Basics

Captain Qahn's picture

"Back in December, a major plank of the Conservative party’s general election strategy was to portray Jeremy Corbyn as a Marxist throwback, committed to all sorts of dangerous 1970s lefty ideas such as state ownership and higher public spending.

Six months later, Boris Johnson felt the need, when announcing plans to bring forward £5bn of investment in Britain’s clapped-out public infrastructure, to reassure voters that he was "not a communist" and still believed in capitalism..."

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/jul/07/rishi-sunak-mini-b...

"The Tory party might well wonder, what is this cuckoo in our nest? It means colossal public spending, stupefying debt, subsidies doled out on all sides, and a private sector strangled by whimsical regulation. Perhaps a truth is emerging. Old-fashioned Toryism was always the free market’s fair-weather friend. At the first sign of trouble, it runs pleading to the state."

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/jul/09/rishinomics-centra...

""The Tories talk a good game on this issue but their record of turning their backs on the North speaks for itself.""

"All of which creates a glorious opportunity for the Labour party. It is in the happy position of being able to say that no matter how much the government is spending it should be spending more. It can pick and choose from all the once taboo ideas – such as a basic income, a wealth tax or printing money to pay for higher public spending – that have become fashionable."

A word of caution, though. Even assuming that Labour embraces the need for more radical action on global heating, it is not actually in power and won’t be for some time. The government has four years to patch up a dysfunctional economy which, despite all the rhetoric, is what Johnson’s strategy is really all about.

"Undaunted, Johnson is now to take his pathological centralism a step further. His aide Dominic Cummings reportedly wants to dismantle the last three public sector functions still subject to local democracy. They are town planning, social care of the sick and elderly and policing. Planning offices are to be replaced by regional “zoning” commissions and inspectors, committed to development and emanating from London. Under such a scheme, local control over the character and appearance of urban and rural Britain would end...

"While Sunak takes responsibility for a large chunk of the private sector, however “temporarily”, his colleagues are seeking the final dismantling of devolved government, at least in England. This was begun by Thatcher’s rate-capping in the 1980s and continued by the stripping out of education and transport in the 1990s. Services that in every other world democracy are subject to the pride and participation of local community leadership, are in Britain to be run from London. The prime minister wants to be mayor of England."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l85SmjhBQz0

 

17 Comments

Captain Qahn's picture

Bob a Job

"Robert Goodwill was Minister of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs from 5 March 2019 to 25 July 2019. He was formerly Minister of State at the Department for Education from June 2017 to January 2018. He was elected Conservative MP for Scarborough and Whitby in 2005."

https://www.robertgoodwill.co.uk/news

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMIJuuk1SFs

Lulled into a false sense of security ;-?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJbr9sTbkTw

Captain Qahn's picture

A Loose Cannon

"Robert Goodwill has been reacting to calls from Maritime UK, the umbrella body for Britain’s £46bn maritime sector, is calling for a Minister for the ‘Coastal Powerhouse’..."

https://www.yorkshirecoastradio.com/news/local-news/3140326/scarborough-...

"For example, the Department for Culture Media and Sport handles tourism and my worry would be that if you made the Tourism Minister the Minister for our coastline, then some of the environmetal issues might get put on the back burner.""

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yb9rvpTDIsg

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-53416067

Noted.

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/jul/13/spaceship-earth-arizona-bio...

"Mr Johnson accused the Labour leader of constantly switching from supporting the government to attacking it, with a swipe at Sir Keir's former profession as a lawyer.

"He needs to make up his mind about which brief he's going to take today because at the moment he's got more briefs than Calvin Klein."

Pot Kettle Black.

Captain Qahn's picture

Who Are We

"The list of exemptions has not yet been published, but the rules for face masks on public transport exempt anyone who cannot wear one "because of any physical or mental illness or impairment, or disability", who would experience "severe distress" from doing so, or relies on lip reading, among other reasons."

"For some BBC Radio 5 Live listeners, face coverings are uncomfortable, steam up your glasses, and infringe on personal freedom."

"However, when swapping out the company's masts, networks are likely to switch to a different vendor to provide the earlier-generation services.

Huawei said the move was "bad news for anyone in the UK with a mobile phone" and threatened to "move Britain into the digital slow lane, push up bills and deepen the digital divide."

