via news.bbc.co.uk
Ronnie sure sounds like a troubled man!
Wednesday, 7 December 2011
Friday, 2 December 2011
BBC News - Is the euro about to capsize?
7 November 2011 Last updated at 09:37Is the euro about to capsize?
By Laurence Knight Business reporter, BBC NewsCould the euro be sinking?
In seafaring, there is a concept called the "free-surface effect".
It happens when a surprisingly small amount of fluid can move freely inside a boat.
It is an accident waiting to happen.
As the boat tilts in the waves, the water starts to flood across the floor, pushing up against the boat's lower side.
Instead of righting itself again, the boat begins to list more and more as the water moves inside it, until the boat capsizes.
Something similar is happening to the euro.
When it was created in 1999, there was a fatal flaw. While governments shared a single currency, they continued to have their own separate bond markets.
It was an accident waiting to happen.
Bonds are IOUs that governments issue in their hundreds of billions when they want to borrow money.
Continue reading the main story“Start Quote
End QuoteThe real problem is that what is true of tiny Greece can equally be true of much bigger Spain and Italy”
Just like shares on the stock market, they can be traded by investors.
If investors don't like a government's bonds, they can sell them.
That sends their price down, which by implication means the interest rate the government would have to pay if it wants to borrow more money goes up.
Currency masterInvestors might sell bonds if they are afraid that a government cannot repay its debts.
Normally this is not a problem. Because normally, a government is the master of its own currency.
It can order its central bank - the currency's guardian - to print as much money as is needed to repay its debts.
ECB boss Mario Draghi has ruled out the central bank printing money to buy up bonds indefinitely
This makes the debts of governments like the US, Japan or UK the safest investment in their respective currencies.
Moreover, if a foreign investor doesn't like the British government's debts, not only does it sell government bonds.
It also sells the pound.
That pushes the pound's value down, which helps make the UK economy more competitive, which helps the UK grow, which helps the government raise taxes.
What's more, when one investor sells pounds, another must buy them.
And where will that buyer invest those pounds? Back into UK government bonds.
So by having its own currency, the UK government is pretty much guaranteed its own pool of sterling cash to finance its borrowing.
Now consider the euro.
Continue reading the main story“Start Quote
End QuoteThere is a common misperception that the eurozone crisis is all about debt - it isn't, it is also about growth”
Investors believe that Greece cannot possibly repay its debts.
Unlike the UK, Greece does not have its own central bank that it can rely on to print money and buy its debts. And a 50% write-off of its private sector debts is already agreed in principle.
So many investors have sold Greek bonds. But they could not sell the drachma. There is no drachma to sell.
Instead they could freely move their cash into safer government bonds - German government bonds.
Just like the seawater inside a boat, liquidity - investor's cash - can move freely within the euro from one government's bond market to another's.
And that made the value of Greece's bonds plummet.
Greek demonstrationsBut despite all the noise, Greece is only a sideshow.
Could a form of the drachma make a return in Greece?
Greece is a small country. And if it stopped repaying its debts and/or left the euro, re-denominating its debts into devalued drachmas, the losses to its bond investors would be manageable.
The danger posed by Greece is rather the power to demonstrate.
It demonstrates how damaging it is to a eurozone economy when its workers' wages rise to uncompetitive levels during the boom years, leaving its economy high and dry, unable to compete and unable to devalue its currency during the bust.
It demonstrates how self-defeating it can be for a eurozone government to try to reduce its borrowing, by raising taxes and cutting spending, when this merely drives its economy into recession, meaning fewer incomes to tax and more unemployment benefits to pay.
And as of this week, it demonstrates that there is a very real possibility that a eurozone member could leave the single currency altogether.
But most important of all, it demonstrates what happens when investors lose confidence in a eurozone government's debts.
No return?The real problem is that what is true of tiny Greece can equally be true of much bigger Spain and Italy.
Continue reading the main story“Start Quote
End QuoteThe best solution would be to have created a single eurozone government bond market in the first place. Too late for that”
And it is in Italy where the real damage is happening.
Investors are afraid Italy might go the same way as Greece. So their cash is beginning to flood out of Italian government bonds, and into German government bonds.
If Greece is the rising flank of the boat, Italy is the midship, and it is listing badly.
It now costs Rome an unprecedented 6.1% to borrow money for just one year. By contrast, Germany pays a mere 0.25%.
Italy has a lot of debt. It has had for years. But this has only become a problem now, because if Italy has to pay 6% interest on its debt, then its debts will grow more quickly than its economy's capacity to service them.
That is unsustainable, and investors know it. Which is why Italy may be about to cross a point of no return.
