Pending the resumption of normal picture service on AOL (have emailed the journalseditor), you can view today's pictures here.
Wednesday, 12 March 2008
Windy and cold
In common with the rest of the country, we have a westerly wind force 7 going,. This morning, went out to Garry (15 miles north of Stornoway), but there were frequent hail and rainshowers, propelled on that very cold wind.
I'll be catching up with alerts hopefully later today, but more likely tomorrow. I did take pictures on the wee outing, but am unable to put them on the journal, as the photo-buttons are greyed out and not working.
I'll be catching up with alerts hopefully later today, but more likely tomorrow. I did take pictures on the wee outing, but am unable to put them on the journal, as the photo-buttons are greyed out and not working.
Wednesday 12 March
Nice bright day - when you're inside. Outside, a cold northwesterly wind is blowing showers in from the Atlantic. Temperature only 6C / 43F. The rest of the country is being lashed by westerly gales, with gusts up to 60 mph. Have a look at this map, which is updated every half hour. The bigger the arrow, the stronger the wind.
I notice we can't add pictures to entries today, except by manual entry through HTML (if you know the URL of your graphic). Fantastic.
The Audit Committee of the Scottish Parliament continues its investigation into the financial problems at the Western Isles Health Board. I cannot follow proceedings live, as I'm going out in a minute or two. But it would appear that a document, requested by the Committee, was not submitted by the Health Board. The Committee may now invoke its powers to force the board to hand over the paperwork, known to contain a report into a shortfall of £290k in 2006.
I notice we can't add pictures to entries today, except by manual entry through HTML (if you know the URL of your graphic). Fantastic.
The Audit Committee of the Scottish Parliament continues its investigation into the financial problems at the Western Isles Health Board. I cannot follow proceedings live, as I'm going out in a minute or two. But it would appear that a document, requested by the Committee, was not submitted by the Health Board. The Committee may now invoke its powers to force the board to hand over the paperwork, known to contain a report into a shortfall of £290k in 2006.
Tuesday, 11 March 2008
Overweight? Read this
Manuel Uribe from Mexico has just shed 460 pounds. Before his weightloss journey began he weighed 1,265 pounds or 570 kg. He now weighs in at an excelled 800 lbs or 350 kg.
The other day, Manuel wanted to celebrate in the local park. A forklift truck lifted him, bed and all, out of the house. A strong towtruck hauled him along the road, but unfortunately, it collided with a bridge. His bloodpressure plummeted, and doctors advised him to cancel.
Source: MSN
The other day, Manuel wanted to celebrate in the local park. A forklift truck lifted him, bed and all, out of the house. A strong towtruck hauled him along the road, but unfortunately, it collided with a bridge. His bloodpressure plummeted, and doctors advised him to cancel.
Source: MSN
Top policeman found dead
It is all over the UK news this evening that Great Manchester Chief Constable Michael Todd was found dead on Snowdon (the highest mountain in Wales) on Monday evening. Reports on the BBC News website state that personal effects, belonging to Mr Todd, were located on the mountain and the alarm was raised. A concerted effort by rescue services served to located Michael Todd's body on an area called Bwlch Glas. Letters addressed to his family were found as well. Suicide is one of the lines of inquiry.
At one time Michael Todd was quoted as one of the possible successors to the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, Sir Ian Blair, at a time when the latter was having serious problems.
At one time Michael Todd was quoted as one of the possible successors to the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, Sir Ian Blair, at a time when the latter was having serious problems.
Prostate Cancer Awareness week
This week, March 10 to 16, is Prostate Cancer Awareness week.
I have put this ribbon in my sidebar to commemorate this. Feel free to snag!
I have put this ribbon in my sidebar to commemorate this. Feel free to snag!
Tuesday 11 March
Fairly sunny today, ahead of more wind and rain tonight. The storms appear to have abated down south, but wind- and water damage remains. Another spell of severe gales will pass over the central part of the United Kingdom later today. We'll be left with northwesterly winds and wintry showers tomorrow.
This is the MV Riverdance, which beached at Fleetwood on January 31st. Its salvage is being hampered by the current bad weather.
This is the MV Riverdance, which beached at Fleetwood on January 31st. Its salvage is being hampered by the current bad weather.
Monday, 10 March 2008
Local notes
A brand-new boat, designed for transporting young salmon, ran aground east of the Isle of Skye on Saturday morning. The Ronja Superior, full of the latest navigation gadgets, hit a reef at Eilean Garbh, North Rona. It managed to refloat itself on the tide, but was escorted to Kyle of Lochalsh, 50 miles to the south, by the Portree lifeboat. Media reports stating this distance as 15 miles are incorrect.
