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Early Risers.


Mr.S.corn78
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Morning all. You may have it balmy Dd and Tony, but it's snowing here in Edinburgh. It's not settling here in Leith at the moment, the ground's too wet, but no doubt it will be further inland. I can't see across to Fife this morning to see if the hills across there have snow cover.

 

The footage of the tsunami ploughing its way across fields and through buildings is quite extraordinary, and very humbling. The news about the nuclear power plants is very worrying. I believe we've only just stopped testing sheep after the Chernobyl explosion 25 years ago...

 

Today may involve a walk up to Harburn Hobbies to collect the latest Railway Modeller (if I can face the snow!), then will involve some oval shaped balls, and possibly listening to some of the small red ball game - India seem to have made a good start against South Africa.

 

Gordon - pleased to hear the knee op was a success. I suspect at some point in the future I may require a similar op, so it's reassuring to know the procedures work. Hope the recovery isn't too painful.

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I believe in the contaminated parts of Wales they are still testing every twelve months.

 

However, I could have missed it if they've stopped.

 

The problem being that the sheep eat the contaminated grass and then nature takes its course and it goes back into the soil.

I expect the 'readings' reduce slightly with each cycle but I don't really know.

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I'm told one has blown.

Not so far, thankfully, the latest off the BBC news about ten minutes ago:

 

A huge explosion has rocked a Japanese nuclear power plant damaged by Friday's devastating earthquake.

 

A pall of smoke was seen coming from the plant at Fukushima. Four workers were injured.

 

Japanese officials say the container housing the reactor was not damaged and that radiation levels have now fallen..

 

However, that is possibly the only bit of really good news to come out of Japan - I'll read the thread on here in a minute, though.

 

Afternoon All

 

Wet and miserable here but temperatures are quite a bit above freezing. Missed out on checking in yesterday, as the laptop decided not to boot up correctly due to one of these infernal updates that Microsoft foist upon us every so often, and it was only today that I managed to get it to co-operate.

 

Good news about your knee, Gordon.

Regards to All

Stewart

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Evening All,

 

Given there is so much bad news about the power of nature today, I thought I would counter with two photos of the beauty of nature. The first one is the view from where I was sitting when I posted this morning, and the second is of the sunrise. There is still a bit of snow on the mountain tops down there.

 

IMG_2036.jpg

 

IMG_2038.jpg

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Morning all

 

Seems that there is still confusion over the state of the nuclear plants this morning. They have even mentioned the word meltdown. As if they haven't suffered enough.

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I think "meltdown" is suddenly a part of journalistic vocabulary - I'm not sure whether anyone knows for sure right now. Shutting down a reactor is similar to turning an oven off at 500f. It's off but you don't want to put your hand in yet.......

 

Hey! Our clocks "spring" forward in 4 minutes did everybody's???

 

Best, Pete.

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Morning All,

 

Not very good news coming out of Japan. Only yesterday, they claimed these reactors "couldn't meltdown".

 

Of course, any uranium reactor can meltdown given the right set of circumstances. They had an atomic energy expert on the radio this morning, who stated that this could never happen in Western Europe - No? Well, after Chernobyl they said this could never happen in the "Advanced Western Nations" of which Japan is one.

 

Typically, I must admit to being pro-nuclear. It is the only realistic and efficient way that we can satisfy our power needs currently. However, there needs to be much more research into alternatives. The answer isn't to build windmills everywhere! Thorium reactors are just one example of future posbilities.

 

Anyway - it is somewhat grey and wet here this morning. Rather a shame after two beautiful Spring days, but there we go!

 

Have a good day everyone...

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I haven't seen the news yet.

 

From yesterday I saw pictures of a huge building wrecked by an explosion.

Given that the huge building housed, we were told, a nuclear reactor, it can't be good news.

The steel containment vessel was not breached, we were told.

That's good then.

 

My experience of the UK Nuclear Industry was when asked to photograph the disposal of fuel rods in a huge vertical pipe of acid for a brochure.

The rods were cropped into the stainless steel pipe (about 30' x 4').

A valve was opened and the contents were inundated with acid.

At which point all present found themselves ankle deep in acid because someone had left the bottom valve open.

Fortunately it was a dummy run.

The 'rods' were steel and lead and the 'acid' was water.

 

I realise now my confidence in the handling of nuclear matters was somewhat shaken.

However, it was a long time ago.

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Thankfully I'm too young to remember Three Mile Island, but I clearly remember the Chernobyl explosion and news coverage at the time.

 

Shortly after that our school was taken on a tour of Hartlepool Nuclear Power Station - I guess BNFL's PR department went into overdrive to counter any thought that there were any safety issues at UK power stations. I only glow lightly now.

 

Miserable weather here but no snow settling as yet. Have to travel to Glasgow this morning but Traffic Scotland's website is down so can't check the cameras to see if there's snow en route.

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My dad built Hartlepool power sation. And Torness too. Well that's what he told me when I was young but personally I think he might have had one or two others working with him.

 

I remember doing a tour of Hartlepool while it was being built and getting to go where the public weren't allowed. I wouldn't like to stand now where I stood then.

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We've all lived in interesting times.

I think anyone who has ever lived has lived in interesting times. You just don't realise how interesting until they are gone.

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Just been told about some elderly Japanese fellow who has been picked up at sea - from on top of his house.

 

Always cheering to hear good news.

 

 

Did you miss the snow, BoD?

Well, I don't suppose anyone misses it but did it come down on you?

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We have rain here rather than snow.

I believe there has been snow both inland and a little further North from where I am. It still feels quite cool though.

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