That was then. I now try to restrict myself to 77. Plus 10% plus 2. At that speed, I’m sucked into a maelstrom of other traffic. It’s far, far more dangerous than when the outer lane was the fast lane, the middle the overtaking lane and the inner for caravans and lorries. Fastest: 120 on motorway abroad. Trouble is that at that speed, you only need someone not to see you coming and pull out in front of you. Haven’t done that again. Fastest I’ve been overtaken? Motorcyclists at well over the ton on roads I wouldn’t do 60 on. I worked with a bunch who had fast bikes: did track days etc. Their badge of honour was to “get the knee down” ie lean the bike over so far, the knee pad on their leathers scraped the tarmac. Is that why bikers make up the biggest slug of UK fatalities? Yes but as they don’t have front number plates they are invisible to speed cameras.
When I was an apprentice doing day release at S E London Tech....two of our lot didn't turn up one day.....we found out the next day that they had been racing each other down the Sidcup By-Pass.....at the end of a long straight was a right turn....and this was a spot called the Dutch House (A Pub)....the one who brakes first is chicken....they literally diced themselves by going through the metal railings in front of the pub.....speed kills...and both of them died aged 19yrs. My speed has been limited to a 1600S Beetle.....in the 60 plus years I've been driving...most of my cars have been 1400 cc max.....as for motorways Mrs Plym doesn't like speed over 40mph....so we stay off them..
Well racing (and all aggression on the road) is just plain stupidity, which is what killed, not speed as such. Indeed, as I tell my occasional chauffeuse, what causes accidents is doing something different. Do what the herd do and you're predictable and therefore safe.
‘Ello ‘Ello! What’s going on here then? Police hold outdoor meetings to boost visibility https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cq55xlvwv98o Who dreamt up this woke nonsense? Can the public just walk up and join in? How do we know they aren’t just talking about last night’s footie? Who’s taking the minutes standing up? Where are the tea and biscuits?
The days of PC 49. George Dixon...."Evnin all"....the beat bobby with all his contacts on the streets......todays idea of policing would turn Jack Warner in his grave. It takes me back to a long gone era........I associate Jack Warner with Tommy Handley and his "It's that man again" radio programme ....(ITMA)....comedy on the "wireless" during those long dark days of war in the 1940's. keeping peoples "pepper" up....It reminds me as a 9/10 year old of seeing my mum cry for the first time....when it was announced in 1949 that he had died suddenly. The days when you could get a clip behind the ear from a bobby when you where caught "scrumping".....
I’m not sure if GOMS (Grumpy Old Man Syndrome) is finally rotting my brain but what the **** is going on in the world? Yesterday, the US Supreme Court, stuffed as it is with political appointees, not proper judges, deemed that a US President has immunity for criminal acts committed in the execution of his Presidential duties. I understand that a president can’t be held criminally liable for starting a war after proper due process. I understand Obama shouldn’t be held responsible for ordering the death of Osama Bin Laden. Trump’s lawyers are arguing though that this protects him from having paid hush money to a porn star he had sex with. What part of his Presidential duties does that fall under? Today, they’ll also try to argue that he has immunity from trying to reverse the result of a properly conducted Presidential election to his own benefit. If America, leader of the free world and champion of democracy and government of the people, by the people and of the people has sunk so low, God help the rest of us.
Supreme Court Judges. 1.....John G Roberts JR.............nominated by G W Bush. 2.....Clarence Thomas..............nominated by G W Bush. 3.....Samuel A Alito...................nominated by G W Bush. 4.....Sonia Sotomayor...............nominated by Bill Clinton. 5.....Elena Kagan.......................nominted by Barack Obama. 6.....Neil M Gorsuch..................nominated by TRUMP. 7.....Brett m Kavanaugh...........nominated by TRUMP. 8.....Amy Coney Barrett............nominated by TRUMP. 9.....Ketanji Brown Jackson......nominated by Joe Biden. SIX Republicans.....THREE by the man himself.
It is the principle of a politician appointing judges. Clarence Johnson was appointed by George Bush in 1991: he's been there 33 years. It's a lottery who's President when a judge leaves office and a replacement is made but get your men in, and you're set for decades.
