Ippoippo

… that’s the smell of fear!

Is this just the start of greater problems outside the US. The problems in the US sub-prime market started some 6 months or so ago, and it was only a matter of time before it got over here.

I do have to laugh at some of the reporting going on, it’s all very “Don’t Panic, Don’t Panic”.

But experts say it does not mean Northern Rock, which has £113bn in assets, is in danger of going bust.

My would bet that this time next year, Northern Rock will not be trading.

Meanwhile, whilst most political pundits in the UK seem to focusing on Mrs Thatcher visiting No.10… there was quite an interesting release from the Conservative Party (a party I would normally inherently distrust).

You can download the PDF of the document from here.
What was very surprising, and pleasing in a way, was that the document contain a large number of references to Peak Oil!
For example…

Reducing our demand for fossil fuels can only improve our energy security as we move towards being an energy importer in the age of ‘peak oil’.

The global response to climate change will require developed economies like Britain to decarbonise progressively over the next fifty years. The costs, even if higher in the event than those now suggested, will continue to look affordable when set against the risk and cost of inaction. They will look even more affordable as the next decade brings growing recognition of the implications of ‘peak oil’.

Any economy will struggle to compete if it does not have reliable access to affordable energy. We
have to ask ourselves whether it is in the interests of this country to remain dependent on fossil fuels,
which look set to become increasingly expensive in the age of ‘peak oil’. With reserves increasingly
concentrated in countries which carry relatively high levels of political risk, we must consider whether
our energy security interests would not be better served by higher levels of self sufficiency. We note
the brave decision of Sweden to aim for zero dependence on oil by 2020.

Yes, the Tories have actually published an official blueprint document acknowledging it. This is a huge development in my opinion and it’s a shame the national press here focused on Thatcher’s visit.

Mind you, it’s not all rosy. As the BBC themselves have pointed out, in an online article, there is a conflict of interest here.
As the BBC says…

On the one hand, the group led by former environment minister John Gummer has listed a huge number of changes on everything from limiting power consumption by domestic electrical goods to a moratorium on planned airport expansions and “grandiose programmes” of road building.

On the other hand, the group led by John Redwood proposed the creation of more privately-funded road schemes and a continuation of airport expansion.

At the same time, Mr Cameron has been insisting the Tories are the greenest of all the parties and will tax polluters, while also claiming he would run a lower tax economy than Labour.

Ahhh, it would appear that Mr Cameron has a problem on his hands. You can’t have a bit of both really can you?

Also, whilst the second ‘Green’ report was interesting, we should remember…

None of the policy review reports are binding on Mr Cameron and, now they have all reported, it is up to him to pick and chose which policies he wants to take forward to the election manifesto.

UPDATE:
Looking like a run on the bank?
People forming queues and reports of the phonelines jammed.

The ‘Maddy’ case rumbles on here in the UK, with a media Frenzy.
Whilst there has been somewhat of a change, and a serious bit of back-peddling for most of the press (who were very Pro-McCann)… it seems that the odd columnist is still sticking to the old line.

Whilst I can’t say what has happended, some of the junk that the press is coming out with is just annoying. I give you Allison Pearson of the Daily Mail, who wrote “I refuse to believe the McCanns are guilty”.
Riiiighht. That’s quite a big statement of faith. (Just as stupid as writing something like “I refuse to believe the McCanns are innocent”).

She writes…

Imagine how thrilled those literally clueless Portuguese cops were to be handed some inconclusive DNA evidence they could talk up to scapegoat the British visitors who had become such a pain in the backside.

Ahhh, good old Daily Mail. Lets slam those silly foreign police types. You’d think that this was some conspiracy by those dirty, smelly foreigners… except the DNA evidence came from British police. So, to suggest that this is a stich up is to suggest that it’s an international stich up. Madness.

Mind you, some of the ‘anti-McCann’ brigade are also quite laughable. The Daily Mirror newspaper has it’s own forums, and some of the stuff posted on there is nuts, with some real ‘tinfoil hat conspiracy style’ postings. Mind you, someone did post a rather good bit of satire. It’s a ‘Columnists’ Views of the whole case.

If The McCanns Confess It Only Goes To Show They’re Innocent

By Fiona Carole Richard-Judy-Pearson-Phillips

AS if having to fly home via EasyJet was not hard enough for poor Kate and Gerry, they are now having to endure more diabolical speculation that they killed poor Maddy. Why? Because of new so-called ‘DNA’ evidence.