The Sir E Scott primary school in West Tarbert (Harris) was severely damaged by fire on Saturday evening. A passer-by alerted the fire-service, but when crews arrived at around 8.45pm, the building was well alight. Just over two hours and a lot of seawater later, the blaze was out. The building was fortunately not a complete write-off, as firedoors had been kept closed properly. Pupils at the school had the day off, while alternative arrangements were made.
The islanders of Lewis are anxiously awaiting whether or not the Scottish Government will approve the North Lewis Windfarm. Highlands and Islands MSP Peter Peacock had questioned the Energy Minister (Jim Mather) on the issue, but had not got an answer, as the Minister felt it inappropriate to comment on an application in progress. Mr Peacock had queried whether there was an alternative to the Lewis Windfarm in terms of economic prosperity and job creation.
The Sir E Scott primary school in West Tarbert (Harris) was severely damaged by fire on Saturday evening. A passer-by alerted the fire-service, but when crews arrived at around 8.45pm, the building was well alight. Just over two hours and a lot of seawater later, the blaze was out. The building was fortunately not a complete write-off, as firedoors had been kept closed properly. Pupils at the school had the day off, while alternative arrangements were made.
The islanders of Lewis are anxiously awaiting whether or not the Scottish Government will approve the North Lewis Windfarm. Highlands and Islands MSP Peter Peacock had questioned the Energy Minister (Jim Mather) on the issue, but had not got an answer, as the Minister felt it inappropriate to comment on an application in progress. Mr Peacock had queried whether there was an alternative to the Lewis Windfarm in terms of economic prosperity and job creation.
Images from the past
As you may be aware, I've been involved with digitising some of the history of my current location, the Isle of Lewis. One aspect is the Iolaire Disaster, which I have mentioned a few times on here. I am currently transferring the list of names into Blogger (http://iolaire1919.blogspot.com), together with any portraits - and a picture of their gravestone.
On 1 January 1919, His Majesty's Yacht "Iolaire" was returning to Stornoway, carrying 280 sailors back to Lewis. It was the end of World War I, and they had seen up to 4 years of service, either on the high seas or at the Western Front. As Iolaire neared Stornoway, it veered off course and grounded on the Beasts of Holm, a reef just offshore, 2 miles south of the town. The weather was poor, with high winds and a high swell. Seventy-five managed to gain the shore, but when the ship sank, more than an hour after striking the reef, 205 perished. More than 60 of those were never recovered. The others were found on the shore, from Point in the north to Grimshader in the south.
Rather than a celebration of war's end and a new year, deep mourning hung over the island's villages. Some villages had lost up to 9 of its sons, and some families lost more than one. Even now, it is not a subject easily discussed. When I did a presentation to the Stornoway Historical Society in April 2006, outlining the work I had done, the Secretary remarked that all members present would have had a relative involved in the tragedy.
Last year, I went round the island's graveyards to photograph any gravestones of Iolaire victims. The date, 1 January 1919, makes them easily identifiable.
On 1 January 1919, His Majesty's Yacht "Iolaire" was returning to Stornoway, carrying 280 sailors back to Lewis. It was the end of World War I, and they had seen up to 4 years of service, either on the high seas or at the Western Front. As Iolaire neared Stornoway, it veered off course and grounded on the Beasts of Holm, a reef just offshore, 2 miles south of the town. The weather was poor, with high winds and a high swell. Seventy-five managed to gain the shore, but when the ship sank, more than an hour after striking the reef, 205 perished. More than 60 of those were never recovered. The others were found on the shore, from Point in the north to Grimshader in the south.
Rather than a celebration of war's end and a new year, deep mourning hung over the island's villages. Some villages had lost up to 9 of its sons, and some families lost more than one. Even now, it is not a subject easily discussed. When I did a presentation to the Stornoway Historical Society in April 2006, outlining the work I had done, the Secretary remarked that all members present would have had a relative involved in the tragedy.
Last year, I went round the island's graveyards to photograph any gravestones of Iolaire victims. The date, 1 January 1919, makes them easily identifiable.
Monday 10 March
It is a fairly quiet morning in Stornoway, after some strong winds overnight. A few chinks in the clouds, but not much else. Conditions in the south of England are poor and deteriorating fast. Dramatic images on the news at 10 am, of a train on the line between Exeter and Plymouth being battered by waves as it travels just behind the seawall at Dawlish. Residents in Teignmouth, in the same area, had the sea lapping at their doorsteps, and a tanker had to be towed into Southampton after it started dragging its anchor. Further news on the weather and its impact here.
Tropical cyclone Jokwe has had the expected impact on Mozambique, with hundreds of buildings destroyed and powerlines downed. The storm is slowly ambling south, down the Mozambique Channel, and has ceased to affect mainland Africa. Jokwe is a category 2 system, with winds up to 100 mph near its centre.
