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  • 2 weeks later...
Fox92

Fox92

Posted
Posted

Who makes these decisions to let murderers out on day release?

Idiots. But I'm not surprised one bit!

This isn't the first time it's happened in recent weeks, either.

And the bloke on the radio, who has something to do with the prison service, this morning said "we need to make sure they can't escape day release". No shit. Why do they even get day release anyway!?

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ozleicester

ozleicester

Posted
Posted (edited)

Another climbing one...

https://au.news.yahoo.com/vic/a/23676465/amazing-video-of-free-climber-scaling-high-rise-crane-above-melbourne/

 

 

or....

 

 

 

Man caught with penis in pasta jar ...

 

 

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/nobbys-beach-flasher-had-a-sauce/2008/11/20/1226770627447.html

Edited by ozleicester
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Rincewind

Rincewind

Posted
Posted

Take your choice from these. The story about the Government offering contracts to advice companyies on housing is interesting because DNO do that when the Leicester Housing options turn people away. We tell HO why they are wrong. But if they turn people away the figures look better as the ones turned away are not deemed as vulnerable.

 

http://downnotoutleicester.wordpress.com/

 

There is also a story related to football for anyone interested in sport.

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Webbo

Webbo

Posted
Posted

Take your choice from these. The story about the Government offering contracts to advice companyies on housing is interesting because DNO do that when the Leicester Housing options turn people away. We tell HO why they are wrong. But if they turn people away the figures look better as the ones turned away are not deemed as vulnerable.

 

http://downnotoutleicester.wordpress.com/

 

There is also a story related to football for anyone interested in sport.

Aren't you on holiday?

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Rincewind

Rincewind

Posted
Posted

Got this in an email. If you know who to subscribe to you get varied points of view and some are not the norm so I will leave it to others to decide the good from the bad. I am not keen on going through it all as I am on holiday and the internet connection is not great.

 

Right now, officials in the US and EU are secretly negotiating a hugely influential and dangerous trade deal which would put the profits of big business ahead of our welfare, health and environment. [1]

It’s called the “Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnershipâ€, or “TTIP†for short, but in reality it’s more like a Christmas-list for big business. The negotiations are shrouded in secrecy, but leaked details suggest the deal will:

- Allow companies to sue governments if they make decisions which negatively affect big business’ potential profits (like capping energy prices, or introducing plain packet cigarettes.) [2]

- Stop future governments from rolling back privatisation of our public services, such as the NHS, energy companies, or the Post Office. [3]

- Relax the rules which protect consumers, our environment, our welfare and health services, to much weaker US levels. [4]

38 Degrees members have a strong track record of standing up to big business and government. If we decide to, we have a chance to stop this agreement in its tracks - derailing the negotiations and making sure the things we care most about are protected.

Should we launch a campaign to stop the irreversible damage which the deal threatens? Please vote now:



Increased trade would create some jobs, and could boost the UK economy - but critics have been scathing of the cost and size of these benefits. However, with the economy a key election issue for both David Cameron and Barack Obama, they’ve decided to stake their reputations on the deal. [5]

It’s not going to be an easy campaign to win -  but it is possible. Especially as we’d be joining lots of people and campaigners across the world who’ve already sprung into action.

Should we join the fight? The 38 Degrees staff team sit down every Monday morning to plan out the week ahead and decide on how we use staff resources. The most important factor when making those decisions is what 38 Degrees members think.

Vote now to decide whether or not we should launch a big campaign. Yes or No?




Thanks for being involved,

Ian, Bryony, Blanche & the 38 Degrees team


NOTES
[1] World Development Movement: EU-US Trade Deal:
http://www.wdm.org.uk/food-and-hunger/eu-us-trade-deal-written-banks-banks
[2] The Guardian: The lies behind this transatlantic deal:
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/dec/02/transatlantic-free-trade-deal-regulation-by-lawyers-eu-us
[3] Independent: NHS could be ‘carved open’ by US health profiteers:
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/nhs-could-be-carved-open-by-us-healthcare-profiteers-warns-shadow-health-secretary-andy-burnham-9292530.html
[4] EurActiv: TTIP means trading away better regulation:
http://www.euractiv.com/sections/science-policymaking/ttip-means-trading-away-better-regulation-301454
[5] Yahoo: TTIP: Politicians must stop misleading voters:
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/ttip-politicians-must-stop-misleading-voters-fictional-figures-000100739.html#gnkmT3T
Computer World UK: TTIP Update XXI;
http://blogs.computerworlduk.com/open-enterprise/2014/03/ttip-update-xxi/index.htm

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  • 3 weeks later...
RobHawk

RobHawk

Posted
Posted

Shotgun!!!

