WHAT ATTRACTED YOUR ATTENTION TODAY?

[Stanley]

Funnily enough it was the Tory leadership race. Mainly because Jenrick sends my crap detector into overdrive..... Cleverly seems to be doing well.....

[Tizer]

Hugo Rifkind regularly makes fun of Jenrick in The Times when he does spoofs on political WhatsApp groups. He's a god send to Hugo!

A good batch of photos here to boost our mental well-being...
`Tadpoles steal show in wildlife photography contest' BBC

[Stanley]

See THIS BBC report on the Tory leadership contest.
The shock at the elimination of James Cleverly was near universal. Not only had he failed to muster the handful of extra votes to make it into the last two, he had actually gone backwards. How on Earth did that happen? In a secret ballot, theories vary, but cock-up attracts more credibility than conspiracy among the various campaigns. Some reckon some Conservative MPs concluded Cleverly was home and dry and so they could afford to vote for someone else, in the hope that contributed to the elimination of the candidate they really didn’t want to make the run-off. Others say the other two campaigns were simply more effective and more persuasive when it really counted.
It doesn't directly affect me but I have a strange feeling that this is not good news for the UK as a whole.....

[Tizer]

I assume someone at the BBC's weather provider thinks this is a joke!...

[Wendyf]

Only 5000 mph here Tizer, you have it much worse down there!

The Colne Library Family History Volunteers were banished from the library yesterday until further notice. The excuse this time being there is no manager at the moment and no prospect of one being employed until after April 2025. We can go in as individuals but not as Volunteers. After all the fuss last year when we were pressured into becoming official LCC Volunteers it's an absolute farce. We are hoping to use a room in the town hall instead and have handed in our badges and guns!

[Tizer]

I'm sorry to hear that Wendy. Times and attitudes have certainly changed at libraries. When Terry Pratchett was still in short trousers he spent so much time in his local library in Beaconsfield that they unofficially recruited him and let him stamp users books at the front desk! Our Taunton Library is good but the web site is a general one covering a group of counties in the south west. They recently shut it down for months while a brand new super-duper web site was set up. It was opened some months ago but still doesn't work properly. A group of little Pratchetts would have done a better job!

[Big Kev]

It was opened some months ago but still doesn't work properly. A group of little Pratchetts would have done a better job!

Probably designed and built by a 'spotty oick' who's never set foot in a library.

[Tizer]

There are so many things going wrong now that I believe the statement that the chief of MI5 put out this week needs taking very seriously. Britain is now being attacked by Russia, China, Iran and North Korea not with bombs and missiles from outside but by disruption and destruction of our infrastructure and vital systems from the inside. Much of it can be initiated from outside the UK but the effects are here and now. This is when the closed autocratic regimes have big advantages over our liberal democratic institutions. We're going to feel it increasingly in the disruption to our daily lives and the rapid spread of disinformation. And unlike Covid, we don't have a vaccine against it.

Now for something lighter...
`Nostalgic 1950s photos that were almost lost forever' BBC

[Tripps]

And unlike Covid, we don't have a vaccine against it.

Would that be the "vaccine" that does not prevent the infection or its transmission?

That MI5 chap didn't look like I imagined "M" to be, did he? He looked a bit callow to me. I remain to be convinced that a group of "far right" children is much of a threat to me.

He did however admit that "Counter-terrorism work remained split between "75% Islamist extremism, 25% extreme right-wing terrorism".

[Stanley]

The BBC apologised for the glitch in the weather forecast that gave Peter hurricane force winds.

[Tizer]

The BBC apologised for the glitch in the weather forecast that gave Peter hurricane force winds.

And it gave the same for about 50 other countries worldwide. Slightly embarrassing for the business that supplies the weather forecast for the BBC!

He did however admit that "Counter-terrorism work remained split between "75% Islamist extremism, 25% extreme right-wing terrorism".

I wonder who is the ultimate funder of all that terrorism directed against the `liberal west'?

[Stanley]

I suspect the error in the forecasts is due to insufficient editing of output. Staff have been cut so much.

[Tizer]

First sighting of Russia S-70 stealth combat drone, as big as a fighter jet...
`Mystery of Russia's secret weapon downed in Ukraine' LINK

[Stanley]

I read the report Peter and I think you are right about the attacks by Russia being not only on Ukraine but on us as well. Things have changed, the outbreak of war to me is a direct attack by a foreign power. Nowadays we suffer cyber attacks but these, though just as damaging, don't fill the old criteria and so are not described as war.
Perhaps we will never see 'war', like the one I grew up with, again. It's very confusing for us crumblies......

