I was staggered to hear last night that the projected forecast for us to return to the debt levels in 2008 will be. wait for it, 2030!
How on earth can a government screw us up, so Royally, in such a short time?
Oh, I forgot, it's what labour do best.
Thursday, 29 January 2009
Wednesday, 28 January 2009
Practical agony Aunt
Just a little thought.........
As you may, or may not have noticed, my profile gives my profession as a Marine Engineer.
If you consider that running a ship is like driving a small town at 25 MPH through the water 24 hours a day,I may be of help to anyone that needs some advice.
Skills needed:
Diesel Engineering knowledge: Must keep the ship moving and generate Elecricity.
Plumbing: Who do think fixes the washbasin etc?
Sewage disposal: Someone has to keep the toilet system going. otherwise we are up to our necks in it.
Electrics: Modern ships require a comprehensive knowledge of all things electrical. Can't have the cookers breakdown.
Workshop skills: Need these to build a barbecue when the cookers have broken down.
Air conditioning: Really important skills when in the Red sea or in the arctic. Phew it's hot, or I'm bloody freezing.
Refrigeration knowledge: Wouldn't want the steak to defrost would we?
Firefighting: Have you ever seen an amphibious fire engine with a 2000 mile range. Nor me. Believe me this skill is rather important.
Bar management: Believed by most seafarers to be the most important. Treasurer is best. it gives you the chance to practice Boom and bust. Mind you, Mess President gives you the chance to play at being PM.
Any way, to cut a long story short, anyone requiring need of advice in any of these skills, just post here.
If I can't help you, I can always run off and start another blog under an assumed name.
As you may, or may not have noticed, my profile gives my profession as a Marine Engineer.
If you consider that running a ship is like driving a small town at 25 MPH through the water 24 hours a day,I may be of help to anyone that needs some advice.
Skills needed:
Diesel Engineering knowledge: Must keep the ship moving and generate Elecricity.
Plumbing: Who do think fixes the washbasin etc?
Sewage disposal: Someone has to keep the toilet system going. otherwise we are up to our necks in it.
Electrics: Modern ships require a comprehensive knowledge of all things electrical. Can't have the cookers breakdown.
Workshop skills: Need these to build a barbecue when the cookers have broken down.
Air conditioning: Really important skills when in the Red sea or in the arctic. Phew it's hot, or I'm bloody freezing.
Refrigeration knowledge: Wouldn't want the steak to defrost would we?
Firefighting: Have you ever seen an amphibious fire engine with a 2000 mile range. Nor me. Believe me this skill is rather important.
Bar management: Believed by most seafarers to be the most important. Treasurer is best. it gives you the chance to practice Boom and bust. Mind you, Mess President gives you the chance to play at being PM.
Any way, to cut a long story short, anyone requiring need of advice in any of these skills, just post here.
If I can't help you, I can always run off and start another blog under an assumed name.
Tuesday, 27 January 2009
Bloody EU lightbulbs
Our recent page on those bloody low-energy light-bulbs the EU and the government are bullying us into using prompted a couple of interesting replies from readers …
Malcolm wrote …
Thanks for your enlightening (pun intended) post about light bulbs. You may be interested in a bit more information about these so-called low energy lamps.
For a start, they're not all that low energy. It's been estimated that it takes 20 KWHrs of electricity to make one. That's a lot of energy.
Next. They are full of electronics and have no power factor correction. It's a bit complicated to explain unless you know a bit of physics but the net result is that they actually use about twice the power that that are supposed to, although only half of this is picked up at the meter. The other half is dissipated as heat in the supply cables and although you aren't charged for it, the power companies still have to generate it.
To continue, they are very dim when first switched on - no use for stair lighting and the like when you need light straight away.
They generally don't have the life claimed for them. They are OK if left on all the time but every time they are switched on it shortens their life.
Unlike an incandescent bulb which just fails safely at the end of its life, low energy lamps can overheat, melt and cause a fire hazard.
They generally can't be used with dimmer switches. They may appear to work (sort of) but overheat.
They can't be used in enclosed light fittings because they will overheat.
