By: John Green
- 20th March 2014 at 16:28Permalink- Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
There are few limits to human ingenuity. My commuting motorway is the M27 - when it is working. When it works it is very slow, that is, the bit between Portsmouth and Southampton and a bit further. When it is not working, which is usually every day especially when wet, it is very slow, in fact, very often stopped.
Caroline Dinenage the able and seductive MP for Gosport, mentioned the matter of the M27 in the House complaining rightly about daily congestion occuring on the 25 mile section of the road between Portsmouth and Southampton, a journey that should take no more than about 20 minutes but, frequently takes one hour.
It is said that road commuters from the Jute (New) Forest area around Lymington avoid the worst of the congestion by catching the Lymington ferry to Yarmouth, I.of W, then hopping a taxi or bus to Ryde, boarding the fast hovercraft to Southsea and then making their onward connection.
All of which seems a bit extreme but, according to interviews with commutors actually works. Stephen Hammond, the Transport Minister, says that a scheme is being prepared which will allow use of the hard shoulder during busy times. Well, that's an excellent typically British solution.
By: John Green
- 20th March 2014 at 17:11Permalink- Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
This may surprise some. There is a rather magnificent statue of Alan Turing, mathematician and cryptographer in Surrey University, Guildford.
George Osborne, Chancellor, has announced that there is to be founded a new center of excellence in computer science and data analysis. This center will be called the Alan Turing Institute. An amount of £42 million will be used to fund the new Institute which will be located within one of our major universities - to be decided.
In view of past events was there ever a more worthy expenditure of taxpayers cash ?
By: John Green
- 21st March 2014 at 10:52Permalink- Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
There is news that Ebbsfleet on the North Kent coast is to be the site of a new garden city presumably on the lines of Welwyn and others.
This must be a second new beginning for Ebbsfleet which is reputed to be the place where England first became established around 450 AD. It is recorded that Ebbsfleet was the location for the landing of two Danish or North German traders named Hengest and Horsa who, arriving from Jutland; present day Denmark and North Germany, together with their followers, established one of the first permanent settlements.
Raiders from Jutland had been engaged in profitable hit and run raids along the South and East coast of England for the preceeding two centuries and had established small settlements few of which had proved to be permanent.
For Ebbsfleet, the wheel turns a bit of a circle !
By: Lincoln 7
- 21st March 2014 at 17:47Permalink- Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Don't know John, but Moggy only shuts the doors when things are said that youngsters on the Forum can read and understand. It would therefor appear to be "Unforumable" Now theres a new word for you.
Jim.
Lincoln .7
By: John Green
- 24th March 2014 at 17:29Permalink- Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
There were two items in the news to-day that I though would tweak the imaginations of my fellow seekers after truth:
"Men who become fathers (late in life) have uglier children !
So that's what happened.
The story is that if Dads have children rather later than they should (age 40 plus) the chance of having delinquent genetic mutations are greatly increased.
An associate professor in anthropology at the University of Vienna has found "a significant negative effect between paternal age and facial attractiveness".
"Someone born to a father of 22 years is 5 - 10% more attractive than someone with a 40 year old father and the difference grows with the age gap.
I have just two comments: How do you measure attractiveness and my father was ten years old when I was born !
By: John Green
- 24th March 2014 at 17:45Permalink- Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Genetic testing that might help to increase the nation's IQ.
Screening for the presence of a common gene variant coupled with low levels of thyroid hormone meant that children were four times more likely to have an IQ of about 85.
About 4 % of the population have the gene variant and this coupled with lower than normal thyroid levels means that the administration of extra thyroid hormone to very young children could result in abnormally low IQs being corrected.
The research focused on deiodonase-2 an enzyme which is involved in the processing of thyroid hormone within the cells. A mutation in the gene coding for the enzyme is also associated with diabetes and high blood pressure.
I'm tempted to comment that some of our esteemed members might care to look into the wider benefits of this treatment but, I won't.
By: John Green
- 26th March 2014 at 10:56Permalink- Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
For the first time ever, self employed to outnumber public sector workers by 2018.
Yes, I blinked when I saw that. Numbers of self employed are rising and the numbers of State employed are falling. It is predicted that 5,000,000 workers will be self employed and 4.9 million State employed by 2018.
By: John Green
- 26th March 2014 at 11:09Permalink- Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Chaps, interesting TV aviation program.