"Scarves or other textile items that can be used to continually cover the nose and mouth without having to be held in place by hand are considered adequate in non-medical settings."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0Mr4VbnW08

"Hancock said the death rate of sales assistants and cashiers is 75% higher among men and 60% higher among women than in the general population. “As we restore shopping so we must keep our shopkeepers safe,” he said... the government expected compliance."

"Stay home, stay alert, save lives, social distance, clap at the sky, bang pots and pans, wear a mask, follow the science, work from home, exercise for 1 hour, don't travel..."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-53403793

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNbBDrceCy8

"The WHO stressed that face masks were just one of a range of tools that could be used to reduce the risk of transmission - and that they should not give people a false sense of protection."

Captain Black's picture

Swayde Fever

"For others like me and the 70 per cent who did our bit to obey the Government, socially distance and attempt to bring the pandemic to an end, life really did change on that distant day in March.

The time in between has been spent doing all the jobs that needed doing and that I always put off, reading, writing a new book and watching all the
people stream past my house in Whitby as if nothing had changed.

Now, Boris Johnson wants us all to return to our offices, go into shops, albeit wearing face coverings from next week, and re-start the economy. Let’s face it, if the truth be known, now is not the time to end lockdown.

"It is only coming to an end because the financiers and business people are feeling the pinch in their wallets. We, the economic fodder, haven’t spent enough cash.

Over the last few months, I have taken lockdown very seriously. Food has been bought online, exercise taken in the garden and I have had no social contact outside the household. It has been life changing and I do not want to go back to the way things were before.

I have watched as the skies cleared of vapour trails and have listened to the sound of birds singing in my town centre street. Wildlife has crept nearer and nearer and the clock of the parish church could be heard across the town. Traffic noise was at a minimum and the crash of the distant waves was the only intrusion into the peace. Even those visitors breaking lockdown did so quietly.

For my part, I am sad that lockdown has ended. The sky is now filling up with air traffic
and car noise is back to normal levels. People passing my house seem to feel that every conversation has to be shouted. There is no social distancing, and I am yet to see a passenger get off a bus at the stop outside my house wearing PPE."

"I fear that a second wave is inevitable and that thousands more lives will be lost. It is because of this that I have decided I will not be coming out of lockdown until a vaccine or treatment is found.

I admit I am still scared
of the virus and how easy it is to catch it. My trust in the Government is at an all-time low and I do not believe a word they say. Their refusal to make the wearing of face masks compulsory outside the home is shameful, even though the ‘science’ says that it reduces infection by 63 per cent.

Being in two of the high-risk groups doesn’t give me a good chance of surviving if I caught Covid-19. Losing an old friend to the disease has made me realise it could have easily been me..."

https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/opinion/columnists/living-lockdown-...

Thank Fook for that ...

"The transition back to normality can be seen to be daunting.

This week, I decided to take a short drive as I had not left the house for months. As I travelled out of my street, panic gripped me. I wanted to go back and had the feeling that I shouldn’t be outside. It was an anxiety that took hold quickly and even though it was completely irrational, I felt as though I was under a direct threat.

I know I have lockdown anxiety and I don’t think it is such a bad thing. The pandemic has changed me and my expectations about my life."

That was sooo last month ;-0

About that Audit Committtee...

Is it true 'Graham' you offered £25k to 'Backhouse' to stand as MP for UKIP?

Can't think why...

And, I should add... he turned you down.

Live Long & Prosper.

Fifth Generation

"“We are disturbed because we don’t have an answer. We don’t know whom we are facing,” he added."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-54638267

""Fending off companies that have been manufacturing cars at industrial scale for years, as well as overseas start-ups, will be a big ask when the giants of the industry start to put R&D budgets to work on closing the electricity gap.""

"How We Got From 1G to 5G

The first generation of mobile wireless networks, built in the late 1970s and 1980s, was analog. Voices were carried over radio waves unencrypted, and anyone could listen in on conversations using off-the-shelf components. The second generation, built in the 1990s, was digital—which made it possible to encrypt calls, make more efficient use of the wireless spectrum, and deliver data transfers on par with dialup internet or, later, early DSL services. The third generation gave digital networks a bandwidth boost and ushered in the smartphone revolution...

