Dimron

Electricity cannot be stored as with hydrocarbons like natural gases,,, electricity is about setting up the potential for electrons to move along conduits. We can chemically store "charge" (potential energy) in batteries but that's it. That is why we really need to upgrade the grid to distribute the current from all of these new generation sources which should include tidal/wave barriers. I believe we are getting an experimental (20 billion?) fusion generator not far from me in the near future at the site of the former West Burton coal fired power station... it'd solve all our problems if we can get it to work... fuse two hydrogen atoms from the River Trent into Helium... E=mc2 and wallop! It'll make all these windfarms appear temporary make-dos.

It's a negotiation ploy... whatever is in there can't be extracted by either side because no mining company would invest in operating in a war zone... as I said, its all about being able to say to Vlad the Ukrainians are paying for their weapons and we are just the suppliers... we're no longer (if we ever did) taking sides... lets move forward.

But the really thick cables to distribute all of the energy from the off shore wind farms aren't there... that is why when I drive to the Lincs coast I see all the banners saying no pylons here. The big distribution stuff is now in the wrong place like the Trent Valley, it is now required elsewhere. Unfortunately it isn't practical or efficient to store electricity... we can use some of the off-peak stuff to pump water up mountainsides such as at Dinorwig and store it as potential energy but that's it... generated electricity needs to be put into a grid to be tapped into by consumers almost immediately. We probably have to turn the windmills off so we don't blow the fuses on some days.

As I understand things the grid is based on coal fired power stations not 100s of windfarms in the middle of the countryside so it all needs reconfiguring

Trump can now meet Putin and tell him... We are no longer supporting Ukraine by sending them weapons to use against you free of charge, they are now going to buy those arms and pay for them in the future... big shift which should defuse some objections from Mr P

We don't actually "rinse" anybody... we build new toilet blocks, the CO didn't like them as they have too many disabled and he didn't like the colours so out it all comes... every job they change things late in the day and it has a cost. Starting some office refurbs soon... just know how that is going to go!

Good news for the company I work for... we've always got a few defence jobs on the go and they piss the money like it's going out of fashion... you wouldn't believe how the MoD can waste money on infrastructure! As I said earlier, there's a real danger if you give them more money to spend (especially in a hurry) the more inefficient they will become... we did a six figure job last year and after the Unit's CO had inspected we were jack-hammering away the next day as it all had to be re-configured... happy days 😆 Happens on virtually every contract.

Rest assured I do not pay operatives an architect's wage. The £200 per day they earn on my sites has three times the value when they spend it back home... the Eastern European economies are very much less developed than the Western causing big imbalances. This has affected the natural wage progression of our home workforce, loos at all the Amazon van drivers... they are happy bombing around on half the wages of what a British worker would need as the money is worth so much more when they go home.

I don't see it as all the Eastern Europeans' fault. About 20 odd years ago I worked on a big distribution centre for Sports Direct on a former colliery site in Shirebrook near Mansfield, paid for using EU regeneration grant money on the basis that it will revitalise the local economy now the pit had been lost. About 18 months later I went back to carry out some maintenance and it was full of Romanians, the signage was in Romanian and they even sold their sausages in the canteen, not a local in sight. When I went into the town it was worse that previous, more shops boarded up and more betting and money shops. Then, to really cement my opinion, Mike Ashley rocked up in his private helicopter... "you really have been taking the piss" I thought to myself as he glowered at me. The actions of blokes like him and Philip Green and Bezos have kept the wages depressed, the money the immigrant workers earn is worth three times when they spend it back home.... why give UK workers more money when I get get dozens of Eastern Europeans dirt cheap? Hence us now being saddled with \ low productivity, low investment economy

I prefer "realist"

Eastern expansion of the EU was a big part. I work with lots of Eastern Europeans.... none have any trade qualifications or schooling but come over, work on our construction sites and draw wages equivalent to a surgeon or architect back home. The industrialists at the top of our pile have taken advantage of this over the last 20 years or so and wages have been kept depressed and investment in productivity neglected. Result is we are we are. PS... if these workers need a dentist or medical treatment they go home as our NHS services are almost non-existent, they pay the local "mafia" who are controlling the relevant surgery and jump the queue... it's how things are done over there.

We have a low productivity, low growth stagnant economy and insist on writing cheques we can no longer cash. We really are no longer Billy Big Boots on the World Stage. Reality check now urgently required. Make certain children have breakfasts and old people dignified homes firstly please.

Wasn't that in the Reform Manifesto?

He'd just throw a wobbler and take the US Chequebook home. It's all about funding... no bucks, no fucks lads

Its one thing to throw the money at the problem but its another to get value for money. We have two big white elephant aircraft carriers, our allies can't use them on joint exercises because they don't have angled fight decks and catapult launching. Only suited for F35s and we can't afford many of those, we really needed lots of medium tech aircraft like F18 Hornets. They're just big oversized heli platforms and sitting targets, especially as we don't have the ships to make up a properly defended carrier group. Are we going to spend the money on buying more US systems like Trident?

I stand corrected... must pay more attention, especially now dementia is looming... but my point remains

And 71% didn't vote for the Christian Democrats! Must be something in the culture/mindset of the previously soviet states... they probably respect and "need" hard line authoritarianism... something similar happened in Ukrainian elections in 2010

I'd imagine Trump will have something to say about how the AfD have been "anti-democratically" sidelined although 20% of the population have voted for them and they came second... I recall Nick Clegg went with the Conservatives because they came second although they were against the Lib Dem Principles.

Europe is becoming a busted flush. 20% of the German vote went to the AfD who view the Ukraine conflict as an internal matter and recognise the annexation of Crimea against EU policies (and most others). They would also push for an exit referendum if and when...

I think the fags and booze did for him... and TV presenting in the nude 🙂

Thatcher the Milk Snatcher will be turning in her grave

Agreed... the BBC is staffed by "Jews and Queers" according to Cheggers 😉

I don't think he needs a new frock or designer glasses

I sat down and watched "The Banshees of Inisherin" on Channel 4 last night (incidentally it was the Guardian Pick of the Week) It was dark. Been puzzling what it was all about since... any of the culture vultures out there help me? Old man blames his boring best friend for his shit fiddle playing, did the dwarf donkey represent the boring chap's innocence? Was it really about the Irish civil war?

And proper socks Goalie with green jumper an a flat cap also