Once Italy's cost of borrowing rises above this level, it becomes very difficult to bring it down again.
Because at that point, investors know that Italy cannot repay its debts, which means they won't lend to Italy.
But once investors stop lending, then Italy cannot possibly meet the hundreds of billions of euros of debts that are coming up for repayment in the next few months.
So it becomes a self-fulfilling panic, just like a bank run.
Which is to say that, once Italy's cost of borrowing rises above, say, 7%, the chances are that it will just keep on rising as investors desert its bonds in their droves.
The boat will capsize.
Misplaced prideMeanwhile, Berlin's cost of borrowing has gone down and down as nervous investors have flooded into German government bonds.
The size of the eurozone bailout fund has been increased, but it remains to be seen if this will work
Some Germans may take pride in this as a sign of strength, a vote of confidence.
In fact quite the opposite is true, because Germany is also part of the boat that is capsizing.
There is a common misperception that the eurozone crisis is all about debt.
It isn't. It is also about growth.
Any government can repay its debts, if its economy grows fast enough to generate the tax revenues needed.
But the current crisis is killing growth in Italy and Germany alike.
Businesses and consumers are nervous, and are cutting back their spending.
Europe's banks are finding it hard to borrow, and are being told to meet higher capital ratios - a measure of their financial prudence - so they are cutting back their lending.
Meanwhile, half the governments in Europe are finding it harder and harder to borrow, and in any case are being ordered by Brussels to cut back their spending to get their finances in order.
All of which is tipping the eurozone into a recession.
But a recession just makes debts even harder to repay - as has been amply demonstrated by Greece over the last four years.
Keep pumpingWhat can be done?
Continue reading the main story“Start Quote
End QuoteIn effect, panicky markets are offering to lend Germany money for free”
The best solution would be to have created a single eurozone government bond market in the first place. Too late for that, even if the Germans hadn't ruled it out anyway.
The eurozone instead hopes that its soon-to-be-1tn-euro bailout fund will do the job.
The fund is like a pump that will try to shift liquidity away from the dipping side of the boat (Germany) back towards the rising side (Italy and Spain).
But even if the pump is ready in time, most economists say it is not big enough to do the job.
Moreover, the eurozone already has a big pump in place, called the European Central Bank.
The ECB can print its own money, so there is theoretically no limit to how much Italian or Spanish government debt it could buy up.
But the central bank's new Italian head, Mario Draghi - perhaps under the influence of his more hawkish German colleagues - has ruled this option out.
Old hatThe authorities could at least do more to head off the recession.
Depression-era economist John Maynard Keynes said there were two options - cutting interest rates and increasing government spending.
The ECB did indeed cut rates at its meeting on Thursday, but only by a quarter-point to 1.25%. It is an encouraging start.
And perhaps if interest rates reach zero, Mr Draghi can argue that the ECB must then follow its US and UK counterparts in resorting to quantitative easing - buying up government debt (including Italian debt) in order to help the eurozone economy (and not just to rescue his home country).
The problem is that lending more money only helps if the money gets spent. So ideally governments should also be spending more.
But only one government is able to borrow and spend on the scale needed - Germany.
Thanks to the crisis, Berlin can borrow so cheaply that the interest it pays would probably be less than the inflation rate.
In effect, panicky markets are offering to lend Germany money for free.
But Germany does not believe in Keynesian economics. It does not believe in borrowing and spending.
And this is what may ultimately sink the euro boat.
via bbc.co.uk
Brilliant explanation.
Monday, 28 November 2011
BBC News - Charlotte Church tells of family's treatment by media
via bbc.co.uk
The press really does need a check on it in this country!
Saturday, 26 November 2011
Carefree
Just watched Astair&Rogers in the movie "Carefree" before the celebs come on!
http://www.box.com/s/182zf783x8v2kduxsto1
http://www.box.com/s/182zf783x8v2kduxsto1
-- Danny
Wednesday, 16 November 2011
Google to Unveil Online Music Store Wednesday - WSJ.com
BY ETHAN SMITH AND AMIR EFRATI
Google Inc. on Wednesday is expected to unveil an online music-download store featuring songs from three of the world's four biggest music companies, according to people familiar with the matter.
Sony Corp.'s Sony Music Entertainment, Vivendi SA's Universal Music Group, and EMI Music are expected to have deals in place to let Google sell their music in time for an announcement Wednesday afternoon in Los Angeles, these ...
via online.wsj.com
Thursday, 10 November 2011
BBC News - Spitfire redux: The WWII guns firing after 70 years buried in peat
10 November 2011 Last updated at 01:37Spitfire redux: The WWII guns firing after 70 years buried in peat
An excavation at the site of a 1941 Spitfire crash in a bog in the Irish Republic uncovered huge, remarkably preserved chunks of plane and six Browning machine guns. After 70 years buried in peat could they be made to fire? They certainly could, writes Dan Snow.