(The wireless spectrum refers to the entire range of radio wave frequencies, from the lowest frequencies to the highest. The FCC regulates who can use which ranges, or “bands,” of frequencies and for what purposes, to prevent users from interfering with each other’s signals. Mobile networks have traditionally relied mostly on low- and mid-band frequencies that can easily cover large distances and travel through walls. But those are now so crowded that carriers have turned to the higher end of the radio spectrum.)"

https://www.wired.com/story/wired-guide-5g/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9j8G_4FocrA

fascinating...

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/oct/22/hong-kong-says-germany-har...

""An online public consultation is being held on Thursday October 22, between 5pm and 7pm, for people to have their say on the proposals. To register visit www.eastgatesolarfarm.com"

"Kelly Clutterbuck, Head of Development UK at Voltalia, said: “Our proposals for Eastgate Farm would provide enough clean energy for over 6,000 family homes. It will also support Scarborough Borough Council in meeting the challenges it set itself when it declared a climate emergency in 2019, in addition to helping the council meet local and national climate change targets.""

https://www.voltalia.com/en

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qN5zw04WxCc&ab_channel=TheBestOf-HomeOfC...

Target Practice ...

https://www.solar-trade.org.uk/solar-farms/

"Northern Power is asking parents and guardians to spend just a few minutes reminding the young people in their lives about the very real dangers of ignoring electrical safety warnings signs and playing with footballs, flying kites or drones, going fishing or setting off fireworks near overhead power lines or substations...

We’re committed to making sure future generations understand the importance of staying away from our network and know how to spot dangers which could be fatal if they stray too close to our equipment.”"

Absolutely no conflict of interest...

"It can be frustrating,” said Peter Williams, INEOS’ Group Technology Director. “People don’t see a link between the chemical industry and solar panels, wind turbines, lighter and more fuel-efficient transport. But we can’t just sit and complain about that.”

Wind turbines, solar panels, electric and lighter, more fuel-efficient cars would simply not exist without the chemical industry.

“We all have to up our game on communication of what we do, where materials come from, why they are used and the benefits they bring,” he said. “To us, the measure of a sustainable economy is one that leaves the environment untouched or improves it, that creates affordable and sustainable products, and that provides employment in communities.”

As the world’s population continues to rise, it is estimated that 9.1 billion people will need food and water by the year 2050. Plastics have a very strong role in providing effective products and services which this growing population needs.

The actual solutions come from companies like INEOS, who provide the materials to face future challenges- for example the material infrastructure such as plastic pipes required to carry fresh water to people living in some of the poorest parts of the world.Unlike steel pipes, they are cheap, easy to install, rarely leak and can last up to 100 years."

https://www.ineos.com/inch-magazine/articles/issue-15/renew-your-thinking/

Not quite Voltaire ;-0

"Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXMWNhCmLUg&ab_channel=KimberRules1

Keep Busy.

https://www.history.com/news/10-things-you-should-know-about-voltaire

lol

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcDCK4DqI6Q&ab_channel=jonsilence

https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/heritage-and-retro/heritage/astronomers-...

 

Show Time

"I think we are damned if we do and damned if we don’t but I do think we have to take matters into our own hands here."

https://democracy.scarborough.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=722&MId=13753

"Following an independent investigation of the Council’s role in carrying out the ballot for the Yorkshire Coast Business Improvement District (YCBID), the Audit Committee made a series of recommendations to the Cabinet which were adopted.  One was that the Cabinet:

  • Notes the difficult circumstances in which the Borough’s businesses find themselves as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and asks the Yorkshire Coast BID company and the Council’s Overview and Scrutiny Board to explore all options available to the Yorkshire Coast BID company to assist these businesses, by the Overview and Scrutiny Board inviting the Yorkshire Coast BID company to a meeting to review this matter together.  

The Overview and Scrutiny Board has responded to this request by inviting the YCBID and other stakeholders to this meeting to explore these options available to the YCBID to support businesses during the pandemic and reach some conclusions and recommendations."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SKJeGF0zZg&ab_channel=DJDiscoCat

https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/heritage-and-retro/heritage/story-how-ru...

Oops

Live Link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TuLHBrvD4YI&ab_channel=ScarboroughBoroug...

lol

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9blzSYPvnw&ab_channel=ilovepcbh

Oh.

"James Mason, Welcome to Yorkshire’s chief executive, said: “During these uncertain times Welcome to Yorkshire need to focus on the immediate needs of the industry without committing both financial and human resources towards any activity or event that we cannot be certain of.

