Showing posts with label petrol prices. Show all posts
Showing posts with label petrol prices. Show all posts

Saturday 2 April 2011

Spelman strikes again: Piss Poor Policies Dave C is demented: ASDA petrol bonanza: Shaking Blackpool: Numpty in a park: Woodentops in a lift: and Marianne bustful.

‘Tis light, almost sunny and nearly temperate at the Castle this morn, feeling much better this Saturday, the antibiotics are working and I am off the coma inducing painkillers which will not be a comfort to some people.


There is a plethora of “news” this first day of the weekend, including the usual land of the glowing mushroom shaped sun where it seems it may take years to sort out the Fukushima debacle.
Must cross Japan off the list of countries to visit.


And over in Gadaffi land Libya's government has dismissed as "mad" the conditional ceasefire offer made by the rebel administration.
Pot-kettle…..


Caroline Spelman still hopes to sell off a chunk of England's forests, she has admitted to MPs, despite February's embarrassing U-turn on the issue.
Speaking to the Commons' environment committee, Ms Spelman said she wanted to go ahead with plans to sell 15% of UK woodland - the maximum amount allowed under current rules.
The decision has raised eyebrows as it follows her U-turn on the issue in the Commons last month.
Ms Spelman told MPs she was concerned about rights of access to the woodland areas, but expected the sales to continue once the problems were addressed.

Arrogant bint.


Seems to think that Britain is "back in business" after almost a year under the coalition government.
Power fuelled demented Dave cited fiscal responsibility, welfare and pension reform, corporation tax cuts and government provisions to help with the rising cost-of-living as election pledges that were being fulfilled.
The removal of top-down government targets, the immigration cap and the creation of a mandatory referendum before any further powers can be transferred to Brussels were also flagged.

I think Dave could do with a bit of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy.


Hundreds of motorists raced to a supermarket petrol station after a bungling worker set the fuel price at just for just 12.9 pence per litre.
Lucky drivers thought it was an April Fool after hearing that ASDA were selling unleaded at less than a TENTH of the 129.9p it should have been.
Cars jammed the road as drivers queued for the automatic pumps at the 24 hour all night station.
And even cops arrived in case of problems as the queue snaked down the street.
The price was only changed at just after midnight on Thursday after managers were alerted to the error.
But for nearly two hours at the unmanned petrol pumps, at Asda's Rooley Lane store in Bradford, West Yorks, drivers got cheap fuel.
One man got 33 litres for just £4.
Some were content to just fill their tanks at the automated card payment 'fast lane' pumps but others took advantage of the blunder - going home and bringing jerry cans and other containers.
David Lodge, divisional manager at West Yorkshire Trading Standards, said those who were able to buy the fuel at the bargain price had every right to do so.
"Generally speaking retailers, whether they sell petrol or whatever, generally have to sell it at the price it is advertised at," he said.
"So if it is advertised at the pump at a low price, then it is just a bit of good fortune for the consumer."

Ah, the good old days, petrol for less than a pound a gallon…..


Blackpool has been hit by an earthquake — which cracked a railway bridge and toppled over traffic lights.
The tremor — which measured 2.2 on the Richter Scale — shook homes in the Lancashire seaside town when it struck at around 3.30am this morning.
Locals said their wardrobe doors were flung open while staff at Blackpool's Bonny Street police station felt the building shudder.
The British Geological Survey confirmed the small quake and said its epicentre is thought to have been in Poulton-le-Fylde, a market town just outside Blackpool.
A spokesman for Blackpool Police said: "We started to get calls at around 3.35am.
"Some may have thought it was an April Fool prank, but staff here felt the building move.
"We had a number of calls from residents. A woman in Grange Park rang up as she had been woken and thought her house was being broken into.
"Temporary traffic lights fell over while a man reported his motorbike had been knocked down.
"CCTV cameras picked up superficial cracks on the road surface of the railway bridge near to the zebra crossing.
"We sent out officers to check it out. It's known as a weak bridge anyway. It was deemed to be safe. A surveyor will be looking at it today."

Went to Blackpool once…didn’t go back, still at least it will give Energy Secretary Chris Huhne a reason to dump any new Nuclear power stations, after all there was a tsunami in Mr George’s bath at 26 Brough Avenue…..


