ongoing chat....whatever you want to talk about....

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yahyah
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ongoing chat....whatever you want to talk about....

Post by yahyah »

Anyone been to Cuba ?

An old friend of my other half is there working and raving about it, sending pics.

Have always had a romantic dream about it, a la Che & Fidel, and latterly Buena Vista Social Club and other amazing music.

We can travel again now we've lost our little cat...am tempted by Havana.
Or maybe just a week in a holdiday cottage in the Brecon Beacons would be easier [& cheaper].

Are dreams best left as dreams, rather than test the reality ?
Rebecca
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Re: ongoing chat....whatever you want to talk about....

Post by Rebecca »

yahyah wrote:Anyone been to Cuba ?

An old friend of my other half is there working and raving about it, sending pics.

Have always had a romantic dream about it, a la Che & Fidel, and latterly Buena Vista Social Club and other amazing music.

We can travel again now we've lost our little cat...am tempted by Havana.
Or maybe just a week in a holdiday cottage in the Brecon Beacons would be easier [& cheaper].

Are dreams best left as dreams, rather than test the reality ?
Go,just go.Plenty of time for cottages in the country in the future,when you can't go too far because of the kitten.
I really envy people who are free to travel.My daughter hates going away,I'm stuck in Gainsborough for ever.At least I got to live in France for a couple of years.
Book your flights!
letsskiptotheleft
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Re: ongoing chat....whatever you want to talk about....

Post by letsskiptotheleft »

Everyone I have known to go there has loved it, I'd go just for the vintage cars.

As Rebecca wrote, plenty of time for a cottage in the Beacons, when you do make it there for a few days though, give me a message, meet up for a coffee.. I'll bring my bloke.
yahyah
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Re: ongoing chat....whatever you want to talk about....

Post by yahyah »

Are you both working for the Cuban tourist board :)
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51A
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Post by 51A »

Never been there because there is such an extreme between the tourists and the abject poverty of the people. I couldn't enjoy a "holiday" in any place like that. But if you're going to discover the place and that doesn't worry you, I hear it is wonderful and of course, every tourist dollar does help.

I have similar feelings toward visiting the USA, just not a place I could be relaxed in.
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LadyCentauria
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Re: ongoing chat....whatever you want to talk about....

Post by LadyCentauria »

I know a few people who have been to Cuba (especially for the music and the dance) all of whom say they were made to feel very welcome, and all except one of whom have either been back or would go back if they were still able to travel. The one who wouldn't go back said they preferred the Costa Brava but had liked the cars and the people. So I would say, go and find out for yourself – but wait until hurricane season is over, unless you like wild wild weather...
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yahyah
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Re: ongoing chat....whatever you want to talk about....

Post by yahyah »

51A wrote:Never been there because there is such an extreme between the tourists and the abject poverty of the people. I couldn't enjoy a "holiday" in any place like that. But if you're going to discover the place and that doesn't worry you, I hear it is wonderful and of course, every tourist dollar does help.

I have similar feelings toward visiting the USA, just not a place I could be relaxed in.
Very understandable to feel concern about how ordinary people have to live, but Cuba has made a big effort in areas like childrens' health and education so in some ways spending money there would help their local economy. Or I'd justify it to myself in that way!

If we go I we'd want to stay in one of the small family homes/establishments that are on offer, not a big hotel. My husband's friend is seriously thinking of relocating there from Mexico where he currently lives, so a Spanish speaking guide with Cuban friends and connections would be useful.

One of the things that interests me is the inspirational Cuban organic food growing scheme, saw a Monty Don programme about it and he was knocked out with it, so it'd be good to see it first hand.
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Sky'sGoneOut
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Re: ongoing chat....whatever you want to talk about....

Post by Sky'sGoneOut »

That's always horrible. That sadness at the death of the cat alongside the whooping about finally being able to go on holiday.

I don't believe even Jonny Cash ventured there.

Anyhoo I've been to Cuba. My advice is to go. Havana is falling to pieces and it's colonial architecture won't be there for much longer. If you keep a few U.S dollars around your person for bribes you'll be fine.
yahyah
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Re: ongoing chat....whatever you want to talk about....

Post by yahyah »

I wouldn't say I was whooping about being free to go on holiday [or even be away from home for other reasons as we were yesterday] because of losing my much loved old cat.

