Early Risers.

[Gwiwer]

5 hours ago, polybear said:

BA Business Class, maybe 1st.

Return trip Dubai - LHR

Airmiles Calculator = Kerching........

 

"Climate Minister Graham Stuart flew back from the COP28 conference in Dubai to take part in a crunch Commons vote on the government's Rwanda bill.

Mr Stuart is due to return to the Dubai summit after the vote - a round trip of 6,824 miles."

Why are such gatherings not now dealt with via one of the online platforms?  

 

It flies (pun intended) in the face of "climate awareness" to have so many folks flying so far to discuss ..... errr ..... the essential changes in our way of life if we are to survive even the next few years.  Racking up air miles and burning jet fuel doesn't cut it when alternatives are available.  

 

I'm not advocating wholesale and instant abandonment of the aviation industry.  More like thinking twice before making a trip.  Especially when you are very much under public scrutiny.  

 

WWGS?

 

The G being a certain Ms. Thunberg.  

[Andy Hayter]

All this talk of abstemious use of the airways makes me feel very guilty - albeit that the vast majority were done as part of my work.

 

I was once accosted in Frankfurt Airport by one of these folk doing surveys.  When we got to the question, how many air trips had I done in the last year, she was shocked when I answered about 50.  No, No.  Trips - there and back is just one trip.  Yes indeed I  replied and I haven't included the extra flights where I have had to change planes en-route because there is no direct flight. 

 

However, because these were all short haul and because of the routes meant I had to use different airlines (including low cost), I never accumulated a mass of air miles.

[monkeysarefun]

Sydney - Melbourne pre-pandemic was in the top five busiest air routes in the world,  it was pretty ridiculous, people would brag about how short the meeting was that they'd had to fly down to attend. 

 

Then when lockdown happened and all  inter-state travel was banned for pretty much 12 months  everyone seemed to survive ok and it was assumed that all the lockdown measures like zoom meetings, conference calls etc would permanently replace  the necessity to travel.

 

But looking at the latest figures, it seems Sydney - Melbourne is back in the top 5 again along with  various Asian routes. Maybe its international tourists or something, though  I can understand a tourist  wanting to go from Melbourne to Sydney, but not Sydney to Melbourne!

Edited December 13, 2023 by monkeysarefun

[Hroth]

I ordered an item containing parallel pieces of nickel silver on Sunday. The vendor emailed to say it had been dispatched yesterday with an RM tracking code.  Just checked the code and got this message from RM

 

Quote

We have your item at a Royal Mail site and it's on its way.

 

WTF is a "Royal Mail site"?  They usually give some indication of which sorting centre/hub the package is residing at....

 

Odd!

 

Its now 20:37 and being displayed as being at a recognisable Mail Centre.

 

Quote

Your item has reached Chester MC and will now be sent to your local delivery office

 

That means it should be delivered sometime tomorrow.  Seeing as I'm still feeling yuck there's a fair chance that I'll actually get my hands on it!

 

It arrived at 8:27am this morning (14th). Good thing I was up and ready!

 

 

Edited December 14, 2023 by Hroth
Update! Update 2!!

[TheQ]

Yep that's what a parcel of mine said yesterday, today is gives delivery 10:00 to 14:00 Thursday.

[jjb1970]

31 minutes ago, Gwiwer said:

Why are such gatherings not now dealt with via one of the online platforms?  

 

It flies (pun intended) in the face of "climate awareness" to have so many folks flying so far to discuss ..... errr ..... the essential changes in our way of life if we are to survive even the next few years.  Racking up air miles and burning jet fuel doesn't cut it when alternatives are available.  

 

I'm not advocating wholesale and instant abandonment of the aviation industry.  More like thinking twice before making a trip.  Especially when you are very much under public scrutiny.  

 

WWGS?

 

The G being a certain Ms. Thunberg.  

 

That was done by most UN agencies during the pandemic and was a nightmare. Meetings were truncated because of the difficulty created by time zones, and most agreements are developed in side meetings and in corners of the room and there are issues with speaking freely and negotiating on platforms which anyone could be recording and sharing in real time. What is an issue is why so many attend. COP is notorious, thousands attend and only a small percentage contribute anything useful and need to be there. And it's not just governments and lobbyists, it doesn't impress me to fly lots of environmentalists around the world just so they can wave placards about the evils of flying etc. Not that I am cynical or anything. I quite deliberately avoid COP as not only is there no point when I wouldn't contribute anything but I hate the whole atmosphere.