This is nothing short of ludicrous. I’m no forensic expert, but I happen to know that everyone has DNA. So how can we be sure it was Maddy’s?

Well, apparently the latest crackpot theory is that some boffin in a Birmingham laboratory says it might be. How inappropriate to apply science to a situation of such raw emotion.

Are we expected to believe that the McCanns, who have touched everyone with their incredible sang-froid and poker-faced resilience despite the adbduction and possible death of their daughter, could have done anything to harm sweet Maddy, just on the basis of cold, hard science? Why are these faceless ghouls in white coats playing with their test tubes and bunsen burners when their time could be better spent helping the poor McCanns, holed up in Rothley, Leicestershire, in their indefatigable hunt for their little girl?

I don’t know what the doctors do in Portugal, and frankly I do not wish to know, but someone should tell the Portimao plod that British doctors aren’t murderers. And before anyone cries ‘Shipman’, may I point out that there’s an exception to every rule, and since Harold Shipman has already proved himself the exception to that particular rule, the McCanns couldn’t have killed their daughter. If only the Portuguese police could apply such logic, they might have found Maddy by now.

My female instincts tell me that the McCanns are innocent, and I trust my female instincts far more than any foreign police force or hairbrained scientist.

The McCanns deserve respect and admiration for standing strong and continuing to insist that their daughter has been abducted in spite of a lack of supporting evidence and an uncaring Portuguese police force pre-occupied with solving crimes.

I’m sorry, but I refuse to believe the McCanns had anything to do with Maddy’s disappearance, and I will continue to refuse to believe it even if they are convicted of murder in a court of law. Even if they confess, it will only be so they can get all of this nonsense out of the way and resume the search for Maddy from their police cells. Such a confession would only act as a beacon of their innocence and decency.

I’m sure I speak for everyone at dinner parties up and down the country when I say: ‘Don’t worry, Kate and Gerry, we believe in you and everything you say, except when you say something that isn’t true just because it will help in the search of Maddy, who we know you couldn’t have possibly killed.’

Shame on you, scientists.

What’s worrying is that a joke article can actually sound quite plausible as the kind of thing that would be written in the tabloid press here.

… that Abe has finally resigned.

Though, the timing is somewhat strange.

As I type this, it’s lunchtime in the office. I’m feeling rather tired after a long weekend.

So, on Friday, Yuko’s cousin arrived from Japan, and we met up with him in London. That made it nice and easier for us to hop onto the Eurostar on the Saturday morning to head off towards Paris for the weekend.

Impressions of Paris.

• RER Line A from Gare du Nord towards the centre of town is bloody awful! Full of lots of dodgy looking characters.
• The centre of Paris is very beautiful, and a tour along the Seine is well worth the money. Sure, London has it’s famous landmarks, but the buildings next to them are sometimes rather drab. It seemed the whole of the central part of Paris was very historic and pretty looking. Imagine a big version of Bath!
• Reviews on American websites about food service being really slow, and waiters being rude are exaggerated based on our experience there. One place we went into had a waiter with a slightly snooty demeanour, but he certainly wasn’t rude to us despite my very bad French.
• Whilst pre-booking a restaurant online seemed a good idea, as it was going to be busy for the weekend, it wasn’t really necessary. The place we booked at for Saturday night was OK, but the not great food. Waitress was very friendly and helpful though. The second night, we ignored our booking and found another place.
• Paris makes London seem cheap. I suspect that’s because I can sort of find my way around London and know what I’m looking for there. On Sunday night though, we ate very well, and very (relatively speaking) cheaply at a French-Algerian place near the hotel in the La Defence region.
• We really liked the 5th Arrondissement part of Paris. Rue Mouffetard was great, and we got some plonk from the wineshop there.
• The l’Arc de Triomphe is a lot cheaper to climb, takes less time to queue for, and still provides a great view of the city. Don’t bother with climbing the Eiffel Tower we reckon.

Would just me and Yuko go there again. Probably not… though the idea of a little wine tour somewhere else in France sounds tempting.

Yesterday, having arrived back in Cardiff on Monday night, we spent the day up in Herefordshire. With the great weather, it was rather interesting to go on a tour of the Westons Cider factory. We went up to that part of the world to show Yuko’s cousin some countryside. We also popped into get some lunchtime snacks from Handmade Scotch Egg company since we were in the right part of the world. Normally, they come to Cardiff Riverside Market every 3rd Sunday of the month… but we’ll be in London this Sunday.

Anyway, suppose I should do some work now. Yuko and cousin are wandering St. Fagans at the moment. Lucky them!