Nigel Bridgman-Elliot

I guess the rest of us missed it too !

https://www.shetnews.co.uk/2022/11/08/mp-disappointed-after-rural-broadband-survey-fails-to-attract-isles-views

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changes in extreme drought were calculated for the near future (2021-2040) in comparison to a baseline
period (1981-2001)
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Be interesting to use a baseline period of 1961 to 1981, and see how accurate the prediction would have been for 1982 to 2001.

I wonder why a baseline period of 1981 to 2020 was not used instead ?

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Using modelled temperature and precipitation data from the UK Climate Projections 2018 (UKCP18) and the
drought index Standardised Precipitation-Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI),
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I wonder how accurate those two are ?

I guess when I get a spare moment I will have a look.
 

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 The Shetland Dating website

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What is the website address for that ?


Meanwhile, there is now a local group on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1314090729067204
> Shetland Cupid’s
 

> Pay just 4.5p per kWh during off-peak (12 am to 5 am GMT every day)

I notice on the EDF site prices are even lower now !


> the life span of batteries are approx 8yrs

I wonder if these will last longer ?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8EBI-N0KTk
> New Battery technology that lasts decades,
> Lithium Titanate Oxid - LTO

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A battery with a lifespan of a human being? Yes, with up to 30 000 cycles, it may serve you 82 years (one cycle per day).
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I want to use these in my next EV, since they can be charged @ -30c, so no worries when its cold outside.

What about other locations on the island for the Spaceport ?

These two places look fairly empty at first glance..

And why has it become so complicated to insert a picture here !
 

Someone was telling me they only pay 5p a unit for electricity to charge their car at night.

So..

If electricity companies aren't going to give us 24/7 5p unit electricity, then just fill up our car at night, and plumb it into the house during the day and use all that cheap night time electricity.

Could be a good use for all those old retired electric cars, park a few in your garden, and use them to store all that cheap 5p electricity.

Could even mount them on their ends to save space..

Related link:

Full Throttle on global vehicle to grid trials

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-9067327/British-firm-OneWeb-launch-36-broadband-satellites-atop-Soyuz-rocket.html

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OneWeb says it hopes to be able to provide satellite broadband to the UK by the end of next year
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I wonder how much it will be, and will Shetland get an early release of beta units to test I wonder . .

And, will future satellites be launched from the Unst Space Centre ?

Or will Russia get all the money for doing that for us..
 

Watching a few reviews, most say they can taste the difference, so I think a lot more work needs to be done there to make them taste nice.

Related link:

> Blind Tasting of Insect Burgers:
> How do they compare to a Beef and a Veggie Burger?

Meanwhile, perhaps lab grown meat is the solution.

Or, as this suggests, lab grown insects !

https://www.anthropocenemagazine.org/2019/06/the-case-for-lab-grown-insect-meat/

I'm reminded, how much food do we import into the UK now, is it 50%..

I guess we'll be in big trouble if all the other countries stop exporting to us, because they have to feed their own people..

How self sufficient is Shetland for its own food ?
 

> Deforestation

Suddenly I'm reminded of our own back yard..

 

Used to have a couple, one being a Cobra..

 

Built my own aerials back in the day.

 

Did you know an unwrapped cheese triangle give you about 3 mile range, but only last half an hour before they dry out !

(I like to experiment..)

 

What are the legal frequencies you can use these days ?

I remember making one of these aerials from a few old florescent tube light covers that had been thrown away, since they was made of aluminium:

https://www.electronics-notes.com/articles/antennas-propagation/cubical-quad-antenna/quad-basics.php
 

Update for 2020:

 

Just checked Bulb prices and compared to SSE, we'd save £12 a month if we changed.

If we changed the meter, cost estimated < £600 would mean 4 years to break even if nothing changed for the worst.
 

Where do they stand on things like tunnels ?

 

Or replacement power stations..

> Main point being is all your doing is moving half the junction further up the road, and thus the problem still remains.

Which problem is that specifically ?

 

I thought the problem was difficulty in coming out of the turning and seeing to your right ?

 

Is there another problem of folk turning into the turning such as shown in your video ?

(A problem one could say is the same for any turning !)

You could solve that one by the same kind of approach as Spaghetti Junction !

http://www.eridug.com/junction.jpg

> Second you have to fill all that area to make it level with that section of road. It’s also got a ditch in that area for land draining.
> I don’t think the land owner would be happy to have a flooded field.

You could install a pipe / tunnel for the water to travel through to solve the flooding issue, or build the road on stilts.

I thought also one of the issues was the steep turning road, with the output moved you could end that steep part before you hit the main road, allowing for a nice long stretch of flat road for people to stop more easily in bad conditions.