A man hiding behind a curtain in a Barrie, Ont park was arrested following a domestic dispute early Friday morning.
City police officers were called at 2:20 a.m. regarding a man breaking into his ex-girlfriend's basement apartment. He had been kicked out and was trying to force his way back in through a window.
The man ran when police showed up, but was found a short distance away in a nearby park in the community north of Toronto.
Police said he was intoxicated and was trying to hide behind a curtain that was still attached to its curtain rod.
"Unfortunately for him, he was in the middle of the park with nothing else around him," police said.
A 27-year-old man was charged with domestic mischief. He was held until sober and released with a future court date.

That invisibility cloak needs a bit of work.


Six burly policemen called to a disturbance at a tower block had to be rescued by firemen - after they got stuck in the lift.
The officers piled into the lift at the 13-storey Brooke House in Basildon, Essex, but their combined weight was too much for it.
The men, who have been dubbed the 'slow response team', were trapped for 17 minutes before being rescued, reports the Daily Mail.
A fire brigade source said: "They had gone to make an arrest or deal with something when all six of them decided to get into the same lift.
"It was the combined weight of all of them that caused it to get stuck. The crews had to use a lift key to get them out."
Police from the Basildon neighbourhood support team had been called to the town centre tower block following reports of a disturbance.
They began their lift journey up the 13-storey building, but soon came to a halt because they were too heavy.
A spokeswoman for Basildon police said: "Whilst on their way to the scene officers got stuck in a lift for a short time and were assisted by the fire brigade who helped them get out.
"It transpired that no crime, disturbance or breach of the peace had been committed."

Makes you proud……

And finally:


The mayor of a town in France has thrown a patriotic female statue out of his town hall because its breasts were too big.
The terracotta bust of Marianne - the traditional female embodiment of the French Republic in a Phrygian cap - was an original work by a local artist, installed in 2007 at the town hall in Neuville-en-Ferrain, population 10,000.
"It was making people gossip," said one town hall employee. "Remarks were made, during weddings for example."
Mayor Gerard Cordon persuaded councillors to approve 900 euros in this year's budget to buy a replacement, a more conventional bust of Marianne modelled on the statuesque French model Laetitia Casta.
The artist who made the rejected bust, Catherine Lamacque, said she gave it outsized breasts deliberately, "to symbolise the generosity of the Republic."
The town hall bought her terracotta statue in 2007 for 1,400 euros.

Not bad, only 700 Euros per bap…..


And today’s thought: from Christina Aguilera-"So, where's the Cannes Film Festival being held this year?"

Angus

Thursday 17 March 2011

No cuts on petrol VAT-EU law: “anti drilling mentality” Palin: Bunga-Bunga Berlusconi: Kate and Harry: Dolphin mugger: Squirrel basher: and a Lambo gets hammered.

Back to winter at the Castle this morn, cold, cloudy and not clement.
Yesterday was nice, chilled out, watched a couple of films, had a nice long bath; no phones ringing, no one knocking on the portcullis, not a glimpse of a demolished computer, oh well; back to “normal” today.

And here are a few relaxing pictures from the Castle grounds-














The “powers that be” apparently have 48 hours to prevent another ‘Chernobyl’, As Japan resorted to increasingly desperate measures – including dumping water on the site from helicopters – there were accusations that the situation was now "out of control".

Time to assume the position.



MPs have rejected a Labour bid to get the government to reverse the VAT rise on petrol.
Shadow chancellor Ed Balls said Britain could apply to the EU for a specific cut on fuel VAT - but the government says it would be illegal under EU law.
Ministers have hinted they will instead scrap a planned rise in fuel duty of 1p a litre above inflation in next week's Budget.
MPs rejected the Labour motion by 301 votes to 236 - a majority of 65.
With petrol costing more than £1.30 a litre, many motorists have complained that they are being priced off the road.
But Economic Secretary to the Treasury Justine Greening told MPs that shadow chancellor Ed Balls was "quite wrong to say that we can reverse the VAT rise on fuel because doing so would be illegal" under the EU VAT directive.

Nice to know that we can still make our own laws.





If it moves shoot it Sarah Palin blasted President Obama on Tuesday for what she called his "anti-drilling mentality" and said the president was waging a "war on domestic oil and gas exploration and production" that
was resulting in high gas prices for Americans.

In a Facebook post published Tuesday night, Palin outlines a list of what she claimed was "evidence of the President's anti-drilling mentality and his culpability in the high gas prices hurting Americans."
"It's not even an exhaustive list," she writes, before launching into a lengthy three-part argument.

Which I won’t go into here because I really don’t give a shit, but if you are feeling suicidal click on the link above.





