, and at your own risk. Not for use in valuable pens.

I've put a lengthier response to the parent post, but look at https://classicfinefoods.co.uk/dairy/5713-french-gruyere-pgi... as that may solve our quandary.

TIL that Gruyere from France is different to Swiss and it must have holes.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gruy%C3%A8re_cheese > The PGI documentation also requires that French Gruyère has holes "ranging in size from that of a pea to a cherry", a significant departure from the Swiss original. Peter Ungphakorn, a Swiss local and an international trade expert, comments that the French Comté cheese could be a closer match to the Swiss version.

And there is a good image of Gruyere with holes here, https://classicfinefoods.co.uk/dairy/5713-french-gruyere-pgi...

Although they are not the same cheese, they are quite close in texture and flavour and are fairly interchangeable to the point where I don't think a significant number of people could tell you which was which.

There is also the Swiss Cheese Model which is when several unfortunate events all line up to cause a major incident.

If you think that looks dicey, search for the video of when another Blue Peter presenter,John Noakes, cleaned Nelsons Column in Trafalgar Square. Note the overhanging wooden ladder and the entire safety equipment was a pair of flared jeans and platform boots!

He also climbed the mast of HMS Ganges which is possibly even more heart stopping.

She arrived at work one day in a state of panic because her water bottle spilt in the car and she was terrified of becoming dehydrated during her 15 minute commute.

And no, there wasn't anything medically wrong with her.

When my wife was ill a few years ago the doctor suggested Angel Delight[1] to help maintain fluids. Until then it hadn't occurred to me you're still effectively drinking half a pint of milk when you eat a bowl.

[1] It's an instant dessert / mousse that you mix up with milk. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angel_Delight

It's running Win7 and I only use it for RDP onto work. The battery is screwed, perhaps lasts 10 seconds so just enough to cover quickly moving it.

[1] 1920 x 1200 and very matt. It's just stunningly clear and easy on the eyes with great colour rendition.

They tend not to be a good solution to anything.

There are a couple of ways of making degradable plastic. One is to add something to their manufacture so they break down into shorter chains which their supporters tell you will then further break down. These are generally referred to as OXO degradable.

Another is to use bio based plastics such as PLA or cellulose. These both have poor performance compares to oil based plastics.

All of these also require industrial composting where they add no nutrition to the compost, effectively just bulking it out. They [generally] do not break down when littered or even placed in a domestic compost heap.

There is also a problem because these plastics are virtually impossible to sort from recyclable plastics so if they get in each other waste stream the whole batch can be rendered contaminated and useless.

They were generally made from PP which is widely recycled as a material.

They are also commonly littered and as they don't break down in the environment led the not only being unsightly but also clogging up waterways and direct damage to wildlife. Paper straws can still be littered, but break down so don't cause the same physical problems in the longer term.

I agree that plastic is in most cases a better solution, however you are wrong to say the paper+PE board can't be recycled. Currently here in the UK they are not collected in household waste, but many businesses are recycling them and there is a lot of capacity available.

https://www.thegrocer.co.uk/news/ds-smith-makes-100-uk-coffe...

https://www.thefirstmile.co.uk/online-waste-services/busines...

Some of the issues are the collecting and sorting streams, then there are the commercial aspect of how to sell on the recycled material because it needs to be commercially viable.

> "Privatizing Profits and Socializing Losses"

The UK has recently introduced Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging legislation where the theory is the brand owner pays for the entire recycling and collection process of any packaging they put onto the market. Note this isn't just takeaway & food packaging, it's everything. The system though is an unworkable mess, it's so complicated trying to track every item of packaging and who is responsible for paying the tax down the entire supply chain.

The EU, and UK, recently brought in legislation where the bottle caps are tethered to the bottle. The main reason is to reduce littering, but it does also make recycling easier.

https://phys.org/news/2024-10-plastic-bottles-eu-caps.html

> I would actually like to know the average percentage of the content of domestic recycling bins that the entities on the other side bother to see recycled.

https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-...

"An estimated 73% of the plastic bottles produced in 2020/21 were collected from households for recycling. The rate was 47% for pots, tubs and trays and much lower for plastic film at just 4%."

That is very true. The sorting used near-infrared which struggle to detect these black plastics because the carbon black pigments absorb the light. I've quoted information from one our our suppliers which explains it and what they are doing about it.

What is carbon black and why should it be eliminated?

  Carbon black is a pigment widely used in
  many materials to achieve dark and opaque
  colours. However, it poses a problem in sorting
  centers. Indeed, for packaging to be sorted
  correctly, it must be detected by a sensor
  known as "near-infrared," abbreviated as NIR.
  This sensor detects the type of polymer by
  identifying bright spots on the surface of the
  packaging and identifies the range of light
  reflected from the majority of the polymer.
  However, the presence of carbon black
  prevents the packaging from being detected
  because it absorbs the infrared rays emitted
  by the device. Undetected packaging is
  therefore not sorted and subsequently not
  recycled. It will be rejected and sent for
  incineration or landfill.

  As part of the AGEC (The Anti-Waste Law
  for a Circular Economy) law, voluntary
  commitments have been made by various
  stakeholders, including the GUILLIN Group.

  We have developed solutions for PP and PET
  with detectable packaging without carbon
  black. This solution involves eliminating black
  dyes in favour of dark dyes validated by
  COTREP (Center of Resources and Expertise
  on Household Plastic Packaging Recyclability
  in France). With this material, our packaging
  is detectable by optical sorting and can
  therefore be recycled. Some of our ranges are
  also available in transparent or translucent
  versions, giving you additional options.

What I found was the wrist cuff was incredibly sensitive to both positioning and to any movement, it was harder to get a consistent reading.

I also have had a finger pulse oximeter which logs and exports to an app via USB. If I sleep with that on it seems to be very reliable at recording the levels, the data certainly looks good and feels much more reliable than the Sense.

https://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/13633

> A wood of oak trees representing the 'convoy' of merchant and fishing vessels lost in conflicts of the 20th Century, resulting in the deaths of 46,000 crew. The 2,535 trees each represent a ship lost during WW2.

There is also a memorial at Tower Hill to those with no known grave.

https://www.cwgc.org/visit-us/find-cemeteries-memorials/ceme...

Quick edit to add I didn't expect that to happen as was pleasantly surprised when I noticed it. For me it happens immediately and automatically, it just works.

Lovely man.

For about 20 years I've needed glasses for reading and close work, anything more that about five ft. away is clear and in focus.

At my desk or reading I've no problems with glasses, but when I go out to museums or restaurants for example I like to travel light and glasses are a faff having to carry them and continually taking them on and off. I've tried bifocals and didn't like them.

I now take my prescription monocle with me every time I go out. It's so easy, pop it in, read the menu, drop it out.

What I hadn't appreciated was how clever the brain was at processing the images. With it in place my left eye sees distance clearly and my right eye can read close up, my brain merges the two images so I still get depth but also everything is in focus. It's strange, but works.

I've had a few comments about it, generally surprised to see one in use or curiosity, and they have always been positive.

I got mine from https://www.monoclemadness.co.uk/ where they start from £35. If they'd work for you I really suggest giving it a go.