It was June in Donegal, when we stood on a windswept hillside in hard hats and high-vis surrounded by a crowd of locals and watched by an Irish army unit while we filmed an archaeological excavation.
This was the place where, in 1941, Roland "Bud" Wolfe, an American pilot flying a British RAF Spitfire, paid for by a wealthy Canadian industrialist, had experienced engine failure while flying over the neutral Republic of Ireland.
After flying a sortie over the Atlantic, Wolfe was on his way back to his base in Northern Ireland when he was forced to bail out. He parachuted safely to the ground - his plane smashed into the boggy hillside.
Fast-forwarding 70 years and local aviation expert Johnny McNee was able to identify the wreck site. The ensuing dig was accompanied by intense anticipation.
Rolls Royce Merlin engine: One careful owner, slightly worn
We did not have to wait long for results. Suddenly the fresh Donegal air was tainted with the tang of aviation fuel.
Minutes later the mechanical digger's bucket struck metal. We leapt into the pit to continue by hand. One by one the Spitfire's Browning machine guns were hauled out.
We had hoped for one in reasonable condition - we got six, in great shape, with belts containing hundreds of gleaming .303 rounds. The Irish soldiers then stepped in. This was a cache of heavy weapons, however historic they might be.
Next came fuselage, twisted but in huge pieces, over a metre across, still painted in wartime colours, with neat stencils of the plane's ID and the iconic RAF bullseye-style roundel.
Despite hitting the ground at well over 300mph the artefacts were incredibly well-preserved. The wheel under the Spitfire's tail emerged fully inflated, the paper service manual, a first aid kit with bandages and dressings, the instrument panel, the harness that Wolfe had torn off as he hurled himself out of the cockpit and my highlight - Wolfe's leather flying helmet.
Perhaps 20m down was the magnificent Rolls Royce Merlin engine, which the digger raised to a cheer from the crowd.
Thanks to the soft peat, the inaccessibility of the crash site and the crater rapidly filling with water, a huge number of artefacts had survived the crash with the authorities unable to clear them up.
But Wolfe's Spitfire had more surprises for us.
Thanks to a "wild idea" from Lt Colonel Dave Sexton, ordnance technical officer in the Irish army, it was decided an attempt would be made to fire one of the Browning guns that had spent 70 years in the bog.
His team painstakingly cleaned the weapons and straightened pieces bent by the impact. Finally, on Tuesday we were able to stand on an old British Army range just north of Athlone for the big day.
The machine guns looked as good as new. Soil conditions were perfect for preservation. Beneath the peat there had been a layer of clay. Clay is anaerobic, it forms an airtight seal around all the parts, so there is no oxygen, which limits corrosion.
Had they been in sandy soil, which lets in water and air, the metal would have been heavily corroded.
The Irish specialists had chosen the best preserved body and added parts from all six guns, like the breech block and the spring, to assemble one that they thought would fire. They made the decision to use modern bullets, to reduce the risk of jamming.
Wearing helmet, ear protection and body armour I crouched in a trench a metre away from the Browning, which I would operate remotely.
Every part of the gun, to the tiniest pin, had been under a peat bog for 70 years, to the month.
This Spitfire had seen service during Britain's darkest days and is reliably credited with shooting down a German bomber off the Norfolk coast in early 1941. The Irish had found large amounts of carbon inside the weapon, evidence of heavy use.
I turned the handle of the remote firing mechanism. The Browning roared, the belt of ammunition disappeared, the spent shell cases were spat out and the muzzle flash stood out sharply against a grey sky. It was elating.
That was the noise that filled the air during the Battle of Britain.
Continue reading the main storySupermarine Spitfire
- British single-seat fighter plane used by RAF and many Allied countries during WWII
- Its thin, elliptical wing allowed a higher top speed than similar fighters
- Speed was seen as essential to defend against enemy bombers
- Continued to be used into the 1950s as a front line fighter and in secondary roles
The gun fired without a hitch. There can be no greater testament to the machinists and engineers in UK factories in the 1940s who, despite churning out guns at the rate of thousands per month, made each one of such high quality that they could survive a plane crash and 70 years underground and still fire like the day they were made.
During the course of the war, one firm, Birmingham Small Arms (BSA), produced nearly 500,000 Browning guns. All this was despite being targeted by the Luftwaffe. In November 1940, 53 employees were killed and 89 injured.