"Cycling has become synonymous with Yorkshire and the Tour de Yorkshire has become a firm fixture on the world cycling calendar due to the reception the riders and teams receive in our county.

"Whilst it is very disappointing that we will be bereft of this wonderful race for another year the decision we have made is the right one and perhaps the only one we could make."

https://www.gazetteherald.co.uk/news/18863598.2021-tour-de-yorkshire-can...

ffs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=laITcDUd6b4&ab_channel=spikeyroberto

https://www.thisisthecoast.co.uk/news/local-news/whitby-missing-out-in-n...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EQetm_qWDg&ab_channel=mike7201

Erm ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jm1Lda_-o68&ab_channel=Jalopnik

Value for money ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-OKnr4XkwA&ab_channel=SGidlow

"Unfortunately it is unlikely that this will be the case and with that in mind and with great sadness we have taken the decision that we will not be organising and holding our annual new years day dip on 1st January 2021.

This is the first time we have had to cancel our dip in the twenty year history of the new years day dip being held on the Scarborough foreshore.

We would like to thank the Rowing Club, the Mayor, the Town Crier, Ryedale Mountain Rescue, the dippers and of course you, the general public who always helped make the day such a great success, regardless of the weather."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-54902490

"Norton's guests on his Radio 2 show over the last decade have included Olivia Colman, Kylie Minogue, JK Rowling and Tina Turner.

Regular features include the agony aunt slot Grill Graham, with co-presenter Maria McErlane, and his pick of a cheesy song of the week, I Can't Believe It's Not Better."

https://www.scarborough.gov.uk/opendata/foi-disclosure-log/dbid

Wot is the point of Clive Rowe Evans ...?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VG5o5mePK9s&ab_channel=TheEsacitsuj1

What part of Kerry Carruthers has a future  ... does she not get.

Well done Hero ..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVJesIzJgkU&ab_channel=Danny%27sHardcore...

Go ... Sue Anderson ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ci8uvhiU9LE&ab_channel=DonnaSummerVEVO

The Prime Directive 

Locked mesen out ffs

Awwe...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJsXrYO9znQ&ab_channel=kiilakas777

""This government is criminally negligent and young people today will pay the price for their failure.""

I, Stan.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4reFIP1s6w&ab_channel=PalomaFaithVEVO

"Will not sit at the other end of the uninformed or bullying"

Erm,   wot part of the DBID "not functioning and should be terminated",  "no confidence in the mechanism", "low degree of active support" did CRO not understand? 

According to CRO the Council is now indebted to the DBID, refunds to small business would be impossible and as the DBID is a seperate entity SBC can only make a recommendation and not instruct or impose conditions.

"outright bullying"?  

Fact is the CRO is putting small business owners under threat of legal action, debt and undue sufferance in order to feather his own nest and using SBC as a conduit.

Bottom line is its Bingo's job to sort this clustermuck out.

"serious bullying is an offence punishable by a maximum penalty of 10 years' imprisonment."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHey3FIyujQ&ab_channel=%C5%A0KODAUK

Anyhoos SBC & the DBID 'duo' will reconvene in Spring.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEQxEJ5_5zA

Patience.

Cable & Wireless

"The intelligence agency GCHQ - and former Chancellor George Osborne - have been heavily criticised for emphasising "image rather than cost" in the choice of a new headquarters for the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC).

""The group is now focused on a single region with low penetration for data services and strong growth potential where we have scale and market leadership," said Rice. "This focus will create a more unified, effective and cost-efficient group."

Assembled from a number of British telegraph companies founded in the 1860s, Cable & Wireless was merged with the Marconi operations in the 1930s and nationalised shortly after the second world war as the government sought to exercise closer control of key strategic assets.

In 1981 it became the first company to be privatised under Margaret Thatcher, and was later the first UK operator to offer an alternative telephone service to British Telecom, via its subsidiary Mercury Communications."

"Poor investments slowly whittled away the group's scale. During the dotcom boom chunks of the family silver were sold, including the One2One mobile phone business (now T-Mobile).  Some £5bn of the proceeds were put into creating a web-traffic carrier by buying internet companies, mainly in the US.

The idea was ahead of its time. Without traffic to fill the brand new fibre networks, price-cutting became ferocious."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1dJxH0zLWY&list=RDFXf0o2d-W5w&index=6&a...

