Cuckoo Clocks

Johnny Summerton asked:


It should have been clear from the very outset after Sophie, our train manager welcomed us all aboard the London-bound Eurostar from Paris that this was not going to be a regular, uneventful trip. There was something just a little too sing-songy in her tannoyed “bienvenue”, wishing us a pleasant journey and volunteering to answer any questions we might have had, to augur any thing other than premonitory misgivings. But those were easily ignored.

Although it’s generally meant as a polite yet ultimately meaningless platitude, such an invitation awakes the pedant in even the most mild-mannered traveller, especially one with a low concentration threshold, and to whom questions spring to mind which would tax the genteel patience of the undoubtedly delightful Sophie, even if she were a Saint.

Did the woman really know what sort of Pandora’s box she was opening I mused to myself. After all to anyone with even the slightest smidgeon of sophistry, Sophie’s was an incitement to full blown pedantry.

Dangerous territory indeed, particularly as the burning question on my lips that morning - after I had been roused from my slumber by the dawn chorus, - was why do cuckoos cuckoo? And nobody had as yet been able to provide me with a reply.

Staring out at the scenery as we hurtled through northern France at a mighty 300km per hour, I was mulling over the possibility of seeking out Sophie to find out whether indeed she had any idea of the answer. But before I could give it another thought, the train unexpectedly ground to a halt.

Now the Paris-London Eurostar trip is something of a modern marvel. It only takes two hours and 15 minutes to complete the around 400km trip, city centre to city centre. That’s thanks largely to the British finally having got their act together after more than a decade to build a new high-speed track running in to St Pancras.

From 1996 until November last year, the trains used existing lines into Waterloo and after zipping through northern France, the Eurostar would then trundle along the remaining 90kms the other side of the channel at an embarrassingly almost 19th century speed.

Thankfully that’s all been confined to the pages of history, although the recent opening of the new link hasn’t been without its hiccoughs. Just last month passengers from London to Paris spent a night discovering the joys of low speed travel on the high-speed link when the journey turned into a 12-hour nightmare with two changes of trains.

So when the unscheduled stoppage was followed-up moments later by Sophie’s dulcet tones, a warning bell rang out.

She informed us ominously that the train had not yet been cleared for entering the tunnel – exactly the same explanation that had eventually been offered to passengers of that 12-hour marathon. In fact Eurostar’s operators, must have learned something from that incident, because Sophie promised she would get back to us with more news as soon as possible. The lack of information had been one of the major criticisms levelled at the company back in April.

And sure enough, moments later, she was on the tannoy to say that there had been an “incendiary incident’ – obviously Eurostarspeak for a “fire” - in the service tunnel, and the train would be held in position until cleared to go through – estimated to be around 50 minutes.

More insincere platitudes followed but delivered with such heartfelt apologies that clearly Euroastar must be doing something right in its recruitment policy for train managers. And then we left with deafening silence.

The seconds quickly yawned into those promised 50 minutes with murmuring passengers wondering why the train hadn’t been stopped at a station rather than in the middle of nowhere. At least then the nicotine-hungry would have been able to pop out for a quick cigarette break or others could simply have stretched their legs in the fresh air.

Ah no, obviously Eurostar couldn’t possibly know what was happening further down the line as the hopeless lack of communication had proved back in April – especially in these days of instant messaging. And if to prove such a point, an initial call to those waiting to meet me at the other end, resulted in my discovering that according to the notice board the train was still scheduled to arrive on time.

Time up and waiting over, the incendiary incident appeared to be under control and we were on our way again. Minutes later our train manager piped up to confirm that we were moving – just in case we had had any doubts presumably. “Attagirl Sophie, there’s nothing like telling us what we wanted to hear and already know.”

Sadly the sing-songy note had disappeared from her voice to be replaced with a slightly embarrassed tone and the offer to contact her if connections had been missed. The implied and fervent hope seemed to be that passengers wouldn’t prevail too much for the proffered information.

