I suspect that this tale has been embroidered somewhat in the transmission.
]]>Allynh is citing "Back to Methuselah". Written by George Bernard Shaw, who swallowed the whole eugenics thing hook, line, and sinker.
Basically, it's pretty much 100% discredited. Humans breed back towards the norm; the vast majority of non-viable mutations never make it past the first trimester of pregnancy.
Finally, using "Dune" to make a point about anything in the real world probably warrants public mockery.
]]>Having been north of Finland a few weeks ago, I can attest to the value of having well heated and well insulated interiors in winter. It's a lot nicer wandering out the windy sea cliffs at the North Cape if you can then go back indoors to somewhere it's cosy.
]]>This in turn accounts for the popularity of older homes. The older dwellings that survived (i.e. the ones that weren't condemned as slums and demolished fifty years ago) tend to be relatively spacious and pleasant, with high ceilings (especially if they predate electricity -- they needed head space in order to accommodate the tall windows required for daylight lighting). Retrofitting them with central heating and insulation and double glazing is not cheap, but it's probably cheaper than replacing them with a new-build property with equivalent floor space.
]]>Eh?
The Old Town dates from the late mediaeval period -- 1500s through 1700 -- and the New Town was gridded out in the 1750s!
But Edinburgh's a very bad example: since 1970 it's been preserved in aspic (UN World Heritage Site status) and even before that there were anomalies that made it hard to build "modern" carbuncles in the middle of town.
]]>Each residential pickup has 2 wheelie bins, one for all recyclables (plastic, paper, metal, etc.) plus a small plastic bin for glass recycling, and one for compostables (all food scraps, paper with food waste on it, yard debris, etc.), and one 33 gal. waste can for everything else. When the compost scheme was set up last year we were given a small plastic container (5 or 6 liters at a guess) to collect the scraps in the kitchen.
Where the system needs some improvement is in the pickup schedule and the kitchen container. The container doesn't seal well, so after a day or so it starts to smell. I've solved that by putting a plastic bag inside to hold the scraps, and another over the top to keep in the smell and then after the pickup I toss the inside bag and rotate the outside bag to the inside. But that uses up a plastic bag every week, which isn't optimal. I'd use a paper bag, but they get wet and leak.
The problem with the schedule is that the municipal agency that manages waste wanted to keep the cost of pickup constant, to make the changes more acceptable to citizens, so they scheduled compost pickup every week, and regular waste pickup on alternate weeks, on the theory that taking out compostables cuts the waste in half. The problem is that while it may do that on average (though I'm dubious), there are often times where the trash mounts up to more than a can's worth in 2 weeks. This is especially odorous for us as much of that waste is dog shit (it's amazing how much poop a couple of small dogs can create).
]]>Me, I touch-type. So my little netbook gets the touchpad turned off (every time I boot it up, thank you) and a USB mouse plugged in. Otherwise the cursor will wander at odd times while I'm typing.
For that matter, I'm reasonably happy with my home machine's trackball but wouldn't mind a keyboard with a pointing stick and mouse buttons; like all of us, I spend too much time reaching away from the keyboard when I need to point at things. This three handed ergonomic scheme could use improvement.
]]>We HAVE a rainbow! It was the one that spectacularly blew its capacitor - and I had to dismantle and retro-fit But they really do clean - that water-bath system is effective....
bellinghman and others @ 170 et seq LBWF - London Two bins - grey for non-recyclable, green for recyclable optional brown for compostable - we don't have the latter, because we compost our own! Results from "browm" bins are wonderful balck fertiliser - which our allotments and othe growers get Does make the plants grow, too! Council will do up to 3 special collections per year, plus 3 "dumps" where locals can bring stuff in for recycling.
SEF @ 196 Technically "brown" is a less-intense YELLOW ahem
Dirk @ 218 "Coal soot" - erm how many hoses around? I remember the last of the London Smogs ... planty of burnt and partially burnt hydrocarbons and particulates around in the air visibilty <10metres @ noon, lost 12 000+ people in a week
"passivhaus" -generally Currently ILLEGAL in UK Why? Because they re-use OLD TYRES in the wall-fill, and by a (recent) law these MUST NOT be re-used, but sent to central collection points. I don't doubt the will be a work-around soon, but in the meantime ....
ajay @ 262 ANd STILL people are aginst even Obamacre, never mind a proper state-funded Health system? When US childbirth is THAT dangerous?