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2013/may/22/cable-wireless-communic...

A photograph showing the damage done to the dish by a broken cable in August.https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-55007946

"In 2003 the firm rang up a loss of £6.4bn, from revenues of £4.4bn. The Caribbean, where Cable & Wireless was on many islands a monopoly provider, was the only part of the business still making a significant profit.

CWC now makes $586m in revenues in Panama and $1.12bn a year from the Caribbean. Its Monaco business generates $236m a year in revenues."

"Operations at the Arecibo observatory, one of the largest in the world, were halted in August when one of its supportive cables slipped loose from its socket, falling and gashing a 30-metre (100ft) hole in its 305m-wide (1,000ft) reflector dish."

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2020/nov/20/us-to-shut-down-famed-hu...

https://northernpowerhouse.gov.uk/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MICPyrnGYwg&ab_channel=JoBloMovieClips

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-55022567

https://pkporthcurno.com/discover-pk/

"The pioneering seaweed farm will produce a sustainable seaweed crop which British customers and industry will be able to use in lots of innovative ways – from biodegradable plastics to a new source of pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, textiles, biochemicals, and as a tasty and nutritious addition to the food menu.

As the seaweed grows, it will absorb huge amounts of carbon and release oxygen into the water as it grows – making it good for industry and good for the environment."

https://www.thisisthecoast.co.uk/news/local-news/new-vessel-in-scarborou...

Concusshion...

https://www.scarborough.gov.uk/node/8516

lol

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2z8rH3UODk&ab_channel=music-two-my-ears

"About half of the measured global sea-level rise on Earth is from warming waters and thermal expansion, a key driver of which is global warming. The other half is coming from melting ice."

 

Just a Theory...

"If higher taxes leave people with less money to spend, it can be bad for economic growth and jobs."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-55013725

""If you inherit a massive bill you have got to work out rather rapidly how to pay it, and that gives a tremendous spur to one's efforts," he reflected.""

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AX-qpuOuDVg

"It often has a blue loop over it, where everywhere else is cloudy or raining and you've got sunshine - it's most peculiar."

"It was suggested that the find was worth $1.8m (£1.36m), making the man an overnight millionaire - and if he wasn't, they debated whether he'd been short-changed selling it to US buyers.

But neither of those things is true. The meteorite is not worth millions, and no-one has been ripped off.

This dream come true is not quite as it first seemed.""

https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/heritage-and-retro/heritage/more-signs-m...

"History can be quite weighty and if you get it dumped on you, it can become quite a burden," he said.

"The question is then, do you want to dump it on the next generation?"

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-50504151

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Brbrdnh74yA

"IF the railways of Switzerland can build a new tunnel under the Alps for 57 kilometres through some of the hardest and most geologically difficult rocks in the world, I would like to suggest that a tunnel under the Pennines for some eight kilometres should not be beyond the capacity of British engineers.

This would avoid the endless disruption to train services of improvements to the existing network.""

https://www.gazetteherald.co.uk/news/18886769.historic-defence-spending-...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dkk9gvTmCXY

https://www.theguardian.com/law/2020/nov/22/jolyon-maugham-qc-covid-cron...

https://goodlawproject.org/

lol

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khX9fjqlf40

A Two Horse Race

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/nov/29/how-to-deal-with-a-consp...

https://www.thescarboroughnews.co.uk/news/opinion/please-ignore-nonsense...

A Penumbral Lunar Eclipse ..

https://www.space.com/38454-november-full-moon.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjR9UsGNy5g

"'Do not gamble.' When you hook up with gambling, your life's finished. You will end up destroying the whole family and no more relationship with the world, just finished. Gambling is a devil."

But in the end, he says, he beat it. "I never back down. Never give up. Never surrender. Even in gambling. It took longer than 40 years. But I still win. At the end, I win.""

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/stories-54546427

lol

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nxf6ECuRcWM

"At this point, it’s probably time to leave the discussion for another day."

https://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/24098482.york-minster-ledger-stone-star...

"“As a collective group of North Yorkshire representatives across many sectors it will enable us to shine a light on the region for people to think about visiting, studying and travelling to North Yorkshire whether for business or pleasure,” he said.  All organisations cover their own costs for the trip, Mr Mason added."