As the train pulled into St Pancras just 70 minutes after it had apparently already arrived, Sophie was back on the tannoy for a final time to thank us for our understanding – as if we had been given any choice in the matter – and not to offer us any compensation.

Thanks Eurostar, and thank you Sophie. And by the way, why do cuckoos cuckoo?



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Priya Singh asked:


The Pirelli calendar is one that’s eagerly awaited by all and sundry involved with automotive matters and excellent photography, but ’sundry’ rarely ever gets to own a copy. Even so, there is always keen interest in both the models, the photographer/s shooting this exclusive calendar, and how the models are depicted in the calendar. One of the most striking, and yet subtle, calendars from this tyre company came several years ago when the tyre tread pattern was tastefully depicted as an element of the whole image. This time around, the thirty-fifth, Pirelli has a more commercial motive behind the choice of models - Pirelli’s increased presence in China with the opening of a new tyre plant. So, along with the inclusion of Chinese models in the calendar, the theme of the calendar focuses on Shanghai, along with its teahouses and former colonial areas. The photographer is Patrick Demarchelier, originally from the small French sea town of Le Havre.

He is possibly most well known as being Princess Diana’s official photographer - historic because he was the first non-Brit to photograph the royal family. This is Demarchelier second time as the Pirelli calendar photographer - the first was in 2005 in Rio de Janeiro in exotic, sultry Brazil. The 2008 edition has (disappointingly for those expecting a skin show) 23 portraits, the odd number due to August having just one. The selected models include Agyness Deane and Lily Donaldson (UK), Doutzen Kroes (the Netherlands), Catherine Mc Neil and Gemma Ward (Australia), Sasha Pivovarova (Russia), Coco Rocha (Ireland) and Caroline Trentini (Brazil). The Chinese beauties are Mo Wan Dan, Du Juan and Maggie Cheung, the latter is an actress known for her roles in Chinese and English films like Police Story, Super Cop, Actress, Chinese Box and others. Du Juan, whose name means both the Azalea flower and the Cuckoo bird, was the first Asian model to grace the cover of French Vogue.

Mo Wandan was born in Guangdong Province, China. She trained in track and field, but quit after injury. After she participated in, and won, the China Model Star Contest in 2004, she was signed on by a modeling agency. Narain’s flawless performance should remind those who’ve have cast him aside that he’s still very much a force to be reckoned with on the world motorsport stage. In all fairness though, he was a little lucky to inherit first position when Neel Jani of Switzerland, who was leading comfortably, had trouble in the pits. But, more often than not, you need lady luck in your corner in order to win a race. Narain, on his part, put in quick laps when it counted, and set one fastest lap after another to secure his position.

The Pirelli calendar is one that’s eagerly awaited by all and sundry involved with automotive matters and excellent photography, but ’sundry’ rarely ever gets to own a copy. Even so, there is always keen interest in both the models, the photographer/s shooting this exclusive calendar, and how the models are depicted in the calendar. One of the most striking, and yet subtle, calendars from this tyre company came several years ago when the tyre tread pattern was tastefully depicted as an element of the whole image. This time around, the thirty-fifth, Pirelli has a more commercial motive behind the choice of models - Pirelli’s increased presence in China with the opening of a new tyre plant. So, along with the inclusion of Chinese models in the calendar, the theme of the calendar focuses on Shanghai, along with its teahouses and former colonial areas. The photographer is Patrick Demarchelier, originally from the small French sea town of Le Havre. He is possibly most well known as being Princess Diana’s official photographer - historic because he was the first non-Brit to photograph the royal family.

This is Demarchelier second time as the Pirelli calendar photographer - the first was in 2005 in Rio de Janeiro in exotic, sultry Brazil. The 2008 edition has (disappointingly for those expecting a skin show) 23 portraits, the odd number due to August having just one. The selected models include Agyness Deane and Lily Donaldson (UK), Doutzen Kroes (the Netherlands), Catherine Mc Neil and Gemma Ward (Australia), Sasha Pivovarova (Russia), Coco Rocha (Ireland) and Caroline Trentini (Brazil). The Chinese beauties are Mo Wan Dan, Du Juan and Maggie Cheung, the latter is an actress known for her roles in Chinese and English films like Police Story, Super Cop, Actress, Chinese Box and others. Du Juan, whose name means both the Azalea flower and the Cuckoo bird, was the first Asian model to grace the cover of French Vogue. Mo Wandan was born in Guangdong Province, China.

