stand pat

\STAND-PAT\  

verb

Meaning

1 : to play one’s hand as dealt in draw poker without drawing

*2 : to oppose or resist change

Example Sentence

"We cannot afford to stand pat while the world races by." (President Barack Obama, remarks at Carnegie-Mellon University, June 2, 2010)

Did you know?

If you stand pat in draw poker you’re betting on the cards in your hand being better than any you’re likely to draw. It didn’t take long for "stand pat" to move from the poker table, where it first appeared in the late 1800s, to the realm of politics; by the early 20th century, to stand pat was to oppose any change in U.S. tariff policy. The term continues to be used mainly in U.S. English, where it’s applied to everything from a coach’s decision not to change out players during a game to a homeowner’s decision not to refinance. The nouns "standpatter" ("one who resists or opposes change") and "standpattism" ("resistance to change" or "reluctance to take positive action") are also used, although generally only in political contexts.

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Sponsor me on the London – Land’s End Run… in a Taxi.

Email bcp@gmx.es for more details. 

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) estimates
that more than 2 million construction workers operate on scaffolds
each year. In addition, OSHA estimates that protecting these workers
from scaffold-related accidents would prevent 4,500 injuries and 50
deaths every year. However, not all construction companies or
contractors follow the safety standards and procedures that are meant
to keep workers safe on scaffolds. These are injuries and deaths,
which can be easily prevented.

Wow! This looks dangerous…..careful lads!! Now this must be one of the
most useless and uninformative signs available surely?

Anyone else got any good ‘uns??

This description by Tobias Smollett in his 1771 novel The Expedition of Humphrey Clinker is excellent:

“Imagine to yourself a small, snug, wooden chamber, fixed upon a wheel-carriage, having a door at each end, and on each side a little window above, a bench below – The bather, ascending into this apartment by wooden steps, shuts himself in, and begins to undress, while the attendant yokes a horse to the end next the sea, and draws the carriage forwards, till the surface of the water is on a level with the floor of the dressing-room, then he moves and fixes the horse to the other end – The person within being stripped, opens the door to the sea-ward, where he finds the guide ready, and plunges headlong into the water – After having bathed, he re-ascends into the apartment, by the steps which had been shifted for that purpose, and puts on his clothes at his leisure, while the carriage is drawn back again upon the dry land.”

The Leach’s Traditional Box Spanner is probably the longest serving all time favourite scaffold spanner; designed decades ago, this spanner very quickly became the favourite of the industry, being hand-assembled by Mr Leach at his small hardware stores in New Cross, London.  Originally assembled with a 20mm straight round handle or ‘shaft’, the spanner box has over the past number of years seen a array of improvements, with the shaft now available in three different materials (stainless steel, titanium, and aircraft alloy) and in a variety of different shapes (straight round (20mm, 16mm, 14mm, & 12mm), ‘thick-flat’ and ‘thin-flat’, poker (or ‘poka’) and ‘chunky grippa’ (sometimes referred to as the ‘Nolan’ shaft).

The Leach’s Traditional Box Spanner has a very unique design which helps to prevent the olden days’ ‘black pinch’, which is the painful blood blister that forms on the side of the forefinger if it so happens to become entrapped between the shaft and the box.

Mr Leach founded his emporium in the early 1900’s, originally offering a selection of tools, ironmongery and hardware.  Leach’s grew by word of mouth, and soon more by accident than design, developed a specialist niche in the supply of scaffolders tools.  During World War II, Mr Leach opened three shops in New Cross Road, London and began supplying the Royal Woolwich Arsenal with tools and ironmongery; two of these shops were flattened during the Blitz.  By the beginning of the 21^st century, Leach’s were offering around 40 bespoke variations of scaffolder’s spanners, leather belts and frogs (or ‘tool holders’).

In addition to the legendary Leach’s and BIG BEN brands, the company were recently honoured to have become the exclusive distributors of the professional IMN and Nailspan ranges of scaffolding tools, also renowned in the industry for superior quality.

Americans buy 90 million pounds of marshmallows each year, about the same weight as 1286 gray whales.

Technically
marshmallows area confection – Candy, the yanks call it
They’ve been around in the form we know them since the mid-1800s.
Squishy
Soft
Fluffy
and sticky when hot

They are called “marshmallows” because part of the early recipe called for sap from the root of the marshmallow plant.

This is a pink-flowered European perennial herb (Althaea officinalis) of the mallow family that is naturalized in the eastern U.S. and has a mucilaginous root sometimes used in confectionery and in medicine.
That word “mucilaginous” means “jelly-like.”
Later, the root was replaced by gelatin, and that is how modern marshmallows are made.

To make your own marshmallows, here is the recipe:

* 1/4 cup cornstarch
* 1/3 cup confectioners sugar
* 1 envelope unflavored gelatin
* 1/3 cup water
* 2/3 cup granulated sugar
* 1/2 cup light corn syrup
* Pinch of salt
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Sift the cornstarch and confectioners sugar into a bowl. Lightly grease an 8×8-inch square baking pan and sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the cornstarch-and-sugar mixture into it. Tilt the pan to coat the sides and the bottom. Leave any excess in the pan.
2. Sprinkle the gelatin into the water in a small saucepan and let soak for five minutes. Add the granulated sugar and stir over low heat until the gelatin and sugar dissolve.
3. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, combine the gelatin mixture, corn syrup, salt and vanilla and beat for 15 minutes on high speed, until peaks form.
4. Spread the fluffy mixture in the prepared pan and smooth the top. Leave for two hours or until set.
5. With a wet knife, cut the marshmallow mixture into quarters and loosen around the edges. Sprinkle the remaining cornstarch-and-sugar mixture on a baking sheet and invert the marshmallow blocks onto it. Cut each quarter into nine pieces and roll each one in the starch and sugar.
6. Place the marshmallows on a cake rack covered with paper towels and let them stand over night to dry the surface slightly. Store airtight; the marshmallows will keep for a month.

Don Wales and the British Steam Car team is congratulated by Briggs & Stratton Commercial Power on securing five land speed records.

Powered by four 25hp Briggs & Stratton Vanguard V-Twin engines, the ‘life support’ rigs generated the electrical power to the Steam Cars’ complex electrical systems, whilst also providing pressure water to the boilers.

The impressive record for five land speed records includes:

1. The International Record for a measured mile at 139.843mph
2. The International Record for a measured kilometer at 148.308mph
3. An American National Record for a measured mile at 139.843mph
4. An American National Record for a measured kilometer at 148.308mph
5. A Guiness World Record for a measured mile at 139.843mph.

Looking at these speeds seemed to me a bit odd.  I have done absolutely no research into the matter at all, however three of these records have been clocked at 139.843mph and two at 148.308mph.

Does anyone have any clues?

Yes indeed, I have erected a monument compressed into words:  The Great and Wonderful Blog of Virsapitquipaucaloquitur (aka Dominique Afflak).  Brain you may have, glorious reader, but take heed, for merda taurorum animas conturbit, and at the end of the day, si hoc legere scis nimium eruditiones habes.

Sapienti sat, I am going to fill this blog with the wondrous things around me…weird and wonderful things.