Hello people. I have been having password troubles which prevented me from logging in. I tried and tried to change my password but everytime I got a message to say an email had been sent and I should follow the instructions the email never arrived. It has taken me days and days to work out what to do and tonight I've cracked it. I now consider myself a technical genius. It's good to see nothing in the World changes. The good ole US of A is still as mad as ever with a Fart pulling the strings (sorry Trump which is the same thing). Rushi is threatening us with the World ending if we vote Labour and the National Front aka Reform is busy tearing itself apart from the inside out. 2 days to go and I for one will be glad to get rid of all of these people from my TV set and get back to proper programmes like Corrie.
Thank you notdistant. It was a bit weird because I have my log in saved and hadn't changed anything. Out of nowhere I did the usual and it said incorrect password so I thought I would just change it and start again. If only it was that simple. Still back in now and haven't missed a lot.
What a sad indictment of current politics that an appearance at an election rally by disgraced ex leader Boris Johnson makes the first item on the Radio 4’s flagship Today programme. Given the rise of the racist fascist right, I’m going to vote Conservative tomorrow for the first time since Brexit. A futile gesture I know but a necessary one. Any more interference from Johnson could still change my mind.
Ann Widdecombe one of the most common sense Conservative MP's of the past writes weekly in the Daily Express.....and her view on life is like a breath of fresh air. She mentions today.....amongst other things about ....."Emissions plan has zero sense". Britain produces less than 1% of the worlds carbon emissions....so what on earth is the point of landing our citizens with expensive boilers and electric cars when the rest of the world is failing......particularly China which accounts for 27% and the USA 15% ?....why are we always such mugs. Yet a Labour shadow minister can say with a straight face that the party will spend ..."hundreds of billions of pounds"....on its net zero plans. That money which could be buying doctors...nurses...housing...social care...and mending a pothole here and there. Where oh where ...has common sense gone ? Ann Widdecombe's Column...Daily Express....03/07/2024.
I know of four people who have been robbed of voting by post around here. They where told that Royal Mail would deliver their postal voting forms before they went on holiday at the weekend.....Royal Mail have failed them miserably. I know for a fact that my next door neighbour....whose property I'm checking daily....received theit postal ballot letter on Monday....because I picked it up off their outer doormat and transferred it through their inner door......so another Royal Mail promise failure.
Ann Widdecombe one of the most common sense Conservative MP's - I beg your pardon? "Ann Widdecombe claims science may produce an answer to homosexuality". Britain produces less than 1% of the worlds carbon emissions - I can't vouch for the 1% but it's true that others produce much more. Other are complicit - Australia is for example the world's 4th largest producer of coal, much of which is exported to China. We all have to do our bit though as climate change is an existential threat to the planet. If we lead by example, I'm all for it, not least because these technologies are eminently exportable and there's money to be made whilst doing good at the same time. What does concern me is the lack of a joined up plan in the UK and across the world. When will we get new base-load nuclear? How can we accelerate the modernisation of the electricity grid? What is the cost of that vis a vis electricity standing charges? How will we charge all those cars? Why has hydrogen production been put on the back burner (pardon the pun)? How will we manage the growth in data consumption, particularly as AI tools develop. I did a Windows update recently and MS CoPilot has appeared on my PC. I have Apple Intelligence on my phone. Meanwhile, server farms are quickly becoming the biggest consumer of electricity, not so much in running the servers but keeping them cool: The impact of AI on electricity demand is well documented. Electricity demand is forecast to grow as much as 20% by 2030, with AI data centers alone expected to add about 323 terawatt hours of electricity demand in the U.S. For God's sake let's not trivialise this by "nah nah ne nah nah - you're not doing as much as us". Under Biden at least, the US has a much more convincing plan while China is cornering the market for electric cars.
I met Ann Widdecombe in Plymouth once when she was campaigning for Brexit. She was a bumbling wreck of a person who could hardly string two words together in a coherent sentence. When it was pointed out she was talking bollox she walked off. I see a report in the Erald that Johnny Mercer's wife phoned the Police today to get some protestors placards removed from Derriford Roundabout area. It was a protest by veterans against her husband. So Arm Forces Minister for Veterans is party to stiffling veterans from having a say. I am so looking forward to him losing his seat in Plymouth tomorrow. He is a typical Tory out for himself claiming every cent he can from the expenses gravy train.
