WHAT ATTRACTED YOUR ATTENTION TODAY?

[Whyperion]

Australian F1 Race (well qualifying) that I missed. The BBC preview didnt really highlight that there is an Aussie driver participating this year. I always tend to be more interested in the bottom 10 with the hope that the "smaller" teams will get to score points over the year. It was noteworthy that effectively for the qualifyings generally less than 1 second of time covered the entire field of racing cars, which actually shows how good the drivers are and it is often the machinery not quite working at its best that gives a little slow down (plus qualifying some things like wind direction on any one lap can make tiny differences) Of course in a race 1 second leads to a lag of one minute by the end.

[Stanley]

That post from James Belford that sent me upstairs to the index for the first time for a while. A good way of getting rid of half an hour first thing in the morning!

[Whyperion]

F1 is an odd sport , depends so much on what other drivers do (or fail to do) and the weather. Generally the most competent over the day though seems to come through .

Football non-spoiler. Liverpool fail to win the League Cup Final. Nice to see a different team for a while get into Europe for next year and pick up a trophy for this. Money (and where it comes from) aside variety is good.

I wont post links but looks like Oddie's Bakers are back (re) opening a few more branches.
Burnley Council has rejected joining Blackburn in a East Lancashire super council. = I have argued that more use of joint boards for Bin Collections and Legal Services is a good idea , but creating super councils makes democracy too remote. Our local councils long lost the things they used to do -Town Gas, Transport(Trams etc) , Electricity and Water Supply to other agencies leaving really only bins , planning and traffic wardens (plus social services) to worry about.

[Stanley]

Triggered by a post from Wendy I watched the opening race of the F1 season, the first race I have watched for a long time. The rain and frequent changes of leader due to crashes added to the interest but I don't think I shall be coming back to being a regular watcher. Far too frenetic for me these days. I need my entertainment to be slower paced!

[Mags]

We watched it dad, Laura is an avid F1 fan and wants to take Mick to an F1 GP - at some point.

Pity Oscar Piastri spun out it would have been nice to have an aussie win the Australian GP.

One nice scene was Lewis Hamilton's dad giving a hug to a young driver who crashed out of a race.

[Stanley]

I didn't see that Margaret..... We just had edited highlights now that C4 controls the franchise.

[Stanley]

See THIS report from Euronews.....
President Trump's administration has cut off funding for Voice of America, Radio Liberty and other pro-democracy media that broadcast to undemocratic states. The administration of US President Donald Trump has launched a broad cutback of Voice of America, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and other government programmes aimed at defending democracy. The organisation's director said all Voice of America staff have been placed on "administrative" leave. On Friday night, shortly after Congress passed the latest funding bill, Trump instructed his administration to reduce the functions of several agencies to the minimum required by law. These included the U.S. Global Media Agency, a budget-funded government organisation to which the Voice of America, Radio Free Europe and Asia, and Radio Marti, which broadcasts Spanish-language news to Cuba, all report. On Saturday morning, Carey Lake, a failed gubernatorial and US Senate candidate from Arizona whom Trump appointed as a senior adviser to the agency, wrote on website X that employees should check their emails. In another post she described the U.S. Global Media Agency as "the most corrupt agency in Washington DC."
This is vandalism and on a par with the BBC's cuts to the World Service. These broadcasts are the only reliable source of news in many countries and for more than half a century have been seen as a valuable tool to help promote and defend democracy and freedom.
This is rabid ideological action and should be opposed at all costs. (And I include the BBC cuts....)

[Wendyf]

I didn't see that Margaret..... We just had edited highlights now that C4 controls the franchise.

I saw that Margaret, it was a nice moment!