It's been a hell of an eight weeks, have been teetering on the edge of a severe depression because of feelings it has unleashed about a number of issues from my past life [as loss often does].
We'd had a year of her going really down hill, the final decision was awful to have to make but the vet and we thought it was most humane for her, her little spirit and her physical condition was so low at 21 years old.

I was just starting to feel a little lighter and more optimistic when I posted my question about going to Cuba, any 'whooping' was probably my relief at starting to emerge from that.
Last edited by yahyah on Fri 31 Oct, 2014 5:23 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Sky'sGoneOut
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Re: ongoing chat....whatever you want to talk about....

Post by Sky'sGoneOut »

Sorry Yahyah. I've been there myself more than once. My last one was 19. I'd had her nearly half my life. What a state I was in.

You should still go to Cuba though.
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Sky'sGoneOut
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Post by Sky'sGoneOut »

Could we next have a chat about me being an arse?
yahyah
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Re: ongoing chat....whatever you want to talk about....

Post by yahyah »

I can be a bit of an arse myself sometimes Sky ! Ask my long suffering husband.
giselle97
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Re: ongoing chat....whatever you want to talk about....

Post by giselle97 »

Sorry Yahyah about your loss, especially after her being in the family for so long. Best that you let her go though. You know it takes time to grieve and you have other issues, as you said. Everyone I know who's been to Cuba has wanted to go back. Check for best time to go weatherwise though.
:hug:

(I may be way too late responding!)
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yahyah
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Post by yahyah »

Never too late to hear from you Giselle !

How's life in a hotel going ?
giselle97
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Post by giselle97 »

yahyah wrote:Never too late to hear from you Giselle !

How's life in a hotel going ?
Hi! Hotelling is boring. I miss my steamer, my PC and doing my own washing - currently done by friends.

But as I've not been able to make my mind up what's next and just haven't been able to find something small with a patio and little garden south of Pboro cheap enough I've taken a ground floor 2 bedroomed apartment in Yaxley, just around the corner, and I get the keys for this 6 month rental on 12/12. That will give me time to decide. Been to Spain north and south twice looking and thinking but hotelling is wasting so much money without actually giving me facilities I need!

Looking to have a proper holiday from Monday for a fortnight.

I've been checking in at FTN but have missed a lot so was glad I caught up with you. Really so sorry that you had to call the vet and make the terrible decision. I had to do the same with Timmy and Sascha and you feel so very bad. Anyway :hug:
Happy to be called a Labour Party Tribalist as I don't consider it as an insult in the grand scheme of things!
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LadyCentauria
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Post by LadyCentauria »

Just bumping this up, in case it's needed later ~ by me or anyone.
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yahyah
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Re: ongoing chat....whatever you want to talk about....

Post by yahyah »

LadyCentauria wrote:Just bumping this up, in case it's needed later ~ by me or anyone.

Thanks Lady C.

If you've got time can you explain how to change the FTN password ?
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TechnicalEphemera
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Post by TechnicalEphemera »

Windows 8.1 users you have my sympathies.

A family member (not technically brilliant but capable) purchased a new PC from a major manufacturer with Windows 8.1

Wireless card would not work at 5Ghz and wouldn't hold a connection to his virgin media router for more than a few minutes at 2.4GHz ( the signal was fine the protocol stacks broke), he had to continually reset the interface on the PC.

I ripped out his firewall, fixed the router security so it was using AES rather than auto detecting, checked the MTU, eventually re-installed his drivers, reset winsock, reset (i.e rebuilt) his TCP/IP stack - netsh is your friend. Still no dice.

The wireless card will not work with Windows 8.1 and a Virgin Media router. The manufacturer knows this, Virgin sort of know there are 8.1 issues, Microsoft sort of know this. Nobody has fixed it.

Unbelievable mess, fair play to the shop though they refunded him. How have a mainstream OS and a mainstream PC vendor got into this mess? Getting networking right is surely a fundamental.

If your OS can't do that well what is it good for? In this case certainly not its user interface, which is utterly hopeless.


Also on a related rant - WTF are Virgin Media doing shipping new hubs with what looks like a default management password - with the management interface enabled over the Wi-Fi :smack:

I bet 50% of their customer base is wide open, log on to their router, set yourself up a guest network and lock them out. They can factory reset it, in which case you can probably do it again.

How hard is it to disable management on wireless connections? Basics.
Release the Guardvarks.
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LadyCentauria
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Re: ongoing chat....whatever you want to talk about....

Post by LadyCentauria »

yahyah wrote:
LadyCentauria wrote:Just bumping this up, in case it's needed later ~ by me or anyone.

