Saturday, 18 October 2008
Effects of inflation
Two Britons are in hospital in Spain after falling six floors from the balcony of their holiday apartment.
The Britons were on holiday for a week. Lee Cook, 28, and Jemma France, 18, plunged from the sixth floor and were discovered lying outside, covered in blood, by the hotel's night porter. The pair, from Ashton under Lyne, near Manchester, were on holiday with friends at the Casablanca Apartments in Puerto Rico, Gran Canaria. Ms France's parents have flown out to the Canary Island to visit their daughter in hospital, the hotel said.
Receptionist Isabel Bego said: "The night porter heard a noise in the early hours of the morning and checked all eight floors to see what had happened. She added: "A guest told him that they thought two people had fallen from a balcony so he went outside and found them there. They landed on plastic tables, which were covered in blood." Police remain at the hotel investigating the incident.
Effects of inflation I suspect. Instead of trying for The Mile High Club they had to settle for The Sixth Floor Club.
The Britons were on holiday for a week. Lee Cook, 28, and Jemma France, 18, plunged from the sixth floor and were discovered lying outside, covered in blood, by the hotel's night porter. The pair, from Ashton under Lyne, near Manchester, were on holiday with friends at the Casablanca Apartments in Puerto Rico, Gran Canaria. Ms France's parents have flown out to the Canary Island to visit their daughter in hospital, the hotel said.
Receptionist Isabel Bego said: "The night porter heard a noise in the early hours of the morning and checked all eight floors to see what had happened. She added: "A guest told him that they thought two people had fallen from a balcony so he went outside and found them there. They landed on plastic tables, which were covered in blood." Police remain at the hotel investigating the incident.
Effects of inflation I suspect. Instead of trying for The Mile High Club they had to settle for The Sixth Floor Club.
Spot the ball - Afghan version
Coalition HQ in Afghanistan has announced that they have killed a man suspected of being the number 2 of the AQ group. So - other than settling accounts for what he may have done in the past - what difference do they expect from this elimination?Yesterday's number three will get down the regimental tailor to have his rank badges updated and will be back as a new number two. The madness will continue. There will be no consideration as to whether the fight is worth carrying on - he has already dedicated his life to the struggle and would doubtless welcome being a martyr in due course. Our troops, on the other hand, all expect to come home safe and sound. The game is not worth it.
57 Varieties of Police needed
An interesting report regarding Manchester police in their local paper. They are seeking to have the racial breakdown that more or less reflects the composition of the local force.
Greater Manchester's new chief constable has said the only way to meet targets to recruit black and Asian officers is to give them preferential treatment. Peter Fahy was speaking 10 years to the day after his predecessor David Wilmot said the force was `institutionally racist'. Since then GMP introduced a target of recruiting 7.2 per cent of its 8,142 staff from ethnic minorities. But today the M.E.N. can reveal the force has just 4.25 per cent - 346 police officers - from a black or Asian background, and none among the higher ranks.
Mr Fahy said `affirmative action should be considered' but that it would never happen because of `public mood'. He adds "there is a very strong operational need for us to have a more representative police force to deal with a complex society. Because of the public mood, affirmative action would reduce confidence in the police - politically it will never happen. Minority officers don't wholeheartedly support it because they feel people will think they have got the job because of their race. We are criticised whatever we do."
Well, to me that is good news. I never understood this idea of matching the police make-up to the civil figures. Why is this considered necessary? A black man in Manchester is subject to the same laws as a white man. If a Chinese man commits and offence, do we have to call a Chinese officer? If I, as a white man, commit an offence do I tell the Indian officer who caught me to bugger off an get a white man? Of course not; none of these make sense. So why do we have to have multiracial police officers? If they are there by their own choice and hold office because of their own ability - fine. If one follows the reasoning, there are jobs at Manchester police for lesbian black single mothers with Aids. Just reflecting what is in the community Sir.
Greater Manchester's new chief constable has said the only way to meet targets to recruit black and Asian officers is to give them preferential treatment. Peter Fahy was speaking 10 years to the day after his predecessor David Wilmot said the force was `institutionally racist'. Since then GMP introduced a target of recruiting 7.2 per cent of its 8,142 staff from ethnic minorities. But today the M.E.N. can reveal the force has just 4.25 per cent - 346 police officers - from a black or Asian background, and none among the higher ranks.
Mr Fahy said `affirmative action should be considered' but that it would never happen because of `public mood'. He adds "there is a very strong operational need for us to have a more representative police force to deal with a complex society. Because of the public mood, affirmative action would reduce confidence in the police - politically it will never happen. Minority officers don't wholeheartedly support it because they feel people will think they have got the job because of their race. We are criticised whatever we do."
