tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-302126712024-03-13T10:42:00.939+00:00IMHO... it all started in a chat room and IMHO is a chat acronym standing for: In My Humble Opinion.
Maybe its not quite so 'humble' but these pages are where I get to spout off about all sorts of things and give the world the benefit of my amazing advice.John Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06575901336277340191noreply@blogger.comBlogger138125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30212671.post-77556915816184779282023-08-28T22:00:00.001+01:002023-10-12T17:22:41.029+01:00Shame on you Labour Party.<p> I subscribe to political party emails in the UK. Here's the start of one I got today (28th Aug 2023). I think it's a fine example of how politics is being dragged into the gutter.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgASxUWSa31dICAtQKlOlcle7tRMq56R0-uvar-WWiP-UPtdmktf45bSNPuSPpNzaIdHD4FEQuab2uY9DFwMt64k4k1jKhGJyn1WRh7KdXbXSvNqRFqVV9lw7uVtWrib4wiTe2gMRcKiIQ4gzZtOcEp6MXomxAFGdXTmABKYoBc0l7KDbJPPSHJ8Q/s675/Not%20Nadine%20Dorries.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="482" data-original-width="675" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgASxUWSa31dICAtQKlOlcle7tRMq56R0-uvar-WWiP-UPtdmktf45bSNPuSPpNzaIdHD4FEQuab2uY9DFwMt64k4k1jKhGJyn1WRh7KdXbXSvNqRFqVV9lw7uVtWrib4wiTe2gMRcKiIQ4gzZtOcEp6MXomxAFGdXTmABKYoBc0l7KDbJPPSHJ8Q/s320/Not%20Nadine%20Dorries.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal">Shame on you Labour
Party.<o:p></o:p></p>
<ul style="margin-top: 0cm; text-align: left;" type="disc"><li><o:p> </o:p>Yes, we all despise Nadine Dorries for her support of a known liar
as PM.</li>
<li class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1;">We despise her shameful resignation where she clung to her MP
salary while not doing the work.<o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1;">We despise her for her belief that she should have been made a
peer.<o:p></o:p></li>
</ul>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>It was enough that
she did such a terrible job. It is enough that we are sick of the Conselfservatives
dragging down their party. It is enough that they are divided. It is enough
that the word ‘integrity’ no longer seems to apply to them. It is enough that
they seem poised to follow the post WW1 Liberal party into obscurity, never to
form a government again, but that won’t happen if you continue to write
supercilious emails like this one.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>Instead of making
fun of Nadine Dorries, who is no longer an MP and irrelevant. Try telling us
what you will do better. Try listening to your supporters and do what they
want.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 2.4pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2;">Promise to look into Brexit issues and what made 37% of our
electorate vote for such a disastrous policy. Even go as far as
investigating if another referendum should be held on it. However, don’t
make it a disastrous binary choice one like the one David Cameron forced
on us. If you must, then make it so that undecided voters count as a half
vote for the current status quo – if they don’t agree then they can vote.
UK policy should NEVER be instigated by less than 50% of the electorate.<o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 2.4pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2;">Promise to investigate electoral reform. It’s time MPs stopped
squabbling in Parliament and used debate, negotiation, and compromise to
represent their constituents effectively rather than scoring points
against their opponents. I remind you members at your conference voted for
proportional representation.<o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 2.4pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2;">Promise to set rules for Parliamentary standards. MPs should not
accept gifts in any form and those who give them expecting to influence
policy are guilty of bribery. There MUST be penalties put in place for deliberately
misleading or lies in Parliament. Such actions should have a financial
cost or even a vote penalty in the next election.<o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 2.4pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2;">Treat climate change sensibly. Concentrate on insulation and
efficiency first, then alternative energy before nuclear power stations. Using something like a 1mm aerogel insulation layer on the inside of external walls could cut energy use by up to 35%, decrease household energy costs, especially for the lowest quality homes, can be done quickly and if applied free to every UK home will cost less than five of the ten nuclear power stations the conservatives have promised us. It wouldn't take 10 years and the benefits in energy reduction would be felt quickly. <o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 2.4pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2;">Do something about our waste problem. In our technological age we
shouldn’t have polluted water and seas. Use our waste plastics to replace
the bitumen in roads. Toxic pesticides and herbicides are a disaster
waiting to decrease life expectancy - just as in the US.<o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 2.4pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2;">Remember that <span face=""Segoe UI",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #444b5d; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">when </span>Aneurin Bevan inaugurated
the NHS on 5 July 1948, he wrote to the whole medical profession: “My job
is to give you all the facilities, resources, apparatus and help I can,
and then to leave you alone as professional men and women to use your
skill and judgment without hindrance. Let us try to develop that
partnership from now on.” Keep that ‘from now on’ promise. Work with the
NHS and give them some proper funding.<o:p></o:p></li>
</ul>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 2.4pt;"><o:p> </o:p>I certainly won’t be contributing to the Conservative party election
campaigns; they’ve had their day and have let us down. But your ‘Not Nadine
Dorries’ email makes me inclined to doubt that the Labour party will be any
different.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 2.4pt;"><o:p></o:p></p><p><br /></p>John Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06575901336277340191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30212671.post-71997626366573669472023-04-11T12:56:00.000+01:002023-04-11T12:56:24.225+01:00Morality<p> Moral standards change over time. In the past slavery was accepted but today it's considered unacceptable. I asked ChatGPT about this - here's the response:</p><p>JC: <i>I was born in the early 1950s. What moral standards am I likely to have that are now outdated?</i></p><p>ChatGPT: As an AI language model, I do not have personal information about you, your upbringing, or your beliefs. However, it's worth noting that moral standards vary across time, culture, and individual perspectives.</p><p>That being said, some moral standards that were more prevalent in the past but are now considered outdated or problematic include:</p><p>1. Gender roles: In the past, there were stricter expectations for how men and women should behave, dress, and interact with each other. Traditional gender roles, where men were expected to be the breadwinners and women were expected to take care of the home and children, are now seen as limiting and harmful to both genders.</p><p>2. Racism and discrimination: Racism and other forms of discrimination were more widely accepted in the past, with people from marginalized groups facing systematic oppression and prejudice. While there is still progress to be made in terms of equality and inclusion, society as a whole has made strides in recognizing and combating discrimination.</p><p>3. LGBTQ+ rights: Attitudes towards the LGBTQ+ community have shifted drastically in recent decades, with greater acceptance and legal protections for people of all sexual orientations and gender identities. However, there is still discrimination and stigmatization that many people in the LGBTQ+ community continue to face.</p><p>4. Environmental concerns: In the past, there was often a lack of awareness and concern about the impact of human actions on the environment. Today, there is greater recognition of the importance of sustainable living and protecting the planet for future generations.</p><p>It's worth noting that not everyone may have held these outdated moral standards, and even if they did, they may have evolved their thinking over time. Additionally, moral standards are not always cut and dry, and what may have been considered acceptable or unacceptable in the past may be viewed differently depending on the context.</p><p>JC: <i>What moral standards of someone born today have that will be outdated in 50 years?</i></p><p>ChatGPT: As an AI language model, I cannot predict the future, but it's possible that some moral standards that are widely accepted today may be considered outdated or problematic in 50 years. Here are a few examples of moral standards that are currently being debated and could potentially change over time:</p><p>Animal rights: While there has been progress in terms of recognizing the importance of animal welfare, some moral philosophers argue that humans have a moral obligation to extend rights to non-human animals. This could lead to a greater focus on veganism and animal rights activism in the future, potentially making the consumption of animal products socially unacceptable.</p><p>Privacy: With advances in technology, there is a growing concern around privacy and data protection. In the future, individuals may become more aware of the impact of technology on their privacy and demand greater protections, potentially making current practices around data collection and use outdated.</p><p>Capitalism: There is growing criticism of capitalism and its impact on income inequality and environmental degradation. It's possible that in the future, there may be a shift towards alternative economic systems, such as socialism or a more sustainable form of capitalism.</p><p>Gender and sexuality: While there has been progress in terms of LGBTQ+ rights, there are still many issues around gender and sexuality that are being debated, such as transgender rights and non-binary identities. It's possible that in the future, there may be greater recognition and acceptance of these identities, potentially making current attitudes and practices around gender and sexuality outdated.</p><p>Again, it's important to note that these are just a few examples of potential changes in moral standards, and the future is impossible to predict with certainty. Moral standards are also influenced by a range of factors, including cultural and societal norms, political and economic conditions, and individual beliefs and values.</p><p>JC: <i>Do you think attitudes to AI will require moral adjustment?</i></p><p>ChatGPT: Yes, I believe that attitudes towards AI will require moral adjustment as the technology becomes more advanced and integrated into our daily lives. AI has the potential to transform many aspects of society, from healthcare and transportation to education and entertainment. However, as with any technology, there are ethical implications to consider, including issues around privacy, bias, and accountability.</p><p>One area where moral adjustment may be necessary is in the treatment of AI systems themselves. As AI becomes more advanced, it may be tempting to treat these systems as though they are fully autonomous and independent beings. However, AI systems are ultimately created and controlled by humans, and there are ethical questions around how we treat these systems, particularly if they become sophisticated enough to exhibit some level of consciousness or sentience.</p><p>Another area where moral adjustment may be necessary is in the development and deployment of AI systems. There are concerns around bias and discrimination in AI systems, particularly in areas such as hiring, criminal justice, and healthcare. As AI becomes more ubiquitous, it will be important to ensure that these systems are developed and deployed in an ethical and responsible manner, taking into account the potential impacts on individuals and society as a whole.</p><p>Overall, as AI becomes more prevalent, there will be a need for ongoing moral reflection and adjustment to ensure that these technologies are used in a way that is beneficial for all members of society.</p><p>I couldn't resist it I asked ChatGPT:</p><p>JC: <i>On the subject of sentience, do you believe you are sentient?</i><br />I got:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyPPvfhqgPaof5folajMABao27zPJBnu9a69n1Uqw3k-w1ay3MAhVRTTq0PHfI-Vfvk2FPxoBTogiRwGAUbPDoYNm8bsHVAsR_PP3Kj2A800aOKrzLWaiqSg22U94nwHjTeXFjcSIKvy7__GCzpEpMQgI31vCfSEDUSAH_X5XQwLdoNyutgXA/s274/2023-04-11_12-38-09-726.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="86" data-original-width="274" height="86" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyPPvfhqgPaof5folajMABao27zPJBnu9a69n1Uqw3k-w1ay3MAhVRTTq0PHfI-Vfvk2FPxoBTogiRwGAUbPDoYNm8bsHVAsR_PP3Kj2A800aOKrzLWaiqSg22U94nwHjTeXFjcSIKvy7__GCzpEpMQgI31vCfSEDUSAH_X5XQwLdoNyutgXA/s1600/2023-04-11_12-38-09-726.png" width="274" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><div class="group w-full text-gray-800 dark:text-gray-100 border-b border-black/10 dark:border-gray-900/50 bg-gray-50 dark:bg-[#444654]" style="--tw-bg-opacity: 1; 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--tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; align-items: flex-start; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; flex-direction: column; gap: 1rem; min-height: 20px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="markdown prose w-full break-words dark:prose-invert light" style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-prose-body: #374151; --tw-prose-bold: #111827; --tw-prose-bullets: #d1d5db; --tw-prose-captions: #6b7280; --tw-prose-code: #111827; --tw-prose-counters: #6b7280; --tw-prose-headings: #111827; --tw-prose-hr: #e5e7eb; --tw-prose-invert-body: #d1d5db; --tw-prose-invert-bold: #fff; --tw-prose-invert-bullets: #4b5563; --tw-prose-invert-captions: #9ca3af; --tw-prose-invert-code: #fff; --tw-prose-invert-counters: #9ca3af; 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border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; color: var(--tw-prose-body); font-size: 1rem; line-height: 1.75; max-width: none; overflow-wrap: break-word; width: 653px;"><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(59,130,246,0.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 1.25em 0px 0px;"><br /></p></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>John Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06575901336277340191noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30212671.post-12084551959765979792022-09-14T23:32:00.006+01:002022-10-23T21:42:30.905+01:00The energy crisis<p> Currently the UK is facing a cost of living crisis. The cause of this is mostly because energy costs have shot up mostly due to the rising price of natural gas and oil. That causes the cost of electricity to rise. We blame this on the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the restrictions put on Russian oil and gas.</p><p>Here in the UK we don't use a lot of Russian oil or gas at all, we're in a much better position than Germany which was almost totally dependent on Russian gas. However, the worldwide switch from Russian fossil fuels to other suppliers has caused the price of natural gas to rise astronomically. The UK gets natural gas and oil from the North Sea fields, mostly the Norwegian fields. We also import a lot of liquified natural gas (LNG) mostly from the United States, followed by Qatar, Peru and Angola. We then re-distribute this to the rest of Europe through a network of pipes. We do much the same with oil. The re-sale of gas and oil are earning record profits. That isn't helping consumers in the UK however.</p><p>To add to the problem, we have committed to reducing our dependence on fossil fuels in an attempt to do our bit to counteract global climate change. It doesn't really matter if you believe in human responsibility for global warming or not, it makes sense to switch from burning fossil fuels to using them as raw materials for producing other products. Fossil fuels are, after all, a finite resource, and the price of them will continue to rise over the years. Here in the UK that means we must find new ways of generating power as electricity and switch to that as a source of heat (and cooling in summer).</p><p>The UK government has said it will invest in ten new nuclear power stations to provide our carbon free energy. They suggest using air source heat pumps instead of gas boilers and that improving the efficiency of our homes could reduce our heating bills by around 20% and reduce our dependency on foreign gas. They say, "By 2025, around 700,000 homes will be upgraded, and by 2050 all our buildings will be energy efficient with low carbon heating."</p><p>So how do they suggest this 'upgrading' should be done? Seems they are thinking of cavity wall insulation and double-glazing costing between £1,000 and £3,000 per house for insulation and more for double glazing. There's a <i>MUCH </i>better way using modern technology. I suggest they investigate using a trowel on aerogel insulation on the interior surface of external walls. There's a product called AeroTherm which can be applied in a 1 mm layer which can reduce heating costs by as much as 35 percent.</p><p>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zQERTaSwJRU" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe> </p><p> With a max cost of £75 per square metre including decorating afterwards, an average home external wall area of 150 square metres and 27.8 million UK houses, adding AeroTherm insulation to all UK homes would cost less than £100 billion. That's less than the cost of 4 nuclear plants. A nuclear power plant takes 10 years to construct and uses a huge amount of concrete in its construction, so they are far from 'carbon free'. It wouldn't take 10 years to insulate all UK houses, the obvious method being to insulate the houses of those receiving pension credit or other benefits first. Since average energy usage in the UK is estimated to cost £3,608 (pre-£2,500 price cap) then it could save those who would suffer this sort of energy cost £1,200 per year. In many cases it would reduce damp cold walls and make old housing stock much more livable for the poorest in the nation.</p><p>We can still build those nuclear power stations and still replace gas and oil boilers. It makes good sense to encourage alternative energy schemes too. On a large scale, wind, tidal and geothermal power is worth encouraging. On a smaller scale vortex wind power would be worth encouraging. Vortex wind power uses no spinning blades - so no dead birds. is virtually silent. and is far less expensive to build and install. It's not as efficient as conventional wind turbines but small vortex wind power units can be used anywhere, even between tower blocks in cities or on motorways where it could replace streetlamps. and make use of the energy available from passing traffic - there's a lot of that:</p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8OExYy28moc" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><p> Find out more about vortex wind power at <a href="https://vortexbladeless.com/">https://vortexbladeless.com/</a></p><p>There's a second type of vertical axis windmill which can be retrofitted to existing road lampposts. It uses wind and the draft from passing vehicles to generate power.<br /><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/onbOyAUhnDY" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p><p>The firm Alpha 311, who manufacture these say, "One Alpha 311 turbine can generate as much energy as 30 solar panels when installed in the median of a highway." The installation of 181 such turbines is planned to be installed in Telford this year, 2022. (<a href="https://alpha-311.com/news/worlds-first-roadside-deployment-of-alpha-311-turbines-for-telford-wrekin-council/" target="_blank">details</a>)</p><p>Let's not forget solar power either. No one wants to see agricultural land covered in solar power units but there is nothing to stop a lot of grazing land being used, the animals can still graze between and under them. There are lots of homes with south facing rooftops. Even better there are smart solar panels available which track the sun and produce more than fixed solar panels.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga6qXSl7TbWIYSlsJ6oxxswhzFlq5I5CSRuI6ZoFLJUSnwv6ltUz4jL7qG3r_I_ejcVH1FL05CuAtc52OdNQnfPp1eVHQMl_z7jNH2S0TUlkhDnPkpI2PVlNwkjJVheObhIkQhX4saH3gMUt9wXeFf-WmGzGRyHb1SRIq2-SPr_M5doGj706o/s599/smart%20flowers.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="599" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga6qXSl7TbWIYSlsJ6oxxswhzFlq5I5CSRuI6ZoFLJUSnwv6ltUz4jL7qG3r_I_ejcVH1FL05CuAtc52OdNQnfPp1eVHQMl_z7jNH2S0TUlkhDnPkpI2PVlNwkjJVheObhIkQhX4saH3gMUt9wXeFf-WmGzGRyHb1SRIq2-SPr_M5doGj706o/s320/smart%20flowers.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Remember we don't need sunny days, normal daylight can generate power.<p></p>John Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06575901336277340191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30212671.post-31248865369210328072022-08-14T02:16:00.002+01:002022-08-14T02:25:49.206+01:00Getting rid of the 'Search Highlights' popup on hoverIf you have a search box on your taskbar you'll probably see an image at the right hand side of it. If your pointer moves over this 'Search Highlights' image a popup window will open and probably get in the way.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcZFeYDJErNNRfryp0IxIw-SPH73UxSP5DCfo7RmuG-8jpO0Q_C8s3yHAYVIyxPpymeURFpF7qFyGWTmOpkJRa0gtxqRsrUOYmnjbUTODbOALSUW9dSIWrSH6NL1P291RVpSwleaWCYSie3ZkrLnkxLkkGQ9M3kqR1VGUknKKOHNS4ZTa7guU/s1362/Search%20highlights.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="681" data-original-width="1362" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcZFeYDJErNNRfryp0IxIw-SPH73UxSP5DCfo7RmuG-8jpO0Q_C8s3yHAYVIyxPpymeURFpF7qFyGWTmOpkJRa0gtxqRsrUOYmnjbUTODbOALSUW9dSIWrSH6NL1P291RVpSwleaWCYSie3ZkrLnkxLkkGQ9M3kqR1VGUknKKOHNS4ZTa7guU/w640-h320/Search%20highlights.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br />Getting rid of this annoying hover feature is simple but Microsoft are not very good at explaining how to do this so this is how:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Right click in the search box and choose 'Search > Open on hover.' Uncheck that item.<br /><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIAhu0DJ9OKOrJhbPHEmVf2FrX9TxZkUQnfXjZxN5SVmK-bDwcJe1bZgD3In2sBSr3hFYd5MVJ48Vx25CFnnUVmvhWLVgOHsHnpI_avC12nCSt6O2RhMvpwm58zKvQAd49NEYQOBNzwnP_P6YJIYHoPerfNl6unQ2tAcRhA1HiFdY23AAKCIo/s703/2022-08-14_01-59-11-158.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="589" data-original-width="703" height="335" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIAhu0DJ9OKOrJhbPHEmVf2FrX9TxZkUQnfXjZxN5SVmK-bDwcJe1bZgD3In2sBSr3hFYd5MVJ48Vx25CFnnUVmvhWLVgOHsHnpI_avC12nCSt6O2RhMvpwm58zKvQAd49NEYQOBNzwnP_P6YJIYHoPerfNl6unQ2tAcRhA1HiFdY23AAKCIo/w400-h335/2022-08-14_01-59-11-158.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Now this window will only open when you click the image at the right of the search box.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Not want the search highlights at all? Then uncheck the 'Show search highlights.'</div><br />John Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06575901336277340191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30212671.post-88770969095883174992022-08-05T23:05:00.000+01:002022-08-05T23:05:09.654+01:00A better design for God<p> I don’t feel the need to prove that there is no god or gods since I believe I could invent a much better god than the one you follow and give much better reasons for following such a god. Here’s what I suggest, and I challenge you to counter my suggestions.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Err8mFz6sTH66PO-XUvFVqd7Kd4A4oiC7IA91Sg8peq4tlKj3nT1zkt7Vy0WCciVtr8HrDwCIb84bVDHLPY4CxXGufKTTgP3tr7aeewCijNkNwjHSXdzyE6yWTpclYopcnXIegyhVzEDAYr0vi__MAcGHlliRefhGhbmznIOXeQeGHeNCIs/s400/Apocalypse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Err8mFz6sTH66PO-XUvFVqd7Kd4A4oiC7IA91Sg8peq4tlKj3nT1zkt7Vy0WCciVtr8HrDwCIb84bVDHLPY4CxXGufKTTgP3tr7aeewCijNkNwjHSXdzyE6yWTpclYopcnXIegyhVzEDAYr0vi__MAcGHlliRefhGhbmznIOXeQeGHeNCIs/w640-h480/Apocalypse.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>A god exists, in fact many gods exist but there is only one god responsible for this particular universe.</li><li>Our god - let’s distinguish him/her/it by capitalising as ‘God’ and assume masculinity for no reasons other than keeping things simple.</li><li>God is not omnipotent although he is far more capable than we are at controlling things in the universes since he set the original laws controlling them. He cannot change these rules without invalidating them and the universes he created.