Farewell Dr. Zebra
Little is to be found on the Internet about George Charlesworth, who died last month. He was the man, who suggested the black and white stripes to improve pedestrian crossings and was therefore nicknamed Dr. Zebra. His obituary is here.
He is one of those few people, who have earned a similar inscription on their grave as Christopher Wren.
Reader, if you seek his memorial – look around you.
There are only a few of whom that can be said.
Camera Trap Study Reveals Wildlife
The world’s largest camera trap study has revealed lots of animals in remote locations. Read about it here.
I’m all for this type of work, but we must analyse the data correctly. It must not be hi-jacked and interpreted on a basis to prove questionable theories or promote dubious business models.
The Otters Are Back
According to this report, otters are now back in every county in England.
Many years ago, when supposedly otters were extinct in Suffolk, I used to know a real countryman, who in his time, had been the Master of the East Anglian Otter Hounds. They hadn’t hunted otters for many years and just followed the scent they left. If they wanted sport, they hunted the two pests of mink and coypu.
He believed that otters were there and said that the reason they were never seen, was that those who looked didn’t know how to find them, as they tended to look for the signs of otters, rather than the animals themselves. He also felt that if people believed otters to be extinct, this would mean more money and visitors for otter sanctuaries. Others like Bjorn Lomborg believe that some organisations make out that things are worse than they are for their own selfish reasons.
So I wouldn’t be surprised if my friend was right, that otters were about, but preferred to keep their own company.
That is not to say that their numbers were small because of pesticides, bad water quality and other problems. Another naturalist once told me, that the biggest threat to otters on places like the Norfolk Broads was powerboats, as the boats’ wakes drowned otters and their young in their holts.
There was also a story last year about koi carp being stolen from an ornamental pond in Birmingham. The usual suspects were put in the frame and CCTV was setup. Everybody was surprised when the culprits were identified as otters from a nearby canal.
It just goes to show that animals are much more common than you think.
How long before an otter gets spotted in the Olympic Park. They already have foxes and a dead otter was found in Wapping in 2006.
Abercrombie and Fitch
I don’t wear designer brands and especially those that are obvious to others in the street.
So I was rather amused that Abercrombie and Fitch are reported to be getting angry about a reality TV show in the United States, where some of the odious cast wear their brand. Incidentally, I generally don’t use American brands unless I know the company’s policy on the environment, workplace policies, the death penalty and other matters. As an example you’d never see me in Asda, but I do buy products from Microsoft.
I Thought Spain Was a Catholic Country
There is news today, of protests today over the visit of the Pope to Spain.
The authorities say that the visit is self-funded, but with record youth unemployment and other problems , the protestors feel the money could be better spent.
If the Pope really wanted to help this world he could change his stance on birth control. Something that is used by most Spaniards.
Police Waste More Time and Money on Chris Huhne Case
That’s what it looks like according to this report on the BBC.
Enquiries started in May, so surely even the dimmest officer in the Essex Constabulary could have ascertained what the truth in this case is.
Either Chris Huhne was driving the car, in which case he should take the consequences or his wife was.
As they are both fairly high profile, I suspect that proof as to their whereabouts at the time should be fairly easy to obtain. I suspect too, that the CCTV at Stansted Airport would show the answer too. Unless of course Chris Huhne had dressed up as his wife, so that he could get off a speeding charge. But of course, nothing in his past life would indicate he would do that! One of the biggest problems men have with this, is often they are a totally different size to their wife.
It sounds to me that this case might end up with a more serious charge.
Whatever happened to the beloved criminal quote of “It’s a fair cop, officer!”
Banks Cut Services To Pay Bonuses
The Royal Bank of UK Taxpayers has now decided that a good proportion of its customers must use a restricted set of cash points.
Obviously, the savings will be going to pay banker’s bonuses and Fred the Shred’s pension.
IKEA’s Silly Screws
I’m putting the IKEA Stolmen wardrobe insert together now that I’ve got a complete chest of drawers. But why do they use such silly screws?
IKEA's Silly Screws
They are absolutely impossible to use, if you have a gammy hand and their little bent wire socket keys are definitely something for one person per end and as I live alone, what am I supposed to do?
I’ve given up on them as and as you can see, I’m using conventional nuts and bolts from Clerkenwell Screws. They were just a few pence each.
The great thing about the conventional hexagonal head nut and bolt, is that they are an almost perfect piece of design. They are easy to put together, they don’t roll away, when you leave them to their own devices and they can be screwed tightly together with a couple of spanners. I always have a nut driver handy for one end. Usually, you only find these tools at proper tool shops, like Clerkenwell Screws, Franchi or Mackays in Cambridge. But having one in the right size for a job you do often is worth the saving in anger.
In this example I’ve used standard bright zinc-plated bolts, but I could have used brass, as I did in the staircase.
I’m an electrical engineer, but remember the definition of a mechanical one; A nut who screws, washes and bolts.
The Facebook Two
Two men have been given substantial prison sentences for trying to organise a riot in Chester by using Facebook. as the BBC reports here. But they must have been two of worst riot organisers in history as no-one turned up.
Perhaps, the good people of Cheshire, have more morals, than these two have common sense.
You don’t send people to prison for this type of crime, especially when it would appear that nothing got damaged and no-one got hurt.
What they need is some form of creative community punishment. Perhaps, there is a derelict site that could be converted into a garden! Or some coal that needs painting white!
One is certainly appealing, and I’ll be very surprised if the sentence stands.
The Private Thoughts of Engineers and Scientists
Some years ago there was an attack on the Tokyo Metro using sarin gas. Although it killed a number of people and injured many more, it could easily have been a lot worse.
At the time, I knew a guy who was and hopefully still is a world class chemical engineer, who worked in the pharmaceutical industry. I asked him, just how easy it was to make Sarin gas. He said it was fairly easy, but in most cases, sarin will kill you before you use it, unless you can get the proper protection, which is the most difficult part.
He did however tell me a much more easy way to paralyse a city and cause a lot of damage. I will not repeat it here, but judging what I don’t see in London, other people have had the same thought and made the carrying out of such an attack impossible.
What worries me now, is if we had a jokey conversation in a chat room on the Internet about an attack similar to that in Tokyo, would our doors be kicked in?
The Anonymous Widower 