[Whyperion]

See THIS report from Euronews.....
President Trump's administration has cut off funding for Voice of America, Radio Liberty and other pro-democracy media that broadcast to undemocratic states. The administration of US President Donald Trump has launched a broad cutback of Voice of America, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and other government programmes aimed at defending democracy. The organisation's director said all Voice of America staff have been placed on "administrative" leave. On Friday night, shortly after Congress passed the latest funding bill, Trump instructed his administration to reduce the functions of several agencies to the minimum required by law. These included the U.S. Global Media Agency, a budget-funded government organisation to which the Voice of America, Radio Free Europe and Asia, and Radio Marti, which broadcasts Spanish-language news to Cuba, all report. On Saturday morning, Carey Lake, a failed gubernatorial and US Senate candidate from Arizona whom Trump appointed as a senior adviser to the agency, wrote on website X that employees should check their emails. In another post she described the U.S. Global Media Agency as "the most corrupt agency in Washington DC."
This is vandalism and on a par with the BBC's cuts to the World Service. These broadcasts are the only reliable source of news in many countries and for more than half a century have been seen as a valuable tool to help promote and defend democracy and freedom.
This is rabid ideological action and should be opposed at all costs. (And I include the BBC cuts....)

VoA / RFE also have websites and social media presence.

As a thought is it Trump who wants to dominate the world ( who will die at some time , family decendents notwithstanding ) , or Blackrock (who wont) the US - via Blackrock , could easily cut off access to the Panama Canal

[Stanley]

The latest information we have is that more cuts to World Service funding are contemplated in the coming spending review. Remember when we were told that Austerity was ended? It is definitely not over and is if anything increasing. Hands up anyone who thinks there is plenty of money in the system it's just that the distribution of wealth is skewed towards those who already have it.

[Whyperion]

I think you have to blame the Daily Mail (as an example) who moan if taxes go up, who moan if hospital waiting times go up, who moan if scroungers get paid excessive undeserved benefits, who moan if pensioners dont get their triple lock top up , who moan if food prices go up, who moan if rivers are not clean , who moan if there are too many quangos checking on environmental pollution, who moan if no one cleans up fly-tips

[Big Kev]

We both had letters from the Nationwide Building Society today. We're getting £50 each as we have a joint mortgage with them, along with several million others. The payment is related to the purchase of Virgin Money, it's not often we get something for doing nothing and we only just met the criteria as the mortgage is nearly paid.

[Stanley]

It's nice isn't it Kev when you get a windfall! Couldn't happen to a nicer couple!
(Only a week to go before you get blessed relief Kev, I am counting the days.... )

[Big Kev]

It's nice isn't it Kev when you get a windfall! Couldn't happen to a nicer couple!
(Only a week to go before you get blessed relief Kev, I am counting the days.... )

Thank you and yes, I can't wait for the 25th

[Stanley]

[Stanley]

See THIS latest report on Gaza....
Israel says it has extended its ground operations in Gaza, after launching a wave of air strikes that the Hamas-run health ministry says killed more than 430 people in two days. The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said troops had moved in up to the Netzarim Corridor, which divides the north and south of the Strip. The renewed assault on Gaza marks the end of the fragile ceasefire deal that had been in place since January.
It looks like business as usual in Gaza, make it a deserted waste land ready for settlement before the fighting eventually stops.

[Whyperion]

The JFK Files , mostly in the form of unredacted PDFs have been released by the US Govt. Much of the information really was known already with redacted bits of the past mainly to do with CIA methods or persons in attempting to find information by any means.

There does not appear to be any clear answer. Lee Harvey Oswald appears to have been in the Soviet Union on and off, KGB agents have denied he was an agent. It was reported that he was a poor shot. Some people supposedly tipped off or confessed under drugs that JFK and Martin Luther King Jt would be killed , giving the place if not the exact time. So Lone Agent ? KGB or CIA killing? still unknown, but one of those events that totally changed the course of history.

[Whyperion]

I was told the Spring Equinox was this morning at sunrise about 5am. The sun has gained some warmth now and the early daffs are out

[Stanley]

Mail from Susan who is in Sidney. She is impressed by the size of the harbour bridge. I told her to tell Mick that there is a cast iron urinal in its shadow if he needs it!