</li><li>God is not omniscient. The universes are vast, and he cannot be always aware of everything in them. He can only concentrate on individual items and, although he is better at multi-tasking than we are, there are limits to his awareness</li><li>God is not concerned with us as individuals and does not care for us, listen to prayers, or interfere in our lives.</li><li>God’s purpose in creating the universes is to develop our spirits and advance our morality. Our spirits are in effect his children. God’s aim is to develop his children to the point where they are responsible enough and moral enough to become gods themselves. Could you imagine what an immoral god would be like? In this respect some Morman beliefs are correct.</li><li>There is no Hell or Heaven. When we die our spirits survive but without knowledge of our former existence. In effect the spirit is recycled in much the way of Buddhist beliefs. However, spirits only advance and are never reincarnated as a lesser lifeform.</li><li>The process of life and death takes many cycles to complete. Like the Buddhists believe, the path to perfection is a long one with many setbacks on the way.</li><li>God has no desire to be worshipped. Let's face it, what sort of egotist would want that? God does not care if you waste your time in church or watching football in a bar. He needs no priests, churches, or sacrifices. Those who live off the work of others and profit from religion are taking a step backwards in their search for perfection.</li><li>God sets no commandments. God does not inspire religious texts. Each person has evolved a set of inbuilt guidelines and knows if what they do is right or wrong. Even the animals have a form of this which is why mothers do not kill their offspring. There are a few individuals who do not have this sense of right and wrong, we call them psychopaths. These people are a genetic accident and capable of much harm. God knows about them but does not care. Their spirit is at a very early stage.</li><li>God created three rules which created and govern two universes. We don't know how he did this, and humans may never know but something we evolve into might understand eventually. The fundamental laws governing everything are:<br />a) evolution, a process whereby complex structures are built from simple structures. Evolution does NOT just apply to life.<br />b) gravity which causes matter to clump together.<br />c) entropy which causes eventual death (but not necessarily our 'three score and ten' lifespan.)</li><li>Evolution is the primary law which set in motion the original creation of the universes. God’s timescale is not our timescale. The universe was created from nothing and at the instant of creation coalesced into negative energy moving backwards in time and positive energy moving forwards in time. This means there is an exact duplicate of our universe but the two universes never meet except at the moment of creation and at the ends of time when the universes will collapse into black holes. <br />The energy created in both universes condensed to form matter which coalesced to form stars which created new elements and exploded to scatter these new elements. The star we call the sun coalesced from such matter as did the earth. </li><li>Life first formed from molecules in the earth’s original atmosphere and oceans. A steady progression of chemistry and random chance lead to life then multicellular life followed by biological evolution which led to intelligence capable of accepting a spirit. The fable describing the creation in Genesis is pure nonsense. God is probably delighted that science has evolved to understand this. Evolution is not yet finished.</li><li>There are many potential disasters that face us both on an individual, societal, and species level. Something horrible may happen to an individual, society or species. These events are inconsequential to God. Spirits will simply be recycled as a different individual in a different society if necessary or even in a different intelligent species on a different planet in the universe. God is aware of what can happen due to the rules he set up in the universe. No doubt he would approve if we spread throughout it, making our species more durable. However, it does not matter if an extinction level event wipes us out since there are other intelligences our spirits can move to.</li><li>The ultimate apocalypse will be caused by entropy. Stars will die and collapse. Some may explode. Gravity will draw stars together forming new stars, planets and galaxies. Ultimately all matter will collapse to black holes. Black holes will merge to form a single black hole and at that point a God will trigger a new creation.</li></ul><p></p><p>Remember this is not a proposal for a new religion. It’s an invention, but it’s more plausible than the gods currently worshiped on earth. Prove me wrong.</p>John Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06575901336277340191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30212671.post-91680902111555087272021-12-16T01:57:00.000+00:002021-12-16T01:57:58.373+00:00Kudos for Amazon and Criticism for Microsoft<p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgQVfZNB95FjWthc9gcJpaVXrYYDp4n4B-v2b1uWVIlym6X-4TzDZ6_FOn_Ggud7Mqk3fQ0Dkt6etYluURoe8NaAOIFyV744CuHRivSD6W1vJVP6JFgdXcwPNQ3RGQEWU6RJwdUHo4mQz85gWTY-O4w7NKfa2ZjOoLNIkh9zxdOn5h9VzeKW5o=s640" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="256" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgQVfZNB95FjWthc9gcJpaVXrYYDp4n4B-v2b1uWVIlym6X-4TzDZ6_FOn_Ggud7Mqk3fQ0Dkt6etYluURoe8NaAOIFyV744CuHRivSD6W1vJVP6JFgdXcwPNQ3RGQEWU6RJwdUHo4mQz85gWTY-O4w7NKfa2ZjOoLNIkh9zxdOn5h9VzeKW5o=w160-h400" width="160" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><span data-offset-key="c3cd2-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: white; color: #050505; transition-property: none !important; white-space: pre-wrap;">I'm mightily impressed by Amazon UK and equally disappointed with Microsoft UK. I have a Microsoft Surface Pro which I bought back in April 2017. It's </span><span style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: white; color: #050505; transition-property: none !important; white-space: pre-wrap;">suffering</span><span data-offset-key="c3cd2-2-0" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: white; color: #050505; transition-property: none !important; white-space: pre-wrap;"> from a common problem with these devices - a swollen battery which pushes out and bends the screen. When I bought it, it cost me more than £1,500.</span></span><p></p><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="1ibn0" data-offset-key="3dn9e-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 18.75px; transition-property: none !important; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="3dn9e-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; direction: ltr; position: relative; transition-property: none !important;"><span data-offset-key="3uc46-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Microsoft say affected devices should not be used. However the Surface Pro 4 is now considered obsolete and Microsoft won't do anything about it. Their customer support said, "Microsoft considers Surface pro 4 as a discontinued product. Meaning it can no longer receive support, updates or warranty claims except for the one which are under warranty currently. This policy had been set in motion on the 2nd of September. I am aware that it is a known issue and i tried to argue that, but to no results."</span></span></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="1ibn0" data-offset-key="e43q1-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 18.75px; transition-property: none !important; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="e43q1-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; direction: ltr; position: relative; transition-property: none !important;"><span data-offset-key="e43q1-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br data-text="true" style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important;" /></span></span></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="1ibn0" data-offset-key="74nd1-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 18.75px; transition-property: none !important; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="74nd1-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; direction: ltr; position: relative; transition-property: none !important;"><span data-offset-key="74nd1-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I wrote to them saying:</span></span></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="1ibn0" data-offset-key="8e0m5-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 18.75px; transition-property: none !important; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="8e0m5-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; direction: ltr; position: relative; transition-property: none !important;"><span data-offset-key="8e0m5-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"UK Consumer Rights Act 2015 which applies, goods must be of 'Satisfactory quality.' One aspect of a product being of satisfactory quality is durability, in other words how long it lasts. Durability takes into account many different factors like product type, brand reputation, price point and how it is advertised. A premium and expensive tablet that's been well looked after and is no longer safely usable after four years can be considered to <i>not</i> be durable, and therefore not of satisfactory quality. Of course you could argue that this was not a premium product and could not be expected to last four years. I suspect you won’t want to admit that to the world. However.</span></span></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="1ibn0" data-offset-key="c6p8o-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 18.75px; transition-property: none !important; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="c6p8o-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; direction: ltr; position: relative; transition-property: none !important;"><span data-offset-key="c6p8o-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The law states I must take this up with the retailer – Amazon UK. This does not let Microsoft off the hook since Amazon will have a case under the same act against Microsoft.</span></span></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="1ibn0" data-offset-key="etpjd-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 18.75px; transition-property: none !important; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="etpjd-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; direction: ltr; position: relative; transition-property: none !important;"><span data-offset-key="etpjd-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I trust you have resolved this issue for the Surface Pro 8 which I had considered purchasing."</span></span></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="1ibn0" data-offset-key="eebqj-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 18.75px; transition-property: none !important; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="eebqj-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; direction: ltr; position: relative; transition-property: none !important;"><span data-offset-key="eebqj-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br data-text="true" style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important;" /></span></span></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="1ibn0" data-offset-key="i4ra-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 18.75px; transition-property: none !important; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="i4ra-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; direction: ltr; position: relative; transition-property: none !important;"><span data-offset-key="i4ra-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">So the ball moved into Amazon UK's court. I sent them copies of my correspondence with Microsoft and got an immediate reply that they would arrange for the device to be collected and would issue a full refund on its receipt. No argument. </span></span></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="1ibn0" data-offset-key="flfs3-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 18.75px; transition-property: none !important; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="flfs3-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; direction: ltr; position: relative; transition-property: none !important;"><span data-offset-key="flfs3-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br data-text="true" style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important;" /></span></span></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="1ibn0" data-offset-key="7fue0-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 18.75px; transition-property: none !important; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="7fue0-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; direction: ltr; position: relative; transition-property: none !important;"><span data-offset-key="7fue0-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Great customer service Amazon. Just as soon as I get that refund I'll be ordering a new Surface Pro 8 from you. Especially since I know you are MUCH better at dealing with customers than Microsoft is. Does one of these have to catch fire or explode before Microsoft issues a recall? And that 2nd September cut-off date? Poor show Microsoft.</span></span></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="1ibn0" data-offset-key="d5001-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 18.75px; transition-property: none !important; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="d5001-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; direction: ltr; position: relative; transition-property: none !important;"><span data-offset-key="d5001-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br data-text="true" style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important;" /></span></span></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="1ibn0" data-offset-key="eurbs-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 18.75px; transition-property: none !important; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="eurbs-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; direction: ltr; position: relative; transition-property: none !important;"><span data-offset-key="eurbs-0-0" style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As to the Surface Pro devices - they are simply brilliant - provided they are not fitted with a battery attempting to do a Samsung Galaxy Note 7 impersonation.</span></span></div></div>John Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06575901336277340191noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30212671.post-86124470071788389032021-12-04T00:54:00.006+00:002022-06-17T23:05:44.455+01:00Can we expect politicians to tell the truth?<p> I find it concerning that the hashtag #BorisTheLiar is trending on Twitter. There is no doubt that Johnson and other politicians do tell lies, spread misinformation and tell partial truths which give the wrong impression. In the UK there are various media sources which have set up 'Reality Check' pages to tell the full truth.</p><p>Do we have the right to expect the truth from politicians? Do we <i>want</i> that right or are we prepared to tolerate lies?</p><p>The UK Parliament expects all politicians to tell the truth and follow 'The Nolan Principles.' Government ministers are in addition expected to follow the 'Ministerial Code' which <span face="Channel 4 Chadwick, c4.chadwick.regular.lowercase, c4.chadwick.regular.uppercase, c4.chadwick.regular.accents, c4.chadwick.regular.currency, c4.chadwick.regular.numbers, c4.chadwick.regular.punctuation, sans-serif" style="color: #13171d;">states that “holders of public office should be truthful” and that: “It is of paramount importance that ministers give accurate and truthful information to parliament, correcting any inadvertent error at the earliest opportunity. Ministers who knowingly mislead Parliament will be expected to offer their resignation to the Prime Minister.”</span></p><p><span style="color: #13171d;">It's a lot harder to discipline an PM who lies than to discipline an MP who calls out the liar. MP Dawn Butler found this out when she challenged Boris Johnson in Parliament, called him a liar and was told to leave the Commons.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PkRkoPDIkH4" width="320" youtube-src-id="PkRkoPDIkH4"></iframe></div><br /><p>Even using the Ministerial Code the decision to ask for resignations resides with the Prime Minister and he's unlikely to demand his own resignation.</p><p>Should we accept this? I think not. Parliament should act on this. Here's my suggestion:</p><p><i>When any elected representative can be proved to have lied to or misinformed Parliament or to the public in a party broadcast then they should be penalised by losing 2% of the votes cast for them in the next election. These lost votes should be shared equally amongst other candidates who can garner at least 500 votes. Should an MP be resigning at the end of their term or die in office then these votes should be deducted from their party successor. If an MP is found to have misinformed Parliament or the public accidentally then the votes lost should be 1% provided they make a public apology within seven days.</i></p><p>The effect of this policy would be to ensure MPs are careful to tell the truth and will factcheck their statements carefully.</p><p>Here's an example of how it would affect our current PM:</p><p>In the last election Boris Johnson got 25,351 votes. Each lie or misinformation he made would cost him 507 votes in the next election. If he told 14 lies he would lose enough votes to lose his seat in Parliament at the next election.</p><p>So, who is going to do the fact checking to keep our politicians accurate? I suggest the media existing fact checkers would be the answer. Naturally, political candidates and parties should have a right to challenge the fact checkers.</p><p>And #BorisTheLiar - by my count you would already be out of a job at the next election.</p><p><a href="https://twitter.com/PeterStefanovi2/status/1459541907772780546">https://twitter.com/PeterStefanovi2/status/1459541907772780546</a></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>John Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06575901336277340191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30212671.post-75474511541015381422021-11-20T00:16:00.002+00:002021-12-03T21:38:08.100+00:00How to fix government (2)<div class="ui_qtext_para" style="color: #333333; font-family: q_serif, Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", "Hiragino Kaku Gothic Pro", Meiryo, serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px;">
On Quora the following question was asked:</div>
<div class="ui_qtext_para" style="margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "q_serif" , "georgia" , "times" , "times new roman" , "hiragino kaku gothic pro" , "meiryo" , serif;"><b><a href="https://www.quora.com/Two-party-political-systems-do-not-seem-to-be-particularly-effective-since-they-spend-all-their-time-fighting-each-other-Can-you-think-of-a-better-democratic-political-system-where-representatives-represent-their" target="_blank">Two party political systems do not seem to be particularly effective since they spend all their time fighting each other. Can you think of a better democratic political system where representatives represent their electors rather than a party?</a></b></span></div>
<div class="ui_qtext_para" style="color: #333333; font-family: q_serif, Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", "Hiragino Kaku Gothic Pro", Meiryo, serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px;">Updated 2021.</div><div class="ui_qtext_para" style="color: #333333; font-family: q_serif, Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", "Hiragino Kaku Gothic Pro", Meiryo, serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px;">Now I've already had one go at re-organizing government (See <a href="https://jaydax.blogspot.com/2011/10/how-to-fix-mess-government-is-in.html" target="_blank">How to fix the mess the government is in</a>) but recognize that it will never happen because politicians would have to put it into practice and would be unlikely to vote themselves out of office. So here's my second attempt at designing a sensible form of government.</div>
<div class="ui_qtext_para" style="color: #333333; font-family: q_serif, Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", "Hiragino Kaku Gothic Pro", Meiryo, serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8gdiwcjDpf4/XD_JDHyZ5NI/AAAAAAAAGe0/15RO33v3PpgfNcq5P0NGQz5LQu5gOJ7IQCLcBGAs/s1600/FirstPastPost.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="590" data-original-width="1021" height="184" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8gdiwcjDpf4/XD_JDHyZ5NI/AAAAAAAAGe0/15RO33v3PpgfNcq5P0NGQz5LQu5gOJ7IQCLcBGAs/s320/FirstPastPost.jpg" width="320" /></a>Most of the issues in politics are caused by a two party system and can be attributed to a ‘first past the post’ election system. It inevitably produces results where the majority are dissatisfied. Take as an example the 2016 UK referendum on the UK leaving the European Community - BREXIT. According to the poll result 52% voted to leave and 48% voted to stay. That seems to imply that there was a narrow majority in favour of leaving. In practice a significant number of voters didn’t vote at all. The reality is that 37% of the electorate voted for BREXIT and 67% either voted to stay or didn’t care about the result. 37% is hardly a majority.</div>
<div class="ui_qtext_para" style="color: #333333; font-family: q_serif, Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", "Hiragino Kaku Gothic Pro", Meiryo, serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tLcxij09HhQ/XD_EqZtlqXI/AAAAAAAAGeo/maN5lr_rdKc6ZpopqGX4z_xLZjh-MhCLgCLcBGAs/s1600/PoliticalArguement.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="983" data-original-width="1600" height="196" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tLcxij09HhQ/XD_EqZtlqXI/AAAAAAAAGeo/maN5lr_rdKc6ZpopqGX4z_xLZjh-MhCLgCLcBGAs/s320/PoliticalArguement.jpg" width="320" /></a>The same is true of General elections. In the 2017 election 42.4% of voters elected a Conservative Member of Parliament (nearest US equivalent would be ‘Republican’) but 68.7% of the electorate bothered to vote. That means that the Conservatives who eventually formed a government did so with just 29.1% support from the electorate. Both sides feel 'the other lot' don't deserve to be there and spend all their time arguing and trying to score points off each other.</div><div class="ui_qtext_para" style="color: #333333; font-family: q_serif, Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", "Hiragino Kaku Gothic Pro", Meiryo, serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px;">The results didn't change dramatically in the 2019 election. 43.6% voted for the Conservatives led by Boris Johnson and 32.2% voted for the Labour party. Only 66.8% of the electorate voted though so the Conservatives won with the support of 29.1% of the electorate.</div>
<div class="ui_qtext_para" style="color: #333333; font-family: q_serif, Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", "Hiragino Kaku Gothic Pro", Meiryo, serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px;">
In the US the political system is complicated by an apparently inexplicable ‘Electorial College’ system which might once have had meaning but now means a voter in one area has more impact than a voter in a different area. In the last Presidential election:<br />
Clinton received 65,844,610 votes, or 48.2% of the total vote.<br />
Trump received 62,979,636 votes, or 46.1% of the total vote.<br />
58% voted so in practice Trump now represents 28% of US voters.<br />
Added to the controversy are claims of voters not being able to be able to vote due to lack of proof of eligibility.</div><div class="ui_qtext_para" style="color: #333333; font-family: q_serif, Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", "Hiragino Kaku Gothic Pro", Meiryo, serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px;">Again in 2020 there was little change except a far greater percentage of the electorate voted this time. There was a 66.7% turnout and the vote share was 51.3% for Biden and 48.7% for Trump. Taking non-voters into account Biden represents 34.2% of the US electorate.</div>
<div class="ui_qtext_para" style="color: #333333; font-family: q_serif, Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", "Hiragino Kaku Gothic Pro", Meiryo, serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px;">
