Today is not a very good day, it is ‘our’ 38th wedding anniversary, we were married in Manor Park, Aldershot, and there was an inch of snow on the ground, the frost today is very reminiscent of then, happy days.
Anyway, not your problem, I see that former Commons Speaker Lord Martin has said MPs were "bullied" into referring their expense claims for investigation.
He said journalists with no "prima facie" evidence would justify running stories on MPs by persuading someone to call for an investigation.
"Vexatious" complaints were often made against MPs in marginal seats, he said.
Lord Martin was elevated to the Lords after being effectively forced out as Commons Speaker in May over the way he had handled the row over MPs' expenses.
What a load of bollocks, and he didn’t do too badly out of it did he.
And, Government bodies and councils have been ''blind'' to the needs of white working class communities, Cabinet minister John Denham has said.
The communities Secretary called for a new focus on the needs of poor whites affected by mass immigration.
And he said state agencies charged with tackling inequality and disadvantage should no longer focus solely on ethnic minority groups.
Instead they must ''re-assess'' their priorities to include poor whites as well.
And about bloody time, Gord doesn’t help when he says things like “our priority will be middle class families” Nu Labour, head up arse syndrome.
The communities Secretary called for a new focus on the needs of poor whites affected by mass immigration.
And he said state agencies charged with tackling inequality and disadvantage should no longer focus solely on ethnic minority groups.
Instead they must ''re-assess'' their priorities to include poor whites as well.
And about bloody time, Gord doesn’t help when he says things like “our priority will be middle class families” Nu Labour, head up arse syndrome.
First up:
As it is the day that the Lisbon treaty comes into force, I thought I would include this little tale:
Mega trucks, (25 metres long and 60 tonnes weight) are in danger of being imposed on the UK by EU bureaucrats using unsound biased research.
Middle ranking European Commission officials have rehashed previous flawed research, which distorts the argument in favour of mega trucks.
Mega trucks, which the consultants themselves state are individually more dangerous than a standard HGV, relies on a significant reduction in lorry miles, which we have exposed as unfounded.
Isn’t there a means of transport which is just as big and can carry much more? Oh yes it is called a TRAIN!
Middle ranking European Commission officials have rehashed previous flawed research, which distorts the argument in favour of mega trucks.
Mega trucks, which the consultants themselves state are individually more dangerous than a standard HGV, relies on a significant reduction in lorry miles, which we have exposed as unfounded.
Isn’t there a means of transport which is just as big and can carry much more? Oh yes it is called a TRAIN!
Londoners lose an average of 10,000 mobile phones in the back of taxis every month, with Christmas the worst time.
A further 1,000 other portable technologies like laptops or iPods are also left in black cabs each month, according to a survey of cab drivers in the capital.
Steve McMenara, a spokesman for TAXI, the magazine of the Licensed Taxi Driver Association, said: "It’s a known fact that this is the worst time of year for forgetting 'property' in the back of cabs, but especially mobile phones and laptops as they slip onto the floor or get forgotten on the seats as passengers rush onto their next destination with their hands full.
"More people travel into London to buy their Christmas presents during this period who are not regular cab users, they hop a cab to get back to their train stations – and it’s always about an hour later we get a panicked call on their mobile phones asking for them to be returned."
The survey was carried out on behalf of a security firm, Credant Technologies. Sean Glynn, vice-president, told The Register: "We carry out our taxi survey regularly and it’s clear that none of us are infallible, especially at this busy time of year, when it’s all too easy to forget things when you’re travelling.”
"It used to be small items like brollies and briefcases stuffed full of boring office papers. Now it’s laptops, smart phones and thumb drives, all chock-full of valuable information to an identity thief."
Bet it’s not “young” people who lose them because most of them have mobiles surgically attached to their ears.
A further 1,000 other portable technologies like laptops or iPods are also left in black cabs each month, according to a survey of cab drivers in the capital.
Steve McMenara, a spokesman for TAXI, the magazine of the Licensed Taxi Driver Association, said: "It’s a known fact that this is the worst time of year for forgetting 'property' in the back of cabs, but especially mobile phones and laptops as they slip onto the floor or get forgotten on the seats as passengers rush onto their next destination with their hands full.
"More people travel into London to buy their Christmas presents during this period who are not regular cab users, they hop a cab to get back to their train stations – and it’s always about an hour later we get a panicked call on their mobile phones asking for them to be returned."
The survey was carried out on behalf of a security firm, Credant Technologies. Sean Glynn, vice-president, told The Register: "We carry out our taxi survey regularly and it’s clear that none of us are infallible, especially at this busy time of year, when it’s all too easy to forget things when you’re travelling.”
"It used to be small items like brollies and briefcases stuffed full of boring office papers. Now it’s laptops, smart phones and thumb drives, all chock-full of valuable information to an identity thief."
Bet it’s not “young” people who lose them because most of them have mobiles surgically attached to their ears.
From over the pond and west-ish a bit: A bank robber arrived six minutes after the Guardian Credit Union in Waukesha closed. Police said a man wearing a ski mask entered the first set of doors at 5:36 p.m. Wednesday with a gun, apparently not realizing the bank was closed.
The second set of doors was locked and police were called but the man left before they arrived.
Waukesha Police Sgt. Jerry Habanek told The Freeman in Waukesha that police are reviewing security tapes and investigating. He said the robber could have planned poorly or possibly had another reason, like getting tied up in traffic.
Or maybe he is just a NUMPTY without a watch.
The second set of doors was locked and police were called but the man left before they arrived.
