I’m getting the distinct impression that Mr Malcolm isn’t really serious about tackling climate change.
"If he's serious about tackling climate change, and genuinely wants to reduce South Tyneside's greenhouse gas emissions by 20 to 30 per cent over the next decade, the promised CO2 reductions must be embedded into the council's core development strategy.
"Anything less will mean these urgently needed cuts just won't happen, and risks turning his pledge into an empty promise."
Friday, February 27, 2009
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Texting death crash peer jailed
Believe it or not, 6 weeks in prison is six weeks longer than most drivers that kill are sentenced to.
Roadpeace
Roadpeace
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Nice one Curly!
Curly has been getting his wheels dirty and having a lot of fun in the process, Respect!That sort of off-road cycling is great fun on a weekend, (until you have to start cleaning expensive Japanese components, with built-in-obsolescence, with your toothbrush) but it isn’t very practical to turn up to the office, school or a hospital appointment caked in that much mud.
Roads and high pressure tyres are the realistic option for the commuter. But the downside is that roads have more than their fair share of fumes and premature ejaculation drivers on them.
As Curly increases his cycling miles we might get him to support Shirley’s calls for safer streets. Or maybe even strike a blow for civil liberties by getting himself along to Critical Mass.
Surprise, surprise!
Monday, February 23, 2009
Exercise and staying sane.
Michael mentioned Twitter in a comment on my Facebook blog… I have no intentions of twittering, tweeting or whatever it’s called, but I did say that about Facebook a while back.
One blog I read on a regular basis does have the authors most recent twitterings scrolling down the side; three of those entries caught my eye.
‘Mother’s health not good, flying to see her now.’
‘Went for hard 2 hour bike ride.’
‘Mother passed away.’
I’ve paraphrased what he actually said but you get the gist. A lot of people probably just won’t get it and wonder why he wasn’t at his Mother’s bed side for those two hours. But I suspect everyone who runs, cycles or does some other form of exercise on a regular basis will fully understand it.
Non-runners think we do it for our physical health, but the truth is it gives our Central Nervous System just as much of a work out. In times of stress or emotional turmoil that need increases. Running or cycling hard has to be one of the best antidepressants in the world.
If you don’t believe me give it a try… but be careful, it really is addictive.
One blog I read on a regular basis does have the authors most recent twitterings scrolling down the side; three of those entries caught my eye.
‘Mother’s health not good, flying to see her now.’
‘Went for hard 2 hour bike ride.’
‘Mother passed away.’
I’ve paraphrased what he actually said but you get the gist. A lot of people probably just won’t get it and wonder why he wasn’t at his Mother’s bed side for those two hours. But I suspect everyone who runs, cycles or does some other form of exercise on a regular basis will fully understand it.
Non-runners think we do it for our physical health, but the truth is it gives our Central Nervous System just as much of a work out. In times of stress or emotional turmoil that need increases. Running or cycling hard has to be one of the best antidepressants in the world.
If you don’t believe me give it a try… but be careful, it really is addictive.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Saturday, February 21, 2009
After months of nagging, I’ve finally succumbed during a weak moment, and signed up to facebook. It’s a bit weird and I haven’t decided whether I like it or not. While I was signing up, I managed to accidentally reject the 20 or so people who had requested to be my ‘friend’, so that should make me even more popular!
I also find all this referring to yourself in the third person a bit creepy. I’m sure I’ll get used to it though.
Bryan is now going to look at Facebook.
I also find all this referring to yourself in the third person a bit creepy. I’m sure I’ll get used to it though.
Bryan is now going to look at Facebook.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Snow
I hadn’t planned to go running today but when I saw the snow coming down I just couldn’t resist it...
35 minutes of pure bliss.
35 minutes of pure bliss.
Happy Birthday to you…
…happy birthday to you,
happy birthday dear Darwin…
Rossinsbird beat me to it, but hopefully some of the publicity surrounding the anniversary of Darwin’s birth will help to counteract some of the anti-science bullshit those creationist fundamentalists are trying to spread.
Update:
I’ll drink to that!
happy birthday dear Darwin…
Rossinsbird beat me to it, but hopefully some of the publicity surrounding the anniversary of Darwin’s birth will help to counteract some of the anti-science bullshit those creationist fundamentalists are trying to spread.
Update:
I’ll drink to that!
The Northumberland Arms
I had to be in Newcastle yesterday for an appointment at the RVI, so I had made tentative arrangements to meet up with me mother afterwards and go for a coffee or maybe lunch.
We met and briefly discussed where to grab something to eat.
“Lets go to the Northumberland Arms.” My mother suggested.
The Northumberland Arms! Surely she didn’t mean the pub I occasionally used to have a drink in during the 1980s? She did!
Maybe it had changed since then? It hadn’t!
It was still exactly the same craphole I remembered. I don’t necessarily mean that in a bad way. In an era when you are faced with a bewildering choice of skinny lattes in unpronounceable sizes, there is something quite reassuring about any establishment that refuses to follow trends and move with the times.
For anyone that hasn’t been there, descending the stairs into the Northumberland Arms is reminiscent of entering a cross between a public toilet and a Cold War nuclear fallout shelter. The place was obviously designed in that post war era when British architecture was going through ‘a bit of a bad patch’ and architects didn’t worry about trivia like disabled access or fire regulations. I also found myself wondering what effect not seeing any natural daylight must have on the mental health of the staff. The food on offer was the sort of thing that you’ll never see one of those TV chefs preparing, but the sort of comforting stodge that your body craves this time of year.
