It's funny where your blogposts can end up. At the time of the crisis between Iran and the UK over the captured sailors, I wrote about it. Only for the post to end up on the blog-aggregating site www.doxdo.com from Iran. Obviously because one of the tags on the post was "iran".
Cyclone George ravaged the area near Port Hedland, Western Australia last month, which is something I reported on as well. It promptly ended up on a blog from someone in Yorkshire.
Having your blog on Technorati can lead you to some interesting corners of the blogosphere.
Saturday, 14 April 2007
FDA recalls olives
Carlene [tendernoggle] has news of a recall of olives, which were found to be contaminated by botulinum bacteria - which can cause fatal illness. Read more here
Visit to Dalmore
My trawl of the island's cemeteries continues, with a visit to Dalmore this lunchtime. On leaving Stornoway, it was very hazy but sunny and feeling warm - out of the wind. The mercury had risen to 14C / 57F by midday. As we drove down the A858 towards Carloway, grey clouds reared up out of the Atlantic, and by the time we reached Dalmore, about 3 miles east of Carloway, spits and spots of drizzle fell.
Dalmore is famous for its beach. It is UNSAFE to swim there, but three people were going down the beach for surfing. There was a good swell going. I also noticed some children in the water - skinny dipping, although that was difficult to ascertain from a distance.
In the cemetery, I managed to locate 8 graves of Iolaire victims. This leaves me with the Ness cemetery, which I'll probably visit in the course of next week, depending on weather and transport.
Dalmore is famous for its beach. It is UNSAFE to swim there, but three people were going down the beach for surfing. There was a good swell going. I also noticed some children in the water - skinny dipping, although that was difficult to ascertain from a distance.
In the cemetery, I managed to locate 8 graves of Iolaire victims. This leaves me with the Ness cemetery, which I'll probably visit in the course of next week, depending on weather and transport.
Saturday notes
The accident with the Norwegian tugboat in the Atlantic is thought to have claimed 8 lives. Three have been confirmed, another five are missing, presumed dead. The anchor chain, which still attaches the Bourbon Dolphin to the Transocean Rather drilling rig, will be released. After that, the stricken boat will be towed inshore.
Kate Middleton and Prince William have split up. Big deal.
Need to stay anonymous on the Web? Read more here on the BBC website. Basically, the best way to do this is through a proxy.
Kate Middleton and Prince William have split up. Big deal.
Need to stay anonymous on the Web? Read more here on the BBC website. Basically, the best way to do this is through a proxy.
Friday, 13 April 2007
Directions?
Don't go to Google Maps. They expect you to swim 3,400 miles across the Atlantic and drive 50 miles across the sea. Lisa [seraphoflove9001] pointed us to this. If I put in instructions for my hometown, it requires me to drive 51 miles across the see from Ullapool to Stornoway...
Visit to Gress
Just returned from a visit to the cemetery at Gress, about 9 miles north of here, to find some more gravestones for Iolaire victims. Fantastic weather, just a wee bit cool. Still, 16C is not to be sniffed at. Above, you'll find a few of the pics I took while there.
Friday notes
Another brilliantly sunny day, with not a cloud in the sky. There is some wind, but it looks like less than yesterday. Am going out this afternoon to Gress, about 9 miles from here.
The news from the overturned tug northwest of Shetland is grim. No survivors have been found, and the chance of any people still alive in an airpocket (the boat is still at the surface) is rated as remote. Two of the 5 still unaccounted for are a father and his 15-year old son; the latter was on a work experience stint.
The Mexican Pacific coast was struck by an earthquake measuring 6.0 on the Richter scale last night. Its epicentre was located 65 km / 40 miles north of Acapulco. An aftershock of magnitude 5.4 struck a few hours later. No serious damage or casualties are reported; the quake knocked out powersupplies in Mexico City.
The news from the overturned tug northwest of Shetland is grim. No survivors have been found, and the chance of any people still alive in an airpocket (the boat is still at the surface) is rated as remote. Two of the 5 still unaccounted for are a father and his 15-year old son; the latter was on a work experience stint.
The Mexican Pacific coast was struck by an earthquake measuring 6.0 on the Richter scale last night. Its epicentre was located 65 km / 40 miles north of Acapulco. An aftershock of magnitude 5.4 struck a few hours later. No serious damage or casualties are reported; the quake knocked out powersupplies in Mexico City.
Thursday, 12 April 2007
Truisms for Pun
Truisms for
Pun
With thanks to Rhonda
I wondered why the baseball was getting bigger. Then it hit me.
Police were called to a daycare where a three-year-old was resisting a rest.
Did you hear about the guy whose whole left side was cut off? He's all right now.
The roundest knight at King Arthur's round table was Sir Cumference.
To write with a broken pencil is pointless.
When fish are in schools they sometimes take debate.
The short fortune teller who escaped from prison was a small medium at large.
A thief who stole a calendar got twelve months.
A thief fell and broke his leg in wet cement. He became a hardened criminal.