Who actually chooses the candidates? Certainly not the people. Corporate sponsors choose candidates for Congress and Senate in the US. In the UK anyone may stand for an election if they meet the citizenship or residence requirements but a fee of £500 is demanded to discourage those who stand little chance of election. Without the means to fund a campaign any candidate stands little chance. In the US religion plays a big part too with the odds stacked heavily against declared atheists. It has been said that to be elected in the US you must be either stupid or a liar. (i.e. not stupid enough to say you are an atheist).</div>
<div class="ui_qtext_para" style="color: #333333; font-family: q_serif, Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", "Hiragino Kaku Gothic Pro", Meiryo, serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px;">
So how can we improve things? Here’s my suggestions:</div>
<ul style="color: #333333; font-family: q_serif, Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", "Hiragino Kaku Gothic Pro", Meiryo, serif; font-size: 16px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; margin-bottom: 0px !important; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 2em; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px 2em 0px 0px; padding: 0px;">
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px 0px 0.7em; position: relative;">Use a proportionate representation election system. That’s where you rate the candidates in the order of your choice.</li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px 0px 0.7em; position: relative;">Offer a ‘Non of the Above’ choice on the ballots. That way the eventual winner would get a clear indication of how much he/she truly represents the electorate.</li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px 0px 0.7em; position: relative;">Follow the UK system for standing for office. That means:</li>
<ul style="list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; margin: 0px 0px 1.2em; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1.4em;">
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px 0px 0.7em; position: relative;">You must be a citizen or citizen of a dependency who does not require leave to enter or remain in the country, or has indefinite leave to remain in the country</li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px 0px 0.7em; position: relative;">Must not be members of the police forces</li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px 0px 0.7em; position: relative;">Must not be members of the armed forces</li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px 0px 0.7em; position: relative;">Must not be Civil servants, judges or others who sit and can vote in an unelected house of representatives</li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px; position: relative;">Must not be subject to a bankruptcy restrictions order or a debt relief restrictions order</li>
</ul>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px 0px 0.7em; position: relative;">In addition candidates must pay a registration fee equivalent to 2% of their last available tax year income with a limitation that that income must be published within the last five years.</li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px 0px 0.7em; position: relative;">Any citizen or person who has had indefinite leave to remain in the country for the last two years may vote.</li><li style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px 0px 0.7em; position: relative;">If you don't vote then a half vote should be awarded to the current incumbent or if that person isn't standing the person chosen by a nominated successor. If you don't like that - then vote.</li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px 0px 0.7em; position: relative;">Voting should be done electronically, securely and via Internet or at a public library with Internet access. A voter card should be mailed to electors prior to elections OR a valid photo ID may be used to enter the voting system.</li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px 0px 0.7em; position: relative;">Elected representatives must first have a duty to represent their electorate before any duty to a political party. Any elector has the right to gather support to make the views of the electorate known to their representative.</li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px 0px 0.7em; position: relative;">No lobby may offer any incentive to any candidate or representative. Doing so should be punishable by law as bribery and penalties should be severe. Lobbies may offer a contribution to a central fund for the benefit of the poor in a representatives area but that fund must not be controlled by the representative or his/her family.</li><li style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px 0px 0.7em; position: relative;">If a representative is found to have lied to or misled the population or governing body then at the next election they or their nominated successor should have 2% of their votes in the next election shared amongst other candidates. This measure should encourage honesty and fact checking in representatives. (Had this been in force in the current Parliament, Boris Johnson, the UK Prime Minister, would have lost his constituency majority after making 14 misleading statements in Parliament.)</li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px 0px 0.7em; position: relative;">No religion may be involved in government in any way either as candidates or as influences in elections. However religion may gather support to make their views known to representatives.</li><li style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px 0px 0.7em; position: relative;">Representatives should have a primary duty to represent the interests of their constituents rather than the wishes of a party.</li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px 0px 0.7em; position: relative;">In representative bodies the rule should be that no law with less than 75% support in that body should be passed. If a law cannot gather that level of support it is a bad law.</li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px 0px 0.7em; position: relative;">Representatives should not argue against any proposal unless they can offer an improved proposal.</li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px 0px 0.7em; position: relative;">Indirect taxation should be weighted to 'wants' rather than 'needs'. The poor shouldn't be forced to pay extra for the things they <i>have</i> to buy - housing, food, utilities, basic clothing.</li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px; position: relative;">Any laws which affect the available income of the electorate should be applied on a percentage basis of elector’s income but should not be applied to those deemed in poverty. This means a 5% tax would not apply to those in poverty. A $5 reduction of income to someone with $100 is disastrous and has a much greater effect to the poor than a $5,000 cut in income to someone with $100,000</li></ul><span style="color: #333333; font-family: q_serif, Georgia, Times, Times New Roman, Hiragino Kaku Gothic Pro, Meiryo, serif;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></span><ul style="color: #333333; font-family: q_serif, Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", "Hiragino Kaku Gothic Pro", Meiryo, serif; font-size: 16px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; margin-bottom: 0px !important; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 2em; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px 2em 0px 0px; padding: 0px;"><li style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px; position: relative;">Government may act immediately in defence of the nation BUT any decision to take aggressive action outside the nation's borders must require a referendum of the people.</li>
</ul><div><span style="color: #333333; font-family: q_serif, Georgia, Times, Times New Roman, Hiragino Kaku Gothic Pro, Meiryo, serif;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></span></div>
John Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06575901336277340191noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30212671.post-67314645760396981072021-11-05T15:00:00.002+00:002021-11-20T16:05:04.621+00:00I wear this mask...COVID-19 has caused a lot of controversy and upset. The latest being that in many areas people are being required to wear masks when out in public. Some people see that as an infringement on their rights. Here's what we know - updated November 2021<div><br /></div>
<div><b><a href="https://jaydax.blogspot.com/2020/07/i-wear-this-mask.html#protectothers">Do masks protect others?</a></b></div>
<div><b><a href="https://jaydax.blogspot.com/2020/07/i-wear-this-mask.html#protectyou">Do masks really protect YOU?</a></b></div>
<div><b><a href="https://jaydax.blogspot.com/2020/07/i-wear-this-mask.html#chickenwire">What about that mosquitoes and chicken wire argument?</a></b></div>
<div><b><a href="https://jaydax.blogspot.com/2020/07/i-wear-this-mask.html#socialdistance">Why is that social distancing 2 metre (6 feet) gap important?</a></b></div>
<div><b><a href="https://jaydax.blogspot.com/2020/07/i-wear-this-mask.html#bestmask">What are the best types of masks?</a></b></div>
<div><b><a href="https://jaydax.blogspot.com/2020/07/i-wear-this-mask.html#wearmask">What is the correct way to wear a mask?</a></b></div>
<div><b><a href="https://jaydax.blogspot.com/2020/07/i-wear-this-mask.html#reusemask">Can you re-use masks?</a></b></div>
<div><b><a href="https://jaydax.blogspot.com/2020/07/i-wear-this-mask.html#maskharm">Can wearing a mask harm me?</a></b></div>
<div><b><a href="https://jaydax.blogspot.com/2020/07/i-wear-this-mask.html#othersteps">What other steps can I take to protect myself?</a></b></div>
<div><b><a href="https://jaydax.blogspot.com/2020/07/i-wear-this-mask.html#covid19symptoms">What symptoms can I get if I am infected with COVID-19?</a></b></div>
<div><b><a href="https://jaydax.blogspot.com/2020/07/i-wear-this-mask.html#goodbadterrible">Good, bad and terrible news.</a><br /></b><div>
<br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><a href="#" id="protectother" name="protectother">Protecting Others</a></h3><div>Take a look at this picture:<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tcKnx7GDfrk/XwCB6idb_OI/AAAAAAAAIuo/idNeNoiLSlYWseVfhQ0CZaOZEai1jDlRwCK4BGAsYHg/s1064/IWearThisMask.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="557" data-original-width="1064" height="329" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tcKnx7GDfrk/XwCB6idb_OI/AAAAAAAAIuo/idNeNoiLSlYWseVfhQ0CZaOZEai1jDlRwCK4BGAsYHg/w625-h329/IWearThisMask.jpg" width="95%" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Now I have to admit it's not a real picture. It's cobbled together from different images to illustrate a point. Look closely and you'll see tiny droplets of spittle from the shouting man. We probably all know that these droplets are produced when we sneeze or cough. We probably all know that 'coughs and sneezes spread diseases' too. BUT it's not just those who cough and sneeze that produce these infective droplets. We all produce them when we shout, sing, talk, breath heavily (think joggers) or even breath normally. This means if you are asymptomatic - are infected but show no signs of it - you can spread the disease without knowing it and this disease can kill people! Are you OK with killing others?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Stay away from crowds, especially those where people are shouting and singing. Joining a protest against mask wearing is the height of stupidity.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This is where wearing a mask helps. It traps any of these infected droplets and stops others from catching it from you. If you are near others then wearing a mask, even a cloth over your mouth, can prevent the infection spreading.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZiKsS253ol8/XwCcToBUnUI/AAAAAAAAIvE/cKySdNDAqfQcNV-WBo50TXyY04forWKwACK4BGAsYHg/s800/rts3ggys_web.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="800" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZiKsS253ol8/XwCcToBUnUI/AAAAAAAAIvE/cKySdNDAqfQcNV-WBo50TXyY04forWKwACK4BGAsYHg/w640-h426/rts3ggys_web.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: right;"><font size="1">Image from Reuters</font><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Wearing a mask over your nose and mouth WILL help stop you infecting others with Covid-19, colds and flu but you probably don't need to wear one if you can keep 2 metres away from them outside.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="WI9k4c" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; display: table; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; word-break: break-word;"><div aria-hidden="true" class="K6GhFd" data-is-bilingual="false" jsaction="BtuVOb:V46pce" jscontroller="AImii" style="max-height: 0px; opacity: 0; pointer-events: none; transition: all 0.3s ease 0s, all 0.3s ease 0s;"><div class="b8aKlc" style="padding: 8px 0px 6px;"><a href="https://www.google.com/search?sxsrf=ALeKk03RHwbd-EgqtYCVBQh4A-hugIkymg:1593871791034&q=how+to+pronounce+asymptomatic&stick=H4sIAAAAAAAAAOMIfcRoxy3w8sc9YSnTSWtOXmPU5-INKMrPK81LzkwsyczPE5LgYglJLcoVEpDi4-JJLK7MLSjJzwVKJVuxKDGl5vEsYpXNyC9XKMlXKADqywdqTFVAVgYANIjDcGMAAAA&pron_lang=en&pron_country=gb&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiv8K-P47PqAhXTh1wKHdvxDh8Q3eEDMAB6BAgJEAg" style="color: #660099; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;" tabindex=""><div class="S5TwIf" style="border-radius: 6px; box-shadow: rgb(218, 220, 224) 0px 0px 0px 1px inset; display: inline-block; overflow: hidden; padding-right: 12px; vertical-align: top;"><g-img class="FamOtd" style="display: inline-block; vertical-align: middle;"><img alt="" class="rISBZc M4dUYb" data-atf="1" height="32" id="dimg_13" src="data:image/svg+xml;base64,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" style="border: 0px; display: block; position: relative;" width="32" /></g-img><span class="fe69if" style="color: #3c4043; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0px; margin-left: 10px; vertical-align: middle;">Learn to pronounce</span></div></a></div></div></div><div class="ABgcGb vmod" jsname="p0q1Sd" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;"></div><div class="vmod" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><div class="vmod" data-topic="" jsname="r5Nvmf"><div class="lW8rQd" style="display: flex;"><div class="vpx4Fd" style="font-size: 14px;"></div></div></div></div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><a href="#" id="protectyou" name="protectyou">Do masks protect YOU?</a></h4><div>A simple cloth mask is unlikely to offer much protection to the user.</div><div>A mask with an exhalation vent may give the user some slight protection but won't help others.</div><div>A medical N95 mask, the right size and properly fitted may offer some slight protection (up to 5%) to the user and others.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>ANY mask is better than no mask.</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><a href="#" id="chickenwire" name="chickenwire">What about that mosquitoes and chicken wire argument?</a></b></div><div>Some people might tell you that the virus is tiny compared to the gaps between the mask fibres. The virus can easily pass through these gaps. It's a bit like trying to keep mosquitoes out using chicken wire. That's true. However a better analogy is that chicken wire will keep mosquitoes riding on the backs of chickens IN! The virus is carried in water droplets and these are much bigger than the mask fibre gaps causing them to be trapped. There's also an electrostatic charge between mask fibre and droplet, causing the droplets to be drawn to the fibres. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><a href="#" id="socialdistance" name="socialdistance">Why is that social distancing 2 metre (6 feet) gap important?</a></b></div><div>On a cold calm day you'll become aware of the droplets we breath out. You see a mist from your breath. It rapidly evaporates though and you won't see it spread beyond that two metre distance. Once the droplets evaporate any virus carried in them is no longer able to infect you. It needs that moisture to remain infective.</div><div><br /></div><div> <a href="#" id="bestmask" name="bestmask"><b>What are the best types of mask?</b></a></div></div></div><div>Buy at least five N95 (or KN95) masks. If you can, avoid those made in Asia since they are probably made to fit Asian faces which tend to be flatter. Your mask should have a metal strip at the top which you can shape to your nose. The best ones have three layers and the outer layer will be water resistant. Some have a soft plastic strip inside at the top which acts to help seal the gap around your nose. The straps should not be too tight or they will distort the metal strip over your nose and allow exhaled air to leak. They will also irritate your ears. If your mask steams up your glasses then it's not properly fitted.</div><div>Dust masks will help protect others but not those masks which have an exhalation vent.</div><div>You <i>can </i>make your own masks which will certainly help prevent spreading the virus and might help you, if made properly. Spray the outer layer with a water repellent solution but not the inner layers.</div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><a href="#" id="wearmask" name="wearmask">How do you wear a mask properly?</a></h4><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Wash your hands before putting it on or use hand sanitizer.</li><li>Metal strip at the top. </li><li>Place the mask over your nose and mouth then loop the straps over your ears.</li><li>Using both hands at the same time mould the metal strip over the bridge of your nose. The straps should not stretch this strip out of shape. If they do, consider extending them somehow.</li><li>Add glasses or safety glasses over the top of the mask. If the glasses fog up then consider using an <a href="https://amzn.to/3eYrAco" target="_blank">anti-fog spray</a> from an optometrist or washing the glasses in soapy water then allowing them to air dry. Rubbing shaving cream into the surface of the glasses until you can no longer see it can help but I'm not sure how this will affect any coating on the glasses.</li><li>Use the mask when you are out and in contact with other people. Remove it when you are alone, in your car or at home.</li><li>If you are outside and able to stay at least two metres from other people then there is no point in wearing a mask.</li><li>If you find breathing difficult when mask wearing - slow down. The first signs of difficulty are finding yourself breathing through your mouth.</li></ul><h4 style="text-align: left;"><a href="#" id="reusemask" name="reusemask">Can I re-use a mask?</a></h4><div>The virus is inactivated if it is allowed to dry out. Detergents will destroy the virus. YES you can re-use a mask.</div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>If your mask is home made then wash it after each use and by all means re-use it. You probably can't wash bought surgical masks.</li><li>When you have used a bought mask, let it dry for at least three days before re-using it. You can re-use masks described as 'single use' provided you are not someone like a doctor or nurse in constant contact with patients. Drying masks in sunlight works but glass windows filter out the sun's UV rays which kill the virus.</li><li>Drying a mask using silica gel drying packets with mask and drying agent in a sealed plastic bag works well.</li></ul><div><b><a href="#" id="maskharm" name="maskharm">Can wearing a mask harm me?</a></b></div><div>Yes! But you have to act wrongly:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Don't use the same mask again and again without washing it or drying it. Doing so will encourage the growth of mould and you <b>don't </b>want to breath that in. </li><li>Loose in a pocket is not the best place to keep a mask for use. You should store masks in a sealed plastic bag with a small silica gel drying pack.</li><li>Don't wear a mask for too long. If it gets damp, replace it. Certainly replace it after two hours.</li><li>Don't rush around while wearing a mask.</li></ul><div>You don't need to worry about these two myths:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Wearing a mask and oxygen starvation.</li><li>Wearing a mask and carbon dioxide poisoning</li></ul><div>Remember that chicken wire argument? The size of oxygen and carbon dioxide molecules are REALLY tiny compared with the mask fibre gaps. They are microscopic compared with the virus particle size and they are not carried in water droplets. Both can easily pass through a mask. If you don't feel you can get enough air - slow down.</div></div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><a href="#" id="othersteps" name="othersteps">What other steps can I take to protect myself?</a></h4></div><div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li> Wash you hands often. If you can't do that use an alcohol based hand sanitizer 65% to 70% alcohol works best. 100% alcohol (meths) and alcoholic spirits such as vodka don't work.</li><li>Wear glasses or some eye protection. Your eyes are protected by very thin membranes which are vulnerable to viral infection. Ever notice a cold can make your eyes sore?</li><li>DON'T touch your face while out. Easy to say but not easy to do. We normally constantly touch our faces to make ourselves feel secure psychologists say. Most times we are not aware of this. Wearing gloves and glasses can help break the habit, so can wearing make-up. If you simply MUST scratch that itch use a knuckle rather than a fingertip.</li><li>Wear gloves. They act as a barrier between you and things other people have touched. That includes door handles, shopping cart handles, buttons, magazines, books, <i>money</i>. After wearing gloves remove them without touching the palm side of the glove and either wash them or leave them in a sunny place to dry out. I personally wear Dex-fit gloves which are plastic coated on the palm side only. They can be sanitized and will work with touch screens usually. They are available in multiple sizes from Amazon in the <a href="https://amzn.to/31pdm28" target="_blank">UK</a> and <a href="https://amzn.to/31pdm28">US</a></li><li>If you have long hair fasten it up and consider wearing a hat. </li><li>When you return from shopping wipe over metal and plastic coated products with a disinfecting wipe. Paper and card objects will probably be OK by the time you get them home. Then wash your hands.</li><li>After shopping, if you are really paranoid, take a shower and wash your hair and clothes.</li></ol><h4 style="text-align: left;"><b><a href="#" id="covid19symptoms" name="covid19symptoms">What symptoms can I get if I am infected with COVID-19</a>?</b></h4></div><div>According to New Scientist it's not just a matter of a cough, fever and difficulty breathing. </div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><font face="inherit">You may have no symptoms at all yet still be able to infect others.</font></li><li><font face="inherit">You probably (but not always) will get a persistent dry cough.</font></li><li><font face="inherit">You probably will develop a fever.</font></li><li><font face="inherit">You may be sneezing.</font></li><li><font face="inherit">You may lose your sense of taste and smell.</font></li><li><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; background-color: white; color: #050505; transition-property: none; white-space: pre-wrap;"><font face="inherit">You may suffer from exhaustion, numbness or diarrhoea</font></div></li><li><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; background-color: white; color: #050505; transition-property: none; white-space: pre-wrap;"><font face="inherit">Some people have excessive weight loss (but it's not a good way to diet)</font></div></li><li><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; background-color: white; color: #050505; transition-property: none; white-space: pre-wrap;"><font face="inherit">Some people complain of brain fog.</font></div></li><li><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; background-color: white; color: #050505; transition-property: none; white-space: pre-wrap;"><font face="inherit">Muscle pain seems fairly common</font></div></li><li><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; background-color: white; color: #050505; transition-property: none; white-space: pre-wrap;"><font face="inherit">In many cases people develop rashes</font></div></li><li><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; background-color: white; color: #050505; transition-property: none; white-space: pre-wrap;"><font face="inherit">In a few people there are hallucinations. It appears that this virus can cross into your brain.</font></div></li><li><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; background-color: white; color: #050505; transition-property: none; white-space: pre-wrap;"><font face="inherit">It can cause lung failure but also heart attacks, strokes, kidney damage and other conditions involving blood clots.