[Archived] News comment

[Al]

It doesn't matter when. The trouble with climate change deniers is they are becoming increasingly shrill as they lose the argument. Maybe it’s because without facts on their side, all they have is volume. But as the planet's temperatures continue to go up, you can bet the noise will too.

Do they though? That apart the argument is not about climate change. That has happened since the planet was formed. The argument is about the cause and that is the subject of conjecture.

[Steve Kean's Hypnotoad]

The thing that I find frustrating about the, shall we call it No, argument when it comes to climate change/global warming etc is there seems to be too much of a "prove it" type attitude.

Thats a reasonable demand for most arguments, but when you're talking about insanely complicated systems like long and short term weather phenomena/patterns, its pretty much an impossible demand. Its like being asked to prove the precise cause of a stock market crash and to prove it couldn't have been anything else.

If someone has all the info on recent climate change, such as its speed and the varying aspects of it (such as parts per million of carbon in the air), and then is asked whats most likely, not what they can and can't prove, I struggle to see how anyone can come down on the side of its most likely we have no impact on it.

The argument should go the other way. Seeing as the risk of assuming we're not having an affect until the planet is destroyed is massive, it should be a case of prove we aren't having an affect.

[Willie Eckerslike]

News of an even more serious nature:

http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/11034859.Woman_fish_slapped_with_large_bream_in_Accrington_Asda/?ref=var_0

[Guest Norbert]

Sounds like another of those Neknominate type of things where idiot 1/4 wit drones film themselves being idiots in order to be 'someone' without achieving anything.

[thenodrog]

Eggs! Anybody and everybody with a garden should have 2/3 hens. Greenest machines ever. They will consume all that leftover food, sell by date stuff (that most put in the bin) along with more than enough garden pests and leave a couple of eggs in the nest box every day to boot.

[Guest Norbert]

Don't think it would be a good idea for my family. They all have cats, and I can't have animals beyond a hamster in my flat. They'd probably crap themselves with the dogs gooning about the garden too.

They are a pretty good idea fro other people though. When they die, there's a nice dinner too.

[Paul]

Very true but they also make a real mess of scratching up the garden.

Best solution is to pen them during the growing season and let them roam in winter when they do an excellent job of cleaning up for you.

[Audax]

Saddened at hearing about this Malaysian jet.

[perthblue02]

Saddened at hearing about this Malaysian jet.

Certainly is a strange one, especially with the passport stories coming out

[Audax]

http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/missing-malaysia-airlines-flight-mh370-mario-balotelli-lookalikes-had-stolen-passports-1439638

[thenodrog]

Weird for a full passenger plane to have simply disappeared. Too much floating stuff on board for that.

[Audax]

I honestly was not aware of this, on this day in 1944, travel suspended from Great Britain to Ireland.

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/london-suspends-travel-between-ireland-and-britain

On this day, Britain announces that all travel between Ireland and the United Kingdom is suspended, the result of the Irish government's refusal to expel Axis-power diplomats within its borders.

In 1922, an independent Irish republic was established after generations of conflict between Ireland and Britain. One of the conditions of that agreement was that Britain would retain control of three naval bases along the Irish coast in order to continue Ireland's defense. But as war loomed in the late 1930s, Irish Prime Minister Eamon de Valera negotiated an agreement that ended the British occupation of those naval bases; Ireland had declared a pre-emptive state of neutrality in any European war, and the presence of the Royal Navy on independent Irish soil violated that neutrality. De Valera did not want Ireland to become an object of attacks aimed at Britain.

Hope this isn't out of order to bring this up.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

WW 2 wasn't one of the Irish Republic's finest hours.

[Audax]

They are saying now, the Malaysian Jet could only make that big turn/U turn it made because it was programmed.

This has been a very hot topic on the internet.

Per NY Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/18/world/asia/malaysia-airlines-flight.html?hp&_r=0

WASHINGTON — The first turn to the west that diverted the missing Malaysia Airlines plane from its planned flight path from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing was carried out through a computer system that was most likely programmed by someone in the plane’s cockpit who was knowledgeable about airplane systems, according to senior American officials.

Instead of manually operating the plane’s controls, whoever altered Flight 370’s path typed seven or eight keystrokes into a computer on a knee-high pedestal between the captain and the first officer, according to officials. The Flight Management System, as the computer is known, directs the plane from point to point specified in the flight plan submitted before each flight. It is not clear whether the plane’s path was reprogrammed before or after it took off.