Silvio Berlusconi has inspired a restaurant in Poland to create a "bunga bunga" pizza — a concoction as spicy and wild as the Italian leader's alleged sex parties.
Topped with anchovies, figs, prosciutto, garlic and a lot of black pepper, the pizza at the Warsaw pizzeria, A Modo Mio, has been a hot seller since owner Walter Busalacchi put in on the menu several weeks ago.
The Italian-Polish chef said Wednesday that he created the pizza as a satirical comment on the Italian Prime Minister and to "laugh about what is going on in Italy." Berlusconi goes on trial in Milan next month on charges he paid for sex with a minor.
Italian prosecutors say that Berlusconi hosted sex-fueled parties at one of his villas, with dinners followed by erotic dancing and finally the premier's choice of a sex partner or partners.
Berlusconi has denied wrongdoing and maintained his parties were dignified.
The pizza's flavor is heightened by figs and black pepper, words with sexual connotations in Italian and Polish slang, respectively.

So that’s what Bunga-Bunga means…….




A commemorative mug brought out to celebrate the Royal wedding has one slight flaw - the wrong prince.
Beaming out from the side of the mug, alongside Kate Middleton, is her future brother-in-law Prince Harry.
On the back, an inscription reads: "The fairytale romantic union of all the centuries. 29th April 2011."
It's not clear whether it is a gaffe, a deliberate spoof or a very clever marketing ploy.
The mug, supposedly designed by a Chinese firm Guandong Enterprises, can be purchased for £9.99 plus postage and packaging.
"Crafted in the finest bone china, it features an exquisite design of the happy couple with ornate gold detailing to honour this great moment in history," the company boasts on its website.
"Please be our guests to own this esteemed, limited edition heirloom to celebrate with your work associates, friends, family and loved ones on 29th April 2011."

Flucking pliceless! Bet Kate is chuffed, or will she find out about Wills other little foible after the wedding?




A dolphin weighing between 600 and 700 pounds jumped onto the deck of a boat, injuring a woman in South Florida.
Isles of Capri Fire spokesman Keith Perry says a charter boat captain called 911 Sunday afternoon after the dolphin jumped on the boat and landed on one of his passengers.
The woman suffered a sprained ankle. Her name was not available.
Officials from the Isles of Capri Fire Department, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Collier County Sheriff's Office used an immobilizing board and a rope to push the dolphin back into the water.

Good job they weren’t Japanese tourists, the Dolphin would have ended up on the dinner table, unless it was irradiated…..Funny name that woman has….





A Vermont neighbourhood is being stalked by a renegade grey squirrel.
Several people in Bennington say they've been attacked by a squirrel over the last few weeks.
Kevin McDonald tells the Bennington Banner he was shovelling snow when the squirrel jumped onto him. He says he threw the animal off, but it twice jumped back onto him. A game warden says there have been other reports, too.
One woman is being treated for exposure to rabies, but Vermont Public Health Veterinarian Robert Johnson says there's never been a case of a squirrel passing rabies to a human.
Johnson says it's possible the squirrel was raised as a pet and lost its fear of humans. He says the squirrel might "go ballistic" when it encounters people it doesn't recognize.

Ooooh; scary!

And finally:




An irate owner of an 'unreliable' £500,000 Lamborghini drafted a team of men with sledgehammers to batter the car after the makers allegedly failed to fix it.
The Lamborghini Gallardo L140 luxury sports car - worth the equivalent of £465,000 in China - had recurring problems after the owner purchased it in October last year, it was claimed,
But far from fixing the problem, the dealership managed to mess up the bumper and chassis when it was in their care, according to reports in China.
So the Chinese entrepreneur decided to pummel his pride and joy on World Consumer Rights Day by hiring a group of workers, giving them sledgehammers and letting them do the rest.
The extreme display attracted a large crowd in Qingdao, eastern China's Shandong province.

I bet it did, he should have put it on Ebay, and someone would have bought it.

And today’s thought: Nothing's impossible for those . . . who don't have to do it.

Angus

Sunday 9 August 2009

The Sunday Section

Red lorry yellow lorry, I wish, Mouse kebab, Belt up and Cuban Loo Rolls





I haven’t mentioned the ashes because I didn’t want to put a jinx on, but it didn’t matter: we are crap. The Aussies are better bowlers, batsmen and fielders, it seems the loss of one man (Andrew Flintoff) and the injury of another (Matt Prior) has reduced the England squad to less than schoolboy competence.

