WHAT ATTRACTED YOUR ATTENTION TODAY?

[Stanley]

I#m sorry to say that esoteric discussions like the above about the possibilities of combinations of ID cards and technology being a path towards over-regulation leave me cold on the grounds that by the time it happens (if it does) I shall be pushing up daisies.
I also believe that the view of the government on car ownership that it was a good way to get extra tax revenue out of the public has changed and that the aim now is to price car ownership and usage beyond the means of the majority of the population.

[Stanley]

I think THIS merits a bit of time to read it. I rate Simpson....
I've reported on more than 40 wars around the world during my career, which goes back to the 1960s. I watched the Cold War reach its height, then simply evaporate. But I've never seen a year quite as worrying as 2025 has been - not just because several major conflicts are raging but because it is becoming clear that one of them has geopolitical implications of unparalleled importance. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that the current conflict in his country could escalate into a world war. After nearly 60 years of observing conflict, I've got a nasty feeling he's right. Nato governments are on high alert for any signs that Russia is cutting the undersea cables that carry the electronic traffic that keeps Western society going. Their drones are accused of testing the defences of Nato countries. Their hackers develop ways of putting ministries, emergency services and huge corporations out of operation. Authorities in the west are certain Russia's secret services murder and attempt to murder dissidents who have taken refuge in the West. An inquiry into the attempted murder in Salisbury of the former Russian intelligence agent Sergei Skripal in 2018 (plus the actual fatal poisoning of a local woman, Dawn Sturgess) concluded that the attack had been agreed at the highest level in Russia. That means President Putin himself.
There is more and it makes chilling reading. This man is not a sensationalist and his opinion should be respected.

[Tizer]

On a more positive note a recent Times article noted how the UK military's training and cooperation with Ukrainian military since the beginning of the Ukraine war have been benefits for both sides. For the Ukrainians it's obvious, for the Brits less obvious but it's there, nevertheless. Our military now understands well the modern `hybrid' warfare and has been quietly developing new weapons and new ways of fighting a war. An example is the development of very small unmanned submersibles, partly remotely controlled and partly autonomous, that will stay out at sea for long periods monitoring and reporting activities near undersea cables.

But I really popped into this thread to show what caught my attention today - these lovely photos...
`Photographing the hidden world of slime mould' LINK

[Stanley]

That's a world I never knew existed Peter.... I shall never look at mould again without remembering those pics!

[Stanley]

See THIS News about the deployment of National Guard troops in Democratic run cities....
US President Donald Trump has said he is withdrawing National Guard troops from several US cities, including Chicago and Los Angeles, after a Supreme Court ruling last week undermined his authority to use troops for policing. "We will come back, perhaps in a much different and stronger form, when crime begins to soar again," Trump wrote on Truth Social on New Year's Eve. Earlier on Tuesday, the Trump administration withdrew its legal attempts to keep control of troops deployed in LA. Last week, the Supreme Court ruled that Trump could not use troops in Chicago for domestic law enforcement. Trump's statement also mentioned Portland, Oregon, but not Washington DC, where troops remain on patrol. Trump decision to order the deployment of National Guard troops to Democratic-run cities set off a series of legal cases challenging his authority to do so. The troops are normally under the authority of state governors. Hundreds of troops had been sent to Chicago and Portland, but had not yet been assigned to patrol city streets, as the legal challenges played out in court. Trump has said the troops are needed to enforce the law and crackdown on crime and illegal immigration. Critics deny that the troops are necessary, and accuse Trump of attempting an "authoritarian" crackdown, which threatens democracy. The Supreme Court ruled last week in Trump v Illinois that the president did not have the authority to send troops into Chicago. Earlier on Tuesday, the Trump administration withdrew a legal motion in California, seeking to keep the troops under Trump's control. California Governor Gavin Newsom praised the move, posting on X: "This admission by Trump and his occult cabinet members means this illegal intimidation tactic will finally come to an end." He said Trump's announcement of a troop withdrawal from US cities "is the political version of 'you can't fire me, I quit.'" Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson praised the Supreme Court ruling last week, saying telling MS Now "there is at least another branch of government that recognises that the overreach by the president is a real threat to our democracy".
Is the Orange one getting the message, that he is not all-powerful?