[PhilJ W]

Afternoon all from Estuary-Land. The package arrived on time and in order, thanks DPD. Only problem was I was expecting two items. I checked with DPD and they confirmed there was only one package. Then I checked with the vendor who then said the other item was out of stock and won't be available until after Christmas.🥵

[iL Dottore]

5 hours ago, Hroth said:

...Once the models would be used to tell the story of shipbuilding, shipping lines and international trade.  Now the emphasis is on simplistic stories of the lives of labourers in shipyards and sailors at sea and the larger picture is swept away to accommodate this paradigm shift.

 

Even disregarding the "on message" trend of disparaging anything and everything that Western European Civilization has accomplished since the Age of Enlightenment (something that has truly and thoroughly contaminated Academia and Curatorship in the US and UK), what has replaced "old fashioned" museum curation is so simplistic and dumbed down that the contents wouldn't even challenge a moderately bright 10-year old. I suspect, deep down, these "with it" and "on message" curators secretly despise the majority of museum goers, dismissing them as thickos...

 

Remember when museums, like the Maritime Museum and The Science Museum in London would challenge the visitor's intellect - encouraging people to go away and want to find out more???

 

Edited December 13, 2023 by iL Dottore
Clarification

[Gwiwer]

1 hour ago, Andy Hayter said:

All this talk of abstemious use of the airways makes me feel very guilty - albeit that the vast majority were done as part of my work.

 

1 hour ago, jjb1970 said:

COP is notorious, thousands attend and only a small percentage contribute anything useful

Dr. SWMBO was invited to attend COP26 in Glasgow as a part of the official Royal Botanic Gardens Kew party. They had a stand in one of the halls but no access to anything meaningful. 
 

She was offered return flights between London and Glasgow on a daily basis.  She elected to take the train and stay over for a few nights. The train fare was covered; the accommodation wasn’t because “it was not essential” since she had the option to fly up and back daily. 
 

The Hill of Strawberries to Heathrow is around 45 minutes by Uber. Had I not been at work myself I could have taken her. Instead she walked the 100m to the station, boarded a train, connected by tube and took another train. The only transport she needed was locally in Glasgow and that was provided by an official COP vehicle with clearance to enter the site. 
 

She has quietly played a big part in the display Kew has at COP28 but declined the invitation to attend. For all sorts of professional, ethical and personal reasons. 
 

She didn’t see anyone of significance in Glasgow. Only the other exhibitors, some press and a few suited / frocked nobodies came by. 
 

 

[Gwiwer]

1 hour ago, monkeysarefun said:

  I can understand a tourist  wanting to go from Melbourne to Sydney, but not Sydney to Melbourne

It was said to be the busiest domestic air corridor in the world for a while during our time there. 
 

Flights between the two main airports were at least three an hour rising to as many as five at peak business times. 
 

You could choose from QANTAS, Jetstar (the QANTAS no-frills operation), Virgin Blue and Tiger Airways. Virgin filled the void left by the collapse of Ansett. 
 

You could pre-book and get a guaranteed flight, fare and seat or you could just turn up and pay at the desk (not usually a cheap option) and go on the next flight with a spare seat or no-show. I know people who did that and who claim to have managed city centre to city centre in just two hours. The flights are about an hour.  
 

I would visit Sydney again. But only if I had an onward ticket. It’s not a place I would choose to stay in. 

[iL Dottore]

8 hours ago, polybear said:

  It's all the chemicals n' pesticides ( © @iL Dottore) doing it's stuff, see.....

[tigerburnie]

1 hour ago, Hroth said:

I ordered an item containing parallel pieces of nickel silver on Sunday. The vendor emailed to say it had been dispatched yesterday with an RM tracking code.  Just checked the code and got this message from RM

 

 

WTF is a "Royal Mail site"?  They usually give some indication of which sorting centre/hub the package is residing at....

 

Odd!