@ 263-5 They're lying You can get proper wooden windows & frames, but CLAIMING it'll cost too much is a handy get-out.
@ 274 NO the iPAD - like I said - used one for the first & I hope last, time last week EUUUUGHHH!
Dave Bell @ 303 "Art DEco Please dont! There was this wonderful deco PUB (The PAviour's Arms in Westminster inside q '30s block, and they demolished the whole block, incuding the pub .... aaaaaarrrrGHHHHH! ( GOOD Fuller + Thai food, in case you ask)
]]>I'd like to agree with this just from my own irritation at having the corporate research lab I worked in shut down in 1992, but while it is true that there's a lot less non-military corporate R&D in the US than there was a generation ago, there is still quite a bit left, and much of it is basic to modern industry.
Case in point: Intel Corp., which is, and has been for a long time, the world leader in the development of integrated circuit design and manufacturing techniques. Their global R&D center is about 15 miles from here, in Hillsboro, OR, USA. This includes not only the semiconductor fab R&D and pilot plants but also a large part of their system and circuit design R&D. In 2011 Intel spent roughly USD 3.4 billion on R&D, 8% of their total revenue.
]]>Then you're using cheaply and poorly made trackpads. The Apple ones are made of glass; very low friction and excellent sensitivity, combined with good drop-off (so hovering fingers over the macbook trackpad doesn't make the cursor jump around -- it only moves when you touch the glass).
]]>Insulated electric water dispensers.
Because Japanese domestic appliances run on 100 volts and relatively low current, a kettle would take a long time to boil. So instead of the UK-style electric jug kettle with charger base (which in turn is w-a-y better than the typical primitive electric kettle found in the US) the Japanese use heavily insulated pots with a pump-action dispenser nozzle. You fill it up, it takes 15 minutes to come to the boil, then it stays hot indefinitely with relatively little energy input.
]]>Sounds complicated and likely to break. Wouldn't a front-loading washing machine work for you? (We've only had those for around fifty years ...)
]]>The garbage disposal is meant to make cleaning the sink easier after rinsing dishes or cooking. It's not (usually) for disposing of bulk items.
Basically, the idea is that with a basic sink, you typically rinse any food scraps / coffee grounds / etc. off of plates etc. and into the drain strainer. Then you have to dump it out into your compost bin or trash, often a few times.
With a garbage disposal, you do the same thing, except there's no strainer so it goes straight into the disposal. Then you pulse it for a 2-3 seconds with the water going and you're done. No need to get your hands wet.
They're pretty cheap compared to other appliances, and are only really meant for that sort of incidental use. Sometimes you might put something down there which would be especially bad smelling in the trash/compost, but that can backfire and lead to an especially bad smelling sink.
Note that these are generally powerful enough to destroy tougher items like a whole carrot or whatnot, but they're not really doing anything useful if used that way.
]]>mayhem @ 335 If you want DOUBLE glazed wooden windows - yes hideously expensive. SIngle-galzed are cheap though. Fit thick curtains!
dirk @ 347 Hirsaan Ali? Woman in Bangla Desh who's had to flee? Women in Persia? NOT good ...
DJPoK @ 350 Which was much protested, including by many men at the time. The authorities over-reaction screwd them (again)
Ken Brown @ 356 We have a twin-tub Difficult to get Advantage - more contollable.
Dik & DJPoK Erm anyone want to mantion Genghis Khan and raise you? Or Timur the Lame? or Mao / Pol Pot?
AND CiF I WAS BANNED from CiF for "racism" - I was rude about islam, calling it cruel and misogynistic and medieval ... (OK I should have said "Dark Ages") THAT is the level of discussion there. Facts are supposed to be sacred. They don't even want to see facts, prejudices are much better! ( I may be allowed back in now, but I'm not sure I want to go ) - yeah, dirk @ 389 THAT is about the infantile level they operate at.
CDW @ 393 Yes Like the Brits only invaded upper Gold Coast when the local Asante king started bathing in hs victims' blood, and thousands of refyugees arrived. Ditto Upper Burma, after local king deliberately stampeded an elephant herd over a lot of people (including relatives) he didn't like ....
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