Early Risers.

[polybear]

1 hour ago, simontaylor484 said:

A few pounds of sugar in the marine diesel tanks should stuff em up

I am sure @New Haven Neil will have better ideas 

 

The plot thickens....

It seems that 40% of the holdings of P&O is Russian-owned....

[TheQ]

I suspect, that they, the ones being sacked, might be like many other merchant seamen in that effectively they sign on for each trip. So if the employer decides not to sign them on, that's legally their choice..

 

I hope the men though get represented by someone better than the union official I've heard on the radio, he went off the deep end of effectively talking about class warfare, a real throw back to 40 years ago or more..

[Grizz]

53 minutes ago, polybear said:

 

The plot thickens....

It seems that 40% of the holdings of P&O is Russian-owned....

 

Quick question...Does P&O stand for Putin & Oligarchs? 

[The White Rabbit]

1 hour ago, simontaylor484 said:

Confused here 

 

Bank of England have raised interest rates again to counter cost of living increases.

 

They are increasing it themselves.

 

Interest rate rises are meant to take money out of the system fine if we were in a consumer led boom 

 

Its energy costs that's driving inflation with the rip off gas and electricity prices and highway robbery at fuel pumps 

 

The other problem (elephant in the room) is that savings rates are not tracking BoE base rate. If saving is more attractive than spending (taking money out of the system) then economic activity dies down a bit. That's an old, traditional approach used many times before. But saving is not attractive atm (boy, could that line of argument get political quickly...) so what else do people do with their spare money? Errr... well most folk are worried about the cost of living increases, so they probably try and save a bit and/or reduce expenditure. So they are reducing their economic activity (and Britain has recently been a service-led economy, dependent on retail (over-dependent and at the expense of manufacturing in some people's opinion, again, I'd better not go there...) so folk are already taking money out of the system. As you say, the BoE are increasing the cost of living by their actions, especially for those with mortgages. 

 

Inflation generally happens when too much money chases too few goods. Covid has interrupted supply chains and I have noticed quite a few shortages of all sorts of items. And obviously, recently we have Ukraine and a Chinese Covid resurgence/lockdowns adding to those problems. With the current Western aversion to buying Russian oil and gas because of their military action in Ukraine, the world has a shortage of energy. The shortfall may be made up by the Middle East (especially if the Iranian sanctions are lifted - and I bet their leadership is spending time looking northwards atm too) but it would take time (and I wonder if there's enough shipping capacity to get the stuff to Europe, the US, Japan and others?)

 

If you can't increase supply, can you dampen demand? For some things, yes. But energy is often rather price inelastic - you don't have a lot of choice how much you consume. And decisions on how much tend to be long-term - buying a more fuel-efficient car instead of a gas-guzzler, or adding insulation to your home or moving house to be nearer work/school. Not to mention the capital expenditure many of these decisions involve, which people are reluctant to do when things look tight. 

 

So we have inflationary pressures just about any way you turn. And going back to the OP, yes, it feels very much like the BoE is responding to a different sort of scenario rather than the issues we're currently facing. I do wonder if they know what to do in this situation - stagflation anyone? It feels like a very real risk. And for anyone who has been able to save (and yes, that does include me) - we have the prospect of seeing our savings diminish in real terms and unless we gamble on the stock markets (or even down at Chepstow with 'Onest Joe) we lose out. Those on fixed incomes (annuities anyone...?) won't be happy.

 

For a few years now there has been a seepage of 'value' from private individuals (usually in cash savings) to banks and the state. Quantitative Easing created lots of money but no value - how could it? It's been paid for by the 'reward' of investment of savers' capital being low - essentially negative in real terms - so that although the numbers go up (slowly!) the actual value of your holding goes down. Together with post credit-crunch rules on liquidity and capital for banks and certain BoE moves I can't comment on without getting political, that's why it feels like savers are being penalised for being responsible - or even 'prudent', to paraphrase a certain Scot. 

 

Which all adds to household financial pressure. Still, maybe it's a 'cunning plan'* to distract us from the risk of WWW3 and the nuclear threat? 

 

* Yes, I can think of other terms too but Andy wouldn't like it and I figure he's got enough to deal with right now...

[Gwiwer]

2 minutes ago, Grizz said:

1 hour ago, polybear said:

 

The plot thickens....

It seems that 40% of the holdings of P&O is Russian-owned....

 

Quick question...Does P&O stand for Putin & Oligarchs? 

Well it might.  Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Company when I was watching large green kettles bearing those sort of names.

 

If there is indeed a connection of that nature in all of this then it might be poetic justice to find that some of the "replacement" crew. said to be East European, are in fact Ukranian.  