Thanks Lady C.

If you've got time can you explain how to change the FTN password ?
At the top of any page on FTN you will find the Haven photo and name of the site. On the line below that, you will find "User Control Panel". Click on that, then select "Account", from the control panel on the left hand side. From there, select Change Password ~ or it might say Reset Password. That will open a box which allows you to enter a new password. It has three sections, two where you enter your chosen new password then a third where you enter your current password ( to confirm you are you!)

All the best :)
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Sky'sGoneOut
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Re: ongoing chat....whatever you want to talk about....

Post by Sky'sGoneOut »

See this is why I communicate via quantum tunneling and a magic psychic copy of the Duke's of Hazard soundtrack from 1972.

You people make no sense.
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TechnicalEphemera
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Re: ongoing chat....whatever you want to talk about....

Post by TechnicalEphemera »

Sky'sGoneOut wrote:See this is why I communicate via quantum tunneling and a magic psychic copy of the Duke's of Hazard soundtrack from 1972.

You people make no sense.
We are conversing in reverse Polish notation.

Whatever that is.
Release the Guardvarks.
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adam
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Re: ongoing chat....whatever you want to talk about....

Post by adam »

TechnicalEphemera wrote:
Sky'sGoneOut wrote:See this is why I communicate via quantum tunneling and a magic psychic copy of the Duke's of Hazard soundtrack from 1972.

You people make no sense.
We are conversing in reverse Polish notation.

Whatever that is.
It's something to do with beer, yes?

The guardian has become a bad place with terrible opinions, no doubt, but I did just win a competition there and have two tickets to an exhibition, dinner, bed and breakfast in a posh hotel for two and a specially made print from the exhibition, so today I quite like them.
I still believe in a town called Hope
yahyah
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Re: ongoing chat....whatever you want to talk about....

Post by yahyah »

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These poor little mites were abandoned by the roadside in Surrey.
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LadyCentauria
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Re: ongoing chat....whatever you want to talk about....

Post by LadyCentauria »

Sweet pups! Hope they'll all find homes.
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WelshIan
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Re: ongoing chat....whatever you want to talk about....

Post by WelshIan »

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfre ... l-the-time" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

This reflects my experience with depression, and the guilt of saying I'm depressed when I'm not lying in bed, incapable of doing anything. Luckily those times have been few and the last one was over 15 years ago, perversely the doctor scrawling 'depression' on my sick note did not help. How could I hand that in to work?! What would they think of me?
The doctor didn't handle the appointment very well, he just wanted to get rid of me which has not made me want to bring it up with a GP since. Although he did say something which helped me out of that episode - 'Can you quit your job?'. My job was 1 of the triggers for the depression, and quitting would also mean I didn't have to hand the sicknote in. :)

Meningitis is a nasty illness, but what a lot of people don't know is that it can leave you with long term problems. One of these, I discovered quite some time ago, is depression. I was seriously ill with meningitis as a child, and about a month after returning to school I remember sitting in class crying. I could not explain why and this would appear to be the first episode. My parents think so too, as they say my personality changed after the meningitis.

Sometimes I find that I need to take a break from the news, politics, etc as it has an effect on my mental state and I need to pull back away from that, and also need to spend time on work and with family. As tempting as the abyss can be sometimes, I don't want to go there.
I guess I'm saying this as explanation for why I'm not around on here often, as I feel part of a community here.
yahyah
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Re: ongoing chat....whatever you want to talk about....

Post by yahyah »

Thanks for your post WI, hope things not too difficult at the moment for you.

Taking a break from the news and politics is no bad thing sometimes, I find a sense of helplessness and anger can arise quickly and that leads to anxiety and very low mood.
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TheGrimSqueaker
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Post by TheGrimSqueaker »

WelshIan, thank you for sharing that. As has been discussed on here many a time mental health issues generally, and depression specifically, are still understood by relatively few; sadly, as your own experience proves, that includes medical practitioners too.

Just know that you are not alone, there are others here who do understand, in some cases through personal battles with our own demons; people here (and on Twitter) have helped get me through some very dark patches, for which I will always be grateful, and I am sure they can do the same for you.

A very gruff and manly brohug for you. :hug:
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WelshIan
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Re: ongoing chat....whatever you want to talk about....

Post by WelshIan »

Thanks for the support. :)
I'm ok at the moment, and have been (mostly) ok for a long time. It's good to know of somewhere to turn, though, if/when things aren't ok.
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