The firing was yet more evidence that the Spitfire, with its elliptical wing shape, engine and machine guns, is one of the crowning achievements in the history of British manufacturing.
The machine guns will now be made safe and join the rest of the aircraft on permanent display in Derry, where Wolfe was based, a city on the edge of Europe that played a pivotal role in the war.
The excavation of Bud Wolfe's plane is part of Dig WWII, a series for BBC Northern Ireland by 360 Production to be presented by Dan Snow and due to be shown next year.
via bbc.co.uk
Fascinating.
Tuesday, 8 November 2011
Saturday, 8 October 2011
Leeds Rhinos v St.Helens
I hope the Rhinos can do it!
Amplify’d from www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk
Grand Final veteran Jamie Jones-Buchanan reckons there’s a “different feel” about tonight’s Engage Super League title decider.
Leeds Rhinos finished either first or second in the table before each of the club’s six previous Grand Finals, but were fifth this year.
In past campaigns the whole season has rested on 80 minutes at Old Trafford, but this time everyone – other than the players – views the Grand Final as a bonus.
“Nobody has been expecting much from us this year so there isn’t as much pressure,” claimed Jones-Buchanan, pictured right.
“On the flip side, when you look back in years to come at this group of Leeds lads, who everyone thought had fallen away, if we can come back and win another Grand Final it would cement us as being true champions.
See this Amp at http://bit.ly/nrDtvZ
Friday, 30 September 2011
Tuesday, 20 September 2011
Daily Mail backs ‘insufferably smug’ Guardian in sources battle with the Met | The Wire | Press Gazette
In today’s leader the Daily Mail wrote:
It is not often that this paper defends the Guardian, whose politically correct, bien-pensant views seem increasingly detached from both the real world and the concerns of ordinary Britons.
But when police invoke the Official Secrets Act to try to force one of its reporters, Amelia Hill, to reveal her sources, everybody who cherishes the freedom of the Press and the vital role of the fourth estate in a healthy democracy should be deeply alarmed.
Wonders NEVER cease!
Sunday, 18 September 2011
BBC News - Leeds City Varieties reopens with gala performance
18 September 2011 Last updated at 12:39Leeds City Varieties reopens with gala performance
The £9.9m refurbishment has been carried out to replicate the 1890s style
Continue reading the main storyRelated Stories
A Grade II*-listed Victorian music hall in West Yorkshire is to reopen with a gala performance after a £9.9m refurbishment.
Renovation on the City Varieties in Leeds began in 2009 and was carried out in the style of the 1890s.
The fundraising performance on Sunday evening will feature comedian Ken Dodd.
The Varieties theatre was the home of The Good Old Days, the BBC's long-running TV variety show for over 30 years.
Once there were more than 300 such theatres nationwide but few now remain in working existence.
The work has been part-funded by Leeds City Council and the Heritage Lottery Fund, with donations from the Friends of City Varieties and The Monument Trust.
Harry HoudiniA donation was made by the family of the late Jimi Heselden, who made his fortune with his Leeds-based firm Hesco Bastion.
The auditorium will be named after Mr Heselden who died in September 2010 after an accident on a Segway near his home at Boston Spa.
Facilities for audiences and performers have been improved with new seats, a glass lift and technical equipment installed.
Charles Thornton opened his New Music Hall and Fashionable Lounge in 1865 above a public house in a Leeds side street.
The City Varieties - as it later became known - has survived virtually unchanged.
Its stage has hosted Charlie Chaplin, Harry Houdini, Lillie Langtry, Mickey Rooney, Frankie Vaughan and Barry Cryer.
It was in 1953 that the Varieties became the home of The Good Old Days.
via bbc.co.uk
GOOD NEWS!
Saturday, 17 September 2011
Facebook Music Platform Plan Should Surface Next Week - Forbes
Facebook is expected to announce the launch of its much-hyped music service in f8, its annual developers’ conference, on September 22. [1]
The social networking giant is expected to partner with digital music providers Spotify, MOG and Rdio in this initiative. After having success with online games such as Mafia Wars and Farmville, Facebook’s digital music service suggests that the company is steadily moving in the digital content space, giving struggling competitors such as Yahoo and AOL even bigger reasons for worry.
We currently value Facebook at around $45 billion.
Facebook Music: What’s In Store For Users?
Similar to its applications and games, Facebook does not intend to become a hosting site for digital music. Instead, the company would be acting as a platform for providing digital music content from providers such as Spotify that already have their music licensing in place. It’s a win-win situation as Facebook’s partners get the advantage of Facebook’s immense reach of +750 million users while Facebook gets additional time spent on its website.
