caldrail
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Blog Comments posted by caldrail
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My tip is not to keep fizzy drinks at home.
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The problem with guns is not that they kill and wound, but people use them for that purpose. Switzerland for instance has a law that all homes must have a firearm - its part of their civil defences - and I can think of only one instance where somebody openly used a weapon to kill random victims there. America however has a gun culture, embellished and glorified by Hollywood. Back in the old west a gun was an equalizer, since a man armed with one was as good as another. Well, actually that isn't true, and the myth of the fast draw which has connations of heroism is also a myth for the most part. Succesful gunfighters were men who remained calm and aimed. They really were killers. But since onlookers generally took cover or didn't see everything in the short time a confrontation took place found it easier to say the winner was faster on the draw. So a legend is born. Gunfighters were made heroes long before Hollywood. They were men you were either afraid of or needed to respect, and those same opnions are re-emergent in american society where young men who feel disenfranchised find that owning a gun provides them with a measure of self-esteem. On the other hand, there are non-western societies who use guns as a matter of course, but isn't their way of life in many ways reminiscent of the original wild west, in that these tribesmen have their own protocols about violence?
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The pilot of the jet is being hailed as something of a hero - his stricken plane had to be nursed away from a hospital and a playing field. Without knowing what the air accident people will make of the accident, it begins to look as if the pilot tried to extend the glide as much as possible to avoid a collision with a built up area - and ironically that made the aircraft prone to a stall/spin situation that caused it to dive in. That certainly happened in the Thruxton incident, where the loss of power on one side caused the aircraft to roll over and turn without enough control authority to prevent it. There was another incident some years ago when a training flight in a light aeroplane got into difficulty on approach. It isn't known who had the controls - I suspect the instructor took over at the last moment - but the aeroplane attempted to glide over houses to reach a runway and sadly it too stalled and spun in.
Its an automatic reaction. Your aeroplane is over peoples property and selves, and you don't have enough power to fly to the runway ahead. The instinct to attempt to keep aircraft flying at minimum speed in an effort to cover distance must be very strong. Its also potentially fatal. Even if its physically possible, the margin of safe airspeed is so low that any change in wind might precipitate a bad situation.
Strange thing is, I was once flying a Piper Tomahawk on a training flight with an instructor. He asked me to conduct a practice engine failure. Once I'd settled into the glide, he asked which field I was heading for. I pointed at a grass meadow of some large house. The instructor looked at me as if I was crazy. But I got there. I was over the field with plenty of height. So much of this accident risk is perception. The pilot of the jet weighed up what he thought he could do in his situation and tragically it went wrong for him (assuming there were no mechanical/hydraulic control failures). Its easy then to say that the pilot was guilty of pilot error, but he was in a difficult situation - a stressful situation - and having to make decisions with options running out.
One of my instructors said the first decision in the event of trouble is where you want to be when you reach the ground. He was spot on.
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In the case of the new Swindon Library, it isn't so much that the building is ugly (it fits into Swindon very neatly), its that the original artists impression looked quite classy and those carbuncles on the roof weren't depicted. Is this going to happen with the Old College site, due by be replaced with a pedestrian shopping mall? Or the burned out Locarno in Old Town, due to be turned into an italianate square? Or the Graville Street Car park redevlopment, a new pedestrian way linking the Brunel Center with the Old College site? Surel an artists impression should depict the finished article, not some rosey eyed vision of cultural bliss? You might argue they need to sell the design. Ok, I accept that, but if you fail to impress the buyers do they want you to build another?
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Thank you good sirs. Now if you'll excuse me, I have the wretched task of visiting the local chief and begging for cash. Remember that scene in the film The Great Escape when Bartlett is dragged in front of his gestapo nemesis?
"Aaaahhhhhhhh...... Mr Caldrail...... "
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No, the problem with Jaguar is that they lost their way in the 70's. Up until that point, they built proper sports cars like the SS, C Type, D type, XKSS, E Type etc alongside their luxury models. You might even include the unsuccessful XJ13. When they got to the XJ12, everything went wrong. Instead of finishing it as the mid-eingined supercar rival to lamborghini it was initially intended to be, it was turned into a budget luxury saloon and boy was it bad. Instead of selling cars to sports car enthusiasts, Jaguar sat back and sold cars to the golf club. They still do, and somehow those Aston Martin clones they build just lack conviction. AD is of course a paid up member of the golfing set and therefore finds the less sporty Jaguars as desirable.
Actually, it isn't really the car. AD is trying to pee me off for reasons known only to him. I don't get introduced to anyone, I don't get asked to attend meetings, I'm not involved in anything remotely resembling management - Lets be honest (because he isn't) - He had no intention of training me to replace him. Perhaps I should sue him for loss of earnings?
Enjoy your Jagwah AD.
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It does make me wonder about people sometimes. Over here in Blighty there's a 'newspaper' called the Daily Sport (invent your own puns and witticisms). Its full of adverts by women seeking sex. Also you sometimes get a page full of grannies trying to find young men for romps and good times, one 77 year old claiming that these lads will discover her experience. There's an advert by a middle aged woman saying she likes to dominate and any respondees must be respectable and call her mistress.
Now I don't buy this paper (wouldn't want to be called a hypocrite) but our tame forklifter does. What on earth for? There's no news in it, and the sport pages are the last five or six. I look askance at our workmate and wonder....