Thieves who steal corn from a garden could be charged with stalking.
We'll never run out of math teachers because they always multiply.
When the smog lifts in Los Angeles, U C L A.
The math professor went crazy with the blackboard. He did a number on it.
The professor discovered that her theory of earthquakes was on shaky ground
The dead batteries were given out free of charge.
If you take a laptop computer for a run you could jog your memory.
A dentist and a manicurist fought tooth and nail.
What's the definition of a will? (It's a dead giveaway)
A bicycle can't stand alone; it is two tired.
Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana.
A backward poet writes inverse.
In a democracy it's your vote that counts; in feudalism, it's your count that votes.
A chicken crossing the road: poultry in motion.
If you don't pay your exorcist you can get repossessed.
With her marriage she got a new name and a dress.
Show me a piano falling down a mine shaft and I'll show you A-flat miner.
When a clock is hungry it goes back four seconds.
The guy who fell onto an upholstery machine was fully recovered.
A grenade fell onto a kitchen floor in France, resulted in Linoleum Blownapart.
You are stuck with your debt, if you can't budge it.
He broke into song because he couldn't find the key.
A calendar's days are numbered.
A lot of money is tainted: 'Taint yours, and 'taint mine.
A boiled egg is hard to beat.
He had a photographic memory which was never developed.
A plateau is a high form of flattery.
Those who get too big for their britches will be exposed in the end.
When you've seen one shopping center you've seen a mall.
When she saw her first strands of gray hair, she thought she'd dye.
Bakers trade bread recipes on a knead to know basis.
Santa's helpers are subordinate clauses.
Acupuncture: a jab well done.
With thanks to Rhonda
I wondered why the baseball was getting bigger. Then it hit me.
Police were called to a daycare where a three-year-old was resisting a rest.
Did you hear about the guy whose whole left side was cut off? He's all right now.
The roundest knight at King Arthur's round table was Sir Cumference.
To write with a broken pencil is pointless.
When fish are in schools they sometimes take debate.
The short fortune teller who escaped from prison was a small medium at large.
A thief who stole a calendar got twelve months.
A thief fell and broke his leg in wet cement. He became a hardened criminal.
Thieves who steal corn from a garden could be charged with stalking.
We'll never run out of math teachers because they always multiply.
When the smog lifts in Los Angeles, U C L A.
The math professor went crazy with the blackboard. He did a number on it.
The professor discovered that her theory of earthquakes was on shaky ground
The dead batteries were given out free of charge.
If you take a laptop computer for a run you could jog your memory.
A dentist and a manicurist fought tooth and nail.
What's the definition of a will? (It's a dead giveaway)
A bicycle can't stand alone; it is two tired.
Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana.
A backward poet writes inverse.
In a democracy it's your vote that counts; in feudalism, it's your count that votes.
A chicken crossing the road: poultry in motion.
If you don't pay your exorcist you can get repossessed.
With her marriage she got a new name and a dress.
Show me a piano falling down a mine shaft and I'll show you A-flat miner.
When a clock is hungry it goes back four seconds.
The guy who fell onto an upholstery machine was fully recovered.
A grenade fell onto a kitchen floor in France, resulted in Linoleum Blownapart.
You are stuck with your debt, if you can't budge it.
He broke into song because he couldn't find the key.
A calendar's days are numbered.
A lot of money is tainted: 'Taint yours, and 'taint mine.
A boiled egg is hard to beat.
He had a photographic memory which was never developed.
A plateau is a high form of flattery.
Those who get too big for their britches will be exposed in the end.
When you've seen one shopping center you've seen a mall.
When she saw her first strands of gray hair, she thought she'd dye.
Bakers trade bread recipes on a knead to know basis.
Santa's helpers are subordinate clauses.
Acupuncture: a jab well done.
Webcam
Another totally useless statistic: since I put it up, on 14 December 2005, my webcam has registered 50,000 hits. Half my visitors are from the UK. Your average visitor watches for about a minute - and my bugbear are those friendly folk who leave the connection open for hours and hours and hours, eating up my bandwidth, in spite of a request on the site not to do that. Leaving that gripe to one side, the response is generally favourable. People like to sit and watch cars go by, people walk past and gulls flying around. What you may be able to spot is our crafty crows flying high in the air, dropping a shell on the floor, which will then hopefully smash. When it does, the crow gets to eat what lives in the shell. Don't be surprised to walk round my part of Stornoway and get bombarded with shells.
Ship capsizes - 5 missing
Five men are missing on board an oil-rig support vessel, which capsized earlier today in the Atlantic Ocean, 75 miles west of the Shetland Islands. The Norwegian registered Bourbon Dolphin was about 1 mile from the oilrig Transocean Rather, handling its anchor, when it capsized. Eight crew were recovered from the water, but another 5 are still missing, presumed to be within the upturned hull of the vessel. Divers are being directed to the scene, but will not be deployed until first light, after 5 am tomorrow morning. Any vessel in the vicinity with diving capability is requested to assist where possible.
