The Most Important News Of The Day
It has nothing to do with that soon-to-be-ex President across the Pond, except that he would brand it a waste of money and a fantasy.
If he did call it a fantasy, he’d at least know something about fantasy.
This article on Recharge is entitled Work Starts To Build World’s First Commercial Liquid-Air Energy Storage Plant.
These are the first two paragraphs.
Work has started to build the world’s first commercial liquid-air energy storage facility near Manchester, northern England, along with a visitor centre that aims to turn the pioneering project into a tourist attraction.
A joint venture between UK-based Highview Power and independent solar/natural-gas plant developer Carlton Power will build and operate the 50MW/250MWh “CRYObattery” — which may later be expanded to add more storage — in the village of Carrington, close to Manchester United’s training ground.
The visitor centre will open in the first quarter of 2021, with the plant planned to start operation in 2023.
- That seems to me to be an ambitious time-scale.
- On the other hand, the plant appears to be composed of well-proven readily-available components, so it will not be too challenging.
Whether Trummkopf likes it or not, construction of the second plant in the Democratic-voting state of Vermont, will surely be starting in the near future.
- He would like the fact that at 50MW400 MWh, the American battery is larger.
- He wouldn’t like the fact, that it is replacing a coal-fired power station.
- It will give eight hours of full-power as opposed to Manchester’s five.
- As both plants are rated at 50 MW, I suspect the two plants are identical on the energy generation side.
- Vermont would just have more tanks to store the liquid air.
It is my view, that these two, will be the first of many.
US Election 2020: Donald Trump’s Speech Fact-Checked
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
This is the introductory paragraph.
President Trump spoke early on Friday about the US election count, making a number of accusations of fraud for which he did not provide evidence.
I liked some of the BBC’s analysis on this statement.
I’ve been talking about mail-in voting for a long time. It’s really destroyed our system. It’s a corrupt system and it makes people corrupt.
The BBC said.
The president himself has voted by post in the past. He lived outside the state he was registered in, Florida, and requested a postal vote.
Surely, that makes him a hypocrite. Or did voting by post make him corrupt?
Is Trump’s Recovery From The The Covids Down To His Mother?
Donald Trump’s mother was born Mary Anne MacLeod at Tong on the Isle of Lewis in Scotland.
This Google Map shows the position of Tong to the island’s capital of Stornoway.
This is Wikipedia’s introduction to the village.
Tong is a village on the Isle of Lewis, Scotland, 4 miles (6 kilometres) northeast of the main town of Stornoway on the B895 road to Back and Tolsta. The population of the village is 527 (2001 census). Fishing forms part of the local economy.
Families probably have to have granite in their genes to survive in places like that for decades.
By reputation, Highlanders are not wimps.
I have just looked up the rate of the covids in the Highlands.
The latest figure of lab-confirmed cases is 185.7 per 100,000 of the population, which compares to 617 for the whole of Scotland and 1952.4 for Manchester.
Is there something in Highland genes, that resists the covids?
Trump and Biden – First Encounter
I once saw John Major operate in a ninety minute speech to the Cambridge Chief Executives Club, who were a radical bunch and probably not very attuned to the Tory Party.
He gave a masterful performance, that was both serious and entertaining, as would many top flight politicians, from all round the world.
Neither Trump nor Biden hardly made a serious point and they certainly weren’t entertaining. It was almost like a boxing match, where the referee won!
Trump’s Fake News
This article on the BBC is entitled Coronavirus: Trump’s Disinfectant And Sunlight Claims Fact-Checked.
This is the introductory paragraph.
President Donald Trump has questioned whether injecting people with disinfectants and exposing patients’ bodies to UV light could help treat the coronavirus.
The article then goes on to demolish Trump’s claims with the full force of scientifically-correct evidence.
Do they have whelk stalls in the United States? Trummkopf certainly doesn’t have the intelligence to run one!
Trump And Flight PS572
What puzzles me about all this is Trump’s reaction.
If he were true to his past persona, he would be very much angrier and vowing vengeance, but his reaction seems almost calm and very measured.
Perhaps, he knows for certain, that it was a tragic accident, that happened to Flight PS572. After all the UK, US, Canada and Ukraine seem to be saying similar things.