Waukesha Police Sgt. Jerry Habanek told The Freeman in Waukesha that police are reviewing security tapes and investigating. He said the robber could have planned poorly or possibly had another reason, like getting tied up in traffic.
Or maybe he is just a NUMPTY without a watch.
Again from over the big wet salty thing, to the windy city: Beverage can tops are still finding their way into the stomachs of some children, especially teens, despite being redesigned in the 1970s to keep people from swallowing them, U.S. researchers said on Monday.
A 16-year study at the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Centre found 19 children had swallowed the safety tabs, which are designed to fold back but stay attached to cans for soda and other beverages.
"I think we all know if you fiddle with these stay tabs, you can easily break them off," Dr. Lane Donnelly, who led the study, told reporters at the Radiological Society of North America meeting in Chicago.
The study included children aged 1 to 18 at his medical centre, but he suspects many cases go unreported.
Donnelly said he suspected children break off the tab, drop it into the soda can and inadvertently swallow the tab. When broken, the tabs have jagged edges that could perforate the stomach or intestine.
Since the tabs are made from aluminium, they are much harder to detect on an X-ray than coins, which babies and toddlers often swallow, Donnelly said.
He said parents should be aware of the problem and that beverage companies might consider a newer design that makes the tabs harder to break off.
As for the children in his study, none required surgery, although one was sent home with explicit instructions from the emergency department that read: "No sucking on can tops."
The world is a dangerous place.
A 16-year study at the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Centre found 19 children had swallowed the safety tabs, which are designed to fold back but stay attached to cans for soda and other beverages.
"I think we all know if you fiddle with these stay tabs, you can easily break them off," Dr. Lane Donnelly, who led the study, told reporters at the Radiological Society of North America meeting in Chicago.
The study included children aged 1 to 18 at his medical centre, but he suspects many cases go unreported.
Donnelly said he suspected children break off the tab, drop it into the soda can and inadvertently swallow the tab. When broken, the tabs have jagged edges that could perforate the stomach or intestine.
Since the tabs are made from aluminium, they are much harder to detect on an X-ray than coins, which babies and toddlers often swallow, Donnelly said.
He said parents should be aware of the problem and that beverage companies might consider a newer design that makes the tabs harder to break off.
As for the children in his study, none required surgery, although one was sent home with explicit instructions from the emergency department that read: "No sucking on can tops."
The world is a dangerous place.
And finally:
From South more than a lot but not quite as far South as you can go:
A predicted $600 million-plus tourism boom from Adelaide Zoo's new giant pandas will see no marketing opportunity go to waste, including capitalising on Wang Wang and Funi's waste.
They say in life you only get out what you put in and in the case of giant pandas, that is almost literally true.
Adelaide Zoo CEO Chris West explains.
"That's right. Panda poo rather looks like strained chopped bamboo," he said.
"It's very undigested."
Panda passings are low in nutrients but high in micro-organisms.
Television gardening expert Malcolm Campbell thinks it is a great product.
"Dig it in and the micro-organisms start to work on locked up nutrients in your soil. Great benefit," he said.
Adelaide Zoo has long marketed other animals' droppings and will now add them to those from the giant pandas to boost the nutritional value.
There are other ways to turn the dung into treasure too:
In Thailand, panda poo is used to produce paper.
In Chengdu in China, where Wang Wang and Funi were from, they even turn the droppings into statues.
And they are not as 'on the nose' as might be expected.
"The oils in the bamboo are released and if you crumble up a fresh piece of panda poo I think it's quite a sweet smell," Mr West said.
The marketing opportunities pandas provide are nothing to sneeze at.
The Zoo has the copyright on the names Wang Wang and Funi and cartoon images of the pandas.
Proceeds from official merchandise will go towards conservation efforts.
Adelaide already has a broad range of official products available but has some way to go to match overseas zoos, which market everything from panda-branded food and drink to cigarettes.
The sweet smell of success.
Angus
AnglishLit
Angus Dei-NHS-THE OTHER SIDE
Angus Dei politico
A predicted $600 million-plus tourism boom from Adelaide Zoo's new giant pandas will see no marketing opportunity go to waste, including capitalising on Wang Wang and Funi's waste.
They say in life you only get out what you put in and in the case of giant pandas, that is almost literally true.
Adelaide Zoo CEO Chris West explains.
"That's right. Panda poo rather looks like strained chopped bamboo," he said.
"It's very undigested."
Panda passings are low in nutrients but high in micro-organisms.
Television gardening expert Malcolm Campbell thinks it is a great product.
"Dig it in and the micro-organisms start to work on locked up nutrients in your soil. Great benefit," he said.
Adelaide Zoo has long marketed other animals' droppings and will now add them to those from the giant pandas to boost the nutritional value.
There are other ways to turn the dung into treasure too:
In Thailand, panda poo is used to produce paper.
In Chengdu in China, where Wang Wang and Funi were from, they even turn the droppings into statues.
And they are not as 'on the nose' as might be expected.
"The oils in the bamboo are released and if you crumble up a fresh piece of panda poo I think it's quite a sweet smell," Mr West said.
The marketing opportunities pandas provide are nothing to sneeze at.
The Zoo has the copyright on the names Wang Wang and Funi and cartoon images of the pandas.
Proceeds from official merchandise will go towards conservation efforts.
Adelaide already has a broad range of official products available but has some way to go to match overseas zoos, which market everything from panda-branded food and drink to cigarettes.
The sweet smell of success.
Angus
AnglishLit
Angus Dei-NHS-THE OTHER SIDE
Angus Dei politico