 

My wife got a message to say her parcel was in an aeroplane!!

[NGT6 1315]

23 minutes ago, Gwiwer said:

 

Dr. SWMBO was invited to attend COP26 in Glasgow as a part of the official Royal Botanic Gardens Kew party. They had a stand in one of the halls but no access to anything meaningful. 
 

She was offered return flights between London and Glasgow on a daily basis.  She elected to take the train and stay over for a few nights. The train fare was covered; the accommodation wasn’t because “it was not essential” since she had the option to fly up and back daily. 

 

Do people who come up with such arguments even believe what they're saying? 🤨

[TheQ]

30 minutes ago, Gwiwer said:

 

Dr. SWMBO was invited to attend COP26 in Glasgow as a part of the official Royal Botanic Gardens Kew party. They had a stand in one of the halls but no access to anything meaningful. 
 

She was offered return flights between London and Glasgow on a daily basis.  She elected to take the train and stay over for a few nights. The train fare was covered; the accommodation wasn’t because “it was not essential” since she had the option to fly up and back daily. 
 

The Hill of Strawberries to Heathrow is around 45 minutes by Uber. Had I not been at work myself I could have taken her. Instead she walked the 100m to the station, boarded a train, connected by tube and took another train. The only transport she needed was locally in Glasgow and that was provided by an official COP vehicle with clearance to enter the site. 
 

She has quietly played a big part in the display Kew has at COP28 but declined the invitation to attend. For all sorts of professional, ethical and personal reasons. 
 

She didn’t see anyone of significance in Glasgow. Only the other exhibitors, some press and a few suited / frocked nobodies came by. 
 

 

Very like when I worked for GEC, someone threw a wobbly about the overtime we were getting driving back from somewhere after a task.

So we had to stay in a hotel overnight, plus getting meals on the drive back.. guess which cost more!!!.

[iL Dottore]

8 hours ago, TheQ said:

I've flown  28 times in my life...

28 Flights? Counting from January 1st onwards, during my busiest year (when travelling a lot for business) I would have completed 28 flights by mid/end of March.

 

Online meetings/zoom calls are OK for updates and "state of play" discussions, but I've found that for serious decision making then only a F2F will do. And even then, the real work (decisions, "horse-trading") gets done informally over coffee breaks and dinners (the reason being that in a formal meeting, around the table, you can get locked into a position, but over coffee or drinks you can explore alternatives and fine tuning without "loosing face" or appearing to "give in"). Of course this assumes that the ones meeting F2F are the ones with the power and decision making to actually make binding decisions...

 

Whilst I appreciate the anger at "celebs" - who preach the Gospel of "Everyone Must Stop Flying In Order Save The planet" whilst taking their private jet and flying to one "important meeting" after another, I do think the Aviation Industry gets blamed unfairly for CO2 emissions. Creating more CO2 than aviation are such industries as energy (heating & lighting [electricity] generation), fashion (10% of annual carbon footprint), construction and agriculture.

I don't see anyone giving up a dry and well built house, warm and well lit, clothes on their back and food on the table (as can be seen in the diagram above cement manufacture and usage alone is 2.9 times more than aviation).

 

I think that the BIGGEST thing we can do to improve our environmental impact is build to last and build to be repairable. And any company (like Smart Phone companies) that heavily promote the immediate replacement of perfectly functional items by almost identical items that have a few tweaks should be either penalized or be subject to special "taxes to offset the CO2 impact".

 

A decent public transportation would help as well.

 

 

 

Edited December 13, 2023 by iL Dottore
Clarification

[DaveF]

All I wish is that "spokespersons", "celebrities" and "politicians" would learn a few facts before they open their mouths - and not just about climate issues.  I've never even heard of most so called celebrities.

 

I was reading recently we shouldn't eat beef because of the methane emissions.  In the same magazine I read that using cattle to graze on conservation land is good as the trampling and grass eating allows other plants and small animals to increase in numbers.

 

Now which is sensible or right?

 

Back to my day.

 

This afternoon I have cleaned the grout in the bathroom and decided which bits need attention, quite an easy little job for the near future, I have some spare grout.  I also decided to look at the black bits of mould which always appear at this time of year on some of the sealant around windows and doors where condensation occurs on cold nights.  The "correct" stuff has been used  though ordinary bleach would do as well, it is what I used to use.  In due course I will remove the old sealant and replace it because there are always some black bits left.