So what’s new?



Anyway: First up:






A police officer jumped into a moving lorry and slammed on the brakes after the driver suffered a suspected stroke. Police were alerted to the lorry swerving across the road.
Officers tried to stop the lorry, which was being driven erratically on the northbound carriageway of the A12 near Mountnessing, Essex. The driver failed to respond to the flashing lights and sirens and police realised he had fallen ill at the wheel.

The lorry drove off the A12 at junction 16 near Galleywood, before swinging around the roundabout and making its way back down the slip road to join the A12.

Sergeant Stewart Gason, of Essex Police, gave chase, running alongside the lorry until he was level with the cab.

He managed to jump inside and slam on the brakes just before the lorry rejoined the carriageway.

Surprise that, as Police don’t do jumping in water, patrolling the streets (not in my neighbourhood anyway), or noise, I wonder if he broke the health and safety laws.



Californian drivers are in shock, the price of Gas (petrol) has spiraled out of control to $3 (£1.77) per gallon, rising as much as 26 cents in the past two weeks at some South Bay stations. To the befuddlement of many motorists, some energy experts say the price hikes will keep coming.

"I think you'll see prices peak at about $3.25 in a couple of weeks," said Bob van der Vlk, a fuel-pricing analyst in Lynnwood, Wash. "Then they may start to level off by Labor Day."

A gallon of gas cost $3.04 in San Jose on average Saturday, up 13 cents in the past week. That's a penny more than the state average of $3.03 and a lot higher than the U.S. average of $2.64.

Prices have climbed every day since July 22 as crude oil has risen $10 a barrel in the past month, topping out at $72 a barrel last week.

"What's the deal?" asked Ted Wada of Watsonville. "Our Chevron station on North Main Street has gone up 26 cents in less than two weeks. Are we starting the Labor Day rush already?"

Partly, but there's more going on. The feeling that the recession may have bottomed out in the U.S. and positive economic news out of China have oil buyers believing demand will increase.


As I said-“if Only”




Cooked, salted or dried, field mice strung on sticks are sold as a popular delicacy in Malawi markets and roadside stalls.

The mice are hunted in corn fields after the harvest when they have grown plump on a diet of grains, fruits, grass and the odd insect. The most widely eaten species is known locally as Kapuku, gray in colour and with a shorter tail than the more common rat.

Young boys have to be quick as they chase the mice through the fields and catch them. But local villagers have also come up with an innovative trap.

One method involves digging holes and putting clay pots filled with water into them. The mouth of the pot is smeared with fried corn husks. As some of the mice fight for the husks, they fall into the pot and drown.

Malawi, with a population of 12 million, is among the poorest countries in the world, with rampant disease and hunger, aggravated by periodic droughts and crop failure.

Tasty, but wouldn’t it be easier to make food from the crops?









EASTPOINTE, Mich. (AP) - Authorities said a purse snatching suspect being chased by police near Detroit got his right leg tangled in his car's seat belt when he tried to bail out and ended up being dragged several hundred feet. Police told the Detroit Free Press and The Macomb Daily of Mount Clemens that 45-year-old man Lawrence Neal of Detroit was dragged Thursday night and broke his leg before the car stopped on a front lawn.

During the chase, police said Neal used turn signals. And Detective Lt. Leo Borowsky said he was "captured by his own seat belt."

Neal was being held at the Macomb County Jail. He was charged with unarmed robbery, fleeing and eluding and resisting and obstructing police.

Police said he requested a court-appointed attorney.

Numpty.


And finally:



Cuba, which is in the grip of a serious economic crisis, is running short of toilet paper and may not get sufficient supplies until the end of the year, officials with state-run companies said on Friday.

Officials said they were lowering the prices of 24 basic goods to help Cubans get through the difficulties provoked in part by the global financial crisis and three destructive hurricanes that struck the island last year.

Cuba's financial reserves have been depleted by increased spending for imports and reduced export income, which has forced the communist-led government to take extraordinary measures to keep the economy afloat.

"The corporation has taken all the steps so that at the end of the year there will be an important importation of toilet paper," an official with state conglomerate Cimex said on state-run Radio Rebelde.

The shipment will enable the state-run company "to supply this demand that today is presenting problems," he said.

Cuba both imports toilet paper and produces its own, but does not currently have enough raw materials to make it, he said.

So if you have any spare/used loo roll send it to Raul Castro, C/O Presidential palace, Cuba, after all we can’t have communists going around with skid marks can we.