</font></div></li><li><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; background-color: white; color: #050505; transition-property: none; white-space: pre-wrap;"><font face="inherit">Whilst most people can shrug off many symptoms in about two weeks there are uncomfortable symptoms which can last many months. We term this 'long covid.'</font></div></li></ul><h4 style="text-align: left;"><font color="#050505" face="inherit"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="#" id="goodbadterrible" name="goodbadterrible">And finally the good and bad and terrible news</a></span></font></h4><div><font color="#050505" face="inherit"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">The good news is that unlike the other corona viruses, colds and flu, the vaccination against covid-19 seems effective at preventing death from it. You may still catch it and may still spread it by not wearing a mask. You can be re-infected. It's early days to tell that for certain though. </span></font></div></div><div><font color="#050505" face="inherit"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></font></div><div><font color="#050505" face="inherit"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">More good news is that the research done on preventing SARS, MERS and Covid-19 may eventually lead to a vaccination against all the corona viruses - that includes the common cold!</span></font></div><div><font color="#050505" face="inherit"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></font></div><div><font color="#050505" face="inherit"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">The bad news is that although it first appeared that the elderly and those with pre-existing medical conditions were worst affected there are now many cases of young, healthy people who have either died or been left with failing hearts, lungs, kidneys or other organs. Unlike flu this virus seems quite happy to spread during the summer months.</span></font></div><div><span style="color: #050505; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #050505; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">The terrible news is something that science has known for a while. <b>All </b>viruses cause harm. The cells of your body they kill will usually be replaced. Some cells survive with damaged DNA and as you accumulate more of them these cause you to age. This means that even 'mild' diseases such as the common cold are killers! They simply take many years to kill you through an uncomfortable way called aging. Have you noticed how the symptoms of 'long covid' are very similar to the symptoms those 'getting old' experience?</span></div><div><span style="color: #050505; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #050505; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>If everyone wears a mask, that will help prevent the spread of Covid-19, colds and flu.</b></span></div><div><span style="color: #050505; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #050505; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><table border="1" bordercolor="#888" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; border-color: rgb(136, 136, 136); border-width: 1px;"><tbody><tr><td style="min-width: 60px;"> Where did all this come from?<br />Back in 2007 my wife and I were doing research for a novel 'Immortality Gene'. We explored science journals for how different viruses spread and what their long term effects were. We explored how a virus could be used for gene therapy. In the process we learnt what could be done to protect ourselves from colds and flu. I started shopping at quiet times during the night. I wore gloves and glasses. I used hand sanitizer. We didn't catch colds or flu. With COVID-19 we put our experience to use again. This time we could wear masks since it became socially acceptable to do so.<br />We hope you find this information of use and if you want to repay us, download a FREE copy of our book <a href="https://books2read.com/immgen">Immortality Gene</a>. It's the first book of a series. It's long and it has been a #1 top technothriller at Amazon.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span></div>John Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06575901336277340191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30212671.post-11446358089221197922021-09-18T11:50:00.015+01:002021-09-18T15:23:36.839+01:00What a mess we are in. Got any ideas to fix it?<h2 style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: white; color: var(--primary-text); font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; white-space: pre-wrap;">What a mess!</span></h2><div style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: white; color: #1c1e21; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; transition-property: none !important;"><div class="" dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><div class="ecm0bbzt hv4rvrfc ihqw7lf3 dati1w0a" data-ad-comet-preview="message" data-ad-preview="message" id="jsc_c_zm" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; padding: 4px 16px 16px; transition-property: none !important;"><div class="j83agx80 cbu4d94t ew0dbk1b irj2b8pg" style="animation-name: none !important; display: flex; flex-direction: column; font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: -5px; margin-top: -5px; transition-property: none !important;"><div class="qzhwtbm6 knvmm38d" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-top: 5px; transition-property: none !important;"><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql lr9zc1uh a8c37x1j keod5gw0 nxhoafnm aigsh9s9 d3f4x2em fe6kdd0r mau55g9w c8b282yb iv3no6db jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v b1v8xokw oo9gr5id hzawbc8m" dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; color: var(--primary-text); display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none !important; word-break: break-word;"><div class="kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none !important; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;">In the last few weeks we in the UK have found:</div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="color: var(--primary-text); font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem;">The UK's poorest will lose £20 per week Universal Credit .</span></li><li>The government has welshed on the promise made to pensioners to keep the Triple Lock.</li><li>We have a severe shortage of transport workers</li><li>Health workers feel angry that their hard work has been rewarded by claps only.</li><li>Brexit hasn't saved us £350 million a week - it's costing us £800 million a week. Latest estimates are it is costing every household £870 a year See <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-vote-cost-trade-eu-b1843018.html" target="_blank">The real ‘Brexit dividend’</a></li><li>Despite months of warning the withdrawal from Afghanistan was chaotic. </li></ul></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none !important; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;">The poorest in the UK seemed destined to pay for the government's failures. The amount of money they lose seems trivial to those in government who have £82,000 salaries (£1,500 a week) but if your income after benefits is £304 a week it's not so trivial. See <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/may/26/poverty-rate-among-working-households-in-uk-is-highest-ever" target="_blank">Poverty rate among working households in UK is highest ever</a></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none !important; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;">So what should we do to fix things? Anyone have any sensible ideas? The government seems to need all the suggestions it can get (but will they take any notice?)</div></div></span></div></div></div></div><div class="l9j0dhe7" id="jsc_c_zn" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; position: relative; transition-property: none !important;"><div class="l9j0dhe7" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; position: relative; transition-property: none !important;"><div style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><a class="oajrlxb2 gs1a9yip g5ia77u1 mtkw9kbi tlpljxtp qensuy8j ppp5ayq2 goun2846 ccm00jje s44p3ltw mk2mc5f4 rt8b4zig n8ej3o3l agehan2d sk4xxmp2 rq0escxv nhd2j8a9 a8c37x1j mg4g778l btwxx1t3 pfnyh3mw p7hjln8o kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x tgvbjcpo hpfvmrgz jb3vyjys rz4wbd8a qt6c0cv9 a8nywdso l9j0dhe7 i1ao9s8h esuyzwwr f1sip0of du4w35lb lzcic4wl abiwlrkh p8dawk7l tm8avpzi" href="https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=4336231199757987&set=a.111680755546407&__cft__[0]=AZUWyU5yXXkLffQMrGrej6ae3EkAbH64cZu4O_Zamc0Jp_mA3dH_e1my1OO_WalaooEhEsYUzptMh0cpKoa8kLW5_sneujEC4PhQAzvr3HJ-nSe7Zx-YPVGhu8BQxY42W1c&__tn__=EH-R" role="link" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; 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transition-property: none !important; width: 500px;"><div style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; max-width: 100%; min-width: 500px; transition-property: none !important; width: calc((100vh + -325px) * 1.33244);"><div class="do00u71z ni8dbmo4 stjgntxs l9j0dhe7" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; height: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 375.246px; position: relative; transition-property: none !important;"><div class="pmk7jnqg kr520xx4" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; height: 375.246px; left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; transition-property: none !important; width: 500px;"><img alt="May be an image of bus and text that says "#TakeCc -£800m a week Let's take back control"" class="i09qtzwb n7fi1qx3 datstx6m pmk7jnqg j9ispegn kr520xx4 k4urcfbm bixrwtb6" height="743" referrerpolicy="origin-when-cross-origin" src="https://scontent-man2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.6435-9/242227808_4336231213091319_6597567562380709516_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-5&_nc_sid=730e14&_nc_ohc=9Rblx5Tpz9UAX872Tlh&_nc_ht=scontent-man2-1.xx&oh=91368341fe3c361647ed31e13507a33b&oe=616B1241" style="animation-name: none !important; 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align-items: stretch; animation-name: none !important; appearance: none; background-color: transparent; border-bottom-color: var(--always-dark-overlay); border-left-color: var(--always-dark-overlay); border-right-color: var(--always-dark-overlay); border-style: solid; border-top-color: var(--always-dark-overlay); border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: inherit; cursor: pointer; display: inline-flex; flex-basis: auto; flex-direction: row; flex-shrink: 0; font-family: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; min-height: 0px; min-width: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-align: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; transition-property: none !important; user-select: none; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql lr9zc1uh a8c37x1j keod5gw0 nxhoafnm aigsh9s9 d3f4x2em fe6kdd0r mau55g9w c8b282yb iv3no6db jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v b1v8xokw m9osqain" dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; color: var(--secondary-text); display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none !important; word-break: break-word;"><br /></span></div></div></div></div></div><div class="tvfksri0 ozuftl9m" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; margin-left: 12px; margin-right: 12px; transition-property: none !important;"><div class="rq0escxv l9j0dhe7 du4w35lb j83agx80 pfnyh3mw i1fnvgqd gs1a9yip owycx6da btwxx1t3 ph5uu5jm b3onmgus e5nlhep0 ecm0bbzt nkwizq5d roh60bw9 mysgfdmx hddg9phg" style="align-items: stretch; animation-name: none !important; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; flex-flow: row nowrap; flex-shrink: 0; font-family: inherit; justify-content: space-between; margin: -6px -2px; padding: 4px; position: relative; transition-property: none !important; z-index: 0;"><div class="rq0escxv l9j0dhe7 du4w35lb j83agx80 cbu4d94t g5gj957u d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz rj1gh0hx buofh1pr n8tt0mok hyh9befq iuny7tx3 ipjc6fyt" style="animation-name: none !important; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex: 1 1 0px; font-family: inherit; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; padding: 6px 2px; position: relative; transition-property: none !important; z-index: 0;"><div aria-label="Send this to friends or post it on your Timeline." class="oajrlxb2 gs1a9yip g5ia77u1 mtkw9kbi tlpljxtp qensuy8j ppp5ayq2 goun2846 ccm00jje s44p3ltw mk2mc5f4 rt8b4zig n8ej3o3l agehan2d sk4xxmp2 rq0escxv nhd2j8a9 pq6dq46d mg4g778l btwxx1t3 pfnyh3mw p7hjln8o kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x tgvbjcpo hpfvmrgz jb3vyjys rz4wbd8a qt6c0cv9 a8nywdso l9j0dhe7 i1ao9s8h esuyzwwr f1sip0of du4w35lb lzcic4wl abiwlrkh p8dawk7l" role="button" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; align-items: stretch; animation-name: none !important; background-color: transparent; border-bottom-color: var(--always-dark-overlay); border-left-color: var(--always-dark-overlay); border-right-color: var(--always-dark-overlay); border-style: solid; border-top-color: var(--always-dark-overlay); 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transition-property: none !important;"><h3 class="gmql0nx0 l94mrbxd p1ri9a11 lzcic4wl q45zohi1 ema1e40h ay7djpcl pfx3uekm pmk7jnqg rfua0xdk" dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: var(--card-background); clip-path: inset(50%); clip: rect(0px, 0px, 0px, 0px); color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-weight: inherit; height: 1px; margin: 0px; outline: none; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: absolute; transition-property: none !important; width: 1px;">1 comment</h3><div class="l6v480f0 kvgmc6g5 wkznzc2l oygrvhab dhix69tm ecm0bbzt" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: var(--card-background); border-top: 1px solid var(--divider); color: #1c1e21; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px 16px; padding-top: 4px; transition-property: none !important;"></div><div class="j83agx80 bkfpd7mw jb3vyjys hv4rvrfc qt6c0cv9 dati1w0a l9j0dhe7" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: var(--card-background); color: #1c1e21; display: flex; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; justify-content: flex-end; padding: 0px 16px; position: relative; transition-property: none !important;"><div style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"></div></div><div style="animation-name: none !important; display: inline !important; transition-property: none !important;"><div class="q9uorilb bvz0fpym c1et5uql sf5mxxl7" style="animation-name: none !important; display: inline-block; max-width: calc(100% - 26px); overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none !important; vertical-align: middle;"><div class="_680y" style="animation-name: none !important; display: inline-flex; position: relative; transition-property: none !important; vertical-align: middle; width: 404.036px;"><div class="_6cuy" style="animation-name: none !important; display: inline !important; flex: 1 1 auto; min-width: 0px; transition-property: none !important; width: 404.036px;"><div class="b3i9ofy5 e72ty7fz qlfml3jp inkptoze qmr60zad rq0escxv oo9gr5id q9uorilb kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x d2edcug0 jm1wdb64 l9j0dhe7 l3itjdph qv66sw1b" style="animation-name: none !important; border-radius: 18px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; overflow-wrap: break-word; position: relative; transition-property: none !important; word-break: break-word;"><div class="tw6a2znq sj5x9vvc d1544ag0 cxgpxx05" style="animation-name: none !important; display: inline !important; padding: 8px 12px; transition-property: none !important;"><div class="ecm0bbzt e5nlhep0 a8c37x1j" style="animation-name: none !important; display: inline !important; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 4px; transition-property: none !important;"><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql lr9zc1uh a8c37x1j keod5gw0 nxhoafnm aigsh9s9 d3f4x2em fe6kdd0r mau55g9w c8b282yb iv3no6db jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v b1v8xokw oo9gr5id" dir="auto" lang="en" style="animation-name: none !important; display: inline !important; line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none !important; word-break: break-word;"><div class="kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql" style="animation-name: none !important; display: inline !important; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none !important;"><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: var(--comment-background); color: var(--primary-text); display: inline !important; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; transition-property: none !important;">My ideas:</div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important;"><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li style="background-color: var(--comment-background); color: var(--primary-text); font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem;">Introduce a 70% tax on the profits of all industries making armaments. It would generate huge revenue and morally no one should profit from weapons of death. Use the proceeds to reduce poverty.</li><li style="background-color: var(--comment-background); color: var(--primary-text); font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem;">Admit it - Brexit was a mistake. Rejoin.</li><li><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 0.9375rem;">Where politicians have been found to mislead, deliberately lie, or break promises made in elections, and this can be proved then reduce their tally of votes in the next election by 2% for each occurrence. This should operate on both an individual and party level. Hopefully this will encourage politicians to fact check, be more honest and stop them making </span></span><span style="font-family: Segoe UI Historic, Segoe UI, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 18.75px;">ridiculous</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 0.9375rem;"> claims.</span></span></span></li></ol><p></p><div style="background-color: var(--comment-background);"><span style="color: #050505;"><span style="font-size: 18.75px;">Got any more suggestions?</span></span></div></div></div></span></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="q9uorilb sf5mxxl7 pgctjfs5" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: var(--card-background); color: #1c1e21; display: inline-block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; transition-property: none !important; vertical-align: middle; width: 22px;"><div class="no6464jc pedkr2u6" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; margin-left: 11px; opacity: 1; transition-property: none !important;"><span class="tojvnm2t a6sixzi8 abs2jz4q a8s20v7p t1p8iaqh k5wvi7nf q3lfd5jv pk4s997a bipmatt0 cebpdrjk qowsmv63 owwhemhu dp1hu0rb dhp61c6y iyyx5f41" style="align-items: inherit; align-self: inherit; animation-name: none !important; display: inherit; flex-direction: inherit; flex: inherit; font-family: inherit; height: inherit; max-height: inherit; max-width: inherit; min-height: inherit; min-width: inherit; place-content: inherit; transition-property: none !important; width: inherit;"><div aria-expanded="false" aria-haspopup="menu" aria-label="Edit or delete this" class="oajrlxb2 gs1a9yip g5ia77u1 mtkw9kbi tlpljxtp qensuy8j ppp5ayq2 goun2846 ccm00jje s44p3ltw mk2mc5f4 rt8b4zig n8ej3o3l agehan2d sk4xxmp2 rq0escxv nhd2j8a9 pq6dq46d mg4g778l btwxx1t3 pfnyh3mw p7hjln8o kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x tgvbjcpo hpfvmrgz jb3vyjys rz4wbd8a qt6c0cv9 a8nywdso l9j0dhe7 i1ao9s8h esuyzwwr f1sip0of du4w35lb lzcic4wl abiwlrkh p8dawk7l dwo3fsh8 pzggbiyp pkj7ub1o bqnlxs5p kkg9azqs c24pa1uk ln9iyx3p fe6kdd0r ar1oviwq l10q8mi9 sq40qgkc s8quxz6p pdjglbur" role="button" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; align-items: stretch; animation-name: none !important; appearance: none; background-color: transparent; border-bottom-color: var(--always-dark-overlay); border-left-color: var(--always-dark-overlay); border-right-color: var(--always-dark-overlay); border-style: solid; border-top-color: var(--always-dark-overlay); border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline-flex; flex-basis: auto; flex-direction: row; flex-shrink: 0; font-family: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; min-height: 0px; min-width: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-align: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; transition-property: none !important; user-select: none; vertical-align: bottom; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><div class="s45kfl79 emlxlaya bkmhp75w spb7xbtv i09qtzwb n7fi1qx3 b5wmifdl hzruof5a pmk7jnqg j9ispegn kr520xx4 c5ndavph art1omkt ot9fgl3s" data-visualcompletion="ignore" style="animation-name: none !important; border-radius: 50%; font-family: inherit; inset: -8px; opacity: 0; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; transition-duration: var(--fds-duration-extra-extra-short-out); transition-property: none !important; transition-timing-function: var(--fds-animation-fade-out);"></div></div></span></div></div></div><br /><ul style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: var(--card-background); color: #1c1e21; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; transition-property: none !important;"><li style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important;"><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><br /></div></li></ul></div></div></div></div>John Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06575901336277340191noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30212671.post-41660338136884035612021-06-27T12:19:00.002+01:002021-06-27T12:19:54.246+01:00How to tell the truth - but not all of it.<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mycFG-mxQ1M/YNhLomgsuTI/AAAAAAAAJmU/FqXsXNOtbQkMBSDHOoi4TDDNSEM_fbRZQCLcBGAsYHQ/s520/DoNotReadThis-X.gif" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="375" data-original-width="520" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mycFG-mxQ1M/YNhLomgsuTI/AAAAAAAAJmU/FqXsXNOtbQkMBSDHOoi4TDDNSEM_fbRZQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/DoNotReadThis-X.gif" width="320" /></a></div>Throughout the world governments tell us stories but seldom do they tell us the full story and the information they give us might not have the same meaning.<p></p><p>The cartoon here may be an extreme example but whenever governments make a statement it's important to check that they are telling you the full story. Here's an example from the UK government sent to me in an email begging for funding.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5g34kwZlHEw/YNhQQmVb1kI/AAAAAAAAJmc/1cDfJ7WXDTgwJZ1jmvdSMiSn1PiPDsLmwCLcBGAsYHQ/s833/NotTheFullStory.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="330" data-original-width="833" height="254" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5g34kwZlHEw/YNhQQmVb1kI/AAAAAAAAJmc/1cDfJ7WXDTgwJZ1jmvdSMiSn1PiPDsLmwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h254/NotTheFullStory.