[thenodrog]

This is Blackburn! A sickos paradise. All articles copied from Tuesdays Telegraph!!!

http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/11083898.Blackburn_Islamic_tutor_guilty_of_touching_pupil_during_lessons/?ref=mr

http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/11083658.Blackburn_men_picked_up_teens_and_raped_them__court_told/?ref=mr

http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/11083191.Blackburn_teacher_on_trial_for_allegedly__touching_girl_pupils_/?ref=mr

http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/11086384.Suspicious_behaviour_outside_Blackburn_primary_school_sparks_warning_letter_to_parents/?ref=mr

Moving on and the headline story tonight was of a Snooker Hall being used as a cocaine dealership!

If these incidents have actually hit the courts then is it safe to assume that a great many such crimes are out there are being unreported? Is this type of crime becoming a modern day plague perpetrated by individuals who feel they are above the law of the land? If these individuals are found guilty then they must be subject to the maximum sentences and made examples of. If not then I believe that if this type of crime is left unchecked it will progress to vigilante type justice outside of the law as parents seek to protect their children from such abominations.

[thenodrog]

Rather surprising there are no comments on the budget! By our normal yardstick old George Osbourne must have played a blinder. Probably confirmed by the rather vapid comments from the opposition. Balls will be quietly licking his wounds somewhere ..... or if he's anywhere near Nigel Evans he might even be having them licked!

[jim mk2]

Osborne is a very political chancellor and this budget was no different with clear election bribes aimed at the haves while the have nots as usual were ignored. There is a clear case for pensions reform (which Balls acknowleged) but as Balls pointed out the fact pensioners will be able to access their funds for spending purposes the way is wide open for another mis-selling scandal by the sharks in the City. The budget in fact wasn't a "blinder" but a complete non-event that did nothing to address the long term problems caused by the financial crisis, the economic imbalances in this country, the growing poverty gap and the north south divide. As Balls said, it's very difficult to criticise a budget that amounted to a load of hot air and very little substance.

[Stuart]

at (with) Gordon

[Guest Norbert]

It will probably set up some sort of 'giveaway' budget to certain people who they want to vote for them next year. Pensioners, land owners, those with mortgages, share holders, City types.........mostly the usual crowd that the Tories are friends of. Of course, the flip side will be the usual bleatings of austerity that will leading to further welfare cuts, pay freezes for the emergency services and public sector and all the rest of that sort of thing. In effect, those with a bit of money will feel slightly better off and happier, whilst the working classes and those who have the temerity to be disabled or struggling will probably get the boot again.

[Doug]

Rather surprising there are no comments on the budget! By our normal yardstick old George Osbourne must have played a blinder. Probably confirmed by the rather vapid comments from the opposition. Balls will be quietly licking his wounds somewhere ..... or if he's anywhere near Nigel Evans he might even be having them licked!

It was a decent budget IMO. Digging us out of the hole labour left us in will mean tough times for many but is the best way to balance the country's accounts. Hope they continue to do the right thing and start to sort out public sector pay and pensions!

[jim mk2]

The above post must be some sort of joke. The "hole" was caused by the bankers whose greed and avarice caused the worst financial crisis and recession since the 1930s. The "tough times for the many" has certainly been borne by those at the bottom of society while those at the top who caused the problem have carried on as if nothing had happened - and been handed tax cuts by Osborne to make them feel even better. The best way to balance the country's accounts over the past 4 years would have been a growth agenda instead of an ideological exercise in cutting the size of the state. The "right thing" with public pay would be to give workers a decent rise after all they have suffered over the past few years while taxing heavily the bonuses of the undeserving in the boardrooms and in the City.

[Amo]

We're all in this together.

[Al]

No comment from Jim Mk11? Is he still banned? If so it's now getting above a joke. OK so he said something that upset a mod. It's well past time to get over it and reinstate him. Modding should be above personal prejudices.

[Amo]

No comment from Jim Mk11? Is he still banned? If so it's now getting above a joke. OK so he said something that upset a mod. It's well past time to get over it and reinstate him. Modding should be above personal prejudices.

Um no, he was banned for celebrating the deaths of innocent 'Muricans.

[Al]

Um no, he was banned for celebrating the deaths of innocent 'Muricans.

And it's well past time he should be forgiven.

He's entitled to an opinion.