[Tizer]

The graphics in this article illustrate Trump's descent...
`Tracking the presidency: 346 days into Donald Trump's term' The Economist

[Stanley]

Thanks for that Peter.... couldn't happen to a nicer bloke!

See THIS weather warning.....
Amber severe weather warnings for snow and ice have been issued by the Met Office with numerous other yellow warnings across the United Kingdom as we start the new year. Arctic air is spreading across the UK with the beginning of a lengthy period of colder weather. With lower temperatures, amber cold health alerts from the UK's Health Security Agency (UKHSA) cover the whole of England. There could be some disruption to travel plans as the wintry weather and warnings continue into the weekend.
It starts today, adding in the wind chill we get -8C today. Take notice!
(If your condensate outlet from your condensing boiler isn't insulated, keep an eye on it. If it ices up it shuts your boiler down.)

[Stanley]

See THIS update on the weather.
Snow and ice warnings have been issued for much of the UK over the weekend and beyond. Amber snow warnings are in effect for Scotland from midday Friday until noon on Saturday. Yellow snow and ice warnings are in place across the south-west, north-west and east coast of England, and Wales and Northern Ireland, until Monday. Heavy snowfall has already covered parts of Scotland, with the Met Office predicting up to 40cm (15in) there and 5cm across England and Wales. Travel delays and cancellations, disruption on the roads and power cuts are expected.

I saw another report of Yorkshire police searching for two people who had entered the sea off the coast near Withernsea. One man was recovered but is dead the search continues.
My thought is of course 'Why were they in the water in the first place?'

[Stanley]

See THIS CNN report on air activity in Venezuela...

Caracas — A CNN team witnessed several explosions early Saturday in Caracas, and reported that some areas of the city were without electricity. The first blast was recorded at approximately 1.50am local time (0.50aET). “One was so strong, my window was shaking after it,” CNNE correspondent Osmary Hernandez said. Several areas of the city were without power and CNN journalists in the Venezuelan capital could hear sound of aircraft after the explosions. The cause of the explosions was unclear. One video obtained and verified by CNN showed two plumes of smoke rising into the night sky amid city lights. An orange glow can be seen at the base of one of the plumes. Then a flash in another location is briefly seen, followed by a dull booming sound. Venezuelan news outlets Efecto Cocuyo and Tal Cual Digital reported explosions were also heard in La Guaira state north of Caracas and on the country’s coast, and at Higuerote a city on the coast in Miranda state. US President Donald Trump has repeatedly warned that the US is preparing to take new action against alleged drug trafficking networks in Venezuela and that strikes on land will start “soon.”
Too early to start floating opinions, we need to know a lot more.

[Tizer]

`This is an event without modern precedent' BBC Live
If, as claimed, the US has sent Delta Force into the heart of the Venezuelan capital and extracted the sitting president, along with his wife, it is unlike anything we have seen before. The closest comparison would be the capture of Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega, also by special forces, on this very day in 1990.

[Stanley]

I can't believe that this is happening. As I said earlier, I need more information. It feels like smash and grab......

[Tripps]

I was initially staggered when I heard about what has happened in Venezuela. However after some thought -

I was also very surprised that Venezuela hasd more oil reserves than Saudi Arabia, yet the economy was in ruins, and many had fled the country as economic refugees. I watched some videos from "Bald and Bankrupt" on Youtube a few years ago (recommended) when he travelled around South America, Most of the refugees he spoke to on his travels were from Venezuela.

Now we are reminded that a similar course of events was applied to Panama a few years ago. George HW Bush was President then. PanamaTheir former President Noriega is now in an American jail, and the earth still spins on its axis.