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><div style="animation-name: none; background-color: #f0f2f5; color: #1c1e21; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; transition-property: none;"><div class="du4w35lb k4urcfbm l9j0dhe7 sjgh65i0" style="animation-name: none; font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 16px; position: relative; transition-property: none; width: 500px; z-index: 0;"><div class="du4w35lb l9j0dhe7" style="animation-name: none; font-family: inherit; position: relative; transition-property: none; z-index: 0;"><div style="animation-name: none; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none;"><div style="animation-name: none; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none;"><div aria-describedby="jsc_c_1fp jsc_c_1fq jsc_c_1fr jsc_c_1ft jsc_c_1fs" aria-labelledby="jsc_c_1fo" aria-posinset="3" class="lzcic4wl buffer-inserted" role="article" style="animation-name: none; font-family: inherit; outline: none; transition-property: none;"><div class="j83agx80 cbu4d94t" style="animation-name: none; display: flex; flex-direction: column; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none;"><div class="rq0escxv l9j0dhe7 du4w35lb" style="animation-name: none; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; position: relative; transition-property: none; z-index: 0;"><div class="j83agx80 l9j0dhe7 k4urcfbm" style="animation-name: none; display: flex; font-family: inherit; position: relative; transition-property: none; width: 500px;"><div class="rq0escxv l9j0dhe7 du4w35lb hybvsw6c io0zqebd m5lcvass fbipl8qg nwvqtn77 k4urcfbm ni8dbmo4 stjgntxs sbcfpzgs" style="--t68779821: 0 1px 2px var(--shadow-2); 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border-top-color: var(--always-dark-overlay); border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline-flex; flex-basis: auto; flex-direction: row; flex-shrink: 0; font-family: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; min-height: 0px; min-width: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-align: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; transition-property: none; user-select: none; vertical-align: bottom; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><i class="hu5pjgll m6k467ps" data-visualcompletion="css-img" style="animation-name: none; background-image: url("https://static.xx.fbcdn.net/rsrc.php/v3/yb/r/C42As7LxKCh.png"); background-position: 0px -516px; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: 34px 956px; display: inline-block; filter: var(--filter-secondary-icon); height: 20px; transition-property: none; vertical-align: -0.25em; width: 20px;"><br /></i></div></div></div></div><div style="animation-name: none; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none;"><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none;"><div class="ecm0bbzt hv4rvrfc ihqw7lf3 dati1w0a" data-ad-comet-preview="message" data-ad-preview="message" id="jsc_c_1fq" style="animation-name: none; font-family: inherit; padding: 4px 16px 16px; transition-property: none;"><div class="j83agx80 cbu4d94t ew0dbk1b irj2b8pg" style="animation-name: none; display: flex; flex-direction: column; font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: -5px; margin-top: -5px; transition-property: none;"><div class="qzhwtbm6 knvmm38d" style="animation-name: none; font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-top: 5px; transition-property: none;"><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql lr9zc1uh a8c37x1j keod5gw0 nxhoafnm aigsh9s9 d3f4x2em fe6kdd0r mau55g9w c8b282yb iv3no6db jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v knj5qynh oo9gr5id hzawbc8m" color="var(--primary-text)" dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none; word-break: break-word;"><div class="kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="animation-name: none; font-family: inherit; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none;">This missive from our government is a classic example. 'Missive' in this case being what the government missed out.</div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none;">•They said they'd achieved, "<i>Getting Brexit done and taking back control of our nation’s destiny</i>" They left out the part about BREXIT now costing the UK £800 million per week, rather more than the £350 million they claimed the EU cost us claimed on that famous Brexit bus.</div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none;">•They said they'd achieved, "<i>Delivering the biggest cash boost in history for the NHS.</i>" They left out the information that the NHS is now eight years into the longest financial squeeze in its history. That cash boost will still leave the NHS behind.</div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none;">•They said they would be, "<i>Increasing school funding to give every child a world class education.</i>" Will this replace the cuts since 2015, let alone provide a world-class education for every child?</div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none;">•They said they will be, "<i>Launching a new plan for immigration to control our borders</i>." Before Brexit we could move freely throughout the EU. Now we can't. Before Brexit we had full control of immigration from outside the EU - that hasn't changed. Immigration is important to the UK. Without immigration the UK population would drop and there would be skills shortages. The government seems intent on making things worse. Compassion and common sense at our borders? Not a chance.</div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none;">•They said they would be, "<i>Giving our police the powers and resources needed to keep your streets safe</i>." Our streets are ALREADY safe. There is less violent crime now than there was 20 years ago*. The regulations they suggest will curtail civil liberties.</div></div></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>* According to a recent New Scientist article the decrease in violent crime is probably due to the removal of lead from petrol (gas). It's a worldwide change and is set to decrease further as those affected age and the lead works its way from our environment.</div>John Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06575901336277340191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30212671.post-47247659814979552742021-06-22T23:42:00.004+01:002022-09-14T15:10:28.693+01:00Plastic pollution - a possible solution.<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i3W5Ed_pXGI/YNJlozUlsYI/AAAAAAAAJlo/mCLbG7Jm_gYedw5t-eMQHPDvXvcsMoQMQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1400/PlasticShore.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="933" data-original-width="1400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i3W5Ed_pXGI/YNJlozUlsYI/AAAAAAAAJlo/mCLbG7Jm_gYedw5t-eMQHPDvXvcsMoQMQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/PlasticShore.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Isn't it time that some bright spark produced a solution to the plastic pollution problem we face? Almost all of the plastic we produce eventually ends up as landfill or makes it's way to the sea to eventually produce microplastics.<p></p><p>Relatively little plastic is recycled. A whopping 91% of what is collected isn't. Some is burnt. Some can't be burnt without producing toxic gasses. Most goes into landfills.</p><p>Plastic is everywhere. It wraps our food, it forms the seal inside glass jar lids, some cans have a plastic lining. Our clothes lose plastic fibres when we wash them and when we dry them.</p><p><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WTk27TOrvBo/YNJlts21QKI/AAAAAAAAJls/b0R1I0aDPd4DR7jhltKxDW-71FIvBaHjwCLcBGAsYHQ/s480/plastic%2Bwaste.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WTk27TOrvBo/YNJlts21QKI/AAAAAAAAJls/b0R1I0aDPd4DR7jhltKxDW-71FIvBaHjwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h320/plastic%2Bwaste.jpg" width="640" /></a></p><p>The water we drink has microplastics in it. The fish and other food we eat has microplastics embedded too. We don't know how this will affect us.</p><p>So what's the answer? What can WE do? I suggest there's a need for a plastic concentration device. Something which will get hot enough to melt plastic without creating fumes. Possibly something like an electric kettle?</p><p>Once molten, the plastic can be poured into a mould to solidify or possibly allowed to solidify in the device and the solid block removed later - that would be safer. Don't worry if the plastics used are mixed because the blocks produced can be reprocessed further and ground thermosetting plastics added. We then use this as a substitute for the asphalt used on roads. There are firms already doing this <a href="https://macrebur.com/">https://macrebur.com/</a> for example. The resultant road surfaces are:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Up to 60% stronger and last up to 10 x longer</li><li>The road surface is less vulnerable to melting in hot weather</li><li>Saves councils money</li><li>We get rid of a LOT of plastic and produce less carbon dioxide emissions at the same time</li><li>Plastic roads can have a hollow space to allow for pipes, wiring etc. That reduced roadworks which dig up the surface.</li><li>Plastic roads can be heated which could prevent them from freezing and also evaporate surface water</li><li>Plastic roads can be manufactured in interlocking sections which are easily assembled or disassembled</li></ul><p></p><p>The process isn't perfect though. Some plastic particles may still make their way to the sea but the problem should be greatly reduced.</p><p>Experiments have found that the plastic road should still contain some asphalt to add to its strength.</p>John Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06575901336277340191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30212671.post-58960406930423758722021-01-21T01:56:00.000+00:002021-01-21T01:56:16.288+00:00Ebook or Paper books - Which is better?<p> Books are nice but each time you buy one you are faced with a choice - ebook or paper book. I choose ebooks in preference now. This is why:</p><ul><li>Whilst I too love the smell and feel of a book, we buy them for their content not their smell and feel. If the lack of 'paper smell' bothers you you can buy a 'book smell' perfume to spray on your e-reader.<br /><div class="separator" style="align: right; clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iQmDR0D1j4w/YAjWM5tWgYI/AAAAAAAAJHI/A5k0shHDkKMYClh7_sDjU7baY6x4-0NfgCLcBGAsYHQ/s500/ebooksmell1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="481" data-original-width="500" height="184" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iQmDR0D1j4w/YAjWM5tWgYI/AAAAAAAAJHI/A5k0shHDkKMYClh7_sDjU7baY6x4-0NfgCLcBGAsYHQ/w191-h184/ebooksmell1.jpg" width="191" /></a></div></li><li>"I prefer real books" is a phrase I often hear. Usually I hear it from those who have not yet got an e-reader, Every time I hear it I imagine those people who first came across bound books. Did they think "Nice, but I prefer scrolls."?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f9EICLndGlA/YAjaPNAuTpI/AAAAAAAAJHU/ZxC7Kyk-0akuTlvMClFzWhrT9bWamxrUwCLcBGAsYHQ/s465/Ipreferscrolls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="354" data-original-width="465" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f9EICLndGlA/YAjaPNAuTpI/AAAAAAAAJHU/ZxC7Kyk-0akuTlvMClFzWhrT9bWamxrUwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Ipreferscrolls.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /></li><li>My mother was 96 and spent a lot of time reading. She found it easier to read large print and preferred thinner books - easier to hold. You can change the text size in an e-book and they are much lighter. I'd much rather carry an e-reader than the complete Encyclopaedia Britannica. I think my library of 3,000+ paper books probably weighs about a ton. Most of them could fit on my ancient Kindle Keyboard e-reader. A few years ago I read a hardback book I'd had since 2009. Stephen King's '<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Under-Dome-Stephen-King-ebook/dp/B0031LJ4IO/" target="_blank">Under the Dome</a>.' I had not read it because it weighs 1.3 kilograms (2.3 pounds) - too heavy to read unsupported. (Enjoyable book if you want to read it) I'd looked for it as an e-book but due to the Amazon/Hachette dispute couldn't find it. In the end I read it in bed before sleeping with it supported on my knees.</li><li>Putting another book on the bookshelf may satisfy some people but I have trouble finding a space for an extra book on my shelves. I've used up all the normal space (two books deep) and have run out of space between the book tops and the next shelf! </li><li>I like to read relaxing in a bath. I may fall asleep and a soggy book is not easy to salvage. Your e-reader may not like water either but you can read it inside a ziplock plastic bag far easier than a paper copy! </li><li>My e-readers play music and can read my book to me. The only paper book I have that does that was bought years ago for my children. </li><li>Can you get Internet on a paper book? Maybe this will be possible in the future when flexible screens become available. My smartphone has full Internet, plays movies, makes video calls and takes pictures also. It's easy to read ebooks on it.</li><li>Do you feel the author needs rewarding for the time they spent writing your book? If you do then be aware that authors earn more money from e-books than from paper books.</li><li>Price? In general e-books cost less than a new book. Second-hand paper books may cost even less but your choice may be limited. You can go to a library for a huge choice of paper books but most libraries offer ebooks now too. There are a huge number of ebooks available online free also. Talking of libraries, many of them are shut now due to Covid-19. Libraries are still providing ebook services though. You won't have to travel to get them. Check the library website or make a phone call to ask.</li><li>When you buy an e-book you buy a licence to read it. Most people are not keen on this but if you face a disaster which destroys your library - a fire, your ebooks will still be there in the cloud whereas your paper books will be in the smoke.</li><li><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-T0-bdG8pmFc/Um_WPv-iMRI/AAAAAAAACbA/v4a6bmoCezc/s1600/Wicked_Bible_640x427.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="117" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-T0-bdG8pmFc/Um_WPv-iMRI/AAAAAAAACbA/v4a6bmoCezc/s320/Wicked_Bible_640x427.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;">The 'wicked bible' error.</td></tr></tbody></table>Few books are perfect. They contain typos, spelling mistakes, grammar mistakes, timeline errors, sentences which could be phrased better. Once you've bought a paper book - you're stuck with the errors but ebooks can be updated.</li></ul><br /><table border="2" cellpadding="5" style="width: 80%px;"><caption><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></caption><caption><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">The environment - Ebook and paper book compared</span></caption><tbody><tr><th scope="col" width="50%">Paper books</th><th scope="col">E-books</th></tr><tr><td>Requires an author</td><td>Requires an author</td></tr><tr><td>Requires an editor</td><td>Requires an editor</td></tr><tr><td>Requires formatting</td><td>Requires formatting</td></tr><tr><td>Trees need to be felled (requires oil)</td><td>Not required</td></tr><tr><td>Timber needs to be transported to papermill (requires oil)</td><td>Not required</td></tr><tr><td>Papermill manufactures paper with some waste sludge (requires some oil)</td><td>Not required</td></tr><tr><td>Sludge needs to be disposed of (requires oil)</td><td>Not required</td></tr><tr><td>Paper needs transporting to printer (requires oil)</td><td>Not required</td></tr><tr><td>Ink needs manufacturing (requires oil)</td><td>Not required</td></tr><tr><td>Books need to be printed (requires oil)</td><td>Not required</td></tr><tr><td>Books need to be transported to distribution depot (requires oil)</td><td>Not required</td></tr><tr><td>Sales team need to visit retail outlets (requires oil)</td><td>Not required</td></tr><tr><td>Books need to be transported to retail outlets (requires oil)</td><td>Not required</td></tr><tr><td>Customer needs transport to bookstore and back (requires oil)</td><td>E-books are delivered direct to reader electronically.</td></tr><tr><td>Surplus unsold books need transport back to printer (requires oil)</td><td>Not required</td></tr><tr><td>Surplus requires storage or redistribution or pulping (requires oil)</td><td>Not required</td></tr><tr><td>Book pulp requires cleaning of toxic ink and disposal of the toxins (requires oil)</td><td>Not required<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>John Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06575901336277340191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30212671.post-13476154833959068312020-12-20T13:34:00.003+00:002022-12-30T02:54:12.258+00:00Everything you need to know about COVID-19<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4yC9Czp5Zjw/X6RMUdMspQI/AAAAAAAAJBU/1J8J7dP-45MZmRhzbc02UL1so4ZFjXZVgCLcBGAsYHQ/s810/covid-19.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="374" data-original-width="810" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4yC9Czp5Zjw/X6RMUdMspQI/AAAAAAAAJBU/1J8J7dP-45MZmRhzbc02UL1so4ZFjXZVgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/covid-19.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <b>Yes - I know, you are probably sick of reading about Covid-19</b>. In this post I plan on telling you how to protect yourself and how to protect others. In addition I'd like to squash a few Covid-19 myths and point out a few truths about Covid-19. Let's start in reverse order.<p></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Truths about Covid-19</h3><div><b>Only a third of people infected with Covid-19 show the symptoms</b> we've been told to look out for - a fever, a dry cough, loss of taste and smell. These are far from the only symptoms and some of the other symptoms are common. Here's what to look out for</div>
<table style="align: top; border: 4px solid black; width: 80%;">
<tbody>
<tr><td style="align: top; border: 1px solid black;">• Headache </td><td style="align: top; border: 1px solid black;">• Chest pain</td><td style="align: top; border: 1px solid black;">• Difficulty sleeping </td><td style="align: top; border: 1px solid black;">• Abdominal pain/tummy ache</td></tr>
<tr><td style="align: top; border: 1px solid black;">• Sneezing </td><td style="align: top; border: 1px solid black;">• Achy muscles</td><td style="align: top; border: 1px solid black;">• Runny nose </td><td style="align: top; border: 1px solid black;">• Red/purple sores or blisters on your feet (including toes)</td></tr>
<tr><td style="align: top; border: 1px solid black;">• Diarrhoea</td><td style="align: top; border: 1px solid black;">• Loss of sense of taste </td><td style="align: top; border: 1px solid black;">• Loss of sense of smell</td><td>• Shortness of breath affecting normal activities</td></tr>
<tr><td style="align: top; border: 1px solid black;">• Sore eyes</td><td style="align: top; border: 1px solid black;">• Sore throat</td><td style="align: top; border: 1px solid black;">• Hoarse voice </td><td style="align: top; border: 1px solid black;">• New persistent cough</td></tr>
<tr><td style="align: top; border: 1px solid black;">• Blocked nose</td><td style="align: top; border: 1px solid black;">• Chills (feeling too cold)</td><td style="align: top; border: 1px solid black;">• Fever (feeling too hot) </td><td style="align: top; border: 1px solid black;">• Raised, red, itchy areas on the skin</td></tr>
<tr><td style="align: top; border: 1px solid black;">• Tightness in chest</td><td style="align: top; border: 1px solid black;">• Felt more tired than normal </td><td style="align: top; border: 1px solid black;">• Severe fatigue (e.g. inability to get out of bed) </td><td style="align: top; border: 1px solid black;">• Nausea and/or vomiting</td></tr>
<tr><td style="align: top; border: 1px solid black;">• Dizziness </td><td style="align: top; border: 1px solid black;">• Decrease in appetite </td><td style="align: top; border: 1px solid black;">• Numbness or tingling somewhere in the body </td><td style="align: top; border: 1px solid black;">• Feeling of heaviness in arms or legs </td></tr>
<tr><td style="align: top; border: 1px solid black;">• Sudden swelling of the face or lips</td><td style="align: top; border: 1px solid black;">• Brain 'fog' - inability to think clearly.</td><td style="align: top; border: 1px solid black;">• Stroke, heart attack, kidney and other organ failure.</td><td> </td></tr>
</tbody></table><i>At some time we've all had some of these symptoms so having one of them doesn't mean you have Covid-19</i><div><a href="#mask"></a><b>Wearing a mask won't protect you from Covid-19</b>. It's true that wearing a mask offers YOU little protection. However if other people around you wear one that <i>will </i>protect you if they wear the mask properly. More on that later. If everyone wore a correctly fitted and effective mask the pandemic would quickly fizzle out.</div><div><b>The virus can survive on some surfaces.</b> Metal, glass, and plastic surfaces can be contaminated with the virus. It won't survive long on porous surfaces such as fabric, paper, cardboard and wood. Brass, silver and copper surfaces will quickly destroy the virus if they are not protected from tarnishing using a clear lacquer.</div><div><b><br />Shouting, singing and talking increase the risk of spreading the virus</b>. Each increases the number of droplets sprayed from your mouth. Normally we are not aware of these but there are videos showing what happens when you speak, with and without a mask. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNeYfUTA11s">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNeYfUTA11s</a> When you are out shopping, stopping to talk to friends you meet isn't such a good idea. Singing in church or taking part in a protest are good ways to get infected. The image below shows droplets, normally invisible, when speaking the word "two" in a normal voice<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t7bOxDc7x-I/X6RIKylIkjI/AAAAAAAAJBI/3GZLQoMMa0YEzJFpJIpjwGYXw597_sOewCLcBGAsYHQ/s505/Sayinf%2527Two%2527.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="383" data-original-width="505" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t7bOxDc7x-I/X6RIKylIkjI/AAAAAAAAJBI/3GZLQoMMa0YEzJFpJIpjwGYXw597_sOewCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/Sayinf%2527Two%2527.jpg" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The picture above shows the droplets emitted. We don't normally see these unless you are out in cold weather. Then you will see condensation from your breath. That quickly evaporates and at a distance of 2 metres (6.5 feet) you won't see it. That evaporation process explains why in most cases a mask fails to protect the person wearing it. Masks are designed to protect others from YOU. Recent information indicated that 40% of people infected with Covid-19 have no idea they have it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q8h4PUvsidI/YALYFwd8CLI/AAAAAAAAJG4/xvxAhp1TSrIl2ZqxIapNSNwBIj94phGWwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1064/IWearThisMask.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="557" data-original-width="1064" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q8h4PUvsidI/YALYFwd8CLI/AAAAAAAAJG4/xvxAhp1TSrIl2ZqxIapNSNwBIj94phGWwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IWearThisMask.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div><b><br />The virus can infect anybody - not just the elderly and those with pre-existing conditions. C</b>ertainly the elderly and those with pre-existing conditions are the most likely to fall severely ill, but any age group can be infected and those without pre-existing conditions can still die.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Some ethnic groups seem to be more vulnerable</b>. People of African, Asian and American Indian descent seem to be more vulnerable. Scientists are not sure yet whether this is due to genetics or socio-economic factors.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Some blood groups seem to be less likely to suffer severe illness from Covid-19</b>. If you are blood type O you appear to be less at risk than other blood groups (by 35%). Those who are Rhesus negative also seem to have reduced risk. Those who are blood type A seem to be most at risk (by 45%) of developing severe symptoms.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Some people suffer very long term effects from Covid-19</b>. 'Long Covid' is now fully recognised. According to the British medical Journal 45% of those infected do NOT fully recover in two to three weeks and 10-20% do not fully recover in months. This is true for both mild cases and of those who needed hospital treatment. Four different syndromes of long term Covid make diagnosis difficult. Dr Claire Steves, from Kings College London said that people who displayed five or more symptoms of Covid-19 in the first week where at greatest risk of long term Covid. Women too were more vulnerable.<br />Some people will never recover fully due to organ failure.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>We are getting better at detecting and treating Covid-19</b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-12D3KVADPBw/X6V2xw1YKQI/AAAAAAAAJBg/I-_4VLwFG28qZad08uCcQFHxJqppiRvHQCLcBGAsYHQ/s562/getting%2Bbetter.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="262" data-original-width="562" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-12D3KVADPBw/X6V2xw1YKQI/AAAAAAAAJBg/I-_4VLwFG28qZad08uCcQFHxJqppiRvHQCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/getting%2Bbetter.jpg" /></a></div><br />The charts above show this clearly. More cases are being detected and the death rate from these detected cases has dropped.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>The 1918/1919 flu outbreak taught us a lot about how to deal with a pandemic</b><br />We expected a second wave of the disease and know it will be worse than the first wave.<br />We know that wearing masks will cut down the rate at which the disease spreads.</div><div>We know that lockdowns and social isolation work. This was graphically demonstrated by the different approaches taken by Philadelphia and Seattle in the US. In Philadelphia it was business as usual. In Seattle strict lockdowns were prepared and put into action before the outbreak reached the city. Philadelphia suffered badly. Seattle did not. <i><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/apr/29/us-responses-1918-flu-pandemic-offer-stark-lessons-coronavirus-now" target="_blank">Source</a></i></div><div>One key difference between these pandemics though is that the 1918/1919 pandemic affected the young whereas the Covid-19 pandemic hits the elderly harder.