 

http://www.itv.com/news/london/2014-06-11/boris-johnson-agrees-to-be-blasted-by-water-cannon/

 

 

 

Boris Johnson agrees to be blasted by water cannon by Simon Harris: Political Correspondent  - last updated Wed 11 Jun 2014
 

London mayor Boris Johnson has agreed to be blasted by water cannon after his controversial decision to buy the weapons for Scotland Yard.

o_neill_normal.jpg

Boris has volunteered to be blasted by water cannon - is he really ready for this (via @beltel) http://t.co/xi4TOLsoyl

Bp1x3djCAAIGCej.jpg

Johnson approved a deal to buy three second-hand water cannon from Germany even though their use is currently banned in mainland Britain.

The mayor's critics accuse him of jumping the gun ahead of formal approval from the Home Secretary. He was challenged by LBC radio presenter Nick Ferrari to stand in the firing line.

article_img.jpgCredit: PA

I don't mind. I am certainly prepared to do anything to show that they're safe within reason.

If it will really make you happy, I will investigate the whys and wherefores of whether I can stand in front of a water cannon without infringing some code of health and safety.

– BORIS JOHNSON, MAYOR OF LONDON

Boris added:

Are you saying I need a bath?

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sphericalfox

sphericalfox

Posted
Posted
The U.S. Navy Just Announced The End Of Big Oil And No One Noticed

 

Surf’s up! The Navy appears to have achieved the Holy Grail of energy independence – turning seawater into fuel:

 

After decades of experiments, U.S. Navy scientists believe they may have solved one of the world’s great challenges: how to turn seawater into fuel.

…

The new fuel is initially expected to cost around $3 to $6 per gallon, according to the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, which has already flown a model aircraft on it.

Curiously, this doesn’t seem to be making much of a splash (no pun intended) on the evening news. Let’s repeat this: The United States Navy has figured out how to turn seawater into fuel and it will cost about the same as gasoline.

This technology is in its infancy and it’s already this cheap? What happens when it’s refined and perfected? Oil is only getting more expensive as the easy-to-reach deposits are tapped so this truly is, as it’s being called, a “game changer.â€

I expect the GOP to go ballistic over this and try to legislate it out of existence. It’s a threat to their fossil fuel masters because it will cost them trillions in profits. It’s also “green†technology and Republicans will despise it on those grounds alone. They already have a track record of trying to do this. Unfortunately, once this kind of genie is out of the bottle, it’s very hard to put back in.

There are two other aspects to this story that have not been brought up yet:

1. The process pulls carbon dioxide (the greenhouse gas driving Climate Change) out of the ocean. One of the less well-publicized aspects of Climate Change is that the ocean acts like a sponge for CO2 and it’s just about reached its safe limit. The ocean is steadily becoming more acidic from all of the increased carbon dioxide. This in turn poisons delicate ecosystems like coral reefs that keep the ocean healthy.

If we pull out massive amounts of CO2, even if we burn it again, not all of it will make it back into the water. Hell, we could even pull some of it and not use it in order to return the ocean to a sustainable level. That, in turn will help pull more of the excess CO2 out of the air even as we put it back. It would be the ultimate in recycling.

2. This will devastate oil rich countries but it will get us the hell out of the Middle East (another reason Republicans will oppose this). Let’s be honest, we’re not in the Middle East for humanitarian reasons. We’re there for oil. Period. We spend trillions to secure our access to it and fight a “war†on terrorism. Take away our need to be there and, suddenly, justifying our overseas adventures gets a lot harder to sell.

And if we “leak†the technology? Every dictator propped up by oil will tumble almost overnight. Yes, it will be a bloody mess but we won’t be pissing away the lives of our military to keep scumbags in power. Let those countries figure out who they want to be without billionaire thugs and their mercenary armies running the show.

Why this is not a huge major story mystifies me. I’m curious to see how it all plays out so stay tuned.

UPDATE:

People have been asking for more details about the process. This is from the Naval Research Laboratory’sofficial press release:

Using an innovative and proprietary NRL electrolytic cation exchange module (E-CEM), both dissolved and bound CO2 are removed from seawater at 92 percent efficiency by re-equilibrating carbonate and bicarbonate to CO2 and simultaneously producing H2. The gases are then converted to liquid hydrocarbons by a metal catalyst in a reactor system.

In plain English, fuel is made from hydrocarbons (hydrogen and carbon). This process pulls both hydrogen and carbon from seawater and recombines them to make fuel. The process can be used on air as well but seawater holds about 140 times more carbon dioxide in it so it’s better suited for carbon collection.