While it might be too early to say that this launch will revolutionize digital music, online music providers such as Spotify and Rdio are bound to benefit from Facebook’s key networking features such as the “Like” button and the news feed (for instance, the user profile will automatically update the music track he/she is listening to).
This launch is also a sign of bigger things to come, and Facebook might not be stopping at just music for its content. In fact, it would not be a surprise if we soon see online video providers such as Netflix being roped in to provide video content for the company. This also represents a competitive threat to Apple’s iTunes and even Sirius XM in mobile music listening.
See our full analysis for Facebook
Notes:
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via forbes.com
Is FB getting too complicated for it's own good?
Monday, 12 September 2011
Sunday, 28 August 2011
Beatles Single fetches £9000
Amplify’d from www.bbc.co.uk
A copy of the Beatles hit single Please Please Me signed on both sides by all four members of the band has fetched £9,000 at auction in Liverpool.
The 1963 record was sold by a Liverpool woman who asked the group to sign it after listening to them at the city's Cavern venue as a youngster.
The "very, very rare" item was among 322 lots at the annual Beatles memorabilia auction.
Among other highlights was a cap owned by John Lennon which sold for £3,200.
See this Amp at http://bit.ly/nU0hxZ
Thursday, 21 July 2011
Saturday, 16 July 2011
Monday, 11 July 2011
Beckham Daughter
Strange name?
Amplify’d from www.bbc.co.uk
Victoria Beckham has given birth to a girl, whom she and husband David have named Harper Seven.
On his Facebook page, footballer Beckham said: "I am so proud and excited to announce the birth of our daughter Harper Seven Beckham."
The girl was delivered at Cedars Sinai hospital in Los Angeles, at 0755 local time (1555 BST), and weighed 7lb 10oz.
The Beckhams' sons Brooklyn, 11, Romeo, eight, and Cruz, five, were said to be "delighted to have a sister".
David Beckham's Facebook statement said his 37-year-old wife was "doing really well" following the birth.
See this Amp at http://bit.ly/q87XOW
Thursday, 7 July 2011
BBC News - News of the World to close amid hacking scandal
7 July 2011 Last updated at 17:05News of the World to close amid hacking scandal
Continue reading the main storyRelated Stories
This Sunday's issue of the News of the World will be the last edition of the paper, News International chairman James Murdoch has said.
In the past few days, claims have been made that the paper authorised hacking into the mobile phones of murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler and the families of 7/7 bombing victims.
Mr Murdoch said proceeds from the last edition would go to good causes.
Downing Street said it had no role or involvement in the decision.
The News of the World is the UK's biggest selling newspaper and has been in circulation for 168 years.
No advertisements will run in this weekend's paper - instead any advertising space will be donated to charities and good causes.
In a statement made to staff, Mr Murdoch said the good things the News of the World does "have been sullied by behaviour that was wrong - indeed, if recent allegations are true, it was inhuman and has no place in our company".
"The News of the World is in the business of holding others to account. But it failed when it came to itself."
He went on: "In 2006, the police focused their investigations on two men. Both went to jail. But the News of the World and News International failed to get to the bottom of repeated wrongdoing that occurred without conscience or legitimate purpose.
"Wrongdoers turned a good newsroom bad and this was not fully understood or adequately pursued.
"As a result, the News of the World and News International wrongly maintained that these issues were confined to one reporter.
"We now have voluntarily given evidence to the police that I believe will prove that this was untrue and those who acted wrongly will have to face the consequences. This was not the only fault.
"The paper made statements to Parliament without being in the full possession of the facts. This was wrong.
"The company paid out-of-court settlements approved by me. I now know that I did not have a complete picture when I did so. This was wrong and is a matter of serious regret."
He reiterated that the company was fully co-operating with the two ongoing police investigations.
He added: "While we may never be able to make up for distress that has been caused, the right thing to do is for every penny of the circulation revenue we receive this weekend to go to organisations - many of whom are long-term friends and partners - that improve life in Britain and are devoted to treating others with dignity."
Labour MP Tom Watson told Sky News it was "a victory for decent people up and down the land, and I say good riddance to the News of the World".
via bbc.co.uk
Amazing,but welcome!
Wednesday, 22 June 2011
Sunday, 12 June 2011
Thursday, 26 May 2011
BBC News - Leeds MP Greg Mulholland calls for Carlsberg boycott
26 May 2011 Last updated at 11:07Leeds MP Greg Mulholland calls for Carlsberg boycott
Carlsberg is to close the Tetley's brewery in Leeds after 189 years of brewing in the city
Continue reading the main storyRelated Stories
An MP has called for a boycott of beer produced by Carlsberg because the firm is closing the historic Tetley brewing plant in Leeds.
