The Engineers Get To Grips With Food
This report from the BBC, would seem to suggest that the Institute of Mechanical Engineers are venturing into areas that are none of their business. This is two key paragraphs.
The report found that between 30% and 50% of the four billion tonnes of food produced around the world each year went to waste.
It suggested that half the food bought in Europe and the US was thrown away.
I don’t think it is a surprising set of findings, but what are governments doing about it. Nothing! Which is a total scandal.
Perhaps, it’s about time we had more engineers at all levels in Government, all over the world. Waste is anathema to every engineer I’ve ever met!
I wonder if there has ever been a President or Prime Minister anywhere, who has had an engineering qualification? Even an O Level or equivalent in Technical Drawing would be rare. The nearest I can think of is Jimmy Carter, who was deeply involved in the clearing up of this nuclear incident in Canada. After his presidency he has shown himself to be a very practical man.
Hoist By His Own Petard
I’m reminded of one of my father’s favourite phrases by this story about the leader of the English Defence League.
He can’t really complain about his punishment, as I thought the EDL wanted to keep unwanted immigrants out of the country. So what were the Americans doing? Just that, when he tried to get there using someone else’s passport.
Concord, Massachusetts Bans Small Water Bottles
This story on the BBC web site shows how people get their green priorities wrong.
We should probably drink tap water and the only time, I drink the bottled stuff, is if I need water on a train, plane or on the street.
They have banned water, but not fizzy drinks, which unlike water make you obese. But then if you did ban fizzy drinks, the cola manufacturers would have something to say about it.
I did have a drink out today. it was a lemonade at Leon in Kings Cross station. This is the nutrition details for the drink. It did come in an appropriately sized plastic cup.
It is good to be green, but you must be scientifically green and make sure the science and the economics stack up.
I have an aside here on the subject of lemonade. In the 1970s, we were driving across the United States and needed some petrol. We pulled into the garage and the pump attendant asked if we needed lemonade. It was his slang for unleaded petrol.
Drunken US Sailors
There has been some entertaining correspondence in the letters pages of The Times lately about alcohol on ships in the US Navy.
Some years ago, I worked briefly with an American engineer, who’d been an officer on a US Navy nuclear submarine. He told the hilarious tale of how they visited Portsmouth in the 1960s. They needed to be resupplied and asked for cases of fresh orange juice. This was not in the Royal Navy stores at the time, so they sent them bottles of beer instead. The only problem was where to hide the beer and according to the tale, much was kept in the torpedo tubes.
A good time was had by all concerned.
Another tale I heard from a former US Navy officer, was when they were working with the Royal Navy, or any other one with a sensible alcohol policy, face-to-face meetings generally didn’t take place on the US ships.
C’s Worst Nightmares
Reading the story about the little girl taken to Pakistan against her mother’s wishes, reminds me of C’s worst nightmares in her job as a family barrister.
The first was obviously not being able to protect a client from a violent partner. I don’t think she actually had it happen, although she was very worried, that a body found on a Norfolk beach, was a former client. I know she was critical of the law in that she felt as time progressed judges couldn’t give the same level of protection to clients.
Strangely, I can’t remember any child being abducted, whilst she was dealing with the case. Although, she did go to court to get children returned to the jurisdiction.
I can remember though, her discussing how some countries that you might find were a nightmare to deal with were not and others you think would be easy weren’t. It all depends on whether the country has signed and/or adheres to the Hague Convention.
In one case, a child had been abducted to a southern state of the United States and she wondered if it would be a difficult case. Everything was organised by phone and fax and the Americans said to send a responsible adult like a social worker. I think though she did have a difficult case concerning a country much nearer to home.
So the happy ending to today’s case fits the rather random pattern. Although it did take a long time to resolve.
They Don’t Just Rescue Dogs
The BBC is showing this news story about rescuing a dog from the icy waters of Lake Erie.
Many years ago, I visited one of our Artemis clients on the shores of Lake Michigan. I’m not sure of the time of year, but it was very cold and there was snow everywhere, when we flew into Benton Harbor. I remember the guy at Hertz had got all the engines of the cars running in the parking lot.
The client I was visiting was the nuclear power station called AEP Cook. I’ve been over several nuclear power stations and together with the old Sizewell A, this was the one, that was run in the most professional manner.
I remember asking whether they got any problems with the locals. The answer was that because waste heat from the power plant, in the winter, the ice tended to melt and the warmth also attracted the best fish in Lake Michigan. So regularly, they had hauled fishermen out of the water, who’d fallen through the ice.
Some people need their heads examined.
That was also the trip, where we had lunch in a restaurant that reminded us of the Rook Restaurant sketch in The Two Ronnies. Except the ubiquitous element was beans, as that is the area of the United States, where navy beans are traditionally grown.
London’s Swedish Black Cab Driver
I found this article about London’s only Swedish black cab driver.
I wonder what other unusual or unexpected nationalities drive London’s black cabs.
I remember years ago, when we lived in Suffolk, our postman was Californian. He’d come in the USAF, married an English girl and he’d stayed.
He actually preferred the climate, just like the Swedish cab driver says he does.
An Unintended Consequence Of Guns In US Schools
The NRA’s proposal to have armed guards in every school will lead to an unintended consequence.
Teachers showed at Sandy Hook that they are prepared to do anything to protect the children in their care. And some died!
Some, and I’ve not seen any figures, will accept the armed guards and would even arm themselves if they were asked.
But a proportion would feel that guns in a school was totally unacceptable. Many of these could easily find alternative employment or perhaps would be at an age where retirement is an option.
Could the US school system cope with a loss of a proportion of its teachers?
Radio 5 Scrapes The Barrel
I haven’t got a television listing magazine, so I thought there might be something sensible to which to listen on Radio 5. all they’ve got is a program about American football called A Week with the Cheeseheads.
That really is the pits and after all they are a British radio station.
The Anonymous Widower 