It will be interesting to see the reaction of the poor in Venezuela and the American public, and especially Republican politicians. I suspect the latter wouon't be bothered, and a lot of the former will welcome it.

We shall see. . . .

PS There is absolutely no truth in the rumour that this statenment has been issued by Sir Keir Rodney Starmer -

"It is a top priority of my government to secure the release of President Maduro and his wife from an American prison and to get them back with their loved ones in the United Kingdom. I have tasked the Home & Foreign Secretaries with fast tracking British citizenship for him and first lady and their junta. I want to pay tribute to his family and all those who are working tirelessly on bringing this to fruition.




PS later I went to Youtube, and there waiting for me was "Bald and Bankrupt". I haven't watched him for ages, and he is not to active these days. Once again it feels a bit spooky. Not sure of the date of this visit to Caracas - but he speaks more of Hugo Chavez than Maduro. Worth a look though to get a feel for the place, and the people. B & B visits Caracas Venezuela

[Tizer]

Mad Dog Trump may have `captured Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro and his wife' but I doubt that Trump will want Maduro to be replaced by María Corina Machado Parisca, the Venezuelan activist and prominent leader of the opposition - after all she `stole' Trump's Nobel Peace Prize.

[Stanley]

See THIS for an attempt to explain Trump's madness.
The US has captured Venezuela's President Nicolás Maduro after a large-scale strike on the South American country, US President Donald Trump has said. Trump said Venezuela's left-wing president and his wife were flown out in a military operation carried out in conjunction with US law enforcement. They have been charged with drug and weapons offences in New York. It comes after explosions were reported across the capital Caracas in the early hours of Saturday morning, including at military bases. The Venezuelan government deployed its armed forces and declared a national emergency. Maduro's capture comes after heightened tensions between the two countries, with Washington striking boats in the Caribbean it says are being used to carry drugs. The US has accused the Venezuelan president of being personally involved in drug-smuggling and being an illegitimate leader, while Maduro has accused the US of intimidation and wanting to seize its oil. Trump during a news conference on Saturday said the US would "run" Venezuela "until a safe and proper and judicious transition", adding that American oil companies would also move into the country. Here is what we know so far.
There follows an article attempting clarification of what is happening.
This may be as close to a valid reason for what looks like naked aggression as any....
Trump also said American oil companies would move in to fix infrastructure "and start making money for the country". He said "we're going to be taking a tremendous amount of wealth from the ground" which would go to people in Venezuela and to the US, adding "we're going to get reimbursed for everything we've spent". He also said the US would sell oil to other countries. Asked whether US troops would be deployed to Venezuela, Trump said "we're not afraid of boots on the ground".

[Tizer]

Trump also said American oil companies would move in to fix infrastructure "and start making money for the country". He said "we're going to be taking a tremendous amount of wealth from the ground" which would go to people in Venezuela and to the US, adding "we're going to get reimbursed for everything we've spent". He also said the US would sell oil to other countries.

Venezuela has one of the biggest of the world's oil deposits but it's also the dirtiest by a long stretch and very costly to clean up - and the most polluting if it isn't cleaned up. Buyer beware!

[Stanley]

I doubt is Mr Trump will allow that to stand in the way of his ambitions for the resource.

[Stanley]

See THIS update on the Withernsea deaths.
A man who died trying to save two people from the sea in East Yorkshire on Friday was attempting to rescue a mother and her teenage daughter, Humberside police said. Officers said 67-year-old Mark Ratcliffe entered the water at Withernsea to try and save 45-year-old Sarah Keeling and 15-year-old Grace Keeling. In a tribute, Mr Ratcliffe's family said he was "a true selfless hero with a heart of gold, who was so cruelly taken trying to save others". Police said the bodies of Sarah Keeling and Mark Ratcliffe were recovered on Friday evening, and officers were still searching to locate Grace. Mr Ratcliffe's family said: "So many lives are now shattered that you're gone. You were loved by so many people, and we will all miss you forever. "A loving husband, father, son, brother and the best grandad anybody could ever wish for. Sleep tight, we love you, we miss you." Mr Ratcliffe's son, in a Facebook post, thanked the RNLI, HM coastguards and the emergency services who had done "all they could" and worked tirelessly and relentlessly in awful weather conditions. "Bye Dad, I miss you and I will never forget the true hero and role model you were," he wrote. Police said both families were being supported by specially trained officers.