Greg Mulholland, the Liberal Democrat MP for North West Leeds, has tabled an Early Day Motion in the House claiming the move is a betrayal of the city.
Tetley's Brewery, at Brewery Wharfe, which has been producing beer for 189 years, is due to close on 17 June with the loss of 140 jobs.
Carlsberg was unavailable for comment.
Mr Mulholland said pubs, bars and clubs in the city should "de-list" Carlsberg brands and support local breweries instead.
In the motion put before Parliament Mr Mulholland said all the people of Leeds, and beer-lovers in general, "should express their anger at the decision".
The motion reads: "That this House condemns the closure of the Tetley's Brewery which will take place on 17 June 2011, a decision taken by Carlsberg UK which will end the brewery's 189-year history and longstanding affiliation with Leeds by signalling the end of Tetley's as a Leeds beer."
The motion goes on to describe the decision as a "betrayal of Leeds and the Tetley's brand" which shows that "Carlsberg UK is not committed either to Tetley's nor to Leeds".
It also expresses sympathy to those people losing their jobs as a result of the closure.
via bbc.co.uk
Shame--part of Leeds,really!Dad worked there after the war.
Tuesday, 24 May 2011
U.S. Judgment Day forecaster sets new doomsday date | Reuters
U.S. Judgment Day forecaster sets new doomsday date
Related News
- As hours tick by, "Judgment Day" looks a dud
Sun, May 22 2011- Broadcaster silent as "Judgment Day" hours tick by
Sat, May 21 2011- Predictor of May 21 doomsday to watch it on TV
Fri, May 20 2011- Predictor of May 21 Judgment Day to monitor news broadcasts
Thu, May 19 2011- Manila shrugging off foreign prophets of May 21 doomsday
Thu, May 12 2011Related Topics
By Steve Gorman
LOS ANGELES | Tue May 24, 2011 5:14am BST
(Reuters) - The evangelical Christian broadcaster whose much-ballyhooed Judgement Day prophecy went conspicuously unfulfilled on Saturday has a simple explanation for what went wrong -- he miscalculated.LOS ANGELES
Instead of the world physically coming to an end on May 21 with a great, cataclysmic earthquake, as he had predicted, Harold Camping, 89, said he now believes his forecast is playing out "spiritually," with the actual apocalypse set to occur five months later, on October 21.
Camping, who launched a doomsday countdown in which some followers spent their life's savings in anticipation of being swept into heaven, issued his correction during an appearance on his "Open Forum" radio show from Oakland, California.
The headquarters of Camping's Family Radio network of 66 U.S. stations had been shuttered over the weekend with a sign on the door that read, "This Office is Closed. Sorry we missed you!"
During a sometimes rambling, 90-minute discourse that included a question-and-answer session with reporters, Camping said he felt bad that Saturday had come and gone without the Rapture he had felt so certain would take place.
Reflecting on scripture afterward, Camping said it "dawned" on him that a "merciful and compassionate God" would spare humanity from "hell on Earth for five months" by compressing the physical apocalypse into a shorter time frame.
But he insisted that October 21 has always been the end-point of his own End Times chronology, or at least, his latest chronology.
The tall, gaunt former civil engineer with a deep voice and prominent ears has been wrong before. More than two decades ago, he publicly acknowledged a failed 1994 prophecy of Christ's return to Earth.
To publicize his latest pronouncement, the Family Radio network posted over 2,000 billboards around the country declaring that Judgement Day was at hand, and believers carried the message on placards in shopping malls and street corners.
Asked what advice he would give to followers who gave up much or all of their worldly possessions in the belief that his Judgement Day forecast would come true, Camping drew a comparison to the nation's recent economic slump.
"We just had a great recession. There's lots of people who lost their jobs, lots of people who lost their houses ... and somehow they all survived," he said.
"People cope, he added. "We're not in the business of giving any financial advice. We're in the business of telling people maybe there is someone you can talk to, and that's God."
(Editing by Greg McCune)
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via uk.reuters.com
Aah--that's it then!
Thursday, 19 May 2011
BBC News - Kingfisher family seen learning to fish near Castleford
19 May 2011 Last updated at 18:22Kingfisher family seen learning to fish near Castleford
The family of kingfishers were seen teaching their young how to fish near Castleford
Continue reading the main storyRelated Stories
A family of kingfishers have been seen seen teaching their young how to fish at an RSPB site in West Yorkshire.
The three young Kingfishers and their parents were seen at RSPB Fairburn Ings, Castleford.
The RSPB said it was "great" to see the family as there had been concerns that they did not have enough food to survive the harsh winter.
Kingfishers are usually seen flying low over slow moving or still water and diving for fish.