Another detail people seem to be confused about: This is essentially a carbon neutral process. The ocean is like a sponge for carbon dioxide in the air and currently has an excess amount dissolved in it. The process pulls carbon dioxide out of the ocean. It’s converted and burned as fuel. This releases the carbon dioxide back into the air which is then reabsorbed by the ocean. Rinse. Repeat.

This article was originally posted on proudtobeafilthyliberalscum.com

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Webbo

Webbo

Posted
Posted

The U.S. Navy Just Announced The End Of Big Oil And No One Noticed

 

Surf’s up! The Navy appears to have achieved the Holy Grail of energy independence – turning seawater into fuel:

 

After decades of experiments, U.S. Navy scientists believe they may have solved one of the world’s great challenges: how to turn seawater into fuel.

…

The new fuel is initially expected to cost around $3 to $6 per gallon, according to the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, which has already flown a model aircraft on it.

Curiously, this doesn’t seem to be making much of a splash (no pun intended) on the evening news. Let’s repeat this: The United States Navy has figured out how to turn seawater into fuel and it will cost about the same as gasoline.

This technology is in its infancy and it’s already this cheap? What happens when it’s refined and perfected? Oil is only getting more expensive as the easy-to-reach deposits are tapped so this truly is, as it’s being called, a “game changer.â€

I expect the GOP to go ballistic over this and try to legislate it out of existence. It’s a threat to their fossil fuel masters because it will cost them trillions in profits. It’s also “green†technology and Republicans will despise it on those grounds alone. They already have a track record of trying to do this. Unfortunately, once this kind of genie is out of the bottle, it’s very hard to put back in.

There are two other aspects to this story that have not been brought up yet:

1. The process pulls carbon dioxide (the greenhouse gas driving Climate Change) out of the ocean. One of the less well-publicized aspects of Climate Change is that the ocean acts like a sponge for CO2 and it’s just about reached its safe limit. The ocean is steadily becoming more acidic from all of the increased carbon dioxide. This in turn poisons delicate ecosystems like coral reefs that keep the ocean healthy.

If we pull out massive amounts of CO2, even if we burn it again, not all of it will make it back into the water. Hell, we could even pull some of it and not use it in order to return the ocean to a sustainable level. That, in turn will help pull more of the excess CO2 out of the air even as we put it back. It would be the ultimate in recycling.

2. This will devastate oil rich countries but it will get us the hell out of the Middle East (another reason Republicans will oppose this). Let’s be honest, we’re not in the Middle East for humanitarian reasons. We’re there for oil. Period. We spend trillions to secure our access to it and fight a “war†on terrorism. Take away our need to be there and, suddenly, justifying our overseas adventures gets a lot harder to sell.

And if we “leak†the technology? Every dictator propped up by oil will tumble almost overnight. Yes, it will be a bloody mess but we won’t be pissing away the lives of our military to keep scumbags in power. Let those countries figure out who they want to be without billionaire thugs and their mercenary armies running the show.

Why this is not a huge major story mystifies me. I’m curious to see how it all plays out so stay tuned.

UPDATE:

People have been asking for more details about the process. This is from the Naval Research Laboratory’sofficial press release:

Using an innovative and proprietary NRL electrolytic cation exchange module (E-CEM), both dissolved and bound CO2 are removed from seawater at 92 percent efficiency by re-equilibrating carbonate and bicarbonate to CO2 and simultaneously producing H2. The gases are then converted to liquid hydrocarbons by a metal catalyst in a reactor system.

In plain English, fuel is made from hydrocarbons (hydrogen and carbon). This process pulls both hydrogen and carbon from seawater and recombines them to make fuel. The process can be used on air as well but seawater holds about 140 times more carbon dioxide in it so it’s better suited for carbon collection.

Another detail people seem to be confused about: This is essentially a carbon neutral process. The ocean is like a sponge for carbon dioxide in the air and currently has an excess amount dissolved in it. The process pulls carbon dioxide out of the ocean. It’s converted and burned as fuel. This releases the carbon dioxide back into the air which is then reabsorbed by the ocean. Rinse. Repeat.

This article was originally posted on proudtobeafilthyliberalscum.com

 

Sounds like bullshit but I hope it's not.

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sphericalfox

sphericalfox

Posted
Posted

Useful for big existing boats like navy warships but that's about it. Takes more energy in the form of electricity than it produces.

 

Surely this would be a useful addition if cargo ships were encouraged to take up this technology for the future, should/when it might become viable.