Despite some small criticisms, I will return. On the positive side they have some interesting black and white photographs on the wall of how Newcastle used to look when I was a child that deserve closer inspection. And those sausages in mushroom gravy look far too tempting not to try.
We met and briefly discussed where to grab something to eat.
“Lets go to the Northumberland Arms.” My mother suggested.
The Northumberland Arms! Surely she didn’t mean the pub I occasionally used to have a drink in during the 1980s? She did!
Maybe it had changed since then? It hadn’t!
It was still exactly the same craphole I remembered. I don’t necessarily mean that in a bad way. In an era when you are faced with a bewildering choice of skinny lattes in unpronounceable sizes, there is something quite reassuring about any establishment that refuses to follow trends and move with the times.
For anyone that hasn’t been there, descending the stairs into the Northumberland Arms is reminiscent of entering a cross between a public toilet and a Cold War nuclear fallout shelter. The place was obviously designed in that post war era when British architecture was going through ‘a bit of a bad patch’ and architects didn’t worry about trivia like disabled access or fire regulations. I also found myself wondering what effect not seeing any natural daylight must have on the mental health of the staff. The food on offer was the sort of thing that you’ll never see one of those TV chefs preparing, but the sort of comforting stodge that your body craves this time of year.
Despite some small criticisms, I will return. On the positive side they have some interesting black and white photographs on the wall of how Newcastle used to look when I was a child that deserve closer inspection. And those sausages in mushroom gravy look far too tempting not to try.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Row erupts in Kent over £2 million pound giant horse
“Listen, you said you were only willing to spend two million quid, if you want it to have massive genitalia that’s going to cost you extra.”Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Dear Hazel,
Whatever your personal political persuasion, I highly recommend taking the time to read this open letter to Hazel Blears.
Mentalist
Anti-science fundamentalist dictates climate policy in the north of Ireland. And there was me thinking he was just a sectarian bigot with an anal sex phobia.
Monday, February 9, 2009
“UK set for more winter disruption”
A long time ago… I’d just moved to Germany and was busy unpacking and sorting out my flat. It was an evening in the middle of winter, but it looked quite nice outside. I decided to go for a run. So I put on my Pegasus trainers and dragged on my grey Nike jersey cotton jogging suit, which was the height of athletic chic back then, and set off down the communal stairs.
It was a bit cold, so I set off at a brisk six minute mile pace to warm up. A few hundred metres later my lungs felt like they’d been ripped out, I really was in pain. It was a clear still night and the air temperature was minus 20 degrees C. Welcome to winter without the North Atlantic Drift.
I quickly learned that you have to adapt your behaviour to suit the environment. The same was true of driving. I don’t know what it’s like now, but back then the environmentally aware Germans didn’t used to use salt on the roads. People adjusted their driving behaviour accordingly and accepted that you couldn’t travel as fast in winter as you do in summer.
You could langlauf though, and walk or skate on the frozen reservoirs and generally enjoy life. I don’t seem to remember people moaning about the weather or the detrimental effect on the economy.
The following winter a couple of old school friends came to visit. We went for a ‘Geordie lads on tour’ trip to Hamburg. Just as we arrived in Hamburg we got stranded in Germany’s worst snow storm for over quarter of a century.
But that’s another story altogether…
It was a bit cold, so I set off at a brisk six minute mile pace to warm up. A few hundred metres later my lungs felt like they’d been ripped out, I really was in pain. It was a clear still night and the air temperature was minus 20 degrees C. Welcome to winter without the North Atlantic Drift.
I quickly learned that you have to adapt your behaviour to suit the environment. The same was true of driving. I don’t know what it’s like now, but back then the environmentally aware Germans didn’t used to use salt on the roads. People adjusted their driving behaviour accordingly and accepted that you couldn’t travel as fast in winter as you do in summer.
You could langlauf though, and walk or skate on the frozen reservoirs and generally enjoy life. I don’t seem to remember people moaning about the weather or the detrimental effect on the economy.
The following winter a couple of old school friends came to visit. We went for a ‘Geordie lads on tour’ trip to Hamburg. Just as we arrived in Hamburg we got stranded in Germany’s worst snow storm for over quarter of a century.
But that’s another story altogether…
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Alcohol free for the next 6 months
Well that’s the first week of training under my belt. It was a struggle at times, and my knee certainly isn’t 100% but the psychological effect of completing the first week is brilliant. My A-priority target race is in July, so I’ve decided not to drink alcohol until then. I’m looking forward to the post race party.
The event is sponsored by the black sheep brewery so it could be the mother of all hangovers.
The event is sponsored by the black sheep brewery so it could be the mother of all hangovers.
Technology problems
I’ve already attempted to post a blog this morning but couldn’t get the formatting right and some of it disappeared from the screen. I’ll go for a run and clear my head, then maybe attempt it later.
Friday, February 6, 2009
Brain Donor
It’s been a long time coming but Brain Donor have finally released a new album. Haven’t heard it yet, but can’t wait.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Divide and Rule
The moment Gordon Brown uttered the sound bite “British jobs for British workers.” I thought ‘what a prick!’
Now, just as the banks and captains of industry are pocketing billions of pounds in subsidies and bail outs, Europe’s working class are being turned against each other.
What a shame all that frustration and anger can’t be directed towards the real villains of free market globalisation.
See also British wildcats exposed.
Now, just as the banks and captains of industry are pocketing billions of pounds in subsidies and bail outs, Europe’s working class are being turned against each other.
What a shame all that frustration and anger can’t be directed towards the real villains of free market globalisation.
See also British wildcats exposed.
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