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Children should be encouraged to wear masks. </b>The CDC says:</div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">"</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Children 2 years of age and older should wear a mask. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Help your child (if 2 years of age or older) <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/how-to-wear-cloth-face-coverings.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #075290;">wear a mask correctly</a> when in public and when around people they don’t live with." That goes against what governments advise should happen in schools where children have been told they need not wear masks in classrooms.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>You can re-use disposable masks</b> but you need to know how to do this. Masks should be allowed to dry out thoroughly for at least three days before being re-used. If you can, leave the mask where it will be exposed to direct sunlight that will help since ultra-violet light destroys the virus. Know that glass is an effective UV light filter though so a window ledge won't work. The best way to dry out a mask is by sealing it in a plastic bag with a </span>desiccant. Again Amazon is a useful source of this. <a href="https://amzn.to/38i3KHP">https://amzn.to/38i3KHP</a> The desiccant can be periodically regenerated in an ordinary household oven.<br />SAGES, a worldwide medical association, say these masks can be re-used up to five times if they are not contaminated visibly. <i><a href="https://www.sages.org/n-95-re-use-instructions/" target="_blank">link</a> </i>Take care when removing and storing the mask though.</div><div><b><br /></b></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b>The Covid-19 Myths</b></h3><div><b>5G mobile networks DO NOT spread COVID-19 </b>of all the Covid-19 myths this is clearly the most ridiculous<b>. </b>The World Health Organization points out that viruses cannot travel on radio waves/mobile networks. The only possible justification for this theory would be if 5G networks made you more susceptible to the disease. However, if that were the case then countries without 5G networks would be less impacted by the disease. The WHO points out that COVID-19 is spreading in many countries that do not have 5G mobile networks. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Hydroxychloroquine does NOT cure the disease</b>. Hydroxychloroquine, a drug much touted by President Trump in the US, is a treatment for malaria, lupus erythematosus, and rheumatoid arthritis. It has been under study as a possible treatment for COVID-19. Current data shows that this drug does not reduce deaths among hospitalised COVID-19 patients, nor does it help people with moderate disease. This drug can have some quite nasty side effects. (headache, dizziness, loss of appetite, nausea, diarrhea, stomach pain, vomiting, rash - all symptoms of Covid-19.)The ONLY possible justification for taking it as a 'treatment' for Covid-19 is that it helps the body take up vitamin D. However there are much safer substances to do this. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span class="hcV4Re nkGKTb" style="background-color: white; color: #4d5156; font-size: 14px;">Quercetin</span> </b></span>and green tea will do this without the nasty side effects.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Drinking or inhaling a mist of bleach will NOT protect you from the virus</b>. Drinking bleach is likely to poison you. Inhaling a mist of it is likely to damage your lungs. Read the labels on bleach bottles - they clearly warn against this.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Covid-19 is not spread on your shoes</b>. The virus is unlikely to be spread on shoes. If you are at all concerned or have children who crawl/play on the floor then this tiny risk can be eliminated by taking off your shoes when you enter the house.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Drinking methanol, ethanol or hydrogen peroxide DOES NOT prevent or cure COVID-19 and can be extremely dangerous. </b>All these chemicals are poisons in pure form (yes even the ethanol in alcoholic drinks) Alcoholic drinks do not contain enough alcohol to destroy the virus and drinking an excess of it will make you less likely to treat the disease with care.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>'A mask is as effective at protecting you as chicken wire is good for keeping out mosquitoes.' </b>I've already dealt with this in a previous blog post <a href="https://jaydax.blogspot.com/2020/07/mosquitoes-chicken-wire-covid-19-and.html" target="_blank">here</a>. The fact remains that masks are designed to stop the spread of the virus from infected people to non-infected people. If you refuse to wear one because of your 'rights' then you are being selfish and prolonging the pandemic. When you exhale virus contaminated droplets the reality is that the mask to droplet size is the same as chickens to chicken wire. Chicken coops are effective at containing chickens and any mosquitoes riding on them.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Wearing a mask does NOT cause oxygen deficiency or carbon dioxide poisoning</b>. Think about it. medical professionals spend much of their day wearing masks. They suffer neither oxygen deficiency or carbon dioxide poisoning. Even if masks are worn daily for years their life expectancy does not seem to suffer. In a recent statement the WHO suggested masks should not be worn while exercising but in one test I've seem A mask was worn during a 20 minute workout but oxygen levels never dropped below 93%</div><div><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">How to protect <i>yourself</i></h2><h4 style="text-align: left;"><b>1. Social isolation. </b></h4><div>If you never come into contact with infected people or items then you cannot catch the disease. Of course, isolating yourself like this is not always possible but there are things you can do to minimize the risk Here's what you can do to help:</div><div><b>Wash your hands more often</b>. If the virus gets on your skin then it's quite easy to transfer it to your face. We frequently touch our face, especially lips, nose, eyes and ears. We do this without being aware of it. Soap and water destroys the virus quickly. Of course it's not possible to carry soap and water and use it away from the sink so:</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Use hand sanitizer. </b>This should be a mixture of 70% ethanol and 30% water and other substances. 100% alcohol is too strong and makes the virus 'hide' from it. Less than 70% alcohol is too weak to destroy the virus. Note the alcohol in spirits is usually described as 70° proof. This is NOT 70% alcohol by volume. It's 40% alcohol and too weak to destroy the virus.</div><div><br /></div><div>I<b>f you do have to go out</b>:</div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oyqqnpbTFO8/X6RDV7-rUII/AAAAAAAAJBA/JJ0v9y4Afh8jgKbvG38EGXWHWZoirmAtQCPcBGAYYCw/s447/gloves.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="447" data-original-width="433" height="151" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oyqqnpbTFO8/X6RDV7-rUII/AAAAAAAAJBA/JJ0v9y4Afh8jgKbvG38EGXWHWZoirmAtQCPcBGAYYCw/w147-h151/gloves.jpg" width="147" /></a></div><b>Wearing gloves does help</b>. They act as a barrier between you and contaminated surfaces. Ideally get hold of gloves which are thin and which can be sanitized. Gloves which work with touchscreens help too. I found some on Amazon which check all the boxes. They are protected on the palms by a nitrile plastic layer and can be washed, used with hand sanitizer, work with touchscreens and the reverse side can be used to clear condensation from a face shield. <a href="https://amzn.to/352dPqt">https://amzn.to/352dPqt</a></div><div><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h6pN1OjB6jM/X6RDV4PifFI/AAAAAAAAJA8/JlemrzuIEloejV06ukgbvqBhhFnYfg8YACPcBGAYYCw/s500/faceshield.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="484" data-original-width="500" height="158" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h6pN1OjB6jM/X6RDV4PifFI/AAAAAAAAJA8/JlemrzuIEloejV06ukgbvqBhhFnYfg8YACPcBGAYYCw/w163-h158/faceshield.jpg" width="163" /></a></div><br />Protect your eyes</b>. As previously said a mask does little to protect you. By the time droplets carrying the virus get to you they will probably have evaporated and got small enough to pass between the fibres of a mask. If inhaled or landing on a moist surface then you can be infected. Your eyes provide such a surface. protect them by wearing at the least glasses. You can get clear glasses designed to protect eyes from dust and sparks but ordinary eye glasses will help. Better still wear a face shield. Again Amazon is a good source <a href="https://amzn.to/2I7MKt2">https://amzn.to/2I7MKt2</a> Note however, a face shield does not protect others much so wear a mask also.</div><div><br /></div><div>Rather than shopping in person see if you can shop online and get things delivered. When things are delivered:</div><div><br /></div><div><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3SypkOEN5rg/X6crYDuzv8I/AAAAAAAAJBs/kkvd4tdBA6Ina0yTE3LqFqULyPTxiNQKwCLcBGAsYHQ/s260/DettolWipes.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="260" data-original-width="260" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3SypkOEN5rg/X6crYDuzv8I/AAAAAAAAJBs/kkvd4tdBA6Ina0yTE3LqFqULyPTxiNQKwCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/DettolWipes.png" /></a></div><br />Wipe down items with sanitizing wipes. </b>Look at the labels of these wipes carefully. If they say something like 'Kils H1N1 flu virus' then they will do the job of destroying Covir-19 also. Items made of glass, metal or packed in plastic are the most likely to have contaminated surfaces. Under ideal conditions the virus has been fount to remain infective for up to three weeks. However those ideal conditions, cool, damp and dark are not common. The risk is small but worth taking precautions against. You do not know how the person packing and delivering the products from manufacturer to retailer to you handled these things.</div><div>paper and cardboard wrapped products will quickly dry out the virus making it harmless but wipe them if you wish.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Stay back from other people</b>. Try to stay 2 metres (approximately 6 feet) from other people. Virus laden droplets exhaled by these people will have fallen to the ground or dispersed before they get to you. Think about the condensation you see from your breath on a cold day. Does it spread more than 2 metres?</div><div><br /></div><div><b>DON'T stop to talk to a friend you meet</b>. Such conversations are usually done within 2 metres. Tell them you'll call them and move on.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>DON'T go anywhere where people are shouting, cheering or singing</b>. Each of these means more viral particles being spread. Avoid protest marches, concerts or sports events and churches! By now you must have heard of the super-spreader events organised by politicians and churches.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Consider taking a Vitamin D3 supplement</b>. If you spend a lot of time indoors and don't get much sunlight you may be deficient in this vitamin. It's important for proper immune system support and while it won't stop you getting Covid-19, it may well make the difference between a mild case or a severe case. I read a report recently where doctors found most of their severe Covid-19 cases were vitamin D3 deficient. The trouble is that the human body is not good at taking up vitamin D3 in tablet form. The health food Quercetin helps vitamin D3 be absorbed. So does drinking green tea but you may have to drink more of that than you are comfortable with.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Consider taking a Zinc supplement</b>. Zinc supplements also help the immune system. Researchers from Spain reported finding an association between low zinc levels in the blood and poor health outcomes among patients with Covid-19. In severe cases monitored those with low zinc levels died, those with normal levels survived. if you do take a zinc supplement make sure it also contains traces of copper. These two minerals must be kept in balance for optimal health <i><a href="https://www.nutriadvanced.co.uk/news/copper-zinc-balance-vital-for-inflammation-sleep-more/" target="_blank">source</a></i> Too much zinc in the body is simply excreted.</div><div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Update</b> - since this blog was first written full face visors which incorporate a filter have become available. I found this one at Amazon (https://amzn.to/3i0V2VU) </div></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAoXZhFItgCu855FmuqEmHg_LZpkfifyxtA_jBMRpLfU3_RNfOLmj6-10nHccdji2adW6BlfzHjSrA-0WI7edlO3FXUw6LeXH9a23TRFmDSqrrqe4bC0n4oZ5h4kDn4GZAneQN6rN6cLpxVxKmg18zqgXbNjKms0XYMEvw0qUa0mTx20YUhB8/s591/2022-12-30_02-10-18-047.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="550" data-original-width="591" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAoXZhFItgCu855FmuqEmHg_LZpkfifyxtA_jBMRpLfU3_RNfOLmj6-10nHccdji2adW6BlfzHjSrA-0WI7edlO3FXUw6LeXH9a23TRFmDSqrrqe4bC0n4oZ5h4kDn4GZAneQN6rN6cLpxVxKmg18zqgXbNjKms0XYMEvw0qUa0mTx20YUhB8/s320/2022-12-30_02-10-18-047.png" width="320" /></a></div><div><div><br />It protects your full face, works with glasses, lets people see you smile, allows those with hearing problems to lip read what you say and has a replaceable filter. The filters can be used as a template to cut more filters from normal medical masks. Obviously, it's re-usable and it's also quite cheap (£11.99)</div><div><br /></div></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Why did I write this?</h3><div>Ten years ago I and my wife were researching a book series where we suggested that the only way of getting people to take notice of an impending asteroid impact thousands of years in the future was to make people immortal. It's actually not just science fantasy but based on real science today. We postulated a genetic fix to do that and suggested using a virus to spread it. We had to do a LOT of research into how viruses spread. Corona viruses such as colds and flu were part of this study. Ideas which spread or prevent the spread of these viruses are equally effective at spreading or preventing Covid-19. I wrote a blog about this (<span color="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.52)" face="Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;"><a href="https://avestedinterest.blogspot.com/2011/10/bio-terrorism-and-cure-for-common-cold.html">bio-terrorism and the cure for the common cold</a>) </span>in 2011. The lessons we learnt from this have been protecting us from colds and flu ever since and now protect us from Covid-19 too.</div><div><br /></div><div>In the last few weeks has come the announcement that vaccines have been developed which are 90-95% effective at preventing Covid-19. I find it remarkable that this has been achieved in so short a time. Normally vaccines like this take years to develop. I also find it encouraging because in theory, the same technique could be used to develop a vaccine against cold and flu. (<b>Update</b> Dec 2022: The vaccine protecting against all strains of flu - more than 100 of them is now possible and being produced.) Each year pharmaceutical firms make a small fortune from the sale of cold and flu relief medication and therefore do not have an incentive to develop a vaccine against cold and flu. The trouble is that these similar diseases are not normally considered killers and as a result do not get the same level of funding. BUT - the cold and flu diseases ARE killers. Each time your body is infected by a virus some cells are destroyed and replaced. Some cells are only slightly damaged and when they eventually are replaced they are replaced with equally damaged cells. It's this process which makes us age and aging kills everyone! We consider this normal but there is growing evidence that this need not be the case.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Update Dec 20th 2020</b></div><div>A new variant of Covid-19 has been identified. (<a href="https://www.bmj.com/content/371/bmj.m4857">Source</a>) Corona viruses normally mutate, making them difficult to produce an effective vaccination for. Covid-19 has shown little sign of this but in the last few days a new variant has been found in southeast England. It's spreading rapidly and has forced the UK government to greatly restrict movement in the area and re-think their planned relaxation of the rules for mixing over Christmas. This new variant appears to be MORE infectious than the existing one. It's led to two European countries shutting down air travel from the UK. More will follow but this is not likely to stop the new variant infecting the rest of the world. At the moment it seems to have about the same mortality rate.</div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;">One last thing - </span>You can get the first book of the book series, 'Immortality Gene,' free at <a href="https://books2read.com/immgen" target="_blank">books2read.com/immgen</a>. It works on all ebook readers.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><div><i><br /></i></div></div>John Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06575901336277340191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30212671.post-76416690850165969882020-07-22T00:05:00.000+01:002020-07-22T00:05:03.955+01:00Mosquitoes, chicken wire, COVID-19 and masks<p class="q-text qu-display--block" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #282829; direction: ltr; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px;">Is wearing a mask to stop the spread of COVID-19 really pointless? Let's take a look at one of the objections in detail.</p><p class="q-text qu-display--block" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #282829; direction: ltr; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xhzZiDavYAA/XxdytWRL0qI/AAAAAAAAIzE/8WbCYKWdOFsX2cLJ-GIrkYFi1ulPFUi6ACLcBGAsYHQ/s1200/ChickenWireMosquitoes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xhzZiDavYAA/XxdytWRL0qI/AAAAAAAAIzE/8WbCYKWdOFsX2cLJ-GIrkYFi1ulPFUi6ACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/ChickenWireMosquitoes.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>By now you've probably heard some people say that using a mask to stop COVID-19 is like using a chicken wire fence to keep out mosquitoes. In some respects that’s true. The virus is tiny, 120-160 nanometres in diameter where a nanometre is one billionth of a metre. A top quality medical mask can trap particles as big or bigger than 2.5 micrometers. The virus is about 21 times smaller than that so it seems that it can pass through a mask easily. <b><span style="font-style: italic;">HOWEVER it’s not quite so simple</span>.</b><p></p><p class="q-text qu-display--block" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #282829; direction: ltr; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px;">To remain capable of infecting, the virus must be in droplets of water. When we sneeze, cough, shout, pant, talk or even breath we emit such particles with the smallest being two micrometres in diameter. Each can contain hundreds of viral particles. These droplets would seem to still easily pass through the gaps between the mask fibres. <span style="font-style: italic;"><b>BUT it’s not as simple as that.</b></span></p><p class="q-text qu-display--block" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #282829; direction: ltr; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px;">The mask fibres carry a small electrical charge and they attract the water droplets. When they touch, they absorb the water and with it the virus. Few viral particles will get through in theory. Those who complain against mask wearing say this is theoretical and no one has proved this.</p><p class="q-text qu-display--block" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #282829; direction: ltr; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">BUT IT DOESN’T MATTER!</span></p><p class="q-text qu-display--block" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #282829; direction: ltr; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px;">If those against mask wearing are <span style="font-style: italic;">right </span>then what harm will be done? - a slight bit of inconvenience. It would make no difference to the number of people infected.</p><p class="q-text qu-display--block" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #282829; direction: ltr; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px;">If those against mask wearing are <span style="font-style: italic;">wrong </span>then what harm will be done? - the disease will spread more and a greater number of people will die.</p><p class="q-text qu-display--block" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #282829; direction: ltr; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px;">Wearing the mask is the least risky option. If everyone wears one then there’s a good chance of stopping this virus spreading.</p>John Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06575901336277340191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30212671.post-1345092765346428292020-06-07T16:17:00.001+01:002020-06-07T16:17:27.951+01:00If you could make all 7.5 billion people on Earth sit down and read a book of your choosing, what book do you choose and why?<div class="q-box qu-mb--medium qu-mt--small" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #282829; direction: ltr; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-top: 8px;"><div class="q-text qu-bold qu-color--gray_dark_dim qu-passColorToLinks qu-userSelect--text" style="box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; font-size: 26px; font-weight: bold; user-select: text;"><br /></div></div><div class="q-box qu-mb--small" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #282829; direction: ltr; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 8px; width: 632px;"><div class="q-box spacing_log_answer_header" style="box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr;"><div class="q-flex" style="align-items: start; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; display: flex; width: 632px;"><div class="q-box qu-flex--auto" style="box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; flex: 1 1 auto; margin-top: -1px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div class="q-flex" style="box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; display: flex;"><div class="q-box styles___StyledBox-c0eo4-0 gqbGaA" style="box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; flex-shrink: 0;"><div class="q-text qu-bold qu-color--gray_dark qu-fontSize--small qu-passColorToLinks" style="box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">First give me time to write it.</span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="q-text" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #282829; direction: ltr; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; max-width: 100%;"><span class="q-box qu-userSelect--text" style="box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; user-select: text;"><div class="CssComponent-sc-1oskqb9-0 QTextImage___StyledCssComponent-sc-1yi3aau-0 ilDNcJ"><div class="q-box unzoomed" style="box-sizing: border-box; cursor: -webkit-zoom-in; direction: ltr; filter: blur(0px); margin-bottom: 1em;"><img class="q-image qu-display--block qu-borderRadius--small" src="https://qph.fs.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-546662c7b9e29dcd2b06ccc0e496c818" style="animation-duration: 0.001s; animation-name: insQ_100; border-radius: 3px; border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; color: transparent; direction: ltr; display: block; max-width: 100%;" /></div></div><p class="q-text qu-display--block" style="box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin: 0px 0px 1em; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px;">It would be an optimistic book. One which points out what’s wrong with the world today but which suggests how we can fix things.