Someone or something, seems to have got Trump to see sense!
Melania, Justin, Boris, Emmanuel, Dominic or Angela? Or was it the Italian guy, who does his hair?
Qassem Soleimani
Yesterday, The Times had an article, which was entitled Rising stars: Twenty faces to look out for in 2020.
I read the article on my phone and it was a good read.
One of those people mentioned was Qassem Soleimani
He was certainly somebody to look out for and I wondered what he would get up to next!
I don’t have to wonder anymore.
This article on the BBC is entitled Qasem Soleimani: US kills Iran Quds Force leader, Pentagon confirms.
Apparently, the killing was on the direct orders of President Trump.
He obviously hasn’t read about the Greek Monster, where when Heracles cut off one head another appeared.
I certainly fear for the hostages caught up in this Iranian mess!
Trump is staggering blindly towards a disaster!
Trump Brings Personal Pastor Paula White-Cain To White House To Preach Her Gospel Of Wealth
This is the title of an article in today’s copy of The Times!
I do like the paper’s sense of humour!
Donald Trump: ‘Make Plastic Straws Great Again’
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Energy Live.News.
This is the first two paragraphs.
US President Donald Trump has raised nearly $500,000 (£411,000) for his re-election campaign by selling plastic straws.
The branded straws, released in Republican Party-red, were launched on the 19th of July, selling out in a matter of hours before being restocked.
The site also links to another post, which is entitled. President Trump: ‘Wind turbines cause cancer’.
I am a reasonably knowledgeable engineer and scientist and know a Compleat Wanker, when I see one
How can so many Americans take this idiot seriously?
Will Sadiq Khan Be A One-Term Mayor?
This article on the BBC is entitled Donald Trump Hits Out Again At Sadiq Khan Over London Violence.
I don’t like Trump or many of his policies one bit and if in the unlikely chance, I was invited to meet him, I would decline.
But I’ve met many people, who think we need someone like Trump to stand-up for the man on the Clapham Omnibus.
I have two personal criticisms of Sadiq.
The Unaffordable Fare Freeze
The fare freeze he proposed, that must have impressed a large number of voters, has not been something that London can afford.
Now important projects like the rebuilding of Camden Town and Holborn station have been delayed.
He’s A South London Mayor
To my mind, Sadiq seems to favour his home territory over the North.
- In the North, we seem to have suffered more from cuts in bus frequencies.
- He was very slow to act on the problems with the Gospel Oak to Barking Line.
- Knife crime and violence seems to be worse in the North, so is it Mayoral neglect?
It is probably understandable, as his mates in the South have more chances to bend his ears and you don’t annoy your friends.
I wonder if Ken favoured the North!
I do think though that various effects are working against his reelection.
The ULEZ Effect
The London ULEZ currently only applies to the Congestion one, but from 2021, it will apply to all areas inside the North and South Circular Roads.
How many voters, who will be affected by the ULEZ extension, will vote for Sadiq?
The Brexit Effect
Sadiq has nailed his colours to Remain and is regularly interviewed about Brexit.
Most right-of-centre Brexiteers wouldn’t probably vote for him, but some traditional Labour boroughs voted to Leave, so could his support for Remain cost votes.
On the other hand, if Brexit has happened and going badly, will Sadiq gain votes?
The Next Prime Minister Effect
If Boris becomes Prime Minister, this would be an imponderable. It might help or hinder Sadiq’s reelection.
The Crossrail Effect
The late delivery of Crossrail, is not Sadiq’s fault, but it will have four effects.
- The late delivery will ffect London’s transport budget and give the Mayor less money for projects.
- Some people will view his oversight of the project as incompetent.
- He won’t be able to bathe in the glow of a successful Crossrail.
- It is a ready-made millstone to hang around his neck.
There will also be many Londoners, for whom, the late delivery of Crossrail caused a financial loss and they will vote accordingly.
The Trump Effect
I would expect, Trump to keep up his criticism of Sadiq.
Who’s to say, whether it will affect Sadiq’s vote, but there are quite a few people, who would support Trump.
Conclusion
There are a lot of questions to answer, but I feel given the state of British politics, that we could be in for a surprise.
Could we see a Brexit, Green or Lib Dem Mayor?
The Anonymous Widower 