An ordinary incandescent lamp is easily recycled or disposed of. Landfill's OK. It's only made out of glass, steel, a tiny bit of tungsten, some lead-free solder and a bit of pitch or plastic. Even the gas inside is only argon or nitrogen. We get it from the air anyway and it just goes back to where it came from.
With low energy lamps, it's not just the mercury inside them. There's a lot of plastic from the casing and phenolics from the circuit board, silicon and all sorts of plastic and nasty chemicals from the electronic components.
In fact a recycling nightmare.
I just hope that we, as Australia seems to have done, drop all ideas of removing conventional light bulbs from sale.
It appears that, on the back of the Global Warming/Climate Change con, some self-serving tw@s somewhere are going to make a packet out of low energy light bulbs. They'll charge us over the odds to buy them once there's no alternative. Then they'll charge us again to get rid of them.
Best wishes …
… while Pete had this to add …
There seems to be a lot of misinformation peddled about compact fluorescents by journos who basically don't know what they are writing about. I would like therefore to present some facts:
1) ALL fluorescent tubes contain mercury and have done since their introduction early in the 20th century. The amount contained in a full-sized tube is a drop roughly 1mm in diameter. The amount contained in a compact fluorescent lamp would need a microscope to see it - honestly.
2) Fluorescent tubes work by passing electricity through mercury vapour to generate ultraviolet light which in turn causes the phosphor (the white stuff on the wall of the tube) to glow. The mercury vapour is at such a low pressure that inside the tube is to all intents and purposes a vacuum.
3) The environmental problem associated with compact fluorescents isn't the minuscule amount of mercury they contain (which in fact will most probably be unrecoverable) rather the electronic components in the ballast contained in the base of the lamp. These take a hammering during the life of the lamp and are most certainly not reusable. The chemicals in the phosphor are of very low toxicity and can be recycled.
My credentials? Radio and electronics engineer of some 40 years' standing.
The Nanny State has really got its knickers in a twist regarding mercury, and any story involving mercury is always good for a meeja feeding frenzy. Juts a couple of feet from where I'm sitting now are two mercury vapour rectifiers. Each of them has roughly a teaspoonful of mercury sloshing about inside. I'd love to see the look on the faces of some 'Elf'n'Safety prodnose who saw them!
Best wishes …
Our thanks to both contributors.
As the Captain said in response to Pete's missive, the real issue is that these tossers are telling us what to do in our own houses and manipulating the law to make us comply, and it's none of their bloody business what we screw in our light-sockets. We already can't buy creosote in B&Q, or Thawpit Spot-remover, or that vicious weed-killer you used to put on tree stumps and, frankly, enough is enough.
Bastards.
Thanks to: http://www.grumpyoldsod.com/light%20bulbs%204.asp
Malcolm wrote …
Thanks for your enlightening (pun intended) post about light bulbs. You may be interested in a bit more information about these so-called low energy lamps.
For a start, they're not all that low energy. It's been estimated that it takes 20 KWHrs of electricity to make one. That's a lot of energy.
Next. They are full of electronics and have no power factor correction. It's a bit complicated to explain unless you know a bit of physics but the net result is that they actually use about twice the power that that are supposed to, although only half of this is picked up at the meter. The other half is dissipated as heat in the supply cables and although you aren't charged for it, the power companies still have to generate it.
To continue, they are very dim when first switched on - no use for stair lighting and the like when you need light straight away.
They generally don't have the life claimed for them. They are OK if left on all the time but every time they are switched on it shortens their life.
Unlike an incandescent bulb which just fails safely at the end of its life, low energy lamps can overheat, melt and cause a fire hazard.
They generally can't be used with dimmer switches. They may appear to work (sort of) but overheat.
They can't be used in enclosed light fittings because they will overheat.
An ordinary incandescent lamp is easily recycled or disposed of. Landfill's OK. It's only made out of glass, steel, a tiny bit of tungsten, some lead-free solder and a bit of pitch or plastic. Even the gas inside is only argon or nitrogen. We get it from the air anyway and it just goes back to where it came from.
With low energy lamps, it's not just the mercury inside them. There's a lot of plastic from the casing and phenolics from the circuit board, silicon and all sorts of plastic and nasty chemicals from the electronic components.
In fact a recycling nightmare.
I just hope that we, as Australia seems to have done, drop all ideas of removing conventional light bulbs from sale.