Well, to me that is good news. I never understood this idea of matching the police make-up to the civil figures. Why is this considered necessary? A black man in Manchester is subject to the same laws as a white man. If a Chinese man commits and offence, do we have to call a Chinese officer? If I, as a white man, commit an offence do I tell the Indian officer who caught me to bugger off an get a white man? Of course not; none of these make sense. So why do we have to have multiracial police officers? If they are there by their own choice and hold office because of their own ability - fine. If one follows the reasoning, there are jobs at Manchester police for lesbian black single mothers with Aids. Just reflecting what is in the community Sir.
Hanging from my arse
I do not know the polite name for those bits of fecal matter that cling to the intimate hairs around one's anus. Let me use the term 'dingleberries'. Twas for them that the bidet was developed.
My comments section has developed such a dingleberry. An insignificant piece of crap. Self-named as anonymous, but reading from the asinine comments it is not to difficult to identify him as Kim or The Indian Boy. The very fact that someone so easily identifiable chooses to attempt anonymity well illustrates the level of his intellect. The same old situation obviously exists - if it is not hockey-related, he knows nothing.
Just as dingleberries are removed by the bidet, anonymous is deleted by my comment moderation. If he chooses to post some relevant comment, I'll let it through. Otherwise, down the pan. Still, this post might attract one or other of the web crawlers who seize upon fecal or dingleberry so it is not all a waste of my time.
My comments section has developed such a dingleberry. An insignificant piece of crap. Self-named as anonymous, but reading from the asinine comments it is not to difficult to identify him as Kim or The Indian Boy. The very fact that someone so easily identifiable chooses to attempt anonymity well illustrates the level of his intellect. The same old situation obviously exists - if it is not hockey-related, he knows nothing.
Just as dingleberries are removed by the bidet, anonymous is deleted by my comment moderation. If he chooses to post some relevant comment, I'll let it through. Otherwise, down the pan. Still, this post might attract one or other of the web crawlers who seize upon fecal or dingleberry so it is not all a waste of my time.
Not long now
Doubtless, coming soon to a newspaper near you
" Moira Braithwaite, 52, of Dorking, was this morning celebrating her ninth successive GP Receptionist of the Month award after preventing over 35,000 patients getting an appointment within 48 hours during the month of September alone. Moira’s name will appear in the next Guinness Book of Records as the most effective doctor’s receptionist of all time, having not allowed a single appointment to be made with any doctor, despite the desperate pleas of the sick and injured.
Moira uses a number of techniques to prevent patients from seeing their local G.P. ‘Sometimes when people ring up she pretends to be a mini-cab company in Bromsgrove and claims that the taxi is on its way. Another time she diverted her number so that people calling the doctors went straight through to the Samaritans.’
" Moira Braithwaite, 52, of Dorking, was this morning celebrating her ninth successive GP Receptionist of the Month award after preventing over 35,000 patients getting an appointment within 48 hours during the month of September alone. Moira’s name will appear in the next Guinness Book of Records as the most effective doctor’s receptionist of all time, having not allowed a single appointment to be made with any doctor, despite the desperate pleas of the sick and injured.
Moira uses a number of techniques to prevent patients from seeing their local G.P. ‘Sometimes when people ring up she pretends to be a mini-cab company in Bromsgrove and claims that the taxi is on its way. Another time she diverted her number so that people calling the doctors went straight through to the Samaritans.’
NuLabour - NuVersion of truth
So he lied after all? More than 10 years on, The Sunday Telegraph has presented evidence that Tony Blair deliberately intervened to exempt Formula One racing from the ban on tobacco advertising.
In a funny way, the apparent lie is even more shocking than the one he told in the House of Commons about Saddam Hussein's non-existent weapons of mass destruction. That's because this one came barely three months after New Labour had swept into power promising to be "whiter than white", compared to the Tories who, after 18 years in office, were sleazy, discredited and deservedly on the way out.
In a funny way, the apparent lie is even more shocking than the one he told in the House of Commons about Saddam Hussein's non-existent weapons of mass destruction. That's because this one came barely three months after New Labour had swept into power promising to be "whiter than white", compared to the Tories who, after 18 years in office, were sleazy, discredited and deservedly on the way out.
Sex as you like it
ACPO Lead Says 'Ignore Cottaging'
17-Oct-08
Critics claim the DCC's remarks may cause an explosion in cases of open-air sex. Shadow Home Secretary said, 'This is unacceptable'...
Britain's police were told last night to turn a blind eye to the activities of cottagers. Deputy Chief Constable Michael Cunningham caused outrage as he advised cops to walk on by if they see adults cottaging in parks. The rules — which could become national guidelines — would have brought a let-off for pop star George Michael, who was fined £500 for “lewd conduct” in a public loo in 1998. Critics claimed Mr Cunningham’s remarks would trigger an explosion in cases of open-air sex. Tories said the guidance would cause dismay for families living near parks plagued by sex pests and perverts. Shadow home secretary Dominic Grieve said: “This is unacceptable. “The law is the law and there should be no exceptions.”