[Stanley]

See THIS curious story from the news.....
For former history teacher Jonathan Carley, it must have felt like the walls closed in on him in an instant when police, searching for a fake Royal Navy officer, came knocking on the door of his grand clifftop home. Inside, officers uncovered a pristine military uniform, medals and a ceremonial sword - a weapon that had first sparked suspicions. Police were following reports that Carley, who had attended a Remembrance Sunday ceremony in north Wales dressed as a rear admiral, was actually an imposter. On Monday, he was fined £500 after admitting to wearing a uniform or dress bearing the mark of His Majesty's Forces without permission.The 65-year-old had joined those laying wreaths and saluted the war memorial at the ceremony in Llandudno last November. Serving and former service personnel had become suspicious of the supposed rear admiral - the third highest rank in the Royal Navy - when they saw his sword and the rare Distinguished Service Order medal. "It's one down from the Victoria Cross," Rear Admiral Dr Chris Parry told the BBC. He said the DSO medal was an "easy spot" because it is such an exceptional award, and said only a small percentage of those who join the navy reach rear admiral. "You're eight ranks up and two down from the head of the navy," said Parry, who left the Royal Navy in 2008.
How can you explain a misdemeanour like this?

[MickBrett]

The Jack Pearce book arrived and is on my "to be read" list.

[Stanley]

I hope it lives up to expectations Mick!

[PanBiker]

It was actually a few weeks ago on Santa Fun Run day. Mention in another thread of Cockshott Bridge (bridge 152) by the marina on the canal jogged my memory.

I Think it was early last year or maybe the year before that I noticed that the C.I. water feed pipe that is attached to the marina side of the bridge had developed a leak, not a bad one but constant enough to be drilling a hole in the tow path. I reported this to Yorkshire Water on their website as it is part of their distribution network, fetching water from Elslack Reservoir to Park Hill. Nothing happened for months but I did noticed on my visit on Fun Run day that a sealing collar has been attached to the pipe and has effected a cure. Nice to see that they sometimes take notice.

[Stanley]

The pipe is 100 years old and must be reaching its sell by date.... I wonder what plans there are for it. See this LINK.
(PS, The pipe is older than the reservoir. it was installed before the reservoir was finished and brought water to Barlick direct from the main beck that feeds the reservoir)

[Stanley]

THIS live report on a shooting in Minneapolis....
A US immigration officer fatally shot a woman in Minneapolis, officials say. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) says the shooting happened as a "violent rioter" allegedly attempted to run over an immigration officer. Kristi Noem, the homeland security secretary, says the officer "defensively shot to protect himself". Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey disputes federal officials' account of the shooting, and demands ICE agents leave the city. The shooting victim has been identified as 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good, a US citizen. It comes during a major immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis – more than 2,000 agents have been deployed between there and nearby St Paul. At a news conference, Noem said the woman's death was "preventable" and that ICE operations would continue
There seems to be something dreadfully wrong with this incident but we don't know enough to be sure. One thing seems certain, it wouldn't have happened if the Department of Home Security hadn't had external forces in the city.

[PanBiker]

Apparently she was shot through the side window of the car so highly unlikely that the officer was in danger of being run over.

[Tizer]

It looked like the woman was in a panic and trying to get out of the way. The ICE officer was injured but taken to hospital and released. These ICE officers were not wearing body cameras - how convenient. If they'd been police officers there would have been body camera footage to show what really happened. It would be interesting to know what the local police think about the incident.