Communicating with the World
Lotus are bringing out their first new car in rather a long time - hitting the roads around summer 2009. The Lotus Evora sounds impressive with its 3.5 litre DOHC V6 VVT-i engine and its 0 - 60 mph in under 5 seconds. It’s been billed by some as a direct challenger to the Porche 911. It looks pretty good too - see for yourself in the video below.
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This poem tends to circulate at this time of year…
Ode Tae a Fart
Oh what a sleekit horrible beastie
Lurks in your belly efter the feastie
Just as ye sit doon among yer kin
There sterts to stir an enormous wind
The neeps and tatties and mushy peas
Stert workin like a gentle breeze
But soon the puddin wi the sauncie face
Will have ye blawin all ower the place
Nae matter whit the hell ye dae
A’body’s gonnae hiv tae pay
Even if ye try tae stifle
It’s like a bullet oot a rifle
Hawd yer bum tight tae the chair
Tae try and stop the leakin air
Shifty yersel fae cheek tae cheek
Prae tae God it doesnae reek
But aw yer efforts go assunder
Oot it comes like a clap o thunder
Ricochets aroon the room
Michty me a sonic boom
God almighty it fairly reeks
Hope I huvnae shit my breeks
Tae the bog I better scurry
Aw whit the hell it’s no ma worry
A’body roon aboot me chokin
Wan or two are nearly bokin
I’ll feel better for a while
Cannae help but raise a smile
Wiz him! I shout with accusin glower
Alas too late, he’s just keeled ower
Ye dirty bugger they shout and stare
A dinnae feel welcome any mair
Where e’ere ye go let yer wind gan’ free
Sounds like just the job fur me
Whit a fuss at rabbie’s party
Ower the sake o one wee farty
I came across an article from August 2000 which merits another read after recent debates regarding whether or not organs should be removed from ones body without explicit consent. I’m afraid the original Guardian article is no longer available, but a comment article from ABC in Australia does get the point across.
Do the clinically dead still feel pain? When a doctor states that you are dead, the general assumption is that that is it. It is an end. You are no more. However, an editorial in Anaesthesia the journal of the Royal College of Anaesthetists urges for anaesthetics be used in all situations where organs are being removed from a patient.
It is felt that someone who is clinically brain dead can still experience pain. It is a fact that if a patient is not sedated during the organ extraction procedure, an alarming and dramatic response from the body can be observed. Pulse and blood pressure shoot up when the first cut is made and the “dead” patient can sometimes wriggle about to the point where it becomes impossible to operate.
Football fan Will Brooks had a dream to own a football club. He did however realise that to get the cash, he might need to get one or two people on board with him - or even 50,000!
Will set up a web site myfootballclub.co.uk to achieve his aim. The idea is that 50,000 of us will each contribute £35 to get the money together to buy a club. Interest in the project is coming in thick and fast with over 40,000 people having now signed up. When the figure hits 50,000 things are to start to happen.
The Scottish executive have introduced new legislation which if it had been introduced south of the border would have been labelled as anti-Scottish and idiotic. The new law means that wearers of kilts may need to have a licence for their sporran.
The law in itself appears to be well intentioned as is designed to protect endangered species like badgers and otters which traditionally have been used for sporran production, however the new law is slanted towards putting the responsibility on the owner of the sporran to prove that the animal was killed lawfully, and once they can they may get a licence.
I can see the law working for sporrans bought after the legislation comes into effect - as the tartan store that the item is bought from would supply the paper work, but the legislation applies to animals killed after 1994. This makes it kind of tricky for the individuals who bought their furry friends in the last 13 years.
Lets hope the implementation of the new law is thought out with common sense and some practicality.
Here are the hard facts about global warming that everyone should know, compiled for Times Online by internationally acclaimed writer, scientist and explorer Tim Flannery, author of The Weather Makers: Our changing climate and what it means for life on earth.
Ten predictions made by climate scientists that have come true (or are becoming true)
The device called Ewgeco (pronounced U-gee-ko) was initially conceived in 2006, and is set to be installed in Scottish schools and buildings by one local authority later this year. It was originally (and still is) intended to be used in the home.
The inventor Tanya Ewing said: “A busy mum walking out the door will be able at a glance to see just how much electricity, gas or water is being used - or wasted - at that time. But, of course, businesses too will be able to take advantage.
“The majority of the population is unaware of the true cost of appliances - and by saving just 1p an hour, this adds up to an annual saving of £87.60.”
She said she wanted to see at a glance how much water, gas and electricity was being consumed at any point in time, and how this related to her energy bills. The device will be designed to react each time a light, tap or TV is left on standby.
The device is due to be available early next year.
In what is believed to be the highest damages award an individual has received in the UK and thought to be the first case in Scotland, an Edinburgh man has successfully claimed damages from a sender of unsolicited commercial email. Read the rest of this entry »
Yesterday was the “Chinese Valentine’s Day”. It’s not really called that, it is actually called “Qi Xi” - or in English “The Night of Sevens”. This day occurs on the seventh day of the seventh month of the Chinese calendar - which this year fell on July 31.
But don’t worry! You have not missed the opportunity of surprising a loved one, as interestingly, in the Chinese calendar, this year is a leap year - and specifically, the seventh month is a leap month. This gives us two Qi Xi days this year, the second one almost one month later - August 30.
So, you are after that promotion or pay rise. You are good at your job and have the experience. You even have the required technical qualifications. Unfortunately, so do the people that work around you. You need to have an edge - something for the powers that be to see in you that separates you from the crowd.
Microsoft® has recently published an article aimed squarely at you!