All this talk of junctions reminds me of the Tesco car park entrance and associated lead afterwards into said carpark, not being wide enough for two vehicles to easily pass enough other..

 

High up to avoid being swamped by the next Tsunami, not too close to existing buildings in case of a fire, sheltered from strong winds, and constructed to withstand them, with large enough gutters so as not to get overwhelmed by heavy downpours..

 

With lots of parking. (We have after all, vast areas of nothing, so why does everywhere have to have such tiny car parks!)

 

And room for future expansion, so you don't have to relocate again..
 

Does that mean everyone will be getting their flu jab this winter ?

 

Once the month delay in deciding what will be in it is over..

> a dip in the road further up

Sounds like one needs to get rid of the dip.


> traffic lights

Not a fan of those. Expensive to install, costly to maintain, and people don't always take notice of them.


> consider re-routing the road.

Somewhat a fan, as long as it isn't like many such approaches and ends up all bendy.

Maybe a bridge ?


> Sleeping policemen,speed cameras ,and an array of chicanes

Hate all of those !


> The problem is there still would not be enough time for
> people coming out of the junction to see without blasting
> away more of the hill.

Blast away more of the hill !

Or set up a series of mirrors to look behind it..
(Think periscope.)


> we all know if one was to be built it will be too small
> as it would be far to costly to put a proper one in.
> and we are speaking quite big.

Why would a big one cost more than peanuts compared to a small one ?


> Just because someone behind is beeping their horn, getting
> right up your bumper and flapping and waving does not mean
> its ok to go.

Reminds me of London traffic !

Just ignore everyone else and do the safe thing is my approach there.


That google street view URL really helps by the way.

FX [ Goes to look and tries to better understand the situation. ]


So, you'd only really need to reroute one lane wouldn't you ? eg. the one coming out of the junction, rather than the one going into the junction.

Eg. the current lane marked in red, move it to the position marked in blue:
http://www.eridug.com/road2.jpg

> One thing that’s improved is that our standard of living has aligned, reducing the need to be

> envious or jealous of our neighbours. Reduced the need to raid them or invade them.
 

I'm all for seeing improved standards of living everywhere.

 

But if other countries standards of living have aligned to ours, why does everyone want to move here ?

 

I'm reminded that I moved to here because of the 0% unemployment rate !

 

Is a lot better than the 30%+ where I was..

All this talk of Spanish wine, reminds me of New Zealand butter !

 

Where can you buy that these days ?

I'm aware of places closing and staff being out of work.

 

I read that occupancy rates are only something like 10% in the winter time.

(Would be more if prices wasn't so high !)
 

It's a bit ironic isn't it, people leaving the islands to find work elsewhere, and people moving to the islands to find work.

 

I would have thought if an employer was offering a 3 bedroom place for you to stay in, they really mean, a 3 bedroom place to share with others, since accommodation here is pretty difficult to come buy.

I guess it might come down to whether the hotel in question is near to the centre of civilisation (aka Lerwick.) or at the edge of the world..

 

Edge of the world, I've been here 3+ years, and haven't made a friend yet !

 

I can quite imagine some places to offer accommodation, at least until they are so busy that its suddenly profitable to rent out said places to paying customers, so for how long, is a bit of an unknown.

 

Usually as you get nearer to Lerwick, accommodation becomes more scarce.

 

I imagine tactical voters looking for who to vote for, would see the poll here, and vote for Ryan..
 

Perhaps next time, we might see more polls elsewhere so folk can see that if they do want to vote tactically, that the LibDem's are the best bet there.
 

Makes me wonder, what would be the reasons be for the majority to vote someone into a winning position who isn't a LibDem ?

 

Half price electricity for all on the islands perhaps..

Actually, considering ours went up 68% this year, they would have to do better than that !

Free electricity maybe !
 

> use a small screwdriver to open up the locking flap so that the tie can be used again.
 

I've yet to master the art of that, since every time I've tried it, I end up with a useless locking flap which has lost its mojo.

Interesting how the poll here is so out of wack with what people voted for in the end !

> weather forecasting is a science.

I'm reminded how Jeremy Corbyn's brother is quite good at this !
 

Someone was telling me the other day how he does it..

 

Finds matching historical records, fancy that, tomorrow's weather, based upon yesterdays.
 

> bed bug epidemic
 

From my joyful time living in London.. I can recommend:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diatomaceous_earth

No use trying any poisons, they are resistant to everything now !

Related link:

https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/790233/Bedbug-warning-blood-sucking-insects-resistant-insecticides-poison