Tropical cyclone Jokwe has had the expected impact on Mozambique, with hundreds of buildings destroyed and powerlines downed. The storm is slowly ambling south, down the Mozambique Channel, and has ceased to affect mainland Africa. Jokwe is a category 2 system, with winds up to 100 mph near its centre.
Sunday, 9 March 2008
Mountain casualty
A name, which was associated with 5 deaths last winter (2006/7) has unfortunately cropped up again for the wrong reasons.
Coire an t-Sneachda, in the Cairngorm Mountains south of Inverness offers challenging climbs, but is quite unforgiving. A walker suffered serious injuries in the area yesterday, and was airlifted to Raigmore Hospital in Inverness. He did not survive.
Coire an t-Sneachda, in the Cairngorm Mountains south of Inverness offers challenging climbs, but is quite unforgiving. A walker suffered serious injuries in the area yesterday, and was airlifted to Raigmore Hospital in Inverness. He did not survive. A month in pictures - February
February started out with 36 hours of winter. After that, it generally stayed cold, but with quite a few acceptable days in terms of sunshine. We did not escape from the gales - it has been a bad winter for that. However, there were a couple of bright, sunny weather.
Sunday 9 March
Folks in the US: did you put your clocks forward an hour last night?
Morning all from Stornoway, which is showery but otherwise fairly bright. The survey ship Franklin, which has been pottering about the Outer Harbour for more than a week is still slowly surveying the area.
Weather is dominating the news today. I just read that Columbus, Ohio, had received 20 inches (50 cm) of snow yesterday. I have yet to check my alerts, but several Ohio J-landers were reporting on this yesterday. It is apparently one of the worst winters on record. Later today, I shall tot up the number of days I was mentioning the word "gale" in my diary this winter - preliminary total 15, but probably a lot more.
Talking of high winds, people in western England and Wales are warned to stay away from the seafronts until Wednesday. A severe storm is on its way in from the Atlantic, which is expected to carry hurricane force winds and waves up to 35 feet in height. That last figure is out at sea, but even near shore, the waves will be high. Disruption to transport will probably be severe. An added problem will be high tides. This morning's high tide at Stornoway peaked at 5.2 metres (17 feet 4 inches) - with a low tide of 0.2 metres (8 inches) at 2.15pm. The high tides, in combination with high winds are liable to caused coastal flooding.
Friday night's roadcrash in Gloucestershire, western England, has claimed a 7th life, when one victim succumbed to severe injuries, sustained in the head-on collision on the A429 road between Moreton-in-Marsh and Stow-on-the-Wold. Of the nine people involved in the collision, only two children aged 9 and 10 survived. Their grandparents and others died.
Morning all from Stornoway, which is showery but otherwise fairly bright. The survey ship Franklin, which has been pottering about the Outer Harbour for more than a week is still slowly surveying the area.
Weather is dominating the news today. I just read that Columbus, Ohio, had received 20 inches (50 cm) of snow yesterday. I have yet to check my alerts, but several Ohio J-landers were reporting on this yesterday. It is apparently one of the worst winters on record. Later today, I shall tot up the number of days I was mentioning the word "gale" in my diary this winter - preliminary total 15, but probably a lot more.
Talking of high winds, people in western England and Wales are warned to stay away from the seafronts until Wednesday. A severe storm is on its way in from the Atlantic, which is expected to carry hurricane force winds and waves up to 35 feet in height. That last figure is out at sea, but even near shore, the waves will be high. Disruption to transport will probably be severe. An added problem will be high tides. This morning's high tide at Stornoway peaked at 5.2 metres (17 feet 4 inches) - with a low tide of 0.2 metres (8 inches) at 2.15pm. The high tides, in combination with high winds are liable to caused coastal flooding.
Friday night's roadcrash in Gloucestershire, western England, has claimed a 7th life, when one victim succumbed to severe injuries, sustained in the head-on collision on the A429 road between Moreton-in-Marsh and Stow-on-the-Wold. Of the nine people involved in the collision, only two children aged 9 and 10 survived. Their grandparents and others died.
Saturday, 8 March 2008
Summertime
Well, with several of our American friends up to their armpits in snow, I think it is imperative to remind those in the US who are on Daylight Savings Time that it actually starts tonight.
In the UK, British Summer Time does not start until March 30th.
Monday mayhem
That is likely to be the result when the worst storm of this winter barrels across western England. Winds up to 100 mph are forecast, which could lead to mayhem on the roads. The depression behind it all will form south of Cap Farvel (the southern point of Greenland) early tomorrow, and then cross 35 degrees of longitude in 36 hours, arriving over northern Ireland on Monday afternoon. Ahead of it, a strong wind field will give rise to hurricane force winds. More information here.
It would appear that for a change, we in the Western Isles will escape the worst of this storm as we're to the north. It may turn a bit wintry though.