It appears that, on the back of the Global Warming/Climate Change con, some self-serving tw@s somewhere are going to make a packet out of low energy light bulbs. They'll charge us over the odds to buy them once there's no alternative. Then they'll charge us again to get rid of them.
Best wishes …
… while Pete had this to add …
There seems to be a lot of misinformation peddled about compact fluorescents by journos who basically don't know what they are writing about. I would like therefore to present some facts:
1) ALL fluorescent tubes contain mercury and have done since their introduction early in the 20th century. The amount contained in a full-sized tube is a drop roughly 1mm in diameter. The amount contained in a compact fluorescent lamp would need a microscope to see it - honestly.
2) Fluorescent tubes work by passing electricity through mercury vapour to generate ultraviolet light which in turn causes the phosphor (the white stuff on the wall of the tube) to glow. The mercury vapour is at such a low pressure that inside the tube is to all intents and purposes a vacuum.
3) The environmental problem associated with compact fluorescents isn't the minuscule amount of mercury they contain (which in fact will most probably be unrecoverable) rather the electronic components in the ballast contained in the base of the lamp. These take a hammering during the life of the lamp and are most certainly not reusable. The chemicals in the phosphor are of very low toxicity and can be recycled.
My credentials? Radio and electronics engineer of some 40 years' standing.
The Nanny State has really got its knickers in a twist regarding mercury, and any story involving mercury is always good for a meeja feeding frenzy. Juts a couple of feet from where I'm sitting now are two mercury vapour rectifiers. Each of them has roughly a teaspoonful of mercury sloshing about inside. I'd love to see the look on the faces of some 'Elf'n'Safety prodnose who saw them!
Best wishes …
Our thanks to both contributors.
As the Captain said in response to Pete's missive, the real issue is that these tossers are telling us what to do in our own houses and manipulating the law to make us comply, and it's none of their bloody business what we screw in our light-sockets. We already can't buy creosote in B&Q, or Thawpit Spot-remover, or that vicious weed-killer you used to put on tree stumps and, frankly, enough is enough.
Bastards.
Thanks to: http://www.grumpyoldsod.com/light%20bulbs%204.asp
Disease
More crap from the NHS with regard to carbon emissions.
I've a good mind to phone NHS direct and give them the symptoms of Cholera or some such exotic disease. They'll most likely tell me I've got a cold and to take an Asprin. If I feel ill, then I'll damn well drive to the Doc. I pay his wages after all.
Patients should phone their GP rather than drive in for a visit, according to National Health Service guidelines unveiled today.
Ministers want family doctors to hold more 'phone-in' surgeries to help the environment by cutting carbon emissions from cars.
They also want hospitals to achieve their green targets by reducing the amount of meat they serve to patients in wards.
Patient groups said the 'telemedicine' plans were fraught with danger because a misdiagnosis over the phone could lead to incorrect treatment and even death.
The Government says action is needed because the NHS is responsible for a quarter of all the carbon dioxide emissions produced by the public sector.
I've a good mind to phone NHS direct and give them the symptoms of Cholera or some such exotic disease. They'll most likely tell me I've got a cold and to take an Asprin. If I feel ill, then I'll damn well drive to the Doc. I pay his wages after all.
Monday, 26 January 2009
Now when I'm ill I'll have to be a fruit bat
From the Guardian
Now some pompous twat, from the Sustainable development unit, (Eyes roll) has decided that he is going to jump on to the climate change bandwagon, by taking meat off the menus in Hospital.
"This is not just about doing things more efficiently, it's about doing things differently, because efficiency is not going to get us to big cuts," said Pencheon. "What will healthcare look like in 2030-2040 in a very low carbon society? It will not look anything like it looks now."
He then finishes off with
"As one of the world's largest organisations, the NHS has a national and international imperative to act in order to make a real difference and to set an important example."
Surely the pontificating C**t should be there to treat me, (I like meat) in my old age. What is international about our health service? Oh, I forgot, we have to treat all those health tourists who haven't paid a penny in NI contributions.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/jan/26/hospitals-nhs-meat-carbon
Now some pompous twat, from the Sustainable development unit, (Eyes roll) has decided that he is going to jump on to the climate change bandwagon, by taking meat off the menus in Hospital.
