Weekly Bin Collections

And time for a minor rant regarding weekly v fortnightly rubbish collections. I fail to see the big deal about reverting to weekly collections. From my rather poor recollection and research, once a bi-weekly service has bedded in people are generally content with it. In Gosport, we have alternate recycling/waste collections and this works very well. And it should work anywhere provided the council provides proper bins rather than depending on black bin bags or small boxes for recycling.

The £250million that Pickles and ConDems are allocating to to councils has to come from somewhere and in this period of cutbacks one wonders why such a trivial thing is being afforded such expenditure, and where this money comes from. The money would be much better spent elsewhere (clichéd I know) and I for one hope that Gosport Borough Council retains its current service. 

Gosport is so frustrating

Let me explain why. Yesterday, I went out for a ride around the periphery of this old maritime town. My ride took me through the town to to Portsmouth Harbour at a spot called Monk's Walk, down through Hardway, Clarence Yard, Haslar, Gilkicker, and Stokes Bay. Once I got out of the first built-up part I was into some woods that led down to the water's edge and I had great view across to Whale Island and Fountain Lake, that view only disturbed by the sad sight of 3 Type 42 destroyers out on the trot, awaiting disposal. As I cycled on a bit further I passed both The Jolly Roger and The Old House At Home pubs, and both good looking pubs, unlike some of the dives in Gosport, both busy, both with people sat outside enjoying the sun.

From there it was along the water's edge to Explosion! and a little goofing as I cycled through. I was a little taken aback by the sight of a 4.5" Mk 6 turret, something I'd not seen so close since I trained on one in HMS Cambridge in 1974. Explosion! is yet another old Naval site where some of it has been refurbished and revitalised and opened to the public whilst other areas have new houses built on them. It looks good and reassuringly intact.

Leaving the old munitions site, I was able to look across to Portsmouth dockyard and see HMS VICTORY standing out in her historic, unique colours against the modern grey of  our most modern warship, a Type 45 Daring class destroyer. My journey then took me over a bridge and into Clarence Yard, which was the old victualling yard for the dockyard. It's now a collection of apartments but its origins are still evident by such names as The Old Bakery and The Slaughterhouse. Again, there's been a lot of refurbishment here but many apartments and the shops are still awaiting occupancy. Nonetheless, its another pristine and tastefully preserved area. I cycled on in to town and along the seawall looking over to Portsmouth. Passing the Falklands Gardens I rode along past the marinas to Haslar Bridge where, once I passed the family fishing at the water's edge, I seemed to leave people behind. Over the bridge, I could see that the Submarine Museum car park was very busy but saw no pedestrians. The headwind down the road between the old Naval Hospital and the Marine Technology Park made me puff but it didn't stop me hoping that the plans for Haslar come to fruition.

On to the sea front at Gilkicker, the Victorian fort, to see HMS ILLUSTRIOUS anchored out in the Solent, as guard ship for the Clipper Round The World Race, Ensign and Jack flying at each end. The shingle was  busy with people, the bushes and brambles busy with different fruits, the whole sea front busy with so many different plants. Once over the shingle and back on the tarmac, it was clear that so many people take the opportunity to walk along the whole promenade enjoying the wonderful views across to the Isle of Wight. From there it was ride along Stokes Bay, seeing a couple of swimmers, a windsurfer, hundreds of sailing craft, and a busy crazy gold course. Once clear of the bay, it was into Privett Park to see cricketers playing, on a beautifully green pitch, the pavilion with a few sat outside with pints. And then home.

There are so many little corners of Gosport, that are green or full of flowers and all well-tended. It has a some great waterfront areas, a lot of history and a lot of lucky people.

And yet, the town centre is dying. Estate agents, pound shops, gaming places, charity shops and little else. It's such a shame.

From the Submarine Guide of the Year, as voted for by readers of Bunty (Google it)

I know you all like to keep up to date with the comings and goings of the visitors to HMS ALLIANCE, so here's today's report.

A really busy day today with the Waterbus bringing over loads of folks on the Big Ticket, even though the Submarine Museum gets very little of that ticket price. The cosmopolitan crowd today included Germans, a German doctor and his family, more Germans a family from Cape Town, the father of which has done the Comrades Marathon in about 7 hours, some French folks, a colleague from work with his family, inclusive of fun and extrovert daughter, ex submariners from the Amphion class and the Oberon class, a guy who had been on the Port crew of HMS REVENGE (my boat and crew) but a couple of years after me, and 6 US servicemen from RAF Molesowrth, who seemed jolly nice chaps. Oh yes, and lots of other people.

We did start doing tours but we became overwhelmed by the numbers coming off the Waterbus, so ran a free-flow system to allow people to see the boat but still be able to chat to a guide if they wished. That works well to 'break the back' of the numbers, and allows us to revert to tours if we're able.