More details here.
More details here.
Update
This is a picture I took a year ago, on 8 April 2006. It shows a large ship, belonging to the Bigshipping company. At the time, I emailed the operators in Amsterdam. They told me that the "Happy River" was sheltering off Stornoway, waiting the conditions to improve in the North Atlantic. The ship carried 5 modules on deck, up to 26 metres (87 ft) high. Each module weighed about 300 tons. These modules were destined for an aluminium smelter, being built at Fjarðaál, Iceland. The funny d-like symbol should be pronounced like the "th" in "they".
Fjarðaál (Icelandic for aluminium valley) is a project at Reyðarfjörður, in eastern Iceland. The ferry from Scotland and the Faeroes docks at Seydhisfjordhur, 57 km from Fjardaal.
Seyðisfjörður from the sea
Map of the Fjarðaál project
Tonight, I was watching Eorpa [Europe], a Gaelic language program on BBC Scotland. It comes with English subtitles. One of the subjects was - Fjarðaál. It featured a debate about the environmental impact of building dams to block off glacial rivers, to generate electricity. This requires the flooding of valleys, and there is a discussion going on in the country whether they really need that. The project will generate 400 jobs, but are they needed in a place whichhas virtually no unemployment.
Afternoon excursion
Went over to Barvas, 11 miles north of here, this afternoon. Apart from looking round the cemetery for more graves of Iolaire victims, I also had a walk in the dunes backing the graveyard. Ended up near the shoreline cliffs, where the sea put up a free show, visible for all who were there. Grand total: 2. One person about half a mile away and myself. The wind was a force 5 to 7 southerly, which meant some relatively high temperatures: 14C. The video below was uploaded at around 9pm British time, so you may need to give it a while.
Thursday notes
Brilliantly sunny day with quite a strong wind. However, it's already 14C, so no complaints there. Canvassing for local and Scottish Parliamentary elections has started; posters have been on every lamppost for more than a week now.
Tomorrow will see a prestigious piping competition in Stornoway, the Donald MacLeod memorial trophy contest. Attended that two years ago, and came away with ears ringing, after listening to the bagpipes being played in a hotel conference room for 6 hours at a stretch. I wish the competitors well, but will not attend in person.
Tomorrow will see a prestigious piping competition in Stornoway, the Donald MacLeod memorial trophy contest. Attended that two years ago, and came away with ears ringing, after listening to the bagpipes being played in a hotel conference room for 6 hours at a stretch. I wish the competitors well, but will not attend in person.
Wednesday, 11 April 2007
Photobucket and MySpace
If you are a user of Photobucket on MySpace, please visit the Photobucket site. There are appears to be some sort of problem, where MySpace has restricted the use of Photobucket-hosted material on their site.
Doesn't affect me, but if anyone is, do check it out.
Sugar is Home - to J-land
Sugar has posted her first full entry since returning home from her operation in hospital! If you haven't already been, please go over.
Spring weather
Today saw highest temperatures of about 14C, and tomorrow is supposed to reach 18C. Well, we shall see. We're next to the sea, which is rather cold at this time of year, so one clump of mist and it'll be just 8C.
In an earlier entry, I mentioned a debate on local radio, which I was going to relay. Nothing happened. No debate. Och well, maybe another time - or not at all.
The victims of the aircrash in Argyll have now been named as a councillor from Burnham on Crouch in Essex. I'm sure all will join me in expressing condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of Mr John Smith, who was at the controls of his Paper Apache plane when it came down in remote terrain, 9 miles south of Oban. His wife and daughter were also killed in the incident. An investigation into the cause of the crash has been initiated, but is being hampered by the remoteness of the location.
In an earlier entry, I mentioned a debate on local radio, which I was going to relay. Nothing happened. No debate. Och well, maybe another time - or not at all.
The victims of the aircrash in Argyll have now been named as a councillor from Burnham on Crouch in Essex. I'm sure all will join me in expressing condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of Mr John Smith, who was at the controls of his Paper Apache plane when it came down in remote terrain, 9 miles south of Oban. His wife and daughter were also killed in the incident. An investigation into the cause of the crash has been initiated, but is being hampered by the remoteness of the location.
Right to die
Deanne [coopsbaby] found herself distraught over the case of an 18-month old child, which is at the centre of a right-to-die debate over in the States. Please give her some J-land support, it has brought back the 20 year ordeal she had to go through with her husband.
Call for support
I was the 62nd to comment, but still need to spread the word that Joyce lost her mom last night.
Wednesday notes
Not a bad afternoon, with occasional sunny patches in amongst the clouds. I regret to inform that nobody survived Monday's aircrash in Argyll - two people with their adult daughter, thought to be in her twenties, were on board. It was in a way lucky that their plight was discovered. According to local sources, small aircraft do not need to file a flightplan, unless they intend to cross a large body of water, or cover huge distances. The 500 miles to southern England probably did not qualify as such.
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