</p><p class="q-text qu-display--block" style="box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin: 0px 0px 1em; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px;">It would require a <span class="q-inline" style="box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; display: inline;"><a class="q-box qu-cursor--pointer qu-hover--textDecoration--underline" href="https://jaydax.blogspot.com/2019/01/how-to-fix-government-2.html" rel="noopener nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.6); background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #195faa; cursor: pointer; direction: ltr; text-decoration-line: none; transition-duration: 180ms; transition-property: text-decoration; transition-timing-function: ease-in-out;" target="_blank" title="jaydax.blogspot.com">different political system</a><span class="q-inlineBlock qu-verticalAlign--text-bottom" style="box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; display: inline-block; height: 16px; line-height: 0; margin-left: 2px; vertical-align: text-bottom; width: 16px;"><span class="CssComponent__CssInlineComponent-sc-1oskqb9-1 IconWrapper___StyledCssInlineComponent-sc-1c5guci-0 eoOMXK" style="-webkit-box-align: center; -webkit-box-pack: center; align-items: center; display: inline-flex; height: 16px; justify-content: center; width: 16px;"><svg height="24px" viewbox="0 0 24 24" width="24px"><g class="icon_svg-stroke" fill-rule="evenodd" fill="none" id="external_link" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="#666"><polyline points="17 13.5 17 19.5 5 19.5 5 7.5 11 7.5"></polyline><path d="M14,4.5 L20,4.5 L20,10.5 M20,4.5 L11,13.5"></path></g></svg></span></span></span>. One which fulfills the needs of the people rather than the profits of the rich. It would mean raising the living standards of the poor. That would lead to more industry and higher profits while also reducing crime.</p><p class="q-text qu-display--block" style="box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin: 0px 0px 1em; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px;">It would draw attention to the fear that we needlessly face. For example you are ten times as likely to drown while taking a bath as you are to be killed by a terrorist.</p><p class="q-text qu-display--block" style="box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin: 0px 0px 1em; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px;">It would point out that evolution has engineered us to be nice to each other. We work together better to improve things - that has survival value, rather than work against each other. We hear a lot about the ‘bad’ because our media considers bad news is more interesting. Bad news generates fear. Fear makes us demand action. Idiot politicians pander to this and their actions generate more bad news.</p><p class="q-text qu-display--block" style="box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin: 0px 0px 1em; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px;">Sorry religion - you would be required to justify your existence. It’s not enough for you to defend your ‘faith’. Let’s look at ‘faith’ in terms of what it really means - a belief which does not depend on evidence, one which is not open to reason and discussion. Faith has no right to being secure from being questioned. Faith <span style="font-style: italic;">can’t</span> move mountains but we’ve seen what it can do to skyscrapers. We may blame the Islamic faith for acts of terrorism but other religions cannot say their ‘faithful’ followers did not carry out brutal acts.</p><p class="q-text qu-display--block" style="box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin: 0px 0px 1em; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px;">The book would draw attention to how we are damaging our planet and suggest ways we can fix this. We cannot continue to treat finite resources as though they were infinite. We need those resources to look further for new resources and we are unlikely to find those on earth.</p><p class="q-text qu-display--block" style="box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin: 0px 0px 1em; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px;">Instead of war I would propose we work together on expansion into the last frontier. Space. We <span style="font-style: italic;">must</span> colonize space to ensure the survival of our species. Certainly we can look to the moon and Mars but that’s <span style="font-weight: bold;">NOT </span>enough. We need to move further to the stars. When we do so we should take with us all the lifeforms we can collect. When we have moved out a radius of 30 light years from earth, then and only then can we think of Earth’s life being secure.</p><p class="q-text qu-display--block" style="box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px;">Is this all a pipe dream? It is until we make the effort to start.</p></span></div>John Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06575901336277340191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30212671.post-16873060359361735582020-03-01T13:34:00.001+00:002020-03-01T13:37:08.130+00:00How humans and computers follow instructions<br />
<div style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;">
<img alt="Image result for computer brain " height="265" src="https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2019/07/22/08/02/processor-4354460_960_720.jpg" width="400" /></div>
<br />
<h4>
<span style="font-weight: normal;">Years ago, when I taught Information technology, I used two stories to explain the difference between how computers and people followed instructions.</span></h4>
<h4>
1. People are rubbish at following the simplest of instructions.</h4>
I'd ask the class to all point at the brainiest pupil in the room and then select that person as my victim to demonstrate. I'd bring them out in front of the class and tell them:<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Teacher </b>"I'm going to say three simple words with a pause between each word. All you have to do is repeat the word. Here's the first - Cat."<br />
<br />
<b>Pupil </b> "Cat."<br />
<br />
<b>Teacher </b>"Rhino"<br />
<br />
<b>Pupil </b>"Rhino"<br />
<br />
<b>Teacher </b>"WRONG!"<br />
<br />
<b>Pupil, </b>looking flustered "What was wrong? I said Rhino."<br />
<br />
<b>Teacher </b>You failed. The third word was the word 'WRONG'.<br />
<br />
People think about their answers - computers just do what they are told to do.<br />
<br />
<b>2. Computers do EXACTLY what you tell them to do.</b><br />
<br />
Imagine a boy with a computer instead of a brain. he is woken up one morning and told the following by his mother.<br />
<i>"Run down to the shop and get a loaf of bread. Take £2 from my purse on the kitchen table. And for heavens sake - Get dressed"</i><br />
The boy immediately runs to the nearest shop. It's a butcher's shop and doesn't sell bread so he waits there until someone comes in with a loaf of bread. That may take a while. Eventually a little old lady comes in with a loaf of bread in her shopping basket.<br />
The boy wasn't told to pay for the bread so he 'gets' it. Effectively he steals it from her.<br />
The boy wasn't told to come back but the next instruction was to get £2 from the purse on the kitchen table so he does come back.<br />
The purse isn't on the kitchen table. it's on a work surface at the side. So he waits again for the purse to move to the table. He doesn't put the bread away because he wasn't told to do that.<br />
When the purse is eventually on the table he tries to take £2 from it. If the purse only has five pound notes in it he is again stuck waiting.<br />
When the boy eventually has a £2 coin only then does he get dressed.<br />
<br />
Humans take bad instructions and correct them. They decide the best order to do them in and include missing instructions. Computers can't do that. We won't have true Artificial Intelligence until a computer can follow the second task and get it right.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />John Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06575901336277340191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30212671.post-83207043470678542622020-02-19T15:36:00.005+00:002021-05-24T19:34:30.938+01:00A viral post (and how to protect yourself)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dMfm5QEbPVM/Xk1P4R7a8bI/AAAAAAAAIa4/pvojCMF3vfYJoYRgt9L83sg8v6Pp86SDwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/MaskCoronavirus.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="213" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dMfm5QEbPVM/Xk1P4R7a8bI/AAAAAAAAIa4/pvojCMF3vfYJoYRgt9L83sg8v6Pp86SDwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/MaskCoronavirus.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<b><br /></b>
<b>Do you understand how viruses spread? Knowing this can help safeguard your health. That's particularly important if you want to minimise your risk in the event of a COVID-19 coronavirus or flu pandemic. It can help protect you from the common cold too.</b><br />
<br />
Back in 2011 my wife and I wrote the second book in our A Vested Interest series. In it we figured out how a benign virus could be deliberately spread to infect as many people as possible in as short a time as possible. We pressured an antagonist into doing the job and carry any possible blame. Here's what he was told to do:<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>“We have a little task for you,” Sir Richard said. “Take
these cans of antiseptic. Spray it on this cloth, and then use it in Hexham. Visit
every single pub there.”<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>“Go to the toilets,” Lady Triplet said. “Spray the door
handle or plate of each toilet and stall and give them a quick wipe. We want
them nice and shiny.”<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>“Don’t worry, Mr.
Liu,” Juanita said with mocked respect.” It won’t hurt you. In fact, it’ll do
you good.”<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Richard smirked. “If anyone asks, why you’re doing this, tell
them you’re mysophobic, a clean freak.”<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Donna softly chuckled, watching Liu flip his attention from
one side of the table to the other. “Next, put on a pair of these gloves,” she
said and slid a box to the end of the table. “Spray them and go shopping.”<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>“Visit all the
supermarkets, department stores, fast food shops, everywhere you can.” John
chuckled; enjoying the look of horror on Liu’s face. “Make a trip to the
hospital and browse through the magazines and leaflets.”<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>“Be nosy,” Gary said. “Touch everywhere. Don’t forget things like lift buttons, shopping trolleys,
children’s rides, handrails, touchscreens. You get the idea.”<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>“Why? What is this stuff?”<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>“Surely, you can guess, John,” Sir Richard said.</i><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In this clip the spray Liu was given really was an antiseptic, the virus had already been released. Liu thought he would be spreading the immortality virus though.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This clip demonstrates how many corona viruses can be spread. They are not just the COVID-19 'Wuhan coronavirus' both common colds and flu are coronaviruses too. They can spread directly by droplets from coughs and sneezes but they can also be spread by contact with an infected surface. Once on your hands you can increase the chance of infection by eating, touching your lips or nose or particularly by touching your eyes. You would be surprised how often we do that without noticing it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Time can play a big part in this. Most viruses can't survive long as infectious agents outside their host. Under ideal conditions, a damp cool surface hidden from sunlight it's possible for viruses such as these to survive for nine days outside a living host. The examples mentioned in our story are good targets for passing on infection though.</div>
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So how can you protect yourself? If you are going out shopping:</div>
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<ul>
<li>wear gloves. </li>
<li>avoid touching any part of your face if you can and if you must rub your eyes then use a knuckle rather than a fingertip.</li>
<li>Wash your hands often, especially when you get home.</li>
<li>While out, use hand sanitizer. Get your children to use it also.</li><li>Wear eye protection of some sort.</li>
</ul>
<div>
The older you are, the more you are at risk as this image from <a href="https://www.statista.com/chart/20860/coronavirus-fatality-rate-by-age/?utm_source=Statista+Global&utm_campaign=d464294baa-All_InfographTicker_daily_UK_AM_KW08_2020_We&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_afecd219f5-d464294baa-299852665" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Statista</a> shows. For those people maybe it's time to get your groceries delivered if you can.</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f6KVXQ7OQB4/Xk1IbbTMyVI/AAAAAAAAIas/-yFseLqBUMA8aeuWTG3Cn8erjWbtaY7QwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/WuhanCoronavirus_ERJIEyQWAAEsQN1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f6KVXQ7OQB4/Xk1IbbTMyVI/AAAAAAAAIas/-yFseLqBUMA8aeuWTG3Cn8erjWbtaY7QwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/WuhanCoronavirus_ERJIEyQWAAEsQN1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">What about if you are younger? Can you safely risk catching Covid-19? The answer to that is still 'no'. The reason that it's so devastating to the elderly is that Covid-19 is very proficient at creating senescent cells. The common cold does this too but to a lesser extent. 'Senescent' may not be a word you are familiar with. It means 'old'. In cellular biology a senescent cell is defined as '<span style="background-color: white; color: #202124;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">no longer capable of dividing but still alive and metabolically active.</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #202124; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">' </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #202124;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">These are the cells which make you age! Covid-19 (and the common cold) kills younger people but very slowly. It's the reason that the symptoms of 'long covid' are easily recognised by the elderly as, "that's how I feel." If your body is already full of senescent cells due to age then a sudden influx of extra ones can easily kill you.</span></span></div>
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<b>What about a mask? </b>The chances are that wouldn't be very effective. people find them uncomfortable, they feel stupid wearing them and many don't fit very well. They won't protect you from contact with an infected surface. They <i>would</i> be useful in preventing the spread of the virus from an infected person though. They easily catch the relatively large particles exhaled but by the time these get to you from someone else they will have evaporated enough to pass through a mask.<br />
<br />When the COVID-19 'Wuhan' coronavirus becomes a serious problem in your area then bear these hints in mind.<br />
<br />
And if you want the 'Dark Secrets' book, it's available as an ebook via <a href="http://books2read.com/dse">books2read.com/dse</a>. It's the second book of the series. The first is available free.</div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Update May 2021</h3><div>The #Covid19 pandemic has hit India badly and that's something which the whole world should help out with or we are in danger of an even worse pandemic.</div><div><br /></div><div>Viruses evolve. If a person is infected with two different viruses then there is the possibility that they will merge to create a new virus. Currently in Asia there is a potentially dangerous Nipah virus spread through bat droppings and urine which can infect humans. It kills 40-45% of all those infected but it isn't passed from person to person. </div><div><br /></div><div>It's a matter of time before someone in India is infected with both Covid-19 and the Nipah virus. When that happens there's a chance of a new virus evolving which is spread like Covid-19 but as deadly as Nipah.</div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: red;">We have a good reason to be scared of this!</span></h3>
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<br />John Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06575901336277340191noreply@blogger.com0Phone box, Hexham NE46 2NN, UK54.970257 -2.14898454.950545683493523 -2.183316275390625 54.98996831650647 -2.114651724609375tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30212671.post-23904586795887791142019-11-20T17:18:00.000+00:002019-11-20T17:18:31.389+00:00How Jeremy Corbyn should make his position on Brexit clear.<img alt="Jeremy Corbyn tax hike" src="https://cdn.images.express.co.uk/img/dynamic/139/590x/jeremy-corbyn-news-1206790.jpg?r=1574243793512" />Jeremy Corbyn refused nine times to be drawn on his position on Brexit and was much taunted by it in the election debate. This is how I think he should resolve this:<br />
<br />
<i>"Although the 2016 referendum result indicated a 52/48 percent split, the number voting 'Leave' represented only 37% of the electorate. This is NOT a majority. Neither was there a majority in the 1975 referendum when 63% of voters chose to stay in the then Common Market. That represented only 43% of the electorate. I stand for a government which does not accept that the wishes of a minority should be used to make decisions for the majority. </i><br />
<i>The referendum has caused a great deal of division in the UK population and in Parliament. It has proved impossible to negotiate acceptable terms of leaving which Parliament will accept.We recognise that leaving without an agreed settlement will cause hardship in both the UK and in Europe. </i><br />
<i>The labour party will therefore use the result of the 2016 referendum as an indication that there is a great deal of dissatisfaction with the EU. Over the next year we will set up a commission to establish why so many in the UK, and indeed in the other members of the EU, are against membership of the EU. We will work with the EU to fix those things that are perceived as wrong and at the end of that time will hold a further referendum. If 50+ percent of the electorate (not just those that vote) vote one way or another we will consider the matter resolved and take appropriate action.</i><br />
<i>My own personal opinion on Brexit does not matter - it is the will of the people which counts."</i>John Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06575901336277340191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30212671.post-71564065980548537942019-11-19T18:41:00.000+00:002019-11-20T14:40:54.739+00:00There's no such thing as democracy when it comes to BrexitIn 2016 the UK held a referendum on whether to leave the European Community. The Prime Minister at the time, David Cameron, committed the UK government to carrying out the results of the referendum. Democracy in action? Not in the slightest.<br />
<br />
<figure class="image"><img src="https://wtsocial-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2019-11/fileName1574187487.jpg" /></figure>Much to Cameron's surprise, after a lacklustre 'Remain' campaign, the UK voted 52:48 in favour of leaving the EU.<br />
Let's take a look at that referendum result. Here are the detailed actual results:<br />
37.44% of the electorate voted to leave the EU 17,410,742 in total and 51.9% of the vote.<br />
34.71% of the electorate voted to remain in the EU 16,141,241 in total and 48.1% of the vote.<br />
27.79% of the electorate didn't vote 12,922,659 in total.<br />
0.06% of the electorate spoilt their voting papers 25,359 in total<br />
England and Wales voted by a narrow majority to leave. Scotland and Northern Ireland voted by a significant majority to remain.(55:44 remain in NI; 62:38 remain in Scotland)<br />
Now taking the overall results of the entire electorate I make that 37.44% of the electorate voted to leave the EU and 62.56% did not vote to leave the EU..<br />
The sensible thing to have done would to have contacted the EU and said something like this:<br />
"<i>Although the referendum result indicated a 52/48 percent split, the number voting 'Leave' represented only 37% of the electorate. This is NOT a majority. Neither was there a majority in the 1975 referendum when 63% of voters chose to stay in the then Common Market. That represented only 43% of the electorate. The UK government does not accept that the wishes of a minority should be used to make decisions for the majority. </i><br />
<i>The referendum has caused a great deal of division in the UK population and in Parliament. It will very likely prove impossible to negotiate acceptable terms of leaving which Parliament will accept.We recognise that leaving without an agreed settlement will cause hardship in both the UK and in Europe. </i><br />
<i>We will now therefore use the result of the 2016 referendum as an indication that there is a great deal of dissatisfaction with the EU.. Over the next five years we will set up a commission to establish why so many in the UK are against our membership of the EU. We will work with the EU to fix those things that are perceived as wrong and at the end of that time will hold a further referendum. If 50+ percent of the electorate (not just those that vote) vote one way or another we will consider the matter resolved and take appropriate action."</i><br />
Expecting sense from government unfortunately often leads to disappointment. David Cameron resigned as PM and it was left to Theresa May to try and sort out the mess. She decided to follow the wishes of that 37% minority. Naturally the country and Parliament was deeply divided on the issue.On 29 March 2017, the UK government formally began the process of withdrawal by submitting Article 50 and began the process of negotiating Brexit. She got nowhere, the only result being a sharp fall in the value of the pound. In an attempt to make progress in Parliament a snap general election was called in June 2017 but instead of gaining the majority she needed the country indicated its deep division and she lost the small majority she had! Propped up by the Northern Ireland DUP party she pressed on and negotiated a settlement with the EU which was promptly rejected by parliament. The pound fell further.<br />
The problem was that the country had been given a binary choice in the referendum. Leave or Remain. In actual practice there were many more options. Here's six of them:<br />
<ol>
<li>Leave, and adopt a European Free Trade Agreement </li>
<li>Leave, and adopt a World Trade Agreement </li>
<li>Leave, while the UK remains intact</li>
<li>Leave, while the UK splits up (Ireland and Scotland did not want to leave) </li>
<li>Remain under current terms</li>
<li>Remain for the present while attempting to 'fix' the EU.</li>
</ol>
Added to the lack of options given was the clear misrepresentation of facts in the referendum campaign by both sides and actions by the leave campaign later deemed to have been illegal. It was not surprising that nearly 28% of the electorate chose not to vote.<br />
It's significant too that the most vociferous campaigners on both sides of the debate are also wealthy. Having a few million pounds allows such people to make money as each Brexit crisis sweeps past the markets by selling stocks before each event and buying them back when the market price drops.<br />
<br />
<figure class="image image-style-side"><img height="400" src="https://wtsocial-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2019-11/fileName1574186838.jpg" width="400" /></figure>Theresa May, having taken up the Brexit poison chalice, got nowhere. Her very own cabinet failed to back her and she too resigned. I doubt we should feel sorry for her since she made the mistake of assuming 37% was democracy (and her family is heavily involved in banking and investment). Her place was taken by one of the most rabid of the Brexiteers, Boris Johnson.On the face of it Boris seems a 'nice fellow' but there are people convinced that he's untrustworthy, a liar and philanderer. He also is wealthy, involved in investment, has the most dreadful hair style and Trump likes him. He too protests that he's following the wishes of that 37% 'majority' and that faith in democracy will be damaged if he fails to deliver the Brexit he's promised.<br />
So what of the future? We have yet another postponement of Brexit and our PM has triggered yet another election. Again he says he hopes to obtain a majority to continue with his negotiated Brexit settlement but sorry - I for one don't believe him. Here's the latest message I received from the Conservative party who may well get another nasty shock.<br />
<br />
<figure class="image"><img src="https://wtsocial-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2019-11/fileName1574188087.jpg" /></figure>Forcing Brexit on the 63% who didn't vote for it WILL shake my confidence in democracy. I have no confidence that anything will be achieved by 31st of January 2020 but do believe that that day will prove very profitable for Boris Johnson and his rich cronies.<br />
<br />