Channel 4 - 9.0pm. About a passenger who landed a light aircraft after dark when the pilot collapsed and became unconscious.
Something didn't seem quite right when, during some snippets advertising the program, ATC were heard to ask the passenger if he'd ever flown a light a/c ? The reply was 'Negative', which I wouldn't have expected to hear from a complete novice. He might have picked up the jargon from previous experience flying as a passenger.
By: 91Regal
- 26th March 2014 at 17:45Permalink- Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
I think, John, that you'll find that he had flown with the pilot - a friend - many times before but only as a passenger, not under instruction. He had handled the controls in straight and level flight and had obviously picked up some of the patter and procedures.
By: Lincoln 7
- 26th March 2014 at 17:53Permalink- Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Chaps, interesting TV aviation program.
Channel 4 - 9.0pm. About a passenger who landed a light aircraft after dark when the pilot collapsed and became unconscious.
Something didn't seem quite right when, during some snippets advertising the program, ATC were heard to ask the passenger if he'd ever flown a light a/c ? The reply was 'Negative', which I wouldn't have expected to hear from a complete novice. He might have picked up the jargon from previous experience flying as a passenger.
Always used the word, NEGATIVE when out on Patrol, and couldn't find what I was looking for.
Jim.
Lincoln .7
Posts: 8,306
By: Lincoln 7 - 20th March 2014 at 14:52 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Don't know about SCREWFIX John, wouldn't know what to do if it were handed to me on a plate.
Jim.
Lincoln .7
Posts: 6,535
By: John Green - 20th March 2014 at 16:07 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Jim.
Re 22
I don't know what others think? It pretty much speaks for itself. Fixing a screw? It has a certain, shall I say ring, to it ?
I don't think screws break so one really can't fix them.
Posts: 6,535
By: John Green - 20th March 2014 at 16:08 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Re 21
Perhaps Webbie runs a dating agency. Makes sense.
Posts: 6,535
By: John Green - 20th March 2014 at 16:28 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
There are few limits to human ingenuity. My commuting motorway is the M27 - when it is working. When it works it is very slow, that is, the bit between Portsmouth and Southampton and a bit further. When it is not working, which is usually every day especially when wet, it is very slow, in fact, very often stopped.
Caroline Dinenage the able and seductive MP for Gosport, mentioned the matter of the M27 in the House complaining rightly about daily congestion occuring on the 25 mile section of the road between Portsmouth and Southampton, a journey that should take no more than about 20 minutes but, frequently takes one hour.
It is said that road commuters from the Jute (New) Forest area around Lymington avoid the worst of the congestion by catching the Lymington ferry to Yarmouth, I.of W, then hopping a taxi or bus to Ryde, boarding the fast hovercraft to Southsea and then making their onward connection.
All of which seems a bit extreme but, according to interviews with commutors actually works. Stephen Hammond, the Transport Minister, says that a scheme is being prepared which will allow use of the hard shoulder during busy times. Well, that's an excellent typically British solution.
Posts: 6,535
By: John Green - 20th March 2014 at 17:11 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
This may surprise some. There is a rather magnificent statue of Alan Turing, mathematician and cryptographer in Surrey University, Guildford.
George Osborne, Chancellor, has announced that there is to be founded a new center of excellence in computer science and data analysis. This center will be called the Alan Turing Institute. An amount of £42 million will be used to fund the new Institute which will be located within one of our major universities - to be decided.
In view of past events was there ever a more worthy expenditure of taxpayers cash ?
Posts: 6,535
By: John Green - 21st March 2014 at 10:52 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
There is news that Ebbsfleet on the North Kent coast is to be the site of a new garden city presumably on the lines of Welwyn and others.
This must be a second new beginning for Ebbsfleet which is reputed to be the place where England first became established around 450 AD. It is recorded that Ebbsfleet was the location for the landing of two Danish or North German traders named Hengest and Horsa who, arriving from Jutland; present day Denmark and North Germany, together with their followers, established one of the first permanent settlements.
Raiders from Jutland had been engaged in profitable hit and run raids along the South and East coast of England for the preceeding two centuries and had established small settlements few of which had proved to be permanent.
For Ebbsfleet, the wheel turns a bit of a circle !
Posts: 6,535
By: John Green - 21st March 2014 at 12:32 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Breaking news. I see that there has been a closure.
