Think-a-link! Is it in?

Newsletter 29 -

Now I know why builders' backs are forever giving them gyp!

Having recently moved house, we've had the builders in for the last zillion weeks. They're lovely fellas but, stone the crows, they're having a larf aren't they???????? We're living in a world where an 8 hour day is just not the norm - 9 and 10 hours days are unfortunately upon us. The boys work 8 hours which I get, as it's a physical job.....as long as it is 8 hours! Before I go any further, they are excellent at their trade. So, overall, we're happy punters. As I work from home, I've seen these geezers in action and it's absolutely nowhere near!

They rock up at 8 o'clock ('8 bells' to use the correct parlance) and have their morning brew, courtesy of 'er indoors, while sparking up their first of many oily rags (fags). So, we're off and running by 8.30. At 9.30, 'his nibs' strolls into the kitchen and whacks the kettle on. So, at 9.35 it's a second cup of Rosie Lee (Tea) with another Curly Wig (Cig) on board. Before you know it, it's 11 bells and this time the lady of the house is on 'Beverage & Biccy' duty. If they're slick they can ship in a couple more snouts. Amazingly an uninterrupted 90 minutes hits the back of the net before it's time for some naughty nosebag. At this stage of proceedings, meat, bread and a brace of smokes get a good seeing to. Before they can say 'White, two sugars luv', 2 bells is upon us. Another 90 minutes pass and now it's 'Tidy tidy' time which, as far as I can see, involves emptying the ashtray, mopping up the coffee stains on the floor by their van and binning the used teabags. And before you know it, it's 4 bells and they're outta here. They then hit the local battleship cruiser (boozer) for a couple of Nelson Mandelas (Stellas) where they will whinge to each other, between lots of tooth-sucking...'Ooooo, my back's giving me gyp' and now we all know the reason why! It's from them forever putting down and picking up their brews throughout the day! We are clearly in the wrong game. Gawd bless 'em!

Heard a great call on the radio........62 year old poet Ian McEwan powerwalks 2 or 3 times a week as running is beyond the wordsmith. But, understandably, he gets highly embarrassed while doing it as it does look daft. So, every time, without fail, he holds an empty envelope with his theory being that people will think that he is hurrying to catch the postman, without actually breaking into a canter. You have to be extremely happy with that! Talking of posties.....my favourite 'Postman Pat' is Series 1.

One more quickie, then I'm done.......discovering there's no loo roll when it's too late is a shocker.

Update

Slowly but surely, Sir Linkalot is poisoning the nation's kiddywinks with the oh-so contagious illness 'Linkitis' for which there is no known cure. A bunch of boys at one school (Ludgrove) are getting their teeth into a fairly new category 'Latin Words'. This is an excellent introduction to linking as heaps of words with very similar spellings derive from this language which is very much alive and kicking. The one currently at the top of the hit parade (averaging 9.67) is a link by a guy called Taylor for the Latin word 'Superbus' which means 'Proud' (Tarquinius Superbus - Tarquin the Proud - was the seventh and last King of Rome before the Roman Republic got under way). Here's his link.....'The bus-driver was proud of his new 'super' bus'.

Bravo Taylor!

'Linky' had his first monthly 'Thinkalink' club a couple of weeks ago which was very well-received and a real thrill for the host. I just have to tell you about an excellent visual link (below) which a 9 year old girl (Hattie Innes) came out with. Appropiately, it's for a way to remember what year the Gunpowder Plot was - 1605. It's currently averaging 8.17 which has knocked my link off the top of the podium (7.71) which is 'There was a BANG(!) at the door at five past four (16.05)'. This is what it's all about. I'm just kick-starting the whole shooting-match. Her fabby linky will appear both in the book and hopefully the ebook. She is so chuffed. Get in there Innes!!!!!

Your chance to get involved

The site is a meeting-place for linkers & learners alike. So if you have a link for a 'bizarro' fact then submit it and let's see if the troops salute it. If it's a 'Praise the Lord' link then it'll go in the book (as will your name). Also, you can request anything to be linked, absolutely anything. Give me and my linkers that challenge......gimme, gimme, gimme. (Don't you just love Muttley?)

Feedback

I would love to get your thoughts and observations on the site, good or bad. This has been a passion of mine since 1995 and it's finally come to fruition which is hugely exciting. However, it's all new territory for me. So any guidance or tips on what does and doesn't work will be warmly received - please let me know at andy.salmon@thinkalink.co.uk

Competition

Forgive me once more for the aberration last month. Normal service has been resumed.

Here is the next competition....

http://www.thinkalink.co.uk/content/competitions/competitions/competition-29-october-10-open

Email the answers to andy.salmon@thinkalink.co.uk and you will be entered into the draw for 100 of the Queen's finest.

......and finally

Please let me know if you would prefer not to be contacted in this way and I will take you off my newsletter circulation list. If that is the case, please accept my apologies.

Seeing as the clocks are going back this weekend ('Spring forward, fall back.' - one of the greatest links of all time), let's call time with these goodies for Time Zones

(These are for British Summer Time. So, some will shift an hour or so this weekend - at least you get the general idea. 60% of people want to bin the clocks going back which would certainly help the cause)

11 hours behind - Hawa11

8 behind - Los Angeles......LAte

4 behind - Argentina...Messi & Maradona are 4wards.

1 in front - Spain...Have you met my friend Juan (One) from Spain?

2 in front - Egypt....Twotankhamun

3 in front - Moscow....The 3 Moscowteers

3 in front - Dubai....We all do buy Duty Free.

4.5 in front - India......4.5 letters in the word INDIA are made up of straight lines.

7 in front - China.....'Is the Great Wall of China one of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World?'...'No.'

7 in front Hong Kong.....The famous Hong Kong Rugby 7s.

9 in front - Sydney, Australia.....Make sure you're dressed to the nines when going to the Sydney Opera House.

11 in front - We11ington, NZ

A way to remember whether these countries are behind or in front is......

Let's face it, Americans are behind the rest of the world when it comes to healthy living.

Here's the category in its entirety http://www.thinkalink.co.uk/topic/geography/time-zones-in-hours

Check this one out - it'll catch out your pub quiz geeky mates - as well as being the most northerly and westerly state of America, Alaska is the most easterly as one if its many tiny islands (The Rat Islands!) is in the eastern hemisphere 179°46'E!. (Hawaii is the most southerly, in case you were wondering)

Well, that's all for now folks....doesn't time fly when you're having a linking good time?

Happy Halloween, one an' all!

(Don't get me started on this 'Trick or Treat' nonsense - seeing as I live in the sticks and have to drive the weenies to each house visit!!!!!!)

It's been emotional.

Regards

Linky

P.S To view previous newsletters, go to www.thinkalink.co.uk/content/news-events

Think-a-link - is it in?

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