In his new guidance, Mr Cunningham told officers to ignore dogging — where strangers meet in public for sex — as well as cruising and cottaging, when gay men meet in parks and loos. He warned that arresting offenders would alienate the gay community. Mr Cunningham — the lead at the Association of Chief Police Officers on gay, lesbian, bisexual and sex-swap issues — said it was not the role of officers to act as “moral arbiter”. And he warned police officers to avoid a “knee-jerk reaction” when responding to complaints.
Arrests should only be made as a last resort, he says. Instead, he said officers should study specialist sex websites — to see what is taking place in local parks, toilets and car parks. Mr Cunningham, Lancashire’s deputy top cop, told officers to ease off on open-air sex addicts in a new 21-page rulebook. He advised: “Our role is to ensure that any complaints are dealt with fairly and professionally and that where individuals are engaged in lawful activity they may do so safely.”
Mr Cunningham said heavy-handed responses to public sex spots had alienated the gay community. The guidebook is being considered by a committee of top cops before it is put in place across England and Wales. He stressed it is not illegal to visit a dogging or cottaging site, but some behaviour may be criminal. He said officers must consider measures such as closing the area, putting up lighting, spy cameras, or regular patrols.
Mr Cunningham said public sex can affect legitimate users, with lewd sights and unhygienic litter, but that arresting those responsible was not a long-term solution. He added: “Suicide and self-harm by persons who may have been arrested, charged or come into contact with the police in such a situation has happened in various parts of the country.”
An ACPO spokesman said: “This document has been put forward as a proposal. It is not complete.”
I can see the point of much of this but it is the basic principle that disturbs me. The DCC says that officers should walk on by. But he also says that arrests should only be made in extreme circumstances. How will a policeman see any extreme circumstances if walking by with gazed averted? This recommendation, allied with pressures on short-staffed police, will very soon result in cottaging sites becoming no-go areas. Open-air sex (dogging) is by it's very nature illegal. Cottaging less so as it takes place in the lavatory. Most of these are easily recognised; they are the ones with holes in the partition at a particular height. I do not see it as a duty of the police to devise long-term solutions; these are the responsibility of parliament directed by democracy. I do not know but I estimate that a poll asking if we wish to legalise couples or same-sex partners doing their thing in public would end that practice pretty soon. Mind you, the same situation arises in capital punishment. The populace want it but MPs deny it every time.
I like the suggestion " officers should study specialist sex websites — to see what is taking place in local parks, toilets and car parks." Visiting pornographic web-sites has landed many civilians in court where their claim they went there out of curiosity means nothing. There is also the comment " arresting offenders would alienate the gay community." Well, ain't that a shame. Prosecuting speeding motorists alienates drivers and there are still (just about) more of them than there are Gays.
It pains me but I shall refrain on the bit about 'knee-jerk reactions' in the context of sex.
17-Oct-08
Critics claim the DCC's remarks may cause an explosion in cases of open-air sex. Shadow Home Secretary said, 'This is unacceptable'...
Britain's police were told last night to turn a blind eye to the activities of cottagers. Deputy Chief Constable Michael Cunningham caused outrage as he advised cops to walk on by if they see adults cottaging in parks. The rules — which could become national guidelines — would have brought a let-off for pop star George Michael, who was fined £500 for “lewd conduct” in a public loo in 1998. Critics claimed Mr Cunningham’s remarks would trigger an explosion in cases of open-air sex. Tories said the guidance would cause dismay for families living near parks plagued by sex pests and perverts. Shadow home secretary Dominic Grieve said: “This is unacceptable. “The law is the law and there should be no exceptions.”
In his new guidance, Mr Cunningham told officers to ignore dogging — where strangers meet in public for sex — as well as cruising and cottaging, when gay men meet in parks and loos. He warned that arresting offenders would alienate the gay community. Mr Cunningham — the lead at the Association of Chief Police Officers on gay, lesbian, bisexual and sex-swap issues — said it was not the role of officers to act as “moral arbiter”. And he warned police officers to avoid a “knee-jerk reaction” when responding to complaints.
Arrests should only be made as a last resort, he says. Instead, he said officers should study specialist sex websites — to see what is taking place in local parks, toilets and car parks. Mr Cunningham, Lancashire’s deputy top cop, told officers to ease off on open-air sex addicts in a new 21-page rulebook. He advised: “Our role is to ensure that any complaints are dealt with fairly and professionally and that where individuals are engaged in lawful activity they may do so safely.”