 

The other solution would be to have more modern even better insulated windows where no condensation ever happens - using more resources, emitting more CO2 to make them and costing a lot of money.  I have never seen a house where there is never condensation in some weather.

 

Next will be some tea then probably continuing to read a book and listen to music, unless there is something on the German/Austrian channels.  Last night I found a pleasant programme of local advent music on an Austrian channel - I did wonder if British TV would show children pretending to drink schnapps and take snuff when talking about Christmas celeebrations on their farms.  After that I watched the French TV version of Maigret on TPTV - and the English subtitles were useful - my French is not what it was.

 

David

 

 

[New Haven Neil]

A friend of mine flies a lot, he's in 'meeja', has his own company but works mostly for a 'well known global company' HQ'd in Japan.  The time zone thing is his major problem, especially when dealing with the USA who seem oblivious to such things, despite their own country having several.  Asia is never an issue, they respect working times elsewhere but the US drive him mad. When it gets really silly he flies over there to sort it  out.

[Tony_S]

I have spent a day in the city. To be precise , sitting in a car dealership in Chelmsford. I took the car in Tuesday last week for its annual service , MoT and some brake replacememt. I also booked an air con service as Aditi thinks my car affects her asthma. I think she need a an asthma review! Anyway the brake parts didn’t come in until Monday. I got a call this morning saying I could collect it.So,Aditi took me to Chelmsford expecting to see me me back home about 30 minutes later. So I paid and then I asked when will the “service required” message on the phone app extinguish. The service agent said he would go and look and see what the car itself was displaying. Service overdue. He took it back to the workshop but they couldn’t reset it. The senior service manager tried and he then stated looking at the computer that he could find no evidence it had been serviced. The additional tasks (brakes, aircon and MoT) had been done. The allocated technician (not at work today) had no recollection of doing the routine service. So they did it while I waited. Yes, I did get a substantial discount! At least the premises are very comfortable. I read a few model railway magazines on my phone and watched some of the programmes on the waiting area television. It was on the main ITV channel. 
I arrived home just as the children were let out from the nearby school. A vehicle parked opposite my drive looked more abandoned than parked but by going past my house and approaching from the other direction I did get  onto my drive. The man who returned to the minibus had quite a lot of children so perhaps he was tired.  

Edited December 13, 2023 by Tony_S

[monkeysarefun]

3 hours ago, Gwiwer said:

It was said to be the busiest domestic air corridor in the world for a while during our time there. 
 

Flights between the two main airports were at least three an hour rising to as many as five at peak business times. 
 

You could choose from QANTAS, Jetstar (the QANTAS no-frills operation), Virgin Blue and Tiger Airways. Virgin filled the void left by the collapse of Ansett. 
 

You could pre-book and get a guaranteed flight, fare and seat or you could just turn up and pay at the desk (not usually a cheap option) and go on the next flight with a spare seat or no-show. I know people who did that and who claim to have managed city centre to city centre in just two hours. The flights are about an hour.  
 

I would visit Sydney again. But only if I had an onward ticket. It’s not a place I would choose to stay in. 

Well they do say Sydney is for visiting, Melbourne is for living in!.

 

 

 

 

Just checked, The Economist reckons Melbourne beat us so it must be true.

 

https://www.euronews.com/next/2023/08/18/vienna-named-worlds-most-liveable-city-again-in-2023-other-european-cities-slipped-out-of-#:~:text=Other European cities slipped out of top 10,-Vienna is one&text=Vienna has retained its crown,according to Economist's annual index.

Edited December 13, 2023 by monkeysarefun

[grandadbob]

Evening each'

AWOL this morning,  just didn't get a round tuit.

The Boss visited the dental mechanic this morning, only one small filling needed.  I had a check up a few weeks ago but I suppose, just so that I wouldn't feel left out and neglected, this afternoon I managed to break a tooth.  Multiple curses of the turdy kind.  An appointment has been made for 09.00 tomorrow to try and sort it out.  I have a horrible feeling that this one might be a problem.