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MooseBreath

MooseBreath

Posted
Posted

Surely this would be a useful addition if cargo ships were encouraged to take up this technology for the future, should/when it might become viable.

Possibly but I believe you need a very powerful on board electricity generator, like the nuclear reactors you get on some military ships, but which you don't get on cargo ships. No idea if it would be worthwhile installing nuclear power on civilian ships in order to make use of this technology. But in terms of reducing reliance on oil in general, I think electric land vehicles will do that far more efficiently and sooner.

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sphericalfox

sphericalfox

Posted
Posted

Possibly but I believe you need a very powerful on board electricity generator, like the nuclear reactors you get on some military ships, but which you don't get on cargo ships. No idea if it would be worthwhile installing nuclear power on civilian ships in order to make use of this technology. But in terms of reducing reliance on oil in general, I think electric land vehicles will do that far more efficiently and sooner.

 

Not sure, but they did mention a 'model aircraft' had been fuelled by the process, I assume the lab isn't on the sea, but by the sea. So fuel is fuel.

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  • 2 weeks later...
MC Prussian

MC Prussian

Posted
Posted (edited)

Who needs news presenters when you can replace them by robots?

Kodomoroid, Otonaroid, world’s first Android newscaster at Tokyo Museum

They might not be your idea of the ideal museum guide, but two androids designed to be lifelike have landed jobs at a prestigious Japanese technology center. Japanese scientists unveiled what they claimed to be the world’s first news-reading android at a Tokyo museum on Tuesday with the new robot guides appearing to be human and possessing a sense of humor to match their shaky language skills.

Kodomoroid and Otonaroid, the droids are designed as hyper-realistic androids that look like a girl and a woman, respectively. The adolescent-looking, ‘Kodomoroid’, an amalgamation of the Japanese word ‘kodomo’ (child) and ‘android’ delivered news of an earthquake and an FBI raid to amazed reporters in Tokyo. She even poked fun at her creator, telling leading robotics professor Hiroshi Ishiguro, “You are starting to look like a robot!”

The pitch-perfect Kodomoroid was flanked by a grown-up fellow robot who caught stage fright and fluffed her lines when asked to introduce herself. ‘Otonaroid’, ‘otona’ meaning adult, excused herself after a quick reboot and saying: “I am a little bit nervous.”

Powered by compressed air and servomotors, the androids can be remote controlled but they cannot walk around. They can move their upper bodies, arms, fingers and heads and also show a range of facial expressions while lip-synching prerecorded speech.

229871-640x360.jpg

Kodomoroid is linked to the Internet and will read out the latest news when the machines go on display from Wednesday. Otonaroid can be controlled by visitors so they can experience what it’s like to have a robot surrogate.

They’re the handiwork of a team led by Hiroshi Ishiguro, an Osaka University and Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International (ATR) roboticist who has been creating extremely lifelike androids for years. He’s known for creating an android clone called Geminoid that is the spitting image of himself.

At a press event, former astronaut Mamoru Mohri, director of the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation (Miraikan) in Tokyo, presented Otonaroid with its official credentials.Otonaroid accepted the paper, awkwardly grasping it with its fingers coated with synthetic skin. The robot’s business card which bears the title ‘science communicator’ was handed out to reporters. It chatted with attendees after Kodomoroid announced the latest earthquake news.

Robotics expert Hiroshi Ishiguro says they will be useful for research on how people interact with robots and on what differentiates the person from the machine.

“Making androids is about exploring what it means to be human,” he told reporters, according to the Associated Press, “examining the question of what is emotion, what is awareness, what is thinking.”

Both androids will work at Tokyo’s National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation, interacting with visitors to collect data for Ishiguro’s studies into human reactions to the machines.

“We will have more and more robots in our lives in the future,” Ishiguro told AFP. “You can take my androids on planes – the torso in the suitcase and the head in carry-on.”

Ishiguro has a humanoid version of himself which he sends overseas to give lectures. “It cuts down on my business trips,” he said. “Technical advances mean robots look and act more human, and that makes us think about our worth.”

Otonaroid looked as if she could need rewiring before beginning her new role as the museum’s science communicator, her lips out of sync and her neck movements symptomatic of a bad night’s sleep.

But Ishiguro insisted both would prove invaluable to his continued research as museum visitors get to have conversations with the droids and operate them as extensions of their own body. Kodomoroid even said it dreams of having its own television show one day.

“I hope these new science communicators can help increase the numbers of return visitors to the museum,” Mohri said.

http://www.wallstreetotc.com/meet-kodomoroid-otonaroid-worlds-first-android-newscaster/24799/

Edited by MC Prussian
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