Mr Cunningham said heavy-handed responses to public sex spots had alienated the gay community. The guidebook is being considered by a committee of top cops before it is put in place across England and Wales. He stressed it is not illegal to visit a dogging or cottaging site, but some behaviour may be criminal. He said officers must consider measures such as closing the area, putting up lighting, spy cameras, or regular patrols.
Mr Cunningham said public sex can affect legitimate users, with lewd sights and unhygienic litter, but that arresting those responsible was not a long-term solution. He added: “Suicide and self-harm by persons who may have been arrested, charged or come into contact with the police in such a situation has happened in various parts of the country.”
An ACPO spokesman said: “This document has been put forward as a proposal. It is not complete.”
I can see the point of much of this but it is the basic principle that disturbs me. The DCC says that officers should walk on by. But he also says that arrests should only be made in extreme circumstances. How will a policeman see any extreme circumstances if walking by with gazed averted? This recommendation, allied with pressures on short-staffed police, will very soon result in cottaging sites becoming no-go areas. Open-air sex (dogging) is by it's very nature illegal. Cottaging less so as it takes place in the lavatory. Most of these are easily recognised; they are the ones with holes in the partition at a particular height. I do not see it as a duty of the police to devise long-term solutions; these are the responsibility of parliament directed by democracy. I do not know but I estimate that a poll asking if we wish to legalise couples or same-sex partners doing their thing in public would end that practice pretty soon. Mind you, the same situation arises in capital punishment. The populace want it but MPs deny it every time.
I like the suggestion " officers should study specialist sex websites — to see what is taking place in local parks, toilets and car parks." Visiting pornographic web-sites has landed many civilians in court where their claim they went there out of curiosity means nothing. There is also the comment " arresting offenders would alienate the gay community." Well, ain't that a shame. Prosecuting speeding motorists alienates drivers and there are still (just about) more of them than there are Gays.
It pains me but I shall refrain on the bit about 'knee-jerk reactions' in the context of sex.
Phil off the map
I follow the trail of Prince Philip where he makes dodgy comments or otherwise puts his diplomatic foot in his royal mouth. He appears to have caused embarrassment at Google(UK) HQ - after being shown a aerial view of Buckingham Palace, Prince Philip asked to see the Mayfair office in which he was standing. They found the address, but no building - the satellite image was taken when it was vacant land.The Queen initiated the visit being a bit of a web hound. Maybe she spotted the absence on Google Earth and put Philip up to it?
Oil sources
Sapphire Energy announced on May 28 that it has produced "green" gasoline from a synthetic crude oil made from algae. The algae yield a crude oil replacement that is literally green, and according to the company, the "green crude" meets fuel quality standards and is completely compatible with the existing petroleum infrastructure, from refinement through distribution to retail suppliers. Gasoline produced from the green crude achieved a 91 octane rating while meeting fuel quality standards. Sapphire Energy considers the achievement to be at the forefront of an entirely new industrial category, called "green crude production."
"It's hard not to get excited about algae's potential," says Paul Dickerson, chief operating officer of DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. "Its basic requirements are few: carbon dioxide, sun, and water. Algae can flourish in non-arable land or in dirty water, and when it does flourish, its potential oil yield per acre is unmatched by any other terrestrial feedstock." See the Sapphire Energy press release and its companion Web site, Green Crude Production.
In fact, the hard part about algae production is growing the algae in a controlled way and harvesting it efficiently. Most companies pursuing algae as a source of biofuels are pumping nutrient-laden water through plastic tubes (called "bioreactors") that are exposed to sunlight. On May 22, Green Star Products, Inc. announced its development of a micronutrient formula to increase the growth rate of algae. According to the company, its new formula can increase the daily growth rate by 34% and can double the amount of algae produced in one growth cycle. See the Green Star Products press release.
Sounds good to me. Must be some drawback some where though. Cannot see us escaping from Arab control that easy.
"It's hard not to get excited about algae's potential," says Paul Dickerson, chief operating officer of DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. "Its basic requirements are few: carbon dioxide, sun, and water. Algae can flourish in non-arable land or in dirty water, and when it does flourish, its potential oil yield per acre is unmatched by any other terrestrial feedstock." See the Sapphire Energy press release and its companion Web site, Green Crude Production.
In fact, the hard part about algae production is growing the algae in a controlled way and harvesting it efficiently. Most companies pursuing algae as a source of biofuels are pumping nutrient-laden water through plastic tubes (called "bioreactors") that are exposed to sunlight. On May 22, Green Star Products, Inc. announced its development of a micronutrient formula to increase the growth rate of algae. According to the company, its new formula can increase the daily growth rate by 34% and can double the amount of algae produced in one growth cycle. See the Green Star Products press release.
Sounds good to me. Must be some drawback some where though. Cannot see us escaping from Arab control that easy.
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