[NGT6 1315]

Cheers all. Dinner ready in a few (Peruvian prawn chili), but I'll try stopping by here later when the ladies are in bed.

 

Something which might be of interest for @Grizz in particular:

 

 

Always nice to see such old stalwarts getting a new breath of life. Of course, taking note of 120 274 having been restored immediately prompted an excursion to a certain auction site, so…

 

[simontaylor484]

11 minutes ago, Gwiwer said:

Well it might.  Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Company when I was watching large green kettles bearing those sort of names.

 

If there is indeed a connection of that nature in all of this then it might be poetic justice to find that some of the "replacement" crew. said to be East European, are in fact Ukranian.  

Just as long as they don't do what the Ukranian mechanic did to his oligarch boss's boat.

 

 

 

[simontaylor484]

On a much lighter note when we were coming home from school a motorcycle passed the other way nothing strange there.

 

On his helmet though he had a furry cover of a pink octopus encasing the helmet apart from the visor

[PhilJ W]

13 minutes ago, simontaylor484 said:

Just as long as they don't do what the Ukranian mechanic did to his oligarch boss's boat.

Just what did he do to the boat?

[PhilJ W]

Do you fancy becoming Russian Defence Minister.

https://newsthump.com/2022/03/16/could-you-be-the-russian-defence-minister-take-the-interactive-test-to-find-out/?utm_source=NewsThump+Newsletter+Subscribers&utm_campaign=bef512cbd8-RSS_EMAIL_DAILYBRIEFING1&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_7d11245827-bef512cbd8-435921077&mc_cid=bef512cbd8&mc_eid=53df6e2043

[Grizz]

2 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

Just what did he do to the boat?

Opened all the valves and then the drain cocks (or whatever they are called) and it flooded it and it partially sank..

[iL Dottore]

3 hours ago, Grizz said:

….personally I prefer petrol to isopropyl alcohol…

You’ve been had, Grizz old son. Petrol as a disinfectant against the virus is fake news https://www.factrakers.org/post/gasoline-as-antiseptic-has-no-basis-it-s-also-dangerous

 

Petrol is actually ineffective against the CoVID-19 virus. The most effective disinfectants against viruses (virii to be pedantic) - some a lot, lot nastier than CoVID include various dilutions of ethanol and sodium hypochlorite (bleach).

 

How do I know this? One of the projects I’m involved in is studying an oncolytic virus (a virus modified to kill cancer cells) and I’ve just finished reviewing, annotating and approval the lab manual for managing the virus (which includes what has to be done to clean up spills)

[Ian Abel]

BIN day, and buggrit!!

 

I may have to refrain from posting pictures on ERs - yesterday afternoon, the back yard water pool decided to turn my basement into a paddling pool

Fortunately, Brendan had just showed up to pick up Whitney, so he held us with some furniture movement and using a shopvac to get some of the water sucked up. Sent Julie off to get a pump so I could get a positive flow from the basement floor mitigation system to the sump pump. <sigh>

That also meant singing at the Celtic service went out the wind, or down the drain, whichever seems mor appropriate... 

 

Today, had the first thing "wellness" appointment at the Dr. All seems good, just awaiting the blood work report.

I DID have issue with their scales - at home here I'm showing I've lost 5lbs in the past couple of weeks, their stupid machine insisted I was 1lgb HEAVIER than I was at home 4 weeks ago - I complained  for what that'll be worth

 

Hoping I'm able to get to the choir rehearsal tonight, unless the afternoon brings more melting that finds its way to my basement! <grrr>

 

+1 first thing, if it was below zero overnight it may have slowed the melting, no such luck. Expected to be +8 today and partly sunny.

 

Tally ho <yawn> <sigh>

 

[NGT6 1315]

14 minutes ago, Grizz said:

Opened all the valves and then the drain cocks (or whatever they are called) and it flooded it and it partially sank..

 

Well, as the old Klingon saying goes: Revenge is a dish best served cold. 

[PhilJ W]

Afternoon all from Estuary-Land. Haven't done a thing this afternoon except phoning the council about the none collection of the recycling pink sack. I dialled the council number and got the automated voice asking me if I wanted council tax and if not press one. This went on through the list of council services until it got to refuse collection, press two. That took just under ten minutes. Then for about five minutes I had to endure Vivaldi and I was just about giving up the will to live when the phone was answered. I must admit the young lady on the other end was quite helpful and said that someone would be round to pick the pink sack up. Its still out in front of the house and I've just realised she didn't say when.

[simontaylor484]

10 minutes ago, NGT6 1315 said:

 

Well, as the old Klingon saying goes: Revenge is a dish best served cold. 