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I'm saying nothing...
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You were castigated? You were lucky. I got sacked from my last job because I worked faster than anyone else. No great physical effort involved (apart from going up and down stairs all day), it was just that one other worker (GH) wanted to sit on his backside drinking coffee all day. His boss (DS in my blog) supported his efforts because they were good mates, and wanted him promoted so he could sit on his bum drinking coffee all day etc etc just like she did, whilst she played games and practical jokes with her favourite companion buddy worker who would have sat on his rear like the others had he not done her share of the work for her. Unfortunately, she couldn't do that while my scanning rate was twice that of GH. He even used a program on a laptop to download the files and reload them as his results, and I still did better than he did! Finally, she sacked me for undressing in the office and being rude.
No comment.
Fact is, most people like sitting on their bums drinking coffee all day and don't people who work hard in their midst.
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Do I have to admit that in public? yes. Never really liked Little Britain though.
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YES!!!! At last, a truly civilised person who understands the higher points of 1970's comedy!
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Here in Britain we realise that taste buds are an impediment to enjoying a good curry. As for rat meat, I can't say, although about seven years ago there was a takeaway down the road busted for cooking cats.
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No distractions? Good grief, not on a friday or saturday night. The local tribes emerge from their caves for competitions of singing very loudly and the usual hormone driven rutting.
Well, time for me to retreat to my lonely mountain top above the rainforests of darkest wiltshire, where I shall sit cross legged and contemplate my navel, marvelling at the inner intricacy of the universe and becoming one with nature...
Oh stuff it, thats boring, I'm off down the pub...
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Don't tell anyone, but there's several forklifters in the warehouse who don't have licenses. Most companies wouldn't dream of employing forklifters without them for health & safety, or even insurance. The irony is that the guy suspended has only just had his license renewed! Some of these guys are shooting around a little bit quick. It gets a tad scary sometimes.
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I see on the newspaper stands that some some Motown singer is considering moving to Swindon. I fall over laughing, and suggest this person gives up drugs.
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I've had a chance to look at the damage. The bolts holding the front upright were sheared, the upright itself snapped in two places, and the upright behind twisted. Its a mess.
The forklifter has been suspended.
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The actual chilli heat does vary a lot even at the same venue. The takeaway I go to is the one I've used for more than twenty years. Only once have I had a serious complaint about their food and its always verrrry spicy. I've got one in the fridge for dinner tonight. Lamb Vindaloo with mushroom rice, onion bahji, and salad/yoghurt on the side. All for
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Well well well... What do I hear on the radio today? The canal extension has received the go-ahead from the planners. Stand by for road works...
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I remember finding an indian resteraunt in Rotorua, New Zealand. It looked all very plush and professional, inhabited by genuine asians, and the curries were lousy. Thing is, without the competition and expectation of the british, the standards are lower. I don't suppose the new zalanders knew any different. My cousin went to a takeaway in Auckland whilst I was staying there and asked the propietors for the hottest curry they could make. 7 out of 10.
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Once again, you prove my point! The aliens couldn't stand the 'native food' (pardon the expression), and neither can you, so you eat that oriental slops. Do you also eat bait (aka sushi)?
Aliens can't stand the food? Why do they keep coming back then? Anyway, if you regard an indian curry as unpalatable thats only because the americans haven't access to the the authentic article. Come to think of it we've got all your american stuff on our shelves too, and your burgers are tasteless plastic disasters. I suppose it gets difficult to cook good ones when you run out of buffalo!
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Too busy with the delights of Vindaloo, pilau rice, and onion bahji (not to mention a healthy supply of poppadoms and lager). Seriously, GO, you americans have no idea what food is
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Ahh GO, how mislead you are by internet conspiracy theory...
Incidentially, the reality behind corn circles is a sophisticated attempt to communicate with aliens symbolically. Originally these messages said something like "Want a game of tiddlywinks?", but we've made progress in corn circlism and at least one recent circle said "Please do not transmit any more soap operas"
Hey hang on - Whats wrong with our food? Get some fish'n'chips down yer boy. Mushy peas and drippin' for supper.
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I hope that this is really a dream that you are relating. If not, then I wish you the best of luck.
Oh no, no dream, it all happened five or six years ago. Afterward I took three months off working to just chill out and do my own thing. Did me the world of good but emptied my wallet somewhat.
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I get it now! You are a CIA agent trying to cover up what is going on in Area 51 in Nevada! You Evil Eyed Monster! You shan't get away with it! Captain Marvelous is on to you! Don't so much as close your eyes.
Close... but no cigar. I still maintain I'm El Presidente of the Independent Peanut Republic of Rushey Platt. However, since you brought the subject up....
The Truth About Area 51
Its like this. When the Martians invaded Kent back in the 1890's or whenever it was they caught colds and died before we could we help the poor little blighters, but after at least two demolitions of the Whitehouse and innumerable attempted hostile takeovers of small towns in the american southwest, it really is time to open a dialogue with our alien visitors. Given the huge misunderstandings experienced between Americans and Aliens, Area 51 was set up to teach the tiddlywinks in an effort to provide some sort of common cultural ground.
The truth About The Welsh
No, I can't... Honestly....
Five Million Quids Worth
in caldrail's Blog
A blog by caldrail in General
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Isn't that a bit like living with a six pack of grenades in your fridge?