She trained in track and field, but quit after injury. After she participated in, and won, the China Model Star Contest in 2004, she was signed on by a modeling agency. Narain’s flawless performance should remind those who’ve have cast him aside that he’s still very much a force to be reckoned with on the world motorsport stage. In all fairness though, he was a little lucky to inherit first position when Neel Jani of Switzerland, who was leading comfortably, had trouble in the pits. But, more often than not, you need lady luck in your corner in order to win a race. Narain, on his part, put in quick laps when it counted, and set one fastest lap after another to secure his position.



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Lois W asked:


Do you know the title of a book about a Quaker girl who is hired to be a friend to a rich girl while her family takes a round-the-world cruise? At one point in the story the girl spends her wages on a cuckoo clock. The book explores the meaning of friend and Friend.

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forallinfogm asked:


Oh, and we love to tell my fortune! Read the cards, mirrors, smoked ceiling, wondering at the paper, put the candles, but, of course, removes all the petals of a daisy - “likes, dislikes, spit, kiss, the heart will squeeze the hell sends. What just did not commit in the old days girls their own destiny, guessed at cockroaches, mice, caused houses, throwing with the left foot of the gate slipper. “Gad, we believe the predictions, even when not met our expectations, it is still anyone’s guess. Hence, there is something in these divinations. Maybe some sort of magical power?

From time immemorial guessed Epiphany girls in evening, at Christmas. It was during these feasts holidays, Christmas Eve from 24 to 25 December, on the old style, and from 6 to January 7 on the New, and Baptism of 18 to 19 January - divination were considered particularly accurate. Why Svyatka considered the best time for divination? It has been proved that in a certain period, namely in the first month of the New Year, the Christmas divination adjust our subconscious mind to get those details of interest to us. Not, and whether this was the secret of ancient pagan divination, retained their characteristics and in our time?

The Christmas traditions comprise a wide variety of divination. Use any of them, and you can easily learn about the features of the forthcoming marriage, about what awaits you in the future, what would be your chosen one, and much more. Just do not forget that all of divination should be done in the evening or at midnight. Curious girl, wanting to verify the correctness of their predictions, the evening went on the street to notice the stars. If Stozhary they were right, it meant that fortune-telling will come true.

In this case, the eldest girl, usually the daughter of wealthy parents, went ahead with the pie, and the remaining, surrounding it, saying:

Ah, the stars, the stars,

Sprockets!

All of you, stars,

One mother,

Belorumyany you

And dorodlivy.

Sends matchmakers

In the world of baptism;

Concoct a wedding

For the world baptized

For the banquet room,

For the maiden,

Light native

Anna Ivanovna.

If all saw in front of Girls Zori (line stars in the Milky Way), then sorry go home. According to legends Girls Zori heralded another year girlhood, it means all of divination have been in vain.

Omens and signs:

Tatiana believed legends

Of popular antiquities

Yenam, and card divination

And the predictions of the moon.

Her troubled characteristics;

Mysteriously her all subjects

Proclaimed something

Premonitions pressed the chest

Finicky cat, sitting on the stove,

Purring, paw, snout soaps:

There is no doubt it was a sign that they were going guests …

Pushkin. Eugene Onegin

Omens:

Many objects or their movements are the sign. Location bed has long been considered important: for the wealth of the pillow should be on the east, for long life - to the south. Sneeze right - to money, drop and break an egg - a well known, as well as the cord and let loose from the shoe. Luck will accompany you, if you find a pin, met the same ‘person twice on the road or smashed a colorless glass (but only if the glass was a mirror or a bottle - you are waiting for the failure). If you want to avoid trouble, you should not cut their hair before the new moon.