Laura Bentley, from RSPB Fairburn Ings said: "In the cold harsh winter our lakes and ponds were frozen solid for months so we were very worried for our kingfishers not being able to get enough food.
"Most people would be lucky to see one Kingfisher in their lifetime, let alone five all together.
"But seeing a whole, healthy looking family is a great sign."
via bbc.co.uk
Local wildlife come good!
Saturday, 7 May 2011
Thursday, 5 May 2011
BBC News - Airbus crash: France raises first body from seabed
5 May 2011 Last updated at 12:20Airbus crash: France raises first body from seabed
The cockpit voice recorder was found earlier this week by crash investigators
Continue reading the main storyRelated Stories
A French team has recovered the first body from the seabed debris of the Air France jet that crashed into the Atlantic in 2009, killing 228 people.
The body was brought to the surface by mini-submarines from a depth of almost 4km (2.4 miles).
Samples are being sent to labs in France for DNA identification. Police are not sure whether all the bodies can be raised from the wreckage.
Data on the recovered flight recorders may indicate the cause of the crash.
The Air France Airbus A330 was flying from Rio de Janeiro to Paris when it plunged into the sea.
Flight AF 447 was carrying 228 people. Fifty-one bodies were found floating on the surface in 2009.
The French team is using deep-sea robots in the salvage operation.
The body brought up to a ship on Thursday consisted of skeletal remains, still strapped to a seat.
Relatives of the crash victims are divided over whether to move the bodies at all, with some arguing for repatriation and others saying the crash site should be the final resting place.
via bbc.co.uk
Amazing feat!
Sunday, 24 April 2011
Hottest Easter since records began.
No complaints here!
Amplify’d from www.telegraph.co.uk
Britain is on course for the hottest Easter since records began in 1960 and the warmest April in more than a century.
Millions of holidaymakers flocked to beaches across the country to make the
most of the unseasonably warm weather.
But forecasters warned the glorious sunshine will be short-lived as
temperatures look set to drop gradually throughout the week, starting on
Sunday.
Some parts of the country were even hit by torrential downpours on Saturday
afternoon.
In Sheffield, South Yorkshire, some roads became impassable as hailstorms fell
and flood water formed several inches deep.
Parts of Kent, London, east Wales, the East Midlands, and Yorkshire were also
hit by heavy rain.
See this Amp at http://bit.ly/fPDXVR
Thursday, 7 April 2011
Lost Taser
Not Good!
Amplify’d from www.bbc.co.uk
West Yorkshire Police has admitted one of its Taser weapons has gone missing and appealed to the public for information on its whereabouts.
The force said an extensive search was under way for the stun gun, used by police to deliver an electric shock.
It has gone missing from a storage unit at the force's Leeds training ground.
A spokesman said it was likely to still be on police premises, but a public appeal was being made "on the off-chance" anyone has information.
The Taser was being used for training purposes, he added.
The spokesman said: "It is very likely the training Taser's battery is now inert and unable to be discharged.
"We would like to remind the public it is a prohibited weapon and as such it is illegal for a member of the public to possess one."
See this Amp at http://bit.ly/gTLVmS
BBC News - Japan: Tsunami warning for north-east after earthquake
7 April 2011 Last updated at 15:57Japan: Tsunami warning for north-east after earthquake
A tsunami warning has been issued for north-eastern Japan after an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.4 struck off the east coast of Honshu.
The tsunami is predicted to have a wave 1m (3ft) high. Those in the warning zone should move to high ground, Japanese TV said.
The area was ravaged by an earthquake and tsunami last month which severely damaged the Fukushima nuclear plant.
Thursday's quake was 118km (78 miles) north of Fukushima, 40km offshore.
The Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco), which operates Fukushima, says it is checking on the situation at the damaged plant following the latest earthquake.
The quake was strong enough to shake buildings in Tokyo.
via bbc.co.uk
Yet another ordeal for the Japanese!
Tuesday, 5 April 2011
BBC Sport - Masters 2011: Fire forces Lee Westwood jet to land
Masters 2011
- Venue: Augusta National, Georgia:
- Date: 7-10 April
- Coverage: All rounds live on BBC Radio 5 live and online from 2100 BST; third round live from 2030 BST and final round live from 1900 BST on BBC2, BBC HD and online (UK only); scores, highlights and live text on BBC website
Westwood was runner-up at Augusta last year.
World number two Lee Westwood's private jet made an emergency landing as he flew to the Masters at Augusta after a fire broke out in the cockpit.
Westwood, who was travelling from the Houston Open with Ryder Cup team-mate Ross Fisher, said it was "a bit scary".
