Ben

I have a mushroom I found growing in a clump on my compost heap which I would like to identify. 

It basically looks just like a Wood Blewit (uncannily so) - shape, colour, size - but the stems are on the thinner side and hollow, a mushroom-y smell, and a pale orange spore print (all things Wood Blewit doesn't have).

So does anyone know any mushrooms very like a Wood Blewit, only with the above features?

I m afraid I have no pictures, as I m trying to identify this from memory. I should be able to get pictures of the leaves if necessary, though.

The plant is a herbaceous perennial climber which grows every year from a tuber.

It doesn t twine, have tendrils, or any other obvious climbing adaptation.

The leaves are finely cut (pinnate or bi-pinnate), and bourne on long petioles. Rather uniquely, the petioles are angled downwards on the stem (most plants have them angled up).

The flowers are orange, tubular but asymmetrical (top and bottom lips different), about 2.5cm long and 1cm or so wide at the opening. Bourne in clusters of 3-5.

I have a fairly old apple tree in my garden, and I have no idea what variety of apple it is.

I live in the UK, the fruits are ready early- to mid-September, they are medium-large, deep red all over, with white flesh inside. They have a slightly flattened shape, and a relatively soft texture, and are very fragrant. They tend to develop this sticky residue on them about a day after being picked.

Any ideas what variety this is?

I need to buy myself a new pillow, and I'm looking for a certain type.

I want one that's fairly firm, as well as quite flat and thin (ideally no more than bout 3 inches thick).

I also need to be able to buy it in the UK.

Can anyone recommend anything?

I recently learned that Amazon Japan offer convenience store pick-up for purchases (up to a certain size). I would like to know whether it would be possible for a foreign tourist to purchase something from Amazon.co.jp and then pick it up from a chosen convenience store, or whether there would be something that prevented a foreigner doing it. (I gather that ID may be required upon pick up, so would a foreign passport or driving licence suffice, or does it need to be Japanese ID?)

Can anyone identify this tune:

http://picosong.com/CR7Z/

The really recognizable part (to my ears, at least) starts at about 15 seconds.

I am 99% that it's a rearrangement of some classical piece, and I've definitely heard it before, but I have no idea what the original is called (I'm also fairly sure a short version of it is used as the opening theme to a British TV drama of some sort from 10 or 20 years ago, but that's not so important right now).

Can anyone recommend me a good mould for making jelly eggs with?

Something like this is just what I'm looking for:

http://www.milmour.com/images/jell-o_lg.jpg

However I live in the UK, and I can't find anywhere that sells something like that here. Does anyone know where I can buy something similar in the UK (either from an actual shop or online)?

Is supplementary earth bonding in a bathroom a notifiable work, or can I, as a competent but unregistered, do the work myself? (I'm in the UK)

I know that Part P does list supplementary (and main) bonding as work that does not require notification, but I'm not sure how it being in the bathroom may affect this (seeing as it's a "special" area).

How would one say "about this/that" in Japanese? That is, in a context like this: "About this... what should I do with it?"

I believe that in that situation would would use ですが, e.g. これですが, どうすればいいのでしょうか, but I'd like to confirm this.

This is a rather semantic question of I'm sure no great importance, but in a situation where you are pointing to something which is in a glass cabinet in from of you (in a shop, say), would "kore" or "sore" be more natural to refer to it? Or is either fine?

In English, either would sound fine, but I don't know whether this might be an idiomatic thing that doesn't hold in Japanese.

Realistically, what is the smallest you can keep an apple on an M26 rootstock through pruning and still have it flower and fruit (not at full capacity, obviously maybe two-thirds or even half full yields, since M26 seems to yield a lot)?

Height isn't really so much a problem, it's width I'm concerned about.

I only really have the space for an M9 size tree, you see, but they're rather hard to get hold of. Not that many places sell them, and those that do the selection isn't great and they're more expensive. Most places seem to just do M26 (and M27, and MM106. They just skip over M9).

What about a vertical cordon, they're tall and narrow, aren't they? What's the yield like with a cordon? And can you grow one from a two-year-old tree, or do you need to start with an unfeathered maiden?

Also, although I'm asking about a cordon, I'd still like to know what they smallest you can keep a bush is.

I'm in the process of buying an apple tree, and am having real trouble deciding between M9 and M26 for the rootstock.

My garden isn't that large (I live in the town), so I was erring towards M9, which is a ultimately couple of feet shorter. However getting hold of apple trees on M9 isn't very easy. They are expensive and the range is rather limited. M26 seems by far the most common of the dwarfing/semi-dwarfing rootstocks, with the trees most places are selling being grafted onto that.

So basically what I want to know is would M26 be so bad? On average, how much bigger than M9 does it grow (I know I can get size charts online, but I'd like some personal experience)? How does the crop you get from both types of tree compare? Also, how much longer does it take for M26 to start cropping, as I hear M9 has a tendency to start cropping earlier than other rootstocks?

Put even more simply, is M26 suitable for a town garden?

What are some good apple varieties to grow if I want soft apples (like a Cox), rather than crunchy apples?

(I live in the UK, so this will influence what varieties I can get hold of and grow)

With Ichiban Kuji and the like (the lottery draws where you can win various anime goods), what is the rough likelihood that you will draw a winning ticket? Not necessarily a good prize, just the likelihood of winning any prize at all.

Many shops that sell any merchandise have counters where they buy stuff from members of the public. But what sort of ID (if any) do you need in order for these places to buy stuff from you? Do you need a Japanese address? Basically, could a foreign tourist sell things to the shops?

What would be the polite equivalent of 'dakke'? Would it be 'deshitakke', or is that only used for past tense? I have heard 'desukke' used at least once before, but I not sure whether this might be colloquial and not proper Japanese.

I know some Japanese, but I am unsure of the appropriate thing to say after you, say, approach the reservations counter in order to ask to reserve a seat.

I've come up with this:

すみません。席を予約したいんですが。

I'm fairly sure that this is both grammatically and idiomatically correct, however I have a feeling that it may be a bit too direct and therefore a little but rude. Could someone suggest a better way to phrase it or a better thing to say?

As it stands, my computer uses its onboard graphics chip. I have a (second-hand) Inno3D GF 8400 GS graphics card I wish to install, but when I fit it and try to turn my computer on it won't boot. The fan just powers up for about 2 seconds then shuts off again (my motherboard is Dell 0F8098). My PSU wattage ought to be sufficient, and I've already tried uninstalling the old graphics drivers (even though that's apparently not necessary for onboard graphics).

So what might be causing this problem? Is there anything I can do, or is it likely a problem with the card itself?

If I wanted to ask someone to speak more simply (i.e. using simple, basic words and sentence construction), which word for "simply" should I be using? I was thinking "kantan ni", but I'm not sure if that's the right adverb to be using in this context, in order to get the desired meaning across.

Also, (ignoring for now the matter of the adverb used), would the following sentence be about right for "I don't really understand so please speak more simply.":

"Yoku wakarimasen kara, motto kantan ni hanashite kudasai"

(Should it perhaps be "wakatte imasen"? Is "wakaru" even the right verb to be using in this context?)

I know that only certain ATMs in Japan (Japanese Post Bank and 7Bank in 7-11 stores) allow for cash withdrawals using foreign debit cards. I am also aware that my own bank will charge me for foreign cash withdrawals (they charge me 2%, plus £1 per withdrawal).

But do the ATMs themselves (either Japanese Post Bank or 7Bank) charge me for withdrawals, in addition to what my bank will charge me, since I'm using a foreign debit card? Or would I only end up paying my bank's charges?