Your praprababushki and prapradedushki knew that when the ringing in your ear, you must cross your fingers and do not guess, because a guardian angel during this time records the sins of the stomach in the book and present them to God. When writing, he argues with the devil, and if you do not cross at the moment, the angel will relinquish soul to Satan and away from her with sobs. On the right shoulder of each one of us sits a guardian angel, and on the left - the devil: the first leads to the good, and the second - to evil.

They knew very well that if the company gathered silent, then it indicates that among the guests flew silent angel. If a man has hiccups, it means that about him remember the familiar. When hiccough, as well as in yawn, be baptized, that the devil is not got soul. If itchy eyes - then you’ll cry; tip of the nose - you’ll drink, and his mustache or lips - you’ll kiss. Palm chshetsya: left - take the money, right - give; elbow - to sleep at the new location.

Not with someone at the same time taking salt shakers salt and bestow a knife, so as not to quarrel. In the first case, to avoid a quarrel, it is necessary both to laugh, and the second, passing the knife, saying: “Chur this knife.” If anyone will give a ring or a ring girl, he never will not marry her. Sin is eggs laid before the carnival. In stolen dogs need smeryat tail thread - then it’s no escape. If just before you drop a spider, it means that it would be an unexpected visitor, good news ilipismo.

The question “Where?” Revered by many a bad omen. If someone is meeting in the road and passing by asked him: “Where are prepared to go?” Or “Where are you going?”, Then the answer to this question ought to read: “At kudykinu head.” The requested had to postpone his departure until the morning, and going - to return. In such situations should be asked differently: “How far is it going or are you going?”

Bad omen - to return home with a half-way for a forgotten thing. This will hinder the success of the enterprise started. Cat washes: to her paw - to the owner in this day to come visit. And if she sleeps, turning the little face under the belly, it means that summer will be bad weather and in winter - frost. Cuckoo recognized simpletons for prophecy bird.

Women guessing when it kukuet in the forest, how many years will live. I believe that, how many times it prokukuet, so they survive. It is believed that when the stye appears, you need to bring to this eye fist and say here are the words: Barley, barley, this is your fist, that you want, then buy, buy yourself Toporok, whip himself across. Then the disease will take place immediately.

In the name day in the early afternoon to take off the table a great purpose to make a cake with porridge and broke it over his head celebrant. This marks the prosperity of the whole year of future life. Moreover, the more it prosypletsya porridge, so his life would be better. Even in this day, need something always break that was waiting in front of well-being. One must be careful not to put crosswise, or two forks, two knives, do not mend their clothes. If you do not want to try their luck, will never wear a left shoe before the right one, do not break the scissors, do not sit at the table, not touching the ground with one foot.

Sprinkle salt, divided plate, even a sneeze, especially on a Monday or Friday - all of it can cause misfortune, just waiting in the wings to emerge and force to attract attention. Every action, every accident can turn into signs of Oracle.



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Kill, Sleep, Repeat. asked:


I’ll start. :]
The car
The computer
The cycle
letterpress
The cuckoo clock Laser [concept]
Nipkow scanning disk
More I can’t think of, and I won’t use google.
Now, it’s your turn ;D

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Naveen Marasinghe asked:


New Zealand is a country blessed with an environment that is the envy of many countries, with meadows and mountain ranges spreading as far as the eye can see, New Zealand is undoubtedly a picture postcard country.

And one such picturesque place is the Waitakere Range, located 25km west of Auckland; the Waitakere Range is spread across 16 hectares and several mountain ranges. With many waterfalls, streams, the west coast and rough mountainous terrain being situated here, this is a paradise for that true outdoor loving backpacker visitor.

The park is world renowned with many award winning TV series loved by viewers such as Hercules and Xena being filmed in these very grounds and drawing locals and visitors alike to experience the splendor of true nature.

The Waitakere Range Park offers a wealth of leisure opportunities to its visitors trekking, swimming, fishing boat launching, running, and horse riding, walking, and camping are few of them. What ever the level of adventure you want it is really an ease to find it in this magnificent environment.