New lounge furniture is due tomorrow and a delivery "slot" has been given of 13.00 to 19.00.  Apparently we will be kept up to date with progress throughout the day when a more accurate time will be given.  A booking has been made with the local council to collect the old stuff on Monday.  (£35  for up to 3 large items)

Nothing else to report so farewell for now.

 

 

Edited December 13, 2023 by grandadbob

[DaveF]

I've received a text from Scottish Power asking me if I want to take part in energy use reduction sessions to help reduce demand during peak periods from time to time.  Signing up was easy, I just needed my MPAN from a bill and part of the MAC code from my monitor.

 

They will send notifications in advance to my phone.

 

The reward is in the form of an e-gift card, the amount will depend on how many points I earn.  I am already at the "low user" end of the scale and I rarely cook or wash things in the early evening, but I will see what happens.

 

David

Edited December 13, 2023 by DaveF

[polybear]

7 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

I wonder what happens to such models when businesses change or close? There were quite a few coal merchants attached to railway goods yards  and quite often they had a large scale model wagon in their livery in the window. A few of the ship models have escaped to museums but I have seen few if any of the coal wagons saved.

 

End up in someone's house, depending on the scale.  Or in a skip somewhere....

 

1 hour ago, Tony_S said:

I have spent a day in the city. To be precise , sitting in a car dealership in Chelmsford. I took the car in Tuesday last week for its annual service , MoT and some brake replacememt. I also booked an air con service as Aditi thinks my car affects her asthma. I think she need a an asthma review! Anyway the brake parts didn’t come in until Monday. I got a call this morning saying I could collect it.So,Aditi took me to Chelmsford expecting to see me me back home about 30 minutes later. So I paid and then I asked when will the “service required” message on the phone app extinguish. The service agent said he would go and look and see what the car itself was displaying. Service overdue. He took it back to the workshop but they couldn’t reset it. The senior service manager tried and he then stated looking at the computer that he could find no evidence it had been serviced. The additional tasks (brakes, aircon and MoT) had been done. The allocated technician (not at work today) had no recollection of doing the routine service. So they did it while I waited. Yes, I did get a substantial discount!

 

That's bad BAD.  If it hadn't been for that message they probably would've charged you for a service that hadn't been carried out.  Once upon a time it was usually easy to scratch an oil filter to make sure it had been changed - now it's a real job to even find the oil filter......

[Coombe Barton]

9 hours ago, jamie92208 said:

There are more men in prison because they upset a woman than for any other reason

Or, in history, worse. Take Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester ...

 

 

Edited December 13, 2023 by Coombe Barton
autocorrect

[Hroth]

14 minutes ago, grandadbob said:

Evening each'

AWOL this morning,  just didn't get a round tuit.

The Boss visited the dental mechanic this morning, only one small filling needed.  I had a check up a few weeks ago but I suppose, just so that I wouldn't feel left out and neglected, this afternoon I managed to break a tooth.  Multiple curses of the turdy kind.  An appointment has been made for 09.00 tomorrow to try and sort it out.  I have a horrible feeling that this one might be a problem.

New lounge furniture is due tomorrow and a delivery "slot" has been given of 13.00 to 19.00.  Apparently we will be kept up to date with progress throughout the day when a more accurate time will be given.  A booking has been made with the local council to collect the old stuff on Monday.  (£35  for up to 3 large items)

Nothing else to report so farewell for now.

 

 

 

In the olden days, a dental mechanic was the bloke who actually made your false teeth to the prescription of the dental surgeon, who would be mortified to be so called.  Of course, job description inflation made the old designation obsolete, they became dental technicians and now, because they have to meet higher educational qualifications I believe they might be called dental technologists.

 

Meanwhile the poor fang farrier is still Mr dental surgeon...  Fang Farrier is a good colloquial name for them!

[The Lurker]

I think the biggest thing we could do for the planet is stop having so many children. There is something irksome with all these celebrities and their vast families. It makes the aspirational classes want big families too.

 

i think Sir David Attenborough said it one of his shows but it doesn’t get repeated.

 

controversially, the Chinese one child policy probably delayed some of the warming.

 

and that is probably a little too political for which I apologise