"It never looks good when you can smell smoke and the pilots have put masks on," added the 2010 Masters runner-up.
Earlier he had asked on Twitter: "Do the fire engines normally follow you down the runway?"
He continued: "Only when there's smoke in the cabin I guess!!! They're not here to put my putter out! That's not on fire! Gone a bit quiet on here!!!"
On arrival at Augusta National on Monday the Englishman stated: "The smoke was coming from the cockpit and they told us later they couldn't drop our masks because they feed oxygen into the cabin and if there was a fire it would have fanned the flames.
"The plane came down in a bit of a nose dive because you obviously have to get down as quick as you can.
"There had been a small fire somewhere in the instruments and we had the three fire tenders chasing us down the runaway, but I think that's just a precaution."
Westwood's manager Andrew "Chubby" Chandler told BBC Sport it had "definitely got a bit cloudy in the cabin.
"There were a few quizzical looks, then we turned round and saw the pilots had full gasmasks on.
"We came down fairly quickly and it was the usual story of two or three vans and fire engines all standing down the runway."
via news.bbc.co.uk
Hope his luck continues in the MASTERS.
Friday, 1 April 2011
BBC News - UK radio pushes online listening
31 March 2011 Last updated at 15:40UK radio pushes online listening
Users will be able to search across BBC and commercial radio stations
Continue reading the main storyRelated Stories
Many of the UK's biggest radio broadcasters have joined forces to launch a system for listening to their stations over the internet.
UK Radioplayer brings together commercial outlets alongside BBC stations in an attempt to boost online listening.
Only 3% of people access radio via the web and growth has been sluggish.
Although broadcasters will now use the same interface, they are free to customise it and include advertising.
Among the radio groups supporting the project are Global, GMG, Bauer Media and UTV Radio, as well as the BBC.
Tim Davie, director of audio and music at the BBC, welcomed the move, but conceded it was perhaps overdue.
"It is true that, to a certain extent, the radio industry has lacked the level of innovation of television," he said.
Mr Davie suggested that the launch of UK Radioplayer, along with a BBC trial of high bitrate HD radio, indicated a renewed determination to innovate.
No guarantee of qualityThe UK Radioplayer is intended to offer some consistency to users, with all players having the same basic controls, search function and favourites option.
However the system does not guarantee that all radio stations will provide the same quality of audio stream.
Broadcasters remain free to chose lower or higher bitrates, said Michael Hill, managing director of Radioplayer Ltd.
He told BBC News: "We wanted to leave it to stations to chose their own bitrate. That is the way for small stations to keep their costs down."
At launch, the Radioplayer will only work on devices that are capable of running Adobe's Flash platform. That includes most personal computers and some mobile phones and tablets.
A version capable of running on Apple devices will follow shortly, said Mr Hill.
UK Radioplayer has been broadly welcomed, even by those who have previously voiced scepticism about industry's digital strategy.
William Rogers, chief executive of radio group UKRD, is a critic of the DAB system. He believes that internet broadcasting may be a better way to proceed.
"This will improve the online offering of radio and undoubtedly assist listening.
"I do not think it will be a panacea," he said. "But it is a step in the right direction."
via bbc.co.uk
A good idea-and it WORKS!
Tuesday, 15 March 2011
BBC News - Nuclear power plants shut down in Germany
15 March 2011 Last updated at 11:51Share this page
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Nuclear power plants shut down in Germany
Germany had decided to prolong the life of its nuclear power plants
Continue reading the main storyRelated Stories
Germany has temporarily shut down seven of its nuclear power plants while it reconsiders its nuclear strategy.
Chancellor Angela Merkel said all reactors that went into operation before 1980 would be taken offline, while safety checks would be carried on the country's remaining plants.
All safety questions would be answered by 15 June, she said.
The decision comes after concerns about radiation leaks at a Japanese plant after last Friday's earthquake.
Last year, Germany decided to extend the life of its 17 nuclear power plants by 12 years, but that decision was suspended for three months on Monday.
The government had faced growing pressure for the extension to be scrapped.
More than a quarter of all German electricity comes from nuclear power.
The Swiss government has also suspended decisions on its nuclear programme.
The European Commission is holding a meeting of ministers and experts on Tuesday to discuss the implications of the explosions at Japanese reactors on the European nuclear industry.
Concerns are growing about radiation leaks at a nuclear plant in Japan that has been hit by a third explosion in four days following last week's earthquake and resulting tsunami.
The blast occurred at reactor 2 at the Fukushima Daiichi plant - 250km (155 miles) north-east of Tokyo - which engineers had been trying to stabilise after two other reactors exploded.
via bbc.co.uk
Lessons from Japan?
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