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  1. Artifex

    Clean Jokes

    You know, I don't think the sawing-a-lady-in-half trick would be quite so impressive if there were no requirement to put her back together unharmed.
  2. Artifex

    So trivial, yet it really ticks you off.

    I'm not sure that's entirely fair. Granted, there are some Christians who do their level best to take the Bible as literally as possible. That attitude has direct conceptual simplicity in its favour. There are other groups (and I've met some of their members) who knowingly accept the selective...
  3. Artifex

    What are you listening to?

    This recording, with it's trendy up-to-date style of presentation, might appeal to folks around here:
  4. Artifex

    Electric cars: What will happen to all the dead batteries?

    Fun fact: Until about a hundred years ago, electric cars were a competitive commercial proposition. They were much quieter and cleaner than early petrol engines, and range wasn't much of an issue because there were no high-speed inter-city roads.
  5. Artifex

    Electric cars: What will happen to all the dead batteries?

    Personally, I think battery-electric cars are a step in the right direction, but also a convenient opportunity for greenwashing. Having everyone driving around in their own private car, regardless of propulsion system, is massively inefficient, and unsustainable. It takes a lot of energy to...
  7. Artifex

    Wood finishing for a vintage Weiman Dining Table

    Well, I can't claim any significant knowledge of wood finishing, but I would be reluctant to take any but the very lightest abrasives to that. Simple cleaning and polishing would make a big difference. Can you show us close-ups of any particularly bad spots?
  8. Artifex

    Watch chain: An unexplained feature

    That's an interesting thought, although frankly it seems unlikely. The bar is not a permanent magnet - merely attracted to them. Even if it were a magnet in its own right, the form of the chain doesn't allow it to spin freely. I did once see a functioning compass mounted as a watch-chain...
  9. Artifex

    Watch chain: An unexplained feature

    Poor wording on my part, that is. The bar is attracted to a magnet, but does not have a noticeable magnetic field of its own. By my understanding, the problem is that if the wheels in a watch can be magnetised (and are, by accident), then the watch will run fast and slow as all the poles...
  10. Artifex

    Watch chain: An unexplained feature

    I'm afraid I don't quite follow. Do you mean that if the same key fit both the setting and winding mechanisms, one of them would get damaged?
  11. Artifex

    Watch chain: An unexplained feature

    By George, he's right! I tried it, and it does fit the winding post of one of my (barely functional, sadly) watches. That prompts a follow-up question, why does my key-wind/set watch require two different keys?
  13. Artifex

    Watch chain: An unexplained feature

    Not so long ago, I bought a watch chain from one of the usual internet sources. It was advertised as "antique", and is certainly old, though I couldn't date it. The T-bar is magnetic (presumably steel), and arranged so that the central barrel is trapped between the two hexagonal arms, but free...
  14. Artifex

    Classic scruffs

    'evening! This is more an idle conversation starter than anything of substance, but perhaps of interest all the same. At least from this side of the pond, there is a strong association between formality and tradition, including in the wardrobe department. That's hardly surprising. A man may...
  15. Artifex

    Clean Jokes

    If I'm interpreting correctly, perhaps "how's that pain in the neck" would be a better translation than "what does your old evil"? (The joke being that a doctor would ask after a literal pain in your neck, but it can also mean something or someone who is particularly annoying)
  16. Artifex

    The Agents of F.L.A.S.K.

    One should probably bear in mind that it is extremely common for lottery participants to use numbers that are in some way significant to them. After all, humans are terrible random number generators! We never hear about all those people who had a premonition that their number would win and it...
  17. Artifex

    So trivial, yet it really ticks you off.

    I certainly find it irritating when fragrance emitters are promoted as 'air fresheners'. Fresh air is what you get on top of a mountain, or out of a really good filtration system. At least in the UK, public conveniences are often "freshened" with overpowering masking agents. I can see why...
  19. Artifex

    Why is "tea dance" not having a comeback?

    Before "all this", I'm fairly sure I remember the Musical Museum at Kew Bridge (London) advertising events along those lines, very much in the classic style. The folk music/dancing scene also comes to mind as more civilised and friendly than a stereotypical rave. Social dancing societies in...
  20. Artifex

    The handwriting of everyday

    That lettering is beautiful! I wonder why the Royal Mail would scrap Saturday deliveries, when there is such demand for express parcels these days. Can't the same staff and vehicles handle letters as well? It's funny: the more I learn about computers and modern communications, the more...
  21. Artifex

    Letter-locking

    Have you come across any other descriptions of ways sealed letters were traditionally tampered with? I could imagine using a hot knife to cut the seal away from the paper, but couldn't say if it would work well. It also occurs to me that the form of the letter-lock could itself act as a...
  22. Artifex

    Letter-locking

    Admittedly, this is nowhere near the Golden Era, but I hope equally of interest to anyone who takes enjoyment from doing things in the difficult, old-fashioned style. (I make the usual apology to any moderator who thinks this is in the wrong forum!) The story is that before flat-rate postage...
  23. Artifex

    End of Manual-Transmission Era - Honda Accord

    Since I probably still count as "The Youth of Today", perhaps my view of cars is worth contributing. I have absolutely no interest in owning a car for day-to-day use. It seems irresponsible and a dangerous financial commitment. One day I might adopt a vintage/classic vehicle for the occasional...

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