'The Claws of Axos'

"THERE is no doubt that a combination of better design and consumer information has reduced the carbon footprint of most homes considerably.  The shoddiest, least-efficient products are no longer on the UK market and 
eco-labelling has helped us all make more informed choices."

"The Huddersfield-born actor and 13th Doctor in the series said the pandemic has caused her anxiety to "skyrocket" and that, at times, she has felt on the verge of an "apocalyptic panic attack"."

The Smart Meter “grasses up” the children when they leave TVs and computers on upstairs.

The most conservative estimate suggests we have already prevented 
eight million metric tonnes of CO2 equivalent (MtCO2e) being emitted in
 the UK a year. It has also benefited consumers, giving us access to higher-quality goods and saving the average UK household at least £100 on their annual energy bills."

"Leaving the EU means that we no longer need to move at the speed of the slowest as we strive to make further progress."

The recent Green Alliance report is a useful signpost to guide us down the right track that could leave our EU neighbours spinning in our wake. They make some key recommendations."

"Existing standards must be properly enforced. Up to a quarter of some types of product can slip through the net – particularly when sales are online.

Not only does that mean the UK is missing out on savings that would be the equivalent of taking 600,000 cars off the road but these products can often be not only unsafe but impossible to repair. More on that later.

Energy labelling can be confusing. As fridges and TVs get larger and larger, the size of the appliance can outweigh the efficiency stated on the label."

"A massive A+ rated flat-screen TV can use 10 times as much power as a smaller set with the same rating. This could amount to the difference between £3.88 and £39.52 annual cost for a family, according to the Green Alliance.

The House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee has highlighted the problem of the e-waste mountain.

We have a massive volume of redundant electrical and electronic equipment in almost every home. This was often referred to as the “Amstrad in the attic” when, as an MEP, I was involved in drafting the original WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) Directive."

The situation is worse for products like smartphones, where the bulk of environmental impact is caused by production rather than use and the incessant launch of new versions means functioning devices are replaced long before they wear out.

PwC have found that producing 75g of metals for a typical smartphone requires at least 6.49 kg of ore to be mined.

This also results in 60kg of CO2 equivalent, which is more than 300 times the weight of the phone itself.

I agree with the Green Alliance when they say the quality and environmental impact of products would be significantly improved by setting specific standards targeted at slowing down the churn of electronic products.

Criteria should include durability, “upgradeabilty”, component reuse and (my own bugbear) repairability, as well as recycled and critical raw material content."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEVWuYVUsBs

New “product passports” could be
used to record this information, along with repair options, chemical composition and social and environmental information.

These digital records of products would be very popular with the public, meeting the desire for clearer information and longer-lasting products.

They would help businesses to create a more circular economy, where high quality, responsibly designed products are kept in use for as long as possible.

Finally, I am still trying to find what the greenest option is for my own 21-year-old Sony cathode-ray tube TV.

It stubbornly refuses to break down but would it be greener to repay its loyal service by keeping until it finally expires surrounded by my devoted family or send it to Dignitas for a humane euthanasia?

That would usher in a new era of energy-efficient flat-screen viewing. Suggestions on the back of an envelope, please!"

https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/opinion/columnists/how-smart-meters...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQgad38YeNw

Mobile Intelligence Systems Interface...

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/dec/01/arecibo-radio-telescope-co...

That's the most intelligible words I think Bob ever used ... slightly worrying...

lol

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jg92hfbjyyA&ab_channel=DoctorWho

"Moon dust is also pretty weird stuff, and understanding it is important for the future of space exploration. If you want to know more, this article in Wired, “why moon dust could cloud our lunar ambitions” is worth reading."

Captain Qahn's picture

'Havana syndrome'

"It is thought that "directed" microwave radiation is the likely cause of illnesses experienced by US diplomats in Cuba and China, a report has claimed.

The report by the National Academy of Sciences - and commissioned by the State Department - is the latest attempt to find the cause of mysterious illnesses that US officials experienced in Havana from 2016.

Researchers found that "directed, pulsed radio frequency energy appears to be the most plausible" explanation for symptoms experienced by officials - including cognitive difficulties, intense head pressure and some dizziness.

This was following a reported 26 personnel being affected by unexplained hearing loss during the autumn of 2016 - sparking a diplomatic row between the two countries.

"Havana syndrome" symptoms were also experienced by Canadian diplomats and other officials at the US consulate in Guanghzhou in China around early 2017.