Does anyone know what the objection was ? Was it 'Swedish' or 'voyeur' or both, in the same title !
Posts: 8,306
By: Lincoln 7 - 21st March 2014 at 17:47 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Don't know John, but Moggy only shuts the doors when things are said that youngsters on the Forum can read and understand. It would therefor appear to be "Unforumable" Now theres a new word for you.
Jim.
Lincoln .7
Posts: 6,535
By: John Green - 23rd March 2014 at 16:08 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Has anyone yet seen the 'budgie/cat' TV ad ? If that doesn't turn you into marshmallow I don't know what will.
Posts: 8,306
By: Lincoln 7 - 23rd March 2014 at 19:31 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
YES. I did, but did you also see the follow up Ad, the bloody cat ate the bird...............................:highly_amused:
Jim.
Lincoln .7
Posts: 6,535
By: John Green - 24th March 2014 at 17:29 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
There were two items in the news to-day that I though would tweak the imaginations of my fellow seekers after truth:
"Men who become fathers (late in life) have uglier children !
So that's what happened.
The story is that if Dads have children rather later than they should (age 40 plus) the chance of having delinquent genetic mutations are greatly increased.
An associate professor in anthropology at the University of Vienna has found "a significant negative effect between paternal age and facial attractiveness".
"Someone born to a father of 22 years is 5 - 10% more attractive than someone with a 40 year old father and the difference grows with the age gap.
I have just two comments: How do you measure attractiveness and my father was ten years old when I was born !
Posts: 6,535
By: John Green - 24th March 2014 at 17:45 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Genetic testing that might help to increase the nation's IQ.
Screening for the presence of a common gene variant coupled with low levels of thyroid hormone meant that children were four times more likely to have an IQ of about 85.
About 4 % of the population have the gene variant and this coupled with lower than normal thyroid levels means that the administration of extra thyroid hormone to very young children could result in abnormally low IQs being corrected.
The research focused on deiodonase-2 an enzyme which is involved in the processing of thyroid hormone within the cells. A mutation in the gene coding for the enzyme is also associated with diabetes and high blood pressure.
I'm tempted to comment that some of our esteemed members might care to look into the wider benefits of this treatment but, I won't.
Posts: 7,029
By: trumper - 24th March 2014 at 18:15 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
:applause: LOLPosts: 6,535
By: John Green - 26th March 2014 at 10:56 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
For the first time ever, self employed to outnumber public sector workers by 2018.
Yes, I blinked when I saw that. Numbers of self employed are rising and the numbers of State employed are falling. It is predicted that 5,000,000 workers will be self employed and 4.9 million State employed by 2018.
Report D. Tel. 25th March.
Posts: 6,535
By: John Green - 26th March 2014 at 11:09 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Chaps, interesting TV aviation program.
Channel 4 - 9.0pm. About a passenger who landed a light aircraft after dark when the pilot collapsed and became unconscious.
Something didn't seem quite right when, during some snippets advertising the program, ATC were heard to ask the passenger if he'd ever flown a light a/c ? The reply was 'Negative', which I wouldn't have expected to hear from a complete novice. He might have picked up the jargon from previous experience flying as a passenger.
Posts: 761
By: 91Regal - 26th March 2014 at 17:45 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
I think, John, that you'll find that he had flown with the pilot - a friend - many times before but only as a passenger, not under instruction. He had handled the controls in straight and level flight and had obviously picked up some of the patter and procedures.
Posts: 8,306
By: Lincoln 7 - 26th March 2014 at 17:53 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Always used the word, NEGATIVE when out on Patrol, and couldn't find what I was looking for.
Jim.
Lincoln .7
Posts: 761
By: 91Regal - 26th March 2014 at 17:55 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
TRULY HORRENDOUS !
http://www.BBC.CO.UK/news/blogs-news-from-elsewhere-26747649
Posts: 6,535
By: John Green - 26th March 2014 at 18:01 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Re 39
91 Regal
I absolutely agree. But, what would be worse, would be mass, compulsory, plastic surgery !
Posts: 761
By: 91Regal - 26th March 2014 at 20:16 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
The Washington Post's opinion of the haircut story
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2014/03/26/are-the-men-of-north-korea-really-being-forced-to-get-kim-jong-un-haircuts/