[Whyperion]

London Heathrow Airport out of action today - following a sub station transformer explosion and fire following. Fumes over Hayes.
I cannot tell if the jets are flying its overcast and the steady stream normally seen are out of vision anyway.

Sabotage is not ruled out in many people's minds. A fairly big bang , but these transformers are oil cooled ( I think transformer oil is rather gooey stuff and gets more runny with heat ) , and would be stepping down from Kv to only low thousands of volts - there would be smaller distribution points down to the 240v or three phase needs around the site.

While it is said electric is off, thats not quite true there are some other supplies from the west at Iver and I would have thought the three standing terminal buildings would not all come off one single supply. supposedly "back up generator" in same compound as transformer and that failed (or failed to be connectable ) , which again I find less usual. Critical buildings might be quarantine centres for animals and temp controlled for food / other goods and medical supplies ?


Well at least drones can fly (with permit) looks like the 2nd stage step down - maybe old age or an over voltage came in ?

[Big Kev]

A while ago I grew some peppers in the kitchen, I've had a few small ones from the plant and they were very tasty. Today I noticed a different pepper lurking behind a big leaf, it's actually on a separate plants in the same pot. A Google search identifies it as a Devil's Tongue Chocolate Chilli, might be a bit lively

IMG_20250321_174417~2.jpg

[Stanley]

OOer! Be careful Mr Hyland! Mind you, it might cure your allergy to pollen if it burns the lining off your mouth!
What grabbed me was a picture of Susan sat on the steps of Sidney Opera House knitting...... I doubt if there's a lot of it about.
Later at 05:00. I have been listening to a World Service programme called 'Unexpected Elements', this morning it's been on 'higher scents. There was a long section on how mummies smell and what it tells us about them. Absolutely fascinating!
Go look for it on BBC sounds, you will not be disappointed.

[Whyperion]

Formula One is still playing early morning and presenting its results on the sport page of the BBC by the time I get active. Sprint race got a few points for finishing orders that were not matched in qualifying. This time qualifying times had a spread of over 1 second, that might be the length of the track , or drivers reporting that it was difficult to "follow" other cars which is interesting as part of F1 supposed design was to make racing closer - but I think rear wing deflections have been stiffend for this week compared to last , maybe that makes enough change. A race track is different to too a street circuit.

[Stanley]

I found THIS interesting....
Israel's Supreme Court has issued an injunction to prevent the head of the nation's security service from being fired by Benjamin Netanyahu. The Israeli cabinet formally approved the early dismissal of Ronen Bar on Thursday night, over the failure to anticipate the 7 October 2023 attack by Hamas. Netanyahu, the prime minister, said in a video statement last week that he intended to sack Mr Bar, citing an "ongoing distrust" between the two that had "grown over time". On Friday, the Supreme Court froze the dismissal until a hearing could be heard on the matter no later than 8 April, according to documents cited in Israeli media.
What fails to get reported in connection with the atrocities in Gaza is the reaction inside Israel. This matter is complicated by the fact that the man was under criticism for the intelligence agency's failure to warm of the attack by HAMAS but is also a symptom of much wider opposition to Netanyahu in Israel.
Despite the need for security there must be people in Israel as dismayed as some of us are with the tactics being used there.

Later I heard this morning that some members of the Knesset have called for a general strike to protest against the sacking.
Later still, I have just heard a very sensible sounding Israeli lady talking about a fraught situation in which the language of civil war is widespread. Netanyahu is alienating a lot of citizens, particularly with his latest move to sack the Attorney General as well as the intelligence chief. He is seen to be getting rid of anyone who opposes him. The campaign against Gaza could yet have a very different ending than what was intended.

[Whyperion]

Is it me or is Trump trying to take absolute power - Judge Issues Judgement against him , Trump Pardons himself - can they do that ?

Formula 1 racing in China - After Two (or with sprint does that make Three?) Races only one team has not scored points , which is interesting. Earlyish to listen to it, will be earlier in two weeks time with BST and the race in Japan (will it be spring rain or will they avoid it this year?)