The study found that this explanation was more likely than previous theories - psychological issues and some suggestions of potential tropical disease.

Last year, a different report concluded that emotional trauma and fear were the causes for the bad health.

Prior to this, it was thought that a sonic attack may have been the reason, following some personnel experiencing high-pitched sounds - similar to the noise made by crickets - in their homes.

The new findings did not give a name for the potential source of energy, and refrained from saying that it was the result of an attack.

It did, however, state that research on this style of injury was conducted in the former Soviet Union.

The study - led by 19-committee members - noted there were some difficulties experienced in conducting the research.

This was because not everyone reported the same symptoms, and researchers did not have access to all the previous studies on the matter - a lot of which was classified information.

Committee chairman David Relman said that the studies were "concerning".

The professor of medicine at Stanford University said: "The committee found these cases quite concerning, in part because of the plausible role of directed, pulsed radio frequency energy as a mechanism..."

"...but also because of the significant suffering and debility that has occurred in some of these individuals".

He added: "We as a nation need to address these specific cases as well as the possibility of future cases with a concerted, co-ordinated, and comprehensive approach."

Some of the Americans impacted have criticised the US administration's dealing of their health complaints, and at least one has sued the State Department."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCfqd3CkJvM

https://www.thisisthecoast.co.uk/news/world-news/directed-microwave-ener...

https://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/18920878.science-true-whether-believe-n...

"please don't try to muddy the waters around a serious and important debate.

[1] NTP Technical Report on the Toxicology and Carcinogenesis Studies in Hsd: Sprague -Dawley SD Rats exposed to whole body radiofrequency radiations at frequency (900MHz) and modulations (GSM and CDMA) used by cell phones. NTP TR595. Washington USA: National Institute of Health.
[2] SmithRoe, S. L., Wyde, M. E., Stout, M. D., Winters, J. W., Hobbs, C. A., Shepard, K. G., ... & Bucher, J. R. (2020). Evaluation of the genotoxicity of cell phone radiofrequency radiation in male and female rats and mice following subchronic exposure. Environmental and molecular mutagenesis, 61(2), 276-290.
[3] Falcioni L, Bua L, Tibaldi M et al. Ramazzini Institute (2018) Report of final results regarding brain and heart tumours in Sprague Dawley rats exposed from pre-natal life until natural death to mobile phone radiofrequency filed representative of a 1.8GHz GSM-based station environmental emission. Environmental Research 165: 496-503
[4] Vijayalaxmi, & Prihoda, T. J. (2019). Comprehensive Review of Quality of Publications and Meta-analysis of Genetic Damage in Mammalian Cells Exposed to Non-Ionizing Radiofrequency Fields. Radiation Research, 191(1), 20-30."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nM8Z49b1qC4

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2020/dec/05/jeff-bezos-blue-origin-f...

Best not mention Minced Pies...

Captain Black's picture

Stoopid Cubics

A Market Square ;-))

"The new plans for the Market Square will see the demolition of the Shakespeare pub, a newsagent, a cafe and a block of public toilets in St Helen’s Square opposite Scarborough Market hall to create the community space.

The application has been submitted separately to a plan to demolish the neighbouring former Argos building, which is also going through the planning process."

Know your cubes :-)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5s8BqX3kok

Awwe ..

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-55225903

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QihkWmS7dTI

I feel a tick box exercise coming on ...

https://democracy.scarborough.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=235&MId=13786

Rule No 3.  Gerta a **** life.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3RNsZvdYZQ

 

Elvis Has Left the Building...

"After launching her campaign this month ahead of May's Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner elections, she is calling on the Government to prioritise the vaccination of all first responders."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-55718423

https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/heritage-and-retro/heritage/researchers-...

"What these men had in common was an intimate knowledge of their local area, and possibly a frustration at being seen to be ostensibly sitting out the war at home. They were highly trained, sophisticated, fit and had a ruthless streak - if the Germans had arrived, it would have been the Resistance who would have assassinated the 'weak links' who could have given away vital intelligence under interrogation. Many of these targets were policemen, schoolteachers and even the BAU's own senior officers. Often they were just innocent local people who had stumbled across BAU exercises and bunkers by accident.