[Stanley]

Just heard that Bells on Sunday, a regular item on R4, is coming from Barlick this morning.

[Cathy]

I had a listen Stanley.
.
Isn’t the internet wonderful.

[Stanley]

Wonderful Cathy! Did you notice that only the 6 heaviest bells were rung in the peal? They must have been short of a couple of campanologists.

[Tizer]

While on holiday in North Devon we visited Watermouth Cove, a tiny inlet and favourite of boaters, located between Ilfracombe and Combe Martin. It's known for the Boat Cafe, a boat which has been lifted from the water onto the beach and turned into a cafe. It has an outside area but we went inside where many of the boat fittings are still in place and there are tables and chairs. A great place for tea and a bun! (Note the name on the boat!) The sea is immediately off to the left and behind me when I took the photo were many yachts. A lot of work is done on boats and there was a big artic pulling a flatbed trailer with a large motor boat arrived for restoration.

[Tripps]

I watched the take off of Elon Musk's latest rocket today. I heard it was the biggest rocket ever to take off, and was latest in a series. One previous had failed, and blown up. The aim was eventually to get them so large, that they could carry 100 astronauts at a time and up to 200 tonnes of cargo.

I saw an interview recently with Musk, who I learn is American for several generations back, and currently has twelve children. Seemed like a decent cove.

Back to the rocket. We're told the first stage of the launcher will (if all goes well) return to earth under control. Not just to earth, but to the actual launch pad from which it took off, and slot into the cradle ready for another take off. A likely story thinks I.

Now I've just seen the whole thing actually happen! Straight back to the launcher, ready for tomorrow's take off. I've seen it - and I still don't believe it.

The Government is holding a conference tomorrow - with a view to encouraging foreign investors to invest in UK and get some of the growth upon which their economic programme depends on. They have deliberately not invited Elon Musk. (He was there last year. )

Meanwhile the Transport Minister (the one with the bright red dyed hair) says she is boycotting P&O and encouraging others to do the same. P&O say 'OK forget our £1 billion plan for a new terminal'. Sir Keir denies this is Government policy, and pacifies P&O. Phew. . .After fourteen years in the waiting room - they haven't quite got this 'governing' thing yet have they?

PS Watch the landing. Must be AI. Too good to be true.

[Stanley]

"they haven't quite got this 'governing' thing yet have they? "
I think that's an understatement David. And they aren't showing any signs of improvement either.....
I agree with you about the starship.... It must be mind-boggling level complicated to get the launcher to return like that.
(Boing must be chewing bricks as they watch it!)

[PanBiker]

Now I've just seen the whole thing actually happen! Straight back to the launcher, ready for tomorrow's take off. I've seen it - and I still don't believe it.

I have seen a number of videos of previous test flights over the last 18 months or so of both failures and a number of successful landings. I don't think they have faked any of them.

Very reminiscent of the early days of the US space program who had lots of failures of what were effectively ballistic missile launch systems pressed into service as space launch vehicles through paranoia after the Russians put Sputnik into orbit up shortly followed by Laika the dog and then Yuri Gagarin and Valentina Tereshkova. They finally cracked it with a short sub orbital flight for Alan Shepard before getting John Glenn into orbit with the renamed Mercury programme. Still on ballistic missile launchers.

Werner got a budget and then along came Apollo.

I assume that you are not a moon landing conspirator or that the earth is flat?

[Tripps]

I have seen a number of videos of previous test flights over the last 18 months or so of both failures and a number of successful landings. I don't think they have faked any of them.

I agree - neither do I.

My remark

I've seen it - and I still don't believe it.

- (not meant to be taken literally - still not sure how to indicate that ) was one of astonishment at the achievement; not any sort of conspiracy theory. How they achieved that level of control whilst not setting fire to the whole caboodle is amazing. I bow to your greater in depth knowledge of the subject. I remain sceptical that it will progress much further. Why on earth would anyone want to colonise the Moon ? Could you still connect to wifi for instance, and watch drama and get the news on BBC TV. Where would you charge your smartphone?, and I read that the night time temperature on Mars is -73degrees C. Brrrrr

[Tripps]

Happy birthday Cathy. . . By the standards of this site - th'art nobbut a youngster.

Many happy returns.

[Wendyf]

Happy Birthday Cathy! Hope you have had a good one.

[Big Kev]

Ditto Cathy