The nature surrounding the range is filled with many exotic and native species of flora and fauna of New Zealand, just waiting for you to discover and enjoy. With interesting fauna such as shining cuckoo, pied tit, kereru,  tui found here it is a truly zoologically divers park unlike many found around the globe.

And further if you are a nature loving camper, a walk through the many tracks in the range is sure to be a delightful eye opener to the many different and new aspects of loving Mother Nature.

After a good days trekking or a relaxing picnic nothing can be more rejuvenating than a treatment at the best spa facilities in Auckland. And where can it be, but a hotel known all over the world for its timeless elegance and services. The Langham Auckland is without doubt one of best hotels in Auckland, and well worth a visit.



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Saronkorn Seuyouyong asked:


Village Weavers are gregarious birds, nesting in large colonies. They select a tree, sometimes quite close to a village, and load the branches with their beautiful suspended nests until the tree looks as if it is growing strange, exotic fruits. Throughout the year, the colony remains faithful to its original building site, and there is much coming and going as the birds forage for the seeds and insects on which they chiefly live.

Unique among weavers is the Social Weaver Philetairus socius. These birds live up to their name by banding together, sometimes in their hundreds, to builds their amazing communal nests.

As soon as a suitable tree has been chosen, the birds set to work. Their united efforts produce a huge thatched roof of grasses and reeds in the branches, under which the weavers have their own individual nests.

After so much effort, the nest is only used once. By the time the next mating season has arrived, the birds have all moved house. The waterproof roof still stands and so does the rest of the ‘building’ ; the weavers have simply built on a new extension. In time their communal dwelling takes on the appearance of a native hut as, year after year, it increases in size.

Sometimes, however, disaster strikes. The weight of the extensions brings down the tree and the weavers must move on to another, hopefully even stronger, tree.

Our third picture shows yet another kind of weaver, the Golden Weaver Ploceus bojeri, a familiar sight in the villages of East Africa. Not all birds bother to rear their own young and quite a few species deposit their eggs in the nests of another bird, often quite unrelated. The most famous of all these parasites is the cuckoo but, in fact, not all cuckoos behave in the irresponsible manner of the European species; the Northern American species normally rear their own young.

The Dunnock, or Hedge Sparrow, Prunnella modulari, is a common foster parent for the European Cuckoo Cuculus canorus , which will even lay pale blue eggs to match those of the Dunnock. The Cuckoo lays her egg in the nest of a Dunnock, warbler, wagtail or some similar-sized bird (she is over 1 foot (300 mm) long) and removes one of the rightful eggs. Only rarely do the nest-owners notice the change, and incubation proceeds as if nothing had happened. The young Cuckoo normally hatches before the other eggs, and immediately sets about throwing out of the nest any other eggs, and immediately sets about throwing out of the nest any other eggs or youngsters. This is a simple reflex action with is stimulated when any object makes contact with certain parts of the Cuckoo. The young Cuckoo can now receive the undivided attention of its foster parents, and within a very short time will have grown larger than them; it is not uncommon to see the foster parent standing on the Cuckoo’s head in order to cram food down its ever-open gullet.



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Little Clown OFFICIEL asked:


Cuckoo clock !

I am French !

My name is Little Clown, I am top Contributor in France in this topic and I would like to say hello ?

Those who speak French are welcome !
@ Fractal : Quel est le pourcentage de croyants aux Etats-Unis par rapport aux athées ?
Percentage of believers =
Percentage of atheists =

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Leana asked:


Well It may seem like a memory. For example I have one where I am sitting in the living room and the cuckoo bird came out of the clock and flew abound the room before going back into the clock. I know it didn’t happen but every time I see a cuckoo clock I remember that.

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Allie T asked:


I remember button moon but does anyone remember one with similar graphics about a little boy and a man and woman who come out of cuckoo clocks. I think they were called Mr weatherman/Mr weather and miss sunshine or something and they would press buttons on this big tv to change the weather to make it sunny snowing etc i really loved it whats it called?

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