Their main tasks, however, were to work at night to disrupt enemy activity such as transport and supply lines. Their life expectancy was just two weeks. If an invasion had happened, they would have simply vanished into the night, without telling their families where they were going, and taken shelter in their concealed posts."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gY5rztWa1TM&ab_channel=TheBestOf-HomeOfC...

""It has impregnable fences, its own port, its own security, a church, its own permit system, a no-fly zone, and even its own border checkpoint,""

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Xm1tjVsJDQ&ab_channel=TheWho-Topic

https://www.ripongazette.co.uk/news/politics/vaccinate-all-first-respond...

Keep Digging.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMrImMedYRo&ab_channel=InnerMusicLove

Hmmm ...

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/jan/20/joe-biden-executive-orde...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXrmQBPg2s0&ab_channel=Fritzes007

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/jan/20/the-matrix-made-me...

Captain Qahn's picture

Skipping Day

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/stories-55864799

""In the morning I would wake up and I wouldn't have the foggiest idea whether I had still got money in my account or it had all gone. It was quite horrible because you have to log back in to see.""

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-55916561

"The 2021 Song Contest will still take place in Rotterdam after the Netherlands won the competition in 2019 with Arcade. Last year's event was cancelled because of the pandemic.

"The Eurovision Song Contest will definitely make its welcome return this May despite the pandemic but, in the prevailing circumstances, it is regrettably impossible to hold the event in the way we are used to.""

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-55914858

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0Pc50W2FnU

"Schools across the UK currently remain closed to most pupils, with remote learning being offered instead."

lol

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pO1HC8pHZw0

"“This is a dedicated focus for our security, enforcement and "technology teams.”"

Anyone for Sumo?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mRklA6KRmo

Sudukoo, Moi? Don't be Silly...

Sparkle.

 

 

Staycations & Snobbery

""It's one of the beauties of being the MP for Scarborough and Whitby that you can do a day's work in the office, and then you can enjoy the evening along the coast."

"We have been lucky that to date the public faces of the anti-vax and Covid-sceptic movements have been upper-middle-class white men...  The only prejudice you worry about fanning is a legitimate aversion to over-indulged cranks."

"I'm very much looking forward to getting back out onto the North Yorkshire moors and getting to those pubs, restaurants and places that we all miss."

"As so often with conspiracy theories, the endorsement of elite charlatans is vital to its spread."

"I've got a shortlist of places that I want to get back to soon, to not only support those businesses but to enjoy the excellent tourism offer."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3NS84flTYc

"An amnesty is essential, and now would be a good moment for the prime minister to find the backbone to take on the Conservative core vote, assuming he has a backbone to find, that is."

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/feb/27/it-is-only-a-matte...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jd5ssTq_QVw&ab_channel=KollectableLyrics

"Corgis are liable to bite people’s legs because their forebears rounded up sheep by snapping at their feet. At one stage, the Queen was forced to call in a dog psychiatrist when her corgis kept setting upon each other."

https://www.hs2.org.uk/building-hs2/supply-chain/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tp_Fw5oDMao

Captain Black's picture

'Trending Topics'

"For a start, the age of the dispassionate, authoritative voice surmising the mood of the nation is over. Second, while being on TV still confers a kind of prestige and reach, it doesn’t do much to attract new audiences – who have become accustomed to the feeling of participating in the day’s many online outrages, liking and retweeting and reposting the latest half-true “cancel culture” shock. And third, any broadcaster who wants to survive in the age of YouTube shows, Twitch streams and longform podcasts – all of which exist readily on the smaller screen that is in front of people’s TVs, in their hands – will have to learn how to cater to a constantly plugged-in audience."

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/sep/18/semiconductor-silico...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1ymQF1Dnl8

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/sep/18/andrew-neil-gb-new...

Captain Black's picture

'Canning & Pickling'

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/sep/19/level-up-uk-region...

"Mantua is a place of sandstone walls and louring grey skies, where opulence and squalor exist side by side. Ilona Karas’s costumes, though non-specific as to period, suggest the 1980s, and the ducal court, got up in New Romantic velvet, leather and braids, contrasts with city low life in denim and grunge."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCFEk6Y8TmM

Tribalising...

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/sep/19/spanish-canary-island-volc...

On every level... it's only Monday.

https://everything-everywhere.com/8-facts-about-the-canary-islands/

The Harvest Moon.

lol

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/sep/20/food-shortages-gas...

Irish Stew...

"I prefer not to notice that anything is going wrong anywhere."