"This is not just about doing things more efficiently, it's about doing things differently, because efficiency is not going to get us to big cuts," said Pencheon. "What will healthcare look like in 2030-2040 in a very low carbon society? It will not look anything like it looks now."
He then finishes off with
"As one of the world's largest organisations, the NHS has a national and international imperative to act in order to make a real difference and to set an important example."
Surely the pontificating C**t should be there to treat me, (I like meat) in my old age. What is international about our health service? Oh, I forgot, we have to treat all those health tourists who haven't paid a penny in NI contributions.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/jan/26/hospitals-nhs-meat-carbon
I am an EU criminal
just thought I might see if I was more of a criminal than Snow wolf:
Offences related to waste - Check. If the black bin is full, then into the green bin.(do not tell the wife!)
Unintentional environmental offences - Check. Drought order. My garden comes first.
Insult of the State, Nation or State symbols - Check. Bloody F*****g EU
Insult or resistance to a representative of public authority - Check, see above.
Public order offences, breach of the public peace - Clean as the driven snow
Revealing a secret or breaching an obligation of secrecy - Mmmm, better not say too much.
Unintentional damage or destruction of property - Check. Set the scout hut on fire
Offences against migration law - an "Open category" (offences undefined thus all encompassing) - Not done this one.
Offences against military obligations - an "Open category" (offences undefined thus all encompassing) - Probably
Unauthorised entry or residence - Yes, but don't tell my sister
Other offences an "Open category" (offences undefined thus all encompassing) - Guilty M'lud
Other unintentional offences - See above.
Prohibition from frequenting some places - Banned from the Officers bar
Prohibition from entry to a mass event - Not done this one.
Placement under electronic surveillance ("fixed or mobile" - eg: home, car, mobile phone etc) - We will be shortly by the EU, so yes to this.
Withdrawal of a hunting / fishing license - Nope
Prohibition to play certain games/sports - Check. I was useless, so they wouldn't pick me at school
Prohibition from national territory - Not yet.
Personal obligation - an "Open category" (offences undefined thus all encompassing) - mmmm
"Fine" - all fines. inc minor non-criminal offences - Check. does no MOT, count
We really are fucked, aren't we.
Unintentional environmental offences - Check. Drought order. My garden comes first.
Insult of the State, Nation or State symbols - Check. Bloody F*****g EU
Insult or resistance to a representative of public authority - Check, see above.
Public order offences, breach of the public peace - Clean as the driven snow
Revealing a secret or breaching an obligation of secrecy - Mmmm, better not say too much.
Unintentional damage or destruction of property - Check. Set the scout hut on fire
Offences against migration law - an "Open category" (offences undefined thus all encompassing) - Not done this one.
Offences against military obligations - an "Open category" (offences undefined thus all encompassing) - Probably
Unauthorised entry or residence - Yes, but don't tell my sister
Other offences an "Open category" (offences undefined thus all encompassing) - Guilty M'lud
Other unintentional offences - See above.
Prohibition from frequenting some places - Banned from the Officers bar
Prohibition from entry to a mass event - Not done this one.
Placement under electronic surveillance ("fixed or mobile" - eg: home, car, mobile phone etc) - We will be shortly by the EU, so yes to this.
Withdrawal of a hunting / fishing license - Nope
Prohibition to play certain games/sports - Check. I was useless, so they wouldn't pick me at school
Prohibition from national territory - Not yet.
Personal obligation - an "Open category" (offences undefined thus all encompassing) - mmmm
"Fine" - all fines. inc minor non-criminal offences - Check. does no MOT, count
We really are fucked, aren't we.
New to all this
As you can see from the title, I'm new to this. So treat me gently(or not as the case may be).
I decided to start a Blog, as I am increasingly appalled at the way this country is going to the dogs under a Labour government. So for that reason I have decided to stand up and be counted. Having seen the power of the Blogosphere in the last few days, it at last seems that the individual can make a difference.
I decided to start a Blog, as I am increasingly appalled at the way this country is going to the dogs under a Labour government. So for that reason I have decided to stand up and be counted. Having seen the power of the Blogosphere in the last few days, it at last seems that the individual can make a difference.
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