My favourite is

 

Vengeance is mine sayeth the Lord and I shall repay

 

The maritime and aviation minister has given a statement in the House of Commons the didnt sound happy about the P&O situation 

I haven't provided a link due to it being political

[TheQ]

The other thing with our interest rates, if you don't raise them with other countries, the money will go to where the interest rate is higher. Therefore the pound would drop, increasing inflation in the UK.

I've seen several different animals mounting helmets lately it must be a current fashion.

 

This morning till tea break was finishing the second major system, after that I measured the 21 Gohm box, that requires 23 one Giga Ohm measurements, and took the rest of the day.

 

There's a lot of waiting time for each measurement to settle, so much research was done on lazy jack's, having done that I designed something  completely different. Will it work I hope so because I will implement it in a few weeks.

[Grizz]

16 minutes ago, iL Dottore said:

You’ve been had, Grizz old son. Petrol as a disinfectant against the virus is fake news https://www.factrakers.org/post/gasoline-as-antiseptic-has-no-basis-it-s-also-dangerous

 

Petrol is actually ineffective against the CoVID-19 virus. The most effective disinfectants against viruses (virii to be pedantic) - some a lot, lot nastier than CoVID include various dilutions of ethanol and sodium hypochlorite (bleach).

 

How do I know this? One of the projects I’m involved in is studying an oncolytic virus (a virus modified to kill cancer cells) and I’ve just finished reviewing, annotating and approval the lab manual for managing the virus (which includes what has to be done to clean up spills)

.. I was only joking, I just prefer the smell of petrol...we don't really use it. Can't bloody well afford it for a start. Also isn't it a carcinogen? Or was that when they used to add lead to it? 

 

A virus modified to kill cancer cells sounds promising..

[Grizz]

1 hour ago, NGT6 1315 said:

Cheers all. Dinner ready in a few (Peruvian prawn chili), but I'll try stopping by here later when the ladies are in bed.

 

Something which might be of interest for @Grizz in particular:

 

 

Always nice to see such old stalwarts getting a new breath of life. Of course, taking note of 120 274 having been restored immediately prompted an excursion to a certain auction site, so…

 

 

NGT6 1315 that is superb, totally loving that 120. Did you get what you wanted from the auction site? So great to see these old locos still in front line service.

 

Here's a few I took from just one day at Harburg back in August 2018.

 

155 706 - ?

 

225 010-8 

 

 

For me this Ludmilla was the best loco, so loud......132 334-4 

 

225  006-6

 

140 759-2

[NGT6 1315]

20 minutes ago, Grizz said:

 

NGT6 1315 that is superb, totally loving that 120. Did you get what you wanted from the auction site? So great to see these old locos still in front line service.

 

Here's a few I took from just one day at Harburg back in August 2018.

 

155 706 - ?

 

 

 

That was 155 119, numbered 706 by MEG. Their 155s have been completely withdrawn, though.

 

Note that MEG had three of their 155s upgraded with MU controls obtained from retired 143s. The class was not originally equipped for multiple working. 

[tigerburnie]

8 minutes ago, NGT6 1315 said:

 

That was 155 119, numbered 706 by MEG. Their 155s have been completely withdrawn, though.

 

Note that MEG had three of their 155s upgraded with MU controls obtained from retired 143s. The class was not originally equipped for multiple working. 

Did the person who designed those things used to work in a shoe box factory?

[grandadbob]

Evenin' each,

Spent a bit more time on The Buddha but it looks like I've overdone the Milliput so will have to remove some of it tomorrow.  The Boss is pleased with the results so far however she is not pleased with ITVs new programming which means there is now an hour and a half of "news" from 6.00.   This of course means that she has to wait an extra half hour for Emmerdale.   I've just tried to sit through the news but I gave up because so much of it is repetitive.

Much better to spend a few minutes here and then I'll listen to some music accompanied by a second glass of Rioja.

[Grizz]

51 minutes ago, tigerburnie said:

Did the person who designed those things used to work in a shoe box factory?

 

I do quite like the  German class 155s but I can see what you mean about a shoe box shape. 

 

Similarly but perhaps to a slightly less degree the DB class 151? 

 

 

 

Possibly these originated from a similar design school that produced the BR Class 73 Shoe box ??? 

 

Wayne Walsh's photo below...

[simontaylor484]

There is something workman like about those German loco's 

[Coombe Barton]

... Message to students. I am not a sheep and you cannot pull the wool over my eyes ...

 

https://johncolby.wordpress.com/2022/03/17/world-and-uk-cases-markedly-increasing/