Oh, by the way. Harbour Stations, the onsite cafe, does a mean mocha

Mark, Amy and 74 Norwegians

I must admit I've found it difficult to match the displays of sentiment shown for Ms Winehouse in these past couple of days- but then it seems I'm so often out of step with others! With her death coming on the same day as  the deaths of 74 Norwegians I tried to balance the two but was unable to find even an ounce of sympathy for AW. Her death was of her own choosing, no doubt originating in her choice to take drugs and to drink excessively. And it IS a choice. It's a choice made of free will that takes people along a treacherous path, often to self destruction. There are those who see no problem with her becoming a drunk and a druggie, rather seeing it as a sign of her independence, as a symbol of her creativity and the bizarre thing is, people are leaving vodka bottles at the streetside memorial.

Compare her death with that of those who were simply going about their daily lives in Oslo, looking forward to the weekend, or the young people gathered together for a summer camp on Utøya, no doubt also having fun and enjoying the association with like-minded peers. It's impossible to imagine the terror that must have gone through the minds of all those involved but for those young people to lose friends, to see them being killed in such a callous way and with such terrble ammunition, must surely damage them for life. On the plus side, what Anders Behring Breivik seems to have done is bring the nation even closer together, rather than eschew the multi-culturalism and plurality that this hate-filled Christian (explain THAT one) wants to see disappear.


Oh, and Mark? That will be the late Corporal Mark Palin of the 1st Battalion, The Rifles, killed in a bomb blast whilst attempting to neutralise near complete IEDs. He leaves a son and a pregnant wife. His funeral will go unremarked by many bar his family, his colleagues and the residents of a small market town in Wiltshire.

Grumpy Online People

Something I’ve noticed on-line these days is how harshly some people respond to articles and blogs. They seem unconstrained by manners, consideration of feelings, or reasoned thought If an article (for article read blog or any other type of post) differs from their point if view, or suggests a technology is better than the preferred one, then their immediate response is to post text that is abusive or derogatory, rather than structured or considered debate. No doubt this is enabled by the anonymity of the Web, but also by the fact that they are able to respond immediately.

Ah well. It takes all sorts to make a world

Facebook Video Chat

Hallo guys,

Facebook has just added a new feature, and unless you're fellow minor-geek, you may be unaware of it.

They've added video chat to your chat window.

Facebook has done this in association with Skype which is probably the biggest name in video chat/messaging. If you want to use it, it's dead simple.

First, click on the name of the individual with who you wish to chat.
At the top of the Chat window you'll see the little camera icon.
Click on that.
You'll now get asked if you want to install and use the that feature so accept that and a download will start.
Just let that run and accept the default options that pop up.
There will be a small file installed and Hey Presto, you're up and running.
Comb your hair, check your teeth for cabbage and chat away,

On Facebook you can only videochat to one person at a time but the new Google+ allows you to chat to up to 10 people at a time. I should point out that Google+ is still only open to a few testers at this moment. On that point, you'll notice that many of the Google products are being redesigned with a cleaner, simpler look, and the latest to undergo  amake over is Youtube, although you have to opt into it at the moment. If you'd like to have a look at it, follow this link. You can always change back to the old format.

http://www.youtube.com/cosmicpanda

Barenaked Ladies - The Big Bang Theory Lyrics

I'm having a mini-The Big Bang Theory session tonight (thanks, Annie, for that Christmas present). I didn't know that it was the Bare Naked Ladies who did the theme song although I've now seen their name on the credits!

Barenaked Ladies - The Big Bang Theory Lyrics:

The opening credits

"Our whole universe was in a hot dense state,
Then nearly fourteen billion years ago expansion started. Wait...
The Earth began to cool,
The autotrophs began to drool,
Neanderthals developed tools,
We built a wall (we built the pyramids),
Math, science, history, unraveling the mysteries,
That all started with the big bang!

'Since the dawn of man' is really not that long,
As every galaxy was formed in less time than it takes to sing this song.
A fraction of a second and the elements were made.
The bipeds stood up straight,
The dinosaurs all met their fate,
They tried to leap but they were late
And they all died (they froze their asses off)
The oceans and pangea
See ya, wouldn't wanna be ya
Set in motion by the same big bang!

It all started with the big BANG!

It's expanding ever outward but one day
It will cause the stars to go the other way,
Collapsing ever inward, we won't be here, it wont be hurt
Our best and brightest figure that it'll make an even bigger bang!

Australopithecus would really have been sick of us
Debating out while here they're catching deer (we're catching viruses)
Religion or astronomy, Encarta, Deuteronomy
It all started with the big bang!

Music and mythology, Einstein and astrology
It all started with the big bang!
It all started with the big BANG!"