Offshore bird mincers

 

I've just been reading a 114 page document on the development of offshore wind farms. Now as my one reader knows, I was a marine engineer for 43 years. One fact I quickly came to realise is that sea water is highly corrosive. therefore I was interested to see what the projected maintenance costs would be over the life of these turbines and supporting structure.

What a wealth of information awaited me in the document.

This:

2.21.Operating and maintenance
The main concern with the regards to maintenance work is the high costs involved with access to the turbines for maintenance and inspections. Furthermore the maintenance can only be conducted during the right weather conditions, which means that the wind turbines can be unproductive for a number of days.
O&M will become more of an issue as we approach the Round 2 and beyond wind
farms, which will be significantly, further offshore. The industry should embark on study to identify as many steps as possible that can lead to a reduction in requirement for access.

Basically it would appear that they haven't a clue. It was just about the smallest paragraph in the document.

I give up

From my Niece's facebook page.

Just had a very blonde moment... Walking round the car park looking for a Honda Civic.... Only to realise I'm driving an MG.... Twat'

 

Says it all really.

Volunteer Police?

Did I really vote for this?

 

In the biggest shake-up of policing for 50 years, ministers want the public to patrol alongside beat bobbies.

They also intend to recruit up to 50,000 extra special constables to flood crime-plagued neighbourhoods with an army of volunteers.

And villages will be protected by a new breed of 'police reservists', modelled on part-time firemen and the Territorial Army.

That'll work then. Where are all these "volunteers" going to come from? If your working full time how would you fit in the time? If you're not working you would probably be out job hunting.

The coalition government yesterday set out plans for communities to 'reconnect' with police forces which have disappeared behind their desks, engulfed by a flood of red tape.

Firstly I think it should be the Police that should be making the effort to reconnect with the public and not the other way round. Secondly why not just abolish the red tape and sack all the community outreach advisors, Gay and Lesbian diversity co-ordinators, and other useless wastes of space.

'Virtual' get-togethers on social networking websites such as Facebook and Twitter .

How utterly stupid is that one. I could be a mass murderer or a paedophile on facebook.

There is some good news though.

The National Policing Improvement Agency - a quango criticised for lavishing tens of millions of pounds on consultants - will be phased out.

The Association of Chief Police Officers will be told it must become more accountable to the public.

This really is kneejerk politics in the vein of the Blair years. God give me strength.

I really should stop reading the

Mail

Turmoil

 

F.E Mansion is having a much needed upgrade to the central heating after this year's extreme cold spell. In consequence the floor boards are up, the cats have hidden away, and FE has become Tea boy in Chief.

I suppose now that I'm having it done, we'll have mild winters for the next ten years. Damn Global warming.

Injustice again

I'm referring to the decision of the Director of the Crown Prosecution service not to prosecute PC Simon Harwood for the unproved attack on Ian Tomlinson resulting in his death.

 

I don't normally agree with George Monbiot.

There is a fighting fund being set up by the family for a private prosecution here.

Arrivederci Roma

Your Italian correspondent is now back from Rome refreshed and broke.

Rome. Wow, what a city. Vibrant, noisy, but oh so full of cultural heritage. And bloody expensive. How an earth,  a glass of beer can cost 4 Euros is beyond me?

If you haven't been there, and you don't mind being reduced to pauper status then you should visit it even once in your life.

Pic: The Trevi Fountain.

If you think that the vuvuzela racket in the last  world cup was noisy, then you will be astounded by the racket produced by the million scooters passing per second, by day and by night. This is then followed every two minutes or so by the chiming of the Ice cream vans Ambulances, picking up the bodies of the scooter riders, culled by the taxis.

Pedestrian crossings are an interesting experience. In the UK you stand at one, and the traffic will stop and let you cross. In Rome if you just stand there, you will die of old age. The strategy is to take your life in your own hands and just walk across and trust in any God (Or just plain lady luck). Funnily enough it works well, although disconcerting at first.

Just in case my kids and and their partners are reading this after racking up my bar bill in my hotel to unimaginable levels. You have drunk your inheritance.

Post card from Italy.

Weather glorious. 35 deg C.

Beer cold.

Food good.

What’s more to be said.

Your Italian correspondent signing out. next update will be from Rome.

And on a lighter note

Muslim of the year

Bound to be on the Fatwa hotlist now.

I'm glad I'm not a tour operator.

I was tasked with booking flights and hotels to a wedding venue in Italy. What a nightmare. Trying to get all the relevant info from all the different parties is like getting blood out of Mount Everest. Still, I suppose it's worth it.

The good news is that I wont be posting absolute drivel on this blog for ten days. (mind you, I have packed my emergency laptop).

The bad news is that in ten days, I'LL BE BACK. Posting drivel on this blog.

So they have made up their tiny little minds.

You remember that gimmicky website, where we were all exhorted to post up which laws we would like to have repealed or amended.

One of the most populated areas was the smoking section with dozens of topics calling for an amendment to the law. And hundreds of comments.

You probably guessed it already. They are just ignoring it

 

In other words it was just more spin to make us think that they are better than labour.

Cunts.