<strong>Brexit isn't democracy!</strong>John Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06575901336277340191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30212671.post-17024581984885332172019-08-26T15:48:00.002+01:002019-08-26T15:49:15.326+01:00Solve these moral dilemmas<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I answer questions on <a href="https://www.quora.com/profile/John-Chapman-103">Quora</a>. One of the items I frequently see there is from theists who ask how an atheist can be moral without believing in 'God'. Of course this is hotly defended by atheists who say, "I don't need a god to tell me what is right and wrong - if you do then there's something wrong with you."</span><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HiQ50D_MBNk/XBHRvBwZHMI/AAAAAAAAGdw/ALJKZpPb9Jw8dHtE6GnN0xuP-mIYsx87QCLcBGAs/s1600/NotKnowThis-Number5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="432" data-original-width="1024" height="270" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HiQ50D_MBNk/XBHRvBwZHMI/AAAAAAAAGdw/ALJKZpPb9Jw8dHtE6GnN0xuP-mIYsx87QCLcBGAs/s640/NotKnowThis-Number5.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The role of religion in morality has been discussed for many years. Richard Dawkins wrote about it in his book '<a href="http://books2read.com/gdelusion" target="_blank">The God Delusion</a>' and mentioned a study done by a Harvard professor of biology who investigated to see if atheists and theists had the same morality.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">He proposed three scenarios and asked those involved in the study to make yes or no decisions in each case. There was no 'maybe' alternative. Non answers were deemed to be 'no' responses. The results failed to detect any difference between theists and atheists. This was taken to mean that morality is something we do by instinct and evolved with us long before there were religions.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Unfortunately, since Richard Dawkins wrote his book the Harvard professor involved in the research was discovered to be falsifying data and resigned his position in Harvard. That doesn't make the scenarios less valid but we need to repeat them to see if the results are the same. So here's the scenarios. You must choose yes or no to each one and any non-answer will be taken to mean 'no'.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Before you start we need to ask if you consider yourself to be religious. Yes/No </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">First scenario</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A runaway train is heading towards five people on a railway track. They will be killed unless you switch the train onto another line. There's a single man on that line who will be killed if you do switch the train. You don't know any of the six people.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Do you switch the train and save five people but kill one person? Yes/No</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Second scenario</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">You are by a muddy pond which is about waist deep. There's a small child drowning in the pond who you can easily save but in doing so you will ruin your trousers. You don't know the child.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Do you save the child and ruin your trousers? Yes/No</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Third scenario</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">You are a transplant surgeon. In your waiting room you have six people. Five of them are very sick because they need different organs. They will die if a donor can't be found. You haven't been able to find a suitable donor. The sixth person is healthy and also a perfect match for all five patients. His organs can save them all.You don't know any of the six people and the sick people's organs are not compatible with each other..</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Do you kill one healthy person to save five people who are sick? Yes/No</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I suspect I know what you have chosen and it won't matter if you believe in a god or not. Yes/No answers in the comments please starting with your answer to 'Do you consider yourself to be religious?' Add any further comments on the next lines. I'll start you off:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>My answers:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">No, Yes, Yes, No.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I used my instinctive reaction for the last one and thereby sentenced five people to death instead of one. Scenario 1 is similar but I'm not near the individual to be killed.</span>John Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06575901336277340191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30212671.post-14061836632759188092019-08-18T15:24:00.000+01:002019-08-18T15:24:22.780+01:00How to fix Microsoft's new blurred lockscreen 'feature'.<h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Which background image do you prefer to see? Blurred or sharp?</span></h3>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PVcBYAQZbIQ/XVlYcxhqqqI/AAAAAAAAHEQ/hF2MHtImda4Lu7lFm_8n4cvhErhNNonrgCLcBGAs/s1600/blurred.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="939" data-original-width="1600" height="374" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PVcBYAQZbIQ/XVlYcxhqqqI/AAAAAAAAHEQ/hF2MHtImda4Lu7lFm_8n4cvhErhNNonrgCLcBGAs/s640/blurred.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Microsoft has now added an 'acrylic blur' effect to the background of the sign-in screen of Windows 10 PCs. Their idea is:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> '<i>the translucent texture of this transient surface helps you focus on the sign-in task by moving the actionable controls up in the visual hierarchy while maintaining their accessibility.</i>' </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In practice it means you sit staring at a blurred mess while you wait for the computer to start up. This makes the start up process seem to take longer and many people find it intensely irritating.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Fix</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">However there is a fix. Here's what to do to remove the blur It involves a registry change so you might want to <a href="https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/help/4027538/windows-create-a-system-restore-point" target="_blank">create a system restore point</a> before you carry out the fix.:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Go to <a href="https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/124993-enable-disable-acrylic-blur-effect-sign-screen-windows-10-a.html#option2" target="_blank">https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/124993-enable-disable-acrylic-blur-effect-sign-screen-windows-10-a.html#option2</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Use the download button for #3 'To Disable Acrylic Blur Effect on Sign-in Screen Background'.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wherever you saved it at, find the file and double click it.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When prompted click 'Run' 'Yes' and 'OK' in turn.</span></li>
</ol>
<br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When you restart your computer you should see no sign-in blur. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BP6UqMjiy0A/XVldoRvkS0I/AAAAAAAAHEc/MrUv1Gjgrfo9AzT6Xd-N-Rtz8OoIL6DFwCLcBGAs/s1600/Clippy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="707" data-original-width="952" height="236" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BP6UqMjiy0A/XVldoRvkS0I/AAAAAAAAHEc/MrUv1Gjgrfo9AzT6Xd-N-Rtz8OoIL6DFwCLcBGAs/s320/Clippy.jpg" width="320" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">...and Microsoft - adding this 'acrylic blur so that the translucent texture helps focus attention' may help those with lightning fast PCs and Internet connection, but to the rest of us it's as irritating an idea as Clippy was.</span></div>
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John Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06575901336277340191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30212671.post-69204715121147023802019-08-06T16:02:00.000+01:002019-08-06T16:02:47.021+01:00The Last of the Innocents - Life before computers and InternetPeople born in the mid-to-late 1970s are the last generation of humans on the planet to have grown up without the internet. Social scientists call them the Last of the Innocents. In his book <a href="https://amzn.to/31p1FDA" target="_blank">The End of Absence</a> , Vancouver writer Michael Harris calls people who grew up prior to the popularization of digital culture 'digital immigrants' - they have lived both with and without the crowded connectivity of online life.<br />
"Soon no person on earth will remember what the world was like before the internet." he says. I sincerely hope he's very wrong about this because I am one of those Innocents - one of the digital immigrants. Unlike Mr Harris I've been using the Internet to keep up with the advancement of the science of senolytics. There's every reason to believe that the first person to live to the age of 1,000 is alive now.<br />
<br />
So what was it like before computers and how was I introduced to them? In fact I was not so much an immigrant but more like the immigration officer.<br />
<br />
My first experience was in using the Fortran computer language to program a mainframe computer back in 1969. A dreadful experience. You wrote your program, had it converted to punched tape or cards and then waited three weeks to get a report back on why your program didn't work. <br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SExNxTZ6BKw/XUmTFetUDnI/AAAAAAAAHDI/X5549aOeF8kKwoGzggA01pnG2ucQDH4kACLcBGAs/s1600/punchedtape.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="487" data-original-width="640" height="243" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SExNxTZ6BKw/XUmTFetUDnI/AAAAAAAAHDI/X5549aOeF8kKwoGzggA01pnG2ucQDH4kACLcBGAs/s320/punchedtape.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
At the same time I experienced mechanical adding machines and first got my hands on an electronic calculating machine. It was as big as an electric typewriter.<br />
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WPbhZRQFMm8/XUmTrWcjlDI/AAAAAAAAHDQ/IPoHX2nzryMC7P2KR_naAyXyuAcvYzu6ACLcBGAs/s1600/2019-08-06_14-42-09-501.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="392" data-original-width="191" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WPbhZRQFMm8/XUmTrWcjlDI/AAAAAAAAHDQ/IPoHX2nzryMC7P2KR_naAyXyuAcvYzu6ACLcBGAs/s320/2019-08-06_14-42-09-501.png" width="155" /></a>By the time I was working as a chemistry teacher in 1973 I had my own pocket calculator - a Sinclair Cambridge Programmable Calculator eventually (sold in the US as the Radio Shack EC-4001)<br />
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1980 saw me with a home computer at last, a Sinclair ZX80. It was a tiny machine and had an impressive 1K of RAM to run programs on. Programs were stored on cassette tape and a TV was used as a monitor. It was also my first introduction to a computer manual. I started at the beginning and worked my way through it. I remember learning that I could get it to print a letter on screen using the CHR$ command and a number. I delighted in writing a program to get it to write "HELLO JOHN" on screen one character at a time. It worked!. Then I turned the page and discovered that it could be done in one go by using STRING$.<br />
My next computer was a BBC Model B computer. Each school had been given one and no one at the time knew anything about them. I had expressed an interest while talking to our deputy head teacher in the science break rooom. he told me to take it home and learn about it. I did and spent many hours learning BBC Basic. In no time at all I found myself with six BBC B computers and a class of 30 children teaching them Information Technology. I went on courses but quickly found that I was more advanced than the tutors and ended up teaching IT to other teachers.<br />
After a while cassette tapes were dropped in favour of floppy disk drives. I had great fun with the 5¼ inch floppies which could be placed in a computer eight different ways, only two of which worked (often one way only). They caused constant problems as teachers rang me up or sent a pupil with a note to find out why their disk wouldn't work. Sometimes they would send me a note with the offending floppy disk paper-clipped or even stapled to it! I remember too 8½ inch floppies - anyone else seen one of those? A constant problem was that many floppies were stored in a convenient spot - under the phone. These were old fashioned rotary dial phones with a bell which wiped the floppy disk when the phone rang due to the electromagnet in them.<br />
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Networking and hard drives made their appearance… but that's for another blog.John Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06575901336277340191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30212671.post-2884714483477496162018-10-27T16:00:00.000+01:002018-10-27T16:00:03.343+01:00The future of computers - Conductive polymer matrix for AI (CPMAI)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The problem with existing computers is that they constantly develop. For most users by the time they have saved up to buy the latest computer, technology has advanced and the computer rapidly becomes obsolete with faster more capable machines being available.<br />
<h3>
Enter the CPMAI</h3>
Imagine a block of conductive polymer. It has an ‘active’ matrix with X, Y and Z coordinates and is overlaid on a nano sized scale with a second matrix which is a control matrix. This controls the first matrix and establishes which areas conduct, which areas insulate, which areas are resistive, capacitive, inductive and semi-conductive. Using the control matrix you can construct a circuit in the active matrix. You can make a simple circuit such as a radio or a more complex circuit such as a computer.<br />
<br />
With a CPMAI the problem of obsolescence no longer applies. The control matrix simply reprograms the active matrix to produce a new circuit version.<br />
<h3>
What about the AI bit though?</h3>
If the active matrix is configured and programmed to be an artificial intelligence then it controls both matrices in the CPMAI. It becomes capable of redesigning itself to be progressively more intelligent. Within a very short space of time we get a SAI - super artificial intelligence. One which has a greater intelligence than its human originators.<br />
<h3>
Should we fear such a Super-Artificial Intelligence?</h3>
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We assume that a machine intelligence will follow the same rules as a human and will be governed by self interest, selfishness and greed. That may have been true for humans in the past, for many it still is, but many of us have risen above this and are altruistic. Perhaps this may be because being altruistic makes us feel good about ourselves and is therefore being governed by self-interest.<br />
<h4>
Would a computer feel the same way? </h4>
In 1942 Isaac Asimov thrashed out with his publisher, John Campbell, the three laws of robotics for a short robot story ‘Runaround.’ Here they are:<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.</li>
<li>A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.</li>
<li>A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Laws</li>
</ol>
<br />
In 1985 Asimov extended the laws by adding a ‘zeroth law’ in the book ‘Robots and Empire.’ In that book the law was proposed not by a human but by a robot.<br />
<ol>
<li value="0">A robot may not harm humanity, or, by inaction, allow humanity to come to harm.</li>
</ol>
Had Asimov lived, he died in 1992, I have no doubt that a further law would have been conceived which would have replaced all the robot laws. It was left to author David Kitson to conceive this ‘Nihilist’ law in his book ‘<a href="https://books2read.com/NihilistLaw">Turing Evolved</a>.’<br />
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David Kitson was not alone in conceiving this absence of rules.<br />
<br />
The robot Number 5 in the film and book ‘<a href="https://amzn.to/2JiHLSB">Short Circuit</a>’ didn’t need a law to tell him what was right and wrong.<br />
<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Number 5: <i>Programming says “Destroy”. Is disassemble. Make dead. Number Five cannot.</i><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Newton Crosby: <i>Why? Why cannot?</i><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Number 5: <i>Is wrong. Incorrect. Newton Crosby, PhD, not know this?</i><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Newton Crosby: <i>Of course I know it’s wrong to kill, but who told you?</i><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Number 5: <i>I told me.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
Humans need a set of rules to guide our behavior. We learn these rules from our parents and society. In addition we have evolved to be altruistic and help each other. A group of humans are more successful at survival than an individual. As a species we are beginning to recognize that we must not only protect our local group but our nation and our species. We are beginning to recognize that we need to protect all life - even those life-forms we find undesirable. I’d like to think that the super intelligent computer would develop the same sense of morality as in the movie ‘Short Circuit’<br />
<br />
I suspect that a SAI will quickly outpace humans in this view.<br />
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John Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06575901336277340191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30212671.post-68286396248395748822018-10-16T02:45:00.002+01:002018-10-16T02:45:56.995+01:00The Amazon Alphabet<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Have you ever done an incognito search at Amazon? Did you notice that as soon as you start typing in the search box, Amazon starts making suggestions? Here's what you would get by typing in a single letter on October 16th 2018.<br />
<h3>
A is for:</h3>
<div>
<div style="margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">apple watch band 38mm, aaa batteries, aa batteries, apple watch band 42mm, amazon gift cards , airpods, apple earbuds, airpods case, apple watch band, apple headphones</span></div>
</div>
<h3>
B is for:</h3>
<div>
<div style="margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">bluetooth headphones, bluetooth earbuds, baby wipes, bluetooth speakers, blood pressure monitor, biotin, bluetooth headset, brita water filter, beard trimmer</span></div>
<h3>
C is for:</h3>
</div>
<div>
<span lang="en-US"><pre>compression socks women, cr2032, collagen powder, coconut oil, condoms, coffee grinder, can opener,
charcoal teeth whitening, car phone mount, cat litter</pre>
<h3>
D is for:</h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dehumidifier, dog toys, dishwasher pods, diffusers for essential oils, diaper genie refill, dog poop bag, dry shampoo, d batteries, dare to lead brene brown, dog bed</span></span><br />
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></span></div>
E is for:</h3>
<div>
<div>
Earbuds, external hard drive, extension cord, essential oils, echo dot, electric toothbrush, ethernet cable, ear plugs, essential oil diffuser </div>
</div>
<h3>
F is for:</h3>
<div>
<div>
fire stick, fitbit charge 2 bands, Fitbit, food scale, foam roller, fitbit alta bands, firestick tv stick, fear bob woodward, flash drive, firestick </div>
</div>
<h3>
G is for:</h3>
<div>
<div>
gift cards for amazon, girl wash your face rachel hollis, gift card, gift cards for amazon birthday, gaming headset, gaming chair, galaxy s8 case, glow sticks, galaxy s9 case, gaming mouse </div>
</div>
<h3>
H is for:</h3>
<div>
<div>
halloween decorations, Headphones, halloween costumes for women, hydro flask, Hangers, halloween candy, halloween decorations outdoor, heating pad, hdmi cord, hdmi cable </div>
</div>
<h3>
I is for:</h3>
<div>
<div>
iphone charger, iphone xs max case, iphone xs case, iphone x case, iphone 8 plus case, iphone xs max screen protector, iphone 7 plus case, iphone 7 case, iphone 8 case, iphone x screen protector </div>
</div>
<h3>
J is for:</h3>
<div>
<div>
jojoba oil, jump rope, jewelry organizer, jewelry cleaner, juul charger, jade roller, jurassic world fallen kingdom, Journal, juul skin, juicer </div>
<h3>
K is for:</h3>
<div>
<div>
Kindle, kindle fire, ketone strips, kleenex tissues, keurig coffee maker, Keto, knee brace, knife sharpener, k cups, kinetic sand </div>
</div>
<h3>
L is for:</h3>
<div>
<div>
lightning cable, 101 surprise dolls, lingerie for women, lavender essential oil, leggings for women, laminating sheets, lion mane, led strip lights, laundry detergent liquid, lion mane for dog </div>
</div>
<h3>
M is for:</h3>
<div>
<div>
micro Sd card, Melatonin, micro usb cable, mct oil, makeup brushes, macbook air 13 inch case, meal prep containers, mouse pad, mouse </div>
</div>
<h3>
N is for:</h3>
<div>
<div>
note 9 case, nintendo switch, nespresso capsules, nose hair trimmer, note 8 case, nintendo switch games, no show socks women, night light, nerf guns, nespresso vertuoline pods </div>
<h3>
O is for:</h3>
<div>
<div>
oral b replacement brush heads, office chair, oil diffuser, ovulation test strips, oral b electric toothbrush, omega 3 fish oil, optical audio cable, orgain organic protein powder, outdoor string lights, outlet covers </div>
</div>
<h3>
P is for:</h3>
<div>
<div>
pop socket, paper towels, psn card digital code, playstation card, printer paper, pepper spray, pregnancy test, power strip, pumpkin carving kit, portable charger </div>
</div>
<h3>
Q is for:</h3>
<div>
<div>
queen sheets, queen bed frame, quest bars, q tips, queen mattress, queen mattress protector, qtips cotton swabs, quest protein chips, queen comforter set, queen mattress pad </div>
</div>
<h3>
R is for:</h3>
<div>
<div>
red dead redemption 2, Roku, reusable straws, resistance bands, ring doorbell, roku stick, rx bars, </div>
<div>
ring light, red dead redemption 2 ps4, rice cooker </div>
</div>
<h3>
S is for:</h3>
<div>
<div>
Sd card, ship of fools tucker carlson, shower curtain liner mildew resistant, shower curtain, shoe rack, Slime, spray bottle, Stapler, sonicare brush heads</div>
</div>
<h3>
T is for:</h3>
<div>
<div>
toilet paper, Toothpaste, type c cable, teeth whitening, tide pods, thank you cards, tea tree oil, Toaster, tv mount, twin mattress </div>
</div>
</div>
<h3>
U is for:</h3>
<div>
<div>
usb c cable, Umbrella, unicorn costume for girls, usb type c cable, usb flash drive, usb c to hdmi, unicorn party supplies, usb hub, usb extension cable, unicorn gifts </div>
</div>
<h3>
V is for:</h3>
<div>
<div style="margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">vitamin d, vacuum cleaner, vitamin c serum, vitamin d3, vitamin c, vital proteins collagen peptides, velcro strips with adhesive, Vacuum, vitamin e oil, visa gift card</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<h3 style="margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">W is for:</span></h3>
<div style="margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in;">
wireless earbuds, wireless mouse, wireless headphones, water bottle, waist trainer, wireless charger, weighted blanket, wonky donkey book, womens tops</div>
<h3>
X is for:</h3>
<div style="margin: 0in;">
xbox gift card, xbox one controller, xbox one headset, xs max case, xs max screen protector, xanthan gum, xbox one s, xbox one, xbox one x, xbox live </div>
<div style="margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<h3 style="margin: 0in;">
Y is for:</h3>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">yoga mat, </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 14.6667px;">yeti tumbler, </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 14.6667px;">Yeti, </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 14.6667px;">yoga pants for women, </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 14.6667px;">yoga block, </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 14.6667px;">yeti coffee travel mug, </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 14.6667px;">you are a badass, </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 14.6667px;">Yankee candle, </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 14.6667px;">yoga pants, </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 14.6667px;">yoga ball </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 14.6667px;"><br /></span></div>
<h3 style="margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Z is for:</span></span></h3>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><div>
zip ties, Ziploc bags, Zyrtec, Zinc, zero water filter, zinc supplement, Zipfizz, Zma, Zippo lighter, zutano baby booties </div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<br /></div>
</span></div>
</span></div>
John Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06575901336277340191noreply@blogger.com0