It would appear that for a change, we in the Western Isles will escape the worst of this storm as we're to the north. It may turn a bit wintry though.
Saturday 8 March
Sunshine and showers rule the roost again, throughout the weekend. A shower is just passing through as I type this.
The news this morning makes for depressing reading. A head-on collision in Gloucestershire, western England, has left 6 people dead. It happened on the A429 road in the county, northeast of Stow-on-the-Wold. Three other people, including two children, remain critically ill in hospital.
A train derailment in Greece, thought to have been caused by faulty points, left many injured at Larissa. The train was heading northeast from Athens to Alexandroupolis. Five of its carriages left the track.
An English survivor of the Auschwitz deathcamp has died at the age of 97. Leon Greenman was taken from his home in Holland in 1943 and transported to Poland. He passed through 6 concentration camps. His wife and young son did not survive. He has dedicated his life to telling the story of the holocaust.
The news this morning makes for depressing reading. A head-on collision in Gloucestershire, western England, has left 6 people dead. It happened on the A429 road in the county, northeast of Stow-on-the-Wold. Three other people, including two children, remain critically ill in hospital.
A train derailment in Greece, thought to have been caused by faulty points, left many injured at Larissa. The train was heading northeast from Athens to Alexandroupolis. Five of its carriages left the track.
An English survivor of the Auschwitz deathcamp has died at the age of 97. Leon Greenman was taken from his home in Holland in 1943 and transported to Poland. He passed through 6 concentration camps. His wife and young son did not survive. He has dedicated his life to telling the story of the holocaust.
Friday, 7 March 2008
South America
It appears that the crisis, involving Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela has been defused.
During a Latin American summit in the Dominican Republic, in the Caribbean, all leaders involved shook hands. This included Nicaragua's president Ortega, who had also cut ties with Bogota. Colombia's government took a huge gamble by ordering the airstrike in Ecuador, but it has paid off. The FARC leader is dead, and another was killed by his own men.
During a Latin American summit in the Dominican Republic, in the Caribbean, all leaders involved shook hands. This included Nicaragua's president Ortega, who had also cut ties with Bogota. Colombia's government took a huge gamble by ordering the airstrike in Ecuador, but it has paid off. The FARC leader is dead, and another was killed by his own men.
Classical corner
Not classical music, pop from the 80s. French chansonnier Michel Sardou with one of his great hits "Les Lacs du Connémara" about a battle in Ireland. It runs for 5 minutes.
Evening notes
Looking in the eye of a weekend with more bad weather. The south of the UK can expect stormforce winds on Monday - the eye of the storm, which is expected to have a central pressure of only 935 mbar (27.5 inches).
I spent an hour in the library scanning more images for the tributes I'm working on. Unlike yesterday, there was not the entertainment in the shape of toddlers having a screaming tantrum on the floor. Stornoway Library is quite old-fashioned, in that it has a notice hanging up saying: "Please keep the noise down. Remember, you're in the library!".
Robert Mugabe only wants people observing his elections that look favourably upon him. There are still apologists for this apology of a president about. Venezuela's Hugo Chavez is one of them. Mugabe just wants to hear that everything in the garden is fine, in spite of the fact that his economy is being sustained by a German firm, printing banknotes. Inflation at latest count was running at 100,000%, and unemployment at 20%. Just to give you an idea what Mugabe's housing arrangements are, have a look at this and vomit.
I spent an hour in the library scanning more images for the tributes I'm working on. Unlike yesterday, there was not the entertainment in the shape of toddlers having a screaming tantrum on the floor. Stornoway Library is quite old-fashioned, in that it has a notice hanging up saying: "Please keep the noise down. Remember, you're in the library!".
Robert Mugabe only wants people observing his elections that look favourably upon him. There are still apologists for this apology of a president about. Venezuela's Hugo Chavez is one of them. Mugabe just wants to hear that everything in the garden is fine, in spite of the fact that his economy is being sustained by a German firm, printing banknotes. Inflation at latest count was running at 100,000%, and unemployment at 20%. Just to give you an idea what Mugabe's housing arrangements are, have a look at this and vomit.
Oprah goof
Oprah Winfrey is organising a world-wide event on the Internet. This will take place at 8pm EST on March 10th. In order to find out at what time, local time, this takes place in your neck of the woods, you can go to Oprah's site, where she has installed a handy time converter. Which has every timezone in the world. Going down the list, I saw
GMT+2
GMT+1
GMT-1
GMT-2
Hello? I'm in the pure GMT-timezone, minus or plus nothing.
What an appalling gaffe.
GMT+2
GMT+1
GMT-1
GMT-2
Hello? I'm in the pure GMT-timezone, minus or plus nothing.
What an appalling gaffe.
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